By Sam Aitchison
The Church is Alive!
On the corner of Saint Louis University’s campus, an old house holds a classroom unlike most others. Every Tuesday and Thursday morning, nine students — including myself — and our professor gather in a room where the walls are lined floor to ceiling with bookshelves, their contents ranging from Vatican II documents to the Quran. The air carries the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the absence of technology invites a sense of timelessness. In this space, I often imagine myself at a university in old Europe, immersed in the kind of learning that, although it feels ancient, makes me feel alive.
This class, Catholic Intellectual Heritage and the Good Life, revolves around readings and papers outside of class, while in class, our discussions transform learning into something deeper, a shared ritual; a meaningful conversation about what it means to live fully.
We are studying and reading the writings of Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, Frederick Nietzsche, Niccolo Machiavelli, Martin Luther King Jr., Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis, Flannery O’Connor, Leo Tolstoy and St. Ignatius Loyola, among others. My reading leaves me with more questions than answers but also a sense of peace knowing that sin and the problems facing our world and me are not new. Disagreement, unrest, injustice, war, sickness, sadness and disease have been around thousands of years but so have redemption, forgiveness, kindness and love.
The Advent and Christmas seasons can be difficult for many people. For some, the short days and lack of sunlight cause Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). For others, holidays are a sad time because they bring memories of loved ones lost in recent years. Some of our brothers and sisters who live on the streets face heightened challenges with freezing temperatures. Maybe seeing family over the holiday season causes tension and stress.
To anyone struggling with any sort of ailment — physical, psychological or spiritual — please know that you are not alone. You matter. In the Diocese of Davenport (davenportdiocese.org) and throughout our Catholic Church, resources are available as well as the people who can connect you to these resources, for whatever challenges you might be going through.
Throughout the more than 2,000 years of our Catholic tradition, countless saints, apostles, popes, mystics and everyday believers have lived as imperfect beings in an imperfect world. Although our cultures and technologies continue to change, the reality of sin and the beautiful radicality of Christ’s love and forgiveness will never change.
As the fall semester closes, I’ll be grateful to have a break from papers, projects and exams. I’m also grateful for the wisdom I gained this semester from figures new and old about how to live well. Our Catholic Church has a rich history of traditions and wisdom to lean on in Advent and all seasons.
Jesus came into the world as a helpless child born in a manger. This child, from such humble beginnings, brought hope to the world that transcends time. In the quietude of this season of preparation, how might we hear God’s voice? How is God nudging us to think and act more in accord with his truth?
(Sam Aitchison is a junior at Saint Louis University. Contact him at samaitchison6@gmail.com.)
More from the Catholic Messenger
