Jen Hantz
Staff Writer
Student Life condensed the typically weeklong festivities of Household Life into one day Friday, Sept. 4.
The day opened with the household fair from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside of the upper level of the JC Williams Center and closed with Household Life Mass and a whipped cream pie competition on the Finnegan Fieldhouse lawn.
During the household fair, blue skies allowed for bright smiles to swim by colorful tables dedicated to each household’s charisms while students walked around with fists full of papers describing each household.
Members of Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam household (AMDG) switched articles between different tables, encouraging different households to meet while regaining their property.
“I think in both the fair and Mass there was a vibrant energy present … how energetic (all the households) were with the new students and how excited they were to tell everyone about household,” said senior Mary Rooney, a member of Metanoia et Missa household.
At 4:45 p.m., household members congregated on the fieldhouse lawn and lined up with their banners for Household Life Mass.
The Rev. Jonathan McElhone, TOR, celebrant, said in his homily, “There’s something really good about celebrating our household life together … for the purpose of ultimately aiming for heaven. It’s not something we can do on our own.”
“It’s got to be more than just traditions,” he said. “We need to be bringing people in and pursuing each other.”
McElhone said prejudices can hold people back from reaching out to others, either because of their differences or a fear of rejection.
“If Jesus did that to you, what spot would we find ourselves in?” McElhone said. “But we know that’s not the God that we serve. He’s constantly inviting us. … He comes after us.”
McElhone said the new wine and wine skins from the day’s Gospel reading resembled Jesus and the hearts of the students. Human hearts need to expand, he said, but they do not when they harbor prejudice towards others.
McElhone also highlighted St. Rose of Viterbo, whose feast day is Sept. 4. At the age of 3, Rose raised her aunt from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit.
“If God can do that with a 3-year-old, then imagine what he can do with us if we let him,” McElhone said. “God wants to do profound miracles this year.”
At the end of Mass, the Rev. Dave Pivonka, TOR, said he felt called by the Holy Spirit to say God wanted to pour out the grace of freedom to the student body. He said each person should pray about what the Holy Spirit was stirring in his or her heart and then share it with someone afterwards.
Gabe Salamida, head of Household Life, took over the mic and announced last year’s household award winners.
Acceptance with Joy and Hounds of Heaven won the St. Clare and St. Francis Awards, respectively. For the Steel Cross Award, Carae Domini and Guardians of the Divine Will were the female and male household winners.
To replace the annual Household Olympics, individual household members competed for the $100 prize in just one game.
To win, one member of each household had to find a piece of gum in a plate of whipped cream and try to blow a bubble without using his or her hands. Representatives of Disciples of the Word and Regina Angelorum households won the game.
Senior Jaymee Libetti said, “It’s great that we can still have Mass and still have a community with household. Even though it’s different, we still get to be with each other.”