Things I've learned

God's been humble in teaching me new lessons and reminding me of old ones recently.

One of the lessons I've been reminded of and am constantly being retaught is about being able to trust in the Lord. I've been having my doubts as I approach my Diaconate ordination, and have been having a difficult time in turning over what I need to to the Lord. I had a few dark days a little over a week ago, but things have been better, and I'm happy for that. And I still get my moments of doubt, but I believe that the Devil's trying to get me away from here, and to not follow my vocation. I'm still here, and I'm not planning to go.

Another lesson is not to be judgemental of people. Not that I sit there and think things about other people, but I sometimes don't give them the benefit of the doubt. Recently I re-connected with a high school classmate on the (infamous) Facebook. I posted a link about the storm that's arisen over the Pope's comments about the use of condoms to prevent HIV/AIDS in Africa. My classmate made a comment about the link, and I thought, "Hmm. That's odd. I wonder what he exactly means by that." I checked out his page, and noticed the one group that he belongs to is a pro-life group on Facebook. I was a little shocked, to be honest. I mean, he and I were not the closest of people in high school: we were classmates who occasionally had a class or two together, and I didn't often think about where he stood on every issue. Honestly, it never crossed my mind. But I guess that I never associated him with a pro-life position because we had never really talked about it. It was a pleasant surprise to find out that he is pro-life, but I should not have jumped to any conclusions or presuppositions in my head, even if it was not even thinking about it in the first place.

Yes, God's been challenging me, but I need this. It's all for His will and work here on earth.

We're under the 70-day waiting period for ordination. I still have a few things to do before I really worry and focus in on it. But it will be there when I'm ready.


Enjoy the journey . . .

Break time

I'm taking a break from preparing for my Eucharist exam tomorrow. There's A LOT of information to remember, and my brain needs a moment to rest from re-reading my notes. (At least the ones that make sense.)

This semester is turning out a little different than what I expected. On paper, the schedule looks great. However, after actually living it, it's a bit hectic. It feels a little disconnected to me, and doesn't give me a good solid block of time to do things, except on Tuesday mornings and Fridays, which is difficult for me since I'm not a morning person, and end up falling asleep while reading or preparing other projects. I'm dealing with it - and, in reality, it's not horrific, just a little disconnected in the way I was hoping this new schedule would run. But it is what it is.

Well, back to the grind. I think I'll do okay on the exam if I can just remember how this information goes together.

Oh, well . . . .



Enjoy the journey . . .

Congratulations . . .

. . . to the Pittsburgh Steelers on their historic sixth Super Bowl victory!

One of the good . . . um . . . GREAT guys

Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, C.Ss.R., pictured above, is one of my favorite modern guys who is on his way to canonization. I first learned about him in 2000, when he received his Beatification - the only North American to have this done in the Jubilee Year. He was a contemporary of Saint John Neumann, and both served in the Pittsburgh area at the same time. A local connection, yes - but it becomes a little more personal for me as he was the founding pastor of my first assignment parish, Saint Joseph Parish in O'Hara Twp. (The parish was founded in Sharpsburg in 1845, and relocated to O'Hara in 1960.)

A little bit about Blessed Seelos . . . (taken from a prayer card):

Blessed Francis X. Seelos, C.Ss.R., arrived in America in 1843. Having studied for the priesthood in Germany, he asked to be admitted to the Redemptorists with a view to future work in America. He was ordained in 1844. Three years after ordination, he was appointed Master of Novices and spent one-third of his priestly life training future priests. In 1860 the Bishop of Pittsburgh (the Right Reverend Michael J. O'Connor) wanted Father Seelos to be his successor. Father Seelos asked to remain a humble priest and his request was granted.

He was stationed in Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Annapolis, Cumberland (MD), Detroit, and New Orleans. He preached missions and retreats throughout most of what was then the United States. Transferred to New Orleans in 1866, he contracted yellow fever and died October 4, 1867. Many miracles are attributed to his intercession during his life and after his death.

I have placed my seminary formation under his intercession. I believe his prayers to be working for me. I received a first-class relic of him recently, and I now count it as one of my prized possessions. It's awesome to get to know this "humble priest", and I do pray that he will, one day soon, be canonized and recognized for the good he has done for the people of Pittsburgh, and the United States.

Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, pray for us!

A prayer:

Bountiful God, in Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos You have given Your people a model for those who labor joyfully in Your earthly kingdom. May his smile dwell on those who find life burdensome. In him, our eyes continually behold the gentleness of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. Amen.

All information presented here, and any further information, can be found at http://www.seelos.org/.

Enjoy the journey . . .

Thursdays

Thursdays . . . honestly, they've never been my favorite day of the week. (As Auther Dent says in Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, "I could never get the hang of Thursdays.") But I've learned to live with them. I mean, they're not going away any time soon, are they?

I realized tonight, however, how much I had missed attending our seminary's Adoration / Night Prayer / Benediction on Thursdays. Last semester, the Vocations Discernment Group that I lead met on Thursday evenings, and that wasn't a bad thing over all, but I did miss the coming together in prayer with my brothers. It didn't really hit me until we were singing the hymn for Compline. Something inside me breathed a sigh of relief hearing the guys sing. I was home.

I guess that I need these Thursday nights . . . it gives me a break in the week to be in community and in the presence of the Lord in a way that's slowed down and relaxed. It gives me a chance to just be in the midst of the insanity of seminary life. I allow myself to reflect upon the cup, the chalice that the Lord is asking me to drink from, and, on most occassions, I can say, "Yes". And, with diaconate ordination only 125+ days away, I was able to pray a song-prayer from my youth this evening, and truly understand the depths of the message:

Lord, make me like you.
Please make me like you.
You are a servant,
Make me one, too.
O Lord, I am willing;
Do what you must do
To make me like you, Lord.
Please make me like you.
Whatever you do, Lord,
Please make me like you.

Can I drink the cup that the Lord is asking me to drink from? At this moment, I believe I can . . . and that feeling grows each day. Some days the will and ability is strong than others. But, when it comes down to it, I just need to have faith in God and His will for me.


Enjoy the journey . . .

Down time?

Well, it's been a crazy time for me here. I spent last weekend and the beginning of the week doing stuff to prepare for events in the latter part of the week, which is now gone.

On Saturday, a group of us went to Franciscan University of Steubenville to spend some time at the FOP (Festival of Praise), which was needed after a hectic first-week of classes. We stopped at one of the guys' home on the way back, caught a bite to eat at Steak 'n Shake, and then headed back to Latrobe in snowy conditions. Sunday was a good day, getting some stuff done . . . lots of reading. Monday was pretty much back to the grind, as was Tuesday. All-in-all, I got done what needed to be done before Wednesday . . .

. . . Which was when we left for Washington, D.C., and the March for Life. The Vigil Mass at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception was awesome. I had the opportunity to sit with my diocesan brothers from our minor seminary back home, and slept in the Shrine / Basilica overnight. The seminary was in charge of a Holy Hour from 2-3 AM, which I always enjoy. Some singing, and some silence. I got about an hour's worth of sleep before people were getting ready for the day. The March itself on Thursday was hectic, but very good . . . and I felt better for having been there.

Today was my day to run around the Pittsburgh area, trying to pick things up and get things organized. It was mostly successful. The diocesan brothers here went out for dinner, which was good to do - just to be out and relax with each other and have a good time was a nice way to end the week.

Tomorrow is unplanned, mostly. I have to attend the funeral for my cousin's mother-in-law, who passed away from complications with a stroke suffered earlier this week.

Other than that, things are going well, and I'm starting to settle in for the semester. It will be good.



Enjoy the journey . . .

It's begun . . . again

Well . . . we're back in school. The retreat was OUTSTANDING, and I got a lot out of it. I feel refreshed, and ready for the semester to end. In some ways I'm joking . . . but in other ways, I'm not.

The classes for the semester are: Eucharist

The Fourth Gospel

Pastoral Counseling I

Homiletics II

Deacon Prep Lab

Spanish Deacon Prep Lab

Independent Study: Pastoral Practicum in College Campus Ministry

Most of them require a lot of reading . . . which I'm not against . . . it will be a lot of time spent, though. They're all good classes. I think that I'll enjoy Pastoral Counseling and Deacon Prep the most. And, of course, my Independent Study will be awesome!

Although it's only been three days since we've started the semester, it's been a whirlwind of activity around here. Between classes, prayer, class prep and formation, we've been keeping busy. Today, the monastic community celebrated the 200th birthday of their founder, Boniface Wimmer. We had an outstanding service for Vespers, which opened up the celebratory year. I was leary about going . . . "another thing" that we had to do, but it was a great experience.

In any case, I should do reading . . . I'll post more soon.

Enjoy the journey . . .