Italy

Tomorrow is the feast of St. Catherine of Siena, famous Dominican preacher and the first woman writer of the Renaissance. In celebration, Yves Beriault and I took the train from Rome up to Siena in the heart of Tuscany.

I am in Rome for a few days for a meeting, and had a chance to have wonderful lunch in a beautiful Roman piazza with Bruce WIlliams, an old Dominican friend.

One thing about Rome that always intrigues me is how very old it is. These pillars have been standing here for two thousand years.

People are funny. Sometimes when all the culture, art, and beauty in the world beckons, all you want is a candy bar.

"Honey, do we have any more Baby Baby Ruth's?"

One thing you can always say about Rome is its beauty. It is a beautiful city, old and new, historic and yet still vibrant, with all of these strands woven together in a complex tapestry.

I especially love the way the light filters down into the narrow, winding streets, reflecting off the ochre walls of homes that are centuries old.

Sitting on the belvedere of Santa Sabina, watching the sun go down over the Vatican, sharing a glass of Amaro with an old Dominican friend, Mike O'Rourke. As we watch the beauty of the scene unfold, our conversation revolves around computers, network routers, and database programming; but there is still time to talk about life, mission, ministry, meaning, and how all that is shaping up for each of us, for the Dominicans, and for the church. A lot to talk about. Good thing a glass of Amaro lasts a long time, as does a Roman sunset.

In this photo the sun had set but the city had not noticed yet. Street lights had yet to come on, leaving the city in deepening darkness as the sky glowed orange. As the city turned into a two dimensional shadow, the dome of the Vatican became an arrow pointing to the sky and the beauty of the sunset. 

It occurred to me that this is the church at her best. Not a magnificent basilica, nor even a sheltering dome protecting the faithful, but a pointer to God's presence in the world.

Rome, the Eternal City. Indeed it is, eternal and enduringly beautiful. It is incredibly old, yet still alive and vibrant.

I had an opportunity to visit St. Peter's Basilica in Rome this morning.