Rhythm

I'm now in the middle of my second term. Life on college campus has a wonderful rhythm here,
which for me is
6 wake, prayer, breakfast
8 Counselling skills class
10 Theology of the Spiritual Exercises class
12 lunch, break, study
5   Mass , dinner study, exercise

and that's about it! In between there are wonderful conversations in the dorm rooms and hallways,and occasional walks downtown for groceries or an evening stroll. Tuesday night is a 7pm Mass for our whole class group (about 50 people this term) and Friday night is a social dinner. Weekends are free, and I usually go to the 10.30am Mass here on campus.

Some people here are getting cabin fever, feeling frustrated and/or bored of the same routine and being with the same people all the time. I like it. I think having spent years in seminary I'm quite OK with an institutional style of life. It feels to me very contained, where all my focus is on the one community of people and in the same direction. In normal life, like everyone else, we are all pulled in so many different directions. This is a bit of an oasis.

It is time to start thinking of home and preparing to hit the ground running. I usually begin preparing homilies several weeks out so it is time to begin that for the weekend I return, Aug 14th.


Comments

  1. Unknown22 July 2016 at 20:52

    Will you consider continuing the blog when you return? Perhaps reflecting back on what you learned while studying and how it has assisted daily life and life in ministry, and exploring the topics you found you wanted to know more about in greater depth.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fr Jim McKeon24 August 2016 at 04:09

      Hi Cathy, I hadn't intended to continue the blog, but my faith formation team recommended that I do. There's a new post up now. God bless

      Delete
  2. Dominic26 July 2016 at 18:14

    So you are going to set Kinkumber ablaze hey Jim. Good to hear it.
    It's funny thinking about the presidential race you would be well aware of there at the moment. One party leader is talking the popularist views and isn't disagreeable to anyone of his party. On the other hand there are 2 candidates with different views and passions, and they are setting the party ablaze with their rigorous debates etc, getting the people to really think and not just drink the cool aide. I suppose this is what we need to do, don't be down the middle, all warm like vomit. But be on fire and strong in our resolve.

    Good luck with the second half, as you sprint to the finish.

    Looking forward to seeing you soon and chatting more.
    Dom

    ReplyDelete
  3. Unknown28 July 2016 at 04:28

    Just rip out your Finding Dory sermon for the 14th. Give yourself an easy first week back sermon. Besides, Jason and I have had a bet on the direction you will take with the message. I'm eager to see who is correct!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Unknown29 July 2016 at 12:51

    After getting back from 5 weeks abroad, I am looking fwd to some routine to. I'm with you, routine and stabillity is nice. And I agree with Amanda, take it easy first week back, you'll need to. Perhaps do the Dory sermon and then we can have a movie night for everyone who hasn't seen it?

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Spiritual Exercises

Image
Any way of prayer or mediation may be considered a spiritual exercise. Just like physical exercise it helps to have a plan, a coach and some discipline. The Spiritual Exercises (notice the capitals) are a series of meditations and contemplations which 16th century St Ignatius of Loyola composed from his own prayer experience, and then taught to his followers, who became the Society of Jesus (The Jesuits). The Exercises are mostly contemplations of scenes in the gospels, where we are to use our imagination to place ourselves within the scene so as to meet Jesus intimately, allowing the gospel account to unfold as we watch, listen, feel and take part. Following the contemplation of the scene is a prayer dialogue with Jesus about whatever we experienced and learned. Woven throughout the program of gospel scenes which Ignatius chose are some specific meditations on sorrow for sin, choosing to follow Jesus, and then giving yourself wholeheartedly to Jesus. The Exercises can be don
Read more

Doing the Spiritual Exercises

Image
During my time in Omaha I studied the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius . It is one thing to study them, but another to do them.The exercises can be done as a 30 day intensive retreat, or a week by week program. Much as I would love to, there isn't a spare month I could be away from the parish again, so I am doing the 30 week version. I receive spiritual direction via Skype from my director (referred from the Jesuit retreat centre in Pymble ). Each week she sends me a list of scripture passages to meditate on and other prayer exercises, and then in an hour conversation via Skype we talk just about how I have been praying. It has been a very focused experience of prayer thus far. In other experiences of spiritual direction in the past we have talked about a broader range of issues of life, prayer and ministry, but this is just about prayer, nothing else. I am praying with passages of scripture which of course I have known, such as Jesus' declaration of bringing good news t
Read more