Our last day in Rome!
We started the morning with Mass in the Basilica of St
Peter, in the Popes Grotto. It was tremendous and uplifting experience to
celebrate mass in front of St Peter’s tomb. This tomb encases the bones of St
Peter.
Father spoke to us about the importance of remembering that
Christianity is not about the relationship between just us and God but a
relationship between ‘we and God’. It is through communion that this can occur.
He also reminded us that the ornate, beautiful churches we see are not meant to
be a sign of power in the church but should be seen as a sign of mystic power.
As we enter the church or in your case look at the photos it is important to
remember all of the artists, architects, builders and writers that worked together
to create the churches as this is a sign of community and also shows the ‘we’
element of our faith.
He also spoke of the sign of the cross being a great symbol
reminding us of the community within our church. When you make the sign of the
cross the vertical part is about God and me and the horizontal part reminds us
of the God and us. Where we meet is at the heart.
When Mass had ended we were able to spend some reflective
time in the basilica. To be given the opportunity to spend time in the presence
of our Lord without the crowds that consumed the church later in the day was
breathtaking.
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| St Peter's Basilica |
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| The Nave of the basilica |
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| Michelangelo's -'Pieta' |
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| All artwork are glass mosaics not paintings |
Vatican
In Roman times the area where the current church sits was a
hillside. It was used as a raceway. The obelisk once stood at the centre of the
area but was used and can now be seen at the front of the basilica.
When St Peter was crucified and killed he asked to be hung
upside down as he didn’t want to be crucified the same way as Christ. His body
was placed in a grave in the hill. Over two hundred and fifty years late
Emperor Constantine built a enormous wooden basilica which held the remains of
St Peter. Unfortunately it was not very stable and seventy three years later it
could not longer be restored so was demolished. A succession of architects contributed
to the designing and building of this spectacular building, including
Michelangelo. It took 176 years to complete and is the greatest church to
Christianity.
Today the Vatican museum holds many beautiful pieces of
artwork and tapestries which stand as a testament to the dedication and hard work
of the many people involved in building the church and working in community to
celebrate their faith.
The Sistine Chapel is one such area. I remember
studying the great work of Michelangelo when I was at school, especially the
creation of Adam which depicts God reaching out to Adam and giving him life.
Today my dream of seeing this remarkable artwork came true. We were not able to
take photos of the painting as the flashes can ruin the artwork. I stood
staring upwards and
although many other people crowded me I truly
felt as if I was alone thanking God for this wonderful opportunity. I will let
the pictures of the rest of the area speak to you. Take some time to think
about the question found in Luke 9:20 He said to them, But who say you that I am?
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| Vatican gardens |
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| Can you see the peacocks? |
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| Do you remember what they represent? |
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| This statue was made from marble |
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| Although this looks three dimensional it is actually a painting. |
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| A cat on a tapestry |
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| The beautiful gardens surround the vatican |
