I just started college, and slowly I am turning away from the Church.

Fri, 06 Jul 2007 11:34:23 EST

Mary Fisher

Q. I just started college, and slowly I am turning away from the Church. I know I shouldn't and I try to still live a holy life, but my heart isn't into it. Can you offer any advice that can help me get my heart in the right place?

Sounds like you may be feeling a little lost, and that's okay. It's normal to question your faith during the college years - it means your growing! God Himself has placed that on your heart to ask those questions when you feel farthest from Him. Faith does not remove darkness, it requires it. To look into the light, you have to start somewhere!

Let's start with a few questions. Do you remember who you are? Do you see yourself as a beautiful son or daughter of God that is absolutely irreplaceable in the scheme of eternity? Not one bit of your life has happened by chance! God has placed you where you're at, at this time in your life, asking these questions for reasons He only knows. At this stage in your life, you're discovering the great importance that your soul has simply by existing... if God stopped thinking about you for a second, you would cease to exist! You hang in this very moment because He is madly in love with your soul!

And because he loves you so much, He has made us for Himself and desires is your happiness. We're made for a joy that comes only from giving ourselves to something far greater than ourselves. Sometimes during the college years we can lose sight of that - stuff can pull us away from Jesus without us even being aware of it. Satan can be pretty sneaky - he does his work by merely weakening our desire for the Lord.

What do you truly desire? Where is your heart? What do you dream of? The Lord wants to be a part of these things. St. Philip Neri was pretty real with God amidst struggles, "My Jesus, if you want me, cut the fetters that keep me from you." Beg the same things of the Lord.

Lastly, here are three things to take with you to prayer:

Seek Answers - We are called to be men and women of faith, but to have a faith that 'seeks understanding'. Ask questions, talk to a priest or a model in the faith, and God will bless your efforts. Sirach 4:28 says, "Strive for truth, and the Lord will fight for you." He will fight for your heart!

Find Iron - "Iron sharpens iron, as man sharpens fellow man." -Proverbs 27:17. Surround yourself with people with the same desires to grow in your faith. It is so important to see others living their lives joyfully for Christ!

Take it to prayer - Be quiet. Turn off the radio, visit the Adoration chapel, and ask for grace to persevere. God likes to speak in silence. Ask yourself, "What in my life has changed to make me feel this way?" Because you know that God hasn't changed.

Hopefully this gives you a starting place! Persevere and know that you are in my prayers!

There are saints that did cool things. Are there saints that played music?

Fri, 06 Jul 2007 11:31:08 EST

Fr. J

Q. I'm a musician in a band and I am also Catholic. There are saints that did cool things. Are there saints that played music?

St. Benedict Biscop:
Well, there was St. Benedict Biscop who died around 690 AD. He was a Benedictine monk who spent most of his time as a builder an architect. In his travels throughout Europe to complete the monasteries he was asked to design he had the unique opportunity for a monk at the period of time to become familiar with popular culture and was one of the first to introduce chant to the Western monastic experience. I'd like to think that if he were alive today he'd be the nice judge on "American Idol." His feast day is on January 12th and he's the patron saint of musicians and architects.

St. Cecilia:
Then there was St. Cecelia of course. She's very cool, but a bit of a mystery in that we don't really know when she lived or died, except that is was during one of the early persecutions of the Church. She married a man named Valerian and at their wedding she was so moved by the musicians that she started singing a song that was totally pure, because it came from the love she had for Jesus in her heart. St. Cecelia later converted her husband to Christianity, yet both of them were martyred for the faith soon afterward. Her feast day is on November 22nd and she is the patroness of musicians and composers.

St. Gregory the Great:
Let us not forget about Pope St. Gregory the Great, who is generally credited with ushering in the glorious Middle Ages. He was born to a wealthy patrician family and quickly climbed the ranks to become Prefect of Rome. Soon after his mother became a nun, he turned to a life of piety and contemplation, becoming a monk and using his considerable fortune to build monasteries. He emerged, after several years in the monastery, to become a Cardinal and, eventually, in 590, Pope. He inherited a Rome that was in ruins, but reformed the Clergy and strengthened the Papacy. He supported missionary work, sending St. Augustine of Canterbury (who was not a bad singer in his time either) to successfully convert England. Perhaps best known as the ultimate music lover, St. Gregory is credited with promoting plainsong, later called Gregorian chant.

Here's a couple of other notable musical Saints: Pope St. Leo the Great, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Odo of Cluny, and every Irish Saint there ever was... I'm pretty sure it's condition for Irish Saints to be canonized. :o)

Good question... I'll be praying for you.

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I just started college, and slowly I am turning away from the Church.

There are saints that did cool things. Are there saints that played music?