Entering his 5th year of school and with the Transitional Deaconate a year away, the risk running on autopilot is real. With the routine of the school schedule, work must be done to stay focused. Habits are important to make this happen. Starting with a Morning Holy Hour, before the rest of the day gets busy and while his mind is clear, Steven has found great benefits from this habit. This issue is not just for the seminary. In the future the risk of falling into a functionalist life as a priest...
Aug 21, 2022•23 min•Season 3Ep. 3
As Steven’s Summer 2022 assignment draws to a close, we reflect on his experiences. During the Summer, Steven worked an internship at a local parish. Steven previously worked Summer assignments but now that he has a few years of experience he has additional perspective to appreciate and understand the work that is entailed. Parish culture plays a key role in pastoral life. The parish where Steven was assigned has a priority of evangelization and discipleship. The parish has several initiatives i...
Jul 25, 2022•25 min•Season 3Ep. 2
In this episode Steven turns the tables and interviews Dad for his perspective on being the father of a seminarian. Dad discusses what life was like before Steven declared his vocation. He and Mom saw the calling in Steven but they gave him room to grow and mature, wanting the decision to be an organic one. At first Mom and Dad struggled supporting Steven. We didn’t want to pressure him but we wanted to show our support. Referring to the process of discernment helped provide clarity in that Mom ...
Jun 28, 2022•28 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Steven recently returned from a class trip to Italy. Traveling with fellow seminarians, Steven’s journeys took him to several notable sites. Starting with Assisi, where Steven was able to celebrate mass at the tomb of St. Francis Steven was also able to pray at the tomb of Blessed Carlo Acutis. These two holy men offer a flesh and blood example of living a holy life. Next stop was Florence and its art with day trips to Sienna and Orvieto. Orvieto is the home of one of the oldest eucharistic mira...
May 30, 2022•22 min•Season 2Ep. 10
It’s springtime at the seminary and with that comes ordinations. Five of Steven’s housemates were ordained to the transitional diaconate. One of the most common questions that Steven gets as a seminarian is, “Are you a deacon yet?”. There are three different levels of holy orders. The first is the level of Deacon, the second is Priest and the third is Bishop. Seeing people that he knows be ordained brings with it a more human aspect of Holy Orders. Before Seminary, priests seemed like people who...
Apr 25, 2022•25 min•Season 2Ep. 9
One of the segments of formation has been weekly evangelization visits to a local college campus every week. Evangelization was something new for Steven and it was also new for most fellow seminarians. In order to prepare them seminarians first receive training before going out in the field. A street ministry group came to offer them advice and tools. A big tool is to establish the relational aspect with others and keep the conversation positive. One of the things that Steven likes to do is to o...
Mar 27, 2022•24 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Steven is taking a class in learning how to give homilies. It’s important that this class is given before being installed in the diaconate, when Steven may be called upon to give homilies. Speaking in public on a regular basis is a scary thing, but shouldn’t dissuade one from the seminary. There are classes available and you will be guided in what it takes to prepare. And remember; God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called. Giving homilies is more of a habit than a thing, you do on...
Feb 27, 2022•25 min•Season 2Ep. 7
This month we discuss Spiritual Direction. Steven’s first encounter was when he began discerning for the priesthood he read a book that spoke of Spiritual Direction. At its core Spiritual Direction is when you and another person who is more mature in the Faith both walk together and discuss how the Lord is working in your heart in prayer. We discuss the different phases of Spiritual Direction for a Priest. The first phase is discernment before seminary. Oftentimes people discerning a vocation be...
Jan 30, 2022•27 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Steven was in for Christmas Break and Dad commandeered him to speak at our local Holy Name Society. Steven based his discussion on a talk that he heard about the different ages of The Church. This talk was based on the following book; From Christendom to Apostolic Mission: Pastoral Strategies for an Apostolic Age by Monsignor James P. Shea Christendom is the age when the institution and structures that you come in contact with are Catholic and Christian. This brings with it pros and cons. The gr...
Jan 01, 2022•27 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Steven was recently installed to the ministry of Lector. This comprises one more step along the path towards ordination. Steven is now in his 4th year of his 6 year path. We discuss the differences between the 8 year path, in which a seminarian's 4 years of college work towards the end goal, and the 6 year path in which a seminarian begins his path after college, first studying 2 years of philosophy before working on his 4 year Theology degree. During the 2nd year of Theology, seminarians are in...
Nov 28, 2021•22 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Steven had a long weekend and used the chance to visit the home of a fellow seminarian. This reminded Dad of a concern he and Steven’s Mom had that the priesthood would be a lonely life. Just the opposite has been shown to be true. This is not a solitary life. At the start of his discernment, Steven shared these concerns as well. He wondered if the life of priesthood would be lonely or one that brings joy. This thought was on his mind the first time he visited a seminary. During this visit Steve...
Oct 24, 2021•25 min•Season 2Ep. 3
It's time for a check in with Steven and his discernment process and how it has matured. First, we define what discernment is and what it isn’t. Discernment is a process. Steven speaks to his discernment process during college and his wish for a ‘St. Paul Moment’. It never (or hasn’t yet) came. We discuss some of the touch points and challenges along Steven’s path of discernment. A lot of the work has been pruning away of things that are not true and working towards clarity towards what is true....
Sep 26, 2021•25 min•Season 2Ep. 2
We welcome Steven back to the World of the Talking after completing a 30 day silent retreat. Based on the exercise of St. Ignatius, the participant goes through the Life of Christ. Moving forward from the retreat Steven gained a new sense of life to the scriptures. Second year of Seminary at Sacred Heart is set to begin. We discuss the upcoming class schedule. Finally we talk about how discernment is at the heart of Seminary and the maturation of Steven’s discernment. There is a beauty in the st...
Aug 22, 2021•25 min•Season 2Ep. 1
What do Seminarians do during the Summer? This is Steven’s 4th Summer while being a seminarian and we review all 4 Summers. During Steven’s first Summer, he participated in Totus Tuus - a traveling Vacation Bible School. The next Summer Steven spent the Summer in a local parish, living at the rectory. This provided a picture of the life of a parish priest from the inside. Last year was “Covid Summer”. Steven was able to put his technical skills to use, setting up parishes for live streaming of m...
Jun 21, 2021•25 min•Season 1Ep. 13
The Bishop announced today that the universal dispensation from attending mass on Sunday and holy days is being lifted. It's time to get back to mass! It's time for the 'smells and bells' of church. Time to be physically present. Steven recalls his time as an altar server offered an intimate look at the mass and the eucharist. Even before he was an altar server he sat in the front row and to this day he continues to want to be close to the altar. We discuss the mystery of God being transcendent ...
May 23, 2021•22 min•Season 1Ep. 12
As Steven wraps up the school year, ordination is 3 years away. This brings up the questions; What is a Priest? and the more important question is; Who is the Priest? What then, is the role of the Laity? We all have a Universal Call to Holiness. Jesus has atoned for our sins, but this desires a response from us. This response flows from the understanding that we have been rescued. In this age when it is harder to live an authentic Catholic Faith, we are called to be the Leaven of the World....
Apr 18, 2021•22 min•Season 1Ep. 11
A blessing of the age in which we live in is our access to scripture. This can be seen as a fulfillment of Vatican II which calls for bringing the sacred scriptures into the hands of the people. We have a wide array of materials available to us now. In particular, for Lent we discuss two items, an online Bible Study and a TV Series (The Chosen). We discuss Creative Prayer. St. Ignatius teaches a type of prayer called Imaginative Prayer. As a way of drawing us closer to the scripture we use our i...
Mar 21, 2021•23 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Steven and Dad reflect on childhood thoughts of Lent. The season seemed negative and an empty desert. Now, as adults, we welcome this time. We discuss the three Pillars of Lent; Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving. Using Spring Training as a metaphor, Lent can be an opportunity to focus on working on issues that need improvement. Embrace the communal aspect of Lent as the whole Church encounters the season. Lent encourages us to recall the Kerygma; the central message, the seed of the Gospel....
Feb 21, 2021•22 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Pope Francis declared 2021 to be the Year of St. Joseph and Steven's rector at Sacred Heart Major Seminary is devoting a series of his monthly lectures to this topic. Steven and Dad review Pope Francis's Apostolic Letter “Patris corde”. We discuss how St. Joseph serves as a model of the virtue of Obedience. As a 'man in the shadows' St. Joseph serves as an unsung hero who is fit for the times. We discuss the virtues of Fatherhood and review how the Year of St. Joseph calls upon men to Step Up in...
Jan 25, 2021•23 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Home for Christmas, Steven spends time in a new rectory during the break. We discuss their daily routines. We discuss daily requirements of priests. Steven breaks open his breviary as we review the Liturgy of the Hours.
Dec 21, 2020•25 min•Season 1Ep. 7
We discuss our childhood introduction to the Rosary and our adult rediscovery. We share our perspectives on how we pray and the fruits we find. Overcoming the fear of saying it wrong and how sometimes it can be a struggle. The Rosary is a prayer that puts us in the place to be found by Mary. We discuss the special place of Mary for priests. Before Jesus began his public ministry, he was formed for 30 years by Mary. In a similar fashion, Mary works to form priests. We discuss a Marian Consecratio...
Nov 16, 2020•23 min•Season 1Ep. 6
How do we get through tough times? Faith, Hope and Charity - the Theological Virtues - offer a wellspring of prayer. Faith: There is a strong desire to be with other people. We are not made to be alone. Being together means being vulnerable. The fundamental principle of Faith is one of Relationship. Hope: The early church provides a powerful example of Hope. Their hope was the saving message of Christ. Charity: How are we going to make ourselves a gift to others?...
Oct 18, 2020•22 min•Season 1Ep. 5
A new semester at a new Seminary - Sacred Heart in Detroit. Once again the new kid in school. We discuss the upcoming semester and what the rhythm of daily life is like in the seminary. The new semester brings new classes in Theology and Church history. This school year began with a one week Silent Retreat. What was it like to be silent for a week? What fruits did this retreat bear?
Sep 22, 2020•28 min•Season 1Ep. 4
We discuss Steven’s candidacy and what this means on his path towards the priesthood. What does it mean to be a candidate and what impact does it have. Thoughts on the candidacy mass. The joy of making a commitment. Sharing that joy with brother seminarians. Priesthood means spreading love like a flashlight, rather than a laser beam. Moving on to a new seminary; Sacred Heart in Detroit. How does a seminarian choose a seminary? Opportunities to meet with other priests from different dioceses....
Aug 16, 2020•22 min•Season 1Ep. 3
You can't Google Life's big questions. Opening yourself up to mystery versus being in control. Grace builds upon Nature. We are not just spiritual, we are physical as well. It’s OK not to have all of the answers. Mystery in the family while growing up. Opening up time to play and reflect.
Jun 28, 2020•22 min•Season 1Ep. 2
In our inaugural episode we discuss the calling to the priesthood and the process of discernment. We review the historical growth of Steven's calling. Steven talks about the challenges of publicly announcing the decision to attend the seminary and Dad offers his thoughts from a parent's perspective. We briefly discuss the tremendous opportunity that our generation promises for those called to the priesthood.
Jun 01, 2020•24 min•Season 1Ep. 1
