Crystal rosary

When I was 17 and finished high school, I had saved some money for an European trip-today it is almost out of the question for a young girl to go alone- I did-I visited a number of countries; the last one before coming home was Italy and ofcourse Rome, but just for one day, about 15 hours.  So, I really had to make the most of it.  All my schooling took place in a convent, run by Irish nuns-, so Catholicism was a strong part of my life ; the faith that was instilled into me as a child , thus was the heart with which I arrived in Italy.

It was January, but winter in a Mediterranean  climate is wonderful and mild. – I felt like I had arrived in a most sacred place on the planet; that what Rome was always to me in my mind. Where St Peter has established the Catholic faith and almost everything was holy. By this time I only had $7 US dollars-I had not even had breakfast, as we landed  early morning-but I decided that better to spend my money on going around the city than eating-which I did. To this day I cannot fathom how I got around the city to so many places; the Pantheon, the Forum, Colloseum, the Bridge of Angels and the Vatican-without language and very little money, and no map-but I did.

My main focus was to get  to St Peters, -at the air terminal people were speaking English, so they told me to get on a bus, which I did –that cost me around $1-which dropped me off at St Peter`s Square. I was stunned by the beauty from afar-all the saints on top, the beautiful architecture standing guard, the magnificent columns,  the arches, the dome was  a magical sight. I walked across the piazza and up the step, through those enormous grand doors with their huge ornate bronze decorations-as I entered the basilica, the first thing that struck me was that it was totally empty – not of people but benches, there were very few tourist and every step I took on the marble floor echoed and reverberated. I always had this image of hundreds of benches, where scores people were praying all the time- it was an empty museum, but the presence of God was still there very strongly. I experienced the same thing years later in Ecuador, in the magnificent Quito Cathedral, the feeling being on holy ground.

I spend a few hours there contemplating God and all the grandness of creation. Feeling the close  presence of Him, reflecting and saying a few prayers in front of the main alter. I visited the numerous small side sanctuaries lighting a candle at one. Micheangelo`s Pieta took my breath away, I was mezmerized by its beauty and felt Mary`s pain as she held her son. I felt so filled with God`s grace and so very blessed to have been a witness to all the sacredness that was present that moment.

Then on my way out I saw that there was a tiny refractory shop selling souvenirs-I had $5 to spend, I needed $1 to get back to the air terminal. I looked at all the things and then I saw a beautiful crystal rosary-it was $7, the saleslady spoke speak English. I said all I have is $5-$6 she said-"I cannot"-so I started to walk away; she then called after me and  “senoretta okay”. So it is kind of a special thing, this crystal rosary-crystal absorbs vibrations, so it has part of me- it certainly deserves  a good home; I hope it is in a cherished place now.