Integration Three: Moreau FYE 5 March 2022 Philippians 1:21 I would like to begin by thanking all of you here to honor and the life she lived. She would be immensely grateful for every individual here, no matter how close or distant, so thank you for being here. As I reflect on her life and acknowledge the reality that she is gone, I can’t help but think about what it meant to live a good life for her. To those of you who know her well, you know she would define a good life as one that is devoted to Christ and His will in all areas of life. A life well-lived to Aiza is a life surrendered to God, that is how she’d put it and that is what she would encourage each and every one of us to pursue (“Week Five Discernment Conversation Activity” - Moreau FYE Week Five). I know that she doesn’t want us to be upset beyond reason about her passing because she would remind us that she is in a way better place than we are: in the loving and splendid presence of Christ. Aiza would be almost upset if I didn’t mention this verse because it is a definition of the culmination of her life and what she would want for us too. The Bible tells us through the words of the Apostle Paul, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain '' Philippians 1:21. Aiza accomplished a myriad of things in her life and broke down many barriers, but she would ultimately attribute her life to this verse. She was living for Christ and now she has gained the best gift a believer can reach as they pass; being in the arms of Christ. Many of us know Aiza as someone who had a lot of goals and extensively worked towards them regardless of the season of life she was going through. But let us never forget how much she valued the importance of slowing down and viewing life from the bigger canvas five feet away, instead of looking at the intricate detail two inches away (“Why We Need to Slow Down our Lives” by Pico Iyer - Moreau FYE Week One). She found beauty in the act of slowing down, especially because of how her procrastinating tendencies caught up to her in school and how she was used to being in the “work hard, sleep when you die” mentality. Aiza always encouraged me to slow down in life and you would constantly hear her say, YOLO, although not in the way most people say it. She would use it more as an excusatory term for her procrastination. Regardless, she https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1yZ7hqvx-u4EuW2nlK-fRbWFiurQm1mZv_KpoeeiN4So/edit https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1yZ7hqvx-u4EuW2nlK-fRbWFiurQm1mZv_KpoeeiN4So/edit https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ would still somehow get stuff done, no matter what it took, because she knew what she wanted in life and she was going to get it. And now we reflect on her life and see that she did achieve most of her goals, especially her desire from a very early start to be an immigration attorney. She was inspired by other first-gen latinas, like Jessica Pedroza, who sought to be advocates and a voice for the unheard (“Domer Dozen” - Moreau FYE Week Two). Aiza reached for the sky and more when it came to reaching goals, but there’s no discrediting the journey she went through during college and graduate school as she discerned where God would take her in her career and if she was truly seeking what He wanted for her (“Navigating your Career Journey” - Moreau FYE Week Four) . As she navigated the discernment process, she was unsure if she would end up where she did, but she was beyond certain about the life of advocacy she would live and pursue with Christ. Collectively, she defined a life well-lived through the altruistic sense of choosing a career based on not only what one can gain, but what one can do for others through that occupation (“Three Key Questions” by Fr. Michael Himes - Moreau FYE Week Three). She would remind us that a career is not for advancing oneself but for advancing the world and the mission to create a better tomorrow. Most importantly, Aiza was a firm believer in teamwork and interacting with others for advancing that better tomorrow. We all knew that she quite literally would never stop talking, so we also know she loved people. She saw people coming together as a beautiful instrument to love and to show the love of Christ but also to realize how amazing it is to realize that we are all the same at the end of the day (“Why the Only Future Worth Building Includes Everyone” by Pope Francis - Moreau FYE Week Seven). She was an advocate for inclusion and would always highlight the importance of togetherness in such a divided world, no matter where you stand politically or what you looked like, she wanted you in the conversation because she believed togetherness was the best advancement we could work towards. One thing I will always remember about her is when you’d ask her for advice about a situation. No matter how significant or small the situation may have been, Aiza would do her best to point you to Christ. There were times when I felt unloved and unheard, without purpose, but she would remind me of the true fulfillment and love found in Christ and seeking His face in all circumstances. She would want me to remind you that she was far from righteous or perfect because she is a human and like the rest of us, inherently devoted to sinful nature. She messed up and she regretted many things she did in her life, but in that same spirit she reflected on the love and https://domerdozen.nd.edu/ https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/39614/files/469056/download?download_frd=1 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 forgiveness Christ consistently offered to all of us. One of her favorite verses was about God’s grace, 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” God’s grace was one of her favorite of His qualities because she was able to see His heart in the way He poured grace into His children. She saw His grace in all of His creation, especially in the things around her. In addition to slowing down, Aiza most appreciated seeing beauty in the smallest things in life. She always sought to appreciate and admire God’s creation, no matter how small or big. Many of us can recall instances where she has encouraged us out of our comfort zone to do something that would be a moment of contemplation on God’s beautiful creation. Whether she made you go and sit on a field and stare at the night sky at 9pm, or pulled up to the side of the road for a sunset, she was always an advocate for enjoying the small moments of life (“5 Minutes” by Aria Swarr - Moreau FYE Week Six). That is one of the most significant things I will take from Aiza’s life, her ability to find beauty in the unknown and her ability to enjoy and meditate on the beauty of the smallest moments in life. She would want us all to occasionally stare at the sky and wonder, to stand in a field and run through it without a care in the world, and to look at the details of a flower and marvel at its beauty and perfect creation. She wants us to see Christ in all things because all things are from Him, through Him, and for Him, let us not forget that without Christ we are unable to live a life well-lived. May she rest in peace in the arms of our Father and rejoice as she dwells in His presence for eternity. Ultimately, to live is Christ, to die is gain. https://grottonetwork.com/make-an-impact/transform/why-does-god-allow-suffering/?utm_source=moreau&utm_medium=class&utm_campaign=spring_2022