I Favoriti

One day very soon, I will remove my fingers from my Italian dictionary and write something of real substance here. Classes these days have been throwing lots of fascinating articles about the Word, our identity, and our word of Him . . . the sort of material you want to take to a chapel or the foot of a mountain and just *think* about. There's a beautiful world to discover in that area of theology, all encapsulated in words with lots of vowels that I only half-way recognize. So for now, my nose is in the books. I have two important discoveries, however, to share from my experience in Rome thus far: 1) For the love of pete, teach your kids another language while they're young and it's painless, and 2) For the love of God, take the time to think in silence.

In the meantime, I just had an incredibly discouraging day, so this post is going to be full of all the things that make me really happy. Begining with the place that keeps me alive:



This is my coffeeshop, designed by Bramante. I am sorry to sound like such a snob, but there's really no other way to put it.
On to my newly-discovered favorite Sunday church, Santa Maria in Trastevere:



It's a terrible picture, but I hope to have a better one soon. Trastevere was traditionally the Jewish section of Rome during the time of Christ. Not too long before Christ's birth, oil suddenly gushed from the earth at this Church's future site, a sign of the advent of the Messiah, the annointed One. Apparently there has always been a strong devotion to the Blessed Mother in this section of Rome. I love the area; there are lots of narrow streets and artsy stores to explore.

Another favorite: seeing Il Papa. This was taken at the Opening Mass for the Academic Year, held specifically for all of the University students in Rome. Darkness comes from being half-way back in St. Peter's; the ones with flash are much too fuzzy to post, unfortunately.



And finally, Assisi. Here is one more from my last trek. I'm saving the rest for another bad day.