Day 095e: A steady stream of Sanctuary … (July 18, 2019)
This day’s initial portion of the Walk (from Ponferrada proper, through the suburb of Columbrianos, and then to the small town of Fuentesnuevas) was heavily laden with churches, hermitages, chapels, and spiritual sanctuaries – among them the Iglesia de Santa Maria de Compostella, the Iglesia de San Esteban (and its beautiful carved-wood altar), the Ermita de San Blas & Son Roque*, and the Chapel Ermita del Divino Cristo …
*San Roch/San Roque is the patron saint of dogs, invalids, and the falsely accused, and is especially invoked in times of illness or plague.
“Any truly authentic faith must inspire its adherents to treat all others with unconditional earnestness and a loving reverence. As such, truly authentic Christianity must similarly lead its members to regular acts of maturity, humility, and graciousness. In truth, it must fashion whole men and whole women who choose to live bold & flagrant lives of love and communion and charity and service. False, manhandled religion, on the other hand, is that which produces the opposite effect. Whenever religion shows contempt or evinces condemnation or disregards the rights of any persons or beings, even under the noblest of supposed pretexts, it draws us away from the reality of the perfect harmony that is the Oneness of the Divine. These are the denominations that bear Bad Fruit – and as such these are the denominations that are false.” ~ via Brennan Manning
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