Halfway to priesthood?

It's been a while since I've had time to blog. But I thought I should post something so the last "election" post wasn't at the top any longer. It seems the majority of people did not look at the moral issues when they voted. We need to pray for our President-elect and do our part to ensure our country's laws do not force us to act against our own consciences (or face consequences for obeying our consciences). But enough on this issue for now.

Not much has been going on lately, aside from an immense amount of schoolwork and prayer. But I thought I would share a few random thoughts.

As difficult as it is for me to believe, this semester is nearing the end. In less than one month, I will have endured and enjoyed another semester of seminary. The time is passing quickly. I have been living here for two and a half years already. Can you believe it? I can't. It seems like just yesterday that I drove down the Interstates and moved into my tiny little room. When I leave here for Christmas break I will be half way to priestly ordination, unless something changes.

If anything, the last two and a half years have humbled me and, at the same time, encouraged me. There's nothing like studying alongside people who know Greek, Latin, Hebrew, who can sing, chant, have memorized Scripture, and know St Thomas Aquinas' Summa practically by heart, to humble a man who thinks himself quite bright. Now, I'm not saying I'm an idiot. I do have intellectual gifts and a bit of creativity. To not admit that would be false humility. But being here, I'm forced to admit that I'm not that smart, I'm not that talented.

But you know what? It doesn't matter. God seems to be making do with what little I can give him. This shouldn't surprise me. He is God, after all. If I survive all this and am assigned to a parish as a priest, my parishioners won't be learning anything about music from me. And I won't be teaching them any Latin (for a few years, anyway). But, just maybe, God will work through me to lead others to holiness. In the end, this is what really matters. I just need to get out of the way and cooperate with His grace.

What other random points have been on my mind lately?

1. Don't compare yourself to others. Don't judge others. And don't judge yourself (too harshly, at least). Following my comments above, this is very useful advice. I've seen men that I was absolutely sure had a calling to the priesthood leave the seminary. And some of the guys I once thought lazy or unfit are now thriving and, it seems, will make excellent priests. We're not the judges here. God "qualifies the called," as I've so often heard. He doesn't "call the qualified."
2. You (the reader of this blog) have a calling from God as well. And it's no less counter-cultural, radical, or difficult than the path down which it seems God is calling me. Too many people have become lukewarm to the message of Christ. In truth, if you are a Christian, every person you encounter should be able to tell. Christians should stand out, and be different from our secular world. The job of all Christians is to sanctify the secular world in which they live and work. This doesn't mean being a "Bible-thumper." Rather, it means living your own life in charity, in accord with what is ultimately true and good. It means actually thinking about what is true and good, and then acting on it. Are you doing your part? If you're not sure, pray, study, and talk to a priest or your pastor. It's important.

I could swear there was a third point I wanted to make. But this post is long and rambling enough as it is. If I think of something else, I'll post it -- hopefully in a more coherent manner than this mess of a post.

God Bless,
-Jason