Facebook Friends In "Real Life"

"Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth." - 1 Corinthians 13:6

Ok... so admit it, we've all done things a little backwards before. For example; sometimes we go to the mall, pick out an outfit, buy it, take it home, and then try it on. However, it is usually better to try on the clothes at the mall first, before you buy them, just to make sure they fit and look good. When you take home the outfit first there is a big chance you might not like it and want to take it back---because from my shopping experience---the outfit almost always looks better in the store, on the rack, then when you take it home and try it on.

The same goes for meeting people online before you meet them in person. (Not that people are like clothes in any way, shape, or form. lol. But the example here seems to showcase my point.) This is sort of backwards to how you would normally meet a person. It is much better to meet them in person first and to connect with them online afterwards. When you meet someone online first you don't have the luxury of seeing who they truly are. They could easily hide behind a profile of what you think they are. From my recent experience, I found out this is truly the case. Even if you really really think you know them, you can never be 100% sure of anything about them until you see them face to face. When someone is dishonest with you in real life it is easy to see their body language and personal reaction. This makes it hard for them to deceive you. But through the internet, texting, and sometimes even in phone conversations being deceptive can become very easy.

For example, I met someone online through a Catholic dating website---let's call him Andrew (although that is not his real name). Andrew and I talked for several months on the phone. We seemed to have lots in common---from our faith, music, movies, books, all the way to taste in food. We had loads of fun chatting for hours at a time. I truly thought he was unlike anyone I ever knew. He made me feel so special. We connected on social networking sites and video called each other. He actually lived very far away from me, so this was as close as we could get to be "in person." Since I saw him on the video chat I thought, Yeah, see, he is who he says he is. It's fine. *ahhemm* ...Not really.

Little did I know that Andrew was not who I thought he was. Over time it became easier and easier to see the reality of the situation. I don't believe he was being completely honest with me and I find that unsettling. It's sad because Andrew and I never got to meet face to face, but it was his choice. Early on we arranged a way for us to meet up in person but it never worked out. I believe God was protecting me from getting my heart even more broken. I'm not going to go into anymore details, because it's over and doesn't need to be brought up again. The fact is, I was painting a picture in my head of who I wanted him to be which was different from his real character.

"The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out." - Proverbs 10:9

This type of deception is very alarming. That is why I caution anyone who tries online dating, even on Catholic websites, because you never know who it is you are really talking to. Even one of my very good friends had the exact same thing happen to her! I honestly don't condom meeting people online. I actually know of some people who found their future spouse on the same Catholic website and it turned out to be completely fine! It was absolutely wonderful!!! But I'm just putting out a fair warning to anyone who wants to try it.

The good news is that God can, in fact, bring us holy Catholic people closer together through the internet. Like I said, meeting people online is not bad at all. There just needs to be a precaution taken into consideration. I've met many people online first and then in person. I actually met the Nolan family on YouTube. Eventually we met in person and took a pilgrimage to Medjugorje together. I've met several other classmates on Facebook first and now one of them is a really good friend of mine.

Furthermore, I've been talking to a Catholic girl on Facebook named Therese for a few years now. Somehow she found me and sent me a friend request with a sweet message. I accepted her and guess what!?! We are now actually friends in real life! I just met her a couple days ago. She is truly a remarkable person. For the longest time we've messaged each other, texted, phone called, and Skyped. But now, we finally got to meet in person. This is very unusual because she doesn't live anywhere near me at all. In fact she lives many states north of Florida, where I live. However, she decided to go to college in Florida and we were finally able to meet in person.

It was so surreal when we actually met. It was almost like seeing an old friend that you hadn't seen in a very very long time. Therese is a wonderful person! She is Catholic, devout, faithful, loyal, honest, trustworthy...and the great part is, she really is who she says she is. Therese encompasses all the qualities I actually imagined her to be. There was no fraudulent picture of her in my head. This confirms that our friendship was not fantasized, but it actually was and is real. It is so refreshing to know that since I recently had a not-so-good-experience online with Andrew. But after praying about it for some time now, I think I see why God allowed that experience to happen and why it didn't work out. It was a very good learning experience. It has made me wiser and more wary with people I meet over the internet.

I am grateful for knowing Therese and pray that we continue to be really good friends. Like I said before, meeting people online can be a very good thing since you can reach people of the same faith outside your local area.

But if you are trying online dating websites I suggest to match up with people within the same vicinity, or state, at least. Even if you find someone else outside your local area---who might be many states away---just make sure you don't get your heart too caught up emotionally right off the bat. You need to find out from them if you'll ever be able to meet them in person, otherwise it is a waste of time. If you're never going to see them why continue the relationship? So, my advice is to pray for that person. Pray a novena for you and for them if you feel called to meet them in real life. And if you are not currently online dating, but want to, I suggest to pray a novena for that too. Ask Mary in the rosary. I guarantee she will lead you to those who also hold her, as a mother, close to their heart.

May God bless you! †

Mother Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth

"A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and on her head a crown of twelve stars." - Revelation 12:1

Hello dear friends in Christ! Today we celebrate the feast of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is a wonderful commemoration because it is with this event Mary was crowned as the Queen of Heaven and Earth by God the Father, as His beloved daughter, by God the Son (Jesus) as His dearest mother, and by God the Holy Spirit as His chosen spouse. She, who is human like us, rose to enteral glory in Heaven---being both regal and humble, merciful and powerful, human and divine. Her purity and holiness was exalted at this moment. She became not just the mother of Jesus, but also a mother to all humanity and the entire universe! Mary's intercession is the most powerful of all because she pleads our cause as the most perfect adorer of the Holy Trinity.

Earlier today (August 22, 2012), Pope Benedict XVI said, "Mary is a Queen in service to God and humanity; she is Queen of love, who lives the gift of self to God in order to enter into the plan of salvation for mankind." Click here to read more from the Catholic News Agency on the Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In the video below Scott Hahn, Catholic author and theology professor at Franciscan University of Steubenville, shares his insight of Mary's Queenship and glory. Join me in honoring the Blessed Mother and this triumphant occasion with a novena for the intentions of Queen of Heaven and Earth.

Novena to the Blessed Mother, Queen of Heaven and Earth:

I greet you, ever-blessed Virgin, Mother of God, refuge of sinners, and Queen of the Universe. Most loving Mother, attracted by your beauty, sweetness, and tender compassion, I confidently turn to you, and beg of you to obtain for me of your dear Son the favor I request in this novena: (mention your request). Obtain for me also, Queen of Heaven and Earth, the most lively contrition for my many sins and the grace to imitate closely those virtues which you practiced so faithfully, especially humility, purity, and obedience. Above all, I beg you to be my mother and protectress, to receive me into the number of your devoted children, and to guide me from your high throne of glory. Do not reject my petitions, Mother of Mercy! Have pity on me, and do not abandon me during life or at the moment of death. Accept this offering, sweet Queen of Heaven and Earth, and obtain for me from your dear Son, Jesus Christ, the favors I ask through your intercession in this novena. Obtain for me also a generous, constant love of God, perfect submission to His Holy Will, the true spirit of a Christian, and the grace of final perseverance. Amen. 

Back to School

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:9

It's that time of year again! Time to head back to school for all of you young people out there. I know... a new semester can be daunting and a little frightening sometimes. You may have all new teachers and classmates. Maybe you are just finishing your last year of high school and starting to apply for universities. Some of you may be entering college for the first time, now. Maybe you're taking a new step and moving away from your parents. Going into college for the first time can be nerve-racking, but you should embrace the experience as an exciting new adventure that God has planned for you!

I remember my first day of college orientation. I was really nervous. I barley knew anyone. So many thoughts raced through my head, like, "Will I make any good friends here? Will I like my classes? Are my professors nice? Will I get good grades? Can I figure out this computer software? Do they have decent food here? Am I going to get lost? Does that cute boy over there even notice me?" ...etc. What I've learned is that life will throw crazy curve balls at you. So even when you think you know of everything to expect something will always surprise you.

If you're entering college as a freshman don't be discouraged when trying to make friends or figuring your way around campus. Even if things don't seem to be working out at first, don't give up. It's easy to let your emotions get the best of you when you are upset or scared about something. My advice is to take this new opportunity and learn from it. Grow to become more independent. Grow to become more holy by trusting God completly. He will provide for you. His heart is an endless ocean of mercy. No task is too big for Him to take on for you. If you are worried, just pray and pour out your sorrows to Him. He will comfort you, bless you, and console you throughout your college years.

If you are like me, entering your last year of college as a senior, I can relate to you very well. I feel very familiar with my campus, community, and friends. I love where I am at and I don't want it to change. However, I know that I only have a year left. I know this can't last forever. I'm seeking out what to do once I graduate college. I am looking into grad school programs, employment opportunities, and internships. There are so many paths to consider. The question is... which one do I choose? Which one is the right path that God desires me to take? I don't have all the answers now, but I'm hoping to find a clearer path of where I'm suppose to go and what I'm suppose to do closer to graduation.

Each new stage in life has a loveliness and growth that helps us to become the person we are meant to be. It is not always easy. In fact, it can be very difficult sometimes. Transitioning from one place to another can be very intimidating, wherever you are coming from. Going from middle school to high school has its challenges as do going from high school to college. The next transition for me is undergrad to grad school or some type of job in my field of study. Who knows what that will be at this moment? But I am going to lay it all in the hands of the Lord. I am going to give all my worries to him so I don't have to, as should you.

A Student's Prayer - by St. Thomas Aquinas 

Come, Holy Spirit, Divine Creator, true source of light and fountain of wisdom! Pour forth your brilliance upon my dense intellect, dissipate the darkness which covers me, that of sin and of ignorance. Grant me a penetrating mind to understand, a retentive memory, method and ease in learning, the lucidity to comprehend, and abundant grace in expressing myself. Guide the beginning of my work, direct its progress, and bring it to successful completion. This I ask through Jesus Christ, true God and true man, living and reigning with You and the Father, forever and ever. Amen.

Saintly Friendships

"A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; he who finds one finds a treasure." - Sirach 6:14

Friendships are a big part of life! Whenever life brings us up or down it is usually our friends we turn to -- in both the good times and bad. We look to them for advice, comfort, companionship, peace, joy, love, hope, and guidance. They help transform our lives for the best in weakness, sorrow, and distress. They yearn for us to find truth, meaning, passion, and purpose.

Virtuous friends, filled with the light of the Holy Spirit, will pray for you, will pray with you, and will speak to you with the words of God. They will help show you what you cannot see. Christ-like friends will encourage you to stand up again when you are brought to your knees. These true and faithful friends will give their best effort to be there for you when you are in most need of their presence and consolation. In order for the friendship to sustain itself, you too must also be willing to hold out your hand to them in the times when they have fallen. Treat them as you would want them to treat you. The more you become their friend the more likely they will become a true friend to you.

However, be careful when forming friendships. Not everyone can be your friend and not everyone is going to be. Being friends with someone means you have to be able to trust them. Imagine confiding your deepest feelings to someone who doesn't have your best interest at heart? Real friends want to help you. They will not tear you down. They might tell you things you do not want to hear, but it is because they care about you ssssoooo much! If they purposely try to sabotage your dreams and continuously hurt you...then you should take a step back, reevaluate the situation, and reconsider having any type of relationship with them. A true friend will give you the joy you seek and will even help you to become the best version of yourself.

Finding these true friends can be difficult...and sometimes it is just a very simple solution. Go to God. In God you will be able to find your true friends. That means you might find them at church or in a Catholic/Christian group in your school or community. Friendship built on a sturdy foundation of the same faith (or very similar) will be able to withstand the test of time. These friendships have a common union in God, in morality, and in virtue.

Similarities are important, but a friendship rooted outside of God cannot bear good fruit. Since God is love, a friend who does not know God cannot love you the way a true friend should. It is nice for you and your friend to have similar tastes in music, fashion, art, books, hobbies, sports, food, culture, ...etc. But if the two of you can only base your friendship on materialistic things then it is not "true friendship" you are finding.

If you have a best friend now who does not believe in God, please pray for them and their conversion. However, it is up to them to choose God and you should not force them to. You may invite them to church or pray a rosary with you sometime, but if they reject the invitation don't feel like your prayers for them were in vain. We are all given free will. If they refuse God deliberately, then it is because they have freely chosen to do so. In that case, even though it may be extremely difficult, you should remove yourself from the friendship. In a friendship without God you cannot be led in the right direction with their help or guidance. Even if you feel that you can help them, you would be doing yourself a favor to end the relationship or at least dropping it down to an acquaintance level.

You may have heard the phrase "birds of a feather flock together." This means people who have the same beliefs, morals, or principals of life tend to hang around each other. Going back through the history of the church you may notice that many saints were friends with other saints. For example, St. Francis of Assisi was friends with both St. Clare and St. Anthony. The twin brother and sister duo, St. Benedict and St. Scholastica, were lifelong companions and both canonized by the Catholic Church. Even St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Francis Xavier were great friends and Jesuit roommates. As you can see, Sainthood begets Sainthood. Finding friends who are saintly and love God will also help you to become saintly and to love God more deeply.

So in your quest for true, holy, pure, and "saintly" friends---seek God. Focus on deepening your relationship with Him. Don't worry. Just put your trust in Him. Don't even try to force friendships. Just let it happen naturally when you meet someone. I guarantee you that He will lead you close to those who also love Him. The church is a family united under the one God, and He wants you to know your beloved brothers and sisters in Christ.

If you have these wonderful saintly friends already, praise God that you do! You are so blest to have these people in your life. They help you throughout life's difficult moments and help you to not despair nor become despondent. For that reason, as it says in the Holy Bible, "Cherish your friend, keep faith in him." - Sirach 27:17

           

Angelic Presence Among Us

"Bless the LORD, all you angels, mighty in strength and attentive, obedient to every command. Bless the LORD, all you hosts, ministers who do God's will. Bless the LORD, all creatures, everywhere in God's domain. Bless the LORD, my soul!" - Psalm 103:21-22

Hello dear friends in Christ! I just came back from a wonderful trip to South Bend, IN. I really enjoyed the company of my family and friends who live up there. I also visited the University of Notre Dame, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, and Mary TV. I feel so blessed to have had this experience during the summer, before school starts. I had a great time! Plus, my parish priest from home came up to South Bend too. He celebrated the Mass in the Basilica with several other priests and prayed for a personal intention of mine during the service. It was so beautiful! The Notre Dame Basilica is absolutely one of the most beautiful churches I've ever seen in my life! Again, I praise and thank God for the outpour of His blessings during my recent trip.

While I was on my trip I read an amazing book about angels called Angel Power by Janice Connell. In this book she describes the Nine Choirs of Angels and their glorious love and devotion they all have for the Almighty God. She also brings about the awareness of our own Guardian Angel that God has bestowed to every human being. We are each given a Holy Angel to guard, defend, protect, light, and guide our path towards eternal salvation. Angels are beautiful creatures filled with love and reverence for the Blessed Virgin Mary and her Son, Jesus Christ. They are humble servants that honor God and His plan for humankind. As we are assigned our own personal angel, Janice Connell also points out that every city, state, nation, place, church, sanctuary, business, airport, school...etc are also appointed a holy angel (or angels) by God to watch over and protect.

We are surrounded by angels all the time! The question is...are we aware of their angelic presence? They long for us to call upon them. They want us to ask for their help. They loved being assigned tasks! Angels desire to be our very best friends. But angels typically don't interfere in our lives unless we ask them too. However, on rare occasions, they will sometimes intervene for us in life threatening situations or special circumstances. But they respect that we are given free will by God. They know it is ultimately our choice to follow His plan or not. In being aware of their presence we can access their immense angel power in our own lives to further our spiritual journey in seeking God and eternal life.

In reading so much about angels, I began to ask my priest more about them while we viewed several angelic paintings in the Snite Museum of Art at Notre Dame. He told me that to his knowledge he was unfamiliar with this broad topic. However, from what he could recall, he was able to share with me some very interesting information about angels. He said that typically most angels, especially Archangels, have names ending in "el" -- like Saint Michael, Saint Gabriel, and Saint Raphael. The suffix "el" goes back to the Hebrew roots and literally means "in God." This makes sense because all holy angels are subject to dwell in Heaven and "in God" for all eternity.

This discovery completely astonished me! I began to tell him a story. About two years ago I was talking to a friend in church about angels. She said that after she prayed about it she believed her Guardian Angel's name to be Daniel. I was really intrigued about how she knew her angel's name. From this realization I began to pray to know my Guardian Angel's name too. After praying in the quiet of my room for a little while a few names came to me, but I kept dismissing them. Then one name really stuck in my head! It was the name "Ishmael." After a while I was like, I wonder what the name "Ishmael" actually means? So I got up and went to my computer to search its meaning. Then I found out that "Ishmael" means "God listens."

I knew that "Ishmael" is a very Biblical name and not common at all. I believed this was not something that I thought of on my own, but I wanted to make sure and have a confirmation. So I thought to myself, Ok. I will ask my dad a question and if he responds exactly with the words "God listens" then I will feel a confirmation that Ishmael is the name of my holy angel. Then after we prayed together as a family I asked my father, "Dad, what does God do when we pray?" He replied, "God listens." That was amazing! He didn't know I was praying for my angel's name nor the confirmation I asked for. After telling all of this to my priest he agreed. He also reminded me that I probably received another confirmation from him since Ishmael ends with the suffix "el."

Amazing! Our Guardian Angels truly want us to be aware of them! Just as they know us they also long for us to know them. By reading more in the book by Janice Connell, she reveals that our personal Guardian Angel can come from any of the Nine Choirs of Angels: Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominions, Powers, Virtues, Principalities, Archangels, and Angels. God has created each angel uniquely and divinely. No two angels are the same. They are very good and powerful creatures that have their own specialties, personalities, and characteristics. The various choirs of angels each have their own specific missions too, given to them by God for the plan of humanity and beyond.

After finding out all of this wonderful information about angels I began to talk non-stop about it to my friends. One day I was on the phone with my friend Anna. When I told her that most angel names end with "el" she was in utter amazement! For the last two years or so the name "Noel" has constantly been on her mind for some reason. She always wondered why that name came to her so much. After I told her more about angels she realized that maybe her Guardian Angel was trying to hint to her that his name is "Noel." Nevertheless, she said she would definitely pray about it more.

I honestly don't think there is a rule that angels only have names ending in "el" ...but it just seems to be the typical likelihood of an angel. When satan was an angel his name used to be Lucifer. That name means "light bearer" and does not end in "el." However, he was an angel that fell into sin and never wanted to live "in God" for all eternity... so that explains that.

All in all, holy angels of the Nine Choirs are exceptional beings of love, purity, truth, justice, wisdom, and piety. They are ready to be called upon at a moments notice. They are ready to defend us in battle against any and all evil spirits that prowl about the earth. Their holy power is so great that they will prevail over all dark forces. So don't be afraid to call upon your angel. Entrust your hearts longings and desires to them. Ask them to reap a harvest for you in your own personal endeavors. They will graciously assist you and lead you closer to God in every way they possibly can.