Once Upon a Tour

Pax Christi vobiscum! Come Holy Spirit!

Wow, today was something else. We got a break from everything today as today was Saturday (yes we do get to rest every so often). And this worked out perfectly as a friend from A&M, Mariel, and her sister were visiting Rome today. Once they got in, we were able to meet up and head over to Saint Peter's. It was good getting to catch up, and I got my first chance to give a tour of Saint Peter's Basilica.

I have to say, there's nothing quite like showing people around that makes you realize a place is your home. Unless you count having a mailing address, which I guess would be a pretty good tip-off. But it really hit me, I know this place more than I thought I did. Some of the things coming out of my mouth, I had not realized I picked up during my time here.

So, dressed in clerics, I got to show some friends of mine around the place I have now been living in for over a month. God decided to add another element into the mix, though.

On the way in, there were a couple of young women (one from Florence, the other from England), one of whom was unable to enter since her shoulders were not covered (they take dress code seriously here, praise God). Well this young woman randomly (read as providentially) asked Mariel for her sweater so she could enter. And Mariel, being a good Aggie grad, gladly offered it to her. So the tour of 3 became a tour of 5.

And they all seemed to really respond to the tour. It's a catechetical tour, meaning that it's meant to instruct on the faith, and some of the seminarians at the NAC give some of these tours. So I gave it an unofficial shot, and it worked out! Praise the Lord. And at the end of it, we closed in prayer!!! What a blessing, and completely the providence of God!

Please pray for those two young women, because I think they may have really seen the true Beauty of St. Peter's, behind all of the art and architecture, for the first time. I'm just glad I had been on the tour before, or it would have been a short tour....

Thank you again for all of your prayers and support. It is always nice to receive letters and emails from you all (note: I'm not shamelessly plugging for letters and emails...yet). But just so you know, your prayers are greatly felt. And I would ask that you pray for 21 men who will be ordained to the Transitional Deaconate in just 3 weeks time. Praise the Lord. God bless you all, and I prayed for you all in Saint Peter's today during my Holy Hour there!