Just wanted to say hi to everybody for a moment.

The increasing carpal tunnel symptoms will force surgery someday; meanwhile I try to get by with much more reading and far less writing. So I don't post anywhere very much.

A gratifying thing happened on my FB page, however. I use it mostly as a political news feed from the usual suspects but of course I do interact now and then with people. One of the most interesting I've met is a young man studying for the Catholic priesthood at a diocesan university in a third world country. He loves Pope Francis very much and may eventually become a Jesuit although he's torn between them and the Franciscans because he has such a heart for nature and the poor. Meanwhile he studies philosophy and psychology as well - so he has some interesting points to make. Good grounding in history too, even though he's still an undergraduate. Liberal for his time and location, so we get along fine.

Point being, he's smart and wise beyond his years. Very dedicated. I hope he sticks with his current goals because Mother Church needs all the help we can offer. I'm someone outside his regular circle of acquaintances and so can offer new avenues for him to explore, such as American authors he might not yet be familiar with. Since their country's really poor and books are expensive and hard to come by, I've offered to refer him to my favorite free e-book websites. He would never ask and doesn't know this yet, but I'm thinking of sending him my older android e-reader for everyone there to share.

He's an orphan taken in by the church; since in his culture older women are more respected than some places I could name, he just calls me 'Ma'. It seems likely that someday there will be a racial minority pontiff; and although I'd never tell him this, I rather enjoy imagining what if I'm offering some encouragement at least to a future pope? It could happen! Since it's also likely that he'll be alive and probably ordained when I die, he's promised to say Mass for me and even bless my grave if he's assigned anywhere near it, and if that proves impossible by that time he should be able to send a friend from closer by to do the job.

And the few but rotten nasty people at our local mission who make it completely impossible for me to attend Mass there will just have to live with the fact that I can lead as Catholic a life as possible despite their interference. Well, actually they won't ever know in this life because I won't tell them, and when I'm gone it will be too late. Just between this DU group and me, I like to wonder if by the time this young man earns his spurs so to speak, the church might even allow confession by Skype under extraordinary conditions. What do you think?