Rome Sweet Home

So I figured if there is any day that I should be able to blog it should be today, before classes start tomorrow, and after having been to Rome for the first time. To start at the beginning though, its has just struck me ever since we got here how not American Italy is. I guess I should have expected that but its really strange to just feel like I'm in a completely different country. This is the view out our dorm window, which is even more amazing at sunset.

Probably the most overwhelming thing on my mind though is our first excursion into the Rome this afternoon. Incredible. There are a thousand little tidbits that I could mention but none of them quite seem like complete thoughts. And I guess that makes sense because I feel like it will probably be years before I can get a good grasp of what I just experienced. Two things jumped out from the visit though. First, when we visited the Pantheon also known as the Basilica of St. Mary and the Martyrs it struck just how enduring some of the city was. When I realized that the Pantheon was originally built to worship the Roman gods I was struck that there was actually a time, hundreds of generations ago when those deities where actually worshiped. It was astounding to realize that I was in place that was as old as many of the classic works the we have been reading. I guess I should start getting used to that feeling.

The second thing that was astounding was St. Peter's. I won't say much now just because we weren't there for a terribly long time (3 hrs) and sure I'll be back when I have more of a chance to absorb. Going to mass there was...ha I don't even know anything I could say that would be adequate. It was in Italian so I didn't understand a thing, but all the same, it was pretty crazy. I still can't believe I was actually there. After the celebrant had prayed the Eucharistic prayer which I wasn't understanding I caught the Consecration because I kind of knew what to listen for. At first I was disappointed that the Mass hadn't been in English or Latin so that I could understand what was happening, but then I had humbling thought. How many times have I attended the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at my home parish of St. Jude's and totally spaced out until I realized it was the Consecration? Maybe that was a tiny bit of divine justice that I was unable to really fully participate in my first Mass at St. Peter's. It also led me to resolve to make a better effort to be fully present at Mass in the future.

Well that was a lot more than I initially intended to type. We'll see if I can motivate myself to do this again before the end of the semester. From Rome, God bless!


Oh and this is the tomb of Pope Calixtus III (1455-1458) which I basically had to take a picture of as he is a patron of the liberal arts.