Retreat!

The Diocese of Fort Worth's annual clergy retreat was held at the Montserrat retreat house on Lake Dallas this year. It's always held at Montserrat and that's fine by me, I like Montserrat, it's tranquil.

That's partly because the retreat's silent and I like that too, time to reflect and pray and, for me, to take a near total break from "tech" as well as the news.

Silence notwithstanding, by tradition we tend to meet up after Compline for a drink and a laugh and I got to know one of our military chaplains. He's just retired and once celebrated the Mass at Saddam Hussein's shell-shocked palace. Quite a thing.

Similarly, chaplains to the Knights of Malta can say Mass on a shield on the field of battle, the shield acting as an altar. I pointed this out and everyone was impressed, perhaps our new bishop will extend the privilege to diocesan priests. After all, we're all about the Church Militant.

Then, all too soon, the retreat was over and it was time to leave the peace of Montserrat and venture into the metrosprawl maelstrom which is I35E. And that, by the intercession of St. Ignatius Loyola and Charles Stuart King and Martyr, is the story of that.

God bless,

LSP

Suscipe

I know it's easy to scorn the Jesuits for being a bad crew of Marxists and associated evildoers, but Ignatius Loyola was a great saint. Here's one of his prayers, the Suscipe.

Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty,

my memory, my understanding,

and my entire will,

All I have and call my own.

You have given all to me.

To you, Lord, I return it.

Everything is yours; do with it what you will.

Give me only your love and your grace,

that is enough for me.

Powerful.

God bless,

LSP