SMU Catholic Weekly Blogs

Words for the Road Ahead

As I contemplated the message with which I wanted to end the school year, any words I considered sharing with graduating seniors and graduate students, or with others moving on from our community to join other ones elsewhere, seemed to fall short. So I turned to some of my friends for inspiration. After reading some of their words, I decided to simply cut out the middleman. So these words are dedicated to all of those who have shared the journey with us this year and are moving on to share their life in new places. God Bless you all.

MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
~ Thomas Merton (1916-1968), Trappist monk, author, theologian

AT THE END OF LIFE we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done.
We will be judged by 'I was hungry and you gave me to eat, I was naked and you clothed me, I was homeless and you took me in.'
Hungry not only for bread -- but hungry for love. Naked not only for clothing -- but naked for human dignity and respect. Homeless not only for want of a room of bricks -- but homeless because of rejection.
~ Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997)

DO NOT LOOK with fear on the changes and chances of this life.
Rather, look with faith that as they arise, God, whose you are,
will deliver you from them.

He has kept you hitherto.
Do not but hold fast to His dear hand, and He will
lead you safely through all things. And when you cannot stand,
He will carry you in His arms.

Do not look forward to what might happen tomorrow.
The same Everlasting Father who cares for you today
will take care of you tomorrow and every day.
Either He will shield you from suffering,
or give you unfailing strength to bear it.
Be at peace, then, and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations.
~Saint Francis de Sales (15670-1622)

Human Dignity

Human Dignity In discussion on social justice in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the emphasis is on human dignity. Pope John Paul II is quoted in the Catechism as saying: What is at stake is the dignity of the human person, whose defense and promotion have been entrusted to us by the Creator, and to whom the men and women at every moment of history are strictly and responsibly in debt.

What does this mean? It means that while seeking Social Justice, we aim for justice throughout all of society, but we reach this goal by focusing on each person at a time and upholding their dignity. This is an easy goal for us to aspire to, but as we encounter different people in our lives, it can become hard to remember, especially when we meet others who have lives very different from our own.

As we prepare to leave SMU for whatever our summer destinations may be, it’s a good thing to keep in mind. When we escape the SMU bubble, spending our summers in different places in the country and even around the world, we are bound to encounter different types of people—different cultures, different religions, or even just different points of view. It’s important to remember that the core of Catholic Social Justice teaching is that there is dignity to every human person.

Solidarity

Solidarity In our Catechism, solidarity is described as a fundamental element of Christian brotherhood. It can be described in different ways, but at the core of solidarity’s meaning is friendship. It’s obvious that we don’t use the word ‘solidarity’ to describe a typical friendship, but more often a relationship in which a person reaches out to someone in need. The important thing to remember is that this show of solidarity can be just as much of a friendship as that between two traditional peers.

Yesterday, a group from the SMU Catholic community spent the afternoon with a group of children from Vickery Meadow. This was a time spent in solidarity, by which I truly use as the word friendship. It’s easy to get along with these children, who have had childhoods (literally) worlds apart from our own, and learn so much from them. Thank you to all who came out for our Field Day! To those who haven’t had a chance to spend time with the Vickery Meadow kids but would like to, tutoring is over for the semester, but we will be tutoring again next fall. Look out for more information on how you can help when we return to school after summer break.

St. Sebastian

A fourth-century collection of writings describing the lives and deaths of early Christian martyrs mentions Saint Sebastian. Although the details are sparse, a picture emerges of a man who was a Roman soldier in the emperor's corps of bodyguards. After secretly converting to Christianity, Sebastian relied on his power and prestige as a royal guard to assist his fellow Christians facing arrest or execution at the hands of the Roman state. Since Christians refused to worship the emperor or venerate the state gods, the emperor had outlawed Christianity and labeled Christians atheists and heretics. When members of the royal guard discovered that Sebastian was a Christian, he was arrested and executed by archers in 288 CE.

Sources: New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia. "St. Sebastian." http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13668a.htm