Microsoft Word - Castillo_S2_Integration2.docx Castillo 1 Vanessa Chan Moreau April 29, 2022 Finding God In the Ordinary Events Of Each Day The mission statement of can be summed up in this sentence: To be a Saint in the middle of the world. This begins with boldly living out her Catholic faith. The mission is to be unapologetically Catholic. This means being unafraid of letting other people know that she is Catholic and freely practice her Catholic faith. The goal is also to create a culture of life and live a life guided by the truth. This aligns with another part of her mission, which is to create a family environment with the many people she interacts with. Kateri is also dedicated to being faithful in the little things of everyday life. This aligns with her belief that one can be a saint in the middle of the world if they keep their life revolved around God. This will also allow her to grow in the virtues, such as the virtues of temperance, patience, and prudence, and therefore allow her to live a life of virtue. Kateri is also dedicated to serving others, whether it be those close to her like her friends or family or just those that she can benefit in any way she can. Finally, her mission is to live life joyfully, in the service of others, and to give thanks to all that God has given her (Moreau FYE Week Thirteen). What I have written above is my mission statement, one that I plan on living out throughout my life and one that I anticipate might change slightly as I go through life. But for the moment, here is how I see myself living out my mission statement now. I have been living life joyfully and continue to do so using a “joy [that] comes from within” me (“Three Key Questions” by Fr. Michael Himes – Moreau FYE Week Three). This joy can be seen in the little things in life that just bring a smile to my face. For example, on a clear night one can catch me Castillo 2 just gazing at the stars and their beauty. Or sometimes you will see me run into the Chapel with a smile on my face as I share something with Our Lord (Moreau FYE Week Eight). I believe that living a life filled with joy can also help me share my life mission with others. Being optimistic can help me teach people that they too can be a Saint in the middle of the world as “to be a good teacher…you need to be an optimist” (“Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together” by Professor Steve Reifenberg – Moreau FYE Week Nine). In order to keep my life revolved around God, one will see me going to Mass every day. This is a way people can see me boldly living out my Catholic faith. There have been times where I am not able to get lunch with my friends because it is during Mass. They respect my decision and also know that they are free to join me for Mass. Another way I keep my life revolved around God is by intentionally setting aside fifteen minutes just for God. I have noticed that “the more time I spend away from my work, the better that work will be, most often” ("Why We Need To Slow Down Our Lives" by Pico Iyer – Moreau FYE Week One). Thus, one can find me spending time alone with God and ultimately recharging so that I can do my work even better for Him. And in this way, I can better serve Him. Serving others is another aspect of my Mission Statement that will help me to be a Saint in the middle of the world and live my best life. When serving others, one cannot be “putting [themselves] in a victim mentality” otherwise one is only thinking about themselves and not of the other person (“The Right Way to be Introspective (Yes, There’s a Wrong Way)” by Tasha Eurich – Moreau FYE Week Six). Thus, I strive to have a self-giving mindset and be of service to others in the big and the small. My desire to serve others can be seen in the way I try to make everyone’s day a little better. Perhaps it is by leaving a note to my roommate to inspire her to have a great day or by texting a friend something funny to bring some sunshine into her life or just by texting someone a ‘how are you’ to let them know that they are not forgotten. These are Castillo 3 just some examples of how I strive to serve others every day. A friend of mine mentioned how she has seen this spirit of service within me as she recalled how I would send friends, including herself, notes and homework when they were absent without them asking (Moreau FYE Week Five). To be a Saint in the middle of the world also means to let others know that they too can become Saints in their everyday lives. I strive to let people know this fact through the example I set with my life. I hope that their “experience [with me] shapes [them] in some way, whether [they] realize it at the time or not” (“Navigating Your Career Journey - Moreau First Year Experience Course” by the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development – Moreau FYE Week Four). One example of how I have inspired people to become closer to God is with my roommate. One time we were talking, and I told her how I spend some time with God every day and how I usually read part of the New Testament during that time. Ever since then, I have run into her in the chapel with a Bible in hand spending some time with God. Thus, my mission is also to live a life of one whose example is worth following because it brings one closer to God. In this way, I believe that I inspire people and help them to live a life in which they “will be just fine” ("Domer Dozen" by Dr. Austin Hickman – Moreau FYE Week Two). Another aspect of my Mission Statement is to create a culture of life in society. This stems from “the social teachings of the Catholic Church…in which all persons possess inherent dignity as children of God” (“The Spirit of Inclusion At Notre Dame” by du Lac: A Guide To Student Life, University of Notre Dame – Moreau FYE Week 10). I believe that every single person is a person from the moment of conception until natural death. Thus, I stand up for life by supporting the Notre Dame Right to Life Club and by going to the March for Life, whether it be in DC or here at Notre Dame. My mission is also to create a family environment with those I interact with. This is Castillo 4 because the family is the building block of society and so by creating a familial environment with those around me, hopefully I can make society stronger. One way I strive to create a familial environment with those around me is by facilitating conversation between everyone during dinner. Family dinners help everyone learn how to communicate and when we communicate, we can build a stronger community. Otherwise, society ends up fearing “each other because they don’t know each other, and they don’t know each other because they don’t communicate with each other” (“I Am George Floyd. Except, I Can Breath and I Can Do Something” by Dean G. Marcus Cole – Moreau FYE Week Twelve). I especially try to facilitate conversation between people when I eat dinner with the girls in my dorm as they spend a lot of time on their phone during the meal instead of interacting with each other. And usually, it is just by asking them how their day was. Another reason why I strive to create a familial environment with those around me is because when we are jointed together, we end up having “a potful of plenty” (“Tattoos on the Heart: Chapter 8 - Jurisdiction” by Fr. Greg Boyle – Moreau FYE Week Seven). We each bring something different to society and so when we work together like a family, we can create a stronger society and change the world for the better. I also strive to live a life guided by the truth. God is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Thus, my desire to live a life guided by the truth is related to my desire to keep God the center of my life. To live a life guided by the truth means that I actively seek the truth. I try to “be intentional about the information [I] expose [myself] to” (“How To Avoid An Echo Chamber” by Dr. Paul Blaschko – Moreau FYE Week Eleven). One example of the way I actively seek the truth is during class registration when I am choosing professors. I try to choose professors who are not only good teachers, but also will not teach me something that goes against my Catholic faith. This is why I talked with Pete Hlabse, the director of the Sorin Fellows at the time, for advice on choosing professors before I even got to Notre Dame. Thus, living a life guided by the Castillo 5 truth means that I stay true to my Catholic faith and keep in mind the source of the knowledge that I am gaining. This is my mission statement. I plan on continue to live out this mission through the examples I have outlined above. And if I mess up, I will always begin again and continue to strive to be a Saint in the middle of the world. In this way, I will pursue a life well-lived.