I have received so many good wishes from people in person, over the phone, and over facebook.  I am so thankful for all of the people in my life who have taken the time to wish me well on another successful 25th year of life.

I tend to be a reflective person during times like these, and I can’t help but really appreciate all that has happened these past 365 days.  My coworker BD even commented this week that I have “come a long way” since this time last year.  Boy, is she right.  Things tend to work themselves out over the course of time and over my last (gasp!) 34 years of life I have never really followed a direct route on the journey of life.  College, the seminary, law enforcement, back to education, back to religious life…everything certainly has a reason for happening….cliche time!  I suppose my life has never followed any logical progression and I am so happy that is the case – I would most definitely not have the perspective I hold today had I not traversed an alternative path.

Relationships gained and lost.  Jobs begun and homes bought and sold.  I would not undo it for the world, pain included.  I have so much to be thankful for on my birthday.  This morning, LC woke me with the tune of “Happy Birthday” and presented me with a slew of gifts.  Later today I am going to the Kennedy Center to see him perform in his first concert of the year.  Afterward we have dinner reservations a La Perla in Georgetown.  It is going to be a nice day complete with awesome weather!  Tomorrow, he and I are both taking off from work and he is treating me to a spa treatment with an 80 minute massage to start.  Let the pampering begin!

Today I am very thankful for the gift of life and all the blessings it has brought me.

So, a day of surprises…let’s see how it goes!  I am so excited!

Just to think what one phone call could bring – and end.

Wednesday is LC’s birthday and Sunday is mine.  I have purchased some things for him already, other things still being worked out but we are going to the spa on Monday (I am taking off!) and we are both getting massages…his idea!  Afterwards, I am planning something special but because he is an avid reader of this blog I will save specifics for a recap entry the next day!

Until then I need to keep planning and thinking to the future.

I remember growing up and stores magically transformed overnight for the day after Thanksgiving – Christmas wonderlands popping up all over the place where just a few hours prior turkeys and gourds were abundant.  Now all I see is a blurred transition between and in a few cases co-celebration of Halloween and Thanksgiving.  Christmas somehow got pushed into the mix and what took place this year was a HalloGivingMas celebration where Santa is wearing a pilgrim’s outfit and dropping pumpkins down people’s chimneys.  How special is that!

Well, the good thing is that I got great bargains at Pottery Barn!  A silver lining during this most festive of times…

I was a Conventual Franciscan for 12 years and loved every minute of it.  I met many interesting people and had an opportunity to work all over the world.  I was challenged as well as extremely blessed with opportunity that arose from those challenges.  I remember my vocational journey as if it was yesterday and as I look at a reformed Franciscan community now and see the hopes and possibilities that exist with the great group of guys I am currently in communication with – I see the future of Franciscan life in the 21st century!

To all of my fellow Franciscans, I wish you a happy feast day.  Tomorrow, October 4, 2009, on the Feast of Saint Francis, I will be ordained to the Catholic Priesthood, surrounded by my family and friends.  There is no fuller way to experience the wonders of the Franciscan movement than to be made a servant at His altar.

Pax et Bonum!  Peace and All Good!

First, it has been a while since I taught 5 classes through the day in addition to doing the principal-ish things I have to do during the day.  When I was a principal in NY, I taught 1 class a day which was a Middle School Spanish class and that was sometimes tough with the unscheduled events that fill a principal’s day.  But this P.E. time was refreshing in that I had a wonderful time with the students.

We began each class with a jog from the school, around the block, and to the recreation center we use for P.E. and recess activities.  A few calisthenics and each class was ready to play.  Younger students were treated to a series of relay races (get tired! get tired! get tired!) and the older students absolutely LOVED kickball.  Yes, a good old fashioned game of kickball.

We jogged back after class and went back into the school for the rest of the day.  It was a success…and I was able to get some administrative work done, including lunch supervision, through the day.  I was exhausted at the end of the day, but feeling as if I got two major things accomplished:  allowing my teachers to have a planning period, and getting a workout in during the day so I did not have to go to the gym after work!

Yesterday I had an opportunity to visit with a community in New Jersey to witness and participate in the celebration of three new deacons added to the Catholic Church. It was a lovely opportunity (I’ve been using the word ‘lovely’ quite often recently…don’t know why) to see a friend, MRB, who I last saw as I was on staff at The Catholic University of America here in DC back in 2001. MRB is a transitional deacon to be ordained to the priesthood some time in December. He currently serves as Chancellor of his diocese, a pretty big position if you ask me! I was also able to meet up with a few bishops with whom I have only spoken on the phone – that was fun! This weekend offered me an opportunity to network and even meet some local Baltimore clergy who came down for the celebration. It was fun!

Making the drive back yesterday, I thought of my own pending ordination to the Catholic Priesthood next Sunday, October 4th, on the Feast of Saint Francis. My family is driving down for that and we will have many clergy coming in from around the country to celebrate…but over 11 years as a Franciscan Friar makes this date even more special. As I look to another Franciscan community that is more inclusive and will soon hopefully be admitted to full membership, I now turn back once again to my Franciscan roots as a source of strength and identity. This week will be one of preparations and prayer as I move closer to ordinations – something I thought was once impossible having left the Roman church in 2004. A short time after that I found the Independent Catholic Movement, a community of hundreds of thousands of people around the world who are Catholic but look to the church as an inclusive and welcoming community, free of restrictions on those who wish to participate and join in membership. We are not a restrictive community, but one that embraces. As I look to the local American Catholics for support in ministry and service to others, I will look to the future of the Church as it is now unfolding. A future of hope and optimism, free of barriers to love and free of institutional discrimination.

But, first, I have to move the couch.

Illness has been going around school since the first day, mostly colds and sniffles, but now more serious illnesses like strep throat and high fevers shared by both student and staff. I left school Wednesday evening with a sore throat and tried to attribute it to all of the talking I did that day – well, no such luck. This morning I tried to just relax but yard work was needed to be done after all of the rain we had over the last week that I just could not stay in bed all day as I would have liked. Rather, as LC was kind enough to take the jeep and do grocery shopping for our weekly meals, I was pushing the lawn mower and pulling up tiny weeds between the beautiful flowers he and I planted a while back. Next week we are going mum crazy and planting very colorful mum in the front and sides of the house. I most definitely will take photos of that!

But, right now, I cannot sleep with a stuffy nose and now sit in the office with a glass of pomegranate juice next to me and a keyboard in front. Sunday will be my day of rest…

The month of August, as quickly as it passed, ushers in a new school year and last week was our first week of school, complete with the extended day.  I do have to say that the additional hour attached at the end of the day has been kicking everyone in the tail – it just is a long day, plain and simple.  Sure, I can sugarcoat it by saying that we now have more time on task with the students, but it doesn’t materialize that way.  Lunch gets longer, other non-instructional activities are introduced to the school day, I am even tempted to state that there is less time on task with an extended day than we had last year with one hour less.  Time will tell, but the early reports from the polls are in!

Sitting here at home, in my pajamas on a cold and rainy morning, the coffee cup ever full and steaming on my left – this is a great day!  Yesterday LC and I biked a total of 39 miles from the condo to Mount Vernon.  Essentially, I am extremely sore and can barely walk.  So sitting is doing me just fine right now.  I can’t complain, I do have the best mate who fills my coffee cup if needed and has been very gracious in helping….err, enabling me…this morning.  I should be ready for school tomorrow if only a bit sore.  Luckily we biked yesterday and had perfect weather.  The bike trip was originally scheduled for today and we would have been rained out.  The luck of the gods has been on our side!

So I will continue to sit here in the office as LC reviews a case for work.  The tippity-tap of our computers will be the background music of the day, I suppose, as my body heals.  Not bad for a day off!  And, yes, I’m back!

I have been involved more and more with the American Catholic Church and am quite excited about the possibilities that exist in working with them.  They are a group of committed Catholic priests who embody the “worker priest” model that was quite popular in Europe and lead communities of people and hold ministries at hospitals, nursing homes, and military chaplaincies.  The good news is that the communities are thriving and growing week by week throughout the country.  The challenging news is that often these communities do not have enough ministers to effectively meet the needs of the people.  National statistic, I know…but maybe one I can help address by my return to ministry.

The beauty of the ‘worker priest’ movement is that I would not have to leave what some consider my secular job.  Sacramental ministry would be done in accordance with my work ‘in the world’ which is currently school administration.  There is a great need here in the DC/Maryland region and, sadly, no one to lead it.  I may be that person.  Listening to this chant is a reminder to me of the beauty of simplicity.  No musical interludes or background tracks, simple expression of voice coming from the heart.  Sometimes done alone, other times in unison with others, chant is a centering and meditative form of prayer and worship that dates back to as early as the 11th century.  Ten centuries later the beauty is still rich and inspiring no matter how young the listener.

More on the worker priest movement later…