View from the choir

I am a Catholic layperson and Secular Franciscan with a sense of humor. After years in the back pew watching, I have moved into the choir. It's nice to see faces instead of the backs of heads. But I still maintain God has a sense of humor - and that we are created in God's image.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Reading and Writing

Life goes in cycles. So, too, does spirituality for me.

I have been thinking of St. Francis of Assisi lately. I've always considered him my patron saint (Lee Francis Joseph Strong). My oldest daughter is named Clare. It was through his biography of St. Francis that I discovered Chesterton. When I considered the priesthood, the Franciscans were one congregation I thought about.

Feeling spiritually hungry, I looked at my bookcases and spotted some of the books I have about St. Francis. I grabbed The Way of St. Francis by Father Murray Bodo, OFM. I've never read it before, even though it's been on the bookshelf for years. I am enjoying it.

Thinking of St. Francis has also got me thinking about the Secular Franciscan Order again. There are two local fraternities. I visited one a couple of decades ago, but it didn't click at that time, and the meeting times did not work in my schedule at the time (working two jobs and starting a family). Now that the diaconate is not an option and my life has gotten simpler in terms of work and family obligations, I've begun to think of the SFO once as a place for community and growth.

.....

On the writing front, "Swedenborg" is now over 28,500 words long. Still on track for my 35,000 words goal before the summer ends.

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3 Comments:

Blogger A Secular Franciscan said...

Up over 29,000 words now - scribble, scribble, scribble!

10:41 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"It's easy to write... just sit at your typewriter and bleed" (E. Hemingway)

Good luck... only about another 100K words, and you'll be ready to start editing. And rewriting. And editing. And...

BTW, I ran across a reference to the Franciscans which may or may not be relevant to the Swedenborgians. It isn't on-line, so I'll have to copy it out and send it later.

10:56 PM  
Blogger A Secular Franciscan said...

Hey Dick - I'm trying not to think of those parts!

I've had this novel lingering for two decades, and right now all I want to do is get it down.

I'd be interested in the Franciscan thing. Thanks.

5:57 AM  

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