Reflection by: Danielle
Chronicles of a pilgrim – Day 2- ROME
#sequelachristi2025
We began the day with a walk to OFM for mass, the headquarters of the Franciscan Order. Its interior, like much of the architecture in Rome, is intricate and purposeful. Mosaics made from millions of tiny stones decorate the walls and columns with various scenes and figures that tell the story of our faith. One I found particularly memorable was the mural of pelicans under one of the arches. Pelicans, when starved but do not have access to food, would offer their own flesh to satisfy their young. Much to think about in terms of how this parallels closely with Christ’s sacrifices for us.
Our second stop was St. Peter’s Basilica, the place to be for the Jubilee Year. My favourite part of the place was the Pieta by Michaelangelo – the sculpture depicting the Sixth Sorrow of Mary. This has always been one of my favourite works of art so much so that it was my phone wallpaper for a while. Getting to see it up close was surreal to say the least. My favourite details about the sculpture are Mary’s facial expression which is a peaceful one rather than one of anguish, and Jesus’ body showing minimal signs of the suffering He endured. These details come together to show that Jesus’ death was a sacrifice as part of God’s plan rather than a brutal, undeserving death, which both figures depicted in the Pieta understood.
We then spent the rest of the day roaming around Rome, visiting popular tourist spots such as Piazza Navona and Trevi Fountain, including a Gelato/Cappuccino rest break along the way. I shan’t spend too long elaborating on this part as these are places that many travel blogs already rave about and they aren’t completely specific to our religion.
What I do want to talk about, strangely enough, is the weather. The forecast expected rain throughout the entire day. Yet, we only experienced very light drizzle in the morning on the way to OFM and then a downpour at our last stop, just as we intended to head back. Throughout the day, the weather was wonderful, even allowing us to change our initial itinerary to one with more walking along the streets of the city. Were we just lucky? This is a question Father asked us to ponder about during homily at mass in the morning. Are our blessings in life merely coincidences? Or is it God’s will at play?
Father explained, we need to adjust the way we “see” in our life in order to see and hear God. St. Bonaventure puts this way: “seeing” has 3 levels – Eye of Flesh, Eye of Reason, Eye of Contemplation (Memory, Intellect, Will), which come together to help us understand God. As we continue along this pilgrimage in search of renewal of our faith, may we see and hear God and his actions, paying attention to what He sets out for us.
