Saying yes
Life can throw challenges at us every day. The Marianist tradition encourages us to say “yes” to not only the challenges but the opportunities that come our way — they are all a part of God's plan.
This is one of the foundational lessons of an educational session, titled Marianist Yes, hosted by Campus Ministry and attended by UD students. The session is a part of a series that introduces students to the Marianist traditions that are so dear to UD.
“The Marianist traditions are an essential part of the University’s mission, so we hope that students can take this and use it in their lives,” said Bridget Ebbert, campus minister for residence life.
The Marianist Yes program began five years ago. As an incentive, students who attend the event earn PATH points that help determine student housing for the next school year.
“I love being able to teach our students about the Marianist traditions that are so important to UD,'' Ebbert said.
The session teaches that Mary’s “yes” to God’s request that she bear his son is central to Marianist beliefs and traditions. Ebbert said that as Catholics, we don't claim to have all the answers, but instead, we have faith that God is leading us down the right path.
Our faith leads us to say “yes” to the changes in our lives because we trust that it will all be for the best, she said
Students attending the session learn about other famous “yeses” throughout history, like Malala Yousafzai saying “yes” to standing up for girls’ education even though it meant putting her life in danger. Another example is St. Francis saying “yes” to helping others at the expense of his own lavish lifestyle.
Sophomore chemistry major Lexi Wright attended the most recent Marianist Yes session in November.
“This event really showed how important it is to prioritize the things in my life, and how I need to work on saying ‘no’ so I can say ‘yes’ to what’s coming,” she said.
“... I need to work on saying ‘no’ so I can say ‘yes’ to what’s coming.”
Through these examples, Wright said, students can see that saying “yes” to God, though not always easy, will take you down the virtuous path.
The session ends with an open discussion about these “yeses,” and students write down a simple everyday “yes” to God they can commit to, as well as something they have to say “no” to in order to live out that “yes.”
“I didn’t know about some of these things before the event,” Wright said. “It was really cool to learn about them, and it made me really think about my goals and what I need to do to get there.”