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Caribbean food night
CULTURAL FOOD NIGHT — Tonight was West Indies (Caribbean) Food Night, a combination of Bahamas, Jamaica, Haiti and Puerto Rico. Lots of good food … some more spicey than others. I hope I can remember all the food off the top of my head … here we go …
drink … Sky Juice (coconut + ?) … Bahamas
soup … Pumpkin soup … Haiti
meat … jerk chicken & beef … Jamaica
rice … yellow rice & beans … Puerto Rico
appetizers … great bread + (meat-filled baked pockets – look like empenadas)
plantains
dessert … Rum cake … wizardry of “Oz”
Great food!
Here’s some pics of all the work involved. I helped Eric pack the appetizers with some origami techniques. 🙂
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.
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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.
CCD + BAPTiSM + 5 finger prayer
Tonight’s CCD class (religious education) was on “Prayer.” We used a PowerPoint slide show I made a couple years ago to profile the different types of prayer. I used an acronym I made up using BAPTiSM:
B A P T i S M =
B = Blessing (to invoke God’s power for a person, place or activity)
A = Adoration (the “created” before the Creator)
P = Praise (glorify God)
T = Thanksgiving (gratitude)
i = Intercession (I ask God for OTHERS) + Petition (I ask God for ME)
S = “Sorry” (ask for forgiveness)
M = Meditation (tuning into God)
When discussing Intercession, I suggested using the “5 Finger Prayer” that I personally like using:
5 FINGER PRAYER =
Thumb – Pray for those nearest you such as your family, parents, siblings, spouse, children, friends and co-workers.
Pointing Finger – Pray for those who instruct, heal and minister such as teachers, health care professionals, pastors and church workers.
Middle/Highest Finger – Pray for leaders in business, police and fire departments, military personnel, and local, state and federal government including the judiciary.
Fourth/Weakest Finger – Pray for those sick and in need, locally, nationally and internationally including the persecuted church and those who have suffered natural and man-made disasters.
Fifth/Smallest Finger – Pray for your needs.
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
Vietnamese food night
CULTURAL FOOD NIGHT — today was Vietnamese food night. Egg rolls, spring rolls, multiple sauses and more. Great food!
CCD + free will + Bruce Almighty + prayer
Today in 10th grade CCD we did “free will” and prayer using clips from Bruce Almighty. We had a great debate of “free will” verses God’s “all-knowing” nature. Also discussed angels, being that today is the feast of the Archangels. It was a great day!
Here are most of the clips on “Free Will” from Bruce Almighty:
Another clip from Bruce Almighty:
parent dinner + talent show
To close Parent Day @ SJVCS, we had a delicious dinner and Talent Show by some gifted brother seminarians. Songs, poetry, music, and Randy performing “Mack the Knife” like Louis Armstrong. —Awesome night!
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
golf cart labor Jefes + Bishop’s Day Off
WORKLIST — On Wednesday afternoons we all have a Work List Job that involves some kind of manual labor around the seminary campus. The job changes each semester.
This semester, I’m the Work List Coordinator Assistant (that’s why I can’t drive the golf cart). My job changes depending on the needs of all the areas of work but looking cool in a golf cart is the most important job description. : )
BISHOP’s DAY OFF — With all our work we’ve done over the last couple weeks, and most especially yesterday’s celebration for Bishop Noonan’s 25th Priestly Anniversary, we were given a DAY OFF under special dispensation by the Bishop himself … which is this Friday! — We LOVE our Bishop Noonan! (not just for the day off, but that’s nice too!)
legendary “Tree of Vocational End” @ SJVCS
Here at St John Vianney College Seminary (Miami, FL), there is a beautiful and gigantic tree outside the Library building with a legend attached. Apparently any seminarian that has tried to climb the tree has left the seminary [and not become a priest]. I’m not one for superstitions, but knowing that now may make the tree a temptation during a time of spiritual “desolation” or just on one of those “stressful” seminary days that forces the question, “Why am I here again?” I hope I don’t do something that extreme [and immature] to actually consider an avenue of “vocational suicide” in a moment of weakness. Fortunately for me, I have a long walk to that “tree” from the Pre-Theology houses … and I know my fellow brothers are there to keep me from “myself” in those moments. — Thank God today is a “good” day : ) lol
Bishop Noonan’s 25 year party
Tonight, we helped Miami Auxiliary Bishop John Noonan celebrate his 25th Anniversary of his priesthood. Us seminarians spent much of the afternoon preparing with table set-ups. The evening began with a beautiful Mass. The homily enlightened all to how personable Bishop Noonan has always been. Afterwards was a reception with dinner and stories mostly from former seminary classmates of the Bishop’s. Great food, fellowship and priestly fraternity. (I was a bartender and table server) — Congratulations again, Bishop Noonan!
my SJVCS bros Anthony A & Michael H
Our seminary website here at St John Vianney College Seminary has a new blog that features 2 of my brother seminarians posting “a day in the life” of a seminarian. Check them out! Anthony Antuono (2nd Year Sophmore) and Michael Hartley (1st Year Sophmore).
Click their pictures for their blog posts!
Theatre + intensionality + throwness + Back Wall + social animal + simplicator + radical individualism
[here are some weak notes from last week’s Metaphysics class:]
Procrastination is, therefore, the art of trying not to be human, hanging on to and not moving … repeating the same thing to the point of distracting us from thinking, avoiding “intensionality.”
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Man is essentially a social animal, as Aristotle said. Modernity, however, does something unique. Through Radical Individualism, the slate is wiped clean making man the only being of importance. This was best expressed by Locke … Man is essentially an individual. It is later on that he organizes itself as a society. This is portrayed in our society with icons like the “Marlboro Man” who’s a cowboy living independent very self-confident without the need of others. This idealized character, however, is not real and used to sell cigarettes.
This Radical Individualism cannot be true. We are born into a family that necessitates society to “raise” a human being, at minimum, a man and woman to conceive a human being. One of the first acts of God, as seen in Genesis, is to create a society: “It is not good for Adam to be alone.” Locke is wrong. Aristotle is right. We ARE social animals.
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With Naïve Realism, we have “Simplicators” that see things as “it is the way it is.” We must abandon the “Simplicitor.” We strive for Hermeneutical Realism, in which what man encounters is real … not imagined or invented.
Animals, just as man, has sensation that allows them to experience hot, cold, wet, blue, hungry, etc. Animals respond to their environment, but only as stimuli to their sensation. It is a “pseudo-perception.” Human beings, however, have true perception, whereby they can make discoveries and rationalize their sensations to, ultimately, make references using language. When we describe the world, we relate our presuppositions (“Backdrops”). All human experiences are mediated by language. Language is the beginning. We take it for granted. Man is the only being that is intrinsically dynamic, that has awareness that he “IS” (“Who I am?”). No other being is aware of it’s being.
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
Parish financial support
Thank you! Thank you VERY MUCH !
In support of their “poor” parish seminarian (that’s me!), 6 ministries of my parish of St Bernadette Catholic Church (in Hollywood, FL) gave me some generous financial donations. I wanted to all least acknowledge the ministries here … they are … St Bernadette Outreach Society, Our Lady of Lourdes Gift Shop, St Bernadette Catholic Church Council of Catholic Women, St Bernadette Columbiettes, Knights of Columbus Council #8382, and the St Bernadette Home and School Association.
beach day @ Key Biscayne, FL
A great time on the beach in Key Biscayne in our own pavillion.
BBQ + water balloons + movie night
With today being the last day of final exams, we celebrated with a dinner Bar-B-Que, a water balloon fight and movie night with unlimited desserts
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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