:Caught Up In Faith

+Vacations are coming to an end. We are looking forward to seeing everyone next week. The Newman center is open so if you are back early fell free to drop by. The regular Mass schedule  begins this Sunday Aug. 31st. Tuesday night Mass and dinner begins Sept. 2nd. The website gives a complete list of all the other things going on. September is a packed month, and I hope you will try some of the things we offer. God is lord of time, if you make time for Him you might be surprised at how much you find you have.

It is getting close to the start of the school year. I’ll take a vacation next week and then it will be time to start. Hopefully you will have had a chance to reflect on spiritual as well as academic goals for the upcoming year. If there is soemthing that might help you achieve those goals let us know. We are looking forward to seeing everyone again and meeting new people and keeping this place filled with life, for our God is a living God and to follow God is the only way to truly live.

The child Jesus is found in the temple. Did you not know I would be in my Father’s house? Where to we look for God? Do we only seek Him in the unusual or extraordinary? We must remember to look where God has already said He would be. After this episode we know little about Jesus until His public life. Most of Christ’s time is spent in an ordinary life, yet it is still a Holy life. Ours can be too.

The presentation presents us with the old and the new. Mary and Joseph are coming to fulfill the requirements of the Law, while Simeon and Anna prophesy of the future the child will bring. A catholics we always stand between the old and the new. We are called to be faithful to scripture and the apostolic tradition handed on to us and to recognise we are a pilgrim people not yet done our journey. A journey that leads us deeper in the new creation Jesus opens for us. How faithful am I to the Tradition handed on to me? How open am I to God’s plan for my future?

There are multiple images to look at here; the Magi, the star, Jesus in the manger, the shepherds, the angel choir, Mary and Joseph, having no place at the inn, and more. Meditating on this scene can be just picturing the whole scene. During the decade comtemplate the manger scene and those giving adoration to the baby who is God, and ask how can I adore Him?

I received some feedback on the first mystery, another starting point for the meditation is the incarnation, always appropriate with the rosary is to see how Mary leads to Jesus. The visitation can focus us on being there for others. The news of Elizabeth was given to Mary to assure her of God’s power to give life, but for Mary it also becomes a call to see to the needs of another. God’s gifts when fully received lead to greater love of God and our brothers and sisters.

Mary response “Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be to me according to your word” is the climax of this mystery.She says yes and surrenders to God’s will. Usually surrender is a word that is an end, but here it is the beginning. The surrender that opens up a whole new way of being. We read of Mary’s surrender, but what of ours? What is our surrender, availability, or openness to God?

As I was praying the rosary today I recalled when I was a seminarian working part time in the development of the Basilica of the National Shrine on the Immaculate Conception( we always just said the Shrine). One project I gave input to was picking Bible passages for a scriptural rosary booklet. Knowing that some people like to use those types of booklets and with the new luminous mysteries not in all booklets I was thinking maybe we could do our own. For each mystery have a scripture reading and a short reflection. I was going to start posting thoughts here if you have any reflections yourself please feel free to reply. We’ll begin with the joyful mysteries. The readings would be

1. Annunciation Luke 1:26-38

2. Visitation Luke 1:39-56

3. Birth of Jesus part of Luke 2:1-20 or Matt 2: 1-12

4. Presentation Luke 2:22-38

5. Finding in the temple Luke 2:41-51

In the coming days I will work on a reflection for each one and post them individually. If any thoughts come to you in prayer that you would like to add please write or visit.

We have wrapped up our CI. We met many new people, who we hope will be with us in the fall. We will offer our variety of ministries and hope students new and returning will assist us in turn, but there is more to it than that. At the Newman center we want to always remember that we are Catholic, which will mean seeing all we do in light of our relationship to God and how that relates us to each other. Even when it is not explicitly stated it should be somewhere in our soul, that all we do is a chance to show we are Christ’s disciples by how we love one another. (John 13:35)

Our neighbor Lucille passed away monday. Some students know her and used to visit her with Alecia. She is going to be buried in Michigan, but had asked for a service at the Newman Center. On Sunday July 13 at 3pm we will do a wake at the newman center followed by a chance for people to share memories of Lucille. If anyone who is out of town would like to have something read you can email me.