The End is Near! Repent and believe in the Gospel!

Though we probably aren’t coming to the end of time, as one would think walking the streets of Rome these days, the unbelievable has been happening in Rome the last weeks.  Snow.  Serious snow.   We are not talking here of a flurry or two, but snow that has blanketed the city and, like any good Italian, has refused to go away. 

This isn’t to say that it hasn’t snowed in Rome before.  Sure it has.  But not for whole days and then remain on the ground for days afterward, this is truly unique.  As you might imagine this ancient city is not really snow plow friendly, so the roads are covered with snow and ice.  What for a normal US city would be nothing to think twice over, Rome just shuts down (despite the mobilization of their fleet of street sweepers).  Buses wont go, trains are shut down, and most people find it a good enough excuse not to go to work.   It has been fascinating watching this.  And though I am a little bitter about leaving seminaries in Ohio and Indiana to come to the Mediterranean and still have snow, the city has a certain beauty covered in white.  So though I may play the cold hating desert dweller, a part of me is enjoying this.

Besides from the apocalyptic weather patterns, here at the NAC we are coming to an end:  the end of the first semester.  I have two more finals this coming week and that will be it; the following week is the new semester.  These kinds of endings, though as dramatic as the work ending spectacle of the movie 2012, definitely brings with it the encouragement of look back at your life (or at least the last semester) and see what you’ve made of it. 

Though survival was goal number one my first semester in a foreign country, it not hard to find where other important goals got ignored along the way.  To be fair with myself, there were many challenges that took my attention away from these things: the language barrier, a new culture, new classmates, new people to live with, new routine, home sickness, etc.   Yet these are excuses, good excuses, but still excuses.  They tell why it was easy for me to do (or not do) the things I did (or didn’t do), not why it’s ok that I did them.  In fact, there is something refreshing about taking a frank look at my failings (read sins), acknowledging that it was me that did them and not my circumstances, repent, and receive forgiveness (read confession).  So now this new semester, instead of looking like 5 more months of the same struggles and same stumblings, is a wide open and clear as the Roman sky after a snowfall (?) and I’m filled with the joy of freedom that only the grace of Hope can provide. 

As lent approaches, I highly recommend this kind of apocalyptic introspection (if you were looking for my recommendation) or perhaps more simply- Repent and believe in the Gospel!

 Well….I still have tests to get ready for….that whole repentance thing, you know…refreshing and joy and …something like that…. 

A Simple, Spontaneous Burst of My Joy of Being Catholic

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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.

Paris

Paris

London

Catholic Cathedral in London

Ireland

Eric and I trying leaning into the strongest wind ever!

Jovenes, Jovenes!

Walls of Avila

During my wanderings over break from class for Christmas, I found myself in Avila, Spain.  Avila, of course, is the home of St. Theresa of Avila, a great reformer in the Church and a mystic.  Her beautiful words about how to grow in intimacy with God in prayer has led her to be called a doctor of the Church, a rare honor for saints. 

In Sevilla

In Madrid

I was blessed to be able to travel with some seminarians that I have just met here at the NAC.  I have friends here that I knew before coming, but this was a great opportunity to build new relationships.  Our time there was a simple pause for prayer in the soil that has born so much fruit, but we also had a couple mass intentions to give at the monastery.  This led us to an older man running the desk who was, unfortunately hard of hearing.  Normally that wouldn’t be a problem, but after living in Italy, none of our Spanish was particularly good (though I maintain that I was saying it right- we’ll just blame it on my accent), and we could just not get across what we wanted. 

Church in Avila

With the help of woman nearby who knew Italian, we got everything in order.   Then he waved for us to follow him.  He proceeded to give us a fast pace tour of a sitting room, a hallway, and the sacristy.  We were all very excited because we thought he was going to show us around the monastery or something of St. Theresa, but instead he excitedly showed us the sacristy, beckoning us to follow him from place to place with “Jovenes, jovenes!” (that is “young guys, young guys!” [ragazzi in Italian]).  It was quite an event; we have all seen probably more sacristies than we can remember, but the joy and excited that this man had to show us around made it an amazing experience. 

Palace in Sevilla

Palaza de Madrid, in Sevilla

Leaving Avila that night we reflected on how bizarre that was, but still a beautiful gift from God.  In a lot of ways this is how God acts.  He is just so excited to show us that goodness of his creation, to show us the goodness of His love for us in everything around us.  He leads us along, beckoning us to follow, with joy that what we see everyday could lead us into deeper intimacy with him, as St. Theresa found.  As the saying goes, everything is gift and God is overcome with joy to give it to us. 

Fernand, me, Kurt, and Chris on their last night in Rome

One of the most precious gifts I found during that break was the fraternity of two wayward Phoenix seminarians that ended up at our door here in Rome.  Kurt and Chris, both in third theology studying at the Josephium, came with their class to Rome for a couple weeks.  It was a wonderful blessing to spend time with them.  These opportunities for friendship and brotherly love cannot be underestimated.  We didn’t do much, just walk around a little together and had a couple meals.  But we laughed until we cried and shared the joy that God so freely gives us with one another.   A call to the priesthood is support in a big way by true fraternity.  I simply simile when I look forward to the time when I get to work side by side with these brothers in Phoenix for Christ and His Church. 

A Step towards Priesthood

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Yesterday, I received the Ministry of Reader which is the first ministry I receive from the Church. Contrary to popular believe, the Church isn't just recognizing that I am capable of reading, but she is affirming that I have taken the responsibility of conforming my life to the Word of God and she is charging me with the ministry of spreading the same Word by reading the scriptures at Mass. 

This is one step on the road to priesthood. After having been received as a candidate for the priesthood (which I received this past summer), the Church first gives the Ministry of Reader (during 1st year of theological formation), then Ministry of Acolyte (2nd year), then, after full evaluation and approval of the candidate for priesthood, ordination to the transitional Deaconate follows after 3rd year, and, finally, after 4th year, (and after further evaluation and approval process) the deacon is ordained a priest.

Deaconate and priesthood are both the Sacrament of Holy Orders, whereas Reader and Acolyte are not, they are "institutions" or what used to be called "minor orders."

So there's a little insight into how the process works and where I am at along the way. Kevin was already instituted in the Ministry of Reader last year, while at St. Meinrad seminary, and he will be instituted an Acolyte sometime in March.

I am very happy and excited to have received this ministry as it is no small privilege to undertake. It is also a big way that the Lord, through the Church, is affirming my discernment of priesthood.

Here's what the Archbishop that instituted me said as he handed me the book of the gospels:

Take this book of holy Scripture 

and be faithful in handing on the word of God,
so that it may grow strong in the hearts of his people.

This is an article by the NAC about the Mass (66 seminarians were instituted Readers with me):

http://www.pnac.org/2012/01/archbishop-broglio-installs-66-lectors/

You can see all the pictures taken at the Mass at this link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pnac/sets/72157628878624417/ 

Special Xmas Edition!*

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Sorry. I was trying to come up with a catchy title. I went with the sales pitch.

Well, break has arrived for Kevin and I.  Praise God! Christmas is around the corner!  Yet, this year that doesn't  mean going home for us.  The seminary here in Rome doesn't allow us to go home for break, which is partially due to the fact that it's only three weeks off and a flight home would be out of our budget.  Yes, this means no family trip down to see all my extended family in Mexico (guaranteed full of fun, joy, food; Mexican style).

While family Christmas memories can't be replaced, the Lord has given us a new opportunity of growth.  Here in Rome, there is a great sense of distance from family, country, and all things familiar which brings about a new, deeper bonding experience between brother seminarians and, more particularly, with our Lord.  In sharing the sadness of being away with friends, we become more like family.  In sharing our struggles with our Lord, we become more dependent on Him.  Ultimately what occurs is essential to continued growth as men pursuing the priesthood: an increase in Love.

That said, both Kevin and I will be traveling throughout Europe during the break, getting to see how the Christmas season is celebrated in different nations and cultures.  Please keep us in your prayers as travel is wonderful experience while at the same time challenging and stressful.

Also during break we will be visited by seminarians from the Josephinum, the college seminary Kevin and I call alma mater.  In this group will be Kurt Perera and Chris Axline, two of our Phoenix seminarian brothers. We look forward to seeing them and our other friends! (Consider this a shout out!)

I will end with some photos of my hallway's Christmas decoration.  However, of particular interest is Kevin's hall way. Their theme was Christmas on fourth of July, essentially an over-the-top American pride celebration of Christmas. Here's Kevin in a Captain America outfit with some of his hall mates. By the way, they didn't win the hall competition for best decorations... my hall did   : )

Already, But Not Yet

The Christmas tree is St. Peter's Square is up,
but the Nativity scene is still under construction

There is a particular tension in Advent.  We are in wait for the coming of Christmas, the coming of Christ into the world, the incarnation.  But Christ has already come, his saving work complete.  Yet we are still waiting, there is a real anticipation, and not just for the celebration of Christmas.  Advent also brings to mind that we await Christ who will come again, and establish his kingdom on earth.  But this kingdom is already present; Christ is already present, in His Body, the Church.  Yet not fully, we still await the completion that will come with Christ at the end of time. 

Here are some picture from the Pope's Angeles Address today.

This is a tension that I have not experienced before quite as well as I have this semester.  Fernando and I have been in Italy for almost 5 months now, yet we just past the half way point of the semester last week.  Now obviously that’s because we didn’t start actual classes for a couple month into our time here, but that kind of logic unfortunately doesn’t work with my attention span.  It seems my whole body is just itching for Christmas and the end of the semester.  And with Christmas only two weeks away I see the light and the hope.  But because the semester is so late, unlike every semester that I have experienced before this, Christmas does not mark the end of the semester.  Now we still get a break, but we will return to three more weeks of classes plus finals. 

Already, but not yet.  Coming on these finally weeks until Christmas, in a special way, we can rejoice in the coming of Christ as man and the end of the beginning of our time here in Rome with all the good things that have happened and have been brought into our lives in these first months.  Still, while embracing that joy, we live in the tension that our time is not yet done, our work still needs to be completed. 

Image of Mary Immaculate in our chapel.

We just celebrated, on Thursday, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.  This celebration of God’s special grace giving to Mary was a beautiful celebration here at the NAC.  Mary Immaculate is the patroness of the College as well as the whole United States.  So it was a special time for us to remember the people from whom we came, and to whom we will return, and hold them close in prayer.  It was a joy to celebrate that God saved Mary, a symbol of the Church, from sin from the moment of her conception.  Yet here too we see this tension.  The Church is Holy, like Mary, for Christ has already come to her and dwells among us.  But, those of us in the Church, like Fernando and I in this semester, still have work to do, for the kingdom is not yet complete, and we still struggle with our own sinfulness; we still await Christ coming with his loving gaze to make us holy and pure like Mary, His Mother. 

Let us pray for one another in this tension, that when Christ does return we will welcome it will all the more joy!

December Rain

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Almost five months since arrival.  It's December and we're only midway through the semester.  That's weird.  

Along with the new translation of the Roman Missal, the liturgical season of Advent has begun and there is much anticipation that accompanies it. Roman rite Catholics throughout the world enter into a spiritual waiting for the Lord's coming celebrated in the Christmas season. (This includes a renewed practice of patience in prayer and trust in the Lord)

Here in Rome, that anticipation is accompanied by the waiting for the unveiling of this years nativity scene in St. Peter's square. The above picture shows its veiled construction that will continue until its opening on Dec. 24th. There is also a huge Christmas tree put up in the square that has arrived and still lays in the bed a semi-truck. From what I've heard of years past, the whole display is something to look forward to.

In the meantime, we will take on a weekend retreat to prayerfully begin the season of Advent and reflect on how we will orient ourselves to the mystery of the birth of Christ, Emmanuel, God-among-us. It is no simple thought to reflect on how the reality of Christ's presence among us, so emphatically anticipated in the Old Testament, is now made really and truly present to us in the Eucharist.

Backing up a week, to end our Thanksgiving weekend festivities, we had the annual Spaghetti Bowl flag-football game. It consisted of the first year seminarians (the "New Men") versus the "Old Men," a little bit of american tradition and manly competition to finish off a weekend of gratitude. Also good way to make us feel a little bit more at home and part of a good community as our fourth month in Rome came to an end.

The game also highlighted one of the important aspects of seminary life and formation: fraternity. Now I'm not talking about the college "frat house" type of fraternity. I'm talking about the classic idea of fraternitas, that is, the familial community in which the individuals build each other up in the practice of virtues and the striving for the Truth.

It is in the spirit of fraternitas that each person is called to encourage others to transcend their own wants and desires in service for the community for the sake of the love of God.