St. Patrick's Day
A joyous feast to all, especially my fellow Irish-Americans and Irish-Canadians!
I got back from St. Gregory Palamas' Monastery yesterday around noontime, and since have had a relaxing close to the break. 'Farmer John' is up for a visit from Purdue, so hanging out with the Browns and Keasters has been extra fun since he's around too :-). (He's to be newly born Sophia's godfather, so we'll get to see him again in the not too distant future - the baptism's set for the Sunday of the Holy Myrrhbearers.)
The week at St. Gregory Palamas' was hard and good. It was a great blessing to be able to do a longer retreat at a men's monastery, but it was also kind of weird too :-). It was neat to be able to interact more frequently with the monks and novices, but conversely the feminine touch was definitely missing (and for obvious reasons :-) ). That last is more of a feeling than a definable thing, but there it is nonetheless.
It's sobering to leave the Monastery and to so quickly plunge back into the world. How does that happen so fast? I could've spent the week out drinking or playing golf and my life would be as unchanged from how it was before. I don't expect miraculous changes from a week at a monastery (or anywhere else) of course, but you'd think I'd be at least a tiny bit more patient with my fellow drivers (for example).
I'll probably write more later if I have time to go through my journal from the week, but that's as God wills and this week's classwork allows.
Your prayers as always. They're always needed. Keep newly born Sophia and her tired parents in your prayers too :-).
I got back from St. Gregory Palamas' Monastery yesterday around noontime, and since have had a relaxing close to the break. 'Farmer John' is up for a visit from Purdue, so hanging out with the Browns and Keasters has been extra fun since he's around too :-). (He's to be newly born Sophia's godfather, so we'll get to see him again in the not too distant future - the baptism's set for the Sunday of the Holy Myrrhbearers.)
The week at St. Gregory Palamas' was hard and good. It was a great blessing to be able to do a longer retreat at a men's monastery, but it was also kind of weird too :-). It was neat to be able to interact more frequently with the monks and novices, but conversely the feminine touch was definitely missing (and for obvious reasons :-) ). That last is more of a feeling than a definable thing, but there it is nonetheless.
It's sobering to leave the Monastery and to so quickly plunge back into the world. How does that happen so fast? I could've spent the week out drinking or playing golf and my life would be as unchanged from how it was before. I don't expect miraculous changes from a week at a monastery (or anywhere else) of course, but you'd think I'd be at least a tiny bit more patient with my fellow drivers (for example).
I'll probably write more later if I have time to go through my journal from the week, but that's as God wills and this week's classwork allows.
Your prayers as always. They're always needed. Keep newly born Sophia and her tired parents in your prayers too :-).