9.02.2013

A New School Year

Classes start tomorrow at Catholic Theological Union.  It's my second year of graduate studies here.  I am half way through my course work for my research MA in Theology, with a major in Social Ethics and a minor in Spirituality.  I'm also earning a Certificate in Spirituality.

My classes this Semester are evenly split between ethics and spirituality.  Tomorrow morning at 8:30 AM the adventure begins with a seminar called Holocaust & Genocide: Ethical Reflections. Given everything going on in the world today and our sordid shared history of the past 50 years, this is sure to be a challenging class.  My professor is an expert on the Holocaust and has been deeply involved in Catholic-Jewish dialogue for many years.

Tomorrow night I'm starting Medical Ethics.  While I am studying social ethics, I also realize the importance of having a good grounding in reflection and practical application of our Catholic ethical and religious directives. My religious community also sponsors hospitals so this way I can be a resource. This is the same professor I had for sexual ethics last semester so I know it will be a great (if challenging) class.

Wednesday afternoon my class begins on Religious Life in the 21st Century: Creating Communities of Hope on a Global Scale.  Obviously the topic is one close to my heart.  We'll be reading the latest volume of the trilogy by Sandra Schneider, IHM as well as a variety of other thought provoking resources.  I know the professor and several of the students (all young nuns from Giving Voice) so this promises to be an excellent opportunity.

My last class is on Wednesday evenings.  It's a part of a public lecture series on the Spiritual Classics of the Early Church.  A group of CTU students will meet with the professor after the weekly lecture evenings for a more academic class.  We'll be looking at classic writings from early church and desert fathers and mothers and applying them to our spiritual lives today.

I'm also continuing my internship with the Bernardin Center, which involves research on themes of peacebuilding, conflict and reconciliation.

As you can see, it promises to be a very rich and challenging Semester! I feel very blessed that my CSJP community has missioned me for this time of studies and learning. I try to shine the light of our Charism and spirituality on everything I do!

I'm sure there will be insights and learnings that I'll want to share with my bloggy friends.  Please keep all students, teachers, and administrators in your prayers as a new school year begins!

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