20. PUENTE VILLARENTE - Something Very Pure

November 18, 2011
Puente Villarente 

I was so tired this morning and didn't think I'd get too far. Brend and I together left the village of El Burgo with a beautiful sunrise behind us. We get on well - Brend and I. There is something very pure and beautiful about him. It's not for nothing that other pilgrims refer to him as Jesus.

By lunchtime I had gained energy and had little difficulty making the rest of the journey. Around midday we spent a little time in the church in Mansilla and met up with Jacquie outside where we had a little lunch. Samuel passed us as we walked across the bridge - Puenta Villarente. Lorna had arrived ahead of us in the lovely hostel in  which I twisted my right foot on a step.

Brend had been talking about his journey home at the end of the Camino. He was planning to go all the way to Holland by bus. I suggested that it would be easier, quicker and maybe even cheaper to go by plane. He had never flown and didn't know the mechanics of booking on-line. So at the hostel I looked up Ryanair flights and discovered he could get home with them via Madrid for a fraction of the cost of the bus. We booked his first flight and I felt excited by it!

Yesterday I met a Catholic man from Korea who had great praise for the work done by the Irish Columban Missionaries. Nice to hear that!

The gospel for today is the Cleansing of the Temple (yet again!) and the hymn for evening prayer is "Christ Be Beside Me!" - Christ beside me, before me, behind me - in all hearts thinking about me, in all tongues telling of me, Christ be the vision in eyes that see me....Amen!

November 19, 2011 It's raining!

Dream: I was walking down the street of a village where people were talking about twin babies born to a woman. One of the babies died and I turned to ask a man what the dead baby's name was, even though I already knew it was Margaret. As I walk along a black car drew up beside me and from within a woman called "is that Fr. Monson?" She got out and was very small with a hump and was wearing a purple coat. I put my arm around her and she cried.

"Sing a song of praise, blessing the Lord for all his works" (Sirach 39)

"You must worship the Lord your God and serve him alone" (Luke 4:8)

"...follow Christ by loving as he loved you, giving himself up as a fragrant offering..." (Ephesians 5)