Dear Caminoheads,
“Have you met Pope Francis?”; “What is <that thing> he drinks?” (it was our “mate”!) Funny enough, those were the first two things that Phil asked me when we exchanged our first email. He asked me about the Camino afterwards! Phil was fascinated by Pope Francis and I happened to say I was Argentinian… That is how all this started…
Below is what Phil wrote on 26Oct2017… I have enjoyed reading it! Hope you too!
By the way, in my visit, I took Phil and Rebecca some -hands- soap made with “yerba mate”; Phil loved them…!
Mate loves,
Cris
Cris is here, sleeping off some of the travel wearies. She got here just in time for a big dinner last night with Wiley, Henna and James. They prepared the chukar partridge that we had brought home from the hunt. And then there was the second game of the Series on the tube, what a nail biter. So a party evening.
A good connection was made between Cris and James. He is working aboard a National Geographic ship that takes passengers on eco travel trips. He is on their dive team that takes folks on dives in these exotic places. He has been with them to Patagonia before and is heading down again soon so they were both talking Argentina. How fun!
Yesterday was complete with some great ups and downs. So glad that I have had all that inspiration about the North Star lately and keeping a steady focus there. Otherwise my life would be way too much of a roller coaster.
Having so much fun reading Pigrimage by Schriver about Pope Francis. Cris jumped right on it as she had never seen it before. The first part of the book has a lot about Buenos Aires and how the Church, geography and Argentine politics had a lot to do with his early formation. And now I am off to the second part about Jesuit training that was so influential. I have a new respect for priests that have been through all that, wow.
We have a walk this morning and I think that Catherine and Dana will be here. Then we have an invite to their place tonight for dinner. It is a place where hospitality abounds, so looking forward to that. Cris will love it. But inbetween I have some projects for us to work on planting a cover crop in the corn field and getting in five lavender plants along both along Phil’s Camino.
So, getting ready to make breakfast and get this show on the road. Getting light out and I can see it is overcast but that is supposed to burn off. Another day in God’s playpen! Love as always, Felipe.
Re-posted by Cris; written by Phil/Felipe/The Boss/The General
North Star. Something to think about today.
I need to look up for that post, Karin. I will repost it too.
Many hugs,
Cris
At The Oasis Phil generously put out a table with books to share with others. I picked up ‘A Big Heart Open to God’ which is the transcript of a conversation with the Pope. It’s a pleasure to read this knowing that Phil’s hands and eyes were on this book. Yes, and the contents are good too!
And no, I haven’t met the Pope yet.
Hi Ron,
I didn’t know that Phil had this book fair going on the Oasis… May I borrow yours when visiting in Spain sometime?!
I shared with you my first (most embarrassing ever) encounter with Bergoglio, I was like 15… but I met him other times, he is today what he was back then, a normal person. I have always admired his open mind, always shown on TV when something difficult in our society happened: he was never alone offering thoughts, he was always with a Rabin (often Abraham Skorka with whom he is a close friend). They have a couple books, but one I truly appreciated is one Rabin Skorka wrote, called “My friend, the Pope”…
Anyway, much love to you and Anne, that quilt she is doing is AWESOME!!!
Cris
Thank you Cris, it was fun rereading his post. I can so hear the Boss’ voice in it. And I remember the dinner we shared that night, well not exactly. I mean I can’t remember what we cooked, but I do remember the instant friendship we made and the conviviality of our evening together. I know we’ll someday share a meal, and some matte once again; and I know Felipe will be with us. As for Pope Francis… he’s a busy guy, but we’ll send him and invitation anyway. All pilgrims are welcome at our table.
Dear Catherine,
I just posted the menu… 🙂 !!!
And while I loved all of it, like you, what I loved the most was the shared table… that means so much… and I remember our conversation on the car, as you drove me to the airport.
One of the nicest memories I am lucky my brain retained.
As for the Pope, if there is bread and mate, he will not resist an invite!
Love you,
Cris
Serendipity…does that mean “coincidental”? Or, was Phil nudging me on this day to open his loaned book to me, Pilgrimage ~ Pope Francis, by Shriver. It was on my bookshelf in an area where books are to be returned to their rightful owners. This Pilgrimage, I was planning on taking it back to Phil next trip up, with an apology that I hadn’t read it yet and if he wanted it back for another to read, I understand.
Well, today when I grabbed it, it grabbed me! I opened it, saw “Phil” written in his hand, and started reading. Couldn’t put it down and even when I went to pick up my little grandson, Curren, from Nature Camp, I read at stoplights.
Both Phil and Cris’s writing today, was like a voice from heaven. Phil knows I’ve opened Pilgrimage. Was he the one nudging me on today, to put one foot in front of the other and…keep walking, or keep reading. Love abs Light are obvious to me. 💙🚶🏼♂️💙 📖💙
Hi Sherie,
Wow.
And no, coincidental is not a real word 😉
Thanks for sharing!
Cris
Sure, it is such an open door to how the he sees life. There is a lot of Church language that I am not familiar with but he still communicates well with me. I’d like to have mate with him one day.