Buon Natale!

Pax Christi vobiscum! Come Holy Spirit!


Buon Natale (Italian for "Merry Christmas!")! I hope that these last days before Christmas are grace-filled as you prepare for the birth of our Lord!

As it is, we have a couple of days left to prepare for the Lord's Birth! What a blessing! I encourage all of you, if you haven't already, to tell your family that you love them; give them the gift of your presence, more than the gift of your presents. (I know, I know, you want the gift of fewer puns...)

I just have to share that it really is a blessed time to be in Rome. For one, things are far less commercial over here, just kind of on the whole. There are still plenty of shops open and selling gifts, especially in certain higher-end areas, but there just does not seem to be the same over-kill to selling and buying presents. I don't know if that means people are more focused on love...or just less willing to shell out the dough. Just kidding. I seriously am thankful for that less commerical aspect.

I am also incredibly thankful to be so close to the Holy Father during this time. I don't know if I've said this before (and I really don't care if I have): we have an awesome Pope. He is truly a humble servant of the Lord who only desires that we come to know Christ more fully, so that we may have the peace that surpasses all understanding (see Philippians 4:7). He is not afraid to proclaim the truth in love in order to bring more souls back to the Church, in order to bring souls back to true happiness.

Think about it: how many people can you honestly claim are sincerely happy, even overjoyed, at the life they are living? How often do we want to run and hide in things that will never satisfy us, things that will only distract us from the deep hunger to love and be loved? Our Pope, however, wants us to know love, the Love, the only One who will satisfy us.

This Love, says our Pope in Spe Salvi, the new encyclical on Hope, is the source of all hope. Quoting Saint Josephine Bakhita, he points to the Love of God as our only hope: "I am definitively loved and whatever happens to me--I am awaited by this Love. And so my life is good." When we know true Love, we can be assured that the future will be a bright one, regardless of difficulties encountered, because we will still be moving towards that Love.

This Christmas is a perfect time for Hope, because we are celebrating the birth of that Love into the world. Jesus Christ, a.k.a. Emmanuel, a.k.a. "God is with us" (see Matthew 1:23), is the ultimate Hope, because with the birth of Jesus Christ we no longer are separated from God. God has become man and dwelt among us (John 1:14). The Hope we have is a living Hope, quite literally.

So remember what a joyous occasion this is, not because of the iPhone one might find in his stocking or the countless new neck-ties my aunts will give me, but because of Jesus Christ, Who will be born among us. And He is the greatest gift we could ever receive.

May God bless you all with a peace-filled and truly joyful Christmas as you remember the source of your joy! Buon Natale!

Life Keeps on Rollin' Along

Pax Christi vobiscum! Come Holy Spirit!

I hope everything is going well back in the States! I definitely miss seeing you all, driving in a car that shifts gears for me...or at all, and hearing my own language...oh, and hamburgers, huge, juicy, send-you-to-a-hospital-(a good American hospital)-good hamburgers.

I have to share some of the great things happening over here lately. Let's see...

1) Last Saturday, December 8th, on the feast of the Immaculate Conception we had something of an immaculate reception, since Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception is the college's patroness. It was a wonderful Pranzo (Italian for "lunch so good you won't have to eat lunch again"). Afterwards, Deacon Tom, Father Jason, and I all went for a Rosary Walk descending from the hill, dipping into part of ancient Rome, and then heading back up the Via Conciliazione to La Piazza di San Pietro (the Plaza in front of St. Peter's). We finished at 6:00 p.m. (Eleven o'clock your time), in time to pray the Angelus while facing the Marian Mosaic on the side of St. Peter's. It was truly a blessing.

2) Then, later that night, I think I became the first person to "skype" into a wedding. That's right, I got to watch my good buddy and and his fiancee, also a friend of mine, get married back at A&M, LIVE from the comfort of my own PJ's...err, I mean room. It was the closest I've ever been to bi-locating. Actually, it was like having my own personal, interactive EWTN Mass. Though I couldn't interact much...they muted me. Who would do that...don't answer.

So yes, I got to be "present" for their wedding from the balcony, watching the whole wedding unfold, live before my own eyes on a skype video call. How amazing is that? Then I actually got to talk with some of my old friends from A&M and even the Bride and Groom, after all of their pictures and such. It was really something else. And yes, I must admit, it was my idea. I thought, "John Paul II encouraged us to use our new technology for the new Evangelization, so why not for a wedding?" Go big or go overseas, right?

I thank God for the opportunity though, and it really was a blessing to see them. I had trouble believing it was happening the whole time I was watching it.

3) The next day, Sunday evening, some of us went to a Legionaires of Christ dinner. A smaller group of us were asked to put together a little musical ensemble to play a few Marian songs as entertainment. Well, Mike, Luke, Llane, Joe, and I all got up there and sang/played the guitar...and they liked it. Even after they had their entire 40 piece orchestra perform Neil Diamond's "America"...those Legionaires. I must admite though, it was pretty sweet (Caroline).

Actually, though, the whole experience made me realize how much I want to glorify God through that kind of performance. Having acted in the past, I realize how easy it can be to have the act become about yourself--it can be a real fight to give the glory to God. This time, however, since the songs were so clearly directed to God's Mother, Mary, it was easier to make it a prayer. I think that's why it got so much applause.

4) Then, on Monday, I attended a Scavi Tour led by one of our very own NAC seminarians, Adam, and attended by a lot of Australians...including one of their Cardinals. Ironically enough, we then proceeded to go down under...the Basilica that is, to see the Tomb and the Bones of St. Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, the first Pope, who walked with Jesus, on water to Jesus, away from Him, and back to Him on the shore. And Peter's tomb is directly beneath the high altar of St. Peter's Basilica, where the Pope celebrates the Holy Mass. Thank God for the Roman Catholic Church!

Well, I need to get going. But I hope to update soon and very soon. Remember to really prepare for Christ's coming. Make room for Him in your hearts through small sacrifices, that when He comes He may find more than just a manger in which to rest. Only 9 days til Christmas!

Oh, and please pray for my family as they prepare to visit, that their pilgrimage here would be rejuvenating both physically and spiritually. And pray for their safety. Thank you so much, and know you all have my prayers. God bless!

Service with a Smile

Come Holy Spirit! Pax Christi vobiscum!

What a day! First of all, our two professors for today decided to cancel class, so we got a three day weekend. I found this out after I decided to sleep in this morn...I mean earlier this week, yes, earlier than this morning...and therefore I knew I could sleep in this morning.... Heh.

So I got up this morning and did a ton of laundry and finally got my room back in order. I do this about once every 2 or so weeks...about the time I realize I can no longer see the floor.

On to more interesting things. This evening, I was privileged enough to help out with the St. Vincent de Paul Society in their service of the poor. Basically, I got to walk down Humility Lane...and I tripped. These people basically have nothing, nothing but a plastic bag with some food or an umbrella, maybe. And we went out to give them food cooked by this one family that has been doing this service for 25 years (venticinque anni).

I talked with a couple of people from Poland who moved to Rome to find some work and were unable to do so. These people have real need...and they are real people. I think often I only recognize the first one, if that, but it's a lot harder to want to look them in the eye and see a person in them; because once I look them in the eye, recognizing their personhood, then I will hurt for one of my own that has far less than I have--and I will have to give, at the very least my time, if not more.

That is what I recognized as I spoke with Matteo from Poland. He is just like you and me, except he doesn't have a home. He has a great sense of humor and was enjoyable to speak with, but he struggles with things (or absence thereof) I take for granted on a daily basis. I tried to assure him that with God all things are possible, and I offered him my prayers, but that was the best I could do for the time. And I ask you all to pray for Matteo, that God would direct him out of his poverty and help him find work for his and his family's sake.

As a further reflection, I found a great freedom in serving them. For by serving these people, created by God, I both helped them and forgot me. I was free from worrying about myself, and it felt great! And I got the chance to smile and hand food out to people who need it far more than I do. And that is just how good God is: doing a service for someone else is never a one-sided thing. When I serve someone, both of us gain from it. On the other hand, I have noticed that when I seek only my interests, I don't even seem to get anything out of it. This is as Pope John Paul II said: it is only in a sincere gift of self that I truly discover who I am.

Service frees us from servitude...especially when it's service with a smile. May God bless you with His grace and His peace in this Advent Season, and Happy Feast of the Immaculate Conception!

Providence: The Only Cardinal Direction

Pax Christi vobiscum! Come Holy Spirit!

Wow...

Simply wow....

I seriously have just had about the 5 most blessed days of my entire life. Please, share my joy. You read some of what happened on Saturday, but it's taken off almost exponentially since then. Allow me to bring you up to speed.

So Saturday: The Consistory -- I got to see the Pope elevate 23 Archbishops to the College of Cardinals (which is not a school for birds, by the way). That means that the Pope made 23 new Princes of the Church. Let me put it this way: the Church is HUGE! It is truly Catholic--"Catholic" meaning Universal. There were Cardinals from Italy, the United States, even Iraq (among other places). Not only that, but God is constantly renewing His Church! These men, acting under the guidance of the Holy Spirit will select the next Pope...or possibly become the next Pope.

Saturday evening: The Reception in the Papal Palace. Yes, you read that correctly. Now, here's how the event played out for me, quite Providentially. The event began around 4:30, but I allowed myself a chance to rest up a bit (and write a blog post), and then I ventured down to St. Peter's to wait in line, arriving around 5:15 p.m. Well, the lines, true to Italian fashion, were actually just an amorphous blob of people trying to force themselves through 5 tiny metal-detectors. Except there was a problem: they weren't allowing anyone through for 45 minutes. So this amorphous blob was also immobile. Fun, huh?

Well I was just saying, "God, if you want, you can get me in." The event was only supposed to last until 6:30 or so, so I was concerned when I was just getting through the security gates at 6:15. I turned left to approach the bronze doors where stood the ever-present Swiss Guard (or La Guardia Svizzera). Unfortunately, I discovered, that there was another line (amorphous blob) forming to the right of the doors...meaning I couldn't just waltz right through. I would have had to wait another who knows how many minutes there. Well, sure enough, as I was turning back to get in the "line," the Diocese of Tyler (neighbor of Dallas) showed up. Nolan and Brandon (friends of mine) and their Bishop and the Rector of their Cathedral showed up just then. They said I could join them, and we plowed right through those doors (Let's just say, Bishops are good for more than putting Kings in check...I just got it!).

So we proceeded all the way into the Papal Palace, no problem, and then we were able to jump the lines as well. I got to see 6 Cardinals in 45 minutes--it's good to have the Bishop there.

I praise God for arranging that so perfectly! I was on cloud-nine for quite some time after that--I'm telling you it's Providence. When you let God write the story, He always gives you a good one to tell (that's also the point of the Bible--greatest story ever told). I mean, I think it takes more faith to say that this event was the product of mere chance. But either way you try to call it (Providence or chance), you are making an act of faith--I just happen to be making the right choice--heh.

But that's not all....

Sunday: I woke up a bit late and was probably not going to make it in to the Mass of the Rings without a higher ranking ticket than my general admission white ticket. But I knew that if God wanted me to be in there, He'd take care of it. Well, on my way out, I ran into a certain Priest I know who happened to have an extra blue ticket (for a better section). He gave it to me, and get this: not only did I make it in no sweat, but I also got to walk up the center isle to get to my section. That...was pretty crazy. When I got to my section, I met an awesome Priest from Mexico City, and we spoke in Italian...all fits together, right? Only in God's awesome way.

Then, Tuesday: I got to serve at the Mass of Thanksgiving for Cardinal DiNardo, the new Cardinal for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston...in Santa Maria Maggiore (one of the 4 Major Basilicas of Rome). What a blessing! Check it out here:

http://blogs.chron.com/dinardo/2007/11/glittering_like_gold.html

It was truly a beautiful Mass, and I am excited for the Church in Texas! What hope we have, and what a gift we have received in the person of Cardinal DiNardo! He is a great man who will serve faithfully the people of Texas and the United States.

Then, as icing on the cake, I got to meet Cardinal McCarrick today. He was so fatherly and really down-to-earth, and we had a great conversation. I just can't put all of this together....

So basically, I don't know what to do...other than thank God. I arranged none of this; I sought none of it out...at least not more than putting myself there and trusting in God. I'm telling you, God just wants to give us every good gift if we would simply turn everything over to Him. Even just most of what we have. As long as we are taking steps to get there, asking God to take more and more of us--so that He can give us even greater gifts in return. I'm not saying it will be easy, but it will be worth it. If we just turn it over, He will Provide. I promise you. Trust in His Providence, and ask Him where He wants to take you. You will not be disappointed.

Glory to God!

St. Louis's Cardinals Ain't Got Nothin'

Pax Christi vobiscum! Come Holy Spirit!


Wow, what a day...actually, what a week. There has been a lot going on lately...where to begin?


Last weekend: Three of my seminarian brothers and I all went to Leuven, Belgium. I of course immediately thought of the McDonald's theme, "Ba da da da daaa, I'm Leuven it." (That should tell you how it's pronounced.) And I really was: we got to eat some Belgian waffles, fries, and chocolate. I will now begin the penitential season of Lent early to make up for the inordinate amount of food I consumed. And yes, we did have some good ole Belgian beer (I'm old enough now--okay, Mom?).


The crowning point of the whole trip was getting to stop in the chapel where Blessed Peter Damian of Molokai is buried. He was the Priest who went to the Hawaiian Island of Molokai to serve the leprous people there. He would always begin his homilees at Mass with the words, "My Lepers." One day after serving them for quite some time, he began with the words, "My fellow Lepers," letting them know that their Priest was now one of them. He died there, heroically sacrificing his life that others may have the Life, Jesus Christ.


So we prayed our Holy Hour there, and I prayed for all of you readers, in fact. So you have Blessed Peter Damian praying for you, and he's pretty darn close to God right now...which is sweet...and an understatement.


This last week we also had our Thanksgiving dinner. We were allowed to miss classes, which were still held since the Italians do not celebrate that holiday--a faculty encouraged skip day...got to love it. We had the New Man/Old Man (flag) football game, known affectionately as "The Spaghetti Bowl." We lost the game, but we did beat them in the second half (we outscored them there, but they way outscored us in the first half).


And we finished it all off with a nice Turkey dinner, and let's just say I am a huge tryptofan. And just so you know: Texas was true to its size. We had 8 tables with a total of 50 guests (or so), compared to most other tables which were grouped by region. So we had 8 tables all to Texas. I guess everything is bigger in Texas (including our egos?).


We come to the present moment, where I just finished helping clean up our main hallways after a reception with tons of guests. This reception was for the consistory where Pope Benedict elevated 23 Archbishops to the College of Cardinals, and the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston was one of those made Cardinal. So I actually got to shake hands and speak (briefly) with his Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo. What a blessing. It's just so cool to see the Church be continually reborn. Allow me to put it into perspective for you: I just met a man who will vote for the next Pope. There's more to it than that, but that should give you a good idea. His Eminence Cardinal Foley was also at our seminary. So we had two Cardinals in the house, and it wasn't because we left the window open.


Well, praise God for His beautiful Church! Like St. Peter in the presence of Christ's Transfiguration, all I can say is, "It is good that we are here" (Luke 9:33). What else can I say? Praise Him!


Alrighty, time to check out. I pray that God blesses you abundantly with an ever greater knowledge of His love for you--may you find the peace that is only found in Him! Pax!


Check back soon for footage from the Consistory!

The Cross

Come Holy Spirit! Pax Christi vobiscum!

Wow, so I was just reading an awesome book, titled, The Fulfillment of All Desire (sounds good, doesn't it?), when something of a revelation hit me. As I looked at the San Damiano Crucifix I have in my room, I realized that it looked like Christ had his arms outstretched as though waiting to hug or embrace us. Then it hit me: Christ came to redeem suffering. Before you say, "Duh," or "It's in the Catechism," or "You had to go to Rome to figure that out?" follow me for a sec.

Allow me to put it this way: all of us have crosses in our lives, some big, some small. The beauty is that when Christ told us to take up our cross, to embrace our cross, instead of embracing cold and splintering wood, we embrace Christ who hangs there with arms outstretched as He welcomes us into His loving embrace. If we approach Christ who hangs on the cross, all of our crosses become bearable. That is why He came--not just to throw crosses at us, forcing us to suffer for our "own good" as it were; rather, He came to give Himself to us on the cross, to attach Himself to our crosses, so that all of our suffering would bring us closer to Him. That way we can bear our burdens because of Him Who bore them first.

I'll update you more on life soon, but I had to get this reflection written. And remember, whenever you see Christ on the Cross, it's as though He's saying, "I love you...this much." Think about it.

Please pray for safe travels for us seminarians this weekend.

May God bless you and give you His Peace! And I prayed for you all in front of the relics of St. Therese of Lisieux today. Pax Christi!

Get Out and Live!

Come Holy Spirit! Peace of Christ be with you!

Wow, what a day! First, starting off with Mass, which is always a great way to start a day, I felt a lot more peace than I have in a while, knowing that the Lord is working in and around me to bring me closer to Him. It's nice just to sit back and let Him do the work for a change--still working on it though (I'm the patient who keeps waking up on the operating table--if only God would give me the scalpel...but when it comes to surgery, God is a cut above the rest).

Well, from there I met my friend Eric and his friend Matt who are studying abroad at A&M's campus here in Italy. It was great to see a familiar face from back home. Eric and I were actually in Fish Aides, a freshman leadership organization back at A&M together. So it was a real treat to be able to connect.

After we grabbed a good ole American (pronounced " 'merican") style brunch at the Seminary here, we all departed for St. Peter's Square out in front of the Basilica. There we awaited the Pope's appearance at his apartment window, where he would deliver the Angelus address and then lead us in the Angelus (a traditional prayer concerning the angel Gabriel's announcement to Mary of God's desire to become flesh through her). But when I say, "awaited," I don't mean we just sat there--quite the opposite: we broke out our guitars and started singing some Praise and Worship songs. Yes, you may re-read if you like...I got to play guitar (and people didn't leave) in front of St. Peter's. After the Angelus and Apostolic Blessing, we continued to play for 30 minutes or so. It was something else! Praise God...wait, we did. Ha. ...Okay, sorry.

I share all of this to say that it was a truly powerful experience, and you could tell that people just want some of the joy that we were experiencing in that moment (there were also about 20 Steubenville students praising with us, and they know how to praise...it's what they do). And all of this came about because we were living what we believe, thanks to the grace of God.

And that's just it: God has awesome adventures planned for our lives. Adventures. God just wants to write a story with our lives, and it will be the best possible story that could be written for us. Yes, it will be difficult at times--part and parcel of Adventure. Yes it will be uncertain at others--Adventure yet again. And yet it will be easier and more certain than any other life that we could live, for God is the author of it, and God's the best story-teller there is (the Bible anyone? Oh wait, we're Catholic...just kidding...but seriously read it).

Honestly, though, who doesn't love a good story? Now why do you think that is? And what if you could be living a great story? I'm going to ask you to do something here, so follow me if you will. This may be too much for some of you at this point, but that's okay; we are all at different points along the road. But please give this a shot.

Try to say this prayer: God, I want to have a life worth living. We all do. But I know that only in You will I find the life I truly want to live. At least, I think I know that. I also know that You are patient, O Lord, and Your hand is always there guiding me on the path I should go. So with the strength I have, however small it may be, I ask you, help me to surrender to You and to let You be the author of my life. Then I will have all I can ever desire and more, for You alone are Lord.

Just remember that living an adventure is not always easy, but it's worth it. I promise you that. Know that you are in my prayers as you take this step, and please keep me in yours. We all need support on our way. May God bless you and give you His Peace that are ours in Christ!

It's All Greek to Me

Come Holy Spirit! Pax Christi vobiscum!

Wow, okay, so I know it's been a while since I've posted on here, and I'm sorry. No, please, please, stop throwing tomatoes at me...I mean, it's your computer screen.

Well, I just finished studying Greek for about 2 hours, and let me tell you, my head is dead (or esti nekros...I think). Let me just say that I wish I were learning it in Italian so that I could have an excuse not to understand it. In all actuality, I am enjoying it though, and not only because it makes for a great penance. What I do understand (and some of it is coming quickly) really gets me excited, because I hope one day to be able to read a lot of the Greek New Testament, the original language it was written in. We can lose so much of what was said just because of the translation.

Anyways, I don't want to bore you with academics. I want to bore you with the stories of my life. So here it goes. Just a brief one, and then I will update again.

For now, I just want to touch on the beauty of Providence. No, I am not refering to the one city in Rhode Island that people have heard of--I am speaking about God's Divine Providence. Basically, God wants to be an active and intimate part of our daily lives, and He shows us this by arranging things in too-good-to-be-true ways. I have seen many of these lately. The one I really want to speak about is my trip 2 weeks ago with Fr. Jason (of the Diocese of Dallas) to San Giovanni Rotondo, the town where (now Saint) Padre Pio lived and moved and had his being. It was such a blessing to go there. We rented a car and, as if making it out there driving through Italian traffic weren't Providence enough, we managed to get put up in a hotel for free...yep, free. Gratis, as they say. The Franciscan Capucin brothers we were going to stay with didn't have any more room in their house, so they walked over to the hotel next door and got us a room. The Capucin Mafia...I mean Monks, hooked us up.

The next day, we were allowed into Saint Pio's private chapel, where he celebrated Mass for 2 years from 1931 to 1933, when he was not allowed to celebrate the Mass publicly. Fr. Jason celebrated Mass for the two of us there on that same altar. What a blessing!

The following day, as we were finishing breakfast and preparing to return home, we were blessed with one last treat: we met a personal friend of Saint Pio. He was finishing his breakfast as well, seated next to an Italian police officer. The reason? This man was not only a good personal friend of Padre Pio's; the Saint had also entrusted this man with his own crucifix that he prayed with for years. This monk, having been granted permission by the Vatican to do so, proceeded to bless Fr. Jason and me with Saint Padre Pio's crucifix. We were told that most people wait in line for a couple of hours to receive this blessing (the reason for the police officer)--we ran into him at breakfast. I'd say that proves Providence once again.

So, I guess we had a bit of an eventful weekend, you might say. I write all of this to say that if you really turn everything over to God, you will be amazed at how much He wants to bless your life. Most of us think that if we give Him everything, things will start to go horribly wrong--but they won't. They will go mildly wrong. No, seriously, if we entrust ourselves to God, He will ask us to carry our crosses, but He will make them a source of great blessings for us, Providing for our every need.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat [or drink], or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Your heavenly Father knows that you need [these things]. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself." - Matthew 6:25, 27, 32-34

May God bless you and give you His peace! I prayed for you all in Adoration in St. John Lateran, the Cathedral of Rome (and therefore the world) on the Feast of the Dedication of St. John Lateran! Praise Him!

What on Earth Are You Doing For Heaven's Sake?

Pax Christi vobiscum! Come Holy Spirit!

Ciaody from Roma! Well, I'm now into the 3rd week of class here in Rome, and it's amazing how much Italian you can forget over the weekend. I think I just hit an altopiano, which means plateau, but if you translate it directly, it means, "highfloor," which you could interpret to mean that I have been able to reach really high.... <*insert ceaseless affirmations from you here>. Aww, thanks. You're too kind.

Well, now that I'm feeling really inflated, to the message for today. Today was interesting: it was my first sick day. Yep, it all caught up to me today...I guess I really hit that highfloor. Which actually is part of my...

Top 10 Ways of Knowing I am Living in Rome:

10) Returning from a vacation...to Rome.
9) Getting sick and being able to spend the day in bed (where's Mom's soup when you need it?)
8) Having a mailing address in Italy....
7) Running through Rome for exercise, and not just because I'm late for a train.
6) Discovering that it's okay to be late for an Italian train.
5) Getting to know the Pope's schedule like the back of my hand.
4) Getting lost in Rome and not being lost in Rome (you figure it out, but it works).
3) Waking up in the morning to find I am where I went to sleep the night before.
2) The street vendors know me buy name.
1) The Pope calls me to find out his schedule.

The only two I haven't realized yet are numbers 2 and 1. But I'm sure they'll happen sooner or later (banking on later).

It was actually really nice to get the day to just relax in bed, even while being sick. I think God is trying to get me to realize that I need to stop living on my own strength and start living on His. Today really afforded me an opportunity to retreat from seminary life (which gets pretty busy), and to reflect and pray. So it was a blessing in disguise.

I also got to watch a documentary on my hero, Pope John Paul II. He really was an amazing man, and I'm convinced he's praying for us right now in heaven. I pray that I get to be here when he is beatified by the Church--what an event that will be!

But to the point: I was inspired again to watch how radically this man turned his life over to God, and look how God used him! He inspired millions...actually, billions! The world knew this man was a holy man, even if they disagreed with him. But JPII was not afraid to face contention, to fight against lies and darkness, or to bring people closer to Jesus Christ! In fact, he really wasn't afraid of anything! And those where his first words at the start of his pontificate: Be Not Afraid!!! So I encourage you all, be not afraid! Because "God is love," as we read in the first letter of St. John (and also as Pope Benedict's first encyclical reminds us), and "perfect love drives out fear" (1 John 4:16-18). And we have the strength for everything through Jesus Christ who empowers us (Philippians 4:13).

I address this next part specifically to any teens reading this right now: Do not be afraid to follow Christ, to give Him your dreams, your aspirations. He will give you more than you can imagine...and then some. I'm not saying you should be able to do this overnight--it takes time. But what I am asking you to do, challenging you to do is to say, "Lord God, show me how to give you everything." Or if that's a bit too hard (which is fine), say, "Lord God, show me how to want to give you everything (or even how to want to want)." Even if you do this much, you will be amazed at how God begins to work in your life. Trust me. The only reason I am here right now is because God gave me the people to encourage me to do the same. And I'm encouraging you now: Don't just rock the boat, get out of it--then you can walk on water.

Re-reading that now, that passage can also apply to the adult readers here. I'm telling you it is never to late to turn to God, giving Him everything we've got--He will only give us more.

May God bless you with His abundant grace and peace that are ours in Jesus Christ!

P.S. - Oh, and here is a link to the pictures from our beginning-o-the-year events (just click "events").
P.P.S. - Thank you, Fr. Tom, for the title.

Missionaries of Clarity

Pax Christi vobiscum! Come Holy Spirit!

Well, the first week of school is over, and if I didn't know any better, I'd say that all I heard this week was a lot of gibberish--not because the professors couldn't speak but because I couldn't understand Italian. It used to be that if I did not understand a concept in class it was because the concept itself was difficult, not the language. The professor, for all I know, could just be standing up there saying "Americans are a bunch of idiots," and I would be hunched over my notebook, sweating, rapidly jotting down what I thought I heard.

Okay, but in all reality, it went pretty well. I am actually learning the language quite a bit faster than I thought I would, which is encouraging. Sitting through 3-4 hours worth of Italian Theology, however, is enough to wear anyone out; in fact, by midday, I almost have to take a nap simply because my brain has been fried...in vinegar and oil of course.

But here I am on the first day (read as "week"...I was a little late on taking the pic) of school.

That one's for you, Mom. I thought you'd like it. And I'm wearing a uniform again (this one perhaps for life). It is really great, though, to don the clerics and head off to school--which is the ministry that we can offer at this point in our lives. Since we are not yet Priests, our studies become our ministry, and the material we learn will be nourishment for our future parishoners. And, as our academic dean at the NAC has reminded us, our desk is our altar where we offer our sacrifice. Quite a strong image. It really helps me to approach my studies with reverence for the task God has placed before me, and I'm happy to accept.

It has also been great to stop in the many beautiful Churches here after class and pray (you would too if you had to sit in Italian classes). In all seriousness, it is a real blessing to be able to spend some time in the classroom of Rome itself, where the Saints, their relics, and the Churches built in their memory instruct us in the Faith. I especially like Chiesa Nuova, where St. Philip Neri, the Apostle of Rome, rests. The Church itself is Baroque style architecture, kind of like a miniature St. Peter's (but then all Churches are miniature compared to St. Peter's). And fun fact: Chiesa Nuova means "New Church," which means that it was built 500 years ago....

But now I must take a moment to share with you a gift God granted me the other day as I ventured off to visit my first Apostolate. Some quick background: our first semester here, we do not actively serve in an Apostolate (i.e. Service Work, but for the Faith). Instead, we learn Italian and visit one of the many possible Apostolates (say that five times fast) to discern which one we will dedicate our time to in the coming years. I decided to visit the Missionaries of Charity, the order founded by Blessed (Mother) Teresa of Calcutta. God, knowing that I would do this from all eternity, had a little surprise in store for me.

Two quick facts: 1) I am still working on my Italian; 2) This trip gave me a chance to do so.

The place we went to is a soup-kitchen of sorts, and the part we worked on was focused on feeding the men of the streets of Rome. Well, one of the Sisters approached Greg and me, to ask if one of us would read the Gospel and then give a short reflection on it afterwards...you guessed it, in Italian. I don't know why (must have been the Spirit), but I volunteered, saying, "Provero" (which means, "I will try"). I then started to look over the Gospel and thought to myself, how am I going to do this? Immediately the words from Luke 12:11-12 came to mind: "...do not worry about ... what you are to say. For the holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say." I promptly said, "Come Holy Spirit," and started to get an idea.

Sister called me out, sooner that I would have liked, in front of the whole group of Italian men (50 plus), and I began. Sure enough, God pulled it off. I basically said, "Dio ci ama," which means God loves us and moved forward from there. What a gift that was! I got to proclaim God's Word and invite these men deeper in their own language. Afterwards, I was able to serve them and talk with them--a true joy. Praise the Lord for His many great gifts, and please pray for those men. They need help; but more than that, they need to know they are loved. That is the greatest poverty today: not knowing God's love. The beauty is: all we have to do is ask Him, and He will let us know it (...and we will receive).

That's enough for now. Please continue to pray for me, and again, know that I pray for all of you. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, pray for us!

Too Much to Say to Say Too Much

Pax Christi vobiscum! Come Holy Spirit!

Wow, so time has flown by, and so much has happened...too much to tell you about it now (sorry for the Teaser). But suffice it to say that God is alive and well. I'll give you a quick recap of the things that have happened, so you know, and then I hope to get a more substantial update soon. I wanted to make sure you got an update though.

Last week: Silent Retreat at the Palazzola, a.k.a. the English Villa, a.k.a. Heaven. It was a glorious week filled with so much grace that I wanted to shout out loud...which would have defeated the purpose. It was such a wonderful time, and I will get some pictures up soon. I also realized, while out there, that I should turn to the Stations of the Cross more often in my spiritual journey. We draw so much strength from the Cross of Christ. I also realized that life is short and that I need to be living for the next life. God is good!

This week: Deaconate Ordinations in St. Peter's Basilica, a.k.a. Heaven. After practicing with the choir here at the NAC, we actually received the great privilege of singing in St. Peter's Basilica, our voices resounding off of the towering marble walls--a perfect way to come off of a silent retreat. The Liturgy was glorious, and the 4th year men were ordained deacons. Please keep all 21 of them in your prayers, and thank the Lord for the service these men will offer the Church all over the United States.

This weekend: Le Cinque Terre, Italia, a.k.a. the Cinque Terra (had you fooled didn't I?). It was like Heaven on earth (there it is). Imagine five cliff-side villages lining the coast of the Mediterranean Sea (long sigh...go ahead). And the best part of the whole thing was God's providence through it all. Luke, Jeb, Rheo, and I all showed up ready to camp outside (in a random vineyard if need be). Unable to find a place to camp, we decided just to go to Mass on Friday night and then figure it out...but God was a few steps ahead of us (infinity to be exact). After Mass the Priest approached us and asked us, in Italian, where we were from. Letting him in on our story, he became extatic and offered us a place to stay at a Church in a neighboring town. Basically, we ended up with our own Hostel all to ourselves, complete with bathroom, kitchenette, dining area, and two bedrooms with three bunks each--all attached to a beautiful Church we attended on Sunday morning. God: the best travel agent.

Rheo and I returned earlier than Luke and Jeb, finding ourselves in different compartments of the train. I had the privilege then of speaking with a couple from L.A. and two Italians (in their own tongue). Once they discovered I was a seminarian in Rome (plug for the blog), a wonderful conversation ensued. God is so good! Please keep those four people in your prayers.

Well, that's it for my "quick" update. I hope that catches you up a bit, since I've been slacking in this area lately. Thank you for your prayers, and count on mine! God bless you all!

The End and the Beginning

Pax Christi vobiscum! Come Holy Spirit!

Well, it is hard to believe that we New Men have been here in Italia now for over 2 months. Time flies when you're having food, I suppose. Actually, at this pointI would just like to take a moment to stop and reflect on some things, some more serious than others. And this is a perfect time to do so, since we are finishing one phase of preparation, and moving into a more spiritual time before classes start.

First: I really enjoy Italian food, but more importantly, I enjoy the fact that eating is truly a social activity. People sit around the table and actually talk; in fact, there are no TVs looming overhead to distract one out of conversation, no matter how great of game may or may not be on. It was tough at first, but I've come to love it more now. I am simply able to focus on the people in front of me and come to know them better. Now, whether the people with me are enjoying coming to know me better is a different story....

Second: I have come to have a greater appreciation for the gift of life, just by simply stepping out into a cross-walk. Yes, the road is a great place of sanctification, because it quite literally scares the hell out of you. Whenever you step out into traffic, which you have to do or they just plain won't stop, you recognize the gift of life and the power of Divine Providence. It's also quite exhilarating.

Third: Having just finished our formal Italian studies, we have discovered some fun phrases:

- "basta pasta" = "enough pasta"

- "tutti i frutti" = "all the fruit"

- "molti tipi di cibi tipici" (NOTE: i's are pronounced "ee" and c's are pronounced "ch") = "many types of typical food"...and you have to admit, that's just plain fun to say; go ahead try it...seriously.

Fourth: The Three Most Important Italian words/phrases are, from least to most:

- "piano piano" = "slowly slowly" - One must have patience when learning Italian, and really with anything in life.

- "mangia" = "eat" - This one...should be quite obvious.

- "vino" = "drink of little memory that goes well with mangia-ing" - I am not endorsing anything here....

Fifth: The collar just seems to fit. Check it out for yourself (cue the MIB theme):

This is James, my DB, and myself, and, if we do say so, we make this look good. Heh. But honestly, it is both humbling and exciting to don the collar. And it's fun to see the looks I get walking around in one on the street. One story: when Fr. Rudy, our Vocations Director, was here, someone approached me asking if I could bless a crucifix for them.... Yeah, so I referred them to Fr. Rudy, because I can wave my hands over it, but I'd only be shooting blanks right now (not to mention the impediments I'd incur for pretending to be a Priest). Wearing the clerics, however, is like a discernment highway: people approach me like they can trust me, and that is a humbling experience. It helps me to realize very quickly that I need to get ready to be constantly at the service of others--it's not an easy call. But I thank God that I get a chance to both literally and figuratively try it all on right now, before I'm a Priest.

Well, please keep the New Men and the 4th year Men (soon to be Deacons) in your prayers for this next week. We are both going on retreats, and I guess they thought the New Men were too talkative; they're sending us on something called a, um...silent retreat? Yeah, that's right. Something like that. I guess the staff doesn't know me well enough...or maybe they do and think I need it. Heh. "But for God all things are possible" (Mt 19:26). I am really looking forward to it. I've never been on an 8 day silent retreat before, and how often do we really get a chance to spend that much time only with the Lord? So please keep us in prayer. We want to encounter the Lord and receive all that He has for us.

God bless you all! And I have prayed for all of you reading this at St. Peter's Basilica while in Adoration. (And I'm not just saying that to get more readers....) Pax Christi!

Once Upon a Tour

Pax Christi vobiscum! Come Holy Spirit!

Wow, today was something else. We got a break from everything today as today was Saturday (yes we do get to rest every so often). And this worked out perfectly as a friend from A&M, Mariel, and her sister were visiting Rome today. Once they got in, we were able to meet up and head over to Saint Peter's. It was good getting to catch up, and I got my first chance to give a tour of Saint Peter's Basilica.

I have to say, there's nothing quite like showing people around that makes you realize a place is your home. Unless you count having a mailing address, which I guess would be a pretty good tip-off. But it really hit me, I know this place more than I thought I did. Some of the things coming out of my mouth, I had not realized I picked up during my time here.

So, dressed in clerics, I got to show some friends of mine around the place I have now been living in for over a month. God decided to add another element into the mix, though.

On the way in, there were a couple of young women (one from Florence, the other from England), one of whom was unable to enter since her shoulders were not covered (they take dress code seriously here, praise God). Well this young woman randomly (read as providentially) asked Mariel for her sweater so she could enter. And Mariel, being a good Aggie grad, gladly offered it to her. So the tour of 3 became a tour of 5.

And they all seemed to really respond to the tour. It's a catechetical tour, meaning that it's meant to instruct on the faith, and some of the seminarians at the NAC give some of these tours. So I gave it an unofficial shot, and it worked out! Praise the Lord. And at the end of it, we closed in prayer!!! What a blessing, and completely the providence of God!

Please pray for those two young women, because I think they may have really seen the true Beauty of St. Peter's, behind all of the art and architecture, for the first time. I'm just glad I had been on the tour before, or it would have been a short tour....

Thank you again for all of your prayers and support. It is always nice to receive letters and emails from you all (note: I'm not shamelessly plugging for letters and emails...yet). But just so you know, your prayers are greatly felt. And I would ask that you pray for 21 men who will be ordained to the Transitional Deaconate in just 3 weeks time. Praise the Lord. God bless you all, and I prayed for you all in Saint Peter's today during my Holy Hour there!

The Word of the Day: Hope

Pax Christi vobiscum! Come Holy Spirit!

Okay, so I have been reading St. Maria Faustina's Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul, which is excellent, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to grow in their relationship with God. There is one section in particular that gave me great hope, and I just could not wait to post it; it could be just what someone needs to read.

"Let no soul, even the most miserable, fall prey to doubt; for, as long as one is alive, each one can become a great saint, so great is the power of God's grace. It remains only for us not to oppose God's action" (Notebook I, #283).

That's all we have to do: ask the Lord to give us His grace to pick back up and start again, even when the going gets tough. He wants to take us and make us more than we are. For while God loves us right where we are, He loves us too much to leave us there. And that gives me great hope. And that's the word.

Oh, and check the Castel Gandolfo post. There should be a pic there now.

God bless!

On the Way...

Pax Christi vobiscum!



I am sorry for the teaser, but I am only writing to say that another post is on the way. The good news is that our vocation director came in yesterday to see us...apparently the Diocese thought we already needed a check-up.


It has been great to have him here, and he has really taken care of us. It is nice to know that we have a home, even when we are away from home. Please pray for Fr. Rudy and for the Diocese of Dallas. There are some exciting things going on right now.


Also, I just wanted to share with you a reflection I had while we were in Assisi for our end-of-orientation retreat. While at Holy Mass at the hermitage of St. Francis, my mind wandered...not away from the Mass, but into it (had you fooled, didn't I?). The Priest was only using simple vessels for the bread and wine, soon to become the Body and Blood of Christ, when a thought hit me. These vessels were earthen vessels, but usually we use golden vessels. Why? Because, golden vessels help us to understand the true dignity of what happens within them: the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ, and, of course, the vessels that carry them should be precious, helping us to see this great truth.

Then it hit me: what is the ultimate destination of the Body and Blood of Christ? The golden vessels? I think you're catching my drift.... God desires to be in us. The golden vessels are only the road to us.

Now, with that in mind, what do the golden vessels say about us? In God's eyes, we are more precious than the finest gold, than anything this world holds valuable. God did not come to sit on a golden throne. God comes to us each day in the Eucharist to sit on the throne of our hearts, if we let Him. That's what He desires. He wants us to knock down whatever sits there now and let Him be Lord of our hearts, of our lives. Then we will find the true peace that comes only from God!

Look for another update soon. There's been a lot going on, and I am so thankful to be here right now. And I am also thankful to get to wear clerics regularly (yesterday was the first day to start doing this). It's definitely humbling, but it is confirming my call.

God bless you all!

Papal State of Mind

Pax Christi vobiscum! Come Holy Spirit!

Wow, it's been a while, and so much has happened in such a short time. There's a lot to cover, and I don't have a lot of time right now--so I'll just hit a couple of highlights. Believe you me, you won't be disappointed....unless you don't like hearing someone say, "believe you me."

On Saturday, August 25th, we were privileged to receive a tour of St. Peter's from one of our very own seminarians (they do let us off the leash every once in a while...). The tours given by these men are intended to be catechetical, and thus the information was quite inspiring--I really want to learn more about St. Peter's after this tour. We learned about the original basilica built on the vatican hill, about the necropolis that was there prior to the basilica (and even now, underneath it), about the statues of the Popes that line the walls of St. Peter's. So many of the things we heard you never get on a regular tour. And I loved that we didn't have to hear any secular speculations on how the incorrupt bodies of saints in the Basilica were actually being preserved by a wax that somehow keeps their skin from decomposing (I'm sure if this wax existed, the number of face-lifts would decline). Some people will honestly take greater leaps of faith to avoid believing the infinitely simpler explanation that God exists and that He shows this to us through miracles. Why is that so difficult? ...End rant.

Sunday, August 26th, as a class, we visited Castelgondolfo, the summer residence of Pope Benedict XVI. We went out to hear his Sunday Angelus address to the expectant crowds from many different nations. I was in eager anticipation prior to the address at noon: I have never seen this Pope in person before, as I had with Pope John Paul II in 2002 at World Youth Day Toronto. My anticipation increased due to the fact that JPII was the only Pope I had ever known prior to Benedict XVI. What was it going to be like to see a Pope other than John Paul the Great?

We were moved out of the general receiving area, a large courtyard, to wait as the rest of the crowd moved in. We had it made in the shade, both metaphorically and literally: we didn't have to worry about the heat, and when the crowd was all safely behind the barricades, they allowed us to assume our spot just in front of and off to the side of the barricades. It made for a close view of the balcony where the Pope would appear. And when he did, the air was electric.

I could just feel, in the air, the presence of God. The Pope, the successor of Peter, the first Pope, was standing there before us, robed in white, waving and smiling at all of us. I could tell, however, that unlike the celebrities whose fame makes them like gods, this man's fame came from a humility that is actually of God. He loved us from the balcony, and his words told us to seek after our salvation even though the path to heaven is a difficult one. That is true love: to tell us what we need to hear and not simply what we might want to hear. (And I could understand most of it, though he spoke Italian).

After praying the Angelus in Latin, he took the time to recognize the groups present, speaking to them in their native tongue. When he got to the English group, he recognized the "new seminarians of the North American College." Yes, he addressed us specifically. We then sang "Ad moltos annos vivas" to him (translating roughly to "Long may you live"), and he clapped for us, telling us afterwards, "I pray that your formative years in Rome may help you to grow in wisdom and pastoral charity." Yes, we got a specific prayer from the Pope. That's got to be like praying 100 times (so I'd have to sing 50 songs to get there myself).

After all of this excitement, we toured the gardens where he feeds the fish, and where he and Pope John Paul II (and I'm sure other Popes) have walked and prayed and written encyclicals and such. Following this, we had a wonderful meal and tried to take in what in the world just happened. Praise God for this opportunity! It is wonderful to be Roman Catholic!

Well, that's all I'm going to be able to get for now. I'm trying to get a video of the experience uploaded, but I keep running into problems. Don't worry, I'll get it posted somehow.

Oh, and now pictures won't work. I'll see what I can do to update this one later.

God bless you all, and you are in my prayers!

Pax Christi!

THE VIDEO!!! http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4625429804690221214&hl=en

This Tomb Rocks...

Pax Christi vobiscum! Come Holy Spirit!

Wow, okay, things have been a real rush lately, and I haven't done the best job keeping up with it all. I don't really have a lot of pictures for this segment here, and I'll have to catch you up on the end of the Verbania Trip.

So...Verbania ended on Wednesday the 22nd with a train ride back to Rome (everything between Monday of the last post and this Wednesday I will update you on subsequently; for now, I'm going to hit the last few days). Altogether, the trip was about 6 hours long; not too bad. And it was made better by what I call my final exam. After 4 weeks of Italian, I now had the chance to test my ability to say more in Italian than "How are you?" or "More gelato, please" or "Why is the train delayed again?"

I would have to say I passed. I had a discussion with 4 native Italians on the train, and I told them, in Italian, that I was a seminarian from Texas studying in Rome. I also found out that one of them lived in Rome while the other three lived just south of Rome in the equivalent of a suburb of Rome (senza SUV's, however). As we got further along in conversation, however, they asked me to pray for them, and we agreed to pray Hail Mary's or Ave o Maria's for each other. It was really something else. I also got to tell them a little of my vocation story (again, all in Italian...with help from them on many words). They seemed moved by the whole encounter, and so was I. The whole thing made me realize how much good we can do if we simply start a conversation with people and share with them our journey in the Faith. And people are aching to hear it.

After arriving back at the Seminary, I was privileged to serve at Mass. We then prepared for the first day of orientation...with vino....

Thursday, August 23rd: I awoke a bit startled that I was not back in Texas. Never before have I come back from a month long trip somewhere and not awoken at home. That being the case, I realized that this would continue to be an adjustment. I went downstairs as we prepared to welcome the other men just arriving for the first time from the States and Australia. As we waited we all caught up; as not all of us studied Italian in the same place, there were many stories to tell: some studied in Siena, others in Assisi, and the rest of us in Paradis...uh, Verbania, all with their own accounts of gelato, piaza concerts, and hiking expeditions...and learning Italian, yes.

Once they arrived, we all lined up and processed around to the "front" of the seminary, or at least what is properly the front, and would be if the Italians had finished building the main road to the seminary. As we processed around, we found the seminary faculty waiting on the main steps, applauding as we entered. We prayed daytime prayer together as a class in the Assumption Chapel (Chapel: Italian for "small basilica"). It was really an amazing way to start off our time here together, and we finished it with an American style brunch in the courtyard.

The afternoon allowed us the chance to walk around the city and view the Trevi Fountain, the Gregorian University (where I will be studying), the Roman Forum, and the gelateria (heaven in a cup...or cone). While walking, Fr. Tomasek mentioned that "Rome" used to mean "Civilization." It conquered most of the known world at the height of its power, civilizing the lands under it in the process. It is interesting to note God's ability to tell a story: the Church, the civilization par excellence, has superceded Rome, quite literally being built on Rome's ruins; however, what Rome conquered with the sword, the Church has conquered through the love of Christ, extending herself throughout the entire world. Che incredibile!

Oh, and I guess I should mention today's events...since they provide us with the title. You know, I guess it's worth talking about....

This morning, August 24th, in the year of our Lord 2007, I awoke early, and dressed quickly into clerics. That's right: I wore clerics for the first time today, and it was something else. All 52 of us New Men, in clerics, ventured over to St. Peter's Basilica this morning, where Msgr. Checcio, the Rector, celebrated Mass directly in front of St. Peter's Tomb. What a blessing!!! And his homilee was very moving: in 3 short years, we seminarians will be lying on the floor that was directly above us, in St. Peter's, laying down our lives to be ordained Deacons in the Church of our Lord. We will not be there saying, "I'm ready," or, "I'm worthy," but only, "Present." And that is all God needs, for His grace can do the rest.

As we left St. Peter's I spent some time in prayer in front of the tomb of Peter, the first Pope and Rock of the Church, and then I moved about 15 feet to the right to pray in front of the tomb of John Paul II, the most recent Pope. A great historical distance spanned in a few feet. We then walked out in front of St. Peter's, not altogether but in small groups. As we passed the Swiss guard, each group received a salute. That is correct, I was saluted! I guess I'm sort of a ranking officer as it were.... I'm going to wear clerics around here more often! We then posed for a group picture, and returned for colazione (breakfast).

The rest of the day was fairly relaxed after that; just some time for meeting the guys and getting to know the area. Oh, and I did Whoop as I introduced myself and bragged about the greatness that is Texas. Got to know your roots.

I am so thankful for my first days back in Rome and for the start to this journey. And just so you all know, I am continually humbled as I continue to get to know these men. All of them are gifted and have wonderful experiences, and, most importantly, they love God and want to serve Him in His Church. These are prayerful men, and the future of the Priesthood is a future full of hope! Praise the Lord!

Please keep me in prayer, and know that you are in mine! God bless!!!

Holy Rusted Metal, Batman!

Pax Christi vobiscum!!! Come Holy Spirit!

Well, here is another post, and I hope you enjoy it all. It's got a few more pictures than the others. I always did love pictures. Another post is on the way in the near future.

Wednesday, the 8th of August, il Museo di Pallanza. Venturing out into the nearby town of Pallanza, Corey, Matthew, our three teachers, and I all visited the the Museum of Art there. This region is known for its art...though I did not know that. The art especially covers the history of this region, depicting Pallanza and Intra in their earlier, less-developed stages. There were also several sculptures, and we discussed all of the art in Italian. That was no work of art, however.

I also wondered what Matthew had in his hands....
A portrait of the life of San Rocco, a Saint from this region. He was infected during the plague, and an Angel appeared to him, presenting a fountain (see picture); he washed in it, and, after being healed, went and preached to those affected by the pestilence.

It was an enjoyable trip all in all. Matt said he learned more Italian that day, because he spoke a lot of Italian (which really does help). He actually made some good observations about some of the pictures; I just can't remember them...come on, it's a new language.

Thursday, the sun rose and set. I used this day as a day to relax and study somewhat. Miracles do happen. (Despite my use of humor in this situation, this statement is true in real life.)

Friday, the 10th of August, siamo andati (we went) a Isola Bella! And this locale is true to its name: Isola Bella is Italian for "Island Beautiful, And Therefore Expensive to Tourists." One of the three Islands on Lago Maggiore, this Island holds the Majestic Palace of the Borromeo family (from whence comes Saint Carlo Borromeo).

There's a room in the Borromeo Palace where many people go to reflect....

The group that went to Isola Bella: From Left to Right: The back 6: Nick, Matt, Adam, James, Jason, Ray. Front: Brian, Bill, and myself.

Saturday, the 11th, began with morning Mass, a Holy Hour, and a trip with Bill (from Green Bay) to Moka Sirs, a local coffee shop. While at the Coffee shop, it hit me that we have a great need for leisure in our society back in the States. Yes, I have complained about the slower pace of life over here in Italia at times (especially when it results in a delayed train), but I am coming to see more and more the benefits of working to live, versus living to work. And true living flows from having leisure. This means not simply time to rest so that we can work again, but truly resting and reflecting on the abundance of blessings God has given us. ...I think all deep philosophical ponderings revolve around coffee.

Later that day, Mike (from New York, complete with accent), Bill, and I made a trip to Arona to see the Colosso di San Carlo Borromeo - standing 95 meters tall (over 100 feet) and placed on the top of a "hill" (Italian for mountain) this statue overlooks Arona and much of the lake, reminding the people nearby of St. Borromeo's roots in Arona and of their roots in the faith.

After getting off the bus, we began walking in the direction of the Statue, supposed to be in Arona. We asked for directions to what we thought would be an obvious landmark but was nowhere to be seen. A young woman at a cafe told Mike that we were heading the right direction and told us where it was. Everything sounded great.

The sign told us we were on the right track, and we had found the stairs the young woman told us about.

After about 200 yards of stairs, we arrived at the base of a hill. There we began to pray the Rosary as we walked, and we turned what we thought would be a tourist stop into a pilgrimage.

I promise, it's just over the next hill....

Bill reaching to the heights of Sainthood!

At last, we arrived, finished the Rosary, and visited the Church and the Statue. Here are some pictures from our climb, yes climb, inside the Statue. The Italian word for the "stairs" inside the statue, la scala, actually translates more readily to "ladder," or, alternatively, "precipitous climb resulting in great view or unfortunate death." No it wasn't that bad. Just check the pictures.

You really get to see the world through the eyes of Saint Borromeo.

From the Terrace of the Statue. Yes... I think... yes, it is a New Yorker!

Sunday, the 12th, a day of rest. In the evening, however, I enjoyed a trip to O'Connors, an American-styled, Irish restaurant with some decent hamburgers. We New Men all went out with Don Cristoforo, the new Polish Priest (replacing Don Mariusz in a parish just North of us), and enjoyed an evening of fun, burgers, conversation in Italian, and gelato. These Polish Priests are great too. Praise God for their Priesthood!

And today, the 13th, a morning of difficult study with an afternoon to relax the ole noggin. Praise God for the time here, and thanks for checking up on the seminarians over seas. Ciao, and God bless!!!

A Series of Fortunate Events: Part Tre (Forgetting How to Speak English)

Pax Christi Vobiscum!

Here is the third in the three part installment of A Series of Fortunate Events. A more substantive update is coming, but I wanted to make sure we're all caught up. This part covers every major event from August 1st to today. Enjoy!

Thursday, the 2nd of August: Ate, learned Italian, prayed, ate, prayed, and slept...the essentials.

Friday, the 3rd of August, James, Bill, and I went to the Botanical Gardens, Villa Taranto. We thought we'd take a break from learning Italian to go see what this region is known for: it's flowers. Tourists flock from all over to see these flowers in the height of their season. ...Our first clue was that there were no tourists other than ourselves; ergo, there were no flowers. That's not entirely true: there were flowers, and we frolick...erhhm, I mean walked about amongst them. You can see the activity below:

Another Dallas DB picture (best Diocese in Texas...nay, the world...erhmm, other than Rome).


Hands down most beautiful Putt-Putt course I've ever seen....

As you can see, we really got a taste of the gardens.

Saturday, the 4th, Jason, Brian, Bill, and I went to Milano (a.k.a. Milan), which is just a quick one and a half hour train ride away...if you're not on an Italian train. Then it's a quick 2 hour becoming 2.5 hour train ride with the random stops for no reason. Luckily, that's not always the case...at least they're inconsistent. Uno scherzo (a joke). But seriously, Milan was gorgeous and the Cathedral grand. Apparently, it took over 400 years to build the Cathedral, from whence Italians derived their expression for something lasting forever: "like building a Cathedral." Seriously. At least, according to Rick Steves. We also got to see the remains of San Carlo Borromeo, kept in the Cathedral. See the view below:

Statue of St. Bartholomew - One of the original 12 Apostles, he was skinned alive because he would not renounce the faith. This statue shows the skinned Bartholomew with his own skin wrapped around him.

Before we left, we descended beneath the Cathedral to see the ruins of what was once the Baptistry where historians believe St. Augustine was baptized by St. Ambrose. All-in-all an amazing trip. What a blessing to be able to pray at these places as well!

Sunday, the 5th, a group of us all went to Stresa by ferry to walk around and enjoy the shops and street performers and such. This was simply a nice way to unwind after a busy weekend, and week of class as well. The Church there was gorgeous (the same one we went to on August 1st with our teachers). And it was a good chance to continue to get to know my seminarian brethren.

Hotel Astoria, one of the many luxurious hotels on the lakefront in Stresa (this one's for you, Patrick).The view from Stresa.

What? I couldn't let that fountain show me up.

And yesterday, the 6th was pretty low-key. I was quite productive, however, with practicing guitar (I'm now able to play Twinkle-Twinkle Little Star, and the ABC Song...yes, they are the same tune), practicing Italian (I'm now able to sing, in Italian, Twinkle...), and with getting a nap and a run in. In all seriousness, I also had a good Holy Hour and have been able to turn more and more of my time here and myself over to God. It's not easy, but I am letting go a little more easily each day. But I don't know why it's so hard...I mean, He loves us perfectly.


Well, that's it for this update, but expect another good look into the lives of us seminarians soon (scary I know). God bless!!!

A Series of Fortunate Events, Part Due (Getting Lost in Adventure)

Pax Christi vobiscum!


Okay, so I've got a lot to catch you all up on. What is it, Tuesday already? I tell you, the days have just flown by after the first week. I've got to stop and continue to thank God for this opportunity, and not just let it disappear.

I'm going to be very methodical about this one, and I'll try to hit the highlights of the first part of the last week and a half. The next section will have the recent activity. So, here goes nothing.

Last Sunday, the 29th of July, Ray, James, Bill, Corey, and I went to Svizzera through Domodossola. It was a wonderful trip through the mountains and woods in a little train. When we arrived in Svizzera (Switzerland), we walked around a bit, and I saw a McDonalds (they are everywhere...do they use Swiss Cheese with their cheeseburgers?). We ended up taking a funicolare up the mountain to La Chiesa della Madonna del Sasso. Che bellisima! See the pics below:



Above and Below: Madonna del Sasso, and the view from Madonna del Sasso (they also have Stations of the Cross on the road up to the Chiesa. You can walk it if you don't take the funicolare.)Me and James, my DB (Diocesan Brother)...oh, and I promise we were happy to be there; I think we were caught off guard.

Monday, the 30th of July, I went on two trips: one up the mountain, and another to Malpensa Airport (Mal, Italian for "bad" and Pensa Italian for "thought"...it's not a popular airport). The first adventure was a journey up the mountain with Jimmy and Nick--to get to the top, one must jump into a the equivalent of a moving garbage can, seen below.


After getting to know Oscar the Grouch quite well, I got out of the funivia and beheld the majestic view at the top. It was quite amazing, for it was a windy day, which kept the air clean of smog, improving visibility. We climbed the rest of the way up the mountain to see the entire view of Lombardia and beyond. It was a spectacular view and an amazing place to do Daytime Prayer (from the Liturgy of the Hours, or, La Preghiera delle Ore). In all seriousness, I can see why Christ went up the mountain to pray--you get a God's-eye-view of the world: everything that seems big down below becomes miniscule from above, and it is easier to focus on God. If you ever get the chance to hike in the mountains, I highly encourage it. And pray while you're up there--no better way to hike.

Oh, and there was a ramp that launched off the side of the mountain...no rail guard, nothing. Just an all-access platform for hang-gliders...or 3 year-olds with no adult supervision; this kind of thing would never fly in the States (pardon the pun).

Later that evening, I went for a ride with Don Mariusz and Jimmy to the Malpensa Airport to pick up a friend of Don Mariusz', another Priest from Pologna (Italian for Poland). It was quite an adventure (meaning we got lost on the way back). But it was at that moment that the sense of adventure really hit me: 3 weeks ago, I would have never imagined that I would be in a car with a seminarian from Alabama, and two Priests from Poland, all of us speaking Italian about how we were lost. When does that ever happen??? I could never have expected it, and yet there it was. What a gift from God to be here right now!

Tuesday, the 31st of July, the big event was an evening out at the Costello Ristorante with our teachers. We ate well, spoke in Italian, and had a good time all around. I even joked around in Italian. Quite a good time.


And the post from Wednesday, August 1st, starts where this one ends. This catches us up to my last post. Check the next post for the major happenings of the last half-a-week or so. Thank you again for stopping in. I really appreciate all of the support, and I pray for all of you who read the blog. Dio ti benedica! Ciao!

P.S. - Here is a picture of my neighbor across from the hotel. Apparently "The Thing" of Marvel Comics fame lives in Verbania.

A Series of Fortunate Events: Part I

Pax Christi vobiscum!


Ciao-dy! This is your Texan Seminarian reporting from Verbania, Italy. I hope and pray that all of y'all are doing well and growing in your faith.


Well, there is a lot to catch up on...so much has happened, which is why I have titled the next string of posts A Series of Fortunate Events. I should have updated a little each night, but things get busy. So here is my alternative: I will post a little bit over the coming days concerning the last weeks adventures in the hopes of catching everyone up. So that I do not get too far behind, however, I will begin with the present.


Today, I awoke after a night of fun, food, conversation in Italian, and vino. After morning prayer, I went downstairs for Italian lessons, which went pretty well. We worked on the Simple Past Tense and the Imperfect, but the way I was speaking, it was all imperfect (wah wah). But in all truth, I had a couple of breakthroughs in Italian today. You’ll see them as they come up.


After lunch and a quick nap, Adam, Nick, and I all went over to our tutor’s home. She and one of our other tutors had invited us over in the afternoon to see her home and practice our Italian. You can see the home below:



As you can tell, it is a modest home with absolutely no view. It is difficult to study in such an environment. To make things easier for us, Giuse (Italian for Josey), whose home we were at made us a torta or cake and served it up with coffee and conversation. You can see our two teachers below (Giuse alla sinistra and Monica all destra…the right):


Here was where I had my first breakthrough. I was listening to a lot of the Italian, and we were all having a good time, and I commented on a funny situation in Italian. I actually made a joke (a feat in itself) in Italian! Giussi said that I must be getting pretty good at the language if I’m joking in it. Praise God!


Another wonderful situation occurred near the end of our torta. Giuse was testing our knowledge of Italian by asking what a washing machine was called. We replied, “Lavatrice,” (pronounced la-va-TREE-chay). She then asked what a dish-washer is called, to which Nick promptly responded, “Mom.” We all got a kick out of that, and Nick got a couple of punches too. Giuse and Monica both called us maschilisti (I.e. chauvinists) and lamented our sick sense of humor. The laughter died down a couple seconds later…. They then proceeded to pick up our dishes and take them to the kitchen to clean them for us.


We then ventured out into the town, Stresa (STRAY-zuh). It is a quaint old town with some beautiful old Churches, which I would like to helicopter back to the States. We saw the tomb of soon to be Blessed Antonio Rosimini (his beatification will be held in August). He was apparently quite the philosopher, comparable to JP II for his focus on the dignity of the human person. What a blessing to be able to pray in that Church!

In front of the Church where Rosmini rests (Dalla Sinistra alla Destra: Monica, Giuse, Adam, and Nick)

We hopped a ferry back to Intra, the town we stay in within the region of Verbania. I relaxed a bit and prayed a Divine Mercy Chaplet. It was such a wonderful way to wind down.

After La Santa Messa at 7:00 p.m., we all went to dinner, where I had another Italian breakthrough. For dessert, we have the option of frutta or gelato. I chose frutta, and the waitress brought out an apple, which in Italian is a mela, the plural being mele. Upon receiving the apple, I, being polite, wanted to “thank her a thousand” by saying grazie mille. Instead, I said, “Grazie mele.” as I received the apple. I got quite a kick out of that…let me emphasize: I got a kick out of that…and no one else. But it does show that I am learning Italian if I can make puns with it!

Well, that’s about it for the day. I had Holy Hour after dinner, and it is really a blessing to have a Tabernacle right here in the Hotel. Praise God! Now I’m just ready to get some sleep. Praise the Lord for a wonderful day. God bless, and please keep me in your prayers. Know that you all are in mine! Dio ti benedica!

Io Parlo Italiano!

Pax Christi vobiscum!

Well, I went to the store today to buy a scale, not because I needed one but because my other scale broke already. That's right, I've been eating like an Italian over here...and apparently not walking like one. I don't know how they eat this much! Or at least eat this much pasta. It's served as a first course (or primo piatto) with both lunch and dinner. I mean, I'm grateful, but my belts are not.

On another note: Io parlo italiano, e io ascolto italiano anche!

Translation: I speak Italian, and I listen Italian too! Okay, so maybe I don't quite get it yet. Maybe I could just blame it on something being lost in translation....

Well, things have been going really well. I've been getting to know the guys here better, and these are some amazing guys. The future of the Church is in good hands. Just wait, in 10, maybe 15 years, you will see the bomb of vision and passion that's going to explode back in the U.S, and people will definitely get hit with holy shrapnel. In all seriousness, there are some great things going on here, and God is behind it. Praise Him!

The reason I say that is that Jim and Bill and I all sat around in a cafe after morning Mass and Holy Hour. We talked about the Church and vision for the future of the Church. Truly inspiring! These guys want our parishes to be true centers of a culture of faith, where people can come to be nourished in the Lord in the Sacraments and then share that faith with others. There's more than that, but then, I'll let you see it for yourself in about 15 years.

Just a quick update for now. But I'll publish something more soon. God bless!

Don't get any Verbania on ya.

Pax Christi Vobiscum!

Ciao! Adesso, io sono in Verbania! Which, for most of you, means something about being "in Verbania." Which is great! Because you're now undertanding Italiano! Well, just a quick update for you, since it's late, and I have to learn more Italian tomorrow.

The basic breakdown of our time here thus far:

We arrived here on Sunday in the late evening, ready to eat. Conveniently enough, because, being in Italia, they are always ready to feed us. It's a cultural thing...and I don't mind. We are staying in a hotel named Il Chiostro. It's a nice little Catholic hotel, with crucifixes on the walls in some spots (or at least crosses), and there is a Chapel where we have Mass or La Santa Messa. It is celebrated in Italiano.

The next day we began Italiano in earnest. I began instruction in Italian at 9:00 a.m., but we met up at 8:45 to introduce ourselves, which consisted of the ensegnante or teacher making a bunch of noise. I later realized that she was saying real words, at which point I discovered that the lessons (le lezione) had already begun. And of course, la mia ensegnante (my instructor) e una donna bella (is a lovely young woman); I guess they want to make sure we're always discerning.

It was great though. We walked around the town and went to various shops. My teacher and I, along with another student-teacher pair (it's one-to-one tutoring for two sessions of 1.5 hours each, a different tutor for each session) walked around the town together. Our teachers decided to gossip about other students of theirs, and then to legitimize their conversation, they tested Adam and I over what they had been saying. It was a lot of fun though, and we got gelato (Italian for "cup of goodness") out of the deal.

And then today, Don Mario, or Fr. Mario, who is here from Poland studying Italiano, took a few of us to the "beach," or at least it will be a beach someday, when time, friction, and erosion have turned the many large rocks into much smaller rocks, or sand. The view was okay, I guess. You can see what I'm having to put up with below (il panorama, dalla sinistra alla destra...the view, from left to right):

That's supposed to be a smile...not a yawn.

So that's kind of it for now. I have a lot to learn in a short time, but I am honestly very happy to have such a wonderful opportunity. I thank God for the chance to learn from another people and to learn how to communicate with them. There is nothing better than learning how to reach people where they are, and I pray that through this opportunity, I can share my experiences and my faith with others from different countries. Praise God!

Thank you again for stopping in to "see me." I hope you will email me every once and again. Know that I miss you all, and David, if you start a blog, I will check in on you as well. God bless, and may the Peace of Christ be with you all!!!