November: The Advent to Advent

November: The Advent to Advent

November just flew by.  Mid-term time came and went and the assignments continue to stack up.  Winter is learning German well in school and is definitely understanding more.  As a family, we've learned the "Catholic before meals prayer" in Latin, the 'Our Father' and 'Hail Mary' in German and working on the 'Hail Mary' in Latin.  It is amazing how fast the kids pick up other languages and us adults slave to try and remember and make the words stick.

This month, the Winter and Tristan have started violin lessons, which is very exciting.  They practice daily and we'll be starting piano after the Christmas break.  Benedict is so wishing he could be 'bigger'. He so wants to participate in all of the things his two older siblings do, but alas he just isn't old enough. Kate is a bundle of joy.  She is walking around furniture and we eagerly await her to take her first steps.  She loves to eat everything we eat and she loves rolling around in blankets and pillows.

As family, it has been nice to get back into routine again after our crazy month of October.  We're back at Eucharistic Adoration and attending daily Holy Mass as much as we can.  We've also been able to make Sundays a bit more special.  We find ways to take the Gospel reading of the Holy Mass and try to bring the message home with the kids.  The one Sunday, mommy made muffins and we learned about giving as we shared muffins with the families in our apartment.  It has been very rich.

We received a letter from the local school here informing us that Tristan needs to go to Kindergarten (apparently they found that he wasn't enrolled) and it is mandatory here.  We are leaning towards not enrolling Tristan as he is already doing grade one curriculum at home (to send him to Kindergarten would be unfair and boring for him). In addition, as some of you know, Kenton E. is against Kindergarten - especially for boys!  We are still debating whether we will put him in school next year into the Austrian grade one (even though he would have already completed grade one at home) so that he can learn German like Winter is this year. Or maybe we'll keep him out for one more year.  If we do keep him home next year, we will have to put him in the school the year after... "or else!" Several families from the United States and Scotland have already been threatened by the authorities to have Social Services take their children away or force them to return to their countries if they do not put their kids into the local schools. We will see how much push or pull we can get or where the loop holes are- and we will pray!

Here are a few pictures from our November:

Dearest Kate turns 1 year old!

For a larger viewing: http://youtu.be/jd-2nzEQouY

For a larger viewing: http://youtu.be/OftJwgV7EJo


Daddy and his new cast.  Playing soccer and fractured the side of my foot.  Arg!! Benedict is really concerned for daddy here.

Celebrating the Feast Day of St. Mary Queen of Scots
The students organized a 'highland games' for the adults and the kids.  There was war paint, contests, and food and wine.  Very fun.

Here is Benedict getting his warrior paint on.

And Winter's more lady-like war paint.

A tug-o-war with the kids.

Winter here is trying very hard to anchor her team!

Boulder toss (with a cabbage for the kids).  Look closely and find the cabbage!

Now that is a cute throw!  Yeah Benedict!

Our friend Ryan and his daughter Anne.  Benedict and Anne play together all the time.

Winter with her friend Anna getting more war paint on.

Tristan's warrior buds: Marco, Tristan, Johannes, Clement, and Benedict

Kenton's Schooling Update:
I am doing well in my classes.  I am loving Latin.  It is a tremendous challenge, hurts my brain actually, but it is opening up the world of language to me.  I'm understanding our English better and can find Latin words, prefix's and suffix's everywhere and even in German.  Plus, my grammar has been doubled since I've started.  My goal is, when I finish my two years of Latin, to purchase the Douay-Rheims in Latin and to read the Scriptures in the language the Bible was first translated into as a whole canon.  I'm quite excited.  My German is going well, though I'm finding the pace a bit slow.  There are many books published in German that look amazing that I can't read, like Joseph Pieper's scripts on Plato's dialogues.  Thus, I need to learn this language sooner than later, so I'm going to work super hard  in German over the Christmas break to bump me to the next level for the next semester.  Natural Philosophy and Platonic Dialogues are brilliant courses and I'm loving them and learning so much how foundational they are for how we think (or rather should think today).  Logic is a bit tougher.  Becca would say that is because maybe I'm a bit 'illogical' (creative I think is a better word).  I think it is because sometimes Aristotle just can't seem to speak the language of a commoner like me.  So, I blame it on him!  Final exams are right around the corner!  Keep me in your prayers!

Yeah!  Daddy turns 38 and we all get Mommy's amazing Carrot Cake!

Kate and the muffin she loves to eat! http://youtu.be/ISDq64m9DXM

Note Bene:
I learned some interesting things about the Latin Rite Liturgy and the place of Latin in the liturgy this month.  The spirit of the liturgical reform of Vatican II was to keep Latin in the liturgy where we pray our common prayers: 'Our Father', 'Lord, I am not worthy...', 'I confess...', 'Lamb of God you take away...' and so forth.  The sermon and scriptures were to be in the vernacular.  This would allow one to travel anywhere in the world and attend mass and still be able to participate in the prayers for they would be in Latin.  Wow!  This sounds beautiful.  Further, the Latin Rite Mass is founded on the idea of silence so that we are able to contemplate and pray during the Mass.  Often, the silent parts are taken up with songs and hymns because we are so uncomfortable with silence in North America.  If you get a chance to attend an Extraordinary Form of the Mass you will witness these periods of silence which are beautiful moments to think and contemplate and pray. 

Thanksgiving (American) Celebration
This was a great afternoon hosted by our American students.  We began with a mass in the Extraordinary Form, had a hay ride, bon fire, and then celebrated with food, wine and dancing!  It was a ton of fun and great memories for the kids as they ran rampant through the Schloss playing hide and seek and going on adventures.

Our good friend Ryan and his daughter Anne on the hay ride.

Benedict and I on the hayride.  He even got to sit in the tractor to help drive.  It was very exciting!

Dinner in the Russian Cinema.

A Knight's Tale(ish) as we dance up a storm after dinner.  Here is Winter's debut. http://youtu.be/-elbLRwmu4A

Kenton's Reading List
Plato: Symposium
Plato: Phaedrus
Plato: Ion
Aristotle: Categories
Aristotle: On Interpretation
Aristotle: Prior Analytics
Aristotle: Posterior Analytics
Aristotle: Physics Book I, Book II
Aristotle: Metaphysics
Joseph Pieper: Only the Lover Sings
From Aristotle to Darwin and Back Again

Sermon from the Vineyard.
I have learned so much this term it is hard to pick what to sermonize on, but I decided to talk about one comment that sent me reeling.  During the month of October, in the middle of me running from classes to the hospital, a lady asked me how things were going.  I told her.  I expected a reply like 'I'll pray for you,' or 'Es tut mir leid' (I'm so sorry) but instead I get "You are blessed to have received such graces."  I didn't know what to say... so I nodded an affirmative.  And then I thought for a long time on this comment.  Was the suffering we went through a grace?
Before I speak on this, note the word 'we'.  My kids were in the hospital suffering, not me.  Yet, as a father, when my children suffer I suffer too.  I want to put myself in their place so they can be well again.  What does this teach us about the Fatherhood of God?
Was the suffering of the past month a grace?  This is a transformational way of looking at suffering for us.  I rather enjoy the sympathies of people, it comforts me at some level.  But to look at suffering as a grace... now that is a whole new level of spirituality.  As a family we offer up our sufferings as prayers for others (like one would offer up a fast for someone else, or like Jesus offered up His sufferings for us), but to me it was still that - suffering.  James 1:2 tells us to "Count it pure joy when we face trials..." why?  ... for it tests our faith which gives us perseverance and this helps to mature us in our spiritual journey to becoming holy.  Then Justin Flunder was kind enough to remind me that "we are heirs with God and co-heirs with Christ if we share in His sufferings" (Rom. 8:17).  Put all of this together and I need to only thank God for healing my children, but also for the gift of grace in suffering that we received.  For through our suffering we grew closer to Him, closer to each other, and closer to sainthood.
I must admit, I'm horrible at suffering.  I'm more apt to whine, than to thank God for it.  But, intellectually my perspective is changed.  Now this change needs drop into my heart so that I can be like the Blessed Margaret of Castello who said "I would gladly suffer any hardship if it brought just one soul closer to the gates of Heaven."

Benefaciat Vobis Deus.

Kenton E. Biffert

And Advent Arrives!!  
Now that Advent has arrived we begin to have Rorate Masses.  These are Holy Masses that take place in the dark with candles only.  It is a votive Mass celebrated in honor of the Mother of God.  Ours takes place at 6:30am.  Looks like the three kids and I will celebrate these ones!

We went to Vienna and after Holy Mass at the Augustinkirche
we checked out the Advent Markets.

This is of course Winter's favourite shoppe!

 Lots of little shops selling all kinds of things.  Austrians love beautiful dishes and most families here have a set of beautiful designed dishes for special occasions.

This particular Adventmarkt in Vienna was in front of the Rathause (Parliament).

Becca, Kate and Vidia having a Gluhwein - a favourite Advent drink (hot, spiced wine)

Videos for the Grandparents: Kate kissing the mirror http://youtu.be/94PZZDME2Kk

Videos for the Grandparents: Kate building a tower  http://youtu.be/ceN4NJ4mk4I

Videos for the Grandparents: Winter and friends make a museum http://youtu.be/N26bWQny3ZA

Bye. Bye. Bye.  We love you all!  Thank you for prayers and financial supports!!!  And have Christ filled Advent and blessed blessed Christmas!

Mailing Address:

International Theological Institute
Schloss Trumau
Schlossgasse 21
2521 Trumau, Austria

Email: kenton@biffert.com

Love, Kenton, Becca, Winter, Tristan, Benedict, and Kate!

October: the month of fire

Learning to live through trials

This past month was crazy.  It was filled with suffering that we continually offered up.  Our faith was challenged as well as our purpose.  It is amazing how God is always there through the storm.  It is also amazing how God arranges you to read the right book at the right time, or someone gives you a quote at the right time or says something... these little graces are candles in the darkness.

The month of October began with a visit from our Lady in the icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa (or as we loving call the 'Black Madonna'.  The icon was travelling across Europe and spent a night here at ITI.  We, with the ITI community, prayed to Mary and venerated her through the icon for 24hours with a focus on praying for the babies in danger of abortion.  If you look carefully at the icon there is a couple black lines or streaks down Mary's cheek.  The icon, which is said to have been painted by St. Luke, was brought to Jerusalem by Helena of Constantinople. During the icon's many travels there was an arrow that pierced the icon and knife that slashed it.  Artists have tried to paint over the slashes to fix the icon, but every attempt has failed.  The scars stay.  Of course there are miracles attached to the icon as well.  The Polish have a few miraculous victories through prayers to Mary through this icon.  It was wonderful to spend time with our Heavenly Mother during the night.

Parish Church Hike

It is our goal to become a part of the local parish community.  We attend the German mass on Sundays and pray the 'Our Father' and 'Hail Mary' in German at home.  Next will be the daunting task of learning the Apostles Creed in German.  Then, we'll of course learn all the responses in German as well.  The following was a hike with some of the families from the Parish.  They were surprised when a dad showed up with 3 kids and 3 car seats and no car.  No one spoke English so it was great opportunity to practice German and learn to communicate and get to know the fellow parishioners.  The hike was behind Bad Vaeslow in the hills up to one of the Hutte's that sell beer and sausage and strudel at the top.  

Hiking with the Parish Church

Here, Winter and Tristan and Elijah are pretending that the hike was too difficult, and below is a local salamander.

Here we are near our destination, after it had poured on us, looking out over the valley.

One of the many shrines to Our Lady that you see all over Austria.

And then it hit.  The virus from hell.  Kate, Winter and dad got sick and got well.  Then Benedict got hit.  We assumed with the same thing.  We were wrong.  After 4 days of fever, and swelling under his jaw on his neck, we went to the hospital and they sent us home saying it was a virus and they (we) just had to wait it out.  Well, another 5 days went by and we took him in again and his tonsils are swollen and something was growing behind his tonsils and pushing them over his trachea.  If we had waited longer he would not have been able to breathe.  He was immediately put on an IV and monitored for a positive change over the night.  In the morning there was no change and he had a 2.5 hour surgery.  They took out his tonsils and went through the side of his neck to take out the inflammation (you'll see the scar below).  For eight days he was there.  Kate was there with mommy.  Mommy was trying to communicate in limited German to figure out what was happening.  Dad was at home trying daily to arrange a vehicle (as the hospital was in a town 35 min. away), babysitters for Tristan and Winter, supplemental food for Becca at the hospital and still trying to go to classes and keep up with assignments.  Honestly, these weeks are a bit of a blur in our minds.

When Benedict came out of surgery his face was all swollen and nose and mouth were leaking blood and fluid. He had an oxygen mask as well b/c his breathing was quite laboured.

My first time seeing Benedict after his surgery.  He cried and cried when Winter, Tristan and I left because he wanted to go home so bad.  We cried too.

My brave brave son.  The doctors and nurses loved him to bits.  He endured much including the continual struggle the nurses had in finding a vein to pump pain medication and antibiotics into him.  He had a few holes to show us all.  Benedict said he offered up his suffering for his friend Therese back at the campus.

The front of the hospital in Eisenstadt.  Krankenhause Der Barmherzigen Bruder  (Brothers of Mercy Hospital)

Just a cool doorway on our way to the hospital.  We often tried to get a free parking stall which meant having to walk a few blocks.

The Schloss Gardens beside the hospital.

This was an important walk for us.  Benedict was still in the hospital, but we took him out and as a family went for a walk.  It was his first time outside in about 2 weeks and it brought tears to our eyes to see him smile.  He was still pretty weak and could only walk a bit at a time and then had to go back in the stroller... but I think the moments we had brought us all hope.  My little Benedict gave us all quite a scare.

The sign says: No winter service (as in servicing roads and paths).

Benedict trying to smile while he played in the leaves.  His neck and jaw are still pretty stiff at this point.

The grounds of the beautiful Schloss Garten.  Oh... to be a king back in those days...

Sweet Kate playing.  Here we were back at the hospital on the Monday after the Friday we got Benedict to home to check the results of the testing on the material removed from his throat and lymph nodes.

This is us saying good bye to the hospital after we were told the material was not cancerous. We were very happy to be going home finally as a family.  We decided to get a few groceries, since we had a vehicle, before we went home...little did we know this wasn't really a good bye photo... more like a 'see you in an hour' photo...

And... we're back in the Kinder Abteilung (department) of the hospital.  Why?  Tristan.  We were at the grocery store and Becca called Tristan's name but he didn't respond.  He just stood there staring into space.  Becca, suspecting a seizure, held on to him while he twitched.  People gathered around.  He wasn't responding and the seizure was about 2 minutes long.  Finally, his body relaxed into my lap and he fell into la la land.  The ambulance was called and we were back at the hospital.  There he had another seizure, but not as long and thus was admitted over night for the next two nights while they tested for epilepsy.
On the way to the hospital, trying to follow the ambulance, I got lost and took a turn through a small parking lot and bang - there are the Polizei right behind me.  I guess I was not allowed to go through that parking lot.  I begged for mercy and explained I was trying to find Das Krankenhause and they let me go.
Then I parked in the hospital Parkhause as I was directed to do so by the cops.

On that afternoon, while in the hospital, I received a call to get the vehicle back to ITI as it was booked.  I rushed out with Benedict and tried to leave the parking lot by sticking my ticket into the machine.  It wasn't working.  I tried all my credit cards as well.  Cars were lining up behind and there were shouts in German.  I got out and went car to car trying to get help.  Finally, a gentleman explained that I had to take my ticket back down to the hospital (a block away), pay at the machine and walk back up and then put my ticket in.  I got the folks behind me to back up and trying to not get frustrated, hoisted Benedict and proceeded to the hospital to pay.

And then I got to the Tankstelle (gas station) to fill up because I realized the tank was empty. My no good, very bad day is just continuing...  Now I had been told that one old vehicle on the campus was diesel.  This van was newer, but I thought I had better check.  So I went to call on my handy (cell phone) to check, but at that moment my minutes ran out.  So in my kerfuffled brain, I thought as most cars in Canada are gas, this must be as well, and put in 25 Euros.   Well, I drove about half home and the van stopped on a ramp off the hiway.  Blocking traffic.  The coldest day we've had so far (around 0 degrees) and Benedict is with me.  Kate and Mommy and Tristan are at the hospital with nothing but the clothes they were wearing.  And, my stink'n das Handy isn't very handy.  I stop a car and they don't speak a lick of German as they are from Hungary (Eisenstadt is 10min. from the Hungary border).    Finally, I convinced the guy to call a number on his cell.  We get through.

And then we wait.  Benedict and I cuddled in the van and talked about what all the buttons on the dash do for the next couple hours. Well 4 hours.  After leaving the hospital at 1pm, we arrive at our apartment at 6pm.

And then we eat... we had breakfast at 7:30am and had anticipated being home for lunch.  Neither of us had eaten all day.  I quickly tried to feed a sandwich to Benedict and Winter, pack up, grab another vehicle that arrived, arrange for the payment to fix the van (150-300 Euros) and fly back out to the hospital with clothing and Kate's night time sleep stuff.

Two days went by and Tristan was tested and we were set to go on our pilgrimage to Lisieux, France to the home of St. Theresa.  His tests came back clean and there is no signs of epilepsy, though they want to test him again in a month.  It turns out he had a touch of tonsillitis and a fever that came on so quickly that none of us knew.  At the grocery store his body quickly spiked in temperature and threw him into the febrile convulsions.

We came home and Winter came down with the fever. That did us in.  We canceled the pilgrimage with great disappointment.  We had been reading 'Story of a Soul' by St. Theresa as a family and the kids were really understanding her 'little way' and practicing making little sacrifices.

Then, the hammer came down and I received a $603 bill from the hospital for Benedict's stay with Tristan's stay forthcoming.  Ugh.  Are you feeling my pain yet?  Does it end?  Sheesh!
So, to tick off Satan, who insists on stealing from us, we found opportunities to give and we gave and gave and gave again.  Ha!  Betcha that isn't the response he expected!







Benedict and his healing war wound.

This is the Jewish graveyard outside of Benedict's hospital window.   A good reminder that life is not only short, and unpredictable, but also unbelievably precious.  As a father, I knew that if I needed to move anywhere and sell everything to see my son live and be well again, I would do so.  There is no price one can place on my child.  I would give my life.  

These weeks have brought many questions to us.  Like 'what in the world are we doing here?' for one.  Megan Salin from St. Martin's sent me a timely quote from St. Theresa of Lisieux:

"May today there be peace within.  May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be."  

Maybe we didn't need to go to Lisieux after all.  The word we needed we got right here.

Oh yeah... somewhere in this month we had a birthday for my beautiful wife Rebecca.  She turned 35 this month.

As October came to a close, the ITI gained a herd of sheep that now roam the Schloss Garten.  This was Benedict's first time out to see the sheep.  He named this one Benny.

Benny loves to be petted!

 Kate is introduced to Benny as well!

 Tristan!  Stop chasing the sheep!

 Little sweet Kate!

This video isn't really too exciting.  It is more for the Grandparents, to see how cute the grandkids are.

And a fun video of Kate for the Grandparents.

Kenton's Reading List October (in full and in part): 
Plato: Phaedo
Plato: Eutyphro
Plato: Laches
Plato: Gorgias
Plato: Timaeus
Fragments of the Presocratics
Aristotle: Categories
Aristotle: On Interpretation
Peter Kreeft: Socratic Logic
Joseph Pieper: Only the Lover Sings
St. Theresa of Lisieux: Story of a Soul
Catechism of the Catholic Church

Biffert Sermon from the Mount of Grapes:
Honestly, this whole month has been a sermon to me, but I have learned other things as well.
I'll start with a quote from Socrates in Gorgias:

Premise: In order to be happy one needs to fix any injustice done by oneself by putting oneself under the law.  For suffering cures the soul of injustice.
"[One] should accuse himself first and foremost, and then too his family and anyone else dear to him who happens to behave unjustly at any time; and that he should not keep his wrongdoing hidden but bring it out into the open, so that he may pay his due and get well; and compel himself and the other not to play the coward, but to grit his teeth and present himself with grace and courage as to a doctor for cauterization and surgery, pursuing what's good and admirable without taking any account of the pain.  And if his unjust behaviour merits flogging, he should present himself to be whipped; if it merits imprisonment, to be imprisoned  if a fine, to pay it; if exile, to be exiled and if execution, to be executed   He should be his own chief accuser, and the accuser of other members of his family, and use his oratory for the purpose of getting rid of the worst thing there is, injustice..." 480c,d

Now, read it again.  This is good stuff.  If this isn't convicting I don't know what it is.  What challenge to each of us.  Integrity is the highest road.  We can't be happy by avoiding justice.  If we are living with a soul that is corrupted by unjust acts, sin, thoughts, omissions, we need justice.  Justice is the cure to our soul and in that justice is usually pain.  Kind of like a spanking.  But, when the pain is done, and the cleansing is complete, joy fills its place.  I love his challenge to have courage and take responsibility for our own actions without having someone to call on it.  Man, if the men in our country could rise up to be real men and take responsibility for their actions with grace and courage, we'd have a different country and far less aborted babies.  This challenged me in two ways: one to humble myself and to go to confession more frequently and two: to self impose more penance in my life.  To fast more, to sacrifice more, to pray more in order to irradiate this nature that doesn't want to pray and doesn't want to fast and hates to sacrifice.

The End.

The house where we live:
http://youtu.be/edDxk5aIUDc
For those of you who asked for a little video tour of our apartment - here it is.  It was too big to upload so just follow the link to youtube.

All Saints Day/All Souls Day
As October comes to an end we arrive at the Hallow'd Eve of All Saints Day - a national holiday.  We don't celebrate Halloween here.  All Souls Day as well is a National Holiday.  We end our All Saints Day party with prayers in Church cemetery for the souls in purgatory.

 The graves are decorated with flowers, statues and candles and people come and make prayers throughout the day and night.

And we say Good-Bye to all our friends back home, whom we miss so much, may God bless you all and give you peace.

Thank you's:
Thank you to all of you who prayed and fasted for us this month.
Thank you for all the emails of support.
Thank you to all the moms here at ITI for all the meals and babysitting they did for us.

That's all folks.  Don't be afraid to leave us a note at the bottom so we know we can can connect with you! Tchuss!

Our mailing address is:
International Theological Institute
Schloss Trumau
Schlossgasse 21
2521 Trumau, Austria

Email: kenton@biffert.com

Love, Kenton, Becca, Winter, Tristan, Benedict, and Kate!

Benedict riding from the Schloss to the campus at sunset.