Archive for September, 2006
A Roman Exam Period: Time to Face Facts
Wednesday, September 20th, 2006
“The Pontifical North American College Magazine”
FALL 2006
PAGES 24-25
By Rev. Mr. Jeff Kirby
In my first exam period at the Gregorian University, I thought I had it all figured out. It was a Christology exam, and I had read through the lecture notes and memorized the principal themes and points of the course. I was ready for my first Roman exam. Or so I thought.
In the Roman University system, an entire course is determined by one 10-minute oral exam with the professor at the end of the semester’s lectures. Unlike our American University system, where a final exam may not even be comprehensive, or where a final exam is perhaps 20 percent of an overall grade, in the Roman system the course rises or falls based solely on the final exam. Grades are given on a scale of one to 10, with a “six” passing the course. The grade received on the final exam is the grade received for the course. For the most part, there are no papers, quizzes, class participation, or midterm grades to buffer the single grade of a final exam.
Yes, I thought I had it all figured out. So, off I went to the university for my first exam in Christology. I sat down in the room with the professor, and he asked his first question. I couldn’t have prepared myself for the hot seat of an exam, and my mind went blank. I knew I was staring, and I felt myself starting to blush. I couldn’t say anything. I wanted to leave the room. This wasn’t suppose to happen. I was prepared. I had it all figured out.
Thanks be to God, the professor was a gentle American, and he understood this type of testing was unique to me and my classmates. He smiled, leaned forward, and – tapping the desk – simply said, “Relax.” Then he leaned back and repeated his question.
I laughed and even said, “This is awkward.” By then, my mind overcame its shock, and I began to answer his question on the New Testament understanding of the term “Messiah.” The exam went well, and I went back to the seminary ready for a nap.
The other exams of that first exam period were uncomfortable, but not as shocking as that first one. Since then, as I finish my last exam schedule for the Bachelors of Sacred Theology, the oral exams have become a welcomed means of testing, and even a highlight of the Roman system’s training in theology. This surprises no one more than myself.
No system is perfect. Each has its weaknesses and strengths. While the American system of extended course work may lend itself to better integration, the Roman system seems to better prepare students to always have an answer ready. The goal, of course, for the priest of the New Evangelization is both the integration of theological knowledge and a readiness to effectively share with others the truths of that knowledge.
Oral exams are both loved and hated by mutually good people. Regardless of personal preferences for or against them, they are a regular and almost permanent part of the Roman university system. The best way to deal with them is to try to have things figured out and to walk readily through them.
Rev. Mr. Jeff Kirby / Diocese of Charleston / Class of 2007
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How Work is Beneficial to the Human Spirit
Sunday, September 3rd, 2006
“The Post and Courier”
By Jeff Kirby
As our country prepares to celebrate Labor Day, it’s a good time to pause and consider what the meaning and importance of work is for us and for our society. Work is a large part of our day. It shapes our lives and the lives of our loved ones. But do we only work to survive and meet our needs? Is there any other meaning to work?
Perhaps many see work as only a burden and requirement, but there can be a greater meaning to our work. Within the Christian heritage, work is seen not only as a remedy to the consequences of original sin and basic human needs, but as a real collaboration of man and woman with God in perfecting the visible world. Through his or her work, a person can participate in the good of others and of society, as well as consecrate the world and their work place to God.
Human work flows from those created in God’s image and called to extend the work and goodness of creation. Of course, work is meant to provide a dignified livelihood for the person and the person’s family on the material, social, cultural, and spiritual level. But our labor is meant to go beyond that primary purpose. By doing good and respectable work, we help to edify and build up our society and the world around us. Our work also can honor the creator and the talents we’ve received from him. Our homage to God shouldn’t be restricted to only a house of
worship or enclosed within an empty set of creedal statements.
Work is for the human person, not the human person for work. We aren’t meant to live for work, but to work to fully live. Our labor is meant to give order and remedy to our lives in order to encourage solidarity with others and with God. It assists us in understanding our lives, relationships and the dynamics of society. If we let it, our work can foster greater love and creativity within us.
As our country rests from its various forms of labor, it’s worth reviewing our thoughts on work and considering the contributions from the Christian inheritance.
Jeff Kirby is a seminarian in the Catholic Diocese of Charleston. He will be ordained a deacon Oct. 5 in Rome.
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