Tomorrow is my penultimate day in Rome.
I arrived here on Tuesday the 24th of August, barely escaping the blast-furnace heat of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. In comparison, even in late August and early September, the sweet zephyrs of Rome are like the gentle hands of a mother on her newborn. But on Thursday I return to the United States, and then back to Mexico. Regresso al calor!
I will miss the Eternal City: confession at St. Peter's Basilica, audiences with the Pope, the medley of pilgrims and tongues at St. Peter's Square. I will miss my friends, classmates, and professors at the Angelicum--the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, run by the Dominicans--and the esprit of theological study. I will miss the beauty of the city and the abiding backdrop of antiquity, an aura ever ancient yet ever new. And I will miss the Brothers, my fellow sojourners in the faith, who will remain in Rome and continue their studies. To them I say: ci vediamo pronto!
My penultimate day in Rome is the Feast of the Birth of Mary. Happy Birthday, Mother! Just when I think that I can "do stuff on my own," everything seems to fall to pieces. So I learn the lesson over again: I will always need my heavenly mother. Her presence is especially evident at the hinges of my life--those turning points when deep change takes place. A wholy litany could be assembled of important dates in my life. For example, I had surgery on my lung a few years ago on August 22nd, the Feast of the Queenship of Mary. I began chemotherapy and radiation therapy on February 2nd, the Feast of the Purification of Mary--also known as the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple--the same day that I professed my Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary (cf. St. Louis de Montfort and True Devotion to Mary). These events and dates are very personal to me, but I present them to you as witness to her powerful love and protection. Thank you, Maria! Would that I could return your love accordingly.
From here I return to Mexico. I survived the summer there; let us pray that I may also flourish there! For the next year, then, I will remain at the parish of Nuestra Senora del Refugio--Our Lady of Refuge, a fitting name, indeed--helping the Ecclesial-Family Team serve the Mexican people. Already it feels like my new home, and as I grow more competent and confident in Spanish, I hope to become one with the people. While Nuevo Laredo is just over the border from the United States, it is true mission territory. Please pray for the work that God is doing there!
To the Eternal City: Buona sera e arrivaderci! To Nuevo Laredo: Hola y buenas dias!
