Oh boy...what a day. Feast of Sts Peter and Paul and the 60th anniversary of the ordination of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger otherwise known as our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI.
Today we celebrate the two great pillars of the Church upon whose lives the great and Holy Catholic Church was built: Peter and Paul. The two heads that look down upon you from the baldichino in the Basilica of Our Savior in Rome. The two saints, besides Our Lord and Our Lady, that have a Major Basilica in Rome named after them.
The hymn for Vespers is:
Decora lux aeternitatis, auream
Diem beatis irrigavit ignibus,
Apostolorum quae coronat Principes,
Reisque in astra liberam pandit viam.
Mundi Magister, atque caeli Janitor,
Romae parentes, arbitrique gentium,
Per ensis ille, hic per crucis victor necem
Vitae senatum laureati possident.
O Roma felix, quae duorum Principum
Es consecrata glorioso sanguine:
Horum cruore purpurata ceteras
Excellis orbis una pulchritudines.
Sit Trinitati sempiterna gloria,
Honor, potestas, atque jubilatio,
In unitate quae gubernat omnia,
Per universa saeculorum saecula.
Amen.
--- The beauteous light of God's eternal majesty
Streams down in golden rays to grace this holy day
Which crowned the princes of the Apostles' glorious choir,
And unto guilty mortals showed the heavenward way.
The teacher of the world and keeper of heaven's gate,
Rome's founders twain and rulers too of every land,
Triumphant over death by sword and shameful cross,
With laurel crowned are gathered to the eternal band.
O happy Rome! who in thy martyr princes' blood,
A twofold stream, art washed and doubly sanctified.
All earthly beauty thou alone outshinest far,
Empurpled by their outpoured life-blood's glorious tide.
All honour, power, and everlasting jubilee
To him who all things made and governs here below,
To God in essence One, and yet in persons Three,
Both now and ever, while unending ages flow.
Amen.
I also refer you to my older post, Petrine and Pauline Roots for more on the importance of Peter and Paul. Christ is the King and Eternal Priest but, after his death, he left his authority to Peter, gave him the keys to run the Church. With that, let us develop a holy devotion to the Seat of Peter and his successor, Pope Benedict XVI. We should pray for him daily.
Now, it just so happens that today, Pope Benedict celebrates his 60th anniversary as a priest:
There was a invitation going around the web to perform 60 hours of adoration specifically for the Pope and his intentions...I don't think it is too late to start now in thanksgiving for our Holy Roman Pontiff.
Well, here we are. So much to say and I have to run off to class. Maybe I will add to this later.
But I think a few pics and the Vatican Anthem should suffice:
AND YES, I AM A PAPIST AND PROUD OF IT!!!!!!!
Original Latin
O felix Roma – o Roma nobilis:
Sedes es Petri, qui Romae effudit sanguinem,
Petri cui claves datae sunt regni caelorum.
Pontifex, Tu successor es Petri;
Pontifex, Tu magister es tuos confirmans fratres;
Pontifex, Tu qui Servus servorum Dei,
hominumque piscator, pastor es gregis,
ligans caelum et terram.
Pontifex, Tu Christi es Vicarius super terram,
rupes inter fluctus, Tu es pharus in tenebris;
Tu pacis es vindex, Tu es unitatis custos,
vigil libertatis defensor; in Te potestas.
Tu Pontifex, firma es petra, et super petram
hanc aedificata est Ecclesia Dei.
Pontifex, Tu Christi es Vicarius super terram,
rupes inter fluctus, Tu es pharus in tenebris;
Tu pacis es vindex, Tu es unitatis custos,
vigil libertatis defensor; in Te potestas.
O felix Roma – O Roma nobilis.
Don Giovanni and I sung this hymn, poorly I might add, yesterday
An English translation
O happy Rome - O noble Rome
You are the seat of Peter, whose blood was shed in Rome,
Peter, to whom the keys of the kingdom of heaven were given.
Pontiff, You are the successor of Peter;
Pontiff, You are the teacher, you confirm your brethren;
Pontiff, You who are the Servant of the servants of God,
and fisher of men, are the shepherd of the flock,
linking heaven and earth.
Pontiff, You are the vicar of Christ on earth,
a rock amidst the waves, You are a beacon in the darkness;
You are the defender of peace, You are the guardian of unity,
watchful defender of liberty; in You is the authority.
Pontiff, you are the unshakable rock, and on this rock
was built the Church of God.
Pontiff, You are the vicar of Christ on earth,
a rock amidst the waves, You are a beacon in the darkness;
You are the defender of peace, You are the guardian of unity,
watchful defender of liberty; in You is the authority.
One constant theme that ran through my Academic Career at Notre Dame was my friendship. In fact, reflecting back, time spent with friends are my most precious and prized memories and what made places like Alumni Hall and the Library truly special.
I have heard a reference to Aristotle as describing 'A true friend as one soul in two bodies.' In fact he says in the Nichomachean Ethics:
"The perfect form of friendship is that between the good, and those who resemble each other in virtue. For these friends wish each alike the other's good in respect of their goodness, and they are good in themselves; but it is those who wish the good of their friends for their friends' sake who are friends in the fullest sense, since they love each other for themselves and not accidentally. Hence the friendship of these lasts as long as they continue to be good; and virtue is a permanent quality. And each is good relatively to his friend as well as absolutely, since the good are both good absolutely and profitable to each other. And each is pleasant in both ways also, since good men are pleasant both absolutely and to each other; for everyone is pleased by his own actions, and therefore by actions that resemble his own, and the actions of all good men are the same or similar.—Such friendship is naturally permanent, since it combines in itself all the attributes that friends ought to possess. All affection is based on good or on pleasure, either absolute or relative to the person who feels it, and is prompted by similarity of some sort; but this friendship possesses all these attributes in the friends themselves, for they are alike, et cetera, in that way. Also the absolutely good is pleasant absolutely as well; but the absolutely good and pleasant are the chief objects of affection; therefore it is between good men that affection and friendship exist in their fullest and best form." (NE1156b-1159a)
He then continues to say that "Such friendships are of course rare, because such men are few."...well good thing I am such a magnanimous man ;)
But seriously, we are by nature social beings. We are not meant, by nature, to be hermits in the mountains. This may be the calling of a few now due to the Fall but that is a different story. By nature, we are social beings and establish friendships and relationships. My prized memories...and what I miss most...are the nights talking to friends and just spending time with friends in the dorm or library or chapel or grotto or football games or etc...
Socrates and Plato were on to something that Philosophy is done in a dialogue. That which fully fulfills us as a human being, the life of a philosopher, is by nature...you guessed it... a social project. It is not a set of facts one learns in the privacy of his study. Not to say that there isn't the time needed to read and write. But all the private studying serves to enhance the conversation at conferences or smoke breaks.
One quote I loved is from Allan Bloom's The Closing of the American Mind:
"This sense of community is more important for them than any disagreements about the final things. Philosophy is not a doctrine but a way of life, so the philosophers, for all the differences in their teachings, have more in common with one another than with anyone else, even their own followers. Plato saw this in Parmenides, Aristotle in Plato, Bacon in Aristotle, Descartes in Bacon, Locke in Descartes and Newton, and so on...The real community of man, in the midst of all the self-contradictory simulacra of community, is the community of those who seek the truth, of the potential knowers...of all men to the extent they desire to know. But in fact, this includes only a few, the true friends, as Plato was to Aristotle at the very moment they were disagreeing about the nature of the good...They were absolutely one soul as they looked at the problem."
whoa...eerie
whoa...hilarious...
ok anywho
So then, this leads me to my last point (hope this is somewhat coherent..I just got back from Indiana where the good Parish of St. Catherines had their 'camp out' and it is now 1am ish. In my eyes, a lot of the Spiritual Battle and our life here on Earth is built on relationships. We are, as I have been saying, social beings. So then, who are we going to open ourselves up to a relationship with?
This last year, Morrissey Manor sponsored a talk on exorcisms on campus by an official exorcist from Chicago.
Among some of the great things he discussed, he talked about how possessions typically come about.
A big thank you here to Fr. Vierling, my rector at ND in the Manor for the correct info:
There are three doorways to diabolical influence: (1) cultivation of a habit of sin; (2) direct engagement with the occult (the things or activities we put in place of God to provide answers, rather than trustful submission to Divine Providence); (3) unhealed trauma as a result of abuse which leads a person to enclose oneself within the 'arena of darkness.'
What all three have in common, he said, was that they all open oneself up to a relationship with Satan. Even a mortal sin, which kills the life of grace within a soul, is inviting the Devil in and that is obviously horrible. The priest, conformed to Christ in Holy Orders, has the authority to call Satan by name (part of the Ritual is finding out who the demon is, by name) and commanding, not asking or pleading, but commanding the demon to leave.
So on this, the second celebration of Corpus Christi, let us strive to rid ourselves of sin (he also, brilliantly focused on making the point that Confession is more powerful than any exorcism...there is just fanatics attached to it), establish a relationship with Our Lord, and grow in a true, Aristotelean friendship with Him such that we are similar souls...that, we practice the virtues He exemplified for us in His Earthly Life. Ok I am really tired, I may elaborate on this later but I just wanted to make the point regarding relationships and that, even as Adam and Eve did, we must deny a relationship with Christ and accept a relationship with the Devil to fall into sin. Enjoy your day!
I just found this....which made me really happy. Roman Fiddlebacks. Pope in the Cathedra at the Lateran. Lace Surplices. :D
and
and
ah. I love the Feast of Corpus Christi. A lot like the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity, we adore God for the sake of adoring God...not some act or saint but God himself, hidden beneath the Eucharistic Veils of the Most Holy and Blessed Sacrament. We become without words in attempting to speak in any coherent and legitimate way about the Blessed Sacrament. I am always reminded of St. Thomas Aquinas who, of course, composed a new liturgy for the Feast including beautiful hymns of adoration to the Blessed Sacrament:
here he is, presenting the Mass to Pope Urban IV (not to be confused with Pope Rural...sorry, couldn't resist that horribly corny joke)
Pange lingua gloriosi
Corporis mysterium,
Sanguinisque pretiosi,
Quem in mundi pretium
Fructus ventris generosi
Rex effudit Gentium.
Nobis datus, nobis natus
Ex intacta Virgine,
Et in mundo conversatus,
Sparso verbi semine,
Sui moras incolatus
Miro clausit ordine.
In supremae nocte coenae,
Recumbens cum fratribus
Observata lege plene
Cibis in legalibus,
Cibum turbae duodenae
Se dat suis manibus.
Verbum caro, panem verum
Verbo carnem efficit:
Fitque sanguis Christi merum,
Et si sensus deficit,
Ad firmandum cor sincerum
Sola fides sufficit.
Tantum ergo Sacramentum
Veneremur cernui:
Et antiquum documentum
Novo cedat ritui:
Praestet fides supplementum
Sensuum defectui.
Genitori, Genitoque
Laus et jubilatio,
Salus, honor, virtus quoque
Sit et benedictio:
Procedenti ab utroque
Compar sit laudatio.
Amen.
----
Sing, my tongue, the Saviour's glory,
Of his flesh the mystery sing;
Of the blood, all price exceeding,
Shed by our immortal King,
Destined, for the world's redemption,
From a noble womb to spring.
Of a pure and spotless Virgin
Born for us on earth below,
He, as man, with man conversing,
Stayed, the seeds of truth to sow;
Then he closed in solemn order
Wondrously his life of woe.
On the night of that last supper
Seated with his chosen band,
He, the paschal victim eating,
First fulfills the law's command:
Then as food to all his brethren
Gives himself with his own hand.
Word made flesh, the bread of nature
By his word to flesh he turns;
Wine into his blood he changes:
What though sense no change discerns?
Only be the heart in earnest,
Faith her lesson quickly learns.
Down in adoration falling,
Lo! the sacred Host we hail;
Lo! o'er ancient forms departing,
Newer rites of grace prevail;
Faith for all defects supplying,
Where the feeble senses fail.
To the everlasting Father,
And the Son who reigns on high,
With the Holy Ghost proceeding
Forth from each eternally,
Be salvation, honour, blessing,
Might, and endless majesty.
Amen.
from this Vespers hymn, we get the tantum ergo used at any benediction:
(btw, this old dude is pretty baller)
Verbum supernum prodiens,
Nec Patris linquens dexteram,
Ad opus suum exiens,
Venit ad vitae vesperam.
In mortem a discipulo
Suis tradendus aemulis,
Prius in vitae ferculo
Se tradidit discipulis.
Quibus sub bina specie
Carnem dedit et sanguinem;
Ut duplicis substantiae
Totum cibaret hominem.
Se nascens dedit socium,
Convescens in edulium,
Se moriens in pretium,
Se regnans dat in praemium.
O salutaris hostia,
Quae caeli pandis ostium,
Bella premunt hostilia,
Da robur, fer auxilium.
Uni trinoque Domino,
Sit sempiterna gloria:
Qui vitam sine termino
Nobis donet in patria.
Amen.
---- The heav'nly Word proceeding forth,
Yet leaving not the Father's side,
And going to his work on earth
Had reached at length life's eventide.
By false disciple to be given
To foemen for his blood athirst,
Himself, the living bread from heaven,
He gave to his disciples first.
To them he gave, in twofold kind,
His very flesh, his very blood:
In love's own fullness thus designed
Of the whole man to be the food.
By birth, our fellow-man was he;
Our meat, while sitting at the board;
He died, our ransomer to be;
He ever reigns, our great reward.
O saving victim, opening wide
The gate of heaven to man below,
Our foes press on from every side,
thine aid supply, thy strength bestow.
To thy great name be endless praise,
Immortal Godhead, One in Three;
O grant us endless length of days
In our true native land, with thee.
Amen.
from which we get the O Saltuaris.
Finally there is the sequence:
Lauda, Sion, Salvatórem,
lauda ducem et pastórem
in hymnis et cánticis.
Quantum potes, tantum aude:
quia major omni laude,
nec laudáre súffÃcis.
Laudis thema speciális,
panis vivus et vitális
hódie propónitur.
O Sion, thy Redeemer praising,
Songs of joy to Him upraising,
Laud thy Pastor and thy Guide:
Swell thy notes most high and daring;
For His praise is past declaring,
And thy loftiest powers beside.
‘Tis a theme with praise that gloweth,
For the bread that life bestoweth
Goes this day before us out;
Which, His holy supper taking,
To the brethren twelve His breaking
None hath ever called in doubt.
Full, then, be our praise and sounding,
Modest and with joy abounding
Be our mind’s triumphant state;
For the festal’s prosecution,
When the first blest institution
Of this feast we celebrate.
In the new King’s new libation,
In the new law’s new oblation,
Ends the ancient Paschal rite;
Ancient forms new substance chaseth,
Typic shadows truth displaceth,
Day dispels the gloom of night.
When He did at supper seated,
Christ enjoined to be repeated,
When His love we celebrate:
Thus obeying His dictation,
Blood and wine of our salvation,
We the victim consecrate.
‘Tis for Christian faith asserted,
Bread is into flesh converted,
Into blood the holy wine:
Sight and intellect transcending,
Nature’s laws to marvel bending,
‘Tis confirmed by faith divine.
Under either kind remaining,
Form, not substance, still retaining,
Wondrous things our spirit sees:
Flesh and blood thy palate staining,
Yet still Christ entire remaining,
Under either species.
All untorn for eating given,
Undivided and unriven,
Whole He’s taken and unrent;
Be there one, or crowds surrounding,
He is equally abounding,
Nor, though eaten, ever spent.
Both to good and bad ‘tis broken,
But on each a different token
or of life, or death attends:
Life to good, to bad damnation;
Lo, of one same manducation
How dissimilar the ends.
When the priest the victim breaketh,
See thy faith in no wise shaketh,
Know that every fragment taketh
All that ‘neath the whole there lies:
This in Him no fracture maketh,
‘Tis the figure only breaketh,
Form, or state, no change there taketh
Place in what it signifies.
Bread, that angels eat in heaven,
Now becomes the pilgrim’s leaven,
Bread in truth to children given,
That must ne’er to dogs be thrown.
He, in ancient types disguised,
Was the Isaac sacrificed,
For the feast a lamb devised,
Manna to the Fathers shown.
Bread, whose shepherd-care doth tend us,
Jesu Christ, Thy mercy send us,
Do Thou feed us, Thou defend us,
Lead us where true joys attend us,
In the land where life is given:
Thou all ken and might possessing,
Mercies aye to us largessing,
Make us share Thy cup of blessing,
Heritage and love’s caressing
With the denizens of heaven.
Amen. Alleluia.
boy do I miss those sequences
Anywho, as I mentioned, the Feast is aimed at adoring Christ present in the Sacrament. It is different that Holy Thursday in which we commemorate the act of Christ instituting the Sacrament, washing the feet, etc. It was always to occur at the first free Thursday after Eastertide (to show the link to the Feast of the Last Supper) (yes, that includes the Octave of Pentecost). So there we are, we are called to adore the Body of Christ, nailed to the Wood of the Cross for the sake of our sins and salvation.
Again, now, I go back to the great Angelic Doctor. It is no accident that, having spent thousands of pages summing up Theology (Summa Theologiae), moving from the very simplicity of God and his existence, stops his project in his treatment of the Blessed Sacrament, claiming that mihi videtur ut palea (all that I have written seems like straw to me.) That is not to say that he is being overly humble; rather, it seems that, when treating the truths and realities that are present beneath the Eucharistic veils, no words are adequate and so he is left adoring on his knees.
When we receive Holy Communion, we are welcomed into a very privileged tenth choir of angels where we, as the angels do for all eternity, adore the Godhead. Though Aquinas may seem to some as confident, counting off his quinque viae, he would be the first to lay prostrate before our God fully and substantially present in the Blessed Sacrament: "I answer that, It is absolutely necessary to confess according to Catholic faith that the entire Christ is in this sacrament." (ST.IIIa.lxxvi.1) It is central and integral; the source and summit of all grace and the whole of a Christian life. It stems from and, finds nutrition in, and is brought to fulfillment in the Blessed Sacrament; that Body bruised and crucified for our sin; that same body St. Thomas the Apostle had the privilege of placing his finger in and that same body the saints, along with the angels, adore in Heaven forever.
To add to this, we get the commemoration of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist (halfway...almost due to, I think, faulty Roman counting...from Christmas on the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year so that "I may decrease so that He might increase"...that is, the days, after this longest day, start to get shorter) who was the first to recognize and point out the Lamb of God uttering the very same words we hear before Communion: "ecce agnus dei ecce qui tollis peccata mundi"
Deus, qui infirmitate nostrae ad terendam salutis viam in Sanctis tuis exemplum, et praesidium collocasti: da nobis, ita beati Gulielmi abbatis merita venerari, ut eiusdem excipiamus suffragia, et vestigia prosequamur. ---- O God, Who hast given unto us thy Saints to be an ensample and an help unto our weakness in following the path that leadeth unto life, grant unto us in such wise to honour the worthy deeds of the blessed Abbat William, that we may thereby both gain his prayers, and tread in his footsteps.
With that, let us go to Adore. We must find a reverence that has been lost to the Sacrament. Let us have our Processions. Let us knell and adore. Especially the Priest. The priest detached from the Sacrament will fail miserably. Thus, I end by begging you to pray for me, that I may grow ever closer to Our Lord substantially present in the Sacrament.
Why not, one more song:
and a quote from Archbishop Fulton Sheen who promised, at his ordination, to make a daily holy hour:
"When I stand up to talk, people listen to me; they will follow what I have to say. Is it any power of mine? Of course not. St. Paul says, 'What have you that you have not received and you who have received, why do you glory as if you had not?' But the secret of my power is that I have never in fifty-five years missed spending an hour in the presence of our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. That's where the power comes from. That's where sermons are born. That's where every good thought is conceived."
In that tiny white host, the fullness of God and truth and the logos and all that is and ever will be is contained. Come, then, let us adore that Sacrament formed in the Most Sacred Heart and Jesus and, for as St. Jean Vianney says: "Our Lord is hidden there, waiting for us to come and visit him and ask him or what we want. He is there, in the Sacrament of his love, sighing and interceding unceasingly for sinners before God his Father. He is thereto console us ... See how good he is! He adapts himself to our weakness... In heaven where we shall be triumphant and glorious, we shall see him in all his glory; if he had appeared before us now in glory, we should not have dared to approach him; but he hides himself like one in prison, saying to us, 'You do not see me, but that does not matter; ask me for all you want, and I will grant it you.'"
and
"All the good works in the world are not equal to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass because they are the works of men; but the Mass is the work of God. Martyrdom is nothing in comparison for it is but the sacrifice of man to God; but the Mass is the sacrifice of God for man."
and finally
"If we could comprehend all the good things contained in Holy Communion, nothing more would be wanting to content the heart of man. The miser would run no more after his treasures, or the ambitious after glory; each would shake off the dust of the earth, leave the world, and fly away towards heaven."
mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa...ideo precor...
anywho you know where that goes.
I do sincerely apologize though for not being able to write for a few weeks. I graduated from ND, entered the seminary, started a parish assignment, work at the chancery...in other words, life has been hectic and things have finally started to settle down.
So for the next few days, I will, unless something interesting (like the Fr. Corapi situation) comes up, talk about myself and my transition from a young Notre Dame undergrad into the substantial change into Notre Dame alumnus and a seminarian for the Diocese of Covington.
So graduation.
Somewhere back in May I completed my finals and graduated. I wrote a near 100 pages in that final week and slept, even for me, way too little. My thesis was handed back to me (if you would like to see an unfinished copy - yes it is still not done :) - just let me know) and I worked on that, a really great paper on Magnanimity and Aquinas for Mary Keys, a fun Paper on the Platonic/Aristotelean sources of the last prose of the de consolatione philosophiae by Boethius, and Lord knows what else...it was busy.
BUT ITS DONE and I graduated from Notre Dame. I miss it dearly. I miss my dome and I miss my Basilica. Most of all, I miss my very dear friends with whom I spent 4 years maturing, learning, praying, and discerning my call to the Priesthood. My roommates I would argue with over Ancient Philosophy. My Filii Mariae buds I would pray with and organize insane processions and Mass for Fr. Roy. But I am also super stoked about the future. I enjoy Northern Kentucky. The people are great, the Church Ladies are taking care of me, and the brother seminarians are awesome.
Now to quickly recap Senior Week and Graduation (pics will come later, when I find them).
All senior week, I ran errands. Tied up all my loose ends and turned in all my keys to the chapels and offices around campus. Cleaned out my stuff out of the Alumni Hall Sacristy. Ate my last dinners with Fr. Vierling, Fr. Coughlin, OFM, Fr. Roy, etc. Had my last meetings with Drs. O'Callaghan and Solomon and my last chat with Prof. Alasdair MacIntyre (he never got a PhD...)
Then the rents arrived. Showed them around. Ate with the Masons which was a rocking good time. Ate brunch the next day with the Argues and the Webers. From there, I snuck away from my parents to go to the Law School Commencement to support my buddies Arthur and Greg. Partied it up at the Mason's later that evening. It was a good time.
Then, the moment we were all waiting for. Commencement. Marched into the hallowed Stadium grounds to images like this:
The Very Right Reverend Monsignor Michael Heintz and the uber-intelligent Reverend Neil Roy.
by the way, the priest there on the right corner, Father Miscamble, CSC, i saw only a few moments earlier running up late from Malloy/Decio Hall :)
I got to walk through the tunnel:
And the ceremonies commenced. Our valedictorian was quite good and the guest speaker, Sec. of the State Robert Gates was really good. Of course, all the hype was over Louuuuuuuuuuu
Yes, that is right, Lou Holtz and I are classmates.
He received an honorary degree and the class of 2011 was chanting his name for most of the morning.
We then rushed for lunch and back to the JACC for the College ceremonies where we get that nice little slip of sheepskin worth +$200,000. That was boring for the most part though there was one extremely touching moment. During the middle of the longest ceremony, we noticed a man in a suit and his wife in a dress walk up. Most initially thought, 'who are these people and where are their caps and gowns.' Then, it kinda clicked. On April 24, 2009 the class of 2011 lost out classmate Kevin Healey to a 2.5 year long battle with cancer and the whole stadium stood up and applauded as his parent were awarded his posthumous degree.
From their, we went to take pictures, pictures and more pictures in front of any statue my mom could find and angle she could find on the Golden Dome. I said goodbye to them and packed up the rest of my stuff. That evening, my last evening on campus, the senior class gathered at the Main Steps and had one last bottle of champagne/beer/wine/water? to celebrate the wonderful memories and friendships that will last till the day we die. Best four years of my life? absolutely. Will it all be downhill from here. Absolutely NOT. I am going on from here to study and prepare for the Sacred Priesthood. Yeah that just may top my ND experience haha. But seriously, I will forever treasure those 4 years; the painting my body green for Football games, the solemn processions for May Crownings, Michelmasses, and Candlemasses. The Bishops walking around. The leaves falling. The snow falling (and never leaving). I will remember the birthday parties for Our Lady; the episodes of the Divine Office, the Octave of HollyWill. I will never forget my experiences as an RA this year, the 40 Hours to organize, the interaction with many holy Holy Cross priests. The conversation till 4am in the Lobby of my Dorm discussing some obscure point in Aristotle or Orthodox Christianity with the Buttach, Brittone (Br. Raymund), Memo, and Colum. Like I said, I what I miss most of all is the friends I can no longer see everyday in the DH or in the classroom or in the chapel. I miss Fiddler's Hearth. Deo Gratias for Facebook and Gchat and Skype and texting. I long for the day to walk on campus again and a mighty alum haha and to hopefully be there for one last Center for Ethics and Culture conference, presenting a paper with Colum and Dr. Langen. If feels like just yesterday, I was driving up Notre Dame Ave to the sight of the Golden Dome in the sky as a young and eager, yet nervous frosh going through orientation, learning the chants and the dances for the first time and now I have completed four fulfilling and awesome years full of learning, praying, growth, maturation, and discernment. And here we are, a little smarter, a little wiser, and a tad more mature, I set out into the real world, Walking down the steps of main building, we walk from the mantle that is Our Lady's university and into the receiving arms of Our Lord's Most Sacred Heart, and with our hearts like His, we set out to 'fix this world' we live in, full of that same excitement and eagerness, and nervousness.
I will miss ND greatly. Yet, at the same time, I am super stoked to be a full-fledged seminarian. The countless hours in adoration for my ND (and non-ND) friends. To foster a closer relationship with Our Lord and to strive for a union of our hearts such that I may be a holy priest. For, as St. Jean Vianney once said, 'I would only pursue the priesthood if only I may be a holy priest.' And with that, I leave you with a poem written at the beginning of the 20th century. Goodnight and I will do my best to get over all this mushy talking about myself and back to interesting things in this next week...there is still seminary and candidacy to cover.
And I will forever Love thee Notre Dame:
Farewell, Dear Alma Mater, Notre Dame,
At last a fond farewell;
Beneath the fair and hallowed walls
No longer shall I dwell.
When first, a glint upon the dome,
I saw the sun's bright rays,
I little knew how joy on joy
Would throng my college days;
Ah little did I know the bliss
I'd share with comrades true.
Safe guarded of the loving heart,
Beneath the Gold and Blue.
Farewell! Ah yes, a sad farewell!
Forth in the world I fare,
To struggle onward duty calls
Life's heavy load to bear.
But though I wander far and wide.
No matter where I roam.
In memory often shall I dwell
