1. Holy Cross (Santa Croce)

Today was an earlier day, with breakfast at 7am this morning, as today would be a very packed day full of shrines and Churches to visit. After a hearty breakfast consisting of eggs, bacon, ham, cheese, a spread of pastries and coffee, our first stop for the day was Santa Croce in Gerusalemme (The Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem). It is one of the “Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome”. Here, we celebrated Mass and toured the Basilica. It was consecrated in 325 to house the relics of the True Cross, brought back from Calvary by Saint Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine (who legalised Christianity). The floor also contains soil brought back from Calvary.

Santa Croce in Gerusalemme (Basilica of the Holy Cross)

The most famous relics enshrined at Santa Croce include: three fragments from the True Cross, one nail used in the Crucifixion of Christ, small pieces of the scourging pillar from the Holy Sepulchre and the tomb of Jesus, and a reliquary of two of the thorns in the crown of thorns that Jesus wore. In the past, on Good Friday, Popes themselves would walk barefoot (as a sign of penance) along the road that connected Saint John Lateran (the Papal Residence and Mother Church) to the Basilica of Santa Croce to pay reverence to the relics of the True Cross. This tradition was subsequently taken up by the Roman Missal and integrated into the Liturgy of Good Friday, where the Priest processes down the Church towards the altar with a cross, and the Church adores the cross as the Priest chants “Behold the wood of the Cross, on which hung the salvation of the world.”

The relics were on display in a quaint little chapel where we knelt to pray and appreciate the reality of Christ in front of us. For me, this was a deeply personal moment, and I found myself asking “Lord, who am I before you? Who am I in your eyes? What do you call me to?” In adoring and praying in front of the true relics, I came to realise that I have been running from the Lord in many ways, as I put on many different identities, forgetting that the Lord should be at the centre of all things. I felt that my life was mine to carve and mine to control, forgetting that the Lord is truly present in all things, and should be at the heart of all things. In seeing the relics in front of me, I appreciated the reality of Christ, not just on a spiritual level, but at a physical level, and it called me to re-orientate my life towards Him. Yet, I am called to be patient with myself, to take small steps just as a pilgrim does, to trust that He will continue to mold me in His time and in His ways. I am simply called to have faith, as faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains. In every Mass, I am reminded of Christ’s crucifixion made so real in the Eucharist and in witnessing the true relics, and it has helped me to come to a deeper appreciation of the reality of Christ in the Eucharist. Even as I struggle with my own imperfections, Christ still offers Himself physically and truly, as He enters into each and every one of us in the Eucharist. Truly, as Fr. John Paul shared during Mass, God is a God of history, of both the good and bad, and He does not withhold Himself from us. What we are called to do and what I am called to do, is to stop running from Him, to turn back to Him, and to receive Him wholeheartedly.

Morning mass at Santa Croce
Homily by Fr John Paul at Santa Croce

The Basilica also contains the tomb of Venerable Antonietta Meo, a young mystic who passed away of Bone Cancer at the young age of seven, and is on the way to Sainthood. Her life was an incredible testimony to the reality of Christ. Even at the young age of five, she understood the value of suffering that was incomprehensible without the grace of God.

A religious sister who was a nurse in the clinic she was receiving treatment from testified: “One morning, while I was helping the nurse was in charge of ordering the room of the little girl, her father entered. After caressing her, he asked her: “Do you feel much pain?” And Antonietta said: “Daddy, the pain is like fabric, the stronger it is, the more value it has.” The religious sister added: “If I had not heard this with my own ears, I would not have believed it.” She offered all her suffering to Jesus, saying “May each step that I take be a little word of love”. Standing in front of her tomb, I was greatly humbled that a young girl could understand this concept of suffering and compassion with the eyes of Christ. Truly, I am called to do the same, as too often I view suffering with my human eyes, only perceiving the pain, but not seeing the deeper reality behind it. In seeing her faith and the suffering of Christ on the cross in the relics, I am reminded that suffering is a means for us to let go of whatever binds us, and allow God in, for truly when we cling to nothing (sine proprio), we are able to fully bear witness to the Lord’s grace and live in his freedom. This was a truly deeply personal experience that I had at the Basilica.

Tomb of Venerable Antonietta Meo

2. Scala Sancta

Following Mass at Santa Croce, we took a casual walk to the Scala Sancta along a beautiful garden known as Giardini di via Carlo Felice. This was however no ordinary garden as ancient Roman wall ruins run parallel to the gardens. Based on my observations, the garden seemed highly popular with locals looking to exercise. One cannot help but draw parallels to the Park Connectors present in Singapore that offer similar aspects such as greenery and tranquility amidst a busy city life. The ancient walls present in this garden however served as a useful follow up from Friar JP’s homily in Mass on recognising the faithfulness of our God who is not simply the God of the Earth’s history but one who reveals himself in our own individual history to redeem and restore us that we may share in his glory.

This was followed by noting a peculiar statue of St Francis of Assisi in front of the Lateran Church. Upon further inspection (as pointed out by Friar Derrick) one can notice that St Francis is not alone – he is always depicted to be surrounded by his brothers to emphasise his recognition of them as gifts. When viewing the statue from a particular angle, St. Francis appears to be literally holding up the Church through his outstretched hands, a symbol of him rebuilding the Church as depicted in the Lord’s call to him from the San Damiano Cross, and Pope Innocent III’s dream. This was particularly striking to me as it made me wonder about the intricacies that must have been present for the sculpture to have considered weaving in God’s call to St Francis to rebuild his church, into a timeless reminder for ourselves that the church is where it is today because of the willingness and courage of men and women to truly follow the will of God in their lives.

Moving into the Scala Sancta proper, we were able to see the steps that according to Catholic tradition, is traced back to the time of Jesus who is believed to have walked on those steps during his trial. In tandem with the indulgence associated with the act of kneeling and seeking penance while on the steps, several faithful could be seen kneeling their way to the top. While this would have been an enjoyable experience for me to have undertaken, due to time constraints we were unable to follow through with the act.

Nevertheless, I trust that the mere visitation to the cross is able to inspire us to similarly walk the path that Jesus took – one that leads to us dying to ourselves, but one that also promises us eternal salvation by taking the narrow road that, though difficult, leads one to heaven.

3. John Lateran

Moving into the Lateran church, during a remodel of the interior of the church, it was decided that the beautiful 16th century wooden ceiling in the nave would be preserved.

The gilded and painted wooden ceiling

The gilded and painted wooden ceiling was commissioned by Pope Pius IV in 1562. The ceiling was not completed until 1567, which is why there is also the coat of arms of Pope Pius V (r. 1566-72). In 1775 the ceiling was restored on the orders of Pope Pius VI (r. 1775-79), who then added his own coat of arms.

This is why it is known as the roof of the 3 Pius!

The rationale behind attributing this church to St. John was also in the fact that the nutrition of people was regarded in the context of being able to understand and listen to Jesus, shown through St. John highlighting the life of Jesus.

I was also able to see the 2 pieces of cedar wood taken from Titus to Rome, and is regarded to be the original artifact from the Last Supper of Christ. It was truly intriguing to be able to see with my own eyes that the stories highlighted in the Bible were not only meaningful and spiritual, but also deeply historical and physical.

Lastly, looking at the painting on the wall, it depicted the scene in which Francis arrived in Rome and proceeded to meet Pope Innocent III here for approval for their way of life and the new rule. After initially rejecting their way of life, the Pope had a dream about a poor man who was rebuilding the Church of Christ, in conjunction with the call that St. Francis received at San Damiano. This led him to approve the new order of the OFMs.

Dating back to history, Nicholas the 4th was the first Franciscan Pope and perpetuated the devotion of kneeling down. The murals also helped me to realise the implicit symbolism present throughout the church. For instance, Anthony and Francesco are shown to be side by side with a bejeweled cross and waters coming in to say this is living water, and that it was simply the new Jerusalem.

All in all, this was an enchanting experience that helped me to gain a much deeper understanding and connection in my faith, showing me how much I take God’s love for granted in moments of adversity.