November 16, 2011
I had a lovely quiet time and Mass in another Santa Clara monastery before setting out for the journey to Carrion de Los condes. It was a really enjoyable day - good weather, feet in good shape and energy high. Caught up with Mark and Becky and walked with them for a couple of hours which was very enjoyable. We came on Brend and the young Dutch woman, spending a nice while on a break with them.
Here in Carrion de Los Condes I share a room with a mouse and three men who are new to me - Samuel from Germany, Cornel from Switzerland and Andreu from Spain who is near enough my own age I would say. The other two are probably in their 20's. Cornel is very friendly but is miserably sick and thinks it's food poisoning. I mother him a bit.
"Guard me as the apple of your eye" (Psalm 17)
November 17, 2011
The woman of the house has given me a stick to help me walking. It's an incredibly beautiful morning. A lot of the walk is along the highway, a long walk. Miguel reckons it was 33k and I feel every bit of it. The albergue in El Burgo where we're staying has the feel of a hostel for the homeless but it has a nice stove where I sit for a while.
Lorna and Miguel are going to cook for all of us. Lorna is from England and is a friend of Jacquie and Judit - they met picking apples in Italy. She has travelled a lot of the world. Brend arrives a little later while Becky & Mark have taken the old Roman route and are staying in another town.
Hostel life is a really wonderful experience - the variety of people, the conversations, the table. It doesn't matter who or what you are. You belong. I belong! The meal tonight was beautiful, though I can't say what it was.
"Perhaps when we look past the error (in others) we will witness our own innocence" (John Brierly)
In the liturgy today the theme of poverty emerges again - "if you wish to be perfect, go and sell what you own and give the money to the poor..." (Matthew 19:21)
It brings me face to face with my house and to be honest I am not yet ready to give it up but when I am able I will let it go. Its value to me is not financial but its whole meaning as part of my life history. Plus the fact that it was Mam's dying wish that I have it.
Psalm 16 - the theme I chose for my life as a priest - has also come up today. "O Lord it is You who are my portion and cup!" You are my inheritance O Lord. The only inheritance I need.
"Happy are you who are poor..." (Luke 6) All of us on this journey are living a simple poverty, none of us need more than we have. Mark & Becky live this better than most in an inspiring way.
"A person's life is not made secure by what he/she owns..."
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