In Simplicitate Cordis

September 30, 2024 Today we went from Aruza to Arca...about 12 miles. Today we began with Holy Mass at the nearby church of St. Eulalia of Mérida. St. Eulalia was born in 292 and died on December 10, 304. She was a young Roman Christian martyred in Augusta Emerita, the capital of Lusitania (modern Mérida, Spain), during the Persecution of Christians under Diocletian. I mentioned to the sacristan how I'd read their saint was only 14 when she died. The sacristan corrected me: she was 13.  They are very proud of their saint. The gospel today talked about childlike faith, and I couldn’t help but think about the faith of this young woman most of the day today. It is also the feast day of Saint Jerome, the man who translated the Bible into the Vulgate. He did this project in a little cave right next to the place where Jesus was born in Bethlehem. He simply wanted to be close to Jesus. I asked many of the members of our group today as we were walking what their favorite Bible stories an...

 September 29, 2024 Today we went from Melide to Arzua, only 9 miles today....but lots of hills! By the way, I did eat some octopus in Melide...it was good, maybe a little slimy... Today at Mass in the Gospel, Jesus says, “Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.” It was sort of beautiful, because one of the first things I witnessed today as I begin, the walk was a woman giving an elderly man something to drink. He was clearly quite tired, this fellow, and I imagine the lady giving him the drink was his daughter. It is always always nice to see the word of God in action. I had the joy of being interviewed for a Spanish TV station today. Evidently it is a show where they customarily interview various random people on the Camino. It was a little strange, since it was all happening in Spanish, and since there were so many microphones and cameras, I did not ask the name of the TV station. I’m not s...

Saturday, Sept 28 Today we walked from Palas de Rei to Melide, only about ten miles.  It was a shorter day, a walk in the park you might say. (Well, not many in our group would say that, myself included :) Before we started, we celebrated a votive Mass for Our Lady. It was a nice, simple Mass. I preached about how Our Lady has been present to me already so powerfully on this pilgrimage, and how I've heard of her presence with others also. Because it was a lighter day, we had a bit more time to meander through the river valleys along the wooded pathways. So beautiful. It didn't rain today at all, which was a blessing.  I had a chance today to reflect along the way about the camino and what it means for discernment.  I as Vocation Director walk with young folks all the time who are trying to "read the signs" and follow God. It is such an awesome ministry!  For one thing, the camino is a path. It is a way. From one spot to a destination. There are other routes in additi...

Friday, Sept 27 Today we went from Portomarin to Palas de Rei, about 16 miles.  I hated to leave the warm bed in my hobbit house (pictured abvoe!) There were several rooms in this hobbit house!  Today I carried my rock for priests, religious, seminarians, and discerners. They need prayers! I ran into lots of great people along the way today. There was a man from Italy who talked for about an hour or so with me and another pilgrim from our group as we walked. He had much to share about his camino adventures; he has done it several times, and from several routes. He believes in humanity, he told me -- and he loves the camino because he sees humanity at its best.  And there is truth there. What you see on the Camino is sort of what it would be nice to see everywhere!  Kindness, openness, friendliness, helpfulness, common purpose. He spoke about Donativos, where are places that folks can stay in bunk bed arrangements along the way. You give what you can -- and no questio...

Thursday, Sept 26, 2024 Today we started the Camino de Santiago!  This has been on my list of things I want to do since I went to confession to Fr. Don Davison many years ago and received from him the penance of praying some assortment of prayers for the pilgrims on the Camino. I asked him what the Camino was, and he told me to look it up. I did and it has called me ever since! The word "camino," of course, simply means "way."  For about 1500 years Catholics have travelled on pilgrimage to the tomb of the apostle Saint James the Greater.  He was the first apostle to be martyred--and all of them followed suit, except St John of course!  Gut James died in the year 44AD they believe. His remains are in Compestella in Spain -- and more on that later.  But imagine the faith of this man!  He died for the fiath long before it was common, and he set the example for the rest of the apostles to follow--both the official aposltes and many more down through the centuri...

Wednesday, Sept 25, 2024 On Day 2, we started with a great breakfast and great coffee!!! We visited today the Monastery of the Incarnation, in which Teresa professed and spent the first 27 years of her religious life. She entered the religious life there on November 2, 1533, the feast of All Souls. She was 18 years old. Her brother entered the Dominican Order that same day. Because her parents had such great means, and because she therefore had quite a dowry, the Order received much from them. For that reason, she got a really good cell: right next to the chapel. It was small, but right next to the chapel. More on that in a minute.  Outside in front is a beautiful statue of St Teresa. It's interesting because she is walking...an interesting posture for a cloistered contemplative. But, you see, Teresa always taught that UNION WITH JESUS is expressed in a LIFE OF CHARITY.  Being one with Jesus -- not just a distant follower or a moral code adherent -- means we will live a Christ...