.::Firmum Est::. - - My Heart is Steadfast

The central word of this prayer is “coming.” We should ask ourselves what does “coming of the Lord” mean? In Greek it is “parousia,” in Latin “adventus,” “advent,” “coming.” What is this “coming”? Does it involve us or not? To understand the meaning of this word, hence, of the Apostle’s prayer for this community and for communities of all times — also for us — we must look at the person through whom the coming of the Lord was uniquely brought about: the Virgin Mary. Mary belonged to that part of the people of Israel who in Jesus’ time were waiting with heartfelt expectation for the Savior’s coming. And from the words and acts recounted in the Gospel, we can see how she truly lived steeped in the prophets’ words; she entirely expected the Lord’s coming. She could not, however, have imagined how this coming would be brought about. Perhaps she expected a coming in glory. The moment when the Archangel Gabriel entered her house and told her that the Lord, the Savior, wanted to take flesh in her, wanted to bring about his coming through her, must have been all the more surprising to her. We can imagine the Virgin’s apprehension. Mary, with a tremendous act of faith and obedience, said “yes”: “I am the servant of the Lord.” And so it was that she became the “dwelling place” of the Lord, a true “temple” in the world and a “door” through which the Lord entered upon the earth. We have said that this coming was unique: “the” coming of the Lord. Yet there is not only the final coming at the end of time: In a certain sense the Lord always wants to come through us. And he knocks at the door of our hearts: Are you willing to give me your flesh, your time, your life? This is the voice of the Lord who also wants to enter our epoch, he wants to enter human life through us. He also seeks a living dwelling place in our personal lives. This is the coming of the Lord. Let us once again learn this in the season of Advent: The Lord can also come among us.

Yesterday morning, just following Mass, Archbishop Edwin O’Brien, the President of the Board of Governors of the College, announced that Msgr. McCoy will be moving to Washington to work on the College’s Capital Campaign. His replacement, effective January 16th, is our current vice-rector, Msgr. James Checchio. The house is ecstatic for both of these men. Look to www.pnac.org for the official announcement. I have also added photo’s for the first time since the summer. I apologize. I haven’t been taking many (any) pictures. These photos were taken at the Annual Spaghetti Bowl Game. It was an exciting game with great opportunities for fraternity building but without injuries.

Today was a very joyous day for us here at the North American College. It is the Patronal Feast of our great nation, as well as of our College and Chapel. This year, we were invited to serve at the Papal Mass. There were about 15 who served at the altar and another 40 who sang in the choir. Some of you may have seen the Mass broadcasted on EWTN. At the end of a banquet back at the college, there were a number of toasts. The first was to the Holy Father, the second - to the United States and the third - to the College. I have included this third toast for two reasons. First, because it was given by a Priest in the Archdiocese and second, because it references the name of this site. Cheers! O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

Toast to the College Thursday, 8 December 2005

by: Rev. Adam Y. Park - Archdiocese of Washington

This day is, first and foremost, the Church’s celebration of the dawn of grace in our Lady’s Immaculate Conception. And as American Catholics, we are sincerely grateful for her watchful care as our patroness. But, with even more profound and personal affection, we come together to celebrate this feast of the Immaculate Conception as a College, for it has been under this title that the Pontifical North American College has prospered for so many years. For 146 years, this College has been given the most dignified but humbling task of forming men into the priesthood of Jesus Christ. And her success in doing so is made possible through one conviction alone. It is in her committed proclamation: O Domine, Firmum est Cor Meum! My heart is firm, O Lord! Firm in fulfilling Your will that has been entrusted to me, firm in relying upon Your grace. Firmum est Cor Meum! My heart is strong, O Lord! Strong to stand in the face of evil, who desires to see me fail in my work. But, I stand strong and powerful knowing that Our Lady’s mantle enfolds me. Firmum est Cor Meum! My heart is steadfast, O Lord! Steadfast in my commitment to You to persevere in the mission to form men – with their distinct backgrounds, unique experiences, and remarkable gifts – into worthy priests of Your Son. It is through this continual affirmation that this College can stand firm, strong, and steadfast. But, not only this, she has the persistent desire that the men she forms can say in union with her in absolute conviction, “My heart is firm to do the will of God, strong to defy those forces who long to see me fall, and steadfast in my commitment to this vocation!” It is with great affection that I stand here in honoring this College, which I have been able to call home these past five years. Admittedly, it has not always been an easy journey, but as one spiritual director once said, this College is like a rock-tumbler. It takes in a coarse piece of stone with all of its rough edges and jagged points, but enduring the grinding over the course of time, comes out a smooth and polished product. There have been challenging moments, but cherished ones as well, moments when we were stretched to our limits, but they have all been for the one goal of this College; to nurture the seed of priesthood that has been implanted within the lives of each and everyone of these students. And so, to the memory of all the alumni who continue to persevere in the Lord’s vineyard, to all the students of today, who graciously receive the needed formation to become worthy priests of God, and to all future students, who will find a home in this Eternal City, may our voices be one with this College in saying, “My heart is steadfast, O Lord, my heart is steadfast!” Now, I invite you to please stand as we offer our toast to this great College. Ad multos annos, gloriousque annos, vivas!

The following is a news article from Zenit.org. The Priest mentioned was my moral theology professor at the Angelicum last year. The notes from his class can be found here This is a very exciting event for the school and her students. All works of the Holy Father will be read by Father Giertych before being publicly presented.

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Benedict XVI has appointed Father Wojciech Giertych (pronounced GEAR-TECH), of the Order of Preachers, as the new theologian of the Pontifical Household. Father Giertych, 54, is succeeding a fellow Dominican, Cardinal Georges Cottier, 83, who was appointed to that office by Pope John Paul II in December 1989. The Vatican press office announced the change today. Father Giertych is a member of the General Council of the Dominican order, and a professor of theology at the University of St. Thomas Aquinas (the Angelicum) in Rome and of the Studium of the Dominican Province of Poland in Krakow. Born in London to Polish parents, he made his religious vows in the Order of Preachers on Aug. 15, 1976, and was ordained a priest on June 20, 1981. The new Pontifical Household theologian received his doctorate in theology from the Angelicum. He speaks Polish, English, French, Italian, Spanish, German and Russian. The office of Pontifical Household theologian seems to date back to St. Dominic, at the time of Pope Honorius III (1216-1227), according to the Pontifical Yearbook. This is the reason the post is always held by a Dominican. In an interview with ZENIT, Cardinal Cottier explained that the Pontifical Household theologian reads and gives the “nihil obstat” to all the texts that the Pope’s collaborators write who assist him in the preparation of his addresses, messages and similar texts.