New Year's Resolutions?

I'm trying to think up New Year's Resolutions.

Here's my 2009 List:

* Respond promptly to all emails & phone calls.
* Stop AVOIDING things!
* Develop a regular workout routine.
* Flirt.
* Get out of the house daily (go do something - interact with people!)
* Work on self-transcendence.
* Learn to love others for their own sake.

Here's how I did:

* Generally, I did a lot better at responding to emails & phone calls.
* I continued to avoid those people or things which I didn't want to deal with. My boundaries are improving, so I'm learning how to deal with difficult people or situations (aka confront people). I've also learned that avoiding people or situations is not always a bad thing, but that avoidance can in itself be an effective boundary.
* I did NOT develop a regular workout routine, although I've come to the happy realization that I only do physical activity if it is in the context of PLAY / FUN. So if it's going for a jog vs. iceskating or elliptical vs. broomball - I'll take the iceskating and broomball and skip the jogging and elliptical machine! The trick next year will be to do more fun physical activity! At the same time, the point of me wanting to exercise more was to lose weight... and I've done that without exercising by learning to eat better! I did Weight Watchers for a few weeks in the spring & lost almost 10 lbs and have continued to use some of the tricks I learned to keep it off!
* I have discovered that I'm very shy. Yes, I'm an extrovert, but I'm very shy especially around people with Y chromosomes. I made slight gains in this regard, but I'm still working on it!
* I don't always get out of the house (or my dorm), especially when the temperature outside is -20F; I have been more intentional about forcing myself to go to social events, etc. Again, still more room for improvement here!
* As far as self-transcendence goes - my prayer life has been up and down this year. I feel that it has weakened in some ways, and grown in others. It is far more sporadic and unstructured, (I've been more drawn to walking in nature and reading the Bible randomly) but I find that I have had an unusually clear ability to see the Spirit at work in my life despite the messiness of my own interior life!
* This last point, by far, for me has been the biggest area of growth this year. I've learned what it means to love without strings attached - this one thing was the hardest thing to come to grips with - but it has given me an appreciation of the gratuitous way God loves us even when we don't even acknowledge Him or thank Him in return!

So, what are my 2010 Resolutions? Here, I'm reminded that the more specific they are the better!

2010 Resolutions:

* Continue to eat healthy (mostly vegetarian w/ some cheating once in a while!)
* Daily Mass 3x a week; 30 min. adoration 1x week.
* Go to two social events per week outside regular MDiv socializing.
* Improve my relationships with my parents and close friends by improving communication and being more open and vulnerable about what's on my mind / heart.
* Spend at least 1 hour per day in the library and less time playing Spider Solitaire on my Laptop - in other words, keep my 3.9 GPA.
* Do some fun physical activity 2x per week!
* Go on AT LEAST ONE DATE next year! (an improvement over 2009).
* Continue to grow in compassion for others.
* BOUNDARIES BOOTCAMP RESOLUTIONS!

What are your New Year's Resolutions?

Merry Christmas!

I was just reading through some emails, and each day I get one from ZENIT - Vatican News - to keep up on what's going on in the universal Church.

Anyway, I usually skim through and just read what interests me. So when I saw that Benedict XVI had had a meeting with University students, my interest was piqued.

I'll post the whole thing [well, almost the whole thing] because I think it is a beautiful reflection us students should keep in mind!

Your Eminences,
Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,

What is this wisdom born in Bethlehem? I would like to ask myself and all of you this question during this traditional pre-Christmas meeting with the University world of Rome. Today, instead of Holy Mass, we are celebrating Vespers, and to mark the felicitous coincidence with the beginning of the Christmas novena we will soon be singing the first of the "Greater Antiphons": "O Wisdom from the mouth of the Most High, you fill the whole world. With strength and gentleness you order all things: come to teach us the way of prudence" (Liturgy of the Hours, Vespers of 17 December).

This wonderful invocation is addressed to "Wisdom", the central figure in the Books of Proverbs, Wisdom and Sirach. These are in fact called the "Sapiential" Books, and in them the Christian tradition discerns a prefiguration of Christ. This invocation becomes truly stimulating and even provocative when we find ourselves before the Nativity scene that is, before the paradox of a Wisdom that "from the mouth of the Most High" comes to lie in swaddling cloths in a manger (cf. Luke 2: 7, 12, 16).

Already we can anticipate the response to that initial question: the One born in Bethlehem is the Wisdom of God. St. Paul, in writing to the Corinthians, uses the phrase: "a hidden wisdom of God" (1 Cor 2: 7): in other words, a divine plan, which has long been kept hidden and that God himself has revealed in the history of salvation. In the fullness of time, this Wisdom took on a human Face, the Face of Jesus, who as recited in the Apostle's Creed "was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of the God the Father Almighty; from hence he shall come to judge the living and the dead".

The Christian paradox consists precisely in the identification of divine Wisdom, that is the eternal Logos, with the man Jesus of Nazareth and with his story. A solution to this paradox cannot be found if not in the word "Love", which naturally in this case is written with a capital "L", in reference to a Love that infinitely exceeds human and historical dimensions. Therefore, the Wisdom that we invoke this evening is the Son of God, the second Person of the Most Holy Trinity. It is the Word who, as we read in John's prologue, "was in the beginning with God", or rather, "was God": who with the Father and the Holy Spirit created all things and who "became flesh" to reveal the God whom no one can ever see (cf. Jn 1: 2-3, 14, 18).

Dear friends, a Christian professor, or a young Christian student, carries within him a passionate love for this Wisdom! He reads everything in her light; he finds Wisdom's imprints in the elementary particles and in the verses of poets; in juridical codes and in the events of history; in works of art and in mathematic formulas. Without Wisdom not anything was made that was made (cf. Jn 1: 3) and therefore in every created reality one can see Wisdom reflected, clearly visible in different ways and degrees. Everything understood by human intelligence can be grasped because in some sense and to a certain extent it participates in creative Wisdom. Herein lies, in the last analysis, the very potential of study, of research, of scientific dialogue in every field of knowledge.

At this point I cannot omit to reflect on something a bit disquieting but nevertheless useful for us here who belong to the academic world. Let us ask ourselves: who was present on Christmas night at the grotto in Bethlehem? Who welcomed Wisdom when he was born? Who hurried to see him, to recognize him and adore him? They were not doctors of law, scribes or sages. There were Mary and Joseph, and then the shepherds. What does this mean?

Jesus was one day to say: "Yes, Father, for such was your gracious will" (Mt 11: 26); you revealed your mystery to the little ones (cf. Mt 11: 25). But then is there no use in studying? Or is it even harmful counterproductive in understanding the truth?

The two thousand-year-old history of Christianity excludes the latter hypothesis, and suggests to us the correct one: studying entails deepening one's knowledge while maintaining a spirit similar to the "little ones," an ever humble and simple spirit, like that of Mary, the "Seat of Wisdom". How often have we been afraid to draw near to the Grotto in Bethlehem for fear that doing so would be an obstacle to our critical sense and to our "modernity"!

Rather, in that Grotto, each of us can discover the truth about God and about humanity, about ourselves. In that Child, born of the Virgin, the two came together: mankind's longing for eternal life softened the heart of God, who was not ashamed to assume the human condition.

Christmas Gifts

So I got some pretty neat things for Christmas.

Our family decided to keep it simple this year, and so each of us just got a few things. I am so excited about one gift in particular which I got: an authentic tallit, which I had put on my Amazon.com wish list but never thought I would actually get!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tallit

It's a Jewish prayer shawl.

Why am I excited about it? Well, for a number of reasons.

* I might be going to Israel in the Spring (I know... I was thinking of going over this Christmas Break (the trip leaves tomorrow!), but I decided not to...). Anyway, there's a class on the Holy Land being offered in June sometime, and I'm hoping to go then!

* I want to use it in catechesis - when we talk about the Jewish people, the Old Testament, the Covenants, etc. I think it'd be a great piece for a sacred space.

* Perhaps for personal prayer. Apparently, it's traditional to wear it on the Sabbath and also for morning prayer.

This is the one I got:

12 Days of Christmas - Notre Dame Style

So I heard someone was writing a version of the 12 Days of Christmas, Notre Dame style, and the only piece of it I heard was "5 Golden Tates." This made me want to write my own version. I've pretty much finished it, but I'm still stuck on a few numbers... any ideas?

12 am parietals
11 football championships
10 Irish guardsmen
9
8
7 Heisman trophies
6 billion endowment
5 Golden Tates
4 horsemen of the apocalpyse
3 months of drama
2 two crystal lakes
1 shiny golden dome

Good Omen?

I caught the bouquet at Kateri's wedding this weekend! I hope it's an omen of good things to come!

Divine Sense of Humor

Today we had a riveting discussion about catechetical methods in my field education seminar. A friend sent the following email to our class afterwards:

Friends,
I rarely send these mass emails, but after a very good discussion on effective catechetical methods today, I figured it would be appropriate to share a short clip of one of the best Catechists of this age, who died 30 years ago today. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxLdrE7WTaA

Enjoy,
Brian

I went and clicked on the you tube video- it was a video of Fulton J Sheen! I was pleasantly surprised! I didn't realize how delightful he was! I think perhaps that I had seen videos of him before, sometime during my youth, but was probably not of a mental disposition to appreciate it at the time. Thankfully, now I am. (Again, refer to my entry on Young Adult Brain Development... don't judge me! =) ).

Now that I only have one paper to do and one oral final, I might kill some time watching more FJS on Youtube.

Christ Turns Down 3-Year, Multimillion Dollar Deal To Coach Notre Dame

From : http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/christ_turns_down_3_year

SOUTH BEND, IN—Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Savior of All Mankind, and current defensive coordinator at Middle Tennessee State, said Monday that He would not accept Notre Dame's 3-year, $5.6 million offer to coach the Fighting Irish. "I love Notre Dame and respect their football legacy, but no matter what you've accomplished before coaching there, once you're a Golden Domer, the expectations, frankly, are unrealistic," said Christ, whose family has been involved with the university since its founding. "I've had people turn on Me before, and it really put Me through hell. But even more importantly, I've made a commitment to stay with the Blue Raiders through 2015." Christ denied asking Notre Dame to remove His likeness from the building overlooking their stadium, saying He liked a good joke as much as anybody.

Oh There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays...

Perhaps it's because of the perpetual angst of these pre-final exam days, or the sudden dip in temperatures and the tiny, star-shaped snowflakes that come and go like the wind, but I'm really looking forward to being home for Christmas and enjoying the following things:

* Sitting in the rocking chair next to the fireplace at Matante's house drinking coffee & catching up on all the 'gossip' (updates on my friend's lives and school life).
* Sitting in bed reading a good book with my humongous cat (Sugar) right beside me with her little "motor boat" going all the while.
* Midnight Mass at St. Mary's (Immaculate Conception) Parish in Baltic / Trying to keep my mother awake during Midnight Mass...
* Driving through snowy woods to a tucked away Monastery Chapel to pray before the Blessed Sacrament.
* The smell of our douglas fir Christmas Tree which fills the house with its fragrant aroma.
* The aforementioned cat trying to squeeze her fat self underneath the tree and trying to drink the water from the Christmas tree stand while she gets slimed by Pine Sap and leaves little tufts of fur behind her on the bottom of the tree.
* Board games with my sister and brother in law, and the arguments which erupt over his obnoxious plays of 3-letter words which often score 30+ points and take the very spot I was planning to play my 7-letter word which would have given me 16 points at most! Somehow he always wins!!! I am determined to not let that happen this year!
* Egg Nog.
* Playing with my 2 year old godson! (He's growing soooo fast!) Can't wait to see him at Christmas!
* Dinner @ Dad's house - and Wii games to follow! Also, watching Kirby (my Dad's Cairn Terrier) and Clyde (Kelsey's black & white kitty) chase each other...
*Watching all the classic Christmas movies
* listening to Christmas Music on the Radio
* Driving around at night looking at all the Christmas lights displays in people's yards

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat,
please to put a penny in the old man's hat
if you haven't got a penny, a haypenny will do
if you haven't got a haypenny, then God Bless You!

Also, don't forget to put your shoes out tonight! Happy Feast of St. Nicholas!

Young Adult Brain Development

Has anyone seen the MIT Report on Young Adult Brain Development?

http://hrweb.mit.edu/worklife/youngadult/youngadult.pdf

The intro goes something like this:
"The years from 18 to 25 are a time of stunning accomplishments and chilling risks, as a roller coaster of internal and external changes, including brain changes, propels young adults from adolescence toward full maturity. Yet we are only beginning to understand how and why this all happens—and sometimes doesn’t."

The report goes on to say that there is a dramatic change that takes place in the brain from the ages of 18-25, usually becomes more and more apparent around the ages of 21, 22:

"A large and relatively new body of research is revealing that young adulthood is a time of dramatic change in basic thinking structures, as well as in the brain. Consensus is emerging that an 18-year-old is not the same person she or he will be at 25, just as an 11-year-old is not the same as he or she will be at 18. They don’t look the same, feel the same, think the same, or act the same."

This can particularly be seen in the area of risk taking and decision making:

"With this greater capacity for thinking about future consequences and regulating emotions, young adults have an easier time modulating risk-taking and making decisions about the future, including choices about health, relationships, education, and careers. They can also weigh the impact of their choices on others more effectively, in actions as simple as showing up for appointments on time or as complex as parenting a young child."

All I can say is that this is sooooo true. Twenty-one and twenty-two year olds are, as a whole, much more responsible than 18 & 19 year olds. Last night we had our Dome Dance (our Dorm's formal dance in the Main Building here at Notre Dame), and we had a more than a few IRI-SHenanigans occur as a result.

That being said, I just try to remind myself when I'm dealing with intoxicated 18 and 19 year olds that their brains aren't fully developed yet and they really didn't know what they were getting themselves into. That being said, it makes the experience of dealing with them a little easier to handle and a little funnier, too.

Broom Ball Playoffs Begin Monday!

So, team "We Grad Your Papers" lost our final game of the season tonight, with a score of 3-2, giving us a 2-1 record (2 wins, 1 loss). Though our record was tied with another team from the division, we've made it to the playoffs, because our score differential (margin of win) was greater than theirs!

Our first playoff game will be this Monday.

Watch a broomball game on Youtube! (not our team, but close enough...)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y3pXWEEI2Y

Wish us luck!

Prayer for Peace

I had a discussion with a friend tonight about how sad it is that Barack Obama won the Nobel PEACE Prize and is now having to send 30,000 more troops into Afghanistan to continue fighting in a WAR that has been going on for several years now.

Whether we like it or not, we are a nation involved in a war that is NOT just.
Just War theory defines very specific details of when war can be used, and it is very clear that it is only a last resort. According to most (if not all) Catholic theologians, the just war criteria were not met prior to launching into this war. Regrettably, most Catholics are silent, perhaps even indifferent on the matter. It is a grave injustice, and yet we often do nothing to stop it.

It seems that the saints were very different in their approach. Consider Pope John Paul II's strong words: "War is always a defeat for humanity."

And also - consider the words and example of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. In A Man of the Beatitudes: Pier Giorgio Frassati, Lucianna Frassati writes:

p. 38

"The Great War continued with its tremendous weight of sacrifice. Pier Giorgio withdrew into long silences, interrupting his reflections with agonized questions on the drama of the dead, the wounded, and the widows. He often spoke about it with Natalina Novo, the servant girl, whose brother had already been killed in the war. One day she told him the news she had heard from our father: "Two thousand mountain troops cut off from the Italian lines and shelled by enemy cannons."

Dismayed, my brother asked her: "Natalina, wouldn't you give your life to stop the war?"

"Certainly not," replied Natalina. "I am young and my life is as dear to me as that of the soldiers."

Pier Giorgio stared at her, saying, "I would, I would today."

Would that we young Catholics had the same yearning for peace!
Let us all take some time to pray for peace.

God our Father,
Creator of the world,
You established the order which governs all the ages.
Hear our prayer and give us peace in our time,
that we may rejoice in Your mercy
and praise You without end.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
One God forever and ever. Amen.

Late Night Rounds...

Tonight I decided to wait until really late to do my last rounds in the hall. I was walking on one of the floors when I noticed a piece of scrap paper on one of the couches in the common areas. Usually I am oblivious to these kinds of trivial details; but the silence and stillness of the hall because everyone’s gone for Thanksgiving Break makes me notice things that I otherwise normally would not notice. As I looked at it more closely, I realized that it was the instructions insert for an over the counter pregnancy test. My first thought was shock, thinking, “Maybe it is old, belongs to someone else… not one of our girls!” My nosy-ness immediately kicked in… Yes, I immediately went snooping in the bathroom – and sure enough, I found the discarded box in the trash can, right in plain sight. No luck, however, finding the student or the used pregnancy test.

While my job is usually a fun one, it’s moments like this that I realize the big responsibility that has been entrusted to me. We might have a new mother in the hall tonight. I am filled with worry, concern, and fear – for her and potentially for her unborn child. Part of me wonders – did she wait until this break – when no one would be around – to take this test? Has she been potentially pregnant for some time now? Is she getting the help she needs – if she is pregnant? Or is she going through this alone, afraid and overwhelmed? More than anything I wanted to know who she is, so that I could be a support to her in this difficult time.

And then there are even more serious worries. While the University as a whole is institutionally committed to life and provides excellent resources to support pregnant students who choose to carry their pregnancies to term (http://osa.nd.edu/health-safety/assistance-for-pregnant-students), the fact of the matter is that Notre Dame is no different from any other university. There are as many young women who have abortions here as at any other university. Part of that is because Notre Dame is such a competitive academic environment. I’d imagine that most students who do get pregnant abort because of the pressure from their families, from their peers to perform, to be successful. And to many of them, an unplanned pregnancy is one obstacle too large to face.

Please say a prayer for this young woman – whoever she is: that if she is pregnant, she will choose life, and if she is not, that she will have a conversion of heart to embrace a more chaste lifestyle; finally, pray for our staff, who will need to work to reach out to our residents, and hopefully assist this young woman whatever the situation be.

Give Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving!

This year I am thankful for (in no particular order):

* personal growth, particularly in regards to boundaries
* greater self-awareness and confidence
* peace and balance in life
* opportunity to study at Notre Dame and for my scholarship which makes it free!
* relationships with family, friends
* taking new risks - even in dating!
* becoming more fully alive
* developing new interests
* clarifying my values
* new spiritual insights - things God has taught me / showed me this year
*greater clarity about my unique calling in life
* growing in understanding of those I differ from theologically
* my health, which I often take for granted
* medical professionals, who have helped me regain my health when I've been sick
* pastors, catechists, youth ministers, professors who have taught me the faith
* my classmates - who teach me so much and challenge me to grow
* best friends, who are always only a phone call away and offer love, support, and encouragement
* my job as an Assistant Rector and all the ways it's helped me grow
* the beauty of the Fall here at Notre Dame
* puppies
* my housekeeper who cleans my room every week and who is a wonderful woman!
* squirrels
* a renewed appreciation for the Rosary and Liturgy of the Hours
* the ability to rejoice with others
* the ability to weep with others
* connectedness with others
* opportunities for quality time
* others who have reached out to me
* Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Lattes
* "target dates" vs. "deadlines" in Christology!
* dining hall workers - particularly the card swipers!
* final exam care packages
* road trips with best friends
* queen sized beds
* a healthy dose of self-acceptance and acceptance of my current state in life
* & so many other things!

Quote for the Day

Franciscan University (my alma mater) publishes an e-devotional that they send out daily. Here's the one for today, which I thought was beautiful, and is from one of my favorite priests, Fr. Dave Pivonka, who served as Vice President of the University while I was a student there:

“Watch a child. If a little boy falls in the park and scrapes his elbow, he instinctively runs to his father or mother to make it better… More often than not, the parent can do nothing except gently kiss the bruised elbow and tell the little one that it is going to be OK. The amazing thing is that often this is all the child needs. The kiss doesn’t “fix” it; it just lets the little one know that he is loved, he is not alone, and he is going to be OK. Sadly, as we grow up we begin to believe that a little kiss or a mere hug isn’t going to fix anything, so we stop asking… God the Father is inviting you to run to him with your cut elbows, broken heart or shattered dreams. No hurt is too little and none is too great.”

Fr. Dave Pivonka, TOR Spiritual Freedom: God’s Life Changing Gift, Servant Books

Uconn's Epic Win

So this Saturday I went to Notre Dame's final home game of the season vs. my home favorites - The University of Connecticut -- in which the Huskies handed the Fighting Irish a 33-30 loss in double overtime.

As you can imagine, it was (going into the match) quite a conflict of interests. Here was a team I had rooted for for my entire childhood up against the school that is paying for my entire graduate education and giving me an otherwise cushy life.

In the end, I decided to root for Uconn - although I did cheer when ND scored as well. Basically whenever anyone carried, threw, or pushed the ball up the field, I cheered, much to the confusion of those around me. I was also probably the only one in the entire Notre Dame student section who knew and sang the Huskies' Fight Song.

What made this game so epic? Not only were the Huskies the underdogs going into this game (pun intended), they were coming back from a several game losing streak following the murder of starting cornerback Jasper Howard back in mid-October. This was their first win since his passing. As the Coach stated in the post-game press conference, now they finally have a game ball to send back to Jasper's bereaved mother.

Not only that, but Uconn has only been in this league since 2002. Playing against legendary teams like ND has been tough for Uconn. This Saturday they finally got their chance to shine.


Uconn Husky, symbol of might to the foe,
fight, fight Connecticut
It's vict'ry, let's go!
Connecticut Uconn Huskies, victr'y again for the white and blue
so go (fight) go (fight) go (fight)
Connecticut, Connecticut U!
C-O-N-N-E-C-T-I-C-U-T. Connecticut,
Connecticut Huskies,
Connecticut Huskies,
C-O-N-N-U!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfFcnQgs5V8

Multiculturalism

Just for Fun: What cultures have had the biggest impact on you?
(when I answer this, really I'm thinking about people in my life who have made some impact on me in one way or another)

* French Canadian - enriched by my own family's culture (which I didn't realize really still affected us until I left home - we're not just "American" ). I can't help but think of things like my Memere's meat pies at Christmas and Matante's sporadic use of French (words like "toque," "quette," "oh mon Dieu!"), not to mention values like faith and family - and keeping the peace, maintaining a sense of calm at all costs (a value which was pointed out by my Quebec-born pastoral care professor).

* German - Having lived in Austria and traveled to Germany, and having friends from Germany I've grown to appreciate this under-represented part of my own heritage. What I appreciate most about German people is their wit and their bluntness, their reasonableness and common sense.

* Italians - What's not to love about Italians? Anyone who knows me knows that I have a soft spot for them in my heart. Just look at how many saints have come from this country: Pier Giorgio Frassati, Don Bosco, Francis of Assisi, Clare of Assisi, Ambrose of Milan... the list goes on an on...

* Filippino - Having a close friend in High School who was Filippino and having had numerous Filippino friends in college and beyond, I've come to appreciate their deep devotion, their sense of hospitality - and their cuisine!

* Ukrainians. From my Ukrainian roommate in Austria to my friends here at St. Michael's Ukrainian Byzantine Catholic Church here in Indiana, I've come to appreciate the arts of this culture - from Psyanka to Iconography, to choral music within the liturgy and decorative embroidery - just beautiful! Not to mention the courage and faith of a people who has suffered much in the last 100 years.

Mexicans. Mi casa es su casa. Food, Faith, Family... Fiesta! As the Church in the United States becomes more and more Hispanic, I am contemplating how important it is for me to learn about and embrace the Latino/a Church. I'm blessed to have several friends who are members of the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit, a religious community which was founded in Mexico city and whose founder was a married woman, mother of nine, and a mystic. Her writings are beautiful - and have helped me spiritually during the last year or so.

Nigerians. Over the years I've met a number of people from Nigeria or who have Nigerian roots. I can't say that I know a whole lot about Nigeria or Nigerian culture, but the individuals I have met have left an impression on me, in one way or another. After a solo-trip to Turin during which I spent an overnight train ride in the same compartment with a Tunisian, two drunk Polish men, and a Nigerian, I am convinced that the Nigerian man was my guardian angel in disguise.

Without listing reasons for the rest, here are others I'd put on my list:

Polish
Cuban
Puerto Rican
Bosnian
Korean
Iranian

What are yours?

Obsessed...

So I am slightly obsessed. Hopefully y'all won't get sick of my posts on this and will humor me and watch the YouTube videos...

I tend to fixate on musicians, and per my previous posts (and subsequent commentS (note the plural)) I'm really enjoying the MP3 downloads of the Idan Raichel project.

There is something unsettling yet beautiful about his music. I've been reading up on him because he's an interesting character, and I even found a few interviews of him online.

Anyway, so here's my latest favorite song:

ממעמקים -Mi'Ma'amakim (Out of the Depths)
(song is in Hebrew; also features some Ethiopian chant)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jz5Spgrel2k

Out of the depths I called unto you, come
Your return shall rekindle the spark in my eyes
Neither done nor forsaken the touch of your hand
To the sound of your laughter shall glow here again

Out of the depths I called unto you, come
'neath a moon that shines brightly your way back to me
In your ear whisper ask again

Who is it that calls to you tonight, listen
Who sings aloud under your window
Who stakes his soul just for you to be happy
Who'll lend his hand to build you a home
Who'll lay his life down under your footsteps
Who like the earth at your feet shall live on
Who'll love you better than all of your lovers
Who'll save you from the rage of the storm
Out of the depths

Ketch up?

I haven't posted in a long time... well, sorta.

Here's a quick update on my life:

* Had an utterly insane weekend (Thursday Nighty (11/12 they announced that the MDiv program was getting a new director, effective this MONDAY (11/16); suffered a minor panic attack for which I went to health services (not related to the previous issue, hehe); busted my first party while on duty -freshman drinking & potentially playing "strip poker"; major incident in the hall that involved the local police forensics team (ended up being a freak-accident); went to an awesome concert (see Idan Raichel Project post)....

* Won our 2nd Broomball game on Tuesday. Why the undergrads show up drunk to play is beyond me, although it's hilarious to watch them fall more than the rest of us!

* Working on some homework projects, papers, etc. Please pray for me!

* I'll "preach" for the first time tomorrow - our whole class has to present the homilies we've been working on. This might be a skill useful to me later on in case I ever have to preside over a "Sunday Celebration in the Absence of a Priest (hence known as SCAP)."

* I am still sick. I would appreciate any prayers y'all have for a recovery. I'm tired of being sick and tired. It's been a month. Yes, I'm being a baby about it...

* P.S. : Our new director for the MDiv is a diocesan priest (who was just named a Monsignor!) who is a wonderful man. His name is Fr. Michael Heinz. Though I'm sad to see our old Fr. Mike (Connors) go, I'm excited for our new director too!

Idan Raichel Project

I went to an AMAZING concert tonight in the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center here at Notre Dame. It was a group called the Idan Raichel Project. Here's a bit of info about them from the program:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ABOUT THE IDAN RAICHEL PROJECT:

"Six years ago, when Israeli keyboardist and composer Idan Raichel was an unknown musician working in a home studio in his parents' basement in a small city near Tel Aviv, he never imagined that his musical experiments fusing Middle Eastern, African, Indian and other global sounds would ever result in the biggest-selling records in Israeli history and propel him into a role as a major figure in the international global music scene. The Idan Raichel Project's explosive rise saw the multicultural collaborative break sales records in Israel and perform across the globe to rapturous crowds in some of the world's most prestigious venues..."

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The group is led by lead singer / piano player Idan Raichel, and he also involves musicians from around the world, meshing their sounds to create a sound that is unique and truly global. The Project also has the goal of spreading the message of peace and tolerance.

The concert was one of the most fun, uplifting, and interesting I have ever been to! Very enjoyable. I would recommend checking out their webpage or downloading some of their songs, although I have to say, I just downloaded some of their songs and they don't compare to hearing them play live!

I stayed for the post-concert interview / Q & A time, and it was interesting. He draws on the scriptures (particularly the psalms) for some of his lyrics (most of the songs are in Hebrew). Anyway, someone asked him why he uses the scriptures as a source for his songs. He responded by quoting someone else, basically saying "all that is useful has already been written; we simply have to go back and tap into the wisdom of what came before us. It's all in there, it's all we need."

www.idanraichelproject.com/en
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idan_Raichel

Here's a few samples of his music that I really like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH6Hs7P2xW0&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJfFdcHQvKI

(the videos on You Tube are a bit weird, but music is great!)

Alive Again

So I am one of those people who secretly loves to listen to music at 800 decibles in their car. I try not to do this frequently, because generally it's not good for your ears. Because I do it so seldom, I really enjoy it when I do! With the radio blasting in my car, I can sing with reckless abandon - at the top of my lungs. Even if it's just one song between ND's campus and Martin's Grocery store, it's usually enough to lift my voice and my spirits.

My station of choice these days is WFRN - A Christian station that plays contemporary music. Today I heard one of Matt Maher's newest songs: "I'm Alive Again" - I don't know why, but this song really makes me sing! I think that this fall I've experienced a re-awakening- I've come to experience a fullness of life that I have not had in perhaps my entire life. So this song really speaks to me - at least for the present moment. So singing it at the top of my lungs in praise to our great God - gives me great joy!

Hopefully the people outside of my car can't hear me ;)

"Alive Again" by Matt Maher

I woke up in darkness
surrounded by silence
oh where, where have I gone?
I woke to reality
losing its grip on me
oh where, where have I gone?
Cause I can see the light
before I see the sunrise

You called and you shouted
broke through my deafness
now I’m breathing in
and breathing out
I’m alive again!
You shattered my darkness
washed away my blindness
now I’m breathing in
and breathing out
I’m alive again!

Late have I loved you,
you waited for me,
I searched for you…
what took me so long?
I was looking outside
as if love would ever want to hide
I’m finding I was wrong
Cause I can feel the wind
before it hits my skin

Chorus

Cause I want you!
Yes, I want you,
I need you
And I’ll do what ever I have to
Just to get through
cause I love you
Yeah, I love you!

Chorus

Broomball Success!

Team "We Grade Your Papers" won its first match tonight 2-1. It was awesome! I forgot how much I love running around on ice in sneakers with a stick with a hard rubber triangle attached to the end of it chasing a squishy ball the size of a grapefruit trying to hit it between two traffic cones placed roughly four feet apart. (Welcome to Broomball!)

A note on our team name: We're a team made up entirely of graduate students, which is somewhat unusual in intramurals because most doctoral / graduate students are usually too busy writing papers to do things like intramurals. However, we like a little bit of fun (or exercise, or excuses to put off doing papers) in our lives. We primarily play against undergraduates, and some of them are actually students of our team-members. (Most grad students TA - although I don't have to as an MDiv). Needless to say, it's great to threaten them with F's if they beat us. We wear red shirts to remind them of the color of the ink we will use to write that big F on their papers.

A little intimdation goes a long way.

Godincidence? Daydreaming Part II...

So I just checked my email and was reading through Vatican news (courtesy of ZENIT) which I get in my mailbox every day. Guess what I found?

Culture and Religion: Together for EducationBenedict XVI Speaks of Paul VI as Teacher

BRESCIA, Italy, NOV. 8, 2009 (Zenit.org).- There should be complete harmony between the cultural and religious dimensions of education, so that young people are truly prepared to meet modernity, says Benedict XVI.

The Pope affirmed this connection when he inaugurated today the new premises of the Paul VI Institute. The Holy Father was visiting Brescia, the birthplace of Paul VI, for a one-day apostolic visit.

“We live in times in which a real ‘educational crisis’ is evident,” he said, observing that "it is necessary to transmit to future generations something valid, solid rules for comportment, to indicate lofty objectives toward which one should decisively order one’s life."

"The demand for an education capable of meeting the expectations of young people grows," the Pontiff observed, "an education that is first of all witness and, for the Christian educator, witness of faith.”

(to read whole article visit: http://www.zenit.org/article-27489?l=english )

Seems like quite an appropriate article!

Babysitting FUN!

So I babysat my classmate's kids yesterday (3 girls, ages 5, 8, and 10) and it was such a blast! We watched The Grinch, then had dinner, then they danced around the living room while I played an Irish jig on the piano I learned way back when, then, we watched another movie (Totoro - Japanese movie -really cute! Not sure I spelled that right!), followed by a game of Scrabble Junior - Dora The Explorer Version; then read three books to the littlest one and put her to bed. Then I stayed up and played this cool puzzle game with other two and got them to bed just shortly before their parents came home!

It was lots of fun - I'm so glad that my friend has invited me into her family! More and more I realize how much of a GREAT mother she is, and how beautiful her family is. They have me over for dinner at least a few times a semester, and I genuinely like spending time in a family environment / playing with her super-fun kids.

On previous visits, I've done Origami with the girls - (butterflies, frogs, cranes, etc.). Here's what I'd like to do for fun next time I go (I thought about doing this this time, but I didn't have a chance to get to the store to get the supplies!)


Clay Critters

http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/crafts-by-material/clay-crafts/clay-critters-709050/

Daydreaming again...

So I think I may have just discovered the topic for my Synthesis Seminar (Senior Thesis for MDiv, basically):

I'm very intrigued by different ideas about education. Here are a few things I've read about / or have heard about that immediately come to mind:

* Rod Dreher's treatment of Education in Crunchy Cons (one chapter gives a rather convincing pro-homeschooling argument)
* Maria Montessori & Sofia Cavaletti's educational philosophies
* The Educational Philosophy of St. John Bosco
* Unschooling Movement -
* Steve Kellmeyer: Destined to Fail: Catholic Education in America (this I heard about through a friend's blog. I haven't actually read the book yet, but the premise of it is quite provocative).
* Vatican Documents on catechesis / education

Though I do not have an education degree (Recently, I've thought about applying to ACE (Alliance for Catholic Education - 2 year education program at ND) or its New England equivalent, Providence Alliance for Catholic Teachers (PACT) through Providence College when I finish the MDiv), lately I've been thinking more and more about becoming a teacher. Most of this comes out of the day dreaming that I've been doing lately - or rather, prayerful reflection on where God is calling me in life. Thinking about teaching gets me really excited!

Actually, this "daydreaming" that I've been engaging in got me thinking back to what really led me to go to FUS and into studying theology / catechetics in the first place. It dawned on me that there were two precipating experiences that really gave me a desire to pursue this program of studies: 1) my own experience of the Steubenville Conferences as a place of dynamic evangelization and catechesis coupled with 2) the experience of my own religious education experience (religious ed in Catholic school, followed by 2 years of CCD) which, to put it charitably, left much to be desired, particularly regarding the CCD part. (Looking back, my Catholic school experience had been quite good, though it lacked the evangelistic and conversional dynamic so evident in my experiences at the Steubenville conferences, etc.)
Furthermore, I distinctly remember my 9th Grade CCD teacher asking us to write down any suggestions we had to make our religious ed experience better, and I wrote a whole 3 page letter with all kinds of ideas and suggestions. In fact, I was the only person to respond to this request!

A frustration of mine has been what I perceive to be the religious education culture of my home diocese. My dream would be to develop some sort of program for religious education and to work for the renewal religious education (catechesis & Catholic school religious ed). More on this in another post, perhaps. =)

Anyway, so as I consider teaching, I'm trying to formulate and articulate my own "educational philosophy" and let's just say that there are many different different voices that are weighing in on the conversation for me. More and more I feel myself being pulled to reject the popular model of education which in many ways seems to depersonalize education, making it into a factory-like process through which we push our children expecting that having done their time in the system they'll emerge "finished products." In many ways, our modern educational system is failing our young people.

At the same time, while I appreciate the more freedom that approaches like homeschooling, or more radically, unschooling provide, I don't want to go to the opposite extreme of presuming that having a set curriculum is a bad thing. After all, we need a common language in order to be able to navigate the world around us! (Conventional homeschooling does not to go this extreme - but unschooling, does). Ultimately, it seems that the task of constructing an adequate educational philosophy is allowing these different voices to weigh in and add their insights, and that the task for the educator is to create an educational method and philosophy which hold all their insights in tension, keeping a balance between extremes.

Could this be my life's project?

Feast of All Souls

(Warning: This post may make you cry).

Tonight for MDiv formation we're having special Mass. We've been asked to bring a memento of someone close to us and an inspiration of faith who passed away, as well as a sign or token of a saint we feel a close connection with (recalling yesterday's Feast of All Saints). These, I imagine, will be placed near the altar during the offertory or something to that effect.

I thought for a while about this - and decided I'm going to bring the little prayer card & photo from the funeral for my friend's infant son who passed away three days after he was born this past September. At first, I thought - "well, I never actually knew him. I never met him while he was alive." Then also, I thought - "how is this person an inspiration of faith?" Does he meet the criteria for the assignment?"

Yes, I think he does.

The second reading from Mass yesterday was from 1 John:

1 Jn 3:1-3
Beloved:
See what love the Father has bestowed on us
that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are.
The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God’s children now;
what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.
Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure, as he is pure.

In baptism, this infant was made a child of God. Because he did not have enough time on this earth to do much else, it struck me that his whole identity can be summed up in his baptism. He is a child of God! It seems the rest of us spend our lives trying to establish our identity, figure out who we are. This little infant - reminds us that our identity is not something we "find" - As if we could go off and "find" ourselves. It is something that is given to us. We are children of God! How often do we forget this! This child's short little life - manifested to me and to our whole community that we are first and foremost the object of the Father's love, and that it is in this love we find who we truly are.

That being said, I noticed in a renewed way how profoundly baptismal funerals are. If you look at the funeral rites of the Church, they are constantly recalling that "in baptism, [the person] died with Christ," etc. This was so evident to me during the sprinkling rite in Mass. I will never forget how the priest who baptized him two days earlier then used the same tiny little white shell which was used to pour water on his head at his baptism to sprinkle holy water on his little white coffin.

Talking with a friend at the funeral, we remarked that this little boy was a small "s" saint- Afterall, he had been baptized the day after he was born, and being so little, he didn't have time to get in much trouble. At the wake before his funeral, it was a very emotional and touching moment for me kneeling and praying by his open casket, asking for him to pray to Jesus for me. I told him that because he didn't have much time to do anything here on earth, he had to make up for it in heaven! Needless to say, I gave him a lot of work to do, many intentions to pray for!

It seems to me that this little boy, though he will never be canonized, fulfills both requirements for this assignment.

"Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen."

Interesting Cold Remedies...

So I came down with the plague about two weeks ago; after four days, I recovered (mostly), but now I appear to be having a second bout of Rachel vs. virus (So far, virus is winning the series! -I imagine my Phillie's fan friends would say that, too).

Growing more and more tired of being sick and tired, I decided to drag myself to university health services. After waiting for 40 minutes in a waiting room with 5 other people with symptoms similar or worse than mine, I was finally seen by a very helpful and congenial nurse who asked about my symptoms and present treatments and then did a throat culture (they basically tickle your tonsils) to see if my sore throat was Strep (it came back negative, thankfully!). With not too much else to offer, she handed me a brochure with some information and went through it with me, suggesting that I up my fluid intake, get some good throat losenges to numb the pain, consider gargling with a salt-water solution 2x daily and get a humidifier and sent me on my way.

Immediately after this, I went to CVS and our local grocery store and bought at Vick's Steam Humidifier and loaded up on Gatorade (my fluid of choice these days). While I was in the CVS pharmacy, I saw a Neti Pot. I had heard that they work wonders for clearing out sinus congestion, so I thought, "what the heck? 10 bucks for some relief? I'll give it a try." (I got a CVS one, not one of the fancy ones shown in the video in the link below).

http://www.himalayaninstitute.org/NetiPot/WhyNasalWash.aspx
http://www.himalayaninstitute.org/NetiPot/NetiPotInstructions.aspx

I got it home and was pretty excited about trying it out. I read the instructions and prepped everything, then went for it.

Wow! First, I was shocked. I hate the feeling of water in my nose. Ever since I've been a little kid, I've always had to hold my nose to go underwater while swimming. I never learned how to swim without holding it. I guess I didn't expect it to feel that way - but duh! you're pouring water in your nose! After I got over the initial shock and relaxed, it went fine. It's actually a simple process, and takes only a few seconds.

I must say the results are fantastic! I have been breathing much better today as a result!

Christmas Fast?

Happy Feast of All Saints / All Souls!

So I was reading the Rule of St. Francis lately (probably because of the movie I watched...) and apparently, it was the practice among the Franciscans to fast from the Feast of All Saints until Dec. 24th.

It seems the best way to prepare to celebrate the central mysteries of our faith (Incarnation, Paschal Mystery... etc) is to fast - Hence, why we have Lent. But I wonder why the practice of fasting before Christmas doesn't happen in the West so much anymore?

In the East, the emphasis on fasting is stronger than it is in the West, particularly in Lent. In Slavic countries, they are a bit more hard-core in their fasting: In Lent, they abstain from meat, dairy, (fish?) dairy, and wine. (Basically, you go VEGAN for Lent). Phillip's Fast (pre-Christmas Fast) is a bit more lenient. Perhaps we should re-discover this part of our Tradition and observe Advent as more of a penitential season.

I guess I'm asking: What are you giving up for Advent?

Human Dignity

Here's a beautiful little short film, starring Bella star Eduardo Verastegui, which is all about human dignity.

The Butterfly Circus
http://www.thedoorpost.com/hope/film/?film=4dd298f102c77b625cf37a9e7744ac68

Pass it on!

This Makes Me Happy

Prelates Place Friendly Wager on World Series
Bagels and Tastykakes Are on the Line

NEW YORK, OCT. 28, 2009 (Zenit.org).- As the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies set to square off in baseball's World Series, the archbishops of the two cities are placing a friendly wager on the outcome.

Cardinal Justin Rigali, archbishop of Philadelphia, and Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, settled the terms of the bet Tuesday evening, the dioceses reported in a joint press statement. Cardinal Rigali will send a case of Tastykakes to the Big Apple if the Yankees win. Should the Phillies take the World Series, Archbishop Dolan will ship a dozen bagels to the City of Brotherly Love.

"Cardinal Rigali is one of my closest and dearest friends," Archbishop Dolan was quoted in the statement. "For several years he even served as my archbishop, so I feel a particular loyalty to him."

In 2001, Archbishop Dolan was named auxiliary bishop of St. Louis, where then Archbishop Rigali was leading the archdiocese. In the light-hearted note, Archbishop Dolan lamented his friend's loyalties to the Phillies: "I know he has exquisite taste in most matters. I just wish he had better taste in baseball teams."

Cardinal Rigali also noted "great esteem" for his colleague. "He is a gifted spiritual leader who has been a true friend for many years. "That is why I am so sorry he will be disappointed when the Phillies successfully defend their World Championship." "We have the cream cheese ready for the bagels that I know will be arriving shortly after the Repeat in the City of Brotherly and Sisterly love," the cardinal noted with confidence.

The best-of-seven series begins tonight at Yankee Stadium.

GO YANKEES!

Happy National Chocolate Day!

Happy National Chocolate Day! Yes, there is such a thing!

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/10/28/national-chocolate-day.html

It's a day definitely worth celebrating. Have you had your chocolate today?



Great or Memorable Quotes About Chocolate:

"Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get!" ~ Forrest Gump

"Save the earth: It's the only planet with chocolate" - Magnet on my Mom's fridge

And on the eighth day, God created chocolate.

"To love is to will the good of the other in a way that is in accord with its nature," said Dr. Asci. Let's recall that wonderful class and "will the good" of some Milka! (They have some at Meijer's here in South Bend and at the South Bend Chocolate Factory!")

Chocolate is proof that God loves women-kind.

There is no choco-holics anonymous because nobody wants to quit!

I am not overweight. I am chocolate-enriched.

Day (and Night) Dreaming...

So I promised I'd write a little more about my experience at Boundaries Bootcamp. One of the things that came up in the talks at the conference was that in order to have good boundaries, you have to have a good sense of who you are and what you value. John & Henry encouraged all the participants to take some time when we got home to think about our values, and then also, thinking about who we are and what we want to accomplish with our lives and then set boundaries that protect or enhance that vision.

This reminded me a lot of what Matthew Kelly wrote in his book "The Rhythm of Life" and so I went back and started looking at that.

Since the conference, I've been trying to do a little bit of soul-searching and have spent some time thinking about this more. It's hard work! To be quite honest, I know what I value, but I do not know what I want - what I want in life, what I want to accomplish, etc. I've been floating through life, doing lots of useful and good and wholesome things, but I don't think I could say that I have a clear sense of where I'm headed or what my life's meaning is.

Then I stumbled across a friend's facebook page which had some really helpful questions pulled from John Maxwell's book Put Your Dream to the Test: 10 Questions That Will Help You See It And Seize It. Here are the questions:

A dream is an inspiring picture of the future that energizes your mind, will, and emotions,
empowering you to do everything you can to achieve it. (xiii)

1. The Ownership Question: Is my dream really my dream?
2. The Clarity Question: Do I clearly see my dream?
3. The Reality Question: Am I depending on factors within my control to achieve my dream?
4. The Passion Question: Does my dream compel me to follow it?
5. The Pathway Question: Do I have a strategy to reach my dream?
6. The People Question: Have I included the people I need to realize my dream?
7. The Cost Question: Am I willing to pay the price for my dream?
8. The Tenacity Question: Am I moving closer to my dream?
9. The Fulfillment Question: Does working toward my dream bring satisfaction?
10. The Significance Question: Does my dream benefit others?

I guess I have some more thinking (dreaming) to do.

Halloween Costume Ideas?

Does anyone have any interesting Halloween Costume Ideas?
Suggest your own (post a comment) or vote on which of the following you like best!
I'm trying to keep it cheap and easy: no over-achievers!

Here's a few I've found online or come up with that have some promise:

* Nurse (buy scrubs, get stethescope?)
* Super-Fan (ND apparel overload, foam finger, rally beads, temporary tatoos, sport horn - I'm mostly excited about the sport horn!)
* Mime (white face with stars over eyes, black pants / shirt)
* Go as a Die (singular of 'dice' - cardboard box painted like a die).
* Lame Excuse (Write various excuses on Post-It Notes, attach them to your body and walk around with a cane).
* Greek Goddess (white sheet(s): Think Toga, fake vine & grapes (for crown), white shirt, safety pins, gaudy, greek-looking jewelry or clay pot (to put candy or figs in).

Others?

Preaching Assignment #6(ish)

Here's My Latest Preaching Assignment

Brief Sermon Report (5%):
Visit 1 church on the day of their main service; choose a church that is different from your own tradition. Prepare a two-page report offering three commendations (page 1) and three recommendations (page 2) for the preacher. Due October 30th.

Consequently, this morning I forced myself to get up at 7 (after going to bed at 2:30am) to get myself to the 8am celebration of Holy Eucharist at the Episcopal Cathedral of St. James.
Interestingly enough, the Episcopalian Eucharist is VERY similar to a Catholic Mass, albeit with some rather stilted English (ye, makest, Thine, etc) and some additional pious confessions of our sinfulness. I felt very much at home as the practices and prayers are almost identical to my own as a Catholic. This was my first time attending an Episcopal service.

The reason I chose to go to the Episcopal Cathedral is that - well, it was one of the only services I could find that I could actually attend. I had already made plans to go to Divine Liturgy at 10am as I normally do each week with my friends, and had forgotten about this assignment until very late last night when I checked my email and some friends were emailing about going to Granger Community Church today to complete this assignment. Rather than calling off my normal plans at the last minute, I figured I had to find another way to squeeze in a non-Catholic service before Divine Liturgy; the earliest one I could find that I knew would be over before Divine Liturgy- was St. James'.

Also, St. James Cathedral happens to be the site of St. Margaret's House - the day center for women and children where I worked this summer. Over the summer I had met the bishop / rector of the Cathedral, and he had jokingly suggested that if I ever wanted to be ordained, they would be glad to welcome me into their diocese... to which I politely replied, "Thank you for the invitation, although I do not feel called to the ordained ministry..." (not even going into they very small detail about me never wanting to leave the Catholic Church). Anyway, at that point he had invited me to join them for worship sometime and so I thought that this was the perfect opportunity to take him up on his offer.

The homily for the day was interesting; but that's not what I want to write about.

What was even more striking to me was the open invitation to all to receive Holy Communion. For Episcopalians, as long as you are a baptized Christian, you are welcome to receive Communion in their church, regardless of what denomination you are a member. Obviously as a Catholic, my own discipline and beliefs barr intercommunion with those ecclesial communions with which we are not fully united. It was a rather strange feeling to be the only person in the entire church (very small community) which did not go up to receive Communion. I wondered if it offended them that I abstained, given their intentional open-door policy on Eucharist, or seemed like I was rejecting their hospitality, or whether they might have realized I was a Catholic and thought that I was looking down on their celebration as "invalid" - and therefore, frivilous to partake in.

This moment was a stark reminder of the divisions in the Body of Christ. It was a sad moment for me - and reminded me that there is still much work to be done in the field of ecumenical dialogue. At the same time, it was also a reminder that open-door policies on the Eucharist do not necessarily in and of themselves create union among different ecclesial bodies. While their openness and hospitality is a nice gesture, by itself it cannot create the unity it strives to attain.

At the same time, there is hope! I don't know if you follow Vatican news (ZENIT.org), but it seems as if there is a great deal of progress that is being made in ecumenism! First, there are a great number of Anglicans who are currently seeking communion with Rome - mostly those who feel that their own ecclesial bodies are betraying the tradition by admitting both openly homosexual persons and women to the ordained ministry. Rome is planning to admit them into full communion while allowing them to maintain their form of liturgy and prayers, almost as if forming an Anglican Rite within the Catholic Church.

http://www.zenit.org/article-27295?l=english

Even more exciting - is that there have been great strides made recently toward reunion between East and West - Orthodoxy and Catholicism! This is HUGE! I personally believe that JPII, whose great prayer and hope it was to see this in his lifetime, is now pulling some major strings up in heaven and helping push things forward in a way that he was unable to do during his life here on earth.

http://www.zenit.org/article-27299?l=english

That's all folks, TTFN.

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Now, as a 24 year old, I'm not too concerned with Breast Cancer. At the same time, every time I go to the doctor's office, most of the time they ask me: "Do you make sure to do self breast exams monthly?" Apparently, it's something I should be doing.

So today I went to check my mail and realized that because was fall break, no one had sorted the mail! We had three large bags of unsorted mail, and 50 gazillion boxes/packages everywhere. So as any good Assistant Rector would do, I dutifully set out to sort the mail so that when our residents return tonight / tomorrow (ND vs. BC tomorrow! Watch for me at the game!!! A friend gave me her ticket =) ) their mail will be in their boxes! (And also to see if I had gotten anything...)

Anyway, so I'm going through the mail, pulling out catalogues that are STILL coming in for residents who graduated six years ago... trying to figure out what to do with oversize envelopes that don't fit in people's mail boxes, etc. and I stumble across a letter addressed to one of our residents - the outside has this ridiculous image of a young girl grabbing her chest and the slogan "Feel Your Boobies!" on it. At first I thought it was a little inappropriate. I was a little put off. "Really?" I said out loud. Then, lightening up, I thought it was a bit funny. I shoved it in her mailbox and went on with my sorting.

So then I sign on to my computer and MSN's top story is now that MEN are also suffering from BREAST CANCER. MEN! Who would have thought? I mean, there are ubiquitous jokes about "man boobs" - but I never really thought they could actually GET BREAST CANCER! Apparently, they can.

So this reminded me of the letter I saw while sorting mail and I decided to do a google search. Here's what I found! "Feel Your Boobies" is actually a website and a whole campaign to get young women to do breast exams (informal ones, which apparently are as effective as the official ones they try to teach you at the doctor's office!).

Here's a testimonial from one YOUNG, YOUNG WOMAN - I mean, she's only two years older than me! - whose life was saved by this ridiculous, a bit scandalous, and otherwise humorous campaign!:

“I recently saw a Feel Your Boobies car decal on my way to work and later that night in the shower, I remembered the decal and ended up finding a lump . . . If I hadn’t seen the decal who knows if I would have found the lump. Thank you for such a wonderful foundation.”
Julie, 26 years old – Middletown, PA

So go ahead, feel your boobies. It just might save your life.

http://www.feelyourboobies.com/

Also, check out the following verses which seem appropriate to the occasion:

Psalm 22:10
Proverbs 5:19
Song of Songs 4:5, 7:4, 7:7-9
Isaiah 49:15
Luke 11:27

My Most Annoying Class Award Goes To...

I really dislike my preaching class. Here's why:

* I have to wake up at 8:30 on Friday in order to get there. (Blah! Who likes to get up at 8:30am when they go to bed at 1:30, 2am every night?)

* I am a lay person, so I don't see myself as doing much preaching (lay persons are not permitted to preach within Mass). That being said, there is the implicit expectation that I will preach at a dorm Mass as part of my training and I'm not sure how I feel about that...

* There are an exorbitant amount of readings... Shouldn't this be worth more than a measly two credits?

* This class effectively breaks down my ego, while my other classes build it up. It's easy to get an A on a paper you've spent lots of time working on; it's very difficult to deliver a good homily.

* We have to give our homilies in front of the entire class. So if you do poorly, everyone knows it. Anyone who knows me knows that I don't express myself well in words. The thought is beautiful in my mind and when I work at writing it down, but when spoken more often than not comes out in a garbeled spew of words that need some deciphering. Public speaking (hence: preaching) is not one of my gifts!

* Inflexible deadlines! One of the things I've discovered in graduate school is the concept of flexible deadlines / extensions. While I would have never dreamed of asking for one in undergrad, I've taken advantage of this on more than one occasion in Grad School. If a paper is lousy, I know I can just ask for an extension and work on it some more to make it better. There are no extensions for homilies... You can't say to your congregation, "Uh, I'll get you a sermon on Monday.." It has to be done on Sunday or else.

* Writing homilies is hard work! It involves praying with a scripture for several days in advance, waiting on God, listening for Him to speak through it a word that will reach not only my heart but also those to whom I will be preaching. Sometimes 'inspiration' comes, sometimes it doesn't. The fact that it's a team process (God-me) means it's not entirely in my hands. That's the frustrating thing! Especially when it's Thursday night and you're still waiting!

* My professor is Lutheran, and has a distinctly Lutheran bias, sometimes which I appreciate, and other times, which I don't. I like his emphasis on preaching being about what GOD has done and what GOD is doing in our lives - and about GRACE, and FREEDOM, and all that good news stuff - but sometimes he gets a little bit touchy when us Catholics start talking about COOPERATION with God's grace and the human response being an important part of the picture. Granted, we have to hold the two in tension... but it can be difficult when our theological emphases are of a slightly different color.

* Taking this class has made me hyper-attentive to all the homilies I hear at Mass now. This would seem to be a good thing; but it's not! I can't just listen to a homily now without critiquing it to death! This rather than being a help, has been a distraction. Not to mention, it has made me aware of how dismal many homilies are these days! The real gems are few and far between.

*Preaching is not about sharing all the cool theological insights you've gleaned from your coursework and wowing people with your eloquence. (darn!). It's about being an instrument through which God speaks to His people. I'm going to have to work on this one. Perhaps I should adopt one of the following as my motto: "I am not the answer, it's not my praise I sing, I am just the herald of the great King!" "He must increase, I must decrease." "Apart from me you can do nothing."

Swine Flu?

What do you call 3+ days of extreme fatigue, terrible cough, combination stuffy / runny nose, body aches, headache, and feeling like a menopausal woman (periodic hot flashes / fever)? I think I might have swine flu.

I've thought about going to the Health Center on campus, but I'm not sure they can do anything to help me and I might just need to ride it out. We had a confirmed case of it here in the hall this past weekend, and so it's quite possible I caught it here.

How does it compare to regular flu? It's about the same: you basically wish you were dead.

For the time being, I'm camping out in my room and waiting it out, trying to have as little contact with the outside world as possible. So far, that seems to be effective.

In the mean time, here's some flu facts that you should know, courtesy of the CDC. http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/qa.htm

Take these everyday steps to protect your health:

* Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

* Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.*

* Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.

* Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

* If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.) Keep away from others as much as possible to keep from making others sick.

Other important actions that you can take are:

* Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures.

* Be prepared in case you get sick and need to stay home for a week or so; a supply of over-the-counter medicines, alcohol-based hand rubs * (for when soap and water are not available), tissues and other related items could help you to avoid the need to make trips out in public while you are sick and contagious.

----

The only good part of having swine flu:

* I don't feel guilty about sitting home in my PJs eating Ben & Jerry's and sipping tea while catching up on some good ol' facebook stalking!

Boundaries Bootcamp

So I just got back from a week-end long conference in Chicago sponsored by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend, co-authors of the book Boundaries: When to Say Yes, When to Say No to Take Control of Your Life.

It was an excellent weekend! I learned a lot and gained much confidence as a result.

Here are some tidbits, pearls of wisdom I gleaned from the weekend:

* 2 Corinthians 9:7 – “Give as you have purposed in your heart, not begrudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

* Keep a misery journal. Write what is getting you down in a journal and then try to figure out what the source of your misery is. Then, make a rule for yourself which will enable you to avoid whatever it is that is causing you misery. (For example, in my life, reading relationship books when I'm hormonal usually makes me depressed. Therefore, my rule is "know thyself. Don't read relationship books when you're hormonal!")

* I learned that I am hypervigilant. I'm constantly assessing where everyone is at emotionally and trying to keep the peace instead of doing what needs to be done or instead of speaking up for myself when I need to because it might cause a disturbance. I learned this weekend that I needed to own my space - realize that I take up space on this planet too, and that I shouldn't apologize for that fact!

* Also, I learned that I have to accept that other people are adults and are responsible for how they feel and how they react to others. I am not responsible for keeping others happy!

* There are three types of people on the planet. Wise people, fools, and evil people, roughly speaking. When you confront a wise person, they thank you for it, and learn and grow from it, changing their behavior accordingly. When you confront a fool, they usually respond negatively and make you feel guilty about it. They often won't change their behavior unless you set limits with them and have consequences for their actions. Finally, there are evil people, who are out to hurt other people. The only ways to confront these people effectively are with lawyers (law), guns (police), and money (money can buy you protection in some instances).

more to come!

http://www.cloudtownsend.com/videoserver/video.php?clip=CCNT2046

Pysanky Making

So it's been a while since I've made Psanky. I really wish I had more time to work on them, but being a full time graduate student and an Assistant Rector doesn't lend itself to having much spare time to work on making decorative Ukrainian Easter eggs, especially ones that take 2-3 hours to do and also- there's always the whole "should I as a leader in the hall be breaking Du Lac (student handbook policy) by having lit candles in my room?" (required for working on the Psanky)? After all, I'm not above the law... but wasn't there something about the "spirit" of the law? Could using candles for Psanky making be considered keeping the "spirit" of the law? Perhaps I am rationalizing.... tee hee.

Here's some pics of the eggs I made over the summer:

To Go or Not to Go?

So I have a decision to make. And fast!

I have to decide if I am going to go on a trip to the Holy Land over Christmas Break, or whether I should skip it and stay home.

I guess I should do the ol' fashioned pros & cons list:

Pros:
+ travel to where Jesus lived and walked
+ get to experience middle eastern culture first hand
+ buy some pretty sweet religious goods
+ travel to a new part of the globe / collect some new passport stamps! =)
+ Add to the list of World heritage sites I've been to
+ did I mention: See the Sea of Galilee, Go to Caesarea Philippi and stand on the rock where Jesus said "You are Peter, and on this Rock I will build my Church...?", Via Dolorosa, Church of the Nativity, Swim in the dead sea, Qumran, Temple ruins, etc. and much, much more!

Cons:
- Safety? (Is the US military / dept of defense / state dept really the best source of info? or is Nuclear war a real threat? Who really knows?
- Am I willing to travel somewhere where security threats are a possibility and accept consequences for my life? (if something did happen....)
- less time at home during the break
- Family as a whole is not too keen on this...

I recently contacted a friend from Iran and I'm asking him his thoughts on it... who knows who to trust anymore on the security issue? Supposedly Iran and Israel are ready to attack each other...

St. Francis

So, I had picked up a movie on St. Francis, and had good intentions of watching it on or near his feastday (Oct. 4th), but unfortunately, it didn't happen. I just got around to it this weekend (Sat & Sun).

What a great movie! I watched St. Francis by Michele Soavi (Italian movie with english subtitles). I think it's pretty realistic account of his life - and thankfully one that doesn't portray him as a ridiculous tree-hugging lunatic (not that three-hugging is bad...) but hopefully you know what I mean...

Also, St. Francis' character reminds me so much of a few friends of mine which is weird! You'll have to ask me which two!

All Dogs go to Heaven...

So recently, I've been thinking about dogs. Why, you might ask?

Well, I often find myself chasing after squirrels here on campus, or collecting acorns and stashing them in my room and then carrying a few in my pocket so that when I encounter one, I have something to offer them that might actually be good for them (as opposed to the other students on campus who try to feed them things like pizza and candy bars). My conclusion: I need a pet!

"But Rachel, aren't you living in a dorm right now?" you might ask. Well, yes... but I'm thinking about getting one when I graduate in a year and a half, and I figured I ought to do some research... And I'm not entirely pet-less. I currently have a pet beta fish, Kerygma, who I got my senior year of college. He's still alive (amazingly!), but lately he has been a little slow and his appetite is waning. Things aren't looking up for him, and I fear his days are numbered.

So anyway, during the last week I've taken three or four "What Dog best suits your personalilty" type quizzes, and I've gotten all kinds of dogs:

Anatolian Shepherd Dogs, Labrador Retrievers (the most normal breed of the whole pick), Doberman Pinscher, Vizsla, Pomeranian (I hate yippy rat dogs! How did I get matched with this is beyond me!) Great Danes (not so sure I'd want a dog that's quite possibly taller than I am...) Irish setters, Boxers, .... and the lists go on and on. These are just a few highlights.

In the end, don't all dogs go to heaven? :) I guess it doesn't matter what kind of dog I get then.

Or maybe I should just volunteer at an animal shelter for a while.

Meanwhile, here are some of the cuter options from my results:

Trendsetters

So it seems ND has started a trend of honoring Obama even though he hasn't really accomplished anything yet...

Really, are the members of the awards committee for the Nobel Prize THAT concerned about keeping up with current (and otherwise unfortunate) fashions?

Friendship

I received this quote in an email from a friend and thought I would pass it on:

from Jesus to Katya: "A friend is one who inconveniences himself, who deprives himself of something or of many things to offer them to you. A friend is one who will give up his time of rest for you. A friend is he who can in a moment give up the comfort of his home so as to make you feel comfortable, loved and appreciated. A friend is he who leaves his land to help you save yours. A friend is he who confides his sorrow and his joys, who is always transparent with you and who always takes you toward growth in faith and love of God. A friend is he who builds, who unites, who gathers, not one who tears apart, who destroys, knocks down, so he can sit on top of the rubble. A friend is he who gives his life to save you...as I did."

So I left everyone hanging!

I apparently changed MBTI types. I got an ESFJ this time around... although, based on the descriptions of each, I think that I am still an ENFJ. I think I over-thought some of the questions and answered them a little off from what I would normally do.

Anyway, we got this extended handout on it- and here's the comparison between the two:

Characteristics associated with people who prefer sensing: (s)

- oriented to present realities
- factual and concrete
- focus on what is real and actual
- observe and remember specifics
- build carefully and thoroughly toward conclusions
- understand ideas and theories through practical applications
- trust experience

vs.

Characteristics associated with people who prefer intuition (N):

- oriented toward future possibilities
- imaginative and verbally creative
- focus on patterns and meanings in data *
- remember specifics when they relate to a pattern *
- move quickly to conclusions, follow haunches *
- want to clarify ideas and theories before putting them into practice *
- trust inspiration *

I'm definitely an "N". I can stop having my quarter life crisis now.

MBTI - Personality Inventory

So tonight at formation we're going to get the results of our Myer's Briggs Test back. I haven't taken this test (officially, although I've done the facebook version recently) in several years, and for some reason, I'm a little anxious about getting the results back.

Why? I'm afraid that my personality type has CHANGED. Why should that worry me, you might ask.

Because I liked my old one! =)

In the past, I've gotten ENFJ- Extraverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging.
I guess I like being an ENFJ, and I'll be heartbroken if I find out I'm an ISTP (the polar opposite). Lol.

Here's a short description of an ENFJ. Tell me if you think it sounds like me:

E - energized by being with other people; like being the center of attention; act, then think; tend to think out loud; are easier to "read" and know; share personal information freely; talk more than listen; communicate with enthusiasm; respond quickly; enjoy a fast pace; prefer breadth to depth.

N - Trust inspiration and inference; like new ideas and concepts for their own sake; value imagination and innovation; like to learn new skills; get bored easily after mastering skills; tend to be general and figurative; use metaphors and analogies; present information through leaps, in a roundabout manner; are oriented toward the future.

F - consider effect of actions on others; value empathy and harmony; see the exception to the rule; naturally like to please others; show appreciation easily; may be seen as overemotional, illogical, and weak; consider it important to be tactful as well as truthful; believe any feeling is valid, whether it makes sense or not; are motivated by a desire to be appreciated.

J - Are happiest after decisions have been made; have a "work ethic": work first, play later (if there's time); set goals and work toward achieving them on time; prefer knowing what they are getting into; are product oriented (emphasis on completing the task); derive satisfaction from completing projects; see time as a finite resource and take deadlines seriously.

I'll let you know the results later!

The Slow Work of God

So often I am discontent with my current state in life. I often think to myself, "I can't wait for next year to come, so that I can try out another new and exciting ministry." Or "I'm eager to be finished school, and moving on to ministry in the "real world." " Or still yet, "I'm looking forward to being somewhere else other than Notre Dame - perhaps back in New England, closer to my family." And finally, "I'd like to be in a relationship and wonder when it will be my turn to fall in love and experience all that beautiful mushiness."

Granted, my personality type is prone to being future-oriented. I shouldn't be so hard on myself for thinking about the "what if's and what could or might be-s." However, God and His grace are most available to us in the present moment. Instead of focusing on the future, what if I spent my time looking for the graces in my life right here, right now?

I came across this great prayer that I think should be my motto:

The Slow Work of God

Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are all, quite naturally, impatient in everything to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the immediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new;
And yet it is the law of all progress that it is made by passing through some stages of instability – and that it may take a long time.
And so I think it is with you.
Your ideas mature gradually – let them grow, let them shape themselves without undue haste.
Don’t try to force them on as though you could be today what time (that is to say, grace and circumstances acting on your own good will) will make you tomorrow.
Only God can say what this new spirit gradually forming within you will be.
Give God the benefit of believing that the Spirit of God is leading you, forming you, transforming you;
And accept the anxiety of feeling yourself in suspense and incomplete.

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

GO IRISH!

It was a beautiful and uplifting thing to see the joy of the students here at Notre Dame tonight after we beat Purdue with a last-30 seconds of the game touchdown. Immediately after the win, students began RUNNING from their dorms to the center of campus (right next to my dorm) to jump in the "stone-henge" (a.k.a. war memorial) fountain. Nearly 500+ students plunged into the spraying waters (even though it was 55 degrees outside), shouting, and cheering, singing the ND fight song and chanting: "WE ARE, ND! WE ARE, ND! WE ARE, ND!" I couldn't help my self and ran outside to watch the scene. It was both hilarious, uplifting, and ridiculous. Watching people jump into freezing cold water, dancing around, and celebrating, then watching them wrap their arms around one another and sway as they sang the Alma Mater, simply beautiful.