Kairos. That one word causes more emotions in the Xavier community than any other in our vocabulary. For most seniors who went on the retreat, that word brings back memories and stories that can be told for years. For juniors, that word is followed with mixed feelings of excitement and nervousness. Some freshmen and sophomores may have never heard of the Kairos retreat before this article. I am here to tell you to make Kairos a priority in your four years at Xavier.

Here are three reasons to attend Kairos, followed by three pieces of advice from my experience on Kairos.

1. Kairos brings you closer to God. I know, cheesy right? In all reality, it is the truth. Kairos helped me grow and strengthen my faith in God. I had been a Catholic for 17 years before my Kairos experience, and I grew in my faith more in that one weekend than in the 17 previous years combined.

2. Kairos brings you closer to your classmates. I don’t know why anybody would still need convincing after point number one, but if getting closer to God doesn’t get you to go on Kairos, finding new friendships and reviving old ones should. I met so many incredible people on Kairos, including some of my closest friends today.

3. Kairos is a great stress reliever from school and the everyday world. Very rarely on weekends during the school year do you get four days with no worries about homework, tests, or the everyday stresses of life. Even if you go on Kairos to just take a break from school, it is well worth it.

Here are three pieces of advice for Kairosians.

1. Form your own opinion of the weekend. If one person had a bad experience on Kairos, do not let them impact your thoughts about the retreat before you have attended it. Go into the weekend with an open mind and good attitude.

2. Do not be worried about how “secret” Kairos is. Kairos is a “secret” because words can not describe the experience people have on Kairos. No two people have the same Kairos experience so it is impossible to describe the weekend in a way everyone understands.

3. Most importantly, have fun with it. Kairos is supposed to be fun. The saying “you get out of it what you put into it” is true in this scenario. Go into the retreat ready for anything. You just never know what Kairos rumors are true…

Finally, I have Kairos to thank for who I am today. I could not have higher praises of the retreat, retreat leaders, and Xavier for offering this opportunity to my classmates and me. I love Kairos, but don’t base your opinion of it off my experience, go on it yourself and see what all the talk is about.