Since arriving in Austin, we have been immersed amongst the Catholics! St. Edward’s, where I teach, and St. Michael’s, where Ben teaches are both Catholic institutions. (no surprise there with those names eh?) Ben’s grandparents were Catholic so for him this brings back memories from his childhood, but for me it’s a whole new world. Just trying to keep up with the terminology (what, exactly, is a diocese?) so I know what the people around me are talking about has been a challenge! But as I’ve found other times in my life, with each new challenge comes the chance to learn something new about yourself and those you have the privilege to interact with.
I’d been to mass before. And as a born and raised Mennonite, those services seemed to be the polar opposite of what I was used to! The rituals, the smell of the incense, chants and liturgies that everyone knew, up and down on the kneelers, the sometimes ornately decorated sanctuaries with altars and candles, the priests in formal robes – there was so much to take in! I must admit I never left feeling particularly worshipful, it was more spectacle than worship service for this teenage Mennonite.
Fast forward a few years and here I am, professor at a Catholic university. It’s been awhile since I’ve been in a Christian institute of higher learning – how refreshing it was to begin orientation that first day with prayer. A brief moment for me to step back and thank God for this new opportunity I’ve been given, to center myself, take a deep breath and feel God’s presence with me as I step forward into the unknown. There is mass every day here on campus, and I’ve been a couple of times. Although the services in our humble chapel aren’t quite as elaborate as mass that I’ve attended before, there is still a very different feel to this experience of worship. I find that the sights and sounds serve to remind me that I am in a holy space, and a time set apart to connect with God. I imagine that once you learn the liturgies, the comfortable repetition helps to block out the distractions and put you in a frame of mind to focus on worship. Kneeling and performing the sign of the cross add a physical connection to worship and employ another of my senses. I am learning to appreciate this new experience and the ways it can add meaning to my relationship with Christ.
Here at St. Edward’s, I’ve found a community of people who are deeply committed to one another and to their faith. Not everyone is Catholic, or necessarily religious. But we can, and do, learn from each other every day. The variety of beliefs and faiths represented on campus provide a good opportunity to reflect on my own faith, and where it needs strengthening in thought and action. At one of the start of school ceremonies, this was part of the prayer:
“Loving God...today you breathe into each of us a new opportunity to form community, seek truth and deepen our understandings of the universe around us”.
May we all be blessed with the challenge of new opportunities, and what it can mean for our faith, and for our world.
-- lisa
I’d been to mass before. And as a born and raised Mennonite, those services seemed to be the polar opposite of what I was used to! The rituals, the smell of the incense, chants and liturgies that everyone knew, up and down on the kneelers, the sometimes ornately decorated sanctuaries with altars and candles, the priests in formal robes – there was so much to take in! I must admit I never left feeling particularly worshipful, it was more spectacle than worship service for this teenage Mennonite.
Fast forward a few years and here I am, professor at a Catholic university. It’s been awhile since I’ve been in a Christian institute of higher learning – how refreshing it was to begin orientation that first day with prayer. A brief moment for me to step back and thank God for this new opportunity I’ve been given, to center myself, take a deep breath and feel God’s presence with me as I step forward into the unknown. There is mass every day here on campus, and I’ve been a couple of times. Although the services in our humble chapel aren’t quite as elaborate as mass that I’ve attended before, there is still a very different feel to this experience of worship. I find that the sights and sounds serve to remind me that I am in a holy space, and a time set apart to connect with God. I imagine that once you learn the liturgies, the comfortable repetition helps to block out the distractions and put you in a frame of mind to focus on worship. Kneeling and performing the sign of the cross add a physical connection to worship and employ another of my senses. I am learning to appreciate this new experience and the ways it can add meaning to my relationship with Christ.
Here at St. Edward’s, I’ve found a community of people who are deeply committed to one another and to their faith. Not everyone is Catholic, or necessarily religious. But we can, and do, learn from each other every day. The variety of beliefs and faiths represented on campus provide a good opportunity to reflect on my own faith, and where it needs strengthening in thought and action. At one of the start of school ceremonies, this was part of the prayer:
“Loving God...today you breathe into each of us a new opportunity to form community, seek truth and deepen our understandings of the universe around us”.
May we all be blessed with the challenge of new opportunities, and what it can mean for our faith, and for our world.
-- lisa
