That complex once served as the birth home for Inigo de Loiola (St. Ignatius), founder of the Jesuit religious order. Between 1681 and 1738 the original manor home evolved into a religious shrine. Later, a Baroque Basilica was added. St. Ignatius remains well known among Catholics; fruits of his labor and that of the Jesuit order are evident in educational institutions scattered throughout many countries. Of equal importance is his book of Spiritual Exercises intended to help one develop spiritual discipline across a 28 to 30 day period spent in meditative retreat. One underlying premise of this work is the thesis that “God” and the “Devil” are presented as active players in the world at all times and both players find home in every human psyche.
The main aim of the Exercises is the development within the human psyche of "discernment" (discernio), the ability to discern between good and evil spirits (made contemporary: good and bad thinking). Discernment is achieved in order to act "with the Grace of God;“ i.e. to base action on what discernment says is right. During the exercises (and later as part of systematic discernment) one thinks about humility, selflessness for the sake of the religious life, everyone's tendency to fall into sin. Ignatius felt that the human soul is continually drawn in two directions: both drawn towards Godliness, and at the same time tempted toward wickedness or base self-absorbtion. The exercises help one develop or improve skill at identifying what motivates an action or inclination. Whether it’s through Ignatius’ formula or some other system, all of us could benefit from greater discipline when evaluating what we want or do. I think ”reflective practice“ stands at the heart of all professional callings. Though our work loads press us into routines where we do without thinking, good professional work necessitates time to think about what was done, why it was done, and how it could have been done better. In short, we need to learn from each adventure something that will help improve our effectiveness in service to others.
From the Santuario we traveled to Bilboa to spend time at the Guggenheim museum. While I love modern art, the displays did not really ”grab“ me so the visit was short. The display that caught my attention most sat at the front entrance. There, a thirty foot high dog adorned in colorful spring flowers greets the museum’s many visitors. How many different flowers do you count in the picture that accompanies this post?The rest of the day was spent riding along the Basque and Cantabrian coasts. Views were breath-taking at times, and disappointing at others. Quaint village communities and beautiful beaches have been squandered in some areas by mostly unregulated growth. Beach side towns no longer partake of the ”out of the way“ character that drew folks to them initially.
Great views remain, however. I tried to document a few of them when road conditions allowed a off shoulder stop. On the last stop, I took the picture featured in this post. As I was descending a small rise. I tripped over my own feet and had another ”hard fall.“ The last one blew apart my elbow; this time I merely twisted my ankle and did some damage to one or more ribs. I am moving gingerly this evening and plan to be more cautious in the days ahead. Tomorrow’s required travel involves a short journey up the coast (90 minutes) so I expect to the day as a recuperation period.For access to the day's best pics, see:
www.flickr.com/photos/42254846@N00/sets/72157601008797097/
