Misa en Espanol

Lectio Divina

Fortaleced las manos débiles ...

Isaias 35:3

Library

Continuing Mumford, The City in History, albeit fitfully. Life is getting in the way of my little library.

Log

On Saturday, the novices attended a bilingual Mass, Spanish-English, to celebrate the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and the 225th anniversary of the founding of La Purisima Mission in Lompoc. Yesterday, I worshipped in Spanish with the people of La Purisima Concepcion Parish, again in Lompoc. This morning, our fraternity celebrated its second Mass in Spanish for the year, reflecting on Saint Juan Diego, to whom the apparition of Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe, came in 1531 in Mexico. The privilege was mine to serve as lector at this Mass, and I read from Chapter 35 of the book of Isaiah using Spanish translation a novice brother provided for me. I prepared last night by reading the New American Bible Revised Edition English text side-by-side with the Spanish. I asked the novice brother who asked me to read to help me with the pronunciation, accentuation, pace, emphasis, and so forth. And lo and behold, the Spirit of Pentecost was with your humble correspondent this morning, helping him proclaim God's word, in this instance a promise of glory and joy, in the mother tongue of our Latin American brothers.

This is the third day in a row that I have rendered the highest worship in the "language of God." If only I could worship every day in Spanish for, say, three months! How much improved would be my basic skills. More gratifying than the complements for my proclamation was the feeling within me that these words were no longer foreign words, but intimately my own. Liturgical Spanish may be, for the present, my only functional Spanish, but after this morning I am confident that this will soon no longer be the case.

Later this morning, resumed our class sessions on the Capuchin Franciscan reform, situating it in the context of the Renaissance, Reformation, and Baroque era. After lunchtime, cleaning carrots, turnips, and beets harvested recently from our garden, and raking pine needles for compost. Now, to return to my native tongue and speak to my brother Nicholas about his revised graduate school application essays. This evening, schola rehearsal unless told otherwise.

Weather

Brisk and quite cool, and perfect for gardening. Feeling comfortably warm after an afternoon outdoors.