Leaving Seminary!

[cmaD2006]

(I dun did it again! Double post due to the sin of impatience )

Edited November 14, 2007 by cmariadiaz

[farglefeezlebut]

*hugs* I'll remember you in my prayers. I don't have any advice other than what people have said, and what a friend said to me:

"To keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given to me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.' So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong." - 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

The choice of passage may seem too obvious, even banal. But focus on Paul's thorn in the flesh. He doesn't disclose what that intensely painful problem was, but it is clear that it distressed him - it prevented him from becoming totally self-sufficient, wrapped up in nothing but his spiritual revelations. However, he realised that this kind of self-sufficiency could have led to pride, and that his difficulties were keeping him from something much worse. Sin is usually much more comfortable than difficulty. If it didn't offer ease and satisfaction nobody would want it. The crosses on our shoulders, the thorns in the flesh...they keep us from sinking into that deceptively comfortable way of thinking. The only way to avoid it is to accept just how needy we are, that we can do nothing for ourselves. This is true even when things couldn't be going better. As Jalaluddin Rumi wrote:

I was proud of myself, having offered all I had - my life, my faith, my work.
"Who are you," You said, "to think that you have so much to offer?"
It seems that you've forgotten
Where you've come from."

Ours is a faith of vulnerability. We often invest the vulnerability of the cross with a special mystique, instead of keeping it plain and poor and ordinary. But that's what this weakness is. It's painful and often boring. It hurts. But we can make it a prayer. This is the point where that swooping joy takes over, the Comforter, the Advocate, the blessing that comes when you realise the meaning of Mother Teresa's words, "You won't know that Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have."

It's also important to realise that Jesus chose to be dependent during his time on earth. He didn't have to be, but he loved people enough to lean on them. There's nothing shameful in it. It shows a complete relationship.

It's all about being free.

[Totus Tuus]

I wholeheartedly agree with the above post.

[Sister Rose Therese]

Sorry to hear that you're having such a rough time. I'll pray for you. Sounds like your family could use your presence right now.
A good little book if you haven't read it already is [url="http://www.practicegodspresence.com/brotherlawrence/index.html"]"The Practice of the Presence of God"[/url] by Brother Lawrence. Might help in a time of uncertainty like this.

[DeoOptimoMaximo]

Dear Phamily,

Thank you so much for the kind words and encouragement! I just feel sad right now... cause when most people hear someone leaves the seminary, they automatically assume that it has to do with a relationship, but I'm still trying to follow the call to priesthood...I just want to follow God's will for me, but it seems hard to clearly discern which way He wants me to go.

Still working on my application process...
Will keep you posted!

In His Service,
Shawn

[CHRISTINEH]

[quote name='DeoOptimoMaximo' post='1416719' date='Nov 9 2007, 05:52 PM']Dear Phamily,
Dear Shawn.....God has something great planned for you!!!!! You are in my prayers...Christine
My Director of Vocations and formation directors have recommended that I leave the seminary.. (Note: I am not being kicked out, by any means-- it's just that I have had so many struggles and have not been able to thrive as much spiritually, physically, and emotionally, as I first thought.) I am happy helping others in the missions, but seminary has turned out to be quite a dark night for me... my seminarian buddies have been the best friends one could hope for, yet many left this semester and many more are also leaving the seminary soon... They will make awesome priests, but the system is forcing them out, I think...
I remain an aspirant/student for my home missionary society, but I must first finish my college (BA) degree. The best option that I am praying for is to be accepted to AVE MARIA UNIV! It is only 45 min away from my home, so I can be close to my family (Mom's recovering from non-hodgkins lymphoma and my grandpa just got taken to the hospital)... Additionally, I've visited AMU and absolutely love the environment that fosters Church traditions, which the seminary was not big on...

I now can see with some clarity that this is God's will... I am still saddened but peace has finally reentered my soul... Please pray for me, AMU, and my family and that all works out!

In His Service,
Shawn[/quote]