From the diary of the pilgrim James

The first blisters on my feet make me hear a seductive voice saying: "Come on, stop it. Why torture yourself over hills, mountains, and through valleys?" No, I won't allow myself to give up after the third stage! But one thing has been a lesson to me: footwear needs to be well broken in for serious pilgrimage. So it's a good thing that I find a special attraction in Fischingen Monastery, an old pilgrimage site that has been renovated and revitalized: In the Idda Chapel, pilgrims can put their feet through the opening under the altar to be healed. Even if the blisters don't go away, the relaxation and peace in this cozy room alone gives me new courage to continue. And when the sounds of the organ fill the room, body and soul are refreshed. No wonder a prayer comes naturally to my lips.

Something to think about along the way

"I heard that the former Knights Hospitaller Commandery looked after the pilgrims and cared for sick pilgrims." Who still does this today for God's sake?

Perhaps this will give you courage when you yourself have exhausted your strength and are wondering about the meaning of all your hardship: that you have become a light to others, set a precedent, and illuminated new paths. So I wish you that you are light and experience light in your own darkness.

Ch. Spilling

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