Another week off: August 2nd-8th

It's crazy how outside life seems to creep up on the programs. I remember entering the CASA thinking that this summer was going to be long because of all of the changes to the programs. I should have judged from my past expereince: this summer was shorter than last summer. Chalk it up to the fact that the "leaderworx" community (i quote l-worx because technically, we aren't the "leaderworx" community)didn't mean on June 1st last year, or to the fact that this year we only had seven weeks instead of 8 (which is also not true because as I write this here a week of J-worx is happening in West Virginia). Maybe the speed of time can also be attributed to the fact that we have had two weeks off this summer in which we are able to enter back into the "real" world and see or talk to people we haven't had contact with due to our job.

I think the truth of the matter is that no matter what time's speed is attributed to, we can all agree that no matter what, it does not slow down for anyone. It seemed like yesterday I was meeting new people from Michigan and getting to know people I met last year better. Now I sit here, typing on the eve before the last Justiceworx week of the summer. I know this next week is going to fly by, we'll pack up, leave the Seminary one last time, come back to the CASA and call it a summer. So that's why next week I'm going to leave it all on the table.

This whole summer I feel like i've done an alright job leaving my energy on the table. I think as a community we've done a great job doing that. Every week I feel like we try to be as present to these kids as possible. That can be attributed to the fact that we all know the common goal: to teach these students about Catholic Social Teaching and what it means to enter into the common human struggle. We all feel as if that's what these students need to understand. For my own part the energy I give every week sometimes avails itself to a fault because it can make me worried or anxious to get to the next activity and event. What I have to remember is that for this next week, time is against us. The faster the week goes, the quicker this summer will be over.

So next week will be our final week. No other weeks ahead of us, everything is behind us. We must be ready to show these students the love of Christ and how radically it can change the world so that when they return home they can live out the quote on the back of their t-shirts: "Changing the world, one summer at a time."

All for the Greater Glory of God,

-Jeff