Monday, 7th October, 2019.
Faithful Guide,
You sit at the gate of my life,
Inviting me to eagerly enter
The newness stretching before me.
As I attend to the old burdens
That have weighed me down with worry,
I look ahead with hopeful expectation
To what my heart most needs.
I also recognise the absolute necessity
Of living in the present moment.
From A New Beginning (Joyce Rupp) from Michael's daily reflection.
We drove north from Madrid for about 350 kilometres through country that was mainly flat and dry. At one of the rest stops I slipped on the top step of the bus and slid, rather than walked, down the steps, with some adjustment to my tailbone and my dignity. Michael and other fellow pilgrims came quickly to my aid and I found that at least my legs were still working well.
We arrived beside the Camino. Our first pilgrim.
We took our first steps from the small village of Foncebadon.
Setting off.
We were up quite high, with a view over rolling hills. Our program said that our first walk was to be 5km, but it felt like less.
We finished this walk at the Iron Cross, an iconic landmark of the Camino, where pilgrims traditionally place a stone from their place of origin, to symbolise casting off some burden they have been carrying.
I had a very small burden, a stone I had gathered from Digger's Beach in NSW, when driving back
to Brisbane from visiting Anna's family in Sydney, so it was special to me. Many stories could have been told about the stones that the people in our group brought to the Iron Cross.
At the Iron Cross.
Laying my stone.
Michael then led us in a simple but effective opening ritual based on anointing with water. Passing pilgrims stopped to watch and join in.
We then drove to the pretty village of Molinaseca for lunch. One particular village we drove through had a main street so narrow the bus could only just fit. Everyone cheered our skilful driver when we made it through without knocking a balcony or pedestrian.
Lunch.
We drove up hairpin bends to a height of 1,300 metres to the church of Santa Maria, in O Cebreiro, which dates to the ninth century. Here we celebrated Mass.
We had driven up over these mountains (or some like them.)
We then drove to our hotel in Sarria. Tomorrow, our bus will drive us 21 kms back over the way we have just driven, and we will walk the 21 kms back to Sarria, visiting a special monastery on the way.
Faithful Guide,
You sit at the gate of my life,
Inviting me to eagerly enter
The newness stretching before me.
As I attend to the old burdens
That have weighed me down with worry,
I look ahead with hopeful expectation
To what my heart most needs.
I also recognise the absolute necessity
Of living in the present moment.
From A New Beginning (Joyce Rupp) from Michael's daily reflection.
We drove north from Madrid for about 350 kilometres through country that was mainly flat and dry. At one of the rest stops I slipped on the top step of the bus and slid, rather than walked, down the steps, with some adjustment to my tailbone and my dignity. Michael and other fellow pilgrims came quickly to my aid and I found that at least my legs were still working well.
to Brisbane from visiting Anna's family in Sydney, so it was special to me. Many stories could have been told about the stones that the people in our group brought to the Iron Cross.
We then drove to our hotel in Sarria. Tomorrow, our bus will drive us 21 kms back over the way we have just driven, and we will walk the 21 kms back to Sarria, visiting a special monastery on the way.
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