When it Rains it Pours!

You know what they say, when it rains it pours?  It's a proven fact and this week has been a great example of what happens when a hurricane of bad news just hit's you right on the head.   This has been one of my toughest weeks yet in the Seminary.  To be honest with myself, I have to say that I never really learned how to study and these last 2 months I have really struggled to learn a good pattern of study and now I think I have finally found one that works for me.  Unfortunately, I discovered this new study habit only a week before midterms.  That being said, I did study my butt off for my midterms and 3 of them I felt I did very well on.

After a week full of trials and disappointments, I was looking forward to today when I would get back the test results for a class that I feel I did very well in grade wise.  What I got was a complete shocker and I'm just at a loss for words.  I'm trying to compartmentalize this new disappointment on top of everything else that has happened this week.  I look forward to next week, the Seminary will be having 40 hrs of adoration, which will give me adequate time to rest, spend time with our Lord, and hopefully forget about all the pain from this week.

Please pray for me, that I will be given the strength to handle all trials I am being sent and will be sent in the future.

Wanderings of a Pilgrim living within the confines of a Monastery

I have now been in the order for a little over 2 months and what a journey I have been on!  It is amazing how much one can go through upon entering a new place and being introduced to new experiences. 

Fr. Gould mentioned to my Mom a few weeks ago that there is only 1 Catholic Priest that has been made a saint, however with religious there are many.  At first I was incredulous, however, after living in this life, I can totally see how if one perseveres there are many opportunities to reach the heights of sanctity.  There are many different people living in community, and each has a differenct personality and sometimes they can rub you the wrong way, which takes time and patience to learn to deal with and prayer to love them all the more.  I can only imagine how crazy I make some of them with my weird idiosyncricies! =)

As one brother once told me when I was annoyed one day.  "There are saints and there are saint-makers"... How True!!! =)  I hope that I am a saint and not a saint maker!

I must say that this life is absolutely wonderful.. don't get me wrong, sometimes I wish I was back home in my comfort zone.  However, this life is truly great, my brothers are good men all trying to serve and love the Lord and my life is one filled with prayer, joy, peace, and happiness.  I have had mystical experiences and close encounters with the Lord here and I hope that God will continue to bless my vocation and help me to persevere to the Novitiate House in LeRoy, NY next year.

May Our Lady of Divine Mercy Bless you!