Familial resistance, if any, to your vocation: strength and duration of the resistance? Are you still in communication with said relative(s)? Resolution?

If you could go anywhere in the world for a month except places where you have already traveled or lived, where would that be?

If you could create your own religious order (the Jesuits can’t possibly suit you perfectly) what would it be like? What would it’s mission be? It’s habit/dress code? Whom would you accept? &etc.

If you could meet anyone historical or fiction (other than the classic responses of Christ, God, Mary, Joseph, various saints and popes, Mozart and other renowned composers and artists) who would it be and why? Please don’t be cliche’.

hmm, I’d ask more but I’m really procrastinating on my paper …
Posted 11/21/2006 at 11:49 AM by living_embers – delete – block user

-The only resistance I found to my vocation was from three of my very good friends, who will go unnamed for now so as not to upset them, though I still consider them my friends. I just don’t think they understand why I chose this, and they never really sought to understand. I would still love to sit down with them and answer the questions they surely must have, but as it is they have not shown any interest in doing so. It is sad, and hard, but sometimes these things happen. Other than these, and one poor young woman who’s heart was broken along with my own, everyone in my life has been very supportive of my vocation and my choice to follow it.

-If I could go anywhere in the world for a month, I would go to Sabbathday Lake near New Gloucester, Maine where the last community of Shakers live. It looks like a beautiful place, and I find what little I know of their spirituality to be very beautiful and fascinating.

-If I could create my own religious order…. wow, what a neat question! As far as orders go, I do feel that the Jesuits suit me perfectly, which is one of many reasons I chose the order. BUT, if I could make up my own order…. I think I would have an order of brothers called the Knights of Charity or something along those lines. There would be a four year formation in which you would study the Catechism and teachings of the Church in order to better teach others about it. You would also be trained in a martial arts form, not so much to kick butt but more so to promote health and self-discipline. Ideally, a degree in theology would be obtained, proficiency in at least one foreign language (spanish if nothing else), as well as basic training and certification in some useful trades such as electrical engineering, plumbing, architecture, carpentry, construction, landscaping, etc. I would envision these brothers to be missionaries that could be sent just about anywhere, particularly in the US, and be able to employ their various skills to the betterment of all around them, while also being able to teach the catechism and preach the Gospel. But, of course, I can’t always have what I want haha. I think it would be neat, though, to have an order that specifically trains religious brothers to be put to work in some humble, menial task. Maybe the Knights of St. Joseph would be a better name? Yeah, I like that. Oh, our habit…. hehe, I’ve always like the robes of the Jedi Knights…. very humble, but very functional. I would go with that then. We would accept healthy men between the ages of 20 and 40, and if we were to have a women’s order (The Ladies of St. Joseph?), I think the difference would be in their training mostly. I would hope for healthy women between the ages of 20 and 40 to train in things like medicine, nursing, cooking, counseling, spiritual direction, veterinary medicine, art, gardening, and teaching. I hope I don’t sound like a sexist or anything… I just have always found women to be very good in these types of roles. But I would also encourage the superiors of the order to be open to allowing men and woman alike to learn skills that they seem to have a genuine gift for as well, so these roles would definitely not be limiting in the least. OK I think I better move on to a different question before I start another controversy!

-If I could meet anyone from history, without being cliche, I would like to meet Helen of Troy (hence the picture up top). I have a great respect and admiration for the beauty of women, and I have long wondered if, indeed, she above all was most beautiful. That, and I would be able to see if there really was a Trojan horse and all that! Oh the poetry Helen might inspire, or even the divine reflection! Then again, there may never have been a Helen, and my time-traveling wish might be wasted. Still, such a rumored beauty would be well worth investigating, I think!

-Wow living_embers, you had some GREAT questions! That was fun!

whats been the biggest struggle for you since deciding to join the seminary?                Posted 11/20/2006 at 11:24 PM by bLuefLaming0 – delete – block user

             I would say the biggest struggle is to be here and so far away from everyone dear to me. My friends and family were my life back in Iowa, and I miss them all very dearly. It is strange to be in a place where I cannot interact daily with a single one of them, though I was very blessed yesterday when two of them came to see me! Oh how wonderful that was.

              Thankfully the other young men here are all terrific, and I already consider them to be my brothers. Having them around makes it a great deal easier to be away from my friends, but nothing can ever replace those back home. I particularly miss having those of my friends who are women around. Most of my friends back home were also women, and they were most dear to me. Their spirit and beauty were great influences in my life, and it was the example and hearts of a few of those women who actually led me to where I am today. Women, I think, are one of the most amazing aspects of creation and I hope that I can continue to befriend and serve them in the future.

              So, to give you a shorter answer to your question, it seems that my biggest struggle since entering the novitiate is being away from my beautiful women! It is so nice to be a gentleman sometimes, and when you are in a house full of men, it tends to get a little tiring, though the men here are all very high-caliber. So, for all of my friends back in Iowa (or elsewhere) who are reading this, I miss you every day!

Well! That was an exciting entry! I think that last post received more comments than anything in the past year or so. Unless some other controversy is stirred up, or, if anyone wants to continue discussing religious life, I think I will again let people ask questions about whatever they want to hear my ideas on. So, ask away!

From spidyredneckjedi:

Your predictions on what the Cylons having Sharon and Helo’s baby means for the human race?
-The only thing that I can think of is that Hera, Helo and Sharon’s baby, will force Human and Cylon alike to redefine their opinions of one another. The Cylons will probably try and use the baby as a means to further harm humanity, but maybe they will realize that Hera is part-Cylon AND part-Human, so maybe they’ll realize that they will be making her do something horrible to her own people and start to question the war altogether. Adversely, I think Hera will force the Humans to realize that there is a human side to her, but a Cylon side also, meaning that they must choose to treat her as a human, or as a Cylon. Treating her as a human would mean accepting her Cylon side as well, which might challenge the views of many people in the fleet. Treating her as a Cylon would mean ignoring her humanity, which would challenge the views of many people in the fleet, too. Either way, it should prove to be very interesting.
Also, I think that the baby may be the key to curing whatever disease we were introduced to in the past episode of season three, since “disease” is a relatively human thing and something that Cylons are not used to. But, who knows.

What challenges have you faced already in learning with the Jesuits?
I very much miss my friends. I would say that is one of the biggest challenges. As far as the learning aspect goes, we have been taking Spanish class. Learning a new language is never easy! We also have Theology class which can be a little over my head at times, and there is a great deal of reading assigned for that and other classes here. I’m doing well, though.

How challenging was it to refrain from posting to xanga or communicating with friends and family during your month blackout of communication?
The most challenging thing was refraining from replying to emails and commenting on Xanga sites. I generally tended to reply/comment only when I felt it was absolutely necessary, like if someone asked a time-sensitive question, if I needed my dad to mail me something, or if it seemed a friend really needed my help with something.

What are your hopes for the future as a Jesuit priest?
I hope that I can be assigned to a ministry that will not only be live-giving, but something I can give life to. I have no idea what I’ll be doing, but I hope that I have a chance to do good wherever I am sent.

When do you hope to see these changes take place?
Well, I have over a decade of formation left before I will be ordained as a priest, so I hope these things will occur some time after that .

What has life in the novitiate been like?
Life in the novitiate has been wonderful. I have made many new friends with the other novices here, and we live like one big family. There is a great deal of learning, prayer, quiet time, and free time, plus Mass in the mornings and Evening Prayer before dinner. The whole schedule is structured in a way that provides balance and encourages spiritual growth in every novice. I love it!