The results of my Covid-19 test arrived on Monday: negative! That meant I could rejoin the community for meals and choir singing. It felt very good to participate more fully in our communal life again.
Br. Aidan even indulged me in a game of backgammon (which was off-limit the week before) but he had the nerve to beat me... ;-)
I continue to read voraciously. I am reading my second book by Colson Whitehead this month: "The Colossus of New York." It's a series of evocative vignettes on life in NYC. I keep opining with the New York experiences he describes; "Yep, I remember that!"
I'm also reading Richard Rohr's "Falling Upward. A spritituality for the two halves of life." I am well within the second half of my life but I've long wanted to read what he has to say about it.
When I drive, I listen to John O'Donohue's "Beauty. The Invisible Embrace." Those CD's belonged to our late Br. Roy and I feel connected to him as I listen to O'Donohue' Irish lilt.
And in French, I am finally reading "La Bible racontée comme un roman" by Christine Pedotti. She is a Roman Catholic theologian and feminist. She "novelizes" the bible. I'm only in Genesis yet but I think she'll make it work.
In order to practice my French I also do "mots flèchés" (crosswords where the clues are in the black spaces of the puzzle). I'm at a medium level and I have to do quite a bit of look-ups to complete the puzzles but it is good fun and good for the brain.
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| From top left, clockwise: sunrise over the Hudson; the same a little later and more fiery; one of my booklets of French crossword puzzles (this one themed on history); the draped St Augustine; Bros. Aidan and Josép relaxing in our West Atrium; close-up of the drapery around St Augustine; the Bros. in lively conversation. |
On Friday, we celebrated Saint Augustine of Hippo. Our church is dedicated in his name. Br. Robert Leo decorated his icon at the entrance of the church in an orthodox fashion. The color scheme was carried through flowers and drapery. I love the love that my brothers put into all things churchy.
Next week, we go back to our regular worship schedule. The August schedule was fun and restful but we are eager to go back to our fuller "liturgical diet."
Stay safe, wear a mask, stay healthy while saving lives.
2 comments:
Brother Bernard,
Falling Upward is a great book. I gave a copy to a much younger friend with the inscription, "I will be dead by the time you reach midlife, so please read this when you are 50 or so. " :)
Glad to hear your Covid test came back negative. Now I get to go through all of that when I come back to NY tomorrow!!
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