Sweet Sweet Freedom! Finals Round 1

Well gang, I survived my first found of oral finals.  It was not as great as some of the guys said it would be, but overall it was a really good experience, not so much for the actual finals, but for some other reasons I hope to elaborate in this blog.

First of all, it was a very trying ten days.  Seven finals in ten days…that’s a bit much.  It was a great opportunity however, to focus on the intellectual aspect of my formation for a while.  With all of the things going on here at the college, that seems to get pushed to the background pretty often for me.  It was very refreshing getting to commit myself to studying and learning about God and our Roman Catholic Church.  Learning early Church History in Rome was such a blessing and I was often humbled at the opportunity.  Having the teacher stop in the lecture when he speaks of one of the great saints and say, “you know if you go over there by such and such…it’s about a ten minute walk from here,” is pretty amazing.  Though I did not appreciate it at the time, it was good to have the old struggles that come along with learning.  It was a great lesson in discipline and time management to make use of the scarce time available to prepare well for my tests.  One thing I am extremely grateful is the new attitude I have tried to develop (somewhat successfully) towards school and exams in particular.  As I approached my tests, I had a great feeling of peace (though I was still pretty nervous) knowing that I had studied hard and learned some great material trying to make my studies not only an academic exercise, but a prayer.  I was comforted with a peaceful feeling about my finals.  I truly feel like I am beginning to care less about grades and more about learning about our loving and faithful God.  If I get a 7 on a test, so be it, as long as I tried my hardest and learned something along the way.  I know that sounds like a talk a parent would give their child who is struggling, but it is a great feeling.

Another great thing about finals was the attitude in the house.  Everyone was studying and at times stressed out, but it was great to see how we all supported each other.  Everyone was always asking if others had finals and offering them words of encouragement to keep going.  The most important and moving thing was the amount of prayer that took place.  People were as dedicated as ever to their daily prayers, attending Mass, and other devotions.  Along with this, the guys in the house prayed constantly for one another as we prepared for and took our tests.  I really feel like we grew closer as a house by uniting ourselves in prayer.  I know that it was a great comfort for me having so many tell me they would pray for me as I went off to my tests.

Finally, I want to thank all of you who continue to support me with your kind words and prayers.  Your support is humbling and appreciated always, but especially during finals when I was stressed and tired.  Your prayers truly helped me not just to make it through them, but also to keep my prayer life going in the midst of so much craziness.  Thanks again and be assured of my prayers for all of you.

In Christ,

Patrick