My last night in Madrid I was able to spend it watching the sunset at the Cathedral with a “Spanish” picnic. Additionally, I was able to intercededfor anyone at World Youth Day that managed to go without spilling something or makinga mess by having a full bag of Pistachios explode onto the Cathedral steps leading upto the front doors… **NOT on purpose… and was made fun of by a fellow traveler from Germany. I cleaned my mess, shot the video for the Video Blog (See above) and continued my Spanish picnic with a glass of wine with a new friend. !!!OBS inFrankfurt???!!!

The morning of my “Last Night in Madrid” as I guess I am calling it, was full of anxiety and uncertainty. Prior to coming to Madrid I had ordered a waterproof backpack that came—one day after we had already left. Fortunately I have a friend (Nathan) that left a few days later than me and was able to bring the backpack to Spain with his group. However, Nathan was in Barcelona but would be leaving sooner than expected to Salamanca, Spain where he will be studying abroad this semester. Nathan was in Barcelona, but leaving for Salamanca—one day before I was planning on meeting him. However, I was easily able to book a train ticket online with Renfe Rail and would be enroute from the Madrid train station that night at 10:50 and get in at 9 the next morning.

One of the best parts of that morning was the Mass that wasn’t, and then was. Afterbooking the train ticket I went to pop my head in at one of the churches closest to where I was staying. Daily Mass in Madrid usually is at 11:00 a.m., yet—fortunately not every parish celebrates at 11:00 A.M. Stopping in a church about a quarter after 11:00, I was almost all to myself. I was able to pray and go to confession. Though I hadn’t planned on going, it’s not hard to stumble upon the Sacrament in this country.

Apart from absolution, the best part of that morning had to be when the Priest (who listens in better English than he speaks) gave me a response that was very touching by the words he spoke and even more communicative as to where I was in the world. As a testament to Christ’s presence in the Sacrament and our unity as one worldwide church—this Priest spoke nearly identical words as the last confessor I had in Colorado (who was Polish!! —if it makes a difference).
Leaving with my second shortest penance ever (it was also identical to the Polish priest’s), I walked maybe four blocks and came to another church that was having Mass. Yehaaaaaaaa, then off to Barcelona!

Madrid