If you desire to complete your journey, you should plan for water. If you forget or your water runs out, you can stop and purchase some from a store. However, keep in mind that the road does not always pass through towns and cities, and it is not always easy to find springs of water in the countryside.

In the past, pilgrims used a type of flask which was called the pilgrim’s gourd, made from a hard-shelled type of pumpkin shaped like a pear. This fruit is sown in April and harvested in autumn before the winter cold. It is then left to dry until it becomes as hard as a rock and turn into a light brown colour. After it has dried, the top part is removed to extract its seeds and core. This process produces a sturdy and light weight receptacle, which is ideal for a pilgrim to carry water and fasten to their staff.

Thirst and the necessity to drink is common amongst pilgrims; in fact, it’s common for humanity in general. People are always thirsty, always desiring, even though they may not know what they are thirsting for. They continually search for what will slake their thirst, even if they have to resort to contaminated springs that end up making them sick.

Through experiencing physical thirst, a pilgrimage is a perfect opportunity to acknowledge what your heart truly thirsts for. And, while you are searching for water under the scorching heat of the midday sun, you might encounter God who is thirsting for you. Yes, you have read correctly: God is thirsting for you! That is what happened to the Samaritan woman who went to draw water from the well. It was there that she met Jesus, a pilgrim in a foreign land who asked for water while promising the water of eternal life (see Jn 4:1-42).

St Gregory of Nazianzus expressed this paradox in a concise phrase: Sitit sitiri, God thirsts to be thirsted for (Oratio XL, In Sanctum Baptisma, par. 27, PG 36.397). It is not without reason that Mother Teresa desired that a large Crucifix with the words “I thirst” be placed in every chapel in her sisters’ convents, reaffirming the declaration of His love for us that Jesus made from the Cross (Jn 19:29).

When the pilgrimage nears its end, when the thirst of the pilgrim encounters God’s thirst which never ceases seeking humanity, they will also become a spring that issues forth water. This experience ensures that what was gained during their journey is not kept for themselves but shared upon their return, like mature fruit to feed those they encounter. “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, ‘Streams of living water shall flow from within him” (Jn 7:37-38).

Psalm 63: My soul yearns for you
² O God, you are my God,
for whom I have been searching earnestly.
My soul yearns for you
and my body thirsts for you,
like the earth when it is parched,
arid and without water.
³ I have gazed upon you in the sanctuary
so that I may behold your power and your glory.
⁴ Your kindness is a greater joy than life itself;
thus my lips will speak your praise.
⁵ I will bless you all my life;
with uplifted hands I will call on your name.
⁶ My soul will be satisfied as at a banquet
and with rejoicing lips my mouth will praise you.
⁷ I think of you while I lie upon my bed,
and I meditate on you during the watches of the night.
⁸ For you are my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I rejoice.
⁹ My soul clings tightly to you;
your right hand holds me fast.
¹⁰ Those who seek my life will incur ruin;
they will sink down into the depths of the earth.
¹¹ They will be slain by the sword
and their flesh will become food for jackals.
¹² But the king will rejoice in God;
all who swear by him will exult,
for the mouths of liars will be silenced.