Pranziamo

One of the most common questions I have gotten from friends and family in the States since I’ve been in Rome is “How’s the food?”    Now with all the sights and experiences of live in Rome and studies at the Gregorian, why this question comes up so often is beyond me; but funny enough I always have plenty to respond with – and they usually all revolve around pranzo.

Don’t get me wrong, pizza and gelato are big pluses when it comes to eating in Italy, but pranzo is the true Italian experience.  Pranzo is Italian for lunch.  But don’t be misled- this is nothing like the school lunches we grew up with.  In Italy, lunch is the main meal of the day: businesses shut down, the streets are emptied as everyone goes to settle in pranzare (to lunch- yes it’s a verb as well!).  And so, of course, living the principle of enculturation (and having Italian cooks running our kitchen) we at the NAC follow suit. 

It starts with salad (this is actual and American adaption- authentic Italian mean have the salad right before desert- score one for American sensibilities).  Oil and vinegar are always the dressing, but you will be surprised how creative seminarians can get with a little cheese and pepper.  Then comes what is known as the prima (the first dish) which is always some kind of pasta.  And yes the pasta is much better here.  After that comes, naturally, the secondo (the second- I probably didn’t need to translate that) which is usually some type of meat (typically veal) with some vegetables.  Finally, when all is said and done, comes desert- which is usually fruit, but every once and a while we get a dulce (sweet) and enjoy some gelato.  Though portion sizes are not like in the States when you order pasta, pranzo is quite the filling meal that makes us all sympathetic to the Italian custom of a siesta.

Yet the actual food part doesn’t really capture what pranzo is.  As the main meal of the day this is the time when the whole community comes together and is able to spend time with each other.  The emphasis of pranzo is not just to get fed, but to enjoy time with your brothers.  Once the meal is underway are large refectory is full of the noise of conversation and fraternity.  It is the time when we can come in contact with other members of the community and enter there lives, strengthening each other and growing in love.  This longer lunch the most of us are use to draws us back into the meaning that the rest of day has, finding a moment of rest and refreshment in a community center around Christ.  Then we can better reflect his love through the rest of the day.

Moreover, to facilitate this community time, we take turn serving our brother.  It is a good remind that with all that we have here in Rome to enjoy; our purpose is to serve others.  Right now we just server in rotations, but when the day comes that we return to Phoenix, our service should be daily to feed the people of God and bring all the joys that we found here to them.   Including pranzo.

P.S. Here's a bonus pix of Fernando singing in a band in our lounge a couple weeks ago.

The Times

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Praised be Jesus Christ!

This is a prayer of praise and at the same time a plea for the grace to persevere in faith.

The need for grace is certainly felt in the times in which we're living.  In the last week, there have been some very eye-opening events.  In particular, the riot in Rome hit home.  Not literally, thank God!  But it was close. Close enough to make the reality of worldwide desperation and crisis become a little more real.

I went to the roof-top patio of the seminary on last Saturday to do some reading.  It was a cool day.  Very windy.  The sun shone brightly and the skies were very clear.  It seemed like a beautiful, calm day in Rome.  Except for two columns of black smoke rising from the roman skyline, less than a 40 minute walk away.  I had heard there was some sort of riot going on.

Credit: www.martinfrost.ws

The smoke was indeed from cars that had been set a blaze by rioters.

There are many things to say about the riots and what they demonstrate about economic crisis, corruption, and the violent level of desperation many people have reached.

But more generally, it seems that, worldwide, people have misplaced their hope and lost the value of human dignity.

Yesterday, Saturday (22 Oct), Rome celebrated the memorial of Blessed Pope John Paul II.  In his early life, he experienced life under desperate circumstances.  He lived through communistic Poland during the Nazi occupation.  He saw people invest their hope in a leader who had lost respect for human dignity.  He himself had to work in a chemical factory to avoid being deported to Germany.  Yet, through all this evil, he persevered in his vocation to the priesthood, even studying philosophy and theology during his work hours at the factory.

As we all know, he spent his life as a living witness to true hope and tirelessly worked to defend human dignity.  In these times, we should turn to this so well-known Blessed of the Church for his intercession for the current needs of the world.

Credit: repubblica.it

Last Sunday (16 Oct), Kevin and I were two of the fortunate 60 seminarians from the NAC that got to attend a Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI at St. Peter's basilica.  This Mass marked the close of multi-day international gathering hosted by the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization.  It was a beautiful Mass and it was so awesome to be so close to the Holy Father.  In the pictures, the seminarians in the top-right are the guys from the NAC.  Though he's not pictured, that is the row where Kevin was sitting.  I was behind the location from which the picture was taken.

During his homily, the Pope Benedict XVI said that he would be announcing a Year of Faith that will start Oct. 11, 2012 and concluding on Nov. 24, 2013.

This is very exciting news!  The need for a new evangelization that JP II and Benedict XVI have been speaking about is now taking shape in a concrete way.  Let us pray for a true renewal in the faith that our hope may be founded on the Truth, who is God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, such that a true understanding of and respect for human dignity, which is found in our filial relationship to God, may be lived by all nations.

I leave you with some of the pope's words from his apostolic letter announcing the Year of Faith:


"We cannot accept that salt should become tasteless or the light be kept hidden (cf. Mt 5:13-16). [...] We must rediscover a taste for feeding ourselves on the word of God, faithfully handed down by the Church, and on the bread of life, offered as sustenance for his disciples (cf. Jn 6:51). Indeed, the teaching of Jesus still resounds in our day with the same power: “Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life” (Jn 6:27)."

At Last in Context

And so after almost three months in Italy, we have finally started our Theology classes.  While so many back home are in midst of mid-terms, Fernando and I are just getting our first taste of European academics.  A number of us where commenting that this has been the longest break from school (May to October: 5 months!) that we have had ever.  So it has actually been refreshing to be back at it and no longer in a limbo of activity.  I likening it to standing up after a long car ride- the first stretch feels amazing!

Our daily schedule now starts at 6:15 with Morning Prayer followed by Mass.  After breakfast (with coffee!) we have a half hour walk to the Gregorian University (“the Greg”) for 8:30 class.  Now, of course, our class schedule change from day to day- and these Italians have found some of the most, lets say, “creative” ways to fits all these classes together.  It looks like some days I could be there until 4 or 5, then others I’ll be back to the NAC by 10a.m.  At least it keeps me on my toes.

The Italian lectures, which are all of our classes (except for Fernando’s Greek class), have actually been going better than I have expect.  Some professors are more challenging than other, but by and large they speak clearly and use a lot of gesture while they are explaining something (big surprise there). Plus, the community of American seminarians is committed to helping each other understand and helping if we have difficulty.  

The best advice I received on understanding the lectures, is not to get caught up in a word or phrase that you don't know- just keep going.  There is going to be something, probably for our whole time here, that we wont get, or never heard before, a word and ways of saying something; but if we focus on that one thing we miss the context of the word and everything that follows.  And a lot of time, it is in the context that we get the meaning of something unknown.  Its a reminder that we can't know everything and wisdom doesn't come the way we want it to.  Humility of listening- who know there was such a thing.  

O well, overall, this first week has been wonderful.  We have a couple classes that start next week instead, so there is still more to come!  Enjoy the pictures of Mother Greg.

Hope beyond hope

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I have a confession to make.  I am sad to say that I haven’t followed the AZ Diamondbacks since they won the World Series. So that makes 10 years, since the 2001 November series, that I haven’t followed baseball.  Granted, I never followed baseball very closely.  I spend much more time on music. My point is, I am thrilled that the Dbacks have come back after having gotten slaughtered by the Brewers in games one and two.  Tomorrow’s game is going to be intense.  Unfortunately, I won’t be able to watch it live. But it would bring me great joy to see our AZ Dbacks make it to the National League championship and… dare I say… the World Series.  C’mon, Arizona, hope wouldn’t be hope if the situation wasn’t difficult.

Speaking of difficult situations, Kevin mentioned in the last post that we took an Italian language proficiency test a couple of weeks ago.  Well, the results are in.  After two months of intensive courses and having our minds stretched and our perseverance tried, we passed!  This means that the exam results show that Kevin and I have made enough progress in the language to take a dive into lectures in Italian.  The first semester or two will probably be like trying to swim in rapids.  Hopefully, with time and effort (and perseverance) our Italian skills – with our Lord’s constant aid – will continue to improve to the point that we can increasingly thrive in our study of theology.

One very important reality I have recently been reminded of is that in our journey to do the Lord’s will we must place all our hope and trust in the God who is the source of our life and strength.  One part of the beautiful Mass for the ordination of deacons and priests states May God who has begun this good work in you now bring it to fulfillment (see Philippians 1:6).  Our hope must first and foremost be in Him who thought of us, gave us life, and constantly sustains us in His love.  It is not our own strength and will-power that will bring us true success.  Our highest achievement is entrance into the eternal life we are made for and our heart of hearts longs for.  This is something that is offered to us by God and it is only through Him that we can attain this only goal. I am the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6).

These reflections come from the awesome week-long silent retreat I went on last week as well as the ordination of this year’s 4^th year seminarians at the Pontifical North American College to the diaconate.  The silent retreat was very physically and spiritually restful and rejuvenating.  

The Franciscan house we stayed at for the retreat

 It was at a beautiful place called Greccio which is where St. Francis of Assisi lived for some time with his early order of Franciscans.  It is also where he made the first ever “nativity scene” (also known as a creche”) depicting St. Joseph, the Virgin Mary, and the baby Jesus.

Sunrise from the top of a mountain behind the retreat house

 (More pictures here)

The ordination took place in the Basilica of St. Peter.  There were 35 men who were ordained to the “transitional diaconate” which means that there will be around 35 men ordained to the priesthood next year for dioceses all over the US (and a few for Canada and Australia).  It is truly inspiring to see so many young men surrendering their lives to serve the Church and to be witnesses to the Kingdom.  And the surrender of these men is no passive submission, but a total giving of their selves through an enthusiastic act of love for God and His people.

Now if only the Dbacks could conjure up the same enthusiasm for beating the Brewers and place their trust in the right place…

By Fire

…but it’s a good burning.  We knew it was coming, and last Friday we final did it.  We went through the great tribulation, talked of only in whispers and through gritted teeth for months.  Yes that’s right, Fernando and I finally took our Italian proficiency test! 

Though this moment is by no means the end of our study of the language, there comes with it a feeling of completion (at least we hope).  According to European international law (Bologna Accord or something) if someone gets a degree studying in a language, one should actually know that language (bizarre huh), and so all the seminarians studying at the Gregorian University where they teach in Italian, which of course include Fernando and me, have to show their proficiency in Italian.  So this past Friday was a big moment for us; it was time for these two months of Italian studies to pay off.  The test was in two parts, a written that focus on grammar and comprehension (it had so audio questions as well), and an oral portion to see how well we can converse. 

It seems like a simple testing process, right?  Well, I think it would have been, if not for the huge number of seminarians lined up for the test.  As it worked out, some of us waited almost two hours (read two hours of worrying) between the two parts for one of the examiners to open up.  Either way, I think we both did well; though, we haven’t received any results yet.  I definitely have room for improvement (the oral part didn’t go quite the way I had anticipated) and even if I don’t past there is another chance later in the semester (which doesn’t prevent me from starting the classes anyway) which will just provide a challenge to get even better control over the language.

Ultimately, this marks the end our formal courses in Italian and indicates that we are drawing ever close to finally starting our theology courses. My class had more formation conferences this week, covering more on priestly identity and celibacy, while a couple of classes, including Fernando with the first year men, were on retreat. The other class that was on retreat are the forth year men.  In their last year of formation, these men are preparing to be ordained deacons.  In fact, that is what the entire next week is dedicated to, deacon ordinations.  This ordinations week is our last hurrah before classes begin the following Monday, culminating in the actual ordination Thursday morning in St. Peter’s Basilica.

Entering this final week before classes makes me realize that seminaries all over the U.S. have already started.  This, of course, includes our Phoenix seminarian brothers.  They have been studying hard and giving themselves over to the formation of their respective seminaries, St. John Vianney in Denver and the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, OH,  for over a month already.  One of the difficult elements of studying in Rome is being away from the fraternity of our diocesan brothers (db’s for short).  They are a lot of fun and holy men studying for the diocese of Phoenix and I am blessed to be a part of this group, who have been so supportive to Fernando and me during this transition with their prayers and who we make sure we pray for daily.  Plus, we are thrilled to have 9 new seminarians this year.  The diocese website has some an excellent page dedicated to the seminarians with short bios for each one.  Check it out and please pray for all of the men in their discernment and their studies.  

Seek His Face

Last week I went with all of the Second year class on a week long retreat.  It was a wonderful and needed time.  We headed off on Sunday afternoon for Rocca di Papa, a small town up on a hill about an hour outside of Rome.  It was a pretty little town with a breath taking view of the city and the surrounding area.  We stayed at great retreat center ran by the Sister of the Sacred Heart, who made some of the best food I’ve had so far in Italy.

The retreat was silent, and it was a beautiful silence.  Now that doesn't me there was no sound, we had mass everyday together, as well as Morning and Evening Prayer, and even a holy hour, but all the time in between was reserved for talking with God alone, including meals.  It definitely can have it challenges. Especially, when you have a good friend sitting across the table from you at dinner, the slightest look seems to send everyone into a laughing fit.  But it was wonderful just be able to share that time of prayer with my classmate without having to say anything.

For me personally, this time of prayer was something I had needed for a while.  It seems Fernando and I have gone non-spot since we arrived in July, and though we have had a chance for breaks and breathers throughout, it can be hard to absorb everything that’s happened.  This week was a time for me to sift through these experiences and all the emotions that come along with them and thank God for all the graces he has given me in them.  The amazing grounds of the retreat center provided a natural place to do that.

It is almost startling that even when in the seminary, trying to follow God’s will and studying about Him and how best to serve His people, it is so easy to get distracted, to get carried away with the little things of the world.  As a result, the waves of obligations, projects, and meeting feel like they are overwhelming us, threatening to drown out the joy of our life (yes, even in Rome).  Finding the silence at these times, finding Christ waiting to reveal His heart to us is of supreme importance.  In failure and success, the to-do list may rage and foam, but Jesus’ love is ever present and the world can calmly continue in joy. 

Just about every night of the retreat there was an absolutely gorgeous sunset.  It became a regular meeting place for the whole class to watch God unfold His gifts for us in silence.  They were beautiful moments of fraternity, and no one had to say anything.  Enjoy.

Quick afterthought:  Way to to D-backs!

...and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life

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16 September 2011
Feast of St. Cornelius and Cyprian, martyrs

Tuesday I finally registered with the university where I will study theology, the Pontifical Gregorian University.  Though classes start only a month from now, registration is on time.  I don’t know exactly how this works considering that it is unheard of for someone to apply to a private university only a month before classes start. Maybe the seminary reserves us a spot at the university ahead of time and since the seminary has a good relationship with the university (meaning they are the largest single source of enrollment) the school works it out.

The university Kevin and I will be attending come Oct. 10th

Anyways, this week the universal Church celebrated the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Our Lady of Sorrows and, today, the feast of the martyrs Saints Cornelius and Cyprian.  These three back to back feasts are pretty awesome.

The cross is certainly the reoccurring theme.  But what is up with the cross?  Why do (should) Christians love the cross so much?

Well, for us Christians the cross truly is the crux of our lives.  It is where Jesus paid the infinite price for our redemption by His passion and death.  It is where Christ consummated His total gift of self.  It is from where He flooded the earth with the water and blood of His cleansing and sanctifying mercy.  And yet these are only simple terms to speak of the great mystery of God’s love which is beyond human words.

So what does this really mean for us practically?  Well, the truth is I couldn’t tell you, because I don’t know.  It is a gift that we’ve received that’s too big for us to exhaust everything it has to offer. 

That said, one principal key to this mystery is abandonment.  Jesus began his passion by abandoning Himself to the Father’s will; "not my will but yours be done" (Lk 22.42). This is what the cross means to me on a practical level: surrendering to God’s will, therefore freely and joyfully accepting everything, including all suffering and all difficulty.

Everyday, I need to choose to give myself totally to God.  I try to make the conscious effort to surrender my heart to His will, trusting even when His will is unclear or when He silent.  Yet, I would be lying if I said I don’t fall short of this goal everyday.  This is because no person can accomplish true surrender if he holds on to pride or despair.  That’s really easier said than done, since these sins sneak into our lives in quiet ways that are often hard to detect.

At Jesus’ side, Mary abandoned herself to God’s will, accepting the suffering of her son as the will of the Father.  Likewise, Ss. Cornelius and Cyprian abandoned themselves even in suffering, knowing that they were suffering with Christ and that their abandonment to God would gain them eternal life. 

Outdoor entrance to our main chapel consecrated to the Mary's Immaculate Conception

We must not be afraid to give Him our whole selves in following His will (in other words, our calling or vocation).  He is always with us.  He is our refuge.  He is our strength.  He is the God that takes delight in us.

A well known prayer of abandonment