Wonder and Awe - Camino of Ignatius 2018

Group of 80 something’s have “adopted” me. Speak only Catalan. Use English word “look” when they want me to come with them. This caused much confusion until I caught on. Now I’ve got it.

Nuria

I race Nuria (she is an Oblate of this Benedictine Monastery of Montserrat) to the fifth floor where our rooms are in the Monastery’s guest wing. I take the stairs and she ascends on the lift. We meet at the top and sometimes I arrive first. She laughs and enjoys the race. Now she challenges me regularly and I am not invited to “ascend “ in the lift with her. The race continues and I welcome the five flights of stairs as preparation for my trek in the mountains next week.

There is much we can share without language. And there is so much that I miss because of the language barrier. In a group I am lost , often invisible. One on one we do very well, especially with the miracle of Google Translate.

Today my spiritual companion, a monk I met over a year ago during my first stay here at the Monastery . We have continued to Skype once a month as spiritual companions.

This pilgrimage is a result of his suggestion that I do the Thirty Day Spiritual Practices of Saint Ignatius.

He returned this morning from his work in Barcelona. I was glad to see him at Mass. In the afternoon we met (1800 hr.=6:00 pm) to begin my spiritual preparation for the Camino. He is gentle, firm, wise and deeply insightful. He supports me AND he challenges me.

Vespers is at 6:45 pm followed by the evening meal at 7:55 pm. We

finish at 9:00 and go to our rooms.

The most peaceful times of the day are early morning and late evening. Throughout the day there is a constant stream of visitors from all over the world. My window overlooks the Plaza in front of the Basilica. I watch them approach and see on each face the wonder and awe that I experience every time I come here.