Happy Solemnity of Ss. Peter and Paul, & Year of St. Paul

Today begins the Year of St. Paul---a year in which the Church calls us all to renew our studies of the writings of St. Paul, which have done so much for the establishment of Christ's Church around the world. Of all writers, I don't think any have spoken the word of God so poetically, and eloquently as our dear Saint Paul. (King David's Psalms are not far behind, of course.) So, hopefully, I will do a good job of reading and meditating on the letters of the Apostle, the better to grow in faith, and in my love of Jesus Christ. To help me out, I'll be taking a course on St. Paul in the fall at Aquinas Institute, the Dominican graduate school in St. Louis.
***
The picture above, before I go on, captures the visit to St. Vincent Ferrer Priory of several guests. To the far left is Br. Herman Johnson, OP, of the Southern Province. It was a treat to meet him, because he's a cooperator brother. Not just any cooperator brother---he's the first c.b. to be elected a superior of a community. He's prior of a house in New Orleans. To his left is Br. Peter, a Dominican priest from Taiwan, who's living in another of the Chicago priories. I'm next. Then, Br. Doug Greer, who's working toward ordination as he works at Fenwick High School. And finally, on the far right is our delightful brother from Germany, Franciscus. He's a brand new priest, and is also staying in our province while he studies here in the U.S. The meeting shows what an international Order the Dominicans truly are--an aspect of the Order I love.
***
Well, my second week is over. It went well. Most of the test scores improved in comparison to last week's tests. Still, it was a lot of work to keep the week creative. Two days out of the week, I asked the students to work in groups. I also gave another creative writing assignment to see if the kids understand how short stories work, by getting them to write a story themselves. They're due Monday, and I'm looking forward to seeing what the kids came up with. This coming week is non-fiction week. The first assignment is about aliens, so we'll see if they bought the argument that an alien spacecraft landed in New Mexico. I'm trying to teach persuasive writing, so the kids will know when people are trying to get them to agree with them. The difference between fact and opinion, and the use of ethos, pathos, and logos will be discussed.
***
I should get back to work.
Peace,
Br. Paul~

One Week Down

Well, my first week as a school teacher is officially coming to a close. This time last week, I was full of nerves, unsure, but optimistic. I have to say, the week has lived up to my hopes. There were rough days, to be sure, but all-in-all, it has been a fantastic week. For someone who has never been in charge of 14 year olds before, and who isn't very confrontational, I have held my own. I feel extremely blessed to have the skill to pass on information. It is gratifying to know that after so many years of education, I actually do know something.
***
Even so, my nerves were pushed to the limit. What with the anxiety that comes with expectation, the nervousness about driving on my own to and from work for the first time, and the work load itself, by the end of the week, I found myself feeling sick, exhausted, and drained. The Holy Spirit has been working on me all week, telling me that there is way too much noise in my life, right now. Even something as good, in general, as music, has been filling the silence that rightfully belongs to God. I've been so hungry for silence, lately. Dominicans certainly are preachers and teachers, but we're also contemplatives, and I'm afraid I haven't been a good contemplative lately. I believe that it's true, that if one doesn't contemplate, he or she has nothing to preach or teach. That's probably why I haven't been posting on this blog lately. I've been too busy about the ordinary things of life to turn my thoughts to the eternal. Fortunately, the priory here at St. Vincent Ferrer's has a beautiful cloister garden. I sat in it this afternoon, and looked up at the beautiful blue sky, dotted with clumps of white clouds, contrasted perfectly with the grey arches of the stone church, and the green of the little trees dancing in the breeze. It was heaven to be there, talking with God, and thinking about that essential question: "Who am I?" If anybody wants to know what I'd like to do when I grow up, it's to be: Me. To be, consciously, the person God has called me to be, and that's something a lot bigger than any work I might do, and it's intimately tied up with my vowed life as a religious. And the one thing I want more than anything, is to love God as he deserves to be loved. I can only do that, when I let him heal and perfect the messiness of my life, to teach me what it means to be a human, but in particular, to be me. The story of my soul, is a part of his story, too, after all. The words of the hymn came to me just now, "We will understand it better, by n' by." Until then, I have to be grateful that the Holy Spirit is working in my life, even when I don't perceive it. In an important way, the Spirit has brought me to this place, into the lives of the 38 kids that I teach. What good can I be for them? And what can they teach me?
***
All I know is, yesterday, I was not too happy. I had had a successful first week, and it didn't matter at all, because I wasn't connected with myself, or really with God. My center of peace had been filled with noise or business, and my soul couldn't breath until today. Today, I took a breath and am feeling at peace.
***
Peace,
Br. Paul~

First Day of Summer School

Well...it's over. My first day of teaching in-coming high school freshmen, that is, and I loved, loved, loved it! Of course, last night, I couldn't sleep. My nerves weren't at the forefront of my thoughts, but they kept my mind running through the night, and so I couldn't sleep until well after midnight and woke up half an hour early. Still, once I was in the classroom, and began to teach my lesson, all my nerves were put away, and everything seemed to flow naturally. There were a few hiccups. In my second group, I ran out of my handouts, because there were eight extra students. This puts the second class behind, in some ways. And the novels hadn't been delivered to my room, so my kids can't begin reading them just yet. That's okay. I'm realizing that I, in some ways, over prepared, and have way too much information printed out for them. I'll end up cutting most of the material, else the kids will drown. Still, I fell good about the whole idea, and am looking forward to tomorrow. I know things won't always go so well, but I'm ready to try.
***
I've already noticed a difference in the two sets of kids. During the first class, the kids seemed more awake and energetic, in the second, they were shy. I'll have to work on balancing who I call on in each class. There were a few kids, in both classes, who consistently raised their hands, which helped me out. All in all, however, they seem like good kids and eager to learn, or at least, to be respectful. Hopefully, their patience will hold out for the next five weeks.
***
Keep me in your prayers,
Br. Paul~

My New Home in Pictures

My Room/Work Space


St. Vincent Ferrer Priory, Front View


Saint Vincent Ferrer Church, Side View

The Priory Chapel

My New Bedroom/ "The Papal Suite"




















The Facade of St. Vincent Ferrer Church

Happy Friday the 13th and St. Anthony of Padua Day!

I am finally at my summer assignment in River Forest, IL. Yesterday, around 80 of the friars of the Central Province gathered for the Provincial Assembly. I didn't enjoy myself as much as I did at last year's assembly---excepting the meals and social times, of course. The general work of an assembly is to get a sense of where the province is, and where the brothers would like it to be. This could be related to ministries, finances, or to the areas of religious observance and fraternity. We were asked to think about the future and to form a vision for the province (individually and collectively). I found this difficult, because I take for granted that what we have now will always be. The Dominicans have a vital role in teaching and preaching the faith. We face a society, here in America, that seems to have no faith. We hear a lot about how Americans are so religious, and I don't doubt that necessarily, but it's not reflected in our cultural portrayal, on television, for example. Americans have bought into the idea of subjective relativism, to the extent that they doubt the reality of objective Truth, and so have stopped striving for the highest. Jesus, however , commanded that we be perfect, as God is perfect. That means, a fundamental task of the human person is the pursuit of perfection (which comes only with Truth).

***

So, today is a special day. Five men are making solemn (aka final) vows to the province and the Order of Preachers. One is a priest already, and the others are on the road to priesthood. It's just so encouraging to see five guys take this huge step toward living out a committed life to the Dominican Order and the Church. In two months, I will celebrate the one year anniversary of making simple profession. I love, love, love being a Dominican, and give thanks to God that he has called me to this life. Still, it's difficult. Even with the grace of the Holy Spirit guiding and supporting me, I'm still lazy sometimes. Contemplation and silence are so important to living this way of life.

***

Anyway, I've got to go get ready for the profession mass. I am in charge of incense. Keep me in your prayers as I prepare for my teaching job on Monday. I'm excited about it, and hope the kids do well, and aren't too mean to me. I promise that as soon as I get my battery charger for my camera, new pictures and stories will come.

Until then,

Peace,

P~

PS: The above is a picture of the statue of St. Anthony of Padua found in the garden of St. Vincent Ferrer Church, River Forest, IL

Summer Vacation

Readers:

I've been so busy enjoying summer vacation, that I haven't made time to post. Life for me has been restful, here in Northern Kentucky. I've been visiting with my family for a little more than a week. I have until this coming Wednesday to rest up and prepare for my summer ministry---teaching. I've been photocopying like mad at the public library (where I once worked), fragments of famous novels, and short stories. For example, I'm using the beginning of Dickens' A Christmas Carol to illustrate strong character establishment, the beginning of Austen's Pride and Prejudice to illustrate tone, and the beginning of Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities to illustrate the importance of setting. Today, I'm photocoping essays and articles, etc., from non-fiction books.
***
I'm getting excited about this coming Wednesday, because it's the beginning of the Provincial Assembly. During the three days of the assembly, friars from all over the province (around 80 are attending this year) come together to discuss the state of the province and its future. It's a great combination of business and fraternity.
***
Anyway, I should get back to work.
Peace,
Br. Paul~