One of my best friends, Andrew, and I during Thanksgiving break!
Ash Wednesday Reflection
In the chapel on campus on Wednesday, the priest said that there are five senses we must have to live in Christ - sentir, pensar, obrar, perdonar, y amar - we must feel, we must think, we must work, we must forgive, and we must love. These five actions are the sum of how we should try to live - of course, for Christ, but moreover for each other.
In Lent, I think this idea of five senses for Christ is a simple yet powerful reminder for us as we move towards Easter.
What do I feel? Better yet, how do I feel towards others, and why? What am I thinking? Am I too rooted in my ways to think as others do? What work do I do? Is it fruitful? If not, how do I change that? Who have I forgiven? Who do I need to forgive? Who has forgiven me?
And finally, who do I love? In what ways can I better express that love? Who do I need to love more? Who loves me?
With these five simple senses (feel, think, work, forgive, and love), we can grow. And maybe help others to do the same!
Madrid!
I am also studying abroad this semester, but in Madrid. I arrived earlier this week and after a wonderful tour of the city by campus ambassadors, my friends and I found a beautiful cathedral from the 16th century. A link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Jerónimo_el_Real
So awesome, right? Can you imagine the thousands- millions?- of Catholics throughout the centuries who have celebrated the Eucharist here? And we are united with them all around the table even today.
This church reminded me how the faith is both ancient and alive here in Spain- and around the world. I am as surrounded by the love of the community and the grace of God here in Madrid as I am in the United States, and I’m so grateful for that.
SLU Madrid offers Mass on Sunday evenings in English, but I am also looking forward to celebrating the global faith with Spaniards during my stay. And I’m looking forward to sharing my experiences here!
-Trish
I’ve arrived in Quito, Ecuador, for my semester abroad. And when my host mom and I went on walk through the historic part of town, we stopped at the Jesuit church (pictured here). It’s funny how the Jesuit story keeps running through my life in so many different ways!
CLC Tomorrow!
I’m leading my CLC tomorrow and I can’t wait! I’ll be guiding my small group in reflection over a Gospel passage. I’m taking it from the daily readings, because it fits so well with the time of Advent. Here’s the passage:
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”
This fits so well with Advent preparation. I think this is a great way to reflect on how you are really praying, truly living, and ultimately being with God and for God.
Spirit of Community
60 Saint Louis University freshmen sat silently in darkness in a dining hall in Babler State Park this weekend. Then, through the darkness, one voice filled in the phrase, “Being poor is…” with an expression of his or her own poverty. 59 other voices followed, and community began because the freshmen were vulnerable enough to share their own weakness.
A lot of the retreat focused on vulnerability to break down barriers between the freshmen. I sat in darkness with my sophomore Micah friends as the freshmen shared, and I was reminded again of the beauty and necessity of showing your TRUE self to form authentic and lasting community.
But along with all of this seriousness, we built the spirit of community by having some crazy fun! Friday night, at least twenty of us climbed up to the roof of a barn and watched the stars as it turned 11:11 on 11/11/11 and made a wish. Also, among many other hilarious things, I may or may not have participated in a marshmallow dodge ball game…
Finally, here’s a bit of nature- the perfect place to build the spirit of community!
We have all known a long loneliness, and we have found that the answer is love and that love comes with community.
“
| — | Dorothy Day, cofounder of the Catholic Worker Movement |
Micah Retreat- A weekend to remember
I just returned from the Micah Community Freshman Retreat! It was an awe-inspiring weekend focused on building an intentional community with Micah freshman. Since I might be getting ahead of myself, here’s some background-
The Micah Program is unique to Saint Louis University out of the entire nation. It is a freshman community in which students live together, serve together, study together, and pray together. Sophomores and upperclassmen often stay connected to the program throughout their college career, forming the kind of relationships rooted in common values that can last far beyond college.
I’d like to share how I experience these four aspects of the Micah community at SLU everyday throughout the next week. Get ready for some storiesss!
Trish
