Post 9/11 comments

[Rosina Lila]

Hello you all,
Please indulge me in a personal sentimental moment:
I'd gotten back to New York from the Camino  only three days before 9/11.
Many of us who live within a stone's throw of the site of the events, and who
witnessed them in full,  went into some sort of emotional paralysis (shock?)
for the first few days and then became immersed, almost round the clock, in
activities meant to be helpful to the victims, and the victims' families,
such as investigative and processing  work for hundreds and hundreds of death
certificates and for a great number of  varied and exacting  aid
applications. Those hurried, and sometimes frantic, activities probably
masked our sorrow and precluded the full impact of simple grief.
    It wasn't until I read the messages published by the Archdiocese that I,
for one, felt the pent-up sadness break out and dissolve in a torrent of
backed-up tears.  The very  human simplicity of the messages brought forth,
in me,  the human aspect of the tragedy in our neighborhood and its infinite
and enduring sadness.

    Caveat:  the messages were originally written in English, then translated
into Spanish and now translated back into English; if some of the poignancy
is missing I am sure that the fault lies in my translation. Here are the
comments:

    "I began walking the Camino a week ago -the day of the tragedy of
September   11. Being from the United States I felt an immense blow in
receiving the terrible
    news from my country.  I did not know what to think, or what to feel, but
the faith
    and the strength of the people around me in the Camino gave me strength.
For
    this I give thanks."   E.K., 9/18/01

    "I give thanks to almighty God for this opportunity to complete my
pilgrimage to
    Santiago.  I am thankful for all the graces received in my life and ask
forgiveness
    for all the errors that I have committed and for the life opportunities
which have  been offered to me and which I have squandered.  May the Lord
make me an  instrument of His peace and love.  The Camino has made me re-seed
my life.
    Thank you, my God."  K.B. 9/18/01

    "Taking the time to reflect and to know better the world and God's people
has     helped me understand life better in this so very sad moments.
Peace." A.C.
    9/30/01

    "I thought I would lack faith. But following the steps of the millions of
pilgrims
    of all the time gives me the sensation of having put the crumbs in place.
These
    crumbs reunited make a new whole Christian man.  Thank you my Lord for
this    honor.  I am free!".  M.V. 10/3/01

    "Just as we had expected the pilgrimage has brought us nearer to Christ.
We
    have felt His nearness every day as we contemplated the beauty of His
work.
    We took time in the Camino to work as albergue keepers as a form of
gratitude
    and to give back some of the abundances received. We felt that being of
service
    to other pilgrims was as important, if not more, than our own walking of
the     Camino. Today we cried at Mass.  Our Lady had led us to Santiago de
Compostela in safety.  Yesterday, as dusk approached and the last rays of the
    sun illuminated the statue of St. James we understood why he had been sent
    (to Santiago), just as we understood why we have come.  Thank you."
    Paul &  Jaqueline M. 11/10/01.

Warm regards,

Rosina