Wrap-Up

Over the past 8 weeks, I have learned a lot in Vocations and Human Sexuality. I learned about the Church's teachings on a lot of really important things like cohabitation and birth control. While some things were fairly obvious, like the Church's stance on abortion, other things were new to me, like the Church's teachings about IVF. I now appreciate the Church's dilemma in upholding the traditional beliefs of the Church while also embracing new technologies and ideas. However, as a teenager, I don't always agree with what they teach.
I found it most interesting when we learned about things related to college, since I'll be there soon. The videos we watched and articles we read about dating and avoiding the hookup culture will stay with me in the future. I feel informed and I know that I will take the lessons I've learned in this class with me to college next year.

Dating

I disagree that dating is just practice for divorce. Although a dating relationship is something that can be ended without much consequence, having experiences before marriage can help you make sure that the person you're marrying is the right choice. If you've already dated, you know what kinds of personalities you like and don't like. However, I don't agree that people who are against dating have "a basic mistrust of others." I'm fairly certain that all of my peers will date before getting married. In my college interview, my friend told me that the majority of college students hook up, but she expressed the same uncertainty as the Busted Halo article about what exactly hooking up means. I think that, as long as hooking up is taken somewhat seriously and is within a relationship, it's fine.

Papal Characteristics

I think that it's important for the Pope to be open to modernization while still holding on to the tradition of the Church. This will be a hard but necessary task. I think that the Church needs to work to get more young people to join before it becomes all old people and loses power and authority. As a woman in the Church, I am content with the roles that women have now. Women can participate in the liturgy as eucharistic ministers, cantors, and lectors. At my church, both boys and girls serve as altar servers. I think the Church needs to make sure at all parishes are letting women hold these lay positions, as some conservative parishes don't allow women to participate at all. If I could change one thing about the Church, I would modernize some of the rules. Some rules, like the ban on birth control, are rules that nobody follows anyway. By creating rules that people might actually follow, the Church could look more appealing and not alienate the members it already has. The Holy Spirit works in every person and helps to guide them. Because of this, there is room for democracy within the Church, as the Holy Spirit will guide everyone to make the right decisions, although they may not know that they are being guided. This is especially true within the Papal Conclave. Of course, the Hoy Spirit doesn't have power over free will, so not all decisions are perfect.

Becoming Myself

Reading the excerpt from Parker Palmer's book, I was most struck by the quote from Rabbi Zusya. He says, "In the coming world, they will not ask me: 'Why were you not Moses?' They will ask me: 'Why were you not Zusya?'"
God doesn't ask us to be anyone other than ourselves. He made us all in His image and likeness, which means that we shouldn't want to be anyone else. In this stressful time of college decisions, it's important to remember that we will end up where we belong and that God will guide us.
Applying Rabbi Zusya's view, vocations are different for everyone. Not everyone needs to live in poverty in a third world country or give up everything and become a nun to seve God. Since every person is called and loved by God, we have to listen specifically to what He's asking us to do. It might be as simple as being kind or, as Sister Colleen said, giving the gift of presence when someone needs you.

Mission Statement

• To create a secure, loving environment for those around me
• To take time for myself to do things I love, be it reading or just taking a walk
• To remember to recognize the good in everyone
• To listen to ideas before introducing my own
• To try new things, even if they seem scary
• To appreciate my life and my family
• To make the best of every situation
• To be organized and on-schedule

Three Influences

As a 17 year old, many things have shaped who I am as a person. However, by examining my life, I can say that the biggest influences on me have been my faith, my family, and my Mount education.
After 15 years of Catholic education, I obviously have a very good understanding of the textbook Church- all the rules and rituals, etc. As I've gotten older, I've started to deepen my faith by focusing on my personal relationship with God. Using my previous knowledge as a base, I have learned to make good decisions, respect myself and others, and approach every day with the confidence of a young woman who knows that God is behind her in everything she does.
My family has obviously been a very big factor in my life. They provide loving guidance in everything I do. My parents were the first people to shape my morals and values, which I have tried to keep with me as I evolve as a person. My family is an unconditional support system, and having them there allows me to dream bigger and reach higher.
Finally, my Mount education has had a huge influence on me. I went to school with the same 50 kids for 11 years before attending the Mount, so coming to a large school was a big shock for me in the beginning. However, being in a different setting pushed me to make new friends and try new things. At the Mount I have received a wonderful education, but, perhaps more importantly, made new friends I will have for the rest of my life. As my time at the Mount draws to a close, I know that my years here have truly shaped me as a person and left me open to new experiences.