A Look Back...Seminary - Year 2

Just a few scattered thoughts and reflections about this past year! I am so unworthy of this beautiful calling of Discernment to the Priesthood of Jesus Christ. I know I am not qualified, but as a wise man once told me, "God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called!" Thanks Dad!
And so I continue this incredible journey, I trudge through the rocky terrain, I fall and I get up, I fall and I get up, I fall and I get up, I experience sadness, I experience joy, I experience the pain of others and I experience pain myself; I remain steadfast, my determination can't be wavered, I know what I must do, I see the path that God has set before me, I walk on my head held high, I walk on with a jump in my step, I walk on with my hands raised high...Praised be Jesus Christ!

It is professed in Romans Chapter 5, “rejoice in our suffering, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.” As I continue on this uneasy path set out for me by God, I take pause to reflect on my second year at St. Joseph Seminary College. Thus far it has been a numbing, yet humbling year of unprecedented growth for me. I have experienced God's great love and presence in my life this past year, but I have also experienced a far-reaching desert-like distance from him. Through this experience, I have found great consolation in these words of Paul's to the Romans, for I too have felt a great sense of suffering this year, but what hasn't killed me has made me a stronger and more mature man of God and Seminarian...More to come within the day....check back soon!

Capuchin Friars Visit

This past Spring break I was extremely fortunate to be able to go spend 3 days with the Mid-American Capuchin Franciscan Friars in Denver, Colorado (my hometown) for a Friary Visit and discernment weekend! It was truly a blessing to see and experience the life of a Capuchin Friar. Upon my arrival to Denver, I met a family friend at the airport who was there to pick me up. To my surprise at the baggage claim, my luggage had not shown up. I waited for over an hour and finally after everyone on my flight had received their baggage, I went to the baggage claim desk to talk to the folks in charge. They checked their list, which I was not on, so I made one more visit to the baggage claim and saw nothing but a big bucket with a huge clear trash bag inside, going around the conveyor belt. I walked up to it slowly and couldn't see anything in it. It went around twice before I went and looked again at which point I saw a familiar logo on a black hoodie. My mouth dropped. it was my Seminary logo. I grabbed the whole plastic bucket and forcefully put it on the ground and opened up the huge plastic bag. To my unfortunate surprise it was all the contents of my bag, including my bag, all CUT UP in shreds and covered in oil!! AHHH!....more to come in a few....

Toy Story 3: A GREAT end to the Saga!

I found these cool facts online:

'Toy Story 3' Chock Full of Hidden Facts and Movie References

by Mike Ryan · June 22, 2010

"Toy Story 3" has entertained children and parents alike (and has made at least one childless, unmarried adult male in his thirties cry) to the tune of $110 million dollars in its opening weekend.
Chances are, considering the amount of money the film made over the weekend, that if you're reading this, there's a better than average chance you've seen the film. If you have, there are a few hidden "Easter eggs" (the cinematic term for meaningful images or references buried in a movie) worthy of a second look. Even if you haven't seen "Toy Story 3," it's worth reading on for some fun facts you can impress your friends with.

Slashfilm and ComingSoon.net have put together exhaustive lists of the Easter eggs hiding in "Toy Story 3," and the New Orleans Times-Picayune also did some digging and found a few pieces of trivia that bear repeating. Highlights of those lists include:

• "A113," the number of a classroom at CalTech where many Pixar animators studied, shows up as an Easter egg in every Pixar film. In the "Toy Story" series, it's the license plate on Andy's mother's car.
• Sid, the bully from the first movie who wears a skull T-shirt, appears as a garbage man in the new film wearing the same skull T-shirt.
• There's a postcard on Andy's dresser addressed from the featured characters from last year's "Up," Carl and Ellie Fredrickson.
• Lightning McQueen from "Cars" is referenced a few times throughout the film: A miniature toy car at the daycare center, on a child's shirt at the center and on a fictional train that shares McQueen's number, 95. That number is itself an Easter egg, referring to 1995, the year the first "Toy Story" was released.
• A calendar from Pizza Planet is clearly seen. Pizza Planet has appeared in every Pixar film except "The Incredibles."
• Pixar has a history of hiding a character to be featured in a later movie somewhere in a current film. Nemo first appeared in "Monsters, Inc." and "Toy Story 3" newcomer, Lots-o-Huggins Bear (who, ironically, is not very huggable), first appeared alongside a bed in "Up." A poster on Andy's wall shows a character from next year's "Cars 2." It shows Finn McMissile, a British sports car/secret agent who plays a major role in the sequel.
• Buzz Lightyear's batteries are from "Buy 'N' Large," the giant corporation responsible for ruining the planet in "WALL-E."
• Totoro, the furry, friendly creature from Hayao Miyazaki's Japanese animated classic "My Neighbor Totoro," shows up as a toy that Woody meets. Pixar founder John Lasseter has called Miyazaki an inspiration for his work, and Lasseter produced his most recent film, "Ponyo."
• A significant amount of the film takes place at a daycare center. At the daycare center, Mr. Ray the Scientific Stingray from "Finding Nemo" makes a cameo. Nemo himself appears as a sticker on Andy's toybox.
• "Toy Story 3" director Lee Unkrich performs one line in the movie, as the voice of the Jack in the Box character.
• The "Toy Story 3" screenplay took 2 1/2 years to write and storyboard.
• John Ratzenberger keeps his streak alive of appearing in every single Pixar film made to this point. For "Toy Story 3," he reprises his role as Hamm.
• Ken, voiced by Michael Keaton, was based on a 1988 version of him called "Animal Lovin' Ken" which included his "own chimpanzee to care for and love." Um, okay. The Barbie featured in the film is based on a 1983 version titled "Great Shape Barbie."
• Ken wears 21 different outfits in the movie.
• Woody has 229 animation points of movement in his face. Buzz has 215 animation avatars in his face.
• There are 302 characters in the film.

• "Toy Story 3" marks the best opening weekend in the history of Pixar, which is quite a feat, considering all eleven Pixar films have opened as the number one in their respective weekend. "Toy Story 3" is the first film in the "Toy Story" series to be released in the very lucrative 3D format. Considering the added cost per ticket, plus the demand to see the film, it's little surprise that "Toy Story 3" is on pace to pass the $400 million mark in domestic box office. 

The "C" Word.........C..e..l..i..b..a..c..y.

My good friend and brother seminarian Daniel Root just posted a good thought-provoking question on Facebook today and it did in fact make me think. His question was - "wonders why the only people who are bothered by celibacy are the ones who are not celibate?" I think one of the greatest issues with this is the fact that Celibacy is so counter to our present culture that it in a way scares people, it's not the norm, it yields no offspring, and it seems like a sad way to live - what do you mean you can't have sex for the rest of your life?!? People often ask me, don't you want to have a wife and kids? If I answered no to that question, that would be grounds for great concern. Of course I would like to have a family and kids. I have always wanted to have kids. I even had a good, healthy, generous, Catholic quota in mind - 6 kiddos! Would that have flown with my wife...eh who knows?!? hahaha!  BUT, God has called me to live me life in another way and I am at great peace with that now. Just after two years of Seminary experience and training, I have come to understand a little bit better what Celibacy is and what it means for the Priestly life. Most of my attitudes about sexuality and celibacy, up to my entering the seminary, had been shaped by our secular society and by my friends. So I had to start fresh and remain ope-minded when it came to this particular idea of celibacy. I have always understood what Celibacy is, but on a very elementary level. I definitely knew about the infamous part of not having sex for the rest of your life and this is why celibacy gets such negative attention in our world. Many if not most people see celibacy as a suppression of nature and one that is tragic and unfair. Admittedly, I saw celibacy as just that while I was growing up. After furthering my knowledge of celibacy, which I have committed my self to, I have discovered the true beauty and joy of the priest's call to live a celibate life. I now understand that the true essence of celibacy goes much deeper than just the physical aspects. It became apparent that celibacy should aim for affective maturity, which in this sense, is the ability to live a true and responsible love. Celibacy is hard for most, but I know that God will never allow me to face anything that I cannot conquer or handle. If you believe in God with ALL of your heart, anything is possible through Him! With that inspiration etched into my heart, a sense of ease is brought over me concerns about celibacy and chastity invade my thoughts. I may not ever have the opportunity to be a “biological father,” but joy fills my heart none the less, because I know that through God, if it continues to be His will for me, I will be a “Spiritual Father” and be given the grace to love and serve all of my brothers and sisters, without a wife and children. I have found my true happiness in God; He will fill all voids! Celibacy is a LIFELONG process, just like Marriage is a LIFELONG process. Both are tough and both are beautiful vocations from God! Both require trust and both require God as a central player! I will reiterate, If you believe in God with ALL of your heart, anything is possible through Him!

Below is a short video about Celibacy that goes into MUCH farther depths than I could ever go into at this point in my discernment! Please watch if you are interested or in search of answers and if any of this does not suffice, I challenge you to prayerfully and proactively continue searching for the answers! God Bless!

A Prophetic Calling

   To be “called” by God is a rather daunting and uncommon call and one that isn’t to be taken lightly. Perhaps this is why the many prophets we find within prophetic scripture have such trepidation and doubt when God calls them to prophesy.  This doubt and fear causes most of the prophets to outright reject God from the onset. However, saying “no” to God is like pouring water into the ocean, it’s very ineffective. The prophets eventually accept God’s call to prophesy and they begin to preach His message in obedience, with faith as their guide. The prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel are three men that share this similar call from God, who asks them to accept the gift of prophecy and to preach His message. Each of these prophets’ call is thematically similar, but different in circumstance, and each responds in his own unique way.
    Isaiah is an aristocratic southerner whose call to prophesy came in the same year that King Uzziah died, around 742 B.C (NAB  p.936). Isaiah’s call begins with a vision in the Temple, “I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, with the train of his garment filling the temple. Seraphim were stationed above; each of them had six wings: with two they veiled their faces, with two they veiled their feet, and with two they hovered aloft. ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts!’ they cried one to the other. ‘All the earth is filled with his glory!’ At the sound of that cry, the frame of the door shook and the house was filled with smoke.” Isaiah then cries out in anguish, “Woe is me, I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (Is.6:1-5). At that cry, one of the seraphim takes an ember from the altar and touches Isaiah’s lips in order to purge his sins and remove his wickedness. Following this initial rejection and purification, Isaiah hears the Lord speak, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” Isaiah promptly responds, “Here I am; send me!” (Is.6:8). God imparts his prophetic mission onto Isaiah, whom then embarks on the task at hand.
    Jeremiah, a southerner from Judah, is also called to prophesy, but his call to that life comes about in a different, and perhaps, more personal way.  This is evident through God’s words to Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you” (Jer.1:5). This demonstrates God’s great destiny for Jeremiah, even before he was formed into being. Even more blatantly than Isaiah however, Jeremiah initially rejects God’s call with the words, “Ah, Lord God! I know not how to speak; I am too young” (Jer.1:6). To this, God replies, “Say not, ‘I am too young.’ To whomever I send you, you shall go; whatever I command you, you shall speak. Have no fear before them, because I am with you to deliver you” (Jer.1:7-8). Then in a similar act to Isaiah, God makes contact with Jeremiah’s mouth by stretching out his hand and touching it. God follows this significant act with the words, “See, I place my words in your mouth! This day I set you over nations and over kingdoms, to root up and to tear down, to destroy and to demolish, to build and to plant” (Jer.1:9-10). God continues to converse with Jeremiah and then the prophet, like Isaiah, embarks on the task at hand.
    Ezekiel, an Israelite in the exiled Babylon, is the first to be called to prophesy outside of the Holy Land. Ezekiel’s call from God seems to be more complex and detailed, in that Ezekiel has visions which none of the other prophets had. His earliest vision is that of four living creatures, eventually recognized as cherubim. Above the cherubim, seated on a throne, is God in all his glory. After God’s presence is made clear to Ezekiel, he falls on his face and is lifted to his feet by the spirit when God addresses him by saying, “Son of man, stand up! I wish to speak with you” (Ez.2:1). God again addresses Ezekiel saying, “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, rebels who have rebelled against me…you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord God! And whether they heed you or resist - for they are a rebellious house- they shall know that a prophet has been among them” (Ez.2:3, 2:4-5). In a similar fashion to that the two previous prophets, God then makes special, significant contact with Ezekiel’s mouth, asking him to eat the scroll before him. Ezekiel, in contrast to the other two prophets immediately obeys God’s command and eats the scroll saying, “I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.” (Ez.3:3). God then imparts his prophetic mission unto Jeremiah by saying, “Son of man, go now to the house of Israel, and speak my words to them” (Ez.3:4). Soon after this, Jeremiah follows suit and embarks on the task at hand.
    Each of these prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, receive an extraordinary call from God to preach with a countercultural approach and each responds in their own distinct way. All have their share of fear and trembling and most reject their call completely. However, God in His mysterious ways, gets all three men to eventually accept their higher calling and all go forth prophesying in faith.

Feast of Corpus Christi

I wanted to know more about this great Feast of the Church. Here is some of what I gathered:

The Feast of Corpus Christi is an important solemnity celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church, traditionally on the Thursday following Trinity Sunday. “Corpus Christi” literally translates to mean “Body of Christ,” therefore it can obviously be concluded that the Feast of Corpus Christi celebrates the Holy Eucharist. Due to the centrality of the Eucharist within our Catholic Faith, the Church has deemed it necessary to call this feast day a holy day of obligation for all Catholics.
How did such a feast day come to be? This holy day of the Church can be most attributed to St. Juliana of Belgium. Juliana, from a very early age had quite a devotion and great fidelity for the Blessed Sacrament. It was this strong attachment to the Eucharist, that always left her longing for a special feast in it’s honor. This desire was reinforced through her “vision of the Church under the appearance of the full moon having one dark spot, which signified the absence of such a solemnity” (Mershman). Her sharing of this vision caught the attention of some highly influential men, those being Bishop Robert de Thorete, the future Cardinal Dominican Hugh, Archdeacon Jacques Pantaleon, and eventually Pope Urban IV. Bishop Robert de Thorete was especially enthused by the devotion and vision of Juliana, that he used his Episcopal authority to order a local Corpus Christi celebration in the following liturgical year. He even went as far to order a specific monk to write the new office for it’s occasion.
It was the Bishop of Liege who made the push for a universality of the local feast. By the grace of God, Pope Urban IV was already an aficionado of the feast and shortly after the Bishop’s appeal, published “Transiturus” in September of 1264, which ordered Corpus Christi to be celebrated annually each Thursday after Trinity Sunday. Along with this order, he even granted special indulgences for those faithful who attended the Corpus Christi feast masses.
To this day, Corpus Christi is celebrated annually, the Thursday after Trinity Sunday and in some regions, the Sunday after Trinity Sunday. “Typically Corpus Christi services consist of singing traditional hymns Lauda Sion and Pange Lingua, both attributed to St. Thomas Aquinas” (Bennett). There are certain devotional practices that have, over the years, become the norm. One of these practices is the Corpus Christi Procession of the Blessed Sacrament, exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, ending with Benediction. Within the context of the mass, the liturgical color is white and the readings are on a specific three year cycle. This year, the readings are as follows; Genesis 14: 18-20, Psalm 110: 1,2,3,4, 1 Corinthians 11: 23-26, and Luke 9: 11-17 (Bennett).

Capuchin Franciscan Friars of Mid-America

God has led me to this beautiful and holy religious order of Priest and Brother Capuchins. If I were to ever feel the call to the Religious life, I would join these great men in a heart beat! Let us pray for an increase of Vocations to the Priesthood and Religious life and for the perseverance of those who have answered the call! Pax et bonum!

Excerpt from vocation story, followed by really cool recent story

["...In the grand scheme of things, God is the only one who knows why a particular person is attracted to the Priesthood or religious life or marriage. But in our own weak human way of analyzing it, I can say that my discernment to the Priesthood took up a long stretch of my rollercoaster ride through life. I am convinced that my Vocation was rooted from the very moment God created me and my first glimpse into that vocation occurred in 2002 while sitting before a priest in the sacrament of Confession. Up to that moment of conversion through the sacrament of confession, I was living a pretty average teenage life, just like any mainstream teenager was living in our modern society. I remember that moment like it was just yesterday, I was sitting inside the Sacred Heart Basilica on the Notre Dame campus with hundreds of other young people my age, yet I felt like the only one in that Basilica. Everyone and everything just seemed to disappear and I began to contemplate my life, my intense struggles and the fact that God seemed to be absent or at least in and out of my life. I began to tear up just thinking about my confusion and my shame and after a few minutes of fighting back the waterworks, my eyes couldn’t hold it in and I began to sob before God and all my "invisible" peers around me. It was at that moment that I became entranced by the presence of God. It was as if he was reaching his hand down from Heaven to say “Jared, I am here.” Moved by the spirit, I stood up from my pew and walked me over to one of the side altars where a newly ordained Priest was silently praying. I sat down in front of him face to face as I hung my head in shame and the minute I looked up to make eye contact with him, I lost it again. He simply put his hand on my shoulder and let me cry as the Holy Spirit did it‘s work. Shortly after, we began to speak. I began to unload everything that was weighing me down. My private struggles, I revealed to him. Pains that were inflicting me, I unleashed. Things that had held me captive for years in the deepest darkest parts of my being, were finally being cast into the light. We spoke for what seemed to be over an hour that night and he spoke some of the most powerful words that have ever been uttered my direction. He said to me, “Jared, Satan is a LIAR! He has been lying to you for all these years. Satan is nothing more than a LIAR!" Through our conversation, I came to understand that the evil one can tempt us, but He cannot touch us, unless we open the door to him. So I needed to close the door to the snares and the deceit of Satan and open wide the doors to Christ! He then said, “God is trying to get your attention, does He have it now?” He proceeded to tell me that God works in mysterious ways, ways that we will never understand, but it is up to us to TRUST, to trust in His will and to follow him with open eyes, an open heart, and an unyielding faith. My faith that had been shaken was immediately beginning to strengthen and reform with every word that Fr. Dan was speaking. And then came the moment of Absolution. The moment that would change my life forever and send me in the direction that God had always planned for me..."]

God was truly present and working through Fr. Dan in his ministry as a confessor. For that I am forever grateful. I want to point out that towards the end of my confession, he gave me his Ordination prayer card, which had his name and ordination date on the back. He also gave me two other prayer cards, one of Christ approaching the future disciples/fishermen for the first time and another prayer card (book mark) with an image of the Holy Trinity. I have kept these cards all these years and of course took them with me to college and to Seminary. One day while praying before the tabernacle at St. Joseph Abbey (& Seminary College), something caused me to look really hard at the painting above the tabernacle and all of the sudden, my contemplation was interrupted by an extreme familiarity of the painting that I had not noticed up to that point. I cut my prayer short (hopefully God understood!) and I raced back to my room in search of the Trinity prayer card Fr. Dan had given to me. Low and behold, the painting on the prayer card of the Holy Trinity was the same painting above the tabernacle in the Abbey. I was speechless; what a beautiful and overwhelming moment it was for me! The same cherished card that I had received from Fr. Dan 7 years earlier during one of my deepest darkest moments of my life, was of the same painting that was above the tabernacle I was praying before as a Seminarian! It was definitely a "God moment!"

Man Up! Be An Authentic Man of God in a World that tells us otherwise...

Brothers in Christ - There is an ancient war that still rages on to this very day. It is a continuous battle between the Lord Our God and the Evil One Satan, who battle day in and day out for the heart and soul of the human race. 1 John, Chapter 5, proclaims with great certainty that the whole world is under the deceptive control of the Evil One. My brothers, we are on a perilous journey through enemy territory. This world, this life, is our battle ground and we are called to be REAL MEN, REAL SOLDIERS in this fight. So, my question to you this day is, where have all the real men gone? Are you enlisted in God’s army?

My brothers, Real manhood, real masculinity has become so ridiculed and mocked, so twisted and redefined, and almost even demonized that many men are deep down, afraid to be a REAL MAN or don’t even know what it means anymore. As Catholic men, we are not JUST men, but as St. Paul tells us, we are men of God, men aimed at virtue, Godliness, faith, love, gentleness, steadfastness; we are men called to fight the good fight of faith.

Being a man isn’t about wearing certain clothes, or having a swarm of ladies chasing you down, or having the biggest and nicest car, or being the best at sports, or having the biggest biceps, or being the most intellectual or having the most money. NO, it’s not any of those things. It is about being strong and noble, indestructible in your sacrifice for the weakest among us, invincible in the sacrifice for the beautiful gift of woman that God brought into this world, and it is about being a champion for truth!

Brothers, do you seek real manhood, do you seek real masculinity, do you have what it takes to enlist your entire being, all that you are, into God’s army? Are you strong enough to endure a counter-cultural life? Christ did not come into this world and die on a cross for you so that you could have a mediocre faith and live a mediocre manhood. Are you a soldier for Christ, ready to fight the good fight of faith and love. If so, I challenge you now, I challenge you to live by these four “Principles of Manhood” which I now offer to you:
Principle #1 - A Real Man Rejects Passivity - As a man, you must accept social and spiritual responsibilities entrusted to you by God. It all starts with a decision to reject social and spiritual passivity when nothing is the more comfortable and natural option.

Principle #2 - A Real Man Accepts Responsibility - in all its forms. As a man, you must obey the will of God with an unyielding faith. You must also use your unique gifts and abilities for the greater good of God’s Kingdom. One must also treat every woman with respect and dignity and protect her at all times, you must love, lead and honor them at all times.


Principle #3 - A Real Man Leads Courageously - God created us as men to lead, not to follow. Leadership demand that men have the courage to master their passions and bridle themselves with the principles of truth.

Principle #4 - A Real Man Expects the Greater Reward , God’s Reward - Manhood is challenging. Real manhood was designed by God to be liberating and a means of Great Reward. What kept Jesus in the race? The anticipation of Joy! Great Reward! Real manhood is at times rigorous; it demands courage and sacrifice!

My brothers listen to your heart, listen real intently, God is trying to get your attention; He is speaking to you. Are you hearing him, or are you hearing the world?

My brothers, rise up, and put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and having SHOD YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; in addition to all, taking up the SHIELD OF FAITH with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, which is the Word of God. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the spirit.

My dear brothers and fellow soldiers, DO NOT BE AFRAID to be a REAL man and to fight the good fight, for God is at your side and there he will always be.

It is my continued prayer that an epidemic of faith continues to break out in our world because of men like you.

St. Padre Pio, Pray for us! St. Michael the Archangel Protect us in Battle!

Incredible Words of Wisdom!

Voice of St. Padre Pio de Pietrelcina:

"Keep your eyes fixed on Him who is your guide to the Heavenly country, where He is leading you. What does is matter to you whether Jesus wishes to guide you to Heaven by way of the desert or by the meadow, so long as He is always with you and you arrive at the possession of a blessed eternity?" ~St. Padre Pio

My Vocation Story (in a nutshell)

Here is my Vocations Story that I shared with my home Parish of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church at all the Masses this past weekend! All my praise and thanks goes to you Oh Lord for all that you have done in my life! Brthers and Sisters, please pray with me for an increase of Vocations in our Catholic Church and for the perserverance of those who have answered the call! Please read and enjoy:

Good Morning! For those of you who do not know me, my name is Jared Cooke and I am a parishioner and seminarian from this parish of St. Vincent de Paul. I thank you for allowing me to be here today to speak to you for just a few minutes about my calling to the Priesthood and to present to you a vocations challenge, should you choose to accept.

It is professed in the first Chapter of the Gospel of Mark, "As Jesus passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting out their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, 'Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men.' Then they left their nets and followed him." Just as Jesus' disciples dropped their nets, their livelihood, their dreams to follow him, I too have answered Christ's call in my life and after my first year at SJSC, I continue to follow him with an open heart and an unyielding faith. It has been yet another loop on this unpredictable rollercoaster ride through life and what keeps me going is the knowledge that God is in the seat right next to me! He has been with me at my highest moments, when I was soaring on top of the world and He has been there with me when I have spiraled downward into doubt and hopelessness. Regardless, He has been there with me the entire time and I have grown to love Him and know Him more intimately. I am ready for what is to come and I am unafraid.

You know, in the grand scheme of things, God is the ONLY one who knows why a particular person is attracted to the Priesthood, or attracted to the Religious Life, or attracted to Marriage. But in our own weak human way of analyzing it, I can say that my vocation to the Priesthood took up a very long stretch of that rollercoaster ride. I am convinced that my vocation is rooted from the very moment God created me and my first glimpse into that vocation occurred in 2002 while I was sitting before a Priest in the Sacrament of Confession. Up to that moment of conversion, I was living a pretty average teenage life, just like any mainstream teenager was living in our modern society. I remember that moment like it was just yesterday. I was sitting inside the Sacred Heart Basilica on the Notre Dame campus with hundreds of other young people my age. I began to contemplate my life, my struggles, and the fact that God seemed to be absent or at least in and out of my life. I began to tear up just thinking about it and after a few minutes of fighting back the waterworks, my eyes couldn't hold it back any longer and I began to weep. It was at that moment that I became entranced by the presence of God. It was as if He was reaching down from Heaven to say "Jared, I am here." I was moved by the spirit to get up from my pew and walk over to one of the side altars where a newly ordained Priest was silently praying. I sat down in front of him face to face as I hung my head in shame and the minute I looked up to make eye contact with him, I lost it again and began to weep. He simply put his hand on my shoulder and let me cry as the Holy Spirit did its work. Shortly after, we began to speak. I began to unload everything that was weighing me down. My private struggles, I revealed to him. Pains that were inflicting me, I unleashed. Things that had held me captive for years in the deepest, darkest parts of my being were finally being cast into the light. We spoke for over an hour that night and he spoke some of the most powerful words that have ever been uttered to me. He said, "Jared, my brother, Satan has been lying to you for all of these years. Satan is nothing more than a LIAR! He can tempt us, but he cannot touch us, unless we open the door. So close the door to the snares and deceit of Satan and open wide the doors to Christ!" He then said, "God is trying to get your attention, does He have it now?" He proceeded to tell me that God works in mysterious ways, ways that we will never understand, but it is up to us to TRUST, to trust in His will and to follow Him with open eyes, an open heart, and an unyielding faith. My faith that had just been shaken was immediately beginning to strengthen and re-form with every word that Fr. Dan was speaking. Then came the moment of Absolution. The moment that would change my life forever and send me in the direction that God had always planned for me to follow. Six years later, after finishing high school and two years of college, I began a trend of centering my day on God rather than just trying to fit Him into my day. At that point I was praying more than I was studying, which is good and bad depending on how you look at it! I felt as if I was in the wrong place in life and was spinning my wheels and going nowhere fast. One night while really struggling with all the stress and weight of life, something told me to go to the parish. So without a second thought, I drove to the Perpetual Adoration Chapel at St. Thomas Aquinas parish in College Station and began to pray before the Blessed Sacrament. After just minutes of agonizing over my current state of confusion and grief, that same feeling that I felt those six years ago came over me. I felt the true presence of God illuminating through my soul and with one glance at the Blessed Sacrament; I was overwhelmed with a love that I cannot describe to you. I then heard Christ speaking to my heart. It was unlike anything that I had ever experienced in my life. I saw with opened and unopened eyes what God was asking of me. God was calling me to follow him and enter into a countercultural life as a Priest and I could no longer say "No" to Him. Priesthood to me is a daunting and rather uncommon call and one that isn't to be taken lightly, thus why it took me so many years to say "Yes!" Not only that, but now my heart is completely consumed by Christ and His Church. Above all though, I want nothing else from this lifetime than to help bring others into communion with Christ.

You now know briefly my story and now comes the part where I get the opportunity to challenge you to help me and to help all of our brothers and sisters to once again create a culture of Vocation. We live in such a noisy culture that is not centered on God, but on the things of this world. Think about it! Listen to your heart, listen real intently, God IS speaking to you. Are you hearing Him, or are you hearing the world? Listen to the voice of God, often it is but a whisper! Are you following God's call in your life? Parents, are you open to God's call for your children whatever it may be? What if your parents had not answered God's call to get married and have children? What if Mother Teresa had not answered God's call to consecrated herself to the Lord and live amongst the poor? What if Pope John Paul the Great had not answered God's call to devote his life to Mary and our Lord and become a Priest? My brothers and sisters in Christ, Priesthood is for REAL men, consecrated life is for REAL women. Many of you right now, are probably being called and may not be hearing it. Do Not be Afraid! Brothers, we need some good men that are willing to sacrifice and lay down their lives, dropping everything to follow Christ. What a journey it could be! The more Priests that we have out there, the louder the message will be. So what exactly is it that I am challenging all of us to do today? I challenge you to open your hearts and minds to Christ. Open wide those doors to God's call in your life and to all you parents, I challenge you to be open to the possibility of your own children being called by God to a religious vocation and encourage them to explore that possibility. DO NOT BE AFRAID! I also ask that you keep me and my brother seminarians in your prayers as we continue to discern God's call in our lives and as we continue our formation to the Priesthood. And in our day to day lives, let us not forget to pray for our beloved Priests who day in and day out, administer to us the source and summit of our very lives, the Eucharist. I thank you for your time and offer my prayer that in this parish community; an epidemic of faith continues to break out because of each and every one of you. Thank you for your prayers and support and may God Bless you all!

A look back - YEAR ONE...

It is professed in the first chapter of the Gospel of Mark, "As Jesus passed by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting out their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, 'Come follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.' Then they left their nets and followed him." Just as Jesus' disciples dropped their nets, their livelihood, and their dreams to follow Him, I too have answered Christ's call and after my first year at St. Joseph Seminary College, I continue to follow him with an open heart and unyielding faith. it has been yet another loop on this unpredictable roller coaster ride through life and what keeps me going is the knowledge that God is in the seat right next to me! He has been with me at my highest moments, when I was on top of the world and He has been there when I have spiraled down into doubt and hopelessness. Regardless, he has been there with me the entire time and I have grown to love Him and know Him more intimately; He has become my best friend! I am ready for what is to come and I am unafraid.

After spending my first year at St. Joseph Seminary college, I am amazed at how fast the time flew by. I vividly remember when I first pulled up to the Seminary with my family this past August and how scared to death I was. My emotions were mixed; I was excited, yet more nervous than I have ever been. I kept asking myself, "Oh Jared, what have you gotten yourself into?" Had i know what an amazing year I was about to have, i would not have let my nerves go so haywire (hindsights 20/20 I guess!). The conclusions that I had made about this place were quickly extinguished by the immense beauty and prayerful spirit of the grounds. Perhaps it is the people though, that make this place such a treasure and easy place to adjust to. I have made so many new friends/brothers in Christ and by the strength God has given me, I have had the ability to be my absolute self and have not once felt the need to wear a mask or sugarcoat anything. It has been a blessing to be able to get to know so many diverse men who share the same affection and zeal for God as I do. We have been given many opportunities to share our life stories, to challenge one another to grow in faith, and to share in fun Christian fellowship. This has been possible through the many activities and events of this past year. By working together through Hurricane Gustav, playing volleyball periodically throughout the week, going on nature walks, hangin' out in the Wharf, having movie/tv show marathons, studying in groups, playing capture the flag late a night, participating in St. Ben's Olympics, making Wendy's runs, and experiencing the gift of snow - just to name a few, a strong bond has been formed and strengthened through each experience...TBC...

The Loss of a Great Shepherd...

Early Friday morning, I woke up at 5:30 am to multiple text messages from numerous brother seminarians. When I read my phone, still groggy from just waking up, the content didn't quite register and I promptly shut my eyes again. It wasn't 10 seconds later that I literally jumped out of my bed and raced to my computer. All that messages that I had been receiving finally registered and the internet news headlines confirmed all those messages. I was greatly saddened by the news that our beloved Shepherd, Bishop Gregory Aymond had JUST been named the Archbishop of the New Orleans Archdiocese by Pope Benedict XVI. I am shocked and GREATLY saddened by this news. Bishop Aymond has done INCREDIBLE things for our diocese and has lead us through the most rapid growth that this Diocese of Central Texas has ever seen! He has lead us through the founding of many new parishes, he has lead us through a surge of Vocations to the Priesthood and Religious life and has inspired us all who have answered God's call, he has brought in religious orders to assist in the work of the church and to be with the people of this diocese, he has ordained an incredible amount of Priests and Deacons, has given some beautiful, and very memeorable homilies, he has confirmed thousands of us and sealed us with the Holy Spirit and has lead us through 9 wonderful years that will never be forgotten! He will be missed immensely. I am very hopeful and happy for the Archdiocese or New Orleans, who is in great need of a good Archbishop right now! He will do AMAZING things there! Bishop Aymond - we are so proud of you and love you! You have been an incredible Shepard for this Diocese and you will be missed more than you know! Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Please keep Bishop Aymond and the Diocese of Austin in your prayers and please pray for an equally wonderful successor. PAX!

Seminary Living.....

In response to many questions from friends and family, I decided that I would reflect on what my day to day looks like as a Catholic Seminarian.

I am currently studying for the Austin Diocese here at St. Joseph Seminary College (SJSC) in St. Benedict, Louisiana! The Seminary is located on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain, which is 45 minutes north of New Orleans. The Seminary is ideally situated upon a 15 acre campus in the midst of the piney woods of the Ozone Belt. However, the Seminary is also a part of 1200 acres of rich forest land which houses the Benedictine Monastery (monks) and their beautiful Abbey. A small river, the Bogue Falaya, deriving its name from the Choctaw Indians who once inhabited our the site, borders the western side of the campus. With the exception of the Monk's cloister around the Monastery, we are able to walk and explore the 1200 acres at any moment. We have had some amazing walks and runs through the woods and along the extensive trail system. This place is ideal for retreating into deep prayer and contemplation in light of God's immense beauty all around us.

Saint Joseph Seminary College is a community of faith and learning, rooted in the Benedictine tradition. We are truly blessed to live amongst the Benedictine Monks and their way of contemplative life. Many of the classes at the seminary are taught by the Monks whom impart such wisdom and inspiration. They are from all walks of life and love to hang out with the Seminarians when time allows. Many of us also go to the monks for confession, spiritual help, and spiritual direction. I am truly blessed to have Abbot Justin Brown, the Abbot of the Monastery, as my Spiritual Director. He is a very holy man and lives his spirituality to the fullest. He is by far the best confessor that I have ever been to and for that reason, I chose him as my spiritual director. He has taught me so much about prayer and contemplation and helps me grow in faith and formation as we meet every other week.

Our daily lives are quite busy with prayer, classes, study, and community events. My day starts bright and early by waking up at 6:30am on weekday mornings to shower, clean up, pray, and get a cup of coffee before morning prayer. Morning prayer begins at 7:30 in the prayer room where we pray out of the Liturgy of the Hours as a community.

After morning prayer, we are able enjoy a nice breakfast in the refectory if we would like. Most classes then start at 8am. My weekly schedule is as follows: On Monday's I have no classes in the morning, so I usually spend that time studying, cleaning, reading, watching the news, running errands etc. At 10:50, I have Schola rehearsal and at 11:15, we have Mass in the Abbey with the Monastic community where the Schola sings and cantors. Directly after Mass we all walk over to the refectory together for lunch which has been prepared by our great food services staff. After lunch, afternoon classes start, but again, I have a nice little gap until my first class at 3pm, which is World Religions. After my 3pm class I have my last class at 4:15, my Formation class. Starting at 5:45pm we have our daily "Lectio Divina," which is the practice of "Divine Reading." It involves quiet spiritual reading, intense meditation over what we read and lots of prayer. It is perhaps my most favorite part of my day. After 30 minutes of Lectio Divina we all go to the prayer room for Evening Prayer with the community. Dinner then follows in the refectory....

.......More to come about the daily schedule, the formation process, the travel/mission experiences, the food, our pastoral assignments, the incredible Benedictine liturgies etc etc etc.....check back soon!

May God Bless you and keep you close to Him!

Two INCREDIBLE MUST SEES! I challenge you to watch...

CATHOLICS COME HOME "EPIC"....This is MUST SEE for all Catholics, Ex-Catholics, Non-practicing Catholics, Non Catholics etc etc etc....If you have ever been a part of the Catholic Church, are part of the Catholic Church, or would like a beautiful overview of this Faith we call Catholicism, PLEASE watch this short video and pass it along! Praise God for the Catholic Church!




FISHERS OF MEN....This is a true portrayal of what the authentic Catholic Priesthood is all about! I invite you to watch this incredible video which helped me to hear my call to Formation to the Priesthood and join me in praying for future Vocations!

SCHOLA CANTORUM Recordings!

Here are a few recordings of the St. Joseph Abbey & Seminary College "Schola Cantorum" (Seminarian Choir), which I am a blessed to be a part of (I sing 1st Tenor)! Feel free to download and ENJOY!

Spring Semester 2009:

http://www.iterseminarii.com/music/Spring_2009/When%20Jesus%20Wept%20the%20Falling%

http://www.iterseminarii.com/music/Spring_2009/Have%20Mercy%20Upon%20Me%20-%20William%20Byrd.mp3

http://www.iterseminarii.com/music/Spring_2009/Nunc%20dimitis.mp3


Fall Semester 2008:
http://www.iterseminarii.com/music/Fall_2008/Long%20is%20our%20winter.mp3mp3

http://www.iterseminarii.com/music/John_Lateran_2008/How%20lovely%20is%20your%20dwelling%20place.mp3

http://www.iterseminarii.com/music/Fall_2008/Wake%20Awake%20for%20Night%20is%20Coming.mp3

http://www.iterseminarii.com/music/Fall_2008/Hodie%20egressa%20est%20virga%20de%20radice%20Jesse.mp3

God Bless!

More videos from Italy!

More videos from Italy:

The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI processing into St. Peter's Basilica for New Years Eve Vespers! I was blessed to get within 1 foot of the Holy Father! Amazing experience and truly a blessing!

After Vespers on New Years Eve, Pope Benedict XVI made his rounds in St. Peter's Square inside his Popemobile!

The Friars at San Matteo Friary in near San Giovanni Rotondo graciously provided hospitality for us during our pilgrimage to see Saint (Padre) Pio! This was an incredibly beautiful Friary tucked amoungst a beautiful mountain range in Southern Italy! It was very isolated, simple, cold and EXTREMELY peaceful! I LOVED every minute of it! Here is a quick tour of the hallway outside my "Cell" and my "Cell" itself!

Wandering the Roman countryside on foot in search of the Catacombs (ancient Christian underground burial sites)! We were kinda lost and had our lives flashing before out eyes because there were NO sidewalks! ahhh!

We got seranaded by our Taxi Driver while in Rome! He did not speak a word of english but when we said "Texas...America," the first thing out of his mouth was "OHHH...John Wayne!" hahaha...then he proceeded to sing us this song about John Wayne which we later called the "BOOM" song!

The start of another semester at St. Joseph's...

I have started my second semester here at St. Joseph Seminary College and even though my time in Italy was INCREDIBLE and I didn't want to leave, it is GREAT to be back at Seminary! I absolutely love my classes this spring semester and am blessed to have such great professors:

Art History (Mrs. Rich - Crazy, eccentric, funny lady who drives in from New Orleans)
New Testament (Bro. Jude Israel O.S.B.- Benedictine Monk from the Abbey/Monastery)
World Religions (Fr. Matthew Clark O.S.B. - Benedictine Monk from the Abbey/Monastery)
Ancient Philosophy (Fr. Tom Gwozdz S.D.B. - Salesian Priest that lives here at the Seminary)
Introduction to Counseling (Dr. John Hebert - Psychologist/Counselor in the Covington area)
Formation 202 (Mr. Danny Burns - Brother (birth) of one of the Benedictine Monks)
Personal Health and Wellness (Dr. Keri Diez - Director of health department for some nearby college)
Schola Cantorum -Tenor I (Dr. Harry McMurray - Crazy, old, halarious ex Jesuit whose entire world is music)

I will try to do a MUCH better job at updating this blog from now on! Please keep me in prayers and know that I always remember YOU in mine daily! GOD BLESS!


........................................................................Cookie out..........................

During the week of finals, last semester, we experienced what we considered a Christmas miracle! One morning we woke up to SNOW falling! We of course all woke up at the crack of dawn, once the discovery had been made and fellow seminarians took it upon themselves to run down the halls waking everyone up! It was truly an AMAZING day and brought myself and my brother seminarians all closer to God and to one another! I caught the bells ringing for the Monk's morning prayer (Vigils) as the snow just kept falling! What beautiful sights and sounds!

Italy Experience! My life will never be the same...

E-mail that I wrote on January 6, 2009 while in Italy:

WHAT A WEEK I HAVE HAD THIS WEEK! It would take me hours to tell you about everything, so I will just give you the highlights:
I have visited ALL four of the Major Basilicas here in Rome (St. John Lateran, St. Paul, St. Mary Maggiore, and of course St. Peter's, I have also been to New Years eve Vespers and new years day Mass with Pope Benedict XVI (both times, got within 1 FOOT of him - INCREDIBLE!), We also went to the Epiphany Mass with Pope Benedict as well, we also spent New Years eve at the Colosseum with the local Italians (they were CRAZY), we also visited the Catacombs (ancient christian underground cemetarys - way cool!), we also got to climb the steps that Jesus climbed when he was going up to be condemned by P. Pilate (we went up on our knees which is the way it is to be done (What an experience - lots of prayer and tears), we rented a car and drove ALL over Italy - we went to Monte Cassino Monastery where St. Benedict and St. Scholastica are buried (the monastery was so high up in the mountains, we were looking down into the clouds), we also drove to Mt. San Angelo where St. Michael is said to have landed on the mountain and left his foot prints (They were there and have been scientifically tested), we also went to Lanciano where a Eucharistic Miracle took place (the host actually started to bleed and then broke off into real human flesh (both the host and the flesh are still there behind glass of course), We went to Loreto where the Virgin Mary's house is (according to tradition it was moved by angels to Italy during the crusades - there is nothin holding the structure up at all - and then many years later there was a basilica built over/around it - this was were the Annunciation took place - you will have to see pics to get the full idea), We also went to Asissi which I think is the most beautiful place on earth - we went to mass at St. Mary of the Angels which houses the original little church called "La Porziuncola" that St. Francis of Asissi rebuilt after God told him to - awesome and very emotional to see, we also went to St. Francis of Asissi's Basilica were he is buried - his tomb and basilica were amazing and yet again it was very emotional and beautiful to experience, we also saw St. Clare's basilica and her incorrupt body, perhaps the greatest part of my trip was going to San Giovanni Rotondo to see Padre Pio - we stayed with Fr. Jaegers order near San Giovanni in a jawdropping Friary on the side of a mountain (it was incredible) the Friars there spoke absolutely NO english so that was interesting and kind of exciting - they treated us great and for some reason I really loved staying in my COLD little cell (no ceiling fan required there haha! You know how I love the cold!), Padre Pio was about a 10 minute drive from the Friary and we spent a couple hours there the night we arrived - I can't explain my feelings and emotions when I saw his incorupt body - but I will say that it was probably the most spiritual experience I have ever had - we were of course wearing our cassocks so we were grabbed by the arm and escorted to some private seating near his body to pray with all the other priests, nuns and religious (that was an awesome moment) - i probably prayed in front of his body for an hour and a half and then decided to go on through the museum - We went and prayed in the original church there and then went and saw the new HUGE church they built for him after his canonization (it seats thousands) - the next morning we went to mass at the original church were Padre Pio celebrated all of the Masses (including his last one) - it was also the location of the movie that I have of him), I went and prayed in front of his body one last time and then we left to go back to Rome (I have more details for yall when I get back to the states), yesturday (my birthday!) I got to read the readings and psalms at daily mass here with the Franciscan Friars and they celebrated the mass in English for us (it has been in Italian all the rest of the time), I also was taken out for an authentic Italian meal (7 course meal UGH! I couldnt finish it), today we of course went to the Epiphany mass like I said and we then went and took an actual tour of St. Peter's Basilica and we climbed ALL the way to the very TOP (to what is called the Cupola) and saw the most awesome view ever, we then climbed down and visited the the Basilica's crypt where many of the Popes are buried, I got choked up in front of Pope John Paul II's tomb and prayed a rosary there - it was great,......JUST TO NAME A FEW! Tomorrow we have our final experience with Pope Benedict XVI at the Papal Audience and guess what...we have special seating in the FRONT because we are seminarians!!!! I can't wait! My time here has been a blessing and has flown by and we still have a week left. I can't wait to talk to yall and tell you all about it!

My new home, St. Joseph's Abbey and Seminary College

I have FINALLY arrived! 7 days ago I began the long drive with my parents and little brother Jacob, from Austin, Texas to Covington Louisiana! After a little over 8 hours in the car, we finally made it to Covington and got checked into our hotel. The next morning, we had a nice breakfast at the hotel an dthen made the short drive over to St. Joseph's to move me in and attend Mass at the Abbey! Words cannot describe my feelings and emotions as I stepped onto the seminary grounds. I was in a dense forest looking up at a beautiful Monastery and Abbey and truly felt surround by God's presence...(more to come, gotta run to Evening Prayer)

G'DAY MATES!!! :)

G-day Mates!!!!

AHHHH! Australia is absolutely INCREDIBLE! I don't have much time. This is the first time that I could get access to a computer with Internet! I will transfer my journal entries to this blog soon, but until then, just read the e-mail that I sent my family! God Bless!



G'day Mom, Dad, & Bros,

I am in Australia and doing GREAT! This country is AWESOME! Sorry I haven't called or e-mailed. This is the first time I could find internet. When I find more time, I will transfer all my experiences from my journal to my blog. I have picked up on the lingo here and have made some great friends from all over. These guys are great! Just a few things that have happened. Traveling here was LONG, but was overshadowed by all the laughing and cutting up that we did in the airports and on the planes! We have 2 Canadians with us, whom I have gotten close to and they have taught me lots of canadian card games (of course, i have taught them many of ours too!). I am staying in downtown Sydney at the University of Notre Dame (home of the Oldest Catholic/church in Australia, St. Benedict's) and was provided (actually given) so much equipment such as a nice sleeping bag, bedroll, backpack, NICE clothes, and a whole lot of WYD pilgrim stuff! For the first two days that we were here, Me and a big group of guys did A LOT of touring and site seeing. We went to the Market and I of course went a little nuts there buying souveniers and such. We walked all over Darling Harbour and even took a boat tour! We got close to the famous Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Bridge, a few celebrity mansions (Nicole Kidman, Russell Crow, and Michael Jackson, where the jokes were flying! hahaha) etc etc etc. Hmmmm....let's see I got to see Kangaroo's and Koala's, but we couldn't pet the koala's because they were asleep when we went to see them. I got some AWESOME pics though! Many more stories to come about the city, nightlife, and culture. I got to M.C. Altar Serve at a HUGE Mass with the Bishop of Las Vegas, today I get to do the same with the Bishop of Lismore, Australia, and tomorrow, I get to Altar serve with another American Bishop!!! I am so blessed to have had these opportunities! Not many are getting to do this! We went to the Opening Mass, which was the first time that ALL the pilgrims got together. This took place in Darling Harbour and was absolutely INCREDIBLE! Over 100,000 pilgrims (look for pictures online!). More stories about that to come! In the midst of all that, us Knights have been working so hard with the Sisters of Life running the Love&Life Site here at Notre Dame. These Sisters are absolutely amazing, we have been getting to know them very well (two of them are Aggies, whom I have already met before)! We have had Concerts with some big names, EWTN talk shows, catechesis talks with Bishops and various well-known speakers, authors, priests, and professors. The Local and Foreign Media has been CRAZY here at our site, we have recieved the most press world-wide!! I have been in charge of all the media stuff, So I have been in charge of recording all the speeches and talks along with another Sister and group of six Knights. We also have been hadling the Media and Press that roll into our site constantly. The Supreme Knight, Karl Anderson, has been with us the whole and is somewhat of a celebrity to many! He is a great, down-to-earth guy and is taking us out to a NICE Aussie dinner tonight, his treat!! Pope Benedict arrived in Australia a day or two ago and will be arriving in Sydney via his Papal yacht (haha)! Here comes the cool part and I am praying and praying that this comes true, but am not getting my hopes up. Pope Benedict is said to come and visit here at Notre Dame/ St. Benedict's on Saturday (because it is the oldest church in Australia! SOOO, there is a VERY strong chance that I will get to see him up close or even meet him!!! AHHH!! We will just see what happens. We are gonna make the hike down to the harbour later today to witness his arrival in Sydney!! That's all I can really say in a nutshell. I can't wait to tell you in more detail all about it. I am witnessing the Power of Christ here and am seeing lives being changed. Mine too will never be the same! This is just re-affirming my call to the Priesthood. Praise God and all that He does! I have to run and get ready to Serve at Mass! Please keep me in your prayers and know that I have been keeping y'all in mine constantly! I will try to call y'all today when I get a spare moment. Feel free to share this e-mail with anyone who might like to know about my journey thus far!! I hope y'all are doing well! I love y'all!

Love,
Jared

Countdown to my Pilgrimage "Down Under!"

G'day Mates!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! COUNTDOWN: 2 DAYS!!!!

I am in the middle of packing and for some reason it seems ENDLESS...but all is cool, cause in 3 days, I will be in SYDNEY AUSTRALIA!!!!!!!!! On wednesday (7/9/08), I will be flying to LA, California to meet up with my group and will be staying in LA over night. The next day, I will board my flight to Sydney and after being in the air for MANY hours, I should be landing at the Sydney airport at 6 in the AM! I will attempt to update this blog daily, however, if I am not successful, here is a tentative schedule of events (below). Please keep me in your prayers and I will most definately keep you all in mine! God Bless! Dueces....

Schedule of Events
* This schedule is tentative and subject to change at the discretion of Knights of Columbus staff.
World Youth Day 2008

Commonly used abbreviations: StBND = St. Benedict’s / University of Notre Dame Australia Sydney Campus SCEC8 = SCEC Parkside Auditorium, Darling Drive, Darling Harbour

Wednesday, July 9th
Students and staff arrive at LAX throughout the day. Vans have been arranged to pick up students and staff as they arrive and transport them to UCLA. When you arrive, meet at the baggage claim of your terminal. Look for staff members in blue Knights of Columbus baseball caps. 11:00 AM-2:00 PM – Lunch. 4:00 PM – Check in to accommodations at UCLA (address listed below). Sunset Village / Sproul Hall 350 DeNeve Drive Los Angeles, CA 90024-1317 Phone: (310) 825-2075 Fax: (310) 825-7092 6:00 PM – Group dinner. 7:00 PM – Holy Mass. Principal celebrant and homilist, Fr. Jonathan Kalisch, OP. An orientation meeting in the North Ridge Room (200 DeNeve Drive, Covel Commons, Third Floor) to follow. A separate orientation meeting will be held for those students with flights arriving late in the evening.

Thursday, July 10th
8:00 AM – Breakfast. 9:00 AM – Depart for airport. Room keys must be returned to front desk. Flights depart for Australia throughout the day.

Friday, July 11th spent in transit.

Saturday, July 12th
6:00–7:00 AM – All flights arrive in Sydney. 9:00 AM – Expected arrival time at University of Notre Dame Australia Sydney Campus / Pioneer House (StBND). No programming scheduled throughout the day, as jet lag is anticipated. 4:00 PM – Holy Mass (StBND). Principal celebrant and homilist, Fr. Daniel Sweeney, SJ.

Sunday, July 13th
5:30 PM – Holy Mass (StBND). Principal celebrant and homilist, Fr. Jonathan Kalisch, OP.

Monday, July 14th
TBD – Training for street evangelization provided by Sisters of Life (StBND). TBD – Assist Sisters of Life and World Youth Day volunteers to set-up the Love & Life Site (StBND). 7:00 PM – Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati prayer service (St. Mary’s Cathedral).

Tuesday, July 15th
Morning – Breakfast provided at accommodation site. 12:00 PM – Lunch service provided at sites throughout the city until 2:30 PM (e.g. Barangaroo, the Domain, etc.). TBD – Street evangelization throughout the city to promote the Love & Life Site, distribute literature, welcome other pilgrims, etc. 3:00 PM – Prelude to Opening Mass, including music and entertainment (Barangaroo). 4:30 PM – Opening Mass, celebrated by Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney (Barangaroo). 6:30 PM – Evening meal served at sites throughout the city until 8:30 PM (e.g. Barangaroo, the Domain, etc.).
8:00 PM – Youth Festival events throughout the city (consult Youth Festival Guide for details). Youth Festival webpage: http://www.wyd2008.org/youthfestival

Wednesday, July 16th
Morning – Breakfast provided at accommodation site. 8:00 AM – Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Morning Prayer (StBND). 9:00 AM – Catechesis Animation. 10:30 AM – Bishops’ Catechesis. 11:30 AM – Holy Mass at catechetical site (StBND). 1:30 PM – Lunch. 2:00 PM – Matt Maher and Theology of the Body speakers / Theology of the Body Explored. Youth Festival events held throughout the city. 5:30 PM – Vespers (StBND). 6:30 PM – Evening meal served throughout the city until 8:30 PM (e.g. Barangaroo, the Domain, etc.). 8:00 PM – Youth Festival (Films): Screening of Bella (PG), presented by the Sisters of Life (SCEC8). 10:00 PM – Youth Festival events conclude for the night.

Thursday, July 17th
Morning – Breakfast provided at accommodation site. 8:00 AM – Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Morning Prayer (StBND). 9:00 AM – Catechesis Animation. 10:30 AM – Bishops’ Catechesis. 11:30 AM – Holy Mass at catechetical site (StBND). 1:30 PM – Lunch. 2:45 PM – Papal Arrival, viewed from sites on Sydney Harbour. 3:30 PM – Holy Father arrives at Barangaroo for formal welcome. 4:30 PM – Holy Father departs Barangaroo for a motorcade through the city. 5:30 PM – Vespers (StBND).
6:30 PM – Evening meal served throughout the city until 8:30 PM (e.g. Barangaroo, the Domain, etc.).
7:00 PM – International Living Rosary, to be recited in multiple languages (StBND). 8:00 PM – Youth Festival (Concerts): Street Party, featuring the Catholic Underground band (StBND). 10:00 PM – Youth Festival events conclude for the night.

Friday, July 18th
Morning – Breakfast provided at accommodation site. 8:00 AM – Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Morning Prayer (StBND). 9:00 AM – Catechesis Animation. 10:30 AM – Bishops’ Catechesis. 11:30 AM – Holy Mass at catechetical site (StBND). 1:30 PM – Lunch. 3:00 PM – Stations of the Cross, held at venues throughout the city. 6:30 PM – Evening meal served throughout the city until 8:30 PM (e.g. Barangaroo, the Domain, etc.). 8:00 PM – Youth Festival (Spiritual): Eucharistic Healing Procession (StBND). 10:00 PM – Youth Festival events conclude for the night.

Saturday, July 19th
Morning – Breakfast and a lunch pack to carry on the Pilgrimage Walk. 8:15 AM – United States WYD Pilgrims Gathering (Domain) 9:00 AM – Holy Mass: Principal Celebrant and Homilist, Francis Cardinal George, OMI, President of USCCB (Domain) 10:30 AM – Meet with Bishops (Domain) 11:00 AM – Pilgrimage Walk: depart for Randwick Racecourse. Collect meal pack for Saturday evening, Sunday breakfast, and Sunday lunch on the way to Randwick. 12:00 PM – Youth Festival commences at Randwick. Refreshments may be purchased until the start of the Vigil.
2:00 PM – Bridge closes to pilgrims; those still walking will be confined to pedestrian walkway (Page 24 of Pilgrim Guide). Last pilgrim leaves North Sydney as part of Pilgrimage Walk.
7:00 PM – Evening Vigil begins. 9:00 PM – Evening Vigil concludes, with prayerful reflection and adoration continuing into the night.

Sunday, July 20th
6:00 AM – WORLD YOUTH DAY 8:00 AM – Morning prayer commences from the main stage at Randwick. 9:00 AM – Papal flyover Southern Cross Precinct, followed by Papal motorcade. 10:00 AM – Final Mass, celebrated by the Holy Father. Mass will be followed by the Angelus. 12:30 PM – Announcement of the location of and invitation to the next World Youth Day. 12:45 PM – Youth Festival events recommence. It will take several hours for everyone to leave the site, so be patient and take the time to enjoy the Youth Festival performances. 5:00 PM – Youth Festival events conclude.

Monday, July 21st
TBD – Assist Sisters of Life and World Youth Day volunteers to close the Love & Life Site (StBND).

Tuesday, July 22nd
Morning – Depart for airport. Day spent in transit. Pray for a safe and pleasant journey home.

.........................Cookie out.........................

My time in College Station comes to a close...

My lease on my apartment is up, my finals are OVER (thank the sweet baby Jesus!), I have said my goodbyes and now it's time for SUMMER! WHOOP! I am sooo excited about this summer! Throughout May and June, I will be working as much as possible mowing lawns with Cooke Bros. Lawn Service and hopefully find another part time job! I will also be making several trips back to College Station to visit my friends, to attend a court date for a speeding ticket (stupid cops, who have nothing better to do than set speed traps and pull over as many poor college students as possible!), and to attend my friend Chris' Wedding! In July, I will work for the first week of the month and then on July 9th, I will be traveling to Sydney, Australia to Volunteer at World Youth Day where I get to meet and hang out with millions of my fellow Catholic brothas and sistas as well as see Pope Benedict XVI and attend his Papal addresses and Masses.....YEAHHHH! After my trip of a lifetime to Sydney, I will work a bit more, spend time with family and friends, and then start my new journey at seminary where I will begin my Priestly Formation! If you are free at all this summer, call me up, we should hang out! I will probably not be here next summer, so let's make it happen this go around!

.............Cookie out...........................................

And So It Begins...

And so it begins..... My life up until now has been a GREAT one! I have had experiences that some people never have the chance to experience at all in their lifetime. I have the most AWESOME family any guy could ask for, I have the best friends in the entire world, and I have God walking with me hand in hand, step by step, stumble by stumble in this JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE! By the grace and love of God, I have finally found my vocation in life and finally understand why God put me on this earth! It has been a difficult journey, but it has been a journey that I wouldn't have changed for the world! After much prayer and reflection, I have decided to apply for entrance into the Seminary in hopes of one day being ordained a Catholic Priest! I began to feel this quiet call from God about 4 years ago and over time, that quiet call became louder and more persistent. As you can well imagine, my initial thought and answer to God was “absolutely NOT!” A call like that is both daunting and uncommon; therefore, I avoided God’s call for me like the plague. However, God works in mysterious ways and He is not one to ever give up, even when we push Him away. After a while I began to dialogue with him in prayer and I began a discernment journey that grew deeper and deeper as time went on. After more than four years of discerning and continuous debate with God, I guess you could say He finally won - He revealed to me why I’m here on this earth – why I exist. In order for me to become the man I was created to be, I believe the path to Priesthood is the path that I must now follow. So my new answer to God became a faith filled YES! I believe God is calling me to come and follow Him in this way and I just can’t say no to Him anymore. In 21 years of life, I have never been surer about anything than I am now. My faith is where I have achieved my greatest happiness and I want nothing else in my life than to help lead others to that same happiness in Christ! I believe that our world needs a deeper relationship with Christ and I want to give of myself to help in anyway that I can. Believe me, I have thought about and understand the tremendous personal sacrifices that I will be making to follow this path and I am more than ready to accept these sacrifices. I have begun the application process to enter the Seminary and if it is God’s will, I will be entering Seminary in the Fall to further explore this new direction in my life. This will end my long pursuit of attending Texas A&M University and I will complete my undergraduate education at one of the seminary colleges for the Diocese of Austin, either in Dallas or Louisiana . I will always remain a Fightin’ Texas Aggie at heart! WHOOP! This is going to be a long process and I am surely going to be tested in ways that I have never experienced before, but I believe I am more than ready for the challenges that I will face. I can’t do this alone, so I’m asking for your love, support, and prayers throughout this new journey that I am about to embark on. OHH GOD IS GOOD! Cookie out.........