Pilgrim’s Progress by Alli Bobzien

Finding God Along the Way:
Wisdom from the Ignatian Camino for Life at Home
By Christine Eberle
Paraclete Press, 2025
$18.99   192 pp.

It takes a talented author to make something as unique and foreign as traversing the Ignatian Camino applicable to her audience back home, but Christine Eberle is more than up to the challenge. In her third book, Finding God Along the Way: Wisdom from the Ignatian Camino for Life at Home, Eberle recounts her preparation for and pilgrimage on the Ignatian Camino trail in northern Spain. Seasoning the book with wisdom from Saint Ignatius of Loyola and clear explanations of Ignatian spirituality, Eberle takes her readers on an adventure across Spain and crafts reflections that are approachable and relatable to life back home. While her detailed recollections weave a captivating plot, it is Eberle’s ability to relate the physical journey to the spiritual one that makes this book shine.

As Eberle recounts the spiritual elements of her pilgrimage, she not only takes her readers along with her on an expedition rich with insight but also invites them on a journey of their own. Outlining the material elements of preparing for and embarking on the pilgrimage, Eberle gently asks her audience to consider the baggage we carry physically and emotionally and how our need for control can impact these burdens. With reflection questions at the end of each chapter, Eberle creates a sense of relatability to her experiences on the trail by asking things like “Where have you found shelter in your life?” or “When have you been on the receiving end of mercy?”

Christine Eberle

Throughout the book, the teachings and practices of Saint Ignatius are quoted directly as well as summarized for the reader’s benefit. As Eberle reflects on the Ignatian principle that God is in all things, she notes how on pilgrimage, “every moment of each day could provide matter for reflection—which, of course, was true of ‘ordinary’ life as well.” Eberle uses the natural landscape, and even her bruises and blisters, to shed light on the interior life of the pilgrim. Sparking consideration for how we can reframe our daily life, Eberle writes about how her awareness of creation, pain, and even her own comfort zone becomes rich with God’s lessons ready to be discovered.

The Ignatian trail asks a great deal of its pilgrims. The physical landscape is strenuous and the road is long. Eberle shares her experiences of the difficulties of exhaustion and constant travel, counterbalanced by the sweet relief found at waystations, cafés, and oases of rest along the way. Speaking directly our culture’s hustling hearts, she writes: “There is power in the pause. Whether for a moment or an hour, a day or a week, a well-timed pause can reconnect us to ourselves, giving us fresh energy and perspective. More importantly, the pause can reconnect us to God—inventor of the Sabbath, after all—for whom accomplishment is never everything.”

Eberle’s tone throughout the book communicates a warmth, candor, and self-awareness that creates the feeling of sitting across from a dear friend. Written with her trademark blend of deep insight and humor, Eberle sets the book at a pace conducive to reflection without becoming overwhelming. The book is written in bite-sized chunks, meant to savor rather than gobble, with shorter chapters focused on one day or event at a time. At the close of each chapter, the reader may find themselves torn between the longing to continue, to learn what occurs next on the trail, and the desire to sit with the reflection questions and ponder how they apply to one’s own life. While the themes of spirituality and prayer are threaded throughout the book, Eberle’s writing and storytelling are consistently conversational in a manner that ensures the reader never feels preached at, but instead supported and encouraged to remain curious about their own faith journey.

One of the strongest of the book’s themes examines the beauty of accompaniment on our physical and spiritual journeys. Eberle relates how her community of fellow pilgrims along with their fearless leader, Father José, become a family along the way. Including multiple stories of the material generosity of her companions in terms of snacks, pain medication, head lamps, and flip-flops, Eberle’s experience of feeling seen and cared for by her fellow pilgrims illustrates our shared need for community. This community serves one another not only in material needs, but also by providing a steadying presence for one another during the more challenging moments of the trail. And the work of accompaniment extends beyond those physically present to include the spiritual companionship of Saint Ignatius, Christ, and Mother Mary. Experiencing their presence and walking with their wisdom, Eberle encourages her readers to consider how those who have gone before us pave the way for our own spiritual path.

While Finding God Along the Way would serve as an excellent primer for anyone considering a pilgrimage, the beauty of Eberle’s book is found in the subtitle, the equally beneficial reflections for those at home. Eberle is a masterful storyteller, and her gentle encouragement to reflect on and consider the spiritual elements of our lives dovetails beautifully with her narrative of pilgrimage. Finding God Along the Way is a journey worth taking, and Eberle serves as an excellent guide, filled with grace, humor, and wisdom. ♦

Alli Bobzien is a freelance writer, a mother of two spunky girls, and a recent graduate of Fuller Seminary where she achieved her master’s in theology. Cherishing a love of everyday spirituality, women in Scripture, and the healing power of connection through words, she seeks to craft essays and prayers that engage and uplift. You can follow her work through subscribing to her Substack, The Pondering Heart.

Image: Route sign, Ignatian Camino. Mentxuwiki / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0