As I don’t claim to be Catholic, I found myself unfamiliar with your every-Friday-evening-during-lent occurrence. Considering the fact that my newfound best friend from block III is Catholic and that I’m currently in (what I consider) the Catholic capital of the world, I could not pass up the opportunity to experience you in the presence of the Pope and Rome’s native tongue.
I am so thankful for the friends that took me along, for their Italian translations and their explanations of each station. If it weren’t for them, I would have only enjoyed the candle lit night for its general beauty.
We all sat in a circle nearly two and a half hours before your service began, joked, lost feeling in our legs, and slowly wormed our way closer to the front.
Although the service was incredible (and one I will definitely partake in the coming years while at home) and hearing the Pope speak at such close proximity a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the highlight of my experience with you took place while we waited for your beginning.
As I sat on the dusty cobblestone back to back with a complete stranger, a hum of young girl’s voices rose above the growing crowd. It was in Italian but it was clear that it was a song of worship. I completely zoned out of whatever conversation was taking place around me and tuned into the sweet rising chorus.
This had to be one of the most comforting things I have felt during my time abroad.
Their voices began to fade in and out as they continued through a small set of songs when I was suddenly struck with a line I recognized:
“Lord I need you oh I need you every hour I need you my one defense my righteous oh God how I need you.”
Sitting beneath the bustle of people I sang along; With a group of strangers that still might have no idea I was in love with their voices, as we were separated by a large mass of humans, we collectively worshiped.
I soaked up that minute of song.
In a group gathered for your ceremony, some familiar, others for the first time, and a few only visiting because of your rumored importance, encircled by languages and cultures from around the globe, we were connected through the worship of our shared Lord and Savior. And we were verbally connected, a rarity for me, by one well known English worship song.
If it weren’t for you I wouldn’t have been brought together with new people in a new place with a new sound.
Thank you for giving me a taste of the connection of music I so greatly love and have missed as of late. And the reminder of God’s powerful omnipresence and the great need I have for him in my life.
And thank you for the new service tradition.
Italian is a beautiful language,
But I’m excited to fully understand all of your stops next year.
Riley Makenna
Postscript: Pope Francis, it was a pleasure and an honor.
Compass 