After yesterday’s hard day, but with the memory of the joy with which we ended it, we set off walking again.
Sleeping on the floor is getting harder and harder; we have got hold of a few mattresses so we can sleep better and catch up on a few nights. But it is another of the things we can offer, and we do it for the love of God. There come moments when you ask yourself what you are doing here: a week-long pilgrimage is fine, but 40 days, really?
Today Moses tells us what the moments before his birth were like, when his mother was full of doubts and feared for her son’s life. But even so she knew how to trust in God. Today we are all in that frame of mind: trusting in God, placing our pains and our sufferings in his hands.
In the pilgrimage book that has been prepared for each of us there is also a book of spiritual reading. Every day, after the breakfast stop, we read a few pages of it.
What we read today was wonderful: how to be friends of God through daily prayer. From prayer, a heart like Christ’s is born in man; Christ, being God and man, teaches us to live as gods while being men. But this is only possible with daily prayer. Because then your heart is no longer yours, but Christ’s own. And charity is lived as Christ lived it.
How much of this we can put into practice in the days we have left until Lisbon! Today Father told us that we will only truly love our neighbour if we have a life of prayer, because everything goes through God.
At the breakfast stop we sat down in front of a tyre workshop that hadn’t opened yet. When the owner arrived, he got a bit of a fright. Imagine 50 pilgrims in coloured T-shirts and with a cross, sitting outside his business having breakfast. But, extremely kindly, he opened up an area so we would be more comfortable and let us use the toilet. And even more: he wanted to check our tyres. He wouldn’t let us leave without checking them. These encounters never stop surprising us. He gave us his card in case we need anything. We left him a mug and, a few minutes later, he was already making himself a cup of tea in it. Javier, I hope you follow us on this adventure to Lisbon. Thank you for looking after us so well. We will pray for you and for the workshop, that it does well!
Today we carried on living a real adventure for our feet. Some can’t even count their blisters any more; not because there are so many, but because the excitement outweighs the pain. Today the day dawned cloudy, but even so the heat and humidity mean that everyone reaches the stops asking for water, sweets, fruit, whatever there is. The motto is: sugar galore.
After a good shower and a bit of a rest, we had lunch all together. The jobs are starting to work quite well: the sandwiches get made faster and faster, the van is unloaded in no time. Now and then someone needs to be pulled up, but with affection, because we are all family; everyone helps so that the pilgrimage stays on course for Lisbon.
Today Fr Joan Maria looked after us at the parish. What a good man! We invited him to dinner and he came.
In the meditation, Father preached to us about prayer, about this living with the heart of Christ, living for others. May we truly be as the Lord wants us to be, so that we live truly happy on earth. You can only be happy if your heart is detached from the things of the world. If you live by God and for God. Because that leads you to live for others too. Even suffering can be borne, because Christ suffered on the cross and he is the one who lived most happily, as perfect man and perfect God.
More and more parishioners from the town are coming along with us. Today there were about 10 people.
It means so much to us to see how everyone we meet comes along with us. They are part of the pilgrimage, and the encouragement they give us always helps. And everyone goes away with a card that Kathe gives them.
After a hearty dinner of rice with tomato and frankfurters, we celebrated the feast of St Peter and St Paul. Since we have Pau Sarsanedas and Paula Gomar with us, two cakes for pudding. That’s how the day ended: singing and sharing a good pudding. But before going to bed, as always, we pray Compline all together and dash off to sleep, because tomorrow we’re back at it.
Good night, parents! We’ll tell you more tomorrow.