“The Camino gives what you need and takes what you don’t need.” Thus did a loquacious Norwegian advise us the first night of our journey to Santiago. In fact, two of our group arrived in Spain before our backpacks and wondered how long it would take the airlines to find our luggage. “Your bags are in New York” the lady told us on the phone. “We’ll call you when we know more.” It’s been four days since Esther and I have had a second set of clothes or our own toothbrush, and the airline has not called or emailed. I am loathe to buy new underwear and a razor (although I did break down and buy a toothbrush) because it would be admitting defeat, or at least the possibility that we will never see our luggage again. How long can a backpack stay at JFK before TSA destroys it (especially since I never even flew through New York)?
I woke up last night musing on how to word a complaining letter to the FAA: at least the airline could call us or email or text something. It seems so strange that they haven’t even communicated with us, given that they have our cell number, email, home address and work number. One suspicion is that it is not American Airlines after all who have my luggage, but…the Camino. “The Camino takes what you don’t need.” For the moment, I don’t need my backpack and its consents. In fact, someone lent me walking shoes, another a little towel, another some hiking pants. “The Camino gives what you need.” But of course God will always provide, and He has provided the Camino to help us believe that. Buen Camino!
Esther, our other bagless traveler, told me that a resolution for her Camino was to detach herself, at least psychologically, from “stuff.” And before even getting on the Camino, she got powerfully detached from what she thought she needed. She’s been smiling the whole time, as in Mother Teresa’s “Give what He takes and take what He gives, with a big smile.”
And what do we really need on our Way through Life? Love and friendship, for starters, and there’s lots of that out here. We began our pilgrimage with Mass at Oviedo Cathedral, which is what I’ve always thought cathedrals should be: not just the bishop’s chair, but a community of priests gathered around him. And so I found it in Oviedo: the wonderful sacristan Ignacio opened the church for us a bit early so we could pray, smiling and blessing us. Fr. Amadio set up myself and a visiting priest from Gdansk (Fr. Peter, who slept in a park the previous night as he got in too late for one of the hostels). The photo here shows the cathedral chapter, or community of priests, gathered around the vesting table in the sacristy just before Mass. One got the feeling of a real family of priests bound by common prayer and service to God. It was a happy rectory, and a group of healthy priests, and a blessed beginning to our pilgrimage.
Esther, our other bagless traveler, told me that a resolution for her Camino was to detach herself, at least psychologically, from “stuff.” And before even getting on the Camino, she got powerfully detached from what she thought she needed. She’s been smiling the whole time, as in Mother Teresa’s “Give what He takes and take what He gives, with a big smile.”
And what do we really need on our Way through Life? Love and friendship, for starters, and there’s lots of that out here. We began our pilgrimage with Mass at Oviedo Cathedral, which is what I’ve always thought cathedrals should be: not just the bishop’s chair, but a community of priests gathered around him. And so I found it in Oviedo: the wonderful sacristan Ignacio opened the church for us a bit early so we could pray, smiling and blessing us. Fr. Amadio set up myself and a visiting priest from Gdansk (Fr. Peter, who slept in a park the previous night as he got in too late for one of the hostels). The photo here shows the cathedral chapter, or community of priests, gathered around the vesting table in the sacristy just before Mass. One got the feeling of a real family of priests bound by common prayer and service to God. It was a happy rectory, and a group of healthy priests, and a blessed beginning to our pilgrimage.
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