Wisdom, Justice, and Moderation

School Days

2009-09-21T18:47:00.000-04:00

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

2009-08-29T11:06:00.003-04:00

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

2009-08-21T00:22:00.003-04:00

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)

2009-08-20T11:39:00.003-04:00

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.

2009-08-18T13:51:00.001-04:00

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

2009-01-21T07:14:00.003-05:00

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...

2009-01-15T21:07:00.002-05:00

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.

First Post of the Year

2009-01-02T16:09:00.001-05:00

This has been a long 2008, but the new year looks very promising. I do not have lots of time to type now but I will be back at school on Sunday and then have Monday and Tuesday to my self. Then I hope to catch up. Hope all is well with everyone and I hope that everyone had a great Christmas and New Year!!!

Home!!!

2008-12-15T13:08:00.002-05:00

After 14 hours of driving I finally made it home. What was funny it my best friend was at my house before I wasa ready to take me out to dinner which waas nice but after 14 hours of driving I was ready for some sleep. We did have a good time though and I was really glad that we did it.

On Sunday I was able to go to mass in my Parish which was nice. It is nice to see faces from home and to touch base with everybody again. I did not get to serve Mass but I went by the parish office today and I should be able to start doing something soon.

Since I have been home (3 days) I think I have been to Wal-Mart at least 5 times which is sad. I really have no money but there is nothing to do. If my priest does not find me something to do soon I am going to look up the local Food Bank and go voulenteer there. Doing anything helpful is better than what I have been doing.

Looking back on the semester I can say that I grew and developed a lot. I was able to start finding some balance which was nice for me to have along with being much more open to the spirit. I really feel that this is where God wants me to be and it seems that he keeps reaffirming that fact. I loved it at St. Vincent's and cannot wait to go back. I have learning so much in such a short time I can only imagine how much I will know after 6 years (God Willing). So next semester I am going back to continue to discern God's will.

I had a lot of fun this past semester and made a lot of good friends. Hopefully I will continue to get closer with some of them and continue to make good connections.

Please keep all seminarians in your thoughts and prayers especially for the first years who are really adjusting to everything that has been going on.

A Post is in Order

2008-12-11T14:21:00.002-05:00

Where do I begin? It has been almost three weeks since my last post. It is already mid-december and I am just getting around to all of this. But as of like 2 hours ago I am done. All my finals are done. All the papers are turned in and the party can now begin.

No but finals I guess went as well as I could expect. I wish I had been able to study more but I had 5 finals combined with a good bit of papers and final word that were all due within like 5 days of each other. I survived. Tonight I am sure that there will be much celebration.

It is kinda of funny hitting the reality of going home. I feel that there is so much I need to do but I am just to busy to do it at the moment. I need to go christmas shopping and some other things. I did get all my Christmas Cards done. That was nice. I am watching a good bit of TV. I have gotten wrapped up in One Tree Hill. It has become a guilty pleasure of mine. What is even worse is that it gets my heart rate up so high. Relationships stress me out, so when you watch a drama that is all about relationships and you know who should be together it drives you crazy when there is deception and lies and cheating. I would rather them deal with other issues but who know.

The first semester of seminary was very good and after some more reflection I will post it on here. But just so everyone knows I am alive, I wanted to post.

Home Sweet Home

2008-11-26T20:30:00.003-05:00

Well I made it. After 11 hours on the road, four on which was in the snow. I got home. It was really nice. It has been nice to get away from the seminary for a little while. Even though I love every minute that I am there it is nice to get out with what I like to call the real people. It has also been nice (and today is only day one) to attend a regular parish mass. My grandmama actually counted and told me that i had been gone now exactly 100 days. WOW!!! I was a little surprised at that. I did not realize that I had been gone that long.

Since only my Dad knew that I was coming home I got to surprise everyone. I think it was good. My Mom was very glad to see me and I was glad to see her, even if she had to work tonight. The good thing is that she has tomorrow off which will be nice. I told them it would not have been Thanksgiving if we had all not been together.

I got a lot of good praying done yesterday while I was on the road. Having the rosary on CD really makes a big difference.

Alright everyone, get your turkeys ready and get the dressing made. Tomorrow is Turkey Day and we all have something to be thankful for. Let us give thanks to God.

Peace to you and your families.

What a Weekend!!

2008-11-23T23:58:00.002-05:00

This has been quite the weekend. It has been very busy yet at the same time it has been very nice. We had the seminary Thanksgiving dinner this weekend. I had a really good time. I signed up to cook and got to make southern dressing which most of these people have never had so that ended up working well. It was also neat to hand out with all the guys in the kitchen. It really does become sort of like a family.

Speaking of family I am going home for Thanksgiving and none of my family knows. It is kind of exciting. I hope that they get a surprise when the see me. I assume that they will.

I am suppose to get my loan check in the next week which will make life easy. I will be able to pay off everything that I owe and help my parents some. Which will be nice. Also knowing that I was getting a little money in I went ahead and bought myself a couple of small but very useful Christmas gifts. I got a EEE PC which I am using right now. It is like an oversized cell phone. It is basically a really small 8" laptop. I got it primarily to use in my classes next semester but also going home and stuff it will be much easier to travel than my Mac. I also got a garmin GPS. It will help me get home and back much easier than my first voyage up here.

Other than that nothing much is going on. I did put some more pictures up on the internet so check out the links on the side. Please continue to pray for me and I will pray forall of you.

Peace and Blessings.

Small Graces

2008-11-18T20:32:00.003-05:00

God is amazing. It is crazy how I went out to dinner tonight for the sheer fact that I wanted to get away from the seminary. Not that I am not enjoying my experience but since October I have been in a bubble. I mean I truly love it here but like anywhere sometime you just need to get away. Well tonight I went to the Basilica to have some time with Jesus and someone was in there practicing the organ and it was amazing. All my prayers felt as if they were riding these heavenly tunes to heaven straight to God, and then this feeling of such inner peace came over me and I knew again that this was the path that God has chosen for me. It all just feel so right and it makes me so excited. Its like when you get the most amazing gift for Christmas but you had no idea that you even wanted it but in the end it is amazing. I tell people all the time that I cannot believe that I am here and that I should be working or something else but this is where God has me and it is amazing. Thanks be to God.

On another note, I am going home for thanksgiving. It will be nice. I am ready to get away for a few days and with the fuel prices going down so low there is no need not to. I am not going to tell anyone and let it be a surprise. Maybe they all will get a surprise. Anyway that is what is going on. I have a bunch of stuff going on in the seminary this next week so please pray for me and all seminarians, that we continue to grow in love and holiness, and we all in some way will continue to pray for you.

Thoughts

2008-11-12T12:38:00.002-05:00

Seminary is going. I don't understand or everything but I do not think that I am suppose to. God has a plan and it is all up to him. I am sure that he is teaching me a lesson but there are just so many things I don't understand. Everything will be revealed in time I am sure but the unknown is killing me. Like I have said before it is one of my biggest fears. All I can do is pray for myself and for others. Who knows what life is going to hold years from now or even tomorrow.

I am excited that one of my Nun friends is coming up tomorrow. It will be nice to see someone from home, and to be able to catch up will be very nice. She too seems excited about coming up here to visit. So it will be very nice.

Alright that was my update. I know that it was a little pathetic but the best that I can do. Next week we are very busy with many different masses and things like that and then will Thanksgiving the next week it will be nice. I think I am going to go home, but I am not super sure but we will see.

Continue to pray for me and I for you.

The People Have Spoken

2008-11-07T10:54:00.002-05:00

We live in a democracy. I can respect this. A few days ago Obama was elected as my president. I did not vote for him but over half America did and out of respect for democracy I accept this and will pray for him and the direction of our county. Do I like his policies? No. Am I happy? No. Have I accepted it? I have no choice. In four years we can try again.

Apparently the people of California do not get this. Proposition 8 passed with a 52% of the vote. That is a simple majority. People who do not support it are doing everything but rioting. Face it folks you lost. Accept it and move on. You do not have to agree with it you do not have to like it and guess what you can try again in four years. We are not Mob-Ruled. In our country it comes down to majority. Its that simple.

So I am a little upset. CNN still had yet to call it one way or another. Give me a break. This is becoming Madness. It passed in two other states too. I don't even know what to think of it. Just get over it and try again.

Anyway that is my rant. Just accept it people. To everyone. What is done is done. Now all we can do is pray. Also as christians we can not let people walk over us in the disguise of equality. All people are created equal, and have equal rights. That has never and will never contradict our faith. Remember that and pray that we are Catholics, and all believers come to know and believe that and not be persuaded by others.

Trying Something New

2008-11-03T22:33:00.001-05:00

I am blogging from my iPod. How crazy is that. I doubt that I will do it often but at the same time it's nice to know that I can.

Odd...

2008-11-02T18:15:00.002-05:00

Sundays are always emotional roller coasters for me. I sometimes feel that I have no control and don't even know where I am heading and Sundays usually show that to me. This weekend I would say that I had a good time. Friday night was Oktoberfest at the grove and I got to hang out with a priest who I think is really cool. Then we got back to the seminary and I hung out with some guys then yesterday I spend a good bit of time working on some homework that I have due this weekend, then last night I finished working around like Midnight-ish then I hung out. Then today Mass, hang-out, work, then tonight prayers.

I don't know what is going on. Things just seem out of control if that makes sense. I don't know. I need to go to spiritual direction. The weekends come and things get all crazy. The weeks are always amazing but it is the weekends that get me. So I need to work on it for the next weekend. Which is a free weekend so I can only imagine that it will end up being very similar to this one. So I will have to see. I have got to get control back. Which is really probably not the solution either. I really need to just give the control to God. Which I think is also part of my problem.

Well I am going to go see Jesus soon so let me get ready. Please continue to pray for me and I will keep you all in my prayers as well.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

This Makes Me Feel Good

2008-11-01T12:14:00.001-04:00

I found this video on the Catholics Come Home Website. It is a great commercial for the Catholic Church. It makes you not only feel good about being Catholic but it really makes you proud to be catholic. It is a great video. I can only pray that those who are away will see this and hopefully be brought back into Holy Mother Church.

A Couple of Days Behind

2008-10-30T15:58:00.004-04:00

I know. I got a little behind with the every other day, but I am still trying but lets just say I am very busy at the moment. In the next 7 days I have two take home tests, an in class test and a paper due. So this is definitely the busiest I have been since I have been here at least in the school work department. The great thing is that when next week is over not only will I finally feel that I have gotten over the hump that will lead to only smooth sailing for the rest of the semester but next Friday is the start of a free weekend, which will be very nice. I have no idea what I will be doing but I can bet I will have a good time.

Other than that things are good. Talking to some friends back home about what I am learning here I am learning a lot more than what I thought I was so that makes me happy. Weight Watchers could be going better. This week has been one of the first weeks in a while that I have even attempted to count and I am not even doing that well. But here when they have homemade cookies sitting out everywhere it can sometimes be so hard to resist. I am just going to have to do a better job. I know I can do it but here I also don't have my Mom here helping me out. And with the days being so much shorter I am not going out and walking in the evening and with...I am stopping there. I cannot keep making excuses. I am going to do better. Life is not always planned out with all these ways to be perfectly successful. I just have to have control. Period the end.

Peace and Happiness to All

Sunday...

2008-10-26T14:27:00.003-04:00

Another busy weekend at the seminary. Friday night with had the opportunity to hear Dr. Peter Kreeft. He gave a great talk about how we need to find the beautiful in the church again. The beautiful is what we desire and when we the beautiful is lost being start losing interest in faith. So we need to show people the beauty of Christ. It was a really good talk but most of the seminary did not really enjoy it at least the few that I have talked about.

Other than that the weekend has been nice yesterday after lunch I did not really do anything. They did turn the heat on so I had to go to Wal-Mart and buy a humidifier because the heat is very dry. What is funny now it is very hot and even though I have the heat turned off in my room I am just wearing shorts and a tee-shirt and am pretty comfortable. The crazy thing is that according to the weather tomorrow our high is going to be in the low 40s and high 30s and with the wind chill it is going to be like in the upper 20s. This means that tomorrow there is a strong chance for snow. So we will see. If there is a great chance of a lot I will make sure I take some pictures.

I am going to try and take the day easy. We have solemn vespers tonight which is one of my favorite things we have here at the seminary. So I have that to look forward to. Then after that I have spiritual direction with Fr. Boniface so it should be good too.

Alright everyone have a good week. I am heading out to Walmart but that should be nothing new. It seems to be what I do.

Test after Test

2008-10-23T20:33:00.003-04:00

Well I had a huge test today and I think I did fine on it. Which made me happy. I did put a fairly large amount of work into it so I should have done well, but thinking of what to write about to day it occurred to me that academically I put much time and effort to study for a test and then after an amount of time has passed I no longer worry about it. But these academic test to not prepare us for the test of life.

God gives us test and unfortunately we do not get a syllabus at the beginning of life telling us when these test are going to occur so we need to be constantly prepared. How do you prepare for life's test. Well you can't but you can be in prayer each day and you can be helping others. You can be kind and compassionate and then when life gives you a test you have three major things going for you. Prayer life with God. He will not give us anything we cannot handle and with prayer we know that there is a reason for it and in the end it will be ok. By helping others we encounter so many different situations and are able to see how other people handle test and can see what works and what doesn't and by continuing to be kind allows us to remember our place in the world. No matter what is testing you there is always a bigger test going on for someone else that still in your distress need your help.

So for those life test here is the study guide. Pray, Help Others, Be Kind and Compassionate. Not that you will pass every test with an A but with this attitude and guide I can bet you will at least pass, and remember that God's test do not last for only 50 minutes or an hour and 15 minutes so even during out test God allows us to study making it even easier to get through and remember it is never to late to start "studying."

God I pray that we be in a state of constant prayer. Allow us to be the people that you want us to be. Mary our Mother show us the way to your Son. Open our lives to His graces.

Peace to all of you!!

Second Wind

2008-10-21T19:10:00.003-04:00

I was told by a friend today that I do not post enough on my blog. First I was surprised he read it and second of all I agreed with him. I told him that since I had been to seminary I really had gotten away from posting as much even though I do have plenty of time. I mean to do complain about being busy all the time but in reality I spend a lot of time just sitting here in front of my computer. The past few days I have posted a little but more but I am going to try and start posting regularly again. At least every other day or maybe three times a week. I am going to try. If nothing else I can sum up my days and say how class is going. Hopefully there will be more exiting stuff but who knows.

Anyway I got my logic exam back today and I just laughed. I got an 89. Which is good but since I have been here I have been getting between 88-92 on everything. So it is just enough to make me mad because I could have studied just a bit more and gotten an A or just studied and been happy with a good solid B. Oh well I guess this is good problem to have and not wondering how I am going to pull up any Cs or Ds.

In Latin news I have decided I want to do really well in there so I have been really working on my Latin. I have even started looking at another text book because I think it explains the concepts better than the one I am using for Class. I do not think that the priest is happy but it is a reading comprehesion class but if I am going to be able to read I feel that I may as well get the most out of reading and learn to write as well. It will only give me a better understanding of the written text.

I have a test on Thursday. I will do fine as long as I study, which is what I plan on doing tonight. I hope. If nothing else I have to at least start. It is on Jesus. Sounds simple enough right?

Other than that things are good. I found out that I have brownies being overnighted to me from home. So tomorrow is going be a great day regardless of anything that goes on. Also my vocation director is in town so I get to talk to him tomorrow.

Alright Guys let me go study.

Peace

Pictures from Bell Tour

2008-10-19T18:00:00.003-04:00

Here are some of the Pictures that I was able to take of the Basilica. For more just click one of the links on the left to see more. Hope you guys enjoy.

Me on the Balcony of the Basilica

Weekend has Come and Gone

2008-10-19T16:48:00.003-04:00

The Weekend has come and Gone. It has been nice. Friday night I just hung out with some friends and then I ended up watching Harry Potter with a guy who had never seen it and it he ended up really liking it so that made me happy. He also provided the beer which was local beer called Lion's Head and it is good stuff. I was really surprised by how good it was, it has become my new favorite beer and it was only like 13 bucks for the entire case.

Then on Saturday we had a formation conference which talked to us about boundaries not only with parishioners but with each other. Again it was very good but it ended up talking from 7 am Mass to the conference at 9am and then it did not end until 12:30 and then after lunch we had choir practice at 1:30 so finally at 3 I was able to get into my room. I had nothing to really do but the break was nice. Then Saturday everyone in the seminary was quite and me and my friend went and rented some more movies which is great but I am getting tried of movies and it was great.

Today has been the best though after Mass this morning with one of my favorite priest we had lunch then choir practice again and then I had a bell tour. It was awesome. We got to go to the highest part of the Basilica and see the bells actually ring. We got to climb up this little steep staircase and we had to go in small groups so there was so suspense but that made it have the fun. Be sure to check out the pictures from the links on the side. I may post a couple when they finish loading.

Then tonight we have Solemn Vespers which is my favorite thing we do here at the seminary. After an hour of adoration. We sing evening prayer and we are all in our clerics and it is just very reverent and the spirit of the Lord is very clear. It is just a beautiful time with the Lord and in our Chapel.

Alright guys. I gotta get ready for dinner. My vocation director flew in for the week. We have Institution of Acolytes this week with the Bishop from New Jersey so with both of them being here I can imagine it is going to be a fun filled week but I always enjoy the big masses, especially since I have been in the Choir. I enjoy being able to do that. Alright until next time.

Peace

Philosophy...A Way of Life

2008-10-15T20:23:00.002-04:00

That was the title of a lecture I attended tonight. It was very jumbled but it was very apparent that the Priest was super smart but they only thing which I got from it which gives me a lot to think on was that especially for us he said the paths we choose in life form us. Which is given but when we go to school for a certain thing (Priest, Lawyers, Doctors, Teachers) we assume their personalities and mentalities. He was talking about how easy it was just to start talking like them, voting like them, thinking like them. Then he said not that there was any thing wrong with it but we just need to realize this before going in.

I thought that was a really great concept because it is so funny when we see how people change after going though different experiences or going to different schools but this kinda gave me a glimpse of why.

So it was ok but the great thing was I got extra credit for two maybe three of my classes for going so even though it was an hour it was worth it.

Logic Test tomorrow. I am not too worried about it. I studied a good part of the day and tonight there is a 6 week class starting up tonight on the Holy Spirit which I am planning on attending. One of my friends got asked to speak tonight. So it should be really interesting.

Other than that things are good. My vocation director comes up on Sunday so that will change things up a bit. This weekend is pretty clear as well. So next week it will get crazy but until then.

Peace