Posts Tagged ‘Fr. Eduardo Rivera’
Life, faith unpacked on the Camino
Fr. Eduardo Rivera is the Campus Chaplain for the University of St. Thomas – Houston (UST). When he agreed to go on the study abroad trip to walk the Camino de Santiago, he knew he would be accompanying a few students and professors, but he didn’t know how the experience would become a metaphor for life – with opportunities for spiritual growth, building community, and finding humor during tough moments.
Before walking the Camino, Fr. Eduardo thought about what to bring and what to leave behind – physically and spiritually. He encouraged all the UST pilgrims to reflect on the baggage they would carry with them because 14+ miles per day is a long way to walk when you’re carrying everything with you, and it’s a long time to be alone with your thoughts and prayers. By the end of the 80-mile trek, Fr. Eduardo and his fellow pilgrims had found new lessons to take home.
In this episode, Fr. Eduardo shares his own experiences as a pilgrim on the Camino and his unique position as the chaplain to see the growth among the other members of the UST group.
Fr. Eduardo’s story about prayer and discernment.
Dalia’s Episode about finding support and encouragement on the Camino.
Anger, Venting, and Prayer
This is Edgardo Giron. He is a Chemical Engineering major at the University of St. Thomas – Houston. When he was in middle school, his world was turned upside down when his father was deported. Edgardo was angry at God. And it was perfectly understandable. His family was broken, and he felt devastated. His story shows us how sometimes anger and prayer go together.
The next years for Edgardo challenged his faith and he held himself back from living his faith in many ways, but it also gave him a path to find a way back. He stayed in communication with God throughout the trials of his life, even when all he had to share in his prayer was anger.
Eventually, a community of faith that he didn’t even know was there helped Edgardo re-connect with his faith. Seeing how other people faced their challenges helped him come to terms with his own. He saw the happiness of the people in that faith community and realized he wanted it for himself. And he leaned on that habit of communicating with God formed in the hardest times of his life to build a new routine of prayer because he already knew that God would be there no matter what he was feeling.
Check out Fr. Eduardo’s episode of MAX Stories.
Prayer isn’t “one-size-fits-all”
This is Fr. Eduardo Rivera. He is the Campus Chaplain at the University of St. Thomas in Houston. His experiences learning to pray at home and growing through discerning the priesthood taught him what prayer is all about.
Becoming a priest is intense. In Fr. Eduardo’s experience, prayer was his life line when discernment and adjustment to religious life felt overwhelming and lonely.
And that intensity wasn't all bad. He realized that when he stepped away from the distractions of the world to focus on prayer, he found his prayer unique style. But it wasn’t immediate... it took practice.
He realized that quiet time with just him and God was the most effective way for him to pray. His routine for meditation might not be your preferred method of prayer, but who knows, maybe it is exactly what you have been needing.
Thinking about the various ways to pray, check this out for 10 new ways to pray.
Check out the Catholic daily readings from Scripture.
Coming Home to UST w/ Fr. Eduardo Rivera
This is a profoundly University of St. Thomas-Houston (UST) story! Fr. Eduardo Rivera, CSB, ’14, M.Div. ’20, was a UST student, became a seminarian, was a Parochial Vicar at St. Anne Catholic Community in Houston, and is now the Campus Chaplain for UST.
In this conversation, Dr. Richard Ludwick, president of UST, sits down with Fr. Eduardo to welcome him home. Fr. Eduardo talks about discerning his vocation and gives the lay of the land when it comes to entering religious life. He shares about how innovation is key to reaching the diverse student population at UST and why he hopes to interface with as many students as he can. A certified personal trainer, Fr. Eduardo also talks a little bit about what he does for fun.
Fr. Eduardo Rivera comes ‘home’ to University of St. Thomas as Chaplain
