Upon waking up, I shut off my alarm clock before it went off. That's been the routine for a few weeks now: waking up before I have to, sometimes for a half hour or more. Anyway, in the gray light, and noting that it wasn't raining, I reflected that I work in a career that is easily replaceable. If I were to quit today, there'd be someone better to take my place. It's such a contrast when the Soul cannot be replaced or repeated by another, but the body, so to speak, can.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Starting Internship
My days, already draining, are now certifiably insane.
Monday through Friday I work 8am to 2pm.
Every Monday I have class from 5 to 6 pm in a city 45 minutes away from where I work, if traffic is good.
Tuesday through Friday I have internship from 3 to at least 6pm.
On top of this I have Confirmation to teach every other Sunday; and find time for therapy, and personal down time.
***
The boss at the internship is like a little boy showing off a brand new toy; it's not a start-up, but they are branching out into doing substance abuse treatment in local high schools: El Monte, San Pedro, Lomita, &c. He's very eager to show off what he's done to get the paperwork and networking with school sites into place. He's also very sociable and extroverted, with sarcasm. What absolutely drives me up the wall (and this just after the first day) is his lack of organization. He's got things planned out, but the Rolodex is brand new and he doesn't regard it as a cool new tool, as I do. While the paperwork is to the T, it's laid back, and there's no instruction on typical shorthand, what to do in regards to paperwork, etc. I like the details, knowing all that allows my rote to kick in while my wheels whir and spin solving problems.
stinking extrovert
I'm already being made fun of for not having my planner ready today, but I will for tomorrow.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Foot cramps are some of the most annoying things.
I'm tired as all get-out. Friday evening into Saturday morning: sleep got worse the more that I prayed for it to come. Saturday evening, I slept a bit better, but I still woke up 30 minutes before necessary. I also encountered some spiritual attacks akin to September 2009. I've since doused the room and bed in holy water, I just need to get my hands on some exorcised salt.
I learned that the blessing is gone from a Rosary if it is broken and not repaired; that it needs to be disassembled and buried. What about when the beads on the rose petal Rosary shatter and fall off? The beads were replaced, so now what?
Bought two books on Mary today. One is an illustrated prayer book; I am His Child, and if I need pictures to help me out, so be it. It's terrible, trying to learn about Mary and have her be my Momma when I can scarcely figure out my own mother, how to get her to want me as me, and not as her creature. The other is titled Mary of Nazareth, which is proving to be simply clear and informative. No fancy words, just saying it plainly with Scripture. Hopefully I'll find this information more human and connective. Although there was a great book I saw in the parish bookstore a few weeks back that looks really interesting: The Life of Mary: As Seen by the Mystics. Perhaps in a few months?
Speaking with good spiritual friends recently has helped me keep my chin up. I may be tired, sleep deprived, and not eating all three meals per day, but it will come to pass. I spent the morning at Mass, an hour on the phone, and spent the majority of the day teaching a different class for Confirmation - they were lacking an adult leader so I got switched out. Its neat to know that some of the difficulties I have to teaching my kids are personality differences and attitude, since the group I taught today was small, but we were all good and nice to each other. It was different. Not every class is like mine; that's one of many things I got out of today.
Another was the offer to spend a week in a good family home, and a good Catholic one at that. I wish I could accept it. I spend so much time outside of my home, just to get away that I have incurred plenty of examples of good Christian homes. I get to know that not all parents shout and yell in arguments to the extent that you wish and wish to fly away out of the house. I get to see people who actually show chaste affection rather than just coolness or a weird short burst of cuteness (weird - as it's out of character and only a few months per year rather than daily affection). Perhaps one of these days. This is one of my aims in entering therapy - wanting to learn to switch from the ways I've been taught, to the right path; otherwise I'll enter and leave religious life angry and confront people wrongly. Subversive living is adaptive at home and it kills vocations in religious life.
How am I supposed to learn how it is to have a Mother?
I'm tired as all get-out. Friday evening into Saturday morning: sleep got worse the more that I prayed for it to come. Saturday evening, I slept a bit better, but I still woke up 30 minutes before necessary. I also encountered some spiritual attacks akin to September 2009. I've since doused the room and bed in holy water, I just need to get my hands on some exorcised salt.
I learned that the blessing is gone from a Rosary if it is broken and not repaired; that it needs to be disassembled and buried. What about when the beads on the rose petal Rosary shatter and fall off? The beads were replaced, so now what?
Bought two books on Mary today. One is an illustrated prayer book; I am His Child, and if I need pictures to help me out, so be it. It's terrible, trying to learn about Mary and have her be my Momma when I can scarcely figure out my own mother, how to get her to want me as me, and not as her creature. The other is titled Mary of Nazareth, which is proving to be simply clear and informative. No fancy words, just saying it plainly with Scripture. Hopefully I'll find this information more human and connective. Although there was a great book I saw in the parish bookstore a few weeks back that looks really interesting: The Life of Mary: As Seen by the Mystics. Perhaps in a few months?
Speaking with good spiritual friends recently has helped me keep my chin up. I may be tired, sleep deprived, and not eating all three meals per day, but it will come to pass. I spent the morning at Mass, an hour on the phone, and spent the majority of the day teaching a different class for Confirmation - they were lacking an adult leader so I got switched out. Its neat to know that some of the difficulties I have to teaching my kids are personality differences and attitude, since the group I taught today was small, but we were all good and nice to each other. It was different. Not every class is like mine; that's one of many things I got out of today.
Another was the offer to spend a week in a good family home, and a good Catholic one at that. I wish I could accept it. I spend so much time outside of my home, just to get away that I have incurred plenty of examples of good Christian homes. I get to know that not all parents shout and yell in arguments to the extent that you wish and wish to fly away out of the house. I get to see people who actually show chaste affection rather than just coolness or a weird short burst of cuteness (weird - as it's out of character and only a few months per year rather than daily affection). Perhaps one of these days. This is one of my aims in entering therapy - wanting to learn to switch from the ways I've been taught, to the right path; otherwise I'll enter and leave religious life angry and confront people wrongly. Subversive living is adaptive at home and it kills vocations in religious life.
How am I supposed to learn how it is to have a Mother?
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Current Information of Women Religious
Newly professed class more diverse than past classes
One-quarter enter with graduate degrees
Half attended Catholic elementary school
One-quarter enter with graduate degrees
Half attended Catholic elementary school
WASHINGTON (February 2, 2011) — Women entering religious orders today are highly educated and experienced in numerous church activities, according to a national survey.
The survey report The Profession Class of 2010: Survey of Women Religious Professing Perpetual Vows was released February 2, the Church’s World Day for Consecrated Life. It was conducted by the Georgetown University-based Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) and commissioned by the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat of Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations. The survey was sent to sisters represented by the two conferences of religious women, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious and the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious, as well as contemplative communities. Respondents represented 52 religious orders. A total of 68 out of 79 sisters contacted completed the survey.
The survey report The Profession Class of 2010: Survey of Women Religious Professing Perpetual Vows was released February 2, the Church’s World Day for Consecrated Life. It was conducted by the Georgetown University-based Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) and commissioned by the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat of Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations. The survey was sent to sisters represented by the two conferences of religious women, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious and the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious, as well as contemplative communities. Respondents represented 52 religious orders. A total of 68 out of 79 sisters contacted completed the survey.
Major findings note:
- In general, women religious of the Class of 2010 are more diverse than previously perpetually professed women religious in terms of racial and ethnic identity. Six in ten identify as white, one in five identifies as Asian, and one in ten identifies as Hispanic/Latina.
- Nearly nine in ten sisters and nuns were born Catholic and eight in ten came from families in which both parents are Catholic.
- Half of responding women religious (51 percent) attended a Catholic elementary school. Women religious are about as likely as other U.S. Catholics to have attended a Catholic high school and much more likely to have attended a Catholic college.
- The responding women religious are highly educated. A quarter earned a graduate degree before entering their religious institute. Six in ten entered their religious institute with at least a bachelor’s degree or more.
- Many women religious were active in parish life before entering their religious institute. Four in ten participated in a youth group and three in ten participated in a young adult group. Eighty-five percent had ministry experience before entering their religious institute, most commonly in liturgical ministry, faith formation, or social service ministry.
- Three-quarters of responding sisters and nuns regularly participated in retreats before they entered their religious institute. Two-thirds regularly prayed the Rosary and/or participated in Eucharistic Adoration. Six in ten regularly participated in a faith sharing or Bible study group and/or in regular spiritual direction.
- Nine in ten women religious (87 percent) say they were encouraged to consider religious life by someone in their life. Of those who reported that they were encouraged to consider a vocation, more than half (52 percent) say they were encouraged by a religious sister. A third were introduced to their institute through the recommendation of a priest or advisor.
- Most women religious of the Profession Class of 2010 (84 percent) participated in some type of vocation program or experience prior to entering their religious institute. Most commonly this was a “Come and See” experience or a vocation retreat.
“The report demonstrates that family life and education are significant in forming children in the spiritual life. Many women, before entering, were active in Church and participated in spiritual exercises — especially Eucharistic Adoration, praying the Rosary and retreats. This is a tremendous witness to the power of Christ and prayer in the Church,” said Sister Mary Joanna Ruhland, RSM, associate director of the Secretariat. “It also points to the witness of answering God’s call that religious women and priests give to young people. The personal relationship each has with Christ is fostered by the role models they see in, and encouragement they receive from, women religious and priests.”
The entire survey can be found at: http://www.usccb.org/cl/profession-class-2010.shtml
---
Keywords: World Day for Consecrated Life, sisters, nuns, perpetual vows, profession of vows, Archbishop Robert Carlson, Sister Mary Joanna Ruhland, CARA, Leadership Conference of Women Religious, Council for Major Superiors of Women Religious, Catholic Bishops, USCCB
Keywords: World Day for Consecrated Life, sisters, nuns, perpetual vows, profession of vows, Archbishop Robert Carlson, Sister Mary Joanna Ruhland, CARA, Leadership Conference of Women Religious, Council for Major Superiors of Women Religious, Catholic Bishops, USCCB
Friday, February 11, 2011
Spiritual Matters
I jumped head long into spiritual battle after this weekend, and like usual I was counter attacked by the third day. It'll be a few more days before I'm back on my feet. Hopefully some down time tomorrow will help me out since I'm dragging my feet.
I saw "The Rite" this evening with friends. It's amazing to me how people were asking, "Isn't that how it is with spiritual warfare?" in amazement and disbelief. And I wanted to grab them by their shoulders and shake them up. How can you profess to be such a strong Christian, and Catholic nonetheless, and not know what is spiritual warfare? What kind of spirituality are you following that you are not daily attacked by Satan? How do you not know? Yes, that movie depicts demonic possession, but it also depicts the progression of spiritual warfare, half-truths, and nature of Satan. Portions of the film are Hollywood like the somber setting for Fr. Lucas' quarters, but the plagues, the screams, the voices, the hallucinations, etc are all realistic. I think it's an as realistic depiction as will ever be coming out of Hollywood; it's the most accurate thus far.
Finally got me a therapist after not having one for about 2 years. I think I caught him off guard with how introspective I am; how I look into the foreseeable future and know what I need to work on in my life and why. He was a bit taken back by how forward I am with my faith as well. He brought it up saying, "Did I say anything about faith on the site where you found my listing?" As I explained to him, he listed himself as Christian, and he then mentioned that he is Catholic. I don't care if he's Christian or Catholic, or not at all. It's an added bonus to be Christian, and even moreso to be Catholic. But I'm Catholic, and I'm involved with the Church. I'm going to talk about it. I'm going to mention teaching Confirmation. I will be mentioning the issues at home and the hostility about the Faith I face at home. So it's better to talk about it in the first session. It's not a special debut topic or anything. It's as much a part of me as the color of my eyes. If he doesn't like it, he can put it on his therapeutic back-burner.
Keep praying for me, as I'm praying for you.
I saw "The Rite" this evening with friends. It's amazing to me how people were asking, "Isn't that how it is with spiritual warfare?" in amazement and disbelief. And I wanted to grab them by their shoulders and shake them up. How can you profess to be such a strong Christian, and Catholic nonetheless, and not know what is spiritual warfare? What kind of spirituality are you following that you are not daily attacked by Satan? How do you not know? Yes, that movie depicts demonic possession, but it also depicts the progression of spiritual warfare, half-truths, and nature of Satan. Portions of the film are Hollywood like the somber setting for Fr. Lucas' quarters, but the plagues, the screams, the voices, the hallucinations, etc are all realistic. I think it's an as realistic depiction as will ever be coming out of Hollywood; it's the most accurate thus far.
Finally got me a therapist after not having one for about 2 years. I think I caught him off guard with how introspective I am; how I look into the foreseeable future and know what I need to work on in my life and why. He was a bit taken back by how forward I am with my faith as well. He brought it up saying, "Did I say anything about faith on the site where you found my listing?" As I explained to him, he listed himself as Christian, and he then mentioned that he is Catholic. I don't care if he's Christian or Catholic, or not at all. It's an added bonus to be Christian, and even moreso to be Catholic. But I'm Catholic, and I'm involved with the Church. I'm going to talk about it. I'm going to mention teaching Confirmation. I will be mentioning the issues at home and the hostility about the Faith I face at home. So it's better to talk about it in the first session. It's not a special debut topic or anything. It's as much a part of me as the color of my eyes. If he doesn't like it, he can put it on his therapeutic back-burner.
Keep praying for me, as I'm praying for you.
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