April 23rd, 2020: My Reflections on Mass & the Eucharist during Covid-19

I wrote this note to some of our USC students. I hope this message can also be useful to you during this time when there are no public Masses. 
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Hi all,

Just want to share some of my reflections over this time of Covid-19 about Mass and the Eucharist.

I am an avid daily Mass goer. Ever since I was in college, the Eucharist has been central to my relationship with Christ. There are times that I remember that the Eucharist was my sustenance, such as when I did a year of volunteer work with migrants in El Paso. I craved the Eucharist so badly during that year, that I found a way, whether I walked or used the community car, to get to the closest church for daily Mass. 

This time of Covid-19 has been very difficult for me when in comes to my relationship with God in the Eucharist; simply because I do not have access to receiving the Eucharist. The night the Archdiocese, and then the staff at the Catholic Center, shortly after, decided that we could not celebrate public Masses, I went to my husband and tears started to roll down my face. 

I have not missed a Sunday Mass, but I had stopped attending daily Mass. The distance between me and the Eucharist was too much for me to bare. When I tried, tears would well up. There is a deep longing for Christ in the Eucharist that I still have. I have been privileged in that this is something I have never had to worry about in the past.

Picture of students and staff
at the USC Caruso Catholic
Center on Ash Wednesday.

Then God, through Fr. Richard and Fr. Joe, challenged me. The recognition and remembrance that at Mass, Christ is present in (1) the priest, (2) the Word, (3) the community, and (4) the Eucharist is important. For me to not attend Mass was denying myself the grace of God in these three areas. In a typical human fashion, I was not allowing God's grace to continue to imbue me through the Mass. I was hung up on not receiving Him through the Eucharist. I was reminded at how consumeristic this felt - if I can't have the Eucharist, physically, then I am not going to partake in Mass. And I was literally getting in the way of God and the grace He wants to give me. Last week I started attending Daily Mass with the Catholic Center again. The Word of God, the homily given by the priest, and the community have really spoken to me in ways I have needed to hear God. 

This message is being written to students who I know were typical daily Mass goers at the Catholic Center. I am not sure what barriers you are having in your own life that is preventing you from attending the Catholic Center's daily Mass; maybe there are no barriers and you are attending daily Mass. But know that if you are struggling, you are not in this struggle alone. I have been there and am still continuing to struggle. However, being the person that is always attempting to improve herself for Christ, I know that Mass and the Sacraments are God's and the Church's ways for us to receive His grace and peace. I knew I had to get over my own barrier to get closer to Him.

Also the prayer of spiritual communion has been a life-line (read the prayer below). I have this prayer posted on a virtual post-it note on my computer. I pray this prayer throughout the day, telling God how much I miss Him. This is yet another way that I am satiating this yearning. He knows my desire to be with Him and there is solace in that.

Lastly, Tricia wrote this reflection on the Road to Emmaus (this Sunday's readings) for small group bible studies. She parallels her reflection with Mass. Its wonderfully written. My small group bible study got a lot out of it last night. Feel free to check it out. 

Anyway, just thought I'd share with you my thoughts about Mass. I hope in some way this has been helpful for you as you continue to grow closer to Him during this season. Feel free to reach out to me if you want to talk more. Also feel free to forward this to others that you think might need to hear this. Know that I am praying for you every day. I miss ya'll!!

Peace,

Rosie

Spiritual Communion Prayer

I wish, my Lord, to receive you
with the purity, humility and devotion
with which your most Holy Mother received you; with the spirit and fervor of the saints.
Amen.

January 7th, 2020: Ministering from the Heart of God

Last week at SLS 2020, a Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) conference, I was asked to be part of a panel on ministering from the heart of God. On this panel we were asked to discuss how we, as professional campus ministers, continue to deepen our pursuit of God's heart in the midst of ministry. After the panel concluded several campus ministers asked me to give them the nine points I described while I was on the panel.  

(1) Stay rooted in our identity as a daughter/son of God. I am in continual discovery of my relationship with God. It's like any relationship, we cannot know God fully, it takes spending time with Him on a continuous basis. When I reflect upon my identity as a daughter of God there are several instances that come to mind as my identity has been formed. When I was an undergraduate student at UC San Diego I entered university without an active relationship with God. Because of a friend's relentless invitation I decided to join her for Mass. After my experience of community and Christ in the Eucharist I was compelled to deepen my relationship with Christ. In particular, there was a priest, Fr. Mark, who within the first few weeks of my arrival into the community, when distributing the Eucharist, said to me, "Body of Christ, Rosie." I felt seen, known, and loved by both the priest and also Christ. This for me began my journey in understanding my identity as a Child of God. Coming back to these moments of clarity in our identity as children of God is important as we continue to unpack this crucial relationship.

(2) Going to the Sacraments often has been pivotal in my staying rooted in my relationship with Christ. Going to Mass daily grounds me in what's important and focuses me on Christ, whom is my compass, companion, and inspiration. Find a way to make this a daily habit. I enjoy going to Mass first thing in the morning. It starts my day off right, with Christ at the center.

Motherhood has also deepened my devotion to the Sacraments. This last year my daughter went to the Sacrament of reconciliation for the first time and also received her first communion. Both of these experiences have convicted me, in an even deeper way, about the centrality of our ministry and faith in the Eucharist and the Sacraments. And it doesn't hurt that after her first communion she said to me, "Mami, I want to receive Jesus as often as possible, just like you." My heart was filled with joy. 

(3) Study. God gave us a mind so that we can come to know Him through study. Read spiritual and theological books. I currently read Christis Vivet and am currently reading a book called Move about evangelization in Evangelical churches. Soon I will also be reading Pastores Dabo Vobis as the team at USC unpacks formation and what that looks like in college students lives. Reading and learning, using our intellect, will help us to know whom God is more robustly.

(4) Work out. Take care of yourself physically. I run. Running clears my minds and is a form of prayer. I am able to center myself on Christ in the midst of running. Working out de-stresses me and allows me to be whom God created me to be. Holistic self care (mind, body, and soul) is important in the spiritual life.

(5) Spiritual direction. Find a good spiritual director and meet with him or her regularly. Also surround yourself with good friends whom can journey with you. My husband and friends are incredible people who support me and also challenge me to be a better minister.

(6) Go on an annual retreat. Lay ministers do not necessarily have this written into their job descriptions. If it is not in your job description, advocate for yourself and your relationship with God. Going on an annual retreat is important for your spiritual life and the spiritual health of your ministry. As I have matured in my relationship with God I have found silent retreats are what I crave the most. Listen to what type of retreat God is calling you to do and take the bold step to actually do it. Going on your own retreat also shows that we as lay ministers are practicing what we preach to our students. 

(7) Go to conferences where you will be spiritually fed by Christ and other professional ministers. Attending SLS 2020 and going to Catholic Campus Minister Association Conferences (CALLED 2020) are spiritual injections that gives me a larger vision of the army that God has created on earth to do His good work on college campuses across the country. Coming together at these conferences builds us to be equipped spiritually and pastorally so we can help uncover Christ's presence in the lives of our college students.

(8) I do not know all that there is to know about God. I allow our college students to help me deepen my relationship with God. Sometimes students ask me questions that I don't know how to answer. Or sometimes I see God moving in a students life that astounds me and helps me to see His love and compassion in a deep way. They show me who Christ is all of the time. Be open to it.  

(9) Take breaks. Use your vacation time. When I first started in ministry I never took vacations. This lead to burn out. Take your days off and take vacations. I promise you this will help center you, deepen your faith, and you'll come back to the ministry that God has entrusted you with, with more creativity and vigor. 

I feel so blessed that God has entrusted me and continues to call me into this ministry. When you do God's work, and through His grace, as it continues to succeed and more disciples are formed, the devil will want to try and mess with God's plans. Keep Christ at the center. Keep looking at Him. Daily I pray the prayer to St. Michael. Staying rooted in ministrying from the heart of God is both liberating and invigorating. 

I live by a quote from St. Catherine of Siena, "Be whom you are called to be and you will set the world on fire." We are called to be His daughters/sons. We are created to be in a dynamic relationship with Him. Abide in this relationship that will challenge and sustain you.