Ruminations of an Amateur Monastic
How very odd to be posting twice in one day. This bit of news from Bloomberg caught my eye: Philanthropist and retired hedge-fund manager Robert W. Wilson said he is giving $22.5 million to the Archdiocese of New York to fund a scholarship program for needy inner-city students attending Roman Catholic schools. Wilson, 80, said in a phone interview today […]
» Read moreThe most observant of my three loyal readers will note that my place of employment no longer appears amongst the links on this page. Due to bugetary issues, my employment contract with Visitation Catholic School has not been renewed. We’re trying to sort out whether my last day is end of June or end of August. I found out Friday, […]
» Read moreToday we celebrated the Ascension of our Lord. Our “guest priest” while our pastor is vacationing in Ireland with his family is an odd duck. An old, retired Irish priest, he fits the “Old Irish priest” stereotype. Despite being here for over fifty years, his accent is so thick that you can barely understand four words in a row. In […]
» Read moreThis morning’s Mass at the school where I work was sponsored by the second grade class. I am always of a mixed mind on these things. On the one hand, the children are involved in the planning and celebration of the Mass. They are gaining experience as servers, as lectors, as choir members. On the other hand, sometimes the pagentry […]
» Read moreToday is Yom Kippūr, the day of atonement, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. This is the day where observant Jews fast and forgive all those who have wronged them in the previous year. In the time of the Temple, this is the day when the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies, sacrificed, and made atonement for all […]
» Read moreOn September 10th, I made my final oblation to Saint Martin’s Abbey in Lacey. I am an Oblate of the Order of Saint Benedict. It is quite an indescribable thing to be a monk in the world. As at confirmation, one is expected to take on a new name. I chose Bede, as he is a Benedictine Saint (always a […]
» Read moreI post this for future reference. One cannot walk forward without being mindful of where one has already walked. The First Brush I have been a student of religion since I can remember. Indeed, one of my earliest conscious definitions of a human is “an animal with the desire for enlightenment,” or if you prefer, “Truth”. To this day, for […]
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