Being provided for had been heavily a theme throughout the days we spent in Rome. Every morning I would ask the Holy Spirit to direct us in every moment of our day, and every day became perfectly arranged (sometimes at the expense of our previous plans) to give us exactly what we needed - Carravagios and cardinals and happenstance saints tombs and two exactly perfect tours (one from a complete amatuer, one from a seasoned professional, neither planned more than a few days in advance). And excessive amounts of gelato of course.
Florence felt very different. Dragging our heavy bags through the crowded streets for what felt like forever set the tone for arriving at the AirBnB that my sister and I were supposed to occupy for the next three months and finding out that the host didn’t realize that his listing was still active and he would not be able to accomodate us. That and an assortment of other move-in tasks that proved much more difficult and time-consuming than we had anticipated. Thanks to the experiences of Rome (and the kindness of our mistaken host, who put us up for a few days to give us time to find a new place) I had inklings from the first that the mix-up was meant to lead us to a better home. But even so, the first night in Florence, I felt deeply insecure - a new city in a foreign country (Rome at least had been familiar) and essentially homeless. It was the first time I felt homesick.
The next day we intended to go to Mass at the Duomo. Predictably perhaps, the Mass times posted on the internet were incorrect and we were turned away. It was the feast of the guardian angels and I was very disappointed to not be making it to Mass. But on our way to the next thing we happened by a place called the Badia Fiorentina and a Mass starting in 10 minutes.
It was among the most beautiful liturgies I’ve ever been to. It wasn’t just that the music was stunningly beautiful and the architecture matched. The community of sisters, brothers, and priests that led were youthful and active, their were intentional touches to the liturgy beyond the beautiful music that spoke of a deep thoughtfulness and being integrated in prayer, and overall the experience was filled with a love for God profoundly alive.
It was the first time I felt at home in Florence.
And it felt fitting that I would be led first ot my new spiritual home and that my physical home would follow.
It did.
The next day we followed up on a lead from my sister’s school and found the beautiful convent guesthouse where we now live. The AirBnB we had planned on was small and dingy and, as much as I liked the host, from the moment I stepped inside, did not feel like a home. Our room here is large and airy, two sets of french doors lead onto a balcony over a beautiful courtyard garden. There’s breakfast every morning and a Chapel with the Eucharist downstairs and the Sisters who run it are dear and sweet and make me feel completely safe and at home in a strange city. It could not be more perfect.
Later that evening we climbed the belltower of the Duomo, called the Campanile. It’s a tourist attraction, but we went in the last time slot so it already was less crowded. Along the way, multiple rest points afford increasingly wide vistas of the city through beautiful, medieval, open windows. (As the history nerd that I am, I was particularly moved by the fact that construction on the Duomo had to be halted for two years due to the coming of the Black Death.) Once at the top, all of Florence spread around us in every direction. The noise of the crowds faded at that height and mountains ringed the city round on every side. The sky was a mingling of clouds and sun, but soon after we reached the top it began to rain, which conveniently cleared away the few remaining tourists we were sharing the view with. But it wasn’t just raining it was sunshowering. On top of a medieval tower. Overlooking Florence and the mountains. It was a well-packaged gift of so many of my favorite things and hence also a well-timed reminder that my Father was with me. He had provided perfectly so far, He had brought me here for some reasons I knew and some that I didn’t and He would continue to provide.
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