Festa de San Xosé

traditional musicians and dancers

Paulo Coelho

flamenco

book signing

Welcome to the most exclusive party in the world. — Paul Coelho

Each year Paulo Coelho celebrates St Joseph´s Day with his friends.

This year in Santiago de Compostela in Paradores Hostales de los Reyes Catolicos, a former hospital for the poor and infirm, now a Parador.

Pilgrims follow a path,  follow their dreams, follow the signs.

Joseph followed the signs when he escaped to Egypt with the two-year-old Jesus.

Pilgrims followed El Camino de Santiago to Santiago de Compostela. El Camino de Santiago was an important medieval pilgrimage route. By the mid-1980s it was almost forgotten, until Paulo Coelho walked The Way and wrote of his experience in The Pilgrimage.

• The History of the Pilgrimage to Compostela
• Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela today

Reception with cocktails was held in the former chapel. Traditional music and dancers. Followed by prayers.

Then dinner in a spectacular dining room.

The dancers, led by Paulo Coelho holding a bagpipe, led us into dinner.

During dinner, amazing flamenco, or Galician variation of flamenco.

Midnight onwards, music, book signing.

• PHOTOS Festa de San Xosé

An atom’s weight of good

atom

(On the Day of Judgment) all humankind will issue forth in scattered groups to be shown their (past) deeds. Then whoever has done an atom’s weight of good shall see it, and whoever has done an atom’s weight of evil shall (also) see it. — The Holy Quran, 99:6-8

At his press conference to mark St Joseph’s Day and to explain why he was hosting a party with friends that evening, Paulo Coelho said the question God would ask would not be of our sin but of our love. He also quoted from the Quran.

You, who they call Lord

setting sun Tenerife

You, who I can feel deep inside my soul.
You, who has created this world.

When I look into the microcosmos, in the macrocosmos, everywhere I find you.
I sense your greatness.

You, who they call Lord,
who they call Father,
who they call Allah,
who they call Jahwe,
You, who is there.

Who is with us. Who walks with us.
The older I become, the more I can call you friend.
You are the friend of my life, who loves me and who called me to carry your message to the people.
Thank you.

I want to ask for everyone who is here today, to feel some of God’s Greatness and His love, who wants us, who loves us.
Jesus Christ showed us a way which we can walk together.
In spite of everything and everyone, we can find ways together,
seek and find ways which will gift us with a better and more beautiful life.

Paulo has written that he is searching for the sense in his life.
And while searching he went across new paths, wrong tracks and detours, like the all of us.

Let’s keep on looking for you in the humans beings that are present in our path.

Amen

— Abbot Burkhard

Posted by Paulo Coelho on his blog.

At the press conference and at the party too at Pera Palace Hotel in Istanbul on St Joseph Day, Paulo Coelho explained why he held a party on St Joseph Day, and that prayers would be said to St Joseph, that it was not an obligation to join in, but that if you did, the prayers must come from your heart, from your soul.

He invited several people on to the platform so that a prayer could be said in many languages. One of those who he invited was the Abbot of Melk Abbey who said this prayer in German.

Paulo invited everyone to hold hands during the prayers. It was a very moving experience.

I look forward to Abbot Burkhard’s recent book being translated into English.

Top story in Religion Today (Tuesday 29 March 2011).

– Spiritual experience of a sunset
– Paulo Coelho’s St Joseph’s Day Party at Pera Palace Hotel
– Abbot Burkhard’s book is # 1!!!
– No mosteiro de Melk
– Footprints in the Sand
– Sand and Foam