Merry 4th Day of Christmas!



I'm praying for you!

:)

O Divine Redeemer Jesus Christ, prostrate before Thy crib, I believe Thou art the God of infinite Majesty, even though I do see Thee here as a helpless babe. I humbly adore and thank Thee for having so humbled Thyself for my salvation as to will to be born in a stable. I thank Thee for all Thou didst wish to suffer for me in Bethlehem, for Thy poverty and humility, for Thy nakedness, tears, cold and sufferings.

Would that I could show Thee that tenderness which Thy Virgin Mother had toward Thee, and love Thee as she did. Would that I could praise Thee with the joy of the angels, that I could kneel before Thee with the faith of St. Joseph, the simplicity of the shepherds. Uniting myself with these first adorers at the crib, I offer Thee the homage of my heart, and I beg that Thou wouldst be born spiritually in my soul. Make me reflect in some degree the virtues of Thy admirable nativity. Fill me with that spirit of renunciation, of poverty, of humility, which prompted Thee to assume the weakness of our nature, and to be born amid destitution and suffering. Grant that from this day forward, I may in all things seek Thy greater glory, and may enjoy that peace promised to men of good will.

Amen.

I'm praying for you!

:)

St. Francis of Assisi set up the first "Nativity scene." He brought in a donkey and an ox and placed them on either side of the altar, and he set up an empty manger in front of the altar.

Empty, because Jesus was already there! In the Eucharist! As our living food, born to save the world.

Why would He humble Himself so far?

Love.

Because He loved us and, I think, because He wanted to give us a tangible way to love Him.

Merry Christmas!

I'm praying for you!

:)

Lord, in this holy season of prayer and song and laughter, we praise you for the great wonders you have sent us: for shining star and angel's song, for infant's cry in lowly manger. We praise you for the Word made flesh in a little Child. We behold his glory, and are bathed in its radiance. 

Be with us as we sing the ironies of Christmas, the incomprehensible comprehended, the poetry made hard fact, the helpless Babe who cracks the world asunder. We kneel before you shepherds, innkeepers, wisemen. Help us to rise bigger than we are. Amen.

I'm praying for you!

:)

More people that are not amused by my lack of blogging:



I'm praying for you!

:)

I am a horrible slacker. This penguin is not amused:

I'm praying for you!

:)

This quote hung on one of my teacher's doors in junior high:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. — Marianne Williamson

I'm praying for you!

 :)

Happy 3rd Sunday of Advent!

Today, the priest saying Mass at my home parish was talking about how the actual date we celebrate Christmas is inconsequential.

"He doesn't need to be born on the 25th of December. He needs to be born every day through how we act to one another."

May you help make Christ present to those around you, today and every day.

I'm praying for you!

:)

Doctor Who

I'm praying for you!

:)

Sorrowful Mysteries: The Crowning with Thorns

I'm not exactly sure what to say about this mystery. I'm frankly a little confounded by it. At first glance, it seems fairly simple, albeit horrific. They shoved the thorns on his head. It was mocking, cruel, painful, but that's what happened.

And yet, the mystery seems to lie in how Christ is glorified through His own mockery. How He was truly crowned King of the universe through Roman guards mockingly placing thorns upon his head. They meant to humiliate Him by calling Him the "King of the Jews," by crowning Him with thorns. But He, who had humbled Himself so much, could not be humiliated. Since He was willing to be the least, they could not make Him so. Any attempts to do so only elevated Him. They were seeking to be sarcastic, ironic, but the resulting irony was not what they expected.

When they placed the thorns on His blessed head, they marked Him as our Savior, as our Lord. The symbol of mockery and pain became a symbol of our salvation, perhaps even saving some of those who helped to crown Him.

God takes our feeble human attempts at symbolism and turns them on their heads. We see a bleeding man, crowned with thorns, as weak and pitiful, devoid of any dignity. God seats Him on a throne and establishes His rule for all of eternity.

I'm praying for you!

:)

Happy Feast of St. Lucy!

I'm praying for you!

:)

So, Fr. Baker was telling the story today of Saint Philip Neri and the gossip whom he made pluck chicken feathers across town. The only thing I could think of, though, is the seal of the confessional.

I kind of doubt that the woman would be telling everybody about this humbling experience, and St. Philip Neri definitely wasn't, so who exactly started this story, and does it have any basis in reality?

Anyway, that's my random rambling for the night.

I'm praying for you!

:)

Fr. Baker said:

"God sees perfection in you, because that's the way He made you. [You can be perfect.] Just look at Mary. He did it for her, so we know it's possible."

Also,

"Don't say you're 'just human.' She was just human, perfectly human."

Happy Feast of the Immaculate Conception!

I'm praying for you!

:)

I'm praying for you!

:)

All the people I know who are named Peter are really friendly and love to give hugs, which kinda makes me think that St. Peter was less like this:

And more like this: 

I'm praying for you!

:)

I'm praying for you!

:)

God does not get bored listening to you. He wants to hear about everything, how the spaghetti you ate for lunch tasted, what that squirrel looks like, what you don't understand about everything from shoelaces to the universe.

He didn't invent you in the hope that you would shut up. He didn't make you begrudgingly. God made you with this thought in His mind: This is the kind of person that I would enjoy spending all eternity with, talking and just being in each other's presence.

He made you to be with Him forever, and He loves you so much.

Song of Songs 4:7

I'm praying for you!

:)

Unlike this elephant's mom, God always has time for you.

I'm praying for you!

:)

Today, Fr. Baker gave a homily about Advent (obviously), and about how people think that their Christmas is awful if it's not filled with happiness every second.

But the first Christmas was a time of troubles and sorrow for the Holy Family. Mary was forced to travel to Bethlehem, where she had to give birth in a manger, with cows watching her. Then, she had to flee to Egypt.

And yet, that first Christmas was real, and it was joyful.

Because the darkness does not consume the light.

The reality that Christmas shows us is that the light of Christ shines in and through the darkness.

A Christmas with tribulations can be an amazing Christmas, because it shows us the reality of the first Christmas.

For with Him, there is joy even in pain, there is light even in the darkness.

I'm praying for you!

:)

I am a Catholic man and a priest; in that Faith I have lived, and in that Faith do I intend to die. If you esteem my Religion treason, then I am guilty.

– St. Edmund Campion

I'm praying for you!

:)

Cool idea I found on Tumblr:



Start the year with an empty jar and fill it with notes about good things that happen. on New Years Eve, empty it and see what awesome stuff happened that year.

I'm praying for you!

:)

Today, I spent a lot of time on Tumblr, talking to a girl suffering from depression and self-harm, trying to help her get help.

And I realized something: EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW HOW BEAUTIFUL THEY ARE.

How did we get to this point, where so many teenagers think they are completely unlovable? But the scary thing is, I know the answer.

People think they are unlovable because we do not love them. People do not know God's love because we do not show it to them.

Lord, teach us how to love. Amen.

I'm praying for you!

:)

So, in biology class the other day, the prof was talking about how DNA transcription in prokaryotes, like bacteria, is really highly controlled because one mistake can mess everything up really easily, but in our own DNA, there's a lot more "junk" that doesn't really matter, so transcription isn't as highly controlled.

My professor was asking, "Are we really more evolutionary advanced than bacteria? We have all this junk in our DNA that we don't need and we waste all this energy on our poorly-controlled transcription."

But, you know, God could have made us very highly-controlled, every piece of our DNA and of our lives absolutely essential to our salvation. One wrong step and we're dead, game over, to hell with us.

If we worked the same as bacteria and then we damaged our very nature by our actions, we would have no chance to redeem our physical selves. DNA transcription would cease, as would our existence.

Instead, He provided Himself as a sacrifice for us.

What if all that "junk" is actually God's love for us, poured into our DNA in every cell of our bodies, as a safety net, protecting us from the errors in our DNA brought about by our sinful nature?

What if the way our DNA is formed is a representation of the free will that God has bestowed on us, of the freedom He allows us, of the forgiveness He provides us when we make mistakes?

What if efficient means of survival and reproduction aren't the point of evolution?

Just some musings, hope they make sense.

I'm praying for you!

:)

Happy Feast of St. John Berchmans!



I'm praying for you!

:)

Under thy patronage, dear Mother, and calling on the mystery of thine Immaculate Conception, I desire to pursue my studies and my literary labors: I hereby solemnly declare that I am giving myself to these studies chiefly to the following end: that I may the better contribute to the glory of God and to the promotion of thy veneration among men. I pray thee, therefore, most loving Mother, who art the Seat of Wisdom, to bless my labors in thy loving-kindness. Moreover I promise with true affection and a willing spirit, as it is right that I should do, to ascribe all the good that shall come to me therefrom, wholly to thine intercession for me in God's holy presence. Amen.

I'm praying for you!

:)

Almighty and Eternal God, Give me, I beseech You, the great gift of inward peace. Command the winds and storms of my unruly passions. Subdue, by Your grace, my proneness to love created things too much. Give me a love of suffering for Your sake. make me forbearing and kind to others, that I may avoid quarrels and contentions. And teach me constantly to seek after and to acquire that perfect resignation to Your Holy Will which alone brings interior peace.
Amen.

I'm praying for you!

:)

I'm praying for you!

:)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thank you, Father, for having created us and given us to each other in the human family. Thank you for being with us in all our joys and sorrows, for your comfort in our sadness, your companionship in our loneliness. Thank you for yesterday, today, tomorrow and for the whole of our lives. Thank you for friends, for health and for grace. May we live this and every day conscious of all that has been given to us.

Amen.

I'm praying for you!

:)

Happy Feast of the Presentation of Mary!



I'm praying for you!

:)

I accidentally posted this on the wrong blog yesterday...

Novena to St. Peter

O Holy Apostle, because you are the Rock upon which Almighty God has built His Church, obtain for me I pray you: lively faith, firm hope, and burning love, complete detachment from myself, contempt of the world, patience in adversity, humility in prosperity, recollection in prayer, purity of heart, a right intention in all my works, diligence in fulfilling the duties of my state of life, constancy in my resolutions, resignation to the will of God and perseverance in the grace of God even unto death; that so, by means of your intercession and your glorious merits, I may be made worthy to appear before the Chief and Eternal Shepherd of Souls, Jesus Christ, Who with the Father and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns forever. Amen.

I'm praying for you!

:)

The Commodores beat the Vols 41-18.

I am now entirely off my crutches.

Thanksgiving break is this week!

God is good, all the time.

I'm praying for you!

:)

Found this on the Vatican website!

ACT OF ENTRUSTMENT AND CONSECRATION
OF PRIESTS TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY

PRAYER OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI

Church of the Most Holy Trinity - Fátima
Wednesday, 12 May 2010

Immaculate Mother,
in this place of grace,
called together by the love of your Son Jesus
the Eternal High Priest, we,
sons in the Son and his priests,
consecrate ourselves to your maternal Heart,
in order to carry out faithfully the Father’s Will.

We are mindful that, without Jesus,
we can do nothing good (cf. Jn 15:5)
and that only through him, with him and in him,
will we be instruments of salvation
for the world.

Bride of the Holy Spirit,
obtain for us the inestimable gift
of transformation in Christ.
Through the same power of the Spirit that
overshadowed you,
making you the Mother of the Saviour,
help us to bring Christ your Son
to birth in ourselves too.
May the Church
be thus renewed by priests who are holy,
priests transfigured by the grace of him
who makes all things new.

Mother of Mercy,
it was your Son Jesus who called us
to become like him:
light of the world and salt of the earth
(cf. Mt 5:13-14).

Help us,
through your powerful intercession,
never to fall short of this sublime vocation,
nor to give way to our selfishness,
to the allurements of the world
and to the wiles of the Evil One.

Preserve us with your purity,
guard us with your humility
and enfold us with your maternal love
that is reflected in so many souls
consecrated to you,
who have become for us
true spiritual mothers.

Mother of the Church,
we priests want to be pastors
who do not feed themselves
but rather give themselves to God for their brethren,
finding their happiness in this.
Not only with words, but with our lives,
we want to repeat humbly,
day after day,
Our “here I am”.

Guided by you,
we want to be Apostles
of Divine Mercy,
glad to celebrate every day
the Holy Sacrifice of the Altar
and to offer to those who request it
the sacrament of Reconciliation.

Advocate and Mediatrix of grace,
you who are fully immersed
in the one universal mediation of Christ,
invoke upon us, from God,
a heart completely renewed
that loves God with all its strength
and serves mankind as you did.

Repeat to the Lord
your efficacious word:
“They have no wine” (Jn 2:3),
so that the Father and the Son will send upon us
a new outpouring of
the Holy Spirit.
Full of wonder and gratitude
at your continuing presence in our midst,
in the name of all priests
I too want to cry out:
“Why is this granted me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Lk 1:43).

Our Mother for all time,
do not tire of “visiting us”,
consoling us, sustaining us.
Come to our aid
and deliver us from every danger
that threatens us.
With this act of entrustment and consecration,
we wish to welcome you
more deeply, more radically,
for ever and totally
into our human and priestly lives.

Let your presence cause new blooms to burst forth
in the desert of our loneliness,
let it cause the sun to shine on our darkness,
let it restore calm after the tempest,
so that all mankind shall see the salvation
of the Lord,
who has the name and the face of Jesus,
who is reflected in our hearts,
for ever united to yours!

Amen!

I'm praying for you!

:)

Happy Feast of St. Margaret of Scotland!

She's pretty epic

I'm praying for you!

:)

“Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” - Hebrews 11:1

“Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” - Romans 5:5

“Love never fails.” - 1 Corinthians 13:8

“So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” - 1 Corinthians 13:13”

I'm praying for you!

:)

I'm praying for you!

:)

Jake's R+C talk this weekend laid out a game-plan for running the good race:

1. Take water breaks. You need to take time every day to pray and be alone with God.

2. Use your teammates. You can't do this alone. You need to have other Christians supporting you and running with you.

3. Accept that you are going to fail sometimes. You are human, and you're going to sin sometimes. Rather than beating yourself up about it, accept God's grace and keep moving. Jesus has already won, so all you have to do is play as best as you can so can be part of the victory celebration.

I'm praying for you!

:)

Sorry I didn't post anything before I left for Awakening. It was amazing, by the way.

The theme for this weekend was Romans 5:5 - Hope does not disappoint.

Although the unofficial theme appeared to be Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know well the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for woe, to give you a future of hope.

Fr. Baker said he thinks the speakers were just Googling "hope."

I'm praying for you!

:)

Nashville Awakening XI is this weekend :)

Also, I miss you and pray that you are having a great time in seminary.

I'm praying for you!

:)

Stole this from Kayla's blog:

 

Which is also where I found this:

I'm praying for you!

:)

I'm praying for you!

:)

Therefore, he is always able to save those who approach God through him, since he lives forever to make intercession for them. - Hebrews 7:25

JESUS is praying for you!!!!

And so am I!

:)

This week has been pretty awesome. I spent most of the time studying, but I did well on all my tests and I learned how to walk. I gave the Survivor speech at Relay for Life last night, and the last two days, I've walked a bunch without my crutches.

God is good. All the time.

I'm praying for you!

:)

In the Region of Murcia in Spain, they have a festival called "El Entierro de las Sardinas," in which they set giant sardine scupltures on fire!

I'm praying for you!

:)

‎"All of us must be saints in this world. Holiness is a duty for you and me. So let's be saints and so give glory to the Father." -Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Happy All Saint's Day!

I'm praying for you!

:)

Lord Jesus, hear our prayer for the spiritual renewal of bishops, priests, deacons, brothers, sisters, lay ministers and seminarians, especially those of our own diocese. We praise you for giving their ministry to the Church. In these days, renew them with the gifts of Your Spirit.

You once opened the Holy Scriptures to Your disciples when You walked on this earth. Now renew Your ordained and chosen ones with the truth and power of Your Word.

In Eucharist you gave Your disciples renewed life and hope. Nourish Your consecrated ones with Your Own Body and Blood. Help them to imitate in their lives the death and resurrection they celebrate around Your altar.

Give them enthusiasm for the Gospel, zeal for the salvation of all people, courage in leadership and humility in service.

Give them Your love for one another and for all their brothers and sisters in You. For You love them, Lord Jesus and we love and pray for them in Your Holy Name.
Amen.

I'm praying for you!

:)

Prayer for Healing
Lord, look upon me with eyes of mercy, may your healing hand rest upon me, may your lifegiving powers flow into every cell of my body and into the depths of my soul, cleansing, purifying, restoring me to wholeness and strength for service in your Kingdom. Amen.

Prayer for Healing 2
O God who are the only source of health and healing, the spirit of calm and the central peace of this universe, grant to me such a consciousness of your indwelling and surrounding presence that I may permit you to give me health and strength and peace, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

I'm praying for you!

:)

And yet, my brethren, so it is, he has sent forth for the ministry of reconciliation, not Angels, but men: He has sent forth your brethren to you, not beings of some unknown nature and some strange blood, but of your own bone and your own flesh, to preach to you. . . . Not a temptation, my brethren, can befall you, but what befalls all those who share your nature, though you may have yielded to it, and they may not have yielded. They can understand you, they can anticipate you, they can interpret you, though they have not kept pace with you in your course. They will be tender to you, they will "instruct you in the spirit of meekness," as the Apostle says, "considering themselves lest they also be tempted." Come then unto us, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and ye shall find rest to your souls; come unto us, who now stand to you in Christ's stead, and who speak in Christ's name; for we too, like you, have been saved by Christ's all-saving blood. - Cardinal Newman

Happy Priesthood Sunday!

I'm praying for you!

:)

May you always have friends who are willing to hold you accountable.

I'm praying for you!

:)

Stole this from another blog:

Father God, in this world of conflict and confusion, my mind is torn apart by questions and doubts that steal my sleep at night and rob me of my peace during the day. But you are my light, the One who lights my flickering candle and keeps it burning. You know all the darkest corners of my soul, the things I try to hide even from myself, and you love me as I am. The stench of my sins did not drive you away from me, but you filled my heart with a strong desire to be healed and a deep longing for you.

That's why I come before you today and I pray with all my heart: show me the way out of this labyrinth, don't let go of my hand, so that even if I walk through a dark tunnel, I can still feel the warm touch of your hand guiding me. You are the light that gave light to my eyes, the love that gave love to my soul. In you I lack nothing, in you nothing can harm me, in you my victory is complete. Bring me to you and keep me by your heart.

Father, I know I am weak. My weakness is my pain and my torment. I can feel it every day, it's like a poison coming from inside and I am so weary of fighting it. But I am yours and that is my only consolation, the thought that gives me rest and strength to carry on. I am yours and to you I pray: Father, take care of what is yours. Take this burden off my shoulders, don't let me carry it alone.

I have put my soul in your hands, keep it safe. Release me from the grip of my own mind, protect me from my own destructive thoughts. I cannot do it without your help. You have walked this way of thorns yourself and you have carried the cross until the end. Help me do the same and never forsake me. You alone know what lies ahead. Remain in me, so that I can overcome the world and taste the joy you have prepared for your beloved.

In the name of our beloved Jesus Christ.

AMEN

I'm praying for you!

:)

‎"We are not some casual and meaningless product of evolution. Each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary." -Pope Benedict XVI

I'm praying for you!

:)

This is the absolute worst movie ever made, but you can browse through it if you want some laughs. 

I'm praying for you!

:)

“Love is not blind; that is the last thing that it is. Love is bound; and the more it is bound the less it is blind.” ― G.K. Chesterton

I'm praying for you!

:)

Google Quote of the Day - Havelock Ellis - "All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on."

I'm praying for you!

:)

Google Quote of the Day - Phyllis Diller - "A smile is a curve that sets everything straight."

I'm praying for you!

:)

Heavenly Father,
since the time of the Apostles
you have inspired the Church
to commission certain members
to assist in a special way
in the pastoral mission of Christ.
Bless the deacons
and all other ordained
and non-ordained ministers
that they may be humble
and faith-inspired in their service.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

I'm praying for you!

:)

Just thought you would like this. 

I'm praying for you!

:)

I'm praying for you!

:)

O Holy Ghost, Divine Spirit of light and love, 
I consecrate to Thee my understanding, 
my heart and my will, my whole being for time and for eternity. 
May my understanding be always obedient to Thy heavenly inspirations 
and the teachings of the holy Catholic Church, 
of which Thou art the infallible Guide; 
may my heart be ever inflamed with love of God and of my neighbor; 
may my will be ever conformed to the Divine will, 
and may my whole life be a faithful following 
of the life and virtues of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, 
to whom with the Father and Thee be honor and glory for ever.

Amen.

I'm praying for you!

:)

Just spent a while meditating on this, so I figured I would share it:

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.a
Where [I] am going you know the way.”
Thomas said to him, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said to him, “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.
And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it. - John 14:1-14

I'm praying for you!

:)

I'm praying for you!

:)

May today there be peace within,

May you trust God that you are exactly where you

are meant to be.

May you not forget the infinite

possibilities that are born of faith.

May you use those gifts that you have received,

and pass on the love that has been given to you.

May you be content knowing you are a child of God.

Let this presence settle into your bones,

and allow your soul the freedom to sing,

dance, praise and love.

It is there for each and every one of us.

-St. Therese

I'm praying for you!

:)

I'm praying for you!

:)

Actual conversation between Jesus and me today:

Me:

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/r/ryan+tyler/run+run+run_20308781.html

(I can't find a video anywhere)

Jesus:

Read Psalm 139:8

Me:

But, I don't want to be a nun!


Basically, I have this really odd fear that if I don't physically run away, God's going to grab me and make me a nun. Like, I'm going to just wake up one day and live in a convent.

Um, I'm not sure where I was trying to go with this...

I'm praying for you!

:)

So, one of my friends asked me if Eastern Orthodox could receive Communion in a Catholic church, and so I looked it up. The Catholic Church says it's okay, but the Eastern Orthodox churches apparently say it's not okay. You probably already knew that, seeing as how you're going to be pope someday :P

I'm praying for you!

:)

"Why would you get pancakes? They're so unhealthy!" - said the guy who got french toast at Pancake Pantry

I'm praying for you!

:)

You know what's really cool about science?

God could have made the universe any way He wanted. He could have made things pretty random, without any strict laws governing everything. He didn't have to make all biological systems similar, or make gravity a universal force. He could have made each individual organism so unique that we could never understand them without studying every single one. Of course, if everything just developed randomly, this would kind of make sense.

But He didn't! God made the universe out of a very constrained amount of matter, with certain physical laws governing everything. We share so much of our DNA with fruit flies and bananas, and yet we are so unique. The very essence of the universe, how connected we all are, just sings of the Trinity. In a way (of course, nowhere near the awesomeness of the Trinity), we are all of one substance. We're all made up of basically the same stuff. We have the same amino acids and DNA sequences and chemical compositions. And yet, even though we are the same, we are all so so so so different. Each member of the Body of Christ is truly of the same body but different persons within that Body. God made the universe in a fashion that would sing of His glory, and He truly made us in His image, allowing our very essences as humans to reflect in a small but wonderful way His own divine nature, the Holy Trinity.

I just had one of those "aha" moments where I almost understand something that is so very obviously beyond my human comprehension, so I actually paused for a while trying to find words to describe it, but after a lot of thinking, the above paragraph was as close as I got. I shall leave you to ponder it while I study biology.

I'm praying for you!

:)

I thought of something really profound to write about earlier, but I forgot it, so here's a song for you:

I'm praying for you!

:)

One of my friends posted this on Facebook:

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pregnant-and-homeless-on-the-doorsteps-of-a-christian-megachurch

My prayer today for you is that you will always have the courage to actively fight for life.

I'm praying for you!

:)

Some food for thought:

"I am the LORD your God,

who brought you up from the land of Egypt.

Open wide your mouth that I may fill it." - Psalm 81:11

I was praying Morning prayer this morning, and this verse stuck out to me. In the middle of this passage about worshiping the LORD, why on Earth would God be telling us to open our mouths that He may fill them?

Of course, then it struck me. What do you put in a mouth? Food and words. So, in an Old Testament sense, this seems to be saying to open your mouth that God may fill it with His Word, that His Word may speak through you.

This becomes even more profound when we tie it to the New Testament. Jesus is both Word and food, the only one who truly fills us.

"Open wide your mouth that I may fill it" suddenly becomes a proclamation of the Real Presence, a promise that Christ, who alone is the Word and the Bread of Life, will enter our mouths and truly fill us with Himself.

Now, get thee to Mass (and Adoration).

I'm praying for you!

:)

"We live in an age of inventions. We need no longer climb laboriously up flights of stairs; in well-to-do houses there are lifts. And I was determined to find a lift to carry me to Jesus, for I was far too small to climb the steep stairs of perfection. So I sought in holy Scripture some idea of what this life I wanted would be, and I read these words: "Whosoever is a little one, come to me." It is your arms, Jesus, that are the lift to carry me to heaven. And so there is no need for me to grow up: I must stay little and become less and less." - Saint Thérèse de Lisieux

I'm praying for you!

:)

I know that St. Thérèse's feast day was yesterday (well, two days ago now, technically...), but I found this on Catholic Memes, and I couldn't resist:

I'm praying for you!

:)

In case you've been missing this.

I'm praying for you!

:)

‎"The kernel of Saint Thérèse's teaching is often called 'the little way,' meaning that no Christian is too humble or too insignificant to follow it and no thought or action too negligible to infuse with love. In other words, God cherishes not only great actions of love, but also minor, childlike ones. No matter what spiritual darkness you find yourself in, choose as your North Star a tender love for the persons that life's contingencies have put next to you. Do not go looking for more fascinating neighbors to love. Love those right nearest you.

You cannot see God, even if you try. But you can see your neighbor, the tedious one, who grinds on you: Love him, love her. As Jesus loves them. Give them the tender smile of Jesus, even though your own feelings be like the bottom of a bird cage. Do not ask to see Jesus, or to feel Him. That is for children. Love Him in the dark. Love for the invisible divine, not for warm and comforting human consolation. Love for the sake of love, not in order to feel loved in return."
-Michael Novak, No One Sees God

Oh, and this kind of fits in with today's readings, especially the first reading and the Gospel. In today's Gospel, as I'm sure you know, Jesus' apostles try to stop a man from driving out demons in His name because, as Fr. Baker said, "he wasn't in their club or whatever."

But actually, we're all called to holiness, even if it's in little ways.

Fr. Baker said that whenever Jesus passed by somewhere in the Gospels, something happened there, something changed. He went into the tax collection office and called Matthew. Then, Matthew threw a sketchy party with all of his sketchy friends, and he invited Jesus. Jesus went, but the party changed when He got there; he didn't let it stay a sketchy party.

So, Fr. Baker said we're meant to be Christ on this campus and in the rest of the world. When we walk in somewhere, like a sketchy party, our presence should show Christ to others and change whatever is happening there.

I'm still just desperately trying to think of a way to walk into a sketchy party and change the nature of the party in a loving way. If you can think of anything, let me know.

I'm praying for you!

:)

So, just a reminder, Monday is St. Thérèse's feast day, and there's that big movement going on to try to get more women to consider a vocation to religious orders.

So, if you know anybody who would make a good nun, give her a rose on Monday.

I'm praying for you!

:)

So, this is Google's quote of the day: (St.) Augustine of Hippo - "Custom is second nature."

Also, here's some more wisdom from Matthew's Gospel:

He summoned the crowd and said to them, “Hear and understand.

It is not what enters one’s mouth that defiles that person; 

but what comes out of the mouth is what defiles one.”

Then his disciples approached and said to him, 

“Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?”

He said in reply, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.

Let them alone; they are blind guides (of the blind).

If a blind person leads a blind person, both will fall into a pit.” - Matthew 15:10-14

Jesus summoned his disciples and said, “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, 
for they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send 
them away hungry, for fear they may collapse on the way.” - Matthew 15:32


 In coming to the other side of the sea, the disciples had forgotten to bring bread.
Jesus said to them, “Look out, and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
They concluded among themselves, saying, “It is because we have brought no bread.”
When Jesus became aware of this he said, “You of little faith, why do you conclude among yourselves that it is because you have no bread?
Do you not yet understand, and do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many wicker baskets you took up?
Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you took up?
How do you not comprehend that I was not speaking to you about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
Then they understood that he was not telling them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. - Matthew 16:5-12


Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” - Matthew 16:16-19

He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” - Matthew 16:23


While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid.
But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” - Matthew 17:5-7


Jesus rebuked him and the demon came out of him, and from that hour the boy was cured.
Then the disciples approached Jesus in private and said, “Why could we not drive it out?”
He said to them, “Because of your little faith. Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” - Matthew 17:18-20

This next passage has nothing to do with the theme I'm trying to find passages to fit, but I have literally never noticed it before, so: 


When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax approached Peter and said, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”
“Yes,” he said. When he came into the house, before he had time to speak, Jesus asked him, “What is your opinion, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax? From their subjects or from foreigners?”
When he said, “From foreigners,” Jesus said to him, “Then the subjects are exempt.
But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax. Give that to them for me and for you.” - Matthew 17:24-27

I'm praying for you!

:)

Don't ever let anybody stop you from expecting the world (humbly).

I'm praying for you!

:)

Today was a perfect day, since I went to Mass and received Communion :)

Before Mass, though, I went to Adoration, and I had a really interesting talk with Jesus, so I thought I'd share some of it with you:

Me - "God, I can't find you. Where should I go? How can I find you?"

Jesus - "Don't go anywhere. Stay where you are. I'm coming to you."

Me - "What do you mean? Why do you want me to stay here?"

Jesus - "You know when you were little and you would get lost in a store, and your mom would tell you to not go looking for her, but to just stay where you were and wait?"

Me - "Yeah, I'm not sure where You're going with this, though."

Jesus - "If you're lost and you don't have any map or any idea where to look, wandering around aimlessly isn't going to help. Stay where you are and I will come to you. Then you can follow me."

Me - "I'm still confused. How do I stay where I am and let you find me? What does that even mean?"

I didn't get an answer right away, but then, I went to Confession, and when I was talking to Fr. Baker, he said that I should find a time during my day every day to pray, to just sit and be quiet with God.

"It won't change the circumstances of your life," he said, "But it will change how you come at them."

And I said, "You know, I came in here with a question nagging at me from Adoration, and you just answered it."

I kinda like how Jesus withheld answering my question until after I'd gone to Confession. He left the question nagging at me so that I would go seek him in the Sacraments, and then when I had, he answered me.

I can't find God by wandering around frantically searching for Him, because He's not in the earthquake, or the fire, or the mighty wind (1 Kings 19). He's in the small, quiet sound that I can only hear when I sit very still and listen for Him.

Not sure if this story helps you in any way, but I'm praying for you!

:)

Fr. Baker gave an awesome homily yesterday about purity and about what it means to be natural and pure.

He said that he went to visit a couple in the hospital after their 9th child was born.

The woman, he said, rolled over and her hospital gown revealed part of her stomach, which was covered in stretch marks.

The really interesting thing he said was that the world would have viewed that woman's stretch mark-covered stomach as ugly, but that if he were her husband, that sight would have made him fall in love with her all over again.

Because it showed that she's lived, with all the pains and joys of life, she'd truly lived and loved, purely.

Blessed Mother Teresa and Blessed John Paul II both looked old and wrinkly at the end of their lives, but they were truly beautiful, because they'd lived purely, and their wrinkles and illnesses were only further proof of having truly lived.

I'm praying for you to grow old and wrinkly!

:)

Then the LORD said: Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD;* the LORD will pass by. There was a strong and violent wind rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD—but the LORD was not in the wind; after the wind, an earthquake—but the LORD was not in the earthquake; after the earthquake, fire—but the LORD was not in the fire; after the fire, a light silent sound. - 1 Kings 19:11-12

I'm praying for you!

Sorry for being absent for so long!

I will return to Matthew soon, but for now, here's some wisdom from 1 John 4:

God’s Love and Christian Life.

7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.

8 Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.

9 In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him.

10 In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.

11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another.

12 No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us.

13 This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us, that he has given us of his Spirit.

14 Moreover, we have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world.

15 Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God.

16 We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.

God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.

17 In this is love brought to perfection among us, that we have confidence on the day of judgment because as he is, so are we in this world.

18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.

19 We love because he first loved us.

20 If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

21 This is the commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.


I'm praying for you! 

:)

I found some scripture passages for you to meditate on:


Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat [or drink], or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they?
Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?
Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin.
But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them.
If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?
So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’
All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.
Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.
- Matthew 6:25-34


Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread,
or a snake when he asks for a fish?
If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him. - Matthew 7:7-11


Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves.
l By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
So by their fruits you will know them. - Matthew 7:15-20

Actually, all of Matthew 7 is pretty good.


Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ I did not come to call the righteous but sinners. - Matthew 9:12b-13

At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. - Matthew 9:36


Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.
Even all the hairs of your head are counted.
So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. - Matthew 10:29-31


Hear then the parable of the sower.
The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart.
The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.
But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away.
The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit.
But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. - Matthew 13:18-23

And, one of the best:


When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. “It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.
At once [Jesus] spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.
But when he saw how [strong] the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt? - Matthew 14:26-31

I'll try to make it the rest of the way through Matthew's Gospel tomorrow.

I'm praying for you!

:)

So, sometimes I hear a song and I think, "Wow, that sounds like something Jesus would sing."

In this case, somebody else suggested hearing this song as sung by Jesus, but whatevs, it's still an awesome song:

I'm praying for you!

:)

Yesterday, I resigned from The Hustler, and my computer died before I could publish your blog post.

But, the good news is that I should now have time each day to post on your blog!

As always, I'm praying for you!

:)

So, the other night at Midnight Worship, my friend Jordan gave this great talk about seeking and finding, a lot of which I unfortunately do not remember.

During the talk, he mentioned Matthew 19:21, in which Jesus tells the rich man to go sell all of his possessions and give everything to the poor.

So many people always see this line as hippy Jesus, who demands that only people who have given everything they have to the poor can follow Him.

But that's missing the point.

This man was bragging about how he'd followed all the commandments. He saw the Law as rules to be checked off, rather than as a means to love God. Following all those commands was easy for him (my mom actually pointed that part out).

Jesus tested his resolve to actually follow and love Him by asking him to do something difficult. The giving to the poor wasn't the crucial part, although that is important. The crucial part of following Christ is love and the willingness to do whatever He asks, no matter how difficult.

I'm praying for you!

:)

I've been faced with some difficult decisions lately about my responsibilities to truth and ethical behavior, so I pray tonight that God will light the way for you when you are faced with difficult decisions about responsibilities, truth and ethics.

I'm praying for you!

:)

Luke, Lindsey and I had this conversation the other day about what it would be like to go back in time and be friends with Jesus.

So often, we see the Bible accounts of Jesus'  teachings and forget that Jesus lived among us as a human. 

I read the account of Jesus and His disciples eating with unclean hands and usually I just take notice of  the teaching moment He has with those who criticize them. What I so often gloss over in my mind is the humanity and camaraderie hinted at by this exchange.

Jesus and His disciples, when they sat down to eat on a regular basis, didn't go through an elaborate ceremony and talk only about the Kingdom of God and Jesus' mission on Earth. They sat down as friends, dispensing with formalities and likely talking about recent events or the cute little kid they had just seen in the street a few minutes before. 

Kids in the days of Jesus played with musical instruments and played sports. Dances were a common community activity. There were probably kids who played alongside God during their childhood and people who danced with Jesus on occasion.

He was a carpenter. There were people who had tables or chairs or shelves made by God incarnate. 

He didn't spend 24/7 healing people. God slept and ate and joked with His friends. 

Jesus used sarcasm.

John 10:31-32 says:

The Jews fetched stones to stone him, so Jesus said to them, 'I have shown you many good works from my Father; for which of these are you stoning me?

Most importantly of all of this, Jesus was a friend to His apostles, the most loving friend ever.

He always knew that Judas would betray Him, even before Judas became one of the twelve, and yet Jesus still befriended him, taught him, and even fed him with His flesh. 

If I knew when I met somebody that they would hand me over to death, I would avoid that person like the plague, but Jesus shows Judas infinite love, giving him the opportunity to love in return, even though He knew all the time how it would end. 

I'm praying for you!

:)

I got this from livingfaith.org, which provides daily Catholic devotions:


'Stewards of Mysteries'

Thus should one regard us: as...stewards of the mysteries of God.

- 1 Corinthians 4:1

I'm praying for you!

:)

So, I know I said I would talk about being friends with Jesus tonight, but I desperately need sleep, so instead I will leave with some words by St. Theresa of Avila:


Nada te turbe;
nada te espante;
todo se pasa;
Dios no se muda,
la paciencia
todo lo alcanza.
Quien a Dios tiene,
nada le falta.
Solo Dios basta.

Which, of course, means:

Let nothing disturb you
Let nothing afright you
All things are passing
God never changes
Patient endurance obtains all it strives for
With God as you portion,
Nothing is wanting
Alone God suffices

I've been singing that basically all the time for a while.

I'm praying for you!

:)

So, I'm sorry for being such a slacker when it comes to blogging. I have been praying for you every day - the blog just doesn't automatically update every time I say a Hail Mary (although that would be really cool).

I went to Mass today, and Fr. Baker gave this awesome homily about being a slave to God.

He quoted St. Paul and Pope Gregory a bunch, but he also pointed out that when Mary says, "Behold, I am the handmaiden of the Lord. Be it done unto me according to Thy Word," she's pretty much saying, "Look at me! I am God's slave. May He do with me whatever He wants."

Fr. Baker said it a lot more eloquently, but hopefully you see my point.

We are not called to just be "servants," to get paid for some time spent doing stuff for God. We could be called servants of God if we set ourselves a regular schedule, daily Mass for instance, and we set aside that time as "God's" time. When that time is over, though, as servants, we leave, for we have done enough to get paid and we are not obliged to do more.

But that's not enough! We need to be slaves to God. We need to give Him absolutely everything that we have, everything we are, everything we do, every second of our lives. Of course, God lifts us up from this and calls us friends "For a slave does not know what the Master is doing," but that is a discourse for tomorrow.

Until then, I'm praying for you!

:)

I am getting super bad at this blogging thing. Feel free to punch me through the computer.

Anyway, it's like 3 am, so I don't know what to post. I google imaged "Altonji," and this guy is the first picture that popped up:

 His name is Joseph Altonji, and he is a Yale Professor of Economics, apparently.

You are actually at the bottom of the first page, and the first picture on the second page is:



Which reminds me, PJ's Chaffin threw him a surprise birthday party the other night (disguised as Compline).

I missed it because of the paper, and when I asked Jeff how it was, he replied, "It was strange but awesome. We locked PJ in the closet and Saran wrapped everything in his room."

How did they keep him in the closet?

"Well, we told him to get in there, then we put a chair up against the door while Brendan and Christopher read Thomas a Kempis to him."

I'm praying for you!

:)

I am so sorry I forgot to post yesterday.

Unfortunately, my schedule so far this semester has been:

8/9 am - Attempt to wake up
10:15 - Arrive late to class
1-2 - lunch break, aka deal with newspaper stuff
2-3 go back to class
3 p.m. - 1 a.m. - work on newspaper
1 a.m. - 3 a.m. do homework
3 a.m. - 8/9 a.m. - have nightmares about the newspaper

So, tonight I'm just gonna pray that you never agree to edit the news section of a paper, and that if you do, you don't go insane.

I'm praying for you!

:)

Katie uses BOLD way too much

So, I feel really stupid now for not realizing this was a repeat homily, but I hope you at least had an entertaining time reading my ridiculous recounting of Fr. Baker's repeat homily.

Anyway, the first reading yesterday, from Joshua, did get me thinking about family and the importance of family in the Catholic Church.

Joshua doesn't say, "Everybody choose a God. I, of course, choose the real God." He says, "As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord."

I actually grew up with that phrase from Joshua implanted firmly in my head, because my grandmother actually has it embroidered in a frame on her dining room wall.

It's not just a personal promise to Christ. It's a promise of a family commitment to Christ. 

A lot of people have told me over the years, "Oh, you're just Catholic because your parents are."

In part, of course, that's true. My parents raised me Catholic, so it's not exactly like I just stumbled across it and decided it was awesome on my own. My mom is actually a convert, as are a lot of my family members, but I'm not. I inherited Catholicism. 

There are reasons I remain Catholic other than my family, but what bothers me most is not the assumption that I am completely blind about my faith; it is the insinuation that family ties are not an important part of religion.

See, the thing is, Catholicism is all about family.

God didn't just tell individual people, "I love you. Follow me." He chose Abraham, and told him that his descendants, his family, would be a chosen people. Already, in accepting this tradition of faith, we are accepting a family tradition.

Then, Jesus came, and He told us about the Trinity. God is a family in and of Himself. He is Father and Son and Spirit of Love between the two. He could have chosen any names to tell us in order to describe the relationship of the Divine Persons. He chose, though, to describe Himself as a family.

And, don't forget that Christ could have come as a warrior on horseback, but instead, He chose to become part of The Holy Family.

Then, Christ establishes His Church, which is His bride. St. Paul tells us that Christ's relationship with the Church should be the model for all marriages, and thus for all families. 

God calls us His children. Christ calls Himself our Brother.

Throughout the Bible, religion is described in terms of family.

So, in the Catholic Church, we become one family, one house. 

We worship together in one house, praying as a family, and we eat together, as a family would eat meals together. 

Of course, people abandon their families. Some members of the Church leave, and we let them leave, following Christ's example in yesterday's Gospel and in His story of the prodigal son.

Also, new people join families. Not everyone is born into the family. We have converts, and we welcome new members of our family just as Christ said that those who believed in Him were His brothers and mother. 

As a family, we teach our children family traditions, and we celebrate milestones in life together.

The Catholic Church has passed down Tradition and Truth throughout the ages, as a family passes down heirlooms. Only by joining with Christ as His Bride and Body, becoming part of God's family and accepting His Love, The Spirit, has the Church been able to maintain the Truth this long.

The model of the faithful Catholic family does not prevent true understanding of the Faith - it enhances it. The true Catholic family models Christ's love for the Church, so that children can come to understand the true meaning of Christ's love at an early age. 

So, when a Protestant tells you that you should find your own faith and ignore what your family has taught you, remind them that Christianity is about following the way of God, the perfect family, and that being part of a Christian family is the surest way to learn how to imitate God's love.

I'm praying for you!

:)

Today, Fr. Baker gave a really awesome homily about the Eucharist. I really wish I had known beforehand how awesome it was going to be. I would have brought my voice recorder to Mass. I might do that next weekend.

Anyway, he was talking about how there are moments of crisis in our lives, moments when we are forced to choose.

For instance, in the first reading, Joshua tells the Israelites, "Choose today whom you will serve." He throws them into a crisis, and they have to make a choice. They have to choose whether to serve the Lord. They do choose to serve the Lord, luckily. When left to just muddle around, they stray away from the truth. When forced into a crisis, though, they recall the wondrous deeds God has done for them, and they recommit themselves to serving Him.

In the Gospel reading, Jesus throws His followers into a crisis. He says, "My flesh is true food," and the people around Him say, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept this?"

Then, of course, the Gospel foreshadows all the schisms and Protestantism that have occurred since Jesus' time.

Rather than saying, "You're right. That would be hard if it were true, but it's just metaphorical," Jesus says that He absolutely meant it.

This sends everyone following Him into a crisis. He says He will give us His flesh to eat. Either we have to accept that, or we have to reject Him. No more Protestantism, no more middle ground. Either eat Him or leave Him.

Sadly, many of them leave. As Fr. Baker pointed out today, it would have been an impossible thing for them to understand, since the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection and Pentecost had not yet happened.

Then, Jesus turns to the 12, the core of His followers, as Fr. put it. He asks, basically, "What about y'all? Are y'all gonna peace out, too?"

Fr. Baker said you'd expect Peter to say something here, like, "We think this new teaching is totally awesome, and we can't wait to learn more!"

Instead, he says, "Where else would we go?"

This is one of the strongest Biblical cases for Mysteries! Peter doesn't understand the Eucharist, none of the Apostles do or even can at this point. Jesus just spouted off the craziest sounding teaching in the whole of human history, that everyone needs to eat and drink Him to become immortal. They don't understand that. It's weird and unknown; it's a mystery.

But they don't need to understand it! They simply need to believe it at this point. They know from their experiences with Jesus that He is God, and thus they accept everything He says, without proof or explanation. Proofs and explanations make for interesting discussions and are a good way to try to grow closer to God, but they are not necessary for faith.

"Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet believe." - Jesus

So, Peter's words become incredibly profound, and his words echo those of the Israelites to Joshua so long before his time. He says, "Where else would we go? You have the words of everlasting life." Basically, He is willing to put all His trust in Jesus. He has already come to believe that Jesus is God, and He will humbly accept anything God tells Him as truth.

I will write more on these readings tomorrow. If you have any thoughts to add, let me know.

I'm praying for you!

:)