International Students

Over the course of last year and already this year we are seeing a regular group of international students joining the parish community for worship on Sundays.  The challenges of education are amplified by the sudden change in cultural context. 

Culture is one of those things we don't think much about.  It is really part of the furniture, what we take for granted about ourselves and often about others.  We suddenly stop taking it for granted when we up to our eyeballs in something we might think of as "foreign". 

"First Light" Celebration
at Ste.-Marie-Among-the-Hurons
Midland, Ontario, Winter 2013

In Canada, even things like the climate stand out.  If you are from a hot country the thought of the cold can be a bit scary.  My own climatic fears involve insects and reptiles. 

Here's a little practical observation.  There are things in your life to-date that will actually help you to thrive in this new context.  And there are some things that can weigh you down.  Many cultures, for example, are used to having extended family members nearby and visiting often.  Here, distance is a bigger factor.  And while we can virtually visit with things like Skype, it is not really the same because our loved ones are elsewhere living in a different context.  We need our network of support and we need to have the confidence to branch out and discover things that are new. 

Coming to a new country for education is much more than just going to school.  Even without trying you will be changed by the experience.  I hope a very important question remains on your mind:  "How can we help one another and learn from each other?"  In faith this is even more important.  It is like finding a whole new facet in our relationship with Christ, as we discover the new ways that God works in others. 

This conversation is one that will be ongoing.  I'd love to hear your observations. 

Keeping up the Prayer Life While Getting Immersed In School

Being young and jumping into new things just seems pretty natural.  The certainties of the past, however, - at least some of them - might have been left behind.  It could be that you are doing your own laundry.  At first freedom around meals might seem attractive, but there is a limit to junk food consumption. 

The rhythm of school also can be off-putting.  The more reason to get in a prayer groove.  You may have some traditional prayers you like.  The Rosary is especially good. 

Sometimes with the best of intentions fatigue and disorganization can take over a bit.  Could I recommend an app?  Why, I think I could.  I found an iPhone app called "Pray-as-you-go".  It is a daily reflection built around the readings and takes you on a bit of a guided meditation with more than enough freedom to reflect quietly and dispose yourself to the Lord.  The music is particularly relaxing and beautiful.  Well done.  Simple and inviting users to prayer and the fruitful reception of God's Word. 

So in the midst of the hurly-burly of school why not try it out. 

Death & Resurrection - Easter and the End of the Semester

Sometimes it feels that a faith journey through Lent and then to Easter is out of step with the rhythms of the school year.  Even in my seminary days, exams often coincided with Holy Week.  It was hard to feel in a mood of openness in the midst of the pressures to meet deadlines and prepare for exams. 

And we can feel a little like we are losing some grip -- not enough sleep, prayers suffering, eating not so regular and maybe even some grumpiness. 

Window in St. Severin, Paris of St. Vincent de Paul

My spiritual director used to say, "Anything worth doing is worth doing . . . badly."  That didn't mean to slack off, but it meant that when we need to keep our shoulder to the wheel we needn't worry about aesthetics - how beautiful the result.  The important thing is doing it, and to be at peace with that. 

Recently we read in John's Gospel that oh so human question of Thomas:  "Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"  In response, Jesus says loudly that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  Thomas and all of us who wonder at life can come to Him. 

What's Next?

The end of the year is in sight and whether you are finishing only one of several years of education or you are coming to the end of a program, that question is real:  What's next? 

From the memory of a middle-aged priest, I can say that the landscape has changed.  In my days in university people were often preparing for a clear career with strong possibilities of permanent and stable employment.  In a world now where the basis of national economies are shifting quickly I don't think such job security is nearly so obvious. 

Maybe landing fully into the adult world is like the race of the tortoise and the hare.  The tortoise wins the race.  In other words, the development of healthy independence may happen the best in clear sensible steps. 

One doesn't want to be an eternal student.  On the other hand, one doesn't want to be locked in when uncertainty really still reigns.  There are definite ways to approach discerning what is God's will for us.  St. Ignatius of Loyola is very explicit about it.  I think it is also true that it is important to dialogue a bit between theory and practice.  In other words, it is good to get your hands dirty.  Summer jobs, even those that seem totally unrelated to one's education can have great benefits.  They expose us to work.  Despite the work involved in getting an education, the work involved in a job is much more directly linked to responsibility to others.  It could be customers, fellow employees or even the safety of members of the public.  Good reality therapy! 

You may even find that at the end of your formal education you need to do some full-time employment while looking for a more ideal job.  A bit of creativity might build a bridge.  If one is willing, a little education or apprenticeship for a more in demand sort of job if combined with other education already acquired could be advantageous. 

Reality will arrive and it should not be unduly delayed and it is really a good thing.  The first step in the spiritual life is to know oneself; only then can you really ask the question where is God leading me?  It is important to be at home with the choices we make but it is also important to make decisions and follow through in a committed way.  Only then, can you really judge whether you are moving in the right direction. 

A relief in the Garden of Gethsamane

So be at peace.  One step at a time.  Finish the year well. Make the decisions you need to and follow through.  There is no warranty program in life.  Carpe diem.  Take the day! 

Our Lord came to give us life and to give it to the full.  In youth we are discovering how the gifts human and spiritual that we have received are to be applied to live our lives fully, to find and express our vocation.  As the end of the semester approaches and the conclusion of Lent may you be blessed. 

Approaching Reading Week: Grounded & Filled with Hope

As kids, the summer is a great span of time.  Now, a year goes by very quickly.  We are just about 3/4 of the way there through the academic year.  Beyond the studies, much is going on.  Basic directions in life are becoming more solidified and the taste of realism is becoming more acute.  A clearer picture of life choices is emerging. 

While the world we are living in almost encourages us to delay growing up, we don't have to fear that our inner child is going to disappear.  In the spiritual life there is an old saying:  "Feet on the ground; eyes toward Christ." 

The transition into adulthood is not just about making one's own choices and finding a way to make a living.  Part of it is also the realization of the different ways that we need to become a little more complete. 

From my perspective now thirty years after graduating from university, I can say that my parents missed a couple of chapters in the parenting book, but that they did a pretty good job!  But that meant that in my late twenties and into my thirties I did burn some calories trying to fill in the gaps. 

It's tempting sometimes simply to rebel at least against some things.  It is also true that we cannot simply reprogram ourselves.  Things that got under our skin when we were younger may still bug us as we mature. 

The moral life is all about living in the context of divine love:  receiving love and being thankful for it, and returning love to God to others.  Our feet standing on the ground tell us that life isn't always fair or easy and our own desires to be good and true and faithful are sometimes fraught with our failings too.  But our eyes looking toward Christ and our ears and heart deeply listening remind us that in the texture of our very real lives is a deep constancy.  We are loved. 

In the old days, the saints wrote about avoiding being too attached and sometimes readers thought that they meant we should become detached from passionate living.  We are built for deep commitment and love, so healthy passion comes right along for the ride. 

In school it can be that we become too attached.  What if I don't do so well in school?  Does school define you?  It is good to work and to use our talents and gifts as well as we can but that is not who we are.  Our deepest attachment then need to be for things that answer an aspiration whose answer truly is, "Yes."  Are we built to receive and share love that takes us beyond ourselves?  Yes! 

So as you continue to make important steps on your journey remember where the deeper longings lie. 

Church of the Holy Sepulchre:  From here, Jesus, rose.  The place of the Heart of Love.