RBWords - Volume 34 - Number 8: August 2021
Something to Think About
R.B.Words - Vol. 34 - No. 8 - August 2022
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SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT-
I have lived on the academic caledar so much of my life that I consider Labor Day to be like New Year’s Day. In campus ministry it has always been my favorite time of the year. The students return and there is a new group of Freshmen as well. Compared to a regular parish, a campus ministry is like a fast moving stream to a lake. The “moving in” time is especially interesting to observe with interactions between nervous/excited students and anxious parents. The student housing folks have the process down to a science (engineering is big at Texas Tech!)
For some students, homesickness is a challenge. For others it means freedom! Will relationships withstand attendance at different colleges? Where is the________building? The questions are endless.
Our Catholic student center has a “welcome week” with all kinds of activities. And I have seen more than one set of parents bring a son/daughter over to make sure the student knows where the Catholic parish and student center are! On the Sunday before classes begin there is an event at our place called The Block Party in which all the various student ministries at the Catholic Center are on display. Students can sign up for bible study, retreats, service projects, Knights of Columbus, Women of Faith, etc. etc.. My readers can see it all at <raidercatholic.org>.
It is a great experience to see a student progress from Freshman to Senior to Grad School to the work world and beyond. I am also in touch with recent graduates from here at Texas Tech. That is another transition with its own challenges. But foundations are laid here. How many of us “elders” can remember them. IT’S SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.
It Has Been Said
IT HAS BEEN SAID:
…I don’t think spirituality is confined to a life lived in relative silence in a mountain monastery; nor is prayer only the recitation of set formulas or participation in public worship. Rather, prayer and spirituality are lived daily in our work, our play, our deeds, our relationships - with God, with loved ones, with friends.
From VESPER TIME - The Spiritual Practice of Growing Older
By Frank J. Cunningham