A Journey to the High
Recently, I had the opportunity to visit Montserrat with Daniel. Despite sharing the experience, his role seemed to be that of an observer of my connection with this place full of mysticism. The essence of any spiritual journey, even if it is done by car and with sunglasses, lies in how the sensory intertwines with the spiritual in a palpable way. The curves of the road, ascending towards the mountain, make one appreciate the magnitude and majesty of the mountain range. The route, marked by an irregular landscape of rocks, becomes a reminder that we came in search of something meaningful. This journey ensures that we reach the summit with the perception that only the mountain can awaken: almost as if it itself were the destination of a return from an internal exile.
The Spiritual Search
I have always found it curious that, in our culture, although images of the Virgin are something we ‘find’, to venerate them we must look for them. In this rural mysticism that characterizes us, these figures are found in sanctuaries, semi-hidden. Christian spirituality maintains that there is no coincidence that is not under the control of God; chance events are art by his hand. However, the cult that we have developed towards images of the Virgin does not depend on chance. We find them in the hills, as if the effort to enter the wilderness facilitated access to our own spirit. The sculptures represent something larger than ourselves and are a reminder of a force beyond our control.
Mysteries of Our Existence
Every time I am in Montserrat, the feeling that behind every fold, every pothole and every rock shape, lies the solution to what we do not understand about our existence is overwhelming. It is as if the mountain keeps the answers to the questions that truly concern us: who are we? What are we doing here? What is the nature of the force that governs everything? Upon entering the basilica, I am impressed by the altar of the Blessed Sacrament, the work of Josep Maria Subirachs, which is located to the left of the tabernacle.
A Deep Reflection
Montse confirms her eternal essence, although she always provokes new reflections in me. We sat before that Christ represented in voids, as if he had fallen to the ground, and I thought about how the mountain reflects: behind its relief there is a powerful force. The representation is austere and crude, but through this Christ we are shown what really matters: his face, his wounds, the sores on his side. There is no visible cross, only the texture of the sacrifice. Every time I sit on those benches and look at Subirachs’ work, I feel the need to intertwine my hand with his. Perhaps that is the essence of the experience: everything we must discover with our senses to understand it, just like the mountain, whose orography invites contemplation. I looked at Daniel and thought about how fascinating it would be if he, too, felt called to this deepening.
The Path of the Candles
We continue our journey following the tiles that mark the path. In sacred places, especially those that have the Virgin as their center, a silence resonates that is impregnated with prayers, promises and thanks. Montserrat Abbey stands as a national symbol and is a clear case of the cultural secularism that we observe. Instead of representing a denaturalization of the place or a fusion of the civil with the divine, it is precisely its national symbolism that has managed to preserve its sacredness. In a historical period where many Catalans move away from religion, Montserrat becomes an occasion to light a candle, to consider that we can turn to an ordering force, to reflect on the possibility of its existence.
Connection Moment
There are thoughts that arise only when we imagine that, on the other side, there is someone listening; someone we can’t hide from. We light candles because the strength of the mountain reminds us that we have things to protect. Whether they are believers or skeptics, after the curves of the road, after crossing the rocky protuberances and having searched for the venerated image, on those prominences the Virgin reminds us who we love or who we have loved; If love ever ends. The silence of Montserrat is the echo of the rebirth of many interiorities throughout the centuries. The structure of our own Sinai is created and molded to be a chest of our most precious treasures, to invite us to entrust them and make us believe – or at least doubt – that someone is taking care of them.
