As I plow through the baccalaureate degree in theology at the Angelicum, the intensity of this demanding program is mitigated by the loveliness of my circumstances.
Late night study sessions in which I probe the relationship between acquired and infused virtues according to St. Thomas Aquinas while Sebastian learns "gr" words in his second grade spelling book can be magical.
My husband is my favorite person with whom to spend a day. He and I went out in Rome to celebrate his birthday. We walked around the Circus Maximus, remembering the first Christian martyrs of Rome who died there. I noticed a church and we discovered it is that of Saint Anastasia. It is so named because of THE Saint Anastasia, whom we remember in Mass, who is buried under the main altar. It is also so named for a Roman matron, Anastasia, whose property became the church for which her namesake was buried. So there are 2 Anastasias whom we honor there.
In typical Ron-like fashion, my husband stood for a while reading the Latin inscriptions by the side altar. One says that St. Jerome is likely to have said Mass there; the second says that the bones of the second Anastasia (the Roman matron) are buried there. Saint Anastasia, pray for us!
Then we had a wonderful lunch and bought Ron some birthday gifts. We talked about our life, past, present and future, and it was hard to express just how many blessings we enjoy.
The most romantic part: we were walking by a store and I noted how beautiful the dress in the window was. Ron walked right into the store and bought it! It was like so many years ago when he bought me a cello just because I wanted to learn how to play. He is so delightfully impulsive. It is incredibly endearing.
