So Close and Yet So Far

Today, I entered the town of Arzua, Spain which is about 40 kilometers from Santiago de Compostela. As I walked today I found it hard to believe that I am almost to the end of the Camino. Every day the focus has been on walking and trying to be present to whatever the day might bring.

Each day has challenged me and strengthened me to be more open to the amazing presence of God. One of the churches I stopped into today epitomized this daily challenge. In it was a crucifix with Jesus reaching down from the cross to take our hand.

The girl in the church who was stamping pilgrim credentials encouraged me to put my hand in His. The way the crucifix is positioned on the wall made it necessary to reach up to hold His hand. As I did so it was impossible to not look up into his face. It was one of so many times in the last month that I was immediately aware of the depth of God's love for us.

Five minutes later I was back on the Camino and finding myself more and more irritated by the cyclists that would come buzzing past the walkers ringing their bells as if they owned the trail. At one point I thought about just staying in the middle of the path and not moving when the next cyclist came by. Then I thought again about the crucifix. I probably should have held on to His hand longer.

It seems like some lessons have to be learned over and over again.

Tomorrow I will walk to Lavacolla which is only 10 kilometers from Santiago. This will allow me to make it into Santiago in time for the noon pilgrim Mass. In Medieval times, pilgrims would stop at the stream at Lavacolla to wash and purify themselves before entering the Holy city of the Apostle.

I need all of the help I can get so I will stop as well.

Peace and Goodness,

FD

100 Kilometers to Go!

Carry That Weight

Why would you carry extra weight when you do not have to?

Today I walked to the top of Mount Irago in the darkness so that I could watch the sunrise on La Cruz de Ferro (The Iron Cross).

Over the years, pilgrims have carried a rock from home to symbolize something or things that they wanted to leave behind on the way.

Some people have been carrying the pain of losing a loved one...

 



others feel the weight of a relationship that fell apart.





Some seek forgiveness.

It is not always easy to tell what is weighing another person down.

Sometimes there are so many things weighing us down that we can't even begin to name them.

Pilgrims leave their rock at the cross as a prayer to have the weight lifted from them.

It takes courage and faith to let go of the things that weigh us down.

It is appropriate that we leave whatever weighs us down at the foot of the cross because there is no weight that we have to carry alone.

  The cross is God's answer to our burdens. When we are free from our burdens, we are free to love.

Peace and Goodness,

FD

The Hunger Games

I have passed the half way mark in my Camino and have left the Meseta behind.  As we get closer to Santiago the number of people on the Camino grows exponentially.  The result is that hostels and restaurants become crowded and sometimes there are not enough beds for everyone.  Sometimes grocery stores run out of bread or fruit or whatever else a pilgrim might need.

Some people approach this reality as if they were contestants on the Hunger Games. (Note: In the 2008 fiction novel by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games are an annual event in which one boy and one girl aged 12 to 18 from each of the twelve districts surrounding the Capitol are selected by lottery to compete in a televised battle to the death until only one person remains.)

People form coalitions and work together to be first awake and walking and first in to a town so that they don't ever lose out.

Another option is to not play the game at all. The crowds are an opportunity to trust even more radically that God guides the way.

Yesterday my feet and legs were tired and the heat was intense. I arrived in Burgo de Ranero after the Municipal Albergue was already full.



I was directed to another albergue that was close by. I arrived in time to watch the Italian team claim the last beds.  The lady who ran the albergue offered to let me sleep on the ground near the kitchen and I could use the shower and bathroom. I gladly accepted.




On the way to El  Burgo  Raneros, I was worried that I was moving too slow to get in to town in time to hit the local grocery. As I walked, I saw this beautiful sign offering free fruit to pilgrims.

They even left out plastic bags so you could take as much fruit as you wanted.(The grocery store charges for bags). I now had fruit for breakfast and a shower and a place to sleep.
 
As a result of my special sleeping quarters, I was treated to Las Lagrimas del San Lorenzo. A meteor shower that takes place on or about August 10th.  It was amazing!

The walk into Leon from El Burgo Raneros is about 40 kilometers.  I knew it would be a hard day and so I started walking at 4 a.m. Most bars that serve coffee and breakfast don't open until 9.  After walking about 16 kilometers in 3 hours, I was really looking for some coffee and place to sit down.  I saw this crazy looking building with tables chairs, but no lights on.

Sinin serves up coffee

 I decided to sit and rest and have some water.  Soon other pilgrims arrived and sat down too. We all shared our grief at the lack of coffee.

About that time, a taxi came speeding up and out stumbled Sinin, who was just coming back from a fiesta at the neighboring town.  He was so excited to see us that he immediately opened Bar Elvis, turned on the music and started serving coffees to everyone for free.

Bar Elvis

People who had the minute before been tired and frustrated started to laugh, dance and sing.  Before long we had a street party with pilgrims continuing to arrive.  It was just the boost I needed to charge me up for the final 24 kilometers into Leon.

Sleep, hunger, coffee, and the fear of being in need can drive us into a variety of strange behaviors.  The call to trust and to accept what is constantly being offered is a daily call on the Camino.  The reading for this Sunday are sharp contrast with the Hunger Games that we see played out in so many different ways. God chose to make himself present to us as food for the journey.  It is no accident that when we fail to recognize him in bread that we fail to recognize him in flesh too.


Peace and Goodness,

FD

Adaptation

Church in Ages where Father David offered Mass

One of the qualities of a pilgrim that I learned from Seraphim was adaptation. We have been accustomed to walking in some hot weather without shade, but it seems that the Sahara Desert wanted to join us on our Camino.

The weather reports have indicated that a heat wave from the Sahara Desert is moving up the Iberian Peninsula. Day time temperatures this week are passing the 100 degree mark. We were at a loss for how to deal with it until we met Luis in Villarmentero. We have been stopping at smaller towns and albergues to avoid the massive crowds of pilgrims in the bigger cities.  Usually there is no priest or pilgrim Mass and so I find the local sacristans and ask for permission to say Mass. They ring the bells and people come for an unplanned Mass by a priest from Tenisi (also known as Tennessee).

Villarmentero definitely qualifies as a small town.  There are three year round residents and fifteen people who live there during pilgrim season.  When we arrived at Villarmentero we at first were very worried because the people who run the Albergue had taken the day off. Luckily they had left a sign on the door welcoming us to stay and they had left some soup and bread behind.

We dropped off our backpacks and rested for a bit until a neighbor, Luis, showed up and offered to drive us to the next town where there was a supermarket for supplies.  He also introduced me to the woman who had keys to the church.

At 6 pm I offered Mass for anyone that could hear the bells of the church. In addition to the pilgrims that were passing through, 3 ladies from town came because they heard the bells and thought there must be a fire.

After Mass, Luis and some of our group returned from town with ribs, bacon, steak and chorizo.  Luis found some firewood and started a fire. Later we celebrated what came to be known as "Meatfest Villarmentero 2012".

Makeshift Barbeque

While we were eating dinner, we explained to Luis how worried we were about the weather. He assured us that the stars are far more beautiful at night and they appreciate pilgrims who walk under their light.  He even taught us some songs we could sing as we walked.

The next section of Camino was a flat straight section without any shade or towns and so we decided to walk from Villarmentero to Terradillos de los Templarios at night. We slept a little and then left at 2am. By sunrise we had walked almost 30 kilometers. I lost count of the number of shooting stars that I saw saw last night and I had some of the best prayer time of the Camino.

30 kilometers before sunrise (Father David is far left).

So often we fear the dark of night and seek the safety of daylight.  At first it seems crazy to try to walk at night, but God has constantly shown us that he will guide our steps and that nothing is greater than his loving presence.

 

 

"There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light."  ~ Revelation 22:5

Peace and Goodness,

FD

Boadilla

After Burgos we entered the dreaded "Meseta". This is the central plateau region of Spain. It is vast open areas without shade or towns. As you walk, you are surrounded by wheat as far as the eye can see in any direction.

The concha or the shell of Santiago that all of the pilgrims carry with them is also a symbol of baptism. Most churches use this shell to pour water over the person being baptized.

In baptism you have to first die to yourself so that you can rise with Christ. The Meseta is the desert place where pilgrims die to themselves. The landscape helps to prepare the pilgrim to be emptied out. There is nothing to look at. It is too hot to stop walking and you have uninterrupted hours of time to review your life.

After walking more than 30 kilometers through the Meseta with temperatures in the high 90's I was ecstatic to see a town appear. At the entrance to the town was a well. Next to the well was a private residence with a wall around it and a gate facing the path.

Seraphim (in hat) Our Host

Poolside at Seraphim's villa

Nacho was about ten minutes ahead of me and had started a conversation with the owner of the house. He invited our group to stay with him for the night.

As I walked through the gate I heard music playing and I saw the garden that surrounded the pool. It is important to know that the owner's name was Seraphim. Yes, like the angel!

Seraphim had food and drinks waiting for us and invited us to relax. After we had all arrived and rested a while, Nacho cooked dinner while Seraphim cared for the blisters and sores on the feet of some of our group.

It was during dinner that Seraphim taught us about the important qualities of a pilgrim. Humility, patience and adaptation.

We had not planned to stop in Boadilla because there was only one hostel and it was likely full, but we were exhausted from the day and many in our group were developing injuries. We needed rest and a good meal and out of the wasteland appeared an angel.

The next morning there was fruit, coffee and rolls set out and waiting for us, but we could not find Seraphim. We had to leave without saying goodbye. He had first told us the qualities and then showed us the qualities of a true pilgrim. It will not be forgotten.

Camino Qualities

Humility, Patience and Adaptation

These are the three most importance qualities of the pilgrim on the Camino.

Since Lorgono on July 29 and 30 I have been picking up speed and friends with my days usually being around 30 kilometers.

I have traveled through Najera where I attended the pilgrim's Mass and was invited by the priest to ring the bell of Santiago three times. One for the Eucharist, one for Mary and one for Santiago.  I also visited the local museum  inside the Franciscan Monastery Santa Maria la Real where the tombs of most of the Kings and Queens of Navarre are located.

Starting in Logrono and continuing for over a week I have been traveling with a team of pilgrims that I have met along the way. Ignacio (Nacho) who is our chef and guru from Portugal, Carlos (El Capitan) a retired naval commander from Spain, Laura (Sonrisa) an investment advisor from Brazil and me (El Padre). 

Laura, Nacho and Jun

After the town of Santo Domingo de la Calzadas (August 2nd) we picked up Jun, pronounced June, (El Artist) from Korea who is studying acting.

In Hontana, August 5th we added two new members to our team. Christina (Nightingale) a massage therapist from Canada and Jordan (Gladiator) a US soldier who just finished his second tour of Afghanistan.

In Granon, I stayed in an old fashioned pilgrim hospital that was built into the attic of the Church. Before dinner we had Mass in Church and then cooked together to in the hospital. After dinner we went into the old choir stalls to end the day with evening prayer.

Choir Stalls

In Belorado, I had dinner with Magnus and Esther, a British couple who were celebrating their first year of marriage by riding a tandem bike across the Camino. 

Tandem Biking on the El Camino

 I also toured the amazing 13th century
Cathedral built by Kings and Queens of Burgos.

Burgos Cathedral (Catedral de Santa María; Catedral de Burgos) is a Gothic cathedral in northern Spain. It is notable for its vast size, magnificent Gothic architecture, and unique history. Burgos Cathedral was added to the World Heritage List in 1984 and Frommer's Spain calls it one of Spain's best cathedrals.
 
The construction of a cathedral at Burgos was ordered by King Ferdinand III of Castile and Mauricio, the English-born Bishop of Burgos. Construction started on the site of the former Romanesque cathedral on July 20, 1221. Work began at the chevet (east end), which was completed in nine years.



Read more about the Burgos Cathedral at Sacred Destinations.




And, last night we had a taste of paradise at a private residence in Boadilla. More to come later....

Peace and Goodness,

FD