In Brief (cont’d)

The Resurrection of Christ | Noel Coypel

(2191) The Church celebrates the day of Christ’s Resurrection on the “eighth day,” Sunday, which is rightly called the Lord’s Day (cf. SC 106).

(2192) “Sunday . . . is to be observed as the foremost holy day of obligation in the universal Church” (CIC, can. 1246 § 1). “On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass” (CIC, can. 1247).

(2193) “On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound . . . to abstain from those labors and business concerns which impede the worship to be rendered to God, the joy which is proper to the Lord’s Day, or the proper relaxation of mind and body” (CIC, can. 1247).

(2194) The institution of Sunday helps all “to be allowed sufficient rest and leisure to cultivate their familial, cultural, social, and religious lives” (GS 67 § 3).

(2195) Every Christian should avoid making unnecessary demands on others that would hinder them from observing the Lord’s Day.

Chapter Two. “You Shall Love Your Neighbor as Yourself”

Jesus said to his disciples: “Love one another even as I have loved you.”

(2196) In response to the question about the first of the commandments, Jesus says: “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

The apostle St. Paul reminds us of this: “He who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,’ and any other commandment, are summed up in this sentence, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”

Article 4. The Fourth Commandment

Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God gives you.

He was obedient to them.

The Lord Jesus himself recalled the force of this “commandment of God.” The Apostle teaches: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother,’ (This is the first commandment with a promise.) ‘that it may be well with you and that you may live long on the earth.’”

(2197) The fourth commandment opens the second table of the Decalogue. It shows us the order of charity. God has willed that, after him, we should honor our parents to whom we owe life and who have handed on to us the knowledge of God. We are obliged to honor and respect all those whom God, for our good, has vested with his authority.

Source: USCCB

II. The Lord’s Day (cont’d)

The Sunday Eucharist

Pope Benedict XVI celebrates Mass in the UK

(2177) The Sunday celebration of the Lord’s Day and his Eucharist is at the heart of the Church’s life. “Sunday is the day on which the paschal mystery is celebrated in light of the apostolic tradition and is to be observed as the foremost holy day of obligation in the universal Church.”

“Also to be observed are the day of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Epiphany, the Ascension of Christ, the feast of the Body and Blood of Christi, the feast of Mary the Mother of God, her Immaculate Conception, her Assumption, the feast of Saint Joseph, the feast of the Apostles Saints Peter and Paul, and the feast of All Saints.”

(2178) This practice of the Christian assembly dates from the beginnings of the apostolic age. The Letter to the Hebrews reminds the faithful “not to neglect to meet together, as is the habit of some, but to encourage one another.”

Tradition preserves the memory of an ever-timely exhortation: Come to Church early, approach the Lord, and confess your sins, repent in prayer. . . . Be present at the sacred and divine liturgy, conclude its prayer and do not leave before the dismissal. . . . We have often said: “This day is given to you for prayer and rest. This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

(2179) “A parish is a definite community of the Christian faithful established on a stable basis within a particular church; the pastoral care of the parish is entrusted to a pastor as its own shepherd under the authority of the diocesan bishop.” It is the place where all the faithful can be gathered together for the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist. The parish initiates the Christian people into the ordinary expression of the liturgical life: it gathers them together in this celebration; it teaches Christ’s saving doctrine; it practices the charity of the Lord in good works and brotherly love:

You cannot pray at home as at church, where there is a great multitude, where exclamations are cried out to God as from one great heart, and where there is something more: the union of minds, the accord of souls, the bond of charity, the prayers of the priests.

The Sunday obligation

(2180) The precept of the Church specifies the law of the Lord more precisely: “On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass.” “The precept of participating in the Mass is satisfied by assistance at a Mass which is celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the holy day or on the evening of the preceding day.”

(2181) The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor. Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin.

(2182) Participation in the communal celebration of the Sunday Eucharist is a testimony of belonging and of being faithful to Christ and to his Church. The faithful give witness by this to their communion in faith and charity. Together they testify to God’s holiness and their hope of salvation. They strengthen one another under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

(2183) “If because of lack of a sacred minister or for other grave cause participation in the celebration of the Eucharist is impossible, it is specially recommended that the faithful take part in the Liturgy of the Word if it is celebrated in the parish church or in another sacred place according to the prescriptions of the diocesan bishop, or engage in prayer for an appropriate amount of time personally or in a family or, as occasion offers, in groups of families.”

Source: USCCB

On Thursday, September 17, 2009, the seminary community welcomed Christopher West, who came to share a bit about John Paul II‘s Theology of the Body. At the time of his visit, Mr. West had been receiving criticism of many people stating that his commentary on the JPII’s work had been misrepresented by the Theology of the Body Institute. However, the seminarians here can attest to the powerful ministry of Christopher West and the institute he founded. The day after his visit, Justin Cardinal Rigali (Archbishop of Philadelphia) and the Most Rev. Kevin Rhoades (then Bishop of Harrisburg) issued a joint statement in support of Christopher West. They wanted to “express strong support for the important work of the Theology of the Body Institute and, in particular, that of Christopher West.” They continued by saying: “We are convinced that John Paul II’s Theology of the Body is a treasure for the Church…yet its scholarly language needs to be ‘translated’ into more accessible categories…and we believe that Christopher West, the Institute’s popular lecturer and spokesman, has been give a particular charism to carry out this mission.”

On Thursday, September 24, 2009, the seminary was consecrated to Mary under the title of New Eve and Star of the Sea. Archbishop-Designate Thomas Wenski came down for the consecration celebration and to bless a new mosaic designed by Peter Dionne, seminarian for the Diocese of Orlando.

Monsignor Michael Carruthers, Rector/President of the seminary wrote this about the various titles of Mary that were chosen: “The title of Mary as the New Eve points to obedience.  What was lost by the disobedience of the first Adam and Eve at the tree in the garden is regained by the New Adam (Christ) and the New Eve at the tree of the Cross.” He continued: “The title of Mary as the Star of the Sea points to hope.  Often our journey of faith can become difficult.  The waves can rise and toss us about.  In the midst of that struggle, Mary stands as a star guiding us into the safe harbor of her Son.”

On Thursday, November 5, 2009, the seminary community began the 50th Anniversary weekend with an alumni gathering in the refectory. “A display of historic photos and artifacts, including the first seminary journal, was present.  The alumni were extremely excited to be back on campus, and the stories and memories were flying.  All eras of the past fifty years were represented.  For some of the alumni present, it was their first visit back since graduating.” The cocktail reception was the beginning of a very grace-filled weekend for all of the seminarians, especially for me.

The alumni reunion weekend continued with an Alumni Morning of Recollection. The alumni were invited to sit at the feet of the Lord, focusing on Him who calls us all together. The morning also included a panel sharing, where alumni and faculty members shared memories of the seminary. It was a very special opportunity for the seminarians because we were given the chance to listen to stories of the significance of this most holy place by priest alumni, married alumni, and faculty members. An intimate journey with the Lord is one that is filled with great hope, compassion, mercy, love, and healing.

Following the Morning of Recollection, the seminary community hosted the 50th Anniversary Solemn Vespers liturgy and the main banquet for the weekend. Over 300 people attended both events, illustrating the tremendous impact St. John Vianney College Seminary has had on the Catholic Church in Florida.

On Saturday, the most significant and grace-filled event of the reunion weekend took place with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.

[W]ith roughly three hundred people filling the main nave of the chapel, fifty concelebrating priests, and four concelebrating bishops, Archbishop John C. Favalora celebrated the 50th Anniversary Mass of St. John Vianney College Seminary.  The procession entered to the sound of trumpets and timpani as the Schola Cantorum sang “Go Up to the Altar of God.”The Archbishop gave the homily, reminding all present that a big part of the seminary experience can be found in the stories told during the weekend, and the characters remembered.  He spoke of the importance of a college seminary and reminded all present, particularly his own priests, to support the work of the seminary with their prayers and their monetary contribution.  He announced his intention to ask all the priests of the Archdiocese of Miami to make a donation this year to the Seminary Trust in honor of the Golden Jubilee.

At the end of the Mass, Msgr. Michael Carruthers came forward to announce the recipient of the Cure d’Ars Award.  The Award is the seminary’s highest honor and is given each year to an individual or group that has supported and uplifted the ministry of priestly formation.  This year’s recipients are the Vincentian Fathers (Congregation of the Mission) of the Eastern Province, who staffed the seminary from 1959 until 1975.  Fr. Charles Krieg, a former faculty member, came forward to receive the award from the Archbishop.  In speaking, Fr. Krieg share that when he looks out at the crowd he does not see bishops, monsignors, priests, husband, fathers, but his “boys.”  He shared how proud he is of all of them.  He said that the Vincentian who had been assigned to St. John’s always considered it among the most important and special times in their lives, and he thanked the seminary for the honor bestowed upon the Vincentian Fathers.

After the Mass a stand-up reception took place in the refectory.  No one was in a rush to move on, and people stayed to savor every moment together.  The Archbishop announced that he was giving the seminarians a day off in honor of the Jubilee – news that was met with thunderous applause.

The 50th Anniversary weekend came to a close on Sunday, November 8, 2009 with a cookout outside the college building. “The weekend was one filled with many graces.  Our hopes for the weekend were very high. For months the seminary community was praying for the weekend, praying that it would be more than simply a party, praying that it would truly be an encounter with Christ and a vehicle of hope and healing.  Through God’s grace, the weekend exceeded our hopes.”

As you can see, this review of the year is already long enough and it only covers half of the year. As the seminary community comes to the close of another year with the celebration of Community Days, I will have a bit more time throughout the next couple of days to reflect on the year, counting all of the graces that have been granted by the Lord. More to come.

Pax.

PHOTO: (1) St. John Vianney College Seminary; (2) St. John Vianney College Seminary

SOURCE: St. John Vianney College Seminary

For Christmas, I am serving at St. Charles for the 7:00 p.m. Christmas Eve and Midnight Masses. I will also be playing my trombone with the choir at the 10:00 a.m. Christmas Mass. It is going to be an exciting time gathering family and friends together for the celebration of the Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The family will gather together on Friday evening to celebrate Christmas around the tree and the dinner table. Mom and Dad are definitely going to be cooking up a storm on Friday. But, the big family get-together will be on Saturday when we gather around Grandma’s Christmas tree and dinner table.

This time of year is meant to be spent with family and friends. While you are celebrating Christmas with your families, be sure to thank God for the wonderful gifts he has given you. I am so thankful for all that God has given me this year, most especially the newest addition to the Pringle family, Micah D. who was born in February. However, there are people out in the world that are not able to share this most special holiday with their families, including our troops fighting overseas, the homeless members of our society, and those who live in nursing homes. Please also remember them in your thoughts and prayers this Christmas Season.

May the Lord bless all of you and protect you during this most holy season. May the celebration of the birth of our Lord change your hearts and bring you closer to our Heavenly Father.

PHOTO SOURCE: St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church

Sunday, August 17th:
On Sunday, the new seminarians began, somewhat reluctantly, their four day silent retreat to reflect upon their journey to the seminary thus far. It gave all of us an opportunity to recall the days of the New Student Experience and how we have all come together as brothers in the faith. We were not able to use any kind of technology, including computers, cell phones, radios, televisions, etc. However, this was a gift from God, because we were able to recognize God’s presence in our daily lives.

Monday, August 18th – Wednesday, August 20th:
The retreat continued until Wednesday, when we were finally able to get our cell phones back from Reverend Doctor Rios (we just found out that he had been taking classes to become a doctor without anyone knowing – including Archbishop Favalora). When I finally got my phone back, I turned it on and was greeted by 41 messages!! YIKES!!

The retreat was an awesome experience! It gave us all the time we needed to have for prayerful reflection not only on these days here in the seminary, but for most of us, our entire lives. I was able to see that God has been present in my life the entire time. I just never really noticed! After the retreat ended and I discovered that my vocal chords did not disappear, I was able to voice what I felt touched me the most. When I was sitting in front of the Blessed Sacrament, a sense of peace and comfort came over me and I knew that God was with me.

Thursday, August 21st:
On Thursday, all of the Returning Men arrived at the college. They are great guys also!! We have all been getting along really well so far. In my book, we are no longer New Men and Returning Men; we are Men of the Church who are traveling the same road of discernment to the priesthood.

Friday, August 22nd: (Happy Birthday, David!!!)
Friday….what a day! It was jam packed with a lot of fun and some not so fun things. We all had to be up at 7:30 for Morning Prayer, which was a little difficult for the guys returning after a long summer break, but I was used to it. Then we had breakfast, got our books for the semester, and the New Men went out on a “Social.”

We carpooled to the Dadeland Mall, which is about 5 minutes to the south of the seminary, and walked to the MetroRail station (above ground rail system). From there, we went to Downtown Miami and attended Mass at Gesu Catholic Church (the oldest Church in the Archdiocese). Then we went shopping for awhile and got back on the train and departed for home. That night, however, the New Men had to vacate the property because the Returning Men had to go on their Day of Recollection (silent retreat).

Well, a group of us decided to go to see a ceremony where some ladies were installed as nuns. On the way home from the ceremony, we were coming down the Palmetto Expressway when we ran over an iron gate that was sitting in the middle of the road. Unfortunately, the SUV I was riding in got a flat tire. At the time, it was about 11:40 p.m. and curfew was at 12:00 a.m. We were only about 5 minutes from the seminary when we ran over this stupid gate and had to sit there waiting for the tire to get changed. But, because so many cars ran this gate over, the Florida Highway Patrol had to come out and take a report, which took some time. By the time we got back to the seminary, it was about 1:15 a.m. way passed curfew!! But the Dean of Men did get a call from us, so he knew we would be late. But, I got very little sleep last night!!

Saturday, August 23rd:
Today, the Archbishop of Miami came and celebrated a Mass of the Holy Spirit with us as we begin the school year on Monday. Following the celebration of the Eucharist, we had a HUGE dinner. Fr. Miguel even came down to see us for this special occasion. After dinner, we had a little bit of free time so a group of us went bowling and had quite a bit of fun!

Hopefully, I was able to catch everyone up on my week. It was a week filled with great triumphs! Even the flat tire was a blessing because we were able to do some apostolic work on the side of the road (make sure everyone was okay, make sure no one needed any help, etc.). All of the seminarians are looking forward to this upcoming year of formation as we are a community of joy!

I leave you with a couple of questions from our retreat to use to reflect upon your own relationship with our Heavenly Father. Where has God been present in your lives? When have you been aware of His presence? When have you neglected to notice His presence? Have you given thanks to God for all the gifts he has placed in your lives?

Bye for now………..