Contemplatives and Missionaries

"Be contemplatives and missionaries"- one of Pope Francis' exhortations in his address to seminarians and novices in July, in which he urged the men in formation to 'pastoral fruitfulness' and to avoid the trap of sterility that comes from not embracing pastoral paternity. "Go out of yourselves to proclaim the Gospel, but to do this you must go out of yourselves to encounter Jesus."

He began his talk focusing on joy as essential in the spiritual life: "wherever there are consecrated persons... it's the joy of following Jesus; the joy that the Holy Spirit gives us, not the world's joy." 

But this joy is not "the inebriation of a moment" that comes from possessions, power, or admiration; true joy "is born from the encounter, from the relation with others... from the gratuitousness of an encounter... to feel loved by God, to feel that to him we are not numbers, but persons; and to feel that it is he who calls us." 

"There is no holiness in sadness." (cf. St. Teresa of Avila)

Addressing the cause of lack of joy, he focused on celibacy that is lived badly."The root of sadness in pastoral life lies in the lack of paternity that comes from living the consecration badly." 

"The vow of chastity does not end at the moment of the vow... it's a journey that matures... [and] when a priest is not the father of his community... they become sad." A consecrated life lived well should be fruitful and joyful from sharing the life found in Jesus.

He called us to build good communities that foster fraternal love by avoiding gossip, often "the most common short prayer.. but such a community is a hell! Behind gossip... are envies, jealousies, ambitions. Not to speak badly of others; this is a beautiful path to holiness!"

Authenticity was another theme: he urged formators to be exampled of coherence to young people, especially in poverty, and challenged us to be more transparent with confessors, always. 

"This transparency will do you good, because it makes one humble... tell the truth, without concealment or dissimulation" and to be faithful to one confessor and not go on "a pilgrimage to confessors to conceal truth." 

"Open the door to grace with this transparency!"

He also reminded us of the importance of daily examination recommended by saints and spiritual masters as indispensable to the spiritual life. I can attest to this from my own life- I have found there is a tremendous difference in my spiritual life when neglecting the Examen even one day. It is the loss of a unique encounter. Just as one would not go home and skip a rapprochement with a spouse or parent after a difficult work day, this encounter with God is central to the life of prayer.

Sede Vacante

The abdication of the Holy Father was observed today at St. John's Seminary by interrupting classes at 1:52 pm to stand in respectful silence while ringing the bell for eight minutes, then praying the collect prayers for the pontifex emeritus and election.

While the departure of the Pope was of course extraordinary, the rest of the day was business as usual for me. I am looking forward to spring break next week- the postulants will be spending it at a cabin up in New Hampshire near Mt. Washington from Sunday until Thursday. There is plenty of snow up there and I am looking forward to possibly having a ski day.

Here are some pics from the big 26" snow we had a couple weeks ago. I didn't get any pictures during the storm but I was out walking in the thick of it around 10 pm and these were taken the next morning.


St. Clement's snow blower was malfunctioning, so we had to shovel everything...

...which wouldn't have been so bad if the parking lot wasn't sloping downward toward the church on the north side of the building.
 
So, besides being a good workout it was fun to have a snow day again, although I now know it's more fun to play in fresh snow in fields than in dirty streets. Just in case you were wondering.

Columbus Day

Today was my first time ever not having class on Columbus Day; it must be an East Coast thing. But anyway, there were a couple events noteworthy enough for a post.

Our vocations' director celebrated the inaugural mass in the new postulants' chapel. It is an attic room over the library that has had various uses over the years, but the rector decided to refurbish it so the postulants can have a private place to pray. (The Blessed Sacrament is always exposed in the shrine adjoining the seminary, but it is nice to have a more private space available as well). After that, we went hiking at Mt. Wachusett in central Massachusetts. One of the postulant's parents live quite near there, so we went to their home for an evening meal afterward before returning home for studies. 

The attic chapel

Ready for mass ad orientem

The Boston skyline from Mt. Wachusett

Group shot

Fall colors on one of the ski trails

What Do Doozers Do?

Sorry for not posting last week, but it has been pretty busy. It seems there has yet to be a quiet, 'normal' week of postulancy; maybe there never will be!
Last week was the farewell dinner for our beloved Brother Luigi, who has been transferred to a quieter assignment after many years at St. Clement's. He has been an institution since the Oblates took over the shrine in 1976, so it really is the end of an era. I often met Br. Lou in the mornings while preparing breakfast and always enjoyed his wry humor, and I will miss him a lot. It was also the end of the conferences for which the Rector Major and many Oblates from overseas were visiting, so there were more farewell dinners and gatherings.

Today was the installation of Msgr. Moroney as the new Rector of St. John's Seminary, so we all went there for mass with Cardinal O'Malley which ended up being a lengthy affair because of pomp, family day at SJS, and excessive traffic due to bicycle races and a Red Sox game, but things will mostly return to normal this week.

However, I have yet to define what 'normal' is for a week of postulancy and talk about what it is I do all day anyway, so here is a week in my life now:



Monday-Friday
   5:30 am- Rise
   6:00 am- Morning holy hour, Office of
           Readings
   6:30 am- Lauds
   7:00 am- Mass
   7:30 am- Breakfast
   8:00 am-11:44 am- Daily responsibilities                      (class, study, apostolates, etc.)
   11:45 am- Eucharistic adoration, Divine Mercy
           Chaplet
   12:00 pm- Angelus, lunch
                                                                                       1:00 pm- 4:59 pm- Daily responsibilities
                                                                                       5:00 pm- Rosary, evening holy hour
                                                                                       5:45 pm- Vespers
                                                                                       6:00 pm- Dinner
                                                                                       7:00 pm- Community recreation (usually gym
                                                                                             time, sports, card games, etc.)         
                                                                                       8:00 pm (9:00 pm Fridays)- Study
                                                                                      10:00 pm- Compline and Great Silence


Saturday
   7:30 am- Lauds
   8:00 am- Breakfast
   9:00 am- Cleaning common areas
   11:00 am- Mass
   12:00 pm- 5:00 pm- Apostolate work in Boston
           or free time
   5:00 pm- Rosary, holy hour
   5:30 pm- Grand Vespers and Benediction
   6:00 pm- Dinner
   7:15 pm- Community recreation (movie night)
   11:00 pm- Great Silence

Sunday

   9:00 am- Matins, Lauds     

  10:00 am- Choir practice

  11:00 am- Mass

  12:15 pm- Lunch

  1:30 pm- Free time

  5:45 pm- Vespers

  10:00 pm- Great Silence 

In addition to the daily structure and classes, apostolates, etc., postulants have a number of other responsibilities assigned. All postulants are responsible for washing dishes and cleaning the kitchen after meals, and there is a weekly rotation for the following tasks: cantor for the Divine Office (also gets to choose the Saturday night movie), altar server for all masses, lector for masses and the Office, and cooking weekend dinners.

In addition to this are personal assignments that last all year, including an assignment for cleaning common areas of the seminary (I am the Dust Buster). Everyone is also responsible for doing their own laundry and keeping their cell neat (surprise inspections!). Postulants are also able to structure their own free time in the daily schedule between duties and studies for gym time, personal communication, personal prayer, and spiritual or recreational reading.

My personal assignment is to be one of the two sacristans: I am responsible for taking care of the sacred vessels (making sure they are purified, polishing, setting out the chalice and paten for whichever priest has the next Mass, etc.); purifying, laundering, and ironing purificators and corporals (and occasionally cassocks and surplices); measuring out wine, water, and altar bread for each Mass; making sure the correct propers are marked in the Sacramentary; checking that the correct vestment colors are used for feast days and solemnities; keeping four sanctuary lamps burning at all times; cleaning candle holders, incense thuribles, and tapers; doing any set up in the sanctuary, stripping the altar, moving candlesticks, etc.; and taking care of any other miscellanies around the sanctuary and sacristy.

My formation director who is also the choirmaster and usual piano accompanist for the Office, started having me playing piano for Grand Vespers on weekends.

So, if idleness was ever a vice it is no longer! Saturdays and Sundays are a little more flexible. Some of you have asked how available I am if you visit, and the answer it that it varies: I can be excused from community functions to spend time with out of town guests and can get other postulants to cover my responsibilities, so I can pretty much be free all weekend.  

There are also other outings and events interspersed in the weekly schedule; this is Boston, after all, and there is always plenty to do. Tonight we are all going to SJS for a special dinner and lecture on St. Augustine followed by a screening of the new biographical film Restless Heart at Boston College.