Seminarian, Third Theology
It’s twelve noon on Wednesday, the 22nd of December, and exams are thankfully over, the Fall semester has officially ended, and now it’s time to depart from beloved Mother Overbrook for three weeks in order to enjoy Christmas at home with my family in Bethlehem. Christmas break is very much the ideal time to ‘chillax’ (chill out + relax), reconnect with friends, indulge in home-cooked meals, and of course to celebrate the birth of our Lord. But as a Third Theologian at St. Charles Seminary, it is also an important time to prepare for the infamous Competency Exam.
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| Orlando Aso receiving Candidacy at St. Charles Seminary November 4, 2010 |
The Competency Exam is an ‘exciting’ two-day long test which awaits me after Christmas break. It is for all intensive purposes, the Minotaur…the Darth Vader…the Mike Tyson in the room that stands between me and being ordained a deacon and priest. The purpose of the exam is to prove that I have a reasonable understanding of what I have learned about Christ and the Catholic Faith over the past three years and that I am able to apply this knowledge in a PASTORAL way. In other words, the Seminary isn’t simply looking for future priests who can quote from the Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas from the top of their heads, translate the New Testament from Greek into English, or be able to recite all liturgical prayers in Latin. While all these abilities are impressive in themselves, the most important things is to determine whether I as a future deacon and priest can use this theological knowledge to help save souls. The bottom line is always about the salvation of souls.
And in order to help the people of God reach heaven, I must be proficient in my knowledge of four major disciplines: Sacred Scripture, Systematic Theology, Moral Theology, and Pastoral Theology. With regard to Sacred Scripture, the great Church Father St. Jerome was fond of saying, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” Building upon the foundation of Sacred Scripture, Systematic Theologians like St. Thomas Aquinas attempt to formulate an orderly, rational and coherent account of the Christian faith and beliefs. The Apostles Creed, for example, is a brief and systematic summary of the essential tenets of our Catholic Faith. Moral Theology focuses on how one should live out their faith and covers the areas of virtue, social justice, and medical and sexual ethics. And Pastoral Theology attempts to bring all of these disciplines together in a way that can be applied in a practical way to the everyday life of the people of God, particularly through the preparation of the Sunday homily.
The task of passing this exam may seem daunting, but thankfully, there is also a complementary Study Guide that has been refined, enhanced, and passed down from one generation of Third Theologians to the next. Tradition is a vital part of our Catholic Faith, and fortunately for me, in more ways than one. Merry Christmas!
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