The highs of August have carried into the month of September here at the Seminary. One major highlight from last month was of course Fr John Grace’s 50^th Anniversary celebration. Several feast days of personal importance also fell in the month – Mary MacKillop, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Clare of Assisi, and Bernard of Clairvaux, to name just a few. September is the month of Our Lady’s Sorrows, which I am taking time to meditate on every Tuesday.

The seminary community is reading Saint Bernard’s On Loving God this semester, as the most recent instalment in Fr Paul’s Spiritual Classics course. Each semester, Fr Paul, our Seminary Spiritual Director, chooses a text for us to read and discuss. These texts usually alternate between ancient and modern. In previous years, we have read Julian of Norwich, Dorothy Day, Gregory of Nyssa, Annie Dillard, Athanasius’ life of St Antony, Ralph Martin, and others. In becoming accustomed to the thought of these saintly figures, we hope to stand on the shoulders of giants with those we will one day serve as Presbyters, as we think on the mysteries of life and love and God and why.

Another highlight was an intensive for some students taught by Fr Andrew Chase. I was not part of this class, but it is always a pleasure to catch up with Fr Andrew, and it was good to see Mick Otto as well who was among the students over the weekend.

Ashwin interviewing Fr Paul Chandler O'Carm for Episode 3 of Co-Constructing Theology

My own cohort are busy writing our masters theses. I have decided to write on the development of the theologies of the Cross. What inspired this? Several things, Saints Clare of Assisi and Thomas Aquinas had a lot to do with it. Here are two short excerpts from their writings:

Jesus “is the brightness of eternal glory, the splendour of eternal light, the mirror without spot. Look into that mirror daily… and ever study therein your countenance, that within and without you may adorn yourself with all manner of virtues; in that mirror are reflected poverty, holy humility and ineffable charity, as, with the grace of God, you may perceive. Gaze… consider… look… contemplate… this mirror, Christ himself, fixed upon the wood of the cross…” (A letter of Saint Clare to Blessed Agnes of Prague)

“Why did the Son of God have to suffer…? As a remedy for sin, [but also] as an example of how to act; if you seek the example of love; if you seek patience; if you seek an example of humility; of obedience; of despising earthly things… Whoever wishes to live perfectly should do nothing but disdain what Christ disdained on the cross and desire what Christ desired, for the cross exemplifies ever virtue.” (From a conference by Thomas Aquinas, on the Cross).

Both of these writings in particular inspired me to undertake the question, why glory in the Cross? This assertion is the motto which Bishop Michael took when he was consecrated the tenth Bishop of Rockhampton Diocese – Gloriari in Cruces (Glory in the Cross). I will spend of the rest of the year trying to answer this question. Pray for me!

Ashwin Archaya