Reflections from Rome

In brief, the Eucharist is the sum and summary of our faith: "Our way of thinking is attuned to the Eucharist, and the Eucharist in turn confirms our way of thinking." (The Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1327)

Last weekend I went on a short pilgrimage led by Fr. Cozzens, who was here teaching a course to some of the St. Paul seminarians. It was a last minute excursion, seeking miracles and saints. Such are the adventures in the life of a Roman.

Saturday morning we departed en route to Lanciano. The pilgrimage included Fr. Cozzens, Deacon Al from St. Paul (going to be ordained to the priesthood of Jesus Christ May 30th! Pray for him!), and four of us younger students.
Here, in the early centuries, around 800, a priest of the order of St. Basil in the Church of St. Francis, doubted the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. After the words of consecration, the host was changed into a circle of flesh and the wine transformed into blood. I’ll quote the rest from a holy card I received which explains it well:

“Many verifications of this miracle have been performed over the past 1,200 years, but the most convincing was made in November of 1970. This miracle underwent scientific scrutiny and the conclusions were presented on March 4, 1971 in detailed medical and scientific terminology. The microscopic studies ascertained and documented these facts:
The flesh was identified as striated muscular tissue of the myocardium (heart wall) having no trace whatsoever of materials or agents used to preserve the flesh from decay. Both the flesh and blood were found to be of human origin. The flesh and blood type were found to belong to the same blood type, AB.”

Praised be Jesus Christ! We got there around noon, watched a short video introducing the history of the miracle and the church. Afterwards, Father was able to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass here for us. These are the wonderful blessings of being able to travel with a priest and a deacon! Many blessings and the sacraments immediately available for you.

Moreover, it was such a beautiful reality to be before this miracle, still preserved in the chapel today. There is a big beautiful church of St. Francis, and in the front, the miracle is adored. The Body of Christ is in a monstrance and His Blood is in a chalice, and is in the front of the church, where a tabernacle would be in a church. Behind the Miracle, there is a window, and on the other side is another smaller chapel. This is where Father celebrated Mass for us. Visually, it was so beautiful. Father was at the altar right before the miracle and through saying the words of consecration, the bread and wine at the altar in his hands were being transubstantiated into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist that we have the blessing of being able to receive every day.

The privilege of being able to receive our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament is something I know I can easily take advantage of. It was not after some time of prayer and meditation that I could really contemplate the beauty of this opportunity, esp. here. Here is this Miracle that has been preserved for thousands of years, physically and substantially changed into true Flesh and Blood of Christ and here is the Eucharist, instituted by Christ at the Last Supper, The Lord’s Real Presence is here. We consume Him every time we receive Holy Communion. Here is our Lord, giving Himself to you, to me, to all of us, every day…wanting to be totally united by allowing us to consume Him, Body and Blood, in the Blessed Sacrament—if only we would be just a tiny bit open to Him to allow HIM to totally consume our HEARTS AND LIVES!

How unworthy we are, yet how merciful and beautiful that our Lord would choose to humble Himself in order to reach us, that we might TOUCH Him, in our weak physical state…so that we would be part of His body.

May we pray every day to be made small and humble in order to let Him rule our hearts and lead us in every action that we may learn to live lives of total charity. How much He truly desires us! He gazes at us—every single person on earth—and already loves us, and wants to be in relationship with us more than we ever dare to think or desire every day.

God love you!
Sam

Posted by Sam at 10:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

January has begun, and starting this past Wednesday our classes did too. It is wonderful to have everyone back from their travels and now the house is full again. Everything is buzzing as we prep for the last three weeks of the semester. Unfortunately, it's hard to start up with classes since this means it is the final push of papers and tests as well. Everyone is really trying to soak up what they can from Rome these next few weeks. Visit what sites that they have foregone until this final stretch.

Rome is buzzing as well with a new swarm of St. Thomas students studying here for J-Term. The Theology 101 students were over on Tuesday for lunch, the Theology 300 students have been visiting Bernardi, and at different restaurants and on the street we have managed to see the emerging purple and grey sweatshirts from two business groups, an engineering group, and also supposedly there is an Art History group here as well. This is another great way to study abroad, to even just get a taste of what being abroad might be like.

I am so grateful to be here for the year and for me I cannot imagine going home right now, although others are quite ready to take on St. Paul again. All my time here has helped me to really get to know Rome as my home, which I'm really just beginning to discover. Living in the community of Bernardi, we have especially grown as a family. This Bernardi family is something great that past students had expressed to me, but was not really sure what to expect. I cannot believe that we only have three weeks left. The semester really flew by. I’m really trying to soak up as much as possible from the group before they have to leave!

Posted by Sam at 02:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The eve of Christmas found me outside of St. Peter’s Basilica waiting with thousands of pilgrims. Who can describe such an event? We were celebrating our Lord’s Incarnation with Peter’s successor. The Vicar of Christ. With this many people, it was quite a celebration.

We stood in line for anywhere from 4 to 6 hours praying the rosary, the liturgy of the Hours, and singing Christmas carols. All of this was done surrounded by huddles of other people from all over the world just waiting for the doors to open to “charge” St. Peter’s. My family was there, so I was feeling extra blessed.
I don’t know how one can accurately describe time spent in the presence of the Holy Father. There is such excitement that builds, and it becomes somewhat of a spectacle. With thousands of people packed into St. Peter’s, you start to feel a bit like a sardine and also so easily distracted by everyone shuffling around and pressing against the barriers when the Holy Father processes in down the main aisle. But then looking around, you realize, why shouldn’t it be such a spectacle? What a beautiful sight that people are oohing and gawking at the Vicar of Christ! Who else should they be so excited for, except for Christ Himself? This man was commissioned by Him, and is someone to be admired.

What beauty it is when people can get excited by an 81 year old German man. Obviously there is something deeper than that: the mystery behind Christ summoning fishermen to lead His Church and asking all of us to follow Him.
We celebrate today the same faith that the Apostle Peter celebrated some 2000 years ago. Right at the very spot where midnight Mass was, here Peter proclaimed the greatest victory of all. As the first Pope, he witnessed to us what it really means to follow Christ: that is, total surrender. Peter died for Christ right on Vatican Hill, and was buried in a very simple grave right below where now there is such a majestic Church in honor of him and most importantly who he was always pointing to: Christ. Peter didn’t ask for a beautiful building to be built, but others were inspired by the message he pointed to. They wanted to make his victory of death known. He had real courage to follow Christ’s call totally.

Today St. Peter’s remains such an exuberant sight. A beacon. A diadem. For some maybe it is another stop on their list of tourist attractions. But the truth remains: there is a certain distinct beauty involved in the structure. Just the grandness and the largeness of the building is enough to be impressed. For some people, that is just where they need to start. To know that there is something bigger than this. That people who commission such a beauty for a greater reality.
I reflected on this tonight, as two of my friends came to visit me in Rome. After a long trip, and a relaxing afternoon, we decided to get some gelato and headed over to St. Peters. We just stood there admiring it. This is where the Lord speaks through the Church, through the Holy Father--the successor of Peter. This is where Peter died for our Lord. This is where millions of pilgrims come to better understand their faith. To see who this German shepherd is. This is history. This is Truth.

We just sat and stared at St. Peters’ eating our gelato, and realizing that there is no place that could evoke such zeal in our hearts. Here is Pope Benedict the 16th, his light was on, and we knew he was home here in Rome, resting in a place where Peter himself rested after giving himself over totally unto death. Here the Pope rests trying to imitate daily that total sacrifice of our Lord on Calvary and the thousands of martyrs who followed.
This is the true heart of Rome.

Posted by Sam at 05:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)