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Student Reflections
Choose a reflection from below:
Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary
Time A
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“Finding God” |
| October 5, 2008 |
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Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time A
“I Think I Can”
Kelly Halaszyn
October
12, 2008 Readings
For as long as I can remember the Scripture verse “I can do all things in Him who strengthens me”, from the second reading today, has been my shield, rock, and my hope. Whenever life threw me too many melons or I took on more than I could handle, I kept going back to that phrase. I always try to be motivated by this phrase and raise it up in prayer as a mantra that despite a full calendar of work, academics, and at times some semblance of a social life, I can indeed do what needs to be done and do it for His greater glory. It’s not that I can do it all on my own rather, only though, with, and in Him.
I recall the childhood story The Little Engine That Could for its optimism and concept of hard work. It is only through these efforts that the rail cars, full of toys for the children, with the help of the Engine were able to make it to the other side of the mountain.
So too can I see that I am the broken down rail car full of potential and it is not until I ask God for help that He is able to help me reach my destination. This destination may be to make it through the week with so many papers and readings to do, it may be to make it through life’s challenges, or it may be that ultimate day where He calls me home. Whatever the case may be I know I must trust and know that I cannot and never will be able to do anything without Him.
It was my sophomore year of high school when my rail cars came to a screeching halt and I could not go on any further on the track of life. My father had passed away two years before and it was at this point in my life when I realized just how fragile we are and when I began to question God’s goodness and mercy. With so many of life’s events happening and tumbling down at once, I felt helpless. I slowly gained the strength to ask for help. Some friends helped as best they could, some teachers guided me along, but it wasn’t until I was able to make amends and turn back to God that I was able to get going and return to the track of life. Just as Isaiah says in the first reading, God was able to wipe away the tears from my face and I was able to turn to Him to save me.
With God as the Conductor of my life, I can say the same words the Little Blue Engine said optimistically, “I think I can, I think I can”. It is my hope that at the end of the journey, I will be able to look back and say, “I thought I could” and know that it was only because of God who gave me strength, courage, and wisdom that I was able to make it.
Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time A
“Finding God”
Joshua Snoddy
October
5, 2008 Readings
I can remember as a young kid hearing the phrase, “You need to find God in your life.” Being of a fairly young age, I took this to its most literal sense and thought it was something like a game of hide-and-seek. I remember thinking of all the great hiding spots that He may be hiding, in a tree or under a rock, and decided with great confidence that I would set out and find God.
At the time I lived in a small town out in the country. I packed a lunch and canteen and set off on my quest in the woods behind my house. I started down by the creek and worked my way up to the open cow fields. I spent a good couple of hours searching in vain before finally giving up and returning home.
I feel that after readings today’s reading, it’s summed up best in Philippians 4:9, “Keep on doing what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me. Then the God of peace will be with you.”
I was too young to realize this when I set out on my quest to find God. For me to have God in my life doesn't mean I go out to physically find Him in a tree, but to follow His teachings and examples. By so doing, God will be in my life because I'll be living through His.
Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time A
“A
Day At School”
Erin Killebrew
September
28, 2008 Readings
Only a couple weeks into the semester and my planner
is already filling with readings, meetings, and other things that will
occupy my time for the semester. Labs to complete, work to go to, and
studying that must begin for that upcoming exam does not leave much
free time.
I know sometimes I get so stressed that when another email
pops into my inbox, I ask “Why now?” or I sound a little
bit like Ezekiel’s reading from today—It’s not
fair that two of my instructors scheduled their
exams on the same day!
But, I cannot let myself stay in that state of pessimism. While sometimes
I find myself worrying and complaining about the work, deep down I
do believe that God has truly blessed me by giving me an education.
I never considered the impact of my education until recently. Over
the summer, I traveled to El Salvador with a group of fellow SLU students.
Before the trip, I did value my schooling through living in the middle
of St. Louis and tutoring at an urban school.
But in the middle of
a tiny community in El Salvador, I felt the happiness, the hope, and
the love a day at school can bring to children. In the midst of poverty,
we found the most committed teachers and the most excited kids in the
world.
As I listened to the stories of the struggles of starting and
maintaining a school but also seeing the bright faces of the children,
I felt so grateful for the education that I am receiving today.
Even though the work is tough, I continue to thank God for the blessings
of studying and growing at SLU. I do not limit myself to words of thanks,
but I show God my gratitude by doing my best and doing good things
for Him.
God has blessed me in placing me a in a school where I can
truly become a woman for and with others, take what I know, and do
something that is “right and just.” .
Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time A
“The
Bigger Picture”
Brittany Accardi
September
21, 2008 Readings
There are many things in the world that I don’t understand,
such as the complexities of God, or the complexities of my Dell laptop.
The verses at the end of today’s first reading imply that God’s ways
are so far above me that I couldn’t understand even if I tried. In regards
to my laptop, if I really wanted to learn how it works, I could borrow
a C++ book from Pius, meet with a computer science student and learn.
But to do that, I’d really have to care about the actual computer itself,
not just what it can do for me. And as long as my computer prints, connects
to the internet, and doesn’t get viruses, I don’t care how it works.
As with my laptop, I sometimes fall into the mode of only seeking to
understand God as He is relevant to my needs and desires. When I do this,
I realize that I turn into one of the first workers in the gospel, and
look to my own self-interest, rather than the bigger picture. I miss
out on the wonders that come from pure relationship with Him, rather
than from need, just as I miss the technological wonders a laptop contains
by not learning how it actually works.
Today’s psalm states that “The Lord is near to all who call upon
Him.” What awesome wonders I could discover in seeing past my needs
and desires and seeking to understand God simply for the sake of understanding
Him.
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
“Doing
The Right Thing”
Alice Budiman
September
14, 2008 Readings
Senior year—time to really buckle down and get serious
about my future, no more carefree attitude or “I’ll worry
about it when I need to.” The time for me to make my decisions
has come.
I’ve been a pre-med student my entire SLU career, but little worries
have kept me second guessing myself throughout the years. How many years
will I be in debt for? If I become a doctor, will I be able to spend
enough time with a family of my own? Will I have a flexible schedule
to see my children’s school plays?
These minor details cluttered
my mind, but I pushed them aside, figuring I couldn’t do anything
about them yet, and I lifted my worries into God’s hands. Let go
and let God.
Abiding by the pre-med schedule, I took the MCAT earlier
this summer, the standardized test to apply for medical school. I prayed
and put all
my trust in God to guide me during the five hour test.
When I received
my score, it was lower than I had hoped for. My heart sank. Again, my
mind began to race. Does this mean I am not smart enough for medical
school? I felt let down. I was bitter with God. I knew I wanted to be
a physician for all the right reasons, but why hadn’t I done well?
I studied and practice like crazy; where did I go wrong?
I spent a lot of time in prayer after receiving my bad news. I found
it difficult to have a conversation with God when I couldn’t hear
Him talking back to me. What was I supposed to do with my life? What
was His plan for me? Should I continue with my regular schedule and apply
for medical school, as planned? What if…?
Finally, I decided to stick with the application process. Again, I felt
myself blindly holding God’s hand as I submitted the applications.
In
this week’s gospel, John says that God sent His only
son so that everyone who believes will not perish.
My faith has grown
so
strong,
not because
I believe God will get me into medical school, but I believe that He
will take me where He wants me to go; He will not abandon me or let me
perish in any form.
I have to accept that God does what is right for
me. My trust in Him strengthens my confidence. The Lord performs wondrous
deeds, but for now, only He knows what is in the works for me.
Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time A
“My
Brother’s Keeper”
Angela DeLaria
September
7, 2008 Readings
After going through today’s readings, I found the
First Reading especially gripping. Ezekiel writes about our duty as followers
of Christ to hear His words and go out and proclaim them. We are called
to minister, perhaps evangelize, to our brothers and sisters.
God warns that if we are aware of sin in others and do nothing to help them,
then we are just as sinful. But if we try to help, then we shall at least
be saved.
I find this particularly poignant in my life right now, especially with starting
school. Except, God is being played by my mother, who has called me to watch
over (aka minister) my brother who is just starting as a freshman.
My mother has already told me to be nice to him, to help him out if he’s
lost and confused, and not let him eat cafeteria food day in and day out.
But what are the consequences for me if I neglect him? What are my punishments?
That’s difficult, because I don’t think my mother would actually
damn me to living in the back yard. Instead, she would show her sheer disappointment
in me.
Which brings me to my next thought. What is worse, being damned or being
allowed to come home but with the risk of a cold shouldered mother?
I would definitely say that a cold shouldered mother would hurt much more,
at least in my experience it has. And the rewards for looking after the sibling
until he figures things out, and can then minister to his peers, would be
a mother’s gratitude.
To me, there’s nothing that even comes close to the feeling of my mother’s
gratitude and pride for my efforts, even if the results are not perfect,
she sees that I tried and that, above all, makes me want to try harder next
time.
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