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It has been almost a month since I first had my nervous excitement about traveling to LA, and looking back on the experience, I can’t possibly sum everything up into one blog post. This immersion trip has taught me the power of community, faith and friendship, and I am so blessed to have gone through this journey with a group from all across the U.S. that shares in the Marianist charisms. The relationships I formed with the other students are irreplaceable, and I am thankful to say that they are not only my new friends, but my new family. A big part of the trip was our encounters with the people of LA, whether it be running into Jos é outside of the church, hearing Paco’s story at Homeboy Industries, talking to the students at Lady of Talpa Catholic School or listening to Catherine and Jeff talk about their journey with the Catholic Worker. Two people especially had an impact on me, the first being a young man named Giod at Union Rescue Mission on Skid Row. He lived at the shelter and...

Community “We are each of us angels with one wing. We can only fly embracing each other” read the quote beautifully depicted on a mural in one of the many Los Angeles neighborhoods with a past painted with struggle and high crime rate. However, the stories of transformation and unity for these communities and for those of us who participated in this immersion are stories that we are more inclined to share. Whether we take on the identity of  messengers of God sent out to make his love known, I think it is safe to say that all of us in this immersion embraced the idea that we could do great things through community. Without a doubt, one of the first instances when I acknowledged the presence of God and the Holy Spirit was when we unexpectedly came across a man named Jose who generously shared his story along with many important lessons about life and faith. It was mind blowing to have met someone who was a part of the Homeboys program and went on to helping others who were facing so...

The days have gone by so quick and all I'm left with is the blur of the city lights we often passed at night on the highway. Here are the significant lessons I've taken away from the trip, the times I've felt the Marianist charism, and my resolutions. As I reflect back in the LA trip, there is a significant lesson that went unrecognized and, thankfully, my bad memory did not discard it. It was the time when we had dinner with Brother Ken, Brother Dave, and Fr. Jim. Fr. Jim arrived late but was lucky enough to hear our reflections. Based on what he was hearing, he gave us a word of advice. It's an advice that I've found myself constantly referring to since the school year started. It was somewhere along the lines of, "I do not know who you are, your backgrounds, or what you do, but based on the stories you all shared, you have no idea how powerful you truly are. Every single one of you is more powerful than you think, so never, ever, give up. Every little thing ...

“Good luck with achieving all your dreams.” “Sick of the System.” “God bless.” “Mom is drunk again.” The graffiti in the public bathroom at Santa Monica Pier exposed the stark contrast between two very different living circumstances in LA within just a few hours of my getting off the plane. Walking through the park, I looked to my right and saw people lying on the grass next to a shopping cart with all their belongings. To my left, I saw million-dollar oceanside condos. I remember being stunned and confused by this odd juxtaposition of lifestyles. That night, we went to Mass at St. Monica’s, a beautiful, energetic Church near the Pier. In his homily, the priest asked us to think of one word we can strive to live out in 2016, something we can return to in good times and bad, something that draws us into deeper relationship with God, others, and ourselves. The word I chose was “wholeness,” and it became the framework for my trip. On Tuesday, Paul, the head of the kitchen at Union Rescue ...