The Unholy Pilgrim: Day 13, Friday 13th!!! Calahorra

Michael Smith sj, our fearless leader, has been struck down with shin splints and has missed a few days walking, dashing his desire to walk the whole way of his Jesuit founder, Ignatius. How easily our plans turn to dust! Who knows what redemption this prompts?

However, his morning briefings are priceless for our pilgrims' contemplation, especially the first two hours which we walk in silence.

Michael encourages us today to focus on the extraordinary story of the incarnation: that God sends Jesus to take on the vulnerability of being human through the agency of a vulnerable 15 y.o. Jewish girl. God desires to draw us into intimate union with him/her that we know the beauty and power of unconditional love. Intimacy is born of the sharing of vulnerability: that is our invitation with God in Jesus and with one another.

Today we celebrate Joe Taylor's 63 birthday: as he says, his 3rd 21st! Joe has been a close friend of mine over 45 years. We have shared many good times and difficult, holidays together, peer fraternity as we often debrief on our ministry. We know each other's vulnerabilities, of which knowledge is born a deep and lasting friendship: something of the incarnation mystery whereby loving friendship is known as a pure gift of God. Thanks be tro God for Joe on his birthday!

However, a fainting spell after a hard day yesterday saw him spend 2 evenings with the local medicos with numerous tests which eventually gave him a clean bill of health! Onwards with the pilgrimage - who knows what twists and turns it brings! It test body, mind and soul!

We pay our respects to the local cathedral as we head out of town in the early morn.

The river Ebra flows on in our direction as do its many channels. It is life giving water birthing an abundant harvest in this rich fertile valley. Hopefully we are a channel of prayer and generosity that, through God's grace, will produce an abundance of good fruit in due season.

Can you pick the jet stream, one of many throughout our day. One can fly to the destination in a hurry and miss so much of the beauty of the journey. When earthed or grounded, one step at a time, much is seen and experienced as would be otherwise. Let us not be in a hurry to 'get there'.

We found ourselves right up close in the midst of the harvesting of the vines.

The seasonal workers cheered us on! Despite the abundance of the harvest, all is not as it seems, as Australian farmers know well too! Produce prices are dicey and unemployment is high in Spain, especially amongst the young: everyone is suffering severely from the financial crisis,. Such comments abound in talking with the locals.