A Peligrinos Ramblings

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June 25th 2013

Published: June 25th 2013

(First - thanks all for your messages and comments. Sadly I have been unable to responds to them. I should explain my mode of communication. I am operating thru wireless at the hostels using my smartphone and blue tooth keyboard. The phone limits my ability to open multiple windows and also makes downloading pictures very difficult.)

These are just ramblings of this peligrino as she walks:

1 - Yesterday in Puenta la Reina I wonderded about the convenant attached to the albergue I was staying in. It seemed deserted, and I saw no nuns in the town. Now I know sometimes nuns stay sequestered. I just wonder how active these convenants and monestaries are? Although I have my issues with the church (rememember the church always refers to the Roman Catholic Church) I find myself saddened by the major decline in those wishing to dedicate their lives to serving God and His children. I also wonder how the church has changed in Europe. I see evidence of things that look proactive, but when I go into these old towns I see the HUGE old cathedrals that make me think of a church gone by which exploited the people and misused its power. These things drove many from the church in past days, which also contributes to the lack of people becoming nuns and priests. However I also realize the church wasn't all bad. There has always been work to help the poor and the sick and to minister to the needs of the people. I just see these amazing old churches as relics of the past that stand for misuse of power and money used to build these places that could have better served God's people. However I also know some where build by artisans wanting to dedicate their skills to God to glorify God. Not totally a bad thing. Something for more thought and further discussion.

2- Mass 8pm in Puerta le Reina. A beautiful old catherdral, but I note the stork next at the top and the grass growing throughout its peaks and domes. The insides are magnificent - but again the money spent to desing this gawdy splendor. Toward the end of the service I realize at the foot of Christ on the crucifix, which sits toward the top of the dome above the alter, there is a skull! Kinda creep in my book. What is a skull doing at Jesus' feet. Not the first time I have seen this. I have another picture from Barcelona where there is a skull at the feet of the sculpture on the side of the church. Must get an explanation for this! Anyway back to mass.... my German roommate and a few other pelegrinos are there as well. It was nice that the priest recognized us in his blessing after communion. Remember I don't speak Spanish but I know the word Camino and pellegrino and he was looking right at us. First time this has happened, and I have taken communion at every church I have attended with my scallop shell right there around my neck - kinda obvious. Not to mention my Amen is definitely lacking as I accept the wafer from the priest. Kinda sad in a country so bountiful in good wine that they withhold that from the people - not to mention of course the actual reason for the wine! Again back to my musings.... I think about the dichotomy of the day. All the old towns with the beautiful old chapels - cathedrals. The larger cities with their large ornate churches. Then I am reminded of the symbols and words of hate on old church doors I have seen here and there. The hateful slurs graffitied against Spain and the church. Even words in English extolling freedom for yourself and children from the church. That religion equals oppression.

These marvelous cathedrals - symbolx of granduer dedicated to God. It is not just the money spent over the centuries to build these churches (are we actually any better with our modern day churches that we build with 6 digit or more bank loans?!) but I think of the abuses by the church. I understand why many hate the church. I also understand why young people pull away from the church steeped in rules and rituals and requirements and ornate symbolism - what place does that have in their lives today? I come to mass at these churches not to be close to God, but to remind myself all this. I don't need to be in church for that. He walks with me each day. His glory is all around me and as long as my eyes are open and my ears listening His daily miracles are so very evident on the Camino. However God is here too in these amazing churches that should be museums. Being here at the end of the day gives me peace and time to reflect on my day and gives me another space for prayer.

3- Notes from today - I brought 3 rocks from home with me to leave on the Camino. They all have meaning to me. The first, a very large one, I left in Roncevalles after crossing the Pyrenees. I traveled much of the Pyrenees alone and it seemed appropriate after that day's meditations that that rock should stay there. One smaller one I still carries represents my addiction to food - to eating. As I walk today I realize my need to eat has gone. I am only on day 5 but I am not craving food and really am eating very little - enough to fortify my body for the walking but little more. Food seems less and less important each day. I hope when I return home that I will be able to maintain that although I know then the daily stresses of life will return and the temptation to eat due to stress or loneliness or boredom or upset or just because will return. There is stress here too, but totally different. Here it is getting up each morning to strap on that pack again. Getting up after a night of little sleep because of too much snoring or an uncomfortable bed or just because you couldn't. Or waking up after sleeping like a rock to realize it feels like you slept on something like a rock! Yet you throw on your pack and you join your friends or friends to be and you walk!

Seeing more and more vineyards now. Hopefully that means even better wine to come. I found out on tomorrow's stage there is actually a fountain that wine flows thru - no joke! It must be heaven! I saw man in his rather large vineyard trimming his plans by hand with a large clipper (NOT electric). He was whacking away at the plants taking off their tops. Looking at his vineyard he had a LOT of work today. Amazing to see him doing that all alone.Do they pick the grapes themselves too?

4- To end this very wordy blog I wish to share a miracle from last night. I am walking with a lot of young people, some of whom I have come to know over the past several days. They may not be your traditional pilgrims here for religious reasons and yes some times they party and drink too much, but their hearts are good and they do have an understanding of the way. Plus many of them suffer a lot with blisters and sore feet and hurt knees and from lack of preparation (they make me feel very blessed because I have no blisters, I have no major pains, I am able to get up and go each morning and at the end of the day I am not exhausted) yet they continue on. Last night a group of them made a large pot of homemade spaghetti. Plus there was bread and cheese and wine. I came in late after mass - due to the time I was unable to get dinner and was going to go to bed without. As was my friend Geri.They invited us both to dinner. Then at the end of the meal they fixed a big plate of food and went in search of the beggar that had been sitting outside the church. They looked for him quite a while. Plus they all worked together to clean up the kitchen and the tables we had used. This was not some bunnch of uncaring youth, but a group with lots of heart and caring. I felt blessed to share this time with them.

Time to get ready for mass now. Hopefully I can get some pictures attached to them. At some point I have to tell you about the Serbian I walked with yesterday. I have now had the privilege of adding a couple Swedes and a couple South Africans to the people I have met. I would not be surprised by the end if I had countries in most of the world covered!

A Peligrinos Ramblings

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