Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween, everyone! Can you guess who I am? I finally decided that I'm going to the house party as Aaron the first High Priest. At first, I was thinking that I was going to go as St. Paul, wearing the white tunic with a red sheet, but then...I found my old bath robe that always reminded me of Moses. I downloaded a picture of the high priest's outfit, and came up with what you see to the left. Luckily, Br. Jude found the gray beard, which made the costume complete.

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I'll try to get pictures of the other brothers' costumes tonight.

Safe trick or treating!

Br. Paul, OP~

Happy Feast of St. Simon the Zealot and St. Jude Thaddeus, Apostles

Today the Church celebrates two of her holy apostles, St. Simon the Zealot, and St. Jude Thaddeus. Relatively little is known about either of these two holy men, except that they were named apostles by Jesus, and that they later were martyred for their faith in Jesus. (To the left is a depiction of St. Simon.)
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The Dominicans have a special love of St. Jude, and many of the provinces of the U.S. have shrines to St. Jude. The Central Province of St. Albert the Great, for example, has a shrine to St. Jude housed in the parish church of St. Pius V on Ashland Ave in Chicago. To learn more, visit: http://www.shrineofsaintjude.com/.
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May the Lord grant many miracles through the intercession of these two great witnesses to Christ.
Br. Paul, OP~

A Reading from Karl Rahner, SJ

For homework I was reading Karl Rahner's essay "On the Theology of the Incarnation". I found the following words inspiring:
"Mystery on the contrary is the impenetrable which is already present and does not need to be fetched: it is not a second element unmastered only provisionally. It is the indomitable dominant horizon of all understanding, that which makes it possible to understand other things by the fact that it is silently there as the incomprehensible. Mystery is therefore not something provisional which is one day to be done away with or which could in fact be non-mysterious. It is the propriety which always and necessarily characterizes God--and through him, us--so much so, that the immediate vision of God which is promised to us as our fulfilment, is the immediacy of the incomprehensible. It is precisely the removal of the illusion that our lack of total comprehension is only provisional. For in this vision we shall see by God himself and not merely by the infinite poverty of our transcendence that he is incomprehensible. But the vision of the mystery in itself, accepted in love, is the bliss of the creature and really makes what is known as mystery the burning bush of the eternally unquenchable flame of love."

Novena to St. Martin de Porres

In preparation for the great Feast of St. Martin de Porres, Dominican cooperator brother, I will be praying the following novena prayer (which I found online). I invite everyone to pray along. The novena runs from today (Oct. 26th) through to the feast on November 3rd. Please email me if you have any special intentions you would like me to include in my novena.
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The prayer is:
Saint Martin de Porres, your concern and charity embraced not only your needy brethren, but also the animals of the field. You are a splendid example of charity; we thank and praise you. From above, hear the requests of your needy brothers. (Mention your request here...) By modeling our lives after yours, and imitating your virtues, may we live content knowing that God has looked favorably upon us. Because this is so, we can accept our burdens with strength and courage in order to follow in the footsteps of our Lord and the Blessed Mother. May we reach the Kingdom of Heaven through the intercession of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
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Peace,
Br. Paul, OP~

Come and See Weekend

Well, St. Dominic's Priory will return to its normal routine tonight. This weekend we had the pleasure of hosting 13 young men from around the U.S. for our "Come and See" weekend. Many were from Chicago, one from Ohio, another from Indiana, and even one from Alabama. Another was originally from Africa, and still another from the Philippines.

The main objective of the "Come and See" is to give the visitors a taste of Dominican life. A few of the guys had actually never met a Dominican before, but found us through the Internet. I don't find this so strange, considering I, myself, found the Order of Preachers that way. Accordingly, we have break-out sessions on Dominican History, the four pillars of Dominican life, the cooperator brotherhood, and the vowed life.

As a brother now, on the other side of the "Come and See" weekend, I can see that most of the weekend is socializing. When you enter a religious order, you're not just joining an abstract mission, you're joining a family. As such, it's necessary to discern if the people in the particular order are the right fit. Of course, we friars are also discerning if any of the visitors are a right fit for us.

We certainly took the opportunity to feast. Br. Nicholas, my classmate, prepared pizzas, "pot-stickers", and lettuce wraps for our social last night. The only draw back to such fun is the clean up duty afterwards--but even that, when you have Br. John Paul helping you, is a riot. This brotherhood is what I think Dominican friars of the Central Province has going for them. We clearly are passionate about the Church's mission to preach the Gospel for the good of souls, but we're also about being communities of true brothers---men who know each other, who can laugh with/at each other, and who can pray with/for each other. Hopefully, the Holy Spirit will bless us with many vocations in the years ahead.

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By the way, the novena to St. Martin de Porres begins today in preparation for his feast on Nov. 3rd.

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Peace,

Br. Paul, OP~

Emma the Musical

I am an enthusiastic person, I believe, especially when I experience things that bring me true joy. I had one of those experiences recently, when I went with two others to see and hear Jane Austen's Emma adapted for the stage. I cannot express how pleased I was by the adaptation and the various musical numbers. I must confess that of all Austen's heroines, Emma Woodhouse was not one of my favorites. That was the past. I now consider her absolutely delightful. The thing I love about Austen's heroines is how we get to see women at their most honest levels. Also, her heroines aren't these bizarre caricature of human nature, but people you can imagine knowing, or being.

A good contrast would be Oscar Wilde's Dorian Gray or Murial Spark's Jean Brodie (two characters I've been introduced to lately). There's something unnatural or peculiar about both of these characters that, while interesting to read about, you don't learn really about yourself or humans in general with them, because they're such unusual cases. With characters like Emma or Mr. Knightly, you get regular people who are likable despite their weaknesses, and ultimately loveable.

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The actress who played Emma, Lianne Marie Dobbs (pictured above) was superb. She portrayed Emma's charming ego-centrism perfectly--but also her good heart and intelligence. Dani Marcus, who played Harriet Smith (Emma friend), was equally good, and often stole the scenes that she was in with her humor.

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Anyway, I highly recommend this musical to all fans of Jane Austen and musicals, (not to mention great stories). Go to www.repstl.org (which is where I borrowed the pictures from) for more information on this and other plays now playing at the Repertory Theatre, St. Louis.

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Peace,

Br. Paul, OP~

My Examination of Conscience

The other day I had my first meeting ever with a spiritual director. One of the ideas that I presented was doing an "Examination of Conscience." I noticed that last year, when I did an examination of conscience every day I tended to do a better job at keeping up with penance, and with being "other-oriented." I suppose this is because the examination kept these concepts/goals on my mind. My spiritual director said that I should try and go back to doing the examination at least once a day to see if the same benefits happened again. Below is my version of the examination of conscience:
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1) How have I been in or out of communion with God today? Prayer, Reflection, Contemplation, Scripture, Art, Interaction with others, Silence

2) What have I said or done to be of help to others? Have I complimented/encouraged others? Have I noticed a need and responded? If not, what’s keeping me from recognizing need?

3) What have I gone without this week that I normally would enjoy? What have been my penances? What have been my indulgences?

4) How well have I prepared for the sacraments and liturgy? How focused was I during sacred events?

5) Have others given me compliments/criticisms? How did I respond?

6) What have been my successes and failings?

7) How have I preached the Gospel recently?

8) Have I prayed for others?

9) What have been my primary/dominant thoughts? Are they negative or positive? About me or someone else?

10) If Jesus were to return today, would I be found waiting for him?
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Hope this is helpful,
Br. Paul, OP~

Glorious in His Saints

I was just reminded of some very good news. This month the Vatican is very busy with beatifications and canonizations. Just yesterday (Oct. 19th) the parents of the Little Flower (St. Therese) were beatified. Above is a picture of Blessed Marie-Azélie Guérin Martin (Zelie Martin), and to the left is Blessed Louis Martin. This is a happy time for all who love the Little Flower.

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Earlier this month, on the 12th, there were four new saints proclaimed. St. María Bernarda Bütler, St. Gaetano Errico, St. Alphonsa Muttathupadathu (first native of India to be canonized), and St. Narcisa de Jesús Martillo Morán. St. Narcisa was associated with the Dominicans, so we're especially glad to celebrate her canonization.

Thanks be to God for all the saints!

The First Book Club Meeting

"Don't Harry.

The soul is a terrible reality.

It can be bought, and sold, and bartered away.

It can be poisoned, or made perfect.

There is a soul in each one of us.

I know it."

~The Picture of Dorian Gray, Chapter 19

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Today was the first meeting of the book club. We don't really have a title just yet. Perhaps we should call ourselves the St. Luke Book Club, since today is the Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist.

As foreshadowed yesterday, the eight of us met at the London Tea Room in downtown St. Louis. At first, we were afraid we were going to have to go somewhere else. The LTR was hopping with business, and quite a few of the tables were taken or reserved. Our server came to our rescue, and combined two tables, with just enough room for eight.
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Tea had to be procured, so we gave our orders to the tea keepers. Br. John-Paul and I shared a pot of Lavender Earl Gray. Several of us ordered the Irish currant cake (which had a subtle flavor), as well as, various types of sandwiches.

Then the discussion began. We opened with a theory, which we knew was not supported by the text, but which captured our imaginations. What if the portrait never really changed at all? What if the metamorphosis was all in Dorian Gray's head? Soon, however, we moved on to discuss major themes of the novel, including: homoeroticism, duplicity, the treatment of women, interior/exterior conscience, and the fall of both "good" and "wicked" characters. A question that stood out was: Did Oscar Wilde mean to present this novel as a social commentary, or did he want the public to read it with moral glasses off? The question of how an author wants his/her audience to read a novel is an important one for literary criticism, as is the question of did he/she succeed in communicating his/her vision? In the end, the author has only so much influence over the reader's response. With publication, the novel gains a life and authority of its own.
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At the end of the meeting, we began to ponder which novel to read next. Chesterton's A Man Called Thursday, Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway, O'Connor's Wise Blood, and Spark's The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie were the main contenders. The majority voted for Muriel Spark's The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. The next book club meeting isn't until December, so there's plenty of time to meet Miss Jean, and find out what she's all about.
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Until later,
Br. Paul, OP~

Midterm #1

Well, wish me luck. Today I dedicate to my Theology of the Human Person midterm. I have twelve hours to complete it and 5-7 pages to complete it in.
It's that time of year again.
P~

A Reading from Aristotle

From the Nicomachean Ethics II.9: "That moral virtue is a mean, then, and in what sense it is so, and that it is a mean between two vices, the one involving excess, the other deficiency, and that it is such because its character is to aim at what is intermediate in passions and in actions, has been sufficiently stated. Hence also it is no easy task to be good. For in everything it is no easy task to find the middle, e.g. to find the middle of a circle is not for every one but for him who knows; so, too, any one can get angry--that is easy--or give or spend money; but to do this to the right person, to the right extent, at the right time, with the right motive, and in the right way, that is not for every one, nor is it easy; wherefore goodness is both rare and laudable and noble."
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I was reading this for homework, and thought it (and the whole of chapter 8, which is on virtues), was terrific. Of course, St. Thomas Aquinas was able to make us of much of Aristotle's wisdom on this subject.
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Hope everyone is well,
Br. Paul, OP~

Andy's Ordination

Today was a great day of celebration. Br. Andrew McAlpin, OP was ordained to the deaconate at Fenwick High School, Oak Park, IL. The gymnasium of Fenwick High was packed with the student body, Dominican priests and brothers, and Andy's friends and family. The ceremony itself was quite simple, consisting of a brief examination of worthiness, the litany of the saints, the ordination rite (laying on of hands), the sign of peace, and the rest of mass.
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At least, it should have been that simple. During the singing of the Litany of the Saints (one of my favorite liturgical goodies), the fire alarm went off. We had to evacuate the building, and stand outside for a good ten to fifteen minutes, before we returned indoors to complete the rite of ordination. Once we were all back in place, the bishop said, "They say the Holy Spirit comes in fire," to which we all clapped and laughed.
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Andy currently works at Fenwick High, teaching 11th grade morality. He also coaches football. Perhaps this is why the kids gave him a standing ovation when he was presented as worthy for ordination. He will be ordained a priest next Spring here in St. Louis.
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One of the highlights of the trip, other than seeing Andy be ordained, was getting to see some of the kids that I taught in summer school. The ones I spoke with seemed happy to see me, and to be doing well. They were eager to show that they remembered what I had taught them. It's very cool to have a positive impact on kids' lives.
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All for now,
Br. Paul, OP~

Ordination and Happy Feast of St. Louis Bertrand, OP

Today, many of the brothers here in St. Louis will be travelling to Chicago for the ordination of our brother Andy McAlpin. Andy will be ordained a deacon tomorrow at Fenwick High School, where he works. Next semester, he'll be ordained a priest. This is, of course, a moment of joy for the Province of St. Albert the Great. Please pray for Br. Andy. I'm taking my camera, so hopefully I'll get some great pictures to share with you.

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Happy Feast of St. Louis Bertrand, as well, a great Dominican priest and missionary, and patron saint of novice masters. An interesting thing about St. Louis Bertrand is that he was given the gift of tongues. Now, being raised a Pentecostal, I automatically think of "speaking in tongues", but the gift of tongues often refers to when a saint is given the ability to speak and understand another language. This happened to St. Louis Bertrand---when he came to the Americas, he was miraculously able to speak and understand some of the native languages of the people he ministered to. This interpretation, of course, is in line with St. Luke's account of Pentecost, where he describes the foreigners of Jerusalem being surprised that a group of Jewish peasants could speak their languages. By the way, St. Dominic was given this same gift. He and another brother were on the road and came upon a group of German-speaking travellers. St. Dominic prayed that he would be able to speak about God with them, and sure enough, he and the other brother were miraculously able to speak and understand German.

The Holy Spirit is able to do all things, let us put our trust in him.

Peace,

Br. Paul, OP~

Come and See Discernment Weekend

It's that time of year again! On Oct. 24th-26th the Central Province of St. Albert the Great is hosting a Come and See weekend. The Come and See is a great way for someone considering religious life to get a taste of what a particular order is all about. During ours, we have talks about the four pillars of Dominican life (study, prayer, community, and ministry), cooperator brotherhood and priesthood, Dominican spirituality and history, etc. The attendees get to experience our style of chanting the Divine Office, and our fraternity. If you or someone you know (male, between the ages of 18-40) are interested, email me, and I'll see what I can do.
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A Reading from Meister Eckhart, OP:
"The reason why a person's essence and ground, which lends goodness to their works, is wholly good is that their mind is wholly turned to God. Make every effort then to let God be great and to ensure that all your good intentions and endeavours are directed to him in all that you do and in all that you refrain from doing. Truly, the more you do this, the better your works will be, whatever they are. If you hold to God, then he will give you goodness. If you seek God, then you will find both God and all goodness. Indeed, if you trod on a stone while in this state of mind, it would be a more godly act than if you were to receive the body of our lord while being concerned only for yourself and having a less detached attitude of mind. Whoever holds to God, holds to both God and all virtue. And what was previously the object of your seeking, now seeks you; what you hunted, now hunts you, what you fled, now flees you. This is so because the things of God cling to those people who cling to God, and all those things flees them, which are unlike God and are alien to him."
Peace,
Br. Paul, OP

Our Lady of the Rosary

Happy Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. Today is a special feast for Dominicans, because we're under the special patronage of Mary, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary. Indeed, the Dominicans played an important role in promoting the rosary, and so we see it as having a special place in our spirituality.
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The rosary has a special meaning for me, as well, as I received a miracle through the rosary. I was 16 years old, and still a Protestant, at the time. I had come across EWTN and a few books, and came to hear about this thing called a rosary. I learned the basic premise of the practice, and wanted to try it for myself. So, I went down to the Cathedral bookshop and bought a rosary and a "how-to" booklet, and went home.
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I knew that the rosary was supposed to be a special source of miracles and graces, so I didn't want to just pray it without an intention. It didn't take me long to figure out what I wanted to pray about. Since I was four years old, my father and mother had been separated. I hadn't heard from my father since then. Putting my trust in God, therefore, I offered the then three sets of mysteries for my father, and asked Our Lady to pray that he would contact me.
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The first day, I prayed the Joyful mysteries. The next day the Sorrowful mysteries. And finally, on the third day, I prayed the Glorious mysteries. Sure enough, on that third day, who should call our house, but my father?! My older brother had seen him around town, and had given him the number. Coincidence? I don't think so. Ever since then, I've respected the power of the rosary, and Our Lady's desire to be of help to all of God's children.
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Another reason why today's feast is special to me, is that it's my three year anniversary. In 2005, on this day, I was single, living in my own apartment, with a full-time job at the public library. I had everything, it seemed, that I needed, except the one thing I knew I really wanted---a life fully consecrated to God. Thus, on Oct. 7th, 2005, I dedicated myself to my vocation. Basically, I told God that I was finally ready to answer the call to follow him, all I needed was help with discovering which religious order I should join. Sure enough, the Holy Spirit reminded me of Rose Hawthorne, a holy Dominican who dedicated herself to caring for the poor with cancer. I looked up the Dominicans on the internet, contacted the vocation director, went and visited a few of their houses, and here I am, beginning my third year as a Dominican friar.
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Speaking of vocations: This is a reminder that the Central Province of St. Albert the Great is having its vocation discernment weekend at the end of this month (Oct 24-26) here in St. Louis. If anyone men between the ages of 18-40 are interested in attending, please contact me.
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Peace,
Br. Paul, OP~

Great Times in the Windy City

I had a wonderful time this weekend, attending for the first time the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Jane Austen Society of North America. This year, the AGM was held in Chicago. As you can see from the photos, a few of the ladies wore Regency inspired gowns. I particularly liked the one above.

Whilst I was at the AGM, I attended talks such as: "An Austen Legacy: The Henry and Alberta Hirshheimer Burke Collection at Goucher College," "Jane of Green Gables: L.M. Montgomery's Reworking of Austen's Legacy," "Exhibiting the Learning: Austen on Display," "Mrs. Gaskell's North and South: Austen's Early Legacy," and "Emma Woodhouse and Harry Potter: The Influence of Austen on J.K. Rowling."

I found the sessions on Anne of Green Gables and North and South the most interesting, as there were straightforward, literary studies on Jane Austen's influence on other writers. I did not enjoy the Harry Potter talk as much, however, as I didn't buy the presenter's argument.
In the picture above is Joan Ray, author of Jane Austen for Dummies. She is the former president of the JASNA. I must say, her presentation stole the show. She was funny, insightful, and just as charming and personable as I'm sure Blessed Jane was herself.

To the right is a picture of one of Joan's slides. It's the little Operation game board, but instead of the expected man, it has the likeness of Jane. This was very funny.
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The demographics of the group were very interesting. I was, by far, the youngest male at the conference. I think there were probably not more than 20 males all together. The dominant group was probably women in their 40s and above. I met people from all over the country, including some very kind folks from my home state of Kentucky, and my new home city of St. Louis, MO. ---What's interesting about meeting people is, on the first day of the conference, I wore a typical white shirt and khaki pants, and nobody spoke to me. The second day, I wore my habit, and many people came up to me and began conversations. Thanks be to God, I was afraid I wouldn't make any contacts. Actually, I had a lovely conversation with one of the women who works at Jane Austen's house in Chawton, England.

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Well, I am seriously backed up on my homework, so I should go. I'll leave you with this quote from Kipling:

"Jane lies in Winchester,

Blessed be her shade,

Bless the Lord for making her,

and all she made;

and while the stones of Winchester,

or Milson Street remain,

Glory, laud, and honor unto England's Jane."

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Br. Paul, OP~

P.S. If you're a Jane enthusiast, check out Laurel Ann's blog: http://janitesonthejames.blogspot.com/

The Jane Austen Conference

Dear Readers:

I'll be on the road today, travelling by Megabus to Chicago to attend the Jane Austen Conference there. It's the highlight of the year for members of the Jane Austen Society of North America. It's my first time attending, so I'm very excited. I hope I learn a lot, and meet some new people. I'm taking my camera, so I'm also hoping to have some good stories for you when I get back.

Until then,
P~
Happy Feast of the Guardian Angels.
Tomorrow is the memorial of St. Theodore Guerin, so was a holy missionary to the United States from France. She founded St. Mary of the Woods in Indiana.