Some pics with Coach Childress and his wife...
Look! It's Coach Childress and his new quarterback! Ok, maybe its more like Coach Childress and his new water boy.
Another Lent come and gone. I hope your lent has been fruitful. Mine has been good. I haven't done everything I wanted to do. I haven't been as faithful to my penances as I would have liked but its ok. Its not about completing a certain number of tasks or checking things as done. Its about realizing that God's grace is alive and working in each of us. Its about responding to the Holy Spirit guiding us through life. By denying ourselves, we are saying I realize this Coke is good for me but that there is a greater good in the end for me, and that's what I really want. In the end its about being free. Free to naturally choose what is best. I'll talk more about freedom below.
Two Fridays ago, on the feast of St. Joseph, I had the pleasure with some of the other Viking fans of having dinner with Vikings' coach Brad Childress and his wife. My rector, Msgr. Checcio used to be the chaplain for the Philadelphia Eagles. He got to know Coach Childress is Catholic and who would come to the team mass every week. Coach Childress was the Eagles Offensive coordinator during that time. He is a good man and it was a night that I'll remember for a long time. And because I know you are all curious, he believes Brett will be back next year.
Soccer continues to go well, we are 4-1 with 2 regular season games left. I have one goal and two assists so far. I've been playing outside midfield which is more my sister Melissa's and my brother Joe's position. My sisters Naomi, Cassy, Rosie and myself have always played more center midfield. So I feel a little out of place on the outside. We play the perennial power house, Redemptoris Mater, the Neo Catechumen seminary the first Saturday after Easter break. If you wish to keep informed here is the ClericusCup official website.
My former rector Fr. Baer is in Rome as we speak. He visits here once a semester. SJV sends 10-15 guys each semester as a part of the Catholic Studies study abroad program through the University of St. Thomas. My cousin Kayla has participated in it before and my cousin Abby will come next Spring semester. Not only does he visit the SJV guys, he also makes a visit to the NAC. It is always a joy. This time specifically he gave a conference at the the NAC as a part of the preparations for diaconate class of 2010. I really miss his preaching. He is great at exhorting individuals to "be magnanimous" to "make no small plans." Its what the world and the Church needs. We, SJV alum, also got some time with him last night, and I was able to speak with him one on one yesterday as well, which was a real blessing. He was the first priest that really had an effect on me and continues to be a living model of the priesthood for me. This is his last year at SJV. I can't wait to see what he will do as a pastor of a parish.
My classes continue to go well. I enjoy Theology more and more. The more I learn the more I love the Catholic faith. It is so hopeful, so optimistic, and it is so real. One thing for example. I, like a lot of people, had a misconception of what Christian morality is. We think it is a set of obligations. And if that is the case that Christian morality is a bunch of obligations, then Christ didn't bring anything new. We hear of the Old Law and the New Law. St. Thomas Aquinas says the New Law is law only in the broad sense, it is first and foremost the Holy Spirit alive and working within us. With a correct understanding of Christian morality necessarily entails a correct understanding of freedom. Freedom isn't the ability to chose right or wrong, good or evil. The equal chance of choosing either. With this understanding, being more virtuous, more inclined to doing good would mean we are less free. This is incorrect. Our will has a natural tendency for the good. Freedom is true freedom when this natural tendency is enhanced and we are able to choose the good because it is what is most natural to us. Being free entails a sort of spiritual spontaneity. That we naturally and instinctively choose the good. This is why the Virgin Mary can be said to be the most free of all. It is not despite her immaculate conception, but because of it. Her will was always naturally drawn towards what was truly good.
I am currently planning my summer. At the NAC, we are expected to spend the summer between first and second year away from home, unless your bishop insists on the seminarian coming home (Bishop trumps NAC). My family, minus two, will be visiting mid June. I very much look forward to seeing them. After that, I'll be going to China. I'll spend the month of July in various parts of the East: Taiwan, Hong Kong, and mainland China. I'll be with Maryknoll missionary priests already established there. One priest in particular baptized 65 Chinese college students last Easter! After returning from China I intend on spending 2-3 weeks at a summer Catholic Youth Camp in the south of Italy. I hope to be a good witness to the youth as well as improve my Italian during that time.
I pray your Easter Triduum is a prayerful and fruitful time. Try to attend each part of it, the Mass of the Lord's Supper (Thursday evening), The Celebration of the Lord's Passion (Friday evening), and the Easter Vigil (Saturday evening). Our whole life and being is centered around this mystery, the Paschal mystery. You'll notice a number of unique things, particular to the Triduum. For example, all three celebrations are considered one continuous liturgy, no consecration of the Eucharist Friday evening, and the singing of the Gloria and A-word during the Easter Vigil for the first time in over 40 days. God bless!
