After a long week of work and classes, Friday is finally here. I don’t have any classes today,but there’s still much to be done! Getting to school even at the early hour of 7:20 allows me toget one of the last coveted parking spaces on campus.
After a quick run in the new Anderson Athletic and Recreation Center it’s time to hit thebooks. The main library on campus has everything I need to get some homework done: coffee andsolitude. A little over a year ago, a neighborhood coffee shop opened a satellite venue inside thelibrary, conveniently only about 30 feet from the best study spot. After getting my coffee – a dark French roast, served black – I am able to settle down and read. The goal for today is to read about the history of medieval Spain and write a synopsis of the reading. Thanks be to God, after about three hours on the job – my brain melting from information overload – it is time to stop, take a deep breath and make my way to Mass. Inside the beautiful chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas, students partake in the sacraments. As the Liturgy of the Word refreshes my mind, and the Eucharist my soul, like clockwork my stomach sounds the alarm that the time is pushing 1 p.m. Though I don’t have all day, grabbing a quick bite to eat with other members of the day’s congregation is always a lot of fun.
As time nears 1:45, I head back to the library for another hour of reading. Before I know it, I need to head over to a meeting for the Catholic Discovery Groups. With a membership of around 85 students, CDG is a club that organizes and participates in a weekly Bible study in the various dorms around campus. As one of the co-leaders of this group, I do my best to make sure that the study is understood by the small group leaders, that communal events are planned and that the meeting ends on time.
As it is shortly after 4, I have less than a half an hour to get over to Sitzmann Hall and settled before the Catholic Studies Leadership Intern meeting. This group is for students who want to learn more about Catholic leadership. As students passionate about our faith in Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church, we are seeking the practical skills to be effective leaders on campus, in our future workplaces and in our homes. The meeting begins with evening prayer, followed by a presentation and a discussion on the theme of the night. As we explore the night’s topic, we are able to gain insight from the other people in our group, helping us to understand how we can implement these teachings in our various apostolates. Though the meeting officially ends here, an intern hosts a casual get together to foster the fraternal aspect of the group. Particularly because many of the leadership interns are my close friends, the time spent together is always edifying. As the evening goes on and the relief of the weekend finally sets in, all I can do is stop… pause … and pray quietly, “Thank God it’s Friday.”
Read more from Perspectives
