Contemplating the Jump

And with one final step, I come to the edge.

This past Sunday, we celebrated another important step toward the priesthood.  I and 55 of my classmates were instituted as Acolytes.  Acolytes, who can be approximated to the subdeacons of old, are commissioned explicitly to aid the priests and deacons at the service of the altar.  In the ceremony we were handed a paten which holds the bread to be consecrated at mass, one of the scared vessel that hold the body of Christ, as a symbol of being entrusted to care for and serve the holy mysteries. 

While exteriorly it may seem that I have just become a glorified altar server, it takes on a much deeper significance in the place it has on the journey to the priesthood.  The path to becoming a priest is almost literally a movement closer to the altar.  Candidacy, the first step and how we started our blog, is the Church’s welcome and encouragement to take this process with more confidence and grace.  Then Fernando gave you his reflections on his installation as a Lector- the altar of the Word prepares us to approach the altar of Christ’s body and blood.  And now Acolyte. 

The next step is Deacon- the Sacrament of Holy Orders.  At that moment the promises of Chastity, Obedience, and Prayer are made, the commitment consummated.  And priesthood follows closely.

I am fond of the image of a child on a diving board.  I used it just recently in a practice homily I gave in one of our homiletic lessons.  It captures in a fascinating way the excitement and fear that we often get as we come to an edge, come to a final step.   My installation as an acolyte has brought this up anew.  Though my potential ordination to the diaconate is over a year and a half away, having reached the final ceremonial step before it, I find myself at a new edge and see all that is left is the jump.  And what a jump…

The jump is a giving up of control, giving myself completely over to Christ, and giving myself to the arms of the Church waiting to catch me.  Yet the idea of a jump, and the falling that comes after the jump is misleading.  All analogies brake down and this one does right here.  The jump does not bring about a fall, a being dragged down, bound and controlled by the precipitating consequences of one movement. 

No.  The jump brings about a surrender, surely; but the promise of Chastity, Obedience, and Prayer free.  The surrender is what breaks the bonds, bonds of selfishness and pride, that can hold me.  It is the jump that allows flight.

And the ascension of flight has no edge; no final step, save rest in the Father’s heart, in the arms of the Trinity.

New Guys in Red

+

On Saturday, February 18th, 22 new Cardinals were made of which there were two American bishops. This was a proud moment for our nation but also for the seminary. The now Timothy Cardinal Dolan and Edwin Cardinal O'Brien are not only US bishops but they were also at one point rectors of the NAC. Needless to say, this was an exciting event for us, particularly as we hosted their reception at the seminary.

This was a tangible way we were able serve two men who have served our seminary for a number of years. As Kevin, I, and the other seminarians were put in charge of serving drinks and snacks to the many friends and family members of the two new Cardinals, we had the neat opportunity to talk to many people who had known the Cardinals for many years and see their own excitement for their election.

I spoke with a a couple of men who had gone to high-school with Cardinal O'Brien. Others who were priests who had been in seminary with him. I also got to talk to some people who had been staff of the first diocese of which Cardinal Dolan had been bishop. There were also many cousins, siblings and other relatives of each, including Cardinal Dolan's mother. All expressed a real joy and excitement for the big honor their dear friends had received. It was neat to see the real, down-to-earth side of the new Cardinals.

Having spent many years at the NAC, both Cardinals celebrated Masses of Thanksgiving here with their friends and family. On the whole, it was awesome to see, by the testimony of so many people, that both of these men have truly spent their lives in generous service as holy and happy priests.

It is no wonder that Pope Benedict XVI entrusted to them the responsibility of Cardinal as he defined below:

The new Cardinals are entrusted with the service of love: love for God, love for his Church, an absolute and unconditional love for his brothers and sisters, even unto shedding their blood, if necessary, as expressed in the words of placing the biretta and as indicated by the colour of their robes. -Excerpt from Pope's reflection during consistory

Let us then pray for these two new Cardinals and thank God for all the priests who have laid down their lives to serve those entrusted to them by God.

A to Z

In the down time between the end of exams and the beginning of the new semester, there have been a number of reasons to celebrate here at NAC.  And though we will share the other major one with you in the next post, the first was the anniversary of Great State of Arizona.  The 100^th birthday of AZ was a unique opportunity for Fernando and me to make our mark on the community here and show that this young, up and coming state has a lot to offer. 

On the eve of the anniversary, we cooked (ok, Fernando cooked and I gave the moral support) some Mexican food, and it was delicious.  Though there are only the two of us official from Arizona, there are a few other seminarians that lived in AZ at some point in there life, so we made sure they were around to celebrate with us.  Then we also thought we’d invite our brother from the bordering states, so we were happy to have seminarians from New Mexico and Utah as well. 

The next day, what came to be know around here as Arizona Day, was simple enough.  We made a giant Arizona style rice crispy treat that seemed well received by the rest of the community, because it did not last long.  Then we put on the movie Tombstone to give them some perspective on Arizona culture.  I think they have a new respect for us....

Though all in all it wasn’t much more than a good excuse to have party, I think it meant a lot to both of us.   It was good for us to reaffirm our connection to our home and think about again the people we will one day return and serve.  Though I know I have said this before, drawing nearer to the people we are going back to, allows us to draw nearer to Christ, the motive and strength of our service.  Ultimately, our whole seminary journey, our whole formation, has an AZ flavor; it is all influenced by our home, from beginning to end, or, if you will, from A to Z.

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

+

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

+

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/