Divine providence is one of the primary themes on the Camino. It’s quite fascinating how small miracles continue to occur one after another for everyone on this journey. Whatever you need or what ever you’re looking for, you will find on the Camino.
I woke up at 6:50 a.m. and was ready to leave at 7:20 a.m. It was a cold morning because O Cebreiro was located high up on the mountain. As soon as I stepped outside I was greeted by the most marvelous site. The sun was rising and across the horizon the sky was painted with a light shade of blue and crimson colour with a golden lining. I was captivated and remained still in silent admiration of such an awesome sight. I said a prayer and thanked God in my heart.
As I made my way down the mountain carefully following the prescribed arrows I began to pray the rosary which I prayed daily. Right after my prayer I thought how nice it would be to have company and surely enough someone comes from behind me starts walking along beside me. His name is Aliver and he is a native of Spain and was also a pilgrim. We conversed in Spanish since it was the only language he spoke and we discussed many things—our experience on the Camino, our travel experiences, faith in God, etc.
From the time I began this walk I've met people who did not know how to speak Spanish and now I am convinced that it is definitely possible for people who don't speak the language to get by because of the power of divine providence on the Camino. But looking back, I don’t think my experience would have been as meaningful if I did not know how to speak in Spanish because I would have missed out on so many wonderful conversations.
My destination for the day was the Benedictine Monastery in Samos. It was a bit of a detour and I didn’t know how to get there but I was determined to go and I was confident that somehow the Lord would provide a way for me. When Aliver and I reached the next town he told me he had to stop for breakfast. We went inside a café and I saw another pilgrim who was just about to leave. I said hello and introduced myself and my friend Aliver and asked her where she was going. She told me that she was going to the Benedictine monastery. She said that she was there last year (when she did the Camino for the first time) but unfortunately when she arrived it was already closed so this year she wanted to arrive on time. I asked her for directions how to get there and she showed me her map but the path was a little bit complicated and I knew I wouldn’t be able to remember all the turns so I asked if I could come with her.
Her name is Ramona and she is a brilliant Romanian girl with a degree in physics. Aliver was still eating breakfast and I asked if he wanted to come but he said to go on without him because he was undecided if he was going to walk the extra kilometes to get there. I said farewell to Aliver and Ramona and I were on our way.
Along the way Ramona shared with me the instances of divine grace that happened to her and many others she encountered on the Camino. She told me of a time when two girls (who were also doing the Camino) set off to find a nearby swimming pool but they were unsuccessful. In their frustration they knocked on someone’s door and asked for directions. The lady who answered the door said she did not know where the pool was but she had a big pool in her own backyard and kindly welcomed them in to enjoy it!!! This was an act of kindness from a complete a stranger.
There was another time when a dutch lady who was already in Sarria wanted to go back to visit the Benedictine monastery in Samos but it was 12 km away and she didn’t want to walk all the way back. Her other option would be to take a taxi but it would be too expensive. She began to ask around if anyone had a car and would be going in the direction of Samos and before long a stranger taps her from the back and offers her a ride to the monastery!!!
Ramona was traveling on the Camino for the second time because she absolutely fell in love with it. In spite the pain and physical hardship that one endures, it does not begin to compare to the indescribable transformation that occurs in one’s soul when one decides to do the Camino. It’s like for a short period of your life you are able to take yourself outside of time and be embraced by simplicity, where everyday becomes a nature walk of spiritual and self reflection. It is profoundly liberating!!!
Ramona and I arrived at the monastery at 5:20 p.m. We checked into the albergue, dropped off our things and went to the cloister of the monastery for the grand tour. This monastery was built in the sixth century and they currently have about 8 monks living in it. Nowadays it is a spiritual centre.
As we went on the tour, I astounded by the richness of the history of this place. Many kings have studied in this monastery and were taught by scholar monks. I prayed that I may experience the Lord in a special way in this sacred place and my prayers were immediately answered. Shortly after the tour we went inside the magnificent cathedral and the monks positioned themselves in the front and began to sing the Gregorian chant in Latin. Upon hearing the sound of such holy and ancient Latin tunes I felt a deep sense of peace in my soul that I cannot describe.
Later that evening I sat outside to eat my dinner which for that day consisted of cheese and crackers and I met a French guy named Thomas. I introduced myself and he sat down beside me. We spoke about our backgrounds, culture, and our experiences on the Camino. After a while, Thomas began to tell me that when his father died a few years ago he was really broken. In an effort to console himself, he took the remains of his father’s ashes, placed it inside his backpack and walked the Camino de Santiago as a form of spending quality time with his dad and finding inner peace. He told me that when he was close to completing the 800 km walk and was about to reach Compostela, he felt great sorrow. He didn't want it to end and wished that the road continued on indefinitely because there was something about the journey that really calmed his spirit and gave him the peace that yearned for. I listened attentively to his story and I sensed a trace of sadness in his voice. I was deeply moved by his sincerity and openness even though he did not event know me. We connected somehow because of the Camino. He shared with me his personal life experience that was buried in depths of his soul as if we had been best friends for many years. We talked throughout the night and I was very happy to have met him.
I woke up at around 7:00 a.m. at the sound of all the other pilgrims shuffling their things and getting ready for the hike. It was Sunday so my priority was to attend mass. Jonathan suggested that instead wasting time and waiting until 9:00 a.m. for the restaurants to open and have breakfast in Zubiri, we should just go to the next town in Larrasoana which was only about 4 km away and have breakfast there. His suggestion seemed reasonable so we headed off only to discover that in the small town of Larraoana everything was closed until 1:00 p.m. because it was Sunday!!
By that time, I was very hungry but because we wanted to go to the small monastery in the next town and we needed to arrive early to secure a bed, we could not afford to wait until 1:00 p.m. to eat. And so we set off on the trail again and walked 15 km to the next town on an empty stomach. We took a series of breaks and with God’s help we reached our destination four hours later.
We went inside the monastery called Iglesia de Trinidad and registered. We quickly placed our thing on our beds and instantly went out in search of a restaurant. By that time it was about 3:00 p.m. and apparently in Spain everything shuts down for an hour at 3:00 p.m. We were surprised to see that the streets were deserted!!
I was exceptionally exhausted and hungry and the mere thought of not being able to eat for another hour caused me a greater discomfort. I earnestly prayed that we would find a restaurant that was still opened. At first it seemed hopeless because all the ones we passed by on the streets were closed but I was not yet ready to give up. I continued to walk aimlessly in spite of my weariness particularly being attentive to the slightest indication that a restaurant or store might be opened. By God’s grace I was able to find one that was still opened and I felt a great sense of relief. I quickly went in and ordered four dishes of moderate portions. After I had eaten and was satisfied I regained my sense of composure. I have never felt this desperate in my life where the only thing I could think of was satisfying my hunger. Even when I was volunteering at the orphanage in Mexico we always had something to eat, even though some days it would only be a piece of corn. It was never to the point where my body truly craved for it. This experience was just a taste of what Jesus must have felt when he went to the dessert for forty days. At this primitive state, one’s sense of rational judgment begins to be impaired to the point where satisfying this basic physical need is all one can think of. Hence, reaffirming Maslow’s hierarchy of need theory. Later that evening after I had attend mass at church, hand washed my clothes and did all that was necessary I reflected and evaluated my actions. I asked myself “In my weariness and hunger, did I respond in a manner that was pleasing to God”? I could not definitively say “yes” because my focus deviated from God and was more on the food. I was a bit discouraged again because even with our best intentions we never know how we will respond until we are actually placed in such dire circumstances. In my devotional time, God provided me with tremendous encouragement. I came across the verse in 2 Chronicles 15:7 “But as for you, be strong and do not give up for your work will be rewarded”. This verse truly uplifted my heart and gave me the inspiration to relentlessly strive to reach my destination in Compostela in spite of the difficulties and challenges that may present itself along the way. Furthermore, I came across 2 Chronicles 16:9 “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him”. I felt great comfort and refreshed hope for the marvelous journey ahead of me.
