In every pension, hostal or hotel, I checked out the stations in English. Invariably, only one program in English would be telecast, and it wasn’t the BBC or CNN but a station devoted to the economic markets and “volatility ” if that’s the right word. I couldn’t watch because the message seem tiresome and redundant. Not good viewing for a pilgrimage.

I reflected on today’s gospel and Jesus’ warming not to serve two masters : God and wealth. We all know what he says , that you will end up loving one and hating the other. Well, a strong gospel message as I sat in the Santiago Cathedral boasting its gold, baroque furnishings and artistic expressions that made the sanctuary busy and even confusing. What message are we giving as the priest is celebrating a beautiful and simple liturgy while pilgrims and tourists are walking behind him and climbing up a stairway behind the main altar to venerate a silver statue of St. James!!!
The whole environment needs to be cleaned up allowing the beautiful, simple architecture and carefully placed artwork to speak a beauty that would not be inconsistent with the gospel.

Where your treasure is…there will be your heart. Having a beautiful home or church is something to be sought after , but in moderation and simplicity. Beauty transforms the human heart. God is Beauty. The beauty of our churches must be matched with the beauty the comes with serving the materially poor. What good is it to have silver and gold chalices from which to drink the Blood of Christ if the poor are thirsty ? What good is it for the priest to wear exquisite vestments if the poor have no clothing ? This message comes from St. John Crysostom who teaches that we need both: material beauty in moderation/simplicity and serving the poor.
So many non-Catholics come to this Cathedral and I can’t help wondering what they think of our priorities and values. This Cathedral is magnificent and it’s simplistic beauty must be maintained as part of our heritage. But is all the gold and gaudy artwork necessary? Are they even beautiful ?

Back to the television in English and our turning the economy into an idol that we worship, and we do so at much “expense.” In Leon, I found One station on English not concerned with what Jesus in the gospel refers to as “mammon” or wealth: NCIS with actor Chris O’Donnell!! I never saw this show before but I had little or no choice, since I just wanted to watch some TV.
It was quite good and much needed.
Burn Camino. Padre

A man who misused the money entrusted to him by his “master” is praised by jesus for his ingenious way of getting out of a dilemma. This is a strange gospel because jesus sheds light on the importance of being smart , or “shrewd” in the ways not only of the world but of the gospel. We don’t normally think of being shrewd as a gospel virtue, but it is and needs to be fostered.

Being shrewd is having the “foresight” to anticipate outcomes and responsibilities. Wisdom is at the heart of being shrewd. The steward in the gospel was smart and intelligent in how he explicated himself from personal shame by reducing the amount each debtor owed the master. Presumably, the steward used his own commission to reduce the individual amounts owed. Or maybe he was simply skimming money off the top all along. In any event, the master, and jesus himself, praised the steward’s cleverness. The man was a shrewd person, a quality I never associated with holiness, until now.

In matters of faith and religion, sometimes common sense and intelligence take a back seat to blind obedience and living mindlessly. St. Teresa herself praised intelligence, being clever and shrewd, over holiness , if she had to choose which qualities of a confessor she preferred. “If I can’t have a person with both holiness and intelligence and am forced to choose which is the more important virtue, I choose a smart and ingenious spiritual director,” she said in so many words.
Bold!!! She’d rather have a smart director who wasn’t holy, rather than a holy director who was dim witted.

Jesus wants us to be honest and trustworthy, but he also wants us to have foresight in the ways of the gospel so we can anticipate actions and their consequences. We must use intelligence and cleverness in being disciples. The Church must encourage us to use the intelligence God has given us to create s life of gospel living. For centuries, many of our leaders preferred keeping the masses of people quiet and submissive, especially women.
The ingenuity of ALL the people of the Church, rooted in deep faith, must be harnessed, creating a a powerful force of gospel witness. The church can be afraid of questions that search for answers rooted in the Tradition but spoken in ways meaningful to the present time. We gave to be clever and ingenious in how we apply some of the more difficult and confusing teachings. We can’t be afraid of new answers to these situations especially when it means developing the teachings in the Tradition. Development and evolution are a part of the church’s theological reflection and study.
Be “shrewd” for Christ!!! Find ways that you can spread the Good News that are inspiring, creative and rooted in intelligence.
Buen camino. Padre

In the gospel today, jesus confronts those who are angry with him for performing forbidden actions on the sabbath. He tells the story of a shepherd with 100 sheep, who leaves the 99 sheep who are safe and searches diligently for the One Lost Sheep. What joy he has when he finds the lost sheep. What love the shepherd has for his sheep.

YOU are that Lost Sheep…God is searching for you and will do anything to grasp you gently and place you lovingly over his shoulders. This is our God, the very God we love and worship.

But you can only be found by this passionate God if you are lost.
In prayer, discover or rediscover how you have lost your way… And let God do the rest.
Buen Camimo. Padre

I walked into Santiago early this morning in a beautiful mist, giving the city a mystical aura. I found myself getting my first glimpse of the cathedral tower while making my way through a narrow street. My heart neatly fell because it was clear and real: I made it!!!!
I found the Office For Pilgrims to receive my final stamp or “stella” on my pilgrim passport. And then I received my Certificate , written in Latin , that statescI completed the journey by walking across Spain on the Camino Frances; even my name was inscribed in Latin. The moment was deeply moving and important for me and my spiritual journey.

I immediately went to Confession and vested to concelebrate the Pilgrim’s Mass at Noon. Seeing many of my fellow travelers along the journey sent my spirit soaring. After the Mass, they commented how great it was seeing me on the altar as priest. I guess that moment spoke clearly that I really was a priest. For the past five weeks I looked and smelled like a pilgrim. On the altar, I looked somewhat beleaguered and disheveled in my soggy boots and distinctive odor, which the beautiful red vestments couldn’t mask.
The priest celebrant warmly welcomed me and didn’t care a bit about my appearance. He made certain that I spoke part of the Eucharistic Prayer in English and that I offered one of the Prayers of the Faithful in English. A wonderful priest indeed!!!

The famous Rite of Incensation with the massive “botofumeiro” occurred after Holy Communion. It was a marvelous site to see and be a part of, with the 400pound silver Censor being swept over the congregation. We were God’s holy people, being carried up with the incense into the arms of this magnificent and beautiful God we call Love. This is Liturgy at its best when a rite that could have been just a spectacle of spectators, became an experience of ritual in which we were the participants!!!! It was pure JOY!

We all left the Liturgy with a bounce in our steps and a lift in our spirits. And then the shock: A young woman came up to me after Mass and asked if I was “Fr. Frank?” Of course, I told her I was and asked the obvious, “How do you know me?” It happened that she was on my first camimo two years ago and she and her boyfriend ended up sharing a small room with me in one of the albergues. I distinctly remember joking with them that it must have been a dream of theirs to end up spending the night with a priest in the next bed!!! This young woman decided to do the camino again at the exact same time and she ended up at the Pilgrim’s Mass I concelebrated!!! This was NOT a coincidence! What a gift we were given: a brief encounter two years ago made a difference. She was so happy and took the time to see if I really was that priest of two years ago. We all have had an impact on someone else’s life and are never aware of it. This young woman gave me a beautiful gift I will never forget.
Remember: YOU are God’s gift to another human being, who will experience the Living God through their encounter with you. We all have that power to make God present.
Buen Camino. Padre.

Tomorrow , I finally make it to the holy city of Santiago. There is a saying made popular by the movie , The Way , that says, “the journey is the destination.” Yes, that is true, to a certain extent, especially if the journey and life , itself, isn’t very religious. Destinations…arrivals to specific places, are very important, whether you are religious or not. We are all going somewhere, I hope. But if you don’t really believe in the religious significance of a historical person named James, Iago in Spanish, who was an Apostle of Christ, then the destination of the city of Santiago or “St. James” really means nothing. I’m not even sure why getting the official Certificate at the Cathedral is so important. Maybe, deep down, the destination IS important , after all.

We all have a destination awaiting us: living in the Kingdom, in the city of the Living God. This “place” or destination, is the ONLY one on which ALL are invited and welcomed. Jesus told a poignant parable about an who gave a dinner party and invited many people. Each person had a reason , an excuse, not to go to the dinner. In essence, they were busy or preoccupied with other matters believed more important. So the man becomes furious and tells the servants to go into the byroads and alleys and invite the poor and crippled. The story jesus told doesn’t say it, but the implication or outcome is that these unfortunate ones, “Les Miserables,” accepted and dined at the feast.

Perhaps we become too inflated in self importance, that we really believe that we are important and indispensable. The truth is that we are ALL dispensable in the world in which we live, someone can and will take our place. We will be forgotten by most.
This isn’t depressing, it is simply the reality of life in this world and on this side of the Kingdom.
But there is a destination where each and every human being has a place at the table. We are ALL invited to feast at this dinner party which celebrates our arrival at a “destination.”

Jesus gave us the Eucharist as the Meal which makes present his love for all of us in the cross and resurrection. It is a Meal on the pilgrimage of life…
This truly is a feast that anticipates the great Banquet at the end of time when All are gathered around the one table. We are “destined” for this great feast, which becomes our ultimate destination.
We have this feast of the Mass that our church has placed too many restriction on who can partake of the Body and Blood of Christ. If we want to be a welcoming and inviting church and parish, what message do we give when we say , “Your invited , but don’t come to Communion if your are not Catholic of if you are in mortal sin. ”
Restrictions to the great feast of Mass do not seem in the spirit of the gospel.
And the ways I have seen the Mass celebrated in a number of countries, we have no reason to be so restrictive.

Perhaps we even need to rethink the whole RCIA process, the process that gradually initiates a person who is not a Catholic into full communion with the Church. It doesn’t seem to be working and our church needs to look
into this process of initiation that is cumbersome and outdated. Our theology of the Eucharist needs a larger heart of mercy.

So many pilgrims on this wonderful journey have no relationship with any church or religion, a reality that saddens me. The Camino is fast becoming a walk of endurance and an adventure of challenge. These are important reasons to make the Camino , for many, if not most of the people I have met. And the people I have met are truly wonderful people…God’s holy people. But it has been difficult and awkward trying to talk faith on a pilgrimage rooted in faith with people who do not have the desire to engage in such discussions.

But tomorrow , the fifth of November in the year 2014, thousands of pilgrims will arrive at a destination…a truly “holy city ” where they will come to the feast of the Mass and realize, deep down, that the destination IS vital and essential. The priest will hopefully welcome ALL to the Feast, in the Spirit of the Feast’s Founder. Without this destination, these pilgrims could never experience the JOY, I have no doubt they will experience , when they embrace “friends” they will most likely will never see again, one last time , until that ultimate destination….where goodbyes never happen.
Buen camino. Padre.

Fellowship is probably the best word to describe the felt experience of those who walked the Camino de Santiago. On the Camino itself, we created fellowship…community …. with our “fellow” travelers. We are “sojourners in a foreign land,” to borrow an image from one of Paul’s letters. We try and stop to help whenever needed, even if it means a change in plans; we share food, water and other beverages; we eat together and frequently sleep together, that is, in the same room with many others; we share stories about our lives and purpose for the Camino. Over a week or more, a fellowship develops that will always remain a part of our lives.

In many cities, including Chicago , groups have developed to continue the fellowship begun on the Camino. And I know how my fellow travelers feel when they get home and friends and family are unable to relate to or understand the deep experiences we’ve had on this strange journey of faith. The key for me as a priest is to inspire ALL people I encounter to help them to connect their lives with the felt experience of “pilgrimage,” in that we are all journeying through life. Nothing in this life ,including all of our relationships, is permanent. Living life on pilgrimage means living in the present and experiencing God in the people we encounter. We allow ourselves to keep moving forward, embracing whatever God brings our way. Each trip to work or the store or a friend’s house or even Starbucks can become a pilgrimage if we allow faith to intersect with ordinary life. Even the Camino can get routine and monotonous.

Each morning I get out of bed, I know I’m going to walk about 15 miles through some difficult territory. The destination is usually made the night before, but must change, when a shin splint develops, as it did for me. Sometimes it means admitting when a bus or taxi is needed because of injury. One never know…
But the walking gets very tiresome nonetheless. Even beautiful terrain gets lost in the, “I just want this to be OVER.”

Walking the Camino allows for pilgrims to enter and leave each other’s lives quickly, but with much intensity. Our shared stories become intertwined forever, relationships that will be rekindled in the Life that follows, where “goodbyes” never have to be said. I carry back with me memories that will continue to work their magic on my life.

One experience that has been strengthened on this Camino for me has been a deep certainty that all the people in my life who have passed on, who have completed their life long Camino, are very much alive and well. They have been part of this “fellowship” : my mom, aunt, uncle, cousins, friends , countless parishioners. They also have names and I spent this day of
saints and souls naming them…seeing them. Their felt presence gave me warmth in the loneliness of the journey.

I strengthened my fellowship with Francis, Teresa, Jude and most important of all… Mary. She is the first person to become a disciple of Jesus when she said “yes” to Gabriel. She was a disciple before she was mother, but it is her motherhood, her love for each one of us, that gives us courage and strength for the long haul. Jesus gave her to the human family as he hung upon the Cross. When he entrusted his mother to John, Jesus gave us a precious gift. “Behold your son…behold your mother,” are words from Christ on the Cross, forever changing how we are to relate to each other. As He suffered, he created a new way of being family. Mary, the Mother of God, is mother of us all, redefining our relationship with each other as sister and brother. I’m finally seeing that my family is much more than biology.
Buen camino. Four days to Santiago.
Fr. Frank

Walking into Sarria, an important part of the Camino since you must walk from this town to Santiago in order to receive your pilgrim Credential, I encountered a pilgrim walking in the OPPOSITE direction, rarely a good “sign.” Yet, it was one of those simple signs from God that awakened me to what the Lord meant when he told the disciples to “choose the narrow path,” not the one that is wide open and free flowing.

I Asked this man if I was going in the right direction and on the right path. He pointed his walking pole in the direction I was walking and said, “Santiago.” Then he told me he was going BACK to France. He was on the right path for him, walking in the right direction. I, too, was on the right path for me, and walking in the right direction.

We all have a path marked out for us by God, and it is “narrow” because it is chosen just for us , with the right doors and windows open and all the others closed. This “narrow path” is the one that always leads to life and creates inner tranquility when we are on this chosen path. We have to learn that certain doors and windows must be closed and remain closed. A life with no direction and ALL doors and windows open is a life that leads absolutely nowhere. I have met a number of pilgrims who seems to be on such a path of no commitment.

However, there are always voices within and “spirits of deception” that beckon on to choose other paths. Often times we must take risks and make changes, but only ones consistent with our calling and temperament. We look at others on their paths and we compare our selves and our moods with our “perception” of their inner state. And we always perceive these people as happier and more fulfilled. This creates an inner restlessness that almost compels us to change paths by leaving relationships, communities, marriages , careers or vocations. I’m not saying that, perhaps, the narrow path might mean making a massive change in the direction our lives are taking. But this must be done in prayer and discernment with people wise in the spiritual life. If the change is a monumental one it must bring us onto that “narrow path ,” the one we left along the pilgrimage of life.
Just don’t a deceived.
Can you imagine if I turned around ?

Buen camino. Fr. Frank

Last night I spent the night in the village with oldest church, tonight I stay in Samos, the village with the oldest monastery in Spain. And the Benedictine monks are still here praying the Hours of the Liturgy everyday. The buildings are magnificent, but upon my arrival, the doors are locked. They are supposed to open soon and many of us wait for the turn of the lock and an open door.

This seems to be a theme throughout this Camino and the first one, two years ago. Locked doors, locked churches and locked monasteries don’t make fertile grounds for welcome and evangelization. There is something very wrong with this picture.

The locked doors of churches might very well be symbols of locked doors to the human heart. I hear a sound now…. the lock is being turned and an actual living monk comes out and says, “un momento,” and the door opens. I will finish this reflection while the doors are still open and I can get inside…

Back again. The monk let us inside….a gift shop !!!! We waited to get inside a gift shop so he could sell us tickets for the guided tour. I bought one and at least got to see where the monks live and the majestic church where they pray, but it was all in Spanish so just spent time in front of an old painting of our patron : Teresa of Avila. Best part of the tour for me , which when complete , the doors were shut in an instant.

We all must see how our own hearts need to be open so the Lord can enter freely breathing peace and joy. A closed heart, like a closed door, prevents life from entering and leaving. We embrace only to let go and trust that new life will enter and it always does.
Buen camino. Fr. Frank

O’Cebreiro. A tiny village of Celtic origins and my favorite place on earth , after Assisi. This village has pre-Romanic origins and has been a place of rest and sanctuary for over 1,000 years. It was founded by Benedictine monks in around the ninth century. The church and surrounding buildings have been restored and there are several little thatched roofed huts called “pallozas” still standing and are considered protected historical landmarks.

What draws many people here is a miracle/legend to have occurred in the 14th century. As it goes, a pilgrim was entering the village, tired and wearied, desiring to go to Mass. He wanted to see the consecration and be uplifted. He mentioned this to a daft, angry priest who ridiculed the man’s simple faith. The priest had lost his faith in the Eucharist…easy to happen. At the time of the consecration , the host was transformed into flesh and the Blood of Christ in the chalice boiled over onto the corporal or altar linen.
Needless to say, the priest had a bit of a change of heart.
The relics of the chalice and Host and stained corporal are enshrined to the right of the altar. The feast of this miracle occurs on sept. 8 and 9. And

and attracts over 50,000 people. The importance of this miracle is evidenced in the fact that the composer, Wagoner, dedicated his masterpiece , Parsifal, to this chalice.

This is the oldest and most beautiful church on the camino, particularly for its simplicity and warmth. I lit a candle in honor of all your prayers left at the shrine of Cruz de Ferrel. It is the tallest red votive in the photo, shining next to the relics of the miracle of the Eucharist. Light ONE candle in the darkness and that darkness is dispelled. The focus is not on the darkness but the light.
The most important candle in every Catholic Church is the Paschal Candle, the Easter Candle, in which the Light of Christ dispels the darkness of sin. In the renovation of the church, a hearth will be built into the plaza outside the doors of the church as a permanent symbol of the Light of Christ. We will light the Easter fire and the Paschal candle from this very hearth and carry that Light into a darkened church, coming to “light” by Christ.

Christ shines in the darkness of your heart. He is that one Light you must focus on, especially when grief, anger , bitterness and loneliness seem to overwhelm. Each one of us is to become a living “candle ” a candle in human form, shining the brightness of Christ’s love on those you meet.
Buen camino. Fr. Frank

This was the hardest day on the journey so far. I don’t remember the climb up the mountain into the tiny village of O’Cebreiro to have been this difficult and treacherous. A woman fell off the side of a steep incline as a small herd of cattle came at her from around the bend. I heard her screaming and another pilgrim nearby told me he saw what had happened. We both went to the edge and stayed with her until she was able to get her bearings. Then we helped her get up onto the path. She was totally fine, thanks be to God. I saw her later on in O’Cebreiro and she seemed great.

Mountains figure quite a bit in Scripture and in many of the spiritual writings in a number of religious traditions.
Jesus brought Peter , james and john up the mountain of Transfiguration… They “ascended” this mountain to experience jesus in his glory. But ascending ANY mountain always involves discomfort and even pain.

Ascending the Galician mountains was very difficult and painful for me. St. John of the Cross titled his most famous poem as the Ascent of Mt Carmel. This poem, in which we get the Dark Night of the Soul, is a beautiful metaphor on the soul’s journey to God being a struggle like ascending a mountain. In the struggle, we gradually surrender our selfishness and ego, our “false self”, and allow the Spirit of Christ to possess our hearts. We then become rooted in our “true self” , the self rooted in God. When we live out of this self, our lives have purpose and joy.
Ascending to God involves sacrifice and letting go, never an easy endeavor. This journey has reminded me that God calls each one to accept the challenge to “ascend ” in spirit the mount of transfiguration. But it will most certainly involve many difficulties
It is easy to live in the false security of the self that clings and controls and manipulates life. If i am this kind person, I will not be a good person to be around.

Let us join the saints as we ascend out of this way of living into a life of selfless love. The tears that we shed as we ascend are tears of remorse at how much we have wasted life. The greatest enemy of this ascent is fear, the fear to change and be changed.
If we surrender to the ascent, our tears of remorse will be transformed into tears of Joy.
Buen camino. Fr. Frank