We had a half an hour sleep in this morning because of our very long and tiring day yesterday and the fact that we all got to bed late after a late dinner. We gathered outside the hotel at 8.30am. Led by Fermin Lopetegui, our Basque guide, we followed in the footsteps of Saint Ignatius as we walked through picturesque countryside to the Benedictine Basilica of Montserrat.

Michael standing beside a sign in Catalan announcing the Ignatian Camino

Pilgrims coming around the bend

Today was a difficult stage with some steep sections. Along the way, however, we enjoyed the craggy mountain scenery of the Montserrat mountain which rises majestically up to 1,235 metres. The bizarre rock formations in Montserrat create a unique universe in stone, and the landscape and the views are breathtaking.

Rock climbers on Montserrat, one waving at us

Our first view of Montserrat

The Monastery complex has been one of Spain’s most important pilgrimage sites for hundreds of years, due to its famous 12th century Romanesque wooden carving of the revered Virgen Moreneta, the “Black Virgin”.
 The history of Montserrat dates to the  9th century, when a small group of shepherd children saw a bright light descending from the sky in the Montserrat mountains. Montserrat was an important stop on the pilgrimage for Saint Ignatius, and it is said that he experienced a vision of the Virgin Mary and infant Jesus while at the shrine.

 The cave chapel known as “Santa Cova”, is where (according to legend) the Virgin Mary was seen by the shepherds.

At Montserrat Ignatius laid down his sword at the shrine of the Black Madonna in a symbolic embodiment of his surrendering his former courtly and military life for a new life devoted to the service of Jesus.

We are staying at the Hotel Abat Cisneros  in Montserrat which is housed within a converted monastery building that has welcomed pilgrims since the 16th  century, the hotel is situated in the heart of the Sanctuary of Montserrat, adjacent to the Basilica.



At 6.45pm we went to Vespers with the Benedictine Monks in the Basilica who were joined by a boy’s choir afterwards.

After Vespers I said Mass for some members of the group in a chapel that is behind the statue of the Black Madonna.

Contemplation to attain the love of God

Today as we walked we prayed the Contemplation to attain the Love of God.

For Ignatius, God is in the wild flowers we see along the tracks, God is in the river stones on the pathway, God is in the clear blue skies overhead, God is in the grandeur of Montserrat. In short, God can be found in all things. Today we pray on what God gives to us and what we give to God.

Below I give the modern translation of Saint Ignatius’s Contemplatio, by David Fleming SJ, in his excellent book Draw me into your friendship—The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius: a literal translation and a contemporary reading, St. Louis: Institute of Jesuit Sources, 1996.

Preliminary Note:  Before this exercise is presented, two observations should be made:

1. the first is that love ought to show itself in deeds over and above words;
2. the second is that love consists in a mutual sharing of goods.  For example, as a lover one gives and shares with the beloved something of one’s own personal gifts or some possession which one has or is able to give; so, too, the beloved shares in a similar way with the lover.  In this way, one who has knowledge shares it with the one who does not, and this is true for honors, riches and so on.  In love, one always wants to give to the other.

Preparation:  I take the usual time to place myself reverently in the presence of my Lord and my God, begging that everything in my day is directed more and more to God’s service and praise.

At this time, I may find it especially helpful as I enter into this prayer to imagine myself standing before God and all the saints who are praying for me.

Grace:  I beg for the gift of an intimate knowledge of all the goods which God lovingly shares with me.  Filled with gratitude, I want to be empowered to respond just as totally in my love and service.

The Setting:  There are four different focal points which provide the subject matter for my prayer:

1.  God’s gifts to me

God creates me out of love which desires nothing more than a return of love on my part.  So much does God love me that even though I turn away and make little response, this Giver of all good gifts continues to be my Savior and Redeemer.

All my natural abilities and gifts, along with the gifts of Baptism and the Eucharist and the special graces lavished upon me, are only so many signs of how much God our Lord shares divine life with me and wants to share ever more.  My consolation:  who I am by the grace of God!

If I were to respond as a reasonable person, what could I give in return to such a Lover?  Moved by love, I may want to express my own love-response in the following words:

2.  God’s self-giving to me  

God not only gives gifts to me, but God literally gifts me with the fullness of divine life in Jesus.  God’s only Son is not only the Word in whom all things are created, but also the Word who becomes flesh and dwells with us.  Jesus gives himself to me so that his Body and Blood become the food and drink of my life. Jesus pours out upon me his Spirit so that I can cry out “Abba, Father.”  God loves me so much that I become a dwelling place or a temple of God—growing in an ever-deepening realization of the image and likeness of God which is the glory shining our of human creation.

If I were to make only a reasonable response, what could I do?  Moved by love, I may find that I can respond best in words like the Take and Receive.

3.  God’s labours for me

God loves me so much, even entering into the very struggle of life.  Like a potter with clay, like a mother in childbirth, or like a mighty force blowing life into dead bones, God labors to share divine life and love.  God’s labors are writ large in Jesus’ passion and death on a cross in order to bring forth the life of the Resurrection.

Once more I question myself how I can make a response.  Let me look again to the expression of the Take and Receive.

4.  God as Giver and Gift

God’s love shines down upon me like the light rays from the sun, or God’s love is poured forth lavishly like a fountain spilling forth its waters into an unending stream.  Just as I see the sun in its rays and the fountain in its waters, so God pours forth a sharing in divine life in all the gifts which showered upon me.  God’s delight and joy is to be with the ones called God’s children—to be with me.  God cannot do enough to speak out and show love for me—ever calling and inviting me to a fuller and better life, a sharing in divine life.

What can I respond to such a generous Giver?  Let me once again consider the expression of the Take and Receive.  I close the prayer with an Our Father.

The bus was due to pick us up from the hotel in Tarrega at 8.00am, and drive us to Cervera. But because of some miscommunication the bus didn’t arrive until 9.00am. This meant that by the time we drove to Cervera and began walking it was 9.40am — the latest we had ever begun a day and this on the longest stage of the Ignatian Camino.

Tracy and Vin looking down from the battlements of Cervera

Today was a long and challenging day. The official route is 37 km, but by the time we had walked from the bus to the starting point of the official route and then by the time we walked to our hotel at the end of the day Michael Bertie’s GPS showed that we had walked 41.1 km — not far short of a marathon. We arrived at the hotel in Igualada at 7.45pm — 10 hours on the road.

The pilgrim way

The landscape began to change as we approached more hilly terrain. We passed through six or seven small villages where we could pause for a rest. In one of them (Pallerols), we found a beautiful 12th century Romanesque church dedicated to Saint James. In one small village, Sant Pere dels Arquells near Cervera, we came across three Soviet-era MIG jet fighters in someone’s backyard. Intriguing. This small and rusty air force is composed of a MiG-15, a Bulgarian MiG-21 and a Czechoslovakian MiG-23.

Soviet era MIG jet fighters

Walking along he highway

We has a wonderful surprise when we arrived at Panadella for lunch. There was our old friend Fermin Lopetegui, our Basque guide.He is going to join us in walking the last two stages to Montserrat and Manresa.

Fr Paddy Mugavin meeting up with Fermin Lopetegui again

About 10 km out of Igualada we had our first view of Montserrat. We will walk there tomorrow.

Our first view of Montserrat

My feet felt battered and sore by the time we arrived in Igualada, a large and important city in Cataluña.

In Igualada it is believed that Ignatius bought the “sturdy cloth robes” that he intended to wear. It is also here that Ignacio decided on the prayer vigil that he would underterake in Montserrat. The Autobiography of Saint Ignatius reads:

Arriving at a large village not far from Montserrat, he decided to purchase a garment to wear on his journey to Jerusalem. He therefore bought a poorly-woven piece of sackcloth, filled with prickly wooden fibers. Out of this me made a garment that reached his feet. He also bought a pair shoes of coarse material often used to make brooms. He never wore but one shoe, not for the sake of the comfort he derived, but because this leg would be quite swollen from riding on horseback all day since for mortification he wore a cord tied tightly just below the knee. For this reason he felt he ought to wear a shoe on that foot. He also bought a pilgrim’s staff and a gourd to drink from. These he tied to his saddle.

The Grace we pray for today: I beg the Father for this gift: to enter into the joy of the risen and victorious Christ. To be able to contemplate the fullness of life that Jesus has achieved for us. I ask to rejoice deeply with Christ, and to be sent into the world to serve the mission of Jesus Christ.

Reflections: When we experience the grace of the resurrection it is not just a personal gift. Rather, it is a gift to be shared with others. When we are touched by God we are led into the service of Jesus’ mission: to spread the Good News of the Kingdom of God.

A favourite image of God for Saint Ignatius was God the Worker, Deus Operarius. Ignatius saw God labouring that the world might be transformed and brought into final union with the divine. We in our turn are called to cooperate with God in bringing about God’s project in our world. Our projects and practices are united to God’s project.

Ignatius of Loyola was a mystic whose love of God was expressed in apostolic service. He wanted to find God’s will and carry it out in loving service.  Likewise, he desired “to help souls” so that they too would “surrender completely to the service of God” (Autobiography, No 79).

Ignatius’ mysticism and its apostolic expression were inextricably linked.  Ignatius’ love of neighbour flowed from his mystical love of God.  For Ignatius discerned action for building the Kingdom of God was a constitutive element of his contemplation.

The Exercises of Saint Ignatius are designed to lead the one who makes them to serve God and neighbour. The question is, of course, how this spiritual consolation will be incarnated in his or her life.  The question which the pilgrims have addressed today is: how will the graces of the Ignatian Camino be incarnated (made real in history) In my life when I return home?

This is not just about what we are called to do although that is critically important. It is also about who we are called to be. Karl Rahner writes: “Grace is the quality of one’s personal presence to the world.”

The Father continues to pour out the Spirit of Christ upon us. Jesus consoles us always and sends us forth on mission to console the suffering, the poor, and all who long for salvation. As it is written: We might be called to work in a slum, a laboratory, a church, a clinic, an office, a classroom. Jesus gives us our mission: go forth, baptize, teach, love, and bring God’s Compassion as reconciliation for all of humanity. We are invited to fulfill this mission in every moment and circumstance of life. And Jesus speaks the most wonderful words to us: He promises that He will be with us always, in each joyful and painful moment. Even though I may not feel worthy to accept His presence, Jesus will always stay close to me. Even if I am a sinful person, unfaithful and limited, Jesus is going to send His Spirit to transform every human situation as an experience of growth.

Even though our faith may be small, Jesus counts on us. Thomas had to recognize his lack of faith before being sent to the world. We pray to answer the call of Jesus, inviting us to follow him to the beach and stay with Him. We join the disciples there in receiving His commission and His blessing.

Scripture:

Matthew 28: 16-20: “I will be with you always, until the end of time.”

John 20: 24-29: Tolerant of my darkness and unbelief as He was of Thomas, Jesus delights in consoling me with the gift of renewed faith. In His loving presence, I say: “My Lord and my God!”

John 21: 1-17: A moment of joy – “It is the Lord!” A moment of companionship – “Come and eat your meal.” A moment of intimacy and decision – “Do you love me?” A moment of mission – “Feed my sheep!”

Final Colloquy: At this point in our interior pilgrimage, we are accustomed to walk with our friend and Lord Jesus Christ, speaking freely just as one friend does with another. If you honestly experience the strength and grace within you, beg Jesus to accept you under His banner, thus to build the Kingdom of God at His side. Finish with the “Our Father.”

In the morning the bus took us back to Verdú to commence the next walking stage  which was another short one of 16 km.  We faced a problem however — how would we know the result of the Australian Football League Grand Final between Hawthorn and Fremantle?  Fortunately both Vin Dillon and Fr Joe Taylor had purchased Spanish SIM cards for their iPads and we were able to listen to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s coverage of the match by live streaming as we walked along.

Vin Dillon listening to the AFL Grand Final on his iPad

Hawthorn have hit the front

We walked for just an hour to Tàrrega where we stopped to visit the Church of Santa Maria de l’Alba. It was exquisite example of an old church which has been refurbished beautifully.

Walking into Tarrega

Santa Maria del Alba Church in Tarrega

Chona Walden venerating the Cross

Fr John Fitzgerald with symbols of the Crucifixion

We stayed for an hour and then moved on to Cervera. On the way we met a Muslim man, originally from Morocco, who was walking with his two children.

Mohammed and his daughter Fatima and son

While today was short, the weather was humid and the hill up to Cervera was steep.  Traces of the town’s 18th century splendour can still be seen in its buildings and old city walls.  In the impressive main square stand several historic buildings dating back to the 17th century.

Having a drink at our destination — Cervera

Cervera’s main square

After we explored the town, we returned to Tárrega by bus.



Prayer: Today we paid special attention to the colloquy as an important element in Ignatian spirituality.

“The colloquy is made, properly speaking, as one friend speaks to another … communicating one’s affairs, and asking advice in them” [54].

The colloquy is the conversation in which you can engage at any time during a prayer exercise although Ignatius places it at the end of each prayer exercise. This dialogue can be with Jesus, with God the Father, with the Holy Spirit, with Our Lady. It is made when you feel moved to make it — as a friend with a friend.

During the colloquy,

• you pour out your thoughts to God
• you talk over what is happening in your experience, be it temptations, desolations, consolations, or desires
• you talk over what you need — seeking advice, inquiring how you could be more open, asking for enlightenment as to some particular issue and so on.

Like any conversation, it is a dialogue. Monologues are not conversations; nor are they colloquies. The Colloquy is a two-way conversation. You may find that you have no trouble talking to Jesus or God as father but you may fail to talk with them. The Colloquy is a conversation and conversation is dialogical.

The Colloquy is an instrument of discovery and freedom. When you talk out your experiences and pour out your thoughts, there is a release of the less-than-conscious areas of your heart. Revelation and discovery come both from within yourself and from the grace of God’s enlightenment. Often you begin the Colloquy in one fashion, then forget yourself in the conversation and discover yourself saying things and expressing deeper and unexpected desires. In the development of these desires and in their indication of growing spiritual freedom, you recognize the impulse of the Spirit. Jesus can bring a new perspective — His — to the issue that you are bringing to him.

As you pray feelings and thoughts about life will surface through your prayer. As these feelings and heartfelt thoughts become more evident, express them to God. Talk to God about these feelings.  Don’t be afraid to express how you really feel when you are at prayer. Sometimes it helps to imagine Jesus sitting across from you. Tell him what is on your mind and what is in your heart. Then be silent and imagine Jesus responding to you. Together you enter into conversation. Make your inner reactions available to Jesus.

When you are unaware of deeper reactions being touched off in your prayer, God seems distant or impersonal. It is as if you are hiding something from the one you love. When you hide something from someone you love, you feel more distant from that person. You may do this to remain on safe territory. There is no significant growth in prayer unless God is allowed to influence your real interior reactions that are presently needing to surface.

Prayer:

Imagine that the Risen Lord walking with you today along the dusty road….

Tell him you believe he is walking with you…

Reflect on the fact that he loves and accepts you just as you are now… Take time out to sense his unconditional love for you as he looks at you lovingly and humbly. 

Speak to the Risen Lord… or just lovingly stay in silence and communicate with him beyond words.

I suggested that John 21:15-17 was an example of a Colloquy, and that maybe we might hear Jesus call us by our name and ask, “Do you love me?”

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.

The bus took us back to Castellnou de Seanu. Today was a light day — only 18 km. But it was hot. We started with the “Pilgrim Song”:

Then we commenced a short day of walking, along farm roads.

Apple pickers who gave us the most delicious apples

In the morning we walked for a while beside a canal

Walking beside the canal

Our destination was Verdú, a small village with great significance for the Society of Jesus in Cataluña, as it is here that the Jesuit Saint Pierre (Peter) Claver was born and raised.

St Peter Claver’s family home in Verdu

Sign on St Peter Claver’s house

Statue of St Peter Claver in the Church

He would later become known as the “holy defender of the black slaves” in the port of Cartagena de Indias (Colombia).

St Peter Claver

This was a dark time in history, stained by the injustice and cruelty of slavery. According to Glen David Short:

Between the 16th and the 19th centuries more than 14,000,000 Africans were forcibly brought to the Americas. Hunted down like animals, they were chained together and loaded aboard the dark, damp, stinking hold of ships bound for the New World. Shipboard conditions were sickening, and beyond human description. One third of the “cargo” was spared, for they died en route. In Cartagena they were sold in markets.

For more see: http://www.cartagenainfo.net/glenndavid/sanpedroclaver.html

Peter Claver was a witness to the arrival of slave ships, and saw how the slaves were treated. He began to go to the port when a ship arrived, welcoming them with an open heart and a smile on his lips, at the same time distributing clothing, food, drink and sweets. He wrote that he spoke to them not with words but with his hands and work. It was useless to speak to them any other way.  He would kneel beside the sick, wash them, tend to them, and try to make them happy with as many demonstrations of care that human nature can show to help lighten the burden of a sick person. His life was a beautiful example of human and evangelical love for his dear slaves. He cared for them materially, instructed them in the faith, and baptized them, always considering himself their servant. On April 3, 1622, he made a solemn commitment which he expressed with the following words: “Slave of the Black Slaves forever.” He signed it, and fulfilled it with his life.

Here is some additional information about this Jesuit saint:

St Peter Claver was a Spanish Jesuit who gave his life in service to slaves in Columbia in Latin America. He was born in 1580 into a noble but not well-off family in Verdu in Spain and studied in Barcelona. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1601. When he studying philosophy in the Jesuit college in Majorca, Claver was encouraged by the saintly Brother Alphonsus Rodriguez to go to the new missions in America and save “millions of perishing souls.” In 1610 he landed in Cartagena, Columbia and, after completing his studies in Bogotá, he was ordained in 1616.

Map of Cartagena

Cartagena was one of two ports where slaves from Africa arrived to be sold in South America. For 33 years, from 1616 to 1650, Peter Claver worked daily to minister to the needs of the 10,000 slaves who arrived each year.

When a ship arrived, Peter first begged for fruits, biscuits, or sweets to bring to the slaves. He then went on board with translators to bring his gifts as well as his skills as a doctor and teacher. Claver entered the holds of the ships and would not leave until every person received a measure of care. Peter gave short instruction in the Catholic faith and baptized as many as he could. In this way he could prevail on the slave owners to give humane treatment to fellow Christians.

The treatment of slaves

He was accused of being overzealous, and of having profaned the Sacraments by giving them to creatures who scarcely possessed a soul.   The fashionable women of Cartagena refused to enter the churches where Father Claver assembled the slaves. His superiors were often influenced by his critics and some tried to curtail his activities. By 1651 he had baptized more than 300,000, when he at last became weakened by the plague.

In the last years of his life Peter was too ill to leave his room and he was poorly cared for.  Claver never complained. He was convinced that he deserved this treatment.

When Cartagenians heard that Peter Claver was dying, they crowded into his room to see him for the last time. They treated Peter Claver’s room as a shrine, and stripped it of everything but his bedclothes for mementos. He died on 8 September 1654.

See: http://spirituality.ucanews.com/2013/09/09/st-peter-claver

The town of Verdú.  The most important religious monument in Verdú is the 13th century parish church of Santa Maria, with its Romanesque portal. Inside are the 15th century Gothic sculptures of the Virgin, in polychrome stone, and that of Saint Flavia, patron saint of the town. Beside the church stands the 12th century castle, around which the community developed. The castle is currently being restored.

The Castle in Verdu

Workmen restoring the interior of the castle

Prayer: Today we focused our contemplation on the experience of Mary Magdalene as she goes to the tomb in the early morning (John 20:11-18).   I invited the pilgrims to hear, as Mary Magdalene did, the Risen Jesus speak their names with love:

He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic,“Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

We sang the Pilgrim Song outside the Hotel Transit in Lleida.

We departed Lleida just after 8.00am and continued our pilgrimage towards Manresa. There are only six days left.  We left behind the big city of Lleida and entered into the countryside once more.

The sun rising over Lleida

Modern footbridge over the river in Lleida

Vin Dillon taking a break (notice the orange arrow which marks the Ignatian Camino)

Today was very hot, at least 33°C. We stopped for lunch in a small village called El Palau d’Anglesola at 2.00pm.

A local woman offered us apples and peaches at lunch

Helen and Tracy interacting with the local school children

Soaking my feet in the cool water of the municipal fountain

Following the footsteps of St. Ignatius, our destination was Castellnou de Seana, a small village with a 12th century church dedicated to St. John the Baptist.

The end is in sight — the village of Castellnou de Seana

Once the group arrived in Castellnou de Seanu, a bus took us to the  Hotel Pintor Marsà in Tarrega where we will stay for the next three nights. It is a small and charming family-run hotel renowned for its hospitality, wonderful local cuisine and elegantly appointed guestrooms decorated in a classic style.

 With a population of more than 10,000 inhabitants, and the capital of Urgell region, Tàrrega is renowned for its international Street Theatre Fair, held in early September each year.




Prayer: In these last six days of our pilgrimage we are in the “fourth week” of the Spiritual Exercises where we are one with Christ in his resurrection.

Grace: I ask the Father for this gift: to enter fully into the joy of the risen and victorious Christ. To be able to grasp the fullness of life that Jesus has achieved for us. To rejoice deeply with Christ, with Mary, and all his disciples.

Reflections: Today and in the days to follow, Ignatius invites us to “ask for the grace to be glad and to rejoice intensely because of the great glory and joy of Christ our Lord” who is risen from the dead.

If Good Friday draws me into the mystery that Jesus died for me, then Easter Sunday invites me to consider what his rising from the dead means for me.  The question is: Has Jesus risen for me?

What is the resurrection?  The resurrection is not revivification.  We know that after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, he went back to living with his sisters Martha and Mary as he had before. That is revivification. When Jesus is raised from the dead his disciples do not recognize him at first. Then slowly they come to be aware of his presence with them. The meaning of the resurrection is that you and I can recognise and experience Jesus with us now.

Can the resurrection of Jesus be ‘proved’?  One of the ‘proofs’ for the resurrection is the change that took place in the followers of Jesus.  After Jesus was executed his disciples were devastated and fearful. Then something happened and they became full of joy and courage.  They went out and told the world that Jesus had risen from the dead. Many died courageously for their beliefs. Their explanation was that they had seen Jesus alive.  We pray that we too will experience that Jesus is alive and that we will be filled with joy and courage as we continue on our way to Manresa.

I awoke this morning — my 60th birthday — feeling quite apprehensive at the 37 km walk that was ahead. My anxiety was not unfounded. In the afternoon the temperature reached 33°C and there was little shade for about an hour as we walked after lunch. We started walking at 8.10am and we staggered footsore and weary into the Hotel Catalonia Transit in Lleida at 6.20pm.  From the door of the Hotel Casanova in Fraga to the  door of the Hotel Catalonia Transit in Lleida was exactly 37 km according to the GPS.

Looking back over Fraga early in the morning

Sandra helps Helen with her blisters

Michael Bertie and Michael Smith celebrate reaching the 500 km mark. 150 km to go.

Fr Michael Smith SJ (wearing the “Birthday Boy” rosett) and Fr John Fitzgerald

For part of the morning we followed a long stretch of the Ignatian Camino along a service road of the busy N-II highway. It was not pleasant walking with cars speeding by at 120 km/hour which is the speed limit here. It felt unsafe although we are very careful to walk in single file when we are walking on a highway, and we call out “Car up” when there is a car coming from the front, and “Car back” when a car is coming from behind the group.

Boots. After lunch I changed my boots as my new pair were causing me some pain in the balls of my feet. So I reverted to my old boots — the boots which I wore in May-June 2011 when I walked the Camino Frances. I carried the old pair in my day pack and because they are wide fitting I thought that they would be more comfortable. However, after about 20 minutes in my old boots I began to get the pain in my shins again and I could tell that if I kept wearing them I would re-injure myself. So I took them off and went back to the wearing the new pair. My learning was that my old boots, which had lost their cushioning, were the cause of my shin splints. So, the secret is to make sure you have new boots that are worn in, but have not lost their cushioning. On the next stage of the Ignatian Camino I am going to have a small ritual of disposing of my old boots which have served me well.

We followed the River Segre into Lleida. The Hotel Catalonia Transit in Lleida is at the train station. From the dining room you can see the fast rains glide into the station. I doubt that I will forget my 60th birthday. In the evening at dinner we had a birthday cake:

About to blow out the candles

The birthday cake for Padre Miguel

Fr John Fitzgerald making a speech prior to the cutting of the cake

I got a number of birthday presents from the group including: (i) a compass (they have correctly assessed that my sense of direction is poor); (ii) a Swiss Army knife to carry in my day pack just in case I need a cork screw to open a bottle of wine; (iii) a key ring with a bull on it; (iv) an optical mouse for use with my laptop; (v) a small lamp from which to read if I wake up at night.

Our prayer today. In the Third Week of the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius of Loyola I am invited to accompany Jesus in his Passion.  In this period of the retreat Ignatius suggests that I ask God for the following grace:

[203] In the Passion it is proper to ask for sorrow with Christ in sorrow, anguish with Christ in anguish, tears and deep grief because of the great affliction Christ endures for me.

The last two words “for me” are critical. Ignatius uses these words carefully and deliberately because he wants the person who make the Exercises to know that the awful events that are unfolding are an act of love of Jesus “for me”.

As we walked with Jesus today we allowed these two words to be the focus of our devotion.  We asked God for the grace to believe in our bones that Jesus is suffering “for me”.

Today’s walk gave us time to ponder some deeply personal faith questions:

• Did Jesus really die for me?
• If God can bring meaning and love out of the violent death of his Son, can he transform into life what are currently death-dealing situations for me?
• Does the execution of the Word made Flesh save me? How?

Good Friday reveals God the Father’s attitude towards me: God loves me and wants me to know that he loves me. The drama on Calvary is the most profound piece of body language the world has ever seen.  And Jesus embodied that language of love for me.

Today as we considered what happened at “the place of the skull” (Golgotha), it was important to know God our Father is not a sadist. He did not inflict on his Son the suffering of execution on a Cross. Rather, Jesus endured suffering and death as an act of love for me, and God the Father is broken-hearted at what happened to his Son.

After breakfast Acai drove us back to Candasnos in the bus to commence the day’s walk. The sky was overcast and a cool breeze was blowing for the first three hours of our walk. It was ideal walking weather.

The morning was overcast — good walking weather

About mid-morning we met up with Fr Gerard Boyce from the Hamilton Diocese in New Zealand. Gerard is currently on a three-month sabbatical and is walking from Montserrat to Santiago de Compostella. We met up with him last evening in Fraga and we had Mass and dinner with him. He is walking the Camino alone and was pleased to have some company and conversation.

Fr Gerard Boyce and Fr Michael Smith SJ — two New Zealanders

A very welcome overcast day

Fr Joe Taylor views Fraga from the top of the ridge

Finding some shade for lunch

Chona and Jan find umbrellas help on a hot afternoon

Today’s trail took us to Fraga, a  large town located on the Cinca river, and boasting a plethora of historic monuments from different artistic and historic periods. After arrival, explore the steep, narrow streets of the old part of town. The alleys are flanked by tall narrow houses, with the Montcada palace (built in Aragonese style) being one of  the most attractive old family houses.  The building was converted into a cultural centre in 1986 (here you can see an interesting ethnological, metal working, archaeological and medieval exhibition). The Church of San Pedro is a lovely church to spend a quiet moment contemplating.

Our contemplation today.  We walk with Jesus on the way to His death and we ask God for this gift: to feel sorrow with Christ in sorrow; to experience anguish with Christ in anguish; and even to experience tears and interior grief because of all the sufferings Christ endures for me at the end of His life.

Reflections: After the Last Supper, Jesus experiences agony while praying in the garden. He wishes that he could avoid the suffering He is about to undergo.

The Agony in the garden by Gaugin

The story of Jesus’ Passion is a story of wounding and death. But it is not just a story about the physical woundings of Jesus — the wounds made by the nails in his hands and feet, the hole that the lance tore in his side, the welts left by his flogging at the hands of the Roman soldiers, the bruises when he was punched, the crown of thorns. It is also a story of deeper wounds; specifically, the wounds of betrayal Jesus experienced.

Caravaggio’s depiction of Judas betraying Jesus with a kiss

Throughout the Passion narrative the drama of betrayal unfolds.  Firstly, the disciples fall asleep in the garden of Gethsemane — they cannot stay with their friend in his suffering.  Then Judas betrays Jesus with that most tender of human actions — with a kiss.  Then Peter, the supposed “Rock”, denies that he even knows Jesus.  In each of these betrayals Jesus is forced to the terrible awareness of having been let down, failed, left alone.  He is publicly humiliated. His life mission seems to have ended in failure and ridicule. Then, in the final moments as he is riveted to the cross, denied and abandoned by everyone — although not by his mother and the other women — he feels the full human depth of the reality of the betrayal, and cries out: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Throughout the New Testament, Jesus is very sure of His bond with God the Father.  He repeatedly asserts, “My Father and I are One”.  But on the Cross Jesus, in his humanity, even feels abandoned by God.

So what can we say about betrayal in our own lives and what is the lesson of Calvary for us?  Trust and betrayal are always linked. When we are betrayed, our trust is broken. It is always the closest relationships that usually carry the fullest agony of betrayal: betrayal by parents who did not keep their promises to their children; betrayal by the lover who finds another; betrayal by the child who never calls home; betrayal by the trusted business partner who defrauds us.

Paradoxically it is where we have been deeply wounded and betrayed that God can act.  But what we do with our betrayals is what is crucial.  We all get wounded.  It always happens in life.  And if, when the wound happens, we can find some Divine significance in it, if we can say, “This is not just a mistake”, if we can find God in the betrayal, it can become a sacred wound which will lead us on our journey to God.

Today we pray for the gift of solidarity with Jesus and great compassion for Him. We take special note of Jesus’ ultimate and utter faithfulness to His mission, to His Father, and, by extension, to us. Jesus is the one who remains faithful to what He is called to accomplish. He also remains faithful to each of us in our personal moments of grief, pain, and uncertainty.

Follow Jesus with the disciples to Gethsemane. Stay with them as they wait for Jesus. Or just go there and watch Jesus praying to His Father. We follow Jesus in embracing the Father’s will, experiencing His humiliation, darkness, and doubt. Look at Judas arriving to betray his Lord, not really understanding the role he is playing. Feel the emotion of this situation. Stay close to Jesus in the house of Caiaphas. Keep your eyes on Jesus: What is He feeling? What is He thinking? How does He respond in this moment? Stay close to Jesus and look at the people who are speaking. What are they saying? What do you feel in this moment? Move forward and follow Peter outside of the house. Watch Jesus here since He knows that Peter will betray Him. Experience the pain of betrayal through some sign of affection. Notice how Jesus regards Peter. Jesus has been denied by the very one whom Jesus had called “Rock”. This is the lot of Jesus which I am invited to share. For me this is a moment of personal truth. How do I feel?

Today’s stage again took the group through the stark landscape of the Monegros region. The route had few trees or shade and was close to the N-II highway. The terrain was mostly flat. Half-way along was the village of Peñalba. Our destination was Candasnos, another small village with a population of around 500 people. The Romanesque church of St. Mary of the Assumption dates back to the 12th century (you can still see the stonemasons’ individual marks on the cut stones, dating back to that time).

Helen and Tracy (who was wearing the back marker’s vest today)

Happy pilgrims

After the group arrived in Candasnos, they met by our Mongolian bus driver Acai and were transferred by coach to the Hotel Casanova Huesca in Fraga.



Michael celebrating the Eucharist for the group at a local church

Preparing croissants in the evening for our breakfast tomorrow

Today we are reflecting on the Last Supper. We are praying for the grace to feel sorrow with Christ in sorrow; to experience anguish with Christ’s own anguish, and even to experience tears and deep grief because of all the afflictions Christ endures for me.

In Jerusalem now, Jesus celebrates His last supper with His disciples.  At one point in the meal Jesus performs a household servant’s task of the washing the dirty feet of the supper guests.

The pilgrims’ feet were hot and sweaty this afternoon after 6 hours of walking through the Monegros.  At one point they had to walk through mud. Would we be willing to wash each other’s feet at the end of the day on the Camino? In Jesus’ time, the feet were regarded as a defiled part of the human body. It was thought that a person could catch leprosy just by walking the same ground as a leper. A person visiting the home of another would wash his own feet carefully before entering the house. However, for anyone other than a slave, offering to wash the feet of another was practically unheard of. Jesus’ example tells us several things. First, it shows Jesus taking the role of a servant and he invites us to do likewise. Also, by washing the feet of his friends, Jesus is saying: “I love you. I respect you. There is nothing about you I consider unworthy. I accept you as you are.” Can you imagine Jesus washing your feet after a six-hour walk? Are you drawn to serve others in a similar way?

Pope Francis washing feet in a Juvenile Detention Centre on Holy Thursday

During the meal, Jesus breaks bread and shares wine with his disciples, inviting them to “do this in memory of me.” Today is Sunday and in countless places around the world the Eucharist is being celebrated. The Eucharist also draws us into a living, intimate connection with Jesus: the bread and wine Jesus offers us is His own body and blood, generously given to each of us.

The Last Supper

In the Spiritual Exercises Ignatius invites us to enter into the scene at the Last Supper.  Ignatius speaks of Jesus who, “after eating the Paschal lamb and finishing the meal, washed their feet and gave his most holy Body and Precious Blood to his disciples.” Ignatius invites us to: “See the persons at the supper, and then, as I reflect on myself, draw profit from them. Listen to what they are saying… see what they are doing.”