Weekly Advent Reflection:

The first Sunday of Advent comes after a time of travel, celebration and, perhaps an early Friday morning shopping experience. We find ourselves hustling through airports and impatiently negotiating the I-270 corridor, our minds reminiscing about the Thanksgiving feast just celebrated, and the end of semester work we ignored while we were taking advantage of “Black Friday” discounts. Advent comes at a time when our study habits are producing the benefits of fruitful semester long work, but also shows us how much more we need to learn, reflect, study and write before we can call the semester a success.

The readings this week are a salve on a student’s soul. Jeremiah reminds us that the Lord is on our side, prepared to fulfill his promises and be “The Lord, our justice” (Jer. 33:16). As we enter the last week of classes, we enter confidently knowing that God is with us, in all things we do, learn, teach and pray. Psalm 25 is a profound offering at this time when students are preparing for oral exams. In this psalm we ask for a fundamental openness to God’s truth and a relationship with the Lord based on trust. What student does not pray Psalm 25 before an exam: ‘Do not let me be disgraced’ (Ps. 25:2, 20).

Preparing for exams, and preparing for Advent carry many of the same themes. On the one hand, we anticipate the fulfillment of promises and the increase in love found in our growing relationship to Christ (1Thes. 3:12). We have a taste of what that relationship is, and continually yearn for its fulfillment. Students yearn for the completion of compelling classes and the increase in knowledge and faith they provide. But we know that to fully experience that fulfillment we must be vigilant in our studies, to pray for our success, and to not be overtaken by worry, anxiety, or old fashioned ‘writers block’. Luke 21 is a perfect reminder that our work at WTU is more than intellectual exercise. It is a prayer for the world, and faith-filled work for our creator.

As we look to the first week of Advent, the WTU community anticipates more than exams and the coming of our Lord at Christmas. Friday, December 4th we celebrate the promise of a new President for our school, a president to provide leadership at a time when the worries of the world can pervade our community. On Friday we celebrate hope for the future, the coming fulfillment of God’s promises, and the knowledge that all will be accomplished in God who loves us. As we sing our Advent Lessons and Carols, and celebrate our new leadership, we are reminded of all the blessings that God has given, and anticipate the fulfillment of the promises Christ has made.

Joan Knetemann, MA candidate 2010

If you would like to write next week’s Advent Reflection, please email jknetemann@wtu.edu.

Alumni-Student Mentoring Program:

There has been a tremendous response to this program which pairs current students with alumni who are working in the student’s desired ministry. Dr. Kathy Brown, Dean of Students was encouraged that both ordination tract and lay students requested mentors, as did many of the D.Min students. If you would like to participate in this program, but have not notified Dr. Brown, please email her right away: brown@wtu.edu. We are in the process of pairing alumni and current students and will let you know when we have compiled our lists!

Strategic Planning Committee Forming:

Under the direction of President Fred Tillotson, O.Carm., the Union is undertaking its first significant strategic planning effort since the creation of its last 5-year long-range plan developed in 2002. A series of focus groups are beginning to be conducted with various constituencies of the Union community – including students and alumni – with the intent to solicit people’s perspectives on the strengths and weaknesses of the institution as well as desired future directions and initiatives.

Fr. Fred will be forming a Strategic Planning Committee with selected representatives from the Union community to help review and refine the feedback from the focus groups. If you are a student or alum living in the Washington, DC area who would be interested in and available to serve on the Strategic Planning Committee, please contact Lisa Marie Drover, CSSF, Executive Assistant to the President, at (202) 541-5228 or drover@wtu.edu to express your interest.

Jerry Hall Scholarship Fund Still Growing!

In March of this year, the Union very unexpectedly lost one of its full-time faculty, Assistant Professor of Word and Worship Jerry Hall, S.J., who passed away following a brief illness. This wise and unassuming scholar of liturgy was also an accomplished singer whose gentle and compassionate demeanor made him a wonderful colleague, mentor, and friend to so many. In a desire to celebrate Jerry’s life and to honor our community’s memory of him, the Rev. Jerome Hall, S.J. Memorial Scholarship fund was established.

To date, 31 alumni, faculty, and staff have made donations to the scholarship fund totaling $4,480. The Union continues to encourage donations to the fund, which must grow to a minimum of $250,000 before it can be endowed, and before it will be possible to draw income to award the first student scholarship. If you wish to make an online donation to this fund, please use the online donation form.