Everyday during the school year, the Newman Center staff and FOCUS missionaries begin the day with a Eucharistic Holy Hour. As students encounter Christ, they’ve started to join and have even made it a daily habit. Patrick and Anthony are two such students who make the sacrifice to wake up early to make time for prayer. “Discipleship formation with the missionaries has changed my perspective on prayer and how necessary it is to make time for it,” says Patrick, a sophomore who leaves his house at 7am to make it to Holy Hour. “Going consistently now, I can’t imagine my mornings without it. It brings purpose to my morning and starts my day right.”
Anthony, a senior who lives on campus shares the sentiment. “What’s better than starting the day with God right when you wake up? I’m striving to have God at the center of my life- what better way to do that than give Him the first hour of my day?” When asked what helps motivate them on the mornings they’re tempted to stay in bed, both Patrick and Anthony credit the Newman community to holding them accountable to the consistency. Patrick explains: “It’s encouraging to be around other people my age who are also trying to put God first. If my friends can do it, I can do it too.” When asked what he would say to a college student who is striving to put God at the center of his life but needs a little nudge, Anthony says “Come and see. God’s always there in our lives, and we just have to give that yes to open our hearts to him.”