In Via Solis: A Simple, Spontaneous Burst of My Joy of Being Catholic

After six months since our arrival in Rome, four months since our first day of classes, and one month after Christmas, Kevin and I have finally arrived at the end of classes and the beginning of the "exam period". Yet, not only are final exams more than a month later than students in the US would be taking exams, but we had to register for each exam. Thus, our exams are spread out over a three week period: yeah, weird. And, as if all that wasn't weird enough, most of our finals are oral, and, as it turns out, I've never had a comprehensive oral exam.

And though most of us students would like to be doing a million other things instead of studying for exams, they are a very real way we learn to lay our wills aside for a higher call - the higher call in this case being fundamental learning that will benefit my future as a Catholic priest, not to mention obedience.

I wanna add, also, that I am very excited right now to be a Catholic and to be in seminary. Yeah... what? Yes! There are so many attacks that the Church is experiencing in the world today - most recently, and concerning, from the US government - and we as Catholics have a grave responsibility to proclaim the Truth to the world with great love and passion. That Truth is found in Jesus Christ, Who speaks to us today through Sacred Scripture and the Tradition handed down to us by the apostles and their successors (popes and bishops).

And this isn't some oppressive, archaic, lifeless faith: this is the Truth that gives our lives full meaning, joy, and excitement. Friendships are stronger, marriages more full of love, old-age more meaningful, and youthfulness more exciting and free when Christ is the center of our lives. Even playing rock music is more fun when one has the peace of living in truth! In every circumstance of life, we have all the intimacy, love, and freedom we could ever desire when we have given our whole life in loving surrender to a personal God who created and loves and sustains each and every person and desires nothing but our total, authentic love in return.

(For a better articulated and enthusiastic testimony of someone else who is excited to be a young Catholic, take a gander at this article)

I will leave you all with some pictures of my Christmas travels. I spent the break with three buddies of mine who went to the Josephinum with me for college seminary and are now with at the NAC. Beautiful cities where the faith used to be a rich treasure valued by the majority and are now almost totally secular. I hope we as Catholics realize that what we have is not some private religion we keep to ourselves but a rich and beautiful truth that sets people free and should transform every aspect of our lives and of our culture.