I've been pleasantly surprised to see that fewer people need to sit six feet apart and more are ok sitting next to each other.  So, I added more chairs in the parish hall.

     Yesterday, I raced for the first time in two years at Winding River Park with the Ocean Running Club.  The 89F temperature eclipsed my previous record by one degree.  The heat index was 98F, about five degrees higher.  I tied my maximum heart rate record of 203 during the sprint at the end.  Because of the heat and need to maintain hydration, I ran slower at 8:01 per mile in order to keep my heart rate under 190 until the end.  I may have finished 9th out of 26 based on the pictures.

     Even though I ran with other people for the first time, it was surprisingly quiet.  It's even quieter when I run by myself.  With the pandemic much lessened locally and summer upon us, I'm enjoying the calmer pace to life.  I'm even running like a middle aged man by pacing better in order to run faster.  The summer is also turning out to be a good time to improve things on campus.

     This greater silence makes it more possible to listen to God in prayer.  What does God want of us?  Who is God?  Who are we?  I'm reminded that God is all powerful and all knowing.  He loves us wonderfully.  He knows the deepest longings of our hearts and desires to super fulfill those great desires.

     Cultivating silence takes effort.  It's worth the effort.  We find God who has already been looking for us.

God love you,

Fr. Jim