A University of Scranton Senior Reflects on Vocation as He Graduates

VOCATION: Responding to God's Call

William Woody.  Class of 2011

As final exams draw near and graduation looms on the horizon, the prospect of leaving Scranton and moving onto something else prompts a wide range of feelings from excited anticipation to nervous anxiety. Leaving the rather predictable routine of college life behind, a degree of uncertainty and a lack of control over our futures can provoke such feelings and lead anyone to obsess over the questions, “What’s next?” or “What am I doing with my life?” Although each of us have struggled with these questions to some degree in our own way (and we can all offer our own unique response), today’s readings make it clear that we all share in a common vocation – called by Christ to love and to serve both God and others.

             Over the past four years at the University of Scranton, my faith journey has taken rather surprising turns, yet the question of vocation recurred as one of the constant struggles. And while it may be easy to write off the question of a “vocation” as something reserved for those discerning religious life or ordained ministry, we must not forget that we are all called by God and that we all must recognize and respond to our vocation in some way. Today’s first reading recalls the words of Peter, reminding the crows of the “promise” of God to “whomever the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:39). Jesus himself makes such a promise in today’s Gospel reading, describing himself as the Good Shepherd who “calls out to his sheep by name and leads them out,” leading his people so that “they may have life, and have it abundantly” (Jn 10:3, 10). We are not the absolute masters of our destiny, for God takes the initiative and calls us to our proper vocation, but God does not violently impose himself upon us or saddle us with a vocation to make us miserable. God calls us toward our proper vocation so that we may be happy and experience his love for each of us. And although God may call us toward an ultimately common vocation, an appropriate response to God’s call may manifest itself in many different ways.

            How, then, can we recognize our proper vocation and respond wholeheartedly to God’s call? Through careful discernment, prayer, attention to our own desires and talents, and giving God space to work in our lives, we can come to recognize how Christ calls us toward the promised “life abundant” which God strongly desires to give each of us. It would be foolish to write off our past experiences and desires in discerning vocation, for God speaks to us through such experiences and desires. Further, each of us possess unique gifts and talents, and so we each stand ready to offer our individual abilities in service to God and out of love for one another. We cannot ignore our own inclinations and desires completely, but we must use these gifts in a way that leads to the greater glory of God as well as to more just and loving relationships with others. Most importantly, we must recognize that vocation is not simply a one-time question that we can “resolve” at one discrete moment. Rather, it is an ongoing process of living our lives in response to God’s call and following Christ in active discipleship. We must trust, then, that God continues to call and to shape our lives if we let him – even when things do not seem to go our way or when God seems absent from our lives. God continues to call and to beckon us all toward that life abundant promised by following Christ.

While giving up absolute control over our future and knowing that things will not always go as we expect would unsettle anyone, I recall the words of the French Jesuit Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, who exhorts us to “Trust in the slow work of God…Give our Lord the benefit of believing that His Hand is leading you, and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself in suspense and incomplete.” I recognize the temptation to obsess over our futures and how readily we try to control ever aspect of our lives. But maybe we should take a step back, trusting that God calls and leads each of us to a greater promise than we could ever create for ourselves. Maybe we should try to let God have his way and recognize, as Christ tells us, “you did not choose me but I chose you” (Jn 15:16).

Holy Week: Tuesday

  

                JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON.

 Yes, I know it’s April (not December) and it’s Easter (not Christmas) that’s coming on Sunday. Even though we normally see this slogan on bumper stickers and church bulletins at Christmastime, I believe it can resonate with many of us as we go through Holy Week. With a few frenzied days consumed by classes, assignments, and exams, followed by some time at home filled with visits to friends and family, it can be easy to forget why we even have this short vacation. “Holy Week” for college students can sometimes become quite a hectic week!

We can and should still do all of these good things, but we also can and should try to give ourselves in a unique way to Jesus. Let’s devote some special time to prayer with Him each day, contemplating and placing ourselves within the drama of the Passion. If we keep our eyes on Jesus and remember that He is the reason for our new life and freedom from sin, we will grow with Him through this Easter season.

-  Christine F.

Holy Week: Monday

Yesterday was the start of Holy Week 2011. Of course, we all know what that means. Just a few days until Easter Break! Time to relax, catch up with family, eat chocolate bunnies!

Though I, too, am looking forward to all of these things, I must remember the other things this week signifies. In the very near future, we will be mourning the death and rejoicing in the resurrection of Jesus. When those days arrive, I hope we will all join together to mourn and to rejoice.

But today is still Lent. Today is one of the last days of our forty days of reflection and sacrifice. Take a moment to look back on your personal season of Lent. Was it a success? I’m not asking if you managed to keep your vow of not eating sweets- I honestly don’t think the Lord cares if you slipped up at your best friend’s birthday party and ate a piece of cake. But the effort matters and the reflection on it matters.

Even if you haven’t done anything yet, embrace this last week of Lent. Reflect on the great gifts of your life, on the wonderfully strong faith community of which all students here are a welcome part, on what you can do to make this world a better reflection of the love of God. Just stop, breathe, and think. And be ready to praise the Lord for His miracles this Sunday.

Have a wonderful week, everyone, and God bless!

~ Emily D. (Freshman)

Palm Sunday reflection by Fr. Rick Malloy, S.J., Ph.D.

Palm Sunday Reflection

Fr. Rick Malloy, S.J., Ph.D.

Today we remember a DEAD MAN WALKING*

Today we remember what happened to Jesus almost 2000 years ago.

Today we pay attention to what is happening to so many others crucified in our times.

This week, we re-enact, symbolically, what really happened to Jesus.

This week, in and thru our liturgical re-enactment, what really happened to Jesus, really happens to us.

Now, we enter into the mystery of Holy week.

Now, God calls us to be with Jesus as Jesus goes to the cross for us.

Now, God calls us to continue Jesus' work of bringing forth the Kingdom of God in our times and places.

Now, God calls us to cry for a creation bent and blurred and beaten by sin and suffering.

Now, God calls us to heal a world filled with people who have been crushed by cruelty and intimidated by intolerance.

Now, God calls us to prophetically cry out and resist those who hate and hurt others.

Now, God calls us to convert those whose hearts are hardened, those who are blinded by desires for revenge.  An "eye for an eye" mentality leads to a world gone blind.

Now, God calls us to Love in Word and Deed; Truly Love to the point of no return; Truly Love to the point of going where Jesus is going, to the cross.

Now, with Jesus we must go to stand on the side of those who throughout history, have been, and are, and will be, butchered and beaten by the powerful and oppressive. 

This week, in and thru our liturgical re-enactment, what really happened to Jesus, really happens to us.

This week, we re-enact, symbolically, what really happened to Jesus.

Today we pay attention to what is happening to so many others crucified today.

Today we remember what happened to Jesus almost 2000 years ago.

Today we remember a DEAD MAN WALKING.*

(* “Dead Man Walking” is what they call someone in prison being walked to the execution chamber).

This week we accompany Jesus.  Our God is a God who is for us.  This God became a victim of human greed and intolerance and hate.  Our Lord suffered at the hands of oppressors.  Our God came among us and went to the cross to save us.  Jesus enters into the dynamics of evil and death and by doing so transforms them.  He saves and frees us from all the sin and horror of our human existence.  He saves and frees us from all the pettiness and selfishness that irritates and demeans us.  He saves and frees us from all that addicts and afflicts us.  He saves and frees us from all that destroys human persons and human community.  He saves us to set us free to believe, to hope and to love.

We need to give time to Jesus so we can become Jesus in our world today.  Many this semester have seen The Human Experience.  Young men no older than Scranton students traveled the world and found hope and happiness among the pain and tragedy of human existence.  On the cross, Jesus shows us the way through suffering and death to life and life eternal. 

We learn by imitating others.  Whom will you imitate?  Bernie Madoff?  Charlie Sheen?  Lindsay Lohan? “Snooki”?  Or those who follow Christ?  Will you be like disciples of Jesus like Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J. whom works with gang members in LA and Sr. Mary Scullion, RSM, who has transformed the situation for the homeless in Philly, or imitate mindless celebrities chasing their next appearance on Entertainment Tonight?  Will you be like the guy who started Tom’s Shoes, or Donald Trump?

To imitate and follow Christ, we have to know him and love him, and pay attention to him.  Especially this week, this Holy Week, as he goes to the Cross yet again for us, listen to Jesus.  Pay Attention.

Fifth Week of Lent: Friday

Friday, April 15, 2011

We all know that sacrifice is a pillar of this Lenten season.  In past years I have chosen to give up eating ice cream or drinking soda.  This year I decided not to make official sacrifices, but to do more good deeds.  While this arrangement was working out just fine, last week I was forced to make one of the biggest sacrifices I could imagine.  My cell phone broke and I spent a whole week without this device that has become such a part of me.  Being without a cell phone in today’s world would make some people cringe at just the thought.   We are so attached to technology and instant communication.  Disconnecting leads to semi-withdrawal.  As annoying as it was, I found this sacrifice to be a very reflective time for me.

While being completely cut off was no doubt stressful, I learned a lot about myself this week.  First, I never realized how often I look at my phone during class, either for the time, a text message, or just because I could.  This week I found myself more involved in class discussions and listening more closely to lectures.  I could give my full attention to any activity in front of me because I wasn’t distracted by my cell phone.  More importantly, I had more meaningful conversations with my friends because I couldn’t talk to them without being right next to them.  I had to use email and Facebook as my main means of communication with people when across campus, but I also recognized how much time I spend distracted from real life because of technology.  Again, without this major distraction glued to my hand, I could live in the moment, be completely present, and better appreciate the world right in front of me.

While I will definitely be more careful with my cell phone around water in the future, I look forward to forcing myself to “unplug” every once in a while.  It will not be a full week, but at least an hour to spend just being me.  I think it is safe to say that we have all allowed ourselves to succumb to distractions and to be attached to technology.  So I ask all of you, how can we reduce distractions on a daily basis?  How can we spend our time more effectively? What else is out there that we are missing?

-   Katie C. ‘14

Fifth Week of Lent: Thursday

Have you ever resisted change by saying something like “I am who I am…” or “it is what it is…”?  I know that I have faced this situation many times in life.  I think that lent in particular is a time to really push through this feeling and change our hearts in the way God is calling us to.

I bring up this point because I was recently reminded of the real nature of the saying “I am who I am”.  In the Gospel today Jesus says to the Jews, “before Abraham came to be, I AM”.  One of the other famous occasions when this phrase is used was when God appeared to Moses in the burning bush; God says “I AM who I AM”.  Now thinking about the way that I respond in times of change or conversion, I realize that what I am saying is I am the same as God.  Now that is definitely a problem!  So instead of responding with resistance we should respond more along the lines of St. Augustine, with “I am becoming the person that God has made me to be.”  As Lent comes nearer to the end, I challenge you to reflect on if you have been resisting the person that God wants you to be.  Perhaps next time you find yourself faced with a new change you can welcome it openly with a new attitude.

Alyssa T. 2013

Fifth Week of Lent: Wednesday

As we get closer to Easter, we must not forget what Lent is all about. It has been a long Lenten journey and many of us have likely faltered in our Lenten promises, however, that does not mean Lent was a failure. This can teach us exactly what we need to learn. Many times in the gospels we are shown examples of how we must put God before everything else. The rich man is asked to give up his possessions and follow Jesus. Peter the apostle for example, also drops his livelihood as a fisherman and follows. This does not mean that we should literally give up everything, but perhaps that we simply must know when we are putting things before God. Are there things in our lives we can’t go without? As we continue along our Lenten journey, let us try to focus on putting God first, before our material lives.

- Peter A.

Fifth Week of Lent: Tuesday

Faith and Love.  Where there is one, you will inevitably find the other.  The best and most prominent example of this bond is our faith in God.  Though God always loves us, when we have faith and trust in God, we most directly feel God’s unceasing love.  When we are thus filled with God’s love, it is our responsibility to show and give that love to others.  In order to do this we must always keep our hearts open to the new graces God wants to bestow upon us. 

In pouring out love, we should strive to model the perfect love of the Trinity.  The all powerful love between The Father and the Son is represented in the Holy Spirit.  The love of God is so strong that He gave us His only son in the person of Jesus Christ.  Hopefully in modeling the love of the Trinity, we too can develop strong faith filled relationships that develop a love so strong that we become one family, one person.  We should ask God that He helps us love each other with the same unconditional, always forgiving love with which He loves us. 

-  Meghan L.

Fifth week of Lent: Monday

There are millions and millions of words in the English language.  Throughout the centuries of mankind, endless combinations of words have been used to express all kinds of emotions.  Ranging from happy to sad, joyful to depressed, words have a strange way of cutting to the inner core of us.  Try to think of some of your favorite words.  Now try to narrow those words down to the most important word in the English language.

That’s a pretty daunting task when you think about it. 

Choose the most important word in the English language.

The word appreciation was taught to me at a young age.  My mom has constantly reminded me about appreciation, and I don’t think I will ever forget the important lesson she gave me about appreciating everything and everyone around.  Learning to appreciate will be one of the first lessons I will teach my future children. 

Take a minute to reflect on how many things you take for granted.  I’m sure family, friends, and health came up immediately.  I, myself, am guilty of taking those for granted, but I have also come to appreciate them more than I have in the past.

I did not realize how lucky I was to have an amazing family and an amazing group of friends, until we were separated for a long period of time. 

Appreciation comes in many different forms.  When you are at the shore this summer, take a moment to look out into the ocean.  I mean really look out into the ocean.  The next time you take a hike in the woods, stop for a minute and take in all nature has to offer.  Appreciate what God has created.

During this Lenten season I ask you to take a few minutes every day and look at all the amazing gifts that have been bestowed upon you.  Take the time to appreciate something simple, like the setting sun, or a friend or family member who has always been there for you.  When we start to realize all the wonderful things around us, life becomes more joyful and pleasant to live out.

Tom F.

Fourth Week of Lent: Friday

                   

          I sometimes think of Lent as the beginning of something new. As if we are starting a new period or phase. Not talking about the beginning of the Church’s Liturgical Year, for everyone knows that begins at the opening of Advent, but rather I think of Lent as the start of a new period in our lives. A time in which we can start on a new course, or even get off to a fresh start. A time which we can invoke the phrase “Tabula Rasa” meaning Blank Slate.
           

        Think of it this way. When a baby is born, he is so precious and cute, but also so innocent. He is a helpless creature relying on the kindness of others, and putting complete trust in them that they will protect him. And while at times he may appear nervous, he is able to relax himself in their arms, and feel completely safe and secure. During this season of Lent, we must humble ourselves and act as an infant. We should feel free to put our trust in others, and be willing to confide in others, those who we even do not know, and trust that they will help us. We must rely on the kindness of others, to help us achieve something, to help us learn where we can go in life.

And by being cared for by others, we can learn to return the favor. We can learn to use our talents to care for our peers, to look after our brothers and sisters, to be their keeper. To do this, we must put aside, not forget for we should never forget anything, but rather put aside any past arguments, conflicts, or barriers which may divide us, and look forward to starting anew, and keep moving forward. “Tabula Rasa,” making a blank slate for our lives. By clearing away our distractions, we can become closer to one another, and thus become closer to God. Let this season of Lent be a time of rebirth for all of us, and a time to become closer to all around us.

Don F. '14 

Fourth Week of Lent: Thursday

As a part of my Lenten promise, I too have been trying to incorporate Scripture into my daily life, or at least dedicate 15 minutes each day talking with God.   There is a website I use to assist me with this Lenten promise: it is the Online Ministries page from a fellow Jesuit institution, Creighton University, where students post personal reflections based on Scripture readings for each day. 

In today’s readings, God confronts Moses about his anger towards the Israelites resorting to idolatry in the book of Exodus, and in the gospel of John, Jesus explains to the Jews that they cannot fully have faith in God if they do not believe in the word represented through his Son, Jesus Christ.  Like the Israelites and the Jews, sometimes we fail to believe God is really there.  Unless he is staring us right in the face making his presence known as in the Gospel, we do not believe.  Lent reminds us that God is present with us always even when we cannot see him.  It is a reminder that we need to actively search for him, as if we were playing hide and seek.  However, God is not the 5-year-old who pops out from behind a tree laughing and shrieking before you get there.  God is the one who waits, quietly and patiently, for you to walk closer to the tree.  Even better, God will meet you halfway when you aren’t sure where to find him, but he only comes if you ask. 

When you are having trouble seeing him, call out to God to make himself present to you.  God longs for us to find him, and he knows there are times we need guidance in our search.  “Seeing is believing” as the saying goes, but it takes that initial belief to want to see him.  Don’t be afraid to look for God when you need him most; those are the times God wants to see you.  You never know where he might be waiting…

Ciro S. ‘14

Fourth Week of Lent: Tuesday

Hi Everyone!

            On this rainy day of Lent, it’s the perfect day to curl up with a good book. So how about making that book the Bible?

            As part of my Lenten promise I have been reading the bible each day. This is having a big impact on my faith. In each passage, God has more and more to tell me. Whether it’s about how to live my life, how I relate to Him or about who God is. Old Testament stories that at first seemed overwhelming show God’s role throughout history. God always seems to know exactly what I need to hear each day and always has something new.

            A certain passage that is one of my favorites is perfect to keep in mind during the season of Lent. Micah 6:8 says “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, love kindness and to walk humbly with your God.”

When I read this passage I think of these things:

Do Justice- we can perform service and volunteer. We can put others before ourselves with all of the people around us. And do small things every day to work towards peace.

Love Kindness-We can think about Love in our lives. How do we show our love for others? Do we respond to everyone we meet with love?

Walk Humbly with God- Do we have humility with others and with God? Anywhere we may walk, anything we may walk through do we let God into? I have this last phrase tattooed on my foot as a constant reminder of what we’re called to do.

            I hope this Lent will allow you to grow closer to God and find Him in everything you do. My suggestion is including some readings from scripture.

-Lauren G. 2013

Fourth Week of Lent:Tuesday

Most people associate Lent as a time to sacrifice our daily vices that serve as a detriment to our overall health and peace of mind or as a time to do something to benefit us in one way or another—by giving up ice cream, by refusing to go on Facebook, or by promising to attend Mass every Sunday. I, however, have found Lent to be an opportunity to recognize true strength.

            Many will equate strength with toughness—masking one’s emotions so that one might not appear weak or vulnerable. Yet, it is that vulnerability that allows us to grow and to find true strength within ourselves. Vulnerability allows us to succumb to our emotions—to feel afraid, weak, confused, depressed, or elated. It allows us to laugh and to cry. In much simpler terms, it allows us to let things be.

            True strength, then, is learning how to take control of that vulnerability before it completely takes over you. Look back at the story of Jesus’ crucifixion. Shortly after being nailed to the cross Jesus cried out to His Father, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” At that moment Jesus epitomized true vulnerability. He allowed himself to be afraid despite knowing and understanding God’s plan for him. Yet, he did not allow his vulnerability and fear to stand in the way of with what God had planned for him.

            So, this Lent, recognize that we all have an opportunity to find strength in our own vulnerability. Remember that it is good to cry, to smile, to laugh, and to be afraid. Yet, let us remember to not allow this vulnerability to take control of all that we want to do with our everyday life as Jesus did while he was on the cross. Let us use the final weeks of this Lenten season to find true strength and to grow closer to both God and to the person whom we strive to be.

Robert C. ‘14

Fourth Week of Lent: Monday

Here we are, already in the fourth week of Lent! I always found this time to be a good place to reflect on the past few weeks, on our triumphs and failures as we prepare for Jesus’ death and resurrection. This past weekend I went on the retreat to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY which provided a great opportunity for such reflection. The retreat, called “Looking for the Signs,” explored the idea that we can find God in any and every aspect of our lives, even something like baseball. Though we go out of our way during Lent to give up a favorite of ours or add something new into our routine, it is also in the everyday stuff that we can find God’s grace and love.  There may be days when we don’t follow through on whatever our sacrifices are, but maybe we also fail to see the tiny blessings that God has planted in our lives. If we open our eyes enough to find them our days will surely be enriched. As we begin this week, about halfway through our Lenten journey, it is the perfect time to renew our enthusiasm and search for those signs with renewed energy and faith. It can be something as simple as an A on a paper or the smile of a friend. For me Lent is about growing a little bit closer to God, and if we acknowledge these daily blessings as gifts from the God who loves us, we can only grow nearer to him in this season. So this week challenge yourself to find at least one unexpected sign of God’s love in your life and thank him for it as we rapidly approach the Cross, the greatest sign of his love for us.

-  Erin H.

Third Week of Lent: Friday

It’s funny how one can think of him/herself as so in touch with and understanding of their faith…that is…until Lent comes around. If you ask me, it’s that time of year where things can get a little confusing. What is lent about? Is it the giving-up? Is it the giving-of? Is it the praying more? Is it the penance? Do we celebrate? Are we somber? Perhaps a little bit of everything?

Upon much reflection, I’ve come to the conclusion that perhaps a centered purpose of lent is simply to continue to embrace the mystery that is God. St. Augustine says it best, “If you can understand it, it isn’t God.” One of these years, I hope to overcome the confusion that arises as Lent comes around, but until then I find that, in the Lenten season, we are called to simply embrace the mysteries of God. Maybe to just let God’s nudges take us in whatever direction they may this lent.

Sure, the picture of the otter above may be comical, but don’t let its cuteness overtake you J I display this picture because I see it as the otter praying, but I couldn’t have the first clue of what he’s thinking/praying about. I guess that’s the point, right? Yet another mystery. All I can ask is that this lent can bring me each day to the place that this otter seems to be taken to; all we can ask is that we are brought to deepening of faith, expanded appreciation, and a strengthened love of all that surrounds us.

-  Tim P. ‘14

Third Week of Lent: Thursday

We have always been told that lent is a time for reflection, but do we really take the time out of our day to reflect on what God has given us? I know it isn’t always easy to take time out our busy college schedule to reflect on our life. But this season of Lent I have spent more time reflecting on what I have been given and seeing God in my life.  And I can honestly say I have seen an improvement in my life and relationship with God.  So I challenge you all to take 5 minutes out of your day and sit in silence and reflect, or to spend those 5 minutes to write down things you are thankful for or where you saw God today. Those 5 minutes daily will truly help us live out the spirit of Lent.

Tim W.   Class 2013

Third Week of Lent: Wednesday

 

The Annunciation by Henry Tanner

Meditation, the word brings to mind someone in white linen clothes sitting with their legs folded saying, “Ommmmm.” However, meditation takes many forms. Some people meditate in silence, while others prefer to have calming music in the background. You can meditate over a bible passage, a concept, favorite quote, or even you daily events. The method and content of your meditation is left to your discretion. This is prayer your way. It is customizable and helps you to focus on the parts of your relationship with God, which are most important to you at a given moment.

A peace and tranquility come with meditation. It is a way to not just speak with God, but to be with Him. It enables you to place yourself in His presence entirely. Remove all other distractions of life and focus solely on the love, grace and joy that God offers us every day. This Lenten Season find a quite time when you are alone in your dorm room and meditate or try the Examen an Ignatian form of meditation. Some quite time to reflect on how God influences your life can help put your stresses at ease. Knowing that we are connected with someone who loves us so much, can bring the calm we all need during our busy school days.

Thanks,  Mary R.  Class of 2013

Third Week of Lent: Tuesday

IMAGINE you were the last person left on planet Earth. This would be quite a sad existence. Yeah, no one would be around to bother you or threaten your survival, but the truth is, we NEED each other. We are all in this together.

Before spring break I was fortunate to catch Fr. Rick’s showing of The Human Experience (if you have not yet seen it, please look out for the next showing! You won’t regret it.) This is a remarkable documentary about some young guys seeking wisdom and meaning of life. I often ask myself and my roommate after a long day of school, “Kev, at the end of the day, what is life all about?” After I saw the documentary, I learned it is all about each other.

My favorite part of the documentary was when the young men visit the leper colonies of Ghana, Africa. Even though the lepers are suffering greatly from the disease, they are no more different than you and I. “They have more differences than similarities to us, but we do share one thing, and that is humanity.”

We have a great community here at Scranton. Let us today thank God for the companionship, and the human experience we share. And as we go through our Lenten transformation and approach the victorious Easter celebration, let us walk side by side, hand in hand, as human sisters and brothers.

- Ciro S. ‘14

Third Week of Lent: Monday





Two years ago I participated in the 5-day silent retreat at Chapman Lake. As I used the Examination of Consciousness to reflect on my relationship with God, I became deeply aware of my transgressions against Him and others. Laden with feelings of guilt for these innumerable sins, I felt helpless. I felt ashamed. I felt the need to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation immediately and to sin no more. At that point, in my mind, God was a tyrant who ruled with an iron fist.  He demanded perfection from everyone, and that included me. 

But during breakfast one morning, I experienced a moment of grace. I started to understand God’s unconditional love for me. For the first time in my life, I believed that God appreciated me for who I was (sinfulness and all!). And in His great mercy, God forgave me for my transgressions. In that instance, I realized that God doesn’t want me to be perfect as He is perfect. That is impossible. Rather, God wants me to become the best version of my human self.

Having a better grasp of my relationship with God, I started to reflect on my response to His love and mercy. I asked myself a lot of questions. How often do I make time for God amidst my classes, work, family, friends etc? Do I pray? Do I meditate? Do I read the Bible regularly? Do I speak to God? Do I listen to God? Am I cognizant of the ways in which He manifests himself in my life?

The honest truth is that I wasn’t spending enough time with God in prayer. I wasn’t carving out a block in the day to reflect on the different ways in which God involves Himself in my life. I wasn’t reading the Bible, and I certainly wasn’t meditating. Because of this, I didn’t understand that God always forgives me as long as I am genuinely contrite. I allowed my flawed human nature get in the way of my relationship with God. One of my goals this Lenten season is to become more mindful of God’s presence in my Life.  In doing so, I know that my relationship with Him will blossom.

Joseph S., ‘11

First Week of Lent: Friday

Hey guys,  It is my turn for a reflection on the season of lent. I know you guys are off to your various spring break trips, safe travels to you all, but I want to remember to keep this season in mind as well.

The main activities for those who observe lent are prayer, repentance, almsgiving, and self-denial. Prayer, repentance, and almsgiving are common for Catholics to do. Self-denial seems to be something that we can do but we only think of doing it but once a year. While we only do this but once a year people often complain about what they have given up for lent. These complaints defeat the purpose of self-denial and it makes us seem as though we are spoiled.

I challenge you to not complain about what you gave up for as many days as you can. Instead of wasting your energy complaining about what you gave meditate and reflect on who you are as a catholic or reflect on the fact of what if you didn’t have what you gave up in the first place. I also have one more challenge for you. I want you to use one of your talents for others and as a meditation for yourself. My favorite things to do are photography and singing. I will use my photography for others for this lent to make people happy. My singing will help me reflect because choir sings spiritual songs and on other occasions Jesus Christ Superstar music because it is the story of Christ’s suffering. Thinks of ways you can do this as well.

Have a good break.

Shawn K.  ‘14

First Week of Lent: Thursday

Lent is one of my favorite times of year. I love Lent because it is so personal. For me, Lent is about picking up, looking in “the mirror of my life” and figuring out how and what I can do to improve.

I find in Lent particularly, there are so many opportunities for grace. It is a time to realize that there is Love absolutely unimaginable yet completely real that sacrificed His only Son for me. It was personal; Jesus died for me. He loves me… even with all of my many imperfections. Sometimes it is hard to remember this, especially when we are taking extra care to recognize our faults and correct them. The challenge comes in accepting that we are imperfect, but still loved.

So like the Gospel for today says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” This Lent let us take the time to ask, knock, and seek because God is waiting to answer.

-  Alyssa T.