Norberto looked ahead at the other priests. He didn't share Jiménez's optimism. The priests' ministrations should have come before the people turned on one another. Before they turned to rioting-and murder. Nor did Norberto presume to know what Jesus felt when He went into the wilderness. However, as he thought about it, Norberto imagined that Jesus was probably disturbed and overwhelmed by a society polluted with prejudice and mistrust, violence and immorality, greed and discord. Faced with that, there was only one place Jesus could have turned to for strength.

In his distress, Norberto had momentarily lost sight of that place. Closing his eyes and bowing his head, Father Norberto prayed to God for the courage to take on this burden. He prayed for the wisdom to know what was right and for the strength to overcome his own sudden rancor. He needed to hold on to the faith that was fast slipping away.

The plane arrived in Madrid early but was forced to circle for nearly half an hour. Military traffic had priority, they were informed. From what they could see through the window there was a great deal of that. When they were finally able to land at ten o'clock, the group entered terminal two, where they joined priests from around the country. Father Norberto recognized a few of the clergymen-Father Alfredo Lastras from Valencia, Father Casto Sampedro from Murcia, and Father Cesar Flores from León. But he didn't have time to do more than shake some hands and exchange a few words of greeting before the group was ushered onto an old bus and taken to the Cathedral of the Almudena. Norberto sat by the open window and Father Jiménez sat beside him. Traffic into the city was extremely light along the Avenue de America and they reached the famous-as well as infamous-cathedral in just under twenty minutes.