Seminary Appeal Talk

This is a slightly edited representation of my address to Our Lady of Victory parish this past Sunday (September 23^rd). The readings for that day may be found here.

Seminary Appeal Talk

I would like to talk about vocations, specifically the vocation to the priesthood. We can see from the many different people gathered here that God has called us to married life and single life. Likewise, many of you have a great number of occupations that you were drawn to as well. But God also calls young men to consider the priesthood as his calling in life. The call to the priesthood and a unique life of service is given a special prominence in the Gospels and New Testament as a whole. All are called to conversion but only a select few are called to serve as Christ for the sake of His people.

The Apostles are a prime example of this call. Jesus Christ entered into their lives—He sought them out—and commanded them to follow. The Apostles are a group of different men and it is worthwhile, I think, to look at their responses.

Peter was a fisherman, and when Christ entered into His life Peter fell on his knees and said “Leave me Lord for I am a sinful man” to which Jesus simply responded “Be not afraid; from now on you will be catching men” (see: Lk 5:1-11). After this Peter left all he had and followed Him. 

Peter: a man of great courage but one of many faults and weaknesses. But he was able to acknowledge those weaknesses and through Christ was set apart as an example of forgiveness (because he was forgiven) and leadership (his teaching and martyrdom)

James and John were likewise fisherman and when they heard the call of Christ they left all they had and readily followed Him. The call of St. Matthew too had different circumstances as well. Matthew, whom we celebrated on September 21^st, was a tax collector. He was regarded as a traitor and an outcast for the Jews and perhaps hated by even his own family. It was possible that he embezzled money, but at the very least he was employed by the Roman Empire. Yet when Jesus came into his life he left his own way of life behind and followed Jesus without hesitation.

Matthew: surprised that Jesus, a Jew, might call for him to be his disciple, he converted and immediately drew tax collectors and sinners to share in the same joy Christ gave him.

I believe we can all say that our lives are similar to the Apostles. We have felt Jesus come into our lives in some manner and lead us to where we are today. He searches us out and calls us to Him. In the seminary, in my own class, we have men who were laborers, ex-military, farmers, teachers, lawyers, and seminarians like myself. We can see that like the Apostles God isn't picky with whom he calls—in fact we're fortunate His call reaches ever corner and every life.

As such, I would like to speak to my own experience, in brief, in hopes that it encourages you to listen for God's whispers in your life.

I first began thinking about the priesthood in 5^th grade. We had recently received a new pastor and it was a day like any other. At the words of consecration and the raising of the host I remember I said to myself, “Maybe I could do that.”

And that was it. Is wasn't earth-shattering or overpowering, just a subtle feeling and an inclination. But I didn't fight it nor did I dismiss it. Rather, I accepted it and simply lived my life after that. I was encouraged by that same priest to consider the priesthood and so I did.

When I went into 8^th grade I was still on the fence, but the concern was more academic. Eventually, however, I noticed that I was happier at Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary and chose it. I'm happy to say it was probably the best decision of my life. The opportunity to be taught by priests and laymen and women was an excellent one. They not only taught us the necessities a student needed in subjects such as literature, history, language, theology, and science but each teacher had an appreciation for the Catholic tradition and instilled in me a real love of our Catholic heritage.

Time went on and I joined the college seminary. Now, at that point I was still riddled with old habits and dispositions, many of them bad, and likewise I had yet to mature into a priestly identity that I had taken for granted. At the same time I was still 18 years old and growing—I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to grow in the seminary with authentic and attentive human formation. I was there for two years before I went for 3 (blessed) years in Washington DC. Though much happened at St. Joseph's and DC I will share with you one experience of prayer that has given me an image of priesthood that I still consider and follow today.

I was praying at a 24-hour adoration, perhaps it was 11, 12, or 1 in the morning. I recall the image came to my mind almost like a dream:

I was standing above a large crowd and as I looked down everything was gray. People were walking back and forth, much like what you would see downtown on Michigan Avenue. Each of them, however, had their heads down. Some were scared, others crying, others anxious, while others still seemed indifferent or apathetic. I recall looking on them with a great deal of sadness and compassion. Just then a hand was placed on my shoulder that said, “My son, do you see my children down there, crying and broken? Who will go and comfort them? Who will be with them?” Without any real hesitation I remember that I turned around and said, “Please, Lord, send me.”

This is an image I've kept with myself for some time now and one that informs my image of the priesthood. I realize it can seem rather dire and serious and at the time it did seem this way to me. As with many things in life, however, what seems one way at first grows with us over time. Now there have been numerous instances where this has been a great source of joy and reflection for me. Not every person who is worried or afraid is depressed, rather they are looking for God at pivotal moments in their life. There are parents who wonder if they can raise their family right, there are married couples who wonder if they'll make ends meet, and there are those who are alone in the hospital who feel abandoned. A priest is with these people at their most important stages as a living image of Christ. I don't mean in the sense that I or a priest replaces God, but a priest is one who is sent to minister to His people. The job of the priest is to listen, to guide, to teach, and help those he meets go to the Father, just as Christ did.

I believe that the Gospel is also helpful in this case (Mk 9:30-37). In the seminary, even though I'm 24 years old, my friends and I are still guys. We're competitive, at times confrontational, and enjoy hanging out (with the idle talk that comes with it). Here we have the Apostles acting like guys. They have already experienced Christ and listened to them. They have been taught be Him and they are already following Him and yet “they were arguing among themselves who was the greatest.” Jesus responds in a surprising way, however. He places a child in their midst and says “Who ever among you wishes to be great must make himself as this little child.”

The reaction on the Apostles face indicates, I think, the difficulty and puzzling nature of Christ's command for them and His insistence that this would be "greatness" before God.

Now, at this time period in time a child was considered as completely dependent, helpless, and as someone generally disregarded. A child was someone who could never hope to repay someone back but needed your help all the time. It was a lowly life. But what an image for a holy priesthood! It's a powerful image to think that what I and other men are called to is in the likeness of a little child. What this means is that a priest must constantly humble himself, both because he is called by and led by God to do his work but also because of the great responsibility of leading others while expecting nothing in return. A priest is a sower of the Word and a shepherd to the people, but not everyone will hear nor will every sheep remain. But it is His task to be at the total service of his people, which are in reality His people. Without child-like trust and humility we would never listen to God, and without child-like concern and love we would never be attentive to the people who need us most.

What I've learned over the course of time is that God does not call those of us who are the best speakers, the greatest intellects, the most pious, the most athletic, nor the most skillful—necessarily. Rather He calls those whom he sets apart for a special task and for some that special task is a priest of Jesus Christ. For indeed “before I formed you in the womb I knew you [and] before you were born I dedicated you” (Jer 1:5a). God calls those from families who have perhaps fallen away from Him to act as a voice that calls them back. He calls those from broken families, common jobs, and who live simply. He calls those who come from loving homes, highly trained, and from affluent areas. All of them are called to serve and give what has been given to them.

In conclusion I would ask all of you to rededicate yourselves to encourage young men to the holy priesthood of Christ. In the same way I encourage you to affirm young women to consecrated life and religious life (guys too). When you see in someone qualities that you want in the priesthood you should affirm it. My vocation began in part because my pastor said to me 'I think you should think about the priesthood.' Our voice can be an instrument of God that leads young men and women to discover what God wants from them. They can certainly deny your words or discover that religious and/or priestly life isn't for them but as the people of God we must recognize in those who we raise the qualities of a good spiritual father and good shepherds. Are we courageous enough to speak when we see these qualities in our brothers, our sons, our nephews, and our friends?

I ask humbly that you continue to pray for me as I discern God's call in this my 11^th year of formation. You know, many of you, my past and with it my weaknesses, habits, faults, and failings. I ask you pray that I persevere while also humbling myself always to be molded and formed in Christ Jesus in order that I become the man that God wants me to be for His people. Please pray for my fellow brothers who are doing the same.

Pray especially that we all, especially young men, are attentive to the call God has placed in their hearts. I thank you for the encouragement and nourishment that you have already given me in abundance.

Thank you,

Matthew

For Those Who Deride Christian Morals: Initial Response

An introduction:
Okay, so maybe I got a little out of hand with the length. In that sense I may consider streamlining and simplifying what I've done here.
 
That being said the overall purpose of this piece is to provide a response to those who ridicule, critique, or speak out against Christian morality and in turn posit a secularist/atheist/humanist morality as superior, more rational, or whatnot.

The problem I've seen is that most secularists (etc.) do not really understand morality (the science) and many Christians do not understand morals (the nature).
 
I seek, perhaps foolishly, to address both problems. As I mention above the scope is rather large and far-reaching. I revised and expanding on my central claims so much I had to split it up. The whole thing was intended to be 3-single spaced pages. The first theme ended up being that length.

Here I do not seek to call atheists (etc.) immoral or stupid, but I will challenge that the morality they propose is incomplete. The problem is that "faith" has becomes a quick word to mean gullibility, stupidity, or naivety by a number of people--I can't say that Christians have always acted or spoken valiantly to the contrary. Nevertheless, I am never one who intends or wishes to present a weak opposition to support what I believe--just the opposite.

This may be a bit tough and my worry is that it won't seem organized enough. I tried my best to keep focus on some important points but I fear some deficiencies will arise. That is why I feel this piece may require some revisions despite heavy revisions already applied.

I just ask that you try and follow me, asking questions along the way. ~M

______


There are those who might deride Christian morals in that Christians "follow God" or "follow the Church." They, in turn, might also say of themselves that "we're good on our own." Below I would like to address this contention in both a positive and critical way. I fear that the scope of this piece will be broad, so I will break it into smaller segments. Even then, I will touch on matters such as faith, community, Tradition, the Church, and morality, among other subjects. I will attempt to weave in and out of topics with care. My hope is that my reader will catch me when I falter and hold me accountable to providing a cohesive account.

What I will do is begin by introducing the context by which I see faith and morality. I will also do this in regards to the Catholic Church, meaning that I will give a (very) brief explanation for the importance authority and Tradition. This will all be done to confront and explain some of the notions that often serve as ground for critiques. These themes, however, will only be touched on in this first part but expanded after I introduce some critiques by secularists, humanists, and atheists in the second part. Therein I will address some of their arguments and, hopefully, show their deficiencies. At the same time, however, I want to clear up some confusion about the relationship of faith and morals that fuels some of these critiques—both Atheists to Christians and the other way around. I will then return to morality that is informed by faith and what that means. Finally, I will comment on what the "force" of morality is and where it comes from. There is little better way to begin than jumping right in.

When one says that Christians do things out of duty or obligation he is only half correct. But this is not a legalistic duty but a duty that comes about by a real relationship. If you love someone you give your all to that person or, at the very least, you learn to over time. Catholics are a covenant people, meaning that we enter into a relationship with our Creator such that "we shall be His people, and He will be our God" (cf. Ex 6:7a, Jer 30:22,  Lev 26:12). The language used is not one of servant and master, though we rightly call Christ master and teacher. Rather, the language Christ uses is very clear: he taught us to pray "our Father;" he no longer calls us servants but friends. Christ is the bridegroom and the Church is the bride. The language concerning God and his people and Christ and his Church is used for a specific purpose and for a very important reason—one which I shall elaborate on later.

Now, amid the complexities of life and morals we trust the Church as she preserves for us the wisdom of many ages whether they are  temptations, failures, trials, or triumphs. We also train men (as priests) and men and women (as chaste religious) to guide us. These men and women are specially trained to know God, to know how to pray, to understand the human soul and, in humility, to serve others so they might know God. Just as good parents teach their children how to be good parents themselves, so too do we look up to the Church and holy and learned men and women to teach us how to love God better (and to love ourselves and others better as well). As such, we assent to their authority on account of their worthy actions and learning.

Yet, what son or daughter respects an abusive parent? So too, what man seeking God follows a man who cannot lead him? On the other hand, how many sons and daughters neglect the teaching of good parents? How many more faithful men and women, in closing their ears and hearts, neglect the wisdom and urging of holy men and women? This is why we need to form good relationships with one another.

Not only that, God, the Church, and all these men and women (clergy, religious, and lay), want to establish a relationship with each of us based on trust and love. Any relationship, though, involves a change and a transition. Because of this is has its own unique set of growing pains and how we deal with those pains can make the relationship a difficult and rocky one at times. We all know how difficult relationships can be with one another.

We Catholics must keep in mind specifically that the Church is the Mystical Body of Christ—our relationship is not only as bride to bridegroom. But we are also related to each other, not only as brother and sister but as veins to the heart, arms to their sockets, and lungs to the mouth. We, as members of one body, members of the faithful, cannot survive without one another.

Faith plays an important role—it draws together many to God as well as to each other. Faith is more than trust in a proven idea or theorem. It is a dynamic trust in a person. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) says "Faith is first of all a personal adherence of man to God. At the same time, and inseparably, it is a free assent to the whole truth that God has revealed. As personal adherence to God and assent to his truth, Christian faith differs from our faith in any human person" (sec. 150).

I do not deny those who claim that there is a personal element to faith, but I deny that faith is and remains a personal element. Faith moves one to act just as faith itself is an action in response to something, namely God acting in our lives. This is true because "it is no less true that believing is an authentically human act. Trusting in God and cleaving to the truths he has revealed are contrary neither to human freedom nor to human reason" (CCC 154). One must hear the Word before he trusts the Word in its fullness. Faith is personal insofar as how we've come to know and believe but it is communal insofar as what is believed and whom we believe in.

So, to summarize, faith is a matter of community and relationships just as morality is. Is faith just a type of morality or something super-added to morality? I propose that faith is not a type of morality or something grafted onto morality, but I will claim that morality that is informed by faith is more complete, whole, and true. I am, however, perhaps getting ahead of myself. Let us consider some things before we turn to secularism, humanism, and atheism and their claims/critiques.

Here are some important primary considerations of faith and morality which will guide us beyond this point.

First of all, faith is an experience and a response. Just as Christ descended in the Incarnation he also rose at the Resurrection and Ascension. God comes to us and he raises us up. But, how was that rising possible? By following the will of the Father and responding to his grace. Remember that faith is a free assent to the truth. It is also a relationship between two persons, an adherence to God. In this manner faith is, as I have said, dynamic in a way that a relationship between two friends or spouses is dynamic—it is never always clearly defined but it is all the same a bond that is always present.

Secondly, we must talk about morality in greater depth. The word itself derives its meaning from the Latin word "mores" meaning custom or ways. The Greek similarly has "ethos" (custom, practice) [ethics] and "nomos" (custom, law) that came to describe personal character and make-up.

Thus, when we speak of morality we are talking about the character of the individual. Now, there are many schools about how a character, but what I propose is both the classical and normative consideration. One derives his character from three sources:

The first is order, that is to say learning precision and clarity in ones actions and decisions. When we are left to our own devices we might learn, but not without consequences. When we are taught right from wrong (properly) we do what is good and avoid what is bad or evil.

The second is habit, which is to say an action practiced such that it becomes a part of us.

The third is rules, principles, tradition, and customs. Conveniently these words are contained in one Greek word, "nomos." This is to say that a character is formed by principles and ideologies for action—and this is important—precisely because an individual's character is not limited to himself (as an island unto himself) but rather as a character who lives among other persons. It might be said that principles, traditions, and customs are the "voice of generations" who assert that this is the 'right way to live.' Now, this does not mean it is immune to a critical mind and eye, but we should respect the force of tradition—even if only for a little while.

Whether it is faith or morals, I argue that both of them deal with the individual but always in a lens that has the greater whole, or others, in mind. One does not have faith merely for salvation but to be "as Christ to others" and that means sacrifice, service, speaking the truth, and love. This too I will elaborate on later. For now we will shift our focus to critiques to these claims above as well as other critiques.


[to be continued in part 2/3]