A Final Word on Vocations

A Final Word on Vocations

First, an apology to anyone who may have been following my blog while I was in seminary. I meant to write about my newest insight into my vocation a while back, closer to the end of my seminary career, but time and the events of life have prevented me from posting once more.

Throughout my time in seminary, even before I actually entered, I had begun to notice a deep and persistent unsettling feeling. It pertained to a sense of disconnect regarding what I was doing with my life. Soon, I began to face this lack of peace and ask the question, “What does this mean for my vocational discernment?” to which I did not soon receive an answer. This was during a pastoral year, which ended in my being requested to look elsewhere for a priestly vocation. At this point, that unsettling feeling began to stir and turn to a great sense of unease and confusion and frustration.

I spent the next year working and distanced myself from the pursuit of the priestly vocation. A nagging within me would not allow me to totally move on from this pursuit, and I returned to the Diocese under a new administration, which sent me to seminary. I was still burdened by the same spiritual and vocational unease as before, but hoped seminary would help things go back to the way they had been, when I did not question my vocation and was at peace, despite the frustrations of the pursuit. Things did change in seminary, but not in the way I thought they would.

Seminary allowed me, and forced me, to face the great sense of unease and confusion and frustration, spiritually and vocationally. I was led to look at myself and face the unease, and God revealed much to me and I grew tremendously in self-knowledge and honesty. This enabled me to present myself to God anew in prayer, and enabled me to begin to recognize His voice in a renewed and more personal way. The doubts and confusions began to give way to unexpected clarity.

I went to the Institute of Priestly Formation in Omaha, as was mentioned in previous posts. Here God, Who had opened my heart and begun to stir me deep within, revealed Himself to me in ways I had come to doubt were even possible. I came to know God, not simply to know about Him. He changed me in deep ways, and, a year later, I am still growing from this initial transformation. At the same time, I came to know myself, in Christ, in a more real and complete way. All of the doubts and confusions about life and my vocation, which had begun to clear up, though pointing toward previously unforeseen paths, were finally comprehendible, and I saw God’s hand on everything.

The result was a confirmation of my newest suspicions that, while it is a great vocation, I do not think that God is ASKing me to be a priest. I saw, too, that my love for the priesthood never had a real sense of “calling” to it, so much as “fascination.” I began to honestly face this feeling, and talk to the Father constantly about it, knowing (not simply thinking, but knowing) that He is here with me, loves me, and is listening to me and speaking to me. The power of His voice liberated me from so many worries, doubts, confusions, poor self-esteem, poor ways of thinking, lack of self-confidence, lack of trust in Him, etc. I had never ever known such clarity of thought and peace of mind, all rooted in and flowing from the Trinity.

By the end of the summer, I almost saw no point in returning to seminary, for the conclusion of my discernment seemed so clear, but I saw that one more semester can only be a good thing, giving me a sense of closure and a time to test this new conclusion. This is why my posts turned toward the subject o f what benefits vocational discernment, for I had finally found the secret to discernment: a true filial, trusting prayer life rooted in a perceived understanding of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, real, close, full of love and mercy; a deep, honest knowledge of self; and a patience to await God’s timing, coupled with an eagerness and persistence in prayer and petition to know God and His will. One must also seek out the counsel of wise men, yet know how much weight to give their counsel, and know when YOU know best what to do, after weighing the counsel of the wise, for they cannot decide for you.

I persevered through the Fall semester of 2008, all the while believing that this was my last semester, yet praying everyday that God would show me with sufficient clarity that I had discerned well. I grew more in that summer and that semester than ever before then. My discernment went deeper and deeper everyday that went by, and I left seminary at the end of the semester with the greatest sense of love, joy, peace, clarity, and freedom, and the understanding that I was following Christ as He led me out of the seminary. Now, six months later, I still feel exactly the same, and with an ever deepening sense of God’s abiding Presence. I have never had a doubt or a second-guess about leaving seminary. It is true, what they told me in Omaha: you can know what God wills for you.

More on Vocations

Pope Benedict XVI addressed this homily to seminarians attending World Youth Day, in St. Pantaleon's Church, in Cologne, Germany, on August 19, 2005. This is an English translation of the text which was delivered in German, English, French, Spanish, and Italian.

COLOGNE, Germany, AUG. 19, 2005 (Zenit.org)

The following is a excerpt from the homily that speaks wisely about vocational discernment.

The seminary years are devoted to formation and discernment. Formation, as you well know, has different strands which converge in the unity of the person: It includes human, spiritual and cultural dimensions. Its deepest goal is to bring the student to an intimate knowledge of the God who has revealed his face in Jesus Christ. For this, in-depth study of Sacred Scripture is needed, and also of the faith and life of the Church in which the Scripture dwells as the Word of life. This must all be linked with the questions prompted by our reason and with the broader context of modern life. Such study can at times seem arduous, but it is an indispensable part of our encounter with Christ and our vocation to proclaim him.

All this is aimed at shaping a steady and balanced personality, one capable of receiving validly and fulfilling responsibly the priestly mission. The role of formators is decisive: The quality of the presbyterate in a particular Church depends greatly on that of the seminary, and consequently on the quality of those responsible for formation.

Dear seminarians, for this very reason we pray today with genuine gratitude for your superiors, professors and educators, who are spiritually present at this meeting. Let us ask the Lord to help them carry out as well as possible the important task entrusted to them.

The seminary years are a time of journeying, of exploration, but above all of discovering Christ. It is only when a young man has had a personal experience of Christ that he can truly understand the Lord’s will and consequently his own vocation. The better you know Jesus the more his mystery attracts you. The more you discover him, the more you are moved to seek him. This is a movement of the spirit which lasts throughout life, and which makes the seminary a time of immense promise, a true "springtime."

A bit on Vocation:

"Prayer itself, born in Catholic families, nurtured by programs of Christian formation, strengthened by the grace of the sacraments, is the first means by which we come to know the Lord’s will for our lives. To the extent that we teach young people to pray, and to pray well, we will be cooperating with God’s call. Programs, plans and projects have their place; but the discernment of a vocation is above all the fruit of an intimate dialogue between the Lord and his disciples. Young people, if they know how to pray, can be trusted to know what to do with God’s call."
Pope Benedict XVI

Summer 2008

I have been at the Institute for Priestly Formation at Creighton University for just over a month now. This is truly an outstanding and necessary program for seminarians to attend. The 8-day Ignatian retreat is the highlight, as they say it is here, but the classes, the faculty, and the mood of the program are also extraordinary. The pictures of the Chapel on the website are old. The Chapel has been beautifully renovated in the last two years.

Omaha is full of fun and excitement. In June, some of the seminarians went with me to the German Day celebration at the German American Society of Omaha. We had Warsteiner beer and Brats, Schnitzel sandwiches, German Potato Salad, and Sauerkraut, with the folks in traditional German attire, sprechen-ing ein bisschen deutsch, and having a gut old zeit. There were band and good fun. Yeah, culture!

I am sure you have heard of the tornadoes and other wild weather that haunt Omaha summers. We have fared well so far, but have come close to some violent winds.

Just wanted to check in. I hope to update this post with some more details, when I get them together. Enjoy and relax this summer. Relish the leisure, contemplate the higher things, love the life God has given you, drink a beer and sit outside with friends and music, and...

have a safe and Happy Fourth of July!

Pax Christi

Der Friede des Herrn sei allezeit mit euch.

Well...

I believe I have failed in my promise to post about the Pope's visit upon our return. "Busy busy bee" still applies to me!

So, briefly, it was truly great; a thrill beyond words; to see the representative of Christ on earth standing and smiling just about 30 feet away at times, with thousands and thousands of the Christian faithful yelling with joy and singing "Viva"...."Papa" and the St. Charles seminarians stealing the show for about one minute while chanting the Domine Salvum Fac..., a song honoring a priest, bishop, or in this case, the Pope himself!!!

I have some pictures but my camera died conveniently before the Pope came onto the stage in Dunwoodie, but I am waiting for some pictures from the Academic Dean, who took some more successfully than me.

go to the link to see some of the pictures, and I will try to post more soon.

Exams are upon me so I will stop here. Pray for all studying for finals. I have Medieval Philosophy on Monday, Greek on Tuesday, Dogmatic Theology on Wednesday, and Epistemology on Friday.

Almost done.

Frieden Brüder!

Busy busy bee.

Welcome back!
Thanks, it has been a while.
Where ya been?
Oh, just busy: papers, quizzes, readings, events... you know...seminary.
Oh, that makes since.

For the purposes of clarification, the visit to see the Pope is Saturday, April 19th and Sunday, April 20th. That was not made clear, apparently. I do intend to take my camera with me, so I will post whatever pictures I can snap.

Coming up is the Diocesan Pilgrimage . Be sure to check it out and try to go, but it may be too late to sign up. Ooops.

Will try to post more soon. All is well. We finish classes May 2nd; exams are done by May 9th, and we are done on Friday May 16th for the summer.

Pax tecum.

Long Time, No Post

Seminary is still proceeding...busy, so few posts lately, but now home for Easter break.

It seems like winter is over, soon to be official when Spring arrives. We had one real "blast," from a Southerner's perspective, "flurries" from a "Yankee" (!) perspective, but that is about enough to satisfy me.

Midterms have come and gone, as has the first paper that I have written for a grade in about five years. It wasn't too bad. I have another one to work on while home for break. Thanks, Medieval Philosophy professor!

Greek, and German on the side, is going well.

Check out a local Catholic family blog, filled with wild and clever kids. This post is a prime example of the hilarity.

Once we return from Easter break, there will be just over a month left before summer break. I have found out the official word on the summer occupation. I will be at Creighton University attending a Spirituality program with the Institute for Priestly Formation. Click the link to find out more about it. I was hoping I would be able to go here, from what I have heard about the program. It is perfect timing for me, I believe, to attend this program. Discernment is often a long and arduous process, made so for many reasons (I will stop there). This program is designed to help fully integrate the call from God, and understand the call from God. Fitting in to the seminary system, it should be a time of self-discovery and self-knowledge, a vital element to fully understanding a vocation. As I mentioned to a friend of mine in a recent conversation: Often, in discerning, we can end up saying that the Devil is behind everything, that God is behind everything, or that we (our own will) are behind everything; only with a true knowledge of ourselves can we truly "discern the spirits", the internal tensions and desires, and ultimately, the call itself. It will be a ten-week program.

The visit to see the Holy Father is fast approaching, as is the Diocesan Pilgrimage to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. I will post freely for both events.

Until next post, have a holy Holy Week and a Blessed Easter.

Did someone pray for snow....?

....because WE GOT SOME!!!!!!

Click HERE to see the pictures.

They called for snow last Wednesday and we watched and waited, and all we got was the finest dusting of snow that I have ever seen. The flakes were so fine it looked like pixy dust falling from the sky in front of the street lamps that evening. I heard something about a "more serious" storm coming that Friday, but, for some reason, I did not look into it until Thursday night.

They called for several inches to be on the ground by the time we woke up on Friday morning, and there were! It snowed from then until around 9am, and then changed to sleet and then all to freezing rain for the rest of the day, and night, with sprinkles into Saturday. They were almost exactly right in their prediction, for once. We had about 3 inches of snow and 1 inch of ice on top of that. I managed to round up some guys to go "sledding" down one of the hills on the campus, using some old vinyl couch cushions which worked remarkably well! We played "king of the hill" with snowball assaults for about an hour. I was exhausted! but I had to properly welcome the snow, of course. (Response: "Of course!")

As would be expected, the temperature is supposed to reach the 60s this week, so no more snow in the near future, but things can always change with the weather! I am somewhat satisfied now, though. Enjoy the pictures.

Well, what do you know...

The Pope is coming to the United States and is visiting the Northeast and, hey, look at that, I am in the Northeast! I wonder if the seminary will go up and see him when he visits New York. What's that? We will?! Wahoooo!!!! The Vicar of Christ, the Successor of Peter, the man who holds the Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven* is coming to visit and we get to see him!!!!

I do not think we will get to talk to him or be greeted by His Holiness, but we will be near him and hear him speak. We will be at the seminary in New York in Dunwoody and then at Yankee Stadium for a Mass the next day, the weekend of April 19th and 20th.

What a blessing!

I will give a full report

Pax.

* And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Matthew 16: 17-19

The March for Life in Washington DC

fortunately it did not "precipitate" at the March and was not too cold, but cold enough to do some penance in reparation for the great sin of Abortion.

The seminarians from the Diocese of Raleigh went down in the morning and served at the North Carolina Mass with Bishop Burbidge and Bishop Jugis, and all of the seminarians from both Raleigh and Charlotte.

Apparently, the Washington Post spotted me there and snapped a photo. Click here to see the picture from their articles about the March. I did not read them, so I cannot attest to their content, but they got some good pictures! Look along the left side of the picture for yours truly.

Pax

Let it snow, let it snow...

...Let it snow.

And it has, and continues to, possibly tomorrow night, after a heavy downpour of thick snow yesterday afternoon and evening, before changing to rain overnight, since it was not cold enough. In about three hours, it covered eveything in about 1 1/2 - 2 inches of wet snow. It was great. Even the "yankee" seminarians, who say they see it all the time and feign a lack of interest, were taking every opportunity to delight in the heavy falling of snow. Behold a picture from yesterday, adjusted for more light since it was near dusk:

I have added a few pictures to the link at the top also, of other snow pictures.

Til next time....pray, pray, pray.

Semester #2

And we're back.....

They were calling for snow last night (a nice greeting as we return to the seminary), but there was none, but they are calling for some tonight (we'll see) and possibly tomorrow, Thursday, and Saturday. The Weather Channel says one thing, the local news says another, varying drastically.

For this semester:

Introduction to Dogmatic Theology
Greek I
Medieval and Early Modern Philosophy
Epistemology

Christmas Season has come to a close, now...
Back to "Ordinary Time"... or ... what is this season in the Extraordinary Form?

URBI ET ORBI MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI

CHRISTMAS 2007

“A holy day has dawned upon us.Come you nations and adore the Lord.Today a great light has come upon the earth.”(Day Mass of Christmas, Gospel Acclamation)

Dear Brothers and Sisters! “A holy day has dawned upon us.” A day of great hope: today the Saviour of mankind is born. The birth of a child normally brings a light of hope to those who are waiting anxiously. When Jesus was born in the stable at Bethlehem, a “great light” appeared on earth; a great hope entered the hearts of those who awaited him: in the words of today’s Christmas liturgy, “lux magna”. Admittedly it was not “great” in the manner of this world, because the first to see it were only Mary, Joseph and some shepherds, then the Magi, the old man Simeon, the prophetess Anna: those whom God had chosen. Yet, in the shadows and silence of that holy night, a great and inextinguishable light shone forth for every man; the great hope that brings happiness entered into the world: “the Word was made flesh and we saw his glory” (Jn 1:14).

“God is light”, says Saint John, “and in him is no darkness at all” (1 Jn 1:5). In the Book of Genesis we read that when the universe was created, “the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep.” “God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.” (Gen 1:2-3). The creative Word of God is Light, the source of life. All things were made through the Logos, not one thing had its being but through him (cf. Jn 1:3). That is why all creatures are fundamentally good and bear within themselves the stamp of God, a spark of his light. Nevertheless, when Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, the Light himself came into the world: in the words of the Creed, “God from God, Light from Light”. In Jesus, God assumed what he was not, while remaining what he was: “omnipotence entered an infant’s body and did not cease to govern the universe” (cf. Saint Augustine, Sermo 184, No. 1 on Christmas). The Creator of man became man in order to bring peace to the world. For this reason, during Christmas night, the hosts of angels sing: “Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to those whom he loves” (Lk 2:14).

“Today a great light has come upon the earth”. The Light of Christ is the bearer of peace. At Midnight Mass, the Eucharistic liturgy begins with this very chant: “Today true peace has come down to us from heaven” (Entrance Antiphon). Indeed, it is only the “great” light manifested in Christ that can give “true” peace to men: that is why every generation is called to welcome it, to welcome the God who in Bethlehem became one of us.

This is Christmas – the historical event and the mystery of love, which for more than two thousand years has spoken to men and women of every era and every place. It is the holy day on which the “great light” of Christ shines forth, bearing peace! Certainly, if we are to recognize it, if we are to receive it, faith is needed and humility is needed. The humility of Mary, who believed in the word of the Lord and, bending low over the manger, was the first to adore the fruit of her womb; the humility of Joseph, the just man, who had the courage of faith and preferred to obey God rather than to protect his own reputation; the humility of the shepherds, the poor and anonymous shepherds, who received the proclamation of the heavenly messenger and hastened towards the stable, where they found the new-born child and worshipped him, full of astonishment, praising God (cf. Lk 2:15-20). The little ones, the poor in spirit: they are the key figures of Christmas, in the past and in the present; they have always been the key figures of God’s history, the indefatigable builders of his Kingdom of justice, love and peace.

In the silence of that night in Bethlehem, Jesus was born and lovingly welcomed. And now, on this Christmas Day, when the joyful news of his saving birth continues to resound, who is ready to open the doors of his heart to the holy child? Men and women of this modern age, Christ comes also to us bringing his light, he comes also to us granting peace! But who is watching, in the night of doubt and uncertainty, with a vigilant, praying heart? Who is waiting for the dawn of the new day, keeping alight the flame of faith? Who has time to listen to his word and to become enfolded and entranced by his love? Yes! His message of peace is for everyone; he comes to offer himself to all people as sure hope for salvation.

Finally, may the light of Christ, which comes to enlighten every human being, shine forth and bring consolation to those who live in the darkness of poverty, injustice and war; to those who are still denied their legitimate aspirations for a more secure existence, for health, education, stable employment, for fuller participation in civil and political responsibilities, free from oppression and protected from conditions that offend against human dignity. It is the most vulnerable members of society – women, children, the elderly – who are so often the victims of brutal armed conflicts, terrorism and violence of every kind, which inflict such terrible sufferings on entire populations. At the same time, ethnic, religious and political tensions, instability, rivalry, disagreements, and all forms of injustice and discrimination are destroying the internal fabric of many countries and embittering international relations. Throughout the world the number of migrants, refugees and evacuees is also increasing because of frequent natural disasters, often caused by alarming environmental upheavals.

On this day of peace, my thoughts turn especially to those places where the grim sound of arms continues to reverberate; to the tortured regions of Darfur, Somalia, the north of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the border between Eritrea and Ethiopia; to the whole of the Middle East – especially Iraq, Lebanon and the Holy Land; to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, to the Balkans and to many other crisis situations that unfortunately are frequently forgotten. May the Child Jesus bring relief to those who are suffering and may he bestow upon political leaders the wisdom and courage to seek and find humane, just and lasting solutions. To the thirst for meaning and value so characteristic of today’s world, to the search for prosperity and peace that marks the lives of all mankind, to the hopes of the poor: Christ – true God and true Man – responds with his Nativity. Neither individuals nor nations should be afraid to recognize and welcome him: with Him “a shining light” brightens the horizon of humanity; in him “a holy day” dawns that knows no sunset. May this Christmas truly be for all people a day of joy, hope and peace!

“Come you nations and adore the Lord.” With Mary, Joseph and the shepherds, with the Magi and the countless host of humble worshippers of the new-born Child, who down the centuries have welcomed the mystery of Christmas, let us too, brothers and sisters from every continent, allow the light of this day to spread everywhere: may it enter our hearts, may it brighten and warm our homes, may it bring serenity and hope to our cities, and may it give peace to the world. This is my earnest wish for you who are listening. A wish that grows into a humble and trustful prayer to the Child Jesus, that his light will dispel all darkness from your lives and fill you with love and peace. May the Lord, who has made his merciful face to shine in Christ, fill you with his happiness and make you messengers of his goodness. Happy Christmas!

“O Priest, who are you? You are not yourself..."

from Roman Catholic Vocations

"Hat tip to Crescat who gives a tip to Ecce Agnus Dei for this post: "

“O Priest, who are you?
You are not yourself because you are God.
You are not of yourself because you are the servant and minister of Christ.

You are not your own because you are the spouse of the Church.

You are not yourself because you are the mediator between God and man.

You are not from yourself because you are nothing.

What then are you?

Nothing and everything.

O Priest! Take care lest what was said to Christ on the cross be said to you:

‘He saved others, himself he cannot save!’”

-St. Norbert, Founder of the Canons Regular of Premontre

Merry Christmas!

FYI

...exams are over!!! and Christmas break is here, in about.......12 hours!

And, in case you were wondering, the picture below is NOT of the snowfall here, though I wish it was...I found it on the internet from an old Nor'Easter from the 1960's.

Pray for more snow.

Christmas day is near, the great day of rejoicing, when the Son of God was born of the Holy Virgin Mary, and the angels rejoiced as they announced to the shepherds that their Savior had been born!

Nearing the End...

Three out of four exams are completed, and with grace!


The weather is becoming interesting, with a Nor'Easter brewing for the weekend.


Today is the Feast of St. Lucy, Virgin and Martyr.


Tomorrow is the Feast of St. John of the Cross, Doctor of the Church.


Soon, will be home for Christmas.

Pray.

Be at peace.

!!!Happy Feast Day!!!

Today is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

If you are curious for more information about the Feast, click here.

The main declaration of this Dogma of the Church:
In the Constitution Ineffabilis Deus of 8 December, 1854, Pius IX pronounced and defined that the Blessed Virgin Mary "in the first instance of her conception, by a singular privilege and grace granted by God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, was preserved exempt from all stain of original sin."

What a great day. Mary, the splendor of the human race, the model of all Christians, the Mother of God, pure and perfect, with no stain of sin, who intercedes for us with her Divine Son.

O, Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee!

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.

Amen.

For those who are not Catholics, and for those Catholics who do not have a clear or firm understanding of the Church's teaching on Mary, click here. This is a great site for explaining and defending the Catholic Church and her teachings.

To other news, we had a great snow the other day, and then, yesterday, a nice snow shower in the afternoon before it warmed up. It is about 5o degrees now. I will post some pics soon, that one of my Diocesan Brothers took. I do not think we will get another snow before Christmas, but keep praying for a white Christmas back home!!

Final exams are this week, Tuesday, Wednesday, and then Thursday, and the last one on Tuesday the 18th. I will head home to the great State on the 19th to begin my Christmas Break.

Keep praying during this Advent season and remember, it is not Christmas yet! We are in the Advent season, preparing for Christmas, which only BEGINS on Christmas day, no matter what the secular world says or does. So, keep your lights out and on, the tree and wreaths up, and the joyful Christmas music playing WELL into January and teach the world the true way to celebrate Christmas!

Until I post again, God bless you. Pray for us. We are praying for you.

Greetings

Some may have thought that I had abandoned this blog but, nay, I have not, for good or ill.

Thanksgiving break was great, and Christmas break is fast approaching. Final Exams begin in two weeks, and then, on the 19th, we head home, until January 13th. There are a few Diocesan Events for the seminarians planned around the Feast of Epiphany, which will be great; it will be good to reconnect with the Diocese.

The Pope just issued a new Encyclical, Spe Salvi, so be sure to visit it, print it, and read it.

The weatherman is calling for snow and a wintry mix tomorrow morning, possibly the first snow of the season, and there are rumors of snow for Wednesday. I will try to snap some pictures if possible. Now that I look at the forecast, they are also calling for snow Wednesday and Thursday, and then the following Monday!!! The snow is here!!

For the past three weeks, we have been plotting along; classes are good, Apostolate is good, the weather is cooling down, studies are heating up, fixing coffee in the second floor kitchen, hiding away in a chair in the lounge for a few hours to read, talking with great minds about Philosophy and life, praying for strength and insight, conversing and laughing (often) with brother seminarians in the refectory, chanting the Liturgy of the Hours daily, trying out my new warm topcoat on our brisk Tuesday night Raleigh Rosary walks. Life is interesting, and goes deeper and deeper as the weeks go by. As Socrates said, "The unexamined life is not worth living." So true, so examine your life, and find meaning.

Things are busy...but slowing down

All of the celebrations here have been great. St. Charles's Feast day, Forty Hours, Upperside/Lowerside Football game, Seminary Appeal (each seminarian went to a parish for the weekend to raise money for the Annual Seminary Appeal. I went to Mater Dolorosa Parish in North Philadelphia): all came and went, with great graces and adventures.

We are now in our last full week before Thanksgiving Break. After that, we have only a few weeks of class, finals, and then home again for a long Christmas Break. A friend of mine, who many of you know, will be taking me home for Thanksgiving after he returns from a retreat at a holy monastery in Massachusetts, which will be a great time.

We have a lecture tomorrow night titled, "Seven Habits of the Highly Effective Philosopher," given by Fr. Bransfield, one of the brilliant and insightful and inspiring priests on faculty at the seminary. Also, our Human Formation Conference for the Fall semester is this Friday. Our guest speaker is Fr. Benedict Groeschel, CFR. For those of you who know my whole story (sounds like a good idea for a link/post on the blog?), you will know why that is doubly exciting. I am still very fond of the CFR Order.

Philosophy is a great thing to study. What little I have studied, and what little I have understood, have already shed a great deal of light on life, civilization, God, etc. We are currently studying Aristotle (His ethics and metaphysics, in an introductory fashion) and also some of the Post-Aristotelian philosophers. I have a few very bright friends here who like to discuss the deep philosophical concepts (like substance and form, how it is in relation to God, what that says about the "what" and "how" of mankind, etc.), which is great for me. I am still amazed at the study of philosophy and wish I had more time to dive deeply into this subject.

Briefly, and as an amateur, metaphysics studies to matter of Being, what Being is and how it is, what it comprises, etc. Think of a human being, and how science tells us that we shed our entire skin over seven years (or something) and are, then, basically a different person, in a way, since all of the matter that makes up the human has changed. Well, the "form" of the human being would then be that "part" that endures and never changes, while the "matter," then skin and stuff, changes and passes. The form of the human being keeps the matter enduring in the fashion that a human being is, as we know humans to be physically. Interesting, isn't it?!!

Oh well. I have to go finish writing a story in Latin. Maybe I will post that one too!! I have to write a full page story in Latin, that's right, and the great part is that I can!!

I must depart. Until next time...
Pax Christi tecum.

Cassocks are Great!!!

Today is the Patronal Feast of St. Charles Borromeo (since his feast fell on a Sunday)

Happy Feast Day!

Today is also the Upperside/Lowerside Football Game. I am the kicker for the lowerside. I have never kicked a football before, until two weeks ago. I am not bad. My range is about 47 yards.

Enjoy the Day

Pax Tecum.

Cassock Day!

It was a great joy, and I will write later about it. But, here are some pictures to look at briefly.

The first is how I looked on a normal day before Cassock Day:

And the second is how I will look most of the time from now on, at least while on campus at the seminary, and when I am not in the collarette clerical shirt, which you should be familiar with. I am pictured here, toward the middle, among several brothers:

More to come with more time.

God bless you.

Cassock Day!!!

We have been very busy preparing for the Old Man/ New Man Show, which is tomorrow night, so I have not had time to update the new links that you see above. I should have some time next week.

This Saturday is Cassock Day, the day where all of the "New Men" (those of us who have just arrived for the first time this Fall and are, thus, "new" to the seminary) formally "receive" their cassocks and no longer wear black suits on campus. With the "Old Men," we will be in clerics on campus beginning Saturday morning! See the image to the right!

Also, next week, we have The Feast of All Saints and a special "Forty Hours Devotion," which I will mention later.

More to come soon.

Pax et bonum

I am back, and with much to say!

Well, mid-terms are over, and they went well. My brain was not used to cramming and studying so much, but I persevered. We are now at a point of resting, at least for a little while.

There are several things to note since my last opportunity to post.

1)

As you see just below the title bar on the blog, I have added “Events” as a link. This will take you to another page with a list of the major events, and events that I consider important, like soccer (!) and the dates when they will occur. Also, I will eventually add links to each date when there is a need to comment on the event, for easier monitoring of what is going on. Also, I hope to add an “Horarium” and a “Pictures” link next to the “Events” one, so you can see what the prayer schedule is here, and pray along if you would like, and so you can see some pictures of the seminary

2)

I have been meaning to talk about our Apostolate work, which every seminarian does on Thursdays. For every seminarian after the College I year, an assignment is given to work at a parish, which includes a school, nursing home, hospital, or other related center where the seminarian can get experiences in pastoral ministry. My assignment is to a parish in North Philadelphia called St. Athanasius, the pastor of which is Msgr. Bevard, a well-known and highly respected priest of the Archdiocese, for reasons that are clear to me from my experience so far.

The parish is in a bad area of Philadelphia, which is not hard to find these days, apparently. I will hold off on the details of the violence of these areas for now. Suffice it to say, they want me to wear clerics for my apostolate because the clerics should keep me safer than if I were in a black suit or casual clothes. There are other areas where seminarians wear clerics because of the violence from the Hispanic gangs in the area. These superstitious gang members leave men in black (i.e. clerics) alone because they believe, falsely, that a priest has the power to curse them. Fascinating.

At the parish, I teach 6th, 7th, and 8th grade religion classes. For the 6th graders, I am preparing two to come into the Church at Easter, whereas for the 7th and 8th graders, I teach a class of 20 to 30 kids, most of whom are not Catholic. We use the Baltimore Catechism, which is a magnificent teaching tool because of the way it is laid out and includes pictures. The classes are 30 minutes long so it is easy to keep their attention for that long and not run out of things to say. The fact that I am taking a Practical Theology course and a Catechism course helps tremendously when it comes to preparing for the classes.

We eat lunch with the pastor at the rectory and then go with him on visitations to the homes of parishioners, or to nursing homes or hospitals to see parishioners who are there. After this is done, he takes us to some important or beautiful Church in Philadelphia, or some religious/historical areas of the city. We have visited, so far, the Cathedral for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia downtown, a Carmelite Convent, the Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, and, today, the Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa. Please visit the links to see more about them. Just click on the words in this paragraph.

Having done three different years of work in a pastoral internship for the Diocese before the coming of Bishop Burbidge, I am very experienced in these areas. However, the teaching opportunities and the wisdom from a Monsignor are definitely welcomed elements of my formation. The Thursday Apostolate will change each year and will continue until graduation from the seminary, followed by, God willing, Priestly Ordination.

3)

Also of note, our trip home to the great state of North Carolina was a welcomed retreat from Yankee oppression (just kidding!...or am I?!). My home in little Washington in my “Shire,” (i.e. the land of the Hobbits from the great myth The Lord of the Rings).

4)

Coming up next week are three great events: Cassock Day, where we move from wearing suits everyday, to wearing clerics everyday (!!!); my birthday, on October 30th, when I turn 28; and the Feast of St. Charles Borromeo, my Patron Saint and the Patron Saint of the Seminary. The next weekend, my dad will be visiting as he finishes a business trip in the area. This is an exciting time. Just after that will be the Thanksgiving break. Time flies.

5)

This Saturday we have a soccer game against Theological College, from Washington, DC, at12:15pm. I have no idea how good their team is. Last Friday, the 12th, we had the first of the Upperside/Lowerside games, the first being a soccer match between the two divisions at St. Charles. The Lowerside, which moved from the structure of having only one forward, which the Seminary team had been using, to one that had two forwards, proved to be the wiser of the teams. The Lowerside fought unto a great victory, with yours truly at the front as the additional forward who scored two of the three goals to bring the Lowerside (i.e. the College Division) to a 3 – 2 win. It was great fun, and hopefully there will be pictures available online soon.

Also, for those interested in seeing pictures from the Rector’s Cup Tournament, go to Theological Clowning, a website with pictures taken by one of the theologians here at the seminary.

Until next time, keep praying and seeking holiness.

Peace and Good.

I apologize for the delinquency in posting. We are very busy here. After a restful trip home to the great Diocese of Raleigh, we are hunkering down for mid-term exams, which are next week: Tuesday is Latin, and Wednesday is Practical Theological Concepts and Ancient Philosophy, the following week is Catechism on Tuesday.

As you see, I have added a link in the center of the site: "Seminary Events." This will have details of what and when things are going on here, with posts about the events to follow. Also, I should be adding a "Pictures" link, once I get around to taking some on my digital camera which, for the moment, is deciding to work! More to come.

Keep praying and seeking personal holiness.

St. Thomas Aquinas, pray for us.

"Unlucky"...

...as they say in the soccer world when great efforts do not produce great results, as in our efforts at the Annual Rector's Cup Soccer Tournament at Dunwoodie this past weekend.




Game 1: St. Charles vs. Mount St. Mary's: final score 2 - 4

"The Mount" as they are called, is the best team in the tournament and the holder of the Cup entering the tournament this year. We fought hard and proved ourselves to be worthy opponents. The Mount has several great players, one from Spain, who played a lot before coming to the Mount. There team was seasoned and well organized. At the end of the first half, they had a 2 - 0 lead, but we knew we still had a chance. One of my classmates, Scott Belina, led the charge at the beginning of the second half. On a great run, three minutes into the game, he plowed through the defense and put one in the net to make it 2 - 1. As soon as we got the ball again, we plowed through their defense once more and Scott was taken down in the box, in the 18 yard box, which drew a penalty kick (virtually unstoppable). Scott placed his shot nicely in the left corner to even the score to 2 - 2. Within five minutes, we answered what this great team, the Mount, had given the entire first half. They admitted later that they were very nervous. We held the score for the rest of the game and took them into overtime. After playing full force for two 40 minute halves, we went into two 10 minute halves, non-sudden death, meaning that we had to play the whole 20 minutes, even if someone scored immediately. This is where they got us: on a break-away they brought it to 3 - 2, and knocked another one in around the 15th minute of OT, making the final score 4 - 2. Many people said that St. Charles looked better than we have in years, and we all believe it. I was on the sidelines during the two goals and we were excited. I nearly lost my voice yelling with the team the whole game, encouraging the spirit of endurance and confidence. Despite the loss, we all know we played a great game and came together as a team.

Game 2: St. Charles vs St. Joseph's (Dunwoodie) 0 - 1

We were exhausted from the previous day's game, as was obvious once we started playing. I had a few good shots that almost went in, as did Scott and a few other players, but we just did not have good touches and passes. We were the better team, but we gave everything in the first game and had little left to give here. The first game was at 11am on Saturday and this game was at 11am on Sunday. The game stayed at 0 - 0 until the last two minutes of the game when, on a direct kick just outside the 18, St. Joseph's had a beautiful shot that went tight into the upper 90 (the high corner of the goal, which is very hard to block). I asked the referee for the time and he said, Two minutes. I sighed. We tried our best but then the whistle blew very soon. They were a great team, with many Franciscan CFRs playing, which is an Order that I discerned with many years ago.

We are, needless to say, very tired today, but it was a great weekend, especially since we played seminarians and the games were, for the most part, very clean and cordial. We began and ended every game with a group prayer, lead by a priest or deacon. Good stuff...
...now, back to the studies!!!

St. Thomas Aquinas, pray for us!

Next year, we will be the Champions!!!

Peace and all good!

Victory!!!

And the final score was 2 - 0, with St. Charles Seminary as the champions!!!
Thank you for all your prayers!! (for those who actually prayed that we would win!)

HERE IMAGINE AN Image of great soccer players and great moves, as St. Charles brings Victory to the Homefront!! (blogger picture uploading is down right now, thanks).

So, we head from here on Friday to Dunwoodie, NY for the Rector's Cup tournament. I think we have a great team and a lot of potential, but the teams we are playing are very good and have more practice than we do, so it will be a challenge. Nonetheless, we shall be victorious, God willing!

Also up and coming is a nice respite, probably back home in Washington, NC, the weekend after next. This will be most enjoyable: a time of rest, sleep, study, and a much slower pace; to catch up with myself and reflect on what is happening at seminary. Sometimes, it is hard to find time to stop and think about everything that is going on, but that's fine.

Finally, our Vocation Director and Assistant Vocation Director are coming to visit this week, and take all of the Raleigh seminarians out for dinner. That will be a thrill.

Until next post...God bless you and keep the seminarians in your prayers.

Soccer at St. Charles

My back aches, my ankle hurts, and I have a bruise on my shin, all because......We are preparing for the annual RECTOR'S CUP Soccer Tournament!!



Every year, four seminaries (St. Charles, Mount St. Mary's, Dunwoodie, and Seton Hall) come together for a tournament weekend, battling for the coveted Rector's Cup. Currently, we do not hold the Cup, for we have lost the tournament the last three years. The Rector and the seminary, and Bishop Burbidge, are very excited and hopeful that we can win back the Cup this year. There is a lot of talent on the team, including yours truly, who is out of shape, but a lot of the others are not so out of shape.



We are playing the Baptist Seminary across the street tomorrow at 2pm, so pray for Victory to be ours!! Next week is the last week of practice and the Tournament begins Saturday morning with our game at 11am at Dunwoodie. We practiced today in the pouring rain, and are looking better everyday. The coach is a Deacon, who is very hopeful for a St. Charles Victory since this is his last opportunity.



Keep us in your prayers on Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th. I will post the results as soon as I get a chance.



Finally for today, I hope some of you were able to make the Mass for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Dunn, NC to celebrate the initiation of the Motu Proprio, Summorum Pontificum, in the Diocese of Raleigh. The "Traditional Latin Mass," now deemed the "old form" or "extraordinary form" of the Roman Rite, was offered there with the Bishop present. On the link above, you can read the Bishop's statement, which has received praise from others who are very concerned with the proper implementation of the Motu Proprio. Enjoy the riches of our Faith!

Studies are upon me

As most would expect, the major effort, though not the sole effort, of seminary is involving academics. Having been out of the academic arena for five years, I am a little rusty at the proper procedures, so I am working extra hard now to keep up. Thus, the lack of posts as often as I would prefer.

So much to say, so little time.

The first priest from the Diocese of Raleigh came for a visit last Friday, and took me out to lunch. Unfortunately, all the other seminarians were in class at that time. Fr. Bill Upah, pastor of St. James in Henderson, gets the First Visiting Priest Award!!! Wahoo! Congratulations, Fr. Upah!

Also, this last weekend was what the seminary calls a "Bishop's Free Day," which is awarded to the seminary when a Bishop visits the seminary for the first time. This Free Day then goes into a pot and is held until the seminary decides to give it to the seminarians. So, we were free to leave the seminary Friday afternoon and return by Sunday night. Several of us went camping, or "RVing" as it should be properly referred to, in the Poconos, which I thought was some tropical island until the trip, when I found out that it was a small mountain range of some sort (still not sure!). It was a relaxing time, where we just drank coffee, cooked our food over a fire, and talked about marvelous adventures in the spiritual life, and some other stuff. We went to a park called Hickory Run State Park, and took a brief tour of the "Shades of Death" trail. (see the image courtesy of my friend's Verizon Wireless camera phone). A grand time was held by all.

We have Adoration and Benediction with night prayer at 930pm tonight so I must go and study and do a Holy Hour. Feel free to pray along, if you read this before then.

Til next time. God bless you.

Silence...

...was held for the last few days in the College Division of St. Charles Seminary during our annual beginning of the year retreat. We had a retreat master leading it with conferences several times a day, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and, a couple times, night prayer in common. There is always, and was especially during the retreat, a feeling here similar to a religious Order, with prayer in common at least twice a day, in addition to the Mass, and a great and holy fraternity among the seminarians.

We are now talking again and I am able to "blog" again! We had a surprise appearance (two days notice) from His Excellency, Bishop Michael F. Burbidge, this morning before Morning Prayer. The Raleigh seminarians gathered with him for Morning Prayer and to catch up on how seminary life is so far. I, of course, had nothing but great things to tell him. It was a great joy to see him at St. Charles Seminary as my Bishop, being myself a seminarian, thanks be to God.

While on "lockdown," as we call it, that enclosed environment within the holy walls of St. Charles, particularly when on retreat, but not solely, there was apparently an attack from a sea monster on the coast of the great North Carolina! Little did I know, and I would not have known, had my dear father not mentioned it in a voicemail that he left me! I used to want to be a meteorologist, hurricane hunter specifically, so I have followed tropical activity for most of my life but, somehow, this one snuck under my radar. Oh well, apparently it did not have a big punch.

Also of interest is the latest Diocesan Holy Hour for Vocations. Since the college divison (which includes College I, College II, College III, College IV, Pre-Theology I and Pre-Theology II seminarians...that is, all but five of the St. Charles Raleigh seminarians) was on retreat, we had a Penance Service at 7pm, when the Holy Hour began in the Diocese, and so were not able to properly unite in prayer with the Diocese. However, our brethren in the Theology Division were united in prayer for vocations in the Diocese of Raleigh. Next First Friday, we will be one in prayer, all of us.

One more thing this time around: for those of you who think that it is cool up here, it is not. We had a few cool days (80s), but it has been in the low to mid 90s the rest of the time, so we are commiserating with the southern brethren!

Shrine of St. John Newman

Today, we were granted freedom to leave the seminary and roam the country, or as far as we could get in time to return by 9 pm curfew, so a few of us went to the Shrine of St. John Neumann in Philadelphia, a place where miracles occur, as it is said. I have been eager to visit the shrine for two reasons: 1) a good pro-life friend of mine from Wilmington, NC spoke highly of the Shrine and told me many stories that were encouraging and 2) I can get a plenary indulgence for visiting the shrine during this, the bicentennial anniversary of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, which I have done.

To the left should be an image from the Shrine with the prayer of the Saint, "Dearest God, give me holiness," which he said at his first Mass. May we all make this prayer sincerely and desire that it be done, through wisdom and sacrifice, choosing God over the maxims of this world. 'Til next time...

FINALLY AT SEMINARY!!!!!!!!!

-Deo gratias!

Thanks be to God, after five years I have finally gotten to seminary to formally discern the priesthood and be formed, God willing, for Ordination in six years. The Seminary is awesome so far. It is a truly Catholic institution. Here there are not only no fears about being too Catholic, if that were even possible, but they actually encourage piety and devotion and Catholic Orthodoxy and, yes, even LATIN!! - of all things they even have Latin here!!! Forgive the sarcasm but it is a thrill to be here. The men are solid men, Catholic and masculine, and they have everyone in clerics (cassocks or shirt - your choice) almost all the time (within reason). So, as you can tell, this is a solid seminary and I am thankful to God and Bishop Burbidge for the opportunity.

PLEASE keep me, and all the seminarians, in your prayers, as we continue to discern our vocations and grow in holiness.

Stay tuned for more info and pictures as time allows.

Pax vobiscum

And so it Begins

After seven years of discerning the priesthood and five years of actively pursuing this vocation with the Diocese of Raleigh, it seems highly probable that I will be in seminary in the Fall of 2007, and at a very good seminary (yet to be announced).

Nuntio gaudium magnum: Habemus Episcopam!