Into your hands, Lord

Arise From Darkness

2006-09-23T14:18:00.000-07:00

Today I had a visit with Fr. Groesschel after mass at CCRNO conference in New Orleans. I had to return to St Bens after lunch. Words can't describe this humble Priest. This was not our first meeting but I will post more later, after I receive my CD's of his talks and Homily. Today is the Memorial of St Pio, who was the topic of his Homily. Fr. Groesschel instilled a message to the seminarians. The conference theme was "Arise from Darkness", the title of his book. Notre Dame Seminary hosted the conference. I would add his message now but I don't want to leave anything out.

Dodgeball

2006-09-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

The winning team of the dodge-ball tournament. Yes, I played. Today I wish I had not. The games intensity was raised by facing the champions of last year. The only good to start was the fact we held the top spot in the double illumination tournament. With being the oldest person on the team, I felt my age in the second game when it was 3 against 1. I being the one. Time to start a paper. God Bless All

Summer is Over

2006-09-11T21:01:00.000-07:00

Pope John Paul II tells us that the thruth of the values we hold are to be found by opening oneself to apprehend that truth, even at levels which transcend the person. Fr. Martell, the Pastor of Holy Rosary taught me several things during my summer assignment. He is a collector of lighthouses and I asked why, his answer was that it is a reminder that we are all lighthouses. God's love and mercy shines light through us in what we do and say.
As I ponder the quote, my reflection draws me to the lighthouse. My brightness of my light is the love I return to God. My integrity is the lighthouse itself; the foundation for the light which shines forth. If I do not live a life in adherence to the Gospels teachings, then my light would not shine. The bricks of my lighthouse have bonded with a mortar of forgiveness. The person I was ten years ago is not the person who you see today.
I have been challenged to become a beckon of light in today's culture. Fr. Ernie has asked us in his homilies to be a sound person living a life that is counter-cultural to today's culture of death. You are called as so am I to stand on principles based on the teachings of the Catholic Church. Poeple who have been part of my life are now my witness to the change in person I have necome today. I was told by someone this summer that my presence brings a calmness to the group. I hope that the calmness is brought out by the light of God from my heart. As the light of the lighthouse calms the fear of the sailor in the darkness of the night, I pray and hope to light the way for others to find the merciful and loving God which I have found.
Several priests have been my light, please pray for our priests.

Pax Christi Tecum

The Risk

2006-09-07T05:58:00.000-07:00

Pope John Paul II
In My Own Words

"We must go to this Child, this Man,
the Son of God, at whatever inconvenience,
at whatever risk to ourselves, because to know
and love him will truly change our lives."

Looking back on my past, this quote of JPII speaks loudly of my discernment. The fear of rejection was a major obsticle in my discernment along with leaving a job I enjoyed. The difference with my discernment this time was I began with prayer. Fr. DeBlasio called together a small group to discern God's calling in our lives, weather to the priesthood, religious, married or single life. Our meetings began with Vespers (Evening Prayer) and closed with Eucharistic Exposition and Benediction. Over the five or six year period, I discovered the only reason I did not take the next step in my discernment was the fear of rejection.
As I began my second year of studies here at St. Joseph College Seminary, I am not the same person I was at the start of my discernment. As JPII says to know and love him will truly change our lives, my life has changed.

Prayer To Know and Love Jesus

My Lord Jesus, I want to love you but you cannot trust me.
If you do not help me, I will never do any good.
I do not know you; I look for you but do not find you.
Come to me O Lord.
If I knew you, I would also know myself.
If I have never loved you before,
I want to love you truly now.
I want to do your will alone; putting no trust in myself,
I hope in you, O Lord.

St.Philip Neri

Return to St.Ben's

2006-09-06T14:53:00.000-07:00

I have returned to St. Joseph Seminary College with a great surprise. I have news from the south that the classes began this year with 41 new seminarians. We only have 4 or 5 empty dorm rooms. What a blessing. Speaking of blessings, we did not have a repeat of last years start. No Katrina this year.
On my return home for Labor Day, I picked up a new digital camera. As soon as I figure out how to use it and download pictures; I will post some. As time permits I will offer a weekly post. It is great to have my computor running again.

A few words to ponder:
"We must go to this Child, this Man,
the Son of God, at whatever inconvenience,
at whatever risk to ourselves,
because to know and love him
will truly change our lives."

Pope John Paul II
Homily at Central Park, 1995

A reflection on this will come later.

Lenten reflection part II

2006-03-28T06:46:00.000-08:00

In looking at what I have read during this time of Lent, I now know what the load was. In the Paul’s letters we are asked to die with Christ so we may also rise with Christ.
In our death with Christ, we also hang on the cross with Christ. We have been told that our sins nail Christ to the cross. Not true, we as believers in the Word believe that we will die and rise to a new life. The nails that hold Christ to the cross are made of love. Jesus died for us, he loved us so much, and that he hung on the cross. Our love for God is what nails us to the cross. The cross we are asked to pick up and carry. As we are crucified with Jesus, we become one in death so we may rise again. What do our sins have to do with our death on the cross with Christ?

Our death on cross is a victory. Our sins that we commit help the devil. The devil does not want us to embrace the cross as Jesus did. Our sins are our weight and the devils hands keeping us from hanging on the cross. The devil wants us to die in the world he has tried to change. With confession, God’s love is shown to us in his mercy. The love given places us on the cross with his Son. Our hearts opened to the love of the God the Father. Padre Pio says that “my heart has beats as one with the heart of Jesus.” What happens when we confess and hearts beat as one?

Abbey Youth Fest is upon us!

2006-03-26T20:17:00.000-08:00

With 6 days before Abbey Youth Fest, the last minute failure in plain has begun. This is the sixth or seventh year and I don't know how they do it. The lady in charge does not listen to suggestions at all. We are looking at having 2000-2500 youth as of preregistration. They today decided to have only one serving line for lunch and dinner. They put all the food under one tent!
They would not listen to a person who has cooked for conventions and conferences with 12 years of experience. Sorry I am venting. Plus I am the seminarian who is incharge of food operations.

Part 1 of my reflection:
A Lenten Reflection

With reading “Theology of the Body for Beginners” and also “Secrets of the Soul” during this time of Lent, with the daily readings of Holy Scripture during mass it was easy to answer a formation question. “The body is the specific vehicle of the spiritual life” (p.44), from the book “Theology of the Body for Beginners” lead to do I experience the body and the spiritual life this way?

Our bodies receive the fruits of the Holy Spirit in our spiritual life. Our mind helps us to communicate what our bodies feel. During my reflection of question, my thoughts kept leading me to the “vehicle.” What was the kick-start to put the body (vehicle) in motion? During this time of Lent, that kick-start is confession. When I fully open my heart in confession I recognize my faults and sins that I have committed against God’s love. It is easy to say that after confession I have released my soul from the sins I have committed. One might say they have felt the load taken off their back. If our body is the vehicle, then what was this load?

2006-03-09T21:29:00.000-08:00

As I promised, In my logic class to begin the semister I was given an article to read. This article was published in the USA TODAY, Jan. 9, 1997 by Wesley J. Smith. He is an attorney for the International Anti-Euthanasia Task Force and an author of Forced Exit. The Title was "Truth about 'assistance'" and speaks of the Court ruling that a decision by a duly appointed surrogate decision maker is, for all legal purposes, the decision of the patient himself or herself. I was asked to write one or more points that support the main point. I wrote the following: What is our nation’s view of life; do we protect the life of the disabled and vulnerable? Bob and Mary brought the value of life to nation head on last year, their daughter, Terri Schiavo, was staved to death when her husband had her feeding tube removed. Has assisted-suicide opened the door that one can make the judgments to kill another by torture? If we as a nation want to be known as a defender of life, we must respect all forms of life and care for one another.

2006-03-07T00:06:00.000-08:00

My good friends and brother seminarians, After a little grief, I have decided to update my page. I am doing good. The start of the spring semester has been good. With being down here outside of New Orleans, I survived my Mardi Gra- I went home to Memphis.

With the start of Lent, I have started reading Padre Pio's Letters to His Spiritual Director.

A book you all need to read. My prayers go out to Gov. Mike Rounds of South Dakota for signing the bill to ban abortion in his state. Get ready the Culture of Life is headed in the right direction.

God Bless and I'll add more later, I promise Patrick

Greetings to All

2005-11-04T18:28:00.000-08:00

This week was a short week back at St Bens. We returned back to school on Tuesday. I enjoyed four days of rest and clearing my head after midterms. I checked on the families at St Peter's Home for the Katrina victims, many of the families I left have found homes in the Memphis area or have moved back to their homes in New Orleans. However I did see some new faces making St Peter's their home for now.

I visited several of the churches in Memphis, Ascension, Resurrection and Nativity during my visit home. I did not realize how much I missed everyone. But I did have to do a little work at Resurrection, changing the timer on the outside lights.

On Wed. After mass we had a procession out to the grave yard where the Abbot blessed all the graves. It was a first for me. Time for me to get some studying done. I hope to give a better reflection on the week after my walk in the morning.

Coming Home Soon

2005-10-23T20:17:00.000-07:00

Let me start by saying I'm sorry I have not posted in awhile. Next weekend I will be coming home for the first time since returning to St. Joseph after Katrina hit. Before I get to come home this week is mid-terms. I have test in all of my remaining classes, plus three papers due. I just finished the second and know going to start on the third. My class for this term are Old Testament, The creed, Ancient Philosophy and philosophical/Theological endeavors. The first two are great but the other two are on the same day covering the same material, presented with different views. Once I think I understand, it all gets lost in the next class.

My first paper was on the Creed, Faith- Our response to God. The second paper was titled The study of Aristotle relationship of the body and the soul. Seven pages later and I still hope I answered the question of Aristotle De Anima. Yes if you did not notice, I dropped Latin and will take it in the summer. A chapter every to classes is to fast for me.

On my visit home, yes I am going to Ronnie's for a steak. But most importantly I am going to St Peter's Home to visit my families from New Orleans. I am going to try to visit some of my friends but I would rather just meet everyone at the Sunday Movie. Nick will have John from Texas along for the ride.

Ok it is time to get back to my studies. Any one want to take the OT test for me, you know I'm bad with names.
God Bless,

We Believe in One

2005-10-03T13:06:00.000-07:00

The one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church which has been given to us by the love of God the Father and Jesus the Son of God to call sinners to the healing mercy of the Father. We believe in the living Church, for the Holy Spirit guides our Church. Our role in the Church of today is to share the truth with those we have been trusted and to the poor, the homeless, the prisoner, the naked, the homeless, the sick, the poor in spirit and the sinner.

As I read over the chapter ‘The Church is Holy’ I ponder on the call to holiness. Being guided by the Holy Spirit we are always longing to be with God. During the past month I have viewed our Church working in our lives first hand. In my travels of the world I have visited our brother and sisters who have had to fight to be able to celebrate the mass on Sundays, risking their lives to be Catholic. How much we here in the United States have grown accustomed to our right of freedom of religion. During the month of August the people of the city of Memphis had debates on what they should name the Civil War parks downtown. The debate raised national attention to the white & black racial history of the south. As I left Memphis to come to St. Ben’s I was relieved to beable to leave the bickering. I was coming to a place where I saw shelter from all the troubles in the world.

Then in God’s own special way, Katrina hit the gulf coast. God showed us that he does not pick and choose who by race who the storm affects. All where affected with Katrina. We as a community here at St. Ben’s worked hand in hand to do what was asked or needed. When we where asked to leave and go home for the week it was hard on me. I knew that there was so much to do here at St. Ben’s. The next day I received a call about 9 am waking me from the first good nights sleep in days. I was asked to prepare a meal at the shelter which Catholic Charities was given permission to open. Now the shelter had been closed for two years. They spent a day cleaning and getting the rooms ready. I showed up around two to start cooking. The first problem I found was that I had nothing to cook with. The water had been cut off, there were no pots or pans so I left and started too get supplies for the kitchen. I returned and prepared the dinner.

All I went to do was cook one meal. I worked for 6 days helping open the shelter. I organized and cleared a room to come back and see the room full again. People opened their hearts and gave what was asked. As I went from place to place I found everyone working together, the people of Memphis forgot about the division created by the debates over the parks. Working for and with the people from New Orleans the city was healed and blessed. Some one asked the Ambrose family how they felt. They looked around and said, “We lost everything, but the love of God.”

How does this relate to our Church being Holy? God being the only Holy One has given us the challenge to be Holy. In the work at the shelter and here at the seminary, people have acknowledged the living Church in action. Through our work we have shown the compassion and the love which God has asked of us. With seeing how thankful and grateful our guest have been, our lives where blessed as much as theirs. The joy they see in us comes from the Holiness given to God and his Church. Through our prayer we are being converted to holiness in the Word of God, The sacraments, and work we are called to do. As my Bishop has told us over and over, we are One Body in Christ, and God is good all the time, all the time God is good.

My Sunday Walk

2005-09-25T17:09:00.000-07:00

During the past few weeks, since I don't have a Sunday Movie to catch with my brother seminarians I have started walking. Here at St Ben's we have a trail leading to Abbey Camp, four miles. What started to be a walk through the woods,after hurricane Katrina, is now a walk along the lumber trail. Katrina took out about 70% of the forest. With that said, my walks begin with a prayer, then lead to my Latin studies ( vocabulary). Today was a first for me. Two of my vocabulary words are culpo and pecco. How easy it would be to blame( culpo) God for what has happened. For with blame, inturn we sin( pecco). Out of all that has happened here in the month of Sept., Our God has never left us. As much as I miss the shad of the trees, our cleaning up the grounds will be hard. When all will be said and done, we will see God in all his glory! Some will have a conversion story to tell, others will forgive and we will have a rebirth of the forest and of the members of our Church. I have been proved wrong so far, I told some one that he Churches will be like that of 9/11. Everyone one came to Church to give or to grieve, they where as full as we have seen. Here the Churches have substained the fullness for three weeks now and with no letting up. God is good all the time.

Into your hands, Lord

2005-09-24T20:00:00.000-07:00

After much debate, I have decided to start a blog of my own. I am new to this, so give me some time. After making it through my second hurricane in four weeks. It will be easier for me to start leaving my ramblings here. To start we all made it. Power was only down for five hours today.
For my brother seminarians from Memphis, I thank you for your prayers. As well as Nick and Yoelvis. Our next beg adventure for our first year of studies will arrive this coming week. The seminarians from across the lake. I will post more later for it is time to study my Latin. God Bless and I will offer your prayers at mass in the mornin.