Spanish Discernment Weekend January 20, 2012

Hi there everyone, it's been a while. Just wanted to share the blessing we had last weekend. We held a discernment weekend in our formation house in Jamaica, NY. 17 young men came from North Carolina and Long Island. Our seminarians really took ownership of the whole event. Fr. Hugo, Fr. Marvin, Fr. Vince Finnerty, Fr. Emmet Nolan, Fr. Aidan, Fr. Jerry, Bishop Cabezas and I, all had the opportunity to interact and share some reflections at some point or another. I would like to thank the Eastern Province, along with St. John's University, for their generosity. God continues to use us as instruments and if people still ask if there are people in serving God as priests or brothers, this weekend was an answe to that. Yes there are!!!

Our next weekend will be on March 30th in Philadelphia. It will be in english. I should be sending a flyer out this week, but if you have any questions call me at the Vocations Office at St. John's University 718-990-1823. God bless you all!!

A New Year

I have been thinking for the last week or so about the new year. How this season of hustle and bustle, inside and outside of the Church, barely gives us a time to reflect and enjoy this transition. We have celebrated Christmas with great intensity and have welcomed him into our midst, our homes, our lives, our hearts. But have we taken a moment to admire and appreciate this great and awesome event.

A new year is really like starting all over, hopefully having learned something from the past. From the road trodden we have acquired some experience of the do's and don'ts as believing people. As we balance the passing year, we see where we have confided in the Lord and have flown, where we have been distracted by things and have had a standstill and where we have gone astray.

By the mercy of God, this child born anew capacitates us to begin the journey again. Doors are open, a light is shed upon the path, and someone again takes precedence in our midst, the Lord himself and what a blessing it is.

I pray that our new year can make us take advantage of the Sacrament of the Moment. The blessing that occurs in our lives each and every day. I often run from one place to other. I often find myself fighting with myself to enjoy the conversation and love that relationships (which I ultimately do) and not run off to the next. I want to place the on button to slow. Alive but not in a hurry. And if I am in a hurry may be to respond with great concern for the other, but even then not to hear what I want to hear, but to respond to the true need and with love in God.

Help me and help us o Lord to make each moment a sacrament of you. Knowing that the moment is here now and goes so quickly, but if we give it a chance it may leave it's imprint upon our hearts and nourish our souls abundantly.