A Snapshot
Of the seven wonders of the world, I believe I may have just captured six of them in one panoramic view. From the back steps of our retreat center last weekend we gazed over (1) Lago Albano completely surrounded by (2) volcanic cliffs, where we looked straight across to the (3) summer papal palace, picturesque in itself. With the help of a well-trained eye, we spotted the (4) dome of St. Peter’s amidst the buildings of Rome, and to our left, the (5) Mediterranean Sea occupied the horizon. (6) The horizon to the right of mountains and cliffs fading off into the distance. Imagine the scene, and repeat in the morning sunrise, the afternoon sunshine, the evening sunset, and the moonlight night, as that is what we experienced on our silent retreat last weekend.
The silent retreat was nothing I could have predicted, and nothing I can really explain. It was not a weekend in silence or a weekend in thought. It was a weekend to just simply, be. To be in prayer and to be in mediation, quiet, but not in the slightest bit alone! The presence of God has never felt so real as it did on the cliffs above Lago Albano. Though challenging at times (especially for one prone to giggle-fits), I know that the fruits of this experience will continue to unfold throughout the semester. Actually, it already seems to be proving itself as a surprisingly rich bonding experience for the group already!
Last weekend in Ravenna, however, was far from a silent retreat from the city. Just as the other passengers in our train car! We can be a noisy bunch! After a couple hour trip to Bologna, and then from Bologna to Ravenna, we arrived in what was a gateway to Rome from the East. It was a brick town adorned with the most beautiful mosaics in the world! As students of “Church and Culture” and “Worship in the City of Rome”, we were fortunate enough to put beauty in the context of history and truly understand the beauty in relevance of this art to our Catholic faith.
It may seem, from these updates, that I am living from weekend to weekend and what happens during the week is not worth noting. Quite the opposite! It is the unexpected things, and there are many, in which you find the best of foreign travels! Last week, we celebrated a March madness of birthdays at a true Italian restaurant, fully equipped with a family of waiters that had been serving there for years. The meal was fabulous, but bringing a herd of 19 Americans into a restaurant with only Italian families made the experience. That’s cultural immersion for you! And though we are allowing the culture to slowly soak in to our behaviors, in true American spirit, we bring a little bit of home to Italy as well. By that, I mean we have no hesitancy to sing "Brown Eyed Girl" and Disney songs down the streets or to start up a game of Ultimate frisbee in the park. If IHOP pancake night for Fridays in lent classifies as American, we might be exposing Italy to a little of that too! Also, just this evening, Fr. Murray referenced Christianity’s use of pagan beauty in the columns of the Church of St Clement, and most of us were looking at those very columns, by chance, this morning. When you begin receiving print-outs and picture books in class of images that you see in real life on a daily basis, you know you are residing in a truly phenomenal place. It is the random and inexplainable moments like these that force me to step out of myself for a second and thank God for the spectacular experiences at my very fingertips.
Thank God for the the opportunity to be in the eternal city! Love from Rome! Best wishes to all in Minnesota, my thoughts and prayers are with you (you know who you are)!
Things to note:
- If you plan to visit Bernardi Campus and would like to make some quick friends, bring peanut butter and label it “per tutti” (for everyone). Last night’s visitor earned a standing applause and a few rounds of cheers over a jar of Skippy.
- Leave your bright pink sweaters at home. They scream “Americana”.
- Never underestimate the power of the imagination. Some among us shared their incredible abilities to produce full-out motion pictures in their minds with a bible verse prompt and an hour of silence. Who knew that visual meditations could alter the "Call of the Disciples" passage and send Peter's boat speeding around in circles like a modern speed boat?
- Pricing is subject to the will of the employee. If you purchase a phone card in the evening, there is a good chance that in two hours they will be more expensive. Or they might just mysteriously stop selling them.
