At this time of year, in the midst of this Extraordinary Year of Mercy, I think back 15 years to Saturday, March 17, 2001. It was the day after my birthday when I turned 10.
Mom and I went to the north Oak Park home of a member of the St. Giles Family Mass community, and it was there that I had my first reconciliation, along with a group of other children. Before and after going to confession, there were snacks, music, and activities.
At the time, like with any experience of Church, I knew it was a way to experience God, but there wasn't much more that my first reconciliation meant to me. Growth usually brings deeper understanding with any experience, and it is only through the past 15 years of growth that I have come to appreciate more deeply this sacrament, by which we encounter the mercy of God.
The liturgical seasons of Advent and Lent are times I make a point to attend communal reconciliation services, which provide the right atmosphere for me to reflect. Those seasons set the tone well as a time to examine the way I've been living my life, and how my relationship with God is, as I prepare for the great feasts of the Nativity and Resurrection. There have been a number of times recently I've gone to these services with something heavy on my heart. Hearing those words of absolution is a chance for me to really sense God's merciful love and forgiveness flow over me, and bring me alive anew. The penance I have received each of these times has been a meaningful way for me to engage in the spirit of prayer, which draws me closer to God.
While there was a time in my life when I didn't feel it was necessary to confess my sins to a priest, I have embraced the opportunity that the sacrament of reconciliation provides, especially in hearing those words of absolution, by which the power of Christ's Paschal Mystery flows into my heart to bring me back again to God. It is truly a moment of celebration, just like when the family feasted upon the return of the son in the parable in Luke 15. Father Kevin at St. Teresa's mentioned celebration in his talking points about reconciliation. And the past two times that my RE students have had reconciliation, I open up a chance for them to celebrate in class afterwards, usually with some kind of treat.
It is a sense of peace and joy that I receive in reconciliation, that renews me in my walk of faith, to abide in the ways of righteousness.
Friday, March 18, 2016
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
The Gift and the Offering upon this Silver Occasion
When I graduated from college, one of the gifts I received was a small sign that read: "What you are is God's gift to you. What you make of yourself if your gift to God."
I think that adage speaks eloquently to me today as I mark 25 years since I was born. It's amazing to think I've reached this milestone of a quarter-century of life before God on this Earth. And there's so much I've experienced, much of it in the context of community, and especially a strong sense of family with whom I've always felt close throughout these years. They are what makes this day special--especially when I realize that in some ways this day is a much bigger deal for them, most especially for my parents, than it is for me.
To mark the occasion, I'm going to share 25 significant things in my life, in no particular order.
1. My accomplishments at Valparaiso University: Bachelor of Science Cum Laude with meteorology major, minors in math and Spanish, Christ College Associate, and Phi Beta Kappa
2. going on a great Amtrak train trip to the Western United States and back, at age 6
3. the Sweat Lodge ceremony
4. St. Augustine Mission/Service trip
5. being a member of the Percy Julian Middle School Class of 2005, the first group of students who attended 6th grade at the middle schools in Oak Park
6. being baptized into the Roman Catholic Church
7. my Confirmation
8. teaching Religious Education classes, and being part of the formation of four different Confirmation classes at Ascension in some way
9. born in Chicago, an amazing city
10. living in Oak Park, IL, a wonderful community
11. Being part of the Ascension Parish community
12. volunteering at the Oak Park Public Library
13. working at the Oak Park Public Library
14. MLIS studies in the GSLIS of Dominican University
15. being a citizen of the United States, a country that has made some stellar contributions to the world
16. being part of the community of St. Teresa of Avila Roman Catholic Student Center
17. writing for school newspapers
18. being elected co-Vice President of Julian Student Council
19. My trip to the AMS Annual Meeting in Austin, TX
20. participating in National Geography Bee, including the 2005 Illinois State round
21. the Liberty's Kids PBS television show
22. attending my friend's Bar Mitzvah
23. having Mexican heritage, a share in a rich culture
24. the Kairos retreat
25. Activism for the strengthening of life and family as God intended them
While I haven't ranked the items in the list above, there are definitely some things that stand out and I feel would be ranked near the top: For certain, my experience at Percy Julian Middle School was the most significant time of my life growing up, with being part of the first group of 6th graders there as the most important part of the experience. Being part of the Roman Catholic Church is definitely something I give thanks to God for, a community steeped in tradition that breathes new life even this day. And teaching Religious Education classes has been probably the most significant experience in my life, because it is the convergence of my experiences at Julian and in the Roman Catholic Church and their effects. It has indeed been an opportunity for me to draw together what God has given me in my life and offer it back to Him, for His glory.
I think that adage speaks eloquently to me today as I mark 25 years since I was born. It's amazing to think I've reached this milestone of a quarter-century of life before God on this Earth. And there's so much I've experienced, much of it in the context of community, and especially a strong sense of family with whom I've always felt close throughout these years. They are what makes this day special--especially when I realize that in some ways this day is a much bigger deal for them, most especially for my parents, than it is for me.
To mark the occasion, I'm going to share 25 significant things in my life, in no particular order.
1. My accomplishments at Valparaiso University: Bachelor of Science Cum Laude with meteorology major, minors in math and Spanish, Christ College Associate, and Phi Beta Kappa
2. going on a great Amtrak train trip to the Western United States and back, at age 6
3. the Sweat Lodge ceremony
4. St. Augustine Mission/Service trip
5. being a member of the Percy Julian Middle School Class of 2005, the first group of students who attended 6th grade at the middle schools in Oak Park
7. my Confirmation
8. teaching Religious Education classes, and being part of the formation of four different Confirmation classes at Ascension in some way
9. born in Chicago, an amazing city
10. living in Oak Park, IL, a wonderful community
11. Being part of the Ascension Parish community
12. volunteering at the Oak Park Public Library
13. working at the Oak Park Public Library
14. MLIS studies in the GSLIS of Dominican University
15. being a citizen of the United States, a country that has made some stellar contributions to the world
16. being part of the community of St. Teresa of Avila Roman Catholic Student Center
17. writing for school newspapers
18. being elected co-Vice President of Julian Student Council
19. My trip to the AMS Annual Meeting in Austin, TX
20. participating in National Geography Bee, including the 2005 Illinois State round
21. the Liberty's Kids PBS television show
22. attending my friend's Bar Mitzvah
23. having Mexican heritage, a share in a rich culture
24. the Kairos retreat
25. Activism for the strengthening of life and family as God intended them
While I haven't ranked the items in the list above, there are definitely some things that stand out and I feel would be ranked near the top: For certain, my experience at Percy Julian Middle School was the most significant time of my life growing up, with being part of the first group of 6th graders there as the most important part of the experience. Being part of the Roman Catholic Church is definitely something I give thanks to God for, a community steeped in tradition that breathes new life even this day. And teaching Religious Education classes has been probably the most significant experience in my life, because it is the convergence of my experiences at Julian and in the Roman Catholic Church and their effects. It has indeed been an opportunity for me to draw together what God has given me in my life and offer it back to Him, for His glory.
Monday, March 14, 2016
Master of my Destiny: Installment 7
At the threshold of the second half of my final semester of my MLIS studies, I feel now is a good time for a quick update.
I've had much keeping me occupied since mid-January. My classes this semester are more focused on technical work.
Cataloging and Classification, which meets in-person, is going more in-depth with cataloging practices, beyond what I studied in Organization of Knowledge during my first semester. We had a major assignment for which we cataloged audiovisual items, and even a kit. We've also learned about constructing authority files, which are forms of the names of people used for identification purposes in records. We also had some a good discussion about ethical matters in cataloging. We've even had guest speakers who do cataloging work in libraries.
My other class is entirely online, Metadata for Digital Resources. Basically, metadata is information about information. As an example to illustrate, if you had a book in hand, metadata would describe things about the book, like the author, the publisher, and the copyright date--but wouldn't be the actual content of the book. There are various methods used to script information about digital resources so that computers can read it and display it for users.
Also as part of my coursework, I have a practicum this semester at Argonne National Laboratory's library. I've had the opportunity to work on some projects like LibGuides, which provide information on resources pertaining to a particular subject, like physics. I've also done some cataloging work. And I've spent time with the various people on staff in the department learning about their work--as well as sitting in on staff meetings to learn about all that's happening.
I'm also pleased to say that I've officially submitted my e-Portfolio, which is a requirement for graduation. It's basically a website showcasing the work I've done throughout my studies, and demonstrating how I've developed as a library and information science professional. Please feel free to check it out.
Indeed, I've accomplished important work so far. Now it's off to the final push.
Friday, March 11, 2016
Dog Decade with our Buddy
It was 10 years ago this day that I went to my grandparents' house for a lunch in celebration of my birthday that was to come in a few days. As I walked into the entry area to greet my Abuela with the usual "hugs and kisses" as she puts it, I heard a dog barking. A couple of months before, their dog Mei Mei had passed away. I dismissed such barking as coming from somewhere else in the neighborhood. But then something made me think the barking couldn't be coming from somewhere else. As this realization dawned on me, Abuela stepped aside, at which moment I first lay eyes on Buddy the dog.
Just a few days before, she and my Abuelo, while out, decided to stop at Orphans of the Storm, not necessarily having intentions to get a new dog, but just to look. While there, they saw two different dogs practically right away. Another person went to take one of them for a walk, and so Abuelo decided to take the other one for a walk. He became attached to this one dog, saying, "He's my buddy." They soon decided to bring Buddy home with them.
Over the past decade, it has been such a delight to have Buddy as part of our family. He's certainly amused us with his antics, like his insistence on getting a cookie at the conclusion of every meal, and then taking it to the carpeted living room where he plays with it, even getting on his back and rolling over it a few times, to give it the "Buddy smell". (By the way, people claim he stinks and he smells, and has some kind of pungent odor, but as far as I'm concerned, he just smells like soft fur.)
Yes, he does things he shouldn't like get up on the couch, enjoy one too many cookies, or barking strongly, like at other dogs, or even when someone rings the doorbell at his house--a.k.a., "the barking machine".
He takes delight in children a lot of the time, though. He likes playing with toys, of which he has many. He enjoys giving things a good sniff, like when he's out for a walk, or the time when he intently sniffed out a gift of dog bones for him underneath the Christmas tree, and wouldn't even wait until Nativity Day. He lives the relaxed life of lying in a chair for long stretches of time.
I so do enjoy giving him a nice belly rub, because he's so soft, and he kindly obliges in rolling over on his side or back when I start rubbing him on the belly. Whenever I visit with him, I make a point to give him, at minimum, a 5-minute belly rub--whether he's at home, or we're dog-sitting him, which then I seek to do every day.
Indeed, we have been blessed with the joys of the presence of Buddy in our lives. And so we heartily celebrate his decade with us.
Just a few days before, she and my Abuelo, while out, decided to stop at Orphans of the Storm, not necessarily having intentions to get a new dog, but just to look. While there, they saw two different dogs practically right away. Another person went to take one of them for a walk, and so Abuelo decided to take the other one for a walk. He became attached to this one dog, saying, "He's my buddy." They soon decided to bring Buddy home with them.
Over the past decade, it has been such a delight to have Buddy as part of our family. He's certainly amused us with his antics, like his insistence on getting a cookie at the conclusion of every meal, and then taking it to the carpeted living room where he plays with it, even getting on his back and rolling over it a few times, to give it the "Buddy smell". (By the way, people claim he stinks and he smells, and has some kind of pungent odor, but as far as I'm concerned, he just smells like soft fur.)
Yes, he does things he shouldn't like get up on the couch, enjoy one too many cookies, or barking strongly, like at other dogs, or even when someone rings the doorbell at his house--a.k.a., "the barking machine".
He takes delight in children a lot of the time, though. He likes playing with toys, of which he has many. He enjoys giving things a good sniff, like when he's out for a walk, or the time when he intently sniffed out a gift of dog bones for him underneath the Christmas tree, and wouldn't even wait until Nativity Day. He lives the relaxed life of lying in a chair for long stretches of time.
I so do enjoy giving him a nice belly rub, because he's so soft, and he kindly obliges in rolling over on his side or back when I start rubbing him on the belly. Whenever I visit with him, I make a point to give him, at minimum, a 5-minute belly rub--whether he's at home, or we're dog-sitting him, which then I seek to do every day.
Indeed, we have been blessed with the joys of the presence of Buddy in our lives. And so we heartily celebrate his decade with us.
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Pausing at Four Years
We've have "March"ed into a new month, having taken a leap.
It's an interesting thing this Leap Day that we have every four years to keep the calendar in sync. But it also offers a good opportunity to pause for reflection, as we take stock of where we are in life now versus four years ago when we last had a February 29.
Being a young child, I don't have memories of my first three Leap Days, right after I was born, when I was in preschool, and when I was in elementary school.
The first Leap Day I remember well was back when I was in 7th grade in 2004. I was at Julian at that time, but I didn't go there that day because it was Sunday. However, I spent the better part of an afternoon with a couple of classmates filming a video for a class project, with the Academy Awards happening later that day.
Four years later, I was a junior in high school. Then four years after that, I was a junior in college. One memorable activity that day was launching a weather balloon in one of my classes.
And now I'm in graduate school, and keeping active with many other things in life, like working at the Oak Park Public Library, and teaching Religious Education, one of many ways I'm involved at Church.
And, of course, this is the first Leap Year for this blog of mine.
It's also interesting how this coordinates with election years, and to see how the big issues are playing out and what candidates have thrown their hats into the ring.
Indeed, how the times go by, how we change and how we live our lives, all under a God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
It's an interesting thing this Leap Day that we have every four years to keep the calendar in sync. But it also offers a good opportunity to pause for reflection, as we take stock of where we are in life now versus four years ago when we last had a February 29.
Being a young child, I don't have memories of my first three Leap Days, right after I was born, when I was in preschool, and when I was in elementary school.
The first Leap Day I remember well was back when I was in 7th grade in 2004. I was at Julian at that time, but I didn't go there that day because it was Sunday. However, I spent the better part of an afternoon with a couple of classmates filming a video for a class project, with the Academy Awards happening later that day.
Four years later, I was a junior in high school. Then four years after that, I was a junior in college. One memorable activity that day was launching a weather balloon in one of my classes.
And now I'm in graduate school, and keeping active with many other things in life, like working at the Oak Park Public Library, and teaching Religious Education, one of many ways I'm involved at Church.
And, of course, this is the first Leap Year for this blog of mine.
It's also interesting how this coordinates with election years, and to see how the big issues are playing out and what candidates have thrown their hats into the ring.
Indeed, how the times go by, how we change and how we live our lives, all under a God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
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