Sisolak 1 Professor Pruitt Moreau FYE 28 February 2022 Eulogy of We are gathered here to remember the young man , who as we all know, tragically passed away when he could not find his way out of a giant paper bag. He will be greatly missed by his friends and family alike. We can all learn from his short existence. I sure have. Throughout his nineteen years of this life, Jacob eventually started to wonder: “What makes a good life?” Growing up in Ashland Montana was a good start, as it taught him how to grow used to a more quiet environment vastly different from his college experience at the University of Notre Dame. If he had grown up in a bustling city, finding the quiet within himself would have been more difficult for him to adjust to. We all know how important it is to slow down and reflect on our lives. As famous poet Emily Dickinson said: “Some keep the Sabbath going to Church...I keep it, staying at Home” (Week 1, Pico Iyer). Jacob--though young--was able to master this, as we all should. We are all learning from his life, but keep in mind Jacob had his own inspirations for a well-lived life. Aside from Jesus Christ, who is the epitome of what a role model should be, Jacob looked up to other figures, including Father Hesburgh, Father Gregory Boyle, and the “Domer Dozen” of Notre Dame (Module 2 and Module 7). We can draw upon the wisdom of those that have made a difference in this world: from Father Hesburgh and his accomplishments, to the Domer Dozen and their contributions to the Notre Dame community, to Father Gregory Boyle and his impact on the gang members in certain parts of California. On top of this, Jacob also made sure to check out the Notre Dame Meruelo Family Center for Career Development while he was alive (Module 4. Sorry I didn’t know how else to use this module). As he learned from the life experiences of these individuals and the Development Center, so should we learn from Jacob. There is always something to learn in other people and places. Now Jacob discovered three questions in guiding his life decisions (Week 3, Fr. Michael Himes). The first of these questions was: “Is it a source of joy?” For him up to his years at Notre Dame, he felt as Sisolak 2 if it were too early to tell. He believed that there would be more joy once he got past the hard times. He knew perseverance was part of the life journey, something we should all keep in our minds. He would remember the words of Aria Swarr: “So, I encourage all of us to just focus [on] what we can do for others or what we can do already instead of what we cannot do and what we do not have yet” (Week 6). The second question was: “Is there a way to use your gifts to their fullest?” Now Jacob was taught this from a young age and was of the firm mindset that his college life was a way to cultivate his gifts to better serve people later. The third question was perhaps the one most on Jacob’s mind: “Do your decisions help society?” Unfortunately, the paper bag got in his way before he could readily determine this one, but all of us know that Jacob would have kept this question in his mind throughout his life adventure. It surely lines up with what his family and friends have said about him. Not too long ago before his demise, Jacob was able to have a beautiful conversation with one of his hallmates at Notre Dame (Module 5 Discernment Activity). What we might not have known about Jacob was said in this interview: he was introverted but driven by thoughts of helping the word, recognizing that he had flaws that needed to be worked on. If there is one thing Jacob’s life can show us, it is that none of us are perfect. Not that we should look down on the flaws of others, but we should do our best to help others with them with what gifts we have. Jacob did not just identify his weaknesses and form relationships, but he learned how to be inclusive with everyone he met. Growing up on the Northern Cheyenne and Crow Reservations, he was exposed to a lot of diversity. This helped him with his transition to the more diverse campus of the University of Notre Dame. He learned well from the words of Pope Francis, another person Jacob heeded the wisdom of. He kept the words of Francis in his mind: “The future is made of ‘yous,’ it is made of encounters, because life flows through our relations with others...each and everyone’s existence is deeply tied to that of others: life is not time merely passing by, life is about interactions” (Module 7, Pope Francis Video). As Jacob tried his best to follow these words, so should we try. You may ask: “What exactly did Jacob do to follow these wise words?” Though it was nowhere near the scope of say, Father Sisolak 3 Gregory Boyle, who changed (and continues to change) the lives of Los Angeles gang members around him and brought them together, but Jacob did his best to help others in smaller ways such as through volunteer work and service opportunities. If he were alive today, Jacob would definitely say that he did not do enough to make the world a better place by being among those on the margins of society as Father Boyle dedicated his life to doing. It just goes to show that Jacob was not of the mindset of being the most comfortable he could be. Jacob, though his death was anticlimactic, tried his best to use his upbringing and past experiences to pursue his dream. That dream was to make a difference in the world by harnessing his Notre Dame education in such a way so that he could benefit the least fortunate. His life goes to show that there is still much to learn about ourselves and those around us. No one is insignificant. Jacob had a lot more to give, but may he rest in peace nonetheless. Sisolak 4 Bibliography (“Why We Need to Slow Down Our Lives” by Pico Iyer – Moreau FYE Week 1) (“Video: Hesburgh” by Jerry Barca and Christine O’Malley - Moreau FYE Week 2) (“Domer Dozen” - Moreau FYE Week 2) (“Three Key Questions” by Fr. Michael Himes – Moreau FYE Week 3) (“Navigating you Career Journey” by Meruelo Family Center for Career Development – Moreau Week 4) (“7 Clues Assessment Activity” by Meruelo Family Center for Career Development – Moreau Week 4) (“Discernment Conversation Activity” - Moreau Week 5) (“5 Minutes” by Grotto – Moreau Week 6) (“Tattoos on the Heart Chapter 8” by Fr. Gregory Boyle – Moreau Week 7) (“His Holiness Pope Francis: Why the only future worth building includes everyone” by Pope Fracis – Moreau Week 7) https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9 https://domerdozen.nd.edu/ https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/38593/files/470631?module_item_id=145531 https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://nd.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0NyUlYVK9JdsUrs https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yZ7hqvx-u4EuW2nlK-fRbWFiurQm1mZv_KpoeeiN4So/edit https://grottonetwork.com/make-an-impact/transform/why-does-god-allow-suffering/?utm_source=moreau&utm_medium=class&utm_campaign=spring_2022 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/38593/files/524001?module_item_id=168039 https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript Sisolak 5