Morning Musings...

Top O' the Morning!

'Tis a beautiful morning here in the Eternal City- the sun is breaking through the clouds and the good visibility makes the snow-capped mountains visible in the east.

Yesterday was our last day of classes of the first semester at the Gregorian here in Rome!  Can't believe how fast time flies!  Next week, we begin final exams and this runs through the second week of February.  

A couple of weeks ago, I was instituted as Lector with the rest of my New Man class here at the NAC!  Also, I have much more updates to share with you here, so look for them soon!

As I'm sitting here about to pray my "Coffice" (That is a seminarian nickname for praying the Divine Office or Breviary/Psalter while drinking a nice cup of coffee.  Haha!) - I'd like to share with you a couple of quotes that I found inspiring.

 

The path to the priesthood is a profound gift of grace, and like any vocation to which we are called, it comes with its own unique challenges, and yet, I am constantly amazed by the overwhelming goodness of the Lord.  So often, we can ask ourselves why the Lord chose us for a specific mission, task, or purpose.  It is during these moments, when Christ seeks to remind us of our Father's Divine Providence, wisdom, and love.  God is so good to His children, and He constantly seeks to draw us ever closer to Himself, so that we may share His light, love, and hope with others.

The famous theologian and philosopher in the early centuries of the Christian Church, Saint Augustine of Hippo (+ 430 AD), remarks:  

"And because we find something like this written: God chose the weak things of this world to disconcert the strong, and the low-born things of this world he chose, and the things that are not like those that are, that the things that are might be brought to nothing (1 Cor 1:27-28), we have to remind ourselves that our Lord Jesus Christ came not only for the salvation of the poor but also of the rich, not only of commoners, but also of kings.  He refused, all the same, to choose kings for his disciples, refused rich people, refused the nobly born, refused the learned; but instead he chose poor, uneducated, low-born fishermen, in whom his grace would shine through more clearly.  He came, you see, to give the potion of humility and to cure pride.  And if he had first called a king, the king would have said that it was his rank that was chosen; if he had first called a learned man, he would have said it was his teaching that was chosen.  Those who were being called to lowliness and humility would have to be called by lowly and humble people.  And so it is that Christ did not gain a fisherman through an emperor, but an emperor through a fisherman."


The above quote is a powerful reminder that regardless of our state of life, God looks tenderly in a special way on all those who trust in Him and live lives of humble gratitude seeking to share His gifts of peace and joy with all.

Let me close with a beautiful hymn found in today's entry in the Magnificat prayer book:

"Be still, my soul- the Lord is on thy side!
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide-
In every change he faithful will remain.
Be still my soul- thy best, thy heav'nly friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.


God love you and remember life is worth living!