Gaudete In Domino

This week's schedule has certainly been more intense than the one last week.  During our first week we had the morning or afternoon off each day.  This week we started presentations.  Yesterday and today we had presentations both in the morning and the afternoon.  Great insights but my brain isn't used to this anymore.  Tomorrow more of the same and on Friday just the morning. Presently we are learning about lectio divina (a way of reading and reflecting on Scripture).  I have done some  of it before but this is helping me understand it better.  It consists of reading the passage four times and looking at different questions each time - lectio (what did I hear), Meditatio  (what does the passage mean), Oratio (what does the text mean today and how does my view of the world change after having read the text) and Contemplatio (what acction should I do in light of my experience of the passage through lectio divina).  The presenter is proposing this as a form of homily presentati

I am praying for all my family and friends back home as they endure what looks to be brutal weather.  Deep cold on top of the recent snow in some spots.  Today finally dawned bright and clear.  Still crisp but a beautiful day. I had a great birthday yesterday.  We had our first presentations and then the afternoon free.  I spent some time reading with a short siesta.  Love that tradition.  In the evening I went out with Msgr. Tom Cook from our diocese who is working over here for a couple of years.  We went to a nice restaurant that he recommended and had a terrific meal.  I had been saving some of my Roman favorites for my birthday so started out with Spaghetti alla Carbonara which is my favorite.  I remember thinking, when I first came over for studies in 1981 (yikes!), that I wasn't sure how I would survive on spaghetti and meatballs every day for the next four years.  Little did I know.  Such a variety and so many new favorites.  Today, of course, there are many Italian resta

My plans changed a bit this morning.  I had wanted to go to one of the local churches for Mass but my stomach has been a bit upset so I decided to go to Mass in the house.  I've restarted taking a probiotic which seems to have helped. The rest of the day was just a time to rest and relax.  The meals today were on a modified schedule as the seminarians have brunch after Mass on Sunday morning.  I decided to forgo that and later in the day headed down the hill for lunch at one of my favorite restaurants when I was a student - Sor'Eva.  It is literally at the bottom of the hill.  I had a nice, typical Roman lunch - Spaghetti all"Amatriciana (tomato sauce with onions and pancetta) and a breaded veal cutlet.  Every bit as good as I remember.  I made it up the hill, once again without getting too winded.  Always feels like a bit of a victory. Tomorrow we start the program in earnest.  The last few days have been getting acclimated to Rome and to the house.  It is a great gro

Today we do not have any formal classes or events so it was a good day to go walking in the city.  Rome is a wonderful city in which to walk. Mostly flat and lots of pedestrian zones.  It is also fairly compact so many of the things one would want to see are a short distance from one another.  The weather was beautiful - blue skies and a nice Roman winter sun.  The temp got up to about 50 today and when we were in the sun it was great.  At lunch we started out in the sun and ended up in the shade which became pretty cool.  There were a lot of people out enjoying the first day without rain or overcast skies in a week. I led a little group just so they could get oriented and begin to feel comfortable going out on their own.  We started out by walking through the back streets to the Piazza Navona.  I got a little off course from what we used to do walking to school all those years ago so I will have to review where I went "wrong."  Of course, wandering around "lost"

Today we began, as always, with prayer.  My liturgy group (made up of 6 of us) was responsible for leading today.  I took on the role of presiding at Morning and Evening Prayer.  Heading down for the latter shortly. We then headed back to St. Peter's for a tour of the excavations under the basilica.  I had done this when I was a student but it was every bit as fascinating as I remembered.  Our tour guide was a seminarian from Seattle who did an excellent job.  They are required to a lot of study and are tested and certified by the Vatican to be official guides.  Some of the men at the College in my time did this as well so it seems to be a well established tradition.  We began in the area that once was the Circus of Nero.  It had been a marshy area that was unused and Nero wanted to build a circus.  Since there was no more room in Rome proper he built it on the unused Vatican hill.  In the Circus was an obelisk that was later moved to the center of St. Peter's Square where

This has been a day filled with lots of memories. We left the house early this morning to walk to St. Peter's Basilica.  The Roman streets are pretty quiet at that time of the morning and it has always been a favorite time to walk.  We arrived at St. Peter's and entered through the sacristy entrance which is not one of the official entrances.  It is near the one we used when we arrived at St. Peter's on May 6, 1984 for our diaconate ordination.  I was flooded with memories.  We proceeded to vest and then made our way to the altar at the tomb of St. Peter.  We had a lovely celebration of Mass using the votive Mass of St. Peter.  A votive Mass is one that can be used when there is not a higher feast scheduled and gives honor to a particular saint.  So there is are votive Masses for the Blessed Virgin, for St Joseph, for the angels, etc.  The readings were particularly powerful on that spot.  One from the Letter of St. Peter and the other his profession of faith at Caesarea Ph

The last post got a bit long so I thought I would do a second post about our first day of the sabbatical program.  The program is called the Institute for Continuing Theological Education and is sponsored by the North American College which is the American seminary in Rome.  Although run by the U.S. Bishops it also accepts English speaking students from other parts of the world - primarily Canada, Australia and New Zealand.  When I was a student we had a couple of Canadians and one from Norway. We began the day with breakfast.  There were eggs, cereal, yogurt and juices.  And coffee!  We did laugh last night when we learned that regular coffee was provided but if we wanted espresso or cappucino we had to use the machine which cost money.  After that was Morning Prayer and Mass.  They then provided coffee and cornetti (pastries).  Very civilized.  At the even more civilized hour of 10:30 we gathered for our first conference which was mostly orientation.  The director spoke about the

This is my first post since I arrived in Rome.  It is wonderful to be back in the Eternal City and at the North American College which I called home for my four years of seminary formation.  I spent an additional year at our graduate house, Casa Santa Maria, which is located in downtown Rome near the Trevi Fountain.  Those years were a blessing in my life for which I am deeply grateful.  I am residing in what used to be the convent on campus.  It is now called the Casa O'Toole in honor of the family that provided much of the seed money for the renovation.  They mentioned this morning that it is the oldest building on the site and once served as a kind of country house for a grape producing family. Something I had forgotten.  A number of years ago it was refurbished to serve as the sabbatical house and is where we celebrate Mass together in our chapel, eat breakfast and dinner together in a refectory overlooking St. Peter's Basilica, take class and have our sleeping rooms.  My

The final countdown begins.  Just a few days until I leave.  Lots of little things are being ticked off the list.  Picked up a few things.  Got my prescriptions ordered.  Started laying out clothes and things I don't want to forget to pack.  Took care of some financial matters.  I am beginning to think I might be ready. I am somewhat concerned about the government shutdown and what that means for TSA screening.  I've heard some stories about long, slow lines.  Because I am saying Mass at Holy Trinity on Sunday morning I won't get to the airport until about 2 hours ahead.  I am hoping that will be enough time. I still have two items I want to attend to before I go.  I need to make my Camino reservation and want to try to get an assigned seat on the JFK - Rome flight before the weekend.  We'll see if that is possible since I can't seem to access the Alitalia sight.  I guess I'll have to make a call. Today we have been celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliat

It is hard to believe that I will be leaving for sabbatical in just over two weeks.  January 20 will come awfully fast.  I am spending these days trying to work through my list of tasks.  Always seems to be one more.  This week I am trying to work through the insurance preparation to make sure that I am covered and to try to get some additional prescriptions before I go.  Slow and steady every day.  This week my days are fairly open but next week things start to stack up again so I want to get ahead of the game. A number of folks have asked where I will be staying.  The North American College where I went to seminary sponsors the program - the Institute for Continuing Theological Education.  It has been housed in various places over the years. A few years ago the convent on the NAC campus was refurbished for use as a sabbatical center.  The number of sisters serving the college has decreased over the years and they now have other living quarters.  I can't remember if I ever actu