Mothers in Rome Pilgrimage

One day I hope to create a pilgrimage for Catholic mothers in Italy. It would be 4-5 days, with the first day being a "Mary Day." The first site is the oldest site to honor Mary, from the 1st century. It is in the Roman Forum. Then we will go to her first basilica, Santa Maria Maggiore. That will be followed by other Marian sites in Rome. The second day, we would see sites for other mother saints including St. Monica and St. Rita. The third day we would travel to Siena or Milan and the fourth to Florence or Assisi--still a work in progress. Seeing Italy through the lenses of mothers and the important contribution they make, and they ways that Italy testifies to the importance of the maternal vocation, is a goldmine yet to be tapped.
    It would be a pilgrimage, aiming to foster for a mother the Christ-like nature of her vocation: a daily self-emptying out of love for others, that is the pattern of Christ (Phil. 2:16).

Angelicum

Today I took my first class at the Angelicum. It was a big moment for me to sit in a classroom as a student for the first time in 22 years. I have actually taught philosophy classes in those same classrooms. It was a delight to sit in a student seat and watch the professor do his thing--call role, learn the students' names, engage us in the material, establish the way he conducts class, etc. He is a Dominican priest educated at Toulouse among other places and a very kind fellow.

The class is on the Eucharist. For having run a blog for 9 years called "Eucharistic Motherhood," it is a dream come true to be sitting in this course. The texts selected by the professor are Fr. Roch Keretzky's Wedding Feast of the Lamb which I have read and tried to self-teach but am eager to hear Fr. Blankenhorn's presentation of it, and Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologiae on the Eucharist.
 
One insight that I really enjoyed from the first class actually had nothing to do with the Eucharist per se. Rather, Fr. Blankenhorn said that all Scripture is interpreted. There is no such thing as reading Scripture without an interpretive lenses. The Catholic Church recognizes this reality and so is transparent about what that lenses is and the role of Tradition in that interpretation. Lutherans, he said, are just now becoming aware of it, and are rather displeased to have to acknowledge it.

The fact of Scripture needing interpretation is the main reason why I became Catholic. Once I could see it, I couldn't unsee it. As a Protestant, I read Scripture everyday. And my background understanding from sermons, Sunday school lessons, books, Calvin, Luther and soo forth were always at work helping me interpret the Bible. Some passages are featured as though written in bold; others a Protestant would almost like to cross out (such as James on works). As soon as I could see that my Protestant tradition was shaping my reading of Scripture, but proclaims "Sola Scriptura," I realized that the Catholic Church is more honest in naming scripture and tradition as the authorities of our faith. While it was almost scary and I only reluctantly began to see the Catholic tradition as authoritative, I have come to embrace it and thank "mother Church" for her guidance in bringing me to Christ.

I am very exited to begin theological studies at the Angelicum! What a blessing of being here in Rome.

Quote of the Day

"Mom, I won a burping contest in the study hall today."
"Really Annie? Who was the judge?"
"The teacher."

Feast of St. Scholastica

Happy Feast of St. Scholastica! Here is a post I wrote about her, her brother, and motherhood a few months ago for Mighty Is Her Call. Enjoy!

https://mightyishercall.com/saints-benedict-and-scholastica-for-mothers/

Metaphysics of Motherhood

I have started my Metaphysics of Motherhood project over again, and am posting a little at a time on the Mighty Is Her Call page devoted to the metaphysics of motherhood. If you take a look, let me know if you have feedback! The renewed effort begins Feb. 7th.

https://mightyishercall.com/metaphysics-of-motherhood/

Podcast

I am having a wonderful time creating a podcast that I will release soon. Its current title is "Confessions of a Mother: A New Look at an Extraordinary Vocation." It is modeled on St. Augustine's Confessions in that, through the telling of his personal story, he explores metaphysical and theological themes and breaks new ground in exploring the inner workings of the heart. I hope, in my own way, to share my own story while exploring the metaphysics of motherhood as well as theological and spiritual insights into the dignity of the vocation of motherhood. I do not know of anyone who has developed a metaphysics of motherhood, and there are spiritual insights ready to be developed. I am so excited to embark on this undertaking!

Thomas Aquinas for Mothers

Here is my recent post on the Mighty Is Her Call website. Please share this website with mothers you love who need encouragement and daily reminders of the dignity and importance of their vocation. They can sign up for daily posts or weekly, which are called "Featured Posts." It is free and a meaningful gift for mothers!

https://mightyishercall.com/thomas-aquinas-for-mothers/

Celebrating in Rome

Ron insisted on a celebratory dinner in Rome. We went to our favorite restaurant in Monti across from our favorite pizzeria and down the street from one of our favorite gelateria.
My favorite dish was ravioli with duck ragu. We spent hours talking and laughing--all except Clare who felt strangely bad and Sebastian who wouldn't eat until I played a game with him and Annie who kept vying for attention by saying strange things and then getting "Shush"'d by her siblings. Okay, so it was a very typical, normal time. But I wouldn't change it for anything. I love my family exactly the way it is. Eccezionale.