And so it begins …..
Day 1 of the Via di Francesco.
How do you begin a journey? When you have the initial idea, when you begin preparations, when you start travelling or perhaps when you actually start walking?
I chose to begin at my home church, St Alban’s, Windy Nook. It was great to be able to share something of how I was led to this journey and how spiritually significant it feels. It proved to be a very emotional morning. There was a real sense that home is not just the house I live in but the community I am part of.
The prayer of St Francis before the cross in the back of the Travelling Light Booklet sums up my hopes for this pilgrimage.
Most high, glorious God,
Enlighten the darkness of my heart
Give me true faith.
Give me certain hope.
Give me perfect Charity.
Give me Lord the sense and knowledge,
that I may carry out
Your holy and true command.
I hope it will feel like a holiday though, despite the physical challenge of over twelve thousand two hundred metres of ascent over the eighteen days of walking. That’s an awful lot of up and down.
