First become good sons...
Written at the request of the pastor for the June 3, 2018 bulletin at Immaculate Heart of Mary, Grand Rapids:
“We must first become good sons, and then good brothers, if we ever hope to become good fathers.”
These words are taken from what was, for me, the most memorable homily of the over two-hundred I heard in this first year of formation at Saint John Vianney College Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota. In preaching them, Father John Whitlock (Diocese of Lansing) accurately summed up the entire process of formation called for by our seminary’s mission/motto, which is to form “men in Christ, men of the Church, and men for others.”
The basis of my daily life as a seminarian is actually rather similar to most of my classmates at the University of St. Thomas, in that my day is spent attending classes, meeting with professors, volunteering in the community, and participating in extracurricular activities. That said, SJV’s nature and mission dictate that there be something more to our life; the primary way we seek to live that ‘something’ out is through emphasizing and responding to the importance of healthy Christian fraternity for every disciple of Jesus. As such, every part of our life here is centered around and directed towards encountering Christ together, with time set aside daily for service, evangelization, communal prayer, and brotherhood.
Each day, we are afforded an hour to adore Our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament, to receive Him in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and to flourish in His Love by working to foster our relationships with one another and with all those whom we share this campus and community with. And, because every good and healthy fraternity is built upon the foundation of strong paternity, we also devote time every week to meeting with and learning from our spiritual fathers (such as the eloquent Reverend Whitlock, who is featured in the photo).
For an example, take Sundays, which begin with a 9:00 am Holy Hour and Mass all together, followed by brunch as a Diocese. After a free afternoon, our schedule picks up again in the evening, when, often, we share dinner with our assigned “face-sharing” groups and attend a Priest Lecture as a graduating class before being reconvened as a whole group of 120 for Rector’s Announcements, with communal Rosary and Night Prayer afterward. The end of the day begins immediately after that, when many of us help prepare our chapel to host an open-to-the-public “Last Chance Mass”, and sees its conclusion around 10:30 pm, when the last clean-up work is done after it.
All in all, God has greatly exceeded any and all expectations I had for this year with this place and the brothers and fathers whom He has allowed me to share it with. As such, it may not come as a surprise when I say that, while it is not easy to give up control and let God form me into “good son” of His and a good brother to the men I live with (who are much holier than I), I could not imagine myself anywhere else right now. This year has been both profoundly humbling and greatly consoling, as Our Lord has shown me how weak and vulnerable I must let myself be before Him in order that He might perfect me in His Grace.
I am deeply grateful for all of the prayers and support I have received this year and want to re-affirm that I pray for our parish (and pastor) every day. Please keep Father Troy, my brother seminarians from our parish — Dominic, Stephen, and Peter — and me in your prayers!
Sincerely yours in Christ, our King,
Maxim
