Witness faith in a variety of places! Here's an opportunity to visit the nation's capital, a nearby Spiritan parish, The John Paul II Center, the Holocaust Museum, and the National Cathedral, and reflect on how our faith comes alive in these different settings.

Refelections from Faith Alive Experience, November 3–5, 2006
Students from the Faith Alive faith sharing group as well as others from our campus community attended the annual Faith Alive experience in Washington, D.C. Throughout the weekend, the students reflected on the theme of "kingdom building" in light of our history and our culture today. Students visited the Lincoln Memorial, FDR Memorial, Holocaust Museum, and the Museum of the American Indian and stayed at a Spiritan Parish in Arlington. Here is what one of the students had to say about her experience -"This experience taught me about myself in that it allowed me to see things I'd seen before through new eyes. I was able to look at what we saw not only in an artistic or historical aspect, but also with a spiritual aspect. Though I'd seen these things before, it was like a whole new experience for me. I met some nice people and I'm glad I got to participate." - Melissa Friberg

Reflection from last week’s Faith Alive, The Sacrament of Reconciliation:  A healing call from God

The sacrament of reconciliation can be the vehicle by which we find peace within ourselves and reconcile our differences within our community before we gather around the banquet table and share in the mystery of the Eucharist.  We break bread in “ReMemberance” of Jesus Christ, recall the acts of redemption that renew us, reconcile us, and reconnect us with all God’s people.  Reconciliation calls us to a deeper relationship with God and neighbor through the Holy Spirit.  The Sacrament helps us to discover and rediscover our authentic self in transforming ways.  When we answer the invitation from the Sacrament, we answer a communal “call” to be in relation with God and neighbor and begin the process of “ReMembering” the community to wholeness.  The Sacrament takes the weight of guilt or hurt in our hearts that weigh on our shoulders like a cross and gives us relief.  This relief from God could be seen in the image of God’s hands shaped like a bowl which God cradles our qualities and imperfections together.  This “call” turns into vulnerability as the self is lifted from God’s hands into the hands of the community.  As we sit with the community around the bowl of life, we can hear the reconciling voice of the “call” from God.