From the Home Office.....

My nephew Drew was a trooper this week. During the Saturday Vigil Mass his mother, my sister, turned to him and said, "Oh you're scheduled to serve tomorrow." So, he got (had) to go to Mass twice.

The following was provided by him today via Skype which was finally and successfully installed on my sister's computer. Thanks to my brother Phillip for making that happen.

Q: What do mountains hear with?

A: Mountaineers

I also had two Masses this weekend. The first was a Mass for the Opening of the School Year here at the Casa Santa Maria, celebrated by His Eminence Cardinal Francis George, OMI and concelebrated by Archbishop Edwin O'Brien of Baltimore. It was a beautiful Mass where I was able to be one of three sacristans. Afterwards we enjoyed a formal dinner in the refectory and then coffee and digistivi outside in the courtyard.

Sunday I got up at 4AM to catch a 5AM bus that brought me to the formation house of the Missionaries of Charity. About 60 sisters were already gathered in prayer as I arrived. Theirs is a simple chapel with a large crucifix with the words "I thirst" next to the corpus. These words of Christ were repeated to Blessed Theresa of Calcutta throughout her life. "I thirst", who will work with the poor, the dying, the trampled upon to quench this thirst?

The sacristy had a screen setup for confessions and I noticed hanging next to it is a plaque that reads, "We come to confession as sinners with sin. We leave as sinners without sin." - Mother Theresa. I won't forget that quickly.

The sisters sang throughout the Mass and it was pure joy to hear these 60 young women dedicated to Christ sing with such sincerity and joy. Once Mass had ended they all remained for another 10 minutes to make various prayers of thanksgiving.

It is customary for the priest to be offered breakfast. They led me to a small room where there was prepared some bread, water, instant coffee/tea, jam, and cheese. I ate alone, again, per custom. They live so simply and yet so joyfully.

This afternoon (Monday) I will go across the street to the Biblicum to witness an important defense by Fr. Russ McDougall, CSC. Once his article is successfully defended he may officially begin his doctoral disseratation. Prayers for him this day.