Murphy 1 Taylor Kelly Moreau 5 March 2022 Achieving Eternal Life Through Life and Death I never thought the day would come that I would be standing here at our beloved Madeline’s funeral reciting her eulogy. I am honored to be with you today celebrating the life and death of our sister in Christ. May she rest in peace. It is impossible to encompass Madeline’s life in a short speech, partly because her breadth of impact was so wide. She touched so many lives. I can confidently say I would not be the person I am today without her example and advice. I know she would be mortified if she were sitting here listening to me talk about her like this. Her cheeks would turn bright red, and she would again say what she always says when people compliment her: “Oh thank you! But it’s all thanks to God.” Which leads me to my first point about Madeline; when you looked at her, you saw Christ reflected in her. She attended a retreat in college, and on this retreat, one of the speakers said, “The more you know Christ, the more you take Him into your heart. Sooner or later, there will be so much of Him in your heart that He just spills out for the whole world to see.” Madeline recognized Christ spilling out of the sister who said this, and she wanted nothing more than to have Christ spill out of her, so she took this advice to heart, and cultivated a deep relationship with Him. She was very introspective in the right way. (The right way to be introspective (yes, there’s a wrong way) by Tasha Eurich PhD- Week 6) She took time to reflect on her days in the chapel, and she often journaled her thoughts in her prayer journal. She had many worries and concerns, but she never dwelled on them. Instead, she took time to listen to the Lord. When she couldn’t clearly hear Him, she https://ideas.ted.com/the-right-way-to-be-introspective-yes-theres-a-wrong-way/ Murphy 2 simply prayed, “Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything.” This rendered her completely surrendered to Christ. She was like a tabernacle. She often expressed receiving the Eucharist and being so thrilled to be holding Jesus in her mouth that she could not stifle her grin. She was truly a friend of Christ, and He poured out of her. Perhaps the people this touched the most were her students. Madeline was the oldest of 12 children, so it was no surprise when she decided to become a teacher. She eloquently taught her students math, English, and music, but they gleaned the most important lessons from her demeanor. She fervently cared about each one of them, and they always knew they could turn to her for advice or a listening ear. No matter what time or how much work she had, she was always available for her students, and they knew they could come to her with anything (Hesburg Film- Week 2). She was someone whom it was easy to be vulnerable with, probably because she was trusting of and vulnerable with others. She was unafraid to seek out conversations with those who may help her (Discerning a Life Well-Lived Discernment Conversation Activity Week 5), and she was always willing to be a help to another. She knew outside opinions and advice from those whom she loved were priceless. Part of the reason she sought so much advice from others was because she was a prudent decision maker. She diligently made plans, but she was sure to be flexible, as she knew plans are often disrupted (Navigating Your Career Journey -Week 4). In college, she used to plan her day out minute-by-minute. Every second of it was full. It was not until she learned to take a deep breath and slow down her day, that she found true peace (“Why We Need to Slow Down Our Lives” by Pico Iyer- Moreau Week 1). As a child, she was a voracious reader. Her peers and teachers would say she was never caught without a book in her hand. In high school and the beginning of college, this practice ceased because her days were so fast paced. Luckily, she https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yZ7hqvx-u4EuW2nlK-fRbWFiurQm1mZv_KpoeeiN4So/edit https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ Murphy 3 decided to reinstate it. She read as a form of relaxation, and she added other times of peace and reflection into her life. Taking time to slow down her life was a wonderful example for everyone around her. She was more productive than prior, and I know she would encourage everyone to rest—particularly on Sundays. Her life was definitely not all rest, though. When she wasn’t mentoring and teaching children at school, she spent time fighting for the lives of unborn children. She believed the only future worth building includes everyone—no matter how small (“Why the only future worth building includes everyone” by Pope Francis- Week 7). She firmly believed that a person’s dignity is not dependent on whether they are wanted—every life is worth living. Since she knew every life is worth living, she lived her life to the fullest. She was particularly ready for her death—even though we all weren’t—because she lived every day as if it was her last (Meet the Nun Who Wants You to Remember You Will Die by Ruth Graham- Week 3). She frequented the sacraments and prayed multiple times a day to prepare her heart for her final hours, and she tried her best to live out Christ’s commands. Though she sometimes stumbled, she always got back up. She was a wonderful friend, teacher, mother, sister, and daughter. Her example is admirable. May we all strive to be more like her. Thank you. REFLECTION I actually really liked this Moreau activity. It helped me reflect on why I am here: to get to heaven and help bring as many people as possible with me. Do I seriously view myself in the way the narrator of my eulogy does? Absolutely not. But do I aspire to be like that? Yes. This was, in a way, setting goals for myself. It is especially relevant in Lent and discernment, as I embark on this journey of self-improvement with Christ. https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html Murphy 4