New York, the weekend before last

This is looking over the river, towards New Jersey, from the bike path that goes along the west side of Manhattan.

This is a little cafe called 'La Lanterna' in Manhattan. It was really chilly out but they had a fire going in the fireplace, and we sipped coffee and ate chocolate cake... very cozy!

On Sunday evening we walked from the West Village to the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola

up by Central Park... so all the way across town,

and over 80 blocks uptown. We went to evening Mass at St. Ignatius, which is a gorgeous church, and then took the train back to New Jersey.

Hiking in New Jersey

The weekend before last, Jason and I went hiking in a forest in New Jersey that was really beautiful. The trees were just starting to change color and fall was definitely in the air.

This small cave and pool of water was strangely sinister - I didn't like it at all. The water looks

deceptively shallow, but it dropped off quickly and was actually quite deep.

October 4th - San Francesco d'Assisi

"How St. Francis Freed Some Doves and Made Nests for Them,"
from The Little Flowers of St. Francis (13th century AD)

A boy of the town of Siena caught a number of turtle doves in a snare, and he was carrying them all alive to the market to sell them. But St. Francis, who was always very kind and wonderfully compassionate, expecially toward gentle animals and little birds, was stirred by love and pity on seeing the doves. And he said to the boy who was carrying the doves: "Good boy, please give me those doves so that such innocent birds, which in Holy Scripture are symbols of pure, humble, and faithful souls, will not fall into the hands of cruel men who will kill them." The boy was inspired by God to give all the doves to St. Francis.

When the kind Father had gathered them to his bosom, he began to talk to them in a very gentle way, saying: "My simple, chaste and innocent Sister Doves, why did you let yourselves be caught? I want to rescue you from death and make nests for you where you can lay your eggs and fulfill the Creator's commandment to multiply. And St. Francis took them with him and made a nest for all of them.

And the doves settled in the nests made by St. Francis, and laid their eggs and reared their young right among the friars, and they increased in numbers. They were so tame and familiar with St. Francis and the other friars that they seemed to be like chickens that had always been raised by the friars, And they did not leave until St. Francis gave them permission, with his blessing.