Hi all,

As we continue our journey, things are coming together. Our abilities to understand the materials and participate in the discussion is getting better.  We will be leading the prayer service on December 3^rd with a working title of “The Gift of Prayer” focusing on the first Sunday of Advent.

Below is our summary of Saturday’s class.  Comments are always welcome!

On October 20, 2012, we attended our latest class,  happy to see our classmates again. The morning was spent in Spiritual Direction,  as usual.  The first two hours were spent in opening prayer, continued learning about St. Ignatius’ 19^th annotation, and meeting with our Spiritual Director.  We continue to be savor this time.

After Spiritual Direction, we started the class portion of the day.  This portion was led by Deacon Chris and his wife Yvonne.  We began with “Morning Prayer” [a part of the Divine Office] which was conducted by fellow aspirants. Having learned the Divine Office during the last class, it went very well.

An open discussion about the Vatican II document on Divine Revelation, also reviewing the homework which was submitted during the last session. This discussion was intertwined with being honest during prayer. Do we see God’s revelation to us if we are not being honest about ourselves when we pray? God continues to be revealed to us each day, if we are not honest in our prayer, we may miss it.

Lunch was great.  Both the English and Spanish-speaking  Aspirants braved the drizzle and ate together outside.  We shared great food, drink and dessert. Bringing the two classes together, sharing all aspects of the journey, the conversations were spirited and heartfelt.

The work on reading the Old Testament was continued after lunch.  The first five books of the Bible were discussed including the authorship of each book and the history and  archaeology of the Middle East.  A lively discussion ensued about the difference between ” oral tradition” and “written scripture” and how the two affected the workings of the early books of the Bible.

We concluded the day with Evening Prayer or Vespers which we led along with two other aspirants. Future classes will end with a prayer services prepared by each Aspirancy couple.  This will be done for most of the remaining classes.

This class was much more interactive than previous classes.  When the class concluded, we felt less tired than in the past.  The amount of information provided was done at a more manageable pace.

We continue our journey with our classmates, our Instructors and Spiritual Directors, our friends, the community of Holy Family, and each other.

If you have any questions about the Diaconate, please ask us or send us an e-mail to wyb@wyb.com.  We greatly appreciate your prayers and support and will continue to keep you informed of our journey.

Jay and Candy Krueger

Candy & Jay Krueger,

Aspirancy Year, Deacon Couple Formation,

Holy Family Parish, South Pasadena