Cantor

Lectio Divina

O God, by your name save me.

By your strength defend my cause.

Psalm 54:3

Library

Reading up on Dorothy Day intermittently. Continuing Priscilla and Aquila every other evening with the reading circle. We are going to finish the book this week, either on Tuesday or Thursday.

Log

Yesterday: In the morning, house chores. Also, a meeting of the fraternity with the nurse who cares for our senior friars in residence. She led a discussion on nutrition and healthy dietary habits. She will return in a couple of weeks to resume her presentation. It is my hope that out of these meetings our fraternity in chapter assembled will resolve as a household to modify our consumption habits and lifestyle choices where it concerns what we eat and drink. This is, of course, all in the future and subject to the give and take of deliberation and negotiation, but I believe our desire to live better and aspire to Franciscan simplicity of life will bring about positive changes.

In the afternoon, much progress on The Caperone. All but a couple of the articles are in and edited. We will make our Sept. 29 deadline.

This morning, nine o'clock Mass at San Lorenzo. My turn to be the cantor, the leader of our liturgical song, came up! With great joy I rehearsed the night before the responsory, a musical setting of Psalm 54, and the Gospel acclamation, an Alleluia chorus. After worship, our formator in charge of liturgy as well as several parishioners gave me their compliments, which I received gratefully. I had been waiting with anticipation for this opportunity to sing my prayers before the assembly at San Lorenzo. I hope that God, the Lord of the dance, was pleased with the offering.

This evening, after holy hour and dinner, I begin my week-long turn at watering the vegetable garden. There has been some drama in the garden as of late: we found a rattlesnake lurking there this week. Thankfully, two of the friars captured the snake and drove it off our property yesterday. We don't think there are any other rattlesnakes in the vicinity of our patch; nevertheless, I will be wearing denims and heavy boots when I go to the garden every evening. Pray for me that I don't encounter any deadly serpents in our little Eden!

Weather

Cool and partly cloudy. The light is stronger than the darkness.