Campus Ministry "The Cross Our Only Hope"

The theme for our 2010-2011 school year is "Ave Crux Spes Unica: The Cross Our Only Hope."  We take this from the writings of Father Basil Moreau, the founder of the Congregation of the Holy Cross. Joshua 1:9 tells us to "Be not afraid".  Throughout our school year we will strive to make this theme and this scripture verse a part of our every day lives here at Cathedral because it is the cross that gives us hope, the cross that brings us courage, and the cross that leads the way.

It is with open arms that we welcome the class of 2014 to the halls of Cathedral.  Our hope is that we will lead them to an understanding of what being a member of the Cathedral family is all about: to live in a way that brings Christ to everyone we meet.

Have a blessed school year!

Charlene A. Witka
Campus Minister

Sarah M. Erotas
Assistant to Student Life

Retreat Dates for 2010-2011

MORNING PRAYER              September 7, 2010

Today's Gospel Reading Luke 6:12-19

"Jesus departed to the mountain to pray and he spent the night in prayer to God.  Wehn day cam, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose twelve.  And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground.  A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed them."

Dear Lord,

As we listen to the reading about Jesus choosing his disciples, we are transfixed to think about the twelve Jesus chose to be his disciples.  They left their plows, their families and their villages.  They were so selfless.  Could we leave our cars, our comforts, our routines, our BFFs and our families to follow Jesus?  And think how perfect they were…they followed Jesus without question or doubt.  Jesus prayed all night with God, his loving father.  Sometimes Jesus we are so cranky with our  loved ones without reason, just because the day wears upon us.   How could we ever be so good and so caring?

So maybe Lord, it is not about being chosen.  Maybe it is instead about our choices.  Lord, we choose you.  We, the Cathedral Fighting Irish, choose you.  We hand over our imperfect days and our less than perfect decisions because we know that we sometimes waver and falter.  We choose you.  We ask for your love and caring.  We will try to honor you with more conviction each day.  Support us when we are weak.  Support us when we are down.  We choose you, dearest Father.  We choose you.  Let us drown your heavens with our billowing waves of love, our cheer, and our thundering belief as we let you know that we choose you.

And, in those more confused moments whenever..."I'm upset or angry, remind me that if I can go out and look at the stars, I'll almost always get back a sense of proportion.  It's not that the stars make me feel insignificant; it's the very opposite; they make me feel that everything matters; be it ever so small, and that there's meaning to life even when it seems most meaningless."

WE CHOOSE YOU, most tender God!

Amen

-Cheri Halstead