Salvete omnes!
Well, ten days to go until my arrival in Cathar territory. Sorry, but I can't help thinking of it in those terms. It's probably the combination of knowing too many Dominicans and, umm... , having once spent my entire summer holidays reading about the Albigensian Crusade. Quite sad, really..! Anyway, 1st October is, Deo volente, arrival day for the six of us (some will get there a day earlier, two with probable jet-lag) in Perpignan. For anyone who's totally lost by now, go back to the FSSP's international site and scroll down to 'Women's Vocations' if it's still up. Scarily, I will in all probability be spending the next nine months of my life speaking French.
God has already been doing wonderful things for me here - my parents are slowly coming to terms with the situation and the fact that I am actually taking this seriously. My relationship with my parents is never likely to be close, but is better right now than it has been, well, since my conversion. For which, God be praised. Does this seem a bit odd to anyone else??? I learn very slowly sometimes, but I think that it did help that I was up-front about this right from the start.
Okay, this is now reading more like a diary entry than a public blogosphere one, but never mind. It's one of the flaws of typing as quickly as you can think - you then find that posts are really long, but can't be bothered to edit them down! The main point was to say one or two things:
1) I am going to seriously miss all of you guys. Contact will be... difficult... I suspect.
2) Ergo, guardian angel post is required. Which means I will still be praying for you all, and would appreciate your prayers (and for the other five and Fr. V.)
3) While I technically can't chicken out now, part of me wants to.
4) I still don't have my passport (it needed renewing). This is a little bit worrying.
5) If anyone knows to how many books 15kg equates, I would appreciate an indication of such.
6) AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
On the 'less-scary' side, I have already been in touch with one of the lasses via e-mail and she seems really nice and is also a musician. She is also probably less freaked out than me about this, which is quite reassuring.
God has already been doing wonderful things for me here - my parents are slowly coming to terms with the situation and the fact that I am actually taking this seriously. My relationship with my parents is never likely to be close, but is better right now than it has been, well, since my conversion. For which, God be praised. Does this seem a bit odd to anyone else??? I learn very slowly sometimes, but I think that it did help that I was up-front about this right from the start.
Okay, this is now reading more like a diary entry than a public blogosphere one, but never mind. It's one of the flaws of typing as quickly as you can think - you then find that posts are really long, but can't be bothered to edit them down! The main point was to say one or two things:
1) I am going to seriously miss all of you guys. Contact will be... difficult... I suspect.
2) Ergo, guardian angel post is required. Which means I will still be praying for you all, and would appreciate your prayers (and for the other five and Fr. V.)
3) While I technically can't chicken out now, part of me wants to.
4) I still don't have my passport (it needed renewing). This is a little bit worrying.
5) If anyone knows to how many books 15kg equates, I would appreciate an indication of such.
6) AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
On the 'less-scary' side, I have already been in touch with one of the lasses via e-mail and she seems really nice and is also a musician. She is also probably less freaked out than me about this, which is quite reassuring.
- Liturgeist | 10:21 AM GMT
Comments [10]
JMR,
* One daily missal and one liber is 2.0-2.5 kg.
* A four volume set of the breviary is 1.5-2.5 kg.
* A copy of Iota Unum is close to 1 kg.
* A copy of Newman's Parochial and Plain Sermons by Ignatius Press is 1 kg.
* A copy of the Penguin Classics edition of Pride and Prejudice is 225 g.
* A small prayerbook (4 x 6 in.) is approximately 150-300 g depending on thickness.
* A copy of Mosebach's The Heresy of Formlessness is approximately 280 g.
* A hardback copy of Pope Benedict's The Spirit of the Liturgy is approximately 350 g.
If you had these items alone that would be 7.0-7.5 kg, which is half your allowance.
I hope I haven't given too much away in terms of what is on my bookshelf. Mind you I would really struggle if allowed only 15 kg of books since my library contains more than 1500 titles.
Here are a few other books and their approximate weights (and measurements) to help you pack:
* A copy of the Penguin edition of Middlemarch is 420 g
* A hardback copy of Wiegel's Witness to Hope (6.5 x 9.5 in., 2.5 in. thick) is close to 1.7 kg.
* A hardback copy of Pope Benedict's Jesus of Nazareth (5.5 x 8.25 in., 1.5 in. thick) is 450 g.
* A paperback copy of Godden's Five for Sorrow, Ten for Joy (5 x 7 in., 1 in. thick) is approximately 300 g.
Apologies for filling your with all these numbers and figures but once an engineer, always an engineer. Apologies too if you possess none of the books which I have listed but at least if you can find someone who has them or books which measure up, then these figures will give you a good idea.
Since you have answered the Lord's call, it's up to Him to do the rest including allaying any of your fears and giving you that joy and peace of soul only he can give. But in case he takes his time, you shall have the prayers of all here in Melbourne.
As for your passport situation I will be praying furiously that it will be resolved in time for you to depart.
L -
I can collect my passport next Wednesday, DG.
My library is in suitcases in Lloyd's loft. I don't think it matches yours yet, though! The trouble is considering too many books 'essential'. The current list of things I want to take is:
Missal
Bible (French - quite large)
Primer of Ecclesiastical Latin
French dictionary (paperback)
****
Liber
Breviary (portiary - 2 small vols)
Ott's Fundamentals
Denzinger
Enchiridion Patristicum
The CCC (in French, pocket edtn)
Histoire d'une Ame(in French)
True Devotion (paperback)
Imitation (v. small copy)
Cardine's Gregorian Semiology (pbk)
*****
As much Aquinas as I can take on top of the above.
Since most of it is paperback, I may be okay, especially if some can be taken as hand luggage (up to 5kg extra there!). What say you?
Okay, so even that list has been cut. Denzinger, Aquinas and the Fathers will have to survive in hand-luggage if there's enough room, but I get 10kg not just 5kg there, so should manage to bring them all.
On the brighter side, I did manage to pack a case with everything I want to take apart from that, which is brilliant because it means I'll have clothes!
I am very proud of you.
JMR,
That's quite an impressive list of works you intend taking.
When I first began taking books of my shelves to weigh on the kitchen scales I gave no thought to Aquinas, Collins, Denziger, Denziger, de Journel, Kempis, Ott and Souer Therese - all of whom I must admit assume pride of place on my bookshelves, with the exception of Collins. I kind of assumed that where you were going would already have the Fathers and (most of) the Doctors of Church, plus copies of the most important spiritual works.
That said, the most important thing is that you will be able to take them all and your clothes, so Deo Gratias for that.
Now all that's left is the matter of one passport in need of renewal.
L,
I don't know what will be available to me there, so figured I'd hedge my bets and bring them with me (at any rate, there will probably not be more than one copy of anything). Plus, Ott, the Imitation, True Devotion and the book on chant are all in English - if there are copies available, they probably won't be.
I almost forgot, will you have a postal address?
Umm... I don't have one yet. Presumably important things could be sent via Fr. V - you could find out the Frat's address in Perpignan easily enough. Or via my parents.
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