Jesus Juice

Today, Yom Kippur, is the holiest of days for the Jews. I am not a particularly orthodox girl (do bagels and lox count?) but I am a spiritual one. Rome is an intensely Catholic place; it is impossible to ignore the religious flavor. Jesus is everywhere. The term 'drinking the kool-aid' refers to taking in a philosophy, an experience. I would have to say that I am drinking the Jesus Juice. I can't help but be fascinated. My grandmother is reading this and choking on her challah but don't worry, Gram, I'm not going to don a habit. Instead, I'm opening my eyes. The Vatican may be incapable of fully adapting to the demands of the modern world but her nuns are wearing Gucci shades and taking the metro. And this is where my fascination begins: with the intersection between the ancient world and the one before me. I'm in a class called "Contemporary Issues in the Catholic Church," taught by Father Larrey. Twice a week, he lectures about the gospels, and the Pope (whom he knows personally), and the truths of the bible which are alive for him everyday. I just sit there and drool. I'm a skeptical girl and an indecisive one; I have trouble committing to an entree. And here is a man who believes wholly in the existence of Jesus and who has devoted his life to this divine power. I'm in awe of his piety. And the biblical terms..they are so scandalous. The glorified body, the re-insertion of the soul to the body, the eucharist. Oh dio! Regardless of religious orientation, there is something alluring about the spirituality of the city. Maybe I'm just looking for a higher truth. Stay tuned.