Modern Religious Experience: Personal Commemoration- Reflection #7

Modern Religious Experience: Personal Commemoration- Reflection #7: "Think of an event in your life- past, present or future. You are going to create a commemorative ritual for this event. First, describe the ..."

I’d like to commemorate my experience on top of Mount Shalom for the 12^th International Vida Nueva. Vida Nueva is a retreat where the candidates and workers worship God. Generally speaking, it is a Christian retreat, but does not exclude or prohibit non-Christians from attending. It is basically a wonderful time of fellowship, making new friends, and just being with people you love. Vida Nueva is important to me because some of the most joyful moments in my life were spent there. Also, it was the time where I first got to know God, not through my parent’s wishes, but through my own. The commemoration will last for a whole Sunday, preferably during a vacation to incorporate a sense of being on a retreat. During this commemoration, I’ll read out the following words: “I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength.” (This is one of the verses I learnt at Vida). For this commemoration, I will turn off all means of communication, sing praise, worship, and give lots of hugs.

The Morality of Greek Myths - Reflection #6

Due to a punishment from Juno, a nymph named Echo had her voice taken away and could only repeat the last words of others. She fell in love with vain Narcissus, but was rejected. Out of heartbreak, she eventually wasted away to nothing, only leaving behind her "echo" of others' words. Narcissus fell in love with his own reflection in the water, staring at it day after day, and gradually died, leaving behind a white flower.
I think the moral of this myth was to not have excessive pride or vanity. Echo was so vain and in love with her own voice, and when she really needs it, she's unable to use it. Narcissus, also, was so enamored with himself that he was cursed to love no one but himself. When he falls in love with his own reflection, he can't look away and gradually wastes away. Another moral of this story is to treat others the way you want to be treated. Narcissus treats everyone else around him so poorly that he pays a deathly price.
From this story, I think important virtues to the Greeks are humility and treating others well. From this story, one should learn not to only value yourself and to treat the people around them with respect and kindness.