(Carrion de los Condes to Calzadilla de la Cueza: 17.3 km, 3 1/2 hours with one short break; 25,400 steps for the day)

Mark 1:35-39
v. 38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”

I had thought about not even going to the pilgrim mass and blessing last night in Carrion de los Condes because I would be late but my heel and I hoofed it through the streets to the pretty little square and into Santa Maria. On my way to communion I noticed Tom the German composer. I was kind of surprised because the previous night he had told me he was having nothing more to do with the church. Yet he came forward for the prayer for the pilgrims and stood in line to receive a personal blessing from the sister. I spoke to him afterward and expressed my surprise. “You told me about the church and I came to try it out,” he responded. Now I was really surprised. “I felt real love here,” he said. Our brief conversation then gave me the chance to say a few things I hadn’t said in the previous village. Nothing changed his mind but he listened carefully; I suspected he might consider our conversation further. Preaching from village to village–that’s what Jesus said he had come to do. Even with my meager witness, is that some little part of why I have come here too? Lord, help me be faithful to proclaim your word in many ways, in any situation.

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It was just me and Maurice for breakfast in the basement dining room–no juice but a bowl of fruit, so we took some along for the road. We wrapped up our blisters, left our packs for pickup and, after putzing around looking for bread, left town at 8:45.

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