Hi again everyone,
So somehow it seems that not much has happened since I wrote last, but at the same time it seems like so much has happened. What has happened is pretty routine for the life here at the seminary.
I guess one thing that happened which doesn’t happen every week, but does go on twice a year here is that Cardinal George, the Archbishop of Chicago came out and gave an hour long talk last Wednesday and then celebrated the Wednesday afternoon Mass.
Cardinal George was talking about mainly was “listening”. He talked about the different ways that a priest is to listen. These ways would include (in no particular order): listening to his staff about what is going on in the parish, listening to his parish council to understand what the parishioners want, listening to his finance council to see what they can afford to do, listening to the local bishop in regards to what he wants done, listening to the larger church in regards to what is taught throughout the world and in tradition, listening to God in the Sacred Scriptures, listening to God in his private prayer time, and among the more important listening to individual parishioners when there is something they want to say.
Classes are very busy, I counted it up last week and I spent well over 50 hours between time directly in class and time studying. This doesn’t include my time at field education, meals, Mass, group prayer, or other meetings. When I say that seminary is like college on steroids I mean it. I do observe that it seems to get better after this year, meaning that the class load gets lighter, but they also seem to possibly have more work per class, so we will have to see.
Over the weekend I did take some time away and went to the driving range with 3 other guys in my class. One of them is a pretty regular golfer so he was giving the other three of us tips the whole time which was great. I didn’t do nearly as well as I had been at the place that I went with my mom over break, but I had fun and will try it again. After the break I had almost thought I could start going out on a course right away… not so much, the driving range it is for a while.
My class of eleven made it through the first two quarters with everyone staying in seminary. One guy decided to leave after the second quarter. He didn’t speak English well so although I could be nice to him and tried to talk to him I didn’t get to know him very well. I do hope that if language difficulties were the reason he decided to leave that he pursues seminary studies back home, because he is a great guy. If he just discerned that the priesthood wasn’t for him than God Bless him for being open to it and figuring out to some extent what God wants.
This past week another from my class announced that he was leaving. He doesn’t know for sure that seminary isn’t right for him, it just isn’t right for him at this time. I know that he didn’t take this decision lightly and I wish him great Blessings in whatever he chooses to do. He has given it a shot and is open to wherever God takes him, so you can’t ask for more than that. This will be more difficult on my class because he is a very outgoing and well liked guy, one that was always able to organize some fun activities and keep the group having a good experience. We all wish him well and told him to stay in touch since he lives not too far from the seminary. He will be gone completely within a day or two. I am kind of surprised that he doesn’t just finish out the quarter, but he wants to try to get on with whatever God is calling him to.
One thing that I have thought of with these two leaving is being thankful for modern technology. I’m not positive but I would imagine that without it a lot of time wouldn’t have to pass before I would lose touch with them. Because of modern technology I can have their contact information even as they move. Even more specifically I have them both as friends on Facebook, so I can see what they put up. Maybe someday I’ll even read Spanish so that I can read what the first is posting.
Well, I guess that a lot did happen. I hope you all are having a good Lent which is drawing you closer to God.
Peace,
Adam
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