University of Notre Dame - Asian American Association

News & Events

About AAA Grotto Trips

Every week, AAA members go to the special spiritual place, the Grotto, for a 30 min reflection time. This is the time for students to get away from their hectic academic schedule and give themselves time to relax and reflect on their lives.

2009-2010 Commissioners:

Christian Chan '10 (2009), Michael Mercurio '13 (2009-2010)

Weekly Grotto Trips Schedule

Theme: Let it Be
When: 10:30pm, Wednesday
Where: Meet at Bond Hall for the Walkover to the Grotto

One of the biggest groups in a while came to Grotto Trip last week. You guys made me so proud!
For those of you who haven’t been to a Grotto Trip before, or who haven’t been to one recently, you should come! You’re missing out on a great bonding experience.

The theme for this week is Let it Be. In the midst of tests and papers before break, it’s easy to think that doing our best isn’t enough to get what we want. We might put in our hardest efforts to receive little reward. It’s discouraging.
But it’s important to remember that doing our best—honestly our best—is enough. We all have our goals, our dreams, our standards ; none of us ever achieve all of them. We’re human. All we can do is give our it all, let it be, and trust that things always tend to work out for the best. (Let go and let God, as they say.)

Let’s pray this week for the strength to do our best, the confidence not to worry, and the perseverance to last till Spring Break.

Theme: Sacrifice
When: 10:30pm, Wednesday, 2/17/2010
Where:Meet at Bond Hall for the Walkover to the Grotto

It’s Ash Wednesday, the day Lent begins. This is the day many people start to “give up” something they value—a small sacrifice.

For how painful or frustrating sacrifice can be, though, it’s definitely something good for us. Sacrifice can teach us to appreciate more what we have given up.

It can also teach us not to be attached: By giving up stuff like ice cream, bubble tea, movies, or facebook we can realize that these are things we don’t necessarily need. We start to learn which gifts are truly valuable in our lives.

Sacrifice, in a sense, teaches us that only when we die to ourselves can we truly begin to live fully.

This isn’t limited to just Christians. All people, regardless of background or religion, are invited to partake in and benefit from the sacrifices of Lent.

AAA Grotto Trip: Great way to start Lent.

Theme: More than a Feeling
When: 10:30pm, Wednesday, 2/10/2010
Where: Meet at Bond Hall for the Walkover to the Grotto

Valentine’s Day this Sunday.

We all know that love is more than a feeling.
Love is a verb. Love is an action.
It is the willingness and desire to not only be with those you love, but even more so, to give yourself up for them.

Love is sacrifice.

How will you show it from now on?
Reflect on that for this week’s Grotto Trip.

Theme: Success Through Hardship
When: 8:30pm, Wednesday, 2/3/2010
Where: Meet at Bond Hall for the Walkover to the Grotto

Super Bowl this Sunday. The most important day in America (other than the first two days of March Madness).

It’s funny how much we can learn about life from football, actually. We learn about teamwork, sacrifice, resilience, discipline. We learn that only by accepting hardships and by overcoming them can we grow. Just as every football player needs to learn how to sacrifice oneself for the team, how to jump back up after being tackled, how to dedicate and discipline oneself to improve as a player—we too, need to learn how to sacrifice, how to be resilient, how to take on challenges and improve ourselves.

For this week’s Grotto Trip, reflect on the aspects of your character you want to work on. Ask how you can challenge and improve yourself. Pray for strength through your hardships, and for those others who are suffering hardships, so that we all can achieve success from our struggles.

Theme: Your Hand in Mine
When: 9:00 pm, Wednesday, 1/20/2010
Where: Meet at Bond Hall for the Walkover

We’re having a Grotto Trip tonight to pray for the victims in Haiti.

The theme is Your Hand in Mine. All of you know about the immense destruction and suffering the earthquake in Haiti caused last week; it is suffering the people of Haiti will have to bear for months. Let us stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Haiti by praying for them, that they may be strengthened, that they can know that we care for them and love them. It’s very simple, but praying for others is one way we can offer our hand to them, to walk beside them through their struggles.

Ask yourself how others have offered you their hand when you were down. Also ask how you can offer your hand to those around you and to the victims in Haiti.

Theme: True Gifts
When: 10:30pm Wednesday, 12/9/2009
Where: Meet at Bond Hall for the Walkover

Hey everybody, hope you all have been able to find some time to celebrate the Christmas spirit at least a little bit. (Snowball fight, anyone? :)) To help you with that, we have a Christmas theme for this week: True Gifts.

One of the most fun parts of Christmas is giving gifts to family and friends. We do this to make them happy, to let them know they are appreciated. But we don’t give these gifts just because; these “material” gifts are often the result of something more meaningful—“true gifts,” if you will. And perhaps these “true gifts” are ones that everyone experiences. They are the memories made with closest friends and family. They are being there for those who need you, sacrificing for those you love, spending time with those you care for. They are the sense of being at home, of feeling like you belong. These are the true gifts, gifts we can never really see but we know are there.

Theme: As Tomorrow Becomes Yesterday
When: 10:30pm Wednesday 12/2/2009
Where: Meet at Bond Hall for the Walkover

Well we certainly hit the ground running after Thanksgiving break, now, didn’t we?

Finals are right around the corner, and we only have two and a half weeks left in the semester. At moments like these, we often ask ourselves, where has the time gone? Seriously, it just seems like last week we got back from fall break. It’s really one of the weirdest feelings in the world to watch as tomorrow becomes yesterday, often without our notice. It’s really one of the weirdest feelings to watch as the future that once seemed so far away becomes the past we look back on.

It certainly makes us realize how much we need to make the most of time. Experience life. Make memories. Seize opportunities. And learn as much as you can as time flies by—about yourself, about others, about life. Perhaps Gandhi said it best: “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” If we do this, maybe we can look back on our yesterdays with more fondness and satisfaction, and our tomorrows with more hope and purpose.

Reflect on this for this week’s AAA Grotto Trip. How will you make your opportunity-filled tomorrows into yesterdays you will cherish forever?

Theme: Redemption
When: 10:30pm Wednesday 11/18/2009
Where: Meet at Bond Hall for the Walkover
For this week, I'd like everyone to think about REDEMPTION. What have we done that has wronged other people in the past? How can we fix that? How can we be forgiven? What can we change?

Theme: Take a step back and breathe
When: 10:30pm Wednesday, 11/11/2009
Where: Meet at Bond Hall for the Walkover

Sometimes (especially now) life feels too hectic, sometimes it feels like you don’t have time anymore. But it’s important to take a step back and breathe. Reflect. Clear your mind. Renew your commitments. Taking a break is half the work when you have a goal, and it is—quite frankly—essential to keeping your sanity.

Grotto Trip this week is dedicated to getting away from the hectic pace of life just for a while and to praying for a successful Asian Allure this Friday and Saturday

Theme: The Small Things in Life
When: Wednesday, 10:30pm, 11/4/2009
Where: Meet in front of Bond Hall for the walkover

Often, we think that the best things in life are those times that are most fun or crazy. But sometimes the best things in life are the little things. Things like hanging out with friends in LaFun all night. Things like watching football all Sunday long with your dorm section mates. Things like sitting at the Grotto at night, watching the stars. (going to the Grotto Trip this Wednesday would be a great opportunity to do this, hint hint.)

Let’s use this week’s Grotto trip to reflect on these little blessings that come our way each day—blessings which we often take for granted.

Theme: Achieving Your Dreams
Where: Bond Hall
When: 10:30 PM, Wednesday, 10/14/2009
What: Grotto Trip with your sexy favorite Asians.

the theme of this week's Grotto in light of midterms is "Achieving Your Dreams." For juniors and seniors, reflect on where we are going after graduation--where our actions will take us in our career, our vocation, our lives. For freshmen and sophomores, reflect on what your goals are in the coming year and the rest of your college career...your majors, your internships, your friendships, your relationships.

Theme: Within
Where: Meet @ Bond Hall
When: 10:30 PM, Wednesday, 10/7/2009

With many of you busy with midterms and life, the Grotto trip is a nice study break from all the chaos. This week's theme will focus on what is Within. Everyone here has plenty of gifts and talents to share with each other and the world. How can you change others? Take action in the direction of your life. Get some sleep and defeat midterms. Take on the world. Live your dreams. Live your life!

Theme: Kapamilya (Tagalog for “Family”)
When: Wednesday, 10:30pm, 9/30/2009
Where: Meet in front of Bond Hall for the walkover

The theme for this week is FAMILY. You’ve probably heard of the devastating typhoon in the Philippines this weekend; indeed, some of us have family and friends who were affected by this disaster. This Wednesday, let us specially pray for our “family” in the Philippines who are suffering. Let us also pray for each other—our Notre Dame family. Many of us, including me, are starting to realize the grind of the school year; let’s pray for each other, that we can stay strong through all the struggles that may come our way.

Where: Bond Hall
When: 9:00 pm, Wednesday, 9/9/2010
What: There will be group prayer and reflection.

Just like the Roses and Thorns of the retreat. It's always a great study break for just clearing your mind, and enjoying the serenity of the Grotto. It's really a breath-taking place at night.