Viviamo nella felicità

My first view of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 11:22:21 -0500

My first view of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Rome

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:07:56 -0500

leaves me speechless.

pictures coming soon.

Close ups!

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 15:29:26 -0500

Close ups!

Cattedrale Santa Maria del Fiore. The cathedral of Florence. I...

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 15:24:00 -0500

Cattedrale Santa Maria del Fiore. The cathedral of Florence. I walk past this incredible building every day, and never get tired of it.

A close-up of the mosaic of Jesus on the ceiling.

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 11:55:43 -0500

A close-up of the mosaic of Jesus on the ceiling.

The mosaic ceiling in the baptistry of Florence.

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 11:50:49 -0500

The mosaic ceiling in the baptistry of Florence.

Crucifix on he altar inside the Florence baptistry

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 11:43:39 -0500

Crucifix on he altar inside the Florence baptistry

No one excepted my challenge... :(

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 11:39:39 -0500

I guess I’ll just post more pics and you will all hopefully talk to me soon :)

OK Followers... Challenge....

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:59:00 -0500

My follower list keeps growing, but yet I don’t know anything about any of you, and I would love to fix that!!

Answer one of the following questions in my inbox, and I’ll respond with my own answer :)

Favorite books and authors. and why?
Favorite films and actors. and why?
Favorite songs and bands. and why?
Favorite television shows. and why?
Favorite video or board games. and why?
Favorite fictional characters. and why?
Where do you live (you don’t have to be specific)? Where would you like to live? Where would you most like to visit?
What are your hobbies? What would you like to try some day?
Do you have any tattoos or piercings? Are there any you’d like to have done?
What are your talents? What talent would you like to possess?
What do you think is the best characteristic a person can have?
What are your guilty pleasures?
Any funny or silly habits? Irrational fears?
What are your favourite foods and drinks? Can you cook/prepare them successfully by yourself?
What do you want out of life? What are your dreams for the future and for life in general?
What do you believe in more than any thing else? What keeps you sane and grounded? What gives you hope?

I borrowed these questions of another blog, because I think they’re great! and now I challenge you to pick one, a few, or all of them to answer, and in return, I’ll give you my own answers.

Comincia!!

A close up of the portion of the doors that depicts...

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 14:06:00 -0500

A close up of the portion of the doors that depicts Moses receiving the ten commandments from God.

The doors of the Baptistry in Florence, dedicated to St. John...

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 14:01:28 -0500

The doors of the Baptistry in Florence, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, the patron Saint of Florence. Each square depicts a scene from the Old Testament.

I wanted to share this picture with you, and although not...

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 07:56:20 -0500

I wanted to share this picture with you, and although not technically religious, or a church, It’s probably the most beautiful picture I have taken. And I wanted to share it with you, along with a story.

About a month ago, I was at a social dinner for the American Catholic group here in Florence at the Cathedral, and I was talking to two students from Kentucky. They were telling me that they live near the Cathedral, and walk by it every day on the way to school. Then one girl mentioned that she’s getting so used to seeing the church that she barely even glances at it anymore.

I remember thinking immediately how not only did I not understand that she could not recognize it’s beauty even now, but also how sorry I felt for her that she could not.

I hope I never, ever become so accustomed to something that I no longer recognize its beauty. I hope I never walk by anything and not use the eyes that God gave me to take in its splendor before I continue on. I hope I always catch my breath when I see something extraordinary, even if I’ve seen it a million times before.

Because I am so thankful to be alive, I am so thankful to have eyes, and what better way to thank and praise God for that, then to admire his creations within the world around us?

I could not understand this girl’s statement, because even now, after walking past that enormous, beautiful, breathtaking, splendid work of art, my heart skips a beat and I praise God that I get to see it.

But it’s also made me realize how much I skipped over before I came here. How many times I didn’t notice the beauty around me because I had grown up in it, and how wrong of me that was.

Cherish what you have, because there are a thousand people who don’t have it. Love what you can see, because there are a thousand people who can’t see it. And thank God for all of this, because there are a thousand people who never will.

A statue of Mary inside small chapel of Carmelite nuns on the...

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 08:35:00 -0500

A statue of Mary inside small chapel of Carmelite nuns on the outskirts of Florence, Italy, where St. Theresa’s body is kept, the same place that she spent her life.

The incorruptible boy of Saint Theresa Margaret, a Florentine...

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 08:29:38 -0500

The incorruptible boy of Saint Theresa Margaret, a Florentine saint belonging to a cloister of Carmelite nuns that claimed solitude. She died in 1770 at the age of 23

Chapel of Dublin Castle.

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 14:54:00 -0400

Chapel of Dublin Castle.

Time Never Really Flies.

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 12:49:33 -0400

Although I already knew this, I’m starting to realize that this is not a vacation. This is life, this is real, and this is a heck of a lot longer then I could ever have understood.
You can look at a period of time and say, that compared to the rest of your life it’s barely any time at all, but then when you look back at only a fraction of that time spent, you realize just how much you have done, learned, seen, and grown, and it seems like an eternity.
I’ve learned about my faith, about myself, about other people, and about the world, and as I sit there and make plans for what’s to come I realize that I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface. I feel like I’m sitting still in a place that although I am a resident of, still doesn’t feel like home. I feel as though time is stretching out in front of me, and I can see everything that I’m going to do, and everything that I’m going to learn, but I’m not sure how I’m going to get there. I can see the person that I’m going to become by the time this year ends, but she’s just out of reach, locked somewhere away and waiting until the right moment to emerge.
And I also see everything that I was. To think about the girl that was only two months ago, getting on a plane with tears in her eyes and absolutely no idea what she was doing, And I wonder how I could have ever been that girl. She’s completely different from me.
God put me here. Why I don’t know yet, and what I am supposed to be doing I’m still not sure… But I know that I’m here for a reason. And he is slowly telling me, that I need to be prepared to spend a year almost completely alone. Of course only in the personal sense. No one here knows me, and I’m beginning to doubt that they ever will, how can you explain 20 years of a life, especially a life, mind, and personality as complex as mine?
And of course, as with everything in life, I’ve realized there are things I have to give up. People are moving on with their lives, lives I am no longer a part of, and as much as I may want to hold on, I have to let go. If there’s one thing I have learned and learned well, it’s that trust in the Lord is the only absolute and sure thing that we have in this world.
I don’t know where I am at this point… And I’m still not sure where I’m going. All I know, is that it will be a long time getting there, and I will most likely be the only one travelling. Of course the first step is realizing that if that’s ok with God, then it has to be ok with me.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Christ’s Church...

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 17:19:00 -0400

St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Christ’s Church Cathedral in Dublin Ireland.

These two Cathedrals, once Catholic Cathedrals of Dublin, were stolen while Elizabeth I was attempting to convert Ireland to the Anglican church. Her attempts failed at the time and the Irish people remained Catholic, however, she was able to take the two Cathedrals and turn them into Anglican churches. To this day they are no longer Catholic Cathedrals, but the church recognizes them as stolen property, and so they have not built a new Cathedral in Dublin because of this. So although there are countless Catholic churches in the city, there is still no main cathedral.

A carving in beeswax of the Virgin and Child. A candle I...

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 09:23:59 -0400

A carving in beeswax of the Virgin and Child. A candle I stumbled across in Turin, Italy.

Hi there! I just wanted to say thank you for praying for my brother and his teeth extractions. Everything went very well and he's now recovering nicely. God bless! :)

Sat, 22 Oct 2011 07:12:17 -0400

Of course! Always happy to pray for anything you may need. I’m glad it went well :)

Queen’s twin churches. Turin, Italy

Sat, 22 Oct 2011 05:51:18 -0400

Queen’s twin churches. Turin, Italy