Seminarian

                  There is an inclination in all of us human beings to sin. This is what is known as concupiscence. Though we try to be good and do good, somewhere along the line we fail and fall. I don’t completely understand why this dream came to me one night but the important lessons that I will mention at the end about my learning’s from this dream are of great value. In some way I feel some of the queries I had about the problem of evil have been solved due to this dream.

In my dream I was at home. The funny thing was, though I was at home I was following the timetable of the seminary or maybe was made to follow the timetable of the seminary by my parents. I had a cycle in that dream; I took that cycle outside the flat that me and my family were living in, but then I brought it again in the living room. I told my brother that I would dump the garbage after having returned from games. I told him that he should tell the reason to mom for having parked the cycle in the living room if she asked.

 

I went down the stairs happily. To my amazement I saw all my seminary friends and made my way to them. They were standing in the space between the 2 buildings that were cheerful. One of them was wearing a habit. He went to a shop nearby, after some moments he was out of sight.

I was surprised and shocked to see him coming back with a cigarette in his mouth. He was blowing it gloriously. None of the others were shocked or showed any signs of rejection to that kind of behavior. I was scandalized by their behavior or to name it in a better way ‘Chalta hei’ attitude. That seminarian then passed on the cigarette to another seminarian and it was being passed on.

I can’t explain the feeling that I had then in the dream. In some way I too felt tempted or dragged by the devil to have a puff, but my conscience reminded me of my identity. My conscience told me to be firm and not follow the bad example of the others. I refused the cigarette when a seminarian offered it to me. I thanked God then, for giving me His wisdom to make the right choice. I also thanked God that the other seminarian didn’t force me to take a puff or on my refusal didn’t make fun of me.

From this dream, I learnt that peer pressures are many in this world. God comes to our rescue if we call on Him and also when we don’t (Like in this situation). His voice is alive in us through the voice of our conscience. This conscience of ours needs to be formed or trained in the right way.