And He Will Raise You Up On The Last Day

"Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord." - James 5:14

Yesterday, with my mother and sister, we visited my grandmother for her birthday. We have had many wonderful birthdays with her in the past -- so many beautiful memories, full of festive balloons and chocolate cake covered in chocolate icing. However, this was not one of those birthdays. But it was a very blessed one for her. Since my grandmother started to get cancer 3 years ago she has suffered a lot. After going through so much treatment in the hospitals and rehab it is now time for her to begin a new life with God. On her birthday we visited her in hospice.

The amazing thing was as soon as we got there, not too long after, we just happened to see our pastor from church walk by the door of her room. I was so surprised, so I just decided to come out and greet him. When I saw him I realized that he was with another priest from our parish too. Both came into my grandmother's room and talked with us for a while. Then they both prayed over her and one of the priest's gave her the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. This was such a joyous moment! My grandmother was definitely in need of these prayers and this special sacrament. I am so happy for her, that on her birthday she was blessed with so many abundant graces. It was truly a divine act of God -- that two of our parish priests just happened to be at the same hospice house and we saw them walk right past her room, just in time.

I know very shortly my grandmother will be welcomed into Jesus' arms. It is just so very hard to let go, but I truly want what is best for her... and being here on earth is not giving her the quality of life she needs. So I pray that we can accept God's Will, when the time comes. I just thank Him for giving her all of these great birthday blessings and how wonderful she has been as a grandmother to me and my sister. My grandmother taught me how to paint and draw from such an early age. I cannot thank her enough for this. She has greatly influenced my life and she will be greatly missed. However, I know in my heart this is not the end. ...No, no. ...It is only the beginning.

Beauty Of The Lord

"Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us!" - Psalm 90:17

Today my friends and I went to the Ringling Museum in Sarasota, FL. It was such a beautiful day! And it is St. Patrick's day, what a blessing. Perfect sunshine, clear blue skies, a gentle breeze, blooming springtime flowers, and sparkling water on the bayshore. Not to mention what was actually inside the museum -- which was gorgeous works of art, mainly attributed to Roman Catholicism. I saw images of St. Sebastian, St. Jerome, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Paul, St. Joseph, the Blessed Mother, and many more. It was awesome to see all of this beautiful religious art in one place -- in so much detail, up close and personal. I have been there before, but just being able to see it all again was wonderful. All of my old memories from high school field trips started coming right back to me. I loved it!

I saw so much beauty! Beauty in the art, beauty in the day, and beauty of the Lord. The Lord was very much present in everything today. I thank Him greatly for giving me this opportunity to spend time with my friends and with Him throughout each moment of today.

All of this beauty is so joyous and wonderful! But interestingly enough, one of my favorite paintings that I feel is the most beautiful is Carlo Dolci's Blue Madonna -- which happens to reflect Mary's sweet tenderness, but with a heavy heart. She looks downward, expressing melancholy, but her innocence and purity is shown in the radiant light cast on her face. Recalling the seven sorrows of Our Blessed Mother I feel a connection to her loving heart filled with pain. For she, the most beautiful woman of all, loves every single one of us just the same way she loved her Son. And even with so much agony to losing her Son on the cross, her love still prevails with a gentle sweetness -- as seen in this painting; for the overwhelming darkness cannot evade the light. It is in this light we see a gentle beauty and warmth that comes from the love deep inside her soul. This is how I wish to be like the Holy Mother, to let my life be a reflection of the deep love and brilliant light inside my own soul. To portray His love and beauty so that others may see it and seek it for themselves.

And that my friends is the beauty of the Lord, as seen in all things. From the beautiful sunshine of a day to the beautiful light that dwells within your own heart. So make sure that when you want to express the love of God in the most beautiful and pure way possible -- that you do so with a warm and gentle glow, like Mary. Do not hide or dim your own light to blend in with the darkness. For if given the chance, your light will shine and prevail with beauty captured by the Lord Himself -- giving both Jesus and Mary great joy in doing so.

Feeling The Weight Of The Cross

"Then he said to them all: 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.'" - Luke 9:23

Reflecting on Jesus' passion, this Lent, I have come to feel the pain and the weight of the cross in a much deeper way through sacrifice and prayer. I decided to give up Facebook for Lent so I could utilize this time to be with God instead. After spending a lot of time away from Facebook I realized how much more time I really do have for God and my schoolwork. So, during my Lenten prayers, I have been praying a 54-day-rosary novena for a beloved friend of mine. (Because this novena is 54-days it will continue for a little while after Lent.) It is said to be miraculous! Therefore, I fully trust in the Blessed Mother's miraculous intercession, before the throne of God, with my earnest petition.

Even though this wonderful novena has been a very joyous and peaceful experience it has also made me feel the weight of the cross so much so that it is very hard to bare. You see, the reason why I am praying for my friend is because he has lost his way and is in a really dark place right now -- even though he cannot see it himself. He used to have faith, and at one point wanted to be a holy, Christian person ...but somehow he lost it along the way with brokenness in his family. I really do care for him, so I have devoted my prayers for his conversion and openness to Jesus. I absolutely know that my prayers will not go unanswered... I'm just not sure how God is planning on answering them and when. But I do not doubt because I have faith.

However, I feel the cross most when I am with my friend and I see no sign of him turning to Christ. It truly hurts my heart. Some days are better then others. Every once in a while he will start randomly asking me questions about the Catholic faith, and I feel very much hopeful -- seeing that he has peaked an interest and curiosity. Nevertheless, many days are not like this. He closes off his mind and heart to accepting God. That is when it is really hard to keep the faith and continue day after day with the prayer.

I truly understand the power of God and know that He will come through in some extraordinary way! It is just very hard to see right now. But I am willing to wait on the Lord for His answer and His Will with patience, hope, and love. From past experiences I know God is capable of doing impossible things. He rewards those who seek Him and trust in Him fully. That is why when I feel the most weak under this cross, as if I'm about to fall, giving up, I ask God for His strength to keep going and keep persevering in prayer for a miracle. Just like Jesus fell several times on the way to His death we must get back up and continue forward. Because, after all, the resurrection of Christ always follows the death. It is just in these moments of sorrow we must find the patience and courage to surrender to God's Will, partaking in the cross of Christ, daily. For in the glorious resurrection we find the most joy! So continuing day after day to take up your cross in prayer and sacrifice will only find you a most rewarding Easter celebration when God's proper time is made known and exalted.

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." - Galatians 6:9

If You Have Faith Nothing Shall Be Impossible

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." - Romans 12:12

Let me start by praising my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! How blessed I feel at this very moment for His love, grace, and divine assistance in my life. Today was a wonderful day! Today my sister, Alyssa, my best friend, Jasmine, and I were able to meet Tim Tebow in person. Tim is such a great role-model and follower of Christ. We adore him for being the wonderful and beautiful person he is inside and out. Thank you Jesus for letting us meet him today!!!

However, the day did not show (in the beginning) many hopeful signs of us meeting him. Tim was scheduled to assist and mentor members of the D1 Sports Center with their training and workouts. After spending two hours in the hot Florida sun we spoke to a mother of two children who had heard more about what was going on with Tim Tebow. We could not get into the sports center because it was for a private event only -- meaning only members could go in and see him. The event was suppose to have ended by this time, but the mother said she saw Tim inside the building. So, obviously, he was still there. We waited again for a very long time. People were coming in and out of the building, so we quickly asked some of them about Tim Tebow. Sadly, we got very poor answers, like, "No, he's gone" or "You're wasting your time" or "He's actually still inside working out -- but he will be here all day -- so you better leave cause you're not going to see him" or "If he comes out they are going to sneak him out through a secret door, so you won't see him." Just about everyone said something to try and bring our hopes down, except for the sweet mother with her two kids.

Eventually it was lunch time and we needed to get some food. We knew Tim hadn't left the building and seemed like he was going to be in there for quiet some time working out. At this point we asked the kind mother to keep us posted with what was going on as we headed over to the McDonald's next door. (How ironic to put a McDonald's next to a gym, right? lol.) While we were eating the mother came over to us in the restaurant and told us she had to leave, but she overheard people saying Tim was going to be working out until 4:30 and then he was going to come out. At this moment it was about 2:15 in the afternoon. So, we decided to go shopping in the nearby area to kill some time until then. I mean, if Tim Tebow was seriously going be leaving in a few hours, why not wait a little longer to see if we could really meet him on his way out? Right? We've been waiting all day, why not wait a little more?

That is the key -- patience. With all things that happen in God's time we need to be able to wait for them with patience. With this mindset, we left the McDonald's and shopped around. Thinking about how wonderful it would be to meet Tim we decided to go into a LifeWay Christian bookstore to find a small gift for him. We searched for a while and I finally found a little stone cross with a bible verse engraving -- Matthew 17:20. I felt this was perfect! I loved the verse... so I got the gift, not knowing if I was really going to be able to give it to him or not.

After, we headed back over to the sports center. Now there was nobody there. It was dead. A few cars were in the lot, but there was no sign of Tim or anyone. So I took the initiative to peak through the windows. All the doors were locked, but we saw some men coming out and we asked them if they knew if Tim was still there. They hesitated to answer us and then one man said, "Umm, I don't know if he's still here. But if he is, he won't be coming out for a while."

Obviously all the doors were locked since he was still there. So I felt hopeful even with the disappointing answer. I told my sister and my friend I was praying a 54-day-rosary-novena, during Lent, for a very beloved friend of mine. I wanted to pray this novena, now, in front of the sports center, to ask Mary to intercede for us to help us meet Tim Tebow if he was still there. Of course, the novena's main intention was still for my beloved friend -- who is in desperate need of prayers -- but I also united to my prayers that of meeting Tim.

Once we concluded our rosary we immediately saw a bunch of men pile into a black van. As they turned to leave one of the men rolled down his window and looked at us while pointing to a white van that was just about to pull out of the lot. We thought, "Is that Tim's car? Did he really just point us to Tim Tebow?" Sure enough, as we came closer we saw people coming out from nowhere gathering around his car. I felt as if I was about to faint. Not only did we just finish praying for this, but it was answered so quickly I could hardly believe it. It was exactly 4:30 when we went up to see him. I realized if the sweet mother didn't come back to us in the McDonald's to let us know he was staying until 4:30, we would have probably left.

After waiting the longest time, and being one of the last people to see him, we not only got to talk to him -- but we even hugged him and gave him our little cross gift. This was such a special moment. In the end, it was worth waiting 5 hours for 5 minutes with Tim Tebow. We thanked him for being the wonderful person he is and we told him how we are keeping him in our prayers -- always. He was very happy and had such a compassionate smile. I knew he must have been very tired from working out all day, so he didn't say much, except "thank you." However, I'm so very grateful we had this opportunity and waited patiently for God's time and God's Will. Maybe if we saw him earlier we wouldn't have had the opportunity to find a gift for him. You see, God works in ways we cannot possible think of. I felt so happy to give him that little cross! It was special, because everyone else just wanted autographs -- wanting something from him -- but I didn't necessarily want that. I wanted to express my faith, my love, my hope, and my prayer for this beautiful man of God with a simple and sweet gift from the heart. Although he may never remember us, or our names, or the gift -- it was a blessed moment for us for those 5 minutes we got to share with him. 5 minutes we will never forget. So don't doubt God when His answers don't come when you want them to. Wait for His answers to come when He wants them too. Trust and have faith without hesitation -- for nothing will be impossible for you with God.

           

Mission Impossible?

"For nothing is impossible with God." - Luke 1:37

Have you ever been in a situation that you feel there is no way out of? Do you feel that some things in your life can never be fixed; work, relationships, marriage, school, illness, death, etc? Have you ever seen a friend falling into a dark place? ...And don't you wish they would wake up and see the light?! We have all felt something like this at some point in our lives when we feel there is no hope left. When this happens often times people will stray from God because they believe God must not exist since this or that happened to them (or a family member). However, whatever the circumstance may be, God has not and will not intentionally hurt us. He is love itself! Maybe certain situations have occurred and resulted in an unpleasant way because God was not present in the final decision making. That is why it is very important that we must draw near to God and let Him influence our decisions so we completely submit ourselves to His Holy Will -- which is good and pleasing and perfect. We can never be led astray when we put complete trust in Him.

Therefore, miraculous events can occur since nothing is impossible for Him. The Blessed Mother herself gave birth to the son of God as a virgin. She was conceived without sin and submitted herself to the Will of God without hesitation, for she trusted His Will and knew it would ultimately satisfy her life -- even with the sufferings and crosses it brought along the way. Mary completely surrendered to God's Will and let Him work the impossible in her life. Not only did she see her son die in agony on the cross, which pierced her heart, but she also saw Him in His glory after the resurrection. So even when we endure the most trying of times, if we give our sacrifice to God and trust His Will anything is possible!

If you feel called on a mission to help someone who is in a difficult situation, pray for them. Let God work through you and into their life. I have entrusted myself to the four saints of the Catholic Church that are patrons of impossible causes and hopeless situations. These saints include St. Jude, St. Rita, St. Philomena, and St. Gregory. (I mentioned these saints in my previous posting). They have given me much comfort, for I know that they can work miracles of any kind -- no matter how great or how small. Just as Saint Augustine said, "Miracles are not contrary to nature, but only contrary to what we know about nature." Anything is possible if you believe and have faith, entrusting the situation to the Will of God.

I composed a novena prayer dedicated to all four of these saints; deriving from other prayers and novenas from which they have answered to. So when you are down and have lost hope, don't give up. Instead ask the Holy Spirit to lift you up and give you the grace to persevere. Go to these saints to assist you with their miraculous intercession.

One of my friends, who comes from a broken family, told me that for her prayer is a way of healing what has been hurt. Her family situation may never be the same as it was, but with God she is able to retain a true peace of mind and comfort, along with forgiveness. She has completely submitted herself to God in this situation. She understands that maybe it wasn't God's Will for her parents to be together forever, but it was for a moment, for her to be brought into this world. Now, she has no more bitterness or resentment against her parents. She can live peacefully, understanding that anything is possible for God when it is according to His Holy Will.

Novena of the Impossible

O holy saints of impossible causes, St. Jude, St. Rita, St. Philomena, and St. Gregory, I come to you with confidence in my great need. Faithful intercessors, who work so many miracles for all who invoke your unfailing aid, graciously hear me and obtain from God a favorable answer to the request which I humbly lay before thee... (mention petition).

O great saints, to you I have recourse from the depths of my heart and sincerely ask -- to whom God has given such great power -- to come to my assistance on behalf of my earnest petition. Guide and purify my intention, o holy patrons, so that I may obtain what I ask of thee, with the grace to persevere in courage, faith, generosity, and fidelity.

I firmly believe in your great intercession and in return for this favor I promise to make your names known and encourage devotion to each of you. Saint Jude, Apostle of Christ, pray for us. Saint Rita, advocate of the helpless, have mercy on us. Saint Philomena, powerful with God, pray for us. Saint Gregory, the Wonder Worker, hear and answer my prayer. Amen.

Planting the Seed

"I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, 'move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible." - Matthew 17:20

Over the weekend my friends and I went to go see the new movie, The Lorax. I really enjoyed this movie. It is cute, entertaining, and great for the whole family. But as I watched the movie I kept thinking about how the main character, Ted, wanted to plant a seed in the ground so a real tree could grow and everyone in the town would see it's beauty. (If you don't know the story of the Lorax, there are no real trees in Ted's town and everything is made of plastic.) It's funny because Ted was originally only doing this for a girl he's crushing on, Audrey. However, sometime God inspires us to do things that we never thought of before -- even if it was originally intended for a boy or girl we really like.

As the movie progressed Ted was willing to do anything to get a real tree for Audrey. So once he got a seed of the last living tree he was determined to plant that seed in the center of town so everyone would see it grow. This reminds me of how we can plant the seed of faith in the lives of others, those who have yet to know the love of God. Just as Ted gave his own personal best effort for getting the tree for Audrey (which he succeeded), Jesus will in turn give us His best if we give Him our best. If you offer up prayers and sacrifices God will give you a generous harvest and multiply your rewards in a miraculous way.

But when you are planting your seeds make sure to place them in rich soil for healthy growth, otherwise they will wither and die. For instance, if you are praying for the conversion of your friend offer up prayers and sacrifices to those saints who are known to do the impossible. Their intercession for you, before God, will be miraculous indeed. Four saints of impossible causes I pray to all the time include -- St. Jude, St. Rita, St. Philomena, and St. Gregory. I trust them with a firm faith, along with the intercession of the Most Holy Mother, Mary, to guide and purify my intention before the throne of God.

In the movie, The Lorax, the kids had a hard time finding a place to plant the seed since there was no soil to be found. But once there was a hole in the ground they found the soil they needed. Sometimes it just takes patience, but if you plant your seed with faith and love, trusting that God will answer your sincere petition, He will give you the answer that you so earnestly and trustingly seek. However, the answers always come in God's time, not ours. It is important to submit ourselves to the Will of God, for His Will will ultimately make us the happiest because He knows what is best for us. Even our prayer might not be answered in the way we think because God may have a better way to answer it instead.

If we keep this in mind, trusting the Lord with our prayers and sacrifices, anything is possible. As Jesus said Himself, stated in Matthew 17:20, "I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, 'move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible." If we continue to foster our seeds with faith and love, we will be loved as we love. Through prayer, we will be healed as we heal. We will be blessed as we bless. We will be given as we give to others. It is something that involves a complete surrender to God's Holy Will. Never doubt God's infinite mercy and divine love. If we trust without hesitation our prayer will be answered according to God's own good time -- meaning that even if we don't see the fruit of our petition doesn't mean that it wasn't answered. It may take months, years, or even a lifetime... but if you fully partake in this trust, planting your seed of faith, nothing is impossible!

Way of the Cross

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." – John 3:16

Today I went to the Stations of the Cross with my family after school. While meditating on the Passion of Our Lord I felt so much pain for what the sins of this world did to our Savior. My heart ached at the thought of my own sins causing Him such a tragic death with so much suffering. Yet I felt joy at the thought of God's mercy and infinite love for us that is so real, holy, pure, true, and divine. No other love can compare to the love of God. He gave up His own life so that we may live.

Recalling my trip to Medjugorje, in 2010, I remember climbing the Cross Mountain with my family and friends. As we climbed up we reflected on each station along the way. While climbing this mountain, which is very rocky, I thought about Jesus carrying His own cross up to Calvary. With every step I felt more tired and exhausted, but I knew this was nothing compared to the agony Christ endured for us. Along the way, pausing at each station, I felt a very strong physical and emotional connection to His Passion. No words can describe the feeling when we got to the very top—seeing the huge, beautiful white cross. It was a glorious sight and a rewarding experience!

During this Lenten Season let us reflect on the Passion of our Lord as written by St. Alphonsus Liguori with this prayer:

My most beloved Jesus, I embrace all the sufferings You have destined for me until death. I beg You, by all You suffered in carrying Your cross, to help me carry mine with Your perfect peace and resignation. I love You, Jesus, my love; I repent of ever having offended You. Never let me separate myself from You again. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will. Amen.