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Saturday, December 08, 2007

Stick a Fork in me...I'm Overdone.

I've been working on my paper for Spirituality quite literally ALL DAY LONG. I even took it with me to Adoration, because of 8 pages, I only have 3 1/2. And it's not well written. The connections are mush, and in some places, all I can put together are loose ideas.

Here's the topic: the Eucharist as the Source and Summit of our spirituality. This is not a doctrinal paper, but rather about how everything about Catholic spirituality is ordered to and flows from the Eucharist. It's an awesome topic, and seriously, volums have been written on this. But can I string a single coherent sentence together on it? Nope.

I know where I want to go with this paper. The first page is definitions, involves conversion, because conversion presupposes the sacraments. And then discussion on the sacraments and how they are ordered to the Eucharist. And I can't seem to get through this with quotes from our reading. (Please don't take this as a hint to throw theological tomes at me...I need to use the sources I have and the answers are THERE.) And then I will discuss the Eucharist and what it means for the Church, how it's linked to ongoing conversion and prayer, and of course, how it in fact sends us beyond the Church walls into mission territory as evangelists for Christ.

Sure. I can live it, I can summarize it...I cannot put it on paper. So for tonight, I'm giving up. And I may have to get an extension on this paper.

And my paper on God's mercy in the Old Testament? Well, I have the passages and ideas, and even a very rough outline, but I have not begun to type up the actual 6 page essay.

It's all due by Friday night. I'm in a very serious panic right now.

And so I called it quits and called my Mom. She sounds better, said she feels better, is eating solid food now (YAY!), and we had an actual conversation.

And then she said she's sorry she "wrecked Christmas again." Wha?!

I told her she did not wreck Christmas. She insists she always wrecks Christmas.

And I don't know how to get her to see that this is not her fault, she did not wreck anything, stuff happens and the timing isn't up to her.

* sigh *

I'm so glad this is the end of the semester and of the year. Oh, wait...it's Advent...that means it's just beginning! Just like my grad school career. I seriously have 2 1/2 years of this agony left? Really?

Someone tell me again why I'm working on a Master's degree....and tell me how to deal with a mother with a guilt complex no one gave her?

5 comments:

Cathy_of_Alex said...

Adoro: No, those are just about the toughest 2 questions ever. Can I get an easy question like explain the Trinity?

:-)

Praised Be Jesus Christ! I'm glad your Mom is better.

The Ironic Catholic said...

Glad about mom. You can't control her guilt...so just smile and tell her she's being silly. Nothing else you can do.

Papers: Well. Just write them out, try to take a day off (I know, I know) and then go back to them and "clean them up". First drafts are always a mess. Always. Breathe.

Peace, IC

Adoro said...

IC...I can't even get THROUGH a first draft! That's why I'm freaking out!

Cathy...go ahead...explain the Trinity. Every time I try to consider the Trinity I lose my faith.

Deacon Bill Burns said...

You'll get there! Keep on plugging!

Unknown said...

Adoro, the trinity is a mystery you aren't supposed to understand it silly.

All you need to know about theology you really knew when you were five. It is when you get older and try to understand stuff that it gets all muddled.

I like the H2O metaphor for trinity

Ice <-> Water <-> Vapor all H20 but different states of being. They change form but don't change intrinsically.

Besides if your faith isn't shaken to its core when you are in Gradual School you aren't learning anything.

Trust in the Lord Always.