Fall 2014 Catholic Campus Ministry Retreat

^"Therefore Jesus said again, 'Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.'" 
John 21:7-10

I had the opportunity to attend the statewide CCM retreat at St. John's in Morris Hall, November 14th-16th. This was a very mature and contemplative retreat and I was so happy to see all of the students so readily dive into the deep. The topic of the weekend was discipleship and the retreat facilitator was Dr. Linda Rooney. She offered a retreat that appealed to every sense and invited everyone to put on faith, hope, love, and Christ Himself. The music by UCA/Hendrix CCM, the presentations, and mass with Monsignor Francis Malone on Saturday night were spectacular. Liz and Trish did a tremendous job on this weekend!

During the closing session on Sunday morning, the topic turned to sheep. Dr. Linda Rooney read the scripture from John 21 where Jesus asks Peter three times if he (Peter) loved Him (Jesus).  I'm sure you've heard the story and, depending on your version, Jesus tells Peter in reply to feed and care for His sheep. And that was the challenge for the morning. Who are my sheep? Who has God asked me to not only feed, but also to care for. How am I doing that and how can I do it better? There are many ways to feed God's sheep, but she emphasized what it is to have someone in your care; loving them and watching over them until you reach the destination. We listened as she described the role of a shepherd, our job as shepherds of the lambs and sheep of the Lord, and the role of Jesus as our shepherd. We broke up into small groups and shared about our little flocks and how we can love them better. It was really nice to hear the thoughts of the students around me.

As we ended our time together, Dr. Rooney invited anyone that wanted to share their weekend's experience to come forward and speak from the microphone. I have to be honest, that it not usually my favorite part of a retreat, because some people just like to talk and it doesn't have a lot of meaning. But-this time was different. It was not only amazing how many people came up to share meaningful experiences they had over the weekend, but I was even more amazed at how many students spoke of things that God "told them." Or how they "heard the Lord say" things to them. 

This is amazing to me because I don't hear a lot of young (or non-charismatic) use those kinds of terms. I have even seen people get offended when they hear others suggest that they hear God talk to them. Like, "oh, sure. I bet you hear God talk to you. You crazy." Or I wonder if terms like that make people feel inferior of left out because they don't feel that they actually "HEAR" God's voice. I always find this amusing (and sad) because God has ALWAYS talked to His people (or sheep) throughout salvation history. And why wouldn't God talk to His sheep? I think THAT sounds crazy! Why would God put us here and NOT TALK TO US! Are you kidding me?! 

All the talk about sheep reminded me of the scripture in John 2 that says that "his sheep follow him because they know His voice." They know His voice! God is speaking to all of us in so many ways, but we have to get in the quiet and have intimate time with our shepherd if we want to hear that still small voice within us. We have to practice. Many of us are hearing God's voice within us frequently and give ourselves the credit as if those wonderful, wise thoughts are coming from us. Frankly, we are not that cool! How great is our God that he would speak to us and lead us as our shepherd. 

If we open ourselves up to this, we will hear the voice of God within us. That is where God lives and we are baptized and following God, so we can hear his voice. Isn't that great news!  

May we all look to the Shepherd, follow Him, and listen to His voice on this beautiful path of discipleship.

^"The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice."
John 21:3-4

Faith Like a Flashlight by Lydia Perry

"So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil. Matthew 6:31-34

"As to the past, Let us entrust it to God’s mercy, the future to Divine Providence. Our task is to live holy the present moment."-St. Gianna Molla

We all hear about the benefits of living in the present moment. Don’t dwell on the past; don’t get distracted on the future; just focus on the right decisions you can make at this moment. That all sounds well and good, but putting it into practice can take extensive mental exercise. It has been easier for me to sit and dwell about 1000 different minute decisions and contemplations about specific events. “How do I do this right?” “How did I do that wrong?” “How could I have changed the past?” It’s easy for me to obsess over minute situations. Whether I realize it or not, the real question I’m asking myself is, “How do I continue to feed my pride?”  “What do I have to do to make history turn out the way I want it to?” If I dwell on past mistakes, it will only feed my pride of thinking I can fix situations and reactions of the past and future. If there’s one recurring event I have seen throughout my life, it’s pride.

I’m an extremely visual person. God many times has to speak to me in images to get my attention. Recently, I have discovered that my season in life is similar to walking at night with a flashlight. The only perception I can see right now is what is lit up in front of me. The distractions from the back, sides, and distance are hidden from me. I have taken that visualization and harnessed it close in my day-to-day life. I am immersed in the little trinity of light that is in front of me at the present moment. This image is not solely for me, though. This message is essential for all who are seeking freedom in Christ. Part of letting ourselves go means letting go of my ability to overthink and control every aspect of my life. That is an everyday surrender. I may not make perfect decisions in the future, but I’m not worrying about my future actions. I am focused on today.

And really, this specific type of darkness itself is a blessing. A good friend reminded me that darkness is not always a metaphor for evil things. Darkness is necessary in life. It makes the light shine even more. It creates shadows. It makes the candles we light beautiful. We both need darkness and light in our journey of life. Without darkness, all we have is our own prideful way of living in an artificial form of light. When we are encompassed in darkness, the light within us shines even brighter. Embrace the strains of life with full strength. Christ will be by your side. Those spiritual weights will carry you farther if you take them on with Christ in the present moment.The path is laid before us for a reason. We are being prepared for greater hills, valleys, and joys. All I have control of is this present moment: this present light that is before me. And there is always a guide pushing me in the right direction.

By Lydia Perry

Is the Pope Catholic?!

Hi, Friends! Are you old enough to remember when people confirmed the validity of a statement by comparing it to the certainty and unwavering truth that the pope is, in fact, Catholic? Por ejemplo: "Do you think John Bon Jovi is as good of a singer as he is an actor?
IS THE POPE CATHOLIC?!
Why yes, indeed, he most certainly is!!!"
The only way to establish a fact with more powerful confirmation than by utilizing this papal comparison is to inquire as to whether or not a bear takes advantage of indoor plumbing! So, there you have it! The Catholic Church, instituted by Jesus Christ, permeates our world and serves as a standard by which truth can be established!

Well, as you can tell, I'm a pretty deep theologian and catholic scholar. I'll stop there so I don't blow your mind before we even get this year's party started. I'm writing to 1) fill you in on the plan for this year, 2) share the September calendar, and 3) give you a list of questions that can all be answered with the statement "is the pope Catholic?"

1) This year's program will consist of weekly Sunday meetings from 4:30pm-6:30pm at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church (OLGC). The address is 1321 S. Van Buren and we will meet across from the front of the church. This semester, we are also going to meet on campus twice a month at noon. In addition to this, I am open to a sharing/discipleship group, a mission trip, and monthly social outings if we have enough members that show interest in these activities. There will be a weekend retreat in November at the Diocese of Little Rock. I would love to do some service projects as well. :)

2) The September calendar is as follows:
9/7/14
4:30pm-6:30pm-OLGC
9/9/14
noon-1:00pm-UALR Donaghey Student Center (DSC) Room D
9/14/14
4:30pm-6:30pm-OLGC
9/21/14
4:30pm-6:30pm-OLGC
9/23/14
noon-1:00pm-UALR DSC Room D
9/28/14
4:30pm-6:30pm-OLGC

3) Questions that can all be answered by asking "Is the Pope Catholic?!" In other words...YES!
-Is this going to be a great year at Catholic Campus Ministry?
-Will I enjoy the meetings and have the opportunity to grow in my faith?
-Will there be free food at every meeting?
-Are you sure that there will be free food at every meeting?
-Can I get a ride from campus to the meetings at OLGC on Sunday evenings?
-Can I bring friends to the meetings?
-Can I bring friends to the meetings-even if they aren't Catholic?
-Can I get a ride to 11:00am Mass at OLGC on Sunday mornings?
-Can I give input on what topics and discussions we will have this year at our meetings?
-If I don't think this blog is funny, can I tell Susej to never write anything like this again?

Well, there you go! It's going to be a wonderful, grace-filled year and I am SO happy to be back after three and a half years away. I look forward to getting to know you all better and sharing our struggles as well as our victories. Please let me know if you need anything. Feel free to contact me at 501-772-2512 if you have needs, questions, or concerns.

Love and Prayers,
Susej