First off, hello to Christina’s family! I’m glad you are enjoying reading the blog and occasionally seeing a picture of her (she is difficult to capture!).
Today we started out the day with a worship service at the abbey. The music leader had a beautiful voice. It was nice to commune with all the people that were there for religious reasons. After the service we ran into a professor from Hope (in Michigan) who was also here leading a group of about 12 students. Theirs was a communications class on sacred space. Their group was staying inside the abbey. After dinner we happened to run into a few of the students. I asked how communications related to sacred space, and unfortunately the students I talked to could not articulate how they related. They said that by staying in the abbey they also had to do chores around the abbey…my response was I will happily stay in the hostel then!
After the church service a group of us did the pilgrimage walk. It includes walking to the other side of the island (about 3 miles from the hostel to the other side) which was very scenic. We did get poured on at the beginning of the journey…to the point that we were soaking wet. But like most rainstorms here, the rain only lasted about 30 minutes. We walked passed chickens, sheep (of course), and cows. Plus we walked on the golf course (yes, Iona has a golf course!). I can’t even begin to imagine what the wind would do to the golf balls on that course! Once we got to the end of the walk (and most of it was a walk, but there was some hiking involved) we arrived at Columba’s Bay where St. Columba originally landed. Pilgrims are then to pick up a rock and contemplate/pray/meditate on a trait in themselves that they dislike and want to get rid of. They then throw that rock into the ocean (and as a result are supposed to throw that trait out into the ocean with the rock). After that is done, the pilgrim then picks up another rock to take home with them that is supposed to represent something positive. It was very therapeutic to do. I felt very much at peace afterwards. I then sat on the grass looking out into the ocean while the rest of the group went to another part of the beach. It was the first time that I was truly alone with my thoughts on the trip and it was so serene. I essentially recharged my batteries while on that beach. I thought of all the other people that had taken that pilgrimage and had just sat and prayed at the same location and I felt at one with them. Unlike at Lourdes, where there were thousands of people all praying at once, in this place it was only me praying, but I channeled the energy and the communitas of all the other people that had been there before me. The wind was not quite as bad as on other parts of the island.
At dinner tonight we ran into a woman who was from the states (I believe North Carolina) who was on a spiritual pilgrimage for herself. She told us that next month she was going to be ordained and took this trip to prepare for the next stage in her life (my words, not hers). It was nice to speak to a pilgrim (instead of a tourist).
The Abbey on a beautiful Sunday afternoon
Moo cow
On our pilgrimage walk
Sheep sheep
Topher looking out on the golf course
Sand traps
St. Columba's Bay...view from just on top of a hill...reminded me of the movie Land Before Time
Slinky went with me!
The rock I threw out
The rock I am taking back with me
View from what St. Columba would have seen as he landed
Labryinth
School pride
Where I sat and contemplated life
On the walk back
CHICKEN! (only Caitlin would understand and appreciate the voice that goes with saying CHICKEN!)
Bah bah black sheep
Rainbow at dinner
Make that a DOUBLE rainbow (but what does it MEAN??? --if you don't know what I'm talking about, Youtube)
The sky walking back to the hostel
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