Monthly Archives: August 2013

Eisenhower the Prophet?

You will please regard this not as a political commentary, but a cultural one.  Recently I had cause to read the farewell address of President Dwight Eisenhower given on January 17, 1961 shortly before the Inauguration of the new President, John Kennedy.

Looking backwards in history there seemed to be some prophetic, if you will, insights that he made and I would care to draw your attention to them and comment briefly.  I have quoted various snippets of the speech, you will find a video of the full speech linked below.

Throughout America’s adventure in free government, our basic purposes have been to keep the peace, to foster progress in human achievement, and to enhance liberty, dignity, and integrity among peoples and among nations. To strive for less would be unworthy of a free and religious people.  Any failure traceable to arrogance, or our lack of comprehension, or readiness to sacrifice would inflict upon us grievous hurt, both at home and abroad.

Do we not see the inherent link made by this president, like so many before him, between authentic freedom and religion.  It has been, up until now, the undying assertion of American leadership the the authentic search for freedom is tied up in the authentic search for the Divine.

We face a hostile ideology global in scope, atheistic in character, ruthless in purpose, and insidious in method.

Again, only repeated in the negative sense, the clear assertion of the danger of atheistic character.  Obviously he is referring to the Soviet Union with this line but, tied with the line above the opposition between the two is clear.

Crises there will continue to be. In meeting them, whether foreign or domestic, great or small, there is a recurring temptation to feel that some spectacular and costly action could become the miraculous solution to all current difficulties.

Here is the warning against false messianism, the notion that we can become our own savior, that something or things we can do will bring an end to all ills.

We annually spend on military security alone more than the net income of all United States corporations.  Now this conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence — economic, political, even spiritual — is felt in every city, every Statehouse, every office of the Federal government.

Do we not see this in our own time, a huge and unquestioned military budget exists without comment in this nation.  No one would question the need for the greatest military in the world to protect this nation.  But, while the need is not questioned, does that mean that no other questions should be asked either?

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted.

Yet we take so many things for granted.  The Federal government can suspend habeus corpus, a citizen can be indefinitely detained, your phone can be tapped, your correspondence monitored, why the President even has the legal authority to order the assassination of American citizens.  We object so little as to be no objection at all.

The prospect of domination of the nation’s scholars by Federal employment, project allocations, and the power of money is ever present — and is gravely to be regarded.

Witness the utter triumph of utilitarianism that serves the means of the state.  Knowledge is not pursued for the sake of knowledge nor even to the mere betterment of mankind but, ultimately, to serve the ends dictated by the state.

Yet, in holding scientific research and discovery in respect, as we should, we must also be alert to the equal and opposite danger that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientific-technological elite.

Should the NSA listen to your phone conversations?  Should Google keep all of your information on file forever?  Should Intel record every keystroke of your computer?  Should whatever federal organization have access to your information at the drop of a hat?  Who cares?!  We can do it, so we should.  Plus, these technological people are so much smarter and more advanced than you so quit wasting time asking these silly questions.

We cannot mortgage the material assets of our grandchildren without risking the loss also of their political and spiritual heritage. We want democracy to survive for all generations to come, not to become the insolvent phantom of tomorrow.

“Insolvent phantom of tomorrow”  Wow, that’s a line, if ever there was one.  Does Eisenhower see something in the future?  Is this a warning or merely a comment and encouragement?

Disarmament, with mutual honor and confidence, is a continuing imperative. . . Together we must learn how to compose differences, not with arms, but with intellect and decent purpose.  As one who has witnessed the horror and the lingering sadness of war, as one who knows that another war could utterly destroy this civilization which has been so slowly and painfully built over thousands of years, I wish I could say tonight that a lasting peace is in sight.

Ideas, solid ideas and experience, a knowledge of the human person, of the world in which he lives and the desire for the good of all must drive our discourse.  Certainly Eisenhower is talking about something different from the current political landscape but does he not address, inadvertently, the cultural and philosophical landscape of our time?  How much we talk at each other and shout past each other.  There is an anger in the air that leads people to combat, to fight.  The fight is no holds barred and only one man left standing.  Yet this puts civilization at risk.  It is time for the end of this mere emotionalism that is so regnant in social discourse and philosophy.  It is time for virtue to regain its foothold and the intellect to assert its rights.

Let me finish with an early line from President John Kennedy’s Inaugural Address, which was given only three days after Eisenhower’s Farewell Address.

For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe — the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God.

The human person and the Divinity cannot be separated nor can one oppose the Other.  It is only in reference to the transcendent God that the rights of man can be observed and only through a true fear of God will they be respected.  Atheistic humanism is a myth, politically, economically and socially.  It will always lead to a tyranny and abuse, perhaps technocratic, perhaps utilitarian, perhaps military, perhaps economic, perhaps social, usually a combination  of those.  This has long been asserted by the leaders of our nation and we might  be reminded to assert it still.

This, of course, means that we do not give in to a militarily dominated mindset.  It means we do not bend the knee to technology, much less the technocrats.  We do not live our lives only for ourselves but for the other and for the future.  We love all things in their place and respect all people as we should.  But we do no deny the rights of God nor His Creation for if we do, we will only end up denying the rights of man as well.

Link here to Eisenhower’s full speech.

I Listened to my Mother

The last week or so has been extremely frustrating to say the least with delays in shipping, lack of sleep and delay in Italian study.

But, my parents have been the best.  My dad has been doing yeoman’s work in getting my shipping situation worked out.  It isn’t finished yet but we are moving forward.  I am very lucky to have a Dad who always looks out for me and shows me what it is to work hard for people who are not yourself.

But sleepless nights – the worst form of jet-lag I’ve every had – combined with this frustration and delay have made the days difficult.  So when I was on the phone with my parents on Friday, my Dad worked hard for me and was most reassuring.  My Mom was extremely cheerful and encouraging as she could tell how frustrated I was.  At the time I didn’t take it well.  I’m sorry Mom, as usual, you were right.

In short she said, ‘go out, visit the saints, have a little gelato and read a book, let St. Aloysius be a friend since everyone else is away.’  I listened but was hardly receptive and she took all my angst with maternal cheer and showed me a lot of love.

When I woke up on Saturday morning, which is to say when I got out of bed around 6:45 since I woke up at 1:05 and couldn’t fall asleep the rest of the night, which has been par for the course.  I was ornery, upset and rather down to say the least.

First, I chatted via Skype with one of the most beautiful women in the world.  I am lucky to know her and she always brightens my day.  I told her about my chat with my parents and she too encouraged me to take Mom’s advice and so I started the day.  I was tired and irritable but off I went for the morning routine.  It was slow to say the least but after the usual morning I decided I would heed my Mother and go out.

The day was getting hot and was still feeling annoyed and frustrated with life and because of the heat I decided to go incognito, that is to say I wore the black shoes, black pants and light blue polo.  I bought a couple of new polo shirts before I left, the first time in 4 years, and boy they make these things out of some funky stuff, very light and cool which was so helpful.  Thus clad I went out int the Roman morning about 10:30 and headed to St. Peter’s so I could go to Confession, it was time to unload some spiritual weight.

Speaking of weight, I’ve dropped about 7 pounds since I’ve been in Rome, the great effectiveness of the ‘don’t sleep and don’t eat’ diet.

I left the back door of the Casa Santa Maria at 10:36 am, a bit later that I might have wanted to but there were some emails to answer and laundry to do.  It seemed like the mood to take the scenic route to St. Peter’s so I could pass through some of the lovely areas of a lovely city.  You see, I live so close to so many wonderful places, as does everyone who lives in Rome.  First I went past the Pantheon – it is a wonderful building with a beautiful fountain in the square and, while flooded with tourists it is always worth seeing.

While to bus moves faster and there are quicker paths to St. Peter’s, I wanted to go through the great Piazza Navona, the most beautiful piazza in Rome.   It also seemed fitting as the Piazza Navona is the site of the martyrdom of St. Agnes, one of my great loves and whose intercession I very much need.  It’s true that this is a great tourist hub but it’s one of the things I love about the Piazza Navona, the great baroque church of Santa Agnese in Agone, built over the site of her death, the great fountains by Bernini with giant obelisk in the middle.  That doesn’t even mention the beautiful baroque buildings all around, the restaurants the all of the painters, photographers, sketch artists, dancers and various others things.  It is the most fun at night, but even in the morning there is a great beauty.

The Piazza Navona

The Piazza Navona

Even at 10:45 there was not much activity in lovely Rome  but was very nice to walk when it was a bit cooler.  The humidity is way up and it is better to be out while the temperature is cool and the shade is a particular helper.  It is always odd to see this city slow and a bit empty, you realize how much tourism dominates the landscape.  It was a pleasant walk through old street and along the old buildings.  True, one might wonder, why so old, why not modernize more than they have?  But there is more than nostalgia here, there is the hint of a world that paid more attention to interior realities or at least as much to interior realities as exterior ones.  It is nostalgia, but more than mere nostalgia, it is a fallen world’s appeal to beauty and it makes for a nice walk down to the Tiber River.

I was sure to cross the Tiber along the Ponte Sant Angelo, which leads across the river to the Castel Sant Angelo, old fortress of the Popes on the Western side of the Tiber.

Ponte Sant Angelo

Ponte Sant Angelo

The angels along the bridge all hold the instruments of the Passion of Our Lord and, even though it is full of touristic types and the various persons hocking their junk it’s not that hard to be inspired to meditate on how the suffering of Jesus lead to the beauty of the Resurrection and life therein.  Plus, when you cross the bridge you turn left and get a stunning view and straight walk right up to St. Peter’s Basilica.

Road to St. Peter's

Road to St. Peter’s

Not bad, right?

By now it was a little before 11:00 and the tourists where out, especially around St. Peter’s.  Two groups dominate the scene, Germans and Chinese.  True enough there is every nation, race, language and tribe under the sun in the great Piazza San Pietro, there are special concentration of these two groups.  As I walked up the the queue into the basilica I had a great fortune.  I was trapped between tour groups, the one in back of me was German, the one in front was French.  It is my own opinion that there is no language so strong and forthright as the German tongue and no language so light and cheerful as the lingua Franca.  Were they here for pious reasons?  Who knows.  I listened happily to what seemed an odd yet beautiful symphony of chitter-chatter.

Saint Peter’s was as usual, packed with people and loud.  The ushers try, to no avail, to lower the voices of tour-guides and tourists alike.  There is nothing other than wide eyes and a bevy of camera, smartphones and iPads taking all manner of picture of everything.  Some of this I understand, some I don’t get at all.

There must have been fifty or so people standing around the funeral monument of Queen Christian of Sweden.   Famously and admirably she renounced the crown of Lutheran Sweden when she converted to the Faith in 1654.  Her monument is in the upper part of the basilica while her body is buried down in the Vatican Grottoes.  I wonder how many picture-takers at her monument know or cared about any of this?  Did they have devotion to Queen Christina?  Or did they, rather, see something pretty and take a snap like they did of every other pretty thing?  My guess is that later – my guess is that all of the modern people, so surrounded and all sides by the sterile, technocratic, suburban convenience of their lives that can’t tell the difference between pretty and beautiful and that when they see anything that smacks of one or the other they must gobble it up with their technocratic power so as to posses it.   Thus there is so much picture taking around Rome.  There is a dying capacity to be taken into beauty, such a thing frightens us, it demands of us, makes demands of us.  So we picture take – no need to be drawn out of myself, such a thing is to scary for the sovereign self.

You might find such a reflection odd in a post filled with pictures.  I make a distinction – I have seen and meditated on all of these places I have photographed many times before and what you see are all the pictures I took and took for the purpose of this blog.  Pictures have a great use, they can take us to a place where we are not and so the taking of some photos is a good, wise, even a holy endeavor.  I simply wonder how many people spend their touring of great places behind a camera and in doing so may lose the capacity to enter into the thing before them.

No more sermonizing, for now.  I entered the great basilica, fought the photographs for a dip in the holy water font, greeted our Lady’s image of the Pieta and made for the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.

This was harder than one might imagine as there was a great line to get in, guarded by the usher’s of the basilica.  This is both a heartening and a sad thing.  Heartening because there are so many who want into Our Lord’s Presence and because the church wants to make sure that place is kept for silence and prayer.  Sad because so many want in to snap a secret picture and get out and it is a great effort to keep this holy place in a sacral sense.  So, I simply stepped to the side to a window where I could catch a glimpse Our Lord through the window, made my greeting and then walked to the transept where confessions are heard.

Blessed be God!  I made my confession to Christ Jesus through a Dutch Franciscan who exhorted me to pray in a beautiful way.  I walked away with deep peace, feeling the humidity, but with a deep peace.  Easily I made my way out as the area of Confessions in the one place where the tourist is kept out.  Oh, there are artistic glories there to be sure, and great saints (Gregory the Great and Josephat) but only those who want Mercy make their way in.

After Confession I did go and wait my turn in line for the Blessed Sacrament chapel as it was only proper to a good deal of time with Jesus after going to Confession.  The line had, mercifully, shrunk down quite a bit and after only about five minutes (including a bit longer delay due to the nuns who butted in line, which is a regular happening) I was in the chapel where I prayed for quite a while, about an hour.  Our Lord was present in Eucharistic Adoration, which was especially beautiful – it is fitting beyond measure that Jesus Christ the Resurrected should be surrounded by all the splendor and beauty that the world can offer and have all that beauty fall into the simple white Beauty of the All-in-All that is Divinity on the altar, Whose beauty no earthly glory can match.

When the time of prayer was finished I walked out again, a bit sweaty but full of goodness in my heart.  The basilica was a bit un-comfortable you see.  The temperature was much cooler than outside, the thick stone kept things quite cool.  But the humidity was also much higher.  The doors and some windows were open and many, many people came in so as the humidity seeped in it had nowhere else to go and so hung in the air.  By the time I was heading out and had a clear sense of that cool, clammy humidity.  Plus, it was nearly 13:00 and so the heat outside was up and the full flood of pilgrims and tourists were filling the basilica.  So I left the Light of the World and entered the light of the world to make my way home.

Brother sun was at full force by this time, it reached about 95 degrees and the humidity could certainly be felt.  I had not eaten or drunk anything since I woke up and was feeling a bit un-comfortable.  It was good to keep a little fast until confession and I have to say that my heart was full but I needed to find a little something to drink and so I did.  It is fortunate that there are endless places for this right out of the square.  I had three worldly goals that day; 1) buy soap, 2) buy a candle and 3) buy some flowers.  The first was easily accomplished as I stopped at a place outside the square that sells many this’s and that’s made by various monastic orders from around Italy.  I bought some very manly-smelling soap made by Trappist monks somewhere up north and felt that contemporary sense of moral goodness that comes from buying organic and went out into the Roman sun.

Shade is a great friend on such days and I have become quite adept at finding the shade.  It isn’t that hard once mid-day has passed as there are many buildings around the city and so you find the shady side (I look so forward to the day when, “The sun will not beat down on them, nor any scorching heat.” Rev. 7:16) and walk close to the buildings.  I walked back a different way than  I came so as to go through and old part of the city and come to the Campo de’ Fiori, another one of the more famous squares (it’s more of a rectangle) in Rome.  It was a bit sad as most shops were closed for the August holiday.  I don’t begrudge them vacation but there are many art shops and other like places along those roads.

They are also very old roads with many of the old buildings.

Via dei Cappellari

Via dei Cappellari

I made particularly sure to walk down the Via dei Cappellari, which comes right into the Campo de’ Fiori and has this tavern right near the end.

Crusader Pug

I hope to one day to have a drink at the Crusader Pub, just to what it is like.

Campo de' Fiori

Campo de’ Fiori

While the Campo de’ Fiori was full of happy people, there were no flowers (fiori is Italian for flowers) and I suppose this made sense as it was about 13:30 and quite hot so I suppose that, if there had been any flowers, they would have wilted out in the heat so long.  I thought I might search a couple of the local markets for some spirits and came to learn that Italians apparently do not have any affinity for bourbon so out I went back to the streets heading back to the Piazza Navona so that I might eat and then visit St. Agnese in Agone.

Very near the square, almost on it but not quite, the is a restaurant called 4 Colonne that had caught my eye a couple of years ago and has been highly reviewed by the Roman restaurant critics.  Previously the expatriates I was with that it would surely be ‘too touristy’ because it was so close to Navona.  Indeed, I  have found that, while there is truth to the clear tourist restaurants that only the expatriates – the long standing tourists – complain about touristy restaurants.  Here is a little secret: there are nice restaurants near the famous places too.  Why?  Because the beautiful places are beautiful to both locals and tourists, why shouldn’t the locals want to eat while looking at something beautiful.

So in I went and found a beautiful place.  It was small and very clean with high walls and simple decor that was an interesting combination of classic and contemporary feel.  Outside was a small deck with only about seven or so tables and from where I sat I could look out and see about half the Piazza Navona, including the great fountain in the middle.  It as shaded and a light breeze was going which made for a comfortable place.  Plus, it is just off the square and so it was rather more quiet.  I read from the fiction I am currently enjoying and had a lovely lunch.  It was excellent!  The table setting was classic yet un-complicated the service was the best I have ever had in Rome and until that moment I had no idea how good carbonara could be.  The only thing that could have been more pleasant would have been good friends about.

When lunch was finished, it was a little after 15:45 I walked through the square and went into St. Agnese in Agone, visited or Lord in the Tabernacle and then went to the back chapel which contains the skull of St. Agnes.  I must confess that I find the church of her burial, the basilica of St. Agnese fuori la Mura, to be a much more consoling place and easier to pray.   But I wanted to greet my little saint – some have heard me say that, while I am completely celibate I do have a girlfriend, St. Agnes, who always does something to help me out or make me smile.  There are always so many people who come in to see the great dome of the basilica and wander about that it is not easy to pray there, so I visited Our Lord who remains where He belongs, dead center in the sanctuary of the church, and then to visit St. Agnes’ relics and ask her help in keeping a pure heart and chaste life.

It is a beautiful thing too when you step out of that church as you open right on to the great Fountain of the Four Rivers by Bernini.

Fountain of the Four Rivers

Fountain of the Four Rivers

From there it is not far back to the Pantheon.  I hoped the Vodaphone store might be open and I could finish the work to obtain a cell-phone but it was not so, another time.  I did wander about some shops and look at many of the fun things but had no intent to buy.  What a great area of Rome I live in, in the picture below you see the Pantheon just on the right and straight ahead the street that leads up the the Piazza San Igancio and then to the Casa Santa Maria.

My mother had suggested I go pray by St. Aloysius and so I thought to do so.  It didn’t take long to get to the church of San Ignacio (St. Ignatius) which does not have the relics of St. Ignatius but rather the bodies of St. Robert Bellarmine, St. John Berchmanns and St. Aloysius Gonzaga.  I love this church, above the central nave is a painting that represents the evangelization of the world, there is an amazing side chapel of the Crucifixion, the Tabernacle remains in the center of a beautiful sanctuary and just off in the right side transept is the altar of St. Aloysius under which is his body.  I sat down to do my afternoon mental prayer there.  It was a bit difficult as the church as quite humid and I forgot that the late afternoon is particularly full of visitors and so it was a bit distracting with all the goings on.

Nonetheless it was good to be there and pray and after the time of mental prayer go to the Marian chapel to say my Rosary.  It all made for a great sense of peace in my heart, my mind and my soul.  I walked out into the beautiful square, which I have tried to capture in photos – it is an amazing baroque square and only about three blocks away from the Casa Santa Maria and two blocks from the Pantheon.

Look outside the front of San Ignacio

Look outside the front of San Ignacio

Facade of San Ignacio

Facade of San Ignacio

San Ignacio on the right, road to my house straight ahead.

San Ignacio on the right, road to my house straight ahead.

By the time I was walking home I thought, why not head up the the Trevi Fountain, it’s not far from my house and I might check out the stores in between.  What great idea that was!  True, it was hot and the day was getting long.  All around me were the red and glistening faces of the tourists who had been running all around holy Rome and, no matter how much shade you might find, it wears on a person, a day of walking everywhere up and down the hills in the heat and humidity.  I was so amazingly pleased at the following:

1)  There are all kinds of super-neat stores that sell all sorts of stuff I was looking for!

2)  Rome is full of stores selling terrible liquor and finally I found two, less than a block away that sell the good ones!

3) The Trevi Fountain is about three minutes away from my front door!  Sure, it is packed with people all of the time, but it is really very beautiful and a fun place to be.

What a day, and by now it was after 17:00 and I was feeling rather tired.  I walked back home and took a long, cold shower.  After that I made some coffee – needed to stay away until at least 21:30 – and read from my novel.  I had a lovely Skype with the Fassino’s and my parents, started writing this post and then went to bed.

Laus Deo, I slept for the first time in ten days!  Seriously, I have had a terrible time sleeping and last night I slept  twelve and a half hours!  Today has been a very smooth day – prayer, Mass, a short walk, lunch, reading, typing, about to Skype with some friends.

All thanks to the good work of my parents and some particular enouragement from my Mom.  Thank you, I love you!

Listen to your mother, things might work out, at least if she is as good as my Mom!  So many beautiful things are all around us.  True, Rome has things more famous and many saints, but I bet there are beautiful things near you as well.

Buon Domenica to you all, I love you from my priestly heart all the way from felix Roma!

(sorry if there are spelling/grammar errors, I did’t edit the post.)

Assumpta est Maria in Caelum – and she will help us get there too!

“Love for our Mother will be the breath that kindles into a living flame the embers of virtue hidden in the ashes of your indifference.” – St. Josemaria Escriva, The Way #492

When I was younger, an early teenager, my family was on vacation at Pennisula State Park in Door County, WI.  We camped there most summers for vacation and some of my happiest memories took place at that wonderful park.

One day in the late morning, around 9:30/10:00 the old man who was camping next to us called my brother and me over to his site, he wanted to show us something.  Like us, he and his wife had a large fire the night before and had stayed up rather late watching it burn down.  By this time in the morning all you could see was a pile of grey ash.  It smelled like nothing and, of course, you couldn’t breath in deeply lest the ash choke you.  There was no heat, no real warmth at all coming from this dry heap.

The old man brought over some dry leaves and small sticks.  He put his hands into the pile of ash and gently pushed them to the side until he found, deep near the bottom, a small white ember on which he blew very gently, turning it the vibrant red to tell us fire was contained therein.  Slowly and methodically he showed us how to pile the dry grass, then leaves, then small twigs until a fire was going and we could place on the logs and had a huge fire going that seemed to add light even to the morning sky.

As you can tell, this memory always stayed with me and when I first read the above quote from St. Josemaria some years ago it came immediately into my mind.

The Infinite God flooded our hearts with Spirit and fire on the day of our baptism and fanned into a burning flame when we were confirmed.  This is divine truth, a cosmic reality.  But it does not always feel so.  The Maker of all comes into our souls during the night-time of the stain of original sin and lights a huge and undying fire.  Yet, you may say, it seems to have died out.  There is no bright light, no warm heat, nothing to ward off the darkness and shadow all around me.  Indeed, there is nothing in my soul but a pile of ash.  O, perhaps in my youth the fire burned bright, when I was good, when I was child-like, when I believed in goodness of God and His creation.

Vanity of vanities, all things are vanity, and chasing after the wind.

Yet there is one who knows a greater truth and has been given the power to show it.  “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and shall name him Jesus.”  The flame was first burning in her, as a secret, in a hidden place, not yet for the world to see.  Even after His birth He “went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. ”  He was hidden with her until the time of His manifestation before all Israel.

“Behold your mother” He says from the Cross.  She, the Virgin Mary has been give a particular power – to bring Christ Jesus to birth in souls until the end of time.

Statue of Mary in the Garden at the Casa Santa Maria

Statue of Mary in the Garden at the Casa Santa Maria

 

Mary know the pathway through the ash-heap of life down to the bright fire within.  You see, there is nothing we can do the will put out Jesus Christ.  Oh, we might cover over His light and fire with all manner of things, all the dust and ash of the world but He is never utterly gone from the baptized soul.  Does He seem far away, hard to see, hard to follow, hard to trust?  Well call out His name, Jesus!

Is it hard to even call out His name?  Mary will help, she will clear off the ashes.  God will never force anything but He is the All-Holy One, the  burning fire.   Mary can clear the way and give a gently breathe to fan the little flame in your heart.  Devotion to her will make you, and me, and everyone a great and burning fire of Jesus Christ.  Do we wish to be burning like the Holy Spirit?  Well, imitate the Apostles before Pentecost who were “gathered in prayer, with Mary, the Mother of Jesus.”

Tomorrow, August the 15th, is the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven.  I am rather alone in this huge building in this huge city.  The humidity is up.  My packages still haven’t arrived and probably won’t until Monday (thank you ferragosto.)  I’ve asked a few time, “God, what am I doing here?”  It’s hard to pray, hard to focus, hard. . .

Why complain, why stare at the ash heap of my whining and indifference?  Mary will help, she will help to breathe these things into a living flame – the flame that is Jesus Christ.

Not the Best Day but Not Bad

So it was out into the Roman morning around 8:45 am as I had woken up early – namely I didn’t sleep a wink last night – did my thing and turned in my papers for the famous permisso soggornio (sp?)  The permisso is one more nonsense Italian rule to bilk people out of money.  It is like a visa that says you have a visa, which you already have and paid $140 for so that now you get to pay 160 euro for the second visa that doesn’t say anything your actual visa doesn’t say.

The morning was very nice, it was humid but very cool and there was NO ONE out and about.  True, most of the stores were closed but I got to stroll the Roman streets in peace and a bit of cool.  I returned about 11:00 and was really tired since, as mentioned above, I didn’t sleep at all.  I was to wait for a phone call between 12:00 – 13:30 from my Italian helper at the Casa to go out and actually send in the stuff to obtain the permisso.  The phone rang promptly at 13:13 and down I went.

I will spare you the details of our very, very Italian adventure as it would be very hard to maintain charity.  But a few notes.

1.  It was hot – not like yesterday (which was a balmy 104 F) but today was only about 90 F today and thus a bit more bearable.  However, the humidity was not fun and the plastic on plastic clerical collar was un-fun.  Also, side note: I have not seen ONE cleric since I have been here.  Clearly the Roman clergy are smart enough to get out during ferragosto.

2.  I think I know how to get around Rome better than my Italian helper.  Don’t get me wrong, I would not have been able to do it without him as the whole permisso thing is an arcane circus but he was all over the place for no clearly discernible reason.  The heat did not make things better.

3.  People are different.  When we finally got to the desk at the Post Office with all my materials official, the lady at the desk took issue with our presentation.  My Italian handler took issue with her taking issue and it was on!  I mean these two were pointing and shouting and yelling and fist-pounding right there in the middle of the office.  I can take a lot but soon uncomfortable took hold.  Of course, she held all the cards and my handler stormed out to the photocopy place across the street, made one more copy of my passport and returned.  Amazingly, the gal at the desk let us in a head of the line and processed my permisso application while the two of them had a pleasant chat about the cafe down the street sharing a few laughs.  WHAT!  Five minutes earlier they were at each others throats, now, having a pleasant chat.  Moral of the story, people are crazy beautiful and I’m out 160 euro.   Political side-bar: this is what the nanny state costs.

When I returned it was to the horror of Italian customs.  In short – my shipment to Rome (clothes, toiletries, books) has been held up in Milan since Monday.  Why?  Because one box has TOO MANY ‘personal sanitary items.’  Really?  Do they hate people coming into the country who keep themselves clean and well groomed?  It has taken 5 days to get the blessed email, yikes!  It has been a huge headache, costs money and will delay my trip to Siena, which bums me out immensely.  Please pray.

I did go out to dinner with young Fr. Andrew from Chicago who arrived at the Casa today.  He is as pleasant as pleasant can be and we had a nice walk in the warm Roman evening and enjoyed dinner.  It was great to take one’s mind off of disappointing things.

This city is so beautiful with such great architecture, character, beauty, the glow of the river the ambiance of the buildings all lit up.  You have to love it.  Home sweet home in my little room in my huge house in my Eternal City.  I really wanted to yell and shout today but a look at an image of the Virgin Mary helps and chatting the spiritual life over penne puttanesca in the Roman nightlight can sooth the soul.

Nick and Emily, many blessings to you I will be missing you and praying a great deal for you.  My whole heart is for you.

An Evening Adventure

Sorry for too much but my mind is over-active before bed after a cold shower (nothing like on a hot night) and before I pray and try to sleep.

Around 18:30 (we work on the 24-hour clock around here and I will use it from the time out – this is 6:30 pm for those unawares) I headed out of the Casa Santa Maria, affectionately know as ‘the Casa.’  I had been in all day trying to work on my package delay with FedEx, unpack the simple things in the suitcases, try to get a lay of the land and taking an afternoon nap.   The Casa is quite empty, and I mean empty.  Not even the Real Presence remains in the Tabernacle.  There are only odd markings of humanity here and there – an odd sound down the hall, a sleeping bag found in the air-conditioned TV room, things like that.  But not actual people.

I left in clandestine garb, shorts and white shirt.  This was mostly to stay cool as it was about 97 degrees and rather humid so thus clothed I went out into the Roman summer evening.  I was greeting by a group of about 5 Polish girls wearing bright neon colored shorts.  It was jarring to say the least as their faces did not match their bright short.  Indeed, like everyone else, they were red-faced, glistening slightly and looking oppressed by the heat.  As I walked the streets – it was better since the sun was low and the buildings kept most places shaded – most everyone looked the same, red-faced, a wet sheen and looking mostly like they wanted to find some place cool.

A short walk gave lie to the myth that Europeans don’t like air-conditioning.  Not true.  Every restaurant and store has A/C and every apartment building has the units plastered on the back-side.  They don’t like paying for A/C and so it is hot in people’s home but the stores and restaurants are niiiice.  Heck, even the tobacco shop had A/C.  It made sense too since the streets were littered with people feeling the heat.  It was not pleasant.  Of course, it’s better for the weather to be not pleasant when you can have a cool gelato while looking at the Pantheon with a little violin music in the background.  Not pleasant, but not bad – better than sweating in some anesthetized suburban park – but that’s a different post.

My first mission was to search out the cellphone company stores in the area.  With some sound advice from good Fr. Putzer I found the Vodaphone/WIND store and was able to check out their offerings.  I wasn’t sure where the TIM store was but I followed my Roman gut and found it only three blocks away.  In short, I have pretty good options and hope to have an iPhone and a plan that allows me to call home soon.  We will see.

On the walk back I went to the Cartoleria Pantheon, which I love.  It is a store entirely devoted to stationary, pens, seals and every sort of journal, etc.  It is delightful.  I bought some stationary on which to write home.  By now is was about 19:45 pm and the heat was not letting up.  People were looking for places to eat and those walking about seemed mostly like they wanted to be not on the street, which was understandable.

I walked to the Piazza San Ignacio hoping to eat at the restaurant there.  The square is one of the nicest in Rome as it is surrounded by three sides and beautiful baroque buildings and on the fourth side by the church of San Ignancio which, has a beautiful facade and houses the tomb of St. Aloysius, one of my great patrons.  Also, it was big enough that a light breeze was moving through it making heat a bit more bearable.  Sadly, the restaurant was not open – not sure why, it was open yesterday.  Perhaps it is the weekly schedule, perhaps the ferragusto, as they call it.  In fact, many places are closed.  Mostly standard shops, like clothes, etc. and all the ecclesiastical stores are on vacation.  There are even some cafes, restaurants and touristy places that are closed for some weeks as the Romans look to flee the heat.

So, I went to the little restaurant right outside the Casa and sat down for caprese, piazza and insalata pomodoro (that’s a bowl of tomatoes) and a cafe.  I read my book waiting for the courses and tried to mind my own business, which was not easy.

First, the table next to me was an interesting and loud couple.  She was a Swede and he an Italian.  The language of choice: English, loud English and her favorite word was s***.  They were both ex-military (she was a translator) who had met on some NATO missions.  They both agreed that The Congo is the worst place on earth and that the American military was the only group that new what was going on until Obama became president – just reporting what I heard.  The conversation broke only for moments when he would reach over and kiss her fingers.  Ackward?  Sort of, mostly I was reading my geeky book (by geeky I mean awesome) book about Athanasius Kirchner – shout out to Will L.

There was a little reprieve when the nice American couple sat down in the next table over.  They were recent college grads and even more recently married taking their honeymoon in happy Rome.  My heart was a moved to think about a number of the happy couple I recently married and those to be married – EMILY & NICK I LOVE YOU – in coming days.  All in all I kept to myself but was enchanted by all humanity around me.

Eventually the cafe had been drank (drunk?) and it was time to head home.  Home.   This is is now and, strangely, it feels that way.  As I walked the streets of Rome I didn’t feel like a stranger, I felt like a local, like one who belongs here.  Maybe that’s just sentiment but it’s still true, or at least feels true.

I am home.

But lonely a bit.  No one else is here.  I have the entire palace empty to myself.  When I pulled out my keys I noted the little charm I had attached to it.  My little heart – Libby – had given me a charm she made shortly after she heard I was leaving for Rome and I put it on my Roman room keys.  I hadn’t really noticed it until just that moment as I put the key into the door of the Casa feeling all alone in my huge Roman home.

I realized I am not alone.  There is  a good God Who brought me here.  Parents and family that will always support me.  Friends who will pray for me and help me if I need.  And Libby.

Not bad at all.

There are still a few mountains to cross but I will get there.  Pray for me.

Welcome to Rome

There are no pictures as my technology is not yet up to speed for such endeavors, so you are left with my thoughts.

First – fly Swiss Air if at all possible.  It was the second cheapest flight I found and by far the best international flying experience that I have had, which makes it two for two for Swiss Air.  Check-in was easy, bags (two of them!) flew for free, the plane was clean and actually smelled nice!  The flight crew was beyond friendly and kind.  Airplane food is airplane food but I will say, thank you for a brownie!  All in all, I slept about 5.5 hours of the 8 hour flight and was feelin’ fine.  My trip in the air could no have been more pleasant.

Taxis to Rome are all the same, some are expensive and some are cheap, that’s the only difference.  I did appreciate that the driver took the way down the Ostian Way, past St. Paul’s outside the Walls, the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, St. Mary Major and into the old city.  It was a happy welcome.

Rome is hot, hot, hot.  We are into the upper 80’s by 10:00 am and well into the mid-90’s by noon.  The humidity is down a bit so the shade is some relief but the daytime is very hot.  It is a little after 4 pm local time as I write this and the heat is on!

The Casa Santa Maria is a relative ghost-town, no one is here.  I did meet a Croation confrere earlier this morning but otherwise not much happening at the Casa.  The bathrooms freak me out a bit but not hard to get used to since, well, it’s the bathroom.  I made my arrival at the Casa at 11:04 am local time and made my way up to my room and began to un-pack.  When this finished it was the mad dash to find the internet.

You see, there is a little (big) problem.  Namely, the packages I shipped to Rome are stuck in a FedEx warehouse outside of Milan while there is some hold-ups with Customs.  I have communicated many times with the good folks at FedEx but have not received the proper paper-work from them and, as such, do not have any of my packages.  This is an approaching disaster as I am supposed to go to Siena on Sunday and, if the packages are not here, do not have much in the way of clothes, toiletries, etc. for six weeks in Siena.

So we struggle and hope here in the Roman heat.

Around 3:00 pm I hit the proverbial wall and had to take a nap.  It was a fine sleep until 5:30 pm.  I awoke, went to the chapel to pray (note: not even Jesus is here at the Casa, He has vacated for the heat of August) and then try to figure out the rest of the night.  I read a bit and went out.

First I paid a visit to Our Lord in the Tabernacle at the church of St. Ignatius (about 3 blocks away) and then to the tomb of St. Aloysius.  After this I bought some water for drinking in the room and went to dinner near the church of San Ignatio.  Caprese and pizza capriccosia hit the spot and I was back home around.

It was another bought of frustration with the good folks at FedEx and then time to read and go to bed.

I have spent this morning (now it’s almost 4:30 pm) researching to buy a cell phone and waiting for the sun to go down a bit before I head out.

This is perhaps my worst post to-date and I hope to have more interesting things to say during my Roman time but I did make a resolution to post every Wednesday and, well, it’s Wednesday.

All those back home, I love you, I miss you, I pray for you!  Mom & Dad, thanks for everything, I love you!  Your Excellenty, it was great to talk to you, thanks for this opportunity.  Sr. Josephine, it was great to see you!  MoJo, I loved, loved, loved your wedding and was so happy that I got to visit with you on Sunday.  Fr. John – do great things brother, thanks for everything.  Fr. Tait – keep it real brother.  Interns and Maddie and all the St. Paul’s friends, thanks for the smiles.

Time to shower (boo-ya-ka-sha to afternoon showers) and head out for the evening doings.

O sweaty Rome!