Finding The Way What is a Life Well-Lived if it is Without End? We are gathered here today at the close of Jack’s life. The close. The end to a long journey that must end. But let us not mourn the loss of life, because what is a life well-lived if it is without end? We make decisions about our careers, friends, and hobbies based on the knowledge that one day it will all end, and we want to make the most of that short section in time that we call home. All of you know this, but Jack made the most of his section. Jack once told me a story about his first encounter with death when he was four years old. He sat in a chair at the FedEx office in his hometown of Ashburn, bored as his mother argued with the worker about God knows what. To appease Jack’s boredom, his mother handed him her flip phone so that he could push the buttons around. Jack stumbled upon the calendar app and began scrolling through time. He got to the year 2103 and realized that would be 100 years from the day of his birth. Jack, being exceptional for kids his age, knew that most people don’t make it to 100 and that he had passed his death date in the calendar. It got him thinking. He had just scrolled through his entire life, his entire being, all of Jack. Those days were numbered, finite, limited. He wanted to know how he could make the most of that time on Earth, and I believe he did just that. Thinking, it’s all Jack did sometimes. When Jack was a junior in high school, his entire world slowed down to meet the demands of Covid-19. Suddenly, the test on Inertia and Centrifugation he had the next day no longer mattered. The world was put on pause and Jack had been given his ultimate gift, time. Time to start thinking about time. As Pico Iyer said, “to me, the point of sitting still is that it helps you see through the very idea of pushing forward.” (“Why we need to slow down our lives” by Pico Iyer - Moreau FYE Week One) Jack had an epiphany one night in the bathtub during Covid. He fell asleep after being submerged for over an hour. When he went to sleep, the water was warm, when he awoke it had turned cold. He thought https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ about this idea of water turning cold. The bath had been considerably less enjoyable now that it was cold. He realized that we must take advantage of the present, before the water turns cold and our time is up. Jack seized the opportunity to grow and began working on the next chapter of his life, his time at Notre Dame. For those of you who knew Jack, you know how much he loved Notre Dame. Even before he applied, was admitted, and enrolled, it was his school. That is, in large part, because he found his home at Notre Dame. He clicked with his friends right away. He was challenged successfully by the course load. But most importantly, he believed in Notre Dame’s message. Every Notre Dame alumni knows the name I am about to say, but let me give context for those who don’t. Father Ted Hesburgh was a beloved priest and president of Notre Dame. He promoted strong virtues in engaging with the world around us and bringing out the best in one another. In the documentary about his life, Jack found comfort in one particular quote: “At the end of the day, we all liked to fish.” (“Hesburgh Video” by Hesburgh - Moreau FYE Week Two). See, finding common ground was one of Jack’s strong suits. Maybe it was his natural fear of having others dislike him or his willingness to see beyond grudges, but he genuinely wanted to be everyone’s friend. And it seems it worked as there were many friends and family members gathered around to honor his name. In his philosophy classes at Notre Dame, he was known as the mediator. During his classes' most heated debates, he reminded everyone that passion is not poison and should be cherished but not at the expense of relationships with one another. With that, he brought others together. Death is what gives life meaning, but to live a good life is what gives death meaning. Jack’s death was meaningful. Thinking back to Sister Aletheia, “Memento mori is: Where am I headed, where do I want to end up?” (“Meet the nun who wants you to remember that you will https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html die” by Ruth Graham - Moreau FYE Week Three) Jack knew from a young age that he was headed towards greatness, but he didn’t want to take an orthodox route. After college, he delayed his employment for a year and became a ski instructor in the Colorado Rockies, a time where he found peace with himself. There, he met some of his best friends, a brotherhood they continued on until the day Jack died. With his new group, Jack would go fishing, hiking, and skiing – three of his favorite things to do. Jack believed that nature healed and we should spend as much time as possible with it. From there, Jack entered his careerdom. He worked at Boston Dynamics while attending Harvard Law at night. It was tough. For those of you who knew Jack during this time, you know this was the hardest point in his life. He was overworked and underslept for three years, but he would tell you how much he loved every minute of it. The thrill of pursuing one’s own interests in congruence with deepening their education is admirable. Jack became interested in pursuing law after talking with one of his father’s friends, Bill. He learned so much by talking to him that it ultimately changed his life course, the good, the bad, and the ugly (“Navigating Your Career Journey - Moreau First Year Experience Course” by Meruelo Family Center for Career Development - Moreau FYE Week Four). Jack loved what he did because he made sure it was the right fit for him before committing to it. I think all of us should view Jack’s life as a challenge for ourselves. Why shouldn’t we do what we want to do and be who we want to be? At the end of the day, we all end up six feet under and yet it is the life we live before that end that makes our lives purposeful. Jack began that conversation of discernment while studying at Notre Dame. During an Electrical Engineering alumni panel, Jack began contacting a mentor named Sarah Devitt (Week Five Discernment Conversation Activity - Moreau FYE Week 5). Sarah provided Jack with the necessary tools to succeed as an electrical engineer, and her father, Bill, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ gave Jack the advice to succeed as a lawyer. Jack realized that it is important to have mentors. They give us strength when we lack it and confidence when we need it. We can lean on them and they can pull us up to where we need to be. Jack was a very spiritual person. He believed that his faith in The Lord and a firm commitment to the Gospel is what gave life its ultimate meaning. Originally brought up Catholic, Jack’s family left the Catholic church when he was ten years old. He went to a non-denominational church for the next eight years until attending Notre Dame. Jack wanted to attend a faith-based university that was also academically rigorous, and Notre Dame fit the bill. Jack believed that a faith-based college experience would improve his mindfulness and attitude towards serving others. At Notre Dame, he picked up a habit that he carried with him until the day he died: meditation (“Mindfulness Menu” McDonald Center for Student Well-being - Moreau FYE Week Six). A simple fifteen minutes of peace and tranquility at the beginning of each day gave Jack the insight and perspective he needed to be mindful of his actions. He would reset his emotions during that meditative period and aim his efforts towards being a friend to all and a helping hand to others, because a life well-lived is one that brings about positive change to others. Speaking of bringing about positive change, Jack must have had an impact on all of you for showing up. Jack’s worst fear, albeit irrational, was no one showing up to his funeral to say goodbye. I know he is looking down from heaven, appreciating each and every one of you. So let’s carry on his legacy by supporting others, positively affecting others, and being mindful of others’ situations. As Pope Francis once said, “ In order to do good, we need memory, we need courage and we need creativity.” (Why The Only Future Worth Building Includes Everyone by TED - Moreau FYE Week Seven) Be courageous. Be bold. Be brave enough to be who you are, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SEXhurkurERNVdy8sgNwZaAKTAr-385q/view https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript as Jack was who he was. How different would the world look if everyone supported others instead of knocking each other down? How might our daily life look different? Jack would say that we would all be more united and accepting. So let’s do just that. Jack’s experiences with life were special. The memories that he imprinted will live far beyond his death. And let us all take up the challenge to live a life well-lived, a life that we want to live, a life aimed towards serving others, as Jack would have wanted. So leave this service not in a state of sorrow, but in hope. Go and live your life, it is what Jack would have wanted. Because we are gathered here today at the close of Jack’s life. The close. The end to a long journey that must end. But let us not mourn the loss of life, because what is a life well-lived if it is without end?