“We humans seem to always find it easier to pray when we are afraid of dying, but most of us fortunately don’t find ourselves in life or death situations very often. But all of us as part of our human condition face another type of storm. We face our internal storms – involving relationships, family problems, and events we don’t understand.” Mr. Earsing, the President of Jesuit, explained the common but frustrating issue that affects all of us during his speech at the President’s Prayer Service this past Friday.
Mr. Earsing elaborated more on the subject, explaining that he focuses on seeing his sins as God sees them during his daily Examen. He then shared with the school that one day “it finally hit” him: we as people of God should be grateful. In expanding on this point, he highlighted the fact that he acts “crabby” in the mornings when in reality he should view things with a more positive outlook. One could say that until this epiphany, Mr. Earsing’s “storm” was the act of getting out of bed and preparing for the day that lay ahead of him.
Deviating slightly from the subject of storms, Mr. Earsing brought up another important question: “How do you measure the success of our school?” To answer this question, he provided a quote from Father Kolvenbach, the former General of the Society of Jesus: “The real measure of our schools lies in who our students become.” Going into further detail, our President explained that we, as a community, shouldn’t completely focus on the academic or athletic sides of Jesuit. In the end, we should focus on our talents; whether they are academic, athletic, or artistic, it’s “how we use the talents and abilities we are blessed with to serve others and to serve God.” The success of our school is measured by the will power of the individual student.
This idea ties into the topic of “storms” in our life, because if we submit and give into these storms, we aren’t allowing ourselves to prosper. If we as men of God cower and allow these “storms” to overcome us, then we aren’t being the men God wants us to be.
Junior Andrew Easterling made the claim that extracurriculars and academics, despite being a productive and necessary part of life, “can lead to such storms if you allow them to get out of hand.” The average student at Jesuit College Prep, as Mr. Earsing stated, has been through plenty of rough time and has the ability to overcome them. The catch, however, is how he deals with them as an individual.
Many people find their faith and connection with God helps ease these storms. When asked if having a strong faith can help reduce the number of storms one encounters in life, Mr. Paul Kolker, geometry teacher, responded by saying, “I don’t necessarily believe [faith] will diminish the amount of storms but it most certainly will help you deal with and end them sooner.” He then used a clever analogy to explain the idea of using faith to combat the storms: “Having faith is like having an umbrella in a storm. It helps weather the storm. Someone without strong faith, or any at all, will have a more difficult time dealing with it.”
Mr. Earsing’s overall message was that, if you have a good relationship with Christ and God, you won’t struggle as much with these issues in life. This relationship can also be solidified by the piece of scripture Mr. Earsing read. The story, one in which the Apostles need Christ to calm the storm on the Sea of Galilee, can be seen both literally and spiritually as a sign that Christ can help you end your struggles.
When asked about a personal storm in his life, Mr. Earsing was kind enough to provide this example: “Storms in our life are all just part of the human condition. Probably the most severe storm I faced in the last couple of years was the unexpected death of my younger (only sibling) brother. We were very close and I loved him very much. It left a big hole in my heart and a sense of loneliness. I had to ask Jesus for help in not letting his death blot out all the love and goodness that I am surrounded by every day from you guys, my family, friends, parents, and colleagues.” Everyone goes through these low moments in their life, yet Mr. Earsing believes taking time to be with God and oneself can and will help ease the struggles, the “storms” of life.
