Papal Election

       Many issues will spur the decision of the Cardinals throughout the world in electing the new pope. A primary issue that I have the most knowledge about is the sex abuse scandal in the Church. I recently watched a documentary on the severity of the Church's lack of punishment for priests accused of sex abuse. The documentary told of how they would hide the priests or put them into therapy, and instead of keeping them away from children, they would simply relocate the priests to different parishes. This issue needs to be addressed immediately if we wish to keep damaging the lives of young men and women of the Catholic faith. I think the future of the church needs a leader that will stand up and face issues that are controversial rather than ignore and hide them. The new pope has to be a leader that is strong in character, respects all religions, and works to improve the Church. There is a dwindling of participation in religious life so the future Pope will need to encourage more entrance into the religious vocation.
        Women in the Church can be involved in the preparing of the gifts, becoming sisters, the choir, and coordinating church activities. However unlike other religions, women cannot become priests and head mass. Women in the Church need a larger voice because Church tradition has been that the male is the main presider of the Church and the mass. If I could change one thing about the Church, it would be its lack of flexibility. Although the Bible is a primary aspect of Catholicism, sometimes I think the Church interprets its writings too extremely, such as with gay marriage.
         I think there is somewhat of democracy in the Church, but it still seems very fixed in the ways of old times and focused on preserving tradition. Sometimes tradition is important, but also we need to be more flexible. The Holy Spirit guides priests, nuns, and lay people in making decisions.
       

Becoming Who You Are

     In Parker Palmer's book, Let Your Life Speak, he points out the important element of finding one's vocation or purpose in life, and that is: To be yourself, not someone else. We can find the most meaning and be the most productive in life when we are striving to be the very best versions of ourselves rather than mimicking someone else and trying to achieve what someone else achieves. In our modern world, success is often defined as the amount of money you make, the number of friends you have, or your popularity. In all of the gauges of success, we are forced to compare ourselves with others. In fact, someone who has two best friends makes a living as a special needs teacher is just as successful as someone who is a multi-millionaire CEO and has 100 friends.
     I completely agree with Parker's assertions, although sometimes they are hard to remember in my daily life as I compare myself with every other girl that goes to Mount. There is so much diversity in our world, and if we compare and try to live up to another person's standards, we will never reach our own potential. As Parker says, we spend half of our lives not using our gifts, so instead, we should utilize them from the onset and embrace our talents.

Mission Statement

 At a pivotal point in my life, I am led to question what I want to do with my life. Although I am unsure of where life will take me in college, I have many facets of my life that will help me with this decision. My family and friends are the most important aspect of my life, and I want anything I pursue in life to allow me to spend time and make memories with them. I also think that I am an organizer and a leader which manifests itself in every aspect of my life whether it be school, sports, etc. I like to be sure of myself, and I question everything. I know what's important to me and what is irrelevant. I aim to have a positive mindset, and Bikram yoga is an activity that I will carry with me throughout life because it gives me peace of body, mind, and spirit.