All-Star Week & Keeping One’s Distance

Pope Benedict praying in Prague on Saturday

Just in case you missed it last fall: This week is All-Star Week at daily Mass! (Click the link for all the details.)

…The Holy Father went to the Czech Republic this past weekend.

He wanted to visit the relics of St. Wenceslaus, of course, and pray to the Infant of Prague.

(We have a Novena to the Infant at our parish every Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., by the way!)

But His Holiness’ main reason for heading east this past weekend was to be as far away from Detroit as possible. He was basically on the other side of the earth. He was 4,355 miles away from Ford Field when the darkness descended.

Coming up Short

The March for Life just keeps getting shorter and shorter.

We used to start at the Ellipse (15th St., N.W.) Then we started at 7th St. This afternoon we started at 4th St.

So it was really the Stroll for Life up Capitol Hill. Nonetheless, it was inspiring and beautiful. There were lots and lots and lots of people. It was the most warm and sunny day we have had for the march for years.

So there is hope. But…

Beltway Battle #2: Not so much

If it were me, I would have said, “It is simply too cold to be outside.” But the Redskins are professional football players, so they don’t have that excuse.

My brother had to explain to me the GU on the back of all the helmets in the NFL. May Gene Upshaw rest in peace. I thought the entire league had decided to get behind the Hoyas. (As well they should.)

Another member of the NBA Moses Movement, Drew Gooden

While we are on other subjects, it is time to retire the Italian bests below.

They were fun for two weeks, but now it is time to move on to other things. I figure that by now everyone has had a chance to try the canolis at La Vittoria and to speak Spanish to an Italian hotel clerk or two.

We’ve got to move on now to new things. We can’t dwell on the past, like when it seemed as if the Redskins were actually good.

There are some new Bests above, to take our minds off other things…

Special “Bests of Italy” Edition

Best Canoli: Il Ristorante La Vittoria, Via delle fornaci, near St. Peter’s

Il Ristorante Vittoria

Best Way to Fall Asleep Standing Up during an Afternoon Tour of One of the Patriarchal Basilicas: Eat a Plate of Gnocchi for Lunch

Best Way to Try the Patience of an Italian Hotel Clerk: Act Like You are doing him a Favor by Speaking Broken Spanish to Him

Best Papal Tomb: Leo XIII, over the door to the sacristy in St. John Lateran

Best Occasion for Drinking Grappa: None.

Best Way to Cross a Roman Street: In a State of Grace

Best Cure for Jet-Lag: Redskins Victory!!!