I moved from the Monastery. They are closing down for a couple of days, probably to recuperate from the intense Holy Week and Easter Schedule.
It was suggested I go to a Pilgrim Hostal just down the street so that I could be close by. The Guest Master invited me for meals beginning Tuesday when they re-open the guest facilities.
The Hostal is a brand new facility that the Abbott blessed for its opening the day after I arrived here. I am not certain how many it sleeps. I think over 300 beds. Currently I am the only one in the huge building. They don’t have an Internet presence yet and no publicity that I have seen. I only knew of it because the Monks directed me here.
My room is intended for four with two bunk beds. It is a Pilgrims’ room. I expected to move from the Monastery. I thought I would be leaving the Mountain to go to Barcelona because there were no available rooms on the Mountain. Although I was looking forward to visiting Barcelona, I was deeply sad to leave the Mountain - but God always provides. Here I am….Remaining!
Now it is Easter Monday and I have just returned from Laudes. They haven’t run out of incense. We were incensed again this morning. Maybe at home, I need to add a morning blessing to my daily smudging ritual in addition to my daily evening smudge?
I saw Amelia Lacalle at prayer. Last evening, we were surprised to see each other at Vespers. The others from our group of six, who participated in the Triduum Silent Retreat, seem to have all left the Mountain yesterday. Amelia will be here till Tuesday.
We have quite a time in our communication efforts. We were attempting to share some photos and my email wasn’t working right. Can you imagine this scene? No means of communicating a spoken word and with gestures, frustration and laughter, into tears. We asked a group of young men if they could help. They couldn’t figure out why she couldn’t send anything to me or why my phone wouldn’t receive from her. We walked away defeated - almost! Then, certainly because of our excellent communication🤪, I thought I was going to my room and she directed me to hers at the Apartment where I sometimes stay if the Monastery is full. We continued to laugh and sigh at our communication efforts. Finally, we were able to send a couple of emails to each other and now we are relieved to know that we are forever connected. I was wishing we were back in the freedom of our SILENCE!
Do you ever long for SILENCE in the midst of meaningless words? Have you ever experienced the deep communication of Silence that no words can impart? When has that happened for you?
I left Amelia to go across the Plaça to my Hostal. I didn’t eat much today since we had so many sweets for Easter at the Monastery. I want to fit into my clothes when I leave here for the Cargo Ship!
Today, I received an invitation from one of the Monks to join him and a couple of friends to take a drive to the Monastery’s ‘offspring’ Retreat House in the country about a ninety minute drive from here. I will go to see El Miracles with them. We go this afternoon.
I love the stillness and the quiet.
There are more security guards and different uniforms here today. I understand that there is a political holiday this week in Barcelona and there could be some carry over to Montserrat.
In some ways this is a crazy place to be. There is a deep political tension between Montserrat, the Monks and the Virgin of Catalan and the Spanish Government. I am being cautious these days. I was invited to go to Barcelona where Sant Jordi Day (Saint George) is celebrated more fully. It is not a religious celebration. They are hoping it will become a National celebration of Catalan. I am not going. I feel safer here on the Mountain.
At the end of the Week there is the BIG FEAST of the Black Madonna - I anticipate that it will be similar to what I have experience in Little Italy, Cleveland but on a grander scale - only because this is a grander landscape in every detail! I mean - just look at these mountains that hold the Basilica as in the palm of a great hand.
I wonder if they will have lemon ice. One Holy Thursday during a special meal we had something like lemon ice. I think it was a lemoncello cream - similar to frozen custard with lemoncello in it??? Very tart and very good.
Much love to each and every one. I heard from the Cargo Ship. Sounds like it is a firm commitment to take me home. Waiting for a ticket and a day and time to board. Hopefully it will all happen as they expect this time. It may all depend on United States tariff laws I think???
I learned that there are many fewer sailings - about 50% due to tariffs discouraging shipments. Global economy is a tricky business. Every action results in a reaction - yes?
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