The 5th World Meeting of Families held in Valencia, Spain last week. My son just got married and his wife attended the conclusion of the Assembly, as a family of newly created, one with enormous growth potential! I went with them as a mother, mother-in-law, grandmother and other interested parties. We were only three of the pilgrims in a mass rally of over a million and a half.
If you followed a meeting of any kind, a meeting, or just for a change of pace,The Spaniards always ask: "¿Te has divertido? Which can be translated" he liked or not you have fun? "And as you might expect, I had the question was asked more than once. I had to give some thought to my answer, so they do not. Dull sound Well, to be honest, no, I had fun, was a honest-to-goodness pilgrimage experience.! was tough, but then there was a positive, but the development of this website to make it ...
We left for MadridValencia on a bus at eight clock Saturday morning - needless to say, our day was much earlier than just begun. The forecast for the weekend had requested an increase of temperatures, and as the year is normal in most of Spain, this time, even across the sky clear. This meant a lot of sunshine and temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius or above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Time has not demonstrated the forecasters wrong, like the sun in all its force and the torrid heat in all of usthe road.
Fundación Nuevo Entorno had made every preparation for our pilgrimage. Two buses have been directed at Valencia, with just under 100 people, mature adults, young adults, adolescents and children. On the way to Valencia, we went to lunch in the town of Turis stop about 35 miles from our destination. The families of the parish town had offered to open their home to us. We were fed lunch and made beds available for the night for those who did not wantValencia stay on the ground in the area where the pilgrims at the end of the session, closed the call Saturday night and Sunday morning Mass, the two events are collected in his chair Holiness Pope Benedict XVI would do.
In the hospitable city in the province of Valencia Turis, we experience the reality of the family, the church is. The families that welcomed us were actually members of our extended spiritual family, and lived up to expectations. Fedus well and made us feel at home and among friends. We ate and talked for nearly two hours, as if we knew all along. It 'been a great experience in our first pilgrimage, and the others would follow.
After lunch, many of us leave the members of the recent discovery of our spiritual family, and was back on the bus. Soon we arrived at Valencia, who seemed elated as they prepared to welcome the pope. Flags of all types hung from balconies and windows. WomenChildren and men were in their bright costumes. Yellow and white, the colors of the pilgrims' shining across the busy streets. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of people were employed, actively moving, as if on a mission. And here we are! Drop-off in the middle of the action, amazed, trying to find our way.
We walked almost an hour, or so it seemed. The backpacks seemed heavier than when we started, the sun hotter, and the crowd thickened. There were sprinklersthe upgrade of the city for pilgrims, but we came in spite of everything, not as drawn with the masses to fight for the wells. Finally we found our assigned area, but what a disappointment! I had decided to sleep outside, if I, as if ready to camp on the banks of the river, wrapped in my sleeping bag I rest peacefully on the fresh grass.
The painful reality was so different. We rely on commodities and a dusty track where just a little 'shadow, our sleeping bagsarranged on a bed of stones. We had few other options. It 'been a breath of wind away from the sea so that the sandy soil and rock was more attractive than the hot pavement of the adjacent street blocked. That was our only other option. After the sun went down and the floor of the cold, we moved forward on the sidewalk and away from dust. Tight camaraderie among adults 8 or so mature, that has been developed by our group as we adapt to our situation has been resolved,the best of them, laughing at their absurdity.
There were big screens and speakers, where we could see and hear the activities planned for the eve rally Saturday. Too many people had already claimed the ground around the screens, and the only way, our group was to stand. After staying for a short period, the group finally decided to listen only to the testimonies and music, as we seriously expected the Pope's message heard.
We heard encouragingProducts in many languages of husbands and wives, mothers and fathers of many nations. The statement of these witnesses has confirmed to us the truth that the Church has not ceased to proclaim that, in accordance with the plans of God, marriage and family are irreplaceable and permit no other alternatives. The family is an indispensable foundation for society. As a grandmother said that the future Holy Father's words to my heart: "The family includes not only parents and children, but alsoGrandparents and ancestors. The family is a community of generations and the guarantee of a patrimony of traditions. "
The family rally ended Sunday morning with a closing Eucharist. After the show we saw with enthusiasm, the Holy Father left the rally site and move from our place in the popemobile. The crowd cheered and applauded. They sang the words of support and affection as they have given up their flags and hands with enthusiasm. He answered with a joyous smile as he refrained fromin his vehicle. He could feel the affection of the people affected found applause, which, in turn, his love for the people. As I watched the exchange between the Pope and the people, I could feel satisfied with the authenticity of their interactions.
The 5th World Meeting of Families in Valencia, Spain, and thus ended our pilgrimage. But the pilgrimage of our life continues with all its joys, mistakes and disappointments. We have learned to recognizethe value of imperfect fitting situations and learn from them to do what is good, positive and beneficial. For our extended spiritual family, as we have seen, we are always in our hearts, treasure of the Church community, the family of God
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