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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.

Check out Pat Gunning’s episode of MAX Stories. 

Watch the full MAX Stories series.

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

St. Anne Catholic Community

Waiting in Joyful Hope

Fr. Eduardo Rivera, CSB, parochial vicar at St. Anne Catholic Community in Houston, joins Bridget Richardson to discuss Advent 2020. Is it possible to wait in joyful hope during 2020? They reflect on the Advent season and how we can be fully present and joyful while waiting for the coming of Christmas. Fr. Eduardo talks about waiting for the peace of Christ, celebrating Mary during this Advent season and finding meaning beyond the superficial.
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