Today's Readings

I was blown away to hear today the very verse that I quoted the other night in regard to my presence here at Kent State University. In any new situation I am quick to question my ability to adapt, my sense of belonging, and my ability to establish myself in all aspects of my life. I thought at that point of the verse from Paul that is colloquially rendered, "When in Rome, do as the Romans; interesting that Paul did write letters to the Romans, but that this particular quote actually comes from his letters to the Corinthians. My love for the Bible is growing and I owe no small gift of thanks to Elise for this. Though it is not the definitive source for answers on faith issues, there is so much to learn from what the writers have put down. At times I feel I am at such a distance from my faith, but then the Gospel brings me back to reality by making the simple statement that we must be willing to remove the log from our own eye first, in order to later help our brother remove his splinter. I ponder the logs in my life; the things that I must cast out of my daily existence, and prevent from ever returning. At the same time I am reminded of the reading from last week that encourages us to confront our brothers when we are at odds with them for any reason. The deeper truth is that no one of us is ever perfect, but even in our imperfection, we can help one another to recognize and expel evils and sin from our lives. We must work together and act out of love, and all these things that we are taught as Christians and Catholics are possible!

Know that I am well here at Kent State; I have found a church that I enjoy attending by the name of St. Patrick's including attached school and hence opportunities to officiate. I play volleyball one night a week at a local bar/bowling alley/sand volleyball court place. I love it and have actually hooked up with a team comprised of largely Army recruiters. Guess I'm pretty close to "Army strong". Beyond this, classes and teaching are going well. I enjoy everything I'm doing and look forward to what the future will bring, that is beyond the snow, wind and rain!