His Path to Happiness Saint Paul said to the Thessalonians, “brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14). So today, with heartfelt smiles, let’s celebrate Sam’s life – a life well-lived. One of the resounding messages Sam’s parents continuously received throughout the years at parent-teacher conferences was that their son had a good and solid moral compass. Similar to Theodore Hesburgh ("Hesburgh" by Jerry Barca - Moreau FYE Week Two), Sam refused to allow the secular world to dictate what he should accept as truths, how he should think, and how he should behave. Being a faithful Catholic in a private, liberal high school was not an easy journey for Sam. As one of a handful of practicing Christians at his school, living his faith sometimes involved making sacrifices and putting himself in uncomfortable positions. He declined party invitations because he knew they weren't the type of celebration where he would want to be. It was not fun sitting home some Friday nights, but he knew he had made the right decision. Every Ash Wednesday he went to church before school so he could wear his ashes all day. Whenever kids asked him why he had them on his forehead, he faithfully answered, “they’re there to remind me that I’m a sinner and that I need to repent." Sam had a knack for working well with people that didn't share the same beliefs as he did. As Theodore Hesburgh once said, "we may have had our disagreements but at the end of the day we were all fishermen" ("Hesburgh" by Jerry Barca - Moreau FYE Week Two). Sam recognized the importance of respecting these differing views and always listened to the opposing sides' stance. He understood that growth often comes from having your own beliefs challenged, so he often purposefully put himself in a group that presented diverse ideas. Sometimes he emerged with a changed outlook on his beliefs and other times he left feeling more convicted in his original thoughts. Yet, at the end of the day, Sam always lived out the truth that we are all created in the image of God, which means we all have intrinsic value. As an engineer with a love of group projects, Sam exemplified this core belief in the classroom on a daily basis. He enjoyed listening to everyone’s diverse ideas and helping to identify the critical elements of value within all contributions. In addition to respecting and listening to everyone's ideas, Sam was a loyal friend who was always there to lift a friend’s spirit when they were down. With his calm and empathetic nature and his ability to be a really good listener, Sam became the person to go to in his friend group whenever anyone needed difficult life advice, emotional support, or just an ear to talk to. As Pope Francis mentioned in his virtual Ted Talk ("Why the Only Future Worth Building Includes Everyone" by Pope Francis - Moreau FYE Week Seven), we all need each other to get through our daily lives. To maintain each other’s happiness, we must help each other out when others are at their lows even if it is at our own expense. This is exactly what Sam did. It didn't matter if he had tons of homework due the next day, he still found the time to comfort those of https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9 https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9 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 his friends who were struggling. On one occasion, he spent two hours on the phone with a close friend the night before an AP Exam, giving her support, encouragement, and a place to share her fears on the first night she was hospitalized for a mental health issue. Sam was also there to assist others with more practical problems too especially if it involved his engineering talents. His parents noted that what he ultimately desired in life was to be happy (Discernment Conversation with Parents - Moreau FYE Week Five). Sam knew that he achieved this happiness by working on engineering projects around the house, like his model train village he designed and built during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet this joy was most fulfilled when his work involved helping others ("Navigating Your Career Journey" by Moreau Center of Career Development - Moreau FYE Week Four). He thoroughly enjoyed helping the senior community in his hometown parish with all their computer, Wi-Fi, or electrical issues. It was common to hear of Sam spending a Saturday installing Wi-Fi or teaching a senior how to use their smart TV or iPhone. Yet, Sam would always put his grandmother first in line. After his Papa passed away when Sam was finishing up 9th grade, he took on the role of being his grandma’s dedicated handyman. After a day of work spanning from cleaning out the garage to fixing blown electrical sockets, Sam would collect his day’s wages: a home-cooked pasta dinner and quality conversation with his Gamma! In an era of constant noise and commotion, Sam worked hard to avoid distractions and stay focused on what really mattered. Pico Iyer noted, "the more facts come streaming in on us, the less time we have to process any one of them" ("Why We Need to Slow Down Our Lives" by Pico Iyer - Moreau FYE Week One). Iyer also stated that these many interferences in our lives can actually distract us from the truly significant events. It is important to minimize these distractions so that we can fully take advantage of the beauties that life has to offer us. Sam understood this critical life lesson at a young age. Unlike many teens, he was not constantly connected to social media. One of Sam’s favorite events of the day was coming together for family dinner – without cell phones! He found the beauty in connecting with others. He learned about the intricacies of his dad’s investing firm, the takeaways from his mom’s bible study, and the spins and jumps his sister was working on at the ice rink, but more importantly, he realized the value of sharing, listening, and connecting authentically with others. When he entered Notre Dame, he continued this family tradition with his friends during their nightly 5:15 section dinner where they connected over conversation and laughter. If there could only be one word to describe Sam, it would be curious. From the very beginning, Sam approached life with a unique sense of curiosity. At his 2nd birthday party, he walked around asking every guest to pick him up and take him to the garage so he could press the button and watch the pulley system in action. He opened and closed the garage door so many times that he blew out the motor. Sam’s curiosity to learn how things work has always fed his hunger to learn. Sam’s famous “what if” questions asked of his family and friends would inevitably invite everyone into his creative and curious mind and start a thought-provoking and fun conversation. As Sister Aletheia notes, your "life is going to end, and [you] have a limited amount of time" ("Meet the Nun Who Wants You to Remember You Will Die" by Ruth Graham https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html - Moreau FYE Week Three). Sam took this quote to heart and opted to live every day as if it were his last. For Sam, each day was a new opportunity and adventure in learning how this world worked. His curiosity always led to action. Sam taught himself so much outside the classroom because he followed his hunger to learn about things that some people might not think were interesting. He devoured manuals and how-to videos for electronics, machines, and other devices as if they were jellybeans! Sam also understood how important it was to have a grateful and humble heart. Growing up in one of the wealthiest areas of the United States, it would have been easy for him to envy all of his friends' top-of-the-line possessions like their sports cars, boats, summer vacation homes, and ski chalets. As Dr. Jihoon Kim noted in her study, "we often focus on the things we do not have" ("5 Minutes" by Grotto - Moreau FYE Week Six) and we fail to acknowledge any of the positive outcomes that have arisen from the things that we are lacking. But Sam did not approach life this way. He was thankful for everything he had and for the values his parents instilled in him. The positive outcome that arose from what Sam lacked was a life of humble gratitude, not entitlement. And when he was around those that were not as fortunate as him, he did not boast about what he had or what he accomplished. Even in the classroom, when Sam scored significantly higher than everyone else on an exam, he told no one but his parents. He even made sure that his younger sister was not in earshot since he knew she struggled in math and science. When Sam was permitted to boast, he really struggled to do so. At a prestigious national scientific competition, his professor had to help prepare his answers because Sam felt extremely awkward highlighting his breakthroughs and accomplishments. Sam truly lived the verse “when pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom” (Proverbs 11:2). So today, we look back and appreciate this life well lived – a life colored in the love of God, family, and friends and guided by a desire to do what is right. Let Sam’s gift of childlike curiosity motivate you to look at the world differently and explore the unknown. Until we all meet again in God’s heavenly kingdom, follow Sam’s example and put down your cell phone and connect with a loved one over a bowl of jellybeans! That will make Sam happy! https://grottonetwork.com/make-an-impact/transform/why-does-god-allow-suffering/?utm_source=moreau&utm_medium=class&utm_campaign=spring_2022