Tuesday, November 25, 2014

A Thank You...



Sometimes social media is written off as either a waste of time or otherwise.  Well, in my case, I can attest to the true power of Facebook, Twitter, even Email.  Obviously these services can be addictive, yet at the same time, they can keep people connected, as well as connect to likeminded and sometimes even friends who have moved to different provinces or countries.   Today is my birthday, and I am a seminarian, and thanks to the power of social media, I was blessed if not downright humbled by people taking time out of their day to send me a wish, Blessing or thought.  I thought once again, who am I to receive this amount of love?  I am a broken sinner, I have done too much… (Yeah, even a guy with 17inch arms can get a little emotional…)

As I reflect upon my journey, I can only see my smile widening.  Obviously there are some issues that I still would like to resolve, and there are things that I did in my past that I’m not proud of.  The ‘Marco’ that is being forced to die, is the self-centered, ego maniacal, marketing salesman, womanizing creature that can always come back to haunt me.  God however, has provided me with a few guardian angels, and one of them is my roommate in the Rectory.  A seminarian, who took a step back in the formation, but in reality is miles ahead of me Spiritually.(The REAL formation!)  Thanks be to God for his presence, as without him, I could easily spiral and create the Marco centered universe.  I am so blessed and truly so happy to be a part of this community!  I also live and am being tutored by a Faithful Pastor and an unbelievable staff of Grace filled people who can put any seminarian/priest to shame!  The ‘Missione’ is enabling me to re-activate my Italian, to adopt certain Salesian dimensions of Spirituality, and most importantly, to truly live out a relationship with Jesus! 

How does all that have to do with social media?  Well, the combination of old friends and new, some I never met, all wishing me well caused my heart to stir.  I pray everyday that God will make me the Pastor that I am called to be.  I pray that I am able to stand up for the Gospel, unashamedly.  I pray that my past mistakes can be chalked up to experience.  The old me, it seems will always be there, lying somewhere, I guess that is where the devil finds my ego to stir me up.  Through it all though, these days finds me praying for the happiness of others, wishing success in families to friends who have moved on, wishing comfort to friends who need it, a good man to old girlfriends, and finally money to those who have none.   Don’t get me wrong, I still struggle at times, but again, nothing that my Spiritual Director can help me live with and control, through God’s power. 


I am beginning to realize why sometimes Jesus leaves us with certain frailties.  Perhaps if He gave us all the Grace we asked for, we would forget that it is He who saves us, we don’t save ourselves, and should we forget that?   He will readily remind you!  




Mary, Help of Christians,...................................................ora pro nobis!

2 comments:

Servimus Unum Deum said...

Happy Birthday Marco! All the best! You know, with the way you describe your journey from macho man to a Made Man of God, this could be great motivational material to young men! It should be put into a book!

Anonymous said...

Marco,

Happy Birthday. This is the first time I've read your blog; your post was shared by another priest, whom I also do not know. It is good to see a seminarian like yourself; so much good can be done for Christ and His Church through the Word spread through social media.

Re 'intellectual terrorism known as political correctness' and "A seminarian, who took a step back in the formation, but in reality is miles ahead of me Spiritually.(The REAL formation!)".

True, 'REAL formation' of a Christian or a priest is not simply intellectual. However it is also true that the nature of man and the spiritual is such that, aside from the Sacraments, only the intellectual can be mastered and commanded as a tool to allow a man to aid another in their 'REAL' formation.
For example regarding prayer. A deeply spiritual person can like the old saying goes, lead a horse to water. However without a strong intellectual foundation and set of tools, not only is the horse lost, but a deeply spiritual person would have no tools to help the lost horse find its way.
So after performing the Sacraments, the most important thing priests do is form the faithful intellectually. The intellectual terrorism of political correctness, a correct caricaturization of it, has been built upon a priesthood that turned away from their intellectual duties and embraced the personal fulfillment of their own spiritual desires under the false belief that being a man of God filled with 'the spirit' would magically allow the horses to not only find the baptismal font, but also understand Duc in Altum!

God bless and thank you.