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Faith Fest in South Florida
FAITH FEST 2008 — the Catholic Archdiocese of Miami had a celebration of faith, music and community @ St Thomas University (in Miami Gardens) from 6pm til 12 Midnight. It usually focused on young adults, but everyone was welcome and present. Musically, it featured MATT MAHER & TOM BOOTH with Chris Wills from Radio Peace as MC. The evening closed with Mass and Candlelight Eucharistic Procession with Bishop Felipe J Estevez. Individual tickets were $10 and group discounts were available. Official website @ http://www.freewebs.com/southfloridafaithfest/ — hopefully the beginning of more
biggest Catholic secret + Modern Day Moses (song)
In Contemporary Philosophy class, our latest discussions have always come back to the treatment of the poor and ignored people in society. Karl Marx‘s Communist Manifesto seems to over-emphasize the poor in his philosophy while Adam Smith‘s The Wealth of Nations seems to minimize them. Fr Santos constantly compared & contrasted Communism with Captitalism with Catholic Social Teaching. He also reminded us of the Catholic Church’s greatest kept secret, the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church that highlights the social teachings of the Church. It’s a great read and good for spiritual reading. [text available on Vatican website here]
As I was seaching YouTube, I also found a video for a song that fits my reflections today. It’s another song by Kendall Payne (one of my favorite Christian vocalist). It’s not that well known, but is probably my favorite of hers to date. It’s off her first album Jordan’s Sister, called “Modern Day Moses.” Here’s the lyrics:
a modern day Moses, waking the streets
with shouts of glory, blistered feet
he’s met the maker, he’s met the reason he’s alive
and he’s on fire inside
a modern day mother, living in the slums
feeding the hungry, making sure the race gets run,
always asking if we fought with steady feet
she fights on her knees
let my people go (4x)
a modern day Martin in a world of civil words exchange
but dreaming bigger, thinks maybe he could make a change
he’s heard the stories, he wants some of his own
and he’s not alone. (no, no, no ...)
[chorus]
(bridge)
the time is not the moments here,
walk in faith or stand in fear
change the course of history,
did you ever think, no one ever though
— who would have believed?
a modern day Me, what have i become, what can i be?
if there is greatness out there to be achieved
i want to be more than someone who just passes through this life
i want to stand up for what is right
[chorus]
The YouTube video (above), featuring Kendall Payne’s song Modern Day Moses, is just a collage of scenes from 7th Heaven of people that the Camden family has helped over the years. I’ve never been a big 7th Heaven fan, but charity is a great running theme for this post, so it’s ok here! 🙂
prayer + Kendall Payne
A great song by Kendall Payne (one of my favorite Christian vocalist) that focuses on what real prayer is all about, appropriately titled “Pray” from her latest album, “Grown.” Light guitar, soft vocals, profound meaning, worth posting:
I will pray for you now, for you have been my faithful friends,
While the road we walk is difficult indeed.
I couldn’t not ask for more than what you’ve already been,
Only that you would say these prayers for me.
May your heart break enough that compassion enters in,
May your strength all be spent upon the weak.
All the castles and crowns you build and place upon your head,
May they all fall, come crashing down around your feet.
May you find every step to be harder than the last,
So your character grows greater each stride.
May your company be of humble insignificance,
May your weakness be your only source of pride.
What you dooo unto others,
May it all be done to you.
May you meeeet the One who made us,
And see Him smile when life is through.
May your bleeessings be many,
But not what … you hoped they’d be.
And when you looook upon the broken,
May mercy show you what you could not see.
May you never be sure of any plans you desire,
But you’d learn to trust the plan He has for you.
May your passions be tried and tested in the holy fire,
May you fight with all your life for what is true.
I have prayed for you now all my dear and faithful friends,
But what I wish is more than I could ever speak.
As the way wanders on I’ll long to see you once again,
Until then, would you pray these prayers for me?
Oh, that you would praaay for me.
She tell the story of a man asking Mother Teresa to pray for him. Check it out …
Winter Jam Christian concert
CONCERT — the WINTER JAM 2008 Christian concert tonight at the University of Miami Convocation Center. It featured MercyMe (praise & worship), BarlowGirl (rock), Skillet (hard rock), and newer groups like NewSong (praise & worship), Group 1 Crew (hip-hop) and Mandisa (vocalist). I met up with the youth group of my home parish who got a bus full of kids.
After Group 1 Crew (hip hop good enough for me to buy their CD). An extreme BMX Skate Team did some stunts (for Jesus, I guess) followed by Mandisa (from American Idol). Then came NewSong, Skillet, BarlowGirl and finally MercyMe.
In between acts were speakers (like Tony Nolan), an altercall, and financial pleas for poverty and supporting more of these events. Hooking people with a $10 ticket price, making the concert into a “ministry,” then suggesting to write a check for $100 or $1000+ (if you’ve been “blessed”) to a crowd 90% children and then praying to respond to what God really wants you to do. We should be encouraging our sacrificial financial gifts to go to our accountable local churches for self-less causes, not independent “ministry” companies that entertain. — shameless, but good performances
semester begins + Aquinas + Contemporary Philosophy + Medieval + Ministry + Amber Spyglass
MASS – (Fr Michael) — God is the same yesterday as today, on vacation, on retreat, back in the daily routine. Do you believe in Jesus? How is your life different because of your belief?
AQUINAS in the 20th CENTURY – (Fr Vallee) — this is a senior level course that focuses on the rediscovery of St Thomas Aquinas thought in the 19th & 20th centuries, in the areas of epistemology, metaphysics and anthropology. Readings will be from Gilson, Maritain, Marechal, Rousselot and John Paul II’s Fides et ratio. No term paper. Tests are open notes & open book — (translation: It’s hard!). Large class.
CONTEMPORARY PHILOSOPHY – (Fr Santos) — started reviewing Modern Philosophy era. LOTS of reading. Martin Buber – I and Thou … Hans-Georg Gadamer – Truth and Method … Martin Heidegger – Introduction to Metaphysics … Edmund Husserl – Phenomenology and the Crisis of Philosophy … Soren Kierkegaard – Either/Or (our first reading assignment) … Karl Marx – Communist Manifesto … Friedrich Nietzsche – The Anti-Christ … Paul Ricoeur – Oneself as Another … John Robinson – Honest to God … Adam Smith – The Wealth of Nations … Alfred North Whitehead – Religion in the Making. — I should probably be reading right now!
MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY – (Fr Vallee) — reviewed a timeline of philosphy periods. This class will focus on Augustine (Confessions), Anselm, and Thomas Aquinas (Summa Theologica, On Being and Essence, The Thought of Thomas Aquinas). Our main test is Frederick Copleston’s A History of Philosophy, vol II. 2 papers. — finally some Augustine & Aquinas!
MINISTERIAL PRACTICUM – (Fr Michael) — reviewed the basic about ministry (from last semester). This course will be about the practical skills need for ministry. Next year, we’ll be assigned Monday night “Apostalic Work” in the areas of CCD catechesis or Homebound Visitation. We’ll be going out to visit other seminarians in their work assignments throughout the semester. Today, we also learned “How to Create a Lesson Plan” for CCD class. — finally some hands-on!
DOTS — “Kr” Lauds blessing — listened to first half of The Amber Spyglass (His Dark Materials trilogy) on audio
time & space
Some scientific notes I took from the first 2 audio sessions “Learn the Bible in 24 Hours” by Chuck Missler (protestant fundamentalist) to help me understand some concepts of time & space. (For an excellent 24 hour Catholic Bible study, check out Jeff Cavins’ The Great Adventure). I hope I don’t mis-paraphrase any points:
(*) Despite many misconceptions, we have concluded within the past century, that “the universe, time, length & mass are finite, NOT infinite“. Time is subject to gravitational forces.
(*) “Twin Astronauts, part 1.” 1 astronaut travels to Alpha Centauri (the next closest star to the Sun 4.5 lightyears away) at HALF the speed of light, 9 years one way + 9 years back = 18 years. However, the traveling twin is 2 years & 9 months younger than the other.
(*) “Twin Astronauts, part 2.” If 1 astronaut travels to Alpha Centauri at the speed of light, 9 years + 9 year = 18 years. However, the traveling twin only aged 46 days. Wow!
(*) “Eternity IS NOT lots of time.” Therefore, God (eternal) is outside the dimensionality of time altogether. We see time as a series of events, like watching a parade pass by. God uses his ability to be outside of time to send us a message and authenticate it by fullfulling prophecy.
(*) Space is NOT an empty vacuum.
(*) The ability to “bend time” may be seen in Hebrews 1:12 & Isaiah 34:4 when created things (like skies, heavens, earth) will be “rolled up” like a scroll or cloak, and “will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will never end.” Interesting.
(*) There are actually 10 dimension, but we can only conceptualize 4 of them. Hyperspaces (spaces in more than 3 dimensions) can only be visualized by 2 types of people, well trained mathematicians and small children (WHAT?).
(*) The only known visual of a 4th dimension is seen in Salvador Dali’s 1954 Crucifixion (Corpus Hypercubus) by using a tesseract. (I’m getting a headache staring at the picture looking for the 4th dimension)
There are several other tidbits of facts. These are just a few that jumped out at me.
Present “ALL” Vocations
The best way that I think we can encourage vocations is by presenting “ALL” the vocations. In an audio talk by Scott Hahn called, “Vocations in Scripture: Discovering & Discerning God’s Call,” (#5627-CD) he does just that. He begins his talk by saying we all have the same inherit primary vocation, and that’s to be a “child of God the Father” by accepting Jesus and living active christian lives. Besides that, we can live out our faith through the vocations of single life, married life, religious life, or the priesthood. He then details each one as seen through Scripture. I think that is how we should encourage vocations. We need to present ALL of them as equally necessary, yet individually unique. I think that approach would make people more open to priesthood and the religious life, because I wouldn’t be seen as so far removed from each of us. — Kermit? Anyone?
SJVCS Seminary Life Album
July '09 -- hospital chaplains @ IPF
Easter '09 -- Miami SJVCS friends
the Son always finds a break in let the clouds
Feb '09 -- school vocation talks @ AMHS
Feb '09 -- cold breakfast with brothers (Matias, Fenly & Randy), now at SVDP and Imad (at SJVCS)
Superbowl '09 -- eating great @ SJVCS
Sept '08 -- Worklist Coordinators?
St Raphael Chapel mural @ SJVCS
Sept '08 -- retreats @ SJVCS
"It's not easy being green"
Catholic Kermit 
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