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We are living in an incredible time of history. This past week has shown us, once again, that despite the pandemic, despite the political strife, and amidst the lies and deception and death, both physical and spiritual, our God is still good. Jesus is still risen. He still has power over evil, and good will always win. Life will always win. What a time to be alive- our generation has witnessed so much evil, but also so much goodness, truth, and life. We are called to be witnesses to God's mercy and love, and the Truth that life will always triumph over death. This week, on June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade Decision. This established abortion laws as decisions to be made by state legislatures and not by the federal government. Friends, this means that in some states in the United States of America, abortion is illegal! There are children who were scheduled to die this week that will live! Those babies will have birthdays. Those moms will not have to live with the pain, both mental and physical, that stay with them for years after they have an abortion. God is so good! Friends, as Catholics, we are called to be pro-life. Pro-ALL life. Every single human being on this earth, no matter their beliefs, circumstances, location, or level of development, is made in the image and likeness of God and thus, is worthy of love and deserves the right to live. The fight for all human beings to have the basic right to live is not over. Abortion is not totally illegal (yet!!). In the states that do still allow abortion, we must keep voting for, working for, and praying that life will win. In the states that have outlawed abortion, our main job is to support the women and their children who will be most affected by this decision and to keep voting for pro-life politicians. It's not enough to simply say we're pro-life- we have to live like we're pro-life. That means supporting the moms who were/are considering abortion financially, spiritually, physically, and just by being with them to listen. It's our job to be the voice of love- of life- and to let them know how precious they, and their babies, are. Mercy is performed by word, deed, and prayer. My challenge for you today is to resolve to show mercy to moms and their babies. How will you show them mercy through your words? It could be in person or through social media. How will you show them mercy through your actions? Will you join a pro-life group? Donate your time or resources to a pregnancy care center? Offer to babysit for a mom in need? How will you show mercy through your prayers? Will you spiritually adopt an unborn child? Pray in front of an abortion clinic? Offer up your Rosary or Chaplet of Divine Mercy for moms and their babies? What an amazing time to be alive. Truth is on our side, love is winning, and LIFE is winning. We can never back down and we must not be afraid, no matter what comes our way. The pro-life generation will continue to work for the safety and protection of all human life until every man, woman, and child, born and unborn, is treated with the dignity and protection they deserve. We ARE the post-Roe generation! *If you (or someone you know) are considering an abortion, have had an abortion, need some help dealing with your pregnancy or getting resources, want to know more about the pro-life movement, or just aren't quite sure what you believe, click here to view Live Action's Resource page! Also, please contact me (click the link and scroll to the contact form) with questions, if you'd like more resources, or if you need some pro-life apologetics help! Also, this is the 200th post on the Catholic Teen Life blog! I'd love if you'd subscribe if you haven't already done so. 😊 God bless!

Isn't confession amazing? At a moment's notice, you can walk into a Catholic Church or walk up to a priest, and He will hear you confess your sins. Then, if you are truly sorry, God forgives you. Through the ministry of the Church, you are granted pardon and peace. You are absolved from your sins. Your soul is whiter than snow. You have come clean. You are pure. You are beautiful. And God loves you the same as before!! But now you can more fully recieve and live that love. Today, let's pray for our confessors. Pray for our priests who minister God's mercy to the world! Pray for anyone in mortal sin, in desperate need of reconciliation. And pray for eachother- we all need forgiveness, mercy, and the pardon and peace of God. Friend, if you haven't been to confession for a while, consider this your invitation. : ) Jesus loves you! He wants more than anything else for you to come back to Him with your whole heart. Give Him all that separates you from His love, goodness, and mercy, and allow Him to penetrate deep within your soul, heal your wounds, and give you peace.

The novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus begins today! Jesus, through His Sacred Heart, shows us what it means to be Catholic. Pope Leo XIII wrote, "There is in the Sacred Heart the symbol and express image of the infinite love of Jesus Christ which moves us to love in return.” The Sacred and Eucharistic Heart of Jesus best shows what it means to live as a Catholic. As the Sacred Heart is burning with passion for souls, so should we, as Catholics, burn with love for Christ and for one another. The rays of light show that Christ is the light of the world, and we are called to shine that light to all (Mt. 5:14). The arrows represent our sin, which wounds Christ’s heart. We must recognize this and strive to avoid and repent of sin so as not to wound His heart any further. The crown of thorns shows Christ’s triumphant victory over sin and death. We, too, must accept our crowns of thorns in our own lives and humbly carry within us the knowledge that Christ, our King, has won the victory and we have no need to be afraid. The cross on His Sacred Heart reminds us that just as Jesus carried His cross out of love, so must we strive to carry our own with dignity and total trust in God. St. Therese of Lisieux once wrote, “Let us love, since that is what our hearts were made for.” To be Catholic is to fully love and be loved by Love Himself. It is to be so burning with love for Christ that our faith spills out into our everyday lives and is not confined to a church pew. Best of all, when we live out what it means to be Catholic- when we live out of love for God and for others- we console Jesus’ Sacred, wounded heart. I have a special devotion to Jesus' Sacred Heart. My favorite book on the topic is Consoling the Heart of Jesus by Fr. Michael Gaitley. He is the author of the 33 Days to Morning Glory Marian Consecration book and 33 Days to Merciful Love Divine Mercy consecration. All of his books center around this "consoling" spirituality. The basis is that Jesus loves so much and yet is loved by so few. We, as consolers, try to love Jesus and console his wounded heart by trusting totally in Him, in His mercy, and by letting Him do what He'd like with us. It is distrust that winds His hear the most, and He thirsts for souls!! When we trust in His Sacred Heart, and being others to Him, we are consoling the Heart of Jesus. How amazing is that?! I encourage you all to pray the novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. St. Padre Pio prayed it every day and it is well known and loved by thousands upon thousands of people. This is the prayer: Efficacious novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. A novena is simply 9 days of prayer leading up to a feast day. In this case, a simple prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus! It's a beautiful devotion and a participation in the life of the Church and one of the greatest devotions. The Sacred Heart of Jesus- His Eucharistic Heart which beats with love for us- is here for you. During these next nine days leading up to the Feast of the Sacred Heart, would you be here for Him?

Today is the Church’s birthday! 🎉On this day- 50 days after Easter Sunday- the Holy Spirit descended upon the Church and transformed the world forever. Today was the day that the Apostles were emboldened to carry out Christ’s mission of beginning the Gospel to all nations. I was so blessed to attend the Confirmation Mass for some young people I’ve known for a few years now. Even in the few minutes after Mass that I spoke to some of them, it was evident that they were different somehow- filled to the brim with the Holy Spirit! In Father’s homily, he spoke of how Confirmation is just the beginning. It’s not the end of learning about the faith. It’s not the end of going to Mass or praying. When the Apostles received the Holy Spirit, they could have just said, “Okay, cool, that’s what Jesus said would happen. Now let’s go fishing.” But they didn’t. After the Apostles received the Holy Spirit, they were emboldened to share the faith and the Truth of Jesus Christ. They received wisdom and knowledge, were able to understand more fully the things that Christ had taught them, and could more effectively minister to others and train them in the faith. In short, the Holy Spirit transformed the Apostles and set them on fire for God! To all the teens who have been (or will be) Confirmed this year… You are no different from those Apostles. The same Holy Spirit that came down upon those first leaders of the Church has come (or will come) upon you to bring to complete the work He began in you at your Baptism. He wants to give you those same gifts- wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. And, friend, I guarantee, if you lean into the Holy Spirit’s embrace, and if you ask for those gifts, He will freely give them. Your life will be transformed. You might not have "felt anything" while you were being Confirmed. You might still feel like your life is the same. You might even be unsure what the Sacrament you just received is all about. Despite all of that, I promise you- the Holy Spirit is alive and well in your soul! He is working through you, in you, and for you, to give you those gifts so that you can bear the fruits of the Spirit to the world. Even when you can't feel Him, the Holy Spirit will never stop working in you. Friend, You are no different from those Apostles. Lean into the Holy Spirit’s embrace. Ask His spouse, Mamma Mary, to intercede for you. You, as the Apostles were, will be filled with the Holy Spirit and set on fire with love for Christ and for the world. 🔥 ~Please share this post with anyone who's recently been Confirmed!~ Happy Pentecost, everyone! God bless you all ❤️️ ~ Catholic Teen

I keep seeing a post circulating around social media. Something about "Yes, you might die for your children, but would you live for them?" The post then goes on to talk about the need for parents to take care of their own mental, spiritual, and physical health so that they can truly LIVE for their children, instead of merely surviving. Today's Mass readings for the Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and companions (Read their story here!) made me think of Jesus asking each of us, " Yes, you might say you'll die for me, but would you live for me? " “You might say you'd be martyred for your faith, but would you die to your desire to daydream during Mass and instead focus on me?” “You might say you'd accept persecution, but would you be kind to everyone you meet, no matter their religion or beliefs?” “Would you die to yourself and follow my teachings instead of your own thoughts and feelings?” “You might oppose immorality, but would you counter it with love instead of hatred?” “You might be made fun of for wearing a t-shirt with a Bible verse on it, but would you live out the message of the verse on your shirt?” “Would you live like you know you are loved?” “Would you live like you're a member of my body, the Church?” “Would you live like a son or daughter who is unafraid, knowing their Father will take care of them no matter what?” “Yes, you might die for me, but would you live for me?” Yes, we must pick up our crosses. Yes, we must make sacrifices. But, friend, you are the child of a King! You were not created for death- you were created for life! Abundant life! God did not create us for death. We were created to live! Created to love! The martyrs did not die because they wanted to die. They died because they knew that by sacrificing their lives for Christ, they would be brought to the fullness of life in Heaven with Him. Christ, Himself, is Life. Choosing to live for Him means choosing Him. Choosing His will. Choosing the Good. Not all of us will be called to martyrdom. But Christ is asking you the same question: “Yes, you might say you would die for me, but will you choose to live?” How will you answer?

Note: This was a follower-requested topic. Thank you to the person who requested this! I learned a lot and I hope you will, too Pope Saint John Paul II once wrote, In the inner heart of every person the voice of God and the insidious voice of the Evil One can be heard. The latter seeks to deceive the human person, seducing him with the prospect of false goods, to lead him away from the real good that consists precisely in fulfilling the divine will. There is a battle going on right now for your soul. There’s a disturbing trend in Christianity right now. Some people are questioning, or even insisting, that the devil isn’t real. (The devil IS real.) Now, we shouldn’t be afraid of the devil- that would give him more power- Jesus has already defeated him and he has no power over you unless you allow it, However, that doesn't mean that he doesn’t try and work in the world to get you away from God. The devil’s ultimate goal is to get you to separate yourself from God. Throughout our lives, we will experience many temptations. Some will be physical- temptations to sexual sin, lying, cheating, gossiping, etc. Others will be mental and spiritual- temptations to despair, scrupulosity, spiritual leniency, lukewarmness… Spiritual warfare involves fighting against these works of the devil with the help of Christ. We can’t do it on our own, but Jesus can! Ephesians 6:11 says, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” How do we put on this spiritual armor? This is explained in Ephesians 6: 10-18. St. Paul tells us that to put on the Armor of God for the spiritual battle is to: 1. Gird (belt) your loins with the truth Remember the truth. God is just. God is merciful. He loves you. He has a plan for you. 2. Put on the breastplate of righteousness Live each day in a way that is honorable to God. Follow the commandments! 3. Readiness of the Gospel of peace Accept God’s peace as your own. He’s offering it to you- you’re allowed to take it! (John 16:33) 4. Take the shield of faith “...with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” (Ephesians 6:16) Faith in God and His promises leaves the devil powerless. 5. Take the helmet of salvation Yep, that’s right. Remember that God does not take away your salvation. As a Baptized Christian, only YOU do that (by mortally sinning) and that’s exactly what the devil wants to happen. 6. Take the sword of the Spirit (the Word of God) Know Scripture. Know God’s Word. Know Jesus, who is the Word of God made flesh. (Hebrews 4:12) He will fight for you! (Exodus 4:14) 7. And pray in the Spirit… keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray. Pray, pray, pray. Pray for yourself. Pray for others. Pray that the devil is defeated in all his works. Pray to St. Michael. Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet. PRAYER IS POWERFUL! You are so precious and valuable that good and evil, love and hatred, all of Heaven and hell, God and the devil, are fighting for your soul. All of Heaven is on your side, cheering you on, until, at last, having rejected all the works and lies of the devil, with the help of God’s grace, you enter Heaven and take the place that has been prepared for you for all eternity. Sources and helpful articles: ‘Catholic Spiritual Warfare’ talk focuses on need to fight the devil- Diocese of Paterson Putting on the Armor of God- Ascension Press The Divine Mercy Chaplet Prayer to St. Michael Life Difficulties or Attacks by the Devil?- Catholic Answers Demonic Oppression is Real, and There’s Something You Can Do About It- Catholic Answers

Are you joyful? I have a feeling that if you asked this question to the entire world, the majority answer would be "no!" This is so unfortunate because the recipe for joy is so simple! God gave us the ultimate recipe for joy. He says in John chapter 15, "Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love." He then says: “I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete." The 10 commandments are instructions- instructions in the recipe for joy! For peace! For love! Happiness is fleeting. It's a reaction to things that happen. Joy is a state of being. The ten basic rules for living (which Jesus summarized with the words, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind" and "You shall love your neighbor as yourself. " are not a list of rules and limitations meant to take all the fun out of life. They are instructions for using the ingredients of joy (faith, hope, love, prudence, justice, and fortitude) These instructions to the recipe for joy were given to us by the creator of the human heart- the one who knows us most deeply and intimately knows best what will bring us joy!! Let's take this even deeper- "elevate" the recipe if you will: We know only God will make us truly joyful. God is love, and along with love comes joy. (Not always happiness, but joy). Therefore, living out the commandments naturally will lead us towards union with God. God gave us the Commandments so that "Our joy will be complete" God is our joy. Living out the Commandments to the fullest will lead us to that joy- to God! And if we keep His commandments, we will remain in His love and nothing- except the times when we gravely stray from "following the recipe"- can ever separate us from joy. From love. From God. If you follow the recipe- stick to it as closely as possible- you will find joy, and your joy will be complete! Reflection based on: Jesus said to his disciples: “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. “I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I love you." ~John 15:9-13

A very happy Mother's day to all mothers, grandmothers, aunts, godmothers, spiritual mothers.... You know who you are! Your self-sacrificing love for your childten- whether spiritual or biological- gives us life. We are given life by your nurturing and feminine spirit. You bring us to Christ. Friends, how will you honor the motherly women in your life on earth today? How will you honor your Heavenly Mother? Mamma Mary is just as real, just as present in your life as your mom is- maybe even more so. She cares for you. She loves you. She is constantly concerned for your well-being and salvation. With our Mamma by our side, we have no reason to be afraid. May God bless you on this beautiful day and always!!

Hi everyone! Big news! The Catholic Teen Life Blog now has a forum section on the website. This is a place for Catholic Teens to give advice, share prayer intentions and stories, ask questions, and more! I'd love it if you'd check it out and send me your feedback. Just comment below to let me know what you think!! You can find the forum here. Thanks so much! Hope you enjoy! ~ Catholic Teen

Who are you? Who am I? Who is that girl that sits across from you in math class? Who is that popular athletic kid who everyone seems to love? Who is that nun at your church who seems to pray constantly? Who is that guy at school who deals drugs from his locker? Who is that person with differing political views who always gets on your nerves? Who is the barista that serves you each day when you grab coffee before school? Who is that pastor at the Protestant church down the street? Who is that baby in the womb of his mamma who is contemplating having an abortion? Who is that mamma? Who is that politician that you can't stand hearing about? Who is that woman who's been in jail for as long as you can remember? Who is that man, laying in a hospital bed, close to death? Who is that sweet older man who you see walking to daily Mass? Who is that girl at school who is struggling with same-sex attraction? Who is that toddler at the park who smiled at you so sweetly? Who is your priest? Who was every person who lives, ever lived, and will ever live? Who is Jesus Christ? Who a person is according to the world is irrelevant and does not change how they deserve to be treated. Who are they? Who are you? You both are chosen from all creation and made in the image and likeness of God Himself. When you recognize that, there is hope. No matter who you are, no matter what you've done, you are still good in the eyes of God. In fact, you are VERY good! (Gen. 1:31) You both are loved so much that God Himself, 2000 years ago, died for you. You both are chosen. You both are cherished. You both have dignity simply because you are human beings and you exist. Our identities come not from ourselves, not from who others perceive us to be, but from God Himself, our Father and King. The next time someone asks you "who are you?", the next time you look at someone and think "who's that?!" think of this post. Think of God. It is in Him alone that we find our identity.

The Church recognizes this coming Sunday, The Second Sunday of Easter, as Divine Mercy Sunday. The Church first celebrated this glorious day on April 22, 2001, during the papacy of Pope Saint John Paul II. On Divine Mercy Sunday, we celebrate and take advantage of the graces that Jesus promised St. Faustina Kowalska, the recipient of the visions in which Jesus revealed His message of mercy to the world. Once, when Jesus appeared to St. Faustina, He said to her, My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the First Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy. Diary 699 Basically, what this means is that Jesus told St. Faustina that on the Second Sunday of Easter, anyone who goes to confession (or goes soon before or after that Sunday) and receives the Eucharist will be completely forgiven of all their sins and all temporal punishment will be taken away. Wow. As Jesus said, "My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity." He is so totally right. When I hear about the graces and mercy that Jesus is offering to the entire world, particularly on this Sunday, my mind is absolutely blown!! His mercy is endless, friends. I encourage you, if you take nothing else from this website, if it inspires you to do nothing else, I pray that you will go to Jesus and receive the sacraments and graces He offers on this Divine Mercy Sunday. You will never regret it. Jesus' mercy is His greatest attribute. When we receive His mercy we console His wounded heart, and He, in return, heals our own. No sin is too great, no person is too broken for God's mercy. _________________________________________________________________________________________ If you have questions about the Divine Mercy Devotion, visit thedivinemercy.org, leave a comment below this post with your question, or email me using the "contact" form on the home page of this website. I'll do my best to find you an answer! If you participate in Divine Mercy Sunday this year (or have in previous years), I'd love to hear about your experience! Read a great post by Jimmy Akin about Divine Mercy Sunday! Read more of my posts about Divine Mercy: Divine Mercy Sunday 2020 Divine Mercy Sunday 2021 Mercy and Service 101 Jesus, I Trust in You. (Note: Catholics are not required to believe in the visions of St. Faustina as they are private revelations)

Dear Catholic Teen Life Readers, Wishing you all a very blessed and happy Easter!! Our Lord is alive! He died for you! He rose for you! And because of that, we can hope to someday rise with Him. ❤️️ It has been a joy journeying through the Lenten season with you all. Thank you for your joy and dedication to serving Christ. Please comment any prayer intentions you have and I'll include them in an Easter prayer intentions blog post. Once again, congratulations to our newest Catholics!! Have a beautiful Easter day everyone! God bless you all! ~Catholic Teen