The Gadfly “To persuade and reproach” - Socrates, The Apology
Vol. IX, Iss. I September 9, 2008
The Closeness of Christ in Times of Death and Suffering As I write these words it has been less than one week since the accident which took the life of one of our students and injured several others. As I had no personal contact with the deceased and have had only the briefest of contact with the injured I would not presume to be able to comment on this tragedy directly. Thus I simply express on behalf of myself and the rest of the Gadfly staff our deepest sympathy and the assurance of our prayers to the families and friends of those directly affected by this unfortunate occurrence. It is also my wish as a member of the University community to take a few moments to consider moments of loss and trial, like the two student deaths that have occurred last spring and this fall, but also like the various moments of bereavement or other great suffering
that arise for each of us in our families and personal lives. What do these moments say to us, what are we to say about them? How can the presence of God be discovered in them, without our disguising or hiding from our legitimate grief? In such moments is perhaps the discovery of a sensation of God’s absence as fitting as it can be spontaneous? How can we relate to such a sensation if and when it arises? I can only humbly offer what minimal points of departure I have learned for answers to such questions in my own life. Moments such as these recall us to ourselves in ways we are often not inclined to appreciate. We remember things that have hurt us in the past, and perhaps ways we have hurt others or things we regret. It is doubtless important to be able to feel this sorrow, but
also it must not rule us. We must remember that God’s mercies are truly new every morning and that His grace is sufficient for ourselves and our loved ones. Our faith teaches us that God longs to pardon our sins, heal what we have done wrong, and to continue to bless and guide us through every trial. More than that we are recalled to the figure of Christ, not only Christ as the Lord of heaven and earth who holds all things even when they seem to have gone horribly wrong, or even only Christ as the shepherd who cares for us, but Christ who suffers with us and suffered for us and has been in the worst places of our lives and experiences before we get there – waiting so that He may lead us through them into the embrace of His God and Father, who has Continued on page 6
Domus Dei: Finding a Place to Lay Our Heads I would like to propose a new household to you, my fellow students. In the Spring 2008 semester when little housing was to be had, households which required only three people on wing to maintain their household common room were given ten beds on their wing. Students signed up for housing according to class rank except for those household members who were given priority. When seniors showed up at their time slot, all housing had already been assigned. Therefore, I propose to all others who, like me, are un-householded for various reasons and who feel as if they are second class or undesirable compared to those who are in households that we band together and form our own “household”. Here are some reasons why you may
have been un-householded before, and those of you who find yourselves reflected here are prime candidates to join. Many students do not join households because they value academics over extra-curricular activities and so simply do not have time. Perhaps you should sacrifice academics for household. Should not this interpretation of “dynamic orthodoxy” take precedence over academic excellence? Many do not join households because their spirituality is different than that commonly practiced by households and do not find households particularly conducive to their interior life. If one peruses through all the household activities, there are some who do have unique activities, like the Warriors who do bible study, but most of them seem to do the same things. How many households pray the rosary as a com-
mitment, for example? The rosary is not bad. Many people find it helpful, but God made people different to reflect and adore Him in different ways. Joining a household can be repugnant to those who prefer more of an interior life, do not pray the typical Catholic prayers (praying without a formula is possible!), and who do not feel called to broadcast their spiritual life (as Francis of Assisi seemed to feel) to others, just as many husbands and wives do not broadcast their love relationship to others. Many do not join households because they do not care for the particular kind of unity found therein. To some the liturgical, that is, the public Continued on page 6