"I'm not done yet..."

I can remember a time when I was watching a small child draw a picture. Each time I thought the child was done with the picture I would make a comment about it or compliment him on it only to hear him say, “I’m not done yet!” Truth be told, I was getting impatient because I had no idea what the end result was supposed to look like and to be honest, the improvements that were being made certainly didn’t seem to add anything to the picture’s intelligibility or aesthetic quality. Once the project was finally declared to be done, I looked at it, smiled and said, “wow, that’s really good….what is it?” The young boy was disappointed that I could not tell what it was and then explained the picture to me. The picture was then posted on the inside of my locker at work.

When I moved from a locker to a desk, a different type of art decked my walls. I took up digital photography as a hobby and loved to take pictures of landscapes, cityscapes, etc. just about anything that did not have a person in it was fair game. The pictures that I thought were the best were printed out in 8” x 10” format and put into a simple black frame. The picture was then hung on the wall both for others and me to admire. To me, displaying the pictures was not just showing off my artistic eye (part of it was) but instead it was a statement of what I thought was beautiful. I loved to capture the many colors and details of nature because it is God’s creation and nothing can really top it. Each picture captures the moment precisely and freezes it so that it can be admired. It fits nicely into a frame and easy to consider it complete or perfect (having been done or made to fulfillment).

It is interesting then to consider what each of us considers beautiful. There are those of us like me who like to look at the finished product and capture it in a frame. Others are willing to patiently wait until the young artist is done with his drawing and then exudes great excitement and joy at the marvelous creation. On the one hand, we appreciate the final product and on the other, we appreciate not only the process by which the drawing is made but also our love for the artist. It is this love for the artist that allows a parent to proudly display some of the most hideous looking markings to ever hit paper on the walls of their office or refrigerator.

By now, you probably know where I am going with this inadequate metaphor. Just in case you don’t, let me share with you a few verses from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians:

And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the extent of the full stature of Christ, so that we may no longer be infants, tossed by waves and swept along by every wind of teaching arising from human trickery, from their cunning in the interests of deceitful scheming. Rather, living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, with the proper function of each part, brings about the body’s growth and builds itself up in love. (Eph 4:11-16)

I share this verse because it talks about the formation that each of us must go through in order to be further conformed to the image of Christ. We were together in building up this image. In order for the body to mature, each part of the body must also grown and mature. We do not grow without direction, but we grow “in him who is the head, Christ.”

The growing process is not easy (not unique to seminary). Many of us find an excuse not to do it. We want the growing process to be over as soon as possible because we want to display the framed image of the final (and thus perfected) product. We fail to see how each new addition, subtraction, modification adds to the completion of the final image. We become impatient. We want to see the final image and to know what it looks like. We want to know how close the artist is to being done. We resist any further growth because we want to be the fulfillment of that image that he is asking us to be and we want to be it now. Well, at least I do. Instead I think we need to patiently here the Lord when he tells us, “I’m not done yet. Wait until you see what I intend the image to look like. Just trust me. Be the clay in my hands as I mold you into who I want you to be.” And when the picture is done (whenever that may be) or even as it is a work in progress, we can rest assured that God looks on the image of who we are with the loving eyes of a proud Father as it declares it to be “good. It is very good.”

Forgive the rambling. It’s not meant to be that deep of a reflection. The message is really quite simple. Let us be patient with the Lord as he forms us and those around us so that we may be a strong unified body.

Be assured of my prayers.

Pax Tecum,
Tom

Oppportunity Knocks...

As the Infirmarian (I just noticed that this word is one space away from being Infirm Arian, hah!) for the seminary, I often have people call or stop by my room when they are not feeling well. Normally the symptoms are not that significant and I can get them some antacids, cough drops, or other over the counter medication. I have some supplies for minor first aid and things of that sort.

However, sometimes my brother seminarians will have illnesses that require more attention. Since we live in community, we must be careful when one of us is sick not to spread the virus around the house. Just last week we had two guys down with the flu (medically confirmed cases) and one with another illness that kept him in his room. When this happens, as the Infirmarian, I am responsible for taking the guys their meals, arranging for priests to bring the Eucharist, contacting the seminarian’s teachers, and basically doing anything else I can do to keep them in the room.

Last week I realized some of the psychological effects of locking a guy up in his room for a week. We moved them into the suites that we normally allow our guests to stay in so that they would have a private bathroom, a television, and an overall more comfortable environment. Despite these comforts the guys got quite restless and somewhat agitated. I realized that each time that I came to their room I was not bringing anything that would make their illness go away. I did not have a magic wand that would clear up their symptoms. However, I realized that my presence alone was somewhat comforting. For a week, I was pretty much one of two faces that they would see (the other being a member of the faculty). Often times the only thing that I could bring to them was a meal (usually lukewarm and not what they were looking for), a message from a teacher about a test or assignment (definitely not what they were looking for), bad news in that they were going to be quarantined for yet another day, and a smile. I made a point of trying to smile and bring a sense of humor to the situation. Laughter is the best medicine and, for a second, it takes our minds off the current situation.

I must admit that as the week progressed, it was more and more difficult for me to bring that smile. My efforts at times felt underappreciated. At times I thought that people were taking advantage of me. I was irritated. I was busy. I was in the midst (and still am) of my midterms and had my own obligations on top of caring for others. I was not getting enough sleep. I was constantly bombarded with questions from other seminarians about the condition of those who were sick. My phone did not stop ringing and people were constantly making requests for my time. By Friday, I was glad that all of the people who were sick had gotten better and were either at home or back among the community. We had a free three day weekend so a lot of people went home. I took the time to get caught up on my studies as I had fallen behind from all of the extra activity during the week. The end result is that Sunday night I was exhausted and felt like I needed a break.

I went to bed Sunday night around 9:45pm which is about when I normally went to bed. I heard someone knock on my door at 10pm. I had just fallen asleep and was really tired. I made the decision not to open the door. Whatever the person wanted, it could wait. If it was a real emergency they would knock again or call me on the phone. I couldn’t help but feel a little guilty the next day knowing that I chose sleep over answering the door. Monday night I did something that I have only done one other time while in seminary. I put a sign on my door that said “Do Not Disturb.” I went to bed at 9pm and tried to get a good night’s sleep. When I woke up in the morning at 5:15am I went down the hall to take a shower. Upon returning to my room, I took the sign off of the door. A few minutes after taking the sign off the door, I heard a knock on my door. I remember thinking to myself, “Really? I haven’t even had a chance to get dressed yet.” I put on my robe and answered the door. It was an unexpected request this morning but not something that took any sort of effort. Instead of spending my normal twenty minutes checking the news on the internet, I helped this person and then went to the chapel.

It is days like these that God always manages to speak to me loud and clear in Scripture during Morning Prayer and Mass. In today’s gospel we heard Jesus say to his disciples, “Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who wait their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at tables and proceed to wait on them. And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants.” (Lk 12:35-38).

I am not praising myself for the times that I answered the door to whoever was knocking. I am not praising myself for the many good things that I did for my brothers last week while they were sick. I am not praising myself at all. Instead, I find myself this morning wondering what opportunities I have missed out on to love Jesus by not getting out of bed (both literally and metaphorically) to answer the knock at the door. How many opportunities to love Him did I miss by putting a “Do Not Disturb” sign on my door? How many times have I missed those he sent to me because they did not come on my time table or when I decided it was convenient?

I imagine that as a priest (God-willing) there will be many times where people ask me for my help even when I think that I do not have what they need to be healed. Sometimes people just need someone to care for them. Sometimes people just need someone to listen or to smile at them. Sometimes people just want to know that they are not alone. They do not always knock at your door at the most convenient times, but will you answer the door? I will leave you with one last thing to consider.

“”Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up.” Gal 6:9

Pax Tecum,
Tom

Why am I doing this?

There have been plenty of times in my brief time in seminary that I have asked myself this question. Sometimes it is difficult to see how my activity is directed towards any sort of end or goal (this is of course not a problem if you deny we are a teleological people). The most recent example of this came this past weekend as I spent three hours in the rectory of my home parish studying Ancient Greek Philosophy in preparation for writing a five page paper (which is extremely short in length). Admittedly I am not the most efficient studier and tend to do much more work than necessary. This often leads me to get frustrated and ask myself again, “why am I doing this [studying, seminary, etc].”

I ask myself this question most often when I am tired, stressed, worried, frustrated, struggling, or suffering in some way. For some reason, my struggling, suffering, etc., does not seem to be necessary in achieving my goal. As a means to avoid putting myself in a situation where the question may loom over me like a dark cloud, I try to get to bed earlier, take more time to relax, go for a walk, and perhaps the most effective of all, I spend time in front of the tabernacle talking to God about it all.

God’s answers are rarely given on my time table or in the manner in which I look for them, but when they do come, they are quite clear. Recently God has reminded me several times why I am in seminary and doing all the things that goes along with it. Last week I had the opportunity to work with a good friend who is a Director of Youth Ministry here in Irving. We put on a skit for the teens that we had previously done in College Station. The skit was well received and I was able to talk with the teens about the gift of Faith and our act of Faith as a response to that gift. The talk went well and I could tell that the words were not my own but were also born of the many past experiences when I was probably asking myself, “why am I doing this?” It was a great night and very consoling to feel that God may have used me to bring about some good in someone else’s life.

God also answers my questions every time I am able to come home and spend time in my parish community. I love being in any parish, but especially my parish in College Station. I love that people are willing to share their joys, struggles, questions, doubts, convictions, hopes, and dreams with me. I love that people are willing to share their lives with me in that way. I love being able to walk around and visit with the many different families and ask how things are going. I love being able to serve Mass with those same people and to see the expression of God’s love both on the altar and in the pews. I love being able to spend time with my best friend and watch him play with his little girl. I love the many ways in which God gives us the gift of his love.

Now please don’t think that I have turned into some overly optimistic warm and fuzzy do-gooder (said with a smile). We all know that while the birds may be singing outside my room this morning, if they stay too long I will show them where the St. Francis bird bath is far away from my room and out of earshot. I simply want to share with you all that for every time that I have asked myself the question that I have chosen for the title of this post, God uses all of you and the people around me to give an answer. For that, whether your response is intended or not, I say thank you.

Pax Tecum,
Tom

P.S. Just as a side note, you know you are old when the challenge becomes not how late can you stay up but how early can you go to bed. Last night, I won!

Litany of Pleasant Surprises

As I write this blog entry, I am sitting in my room at Holy Trinity Seminary in Irving, TX preparing to start my second year of seminary. I have been here at the seminary for about five days getting settled, attending meetings, and completing incessant amounts of paperwork. Classes start in the morning so tonight will undoubtedly be an early night.

However, before I turn in I thought that I might post a few thoughts that I have had over the past few weeks. After my time in College Station in early August, I traveled to Temple, TX to visit Fr. Ramiro Tarazona at his parish. Fr. Ramiro and I became friends while he was working at my home parish in College Station for two years. He is only ten days older than me and we like to tease each other like brothers even though I call him, “Father.”

After visiting with Fr. Ramiro, I made the short trip across town to Cedarbrake Retreat Center for the annual Seminarian Convocation. This year certainly had a different feel to it than last year. As we were welcoming our new Vocations Director, we were saying goodbye to our beloved Bishop Aymond. We were fortunate to have Archbishop Aymond with us for the entire three days and got to celebrate his last Mass as Bishop of Austin with him. It was difficult for me personally to say goodbye to him as he has had a profound impact on my life, not only as a Bishop, but as a spiritual father and I dare say, a friend.

Once the convocation was over I headed to Hutto where I stayed the night with family before leaving for Corpus Christi the next day. I spent several days with a priest-friend in Banquete, TX, where I was able to read, sleep, and pray in peace. It was a spiritually rewarding time and may become an annual tradition. I then returned back to College Station where I spent nine days with friends and family before heading back to seminary.

I must admit that my head was spinning the first few days that I was back at seminary. It seemed as though I had not left and that summer flew by. I immediately encountered some of the challenges that come with community life, but I also discovered a litany of pleasant surprises. I will list some of them for you here:

- 46 Seminarians from 9 dioceses (welcome Beaumont and Corpus Christi)
- Completely remodeled Refectory (dining hall)
- Remodeled entryway near the Chapel
- Remodeled Student Lounge
- New Faculty members
- New Kitchen Staff (the food is superb right now!)
- Two of the freshmen are talented Jazz musicians. Three of us were sitting in the upstairs TV lounge when we heard them playing and went in search of the source. We were pleasantly surprised to find them jamming out in the music room.
- One of the Pre-Theologians is a talented organist. Again, I was drawn by the music I heard coming from the Chapel and walked in to find Kris from the Diocese of Victoria playing the organ. Many people will remember him from playing the organ at St. Mary’s and St. Thomas Aquinas. He sits next to me in chapel and it is nice to have a familiar face around. Of course, it would be nicer to see some more faces from St. Thomas Aquinas (hint…hint).
- As of right now, I have Tuesdays and Thursdays off from classes although I will have the occasional appointment on those days. It should give me plenty of time to exercise, pray, study, etc.

There are other pleasant changes but I will save them for another time. I am about to go do one of my new favorite daily rituals and that is to take a walk after dinner. I try to invite a different seminarian each time and it gives me a chance to talk with them. I will then return to my room and try to be in bed by 9:30PM or 10:00PM. The alarm goes off at 5:15AM for a full day of class. This year I am taking: Systematic Theology I, Ancient Philosophy, Early Modern Philosophy, and Philosophy of God. I am also taking a Philosophy of Catholic Ethics class correspondence that will require me to travel to Austin 7 or 8 times throughout the year.

I hope that all of you are in good health and good spirits. Feel free to leave comments, questions you would like answered, prayer requests, etc. All of you remain in my prayers daily.

Pax Tecum,
Tom

On the Road Again...

There are plenty of spiritual reflections and meditations that I could make about the Mass readings and different experiences over the course of the next week, but I think I will save those for another time. As I write this I am sitting at the kitchen table of my family in College Station waiting for several things before I can head out on the next leg of this journey. The laundry is almost done and hopefully the car will be fixed by the end of business today (more on that later). It is nice though to take a few moments and remember the events of this past week. Please indulge me as I would like to share them with you.

I left Our Lady of Guadalupe in Austin last Monday, August 3rd. I had lunch with the staff in the rectory and it was difficult to say goodbye to them. I was only at the parish for ten weeks but I developed some really strong bonds with both the staff and the people of the community. My Spanish is almost tolerable and I learned a lot. I look forward to becoming fluent prior to ordination so that I can better serve the local church.

I was happy to arrive in College Station but was physically and mentally exhausted. I went to bed by nine and slept through the night (a rarity for me these days). On Tuesday, I went to Mass at my home parish, breakfast with the Pastor, lunch with the Associate Pastor and just relaxed for the day. It was certainly nice to be back in College Station around friends and family.

Wednesday was a pretty big day for me. My home parish was hosting a Mass of Thanksgiving and Farewell for Archbishop Gregory Aymond who will soon be installed as the 14th Archbishop of New Orleans. Two of my brother seminarians from Austin came into town to serve at the Mass and hang out with me. Even though it had only been a few days since I had last seen them I was overjoyed to welcome them to my “home.” The day was busy with rehearsals and last minute preparations. I was pretty stressed out leading up to the Mass but once the Mass began the stress melted away. I did not want the Mass to end. It was such a beautiful experience.

After the Mass we joined the Archbishop in the Parish Activity Center for the reception. I enjoyed catching up with many of my friends and parishioners that I had not seen for several months. I was happy to introduce my seminarian brothers to my parish family. I was happy to watch hundreds of people line up to greet, to thank, and to say farewell to Archbishop Aymond. We were able to take a few pictures with him and that was great. Afterwards, a few priests and seminarians were able to spend some quiet time talking casually with the Archbishop. For many of us, Archbishop Aymond is a friend, a brother, a father, and an amazing example of what it means to be a priest of the Church. I have included a few of the pictures here.

I teased a few people that the Mass for Archbishop Aymond was actually the vigil Mass for my birthday which was on Thursday. I was happy to spend the day with my brother seminarians as well as my friends and family here in College Station. It means a lot to me that people would take the time to come spend some time (even if just for dinner) to help me celebrate the day.

Over the next few days I got to have lunch and dinner with various friends. It was nice to catch up, hear about their lives, and share a portion of my life with them. I look forward to visiting with everyone when I come home but always feel guilty that I do not get to see everyone. I spent the rest of the weekend in the parish. I served at all the Masses and got to have some great conversations with parishioners. I am always overwhelmed by parishioners’ generosity and support of me in my discernment. I relished the opportunity to have some quiet time in the adoration chapel. One of my favorite things to do when I am home is to sit in the nave of the church starting at about 4pm on Sunday and pray while the youth band is warming up. We have a great crucifix in our sanctuary and it really lends itself to meditation as I sit there and gaze at it. To be honest with you, it is not always so easy to recollect and to pray so I enjoy these opportunities when they come.

I cannot fully describe every feeling that I had while in town this past week. I will say that there is no other place where I hear the call to priestly ministry than when I am here in College Station. It has nothing to do with the specific places or really even the people. It has everything to do with being able to build relationships with people where they allow you to share the crosses and the joys of their life and then take those things to God in prayer. I have come to realize that there is nothing I can do for someone more useful than taking their intentions to prayer and asking God to bless them and to comfort them. For the longest time that just didn’t seem like enough to me. I wanted to do more! Until I can absolve, anoint, consecrate, baptize, etc. and even after that, prayer will always be enough.

I leave today to head to Temple. I will spend some time with a priest friend before heading to our Seminarian Convocation. It will be great to gather with my brother seminarians from the various seminaries and to catch up on the experiences of summer. The few days will also afford us the opportunity to say farewell to our beloved bishop. After convocation I will be going to South Texas to stay with a priest friend for a couple of days. It will give me a chance to rest, pray, read, relax, and hopefully figure some things out before I return to seminary. I will return to College Station sometime around August 19th and will leave for seminary on the 27th. Many of my brothers at other seminaries have to be back sooner. I ask that you continue to pray for me, my family, and in a special way, please pray for my brother seminarians.








I hope you enjoy the pics. I will post again soon….I hope.

Pax Tecum,
Tom

“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died…”

These words were spoken by St. Martha to Jesus shortly after her brother, Lazarus, died. The story is told in the eleventh chapter of John’s gospel. It is a story that I can relate to personally. It is the story we hear in the gospel today on the Memorial of St. Martha.

At first, these words sound like an accusation. In fact, the gospel says that when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him. She did not wait for him to arrive, but instead went out to greet him and perhaps to ask something of him. Martha reminds Jesus that whatever he asks the Father for the Father will give him. Undoubtedly Martha was asking that her brother be brought back to life on earth. The gospel account ends with Martha’s witness that Jesus is, in fact, “the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.” Martha, in the midst of great sadness is able to declare her faith and hope in the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. If only, we were all so faithful.

I have heard this gospel passage many times this summer. At Our Lady of Guadalupe, the families who come to the parish to have a funeral Mass for their loved one who has died rarely pick out their own readings. At OLG, we often use this gospel during the funeral Mass. I have heard the pastor preach his homily on this gospel numerous times (we average about a funeral per week here). Each time I get hung up on the phrase that Martha went out to meet Jesus.

Anyone who has lost someone that is close to them knows how difficult a time it can be. It is a time that will test anyone’s faith, no matter how rooted in their faith he/she is. It is a time when many people feel that God has abandoned them. It is hard to understand why a loving God would let bad things happen to good people. Sure, when we are not in the moment and can think rationally, it is easy to respond, “God allows the bad things to happen so as to bring about a greater good.” We know that in our heads, but in our hearts the words mean very little.

This morning started like most other mornings. I was sitting in the office in the rectory checking emails and preparing to begin my Spanish studies with the Rosetta Stone software. The pastor then walked in the door with a tired look on his face. Normally the pastor would be walking out the door to head to the parish office and not returning at this hour. I noticed a cup of coffee in his hand and his habit draped over his arm. Seeing the habit, I understood that he was returning from a hospital visit.

The pastor told me that he was called to the hospital for a young man (mid-twenties) who is a member of the inter-parroquial Spanish youth group that sometimes meets at our parish. While working construction five days ago, the young man fell off a roof and hit his head. The family called for a priest this morning as they were preparing to remove him from life support. The pastor told me that he anointed the young man and prayed with the family. I could tell that the early hour wake up call was not the only thing tiring out this priest.

We went about our day and I reminded myself to pray for the young man and his family during the Mass at noon. As I was sitting in the chapel, I watched many new faces showing up to Mass. Normally we only have 8-10 people at the mid-day masses but now the chapel was almost full (20-25). I guessed that from the looks of the people who arrived they were friends of the young man from the hospital. Then, during the prayers of intercession, I heard a lady pray for the eternal repose of the young man’s soul.

I must tell you that I was struck deeply by their display of faith. The pastor told me that the people who arrived at the Mass were, in fact, members of the family. Only hours after losing their family member, they were going out to greet Jesus. In their time of sadness and despair, they were going to Jesus and asking him to be with them now.

After Mass, the pastor and I returned to the rectory and were discussing the sad news of the young man’s death. The pastor told me that he had invited the family to the Mass and said that he would offer it for the young man. I kept thinking about the words to the gospel for today. I thought about the amazing faith these people had displayed. I know the next few days will be difficult for them, their friends, and the parish community. However difficult the times may be, we should all follow the example of this family (and St. Martha) and go out to greet Jesus in our time of need.

I realize that this story is perhaps one of the more personal ones (not for me, but for others) I have written about. I hope no one minds me telling the story. I have left names out for a reason. I just wanted to share with you the impact this display of faith had on me. It helps me to realize that when things get tough (no matter how big or small they may seem), we should go out to greet Jesus and not wait for him to come to us. We should turn to him and boldly proclaim, “I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.”

Please pray for the repose of the soul of the young man and his family.

Pax Tecum,
Tom

Coming to an end...

This week I am finishing up at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Austin. I am putting the final touches on the Altar Server Manual that I have been working on and hope to have a final product for them on Friday. I also created a power point with pictures of all of the different items used in Mass and their correct names so that Altar Servers, Sacristans, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, etc. can build up their vocabulary.

The highlight of last week was the closing on the sale of my house. Everything went relatively smoothly and I appreciate all of you who offered your prayers. I am happy to be free of that distraction and look forward to a year of discernment without trying to pay a mortgage, electricity, etc every month for a house I don't live in.

On the way home from the closing, the air conditioner in my car went out. I think the compressor seized up because now the car makes a horrible noise when I drive it. The car also is in desperate need of a tune-up and probably a new set of brake pads. I am going to try and get the AC fixed here in Austin (mainly due to the noise to make sure it is not something more serious) and then try to get the rest of the work done when I get to College Station. I have to wait until Wednesday to get it fixed because I am waiting on a parishioner who owns a car shop to get back into town so that I can be sure to get an honest and frugal estimate. The car belongs to the Diocese and I am trying to only fix what is necessary. Suffice to say, I miss my old car but I am still happy to have wheels, even if they are stationary at this point.

I look forward to being in College Station next week. It will be a busy time with a lot of people to try and see. I will be serving all of the masses at St. Thomas Aquinas on the weekend of the 8th and 9th so if you are in town, please stop by and say hello (to Jesus first and then me if you have time).

I hope all is well with you. It is hard to believe how fast this summer has gone by. Before you know it I will be back to waking up at 5:30am at seminary.

Pax Tecum,
Tom

Cook'em low and cook'em slow...

This is a common saying that is often heard when referring to the preferred method of cooking ribs. To get the best tasting and most tender ribs, you should cook them at low heat at a very slow rate. For me personally, I bake them (if I don’t have a smoker) for three hours at 200 or 250 degrees and then brown them up on the grill.

I was reminded of this saying as I was reading Archbishop Timothy Dolan’s book Priests for the Third Millennium. I have read this book each summer for the past three years. I first read it while I was discerning applying for seminary. Then I read it as I was preparing for my first year in seminary and now I read it again as I prepare to begin my second year.

The fourth chapter of the book talks about the virtue of humility and how it is an essential virtue for a priest to have. Archbishop Dolan, in speaking about priestly formation in particular and growth in holiness in general, mentions that we need to have more of a “crock pot” approach rather than a “microwave” approach. That is, we must realize that we are not in control of our own salvation. We do not grow in holiness by the things that we do. To think that we can merit our own salvation by the things we do and therefore do not need a savior would make us Pelagians. Another trap in our growth in humility is pragmatism. Pragmatism basically involves us priding ourselves on our practicality and getting things done. It is a focus on doing rather than believing.

I must admit that in various situations in my life I have struggled to be humble. Outwardly at times I may display what people see as humility but in my heart I still have a somewhat pragmatic approach. I tend to try and put everything in order. I love checklists and seeing my progress by looking at what I have done. In seminary, my grades (wrongfully so) became the indicator to me that I was doing the right thing. I was so focused on “doing”, that I lost track of “being.”

Perhaps the greatest test of my patience and my willingness to submit to the will of God has involved my house. God willing, I will close on the sale of my house in two days. Anyone who knows me well knows what an enormous amount of stress this has been for me. I never doubted that in the end God’s will would be done. The part that I struggled with is that it wasn’t happening on my time table. At one point I received an offer on my house and I was tempted to take it. I struggled for a couple of days before finally discerning that it was not the right time. My house was on the market for fifteen months (almost ten months with lots of showings but no offer) and only sold when I resolved myself to accept God’s will and pray for his assistance. It is somewhat ridiculous that it took me that long to realize it.

There are other parts of my life where I tend to want things done on my timetable. I want to see conversion in people sooner. I want to know that my words to them and the love I show them have an effect. I want to see the effects of my actions. I even came up with a name for this type of behavior “Boomerang ministry.” Most of us can remember playing with a boomerang at some point in our life. We throw it out knowing that it is designed to come back to us. I don’t know about you but I was never successful in having it come back to me. I was quite happy to conclude that there was something wrong with the boomerang. I was unwilling to admit that it took practice, technique, and letting go of unrealistic expectations before I would ever have the boomerang come back.

I bring all of this up because I think the same thing applies to our spiritual lives and our paths to holiness. I get quite frustrated at times when I find myself battling the same sins, the same temptations, or simply having a bad attitude. I want to be holy and I and want it now! I get frustrated when I feel like I don’t have the prayer life that I think I should have or the one that I want. I get frustrated when I feel like I have not made the progress in my path to holiness that I should.

Obviously, I need a good dose of humility. I need to submit myself to the “crock pot” style that is seminary formation. And I need to remember the words of this past Sunday’s gospel and learn to go away to quiet places to pray and rest. Next Sunday’s gospel also has a good message (i.e. multiplication of the loaves). If I bring all that I have, and nothing less) to God and give myself over to him, he will have me recline and then will provide for me in abundance.

No one likes to admit their faults or encounter the areas where we need to grow, but I would like to encourage all of you to join me in this quest to adopt a “cook’em low and cook’em slow attitude.” Let’s not put God on our timetable. I am sure that what he has prepared for us will be worth the wait.

Pax Tecum,
Tom

Life at OLG

As I finish up my assignment at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Austin, I want to share some pictures with you to show you where I have spent my summer. This is the first time that I have used my camera this summer. I am not sure why I don't spend more time going out and taking photographs. I really enjoy it. Perhaps I will take some with all the free time that I have at seminary (hah!). Anyway, I hope you enjoy the pics. I only have seventeen (calendar days) here at OLG and am trying to get a few things wrapped up before I go.

This is the stained glass window is in the choir loft. Every weekend during the summer, as the Eucharistic prayer is being said at around 6:45pm, the sun shines through this window and bathes the altar in beautiful reds, violets, and pinks. It is my favorite time of the weekend.

If you don't know what the above picture is showing, run to your nearest Catholic Church and ask the priest like your life depends on it (sorry...had to).

The parish is 102 years old. I am not sure how long the church building itself has been around but it is fairly old.

I hope you enjoy the pics. Keep praying as my house closing is set for 10am on July 23rd.

Pax Tecum,

Tom

Lighter Side of Life

The past couple of times I posted I realized that I spent most of the time reflecting on Scripture. I figured maybe it was time to just let you know what is going on in my life in general.

My time here at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Austin is quickly coming to an end. I have really enjoyed being a part of this parish for the summer. It is a predominantly Hispanic parish and reminds me a lot of the parish I grew up in (Santa Cruz in Buda). It is a little different being the minority for a change. There are many times when I am the only Anglo in the room. Thankfully my Spanish is improving and I can pretty much understand most of the conversations going on around me. I still cannot speak Spanish as well as I would like. I lector at daily mass in Spanish and can read the language with little difficulty. I figure speaking it is not too far away.

This past weekend I went on retreat with the Teen ACTS group. It was a good experience and I am glad I went however it was different from other experiences that I have had on youth retreats. This time I was on the retreat as a seminarian and not as a CORE team member or small group leader. I was able to pop in and out of the talks and take some time to myself as well. I was called on quite a few times to lead times of prayer and am learning to pray on the fly! I got a chance to talk to a few of the teens one-on-one after being asked to do so by the retreat staff. I think that God has given me the gifts to do well in these situations so I was thankful to have them.

This week at the parish I am writing a manual for the Altar Servers at the parish. I also will be serving at two funerals and a wedding in addition to the regular masses this weekend. Tomorrow I am taking my 17 year old nephew over to College Station for the day to show him Texas A&M. He will be a senior in high school this year in Ohio and is still undecided as to what college he wants to attend. Thursday I will be joining my brother seminarians who are still in Austin for the summer for a bbq with our new Vocations Director. Our new Vocations Director is my former spiritual director and confessor when I was in College Station. I look forward to seeing him again.

I will try to keep you informed as to what is going on in my life over the next few months. Before I know it I will be back in Irving to start my second year of seminary. I look forward to spending some time in College Station in August. I hope to see many of you while I am there.

Pax Tecum,
Tom

Shepherd or Sheep Dog?

During the fourth week of Easter, while at seminary, I found myself paying particular attention to the Mass readings that week. The readings were from the tenth Chapter of the fourth Gospel (John). In this particular image Jesus uses the images of a gate, a gatekeeper, a shepherd, and his sheep to describe his own relationship with the people. In the beginning Jesus says that he himself is the gate and that to gain access to the sheep one must enter through him.

As Jesus uses this imagery to talk about his relationship to his flock he says this about a shepherd, “When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice. But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers." (Jn 10:4-5).

I began to think about this verse in terms of discerning my vocation to become a priest. It is pretty clear that a priest is called to live his life as an image of Christ for his people. It is also clear that a bishop is the shepherd for his local flock (diocese). While celebrating the liturgy a bishop will carry what is called a “crozier.” The crozier looks like a long walking stick with a hook at the top of it. The hook is more decorative than functional but there is a great deal of symbolism built into its use. For example, if you watch a bishop preside at liturgy you will notice that when he is holding the crozier he holds it with the hook extending outward or away from him and towards the people. As the shepherd he is responsible for gently pulling the sheep back into the fold when they begin to wander. When anyone else (i.e. seminarian serving with the bishop) holds the crozier it is turned so that the hook faces inward and not toward the people.

The priest, being the local representative of the bishop to his smaller flock (the parish) must then take on the role of the shepherd. It is for this reason that we call him a “pastor” which is Latin for “shepherd.” As it says in the gospel, the priest is to walk out in front of his flock and use his voice to lead the people. It is the priest’s voice that will be used to teach, to preach, to say words that save (“I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit”), the words that absolve (“I absolve you of your sins in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit”), the words that make Jesus present in the Eucharist (“take this all of you….), and the words that console (“Eternal rest grant unto him oh Lord….”). At times it is even necessary that when the sheep stray, the shepherd must use his voice to bring them back into the fold.

I bring this up because as I read the tenth chapter of John I realize that many times in my life I tend to be more of a sheep dog than a shepherd. I tend to bark at people and bite at their ankles (figuratively not literally…work with me here) when I see them straying from the fold. I find this to be especially true when I work with teens. Instead of walking out in front of the flock and leading with my voice, I run around the edges and run after the one or two that stray away. I do all I can to convince them to rejoin the flock. I try to convince them that I know what is best for them and that they should follow the Good Shepherd. Sometimes, the sheep dog method is quite effective and I think, at times, it is even necessary. However, there are other times when I realize that the sheep dog, while effective at keeping the flock together (through a sort of intimidation or convincing), the flock fails to move forward. It is the shepherd who moves his flock because he knows the way and he walks out in front. The sheep follow him because they know his voice and they know that they will lay down their lives for their sheep.

As I prayed about this chapter of the gospel I realized that I did not need to wait until my ordination (God willing) to use my voice like that of the shepherd. I quickly realized that there were times where my words were harsh, short, sarcastic, condescending, and lacking patience. It did not matter what my intentions were in regards to correcting another’s behavior, because I did not say it with charity they rightfully failed to follow my voice. I also reflected on the many times where my voice not only did not bring people back to the flock, it led them in the opposite direction. As I realized the effects that our voices can have on others I prayed that God would help me to choose my words carefully so as to never lead anyone astray.

Verses 14 and 15 also gave me food for thought, “I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep.” Not only as a pastor one day (Si Dios Quiere – If God Wills), but now as a son, a friend, and a brother, I want the people around me to know me. I want to be transparent. I want to be a man who believes what he reads (the Gospel), teaches what he believes, and practices what he teaches. I want my flock (friends, family, and brother seminarians) to know that I would lay down my life for them. I don’t meant this in the sense of how I used to be willing to lay down my life (as a police officer) but in the sense that I will make the appropriate sacrifices to help people find, meet, and follow Christ the Good Shepherd.

It is not always an easy thing to do but I do thing that it is what God intends for my life. In fact, I think God is calling all of us to be shepherds rather than sheep dogs. Whether you are a husband, father, wife, mother, brother, or sister, I believe that God is calling all of us to live our lives in such a way that we walk out in front of the flock. I believe that each of us must use our voice in a way that the people around us will follow us instead of run in the opposite directions. I understand the temptation (especially for parents) to be a sheepdog more often than a shepherd but that is certainly not the image Jesus chose to give us. Of course, we cannot all be shepherds all of the time. We must also be willing to be the sheep and be led.

Anyway, I just wanted to share my thoughts once again. Some of you may think I am wrong or over analyzing. Perhaps you are right. However, it less important to me that you think I am right as it is to get you to think about how the Gospel applies to our lives here and now.

Pax Tecum,
Tom

Prayer Requests

Hello all! Many times I have asked those of you who read the blog to send me prayer requests so that I can join my prayers to yours. This time it is me who is asking you to pray for some special intentions.

First of all I would like you to pray for my step-sister who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Her mother passed away from breast cancer 7-8 years ago. I don't have any other information but please keep her, her father (my step-father), and her family in your prayers.

Secondly, please pray for my Uncle who suffered a heart attack earlier in the week. They got to the hospital quickly and discovered he had 100% blockage. Thankfully they were able to put in a stint and he should recover nicely. I am pretty sure that he has already been released from the hospital.

Also, I will ask you to pray for the teens from Our Lady of Guadalupe in Austin who will be on retreat this weekend. Pray that they are able to hear God calling them each by name. Please pray for the staff, the young adult leaders, and all who are working to make this retreat happen.

Finally, please continue to keep the sale of my house on your prayer list. As of now, I am scheduled to close on July 23rd and all is going well so far. It will be a tremendous blessing to start my second year of seminary without this distraction.

Having said all that, I will be going on the retreat with the teens. We leave tomorrow and will return for Mass on Sunday at 11:30am. I am expecting my godson and his family to come into town for a visit Sunday afternoon so it will be a busy weekend. I only have about four weeks left here at Our Lady of Guadalupe and there is still lots to do.

Please know that I continue to pray for you all and your families but feel free to send me any special prayer requests (even if you just say, "please pray for a special intention"). I don't need the details unless you feel like sharing them.

I want to leave you with one more snipit from Pope Benedict's Encyclical. I continue to work my way through it although I must admit most of it is over my head:

"The conviction that man is self-sufficient and can successfully eliminate the evil present in history by his own action alone has led him to confuse happiness and salvation with immanent forms of material prosperity and social action."

Pax Tecum,
Tom

Caritas in Veritate...my thoughts

Pope Benedict XVI released his third encyclical today. This one is titled Caritas in Veritate or Charity in Truth. I have only read the first two chapters but just wanted to share some of the lines that stood out to me:

“Man's earthly activity, when inspired and sustained by charity, contributes to the building of the universal city of God, which is the goal of the history of the human family.”

“Only through an encounter with God are we able to see in the other something more than just another creature, to recognize the divine image in the other, thus truly coming to discover him or her and to mature in a love that “becomes concern and care for the other.””

“Precisely because God gives a resounding “yes” to man, man cannot fail to open himself to the divine vocation to pursue his own development. The truth of development consists in its completeness: if it does not involve the whole man and every man, it is not true development.”

“Reason, by itself, is capable of grasping the equality between men and of giving stability to their civic coexistence, but it cannot establish fraternity. This originates in a transcendent vocation from God the Father, who loved us first, teaching us through the Son what fraternal charity is.”

“I would like to remind everyone, especially governments engaged in boosting the world's economic and social assets, that the primary capital to be safeguarded and valued is man, the human person in his or her integrity: “Man is the source, the focus and the aim of all economic and social life””

“God is the guarantor of man's true development, inasmuch as, having created him in his image, he also establishes the transcendent dignity of men and women and feeds their innate yearning to “be more”.”

I think the following is my favorite so far:

“Deeds without knowledge are blind, and knowledge without love is sterile.”

Pax Tecum,
Tom

Let Freedom Ring…

Over the course of the past weekend, many people across America gathered with their friends, families, co-workers, etc. to celebrate the anniversary of the United States’ independence from Great Britain. Despite the oppressive heat in Texas, many people decided to have parades, barbecues, fireworks displays, and pool parties. Everyone dressed up in red, white, and blue and showed their patriotism.

I think the Fourth of July is one of those holidays that lost some of its meaning over the years. Don’t get me wrong, some people truly celebrate our freedom but many are more concerned with the three or four day weekend and the festivities that follow. The news programs will often run stories about our brave men and women who continue to fight in order to protect our freedom. I am thankful for those men and women and believe their sacrifices should be honored. As I spent my weekend with friends relaxing, enjoying creature comforts, and enjoying the freedom that has been given to me, I began to think to myself, “What does it mean to be free and what is true freedom?”

Initially when I think about the answer to those questions, the words to the Rolling Stones song, “I’m free to do what I want, any old time,” (shame on you if you didn’t just sing that to yourself) or Dr. Martin Luther King’s words, “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God almighty, we are free at last.” Certainly I think that Dr. King had a more appropriate definition of the word freedom. I think one of the difficulties that many of us face is thinking that freedom means to choose what we want whenever we want it. This definition of freedom has led to a battle of another kind, a battle against relativism. We now live in a world where a large number of people believe that they are free only if there is no one around telling them what to do. They rebel against their parents, their teachers, the government, the law, the Church, and even God.

Most of us who are past the age of adolescence know the struggle of living under our parents’ roof. As we grew older we started to think that we knew what was best for us and thought that we should be allowed to make our own decisions. Things such as curfews, phone restrictions, bedtimes, and other rules were seen as being unjustified oppression by our parents. We were often told that the rules were for our own good but that was always a hard pill for me to swallow.

When I went to college I was free to make a lot more decisions than I previously was able to. Sometimes I made decisions based on what my parents had taught me. Other times I did what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it. Can you guess which decision making process worked the best for me? After college I worked for a police department. Those of you that do work for or have worked for a police department have certainly encountered the beloved policy manual. We always heard the expression that the policies were more guidelines than rules, although we quickly learned the difference between “may” and “shall.” To a young officer, the policies seemed stifling. They seemed to be written by people who were determined to make sure that everything was done the hard way and no enjoyment whatsoever should come from following then. At times they seemed to be as restrictive as my vest or shirt stays. It took a while to appreciate that by staying within policy at all times, I was actually freer to do my job in a way that was safe, effective, and, at times, fun.

And then there are those little rules called Natural Law and the Ten Commandments. There is that long list of things that Scripture and Sacred Tradition tell me are not good for me. Thankfully we do not have the 613 laws of the Mosaic covenant to live by. In fact, when ten seemed to be too many to the minimalist who asked Jesus which of the commandments was the most important, Jesus summarized them into two rules. And yet, many people see the way of life that stems from following these two rules as restricting and oppressive. In the name of freedom they make comments like, “The Church needs to stay out of my life and out of my bedroom,” “the church should not tell me how to raise my children,” or “who is the Church to tell me how to live my life?”

My parents, my supervisors at the police department, and even the church have told me my entire life that these rules are put into place for my own good. I have heard the phrase that freedom comes from obedience. As I get older, this makes more and more sense to me. Most of us have heard that through one man’s disobedience sin entered the world and through one man’s obedience we became free or through one woman’s disobedience we separated ourselves from God and through one woman’s “fiat” we were given the gift of the Son of God so that we might be brought back into communion with God. Even Pope John Paul II condemned (indirectly) the Rolling Stones definition of freedom when he said that Freedom is being able to choose the things that are good for us. In more philosophical terms, freedom is being able to choose what we are naturally ordered to do. As humans, we are ordered to be in full communion with God. That is the goal of life. The goal is not to get the most pleasure out of this life while we can. Instead it is to live our lives in obedience to the ways of God so that we can become more like him and one day be reunited with him in heaven. Through our obedience to God we become free to choose the things that are best for us. In doing what is best for us, we will discover happiness.

So I wonder, am I really free? It seems at times that my concupiscence and my own desires keep me from choosing the things that are best from me. My pride prevents me from being obedient at all times. There seems to be a battle for my freedom that is fought much closer to home. These are the battles that most of us fight everyday in our hearts. It seems to me that we should celebrate the victories when they occur. Perhaps we don’t need a holiday, or floats, or a particular color to mark the occasion. For me, the celebration occurs at the altar, in the Eucharist, where the war has already been won.

Pax Tecum,
Tom

PS. I know this entry is a little scatter brained. I have been mulling over these thoughts for several days and sometimes if I don’t write them down immediately they get jumbled and don’t come out as well. I offer them as an insight into what I am thinking. They are not meant as any sort of spiritual advice or preaching. I speak with no authority other than as a man who is trying to figure things out and doesn’t mind sharing his progress.

Mi casa es su casa...

This is a Spanish phrase that many of us know and say whether we speak Spanish or not. The phrase means my house is your house. It is often said in order to make someone feel welcome in our house and let them know that we would like to show them our hospitality. Today, I used a similar phrase that still had the same underlying meaning, “mi carro es su carro (my car is your car).”

For four days this week I have been attending Basic Youth Ministry classes at the Pastoral Center. I have another blog entry in the works about the classes and some thoughts that I had but I want to share this other experience with you first. We got out of class today a little before 3pm today. I thought that I might beat the traffic on IH 35. However, I am quickly learning that traffic on IH 35 is always a disaster and it really starts to get bad after lunch on Fridays. It took me about twenty minutes to complete what should have been a five to ten minute trip back to the rectory.

As I got settled into the house and put my phone on the charger, I walked out of my room headed for the office so that I could work on Rosetta Stone in order to learn more Spanish. As I rounded the corner to the kitchen I was startled and almost ran into Sra. Maria. Maria is the lady who comes to the rectory on Wednesdays and Fridays to clean, do laundry, cook, change sheets on the beds, etc. Usually she leaves around 2pm so I did not expect her to still be there. She only speaks Spanish so some of my attempts to communicate with her are obviously amusing to her. Today was different though. Today I found a way to speak to her that I think we could all understand.

As Maria prepared to leave I noticed that she had an umbrella. I was proud of myself for learning the word for an umbrella yesterday and I said to her, “Usted tiene un paraguas,” (you have an umbrella). She smiled at me and let me know that I got the word right. I continued walking towards the office before I stopped in my tracks and realized why she had the umbrella. I turned around as she was preparing to walk out the door and asked in broken Spanish, “you aren’t walking home are you?” She told me that she was planning on walking to the Sheraton motel where she waits for her daughter to get off work and then the two of them take the bus home together. The Sheraton is not too far (perhaps a mile) but it would mean that she would have to cross IH 35 not to mention walking in 105 degree heat. Maria is in her early seventies and there was no way I was about to let her walk. I asked her if she did this every week and she said that she did. I told her to give me a few minutes and then went to load up my pockets again (cell phone, car keys, house keys, rings, wallet, etc). When I returned I told her that I would give her a ride home in my car. She tried to refuse and told me that her house was too far. I told her that I did not care how far it was but I was going to give her a ride home.

As I traveled North on IH 35 I looked over at the Southbound traffic and grimaced. The traffic was already bumper to bumper and at a standstill. I was not looking forward to the trip home. As we were driving I tried my best to make conversation with Maria in Spanish. I learned that she has been cleaning the priest’s house for the past six years. I told her that I had six more years until ordination. She asked about my family and I told her about my brothers, sister, mom, etc. She then told me about her family as well. She thanked me again for the ride and I said, “Mi carro es su carro.” It was a little cliché but in this case it was actually true! I explained to her that the car was owned by the Diocese and was given to me to use during my time of formation. I told her that the car belonged to her as much as it did to me. She seemed happy with that, smiled, and said, “Gracias.”

As we pulled into her neighborhood she showed me the bus stop where she catches the bus to come to the rectory. We then traveled another mile to her house. I then realized that she walks from the house to the bus stop. I know I would complain about having to live this way. When we arrived at the house she invited me in to meet her family. I met her granddaughter, great grandson, and two dogs. She offered me something to eat and drink several times and I politely refused several times. In hindsight I probably should have accepted something because she was trying to thank me. I don’t know enough Spanish to let her know that I had already received my gift.

I did not stay at the house long as I wanted to get back before the traffic got any worse. I prayed as I sat in traffic in an attempt to not let my temper get the best of me. It also gave me a chance to practice my prayers in Spanish. Before you think that I am patting myself on the back too much, I want you to know that I do not share this as a means to advance my own cause for canonization in your eyes. I just realized what a gift it is to be able to help someone else with the gifts that have been given to you.

You must understand that I find myself at a point in my life where very few of the things I have actually belong to me. Every dollar that passes through my pocket comes from the charity of others (I have what I need so don’t take this as a plea for charity). The car that I drive does not belong to me. The Bible I read from was given to me. The vestments that I wear in Mass were a gift. The computer that I am typing on was a gift. The food I eat is a gift. The phone I talk on is paid for by someone else. The words I use are a gift. My life is gift. You get the idea. Oh yeah, one more, if you are reading this, you are one of those gifts I have received.

As I sit here on a very hot Friday afternoon, I find myself thanking God for the gifts I have been given. The gifts are more enjoyable when I share them. They allow me to see a bigger piece of the puzzle. They bring me closer to God when I share them. I pray that God continues to bring about conversion in my heart. I ask that he continue to allow me to serve his people and share the gifts I have been given. I pray that he give me the generous spirit to mean it when I say to him, “Mi vida es su vida!” (My life is your life).

Pax Tecum,
Tom

“My grace is sufficient for you…”

The readings for today’s Mass are two of my favorite readings in Scripture. The first reading is from St. Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians (2 Cor 12:1-10). I will let you read the passage for yourself and I will not provide a lot of exegesis but I do want to share a little bit about why I like this passage so much. St. Paul says that when he boasts, he will only boast about his weaknesses because it is in weakness that we become strong. “I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”

The gospel for today is the story of Mary and Joseph losing and then finding Jesus in the Temple. For whatever reason, it took Mary and Joseph three days to find Jesus. I am not sure whether this is due to the physical distance that they had traveled from him or whether they did not know where to look. Jesus’ response to them seems to imply that they had not looked in the right place for him.

Both of these readings are relevant to my journey over the past year and my experiences this summer here at Our Lady of Guadalupe. I have encountered my weaknesses in many ways over the last year. One thing that seminary is good at is allowing a seminarian time away from all of the other masks that he has worn throughout his life to discover both his strengths and his weaknesses. Seminary is a time of discernment. It is a time not only to discern whether or not God is calling us to be a priest or whether we want to be a priest, but it is also a time for us to discern our gifts that have been given to us. It is also a time for us to discern what parts of our lives need healing, correcting, or remodeling. Often times I have considered encountering these weaknesses to be difficult and have seen them as my cross to bear. Perhaps that is true, but each time that I have encountered a weakness it has brought me closer to God. It has allowed me to stop listening to my pride and some of the delusions that the devil and the world lead us to believe and to discover the truth about God’s mercy and love. At times, it is a pain in the side as St. Paul mention’s, but that pain is a grace and as the scripture says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.”

I have a more concrete example of the gospel that few people witnessed directly. Last summer I had the privilege to take some of the teens from our parish to World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia. It was a difficult trip in many ways but was also filled with many blessings. On one night in particular the group was separated. Of course this happened on the one night when we didn’t pass out the handheld radios. One half of the group went to a Matt Maher concert in the Sydney convention center and the other group somehow got separated despite our best efforts to stay together. I left one group at the concert hall and told them not to leave. I then went in search of the other group which consisted of about half our group. As I walked the area of Darling Harbour retracing our steps, I simply could not find the other group. I was worried because I knew some of the other teens would not be able to find their way back to our hotel and had no way to call me. I thought for sure that I was going to have to explain to six sets of parents that I had somehow lost their children. Having given up on the search, I went back to the concert almost in tears. As I arrived back at the concert, the group was in the middle of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. As I joined our group I realized that those who I thought were lost had joined up with the rest of the group. You cannot imagine the feeling of relief that I felt. Immediately this scene from the gospel came to mind. I don’t think that I ever felt closer to what Mary and Joseph must have felt. Of course, I did not have the added stress of knowing that the child I lost was the Messiah that would save the world!

Aside from experiences such as that one, I experience this gospel almost daily. I think most of us tend to look for God in the wrong places. Most of us know that we can find God in the Eucharist, at Mass, in prayer, in adoration, etc, but I think many of us miss the many times He is right there with us in our normal daily activities. A few weeks ago I was serving a funeral at Our Lady of Guadalupe (we have one or two each week). As I walked from the front of the church down the street to the back entrance into the sacristy, I encountered a homeless man pushing his cart up the street picking up cans. As the man saw me walking down the street dressed in cassock and surplice carrying the processional cross, he stopped, took of his hat, placed it over his heart, and paused while I passed by. I tried to smile at him and nodded my head as I passed him. I learned from watching that man. In my mind he had every reason to be mad at God. I thought to myself, I wonder if I was in his position would I have done the same. In my current state of life which is fairly comfortable I am embarrassed to admit that I may not have paid any attention to a guy walking by carrying a cross. That man taught me something and I think you can figure it out for yourself what the lesson is. It needs no explanation. One thing I will remember about that experience combined with others here at OLOG is that I must keep my eyes open for Jesus wherever I go. I may be surprised at where I find him. At times it will be difficult to find him in some people, but he is there. I think it is just a matter of how hard I am willing to look for him.

Anyway, I apologize for perhaps trying to pull too much out of these scriptures but wanted to share my thoughts. I will try to post more often (a promise I have not been that faithful too) and share with you some of the many wonderful experiences I am having. In the meantime, please join me in a prayer of thanksgiving as my house is under contract after being on the market for 14 months. Please keep the situation in prayer and pray that the closing goes well on July 23rd. Until then all of you and your families remain in my prayers.

Pax Tecum,
Tom

What an awesome week!

My internet access has been somehwat limited since I arrived at my summer assignment. The first problem was a hardware issue, namely, my laptop was stolen. Once I recieved a new laptop I was able to connect to the internet in the rectory. However, in an attempt to install a wireless router and set up a wireless network, the two other seminarians that I live with and I managed to break the whole thing. So, now I am am waiting on someone much more capable than I to clean up the mess we made and hopefully get the internet working again soon. In the meantime, I am working in the church office which I only have access to during the day since I do not have a key.

Anyway, that is enough whining for a while. I am only bemoaning the lack of internet because I wanted to share with you a few of my experiences the past week or so. On Saturday, our diocese celebrated the ordination of five men to the priesthood. I had the privilege to serve at the Mass. Two years ago I came to the ordinations and sat in the pews and watched from that perspective. Last year I sat in the section for seminarians and had a little better view of what was going on. My perspective was definitely different as I sat there and wondered if the day would come when my nose would hit the marble (the newly ordained prostrate during the Litany of the Saints). By sitting in the section for seminarians I could clearly see the face of the bishop and the other priests as they prayed over the newly ordained and laid hands on them.

This year, I was able to see the ordinations from a new perspective. Having completed a year of seminary I understood more the joys, trials, challenges, blessings, etc that come along with being in seminary. I was able to serve the Mass and view the ceremony where I could see the faces of the newly ordained as the bishop was speaking to them, praying over them, laying hands on them, and annointing there hands. The expression on the new priests face was priceless. At one point the bishop made reference to the fact that six years ago the newly ordained were sitting in a pew wondering if God might be calling them to the priesthood. At that point, one of the newly ordained who I had been talking to prior to the Mass looked at me and winked as I too sat there six years from ordination wondering what plans God had in store. Overall, it was a wonderful day and it gave me great hope, not only for my own life and possible vocation to the priesthood, but also for the future of the church in central Texas.

The next day we celebrated Confirmation with seventeen kids from our parish. It is always a joy and blessing to celebrate this sacrament with our teens and it is always a good day when I get to serve a Mass with the bishop. His homily was great and touched many people in the church. The parish was having a small festival the rest of the day so I joined in on the fun.

On Monday I attended a reception for our Vocations Director and our Vicar General who are both moving on to new assignments. Both of these men have played an important role in my life not only in terms of discernment but in giving me Fatherly advice and being a friend to me. Our Diocese is truly blessed to have them and they are a model for the type of priest I hope to be.

Yesterday was my day off and I decided to spend it by myself. Spending time alone is not something that I often do as I am more accustomed to visiting people and running from one thing to another or talking with someone on the phone. I slept in (almost 9am) and then went for a walk up and down the shores of Lake Austin. I left the phone at home and just enjoyed the quiet. I did not have an Ipod in my ears and it would have been quiet had it not been for the many people who had the same idea as me. It was still a pleasant walk and I think I will do it more often. I spent the rest of the afternoon browsing at bookstores before returning home.

When I arrived back at the rectory I got a call from the office letting me know that I had a package. When I opened the box I was more than pleased to discover that my Summertime Roman cassock had arrived. This cassock is made of lighter material and it will definitely keep me cooler while serving at Mass and other events. The one I had previously (year rounder), while made of heavier material and more formal, is extremely hot in a church where the air conditioning works just enough to keep me from passing out. When I ordered the cassock I was told that it was on back order for 3-5 weeks. I was overjoyed when it arrived in less than 2.

We have a busy weekend ahead: three funerals, an ordination anniversary mass, a wedding, and five weekend masses (for any priests that are reading this, I am not pleading for sympathy as I know this may be considered a light weekend by your standards. Hopefully I am shedding light for others who may not realize how hard you work). Overall, though I am really enjoying being back in a parish and am at peace in my new assignment. I am sure that it will be over before I know it.

In the meantime, please continue to pray for me as I continue to pray for you and your family.

Pax Tecum,
Tom

Still Alive

Greetings all. First off, I would like to apologize for not posting for approximately two months. I do not have a great excuse other than to say that the last few months of seminary were a challenging time filled with lots of opportunities for growth. I will try to be more faithful in posting this summer as I know some of you have expressed an interest in sharing these experiences with me.

This summer I have been assigned to Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in East Austin. I am living in the rectory with two other seminarians and the pastor, Friar Francisco. My primary responsibility is to improve my Spanish speaking skills. I will also help out with Altar Servers and any other tasks the parish needs me to do. I moved into the rectory on Memorial Day and am enjoying being back in a parish setting. Afterall, ministry in a parish is what I feel called to do.

I have limited computer accident due to an unfortunate incident my first day here but I should have more access soon. There are a couple of thoughts and reflections from the last few months that I would like to share with you all and will try to post them soon. I hope to post more regularly over the summer.

In the meantime please know that you and those that you love are in my prayers. Please continue to pray for me, my brother seminarians, and all those who may be discerning a call to the priesthood or religious life.

Pax Tecum,
Tom

Sweet Home Seminary...

Yeah, I know Lynyrd Skynard never cut this version of the song Sweet Home Alabama and I do not think anyone else is about to cut it either. I will admit that I was not exactly jumping for joy upon arriving back to seminary after our Spring Break. Before you begin to think that seminary is a horrible place, let me explain.

As I pulled in to the seminary yesterday evening, I did have that feeling of arriving home after a long trip. After I unloaded the car, threw my bags in the middle of the room (where they remain unpacked and completely in my way), and put away my hanging clothes, I sat down for a brief moment and was glad to be “home” after a long day. I was actually surprised that I found more comfort in my worn out twin mattress than I did in the plush Queen sized mattress at the La Quinta Hotel where I stayed the night before. There is just something comforting about your own space where you spend a majority of your time.

I did not have long to relax as I had to join the rest of my seminarian brothers for Vespers (Evening Prayer) followed by a house meeting. After the meeting I returned to my room to write a paper that was due first thing Monday morning. I got to sleep around midnight and realized that 5:40AM was going to come quickly. I was greeted this morning by a nice cold shower. I must shamefully admit that my first thought was that the Rector of the seminary found a new way to shave a few dollars off the budget. My next thought was that it was an attempt to make us live a more ascetic lifestyle during this penitential time of Lent. Either way, I decided to offer it up and remembered all the folks who are in Guatemala this week for the Medical Mission trip. I was there last year and remembered the joys of cold showers. I decided it was God’s little way of reminding me to pray for them.

Anyway, I digress. The point of all this was to let you know that for the first time in my life, I feel kind of homesick. I miss being around my friends and family on a daily basis. The trips home are never long enough. It is hard to get motivated to come back to a challenging academic and spiritual environment like seminary. Thankfully God gives us the grace we need to persevere.

I also realized something else this past week. I really love being in a parish. I guess that is a pretty good thing for someone discerning a life as a parish priest! My point is that I feel truly at home when I am in a parish and not just my home parish. This past weekend I visited a parish in Kyle and gave a talk after communion about vocations. I just love going to Mass with the families and meeting all of the people after Mass. I look forward to the time in my life when I get to be in a parish full time.

Until then, I need to buckle down and get to work. The academic calendar is back in full swing and I have a fairly demanding week ahead. Next weekend I will be traveling to Houston to staff a Confirmation Retreat with one of my brother seminarians. I anticipate it being another much needed shot in the arm for me.

I want to reflect on today’s Mass readings sometime this week when I have a little more time. The readings talk about finding God in the ordinary instead of the extraordinary. Until then I wanted to share with you the text from the talk I gave this weekend. I also want to thank those of you who left comments. I do read them and I appreciate them. Here is the talk (please forgive any bad grammar or typing mistakes):

Good Morning / Good Evening. As Father said, my name is Tom Reitmeyer and I am a first year Seminarian with the Diocese of Austin.

Each year the Bishop asks seminarians to visit several parishes in the diocese. I was excited when I learned that I had been assigned to visit St. Anthony’s. You see, this is a bit of a homecoming for me. I grew up living in Manchaca for most of my life. I went to elementary and middle schools in Buda. My family and I were members of Santa Cruz Catholic Church in Buda. As I drove into Kyle this weekend, I remembered playing little league football in a field located in this general area. When I pulled into the church, I quickly realized that you all built a church on my football field. Don’t worry, I approve. I also remembered making trips to Five Mile Dam with my Father. And, of course, there is not mistaking the smell of the wonderful food at Railroad BBQ.

I am here today for two reasons, the first being to talk to you about vocations. To begin I would like to briefly share with you a portion of my own vocation story. As I already mentioned I grew up here in Hays County. Like most families, my family was not perfect. We had our share of problems and difficulties that we had to work through. However, despite all the difficulties, my parents made sure to instill in me the values of the Catholic Faith, the importance of prayer, and a desire to do the right thing. My family was involved in the life of our parish. My mother taught me CCD and prepared me for First Communion. My father was also involved in the Knights of Columbus and Boy Scouts. By being actively involved in the life of the parish, my parents taught me that love and service to God and His church should be a priority in my life.

After graduating from high school in Austin, I attended college at Texas A&M University. After graduation, I began a career in law enforcement. Admittedly during this time in my life, my faith was not of primary importance. Sure I went to Mass on Sundays here and there, but I made excuses for why it was okay to miss every so often. After all, I was young, single, had a great job, I was advancing in my job quickly, I was making good money, and I had a fast sports car. What else could I possibly want to be happy?

In 2005, a friend of mine approached me and asked me to be his son’s Godfather. I could not believe that this friend would choose me to be an example of faith for his son. I quickly responded to the invitation and said that I would be honored. However, I knew that if I was going to stand before God and make a promise to ensure that this child was raised in the faith, then I better get my act in gear. I first went to confession and then began to attend Mass EVERY Sunday. I even started going to daily Mass when I could. I began reading and studying the catechism and other books about our faith. I prepared for and received the Sacrament of Confirmation as an adult. It was the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit that allowed me to make God a priority in my life. I committed myself to times of prayer and active service in my parish.

As my heart grew closer to God, it grew further and further away from police work. Despite having all the things the world said I needed to be happy, I realized that something was missing. I heard another invitation. This invitation came from parishioners, friends, and priests who asked me to consider whether God was calling me to the priesthood. I began to pray for the grace to hear God’s voice and asked him to change my heart if he was indeed calling me to the priesthood. Through active ministry in my parish, participation in Diocesan Discernment events, and living a sacramental life, I clearly heard God’s invitation to further discernment in seminary. I cannot and will not stand here today and tell you for sure that I am called to be a priest, but I will tell you that God has asked me to put my plans aside and to follow him by continuing to discern His will for my life in seminary.

I would like to speak to the parents that are here tonight / this morning. I would ask that each of you encourage your child to consider his / her vocation carefully. Be open to the very real possibility that God may be calling your son or daughter to a life as a priest or a religious sister. Be active in the life of your parish and instill in your children a sense of priority in loving and serving God and his church. Encourage your child to participate in youth groups and other organizations within the church. Make it clear to your child that while pleasure may be found in the things of the world, true happiness is found in following the will of God. I don’t need to try and convince any of you that your child is a special gift from God. I will, however, point you to the words of St. Matthew’s Gospel when in talking about the gifts we have received it says, “without cost you have received, without cost you are to give.”

To the young people that are here, I echo Pope John Paul II’s words when he said, “Do not be afraid.” Do not be afraid to follow God’s will for your life. Do not be afraid to say “No” to the temptations and empty promises of a society who has little room for God in their daily life. Remember that your vocation, whether it is a call to marriage, single life, priesthood, or religious life, is a direct invitation from God to live your life in the manner that will bring you the most joy and happiness. Do not expect God to reveal his will to you in the form of a text message, certified letter, on Twitter, or on Facebook. You will only hear the sweet sound of God’s voice when you quiet your hearts and free yourself of all distractions so that you can listen closely to what it is He is saying to you.

The second reason for my visit, and perhaps the most important, is to say, “Thank you.” On behalf of all of the Austin seminarians I would like to thank you for all of your love, your prayers, and your continued financial and spiritual support. We all feel truly blessed to be called to discern God’s will for our lives in a diocese that is filled with such faithful people. Please be assured of our sincere gratitude and our prayers for you and those that you love.

Finally, I leave you with a verse of scripture that my brother passed on to me many years ago. It comes from Chapter 3 of Proverbs and it says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, on your own intelligence rely not; In all your ways be mindful of him, and he will make straight your paths.”

Thanks and God Bless.

Have a good week everyone!

Pax Tecum,
Tom

"It's good that we are here..."

These were the words of Peter as he stood on the mountain with James and John and witnessed the Transfiguration of our Lord. I love the gospel reading about the Transfiguration. For the most part this is because I was born on August 6^th which is when the church celebrates the Feast of the Transfiguration. Each year as I celebrate my birthday I always listen to this gospel story and think about my life.

As I heard the gospel yesterday, I was serving Mass at my home parish, St. Thomas Aquinas in College Station. Even before the Mass as I entered the church and began to pray, I could not help but think to myself, “it is good to be here.” For those of you who have seen it, you know how special the crucifix in the sanctuary of the church is. I love to go in the church, sit down, and stare up at the crucifix. I tend to get lost in prayer and am oblivious to the people around me. It usually isn’t long before someone comes up to say hello and welcome me home. I usually return the greeting and then turn back to the cross.

This weekend was just one of those weekends where everything seemed to come together. I have never felt more at home than I did this weekend. I am surrounded by friends, family, former co-workers, and some other people that are very special to me. When I am around these people, it is easy for me to see the glory of God. The world is transfigured into a place where I can see the hand of God working in my life. It is all so clear and easy to see. However, it’s not always like that is it?

Like most people, there are times in my life when I question the things that seem so fundamental to my existence. I question what it is that God wants me to do with my life. I question my behavior at times and wonder if I could have handled certain situations better. I have made career changes. I have bought and sold my possessions. I have moved away from friends several times only to be blessed with more relationships while maintaining the old (albeit in a different way). However, there are times when you wonder if you are getting it right. There are times when I question my decisions and wonder if I got it all wrong. Like most of you, I have doubts from time to time. I think anyone who is willing to take off the masks that we wear from time to time and really look at their lives will experience some doubt every now and then.

Despite the doubts from time to time, there are almost always moments of great clarity that come through prayer. Yesterday was one of those times of clarity. As I prayed during communion, I looked around the church and again thought to myself, “It is good to be here.” I was thinking to myself, “How did I end up here? How did this place end up being my home?” You see, I came to College Station twelve and a half years ago to attend college. I had no plans of staying here. I did not have any family here. After college, my friends moved away and got married. I made new friends, started and finished one career, and eventually took steps towards discovering my call to seminary. Objectively it makes no sense why these people that I was watching come forward for communion would become my family. I realized that for me, my home is in the Church. Everything just seemed to make sense in those moments of prayer. I felt at home. Like Peter, I wanted to pitch three tents and stay a while. I wanted to stay on top of that mountain and never come down. And yet, I knew that my stay would be short. While I don’t mean to relate seminary to the cross, to be honest, it can be a cross at times. It can be a cross the same way a job, family issues, financial issues, etc can be a cross in your life. Many times we simply do not want to come down the mountain and face them. However, I have come to learn that it is in those moments of the cross that we are able to show our love for God the most.

I guess the point that I am trying to make is that God is constantly offering us opportunities to be on top of the moment and witness his glory in all its majesty. We have to take the time though to recognize them and to enjoy them. It is the strength and consolation that we get in those moments that allows us to go out and love and serve the Lord in our love and service to our brothers and sisters.

This morning I was given another gift by being able to sit and have breakfast with my best friend and his young daughter. While I miss being able to hang out with him as often as I would like, there is something special about seeing a dad and his daughter spend time with each other. To be honest, I wanted to pitch a few tents again and live in that moment for a while. Any of you who have had children know that there is a limited shelf life though to the happiness and cooperation of an eighteen month old before a nap is needed.

I am sitting here in a coffee shop in College Station relaxing before I meet a friend for lunch. I have a busy couple of days ahead meeting with different people and visiting friends before I move on to Austin for a few days. Next weekend, I will be in Kyle, TX visiting a parish and giving a talk on vocations after communion. I will return Sunday night to seminary close to midnight. So, while it will be time to come down off the mountain soon enough, I think I will just sit here at the top for a while and take in the dazzling white view of the glory of God.

Pax Tecum,

Tom

Out of the Desert...

This past Saturday, I did something that I rarely ever do. I took a day to myself. I woke up late (around 9:30) after being out late the night before and went to get breakfast by myself. The night before I went to a Barnes and Noble in Southlake, TX and picked up a few books. On this particular trip I picked up Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather. Now I have read this book in high school and probably still have a copy of it somewhere, but I felt the desire to read it again. I remembered that the imagery in the book and the descriptions of the landscapes were wonderful. I figured it would be a good way to escape for a bit and really dive into a book. So, at breakfast, I sat and drank my coffee and leisurely read my book. I wasn’t in a hurry to do anything in particular.

After breakfast I went to the movie theater and bought tickets for Slumdog Millionaire. I did not have a particular desire to see the movie but heard it was good and did not like the looks of the other movies that were showing. I talked to my nephew, brother-in-law, and sister before going into the movie. A few other friends sent me a text here and there. That was when I decided that if this was really going to be a day to myself I needed to ignore the phone. I made it through most of the movie and enjoyed the story. I thought the movie was predictable but it was entertaining all the same. Unfortunately due to the amount of coffee I drank at breakfast and the large diet coke I treated myself to, I had to run out right after the main character answers the last question on the game show. By the time I returned, the movie was over and the credits were rolling. At first, I was disappointed because I did not find out if the guy got the girl in the end. Then I realized that I did not care. In my mind, the guy ended up with the girl…the love of his life. Who would of thought that I was a romantic huh? I walked out of the movie smiling and was happy with my decision to put the two together (I have since learned the actual ending of the movie).

After the movie I headed over to Holy Family of Nazareth in Irving, TX. A friend of mine is the Director of Youth Ministry there but I knew he was out of town. I sat in the chapel for about two hours praying and reading Death Comes for the Archbishop. It was a fruitful time of prayer and for me. I could not have thought of a better way for me to spend my Saturday afternoon. I was alone with God (i.e. the love of my life). I know it is a little cheesy to hear me say that, but I have come to realize the truth in that statement.

Towards the end of my prayer time, an older (he was not the pastor and I presume he was a retired priest) came in and sat down. He walked with a cane and had some difficulty getting up and down in the chair. As he sat down, he pulled out his rosary and began to pray. I decided that I would pull mine out as well and pray along with him in silence. After about twenty minutes, and with considerable effort, he got up and went to the confessional to hear confessions. I had already planned on going to confession and so I was happy to know that he would be hearing my confession. As I looked at that priest, I realized that I know nothing about him. I don’t know what assignments he has had or how long he has been ordained. I don’t know all the ups and downs of his life, but what I do know is that after many years, he takes the time and considerable effort to spend time with God before doing the work that God has asked him to do. I admired his dedication and his commitment. He was doing what God asked him to do as best as he could do it.

I went to Mass after confession and was happy to be in a parish again. I miss my parish family and I miss going to Mass with families. We have really good liturgy and good music at the seminary but it is always a joy to be at Mass in a parish. After Mass, I went to dinner with some friends and had a great night.

Now I will get to the point of the blog. I apologize for the length but thank you for your patience (for the two of you that read this). As I was reading Death Comes for the Archbishop I was thinking about the stories surrounding the main character, Fr. Latour. Fr. Latour is a French priest who came to America and was made the Bishop of New Mexico just after it became a part of the United States. Bishop Latour’s responsibilities often required him to travel alone on horseback through the rough terrain and desert areas of the New Mexico territory. On one particular trip, Bishop Latour had been without water for some time. His horses were literally dying of thirst beneath him. After everything he had been through and after being obedient to God and doing what God asked him to do, he risked dying for lack of water. Such a death seemed unlikely in a land full of thieves, violent Indians, and other threats to life. Just as the Bishop thought he could not go any further, his horses perked up and began to walk quickly. The Bishop guessed correctly that the horses smelled water.

There in the middle of nowhere lied an oasis. The Bishop found a small town centered around a source of fresh water. In fact, the town was called Hidden Water. The people of the town were so excited to see a priest that they almost did not believe that Bishop Latour was a priest. Bishop Latour spent the next few days witnessing marriages and baptizing children.

This story stuck out to me for several reasons. All of us, as we enter into Lent can relate to the imagery of the desert. We recount the story of the Israelites who were led around the desert for years until they were willing to yield to the will of God and follow his lead. We all know the stories of the desert Fathers who went off to pray, face their temptations, do penance, and more. We know that Jesus Himself went off to distant places to pray. The desert, for many of us, is a time of struggle. It is a time to be stripped of many of the comforts and distractions in life so that we can become more attuned to the voice of God and His will for our lives. While the desert is not always a pleasant place to be, it can be fruitful. The Israelites were eventually delivered to the promise land. Jesus returned from the desert having encountered Satan and remained obedient and faithful to the Father. Prior to that John the Baptist came out of the desert with the message to “Prepare the Way.” Good things come out of the desert.

Like the story in the book, though, God will often provide little oases and sources of life. Now please know that I am not reflecting on my own spiritual condition as it stands now, but I have been in the desert before. Each time that I have been there, I am amazed by the gifts that God has given me. It is only now that I am able to recognize them and even appreciate them. Often times they are something as simple as a kind word from a friend, a card in the mail, a new friendship, or an unmistakable sign of God’s love for me. Like the Hidden Water, they are the source of life that I need to continue my journey. They are the source of strength that I need to continue to do what I believe God asks me to do each day (especially in the little things). They are the source of faith that I need to withstand the blinding sandstorms that not only cause me to lose sight of my path but also can wear me down like a rock in a tumbler. When these hidden sources come, it is good to stop, take some time, do the things that God has created you to do, and then prepare to continue the journey until, one day, at last, we arrive home.

I wish you all a time of spiritual renewal and peace during this Lenten season. Please be assured of my prayers and please continue to pray for me and more importantly my seminarian brothers. I have a busy week and a half to go with three midterms and other tasks but in just ten short days I know that I will be home.

Pax Tecum,
Tom