Action packed weekend!
Yes, it’s been over a week since my last update. This is partially because I am pretty busy here with all sorts of things, and at the same time with such uninteresting things that I do not want to bother everyone with it! Classes are well under way and this means I am trying to keep up with studying and balancing my other activities. Sport, Hebrew, playing the harp and painting the new starter set for Warhammer 40,000 all seem to need some attention. To quote the Big Lebowski movie: “the Dude abides” – the same goes for this dude right here!
To give you some insight into seminary life and some of the other things we are doing here, allow me to tell you a little about last weekend. In the hassle of every day life, it seems just two more days that we have activities and can’t go out to do what we want… but if you look back at it, you realize it was a beautiful weekend for sure!
This Saturday was the ordination for the diaconate. In case you don’t know, every priest out there has first been ordained deacon, at least about a year before they are ordained priest. The ordination as deacon is part of the true Sacrament of Ordination, but just at a different level. When the Apostles back in the day couldn’t cope with all the things involved in Church ministry, they delegated the care for the widows and orphans to the deacons. Today, the deacons in the Church still care for the less fortunate, assist at the Altar and proclaim the Word of God.
It is entirely possible to become a deacon, even if you do not intent to become a priest. Since Vatican II, we’ve seen quite a few mature men, often married, aspire to become a deacon. So, last Saturday two of them were ordained by our bishop. Every ordination has something beautiful to it, because it is a Sacrament, you see Gods love and power working through it. However, these deacon students occasionally come down here in the weekends to study here, but we do not talk with them much (mostly since most students are away in the weekends). When it is actually one of your own brothers that gets ordained, you are, of course, much more involved.
That all notwithstanding, it was a beautiful day. And on such a day, the seminarians are quite involved with all sorts of things: we start with our morning prayer for the two candidates for the ordination, move on to organize everything in the house to receive a few hundred people. Everything from tables and chairs, to coffee and snacks – it has to be taken care of. Some help serve Mass, others take care of the relatives of the two deacon-candidates, and in between you might find a few spare minutes to feed yourself around lunch time. The cleaning up… guys, trust me, it’s a busy enough day! (If anyone wants to see what our cathedral looks like, click here for a 360 degrees panorama)
On Sunday we had about 150 members of our prayer group here (which is only a very very small part, but still, be thankful not all of them show up!!). One day a year we kinda want to say “thank you” to them for praying for us and new vocations, as well as pray together. About as hectic as an ordination, and energy-consuming, because you are talking with all these lovely interesting people, each of whom want to share something with you. Lectures and presentations, rosary prayers and Adoration, and a good few hours later, we all had some pizza. I didn’t do much that evening, except drink a few beers and watch the Big Lebowski, only like, the greatest comedy movie of all time. It always cracks me up 
Share Your Thoughts
Leave a comment to contribute to the discussion
To let us see what you look like, get a gravatar.