Epiphany III
Link to photos from Midnight Mass.
Bishop’s Note
It is a snowy Friday morning, but the sun is coming out. The snails have been very active this morning—all seventeen of them (another was found earlier this week on the feast of St. Marcellus, so he was named Marshellus). Ian Ford is going to make a little home for them since they are just in a plastic box with plenty of ventilation and lots of greenery. The cats are doing cat things and don’t really give us much to talk about, except that Fluffy has caught some mice back in the church offices. Black Cat prefers to catch the outdoor ones, and Fat Cat just begs for canned food—lots of it, all the time! Fr. McKenna has showed a rather compassionate side and has taken to feeding the cats himself. Of course, he will say it’s just to keep the cats quiet, but I know better than to believe that. I think the critters have grown on him after all these years!
On a serious note, one seminarian left the seminary after Christmas break and another joined. Our new seminarian is from Spain and has already completed the majority of his training under Bishop Sanborn. Seminary life is very demanding and truly does put one’s vocation to the test. One must prove his vocation by passing the required courses, but also must show himself to be truly virtuous. This is not to say that those who leave are not intelligent or do not possess great virtues. A priestly vocation is also one to which a young man must be called by God and not everyone who enters the seminary has a vocation. These men who “gave it a try” already show that they are serious about doing the Will of God and they will find the vocation to which God is calling them. The ones who stay and become priests will have received all the necessary tools to become good priests, but they must never stop learning or growing in virtue after ordination. Keep our seminarians and clergy in your prayers.
We have very nice feast days coming up this week. They all have very interesting tales. Of course, Ss. Vincent and Anastasius on Monday, St. Raymond on Tuesday, “Timid” St. Timothy and the courageous St. Paul, and St. Polycarp who was talked about in the Book of the Apocalypse. Come to attend Mass and hear a sermon on an extra day this week!
– Bishop McGuire