Hi! I know I know, it’s been like two weeks already. I’m
sorry! Life has been uncharacteristically busy and not busy at all at the very
same time. For various reasons which include the necessity for more prayer, the
need to spend time with family and friends, and the desire for my left Achilles
Tendon to heal as much as possible – I decided to take another week off from
running, and just barely got back on the road yesterday morning. But I have
been keeping all of your prayer intentions at the heart of my rosaries
everyday, and it was wonderful to pray for you while running once again on
Pentecost Sunday and also this morning! I'll run again on Wednesday and Friday, and these four days will be my regular running schedule from here on out. Still praying for your intentions with every step, my friends.
In these two weeks since my race I have had a good amount of
time for reflection and drawing deeper into silence and meditative prayer. I’ve
been reflecting particularly upon the first reading from the Solemnity of the
Ascension of Our Lord when the apostles asked Jesus if he was at that time
going to restore the kingdom to Israel. He replied,
“It is not for you to know the times or seasons
that the Father has established by his own authority.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you,
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,
throughout Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.”
that the Father has established by his own authority.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you,
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,
throughout Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.”
While the state of my finances leave me in
suspension regarding whether or not I am to enter the Bethlehem Priory of St.
Joseph on my appointed entrance date, I find peace in knowing that the Lord
knows all and gives me all of the knowledge and understanding I require. And in
knowing that whatever work He has left for me to do while I remain in the
world, it is just as much for the benefit of souls as my life will be after I
enter. He has stuff for me to do here, and it’s just not quite finished yet!
As it was to be expected, contributions to my fundraising
effort have slowed since the race, but with the promise of increasing again
soon, God willing. By His grace and your generosity, as of today my loans are
down to a total of $36,672.77, and guess what… Today is exactly 100 days away
from August 28th… my entrance date & the Feast of St.
Augustine!!! Thank you so much my friends, for keeping me in your prayers
responding to the Lord’s call for your help me enter my vocation. If it’s His
will that I enter in August, I know He will show me the way!
So as a humble challenge today I implore you to ask the Holy
Spirit to send His grace upon me, and all religious aspirants who plan to enter
their communities this autumn, especially those who like me are still in a sort
of limbo about it due to their financial situations. In addition to this prayer
challenge, I ask you to join me in spreading the word about my hope for these
last 12 days of May – the Month of Mary: to raise $3,000 and pass the 35% mark
on my fundraising meter! With the help of your prayers and your generously
sharing my desire to give my life for God with your family, friends and
community, I know we can do this my friends!
The Norbertine Order has its roots in France, and I am
entrusting this challenge to the care of Our Lady of Lourdes. If you would
like, please join me in this novena to Our Lady of Lourdes for the Special Intention of passing 35% of my financial goal. This novena will begin on Thursday, May 23rd.
And/OR for those who feel called to make an even greater
sacrifice for the intentions of aspirants to religious life, most especially
for communities who live according to the Rule of St. Augustine and will have
their postulant entrance on August 28th, I invite you to join me in
a 99-day Novena, which we begin tomorrow and ends on that day. In solidarity
with our Holy Father Pope Francis, this novena will be prayed through Our Lady of Fatima,
along with the intercession of St. Benedict, St. Evermode, and Bl. Pier Giorgio
Frassati. I will offer my intentions for the Conversion of Sinners beginning
with myself, the magnification of the Glory of God here on earth and especially in Europe, and in
petition for more Norbertine vocations - especially to St. Michael’s Abbey and
the Bethlehem Priory of St. Joseph. 
Thank you for your continued prayers, my brothers and
sisters. May the Lord keep you, bless you abundantly, and make you into saints.
Totus tuus ego sum et omnia mea tua sunt.
Accipio te in mea omnia.
Praebe mihi cor tuum, Maria
Accipio te in mea omnia.
Praebe mihi cor tuum, Maria
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