After a gorgeous and scenic drive through the rolling hills of Umbria, the group arrived at the Monastery of San Benedetto to begin the day with morning prayer and Mass with the "Singing Monks of Norcia." It is hard to put in words how just beautiful morning prayer, which was the Liturgy of the Hours (the prayer of the Church), is when chanted by these playful and holy men. And though Mass was in Italian, it didn't matter, we were taken up to heaven for a bit as we celebrated the Eucharist with our brothers and sisters from all over the world.
After Mass, we got a peak into the lives of these men who have dedicated themselves to prayer. L
Lunch is anything but ordinary in Italy. We celebrated Kelly's birthday and the whole restaurant joined in.