There has been a lot going on over the last few days. I was asked, on Thursday, to give a retreat to the Augustinian pre-novices on Saturday and Sunday. As you can imagine, that required getting the head down to prepare something to say to them. There are 16 pre-novices here, 5 of whom have applied to go to the novitiate this year. The Augustinians are the biggest religious order here and get by far the highest number of applications to join. It is not surprising, therefore, that the bishops of the two largest dioceses in the country (Panama City and Colón) are Augustinians.
The pre-novices are a very impressive group of young men. Very articulate and seem very capable. And, which is terribly important, they seem to be happy, and to get on well with each other and with the professed communit.
The pre-novitiate is in the north of the city and is set in what, until recently, was a rural setting. The friars still have a sizeable garden which they use to provide their own fruit and vegetables - this is not something to take lightly, in the seminary where I stay we rarely see a vegetable and, when they do appear, they are normally peppers or onions, nothing like the variety we would typically have in Ireland. Obviously, this has implications for health - like it or not, vegetables are good for you!
What is not good for you, however, are mosquitoes, and the Augustinian pre-novitiate has plenty of them! I was bitten well over 30 times. In fact, having taken too much sun (not something that is easily avoided here) and the insect bites, I wasn't feeling terribly well when I got back to the seminary I stay in. I'm hoping this will pass as there is also some sort of a virus doing the rounds in the seminary which is hitting lots of people and causing fever, diarrahoea and that sort of thing. Not what I would like to be dealing with when travelling.
On my return I found some people looking for a priest to preside at a service of Renewal of Vows for 36 married couples. The priest that was to join them had backed out at the last minute and they were under pressure. I was able to help them out but I sort of crashed for a while when I got back.
In the evening I had to give a talk to the seminarians. Each week one of the formators (they consider me to be a formator here) gives a talk on Sunday evening which is a reflection on the readings that will be heard at mass during the coming week. I was glad that I had gotten ready towards the end of last week as I wouldn't have had time over the weekend.
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