Dear Alexis, Nothing would break my heart more than to see your collegiate success lure you away from friendship with Christ; they should go together!  Of course, I am not naïve; I know it’s tough. You’re so busy, and you keep falling head over heels for guys who don’t share your faith, and social life is so much fun… I guess that’s why God has given you an imprisoned uncle with nothing better to do than remind you that when the party’s over, life begins – and no one gives life more flavor than Christ.  Think about how much today’s saints gave up in order to stay united to Christ. They were from the French city of Lyons (near the French-Italian border), which suffered intensely under the persecutions of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. These two young men had been friends since childhood and fled together to a small town in hopes of escaping arrest, which they didn’t. So, in the prime of life (college-aged, just like you), and with the brightest of futures before them, they were brought to trial.  The governor invited them to denounce their Christian faith; they preferred to forfeit all their worldly hopes and pleasures and suffer torture rather than betray the Lord. The governor separated them and tried to entice the younger Epipodius to save himself. When that failed, he resorted to less civilized means: he stretched the youth on the rack and tore his sides with iron claws. When even that didn’t work, Epipodius was beheaded. A couple of days later, Alexander had his chance to embrace a life of ease and privilege if only he would put his faith on the back burner, but he preferred to follow the example of his friend.  He was scourged and crucified. I don’t remind you of what your older brothers in the faith suffered in order to frighten you. Rather, I hope to give you new resolve: stay busy at all costs, but busy with Christ; makes friends with all the young men you meet, but friendships that will be pleasing to Christ; enjoy college as much as you can, but not at the expense of the joy of Christ. Be a light, dear Alexis, shining Christ’s love all over that pagan campus. God bless. Uncle Eddy  

Dear Anne, I think you should reconsider your decision.  I am convinced that you can stay involved in student government, dominate your double-major, keep up with your violin, and still have plenty of fun, if (and that’s a very BIG ”if”), if you do one thing: keep your prayer time sacred (which it is, by nature – sacred, I mean).  Daily meditation, rosary, and night prayer, Mass as often as your weekly class schedule will allow it (don’t settle for Sunday only; even if you have to go off campus to catch an evening Mass; believe me, when you’re on Wall Street working 7am-10pm it’s going to be a lot harder), and confession at least every two weeks.  If your friendship with Christ is ALIVE, and you are constantly renewing your deep motivations (everything for the sake of his Kingdom!) he will fill you so full of energy that no to-do list will be too daunting. Of course, you will always have to manage your time sensibly; wasting time is not a graduation requirement, you know.  In my experience, the real difficulty is usually not having too much to do, but not doing first things first. The peace of heart and clarity of mind that come from an intimate relationship with Christ make it easy to choose wisely and follow through on other commitments. Take today’s saint for example. For years Anselm juggled duties as Abbot, Archbishop, royal regent, prolific author, defender of the poor, professor, reformer (in the true sense), traveler, and philosopher, and executed them all with remarkable success.  It wasn’t easy, especially since the English kings at the time were bent upon confiscating the Church’s property, which meant that he, as the Archbishop of Canterbury, was under constant fire. But in spite of harsh conditions, chronic illness, and unceasing opposition, Anselm succeeded in winning countless hearts to Christ. The secret? He kept God first – not only in how he spent his time, but in what he paid attention to in his heart.  You may need to make some major schedule adjustments here and there, but if you make Christ your constant companion, he will gladly teach you how to conquer time for the sake of his Kingdom.   Hopes and prayers, Uncle Ed