Dr.

Soko Theology Chris Pusateri 9/10/09 I was born July 26, 1990 to Maria and James Pusateri at Childrens Hospital in Nebraska. When I was five I attended Sunday school habitually every Tuesday for 14 years. In class I learned about God and His holy teachings of Catholicism. As a Catholic I pride myself in giving a helping hand to others by donating a small amount to those in dire need. I acknowledge being Catholic is not just some religion to belong to but rather small piece of my identity. Religion has always been a major part my life since the day I was captivated into the world. As a young child I questioned how man was created and how our world came to be. Through knowledge, I learned God sacrificed Himself so we could prosper in this mysterious world. To deepen my knowledge of faith I attended Mass frequently throughout my life to pay thanks to my beloved creator. Through the journey of life, a Catholic will undergo two major ceremonies: first communion and confirmation to confirm their allegiance to God. These ceremonies are essential to progress spiritually. One goes through first communion at the age of seven or eight to accept the body and blood of Christ. The body of Christ is represented by a wafer and His blood is represented by red wine. In this holy process, individuals stand in line to accept the previsions from the priest. Confirmation is one of the seven sacraments. In this ceremony one revives the gifts and blessings given to them when they were baptized to make the individual whole with the church. On May 21,st 2004, my religious class and I participated on a spiritual finding retreat in the deep wilderness of Nebraska. The goal was to find ourselves through natures beauty. We accomplished this by lying in the mountainous green grasses with our eyes closed. We listened to the heavenly sounds of

nature during which my mind was empty and at ease with the world around me. Following this exercise everyone was led into a cabin were we sat in a circle to discuss what we were thankful for. When my turn came I explained that I was most thankful for a loving family while others said they were thankful for food and shelter. Subsequent to this, my group formed a circle to look at vivid ink images and to try and decipher what we thought they all looked like. The moral of this exercise was to state the unique differences and characteristics in the world. To conclude the evening we all gathered in the chapel outside to hear the curator. We then were instructed to write on parchment paper a prayer to those whom are suffering in the world. Shortly after we threw our prayers in a gigantic fire so they could be sent to God. She then gave a short speech about individual spirituality and how we need to find the Lord within our heart and soul by serving a cause greater than ourselves. On the bus ride home I reflected on my astonishing experience at the wilderness retreat; I felt cleansed spiritually and closer to God. Through this experience I had a magical epiphany by Jesus the following night. In my dream He wanted me to go to a soup kitchen and help those who are unable to help themselves. On May 22,nd I decided to go to my local soup kitchen and help serve food to those less fortunate then I. I can recall serving a liquidated yellow broth to an aged, bearded man who seemed very grateful for the food he received. I spent four fulfilling hours serving soup but when I left I felt an eminent fulfillment inside my heart and soul because I served a cause greater than myself that afternoon. On July11th, I was with some friends downtown having a good time and I saw a homeless man outside McDonalds. Being a caring person I ordered a happy meal for the man and gave him the bag; suddenly his eyes were lightened with joy and he thanked me several times for my generosity.

My spiritual experiences have shaped me into a better person while making me realize how important God is as a spiritual companion. Indeed it seems like yesterday when I was celebrating my first communion and handed a host that represented Gods body and wine which represented His blood. Following this glorious occasion was confirmation, when you seal your relationship with God by reuniting the blessings you were baptized with. My experiences on the retreat and in the soup kitchen were also enlightening because while I was participating in the activities my relationship with God grew closer. Thus at the end of the retreat I was empowered to serve a cause greater than myself. So I gave out my hand to those in need which made me a better person by making me realize a fulfilling life is not how many commodities one buys, but what one can do in his life to make the world a better place for all. I will most definitely continue to build a personal relationship with God through the powers of good deeds and prayer. I believe conversing with God is essential for a long prosperous relationship with Him. I will also teach my future children about him so they are aware of what God sacrificed for us all to make this beautiful mysterious world.