Augustine speaks...

Some thoughts from our classes today...

"...whenever you show greater concern for the common good than for your own, 

you may know that you are growing in charity." (Rule. 31)

"It is by love that we advance..." (Sermon 295.8.8)

"It is not words God wants of you but your hearts. 

It is with the heart that we ask; 

with the heart that we seek; 

and it is to the voice of the heart 

that the door is opened." (Sermon 91.3)

___________________
Tomorrow's plan?
A class trip to Ostia, harbor city of ancient Rome.

S. Bridget Waldorf, SSND

Streets of Rome

Today our class did a walking tour of some of the sites of Rome - in particular, we went to see the Basilica of Sant' Agostino. We also saw some great Caravaggio paintings, a past "house of ill repute", the tombs of both Saint Monica and Catherine of Siena and Michaelangelo's "Christ the Redeemer"
S. Bridget Waldorf, SSND

Casa di Fiammetta

Tomb of Saint Catherine of Siena

Michelangelo's
"Christ the Redeemer"

Facade of Basilica of Sant' Agostino

Tomb of Saint Monica, mother of Saint Augustine

Narrow Street

Caravaggio's "The Calling of Saint Matthew"

Caravaggio's "Madonna di Loreto"

Rotating Door at Spirito Santo Hospital
- used for delivering food to the patients -
or occasionally newborns in need of care would be placed here

When you read the Bible....

S. Bridget, S. Mary Juan, Dr. Louise Bourdua, Fr. Enrique Eguiarte

Classes this week were especially interesting as Fr. Enrique Equiarte, OAR shared St. Augustine's growth in the awareness of the love of God through his deep reflections on Scripture, leading him to a total conversion to Jesus Christ. 

Much time was spent on prayer and desire of the Holy Spirit to speak to our listening hearts through inspirations, warnings and messages.  We were given so much to reflect on each day.

Augustine would say, “At times, we can leave our interior, our hearts and forget God, putting all our attention in the material things. This is why Augustine lives the spirituality of continuous conversion. We can never reach perfection. Every day we have to be open to conversion."

S. Mary Juan Camacho, SSND

Post-Class Trip to the Pantheon

This afternoon we visited the Pantheon - also known in these parts as the Church of Santa Maria ad Martyres. Dating from 125 AD, this is the most complete ancient building in Rome and a favorite among tourists (and students like us!) Part of its magic is the oculus - the source of natural light which opens up to the sky and measures some 27 feet in diameter. Today, the structure is an active Catholic Church, dedicated to the Virgin Mary and martyrs - though it was originally commissioned by Marcus Agrippa to honor "all the gods" - pan theos.
S. Bridget Waldorf, SSND

Catacombs of Saint Sebastian

Our second week of classes in Rome ended with Mass and a tour of the Catacombs of St. Sebastian, which go all the way back to the first century.  It was here that liturgical celebrations dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul took place and where St. Sebastian was buried.  What an awesome experience to be walking down the same tunnels that early Christians walked to bury and pray for their loved ones. There are an estimated 7 miles of tunnels in the catacombs throughout Rome. For more details: http://www.catacombe.org/uk_index.html  S. Mary Juan Camacho, SSND

Tunnel within Catacombs

The ichthys or ichthus (/ˈɪkθəs/), from the Greek ikhthýs (ἰχθύς, "fish")

Devotional prayers to Saints Peter and Paul (who were believed to be buried at this site at one time). 

Mass with classmate,  Fr. Senata Robert Kinalegu, OSA (from the Congo)

At the Feet of a Master

Cardinal Prosper Grech, OSA

"If you wish to hear something good, sit down..." And with that, we were off for another session with our second week instructor, Cardinal Prosper Grech, OSA. This man is a skilled teacher - taking up pieces of a puzzle and helping us see how they all fit together - slowly, with purpose, and a dab of humor.  Never mind that he's 89 years old; his story-telling is clear and his accompanying sketches are something to behold. Today's topic was Augustine's interpretation of the Beatitudes...and in the future, the Our Father. Along the way we've discussed "What is the meaning of meaning?" "How does one argue for the value of the Old Testament?" "How do we interpret text?" Yikes. My head is swimming - but I can hardly wait for tomorrow.
S. Bridget Waldorf, SSND

Cardinal Prosper Grech, OSA and sisters in the program

Cardinal Prosper Grech, OSA and the Augustinians in the program

Mass with Pope Francis

Today on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, (and in celebration of the Year of Consecrated Life) the religious in Rome were invited to celebrate Mass at St. Peter's Basilica with Pope Francis. With tickets in hand, we and our classmates made our way toward the piazza and did indeed celebrate this most festive liturgy. I was impressed how everything ran so smoothly. If one was near to the center aisle in the Basilica, he/she could get a good look at Pope Francis during both the entrance procession and the leave-taking after Mass. Outside of the Prayers of the Faithful which were prayed in a variety of languages, the remainder of the Mass was offered in Italian as well as the sung responses in Latin. Here's a link to the homily offered that day: http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2015/documents/papa-francesco_20150202_omelia-vita-consacrata.html   S. Bridget Waldorf, SSND