Deus in adjutorium
meam intende!
What an
incredible (extended) weekend I had at the Bethlehem Priory of St. Joseph!
Thank you Jesus for this wonderful time that I had to spend in prayer and
thanksgiving with my future sisters. I
am so happy to announce to you my friends, yesterday Mother Mary Augustine and
Novice Mistress Sr. Mary Norbert send me home with my official letter of
acceptance – which read that my entrance date is set for August 28th,
2013. The feast of our holy father St. Augustine! Praise the Lord.
The snow was
fresh on the ground during my drive up to the monastery, and I was blessed with
an exceptionally beautiful (albeit cold) few days in the mountains. On Friday two
of my closest friends (who are also discerning their vocations to the
priesthood, marriage and religious life… pray for them!) arrived to spend 2
days in the quiet of the mountains with me. We were graced also by the presence
of another young gentleman who has been accepted into formation for the
priesthood at St. Michael’s Abbey – our Norbertine brothers in Orange County!
We had wonderful conversations about the incredible love of Christ and the
great call to religious life – among many other great topics. He will be
entering the abbey just one day before my entrance date… what a blessing to
meet one of my future confreres before we both enter the order!
These guys. These are my brothers.
My friends and
I had a little time for silence as well as attending the regular communal
prayers and mass with the sisters, and we spent one chilly morning tucked into
the living room of the guest house, listening to a recorded talk about the holy
life of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati – who is becoming dearer to me every day
as I pray for his intercession during my marathon training. He became a saint
and died in 24 short years. Such an inspiration for us young people today!
Without becoming a priest and before having the opportunity to enter into a
holy marriage, Bl. Pier Giorgio spent his whole life becoming a saint. There is
no excuse to waste our youth making “mistakes” that we’ll regret someday my
friends! Now is not the time to be reckless, now is the time to strive for
perfection in the Lord.
On Sunday I
went for my long “run” – 11mi up and down the mountainside along the monastery
property and Tehachapi Mountain Camp. Okay so it was more a “trot downhill/ powerhike
uphill” sort of endeavor. But by the grace of God I got the mileage in. However
it definitely was not a well thought-out move to run for such a long time
(about 5.5mi) on a decline – of which my aggravated Achilles tendon is hard
proof. I’ve taken the last two days off
to try and let it heal up a bit and will be hitting the concrete again this
evening. Please pray that I don’t incur a major injury on my road to the
marathon! Needless to say I won’t be doing any more long runs in the mountains,
but I am thankful that the Lord allowed me the resolve to finish this week’s.
On Monday
Mother Mary Augustine allowed me back into the cloister (where I’m not always
allowed to go… and there are many places still off limits for me) to help work
on the new convent building. The sisters have been working very hard over the
last month, trying to get tile laid, furniture built and moved in, and put all
the finishing touches on the building so that they can move in ASAP. The
original plan was for them to be settled in November 2012, but weather has put
some delays on construction. Please hold off on the snow for now Mr.
Weatherman! I helped Sr. Mary Stephen (one of the original 5 sisters) and Sr.
Mary Michael finish building a bed for one of the cells. I learned how to cut,
sand, wax and varnish wood. This goes without saying, but clearly these sisters
have stronger faith than I do… for trusting me to do all of those things
without supervision! Praise the Lord I don’t think I messed up too badly.
I helped Sr.
Mary Stephen take a closet up to the new novitiate wing on the second floor,
which is beautiful and nearly finished! It is the only wing in the building
which has a view of the inner courtyard down below. What a blessing to take a
walk through the hall that, God willing, I will be calling my new home come
autumn. It’s amazing to see just how much work the sisters are doing on the
construction of the building themselves. This community is still in its fledgling
years. I think that someday when I am old and gray – being rolled down the
halls of the monastery in my wheelchair (for the Lord knows just what kind of affect
all these years of running will have on my joints in decades to come…) – I will
have a great appreciation for this privilege God has granted me – witnessing firsthand
the physical labor and dedication being poured out by these first 26 sisters
into the community’s foundation. I don’t know who will sleep in the two beds I
helped finish… but if either of them turns out to be no good, then please Lord
let it be me!!
At the
suggestion of my spiritual director I have been reading St. Teresa of Jesus’ The Way of Perfection in these first
couple weeks of Lent. It has been a wonderful companion as I continue on my
journey to the marathon, to the monastery, and through this penitent liturgical
season – attempting each and every day to delve more deeply into the Glory of
our Lord’s love, in prayer and meditation on His life and Passion. This book
was written for her 12 daughters in the cloister, and I think it’s a must-read
for anyone with a view toward entering contemplative life. It has given me some
wonderful insight into the life of a cloistered nun – encompassing everything
from instructing nuns on the grace that can come from perseverance in prayer,
to describing the inevitable trials that result in abandoning one’s life to the
authority of the Lord – and of the prioress. Thank God for such a wonderful work
of literature to help prepare me for what life might be like as a
contemplative.
How fitting
too –as we move further into the penitence of Lent and I am learning more about
solitude, silence and sacrifice – that our beloved Pope Benedict XVI should
give his final Angelus as Supreme Pontiff, assuring us of the importance of a
life of deep prayer:
“Dear Brothers and sisters, this Word of God I feel in a particular
way towards me, at this moment in my life. The Lord is calling me to
"climb the mount," and to devote myself to meditation, reflection and
prayer. However, this does not mean abandoning the Church, but rather, if God
has requested this of me, it is so that I can continue to serve the Church with
the same dedication and the same love with which I have done up until now…”
Words cannot
describe the way I feel in this last day of my Holy Father’s pontificate. For
though I hardly knew him, he has truly been I my Holy Father. I was too young to appreciate the Great Bl. Pope
John Paul II, and I will enter a life separated from the world soon after the
next pope is elected. It was during the rule of Pope Benedict XVI that I fell
head over heels in love with the Lord and His Church. It was over these past
eight years that I have been reassured over and over again that I dwell within
the body of Christ, in the fullness of the Truth as a catholic. And it has been
through his tireless effort to continue the work of Bl. JPII in fostering true
faith in young people – as well as leading the charge in bringing the Church
back to its beautiful and rich heritage – that the Lord has led me to discover
my vocation, for which I will be eternally grateful.
Tomorrow my heart
will be briefly broken in a moment of mourning as we say goodbye to our dear
pope, but will be followed immediately by such incredible rejoicing as we celebrate
and pray for the election of our new Shepherd! May the Lord place His loving
hands securely around our cardinals as they undertake their monumental task
over the next couple of weeks.
I ask for
your continued prayers as my fundraising efforts move forward. I have had
several people contact me who are interested in helping in one way or another.
While the meter at www.gofundme.com/litanyrun
hasn’t moved in a little over a week, I understand that this effort will be
slow-going in the beginning. But I trust that the Good Lord will give me the
grace to raise this money in His perfect timing. If you are able to sponsor me
for Litany Run, please do so as soon as you are able and, God willing, others will
follow your holy example!
May the peace of
Christ be with you, the Lord bless you abundantly, and the Holy Spirit guide you
to become a saint.
AMDG
Totus Tuus
