It is now late afternoon in Rome on April 23rd, the commemoration of St. George in the Catholic Church. I believe that it is nine hours earlier on the West Coast of the U.S., and my body doesn't quite know what time it is, from all indications.The trip from Sacramento to Rome was pretty straightforward on UAL, some 20 hours of traveling, door to door, with a 3-hour layover in Washington, D.C. My seatmate on the plane from Washington was a retired Marine colonel aviator who was on his way to give some talks on a cruise-ship in the Mediterranean about his interesting and varied life (which included being married to Raquel Welch for many years and playing the part of the baby in Gone With the Wind - not in that order). One of our Christian Brothers High School graduates, Paul Wolfing, was also on the trip with me, having been hired by Br. Roch to help with the technical responsibilities for the General Chapter.
Br. Leonardo and Br. Roch greeted us at the airport when we arrived at 9:00 AM and drove us to the Motherhouse where we immediately set up our work spaces and began our work.
Paul received a quick tour of the place, some of it using the big model of the complex at the entrance to the place. I met with a number of Brothers involved in preparations for the Chapter to begin working out the details for the liturgical life. Roch and I went over the planned transformation of the Main Chapel into a "tent" atmosphere that will convey the sense of Exodus and Journey that the Preparatory Commission asked for. And lunch provided an opportunity to greet Brothers whom I had gotten to know the last time I was here.The time adjustment was surprisingly easy. Around 3 PM, however, I did have to take an hour nap just to assure my system that sleep wasn't a stranger in my new environment. Now it's back to work until prayer at 6:45 PM followed by dinner at 7:30 PM. Tomorrow will be a day to begin the transformation of the chapel, to lay out the elements for the opening ceremony and Mass, and to determine the best ways to encourage the involvement of the Brothers in the liturgical life of the Chapter. The vast majority of participants will arrive next Sunday, a day before the whole thing begins, and so we will have to be ready to go full out beginning on Monday.
The thought is scary, frankly.I tell myself, "Step by step, keep breathing, and say the occasional prayer."
