Where Faith Begins

Last fall, I arrived on the college scene as an enthusiastic, extroverted freshman with high expectations for my faith life at Notre Dame. A huge part of my decision to come here involved the spiritual growth and nourishment I anticipated being readily available here, and I couldn’t wait to get started.

With everything one needs to adjust to as a new college student, however, I let my relationship with God slip. I attended dorm and Basilica mass multiple times a week, talked about faith with my new friends, and went on the freshman retreat. But I faltered in my personal prayer. I asked God for help when I needed Him, but became complacent when I felt like things were “going well.” I struggled to “feel” God on a normal basis. I wasn’t present enough.

That is, until the middle of second semester. I found myself grieving for two wonderful people, my grandma and a high school classmate. Feelings of hopelessness, inadequacy, and insignificance plagued me. But as I was reminded of the impermanence of life, I simultaneously became very aware of the tremendous ways God works through our friends and families both in times of need and during daily activities. A huge blessing came from a time of great uncertainty: I found myself relying so heavily on God to give me the courage to do His will in everyday life that I often forgot about my own. And that was beautiful.

I wish I could claim to have gained the courage or the patience to put every action of mine in the hands of God. But I can’t and I don’t. Friends, this is where faith begins to waltz with our utter humanity: faith is not necessarily knowing where God is taking us, but blindly trusting that it is exactly where we need to be.

This year's Freshman First Visit to the Grotto

As a sophomore, I have gradually transitioned from an uncertain freshman to an active participant in my faith and personal relationship with God. I continue attending several dorm masses a week (see Megan’s Ultimate Guide), am a member of the Catholic faith sharing group Four:7 (read about this and other awesome on-campus spiritual opportunities here), and am involved in Spiritual Life in my dorm and in smaller groups with friends. I’m also a leader of Compass, a fantastic opportunity for freshmen to receive support from peers and upperclassmen. 

Taking an active role in my relationship with the Lord while continuing to learn how to navigate college has changed my life, and I know I have only begun to scratch the surface.

Welcoming First Year students into the Compass family