Short Stories

My bother has gotten into writing short stories and posting them online. There are two particular short stories that are for me so very powerful. My brother has always loved history, prose and poetry and is one of the reasons why I became a seminarian. I hope you enjoy his stories, as well as some of his other, more practical articles. This link takes you specifically to his short story "Remember Job."

Holy Archangels, Pray for us!!!

THE SEMINARY: A PLACE FOR DISCERNMENT AND STUDY

Today, my vice-rector forwarded this to the seminary community. I thought I would share it with you.


VATICAN CITY, 27 SEP 2011 (VIS) - On Saturday 24 September, during the course of his apostolic visit to Germany, the Holy Father met with seminarians in the city of Freiburg im Breisgau, whom he addressed off-the-cuff in German. Extracts of his remarks are given below.
 
  The Pope dwelt upon the significance of the years spent in the seminary, and he reflected on the passage from the Gospel of St. Mark which narrates the foundation of the community of the Apostles: "The Lord appoints twelve", said the Holy Father. "He makes something, He does something, it is a creative act. He makes them, 'to be with Him, and to be sent out to preach'. ... They have to be with Him in order to come to know Him, ... but at the same time they have to be envoys who go out, who take with them what they have learnt, who bring it to others, ... even into places far removed from Him. ... This combination of, on the one hand, going out on mission, and on the other hand being with Him, remaining with Him, is - I believe - precisely what we have to learn in the seminary".
 
  "The seminary is therefore a time for training. Also, of course, it is a time for discernment, for learning. ... The mission must be tested, and this includes being in community with others and also, of course, speaking with your spiritual directors". It involves "learning to trust: if He truly wants this, then I may entrust myself to Him. In today's world ... in which everything is in a constant state of flux, in which human ties are breaking down, ... it is becoming more and more difficult to believe that I will hold firm for the whole of my life". But, "if He wants me, then He will also hold me, He will be there in the hour of temptation, in the hour of need, and He will send people to me, He will show me the path. ... Faithfulness is possible, because He is always there, because He exists yesterday, today and tomorrow".
 
  Apart from being a time for discernment, learning and vocation, the seminary is also a time for prayer, "for listening to Him", said Benedict XVI, "listening, truly learning to listen to Him - in the word of Sacred Scripture, in the faith of the Church, in the liturgy of the Church - and learning to understand the present time in His word. In exegesis we learn much about the past: what happened, what sources there are, what communities there were, and so on. This is also important. But more important still is that from the past we should learn about the present, we should learn that He is speaking these words now, and that they all carry their present within them, and that over and above the historical circumstances in which they arose, they contain a fullness which speaks to all times".
 
  "Faith comes from hearing", said the Holy Father referring to the words of St. Paul. That is to say, faith needs "the living word, addressed to me by the other, whom I can hear, addressed to me by the Church throughout the ages" by "priests, bishops and my fellow believers. Faith must include a 'you' and it must include a 'we'".
 
  In this context the Pope highlighted the importance of accepting other people in their individuality, while remaining aware that they too must accept us in our individuality. Only in this way, he explained, can the community of faithful become a "'we', journeying together towards the living God. ... The 'we' is the whole community of believers, today and in all times and places. ... We are Church: let us be Church, let us be Church precisely by opening ourselves and stepping outside ourselves and being Church with others".
 
  In closing, Benedict XVI reminded the seminarians of the importance of study. "We all know that St. Peter said: 'Always be prepared to make a defence to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you'. Our world today is a rationalist and thoroughly scientific world, albeit often somewhat pseudo-scientific. ... The faith is not a parallel world of feelings that we can still afford to hold on to, rather it is the key that encompasses everything, gives it meaning, interprets it and also provides its inner ethical orientation: making clear that it is to be understood and lived as tending towards God and proceeding from God. Therefore it is important to be informed and to understand, to have an open mind, to learn. ... Study is essential: only thus can we stand firm in these times and proclaim within them the reason for our faith".

"Großer Gott wir loben dich," Regardless of Our Weakness

As I was getting my daily fill of the blogosphere, I came across a blog that made me realize how, well, post-conciliar I am. For some of you, that might come as a surprise; for others, this is just the next step in my being brainwashed to the Dark-Side that is the N.O. Church.

I listened to some excerpts of the Pope's recent Mass in Germany during his time there. These excerpts gave an example of the various types of music. I have to say, I was definitely not a fan... For me a lot of the music sounded far too contemporary, modern, theologically thin, and had it's emphasis placed on entertainment rather than worship. A good example of this was the recessional, where "Holy God We Praise Thy Name" (“Großer Gott wir loben dich”) was performed by the choir and musical ensemble. Personally, I find that drums and electric guitars don't work well for the accompaniment of this particular song of Benediction... For excerpts of this Mass, you can go here.

As I was rearing up to volley a blog of wondrously justifiable preferences regarding the music used in the celebration of Mass, I had to stop and think... Preferences... Hmm...

There are many things in the Catholic Faith that are not subject to whims of preference. The Trinity, the hypostatic union, the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, are just some of the many beautifully secure dogmas of Faith.

Music, however, falls into a different category. Because of it's "ministerial function in the service of the Lord" to bring about a greater fulfillment of "full, conscious and active participation by the faithful in the Liturgy," music has a unique and important role to play in the education and spiritual awareness of the Church.

So, for some clarification on how the Church has broached the subject of music with regard to liturgy, I turn to my trusty friend, my copy of Sacrosanctum Concilium (S.C.), the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy from the Second Vatican Council. Chapter VI of the document deals directly with the utilization of music in the liturgy. So I approached the document with my questions concerning the Pope's Mass in Germany. Here they are:

Question 1: Why wasn't traditional forms of music used in the Mass? Doesn't Gregorian Chant take pride of place?

Answer 1 from S.C., paragraph 116: "The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as distinctive of the Roman liturgy; therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services. But other kinds of sacred music, especially polyphony are by no means excluded from liturgical celebrations, provided they accord with the spirit of the liturgical service."

Question 2: I heard a lot of guitars and drums accompanying the choir as it sang. Is this allowed? I thought the organ was the only Instrument that should be used in Mass?

Answer 2 from S.C., paragraph 120: "In the Latin Church the pipe organ is to be held in high esteem, for it is the traditional musical instrument that adds a wonderful splendor to the Church's ceremonies and powerfully lifts up the spirit to God and to higher things. But other instruments also may be admitted for use in divine worship, with the knowledge and consent of the competent territorial authority... This applies, however, only on condition that the instruments are suitable, or can be made suitable, for sacred use, are in accord with the dignity of the place of worship, and truly contribute to the uplifting of the faithful"

From my time as a Catholic, and more recently as a seminarian, I have grown in my understanding of these particular paragraphs. There is room for both tradition and culture within the Sacred Liturgy, to the exclusion of neither. This means that we have an obligation to the rite itself to develop it within the context of the time-tested traditions of the Church and the realm of local customs that can be utilized for greater participation. This needs to be heard by both traditionalists and progressives in the Church, I think.

Regarding whether or not the music used during the Papal Mass in Germany followed the criteria just expressed by S.C., I'll let you decide. What must be remembered here is that God was praised, the Lamb of God visited His people, and those people were faithful regardless of the human weaknesses and imperfections that may have taken place. Our personal preferences and opinions, as justified as they may be, pale in comparison to the Relentless Truth of God.

One Month Anniversary: Dona eis Requiem

Today marks the one-month anniversary of the death of our brothers from St. Meinrad, Fr. Jorge Gomez and Stanley Kariuki. The seminary community held an anniversary Mass in their honor today, praying for their eternal rest. It was a beautiful celebration of life: the first reading was proclaimed in Stanley's native language of Swahili, while the prayers were said in Spanish. For the offortory, Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Pie Jesu" was sung.

We miss you, Fr. Jorge and Stanley, and we ask for your prayers for us.

Eternal rest grant unto them, Oh Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in God's everlasting peace.

Quote of the Day

"In the exposition of her Creed the Catholic Church weighs her words in the scales of the sanctuary with as much precision as a banker weighs his gold."

-- James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore, Maryland (1877-1921)

Let It Shine

"No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel
or sets it under a bed;
rather, he places it on a lamp-stand
so that those who enter may see the light.
For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible,
and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light.
Take care, then, how you hear.
To anyone who has, more will be given,
and from the one who has not,
even what he seems to have will be taken away."

-- Luke 18:16-18

Today's Gospel has given me much food for thought. It reminds me of a song my mother taught me for Sunday School. I'm sure you know it: "This Little Light of Mine." -- a Christian classic, really. This Gospel calls us to share the Word we have received; to not be ashamed of the truth that exudes like rays of light from the lamp of our baptism. It reminds us that we are the stewards of a thing we could not have possessed without God's providence and mercy. This Fire of God that shines from the wick of our re-creation demands that it be allowed to shine forth unencumbered.

But have you ever noticed that fire consumes? Moment by moment, inch by inch, the light that acts as guide to our way eats at the fuel of our lives. It demands all, even unto extinguishment. It shines in the darkness of our souls; it leaves nothing hidden or secret. It makes all things known and asks for nothing less than what we hold most dear to us aside from God, namely, our sin. The light of God exalts by humiliating us; it makes us rich by depriving us of everything; it brings us to eternal life by killing us.

Often times, we think that, as Christians, all we have to "do" is live a good life. As long as we don't get into trouble; as long as we cross our t's and dot our i's in the realm of morality, we will satisfy the requirements of disciple of Christ. We have been given so much in our faith... And yet the way in which we regard this gift is with such abject poverty of soul. In this, we have nothing, and even what we seem to have is taken from us without so much as a whimper.

The only way to reclaim what we have lost is to let the Fire of God consume us; let it purge us, humble us, deprive us; let it kill us. Let the oil of sin in our life's lamp not be thrown out so that it can simply be replaced by more sin. Let the sin be consumed by the refining fire of God's Grace. Through acceptance of our call to be completely emptied of self, we can be rid of the sin that corrupts us. Through our kenosis of sin through the consummation of the fire of God's Word, we can ever be rich in soul. Eternal Life can only be had through death of self, and so I say, let us receive God's merciful execution, His loving purgation, His caressing flame. This Light of God's that yearns to set us free from our bondage of sin... Let it shine.

A Note of Remembrance from Meinrad

Today the United States remembers the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. In a letter to the seminarian community, Father Rector Denis Robinson reflects on that day, and gives these words of advise for us all:

"If there is a clear lesson for us to learn from 9/11, perhaps it is that nothing is straightforward and simple, particularly the human spirit. Prejudice, bigotry, and intolerance are never the answer to life's complexity. God's love is always the answer and that love is as vast and deep as history, as profound and immense as the cosmos."

Let us as a country learn to forgive those that have trespassed against us, as we have been forgiven ourselves for the numerous transgressions of sin committed against our loving God.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.

A Life Saved

This morning I had the honor of joining the pro-life committee here at St. Meinrad as they went to pray in front of the abortion facility in Louisville, KY. It was a harrowing experience for me... To be witness to so much death and loss, so much pain and confusion. We prayed the Rosary as we watched woman after woman enter the clinic. I will never take my position on abortion lightly again, but even more importantly, I will never forget to pray for those who feel as if this is there only option, so that they may see the road of life and love more clearly.

The following was written by the chair of the committe, and my good friend, Mike Keucher. I hopes you that no matter how seemingly small or insignificant you feel your prayer is, it is the sign of faith you are called to raise up for those who cannot for themselves.

"This morning, nine seminarians set out for the Louisville abortion facility at 4:45.  We arrived at 7am, in time to witness 20 women go into the clinic.  20 lives were set to end there this morning.  19 of those lives did end, or will in the coming hours.

"One was spared.

"That one makes all the little sacrifices worth it, even unsettled sleep schedules, dark and
foggy drives, and early alarm clocks.  Even with the smallest of sacrifice comes life.  We will we never know how much difference our prayers and sacrifices for life make.  We simply offer them anyway, recognizing that at the end of the day, Providence runs the show; we only play a part.  Thanks to those who played a part this morning in Louisville or from here in prayer.

"A life has been saved.  Thanks be to God!!!!"

The Theologies of the Pentateuch

For my Pentateuch class, I read a very interesting article, written in 1960 for the LeBlond Lectures at Mount Saint Mary's Seminary. I thought I'd share with you my summary of the article I wrote for class:

The article "The Theologies of the Old Testament," by Fr. John McKenzie, S.J., spoke about the three most prevalent and identifiable theologies seen in the Pentateuch.

The first major theology seen is termed the "theology of the Jahwist."  It is principally characterized by ties to the Southern Kingdom of Judea, being very monarchic in thought.  It sees YHWH in very anthropomorphic terms, viewing God with human features and emotions.  This suggests an outlook of intimacy between man and God, as well as political and social prosperity during the sources time of origin.

The second theology of importance is called the "theology of northern Israel," or "Elohist" theology.  It is a more conservative theology, that is, it seeks to preserve an extra-political understanding of God.  To the Elohists, government is not necessary for the continuation of Jewish worship, but rather fidelity to the traditional practices of worshiping and living.  Elohism strives to avoid an anthropomorphic understanding of God to ward off any assimilation of the surrounding "carnal" theologies of other Semitic peoples. 

The third theology is the "theology of Deuteronomy." Initially attributed to Moses, it is now thought by most biblical scholars to originate some six hundred year after Moses, during the Assyrian crisis.  This theological source tries to make relevant to the then-current situation of the Assyrian threat the idea of "love election" of the chosen race of God.  As the "chosen," the laws and history of Israel must be seen as having equal weight and importance to that generation.  The covenant made with the people of the Law is made anew with the chosen people because of its identity as chosen. 

The article finishes with a caution.  As  Old Testament theology was fully realized because it was not allowed to "crystallize" in any stage of it's development, so also should Catholic theology be wary of "adhesion to traditions" that hamper it's ability to respond to history.