Ash Wednesday Roman Style...

Lenten blessings to you all. This day has involved everything from doing laundry to seeing the pope in procession. Last night the Casa hosted a Carnevale party with ice cream, brownies, and an assortment of various beverages. But the late party made for a very very early morning as many of us processed from the Casa to Santa Sabina Church on the Aventine Hill for the first Stational Liturgy of the Lenten Season.

Each day in Lent, the priests of the Casa and the priests and seminarians of the NAC gather at a different Roman church or "station" for Mass, usually beginning around 7AM each morning. This rich tradition is enjoyed by many English speaking residents of Rome. As we left the Casa at 6:05 this morning, we processed while praying the rosary and arrived at Santa Sabina in time to vest and prepare for Mass. I was glad to sit next to Fr. Carl Ebey, CSC, General Steward of the Congregation. After Mass I was able to say hello to Bro. John Paige, CSC, the Vicar General. I may very well see them every morning during this Lent.

Luckily, Santa Sabina is just up the street from my school where classes began an hour after Mass concluded. So, it was another long morning of Latin and Greek.....in italiano.

Every Ash Wednesday, the Holy Father comes to the monastery of Sant'Anselmo, and is joined by the Benedictines there, the Dominicans of Santa Sabina, and various bishops and cardinals. After an opening prayer, a litany is begun and the Holy Father processes from Sant'Anselmo to Santa Sabina where he says Mass.

I suppose I was the most "touristy" than I've ever been to date here in Rome this year. I stood along with other pilgrims, families, sightseers, etc., eagerly awaiting the Holy Father to walk by.

First is a shot of the papal car with His Holiness in the back passenger-side seat. Unfortunately, that was the only papal blessing received today. During the procession, the Holy Father kept his hands folded. While we were "tourists" he was in a liturgical procession that was kept to a somber lenten color/mood.

Then follows photos of various hierarchs in the procession. They were preceded by various monks of both monasteries and three chaps who were friends of a young Dominican. They were on my bus wearing blue jeans. Later I saw them throw on albs while walking in the middle of the street. Two of them had on way too short albs and looked completely out of it. Mmmmm, I think some young Dominican was doing his buddies a favor.

Then, we have three photos of the Holy Father and those immediately with him. The server behind Msgr. Guido Marini is a friend of mine and fellow student of Sant'Anselmo. He and I are currently meeting together with a tutor to make this whole Greek project work. He's a great fellow and seminarians from the Brisbane, Australia diocese.

And so, a blessed day. I suppose I took the time to hike back to the Aventine Hill for a 45 second glance of the Holy Father because it was Ash Wednesday 2008 when I sat in my Zahm Hall room and was making very real preparations for studies in Rome. The whole enterprise became very real for me - all of it. The challenges, the joys, the expectations of what these Roman years will entail. And so, it was important that I be there today - a sort of interior confirmation that this assignment of obedience is where God wants me right now and so it is only right and fitting that I pour myself into it all more and more. Perhaps that is my lenten prayer - that my conversion to the Gospel of Christ be a turning away from any reluctance and a turning toward a more zealous outlook on the work that is before me.

God bless.

Peyton in '51

The Diocese of Lancaster, England is celebrating the 150th Anniversary of its cathedral. A priest of the Lancaster diocese and a resident here at CSM sent me a link to a history-blog setup to highlight the rich history of his diocese. The Feb 18th posting shows a 1951 visit of Servant of God Patrick Peyton, CSC.

The link is here.

Blessed Bro. Andre

Please remember that today, February 21st, the medical commission for the Congregation for the Causes of Saints meets here in Rome. They will be discussing the medical merits of miracles attributed to Blessed Bro. Andre.

Lord, you have chosen Blessed Brother Andre to spread devotion to Saint Joseph and to dedicate himself to all those who are afflicted. Grant through his intercession the favor that we now request... We also pray that the Church may canonize him as soon as possible. Grant us the grace to imitate his piety and charity so that, with him, we may share the reward promised to all who care for their neighbors out of love for you. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Reason Prevails at BC

From America Magazine:

Students returning to class this semester at Boston College
found a surprise: crucifixes adorning their classrooms. This
traditional Catholic image has been a lightning rod in many
Catholic colleges and universities over the last few decades,
as schools struggled to make all students, no matter what
their religious belief (agnostics and atheists included), feel
welcome and at the same time strove to maintain the elusive
goal of “Catholic identity.” The move stirred dissent
among some students and faculty at B.C. “I can hardly
imagine a more effective way to denigrate the faculty of an
educational institution,” said one faculty member to a campus
newspaper. In response, William P. Leahy, S.J., the college’s
president, said, “By what logic would someone expect
a Catholic college or university to be non-Catholic?”

Love Alone Is Credible...

One of my favorite things to do is to visit the ND bookstore prior to a new semester and browse the theology section filled with books for upcoming classes. Yes, I'm the reason the bookstore only has 24 books for a class of 25, I admit it.

One selection this past January was Love Alone is Credible by Hans Urs von Balthasar and it made for good semester-break reading these past days. I wish I would have remembered for which class it was assigned.

A few highlights for me.

On the need for a subjective relationship/approach to the objective event of the historical Christ/passion the author quotes Angelus Silesius, "If Christ were born a thousand times in Bethlehem, but not in you, you would remain lost forever. . . . The Cross on Golgotha cannot redeem you from evil if it is not raised up also in you" (pg 42). This reminds me of Pope Benedict's continued insistence in his writings that Christianity is primarily an encounter with Christ, an encounter that leaves the person never the same again.

On Worship.

"In the same way, every Christian 'apostolate' strays from love and becomes a rationalized siphoning of love (cf. Judas' pseudo-charitable objection to Mary's utterly 'wasteful' squandering in Jn 12:3-8) to the extent that absolute love does not receive a response that is likewise absolute and not directed to any ulterior end. We call this response 'worship' (Jn 4:24; 9:38; Rev 14:7), the pure 'thanks-giving' that gives glory (Mat 15:36 and parallels, Rom 1:8, etc; 1 Thess 5:18; Rev 4:9); it is a response that must be fashioned into a form that gathers up and confers meaning upon one's entire existence (1 Cor 10:31; Col 3:17). Unconditional priority must be accorded to the placing of oneself entirely at the disposal of divine love. Since it serves no ulterior purpose, this attitude of readiness cannot but appear useless in the eyes of the world, which is caught up in so many urgent and reasonable occupations(Lk 10:42)" pg 108.

On Prayer.

Prayer, both ecclesial and personal prayer, thus ranks higher than all action, not in the first place as a source of psychological energy ("refueling", as they say today), but as the act of worship and glorification that befits love, the act in which one makes the most fundamental attempt to answer with selflessness and thereby shows that one has understood the divine proclamation. It is as tragic as it is ridiculous to see Christians today giving up this fundamental priority - which is witnessed to by the entire Old and New Testament, by Jesus' life as much as by Paul's and John's theology - and seeking instead an immediate encounter with Christ in their neighbor, or even in purely worldly work and technological activity. Engaged in such work, they soon lose the capacity to see any distinction between worldly responsibility and Christian mission. Whoever does not come to know the face of God in contemplation will not recognize it in action, even when it reveals itself to him in the face of the oppressed and humiliated" pg 109.

So here I am in the Treasury of Klosterneuburg. Here is housed various treasures of the Canons of St. Augustine and also treasures of the State of Austria and the Church. So, these richly decorated skulls are relics of saints. On the right we have..... I forget. On the left we have one of the martyred companions of St. Ursula. The stunning woodwork behind me houses various chasubles, copes, miters, crosiers that were gifts by various royalty over the centuries. Two monks carved the wood in three years time. A miracle in and of itself.

Stephansdom in Vienna

As promised, a bit about my recent trip to Vienna, Austria. Here we have Stephansdom, the Cathedral of Vienna and the seat of Cardinal Archbishop Christopher Schonborn, located in the heart of the city center and dedicated to St. Stephan Protomartyr.

It should be noted that we were painted a rather dire picture of the Church in Austria - low attendance rates, coupled with a government/Church tax system that seems to create a sort of "entitlement" mentality toward the sacraments. And, quite frankly, a sort of post-modern anti-Christian attitude has set in. Just in the few days I was there, major newspapers had hideous headlines and cartoons against the Holy Father, mostly in regards to an episcopal appointment that had been announced recently. But, ironically, my companions and I had to go to Stephansdom three times to tour since each time a Mass was being held and tours were limited.

I'll let you wikipedia the cathedral for historical details. So, on to the pictures.

The first photo is of the exterior of the cathedral. This is the North side and on the South side and front facade, extensive cleaning is taking place. The cathedral was saved during the Second World War, but over the centuries dust and pollution and fires have taken their toll.

Next, is a picture of yours truly on the same North side. This first interior shot shows the South side side-aisle. Notice the "side" altars. All of them are on the center pillars and they all face the same direction, toward the high altar. My guess, and that is exactly what it is, a guess, is that these altars are all facing East, though the church is built on a sort of south-east axis.Here is a shot of the sanctuary and high altar. Notice the stained glass directly behind the altar and the glass in the nave. The glass was blown out during the Second World War, but the glass behind the altar is original and somehow was able to endure the Allied bombardment.

















Here I am on the left standing in front of the ambo which was peculiarly postioned near the back of the nave by the main doors. The extensive stone carvings leave a tremendous impression. The railing leading the steps up to the top of the ambo was lined with various animals such as lizards and frogs as a reminder to the preacher that he is not God, but merely of the earth. Good lesson.

More Visits...

I'm a bit late on posting this - lost in the exam period and travels I suppose. The Undergraduate Seminarians for Holy Cross in the Old College program are able to study oversees at the American College at Louvain, Belgium. This semester two of our seminarians are there studying. I was able to have dinner with Mr. Stachowski a few weeks ago as he made some pre-semester travels to the Eternal City. We enjoyed a nice dinner together, followed by gelato at Della Palma - as pictured. Blessings to Eric and Anthony as they begin their semester abroad.

The Pope Speaks to the Speaker...

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met with the Holy Father today for 15 minutes here in Rome and the Holy Father, first a pastor and shepherd, spoke to her for the need for just laws protecting life. Praised be God. From the Vatican Information Service:

A JUST SYSTEM OF LAWS CAPABLE OF PROTECTING HUMAN LIFE

VATICAN CITY, 18 FEB 2009 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office released the following communique at midday today:

"Following the general audience the Holy Father briefly greeted Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, together with her entourage.

"His Holiness took the opportunity to speak of the requirements of the natural moral law and the Church's consistent teaching on the dignity of human life from conception to natural death which enjoin all Catholics, and especially legislators, jurists and those responsible for the common good of society, to work in co-operation with all men and women of good will in creating a just system of laws capable of protecting human life at all stages of its development"

New Vocation Addition...

A CSC Vocations YouTube page was announced today. Please visit at http://www.youtube.com/cscvocations?hl=en

When in Wien...

I returned Sunday night from a five day trip to Vienna, Austria. It was a blessed time and I will be sure to give a more thorough posting about it, but in the meantime here is one photo of the Rathaus - the civic hall of Vienna. It was lit up at night and the large park in front of it was filled with ice rinks for skating and a sort of ice-bacci game, tents full of sweets, warmed wine, etc. We stumbled upon this sort of winter-festival by accident but were glad to have done so.More later.

A Very Good Day...

Happy Birthday to my father who celebrates his big 61st. Wish I was able to celebrate with him today, but can only do so from afar. I offered Mass this morning for his intentions and other than saying "Thanks" for his love, support, and example of faith, that is all I can do. No way to repay a man who has given so much for his family. Happy Birthday, Dad!

Interestingly enough, dad shares his birthday with Blessed Basil Moreau, Founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, who was born on this day in 1799.

Today is also the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. I recall the beautiful grotto to Our Lady at my home parish and the sacred space on the Notre Dame campus which is the Grotto.

I depart within the hour with three other Casa priests for Vienna, Austria where we will be staying at the monastery of Klosterneuburg from now until Sunday night. It will involve prayer, beer gardens, and a performance of Mozart's opera, The Magic Flute, (not necessarily in that order). This trip is a way to mark the end of exam period and the upcoming start of the 2nd semester.

Santa Sabina...

Sant'Anselmo houses the Abbot Primate of all Benedictines worldwide. And their next door neighbors are the Dominicans whose monastery and church of Santa Sabina dates from the early 1200s. Famous residents of the monastery have been St. Dominica himself, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Pope St. Pius V. I stopped by for a short visit and to make a prayer of thanksgiving. The church was perfectly quiet as I was the only visitor present.

Santa Sabina also serves as the first stational church for the season of Lent. On Ash Wednesday the Holy Father begins a prayer service at my school of Sant'Anselmo and then processes down the street to Santa Sabina where he celebrates Mass and imposes ashes.

Ho Superato...

I had my first exam at Sant'Anselmo this morning and I passed, I'm pretty sure. A 6 out of 10 is passing but one needs an 8 average in order to eventually proceed to the doctoral level. I did just fine, grazie Dio! I was able to respond well enough in Italian but I did add English words a few times when I wasn't sure what to use exactly in Italian. For instance, we distinguish between a homily and a sermon. "Sermon" in Italian is "discorso" so I used some English to make sure the prof knew that I knew what I was talking about.

And so, being done with exams I begin a three week vacation. But that is not entirely true because these days just have to be spent studying Latin and Greek. As I've written before, studying Greek for the first time and it being taught in and translated into Italian is not bordering crazy but is crazy. So, I plan to spend some quality time with my Latin/English and Greek/English texts.

On a side note, last week for both Latin and Greek the class translated the early Church order document De Doctrina Apostolorum where it says "non occides filium in abortum nec natum succides". Nancy Pelosi and other Catholics seem to forget this 1st century teaching of the Church when trying to justify abortion.

French in Rome...

This past Saturday I joined my usual dinner group from the Casa for an evening meal at the French restaurant L'eau Vive. The place came recommended twice from folks stateside who had been and it also served as a respite from Italian foods. It also received a favorable review in the New York Times, albeit over 20 years ago.

The restaurant is part of the apostolate of a group of religious sisters and toward the end of the first seating, all those present - waitresses and clients -join in singing Ave Maria and gaze upon the statue of Our Lady which stands in the corner of the room. After the Ave, a sister read a passage from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians while another performed a beautiful dance to accompany the words of St. Paul. Not all were thrilled by the interpretive dance, but I found it beautiful.

The ceiling (pictured) was decorated by frescoes, the tables were covered with blue/gold table clothes (which I particularly enjoyed) and I'm told the frog legs tasted like chicken. ha.