Article by Maura Zaccaria, Class of 2017
“We Lift Our HANDS To Believe Again”
These words have hung in the Freshman hallway since the beginning of the year. In fact, “hands” hang from the Freshman hallway as a reminder of our commitment to faith. We have sung these words countless times in Chorus class or at our F.A.I.T.H. Day two weeks ago, but it wasn’t until last Friday night that I actually understood what Christian singer Chris Tomlin meant when he wrote these lyrics. We have been urged by our teachers as new freshmen to get to take ownership of our faith by getting involved in C.R.O.S.S. (Christians Reaching Out Spreading Spirituality), attending Midday Prayer and getting involved in the faith dimension of Kellenberg Memorial.
On Friday, October 25, over five hundred and fifty freshmen and sophomores “lifted their hands to Christ” by attending the annual C.R.O.S.S. Evening of Recollection. It was that evening that the theme hit me!
The evening began with lively Christian worship music by the XLT Band under the direction of Mr. Bursig and Mr. Harnisch. Then, Brother Kenneth and pilgrims that attended World Youth Day in August led Evening Prayer with pictures from famous artist Rob Surette draped behind them. Rob Surette performed at Kellenberg Memorial three months ago, and as a world renowned speed painter, he truly uses his “hands” and talents to honor Christ. Evening Prayer made me realize that we share these words with the universal Church; Brother Kenneth explained the importance of the Psalms and daily prayer.
Next, Mr. Moran led willing participants to a number of fun activities that had the students laughing and wanting to take part. The annual pie eating contest was a messy success! Then, we went into the Cafeteria for dinner. As we conversed, we realized that we were part of a bigger community of faith, and God had brought all of us there to share this night. Dinner was served by S.A.L.T. volunteers, giving up their Friday night to serve us; another example of being the “hands of Christ.”
The highlight of the night was still to come. As Father Tom prepared us for Eucharistic Adoration, a video played that showed how Kellenberg has “lifted our hands” in the Year of Faith. His prayerful witness as well as the faith story of senior Mary Hearon, which was given earlier in the evening, served as inspiration for Eucharistic Adoration.
As we entered the gymnasium, only candles illuminated the dark room. It was breathtaking to see our gymnasium known for sports and loud crowds to be a solemn place of worship. All five hundred and fifty students meditated on their knees in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. Bishop Robert Brennan, auxiliary bishop of the diocese of Rockville Centre, presided over Eucharistic Adoration. In the last few months, he had confirmed many of us, including me, where he blessed us with his “laying of hands.” He used his “hands” to confirm many of us, and now he is here urging us to live active faith lives. He gave a homily on the Beatitudes and blessed us to go out and live our faith actively. We were reminded that the Beatitudes are a guide for daily living. To be “poor in spirit,” Bishop Brennan told us, meant that we should not rely on our earthly possessions to make us happy. “Getting the newest edition of Nintendo will not make you happier. It will just make you want the next edition when it hits the shelves.” Bishop Brennan’s words struck a chord with many of us and truly related to our everyday lives. As Bishop Brennan concluded his homily, we united with Christ, sang favorites, such as “Amazing Grace” and “I Lift My Hands.” Sharing this Evening of Recollection with over five hundred of my classmates in fun, food, prayer, and song was inspiring and motivating. As the words of the Salve Regina concluded the night, I knew that we are the “hands of Christ” and we must “lift our hands to believe again.” We must be active in our faith and, in fact, this week I will be attending the C.R.O.S.S. Halloween visitation where I will be the “hands of Christ.”
“Christ has no body now but yours. No HANDS, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the HANDS through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the HANDS, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.” -St. Teresa of Avila