Mid- Term Review

Introductory Unit:
1.) Heart- the center of the human person; where all your desires work; where all your decisions are made; ("Locus of the person")
2.) Desire- the nature of existence (can only be answered by something external.)
3.) Reality- the state of things as they actually exist.
4.) 4 Truths of the "I":
 -I did not make myself
 -We all have desires that are unlimited (we all want things)
 -We are limited (our abilities are limited)
 -We expect to be happy.
5.) Religious Sense- a factual issue to which the human heart is naturally predisposed.
6.) Ontology- reason, sense, meaning (ontos = "being")
7.) Being- existence

Anointing of the Sick:
1.) Suffering- the bearing of pain or distress.
2.) Original Sin- Sin that all humans are born with due to the first sin of Adam and Eve, that broke the beautiful bond between God and humans.  
3.) History of the sick being healed by the Church:
   -ex: In the Bible, it tells of Jesus curing the blind and deaf, and healing those with Leprosy.
4.) Who administers the sacrament?
    - A priest or decon
5.) Who can recieve the sacrament?
    - Anyone who is gravely ill and in danger of dying, and who requests for the sacrament to be administered to them.
6.) Celebration of the Sacrament- it is preformed when one is very ill and in danger of dying.
7) Four main effects of the sacrament:
   - Union with the Passion of Christ
   - Grace to prepare for their meeting with God
   - Fortitude
   - Forgiveness of sins (aid in the salvation of their soul).


Reconciliation:
1.) Penance- repentance of sins
2.) Confession- the means by which God forgives sins after Baptism
3.) Ten Commandments- the commandments, or ten rules that God gave to the human people. (These include not having any other gods before him, the one true God (1), not taking the Lord's name in vain (2), Keeping holy the Sabbath Day (3), Honoring thy father and mother (4), etc.).
4.) Absolution- forgiveness of your sins
5.) Mortal Sin- a willful rejection of a perfect realtion with God.
6.) Original Sin- Sin that all humans are born with due to the first sin of Adam and Eve, that broke the beautiful bond between God and humans.
7.) Personal Sin- the source of social sin
8.) Who forgives sin?
      - God alone.
9.) What is the role of the priest?
      - The priest acts as a representative for God during Confession.
10.) How often should one attend confession?
      - A practicing Catholic is asked to atend confession at least once a year.

Matrimony:
1.) Abortion- the direct and purposeful taking of the life of the unborn child.
2.) Annulment- a finding that there was only a putative marriage under canon law.
3.) Purpose of Marriage- procreation
4.) Natural Family Planning- approved method of family planning for Christians.
5.) Grace- a supernatural push or encouragement
6.) Domestic Church- religious family
7.) Creation- the concept that matter comes from God.

Holy Orders:
1.) Diocese- the district or see under the supervision of a bishop.
2.) Vicar-  representative, deputy or substitute
3.) Synod of Bishops- an advisory body for the Pope
4.) Ecumenical Council- a conference of ecclesiastical dignitaries and theological experts convened to discuss and settle matters of Church doctrine and practice.^[
5.) Infallibility- the belief that the Holy Spirit will not allow the Church to err in its belief or teaching under certain circumstances.
6.) Parish-  the lowest ecclesiastical geographical subdivision (diocese, deanery, parish)
7.) Stole-  A narrow band of silk or stuff, sometimes enriched with embroidery and jewels, worn on the left shoulder of deacons, and across both shoulders of bishops and priests.

Baptism:
1.) Definition- the rite of adoption of someone into the Christian Church.
2.) Proper Matter- (flowing) water
3.) Correct Words/ Form:
   -"I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" with triple pour of water.
4.) Designated Minister:
   -Bishop, Priest ofr Decon (in emergency anyone who intends to offer Baptism).
5.) Cradle vs. Convert- Someone who is baptized as a baby and who does not have the ability to choose for themselves, versus someone who wants to enter into the Catholic Church as an adult.
6.) White Garment:
   -Symbolizes the purity of the Spirit as it enters into you at Baptism.
7.)Water:
  -Symbolizes the cleansing of Original Sin.

Confirmation:
1.)Definition- the sacrament the "completes Baptism"; you become an adult in the church, by reaffirming your Baptismal promises.
2.)Proper Matter:
   -Anionting with Chrism
3.)Correct Words/ Form:
   - "Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit" with oil on the forehead in the sign of the Cross.
4.)Designated Minister:
   - Bishop
5.)Seal:
   -Oil on forehead
6.) Holy Spirit- the guideance of God for humans on Earth.
7.) Gifts of the Holy Spirit- Gifts that the Holy Spirit brings upon the newly confirmed:
- Wisdom
-Understanding
- Right Judgement
-Knowledge
-Courage
-Reverence
-Wonder and Awe

Eucharist:
1.) Consecration- The act of blessing the bread and wine, and God transforming it into the body and blood of his son, Jesus Christ (as he showed his Apostles and Disciples at the Last Supper).
2.)Transubstantiation- the act of the bread and wine transforming into the body and blood of Jesus.
3.) Other names for the Eucharist- Holy Communion
4.) Biblical Basis- Sacrifice to God (they would slaughter a goat on an altar as a sacrifice to God, however after Jesus came, he showed them the perfect sacrifice that we could make to God: the sacrifice of his own son, Jesus- his body and blood, which we offer up to him at mass).
5.) Proper Matter:
   -Wheat based Bread and pure grape wine.
6.) Correct Words/ Form:
   -The words of Institution: "This is my body.... This is the chalice of my blood..."
7.) Designated Minister:
   -Bishop or Priest

A Universal Call to Holiness

In one of his several addresses to the Catholic Community, Monsignor Guissiani uses a quote from T.S. Elliot to describe how the Catholic Church and mankind have equally failed each other. In Elliot's quote, he states that: "if I need something, I chase after it if it goes away." We keep pushing God's call to us aside, as our everyday lives rush by. We are putting off the call to holiness by the fact that we always see that the present time is in fact the wrong time to respond to his call. We see other things as more or equally as important, and we tend to place those things above him. However, along with our physical and mental sluggishness, which makes us lax in this area, it is the fact only caused by the “but [also] the interior sluggishness of our hearts.” As the author Seghers presents in his article, “We [all Christians] need to be clear that there will never be a better time or a better set of circumstances than now to respond wholeheartedly to the call to holiness.” He goes on to say that "now is the acceptable time", and that "the very things that we falsely judge as obstacles are the very means God gives us to draw us to surrender more deeply on Him."


I personally believe that this quote implies for the everyday Catholic to "not be discouraged by by these painful moments of our transformation but to accept that they're a necessary and blessed part of the whole process." "It is essential for all those who want to spend eternity with God." It says in the Bible, (John, Ch 15:5), that "Without [him], we can do nothing. Without  God, sucessfully completing the journey is impossible, but with Him, in a sense, we are already there."

I believe that by "say[ing] who Christ is" without shame, we fully declare ourselves as Christians, and by doing this we are finally accepting his call and his will for us. When we are ashamed to accept him, we are not only rejecting God and all of his great works, but we are failing to fulfill the vows that we promised, and agreed to, both at Baptism and Confirmation.  

Jim Segher, the author of The Call to Holiness, notes that: “an intimate union with God is possible in this life for everyone who will surrender to it, and work toward it with God’s grace.” As we [the Christians of the world] seek the perfect union with God, we only need to accept his will for us, and be constantly pursuing this call.

 

Grace and Justification- Distance Learning #1

For the first date, in the Catechism of the Catholic Church's article on Grace and Justification, it discusses how "the grace of the Holy Spirit has the power to justify us", and how it cleanes us of our sins. It "communicates to us 'the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ' and through Baptism". This is reflected in Flannery O'Connor's short story "The River", in the sense that the young boy in the story is Baptized, and therefore cleansed.
Also, one example of the second date in the story, is that the emotion that the young boy, Harry, feels when he is baptized by the pastor in the river, is almost overwelming to him. As he listens to the  pastor's words, he begins to realize that he truly matters to God. In the story, the author suggests that given Harry's home life, he probably does not get much attention, or is told how important he is, or how much he matters to the world. 
The article also describes how "the first work of the grace of the Holy Spirit is conversion" (for the third date). This is demonstrated in the story, when the boy (Harry, who claimed his name was Bevel), who is baptized, and enters into the Church. He feels the water in the River change him, and even though he is only five years old, he knows that he wants to be a bigger part of it. He returned to the river at the end of  the story, because he wanted to be able to be a part of something larger than himself, and he had, for probably the first time in his life, realized that he actually mattered to someone, God.
For the fourth date that the article mentions (1990), it states that "Justification detaches man from sin, which contradicts the love of God". This reflects on the young boy's conversion in the river, with the Pastor. He feels God's love, and is completely overwhelmed by the prospect of  it. He is only five years old, and he understands more than most adults about the power of the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Baptism. While he might not fully understand the true meaning of those words, he knows by his experience when he was in the River, that there is something remarkable about the water, and how it had cleansed him of his sins. It also mentions that "it reconciles man with God". This is a perfect example of how the boy felt after he was baptized by the preacher. Also, in his prayer before the baptism, the priest mentions that the "waters heal, and it frees us from the enslavement of sin".  
The next two dates, (1991 and 1992), discusses "the acceptance of God's righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ", and how "Justification has been merited for us by the Passion of Christ". This is demonstrated in the story, through the fact that the pastor was discussing the cleansing of original sin, and how it represents you coming into the church, and into God's life.
The last three dates that deal with Justification, (1993, 1994 and 1995), it states that "Justification establishes cooperation between God's grace and man's freedom". it is also the "most excellent work of God's love made manifest in Christ." These are both demonstrated in the story through the fact that after the young boy is Baptized, he mentions that he feels free, and that is due to the fact that he is now cleansed of his sin.
The other important factor in the article is Grace. It states in the first date, 1996, that " our Justification comes from the grace of God". This is clearly represented in the short story, "The River", by the fact that "Grace is favor". He gives us grace and help through the sacrament of baptism. In the story, he helps the young boy understand that God gives us grace and help, especially afterwards, when he has to return home.
The other dates, (from 1997, 1998, and 1999), also directly relate to the story. The article from 1997 states that "grace is a participation in the life of God". This reflects on the story in the sense that the boy, Harry, feels (for once) that he matters. Although he is hesitant, he allows them to baptize him in the river, and afterward, he realizes the importance of sacrament. It also discusses how "the vocation to eternal life is supernatural". Only God alone can reveal himself to us. The young boy in the story is so longing to be a part of that, and to finally see the kingdom of God, which promises everlasting love and happiness, that he returns to the river at the end of the story.
In 2000, it stated that "santifying grace is a habitual gift" It "perfects the soul itself to enable it to live with God". This is represented in the story by the fact that in Baptism, it also perfects the soul. It enables your soul to be ready for the person's new life with God on Earth. Also, it prepares us for the reception of grace, because by receiving the sacrament of Baptism, we are also receiving God's grace(which was stated in the 2001 article). The young boy's parents do not experience this, because not only were they not baptized, but they do not even display grace towards their son. In order for us to receive God's grace, we have to also display grace to others, around us, as described in the article from 2002. Also in the article from 2002, it describes "man's free response", which is demonstrated in the story when Harry, decides to return to the river, after his Baptism.   
In 2003, they stated that "Grace is first and foremost the gift of the Spirit who justifies and sanctifies us". This also includes "sacramental graces", which are gifts that  relate to the different sacraments, such as Baptism. This is reflected in the story, when the preacher is telling Bevel (Harry) about the sacrament of Baptism, when he is being Baptized in the river.
For 2004, it discusses how "among the special graces, are 'graces of state' that accompany the other responsibilities of the Christian life". In "The River", Bevel learns these graces, as he is being Baptized, and is beginning a new life in the church. In 2005, they stated that "grace escapes our experience" and that it "cannot be known except by faith". Bevel learns this, as he is so longing  for grace, and the justification that he really matters. After he is baptized, he feels so strongly about the river's and God's power, that he wants to be entirely consumed by it.  He wants to always be a part of it and in the end he is.              
         

"The Man Without a Face"- Reflection

In the beginning of the movie, “The Man Without A Face”, the main character, Charles Norstadt is hesitant to approach Mel Gibson’s character. Although he wants to learn from him, so he can pass his test, he is doubtful about asking the man for help. Mainly due to the rumors about McLeod, and his outward appearance (the scarring on his face), Norstadt is hesitant about taking lessons from him. Eventually, he grows to know and trust McLeod (Mel Gibson), through his personal experiences, with McLeod teaching him. However, in the beginning, McLeod is also a little hesitant to teach Norstadt, due to the normal reactions of people, when they see his face. Also, he wants to know that Norstadt will actually complete the work that McLeod assigns to him. He wants to know that his efforts will not be wasted on Norstadt.  After McLeod agrees, he makes Charles dig holes on his property. 
At first, Norstadt was upset. He saw it as a waste of time and effort on his part. However, this action, which seemed pointless to Norstadt, proved to McLeod that Norstadt could follow his orders and advice, as an important part of every relationship is obedience.  If Norstadt refused to listen to McLeod, then it would be very difficult for McLeod to teach him effectively.
McLeod also did not force Norstadt to come everyday to his house to study or be taught, because his freedom was very important to his accepting McLeod. McLeod expresses to Nordstadt that he has the freedom to choose whether to come, because he understands that it is important for Norstadt to accept him on his own terms. He did not want to force Norstadt to believe anything that he did not truly see on his own.   Rather than viewing McLeod as simply crazy, as he and so many others had previously believed, Norstadt’s free will enabled him see McLeod, as he truly was.  
It is equally important to McLeod that Norstadt use his own freedom to decide if the rumors concerning McLeod are true. If McLeod is going to be teaching him then he wants to be sure that Norstadt can decide on his own if McLeod is a trustworthy person, regardless of what the rumors might suggest. It also proves to McLeod that Norstadt trusts him, and could bring him the certainty that he needs, after the citizens of the town have ignored him, for so many years after the accident.
At the end of the movie, the main character, Norstadt, was morally certain of McLeod. In order to become morally certain of a person, it requires experiences with that person. While learning how to pass the exam, Norstadt also learned about McLeod’s past, and with this, he grew certain of McLeod. He was able to finally reach the conclusion that while the rumors about McLeod seemed true, they did not at all reflect on McLeod’s true nature.

 

 

Knowledge

Knowledge is our human ability to understand something fully. In order for us to understand things, we have to experience them for ourselves. We have to see something with our own eyes, before we will believe that it exists. We cannot fully “know”, or understand something, even if someone else completely describes it to us, because we did not experience it, firsthand. Another reason that we cannot fully “know” something is because of the fact that our ideas can limit us, when our experiences filter through our ideas.”. Our ideas have the ability to dominate what we truly know.

We often use the word“know” to describe things that we have experienced in our everyday life, such as knowing what classes are easiest, what clubs or activities are best and other points that we deal with every day. However, we still cannot fully “know”these things. For example, even though we have experienced a particular class, we have not fully experienced it in its entirety, (because it is the beginning of the school year, and we have only had a few weeks of classes). We could say however, that we “know” the courses that we took last year are important, because we have completed those courses, and have encountered all of the experiences of that particular class. It is impossible for us to truly know something, if we have not experienced it for ourselves.

 

 

 

Cathedral Essay

In the story "Cathedral", a blind man comes to visit a man and his wife, and the narrator gains insight into what it truly means to have "sight".
 When the narrator is told by his wife at the beginning of the story, that the blind man is coming, he is not looking forward to the encounter. He is not familiar with talking to blind people, and does not fully understand how to act around him. The wife had worked for the blind man one summer when she needed a job, by reading different works to him. They share many experiences together, through the readings, and After the wife completes her job, at the end of the summer, the blind man asks to touch her face. She lets him, and she later tells the narrator, that it was something that she would never forget.
After she quits her job with the blind man (due to the fact that her husband at that time, is an officer, and has to move around a lot), they keep in touch by sending tapes to each other. Although several years pass between their encounters, they still keep each other informed of the events of their own lives. The wife shared the fact that after she left, she got very lonely and attempted suicide, and that she and the officer had then separated and divorced. She shared the fact that she had met the narrator, and that she felt much better, when she was around him. Later, she tells the blind man that she and the narrator are married, and that she feels happy again.
The blind man shares with her that after she left, a woman named Beulah started. She worked with him for about a year, and then they were married. He also shared that sadly, Beulah died of cancer, and now he was alone again. When the wife receives this tape, she immediately sends a request for him to come visit her, so that they can finally see each other, and so that the blind man can finally meet the narrator, who the wife has told him so much about.
When the blind man arrives, the narrator does not exactly know how to approach the situation. He does not have much experience with blind people, so to him, it was a very awkward situation. They eat dinner, not discussing anything at all, as they are absorbed in their food, and afterward, they sit and talk about how their lives have changed, as they smoke. When the wife falls asleep, the husband and the blind man watch a T.V. special on Cathedrals. As the blind man is hearing the descriptions of the Cathedrals from the husband, he asks for a pencil and paper, to draw the structures. As the husband thinks that it is absurd at first, when the blind man tells him to close his eyes,he does. As the blind man is guiding his hand around the paper, the narrator realizes that even though the man is blind, he has the ability to see beyond many people's ideas, and although the picture may not actually resemble a cathedral in the end, the cathedral in their minds is undoubtedly clear.
The narrator was not looking forward to the blind man's visit, because he was not familiar with dealing with blind people.He did not know what he should (or should not discuss), and he did not know what exactly to expect from his visit, due to the fact that it was his wife's friend who was visiting.
It is hard to simply read about the experiences the narrator's wife had, when the blind man, Robert, had been touching (or "seeing") her face, because we did not have that same experience, and therefore it is hard for us to imagine this encounter. Through poetry, she is able to express her true self in words. In this way, even though Robert is blind, he is still able to see people through other means than just his eyes. They both also see with their minds and hearts. When she attempted suicide, her husband at that time, the officer, was never home to be with her, and she felt completely alone. Just as any human being, she felt the desire to "be seen", and noticed by someone else, especially by those we love. As humans, we are always seeking praise and approval from others. We all need to fill that space with approval and love, because with it, we feel that we are all wanted and loved by the people around us.  
Also, by receiving another's friend, we are showing that person how much we care about their happiness. By doing this, we are showing the person that we understand how important this friend is to them, and that by receiving and accepting the people that they deeply care about, we are demonstrating how much we care about the things that are most important to them.


     

David Foster Wallace- The Human Person

 

I believe that David Foster Wallace is correct in the idea that life consists of fundamental choices that lie entirely within the human person, and that allow them to engage the world differently.  In his speech, he mentions that we “tend to over- intellectualize stuff, to get lost in abstract arguments inside [our] heads, instead of simply paying attention to what’s going on right in front of [us].”. This is a credible idea, because sometimes given the fact that we are so blinded by our own problems, it is very hard for us to see everyone else’s.

 In my own life, I can see this with my cousins, who are five and eight years old. While I am babysitting them, they can sometimes surprise me by being so hyper, and out of control. I sometimes wonder how my uncle and aunt can allow them to be so undisciplined and misbehaved at times, but then I realized how it must be from their perspective. They have to deal with very demanding jobs and kid’s activities afterschool.
They have to race around to attend to the schedules of their kids, and themselves, make dinner at home every night and deal with a hyperactive 1- year old dog, who is even bigger than your average grizzly cub. They also have to deal with the drama- filled stories of both a third and  a first grader’s day (which is always entertaining), and handle homework, baths, and bedtime stories, all in less than three hours after they got home. It is hard for me to understand this however, due to the fact that I do not have kids of my own, and I cannot even begin to imagine the amount of work it actually takes.  

Another point that he makes, is also that “‘teaching you how to think’, is actually short for a much deeper more serious idea: ‘Learning how to think.’ This really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think. It means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to, and to choose how you conduct meaning from experience.”
We usually engage this choice by realizing that “the really important kind of freedom involves attention, and awareness, and discipline, and effort, and being able truly to care about other people and to sacrifice for them, over and over, in myriad petty little unsexy ways, every day.” At the end of David Foster Wallace’s speech, people are clapping even if he is, in a way, insulting them, because they still understand the importance of what he is saying to them, and that they understand that it is important for them to live life as he has described. “It is about simple awareness – awareness of what is so real and essential, so hidden in plain sight all around us. That we have to keep reminding ourselves.”.

 

Chaotic Chatter

When we choose not to descend into a state of chaotic chatter, we are showing the person that is talking, that we are attentive and open minded to their conversation, and presentation, and that we value the information that they are willing to share with us. Every person deserves our respect and attentiveness, regardless of whether or not we personally agree with the information that are providing to us. When we are not attentive to the person who is presenting, we are not only disrespecting the presenter, by not listening, but we are also effecting ourselves, as we will not be receiving the necessary information that is being given to us by the speaker.

Another important fact is that when we are not attentive, we are missing necessary information that can affect us in the future. If we decide to ignore the presenter, we can also be acting negatively toward them. By disregarding their own presentations, we are telling them, through our actions, that they are not worth our attention, or our time. Even if sometimes their information does not directly concern us, we will still affected by the outcome. If we fail to treat other presenters the same, then we will not have the same respect from them, when we are presenting our own material.

Another reason is that “Respect has great importance in everyday life”. It is so important for us to respect each other, because we would all like to have the same amount of respect shown to us, in return. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy states, “We come to value respect for such things; when we're older, we may shake our heads (or fists) at people who seem not to have learned to respect them.” This statement means that although today, we can sometimes forget to respect others, now, we will eventually grow to become people who respect individuals for who they are.

Many people do not realize that the other factor that affects this is the fact that most people are hearing the person, but are not truly listening to the words that they are saying. They are too absorbed in their own lives to worry about anyone else’s. When someone is speaking, most of the time, people actually take in only 25% of what they are actually hearing. A person, while they might try to listen to everyone, they will still end up disregarding about 75% of the conversation.

“We may also come to believe that, at some level, all people are worthy of respect.” (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 1. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/respect/ ). No matter who we are, or what we may believe in, we all deserve the same amount of respect. Regardless of whether or not we  have the same views, it is important for people to listen to what others have to say, mainly because it also allows them to change their perspective on certain issues as well. It allows us to think more about our own views, and it can even give us a new perspective on some of those same issues.

 “We may learn both that our lives together go better when we respect the things that deserve to be respected and that we should respect some things independently of considerations of how our lives would go.” (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy,1). This particular quote demonstrates that not only should we “respect the things that deserve to be respected”, but also that we also have to respect the things that can ultimately control the outcome of the rest of our lives. It is so important for us to remember this part, in particular, because we also have to, at times “respect things independently of considerations”, of how the rest of our lives could unfold.

The value of learning to control our own emotions and impulses is one that is necessary in our daily lives. This particular value is especially important, because in order for us to succeed, we have to be able to control our own impulses, and emotions. By doing this, we will be able to gain the respect of not only the people who will be directly affected by this, but also by the people around us. If we are able to control our own emotions, and impulses, then it will be much easier for us to recognize the true value of respect. By not being rude or distracting, during a presentation, we also show our respect the person speaking, and how we respect the amount of time and effort it took the person to prepare for, and to present the information to us.    

Caligula's Heart

In the play Caligula, the playwright Albert Camus demonstrates Caligula's heart, by his discriptions of Caligula's feelings. He demonstrates that Caligula, in the eyes of the patricians, seemed distraught, and when left he had "a queer look in his eyes.". The patricians view Caligula, as "a mere boy", and while he is missing, they do not seem too upset with the fact that he is gone. They just assume that "he'll return as abruptly as he left". They believe that when he comes back, they can make him see reason. Personally, I believe that while he hold the high position of Emperor, he still has the impulses that cause him to make childish decisions.

Our Front Door

Our front door has seen so much of our life. It has seen snowy boots, clomping through the doorway, as the cold winter air from outside blows in. All of us racing outside in sweatshirts and tennis shoes, to jump into the leaves that we had just raked into a massive pile in our front yard. It has witnessed hundreds of water balloon fights in the hot summer heat and the baseball and soccer games in the fall and spring. It has white paint, nine little square windows, with a white curtain, and brass door knocker embelished with our name, but it also has finger smudges on the windows, where we watched the snow fall in the street, lit up by the streetlight outside, and the staples on the top of the doorframe, where we hang the greenery at Christmas. It has seen us bring in every tree at Christmas, and every wreath that we hang on it, when we take out out Christmas decorations. It is not just a front door to us, it is the door that leads into our life, and demonstrates so much about our family and our relationships with each other.    

Happiness

Personally, my happiness consists of several factors that are the most important to me, in my life. One of these factors is my family. For example, my family is so important to me, because they are always supporting, and encouraging me in all of my endeavors. They have given me so much and I am so grateful for all of the sacrifices that they make, in order for me to be able to continue living with the luxuries that I have in my life, today. They sacrifice so much to send my entire family, including (my four other sibilings), to a private school, and I am so happy to be able to afford this luxury, as so many other people cannot. Also, the experiences, and memories that I share with my family are also very important, to me, in my life. The memories, and experiences that we all share together play such an important role in my life.    

My friends are another important factor. My friends are also a major part of my happiness, because they are so supportive, and understanding. I am so lucky to have friends that care about who I am, and if I did not have those people in my life, then I would not be the same person that I am today.

Another important factor is the fact that I have been going to a Catholic school for 13 years. I have always been surrounded by people who are encouraging me to try new things, and by people who truly care about other's happiness. I am so thankful that I am able to attend a private school, especially for this matter.

It consists of just the "smaller things" in life, things that other people usually don't take the time to look at, because they are just too busy with other things, but I love to look at nature, and just to be outside. It is so peaceful, and it keeps me calm, if, (and when) I am stressed out.

Finally, my happiness also consists of the health and well- being of everyone that I love, and care about. This includes my family, friends, and other people that support and encourage me, such as my teachers, and my parents. I am so blessed that my family and friends, are happy, and healthy.  

Intro!!!!

 My name is Anna, and I am a senior in High School. My family, friends, and the experiences that we have together, are the most valuable to me. My family and I are practicing Catholics. My faith is very important to me, because it is a part of who I am. It is also important to me, because it it something that I truly believe in. I am American, and I grew up with American culture and customs. My cultural background is important to me, because it represents the person that I am, today. In life, I hope that I succeed in my endeavors, and I also hope for people throughout the world to treat each other fairly, regardless of race, custom, religion, or ethnicity.