My Tribute to St Teresa of Avila

Today is the feast day of St Teresa of Jesus ... also known as St Teresa of Avila. Again it seems fitiing that I should share some of my encounters with St Teresa.

While I use the word 'encounter' of course, I am not suggesting a 'physical' encounter ... St Teresa lived in the 16th century. We can never know ... yet I prefer to believe St Teresa, like many other people who have long been deceased have a direct influence in my life.

St Teresa crossed my path about 10 years ago without an intermediary ...ie she was not introduced to me by another person ... like St Theresa of the Child Jesus, St Augustine, St Bernadette etc.

The initial 'encounter' occured before I was even aware of her existence ... I was in Assissi(during my first trip to Europe ... see my tribute to St Theresa of the Child Jesus posting) and I felt compelled to buy a 2 volume set of books titled "St Teresa of Jesus". At the time I believed I was buying books about the life of this saint Michelle had mentioned to me in the previous few days ... St Theresa of Lisieux.

I read the first 60-70 pages of one of the books on a train between Riecka Croatia and Paris. At the time I did not find the book particularly interesting and before we arrived in Paris I had given the book to Michelle. The second volume I would read several months later while staying at the Maple Inn in Guelph. It was in Guelph that I learned the difference between St Teresa and St Theresa ... besides the 'h' in the spelling.

I found St Teresa's writings titled "Interior Castles" profoundly interesting and inspirational ... I learned since that this particular writing of hers is considered a 'classic' in many 'literary' and 'spiritual'circles ... and by some, one of the best writings on mysticsm.

St Teresa is also perhaps best known for her 'leadership' in the reformation of the 'Carmelite Order' ... both 'monks' and 'nuns'. The reformed order came to be known as Discalced Carmelites. In earlier posts I described how I come to learn that 'discalced' simply means bare foot.

The 'Carmel' portion of the word 'Carmelite' of course refers to Mount Carmel in Israel and the Carmelite Order have always taken Elijah as their spiritual father/director. Perhaps my trips to Mount Carmel in Israel and my experiences there are related to the role St Teresa has played in my life.

Last summer while walking the Ruta de la Plata in Spain I found myself ... without intention ... in the basilica housing St Teresa's sepulcre. This post attempts to describe how I got there ...

I arrived in Seville Spain via Madrid near the end of June with the intention to walk yet another 'camino'. True to my nature, I arrived with no knowledge of this particular camino ... in an arrogant frame of mind ... "with more than 2,000 kilometres of 'camino' already under my belt I considered myself a veteran pilgrim". I was in for a few surprises! :-)

My first thought after stepping off the bus in Seville was to head for the tourist office where I could expect to get all the information I required about the camino ... 'Ruta de la Plata'. Finding the tourist office seemed effortless, a young friendly man greeted me at the counter.

The young man knew nothing about the camino ... he polled his colleaugues and still nothing ... yikes! He suggested I come back in an hour or so ... by which time the manager would be back in the office and perhaps the manager would know something about the camino.

I strolled the streets of Seville for the next hour or so ... half asleep from my trip ... once again asking myself ... what am I doing here? .... and why didn't I do some research while in Canada ... same old story!

On returning to the tourist office, I was greeted with a smile form the same young man ... a good omen! Since my original visit he had learned of a local organization with information etc concerning the camino, this office is only a few blocks away ... and someone would be waiting for me ... wow! ... how one's situation can change in such a short time.

I found the local office and met a kind and friendly gentleman who did not speak english yet was I was able to learn what I needed to know to get started. This gentleman had walked the 'Ruta de la Plata' ... solo ... a few years earlier.

He asked me a few questions that I remember well:

Bruce, are you planning to walk alone? ... in the summer?

My 'yes' replies seemed to surprise him ... he responded ... "it's dangerous". He went on to explain that their organization closes for the summer and recommends that people do not attempt the camino in June July or August ... too hot!.

At the time, I had no comprehension of his concerns ... my arrogance was in control ... thinking to myself ... I have already walked about 2,000 kilometres of camino ... and much of it was through what I considered very hot weather.

I have learned since that the Seville area is often referred to as the 'frying pan' of Europe ... the hottest place on the continent ... I would learn what it means to walk ... carrying my back pack ... in 40+ degree heat ... long long isolated stretches without fresh water ...

If this wasn't enough ... much of the geography of the camino experienced record breaking 'heatwaves' in the summer of 2003 ... 100 year old records were being broken ... deaths from the heatwave were on the news almost daily... 1,000's in Paris alone.

In the weeks following my completion of the camino ... about 1,100 kilometres ... I often felt that I should not have survived ... I would say to some friends ... I have done my 40 days in the desert ... the 'heatwave' ended a few days after I returned to Santiago from Fisterre.

I spent the night at a youth hostel ... learned from my roommate ... a tourist ... that Christopher Columbus is supposed to be buried in the Cathedral in Seville. I have often drawn parallels between the underlying motivations of my 'pilgrimage' of the past ten years and the motivations we are told were held by Christopher Columbus ... that Columbus was in search of a route to a 'New World' ... me too!! ... is starting in Seville a positive omen???

The next morning I started my 'camino' ... couldn't find my way out of Seville. After walking several kilometres ... which turned out to be around in a large circle ... I recognized the place I had passed earlier in the morning ... eventually I found the correct way out of the city.

Walked right by the refugio suggested for the first night ... I was looking for it ... couldn't find it ... and finally learned that I had walked 2-3 kilometres beyond it ... decided to sleep in a farmers field ... not much sleep!

On the third day my blisters were so bad and my knee hurt so much I couldn't continue ... thought I might have to head back home ... not a great start! Rested for a day ... the knee felt better ... onward bound!

About my experience concerning St Teresa of Avila ...

I need to look at my book for the names of some of the towns etc ...

I was heading into ... concerned about the 'step' that lay in front of me. This particular step was the longest one of the camino ... 50 kilometres if walked as suggested ... in one day ... with a 38 kilometre stretch without water or civilization.

Needless to say, with the 20 days or so of walking behind me ... I was intimidated ... didn't have any intention of walking the 50 kilometres in one day. The village of ... was about 13 kilometres away ... figured I would walk there, have my coffee and perhaps some breakfast ...

Arrived ... very friendly and warm reception ... the lady brought me a huge coffee ... and a couple orrders of toast and jam ... seemed she knew how hungry I was ... and while I didn't know what was ahead of me ... she obviously did.

Before I finished breakfast she came up to my table and asked me if would be staying for the night ... I had no idea she had rooms available ... she seemed genuine ... not pushy ... I went with her to see the rooms ... 5 star for a pilgrim! After a few seconds of reflection, I decided to stay ... perhaps my cowardice was showing through ... I really didn't want to think of the 38 kilometre walk without water ... in 40+ dgree heat ... and no virtually no shade along the way.

Still early, had lots of time with nothing to do ... walked around the village ... discovered I only had about 20 euros in my pocket ... no bank machines in this village ... and certainly no bank machine for the next 38 kilometres ... yikes!! I wasn't sure the 20 euros would cover the cost of my supper, my room, my breakfast the next morning and my grub for the next day ... oh oh!!

Decide I better go to the closest village with a bank machine ... attempted hitch hiking ... no luck ... took a taxi ... to ..... There is nothing like the 'thrill' of the sound of the bank machine dispensing cash for people in strange countries with no money!!

While in ... I saw signs indicating the direction to Avila. My 'inner being' was aroused and excited. I had been thinking of a road trip to Portugal off and on during the past several days ... at this point in the camino Portugal is quite close ... and Fatima. Now seeing 'Avila' ... my feelings went to visiting Avila and St Teresa of Avila ... this excitment detracted me from the anxiety of the expensive taxi and the long walk ahead of me.

Back to my room ... on arrival I learned that I had company ... another pilgrim ... quite comforting to know I would not be attempting the 38 kilometre stretch alone. My pilgrim friend turned out to be both deaf and mute ... and I thought I was courageous ... yikes ... I know nothing of courage. Here was this young man who could neither hear nor speak walking 'solo' ...

We ate supper together ... the nice lady served a pasta dish ... she said it would give us the energy we needed for the walk ahead of us ... she insisted that we take the leftovers with for the next day ... my pilgrim friend agreed

My pilgrim friend and I walked the 38 kilometres together ... without getting lost ... until the last couple of kilometres ... we both knew we were lost ... yet we kept going ... we come out to a paved road and we disagreed about which direction to head ... he went to the right and I sat on the road waiting for a car to come along to confirm that heading left was the correct direction.

Again I was exhuated and so thirsty ... I had drank the last of my water several kilometres back ... a car came along within a few minutes ... stopped ... and confirmed that the village was a few hundred metres to the left. The challenge now was how to inform my pilgrim friend ... he was still within sight ... but shouting would not work ... he can't hear anything

I tried to explain in my limited spanish and my improving international body language that the pilgrim up ahead was deaf and mute ... and heading in the wrong direction ... it worked.

We spent the eveing together ... slept in the same room ... and when I woke up the next morning my pilgrim friend was gone ... I never saw him again. I often think he was sent to help me get through this most difficult part of the camino.

I would learn several weeks later that another pilgrim friend who I had met on the third day of my walk ... and did not see again for about a month ... Hanz I think ... from Germany. Hanz was walking with a GPS that had been programmed with data by someone who had walked the camino before. Hanz shared with me that despite having the GPS he had gotten hopelessly lost on this 38 kilometre stretch ... walked back and took a bus to the next point ... When he shared his experience my previous feelings about my deaf and mute pilgrim friend that escorted me through this particular stretch seemed even more convincing ... I had been sent an angel to guide me ...






My morning meditations:

Seems to me 'being human' has 3 'dimensions' ... not mutually exclusive yet distinctive

1) First and foremost each of us is a 'unique person' ... at this level of 'being' there is no gendre distinction ... no age distinction ... no cultural distinction etc etc
2) Secondly of us is predominantly male or female with all the attendant characteristics. Many say that each of us has some of the 'nature' of both gendres. The gendre distinction serves only to propogate the species ... no more and no less
3) Finally each of us is rich or poor, black or white, master or servant, Catholic or Jewish, Ukranian or Canadian etc etc etc ... the evolution of this 'dimension' of being human has become a 'quagmire of division'

Summary
As long as we spend our 'intellectual currency', ... physical ... emotional ... and spiritual energy and the earth's resources fostering 'division' amongst ourselves ... we are 'doomed' ... there is no where to run or be safe. We now have the weapons and technology to destroy our species. The choice is ours ...