In A Semester Break

It's our semester break now and all the seminarians are away for their pastoral posting in the parishes except for the two seminarians in the Philosophy cycle who are attached to Missionaries of Charity (Mother Teresa's Home).

Chapel's New Crucifix

It is quite and peacful now with not much noise and the bustle of term life that I wonder if the environment here is like a 'cemetery'. Apart from the Fathers who are staying here, including myself, there are still the staff members who upkeep and maintain this place as life in the seminary continues, though at a slower pace.

Our chapel had gone through a small renovation that saw an addition of a crucifix just above the sanctuary. For the past 25+ years, the seminary chapel never had any big crucifix to call its own to adorn the sanctuary area. It had to use a standing or processional cross that was placed on a stand by the altar side. Now that we have a proper big crucifix, the chapel's sacred interior and environment is finally complete!

I wonder if we could get better with more vocation intake from now on?...

Meantime, there will be two milestones coming up for myself. One would be my years as a Catholic priest and the other would be as formator in this seminary. June 29 and October 1 would be those dates respectively. When I left this seminary after completing my studies and formation here some 9 years ago, I didn't figure to be back here again, least of all as a formator. Now I am coming full circle and I really don;t know if this gets any better or worse. But, as Christians and to be an authentic one at that - we walk by faith and not by sight (last weekend's 11th Sunday of Ordinary Times readings)!

June, June...

VatCupola59 (Photo credit: Annoysius)

This certainly is a fine situation here...

It has been almost a month since I have put up anything on this blog and the interval between one entry and the next has been erratic. I thought by my coming into the seminary and away from all the distractions that can be found in the parish, I could get some consistent writing done. But, so far that hasn't been the case. In fact, I have been compelled, more, to put aside this blog and procrastinate in doing up any entries here. Terrible...

I have let some important weeks past by, liturgical moments that carry significant impact in our lives, that it would be remiss of me not to just say a few short words that hopefully may capture their power and effect in our lives as Catholic Christians:

Pentecost

It is the Spirit! How sure are you that you are walking in and with the Spirit? Galatians 5 offer the template for all Christians to follow. When the Queen of England is in Buckingham Palace, the palace flies up their flags for all to see and know that she is around. What flags of the Spirit that we fly to show that we are in the Spirit if not that of love, peace, joy, ....

Trinity

The most difficult homily to do as the subject matter is just to transcendent for life that is more grounded on earth and reality. Yet, we already move into this mystery when we make the sign of the cross at every Mass, a sign that proclaims, God the Father loves the world so much that He sends His only Son all the way down to us, so that we may be gathered in the Holy Spirit.

Corpus Christi

Much ink have been poured to speak of this mystery of Christ that its profoundness cannot still be captured or appreciated well in a lifetime. A more profound passage that will help us reflect even deeper is from Jeremiah 31: 31ff. Every time we are at Mass and receive communion, we are fulfilling Jeremiah's prophecy! Remember that passage well - Jer 31: 31.

Meanwhile, our Seminary's semester break is here! Since that means no classes and any other activities, I am looking forward to do the following:

a. an entry for my blog of at least once a week.
b. the use of one or both of my telescope to view the night sky more often, unless bad weather or clouds abound.
c. more occasions in the day to use the telescope to view the Sun with a solar filter.

Those above, of course, are on top of my other basic spiritual exercises/activities that has to go on regardless of weather or the GSS.

Related articles

• Benedict XVI's Sermon for Corpus Christi: Jesus in our midst is the "beating Heart" of the home, city, country, territory

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• A Big Month, The Solemnities of June

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Love Is In the Air?

Today is Valentine's Day. So, you'd expect love to be in the air and so on.

I happened to pass by the Cathay Cineplex and opposite the road, where the traffic junction is along with the ERP gantry, lies the Presbyterian Church. It had a huge poster that was draped across its railings which said, "Love is not in the air, it is in the cross." Quite apt, I must say!

Love is a four letter word that has many times been taken for granted. With the frequency of divorces and breakdown of marriages these days (even among Christians!), Love and all its other related matters seem to be trivialised and seen as commodities to be thrown away when their usefulness seem to have gone. And we call ourselves civilised and modern today! *shake head*

Today's saints we celebrate are two special persons and none of them refer to a St. Valentine! If we can promote the love that God always meant us to be, it would be the best gift we can give to any of our love ones!