Wednesday, June 13, 2007

ITS ALL ABOUT MEME

Tag. You’re it. Take this 2X4 meme and run with it. It is actually a good exercise. It allows you to stop and contemplate life just a little bit. Thanks Adoro for tagging me.

Name four things that are new to you in the last four years that you either learned, experienced, or explored.

1. As far as learning things, it would be a toss up between taking more seriously and studying Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body and gaining new insights on hope. Perhaps learning about hope surprised me more. I never thought about it too much. How much can you say about hope? A lot as it turns out. A priest retreat with Fr. Benedict Groeschell CFR and Fr. Gene Fulton a couple of years ago focused on this theological virtue. I was not thrilled about the topic but went just the same knowing them to be great retreat masters and was glad that I did. I never realized what a rich field this area of our faith provides and it has in turn greatly benefited my ability to minister to others.
2. Last summer I went to the TX Ranch and took 500 head of cattle across the Montana/Wyoming boarder to their winter-feeding grounds. I have never worked so hard or lived so rustically in my life. It was a great learning experience. “Old West” history came alive for me that summer. I also now hate cows.
3. Perhaps taking Theology of the Body a bit more seriously I am trying to eat better and exercise better which meant finding a coach to help. I am sleeping better, I feel better, I have more energy, which in turn all benefits my ministry. Take care of yourselves! You are worth it! And it will make life so much more enjoyable both for you and those around you!
4. Blogging is a completely new concept to me. I accidentally discovered it coming across a sight that commented on an article of mine that was published. On the same sight was “Chastity Rome-Chick Blues.” That is how I met Dawn Eden and she introduced me to blogging and prompted me to start writing Adam’s Ale. The two greatest benefits of it has been finding out about so many of you out there striving to live the faith as best you can (which has in turn been an inspiration for me) and secondly – I watch even LESS T.V. now! Woohoo!

Name four things that you would like to do in the next four years.

1. I want to travel overseas again. Hopefully next year will find me in Australia for World Youth Day (*ahem* Habemus Papem).
2. I will be moving on from Saint Clare (if things go according to plan) in about two years, most probably (but not definitely) to be a pastor. It will be interesting to see if I will be a good father to a parish in fact as in theory.
3. I want to canoe the Colorado.
4. There are several projects resting on the back burners of my mind and I would like to complete at least one of them over the next four years.

8 comments:

Adoro said...

Hey! I'm reading Theology of the Body right now! Was just contemplating this morning how hard it is! I'm still in the beginning....does it get any easier?

And how cool that you went on a cattle drive...one of the things I'd like to do but I'm not a camper so likely never will. I can understand why you hate cows, but I sense there is more to that story.....

:-) (hint, hint)

Wow...and I wrote so little when I did the meme, not my long-winded style.

Father V., YOU inspire US!

Anonymous said...

:-)

Still water runs deep.

Anonymous said...

Will you be leaving the diocese?

Habemus Papam said...

WYD......working on it....working on it.... :)

Anonymous said...

Cool picture of you on the horse! I bet that was fun as well as hard work.
Guess I should read Theology of the Body. I sure could stand to sleep better and have more energy!!!

Anonymous said...

Good Post. Driving a herd of cattle--sounds like hard, dusty work. When our daughters were young we used to go camping--not my favorite sport, I couldn't stand to have dirty hands all the time. Hope you make it to WYD SYD 08--that would be so fun!

Fr. V said...

Thanks Adoro.

Sparky - No. I am diocesan so I'll be somewhere in our 8 counties. We do have a sister diocese in Elsalvador, but I can't stand the summers in Ohio let alone south of the boarder. I wish we had a mission somewhere cold.

Tara - dirty ahdns - dirty face - dirty clothes - it got into EVERYTHING. You would HATE it!!

Becky said...

"I also now hate cows."

hahahahahahaha
Always good to explore God's creation . . . but some of God's creatures . . . not so much!
hahahahahaha