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This month's saint is Saint Matthew the Apostle. Matthew (also called Levi) was one of Jesus' twelve apostles and was formerly a tax collector for the Romans. The tax collectors of that time often over charged their tax payers and kept the extra for themselves, so they were disliked by many of the Jewish people living under Roman authority. This is the story of Matthew's call from Jesus as described in the Gospel of Luke. Luke calls Matthew "Levi" because that is what He would've been known as after the apostle Matthias replaced Judas Iscariot. After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him. Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were at table with them. The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus said to them in reply, “Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.” St. Matthew is another wonderful example of saying "yes" to God! When He calls, we need to follow. St. Matthew also reminds us that God can- and will- use anyone to build up His Kingdom. And He wants to use you. He is calling you. Now it's up to you to answer Him. St.Matthew, pray for us that when the Lord calls, we, as you did, will have the courage to leave everything behind to follow Him. Guide me to realize that even though I am a sinner, God can still use me in amazing ways and make me into a saint if I let Him. Sources: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/5 https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-matthew/ https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=84

Check out the new themed Rosary for the 2020 school year!! It can be found by clicking into the Themed Rosaries tab in the menu and then clicking on the "Rosary for the 2020 School Year" button. Note to Teachers and school district staff: We are praying for you!! This is a stressful time to be a teacher, but if you trust in Jesus, you will be just fine. You are such a blessing in the lives of your students and we really appreciate all that you do! :-) Note to my fellow students: You are always being prayed for and are so loved. Never forget that. This is going to be a great year for you! Ask God to use it to form you into the saint that He's calling you to be. Check out the "A School Day Prayer Routine" post to find some ideas for incorporating prayer into your school day. Please pray for me too as I start this new school year! I'm going to try to post as much as I can in addition to having school work every day. Have a great year, everybody!! - Catholic Teen

We all need a little laughter right now, don't we?! Sometimes all it takes to brighten up a bad day is a smile :-) I hope that some of these memes/jokes that relate to Catholic Life will bring some joy to you. Let me know in the comments section if you have a favorite! God bless! The Young Church is alive and well! All you have to do is go to a youth ministry event to observe Catholic Teenagers in their natural habitats. Steubenville conferences are an even better place to see large flocks of them all at one time. Get it?! St.Joseph doesn't say anything in the Bible. He's the king of the saying, "Actions Speak Louder Than Words." Nope. Not possible. This one's amazing, and I think I actually laughed out loud when I saw it (lol). But seriously, the real Divine Mercy Sunday is 1000 times better than ice cream. Learn more about it here: https://www.nationalshrine.org/blog/the-significance-of-divine-mercy-sunday/ This one needs no explanation. Jesus is amazing. For the millionth time! CONFIRMATION IS NOT GRADUATION!!!! *Check out the post specifically written Confirmation students: https://catholicteenlife.wixsite.com/mysite/post/a-letter-to-the-confirmation-class-of-2020 Catholicism + Science = Amazing By the way, did you know that our current pope worked as a Chemist before entering seminary?! Yep. It's official. Catholicism and Science go hand- in - hand. Any other Tangled fans out there?!! If you're not, go watch it again. You'll change your mind. But seriously, the Blessed Mother is a million times better than Mother Gothel... Have you? If not, stop reading this and go do it! Pray the Rosary*, and while you're at it, talk to your physical mom or another mom-ish person in your life. Bonus points if you pray the Rosary with her. The bearded man is St.Valentine, by the way. I wonder what he is thinking up in Heaven every Feb. 14... Hopefully, we'll all find out someday!! And last, but certainly not least, my personal favorite. Who doesn't love Veggie Tales?!! If you're not familiar with the reference, watch this video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5uujMb_hbo For some extra fun, walk into your kitchen tonight playing the song (with the sound turned up!!) on your phone. I'd love to hear about your family's reactions! Hope these Catholic jokes brought you some laughter! As I mentioned above, comment below to let me know if you have a favorite, or to share your favorite Catholic joke. * Here's a guide for how to pray the rosary:https://dynamiccatholic.com/rosary/how-to-pray-the-rosary Sources:

In these difficult times of disease and general unrest, it is hard to turn on a television or look at social media without seeing more bad news. You may think that nothing good is happening. I'm here to tell you that you are wrong. Good news is all around us, and we can see that in the miracles that are occurring every day! Babies are being born, people are joining the Church, people are getting married, and best of all, Jesus Christ has overcome all of the evil in our world! In John 16:33, Jesus says “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Jesus does not deny that we will have trouble and go through difficult times, but He tells us to not give up, to take heart, because He, the one who, along with His Father and the Holy Spirit, is the very heartbeat of the universe, has overcome the world. Love has won! Evil and sin and death no longer triumph over the world! You are not held captive by your sin! No matter what is going on in your life, no matter who you are or what you've done, the good news today is that you are loved by Jesus Christ. He gave up His life for you and loved you even to the point of dying for you. Through these actions, Jesus lives out the phrase "I would rather die than live without you." Jesus died a horrific death on a cross so that you might have eternal life with Him. This is not just one Catholic Teen saying this, it is what Jesus Christ, Son of God, King of the Universe, is telling you. He loves you, specifically! You were on Jesus' mind when He was hanging on the cross. I want you to do something right now. I want you to read this sentence and then repeat the next one out loud. I am loved by Jesus Christ, son of God, and He has overcome my world. Take heart, dear friend! Jesus Christ loves you and that news is the best news of all. Don't be afraid to open the door of your heart to Him. This is an invitation to all of you, Catholic or not. Do not be afraid. Ask Jesus to overcome your world. Ask Him to heal you and to strengthen you. He loves you and wants to be loved by you. He alone has the power to take away all of your anger, sadness, fear, and anxiety. Nothing and No one else can do that. Without Christ, there is no joy. There is no happiness. Do you want to be happy? Come to Jesus. Do you want to be freed from your sin? Come to Jesus. Do you want to be loved in a way that you've never been loved before? Come to Jesus. You can come to Him first in your heart, but then if you want an even deeper relationship, through the sacraments of the Catholic Church which are given by Christ Himself. Every single human being on this earth is given the opportunity to receive into their soul the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ through the sacrament of the Eucharist. Every single sin ever committed by anyone still on the face of the earth can be washed away through the sacraments of Reconciliation and Baptism. The sacraments are a huge part of the good news that I am sharing with you today because it is through them that Christ gives us physical evidence of His amazing love for us! There can be no better news than what I am sharing with you today because when you realize that it is true, you will have no reason to be afraid of any of the bad news of the world! And nothing, not a pandemic, war, protestors, nor the government, can ever make the Good News false. Jesus loves you and He will for all eternity! He has overcome the world, including all of the bad news in it! If you believe this and trust in Jesus, you will have peace and joy so abounding that no bad news will cause you anxiety or fear because you are trusting that Jesus is in control. Take heart, dear friend. Christ has overcome the world! You are immensely loved by He who sets you free. As you would with any other good news, please share this post with as many people as possible!!!

August's saint of the month is St. Lawrence. He was a deacon and martyr in the first Christian century during a time when the first persecutions of the Church were starting to ramp up. Rome was infiltrated by immorality and even a form of abortion. St. Lawrence's life was much like our own in some ways. He lived in a time of persecution, a time where immorality was normal, and a time where Christianity was not valued or seen as culturally acceptable. During Lawrence's ministry as a deacon, all of the bishops, priests, and deacons of the Church were sentenced to death by the Emperor. One day the Emperor summoned Lawrence and offered him a way to escape the coming executions. The Emperor told Deacon Lawrence to bring him all of the Church's treasure in exchange for his life. Deacon Lawrence asked for three days to retrieve the treasures. When he returned to the Emperor three days later, he brought with him many of Rome's poorest citizens who had become Christians, saying that they were the Church's true treasure. The Emperor then decided that the typical execution was not enough for Deacon Lawrence and that He was to be burnt to death on a grate. When the day of the execution came and Lawrence was being burned alive, he famously said, "Turn me over, I'm done on this side!" to those who were performing the execution. Talk about being joyful unto death! As young Catholic people living in an extremely secular world, we need to be prepared to both live and die for our faith. We also need to recognize that the poor and underprivileged in our society are infinitely more valuable than all the treasures of the world. St.Lawrenceis a wonderful example of someone who realized these things. He knew that His Catholic faith possessed the fullness of faith and of Truth and He was willing to give up his life for it and for Jesus Christ. Sources: https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=366 https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=1410

Did you know that there is a solution to all of the world's problems? And it is so simple. It's called prayer. Prayer changes lives. It transforms hearts and forms people into the saints that they are called to be. It averts wars and disasters and it can heal anything or anyone. The Rosary is one of the most powerful weapons of prayer that we have. Join me in praying for the healing of our world using the Rosary for the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Rosary can be found under the "Themed Rosary" page on the home page of this website. As always, please contact me using the "contact" form on the home page if you have any suggestions for themed Rosaries, prayer intentions, etc. God bless you!

It can be so hard to find good music. Everything on popular radio seems to have swear words in it or is talking about someone breaking up with someone else. I don't know about you, but that's nothing I would want to listen to. Here is a list of some amazing songs that I absolutely love and that I think you will too :-) They are all performed by Christian artists and are just a few of my favorites. Who knows? Maybe you'll find a favorite too... Check out a playlist with all of these songs (and more) on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4VEzg1QklH6LzhBzYbn2Ry?si=L_r2vytdSkCUxyCz2ROmFA Lord, I Need You- Matt Maher https://open.spotify.com/track/4EHWldZTas5KUyFtT0rQlY Hold Us Together- Matt Maher https://open.spotify.com/track/7IPldKTGN7pssmDl66DrMG Your Love Defends Me- Matt Maher https://open.spotify.com/track/066eFvkQXyR9UIYi65GsSu Adoration- Matt Maher https://open.spotify.com/track/5PfnaRjEsPfNOd7AdJmd2N What A Friend- Matt Maher https://open.spotify.com/track/7ozWDT47HkfCmbNGgMorU8 Alive & Breathing- Matt Maher https://open.spotify.com/track/1nmspIOQLdmBhGfT747dEJ Wild and Untamed- Sonar Worship https://open.spotify.com/track/43W7ujuy3Jy1QR3QYrHcT6 I Will Run- Sonar Worship https://open.spotify.com/track/6pgednD4qG9iB7cbiKsDNH Never Gonna Let Go- Sonar Worship https://open.spotify.com/track/2OKCm3uabGWGskxVVCp4eT?si=VvmiXNHHQQWRuzDv1mZgAg Magnified- Sonar Worship https://open.spotify.com/track/3QxNGjOo7qP17WHWC1SrcA No one Like This- Sonar Worship https://open.spotify.com/track/6xsP8ExRMIPVRPFLvyYTGZ This is Living- Hillsong Young & Free https://open.spotify.com/track/6TCk1yecQRDU5sXG3vjTYj Alive- Hillsong Young & Free https://open.spotify.com/track/2mYreCutf85FtKOUVJOKT4 Real Love- Hillsong Young & Free https://open.spotify.com/track/0epQ2DrozCuhE2Q7ZRtF2h What a Beautiful Name- Hillsong Worship https://open.spotify.com/track/1VwaTGLClgjTDPbew5WebC?si=o4QAfM7GQ8yejSoBBiEJVA Good Good Father- Chris Tomlin https://open.spotify.com/track/1mWdyqs6Zvg8b1lKjDc8yB How Great is Our God- Chris Tomlin https://open.spotify.com/track/0jOSpB2zK2O0SNxj8ZT5lp Indescribable- Chris Tomlin https://open.spotify.com/track/1GoE6xwwZ20NbxCKVA5nz2 Awakening- Taylor Tripodi https://open.spotify.com/track/2xp5BpaR0Z0Gkt2cyUbQyx Lord Have Mercy- The Vigil Project https://open.spotify.com/track/0KXmwUotQSHDxW0LRytCLM Reckless Love- Cory Asbury https://open.spotify.com/track/0rH0mprtecH3grD9HFM5AD?si=ZlzpHi8-Q9OIIzmu7W9jUA My Lighthouse- Rend Collective https://open.spotify.com/track/5AcdaSVQfLcUKMaqchfBie?si=Fyy-8_u7SCacidtNOm_LCw Build My Life- Housefires https://open.spotify.com/track/3BDpn2Vivr1BFhlGsYs5tp?si=c1dkJKVwS8aHiC6O_BuibQ Another in the Fire- Hillsong United https://open.spotify.com/track/5PmHmU5AaBy9ld3bdQkD96?si=xZrXSfKRRUKpkGmMPxf9_w Our God is Here- Chris Muglia https://open.spotify.com/track/5FcLPtXyCv0znIF4P3UlJP We Are Called- David Haas https://open.spotify.com/track/4jEPYO7nXJRl6280XSRk0H Litany of Humility- Danielle Rose https://open.spotify.com/track/2bUmiCiIfgTkx99iKDM0Jx Sonrise- Danielle Rose https://open.spotify.com/track/6p3Qdio1E0BVfDYgrJvV9n Your Bride- Danielle Rose https://open.spotify.com/track/1B6MM1vV0FDfvmqwFxKTmE Pursue Me- Danielle Rose https://open.spotify.com/track/3K8Y4JHBQS2rWyFfeX7vnL The Saint That is Just Me- Danielle Rose https://open.spotify.com/track/2YYnJL0FuISfuimfzW6S80 If I Touch Him- Danielle Rose https://open.spotify.com/track/63Se6FsKATkPVr3wf8e7Wh True Love- Danielle Rose https://open.spotify.com/track/7AhaPwx8LPt8DZQzuReZaL Queen of Peace- Danielle Rose https://open.spotify.com/track/3HYtEQXOqbrjkhvWHGhIbK (Girls discerning your vocation... listen to Danielle Rose's songs!!) Broken Things- Matthew West https://open.spotify.com/track/2SRmoMTKQPwqySNCq0eANT King of The World- Natalie Grant https://open.spotify.com/track/2sHDB7pY43GVTsl0X3ob1B?si=IskAP4deS9COvb2N6rBAow Overcomer- Mandisa https://open.spotify.com/track/5legkLUDyq0qOg4TR7wUAs?si=tyHJ7Jy1TjehUsVatWzpXg Love Take Me Over- Steven Curtis Chapman https://open.spotify.com/track/5inO6pKYQ5Tm4uQ16S9IST?si=w5D_nCsDQV24XLrSHndmYw Everything I Need- Jackie François Angel https://open.spotify.com/track/1fvfd7YnkIx9MP5fS4n9xV How He Loves- David Crowder https://open.spotify.com/track/6WSFMa721PvfnspCRsGOMh?si=73E5hw-xS3uUy9ayF_S5QA Saint Cecelia, patron saint of music and musicians, PRAY FOR US!!

Typically for a Gospel reflection, I would write about how the Gospel passage applies to our daily lives and how we can live out Jesus' message for that day. Today is a bit different. Instead of writing my own, I'd like to share with you a wonderful Gospel meditation from the website "My Catholic Life!." The website gives daily meditations on the Gospel. It only takes a few minutes to read or listen to and really gets your day off to a good start. My family typically listens to it every morning at breakfast :-) Today's reflection on the Gospel was very good and I thought I'd share it with you. Here is the link: https://catholic-daily-reflections.com/2020/07/12/peace-or-the-sword/ Please let me know in the contact section on the home page if you listened to/ read the reflection or even checked out some of the other reflections on the "My Catholic Life!" website. God bless you! * I did not write or help with the "My Catholic Life!" Website reflections in any way. This blog is not connected to them. Just want to share it as a resource.

Dear 2020 Confirmandees, Your life is about to change. I know it already has in these past few months, but it's about to change even more. You are receiving an incredible and life- changing gift. One that completes your baptism and enables you to more fully live out your faith as a Catholic- Christian. Through the sacrament of Confirmation, God is giving you the grace to go out into the world as young men and women and be soldiers for the kingdom of Heaven. He is giving you the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are the greatest gifts you could ever receive! (Go back and read my post, "The Holy Spirit- Greatest. Gift. Ever." to learn more). I don't typically share personal stories on this blog, but this time will be an exception. I was confirmed last year. I had gone through two years of classes with some of my very best friends in the whole entire world and was very well prepared to receive the sacrament. My teachers were amazing and I learned so much. When the day of Confirmation came, I was very excited. After Father's homily at Mass that evening, it was time for Confirmation. In our diocese, our Bishop gave permission for the priests to perform the sacrament that year, and this year as well due to COVID-19. When it was my turn to be confirmed, I walked up to the altar with my grandmother, who is my sponsor, and Father placed His hands on my head. He said, "Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit." At that moment, and as I walked back to my pew, a feeling of warmth came over me. I couldn't stop smiling! I was on fire for Jesus, and have been ever since. The Holy Spirit has been working in my life and using me in ways that I never could have imagined. (For example, I never could've imagined that I would have a blog with 50 posts!!) And He will do that for you too. God has plans in mind for you that you couldn't even imagine. They are beautiful and they will fill your life with joy from the Lord. Through the gifts of the Holy Spirit, you will become the saint that you are called to be. But you can only make use of a gift if you open it and use it as it is meant to be used. This being said, it is important to remember that CONFIRMATION IS NOT GRADUATION!! Just because you are going to be or are now considered an "adult" in the Church does not mean that you are free to skip Mass on Sundays or not go to confession. If anything it means you should participate in those things more often than you did before you were confirmed. This is only the beginning of your journey of faith. You have a responsibility to yourself, your loved ones, and to God Himself to open up those gifts of the Holy Spirit that you have received and use them for the glory of God. So my final message to you, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, is this: Don't be afraid to Trust God. He has an amazing plan for your life. Participate in the sacraments as often as possible, and be a witness to our incredible faith. Stay close to Jesus and His Mother, Mary. Develop a solid prayer routine. Ask for the intercession of your patron saints, and strive to imitate them daily. Find good friends who share your goal of becoming a saint and encourage one another to become who He made you to be.The world that we are living in desperately needs more holy people. I am confident that we, as the young Church, can fulfill that need. It also needs love. Our culture has lost the meaning of real love. We need to bring it back, and we will only be able to do so by prayer, and by treating every single person that we meet as the Child of God that they are. The more people that come to know and love Jesus with all of their hearts, the more love there will be. Know that I am praying for you, and the Church is praying for you. You are so loved and so amazing. Your holiness and prayers are going to change the world. So get out there and be the saints that you are called to be! God bless you :-) Love your sister in Christ, Catholic Teen To anyone who is reading this, please pass it on to any Confirmation students you may know! God bless you!

Hello friends! This month is a big one for Catholic Teen Life. We have an amazing Saint (well, almost saint) of the month, lots of posts coming up, and a new themed Rosary feature. Head to the "Themed Rosary" tab on the page to learn more! The first of these is a Rosary for America in honor of America's birthday on the 4th of July. America is in desperate need of prayer right now. It's hard to find peace and joy and love. But these things will be restored if we pray. The Rosary is one of the most powerful prayers that we've been given. When coupled with specific intentions for each individual prayer, I believe that it is especially effective. Please join me in praying for our country using the Rosary for America. Together, our prayers can help to fix the world. Some more good news.... The blog officially has 50 posts (51 counting this one)! Please continue to share this website with your loved ones, and keep liking and commenting on posts. Also, I'd love to hear what you think of the blog and any of your ideas for blog posts or Themed Rosaries. You can give me your feedback through the contact form on the home page. Know that you are all in my prayers during this unpredictable time. We will get through this! The Church is still strong. We have the power to change the course of history through our prayers. It's happened before and by the grace of God, we can make it happen again. Keep reaching for sainthood and being who He made you to be! God bless you! Catholic Teen

Again, this month's "saint" is not a saint yet. This young man, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati is another one of my favorite young Catholic people. He didn't write any books. He wasn't a priest. He wasn't anyone famous. He was a young man with a big heart and love for Jesus in the poor. He was born into a wealthy family in the year 1901. His parents made sure that their children were not spoiled and instilled in them a great love or the poor. As a young man, Pier was involved with many Catholic youth-based groups. He was very active in all of them and was devoted to all that he chose to participate in. He loved to serve the poor and had many friends on street corners and in the back alleys of his home city of Turin. When he died at the young age of 24 of polio, his parents expected many political figures, as well as family members to show up to Pier's funeral. Instead, thousands of poor and underprivileged people lined the streets to celebrate Pier's life and to pray for his soul. His body was found incorrupt when the tomb was opened in 1981 and his body is now kept in a cathedral in Turin. He was beatified on May 20th, 1990. His feast day is July 4th. Pope John Paul II called him, "Man of Eight Beatitudes" because of His great love for all people, no matter what. Blessed Pier, please pray for us that we may learn to love and serve the poor as you did. Help us to see Christ in everyone we meet, especially the poor. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Gospel of St. Matthew 5:3-10

Today's Gospel reading was from the book of John 3:31-36. In it are the words, "He does not ration his gift of the Spirit." Isn't that amazing!!! God pours out His Holy Spirit in immeasurable amounts on us. He doesn't save some for later or give more or less to different people. He is constantly giving us all that He has. Can you even imagine what our lives would be like if we embraced this gift? We would be doing the will of God for our lives, and that alone would change everything about us. In Jeremiah 29:11, God says, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" God has the perfect plan for our lives. Better than we could ever imagine. In living it out, we will be happier than we've ever been before! Just think about it... What would it be like if every single person in our world tried the best that they possibly could to live out the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit? (Wisdom, counsel, piety, fortitude, understanding, knowledge, and fear of the Lord AND generosity, joy, gentleness, peace, faithfulness, patience, modesty, kindness, self-control, goodness, and chastity.) It would be absolutely amazing! People would be kind to one another, they would live chaste lives, crime would decrease, and the world would be amazing because people would be living the lives that God intended for them to live. While we can't exactly get everyone in the entire world to allow the Holy Spirit to take over their lives, we can start by letting the Spirit take over our own lives. You may not realize this, but your actions can cause so many hearts to turn back to God. When you show kindness, evangelize, or even just smile at someone to show that you care, you can change someone's life by making them want to act the way that you act. Joyfulness and generosity are contagious! That is so powerful! When we live out the gifts and fruits that the Holy Spirit has given us through our Baptism and Confirmation, we live out the plan that God has for our lives, as well as encourage others to do so. Accepting the gift of the Holy Spirit will change your life. God wants to give you everything he has. Don't let this offer go to waste. It is my prayer for you that you will accept the gift of the Holy Spirit that the Lord is offering to you and use it to transform your life and the lives of those around you.