For the Young Men and Women of Today...

Lauren at The Catholic Young Woman posted an amazing article that I feel all teenagers of both genders should read!

Read it here: http://catholicyoungwoman.blogspot.com/2011/06/flip-side-of-chivalry.html.

Have a wonderful Sunday!

God Bless you on this Feast of the Holy Body and Blood of Christ!

Response to Comments!

Hello!

I just wanted to let everyone know that when they leave a comment that requires a response, you can find it as a comment on the same post. Because of the way Blogger works, the only way I can respond is as if I were also a reader commenting on a post.

If there is an issue that requires further response then a comment will allow, please leave an e-mail or mailing address (if you feel comfortable).

Thank you!

God Bless!

Two Book Reviews!

The Story of a Soul

St. Therese of Lisieux

As you all know, one of my summer goals was to read one non-fiction and one fiction book every month this summer. This incredible autobiography of St. Therese's was my first pick. And, I have to say it was absolutely amazing! St. Therese's extreme love for Jesus was a re-occurring theme throughout the whole book. I have never seen nor read such pure and perfect devotion for Christ. Reading this opened my eyes to the true state of my spiritual life. Her affection for Jesus was so consistent, through hardship, dryness, pain, and fear she maintained an interior peace one can only find after placing his life entirely in God's hands. It is not hard to read, and has no slow or boring parts- I highly suggest it for everyone, for St. Therese's "Little Way" holds a mighty lesson for all of us.

Kilmeny of the Orchard

L.M. Montgomery

I picked up this book out of curiosity. It is a very little book, very easy to read, yet highly enjoyable. It is a lovely, innocent tale of the relationship between a respectable young man (Eric) and a beautiful, but mute young woman (Kilmeny). If I explained any more of the story, I would give away too much. But I found it to be a splendid summer read. (I apologize boys, I know this isn't quite up your alley!) If any of you read and enjoyed Anne of Green Gables, you will also enjoy this book by the same author.

I hope you give at least one of these a chance! Have a wonderful night!

God Bless!

Apology and Promise!

Hello Everyone!

I'm so sorry about the long delay between posts. As we settle into our new house, we are still working on getting an internet connection that is available regularly.

Tomorrow I promise to post about my fiction and non-fiction book I read this month!

Thank you for your patience!

God Bless!

Beauty in Fantasy

For various reasons, my thoughts keep turning toward J.R.R. Tolkien's books- especially the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

And as I pondered the magical tales of elves, dwarves, men, and hobbits, I came to the conclusion that everyone should read at least one good fantasy story a year. Why? Because within the pages of a well-written fantasy story, one can find what the world should be. For example:

Within Tolkien's Middle-Earth,

The world is ruled by one supreme ruler,

 Eru-Illuvatar,who always was, is, and forever will be...

                                          

The men are strong and valiant,

and the women fair and brave.

Evil is always dark, easy to spot,

and good is always victorious.

So, I invite all of you to curl up with The Fellowship of the Ring and a cozy blanket or cup of tea tonight. I believe that your journey to Middle-Earth will teach you much more than that reality TV show ever could.

And May God Bless all Fathers today!





Pictures courtesy of http://www.tednasmith.com/tolkien.html.





The Keys of the Kingdom

The Keys of the Kingdom (1944)
-Not Rated

Finally, another movie review!

If you're looking for a good, wholesome family movie with a great Catholic message and an entertaining cast, you're search ends here! This movie follows the life of a Scottish priest and his missionary work in China. As he goes through the many challenges of a faithful missionary in a strange land, he must trust that God will always be there for him to provide all that he needs to carry out his calling. It is very exciting, humorous, and endearing- is bound to become a family favorite.

I hope you all take the time to watch this movie and strive to imitate the virtue of this brave and humble priest.


Possible Concerns:

I cannot think of any. It is black and white, and though there are a couple scenes that could possibly scare very little children, it is not bloody or even that intense. Of course, there are no sensually offensive scenes.

I hope everyone enjoys this movie! And may you all have a blessed day!

Strike the Match

Blessed Pentecost Everyone!

Today, I have a challenge for all of you! It is Pentecost today, and in the first reading we heard about how the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles like tongues of fire and they were filled with the energy and motivation to go out and carry the good news to the whole world in the name of Christ and His newborn Church. In honor of this Holy Day, I want all of you to pray- and ask the Holy Spirit to re-ignite His fire within you. Then, I want you to make your best effort to truly invite Him to do this. If listening to a particular hymn or religious song inspires you, take time to do that today. If adoration really touches you, go kneel before the Lord. If praying the Rosary feeds your soul, do so. But please, make a real effort to spend a little extra time in prayer in honor of the birth of The Church!

All of our souls are like candles, and the Holy Spirit is the fire. All we have to do is open our hearts to Him, and it is as though we struck a match- and the Holy Spirit will respond.

May God you as to strive to do His work with a new found strength!

Picture courtesy of http://www.turnbacktogod.com/holy-spirit-images/.

Final Days

Today is my last full day in this house. I have lived here for about eight years, and so many things have changed. When my family moved into this house, we were four with a dog and a cat. I was just starting second grade, my little brother was just starting kindergarten. Now, as we move out, we are six with two dogs. I am a rising junior in high school, and my brother is graduating eighth grade tonight! I look back on all of the wonderful memories I have here and smile. The move is going to be bittersweet. I am very excited about our new house- but can't help but feel a twinge of sadness. 
As I was reminiscing, I noticed that all of my fondest memories are of the little things. The big events were amazing, of course. But, the most precious moments are the times when I was swimming in the pool, and as I came up for breath our (deceased) precious dog would run over and lick all the water off my face with her warm, sticky tongue. Or when I woke up on Easter morning, looked out my window, and saw a blue jay fly past as I stared in child-like wonder at all the little, plastic, brightly-colored eggs littered throughout the yard, poking out behind fence posts and sitting on the batting tee. Or running around the backyard, jumping off the wooden barrier around the playground in the warm afternoon sun.
Yes, I'm going to miss this place. But, I'm thrilled to turn a new page, to start a new adventure. And as Bilbo said from The Lord of the Rings, "It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't kick your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to," I'm ready to be carried down a new road, a fresh start. And, if I begin to fear- I know I can find hope in the fact that God will be there at my side, shining His light through the darkness, that I might hold fast to the narrow path.

May God bless all of your new adventures as well! :)

My Three Favorite Bible Verses...

Hello Everyone!

Dana Doyle at Catholic Working Mom tagged me along with two other bloggers to write about our three favorite Bible verses! So, here it goes:

#1: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27: "Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race, but only one wins the prize? Run so as to win. Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. Thus I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight as if I were shadowboxing. No, I drive my body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified." This is from the NAB Bible. Normally, I prefer the RSV or Douay-Rheims, but I like this wording the best. I absolutely love this verse! Any time I'm feeling discouraged or my spiritual life is starting to go downhill, I read this verse and it invigorates me. "Run so as to win!" We all are running this race, but it can be easily lost if we stop trying. So I use this verse like a runner might use the song "Eye of the Tiger." And I tell others about this verse that they might remember what it is we are ultimately on this Earth for- to personally achieve- and help others reach- through the grace of God, access into eternal joy.

#2: John 1:5 "...the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." I am a writer (obviously), and I am particuallry fond of reading and writing fantasty and poetry. This verse is the basis behind any good fantasy story. Take Lord of the Rings for example (you knew it was coming!), more specifically the Battle of Helm's Deep. Everyone is fighting, it's raining, they're tired and losing hope because it seems like the darkness will prevail. But then, dawn comes and brings the sun with it's arrival. And riding in with the breaking light comes Gandalf the White with fresh soldiers to defeat evil (at least, this is how it happens in the movie). Christ is the light of all our lives, and though darkness may try to win- it has yet to overcome it (this is also NAB)!

#3: John 6:53-56 "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him." I was trying to think of my third favorite verse, and this came to mind. The Eucharist- Christ's humble sacrifice made for us. This is one of my favorites because it shows that we all need the Body and Blood of Christ to truly live for God. Adoration is a time when we can witness Christ's great power unleashed. I have had the most intense and amazing religious experiences of my life while kneeling silently in Adoration. So, this verse taken from the RSV Bible means much to me- for my soul would be lost without Our Lord's Holy Communion.

I hope you enjoyed this! I'm going to tag the girls at Covered, The Catholic Young Woman, and Ioannes at Commentarius de Prognosticis.

Thanks!

"Run so as to win!"

Just Five More Minutes...

Happy (Belated) Feast of the Ascension everyone!

The priest at Mass yesterday said a Hail Mary before the closing prayer for everyone who left early. This made me start thinking. We all are very busy people. Jobs, school, family activities, sports, projects, and many other things demand our attention throughout the day. Often, we are so preoccupied that we don't spend much time in prayer. Unfortunately, we can end up putting God on hold until we have time to talk to Him. But, often this time is hard to find. So we rush through the weeks, spending seconds to say a quick, "Hello, I need this and this and this. Thanks." to God and forget He should be the top priority. Because God knew the world would keep us busy, He set aside Sundays as a special day of rest and reflection for His people- a day when He should get the praise He deserves. Mass is the high point of all of this worship, for at Mass Christ comes down to us in a most humble and miraculous sacrifice through the Eucharist. Often, Mass takes one hour tops. One hour we are, as Catholics, required to spend in God's house. It should be something we look forward to, anticipate, and enjoy. But many don't understand how amazing and important this holy sacrifice is, and they leave after shoving Christ's body in their mouths- rushing to get out of the crazy parking lot and arrive at iHop before the crowds. You know who the first person to leave Mass early was? Judas. As Matthew Kelly says, Judas is the leader of all the "early-exit" Catholics. Do we as Catholics want to follow in Judas' guilty footsteps, or will we follow the example of our first Pope and give Christ the reverence He deserves?

May you all have a blessed week!

Picture courtesy of http://shop.jesusartusa.com/brands/Danny-Hahlbohm.html?page=1&sort=featured.

Summer Goals

School is out and my family and I are about to move to a new house! We'll still be in the same city, but on the opposite side of town- so it's going to take quite a bit of adjusting.

This was my last year of "going to school." For the next two years, I am going to be homeschooled! This is a big change for me, since I have never been homeschooled. And the junior year of high school is not exactly a normal time to start such a different method of learning. Nevertheless, my family and I are embarking on many new adventures!

Now, with any new situation comes challenges. Summer brings more free time for me, which means I now have to decided how I am going to spend that time. Will I use it all for myself, or will I use it to grow closer to God? And in this new neighborhood/house. Will I strive to bring Christ's light to others through the way I reach out to my community, or will I refuse to branch out and selfishly remain withdrawn?

I believe in goal-setting, but I have a horrible tendency to set many huge goals, feel overwhelmed, and not accomplish any of them. So, I'm going to tell you all about a few of my goals for this summer. Some of them are just for fun, some are serious. But hopefully posting about them will keep me accountable and maybe help you all get an idea of what you can do this summer also!

Summer Goals:

1. To pray every morning as soon as I wake up and every night before falling asleep for a reasonable amount of time (aka, not five minutes).
2. To make an effort to be more helpful around my house- complaining less and doing more.
3. To read at least two new books a month, one non-fiction and one book of choice (then review them here for all of you!)
4. To get in shape, working out every day in some way.
5. To spend time outside every day (in hopes that I will get a good tan!)

These are just five little things, but they could make a big impact if I stick to them! What are some of your summer goals? I'll keep you posted on how I'm doing! And I'd love to hear from you! :)

God Bless!


Clip Art from Microsoft Office Clip Art.