Commitment

Lectio Divina

Looking ahead to the Sunday Gospel reading, the text we are using for our faith sharing this evening:

"Whoever divorces his wife and marries another
commits adultery against her."

Mark 10:11

Library

Reading A Church Reborn, the special issue published by the National Catholic Reporter on the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council. This issue is indeed a keepsake; I'll share it, but I'll not part with it. Most of the time I believe firmly that I was meant for these times -- I was born into my age -- but when I read a retrospective like this one in NCR, sometimes I wish I had come of age and into the full powers of mature adulthood during the 1960s.

It is nearing the time for me to take up the adventure of discipleship with the people of God anew on a radically higher level. Time for a deeper, indissoluble commitment. That's why I am here; it's why I remain with the Capuchins.

Log

Today: ministry at Catholic Charities in Santa Maria. Unpacking food deliveries, sorting clothes. The work is light, and the day went quickly, with occasional conversations on matters spiritual and secular with staff and volunteers. But I won't lie: My mind and heart are looking to the horizon and the prospect of ministry at the federal prison in Lompoc.

This evening: our commemoration of all the deceased members of the global Franciscan family (always the day after the solemnity of Saint Francis of Assisi) culminates with a procession from our chapel to the cemetery for prayer, followed by meditation.

Weather

Cooler and cloudier, with faint breezes. But the warmth of the California sun remains under my skin, deep within my bones.