Service Project Essay

4/27/13

The school I attend requires sophomores to complete at least 15 hours of community service and then write a reflection paper on it. The following is said paper:

Service Project Essay

For my sophomore service project, I had the great opportunity to complete most of my hours at the Houston Food Bank, an organization dedicated to feeding the homeless of Houston. I also completed a small part of my project with the SEARCH program, another homeless organization, by making daily hygiene kits.

I have to say, the work done my freshman year for the service project was a lot easier than this year. Instead of senior assisted living work, the Houston Food Bank operates under 4 hour shifts of food preparation. This could mean anything like; chopping onions, serving peas, opening boxes, or making ham and cheese sandwiches. The work was not exactly difficult, but the repetitive nature of it wore you out. It really helped me though to think of it as each individual item I prepared, would be a meal for somebody that probably hasn’t had one in a while. The SEARCH project on the other hand was much more free in the sense of the choice of work. Me and my dad went to target and bought several hygiene supplies we take for granted like toothbrushes, deodorant, nail clippers and other items. We then assembled them all in kits and visited the shelter to drop them off.

I do believe this service project brings me closer to God. One of Jesus’ main messages was to serve those below you. By working to feed and help the homeless this year, I do believe I was able to continue to fulfill His mission for us. To me, someone who is able to continually fulfill this mission is the definition of a man for others. I believe becoming a man for others should be a long term goal for most if not all people. Doing these service projects have just strengthened my view on the values of service. Something that I once viewed as troublesome or more work, I now view as my part in the Christian society. This service project I believe has made it clear that I will continue this Christian responsibility well into my year after Strake Jesuit.

I believe I can speak for my family (who also matched every single one of my hours) when I say that this a great family bonding experience. Helping as a family those who are less fortunate as us, is a great way to strengthen that family’s Christian morals.

Patience is a Virtue

4/27/13

Patience is a Virtue

For somebody who isn't very patient, this is probably the most annoying phrase you have ever heard. And yet you tend to be told it repeatedly until you wake up in the middle of the night shouting it. Here's a fact though that is going to blow the average impatient person's mind: patience is a virtue from God.

If you've had some beginner catholic classes, something you will also hear a lot is that God has a plan for everything. You hear it a lot because only few truer words have been spoken. When something bad happens to you, you tend to always look at the negative of the situation. You will sometimes fail to realize though that if it happened that way, God intended it to happen. The best example I can think about is a very sensitive one. Seth MacFarlane is most famous for his creation of the shows; Family Guy, American Dad, The Cleveland Show, and for directing the comedy, Ted. On September 11, 2001, Seth was on his way to California from Newark on flight 93. He missed the flight, it was pretty unfortunate at the time. The following events that transpired made him a very fortunate man. The point is that God has a plan for everybody. To ask why those innocent lives had to be sacrificed that terrible day, reference the article before this one.

The current event that reiterated in my mind this phrase is watching one Geno Smith during the first day of the 2013 NFL Draft. 

 It was pretty tough I think for everybody, including Geno to see somebody who was almost sure to be drafted in the top 20, fall to the second round. The broadcast also made it a point to notice his dismay. He eventually got drafted by the New York Jets, home of the most outspoken Christian Tim Tebow. The only thing I can really say to Geno is that God has a plan for everybody. What if you had got drafted by the Buffalo Bills and something bad happened? What if you were walking through the streets of Buffalo one day and you slipped on that Buffalo ice and broke your back?
These are all what ifs that can never be proven but I'm just saying, what if that could happen but God came in with some little divine intervention and saved. From his interviews, he seemed as a pretty religious guy so I wouldn't be surprised if that was God helping him. Yet there's a flip side to this too. What if Geno Smith is a faker? What if he is one of the people that falsely self-proclaims himself as a devout Christian? He might of had a hall of fame career at Buffalo, but in that case God made sure that he received justice for his wrongdoings.

At the end of the day though, you always have to stay patient, God has a plan for everybody.

Bombings in Boston: Why Does God Let Suffering Happen?

4/21
After such a horrific incident such as the Boston Marathon bombings one might ask themselves, why does God let this happen? Why would God let incident people suffer and even die at such a joyous event such as a marathon? Why would God let that little 8 year old boy die?

All of these questions are natural to ponder about. Many people, Christians alike, struggle with this question and how to address it. I believe that this question can this question through the theological understanding of free will.

First we need to understand that God gave humans, the first being Adam and Eve, free will. Free will is a gift that only humans have out of God's entire creation and it is given to us because of God's love for us in order to be the pinnacle of creation. In the beginning man lived in perfect harmony with God and there was no death, pain, or suffering. All of that changed when Adam and Eve ate of the apple of the forbidden tree. Adam and Eve chose to disobey God and sin against him. Therefore from the free will of man, suffering, pain, and death entered the world. Out of eternal love for man God must let that happen out of respect of free will. Therefore terrible acts such as the Boston bombings exist because of the actions of others that cannot be stopped because of free will, and the fact that death and suffering is a part of this world due to the sin of our first parents.