Quick Thoughts

I realized yesterday how lucky I am to be here at Georgetown. Before one of my classes began, two fellow students were discussing Russian politics. They compared a falling-out between current Russian President Vladimir Putin and a former political ally to the falling-out between Stalin and Trotsky. They thought the comparison was hilarious, and I had to smile at the fact that we all understood the joke.

Later in the class, we were asked who had visited the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey. Several classmates had, and several others were later talking about their experiences in the Holy Land. This university has an amazing group of students and faculty with immense international experience, and I'm really priveleged to be here.

I do Hebrew homework at my work-study job in the government department. So many people come up to me and talk in Hebrew, and so many others share with me their own experiences in Israel. As my Israeli professor, Yossi Shain, would say, "Golly Gee."

A close friend of mine is "coming out" to his parents. No, he's not gay, but he has heard God's call to full-time ministry. Since he's Catholic, this means he'll become an ordained priest and live a celibate life. The Church will be his spiritual family, and he'll devote his life in service to others and the Gospel. Him and his parents could both use our prayers now- they're in for quite a surprise, and my roomate isn't expecting the experience to be pleasant.