Sunday at the Site Where Paul was Martyred

We went to Mass at Tre Fontane where Paul was martyred. A lovely Trappist priest said Mass and many nuns were present. Sebastian got a little icon of St. Gabriel and then we went home and feasted on Italian cornetti with various fillings. Decadent!

Black and White

Frascati at Night

Medieval Corridor

Tivoli

Ron and I had a date in Tivoli, a town only 45 minutes away. It is an ancient city much like Orvieto--these places are jewels of Italy. First we visited Hadrian's palace and then the Villa d'Este, the latter of which is a Renaissance villa dedicated to humanism and replete with many fountains. It is riveting to spend a leisurely afternoon with my husband and hear his thoughts about the Renaissance. One of his great lines today: "It's interesting how, in absolutizing nature (and excluding the divine) we have now lost nature." Inspired by Chesterton, a truly profound thought. 

 

First pics with my new camera

Happy Mothers' Day to me! My sweet Mom got me a new camera for Mothers' Day which I just bought. It is a Canon DSLR. 750D. It has a video as well as still camera. I literally brought it home and read the 200 page manual! (I never usually do that). It has so many wonderful settings and produces beautiful shots in challenging situations such as low light and motion. I am on a steep learning curve and loving it!

Book I'm Reading

One of the books I'm reading right now is Charles Journet's The Meaning of Grace. Ron insists that it is one of the best books he's ever read. He has put it in my hands many times and I am finally getting through it. 

Here is a summary of some of his first points in Chapter 1: 

1. Christian revelation is the revelation of God's unfathomable love for us. 

2. God's love is first poured out for us in creation which is not to accomplish some gain for himself, but through a superabundance of goodness, a pure desire to communicate his riches and love. 

    This harkens back to one of my favorite concepts in Aquinas: "The good is self-diffusive."

3. God's second act is, according to Journet, "still more overwhelming. It is a little like the act of a mother who feels the child she has brought into the world is too remote, and takes and presses him to her heart." Journet says God unites himself to souls who open themselves up to his grace and love. This is the presence of indwelling. God transforms these souls and and fits them for his immediate indwelling, the indwelling of the Trinity. 

Takeaway: God dwells in any heart that will accept him. He transforms that heart and readies it for acts of divine love that the person can make at any time he or she wills. This is to participate in the divine nature, to be in a supernatural state of relationship with God. 

Fathers' Day in Rome

Enjoying Fathers' Day in Rome! Here is the gelateria Dad introduced us to! LOVE YOU, DAD!!!

Ron took us to Tre Fontane, the site where Paul was martyred. It is now a Trappist monastery, a silent oasis in the heart of a bustling city! I think it's beautiful that Ron chose this is as how to spend Fathers' Day! 

Summary of Christianity

Here is a summary of Christianity: 

Even though it looks like things are bad in the world, God invites us to divine life (giving us grace we are nowhere near deserving) and forgives us (throwing our sins as far as the east is from the west). So, the dice are loaded--all in our favor. The takeaway: There are no people who are lost causes. Christianity is marked by relentless and unflagging hope.   

Belvedere

Last night, Ron and I ate at the Belvedere in Frascati--a restaurant with a nice overlook (which is why it is called "The Beautiful View"). Last night, Ron and I watched the sunset as we sat at an outdoor table. 

The lady at the table next to us was wearing a sleek, red leather jacket with zippers and snaps. Her hair was died bright black and was cut like a flapper's. Her makeup was thick and her heels were towering. She smoked a cigarette like she was in the movies. 

How I love the drama in Italy! 

Time off

Annie, Sebastian and I have taken to having picnics in the park. We eat our little meals, read a book and play music. It is so relaxing! A much-forgotten pass-time! (And it's just too hot in Texas most of the year!)

A Dinner of Great Import

It was impossible for me to imagine a dinner on the last day of high school for my first child whom I began formally educating when he was 4 years old. His education started with adding and subtracting strawberries from the Ponchatula Strawberry Festival, and ended with latin, history, philosophy, physics and more in Italy. God bless you, Jacob!

Mighty Is Her Call Retreat

The retreat team for Mighty Is Her Call is busily looking into dates for a fall retreat in Irving. It will be at the Hilton hotel. Guests will enjoy a full day retreat with a plated lunch in the ballroom. Very, very exciting! The retreat is called, "Mighty Is Her Gift" and considers the gifts God richly bestows on mothers as well as their call to total gift of self for their families. I am so blessed to be a part of this ministry!

School Finished!

Little Annie finished 4th grade today! I can hardly believe we made it through the year. Italians grade on a 10-point scale. Annie is at the top of her class, having gotten all 8's, 9's and 10's! She got one 7 which was in Italian. We'll give her a pass for that. Incredible that she made it through a year of school in Italian, and doing distance learning, and succeeded! I am so proud of her.

Celebration in Rome

Ron whisked me into Rome after my exam. It was such a delight! We had a wonderful meal at the Piazza Navona.

     Then we walked all around, and made our way to the Basilica of Saint Clement. During my exam, I had spoken of St. Ignatius of Antioch. My professor mentioned at the end that St. Ignatius has relics in San Clemente. So Ron and I went there. It was much, much more beautiful than I had imagined. The "new" church was built in 1099! The mosaics were created when St. Anselm was alive (or something like that). That church is on top of a 4th century church. And that one is on top of a pagan temple. Incredible!
    I got down on my knees for Catholic mothers, whom I think are so much like St. Ignatius. Ignatius said in the face of being thrown to the lions in the Colosseum: "I am the wheat of the Lord. I will be ground in the teeth of the beasts and become Christ's pure bread." I think of mothers, especially open to life mothers. They get "ground up" like wheat every day, becoming nourishment for their little (and big) people. It is a lifestyle that lends itself to a Christ-like, Eucharistic way of life.

Course Completed!

    I wish I had documented how many hours I studied for my final exam for my theology class on the Eucharist at the Angelicum. I might have studied for 30-40 hours. The professor had given us 12 study questions and the exam was to be taken from them. I read, re-read, and researched and then wrote essays for each one throughout the semester. Then to study, I memorized the essays. I memorized 25 pages of notes.
    The exam was an oral exam only 15 minutes long. The last exam I had in graduate school was my comps which was 12 hours! And that was 25 years ago. Needless to say, it was a completely new experience.
    I did was well as I possibly could have done. I failed to mention 2 things that I kicked myself for afterwards. But since the exam is only 15 minutes of questioning, I think the goal is to show competency, not to cover every point. So, all in all, I think I passed. Let's hope!
     

Day 90--It is the end! Praise the Lord!

Today is exactly 90 days from the closing of schools due to the coronavirus outbreak. Look at the news: the virus has lost its force! Even those who test positive in Italy are experiencing a much less dangerous disease. Oh, thank you Lord! [Other Italian doctors are furious that this doctor is saying this. . . very controversial!]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-italy-virus/new-coronavirus-losing-potency-top-italian-doctor-says-idUSKBN2370OQ

Today is a national holiday. Then tomorrow, the world gets closer to back to normal. We can travel around Italy and the EU now! Most businesses are opening up. What a relief.

My great joy, for which I will always thank God, is that it was such a good period for my children. The quarantine brought them together in a new an better way. The 4 older ones have found "their people" in each other and ironed out the kinks of how they relate. For the rest of our lives we have the quarantine to thank for this blessing. I am also grateful for having had Jacob at home without lots of distractions in these final months before he leaves forever. Thank you, Jesus, for your mercy!

Day 89--Ponte

It is Monday and I asked the moms on the group chat for Annie's class, "Ci sono lezioni? [Are there classes today?"]They replied, "Non, c'e ponte." What does that mean??
   Tomorrow, Tuesday, is a holiday, Republic Day. Well, whenever Italians have a national holiday on a Tuesday or a Thursday, they take Monday or Friday off too! They call those days "Ponte," meaning "bridge." So, those moms wrote me, "No, there's a bridge!"
   I LOVE Italy!

Day 88-- Pentecost

It was a privilege to be able to go to Mass in an actual Church and celebrate Pentecost. The world is in shambles, from COVID-19 to the riots and burnings in the US over the death of George Floyd. I brought our aching world to Christ in the Eucharist, who did not promise to rid us of pain but who entered into our pain and makes it new. Jesus, send your Spirit and renew the face of the earth! Help those who are most oppressed, marginalized and all victims of prejudice. Help us to shine the light of Christ and bring healing to our broken world.

Day 87--It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World

Leigh, Annie, Sebastian, Ron and I watched the funniest movie, "It's a Mad Mad Mad Made World." My mom had played it for one of my birthday parties growing up--I was probably 10 years old. It is such a funny movie! People make such fools of themselves over money. It was a good spoof.

Day 86 - Studying for my final exam

I have spent hours and hours memorizing texts and theological answers to questions concerning the Eucharist for my final exam next week. I can talk now about the Manna, the theme of sacrifice in the Old and New Testaments, the institution accounts in the synoptics, the Bread of Life Discourse in the Gospel of John, the Eucharist in the Early Church, Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp, Aquinas, Luther, Trent, consubstantiation, transubstantiation, the Letter the the Hebrews, the consecration, the epiclesis, and the fruits of communion. Whew!

Day 85--Celebrating Monsignor's Ordination Anniversary

We had a lovely time celebrating Monsignor Fucinaro's 31st ordination anniversary. A lovely evening on the upper forno! Wonderful to see the campus residents!