“Formation on steroids”: the life of a seminarian about to be ordained a priest

A young deacon I know who will be ordained a priest in June sent me an email the other day, describing his life these days as “formation on steroids.” I reprint part of it below with his permission.

If you want to know what the life of a seminarian is like, take a look:

 This week I practiced Mass with EP I (the Roman canon) and even had four concelebrants (who were practicing concelebration) around me.

I later heard a practice confession of a case of a teenager who had his mom force him to go to confession and really didn’t care about whether what he did was wrong or not.

I assisted and preached Wednesday Mass (real) at the seminary, and preaching at the seminary on a Lenten weekday is much harder than preaching at the parish Christmas morning.

I’ve been working on a 20-30 page paper …and was organist of the day Tuesday and today (that’s everything from 7a.m. Morning Prayer to 9:45p.m. Night Prayer / Benediction).

I also wrote my petition to the bishop or the Call to Orders for priesthood Monday.

Today the Cardinal’s here.

Tomorrow I have a test on a chapter of Jesus of Nazareth (Ratzinger), both questions and answers in Spanish, plus a Stations of the Cross meditation due in Spanish.

(There are 8 other credit-hours of classes in there too).

But the most important thing I’ve learned is that my body is on my side. I felt a dry throat (first signs of a cold for me) on Monday and I told my body not to get sick. It listened. 🙂

But yes, this is an exceptional week.

God bless him. On top of all that, on weekends he’s serving at a local parish, doing deacon-y things like preaching and baptizing and presiding at weddings.

Keep him and all men who are answering the call in your prayers!

A Prayer for Seminarians

O Lord Jesus Christ, great High Priest, I pray that You call many worthy souls to Your holy priesthood. Enlighten the Bishop in the choice of candidates, the Spiritual Director in molding them, and the professors in instructing them. Lead the seminarians daily in Your unerring footsteps; so that they may become priests who are models of purity, possessors of wisdom and heroes of sacrifice; steeped in humility and aflame with love for God and man; apostles of Your glory and sanctifiers of souls.

Amen.

Mary, Queen of the Clergy, pray for us.