mid-march reflections

I am currently in the throes of anticipation, waiting for a reply from the graduate school I applied to back in October. They said they would respond in mid-March, and as the calendar days pass, I sense my anticipation turning into impatience and, in the not-so-distant future, panic! I pray that I remain in the first stage, which is a much better reflection, I think, of the fact that my future plans and their timing are safely couched in that ubiquituous term "Providence." And so I wait, and hope.

Tomorrow my housemates and I will travel again to the mountains, this time to St. Benedict's Monastery in Snowmass, Colorado, where we will spend three days joining with the monks in their rythym of prayer, silence, work, and recreation. I'm grateful that we'll spend both the feast of St. Joseph (March 15) and Palm Sunday (March 16) in such a contemplative setting, although all of us regret missing the St. Patrick's festivities that will take place in Denver on Saturday!

I've been spending more time lately in the first grade classroom at Swansea, mainly reading with the children. In addition, Ms. Champi has appointed me 'door control' and so I guard the escape route of several particularly high-strung 6-year-olds. What a task Ms. Champi has: engaging the attention of and nourishing the minds of 30 young children while assuring that no one flees or bites or screeches or floats off into daydream land. Today a group of horse trainers with their horses came to the school to show the kids Clydesdales, Arabians, and others. My favorite was a bloke from Australia who flew the flag proudly and demonstrated his whip skills.

Tonight we're eating at the home of the Sisters of St. Francis in Denver. I have met more religious sisters here than ever before. A few weeks ago, we dined with the Sisters of Charity in their convent on the 11th floor of St. Joseph hospital, complete with a wall of windows that offered a panorama of the cityscape and the mountains.

Thoughts about recent news: The Chaldean Archbishop in Iraq was kidnapped and today was found dead. Pray for all those suffering in Iraq; my heart goes out particularly to the small Christian community (2% of the population) that is targeted and labelled abetters of the US invaders.