My Job Part 2: Justice Walking

Justice Walking is the social justice and faith group here on campus. Every semester there is a theme picked for us to learn about, weekly service, and bi-weekly reflection. Last semester we worked with Hospice, who is an organization near and dear to my heart. They were great when my grandfather was losing his battle with cancer. I visited a man all last semester. It took awhile for him to warm up to me and the girl I was partnered with, but eventually we were laughing and really looking forward to our visits every week. We got to know a very humble, faithful, and funny man. We got to give him something to look forward to every Wednesday and we too looked forward to our weekly visit. Once I became a coordinator, I was in charge of planning the weekly reflections. I also helped us get ready for our fall break trip to Tuscan (which I have already written quite a bit about on this blog), and I helped plan our closing ceremony.

Another aspect of this part of my job was to plan this semester’s Justice Walking theme. I chose education because it is something that I really care about. I guess it is a good thing that I am an education major! We are going to be GED and ESL tutoring. I picked this because not only it is an important service needed in this world, but I know that it will make us a little bit uncomfortable. It makes me uncomfortable. Teaching people older than me is always a little scary. They have so much more life experience than I do. Will they resent me for “knowing more”? I don’t know. I hope not. I would love to get to know these people for who they are; they deserve my respect. But, I am glad it makes my uncomfortable. Service shouldn’t be easy. It should stretch us, make us confront and reexamine our ideals, morals, and views of the world. Service should help us grow and help the world become a better place to live. Anyway, I am excited and nervous about the semester. Mostly this is because the whole idea of this semester was mine. If it fails, then I will feel like I failed.

My Job

I think I probably have one of the coolest jobs in the entire world, and I couldn’t love it any more than I already do. I am an intern in the Campus Ministry office on my campus. The highlights of my job include Justice Walking, Confirmation, weekly prayer and reflection with Laura and my fellow interns, bi-weekly prayer with the whole CM staff, spiritual direction, and the chance to work with awesome people all over campus!

First of all, my job was not intended to be as I just described it. I started off just participating in Justice Walking, and I was working on a Protestant Worship Service with Marie. The CM office was looking to cater to the Protestant as well as the Roman Catholic students here on campus. This was a stretch for me, because I am Roman Catholic, born and raised. I have only been to a Protestant service a couple of times, and that was a Southern Baptist service, very different from the mainline Lutherans, Presbyterians, and Episcopalians I was working with. Luckily, one of the ministers was a professor I had last semester for Christology. It was a great time. I learned a lot about other denominations than my own and I also saw what goes into putting together a service.  I am happy to say that the service is still going on and growing! Due to some class conflicts with a fellow intern, I was pulled from this project and became a coordinator in our Justice Walking program.

Bring Me to Your Love, Lord

I wrote this last semester. It is a prayer based on Pslam 139.

Bring Me to Your Love, Lord

I, Katie, arise this day and rejoice!
I praise you, God, for your unconditional love;
you know me and love me anyway.
Your gift of peace is my great joy;
Your gift of grace is my great consolation.

When I am distressed, you comfort me.
When I am elated, you rejoice with me.
When I am sacred, you protect me.

Loving God, hear my prayer:
Open my eyes to see you in all people.
Open my ears to hear you in every voice.
Open my heart to receive the plan you have made for me.
Open my hands to hold those who have no one to hold them.
Open my mouth to speak your words.
Open my whole self to live the life you have prepared for me, even if it scares me.

Amen.

A New Year

A lot of people have been posting about 2010 and what they want to do in 2011. These posts have got me thinking about how I spent 2010. I can't say that 2010 was a great year for me. I have a lot of ups. The highlight was definitely working for Totus Tuus.  It was a great summer and I learned a lot about myself. Yet, I still found/find myself not becoming the person I wish I was. I want to be this person, but I want it to happen overnight. Yes, I know that is not how it happens, but I still wish it was like that. I am frustrated that I do not have the discipline to become a better person, the person I wish I was. I know that I should love the me I am, but I can't help but question myself. It has been quite awhile since I have been on a date. I find it hard to discern my vocation when I don't know what life would be like as a sister or as a married person. I would love to go on a date, just to help me make a decision. It is also tough to be the odd person out, the one home alone on Friday and Saturday nights. I can't help but think that there is something wrong with me, like I am not doing something right. I don't make New Year's Resolutions because I cannot stick to them, but I pray for the discipline to be the person God desires me to be. Okay, angsty post over.

A Summer for Christ

I have been thinking a lot about my summer with Totus Tuus, mostly because I have  I have been working on Dennis and Father at my home parish to being it to St. John. I think that Vacation Bible School at our parish is so tame, timid, and fails to preach the gospel to the young people of our parish, the people who will soon be standing up for their and and the Church or will be leaving it the Church all together. It also fails because there is nothing for the middle and high schoolers. In Rediscovering Catholicism, Matthew Kelly write, "The ironic thing is that most young people are looking for someone who has the courage to look them in the eye and tell them the truth. Young people want above all to be their own person. But they want to be the-best-version-of-themselves. And they need and want guidance in their lives." This is why Totus Tuus works. College students stand up in front of a group of high schoolers and say, "The truth is, Christ is worth you whole life. Look at us, we have been broken, we are confused, we have no idea where our lives are going. But God is so important, He will be with us throughout the entire journey. Christ is so important that we are willing to give up our whole summer to tell you about Him." Totus Tuus teachers are willing to stand up in front of these high schoolers and tell them the truth and to give them guidance. This is how the Church will change and grow.