None of us has been a stranger to change in these past two months. Professors have had to change the way they teach. Students have had to change the way they learn. Certainly, we in Campus Ministry have had to change the way we do ministry. Families have had to change how they connect with each other. Even our eating, shopping, cleaning, grooming, exercise and entertainment habits have dramatically changed. It’s enough for us all to scream, “Stop the ride already! I want off!” But, of course, there’s no “stopping the ride” - it’s life. And we know by now that we will never completely “go back to the way things used to be.” This pandemic will have effects that reach far beyond the immediate crisis in the areas of health care, personal and communal hygiene practices, economic policy, travel, globalization, education, evangelization, you name it! And so, given all this change, what - if anything - remains the same? Two verses from the New Testament spring to mind for me. The first is Hebrews 13:8 - “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” Amen! What a reassurance to know that in these tumultuous times Christ remains our constant. The second verse that comes to mind is 1 Corinthians 13:13 - “So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” This present crisis has already proved this true time and again, as we see many heroic examples of love and people reaching out in whatever way they can to family, church, community and those in need on a scale that we would have cynically thought fantastical at the outset of this year. And this isn’t all that remains. Human beings remain the same, in their divine bearing and fundamental goodness. The needs of our world, too, remain largely the same, even if in scale they seem amplified. The mission of the university, therefore, also remains the same: to enable its students “to develop intellectually, spiritually, ethically, socially, artistically and physically to enrich their own lives and the lives of others.” As I revisit these words, I think especially of our soon-to-be graduates. While, unfortunately, they will have to forego (or at least postpone) the traditions and celebrations we associate with commencement, and while they enter a very different world than the one they knew at the beginning of their time here, their mission remains and the world needs them now more than ever. As we continue to adapt to the changes happening all around us and look to the future, my hope is that we can cling to Christ and to faith, hope, love all the more! Blessings and best wishes to the Class of 2020! The world needs you and I know that you will make us proud. --Fr. Thom
Fr. Thom and Megan Grady host a podcast where they discuss pop culture as well as topics regarding faith.
Have a question about a program or event going on in Campus Ministry? Got an idea for something you'd like to see happen? EMAIL US at ministry@sau.edu.
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Words I'm Sick of and Words I Hope I'll be Saying Forever
There are certain words and phrases that we have all heard ad nauseam in recent weeks, in meetings, classes and conversations, or that we find ourselves repeating daily. It is yet another form of tedium added to that of working mostly in front of a screen, endless virtual meetings, and deciding what to watch next on our favorite streaming service in order to “escape” for just a little while. (And, no, I haven’t succumbed to “Tiger King” yet, but if I do, I’ll let you know as it probably means an apocalyptic seal has burst somewhere.) I think I am most tired of hearing and using the word “unprecedented” in reference to the times in which we find ourselves. Yes, of course, I know that the times in which we are living and the situation facing our world is like nothing before, which is to say...ugh…“unprecedented.” But if you think of it, every time is unprecedented! There is no time exactly like another; they each come with their own particular challenges and blessings. I am fond, however, of the saying, “History never repeats itself, but sometimes it rhymes!” And there is certainly wisdom to be gained by looking back at where we have been, both to avoid the mistakes of the past and to give us hope for the future. I’ve also grown tired of saying things like, “This is tough,” or “It’s just so strange.” Yes, it is. I know it, you know it, but pointing it out over and over again doesn’t seem to help. I do believe that by God’s grace and our cooperation we will get through this. And maybe we all need to focus on that right now and on doing our part through “social distancing” (another phrase I don’t care if I ever use again after all of this), looking out for each other, and putting appropriate pressure on those who have the power to help us “flatten the curve” (and the hits just keep on coming). But there are some things I find myself saying more in these days that I have not grown tired of yet. Like many of you, I have been in more frequent communication with family lately, and I notice myself saying “I love you” more. While I have almost always “signed off” in this way with my family, I notice that I say it with more meaning now. I hope I never get tired of that. Every morning as part of my particular prayer routine, I begin my day by making the sign of the cross over my lips and saying, “Lord, open my lips and my mouth will proclaim your praise.” This phrase comes from Psalm 51 and is part of the “Liturgy of the Hours,” the daily cycle of psalms, readings and other prayers that I have promised to pray as a priest. I hope that I will always say this and that, indeed, I would give praise to God now and for eternity. Perhaps we can all be thinking about the words we use and how we use them in this (there it is again) unprecedented time.
Be well and God bless! --Fr. Thom
Fr. Thom and Megan Grady host a podcast where they discuss pop culture as well as topics regarding faith.
Give Us This Day:Give Us This Day has made available at no charge a digital file of their periodical, which includes daily Mass texts. Visit GUTD.net and select "Digital" in the upper right of the screen.
The Diocese of Davenport: The Diocese has been posting updates about how COVID-19 has affected the Diocese as well as spiritual care resources.
Be Not Afraid Conference: Sign up for daily inspiration and hope-filled emails from Catholic speakers.
The USCCB: The USCCB has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and suggested several online resources, live-streamed Masses, and prayers, especially seeking the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Have a question about a program or event going on in Campus Ministry? Got an idea for something you'd like to see happen? EMAIL US at ministry@sau.edu.
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I had mentioned in my homily last Sunday that this certainly did not feel like the most “Eastery of Easters” we have ever celebrated. Then again, with that odd mixture of both fear and hope that we are all experiencing right now, perhaps this Easter was, in fact, more like the original than any we have observed in recent times. And, of course, last week in my bulletin message I talked about the hopeful signs of spring, but as I write this they are forecasting several inches of snow in our area! We live in strange times and in a strange world in which circumstances can change as quickly as the weather in Iowa. Not a few times in recent weeks I have heard the term “whiplash” (emotional, financial or otherwise) used to describe our experience in the past month or so. It is an apt analogy. All the more, then, in this time do we long for something stable and secure, a “harbor” or a “handle.” This is where a living faith comes in, and not as some “opiate of the masses,” or psychological crutch to get us through until we can safely resume life as usual. No, I mean a living faith, a lived relationship with God, in the person of his only begotten, crucified and risen Son, Jesus Christ. I know we are not accustomed to speaking like this as Catholics - but to heck with it! Right now I want a person, not a concept. I want a savior, not a guru. I want someone who is more than just a teacher, but also my friend. This is Jesus. He came, he lived, he walked, he taught, he died, he rose, he is alive! And I believe with all my heart that he is with us now. Perhaps it is a coping mechanism or it is that indefatigable and uniquely human trait called hope that already makes us look for the potential positive in any situation, but as I look at what our world is going through right now, I can’t help but also see the possibility for meaningful and positive change, specifically for a greater moral and spiritual awakening. I hope and pray that this will be driven by the Holy Spirit. Given the Easter we have had, what will be the Pentecost? --Fr. Thom
Fr. Thom and Megan Grady host a podcast where they discuss pop culture as well as topics regarding faith.
Next Wednesday, April 22, marks the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day in the U.S. To celebrate, our friends from Green Life invite everyone to participate in an Earth Day Litter Cleanup! Thanks for helping nurture our planet!
Give Us This Day:Give Us This Day has made available at no charge a digital file of their periodical, which includes daily Mass texts. Visit GUTD.net and select "Digital" in the upper right of the screen.
The Diocese of Davenport: The Diocese has been posting updates about how COVID-19 has affected the Diocese as well as spiritual care resources.
Be Not Afraid Conference: Sign up for daily inspiration and hope-filled emails from Catholic speakers.
The USCCB: The USCCB has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and suggested several online resources, live-streamed Masses, and prayers, especially seeking the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Have a question about a program or event going on in Campus Ministry? Got an idea for something you'd like to see happen? EMAIL US at ministry@sau.edu.
Follow us online for news, events, prayer and spiritual resources, plus much more:
