Lighter Side of Life

The past couple of times I posted I realized that I spent most of the time reflecting on Scripture. I figured maybe it was time to just let you know what is going on in my life in general.

My time here at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Austin is quickly coming to an end. I have really enjoyed being a part of this parish for the summer. It is a predominantly Hispanic parish and reminds me a lot of the parish I grew up in (Santa Cruz in Buda). It is a little different being the minority for a change. There are many times when I am the only Anglo in the room. Thankfully my Spanish is improving and I can pretty much understand most of the conversations going on around me. I still cannot speak Spanish as well as I would like. I lector at daily mass in Spanish and can read the language with little difficulty. I figure speaking it is not too far away.

This past weekend I went on retreat with the Teen ACTS group. It was a good experience and I am glad I went however it was different from other experiences that I have had on youth retreats. This time I was on the retreat as a seminarian and not as a CORE team member or small group leader. I was able to pop in and out of the talks and take some time to myself as well. I was called on quite a few times to lead times of prayer and am learning to pray on the fly! I got a chance to talk to a few of the teens one-on-one after being asked to do so by the retreat staff. I think that God has given me the gifts to do well in these situations so I was thankful to have them.

This week at the parish I am writing a manual for the Altar Servers at the parish. I also will be serving at two funerals and a wedding in addition to the regular masses this weekend. Tomorrow I am taking my 17 year old nephew over to College Station for the day to show him Texas A&M. He will be a senior in high school this year in Ohio and is still undecided as to what college he wants to attend. Thursday I will be joining my brother seminarians who are still in Austin for the summer for a bbq with our new Vocations Director. Our new Vocations Director is my former spiritual director and confessor when I was in College Station. I look forward to seeing him again.

I will try to keep you informed as to what is going on in my life over the next few months. Before I know it I will be back in Irving to start my second year of seminary. I look forward to spending some time in College Station in August. I hope to see many of you while I am there.

Pax Tecum,
Tom