Last Saturday the students of the Norbertine College visited the Prenestini Mountains and the Sanctuary of Mentorella. Prenestini Mountains are part of the Apennines Presestini Lazio which is located nearly 22 miles east of Rome. Looking from the mountains to the valley provides a spectacular view to the tourists. It is a stunningly wild landscape and one could spend hours meditating on the beauty of God’s creation by looking at these mountains and valleys. After reaching the top of the mountain we walked nearly a mile to reach the Mentorella Sanctuary which is thousand meters above the sea level.
The Mentorealla was the first sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin Mary in Italy. It was one of the favorite places for John Paul II to visit and pray. Pope Benedict also has visited the place to continue the tradition of his predecessor. There are several pictures hanging in the sacristy wall of the Church John Paul II and Benedict XVI praying there.
The place of the Sanctuary is said to have been the place of the conversion of St. Eustachius ((also known as Eustace) in the 2nd Century. Eustachius was eventually put to death for his faith. Two centuries later the Emperor Constantine decided to build a basilica on the spot of Eustachius’ conversion. It was consecrated by Pope Sylvester I sometime before A.D. 335. The Benedictines built a Church there in a later age because St. Benedict (+ 547) spent two years here praying and meditating in a cave. The Fathers of the Order of the Resurrection is in charge of the Church and monastery today.
For me it was an incredible experience to spend time in praying in such a holy place. Walking in the footsteps of the forefathers of our faith is an invitation for us to imitate their holiness. It was because of their sacrifice, the Christian faith has been transmitted to us. I need to continue that commitment in faithfully fulfilling my vocation in bringing Christ into the situations I am engaged in.
We also offered mass in the Church. As always I remembered my friends and family while spending time in praying there. There is a wooden statue of the Madonna in the church which was built in the 13th century.
We also offered mass in the Church. As always I remembered my friends and family while spending time in praying there. There is a wooden statue of the Madonna in the church which was built in the 13th century.
I get several emails asking for prayer and reacting to my blog updates. Last week I received an email from Taylor Sweeny, a friend of mine from Port Huron, MI, USA, whom I gave first communion in May 2002. I am very grateful for her sincerity in sharing her personal prayer life with us and offer our prayers for her and her family. This week in a special way I ask my friends to lift our teenagers to the Lord in our prayers so that they follow the Lord through their words and deeds.
This is what Taylor wrote to me after reading my blog on prayer and it lifted my spirit and hope that it lifts yours too:
I noticed that over the last year and a half I have drifted from having a close personal relationship with Jesus. I still attended church and said my prayers, but I felt no real bond, unity, or comfort during these times. This summer I started to pay extra close attention during mass to the gospel and homily to try and revive this connection. In a class I am taking at school we were challenged to add, remove, or modify a characteristic of ourselves or relationship in our lives. This was the perfect boost I needed to work even harder at strengthening my faith. The last week and a half, I have really been spending extra time on my prayer. Before I start to pray, I read at least three pages of the Bible and then spend a quiet minute reliving my day thinking about what I did well and what I could have improved on as a Catholic. The reading is a nice transition into prayer for me. When I find a verse that really speaks to me, I write it down on a pad of paper I keep in my bedside drawer. Then I recite the Lord's Prayer, a Hail Mary, and a Glory Be. After saying these prayers, I talk to Jesus about my day and ask Him for strength to improve tomorrow in a situation mishandled today. After doing this new routine for less than two weeks, I honestly feel more comforted and close to Jesus. I missed this feeling of always having a friend with me in God and am very happy to have found it again.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
It was heart breaking for us to hear the news of the killing of several Catholics including two priests last week in Bagdad just after the Synod on the Middle East ended calling for peace in the region. I couldn’t contain my emotion and tears watching this crime committed against innocent people who have nothing to do with the war. We express our solidarity with our brothers and sisters and pay our homage to these martyrs who heroically witness the faith in their unspeakable suffering.
