Two-year Academy, #2

Charles returned from his last session of the Two-year Academy for Spiritual Formation in San Antonio this afternoon.  Along the way he really enjoyed more of the Texas wildflowers along I-10 and on the back road to McCamey.  A surprise was the large "turkey" seen just south of McCamey!

The bottom picture shows some of the reminders of Charles' experience.  The disk (lower left) is a ceramic coaster made by one of Charles' covenant group members, the Rev. Peggy Hillman.  The bronze cross was presented this morning at the commissioning service for the Academy members. 

The frame (upper right) holds a special prayer (by Fr. Thomas Merton) that was shared early an early Academy session.  Judy Bauman, another covenant group member, presented each of Charles' group with a special reminder of the journey they shared.

The prayer:

O Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me, I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following Your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please You does in fact please You. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire to please You. And I know that if I do this You will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it.

Therefore I will trust You always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for You are ever with me, and You will never leave me to make my journey alone. Amen.
-Fr. Thomas Merton