Integration 3 Machado 1 Francisco Machado Memento Mori was a man of virtue who lived his life to the fullest by trusting in God, loving his family, and being a beacon of light to those who are in darkness. What he loved most in life was his faith and the people he met along the journey. He was constantly discerning God’s will for himself. In his journal entries he wrote this in big bold letters “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 Taking this to heart, he learned so much about the world and his love for knowledge to pursue the truth was unquestionable. Learning from a young age about his faith, he began to love God at an early age. In highschool, his love for God grew even deeper, and his heart was changed by the words of the Gospel. Like many people he had many inspirations in his life including those who helped him to mature into a man. His love of God and community led him to Notre Dame where he worked so diligently to attend. When watching the movie about Fr. Ted Hesburgh, he began to cry tears of joy with how beautiful a life could really be and how someone could live up to their fullest potential. One line that stuck with him was: "Whatever you value, be committed to it and let nothing distract you from this goal. The uncommitted life, like Plato’s unexamined life, is not worth living." 2 Frankie wanted to be a blessing to everyone and anyone he met, because of the people who were integral to his own life. The end was always in mind for him and he never feared death for he longed for the 2 Hesburgh https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-858 1-ab9500c9ecd9, Jerry Barca and Christine O'Malley Week 2 1Why we need to slow down our lives https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40288/modules/items/145953. Pico Iyer (Week 1) 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://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40288/modules/items/145953 https://ideas.ted.com/author/pico-iyer/ Machado 2 day he would meet that which he loved the most which was God. “Many of 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 Death motivated him to not waste a single moment of his life. He wanted to be the best version of himself that he could be to prepare himself to be in the full presence of God one day. He often struggled to love those around him to the fullest capacity for he was not perfect. He recognized his sinfulness and did the best he could to conform his life to the law of God. In college he struggled to find that which made him the most happy. Coming into Notre Dame with the intention to become a doctor he switched to engineering after his first semester. However, he was not satisfied with that either, for he knew that there were deeper questions he needed to ask himself about what he wanted to do with his life. For him discernment was a journey that was winding and never ending. “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 He discerned both priesthood and marriage with an open mind to the joys and struggles of both. But he knew that loved being around those who shared the same love of God that he did. So he found his closest friends at Notre Dame that truly wanted the best for him and loved him for who he was. He questioned everything all the time in a prudent manner, but in particular he thought about what he most valued and desired in life? and why?5 He learned to find that which he was good at and that which he needed improvement upon. “We can spend endless amounts of time in self-reflection but emerge with no more 5 "Week Five Discernment Conversation Activity" https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yZ7hqvx-u4EuW2nlK-fRbWFiurQm1mZv_KpoeeiN4So/ edit?usp=sharing Moreau Week 5. 4 "Navigating Your Career Journey” https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ (Meruelo Family Center for Career Development Week 4. 3 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html Ruth Graham, NY Times, Week 3 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yZ7hqvx-u4EuW2nlK-fRbWFiurQm1mZv_KpoeeiN4So/edit?usp=sharing https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yZ7hqvx-u4EuW2nlK-fRbWFiurQm1mZv_KpoeeiN4So/edit?usp=sharing https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html Machado 3 self-insight than when we started.” 6 He spent many hours praying for those in need, for those whom he loved, and took this call to vocation very seriously. What he hoped was that he could be a light to someone else so that they might know where his joy came from. He wanted to love everybody no matter who they were or where they came from. He took Christ’s message of love seriously and began to spread it in small ways by his actions and mannerisms. For without love, nothing else matters and with love the world could be seen through a new perspective. Throughout his life worked not for monetary gain or pleasure but he attempted to deny himself always and pick up his cross to follow Christ. For what more is there to life than this? Enduring the pain of suffering forged him into the man he was meant to become. He realized that the world’s conception of what a man is was not what true manhood looked like and he embraced his manhood for in Christ he found the example of a perfect man. Reading, studying, and learning were his strong suits and being generous was always the thing he longed to do the most. By the end of his life, he was happy for how far he had come and how much he had seen and done. He believed that he had seen everything there was to offer in life and he loved God so much more for what he had seen. For what is more beautiful than this kind of life? Pope Francis once said, “A single individual is enough for hope to exist, and that individual can be you” 7 and Frankie took these words to heart. Life is the culmination of God’s love for us and when we begin to realize how much He does for our sake, how can we repay him. To be a servant to those always was Frankie’s mission that he always strived for and though he was not perfect, he lived an honorable and happy life. To become holy is to live life in this manner and to have lived a 7 “ “Why the only future worth building includes everyone” https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_inc ludes_everyone/transcript (His Holiness Pope Francis, TED Conferences Week 7) 6 The right way to be introspective (yes, there’s a wrong way) https://ideas.ted.com/the-right-way-to-be-introspective-yes-theres-a-wrong-way/ (Tasha Eurich, TED Conferences Week 6) 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://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript https://ideas.ted.com/the-right-way-to-be-introspective-yes-theres-a-wrong-way/ Machado 4 good life is all that mattered to Frankie. Life is a journey and the road to perfection is narrow, but the way we live matters and all that we have is each other to lean on.