When in Italy: Eat, pray, pray
After my daughter moved to Los Angeles where she found true love, I saw a keychain among the belongings she left behind.
It was in the shape of a footprint, and it said: “Not all who wander are lost.”
Reading this Tolkienish quote was a poignant moment for me, as I realized I had lost a daughter for good. She had that wanderlust, yes, but she finally found her way. I am reminded of a favorite quote: “We travel to get lost… and then to find ourselves.”
The character of Julia Roberts in the movie Eat, Pray, Love wandered in Italy, India and Bali before she found herself.
When my friends and I recently went to Italy to attend the wedding of Tosca Augustin to Paulo Ruspoli, we expected to eat, pray and shop a lot in this land of pizza, the pope and Gucci.
But as it turned out, what did my friends and I do mostly? Eat, pray, and pray…
They were not only foodies (like myself), they were also prayerful (unlike myself).
But how can you not be prayerful when in the tourist maps, the Vatican is right there? And so are churches and basilicas in almost every corner.
Well, not really every corner. The days after the wedding, we hired a van driven by a Filipino to reach two basilicas that were about two hours away each from Rome. These religious destinations were recommended by the mother of the bride, Tetta Agustin, a person who is more fashion and fun-loving than religious. Or so we thought.
“Sta. Rita de Cascia is my favorite saint and BFF, she has never let me down. I always pray to her,” said Tetta. “The basilica built in her honor in Cascia is beautiful.”
Was it a coincidence that the wedding in Rome was on May 24, and we went to Sta. Rita, whose feast was May 22?
Sta. Rita is the patron saint for lost and impossible cases. And also of abused and heartbroken women. Many cases of the blind and sick being cured have been attributed to her.
Sta. Rita suffered abuse and infidelity by her husband. When her husband died, her two sons wanted to go on a vendetta, but she stopped them. Having been widowed, she spent her life in a convent until her death in 1457. Her incorrupt body is in a glass casket at the basilica. By the way, most incorrupt saints are from Italy.
St. Francis of Assisi is venerated in the Christian world as a favorite of the poor and underprivileged. He is also the patron saint of animals and the environment.
He founded the Franciscan order.
He enjoyed a wealthy life until he met a leper on the street and started living a simple life dedicated to caring for the poor and sick.
His prayer, well-known to the pious, starts with: “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace…” and ends with “It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.”
His garments and relics are on display in the basilica named in his honor in Assisi, also a two-hour drive from Rome.
Driving to these two basilicas on two separate days, my friends and I enjoyed charming restaurants we found along the way.
The biggest thrill was finding peace and serenity in our hearts. And finding ourselves again.
