Monday of the 1st. week in Advent

The Annunciation ~ Fra Angelico



COLLECT (GELASIAN SACRAMENTARY)
Fac nos, quaesumus, domine deus noster,
peruigiles atque sollicitos aduentum expectare Christi filii tui domini nostri,
ut dum uenerit pulsans,
non dormientis peccatis sed uigilantes et in suis inueniat laudibus exultantes. (GeV 1128)

LITERAL VERSION:
Cause us, we beg, O Lord our God,
wakeful through the night and full of concern to await the coming of Christ Your Son,
so that, when He will have come knocking,
He may find us not sleeping in sins but vigilant and exulting in His praises.


(This prayer courtesy of Fr. Z, of course. The link above takes one to his ineffable discussion of the same.)

I've just returned home to Austin after spending Thanksgiving in VA with my family. It was wonderful, as always. I am so very blessed to have a family that is normal and healthy (not perfect, of course-- but whose is?), and which has a belief in God and His Son. I especially enjoyed the time I got to spend with my nephew Philip Lee (now almost 7 yrs. old). He's a bright, cheerful boy and I'm very happy to say that he thinks a lot of his Uncle !

I took the opportunity to share the news of my vocation with my dear mother and my sister Julie. Mama seemed very happy (and my stepfather as well); Julie was harder to read, but that was probably because I sprang it on her suddenly at the last minute and she had little time to digest it. We'll have time to talk about it at a later date. She has been privy to my calling lo these many years and may not realize that I have finally made the irrevocable decision to move forward. Can't say that I can blame her if she is skeptical.

My friend Michael Ann (who is serving as a missionary in Germany, her excellent blog is listed to the left under "friends") sent me a lovely encouraging email when I told her...she is such a dear sister in Christ.

I meet with Fr. Mike Sis ( vocation director for the diocese) on Thursday...it will be then that the ball really gets rolling...if it is going to roll at all here in Austin. Deo volente !!!