Final Integration


Francisco Machado

4/29/22

Final Integration

Throughout the semester, I have been asked to question the most important things in my

life and to think about what really matters most. As a Catholic, my faith is a big part of what

gives meaning to my life and how I approach everything I do including how I act, present

myself, and deal with suffering and death. What my faith says about our purpose in this life is

that God created each one of us out of love so that we might love and be with Him forever. But

how exactly do we follow what he wants for us and how are we called to follow His will for us.

Firstly we need to get rid of the distractions within our lives that keep us from being able

to focus on the bigger questions that life presents us with. As Pico Iyer puts it in her TED talk,

“Put another way, the ability to gather information, which used to be so crucial, is now far less

important than the ability to sift through it. It’s easy to feel as if we’re standing two inches away

from a huge canvas that’s noisy and crowded and changing with every microsecond. It’s only by

stepping farther back and standing still that we can begin to see what that canvas (which is our

life) really means, and to take in the larger picture.” 1 I think it is so hard to actually do this

because we are constantly bombarded with information from social media, the news, and our

phones all the time. When we waste time on things such as these things, I feel as though we lose

focus on the more valuable things that life has to offer us. Fr. Hesburgh gives us an exemplary

model for this as he shows us how a life well lived really looked like. One of the lines that really

stuck out to me in this movie was, “ “Fr. Ted’s leadership has really shown the world what

Catholicism really is.” 2 He was willing to put everything on the line for the sole purpose of

2 "Hesburgh (Links to an external site.)" (Produced by Jerry Barca and Christine O'Malley)
(Week 2)

1 Text: "Why we need to slow down our lives" (Pico Iyer, TED) (Week 1)

https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9


pursuing justice and truth. His legacy still lives on today through the students at this great

university. We can see this legacy through the various things graduates from this university are

doing now to better the lives of others. I think that one of the ways that I have learned to be

happy is through helping others. I have found that sacrificing my time for others and being there

for them when they need it the most gives me a real sense of purpose and gratitude for what I

have been given. I feel like a lot of people “ us live our lives as if our lives were a star in a

motion picture movie in which we have the lead role and everyone else plays a supporting role.”

3. I also fall into the trap of pretending that I am the star of my own movie. In my experience, I

have found it is a bad way to live. Giving up your life as a sacrifice for others is exactly what

Christ calls us to do and it is what Fr. Himes and Sister Theresa Aletheia Noble advocate for us

as we only have so much time here on this earth. I need to be reminded of death more often as I

continue living this life as it could come at any moment. If I were to die right now, would I be

able to meet God face to face? Would I be able to say I have had a good effect on the lives of

others? These are questions I hardly think about but that I need to answer. These questions also

lead me to think about all the things I need to be grateful for. I take my family, friends, and

opportunities for granted very often.

These questions led me to start thinking about what I will eventually do for a living. “If

you actively engage in the process, take ownership, and utilize the tools at your disposal you will

reap the benefits and establish a satisfying professional life.” 4 For week five we were told to

have a deep conversation with someone important to us. I struggle to see what I want to do in my

life and I have prayed about it, but I do not think there is one quick answer. This process takes

4 Text: “Navigating Your Career Journey” (Meruelo Family Center for Career Development)
3 Text: "Three Key Questions" (adapted from Fr. Michael Himes) (Week 3)

https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/
https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40288/modules/16272


time and deep thought and prayer. We talked about how we both wanted to help other people in

some way that directly makes an impact on their lives. I brought up the idea of becoming a

doctor, because I think it is one of the most honorable professions by nature. If done with the

right intention, I think it is a profession of true charity. We also both discussed the priesthood as

our vocation in life, and agreed that we needed to do more discernment about both priesthood

and married life. Talking about what we think we are good at, my friend told me that I was a

good person and that I was also very driven to learn. This is to the extent to which we talked and

I really enjoyed the conversation. 5

I think that in order to follow the path I want to take in order to follow the path to the

good life, being mindful and finding the time to pray is especially important. Oftentimes, I ask

why something happened to me or why am I thinking this way instead of getting a bigger picture

of myself and my desires. One way I try to calm myself down and be mindful is through praying

the rosary which I have found to be very beneficial toward my mindfulness. I have used other

apps such as the hallow app which work great as well. I feel as though oftentimes our emotions

and our experiences can cloud our judgment about certain things in our life, and for me, finding

that place of peace has helped me tremendously to reflect on my daily life, but also the bigger

questions in life. As Tasha Eurich says in her TED article, “Why” questions trap us in our past;

“what” questions help us create a better future.6 By spending time with the Lord, I am able to

connect with my creator and ask for His help to guide me through this life with intentionality and

love.

To love others we must also be in right relationship with them. We are relational creatures

that desire love and friendship with others. This means that we must also treat others with the

6 "The Right Way to be Introspective" (Tasha Eurich, TED Conferences) (Week 6)
5 "Week Five Discernment Conversation Activity" (Week 5)

https://ideas.ted.com/the-right-way-to-be-introspective-yes-theres-a-wrong-way/
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yZ7hqvx-u4EuW2nlK-fRbWFiurQm1mZv_KpoeeiN4So/edit?usp=sharing


dignity and respect that they deserve as creatures who require the same needs that we do. As

Pope Francis says, “Let us help each other, all together, to remember that the 'other' is not a

statistic, or a number," he says. "We all need each other." 7 To take what Christ says seriously we

need to lay down our lives for each other and be a light to those who do not know the person of

Christ. I think this is what my main mission in life is ordered toward. This life is filled with

suffering which we all must experience and if we do not have a meaning for that suffering, I

think that it can take a toll on our well being. In the story of Professor Steve Reifenberg, we can

see that out of suffering and pain, a greater beauty and power can come from it.8 My

grandmother just passed as of recently, and it is so hard to deal with the pain of losing someone

you love so much. I think to deal with suffering we must unite our suffering with Christs’ and

use the suffering we endure to achieve some greater good out of it. In doing so, we must also

help other around us carry their burdens as well. I think that the quote from Fr. Jenkins expresses

this perfectly: “Go now — become worthy sons and daughters of your seminary. Inspired by its

example, go preach love, stand fast against the momentum of your times, and renew the face of

the earth.” 9

I think that we also need to have an open mind to all perspectives if we are going to

pursue the truth. Anything that shows us part of the truth, shows us a part of God. I think that we

all fall into the trap of surrounding ourselves with ideas and people that affirm our beliefs rather

than challenge them. As Professor Blaschko says, “echo chambers are more dangerous than

bubbles, partly because of their ability to lock us into certain world views.” 10 It can be

10 How to Avoid an Echo Chamber” (Dr. Paul Blaschko, ThinkND) (Week 11)

9 “The Spirit of Inclusion at Notre Dame” (du lac: A Guide to Student Life, University of Notre
Dame)(Week 10)

8“Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Togethe r” (Professor Steve Reifenberg)(Week
9)

7 “Why the only future worth building includes everyone” (His Holiness Pope Francis, TED
Conferences) (Week 7)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaIVxQcqnLs&t=1s&ab_channel=ThinkND
https://dulac.nd.edu/university-mission-and-vision/spirit-of-inclusion/
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hZbSdVImfn2hZDqMrdL96dZCNOtHuf6C-lg3sH-Rs30/edit?usp=sharing
https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript


dangerous to live in this sort of echo chamber because if one is always being taught or told a

certain thing and the thing is false, even a sound and valid argument may not be able to break

through their mindset. I find that in politics, people give into these echo chambers and when they

are challenged, then they attack the other person’s character or actions rather than addressing the

argument. I think if people at least considered  more perspectives, we would be able to get along

with each other in all aspects of life. I think that the video and the audio are a reminder that we

need to be more receptive to different viewpoints before making our own thoughts about a

situation.  It can be dangerous to live in this sort of echo chamber because if one is always being

taught or told a certain thing and the thing is false, even a sound and valid argument may not be

able to break through their mindset.

To live a life of virtue and intentionality, we also must act. We must take action in a world

that values inaction. Courage embodies the mission of the Church and was a virtue which Christ

acted out perfectly. Courage requires us to step out of our own egos and self and seek the love of

Christ in all things. I think to embody courage means to take the cross we have each been given

and carry it with a smile on our faces. The Constitutions say, “The mission is not simple, for the

impoverishment we would relieve are not simple. There are networks of privilege, prejudice and

power so commonplace that often neither oppressors nor victims are aware of them. We must be

aware and also understanding by reason of fellowship with the impoverished and by reason of

patient learning. For the kingdom to come in this world, disciples must have the competence to

see and the courage to act.” 11 When we seclude ourselves to our own problems, we forget how

we could reach out to others and lift each other up in our sufferings. When we fail to understand

11 “Constitutions of the Congregation of Holy Cross” - 2: Mission, paragraphs 9-14 (Week 12)

https://holycrosscongregation.org/holy-cross-resources/constitutions/2-mission/


that each one of us wants to be loved and needs to be loved, we forget that we are all on a

mission together to find happiness.

As a Catholic, I believe that the path to a good life is through acting out the teachings of

Jesus Christ and keeping the beliefs of the Church. My mission is to love and serve God. I just

lost my grandmother unexpectedly this past weekend and writing my own eulogy helped me to

realize that this life is short lived and goes quickly. Mortality is a reality that we all have to face

and I think it is a good reminder to think about it every day. I consider that the highest good in

life is a life devoted to God and His will for our lives. “The mission is not simple, for the

impoverishments we would relieve are not simple. There are networks of privilege, prejudice and

power so commonplace that often neither oppressors nor victims are aware of them. We must be

aware and also understanding by reason of fellowship with the impoverished and by reason of

patient learning. For the kingdom to come in this world, disciples must have the competence to

see and the courage to act.”12

12 “Constitutions of the Congregation of Holy Cross” - 2: Mission, paragraphs 9-14 (Week 12)

https://holycrosscongregation.org/holy-cross-resources/constitutions/2-mission/