Be Bold in the Lord!

This summer I had the privilege to participate in Launch, a conference for new campus ministers inspired by Michael St. Pierre, executive director of the Catholic Campus Ministry Association. This week-long conference trained campus ministers from over a dozen states across the country. It was held at Seton Hall University and included a field trip to our very own campus ministry at Rutgers University. 

The title of my Launch presentation was “Be bold in the Lord.” Perhaps not surprisingly, while preparing my talk I recalled many situations when I had been far from bold in the Lord. 

One such instance occurred during a trial in my early years as a Brother. Friends assured me that God was giving me a cross to bear because of the abundant fruit coming from our ministry. As I prayed about their feedback, I came to realize that God sometimes invites us to carry His cross because, beneath its weight, He offers us a generous reservoir of grace, joy and peace. I was uplifted by my friends’ support and newfound hope in carrying God’s true cross. 

However, there are also false crosses that come from self-infliction, rather than from God’s will. Underneath the weight of false crosses are the burdens of discouragement and self-condemnation. 

I experienced another true cross about six years ago when our Brotherhood prepared to elect a new General Superior. A number of the Brothers said it was my time to lead the Brotherhood. I adamantly resisted, being aware of my sinfulness, weaknesses and limitations better than anyone. 

My biggest concern was for my Brothers. I didn’t want to shipwreck our community! 

Fr. Philip, our founder, told me that when you’re called by God, grace follows His anointing. After getting elected, a grace came for the one thing that concerned me the most: to love these Brothers in a way that I had never loved them before. I always liked my Brothers, but I experienced the grace to love them in a new, deeper way only after I picked up God’s true cross for me. 

And a similar experience awaits all of us if we open up our hearts in prayer and respond to His invitation to be bold in the Lord.