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touchdown + Superbowl party
TOUCH FOOTBALL — this afternoon, we played some 6-on-6 touch football in the spirit of Superbowl Sunday. Not to brag, but the game ended with our victory 5-1 with my final touchdown. — fun, but I’ll definitely feel it tomorrow
SUPERBOWL PARTY — great BBQ ribs, chicken, burgers, hot dogs, half-time wings, lots of deserts and a great game on the big screen & big sound. — nice!
David Tracy + spirituality + philosophy + theology
GUEST SPEAKER — this afternoon, we drove 1+ hour north to St Vincent de Paul Regional Major Seminary in Boyton Beach, Florida for a conference on “Philosophy, Theology and Spirituality” by guest speaker David Tracy. Despite being one of the most respected theologians from the United States, his 2 talks and Q&A sessions were very understandable. The first was on “Philosophy & Spirituality” and the other on “Theology & Spirituality.” I found some more weblinks about him HERE.
I also jotted down some personal notes, but only in a way that I would recognize: Stoics’ exercises of attentiveness … music, writing a paper, learning a language becomes a spiritual experience … we’re challenged by going out of ourselves … all religions say the “ego” is not the solution (probably the problem) … how what I’m thinking affects the way I live … spirituality without philosophy is dead
Pre-Theology fajitas
DINNER — tonight was our first time hosting dinner for all the Pre-Theology seminarians (13 of us) with the Rectory (Fr Michael) and Vice-Rectory (Fr Alvarez). We had appetizers with wine, cheese, crackers, etc and cooked fajitas for dinner with flan for desert. — great night
Luke + Acts + Filipino food
NEW TESTAMENT – (Fr Michael) — Gospel of Luke & the Acts of the Apostles. Compared parables of the synoptic Gospel books.
CULTURAL FOOD NIGHT — today was Filipino Food Night. Their food culture is a mix of Asian, Spanish & America. — Delicious everything … egg rolls & salsa were addictive!
surfing + volleyball
MASS – (Fr Michael) — analogy of priestly formation like surfing (paddle out against obstacles, waiting & watching, riding the wave)
VOLLEYBALL — only 3 of us showed up for volleyball, so we didn’t set up the new outdoor volleyball net we had. We bumped the ball around vowing to battle another day.
MOVIE — saw The Bucket List
lector + missing Psalm + poverty + underdog croquet
MORNING PRAYER & MASS – (Fr Vallee) — today, I was lector for the Mass reading (conversion of St Paul) and lead Liturgy of the Hours (Morning & Evening). While reading morning Laud, I TOTALLY SKIPPED the 3rd Psalm … ??? … nervous, I guess … and was reminded about it all day from my seminary brothers. — I appreciate the fraternal correction 🙂
AQUINAS – (Fr Vallee) — started Pope John Paul II’s encyclical letter Fides et Ratio. Spent some time on the opening greating:
Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth — in a word, to know himself — so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves.
CONTEMPORARY PHIL – (Fr Santos) — started The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels with discussion on the “working class” and poverty. Watched an assigned video about world poverty, “When Did I See You Hungary?” a film by Gerard Thomas Straub narrated by Martin Sheen.
MEDIEVAL PHIL – (Fr Vallee) — “paradigm shift” + permanence & change + the one & the many
OLYMPIC CROQUET — our new sports coordinators have created an Olympic Sports Tournament over the next few weeks, including ping pong, relay races, volleyball, soccer, croquet & more. Today was our Olympic Croquet tournament, which I signed up for. 16 guys in 4-4 player games, whereby the winner of each plays for the Gold. I won my first round as an underdog in a very exciting & close game. The final round was actually ALL underdogs from the first rounds, ending with the champion being my “Guadeamus Clone” who must have copied my abilities & strategy into his collective. — A great tournament!
EVENING PRAYER & DINNER — In order to redeem myself with this morning’s blunder, my post-dinner prayer (also the lector’s job) included an “excerpt from this morning’s missing Psalm” and gratitude for food, friends, fellowship, faith & fin de semana (“weekend” in Spanish). — Dr Jimenez would be proud!
Communist Manifesto + lost weekend + homosexuality
HOMEWORK CATCH-UP — behind on some assigned reading, I spent some of the day reading The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx for Contemporary Philosophy class tomorrow.
PRE-THEOLOGY UPDATE — (1) the chapels in our off-campus housing should be done in about 4-6 weeks. (2) Since we raised concerns about feeling distant from the campus community, our personal “free-weekend-a-semester” opportunity has been rescinded. (3) Our house will have resident priest in a couple weeks. (4) Our backyard furniture has no status yet.
RECTOR’s CONFERENCE – (Fr Michael) — part 3 of a series on Fatherhood titled after a 2005 Vatican document, “The Instruction on the Criteria for Vocational Discernment with Regard to Persons with Homosexual Tendencies in View of Their Admission to the Seminary and Holy Orders.” [full text of document]
PRE-THE NIGHT PRAYER & ROSARY — 10pm.
INCONSISTENT SCRIPTURE — as I’m practicing tomorrow’s Mass reading (I have lector duty), there are 2 passages to choose from since it’s the feast of the Conversion of St Paul. There’s a detail in both that is inconsistent. In one reading, when Paul is blinded by the light and hears Jesus speak to him, his companions “heard the voice” of Jesus … but in the other passage, they “did not hear the voice.” I tried finding some footnotes in various Bible versions, but only found a note in the NRSV that noted the inconsistency, but didn’t give any possible explanations. — I need to look up a comentary in the library
means well + ethical hero + dualism + Taliban
MASS – (Fr Alvarez) — [an “extremely liturgically strict” priest is a poor example]
AQUINAS – (Fr Vallee) — 3 reasons for studying philosophy: (1) apologetic, (2) dogmatic, and (3) pastoral. Nemo dat quod non habet = no one gives what they don’t have. CCD teacher that only teaches emotion … 8th grader observation: “She means well, but doesn’t mean much.”
CONTEMPORARY PHIL – (Fr Santos) — finished Kierkegaard‘s Either/Or. The “ethical existence” is choosing to be who and what one truly and uniquely is (a subject, a self, unlike any other self, unlike any other thing). Even though we have many potential directions, TO WILL EVERYTHING IS TO ULTIMATELY WILL NOTHING (one’s energy is dissipated). The self willing involves an ongoing task/process, not a finished product. Negative view of the “mystic.” The “ethical hero” is interested in becoming a “genuine human being” and “honesty to oneself” ready to give up the aesthetic if it classes with the ethical or “for the sake of” something higher. The RELIGIOUS STATE is an intensified version of the ethical, making a relationship with God the highest priority. — need to read Karl Marx Communist Manifesto for Friday.
MEDIEVAL PHIL – (Fr Vallee) — elitism (death penalty debate) + virtue (through humility) + dualism (the Forms eternal are a problem to creation) + Justin Martyr (creation, faith & reason) + Philo the Jew (the Forms are ideas in the mind of God)
WORKLIST — with the rain, the “outdoor guys” were reassigned to help other crews, which made our McCarthy House crew finish even faster.
HOLY HOUR – (Fr Alvarez) — Taliban + scandal + “be a man”
DOTS — Next
synoptics + Mark + Matthew + Columbian food + pro-life Rosary
MASS – (Fr Santos) — “the sabbath was made for man , not man for the sabbath”
SPANISH 2 – (Dr Jimenez) — chapter 15 on haber + past participles. If we stay on schedule this semester, we’ll try to read the Spanish version of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
NEW TESTAMENT – (Fr Michael) — today, we started the Synoptic Gospels (reviewed side-by-side syn-optically), more specifically the Gospels of Mark & Matthew. Even though Mark is the shortest gospel book, 80% of Mark’s verses are reproduced in Matthew while 65% is in Luke. There may also exist a hypothetical source “Q” that scholars propose to explain other similarities between Matthew & Luke not borrowed from Mark.
CULTURAL FOOD NIGHT — today was Columbian food night with a small army of cooks creating some great food.
PRO-LIFE ROSARY — after dinner in the McCarthy Chapel on the anniversary of Roe vs Wade for the dignity of all human persons, especially for the end to abortion.
MLK + 5 Bell Hotel + free day
MASS – (Fr Joseph) — New Wineskins gospel inspired the story of the “5 Star Hotel.” Struggling owner of the “5 Star Hotel” asks for advice about saving the business. Answer: (1) keep a positive attitude, (2) change the name to “5 Bell Hotel”, and (3) hang 6 bells out front by the sign. —Genius!
MOVIE FREE DAY — Since today is Martin Luther King Day, we didn’t have classes, so I went to see some movies with friends. At the theatre, In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale was aweful (King Burt Reynolds should have made that obvious). At home, watched 1408 (confusing end).
PRE-THE COMPLINE & ROSARY — together at 10pm. In Honor of Martin Luther King and in solidarity with all our brothers and sisters who are suffering persecution and oppression around the world.
Liga Orante + Little Flower + Big Cheese
MASS – (Archbishop Favalora) — 11am Mass was a special occasion for Liga Orante, a Spanish group that supports & regularly prays for vocations. They also presented the Archbishop with a $12,500 check for St John Vianney College Seminary (where I’m at). Afterwards, we had lunch. — I also served Mass as incense thurifer … not my best work
CONFIRMATION RETREAT — from 1-6pm, four of us seminarians (1 from Diocese of Orlando & 2 from St Petersburg) assisted a Confirmation retreat at Little Flower Parish in Miami (nearby). Since the retreat was in progress since 8am, we walked in during a great talk by a young woman about chastity. She also sang a song that she wrote at age 16 for her future husband. [It reminded me of Rebecca St James’ song Wait For Me.] Afterwards, talks on vocations started with a married couple, then a single woman, religious sisters and each of us seminarians shared our vocation journey to the 60+ eighth graders. Then, visiting priest Fr Juan Carlos Paguaga (pastor of St John Bosco Parish) led an awesome adoration & benediction service that we served at. To close the retreat, we had a lively 5pm Mass.
MIAMI SOCIAL — most of the Miami seminarians were at Immaculate Conception Parish in Hialeah. Fr Francisco “Paco” Hernandez invited us all to their 5pm Mass and have dinner.
BIG CHEESE — after the Confirmation Retreat, I joined some St Petersburg guys (from the retreat) at the Italian restaurant Big Cheese on a rainy evening.
McCarthy House + new worklist
NEW WORKLIST JOB — we got new semester “Worklist Jobs” (on Wed afternoons) and “House Jobs” (daily) today. For worklist, I am “Head of McCarthy House.” There are 4 of us seminarians that clean the priest residence & faculty offices. Garbage, sweep, mop, dust, vacuum, & stock fridge drinks. For house job, 2 of us have McCarthy House … basically we check on the house daily for minor clean-up and maintenance. — my favorite part is the beautiful McCarthy House Chapel
DOTS — “PB” left — Holy Hour incense — keep the Church in my discernment — MP3 curse
Jewish colloquy + Nicaraguan food — “PB”
NEW TESTAMENT – (Fr Michael) — today was “colloquy“ (discussion group) about chapter 5, “The Religious & Philosophical World of New Testament Times,” of Raymond Brown‘s An Introduction to the New Testament. Much of our discussion involved the clashing views of the Jewish Sadducees, Essenes and Pharisees, but also included Greco-Roman Cynics, Epicureans, Stoicism, Sophists and Gnosticism. — stimulating
CULTURAL FOOD NIGHT — tonight was Nicaraguan Food Night. — lots of good flavors.
DOTS — starting to get sick today — found out another seminarian has discerned to leave seminary [“PB“] — extra prayers for him
beast of burden + men are right + Unknown God + body theology
MASS – (Fr Michael) — today’s Mass intention was for Pope Benedict XVI, very appropriately with the Gospel reading of Jesus telling Peter to “Feed My Sheep.” The story behind the significance of the Corbinian Bear on the Pope’s coat of arms (upper right) was told. According to the background on Saint Corbinian (a Frankish bishop), a bear killed his pack horse on his way to Rome so the saint commanded the bear to carry his load. Pope Benedict XVI first adopted the symbol when, still known as Joseph Ratzinger, he was appointed Archbishop of Freising-Munich in March of 1977. He retained the bear in his revised coat of arms when becoming Cardinal in the same year and when elected to Pope in 2005. In addition to the obvious reference back to St. Corbinian, the founder of the diocese where Benedict was bishop, the bear represents Benedict himself being “tamed by God” as a “beast of burden” to bear the spiritual burdens of Benedict’s own ministries first as bishop, then as cardinal, and now as pope.
AQUINAS – (Fr Vallee) — more on Modernity and the extremes of Rationalism (reason) & Fideism (faith). Nature + supernature. Grace + nature. Samuel Taylor Coleridge quote: “Most men are right in what they affirm, and wrong in what they deny.”
CONTEMPORARY PHIL – (Fr Santos) — opening quiz on reading of Kierkegaard‘s “Equilibrium between the Aesthetic & the Ethical” in his book Either/Or. Introduced “inauthentic existence,” “radical subjectivity,” “disolving into a mutitude,” and self as “task” & “a dynamic process.”
MEDIEVAL PHIL – (Fr Vallee) — reviewed Stoicism and reflected on St Paul in Athens (Acts 17), especially his approach to preaching the gospel message among the Greeks of his time about their statue to the “Unknown God.”
MINISTERIAL METHODS – (Fr Michael) — “Classroom Management.”
RECTOR’s CONFERENCE – (Fr Michael) — usually on Thursday, this was an exceptional day since this Thursday we’re hosting the seminarians from the St Vincent’s Major Seminary in Boyton Beach, FL. Today’s topic was (part 2 of 3) on the Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body.
DOTS — night walk — Superman Returns — busy day
parent’s love + sons of God + Bart Simpson + Flanders
MASS – (Fr Santos) — today’s Gospel is the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River by John the Baptist where ‘ “a voice [God the Father] came from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” ‘ (Matt 3:17)
With a very loose (but very illustrative) connection with a scene from The Simpsons Movie (since Fr Santos is a BIG Simpsons fan), he reminds us of our need to be affirmed as “sons of God,” countered with the experience of abandonment as Jesus on the cross pleading, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt 27:46).
In The Simpsons Movie, Bart Simpson sees an affirming and nurturing side to Ned Flanders (Christian father with 2 kids next door) that he does not recognize in his own father Homer Simpson. Bart agrees to let Flanders take him fishing, where Bart drops Flanders’ favorite fishing pole to an agressive fish. Bart, expecting to be choked for messing up (like Homer would), starts gagging and shortly realizes Flanders doesn’t hit him in disappointment. 
In fact, Flanders reaffirms Bart by saying the only reason to lay his hand on his son would be to “pat him on the back” affirming him. Even as Flanders pats Bart on the back, Bart flinches expecting a “hit” but, instead, realizing affirmation feels so good that he requests another.
We all need affirmation … in what we do … in what we think … in times of struggle … in times of joy … but, mostly, in who we are, “sons of God.” — the Lord loves us more than we love ourselves … it’s hard to accept, but a parent’s love is the grace of our relationship that makes our Christian lives so alive, so joyful, so fruitful, and so awesome!
student government – “FE”
STUDENT GOVERNMENT — our Student Government (of St John Vianney College Seminary) had their first meeting for the semester today. The main order of business was election of a new Executive Secretary, since the post is open because the seminarian (“FE”) discerned the priesthood was not for him [– my prayer are still with him as he follows the Lord]. Not much new stuff was discussed … dismissed!
perhaps + Spanish Lord’s Prayer + NT culture + Argentinian food night
MASS – (Fr Santos) — [half sandwich Christmas gift] Jesus’ multiplication of 5 loaves & 2 fish. A supernatural miracle by Jesus … or PERHAPS a selfish crowd was moved to give from their personal stash. — Maybe? Just as fantastic of a miracle. Perhaps.
SPANISH 2 – (Dr Jimenez) — this is the second semester (the second part – I didn’t fail!) of Spanish 2. Among other things, we went over the Lord’s Prayer in Spanish (especially since the version in the Spanish Liturgy of the Hours books is completely different): [Lord’s Prayer in various languages]
Padre nuestro, que estás en el cielo
Santificado sea Tu nombre;
Venga a nosotros Tu reino.
Hágase Tu voluntad
En la tierra como en el cielo.
Danos hoy nuestro pan de cada día.
Perdona nuestras ofensas,
Como también nosotros perdonamos a los que nos ofenden.
Y no nos dejes caer en la tentación;
líbranos de todo mal.
[Porque Tuyo es el Reino, el Poder y la Gloria por siempre, Señor. Amén.]
NEW TESTAMENT – (Fr Michael) — today, we started the semester with the Cultural Settings of the New Testament.
CULTURAL FOOD NIGHT — today was Argentinian Food Night for dinner. Great!
DOTS — “rejoice + divine compassion + slavery + freedom + sons of God” — watched Live Free or Die Hard
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
X-Mas Midnight Mass
Did some last minute Christmas shopping. Served 6pm Christmas Vigil Mass with Msgr Strano & Deacon Lou at my home parish of St Bernadette Catholic Church in Hollywood, FL. At 11pm, there was a Christmas Program combining a history of Christmas tradition from around the world with the choir’s carols. I had a short reading part from Genesis (God kicking Adam & Eve out of the Garden of Eden). Then Midnight Mass. The procession began with our “Army of Acoloytes” (high school alter servers). I carried in the holy water to bless the nativity scene on the alter. A beautiful service. After Mass, I got a great picture with my family and our Pastor Father Dalton.
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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