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Serra Club dinner
Tonight, 13 of us Miami seminarians helped the Serra Club fundraising dinner near Coral Gables. Fr Vallee and Chef Ramon cooked a dynamic 2 course meal with desert for $$$ per plate. Auxiliary Bishop Noonan and Vocations Director Fr Manny were present to thank all who gave toward the funding efforts for the new Pre-Theology housing that the seminary recently purchased. We helped with parking (in the rain), serving food, cleaning, washing dishes, drying dishes and ate some “costly food.” — Lots of work … and lots of fun … brotherhood in action!
Fr Omar + icons
Tonight, instead of a “Rector’s Conference,” we had an “Academic Conference” presentation by Fr Omar about religious icons & iconography. A great insight into the background and creation of icons with various samples to see. We’re currently studying them in “Arts & Ideas” with Fr Vallee, where we’ll need to write a 3-5 page reflection paper on an icon of our choosing. — I should start looking.
DOTS — Spanish vocab quiz — salmon burger — “Black Hawk Down”
sister visit
SPANISH – (Dr Jimenez) — I don’t know how I got an 88% on the chapter 12 test, but I’ll take whatever I can get to keep my head above aqua.
OLD TESTAMENT – (Fr Michael) — we reviewed previous material and covered Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers & Deuteronomy.
SISTER VISIT — since my sister was in town visiting, she came by the seminary and spent time with all the seminarians for Evening Prayer (Vespers) and Dinner (“Savannah, Georgia Night“). Coldstone’s Ice Creamery for desert!
Navy SEALs retreat
Today’s silent retreat was led by Fr Peter, a Dominican priest from the New England area. Using the analogy that seminary training is like Navy SEAL training, we had 5 sessions, each highlighting essential aspects of the priesthood.
1. Holy Eucharist is the center of our lives.
2. Virtues of “generosity & self-sacrifice” are essential for true “fatherhood.”
3. Virtue of “truthfulness” must be lived and preached.
4. “The sanctity & dignity of human life” must be preached, especially now.
5. Our prayer life should include (1) the Blessed Sacrament and (2) a devotion to Mary.
break over + retreat begins
Tonight, I’m back in seminary … mid-semester break is over. Tonight, we also begin a 3-day silent retreat until Sunday morning Mass. Compline (night prayer) @ 10pm … got to go! — Be holy!
Buddah + Big Dog + sacristy
MASS – (Fr Vallee) — Today’s Gospel shows how critics saw John the Baptist as crazy and Jesus as a “glutton and a drunkard.” You can’t please everyone all the time. It’s what God thinks of you that matters … not anyone else. Some key phrases … “It’s easier to wear slippers than to carpet the whole world.” & “If you meet Buddah in the road, kill him.”
MODERN PHILOSOPHY – (Fr Santos) — continued Descartes. I think [of other] therefore I am.
ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY – (Fr Santos) — watched a story video on Socrates. Finished “Crito”
ARTS & IDEAS – (Fr Vallee) — pgs 17-23. “Forms.” Icons (windows) vs Idols (the end).
WORKLIST & HOLY HOUR — for worklist, I cleaned the sanctuary & mopped the sacristy & some pews in the Chapel. For Holy Hour, Fr Alvarez told a story of “the Big Dog.” (Chris-notes🙂 Big dog was in control of everything except his wagging tail — tried to catch it & control it — little dog gave advice from experience — if you stay focused forward, everything else will follow. — so it is if we focus on Christ.
wineskins + Homer’s crayon
MASS – (Fr Joseph) — homily began and ended with 2 great stories: the “Amazon Explorer” (who can’t fully explain his experience, but encourages others to experience the journey themselves) and the “outstreached arms of Alexander the Great vs Jesus” (Alex conquered all, but died with nothing — while Jesus began with nothing and died to complete everything). Today’s gospel reading was the parable of the “Old & New Wineskins” where Jesus is the wine and we need to become “new” skins to accept him fully — experience him for ourselves “personally.”
MODERN PHILOSOPHY – (Fr Santos) — today surveyed the concepts of the universe from “geocentric” to “heliocentric” challenging in many ways to faith and the Church. Included was another Simpsons illustration using the episode where Homer has a crayon removed from his brain, becomes smart and Flanders surpress Homer’s ideas because they are too challenging to his belief system. — Ignorance is bliss. We also have to learn the Greek alphabet for next Friday.
ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY – (Fr Santos) — more Sophists, their subjectiveness and birth of self-awareness. Also used “Homer’s crayon” and Greek alphabet. — I never really cared for the “Simpsons,” but now I feel like I’m missing out.
ARTS & IDEAS – (Fr Vallee) — continue with the Greeks. We need to watch the movie 300 be next Friday. — cool … I get to post more stills from the movie in this week’s posts.
EVENING — had a “Spiritual Direction” session, watched “Pursuit of Happyness” & did some studying.
Mother Teresa + Sophists
MASS – (Fr Vallee) — at the 10 year anniversary of the death of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Fr Vallee noted how newly release letters reveal she experienced long periods of “darkness” when she couldn’t feel God. She would even refer to Jesus as “the absent one” at times. Lately, the media is questioning her canonization with such “revelation,” not realizing all go through such times in the spiritual lives. Even St Augustine, St Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross would echo such experiences. We, just as Mother Teresa, are called to continue through times of spiritual desolation with patience and faithfulness, knowing consolation will come. — even in seminary, I’m anticipating highs and lows.
MODERN PHILOSOPHY – (Fr Santos) — we covered the resurgence of math and rise of modern science. Notable line: “Psychology is the questionable child of philosophy.”
ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY – (Fr Santos) — we covered the Sophists. — The politics of today has only perfected the art of rhetoric from the Greeks.
ARTS & IDEAS – (Fr Vallee) — we continued with some slides of paintings and began reading his 40+ page handout on the Ancient Philosophy period. — The power went out during class and lasted through worklist.
WED WORKLIST — Some of our worklist jobs were changed, but I remained in “Sacristy,” where I dusted pews, organized songbooks and collected some garbage. It was hot (no A/C) but fruitful.
WED HOLY HOUR — We had benediction and silent prayer time, where I used my new St Joseph’s Prayerbook (that I just realized I left in the cafeteria) and found some great prayers “Before the Blessed Sacrament.”
Miami seminary
I was looking on the Archdiocese of Miami website for a video of catholic military chaplains that is no longer on their video page (–I downloaded it last year). There is, however, a great little video about St. John Vianney Seminary in Miami (which I’m starting next month) called “A Call to Faith” (DSL or dialup).
While I continued searching the website, I found a great article from last year called, “The people of God deserve the best.” It’s an interview with Father Michael Carruthers, the new rector of St. John Vianney Seminary. He spoke about the quality and “wholesomeness” of the young men who are entering the seminary today. I found a profile on him as well as 24 other priests on another page called “Building the City of God.” Besides hearing some great homilies last November @ the “Seminary Vocation Weekend,” I personally met with Father Carruthers (as part of the application process) and was very impressed by his sincerity, encouragement and attentive ear. — he’s definitely someone I look forward to grow with.
strength = weakness
In order to call yourself a true Christian, I think you need to honestly answer the question, “Do I trust God?” Many answer “NO” or avoid the question by hiding behind personal strengths or weaknesses. For example, if someone has great knowledge & intelect to debate various sides of an issue, the “strength” may become a substitute for faith, ultimately becoming a “weakness”. On the other side, the “weakness” of having limited knowledge may encourage more trust in God, resulting in a “strength.”
What brought this on? A teen on the YES Retreat challenged and humbled my lack of knowledge in the area of philosophy. His private school education and “independent” readings of Thomas Aquinas, Neitche and other philosophers got me lost in conversations at times. He even asked, “Can God create a rock that is so heavy that God could not move it?” Uhhhh … yes … no … yes? I don’t know. (if you’re reading this, I’d like an answer) My humility turned into a concern for his young (and growing) dependence on knowledge, that may cripple a faith in God if not balanced right. I know we each have a “void” we fill with our own comfortable “strength,” but some things make us “too smart for our own good” which pridefully answer the ultimate question with “NO.” — This is why I’m afraid of taking 2 years of philosophy.
Seminaries need Windex
Today, I’m in the waiting room of a doctor’s office for a physical. As I begin to get impatient waiting more than an hour for my appointment, I hear laughter from behind the frosted glass as I stare at a sign next to the window. It reads, “Please check-in & notify us. We will NOT know you are here if you do not. Thank you.” First of all, I already checked in (so they know I’m here). Second of all, since the frosted glass is closed, I start assuming the worst as the laughter continues (like I’m being delayed because of slow officer workers who have time for fun & jokes when patients are waiting). And third, as I’m trying to calm myself and think happy thoughts, I can’t help make a connection with this experience to the seminary. Why? Let me explain.
When parishes try to encourage “vocations,” they usually refer to the “priesthood and religious life” in very broad terms without great detail about what each involves or even the differences. Most people understand matrimony (which is also a vocation), but see priesthood & religious life so different & mysterious, that they don’t give it attention. I don’t think young men & women know what they’re saying “NO” to. Even as an active Catholic involved in catechesis and youth ministry, I didn’t know much detail about the priesthood & religious life until I actively did some research and started asking question I think many have. Questions like, “What the difference between priesthood and religious life?” “What kind of things do priests do (during the week)?” “Are they expected to do EVERYTHING?” “How much to they get paid?” “Do they get time off or vacation?” “Do they have to be perfect?” “What is seminary life like?” “Can you quit?” “If I want to get married, any I rejecting a vocation?” and more. We need better “marketing” of vocations.
As a catechist, I know I have not presented priesthood & religious life to be very attractive (if I presented at all). Because of ignorance or lack of knowledge, many develop our own picture of vocations that are not only irrelevant to our own lives, but just plain wrong. As I tell people I’m a seminarian, some of the questions I get are surprisingly simple. We need ways to make vocations (and the formation process) more “transparent” to everyone. Replace the “fogged glass” with “clear glass” so that attitudes on vocations don’t rest on bad examples of priest, seminarians and the Church. We need Windex! 
I know priests are always to encourage vocations. And seminarians are probably the best poster-children for vocations, but “who knows a seminarian?” A young man goes off to seminary for 6-9 years and parishes get a occasional “freak show” viewing that make the formation process look even more irrelevant to the laity. Maybe if the formation process toned down the emphasis on “community life” (to live at seminary 7 days a week and be removed from the laity), seminarians would be more “real” to outsiders and (in my opinion) a better preparation for the “diocesen priesthood” (around “real” people) instead of the “religious priesthood” (where community life is more important). — What do I know? I’m new here. Kermit? Anyone?
Psychological Test Results
Today I got the results of my psychological testing (part of my seminary application). It involved a full battery of tests (2 full days of 7 types). I was a bit excited to get the results, but not as excited as I know a few friends of mine are. They’ve been waiting for empirical evidence of everything that’s wrong with me for years. Well, he started by saying I did very well, so I think I passed. — HA HA to all you haters! 🙂
The psychologist basically read my report out loud and answered questions about it. I didn’t feel comfortable hearing him read back my interview responses (my blog must really sound bad to readers). I forgot the names of most of the tests and can’t remember most of what he said, but I did manage to jot down 2 test results that I recognized.
My IQ test came out “above average” with 118. Not to sound vane, but it sounded low. I think it’s on a scale from 0 to 200 (with average being 100) and I have an engineering degree. Well OK, getting a engineering degree and changing to pursue the priesthood sounds pretty dumb, but give me a break, I took the test at 8am and I’m not a morning person. Then when he detailed my highs & lows I knew the test was flawed. I was high in “vocabulary” and low was in “mental calculations & memory.” That’s not right! My memory may “blow,” but vocabulary is not my thing. I was also high in “picture arrangement,” but low in “picture completion.” What does that mean? So, if the priesthood doesn’t work out, I can be a Feng shui designer that never finishes a job. All in all, I guess I don’t have a learning disability and ADD, so if I flunk any classes, I’ve got nobody to blame but me.
The second test I remember was the Myers-Briggs personality test. I came up as a ISFJ which is supposed to be the following:
ISFJ = Quiet, friendly, responsible, and conscientious. Work devotedly to meet their obligations. Lend stability to any project or group. Thorough and painstaking, accurate. Their interests are usually not technical. Can be patient with necessary details. Loyal, considerate, perceptive, concerned with how other people feel. Likely to put others needs above own and take responsibility seriously. Can be extremely uncomfortable with conflict or confrontation.
It sounds like I’m a big “sucker” that everyone walks all over. Then I found ISFJs, according to Keirsey, belong to the temperament of the Guardians and are called Protectors and that sounded a lot cooler.
Guardians are observant and cooperative. Protectors, Inspectors, Supervisors, and Providers are the role variants contained within this category. Guardians seek membership or belonging and are concerned with responsibility and duty. Their greatest strength is logistical intelligence. They excel at organizing, facilitating, checking, and supporting.
Some famous people who are “protectors” include Jimmy Stewart, Mother Teresa, J. P. Morgan, Tsar Nicholas II, & George H. W. Bush.
I guess knowing who myself better from a psychological view helps me to appreciate strengths and weaknesses to better balance everything. As I write this blog, I wonder if I’m giving too much information about myself and being an even bigger “sucker.” — Kermit? Anyone?
Orthodoxy, part 2
One of my reservations about the seminary is the strong emphasis on Philosophy. I’ve only had 1 intro class on it and it seems more confusingly “open-minded” that threatens a truly strict “orthodoxy” (genuinely Catholic). I’ve spoken to a couple former seminarians who seemed very orthodox in their Catholic faith. They dropped out because the philosophy made them question everything they believed, and I think that is my fear. It’s been 20+ years since they were in seminary. I’ve been told that seminaries have changed their philosophy programs in the early 90’s and it’s not so rough. I hope so, but I’m still wondering what’s different.
I’ve been told philosophy teaches you how to think, to dissect ideas, and be objective. That sounds pretty good to me. But someone going into seminary with an uncompromising belief system (like neo-orthodoxy) may not be able to deal with it. The Church wants to form men who can “think” and “obey the magisterium (Church teaching authority)” in order to make orthodoxy true, and not just blindly enforced. Strict and blind adherence to an “orthodoxy” in anything questions it’s relevance and purpose in the first place.
Being a well-rounded seminarian is probably the ideal. To freely accept and evangelize something by objective thinkers should magnify it’s truth and effectiveness. I’d like to think I’m one of those guys. Kermit? anyone?
Am I orthodox enough?
I was looking for graphic ideas for a header, when I ran into a new seminarian’s blog, A Catholic Life. I especially was drawn to the purpose of his blog. He quoted the philosophy of a group dedicated to Catholic orthodoxy. I want to write a purpose so I don’t go off on too many tangents, but I don’t know if I can live up to those standards. I would like to think so.
I AM a seminarian!
Today I got the letter. — I’ve been accepted into the Archdiocese of Miami priestly formation program. I guess my psych results came back “negative” … or is that “positive” … whatever they are, they have been fully warned about me … and still let me in … (there must really be a priest shortage!)
Now I need to finish steps 7 thru 490. I still need a physical, blood work, background screening, a letter of recommendation from my pastor (Fr. Dalton), among other things. I also need to be at the new priest ordination next Saturday at the Cathedral. And (I don’t remember this mentioned at all) the following Monday thru Wednesday I need to go on a 3 day retreat called the Seminarians’ Convocation after celebrating Mass and having dinner with the Archbishop. Apparently, if I can do all that (and not explode), I can start the formation process (or be the Matrix Architect).
Cool. (— once it really hits me, I’ll probably have more to say.)
Kermit? any words?
Am I a seminarian yet?
I’m starting this blog a little premature. I don’t even know if I’m in yet, as a seminarian at St. John Vianney College Seminary. If I’m accepted, I would be entering as Pre-Theology since I already have a BS degree. Since the application process seemed to go pretty well, I pray for the best.
In February, I turned in the application and a 9 page autobiography (actually 12 pages, but I dropped the line spacing to not exceed the 8-10 page requirement — I’ll mention that at confession next time). After that, my 3 independent interviews with priests on the vocation panel seemed to go well. My only remaining concern was the results of the 3 days of psychological testing. If there was nothing wrong with me before the testing, I’m sure they’ll find some PTSD from the application process or maybe something I can’t even have, like Munchausen by Proxy (it just sounds cool). Those pictures I was asked to draw can’t mean anything good. 🙂
The committee met at the end of April and I’m just waiting to hear the results. Since the Archbishop came to do Confirmation at my parish last Saturday, I went hoping to introduce myself and get a hint, but that didn’t happen. I’d have a better chance to meet the President than to speak to Archbishop Favalora during a overflowing Confirmation Mass. (It’s these moments that I question my own judgement.)
WWKD ? … probably “Be patience (not so) young patowon.” — (“yeah, yeah, I know.”)
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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