THE HEART OF A SEMINARIAN

A Roman Catholic Seminarian opens up his Heart and shares the Faith he Loves.

NEWS AND NOTES

·        New Office: It has been close to 6 months and I finally have an office.  They put me in the back storage room.  The funny part is that the easiest way to get to my office is by going into the bathroom and going through the first door on your right.  It is just cool to have a place to put more piles of papers at.

·        Internet: Also, they ran the internet to my office.  Part of the reason for my lack of postings was due to the lack of access to the internet until the secretaries left.  But when they left, I always had other meetings or obligations to take care of.  As a result, I never got on until 10pm or so.  Bottom line, I am excited about my office and internet.

·        Open Gym: Last night was the first night of our 9pm adult Basketball games at our parish center.  Even though it was a lot of fun, it was a harsh reality to the fact that I have not played that competitively in a while.  It is open to the community and we play twice a week.  It is a great time for exercise, fellowship, and sore legs the next morning.

·        Blog Awards: Let the nominating begin for the 2006 Catholic Blog Awards.  To nominate any Catholic Blog for any category that you feel appropriate, you simply need to click on http://www.catholicblogawards.com/ and follow the directions.  The categories range from most Humurous to most Informative or even best blog by a Woman to best blog by a Seminarian. Nominating will last until Friday, Feb.3.  There are so many good Catholic Blogs out there that deserves plenty of credit.  On-line voting for these awards begins on Monday Feb. 6.

·        Next Sunday’s scripture.  Just click it.

What else?  Any questions or comments?

posted by: muniz at 13:12 | link | comments (1) |
news and notes

THE NEED FOR A GOOD ACCOUNTABILTY PARTNER.

Catholic Times column “Order soda with long conversation on the side.” (1/08/06) continued.  Click here to read this short column.

This post is a continuation of my column in the Catholic Times.  This is the opportunity to express my feelings on the subject, while allowing you to do the same for a fruitful discussion.  For those who are new to this site, you may leave anonymous or signed comments by clicking on the word “comments” below. 

In my column, I shared the story of my friend and I and how we helped hold each other accountable.  Whether it was our goals in athletics, health, or spirituality, we were always there for each other.  And now as I look back, I am grateful that he has been there in my life.

As I wrote about the need to have an accountability partner with your every goal that you set for yourself, I cannot emphasize enough of the necessity in finding a “GOOD” accountability partner.  If there is anything that upsets me more, it is the reality that some people refuse to become a true friend and a true support and a true source of encouragement as an accountability partner. This is especially true for people in leadership positions, such as the priesthood.

I keep asking myself the same question; “Why do people refuse to hold others accountable, especially when someone asked them to do so?”   There has been so many times that I have asked someone, namely in diets, to help me to be accountable to my goals just to be disappointed in their letting me slack.  Oh how I long to have someone in my life that will push me to my limits, someone that will not let me give less than my best, someone that will care enough about me to push me to my goals when I don’t want to work towards them.  Those great people are far and few between, but those are the ones that people love and respect the most.

As I have seen as an athlete, student, or a parishioner and as a coach, teacher, and future priest, people “LOVE” being challenged in all different parts of their life, challenged to think deeper, challenged to reach farther, challenged to obtain greatness.  One of the deepest desires of all people is to find that person who can see in you that talent, that beauty, that ability that is hidden to you and to all and believe that those such things can be achieved by you.  Just as Christ works in this way in our life, we must become that light that shows this love of Christ.

As brothers and sisters in Christ, we must not fear the anger that we might face when holding another accountable to the goals that they have set for themselves.  But we should stand up and perserver in doing so, because that is what we do when we truly love someone.  We love them when it hurts to be loved; we love them when they lose sight in their darkness; we love them even when they don’t even want to be loved.  This is what it means to love.  This is what it means to be a Christian. This is what it means to be Christ to another.  To be an accountability partner is a responsibility that can change a person’s life if you are strong enough, if you love enough.  Be that person that people can count on to help them.

posted by: muniz at 22:24 | link | comments (2) |
catholic times

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