Grand Finale

Mass in the chapel right behind the statue of Montserrat -- this is as good as it gets!

Last Night in Montserrat

As the level of joy
lifts us up
and over the mountain tops,
so does the density
of the mist persist.
We see not Montserrat,
only feel her
deep in our hearts.

The Cave of Manresa and the Quest for Contemplative Action

On the way from Montserrat to Manresa, Father Russ spoke to us about the importance of this place for St. Ignatius.

* The confessor of St. Ignatius suggested that he go on a retreat before heading to Jerusalem, so he went to a cave in Manresa which is a small town outside of Barcelona.

* While in Manresa, St. Ignatius volunteers at St. Lucy Hospital. He had a great desire to serve God which he expressed by performing acts of great penance.

* While St. Ignatius had a great desire for holiness, he also noticed that he had a great blindness of the soul.

* While in Manresa, he lets his hair and nails grow long and fasts for one week.

* St. Ignatius asks himself: "What ought I do for Christ?"

* Spends four months in a Dominican House with a great turmoil of spirit (a.k.a. depressed)

* Rather than be so hard on himself, he decides to take it one day at a time. He seeks direction from his friends and confessors

* He hits rock bottom

* Works too hard to become a saint

* Abbot Cisneros, his confessor, advises him to clean-up and asks him to be a man of contemplative action. In other words, he suggests that he act out his faith.

Montserrat: Just Pics

The Mystery of Montserrat

From the moment I stepped on the mountain of Montserrat, my mind has been completely captivated by this very mysterious place -- you can ask my roommate.

When I woke up there the first morning, it was like I had been bitten by a bed bug -- I couldn't stop talking about the place --- and I hadn't even really seen it during daylight yet.

It was just a feeling -- a major feeling -- similar, in strength, to what I felt at Volcano National Park on the Big Island in Hawaii, but even greater.

For your reading pleasure, I have included photographs of descriptions from Montserrat about Montserrat. This is a good place to start learning.

Otherwise, some general facts:

(1) Meaning: In the Catalan language, Montserrat literally means "serrated mountain." Hopefully you can tell by the pictures! (Thanks Dad.)

(2) One Legend: The statue of the black virgin was found in a grotto here in 888 (during the Islamic conquest of the Iberian Peninsula).

(3) Relationship to St. Ignatius: The Founder of the Society of Jesus, arrived here in 1522. He exchanged his clothes with a beggar at the door; made an all night vigil in arms in front of the Virgin; left his sword.

(4) Music: This monastery has been considered a cultural center for centuries. A young boys choir called L'Escolania draws hundreds (approaching a thousand) of people every day for their 15 minute chanting at 1:00 P.M. While you might think that they sing in Latin, they actually are singing in Catalan.

(5) Monastic Life: Home to Benedictine monks who have made a vow of silence, except when they get to sing! The constant bell ringing may drive some people crazy, but for me it was very soothing. The total silence of Montserrat may be more likely to drive me crazy rather than the bell tolling.

(6) Natural Park: We saw many people with rock climbing equipment. There are many trails for hiking at all levels of difficulty. If I lived near Barcelona, I would try to go to Montserrat frequently.

(7) Patron Saint: The Black Virgin, or La Moreneta, is the patron (virgin) saint of Catalonia and she has a huge following. On the Wednesday we were there, hundreds of people stood in line for hours to see her up close.

(8) Black Virgin: There are at least three explanations that I heard as to why she is black including: (a) The paint that was used on the wood reacted in such a way with the environment that she turned black; (b) The wood itself turned black; (c) The wood that was used was black which is yet just another example of how the Catalans like to be different.

(9) Fertility: One of my Catalan friends explained that historically newlyweds spent their wedding night in Montserrat since it is a place that has always been associated with fertility.

(10) Value: It is believed that the Virgin of Montserrat may be one of the first depictions of the Virgin Mary carved by St. Luke.

Moving Mountains: Over the Pyrennes Once Again

And Jesus said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.

Suddenly, your life is turned upside-down. Up until now, your life has been pretty wonderful until a cannonball crushes your leg.

You’ve endured three surgeries and a long recovery. While you have been lying in your bed for months staring at the ceiling and the stars, you have had plenty of time for reflection.

There is no Internet, television, movies or radio. Your only distractions are your friends, family, religious books and personal thoughts.

During nine months of convalescence, St. Ignatius underwent a major shift of consciousness. His master was no longer the King of Navarre, but rather the King of the Jews.

The more he contemplated the lives of Saints as he lay in his bed, the more he wanted to become like one of them. His goal was no longer to be a knight in shining armor, but he dreamed of imitating the life of Christ -- like the Saints.

These thoughts apparently accelerated his recovery and once he was well enough to get out of bed, he gathered a small group of people, including one brother and one sister, to accompany him on a journey.

Ignatius says good-bye to his life of luxury near Pamplona in the middle of the summer heat and heads towards Barcelona to embark on a boat headed towards Jerusalem. At least that was his plan.

The more we learn about the journey of St. Ignatius, the more I begin to comprehend how he must have felt...

Certainly, we have been traveling in luxury in comparison to him, but I was jumping out of my saddle, so to speak, as we ascended the mountains of Montserrat.