Ryan Coury
The first occurrence of a snow day turned into a joyful moment of grace and camaraderie for Notre Dame Leprechaun Ryan Coury.
“We trudged over to McGlinn Fields and embraced the cold in every sense of the word, playing pickup tackle football with the smartest, strongest, and humblest men on campus — the men of Dillon, as we sometimes refer to ourselves — in snow that ran up to our knees. It was there, exerting excessive amounts of energy even to plunge forward one step, I realized this is where I saw God.”
This Advent season, how can we see God in everyday encounters? While quiet, individual time with God is essential, it is also special to stop and recognize God in the moments with the people around us.
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Ryan,
Oh my! I loved this! There was nothing better than growing up in Granger, Indiana and laying in bed listening to the radio declare that Penn-Harris-Madison School District was having a snow day! So thrilled to hear how God showed up for you on this magical day! Blessings to you! Coach Kathy (STCS)
I just love these Advent videos. I look forward to them every year. I am thankful to everyone who participates from those on and off the screen. May God bless each of you and God bless Notre Dame!
Beautiful. I love snow storms . You just gave me another reason to love them and incredible insight on why I do love them. Go Irish!
Refreshing to see your generation appreciate God and nature at the same time and your gratitude for all of it.
Ryan, First off, thank you for being a ND leprechaun and for cheering on the IRISH!!???? Secondly, thank you for sharing such a simple but beautiful sacred story about finding God in the midst of a pause in normal, daily routines. How awesome that you allowed yourself to witness God’s love more fully during a fun, shared experience with friends on a cold, snowy winter’s day. You remind me that God is always with us, but sometimes we need a pause in routine to more clearly see and feel evidence of Him. Merry Christmas, and may your winter break find you back in sunny Arizona with family and hometown friends. GO IRISH!!
It’s good to hear the appreciation of the beauty and connection of campus.
God is everywhere.
Thank you for this! As a lady in her eighties, you enabled me to recall the presence of God in my youth.
I loved your story. It reminded me of the time I visited my daughter over Valentine’s Day and it snowed.
Coming from Texas we don’t see snow a lot. The campus was quiet, almost still with the snow and such a Godly place to be. Thank you for reminding me.
Thanks for sharing the wisdom that you found that day. God is truly everywhere, right in front of our faces. Merry Christmas.
“……it is also special to stop and recognize God in the moments with the people around us.” by Ryan Coury This reminds me that we are ENTANGLED with all around us and with our environment. Everything affects everything. May myself and All of us Be Aware of the Experiences involving Our Creator in as many moments of our lives as is humanly possible. May our senses be open to these moments. Thank You to All who are members of this community.
What a wonderful story, Ryan. God is in all things, as you so cogently discovered that wondrous, joy filled day. Quiet times, loud times, busy times, lazy times, serious times, whimsical times…God is All. Your acceptance of this, I think, has put you on a beautiful path. God Bless, Good Luck, and Go Irish!
Awesome reflection! I remember having a similar experience, so this was very special to hear.
Go Big Red!
Ryan, thanks for reminding me of my Notre Dame experiences of 70 years ago. Walking through the snow from Zahm Hall to the South Dining Hall, with a stop at the Grotto; playing football in the quad behind Zahm, with the old Biology Building in the background are among the memories that come to mind. It was in those ordinary moments with friends that made up of my own Sacred Stories and helped me developed my faith and love for Notre Dame, Our Mother.
Thanks Joe- Your comments bring back the same memories I remember
having. Thanks and Happy Holidays. John Gibbs ’57
Hello, Ryan! I was delighted, to say the least, to see your video and hear your vibrant account of God’s presence in the cold and snow. It gave me chills – probably not so strong as the ones you were experiencing! What a choice metaphor you provided us with for God’s presence in the “colder” times of our lives. You informed us that we can rise above complaining and enjoy God’s existence in challenging times. It wasn’t just your very articulate words but the energy with which you shared them that captivated me. You obviously let the Spirit reign in your heart. May you be blessed in many ways. Warm regards to you, your dad, mom, and sister. Fr. Bill Faiella, CSC
Hello, Ryan! I was delighted, to say the least, to see your video and hear your vibrant account of God’s presence in the cold and snow. It gave me chills – probably not so strong as the ones you were experiencing! What a choice metaphor you provided us with for God’s presence in the “colder” times of our lives. You informed us that we can rise above complaining and enjoy God’s existence in challenging times. It wasn’t just your very articulate words but the energy with which you shared them that captivated me. You obviously let the Spirit reign in your heart. May you be blessed in many ways. Warm regards to you, your dad, mom, and sister. Fr. Bill Faiella, CSC
beautiful story and so simple! thank you for sharing.
These photos remind me of a snowy day on the Notre Dame campus near Cavanaugh Hall back in 1955 or 1956 during a heavy snow storm. Great memories! Thank you.
So many of my fondest memories of Notre Dame involve snow. One is trudging over to the ND library before finals and spying the Dome from a distance, getting closer as we entered the campus and viewed lit snowflakes swirling around Our Lady. Bundled up in our “Dr. Zhivago”-inspired, fur-trimmed, maxi-coats to keep warm we always felt welcomed and special as we crossed the center of campus. Thanks for bringing back some “warm”, snowy memories.
Thx Ryan. I can relate. I entered as a freshman in 1968 from Southern California. GO I R I S H❗️☘️
Patrick ND’72
Ryan: You got the idea … keep it going. I’m class of 1963, my brother Charles is 1955, brother Dave 1956, and father Charles 1925. Dad was the left end on the Four Horsemen Team who spoke at my high school football banquet in New Jersey. For the last 2 years, 12 of my ’63 classmates (from Jamaica to all over the U.S.) zoom weekly for an hour just to keep in touch … no one misses a session. God bless you … (please try to bring us fewer losses).
thanks for sharing. https://getslotter.org/“