The joy of Easter was sublime--a long, quiet morning with Ron; Mass from the Vatican and the pope's address afterwards; a pancake breakfast and then a huge roasted lamb feast in the late afternoon.
The world is hurting; it is so sick; it is so broken. So many people are in horrible circumstances. This is why Easter matters. It is not supposed to be a "perfect day." It is not supposed to be without pain, anguish or struggle. It is not to avoid those things. Christ came to be in them and triumph over them. His triumph is not what we expect. So many of Jesus' followers were bitterly disappointed by him and the way he did not heal, help, save. But his way was very specific, and he did it perfectly. He restored our relationship with God by way of a perfect sacrifice. He did not eliminate pain or wrongdoing but through it he restored us and established a new covenant. What he offered was in perfect, almost unimaginable humility--for God to become human and then emptied out and crucified. And then to become food for our nourishment. His humility and self-gift are marvelous to me. I treasure him both in his death and in his resurrection. He is risen, alleluia!
Monday, April 13, 2020
Day 38--Holy Saturday
I cooked all day in preparation for Easter. I made a second cheesecake, 2 trays of brownies, and boiled easter eggs to dye. I spent more time reading articles on the Eucharist for my class at the Angelicum.
I was overwhelmed with awe at what I read: while the high priest of the Mass is Christ and the priest is an instrument of Christ, the faithful may, through charity and devotion approach a perfect participation in Christ's offering. Much depends, then, on their interior disposition. This is because a sacrifice involves a) the material offered (e.g. flesh); b) the act of offering (eg. slaughter; crucifixion); c) the interior intention and disposition of the priest. The whole sacrifice begins with (c), in that the sacrifice is not really a sacrifice if there is no interior disposition of love or desire for restoration with God. If the priest does not have a desire to honor God and give Him due praise, thanksgiving, and contrition, it is baseless. The interior disposition is the very foundation of the sacrifice. Then comes that material and the act of offering. The faithful have every chance to join with Christ in his perfect interior disposition, and by the grace of God (its impossible without grace, and is not a "work" in the Lutheran sense), the faithful's love and contrition can participate in Christ's perfect love and desire for restoration with communion/friendship with God. This made a big impact on me, and I spent the remaining time watching/participating in the Easter Vigil and Easter morning masses with great eagerness and devotion.
We participated in the pope's Easter Vigil mass in the Vatican as it was live-streamed. Then or family broke out the prosecco and cheesecake and had the most lovely "banquet" I have had in a long time. I actually had the thought, "This anticipates the heavenly banquet." I am grateful for my family.
I was overwhelmed with awe at what I read: while the high priest of the Mass is Christ and the priest is an instrument of Christ, the faithful may, through charity and devotion approach a perfect participation in Christ's offering. Much depends, then, on their interior disposition. This is because a sacrifice involves a) the material offered (e.g. flesh); b) the act of offering (eg. slaughter; crucifixion); c) the interior intention and disposition of the priest. The whole sacrifice begins with (c), in that the sacrifice is not really a sacrifice if there is no interior disposition of love or desire for restoration with God. If the priest does not have a desire to honor God and give Him due praise, thanksgiving, and contrition, it is baseless. The interior disposition is the very foundation of the sacrifice. Then comes that material and the act of offering. The faithful have every chance to join with Christ in his perfect interior disposition, and by the grace of God (its impossible without grace, and is not a "work" in the Lutheran sense), the faithful's love and contrition can participate in Christ's perfect love and desire for restoration with communion/friendship with God. This made a big impact on me, and I spent the remaining time watching/participating in the Easter Vigil and Easter morning masses with great eagerness and devotion.
We participated in the pope's Easter Vigil mass in the Vatican as it was live-streamed. Then or family broke out the prosecco and cheesecake and had the most lovely "banquet" I have had in a long time. I actually had the thought, "This anticipates the heavenly banquet." I am grateful for my family.
Saturday, April 11, 2020
Day 37--Good Friday
Today was one of the best days and honestly, one of the most truly prayerful Good Fridays I've had in a long time. This was the beautiful sight I woke up to:
I began the morning by printing out stations of the cross for Sebastian and Annie to color. They did and then we taped them around the room. Later in the night, we followed Pope Francis' Stations of the Cross by way of streaming it on the tv, and I loved having Annie and Sebastian's Stations on our walls.
Then I cooked vegetables, rice and beans for the family so that in our light eating and fasting, there would be good options. Then Sebastian, Annie and I made homemade bread as well as homemade play dough with which they played all afternoon.
We had a quiet afternoon outside where I read an article about the Eucharist. Then we came inside for the Good Friday Liturgy. It was solemn and even more so due to the world-wide crisis--it was astonishing that St. Peter's was empty and the pope was the only person to venerate (kiss) the cross of Christ.
This was a powerful passage from the Magnificat today that I am really focused on:
"The world in which we live cannot satisfy the desires that sustain the human quest for happiness. The world as it is cannot be a true home of the human heart."
This is so true. The writer goes on to say:
"Jesus accompanies our in ur exile and turns this world into the place where we encounter him, making present in this world the new world toward which he will lead us. He called it My Father's House (John 14:2). His exile ends ours. . . This world begins to participate in its destiny, a culture of life is generated. our efforts and sacrifices for justice, peace, and freedom are made worthwhile, human creativity is made fruitful, and hope is sustained."
May we all find our true home in Christ, and may our lives be various ways of participating in his goodness. May our families be a figure of the heavenly family, and may our efforts toward justice and peace be a share in the justice and peace of God.
I began the morning by printing out stations of the cross for Sebastian and Annie to color. They did and then we taped them around the room. Later in the night, we followed Pope Francis' Stations of the Cross by way of streaming it on the tv, and I loved having Annie and Sebastian's Stations on our walls.
Then I cooked vegetables, rice and beans for the family so that in our light eating and fasting, there would be good options. Then Sebastian, Annie and I made homemade bread as well as homemade play dough with which they played all afternoon.
We had a quiet afternoon outside where I read an article about the Eucharist. Then we came inside for the Good Friday Liturgy. It was solemn and even more so due to the world-wide crisis--it was astonishing that St. Peter's was empty and the pope was the only person to venerate (kiss) the cross of Christ.
This was a powerful passage from the Magnificat today that I am really focused on:
"The world in which we live cannot satisfy the desires that sustain the human quest for happiness. The world as it is cannot be a true home of the human heart."
This is so true. The writer goes on to say:
"Jesus accompanies our in ur exile and turns this world into the place where we encounter him, making present in this world the new world toward which he will lead us. He called it My Father's House (John 14:2). His exile ends ours. . . This world begins to participate in its destiny, a culture of life is generated. our efforts and sacrifices for justice, peace, and freedom are made worthwhile, human creativity is made fruitful, and hope is sustained."
May we all find our true home in Christ, and may our lives be various ways of participating in his goodness. May our families be a figure of the heavenly family, and may our efforts toward justice and peace be a share in the justice and peace of God.
Friday, April 10, 2020
Day 36--Holy Thursday
It was a poignant Holy Thursday, watching the pope celebrate the beginning of the Triduum from an almost-empty St. Peter's Basilica. His voice shook, he seemed frail and aged, almost like he has had a stroke. His message was powerful to me. After speaking about priests nobly serving the sick and dying during this epidemic, he said, "They are noble, but they are sinners. And bishops are sinners. And the pope is a sinner." He spoke about how we are all sinners, and in need of great mercy.
He continued with the reminder of Christ's words, that we will be forgiven by God in the measure we forgive others. The more we forgive our offenders, the more God will have mercy on us. This message got my mind going on how badly most of us feel for ourselves when we get hurt. But in the Christian faith, such moments are opportunities. They are opportunities to lavish someone else with unmerited, undeserved kindness. They are opportunities to love our enemies--not just put up with them, but love them.
I am praying for God's help to become a Christian, the real kind that sees hurts, no matter how egregious, no matter how unthoughtful, unwarranted, disgusting, unprecedented, undeserved, unimaginable, or intolerable as welcomed chances to BE MERCY.
As Aquinas says, mercy is God's signature.
He continued with the reminder of Christ's words, that we will be forgiven by God in the measure we forgive others. The more we forgive our offenders, the more God will have mercy on us. This message got my mind going on how badly most of us feel for ourselves when we get hurt. But in the Christian faith, such moments are opportunities. They are opportunities to lavish someone else with unmerited, undeserved kindness. They are opportunities to love our enemies--not just put up with them, but love them.
I am praying for God's help to become a Christian, the real kind that sees hurts, no matter how egregious, no matter how unthoughtful, unwarranted, disgusting, unprecedented, undeserved, unimaginable, or intolerable as welcomed chances to BE MERCY.
As Aquinas says, mercy is God's signature.
Thursday, April 9, 2020
Day 35--YouTube Video
Here is the second video in my series for Mighty is Her Call, support for mothers in quarantine. It's called #Apocalypse. It took SO LONG to make! And then, I completely redid the last part of the family after we did our Bible study, which took so much longer! It is a very steep learning curve!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYJBWZnwmQk&t=21s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYJBWZnwmQk&t=21s
Day 34--Hair Cut
Me: "Would any of you be willing to give me a haircut?"
Clare: "Have you SEEN what I did to my Barbie dolls' hair when I was young?"
Later, Mary was cutting my hair. But then we got distracted. So now I am walking around with 1/3 of a hair cut!?!?!
Clare: "Have you SEEN what I did to my Barbie dolls' hair when I was young?"
Later, Mary was cutting my hair. But then we got distracted. So now I am walking around with 1/3 of a hair cut!?!?!
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
Day 33--Rombses Losing their English
Leigh: "I'm suppose-ed to do a video chat now."
Me: "Supposed to."
Leigh: "Oh yeah."
Annie: "You got pastickios! Oh, what are they called?"
Me: "Pistachios."
Jacob: "It was broughten there."
Me: "Do you mean 'brought'?"
Jacob: "Oh man, what's wrong with me?"
Sebastian: "My soldier muscles are getting bigger" (as he places his fingers on his shoulders).
Me: "Shoulder."
Sebastian: "Shoulder? Soldier? Oh yeah, shoulder."
They're losing their Italian, not going to school anymore. But they've lost their English too!
Me: "Supposed to."
Leigh: "Oh yeah."
Annie: "You got pastickios! Oh, what are they called?"
Me: "Pistachios."
Jacob: "It was broughten there."
Me: "Do you mean 'brought'?"
Jacob: "Oh man, what's wrong with me?"
Sebastian: "My soldier muscles are getting bigger" (as he places his fingers on his shoulders).
Me: "Shoulder."
Sebastian: "Shoulder? Soldier? Oh yeah, shoulder."
They're losing their Italian, not going to school anymore. But they've lost their English too!
Monday, April 6, 2020
Day 32--Peaceful Weekend
Saturday night, the kids threw a house party on the second floor, blasting music and dancing, and even Annie was included. Ron and I took a stroll through the vineyard and noticed the stars and sky. We stood at the street and stared at the empty street--I counted to 122 between the passing of one car to the next. Incredible. But it is an amazing chance to stop and let other things come into focus.
Sunday morning, I put Sebastian in the bathtub while Annie and I did our nails and hair. We got dressed up for "church" which was streaming the Mass from Dallas on our screen. Palm Sunday has never been so surreal--I've never sat through the Passion Gospel Narrative before.
I spent time reading a book outside while Ron played guitar. It was a lovely, lazy afternoon. I had a nice talk with Leah and I also finished filming my video podcast series, "Restoring Peace" that will be blasted over the next month for Mighty Is Her Call. I made roasted lamb and red potatoes and remembered the thank God for a few of His choicest blessings in my life. I pray for those most in need, the sick, the dying, the hungry and homeless, the infirmed, the lonely, the elderly who are so scared right now. May the Lord grant us mercy and restore us to health.
Here is a view of the sunset from our house. Thank you, Lord!
Sunday morning, I put Sebastian in the bathtub while Annie and I did our nails and hair. We got dressed up for "church" which was streaming the Mass from Dallas on our screen. Palm Sunday has never been so surreal--I've never sat through the Passion Gospel Narrative before.
I spent time reading a book outside while Ron played guitar. It was a lovely, lazy afternoon. I had a nice talk with Leah and I also finished filming my video podcast series, "Restoring Peace" that will be blasted over the next month for Mighty Is Her Call. I made roasted lamb and red potatoes and remembered the thank God for a few of His choicest blessings in my life. I pray for those most in need, the sick, the dying, the hungry and homeless, the infirmed, the lonely, the elderly who are so scared right now. May the Lord grant us mercy and restore us to health.
Here is a view of the sunset from our house. Thank you, Lord!
Saturday, April 4, 2020
Day 31--Food Restictions
Freaking me out--one of the first times in a long time that I have lost my balance in this pandemic. The government here in our region has established designated times that were are allowed to go to the grocery store. They do it by the first letter of you last name. The first half of the alphabet can go to the store on Monday and Wednesday and Friday; the second half on Tuesday and Thursday, and Saturday. You have to go for a specific time slot--only about a 4 hour window.
Not to be able to leave the house even to take a walk; not to be able to leave beyond 100 meters of our property line; and now, the grocery store only at designated times--its a lot of restrictions.
We will be okay. But it is a lot to process! Isaiah 26:3: "He is kept in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee."
Not to be able to leave the house even to take a walk; not to be able to leave beyond 100 meters of our property line; and now, the grocery store only at designated times--its a lot of restrictions.
We will be okay. But it is a lot to process! Isaiah 26:3: "He is kept in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee."
Friday, April 3, 2020
Day 30--Friday is Crazy
Friday is so crazy. The kids are frazzled and ready for a weekend. I discovered I had 177 messages on a What's App thread for Annie's class and I had missed her whole school being transferred to a different online learning platform! But what I really missed was a bunch of Italians shouting their preferences and ideas, and then a decision finally getting made. So, today I signed the form and sent it in. Voila. Apparently, I didn't miss anything!
Then I made a feast of a dinner and we watched a family movie, "13 to 30" or something like that. Sebastian was passed out in my bed with Frozen blaring from the iPad. Super cute. The the girls scampered downstairs to go watch Tangled as a post-movie-movie. Again, super cute.
I love my kids.
Then I made a feast of a dinner and we watched a family movie, "13 to 30" or something like that. Sebastian was passed out in my bed with Frozen blaring from the iPad. Super cute. The the girls scampered downstairs to go watch Tangled as a post-movie-movie. Again, super cute.
I love my kids.
Thursday, April 2, 2020
Day 28--Annoying Italians
As much as I love being here, there are some REALLY ANNOYING THINGS about the Italians. I love them as people but they have some frustrating ways. For example:
1. They don't know how to stand in line. They create clusters and mobs, but never lines. Well now, with the COVID-19-grocery store restrictions, we are supposed to form a line outside the store. There are large crates that form channels we are to stand in, creating a snake sort of line. No kidding, I stood there this morning while the Italians yelled at each other and me, bossily dictating where people should stand. But it was ALL WRONG. There were huge gaps and even a whole row of the snaked line completely vacant. Even when they try with all their effort to form a line, they can't freaking do it.
2. They just cannot seem to get words and expressions correct. For example, in Leigh's online classes, they call "video lessione" the virtual, streaming lessons that the students are supposed to log in to and attend. But the teachers also make recorded lessons, and they also call these "video lessione." They tell the students to do this "video lessione" and the students get all confused where to log in or where to find the recording. It is so, super stupid! I really don't see why they cannot see the importance of giving these things different names! It's just not that hard.
3. Clare has a textbook for her government class. I'm not joking--the book has 2 chapter one's. Really! It has 2 chapter two's and 2 chapter 3's, and so on. Really?!?!?!!!#*###>?! At the beginning of the year, she studied the first chapter one when chapter one was assigned. But no, she was supposed to have started with the second chapter one (why would they EVER start with the beginning?). And I understand that some text books are divided in parts. But they should still not start over in numbering the chapters. That's just stupid. We got a good laugh (not a very nice one, either) about how the Italian government textbook probably reflects rather accurately the Italian government.
Please excuse my outburst. I try really really hard to accept the fact that I am the foreigner and not impose my way of doing things on them. But sometimes I just marvel!
It's a good reminder that we are all so silly and laughable. Italians have their ways, but Americans and I in particular have my own way of doing things that must be really annoying and ridiculous to other people. It's good to keep a healthy sense of Shakespeare's famous line, "Ah what fools these mortals be!"
1. They don't know how to stand in line. They create clusters and mobs, but never lines. Well now, with the COVID-19-grocery store restrictions, we are supposed to form a line outside the store. There are large crates that form channels we are to stand in, creating a snake sort of line. No kidding, I stood there this morning while the Italians yelled at each other and me, bossily dictating where people should stand. But it was ALL WRONG. There were huge gaps and even a whole row of the snaked line completely vacant. Even when they try with all their effort to form a line, they can't freaking do it.
2. They just cannot seem to get words and expressions correct. For example, in Leigh's online classes, they call "video lessione" the virtual, streaming lessons that the students are supposed to log in to and attend. But the teachers also make recorded lessons, and they also call these "video lessione." They tell the students to do this "video lessione" and the students get all confused where to log in or where to find the recording. It is so, super stupid! I really don't see why they cannot see the importance of giving these things different names! It's just not that hard.
3. Clare has a textbook for her government class. I'm not joking--the book has 2 chapter one's. Really! It has 2 chapter two's and 2 chapter 3's, and so on. Really?!?!?!!!#*###>?! At the beginning of the year, she studied the first chapter one when chapter one was assigned. But no, she was supposed to have started with the second chapter one (why would they EVER start with the beginning?). And I understand that some text books are divided in parts. But they should still not start over in numbering the chapters. That's just stupid. We got a good laugh (not a very nice one, either) about how the Italian government textbook probably reflects rather accurately the Italian government.
Please excuse my outburst. I try really really hard to accept the fact that I am the foreigner and not impose my way of doing things on them. But sometimes I just marvel!
It's a good reminder that we are all so silly and laughable. Italians have their ways, but Americans and I in particular have my own way of doing things that must be really annoying and ridiculous to other people. It's good to keep a healthy sense of Shakespeare's famous line, "Ah what fools these mortals be!"
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