Murphy 1 Taylor Kelly Moreau First Year Experience 28 April 2022 Making a Saint Businesses, academic institutions, and companies often have mission statements. These statements articulately define the purpose and values of the given organization. However, the statements are useless if not acted upon. It is important to decide how to concretely fulfil one’s mission. In Week 13 of Moreau First Year Experience, students wrote a personal mission statement. My personal mission statement is as follows: is a Catholic woman who is dedicated to reflecting Jesus in every aspect in her life. She recognizes that she is imago dei, but because of original sin, she must make a conscious effort to become more like Christ in her day-to-day life. One of her distinctive goals is to love all people. She does not have to particularly enjoy the company of a given person, but she must will his or her good at all times. This necessitates employing kindness and respect in every interaction she has. She is also committed to a search for truth. She realizes that she does not have all of the answers, but it is her responsibility to form herself as best she can so that she can be the best Madeline she can be. In her search for truth, she respects others’ opinions and genuinely listens to their reasoning. She makes everyone feel heard—even if she does not agree with them. She also does diligent research and comes to rational conclusions. She tries to order her life to the most perfect good. She utilizes the Catholic Social Teaching Principals of Common Good, Subsidiarity, and Solidarity when she makes Murphy 2 decisions. She does her best to accompany people patiently rather than rudely interfering with their lives. All she does is because of her love for Christ and her desire to be his hands and feet on Earth. (Week 13) This mission statement is inspiring, but it is useless if not acted upon. Through the knowledge and skills I learned in Moreau First Year Experience and my freshman year, I will determine how to live my mission in the next three years. This semester, I attended a discernment retreat with the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist. They explained that the central aspect of Dominican spirituality is “to contemplate and to share with others the fruits of one’s contemplation”. This motto is how I wish to structure my life. Several weeks of Moreau this semester stressed the importance of meditation, introspection (Week 1), prayer, and reflection (Week 6), which are all forms of contemplation. I am determined to pray each day and reflect on the day each night. This prayer will help me grow closer to God, which will help me clearly discern my vocation. Part of a vocation is choosing a career path (Week 4). This introspection, prayer, and reflection will help me know myself better, and I will use this knowledge to research different careers. I will additionally talk to trusted individuals who know me well to better discern my career path (Week 5). I am almost certain I should be a teacher, but I will keep my mind open to other career paths. I know the Lord works in mysterious ways, and I must be ready to follow wherever He leads me. After all, He knows best. It is so important that I listen to the Lord in my decision making because I could die at any moment. We read a piece about “memento mori, a Latin phrase meaning “Remember your death” (“Meet the Nun Who Wants You to Remember You Will Die” by Ruth Graham, Week 3) during Week 3. This piece was very eye-opening. By remembering I will die each day, I https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html Murphy 3 remember the purpose of this life: to get to heaven and bring as many people as possible with me. Keeping this in mind will help me make prudent decisions. Additionally, writing my eulogy (Week 8) was very effective in keeping me accountable to living the best way I can. It reminded me that the way I present myself will be the way people remember me forever. I want to be a saint, which is why I must start living like one now. Many of the saints are not publicly recognized on Earth as saints, but they are still in the communion of saints in heaven. These people lived Christ’s mission on Earth through small, daily tasks. I aspire to do this. The best way to be like Christ is to love all. Pope Francis teaches that “the only future worth building includes everyone” (“Why the Only Future Worth Building Includes Everyone”, Pope Francis, Week 7). I must not discriminate against others. Notre Dame’s du Lac policy articulately states, “We welcome all people, regardless of color, gender, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, social or economic class, and nationality, for example, precisely because of Christ’s calling to treat others as we desire to be treated” (Notre Dame du Lac, Week 10). In order to authentically live this policy, I must genuinely seek to understand others and walk in their shoes. Without understanding, it is almost impossible to be compassionate and loving. To best understand others, I must avoid echo chambers. It is alright that I primarily spend time with other Catholics in our own “Notre Dame bubble”, but I can’t surround myself solely with those who agree with me on everything. In “How to Avoid an Echo Chamber”, Dr. Paul Blaschko explains, “Bubbles become echo-chambers when groups give up on tolerating diversity of opinion” (“How to Avoid an Echo Chamber”, Dr. Paul Blaschko, Week 11). I cannot shut people out who disagree with me. Instead, I must make efforts to genuinely listen to their perspectives. I cannot listen with the intent to quickly refute their argument; I must listen with https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript https://dulac.nd.edu/university-mission-and-vision/spirit-of-inclusion/ https://dulac.nd.edu/university-mission-and-vision/spirit-of-inclusion/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIVxQcqnLs&t=1s&ab_channel=ThinkND Murphy 4 the intent to understand. I need to respect others. Like the Constitutions of the Congregation of Holy Cross says, “Our mutual respect and shared undertaking should be a hopeful sign of the kingdom, and they are when others can behold how we love one another” (“Constitutions of the Congregation of Holy Cross”, Week 12). Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, I need to accompany others. (“Teaching Accompaniment”, Steve Reifenberg, Week 9) I have to be a listening ear to anyone who may need me. After hearing how Father Hesburg would stay up into the wee hours of the night to speak with and listen to students who needed him (Hesburg Film, Week 2), I decided I would be just that available for my friends. When I reach the pearly gates of heaven, St. Peter will not ask, “Why didn’t you get a good night’s sleep before that test? You really shouldn’t have stayed up to comfort and listen to your friend.” However, he might ask, “Why did you prioritize schoolwork over the needs of your brothers and sisters?” This necessitates that I be ready to accompany anyone at any time. Through prayer, inclusion, listening, and accompanying, I will live my mission through the next 3 years. I know I will not always live it perfectly, but I refuse to ever give up on it. It is based in truth, and living it will help me reach heaven. https://holycrosscongregation.org/holy-cross-resources/constitutions/2-mission/ https://holycrosscongregation.org/holy-cross-resources/constitutions/2-mission/ https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9