Week 2

So many people have been asking for an update and now I'm able to give more of an idea of what our daily life is like as a postulant in St. Louis:

6am- wake up, shower, get coffee (if needed, as we know it is for me ;)
7am- Silent Gospel Meditation (we do Lectio Divina- a common Scripture practice- the night before so we take from our Lectio meditation and take it to Jesus in prayer the next day)
7:30am- Morning Prayer with the community
8:00am- Mass
8:45- breakfast, clean up, cleaning
10am- Class
11am- Holy Hour or Study Time (depending on day)
12pm- Lunch
12:30-3pm- Free time, study time, prayer time, or work in Book Center (depending on day)
3pm- Class
4pm- more free/study time, Prepare Dinner (if it is your night, which it was for me Wed! but that's another blog in itself...)
6pm- Evening Prayer with Community
6:30- Dinner
7pm- Clean up, Dishes, Water plants, garden
7:45pm- Recreation Time with postulants
8:30pm- Lectio Divina with community/postulants
9pm- done for day
10pm- bed

So as you can see, lots of free time so far! That may change as we get in the Book Center more or as we get more homework for our classes!

There have also been days we have done outings. Usually Sunday is our day for community outings. Last Sunday, we went to a local "farm" which is more like a zoo. It was a beautiful day and was really strange because this zoo is in the middle of the suburbs! An elephant in the middle of a neighborhood! Seriously! But it was a really nice farm- "Grant's Farm". If any of you come to visit, we'll have to make a trip!

We also went to a special Mass with the Archbishop for the Feast of St. Louis last weekend. The "new" cathedral I'd seen before when I visited Janet, but it's a beautiful cathedral. Reminds me lots of the Shrine at CUA. And it was good to see many from the community of St. Louis who we will serve!

This past Thursday, our confessor and also the director of formation at the diocesan seminary, took us on a tour of the new and old seminaries here that the diocese uses. Again, it was nice to meet some of the priests we will work with. Some will eventually come and teach classes for us. Right now we just take class with Sr. Carmen to learn more about our community life and founder. Eventually we'll take more theology and catechism.

I was particularly struck with the old seminary which they don't use anymore, sadly, but is open to come look at. It has beautiful stained glass windows that depict on the right side- Old Testament prefigurements of the priesthood (the Passover, Melchezidek (sp?), Moses, etc.) and New Testament images on the left (Last Supper, Baptism in the Jordan...)

This diocese is all gearing up for the return of the 1962 Mass, however. Not sure how I'm feeling about it, yet, but this old chapel with the stained glass also had 12 side altars from when they used to say the old rite, each depicting one of the 12 apostles, which I thought was cool.

At the new seminary, Fr. showed us a chapel where the students will begin to learn the Latin Mass. And one of the seminarians came into our Book Center yesterday, actually, to look for the new Sacramentary (we don't carry it yet ;) I know I'm not quite ready for this return....

But Jesus can work through anything! And that is what I am learning most of all. To be patient and docile to HIS Will and Spirit. For He knows ALL and loves us very much :)

Thanks for reading and for your prayers!

Peace,
Julia