Sundays at the Seminary

The Third Commandment says to keep holy the Sabbath. I have never experienced the beauty of this commandment so fully as I do in the seminary. Growing up, I thought it meant not doing too much work and making sure to get to Mass, but here I realize it means much more. Sundays are the pinnacle of our week; all of the work we do Monday through Saturday is fulfilled in our Sunday worship, and Sunday rest recharges us so that we can work well for God in the coming week.
 
At St. John Paul II Seminary, Sundays are about worship, fraternity, and recreation. To set Sunday apart, our 10 a.m. Mass includes all the bells and whistles—well, bells at least. The cantor chants the antiphon before the organ swells for the entrance hymn. My heart can’t help but soar as the organ carries it closer to the Lord, while the procession, led by incense, approaches the altar. Once Mass starts, I’m struck by how the beauty continues through the music, readings, preaching, and, of course, the Eucharist.
 
Having started our day in the best way possible, we take the graces from the Mass and bring them into our fraternity. Brunch is, without a doubt, the most anticipated meal of the week. Fifteen minutes after Mass ends, we descend to the refectory where Chefs Mike and Franz never cease to outdo themselves. The spread usually includes eggs, plenty of bacon and sausage, potatoes, some kind of carb (pancakes, French toast, etc.), and a coffee pot that never runs dry. Sometimes, the chefs surprise us with something like chicken and waffles or biscuits and gravy. The atmosphere is always as good as the food as we talk and laugh. In a manner of speaking, we are continuing our worship of God through our enjoyment of each other’s company and of the good things of the world which all come from our Lord.
 
The rest of the afternoon is dedicated to sports, necessary homework, movies, or other activities. I like to attend our boxing club to work off some of the damage done by brunch before resting until the evening. Most Sundays end with Solemn Adoration and Solemn Vespers where the bells and whistles come out again. Solemn Vespers is, next to Mass, my favorite liturgy at the Seminary. We chant the psalms of the Breviary, accompanied by the organ, as a way of lifting our hearts again to the Lord. While the priest incenses the altar, the choir sings a beautiful Latin Magnificat arranged by an SJPII Seminary alumnus. Once Vespers is over we retire to find dinner, watch TV, or go to bed, refreshed and ready to face the new week.
 
Sundays at the seminary have reminded me that God gives us His commandments so that we may be truly alive and happy. Thank God for Sundays!

Mr. Moore is a College III seminarian for the Archdiocese of Baltimore.