Our chapel has been under renovation this summer. Here is the new look.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Seminary - Year 2
Well, I am back at the seminary. I arrived last night and attended the planning meeting for orientation.
The new men arrive today. I am on the team to help them get acclimated to seminary life. Classes don't start until next week, so in the meantime it is time for prayer, discussion and Mass while we greet the new and returning seminarians.
The new men arrive today. I am on the team to help them get acclimated to seminary life. Classes don't start until next week, so in the meantime it is time for prayer, discussion and Mass while we greet the new and returning seminarians.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Summer is ticking away
I've been enjoying my summer with family. I've had several friends come visit from my old neighborhood and have showed them around town. In less than a week, I will be packing up and heading back to the seminary. I am on the orientation team this year. A week from today, I will be welcoming the new class to the seminary.
Time flies. Year two is just around the corner.
Oh, and I could not help notice that you have kicked this blog over 10,000 page views. Thanks for reading and commenting.
Time flies. Year two is just around the corner.
Oh, and I could not help notice that you have kicked this blog over 10,000 page views. Thanks for reading and commenting.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Vocation Reflection
All the seminarians from Boston were asked to speak at the Masses at their summer assignment. Here is my reflection...
The
voice woke me up from a sound sleep. “Now will you follow me?”
I did what any man would do. I got up, looked out the windows,
checked the radio (it was off), checked the house and went back to
bed.
The
next week, in our bulletin, was a notice for a Vocation weekend. I
belatedly put 2 and 2 together. The call that I had been hearing
since I was a young altar server was suddenly getting much louder. I
could consider this call again, because earlier that year my wife of
30 years had died. My vocation of marriage could possibly be
replaced with a vocation of Holy Orders. I remembered my wife’s
words from many years ago, “If anything were to happen to me, you’d
never get another girlfriend, you’d just become a priest”.
Perhaps she knew something about me that I did not know.
As
I continued to discern this vocation, I put up many barriers as to
why it was not possible. Every time I raised a barrier, God crushed
it, usually within days. I needed money to live on for 4 years at
the Seminary; my IBM pension matured with a corresponding letter. My
family may not be behind this; my agnostic brother called me and told
me how excited he was that I was thinking of entering the seminary.
God
continued to speak and I continued to listen. I must admit that when
I visited the seminary and many of the men told me that they quit
their jobs and sold their houses and came, I had serious
reservations. I could never do that. I developed spreadsheets to
work out the finances. I could keep the house. I could rent out my
house. I could buy a condo. God continued to speak and very slowly,
I heard and understood. I resigned from IBM and sold my house. I
did buy the condo in Maine and my dad and sister are living in it. I
need some place to sleep on my days off and holidays.
The
most amazing part of being in the Seminary is my brother seminarians.
They are always there for you; in sickness, study slumps, low
moments, Patriots games, shopping trips, pub crawls, meals, and
chapel time. They raise you up when you are down and keep you from
getting too high on yourself when you need that as well. They
frequently speak with the voice of God perhaps without even realizing
it.
One
wise brother told me early on that “chapel time” was more
important than study time. It took me two months to understand what
he was saying, but my personal, quiet “chapel time” is an
important part of my day at the seminary. I sit in God’s presence
and listen for His voice. I don’t expect to hear it like I did 2
years ago, but I still listen for His voice every day.
God
is speaking, are we listening?
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