St. Teresa of Avila

This morning I woke up early and went to Mass a Santa Maria Maggiore. It is one of the four Papal basilicas in Rome. Without a doubt, it is a stunning Church--a must see for any visitor of Rome. I might add that the mosaic in the apse is from the 13th Century, and is fascinating, filled with rich Christian symbolism. It's emphasis is the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis.

Mass this morning was part of a very, early Christian tradition/pilgrimage in Rome. In the early Church, pilgrims would join together every morning of Lent and celebrate Mass together. This tradition developed quickly into traveling to different and special or significant Roman Churches in order to partake in the Eucharistic feast in the fellowship of community and fraternity. Now, the Pontifical North American College essentially runs it. Hence, the Mass was in English, and there was quite the number of priests, seminarians, and religious brothers and sisters, too. A wonderful experience!

After Mass, I had class: Art in Rome. This is my favorite class here. It is taught on-site, and the professor is awesome. He is an "encyclopedia", and I've been lucky to have a couple of extra conversations with him outside of class: great guy to talk to. 

One of the churches we went to today was Santa Mara della Vittoria, a Church that is deeply baroque. Without a doubt, it is very dramatic, and the decoration is intense. Nonetheless, sitting in the Church, I did experience a sort of peace, a calming presence that, amidst all of the artistic movement, God--the Highest Beauty--was there. In the Church, in one of the side aisles, there is a beautiful sculpture of Saint Teresa of Avila, an incredible saint, mystic, and nun in the late middle ages (d. 1582). She joined the Carmelite order, and was a reformer; eventually finding a reformed convent of the Carmelites, in which the rule of prayer, meditation, penance, reverence and poverty was to be followed for love of Jesus Christ. 

Saint Teresa was a mystic. She had a deep, intimate and personal relationship with the Divine. Her writings are clear about this. (It is no wonder why she was, in the 20th C, given the title of "Doctor" of the Church, meaning that her writings are well worth a read--to say the least.) In her Autobiography, she details one of these mystical experiences she had:

It pleased the Lord that I should sometimes see the following vision. I would see beside me, on my left hand, an angel in bodily form--a type of vision which I am not in the habit of seeing, except very rarely...He was not tall, but short and very beautiful, his face so aflame that he appeared to be one of the highest types of angel who seem all afire...In his hands I saw a long golden spear and at the end of the iron tip I seemed to see a point of fire. With this he seemed to pierce my heart several times so that it penetrated to my entrails. When he drew it out, I thought he was drawing them out with it and he left me completely afire with a great love for God. The pain was so sharp that it made me utter several moans; and so excessive was the sweetness caused by this intense pain that one can never lose it, nor will one's soul be content with anything less than God. It is not bodily pain, but spiritual, though the body has a share in it--indeed, a great share. So sweet are the colloquies of love which pass between the soul and God that if anyone thinks that I am lying I beseech God, in His goodness, to give him the same experience.

I loved this sculpture. It is certainly worth looking at, praying over. It is beautiful, and it reminds one of the importance to seek internally the charity of God, that His Love is satisfying, full, and, always characterized by excess, is able to fill the human heart's thirst for eternity. Indeed, His is the only Love able to bring each of us home--He is our origin and destination, and the fullness of life is rooted in living within the fullness of His Love.

^ The Tabernacle and design over the altar

^ Ceiling of the Church and organ in the back

These two pictures are of the St. Teresa sculpture:

Well, I wanted to share this with all of you. The pictures do not really do it justice, but it is better than nothing. Tomorrow morning I am going to Chrism Mass with the Pope. Friday: Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum with the Pope. Saturday: Easter Vigil with the Pope. St. Teresa of Avila, pray for His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, a great and honorable Vicar of Christ and Bishop of Rome, and pray for us that we may be made worthy to experience anew the Easter season of the Godman Jesus Christ!