Boston has been a bit wet this week. It's rained almost every day, and the intervening days were hot and humid - 70 ºF at 6am and rising from there with 60-80% humidity - the rain was a relief!
Greek has really been picking up - we have covered about 50 words, the grammatical structure for the first and second declensions of nouns, the present and future tense (indicative active) of verbs, the definite article, adjective declension and agreement in the first and second declensions, the present tense of εἰμί, the verb meaning "to be", and personal pronouns.
Logic is pretty fun now, getting into the rules governing properly-formed categorical syllogisms. I can see more tangibly now how the study of logic will make for a growing instinct for recognizing poorly-formed arguments when I see them in the future.
We have a visitor with us this weekend, which is always fun. He's gotten a chance to see a bit of the city, which is very different compared to his small-town roots in North Dakota. He has also been meeting with lots of priests in the house as he shares his story and learns more about religious life in general and the Oblates in particular.
This past Friday, we celebrated the memorial of St. Padre Pio di Pietrelcina, a great mystic and confessor who bore the stigmata for many years. His devotion to the Eucharist, to the Passion of Christ and in seeking the assistance of his guardian angel are exemplary inspirations to all. And though it would seem a bit harsh of him, at times, in his blunt dealings with people who came to him, he was given the grace to know their situation before they had even spoken, and was inspired to give them the message that he did, whether it was that they should have actual sorrow for their sins before approaching the sacrament of confession, that they must confess something they wished to hide, or if in some way, they had concealed some important detail in their spiritual conversations with him. Above all, it was his union with Christ in the Sacrifice of the Mass that is the most touching. Bearing Christ's wounds in his own body at the precise moment in the Mass that Christ shed his blood and breathed his last, Padre Pio had the most intense expression of love for Jesus' sacrifice and of union with him in that moment. What a saint!
I am settling into this year more and more, with the good men who are here studying, as well. It was a rough couple weeks getting started and figuring out how we would all split the duties and keep the house running as well as provide enough time for study and prayer (and a little recreation!), but things are pretty well worked-out now and we have more opportunity to get to know one another and grow together in this vocation. In so many ways, it is like starting over; though I have the experience of one year, new leadership and new confreres means a very different-feeling experience. Also, while it is so important not to miss out on the present moment wondering about the future, formation is a forward-looking process. We make our discernment patiently about how God has been working in our lives and how He wishes us to work for Him in each new day. Toward the end of this year, I will hopefully have the opportunity to apply to begin my novice year, approaching first vows. It seems so far away now, and, as I just stated, it is important not to miss the joys and trials of my second postulant year, though I am aware of the bigger picture as such.
Hopefully in the next couple weeks, we will be able to invite our confreres at St. John Seminary to share some prayer time and a meal with us here, demonstrating our solidarity with one another in the faith and in this vocation. More to look forward to! This coming Saturday, October 2, the Vice Rector of St. John Seminary will come to give us a day of recollection - please pray for the fruit of our prayers.
Love the Immaculata!
Mariam cogita, Mariam invoca
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