At Thirty-Five

Lectio Divina

You turn man back to dust,
saying, "Return, O children of men."
For a thousand years in your sight
are as yesterday, now that it is past,
or as a watch of the night.

Psalm 90:3-4

Library

In addition to the aforementioned reading, catching up on recently arrived Catholic periodicals. Looking forward to reading a keepsake edition from National Catholic Reporter on the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council.

Log

At 12:04 a.m. Eastern Time this morning, I turned thirty-five years old. This is the second birthday I will be celebrating in the company of the Capuchins. Thank you ahead of time for your gift of prayers.

This morning: our fraternity went to Cachuma Lake for a tour and picnic, provided for through the generosity of Old Mission Santa Ines and the vocation office for the Capuchin Province of Our Lady of Angels. Cachuma Lake was created in 1950 when citizens dammed the Santa Ynez River in order to create a constant water supply. Given the droughts of recent years, their foresight is appreciated increasingly. For two hours we cruised the lake via pontoon boat. Ranger Rosey was our able guide, describing the miraculous biodiversity of the lake. Sharp-eyed, Ranger Rosey pointed out grebes, great herons, mallards, ospreys, and pelicans long before anyone else spied them!

This afternoon, after lunch, I accompanied a novice brother and Fr. Harold Snider of Old Mission Santa Ines to the U.S. penitentiary in Lompoc to see how to get there and learn about his ministry and ours at the prison. What the novices will be doing, providing one-on-one meetings for incarcerated men who seek a listening ear, is totally new and much-needed. Our orientation and training as volunteer religious service providers is Saturday, Oct. 20, and we hope to start our work shortly after, but first Father Harold will bring us to the facilities on a Sunday to be introduced to the men in the context of worship. More on all this later.

Now, to call my kid brother. I spoke to my parents by video call earlier. Hooray!

Weather

Morning fog gave way to light clouds and bright blue skies. The air is fresh, and the wind feels great.