Liturgy Class at St. Charles Seminary (First Year)

By: Daniel Lisella

Seminarian, First College

I want you to imagine that you are on the seashore with Jesus. You are walking along the beach with him. What does the atmosphere feel like on the beach? What are the sounds of the birds and the waves like? What does the water feel like? What do you feel you want to say to Jesus? Take a moment now to express to Jesus what you are feeling right now and tell him anything you want. At this moment, you are with Jesus, what are you desiring from him? What is he saying to you? What does it feel like just to open up and be with Jesus? Many of us have these different things we think, feel, and desire when being with the Lord. For myself personally, I think about how great a place to be at and being with the Lord. I feel at peace and very calm that I never want to leave his side. Also, I desire to be closer with Jesus in my life; to allow him to work in me so that I may do what he wants and just not what I want all the time. God wants us to be open to him and to receive what he has to say to us.

Daniel Lisella with this year's new men, and Frs. Mahoney and Bongard

“Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you!” If some person randomly walked off the street and said this to you, you would probably feel very uncomfortable. In many ways this line can be applied to all of us. The mystery of the Annunciation has very deep meaning in the Liturgy. First, Mary is viewed as being the perfect model of Christian life. You may ask yourself, why is that? Well from the beginning God chose this woman to bear his Son and raise him until the day of his death. Through her “Yes” she started how we are taught to live according to the will of God. We are to always carry Jesus with us and to give that response of “Yes” to God and never denying that he will let us down. “The angel said to her in reply, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.’” Mary had no idea what was going to happen with her life, she was afraid, just like the first people were afraid, just like we are afraid, and so on. However, she did not turn away from the Lord she accepted just as how we are called to accept God’s call in our lives.

Two parts I learned from Liturgy class is the importance of having that deep connection with the Lord during a time of silent reflection which can be seen in the first paragraph. Also, the significance the Annunciation has in not just the Blessed Mother’s life but in our own lives as well. We must be willing to pour ourselves out to the Father just has he gives his total self to us. We have to give our own “Yes” to God to allow him to enter our lives deeply and intimately. Furthermore, this is just a piece of the many things I have learned in Liturgy class as a First Collegian.