Wesoły i Sfrustrowany

The examen, based on the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius, helps a person hold onto what spiritually nourishes him by looking at what is giving him consolation in his life or causing him desolation. It allows someone to express his gratitude to God for the good stuff and turn to him for solace for the bad stuff. It is quite simple. You simply ask yourself, in the last day/week/month what gave me consolation and what caused me desolation (or some other form of the question pair).

What joys filled my week?

Last Thursday the young adult gathering that I’ve been attending had Polish night. The pastor of the Polish parish came to say mass, for dinner women from the parish had cooked pierogies and the priest’s housekeeper golumpkies, Polish carols were song, and we did the tradition of sharing oplatki wafers. The spiritual and physical nourishment along with the fellowship makes the house feel so warm and inviting. It’s hard to leave while the place is still hopping but alas I have to get up on Friday mornings and go to work.

Sunday was such a grey and rainy day that it would have been easy to be mopey and depressed. But I attended a wonderful Advent “retreat” at the Cathedral with some of my new friends and some people I hadn’t met yet. Fr.F’s lesson was interesting and relevant, there was quiet time and the opportunity to go to confession. Unfortunately the trolley wasn’t running when I left the retreat and I don’t know the bus system at all. So I walked home in the dark and the rain. I was tired, cold, wet and hungry by the time I go home; but still happy.

What were the frustrations?

My work is not very exciting, productive or fulfilling right now. Every slight excitement is quickly brought crashing down. I’m hoping that the changes in January will bring me some peace in my job.

My new parish has a perpetual adoration chapel. I loved this fact before I even moved here. I have borrowed the key from the parish office twice since I moved here so that I could stop in and pay a visit to Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament. I was so excited to receive my key on Sunday so that I can visit Him anytime I want. I stopped in last night and was shocked to find the Blessed Sacrament chapel empty. According to the sign in book He’d been alone for 45 minutes when I showed up and is often alone in the darkest hours of the night. I stayed for over an hour before leaving. It simply broke my heart to see that adoration at the parish is far from perpetual. I have a scheduled weekly Holy Hour, but I will try to visit more frequently.

(I was told the title of the post was Polish for joyful and frustrated, but I claim no knowledge of Polish.)