Keeping Company with Saint Ignatius: Walking the Camino de Santiago de Compostela

by Luke Larson

“Luke Larson’s book reveals The Way as I experienced it, and in ways that I wish everyone could.” Martin Sheen Keeping Company invites you to step off the treadmill and “go for a walk”—wherever you are. There are ways that you, too, may experience God more intimately. For a spiritual pilgrim, the Road to Compostela is not about beautiful vistas, meeting interesting people, and drinking good wine. It is not about exercise. Luke Larson and his wife Evie took this famous journey for very different reasons. For a true pilgrim, walking an ancient path becomes a kind of discipleship, a renewal of faith, and in this case, a journey with Jesus himself. Join Luke and Evie as they explore a pilgrimage so central to the Christian story that it is often simply called, The Way. They also journeyed intentionally with St. Ignatius of Loyola, who knew parts of this road himself hundreds of years ago. The major themes of Ignatian Spirituality add rich layers to this magnificent book. “Combining the beauty of Martin Sheen’s movie The Way, the allure of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, and a gentle, original and creative introduction to Ignatian spirituality, Larson provides insight into marriage, self-knowledge and God. A great read!” —Dr. Richard G. Malloy, SJ, The University of Scranton, author of Being on The Top Ten Essentials of Catholic Faith “We are fortunate that Luke Larson has been willing to share this incredible journey. He and his wife Evie clearly have a profoundly deep spirituality that is grounded in the everyday issues that confront us in trying to encounter the living God. What they learned about themselves, St. Ignatius of Loyola, and the God of pilgrimage is an incredible window into how even lesser ‘walks’ can be transformative.” —Sr. Carol Keehan DC, President/CEO, Catholic Health Association of the United States Luke Larson spent eight years as a Jesuit seminarian. He holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a master’s in religious studies from Gonzaga University. He is a mission executive with one of the largest Catholic health systems, a certified chaplain, executive coach, and spiritual director.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction

188 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2014

Reviews

[Susan Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Larson weaves the story of his journey on the Camino de Santiago de Compostela along side the story of Saint Ignatius and The Spiritual Exercises. He talks about the major events and places in the life of Ignatius while also hitting on major aspects of the exercises. Since I am a person who enjoys hiking, a follower of Jesus, and a participant in a 19th annotation of the exercises, Larson's book was one that I could not resist reading. Although I will probably never make a trip to Spain to walk The Camino, Larson showed me how I could walk with Ignatius regardless of where I live. I enjoyed reading "Keeping Company with Saint Ignatius: Walking the Camino de Santiago de Compostela" and recommend the book.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Luke reports back on a Camino he walked with his wife and how they handled the spiritual aspects of the journey, practices they followed and the theological inspirations that led to the journey itself. As a former seminarian and devotee of St. Ignatius, his spiritual focus is informative and motivating. This is not a chronological report of his camino. Most of the book, in fact, deals with more general questions regarding the use of spiritual practices to enhance one's journeys, whether on a geographic pilgrimage or not. He ends with a discussion of another pilgrimage he made with St. Ignatius as the focus.

[Wendy Flynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written account of walking with Jesus

Keeping Company.. is a beautifully written book about the pilgrimage of the Camino. The author wrote a descriptive and humorous account of the adventure with his wife and the other pilgrims along the way.
I highly recommend this book, especially if you are interested in Ignatian spirituality and simple ways to grow closer to God.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I spent more than a year looking for a book like this. I have found countless travel guides and culture guides for the Camino, but this is the only spiritual guide I’ve found so far. To top it off, Larson explains his experience of and prayerful approach to the Camino in a beautiful and humble way. This book is a blessing for anyone discerning God’s question: “Would you like to take a walk?”

[Gary Emig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring. Excellent insights.

[Tom Kopff · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you have seen the movie The Way, with Martin Sheen, you are familiar with the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Pilgrims walk one of several routes, ranging from 100 kilometers to almost 500 miles. The author walked with his wife one of the longer routes, taking about two months. I keep thinking this would be great thing to experience, and it keeps coming to my attention; The son of some friends of our made the journey last year. Maybe it's the Holy Spirit's way of nudging me.

This book was really a spiritual journal, filled with the author's reflections on the spirituality of St.. Ignatius and how he felt the presence of St. Ignatius throughout his walk. I wish he had sprinkled in a few more practical items (like how far did they walk in an average day, did they train before hand, etc.), but there are apparently many guides available, so I understand his choosing to leave them out.

Even though this book left me wishing for more depth and more detail, if you are interested the pilgrimage to Compostela, I bet you will enjoy it.

[Jb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about Larson and his wife's pilgrimage trek. To walk in the presence of Jesus and have that wholeness experience is something I desire and often have a sense of and seek to have continuously! Of course the author clearly suggests it can be anywhere, anytime, not only on an "official" pilgrimage.