Spirituality

The Impact of Theology Classes, Retreats, and Liturgies

As Night and Day Converge, reflected yet they're different, Makes the equinox. Growing up I had always followed the path of "shadows." I always struggled in social environments which further caused me to have a twisted image of myself. I had always felt that I was abandoned by both everyone I knew and God. I had not understood yet the ideology of the true self and freeing oneself from the masks that we put on every day. I had slowly lost myself to societal norms making me create the mask that controlled most of my life. Thanks to the various retreats I have been on I was able to learn from all the experiences I had. In Kairos, which occurred in my Junior year I was taught about the idea of the mask that we put on to please others or to ignore the issues that we have. This had showed me about the human experience in which Jesus in Consider Jesus by Dr. Elizabeth Johnson it is explained that Jesus was affected by the various human emotions and experience like fear doubt and abandonment. (44) This had expectably increased during his crucifixion. I used to think that everything was bad and that I always needed to adapt to someone or else I would suffer the penalty of being lost or forgotten. This is an example of the false self that I had always carried around making me more miserable than I was. This concept of the False self I was taught during my senior year in high school as Father James Martin had written about. The idea of the false self-had shown me how I need to be myself as it doesn't matter what others think but to be a person who is there for others. This has helped me be better at being myself and not being someone who isn't me. This idea of the false self-helped me to become better as both a person and a member in my community. I can feel pain and suffering, but I can handle the pain and endure to become better.

So welcome to my cave where I will continue to grow and understand

Living the Call to Discipleship

Throughout my 4 years in Highschool, I had lived my life as a disciple of Christ through the service I had done. From volunteering to assisting my verb brothers daily I have lived out a life of discipleship. Throughout my four years I have been volunteering in various locations from the South Los Angeles Tech and Entrepreneurship Center to my local food bank in Saint Cecilia Catholic Church. I had taught and assisted children about technology and handed out food to my community. Seeing the smiles of the people helped me become better as I further showed that it does not matter about your economy nor your status, but you deserve an education in what you cherish and a food supply throughout the month. This is further backed by Dr. Johnson as she writes "The reign of God, then, involves justice and peace among everyone, healing and wholeness everywhere, fullness of life enjoyed by all. It is what the scriptures call the situation of shalom, peace experienced not only as the absence of war by peace as the fullness of life." (Consider Jesus) The Reign of God is reflected through the daily activities from my life I have been able to assist my verb brothers and members in my community through purchasing food from pizza to other meals to the homeless in front of the various stores. Living out as a disciple brings the kingdom of God as I am assisting in both feeding and quenching the thirst of the poor to even including everyone who is excluded from an education or community.

Works Cited

Johnson, Elizabeth A. Consider Jesus: Waves of Renewal in Christology. Crossroad, 1990. Martin, James. Becoming Who You Are: Insights on the True Self from Thomas Merton and Other Saints. HiddenSpring, 2006.