April 24, 2008: Thursday of the Fifth Week of Easter (A)
(Audio of the Homily-Click Here)
These days one of the most common question that I’m asked is, “How much more time do you have left?” I look at my watch and say, “26 days, 12 hours, and 15 minutes.” Do you hear a hint of anxiousness? I’m sure many of us are anxiously waiting for the summer to arrive. But before we bolt out of the seminary door, Jesus has a message for us today. “Remain in my love.” He adds, “If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love.”
Our response to Jesus may be like that of the Rich Young Man who responded, “But I have kept all of the commandments. What more do I need to do?” Just as the Rich Young Man overlooked his wealth, we do have one area that we always neglect. And this is true for us seminarians, the faculty and staff, and those of us who are trying to get a degree for our own enrichment. That one neglected area is gratitude.
One of the things that my spiritual director has asked me to do before I left the seminary is to look back and see how God has used variety of persons and events to nurture my growth into a candidate for priesthood. To begin to look back, I thought it was interesting that the word ‘seminary’ has a beautiful image. The origin of the word means seedbed or nursery. It reminded me of my 2nd grade biology class project where we placed dried pinto beans on a bed of moistened cotton. Each week something different happened. A small stalk came out of the bean and took root. As the stalk began to elongate, a small set of leaves came out. We were reminded to keep the bed of cotton moist but not too much to drown the bean. We also learned that the bean grew even at night when no one was watching.
Our experience at the seminary is like that. For some of us it takes 6 years and for some 8 for our seed of vocation to take root and to reveal the leaves so that it can grow on its own. There are joyous days and unpleasant, if not uncertain nights. But at the end of the process, you realize that you have grown much. And even through the painful nights of experience, we learn that even those strengthen our stalk and roots. How thankful we should be toward God to have chosen us as seeds!
And for those of us who are faculty and staff, how we have learned that the growth of these seeds takes long time and patience. There are days when you stare at these seeds, there is not much growth. Yet over the years, they have grown slowly but surely. How thankful we should be toward God to be able to witness these seeds grow to maturity!
This week as I was praying before the Blessed Sacrament, Lord gave me an insight. Seeing how Jesus was present in the tabernacle 24/7 here at the Notre Dame Seminary, I realized that Jesus was earnestly praying to the Father 24 hours a day, 7 days a week that all the seeds planted here at this nursery and all the gardeners who look after them may persevere and bear fruit. How Jesus must be filled with joy as he watches all these seeds grow. And isn’t this his message for us today?
“I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete.”
(given at Notre Dame Seminary)
These days one of the most common question that I’m asked is, “How much more time do you have left?” I look at my watch and say, “26 days, 12 hours, and 15 minutes.” Do you hear a hint of anxiousness? I’m sure many of us are anxiously waiting for the summer to arrive. But before we bolt out of the seminary door, Jesus has a message for us today. “Remain in my love.” He adds, “If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love.”
Our response to Jesus may be like that of the Rich Young Man who responded, “But I have kept all of the commandments. What more do I need to do?” Just as the Rich Young Man overlooked his wealth, we do have one area that we always neglect. And this is true for us seminarians, the faculty and staff, and those of us who are trying to get a degree for our own enrichment. That one neglected area is gratitude.
One of the things that my spiritual director has asked me to do before I left the seminary is to look back and see how God has used variety of persons and events to nurture my growth into a candidate for priesthood. To begin to look back, I thought it was interesting that the word ‘seminary’ has a beautiful image. The origin of the word means seedbed or nursery. It reminded me of my 2nd grade biology class project where we placed dried pinto beans on a bed of moistened cotton. Each week something different happened. A small stalk came out of the bean and took root. As the stalk began to elongate, a small set of leaves came out. We were reminded to keep the bed of cotton moist but not too much to drown the bean. We also learned that the bean grew even at night when no one was watching.
Our experience at the seminary is like that. For some of us it takes 6 years and for some 8 for our seed of vocation to take root and to reveal the leaves so that it can grow on its own. There are joyous days and unpleasant, if not uncertain nights. But at the end of the process, you realize that you have grown much. And even through the painful nights of experience, we learn that even those strengthen our stalk and roots. How thankful we should be toward God to have chosen us as seeds!
And for those of us who are faculty and staff, how we have learned that the growth of these seeds takes long time and patience. There are days when you stare at these seeds, there is not much growth. Yet over the years, they have grown slowly but surely. How thankful we should be toward God to be able to witness these seeds grow to maturity!
This week as I was praying before the Blessed Sacrament, Lord gave me an insight. Seeing how Jesus was present in the tabernacle 24/7 here at the Notre Dame Seminary, I realized that Jesus was earnestly praying to the Father 24 hours a day, 7 days a week that all the seeds planted here at this nursery and all the gardeners who look after them may persevere and bear fruit. How Jesus must be filled with joy as he watches all these seeds grow. And isn’t this his message for us today?
“I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete.”
(given at Notre Dame Seminary)
