... on the Catholic Men's Floor

If a stranger were to walk onto the Catholic Men’s Floor, he would be struck immediately by the strong sense of brotherhood. This community provides the resources necessary for us all to strive for holiness. We seek to nourish our minds, bodies and souls through living here in order to participate in God’s plan; this is made most apparent by the typical layout of any day.Each morning, the alarm clock goes off, and as I roll out of bed, I give thanks to God for the gift of another day. It is 6:30 a.m. Most other students are asleep, but on the Catholic Men’s Floor, it is not unusual to see several men getting ready for daily Mass. My roommate, Vinnie Floeder, and I head over to the chapel and prepare our hearts to receive Christ’s body, blood, soul and divinity in the Eucharist. The celebration of the Mass, the most perfect prayer, is at the heart of our life on the men’s floor because it is the most potent source of nourishment for our souls. In addition to the Mass, the floor prays night prayer together, men commit to an hour of adoration, and men take advantage of the many other opportunities to pray throughout the day.Following Mass and a quick breakfast, I head off to class along with everyone else. As aphilosophy and Catholic Studies double major, I take classes that involve quite a bit of reading in addition to many writing assignments. The lectures challenge me to scrutinize the world through the lens of faith and to grapple with the idea that faith and reason are not opposed to each other but rather work together to present a coherent view of life. In addition to attending class, it is important for the men on the floor to prepare for each class. This means spending time daily studying and reading for class. Through this disciplined practice of preparing and participating in class, we are able to nourish our minds and use them for God’s glory.College is not all work, though. The men here know how to have fun! Whether it is playing ice hockey or basketball, watching a movie or simply hanging out and talking, we know the importance of rest and community. In the afternoons, several of us will go to the gym to work out. Afterwards, most of us will grab dinner together and watch a little TV before we study. In spending our recreational time together, we can de-stress as well as build solid friendships with each other. The fruits of this communal time manifest themselves in the trusting, open and kind atmosphere felt on the floor.By the time Night Prayer arrives, I am ready for bed. As the prayer concludes, I head off to my room along with Vinnie, and we climb into our beds ready to begin another day. Our days are full, and they provide many opportunities