In most of the churches in France that the pilgrim visits, one finds a notebook in which the pilgrim can write prayers and read what people beforehand have written. I became the one who would write a small note, a prayer, or a thought, and then sign it with our names and home. Then I would read through the notes the people ahead of me had written. It became as much of a ritual as writing a candle (and a lot less expensive!).
So, for this year, I am printing out business cards that have on one side:
Peregrinas por los Objetivos de desarrollo del Milenio [Pilgrims for the MDGs]
[update: we're adding: Peregrinas Episcopales de los EEUU…]
and on the other side:
Objetivos de desarrollo del Milenio
1. Erradicar la pobreza extrema y el hambre
2. Lograr la enseñanza primaria
3. Promover la igualdad entre los géneros y la autonomía de la mujer
4. Reducir la mortalidad infantile
5. Mejorar la salud maternal
6. Combatir el VIH/SIDA, el paludismo y otras enfermedades
7. Garantizar la sostenibilidad del medio ambiente
8. Fometar una asociación mundial para el desarrollo
Fewer of the churches in Spain, as I recall, have these notebooks but I intend to leave these cards behind so that whoever follows might know why a few people are walking the Camino.
The accompanying photo here is of a little chapel that overlooks the wonderful village of Conques, France. It was a super hot and humid day when we climbed up out of the valley to this chapel and it was so nice and cool that we stopped and rested a little even though we'd only been walking 30 or 45 minutes. Someone had left a breviary on the altar and it was open to the day's readings which, though I don't remember what they were, seemed appropriate for the day.
