Gesu Christo.

I attended catholic mass at il Duomo. It was a remarkable experience-one I am glad I was able to partake in. I went with about five other girls from the program. We went to the 6:00pm service. Considering the twenty degree temperatures and the marble composition of the church it was a little chilly to say the least. We were all bundled in our jackets, mittens and scarves awaiting for what would come next. My favorite part about the service was when the priest sang in Italian. The Italian language is so beautiful in general that, when sung it was even more magnificent. I could understand bits and pieces of the sermon and the readings but as a whole I am not sure I could tell you what the main subject of the teaching was. I understood the Lord’s Prayer and that, I was excited about. It can be the littlest thing that can create leaps of progression into becoming more accustomed to the culture; from ordering your lunch at the local café to understanding the Lord’s Prayer at mass-it is a wonderful feeling. This sensation is difficult to explain, but the feeling of accomplishment is greatly worth the effort. The bulletin definitely helped tremendously as at least I could follow along and quickly attempt to pronounce the sections we read as a congregation (TUTTI). Communion was offered but I did not receive it because in the Catholic Church you are not supposed to if you are not Catholic. We were under the impression that it was expected to dress very formal out of respect for the church.  It was much more casual than I had anticipated it to be, aside from the occasional floor length mink coat the classic elder Italian woman sported. Most people were dressed in everyday Siena attire which is quite fashionable to begin with. It is not particularly accepted to go to the store in sweats and ugg boots. It was a great feeling to be so far from home, in a foreign country, and know that God is everywhere. Even though we know he sees all, it was a good reminder for me that He still watches over me every single day, even though I am not in my normal routine.