Too Much to Say to Say Too Much

Pax Christi vobiscum! Come Holy Spirit!

Wow, so time has flown by, and so much has happened...too much to tell you about it now (sorry for the Teaser). But suffice it to say that God is alive and well. I'll give you a quick recap of the things that have happened, so you know, and then I hope to get a more substantial update soon. I wanted to make sure you got an update though.

Last week: Silent Retreat at the Palazzola, a.k.a. the English Villa, a.k.a. Heaven. It was a glorious week filled with so much grace that I wanted to shout out loud...which would have defeated the purpose. It was such a wonderful time, and I will get some pictures up soon. I also realized, while out there, that I should turn to the Stations of the Cross more often in my spiritual journey. We draw so much strength from the Cross of Christ. I also realized that life is short and that I need to be living for the next life. God is good!

This week: Deaconate Ordinations in St. Peter's Basilica, a.k.a. Heaven. After practicing with the choir here at the NAC, we actually received the great privilege of singing in St. Peter's Basilica, our voices resounding off of the towering marble walls--a perfect way to come off of a silent retreat. The Liturgy was glorious, and the 4th year men were ordained deacons. Please keep all 21 of them in your prayers, and thank the Lord for the service these men will offer the Church all over the United States.

This weekend: Le Cinque Terre, Italia, a.k.a. the Cinque Terra (had you fooled didn't I?). It was like Heaven on earth (there it is). Imagine five cliff-side villages lining the coast of the Mediterranean Sea (long sigh...go ahead). And the best part of the whole thing was God's providence through it all. Luke, Jeb, Rheo, and I all showed up ready to camp outside (in a random vineyard if need be). Unable to find a place to camp, we decided just to go to Mass on Friday night and then figure it out...but God was a few steps ahead of us (infinity to be exact). After Mass the Priest approached us and asked us, in Italian, where we were from. Letting him in on our story, he became extatic and offered us a place to stay at a Church in a neighboring town. Basically, we ended up with our own Hostel all to ourselves, complete with bathroom, kitchenette, dining area, and two bedrooms with three bunks each--all attached to a beautiful Church we attended on Sunday morning. God: the best travel agent.

Rheo and I returned earlier than Luke and Jeb, finding ourselves in different compartments of the train. I had the privilege then of speaking with a couple from L.A. and two Italians (in their own tongue). Once they discovered I was a seminarian in Rome (plug for the blog), a wonderful conversation ensued. God is so good! Please keep those four people in your prayers.

Well, that's it for my "quick" update. I hope that catches you up a bit, since I've been slacking in this area lately. Thank you for your prayers, and count on mine! God bless you all!