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In today's Gospel reading from the Gospel of Mark, Jesus gives us a very important reminder. One that our world desperately needs. In this Gospel, Jesus is explaining the two greatest commandments: "Love the Lord your God from your whole heart, and from your whole soul, and from your whole mind, and from your whole strength" and "Love your neighbor as yourself." If we as a human race were truly following these greatest commandments, can you imagine how much better our world would be? If every single person on this earth lived their entire lives for God and God alone, they would follow His commandments instead of the commandments of the world. The world says that to get even, violence needs to occur. God says that we don't need to get even, just to forgive. The world says that lives are worthless- that no one has meaning. God says that all human beings are made in His image and likeness. The world says that God does not exist and that we are all alone. God says "I am with you always." And He means it. The world says to tolerate and God says to love. If we would just begin to realize the lies that are thrown at us day after day and run to the arms of Truth Himself, the God who tells us who we are and how we can be the saints that we are called to be, the commandments of the world would slowly disappear until all the world would once again follow the commandments of God. Jesus commands us to "Love your neighbor as yourself." What does that actually mean? Loving your neighbor means loving them despite their flaws, despite their weaknesses, and despite who the world says they are. Loving them means seeing Jesus in them, even if they can't see Him in themselves. It means recognizing them as the Child of God that they are and treating them as such. Even if they are the most horrendous person to ever walk on this planet, God still loves them and is waiting with open arms for them to come back and walk in His love and grace. But before we can truly obey this commandment, we need to learn to love ourselves. And that comes from loving God with all of your heart. If you truly love God with your entire being, you will also love what God loves, and God loves YOU! And the more you learn to love yourself despite your failures and weaknesses, the more you will learn to love others, and in turn, love God. Sometimes we will find ourselves complaining about our current situation or the situation that our country or world is in. Despite all of the anger, anxiety, or sadness we may feel as a result of tragedy in our world, complaining is never going to help anything. And neither is violence. When tragedies strike and people are in pain, the only things that can help are love and prayer. When we learn to live out these commandments, we will begin to see why Jesus calls these ones the greatest and we will see the profound effect that they will have on our lives if we just try to live in union with the one who loves us most, and try our very hardest to love everyone, no matter what, in the way that their Heavenly Father does. Love is the key to healing our broken world.

If you didn't already know, the home page of this website features a new saint each month. Sometimes it's because a saint has a feast day during that month, or it's just because they're really cool and I can't wait to write about them :-) You can find the section on the home page, right above the "contact" section. This month's saint isn't actually a saint yet, but she's been declared blessed by the Church, so pray for her canonization! Below is the story of Bl. Imelda Lambertini, a girl with an amazing love for our Eucharistic Lord. Please pray for her intercession for my little sister who will be receiving Jesus for the first time in the Holy Eucharist in a couple of weeks! Bl. Imelda Lambertini ​ The Story: Bl. Imelda Lambertini was only 9 years old when she went to live with the Dominican sisters near Bologna in Italy. She had an amazing faith in Christ and a great love for the Eucharist. It is said that all she wanted to do was receive Jesus! One day while she was in prayer, a light described as "The Light of The Host" was seen over her head. Her priest, upon seeing this, felt compelled to allow her to receive her first communion. After she had received Jesus, she went back to her pew to pray. She remained there for a while, and one of the nuns whom she lived with came to check on her. She was still kneeling in prayer with a huge smile on her face. The Sister later called her name, and when she was not given a response, went to check on the little girl. She was found to be dead, and had died out of pure love and joy from receiving her dear Lord. Ironically, one thing she would often say is, "Tell me, can anyone receive Jesus into his heart and not die? " This little girl who possessed such great faith and love for Christ is one whom we should all desire to imitate. Her love and short life greatly demonstrate the power of our dear Eucharistic Lord. ​ Patron: First Communicants Prayers: Lord, you instilled in Bl.Imelda Lambertini a great love for You in the Eucharist. Help us always to imitate that same love so that we too may one day be present at the Eucharistic feast in Heaven with you. Bl. Imelda, intercede for us before the Father and ask Him to grant us the grace to love His son with the same passion that you had, so that we may one day be present at the Heavenly banquet along with you and all of the saints and angels. Amen. ​ Sources: Catholic Online, Getfed.com, Nashvilledominican.com (This story is posted on the home page in the Saint of the Month section)

So today is Memorial Day. Depending on where you are living right now, it's probably very different from Memorial days in the past. Many cemetery Masses/services, parades, and picnics have been canceled. Despite all of this, we need to remember why we actually have a day such as this. While the fun traditions are definitely enjoyable, Memorial Day was established not as the beginning of picnic season, but to be a reminder to all Americans of those brave men and women who lost their lives while defending our freedom as American citizens. Memorial Day isn't about parades. It isn't about picnics. It's about remembering and praying for those souls who lost their lives so that we could live in a country where we can practice our faith, exercise our freedom of speech, and live the lives that God has given us so that we can make it to Heaven! In thinking of what to write for this post, the thought came to me that those who lost their lives while fighting for freedom are a lot like Christ. Jesus gave up His life so that all people, even those who would never know or love Him, could someday be freed from the sin that holds them back from being who they were meant to be. He fought the devil for our freedom and won. The men and women who lost their lives while fighting for our freedom did a very similar thing while fighting for the freedom of their country, both in that present-day and in the future. Since Christ made the ultimate sacrifice and beat sin and death, we now have the chance to go to Heaven. With this in mind, I have a challenge for you today. In the time that you would normally be at a picnic/parade/memorial service or even while you're on your way to a non-canceled one (yay!), pray a Divine Mercy Chaplet* for all those men and women who lost their lives for your sake. Pray that when they died they were thrown into the Ocean of Mercy and taken to Heaven where they were rewarded for their bravery, courage, and Christ-like sacrifice. Pray also for those whom they were fighting against and those who persecute us now, that they will repent and turn back to the path God wants them to be on- the path to sainthood. All of these things can happen because the ultimate Good is always stronger than evil. *How to pray the Chaplet: https://divinemercyforamerica.org/action-plan/pray-like-st-faustina/chaplet-divine-mercy/?gclid=CjwKCAjwtqj2BRBYEiwAqfzurzW-CVROnbe6wdJxsahOrxW7I75nOUijbDjeMKqIEN3K-hP_ibl9EhoCTZ4QAvD_BwE

Many people have been endlessly searching YouTube lately to find some entertainment and end to their boredom. While videos of cooking hacks or crazy science experiments may be temporarily enjoyable, they will not bring true joy (or end boredom). What many people don't know is that there are a TON of Catholic YouTubers out there who have amazing messages to share and information about any topic imaginable relating to the Catholic faith. Next time you find yourself endlessly scrolling through YouTube, check out some of these awesome channels that are great for Catholics and Non-Catholics alike. Now when watching YouTube, you'll actually be learning something useful! Catholic Answers Okay. So. I know I talk about this amazing organization A LOT but if you just go to their YouTube channel, you'll see exactly what I'm talking about. The apologists at Catholic Answers have an answer to virtually every question you could ever have about the Catholic faith. This would be an excellent resource for those who are new to the faith or are just beginning to discover the wonderful world of Catholicism. https://www.youtube.com/user/catholiccom Kid Catholic This channel was created by a teenager, just like you and me, who felt the need to create a channel specifically for kids and teenagers that teaches about Catholicism. He explains things in a very clear and easy to understand way and is also pretty funny. He has videos on the Bible, high school, current issues, Church teachings, and interviews with people, and much more. Lately, in his videos, he is encouraging everyone to like and subscribe so make sure to do just that :-) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8xnRLyVlvmPL-PFiu-1bYg Franciscan University of Steubenville I know what you're thinking. This is a college. But just trust me with this one. Franciscan University is (in my opinion and in the opinions of many others) one of the best Catholic universities in existence. Along with learning about why this is one of the best Catholic colleges, on this channel, you can watch videos that dive deep into the Catholic faith, virtually attend daily Mass, and see just how special Franciscan university really is. https://www.youtube.com/user/FranciscanUSteubie Breaking In The Habit This channel was created by a young Franciscan priest who makes videos about different Catholic topics and his journey to the priesthood. The description of his channel is this: Offering personal reflections and explanations from a Catholic and Franciscan perspective for Christians who want to become better disciples of Jesus Christ and discern their vocation. There you go! That pretty much sums it up. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDcdVPVsJRxAVKq4vY0NYeg Ascension Presents Ascension Presents is a channel that features videos from numerous "Catholic famous" speakers including Father Mike Schmitz, Taylor Tripodi, Jackie and Bobbie Angel, Fr. Mike Mary, and more. They all give their insight into different Catholic topics and moral issues. If you're a teen who goes to church with me* you'll probably recognize some of these people from confirmation class. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVdGX3N-WIJ5nUvklBTNhAw thatonecatholicgirl This channel is by - you guessed it - a Catholic girl. She gives information about life as a young Catholic as well as answers common misconceptions about Catholicism. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdSHCzmybKoeKLrXR1HL4NQ Daughters of Saint Paul Vocations YouTube and religious sisters don't seem to go together, right? WRONG! These sisters, nicknamed, "the media nuns"use as many forms of media as they can to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, their lover and spouse. The channel features videos including interviews with the sisters, a peek into their lives, storytime with the sisters (for during quarantine), and much more. It's definitely one of my favorites. Check it out! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC49C6nTKr-pkaSL7ShwLUeQ Sisters of Life This channel also highlights the life and mission of another religious order, the Sisters of Life. These sisters take a fourth vow to protect and enhance the sacredness of human life. They do this through caring for pregnant women, as well as those who have had an abortion. They are amazing women who really truly spread Christ's love to the world. Their channel gives songs, saints, podcasts, and testimonies from both the sisters and the women that they have helped. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk-lprdcbPFIrVeK5cjhZ6A Students for Life Students for Life is one of the largest pro-life organizations in America. Their channel provides resources for SFLA groups, pro-life news, and facts about abortion. It is an awesome resource and really makes you aware of how much abortion impacts our society and needs to be stopped. https://www.youtube.com/user/studentsforlife And the last one... New Catholic Generation This one is just funny. The channel was made by a few Catholic college students who really have a passion for the faith. They provide extremely funny videos about Catholic life which may or may not make you laugh out loud.... Trust me. It happens. Frequently. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsKwXPRyjFpX6nWRLssluvA/featured Of course there are many other Catholic YouTubers, but these are just a few of my favorites. Feel free to comment with your favorite Catholic YouTube channel or let me know if you checked out any of these! Happy Watching! * Why don't you eat some goldfish while you're watching these videos???

A couple of years ago in seventh grade, I noticed a poster in my computer teacher's classroom. It is the inspiration for this post and for all of my friendships that I have right now. I wanted to share with you how this poster changed my perspective on friendships and relationships in general. Who knows.... maybe it will help you! The poster says, "Surround yourself with who you want to be." I don't think it really sunk in at first. It was just another motivational quote. But now, after having that teacher again this year and seeing the poster again, I see just how important living out that quote is. If you think about it, it really does make sense. If you want to be a musician, surround yourself with musicians. If you want to be an athlete, surround yourself with athletes. If you want to be a good Christian, surround yourself with good Christians. If we live up to this quote, we will have better relationships with others, as well as see ourselves grow. We have such a huge impact on the lives of those around us. Just one smile can change a life. If someone sees you being kind or generous, they will naturally feel compelled to do the same. If we want more people to live their lives totally for God, we need to give them that example and do it ourselves. But it goes the other way too. If you surround yourself with people who place popularity, clothing, or romantic relationships before everything else, you will gradually start to behave that way too. True friends build each other up and help each other to achieve their goals. When you have good Christian friends you can help each other get to the ultimate goal: Heaven. I, thankfully, am blessed with some amazing friends both at church and in other areas of my life. I am so, so grateful for them and the impact they've had on my life. But I haven't always had such great friends. I, and so many other teens, have been in friendships that do not lead us on the path to sainthood. It is our responsibility as Christians to make sure that any relationship we are in is bearing good fruits. In Matthew 7:18, Jesus says, "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit." We can easily apply this to friendships. If a friendship is good, it will bear good fruits in your life and lead you closer to God. If it a rotten tree (friendship) it will not bear good fruit and will lead you into a more sinful lifestyle. If you recognize that one of your friendships is like a rotten tree, CUT IT DOWN! End that friendship and don't let yourself be trapped in a place that leads you away from Love. Ending friendships can be extremely difficult. It can take months, even years, to distance yourself from a friend whom you were once very close to. But it will happen eventually. While you are trying to end this friendship, make sure that you pray for your friend! If they are engaging in sinful behaviors, make sure that you let them know that what they are doing is wrong, and continue to keep them accountable for their actions. Stay close to Christ and you will be just fine. Most of the time when friendships go wrong it's because the people involved don't have the same goals. My goal as a Christian is always to know, love, and serve God in this life so that I can be happy with Him in the next. If my friends didn't share that same goal, the relationship almost always ended. Now, I won't put all the blame on my former friends. I have messed up and not been a good example plenty of times! But now, by experiencing true friendship with the friends that I have now, I see where I messed up before and I am given the example of how to be a better friend. At a Steubenville conference that I attended last summer, Jackie Francois Angel gave a talk on friendship. She said that there are four types of friends. They are Virtuous friends, Enjoyable friends, Useful friends, and Toxic friends. Virtuous friends are the best kind of friends to have. They are the friends that keep you accountable and lead you closer to becoming the saint that you are meant to be. Your relationship is used to glorify God. Enjoyable friends are also great! They are the friends that you share common interests with. They are fun to be with because you like to do the same things. Useful friends are those who you are friends with because it is convenient. For example, friends on a sports team, in a club, or at school. It is good to be friends with them because you can help each other through common problems and situations that you will face together on your team or in your club or class. Toxic friends are those trees that bear rotten fruit. They have bad habits, lead sinful lifestyles, and are not good for your soul. They might talk about you behind your back, spread rumors about you, or even just be very confusing. These are sometimes the people who seem to be your best friend one day and then ignoring you the next for absolutely no reason at all. These are the friendships that you need to end. I challenge you to make a chart of these four types of friends. Sort your friends into the categories and see who are truly your friends. You can also turn it around. What kind of friend are you to other people? Take the time to really think about it- don't just jump to conclusions. Once you've done this, think about how you can improve your friendships. I've asked a few of my best friends in the entire world what they would tell other teens to look for in virtuous friends and how we, as teens, can help each other grow in our relationships with God. Here are the answers that I got.* What would you look for in a virtuous friend? Someone who will love you for who you are. Someone who helps you through a hard time Someone who offers prayers for your family and other people Someone who is supportive Someone who helps you grow in your faith Someone who doesn't judge you if you make a mistake, they help you fix it Someone who will make community service and other church activities fun Someone who you have a lot in common with Someone who has the same moral beliefs as you Someone who is passionate about their faith Someone who you can be yourself around What advice would you give to teens so that they can help their friends grow in their relationships with God? Talk about God... don't be afraid Participate in Church events together Pray for each other Pray together -Show each other that you care about one another Encourage each other to pray Let them know how much they are loved Go to Mass together Attend Steubenville conferences (or other retreats) together Encourage each other to go to Confession Keep each other accountable Friends are one way that we find who we really are. Spending time with people who can help you get to Heaven is very important and will change your life. Not sure where to start finding these types of people? I would start as close to Christ as possible. Church. Check and see if there's a youth group at your parish or a youth retreat that your diocese hosts. These are great places to find other people that share your beliefs and goals. And just remember: If there aren't any friends in your life right now who can lead you closer to Heaven, Jesus is the best friend that you could ever have :-) *Huge shoutout to these amazing teens! Guys, if you're reading this, just know that you all are some of the greatest people I've ever known and you've had such a huge impact on my life. Keep eating goldfish and being awesome :-) I love you tons and thank you for being you <3

First of all, Happy Mother's day to some of the best people on earth... moms! Being Catholic, we are blessed to have both an Earthly mother and a heavenly Mother, who is even greater than our human mothers will ever be! Here are some fun and creative ways to honor both your Heavenly and Earthly mothers this Mother's day! 1. Have a May Crowning One popular Catholic tradition usually held on or around Mother's day is the crowning of the Blessed Mother. You can weave a crown out of ribbon or flowers to give our Queen her crown. Make sure to display Our Lady in a prominent place in your home! My family put her in our front window for the whole neighborhood to see. It's a great way to spread our faith! 2. Tell your Mom you love her If you haven't had the chance to do some Mother's day shopping due to quarantine, you can always just tell your mom how much you love her. Chances are, that will be the best gift she could receive :-) You could also make her a homemade card, offer to do extra chores around the house, or thank her for being such a great mom. 3. Pray the Rosary Ask for the Blessed Mother's intercession in your life and the lives of those around you. You could even pray the Rosary with your earthly mother to strengthen your relationship! 4. Sidewalk Chalk Messages Chalk messages in the street or on the sidewalk to give a message to any mothers who happen to walk/drive by. Here are some ideas! Dear Moms... -We love you! -You're amazing! -Thank you for choosing life. (You can be a pro-life witness!) - God loves you (and so do we!) ... Happy Mother's day! 5. Text/call/video chat with your grandmother, aunt, godmother, etc. Let the other moms in your life know that they are loved and appreciated. Even if we can't physically connect right now, we can still chat through technology! 6. Ask your friends to tell their moms Happy Mother's day from you Your friends' moms are probably some of the biggest people in their lives! Make sure to thank them for raising such great kids! 7. Pray for women who are considering an abortion These women are already mothers!! Pray that they will choose life for their child and continue to be a mother to them. If you know anyone who is pregnant make sure to wish them a happy Mother's Day! Happy Mother's Day to all the moms who make our lives so special. We love you forever and are so grateful for you <3 Blessed Mother, PRAY FOR US!

Catholic Answers Press is one of the top Catholic publishers in the United States. In addition to publishing tons of amazing books for Catholics, they also have an apologetics website and a radio show where listeners can call in and ask their questions about the Catholic faith. Here are just a few reviews of some of my favorite books that they've published. Happy reading! A Daily Defense: 365 Days (plus one) to Becoming a Better Apologist- Jimmy Akin I featured this book in another book review post on devotionals and prayer books. This is the same review from that post, so if it looks familiar, that's why! A Daily Defense- This book is by very famous apologist, Jimmy Akin, from Catholic Answers. The description on the front of the book is "365 days (plus one) to becoming a better apologist". The book is an excellent resource for those of us who love to defend our Catholic faith, or have questions about it and want to learn more. The book is set up in a way that for each day there is a common objection to Catholicism and Jimmy Akin's explanation on how to defend the Church's teaching on the topic. It's easy to understand and definitely worth the 5 minutes per day that it takes to read. This would be a great read for someone going off to college or just for anyone who is often put in situations where they need to defend their Catholic faith. https://www.google.com/amp/s/shop.catholic.com/amp/a-daily-defense-365-days-plus-one-to-becoming-a-better-apologist/ Persuasive Pro-Life: How to Talk About Our Culture’s Toughest Issue- Also by famous Catholic Answers apologist, Trent Horn, this book is probably my favorite pro-life book of all time. Trent Horn gives clear answers to common pro-life objections, strategies for having meaningful conversations with those who have questions about the pro-life movement or are pro-choice, and many more tips and strategies to help you in your journey as a pro-life apologist and advocate for the unborn. This is the book that I used as a resource in all of my pro-life posts leading up to St. Gianna Molla's feast day. Check them out if you haven't already! https://shop.catholic.com/persuasive-pro-life-how-to-talk-about-our-cultures-toughest-issue/ 33 Days to Morning Glory: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat In Preparation for Marian Consecration This book by Fr. Michael Gaitley is a necessity for anyone who is interested in consecrating themselves to the Blessed Mother but isn't sure where to start. My family read the meditations as a family during Lent this year leading up to our consecration on The Feast of the Annunciation (Check out my "Happy Feast of The Annunciation!" post!). It only takes a few minutes each day and adequately prepares you for the consecration, giving you tons of information on Marian saints, what the consecration means, what graces being consecrated brings, and how Marian Consecrations have helped so many people on their path to sainthood. Let me know in the comments if you've consecrated yourself to the Blessed Mother or if you've used this book before! I'd love to hear about your journey :-). https://shop.catholic.com/33-days-to-morning-glory-a-do-it-yourself-retreat-in-preparation-for-marian-consecration/ 20 Answers Series The books in the 20 Answers Series give 20 answers per topic for numerous topics of Catholic teaching including The Eucharist, Abortion, Saints, Death and Judgment, Salvation, and many more. They're a quick and easy way to learn what the Church teaches about many different topics and an excellent tool for apologetics and evangelization. https://shop.catholic.com/20-answers-series-sampler-books/ Why We're Catholic: Our Reasons For Faith, Hope, And Love Also by Trent Horn, this book is perfect for anyone who is interested in learning more about the Catholic faith. The book answers commonly asked questions about topics such as Truth, God, Jesus, The Bible, The Church and Sacraments, saints, sinners, morality, and destiny. It presents answers in a simple way that makes it an easy resource for anyone and everyone. It would also be a great resource for evangelization. It would be an awesome book to have on hand wherever you go where you may encounter people who want to learn more about Catholicism (pretty much everywhere!!!) Luckily, Catholic Answers sells their books in bulk for a very good price... :-) https://shop.catholic.com/why-were-catholic-our-reasons-for-faith-hope-and-love/ Catholic Answers sells SO MANY MORE books than these!! Make sure you check them out at https://shop.catholic.com/ I'm just getting started reading them and I'm so excited to see what God will reveal to me through the works of these amazing Catholic authors. Please let me know in the comments section if you check out any of these books or if you've read them before. God bless!

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops are together consecrating their respective nations to the Blessed Mother today. This is especially appropriate due to the status of our world right now because of the Coronavirus pandemic. So what does this consecration mean? The Oxford Dictionary defines consecration as"the action of making or declaring something, typically a church, sacred." In this case, countries are being consecrated instead of churches. This means that the nations will be under her protection and she will lead and guide them on the path to salvation through her son. Knowing that you are under the protection of the Mother of Christ and that she is leading you closer to her son every day is a big comfort. In this time of uncertainty and isolation, it can be easy to feel lonely. When walking hand in hand with Christ guiding your life you are never ever alone. Our world is desperately in need of prayer right now. This virus is a big wakeup call for many people, calling them back to God through prayer. One of the 15 promises of the Rosary is that "You shall obtain all you ask of me by recitation of the Rosary." Think about this... If we can obtain all that we ask for, if it is in accordance with the will of God, we can have such a huge impact on our world. We can stop pandemics, save countless lives, help people get to Heaven (as well as ourselves), and prevent disasters of all kinds simply by praying and meditating upon the mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary. The Rosary is a great gift to us. We, as Catholics, are so blessed to be able to use this gift. Of course, anyone can pray the Rosary, but it is typically Catholics who do so most often because of our dedication to the Blessed Mother. This consecration is very important for our world right now. Between pandemics and upcoming presidential elections, our world really needs a whole lot of prayer. Take some time today to ask for the intercession of our Blessed Mother for healing and protection of our nations. I've included some links to videos to pray along with at the bottom of the page. You can also watch the consecration on EWTN or on their Facebook page at 3 p.m. Eastern Time. This is a very big day for the Church! I'm looking forward to uniting with you in prayer today so that our Blessed Mother can lead our nations towards always living totally with and for God. https://www.facebook.com/ewtnonline/- EWTN Facebook Page https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2PsbQ5K5go&t=722s- Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary (prayed on Tuesdays and Fridays) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvMMrF1IPm4- Live Eucharistic Adoration

Today (April 28th) is the feast day of Saint Gianna Beretta Molla. She is an amazing modern saint and an inspiration to many all over the world. She was canonized in 2004 and is the patron saint of the pro-life movement, mothers, physicians, and unborn children. Gianna was a woman of great faith, hope, and love. She was an Italian mother, wife, pediatrician, and a great lover of Christ. From the time she was very young, she was very involved in her parish, as well as in a local Catholic Action group. In 1954, she was married to the man that she had been praying for. She and Pietro had 4 children together, all of who are still alive and well today. During her fourth pregnancy, her doctors found that she had a tumor in her uterus that was endangering the lives of both she and her unborn child. The doctors gave her 3 choices for her pregnancy, along with the recommendation of immediate surgery to remove the tumor. She could either have an abortion, ensuring her own survival but killing her baby, have a complete hysterectomy, unintentionally killing her child, or she could deliver her child and risk complications from delivery. She chose the latter, telling her husband and the doctors that if it came time to choose between saving her life or the life of her child, they should save the baby. Her youngest child, Gianna Emanuela, was born on Holy Saturday (April 21) of 1962. Gianna suffered for many days after the birth of her child, finally dying on April 28, 1962, at the young age of 39. As I mentioned in the Saint of the month section of this blog, Gianna is my confirmation saint. She showed true love and was a great example of a Catholic wife and mother (both of which I hope to be someday!) I really feel that she chose me because of my passion for the pro-life movement, as well as my love for children. I hope to be a youth minister someday, so her love for youth really spoke to me. Another thing that sticks out to me about her was her immense love for Christ and her abandonment to His divine will. One of her more famous quotes is, "Whatever God wants." She truly surrendered her life to the will of God by giving all that she had for Him and for her children. Gianna is a wonderful example of sacrificial love. You can do no more to show someone you care for them than laying down your life for their sake. In the end, Gianna got to save her baby's life, as well as go to Heaven and be with her Lord. We, as teenagers living in a world so full of people who advocate for women's right to abortion, need to be a voice for life. We need to show the world that all lives matter and are loved by a God who will never let them down. If we, the next generation of parents, law-makers, and leaders live and love as Saint Gianna did, our world will be a much better place. Let's ask St. Gianna to intercede for us as we work and pray towards a better, more pro-life world so that all lives are valued, just as they are in the eyes of God. Let's also ask her to intercede for us, the next generation of saints, that we may live holy lives and spread the love of the Lord everywhere we go and to everyone we meet. Saint Gianna, Pray for us!!! Resources: https://saintgianna.org/main.htm http://www.stgiannaphysicians.org/ https://blog.franciscanmedia.org/franciscan-spirit/saint-gianna-beretta-molla-one-of-us https://www.amazon.com/Saint-Gianna-Molla-Mother-Doctor/dp/0898708877 https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AGianna+Beretta&s=relevancerank&text=Gianna+Beretta&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1 Here's a prayer to St. Gianna: http://www.stgiannaphysicians.org/prayer_to_st_gianna

In the last post, I gave you some strategies from Trent Horn's book, Persuasive Pro-Life. One of these strategies was to ask questions instead of making statements. In this post I will highlight these questions and show you how to use them when engaging in dialogue. Question 1: What is abortion? This question is very important to ask. It's easy to assume that everyone knows what happens during an abortion and what the results of it are. That is definitely not the case! This is a good question to ask because it lets you know what the person's level of knowledge about the subject is and how best to respond to them. It is also a good way to spark deeper conversation and is a good lead to other questions. You may get an answer such as the one that Planned Parenthood offers: That abortion expels the pregnancy from the woman's body. This is completely invalid because pregnancy is not a thing, it is a condition, and conditions cannot be removed. They can be cured or controlled but they cannot be removed. The Merriam-Webster definition of pregnancy is: "containing a developing embryo, fetus, or unborn offspring within the body." In removing the "pregnancy," abortion removes the woman's state of being pregnant, and in doing that, removes the embryo/fetus/ unborn offspring that is depending on the woman's body to survive. Ex: Pro-Life: So, what is abortion? Pro-Choice: It's a procedure that removes a pregnancy from a woman. Pro-Life: Oh. I see. Well... Question 2: What is pregnancy? Most people will answer this question with some sort of variation of "it's the time when a woman's child/fetus/offspring is growing inside of her body." As I mentioned above, the definition of pregnancy is: "containing a developing embryo, fetus, or unborn offspring within the body", so if this is how they answered the question they are correct. This question makes the person admit that pregnancy is a time when a new organism is growing inside of a woman's body. After asking this question and guiding the person to understand the correct answer if they did not realize it already, you can ask the MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION that there is to ask when engaging in dialogue.... Question 3: What are the unborn? This question is the most important because if you can get the person you're talking to to understand that the fetus is a living human being, it will start to make sense to them that abortion is wrong because it kills a human being. This is always the question to come back to when conversing with others because it is ultimately the question that you are trying to answer. Another variation of this question: What are humans? The answers you will get from this question will vary. One of the most common responses though, is that a human is a member of the human species and is someone who meets all the requirements for human life. If this is the answer that you get, you can demonstrate that a fetus meets all of these requirements (has 23 chromosomes, comes from human parents, etc. and therefore, is a human that deserves all the rights that we, born humans, have, including the right to life. Once you get the person to understand that the fetus (developing baby) inside of its mother's womb is alive, it will most likely be very easy to get them to see why abortion is wrong. Question 4: What happens to a fetus when it is aborted? The answer you will get it will probably be along the lines of: "it's removed from the woman's body" or "it just goes away". The first answer is true- the fetus is removed from the woman's body, but there's more to it. When the fetus is removed, it dies. That child depends on its mother for nourishment and life, similar to the way that a newborn child does. A popular argument for abortion is that a woman should not feel obligated to lend her body to another person for 9 months because it will cause her discomfort. This is exactly like saying that a woman should not feel obligated to feed, clean, clothe, or shelter her children just because it may cause her discomfort. If you present this example to the person you are talking to and ask them if they think that a mother is obligated to feed, clean, shelter, clothe, and care for her children*, and their answer is, "because the child is her responsibility and she needs to take care of it", then you can ask "what makes that child any different from a child living in its mother's womb?" This will lead you back to the question of, "what are the unborn?". Miscellaneous questions to ask: Why is it wrong to kill a newborn baby? Most people will answer with something along the lines of, "because it's a human being." This question will lead you back to the question of, "what are the unborn?" You can also ask the person what the difference between a newborn and a child in its mother's womb is. Hint: The only difference is their location!!! In the next post in this series, you'll learn the reasons why most women have abortions and the safer and morally correct alternatives to abortion that are available to women in those situations, as well as why abortion is never necessary. * If a woman finds that it is physically impossible for her to care for her children, there are other options such as foster care, adoption, or the child could even stay with a trusted relative or friend until the mother had the means necessary to care for her child. The decision to place a child for adoption or in foster care is a very difficult one. If you or someone you know are in this situation, please talk with a trusted priest, family member, or other responsible adult that can get you the resources you need. You can also contact a pregnancy care center and they will try to help you out.

In this post we're going to learn some tips for effectively discussing abortion with those of opposing viewpoints. In his book Persuasive Pro-Life*, Catholic apologist Trent Horn lays out some tips for talking with those who identify themselves as pro-abortion. These tips are as follows: 1. Don't be weird 2. Make your evidence bulletproof 3. Use questions instead of statements 4. Actually Listen 5. Agree whenever possible Don't be weird: This step is pretty simple. Don't purposefully try to offend people because of their opinion of abortion. Don't insult them or use hateful words. For example, don't tell the person that you are talking to that they are going to hell because they think abortion is okay. That is not effective and will only make you seem insensitive and rude. Make your evidence bulletproof: Always keep good, unbiased sources in the back of your mind when discussing abortion. These sources could include medical journals, the CDC, articles from the Lozier institute, and many more. Know the basic facts of abortion and human development so that you have an answer to most questions that you are faced with. If you don't have an answer to a question, THAT"S OKAY!!! Simply tell the person that you're not 100% sure how to respond and see if they can give you their email address so that you can do some research and get back to them. Use questions instead of statements: Asking questions has proven to be very effective when speaking with people of opposing viewpoints. Asking questions shows that you are interested in the other person's opinion and you care about what they have to say. In Trent Horn's book, he gives some examples of questions to ask. Here are a few of them: 1. What is abortion? 2. What is a human? 4. What is pregnancy? 5. What's wrong with being pro-abortion? 6.Why is it wrong to kill a newborn baby? 7. What does an abortion do to the fetus? In an upcoming post we'll be discussing how to use these questions in conversation and how to respond to the answers to the questions. Actually listen: Let the person you're talking to know that you care about their opinion and what they have to say. Use active listening skills (Learn more about that here: https://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/ActiveListening.htm) and try to stay open minded. Agree whenever possible: Try to find common ground with the person you're speaking with. For example,if someone says that they are for abortion because it helps women assure them that you also want what's best for women and then tell them why abortion actually hurts women instead of helping them. Finding common ground will make your conversations a lot more enjoyable and fruitful. Let me know in the comments if you use any of these tips in conversations or if you know of any other good strategies. Try some of them out! They work, I promise :-) * Pages 43-53 You should get the book! It's really good and Trent Horn is very smart. Here's the link to buy it: https://www.amazon.com/Persuasive-Pro-Life-Cultures-Toughest/dp/1941663044

Happy Divine Mercy Sunday! This feast day in the Church celebrates God's infinite mercy and love for us. The devotion to Divine Mercy came from a young Polish nun, Sister Maria Faustina Kowalska of the Blessed Sacrament when Jesus appeared to her while she was in her cell at the convent. He gave her many messages, all of which she wrote in her diary*, along with a prayer called the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. This prayer is SO POWERFUL!! It can literally get even the most hardened of sinners to heaven. Jesus also told Sr. Faustina to pray the chaplet for those who are dying and those who have already died and He will show them great mercy. The apparitions and the prayers have been approved by the Church and Sr. Faustina is now a saint (yay!!!) Here's her story: https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=510 Jesus' mercy is so overwhelming that no human mind can even begin to fully understand how much He wants to give us His mercy and love. If you've never prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, today would be an excellent day to start. Here's a guide for how to pray it:https://www.thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/pray-the-chaplet It's a very easy prayer and it doesn't take long at all. Jesus has promised great graces to souls who recite it devoutly each day. Another amazing thing about Divine Mercy Sunday is that all of our sins and punishments for them are wiped clean today if we receive communion and go to confession (Or for those of us in COVID-19 areas, pray a spiritual communion prayer and make a sincere act of contrition). ** Today, thank Jesus for his gift of mercy. Tell him you love Him, and repent of your sins. Jesus doesn't need to be merciful, but He is, because that's just how much he loves us. If you've not "been" to Mass yet today, here are the links to YouTube mass by some of my favorite priests :-) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqCt59FsILM Fr. Brian Van Fossen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hMRmy96tIk Fr. Mike Schmitz https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igCYooPqXjw Bishop Robert Barron Always remember that Jesus loves you. His mercy is infinite and His love is never-ending. No matter what you've done He is always there to welcome you back with open arms. Run to Him. Allow His love to overflow from your life into the lives of those around you. May God bless you on this Divine Mercy Sunday and always <3 * This diary is published and available to purchase. It's amazing and you should definitely check it out :-) https://www.amazon.com/Diary-Divine-Mercy-My-Soul/dp/1596141107 ** Diary 699. Also, let's pray for all those souls who have died as a result of the Coronavirus.