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Community Co-curricular Lab | Reflection on Service

“Look for Christ our Lord in everyone and you will then have respect and reverence for all.”

- St. Terese of Ávila, O.C.D., “Maxims” (1538)

This week's readings offer a powerful rationale and exhortation to love others. King and Day suggest that living well must involve practical, tactical acts of love not only for those closest to us but for all members of our community. Often, serving others in radical solidarity - without asking for anything in return—is a way to practice this kind of love and participate in what King called “creating the beloved community.”

This co-curricular lab is a chance to reflect on the service with which you’ve engaged since arriving at Notre Dame. This service must have been facilitated through an organized effort, such as Campus Ministry’s service program, Mercy Works, a residence hall initiative, center or institute, club, or an association with a partner organization like those listed on Campus Ministry’s Community Partner Directory.

You cannot complete this lab if you have not already engaged in service at Notre Dame. If you haven't yet participated in an organized service effort at Notre Dame, we strongly encourage you to explore the opportunities mentioned above. These opportunities may provide a concrete way to respond to King and Day's urging by engaging in service that builds radical solidarity and contributes to the beloved community.

Click here for a PDF version of the Reflection on Service lab

Guidelines

  1. In your commonplace book, beginning on page 232 (or later), summarize your experience of service at Notre Dame, connect it to the text from the community session, and apply it to your practice of living well.
  2. You may wish to consider the following questions when summarizing and reflecting upon your service.

Reflection Questions

  1. What were the driving forces that motivated you to serve?
  2. What was the experience like? How did it relate to your expectations?
  3. Did the service enable you to notice, name, or honor our inherent belovedness or interconnectedness? How?