Rome-ing in the rain

Dr. Lev led our morning tour again today.  This time we explored the Roman Forum, the Colosseum, and the church of San Clemente.  Dr. Lev gave us a basic, yet very captivating, history lesson about the beginning of the city of Rome.  It was a very rainy day, but the rain did not stop us from learning.  As we soaked up the rain, we did our best to soak up information.  If our brains today were anything like our shoes, we did quite well!  

In the afternoon, we toured the Casa Santa Maria.  It is a house where priests live when they are sent to Rome to do additional studies.  Our leader, Fr. Juan Miguel Betancourt, lived four years in this establishment.  He helped give the tour of the place.  He even showed us the location of his napkin holder. 

Main chapel at Casa Santa Maria

I could briefly tell you about each of the sites listed above, but I have decided to share instead a spiritual conundrum that I am dealing with.  I am sure this is a conundrum many people deal with in touring this great city.  This past weekend I decided to stop into a few different churches in the Trastevere area of Rome.  As I stopped into the different churches, I encountered many different things that captured my heart - an amazing piece of spiritual art, a statue of a saint, a mosaic apse, etc.  As something struck me and brought to my heart such blessed consolation, I recalled a bit of St. Ignatius of Loyola’s spiritual wisdom: when in a state of consolation, remain with the consolation because the Lord is blessing you in this particular experience.  For example, if you are reading Scripture and a certain line positively strikes you from the text, remain there.  The Lord desires to speak to you there.  Do not move forward too quickly.

Now this advice is spectacular and has enriched my prayer, but in this particular situation, it is difficult to remain with a certain experience too long because a person realizes there is soooooo much more amazingness yet to see in Rome.  It is a great conundrum that I am dealing with.

We continue to be grateful to all who have made this trip possible.  Know of our prayers.

The holy sister speaking to us yesterday.