Building the City of God

I have not abandoned the blogosphere, I'm simply trying to make sure that my duties to God, my wife and son, and my job are all completed first.  Remember the post below about all the exciting things going on in my life?  Well, that excitement has faded into fatigue and stress.

I seem to be getting everything completed in a timely manner.  However, completing those projects and tasks, as well as making time for prayer and my family, takes every ounce of my energy.  There is rarely anything left over to share with the cyberspace community.

Alas, I will try to find more time to write in the future (probably far into it since I'm preparing for a youth retreat and the World Youth Day celebration).  In the mean time, please keep me, my family, and my youth ministry in your prayers.

In the mean time, you might try out a few things that I've found to be enjoyable in recent days.

1. This article by Fr. Frank Pavone, which serves as a reminder of the world's inconsistent philosophy on the rights of individuals.
2. Reading classic fictional literature.  I am within twenty pages of completing The Three Musketeers, and I should like to pick up other books in the near future such as The Chronicles of Narnia series, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and others.  I'll return to history and theology after I have disembarked from the crazy train (is that ever possible?).
3. Enjoying a cold Sunset Wheat Ale by the Leinenkugel Brewery.  I tried it for the first time last night and found it to be…um…delicious!  It goes best with an orange slice.

I do hope to bring back plenty of pictures of the Land Down Under, so look for a post sometime around the end of July.

God bless! 

Ahh, it is good to be able to sit down for a few precious moments of scribal bliss!  Only today have I been able to find the requisite time to spill my thoughts into the cyber domain.  I do expect, however, that the output of my fingertips will increase during the next weeks.

What have I been working on, you ask?  In the early days of this month, I was putting the final touches on a four-part Bible study that I created.  It is entitled "The Mass in Scripture and Scripture in the Mass," and it is TOTALLY AWESOME!!!  (That's according to the youth who were engaged in the study, not just me.)  Apart from that, I was conducting the final sessions of my high school Confirmation course and wrapping up the Spring semester of the youth ministry year.  Once both of those responsibilities faded into the rearview, I began to focus on the Summer ministry schedule, which includes a Steubenville youth conference and the World Youth Day celebration, along with budgets and schedules for the next fiscal and academic year.  I am also in the process of developing a four-year high school youth ministry catechesis curriculum; a high school Confirmation catechists' manual; and another Church History course, all of which will be added to my parish's faith formation repertoire.  The cliche is so true: "No rest for the weary."

Despite my physical fatigue, I am quite excited about a lot of things in my life.  First and foremost is my family!  My son is about to turn one; my wife is DEVOTED AND WONDERFUL to me; and I will get to spend time with my father on Fathers' Day for the first time in nearly a decade!  As you can see from the paragraph above, I am excited about the fruits (borne and unborne) of my labor.  Finally, the summertime is coming, and she brings (along with hellish heat) long hours of daylight, which are good for family time and work productivity.

Life is GOOD!  I have become quite settled and efficient in my life at this point.  I only pray that the personal growth, family love, and work productivity and effectiveness will continue into the future…until the day when we are called to be with God forever.  I also ask that anyone who reads this post keeps me and my family in his/her prayers as we continue to seek God's will for our lives together.

God bless!

I really do enjoy these things when I have time…

1. The rules of the game get posted on the beginning.
2. Each player answers the rules about himself.
3. At the end of the post, the player tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they’ve been tagged and asking them to read his blog.

What I was doing ten years ago:
Finishing my junior year of high school.  This day, ten years ago: at school and work (a buss boy at a steakhouse!).  This moment, ten years ago: probably asleep in study hall.

Five things on my To-Do list today:
1. Get wife and son out the door to work and daycare.
2. Morning prayer.
3. Give final exam for history class.
4. Work to build the culture of life and love among the youth of my community (seemingly unattainable!).
5. Get frozen yogurt with wife and son (who may or may not eat it).

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1. Ensure the finacial stability of my family.
2. Pay off my parish’s debt (diocesan debt, too).
3. Publish my own Church History courses.
4. Travel, travel, travel.
5. Have a custom-made “non-pope-mobile” (as a show of solidarity with the Holy Father).

Three of my bad habits/qualities:
1. Overly obsessive about minor details.
2. Selfish ignorance.
3. Gluttony, gluttony, gluttony.

Five places I’ve lived:
1. Johnson City, Tennessee
2. Parents’ house
3. Fraternity house
4. Friend’s house
5. Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Five jobs I’ve had:
1. Driving range attendant
2. Midway attendant (go-karts, kiddie rides, etc.)
3. Food service
4. Teacher
5. Youth Minister

Five books I’ve recently read:
1. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
2. Reasons to Believe by Scott Hahn
3. How to Win the Culture War by Peter Kreeft
4. The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A Kempis
5. Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond

Five people or communities I’m going to tag:
1. Khira at Caelitus Mihi Vires
2. Andy at Musings of a Catholic Convert
3. Bob at The Off Brand Dad Club
4. Jen at Et Tu?
5. The Simpsons at Happy Catholic

Today, I celebrate the beginning of my fifth year as a Catholic; four full years of being in the home that God intends for all of his human creation!

I remember my reception into full communion, and I smile with joy.  I recall my earliest efforts to deepen my knowledge of the one, true faith and the spirituality that comes along with it.  I laugh at my own naivete because I thought that I had the fullness of everything on that blessed night four years ago.

No, my friends.  I was stubborn as usual.  I was only a spiritual babe on April 10, 2004, and I am not sure that I’m even a sprititual toddler today.  I am sure of one thing, however: God works SLOWLY!

Despite all of my stubborn, prideful efforts to consume every aspect of this beautiful Church, God has made one fact abundantly clear.  He has told me on many occassions, “Slow down!”  I shall try!

 Friends, please pray that my fifth year may be ever more fruitful than the ones before.  Pray also for the Church’s neophytes this year, who have just recently arrived home.

 God bless!

Enjoy these over a cup of juice or coffee, a glass of wine, or a pint of ale.

• “You Are Witnesses to My Resurrection” by Msgr. Charles M. Mangan (Easter Homily)
• “First Things: Save the Lost” by Robert R. Allard
• “Italian Socialists claim Christian Banner” (news report from Catholic World News)

Have a blessed weekend!

…of conversion during this Easter season.

http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=57413

Never cease to preach the Gospel, my friends.  You never know who will be led home by your efforts!

God bless!

Because prudence, good sense, and family celebrations of the Resurrection will impede reading time over this most blessed weekend, you can put off reading these articles until the Octave Monday or Tuesday…but NO LATER!

• “Human Beings Are Not for Using” by Mark Shea
• “Ten inspirational people named the patrons for World Youth Day”
• “Selling Her Body, a Few Eggs at a Time” by Michael Poore

God bless!

Another installment of this fabulous theme (after a week’s delay because of the once-yearly snowfall):

• “Questions for Father General” by George Weigel
• “The Place of Eucharistic Adoration” by Russell Shaw
• “Thousands in U.S. to Join Church” from Zenit.org (via Steve Ray’s Blog)

Until Monday, God bless!

Based on St. Paul’s exhortation in his letter to the Romans (15:1-2), I offer these articles, which await your perusal over the coming weekend.

• “Return to Paganism” by Mark Shea
• “The Relationship between Mercy and Justice” by Donald DeMarco

God bless!

I’m glad that my friend, Andy, convinced me to move my blog.  Now, I just hope that I can find a bit more time to write in the midst of my schedule these days.

 Look for new posts soon!

God bless!