Wyoming

The Wyoming Mountains

Jan. 4th 2015

... are really beautiful! I'm sitting on the floor of my room in the rectory of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Lander, Wyoming, where I am a guest for this week while offering the Traditional Latin Mass for Wyoming Catholic College. This photo gives you a glimpse https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lander,_Wyoming#/media/File:Lander,_WY.jpg (except that right now everything is covered with snow and the mountains are much more majestic). After arriving late Saturday night, I woke up to a pink sky, as the sun was rising, crisp air about 10 degrees above zero, snow covered mountains all around me, some horses grazing near the rectory, and the sleepy town of Lander down below.

You all in Texas were very much on my mind Sunday. What are they doing at this time of the morning? By now the gathering after Mass will have finished. How did the children spend the early hours of Sunday morning since they weren't preparing music? etc. etc. I have been praying for you a lot, especially when offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. I would be lying if I said it doesn't hurt to be gone and I don't miss you lots. But I'm asking the Virgin Mary to accept those sacrifices as prayers for you all, and hope that you will receive graces through them. Just before typing this I spent some time alone in the Church, talking to Mary (one of the benefits of being completely alone in a Church is that you can do so out loud) about many things including you all, and then praying compline.

As for me here it was a very nice week last week with my family in Cleveland. Being with my siblings, little nieces and nephews, having homemade food all week long, listening to Christmas music and seeing the beauty of the Christmas tree and decorations... it was wonderful. This week is giving me some more quiet time--when not celebrating the Mass, or chanting vespers with folks here. I am catching up on some work in preparation for the studies in Italy. 

This afternoon Dr. Kwasniewski very generously gave me about 4 hours just to visit about liturgy, theology, etc. Some of you might remember him from the homily I gave this fall which quoted a portion of his address at the university of Steubenville http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2015/09/dr-kwasniewskis-lecture-at-steubenville.html on the liturgy. Though I've only read a portion of his work I've really appreciated his views and his charity. Some of you might find his book "Resurgent in the Midst of Crisis" interesting. 

On Friday I will fly back to Cleveland (after a 6 hour drive to Denver--courtesy of Dr. Kwasniewski will be doing so it should make for some good extended theological conversations), and then on Saturday will drive to the Children of Mary for a much needed week of silence in a hermitage. 

Please know that I miss you all dearly, but that you are often in my thoughts and prayers. Please say hello to your children for me.

​May Our Lady guide you and protect you.

Fr. Moses of Jesus+