My best friend gave me a book at the start of this year entitled, Medjugorje Day by Day to help with my non-existent devotional life for Our Lady. I know this may seem weird, but somewhere in my 4 years of college, I came up with a theory that Mary, the very bearer of God, or theotokos, was overrated. Is she important? Yes - extremely! Did I think she was just a little overrated? Maybe? Whoops...!
It was an interesting dilemma, but one that I spent little time thinking about until I returned home from a road trip this past summer with my best friend. After we argued about the necessity of Mary in our prayer lives, it dawned on me that maybe there was something more that I was missing. My question was simple, why would I entrust my problems and prayers to her instead of going straight to God?
Consider this passage from Medjugorje Day by Day:
"A trusting relationship with God and Our Lady does not always come easy to our human nature; we tend to seek self-sufficiency and self-reliance, proud that we carry our own weight. And yet trust and dependence on God actually liberates our spirits and frees us from much fear, anxiety, and doubt. Perhaps our greatest human need is to be taken care of, loved, made safe. And this is exactly what Christ and his Mother offer us.
What proceeds from this trust and confidence is the very strength, courage and peace that our hearts so desire. St. Paul writes, "Therefore I am content with weakness... for the sake of Christ; for when I am powerless, it is then that I am strong" (2 Cor 12:10)."
Where I saw Mary as an 'either her or God' type of relationship, it has become clearer that the relationship is one of 'both always.' Knowing God more fully means we need to better understand Christ's humanity; something that cannot be understood without an appreciation of Mary.
Tomorrow we will celebrate as a Church and as a University community the Solemnity of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Celebrating this special day is very fitting for a college student getting ready for exams or for anyone who is finding this season a little more hectic than usual. We are reminded that we too can and should be bearers of Christ in this holiday season. It is up to us to trust in God through the most necessary intercession of Mary, most immaculate.
Think about it and hopefully I will see you at Mass tomorrow... 4:00p.m. in Whalley Chapel!
Meeting the students of the University of Pittsburgh Johnstown where they're at... one post at a time.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Advent 2010
Dear Pitt-Johnstown Student,
As I'm sure you already know, Advent is a very special time in our liturgical (and in many ways, our academic) year. This is especially true on a college campus, because we won't have the chance to celebrate most of the Christmas season together. In order to make our last few Masses of 2010 special and really give them the attention and energy that they deserve, we are pulling out all the stops!
Consider joining us at our additional choir practices at 10:15a.m. in Whalley Chapel on Friday, December 3, 2010 (for the 2nd Sunday of Advent) and Friday, December 10, 2010 (for the 3rd Sunday of Advent). We will be singing some of the finest songs that this season has to offer! Whether or not you have sung with the choir before, you are always welcome to come and see what we are trying to build for our campus community.
If singing isn't your style, why not commit to simply coming to both Masses on-campus? This may seem like a lot, but consider what's being offered: an hour to quiet yourself in the busyness of a somewhat hectic exam and holiday time. The reality is, that between final papers, cranky roommates and the stress of not having any more meal points, there is a desire to be by yourself. Mass is a great opportunity to share in the stillness that can and should be observed before the upcoming Christmas season!
For a lot of people, myself included, I know that the idea of Mass sounds nice, but there is always a question of both worthiness and pride. I wonder if my sins have kept me from attending Mass as often as I should. I also wonder if I even need Mass. Both predicaments are not easily remedied. How do I fit into the woven fabric of the very worthy and selfless act of Mass? How do you? The reality is that Mass, much like the Catholic Church, is “a place of sinners, for sinners.” There is no perfection that we can bring, only perfection that we can seek to attain, in the very reality that God is with us; He is Emmanuel. That, in itself, should act as consolation and an invitation.
So, I challenge you, as I challenge myself, to spend some extra time seeking what the Lord is offering (especially in the sacraments) and embrace His invitation to the Eucharistic banquet. That’s it… nothing more, nothing less. I can guarantee, at the very least, that you won't be disappointed!
Finally, if all of these appeals don't strike your intellect or will, consider these two simple ideas: (1) your parents might be extra impressed by the extra effort you give to this Advent season. If there are two things we know for sure, it is that Christmas follows Advent and presents are often bigger if we behave better! (2) You are always welcome to join us, but even if you don't, your prayers, concerns and well-being will always be a part of my daily prayer.
I hope you have a wonderful few weeks of Advent and that this last week of classes is everything you need it to be! If you ever need anything more than a blog post, stop by Campus Ministry in the Chapel; consider yourself always invited.
Promised prayers,
Jonathan
Your Catholic Campus Minister
Check us out: Catholic Campus Ministry @ Pitt-Johnstown
Consider joining us at our additional choir practices at 10:15a.m. in Whalley Chapel on Friday, December 3, 2010 (for the 2nd Sunday of Advent) and Friday, December 10, 2010 (for the 3rd Sunday of Advent). We will be singing some of the finest songs that this season has to offer! Whether or not you have sung with the choir before, you are always welcome to come and see what we are trying to build for our campus community.
If singing isn't your style, why not commit to simply coming to both Masses on-campus? This may seem like a lot, but consider what's being offered: an hour to quiet yourself in the busyness of a somewhat hectic exam and holiday time. The reality is, that between final papers, cranky roommates and the stress of not having any more meal points, there is a desire to be by yourself. Mass is a great opportunity to share in the stillness that can and should be observed before the upcoming Christmas season!
For a lot of people, myself included, I know that the idea of Mass sounds nice, but there is always a question of both worthiness and pride. I wonder if my sins have kept me from attending Mass as often as I should. I also wonder if I even need Mass. Both predicaments are not easily remedied. How do I fit into the woven fabric of the very worthy and selfless act of Mass? How do you? The reality is that Mass, much like the Catholic Church, is “a place of sinners, for sinners.” There is no perfection that we can bring, only perfection that we can seek to attain, in the very reality that God is with us; He is Emmanuel. That, in itself, should act as consolation and an invitation.
So, I challenge you, as I challenge myself, to spend some extra time seeking what the Lord is offering (especially in the sacraments) and embrace His invitation to the Eucharistic banquet. That’s it… nothing more, nothing less. I can guarantee, at the very least, that you won't be disappointed!
Finally, if all of these appeals don't strike your intellect or will, consider these two simple ideas: (1) your parents might be extra impressed by the extra effort you give to this Advent season. If there are two things we know for sure, it is that Christmas follows Advent and presents are often bigger if we behave better! (2) You are always welcome to join us, but even if you don't, your prayers, concerns and well-being will always be a part of my daily prayer.
I hope you have a wonderful few weeks of Advent and that this last week of classes is everything you need it to be! If you ever need anything more than a blog post, stop by Campus Ministry in the Chapel; consider yourself always invited.
Promised prayers,
Jonathan
Your Catholic Campus Minister
Check us out: Catholic Campus Ministry @ Pitt-Johnstown
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