Ruminations of an Amateur Monastic
There is something magical and compelling about a doorway, about a crossroads. It is a time and place in between the old and the new, between past and future; the liminal space where for a moment time stands still and new possibilities, undreamt of mere moments before, now come sharply into focus. Thus says the LORD: “Stand by the roads, […]
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Today is the feast of the blessed martyr Saint Polycarp (he of many fishes). Burned alive in Rome for the crime of being a Christian bishop, he was a disciple of Saint John the Apostle. Although I could wax on and on about the great Polycarp, I’m not going to, for as the headline to this post reveals, a truly […]
» Read moreIt’s the first of January, and I’m clearly looking and feeling my very best after last night’s festivities. We rarely throw parties, but when we do, we invariably overdo it a bit. Last night’s feast had libations aplenty and a table groaning with food for our family and friends old and new. Everybody brought something to share. Combine that with […]
» Read moreThis morning is the calm before the whirlwind. It is the moment of silence in the morning before everyone else is awake and about their busy day. In many ways, this has always been my favourite part of the day. It’s when you can see the whole glorious day stretch out before you full of promise and possibility. I rarely […]
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Nearly everybody knows about Saint Francis. He’s the plaster birdbath guy, right? The saint who hung around with fuzzy pastel animals. Well, sort of. “Sanctify yourself and you will sanctify society.” (Saint Francis of Assisi) I very nearly took “Francis” as my confirmation name. It might have been awkward, though, what with being engaged to Francine at the time. Reading […]
» Read moreI am tardy in offering congratulations on this venue to my friend, Fr. Bryan Dolejsi, for his appointment as Vocations Director for the Archdiocese of Seattle. This is apparently the first time in over 20 years that a priest has been appointed to this position. When I met Fr. Dolejsi, he was brand new out of the box; he had […]
» Read moreToday at Mass, two odd things happened. First, I should mention for those not Catholic that today’s second reading at Mass was from the Epistle of Saint James, specifically 2:14-18. What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister has […]
» Read moreThe wedding was beautiful. But I get ahead of myself. My parents arrived from Chicago on Sunday the 20th and stayed with us for a week. We put them to work: my Dad was the consummate chauffeur, particularly to the airport as other folks flew in. My Mom did our flowers, and they were fantastic. My sister flew in from […]
» Read moreThe wedding is on Friday. My parents have been here since Sunday. My sister arrives later today from Wisconsin. My friend Jason from Los Angeles tomorrow. The schedule is insane. Perhaps a nap? No time.
» Read moreOne of our cats is a frisky, quasi-hyperactive kitten named Sophia. Right now, Sophia is tearing up the dining room, prancing and dancing and playing with a little plastic gizmo that I think might once have been a top. Earlier, I had to rescue one of Francine’s scarves. Sophia had wrestled it to the ground and was gnawing it to […]
» Read moreI spent a ridiculous amount of time yesterday getting the wedding invitations out. This involved photocopying, folding, stuffing, stamping, stuffing again, licking and sealing, and stamping again (addressing and the first round of stuffing had been done the previous night with Francine). In the process, I discovered that we had inadvertently left eight people off the list.
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