Caravaggio Crawl

Liz calls yesterday the "Carravagio" Crawl.  We visited 3 churches that boast of Caravaggio's paintings.

The first centers on the theme of St. Matthew.  It is located in the Church of St. Louis the French. Check out this amazing work!  This church was located in a high class neighborhood that had many wealthy people.   Cardinal Delmonte invested in young artists and knew that Carravagio had tremendous talent.  This work was completed in 1599 just before the Holy Year of 1600.  Rome was preparing to be a city filled with pilgrims and this church's job was to preach conversion.  He takes an ordinary scene of men gathered and look how the light emanates from the right window.  No other background detail is necessary to tell this story.  Matthew sees the light and leaves everything to follow Christ.  After this series depicting Matthew's call, conversion and martyrdom Caravaggio would never return to ordinary paintings again.  This work invites us to follow the light.  Notice how the young man is seated on the bench with his feet not on the ground.  Literally, Christ, through Peter, mesmerizes and strikes Matthew in such a way that he is literally brought off his feet.

The second visit was to St. Augustine Church.  It is where this fascinating work called, "Madonna de Loreto" appears.  Notice the two ordinary people to whom the Blessed Mother appears.  They are ordinary people, dirty feet and all!  Caravaggio was known to use ordinary folks like you and me to depict those blessed by divine visits.  He caught a lot of flack for using ordinary prostitutes, farmers, and other local folks but his message was that God appears not only for the righteous and the holy, but to every day people like you and me.  This painting is simply awesome not only in its' beauty but in its message also.

Finally, we visited Santa Maria del Popolo where Caravaggio was commissioned for several wonderful pieces to appear in the Cerasi Chapel. This piece depicting the Conversion of St. Paul is remarkable.  The horse doesn't even seem to notice St. Paul but we can tell he is in shock.  Further, the characters seem to be coming into the viewer's space.  Caravaggio wanted us to feel as if we're right there with St. Paul.  Notice the muscle development on both the horse and Paul - it's truly incredible.  There is no need for background detail.  We can tell - from the 3 characters in this story exactly what is going on.   This is a moment of spiritual ecstasy and Paul lies with hands open to what God is calling him to do.

Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli and Spoleto

Today I was the presider for Mass at a very special place.  The Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli is a basilica in the lower city of Assisi which contains another small church.  This small church is called the "Porziuncula" and it was the second church that St. Francis rebuilt.  It is the place where the Franciscan order's vows were first composed, the place where St .Clare's hair was cut, and a setting for prayer for the early members of the religious community of St. Francis.  It was given to Francis and his followers in the year 1211 following the creation of the new community.  It was a great privilege and honor to pray in this Church and to lead my brothers in the Eucharist.

As we left Assisi, we headed to the town of Spoleto.

Ravenna - Italy, not Ohio!

Ravenna is an amazing city.  Once known as  the city "Classe," it was an imperial port.  It had been invaded by the barbarians but gained prominence when, in A.D. 540, the Byzantine emperor Justinian turned the city into the western most location for the Byzantine Empire.  Today the place is filled with remnants of that era - beautiful mosaics.  A single ticket gains you entrance to all of the major places where the mosaics remain. The two most significant places were the Basilica of San Vitale and the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia.  It's hard to fathom how difficult mosaic creations are.  We were told it could take as much as a week to do a 1x1 foot mosaic.  But these were not only artistic.  They served the purpose of providing a "catechism" for people long before the printing press and in the days when only the wealthiest of families could read or write.

We stayed at a little hotel called Hotel Antica.  I would highly recommend it.  Not only was it close

to the train station but they even provide bikes for the hotel guests to use.  Ravenna has the most bikes of any city in Italy and I believe it to be true!  We saw hundreds of them and really enjoyed biking all around.

The train to Florence from Ravenna took 3 hours.  It was a local train that seemed to stop everywhere.  Fortunately the high speed train from Florence to Rome only took 1.5 hours and we arrived home, exhausted but fulfilled, by 10:00 p.m.

Bologna is no Baloney!

I arrived in Bologna, Italy on late Friday afternoon with Fr. Joseph Tuscan, OFMCap, who studied at Borromeo in Cleveland.  As you may know I don't really believe in co-incidences, just God-incidences and this past weekend was certainly that.  We arrived to discover the city was hosting the St. Francis Festival all weekend long.  Though it's been celebrated in the Emilia-Reggi province before it had never been in Bologna.  So, here we were, in the midst of this huge celebration.

We visited a number of awesome churches in Bologna, including the burial place of St. Dominic in San Domenico Church.  The tomb was a masterpiece and St. Dominic's body (and skull in a reliquary) is there.  We met some very nice Dominican brothers and priests and enjoyed visiting the church.  It boasts a beautiful painting by Filippo Lippi called, Mystical Marriage of St. Catherine of Alexandria.  It was exquisite.  Painted in 1503, it shows a sacred conversation between the Madonna and Child and St. Catherine.  Also depicted are St. Paul, St. Sebastian (a popularly depicted saint in Renaissance painting), St. Peter and St. John the Baptist.  What I find interesting about Lippi's work is how he includes modern day images in his work.  Note the classical pillars as well in the painting which gives the impression it took place in a Renaissance building.

The Duomo of St. Petronio was, yet, another beautiful edifice.  We attended a St. Francis Festival Mass there at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday.  It was a strange experience.  Though the local bishop presided, Mass was very short - 50 minutes.  The bishop concluded Mass with the closing prayer, blessing and procession when many folks, including some priests, were still receiving Communion.  We just couldn't figure that one out!  Though begun in 1390 the project (a communal project of Bologna, not by the Bishop) was not concluded until the 1479 by architect Antonio di Vincenzo.

Bologna once boasted almost 200 towers.  These were not so much protective as they were to demonstrate the wealth of some families who could afford these towers in case of invasion (more status symbols than practical uses).  One tower was almost 20 stories tall and we actually climbed it. Though there are few towers remaining today, the most remarkable one provides a spectacular view of the entire city.  Bologna also is a city of porticoes.  There are 40km of porticoes throughout the city guaranteeing protection from the elements.  One of the porticoes leading up to the Church of the Madonna of St. Luke has 666 arches and was built in the 1400's as a way of protecting a statue which they brought up to the top from the city.  This church houses a Madonna that was supposedly painted by St. Luke himself though today only a small portion of the painting is visible.

Saturday evening we attended this awesome concert of Paul Winter's "Earth Mass."  It was performed by the Diocesan choir of Bologna and included liturgical dancers as well as very talented musicians. We saw one of those old transparency projectors and discovered (delightfully) that an artist was using the projector to shine images on the outside of the Duomo during the performances.  He was utterly amazing.  Sr. Marie de Lis (my 4th grade teacher) would have been delighted to see the projector being utilized in such a creative fashion!!!  We were so blessed and fortunate to be there for it.   I remember having the recording of this Mass many years ago.  It was dusted off for this amazing night and was accompanied by some quotations from Pope Francis' "Laudato Si" - his encyclical on Creation.

Sunday afternoon we departed for Ravenna.

Spirituality of Christian Art & Architecture

Wednesday we began with Mass at the Basilica of St. Clare and then listened to Rev. Michael Gaudoin-Parker speak to us about the Spiritiuality of Christian Art & Architecture.  Fr. Michael's gentle and humble nature made for a wonderful few hours of insightful wisdom and insight.

Art is not an end in itself.  It introduces the soul into a higher spiritual order which it expresses, and in some sense, explains. Christian art provides a "fullness" into which we are invited and pertains to a spirituality that focuses out "outward" toward the transcendent.  The aesthetic is to "make formal" an epiphany, a manifestation of the presence of God.

When we approach Christian art and architecture with a sense of openness and a willing to engage, there is a transformative element to it - it changes us.  Fr. used the image of the priest placing a drop of water into the chalice of wine.  It becomes immersed into the wine and is no longer able to be separated out.

When a Christian person engages in the art of faith, she/he becomes fully immersed into what it conveys.  There is an incomprehensible mystery in which we are absorbed.  However, art demands of us our willingness to be engaged in it.  There is a true humility about allowing God to speak to us through the use of art and the use of our senses.

Fr. says that all art is rooted in substance but good art begins in immanence and presents the continuity between the temporal and the eternal, between matter and good spirit between humankind and the other.

The Church of St. Clare and the Eremo delle Carceri - Assisi

Tuesday we toured the Church of St. Clare as well as the Eremo delle Carceri (a small hermitage at the top of Mount Subasio.

The Church of St. Clare is simply, but beautiful.  You can see a photograph of it above.  We began there with Mass and a tour of the Church including a visit to the tomb where St. Clare is buried.  She was one of first followers of St. Francis and the founder of the Order of Poor Ladies (now, the Sisters of Poor Clare).  In fact, today (September 24) they celebrate the finding of St. Clare's body. She was buried below the main altar of this church, built by Filippo Campell in 1260 and moved from her former burial place in St. Gregorio.  When her body was exhumed, in 1850, they found it perfectly preserved.

Later that day I performed a miracle - I climbed Mt. Subasio.  Let me tell you, it was no piece of cake!!!  Very steep climbing across a rocky grade.  But arriving at the top, a place where St. Francis founded a small hermitage, was truly amazing. This is where he sought refuge for 6 months out of the year.  He and other monks lived in caves carved from the mountain side.  Their dwellings were simple but they enjoyed the beauty of God's spectacular creation while on the mountaintop.  We then climbed even further to the very top of the mountain and enjoyed a magnificent view of the city of Assisi below.

Orvieto and Assisi

I'm sorry for not keeping up with my posting.  The place we're staying in Assisi has basic internet but I've been knocked off the web more than I've been able to access it.  Perhaps it's a message from St. Francis to ponder, pray and meditate more and blog less!!!

Chapel of the Corporal, Orvieto, Umbria, Italy

This is a spectacular place - a place not only of beauty but of peace, of prayer.  Yesterday we began the day in Orvieto, a beautiful town on the way to Assisi.  There we celebrated Mass in a very place called the Chapel of the Corporal.  In the year 1263, in town of Bolesana, near Orvieto, a priest was celebrating Mass.  He had entertained doubts about the real presence of the Eucharist and, as he consecrated the host, it began to bleed and stained the white corporal with drops of blood.  The corporal is located underneath the altar here and the beautiful frescoes on the walls tells the story of
the miracle.

Fr. Joseph Tuscan, OFM, Cap is one of the priests on Sabbatical here in Italy.  He actually studied at Borromeo and is originally from Pittsburgh.  Joe preached about the Eucharistic miracles (there are 140 of them) and how Pope Paul VI in 1970 commissioned the Academy of Science to do scientific studies on several of the Eucharistic miracles.  Strangely enough, the academy concluded that in all the blood samples taken from Bolseana, Lanciano and from the Shroud of Turn they discovered tissue from the human heart and all had AB- blood types, the rarest kind found in only 4% of the world's population.  When we speak of the "real presence of Christ" in the Eucharist, these miracles all point to our belief that Jesus makes himself present, body, soul and divinity at every Eucharistic celebration.  A great gift to us indeed.

Oriveto is a place of special veneration and prayer.  The town itself is also very beautiful - accessible only by funicular or by ascending many, many stairs.  But once you've arrived, it is magnificent.

We arrived in Assisi just in time for dinner.  We are staying at a Capuchin guest house/retreat center just outside the walls of Assisi's main area.  We are being well cared for and the hospitality and warmth of those who work here is truly a manifestation of the Lord's care for everyone.

Tuesday morning we celebrated Mass in the Basilica of Saint Francis, the largest church in the area. There are two levels - the lower one which is the crypt in which St. Francis is entombed and the upper basilica.  The upper basilica was heavily damaged on September 27, 1997 where four people (2 architects and 2 monks) lost their lives.  They have restored the basilica since but some of the frescoes were permanently damaged from the quake.

It's difficult to cover all the beautiful pieces in the basilica.  I'll focus on two frescoes in particular. The first depicts the Last Supper but with a specifically Italian twist.  Note that the left side of the fresco shows 2 common citizens doing the dishes with a dog licking food of the dirty plates.  What is notable here is that common Italian life was incorporated in a Renaissance depiction of the Last Supper.  The artist wants us to know that faith was accessible and available to everyone - even the most common of folks.

The second fresco is a confrontation between Francis and his father.  As you may know, his father was a wealthy garment merchant and he despised the fact that Francis wanted to leave everything to rebuild Christ's church.  His father even imprisoned Francis (we saw the prison) and refused to speak to him ever again.  The scene of this depiction is when Francis discarded his clothing in the town square.  His father is pictured with condemnation while the Bishop (representing the church) is now covering Francis with a cloth - showing that he belonged now to the Church.  Fr. Tuscan told us the story how Francis and his father never reconciled.  Though it had always been Francis' hope to do so, when he left his father's home his father never spoke to him again.  He would often run into his father in town and it was customary for a son to ask for a blessing from his father when he encountered him. Francis' father refused so Francis asked a poor man to bestow on him the blessing his father refused to give.

It was beautiful tour - more in my next post.

Villa d'Este and Tivoli

Today I started out at Santa Maria Degli Angeli, a basilica located on the site of the former baths of Diocletian.  The basilica is right next to the Termini train station and they had an English Mass this morning at 9:00 a.m. The Paulist pastor had the Mass and it was quite beautiful.  Being in that church reminded me of our first Holy Angels Music Ministry concert overseas.  It was held in this very building just about 10 years ago, in 1995.  Also, Michelangelo helped to design it and bring it to completion in 1564.  The church hoped to make a statement on the site of Diocletian's baths because he had been so anti-Christian.  It is a stunning building and attending Mass there was a wonderful way to begin my day!!!

From there I boarded the subway to the Ponte Mammolo stop and then got on another bus for Tivoli.

Now, if you've ever been on a Roman bus, you know that (just like at an Italian table) there's always room for one more!  I was squished in the middle of the bus with many of my new best friends.  I call them best friends because if touching connotes friendship, I was very close with many of them!  An Italian grandma actually took my backpack from me and set it in her lap.  I guess she got tired of me knocking her with it!  You gotta love it!

Tivoli is a city located approximately 18 miles east of Rome.  It's a lovely little city and I walked 15,000 steps of it today!!!!  It's up on a hillside and pretty easily accessible by bus or train.  Just outside Tivoli is Hadrian's Villa, which I did not visit today.  However, I spent a good 3 hours or so at Villa d'Este located right in the heart of the city.

The Villa d'Este palace was commissioned by Cardinal Ippolito II d'Este, son of Alfonso d'Este and grandson (yes, grandson) of Pope Alexander VI.  It's an amazing little (I'm being facetious here!) place and remarkably well preserved.  The interior consists of room after room of frescoes and beautiful ceilings.  I could bore you with all the details but you can learn more about the building, by clicking HERE.

What is even more remarkable are the gardens!  I was amazed at the dozens of fountains which bedazzled and amazed me.  The interesting thing is that they are all powered by the water itself which flows from the estate into the gardens and fountains below.  It was simply incredible and I found myself just wandering on a clear and sunny afternoon just getting lost watching people, listening to the quiet trickle of water and the intensity of gushing fountains.  The gardens are immense.  They were a favorite of composer and musician, Franz Liszt.  No doubt he found it's tranquility an appropriate environment for composition and inspiration.  One of the fountains, called the "Organ" fountain has organ pipes in it's center.  Several times throughout the day, the doors open revealing the pipes within and water flows down a wall, through a wheel and the organ begins to magically play. Check out this video of the Organ Fountain by clicking on the highlighted words.   I found it difficult to photograph fountains.  It's hard to capture the beauty, the sound and the glory of these fountains so I've found another YouTube video which you can click on HERE.

It's been a great day and it was wonderful to wander off, on my own, to get a lot of walking in and enjoying the sites.  Tomorrow it's off to Orvieto and Assisi!

The Farnesina and Corsini Galleries

Today we toured two National museum, formerly the palaces of the Farnesina and the Corsini families.  Eventually these "homes" (it's good to be the king) fell into disrepair or were given to the state.

Agostino Chigi was the original builder of the Farnesina Palace and he was definitely an egotist.  He wanted everyone to know how very rich he was. So he built this tremendous palace which would be a place for hosting parties and entertaining popes. The architect of the building was from Siena and Chigi spared no expense in ornamentation and decoration so that he could impress everyone who came to visit.  In fact, it was known that he would serve guests with his finest gold cups and expensive dinnerware and then throw them into the Tiber River after only one use.  However, it was said that he had a net in the river to rescue the dining utensils.  I suppose he just wanted to prove that he had the money to always use new stuff!

The first room we entered had lots of zodiac figures.  Baldassare Peruzzi, a painter, architect and theatrical designer worked on the ceiling and walls of this room.  They were inspired by a humanist Cornelio Benigni, who translated Chigi's horoscope into images with a complex arrangement of constellations, divinities and signs of the zodiac.  In this room there are two frescoes which are spectacular.  One depicts the story of Galatea and was done by Raphael.  The other was done by a young artist, Sebastiano del Piombo and it depicts the story of Polyphemus.  With the famous architect and two famous artists, Chigi was sure to impress his guests.

The next room was equally impressive telling the story of Cupid and Psyche.  This was the room of Chigi's marriage to his long-time Venetian mistress.  Raphael wanted to tell the similar story in mythology as the real-life story of Chigi himself.  Notice the wreath-like arches.  These are decorated with various fruits and vegetables.  Chigi, the wealthiest man in Rome (a banker), wanted to impress his guests with vegetables new to the Italian scene including potatoes and tomatoes from America and depicts these and fruits and vegetables in the arches.

The Corsini gallery is a portrait gallery.  It was truly remarkable.  However, it was not air conditioned and these famous works are exposed to heat and humidity in the warm Rome climate.  The Corsini family bought the building when one of their family members became the Pope.  I guess they needed a place to entertain the new Holy Father and his guests.

It's an amazing place and my summary will never be able to do it justice so I'll just focus on a few of the works that really impressed and inspired me.

The first was a beautiful triptych.  It was designed by Fra Angelico and it depicts the last judgment.  Most last judgments depict terror, fear and trepidation.   But this depiction is different.  The only harsh illustration is at the bottom right hand corner of the center piece.  The rest of the figures are sweet and peaceful.  The gold leaf was in impeccable condition.  Our tour guide, Laura Panarese, told about the process utilizing clay behind the gold leaf.  It helps the paint to adhere and allows the brightness of the color to shine through.  The piece was truly spectacular and made you feel almost hopeful for that day when we'll be one with the Lord in the kingdom.

Guercino (a.k.a. Giovanni Francesco Barbieri) painted this beautiful depiction of Ecce Homo.  He uses what is known as the "Bolognese technique."  In the Renaissance and Baroque periods, artists from Bologna would paint a dark background with the prominent figure bathed in light.  This gave attention to the center focus of the piece and you don't pay as much attention to the background.  This is what Guercino does in this beautiful painting of Christ "Ecce Homo" (behold, the man).

The final piece I point out was painted by Caravaggio.  He was commissioned to do the painting as a wedding gift.  As an artist, he didn't appreciate his talents being utilized for a wedding gift so this depiction of John the Baptist

was not only untypical but definitely not one of his greatest works.  But I liked the story nonetheless.  Caravaggio loved the image of John the Baptist.  He often used a good friend, Simone, was often the model he used for portraits of men.  Caravaggio's life was complex, and dark and troubled.  His life was a contradiction in many ways.  He'd paint these beautiful images of Madonna and child, John the Baptist, Jesus and the saints but his own life consisted of brawls and swordfights.  He would often use ordinary men and women - often prostitutes and the very poor - to model his depictions of religious scenes.  At the end of his life, he was accused of murder and fled Rome.  He died at the young age of 39.

We spent almost four hours touring these galleries today.  The art teacher who gave us the tour actually works at the North American College as a secretary.  She was incredible and her descriptions were interesting and inspiring.  I tried to take notes as best I could but it's difficult to capture everything conveyed by these beautiful works.

Tomorrow I'm off to Tivoli and Hadrian's Villa.  Monday we'll stop in Orvieto on our way to Assisi where we'll spend 4 days with the art and architecture of that city.

Mary - Mother of God, Mother of Faith

Today Fr. Cantalamessa spoke about Mary as mother of God and mother of Faith.  He beautifully spoke about how Mary was a letter of God written to his people not with ink but with the living spirit of God.  Fr. spoke about three different "movements" in the life of Mary.

The first was the INCARNATION.  The incarnation first takes place in Mary's womb.  The Holy Spirit "beatifies" Mary by asking her to be the mother of Jesus, the Savior of the world.  This was not an easy act of faith.  He cites it as the most difficult and dangerous act of faith in the history of salvation, much more difficult than the act and faith of Abraham.  Mary's promise is made without knowing a man and she finds herself in complete solitude with nothing but the word of God to rely on.  She knew that an unmarried woman found pregnant would be subject to stoning by virtue of the Mosaic law.  And yet, she makes her life a "Table Rasa" a blank slate for God to write.

The second was MARY BENEATH THE CROSS.  Mary is at the heart of the Paschal Mystery.  The comparison is made between Mary and Abraham.  Both were asked to sacrifice their sons.  Both are asked to have hope beyond what they could see.   Mary, beloved by the Lord, appears in the garden and Jesus says, "do not touch me."   He is now to be experienced through our heart, not through our vision.  Through faith, hope and obedience, Mary becomes the Mother of the Church.

Finally, MARY AND PENTECOST.  Jesus, would be born by the power of the Holy Spirit because of Mary.  Mary received her Pentecost at her incarnation.  Pentecost is for the church as the incarnation was for Mary.  Fr. states that Mary became the first "cloistered nun" in the church because she spent her final years with John, the beloved disciple, in prayer and reflection.

Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa now lives in a hermitage about an hour from Rome with a group of cloistered sisters.  He relates how much joy he has in living there for it has afforded him so much time for prayer, reflection and writing.  He reminds us priests, "wherever you go, bring a hermitage with you."  Sometimes in the midst of our hectic lives, a thought or a prayer brings us to that hermitage.  Take time, dear brothers, he reminds us to contemplate and pray.  He reminds us that when we do so it multiples our time.

Finally, he speaks to us of hope.  He says, more than anything else, our people need HOPE.  He says that a person without hope wakes up each morning with no new horizon or possibility.  He urges that anything we face, the person must become stronger than the problem.  Kiekegaard writes that when a person is sick, a doctor may give a medicine but when the doctor gives hope to the sick person, he has given the best remedy.  When you read the gospels, Jesus is filled with hope for his people.  We must do the same for the people we serve.

I have been in awe this week by this humble, joyful servant of God, Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa.  I urge you to read his books - his wisdom is amazing!!!!  All of his books, he notes, are taken from his talks to the last 3 popes - so it's good stuff!  I've just finished his biography and it's amazing.  What a great hope for the church he provides.  I thank God I was able to hear him this week and be inspired by the many messages he spoke to us!!!!

Benevolence and Benificence

Today Fr. Cantalamessa spoke about the difference between Benevolence and Beneficence.  He says that love must always proceed the good works that we do.  It is the doing of charity but the "feeling" of charity, the "spirit" of charity that must rule our hearts and lives.  Fr. spoke about converting the hearts of others.  He says that we must first ask the question, "Do I love this person?"  We cannot change the heart of another without our hearts first being convicted and motivated by love for the other.

Fr. also spoke about humility.  He used the example of St. Francis of Assisi who called "Sister water" because water always descends until it settles into the lowest places.  As Jesus spoke, "If anyone wishes to be the greatest, you must be the servant of all."  (Matthew 20:26)

A New Pentecost

Today Fr. Cantalamessa spoke about the fact that Pentecost was not just a post-Resurrection experience.  In fact, the Jews had a celebration of Pentecost that commemorated the giving of the first fruits of the harvest.  So that when Romans speaks of Pentecost it speaks of when "Pentecost came around" as if it had been there already before.  Cantalamessa speaks about the gift of the Spirit given to us that helps us to pray in our weakness.  Prayer is not a duty or a forced exercise, but a free gift. Jesus' prayer was prayer "in the spirit."

This afternoon, Fr. began reflecting on the fourth verse of "Veni Creator Spiritus."  It translates, "Thy light to every sense impart, and shed thy love in every heart, thine own unfailing might supply to strengthen our infirmity."  He spoke about the anthropology of that verse - mind, heart and body. Light to the sense (mind), Love in the heart and healing or strength for our bodies.

He further spoke about the difference between the Kerygma and the Didache.  Kerygma is the proclamation of the Gospel.  Didache is the teaching of the church.  He said that faith only blossoms in kerygma.  And he reiterated Pope Francis' message in "Evangelium Gaudete" par. 164 and 165 when the pope speaks about the proclamation of the presence of Christ.  What are people looking for today?  Are they looking for understanding or wisdom or learning?  Or, are they looking for the hope, encouragement, and mercy that come from God?  He urged the priests in attendance to utilize retreat, missions and, especially, funerals for the kerygma - to encourage people in hope.  He noted that, often, baptisms, communions, weddings are all about the dress, etc.  But at funerals people's hearts are open to encouragement, open to God's promise, desiring HOPE.

From Evangelii Gaudium

165. We must not think that in catechesis the kerygma gives way to a supposedly more “solid” formation. Nothing is more solid, profound, secure, meaningful and wisdom-filled than that initial proclamation. All Christian formation consists of entering more deeply into the kerygma, which is reflected in and constantly illumines, the work of catechesis, thereby enabling us to understand more fully the significance of every subject which the latter treats. It is the message capable of responding to the desire for the infinite which abides in every human heart. The centrality of the kerygma calls for stressing those elements which are most needed today: it has to express God’s saving love which precedes any moral and religious obligation on our part; it should not impose the truth but appeal to freedom; it should be marked by joy, encouragement, liveliness and a harmonious balance which will not reduce 126 Cf. Propositio 9. 127 John Paul II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Pastores Dabo Vobis (25 March 1992), 26: AAS 84 (1992), 698. 131 preaching to a few doctrines which are at times more philosophical than evangelical. All this demands on the part of the evangelizer certain attitudes which foster openness to the message: approachability, readiness for dialogue, patience, a warmth and welcome which is non-judgmental.

The Holy Spirit - the "highest" gift of God

When we sing "Veni Creator Spiritus" or the words of "Come, Holy Ghost" we sing the words, "O Comforter, to you we cry, God's gift of love sent from most high. Thou font of life and fire of love, and sweet anointing from above."  The original hymn spoke about the Holy Spirit as the "highest gift of God."  This second verse of the hymn also refers to font (water), fire and anointing (oil).  These are references to our baptism.  In the pagan world, oil was utilized for beauty or for athletes to strengthen their muscles for competition.  In the religious world, oil was used to consecrate the person for special purpose.  Jesus is the "anointed" one of God, the Messiah.  The fullness of God is realized in Jesus' baptism.

Fr. Cantalamessa distinguishes between the two anointings in Jesus' life.  In the incarnation, his anointing was "personal."  Jesus receives God's call as the Messiah, the anointed one.  However, in the Jordan River, he receives the Spirit as the grace he submits to the world through his body.  He goes to the synagogue and, after reading Isaiah, announces, "today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."  Early in the church rituals were created to express this for every Christian sharing in the anointing of Jesus.  Today, we anoint both before (oil of catechumens) and after (chrism oil) a child is baptized recognizing these two movements in Jesus' own life.  Every Christian person shares as an anointed one in the person of Jesus Christ.  There is a personal journey (catechumenal) and there is a public journey (chrismal) in which we are called to go forth and be Christ bearers for the world.

There are times in each of our lives when we become overwhelmed by our own sinfulness; our weakness and our imperfections.  At these times, we must rely upon our anointing.  Even in prayer, we must rely on this anointing from God.

As Fr. spoke I recalled a time I went to visit a prisoner in Orient, Ohio.  He had been found guilty on 32 charges and had been a police chief in a neighboring suburb.  I was called to the house the night he was found guilty because they feared he would commit suicide.  After his sentencing he was moved to the Ohio State prison in Orient, Ohio.  I remembered going to visit him and how scared I was.  I felt so inadequate, unprepared, and ill equipped to know what I would say.  I remember praying the entire drive to Columbus, "please Lord, give me the words you wish me to speak."  Jeff was behind a glass wall, shackled hands and feet and his first words to me were, "Father I just wish I were dead."  What do you say from there?  However, God gave me words from above.  I remember speaking words that I knew were not my own.  They came from on high.  They were "anointed" from above.  Another prisoner overheard my words and said, "Preacher, them were some mighty powerful words you spoke."  I remember pointing up to heaven and said, "they weren't mine, they were his." Jeff later wrote that the day of my visit was the worst day of his life and it was as if God had sent an angel to him on that day to lift him from his sorrow.  I understand the power of being anointed.  For certain it had happened on that day and, it has happened time and time again.  It reminds me that no matter what I have been called to do or to say or to go, I am anointed by God to do so.  We are God's anointed and chosen ones!

Looking "Behind" the Cross

Yesterday Fr. Cantalamessa had us continue to reflect upon the cross.  He says that we can look at the cross in two ways.  First, we see the glorious - the Resurrection, the cross surrounded by flowers, stars.  In this depiction there is no sign of pain or death.  Or we can focus on the suffering Christ - destroyed, disfigured.  But Fr. had us think "beyond" the cross.  He encouraged us to stand behind the cross and look outwards - onto what the cross has produced for the world.  We stand in front of the cross and ask, "why suffering, why tragedy."  But when we stand behind the cross we have a different viewpoint, a viewpoint that helps us look beyond this life into eternity.  The triumph of the cross over death.  By lifting up the cross, there is a healing process.  Cantalamessa utilized the Scripture reading from Numbers 21:9, Moses lifting up the bronze serpent for the people to see.  They had been bitten by the serpents, some died, others suffered but lived.  Now, with the serpent lifted up, they are able to see clearly through their suffering and pain to a world beyond.  So too, ourselves.  Sometimes the serpents of greed, envy, lust, passions, materialism hold us bound.  They are our modern day serpents.  But they are meant not to be an ending, but a beginning.  Through our suffering, through our weakness, we gaze upon the cross, the ultimate love of God poured out for us.  From this cross, comes our new life.  From this cross we arise.  Death does not have the final say.

Walking Tour of Rome

Well today was another interesting, and historic day.  We met up with our tour guides, Ashley and John.  I knew that Ashley looked and sounded so familiar to me.  Sure enough, she was my cousin (Fr. Jim Schmitz) and my tour guide when at the Vatican Museum about a year or so ago.  Small world!

We began our walking tour just outside the senate building at the Piazza Navona.  Around the corner is a place called Piazza Eustachio.  Interestingly enough St. Eustachio is the patron saint of hunters. Notice the cross with the antlers at the top of the church.  This is the image you see on a bottle of Jaegermeister.

As you may know, the Italians love their espresso.  Ironically it was only invented in the late 1800's so it's a relatively new phenomenon.  This place San Eustachio Cafe is, supposedly, the best coffee house in the city.  Here we learned that most Italians do not drink cappuchino after 11:00 a.m.  They consider it too sweet and milky - almost dessert like - and it's what you would normally think of as a breakfast beverage.  Nonetheless, many of the priests enjoyed a cup of espresso or cappuchino here to get us energized for the walk ahead.

Santa Maria Sopra Minerva is a Dominican Church and it's the only gothic church in Rome.  Built in the year 1286 when the papacy was in Avignon, the Dominicans were able to keep raising funds to build the church.  It is breathgaking with lapsis (blue) ceilings and marble pillars. St. Catherine of Siena's body is entombed just below the main altar.  She is heralded in helping to reunite the papacy in a single place - in Rome.  When it came to who would repose her body there was a dispute between the Siennese and the Romans.  They compromised and decided her body would be in Rome, her head and finger would be in Siena.  Only in Italy :).

Bernini's design

The Elephant signaling to Fr. Paglia

One of the most unusual aspects of this church is encountered in the piazza just outside.  There stands a huge obelisk with an elephant holding it up.  Bernini was commissioned to complete this work and had recently been inspired by a book he was reading.  In 1665 a small obelisk was found in Rome.  It was one of many Egyptian spires that once decorated a pagan temple here in Rome.   Pope Alexander VII decided to have it placed in front of the church and hired architects to design a monument.  One of the architects was a Dominican priest by the name of Father Domenico Paglia.  There was some level of dispute between the priest and the sculptor, Lorenzo Bernini.  The pope chose Bernini's design because the elephant symbolized strength and fortitude.  Fr. Domenico and Bernini disagreed with some of the elements of the design and, in protest, Bernini pointed the tail of the animal towards the Dominican monastery as a sign of his protest in altering the original design!

Michaelangelo's sculpture of Christ the Redeemer stands at the left of the sanctuary.  He had found a very small grey vain in the marble and completely abandoned the project once begun.  His students picked up where he left off (he was a perfectionist) and completed the work.  The body of St. Catherine of Siena lies in this church just under the main altar. Interestingly the present sacristy is a place where Galileo was tried in 1633.

San Ignazio (St. Ignatius) Church is a remarkable place as well.  Back in the days of the Enlightenment, people believed if you couldn't see it, you

shouldn't believe it.  The architect of this infamous church wanted to prove they were wrong.  Sometimes what we see isn't the whole picture; isn't the whole reality and he set out to prove it through the architecture and the decoration of this church.  Despite the fact that the church has only a slightly curved ceiling, the figures appear three dimensional, depending on where you stand.  Further, the dome of the church  appears similar to the dome of the Pantheon but it is, completely, an optical illusion.  Standing near the door of the church it appears 3 dimensional.  However, standing directly above the center and you'll see the dome is only painted on and is, in fact, not in the center of the church.  Amazing!

Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa - Preacher to the Papal Household

We are fortunate to experience a retreat week at the Casa O'Toole (at the North American College) with preacher to the papal household, Rev. Raniero Cantalamessa, OFMCap.  When people remark to him that it's a great honor to do this he claims it honors the pope more than it does the preacher.  The position goes back to 1555 under the efforts of Pope Paul IV for the reform of the Church and the Curia.  Since 1743 it has been the task particularly held by someone from the order of Capuchin Friars Minor.  The role consists of presenting a meditation to the pope, cardinals, bishops, prelates of the Curia and superior generals of religious orders every Friday in Advent and Lent.

What is truly amazing about this man is not so much WHAT he preaches, it's HOW he preaches. You can tell it comes not only from his head but his heart as well.  It is a synthesis of his own life of prayer and reflection.  Further, his conversion experience really has it's foundation in the charismatic movement.  He had been invited to the Charismatic Renewal in Kansas City years ago and discovered something about the Word of God that inspired him.  He said it was no longer just words on pages but a lived word that needed to "go forth."

Cantalamessa has preached to John Paul II, Benedict XVI and now, Pope Francis.  He's given two talks before both conclaves that elected the last two popes.  He tells the story about how Pope JPII had been traveling to Central America during Lent and missed two sermons.  Upon his return he apologized to Cantalamessa for having missed his sermons.  In reflecting on this, the preacher of the papal household said, "Have you ever gone to your parish priest and asked pardon for missing the homily of the previous Sunday?

Fr. Cantalamessa's first talk this morning was about living from the spirit and his homily at Mass challenged us to look beyond the "front" of the cross to the "back of the cross."  He said it is not just recalling the historic event of Christ's suffering but looking beyond that to the glory of the Resurrection.  It's a great reflection for us, at Holy Angels, as we prepare to erect a new crucifix next year!

I am eagerly anticipating more from this inspiring and inspired preacher!

The Italian wedding!

On Thursday evening I celebrated a wedding Mass here in Rome.  It was for a couple from Holy Angels - Catherine Lanzilotti and Eric Schober.  Three of the Lanzilotti clan were there - Catherine (of course!), Christine and Christopher.  Also present was Henry, a young man from Chagrin Falls.  The wedding was beautiful.  Held in San Giovanni a Porta Latina, it was a little church not far from the Circus Maximus.  The wedding was held a little after 4:00 p.m.  The sacristan, a little old lady in her 80's or 90's, greeted me but spoke very little English.  I spoke very little Italian so we were a good match for each other.  She prayed the rosary in Italian.  I prayed the rosary in English.  When the wedding was completed, she took my hand, led me over to the fresco of the Virgin Mother, and we held hands together, singing the Ave Maria in Latin.  It was definitely one of the beautiful highlights of the wedding for me.

Later that evening - at 8:00 p.m. we met in Trastevere (a neighborhood of Rome) where we gathered Eatwith.com"  It's a wonderful movement that gathers people around local tables and cuisine as they are visiting foreign places.  There are a handful of such spots in Rome.  You sign up online and never quite know who the other visitors will be.  We gathered with 13 people in total.  A couple and a friend from San Francisco.  A single woman traveling from New Mexico and a young couple from St. Louis, Missouri.  There were six in the wedding celebration group.  It was a spectacular night.
for dinner in the home of a woman whose name is Barbara.  Barbara is part of an international movement called "

We began with appetizers of puffed pastry with mushrooms and bruschetta.  Then we moved too the pasta dishes - lasagne with a white mushroom sauce, stuffed tomatoes with rice, homemade gnocchi with a green olive sauce, veal with potatoes and red peppers. With wine, wine and more wine!!!  To top it all off, she had an Italian creme cake which was awesome.  It was topped with 3 gummy figures - one representing bride, the other groom and me!  We didn't leave her home until Midnight.  It was awesome.  If you'd like to see a video of Barbara and her work, check it out here: http://www.eatwith.com/host/3875/.

Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Eric Schober!!!!!

Tour of St. Peter Basilica

Our Tour of the Vatican yesterday was conducted by a marvelous history teacher named Liz Lev. She not only knew the history but incorporated art and theology into her presentation.  It was simply incredible!

The Rota Porphyretica - St. Peter Basilica

We first stopped at the entrance way to St. Peter Basilica completed in . There on the floor was a red porphory disk called the Rota Porphyretica. This disc was originally located in the old basilica. When it was torn down during the Renaissance the disc was spared and installed on the new basilica at its present location. This disc is significant because it is the place where Charlemagne knelt on Christmas night in the year 800 A.D. when Pope Leo III crowned him as the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. However, when this occurred the disc was already 500 years old meaning the disc has been there for 1,700 years! Emperors were crowned on this disc throughout the middle ages. If you've been to St. Peter's you've probably walked over it and never even realized it's significance and history!

Our second stop was at Michelangelo's most beautiful piece - the Pieta. This work is most significant for many reasons. It is his first public work, carved when he was only 23 years old. The completion of the entire basilica would be Michelangelo's last public work. It also was carved from a single piece of marble. The Pieta image is not found in Sacred Scripture. Rather, it was first proposed by the Germans in the 14th century. Pieta means "to feel sorry for." The French and Germans pieta works

The Pieta by Michelangelo, 1500

were somewhat morbid. Jesus is in rigor mortis. Mary appears to be in trauma. Big gaps form wounds in his side. Tears were carved into the wood. It was, emotionally speaking, a lot for people to handle. So Michelangelo was asked to carve a Pieta from this subject matter. Michelangelo had vision and confidence in his abilities. He carved the complete work in a single year completing it for the Holy Year 1500. There is a problem with the placement of the Pieta. You may remember that, in 1974, an Australian geologist took a hammer to the sculpture and began destroying it. After restoration it was placed behind a glass wall. It was never the intention of the patron to be placed so. He had expected that Mass would be celebrated on an altar in front of the sculpture. When the host was raised, Mary would have been gazing upon it, anticipating her son's presence in the Eucharist. Further, the entire work points to the resurrected presence of Christ and would have been a theological background for the celebration of Mass. In this work, Mary becomes a "living shroud." There is a triangular shape to the sculpture with Jesus folded onto the lap of Mary, his mother. The shoulder is carried under his mother's arm. Mary, as a daughter of Israel, now offers her son in sacrifice. His body appears to drop right in front of what previously had been an altar. Mary's fiat is "let it be done to me according to your will" and she now gives the Church it's savior. The folds of Mary's garment appears to be heavy (a sword will pierce her heart) but Jesus' body is so polished that it reflects the light shining from him. Sad as the subject matter is, there are already signs of the Resurrection emanating from the reflection of light from Jesus' body. This is the only work that Michelangelo ever signed. If you look closely you can see the signature on the sash of Mary's garment. After the piece had been placed in the basilica, Michelangelo overheard someone remarking that it was the work of another sculptor, Cristoforo Solari. It was after this that the sculptor wanted everyone to know it was his piece. Therefore, he carves the words MICHAELA[N]GELUS BONAROTUS FLORENTIN[US] FACIEBA[T - translated, Michelangelo, the Florentine, made this.

Dome of St. Peter Basilica (notice the beam of light)

One of the things that strikes you as you walk into the Basilica is the sheer size of the building.  It can seat 60,000 people making it the largest church in the world.  Remember that the people of Rome would have been accustomed to praying in pagan temples.  These temples were small in size because their religions were exclusive.  One of the things that set Christianity apart is that size indicated to all that 'everyone was welcome."  We have triumphed, in engineering, over the people who worshiped gods dressed as birds.  Michelangelo sought to create that sense through architecture.  He visited the Pantheon and saw the massive dome.  You're so aware of the presence of that dome and how it holds up the supporting walls.  The Romans wanted to show off the skills of man.  However, Michelangelo sought to show the connection between heaven and earth.  He wanted to build this massive dome over the bones of St. Peter, the "rock" of the Church and connection between heaven and earth.  The windows allow light to shine, breathtakingly through. You forget that there are 137 tons of masonry above your head.  Here is a place where heaven and earth meet.

The bronze statue of St. Peter is 700 years old.  It was sculpted for the first jubilee year in 1300. Significant to this piece is that Peter is not dressed like a king.  In fact, he's wearing a philosopher's robe and dons a beard signifying wisdom.  This was a significant change from the Byzantine depictions of Peter as emperor of the kingdom of God.  Think about visitors to the basilica in 1300 - they were interested in touching the sacred places and grounds in the holy land.  They began to touch the foot of St. Peter in reverence to the first pope.  Over the years the foot has been worn down by the touch of pilgrims' hands.  Liz noted that it usually takes 1500 degrees and a soldering iron to change bronze.  But here, at St. Peter's, 98.6 degrees, from pilgrims hands over the course of 700 years and bronze is worn and re-shaped by the hearts and prayers of millions.

The Baldacchino or canopy placed under the dome of the Basilica and over the tomb of St. Peter was commissioned by Pope Urban VIII in 1623 and was completed several years later.  It was intended to give a greater significance to the tomb of St. Peter and marking the spot, without any doubt, where he was laid to rest.  Further, under the canopy is the altar upon which the Holy Father has Mass.  This is yet another place where the vicar of Christ connects us between heaven and earth.  This massive canopy is 75,000 pounds!  Initially Bernini had difficulties getting the canopy to stand.  After all, carved in bronze this canopy is the size of a 3 story building within another massive building. Significant to the twisted design of the columns is the fact that the Romans and Greeks would never have designed them this way.  It was simply not the way they defined space.  Above the area of the canopy are columns originally created in the Constantine era.  They were designed and placed above Peter's tomb originally and were brought into the design of the Basilica.  Bernini used the same "twisted" design for his columns on the canopy.  Liz pointed out a significant theological connection. Christianity has always been "different" than the culture around it.  Rather than defined, accurate, and precise columns, Bernini hoped to portray that Christianity is sometimes jarring, surprising and provides somewhat of a "twist" to modernity and is often counter-cultural.  It never stands in line with the nice order people try to put together and impose on life. They also offer us continuity - we may have rebuilt the church but it's the same Peter around it.

Liz tells us that 17th century is her passion.  It was the age of discovery.  When Bernini was 17 years Galileo shows up in Rome with a telescope.  Bernini would have looked at worlds beyond through that telescope and began to have a vision and perspective on life beyond this world.  All of St. Peter's Basilica does just that - it transports you to a world beyond this one.  And, for the last 400 years, it has done so for millions and millions of pilgrims from around the world.

St. Andrew

Around the center canopy are several sculptures.  One depicts St. Helena and contains a relic of the true cross.  Another depicts St. Veronica.  But the two she focused on were the statues of St. Longinus and St. Andrew. St. Andrew was sculpted by Francois Duquesnoy.  In this depiction, St. Andrew appears, bare chested, gazing at the cross, looking outward.  He appears on a satire cross (like the shape of a letter X).  There is nothing spectacular about the folds of his garment.

St. Longinus

On the other side of the nave is St. Longinus. Tradition holds that he was the guard who pierced Jesus' side when blood and water come out.  Think about it.  Longinus is a Roman guard, part of the winning team.  Jesus was the prisoner and he was the soldier.   He was just doing his job as a soldier when Jesus was crucified. But now, when he pierces the body's side, blood and water flow out and he now realizes - this was the son of God.  His garment appears to have been electrified and his hand is fully opened as if an awareness has happened unknown to him before.  He holds a lance in one hand and the other is wide open as if shocked by what he has just experienced and seen.

Bernini was 73 when he began to work on this funerary monument for Pope Alexander VII.  They both had a fascination with the art of dying well.  Alexander was so worried that death would capture him unexpectedly, unprepared.  So Bernini made him a little wooden coffin "you do not know the day nor the hour" to remind Alexander of death.  Beautiful marble - greens, blacks, grays remind us of the beauty of this world.  But the big red theater curtain is the most significant piece of this scultpture.  Death - gold skeleton with an hour glass - below the curtain.  This provides absolute certain of death.  Virtues are around the bottom of the curtain - charity, prudence, fortitude.  The woman with the sun - moral truth.  Her toe hovers over England - and there's a little thorn that pokes into her toes indicating that England was a thorn in the church's side.  This is one of my favorite pieces in St. Peter's.  I have reflected before it often.

This incredible tour gave me insights into the Basilica that I had never had before.  I look forward to further tours with Liz Lev regarding more works of art and architecture throughout Rome and Assisi.