Oggi e giovedi, 28 marzo, 2013 - Holy Thursday

And now for today.

(Last night, just to preface, I wrote a post card to Pope Francis on the back of an image of Our Lady of Czestochowa.) We awoke and left for the Chrism Mass at six. It was raining when we arrived in St. Peter's, but we dodged a bullet because the line tripled in length after we reached our place. Even so, some sisters near the front of the line let us stand with them.

We had a lengthy wait ahead of us, and I really wanted to confess before the Triduum "kicked off". Corinne and Gracie found an American priest who heard my confession right by the obelisk. Here's a weird story to tell one day - I went to confession in St. Peter's Square in the rain. The priest just handed me an umbrella, pulled his stole from his bag, and started. It was a surprise but it was perfect, because the line launched after that. We zipped into the basilica; Corinne gave me a seat right on the aisle, next to a guard and a baby. I was sure Francis would stop. 

When the priests processed in, we saw a stole with Jerzy Popielusko on it! (I love him, it's unbelievable.) After Mass, Francis did not stop for anyone, but a cardinal took my post card and brought it to him. Oh my goodness. It was just a short note, a thank you, a Happy Easter, and an imploring to move into the Vatican palaces (respectfully requested, he'll do what's right, I'm sure). To think that Francis may read it astounds me. 

I slept for a long time after we returned, and when I woke I didn't want to join everyone for Sepulchro, but I pulled myself from bed and thank God. We met in Santa Maria in Trastevere and started, in the dim basilica with the altar of repose adorned with lilies and candles. Corinne led us through a quick not-meditation, but a "meditation prompt" of sorts, or part of the history of the church, or just a quick preface, and we prayed privately inside. From there we went to Santa Maria della Orta, which was new to me, and beautiful, baroque and pitch black except for all the candles on the altar. I cried.

We went S. Benedetto, S. Cecilia, S. Agata, and ended at S. Crosoginus- I cannot remember the seventh, though I can picture it entirely in my mind. What a beautiful tradition, and what a mind blowing thought that after all those churches, we barely visited any compared to the number of churches in Rome.

We have adoration tonight, so I need to sleep. Will discuss tomorrow. 

Oggi e mercoledi, 27 marzo, 2013

Oof!

(I wrote that last night [Wednesday] when we got back... that was exactly how I felt. Now for a real entry...)

Okay. So my presentation did not bomb as massively as I thought it would. I really love "Teresa", and I really tried to explain it, but there is so much to discuss I could have spent hours talking about it. I just enjoyed it. 

Carley and I went out postcard mailing and rosary shopping and ice cream eating before a mini-retreat with a priest magically sent to Corinne by God (it happens often). Almost everyone who was going on the retreat was part of the Polski family- funny thing, too, because when we met with Fr. Juan, he brought us to a room a lot like Fr. Thaddeus brought us to and made us tea and cookies.

Of course.

We had Mass in a tiny chapel and he gave a brilliant homily about seeking the Cross. The image above the altar was a carving of Mary cradling the bread and wine. I thought it was a brilliant image [edit: it was completely unorthodox, modern with a very Gothic touch to it, but liturgically sound so far as I can reason]. Mary, by bringing us to her Son, is present in the celebration of the Eucharist in a way I've never considered before. A brilliant Holy Week reminder.

Blessed Mother, pray for us. 

Oggi e martedi, 26 marzo, 2013

What a long day! And wet.

Tour today, though wet, was wonderful. So blessed to see Our Lady of Perpetual Help and the famous portrait of St. John Neumann in one church. And just the story of Santa Maria Maggiore was beautiful.*

Met Corinne at St. Peter's after tour and walked to Santa Croce, her college - with a stop at the Polish market. Homeland! And 40 cent coffee!

Studied for hours, but had a really long, really interesting conversation with Corinne when we broke from work. It was a relief to just "chill," a sort of productive down time. I chipped away at my presentation. I am so nervous. 

Mr. Assaf gave us a ride back to the villa. And now, more work.

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*From the 1911 Catholic Encyclopedia: "During the pontificate of Liberius, the Roman patrician John and his wife, who were without heirs, made a vow to donate their possessions to the Virgin Mary. They prayed that she might make known to them how they were to dispose of their property in her honour. On 5 August, at the height of the Roman summer, snow fell during the night on the summit of the Esquiline Hill. In obedience to a vision of the Virgin Mary which they had the same night, the couple built a basilica in honour of Mary on the very spot which was covered with snow. From the fact that no mention whatever is made of this alleged miracle until a few hundred years later, not even by Sixtus III in his eight-line dedicatory inscription ... it would seem that the legend has no historical basis."

Oggi e lunedi, 25 marzo, 2013

Poetry presentations began today. Holy shnikees, I am so awful at presenting. Wednesday is going to be rough.

Latin was also rough.

No theology, thank goodness, that probably would have been rough as well. 

Oggi e Domenica, 24 marzo, 2013

Palm Sunday Mass. Gracie, Mary, Dylan, Antoine, and I were way in the back, and it was hard to focus. People can be incredibly rude, and people can be incredible. I will have to look up Francis's homily, I know he gave an address to young people. Even without understanding it was powerful oration. He is going to be an interesting pope, for sure.

And it's Holy Week already!

P.S. Also, Lebanese Palm Sunday feast! Played soccer with Fabiola's little boy, Simone. He knew about Rocky!

Oggi e sabato, 23 marzo, 2013

New hair cut!

And that's about it. 

Oggi e venerdi, 22 marzo, 2013

Disaster "struck!"

Get it?

After our Latin midterm we set out for Castel Gandolfo, but the Piramide station was closed due to strike. Not wanting to waste the beautiful day, a few of [us] went to the park... and played on the teeter totter. (All the Italian grandmothers thought we were insane.) I'd never done it before! Philadelphia, you have one flaw, and that is a lack of teeter-totters.

Oh well.

We also started to read our Wilbur poems. I can tell "Teresa" is packed, but unpacking it will be a challenge. I am definitely a Wilbur fa; didn't think I'd say that last year. The beautiful changes, I guess.

(Okay, I'll stop with the puns.)

We made our way to St. Anthony the Abbot for pre-sanctified liturgy, which was beautiful, but also brought out the Roman Catholic in me. So many differences! The gated sanctuary gets me every time with Eastern churches. You should approach the altar reverently, but you should also approach the altar.

A beautiful choir, though.