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April 1 , 2012
A New Way to View the World
This past November, MEC Senior, Laura Kuhlman attended the Theology of the Body Congress in Rome organized by Regina Apostolorum, the Legionary University in Rome. Inspired by the her experience at the congress she decided to jump back into Theology of the Body 101 by attending Christopher West’s Theology of the Body 1: Head & Heart Immersion Course a few weeks ago in Quarrysville, Pennsylvania.
After returning from the five-day course filled with conferences, prayer, and fellowship, Laura shared with me the great impact the course had made on her.
One of the main things the course gave her is a new way to look at the world. Like many of us cradle Catholics Laura had a more “defensive” view of the “bad things” that are present in our world. Perhaps it has something to do with human nature and our “fight or flight” instinct before danger; many times when faced before the evils of the world we tend to flee or guard ourselves. However, Laura shares that the teachings of Theology of the Body gave her a third option before such “dangers”:
“All in all, this experience awoke me to a new, truer way of thinking, of seeing the world and everything in it,” Laura said. “Rather than approaching reality in a defensive way (I have to guard myself from everything that's 'bad'), it freed me to realize that I can find good ... God... in everything because everything God created he made good! All the devil can do is twist the good, but if I allow Christ to "untwist" it through his grace, I can use everything as an opportunity to draw near to God.”
This has been a huge gift for Laura and for our community. Throughout the past weeks, she has constantly been using this new way of looking at the world to search for God in everything- beginning with the desires of her own heart. In different conversations we have had Laura constantly reminds me that our hearts always desire good and therefore God –even those desires that don’t seem to be good at all are a desire for good that has been twisted. One beautiful story from the course that she shared with me was of a man who would from time to time look at pornography –finally he realized that he needed God’s grace to overcome all the images he had in his head. He decided to go to adoration and while in prayer heard God asking him to give him each image –so he did, one by one, until he reached the last one –Our Lady holding him to her heart. In that moment, he realized that behind his desire for pornography was really his desire to be loved and held by his Heavenly Mother.
It has been quite the experience to watch and hear Laura take the teachings of Theology of the Body and apply them to daily life. However since she is a MEC senior, her new outlook on the world will not stop here. Next year as she heads out for her first assignment she’ll be able to use this new way of looking at the world to reach souls in a very real way especially in light of the New Evangelization the Church and Holy Father are calling us all to.
“I see Theology of the Body as a major force for the New Evangelization because it touches our deepest desires as human beings--the desire to love and to be loved-- and quenches our thirst with the message of Christ who pours out his mercy on our hearts,” Laura said.
Along with a new way of looking at the world and a tool for the mission, the course gave her a new way of understanding love. Theology of the Body teaches that marriage is a sacrament representing the love of Christ for his Church –that is every single person. God invites us all to have an intimate and personal relationship with him. What Laura shares about love is true for each one of us:
“Theology of the Body freed me to understand love and my call to love in a whole new way. There's always more love in Jesus and he will draw me deeper into his grace little by little as long as I leave the doors of my heart open to him."
Febuary 1 , 2012
Graduation Date Confirmed
Mater Ecclesiae College Graduation Date Confirmed for June 23, 2012
February 1, 2012 Lauren Hawkesworth, Vice Director of student affairs, holds meeting with senior class to confirm date for Mater Ecclesiae College’s second graduation.
GREENVILLE, RHODE ISLAND—With exams over and the second semester underway Lauren Hawkesworth, Vice Director of Student affairs, held a meeting with the graduating class of 2012 last Wednesday morning to share exciting news. The topic: Graduation.
She announced that during the board meeting, held earlier that week, the date for Mater Ecclesiae College’s second graduation is now officially confirmed for June 23, 2012.
“I couldn’t believe it. With exams and working on my capstone project I had almost forgotten about graduation…well except for the fact that we have this cute little teddy bear on the teacher’s desk wearing a cap and gown and holding a diploma that’s been staring at us since the first day of classes this year. Still it was nice to start talking about all the details. I can’t believe we’re almost done!” Ale Curiel, a graduating senior from Mexico, shared with me when I asked her what she thought about the meeting.
When asked for her thoughts about the graduation Catherine Smith, a graduating senior from New Zealand, said:
“Graduations aren’t really a big deal in New Zealand. I was surprised to see how much work went into last year’s graduation. It will be interesting to experience graduating in the United States.”
It is true, with the threat of rain and it being Mater Ecclesiae’s first graduation ever, the work that went into last year’s graduation was incredible on the part of the faculty, staff, and the entire student body. However, Miss Hawkesworth has assured the senior class that things will run more smoothly this year now that we know how things run.
Nicole Stone, a graduating senior from Minnesota, sums up what graduation means for this year’s senior class and the entire Mater Ecclesiae College community:
“I’m just excited to finally walk across that stage, because for us it means so much more than just obtaining a college degree. It means the end of four years of studies but also of a lot of prayer, a spiritual and human journey, and many beautiful experiences. It’s bittersweet because it means a triumph over so many obstacles and challenges, a new beginning, but also a good-bye to those who’ve really become my sisters.”
Let’s keep the senior class in our prayers during their last four months as they continue to prepare themselves in prayer and studies for the mission that lies ahead of them.
February 1 , 2012
Lies
A few months ago when I asked Kathleen, one of my best friends from high school, how her spiritual life was going she said:
“I guess my spiritual life is going well –but that may just be because I’m so distracted by material things right now…”
Who would have guessed four years ago as we were curtseying on our graduation stage (a southern bell tradition) that life would have brought us to this point in our lives. We are both on the brink of what for as long as I can remember people call “real life” –that is the transition from college to the working world.
Those who have or are living it know that it is a chaotic time- more so for someone graduating with a visual arts major. During the past few months, Kathleen has been preparing her portfolio, studying for the GRE looking into masters programs, and searching for part time jobs. Perhaps it is natural that her spiritual life has taken a back seat in the all of the craziness.
I answered with understanding and encouragement, asking her to put God in the first place. But I kept thinking about her answer.
A few days later, I was in confession and Father told me a story that shed a lot of light on what I had been considering.
A little eaglet once fell into a chicken coop. The mother hen thought she was one of her own so she raised her as a chicken. One day when she was a little older, a huge shadow crossed over the chickens as they were pecking on the ground. When they looked up, they saw an eagle soaring above them. The mother hen looked around at her chicks and told them, “That is an eagle, the queen of the skies.” The little eaglet thought to herself I would like to fly like that but we are only chickens.
What if I told you that like that little eaglet we are all meant to fly –that is we are all meant to be holy, to be saints, to love God above all else, but the devil, with his lies, traps us –making us believe that we are only chickens.
C.S. Lewis was on to something in the Screwtape Letters when he portrays Screwtape (a devil) advising his nephew Wormwood to distract and confuse his “charge” rather than outright tempt him.
Our world has been bathed by the enemy’s lies causing massive confusion. We need only turn on the TV or look into our thoughts to find some: confusing true love for lust, happiness for pleasure, and real (eternal) life for temporal and material well being. However, his biggest one is the simple lie that we are only chickens. That is that we are not good or strong enough to be holy.
He is wrong. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13)
Before this knowledge, we have a few options: to get mad, give up, or fight. Thankfully, knowledge is power. It is easier to battle the enemy’s traps once you are aware of his favorite tactic: distraction via lies. Remember this is a battle worth fighting for –the prize of eternal life.
November 19, 2011
Around Mater Ecclesiae College
Mater Ecclesiae College also is Mater Ecclesiae Family.
Last year’s first annual “huge yard sale” showcased the family side. The MEC administration team proposed the project, but everyone participated. Students, faculty and staff gathered items to be sold from all over the campus; designed, printed and posted flyers; and staffed the yard sale beginning at 6am on a Saturday morning. All of this was done in the name of fundraising and, to the delight of many, produced a less-cluttered college.
However, while some of the older “sisters” of the family were off chatting with neighbors, attending to customers, and making some money that morning, some rising seniors (me included) discovered the truth in the saying: One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
In the slowly emptying garage, we discovered  five bikes. Now at first glance the bikes seemed well –old. However, upon taking them out for a ride they opened up a new world for MEC students.
Bikes have an incredible capacity to get you somewhere that would have taken you 1 hour walking and 40 minutes running within 25-minutes while allowing you to appreciate the outdoors in a way cars simply cannot.
Let’s just say we have never enjoyed and appreciated our neighborhood so much or had so many adventures. It turns out that by taking a left onto Austin Avenue about 10-minutes of biking landed us in the orchards and the country where we’ve enjoyed the friendship and apples of the Steere’s and Mr. Leach.
(Some bike riders: Carolina T. and Ale C.)
Two other much-loved adventures are the 5-mile and 8-mile loops. Depending on how much time you have and what sort of challenge you are up for these loops provide it all: beautiful scenery, fresh air, shade, and quite the work out. As many seniors can attest to, they also provide a nice environment to chat and the physical workout to relieve the normal stress of being a college senior. However, you must be warned that the steep hills of the 8-mile loop can be quite the challenge. Thankfully charity reigns at the college and it’s not uncommon for a group of bike riders to wait at the top of a hill as a few walk their bikes.
 The latest discovery was made a few weeks ago. It turns out that if you cross into the neighborhood in front of MEC about a 15-minute bike ride through a few neighborhoods, if you know the way, will find you at the perfect spot to view the Sprague Lower Reservoir surrounded by the changing colors of the fall leaves on some little hills.
These sites and adventures are enjoyed by the entire MEC family now, faculty and staff included. On Sundays, many people enjoying walking the newly discovered “trails” and chatting. I guess you can say our little piece of heaven just got a little bigger.
(The Ravine)
Danielle Sweers is a consecrated woman of Regnum Christi and a junior at Mater Ecclesiae College. Only three years ago, she was studying for her nursing degree but something just didn’t seem right.
“The truth is I was already thinking about going to Steubenville to study theology.”
But why?
In one of Danielle’s psychology classes the teacher asked the students to think about what they wanted to do in five years. Danielle’s answer:
“I want to be evangelizing the youth”.
I asked Danielle if her answer had surprised her but she told me God had been leading her. Earlier that year she had attended a retreat and deeply experienced God’s mercy.
“I began to realize that my life was more than taking care of bodies.”
So how did she end up consecrated and at MEC? It’s a big switch from a nursing student to consecrated woman.
In November of 2008, Danielle met consecrated Lisa Dwan at a Pure Fashion retreat.
“I really just showed up. I had this restlessness to give and to help when a woman I knew told me about Pure Fashion and invited me to help at one of the events. Really the first time I just arranged the center pieces on the tables.”
After helping at another event and talking to Lisa about what she had been experiencing lately, Lisa invited her to a Christmas Come and See weekend at MEC.
“As soon as I found out about the retreat I started looking at the website to figure out what it was all about. I kept trying to see if there was some way I could attend the college without being consecrated. I really didn’t understand a lot but I just kept falling more in love with the consecrated. I wanted to know more and more but the website didn’t get updated very often.”
During the retreat, Danielle decided to attend the candidacy discernment program that summer.
“One of the girls was staying after the retreat to discern. I remember telling her, ‘I would do it too if it weren’t for school’.
“I kept thinking, why don’t I just wait until after I finish school, I only had a year and a half left. But after talking it over with the director of the retreat I realized God was calling me to come now.”
She left the retreat, withdrew from school and paid off her loans. By the end of the Come and See Danielle says she heard Christ calling her “Come and Stay.”
“During the New Year’s Eve retreat I was making new resolutions and realizing that I hadn’t fulfilled the ones from the last retreat I kept asking Jesus what he wanted and he said ‘Give me your time now…Come and Stay’."
“As soon as I got home I told my parents’ but they didn’t want me to withdraw from college, so I attended my first class -- but I knew what I needed to do. When my parents saw me that evening they told me I could withdraw if I was sure I didn’t want to continue studying.”
A few months later, the scandal regarding Fr. Marcial Maciel, founder of the Regnum Christi Movement and the Legion of Christ, became public.
“When the news came out I was shocked, but it helped me realize it wasn’t our founder who called me, God called me. So I was still set to go to the candidacy program.
“Candidacy was good, peaceful, and at the same time I wanted to runaway. But I couldn’t doubt, it was so clear, this was from God, because people wouldn’t do this naturally. When I look back on the day I met the consecrated I realize I wasn’t firm in my Christian life. I had been trying but kept falling. If God hadn’t taken my life in his hands and shaken it, I wouldn’t be here. My vocation is really from him because it’s completely crazy. His grace is the only thing sustaining me and the only reason I’m here.”
Since offering her life to God in total consecration on August 15, 2008, the gifts Danielle discovered as a nurse have not gone to waste.
“I realize that I’ve really learned to love the person and to take care of them –God gave me a motherly and sisterly heart.
“Now I’m God’s nurse helping him out with souls wherever he needs me.” |
