2nd letter of November 2005

2) 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, November 13, 2005

Monday, November 07, 2005.
This week the liturgical team in our community is Father Rocco, Harno and me. I attended Amos class in the morning and at 10 to 11.30 at the Bernardin Center, our presiding professor, Father Fragomeni watched our videotape of the first Mass in English. Overall mine is excellent despite some gestures that need to be improved next time. at 1 to 3.45 p.m. I attended the presiding class and we learned how to give sacrament of anointing to the sick person. At 4 to 5 p.m. I attended the colloquia of MA comprehensive exam in which Mary Frohlich, the director of MA, Steve Bevans, svd and Angela, an MA student shared us how to prepare the comps exam. I came home late and joined the lectio divina of the community led by Father Rocco. In the evening Valery asked me favor to see how to choose the courses at CTU for the Spring semester 2006. Delightfully I told him what to do with it.

Tuesday, November 08, 2005.
At my room in the morning I did type my second paper of EMP class for today. While I was doing this paper, Harno came in my room asking advice of his study plan for next Spring semester 2006 and I shared what I know of the CTU system. In the evening I attended the EMP class and submitted my 16 pages paper.

Wednesday, November 09, 2005.
I attended Amos class then I met my M.Div advisor, Gil Ostdiek, ofm to ask his signature for my spring semester courses. I just need two more courses for M.Div program. I am taking three courses for the Spring including two MA courses while in the January term I am taking one capstone/seminar only one credit and one MA spirituality course for three weeks. After supper I studied the Chia’s class until midnight.

Thursday, November 10, 2005.
In the morning I had mid term exam of Chia’s class. Even though I have studied and memorized many things but in the essay questions I did not answer them satisfactorily. I have tried my best to learn of it but I guess my capability to memorize the subject is diminishing due my age. In the evening I cooked rice and Soto Betawi (a sort of beef soup) and pecel (vegetable salad with peanut dressing). The holy hour was led by Father Rocco and we shared our experiencing of someone who impressed us as a icon figure to experience Christ Jesus in our life. We had community meeting at 7.30 p.m. talking about the Cosuma document on Theology of Mission. I prepared the reflection at night for tomorrow’s Mass.

Friday, November 11, 2005.
In the morning Mass I was sharing my experience based on the Gospel today. The first question I addressed was how many days have you been living in this world? I shared that I have been living in this world about 11,350 days and I have been living in the USA for 1,100 days. From 10 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. my presiding group, namely, Joseph, cssp, Long Phi, svd and Peter, svd came to the Xaverian house to plan our group assignment, namely, the Infant Baptism and the rite of Full communion in the catholic church in the Mass. It will be held at CTU on Monday, November 21. Directly after we finished the discussion, I typed the whole rites in English and learned of it since I have role as a presider in this action.

Saturday, November 12, 2005.
Today is the third year of my stay in the USA. I uttered my thanksgiving prayer in the Mass and an exciting day for me because now I can donate my blood to Blood Center in the USA. There is a rule in the USA that I can donate my blood after living consecutively three years here because my country, Indonesia is a malaria risk area. With this promise and agenda, I went to downtown to give my blood. Ignas, Valery and Syafa took me there as they went to shopping. After I came to the building, unfortunately, it’s closed. So, I have to postpone it till Tuesday when I don’t have class in the morning. At least I have to be patient at this thing I have kept in mind since my first months I live in the USA. I went to Chinatown by CTA to buy mustard seed vegetable and went home. I did laundry and ironing my clothes. I was little bit dizzy maybe because my hope to give blood is delayed. I took a nap for a while and cooked rice and pork mustard seed vegetable soup (sayur asin baikut daging babi). In the evening I prepared lesson for the confirmation class tomorrow at Saint Therese church in Chinatown. I went to bed earlier since my headache was still going on.

Sunday, November 13, 2005.
Ignas took Valery and me to Saint Therese at 8 a.m. I met Father Mark Schramm, svd who came to the church to supervise deacon Paul, svd. At 9.30 Mass presided by Father Aniello, deacon Paul was preaching and I participated in distributing communion to the congregation, alternated Cesare, s.j. Father Michael goes to Boston to attend the Chinese Conference with George so Father Aniello presided all Masses. Soon after the Mass finished, I came to the basement to teach the confirmation class. Today all 6 kids came and I gave them a lesson about the Bible with interesting game. They did competition into two groups and it seemed that they enjoyed and bit nervous to win the game. This game worked in Indonesia and it worked as well here in the USA. I’m glad to know their enthusiasm to participate it. They are less trouble than the confirmation group I had two years ago with Petrus. Today there was Indonesian Mass presided by Father Rudi, osc at Saint Therese from 11 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. I met some friends such as Sister Magdalena, SSPs who worked in Mexico City and knows very well Maryono, one Indonesian Xaverian student who studies theology in IFTIM, Mexico. There were about 60 people coming to this Mass. There was a celebration of birthday for Father Jack, c.m. and others who have birthday this month including myself. After the lunch, the Indonesian Catholic group of Chicago had meeting at Saint Therese. At 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. I did meditation with Agnes before the tabernacle. Normally, Father Michael does lead the meditation. Since he is not here today, so I led it as he told me last week. With the kindness of Mulianto, one of the Indonesian Catholic leaders in Chicago, I could go home at Hyde Park soon since I asked him favor to give us (Dharmawan and I) a ride. I returned home at 5.10 p.m. and Father Victor was very happy to see my arrival since he is waiting for me to cook for our community. Fortunately, from Chinatown I got some food, Chinese noodle that was given by Agnes. So, I just warmed it up together with Lasagna I have prepared this morning. In the evening I type this journal in order to keep my faithfulness in writing my story in this weekly journal. In the meditation today at Saint Therese, I was sleepy but after an hour meditation, I felt fresh and healthier than ever and my yesterday headache was gone.