When we received the travel itinerary for the trip from our son, I was so impressed with the time and love that he put into the planning of this amazing trip. I rarely boast about Mikos, but both Mike and I felt as though we were in the hands of a loving, considerate tour guide. Mikos took a deep dive in studying the history and culture of Italy for this great adventure. This itinerary is my favorite souvenir.

There are Ten Commandments, but only the fifth comes with a promise. Our son honored us every step of the way.

My hope was to draw closer to our grandchildren, especially Maddie who will be leaving for college soon. Both Maddie and Will have jobs and their busy schedules barely allow time for their family, so it was wonderful to spend this special time with them. Our role as grandparents is to watch our grandchildren bloom and to continue to pray for their well-being.

Before everyone arrived Mike and I took a stroll. We made it to the corner of our street when I heard the church bells calling my name. I told Mike, “I need to go to Mass!” So we did. Mass in the Basilica dei Santi Ambrogio e Carlo was beautiful. After Mass we met two of the parish priests. “You know, Father, when I heard the bells ringing, I knew it was time for Mass,” I said. The sweetest reply from one of the priests, “That a-why we ring the bells.” He could have added “you big dummy” but he didn’t. You never grow tired of hearing the bells, reminding us to pray.

When the rest of the group arrived, I saw Maddie rushing out of the SUV, taking pictures. We were all so excited to be here!  We took a long stroll, first to the Spanish Steps and then to the Via del Corso to walk to the Trevi Fountain. Both Maddie and Will tossed a coin into the fountain. Then gelato!

I had never visited the inside of the Pantheon. This Roman temple was built in 27 BC, and in 609 AD was dedicated as La Basilica di Santa Maria ad Martyres. Raphael, the famous Renaissance artist’s tomb is located off to the left of the altar. For a second I closed my eyes and imagined what it would be like celebrating Mass in this 2,000- year-old building.

We met Marco, our guide for the day. Mikos wanted his kids to really appreciate the trip and as much information as he gleaned from the travel guide books, it’s always good to have a guide to answer questions and add new insight to the historical events that took place.

Marco’s tour started with the Forum. We stood in front of the famous area where Mark Anthony spoke his famous words, “Friends, Romans, countrymen lend me your ears.” Then we walked past the spot where Julius Caesar was brutally murdered.

On this particular day I walked 25,495 steps, equaling 10 1/2 miles! Only through the grace of God could Mike and I have accomplished this. As I got ready for bed that night,  both of my feet were throbbing in unison. There was never any pain, but it was as if my heart moved to my feet and for several hours the throbbing put me to sleep.

Our first trip to Rome was in 1996. Though and I had a wonderful time, we did not experience the spiritual side that this city has to offer.  I did know some of  the Christian history of Rome, but not enough to visit and appreciate the holy sites. I remember visiting the Colosseum, Circus Maximus, and several other secular sites, but when we walked into St. Peter’s Basilica, I was overtaken by its massive beauty. Never had I seen anything so ornately magnificent. I wanted to learn more about the history of the grand Saint Peter’s Basilica as well as other holy sites.

When we returned in 1998, we had a spiritual connection because I had recently joined a Catholic lay ministry. Our leader was part of the exorcist team in Rome; this group was required to make an annual trip to the Vatican for meetings. Joanne, our group leader, had contacted a nun who had connections with the Vatican. She requested that our marriage be blessed by the Pope. We were not granted that request, but Mike and I were still excited about this venture. I had recently returned to the Catholic Church after a long, productive hiatus with the Protestant movement.

Joanne had suggested the hotel that the team had always used. The Grand Plaza Hotel is one of the most beautiful old hotels located on the Via del Corso. Its location is just a stone’s throw away from the Spanish Steps. This hotel is in the heart of Rome’s upscale shopping district, similar to our Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. This area has all the Roman amenities at your feet. There are  wonderful restaurants that the locals frequent, and after dinner we would walk to the Trevi Fountain and have the best gelato.

The Vatican

From the hotel, we needed to take a taxi to the Vatican, and we were given an address: Borgo Santo Spirito, 4. We walked around for several hours, trying to find the building, and, after an argument over the situation, we decided to have lunch and then try again. We found Borgo Santo Spirito, but could not find the number 4.  Just when we were about to give up, a friendly priest must have noticed our frustration. Without effort, he knew exactly  where to lead us. We thanked him, and walked into a building we had passed several times.

When we arrived, we were handed an envelope with an official letter and two tickets. The letter was written in Italian, and the only part I could interpret was “my name with an escort.” I remembered that Joanne had mentioned that the Swiss Guards were very approachable, so we showed them the letter.  A Swiss Guard motioned for us to go farther to the left side of  St. Peter’s Basilica. We walked into another secured area, but at this point they asked for our passports. We explained that we left them in the hotel’s security box. Thank God we had our driver’s licenses, we so were allowed passage to visit the Vatican Gardens.

Vatican Gardens

Neither of us knew exactly where we were being led, but suddenly we were alone and walking through the Vatican Gardens! I cried in disbelief. For hours Mike and I made our way through the myriad of greens, topiaries, waterscapes, statues and arches. Occasionally a group of priests or bishops would walk through the gardens. This was our first full  day, and we were in awe of the holiness there. Back in 1998 there were no Vatican Garden tours available for tourists, so we knew how special this was.

The Dream

The following night I had a vivid dream. In the dream an angel appeared, woke me up, and grabbed me by the  hand. I turned and quickly grabbed Mike’s hand. In a great rush, almost as if we were flying, the angel took us to the front rows of seating where the Pope would sit for the Mass. John Paul II was the pope at that time.

With my voice filled with excitement, I woke up and told Mike that we needed to get  to Vatican extra early! Mike asked, “What’s wrong with you? You need to slow down!” My excitement was over the top because I knew this was a prophetic dream. I shared the dream with Mike, and he reluctantly agreed to leave earlier. When we arrived, we handed our tickets to an usher, and the man kept moving us closer and closer until we were sitting in an area reserved for dignitaries. It was exactly what the angel did in the dream! Mike was in a state of disbelief, and I was living the dream.

Journal Your Dreams

Journaling your dreams can help you better understand when God is talking to you. (1 King 3:5-15; Dan 2:19:30; Mt 1:20; Mt 27:19) Not all dreams are prophetic, but when they are, it is because God wants you to receive a message. I knew this dream was from God because it was so real and the fact that it came to fruition validates the message.

For about a half hour, Mike and I attempted to purchase  Jesus Revolution, a new Christian movie. In frustration, we gave up and spent another half hour scrolling to find something entertaining. Why I decided to choose The Whale will forever remain a mystery.

The Whale

To critique this movie would be to say that the storyline is about dysfunctional characters who are filled with either sadness or anger brought on by the main character’s sinful lifestyle.  Charlie, who is played by Brendan Fraser, is a pitiful, selfish man caught in a state of limbo over the loss of his male partner. In his learned depression, he continues to gorge on food to satisfy his emotional pain. The message of this movie is to portray that it’s acceptable to leave your wife and eight-year-old child to pursue an alternate lifestyle. In the end no one wins. There is no room for God, because God is portrayed as an unnecessary means of salvation.

We all knew that the main character was going to die; but to show him being lifted off his feet, as if he were ascending into heaven, was yet another disturbing message. News Flash! If it were a real-life scenario, along with many unrepentant souls, Charlie most likely would have gone to hell.

We decided to watch this movie because of Brendan Fraser’s recent Oscar-winning performance. Do not bother with this dismal movie. Both Mike and I were highly disappointed. The message is anti-Christian because it portrays  Christianity as a weakness.

The Banshees of Inisherin

This movie was also a disappointment. It’s about a dull young man being rejected by his older friend. The older man threatens to cut off his fingers if the dull man does not leave him alone. The young man can’t understand what he did wrong, so he continues to pursue the friendship until the old man starts cutting off his fingers and throwing them at his front door. Self-mutilation has never been an of interest to me. This movie was as dull as the main character. The only good part was when it was finally over.

Top Gun: Maverick

I loved this movie  because it was clean and fully entertaining. And for these same reasons, it did not get any top awards. This movie captivated all your senses and was made without any hint of Wokeness. I could watch this movie over and over again, and glean something new each time.

Elvis

Another great movie with great acting! Austin Butler’s convincing portrayal of Elvis was grandiose and the storyline was entertaining throughout the entire movie. Like the audience, I was fully engaged in the singing as well as the sad turns in Elvis’ life. It left me with a better understanding on how Elvis was manipulated by his manager’s greed. Elvis was stripped of his soul, but his talent will live in our hearts forever. He remains “The King.”

These are the worldwide box office figures:

Top Gun: Maverick             $1,481,741,935

Elvis                                             $279,991,514

The Banshees of Inisherin  $46,539,980

The Whale                                  $34,799.696

Hollywood

Hollywood moguls have remained true to themselves by awarding coveted titles to horrible movies. When will they get the message from the real people who support their movies with real life substance. We exist, we have jobs, we raise decent law-abiding children and we attend church services on a regular basis. We want to be entertained, not to be deceived by your attempts to indoctrinate us into believing that sin is acceptable. It’s not, nor will it ever be!

Thank God some movie producers received the memo that we are tired of being fed agendas depicted as the norm. We, who understand the meaning of entertainment, have grown tired of the same malnourished garbage being thrown our way.

Jesus Revolution

This movie is about Chuck Smith, one of the founders of Calvary Chapel, and Greg Laurie. In the mergers of two conflicting cultures, the conservative church is transformed by allowing hippies to join Calvary Chapel. This is Greg Laurie’s story. He is the pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, CA.

These are domestic box office figures:

Jesus Revolution        $45,500,000  (movie released February 24, 2023)

When I left the Catholic Church for a season, I was part of this revival. Mike and I were borderline hippies, who were looking for a church base. My mother had made Harvest Christian Fellowship her home church, so when we visited her we attended Greg Laurie’s church.

Greg Laurie is a dynamic speaker and his messages were always powerful. This church had a rock band to start the service. The music was enticing and the preaching was to get us ready for the Kingdom of God. There was always a dramatic altar call at the end of every service. People would rush up to the altar to receive Jesus in their hearts.

It was a beautiful time of growth for me, but I needed more. I was missing the Eucharist, but the Body of Christ that sustained me could only be found in the Catholic Church. My previous Blog have described this experience. I had to make a choice between the holy contemporary music of the Protestant services or the solemn music played at Mass as I received the Body of Christ. This struggle lasted for several months, so I continued to have one foot in the Protestant services, while the rest of my body grew accustomed to the solemnity of the Catholic Mass.

It’s impossible to fully express my great gratitude for all the Christian churches I attended. Because of these experiences I grew to love the Word of God. I give glory to God for allowing me to wander in the desert for a season. God had a plan for me all along.

This Blog was written with the assistance of the Holy Spirit to win fallen-away Catholics back to their roots, and to reach out to Protestants to help them understand and respect the Catholic Church.

My Prayer

Dear Lord, I thank You for all the wonderful unity I feel with other Christians. I pray that Hollywood would get the wake-up call and stop all the contrary division it is causing. Lord, touch the hearts of all who are involved in the production of movies; urge them to clean up the mess they have created. Amen.