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.