Summary
This is my personal blog (weB-LOG) of the experiences and random thoughts I have at seminary.
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Random Thoughts
On my honor I will do my best...
Monday, March 29, 2004, 10:30 PM
Tonight I accepted a work posting proposed by my Director of Vocations. If things go as planned, I'm be serving this summer as a chaplain at a Boy Scout camp in my diocese. It looks quite nice based upon the slideshow pictures.
I find myself kinda excited about the opportunity. I expect it to be challenging, self-expanding, and rewarding to be working with the kids.
The Feast of the Annunciation
Thursday, March 25, 2004, 12:53 AM
Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." (Luke 1:38)
Let us offer ourselves to God with the same prayer this day.
Does This Mean I Can't Watch FOX News Anymore?
Tuesday, March 23, 2004, 11:09 PM
Take the world's smallest political quiz. When I took this test a couple years ago for the first time I scored as an "Authoritarian". Now they say I've become a "Left-Liberal". Where did I ever go wrong?
Quite A Site To See
Monday, March 22, 2004, 11:59 PM
Tonight my formation advisor, a professor and deacon who converted from Judaism, was on EWTN's The Journey Home to tell his story. Encore showings (aka "reruns") will be on Tuesday, 1 am & 10 am EST, and on Saturday, 11 pm EST. (For Central Time, subtract by one.)
Last night I surfed across The Theoscope, the blog of a postulant on her way to joining a Dominican order. The first post I read, "Revelations..." from March 20, had it all. It was a funny story about teaching squirly kids, the Eucharist, and how God gives you what your heart desires. I could relate to all of it.
God really does give you your heart's desire. He may have to change your heart first to do it, but He delivers.
Such A Loony Place... What A Hectic Pace.
Sunday, March 21, 2004, 1:19 PM
Thursday night we had a party anticipating the feast day of St. Joseph, a holiday of special significance here. There was Kerioke and an open microphone. The highlight of the evening was a riotous parody of the Eagles' Hotel California, led by our finest cantor. For your viewing pleasure, here's the performance and the (approximate) lyrics.
[My apologies, but the downloading the video clip of the song was, to put it simply, crashing my website. If you want to see it, please email me at CatholicThoughts@yahoo.com. I'll send it to you within a day or two. Note that this video clip requires Windows Media Player and is 4.32 MB in size.]
Happy St. Joseph's Day!
Friday, March 19, 2004, 6:34 PM
At 7:30 tonight we will begin a silent retreat that goes through Sunday morning. That means no homework and, unfortunately, no blogging. But come back Sunday to see a funny video clip.
A Thought About Complaining
Wednesday, March 17, 2004, 5:01 PM
Is complaining good because it lets you express your anxieties (blow off steam), or bad because it habituates a grumbling, discontented spirit? This question was raised in our discussion group today and I found the following response quite right.
When we share complaints we are looking for feedback on our situation from another person's perspective. This is healthy when we're willing to act upon what we hear: either by letting go of our unjustified grievance, or by acting to correct the actual problem. (Here I'm thinking of when we complain about another person's bothersome behavior.) If we are only looking to get people to be on our side in criticizing that person, then our complaints are poisonous.
Letting the Terrorists Win
Tuesday, March 16, 2004, 4:16 PM
Following the bombing in Madrid and the discovery of Al Qaeda's involvement, the people of Spain retaliated... against their own Prime Minister. Sunday they elected the Socialists, voting out their U.S.-supporting leader's Popular party.
Many expect the new government to separate Spain from the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq. Evidence now suggests that this was terrorists' goal all along. Andrew Sullivan's analysis of all this is insightful: Bin Laden's Victory In Spain.
Answered Prayers
Tuesday, March 16, 2004, 8:25 AM
By an unknown Confederate soldier, composed circa 1861-1865:
"I asked for strength that I might achieve; I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey. I asked for health that might do greater things; I was given infirmity that I might do better things. I asked for riches that I might be happy; I was given the poverty that I might be wise. I asked for power that I might have the praise of men; I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God. I asked for all things that I might enjoy life; I was given life that I might enjoy all things. I got nothing that I had asked for, but everything that I had hoped for. Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered; I am, among all men, most richly blessed."
The Heavens and The Earth
Monday, March 15, 2004, 9:15 AM
The Friday before last I laid down on my bed facing the window to read. I noticed the sky was a gray and overcast except for one patch of pure whiteness, a shaft through the clouds to open sky illuminated by the unseen sun. Soon a small patch of bright blue appeared, a sight I missed seeing these past winter months.
I thought about how pleasing it was to see that again, then I realized something. The sky is this same beautiful blue every single day, but clouds sometimes obstruct my perception and depress my spirit. I should remember that this brilliant blue is always there and allow the memory of it to lift me up.
Our experience of God is a lot like the beautiful blue sky.
According To Plan
Monday, March 15, 2004, 12:30 AM
Thursday morning, over breakfast at the rectory, my DB asked Father if he had a plan for the day. He said, "There's a plan, I just don't know what it is yet." From the quality vocation talks we gave to three freshman classes, to the unlikely meeting of my mom for dinner, providence was the order of that day.
The whole break was like that, from my DB and I realizing we share a mutual friend, to my father gaining a law partner just as he's moving into a new office too big just for him. There's a plan, we just don't know what it is yet.
A Special Guest Posting
Thursday, March 11, 2004, 5:47 PM
[Today's post is contributed by my little sister, whom I am visting at her college.]
Greetings ladies and gentlemen, I would like to formally introduce myself. I am my brother's younger (not little, it irks me something terrible when he says little) sister and I am feeding and entertaining my bro for the rest of today and for two-thirds of tomorrow. Thus far, I have given him a tour of my room and have introduced him to many fascinating people. Following the tour, we embarked on an adventure to the Big-K where we quested for a birthday present for our niece. (Happy 5th Birthday, Karli!) I think she will be pleased with our endeavors.
Later, we will be participating in a discussion group at the Newman Center about Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ". For the remainder of his time here, I hope to challenge my older brother to a couple games of both pool and bowling.
In the meantime, we are enjoying each others company and popularizing the slang term I invented, 'bang' meaning 'cool', (as in, "you so bang" and, "bada-bing, bada-bang"). If the weather is good tomorrow, I hope to treat him to the pride of the city; ice cream from Belts. Unfortunately, I have chosen to give up ice cream for Lent, but I hear they have great slushies.
Stay bang, the younger sister.
Good News and Bad News
Monday, March 8, 2004, 11:57 PM
The good news is that after my last mid-term exam, Wednesday afternoon, I'm headed home with a DB for a four day break. I'll get to make a highly anticipated visit to my little sister at college and see my parents. The bad news is that I'm taking off from the blog for the rest of this week. {Feel free to pause here a moment to recover from your sudden feelings shock and anguish.}
In the hiatus, check out these websites that I frequent:
"Heart Speaks To Heart" - Catholic apologist Dave Armstrong's blog.
The Drudge Report - Where I link to columnists Peggy Noonan, Ann Coulter, and George Will.
Homestarrunner.com - Do you like to laugh? If so, meet Homestarrunner.
Dictionary.com - A great resource. It helps me spel good.
Or, explore the blog archive. (Now with black text!)
Something Ventured, Something Gained
Saturday, March 6, 2004, 2:26 PM
Yesterday morning I cantored at lauds (morning prayer) for the first time. It went ok, but the next time will be better. I figure that if I sing now, the other liturgical skills will come much easier for me later.
In the evening I watched Gandhi, a very good, very long film. Now that guy had guts. Perhaps it's just the movie's portrayal, but Gandhi's self-sacrifices always seemed to bear success.
Speaking of India, this observation was quoted in class: "The most religious nation in the world is India. The most secular nation is Sweden. America is a nation of Indians governed by Swedes."
Drywalling With Mormons
Friday, March 5, 2004, 2:52 PM
Yesterday, at the Habitat for Humanity work site that I go to for my field ed, I experienced the joy of drywalling for the first time. (Hey, don't knock it 'til you try it.) There's tape-measuring, exact-o-blade cutting, power-screwdriving then viola, you've made a wall.
Two of our new volunteers were Mormon fellows on their 2 year missionary tours. Both had carpentry experience. Now those guys could drywall. Incidentally, on the same day one of our seminarians, formerly a Mormon himself, was ordained a deacon. He once told me that Mormon missionary duos always have one person who does most of the talking. He was right, but I couldn't resist trying to include them both in the conversation.
Here are some pictures from the house I'm working on. (And in case you would look, I'm not in any of them.) Check out the interesting water system.
Walking With Christ
Wednesday, March 3, 2004, 11:32 PM
Christians, disheartened about their spiritual life due to sin, tend to envision their situation in terms of distance. "God seems so far away from me. How can I go back to Him?" However, there is a serious flaw in this spiritual imagery. These people feel hopeless because they have no idea how to 'travel' back to God.
My college priest once observed that the Scriptures prefer the imagery of 'turning' over that of 'distance'. (For instance, the people of Israel are often described as "stiff-necked" because of their reluctance to turn toward God.) In truth, our all-loving God is never really distant. He is always close at hand. All we must do is turn our will to Him again and allow Him to lead us. Distance imagery can be helpful, not for measuring God's proximity, but for measuring the real gap between who we are and who we are called to be.
We begin our walk with Christ by following Him down the narrow road. But sometimes we take our own lead and wander off the path. We no longer see Christ before us, but He follows right behind us on our errant way. Eventually, when we realize we are lost, or we begin to listen to His persistent whispering in our ear, we finally choose to turn. Once we do, we find Jesus right beside us. Then we truly recognize how far we have wandered from the road. We can't get back there on our own, but Jesus knows the way, even from here, and we can follow Him again.
For Catholics, these major turns back to God are realized in the confessional. I'll write more about this sacrament of reconciliation some day. For now, I'll just say that I have never left confession without feeling absolutely wonderful.
My Two Random Thoughts
Wednesday, March 3, 2004, 4:54 PM
(1) - At lunch I was facinated listening to a seminarian who was a chemical engineer on the outside. He worked around super-hazardous industrial chemicals of such quanity and potency that their explosions could break windows seven miles away. I thought to myself, "I'm sure glad that I don't have a job where people would die if I messed-up." Then I thought about the nature of the work I'm getting into. "Oh... it's actually not that different." Talk about a reality-check.
(2) - Ever feel like you were born in the wrong time period? It's not so. They don't need you back then. You're needed here and now.
Contemplating The Passion
Tuesday, March 2, 2004, 11:08 PM
I recommend reading this great Op-Ed piece by Kenneth Woodward, "Do You Recognize This Jesus?" Would you believe such insight on Christianity could appear in The New York Times?
The Passion box office figures (updated daily). Total (gross) revenue after six days: $135,317,847. By comparison, this is only $2.3 million less than LOTR: Return of the King earned in as many days (which also opened on a Wednesday).
"Dust Offering" Doug has seen The Passion. I think his review reflects the initial feeling and reaction of many.
Blog Post... Check.
Monday, March 1, 2004, 6:52 PM
When time is short and my to-do list is long, like these days, I remember two things. First, that no one can expect you to do more than one thing at a time. Second, that you better make sure you're at least doing something.
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