Sponsorship

    His Eminence, Cardinal O'Malley has agreed to sponsor me in my further discernment to the priesthood.  He is recommending and agreeing to pay for 4 years at Blessed John Seminary.  Final acceptance interviews there will likely take place in March.

Guest room at the seminary

I was on the vocation retreat this past weekend.  A broken wing and nasty cold did not stop me.
I thought that you might like to see what the rooms look like.  The guest rooms come with the TV, the seminarian rooms do not.

January vs. February

January was not a newsworthy month towards my discernment. I did complete the psychological screening.  The Doctor did call me and tell me that I seemed pretty normal and sent his report to the diocese.  This call took place while I was on a 2 week vacation in Orlando.  I came home to a lot of snow and met a sheet of ice face first.  Nothing is broken, but I am still pretty sore a few days later.

February brings me the 1 night Annual Vocation Retreat at Blessed John and meetings with the vocation director and my spiritual director.  I pray that the dioceses will share a decision with me this month.

Interviews

This week things start kicking up again.  I have my interview with the psychologist on Wednesday (5 hours!) and my monthly check in with my spiritual director on Friday.  The 5 hour interview is the last item on the Application for Sponsorship checklist, so after the psychologist sends in his report, the diocese will have all the information they need to make a decision. 

A reminder, the Sponsorship is not the final step, but the next to last step in the direction of the seminary.  The seminary would still have to accept me, but that is usually straightforward (according to the vocation director) once the diocese says they will sponsor the candidate. 

I'm hoping for some good news in February!

My Christmas gift to you

I've been writing and rewriting this in my head for years.  This is the first time I have put it down "on paper".  Feel free to borrow it, use it, modify it, comment on it, etc.  I don't believe it violates any basic tenets of the faith.  I used "us" and not "me" because Communion is a community sacrament.

Prayer After Communion.
Heavenly Father, may this reception of the body and blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ bring peace to those of us who receive it.  May this sacrament fill us with every grace, blessing and healing that we need to be better imitators of Christ and help build a dim reflection of Your heaven here on earth.  May it keep us and sustain us until we next receive this sacrament.  We ask this in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

(Funny, a lot harder to write than to say.  The words come so easily in my prayer after communion.  I had to struggle to remember them here and now, out of context)

A Quiet Time (Still)

It is a good time of the year to be quiet.  I've started the Spiritual Exercises and there is little to report on my application.  The next "big thing" is my psychological screening scheduled for the first week of January.  I believe that should complete my application for sponsorship. 

February will bring the vocation retreat again (You may recall that I went on it last year as well).  It will also be the month where I might expect to hear an answer from the diocese about sponsorship. 

A tough day

Today is the one year anniversary of Carmen's death.  I thank God on a regular basis for loaning her to me for 30+ years, but there is still a big hole in my life where my best friend and wife used to be.

Friends and family joined me yesterday at a memorial Mass in her honor.  We gathered here at home after a quick trip to the cemetery.  We shared a meal and some stories about Carmen.  It was a good thing to do.

So why am I sitting here crying?  Because I'm human and I miss her..