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More Good-Byes

Just when I thought I was finished saying goodbye, I received a phone call shortly after I arrived home. My pastor, Msgr. Reynolds, passed away this afternoon. Msgr. Reynolds was a very close friend of the family, and he was always interested in my education (between the Jesuit affiliation and my stint at Oxford, he was convinced that I’m a masochist…which I am). I told him once about my Latin class and how much we were translating, and he simply looked up and said in a thick Irish brogue, “Oh, Laard above.” He loved hearing about my Oxford stories, as well – I even brought him back a scarf from Blackfriars (a Dominican college at Oxford) since he loved that particular college so much.

This is not exactly how I wanted to start my Christmas break. Then again, I’m grateful that I’ll be able to say this good-bye. Wow. Growing up is painful.

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Good Byes

Well, I have officially finished my first semester of my senior year. It’s a strange feeling – I’ve been going non-stop for the past fifteen weeks that I haven’t really had a chance to think about everything that I’ve learned or everything that’s happened to me. That’s why I really like finals week (in a very weird way. But if you’ve been reading this blog for more than one entry, you know that I’m not normal) – it gives me a chance to reflect on everything that I’ve learned in my classes for the entire semester.

But it also gives me a chance to think about what happened personally over the past semester. Specifically, tonight was the last night that C. Dan, Courtney, and I will be on campus together. C. Dan is headed off to Rome next semester, and Courtney is going to Gauladet in D.C. It’s a really strange feeling – I’ve started to say my good-byes now, even though I was only preparing myself to do so in May (then again, I don’t think I’ll ever be ready).

What’s great about the rush of the semester is that you really don’t have time to think that this is your last fifteen weeks with some of your friends. Instead, you just take one day at a time simply because you don’t have time to think, “Wow, we only have three more weeks to have some crazy times!” Of course, that means that when that final week does happen, you can’t help but think about that.

Sorry for being so personal, but it is kind of difficult to say goodbye (especially to these two individuals who have been such an integral part of my life at Holy Cross). It’s weird to think that next semester C. Dan’s crazy personality won’t be readily available, and Courtney won’t be looking at everyone on the dance team as if we all have five heads (she truly is the only relatively normal one on the team, and her perspective is oh so appreciated!).

So, yes, I’m happy and excited for my friends, but that doesn’t make saying good-bye any easier. Of course, when I arrive back home in Georgia tomorrow at 1:50 p.m., I will have this waiting for me:

There is nothing like being pushed off your bed at 8:00 a.m. because your dog needs a comfy place to sleep.
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The All Encompassing Thesis Project

I have decided to rename my thesis “The Culmination of My Four Years at Holy Cross.” I am not kidding when I say that nearly every class I am taking this semester (well, maybe that should be in the past tense. I’m still reluctant to admit that I have only one semester left) has popped up in this thesis. For instance, my Christology course introduced me to Karl Rahner, who is now factoring heavily in the third chapter of my thesis. For my last Apocalypticism class, we had to read several articles by Mertz, who basically works eschatology within contemporary Catholicism, which is a major theme of my last chapter as well. Then there are all the other classes taken in previous years that served as a foundation somewhere along the way… This is really what a thesis should be like, though. I’m glad that I have a project upon which I’ll be able to look back in ten years and realize the value and breadth of my education at Holy Cross. Unfortunately, I have about one hundred more pages to write until I can arrive at that point.
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“Keep Reading.”

Phew. Today, I experienced the most typical Jesuit style of exam that exists. Fr. Brooks (who is Holy Cross embodied in a person) teaches my Contemporary Christology course – this course has been extremely popular with students since at least the 1980’s. It’s a hallmark of the Holy Cross Religious Studies department. Fr. Brooks constructs the class so that each student will research one contemporary theologian for an entire semester. It’s all independent work, and the weekly class meeting usually covers a general theme of Christology – suffering, the Incarnation, Jesus’ consciousness, etc. There’s no written work, and there’s no assessment prior to our exam. Our grade rests all on our final, which is a two hour examination by three to five outside professors. You are expected to know your theologian well enough that if they ask any question, you should be able to respond, “Well, my theologian would respond in such a way.” It’s a terrifying thought, really. On top of that, I researched Karl Rahner, who is a particular favorite of Fr. Brooks’. Yikes!

So 3:30 came around, and the five of us entered the examination room. As the professors fired away and made us syncretize what our theologians were saying, all five of us started to get into a rhythm. We started defending our various positions and engaged each other in debates (all in good nature, I assure you!). It was fantastic and probably one of the best experiences in my time at Holy Cross. Afterwards, Fr. Brooks treated us to an extremely nice dinner in Hogan where the debates continued – talk about a dinner table conversation! At the end, Fr. Brooks closed with the quote with which he always closed class – “Keep reading.”

This exam was, I think, one of the most enriching experiences that I’ve had at Holy Cross. It wasn’t your typical exam at all. Instead of having to know the right answer immediately, we were all allowed to think through our answers and reflect for a bit. It truly was an event in which we could articulate all that we had learned for the past semester instead of trying to cram it into one blue book. Was it intimidating that there were three other professors who were firing questions at me? Yes. But did I love it? Yes. I constantly had to think about and defend Rahner, and it made me realize exactly how much I have learned over the past semester. So, to any prospective students (or even current students at Holy Cross): enroll in Contemporary Christology. It is the best course that you will take at Holy Cross.

And now I’m off to study for Shakespeare and write my Apocalypticism paper. But I will be home in less than two weeks!