Upcoming projects: No promises, but pray for me...maybe I'll get some of this done.

I started this blog earlier this semester as a repository for my writings and whatnot, also for things that are just on my mind that I want to share or otherwise report. Unfortunately, there's this thing called schooling that keeps me from more educational pursuits, like writing.

Wait. Allow me to rephrase: schooling keeps me from more educational pursuits, like writing what I want to.

In the next three weeks, I have to write and submit five papers--it shouldn't be too bad, provided I get a good start this week, and also since two of the assignments are so simple that I've gotten approval from the professors involved to write a paper to fulfill the assignment for one and then edit it to fit the requirements for the other. In reality, I have to write four papers, plus one "second edition" of another. Not so terrible--most of these papers are on subjects I find very pleasing; it's not as if I were writing lengthy scientific research analyses (not to say that I don't like science, I'm just not a fan of writing about it) or other such things--I get to write about Philosophy (somewhat fun) and Theology (fun par excellence).

But I digress.

The reason I make this post is sort of as a preview of the projects I wish to undertake over the summer. I think it would be a good idea to keep myself occupied by something to keep my mind and spirit working when my body is not (i.e. when I'm not making money, I should be storing up other sorts of treasures, as the Gospels would have it). I have three such projects in mind:

In the first place, I have long contemplated doing a series of reflections on the mysteries of the Rosary, and I have some good things in mind for this. This will probably be about a week long project in the summer, maybe very soon after school gets out.

In the second, I am going to begin a large project wherein I will simply gather writings I have already produced, most especially since I started at Belmont Abbey, but possibly some earlier ones, and compiling them into a single location. Afterward, I will work on editing them (so this will be an ongoing thing) so that they could be compiled into one work rather than remaining disparate. This is mainly being done for the sake of doing it, but also because it may give me some foundation for writing my thesis in a couple of years (that's only three semesters away, you know) as well as for other things I may do in the future. I may publish this online somewhere (probably as a PDF or something, not sure yet), but I don't know yet. It may be something that's done on demand, but we'll have to see if I can get it done first.

Finally, I am planning a major project that I'm not entirely sure of the topic yet, but I would like to write a lengthy commentary on something. At the moment, I have two possibilities in mind: either the Psalms, which would be rather easy considering my familiarity with them, or else the Encyclicals and other writings of Pope Leo XIII. I recently got a book of about half of his encyclicals compiled, and I look very much forward to reading it after I finish the Confessions of St. Augustine.

This leads me to remember another project I would like to undertake by means of this blog: I have read a number of books this semester both on my own and for my classes, and I would like to do some commentary on them, as it's been some very beneficial stuff. At least to me, that is--my commentaries are probably going to be for the sake of doing them, and if someone else gets something out of it, wonderful. God be praised, as the Abbot would say in similar circumstances.

So that's pretty much what I have planned, whether it happens or not, we shall see. The Rule of St. Benedict says that we should, before beginning a work, pray that it be brought to completion. So I will start praying that these things may be completed, and I hope that if there's anyone out there who reads this, they'll pray for me too.