In Umbris Sancti Petri

Well, writing a post on the day of returning from Germany didn’t work out so well. Baden-Baden proved to be so relaxing that it seems to have taken all the motivation out of me. I have to say that of all the cities I’ve seen in Europe so far (which in all honesty hasn’t been as many as some may believe), this one certainly offered the most endearing and captivating atmosphere. Usually, little trips like this leave me more exhausted than refreshed—after the flying, driving, walking—but finally it seems I’ve found a cure to that unfortunate cycle. I would highly recommend Baden-Baden to anyone in the area who is looking for a get-away, and one that isn’t too expensive at that!

In other travel news, some upcoming visitors to Rome will be keeping me quite occupied, and thus will probably incapacitate my posting abilities for a little while. The first group—a pilgrimage from the Diocese of Toledo, led by a priest I know very well—will arrive at the beginning of next week and be here for a few days. Needless to say, I am looking forward to meeting quite a few young people from the university parish of St. Thomas More in Bowling Green, Ohio, who will be joining their pastor in making this trek to Rome, Assisi and Fatima. Right on their heels, the second group of visitors—my parents and sister—will be descending upon the Eternal City for a week’s vacation. Obviously, I’m pretty excited about this too since I haven’t seen them for about nine months. Hopefully, we will get to do some pretty cool things together; and, since neither my mother nor sister has ever left the United States, I’m pretty sure that anything Italian will be eye-opening enough to suffice!

In conclusion, thank you all for reading. I really do appreciate the comments and readership, and I hope that this blog is serving a good purpose in the call to holiness that we all encounter as part of our faith in God. Keep checking back in the next few weeks, and I’ll keep trying to stay on top of the game, but pardon my absences (if they occur). Hopefully the time with friends and family will provide some good meditations for future posting!