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.