Inside St Peter's

As we came inside, the church was already filled with still more people. I felt it was Maundy Thursday in the Philippines when Catholics do the visita iglesia. Turning right, I saw Michelangelo's very famous Madonna della Pieta. Made of marble, the Virgin Mary is shown to carry the lifeless body of her son. It has been said that Michelangelo thought of his own mom when he made this - he lost her when he was five. Unlike the other Pieta statues I have seen so far, Michelangelo's work shows Mary with a serene (and young)face.

Drawn by something within, I told Nidz, "Doon tayo!" (Let's go there!) and approached this famous and beautiful statue. Looking at Mary's face, I recalled how the Virgin once said "Yes" to God's invitation to be the Mother of His Son and how she said another "Yes" to the Father when the Son died on the cross. Mary's face shows an unconditional resignation to the divine will amidst the suffering she has experienced.

I remembered my former high school teacher, Ms Edna Marco who, during a film showing on St Peter's, called our attention to the size of Mary's body as compared with Jesus. She said that that's how Mary's love is for Christ, a love that cloaks the beloved. I thanked the Blessed Mother for the grace to be there and for her great love to me, her unworthy son. I renewed my prayer to her to make me closer to Jesus and to be less of a moaner and more of a doer.

Proceeding, we saw various monuments in honor of popes like Pius XI and Pius XII. Then there's the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. On the outside it is covered with drapes. There was a sign outside to remind pilgrims that the chapel is only for prayer, no picture taking allowed. There was a basilica staff by the entrance to enforce the reminder.

Here now divides the Catholic pilgrim from the rest. We entered the chapel and spent some time before the Blessed Sacrament which is exposed for adoration. I prayed for my loved ones, family most especially as I promised myself to remember them in our pilgrimage. For one, as soon as we left Ciampino Airport guess what did we see along the highway? It was a signboard with "ALBANO" on it. Albano is a place south of Rome where Lago Albano (Lake Albano) is located and is near Castel Gandolfo, the Pope's summer residence. This was followed by other names as we trod along the streets of Rome: Luigi (nephew), Giovanni (brother), Nicola (sister), Mario (father), Lilia (aunt), Angelo (uncle), and Augusto (grandfather and uncle).

As I gaze on the tabernacle made by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, I couldn't fail to remember the tabernacle we have in Gagalangin Parish - it is a replica of what I am beholding now. Lest I become dazzled with the beauty of this work of art and how ornate the surrounding is, I steered myself back to focus telling Jesus how wonderful it was to be there.

(Up Next: At the feet of the Fisherman)