Venice, Bologna, Loreto
At Venice, the scene changed completely; instead of the noise of the great cities one heard in the solitude nothing but the cries of the gondoliers and the murmur of the waves agitated by their oars. Venice was not without its charms, but I found this city sad. The palace of the Doges is splendid, however it too is sad where gold, wood, the most precious statues and paintings of the masters are on display. For a long time now its arches have ceased to resound with the voices of Governors pronouncing the sentence of life or death in the rooms through which we passed. The unfortunate prisoners who were once locked up in these underground cells and dungeons have also ceased to suffer. When we were visiting these frightful prisons, I imagined myself living back in the days of the martyrs and would willingly have remained there in order to imitate them! However, we had to pass quickly from there and cross over the “Bridge of Sighs”; it was given this name because of the sighs of consolation heaved by the condemned when they saw themselves freed from the horrors of the underground caverns; they preferred death to these horrors!
After Venice, we went on to Padua where we venerated the tongue of St. Anthony, and then on to Bologna where we saw St. Catherine who retains the imprint of the kiss of the Infant Jesus. I could go into many interesting details about each city and the particular incidents that took place on the trip, but I would never end; I will write only about the principal events.
It was a great joy to leave Bologna since this city had become unbearable to me because of the students who filled it and formed long lines on the streets through which we had the misfortune to go on foot. I disliked it also because of the little incident which happened to me with one of the students.141 I was indeed happy to be on my way to Loreto.
I am not at all surprised the Blessed Virgin chose this spot to transport her blessed house, for here peace, poverty, and joy reign supreme; everything is primitive and simple. The women have preserved their graceful Italian dress and have not, as in other cities, adopted the Paris fashions. Loreto really charmed me!
And what shall I say about the Holy House? Ah! how deep was my emotion when I found myself under the same roof as the Holy Family, contemplating the walls upon which Jesus cast His sacred glance, treading the ground bedewed with the sweat of St. Joseph, under this roof where Mary had carried Jesus in her arms, having carried Him in her virginal womb. I beheld the little room in which the angel had appeared to the Blessed Virgin. I placed my rosary in the little bowl of the Child Jesus. What ravishing memories!142
Our greatest consolation was to receive Jesus Himself in His house and to be His living temple in the very place He had honored with His presence. As is the custom in Italy, the Blessed Sacrament is reserved on only one altar in the churches, and here alone can one receive Holy Communion. This altar was in the Basilica itself where the Holy House is to be found, enclosed like a precious diamond in a white marble casket. This didn’t satisfy Céline and me! It was in the diamond not in the casket that we wanted to receive Holy Communion. Papa with his customary gentleness did like all the rest, but Céline and I went in search of a priest who had accompanied us everywhere and who was just then preparing to say Mass in the Santa Casa by special privilege. He asked for two small hosts which he laid alongside the large one on the paten and you can well understand, dear Mother, the joy we both experienced at receiving Communion in that blessed house! It was a totally heavenly happiness which words cannot express. And what shall our happiness be when we receive Communion in the eternal abode of the King of heaven? Then we shall see our joy never coming to an end; there will no longer be the sadness of departing, and it will be no longer necessary to have some souvenir, to dig furtively into the walls sanctified by His divine presence, for His home will be ours for all eternity. He doesn’t want to give us His earthly home, but is content to show it to us so as to make us love poverty and the hidden life. What He does reserve for us is His Palace of glory where we shall see Him no longer hidden under the appearance of a child or a white host, but such as He really is, in the brightness of His infinite splendor!