Quote of the Day

“The basic theme is the one that you have noted: Do not become utterly absorbed in activism! There would be so much to do that one could be working on it constantly. And that is precisely the wrong thing. Not becoming totally absorbed in activism means maintaining consideratio -- discretion, deeper examination, contemplation, time for interior pondering, vision, and dealing with things, remaining with God and meditating about God. One should not feel obliged to work ceaselessly; this in itself is important for everyone, too, for instance, every manager, too, and even more so for a Pope. He has to leave many things to others so as to maintain his inner view of the whole, his interior recollection, from which the view of what is essential can proceed.”

--Pope Benedict XVI
Light of the World, with Peter Seewald

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To the world returning to work today, Happy New Year and welcome back -- hope the downtime was everything you were seeking.

As previously noted, though, with the beat keeping at a standstill as the Christmas Season continues on past yesterday's (Pseudo/Non-)Epiphany, your pages remain slowed down a tad longer....

'Round here, see, you take the rest you can get.

At the same time, the quote above has a special relevance to the news over these days -- a January tradition for the Stateside bench, several of the USCCB regional retreats get underway this morning.

For some of the bishops' 15 sub-groups, the retreats will be their last extended time together before the US' first ad limina visit of B16's pontificate finally gets underway in early November (and continues through the first half of next year, likely finishing before the Vatican's 2012 summer hiatus). For others, meanwhile, informal discussions during the weeklong gatherings will mark the first steps toward a significant broad-scale planning initiative to be developed over the course of 2011, prodded along by some especially attentive encouragement from the Holy See.

As ever, gang, there's always something to keep track of... for now, though, these days are better used to take stock, breathe and pray.

More soon -- 'til then, every continued blessing of Christmas and the New Year to you and yours.


(Lyric/translation.)

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