Day 3 Reflection

Our day 3 travels consisted of a trip to St. Paul Outside the Walls, a tour of the excavations underneath St. Peter’s Basilica, time spent in the basilica itself, mass at St. Peter’s, and dinner at the Piaza Navonna.

We began our Day at the ungodly hour of 7 AM to get our tickets for the metro rail. From the time I woke up, it already seemed as if a long day was ahead of us.

After we traveled from the bustling metro station to the outskirts of Rome, we arrived at the front door of the basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. As we walked into the welcoming courtyard, Mr. Cole reminded us of our daily challenge — no complaining. Surely Heaven had heard this challenge because as soon as we stepped off the metro we were greeted by the wonderful Italian rain. I remember entering the doors of the basilica and immediately being drawn towards the high altar, which St. Paul’s tomb is located underneath. As soon as I had entered the main nave I was already in front of St. Paul’s tomb about a football field away. I knelt in front of the glass St. Paul’s tomb is located behind and I asked the Lord for the grace to live the Gospel with as much fervor as St. Paul did. Above his tomb, the chains St. Paul was bounded in when he was martyred are also on display. If you recall the story of St. Paul — once known as Saul — you will remember that he was leading a group of Christians he had taken as prisoners to be persecuted when he was blinded by the light of Christ. After that, he was blinded for three days, in which he was told by God to go to the nearby city and find a disciple of Christ to have his sight restored. As we know, St. Paul then went to the town, was healed, and went on preaching the Christian faith and later writing the epistles of St. Paul. After his great conversion and subsequent years of unwavering faith, St. Paul was martyred. Two lessons can be taken from St. Paul’s conversion and his martyrdom. One being that ever after God sent a sign of himself to St. Paul, his conversion and healing still required his response. Often times, we say to ourselves, if only God could give me a sign, or reveal himself to me, then being a following Him would be much easier. However, even after these awe inspiring displays of God’s power, a response is still necessary. And that response is not easy. In St. Paul’s case, that response required that he give his life in the defense of the church. When we are called into deeper union with God, responding to His grace never becomes easier. In fact, the opposite of this is true. As we grow closer to God it becomes more and more difficult to say yes to Him. Sure the small things are easier to do, but to submit to our mission on earth, in this example martyrdom, becomes more difficult. However, we should never be afraid of this. “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear” Psalm 27:1. The second lesson we can learn from St. Paul is a very symbolic one that is illuminated by the chain put on display. As a person who at one time drew power from persecuted Christians, he would eventually be put to death with those he persecuted. As once he was leading Christians away in chains, he was martyred in them. This image of St. Paul moving from persecutor to victim is a fantastic example of leaving the temptations of the world behind us. St. Paul drew power by persecuting Christians, however, after his conversion he leaves that power behind and instead submits to the one real source of power, God. This is similar to the Bible verse, whatever is lost on earth shall be found in Heaven. Whatever we grab hold to on earth, is lost in heaven. And whatever we let go of on earth shall be found in heaven. St. Paul was a man once seduced by the temptation of power. However, as mentioned above, he realizes that his power over the Christians is false, and detached himself form this earthly pleasure. 

Next up was our tour of the Scavi, the ancient burial sites under St. Peter’s basilica discovered during excavations. I knew that this would be a special trip when we had to pass by the Swiss guards to get into the lobby. After a few minutes spent waiting, we were met by our passionate tour guide, Matteo. Matteo led us through all the ancient burial sites and the history of the discovery of the tomb of St. Peter. As we arrived at the tomb of St. Peter the Apostle, it was not at all how I had expected it. From our vantage point, we could see a tiny plexiglass box with small white slivers inside. It wasn’t the grand unveiling that you would expect for the tomb of one of the holiest people to ever live. But the sight of it overwhelms you with the aurora of holiness that it exudes. My favorite part of the tour was when Matteo read to us the inscription that they found while excavating the tomb of St. Peter. At the time he was buried, Christians were being mercilessly persecuted, so they had to secretly bury him. They had to bribe a soldier just to obtain his body. The inscription was not big, probably the size of a napkin. But it read, “Here lies Peter.” 

All around the tomb of St. Peter are the most beautiful chapels on earth, and the tombs of various popes, saints, and other important historical figures.

When he saw the looks of awe on our faces, Mr. Cole could only smile and tell us how much more impressed we would be by the church itself. His words were and understatement. When I entered the basilica I was overwhelmed by the display of awe inspiring artwork for the crown of the Vatican. Any combination of words used to describe St. Peter’s fall immensely short of encapsulating the beauty of it. The Pieta, the tomb of St. John Paul II and many more popes and saints, the most beautiful chapel dedicated to the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, relics of the true cross and the spear of Longinus, the tomb of St. Peter, the famous baldacchino. While these are the most famous and well visited places in the church, there is still so much more to see. Gold encapsulates the arched ceiling. There are marble floors throughout the basilica. And some of the most amazing artwork on the planet is housed in the same building. The splendor of this church is something that I hope all of you are able to experience in your life. It is truly an experience like no other. 

A significant amount of my time at St. Paul Outside the Walls  and St. Peter’s was spent in their adoration chapels asking God what messages these churches were being used to relay to me. Quite frankly, I didn’t hear much. That is until now. At the time I was very frustrated and angry with myself. Here I was, the luckiest boy on earth, I had the opportunity to visit two of the holiest churches on earth and yet I still felt as if I could grasp the enormity of these places. I couldn’t wrap my head around how special it was to be surrounded by the tombs of so many of the holiest people, or how amazing these tributes to our faith were. It made me angry that I was squandering this opportunity out of my own insolence. However, in reflecting on these experiences I have found new meaning and new appreciation for these incredible, beautiful, and most holy sites. In reflecting on my experiences I have been better able to allow them to sink in and to allow them to find a place in my heart and in my mind. I can now see that it wasn’t insolence that was preventing me from having the amazing sense of gratitude for the time I spent in these churches that I wanted, but that all I needed was some quiet, personal time spent reflecting on my experiences to allow them to fully sink in.

AMDG

Ethan Caligur