Posted by admin on September 29, 2009 under 2. Fat Tuesday | 
This Sunday’s readings from Genesis and the Gospel according to Mark pose a particular challenge, since they are often seen for what they negate rather than what they promote. Often this gospel passage is referred to Jesus “prohibiting divorce,” and that is in part due to the tricky nature of the question that is posed to Jesus: “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife.” The divorce question was a hot topic—John the Baptist lost his head over it, literally. Rather than miring himself in the terms of the first century debate on the parameters of divorce, Jesus returns his inquisitors (and listening bystanders) to the key insight into human nature that the Book of Genesis reveals in the second creation story: it is not good to be alone. Jesus takes a polemical question meant to “go negative” and turns it to a positive insight into the human condition. Where the discourse on divorce is inherently sexist (look who it is that is filing for divorce in the question), Jesus redirects the discussion to one of mutuality and complementarity. The challenge for the preacher is to do the same: to redirect listeners away from hearing the teaching of Jesus as narrow and prohibitive and towards the ideal for human relationships upheld in Christian marriage.
On the one hand, we deal mainly with people in their late teens and early twenties, where the ideal of a lifelong partnership that is mutually fulfilling is good news indeed. Our students know quite personally the truth of the divine statement, “it is not good to be alone,” and many will hear the words of Jesus with a great deal of hope. At the same time, we know that students have had experience with divorce—parents and siblings for some, their own for nontraditional or graduate students. How do we speak about marriage in such a way that the ideal is preserved and upheld, while avoiding any hint of criticism or judgment for those who, often through no fault of their own, have experienced a failure in marriage?
As with many of our colleagues, we have seen quite a bit of interest in John Paul’s “Theology of the Body” among our students. Two years ago, we invited Christopher West to our center, where he presented a workshop to about ninety college students. His website is well worth checking out! Another great resource comes from the USCCB, For Your Marriage, which has worthwhile information not only for couples in marriage and preparing for marriage, but for younger Catholics who will be thinking about this vocation in the near future.
Fr. Peter Walsh, CSC is assistant chaplain at Saint Thomas More Catholic Chapel and Center at Yale University.
Posted by admin on September 27, 2009 under 1. Media Monday |
The Bishops and the environment - not such an obscure connection after all!
The Catholic Bishops have called leaders all across the globe to focus on the poorest among us at a UN Summit held September 22nd on Climate Change in New York. CIDSE (a Catholic international alliance of Catholic development agencies), the Catholic organization Caritas International, a delegation of Catholic bishops and climate experts brought a message of urgency and “moral responsibility” for climate action to world leaders and asking them to “focus on the poorest people.” The delegation was lead by Cardinal Keith O’Brien, Archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, and included bishops from Europe, Africa, and Latin America. Their statement also looks ahead to the December negotiations in Copenhagen. They said, “Copenhagen must achieve an equitable and binding outcome that reflects the urgency of the climate crisis and ensures effective midterm as well as long term actions.”
On campuses all across this country, student environmentalists and all people of faith are struggling with a response to the growing environmental challenges we face. Here is a sign of hope and a great resource for us!
Read the delegation’s statement here (http://www.caritas.org/includes/pdf/climatejusticestatement09.pdf).
This is a great way to follow up on the Catholic Climate Covenant and their “Who is Under Your Footprint” campaign (or a way to learn more if you don’t know about this)! Check out http://catholicclimatecovenant.org/resources/ for more info.
Katie Byrnes is an Assistant Chaplain at Saint Thomas More Catholic Chapel & Center at Yale University.
Posted by admin on September 25, 2009 under 5. TGIF! |
Greetings and TGIF!
Here’s a sampling of what’s going on in campus ministry. Have a great weekend!
The Calling
The recently released documentary The Calling explores the nature of belief, the bonds of family, and being brave enough to ask the question: Who am I? ACCU President Dr. Richard Yanikoski declares, “This is a powerful, thought provoking film.” And the NRVC in HORIZON proclaims, “The Calling is rich in teachings.” A study-guide written by leading Catholic clergy/scholars offers Campus and Vocation ministries essays that delve deeper into the film’s themes. For more information about the film, please visit www.thecallingdocumentary.com.
Special Journeys for Spiritual Seekers in their 20s and 30s
Wouldn’t be caught dead on a religious pilgrimage? Neither would most readers of BustedHalo.com, an innovative website run by the Paulist fathers addressing concerns and topics of interest of spiritual seekers in their 20s and 30s. This spring, Paulist Frs. Larry Rice and Frank Sabatte will lead two special journeys for young adults — an “Adventure Travel” excursion to northern Spain and Portugal walking the last 100 kilometers (about 65 miles) of the Camino and an “Arts and Culture” trip to Paris. Both groups will gather for a joint assembly in Lourdes to share experiences the last two days of the journeys. For further information, please contact John Mattras by phone at 646.861.3634 or john@franciscanspirittours.com.
Book Review Program
CCMA receives many books and publications available for your review! We will mail you your choice of book in exchange for your book review to be published in an issue of Crossroads. Email Michelle Gundrum at Gundrum@ccmanet.org or call 888.714.6631, ext. 17, for more information and for a listing of available publications. Read a book today!
Posted by admin on September 24, 2009 under 4. Thursday's Spiritual Smoothie |
Each of us has a sacred space on our campus, whether that be a reading nook in the library, a special table in the cafeteria, or a spot of grass under a favorite tree. As my mind is currently turned towards the dedication of the Chapel of the Holy Spirit at Sacred Heart University this weekend, I offer here the Prayer of Dedication that is used as the Church consecrates and dedicates houses of prayer.
Perhaps today we can meditate on how the sacred spaces in our lives, and particularly the places where we gather to celebrate the Eucharist, call us to continued reflection on how and where God is present in and for us.
Father in heaven,
source of holiness and true purpose,
it is right that we praise and glorify your name.
For today we come before you,
to dedicate to your lasting service
this house of prayer, this temple of worship,
this home in which we are nourished by your Word and your Sacraments.
Here is reflected the mystery of the Church.
The Church is fruitful,
made holy by the Blood of Christ:
a bride made radiant with his glory,
a virgin splendid in the wholeness of her faith,
a mother blessed through the power of the Spirit.
The Church is holy,
your chosen vineyard:
its branches envelop the world,
its tendrils, carried on the tree of the Cross,
reach up to the Kingdom of Heaven.
The Church is favored,
the dwelling place of God on earth:
a temple built of living stones,
founded on the Apostles
with Jesus Christ its cornerstone.
The Church is exalted,
a city set on a mountain:
a beacon to the whole world,
bright with the glory of the Lamb,
and echoing the prayers of her saints.
Lord, send your Spirit from heaven
to make this church an ever-holy place,
and this altar a ready table for the sacrifice of Christ.
Here may the waters of Baptism
overwhelm the shame of sin;
here may your people die to sin
and live again through grace as your children.
Here may your children
gathered around your altar,
celebrate the memorial of the Paschal Lamb,
and be fed at the table
of Christ’s Word and Christ’s Body.
Here may prayer, the Church’s banquet,
resound through heaven and earth
as a plea for the world’s salvation.
Here may the poor find justice,
the victims of oppression, true freedom.
From here may the whole world,
clothed in the dignity of the children of God,
enter with gladness your city of peace.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Sarah Heiman is Campus Minister for Education and Spiritual Life at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT.
Posted by admin on September 23, 2009 under 3. Program Swap! Wednesday |
Welcome to Wednesday Program Swap!
Here is a great program submitted by Fr. Francis form the Abbey of the Genesee
INTRODUCTION TO CENTERING PRAYER
Fundamentally, prayer is communion with God (see Luke 6:12). In order to facilitate such communion with God, it is very helpful to acquire the act of listening to God, as He communicates with us. In a noise-filled, fast paced world, that is not an easy art to learn and practice. I encourage you to be open to God’s invitations to you to allow Him in to the very core of your being. Spend time each day, prime time, in listening to God and really believe in its importance even when you seem to be hearing nothing. In the Gospels, Jesus often encourages us to persevere (see Luke 11:5-13 and 18:1-8).
Centering Prayer has been developed in order to help us in our efforts to respond to God’s invitation to live in communion with Him. The guidelines are meant to be simple. They are:
-Try to find a quiet place. Before beginning, stir up your awareness that these few moments are important—important enough to put other preoccupations out of your mind.
-Take a reasonable, comfortable position. The back should be straight but not rigid. The eyes usually are kept closed but some find it helpful to fix them on some suitable object such as a crucifix. A few deep breaths may help you to remain awake and alert.
-Begin by making an act of faith—keep it simple! Prayer to the Holy Spirit will open you to the great Teacher of Prayer.
-Choose a “prayer word” and repeat it peacefully—just breathe it out. A short phrase is allowable. Examples are: “Jesus, love, I am with you” or “Jesus is Lord” or “Jesus, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner.” The idea is not to analyze the word(s) but to simply breathe it (them) out while keeping your attention focused upon the presence of God in the center of your being (hence the name “Centering Prayer.”) If during the prayer you are drawn into even greater silence, follow God’s attraction.
-If you find your thoughts wandering during prayer, simply and gently return to your prayer word(s). Don’t argue with the distraction or be hard on yourself. Gently return to your word(s).
-To bring the prayer to a conclusion, repeat slowly a favorite prayer, e.g., the Lord’s prayer or the Hail Mary.
Practice this for about twenty minutes once or twice a day. Be open to wherever God leads you. “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Ps. 34:8)
Posted by admin on September 22, 2009 under 2. Fat Tuesday |
The gospel reading this Sunday from Mark has three themes that seem to have little to do with one another: the discovery of someone who is not a disciple who is using the name of Jesus to cast out demons; the warning about scandalizing “these little ones” (with the Tony Soprano image of the millstone fastened about the neck of the one who brings scandal before “sleeps with the fishes”); the admonition to avoid temptation to sin by cutting off the offending member. Exorcism, gangland-style execution or severed body parts! What great images we have, sure to capture the attention of a college student!
I suspect a choice must be made and the first reading from Numbers pulls our attention to the first theme and its implicit warning against caging the Holy Spirit. In Numbers, Moses is burdened by the demands of the people, so God tells him to choose seventy elders to share his ministry and gather them inside the tent. God takes some of the spirit that has been on Moses and disperses it, causing the seventy to prophesy. Two men who were on Moses’ list but never made it into the tent also prophesied, as the spirit came upon them. When Joshua implores Moses to forbid Eldad and Medad, Moses speaks the wonderful line: “Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets! Would that the LORD might bestow his spirit on them all!”
Both Joshua’s reaction to the Spirit coming upon Eldad and Medad and the disciples’ encounter with an unknown exorcist who uses the name of Jesus to heal, warn us not to be possessive of the gifts of God. I once heard a helpful adage concerning this: while we can know where the Church is, we can not know where it is not. In other words, part of being in the Catholic Church is the recognition that the Body of Christ is visible in the world. We all know the diocese where we live and work. But we also believe that the Holy Spirit is able to inspire and free to move those we don’t necessarily pray with on Sunday. What has distinguished Catholic culture from some other manifestations of Christianity has been its openness to accept, as cups of cold water on a dry day, contributions from those “outside” the tent–philosophy, music, festivals, popular culture.
At a time of increasing polarization in our Church in the United States—a divide that we can see in our own student communities—the gospel for this Sunday encourages us to listen to the voices of those who are not inside our tent and to hear the gospel values they often preach to us. We might challenge students (and ourselves) to cross the ideological divide—to read First Things or Commonweal—and to listen for the familiar voice of the Spirit in an unfamiliar place.
Fr. Peter Walsh, CSC is assistant chaplain at Saint Thomas More Catholic Chapel and Center at Yale University.
Posted by admin on September 21, 2009 under 1. Media Monday |
Pastoral counseling with our students leads us down many roads. I have recently had the opportunity to work with several students who became pregnant during their college years. The resources available to students in our area are somewhat limited but we are members of a great organization called The Nurturing Network - www.nurturingnetwork.org. The network is an international charitable organization that responds to the immediate and comprehensive needs of a woman facing the crisis of an unplanned pregnancy. During the last 20 years they have helped over 19,000 women. Assistance is provided without charge and is available without regard to a person’s race, creed or economic circumstances.
A related resource for healing after an abortion is Rachel’s Vineyard - www.rachelsvineyard.org. This group organizes weekends of healing after abortion offered throughout the year and around the country, Canada and New Zealand. A ministry of Priests for Life, the program is an opportunity to reflect on the abortion experience, identify the impact of this loss in the past and present, and helps to acknowledge any unresolved feelings that many individuals struggle with after abortion.
These are two great resources but I am sure there are tons more, please comment below!
Katie Byrnes is an Assistant Chaplain at Saint Thomas More Catholic Chapel & Center at Yale University.
Posted by admin on September 17, 2009 under 5. TGIF! |
Old Dominion University Plays Ball!
For the first time in 69 years, Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., has a football team, playing in the FSC Division I-AA league! Two years in the making, the Monarch’s first game was Saturday, September 5, playing Chowan at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. After some great passes, runs and touchdowns, the Monarchs finished at the top with a score of 36-21. September 12 Old Dominion went head to head with Virginia Union, also at the Georgia Dome, and came out winners again, with a score of 49-17. So far their record is 2-0.
To celebrate this historic resurrection of the football team at ODU, Catholic Campus Ministry hosted a pig roast for new students, old students, and alumni. Geri Jones, Campus Minister writes, “Our CCM center is only a 1/2 block from the stadium, so we were close to all the excitement and the action!” “Alumni contributed prizes in the form of gift cards that were given away during our festivities.”
Congratulations to the Old Dominion Monarchs. Keep your eye on this team; they are definitely letting everyone know that they are back and they are ready for some football!
Submitted by Geri Jones, Old Dominion University
Renewing the Campus: Sustainability and the Catholic University
Date: October 9-11, 2009
Location: University of Notre Dame October 9th-11th, 2009
Contact: http://green.nd.edu/conference
The University of Notre Dame invites students, clergy, faculty, and administrators to participate in a conference dedicated to advancing the engagement of Catholic universities with sustainability. This conference will bring together representatives from Catholic universities across the country as well as Catholic campus ministries concerned with strengthening the role of faith in environmental stewardship. Registration deadline is September 10. Students will be able to stay as guests in university residence halls free of charge. For more information and to register, please contact Rachel Novick at sustainability@nd.edu.
Save-the-Dates
Campus Ministry Leadership Institute
Date: June 5-11, 2010
Location: Saint Joseph’s University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Contact: www.sju.edu/CMLI
The Campus Ministry Leadership Institute (CMLI) is a six-day training and working institute for student leaders and campus ministers who attend together as campus teams. Now in its twelfth year, the institute is designed to produce dynamic leaders who work collaboratively to develop and implement successful Catholic campus ministry programs. CMLI participant teams will learn and practice valuable leadership skills, develop a project that is ready to implement at home, generate new ideas for your ministry, network with campus leaders from across the country and enhance understanding of Catholic campus ministry. Please visit the CMLI website at www.sju.edu/CMLI for information and to register.
Frank J. Lewis Institute
Date: June 6-11, 2010
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana
Contact: http://campusministry.nd.edu/national-conferences/fjl
University of Notre Dame is proud to announce that the Frank J. Lewis Institute for Campus Ministry Orientation will be held again this June. The program provides valuable experience for campus ministers with one to three years experience in the field. Participants will come from across the country to learn and be refreshed. Topics for the Institute include forming the faith community, appropriating the faith, forming the Christian conscience, educating for justice, developing leaders for the future and personal development. More details and information will be available by visiting http://campusministry.nd.edu/national-conferences/fjl.
CCMA Development Institute
Date: June 15-18, 2010
Location: Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio
CCMA is excited to announce Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, as the location for the 13th Annual Development Institute. The Institute offers the perfect opportunity to join colleagues from across the country to share ideas, examine current development trends and gain new insights into campus development and fundraising. Whether you are new to the development scene or a seasoned professional, long ranger or part of a small, medium or large ministry staff, this is one Institute you do not want to miss! More information about registration, keynote speakers and workshops offered will be available in the coming months. Make plans to learn more about fundraising at the Development Institute!
Posted by admin on under 4. Thursday's Spiritual Smoothie |
More than one of my friends has relayed to me just how unpleasant they find one aspect of the Holy Thursday liturgy: the foot-washing from the Gospel of John. For many, it is a dreaded ritual, particularly when a community celebrates it as an invitation to all present to come forward and participate. The “ick” factor here is, of course, that this has to do with (imagine some dramatic music here….) feet.
I mention this because today’s Gospel is of another foot-washing, this one found in Luke, of the woman at Bethany who washes Jesus’ feet with her tears, dries them with her hair, and anoints his feet with oil. And because of my friends, I no longer hear these stories of footwashing without remembering our conversations about the feelings of ickiness that these stories can invoke.
Reflecting on all of this today towards the end of a long week, I can’t help but think about how we, as campus ministers, are often called into the ickiness of our students’ lives. Whether it’s students who routinely overshare details about their lives and weekends that we might prefer to know nothing about, or our untangling of complicated situations, as ministers we are invited to share in the beautiful messiness of human lives.
Sometimes what we do has a certain ick factor to it. Our challenge, I think, is to see where there is goodness within the ickiness, or the beautiful messiness as I alternatively refer to it. As human beings we are wonderfully complicated creatures, and as ministers we get to see the good and the bad of human existence.
Perhaps today we can let Jesus remind us, just as he once reminded Simon, that there is a link between love and forgiveness. The more we can live in remembrance that we have been loved and forgiven with great extravagance by God, the more we can communicate that love and forgiveness to those with whom we live and serve. The feet and all those other icky things will still be there, but maybe the ick factor won’t be quite so noticeable.
Sarah Heiman is Campus Minister for Education and Spiritual Life at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT.
Posted by admin on September 15, 2009 under 2. Fat Tuesday |
For the second Sunday in a row, Jesus teaches his disciples about his Passion and they seem incapable of understanding its meaning. Last Sunday, Peter rebuked Jesus for even mentioning his impending death and spoiling his proclamation of Jesus as the Messiah. This week, Jesus is greeted by confused, stunned and fearful silence. Teachers everywhere can take solace in these two examples of the pedagogical challenge. Not only do the disciples react with sullen silence, but to further prove that they have entirely missed the point, they end up arguing over which of them is the greatest. Some fun could be had during the homily filling in the details of that conversation!
All of this reminds us that the disciples are fully human, prone to the misunderstandings and foibles that afflict each one of us. It further shows that the disciples, as normal human beings, still look at the world in terms of the prevailing values, rather than the good news that Jesus has come to announce. To use the language from last Sunday’s gospel, they are “thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” In offering his life for the salvation of others, Jesus becomes the model of servant leadership that he encourages among his followers.
Two points come to my mind looking at this gospel. On the one hand, by bringing the disciples down to a human level and looking at their own rather slow coming to understand what Jesus is trying to teach them, they become examples of our own process of conversion. For students struggling to understand some aspect of Church teaching or confronting new doubts, this gospel offers the good news that even those closest to Jesus were troubled by the same doubts and questions. Conversion to the gospel is not instantaneous; sometimes our failures to understand bring us closer to God. Not unrelated is the ethic of service that Jesus models. Spending a morning in the soup kitchen or tutoring a local elementary school student for a few hours often brings the right balance to a student’s spiritual life. Some doubts are only exacerbated by puzzling them out. Try ladling a bowl of soup and gaining a new perspective!
As I post this, I’m mindful that these readings bring a heavy does of Holy Week to our beginning of the semester. The tragic death of a graduate student here at Yale has brought the weight of the cross in a particular way to our students during these early September days. We who minister here appreciate the prayers you have offered on behalf of Annie Le, her family, fiancé, friends and the whole Yale community.
Fr. Peter Walsh, CSC is assistant chaplain at Saint Thomas More Catholic Chapel and Center at Yale University.
