Mercedarian Formation

She came into the world quiet as a lark, with long fingers and toes, now she's got hair, walks, talks and has a cute nose...next month she'll be palming a basketball and playing hool-a-hoop with a garden hose!

Everybody pray for a safe and healthy pregnancy for my sister-in-law Emily and for my brother John Paul II. (Guys are involved emotionally in pregnancy too. Just say hospital bill 3x and watch the expression on his face! :- )

The most important regulatory exercise in the monastery is keeping the schedule of the house. Knowing myself as I do, the external structure of a constant schedule helps me stay on task and focused. Before coming here I was working as much as I could with a hap-hazard schedule, inconsistent eating times, driving long hours for tech jobs and doing whatever I could to make ends meet. Oftentimes daily duties would get set aside, prayer life and relationships would suffer and my body would take a beating. Long hours of work and no play, makes a man hasty, anxious and scattered. Now that I'm in the monastery, following a schedule of prayer, work, meals, cleaning and recreation, more gets accomplished with less stress and more regularity. I have more time to do internal reviewing too, which means looking at my weaknesses so I can grow in virtue. What a blessings! Thanks Jesus and Mary, St. Peter Nolasco and all those great prayer warriors back home and abroad who've made this happen! Hope you receive a great reward in heaven for all your support and maybe God Will let you see the fruit of your prayers soon :-) 

Prior to arriving,  knowing the winter conditions I ordered size 12.5 boots from Wellco, but I returned them for a size 12. No news from Wellco despite an email. Looking online now for their contact info. 

St. Peter Nolasco shrouded in snow. 

Br. Dominic enjoying a brisk morning shovel while the winds bites back. Caprini College cancelled classes adding another day to their early Spring Break...what's our dedicated brother doing? He's the first shoveler hitting the pavement this morning. I better grab a shovel fast and catch up!

Out with the old, in with the new. A good theme for Lent. Blessed Mother has Her eye on our old one, or maybe looking out for that workman getting pummeled by snow!

Congrats to Fr. Michael Rock!

Drops remind me of time passing. May Jesus and Mary help us take advantage of every moment to be as holy as God has called us to be!

As you walk in the Mercedarian convent in LeRoy, New York you notice a singular quote from the constitutions. It is reminiscent of the spirituality of St. Louis de Montfort and Pope John Paul II. Better yet, it speaks of that heroic maxim known by those who choose the religious life: give it all to God and never look back, with your heart blazing with love for Jesus and Mary and an inexhaustible love for souls! May the whole world be inflamed by the fire of Divine Love!