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Ash Wednesday POLL … take it!
I know today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of 40 days of penitence and reflection, called Lent, to cleanse our soul by making atonement for the wrong things we have done and growing our relationship with our Heavenly Father.
Since I’ve been in seminary the last 2 Ash Wednesday, I’m a little ignorant when I ask this, but … “Why are there so many people at Mass today?!?” Standing room only at the 6pm Mass I went to. Some churches even have 3 to 4+ different Mass times throughout the day.
Don’t get me wrong … it’s awesome to witness, but today isn’t even a holiday day of obligation. Why do so many Catholics feel the need to “get the ashes” today … what draws them today. Today, I even got a record number of 578 hits on this blog, with keywords like lent, fast, ashes, abstinence, & penance.
I’ve been debating possible reasons, from the supernatural movements of the soul toward God to practical whys. Here is poll (in the sidebar of this page) with some possibilities that I hope people will be honest about. — Please add more in comments.
What is the background on Ash Wednesday (in case you didn’t know)?
The ashes are made by burning the blessed palm fronds used on last year’s Palm Sunday and christened with Holy Water.
The marking of the forehead with a cross made of ashes reminds each of us that:
- Death comes to everyone
- We should be sad for their sins
- We must change ourselves for the better
- God made the first human being by breathing life into dust, and without God, human beings are nothing more than dust and ashes.
- It’s also a reminder of the mark of the cross made at baptism
- The cross of ashes may symbolize the way Christ’s sacrifice on the cross as atonement for sin replaces the Old Testament tradition of making burnt offerings to atone for sin.
When marking the sign of the cross on each believer’s forehead, the celebrant says, “Remember, man, that you are dust and unto dust you shall return.” or “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.” When leaving the observance, we carry the cross out into the world.
During Lent, each Christian imitates Jesus’ withdrawal into the wilderness for forty days. It invites us to undertake spiritual discipline, deliberate abstinence from indulgent behavior involving food or luxuries, or finding ways to be of service to society.
CCD hs: Confirmation Commitment Mass (with Fr Whyte) (day 6)
Today, our high school Confirmation class had a Mass in celebration of their Confirmation Commitment this year. At one point during Mass, the teens presented Fr Whyte (pastor) with a contract involving their understanding and responsibilities in preparing this year for the sacrament of Confirmation. It was signed & presented by both teen and parents.
In preparing for Confirmation, I will …
- —attend Mass on Sundays & holy days
- —attend & participate in class
- —pray regularly
- –assume more responsibility for my own faith
- –be involved & journal my Christian service
- –attend any additional activities
- —ask for help from the Blessed Trinity, my family, my sponsor and my friends
Brooklyn Bishop at St Mark’s Parish
MASS — today at St Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church (in Southwest Ranches, FL), a visiting friend of Fr Whyte presided the Mass. Auxiliary Bishop Octavio Cisneros of the Diocese of Brooklyn celebrated Mass. Even though the Deacon did a good homily, I wish the Bishop shared his wisdom over the readings. There was also a long announcement encouraging involvement in ministries, especially Religious Education. The Bishop supplemented both talks with great insight into tapping into our Baptism to be instruments of the Holy Spirit evangelizing wherever we can. Catechesis is a critical part of our faith that we should all be involved in … whether on the receiving end to grow in our intimacy of our faith or the giving end as catechists to our own families or to others. He also shared gratitude for the parish to having the weekly tradition of families taking home a Vocation Cup to pray for the response to God call in all our lives, whether it be priesthood, the religious life, or marriage. He’s a very personable and holy man.
don’t be a loser … commit
MASS – (Fr Santos) — Gospel about the beheading of John the Baptist.
There are 3 kinds of people in this world: (1) Runners avoid their problems, (2) Watchers sit on the fence; both avoid pain, hurt and becoming vulnerable when dealing with difficulties of life. They lose out on triumph, victory and joy that (3) Those that Commit have as their reward.
spiritual awareness + God alone suffices
MASS – (Fr Vallee) — No prophet is accepted in his home … Fr Omar laugh … Spirituality is about awareness … stay awake!
HOLY HOUR – (Fr Michael) — “God alone suffices”
So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you. Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for (someone) to devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your fellow believers throughout the world undergo the same sufferings. The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ (Jesus) will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little. To him be dominion forever. Amen. — 1Peter 5:6-11
Our Lady of Lebanon Church + Maronite Rite, Miami
Today we had Mass at Our Lady of Lebanon Catholic Church in Miami, of the Maronite Rite. The liturgy was structured a bit differently. My favorite part is the prayer of consecration said in the original Aramaic (that Jesus spoke) and Communion is distributed under both species, the Body dipped into the Blood and given on the tongue.
After Mass, we were warmly welcomed by the parishoners in their hall with lots to eat. As visiting was a Rector of a seminary in Lebanon. Since priest of the Maronite Rite can be married, we discussed some of the pros and cons with married vs celibate priests and dating in the seminary … among other things.
new semester Mass
We just got back to seminary yesterday afternoon. Today is a the first day of classes for the Spring Semester. A great Mass with most of the seminary priests.
Liga Orante
MASS — Fr Manny Alvarez, our Miami Vocations Director, celebrated Mass with a Spanish diocesen ministry called “Liga Orante,” who prays for vocations everyday. We only get to see them a couple times a year, but it’s always a joy to see our spiritual support team face to face. — Thank you and God bless!
Syro-Malabar Qurbana Mass
MASS — in our appreciation of other Catholic Rites, today we celebrated Qurbana (Mass) in the tradition of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, which our own Fr Joseph was ordained in. The servers have more reading parts, the priest face away from the people during consecration, we stand through most of Mass, and shaking hands is different (two hands together, like prayer, with a bow). A great experience in appreciation of our diverse yet universal Catholic Church.
tap water + faith
MASS – (Fr Vallee) — today’s homily was a dream about all of us seminarians getting Baptized in our Reflection Pond (it’s pretty cold today) … healing all our vices and imperfections. However, the Archangel Raphael (upper right side of our chapel mural) came to life to say: “with enough faith, even tap water can heal.” — Great message … inspired … Fr Vallee 🙂 … a permanent holy memory!
priestly advice
MASS – (Fr Santos) — Fr Santos shared some words of wisdom from a Spiritual Director he had in seminary. When you become a priest, (1) travel light, (2) love deeply & learn detachment, and (3) keep your priorities in sight. Simple, yet profound and practical. — this made for some great discussion at brunch!
Fr Richard Vigoa Mass
MASS — today we had another visiting celebrant for Mass. Fr Richard Vigoa is a newly ordained priest of the Archdiocese of Miami in residence at St Michael the Archangel Catholic Church here in Miami. He was also a graduate of St John Vianney College Seminary. It was great to see his joy for the priesthood and some shared experiences when he discerned here. — a great visit!
Fr David Zirilli Mass
MASS — today, at morning Mass, we had visiting priest Fr David Zirilli. He is a newly ordained (5 months ago) priest here in the Archdiocese of Miami in residence at St Louis Catholic Church nearby. He celebrated Mass as an alumni from here at St John Vianney College Seminary. It was great to hear how joyful he was to finally be ordained and finally finishing seminary. His reflection on his initial experiences give hope to what the Lord may have in store for me. — Thanks for stopping by.
—————
David Zirilli, 36, is a native of Melbourne, Florida born on April 26, 1971 and is the eldest of two sons. His parents, Tony and Susan, are both Certified Public Accountants practicing in South Florida. His brother, Danny, is a civil engineer and lives in Houston with his wife and daughter. David is a graduate of the University of Florida, where in 1993 he earned a Baccalaureate degree in Accounting. He later attended the University of North Florida where he obtained his Master’s degree, also in Accounting. Like his parents, he began a career as a Certified Public Accountant, opening his own practice in the Key Largo area. During this time, he was active in several ministries at San Pedro and St.Justin Martyr parishes in the upper keys. After eight years of public practice, David sold his firm and entered St. John Vianney College Seminary, where he completed the pre-theology program before entering St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, where he is currently finishing his final year of theology. Pastoral Assignments: David has worked in a number of ministries throughout his seminary career including the Greenbrier assisted living facility in Miami; Holy Cross Daycare and Center in Palm Beach; and the Hanley Center, also in Palm Beach, where he worked with those suffering from alcohol and drug addiction. He spent a summer at Good Shepherd parish in Miami and was sent for his pastoral internship year to St. Joseph’s parish in Miami Beach. Since his ordination to the diaconate last April, David has been ministering at St. Gregory the Great parish in Plantation.
Following ordination to the priesthood, David celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving at St.Gregory the Great Parish on Sunday, May 11 at 12:00 p.m.David will serve as priest after his ordination at St. Louis Catholic Church in Miami. Lazarus Govin, 39 was born in Havana, Cuba on November 20, 1968 to Melanio Govin and Lourdes Garcia. He has a younger sister. He left Cuba in 1993 to the Dominican Republic, and settled in Miami in 1994. He graduated from Miami Dade College with an Associate in Arts degree in 1998. He entered St. John Vianney College Seminary and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy in 2000. He has been trained and certified in Spiritual Direction at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, from which he received a Master of Arts in Christian Spirituality. He finished his studies in St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary completing a Master of Divinity and a Master of Arts in Theology. Pastoral Assignments: Little Flower, Coral Gables Cathedral of St. Mary Corpus Christi Lazarus will serve as priest after his ordination at St. Andrew Catholic Church in Coral Springs.
Mass @ St Agnes
Tonight we were invited to the evening Youth Mass at St Agnes Catholic Church in Key Biscayne, FL nearby. A beautiful parish with a loving faith community. We lectored, ushered the collection and spoke to several parishoners after Mass. — afterward, Doral Ale House : )
Fr Joseph Kottayil
At the end of this morning’s Mass, we recognized the celebrant, Fr Joseph Kottayil, for his priesthood and brotherhood here at St John Vianney College Seminary. He is one of our “in house” Spiritual Directors. The Student Council, this year, decided to keep, in an extra-special way, a different priest of the house in our prayers each month. Last month, September 2008, we all focused on Fr Joseph. This month, it is Fr Santos. — Thank you, Fr Joseph, for you!
————-
Father Joseph Kottayil was born April 1, 1959, in Kerala, the most Catholic state of India, he is the fifth of seven children. Ordained Dec. 23,
1979, he came to the United States in 1990 and worked at St. Agnes Parish in downtown Brooklyn, N.Y. The cold winter did not suit him, however, so a priest friend invited him to come to South Florida. Since 1991, he has served at St. Coleman Parish in Pompano, St. Maximilian Kolbe in Pembroke Pines, St. John Neumann in Kendall and St. Catherine of Siena in Miami. On July 1, 2002, he was named pastor of the newly-created Blessed John XXIII Parish in Miramar. Today is a permanent “in house” Spiritual Director at St John Vianney College Seminary in Miami, FL
For more info, see some personal question & answers on the Archdiocese of Miami HERE.
Sign on his desk: “Be patient. God isn’t finished with me yet.”
puzzling life + guardian angels
MASS – (Fr Alvarez) — Life is like a puzzle. When we’re young, it has big pieces and the picture is easy to put together. As we get older, however, the pieces get smaller, more numerous and the picture gets more complicated. We can only get so far on our own. We start struggling through confusing pieces, forcing pieces, missing pieces and trying to do too many puzzle at the same time. Eventually [hopefully], we acknowledge our need for help to see the bigger picture of our individual lives that God has planned for us.
Discovering God’s Will for our lives is what each of us should strive for daily. That’s better said than done however. When we have an “extra challenging” calling to a possible vocation, therefore, the busyness of our lives demands a extra-ordinary move to “remove yourself” to more intense “discernment” process like the seminary here. Am I called the the priesthood? the religious life? permanent diaconate? married life? single life? Even in the seminary, however, there come distractions that keep you from exploring the question honestly with yourself. I guess that’s why we have Spiritual Directors to help clarify your personal puzzle while the Seminary Formation Team help your puzzle grow into its fullest potential, assuming everyone involved is looking at the right picture. Discernment and formation may sound simple and easy, but I don’t think either word should be used if the puzzle is truly taken seriously … serious enough to stop calling it a puzzle … and embrace it as “MY LIFE” that God drew just for me … with images I don’t want to see … that the Lord reveals as I become open to accept … and ultimately live for His glory … knowing it brings joy … while short-sightedly focusing on the fuzzy gaps that fear clouds in doubt. [this last line took an hour to write]
Today’s feast day for “Guardian Angels” reminds me of yet another voice I have access to but don’t give an ear to often enough. Here is the Guardian Angel Prayer:
Angel of God, my guardian dear,
To whom God’s love commits me here,
Ever this day, be at my side,
To light and guard, Rule and guide.
Amen.
“From infancy to death human life is surrounded by their (the angels) watchful care and intercession. Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life. Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united to God.” — from the Catechism of the Catholic Church; 336.
DOTS — Rector’s Conference on “Obedience” — VP debate in HD
Parent Day Mass + lion tattoo
On Parent (visiting) Day, we had a beautiful Mass with all our families. Our Rector, Fr Michael, had a great homily about the formation of Men here at St John Vianney College Seminary using a story of a wuss getting a tattoo of a lion on his back. You can’t pick and choose areas that are easy to change. If you’re getting a tattoo, you can’t leave off some parts … it needs to be complete in order to claim the real thing. Any real formation requires some level of sacrifice and pain in order for true growth. It’s not just a Catholic idea, either. —powerful
Cup + new jefe + happy holy hour
EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS — At this morning’s Mass, 14 of us Seniors & second-year Pre-Theology (me) seminarians were installed as Eucharistic Ministers to our seminary community here at St John Vianney College Seminary. We’ll be assisting especially with distribution of the Cup of Precious Blood at Mass. An honor and reminder of our greater role to lead and be example to our fellow brothers in priestly discernment.
NEW WORK LIST JOB — Every Wednesday 1:30 to 3pm, we each have a “job” to do for the community. This semester I am the “Assistant Work List Coordinator.” I drive around with my “jefe” coordinating needs and supplies for each area of Work List (Carroll Building, McCarthy House, Chapel, Library, Offices, etc.).
other DOTS — Wendy’s 4 — Rector personal intro meeting — joyful Holy Hour — Cuban dinner — John Adams part 5
be a “good” finder
MASS – (Fr Michael) — We need to be transformed and renewed to have the mind of Christ. Seminary life can get frustrating, especially living here with 60+ guys. We can get caught up in the complaint and “tearing down” our brothers in Christ. Instead … we need to diligently “build up” our brothers and be “good finders” to encourage others, sometimes even to acknowledge the blessings and graces we see with words of encouragement. — assignment: each day this week, be a “good finder” to my brothers
mumbo jumbo + find myself
MASS – (Fr Santos) — in seminary, sometime our discernment process can be challenging enough to even “feel formation.” Studying philosophy can seem like a lot of mumbo jumbo. But … Consider this is something God wants you to do, leading us to the person God wants us to become. — the growing pains of formation while discerning my vocation
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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