My Crooked Face

Just in case you have forgotten what I look like, here is a picture of me from Mexico. Yes, I know this is really corny to put a picture of me up on the blog. Who would want to see this anyway? It will be funny when, in a few months, we see how dorky this started out. Hey, at least you can say you were here from the beginning, for whatever it's worth.

Some Changes to the Blog

For the two or three of you who actually come to visit this poor site, you may have noticed that things look a bit different. With the help of Nick Winker, I am beginning to put some...how do you say...flare?...onto the page. See? I even have a picture of our Lady. I figure that as soon as I can get things looking nice, and as soon as I can learn how to post links, pictures, and interesting things, this is going to be one heck of a site. I'm not sure how.
Congratulations to all the First Year Theologians who received Candidacy tonight. Step one toward the priesthood is in the bag. Now the fun begins!

Building Renovation?

It appears that Archbishop Burke is intent on improving the seminary at all levels. Over summer break, he had well-known architect Duncan Stroik (sp?) at Kenrick, looking at the chapel. Now, you know as well as I do (or maybe not) that he would not have brought in the church architect unless he wanted to make some changes.
This afternoon, the theology students were invited to speak with some other architects who would supposedly be working on the rest of the building. They fielded ideas on how to improve the seminary structure: should we add rooms? Should we make an amphitheater? Should we make walkways and a park? Should we add elevators?
I must admit that I know nothing about this sort of thing, and when it comes down to it, I have no creativity or insight on how to improve buildings. If I were building a chapel or seminary, I would simply copy one of the old beautiful ones from Europe. Besides, we have a couple of architects (Dan Shaughnessy, Noah Waldman) who are now seminarians, and they seem to know what to do. Either way, it is pretty exciting to have these changes under way...all part of the wonderful things occurring at Kenrick. I doubt I will be here when everything is all done, and hopefully that means that I will be an ordained priest by then. Keep praying...

Welcome everyone!

Hello to my family. So far you (and two other guys who helped me do this) are the only ones who have this blog address. I don't really know what i am doing here in cyberspace because i know nothing about positing pictures or anything else. Hopefully I will be able to put up some nice shots of me and the seminary, and maybe we can keep in remote touch through this media.
Allow me to explain the name of the blog (blog, by the way, is short for web-log, for those who did not know). I made the consecration to Our Lady on the Feast of the Visitation of our Lady to her cousin St Elizabeth. I had unwittingly used the date from the old calendar, July 2nd, which is fine. Then, when I received a cooperator of Opus Dei, it was on the date of the Visitation in the new calendar. Wow! Our Lady must really want me to be close to that mystery! Of course, it is on this feast that we recall the words of our Lady's Magnificat: "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my savior..." In the Rosary, the special grace is charity, so I feel particularly challenged and supported in this regard.
Anyway, I was looking up the readings and prayers for the Feast of the Visitation and I found an interesting connection. In the reading from the Canticle of Canticles, we find the phrase: "columba mea, in foramínibus petrae, in caverna macériae, ostende mihi faciem tuam, sonet vox tua in áuribus meis: vox enim tua dulcis, et fácies tua decora." This means--"My dove (that is, God) in the clefts of the rock, in the hollow places of the wall, show me thy face, let thy voice sound in my ears: for thy voice is sweet and thy face is beautiful." And in the Gospel, we read that when Elizabeth speaks to Mary, she says, "Ecce enim, ut facta est vox salutionis tuae in auribus meis, exsultavit in gaudio ingans in utero meo." This means--"For behold as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb lept for joy."
Wow! Almost like it was planned that way! Ha ha. Anyway, sonet vox tua means something like "let your voice sound" and it connects both reading very well. I thought it appropriate to entitle my blog Sonet Vox Tua so that we can speak to each other, so that we can continue to listen to the voice of God in our lives, through the voice of our holy Mother. It may be corny, but it's the best I got.
I love you all!

Solemn High Mass

I would simply like to mention that the celebration of the Solemn High Mass on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross was one of the most memorable experiences of my life.