The ability to accept and weather suffering is a fundamental condition for succeeding as a human being. Where it is never learned, existence is doomed to failure. Being up-in-arms about everyone and everything contaminates the ground of the soul, so to speak, and turns it into barren land. The priest must learn how to cope with pain — formerly one spoke of asceticism in this context. No one likes this word any longer; it becomes more palatable when we translate it from Greek into English — training. Everyone knows that without training and the will-power that goes with it there is no success. Nowadays one trains for all kinds of skills with enthusiasm and persistence, and in this way record performances in many areas are possible that were once deemed inconceivable. Why does it seem so outlandish to train for real life, for the right life — to practice the arts of self-denial, of self-control, and of freeing ourselves from our addictions?
- Pope Benedict XVI

2. Made an awesome omelette.

3. Have manged my “5-a-day” every day this week.

4. No panic today.

5. Responding to bad things with humour.

6. People love me.

7. I am safe.

8. My family is safe.

9. Cleisthenes.

8. Soft warm things.

Hope this lasts.

2. Church.

3. CathSoc quiz night.

4. Seeing mum &sister tomorrow.

5. Warmth.

6. Clocks going back = more sleep.

7. Ordered nice clothes.

8. Wrote some letters I’d been putting off.

9. Appletise.

10. Soft things.

11. Corguettes.

12. Headscarves.

13. Gallows humour.

14. Chocolate.

15.Having enough energy.

2. Friends being happy.

3. Having the batman theme tune as my alarm in the morning.

4. Pesto.

5. Anniversaries, birthdays and other events that cause cake-sharing.

6. Songs from My Fair Lady.

7. Sunlight.

8. Realising that someone I thought I’d upset wasn’t actually upset by me at all.

9. Warm fleeces.

10. Seeing my mum and one of my sisters this week.

11. Bacon sandwiches.

12. Watching a friend juggle.

13. Ensuing “playing with balls” innuendoes.

14. Intentionally misusing slang.

15. Cheesy music.

16. Bob Dylan.

17. Not being tired.

2. I made a nutella cake. Since I didn’t actually follow a proper recipe, but just added nutella to a recipe for sponge cake, it didn’t entirely work – the middle still was goo. But there was still a lot of good cake.

2. Buy one get one free deals on potatoes.

3. I did 3 loads of laundry.

4. Latin excercises were easier than I thought they would be.

5. Philosophy seminar tomorrow.

6. Simon’s birthday.

7. Andy’s bithday, and the birthday brownies that he shared.

8. Really helpful sesson with study-mentor.

9. I have a whiteboard in my room now.