Integration 2 Maria Finan Moreau FYE 14 October 2021 Growing in Faith Our faith can help us find happiness in life. Joy can be found in many things and sometimes we have to work to gain happiness. There needs to be a balance in life between work and relaxation because driving ourselves into the ground will do more harm than good. We feel good when we meet our high expectations for ourselves and “if we don’t meet those expectations, we feel like the exact opposite — that we aren’t good enough. (“Why Letting Go of Expectations is a Freeing Habit” by Julia Hogan - Moreau FYE Week 9). There is nothing wrong with working hard to achieve goals, especially when those goals will make us better off in life and help bring us joy, but we must stay realistic as well. God made us imperfect, so we will fall short in life at times. This is not a bad thing. The best thing that we can do is pick ourselves back up and find a new challenge to conquer. I have found that prayer has helped me push through the difficult times when I am not meeting my goals. The Grotto has become my safe space where I often go to have some quiet time away from the craziness of my day. I am able to take a breath and not worry about the other problems around me. I focus all my energy into my conversation with God or sometimes I just sit there and enjoy the silence and the beauty of The Grotto. Change is also very difficult for us as human beings. We like sticking to our routines because they feel safe to us, so moving across the country and experiencing new cultures can be shocking to us. A common response is to hide inside our own little bubble and not be inclusive of people who are different from us. This reaction will tear us apart and destroy our community. https://grottonetwork.com/navigate-life/health-and-wellness/letting-go-of-expectations/?utm_source=fall_2021&utm_medium=class&utm_id=moreau https://grottonetwork.com/navigate-life/health-and-wellness/letting-go-of-expectations/?utm_source=fall_2021&utm_medium=class&utm_id=moreau Fr. John Jenkins said, “A country whose citizens treat one another with scorn does not have a bright future” (“Wesley Theological Seminary Commencement” by Fr. John Jenkins, C.S.C. - Moreau FYE Week 10). Our country is divided in many different ways at this moment in time. Instead of hating people for being different, we should embrace the fact that we are all unique because that is what makes the United State of America such a great country. The best way to bring people together is to get out of our own comfort zone and show others that it is okay to learn about new cultures. When we learn about other cultures, we will be able to appreciate everything that makes them so unique. I have realized that we all have certain predetermined notions about other states and countries as I have met new people. While I came from a very diverse city, there are still many views that my state has about places that are not true. The Notre Dame community is what makes this university such a special place, but there is still so much room for improvement. I think one main thing that makes the community so special is how inviting the people are. The phrase, “Welcome Home,” makes everyone feel like they belong here. We can continue to build on that welcoming environment throughout our four years here. Students should also realize that, “community is not a goal to be achieved but a gift to be received” (“Thirteen Ways of Looking at Community” by Parker J. Palmer - Moreau FYE Week 11). God created us to be communal beings, so we should appreciate that gift that he has given us. The first step to appreciating the community goes back to being accepting of the people around us. Just like what makes our country great, our Notre Dame community is great because we all have a different story and come from different backgrounds. If the community was not diverse, then we would not be able to learn from each other. When we can cordially discuss what makes us different, a lot can be learned that cannot be taught from a book or a presentation. “Welcome Home,” needs to be a phrase that follows students throughout their four years at Notre https://president.nd.edu/homilies-writings-addresses/wesley-theological-seminary-commencement/ http://couragerenewal.org/parker/writings/13-ways-of-looking-at-community/ Dame. This is our home and we are all one giant Notre Dame family. Families fight and have disagreements, but at the end of the day we love and care for each other. When a family sticks together, there is nothing that they cannot overcome. Life would not be worth living if there was no hope for a better and happier future. Faith and hope are what get us through the hard times and they both virtues build upon each other. We can hope for a better future all that we want, but unless we do something to make that better future happen, then nothing will change. “Human beings can absorb a boundless amount of knowledge and information, but if Christians fail to see themselves first as people with a vocation to open their hearts to Christ, then they cannot expect to change society” (“Holy Cross and Christian Education” by Campus Ministry at the University of Notre Dame - Moreau FYE Week 12). The first step to making the world a better place is realizing God’s calling for us. We can do this through prayer and meditation. The hardest part of this challenge is having hope when nothing is going our way and everything seems to keep getting worse. God gives us the bad times to make us stronger and show us how truly amazing the good times are. If the world was perfect, then we would not be able to fully appreciate the good times. Having hope is something I struggle with the most. I know there is always a larger plan for me and that good will always come out of the bad, but it is hard for me to admit that when I am frustrated or sad. Some of my greatest memories would not have happened if it was not for bad things like COVID-19 happening in the first place. God knows we can always overcome the struggles in life because He is there with us. It is just a matter of us reaching out to Him and asking for help. https://campusministry.nd.edu/assets/105431/holycrossandchristianeducation.pdf https://campusministry.nd.edu/assets/105431/holycrossandchristianeducation.pdf