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.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
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!
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!
Monday, November 23, 2009
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
“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
Sunday, November 22, 2009
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
Friday, November 20, 2009
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?
(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
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
Thursday, November 19, 2009
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!
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!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
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..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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!)
Friday, November 13, 2009
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
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
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
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.
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.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
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!
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/
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/
Saturday, November 7, 2009
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?
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?
Monday, November 2, 2009
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."
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!
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!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
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?
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?
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