A Good Day for Divine Providence

+JMJ+
Today, we were supposed be at St. Peter's for Mass at 7:00.  We got to the bus stop around 6:15am, but the bus didn't come until about 6:40ish.  It usually takes 45 minutes to an hour to get to St. Peter's from our villa; hence, we didn't make it to St. Peter's in time for the Mass.  However, Divine Providence did not disappoint.  It just so happened that the main altar in the crypt of St. Peter's was NOT reserved today (crazy!) AND English speaking priests happened to walk in to say Mass just as we got there.  The priests got to celebrate Mass on the main altar in the crypt and they let us attend their Mass!! AHHH!!  And it's only day 3 of Roma!!!  No pictures from today, sorry.

I had my first classes today.  I'm really looking forward to them!  In one of them, I'll study approaches to Rome taken by different authors who lived in various time periods.  In another class, I'll be studying poetry.  In my theology class, I'll be studying the epistles of St. Paul in depth with Monsignor Soesman, who teaches at the North American College in Rome where American priests and seminarians study.  Tomorrow, I'll meet my professor at Piazza Garibaldi for a morning of class in the historic area of the city!  I hope I don't get lost!  I have an art and architecture class in the historic part of Rome every Tuesday and Thursday.  Such a blessing!

Tonight, all the students celebrated our resident director's birthday.  We also visited her friend (and now our friend) Leo, a young Italian man who works in a snack bar close to our villa.  He is one of the most joyful and jolly people I have ever met!  We sang him the American national anthem and he recorded it on his phone.  He was so happy to see us and our RD that he opened a bottle of wine and a bag of chips to celebrate her birthday.  I'm sure we'll be seeing more of Leo this semester.

I've got to start getting to bed earlier...

P.S.  Romans do not believe in central heating.  I could see my breath in my classroom today.  A small price to pay...so worth it.

But still, really???