I am struggling in Seminary & Religious Life

[JRS_88]

while many of us (especially within the Capuchins) would love for Fr. Solanus to be canonized - we are still in the waiting pattern

But yes - Fr. Solanus has an inspiring life, his motto - to ‘thank God ahead of time’ is a good constant reminder for us going thru formation.

In my mind. he should already have been made a saint!
I pray the beatification prayer every day.
I have a great love for him and all that he did and taught through his every day work and example. In fact, seeing a little documentary about him on EWTN was one of the things that sparked my interest in the Church again after 30+ years away.
I seriously hope I live long enough to see him Blessed and Saint.

 

[Lamentation]

This may be a stupid question but seminarians are still required to learn Latin and Greek?

Forgive my ignorance.

Not required, but strongly recommended.

 

[tweedlealice]

Dear Fab94, my brother in Christ,
Jeremiah 29:11 I have a plan for you and it is a plan for good and not for evil. It has a future and a purpose. Matthew 11,.Come unto me YE who are tired and heavy laden and I will give you rest. For my yoke is easy and my burdens are light. Read Ephesians 3:14–21. It is Paul’s prayer for the church to know the whole love of God.
They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength… They shall mount up with wings as an eagle.They shall run and not grow weary. They shall walk and not faint. Teach us Lord to wait.
In college, isn’t the curriculum 5 subjects per semester? You have 11 subjects w 2 languages at the same time. How could you expect to remember the rules of grammar?
YOU ARE IN OVER YOUR HEAD. Can you drop one language.and take it next semester. You are answering a call from God. This is despair and is an attack from Satan Ephesians has in it the full armor of God… We do not fight against flesh and blood but against corrupt spirituality in high places. Corrupt may not be the correct word but it’s the same idea.
Sit in solitude in your chapel and fall in love with Jesus, again. Let Him give you the peace that passes all understanding.
I think your sentence structure in Latin is backwards. I.e. home, I go. You may laugh here. It’s been since 1965 that I had Latin. Amo tuus.
Your spiritual calling is separate from your academics. You want Latin and Greek and Hebrew and Aramaic so you can read the original scrolls and letters that compile the Bible. Just don’t take two languages at once. It is exciting. God wouldn’t bring you this far to leave you.
in Christ’s love
Tweedlealice
We are victors through Christ, Jesus who strengthens us.

 

[drforjc]

Not required, but strongly recommended.

Actually, in the case of Latin, Canon Law does require it.

 

[Rosebud77]

Dear Friends,

I used to login quite a bit to this site but haven’t done so in some time now. I have come to ask for prayers and maybe for some consolation, I don’t know, but I find myself writing this post.

To cut a very long story short I am studying in a Seminary in Spain and I am a Postulant in a Religious Order, my formation in the Order and my Seminary studies are separate. I am very happy in the Friary, I don’t claim to be extra Holy or anything of the sort but the Friars are so good to me and I am having a wonderful experience with them…however every day I go to Seminary and it is making me very sad- I like all my class mates, many of the professors are kind- however the academic level is just far above me- I am able to speak Spanish but I am just not able to cope with the full curriculum of study at the seminary, this year there are 13 subjects including Latin and Greek (which is all very complicated grammar) and I am just lost in almost every single class. I find myself unable to truly focus as I just cannot balance all these subjects and I am lost in them.

Before I entered I tried very hard to be a good Catholic, thinking of a religious Vocation I went to daily Mass, always prayed the Rosary and I even ran a Rosary Group etc. however I now live in a house where Jesus is truly present in the Blessed Sacrament and I find I have almost never been to visit him outside of official prayers (neither do any of the friars) and I no longer pray as much as I used to. The daily offices mean nothing to me, it seems to me just words and then getting lost and confused by the pages and turning over and turning back (those who know the offices will maybe get what I mean)- I can’t say it does anything for me and I can honestly say I don’t get anything out of it at all.

I always wanted to be a Priest- from whence I was a little boy but now I am here and “on the path” I just don’t know, I am not saying I want to leave (although it has crossed my mind), but I am finding it so hard to cope with all the studies as well as life in a Religious Order and everything being in another language. I know some will say “just leave and find an Order in your own country” that is not the solution and I won’t appreciate that from anyone. Maybe I am not trying hard enough- I am praying to St. John Vianney and Blessed Diego de Cadiz who both struggled with the studies. The thing is though I have spoken to my superiors about this who tell me to be at ease because the Order and the studies are separate, my taking vows has nothing to do with my studies and even if I fail everything they will still allow me to continue to make my vows- however it brings me no consolation as my mind is lost in all is and not at rest. I am not being negative but I think it is pretty much a given fact that I will fail and I don’t want to spend the next 6 years of my life unhappy in very difficult and non enjoyable studies. I feel less closer to God here than I did at home. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know if these are temptations are what but I am fed up by it all. If this is the Religious Life then maybe I don’t want it- I know that is a sad thing to say but I am truly brought to that. The thing is I have never thought of anything else and if I leave I just don’t know what I can do in my life, I don’t want to leave but that is the conclusion my mind is jumping to—are these temptations? My Confessor just tells me to go on and if I fail I fail- but I am not eased by that.

This is something you need to keep within your Order and with your advisors, not seeking such advice on an internet forum. That you are doing to is of more concern than anything you write about.

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

Prayers.

 

[wild_thing]

Continuing prayers for you…I hope everything is going well.