MONDAY DIARY: ALMOST EXCRUSIATINGLY TRUE STORIES: HAVING THE IDEAL TIME TO READ

Sorry to have taken another week off of blogging. We were on our diocesan priestly convocation; a three day event that all diocesan priests are supposed to attend to catch up on the goings on of the diocese, hear what is on the bishop's mind, attend workshops, and build camaraderie.

 

I usually room with my best priest friend at these things but we developed a bit of a sound level problem.

Which usually lead to week of us looking like this:

Anyway, I was able to snag a room for myself, which being an introvert/recluse was a glorious self indulgence.  Knowing that I would have a few hours to myself every day I brought along a suitcase (sad but true) of books and papers I wanted to read but never had the time to do.  Here there would be distractions!  Here there was nothing else pressing!  Here was the ideal opportunity!

Here is where God said, "It's time for you to catch up on sleep."  Save for my Chesterton reading, the suitcase came back as unread as it left.

Of course, the card games going on until midnight didn't help.

The best part of the week is getting together with all my brother priests of the diocese.  We are a diverse lot to say the least.  It just goes to prove that there is a priest for everybody and somehow we still muddle along.  It is like Fr. Benedict Groschel once said about the Catholic Church being the one true Church.  "It has to be," he said, "for if it were not, we would have destroyed it a long time ago."

 

Still, it was nice getting back to the ranch in West Akron.  An early frost killed off what was left of the cutting garden and so the house was treated to some bouquets from the volunteers that came to prep the garden for winter.