We had a beautiful day with only a hiccup when one of our students saw a cute little snake and decided to pick it up. In response to her kindness it bit her. Her hand started to swell up. She was flown to Pamplona to the university hospital. Turns out that it was an asp and slightly poisonous. She seems to be doing well and we will join up with her in Pamplona today.
Each day we have a prompt of things that we should think about while walking along the path. Today's prompt was:
Beginnings: The Book of Genesis begins with 'in the beginning.' What does it mean to 'begin?' How does the beginning relate to what was before the beginning? How does the beginning shape the end? Christ is author and finisher: what does that suggest about beginnings? AS you begin your Camino, what must you do to prepare for the ending you hope for?
These are profound questions that require a careful consideration of, first, where we are in life and then what sort of person we wish to become. I cannot see an end point in the progression of experiences and attitudes that lead towards the end (if there any such thing). Today I began the day with a little fear and trepidation knowing that this was the beginning of a very long, and at times, arduous journey. I had to sit down with my thoughts and realize that I had to focus on each leg of the journey and set those goals that will help me move forward to realizing the greater goal of completing the journey. Is this not the purpose of the pilgrimage: an experience that opens the heart to a clearer and broader perspective of human existence and life? Today I set the goal to pause more frequently in the quiet of my thoughts and consider the multiple beginnings that each step will suggest as I walk the trail.
Below (in order) is what we saw:
The Beginning at Roncesvalles
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