ROMA
My wife and I just returned from a religious pilgrim to Rome. What an amazing experience. We attended Mass celebrated by Pope Francis at the Vatican and visited the Sistine chapel, the place where Popes are chosen. We attended Mass in the Papal Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore. We saw the burial places of Saints Peter and Paul and walked on the Appain Way, the original stone road where Saint Paul was marched into the city in chains. We visited the Basilica of Saint Peter in Chains which houses the chains that bound Saint Peter when he was imprisoned in Jerusalem. The Basilica is also the home of Michelangelo's statue of Moses, part of the tomb of Pope Julius II. The execution spots of Saints Peter and Paul are now commemorated by Catholic churches, the Clementine Chapel located in the underground necropolis under Saint Peter's Basilica and the Church of Saint Paul at the Three Fountains, respectively. We visited the Basilica of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls which contains the final resting place of Saint Paul. Saint Peter was ultimately buried outside the city walls in a necropolis on Vatican hill along with several early Popes. Eventually the Roman Emperor Constantine built a basilica over Peter’s grave and the necropolis. Peter’s tomb was placed directly under the alter of the original Saint Peter’s Basilica. We took the underground tour to see the remains of the original Basilica and the tomb of Saint Peter in a necropolis in the third archeological layer under the original Basilica. The present basilica is built directly over the original basilica. We visited the catacombs and saw where the bodies of Saints Peter and Paul were interned for a year and a half before receiving there final resting places. The land upon which the catacombs sit were donated by a wealthy roman Christian convert as a burial site for the early Christians before the persecutions ended. Over a half million Christians were buried in the catacombs of St. Callixtus alone.
We also visited the many sites of the Romans: the coliseum, the forum, Palatine Hill and the Domus Aurea, Nero’s golden house. We saw the arches of Constantine, Titus and Severus. The Pantheon, now a Catholic church, displayed Roman construction ingenuity. We climbed Mt. Vesuvius and saw the destructive power of the volcano in 79 A.D. Pompeii and several other cities were destroyed and surprisingly preserved for present day viewing. Ancient Pompeii was a middle class city but several residents had considerable means. The House of the Faun was a magnificent display of Roman upper class society with its grand entrance, a business office immediately thereafter and then the porticoed courtyard with all of the residential rooms surrounding it. We saw ancient bakeries, ancient fast food joints, and Roman baths that would be the envy of any modern day spa. We saw ancient brothels, hotels and amphitheaters. In the national museum in Naples we saw fabulous collections of coins, cook ware, and glass ware taken from Pompeii and placed on display. Impressive were the collection of the statuary, from ancient Roman and Greek Gods, conquering heroes and every day persons, including the very impressive statue in the Bachelor House. The most impressive however were the painted frescos and tiled mosaics persevered for centuries by the volcano and now on display in the Naples museum. These “pictures” and “portraits” were of battle scenes and war victories, nature scenes and exotic animals, aquatic and plant life and just everyday scenes. The skill and effort put into these displays demonstrate a long lost craft of artistic competence. But what we saw confirms that the people of Pompeii in 79 A.D. lived as we do today with one exception. God and Christ was not on display anywhere in Pompeii. It was still a pagan city. Peter and Paul had been dead for only 10 years when Vesuvius unleashed its wreath but we can assume that a few Christians may have lived there. We did see one volcanic ash, entombed woman on her knees with her hands joined as if in prayer.
We also had a chance for a day trip to Assisi, a quaint city of fame for the birth and death of Saint Francis. It is an old ancient stone city beautifully preserved perched on top of a tall hill. We arrived by train from Rome and had to take a bus for a 2.5 mile ride from the train stain to the outskirts of town. Assisi is a no auto zone, except for its residents. The town was impeccably clean and not one sign of graffiti. We ate lunch in the Piazza del Comune at a small trattoria where the tables spilled out into the street and was seated next to a nice lady from Austria who was visiting Italy with her daughter who had just graduated from high school. We visited the main sites, the Church of Saint Claire, San Rufino Cathedral and Saint Francis Basilica, where he is laid to rest. The cross that commanded St. Francis to rebuild His church is now on display in the Church of Saint Claire. I didn’t hear Saint Francis’s cross speak to me as it did him. But I did ask.
What I was most concerned about though was the lack of any Protestant presence. There are over 900 Catholic churches in Rome, nearly one in every block. In fact we stayed at a bed and breakfast with a church and bell tower just across the street. The bells would ring at 6:30 pm every day. Yes, London is full of Protestant Churches, but you can thank King Henry the VIII for that fact, not Peter, Paul and Constantine. The lack of Protestant churches aside, I heard a homily upon our return to the States and the priest mentioned an old acronym formulated by the Protestants, What Would Jesus Do (WWJD). He concluded that that was not the proper question to ask because we are not God. We cannot do what Jesus did. Coincidentally, if you do not know what Jesus would do in a particular life situation, I doubt you are a very serious Christian. Jesus was a servant to all. He would feed the hungry, cloth the naked, cure the sick, raise the dead and forgive sins. I think the proper question to ask is “will you imitate Christ?” WYIC. What would the process of the imitation of Christ look like? Let’s face it. It would not be an attempt to be politically correct. Christ went into the temple and cleaned out the place. He defied Roman and Jewish authority… He preached the saving Word of the Father. He brought light into the darkness. The imitation of Christ requires change in thought and action. And this change must become a habit and the transformation of your whole being into permanence.
Which path are you on, the wide path or the narrow path? Does this following passage from the Bible in any way resemble your current thoughts and actions? “Evil whispers to the sinner in the depths of his heart: the fear of God does not stand before his eyes. Evil’s flattering light disguises his wickedness, so that he does not hate it. His words are false and deceitful, he no longer considers how to do good. Even when in bed he plots mischief; he follows the wrong path; he does not hate malice…” Psalm 35. Christ quoted scripture to the devil when the evil one tempted Him in the desert. We are a much easier prey for the evil one today than Christ ever was. The evil spirit often makes sin pleasurable and desirable in order to deceive us. Our peace lies in overcoming these temptations. Yet most of us have the Holy Spirit near, calling to us from a distance to change our paths. Do you live in evil? Have you discerned the evil spirit and banished it?
The above described person, with probably few exceptions, was all that existed in Pompeii in 79 AD. But the words in the following passage was the mindset that Peter and Paul brought to Rome. “Hold out your mercy to those who know you, offer your justice to the upright in heart. Let me not be crushed under the heels of the proud, nor dispossessed by the hands of sinners. The doers of evil have fallen where they stood, they are cast down and cannot rise.” Psalm 35
Once you have recognized and conquered the evil spirit’s existence and attacks on your life, you can befriend the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is all powerful and will always defeat the evil one but we must activate the power of the Holy Spirit, we must believe in Him and call upon Him for help then rely upon Him. Then all of our thoughts and actions can be guided and controlled by the Holy Spirit. The evil one will still pester you in varies way, such as encounters with evil people, images of despicable subjects or thoughts of sorrow and despair, but know that you now have control of your mind and conscience and can never fail with the aid of the Holy Spirit.
“Be careful, my child, in all you do, well-disciplined in all your behavior. Do to no one what you would not want done to you. Give your bread to those who are hungry, and your clothes to those who are naked. Whatever you own in plenty, devote a proportion to almsgiving. Bless the Lord God in everything; beg him to guide your ways and bring your paths and purposes to their end.” Tobit 4:14-15, 16, 19.
We must return to this advice of truth and light. We must ask God to teach us to see Christ present in all men, our neighbors; but we start by asking Him to help us to recognize Him in ourselves and most of all, in those who suffer. You can see Christ in the man with no legs or the poor Christian woman begging on the street. When you recognize Christ in them, you should know that you have Christ within. Ask the Holy Spirit to banish all evil from your life and begin to imitate Christ.
Will you imitate Christ? WYIC
It’s astonishing to me that the whole of the Roman Empire was converted under Constantine and began to imitate Christ in 325 A.D. But many Romans were converted when the Word hit Rome soon after Christ’s death. In fact there were many Christians already in Rome when Paul was forced to visit Rome during his first captivity around 61 A.D. The Romans still imitate Christ today. But they cater to tourists from around the world on a 24/7 basis. And that service is based on financial greed, not servanthood. I saw a lack of the servanthood of Christ in Rome. The most common banter was “pizza, pasta insalata?” Every street was lined with trattorias with sidewalk cafes, gelato shops and businesses selling souvenirs to tourists. All the while Rome’s beautiful churches are in decay. The frescos are pealing, the wooden inlaid frescoed ceilings are splitting, water damaged from leaking roofs and rotting. The cardinals and bishops drive around Rome in their black Mercedes with dark tinted windows. The streets are littered with trash and graffiti is painted on the sides of every building, tram, train and bus in the city. The grass in public spaces goes uncut all summer. I worry about the eternal city. Would Constantine and his mother, Helena, have allowed for such decay. Never did I hear a gesture or utterance of Christ in the streets. It’s like the light and life of Christ has been sucked out of the city. Sure, there are still local Romans who attend church, just like here in the States. But it seems that the dedication lasts for about an hour then it disappears, just like here in the States. One would expect more of a Christian dedication in the eternal city. But I was not disappointed with my visited. It proved to me that the light and life of Christ once shined brightly in Rome some 1700 years ago because I saw firsthand how the martyrs suffered and how Peter, Paul and Christ were once revered. We can return to that dedication if we choose to imitate Christ. WYIC?
We also visited the many sites of the Romans: the coliseum, the forum, Palatine Hill and the Domus Aurea, Nero’s golden house. We saw the arches of Constantine, Titus and Severus. The Pantheon, now a Catholic church, displayed Roman construction ingenuity. We climbed Mt. Vesuvius and saw the destructive power of the volcano in 79 A.D. Pompeii and several other cities were destroyed and surprisingly preserved for present day viewing. Ancient Pompeii was a middle class city but several residents had considerable means. The House of the Faun was a magnificent display of Roman upper class society with its grand entrance, a business office immediately thereafter and then the porticoed courtyard with all of the residential rooms surrounding it. We saw ancient bakeries, ancient fast food joints, and Roman baths that would be the envy of any modern day spa. We saw ancient brothels, hotels and amphitheaters. In the national museum in Naples we saw fabulous collections of coins, cook ware, and glass ware taken from Pompeii and placed on display. Impressive were the collection of the statuary, from ancient Roman and Greek Gods, conquering heroes and every day persons, including the very impressive statue in the Bachelor House. The most impressive however were the painted frescos and tiled mosaics persevered for centuries by the volcano and now on display in the Naples museum. These “pictures” and “portraits” were of battle scenes and war victories, nature scenes and exotic animals, aquatic and plant life and just everyday scenes. The skill and effort put into these displays demonstrate a long lost craft of artistic competence. But what we saw confirms that the people of Pompeii in 79 A.D. lived as we do today with one exception. God and Christ was not on display anywhere in Pompeii. It was still a pagan city. Peter and Paul had been dead for only 10 years when Vesuvius unleashed its wreath but we can assume that a few Christians may have lived there. We did see one volcanic ash, entombed woman on her knees with her hands joined as if in prayer.
We also had a chance for a day trip to Assisi, a quaint city of fame for the birth and death of Saint Francis. It is an old ancient stone city beautifully preserved perched on top of a tall hill. We arrived by train from Rome and had to take a bus for a 2.5 mile ride from the train stain to the outskirts of town. Assisi is a no auto zone, except for its residents. The town was impeccably clean and not one sign of graffiti. We ate lunch in the Piazza del Comune at a small trattoria where the tables spilled out into the street and was seated next to a nice lady from Austria who was visiting Italy with her daughter who had just graduated from high school. We visited the main sites, the Church of Saint Claire, San Rufino Cathedral and Saint Francis Basilica, where he is laid to rest. The cross that commanded St. Francis to rebuild His church is now on display in the Church of Saint Claire. I didn’t hear Saint Francis’s cross speak to me as it did him. But I did ask.
What I was most concerned about though was the lack of any Protestant presence. There are over 900 Catholic churches in Rome, nearly one in every block. In fact we stayed at a bed and breakfast with a church and bell tower just across the street. The bells would ring at 6:30 pm every day. Yes, London is full of Protestant Churches, but you can thank King Henry the VIII for that fact, not Peter, Paul and Constantine. The lack of Protestant churches aside, I heard a homily upon our return to the States and the priest mentioned an old acronym formulated by the Protestants, What Would Jesus Do (WWJD). He concluded that that was not the proper question to ask because we are not God. We cannot do what Jesus did. Coincidentally, if you do not know what Jesus would do in a particular life situation, I doubt you are a very serious Christian. Jesus was a servant to all. He would feed the hungry, cloth the naked, cure the sick, raise the dead and forgive sins. I think the proper question to ask is “will you imitate Christ?” WYIC. What would the process of the imitation of Christ look like? Let’s face it. It would not be an attempt to be politically correct. Christ went into the temple and cleaned out the place. He defied Roman and Jewish authority… He preached the saving Word of the Father. He brought light into the darkness. The imitation of Christ requires change in thought and action. And this change must become a habit and the transformation of your whole being into permanence.
Which path are you on, the wide path or the narrow path? Does this following passage from the Bible in any way resemble your current thoughts and actions? “Evil whispers to the sinner in the depths of his heart: the fear of God does not stand before his eyes. Evil’s flattering light disguises his wickedness, so that he does not hate it. His words are false and deceitful, he no longer considers how to do good. Even when in bed he plots mischief; he follows the wrong path; he does not hate malice…” Psalm 35. Christ quoted scripture to the devil when the evil one tempted Him in the desert. We are a much easier prey for the evil one today than Christ ever was. The evil spirit often makes sin pleasurable and desirable in order to deceive us. Our peace lies in overcoming these temptations. Yet most of us have the Holy Spirit near, calling to us from a distance to change our paths. Do you live in evil? Have you discerned the evil spirit and banished it?
The above described person, with probably few exceptions, was all that existed in Pompeii in 79 AD. But the words in the following passage was the mindset that Peter and Paul brought to Rome. “Hold out your mercy to those who know you, offer your justice to the upright in heart. Let me not be crushed under the heels of the proud, nor dispossessed by the hands of sinners. The doers of evil have fallen where they stood, they are cast down and cannot rise.” Psalm 35
Once you have recognized and conquered the evil spirit’s existence and attacks on your life, you can befriend the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is all powerful and will always defeat the evil one but we must activate the power of the Holy Spirit, we must believe in Him and call upon Him for help then rely upon Him. Then all of our thoughts and actions can be guided and controlled by the Holy Spirit. The evil one will still pester you in varies way, such as encounters with evil people, images of despicable subjects or thoughts of sorrow and despair, but know that you now have control of your mind and conscience and can never fail with the aid of the Holy Spirit.
“Be careful, my child, in all you do, well-disciplined in all your behavior. Do to no one what you would not want done to you. Give your bread to those who are hungry, and your clothes to those who are naked. Whatever you own in plenty, devote a proportion to almsgiving. Bless the Lord God in everything; beg him to guide your ways and bring your paths and purposes to their end.” Tobit 4:14-15, 16, 19.
We must return to this advice of truth and light. We must ask God to teach us to see Christ present in all men, our neighbors; but we start by asking Him to help us to recognize Him in ourselves and most of all, in those who suffer. You can see Christ in the man with no legs or the poor Christian woman begging on the street. When you recognize Christ in them, you should know that you have Christ within. Ask the Holy Spirit to banish all evil from your life and begin to imitate Christ.
Will you imitate Christ? WYIC
It’s astonishing to me that the whole of the Roman Empire was converted under Constantine and began to imitate Christ in 325 A.D. But many Romans were converted when the Word hit Rome soon after Christ’s death. In fact there were many Christians already in Rome when Paul was forced to visit Rome during his first captivity around 61 A.D. The Romans still imitate Christ today. But they cater to tourists from around the world on a 24/7 basis. And that service is based on financial greed, not servanthood. I saw a lack of the servanthood of Christ in Rome. The most common banter was “pizza, pasta insalata?” Every street was lined with trattorias with sidewalk cafes, gelato shops and businesses selling souvenirs to tourists. All the while Rome’s beautiful churches are in decay. The frescos are pealing, the wooden inlaid frescoed ceilings are splitting, water damaged from leaking roofs and rotting. The cardinals and bishops drive around Rome in their black Mercedes with dark tinted windows. The streets are littered with trash and graffiti is painted on the sides of every building, tram, train and bus in the city. The grass in public spaces goes uncut all summer. I worry about the eternal city. Would Constantine and his mother, Helena, have allowed for such decay. Never did I hear a gesture or utterance of Christ in the streets. It’s like the light and life of Christ has been sucked out of the city. Sure, there are still local Romans who attend church, just like here in the States. But it seems that the dedication lasts for about an hour then it disappears, just like here in the States. One would expect more of a Christian dedication in the eternal city. But I was not disappointed with my visited. It proved to me that the light and life of Christ once shined brightly in Rome some 1700 years ago because I saw firsthand how the martyrs suffered and how Peter, Paul and Christ were once revered. We can return to that dedication if we choose to imitate Christ. WYIC?
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