I don't know if it's the thirty-deuce birthday coming up or what, but for some reason, reminders of the past are cropping up all over the place. It started (after a bit of foreshadowing) when I got the welcome surprise of an email out of the blue from someone I knew in high school but hadn't heard from in a very long time. And then the parents of my godchild ran into another friend of mine at a wedding, and that friendship goes all the way back to 6th grade! So it already seemed like the past was being made a bit more palpable than usual, in that good way that rediscovery of old friends always makes what was old new again.
So it just seemed to fit with the theme that I would happen across this blog entry. For those who don't know why this might be curious, Lake Charles is my hometown, where my parents live and where my sister got married a couple of months ago. Dallas, of course, was my last place of residence. In fact, I received the Sacrament of Confirmation almost exactly 5 years ago at St. Thomas Aquinas (hmm, maybe that explains why I've been obsessed with metaphysics ever since...). To have an occasion of joy like the reception of a new shepherd for the Diocese in not one but two places dear to me "gladdened my heart" (in King James parlance).
I'm not sure if there is any message here, but I am thankful for God's little reminders of people and places that helped me to become who I am today. These experiences didn't make me wistful or nostalgic for something missing, as encounters from the past are liable to do. Instead, they made me feel a little more whole.
3 comments:
Jonathan:
Please don't tell me you think your life is coming to full circle?
Also, about your obsession with Metaphysics, with insights like yours, it's not that we (at least, speaking for myself) need less of that from you; on the contary, more would be appreciated!
You've implied at one time or another that you merely operate on basic principles (e.g., Councilliar teachings, Thomas Aquinas).
That's just it -- your comments on such matters may seem simple in nature based on the basic underlying premise; but it is how you've expressed them that I find quite insightful and fascinating!
More, please!
By the way, might I ask, what books do you consider as 'good reads' on the topic of Catholic Theology as well as on subjects pertaining to Metaphysics and Philosophy?
Thanks,
e.
Hi Jonathan,
I've enjoyed reading the reflections and relevant blogs. Here's my own experience with the new bishop of Lake Charles:
Last Wednesday he visited the school where I teach. I knew he'd be around, but I didn't think he'd come to my classroom.
In the middle of a class with several of my more boisterous students, one student announced that the bishop-elect (as he was then) was in the hallway outside our room.
Sure enough, he peered through window pane in the door and smiled. Mercifully he didn't come in. (This class is unruly at times.)
The students knew he was in the hallway, and so that awareness, combined with concern that he'd join us, had the effect of settling them into good behavior (for a minute or two, that is)!
Best regards,
Julie
And now we've all gotten to hear from the one who kindly thought to reach out to me after more than a decade. Thanks, Julie! :-)
It is probably for the best that the bishop-elect did not make it into the classroom, as then your students would have had to wrestle with the dueling impulses of fear of authority and the opportunity to embarrass you in singular fashion. At that maturity level, it's hard to say which one would have prevailed. On the other hand, it would have been a great opportunity to work on your "if you step out of line by one inch, I swear I will kill you with my bare hands" stare that all teachers need to have for field trips, etc.
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