Reverend Augusto Posada Lopez, parish priest of Triacastela. attends to his small flock of devout villagers and a much larger flock of ever-changing pilgrims. He is one of those down to earth priests which know what is in the heart of people and how to address doubts and fears with simple universal words that trascend the barrier of the spoken language.

During Mass he addressed the audience in manifesting openly the joy of search and discovery, and on the way out he approached me asking why I was not rejoicing: “Father, I said, I am not sure about what to search for”. He hugged me and said: “Hermano, perhaps you have already found what you were looking for but you keep it inside. Let it go out. Recognize Jesus in every fellow pilgrim and listen to what they are saying to you”. Then he gave me few sheets of paper where he drafted some personal notes on the purpose of the Camino, and looked me deeply into my eyes. “Go now and practice Charity”.

On the way out from Triacastela this morning, the words from don Augusto resonated in my mind and once more prompted me to revisit my resolutions concerning the Seven Deadly Sins (7DS). Charity (Caritas) is the virtue to practice to balance Greed (Avaritia). So from a different angle, don Augusto suggested me to start from addressing Greed.

For the records, the 7DS are: Lust (Luxuria), Gluttony (Gula), Greed (Avaritia), Sloth (Acedia), Wrath (Ira), Envy (Invidia), Pride (Superbia). The Seven Virtues to practice in counterbalance the 7DS are
respectively: Chastity (Castitas), Temperance (Temperantia), Charity (Caritas), Diligence (Industria), Patience (Patientia), Kindness (Humanitas), Humility (Humilitas).

Documenting the task is as always much easier than putting the doctrine to practice. As done many times already, I shall leave back a stone when I have worked out a satisfactory self-assessment on each of the 7DS.

The stage today was uneventful and I did not meet anyone worth remembering. The road was mainly crossing wooded areas, between spooky oak trees and loaded chestnut trees waiting another week to openn up and release their sweet fruits.