Answer to a Prayer (Article on Conservative Catholic Colleges)

Washington Times ^ | 9/9/2003 | Julia Durin

[Pyro7480]

YPSILANTI, Mich. The new face of Roman Catholic higher education looks like Sean McNally, who is majoring in European history and literature at tiny Ave Maria College here.

Mr. McNally, 19, lives in Gabriel Hall, a residence for young men considering the priesthood. He regards himself as far more conservative than most of his elders.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

I checked out the link. They only offer a Bachelor's in Liberal Arts but it looks like a great environment for college kids.

[Pyro7480]

The campus Catholic community was very liberal (think cafeteria-like Church with felt banners, the tabernacle was in another room). I sort of fell away in college.

I can relate. My university's chapel was the same. My first semester, I went home most weekends (my parents' house was only a 20 minute drive away), so I didn't go there until my second semester. After going on a retreat with the campus group, I started going there. They had a functioning electric organ in the chapel, but they never used it. Instead, they had a guitarist and a student choir at the 6:30 pm Mass I went to. I had experienced guitar music in my youth at Mass, but not at my home parish. I never got completely used to it.

The chapel itself was built in the 1970s, so the space was used to maximize seating (using chairs that were a hideous 70s orange) out of necessity (6:30 Mass was packed most Sundays), and the tabernacle was in a separate small chapel. I became an Eucharistic minister and a lector, but after reading St. Thomas Aquinas' words of wisdom on why only consecrated men should handle the Body of Christ (here on FR), I decided to minimize my role as EEM.

We had a full-time priest, but the other campus minister, a woman in her thirties, had a very visible role at Mass, dressed in a robe. She wasn't terribly liberal, but I noticed she got sort of uncomfortable when I tried to hold pro-life activities on campus (though a Rock for Life concert was held in the basement). The priest himself was a very holy and humble man.

After being in Catholic schools for most of my academic career, spending 4 years at a secular university did have a drastic impact on my own practice of the faith. This had more to do with the fact that all of my close friends in college were liberal (only one was pro-life). But I discovered the Divine Mercy devotion in my final semester, when I was commuting from home, and my prayer life got a lot better.

[Pyro7480]

Looks beautiful. A style and structure that will truly suit its purpose.

The chapel, in particular its facade, and its interior, reminds me of the best of Italian Renaissance Architecture, especially the work of Lorenzo Brunelleschi (who is known best for the dome on the Duomo in Florence). I took an Art History class on Italian Renaissance Architecture in college, and the interior reminds me of Brunelleschi's design of Santo Spirito. Compare the two:

The facade reminds me of the Venetian churches designed by Andrea Palladio. Compare the chapel to San Giorgio Maggiore:

[dsc]

"God will provide..."

That's a question that's been bothering me for some time, now. How can you pray for something "with confidence" when you know it might not be His will that you have it?

Some things seem to be almost automatic: if I pray for the supernatural gift of faith, for instance, I always get a boost. When I've prayed for understanding of a scripture, I've always received it (of course, I confirm that my understanding is correct with a priest).

But other things, it just doesn't seem to be His will to give me. I know He's hearing me, so I just have to think that the answer is "No."

I'm pretty confident that if I did pray for a Ferrari, the answer would be no. That sort of materialism couldn't be good for my soul, and God wouldn't harm me that way. Likewise, if I were outrageously sacriligious enough to pray that He would send me a beautiful young women to commit adultery with, He'd be more likely to send me a lightening bolt.

Now, as to the tuition, how can I have *confidence* that God will provide $300,000 when I have no way of knowing whether it is contrary to His will or not?

[traditionalist]

I also love the vaulting in the nave. Brunaleschi's design doesn't have that!

[Pyro7480]

Yup, you're right. The chapel does indeed have a barrel vault. It reminds me of a parish church I went to in my hometown (St. Anthony of Padua in Wilmington, DE, whose design was based on the church in Padua, Italy)

[fatima]

Pyro7480,Bump.

[Desdemona]

bump

[Pyro7480]

Sorry! I forgot to ping you.

[Desdemona]

It's okay. I've been away from the computer (and home) since 7:15 this morning. It's been a long week and isn't going to quit before Sunday. [yawn]

[As you well know...]

Inspiring. Thanks for the p9ing

[As you well know...]

Try going on tv and threaten listeners you will die if you don't receive X amount of dollars.It worked for Oral Roberts.

[Aquinasfan]

Thomas Aquinas College

I like the sound of that 8-)

[Aquinasfan]

Okay, now we're in cardiac arrest country.

If they work two jobs in the summer and work a little during the school year, they could almost pay their own way. I'm planning on paying no more than 1/2 my kids' tuition. The Catholic colleges that I'm looking at are in the same range.

[dsc]

$5,000 per month sounds like a lot for a college student to earn. Are you sure that's possible?

[Dusty Rose]

"God will provide..." That's a question that's been bothering me for some time, now. How can you pray for something "with confidence" when you know it might not be His will that you have it?

If you know it is not His will, praying for it is not helpful and will not "change God's mind.". I think "God provides" when we pray *according* or, in harmony, with His will. So the first step is to ask Him what is will is. Generally, if it is something good and is in agreement with the Church's wisdom and if you have an inner peace about it, then to pray for it is the right thing to do. Then leave it to Him. He asks that we pray, and leave the answer to prayer to Him to fulfill in His own way and time.

Sometimes God provides even when we do not pray about it. This may be because of the prayers of others, saints in heaven and people on earth who are praying for us (who may be strangers who do not even know us). Anyway, that's my take.

[dsc]

"Anyway, that's my take."

I agree with that.

What I was asking is, how can we pray with confidence that we'll get what we ask for, when we don't know what His will is until He shows us?

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

how can we pray with confidence that we'll get what we ask for, when we don't know what His will is until He shows us?

I think that's the part we call faith ;-)

Anyway, we don't always get what we ask for, but we do get what we need (whether we want it or not:-)

[Dusty Rose]

Our confidence is in the Giver, not the gift.

[Aquinasfan]

$5,000 per month sounds like a lot for a college student to earn. Are you sure that's possible?

No. I didn't do the math. But if in the summer a student took a day job working retail, a night job at UPS or Federal Express, and waitered on weekends during the school year, he could put a pretty good dent in it. Plus it would keep him out of trouble and from spending money.

I made it through engineering school working two hours a day M-F but not on the weekends (which I spent with my girlfriend accomplishing "nothing"). I had an easy summer job as a camp counselor, but could have easily worked a second job instead of going out and drinking with my buddies.