Saturday Morning

I got up early before the alarm went off.

We all had off on Friday, so we went to Luray Caverns for the day. So beautiful. And the town of Luray is charming. People from all walks of life are there to explore the caverns. I stopped counting the various languages I heard yesterday.

You should go…if you can stomach the profound Trumpery everywhere. The rural and small town communities of Virginia are conservative. Some of them are even reactionary. They’ve been trying to make America great again since 1776. Never satisfied, they cry freedom at every turn. This is as much an American legacy as the Statue of Liberty.

In other news, the dog likes an apple.

Today, we shall piddle about the house tidying up from our week. Tomorrow, we’ll go out and about again. There’s some fun to be had. Likely we’ll partake in some retail therapy. IKEA is a frequent destination. The Honda Fit holds more than it should. It’s larger on the inside than it is on the outside. It is Baba Yaga’s car.

Today’s Franciscan Nugget: “Day 31 - The Principles of the Third Order, a portion of which is set for reflection each day, are based on the Rule of the Christa Seva Sangha from Poona in India. This community, formed in 1922, was inspired both by the Gospel of Christ and the way of life in an Indian Ashram. This community of married and single people, ordained and lay, led by Fr. Jack Winslow, lived a common life as equals. In 1928 the Rule was revised under the guidance of Fr. Algy Robertson and some aspects of that Rule can also be found in The Third Order Principles. We give thanks to God for the Principles of the Third Order that inspire us in the Franciscan way of following Jesus.”

My novitiate has not been what I had hoped. This is the second year, and should I be approved, I will take my vows this winter or next spring. There should be no trouble in that, but I have found the lack of structure difficult to manage. There is always some reason, some distraction, something else that keeps me away from my regula. I cannot pray as I would like. I cannot write as I would like. I cannot attend to my family and church as I would like. Everything important to me has been pushed to the edges of my life. I rarely make music anymore.

The Surgeon General issued another report related to the Loneliness Epidemic. It seems that parenting has gotten harder in the last decade. Why? Because the day-to-day responsibilities are simply harder to fulfill. You can read the report here. So, I know I am not alone in this experience.

Monasticism is a luxury of the privileged. I am less privileged in some ways than others…than even I used to be. Economics. It’s basic economics. Who has time to be spiritual anymore?

I remind myself that I went to Luray Caverns yesterday. It was good to do. It felt wholesome as in “engaging the wholeness of life.” But I had to take a day off of work to make it happen.

So, I once again attend to the small things and adjust my expectations.

Y’all be excellent to each other.