Stage one of the Pilgrimage
11. Pilgrimage to the Holy Land – Aranzazu
In the next year, when he was fairly well recovered, Iñigo planned to follow a different Lord.
He would replace the Duke of Nájera with Jesus Christ.
He wanted to get as close to Christ as possible. He felt he could do this best by going to the Holy Land.
The first stage of this journey was to travel to Barcelona to get a ship across the Mediterranean.
He travelled via a traditional Basque shrine, Our Lady of Aranzazu, high up in the hills.
Lyrics
Upon the mountain peaks the blackthorn grows,
Its flower gleams white as snow; its thorn draws blood;
It speaks to me of her who is the only one
Who’s pure in all her loving:
Lady of Aranzazu
Upon the mountain peaks her love I found.
Through mists and clouds I walked, up roads of rock,
To hear her speak to me of love both pure and whole:
the way of fullest loving
Found here in Aranzazu.
Upon the mountain peaks my love I gave;
From depths new found to heights I had not dreamed:
To her I gave my love just as it was that day;
the best I had to offer —
That day in Aranzazu.
A thought to ponder
When have you felt close to Christ?
Can you imagine ways to come close to Jesus Christ?
Scripture for the Day
As a way of praying today’s Scripture we suggest, Imaginative Contemplation.
Matthew 8:18-22 NRSVACE
Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side.
A scribe then approached and said, ‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.’
And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests;
but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’
Another of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’
But Jesus said to him, ‘Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.’
Music for Today
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Aranzazu
Aranzazu is Basque for an area with thorn bushes.
The statue of Madonna and Child was found in a thorn bush and has been in Aranzazu since the 15th Century.
It still sits on its thorn bush, now in an impressive late 20th Century Church.
Photo: DWB Ignatian Pilgrimage