Day 4 Final Ireland by Ken
Today we awoke to a sea voyage to The Island of Inisheer one of three Islands known as the Aran Islands. We arrived on the Island to a beautiful day. The weather was sunny, and each pilgrim’s heart was filled with a sense of adventure. We spent the day exploring the island. Some of the group hiked the circumference of the island, while others took a more leisurely view of the island via a pony-drawn cart. With the weather clear, we were able to see all the way to the Cliffs of Moher.
As we hiked around the island, we were often overcome by the rough terrain. These islands are known as being quite rough and rugged. One of the pilgrims commented that, while walking on the shifting stones that our path was made of, it reminded her of her spiritual journey. She said that you never really know if, every time you place your feet, that step will be absolutely secure. But if you take your time and steady yourself, and keep moving forward, the vistas that you see make it worth the work. As the day grew towards dusk, we made our way to an ancient site known as the Church of St. Kevin, which is called on the island, Teampall Chaomham. This is a sacred site where our team gathered to explore the grounds and to read the burial stones of the saints who were buried in this spot.
Before we left this site we gathered to discuss what it really means to live. The pilgrims were challenged with the idea that until they come to terms with their death and dying, they can never really learn to live. The way of the cross and the pilgrim’s walk, follows in the steps of Jesus, and requires us to die so that we might really live like Christ. The way of the pilgrim is to ask ourselves the question, “Are the things I’m living for, worth Jesus dying for?” The site of St. Kevin’s Church is quite beautiful, and our walk down from this place was a quiet, reflective walk. We concluded the evening by listening to traditional Irish music, and prepared to rise early the next morning to catch our ferry back to Galway Bay.