Reflection by Katie Doyle '12 & '15, meet Fr. Bob Antonelli, C.S.C.
Reflection by Katie Doyle '12 & '15, meet Fr. Bob Antonelli, C.S.C.
April 2018 · Issue XIII

Scripture Reflection

“...we know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent, should be destroyed, we have a building from God, a dwelling not made with hands, eternal in heaven….the one who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a first installment. So we are always courageous, although we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight.”
2 Corinthians 5
As Catholics, we can predict that at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and reflection lies Easter--a joyous celebration of light and rebirth. In other arenas of our lives, however, we can’t be sure of when and how the light will consume the darkness of uncertainty, grief, or loneliness. Will we get and keep the jobs we apply for? Will we have the relationships or families we want? When a loved one dies, will we ever heal?

We human beings tend to long for structure, definition, and answers when it comes to the ebb and flow of our lives. I very badly wanted answers during my senior year at UP when I developed an anxiety disorder. Each singular moment was a struggle to stave off illogical panic and deeply rooted feelings of impending doom. Even dinner in the Commons was a seemingly unending and insurmountable task. Suddenly classes, student teaching, work, and social situations were tortuous--and months of this wore on and on. One night, I cried on the phone to my dad, devastated at the prospect of failing to graduate and follow the timeline that I’d always envisioned. “Well,” he said, “you just have to offer it up.”

I cannot adequately describe how excruciating the panic attacks felt. The hopeless darkness of this time made me feel like a profoundly inadequate daughter, friend, partner, student, and employee. All that remained was my eternal status as a child of God--who was given the Spirit as preparation for whatever darkness or destruction entered my life. My dad reminded me of that. During that final semester at UP, I didn’t know that the panic disorder would last almost a year; I also didn’t know that someday it would end. Today, I do not know whether it will return. But as with any loss, struggle, or period of discernment, we are left only with the option to walk by faith, not by sight of our futures, guided by God’s saving light.

- Kathleen Doyle '12 & '15
Would you like to contribute a scripture reflection for an upcoming issue of Light from The Bluff? Email alumni@up.edu  for more information.

Fractio Verbi
In his weekly Fractio Verbi podcast, Fr. Charlie Gordon, C.S.C., breaks open each Sunday's readings in 4-6 minute reflections:
2nd Sunday of Easter, Cycle B

Holy Week: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

5th Sunday of Lent, Cycle B

Best of

Portland Magazine
"Stunning & Lovely"
by Brian Doyle
"...for it seems to me that the Catholic orders, like the various services, are agents finally of peace; and the Catholic orders are all adamant ambassadors of the same brave hope and crazy conviction, that life defeats death, hope defeats despair, light defeats dark..."
Read here.

Meet our C.S.C.s
Name: Robert "Fr. Bob" Antonelli, C.S.C.
Hometown: South Bend, Indiana
Assignment at UP: Retired University Archivist but now volunteering in the Archives; my ears are still open for listening, too.
Years as a C.S.C.: 60 years in Holy Cross, 52 as a priest.
Favorite Scripture Passage: 1 John 3:1-2: See what love the Father has bestowed on us in letting us be called children of God! Yet that is what we are....Dearly beloved, we are God’s children now.
Favorite Saints: Bruno (Carthusian hermit, focused on God’s presence everywhere); Elizabeth of the Trinity (contemplative Carmelite nun, focused on forgetfulness of self); Dorothy Day (active lover of God and neighbor); Teresa de Jesus (of Avila, focused on SÓLO DIOS BASTA, God alone suffices)
How did you know you wanted to be a priest? My uncle was a priest on the island of Guam. During one of his home visits I awoke in the middle of the night saying to myself: “That’s it.” My uncle is still there on the neighboring island of Rota at the age of 100.
What made you choose the Congregation of Holy Cross? We could see the Golden Dome of the University of Notre Dame from our front porch and we were in Holy Cross Parish staffed by Holy Cross priests.
What is one way you see God’s light in everyday life? I see the face of Jesus in the face of the person in front of me.
What are your hobbies? Reading, walking, geographical maps
What is your favorite thing about UP? Its commitment to following the Holy Cross charism of hope through the education of the whole person, mind and heart, for intelligent and compassionate service to others.
ALUMNI & PARENT RELATIONS  |  CAMPUS MINISTRY  |  GARAVENTA CENTER
alumni@up.edu | 503.943.7328 | 5000 N. Willamette Blvd., Portland, OR 97203
Manage your preferences | Opt out using TrueRemove™
Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.
View this email online.
This email was sent to .
To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.
Subscribe to our email list.