Chronicle of Saturday 25 July

Today we got up, as usual, at 3 in the morning. With darkness still mistress of the way, we set off for Vernon, the town that is hosting us today in a rather nice sports centre.

The stage was a daunting one: the longest of the whole pilgrimage, thirty-seven kilometres. But the night before we had slept in a bed (the height of luxury for a pilgrim) and we noticed it from the very first step. We went at a very good pace.

At the traditional afternoon get-together, some people commented on Miriam’s very funny way of walking, which is surprisingly similar to the famous video of the Norwegian footballer Haaland.

The other big story of the day starred Álvaro. Determined not to resort to the countryside solution most pilgrims adopt, he set out to find a proper toilet. The mission cost him a fifteen-minute walk there and fifteen more back, but perseverance paid off: he found a car dealership and, between sobs, asked to be allowed to use the staff toilet. Request granted.

In the meditation we went deeper into the conversion of St Thérèse of Lisieux. Little Thérèse was a very sensitive girl, and we reflected on how this doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing: our flaws don’t necessarily have to harm us, because God can do great things with them.

That fragile little girl lived through a very important conversion one Christmas. Following a moment of contact with her father, she learnt that what mattered was to go out of herself, and she discovered that the more she went out of herself, the happier she was.

Tomorrow, more road. Good night, everyone!