Christ Has Risen, Alleluia!

The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay." – Matthew  28: 5-6. 

Hello my lovely readers. I hope all of you had a wonderful Easter celebration. Christ has risen, Alleluia!!! Let us rejoice and be glad! :) I'm so sorry for not posting on my blog during Holy Week. I really wanted to but I've been extremely busy with school, as it is my last semester of college. Also, I have been attending Mass non-stop. Our Holy Thursday Mass at St. Paul Catholic Church was so beautiful. The Mass of the Lord's Supper is always one of my favorite Masses of the year! Once the liturgy concluded the priest processed with Jesus around the church inside and out. Then the entire congregation followed the procession outside and everyone carried their own candle. It was so beautiful! Plus, we have an amazing choir!!! Our choir also sang during St. Paul's Passion service on Good Friday. They are just so good it gives me goosebumps thinking about their angelic voices.

This year I also attended the Easter Vigil Mass with my friend Rachel. I had never been to an Easter Vigil Mass before. It started out with the church in complete darkness. Then the Easter candle was lit and everyone received a small candle with the flame of the Easter candle. We all prayed together with our little candles in the church while the priests sang hymns of praise. It was so cool! Even though all the lights were off the candles were so bright that it illuminated the entire interior of the church. After, we blew out our candles and a few lights came on for the seven readings that followed. When the readings and psalms concluded the priests prepared for giving the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist to the catechumens and candidates. I was so happy to see all of those people become Catholic! It was so amazing!!! But, as you can tell, it was a very long Mass. It took nearly 4 hours to complete. We got there at 8:00pm and didn't leave until after midnight. However, it was a very joyous experience and I'm glad that I was able to go.

Then I went to Easter Sunday Mass the next morning with my family. The choir was amazing again! I kinda feel bad for our choir because they sing for all of the major services during Holy Week. That's a lot of time singing and practicing...but they do such a great job and it makes the Mass extra special. Yes, going to two Easter Masses was a lot for me, but just thinking about what Jesus did for us—it was nothing. He gave so much of Himself for us that He was willing to undergo such a tragic death to save our souls from eternal separation from God. I was so thankful to give my time to Him and thank Him for His Passion.

On Easter Sunday night my family watched the last episode of The Bible TV series. If you haven't watched it before you really should. It is such a great way to visually see the Bible unfold on the screen. The last episode was perfectly timed with Easter. We watched Jesus' Passion, death, and resurrection. It was pretty violent for a TV show. I was so horrified just thinking about how this really happened to my beloved Jesus in real life that I started to cry. I don't think it was as bad as watching the Passion of the Christ...but it was still really moving and emotional for me to watch.

I liked how this episode didn't just end with the resurrection. It continued beyond that point when the Apostles went to spread the message of Christ and it showed St. Paul's conversion. Of course I know the story of St. Paul, he is the patron saint of my home parish. But watching his story really made me not like him at first because he was persecuting Christians. I had totally forgot that he was responsible for the death of St. Steven until I watched the show the other night. But he truly became a new man in the light of Christ. He spread Christ's message far and wide. Plus, his writings make up about half of the New Testament. I personally love his writings to the Corinthians about "love." He describes it so well, just how love truly is. He was given such an amazing gift from the Holy Spirit to write like that. I'm very impressed!

Anyways, I wanted to say one more thing on this post. I want to thank my Lord Jesus Christ for answering a prayer of mine that I had been praying about for a long time. I have decided to take my education to the next level the following semester. I am going to be attending graduate school for a Master's degree in Catholic Studies. I had prayed a lot at the SEEK conference about going to graduate school. I was always thinking about going for Digital Media or Graphic Design to enhance my knowledge in the digital arts. But something in my heart didn't feel that it was right for me. When I went to confession at SEEK the priest said to "follow the desires of your heart" when discerning graduate school and God's will for my future. Well, my greatest desire is to be united with Christ for eternity and my greatest passion is living out the Catholic faith. I began to think of combining my artistic talent with my faith and using it to glorify God in Catholicism.

After much prayer I had received a letter in the mail that changed everything. I was accepted into the program with an award from the university that was overly generous. I'm thrilled to begin this new endeavor! But now I need to concentrate on my studies and projects for this semester so I can graduate. With that said, I will no longer be posting on my blog until the summer. But please feel free to keep following me on Twitter or Pinterest. Thanks for all of your prayers! I'm so grateful to everyone who has prayed for me. God is good! God is great!!! Alleluia!

           

You Feel Like Home To Me

"For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." – 2 Corinthians 5:1

Isn't it wonderful that no matter where you are in this world God is always with you? Especially since the Catholic Church is universal, we can be united with Jesus in communion wherever we go. He remains constantly with us no matter how far we travel! Even when we are in an unfamiliar place, far from home, His presence is forever unchanging.

As I recall, being in Indiana over the summer, something amazing happened! After visiting a professor at the University Notre Dame I stepped onto the campus and had no idea where I was. I had been dropped off on the side of campus to meet with this professor and was trying to make my way back to a familiar area. Even though I've been to Notre Dame several times, I still don't know the entire layout of the campus. So basically I was lost.

Nevertheless, I just decided to walk aimlessly along a random path and enjoy the beauty of the day. It was really sunny and the trees were swaying so gently in the wind. The campus was gorgeous...of course... it's Notre Dame, Our Lady's school. However, I really didn't know where I was going or what I would find. But sure enough I came across the Basilica and the Main Building in the center of campus. 

My first thought was, "I wonder if I can go in the church now? I hope it's open to visitors!" As I checked a sign in the front of the Basilica I found a listing of the Mass times. I saw that Mass was being held at 11:00am. Immediately I double checked my phone and it said 11:07am. 

"Perfect! I can go to daily Mass now, how wonderful!" I thought. I slowly opened the doors not to arouse anyone from prayer. As I quietly made my way into the church I was overwhelmed with its beauty! (Seriously, if you've never been inside the Sacred Heart Basilica at Notre Dame this is something you must experience at least once in your lifetime, especially if you're a Catholic.) Starting to walk inside the nave of the church I realized Mass was not going on. Assuming that they were a little late I sat in the pews for a few minutes. However, I kept seeing tourists and cleaning people perusing about the Basilica. 

Finally, I asked a lady working there where Mass was being held. She said it was in the crypt underneath the Basilica. I had heard of the crypt, but I had never gone there before. Eventually I made my way down and entered in the middle of the priest's homily. From there I took a seat and participated in the rest of the Mass.

How amazing!? I wasn't even looking for Jesus and He just put Himself right in front of me. He brought me to Mass that day when I didn't even know when or where it was. God literally put me in the right place at the right time. Although I was 15 minutes late, I still enjoyed the Mass and all it had to offer. Believe me, having Jesus with me for the rest of the day was such a blessing.

After that, the rest of my trip was just as amazing! One of my parish priests from home came to Notre Dame to celebrate Mass the Sunday I happened to be up there. He included my intentions during the Mass inside the Basilica. It was a wonderful service and I'm so happy he was there with me.

Just reflecting on this event makes me think about how God always draws you closer to Him even when you may be unaware of it. He is doing things right now, in your life, to help you reach the Kingdom of Heaven each and every day. No matter where you are, He will always make a path for you to seek Him. Although He clears this path for us, it is ultimately up to us to accept it and to choose Him with our free will.

Even when we are physically far away in an unfamiliar place, like I was, He will get you to where you need to be. With an open heart, He will assist you in your journey and help you to find your home in Him. And looking back, that's what it felt like...home. Once I found where the Mass was I felt like I was home. He is home to me.

When I realized that I was home with Him I didn't feel so lost anymore. I left the church that day feeling reassured about God's plan for my life. Although I still don't know how and why certain things happen, I do know God is constantly making an effort to show me the right path. He is also continuously working in your life to help you find your home in Him...our one and eternal home.

Just the other day I heard a song by a new country singer, Sarah Darling, called "Home to Me." It's a beautiful song that really touched my heart. It is lively, upbeat, and fun to listen to. Although the song is referring to a relationship between a man and a woman I can see how it can relate to our personal relationship with God. Because God is everywhere and He is our heart's dwelling place it makes perfect sense when she says, "Anywhere, anyplace I go...you feel like home to me." She also describes her love by stating, "I found the center of the universe." In all of those respects, the song has a great message and really makes you think about finding your home, your enteral home, from a Christian perspective.

Thanks for reading my blog! You are in my prayers. God bless and enjoy the song.

          

SEEK And You Will Find

Over six thousand young people pack the main ballroom for the SEEK 2013 conference in Orlando. Credit: Jason Siegel Photography.

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." - Matthew 7:7

Hello friends in Christ! I just wanted to let you all know that I got back from the SEEK 2013 conference, hosted by FOCUS, in Orlando, FL. This conference was amazing! I had such a good time with my friends. Like I said in my last post, I signed up for this event without knowing if any of my friends were going. But come to find out, some of my friends from the University of Florida and the University of Central Florida were planning to go too. It was great! I met them there and I was even able to room with my best friend Stephanie, who came to the conference with me.

On the first day we all heard the keynote speaker, Matthew Kelly, give his talk on "The Best Way To Live." He was so inspirational and motivational! I always love to hear him talk. Kelly says that we should strive to find our passion and purpose in life and to become the best version of ourselves. He also said, "We almost never see things the way they truly are." I find that statement very true and compelling. From certain situations in my life, I can see when I have become blinded to reality. It is only when we step back and take a look at the bigger picture do we realize what is really going on in our life. I know that my friends and family will tell me things that I don't like to hear sometimes—but that is because they care about me. Matthew Kelly said, "Words have value based on who speaks them." What I have taken away from this talk is to trust my friends and family more when they say something important, because they truly care about me and are more likely to see the bigger picture then myself.

The next day at the conference I heard a speaker session called "What Moves You As A WOMAN ...As You Were Made To Be" given by the lovely Lisa Cotter. She spoke beautifully about the role of a woman and the Biblical principals of womanhood and femininity in society. Dr. Edward Sri also gave a talk to the men about their mission in life and how to become a virtuous man. However, the conference was split by gender, so I only heard the woman's talk—but I'm sure Dr. Sri also gave a great one too!

Some of the smaller sessions I went to included a talk from the sweet and witty Amber Loosbrock. She is a graduate from the Benedictine College and she spoke about "Making Friends and Keeping Them." She had great insight on what friendship really is and who we should keep as friends in our life. What we need to have is virtuous friends...friends that will help bring us into the Sacraments of the church, pray with us, and help us to become a better person rooted in Jesus Christ. Amber said that virtuous friends are hard to find. This is true. However, by the grace of God, I believe I've found a bunch of virtuous girl friends who really care for me and strive to follow the church as best they can. They assist me in my faith journey, and I them.

On the third day I heard Matt Fradd talk at a smaller woman's session called "You Were Made For What You Desire." He gave great advise about relationships and not settling for less than what we deserve as holy and virtuous woman. Fradd said that our womanly desires are put in our hearts by God and that we should strive for those desires. I totally agree! He also mentioned Jason Evert's book How To Find Your Soulmate Without Losing Your Soul. I heard Jason speak the next day and he also had two wonderful talks! He talked the real meaning of love and about God's plan for you and your future spouse. He pointed out the do's and don'ts of dating in college and why it is necessary to be friends with someone first, before you become romantically connected to them. I think Jason has great advice to offer. So ladies, please get his book! You won't be disappointed.

After his talk everyone heard the keynote speaker that night, Leah Darrow. Leah gave her testimony on her conversion. Originally, she was raised in the Catholic faith as a child, but when she got to high school she drifted away from the church. She became involved in many sinful acts and continued to do so throughout college. Once she graduated from college, Leah entered into the reality TV show America's Next Top Model at age 23. She became so involved in materialistic things and what society deemed as beauty that she had forgotten what real beauty looked like. Eventually her sinful ways became too much for her to handle. Leah called her dad to come pick her up and take her home. The amazing thing was, was that her dad lived in a different state and drove several thousand miles to reach her. Once he did he said that he was going to take her to the church. Leah said that she wanted to go home. In response, he told her that he was bringing her home—to God's home.

From there she received the Sacrament of Reconciliation and had a change of heart. Leah quit modeling and now she is a beautiful Catholic woman that gives chastity talks to high school and college students. It is amazing what the Lord can do! And she spoke with confidence, conviction, clarity, and pure emotion when telling her conversion story. Leah is a great speaker and she really makes you see the emptiness of a life without God and the fulfillment that He can give you, that He wants to give you! That is why we must SEEK Him!

Like I said before, I had such a great experience. My friends were amazing, the talks were amazing, and Mass was amazing! It was just sssooooo amazing!!! However, I didn't mention any of the bad things that happened to me while I was there. I had a LOT of negative things try to crash and burn my experience. But I didn't let certain people or situations hold me down or ruin my time at the conference. Even though I could tell that the devil was doing everything he could to hurt me and distract me from the reason why I was there, I prayed about it and moved on.

I was there for Jesus. I was there to SEEK Him more clearly and love Him more dearly. And you know what...? I did. That's why I'm so happy I went. It was great to be there with all the people, but at the end of the day... it was best to be there with God.

Thanks for reading. Check out my SEEK 2013 videos below. Take care and God bless!