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don’t be an armadillo + move!
MASS – (Fr Alvarez) — [told story of bladder cancer] We see lots of dead armadillos on the side of the road here in Florida. Why? Armadillos are blind and role up into their hard shells when they hear danger approaching … thus, the traffic incidents. As we grow in anything in life, challenges to leave our comfort zone can bring fear that can paralyze us from moving forward to something even greater, if we keep going. The formation process in seminary discernment presents challenges to ourselves that need to be faced and embraced … but with prayer and perseverance … not fear … don’t be an armadillo! — I’ll try
the Church
RECTOR’s CONFERENCE – (Fr Michael) — tonight’s topic: THE CHURCH
I. GENERAL INTRO
A. Difficulties of Definition
1. Paul: EKKLESIA – a gathering of a group — a group of believers gathering “in the Lord” — local community gathering
2. Attempts at Definition
a. Baroque needs — tried to make mysteries visible & concrete
b. Externals
c. Risk of polarization
d. Search for clarity has a price — risk losing the presence of God
3. Subject of Mystery
a. innermost reality of Church is a divine gift, itself
b. Church is communion of men through grace of Christ
c. mystery
d. connaturality / intersubjectivity — we cannot objectify the Church because we are a part of it
e. mystery of Christ
4. Use of models
II. CARDINAL AVERY DULLES + MODELS OF THE CHURCH
A. Intro / Context
B. Original Models
1. Institutional – visible structure, right & powers of its officers
a. Negatives: can become rigid, doctrinaire,
b. this should never be the first or primary model
2. Mystical Communion – people united by the spirit in Christ, spiritual, communal, personal
a. Negatives: can lead to disillusion, simply “a friendly family of believers”
3. Sacrament – a sign & transmitter of God’s grace in the world, connects outward institutional & inner mystery
a. Negatives: can lead to “sterile aestheticism” (overly spiritualized)
b. this should be the primary model
4. Herard – faith & proclamation of Gospel, focused on preaching, share gift with others
a. Negatives: can be not incarnational enough, saying & not doing, can be rather pesimistic
5. Servant – part of the whole human family & sharing their concerns
a. Negatives: can seperate from Word & Sacrament, can forget the Church is a community, can disolve things distinct to Christianity
C. Addition of Sixth Model
1. Polarization of 70’s (models were not embraced)
2. “Community of Disciples”
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
final exams done!
Medieval Philosophy final exam
thank you lunch
Today was a Kitchen & Service Staff Appreciation Lunch cooked by Fr Vallee and Javier, served by some seminarians for staff here at St John Vianney College Seminary.
full Mass
Final exams begin. Exam schedule. Casual neat. All seminary priests are celebrating Mass.
Final exams week
This week is final exams. I probably won’t be posting much until Friday.
Monday — Thomas Aquinas in the 20th Century, Ministerial Practicum
Tuesday — Intro to New Testament
Wednesday — no exams, (Kitchen Appreciation Lunch)
Thursday — Intermediate Spanish, Medieval Philosophy, (Semester Evaluation PM)
Friday — Contemporary Philosophy
Pre-T backyard Mass
The adoration chapels in the Pre-Theology houses are ready for the Blessed Sacrament. Today, we had a morning Mass in our backyard with ALL seminarians for a beautiful celebration surrounded by all God’s creation. — awesome
SJV faculty dinner
Tonight we got fancy for an evening dinner party for the faculty staff of St John Vianney College Seminary.
First with drinks & ordoirves.
Then with dinner & flaming deserts.
Then with retirement and anniversary awards.
Mark + Good News + St Francis
MASS – (Fr Joseph) — today is the feast of St Mark the Evangelist. In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the apostles, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned…”
[wine silo]
When we preach, we need to find the Good News for other, not just talk at people with facts and research, but truely connect to make Christ alive through our actions and witness. As St Francis said, “Preach the Gospel to others … if necessary use words.”
compline + Our Lady of Guadalupe
In this Jubilee Year of the Archdiocese of Miami, there are 2 paintings of Our Lady of Guadalupe traveling throughout the diocese spend a week in each. This week, St John Vianney College Seminary has one.
As a group, the Pre-Theology seminarians had our regular Thursday night Compline (Night Prayer) before Our Lady. We also did a rosary with the Luminous Mysteries (as the lights of the Chapel got brighter). — brotherhood in prayer before Our Lady … 🙂
Senior projects — day 2
Today was day 2 of 2 of the presentation of Senior Philosophy Projects. 15 minutes each. 8 seminarians. Topics included (if I wrote them down right?):
- (Peter) Hermeneutics & Gadamer
- (Michael) Beauty
- (Igor) Personalism …
- (Vely) Poverty
- (Madian) Slavery, Freedom, Conscience
- (Julio) Immigration
- (Justin) To “Be a Man”
- (Ben) Anthropology of Karol Józef Wojtyła
Senior projects — day 1
Today was day 1 of 2 of the presentation of Senior Philosophy Projects. 15 minutes each. 9 seminarians. [Worklist & Holy Hour cancelled today]. Topics included (if I wrote them down right?):
- (George) Play on Words
- (Jose) The character “Hector” in the Illiad & Odyssey
- (Krem) Just War Theory
(Carlos) Virtue of Justice- (Sergio) Dialogue with Cultures by Pope Pius XI
- (Eddy) Happiness
- (Elvis) Dialogue of Catholic Church with Liberalism
- (Dom) Nietchze
- (Robinson) Charity in St John Vianney
Étienne Gilson + Honest to God + simplex priest + Cylon
AQUINAS – (Fr Vallee) — mainly discussed Étienne Gilson (of 20th century) converted to Neo-Thomism … concluded that the metaphysical conclusion of Descartes only make sense in light of Thomas Aquinas. (#2) Also proved there is no single common philosophy inherent in medieval theologies … hence, debunks the pure crystal stream theory and opens the way for pluralism of Vatican II and Fides et Ratio. (#3) He reads Thomism as an authentic existentialism … opposed essentialism of Maritain. (#4) He strongly opposes the separation of theology and philosophy, as practiced by moderns, hence Fides et Ratio.
Philosophy can be authentically Christian and still be philosophy, an idea which perhaps even Heidegger does not accept. Theology is not irrelevant to the work of philosophy … it is relevant to knowledge of God and Man.
[extras: Gospel of Oprah + J’s Pulp FIction + project purgatory]
CONTEMPORARY PHIL – (Fr Santos) — continuing John A. T. Robinson’s Honest to God. God as “ground” … “religionless” Christianity … “demythologization” of Scripture.
MEDIEVAL – (Fr Vallee) — final essay questions on Augustine & Aquinas (aporia, metaphysics, ethics, epistemology) + manualism + simplex (Mass) priest + book of conclusions + William of Ockham + a reverse mermaid
EVENING TV — some classic Battlestar Galactica on NBC.com (new episode every Wednesday). A quote from episode 11, The Young Lords (1978) … Cylon Centurion: “These Humanoids are not well constructed. They damage easily.” Starbuck’s response, “At least we don’t rust.” — a Cylon after Nietzsche own heart(less)
Rhode Island food night
CULTURAL FOOD NIGHT — today was Rhode Island food night with lots of shell food … clams, muscles, clam chowder, and the best part … SWEET ICED TEA with LEMON … delicious!
Spanish class desayuno
SPANISH 2 – (Dr Jimenez) — today, we had class AND breakfast at Brisa de Espana, a local Spanish restaurant. The food was great. I had scrambled eggs with Spanish sausage an Arizona ice tea!
We’re finishing our last chapter 18 with Si (if) clauses and a confusing summary of the use of the subjunctive (ALL OF THEM). — I can’t say I was paying all my attention to our bookwork, cuz the food was delicioso!
Voltron homily
MASS – (Fr Santos) — today’s homily mentioned Father’s favorite anime cartoon growing up (and mine) as Voltron, Defender of the Universe. He followed with a story about a child that thought he could fly … and even tried “flying” out the second floor window … caught by his father working in the garden below … but the father got more hurt than the son he sacrificed for … a great connection to how complete our Heavenly Father’s love is for us … “God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not die but have eternal life” — John 3:16
— plus, any mention of Voltron in a Mass homily is worth noting … lol
Pre-T chapels blessing
Our off-campus Pre-Theology homes were finally ready to have their individual chapels blessed. Each of the 2 homes have room designated as an adoration chapel with the Blessed Sacrament exposed (not yet … that’s Saturday morning Mass in our back yards). We have a red candle holder, holy water font, alter and tabernacle in each, so far.
Us 12 Pre-Theologian seminarians had Night Prayer together and then blessed each chapel seperately (with some book delays). — Beautiful.
apostalic work @ St Kevin
Since all new seminarians this year will be assigned “apostalic work” next year, we’re observing other fellow seminarians in different current assignments for the last few Mondays of the semester. Today, a small group of us visited a residential nursing home with 5 elderly women residents. They were very cheerful and social with us. Since they spoke Spanish, we didn’t know everything being said, but we all knew what was going on. Some Scripture, prayer, sharing and lots of joy. — the Lord’s humor is contagious
next year’s schedule
Today, I registered for classes next semester, starting August 25th (if I pass my end-of-semester evaluation next week, God willing). Other guys say it’s a pretty hard schedule next semester …
On Mon/Wed/Fri, I’ll have Fundamental Ethics (Fr Vallee), Social Ethics (Dr Santos), and Metaphysics (Dr Solis).
On Tues/Thurs, I’ll have Pre-Theology Seminary (Fr Santos) and World Religion & Literature (Fr Joseph).
Here is the TENTATIVE SJV COLLEGE SCHEDULE for next year:
August 07 — New Men Arrive
August 21 — Returning Students Arrive (–that’s me)
August 24 — 11am Mass of the Holy Spirit / Dean’s Award Dinner
August 25 — Classes Begin
September 19-20 — Day of Recollection
September 27 — Parent Day
October 06-10 — Mid-Semester Exams
October 07 — Solemn Mass, Archdiocesen Golden Jubilee (Bank Atlantic Center)
October 10-17 — Mid-Semester Break
October 18-19 — Day of Recollection
October 20 — Classes Resume
November 07-09 — Vocation Awareness Weekend
November 10 — No Class
November 26-30 — Thanksgiving Break
December 01 — Classes Resume
December 05 — Pre-Christmas Mass & Dinner
December 08-12 — Final Exam Week
December 12 — Gaudeamus (of new guys)
December 13 to January 4 — Christmas Break
January 05 — Spring Classes Begin
January 19 — Martin Luther King Day / No Class
February 16 — Mid-Semester Exams
February 20-26 — Mid-Semester Break
February 26 to March 01 — Retreat
March 02 — Classes Resume
March 13-15 — Vocation Awareness Weekend
March 16 — No Class
March 20 — Fides et Ratio Conference
April 03-13 — Holy Week Break
April 14 — Classes Resume
April 16 — Humanities Projects Presentations
April 17 — Senior Interviews @ St Vincent DePaul Major Seminary (–that me)
April 23-24 — Senior Projects Presentations
April 25 — Diaconate Ordination @ St Vincent DePaul Major Seminary
April 27 to May 01 — Final Exam Week
May 05 — Gaudeamus (on graduates)
May 06 — Graduation
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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