Retreat

 

It's that time of year when our diocesan clergy go on retreat at the Jesuit set up on Lake Dallas, Montserrat. It's good to get away and refocus on the spiritual life. 

It's been good, too, to hear a series of excellent meditations by Bishop Iker. What an outstanding bishop. But more on this later, it's time for Mass.

Salve,

LSP

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

Retreat!

Retreat? Yes, but not in a bad way. There aren't any dancing wimmyn priests, guitar playing nuns or trans naming rituals at the Diocese of Fort Worth's annual clergy retreat. No, we're not here to worship Pink Moloch and the rainbow driven horde.

Typical Clergypersons

Instead we've had an excellent series of addresses on the gifts of the Spirit and their relation to the virtues. Good work, Fr. Robin Ward, sound as you like and uplifting to boot. More on that later.

In the meanwhile, it's good to get away and refocus on the interior life. And in case you missed it, today's the Feast of King Charles the Martyr, who rode into battle at Edgehill at the start of the English civil war in a suit of golden armor. I always feel as though that marks the end of Medieval England.

God bless,

LSP

Stop Retreating

The Retreat came to an end and it was time to leave the gun free Jesuit Compound and head for Dallas. I won't comment on the spiritual benefits of the retreat, which were great, but I'm forced to reflect on the journey back to the Metrosprawl.

I35E

Those of you who have traveled along I35E towards the gleaming Ozlike towers of the 'sprawl and arrived, unharmed, at your destination have done a remarkable thing. You have gazed upon the face of Hell, and lived.

Hell

Seriously, it was insane driving, a 20+ miles slalom through massive construction at 80 mph. No lane markers, no signalling, just devil take the hindmost and hell for leather. Mad Max springs to mind. But there is a benefit.

Dallas

You get to see a city being built before your very eyes. There's something remarkable about that but please, civic planners, design the city for people not cars. That's what I say and I'm sticking to it.

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

Get Back!

All too soon the retreat was over and everyone drove off into the metrosprawl to their various destinations. You need a retreat after that drive, so I spent the night in Dallas before heading back to the rural idyll that is The Compound.

What did I gain in the few days away at Montserrat retreat house? A new-found appreciation for the rule of St. Benedict, Chesterton, and a significant dose of humility mixed with contrition. All very good things, as was the company of fellow clergy and the opportunity to worship together.

It was good, too, to step away from the news for a short time, but I couldn't help noticing that a 17 year old Danish woman is going to be punished for fighting off a "refugee" with pepper spray. The message seems pretty clear; women of Europe, don't you dare defend yourselves against your new Islamic overlords. 

So where's the feminist outrage? That seems to be in inverse proportion to the number of Germans purchasing firearms. Or, to put it another way, there isn't any.

Make of this what you will,

LSP

Retreat!

We're advancing in a different direction, which means getting on I35E and driving to Montserrat Retreat House for the annual diocesan clergy retreat. You need a retreat after that drive, I tell you.

I was hoping for some quiet fishing off Montserrat's pier but it's underwater. Well, there's no telling where, when and how The Weather will strike in its vicious no-holds-barred war on humanity. Just look at New York, all that tax money and they still got hit by several feet of Climate Change.

So maybe there won't be any fishing, but there will be some Chesterton, The Crimes of England. I'm looking forward to that.

More anon, as the story unfolds.

LSP

Go on, Go Fishing

I went fishing on our retreat at Lake Dallas. Did I see any fish? Sure I did, a lot of them. Did I catch any?

No. I did not and I blame the Administration for that. But I had fun trying.

And now I'm missing the Lake, and becoming increasingly interested in Lemuria.

Cheers,

LSP

Lake Dallas Retreat

Every year the clergy of the Diocese of Fort Worth go on retreat. It's a silent affair, which I like, though there's plenty of opportunity to "frat" with your friends after Compline and I like that too.

Bishop Sutton's our retreat conductor this time around and he's given an excellent series of addresses on the "nuptial nature of the church." All good stuff and it's good to learn something, which isn't always a given on a retreat.

With a view towards learning, I've brought along a few history books. How many worlds have there been before our own? I guess I'll find out when I reach my intended goal of being an expert on ante-diluvia and the forgotten civilizations and races of prehistory.

But now it's time to go to the chapel of this Jesuit retreat house on Lake Dallas and say some prayers, as well as reflecting on the Church as Bride of Christ.

I'll review the above books later, stay tuned.

Atlantis Rising,

LSP

Clergy Deployment

Once a year the clergy of the diocese of Fort Worth go on retreat at Montserrat, which is a Jesuit house on Lake Dallas. It's a silent retreat, except for the first evening, which features the civilised custom of a cocktail hour followed by supper.

I sat with the bishops and suggested a new deployment strategy for incoming clergy. It went like this:

LSP: Bishops! I have a new deployment strategy for the diocese.

Bishops: Yes?

LSP: It's very simple.

Bishops: Good.

LSP: Yes.

Bishops: Well, what is it?

LSP: If you can't ride and you don't shoot you can't get in.

Bishops: Ah.

The assorted prelates seemed to like the wisdom of my plan and I look forward to its implementation in the coming years.

Stay on the horse and shoot straight.

Cheers,

LSP