I am beginning this blog as I begin a three month sabbatical leave.  I have been a priest for 18 years and this is my first opportunity to experience an extended period of renewal.  I am grateful to our Lord for this gracious time and for the gift of my vocation as a priest.  I will be taking my sabbatical in Garden City, Kansas at St. Mary’s parish.  During this three month period of sabbatical I am hoping to enrich my priestly ministry through study and new experiences.  I have chosen four basic areas of study: 1) Social media and new technologies in service to the New Evangelization (hence, my work on this blog, please be patient with me); 2) greater facility in Spanish and a little study of Vietnamese; 3) Stewardship; 4) Priestly spirituality and theology.  I have gathered quite a few books to read and study and I hope to be able to get through most of them during these next months.

I was born in Dodge City, Kansas and that is why I have returned to the Diocese of Dodge City for my sabbatical leave time.  I am hoping to give something back to the Diocese in gratitude for my early spiritual formation.  The bishop of Dodge City offered St. Mary’s as a host and I am grateful to Fr. Charles Seiwert for his gracious hospitality.

I have chosen “Soul’s Rest” as the title of my blog as I believe that we all search for a place of rest for our world weary souls and the only true place of rest is in God.  As St. Teresa of Avila said in her “bookmark”, “Solo Dios, basta.”  “God alone is enough.”  I hope that this blog site can be a place where we can all find a little space of rest for our souls in contemplating the mystery and beauty of our life in Christ who is “hidden in God”.  God calls us to rest, to observe sabbath and to spend this time with him.  Sabbatical is a time for rest and renewal in the Spirit of God.  I invite you all to share this sabbatical time with me.  I will be sharing some reflections on what I am reading and on my encounters with the people of southwest Kansas.  I will also offer some reflections on the lectionary readings for each day and especially for Sunday.

I am new to all of this so be patient as I learn and grow and hopefully become more proficient in using this new media.  Hopefully we can have some fun.  Of course, nothing is possible or valuable without prayer and a true desire to unite ourselves to the will of God.  During these days of sabbatical I am committed to a daily time of prayer for all of you and that the Father will help me to grow in my own priestly vocation.

Today is First Friday so it is off to mass this evening…