St. George's Day

Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." - Genesis 12:1-3

Most countries have some kind of national day to celebrate their statehood. In some countries, people celebrate their national independence; in others, they mark the day that their government was formed or constitution was written. Usually, these days are occasion for a day off and all sorts of fireworks, food, or other fun. Other nations take the day of their patron saint as their day of national memorial - this is the case throughout the United Kingdom.

However, things are little complicated here in England. For all effective purposes, it's a combination of four nations: England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Therefore, different areas have different days they'd like to mark. You're probably well aware of St. Patrick's Day, which the Irish have as 'their' day. However, England claims St. George as their patron saint, and his day comes well over a month later. Proclaiming statehood gets even trickier in a former imperialistic nation. In recent history, celebrating English nationality and flying St. George's flag (as well as the Union Jack) was seen as an unforgivable display of ultra-conservatism and a slap in the face of anyone not born English.

So what happens on St. George's Day? Nothing. Aside from a few pubs putting up St. George's flag, there is really no real mention of the day. To make matters worse, St. George is a 3rd century Roman saint that never even traveled to England. His famous battle with the dragon is only found in writing around the 11th century - in other words, not likely to have actually happened to the saint. Some have suggested picking a new, more English, saint on which to celebrate a national day for England, while others still insist that people simply need to recognize the importance of the original day.

For such a secular-seeming state, it feels a little strange to have a saint's day as the national day; however, that also perhaps explains peoples' reluctance to celebrate it. State and religion both hold negative, imperialistic overtones here, making it sometimes difficult to celebrate either one. In some ways, it seems to make people feel almost ashamed.

While I personally am always more than a little nervous when national pride gets tied up with religious fervor, it seems inappropriate that the response should be shunning both. While I'm not sure how I feel about singing "God Bless America" (because I hope God will bless all countries), I also think I should be able to be proud of my faith and my home, and to celebrate both as gifts from God. Hopefully, observing another country's struggle will help me reach some resolution on the struggles in my own country.

Gracious God, you have placed us in families, cities, and countries to do good for our neighbor to your sake. Grant us the understanding to discern celebration and pride from vanity and oppression. Give us the confidence to always proclaim the truth in love no matter where we are. Help us always to keep you first for our neighbor's sake, and never for our own glory. We pray these things in Christ's name, Amen.

The Virginia Tech Tragedy

I had said in my alarm, "I am driven far from your sight." But you heard my supplications when I cried out to you for help. Love the Lord, all you his saints. The Lord preserves the faithful, but abundantly repays the one who acts haughtily. Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord. - Psalm 31:22-24

Just two days before we left Rome, news broke online that a major shooting had occurred on a university campus in Virginia that I'd never heard of. Amongst our packing and preparing, the news from Virginia got only worse. As we made our way through the main airport in Rome, into Heathrow airport and through the maze of London mass transit, there was one common denominator: every newspaper, magazine and television headline held updates about the shootings at Virginia Tech

No matter the language, the time difference, or the cultural removal, the sheer scale of horror was evident. It was simply incredible to me that no matter how far away I had traveled, this terrible news still reached me. The incredible loss of life and the senseless way it had happened carried the story to the other side of the world, leaving me shocked not only at the news, but the way it reached me.

The truth of the situation was palpable: in the face of this tragedy, there was really and truly nothing I could do. My seminary held a prayer service, as did many schools across the nation, which I would have gone to had I been there. Instead, I was arriving in a city and country that I didn't even know yet, but I could still read every terrifying headline on every newsstand we passed. I felt helpless and cut off while resenting the global news market that made it possible for me to even know about this tragedy.

However, this feeling of impotence led me to the one and only thing I could ever do in this situation. A world away, I may not be able to attend a service - but I can pray. I can't light a candle at a memorial, but I can ask God for healing light to shine. I can't ignore what has happened, but I can pray for the Holy Spirit to surround those who have lost a loved one. In the face of the most tragic of situations, we are never without the power to turn to God and have courage in our faith.

Blessed and merciful God, you are there even when we feel most alone. Surround the families, staff, students, faculty and community of Virginia Tech with your guidance and comfort in this, their darkest hour. Remind us always of your love, give us hope, and keep us always in your care. We pray these things in your Son's name, Amen.

Torre Argentina

And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind." And it was so. God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good. - Genesis 1:24-25

I am a huge animal lover, and I am especially fond of cats. My two little ones are being well cared for back in Minnesota, but I miss them very much. Both of them were strays - Pangur entered my life at a year old from a shelter, Loki was just a tiny stray kitten offered me from someone's backyard. They have greatly enriched my life, just as the many pets my family has had through the years do.

Therefore, I was more than just a little thrilled to come across Torre Argentina, a refuge for stray cats here in Rome. The shelter itself is ingeniously contained within an ancient ruin that is completely enclosed. This way, those cats that are feral or simply too independent for adoption have free reign in a safe, secure space. Those cats with a good chance of finding a home are kept in a side part of the area where the cats can be more closely cared for and visitors can try to find a cat of their very own. It's a beautiful balance of needs and availability, both in terms of the cats themselves and the space.

Unfortunately, many of the cats at the shelter have very sad stories. As it turns out, Rome has more than its fair share of stray, neglected or abused cats; due to the general lack of concern for spaying and neutering, that number continues to increase. Some of these poor little things had missing legs, no eyes, or were malnourished past their ability to care for themselves. It broke my heart to see these animals - not just because of my love for animals and my immediate thoughts of my little ones, but because of the way humans are able to to this to other animals.

Too often, humans take the charge in Genesis to rule over all creation all wrong. People seem to think it means they can abuse and manipulate what God has made, when instead they are put in a unique place to love and care for this good creation. Even something so seemingly trivial as an alley cat is indeed a beautiful creation of God, something God could say was very good indeed. It reminded me of our need for constant vigilance on behalf of creation, whether plant, animal or mineral, for the sake of God and our neighbor.

God our Creator, you have made this world and made it so good. When we abuse and neglect it, we show disrespect to you and this amazing life you have given us all. Grant us your mercy, that we might show it to all your creation. Give us your wisdom, so we can discern your will for all things. Show us your love, that we might shower compassion on all the good things of this world. We pray all these things in your name, Amen.

Easter Sunday

A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." - John 20:26-31

He is risen indeed! Or, as the Holy Father himself said, "Cristo è risorto! Pace a voi!" (Christ is risen! Peace to you all!) This Easter, we celebrated with about 75,000 people from all over the world, gathered together in St. Peter's square to celebrate mass with the Pope. We were fortunate enough to share this celebration with three students from Iowa, whose amazement and joy at being in Rome on Easter reminded us of just how fortunate we are to be part of such an incredible celebration among God's faithful people.

This mass was quite a bit shorter than Palm Sunday. This was even with the extended chant offered by a group of Orthodox priests in commemoration of the shared Easter between East and West, something that doesn't always happen. It even seemed that there were fewer priests distributing communion, and the Pope didn't make a procession or recession through the crowd.

We were a bit disappointed, in spite of the beautiful service and incredible group of people around us, until it came time for the end of mass. The Pope went up to his balcony facing the square and delivered what is known as the Urbi Et Orbi blessing, meaning "the city and the world". It contains what is effectively the Pope's Easter homily, but is also a proclamation of the remission of temporal punishment due to sin via plenary indulgence to all those gathered and/or listening via radio or television. This of itself was interesting enough, but the Pope's homily (which you can read in English here) turned more than a few heads.

While he was giving it, I could only get bits and pieces. I knew he was referencing Thomas, and how we too might be tempted to doubt Christ's resurrection in the face of so much suffering and destruction. I also know he decried violence in a series of places throughout the world, from East Timor to the Middle East. However, I didn't know the extent of his message until I received a phone call from my dad, telling me that NPR covered the speech and the Pope's message for peace. Other news outlets carried the story as well, like this story from CNN. I was amazed that news had traveled so fast.

People think it is so revolutionary when people call for peace. Many news stories tried to politicize it, saying the Pope called only for peace in Iraq or Afghanistan. However, his message was clear - when we profess Christ risen again, we profess hope in a world that can also be redeemed. We say that our faith is not only belief, but it also translates to action. In this Easter world, no one deserves to live in fear, doubt, disease, terror or hopelessness. These statements are not revolutionary, they are only true. May we always have the confidence in Christ to be able to proclaim like Thomas, the disciples, and the women at the tomb, that Christ is risen, he is our Lord, and the world will never be the same because of it.

Resurrected Lord, through you all people have new life. Grant us the confidence in you to turn our words into action as we serve others in your name, bringing your new life into their lives and hearts. Overcome our fears and doubts, and shine your glory on us. We pray this in your most holy and glorious name, Amen.

Via Crucis

Then [Pilate] handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus; and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. - John 19:16-18

Tonight, my husband and I took part in a new event for both of us. This pensive Good Friday, we went to the Colosseum and joined thousands of pilgrims in via crucis - the way of the cross. Many churches around the world have this same practice, and being in Rome we had the opportunity to celebrate with all sorts of people, including the Holy Father himself.

We very much looked forward to this event, as it was highly recommended to us as an extremely moving, gorgeous service. Unfortunately, two things worked against us: language, and the Holy Father himself. On the first hand, the entire service was in Italian - on the second, most of the people were there simply to see the Pope, pushing and shoving to get to the front to get a chance to see him.

We waited in the worst of the crowd until we knew we certainly weren't going to get a better view of the Pope, at which point we retreated to the far back of the crowd. At this point, we could at least sit - and even better, we could feel like we were actually part of a worshipping body. With more room, people were able to kneel or sit as they prayed. A group of nuns in front of us genuflected regularly. A small group of pilgrims sat with their heads bowed and eyes closed the whole time, their faces glowing in the lights of their candles. Here, a true feeling of combined devotion and intention could be felt.

When you look at the worship service (the English translation is here, and it is an excellent resource) you realize the great effort made to create meditations that are inspiring and, most of all, applicable to all people. It therefore seems a waste that the service was in Italian and lost on so many people. I looked at the gathered crowd and saw how easily they were swayed, and realized something about the day Jesus was betrayed - this is human nature. We don't know what we want, and if we can't get someone's message we quickly turn to chaos. Even the best of intentions are usually lost on us. Christ came speaking a language of peace and forgiveness that we couldn't (or wouldn't) understand, and so we put him to death.

And so, lost in a crowd of people, I bowed my head in prayer along with the many other languages whispered that night, praying that God might forgive me for Christ's sake for my nature. I prayed that hearts might be opened, and I cried that even mine was still hard.

Merciful God, we betray you even when we think we are doing what's best. We are sinners, deserving nothing but the death we bring upon ourselves. Through your crucified Son, show us the extent of your love. In his resurrection, remind us of the hope that even we can find. We ask all these things in your holy and gracious name, Amen.

Holy Week Retreat

Thanks to assistant curate Sara MacVane of All Saints Anglican Church in Rome, I was part of a day-long retreat at the church to begin Holy Week. The retreat centered on people Jesus met during his earthly ministry, and I was responsible for two of the four meditations, as well as the morning and evening prayer service. Following are notes and reflections from my two sections.

[Jesus] entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today." So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, "He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner." Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much." Then Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost." - Luke 19:1-10

• As a child, I was supposed to identify with Zacchaeus because he was little (although I never grew out of it) and was supposed to be comforted that Jesus can notice even little people - especially when they go to great lengths to seek him.
• Zacchaeus's story is more remarkable when we think about who he is: a tax collector. The Roman empire collected taxes from the lands they occupied, and employed locals to do the collecting. These locals were seen as traitors; to make matters worse they often took a little extra for themselves, making them also thieves.
• Zacchaeus seeks Jesus earnestly, in spite of his sins and the way people see him.
• Jesus knows and affirms Zacchaeus's interest, going so far as to want to eat with him - the ultimate statement of solidarity.
• Most amazingly, Zacchaeus proclaims Jesus as his Lord!
• Once he does so, Zacchaeus is also able to recommit his life to change for the better and service to his neighbor. However, faith comes before action.
• When we hear Zacchaeus's story, we realize that Jesus answers to those who look for him, no matter how small, sinful or lost they might be.
• No matter who we are or what we've done, God's grace in Jesus Christ allows us to be reborn and truly live life for the better.

Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us." Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one who is speaking to you." Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, "What do you want?" or, "Why are you speaking with her?" Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, "Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?" - John 4:4-24 (excerpt vv.21-29)

• After the fall of the Northern Kingdom to the Assyrians in 722 BC, the Samaritans were those former Israelites left behind who eventually intermarried with the occupiers. They were therefore seen by the Jews as ethnically impure.
• Because they were cut off from Jerusalem, they established their own place of worship on Mt. Gerizim; the Jews saw them also as religiously unacceptable.
• Jesus, as a good Jewish Rabbi, should not be speaking with a woman unaccompanied - especially not a Samaritan.
• This woman was at the well in the heat of the day, at noon. Likely, she was trying to avoid the gossip that surrounded her sinful life.
• She tries constantly to redirect Jesus' comments, first about her personal life and then matters of faith. She either does not understand or does not really wish to engage.
• Even when Jesus himself tells her he is the Messiah, she is not able to make the proclamation for herself.
• Sometimes people simply are not at the right place and time in their life to be ready for the change Christ brings. Instead of being frustrated with them or forcing them, we must give them their own time. Who knows what changes might happen in her community?
• The Gospel is especially for those who we might consider outsiders. In spite of everything working against her, Jesus selected this woman to reveal himself to.

The services themselves were taken from the Church of England's Daily Prayer book, which is a wonderful resource for seasonal prayers and meditations. I was even presented with a copy as a thank you for my help. The experience itself would have been thanks enough - it was very interesting to present to a group with such diverse backgrounds in language, faith, nationality and age. It made me think about the varieties of people that meet Jesus today, and how we might have nothing in common except him. Nonetheless, we are honored to call each other sisters and brothers.

O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ... as there is but one body and one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may henceforth be all of one heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond of peace, of faith and charity, and may with one mind and one mouth glorify you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen. (From the Book of Daily Prayer)

Domenica delle Palme - San Pietro

As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying, "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!" Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, order your disciples to stop." He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out." - Luke 19:36-40

During Holy Week, pilgrims come from across the globe to gather at St. Peter's square for Papal mass. The entire square gets closed off, and those with pre-arranged free tickets wait in line for the security gates to open. Once they do, 50,000 people make a mad dash to try to find the best possible seat. A good seat means two things: a close view of the eventual mass at the front of St. Peter's, and proximity to a side aisle where Pope Benedict XVI himself will process past.

Each of us had an olive branch in hand (a chance from the typical palm branch of my youth), while some had brought special palm branches or tall floral arrangements. Also, this was the 22nd annual World Youth Day so many young people gathered together with flags, signs and banners. Even though we were waiting for over two hours before the service began, we we surrounded by joyful celebration.

When the Holy Father entered the square, the crowd truly broke open. As mass proceeded, there was a very definite sense of reverence and respect - I never would've guessed that so many people could be so quiet. The entire service, save a few prayers and readings, was in Italian, and the entire group clearly did not speak Italian. Even the Pope's homily was in Italian, leaving me to guess at words and phrases for the message. (After the service, an English translation was posted, which you can read here.) While the majority of the crowd probably spoke Italian just fine, and there was a clear attempt to at least include other languages, I found myself wishing I was a bit more a part of the ceremony.

Nonetheless, it felt incredible to be part of such a huge group of believers. There is something potent and inspiring about having tens of thousands of people gathered together, chanting and singing, entering into Holy Week together. Some of them were probably tourists just there to see the Pope - but how many people joined Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, only wanting to see what the fuss was about? How many of them didn't speak the language, but raised their voices just because it felt right? How many eventually followed Jesus to the cross, curious what would happen? How many people have been moved to faith simply because of the community of believers? Perhaps at some level, the details aren't as important as room for the Spirit to work. If even the stones would shout praises to Christ, sometimes even our own language fails to express the fullness of the body of Christ.

God of our salvation, in many languages and places you are at work. Work in the hearts and minds of those who do not even know they are searching for you, and strengthen the faith of those who know you and yet continue to look for you. In this Holy Week, walk with us as we gather at the cross of your Son, reminding us who we are and whose we are. We pray these things in Christ's name, Amen.