Still Crazy After All These Years

 Ron has roasted lamb since we were graduate students together in the Bronx. He's still got the touch! 

A lovely rain on Pasquetta--It doesn't get more beautiful

(you have to double click to enlarge to see the rain)

Easter with Mary of Magdala

 I loved researching Mary of Magdala for today's Mighty Is Her Call blog post. Here it is: https://mightyishercall.com/the-empty-tomb/

The St. Jerome Commentary and Fr. Roch Keretzky were incredibly eye-opening to me. How I miss Fr. Roch!   

More Things to See at the Porziuncola in Assisi

When going to Assisi, many people miss the Porziuncola.  

In fact, the University of Dallas skipped over it most trips to Assisi in institutional memory. 

But Ron thinks it is the most important stop in Assisi for one who is making a Catholic pilgrimage. He has never missed it in any trip he has made there, and has taken every student to pass through Rome on his watch there. 

The Porziuncola ("little portion") is the very chapel that Francis rebuilt with his own hands when he heard Christ say, "Francis, rebuild my church." This was a bit of a misunderstanding on Francis' part! He thought Christ meant a physical church, when Francis went on to rebuild the Catholic Church which was in its own state of spiritual dilapidation.

 

With his example, modeling for us how to imitate Christ, Francis rebuilt the Catholic Church. We still benefit today from his salacious impact on Christianity. 

On this visit I saw things I had never seen before: the room where Francis slept, a garden, and a museum which I did not have the time to enter (but will hit next time for sure--I hear there is a Pisano Crucifix in there). I saw this lovely ceramic-tile image of the Annunciation. 

And the bookstore had these handmade leather books--so beautiful! We got Sebastian a journal and dreamed of getting a Bible here someday. 

St. Francis and St. Clare, pray for us!

Graffiti at Subiaco

The spring students, faculty and staff went to Subiaco. Driving up to Benedict's first monastery, I quizzed Annie on her knowledge of monastic trivia. She could tell me what Greek word "monk" derives from (monachos--one, as in single or solitary), their lifestyle of prayer, work and study, and the fact that they saved Western civilization. She could also tell me what friars are (in contradistinction to monks) and how they arose in the 13th c., just when Benedictine monasticism fell into decline (before being reformed and rejuvenated by Bernard of Clairvaux and others). Then she impressed the students sitting around us on the bus when I asked her: "What do you think 'Subiaco' means?" She worked on it for a little while. 

"Su" means below in Italian, and I suppose 'sub' means 'under' in Latin, right?" 

"Right."

"Iago--maybe something having to do with the name 'Iago'?"

"No," I said, "the 'I' is replacing something else. What letter could it be replacing?" 

"An 'L' I think."

"Right."

"Lago?" she asked hesitantly.

"Right! It means under the lake!"

I continued, as our bus wound up a steep switchback toward the top of a mountain: "Solve that mystery for me: how could a monastery be so high up a mountain, but be under a lake?"

She responded with a chuckle: "Maybe a big swimming pool was on top of the mountain?"

"RIGHT!" I exclaimed. "Emperor Nero had a villa with three man-made lakes or pools on top of this mountain. His private residence." 

The students grabbed me when we got off the bus and said: "Your daughter is amazing!" 

I don't even know how to respond to comments like that. She R-E-A-L-L-Y is. 

Visiting the monastery, Annie pointed out some graffiti in the below window: from the years 1759, 1830, 1879 and 1921!

    

Ronnie Rombs

 It is a joy to see Ron thriving in his role as Director and Dean of the Rome Program of the University of Dallas. He has forged a new relationship with the Bishop of Albano, and this delightful, humble, kind, smart, trilingual bishop was delighted to come to campus for the first time and be received by the students, faculty and staff in a lovely reception and dinner. 

I will never forget the closing ceremonies of Ron's first semester as Director and Dean, just last month. When he approached the podium, the 100 students chanted, "Ron-nie Rombs! Ron-nie Rombs!" They said he ran the program "flawlessly." One student said that no one can surpass the humor and intelligence of Dr. Rombs. Another one, memorably, wrote: "Long live Ronnie Rombs!"  

Guiding Students through the Vatican and Rome

 The new semester began with 100 students at the Vatican. The pope said Mass--what a way to start a 4-month stay in Rome! 

Religious articles getting blessed

Mass under the baldacchino designed by Bernini

A founders, Guiliana Falconieri, started an order of women in Florence. Go, Giuliana!

Pope Francis in a wheelchair

We broke up into groups, led by various faculty and staff. I led my group to the Spanish Steps, Pantheon, Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, Sant' Ignacio, Piazza Venezia. What a beautiful city and great group of students!

An Extraordinary Wedding

 I have never seen such a beautiful wedding. Jacob and Gabrielle's wedding Mass was exquisite. One striking feature was the involvement of the crucifix. I noted that instead of kissing each other, they kissed the Crucified Christ. Gabrielle's mom sent me this background explanation: 

"MARRIAGE & THE CROSS OF CHRIST” In the town of Siroki-Brijeg in Herzegovina not one single divorce has been recorded among its 13,000 inhabitants. Not one single family has broken up in living memory. For centuries, because of the pressure of the Turks and then the Communists, the people suffered cruelly as their Christian faith was always threatened. They knew through experience that salvation comes through the cross of Christ. That is why they have indissolubly linked marriage to the Cross of Christ. They have founded marriage which brings forth human life, on the Cross, which brings forth divine life. When a couple is preparing for marriage, they are not told that they have found the ideal partner. No! What does the priest say? “You have found your cross. And it is a cross to be loved, to be carried, a cross not to be thrown away, but cherished.” If most young couples these days were told this, they would be struck dumb. But in Herzegovina, the Cross represents the greatest love and the crucifix is the treasure of the home. When the bride and groom set off for the church, they bring a crucifix with them. The priest blesses the crucifix, which takes on a central role during the exchange of vows. The bride places her right hand on the crucifix and the groom places his hand over hers. Thus the two hands are bound together on the cross. The priest covers their hands with his stole as they proclaim their vows to be faithful according to the rites of the Church. The bride and groom do not then kiss each other, they rather kiss the cross. They know that they are kissing the source of love. Anyone close enough to see their two hands joined over the cross understands clearly that if the husband abandons his wife or if the wife abandons her husband they let go of the cross. And if they abandon the cross they have nothing left. They have lost everything for they have abandoned Jesus. They have lost their source of life, hope and happiness. After the ceremony, the newlyweds bring the crucifix back and give it a place of honour in their home. It becomes the focal point of family prayer, for the young couple believes deeply that the family is born of the Cross. When trouble arises or if a conflict breaks out, it is before this cross that they will seek help. They will not go to a lawyer, they will not consult a fortune teller or an astrologer, they will not rely on a psychologist to solve the problem. No, they will go straight before Jesus, before the cross. There they will kneel, and in front of Jesus they will weep their tears and pour out their hearts, and above all exchange their forgiveness. They will not go to sleep with a heavy heart because they will have turned to Jesus, the only One who has the power to save. They will teach their children to kiss the cross every day, and not to go to sleep like pagans without having thanked Jesus first. As far back as they can remember, Jesus has always been the friend of the family, respected and embraced. They know that Jesus is holding them in his arms and that there is nothing to be afraid of, and their fears melt away in their kiss to their divine Lord.