Ratzinger rocks my socks...

I absolutely love Pope Benedict!!  Can I just say that?

Right now I'm reading Introduction to Christianity.  Well, technically re-reading.  But this book is so incredibly insightful and deep that I honestly feel as though I'm reading it for the first time.  It's amazing to me how little I understood the first time I read it, about a year and a half ago.  But with more philosophy under my belt, I feel more equipped to understand and appreciate what he is doing in this work.  Right now I'm reading it under the lens of Catholic responses to modernity.  And I'm writing a 3-page book review (how the heck do you write only three pages?!) on his argument and methodology.

In other news, I've just been given a St. John Vianney holy card that was touched to his confessional in Ars!  Oh, and I've just been given a miraculous medal that was touched to the VERY CHAIR that our Blessed Mother sat upon in her appearance to St. Catherine Laboure!!!  Needless to say, I'm quite pleased!  A few of my deacon and seminarian friends went to Ars for a retreat over Spring break and they brought me back some goodies, not to mention their prayers while overseas.  What a blessing for them!  To make a retreat at Ars during the Year for Priests...  and the deacons were able to make this retreat their canonical retreat!!

Not much news on the vocational front.  Waiting for a letter so I can apply to Mater Ecclesiea, although there's no rush on that, considering the next award won't be for about a year.  Talked to my mom a few times (all quite emotional conversations)...  they can't help me with my debt... which is apparently $60,000.  My dad's illness is getting worse and this year will likely be his last one working.  Just not very good all around.  So, waiting to hear back from M. on what the strategy is for eliminating this debt.  As soon as we have a plan, I'm ready to go out begging.  I have a few contacts that might be able to help me out quite a bit.  But I just need to get the go ahead for it.

I'm having a hard time focusing on school.  There's so much to do and so little motivation for doing it.  I just want to be there.  Yesterday I got a letter from one of my friends who entered this past summer and it made my day!  My favorite part of the letter: "I hope that really soon you will be/live among your sisters."  :-)  She doesn't yet know that I've applied, nor does Sr. Joy.  I want to go visit the Novitiate house again, but I feel weird about it now, lol.  I know I shouldn't, but I do.  Sr. J. invited me to the Thomistic conference this week and I want so badly to go-- it matches perfectly with what I'm studying right now!!!  But for some reason I feel as though I need to be invited by M. L. or M. S. Don't ask me.  It's the melancholic in me-- I worry over silly things too much.  I also would really love to spend Easter break with them, though I don't know if that would even be a possibility and I'm much too chicken to ask.

I'm so tired.  And I have so much work to do.  The long weekend in NY meant that I did no homework over the weekend.  And this week I have two midterms, two papers, and a RCIA lesson to prepare.  Plus, I haven't done work on my honors thesis in ages (my advisor is continuously trying to get into contact with me). And I have my rough draft of my Moral thesis due next Tuesday (and I haven't started researching for it yet).

I need lots of prayers!

Unfortunately the semester isn't going to slow down any in the remaining two months.  Oh well-- good training, right?  And lemme tell you what an opportunity for growing in virtue!!