Lent

One thing I found valuable about writing all the blogs is reading others' perspectives on the topics in class.       I found it helpful to contemplate the material and then answer prompts about it at a later time.  It gave me more time to contemplate the information and create a thoughtful reflection.  I think this is also true of the other girls in the class.  Reading over their blogs, I realize that we have many of the same views and perspectives.  It is comforting to know that other people share my values and perspectives that are not necessarily those we see in the media every day.  This class has definitely gave me confidence in myself and my values.  I know that I want to graduate college, have a fulfilling career, and start a family.  After this class, I feel more confident to live my life in a way that would put me on the path towards a successful future.  I have more respect for myself after this class and know that I should not settle for anyone because I have the right to be happy.  Confidence in myself and my ideals is the most important thing I am taking from this class because it will help guide me towards my goals.

Holy Saturday is a very important time during which St. Vincent's is quiet.  I think is important to reflect on one's actions during that time.  It is the time historically when people's actions took away Jesus's life, and it is important to reflect and make sure that our actions do not take away others' lives.  I do not mean physically, but by cutting down people's self esteem and gossiping, one can harm others mentally.  In some cases that is worse because it harms people's spirits.  Writing in a journal is a good way for me to reflect.  It helps me recount my days and is my way to pray and thank God for all the blessings I have in my life.

Religious Freedom

The Catholic Church has always maintained an attitude against contraception.  Now, with the looming 2012 election, Catholic officials are working harder than ever to make birth control illegal.  As we read in the USSCB article and America magazine, the bishops are trying to use theology to determine politics.  The Church does not agree with the government's attempts to try to regulate healthcare in a manner that would make it mandatory for religiously funded insurance programs to cover birth control.  It argues that the use of birth control prevents a couple from giving fully of themselves to one another, thus weakening the bond between them.

Outside of class, I have learned that this issue is overshadowing other political objectives.  Politicians and church officials alike are becoming more preoccupied with whether or not people use birth control than issues regarding hunger.  While statistics show that the percentage of people out of work is still high, the issue highlighted in debates is contraception.

My family is in agreement that contraception should be offered to the public.  With so many people hungry and homeless, it seems frivolous to argue over contraceptives.  I agree with this.  Regardless of of whether or not the church funds birth control, I believe people will continue to have sex.  Not covering birth control in health care plans will not effect people's actions.  However, I think that there would be an increase in abortions.  If one could not afford to get the birth control one needed and one ended up getting pregnant and could not support that pregnancy, one might be led to get an abortion.  In my opinion, it is better for the church and politicians to let the couple decide what is right for them.  Each couple is different and has different circumstances.  In our world, I think that the issue should not be around birth control, rather around helping those who are already living to live better, more dignified lives.

Love

I thought this story was so cute and inspiring.  I think so often we here negative comments about marriage.  I think the negative stories and high divorce rate are probably causes of the "hook-up" culture that many people are concerned about.  The thought is that if you try to block yourself off from the emotional side of a relationship and just focus on the physical, you will be less likely to get hurt.  I think this article was a reassuring reminder that not all marriages are awful.  Although love changes over time, the author discussed how couples can cope and grow in love through that.  I thought this article had a beautiful message and really enjoyed reading it.

Domestic Church

For me, religion has always been a center focus in our family.  We usually eat dinner together as a family at least five nights a week.  Sometimes this means waiting until 8:30, but as a family we have decided that we feel more connected with each other when we designate time to spend together.  Our lives get very hectic, and without this time, it is hard for us to hear about each other's days and talk.  Before dinner, we always pray, but eating and praying together are only two of the ways that my parents have created a domestic church in our family.


My parents have always had a strong inclination towards service work and always encouraged Erin and I to participate.  However they never forced us, they wanted it to be our choice in hopes that it would be more meaningful.  They explained how God works in relation to service work and that we are doing His will by helping others.


When I have a family of my own, I think I will follow the model of my parents and create a domestic church around service work.

Wanted: A Solid Relationship

In the future, when I find someone I want to marry, I think I would ideally like our relationship to be a mix of the self-sacrificing and self-fulfilling.  I want a husband whom I can communicate with and share the experiences that frustrate me or make me happy.  Common values are also very important because I think that there is a lot of room for conflict if you go into a relationship with opposite viewpoints.  For example, if one partner is against in-vitro fertilization and the other is not, but the couple ends up not being able to get pregnant, the infertility could cause a breach in the relationship that may be very difficult to heal.  Additionally, I want a husband who will introduce me to new experiences and make me more daring and excepting of spontaneity.  Currently, I think I am uptight.  Although I am trying to change that, I would like a partner who would help me relax more.  Hopefully, as the New York Times article states, then I would eventually acquire those traits and become less uptight.


I think my intentions are a mix of Catholic teaching and modern society.  I think for me, that is a healthy balance because it is both idealistic and realistic.

Dating

I disagree that dating in our current social context is 'essentially practice for divorce' because people can learn valuable communication skills that can help them later in life.  As mentioned by Fr. Malloy, our generation is afraid of divorce.  I think this has largely played into the idea that one should test the waters before jumping in.  While the college culture is often thought about as crazy and that everyone makes-out with a few people a night, I don't think it necessarily means sex in every case.  Hooking-up is the temporary answer that people have run to in order to try to secure their relationship.  While it is proven that this does not always work, people are insecure and do not want to marry someone that they will end up being unhappy with.  As a result, they don't want to make an eternal covenant before they know what they are agreeing to.  Unfortunately, I do not think the emotional side effects are often taken into consideration.  Consequently, hooking-up does not result in a good outcome in many cases although it is becoming more accepted as the norm.

Lent: It's Like New Year's With a Purpose!

For me, Lent is a time to reflect on what I have done this year and the choices I have made.  Lent is a time for me to look forward into my life.  Each year I hope to improve upon the aspects of my life that are not how I want them to be in order to have a better chance at reaching my goals.  My great-aunt gives us prayer books each year for Lent.  Along with reading the passages in those, I try to make a more concerted effort to center myself during those forty days.  That can take different forms throughout the season from getting more sleep, to writing in my journal, to trying to leave the house five minutes earlier so that I am not so stressed in the morning.


I have never been good at giving up something for Lent.  Frankly, I never understood the concept until I got to Mount.  As a child, my family and I always had a bowl on the table in which we would each place change that accumulated over the forty days.  At the end of the season, we would donate the money to a charity of our choice.  This year, I am going to do something different.  I have a nervous habit that I am going to try to break. I know it will not be easy to stop because I have tried to stop before.  However, that is such a small problem compared to problems other people have.  I hope that if I think of the struggles other people go through and how lucky I am, that I can break my habit over Lent with God's help.

So many songs deal with love.  Within that category, many talk about finding "the one" or a soul-mate.  One of my favorite songs by Blake Shelton is "God Gave Me You."  It is a touching song about a man's love for his wife and how he feels truly blessed to have her presence in his life.  It's message is similar to that in "I'm Going to Love You Through It" by Martina McBride which showcases a man's love and support for his wife while she undergoes painful surgeries and treatments to overcome breast cancer.  These two songs are good examples that when two people truly love each other, they will stay together through thick and thin regardless of the consequences.  Lee Brice lists everything he could have done if he had stayed single and never met his wife, but then adds, "But if I was a single man out there and on the loose, I'd be looking for a woman like you."  He also sings "Love Like Crazy" in which he gives advice that the best thing you can do in a relationship is just keep loving one another.  Country songs especially, like the ones I have mentioned do a great job of illustrating passionate, undying love for one another despite the challenges that the course of life presents.  Together, they combine to create the characteristics of a relationship that I would like to have with someone.  I want to have an honest, faithful, loving relationship that can handle the bumps along the way.  These songs all illustrate committed relationships that work through tough times.  I also want a relationship like that sung in "Honey Bee" where the couple's interests complement each other and they share many common values.  Through these songs, I have come to believe in finding a soul-mate.  However, I know that if I do find a soul-mate, that does not mean everything will always be perfect.  People are just people, regardless of how much you love them.  I want to have a love that I can accept their faults, reconcile with them, and emerge stronger out of any conflict.  Most importantly, I want to feel unconditional love for someone outside my family.

This ad is from Calvin Klein trying to sell jeans.  To Calvin Klein's credit, the advertisement features brightly colored jeans in the center of the picture.  However, the models appear half-naked in the picture which is very inappropriate.  I do not think it is necessary for them to showcase naked women in order to sell a product.  The women are so thin that someone who views this ad can actually see their ribs.  Not only could their tall, thin body make other girls feel bad about themselves, this ad could make women think they have to be a size two in order to be "hot."  I think that Calvin Klein could have those women have shirts on without losing the appeal.  The pants are brightly colored enough to attract attention without having to damage others' self esteem.  For example, Calvin Klein dress the models in a nude, white or black top so as not to distract from the product.

On the flip side of Calvin Klein, this Louis Vuitton ad displays models in full attire in a traditional-style diner. Both of the women sitting in the diner are carrying Louis Vuitton handbags.  I think that this ad it appropriate because the product is centered and a major focal point of the photograph.  However, I think there is a stereotype portrayed that women do not have anything serious to do and can thus sit in a diner, eat sundaes, and gossip.  In reality, most women cannot afford to wear white dresses and gossip, but are actually quite hardworking.  Since I am not very artistic, I am not sure how this ad could change to keep its selling appeal. I would maybe suggest more contrast in color, but I think this ad is quite appropriate.  This ad makes the consumer feel that one needs to be thin to be classy and fancy.

     In first grade, when I saw a girl in my class Irish Dance, I immediately knew that I wanted to join a school.  My parents were more than supportive, they looked around and by the beginning of second grade, I was a beginner at a local school.  I absolutely loved it... except for the part where I had to keep my arms at my sides.  Each year I got better and better and each year my love for the art grew.  It was freeing and fun.  It was so much fun to be a part of something, to perform, and to wear the kelly green accessories.  My jumper was my favorite.  It was a black base with a Celtic knot in the middle.  However, I realized that dancing was so much more than just the dresses.  It gave me confidence and a goal to work towards.  I wanted to be the best I could be.  This enthusiasm and genuine love for the art allowed me to feel good about myself and that I could excel in something.

      My sister, Erin, is someone really influential in my life.  She is three years and three days younger than me.  We always played Barbies together when we were younger, but in the past year or so, we have become very close.  She is still the one I blame if I can't find a shirt or if the bathroom is dirty, but she is now my best friend.  Erin has showed me the quality of unconditional love.  I'm not going to lie, I can be really mean to her sometimes and vice-versa, but we always somehow come back to each other.  She always knows the right things to say when I'm in a bad mood and doesn't hesitate to rant about someone if they hurt me.  She is the most loyal, loving girl I have ever met.  Between all of that, she even finds time for humor and can have me laughing so hard.  Little by little, each day she helps me become a better person.

       Coming to Mount was the best decision I ever made.  In eighth grade, after being in public school since kindergarten, my parents were shocked I wanted to take the test.  It was not an easy decision to make.  Our middle school, Tohickon, held seventh, eighth, and ninth graders.  Going to Mount would mean leaving my friends behind a year early.  I also did not know any of the incoming freshman.  I was petrified.  However, when I visited Mount, I just got a feeling that I knew it was the right school for me.  It is hard to describe, but somehow, that feeling was right.  At Mount, four short years later, I have made the best friends and had some of my best memories.  The memories I will always had of the times spent delirious after hours of studying or rejoicing over our term break that no other school has are unmatched and have formed life-long friendships.  Although it was hard to make the decision, I never regret deciding to attend Mount.