Comments for To Be, Or Not To Be: A Seminarian http://www.brooklynpriests.org/blog This is a great blog for the website www.brooklynpriests.org Sat, 06 Feb 2010 17:07:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Comment on FAQs by Fr. Kevin Sweeney http://www.brooklynpriests.org/blog/?p=160&cpage=1#comment-251 Fr. Kevin Sweeney Sat, 06 Feb 2010 17:07:24 +0000 http://www.brooklynpriests.org/blog/?p=160#comment-251 Thank you, Evans. As you know, The Truth is sometimes is painful and certainly the Truth that "all creation is groaning" has been evident in such a sad and painful way since the earthquake - at the same time the Truth makes us free and Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life (and the Reason for our Hope) that brings us from the death, pain, and darkness of Good Friday to the Joy & Peace of Easter. THANK YOU for your honesty and for your witness to the The Truth! Thank you, Evans. As you know, The Truth is sometimes is painful and certainly the Truth that “all creation is groaning” has been evident in such a sad and painful way since the earthquake – at the same time the Truth makes us free and Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life (and the Reason for our Hope) that brings us from the death, pain, and darkness of Good Friday to the Joy & Peace of Easter.
THANK YOU for your honesty and for your witness to the The Truth!

]]> Comment on Can anything good come of the priesthood? by Evans Julce http://www.brooklynpriests.org/blog/?p=63&cpage=1#comment-247 Evans Julce Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:04:42 +0000 http://www.brooklynpriests.org/blog/?p=63#comment-247 I know another set of good-natured, idealistic and highly romantic people. They were so good-natured they forgave even those who persecuted and put them to death. They were so idealistic, they believed that they could change the ruling establishment which promoted and exported fear, hate, oppression, and slavery. They were so romantic that they believed in the grossly absurd notion the God so loved the world He would give His only Son for the sake of its salvation. It's romantic both in the love-story sense and the artistic sense of extravagance and fantastical passion. These men and women who number in the billions have died in love with this beautiful Christian world. Most died in obscurity. Many died in agony under persecution for their naive hopes. For some it's just a story. But I live with 33 <del datetime="2010-01-28T04:44:26+00:00">hopeless </del> hopeful romantics who dare in a self-centered world to give up their lives for others with the anticipation that many will follow them and keep the absurd notion alive. It is, of course, only the ideal. One which every single Christian on planet earth fails to live properly each day. But with His grace, each of us gets better and better at imitating the man who lived for others. Thankfully not a single aspect of the story is too romantic or too naive for our reach, despite our inability to carry them out on our own. For we "can do all things in Christ" who strengthens us. I know another set of good-natured, idealistic and highly romantic people. They were so good-natured they forgave even those who persecuted and put them to death. They were so idealistic, they believed that they could change the ruling establishment which promoted and exported fear, hate, oppression, and slavery. They were so romantic that they believed in the grossly absurd notion the God so loved the world He would give His only Son for the sake of its salvation. It’s romantic both in the love-story sense and the artistic sense of extravagance and fantastical passion. These men and women who number in the billions have died in love with this beautiful Christian world. Most died in obscurity. Many died in agony under persecution for their naive hopes.

For some it’s just a story. But I live with 33 hopeless hopeful romantics who dare in a self-centered world to give up their lives for others with the anticipation that many will follow them and keep the absurd notion alive.

It is, of course, only the ideal. One which every single Christian on planet earth fails to live properly each day. But with His grace, each of us gets better and better at imitating the man who lived for others. Thankfully not a single aspect of the story is too romantic or too naive for our reach, despite our inability to carry them out on our own. For we “can do all things in Christ” who strengthens us.

]]> Comment on Can anything good come of the priesthood? by Dr. Vincent McCarthy http://www.brooklynpriests.org/blog/?p=63&cpage=1#comment-232 Dr. Vincent McCarthy Wed, 30 Dec 2009 00:26:40 +0000 http://www.brooklynpriests.org/blog/?p=63#comment-232 I'm a former Cathedralite, and still have a lot of respect and nostalgia for the old Church. But Jesus of Nazareth wanted nothing to do with priests, and would certainly roll his eyes at a priest-centered and nominally celibate Catholic Church. THe people on these blogs are good-natured, idealistic people, but highly romantic and more than a little naive. Alas, the medieval Christian world was very beautiful, and not unmeaningful, but simply not true on its own terms. I’m a former Cathedralite, and still have a lot of respect and nostalgia for the old Church. But Jesus of Nazareth wanted nothing to do with priests, and would certainly roll his eyes at a priest-centered and nominally celibate Catholic Church.
THe people on these blogs are good-natured, idealistic people, but highly romantic and more than a little naive. Alas, the medieval Christian world was very beautiful, and not unmeaningful, but simply not true on its own terms.

]]> Comment on Preparing For Ordination by Fr. Kevin http://www.brooklynpriests.org/blog/?p=79&cpage=1#comment-70 Fr. Kevin Thu, 03 Dec 2009 02:50:06 +0000 http://www.brooklynpriests.org/blog/?p=79#comment-70 Beautifully said, Alonzo! You and your classmates are in my prayers. Peace. Beautifully said, Alonzo! You and your classmates are in my prayers. Peace.

]]> Comment on Preparing For Ordination by Chris http://www.brooklynpriests.org/blog/?p=79&cpage=1#comment-53 Chris Fri, 27 Nov 2009 20:11:24 +0000 http://www.brooklynpriests.org/blog/?p=79#comment-53 True Confessions is a great film! It is one of my favORitE mOvies. glad you had a good retreat Alonzo. True Confessions is a great film! It is one of my favORitE mOvies. glad you had a good retreat Alonzo.

]]> Comment on Preparing For Ordination by George Tavares http://www.brooklynpriests.org/blog/?p=79&cpage=1#comment-51 George Tavares Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:59:24 +0000 http://www.brooklynpriests.org/blog/?p=79#comment-51 Congratulations. Please know that you and the rest of the men are always in my prayers. Congratulations. Please know that you and the rest of the men are always in my prayers.

]]> Comment on “Brothers Living in Unity” by Fr. Kevin http://www.brooklynpriests.org/blog/?p=55&cpage=1#comment-38 Fr. Kevin Sun, 01 Nov 2009 02:15:28 +0000 http://www.brooklynpriests.org/blog/?p=55#comment-38 Michaal, THANKS very much - sounds like your having fun - Thanks, also, for the GREAT picture! Michaal,
THANKS very much – sounds like your having fun – Thanks, also, for the GREAT picture!

]]> Comment on Honesty: balance for big kids by Fr. Kevin http://www.brooklynpriests.org/blog/?p=50&cpage=1#comment-37 Fr. Kevin Sun, 01 Nov 2009 02:14:10 +0000 http://www.brooklynpriests.org/blog/?p=50#comment-37 Thank you, Evans - beautifully said! Thank you, Evans – beautifully said!

]]> Comment on Brooklyn Seminarians become Acolytes by zee http://www.brooklynpriests.org/blog/?p=35&cpage=1#comment-32 zee Sun, 25 Oct 2009 03:24:09 +0000 http://www.brooklynpriests.org/blog/?p=35#comment-32 conGrats !!!!!!!! conGrats !!!!!!!!

]]> Comment on Honesty: balance for big kids by Rodnev http://www.brooklynpriests.org/blog/?p=50&cpage=1#comment-28 Rodnev Fri, 23 Oct 2009 02:23:31 +0000 http://www.brooklynpriests.org/blog/?p=50#comment-28 Thank you Evans for your honest reflection. So often we don;t even think to let God in on all the details of our lives--our fears, stuggles, etc. It is true that we should let him our doubts as well; when we give him our honest thoughts and feelings, He can meet us where we are His Truth can speak to us and heal us. So thank you Evans for your reflection and Praised be the Triune God for giving us the grace to be honest with Him. help us to grow in that grace of total honest and self-disclosure before the Lord, with the help and strength of the Holy Spirit at work within us. God bless you all. Rodnev Thank you Evans for your honest reflection. So often we don;t even think to let God in on all the details of our lives–our fears, stuggles, etc. It is true that we should let him our doubts as well; when we give him our honest thoughts and feelings, He can meet us where we are His Truth can speak to us and heal us. So thank you Evans for your reflection and Praised be the Triune God for giving us the grace to be honest with Him. help us to grow in that grace of total honest and self-disclosure before the Lord, with the help and strength of the Holy Spirit at work within us.
God bless you all.
Rodnev

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