Triduum

Howdy! The novices leave this evening for our Christmas Triduum which will end on Thursday. SO, until that time, there'll be no posts nor any way for me to answer phone or email messages. It is with great eagerness that I have been awaiting this retreat and I feel that I need it quite badly both to put some time into my prayer and to spend some time reading and sleeping.

When we began the semester, I made it my personal goal to be able to bench press 135lbs four times. Being sick for many weeks, coupled with other stresses, I really struggled to achieve this goal. Even on Friday I could get 135lbs up twice, but had a heck of a time getting beyond that. Well, today I managed to get all four - not just one set of four, but TWO. Then I struggled to get 155lbs twice...which didn't go quite as well but I did manage to do it with help.

I mention this as I go away for Triduum because it seems to me that this is an apt image for many of our spiritual lives. We put in the time and effort, despite the chaos of our lives, and so often it seems that nothing happens. It seems that our effort and energy is wasted and that we've nothing to show for all our trying. Yet changes do happen and we do get stronger...even though it takes a long time for us to see it!

So that's that. It's time now to pack my comfy clothes and the other Chronicles of Narnia that I want to read. I wish all of you a very merry and blessed Christmas and, in case I don't get to post before then, a very happy new year.