40daysoflent

Ash Wednesday 2010

By Ivonne M. Gonzalez

During times of religious celebration, we are often inspired to reflect on the many blessings God has gifted to us, which indeed are bountiful.  My own life has been blessed a hundredfold and I try to thank God everyday for it all.

On the wall beside my bed in Clifton, I have a reminder of the unsurpassable love God has for all of us - a portrait of the Cross.  It was presented to me on the day of my First Communion by Sister Eleanor. Simple, inexpensive, yet rich in meaning. The image of the Cross alone bears more meaning than most things, yet it is not what I think most about when remembering it. It is the quote presented that has always stayed with me.

“I asked Jesus how much He loved me.

‘This much’ He said, and He spread out His arms and died.”

Jesus loved us so much, He died for us on the Cross. This selfless love is present every day and I try to be aware of it and be grateful to our benevolent Father.

“For gracious and merciful is He, slow to anger, rich in kindness.” (Joel, 2:13) Indeed my life is witness to His supreme kindness. I have been blessed by countless opportunities for education, work, travel, but more importantly in the plethora of wonderful people in my life.

From the beginning, when I first entered the world, I came into a blessed home. My parents are miracles. They are the first friends I ever had, the best. They brought me into this world and have given everything they can, sometimes sacrificing their own pleasures for the happiness of their children. To others, perhaps my treasured moments are small. It could be as simple as my father bringing home “Beauty and the Beast” dolls, one for each of us, even  after saying he couldn’t or as big as my parents giving up their own earthly pleasures, so that my sister and I can not only attend our amazing school, but also live in a furbished, well-stocked home near campus. To me these things show just how much God loves me. He gave me to the best parents that I could ever have dreamed to have, and certainly wish I will resemble when my time comes.

And then, He brought me a younger sister, with whom I share everything though at times, toys were an issue. She is oftentimes my pillar, supporting me at times when I feel awkward or alone, a physical reminder that God will never allow me to be alone.

Most recently, God has blessed me with Alex, my darling boyfriend. He brings my dreams to reality. He is ever self-less and thoughtful, willing to diminish his food intake during a semester so that he could provide me with a trip to Europe of which I have dreamed my entire life. But it is not just what he does for me that makes me feel blessed to have him in my life, but that he makes me feel as if I can do anything and that whatever I do is wonderful.

It is not only in the miraculous individuals that God has allowed me to meet and share a life, that I feel the loving hands of God, but in moments when I feel distraught. I remember that as a little girl, I was asked by a member of the church to play Mother Mary at the Christmas play to be had at the church. Though I agreed to take part, my heart sank at the thought of being in front of an entire congregation and so I called to resign from my duties. When asked to reconsider, I prayed to God and I asked Mary intercede for me, to give me the strength and courage to do what others needed me to do. Walking down the aisle as Mary, I never felt an ounce of fear, and I knew then that it was because I was not alone.

I have never come to harm. God has protected me throughout my life. There was once a very real possibility of harm coming to parents, my sister, grandparents, and myself. On one of the annual visits to the Dominican Republic, word spread through the community that Americans had come to visit. A group of individuals came disguised as police with weapons demanding to search the home of my maternal grandparents who were well-to-do in the community. Their excuse was that having heard of our arrival, they suspected drug trafficking and had to search the entire residence. The experience was terrifying, not only to me, eleven at the time, but to my grandmother who was blind and could not understand what was occurring; my mother who was worried about her father who had just had a heart surgery; Juana, who shook so much she dropped the tray of coffee cups; and Lorenzo, the guard who had been held at gunpoint so that we would open the door. After searching and confiscating money, they left. No harm to anyone, not a bruise. This was the work of God. Not one of us was hurt in any way by the dozen or so men who held weapons. It still blows my mind at times to think that one false move could have meant the end for one of us, but God protected us all, as He always does and I believe always will.

Experiencing the Love of God in my life has inspired me to love others in return.  I have always hoped to help others in their faith, mostly through example. It is the method I have found to be the most effective. Realizing the little faith shown by adolescents when in high school, I decided to begin something. My sister and I founded a youth group, called Servi Dei, with the guidance of our parish priest, Father Paul. The goal was to inspire young adults to freely discuss their faith and help others as well as give these kids a place to be safe and make friends. My dreams were exceeded by reality. Though small, the group has remained strong. Every meeting consists of prayer, singing, petitions to the Lord and the attempt to pray in tongues. The group helps out in community affairs, volunteering at the Parish festival every year as well as occasionally preparing essentials for the homeless. Best of all, an unbreakable bond was created between all the members of Servi Dei, a bond of friendship sprung from a love of God. As ambassadors of Christ, I know it is our job to spread the faith and the love that we feel from God. I believe this group has done this. I’ve been told that it has given hope in the church community by uniting the different ethnic communities that make up my parish.

Today we celebrate Ash Wednesday and begin the Holy Season of Lent.  As we receive the ashes on our forehead, in the sign of the cross, may it give us cause to call to mind the love God has shown us and challenge us to love others in return.   And as we look upon Christ on the Cross during Lent may we be encouraged by the reality that Jesus loves us “this much.”   

Ivonne M. Gonzalez is a Senior at TCNJ

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

By Ania Majdosz

Alleluia! Christ is risen! How truly amazing it is to be able to exclaim such praises on this day.  Jesus Christ has defeated the grave.  Through His death and resurrection He provides all those who believe the greatest gift ever imagined the gift of eternal life.  Yet so many times we are like “the other disciple” we hear about in today’s gospel reading from John 20. 

After Simon Peter and “the other disciple” are approached by Mary Magdalene and are told that the tomb is empty the two disciples run in excitement to the tomb.  While they were running “the other disciple” in his eagerness arrives at the tomb first.  Now one would think that this disciple who walked side by side with the Lord would run in with full faith in the Lord, but what does he do?  He doesn’t go in.  He stops outside and won’t go in until Simon Peter goes in first. 

I think we can all relate to this “other disciple.”  I wonder what was going through his mind when he got to the tomb.  Why did he run there if he wasn’t even going to go in?  Was he scared of finding the truth?  He knew Jesus, but was he scared of coming to know Jesus as the Savior of the world?  So many times we find ourselves with the desire to come closer to Christ, but fearful of taking that next step.  If you feel as though something is missing in your relationship with Christ I challenge you during this Easter season to reflect on what it is that you are holding back from him. 

What is it that is preventing you from taking that step into the tomb?  Remember at the end of the verse “the other disciple” after seeing Simon Peter enter the tomb, decides to step in, and when he does this he sees and believes.  If you feel as though you have taken that step already that you have seen and believe I challenge you during this Easter season to be more like Simon Peter. 

Be that example to others so they too can come to know Jesus more intimately.  Take that step first so that they know there is nothing to fear for Jesus Christ is Risen!

Ania Majdosz is a junior at TCNJ.

Jumping to conclusions

By Scott Kieffer                                                                             

 

As college students we are always thinking about our future. We have most of our lives before us, and we have probably been planning and preparing for a while (which is why we are in college). Like Mary Magdalene that morning, we are moving about our lives with a plan. But just as Mary found an empty tomb, things do not always go as we planned. And just like Mary, we get upset, we fear the worst, we jump to conclusions.

 

But just because things didn’t go as planned, doesn’t mean they went badly. When Peter and the disciple arrived, they had faith that something good had happened. And once they knew the full story and could look back, they saw the positive outcomes.

We see this different outlook from the reading in Acts. Here Peter is not afraid or upset, nor is he confused anymore. He has learned the full story, and has been able to reflect on past events. In retrospect, he sees that good came from what happened at the tomb - and from Jesus’ crucifixion. He is now confident and hopeful as he looks to the future (the hope of salvation), and invites his listeners to look forward with him.

This Easter, take some time to reflect back on your time at college, as Peter does in Acts. Maybe dropping that course gave you more free time, so you could improve your relationships or learn a new hobby. You missed getting tickets for a concert, but had a great conversation with a friend instead. You had a rough breakup, but now you’ve found someone you’re in love with.

Chances are, all of the bad things that have happened in our lives have had good effects too. Whether they made us stronger, scared us away from a destructive path, or just opened up new opportunities, there was always an angel at each empty tomb.

Scott Kieffer is a senior at TCNJ and President of Catholic Campus Ministry Club of the college

Stay focused

By Maggie Molfetas

On Palm Sunday we celebrate the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem a week before his=2 0death and resurrection. The streets were lined with crowds greeting him waving palm branches and covering his path with branches. After this great time of celebration, Jesus then began his journey to the cross. This was a very significant day and each of us can relate differently. I find myself relating to Palm Sunday in the following ways.

The people in the streets that were cheering and welcoming Jesus were the same people who turned against him just a few days later. I can relate to this greatly because as a college student, sometimes there are a lot of people following their faith and living a righteous life. But just as quickly as Jesus’ followers turned on him, my peers will also turn on him making bad decisions and acting in sin. It is important for me to try to encourage my friends and those around me to do their best to live a Christ centered life, and not turn on Jesus.

The other way I can relate to this is that the people’s enthusiasm and support for Jesus was in a way too good to be true. It was unrealist ic that so many people greeted and accepted him when in the past they doubted him, but Jesus did not lose sight of the reality. He remained focused on his journey and did not gloat or bask in the attention.

In everyone’s life there are highs and lows, and it is important to not get caught up in the moment, and remember that things will eventually go back to normal. In college sometimes life is going great and it’s tempting to just go right along with it and take things for granted. However I must remember to act as Jesus would in times of unrealistic highs, or even unfortunate lows, and stay focused on living my life as a good Catholic.

Maggie Molfetas is a Junior at Rider Univeristy

Faith is our ultimate priority

By Aaron Reevey

Now more than ever it seems as if it is not a popular decision to express your Faith in God-especially as a college student. While it is so easy to get swept away by the parties, people, and excitement of being away from home it is important to stay grounded and spiritually centered. Speaking from experience, my foundation has always been my Faith in God. I can say with confidence that I would not have graduated or attended college if I did not have Faith. Where I come from there seems to be an abundance of problems such as academic shortcomings, teenage pregnancies, and substance use and abuse. Luckily, instead of dealing with the many problems those I knew faced I turned to God at a very young age and continue to do so to this day. Instead of problems, although my road to success has been anything but easy, I have been rewarded blessing after blessing after blessing.

There is a quote in John Chapter III, which reads as follows “Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy.” Receiving the testimony of God through attending Mass and reading The Bible feeds us as Christians the necessary tools to help us become “children of the light.” By putting Christ first everything else simply falls into place.

Despite whatever independent variables one encounters in life it is essential that your Faith be your ultimate priority. We must deny ourselves from temptation or what we think is right for us and be obedient to the call that He has place upon us.

Aaron Reevey is a Graduate Student at Monmouth University

Obedient despite the struggle

By Jessica Montoya

“I am troubled now. Yet what should I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour?’ But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name” (John 12: 27-28).

In the gospel of the fifth Sunday of Lent, the Lord tells his disciples that He is troubled by the prospect of the coming hour when He will bear the heavy weight of the cross. Like the Lord, we all experience many anxieties and struggles in life that we wish would quickly dissipate. As a student, I sometimes find myself praying to God to let time fly by so that I no longer have to experience the stress of preparing for examinations or writing papers.

Despite being troubled by the coming hour, our Lord affirms the purpose for which He was born of a Virgin. He came to be our model of holiness so that we may learn to be obedient to the will of the Lord. Through prayer, we too can come to know the purposes for which we are called. The Lord’s faithful example teaches me that I can glorify the Lord’s name by fulfilling my duties as a student, the vocation for which I am currently called. I must not pray for my struggles to pass me by, but instead, I must pray for courage and wisdom to complete the will of the Lord.

May we all, like our Savior, learn to be obedient to our Heavenly Father even in times of struggle. Let us remember the story of our salvation: “Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered; and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him” (Hebrews 5: 8-9).

Jessica Montoya is a Senior at Princton University.

Christ came to lift us up into salvation.

by Jonathan Irrobali

In today’s world we are hit constantly by the way others expect us to act. We can give in to our sinful impulses and create a barrier between ourselves and God. It is as if we fix ourselves to the earth and not heaven.

In the gospel of the 4th Sunday of Lent, we read of Jesus talking to Nicodemus. He tells him, “As Moses lifted up the snake in the dessert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in Him.”

In Jesus being lifted up, for our sins, we know that we can be lifted up – lifted up to eternal life. But when we refuse to let go of our sinfulness, how can we be lifted up by Christ? If we look at the first part of Jesus’ quote, we can make a connection with the people of Moses’ time. They refused to let go of their sinfulness. In nailing the representational snake to the pole and lifting it up, Moses was bringing the people’s sinfulness into the light. In confronting their sin in the light of Truth the people could then let go of their sinfulness and be saved.

We can do the same thing, spiritually, during Lent. We can examine our lives and see how we refuse to let go of our sinfulness. Once we name it, we can lift it up, as Moses did, into the Light of Truth. We can use the sacrament of confession to confront the sinfulness we refused to let go of, and bring into Christ’s light, letting His grace help us to let it go. By letting it go, we are then free to be lifted up by Christ’s loving sacrifice on the cross.

Written by Jonathan Irrobali, Novice at the Trinitarian Noviate House at Incarnation/St. James Rectory Trenton.

Good Enough?

By Heather Chojnacki

A student in college these days has so many things to worry about besides just grades; clubs, sports, activities, family, friends, becoming ‘well-rounded,’ dealing with pressures of drugs, alcohol and partying, deciding what the future holds for him/her, building the resume.

Sometimes we can’t be bothered to attend mass or to pray regularly with so many things going on. However, Lent is a special time; a time for contemplation and a time for reconnection. It doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming; rather, it is simple.

The first reading for this third Sunday of Lent recounts the 10 commandments; God’s 10 golden rules. Personally, sometimes I don’t feel that I’m capable of being ‘good’ enough for God, and I feel like, what’s the point in trying? However, then I remember his grace and his forgiveness.

We cannot simply give up when we fall into a pattern of sin. Lent is a time to consider the way we are living and if gives glory to God. If not, there’s no better time to reconnect, to go to confession or to start going back to mass. I find that when I invite God into my life, everything else seems a lot less stressful.

Heather Chojnacki is a Sophomore Rider University

If God is for us who can be against us

by Rosemarie Fabrizzio

Each day we rise in the morning, looking to the window for sunlight. If it is not there, do we mourn at the gray sky and allow this to forecast our mood for the rest of the day?

Each day we are faced with challenges whether as minor as a rain shower or as drastic as a physical disability. As humans we allow these challenges or obstacles to control our daily attitudes. And sometimes we feel as if we are all alone. My friends, we are not alone. As Abraham in the first reading, we are tested in life and only pass the test with the help of deep faith and trust in God-

God’s presence is always with us. God is there when you are driving down a winding road in the fog, there when you feel like giving up because he is pushing you forward, and God is there reminding you of patience when your frustrations linger. God’s presence is a part of each day, in the wind which caresses our bodies, the trees which provide us with shade, and in the whole earth, each and every grain. Sometimes, as did Peter, James, and John on the mountain, we experience with great clarity the presence of God and the love of Jesus.

What can carry us through the day to day moments are the memories of Jesus journeying with us on brighter days. Instead of facing daily obstacles with our heads down, we should try to embrace them as opportunities to strengthen our spirits. Remember although the sky may be gray, the sunlight is just beyond the clouds. As we read in Paul’s letter to the Romans, “If God is for us who can be against us?”

Rosemarie Fabrizzio is a student at Georgian Court University

Spend time with God, as we would with a spouse

By Kevin R. Staley-Joyce

In 1964, the Second Vatican Council came to a close, Pope Paul VI put forth the dogmatic constitution Lumen Gentium, in which he developed the Church’s teaching on the clergy, the faithful, and their spiritual duties, and the Church’s place in the world. In its fifth chapter, Pope Paul emphasized the “universal call to holiness” – the duty of all Christians to live an active spiritual life with Jesus’ words in mind: “be you therefore perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).

In order to fulfill their paternal duties, priests and religious take a radical path to holiness by making themselves totally available to God and the faithful. Their vocation calls them to a special covenant with God – one that separates them from the world and allows them to seek the highest union with God through the sacraments and spiritual life. Lumen Gentium reminds us that the faithful, too, must be true to their own covenant with God, striving for spiritual perfection through their temporal concerns such as marriage, family life, and work.

As the first Sunday of Lent approaches, the faithful are prompted to consider ways to honor their own special covenant with God. In Sunday’s first reading from Genesis, God makes a covenant with Noah that the flood he endured would never again return to destroy creation. This – along with the many special covenants God makes with Israel in the Old Testament – remind us that the covenants we make with God are not mere ideals.

On the contrary, they are as real as any other contract or obligation, and we must fulfill our side of them by growing in love of God. To this end, we should recall that throughout the Old Testament, God refers to his covenant with Israel as a spousal relationship, demanding of Israel all the duties a husband owes a wife. Just as spouses grow closer by spending more time together, we ought to set time aside during Lent to spend with God, with the same care we would have towards a spouse. We ought to also spend time considering what kind of covenant God is calling us to have with him, and no matter what our vocation, acknowledge that Lent is a time with God.

Kevin R. Staley-Joyce is a senior at Princeton University.