Chi Rho - Pillars and Charisms
There are three pillars that Chi Rho stands for and strives to live by. These pillars are faith, brotherhood, and service.
Faith: The point of Chi Rho is to dive deeper into our faith lives. College is a time where we are finally making our faith our own. This is no longer something that is forced upon us or that we need to be doing because of someone else. Chi Rho gives us a chance to discover our faith for ourselves. Through being involved in Lord's Day and preparing for the Eucharist, through having deep discussions with our brothers, through a desire for something more, we eventually find our own path to a faith filled life.
Faith is a dynamic and active trust in something that we cannot see and cannot know except through trust and a strong belief. It shapes our lives, the way we think, the way we act, the way we live. Faith calls us deeper into the unknowing, further into the arms of Christ. It is a statement of love and surrender. With that statement made, we are open to go further and live a life worth living, a life worth fighting for, a life worth dying for. We are soldiers of Christ and it is our duty to take our faith and defend those unable to see, blinded by the devils machinations. "Take up your cross and follow me" - the powerful words of a man doomed to die and blessed to live. No matter the path, the matter the manner in which we follow, we will follow to the end of our days. We are blind, but only in our blindness can we see, truly see the light of Christ and the path laid before us.
Brotherhood: Brotherhood is a pivotal part of our community. As brothers, we come together once a week in a small group environment and share with each other our deepest fears, our hardest struggles, our greatest successes. This is to encourage surrender and vulnerability in our hearts and our minds. The groups are filled with love and helpful guidance when needed. This is a time of listening and heartfelt support. I am my brothers keeper.
Brotherhood is a foundation off of which we can build our faith. No one can truly live without a community to love and surround them. We were meant to be supported and to support others in return. That is how we were created; who are we to argue with the aspects of humanity given to us at creation. In brotherhood we learn how to be the rock, following the footsteps of Peter the apostle, holy and strong though once weak and lost. We are here to find our true selves, to offer each other the chance to be strong and to not fear failure. Failure is simply a chance to acknowledge our weakness and our desperate need to completely rely on Christ.
Service: Service is in an effort to reach out to those who are in need. We are very capable of helping those who are desperately searching for help in their lives. As faithful men it is our duty to reach out and lend our support and love. This aspect of Chi Rho not only strengthens us but it provides an opportunity to witness to those around us and for Jesus to work through our open hearts to heal those in need. Service is a mandatory act in the life of the brothers. Jesus calls us to more and we will answer with a resounding YES.
Service is such a gift, not only to the people being helped but to the workers who have given their heart entirely to the task at hand. I have found that true joy is only found when there is no focus on yourself and you are able to give yourself totally to others. That is a life worth living and I am fully committed to live the life that I want to live and that I love living. I will accept nothing less. Join the movement of the heart and follow Christ's example of unconditional love and unwavering support.
