Ethereal Roses

To sleep or not to sleep, that is the question – whether ‘tis noblier of the body to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous alarm clocks or to take up arms against a sea of exhaustion. I will cease there for those of you who do not enjoy Shakespeare as much as I do, but please realize the dramatic decision making process I went through this morning. A few days ago our group was informed of a unique Mass that would take place in the Pantheon: the Pentecost. The date for this mass changes annually, and the crowds are huge because at the end thousands of rose petals descend from the Pantheon’s oculus. Mary and I automatically planned to attend, as this was a once in a lifetime opportunity! However, our excitement was drained by the morning of the actual event. When we both became coherent enough to speak we began to talk ourselves out of going. However, once we remembered how exceptional this event would be and how much we would regret not going we leaped out of our beds. Within twenty minutes we were dressed and looking surprising presentable (an impressive feat considering the short amount of time and the cold showers standing in our way). As we ran to grab a quick croissant before hurrying to the Pantheon we discovered two of our peers and our peer mentor heading to the same event. A feeling of relief washed over us, we were not late at all! Together the five of us jumped on the bus and we were off to an experience I will never forget.

            We arrived at the site at roughly 9:30, an hour before the mass was to begin. While we had walked around the outside of the Pantheon during our first evening in Rome actually entering the structure was another experience entirely. Even though I was surrounded by hundreds of bustling people I heard nothing. My entire being was focused on the encompassing sculptures and the oculus above. I could feel my heart stop as I drank in my environment; it was one of the most devastatingly beautiful places I have ever seen. Just one glance at Mary and I knew we had the same thought: we made the right decision. Even though all the seats were taken we had an unexpectedly good view of the altar, and we were almost directly under the oculus itself. The sound of violins filled the air, it was then it truly hit me that I was about to attend a mass in Rome.

             The waiting game began as we realized we had an hour to kill. I personally think this was the longest aspect of the mass. People were constantly moving around us, and many tried to push their way through in hopes of attaining a better view. Two notable examples of this were an overly affectionate couple and a fleet of old women. During this time the violin players (which we discovered was a group of incredibly talented children) finished their set and the singers began to warm up. To say their voices were angelic is an understatement. They set the tone for the entire ceremony, which was very traditional and stunning. When the mass began all the clergy figures processed through the center towards the altar, the sight was humbling and joyous. Since most of the mass was in a different language I focused on my surroundings. During the beginning one of the priests lit incense and blessed the church. The smell eventually wafted towards our group and it instantly relaxed me. This scent soon mixed with the light drizzle entering the Pantheon from the oculus. Together, I felt closer to nature than trapped between hundreds of people. Eventually my joints began to stiffen and the pain set in, but it was all worth it in the end.

            Towards the closing of the mass, the crowd noticed the small figures above peeking their heads over the oculus to look into the Pantheon. The excitement was reignited once more, as we knew the roses were coming. The moment when they began to fall was mystical; smiles erupted on the faces of everyone inside. As the petals rained down from the oculus I felt nothing but bliss. The petals did not fall for a few seconds but for minutes. It seemed to never end, and no one wanted it to. The sight was jubilant and sacred all at once. It felt as if my soul was laughing with utter joy. When the roses finally ceased we each grabbed a few of the fallen petals as tokens of an experience that will exist in our memories for the rest of our lives.