Been a long time, huh?

Well, I've been focusing my energies elsewhere, even though I have continued writing, it has been in a different manner than ever before.

First, some background.  About two years ago, I asked my local pastor, Father D, to be my Spiritual Director.  Since then, we've had pretty regular meetings wherein he lets me ask questions about things I have come across in my reading, or through meditation or prayer.  He is a very thorough listener, and his responses are intelligent and directed to the question.  Unlike mentors I've had in the past, the goal in his answers to my queries is to help me, rather than to hear himself speak, or to impress me with his knowledge.

[Isn't it true that whenever someone opens a sentence with this phrase:  "To make a long story short," he has usually just told you a bunch of stuff you didn't need to know?!]

Because of my background in literature, he started me on a reading schedule; we began with the Life of St. Therese of Lisieux.  I finished that one before our next appointment, and so I created a schedule for myself.  At its core, the reading schedule is based on reading the Bible, beginning with the New Testament and then reading most of the Old Testament.  Father D and I have met several times again since I arranged this schedule and he approves of it.  Here it is in its most recent form:

I.  Alternate between Frank Sheed's Theology for Beginners (TFB), and the New Testament (NT).  [I should add that when I constructed this schedule, I also began to record instances when I stopped to research a concept, historical movement, person, etc. at greater depth because a better understanding of these would lead to a deeper understanding of the primary text.  I labelled these "Ancillary Readings."

NT:    Acts
TFB:  1-11
NT:    1, 2 Thessalonians
TFB:  12
NT:    Galatians, Philipians
TFB:  13
NT:    1, 2 Corinthians
TFB:  14
NT:    Romans, Philemon
TFB:  15
NT:    Colossians, Ephesians
TFB:  16
NT:    Matthew
TFB:  17
NT:    Mark
TFB:  18
NT:    Luke
TFB:  19
NT:    John
TFB:  20
NT:    Revelations


II.  Then, finish the NT sections that are not yet read, alternating with chapters from Father Barron's Seeds, and Augustine's Confessions.

NT:         1 Timothy, Thomas
SEEDS:  18, 19, 20
CON'S:   1, 2
NT:         2 Timothy
SEEDS:  21, 22, 23
CON'S:   3, 4
NT:         Titus
SEEDS:  24, 25, 26
CON'S:   5, 6
NT:         Hebrews
SEEDS:  27, 28, 29
CON'S:   7, 8
NT:         St. James
SEEDS:  30, 31, 32
CON'S:   9
NT:         1 Peter
SEEDS:  33, 34, 35
CON'S:   10
NT:         2 Peter
SEEDS:  36, 37, 38
CON'S:   11
NT:         1 John
SEEDS:  39, 40, 41
CON'S:   12
NT:         2 John
SEEDS:  42, 43, 44
CON'S:   13
NT:         3 John
SEEDS:  45, 46, 47


III.  Finish Seeds; chapters 48--84


IV.  Finish Being Catholic; pages 79--198


V.   Read in Bede's In Marcum


VI.  Read in Didache


VII.   "     "   Lives of the Saints


VIII.  "     "   Imitation of Christ


IX.     "     "   Benedict's Rule


X.     Alternate between books of the OT and "Lessons" in Father Barron's "Priest, Prophet, King."
         [The order of OT readings below is taken from CatholicCulture.org's "Chronological Reading              of Sacred History."]


OT:    Genesis/Exodus
PPK:  Intro Video and Lesson 1
OT:    Numbers
PPK:  Video & Lesson 2
OT:    Joshua/Judges
PPK:  Video & Lesson 3
OT:    1,2 Samuel; 1, 2 Kings
PPK:  Video & Lesson 4
OT:    Ezra
PPK:  Video & Lesson 5
OT:    Nehemia, 1 Maccabees
PPK:  Video & Lesson 5 (continued) and Appendices

XI.   Remaining OT.  Search for additional guides to important OT books for Catholics.  Ask Father.