Squished Heaven

Our crazy room situation--will one day seem like a fond memory :)

Ah, the blessing of the passage of time--dulling the memory of the aches and pains of daily life!

Actually, it has been very sweet--our family feels to me like a little bit of heaven on earth.

Leigh was just showing me the contents of her backpack, replete with fairy books, her list of things she is working on (like using napkins, and putting her clothes in a hamper), and a toothbrush.  Gosh, she is adorable!  Meanwhile, Jake and Ron were fixing Jake's music list for his iPod, and playing Queen a little to loud.  Just so, so precious.  This family, to me, must be a bit of what heaven feels like!

Baby Jesus--Shocking for its Time

    After centuries of paintings and illuminations of baby Jesus being depicted with hands blessing the viewer, or pointing to the Father or making a sign of "Logos" or "Peace," the inevitable happened.  With one master painter named Giotto, art changed course toward realism.
    Here is the first such Madonna and Child: Jesus' hand is at his mouth: he is sucking his fingers!
    I love that!

Our Roses

Here are our roses on the campus of Due Santi!  Not exactly planted by St. Francis, but they ARE adjacent to a well at which St. Paul and St. Peter reputedly met on their way into Rome (Hence the name of the campus, "Due Santi" or "Two Saints")!

Francis's Roses

St. Francis planted these very rose bushes at this monastery at Subiaco belonging to Saint Benedict!

This is a fresco in the background of St. Francis giving the gift of the roses.

The monastery is shocking: it is built from a cave that is on a vertical incline on the steep side of a mountain in Umbria.  The cave is the one that St. Benedict lived in for 3 years as a hermit before he began founding his order.

Jake loves Subiaco--this is his second year to visit.  He says it is one of two favorite places he's ever been.

Jake is one of two favorite children I've ever known--okay, one one five! :)

Clare's Gummy Bears

     Clare had started to argue with her siblings.  She simply hates being crammed into a dorm room for 3 people, but is actually packed with 5 (unfortunate rooming situation).  Someone is always touching her, stepping on her pillow, snoring in her ear, walking in on her when she is changing.  Oh, the groaning, grunting and tirades!  Her little sensory processing disorder is getting a run for its money!
     So I said, "Clare, time to start using our house rule.  When you are frustrated, instead of grunting or groaning, you should say, 'May we please discuss this?'"  I told all the kids the same thing, that it was time to go cold turkey on bickering.  I pulled out a package of gummy bears (we NEVER have those) and said, "Anyone who asks our magic question gets a gummy bear.  Clare, how about you be in charge of the bag?  Whenever you or someone else uses it, you hand them a gummy bear."
    Little Clare walked around ALL DAY with a white canvas bag loaded with gummy bears draped over her shoulder.  There were lots of magic questions floating around that day!

Tonight

We were about to say family prayers, but had "Mandatory Sunset Viewing" before we began! 

Annie did not behave during prayers.  :(

    Then in a REALLY reverent moment, Mary took this photo of herself minutes before the opening "Our Father."  

Assisi--Holy Ground

   We had one overnight in Assisi, which was a big experience for me.  There is a lot of grace in that place--it is holy ground.  

    Our group hit it off well with the monk who led us through St. Francis' basilica--I actually think it was Jake and Mary who got him going in a conversation, which led to him inviting the whole group behind the closed doors of the cloister--which looks out over Umbria (this photo is courtesy of Mary).  I missed that part, because Annie was too heavy to keep carrying, and so she slept in my arms, while Clare sat beside me, and we had a really good chat about her faith and her life choices.  

These are St. Clare and St, Francis' tunics/habits.  Almost brings me to tears--SO HUMBLE and worn. These are not costumes or regular habits as in uniforms.  These are choices to leave the world of wealth and comfort and to embrace poverty.  Again, Clare and I had a remarkable conversation about her future in St. Clare's church, where these are.

This is the Cross of San Damiano, from which Christ spoke to Francis: "Francis, rebuild my church."  Francis spent the next several years repairing the dilapidated structure of the San Damiano church.  He then repaired 2 more churches or chapels falling into ruin.  Only years later, when Francis' order had been established and had grown by leaps and bounds, and was impacting the whole church throughout Europe, did Francis realize that Christ had meant meant for him to rebuild THE CHURCH!

I got very sick in Assisi, and have been sick until today.  But it seemed providential: prayers for which I waylaid heaven months ago during Lent all came to pass.  I could suddenly see so many things that I had been asking God about but could not see.  I think it was the grace of God that has taken up residence in that holy place!  Thank you God for answering my prayers!

Favorite Moments

1) Every sunset

2) Mary and Jake acting as surrogate parents to Annie, without any prompting at all, whether we are in the pool, on a bus, or in our rooms.  

3) Clare playing with a 3 year old child on campus, Iola, for 9 consecutive hours, acting as an excellent caretaker, and often being selfless and thoughtful.  

4) Getting to finish editing my memoir, "Captivated By Family," which I might post on this blog soon.   

5) Getting to begin my first real book, "The Metaphysics of Motherhood" which I LOVE and have wanted to do for 10 years but only now have I received Go's prompting to begin.  

6) Ron firing up the "forno," the outside pizza oven, and making lunch for us on Sunday.  Others found us, we invited them to join in, and it turned into an all day party.  Some broke out o'hdeurves, others wine, and we talked and laughed all day.  We literally migrated from our lunch table to our dinner table when it was time for dinner!  Now THAT's a day off!  

Mary and I

    Per our tradition, Mary and I had special time in Rome!  We had it with Suzannah and Gracie: two mothers and their oldest daughters!  What a delight!!

The Meaning of the Saints

    Here is a beautiful fresco of Mary and the angel Gabriel in the Jesuit church in Rome, the Gesu.  The interesting thing about this fresco is that Thomas Aquinas and a Cardinal are in the scene.  They are present because through his writings, Thomas Aquinas had helped the cardinal understand the meaning and beauty of this Gospel story of the Annunciation.  So in the picture, Aquinas is literally pushing the cardinal toward Mary.
    This is quite a depiction of what the saints are supposed to do: they are to usher us toward Jesus, toward the Gospel stories, and toward heaven.  They are supposed to push us toward our goal.  This is the exact opposite of attracting attention to themselves.  I love my little host of saints, including Thomas Aquinas, because they do for me exactly that.  So I can say, "I love Thomas Aquinas" or "I love St. Therese," not to commit idolatry, but rather, to thank her for bringing me closer to Jesus.
    This picture is the first time I have ever seen all that meaning depicted in one work of art!

   St. Thomas Aquinas, pray for us!

Suzannah and Gracie!

     Gracie has arrived--she is going to help out with the kids for the remainder of our stay.  Her mom brought her over, and we had a LOVELY few days in Rome all together!  Friendship is SUCH a blessing!!

Pilgrimage on the Appian Way

    We had a pilgrimage on the Appian Way yesterday.  It was the feast of Corpus Christi.

Aquaducts from ancient Rome still stand.

The Appian Way is lined with poppies--just glorious.

   I told the kids: for every mile you walk without a single complaint, you get one scoop of gelato.  They each earned 6 scoops! :)

    Clare had done a homeschool project on Peter and Paul in Rome, which included a discussion of Peter and Paul on the Appian Way.  After our 6 mile walk, we sat under trees in an olive grove, ate our lunches, and she read her presentation to the college group.  It was as lovely, I think for them, as it was for Clare!  Historic.

    Then we toured the Catacombs.  We had Mass in a tiny chapel in the underground caverns.  We love Fr. Thomas and Brother John, our beloved Cistercians!!  They wanted scoops for every mile too, :)  and so they cashed in with our kids when we went for gelato in Gandolfo that evening.

So unbelievable to get to have days like this!!