Of flowers and hand grenades

In seminary you realize very quickly that everyone is seemingly replete with advice. Professors, bishops, clergy, visiting cognoscenti, et al. will drop in and share their opinions and experiences with you. Only over time will most of us realize that not all advice is of equal merit. Sometimes the advice you get is like a handful of seeds - you plant them in the ground, nourish them with your attention, and they blossoms in your heart. Sometimes the advice you get is a grenade - you pull the pin, wait a moment, and it blows up in your face. Discernment. Among all the tools one can sharpen while in seminary, don't forget discernment.