Okay so this update is still pretty late, but again, life has been nuts. Absolutely nuts. Also, this could be a factor: I hate writing in the first person--to me, it just connotes a sense of complete self-absorption, and if I updated this blog *every single day* I think I would get tired of my own self and describing all the wonderful things that have happened specifically to *me* (especially when everyone else is having their own unique experiences that make their time here special as well). There are enough blogs that do that, you can go read those. I'd rather provide summaries of what has occurred instead of super detailed, up-to-the-minute details of every single amazing experience--the mind is a powerful thing, so I'll be able to remember the most personal details, because certain experiences and thoughts should be kept silent and sacred, not aired for the whole online world to read. I guess blogs themselves are inherently for the promotion of the self, something I'm not really comfortable with; maybe it's silly, but humility happens to be a favored virtue of mine, and I try to abstain from speaking pridefully (whether I am successful at it or not is up to you, haha). Then again, blogging lets everyone back home know what I've been up to here in the Eternal City, so in the end I guess it's not such a horrible thing. :)
Before I get too far ahead of myself, I'd like to make a list of all the Stational Liturgies I've been to this Lent. Eighteen out of the 40 isn't too shabby, taking into account I've traveled outside of Rome most weekends, which automatically eliminates about three days each weekend. Remember, this entails waking up at 4:30 or 5 in the morning to make it to these 7am Masses all across the city. I now know the Roman metro and bus system like the back of my hand, which is very empowering, I must say. :)
1. Ash Wednesday, Santa Sabina2. February 24, the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore
3. February 26, Ss. Dodici Apostoli
4. February 27, St. Peter's Basilica
5. March 1, the Basilica of San Clemente
6. March 3, Santa Cecilia in Trastevere
7. March 4, Santa Maria in Trastevere
8. March 6, Ss. Pietro e Marcellino
9. March 8, San Marco al Campidoglio
10. March 9, S. Pudenziana al Viminale
11. March 10, the Basilica of San Sisto
12. March 11, the Basilica of Ss. Cosma e Damiano
13. March 15, Ss. Quattro Canti
14. March 16, S. Lorenzo in Damaso
15. March 17, San Paolo fuori le Mura
16. March 18, Ss. Silvestro e Martino (S. Martino ai Monti)
17. March 23, S. Maria in Via Lata
18. March 31, S. Maria Maggiore
Through this Lenten pilgrimage, I have met so many wonderful and faithful Catholics--priests, seminarians, and lay people--and made so many new friends from other study abroad programs like the Catholic Studies students from the University of St. Thomas, students from Marquette, and other Catholic schools across the country. The most incredible part of this experience is that I have finally found my faith maturing and deepening, due to almost daily meditation on the Sacred Mysteries, Christ's sacrifice, and the theology of the Mass itself. Being in the heart of Catholicism and its glorious array of magnificent churches has only strengthened this spiritual growth, which, and okay this sounds confusing, but it makes my heart leap and remain silently still at the same time....that's the only way I can describe the feeling, which inexplicably brings a little smile to my face. :) My goal for the rest of my time here--only five weeks left now!--is to go to all the station churches I haven't been to yet. The daily liturgical pilgrimage may be over, but you know, the spiritual journey is everlasting :)
Okay, so that's the spiritual side of things---on to the material! haha so last week was Spring Break for us at John Cabot, and a couple of my roommates and I (Katie and Anne) went to Sicily for the first half of break, came back to Rome for a day to recharge, and then we jetted off to Istanbul, Turkey, for the rest of break. Sicily was gorgeous--we stayed in the little seaside resort town of Cefalu' for most of the time, and if you saw my pictures on facebook, you could probably see why ;) Istanbul was INSANE. I can't describe the city accurately--there's no way to truly comprehend the amount of history and culture encapsulated in just one place. Istanbul is truly where East meets West, and the best place to buy really cheap souvenirs :D At 5am every morning, I was woken up by the call to prayer from the Blue Mosque, which was literally right up the street from our hostel. We spent almost an entire day at the Topkapi Palace, the residence of the Ottoman sultans for hundreds of years, and then ventured into the Blue Mosque--sans shoes and sporting headscarves. We were serenaded by the nearly hourly calls to prayer that echoed across the city as we explored the metropolis once known as Constantinople. We took a ferry up the Bosphorus River almost to the point where the river opened into the Black Sea, and stayed on the Asia side of the river for a few hours before returning back to the city. We descended into the depths below the city and marveled at the Basilica Cistern, full of stunning Corinthian columns and marvelous red lights that illuminated the cavernous subterranean space. I finally saw the Hagia Sophia and the Grand Bazaar, was accosted by male shopkeepers and waiters every few feet along the sidewalks, ate kebabs and Turkish delight almost every day, and made friends with a shopkeeper in the Arasta Bazaar in between our hostel and the Blue Mosque. I bought a beautiful watercolor painting of the city from him, and several other things that will remain a secret since they will be given to certain special people upon returning to ND in May for senior week. ;)
That's about it to catch you guys up on what's been happening lately! Look for an update in a couple days on Holy Week--it's only Friday and boy, have some exciting/somewhat dangerous things happened already!
Bacci,
Laura
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