My desk is decorated with mason jars, a PR textbook, and my bible.
College is a time when many young people leave their families and begin to discover who they are. They no longer have to be held to familial obligations and they are free to make their own decisions. One of the first things freshmen abandon when they go to college is going to church on a weekly basis. Finally, one does not have to get up early on Sunday mornings with his/her family and listen to someone blab for an hour.
However, when I came to Lasell, I did the exact opposite. I continued to go to church despite my new found freedom, and I had no idea how much of an impact it would have on me.
I have been a Catholic my entire life. My family has gone to Mass in my hometown at the same church since I was born. I was baptized, received my first Communion, confirmed, and sang in the choir. Church has always been a part of my life.
When I moved to Lasell, I didn’t realize how many of my peers had been raised without religion. In my rural small town in upstate New York, most of my classmates had some sort of faith background. Many of the kids I saw in Sunday school shared the same first-period biology class with me. To say I was shocked when I arrived at Lasell would be an understatement. I’d encountered people with different backgrounds, but not many who had not been raised without a set system of religious beliefs.
Every Sunday, I walk a mile from Lasell to St. Bernard’s Church. Even though I have to wake up early, I always found making the time to go to church to be worth it. I choose to go to Mass because it is one hour of sitting and listening. it’s shorter than your average lecture. During this hour, we sing, pray, read from scripture, and listen to the priest’s sermon. Unlike a lecture, you don’t have to worry about doing homework and getting called on. It is self-explanatory and the same thing every week, adding some sort of routine to my hectic week. Afterward, I feel a lot better about how my week will go. It helps alleviate the stress and anxieties I may feel about the upcoming week. Going to Mass keeps me grounded when everything in my life seems a little crazy.
I’ve had many conversations with friends as to why I choose to go to church every Sunday. Why would I wake up earlier than I have to? I have to be up and ready most days of the week, so why waste precious hours of sleep? To me, the answer is easy. Compared to my classes, jobs, and extracurricular activities, going to Mass on Sunday is a relatively low level of commitment. The piece of mind I gain from going is worth it.
When I attended my first fall activities fair my freshman year, I discovered Lasell actually had a Christian club, the Newman Society. When I attended these meetings, I met a couple of other girls who shared the same faith background as me. It was a relief to be with other people who shared my religious beliefs. At club meetings, we read scripture, discuss our thoughts on it, and then dissolve into off-topic conversations that somehow related back to God and our faith. That was the exact fellowship I needed, just some people to talk with about God and faith.
Not everyone has a faith or prefers to practice an organized religion. Religion can seem like a scary thing to get involved in. I’m not writing this to tell you to go to church. However, I am writing this to tell you the benefits I have received from taking part in an activity every week that I can attribute to having massive benefits in my life.
By going to church, I’m able to ground myself and ready myself to take on the week. In turn, I’ve gained a fellowship in my peers that’s extremely strong and provides me with comfort while I’m away from my family.
So Lasers, this week, I challenge you to think of something that you can do to ground yourself and set your mind at ease in the chaos of your schedules. Whether it’s going to church, taking a yoga class, meditating, or literally anything that brings you peace, go forth and do it!