Blessed Beyond Measure

About 250,000 people were in St. Peter's square for the last audience of His Holiness Benedict XVI.

I was one of those people.

Some people got to watch the helicopter take off from the Vatican on TV.

And I was less than a mile away.

Lots of people read about saints in books and online.

We saw incorrupt saints and had Mass at their tombs.

Only the Pope and appointed Cardinals can say Mass at the high altar in St. John Lateran.

But when there's no Pope, our own Franciscan friars can say Mass there for us.

The area around St. Francis' tomb is somewhat small.

But our awesome travel agent got all 200 of us permission to have Mass there anyway.

(Can you tell that Mass was kinda one of the highlights of the trip?!)

And then there are "everyday" blessings- Old Bridge gelato, 'Habemus Pizza', praise and worship at the seminary in Rome, having a dear friend for dinner with the school, and walking through the streets of Assisi with a wise Friar.

I can't comprehend how many times we all looked at each other after one experience or another and thought "That shouldn't have just happened.  We shouldn't have been able to experience that".  And yet it did, and we were.

As I think through these last 2 weeks, I will be posting my thoughts about Rome, Siena, and Assisi.  

Sts. Francis and Clare, Pray for us! 

running 'round Rome

bus...trains...metro...bus...plane...shuttle...taxi...walking...metro...walking...walking...metro...walking...metro...shuttle...plane...train...bus...HOME.

St. Peter's Square...my brother...lasagna...Colosseum...Forum...random Church...tiny restaurant...gelato...Vatican Museum...Mass...Churches...panini...ANGELUS WITH PAPA!... panini...travel...sleep.

(posts about our weekend are forthcoming!)

Journey Forth to the Eternal City

All the preparations have been made, down to buying the bread and cheese.

Tomorrow, I will be on my way to the Eternal City, the city at the center of my faith.  And I can't begin to express how excited I am.

A couple months ago, I received a message from my brother, telling me that he had a meeting in Rome the weekend of January 25; would I like to meet him there?  After thinking about it for approximately 5.8 seconds, I (excitedly) agreed.  The hotel reservations were made over Christmas break, but it wasn't until Monday that I realized how close this trip actually was... we finally booked plane tickets, and figured out the bus schedule.  Now, it's happening.

It is my first time to the Vatican, although I've seen a multitude of pictures from various friends who have been there.  But I have a feeling that mere photos can't do it justice.  The glory of St. Peter's Basilica, the ancient Church artifacts, and the fullness of history that has taken place in that tiny little country is mind-blowing.

And tomorrow I will be there.

I will not be there as a mere tourist; I'll be there to participate in the history, to partake in the beauty that is Catholicism.  And, if I'm lucky, I'll get to see the earthly representative of Christ Himself, Pope Benedict.

You all remain in my prayers as I travel this weekend.

xoxo,

Allison