WHAT FAITH MEANS TO ME

BY ERYNN SWEENEY, MATER DEI HIGH SCHOOL, CLASS OF 2023

FAITH IS THE IMPULSIVE love that walks on water, runs after the lost sheep and welcomes the Prodigal Son home. Faith is the reckless release of what we find comfort in holding onto while we are being held back from God.

In my experience, what holds me back from God is my constant concern about the passage of time. Most of my days revolve not around Jesus but around the clock as I race against myself to accomplish everything on my to-do list and move from destination to destination. During the school day, I live bell to bell from 7:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., always thinking about what is coming next.

But faith reminds me that neither our school days nor our existence is marked by temporal time alone. Rather, human time runs on a parallel axis with God’s time, namely, eternity. Faith means that when I’m taking notes in class, talking to a friend or setting up the nets for volleyball practice, I’m living in time but participating in eternity, the place where our hearts belong.

Earthly time is filled to the brim with a mutual reaching out — us toward the Divine and the Divine toward us. The pains of growing up constantly remind me that we cannot reach too far after all, but God reaches further to meet us where we are at. He did once on Calvary, and He does now. Eternity has entered time, the Word has become Flesh and God has saved Himself a seat in every classroom and lunch table, made Himself a spot on every team and choir.

Through Mary, Mater Dei, He became small so we might see how big we are in

CONTINUES ON PAGE 13

�-=-� Tl-IE: ORANGE: