How I Spent My Palm Sunday.....

Yesterday was Palm Sunday, the kick-off to Holy Week, and sadly I had to spend it at home. I woke up yesterday morning with a full-blown case of strep throat. I was so frustrated over being sick this time as I knew I was going to miss Palm Sunday Mass (which happens to be a favorite of mine growing up) and I also had planned a fun little dinner for some friends yesterday evening, but I had to cancel that as well.

I must say I have only ever missed Mass on Sunday morning once before, but that was when we were on vacation and I can't remember exactly why we didn't make it that Sunday... maybe the church was way too far. I just can't recall. This time was different as I had just went to confession the day before and so I was just pumped for starting this Holy Week on a great start. It was hard to watch the rest of my family leave while I was laying on the couch and was in so much pain I could only mouth what I wanted to say. So as everyone in my family each went on their way to Mass I stayed home and prayed the Rosary, read the Mass readings, and just prayed more than I usually do when I end up sick. I was still sad that I missed out on Mass I decided I would offer up my really sore throat for the souls in purgatory. I know God allowed me to become sick for some reason yesterday, and I am sure I will understand why eventually even if I don't really at the moment.

"My Soul Is Thirsting..."

Yesterday's psalm for Mass happens to be one that I find so true and so beautiful. Not that the others are not true and beautiful by any means. I just mean that I think this one in particular always hits home with me.

I have to admit, of all the parts of the Mass the psalm tends to be the part I have the hardest time paying attention to. I will pay attention to what I am supposed to sing, but somewhere along the lines I tend to zone out on the verses... When I do pay attention to them I am always surprised at how I let myself zone out during them. I tend to do it even more so during daily Mass... It is pretty bad. So for those of you who may be like me I thought I would put the psalm here so you can read it and pay more attention to it.

Responsorial Psalm June 20, 2010

R. (2b) My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

O God, you are my God whom I seek;

for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts

like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water.

R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary

to see your power and your glory,

For your kindness is a greater good than life;

my lips shall glorify you.

R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

Thus will I bless you while I live;

lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name.

As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied,

and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you.

R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

You are my help,

and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.

My soul clings fast to you;

your right hand upholds me.

R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

Forgiving Is Part Of Loving

Jesus said to his disciples:

“You have heard that it was said,

You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.

But I say to you, love your enemies

and pray for those who persecute you,

that you may be children of your heavenly Father,

for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,

and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.

For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?

Do not the tax collectors do the same?

And if you greet your brothers only,

what is unusual about that?

Do not the pagans do the same?

So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
~Matthew 5:43-48~

The above happens to be the Gospel for today's readings. It is always a hard one for me to learn from... Love your enemy... Now, I am not one to really have many enemies. I tend to not have any problems with the people I meet, but occasionally there are times when I do have an issue with someone. Usually it is something that is a pretty big deal before I have a problem with someone; talking about me behind my back, saying something very hurtful when it is not warranted, these are just a few examples.

Today in father's homily he also talked about how hard it is to forgive those who hurt us. He asked us two questions. Who are my enemies? How do I show love to my enemy? I suppose the best way to show love to my "enemy" is by really forgiving them. Forgiving them and then moving on. That is easier said than done sometimes, but do it we all must. I sometimes think of myself as a forgiving person, but then I remember a few people who have hurt me in the past and realize that I am not totally that way. I will begin working on that now!

We Are The Salt Of The Earth And The Light Of The World...

Jesus said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lamp stand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”

~Matthew 5:13-16~

The above quote is yesterday's Gospel reading. During the homily Fr. Don talked about how this Gospel seems to be a continuation from this past Sunday's Gospel. He talked about how it is great that we are salt of the earth, but we still need to be careful with that. If we put too much salt into something, than there is no way to take it back out and the dish is pretty much ruined, but if you do not put enough than the dish tastes to bland. We have to pay attention to who our audience is to decipher how much "salt" we should use. Once we get to know someone it is easier for us to tell how much of the faith we can talk about at one time before that person is turned off.

He also talked about how we are the light of the world. If we burn that light as bright as football stadium lights in our living room it would do way more harm than good. The light would be too bright, and might in turn, cause someone to lose their sight.

I personally think this is very true. Some people are much more interested in the faith and want to know as much as possible, where as others are not so sure about it and are only ready for a little bit at a time. The best thing is to let our light shine through our actions at first, and then once we feel someone is ready for more be there in a cheerful and friendly way to talk more about the faith.

My Personal Mission Statement

Tonight at "holy hour" we reflected on the Gospel reading from this past week-end. In the reading they are all mission statements in one way or another. For our exercise we were asked to write out our own personal mission statements about how we are to live our faith to the fullest in our daily lives. I found this an interesting and thought provoking exercise in a way, so I decided to put mine here.... So here it is.

As a Catholic my mission is to bring the love of God to the world. I want to help those who may not know God find out what He is all about by how I portray myself. Through my thoughts, words, and deeds, while in a humble manner. I will always try to learn as much as I can about my faith so if someone asks me a question I will be able to answer it in a confident but friendly manner. As a Catholic, not only will I know about my faith, but I will happily practice it out. I will show my compassion to those who have lost their way and work on remembering that each person is different, and therefore I need to listen more rather then immediately judge them when they think differently about how to praise and worship God. I will volunteer more to help those in need in my own community in hopes that in some way it will help bring people closer to God. Doing these things will help me to always remember to treat people, from the moment of conception to death, with dignity and respect which is how every person deserves to be treated.

I Am Called by Name

Since this week I have been having to figure out my class situation I have not had time to attend daily Mass at all. I am missing that a lot, but since I have not made it to Mass I have been trying to keep up with the daily readings... the readings for today can be found if you click here.

The reason I feel like writing about these particular ones is because of what the first reading was. The first reading as about Samuel being called by God while he was asleep. He did not recognize that it was God calling Him at first. He thought it was Eli, but as the night went on, Eli realized that it must be God trying to catch Samuel's attention and told him to tell God he is ready to listen if Samuel heard the voice again.

It can still be like that for me today. I can get so into my own life....running from one place to another... being with one group of friends and then leaving those people to meet another one of my many groups of friends. I always have a mental checklist going through my mind about what needs to be done and when and where I am supposed to be. Quiet time for me is very rare, and it usually happens when I am doing Eucharistic Adoration, to be quite honest. I go and go and go, I sometimes feel like the energizer bunny. I realize now that that is probably not the best way to hear God's voice. I ask Him constantly what He wants with me, but I do not give Him much one on one time to really listen to the answer. Maybe it is because I am partially afraid of what it is, and maybe it is because I am still wanting to be to selfish with my own time. Even though I part of me is a little nervous, a larger part of me really does want to do what He wants me to do... I know that God is calling me to do something great with my life, just like He is calling everyone else to do something great with theirs. His plan is the best after all, it just may not seem like it in the beginning. So my resolution to the whole busy problem is that everyday I am going to set aside some time at home to sit in my room quietly with no music in the background and talk with God... hopefully that way it will be easier for me to hear what He wants of me.

Now I am off to find out about this next class... wish me luck!

So, how do you see Jesus?

Tonight I went to daily Mass. The gospel was about the story of when Mary and Joseph brought baby Jesus to the temple and how the elderly man, Simeon recognized that Jesus was the savior he had been waiting for.

During the homily the priest asked us how we see Jesus in our daily lives. I thought about that question a little bit and realized that there are many people I see Jesus in. For example; when I am feeling a little frustrated at work and one of the kids will come up to me and say "I love you." I see Jesus in them at that moment and I love it... Or when I am having an awful day and a friend of mine looks at me, gives me a hug, and then tells me to tell them what's wrong and then they listen without judging... I see Jesus in them at that moment. Or when my oldest nephew helps take care of his younger brothers because he knows his mother is exhausted after working on her feet all day. I see Jesus in him. I realized again that I see Jesus a lot, but I do not recognize it always. That seems to be a theme in my life lately. I need to slow down and recognize little things from God more often then I do to really appreciate how He helps me in my day to day life.

The second part of his homily was about how we help others see Jesus through our own actions... It's a give and take thing, just like in every other aspect of my faith. I really enjoyed this priests homily today. I needed to hear it very much!

God will help me complete what needs to be done!

As I sat in Mass today, I fell in love with this reading. I think it is so beautiful, so I thought I'd share. :) it is actually kind of funny because last night I was given a Christmas present for being a confirmation facilitator... and on it was another version of the line, "I am confident of this,
that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it." I guess God really must be trying to send me a message!

Phil 1:4-6, 8-11

Brothers and sisters:
I pray always with joy in my every prayer for all of you,
because of your partnership for the gospel
from the first day until now.
I am confident of this,
that the one who began a good work in you
will continue to complete it
until the day of Christ Jesus.
God is my witness,
how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
And this is my prayer:
that your love may increase ever more and more
in knowledge and every kind of perception,
to discern what is of value,
so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,
filled with the fruit of righteousness
that comes through Jesus Christ
for the glory and praise of God.

Marriage and Christ's Relationship with the Church

Tonight at our Summer weekly youth group Bible study we focused on the sacraments. It was an interesting one tonight... When we talked about the sacrament of Matrimony we looked at the "infamous" (more so for women at least) Ephesians 5:21-32 quote. For those of you who do not know what this quote is:

"Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the church, he himself the savior of the body. As the church is subordinate to Christ, so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word, that he might present to himself the church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. So (also) husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. "For this reason a man shall leave (his) father and (his) mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the church."

Now, I happened to have been able to attend quite a few talks on the Theology of the Body, and at almost every single one of them, this quote is talked about and broken down. You see, I have noticed that whenever this reading is read at Mass how each woman reacts to it. Once I heard it broken down though, I have become a fan of it, which may shock some, but let me explain this a little more from what I have heard. The relationship between a married couple is supposed to mirror that of Christ and his relationship with the Church; the man is supposed to take the role of Christ and the woman is supposed to take the role of the Church. So, yes, the quote says for women to be subordinate to their husbands and respect them, but it also states that the men should love their wives as Christ loves the Church. Now that is a big statement right there, for them to love as Christ did. Let's think for a minute... how did Christ love the Church... well He loved it so much that He died to save it... Now, that's a pretty big thing to be ordered to do. If the husband is supposed to love their wives that much, than I think the least the wife can do is give him respect. As I reflect on it, I think the women have the easier side of the bargain... that's just me though. I have a feeling not to many women agree with me on this though....

"Jesus Take the Wheel"

I was very excited this evening to be able to go back to "holy hour." Fr. Stan realized that there were quite a few of us who are staying in town over the Summer and decided that we should start them back again. One of my good friends led it tonight. We read the Gospel for this upcoming week-end which you can read if you click here. In the Gospel the major theme seems to be all about trusting God and letting go of control of your life because God has it all under His control. Reflecting on this gospel reminded me of this "Bumper Sticker" I found on face book, and that is why I put it on this blog. It is kind of funny to me because I have a feeling God has been trying to send me signals about this whole control thing. You see, I tend to be someone that likes to have things planned. I am not a fan of huge surprises whatsoever. When I have a huge task to undertake I like to break it down into stages and plan exactly how and when things need to be done, and if I somehow get thrown off of the agenda I can get a little flustered. As I sat reflecting on the whole control issue and how I do not like not knowing what will happen I was reminded of Carrie Underwood's song, "Jesus, Take the Wheel," (the lyrics to that song are posted below). I also came to the realization that God gave me this life and how He knew exactly what He was doing when He gave me the family and friends I have. Just like that quote I found, God has this plan for me and I know that if I am going to be happiest in this life that He gave me, I need to let Him be in control and follow the "Master Plan" to the best of my abilities. As I sat there and wrote all this stuff down I then sat back and I felt this sense of peace.
I am somewhat nervous about next week's "holy hour" though because my friend and I are "co-leading" it, I guess you could say, and we still do not know exactly what we are going to do. I'm sure whatever we figure out will be good though.
Now I am off to bed to get some well-earned sleep.

Jesus Take The Wheel lyrics
by Carrie Underwood

She was driving last Friday on her way to Cincinnati
On a snow white Christmas Eve
Going home to see her Mama and her Daddy
With the baby in the backseat

Fifty miles to go and she was running low
On faith and gasoline
It'd been a long hard year

She had a lot on her mind and she didn't pay attention
She was going way too fast
Before she knew it she was spinning
On a thin black sheet of glass

She saw both their lives flash before her eyes
She didn't even have time to cry
She was so scared
She threw her hands up in the air

Jesus, take the wheel
Take it from my hands
?Cause I can't do this on my own

I'm letting go
So give me one more chance
To save me from this road I'm on
Jesus, take the wheel

It was still getting colder when she made it to the shoulder
And the car came to a stop
She cried when she saw that baby in the backseat
Sleeping like a rock

And for the first time in a long time
She bowed her head to pray
She said I'm sorry for the way
I've been living my life

I know I've got to change
So from now on tonight

Jesus, take the wheel
Take it from my hands
?Cause I can't do this on my own

I'm letting go
So give me one more chance
To save me from this road I'm on

Oh Jesus, take the wheel
Oh, I'm letting go

So give me one more chance
Save me from this road I'm on
From this road I'm on
Jesus, take the wheel
Oh, take it, take it from me
Oh, why, ooh

Happy Easter!

I think my very favorite celebration in the Church has to be the Ester Vigil Mass. Last night we had a very very beautiful one at our parish. My very favorite part of this mass is always when the lights come on after being in the dark for so long. It is always gorgeous when that happens, and our choir did such a wonderful job last night too. I believe there were about 25 people who officially joined our church last night, one of whom happens to be a family friend of ours, so it was even more exciting then usual for my mom and I to watch. After wards there was such a nice reception downstairs. I was not expecting all the food for some reason.
So for Easter, I want to share my very favorite reading passage from last night's mass because it is just so beautiful. As I sat there listening to this while the church was dark it, I could not help but be touched by it. I hope you like it as much as I did!

Reading IV
Is 54:5-14

The One who has become your husband is your Maker;
his name is the LORD of hosts;
your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel,
called God of all the earth.
The LORD calls you back,
like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit,
a wife married in youth and then cast off,
says your God.
For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with great tenderness I will take you back.
In an outburst of wrath, for a moment
I hid my face from you;
but with enduring love I take pity on you,
says the LORD, your redeemer.
This is for me like the days of Noah,
when I swore that the waters of Noah
should never again deluge the earth;
so I have sworn not to be angry with you,
or to rebuke you.
Though the mountains leave their place
and the hills be shaken,
my love shall never leave you
nor my covenant of peace be shaken,
says the LORD, who has mercy on you.
O afflicted one, storm-battered and unconsoled,
I lay your pavements in carnelians,
and your foundations in sapphires;
I will make your battlements of rubies,
your gates of carbuncles,
and all your walls of precious stones.
All your children shall be taught by the LORD,
and great shall be the peace of your children.
In justice shall you be established,
far from the fear of oppression,
where destruction cannot come near you.