MY
Since it's midterms week, and since I've spent a fair few posts talking about recreation at the seminary, I figured I'd take advantage of my review process to share with y'all some fun facts from my classes this semester.
Capuchin monks get their name from the Capuchin monkeys, not the other way around. It's because of the hood-like pattern of their fur. These very cute little monkeys are also endangered, so if the Capuchin order ever goes through a renewal, I suggest adding the care of their namesakes to their charism. (From my Reformation History class.) Although Dante takes quite a few liberties when writing his Divine Comedy (like condemning people he doesn't like to hell), it's considered an excellent "universalist" summary of the philosophies and theological tendencies of his day. He's quite the expert on Aquinas, Aristotelianism, Neo-Platonism, and the romanticized rebirth of Greek mythology. (From my Medieval Literature class.) John Stuart Mill is a utilitarian philosopher. In other words, he believes that the value of something can be weighed by it's consequences and ability to do the greatest amount of good to the greatest number of people. This is helpful when it comes to free speech, but not great if you believe in human dignity... he believes despotism is sometimes OK, but that you should always give controversial opinions a chance. (From my Contemporary Philosophy class.) Holy Chrism is used for all the sacraments that leave an "indelible mark" or a permanent change on the soul, and on many other occasions, like Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders, coronations, the consecrations of churches, altars, chalices, patens, bells, and old-rite baptismal water. It's made of olive oil and balsam - tree resin processed to be used as a perfume, representing the "aroma of God" or the "smell of holiness." The use of balsam is biblical - it's also called the "balm of Gilead." (From my Celebration of Christian Mystery class. ) Estudio mucho. Es muy difícil, pero es una buena clase. ¡Poco a poco, mi español está mejorando! (I think it's pretty obvious which class this is from.)
0 Comments
Life at seminary goes on. February is almost always the worst month in the seminary year. Classes are busy, the weather's no fun, guys are getting sick left and right, lenten penances have kicked in, and we've been in the grindset for so long that it's taking it's toll on our patiences. So while I could post something intellectual from my classes or some prayerful reflection... I'll leave those for March. Here's some fun photos and stories from my continued adventures in fraternity, ministry, and hobbies.
We've taken full advantage of the weather's wild mood swings. Cold days are study days, sunny days are bonfire days. We've replaced our wood shed, bought a communal axe, and had a killer bonfire. Someone tracked down a leafblower, and we created a fire of biblical proportions - Elijah would have been proud! We also had venison burgers from a deer on of the guys shot on the property. Plot twist: liturgical goods are expensive. Since I didn't want to spend $100 on a biretta, I decided to make my own. Birettas are the traditional hat for priests, bishops, and seminarians as far back as the 1300s, and they have symbolic use during the Tridentine mass. An old saying suggests that the Biretta is most significant when it isn't being worn - taken off to mark powerful moments in the liturgy: when the name of Jesus or Mary is said, when one is receiving a blessing, when one's kneeling, etc. I found a video where the mother of an order of nuns, dedicated to making vestments for priests, explains how they make their birettas. Under her tutelage, I made an old-style soft crushable felt one and I'm currently working on a modern-style stiff & collapsible one. Meanwhile, my time at Run the Race continues. The kids have gotten into making jewelry and have created all sorts of business ventures around that. I'm not a big jewelry person, but I can't say no when 6-year old Deijah lunged straight for my wrist and tried to figure out how to tie a bracelet to it. I guess it's just part of my arm now. I think these three words sum up my semester pretty well so far.
The picture of the snowman is from the big snowfall we had a week or two ago. A bunch of us got together and gathered a massive snowpile, which we turned into the troll-like, monkey-like, creature guarding the college. And then we gave him a moustache. Also one guy decided to make it into a bishop, not as any political statement, but exclusively because a tiny miter looked really funny on him. And we're a Pontifical Seminary, so somehow it seemed fittingly absurd. While Patrick the snowman is slowly melting, I think some of us are melting too. We've hit the point in the semester where things are picking up, and picking up very quickly. While I thank God I'm taking a more reasonable course load, I've picked up several jobs around the house, responsibilities, and side projects. The best way that we as a seminary and as a house have been keeping each other sane is through fraternity. On Wednesday some collegians made a big pot of Irish stew, loaves of soda bread, and some delicious potatoes. The kitchen was enlivened with every green accoutrement imaginable. It was a lovely evening, and while it was great to anticipate, it's better to remember fondly. The other way we're staying focused on the Lord is through prayer and mission. My biggest goal this semester has been to give God the first fruits of my day, before homework, before chores, before hobbies, and even before naps. My most important priority in my day is time with Jesus in the Eucharist. Not because of anything he can give me or even how it'll help me get everything else in order, but because I love Him and time with Him is good for it's own sake. Still, I've marveled at how everything else falls into place when He takes His throne in my heart. I'm more motivated to do my work, and to do it well, and I'm especially motivated to take His love back into ministry. My apostolic assignment at Run the Race has asked me and the other seminarians present to talk to the kids about different parts of the mass. On Thursday we brought some sacred vessels, linens, and vestments to the center as a kind of "show-and-tell." We want to inspire them with love for God in the Mass in the hopes of taking them to Mass sometime this semester. Please pray for us, and pray for them as we minister to them. Totus Tuus! Seminarians have congregated at the Josephinum en masse, kicking the new calendar year and the new semester off with a bang! Last week was full of meetings and first days of classes and syllabuses (and more syllabi). Hot of the heels of that heavy handful is this week's meager three day school week. But we still aren't getting off the hook easily - we all need to be ready for the eight hour drive to Washington D.C. and the March for Life by 5:30 Thursday morning. Seminarians are already brewing coffee in advance.
We all have different goals for this next semester. Many guys are seeking to add even more asceticism and penance to their lives and have taken on the Exodus 90 program in preparation for Easter. They've given up screens, alcohol, warm showers, and general comfort, while taking up increased fraternity, penance, prayer and holy readings, and non-digital hobbies. I suppose Lent arrived early. Through prayer and discernment on my own and with my spiritual director, I'm going in a different but complementary direction. Last semester was pretty demanding on me, and I found myself stretched thin - cutting corners I didn't want to be cutting. I was frequently tired because I wasn't sleeping enough and I wasn't sleeping well. I wasn't praying as often, as consistently, or with as much focus as I wanted to. I'm in seminary to love God, and my responsibilities should flow from that reality, not replace it. It wouldn't be healthy for me to try and push myself further. My goal for this semester is integration. Integration is one of those fancy "mission statement" words that seminaries like to throw around a lot. Simply put, it means that seminarians are called to be good human beings before we're called to be good priests. We're meant to be balanced people, growing in virtue and living moderately. For some guys this means more penances. For me, I'm taking on the challenging task of knowing when to put my work down and how to recreate properly. I'd love to get back to crafts like leatherwork and woodwork. I'm not great at either, but they're fulfilling. I'd also like to invest myself more in the well-being of my seminary community and I've taken on some responsibilities to keep the building clean and well-ordered. All in all, every seminarian here is striving to grow as men of God and virtuously balanced human beings. Although superstores and radio stations are calling it "the most wonderful time of the year," here at the Josephinum, tensions are high. Finals are right around the corner, so papers are coming due left and right and we have exams dead ahead.
I've been very grateful for my courses this semester, even though I've been academically overcommitted. A highlight for me was reading G.K. Chesterton's The Man Who Was Thursday and some of his short stories and essays. The advantage of giving seminarians a liberal arts degree is that our philosophical experience isn't limited to grumpy metaphysicians, but we can explore the ways that authors and storytellers view the world and recognize Truth. Chesterton, in particular, has changed the way I think about philosophy. He focuses on having awe and wonder for the ordinariness of the world around. He offers what I find to be one of the most compelling proofs for God's existence: the order and consistency of the universe. Frankly, it's pretty amazing that the world is consistent and that certain effects always follow certain causes. It doesn't necessarily follow that every time you drop a ball, it falls. Why should it? Poetically, he speaks of God like a little child - so perfectly content with the order and beauty of the world that, amazed, he exclaims "do it again!" It's an easy reality to miss and a powerful message for not only my finals week, but for Advent as well. If we get so caught up in the business that we forget the ordinary beauty of the present, we're missing the point. It's very difficult for me to keep prayer and rest central to my day because there's so many responsibilites to take care of. It can feel like I don't need something else that's "monotonous" to do - when I have a Latin test on my desk, my rosary doesn't look so attractive. But the simpleness of prayer reflects the perfection of God. The humility of the Nativity is an invitation to find contentment in God even when circumstances are shabby. It's the most wonderful time of the year, but not because of the flashiness of the presents, the glitz of a full Christmas tree or the gaudiness of the sweater (see the slideshow) but because we are called to be full of wonder at the presence of God in the ordinariness of our lives. Although all of the seminarians, priests, and faculty are excited to return home for Thanksgiving, we still make sure to celebrate Thanksgiving with each other. This sunday, the whole seminary will be sharing an early Thanksgiving meal. The picture above is from a couple days ago where some of the Collegians and I had a College Thanksgiving, sponsored by a local Knights of Columbus. We decided to pull all the stops out in the highest-class bachelor fashion by using the fancy plastic plates and by filling wine glasses with cranberry juice, and sampling a cheesecake platter that was a gift from a local convent. As the picture implies, this year was an excellent vintage for OceanSpray (if you were wondering about the pretend pretension on our faces). One of the guys babysat our bacon-wrapped, apple-stuffed chicken for a good three hours as it cooked. It was probably the best chicken I've ever had, and the bacon-fat, chicken stock, apple, and onion gravy was phenomenal. I was very glad to unwind for a while with the boys after some long weeks and difficult assignments.
One of my favorite ways that we celebrated the Hallowtide Triduum of All Hallow's Eve, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day this year was by joining with the St. Thomas More Newman center on The Ohio State University campus to hold a mass and Eucharistic Procession for the students. The attendance was phenomenal. I was near the front of the procession (among the many surplices in one of the photos) and near the end, I was looking back over the procession and there were at least 200 students holding candles behind me, and more joined as we processed.
Like at any secular university, the Catholic students there are actively fighting against the Culture of Death. It was only fitting to celebrate the Triduum of Death by bringing the source of life and light into the darkness. Sure, there were plenty of students who stood by the side, didn't notice or care, or giggled and pulled out their phones to take video. We even made the OSU subreddit confused. But there were some students who were respectful, who knelt as Jesus passed by them in the monstrance, or who honestly and openly asked what we were doing. Regardless of how they took it, it was a sign of hope for me to see a young generation of Catholics fervently living out their faith. I can only pray that these young men and women will one day be some of the saints whose intercession we pray for every November 1st. We were very blessed to spend five days in Maria Stein, Ohio, at the Maria Stein Shrine and Retreat Center. It was good for all of us to get our noses out of textbooks, papers, and laptops and to spend some time in silence, prayer, and reflection in the woods of Ohio during the peak of Fall.
Although we're currently back in classes and have returned to the challenges of academia, we have some wonderful All Saints celebrations coming up, beginning with solemn Vespers this evening, an All Saints costume party, a solemn mass tomorrow, and an All Souls procession around the grounds and the on-campus cemetery. Midterms week always takes its toll on the seminarians. I notice it in myself, I've heard guys (myself included) struggling with chanting. Tensions have been a higher, guys skipped or cut some meals short, and everyone squirreled themselves away in their rooms. While every student at every school gets stressed during midterms, seminaries encourage seminarians to respond differently. We relax together in community, watching movies, or doing activities. Some guys are going to a demolition derby at a county fair this evening to celebrate "crushing it" during midterms week. More importantly, all of us philosophy students and some of the theologians will be spending next week on silent retreat, praying and deepening our relationships with the Lord. We work hard, but the good fruits and the struggles of our work go straight back to God.
Habemus Papam!
I have had this last weekend in mind since the beginning of the semester. Family weekend and the famous flag football game between the College and Theology houses (called the Mudbowl) is one of the biggest and most fun events we have all year. Team spirit is high and the week prior is stuffed with event planning and light-hearted smack talk between the Collegians (who adopted all the incoming seminarians into their team) and the Theologians (who are sad because they aren't Collegians. This is an example of smack talk.) But I had my eye on one yearly tradition in particular: the election of the Mudbowl Pope. The College team, called the College of Cardinals "elects" from among the junior class a seminarian to be the team mascot. Since I'm a junior this year, I couldn't help but wonder whether it would be me. And because I'm so popular, and definitely not because the only other junior was coaching the football team, the people rejoiced at the election of Cardinal John Paul Gan to the papacy. And the papacy of Pope Pulchritudinous I was a glorious one. On the eve of the mudbowl, the faithful gathered in front of the college building, where the third floor window opened so the papal flag could be hung. A Cardinal appeared at the window, announcing the election of the Mudbowl Pope. Amidst cheers and applause, the new "Pope" appears at the window and waves. Ok, some context is required. The real Pope usually delivers a speech greeting the faithful and asking them for prayer before delivering his first Urbi et Orbi blessing. The Mudbowl Pope, not being ordained and clearly being just a mascot and a fun tradition, delivers a speech to rouse the College to action and to poke a little fun at the Theology team. It's completely ridiculous and filled with inside jokes, but it's good fun all around. After the speech, the Pope and Cardinals makes a "solemn" procession to our communal game room and everyone follows for a fun social. Even though we didn't win the football game, I still greatly enjoyed the whole event. We had good food, a great game, and it breathes a lot of life into the seminary whenever families come to visit. We had 200 visitors! I'll leave you with the last lines of my papal address. All ridiculousness aside, it expresses my favorite part of the Mudbowl. The Mudbowl brings the greater seminary family together, even if it's not under the rule of a fancy mascot. "This divide between the houses serves the Cardinals no longer. Christ himself prayed in the Garden "that they may be one." Our illustrious founder, Monsignior Jessing, did not call this blessed institution the Pontifical Theology Josephinum but the Pontifical College Josephinum! Like the great egyptian Menes, who conquered the upper and lower kingdoms, so shall the echo of our triumph cross the street and liberate every seminarian under the fist of one, mighty papacy. And we, the victorious, shall dwell in true unity. Our Lady of Victory, Pray for us! Our Lady of Sorrows, Pray for them!" |
Author
Catholic. Archives
July 2023
Categories |