School Days

I know that it has been a while since I have updated. A lot has gone on here at the seminary. This year I am the Social Coordinator for the seminary so the first few weeks were extremely busy for me. I planned I think 2 minor picnics and one major picinc all in the period of two weeks. They did all turn out very well and I very much enjoyed it I can earnestly say that I am so tried of picnics.

Classes seem to be going well. I am taking 18 hours, which seems like a lot but there are a few classes that I just truly enjoy so they do not seem so much like work. I start my week of with Patrology, which is the writings and life of the early church fathers. We are reading religious works that were written in the first and second centuries (50-150). Then I have Ethics, which has started out slow, but it seems to be doing a litter better as we actually move to Aristotle’s Ethics. Then I have the worst class class that I have, which is modern philosophy. It is just crazy. I do like the professor so he makes it manageable. Then I have what I call my language powers hours I am taking Ancient Greek as well as Latin, and really enjoy them both. Greek is a little headier because it is hard to get used to seeing all the odd characters instead of our normal letters (αβχδεφγηιϕ ect…). Then my evening class is Canon Law, which is the specific law and regulations of the church. This deals with parish administration as well as the formulas for the sacraments, ect…

Other than Class I actually moved to another floor. I did not know how much extra stuff I brought back from home so I moved to the forth floor where I have a much bigger room. It has been good. I have really enjoyed the new atmosphere up there. I like all the guys up there and believe it or not they also like board games as well so we have been playing a good bit.

So life is good. I am staying very busy. I am having a much better semester than I did last year as far as life in general. Which is good because that is the goal they have for us here is for each year to be better than the last.

I hope that all of you are well, and as always I ask that you keep me in your prayers and I will be sure to keep you in mine.

Ernie

A New Semester Begins

Well, I make it back in one piece. I did run into a good bit of traffic in WV that was a little unusual but I made it. Orientation has gone well. I never realized how much back work is done. I have spent most of my time doing behind the scenes work such as putting the directory together or getting all the social events planned and ready to go. It has been a little difficult because of the way I work I like to do things right then and there and I am having to wait on people to tell me things which I guess is just God teaching me a few lessons.

On my own move in I got all my stuff to my room and when I saw the crazy amount of boxes I thought why and how do I have so much stuff but when I unpacked I saw that my drawers nor my closet are full but I needed to get another bookcase to hold my books and board games. Those things I do not feel bad about. They are for both pleasure and academic as well as making sure community time is well spent.

The new guys seem very cool. It is going to be a big mixed bunch but it will be neat to see how everyone gets along. it will surely be different than last year but I guess that is just part of it all.

Just to show everyone the differences in my room from this year and last I am posting a couple of pictures. Well let you all know how classes are going soon. At least the pictures show I am here for the long haul and do not plan on leaving anytime soon. :)

Peace and Blessings!!

Prayers Requested

I know it is late so I will probably write more later but I dear nun friend of mine died today and I am asking for all your prayers. She was a dear lady and will be greatly missed. She meant so much to me. Thanks for your prayers.

Heading Home (GA that is)

Sitting in the hotel in Cullman about to head out. I had a good time in Alabama. I wish though I had know that it was more like a two day thing I had planned as opposed to a four day thing which I was here for, but it was good. I got some reading in, movies (7 in all), (My favorite being the one I saw in theaters GI Joe. I really like it), praying, shopping overall just a good time. Some of that I could have done at home but oh well. It was nice to be away. I did enjoy the monastery as well as Mother Angelica's Place but I am ready to go home.

I am having a big dinner tonight with a couple of the other sems at my parents house. Lets just say that this is going to be very interesting. I am sure that it will be fine I just think the whole thing will be funny. This will be the most Catholics my parents have had in their house every. :)

And as promised you can not check out the pics use the links on the left but here are a couple to get you started.

Long Time No See.

So it has been a while since I have been able to post. I was at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta for my summer and I was unable to blog from there. Just a short catch up. I loved my summer at the Cathedral as was so happy to be able to spend it there even though I was really not looking forward to it. While there I was able to assist in all sorts of masses. I also was able to go to El Salvador with the teens. I am going to post a link on the side as soon as I get a chance.

As far as what I am doing at the moment. I am sitting in a McDonald's in Cullman, Alabama. I came to St. Bernard's Abbey for a little getaway before I head back to school next Sunday. It has been raining pretty much since I got here so all the plans that i had originally made have went but it has been more indoor oriented than I had planned. I did get to see the Grotto this morning with all the miniatures which was very nice. (Also going to try and post pictures). I spent some time in prayer and for the afternoon I will just spend it reading (once I leave the internet) I also has been able to watch some movies, which has been nice.

Tomorrow I am going to The Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament where Mother Angelica's people are. I think that will be an interesting time as well. I hopefully will be able to post again soon. Don't know if it will be tomorrow or Thursday. I am suppose to leave here Thursday with one of my friends from the diocese of Birmingham. So that should be interesting. Until then I hope I am back and I hope to start updating more regularly once I get back to the seminary which I am so excited about getting back to.

Board Games

Things come and go like all fads do. The latest fad to hit me and a good number here at the seminary is Euro style board games. We are not talking about Monopoly and Clue here were are talking about games that involve resource gathering, collecting points and armies and the like. These games are usually much more involved and rely less on luck and more on skill. So far I have been introduced to Settlers of Catan and a game called Pillars of the Earth. Both with expansion packs. They are really fun and I am looking forward to getting another one soon. Hopefully in February. I figured one new one a month because some of them can be quite expensive. 

My Scripture class is going well. I am really enjoying it even though the professor is suppose to be crazy hard. But that would be a norm for me. At UGA the worse reputation the professor had usually the better I did in his class and the better I got along with them. Probably I knew that they expected more than other profs and I tried to give them work on the level that they wanted. So that is going well. I am doing a good bit of outside work for Latin and that is paying off as well. 

I have been able to do a good bit of spiritual reading this semester which is nice. I have read a few books on the rule of St. Benedict and then I just got Archbishop Dolan's Priest for the Third Millennium. I am excited. One reason I think the semester is going smoothly so far is that I have iCal-ed my whole life. For those who don't know what iCal is it is a calendar program that will allow you to schedule everything. I know that by doing this I am getting so much more done this semester than last semester yet I am still having plenty of time in the evenings and things like that to chill and hang out with my friends. 

The weather is cold as to be expected. There is lots of snow. I want to go tubing or sledding or what ever they call it but my friends tell we need to keep waiting because the longer I wait the more snow will end up on the ground and the better time we will have. Because they said that for some people the first time can be a let down and then they don't do it again, and some of these guys know because they have been introducing Atlantans to snow for a few year here in seminary. :) So I am working on my virtue of patience. It will come. 

Remember to pray for all seminarians and an increase in vocations for the priesthood, as wellas the religious life. Hope everyone has a great day until next time. :)

So Much...

So much has gone on. I don't really know where to start. I will try and do a little summation but then that will be it. I got back to Latrobe on the 4th which was nice. I had a couple of days to mentally prepare myself, have a little break from everyone, as well as winter clean my room. After all that was done we had a retreat at a Benedictine Monastery in Greensburg (St. Emma's) run by the Sisters. It was really nice. It focused on the beauty of the diocesan priesthood as well as expressing and maintaing the faith. 

One analogy that I really enjoyed that he made was that we need to have a song deep within and that song needs to be able to always express itself. It was really need to think about it because when most of us get here that song is going strong but when you get run down with the classes and everything else that song starts to dimmer and sometimes you just need to remember to let that deep rooted love for God to show to the world. Without that we are not real useful. You can have every Degree in the program but if you cannot show the love of Christ in yourself how is anyone suppose to take you seriously. 

They we get back to the seminary on Sunday night with our regular sunday evening schedule. Which was busy and this past Wednesday was the 200th birth of Boniface Wimmer the founder of the Abbey here so there was a huge celebration with the Abbot Primate from Rome, and since I was singing in the choir I was busy every night from Sunday to tonight really. The Vespers celebration was last night and then afterward I went to iPraise. Which is like praise and worship music for an hour in front on the Blessed Sacrament. There is also a time for intercession which is my favorite part. 

All in all I am so happy to be back. Leaving and them coming back was great. It really helped me to see that I am in the right place for this time in my life. I also learned that I love being in community and living by a schedule. While I was at home all this running around and never doing anything at the same time drove me crazy. 

Classes seem like they are going to be very interesting this semester. I have so far (3 days) been able to stay on top of all my work. I am just going to hope that I can continue the semester in this way. I would love to be able to keep up with everything. So please pray for that. I caught up seminarian is a happy seminarian. 

Alright guys. I am going to promise to try and post more than once a month. We will see. Please continue to keep me in your prayers and I will remember you daily.