Pasta with the Sisters

Pieta

(3/5) The morning started off terrifically.  I had borrowed a book that Fr. Murray had presented in class called "The Pieta".  It is a book that shows a series of photographs from all angles of Michael Angelo's Pieta, considered one of the greatest works of all time.  The statue is held in St. Peters and after hearing the theological significance of it from Dr. Lev, I knew I wanted to know more about it.  All I can say is, The Pieta is so brilliantly made, so realistic in portraying not only the physical details of a real human being, but capturing the contemplative state of Jesus and Mary, that there is no question that there had to have been some divine intervention in the making of the statue.  No other work of art makes you feel like you are actually staring at the real body of Jesus, with every muscle and every vein down to the folds of flesh over the nail marks in his hand.  Or at Mary, with the peaceful and contemplative textured face, hands wide in offering him to us as her son drapes over her lap.  Just look at this book in prayer and I know you will be changed.

The book!

   The rest of the morning went along with the routine.  On the way back from class I got separated from the group but made it back safely!  This Sisters who lead our formation invited us over for dinner, so we walked 30 minutes on the other side of the river over to their apartment.  We were able to see their chapel and have formation on the topic of growing in maturity of heart.  Then we split up into different "cooking" groups around the apartment: Rice, Pasta Carbonara, Salad and Tiramisu.  I was in the Bruschetta group.  An hour later our mouths were watering from all of the smells of the food and the 24 of us sat down to enjoy our home cooked meal.  It was so tasty and we got to meet a few of the other sisters.  It was such a fun evening and we didn't get back until late at night.