This semester

This semester's weekly schedule is a bit different than last years.  The Tuesday Pastoral Assignment really breaks up the week in a unique manner.

Sunday - Mass & brunch, then free time
Monday - Classes in A.M., free time, Mass @ 4:45
Tuesday - Mass @ 7:00 A.M., then Pastoral Assignment
Wednesday - Classes in A.M., Mass @ 11:45, then free time
Thursday - Day Off
Friday - Classes in A.M., Mass @ 11:45, then free time
Saturday - Classes in A.M., Mass @ 11:45, then free time

The Free time includes group prayer, private prayer, meals, exercise, study, etc.
Evenings are typically free time as well.

The blip in my schedule this week is an Wednesday overnight trip back to Maine to see my family.

Annual Lawn Party tonight

The Lawn Party is our biggest social event and fundraising activity of the year.  Friends and benefactors of the Seminary come to visit, chat and eat.  The word in the hallways is that we will be hosting about 350 guests tonight.  Where do we put them all?   Right here!

Back to my home parish for a quick visit

I've been asked to go back to my home parish to play the organ for Saturday night's Mass.  I did not get a chance to get back there this summer and was not able to get there on Tuesday night due to some homework load, so this would be my first visit back since last spring.  It will be good so see some familiar faces at the parish again.

I typically go back and play once a month to give the Music Director a day off.  It is a nice break in my routine here at the seminary.  I frequently bring some seminary brothers along to sing of just visit a different church.

A Week of New Experiences

There will be several new experiences for me this week.

Sunday and Monday I will be serving as Acolyte at Mass in our new chapel with our new procedures for serving.

Tuesday I will be making my first visit to my pastoral assignment in Franklin.  Tuesday evening I will be leading a Communion service at a local Ultreya.

Wednesday, I am serving as Antiphonarian for the first time this year.

Fall Semester, 2nd year classes

Yes, two posts in one week.  Miracles do occur!

I have 4 classes and a pastoral assignment this semester. The classes are Pastoral Counseling, Moral Theology, Synoptic Gospels and Theological Anthropology (Humanity's view of God through the ages).

On Tuesdays, I have an all day pastoral assignment.  I will be working at a parish based health care program in a nearby town.  Each Tuesday my supervisor will have a list of communion calls, hospital and nursing home visits for my team mate and me to make. This pastoral assignment will last the entire year, so I'll be heading out every Tuesday this Fall and Spring. 

Morning of Recollection

We're spending this morning in silence.  A guest speaker (some of you know Mary Ann McLaughlin) started us off with a reflection on "Christ's Presence in my Life".  Somewhere in the middle of her presentation, I realized that my connection to Christ is tenuous.  I do the Liturgy of the Hours and the daily Mass of the Church, but the personal relationship with Christ, the reason for those actions, is weak.

During my summer assignment, my summer vacation and this school year so far, I have been filling my spare time with reading for pleasure, TV and the internet.  I think a refocus is required of me.  If I do not have a deep personal relationship with Christ and cannot point out his presence in my life every day, how can I lead a congregation to become closer to Christ?

My daily prayer habits have all but disappeared over the summer.  I need to get back into those good habits and pronto.  I'll pray on it and your prayers for me would be most welcome as well.