Be good if you can

School today; I have been moved to the advanced class. We had to do an exercise with the subjunctive (called the conjunctive in Italian) and reported speech. We were using a handout that goes with our textbook titled “Che chosa pensano gli stranieri degli Italiani”? (What do foreigners think about Italians?) Here is proof that I am not the only one with less than generous opinions:

“Che schifo! Non c’e mai una strada pulita”
“Che maleducati! Non rispettano mai il turno nelle code”
“Ma perche urlano sempre e parlano tutti insieme?”

We also watched a rather nice film (in Italian) on the life of St. Philip Neri titled “State buoni se potete.” (Be good if you can.) I thought it was a good film, but I would be very interested in an Oratorian’s opinion about it. The Kelly library should definitely buy it.

Then I went to Mass at San Gregorio. I got there early, and a priest began to say a private Mass, so I in fact attended twice. Well, three times, since Mass was also being said this morning in the Borghese chapel when I went to say my rosary for the novena. What a weird city; I would never go three times to Mass in one day in Toronto, but here it just happens quite naturally.