Integration 3 Matthew Kavanaugh 3/3/22 Moreau FYE Integration 3 Eulogy for Matthew Ryan Kavanaugh We gather here today in remembrance of our fallen brother Matthew Ryan Kavanaugh. I will do my best to encapsulate the type of man he was in the short period of time that I have. First things first, you can’t talk about Matthew without bringing up his faith. A man of God, he evolved as a Catholic as his life went on. Having attended a Catholic grade school, values of faith and virtue were instilled in him from the time he was young. He went to a public high school, but was able to continue to grow in his spiritual life through being a part of youth groups and attending Church weekly. It was not until he got to Notre Dame in which he was able to take a big leap in becoming closer to God. One of his role models early on was Father Ted Hesburgh, president of Notre Dame in the mid to late 1900s. “When thinking about Father Ted, you cannot talk about him or any of the decisions he made without talking about his faith.” This quote by Reverend Austin Collins, C.S.C. in “Hesburgh” explains to us why Father Hesburgh’s faith was so instrumental in dictating his actions. Like Father Hesburgh, because Matthew’s faith was the basis of everything he did, his actions reflected the work of God and what we are called to accomplish on Earth. God instructs us to be a good person and to help those around us. In order to live a life well-lived, in Matthew’s mind, that is what he needed to do ("Hesburgh" by Jerry Barca and Christine O’Malley - Moreau FYE Week Two). Matthew’s faith dictated his actions, and he allowed it to mold him throughout his life. Notre Dame made Matthew who he was, and he learned how to become the person he was throughout his time in college. “After you leave ND, some of the details (like choosing a major) will change, but the core elements remain the same: learn about yourself, explore careers, reflect, & take action.” Matthew deeply involved himself in the worlds of science and business, and he developed study habits which https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9 formed him into the professional he was in the Healthcare Management field. We have to take a strategic approach to ensuring our future. We must learn about ourselves, explore different careers, and reflect on what we want to do most in our lives. Building these thinking habits in college will best prepare us for when we want to start a career. We all need to use Matthew as an example ("Navigating Your Career Journey - Moreau First Year Experience Course" by Notre Dame Center for Career Development - Moreau FYE Week Four). One of the most important things to Matthew’s life, and the thing I try to replicate the most, was his ability to self-reflect and meditate. “Why questions trap us in our past; what questions help us create a better future.” This quote by Tasha Eurich in “The right way to be introspective (yes there’s a wrong way)” illustrates to us a beneficial way to reflect. Instead of asking himself why certain things in his life were happening, Matthew never played the victim card and always had a positive outlook on things. He learned to manage his emotions and therefore, was a better person because of it. Like Matthew, I will start reflecting on what my feelings really are. It is then when I will become more self-aware and will be better able to manage my emotions ("The right way to be introspective (yes there's a wrong way)" by Tasha Eurich - Moreau FYE Week Six). The benefits of meditation, in which Matthew would want me to rave on and on about, are incomparable to any form of self-reflection. “It's been found by scientists that meditation can lower blood pressure, help boost our immune system, and even change the architecture of our brains.” This quote by Pico Iyer in “Why We Need to Slow Down Our Lives” encourages us to instill meditation into our daily lives. Iyer explains the benefits of meditation and how we as humans far too often omit meditation and reflection in our lives today. Matthew always made time for meditation, and I really believe he was always in a good place mentally because of it ("Why we need to slow down our lives” by Pico Iyer - Moreau FYE Week One). https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://ideas.ted.com/the-right-way-to-be-introspective-yes-theres-a-wrong-way/ https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ Another big thing Matthew relied on heavily was his family and friends. Always all over the place with what he wanted to do in life, he didn’t settle on what he really wanted until he talked to those close to him. “To help us discern what our talents and gifts are, we need a circle of friends (parents, teachers, coaches, etc.). The fostering of a community of friends who can be honest with us and whom we can genuinely hear, before whom and with whom we can be open and humble.” This quote by Father Michael Himes in his piece “Three Key Questions” explains to us a key point in discerning what we want to accomplish in our life, and that is that we need to surround ourselves with people who will encourage us and who will be honest with us in telling us what we are good at. One of my favorite stories from Matthew’s high school experience was when he almost didn’t play football because he thought he was too small. It wasn’t until his friends encouraged him to play that he joined the team and became a team captain senior year. As he always told me, you will become who you surround yourself with ("Three Key Questions" by Fr. Michael Himes - Moreau FYE Week Three). Sometimes taking too much time for school, it wasn’t until he met his best friend in college, Braden, that he realized he needed to dedicate more time to those around him. Braden noticed Matthew was too focused on school that he neglected the people around him. A friend saying something to him was all he needed to change what he was doing and to make an effort to get closer to his new college friends (Discernment Reflection - Moreau FYE Week 5). Matthew always would talk about how important relationships became to him after this point, and I can’t think of anyone who made more time for others than Matthew. “Quite a few years of life have strengthened my conviction that each and everyone's existence is deeply tied to that of others: life is not time merely passing by, life is about interactions.” This quote by Pope Francis in “Why the only future worth building includes everyone” explains how relationships and interactions are imperative to a meaningful life. The relationships we make throughout our lives help shape us as a person and what we stand for as an individual. Like Matthew, we need role models to look up to and https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40377/files/467818?module_item_id=143396 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ch0Gs1qNT_r-c9NqWUbVSsUj6DdqAPrfyerCzzjUKh8/edit?usp=sharing emulate, while we can also be influential figures to others that may look up to us. ("Why the only future worth building includes everyone" by Pope Francis- Moreau FYE Week Seven) As we look back on the life of Matthew Ryan Kavanaugh, let us not mourn the loss of having him in each of our lives. Rather, as he would want us, let us reflect a piece of Matthew in each of our daily lives as we strive to make a positive impact on those around us. It is then when we will be able to say that we lived a life well-lived. Thank you and God Bless. https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_why_the_only_future_worth_building_includes_everyone/transcript