I like to trust people. I believe that all people are children of God, and all people are created to be great. However, I suppose my optimism ignores the fact that not all children of God do great things. Which brings me to my worst moment of the week. (Don't worry, I tell you the best moment as well). After a lovely visit to the inside of the Roman Colosseum, my two friends and I are hungry for some lunch. A stroll down a side street to find a not too touristy cafe should do the trick. We cross the street, and a strange man passes by, aggressively and purposely nudging the three of us, as if to try and pickpocket us as he walks. A few blocks later, we find him behind us, and seems to be following us. Turning left, he turns left, and as we step into a gelato shop, he lingers outside the doorway. Pure terror runs through my every vain as no matter where we can try and run, he seems on our table the entire time. Can't this guy just leave us alone? We end up sitting down at a restaurant, and a wave of relief comes over me as I am now under the protection of the waiters. He can no longer do anything to any of us, although his brings us his last blow by performing his strangest act of all. He walks past our table once, twice and a third time, the third time placing a small orange on our table. We never see him again.
Whatever just happened, I could not be more glad to have my friends with me that day. As a group, we protected ourselves against the people that apparently linger in the corners, ready to pounce on anyone who's safety guard is relaxed. Coming out of those minutes of terror, I wonder if I will ever be able to walk through the city in the same way again. Just traveling back to campus, I have my eyes wide open for any suspicious activity, of course finding none. Even still, a creepy experience like that can't help but ruin my trust for people, and a trust that I will be okay walking around the city, which clearly is not true all the time.
But don't worry, I am still alive, still in Rome, and still laughing at the fact that the strange man put an orange on our table. Where did he even get that orange? Anyway, its over and done with now, although my trust bubble has been bruised a bit.
Now to my best moment. Throughout this entire blog I have been telling about going to places I have only dreamed of. St. Peter's Basilica, Roman Catacombs, the Aventine Hill, Perugia, Venice, oh the places, oh the fantastic moments! But sometimes, a favorite moment has to take place in the comfort and coziness of home. Home in this case, as in the Duquesne University Italian Campus.
When things get crazy back in the U.S, or even when things seem normal, the beautiful sacrament of the mass is always there for me. I LOVE mass. Celebrating the coming of Jesus himself in the Eucharist with all of my fellow faithful in Christ is quite literally one of the best things in the world. Daily mass is even better. I can have Jesus Christ bright and early at sunrise to begin each and every day? Yes. Just, yes. Lately things seem to keep getting busier and busier on the other side of the Ocean, with midterms, essays, classes, and travel planning. So of course, I can't wait for a good mass every Sunday to get me through.
After the creepy fiasco that occurred just a few days earlier, I walk into mass, and already its a great thing because its in English. The last couple of masses I had been to, including last Sunday mass and one daily mass, were in Italian. They were very good, as all masses are fantastic and Jesus speaks all languages. Nevertheless, I can't help but notice that I leave those masses with my ears buzzing with the mumble bumble of a language I still don't understand, especially when the priest speaks the homily faster than an auctioneer. Sitting in mass, there is only a total of ten people, all college students with one religious sister and the priest. The chapel is small, cozy, and full of sunlight, reminding me slightly of the Chapel of the Holy Spirit on the Duquesne campus. There is very little decoration, but the simplicity has its own beauty. Mass goes on and it could not be more glorious. I can't say for sure why this mass is the best moment of my week. Perhaps it is the fact that I have not been able to go to daily mass, and the gap between masses each Sunday seems so large. Maybe it is because all the masses I have been to so far have been in elaborate, beautiful and gigantic foreign churches, and I long for the simplicity of a little chapel. Or the fact that I was with all of my friends, able to celebrate and pray with them as one community. Or perhaps it is all of those together. Nevertheless, this mass gave me such a joy and a renewal of spiritual energy. It is as if God gave me this specific mass because he knew exactly what I needed and when I needed it. Thank you God!
Even though I may not be able to trust all people all the time, I know that I can trust on God wherever I am. He will provide, whether it be through good friends, good food, strange oranges, or a simple and comfortable mass. I'm not alone, and whenever I feel discouraged by whatever, I know God can and will be my support and my strength to pull through. For this I will put my entire trust in the Lord, no matter adventures I come across in the streets of Rome.
Finally, as I did mention before, I went to the Colosseum this week, so I can check that one off of my Amazing Postcard Scavenger Hunt! See you all next week!
We are praying for you!
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