Ruminations of an Amateur Monastic
Today I met Fr. Vincent Beuzer of the Society of Jesus. My pastor, Fr. Sacco, had recommended him to me as a spiritual adviser. I called him this afternoon, and we met at 3:00 at Bellarmine, where he is a resident with the other Jesuit Fathers. The object of our talk was to determine whether or not God was calling […]
» 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 moreI had an interesting conversation with my pastor this morning. Francine and I are sacristans at our parish, and I am a lector while she is a member of the Sodality of St. Frances. The entire archdiocese will be launching a program related to CatholicsComeHome.org, and we’ve been asked to chair our parish’s efforts. I’m not sure what our jobs […]
» 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 moreIt’s at least quasi-official. After four months of contracts and extensions, I’m at the end. I’ll be unemployed a week from tomorrow. I will no longer be employed by the Archdiocese of Seattle. Time for an ale, methinks. Yea, perhaps several. Edited to add: Turns out all I’ve got is porter. Well, I’ll make the best of it.
» Read moreOr, putting the labora back into Ora et Labora One of my hobbies is book design. This is an honourable and ancient occupation of monks, and I worked at it long before I worked at amateur monasticism. I’ve gotten fairly proficient over the years, so I’m often asked to put together publications for folks. Currently, I’m working on two major […]
» 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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