The Ides of March:

After a late start today, we visited St. Ignatius Church. While there, I was able to reflect on issues that have been popping into my mind all trip. The silence in a church the size of a normal US cathedral is amazing when contemplating these issues. While contemplating, I noticed that the ceilings seemed to open into Heaven. The way they were painted was to show an open sky and Heaven coming down to earth. Although I may seem to be rambling at this point, this represents the organized chaos that goes through my mind every day in the pilgrimage. For me, reflecting on a topic will lead me to start reflecting on another seemingly random, but at least in my mind, connected topic. After reflecting on the pilgrimage as a whole first, I then reflected on how physical churches play a role in reinforcing the faith. In the US, most churches are barren compared to the churches in Rome. In Rome, the sheer scale of the artwork shows God’s glory. Even the small church where St. Stanislaus Kostka is buried is decorated more elegantly that churches in the US. While in that church, we had the honour of being able to celebrate mass on the altar of Strake Jesuit’s patron saint’s body. Being able to do this, I reflected on how lucky I am to be on this pilgrimage learning more about my relationship with God and being with friends. If this pilgrimage has taught me anything, it is that God loves me more that I can imagine and that God answers prayers when they need to be answered, not necessarily when we want them to be answered.

P.S.

We ate dinner where Julius Caesar was killed on the Ides of March! Wish you could have been there Mr. White.