Day Forty-Three: Serenity Now!

Most of the time when people use the phrase "serenity now", they are referring to that now infamous scene from Seinfeld in which Frank Costanza learns to "de-stress" by screaming the words "serenity now" and shaking his hands in the air. As can be assumed from the irony which permeates Seinfeld episodes, yelling such a phrase does little actually bring Frank serenity.

I think that we can all relate to Frank in the need to find peace and serenity at different times in our lives. Each of us has a different way of finding that inner calm; mine often comes through a visit here: the St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center chapel. There are a variety of things that factor into why this place brings me peace-- the friends I have made through the center; the dark but warm atmosphere; the architecture and its symbolism; but most importantly, the physical presence of Christ overwhelms me and brings me back to center. This chapel has been the site of anguish-- but I always leave filled with hope, knowing the love of the Lord will conquer. This chapel has also been the site of much joy, and I hope that one day it will be the site where I will get married.

These sentiments are not solely mine; there are countless individuals who have come to know the Lord and themselves, and find profound happiness through the conversations they've had with the Big Guy and other individuals who help to make the Center what it is. One of the most difficult things for a KU and St. Lawrence graduate to experience is to find that same sense of serenity and belonging after they leave the community. St. Lawrence is a special place.

Unfortunately, I haven't been there as much lately as I have in the past. The combination of working (instead of being a student), studying for the bar, and doing my morning prayer at home (to use minutes that I would have to drive somewhere for sleeping) has limited my interactions with the center. But Pete and I are both RCIA sponsors via the Center, and that "obligation" (I use the term loosely because I enjoy going and it doesn't feel like an obligation by any means) ensures that I visit the Center at least once a week. Usually the stops are brief, but they are always wonderful.

If you're ever around 1500 Engel Road in Lawrence, Kansas, I encourage you to stop by and take in everything that is St. Lawrence. I could drone on and on about the architecture and how the twelve pillars that support the ceiling represent the 12 apostles, or how the floor is at a slight slope so that it is physically "easier" to come into the chapel and harder to leave, but I won't bore you with those details. You need to experience it, and the joy and peace that comes from building a relationship with God in his house, has to bring.