Excerpt from Jonathan's new book:

But, oh, what a beautiful evening it was, as the glorious setting sun painted the Sacred Mountain and foothills below with tribal ceremonial colors of pale red ochre.

Suddenly, the evening peace was broken by an eerie wailing sound, which perked the horses' ears and made the two young riders sit up straight in their saddles. The strange sound came from the direction of an arroyo on nearby Spanish land.

They both remembered asking their parents about this mysterious and secluded place that the townspeople called the Penitente morada, now only visible in the fading light by the white cross on the roof of the adobe structure.

The Taos Pueblo Indians called the morada "The House of Those Who Hit Their Backs." It belonged to a secretive group of mostly Spanish-speaking members who believed in inflicting pain upon their bodies to feel the pain suffered by their savior, Jesus Christ.

But the wailing sound was soon dismissed as imagination by the two boys when the evening came alive with yelping coyotes, as jackrabbits and cottontails dashed across the road. Up in the sky swallows chirped, as did the nighthawks who slowly disappeared with the daylight. And soon a sprinkle of stars appeared, accompanied by the song of the crickets that swept across the foothills.

– Jonathan Warm Day

Please bookmark this page and come back soon!