Autobiography 25

It appears that the town of Igualada is the place where Ignatius decided to buy his pilgrim garb, as described several years later:

«Arriving at a large village not far from Montserrat, he decided to purchase a garment to wear on his journey to Jerusalem. He therefore bought a poorly-woven piece of sackcloth, filled with prickly wooden fibers. Out of this me made a garment that reached his feet. He also bought a pair shoes of coarse material often used to make brooms. He never wore but one shoe, not for the sake of the comfort he derived, but because this leg would be quite swollen from riding on horseback all day since for mortification he wore a cord tied tightly just below the knee. For this reason he felt he ought to wear a shoe on that foot. He also bought a pilgrim’s staff and a gourd to drink from. These he tied to his saddle.»

Let us pay close attention at this point. It may be helpful to reflect on all that we “carry with us” and anything else that is burdensome. What are my “good-looking clothes” and other “valuables” that I could “leave” at the feet of the Virgin of Montserrat? Is it possible for me to adopt a lifestyle more in keeping with the pilgrimage that we are making? For me, what would be the equivalent of a pilgrim’s sack cloth and sandals? What can I leave behind, and what do I not want to let go of? This journey has surely helped us to put many things into perspective and to question other realities. What do I leave permanently before the Virgin? Certainly not mere accessories, but rather anything that prevents me from following Jesus more closely — right?