Day 23, Monday 23rd September. Candasnos - Fraga (26.3km)

In the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, today we are in the Garden at Gethsemene experiencing the agony in the garden. We hear the call to 'watch one hour with me'. We are reminded that 'the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak'.

Much of my prayer in these first two hours of pilgrimage walking and praying focuses on betrayal: who have I betrayed, and when have I felt betrayed. I also dwell upon the wounds of betrayal inflicted in broken relationships, business deals, political intrigue, sexual abuse, etc. I remember well the betrayals under the Chilean dictatorship in my time there, the betrayal by the church of prophets such as Archbishop Oscar Romero, and the list goes on. It is a stirring time of walking with the .christ who suffers betrayal yet today.

As per usual, we depart for the day from the village church.

 

The orange arrows send us into dark tunnels! Sometimes we are drawn into the darkness of Gethsemene. Our prayer intention today also focused on those afflicted with the darkness of mental illness.

A bank of cloud is our kindly umbrella for the early part of our day.

The cloud of mental illness is no kindly umbrella!

More like an agony in the garden.

It doesn't last long as the hot sun reemerges, though with a gentle breeze.

We meet Gerald, a New Zealand priest, on the Camino from Montserrat to Santiago, 1150kms!!!!

Joe & Kaye pass ruins which dot this part of the camino. What/where are the ruins in our lives? Where are the lives ruined by betrayal? Can I in Christ be part of their restoration?

Amanda looks back as she strives forward.

"They who forget the past, have no future" a saying I learnt in Chile.

We arrive at the valley into which we will descend towards our destination of Fraga.

I had great chats with Michael today: he is a wise spiritual master.

Lunch overlooking the awesome valley.

 

These exquisite flowers welcomed us into Fraga.

..... Wherein followed good food and wine over which to review the day.

 

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