Changed for Good

I've heard it said

That people come into our lives for a reason

Bringing something we must learn

And we are led

To those who help us most to grow

If we let them

And we help them in return

Well, I don't know if I believe that's true

But I know I'm who I am today

Because I knew you…

I have been changed for good.

“For Good” - from Wicked the musical

I wish you could have known her. Beautifully, many of you do.

And for the many of you that do, we all have our Amanda stories. She was the classroom mom you wanted to be room parents with. She modeled her love of family with such grace that I mentally took notes anytime I was around her. Amanda was the wife and mother of eight and sister and friend and teacher that you learned from. Teaching mode was her gift, it was her default, whether it was in her own classroom, at a Scholastic Bowl practice, or in the classroom of her home.

And while Amanda’s ability to teach was one of her amazing gifts, living out daily life might have been her greatest gift for others.

"Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses."

This excerpt from Pope St. Paul VI’s papal encyclical titled Evangelii Nuntiandi ("On Evangelization in the Modern World”) sums up the powerful impact man can have on others by how one lives their life.

Amanda’s witness in this world educated me in so many ways. It’s simple to say, but Amanda’s greatest impact came from simply living life well.

Amanda prioritized God, and made it known that the source of her strength was not herself, but Him. Her devotion to the Eucharist brought me closer to the Eucharist. She embraced her vocation as a mother, and I wanted to emulate the domestic church that she so lovingly created with her husband Mick in their home. Sitting in a pew behind the Lauritsen family at Mass greatly influenced my family and me. A literal Sunday school.

And up until her final moments, Amanda’s witness remained. About a month ago, Amanda spoke to the students at St. Mary’s School in Pontiac after the school Mass & Rosary to thank them for their prayers. I’ll let her words speak for themselves. Advance a little past the 1 hour, 32 minute mark for Amanda’s incredible witness.

We all saw goodness in Amanda. And because each one of us was created by the Source of all goodness, we naturally gravitate towards goodness.

I’m a better person for knowing Amanda. Because I knew her, I have been changed for good. I pray each one of you has an incredible witness in your life to mold and strengthen you. Today, let’s give praise and thanksgiving for those beautiful witnesses in our life. May we take what we’ve learned from them and carry forth their lasting impact.