FOCUS

FOCUS – Fellowship of Catholic University Students – is an act of God’s merciful love for humanity. Through its work on college campuses, the Holy Spirit draws our nation’s future leaders into an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. After equipping these men and women for lifelong Catholic mission, the Gospel can be effectively proclaimed to the world! But none of this is possible without YOU.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Lectio Divina

If you're looking for a "quick fix" to your prayer life, here it is!  I began praying Lectio Divina, a "divine reading" of Scripture, 2 months ago and it has had a tremendous impact on how I pray each day.   Best of all, it's a simple 4-step process, which makes it easy to remember: 1) Read 2) Meditate 3) Pray 4) Contemplate.



It's had so much effect on my life, I decided to share it with the midshipmen in my Bible studies.  Last Wednesday, I had them pray Lectio Divina over the Passion of Christ in Luke's Gospel and they had some awesome insights!  Each guy was assigned his own section of the reading so, as we walked through the narrative, I had each guy share the insight he received with the group... it was a powerful examination of Christ's journey to the Cross.

Here are a few of their reflections:

Immediately after Peter denies Jesus the third time, "the Lord turned and looked at Peter" (Lk 22:61).  Karl Knight, a junior, mentioned how he had read this section many times before but had never noticed this line.  He was explaining how he just envisioned what Jesus' "look" would have been like... pure sadness.  Karl talked a lot about how painful it must have been to see Jesus' sadness and how sad he must be whenever we deny him.

Luke Neitzke, a sophmore, meditated on Jesus being sentenced to death by Pilate.  He spoke about how often we condemn Christ to death when we fail to stand up for our beliefs.  Pilate told the people he was going to let Jesus go several times but they continued to shout for Him to be crucified.  "And their voices prevailed." (Lk 23:23)  Pilate caved... and we cave at times too.

John McGlynn, another sophmore, is one of those guys who really wrestles with faith and is always trying to get to the bottom of things.  He meditated on Jesus' crucifixion and was really moved by the inscription upon the Cross, which read, "This is the King of the Jews".  John shared how he is always looking for answers to his faith but has been looking in all the wrong places... It's so obvious: "This is the King of the Jews!"

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Braveheat Night

30 midshipmen came pouring into our house Saturday for an awesome Men's Night celebration.  We chowed down on tons of cheap stew, with loaves of bread in-hand; only to wash it all down with IBC root beer.  Then, inn an attempt to make Braveheart "4-D", several of the guys put on blue face paint and we all roared as the battles raged on! 

The movie was a huge success and after the movie finished, we spent time just hanging out until they had to return to the Naval Academy.  I had such a blast bringing one of my favorite college traditions alive at the Academy.  Now I just have to come up with something for the next MAN NIGHT....

Any ideas?

Thursday, February 23, 2012

ROAD TRIP!

We were on a mission!  Dave Guerin, one of the mids, is dating a girl at Franciscan University (my Alma Mater); so we grabbed a couple other midshipmen (John and Alexander) and made our way to reunite the two "love birds".

This gave me an AWESOME opportunity to get some good, quality time with the guys.  We had a blast driving to Ohio and conversation never ran dry.  Upon our arrival, I introduced the fellas to a bunch of my college friends.  After grabbing a bite to eat, we went into Pittsburgh for a night of festivities at Hofbrauhaus, a German styled brewery.  We danced the night away as the band played some upbeat tunes and traditional polka.  It was such a blast!

The next day we went to a packed 10:30 Mass on campus and then went out to our favorite morning brunch spot, State-Line.  Super cheap and very delicious.  I'm continually amazed by midshipmen and their appetites... definitely a "miraculous" experience.  Logically, food was followed by an excellent nap.

We woke up, worked out, and then ate dinner with Josh & Maggie Sweeney, which was a great opportunity for the guys to witness their beautiful, new marriage.  Josh is one of my closest friends and it meant a lot to spend time with him.  Finally, to top it all off,  the guys went swing-dancing with all the Franciscan girls :)  For some reason, they really enjoyed that!

Monday rolled around and it was time to depart, it was time to finish our adventure!  The ride home went smoothly and the trip was a great success.  It was a packed weekend but I sure did love spending time with the guys.  There's just something about a road-trip that brings people together!

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Exodus and the US Government Today

Ever wondered what we talk about in Bible studies?  Well, there are some things that you'll never know (not bad things, just confidential).  BUT, I do want to give you a taste of our last topic of conversation because it's important.

We spent some time in the book of Exodus, with Moses, and found some similarities between the Egyptians and the United States today.  For instance, when the Israelites were oppressed by Pharaoh, he didn't "know" (yadah in Hebrew) about YAHWEH.  This Hebrew word means more than simply "knowing"; it actually signifies an intimate relationship.  I.E. when Adam "knew" (yadah) Eve, she conceived a son (Gen 4:1).  Is this why boys shouldn't get to know girls?  No.. well, at least not in this sense of the word.

How does this relate to today?  Well, our US government definitely does not "know" or recognize our God like it used to.  More than ever, faith is seen as an obstacle to our government's societal and economic goals.  The government has stepped over the line which rightly divides church and state.  For instance, the Catholic church believes contraception is intrinsically immoral but the government is now trying to force Catholic institutions to provide birth control and other contraceptives to their employees.  How would you feel being forced to do something you believe is immoral?  Is this really happening in the Land of the Free? 

Thus, from a Catholic perspective,  the government has lost sight of God and all that He truly desires for his people.  We have to fight against this BUT we must also examine our own consciences!  Don't we also push God aside when loving Him isn't so "convenient" any more?  Aren't we too guilty of picking and choosing when to recognize God's loving presence in our lives?  Do not be afraid!  I say this to you and to myself!  God is Love and all that He wills is Love!  He knows what's best and wants to give it to us.  Let's ask for forgiveness for when we have pushed Him aside and begin anew to follow him faithfully.  Jesus, I trust in you, I trust in your love for me, and I trust in the things you have in store for my life.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Thank You

Those who are generously donating to this mission deserve a gift that God alone can give.  I get frustrated at my inability to communicate how incredible this ministry truly is.  It's hard for me to imagine a greater privilege than to help these midshipmen grow in their faith.

All I can say is thank you: thank you to God, thank you to my family, and to all those people who are proudly supporting our work here.  So many nights I drive home in silence, just thinking about how blessed I am to be doing God's work in such a unique way.  I mean,  I get to talk with these men about things that they've never mentioned to anybody.  Lots of times, they are realizing new things about themselves and I get to be with them in those moments.

Each man's search for God is uniquely his own and, for some reason, God desires me to get a glimpse into that journey.  I love being able to share my common experiences with them.  I think the hardest part is being okay with my best and I need to realize that people's lives are never simply "fixed".  You'd think 22 years of living with myself would have made that clear by now!  In the end, the midshipmen aren't problems to be fixed but people to be loved.  I must never forget that about them or myself!

Thank you for placing me here, in their lives, where I can do God's work.  Oh, how great it is to be an instrument!  Thank you.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

This Was Awesome!

First, I apologize for failing to keep all of you, who have been more generous and faithful than I could have ever dreamed, in the loop.  It is no coincidence though, that these last few weeks have been the busiest by far and I truly feel that our ministry is now soaring!  I'm amazed, truly amazed, with how much God is blessing us here at the Naval Academy.  The midshipmen are taking advantage of every opportunity to grow that we give them!  Thank you for making this possible... some students are already asking if we'll be here next year!

I'll be perfectly honest:  your financial support is bringing about a beauty beyond my understanding.  All I can do is be grateful.  Why me?  Why do I get to experience these men and women come alive in a way like never before?  Why do we get to be a part of something that's changing their lives?  I don't know, I can't explain it, all we can do is be grateful.  Isn't it amazing that finite things, when handed to God, bring about realities that extend far beyond our mind's reach?

Here is something sweet that we did at the Naval Academy!  A couple weeks ago, we bought the midshipmen 25 pizzas (which were gone in minutes) and each missionary gave their testimony to the students.  Yeah, we were a little nervous but, more than anything, I think we just felt overwhelmed at the idea of communicating what God has done for us. God's love in our lives is so incomprehensible and is hard to explain even to ourselves, let alone telling 100 students about it!

We each had 10 minutes to sum up how we've been transformed through our relationship with God.  I was really impressed by my teammates and their ability to articulate all that has unfolded in their journey with Christ. 

I was last and excited!  I couldn't even begin to explain to the midshipmen my relationship with God and I even admitted that before them all.  A testimony is like painting a picture of the most beautiful sight.  There is something about beauty which just can't be duplicated!  You can't capture the whole picture, I guess.  ANYWAYS, it went great.  I felt as though the Holy Spirit really gave me the words I needed to say and I was really grateful for the divine assistance.

From that day, things have definitely changed with many of the students.  I feel a lot closer to them and I think they've felt more comfortable to share their struggles with me because they now know that I've gone through similar difficulties...

This is where words fail me!  Ah, how beautiful are the conversations I've been having with some midshipmen.  I'm truly grateful for having been placed here.   Thank you.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

The USNA: A Prep Seminary?

The Military Archdiocese flew myself and three midshipmen down to Texas last week for a weekend of discernment.  Thanks be to God, we have several men discerning the priesthood at the Naval Academy!  In fact, we already have two guys signed up for next semester's retreat.  Not to mention, there were two students who left the Academy at the beginning of the year for seminary.

We drove to BWI Airport Thursday morning for our flight to Houston.  I was excited for the trip for several reasons but most especially because I knew the "mids" and I would have a great time!  It was beautiful down in Texas and, from the moment we touched down,  I knew it was going to be a blessed weekend.


Our introductions consisted in telling the other 12 men discerning why we had come to the retreat.  It was really encouraging to see some really good men in the military who were seeking to discover God's plan in their lives.  Afterwards, we took some time to pray around the seminary before we retired for the night.  I found my way to the roof of one of the seminary's buildings to pray under the stars.

For the next couple of days, we heard a lot about the chaplaincy and several people, including Archbishop Broglio of the Military Archdiocese, gave their testimonies on why they became priests.  It was very interesting.  I'd say the common theme that ran through all the talks was a call beyond their understanding which could only be satisfied in the priesthood.  It reminded me of Pope John Paul II's book on his call to the priesthood, Gift and Mystery, where he says that, in the end, his deepest need was to administer the sacraments.  To deny himself of this need would have been to deny his very self.

It was a very productive time of prayer for all of us and, if nothing else, the midshipmen sure enjoyed the tranquility of the seminary!  Captain Thorpe, who now teaches at the Academy, once mentioned that the midshipmen need time to reflect on life more than anything else because they generally get pulled into a mindless succession of obligations throughout the week.  The discernment retreat was that time they needed and they were expressly grateful for it.