The USNA: A Prep Seminary?

The Military Archdiocese flew myself and three midshipmen down to Texas last week for a weekend of discernment.  Thanks be to God, we have several men discerning the priesthood at the Naval Academy!  In fact, we already have two guys signed up for next semester's retreat.  Not to mention, there were two students who left the Academy at the beginning of the year for seminary.

We drove to BWI Airport Thursday morning for our flight to Houston.  I was excited for the trip for several reasons but most especially because I knew the "mids" and I would have a great time!  It was beautiful down in Texas and, from the moment we touched down,  I knew it was going to be a blessed weekend.

Our introductions consisted in telling the other 12 men discerning why we had come to the retreat.  It was really encouraging to see some really good men in the military who were seeking to discover God's plan in their lives.  Afterwards, we took some time to pray around the seminary before we retired for the night.  I found my way to the roof of one of the seminary's buildings to pray under the stars.

For the next couple of days, we heard a lot about the chaplaincy and several people, including Archbishop Broglio of the Military Archdiocese, gave their testimonies on why they became priests.  It was very interesting.  I'd say the common theme that ran through all the talks was a call beyond their understanding which could only be satisfied in the priesthood.  It reminded me of Pope John Paul II's book on his call to the priesthood, Gift and Mystery, where he says that, in the end, his deepest need was to administer the sacraments.  To deny himself of this need would have been to deny his very self.

It was a very productive time of prayer for all of us and, if nothing else, the midshipmen sure enjoyed the tranquility of the seminary!  Captain Thorpe, who now teaches at the Academy, once mentioned that the midshipmen need time to reflect on life more than anything else because they generally get pulled into a mindless succession of obligations throughout the week.  The discernment retreat was that time they needed and they were expressly grateful for it.

YEA BABY! THAT'S LIFE!

Beyond the many formal ministries we do at the Naval Academy, much of our time is dedicated to the midshipmen.  Actually, this more sporadic time with the guys ironically tends to be the most fruitful.  It's truly at the heart and foundation of our ministry.

It's so critical, especially in our day and age, to actively engage the culture and to meet people in their everyday experiences.  This can be scandalous for those who see holiness as an over-pious activity, detached from all cultural activities.  They may ask, "Aren't the things of God contaminated by such ordinary things?"  Though, in reality, it's our mission, as lay-missionaries to imbue this world with the authentic peace and joy of Christian life.  Just as Christ became man in all things, except sin, we Christians must enter into all the dimensions of human existence, except sin.  This is the epitome of "being in the world but not of the world!"  We eat, we sing, we dance - as children of God - so that eating, singing, and dancing can be redeemed, belong wholly to God!

Our world wants to see witnesses more than teachers.  Yes, people need to be taught, yet they also need a living example, a tangible experience from which they can shape their own actions!  Why do we wish to tell them about the truth, when we can show them it directly!  In this way, people come to an undeniable encounter with the Gospel message, which is the Gospel of Life! 

Let's face it people, we've got a problem.  Look at the world, look at all of the destruction, loneliness, guilt and depression.  We are our own greatest obstacle! An obstacle that seems impossible to overcome - so we try to "escape": drugs, alcohol, sex... all the momentary "bliss" that leaves us more empty than before.  What can we consume to set ourselves free, to be happy?  I don't know, but do we really think the next commercial has the answer? Working out? Girls/guys?  Another drink?  Food?  I've given up on these things because they don't reach deep enough.  I've got a problem that reaches deeper into my soul than any sensation can reach.  There are chains holding me down inside that I know no thing can fix.  Hear me clearly: I said "no thing" not "nothing"! 

There is somebody, who can undo all the wounds that I and others have inflicted in our hearts.  And if I had not found him, I know all the crap from my past would have swallowed me whole by now.  Some can suppress it better than I ever could.  I think my weakness was my saving grace!  I couldn't deny the misery I felt for very long, I had to give up, I had to surrender to the only remaining option.  Why is this abandonment so difficult?  Why do we try every option before this one?  I think a question of this magnitude must have a layered answer, no doubt.

In my own life, The Way wasn't "my way".  I had to let go of everything, all that my heart clung to, all that made me "happy" (miserable).   I knew this choice would take my life out of my hands and it was scary thinking where this abandonment may leave me and those that I loved.  My friends, family, sponsors, this is The Choice!  This is the choice at the very heart of human existence and the tension we feel within ourselves.  This is the choice which leaves us hanging somewhere between Life and Death.  Do we take the leap of faith or do we cling to all that we've acquired (which really possesses us)?

Do not be afraid!  He came into the world for this very reason: to bring freedom to the captives - to you and to me!  This is what we must witness to in the world.  We must enter into the world - into the bars and gyms, and onto the dance floors - and be a living witness to the freedom we possess inside!  By this witness, all the world will come to trust that Jesus Christ is the true liberator and that our hearts, cares, and needs can be entrusted to his care.

That's why I loved having a tailgate for the women's hockey game, cheering and chanting for their victory, bowling, hanging out with the "mids" at bars, and going to the Navy VS. Air Force football game this weekend.  In these things, I can be a witness to the freedom I've come to possess through God!  Just hanging out and letting the Gospel of Life speak for itself!  What a life, thank you for making it all possible.

P.S. Sorry!  When I'm living life with these guys, taking pictures never really comes to mind.  I'll try to get some good ministry shots at some point!

A Picture "Pot Luck"

Here's a little bit of everything!

Daily Tecumseh

Meet Tecumseh!  He is the figurehead of the USS Delaware (1817) and he is appropriately painted before any major (even some minor) occasion:

Dressed Like a Plebe (Freshman)

VS Air Force (Falcon McNuggets)

When a hurricane reeks havoc, this is what you get:

The Aftermath's Beauty

Good Ol' Naval Sarcasm:

Showcased in Fr. Mike's House

Anchors Aweigh!

Bible studies have begun!  Wednesday at 1900 (7 pm) about 12 midshipmen came to delve into the Sacred Scriptures.  This was a special moment for me.  After four years of waiting, I was finally able to give to these midshipmen the very thing that rocked the very foundations of my life.

But even moments like these are never void of setbacks!  I sat waiting at Gate 1 of the Naval Academy for an essential part of any good Bible study: Papa John's pizza.  The delivery time came and the delivery time went... still no pizza!  Defeated, I walked back to inform the hungry "mids" that spiritual food, the Word of God, would have to suffice for the night.  Fortunately,  they received the news with a laugh and we all sat down to pray.

I was excited, a little nervous, and eager to begin.  I opened up the night with a brief explanation of Salvation history and how the drama of human existence unfolds within its narrative.  We examined creation as the context of God's filial intimacy with man; how man's ultimate end is to know and love the Lord; Original Sin and man's fall from Grace; finally, we heard God's merciful promise of redemption.

The guys really clung to the notion that we're called to respond to God's love by "tilling" or working within creation.  We aren't too busy to be holy because our busyness is the very means by which we can become holy.  We don't need to leave the world, to leave the workplace, to be a saint because sanctity is found in the midst of the most ordinary things, if only we offer them to God!

Even though we didn't have Papa John's, I was pleased with how the night went.  There is definitely room for improvement but I'm excited to get better each week.  Thank you for making this all possible.  I gratefully pray for all of you daily. It's things like this that bring hope to the world!

P.S. I have a different Scripture study that begins this Monday!  Keep it in your prayers, please.

An Update: On "Discipleship"

"Discipleship" is the mentoring we do as FOCUS missionaries.  We call it discipleship because it uses the same evangelical logic as our Savior.  We stand alongside the many midshipmen who have engaged their faith on a deeper level and help them find other students to help in their faith journey.

Ted Murner, Brendan Belschner, and Tim Cadigan have been working with the FOCUS missionaries for at least the past year and have taken on a leadership role in the Catholic community.  They are the men I am fortunate enough to be working beside.  The formation they have received at the Naval Academy has shaped them into some of the most impressive young men I have ever encountered and it is one of the greatest joys in my life to help them find and share Christ in the midst of their daily work.

It is difficult though because I firmly believe that discipleship must be formed upon friendship and mutual trust/respect.  So one of the challenges of discipleship is finding ways to get involved in their lives so I can know them on a more personal level.  It's a challenge that I gladly embrace because I can already tell God has great things in-store for the brotherhood I find with these guys.  I have a lot to learn from them and hopefully, I can help them along the way too.

As a FOCUS missionary, I'll also be helping these guys lead Bible studies for their peers.  Bible studies start next week, so it is both an exciting and hectic time at the Academy.  Please Keep Ted, Brendan, and Tim in your prayers.  These are our Church's future leaders!  Thank you for enabling me to enter into the lives of these men in such a radical way.  God bless all of you on my support team!  Our work is underway!

Beyond doing discipleship with these men, I'll be leading a couple Bible studies for a bunch of the other midshipmen.  But I'll tell you more about that NEXT WEEK.

Leaky Lucy

The whole building was shaking and we all evacuated the restaurant.  Nobody expected an earthquake in Annapolis!  It happened Tuesday afternoon and, when the day had finally finished, I went back to the apartment to work on my car, Lucy.  Lucy had a mystery leak and I was determined to solve it!

Kyle and I figured it was coming from the windshield... nothing duct tape couldn't fix!  We proceeded to put the tape "discreetly" around Lucy's windshield and sunroof.  Kind of tacky, I know, but it did the trick!  Or did it?

Four days later, Lucy's leak was in for the ultimate test: Hurricane Irene.  I decided Lucy was in for a losing battle so I tried to help her chances by getting a car cover from Target.  The neighbor jokingly asked if I was trying to protect the paint job on my faded '94 Jetta.  Unfortunately, I didn't check whether the generic car cover fit Lucy's girlish figure until the wind and rain was full force.  It didn't fit well at all.

The next day I opened the door and experienced the overwhelming smell of mold.  It was mold from Lucy's leak.  I pulled the carpet back and tried to dry the carpet and rubber padding out for hours.  It felt dry but the smell was worse than ever!  Finally, two days ago, I was drying the car out with the girls' hairdryers and discovered a layer of insulation under the rubber padding and it was infested with mold!

Nasty Mold and Insulation

Last night, I pulled back the top two layers, ripped out the moldy insulation, sprayed the whole area down with bleach, and dried it all with a heat gun!  Lucy now wears a new scent: bleach.  It was disgusting but I'm glad it's finally over.  Kyle and I discovered the leak was coming from the passenger side door and I'm going to get it rehung next week.

In the end, I wouldn't have traded this experience for the world.  Lucy is well worth the work! 

Welcome to "The Yard"

After a 30 hour drive in my "new" '94 Volkswagen, I arrived in Annapolis this week.  It has been a hectic transition and there is much to be done.  Between FOCUS, Maryland, the Naval Academy and living in an apartment, there are a lot of foreign things in my life right now.  Luckily, all of them are exciting because it makes getting acclimated a whole lot easier.

The Apartment

THE APARTMENT:

Getting settled in has been quite the task.  Having my mom around for the first couple of days really helped the process though!  We had a bit of a mold issue in the basement that needed to be resolved and we re-caulked both the showers.  Not to mention, a midshipmen and his buddies had been living in the apartment over the summer and did a good job of trashing the place.  I felt bad for Kyle, my team leader, because he got blasted with most of the work before I arrived.  The place is definitely "broken in" but it's the perfect apartment for a couple of guy missionaries.

ANNAPOLIS:

Annapolis, MD

It's beauty is in the past... but it's past is alive TODAY!  The downtown area is all brick roads with colonial houses and buildings.  It runs right up to where the Severn River meets the Chesapeake Bay and the city dock is filled with impressive yachts.  The dock is called "Ego Alley" because people bring their yachts there just so others can admire them.  The Academy is right at the heart of it all!

"The Yard":

The Chapel

Is also known as the U.S. Naval Academy.  Words cannot express the gratitude I feel towards God and to all of you who have brought me here.  The Academy itself is incredible.  I'll just post some pictures because it's hard to describe... hopefully they do it justice!  The people?  Well, they are even more impressive.  The midshipmen that I've met have great character and a deep love of their faith.  The past FOCUS missionaries have done an incredible job at the Academy because the midshipmen seem sold on the program.  I'm just excited to further cultivate these great young men and women and to reach out to those students who haven't received this amazing opportunity yet.  Just seeing the fruits of FOCUS' past work has reaffirmed why I have surrendered the next two years of my life to this program.

FOCUS:

Most of the students have not arrived on campus yet; so I've been working to familiarize myself with the campus, meet the chaplains, and click with my team.  The chaplains are very supportive of the work we're doing and they remind us of that each week when they take us out to eat!  The last two days have been filled with team meetings to sketch an overview of our goals and expectations for the year.

Missionaries with Alexander Charles (A Student Leader)

MISSION PARTNERS:

To those who are making this possible, thank you.  I feel so blessed to meet these men and women, who have sacrificed so much for our country, and to see their love of God.  FOCUS is an amazing organization made possible by amazing people.