By Fr. Ryan Lewis, Gross Catholic Chaplain
Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York once called a faithful life authentically lived as “The Adventure in Fidelity.” In this adventure, we are girded in everything that we do with the conviction that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead, that He is alive, that He founded His Church on Peter and the Apostles, and that He has a plan for each and every one of us at Gross Catholic. We teach what our faith teaches, we serve and do good works as our faith demands, and we strive to grow in the life of virtue as our faith encourages.
Part of the adventure is seeing the academic year calendar flow in rhythmic harmony with the Church’s liturgical calendar, as we celebrate liturgical feasts and seasons in the midst of the progress of the school year. This is all happening while the calendar of a student’s four years of high school is likewise flowing – crucial years of intellectual, spiritual and human formation.
The adventure includes the full richness of the sacramental life of the Church, where students are invited to grow in their faith and believe in the Eucharist as the source and summit of our faith, to make great use of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and to take time for personal prayer, especially in our beautiful Holy Family Chapel with the Blessed Sacrament reserved. The adventure gives each student the opportunity to make a day-long annual retreat for more intense prayer and life reflection.
The Adventure in Fidelity insists that God loves each of us and that love is best expressed through His Son Jesus. Because of that love every human has dignity and worth as made in God’s image and likeness. Because of that love Jesus has a plan for each of us. The adventure spurs us to seek in our life and through our prayers just how God might be calling us to serve Him. Many point to the high school years as where the seeds of vocation are first planted.
Among the happy surprises in The Adventure in Fidelity is the joy that being authentically faithful brings us. Joy, yes, but hope and peace too, as we navigate sometimes troubling waters. Joy that Jesus is alive, that He reigns, and that we are His!