TWO ORIGINS OF MY HOPE

My blog began with the intention to present all of the hopeful messages and contributions that come from Italy and its civilization and culture but now two years later and after a few challenges and sufferings in my life, I find myself talking more about my greatest hope which comes from Christ and my Catholic faith. I also now realize that my Catholic faith and my Italian cultural upbringing are often times inextricably linked. For example, the Eucharistic banquet of bread and wine ( the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass) which is the true body,blood, soul and divinity of Christ which was instituted at the Last Supper can be tied to my daily family suppers which always included bread and wine at the table when I was a child growing up in an Italian home of first generation Italian immigrants. The Eucharist  at mass was my spiritual sustenance as bread and wine at home for supper was part of my corporeal sustenance. Both the earthly and more importantly, the heavenly food fed me like a queen with the best quality of spiritual and bodily nourishment I could ever receive! When I was born my dear Papa wrote a rhyme on a cake which he brought to the hospital which said: "E nata la Regina e la chiameremo Dorina."  (A queen has been born to us and we will call her Dorina.)
Dorina means "little golden one" in Italian but from its Greek and Latin origins, it means  "gift of God". I feel so humble knowing that, but the greatest gift of God to me was sending His only Son, Jesus Christ to give me the greatest hope, that of bringing me eternal life. If we choose Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we can be saved and  receive His true presence  when we receive communion at daily or Sunday Mass or when we go to adore Him at Eucharistic Adoration. If people only knew what the sacrifice of the Mass and Eucharistic Adoration really are......as Heaven on this Earth, we would all fall to our knees in Thanksgiving to God for these most precious gifts. Eucharist means"Thanksgiving". Mass which is the highest form of prayer for Catholics is where I can humbly thank God for sending His only Son to atone for all of my sins.

In future posts I will be talking about other subjects that reflect a spiritual and cultural tie that came to me through grace,experience, wisdom, and knowledge of my Italian and Catholic heritage. The topics are endless and I am excited to continue to talk to you about the two topics of my Italian and Catholic heritages that are now converging to be present in this blog of mine under the overriding theme of HOPE/LA SPERANZA.