A university library. Via Flickr

The mass, the roommates, and the promise of more to come

Although university is just starting, so much has happened! On my flight to NY I began to feel very afraid and full of doubts. Every day I say “The Prayer For the Heart of the Child” with my friend Monica...

Although university is just starting, so much has happened! On my flight to NY I began to feel very afraid and full of doubts. Every day I say “The Prayer For the Heart of the Child” with my friend Monica, so I said it that day to see Him in action. On the first Sunday morning, I was with some people when one girl, Celia, asked me, “What are you going to do with the rest of your day?” l replied, almost without thinking, “Well, I haven’t been to Mass yet so I think I’ll go at 5.” Immediately, she said, “Can I come with you? I’m Catholic but I don’t go to church regularly because my parents are not very religious. I’d like to go because you seem to have a different approach.” Suddenly, another friend, Katherine, asks, “Can I join you as well?” The next day, I met my three roommates and Kelsie, one of my roommates, says, “I saw on Facebook you’re Catholic. I am too, but in the past few years I’ve grown distant from Catholicism because I dislike the moralism I see in my community.” The next Sunday, she went to Mass with me, Katherine, and Celia. The reading was from St. Paul about when to correct others, etc., and I was afraid that she would misunderstand it as the morality that she had encountered so negatively at home. However, in the homily, Fr. Halloran emphasized the need to love the reality of the person’s relationship with Christ, and from that everything changes. Afterwards, she said, “I can’t believe that God chose for you to be my roommate so I could go to Mass with you today and hear that.” I am so amazed that not only would Christ give me those two friends the week before, but now He also puts another friend in my room with me! I am so grateful for this answer to my prayers, and know this is the promise of more to come.

Sophie, New York (USA)