Today marked 12 days since we’ve been back from Italy and I’m still
on a “high”. There were so many great
experiences that I’m afraid I may forget some if I don’t write them down! I think I can classify my experiences into three types; a spiritual pilgrimage,
an ancestral pilgrimage to the hometown of Marilyn’s paternal grandparents and a
family vacation to recharge our batteries and let us forget about our work for
a couple of weeks.
Over the next few weeks, I want to give the “5 best moments” of each
type of experience. It’s going to be
really difficult because I can only think of about 3 things I didn’t really
enjoy on the trip. For instance, the
long flights (unavoidable, I’m afraid), the length of the vacation (entirely
too short) and my inability to keep up physically with the rest of the family
at times (which precluded me from experiencing a great hike along the Amalfi
Coast and climbing to the top of some of the higher cathedrals, etc., that I
know I would have loved to do if in better shape).
I want to start by giving thanks to God for blessing me with such a
great family. I give Marilyn and the
kids all the credit for the greatest pilgrimage I could have asked for!
The best 5 moments for me spiritually in no particular order (except
the first, of course!):
1. Attending a General Audience with Pope
Francis, getting to within 5’ of him as he drove past in his “popemobile”. It was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream!
2. Taking a tour
of the Vatican Museum and St. Peter’s Basilica, including the Sistine Chapel
and Michelangelo’s Pietá.
3. We visited all
four of the Papal Basilicas—St Peter’s, St. Paul’s Outside-the-Walls, St. John
Lateran, and St. Mary Major, attending a first mass for a new priest in one,
and having my confession heard in another.
4. Going into and
praying in many, many of the “ancient Roman churches” (as the taxi drivers
describe them, lol)
5. Having some
real faith-based conversations with Lily in many of those churches.
I will write separate posts on each of these experiences over the
next 5 days….I’m just so overwhelmed tonight by remembering each of them that I
can’t focus on just one right now. The
good news is that I’ll have a written record of my trip through my blog that my
kids and descendants can pull up and
read years from now. The bad news is
that it’s going to take about 3 weeks or more to recount all of the experiences. I hope I can keep my mind fresh with the
details. It’s a good thing I have
pictures to help me remember.
Good night for now.
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