In our society, I feel as though the worst sins are violence and hate. Everyday, when I turn on the news, all I see flashing across the screen is news of another murder, another bombing, or another robbery. It is sad that we can not all coexist peacefully without the use of such evil weapons such as guns and nuclear power. It is sad that the problems between countries result in the idea of fighting a war, which kills hundreds of thousands of people. This could wipe out generations of a family: grandparents, parents, and children. Because of the recent economic downfall, it seems as if more and more people are feeling the need to break into people's homes and businesses and steal and kill. Why has our society stooped to such a low level? Why can we not all love one another and respect human life? Granted, we do not all have to be best friends, but we must be able to live side by side peacefully and understand that we are not above anyone else. The presence of bullying should not be in schools; especially the type that causes others to want to commit suicide. We must try to restore the spirit of this great nation. It would make all of us happier and feel safer to live in this country. The fact that there are now lists that name the most dangerous cities to live in is quite terrifying. We must go back to simpler times.

Today, the temptations of economic, magical, and political power still exist, but in a different form. Today, economic power can be thought of as being materialistic. A person can fall into the urges of money, whether it be spending an income foolishly or believing that money automatically gives him or her power. We must all be selfless and charitable and understand that we are all people of God. No one is elevated higher. Magical power could be considered a form of staying true to one's self. In other words, a person could be tempted to act differently and try to impress people in order for them to like him or her. He or she could say things that are hurtful to someone that is not a part of the "in crowd" or could start doing poorly in school. We must all understand that in life, we must all be individuals. That is what makes everyone unique. The final temptation of political power could coincide with being a good Christian. This does not necessarily mean that a person must go to church every Sunday, but it does mean that we honor God and stay true to Him. It seems that lately, we humans have begun to care more about what a celebrity is wearing rather than going to Church. We place entertainment media on such a high pedestal when we have people who are dying and miracles that are occurring in the world. It is sad. We must learn the ranking of importance and put a little more faith into our religion. This is what the three temptations of Jesus could be thought of as today.

Saint Marie-Clementine

The reason why I really enjoyed learning more about Saint Marie-Clementine was because of her background. She was born in the poor country of Congo and rather than focus on herself, she focused on others. From the very beginning, she wanted to become a nun and had plans for her future. Others in her country were probably focusing on not starving to death, but she wanted to help others. That absolutely amazes me. It makes me want to become that type of wonderfully selfless person. She stuck to her values and did not let those who captured her have any power over her. She resisted their urges to commit sinful acts and held to her beliefs. That is the type of person I look up to. That is why I was very interested in her story. She is inspiring.

KONY 2012

I am so very glad that we were able to watch this mini film in class today. It amazes me that such an important cause has been hidden in the dark for so long, thousands of miles away. The film, for me at least, was brilliantly created with amazing effects and music to really bring out the important information. It is slightly overwhelming though after learning all this information, so I am a bit confused on some of the specific facts. But, I do know that this injustice must stop. We were born to live our lives and have a future. Anyone that believes he can take that away from millions of people is absolutely absurd and unjust. I am very pleased that this has been brought to our attention. Last night, on Facebook, this video was all the buzz going around because of people making it their status or sharing it and creating Facebook events for it. I want to get involved and I am pleased that some of the chances to help out with this cause have been brought to light. This film truly hits a soft spot and makes me want to take severe action. I was always wondering what I could do to help make this world a better place. Why not start here? It is an important cause. Also, I was also pleased to learn of the International Criminal Court. I want to be an international lawyer, but also a criminal one at the same time. This might be the perfect solution to both dreams. I am really excited to see what the future holds and hopefully 2012 will be the year that another criminal is given what he deserves.

Mother Teresa: The Documentary

When Mother Teresa speaks of "divine providence," she is discussing one of the central ideas that she bases all of her missionary work on. "Divine providence" literally means that God will provide. She does not allow anyone to put forth a fundraiser in order to raise money to fund her work. All she will accept is the donations of those who want to, personally, finance some of her work. People should give and provide for the poor until it hurts them so that they can share in the joy of loving. An example of its work in Mother Teresa's life is when the sisters are starting the missionary building in San Francisco and the American people provide them with such luxuries as a boiler, carpets, mattresses with springs, and pews. She calls these things unessential and asks for them to be removed. She does not want something to be simply handed to her. She knows that what she is doing is meant to be labor and that is what it should be. All should be left up to God, for after all it is his work. It is not the work that is easily done because amenities are handed to them. She would not even let the man, who wanted to create a fundraiser in America for her work, do such a thing. Her work always was based on "divine providence."

My favorite quote by Mother Teresa is that which states, "I want you to be concerned about your next door neighbor. Do you know your next door neighbor?" This quote reminds us of The Mount's mission of helping the dear neighbor. This quote bares a lot of truth. We spend all of our lives surrounded by people and all we do is make judgments and then simply pass them by. We, as humans, do not take the time to get to know all that is around us. We blame this on being busy or tired, when in reality all it will take is ten minutes of our time. You do not need to be the Mother Teresa for your neighbors. But, a reassuring smile every couple of days shows that you care enough. We must look to those all across the world and support those who have less than us or are in need of assistance. Everybody in this world is connected to the next person in some way. We have a duty to helping our dear neighbor. This quote is one of truth and great power, which is why it is my favorite.

Opening Prayer

For me, the opening prayer that we listen to is my favorite part of the day most times. It allows me to relax and just escape the stress of the every day. Not only do I find the accents very interesting, but I also love listening to the hymns and songs that are sung in the beginning and the tune that is continued throughout. Before, I did not hear the daily reading, except for only on Sundays. Now, I am more open to the readings of the bible. I hope we can continue to listen to each one for the rest of the semester because it helps to just start the day off calmly and it always sparks an interesting and knowledgable discussion. The pray as you go website is a great tool.

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