Peace is Flowing like a River

Peace is flowing like a river,
Flowing out of you and me,
Flowing out into the desert,
Setting all the captives free.

We used to sing this song right after the sign of peace growing up. I always thought the words were pretty; they'd conjure up images of a river and a desert and rain and green plants. And while this imagery is beautiful, singing this song again after a year of campus missionary work, a whole new set of images and meanings came to mind.

Rather than just an abstract idea of "peace" that is somehow flowing out into this idyllic, almost mythological "desert", I thought of campus and the students there. I wouldn't say that the college campus is the typical place I would go to if I were looking for peace. But, we're always called to be peaceful, even at college. One of the ways I am blessed to be part of the New Evangelization is by sharing what it means to have peace in one's life, even amidst the stress and business of everyday life.

I like the idea of peace being like a river. Rivers seem to make such a happy sound. Just so, peace brings happiness. Those who have peace in their lives are joyful people! Rivers don't try to flow where they shouldn't. They are bound by the rules of gravity and erosion. They can't climb up a mountain, no matter how hard they try. Rivers are made to run from a high point to a low point. We work in the same way. There is a natural order to our existence. God has a plan for our lives, and when we follow that plan, we are filled with peace and joy. When we don't, when we try to carve out a path that isn't meant to be, we lose that peace and joy.

It's amazing how noticeable peace is, too. There is something about those students who are able to face the common stresses of college life with a calm courage and joy. They aren't caught up in their grades. They don't become overwhelmed and anxious at a long paper or project. Instead, they are able to adapt as necessary, and maintain focus on what matters most: their faith in Jesus Christ and His Church.

As a missionary, I hope to spread this same peace to the women in my Bible studies and on campus as a whole. Many students who seem to lack peace in their lives don't even realize it's missing. It's like they've been living in a desert for so long, that they don't remember what a river looks like. Sometimes they can be suspicious of trying to integrate peace in their own lives. After centering their lives on grades or friends, it's hard to see why changing their focus to Christ would be important, or how it would even be possible. Sometimes, on the other hand, they do see the importance and possibility of change. They see how peace can bring them happiness, and strive to make changes. It's never easy. Just as water flowing in to a desert doesn't cause growth overnight, having the desire for change doesn't cause change to immediately occur. But without that desire, peace will never come. Peace cannot be forced into one's life, but it can be invited in.

The Parable of the Vineyard

Over 30 students celebrated Mass at 6:30 am

The last day of classes didn't start by hitting the snooze button.
  ___________________

The Workers in the Vineyard.
Matthew 20:1-16
8 When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’ 9 When those who had started about five o’clock came, each received the usual daily wage. 10 So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. 11 And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’ 13 He said to one of them in reply, ‘My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? 14 Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? 15 [Or] am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?’

I've never really liked this passage. I knew it wasn't really about money, but even so, it never really seemed fair. I always thought, in the back of my mind, that Jesus wasn't giving the workers, who had been bearing "the day's burden and heat", their due. How could it be possibly be fair to pay everyone the same wage? Why shouldn’t those first hires be upset?

Last week Friday, the last day of classes at UMW, 31 students went to 6:30am Mass. It was amazing! We filled 3 pews, and took the priest totally by surprise. 31 students decided to begin their last day of class by waking up “insanely” early, as one student commented, and going to church. But a dedicated group of students, including the FOCUS team, had been going to 6:30am mass on a weekly basis all semester. It hardly seems like it would be fair for us to be recognized due to numbers, but not for the sacrifice made week after week for an entire academic year.

As I was sitting in my pew after communion, however, I was thinking about this passage from Matthew, and how I had totally misinterpreted it for so long. Being at mass, surrounded by 30 students, all I felt was an overwhelming joy! They finally made it! They finally made that sacrifice to wake up at 6am, get dressed, and walk over to the local parish. Praise God!

This is how those first vineyard workers should have reacted: With great rejoicing. They were supposed to have been happy for the workers who made the sacrifice to work for the Vineyard Owner, no matter how long they had been making those sacrifices, whether 8 hours or just a single one.

It’s so easy to become prideful in our own spiritual life. But that pride is misguided. It puts the call on our shoulders, on our response, instead of where it truly belongs—in Christs’s hands. He walked out among the people at different times throughout the day. Some He called in the morning—called to spend all day with Him, but also called to shoulder the heavy burdens of the work. Some were called later. They weren't strong enough to carry the full burden, but Christ still asked them to fully do what they were capable of. Some He didn't call until the very end. They were called to be a sign of hope. Hope for the first workers—their sacrifice of toil and labor did not go unheeded. Called to show how great God’s mercy is—there is nothing, no sin so great that God cannot overcome it.

I was overjoyed to see so many students come to 6:30am Mass. It was such a beautiful feeling of community. All of us were tired, every one of us would have rather been sleeping, but we were all there nonetheless. All answered Christ’s call to put Him first in our lives—even above sleep!

The Way of Trust and Love

Those who know me well know that I'm easily reading at least five books at any one time, and right now it's closer to ten. Some of them I've been  slowly working my way through, on and off, for years, while others I read through at a much faster pace.

I started reading Jacques Philippe's book, The Way of Trust and Love: A Retreat Guided by St. Therese of Lisieux, back in September, intending to read it in the week leading up to the feast of St. Therese as a sort of mini-retreat. The six chapters are short enough that reading one every day should easily be possible. I really enjoyed this short book. It was filled with insights from St. Therese herself, and Philippe's interpretations and expansions of those insights were helpful and easy. For anyone who is looking for an introduction to the writings of St. Therese, I highly recommend this book. I would also recommend it for anyone who is struggling to trust God or who would like good, practical suggestions for how to trust God in daily life.

Philippe discusses the importance of daily prayer, particularly daily reading of Scripture. He treats St. Therese in a very human way, showing her weaknesses and how she persevered to overcome those weaknesses. Philippe does not shy away from the fact that life is often difficult, or the harsh realities of our own defects and struggles. What he does is offer practical solutions to overcoming those hardships, looking to St. Therese as our example to follow.

Searching for and Maintaining Peace

I just finished reading Jacques Philippe's book Searching for and Maintaining Peace: A Small Treatise on Peace of Heart. Even though it is a short book, with just over 100 pages, it packed quite a punch!

Some highlights:
"God abides in peace and it is in peace that He accomplishes great things"

"When the Lord affirms that He gives peace, that He gives us peace, these words are divine words, words which have the same creative force as the words that brought the sky and the earth from the void, they carry the same weight as the words that quieted the storm, the words that healed the sick and brought the dead back to life. Since Jesus tells us, even twice, that He gives us His peace, we believe that this peace is never taken away."

"How many young people...hesitate to give their lives entirely to God because they do not have confidence that God is capable of making them completely happy."

"[God] desires our salvation more than we ourselves desire it."

It took me a few months to read through the whole book, even though it was short, because of how much material on which there was to meditate. More than anything else, it taught me how little peace I truly have, but how much peace I would like to have!

Seven Quick Takes, Vol. 9

--- 1 ---

Spring Break starts today and I've got a full week ahead of me! First up is Nottingham, PN for a FOCUS "Spiritual Bootcamp" retreat. I'm excited to participate, and to see many of the east coast missionaries that I haven't seen in awhile. Next stop is Virginia Beach for the annual CCM Beach Retreat! Finally, I'll be flying back home to WI to see my parents!

--- 2 ---

Although it will be a lot of travelling, I'm looking forward to it all. Spring break seems really early this year, but even so, I'm looking forward to a change of pace. I always enjoyed retreats in college, and the same goes for being a missionary. I've heard so many good things about the FOCUS Spiritual Bootcamp, and I'm excited to attend a retreat that will deal specifically with some of the issues that can occur in missionary life, like over-working, team life, and how to maintain zeal for the mission.

--- 3 ---

I'm excited to spend a few days at the beach as well. I have seen the ocean before, but it was when I was two years old, so I'm not sure it counts. For the retreat, the CCM rents a beach house for a few days. One of the rec rooms will be turned into a chapel where Father will celebrate Mass every day. Although it won't be quite as warm as it will be in the summer, we're hoping for nice weather. If it is chilly though, our polar plunge will be that much more exciting!

--- 4 ---

Going from the beach to Wisconsin will definitely be a change in scenery, but I do hope there's still snow on the ground when I get back home. We had a bit of a heat wave hit in Virginia this January, and it was so strange to be walking around in shorts and flip flops right after New Years. I don't think native Virginians realize how cold it is back home on a daily basis. Sure, it has gotten chilly here, and some days have even been downright cold, but the day-in-and-day-out experience is much more temperate. I brought back a bunch of my sweaters with me over Christmas in anticipation of some colder weather, but so far they've mostly just stayed in my closet.

--- 5 ---

Although I am looking forward to spring break, life on campus is going well! I am leading three small group Bible studies and mentoring six women. When we get back from break, four of them will be starting their own small groups! It's been so exciting to see the growth this semester. It's amazing to see the courage and dedication these women have had in pursuing Christ, and desiring His joy and peace for those in their lives.

--- 6 ---

Of the six women that I mentor, three of them attended SEEK2013 over Winter break. Two of them are starting small group Bible studies in a few weeks, and the third, Danielle, is hoping to lead a freshman small group next fall. It's so uplifting to know that she found small group important enough to desire to lead next year's freshmen closer to Christ through a small group Bible study.

--- 7 ---

Please pray for all the women I disciple, as they start their Bible studies!  It's easy to become discouraged when people turn down their invitations to join a small group, so pray that God gives them the perseverance to continue despite any set backs!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Second Semester!

Second semester has started! It actually started about a month ago, but it has kept me quite busy. We've seen tremendous growth this year at the University of Mary Washington. We currently have 51 students in 10 Bible studies, and 14 students in one-on-one discipleship with a missionary. It's incredible to see the growth in just a semester here. So many students have taken to the mission of FOCUS with such great zeal!

I am leading three studies with 24 total students, and have six women in discipleship. Three of those women will start leading their own small group Bible studies! Please keep them in your prayers as they prepare!

This work keeps me busy, but it is such rewarding work. It's so encouraging to see the excitement of Mary, Jen, and Melissa in getting ready for their Bible studies to start up in two weeks. They have been pushing themselves outside of their comfort zones in offering invitations to their friends and classmates. It's easy to forget, as a full-time missionary who talks about faith and Christ on a daily basis, that when we encourage our disciples to start Bible studies, we are encouraging them to talk about subjects that are often avoided. Asking those you know to come to a Bible study, to make it clear that you are Catholic and unashamed, is quite counter-cultural. I am so blessed to see their courage and fortitude, to pray with and for their success, and to persevere with them in the final hope of our salvation.

Happy Endings

The University of Mary Washington is about 70% women, which presents a lot of unique opportunities. On the one hand, it means I get to meet a lot of new people everyday since I primarily work with women. On the other hand, it means I have a lot of work to do.

With so many women, however, I end up talking a lot about vocations, particularly the vocation of marriage and, alongside it, the lack of men. It's hard to feel called to marriage, but to also know that you are only one half of that vocation. It's also hard to see two of my teammates married with children. Their wives are wonderful people, but sometimes jealousy creeps in, and it's difficult to not idealize the lives they have.

Mr. Bingley and Jane

I was watching the movie "Pride and Prejudice" with my sisters, and it got to the scene where Mr. Bingley is leaving Netherfield, his house near the Bennett family. With his leaving, he is also leaving behind Jane, who has fallen in love with him. As he was driving away, I said to my sister, "I wish life was like the movies. We know it's all going to work out. It's sad now, but in 45 minutes, they'll be back together and happy."

But life is like the movies! We don't have the pleasure of knowing exactly how things will work out, like we do for Jane and Mr. Bingley, but we do know that things will be happy in the end. Of course, this is all well and easy to say when life doesn't seem to be crumbling down around you, or when you aren't in tears because it doesn't seem fair that you have to wait, and the waiting is hard, and the waiting is longer than 45 minutes. In these moments, though, we get to look at the bigger picture: Jesus became man, lived here on earth with us and for us, died and rose again. He won. We will win. As long as there is faith and hope in Him, there will be happy endings.

Seven Quick Takes, Vol. 8

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From January 2-6, over 6000 college students attended the national FOCUS Conference, SEEK2013. It was the largest nation-wide event that FOCUS has ever hosted. Students from all 74 of the campuses where missionaries are stationed attended. There were also many more students that I had expected from non-FOCUS campuses! For example, the University of Miami brought 14 students, which is almost the same number of students we brought. It was so exciting to be surrounded by so many young people who were on fire for their faith, and interested in growing deeper in their relationship with Christ.

--- 2 ---

16 of those students were from the University of Mary Washington, an incredible turn-out for a first year campus. We had 9 women and 7 men come from Mary Washington and the near-by community college. It was amazing to see the friendships transform throughout the conference. Many of the students hadn't met before coming to SEEK, and they got to know each other well. We hope that these newly-formed relationships will remain throughout their college experience.

Most of the UMW women at SEEK.

--- 3 ---

It was an amazing experience! None of the students who attended had any regrets about coming, and all of them hope to return to a national conference, and bring along friends! One of the women from my small group even sent me a text message after we got back, thanking me for the invitation to attend conference and  the financial help that enabled her to go. It was a such a rewarding investment, to see her excitement and joy at SEEK, and knowing that the friendships she formed and encouragement she received will last her a lifetime!

--- 4 ---

There were some amazing speakers, from Curtis Martin, the founder of FOCUS; to Matthew Kelly, an internationally known Catholic speaker and bestselling author; to Leah Darrow, former contestant on America's Next Top Model who has an incredible testimony about her re-conversion to the faith. For the three main days of the talk, the men and women were divided into two groups by gender. It was awesome to hear a Catholic perspective on true womanhood, and how we can live a feminine life in a world that often tries to tell women who and what they are. I particularly enjoyed the session led by Helen Alvare, a law professor at George Mason University. She was a practicing lawyer and mother of two who offered great advice about how to be a wife, mother, and working woman. She encouraged us not to let anyone else define our lives for us, but to keep our sights focused on Christ and walk in His path alone.

--- 5 ---

I roomed with three of our students at the beautiful Swan and Dolphin Resort in Disney. I didn't know them particularly well before conference, and so I was excited to get to know them better. Unfortunately, I came to recognize that I was definitely more of a morning person than all three of them. While it was lights out for me around 11 pm, and wake up time was around 7 am, I'm not sure the students were ever in before midnight, and I had to make sure everyone was out of bed by 8:30 am, so we would make to mass by 9. But, it was great to hear their reactions to the talks, and I was able to have some conversations with the girls that I wouldn't have been able to have if I wasn't their roommate.

--- 6 ---

For the first time in months, I was able to reconnect with all the missionaries I went to school with and met at New Staff Training. It was so wonderful to see so many familiar faces, and to hear about the work the missionaries are doing on other campuses. I especially enjoyed catching up with Ryan and Samantha. The three of us all graduated from UW-Madison last year, and were good friends in college. I also got to eat lunch with Kourtney, my very first Bible study leader!

--- 7 ---

SEEK2013 was an incredible experience, so full of hope! From seeing all the students gathered in one place to celebrate Mass together, to hearing about the excitement of growing Bible studies on the many FOCUS campuses, to seeing all the priests and religious men and women who were available to the students and missionaries throughout conference. It was such a joyful week, and I can't wait to get back to campus to share that joy with all the students who weren't able to attend!

Two sisters join a group of students in a friendly game of basketball.

Three of the freshmen from my small group Bible study all dressed up for the 20s-themed swing dance!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

2012 in Review

As the year draws to a close, I thought it might be a good time to take a moment to reflect on the past year. So, here it is: 2012 in review.

January
I began my last semester as an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin! I also started to feel the pressure of having a thesis due in three short months. It was both a relief and slightly terrifying! Even though I wasn't a full-time student, I knew I had a tough semester ahead of me, with my part-time job, Bible study, discipleships, and finding time to enjoy Madison!

February
Lent began in February, and I decided to go big this year. I gave up meat for the whole forty days! It was a budget-friendly decision - meat, on average, costs much more than rice and beans, but also a spiritual one, as there was nothing that would prevent me from not eating meat. I originally thought it would be a really difficult sacrifice, like the way I would crave a cheeseburger every Friday during Lent in the past, but it ended up being much different than I imagined. I found I really didn't dream about eating meat as much as I expected. In fact, there are so many different non-meat options, that my diet hardly suffered at all.* The hardest part was eating out at restaurants, and not being able to order 90% of what was on the menu.
*Except when I really wanted shepards pie, but couldn't use hamburger. I tried using barley with extra sauce as a substitute, but it really didn't turn out at all. I had rubbery barley and mushy mashed potatoes with a sauce that really suffered from not having the hamburger flavor. I ate the whole thing as a sacrifice, and even tried not to complain!

March
I realized that turning 22 isn't quite as fun as turning 21. I don't even remember whether or not I had a birthday party to be honest! But a good friend, whose birthday is just a few days after mine, turned 21 and had a big celebration. I had so much fun baking a cake for her, and seeing her excitement, that whatever I did has totally slipped my mind! March was also unseasonably warm, and I remember being so happy to ditch the winter boots and bring out the sundresses and sandals!

April
With just over a month left of school, April was crunch-time. I realized that if my thesis was ever going to get written, I needed to start writing, and writing fast! I also saw looming deadlines in my other classes, and smaller deadlines for papers and projects that become more of a nuisance than anything. I also started to realize that I might have bitten off more than I could chew with work and Bible studies! I ended up having to cut back a little to finish my school work, but, in the end it all worked out and my thesis got done.

May
Graduation! After four years of hard work and dedication, I finally graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with degrees in History and Religious Studies. It was a bittersweet moment. I was incredibly proud to have made it through my time at the UW, but it was harder than I thought it would be to leave behind all my friends that I had grown so close to over four years. Of course, I'm still close to so many of my friends, but it takes a lot more effort now that we don't see each other on a daily or even weekly or monthly basis.

My sisters and I at graduation

June

I was at FOCUS New Staff Training, colloquially known as "Summer Training" or NST, for the whole month of June. It was a really difficult transition for me, to graduate from the UW and one week later be back in classes. I also found it hard to come from UW-Madison, where I encountered a wide variety of people with many different opinions, to NST, where everyone that I saw was a Catholic missionary. It was wonderful in some ways, to know that we were all striving for holiness together, without any of the first years really having a good sense of what we would be encountering in the next few months with fundraising and transitioning to campus, but I really struggled with feeling so homogeneous.

Me (second right) with FOCUS missionaries at NST

July
Fundraising, fundraising, and more fundraising! I spent the whole month meeting with people to tell them more about FOCUS and the mission work I would be doing for the next two years, and inviting them to join me! At times it got really tiring and prayer was the only thing that helped me through it all, but it also was really amazing to reconnect with old friends and meet some new faces! I particularly enjoyed meeting so many parishioners at St. Agnes Parish, where I grew up and have worshiped with for years, but never knew! Now, whenever I go to mass there, I always know at least one other person and often more. I love feeling so connected with a community back home.

August
At the beginning of the month, I packed up almost everything I owned, and traveled across the country to Virginia, my new home! Oh my goodness! I learned to trust God SO MUCH over the summer, with fundraising, and I got to trust Him just a little bit more in moving. It's funny to think that almost everyone that I see on a daily basis I met just a few months ago, and that the place I now call home was totally unknown to me before August 10!

September
It was so hard to transition from student to missionary! I had no clue what I was doing half the time, and I struggled to figure out how to relate to the students as a missionary, and not as a fellow student. While I am still their peer in many ways, I am also a representative of the Church and a living witness to Christ. Talk about pressure! I'll be the first to admit that it wasn't always easy. There were many sleepless nights of wondering whether or not I'd said or done the right thing. At times, I thought for sure all the students hated me and that I was the worst missionary in the history of the world! And then I would realize I was being dramatic, and just kept on working, knowing that "all things work for good for those who love God" (Romans 8:28 - a Bible verse that has gotten me through many rough times this semester).

October
By the end of the month, Halloween, I finally felt like Virginia was home. I knew more of the students on a deeper level, my teammates and I had gotten into a routine, and I more or less knew my way around Fredericksburg. It also helped that I was able to visit Wisconsin for about a week! Although it was nice to be back at the UW and at my parents' house, neither of those places were home. I know more people living in Fredericksburg than I do in Green Bay. St. Paul's, UW's campus Catholic church, held more unfamiliar faces than familiar ones. Returning to campus was difficult, but it was nice to return to my ordinary pattern of living.

Susie and I went as "hawaiian punch" for Halloween

November

I (finally!) visited Washington, DC with Susie and a fellow UW grad who lives in the city. It was so much fun to see our nation's capital. It was a beautiful day, so we walked around to all the monuments, and stopped briefly in the American History Museum to see the original American flag they have there. Stepping outside of campus life for the weekend was a lot of fun. Sometimes I feel like my life is on display, like my actions are always being judged and noticed by teammates and students. And for the most part, it's true. As a missionary, I do have a responsibility to represent myself well because it doesn't go unnoticed. But, at the same time, even if I wasn't a missionary, I would still have the responsibility as a Catholic to represent myself and the Church well.

Susie and I at the Virginia pillar of the World War II memorial in Washington, DC

December

I'm 25% of the way done with my FOCUS mission work! Now that I've started to make the transition from student to missionary, I'm starting to prepare for the next transition: missionary to student. Specifically, studying for the LSAT, the Law School Admission Test. But first, I'll just enjoy spending time with my family, being back in the midwest, and the snow! If I've learned anything from being a missionary, it's that life is best handled one day at a time!

Merry Christmas!

Some Wisdom from G.K. Chesterton

Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly. - G.K. Chesterton

G.K. Chesterton
1874-1936

With Thanksgiving Break over, the semester is winding down. Our team is preparing for the end-of-semester evaluations, both of our personal work and of our overall effectiveness on campus as a team. It has meant a lot of introspection and analysis, and for some reason, this quote by G.K. Chesterton came to mind. I had read it a while ago online somewhere, and it's stuck with me.

It's easy to get caught up in the numbers: 17 women in small groups, over 100 holy hours and Masses, 2 women in one-on-one mentorship. But these numbers don't even begin to tell the story of what this semester as a missionary has taught me. More often than not, these numbers make me feel like a failure. On a campus of 4,000+ students, I only have 17 of them in small group Bible studies.

These words came to mind on a morning when I seemed to get stuck in the "failure" of it all. They gave me such a beautiful reminder of the hope that is inherent in all that we do. If I would have waited until things were "perfect," I would never have made it out here, and 17 women wouldn't have gotten to know Christ in a deeper way through Bible study. 2 women wouldn't have been taught how to share their joy and enthusiasm to help others come to know Christ.

The timing will never be perfect. Perfection is Heaven, and outside of it, things can always be better. The important thing is to not let the circumstances stop you. Just get started, knowing that we will never get things just exactly right. But if the work is worth doing, it's worth doing it poorly.

The Top Five Things of Being a FOCUS Missionary!

I wrote a guest post for my friend Molly's blog! You can read it here: Tuesday Five: Being a FOCUS Missionary. Enjoy!

Washington, D.C.!

This past Sunday, my roommate Susie and I went to Washington, D.C. to do the "touristy" things! My friend Patrick, who graduated with me from UW-Madison, works for one of the courts in DC. I was happy to see a familiar face, and see DC with people who knew their way around! I visited most of the monuments and the American History Museum. I had so much fun, but there's still so much to see!

Here I am at the Lincoln Memorial!

The Washington Monument. We had a perfect day--sunny  and clear!

Patrick and I at the Wisconsin pillar of the World War II Memorial, commemorating the deaths of soldiers from WI. 

A quote by FDR, from the FDR Memorial, that I really liked!

Year of Faith Companion

Magnificat's "Year of Faith Companion"

The UMW Campus Chaplain, Fr. Edlefsen, ordered The Magnificat "Year of Faith Companion" for all of the FOCUS Missionaries on campus. The booklet contains a short reading for everyday of the Year of faith, usually only a few paragraphs long. The short readings are either a prayer, or a poem, or a meditation, or an explanation of a section of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, or a profile of a Biblical figure.

My favorite readings so far have been the profiles of Biblical women. The Companion started with Adam and Eve and seems to be working its way through the Bible. The profiles are interesting on a number of different levels. I have found I don't actually know much about some of the women profiled, or when I do know who they are, I've never bothered to reflect on them as human beings.

My favorite profile so far has been on Sarah, the wife of Abraham. The author of the passage reflected on Sarah's role in dealing with the aftermath of Abraham's attempted sacrifice of Isaac (Genesis 22). The Bible doesn't mention Sarah in the story, but she was there to care for Isaac after he was almost killed by his father. She was there to comfort Abraham as he struggled to carry out the Lord's commandment.

As I was reflecting on Sarah, I imagined that Abraham probably didn't tell her what he was up to that morning, when he took Isaac up to the mountain on God's orders. And when she found out what happened, I feel like she might not have been particularly pleased with Abraham's actions. After all, Isaac was her son, too. Her only son, in very male-dominated culture.

Flipping through the pages of the booklet, I'm excited to learn more about different Biblical figures, some of whom I have never heard of. And some of the meditations come from Hans Urs von Balthasar, my favorite Catholic theologian!

Some Wisdom from Von Balthasar

"When you say Yes to God unconditionally, you have no idea how far this Yes is going to take you.  Certainly farther than you can guess and calculate beforehand… but just how far and in what form? At the same time, this Yes is the sole, non-negotiable prerequisite of all Christian understanding, of all theology and ecclesial wisdom."   ~ Hans Urs Von Balthasar

Hans Urs von Balthasar
1905-1988

Last year at this time, I was knee deep in dense, heavy theological works by and about Hans Urs von Balthasar. Although I definitely don't miss the long reading schedule, I do sometimes miss von Balthasar. Call me crazy, but spending a year and a half intensively reading the works of one man (and barely making a dent in his over 100 published works) made me a little attached to him. An embarrassing anecdote to illustrate this point: I had finally finished the last formal biography of von Balthasar, which ended on his funeral, and I started crying! In my defense, the author painted a very moving portrait of the event and listed all the ways in which von Balthasar would be missed, but I had gotten a little bit emotionally attached to this little Swiss priest who seemed to embody childlike humility and humor in his writings.

My favorite work to read of his was Unless You Become Like this Child. Written in 1988, it was one of his last published works, meant specifically for John Paul II, who was a close personal friend of von Balthasar's. It was such a beautiful reflection on spiritual childhood, that it almost seemed irreverent to have to breeze through it to maintain my reading schedule. I do hope to read it again in the near future, and take the time to reflect on the words of von Balthasar.

Pork Chops with Mustard-Caper Sauce

After Fall Break, Susie and I were getting low on food, and hadn't had time to go grocery shopping yet. We did, however, have all the ingredients for pork chops with mustard and capers, sauteed spinach, and rice. I love this dish, and it's really easy to make!

For the pork chops & sauce:

• 3 pork chops
• 2 T olive oil
• pepper

Heat the olive oil in a pan until it shimmers. Season the pork chops with pepper, and cook until the pork is cooked through, about 5-10 min on each side. Rest pork on a plate while sauce is cooking

• 1 1/2 c chicken broth
• 1/4 c dijon mustard
• 2 T capers, drained and rinsed
• 1 T rosemary
• 2 T unsalted butter

In the same pan used to cook the pork chops, slowly add the chicken broth. Add in mustard, capers, rosemary, and butter. Bring to a boil. Let the sauce reduce to about half, add the pork back to the pan. Keep at a boil while the sauce continues to reduce.

For the spinach:

• fresh or frozen spinach
• 1 T butter
• 1/2 t garlic
• pepper
• 1 T lemon juice

While the pork is in the pan and the sauce is reducing, melt the butter in another pan. Add in the garlic and spinach. Stir the spinach so that it has all wilted. Let it cook until the sauce finishes reducing. Stir in pepper and lemon juice. 

Serve over rice, and enjoy!

The finished product!

7 Quick Takes, Vol. 7

--- 1 ---

I was able to spend five days in Wisconsin this past weekend! It was wonderful to see friends and family again, for the first time in months. I was sent home by my FOCUS Regional Director in order to fundraise more. I’m just short of the minimum amount FOCUS would like all their missionaries to raise, but I jumped at the chance to spend a few days at home. It was difficult to focus on work, when I was surrounded by friends and family all weekend. I did get a little bit of work in, but I think I spent most of my time socializing!

--- 2 ---

One week ago, on Friday, I spent the day in Madison. My sister made me breakfast—homemade cinnamon rolls! We ate together and then went to daily Mass. It was absolutely wonderful to be back at the UW, hearing Fr. Eric give a homily. I have a wonderful priest in Virginia, but it was a nice change to hear Fr. Eric telling jokes on the altar during his homily!

--- 3 ---

I spent the rest of the afternoon catching up with old friends—classmates, roommates, women who were in my Bible study. Although I try to stay in touch with everyone back home, there’s something different about talking to people in person. I definitely enjoyed hearing about how medical school was going for my friend Betsy, how St. Vincent de Paul Society was taking off for Mykenzie, or how Krista was adjusting to life as an intern. I loved being back, but it also made leaving more difficult than I thought it would be, knowing that I wouldn’t be back in Madison for another two months at the earliest.

--- 4 ---

I stayed the weekend in Kenosha, WI at the Holy Rosary Rectory. I had never stayed in a rectory (the building where a parish priest lives), and it was incredibly generous for the priests to allow me to stay there! I had a whole suite of rooms to myself—a bedroom, sitting room, and bathroom! It was so much more than I was expecting. It was a little disconcerting when I would hear creaks in the night. The rectory is a huge old building, so it wasn’t unexpected, but I still jumped a little bit.

--- 5 ---

On Saturday, I got to visit my friend Ellen, who was my roommate last summer, in Milwaukee. We ate lunch in the Milwaukee Public Market, which was really cool! The Milwaukee Public Market has a bunch of food stands—bakeries, a candy stand, a coffee shop, and a lot of ethnic foods. I got chicken curry, which was delicious! We also went to the Milwaukee Art Museum, which was really cool! There were some really beautiful pieces, but also some that were a little strange. The building itself is a work of art—it’s built to look like a ship, and is located right on the shores of Lake Michigan. You can see the shoreline with trees, which were all in color for fall. The man-made art was great, but nothing can beat the beauty of nature! We would have walked along the shore a little, but it rained the whole time we were there.

--- 6 ---

I came home to Green Bay on Monday, and spent the afternoon with my Mom. It was so nice to see her, and spend time with her. Talking on the phone is great, but, again, there’s nothing like a face-to-face conversation. We made my favorite foods for dinner during the week—taco salad and white chicken chili! I love being home, where I can eat good food without having to put in the work! Although, I don’t really mind cooking when I have to!

--- 7 ---

I left Wednesday morning, but on Tuesday, I was able to see my friend Rachel who works in Appleton. Rachel and I were both religious studies majors at Wisconsin, and are now both doing work for the Catholic Church. Rachel is working for Spiritus, and organization that puts on retreats for confirmations and other students in Green Bay and the Fox Valley. It was wonderful to see her, and hear how her work is doing. We found that are jobs are really similar in some ways, but very different in others.


I’m back in Virginia now, unpacked, and ready to get back to my normal schedule next week!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Year of Faith

Today is the first day of the Year of Faith! My roommate and teammate Susie is in Rome right now, and went to the opening Mass, celebrated by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. The Year of Faith will help support the New Evangelization, provide resources on the celebration that is the Mass, and help each Catholic learn how to make the faith more personal. It will help promote a re-conversion of every soul to Christ and help us to be better witnesses to the faith in our everyday life.

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonish one another in all wisdom […] And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him" (Col 3:16-17).

Read the whole address given by Pope Benedict at http://www.ncregister.com/blog/edward-pentin/popes-homily-at-opening-mass-of-year-of-faith#ixzz290HBtVUk

A is for Attic

I am currently leading two Bible studies: one for freshmen and one for upperclassmen. My upperclassmen study meets Thursday evenings in Lee Hall, one the main campus buildings. This past Thursday, one of the women who comes noticed that the elevator had a level "A", and decided that we all should go with her to see what level A was all about.

We thought it might have stood for Atrium, and were expecting large conference rooms and other administrative offices. But the elevator doors opened onto a small room with a few dust-covered boxes. There was also a ladder that led up to either the roof or an electrical box. One of the women, Mary, climbed up the ladder and tried to open the door, but couldn't get it opened. Although, in hindsight, that might have been a good thing.

We thought it the space was pretty cool, and took a few minutes to look around, explore everything in our small surroundings. We had finished looking around when we realized the elevator call button wasn't working. We could push the button, but the light wouldn't go on. And then we realized you needed a key to call the elevator. But we weren't panicking because there was still a door, which we could tell led to the stairwell. Except that door was also locked. We were legitimately trapped in the attic of Lee Hall. 

Thankfully, we did have cell reception! So Tracy, another member of the study, called her boyfriend to please come to Lee Hall and take the elevator to A but told him to not get off the elevator! Once we all knew we were only stuck for a few minutes more, we broke down and started laughing hysterically. Who gets trapped in an attic of an academic building?!? The look on Tracy's boyfriend's face when the elevator doors opened was priceless.

And now we know what the A stands for.

Flat Tire

I walked out of the CCM today, and found that my car had a flat tire. It had been going a little flat a few weeks ago, but a teammate used his bike pump to fill it up, and there didn't seem to be too many problems after that. Until now; when it was very noticeably flat. I even tried to drive on it, to see if I could make it over to the shop, but as soon as I started backing out of my parking spot, I knew there was no way I would make it with my tire in the shape that it was.

Before leaving for Virginia, my dad, with great foresight, taught me how to put on the spare tire. Fortunately for me, however, another teammate was around who actually knew what he was doing! (I probably could have gotten the tire off eventually, but Rob was able to do in easily half the time it would have taken me.) Unfortunately for Rob, however, the tire was stuck to the car, like really stuck. It was not coming off! He tried, and then a student tried, we sprayed WD-40 on it, but it just wouldn't budge.

So we left the flat tire on, and just filled it up with air so that I could bring it in. We found a bike pump in the shed, my teammate filled it up again, and I drove it over to Sears. Which is where I am now, catching up on some work and waiting for them to return my car! So far, it's been a great opportunity to practice patience...