Fran. She's one person who does the work of twenty. She's officially our part-time office manager. Somehow, "part-time office manager" translates into development director, mother, chef, general, confidant, who does everything. This weekend was our annual phonathon fundraiser. Fran basically spent the entire weekend being bombarded with a million questions from students, staff, and me. She holds the whole thing together. Oh yeah, and she is also chief cookie supplier to my dog, Finbar.
Bobby. He graduated from BU two years ago. He has given two years of his life volunteering at the BU Catholic Center. He arrived early this morning, doughnuts in hand, for the Sunday morning Men's group. He organizes that, keeps all of the programming at the Catholic Center going, and mentors a lot of the students. He worked the phonathon all weekend. He never stops working for the Catholic Center.
Danny and Camille. Both graduated from BU in the past few years. They married last year and have a little baby now. They play the music at our three Masses on Sunday--12:30, 6pm, 10pm. In between the 6 and the 10, they run our RCIA program. They also have a choir rehearsal on Sunday morning. They should be exhausted, but they are joyful the whole day long.
FOCUS Missionaries and students made a couple of thousand phone calls this weekend, asking people to support us. They worked hard. It can be draining leaving voicemail after voicemail. And more exhausting when someone says, "Oh, I loved my time at the Catholic Center when I was a student. But, I'm not interested in donating." But, these kids just joyfully endured it. And, they clung to those joyful calls where people talked about how their life changed as a result of the Catholic Center and then made a donation.
At Masses this weekend, seminarians came and spoke about their priestly vocations. One of the seminarians who came was from my last parish assignment. Two others were recent graduates of Boston University. They spoke beautifully about how their vocation was born and how joyful they are in their vocation.
The Gospel today said that we must love God with all of our mind, heart, and strength. Loving God is not just a feeling. Love is an act. How do we act when we love someone? Firstly, we want to show that person that we love him or her. We do things for the person, speak to the person, desire to be with the person etc. Secondly, we want to tell others about our love for that person. We show people pictures of the person, talk about the person, and love introducing the person to others. We aren't embarrassed by the person. Thirdly, we sacrifice for the person. We give until it hurts. We go out of our way to prove our love.
Today, I witnessed people who love God. Not just in word, but in deed. They show God that they love him by their life of prayer, by their worship of him, and by their love of neighbor. They share that love with others by bearing witness to what Christ has done in their life. They are not ashamed of the Gospel. And, they sacrifice for love of God. They sacrifice A LOT.
I saw the Love of God today in the great community of the Boston University Catholic Center. The Word became Flesh and dwells among us.
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