Acquired an interest in chess recently.

It's probably temporary.

The computer keeps beating me.

I'm thinking about being a Jesuit preist. The founder of this order (The Soceity of Jesus) is Saint Ignatius of Loyola. According to him, the most important prayer for a Jesuit is the "Examen." This is a prayerful exercise in which a person recalls the events of their day, contemplating the way that God and their own person moved in their actions and circumstances.

http://www.jesuits.ca/spirituality/examen.html

It's pretty sweet.

As a result of this, I've noticed that so very often, I just do things without really thinking about what I'm doing. Too often, I am not making a conscious choice between right and wrong.

This is a very interesting habit to form -thoughtfully and prayerfully choosing each course of action - which I am attempting to do. "Contemplative action" it is called. I expect that as I master this technique, I will see many benefits.

Reflecting on choices, their results, and my own affections throughout is supposed to help me understand God's call. Ignatius himself discovered his call to the priesthood because his thoughts about battle, glory, and "a certain woman" were enjoyable while they lasted, but left him feeling "dry." On the other hand, after thinking about living humbly like the saints, he was left with an inner peace and consolation.

I look forward to using this technique successfully.

Just saw "A Beautiful Mind." Good movie.

Hung out with Jon & Dave this weekend. Good to be with friends.
I am not a good host, though - especially not here.

I really need to get back on my med school apps.

Only two weeks left.
A whole two weeks left.

I've gotta say, these kids I'm teaching have got mad SNEAKER STYLE.

Their shoes are all sneakers, and they are quite flasher. MOREOVER, their sneakers almost always match their outfit! It's crazy!



Things are good. Silent retreat last weekend.

I'm pretty much decided on being a doctor. So, medical school for sure.
Still dunno about priest or married. If priest, med school before or after joining & doing novitiate, etc?

Talked with a teacher today about his military career.
I am very attracted to a few to several years with the military.
I'll talk to a recruiter when I get back.

I miss video games!!!!

I miss fencing!


Silent retreat this weekend.

Dave, I want to Smash with you afterwards.

Noah, when you come to town... let's also get Smashed.
Also, bring home a sword from Europe to fight me with.

Or, more realistically, throwing knives - but not for fighting me.

Things are moving along.

Work has started. I haven't done much of the tutoring I expected to do, but what I have done has gone quite well.
I've been doing a bit of actual teaching (of a class), which I'm still fairly nervous about. Some of those classes were extremely hard to control. Possible contributors to this phenomena were: last class of the day, big rowdy class, my initial attempt to form a more friend-like relationship with them, lack of experience, lack of planning.

I've been sleeping too much. It's way too easy to come home & sleep after lunch, not waking up until mass or later. Yesterday I took a 6-hour "nap."

Medical school stuff is coming along. It's a lot of work. Once my friggin' advisor writes his letter for me, I can really start packing that stuff away.

Life is good.

I miss my friends & family. I miss Kristy. We're talking almost every day now, and including some scripture reading in our conversation. We're going to read some books together, also. Right now we've got "How to talk so kids will listen & how to listen so kids will talk" and "Love and Responsibility" lined up.

The other 6-week guy I work with is a very good person. He impresses me in some ways. He does good work.
However, his mannerisms and personality annoy me. I don't think we will become friends.

I've been reading other blogs fairly often. Noah's has been pretty amazing - he is travelling about Europe. That boy needs to learn how to spell, though. I also read Kai's, Jon's & Kristy's.

I'm praying for all y'all.

Peace.

Hello, everybody.

I'm in NYC now (until August 6). I like the city. It would be better than the Detroit area, except that it is missing discgolf courses and more importantly my friends & family.

I'm in a Jesuit residence. I've got an air-conditioned room. It's quite satisfactory.
The community is nice. It consists of 22 long-time residents and 5-10 transient visitors. The vast majority of Jesuits I have met are funny, smart, nice old men. They tend to be liberal. Good company. Too old to become close friends, though. They just don't/can't do a lot of the things I'm interested in.

Of course, if I joined, I'd probably make friends my own age... such as the six other guys in the program (well, one is over thirty, but the rest are about my age). They are nice, smart, generally kind funny. One is athletic. We played some basketball and it was fun. The one guy was much better than the rest of us. I was 2nd best by far, which says a lot.

The food is really good. That must be pretty standard for Jesuit life.

The formation sounds really sweet.
-2 years Novitiate (task: be holy. studies on the Society & various other things. short apostolic experiences, such as teaching, parish work, ministry in soup kitchen, etc.). ends w/ first vows.
-2 years scholastic (philosophy studies. get a degree in this. maybe other degrees.)
-2 years regency (I think...starts to blend together in my memory here. these are long apostolic experiences - about 6-12 months instead of 2-3.)
-2 years theology studies (get a degree)
-2 more years regency, I think? (Including an experience where you must "depend very much on God." At some point in formation most Jesuits do a pilgrimage over land w/ no money - basically the walk & beg & such. OR they are sent to do ministry in a foreign country, where they don't know the language and it is very poor.)
-Ordination as a priest about 10 years after joining. Take vows again.
-Sometime later do "tertianship." This is another apostolic experience; another one to depend on God, maybe? Take final vows after this. Usually finished about 3-7+ years after ordination.


I've been having a lot of thoughts about my discernment lately. It's definitely... going somewhere. I'll post more on this later.

I am praying for you all! Please pray for me, too!


P.S. going to mass daily is freakin' awesome!