Currently reading: Understanding the Diaconate: Historical, Theological, and Sociological Foundations by W. Shawn McKnight 📚

It’s been awhile but we’re getting back in the saddle tomorrow!

These pork shoulders about 5 hours in; probably about halfway there.

Enjoying a short summer break in classes before things pick up again in late August. There’ll be a retreat that ends with our candidacy Mass, then we’re back in the thick of it the weekend after. The shift from aspirant to candidate signals an end to the period of discernment even as we begin more intense study and practicums.

Accordingly, the booklists have landed, and here’s what’s on tap. First up is Early Church History, which I’ll be doing online through most of the Fall:

• The Confessions, St. Augustine
• Early Christian Writings
• The Early Church, Chadwick
• On The Incarnation, St. Athanasius
• The Life of Antony and Letter to Marcellinus, St. Athanasius
• Origen’s basic writings
  

The in-person semester starts with Ministry of Deacon:

• The Deacon at Mass, Ditewig
• Theology of the Diaconate, Cummings, et al
• The Deacon Reader, Keating
  

Neither of these lists includes the raft of articles and PDFs that have also been posted. For myself, I’m forcing myself into some downtime: catching up on some magazines, occasional video games (these days that means Vampire Survivors and Factorio), and I may even dust off the radio kit. 

Mystagogy has wrapped up, so I’m going to pivot our neophytes into an 8-week bible study, portions of which we used when I was in class a couple of weeks ago. We tried to launch some small groups a few years ago, but Covid put an end to them about 2 weeks in. We’ve been trying to emphasize intentional discipleship these last few months. My prayer is that this group lectio will help us all to draw closer to Jesus, which is the essential prerequisite for…well, for basically everything else we do.

Red Spotted Admiral

Currently reading: Ven Espíritu Creador: Meditaciones sobre el Veni Creator Prólogo de José Cardenal Ratzinger (Mística y Místicos) (Spanish Edition) by Raniero Cantalamesa 📚

Currently reading: The History of Black Catholics in the United States by Cyprian Davis 📚

Currently reading: On Earth as It Is in Heaven: Restoring God’s Vision of Race and Discipleship by Fr. Josh Johnson 📚

Currently reading: From Christendom to Apostolic Mission: Pastoral Strategies for an Apostolic Age by University of Mary 📚

Class is going well; we're covering a lot of ground but it's a small group (7 folks total), and Fr. Josh is a very engaging teacher. Having picked up a bit of SMA merch, I'll need to swear off any more visits to the bookstore. The to-read pile is fairly well set for the next few months. The gift shop, which is elsewhere (and too far to walk in this heat), is another matter. Will try to roll by there on the way out of town.