I am the Vine,

 you are the branches

a tale of three prepositions

a reflection by Fr. Dennis Gallagher

What’s in a preposition? When it comes to understanding the Christian life, quite a bit. Take three of them - for, with, and in - and consider their relative force as each one relates to our relationship to Christ. I will proceed in ascending order.

The preposition “for” suggests a cause to which I give my life. Is it true to say that to become a Christian is to enlist my life in the cause of Christ, to fly under his banner, so to speak? In a qualified sense, I suppose this can be the case. The problem is that my person exists at a certain remove from a cause. It may succeed in stirring up my passion and giving a purposeful direction to my life, but as such it’s not so different from any other cause - communism or pacifism or animal rights. Does it suffice to say that as a Christian I have advanced the cause of Christ in the world?

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A Letter from
Brother Daniele Caglioni, A.A.

I know that we’re in the final stretch of the semester, when papers pile up and there seems to be a quiz every other day… I don’t mean to add another thing to your to-do list, but I have a little assignment for you. In the weeks that remain of this unprecedented year, and in the months of Summer that await us, I want you to exercise your hope.

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A Letter from
Maeve McDonald '21

I think that this is the most challenging time of year.  We are finally free from early sunsets, pitch black mornings and frozen cars and are transitioning into dewy mornings, warm air and soft rainfall.

And yet, the transition is not as clear or as complete as we would likely prefer.  We are teased by the warm weather.  Our picnics basking in the fresh smelling grass, walks in the warmth of the afternoon sun, sleeping with the windows open as a soft breeze is billowing the curtains can all be snatched away in the blink of an eye.

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