Rome in October (part 1)

It's 5:36 a.m. on a chilly Wednesday morning in October. I love October. The chill in the air punctuates the sharp golden sun on changing leaves and vivifies the soul; October has always represented to me romance, creativity, and all other things good.

During October, I remember running around in my jacket, playing in leaves with my brother, and stomping through the woods. I remember Halloween costumes, candy, and grade school classrooms decorated in harvest colors. I remember hayrides and campfires, and being joyful despite being exhausted with rosy cheeks and a runny nose.

October serves as a romantic first page, "Once upon a time..." followed quickly by my favorite time of the liturgical year, Advent, the season of waiting, preparation, and hope. October is the introduction, and Advent is the Author's buildup: Something great is about to happen, you wait and see!

This day marks the beginning of my first trip out of the country, a vacation and religious pilgrimmage with two amazing people: Jackie, my girlfriend, and Fr. Daren, a friend and priest. The anticipation is severe and unrelenting. The slight nervous flutters in my stomach caused by anxiety about flying, my complete ignorance about travel, and impatience to get to my destination are filling me with an exuberance uncommon for even this, the grandest of months.

We are headed to Rome, hence the name of this blog.

Rome represents so many things to me: faith, history, nobility, promise. To be journeying to Rome in October is electric. In the month of Change and Romance, I make my pilgrimmage to an ancient city of Faith and Promise, hoping to be converted still further.

May God grant us a safe journey, and may God bless you.

Prayer to St. Gabriel, Archangel

Saint Gabriel, Archangel
We beseech you to intercede for us at the throne of divine mercy:
As you announced the mystery of the Incarnation to Mary,
so through your prayers
may we receive strength of faith and courage of spirit,
and thus find favor with God
and redemption through Christ Our Lord.
May we sing the praise of God our Savior
with the angels and saints in heaven
forever and ever.
Amen.

Fr. Dwight Longenecker on Papal Authority

Fr. Dwight Longenecker, of "Standing On My Head," writes a fairly good apologetic for papal authority, linked here for your convenience:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

Enjoy!

Grace and Peace,

Your Everfaithful

A Good Night

Last night, Jackie (my girlfriend) made an unexpected and quite pleasant visit. The beginning of the visit consisted of me finishing a delicious Mothership Wit, listening to Led Zeppelin, and admiring her.

Later, we watched Voltron.

Life is good.

Here, experience my joy:




and




Grace and Peace,

Your Everfaithful.

A Good Apologetic of Purgatory

Courtesy of An Enlightened Faith

Purging Misconceptions of Purgatory (by Matt Boettger)

Part 1: Why Purgatory?
Part 2: Historical Continuity
Part 3: Indulgences

I thoroughly enjoy reading Matt's blog, though he doesn't update much (like someone else we know...)

One of those times...

...there are times in my life when I'm barely home to sleep in my own bed. This is a similar situation: I've little to write about and less time to write it in. Expect some decent posts soon, though! I've got a few thoughts in the works.

Saying "I love you."

My family members always tell each other we love each other before we part or finish a phone conversation. Recently, I've been feeling the urge to say so to my close friends as well.

I've pondered whether this is mere force of habit or a legitimate wish, but find myself censoring the utterance not for lack of authenticity, but for social properness. Telling my friends I love them with such ease might create in them a sense of awkwardness, or a wondering about my intentions.

I'm not sure this is how I want my friends to react, but I'm not sure that I should like to censor my thoughts of appreciation either.

I think the key would be consistency... because I'm not really afraid of being the guy that tells all his friends that he loves them, even on a regular basis.

I'm reminded of an article I read on Bustedhalo.com once, which contained this passage:

Frank and “Chickie”: I never knew Chickie’s real name, though I suspected it was probably Mary Frances, Mary Ellen, or Mary Elizabeth. They were the oldest of the group, attended daily mass, and had eight children. Frank said “I love you” each time I saw him.

I think it would be a wonderful thing to be like Frank. I'm not sure you can say "I love you" enough, if you mean it.

Grace and Peace.