Going Back to Go Forward

And so, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2009!

I'll be leaving early this afternoon to head to IUP and then back to Latrobe to prepare for the Spring Semester. Every year at this time, the entire seminary goes on retreat at a local retreat center. I mentioned this to a friend of mine when we met for drinks earlier this week. Jokingly, he said that I should never retreat . . . "You can't go forward if you retreat." However, for me - or for any Christian, really - to move forward in the Christian life (or in my case, formation), one does need to retreat so that one can "regroup" and take a step back, see where they've been, and move forward in their life.

I've always looked forward to the retreats that the two seminaries I've attended have offered. Of course, I've always enjoyed going on retreats. I'm looking forward to this one, since I'll be spending some time reflecting on the questions I'll be asked on the day of my diaconate ordination, as well as the readings that have been chosen. I'm also looking forward to the fraternity with my classmates, as well.

Well, Happy 2009 (again)! Be blessed.

Enjoy the journey . . .