LIB'S LABYRINTH: Way of St. James

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Way of St. James

DO YOU KNOW THE WAY OF ST. JAMES? After St. James the Greater, brother of John the Beloved and one of the twelve apostles, was martyred in Jerusalem, his body was sawed into half by the order of Herod Agrippa the great grandson of Herod the Great, legend says that his remains were transported across the Mediterranean Sea and buried in Spain. One night, a shepherd noticed an unusual light in the sky. It was found to be coming from the site where St. James was buried. The cathedral at Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain is the traditional burial site of St. James. It has been a popular spiritual destination for pilgrims since medieval times, a journey that follows different ancient routes throughout Europe and northern Africa.
During the Revolutionary War, John Adams, accompanied by his two sons, was sent to Paris, France to secure funding for the war. As the ship carrying Adams neared Europe, it began to take on water and was forced to stop at Cape Finisterre (known as the end of the earth) on Spain's western coast. The Adams family and contingent made the Way of St. James (walking? bicycling? riding horseback?) in reverse to reach Paris. He later said he regretted never stopping at the Santiago cathedral.
THE WAY, a 2011 film by Emilio Estevez and starring his father, Martin Sheen, was one such unintended spiritual ? pilgrimage.