Rocking Rome {Pope Francis}

A Jesuit and an Argentinian, our newly elected Pope Francis stepped onto the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica yesterday to greet the whole world and to unite us in prayer.  Pope Francis' sudden entrance into our hearts and our lives as the leader of Christ's Church on Earth is a moment we won't soon forget...

An ordinary home school Wednesday became an extraordinary day in an instant, when a text message from PopeAlarm.com alerted us:

White smoke!  We have a Pope!...Pope to be announced on TV soon.

Simultaneously, Zachary received a text from a friend alerting him to the breaking news, and began searching the Internet for validation of the spectacular announcement.

We quickly turned on our TV and tuned in to the Eternal Word Television Network for full (and fully Catholic) coverage of history in the making.  A long wait ensued, about an hour, during which the reporters bantered on about the various 'known' details of our new shepherd and his background.  The suspense almost sickening, we anxiously waited for the announcement while making quick phone calls to friends and family to spread the news.

Peter was in his pre-algebra class a few blocks away ~ we called the teacher and left a message for Peter to 'call home immediately.'  Sharing family news like this could not wait until after math class, and once Peter heard about the papal election, he asked to be allowed to leave class and return home to watch the historic events unfold on TV.  Zachary offered to shuttle him home, and since we weren't sure when the new pontiff would enter the scene, we pointed a laptop camera at the TV and Skyped Zac's mobile for an audio feed  during his short round trip to collect Peter.

When our new pope's name was broadcast from St. Peter's balcony in Latin, we initially (mis)understood him to be a Cardinal Francis somebody, not a Pope Francis, and for a minute or two we speculated upon our own US Francis Cardinal George.  Very soon the name followed in English: Jorge Mario Bergoglio; now Pope Francis, and another wait ensued as we excitedly anticipated catching our first glimpse of our new papa.

Not long after Pope Francis' debut on the balcony, Zachary found a newly launched Wikipedia page, which offered gleanings of our new pope's life and background.  Some of our initial curiosities satisfied, we were also gratified by news that as a bishop, our pope refused honors and expenses like housekeepers and private transportation, preferring to cook and clean for himself and ride public transportation.

Pre-conclave speculation with Nerf bullets

The boys had speculated for weeks on which name the new pope would take. Alas, not one of them nailed it although many Nerf bullets were fired at our prominently displayed papal poster in playful attempts to gain insight on future nomenclature by targeting papal head-shots from the past.  No one in our sphere guessed that the new pope would be a Francis! 

Their friendly wagers may soon be lost to memory, but the exciting Roman events of yesterday and 'meeting' our new pope via TV during a what began as an average home school day won't soon be forgotten.  Vive la Papa!

Tim and the boys study papal history in preparation for the conclave.

I Love Pope Benedict XVI {St. Valentine's Day Musing}

Our family's view of Pope Benedict XVI on March 30, 2011, at Saint Peter's Square in the Vatican

One of the most memorable moments of our family pilgrimage to Italy in 2011 happened in sunny St. Peter's Square as Pope Benedict XVI wheeled past us following his inspirational, thought provoking weekly audience.  We were within a few feet of our Papa as he rolled along toward the sea of faithful visitors crowded in the piazza below, our seats being on an upper platform very close to the chair from which of our Holy Father preached.  If we had been holding a baby, we could easily have secured a Papal kiss!

The thrill of making eye contact with Pope Benedict surpassed any expected excitement or anticipated joy, and I reacted by screaming, "I love you Pope Benedict!" and throwing him several kisses in rapid succession.  I almost certainly caught a glimpse of a papal smirk at my antics.  Would that be too hard to imagine given the fact that I came unglued like a heart-struck teenager suddenly within reach of her pop star hero?

More far reaching than any pop superstar, Pope Benedict XVI has led our Church and taught us well during his pontificate and throughout his lifetime.  Now he is leading us, or perhaps allowing us to be led in a new direction, as he abdicates his position and retires to monastic life in a few short weeks.

This is our family's second pastor in less than a year to make this same sudden and surprise announcement, seemingly out of the blue.  Yet with holy priests like Pope Benedict and our former pastor Father Qui Thac (now knows as Father Marion in his Benedictine habit), what seems like sudden or shocking news to our eyes and ears is actually the manifestation of light given to them as fruits of a profoundly devout prayer life and an intimately personal relationship with our Lord.  In Pope Benedict we are given another fine role model to follow and imitate, teaching us by his example the virtue in letting go of everything and anything when God calls us to abandon ourselves to a closer union with Him.

Pope Bendict's message at our papal audience in 2011 focused on the life St. Alphonsus Ligouri, however the very words he used to describe St. Ligouri could aptly be repeated to sing the praises of our soon-to-be-retired Pope Benedict XVI.  I share the quote Father Z style; my comments in red:

St Alphonsus Maria Liguori {Pope Benedict XVI} is an example of a zealous Pastor who conquered souls {including mine} by preaching the Gospel and administering the sacraments combined with behaviour impressed with gentle and merciful goodness that was born from his intense relationship with God, who is infinite Goodness. He had a realistically optimistic vision of the resources of good that the Lord gives to every person and gave importance to the affections and sentiments of the heart, {even love-struck ladies at papal audiences} as well as to the mind, to be able to love God and neighbour. 

~ BENEDICT XVI, GENERAL AUDIENCE

St. Peter's Square, Wednesday, 30 March 2011

Feast of All Saints {November 1}

A Blessed All Saints' Day to you!

Ecstasy of Saint Teresa

Sculpted by Bernini (1647-1652)

inside Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome

Every day when I pray the Apostles Creed, I say:
I believe in the communion of saints~

On this day (today) we celebrate all of our brothers and sisters in heaven, which is cause for a great feast day!  No wonder the Church requires our attendance at Mass today.

Our recent family pilgrimage to Italy included visits to the burial places of so many courageous Christians; martyrs, apostles, virgins, heroes.  May our prayers be joined with theirs on this holy day and every day.

All holy men and women,

Pray for us!

Italy Day 3 {Rome: St. Mary Major; St. Praessede}

Tim and the boys select cold cuts for lunch, to be eaten with fresh bread picnic-style.

Pilgrims' picnic lunch outside St. Mary Major, Rome

Mosaic @ St. Praessede, Rome

Bernini's "St. Teresa in Ecstasy" at St. Maria Vittoria

Escalator ride inside Rome's Metro; a tremendous amount of vertical ascending and descending is required to get to and from the trains below the city.

Continued from Day 2 {Rome: Pantheon; Metro}

Sleeping soundly through breakfast, our slow start gave us the energy we needed to cover a vast territory on this sunny Friday in Rome.  Advice to be out and about before 8AM aside, we still took time to chat with Luciano, who appeared to be waiting outside the garden gate for a visit as we departed.  A very sweet gentleman; an artist and a former executive with Alitalia Airlines, we were blessed to make his acquaintance.

No longer any baths, but a beautiful church in the place of the Baths of Diocletian, St. Maria degli Angeli: our first stop.  The brass rod in the floor, used with a pinhole in the wall to tell time and keep a calendar was truly fascinating.  Also fascinating was the tremendous crowd gathering out front, and the riot police, and the media circus.  A protest of some sort, but not related to the reformation; rather to some water or nuclear power issue.  When we inquired of locals about the meaning of the protest, they informed us that there is always a protest in Rome, this was nothing out of the ordinary it seems.

Stretching for miles and most of the day, the noisy protest had gathered steam and was mobile, greeting us as we exited St. Mary Major (built in 432 AD).  We stopped to pray near a piece of the manger from Bethlehem (yes, THE manger!) and saw Bernini's tomb and outstanding mosaic art.  From there we visited a local grocery store for simple lunch ingredients and ate in the (noisy) sunny courtyard outside St. Mary's before forging through the protest to reach St. Praessede.  The mosaic art at St. Praessede was breathtaking, and also on display was a small part of the column/pillar at which Jesus was scourged.

A Bernini masterpiece, The Ecstasy of St. Teresa,  on our must-see list, was well worth the walk across town amidst map reading challenges.  With persistence, we were able to find St. Teresa inside St. Maria Vittoria in the early evening.  Across the busy street, at St. Susannah, we attended a Vigil Mass for the 3rd Sunday in Lent, in English.  The deacon (a student at North American College) gave an outstanding homily on the graces of Lenten fasting.  We visited with him after Mass, and thanked him for his inspirational message.

Flashy, loud, trendy, and slightly not-age appropriate, our dinner stop at White restaurant did not impress.  The food was OK, but the music, night life scene, and slightly lewd art in the hall near the bathroom were all good reasons not to go back.  But then... we did go back, after our stop at the bustling Trevi Fountain, for gellato "to go" on our way home via the Metro (subway).  So starting now we're never going back.

Another swollen finger in the family, but this time it's Peter's; we suspect from 'trigger finger' repetitive motion taking SO many photos.  Peter's been shooting like a madman, taking volumes of photos, some of which are looking like keepers.

Noteworthy:

• Zac's quote at White restaurant, "If they have enough money for these fancy napkin holder packets, why can't they afford a seat for their toilet?"
• 5 people sharing one bathroom can complicate bed time routines
• A vandalized statue of an angel can give hours of awe and make lasting memories for young eyes
• Oranges grow on trees; but if you attempt to pick one in Rome, the locals will quickly warn (with sign language) you that they are not edible.

Day 4 {Rome: St. Peter's Basilica}follows.

Italy Day 2 {Rome; Pantheon, Santa Maria della Rotonda}

Home in Rome: the boys enter our flat through the garden area adjacent to a busy street.

No sleep yet! But at least 3 of us were ready for naps at 2PM.

Just like Father Qui Thac described: urban Roman water fountains... fun!

Atop the Spanish Steps in front of the Trinity Church

High altar in the Pantheon (Church of St. Mary and the Martyrs); ready for Mass on the Solemnity of the Annunciation

Continued from Day 1 {New York City Layover}

Groggy, but determined to stay awake until bedtime, our first day in Rome was like an initiation of sorts.  We held on for dear life on the shuttle ride to our flat from the airport, amazed that the driver could stay on the road while chatting on his cell phone, shifting gears, and honking simultaneously.  Our flat, too, has myriad complications, mostly relating to a schedule of turning on and off appliances we take for granted at home (water heater, furnace) and doing so without going over 3 kilowatts.  "If you have a black-out," our landlord informed us, "find Pete in the next building."  Black-outs happen when the legally enforced 3 kw of power per day is exceeded .

A jaunt into the city without a map, snacks, or warm layers proved to be quite difficult, particularly when we got slightly lost as everyone was hungry and the cool evening began to fall.  We opted to grab gelatos and visit the next site we came upon, rather than continue our unsuccessful search for the Colosseum.  We landed at the Pantheon, and entered a crowded, loud, amazing circular space.  Only a few minutes later, a bishop wearing a magenta cassock began ushering hundreds of tourists out, as a loud speaker announced that the Pantheon was closing for Mass.  We opted to stay.

The Solemnity of the Annunciation was being celebrated by our world-wide Church on this day, and we were just in time for the Holy Mass offered by a cardinal for a small group of pilgrims.  Before Mass we spent a holy hour in the presence of Jesus, as the bishop led a Rosary in Italian and the cardinal heard confessions.  Unfortunately, the temperature inside the Church of St. Mary and the Martyrs (the Pantheon) probably dipped into the low 40's, and we froze throughout the beautiful, solemn high Mass.  A formal procession with a relic veneration followed Mass, and our family joined the final ceremony before taking one last glimpse of the Pantheon.  At the altar known as #7, a magnificent artistic rendition of the "Annunciation" by Melozzo da Forli brought us even closer to the mystery of the day.

Navigating the Metro on our way home was an experience unto itself.  We purchased five 7 day passes and took a round-a-bout path on our journey home.  The well-signed subway system is easy enough to navigate, but perhaps owing to serious sleep deprivation, we weren't paying close enough attention and got on the wrong train.  Tim caught our misstep shortly after we pulled out of the station, so we hopped off at the next stop, went back, and started over.

As we tucked ourselves in for the night, we had to wonder: just how long has it been since we slept on a plastic mattress?  We're excited for another day in Rome tomorrow (with snacks, maps, and extra layers). 

Day 3 {Rome: St. Mary Major; St. Praessede} follows.

Noteworthy:

• It's hard to be comfortable on an 8+ hr flight when you spill your orange juice on your lap and all over your seat (just ask Peter).
• One fleece jacket forgotten on the shuttle van from airport... will it be seen again?  Or will Peter suffer on the chilly Italian evenings?
• Spell check isn't working here, it must be Italian spell check by default.  I'm curious to find out just how many misspelled words my posts will have without the usual fix!

Success! {Great Gift from Joseph}

Remember Teaching Through Failure?

With Grandpa Cliff's tutoring, Joseph completed the building (stool) project for his Carpentry Merit Badge.

and he gave me the stool for Christmas!

What a great gift.  

In other great gift news, Tim surprised each of us with a round-trip ticket to Rome!

Cleverly tucked inside Rome and Italy travel books, Tim had wrapped our tickets to Rome!!!

Our trip will coincide with our 20th wedding anniversary, and it's a pilgrimage we have been dreaming of taking as a family for a long time.   To compliment the tickets, Tim's parents gifted us with a week at a resort of our choosing in Italy through their vacation time-share ownership.  Let the planning begin!

Today is the

Feast of the Holy Innocents

Why are you afraid, Herod, when you hear of the birth of a king? He does not come to drive you out, but to conquer the devil. But because you do not understand this you are disturbed and in a rage. To destroy one child whom you seek, you show your cruelty in the death of so many children.

You are not restrained by the love of weeping mothers and fathers mourning the deaths of their sons, nor by the cries and sobs of the children. You destroy those who are tiny in body because fear is destroying your heart. You imagine that if you accomplish your desire you can prolong you own life, though you are seeking to kill Life himself. ~from a sermon by bishop Saint Quodvultdeus about the Holy Innocents (+450AD)  taken from: http://saints.sqpn.com/holy-innocents/ 

Let us lift up our prayers today for the thousands of innocent babies who are killed every day by abortion.
Let us ask God to heal those who have been wounded by abortion, that they may come to know the everlasting peace of Christ and to immerse themselves in His endless mercy.  May we reach out to help mothers (and fathers) who are in crisis and to assist those who are suffering in their parenting, with our works and with our prayers.  Holy Innocents, Pray for Us!