As every year, the Carmelite Missionaries organized the Marche et Prière, from the Livron Spirituality Center in France, with broad participation. It was a week of prayer, walking, contemplation, and celebration.

Step by step with the Lord, we walked and prayed. Every plant seemed to speak to us; every stone made our steps firmer.

Together with the retreatants, we traced some of the paths that our Father Founder, Blessed Francisco Palau, once walked. It was truly amazing to contemplate nature throughout six precious days. The beauty of the sunrise, the shrubs, the flowers, the trees, the flowing waters, the immense sky, and the breathtaking landscapes filled us with wonder.

What could we give in return for so much beauty?

Only to pause, appreciate, feel, smell, and care. To slow down and savor the goodness of God revealed in every part of creation.

Judith cm