Heaven. No lines, no waiting.....

A holy year, according to Camino credence, is one in which July 25th, the feast day of Saint James, falls upon a Sunday. 2010 denotes such a year. I'm not surprised, having come from a childhood heavily steeped in Catholicism, by the added dogma and clout a holy year pilgrimage proposes to the faithful. Although I have long ago shed my religion, I remain intrigued by the ornate rituals and complex intricacies woven within the institution and revered by her followers. Discovering we had inadvertently planned our pilgrimage during a holy year has piqued my interest and roused the inner mystic inspired by such coincidences.



"You know, it looks as though we're doing this in a Holy Year..." I say to Rena, who's heavily engaged in a round of laptop Marjon. I wait, expecting her to forfeit up some words of wisdom.



"Do we know what that means, exactly?" She asks.


"Something about getting to bypass purgatory and go straight to heaven." I reply with no level of certainty.


"Can't hurt." She shruggs before offering what seems to have become our life's motto, "I don't see why not.."


Why not indeed, for what is a spiritual pilgrimage without nuances of mysticism and traces of soul cleansing powers?



In researching further, according to Catholic tradition, completing the Camino De Santiago, the way of Saint James, grants forgiveness of sins for two years. That in and of itself, I imagine, would be quite the allure for practicing Catholics, past and present. Afterall, it seems one could rack up the sins pretty quickly, effortlessly even, just by going through life's daily grind. In 1122, Pope Calixtus II gave Compostella the authority to grant Plenary Indulgence to those making their pilgrimage during a holy year. Plenary Indulgence essentially translates to a "get out of purgatory" free card in the monopoly of Catholic afterlife.


While I don't personally subscribe to the notion of sin in line with religious teachings, I understand the concept and shudder at how quickly distorted it becomes. To organized religion, whose survival depends on recruiting and retaining the masses, sin and salvation are big business. The word's origins trace back to an archery term. To "sin" simply meant that you missed or fell short of the mark. An offense not to be judged or punished but rather serving as a gentle reminder to fine tune and improve one's aim. To that extent, it's evident that sin is alive and well in our evolution. It is an integral stepping stone on our path to enlightenment, in as much so as crawling was to our walking upright. The promise of forgiveness for two years of my own, personal, missed marks, although a lovely offer, really isn't necessary or a huge draw for me.


The existence of purgatory, the in between place, is a bigger and more interesting stretch. How can I reconcile an undefined period of limbo, with the beliefs that I embrace? I contemplate the similarities between the concept of purgatory and that of reincarnation. Each offering a soul reflection time of their earthly lives, their sins or, more aptly put, their missed marks. Purgatory provides a specific place for that reflection while reincarnation provides you the best place to take another shot at the target. In no time, I find I can rest there void of internal conflict, with a new found spiritual commonality, I had overlooked before. Perhaps they both exist, granting us yet another opportunity to take aim and hit the bulls eye before moving on to our final destination, home. Common are the threads which bind the hearts of seekers! The discovery is pleasantly surprising.




And so it is there, among the scraps of spiritual similarities and reverence, that I welcome the redemption granted to pilgrims who trek during a holy year. The possibility of not having to repeat my performance here on earth, to go striaght into the arms of the divine AND to be let off the hook for my missed marks....sign me up! To echo the words of my favorite teacher seems appropriate "I don't see why not..."