Community

Last night I felt a great sense of community on my camino. Walking into Nájera with Edith, Bernd and Regina (from Lithuiania), we enjoyed the final steps of reaching our nightly destination, an alburgue, with great enthusiasm. We were greeted by the Italian volunteer at the municipal hostel with big smiles and much animation. He put us together in the same section of beds. Edith, Bernd and I rushed to showers and then shared the use of the washing machine. As I sat in the garden, in charge of laundry duties, they and some new arrivals went to the supermarket for the evenings celebratory dinner. It was Florian's birthday. I had yet to meet him, but Edith and Bernd had built a community, a family of pilgrims, and this night we would be 12. It was such a fun and lively group. In the small hostel kitchen, a few worked on the salad, mashed potatoes and pork steaks. The rest of us set the table and did whatever we could from the dining area. Once it was done, there was so much food, bowls of salad, pots of potatoes, a piled plate of steaks. Wine and juices filled the table between. We were a mix of pilgrims, 6 Germans, 4 Japanese, 1 Lithuianian and me, a California German. But we all fit wonderfully. Having many toasts and much talking between all the eating, dinner was quite long and soon it was eight o'clock. Time for pilgrim mass at the Cathederal of La Santa Cruz. Regina and I were the only ones interested from our group and we rushed to the church. Once there we saw Carlos, a young pilgrim from Madrid and stood near the back pews with him. After communion, the priest asked us to come forward for the pilgrims blessing. The three of us were surprised (and lucky for us, Carlos could interpret), from what I know from previous masses, the blessing is given in general and not directly to the individual pilgrim. We stood in front the priest as he said the prayer and we each rang the bell three times. Then to the priests office for our credential stamp and a signature in his big book. It felt so amazing to be part of this spiritual community.  Returning to the alburgue, we rejoined our pilgrim community for ice cream, more toasts and many laughs. 

 Cheers, Prost, Saludos to community.