Reflection by Philip Cordia (Cap Corps 2020-2021)
Throughout college I lived a rigid lifestyle when practicing my Catholic faith. Attend daily mass, give a daily holy half hour to the Lord, attend bible study, lead bible study, say a rosary, etc., I boxed the Lord into the set times I carved out for Him throughout the day. Although the activities themselves were good (even very good), I started on a dangerous path that rarely saw Christ outside of church. Most days, I barely considered Him outside of the chapel, my interactions with the world outside of our Catholic Campus Ministry became devoid of Christ. How backwards this was from The Gospel.
As our Cap Corps year progressed, I became increasingly busy and less able to continue with the many devotions I carried out in college. Although initially a frustration, it has become one of my greatest joys and a massive source of growth in my relationship with Christ. I was forced to become more flexible, my rigid schedule overturned. My prayer consistently became a simple turning of my heart to the Lord during the day, and I started seeing Him move in all things. Sometimes it is in patients struggling in pain, other times in my coworker’s small actions towards others. I am in awe of our Lord’s ability to make Himself known in every moment no matter the situation. I still carve out time solely for Christ and root myself in quiet moments with Him, but learning to see Him in the hustle of the day has opened my heart to loving others in ways I never knew. By noticing Him in every moment, I am able to share the gospel constantly, unable to contain His joy and goodness.
This upcoming year I am moving to Denver, CO to work full time before hopefully starting medical school in August of 2022. Moving and transitioning to a new city will be an incredibly variable time. I will take the lessons I have learned this year with me as I begin my next lifestyle. I will continue to love the Lord in our quiet moments, and look forward to the rest of the day when I see His goodness and beauty in all that I interact with. This year has made me see life in the most vibrant colors imaginable. I have no idea where the Lord is leading me on this adventure of life, yet my heart leaps with joy knowing every possibility will be filled with Him.
Philip Cordia served as a Nurse Assistant in the ER at St. Vincent Charity Hospital in Cleveland. He studied Chemical Engineering and Chemistry at Virginia Tech and plans to go to medical school after his year of service.