European Adventure!

View from the house

If I had to describe my trip to Europe in one word, I would have to go with life-changing. From the million dollar view at my aunt and uncle's house in Switzerland, to the castles in Germany, to the hustle and bustle and ruins of Rome, I got a taste of many aspects of Europe. Not to mention all of the great people I met while there. I would probably talk your ear off about my trip. So if you have time, I would love to tell you all about it! There are a few things I want to write about on here though that played a major role on the trip and since then.

First, I will take you to the Vatican- number one on my list of things to see. I don't know if it was the layout of Rome or our excitement, but the 2.5 mile walk from our hotel to the Vatican seemed to take no time at all. Seeing the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and Piazza Navona on the way didn't hurt the time flying by either. We started with the Scavi Tour once we arrived at the Vatican. If you ever get the chance to go to Rome, GO ON THIS TOUR. Seriously, it was incredible and near the top of my favorite things we did!

"And so I (Jesus) say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it." ~Matthew 16:18

This was the bible verse that was read when we were at the end of the tour of the Necropolis. Here I was able to be as physically close (approximately 15 feet, we could see his jaw bone) as possible to the bones of Saint Peter. Here, I was able to restate what Peter told Jesus over 2000 years ago: "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16) while standing near the bones of the man who said it. Confessing this with Peter was unbelievably humbling and powerful. Words simply cannot do it justice.

Then I went up to see Saint Peter's Basilica. Everything- being there, seeing Peter's bones- hit me the moment I walked into the Basilica. The sheer magnitude of what I was experiencing and had experienced overwhelmed me with joy and I started crying. Having this opportunity to pray there where so many great and holy people have done the same is something I will never forget.
 

Second, I take you to the Scala Sancta or "Holy Stairs". These 28 stairs provided me with the climb of a lifetime, or more appropriately a representation of the climb through a lifetime. I honestly did not really know what I was getting myself into when I started.  Wood covers the actual stairs to preserve them. To climb, you must go up on your knees as a devotion- a task that seems easy but in reality is not.

At the first step you have energy, determination, the feeling of invincibility almost. You feel like this will be easy and take no time at all. Then you start climbing. With each step, the stairs seem like they will never end. Your knees get weaker, your back sorer. Pretty quickly you realize that you were foolish to think it would be easy. It's still manageable to climb because there are handrails aiding you along. Then all of a sudden, the rails disappear. At this point, you literally start crawling up the stairs as your support is gone. With every movement and step, your body is screaming to stop, give up, simply stand and walk the rest. It's so tempting.

This is the climb of life. At the beginning of life, it's new. You are young, have more energy then you can handle it seems. Everything is something you have never seen, done, heard. Unaware of the challenges to come, you think life will be easy and don't understand what you are really getting into. As you go up the steps, much like growing older, you realize it won't be so easy. You are still going strong though since the handrails are there. These are like the things in life that offer support- family, friends, etc.- and you feel safe to continue even if it's hard.
 

When the handrails disappear, you are faced with the biggest challenge yet. This doesn't have to be at the end of life, the handrails can disappear at any time. It's that time when the world has turned away from you, when you feel as though you can't go on, that no one cares. We all know a time in our life when we have felt like our handrails disappeared. For me, this happened a couple years ago when I went through a rough time and where giving up seemed like the best option. But as I was climbing the stairs, I was reminded of my own life when the handrails disappeared and how I came to be where I am today. I looked around and was surrounded by strangers struggling just like I was. Some people probably think we are crazy to climb these stairs on our knees. They ask why we are doing this- willingly going through this pain? It's because of who was waiting at the top.
 

Somehow I never truly understood the pain Jesus went through, and I realize I may never know. Climbing these stairs offered me a unique challenge as I got a slight glimpse into what Jesus suffered. When I reached that point where I was tempted to give up, that's when I looked up and saw Him. He was there, watching me from the cross. What a source of inspiration! Here was Jesus, the one person who could have simply said "I'm done" and given up on us all but didn't. That's when the overpowering feeling of love hit me. For the first time, I was able to understand in a different way why He died for me. Because He loves me with a love so amazingly beautiful and powerful, and no other image could possibly convey that so perfectly than Jesus on the cross. To give your life to save another is the greatest showing of love- and Jesus gave it all. For me. For you. For all of us.
 

We each have our own steps to climb and our own unique journey with different challenges. I know I've had many challenges in my life thus far. Once I looked up to Him and offered them up, I had renewed strength and life. With Him, I can and was able to overcome all challenges that life has thrown at me. The desire to get to the top has never been stronger. When I finally finished that last step in Rome- cut knees and all- it was a feeling of pure joy. All the pain, all the hardships were worth it once I finished. That is exactly what Jesus wants for us. He provides us with the encouragement and hope we need in times of trouble. He is not only watching over us every second, but present among us. He is also there in body and blood in the Eucharist- just like the visible blood stains on the steps as you climb. We are never alone. At the end, if we give ourselves to Him and climb our stairs with Him, our prize is Jesus and heaven. What could possibly be better than that?