“This cloud has to come to an end”, I thought while struggling to discover the yellow marks on the stones and trees along the Road. For nearly half an hour the visibility had been close to zero, and I went on singing to chase away the fear while waiting for something extraordinary to happen. Shrouded in the fog, all alone in that unreal atmosphere, once again I began to see the Road to Santiago as if it were a film, right at the moment when you see the hero doing what nobody would do, while in the audience you think that these things only happen in the cinema. But there I was, living this situation in real life. The forest was growing quieter and quieter and the fog was beginning to clear up. Maybe it was coming to an end, but that light confused my eyes and painted everything around me in mysterious and terrifying colors.
All of a sudden, like in a magic trick, the fog lifted completely. And there in front of me, driven into the top of the mountain, was the Cross.
I looked around, saw the sea of clouds from which I had emerged, and another sea of clouds way above my head. Between these two oceans, the peaks of the highest mountains and Cebreiro peak with the Cross. I felt a great urge to pray.
Despite the desire, I did not manage to say anything. A hundred meters beneath me, a village with fifteen houses and a small church began to turn on its lights. At least I had somewhere to spend the night. A stray lamb climbed the hill and placed itself between me and the cross. It looked at me, somewhat afraid. For a long time I stared at the nearly black sky, the cross and the white lamb at the foot of the cross.
“Lord”, I finally said. “I am not nailed to that cross, nor do I see You there. This cross is empty and so it shall remain for ever, because the time of Death has passed. This cross was the symbol of the infinite power that we all have, nailed and killed by man. Now this Power is born again to life, because I have walked the path of common people and in them I have found Your own secret. You too walked the path of common people. You came to teach all that we were capable of, and we did not want to accept this. You showed us that Power and Glory were in everyone’s reach, and this sudden vision of our capacity was too much for us. We crucified You not because we are ungrateful to the son of God but because we were very afraid to accept our own capacity. With time and tradition, You again became just a distant divinity, and we returned to our destiny as men.
“There is no sin in being happy. Half a dozen exercises and an attentive ear are enough to make a man realize his most impossible dreams”.
The lamb rose and I followed it. I already knew where it was leading me, and despite the clouds the world had grown transparent for me. Even though I was not seeing the Milky Way in the sky, I was certain that it existed and showed everyone the Road to Santiago.I followed the lamb, which was heading in the direction of the small village – also called Cebreiro, like the mountain. A miracle had taken place there once – the miracle of changing what you do into what you believe. The secret of my sword and the strange Road to Santiago.
As I climbed down the mountain I recalled the story. A peasant from a nearby village came up to hear Mass in Cebreiro one day amid a heavy storm. That Mass was celebrated by a monk of little faith who within himself disdained the peasant’s sacrifice. But at the moment of the Consecration, the host transformed into the body of Christ and the wine became his blood. The relics are still there, kept in that small chapel, a greater treasure than all the wealth of the Vatican.
I went to the small chapel built by the peasant and the monk who had begun to believe in what he did. No-one knew who they were. Two nameless headstones in the cemetery nearby mark the place where their bones are buried. But it is impossible to know which is the monk’s grave and which is the peasant’s. Because, in order to for there to be a miracle, the two forces had to fight the Good Fight.
Since then, whenever I am faced with an important challenge, I remember the story of the miracle of Cebreiro. Faith sometimes has to be provoked before it can manifest itself.
And this year I am celebrating the twentieth anniversary of my pilgrimage – which changed my life. Next week, on the 25th of July, we commemorate Santiago de Compostela Day. If you can, offer up a prayer in homage to the saint.
My dear Paulo,
If it were not for the fact that you once walked the road to Santiago… learning the importance of fighting the good fight… we may not otherwise have had the opportunity to interact in he manner to which we have now become accustomed… I am grateful in more ways than one… but most of all… for the reassurance of faith… in God & the Universe… and last but not least… in myself… as a humble part of the aforementioned…
Thank you Paulo… and thank you Santiago… we are one…
Love, Paul
What a lovely picture you painted with your story Paulo!
Well, we are almost hitting July 25.
I already made an homage to you today, the 24th, and now seeing this, I’ll make one to Santiago!! and The Alchemist! (again
Beautiful story!
Agape
C.
Dear Paulo,
Just finished reading The Pilgrimage and will say a prayer on July 25!! Although my grandparents and father were Catholic, I was not raised in this religion. At about age 5, I found a little church several blocks away and asked the minister if he would baptize me age 11. At age 16 for a few months, I lived with a priest and 3 nuns.
Learning the history of relics and Saint days through your adventures is also fascinating, and I appreciate these stories very much.
How else would I or anyone, be able to appreciate or grow faith without being pushed into using it during a crisis where survival of another or ourself is at risk? Life is amazing. Thank You Paulo, Love to All, Jane : ) xo
Thank you Paulo for the truthful words!!! You have given me an answer that I never really understood- that man never has understood their own capacity, gift. It is very sad to know this now…
I wonder Paulo if you have ever been to Medugorje? My family in Bosnia lives near the village and I just wanted to know.
Love and Peace
Tina
as I sit and read this, I understand why I am going through what i am going through at the moment. I recieved all the signs months ago even while I was in Paris.
Even though I feel like I am in solitude I know that I am not alone.
My flesh tries to fight it and I pray that my spirit is stronger, but it has been a long time and I admit I feel weak.
Didn’t think I had these many tears inside of me.
Your tears are also a sign dear Marie… a sign of longing (or searching). Now follow and walk with them, and the sign you received in Paris will lead you towards that which you are searching… “yourself!”
So near, and yet, so far…
Have faith and walk with your dreams…
Your friend, Paul
My dear Paulo,
i am very grateful that in my journey i was fortunate to meet you through your words.You are one of my teachers,my models.The alchimist introduced me to that part of God i didn’t knew.Totally changed my destiny.Thank you!Keep going.Love,
Hey Paulo,
Your episode at Cebreiro is/was fascinating and amazingly sublime. miracles is the stuff life is made of yet we often fail to discern them in our lives…i have experienced one such moment of revelation and im looking forward to many more..however faith, belief takes work and is never easy..often im tempted to doubt and worry for the temepests and cycles of life do hurl us into situations,circumstances which make us embittered and see the worst in everything…We need to keep fighting the good fight and have faith. for as you rightly said faith sometimes has to be provoked before it can manifest itself.
Jeff
Dear Paulo,
many times a day, a week, a month, during years, we stand on the cross path thinking whether to go one way or another. We have lost this ability to listen to ourselves and search for the answers within ourselves, being overwhelmed by reality and values around us. your books give this chance to come back to ourselves, that many people are grateful for!!
many thanks for helping to take our journey in life with the wisdom that was and is always there for us, but we are blinded by false values, that once you read your book one realizes that it is all relevant at the end of the day.
your talent of writing that comes to people souls is a true blessing!
looking forward to new adventures with you,
Sincerely yours,
Oyuna
Dearest Paulo
What a joy your words are. I love your books. I read and then reread paragraphs, most especially when I am coming to the end of a book and I know that my journey of joy is coming to an end. I dont want it to end so I read very slowly and re read entire pages because I only have a few left and then I am left without a book.
I have just subscribed to your Warrior of Light journal magazine and look very forward to regularly receiving this.
Thank You. Not only have you brought hope and understanding and faith and belief into my life, inturn, my own belief, faith and hope has passed on to others – as if a light – passing round for all.
Eleven Minutes is an odd one. It even scared me that I enjoyed it. Unsure if that was because I am a truely faithful reader of yours or maybe too, it met the devil inside me. Again, it was enjoyable and I didnt want it to end either.
I love taking journeys with you.
Sheryl (Australia)
Hola Senor Coelho,
I am an ardent fan of all your books and have read The pilgrimage again now, as i am in spain for a holiday, for a month. The holiday is coming to an end and I met a friend at the language school who told me about his experiences in santiago de compostella. He did the walk from france.
I have this urge to visit santiago de compostella ever since he talked about his pilgrimage, but i do not have the time to do the pilgrimage since I hvae to return to work in a week´s time. However, something inside me has been urging me to just go to santiago, even if it is for a few days, by train or whatever. There is just this pressing desire to go to santiago, despite me not knowing very much about it. I was walking in callao (madrid) a few days ago, and came accross your bok the pilgrimage displayed on the window. i was surprised and went in to buy it so i could read it again. everything that has happened since my friend at school told me about the pilgrimage has been urging me to go there to santiago. I beleive in signs and the fact that i saw the book displayed and bought it to re read it again, means something to me, i know it does, but i dont know what it is trying to tell me.
i hvae been searching for answers to alot of questions in my life, especialy about a separation from a loved one, and I dont know whether going to santiago will help me find the answers or i just dont know what this is all about.
i am confused because in a way i am afriad of what i may find there, and afraid that i dont find any anwers to my probems. i dont know if the whole ´´coincidence´´ or ´´signs´´´about santiago is way that life is teaching me something. what should i do, i dont quite know what my heart says anymore.
perhaps this may all sound confusing to you, but i have no one else to talk to about what i feel. i have one more week left in spain, i could go to santiago, but i dont quite know if i should. not going wouldn´t be wise either because i would then never find out why i have been witnessing so many signs. i am confused. i beleive life is trying to send me a message, but what i do not know.
i hope you could shed some light. thanks.
Aloha Mr. Coelho,
I am so happy to have come across a story of you in the ODE magazine and that you are very fortunate to have one of the “MASTERS” as your guide and friend – That is one of my greatest desires/wish, is to be in the presence of a “Master” and to be able to converse with them as you do -You are a very special human being indeed.
Aloha
thank you very much
love is completly life ,how is cannot love or not discover love
is dead person.
Talk about life. Talk about faith.
Love gives me happiness. Faith keeps the hapiness I feel. Life is beautiful.
This is an awesome blog,
Like Paulo Coehlo says: “When you want something the entire universe conspires to help you realise your dreams”. We can choose our thoughts and in doing this we can create life.
nice that we have this blog to share our ideas and thoughts.
the past few miinutes i have been i have been trying to convince my small brother that he can do anything in this world if he has faith and believes in it. the story of “the blind man and mount evert” inforced this idea. thank you!
How great – a blog Warrior of the Light!
Now we can walk further ahead.
“Faith sometimes has to be provoked before it can manifest itself.”
Your writings provoke my faith.
Through your words I have found my courage again.
I love the Good Fight.
Thank you.
I wish you all faith, courage and a Good Fight.