2weeks2go!

TWO WEEKS AND COUNTING! Two weeks from today I'll be walking here on the streets of ROME and St Peter's square. I'll be going through those doors and stand above the bone of our first beloved Pope, St. Peter. To see where his bones lay and those of St Paul...to walk where they walked, and hear echoed prayers of the faithful from ancient days mingle with my own during Mass here and during Pope Benedict's audiences. My heart is beating faster as it gradually sinks in! This pilgrimage is called: BEHOLD YOUR MOTHER. Behold her I will! My Mother Mary and Holy Mother Church! It is the MARY MONTH OF MAY...and the last time I was in Rome was with my own mother, God rest her soul. Not Catholic then, I traveled these streets as a wide-eyed 18 year old with my Mom and my step dad. This will be a moving time for me now as I gaze on the beauty of the Eternal City with Catholic eyes, and more mature pair of eyes at 52 and remembering my Mom (whose birthday is May 24)Please pray for her, too, and for my step dad, Fred. They were so good to me. I failed them and was a disappointment to them at times, but I know they loved me through it all. I know also that Mary, my TRUE SPIRITUAL MOTHER, loves me and brought me back Home to ROME and will be with me especially during this time, almost 10 days in Italy.

I covet your prayers TJ and PD, and anyone else who may read this, that this will be a truly transforming pilgrimage for me. I long to grow in holiness, love, faith and all to be a better wife, mother, sister, sister-in-law and friend...to my friends and even more to my enemies. I was talking with a cubicle mate of mine a fellow "cubie" and Catholic sister in Christ, and that we believe something is really 'coming down the pike' for the Church. There is such growing hatred that is spreading so viciously (i.e. Rosie O'Donnell, etc) (I'll be praying for her, among others) that we are thinking that there may come a day in this country that the persecution is going to increase, and how we must draw closer to Christ as much as possible to attend daily mass if at all possible to remain IN HIM and HE IN US....to get that blessed grace to remain in the Faith and stay close and stay strong in Jesus. We don't have any idea of what is coming, only that the word on the streets of Omaha is to not lose heart, not grow discouraged, but cling to Christ like never before...for there is a dark day ahead, and only HIS LIGHT will light our lamps, and get rid of anything that we might be holding to that we find "security" in, other than Christ Himself and His Church.

Thanks and peace to you,
susie