To start the new spring semester the seminary held a day of prayer and reflection during our first Sunday back from a long and restful winter break. This day of recollection consisted of the usual Morning Prayer, Mass, and Evening Prayer, but each was accompanied by a reflection given by a visiting priest along with adoration throughout the day.
We were led by Father Shaun Mahoney who leads the Newman Center at Temple University who clearly has a great zeal for the priesthood which made him a great choice during this Year of the Priest. Father spoke about one’s calling in life and in particular used some examples from his own adventures and also made reference to St. Peter. Reflecting on St. Peter, Father spoke about a visit to the Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica. While praying near St. Peter’s grave, one might be easily struck by the beauty, vast amount of treasures, and size alone of the church, but it is important to contemplate the rock itself upon which Jesus built His Church. St. Peter was a simple fisherman, might have had a bit of a temper, and even denied Christ three times, but God called Peter to a special vocation in life and Peter followed.My favorite part of Father’s reflections came when he spoke about one’s own personal conversion in life. First, one must turn and run after the Lord with all one’s strength and secondly, one must realize that this is not enough. One must rely on God’s strength to move within us. Father reminded us that there is this crucial step two to conversion, which can take a lifetime, but like St. Peter who had his share of falls, God will be there for us when we turn to Him and give us strength. St .Peter was almost knocked down by the waves when he saw Jesus walking on the water, but before he could sink, Jesus reached out and took Peter by the hand.
Father’s reflections were a great reminder to place our trust in the Lord and as I sat in St. Martin’s chapel during adoration I was reminded of the words from Psalm 34, “Look toward him and be radiant with joy.” When our gaze is fixed upon Jesus, no wind or waves or any distractions in life can knock us down. When we gaze upon Jesus in adoration how can we not be filled with joy? Overall, the day presented a nice opportunity to refresh and renew our spiritual lives and to make a joyful start to the new semester of formation towards the priesthood.
For further reading and reflection about St. Peter check out Archbishop Timothy Dolan’s book, To Whom Shall We Go?
