Pope in Spain Re-cap

I admit that I did not follow Pope Benedict's trip to Spain last weekend as closely as I did his visit to the UK. Mostly, it was because the coverage in a foreign language, and sadly, I am not a Spanish speaker.  However, I still like to check things out, so here's a few places where you can catch the happy recap, and read the texts of the Holy Father's homilies, plus see video or hear audio:

The Official Papal Visit Website

Catholic TV
(Note: even if I cannot understand the language... I could not help be moved by the beauty of the processional hymns offer at that first day's Mass at the Cathedral de Santiago.)

My favorite quote of the event?  It's gotta be this one, though long, from the homily at SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA, (humble apologies for the weird spacing that I could not correct):

God exists and he has given us life. He alone is 

absolute, faithful  and unfailing love, that infinite 

goal that is glimpsed behind the good, the true and 

the beautiful things of this world,

admirable indeed, but insufficient for the human heart. 

Saint Teresa of Jesus understood this when she wrote: 

“God alone suffices”.

Tragically, above all in nineteenth century Europe, the conviction 

grew that God is somehow man’s antagonist and

an enemy of his freedom. As a result, there was an attempt 

to obscure the true biblical faith in the God who sent into the

world his Son Jesus Christ, so that no one should perish but 

that all might have eternal life (cf. Jn 3:16)...

The author of the Book of Wisdom, faced with a paganism in 

which God envied or despised humans, puts it clearly:

how could God have created all things if he did not love them, 

he who in his infinite fullness, has need of nothing (cf. Wis

11:24-26)? Why would he have revealed himself to human beings

 if he did not wish to take care of them? God is the origin

of our being and the foundation and apex of our freedom, not its

opponent....

This is why we need to hear God once again under 

the skies of Europe; may this holy word not be spoken in

vain, and may it not be put at the service of purposes other 

than its own. It needs to be spoken in a holy way. And we must

hear it in this way in ordinary life, in the silence of work, in 

brotherly love and in the difficulties that years bring on.

Europe must open itself to God, must come to meet him 

without fear...

The cross, which is the supreme sign of love brought to its extreme and 

hence both gift and pardon, must be our guiding star in the night of

time. The cross and love, the cross and light have been synonymous in 

our history because Christ allowed himself to hang there in order to give us 

the supreme witness of his love, to invite us to forgiveness and reconciliation, 

to teach us how to overcome evil with good. So do not fail to learn the lessons 

of that Christ whom we encounter at the crossroads of our journey and our 

whole life, in whom God comes forth to meet us as our friend, father and guide.

Blessed Cross, shine always upon the lands of Europe!

...

The Europe of science and technology, the Europe of 

civilization and culture, must be at the same time a Europe open to 

transcendence and fraternity with other continents, and open to the living 

and true God, starting with the living and true man. This is what the Church 

wishes to contribute to Europe: to be watchful for God and for man, based 

on the understanding of both which is offered to us in Jesus Christ.

Dear friends, let us raise our eyes in hope to all that God has promised and offers us.