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“Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man."
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus shares the Beatitudes with the twelve apostles and the disciples who followed him. In these words we are reminded of the people Jesus serves in his ministry. Among these people are the poor, the hungry, the weeping, the excluded and unloved.
Growing up, there were times I felt that to be a Christian, I had to be a squeaky clean person with no sins and no faults. Throughout my life I have felt shame and guilt for decisions I have made and things I have done because I think back to those squeaky clean and pure expectations. As I have gotten older and learned more about who Jesus is and the people he serves, I have realized that he serves the poor, the vulnerable, and the outcasts - people who are not rich, not fulfilled, and sometimes not even loved or accepted.
Through my years at St. Ambrose, I have learned more about the Catholic Social Teachings and realized that the church is not made up of squeaky clean people. The saints and followers of Jesus either were or served the poor. Many left their comfortable lives to live among the poor, the hungry and the brokenhearted. They found richness, fulfillment, and comfort in their faith and through service of others.
As we grow forward in our faith, I hope we all can see God in the poor, the vulnerable, and those who are mistreated. May we hang on to our faith in the times we may be poor, hungry, or experience hatred and know that God will bring us his riches. He will fulfill our hunger, and He will always show us the love we are searching for.
Last Sunday we celebrated the Rite of Acceptance with SAU students Lauren Hoesly and Taylor Smith! Their sponsors, Katherine Greening (on the left) and Jordan Robinson (on the right), presented them to our faith community. During the celebration, we promised to support them with our prayers as they continue to prepare for Baptism, Confirmation and receiving the Eucharist. Lauren and Taylor meet weekly with their sponsors and our initiation team to reflect on the Sunday Scriptures proclaimed at Mass and to learn about the Catholic faith and way of life. If you are interested in learning more about joining the Catholic Church, please contact us at ministry@sau.edu.
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I’ve been reflecting on the Gospel of Luke 5 1-11, which depicts the call of the first disciples. After getting into Simon's boat, Jesus tells him to “Put out into deep water, and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon argued at first but then did as Jesus commanded.
Jesus is also encouraging us to listen to him, to obey him and to trust him as we enter into deeper waters together and cast a wide net to become fishers of all God’s people. Jesus was in the boat with Peter, and he’s in the boat with us as he continues to say “do not be afraid.”
At this time in the Catholic Church and here at St. Ambrose, we are being asked to go into deeper waters - to listen to people from all walks of life - people who don’t necessarily look or think like us. In this space, we are being invited to listen to the Holy Spirit in the voices of one another.
In October, Pope Francis called a worldwide Synod, which he describes as an exercise in mutual listening involving the entire People of God. With synod meaning “journeying together,” we are all being invited to open ourselves up in mutual respect, to share in earnest and with honesty, as we reflect on how the church is living out its mission in the world.
Here on campus, the synodal process is open to all of you - our students, our faculty and our staff. Bishop Zinkula has asked that we, as a St. Ambrose community, prayerfully consider what it is that fills our hearts about the Catholic Church, and what it is that breaks our hearts about the Catholic Church. The responses from those two questions will be recorded and submitted to Bishop Zinkula, who will then present them to the Vatican. This synodal process has the potential to open us up, as an entire campus, to seeing the ways in which we can learn and grow as a Catholic university.
This process takes honesty, and it takes courage. We will say things and hear things that are hard to say and that are hard to hear. We will say things and hear things that need to be said and need to be heard. It is my prayer that when we take the risk to go deeper, our hearts may be expanded, and we will come to a better understanding of the sufferings and joys of all God’s people, finding a way to respond with genuine compassion and love instead of fear and hatred.
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.
