Ruminations of an Amateur Monastic
Our credencials arrived from Santiago a couple of weeks ago. I’m starting to compile updated albergue and Mass information. I’m checking airline tickets every Tuesday. I’m still trying to find all of the bits and bobs to complete my gear. In some cases, I know that what I’m looking for is “around here somewhere”, but I’ll be darned if I […]
» Read moreOn today’s Feast of Saint James, Father Maurer celebrated Mass at Holy Rosary. I served with six other servers, including our Seminarian guest, Chad Green. Since Saint James is the patron saint of our Archdiocese, we pulled out all the stops, including incense. Unheard of for a Saturday Mass! Chad and I more or less immediately afterwards served at a […]
» Read moreThe Road to Roncesvalles The time has come where I’m checking flight prices every Tuesday. Today, for the first time, I found a round-trip ticket to Madrid for our dates for less than a thousand dollars. My goal is $800 or less. That should happen sometime near the middle or end of July. Once we have flight times in place, […]
» Read moreOn this day, just two years ago, Francine and I ended the walking portion of our first Camino. This photo was taken that afternoon, as we walked into Santiago de Compostela. Next year: Santiago! (Originally posted to Pilgrims on the Way.)
» Read moreAfter much back and forth, we decided to cut out as many of the extras as we can and just focus on the Camino. The current version of the plan (such as it is) looks like this: Fly out of Seattle on Easter Sunday and into Madrid. From there, we go to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port by one of two ways, either flying […]
» Read moreOne year from today, Easter Sunday, 27 March 2016, Francine and I intend to board an airplane and set out on our second Camino. Because next year is a leap-year, that’s 366 days from today. Yesterday, I celebrated the tenth anniversary of my Baptism. A year from today, Easter will fall on exactly the same day that it did back […]
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Ten years ago today, on the night of the 26th of March 2005, I was baptized into the Church at the great Vigil of Easter. I used to think that it was a rare thing that one could point to a specific day, a specific moment, and say with certainty, “that’s it; that’s when everything changed”. As it turns out, […]
» Read moreA couple of months back, Francine and I took a short hike that absolutely winded us. Wiped us out. Clearly, we’re out of shape. So we’ve started our 2016 Camino training much the way we did for 2013: we’re beginning with loops around Snake Lake. There’s a flat loop of trail around the lake, and a fairly steep hill-climb with […]
» Read moreIt’s a truism that one doesn’t need a map to walk the Camino. After all, there’s a yellow arrow painted or printed or engraved somewhere every twenty yards or so. If you haven’t seen one in a while, you’ve probably wandered off the right path. Having said that, I like maps. I especially like maps that represent terrain, distances, and […]
» Read moreIn theory, each pilgrim who completes the Camino de Santiago is a member of the Archconfraternity of Saint James the Apostle. Originally founded in 1499, the aims of the Archcontraternity are: Promote honour of St. James the Apostle and encourage Christian pilgrimage to his Tomb. Ensure that pilgrims are welcomed and looked after on their pilgrimage along the different ways […]
» Read moreThere’s a countdown app on my phone, silently counting down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds until we leave for our second Camino. In this new year, we have a lot to do to get ready. Last week we tried out my new backpack bodypack, an Aarn. It was absolutely brilliant. Even fully laden, it was so light you could […]
» Read moreFrancine and I have been noodling about what our second Camino – our first full Camino together – will look like. First off, we’re going to take it slow. Our initial thought is to fly out of Seattle on Easter Sunday 2016 and in to Barcelona. From there, we’ll catch a Ryan Air flight to Lourdes and spend a day […]
» Read moreSantiago Apóstol Today is the feast of Saint James the Apostle, son of Zebedee and Salome of Bethsaida, brother of Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist. One of the “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17). Santiago. Years ago, I wrote about what we know of Saint James from scripture and tradition. That was before I had walked 500 miles to his […]
» Read moreToday is the principal feast (at least among the Benedictines) of Saint Benedict of Nursia, author of the great monastic rule that in large part saved western civilization after the fall of the Roman Empire. Pope Benedict XVI took his name at least in part from Saint Benedict, and the life and work of the saint was a topic that […]
» Read moreThe way that can be walked is not the eternal Way. (Lao Tsu) Santiago de Compostela Feast of Saints Philip and James That last day was busy. After breakfast, we caught a taxi to the bus station to secure our tickets for Madrid. We spent some hours in and around the Cathedral. Then a little shopping. Confession, and then noon […]
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(from my journal) Santiago de Compostela 02 May 2013 Praise God, at about 3pm we arrived in Santiago de Compostela. On the way into the city, we kept running into people we knew – people who had shared some portion of the walk with us – probably a dozen reunions before we even reached the Cathedral. Entering the plaza in […]
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