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So, Jesus is God, yes? Most of us can agree on that much. And we know that Mary is the mother of Jesus. Therefore, logically speaking, Mary is the Mother of God. Mary was first defined as the Mother of God (Theotokos!) at the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD. This belief was a conclusion based upon belief in Jesus' Incarnation- that He is fully God AND fully man. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "the One whom she conceived as man by the Holy Spirit, who truly became her Son according to the flesh, was none other than the Father's eternal Son, the second person of the Holy Trinity. Hence the Church confesses that Mary is truly 'Mother of God' (Theotokos)." (CCC 495) Mary is not the source of the divine nature of Jesus, but of His human nature. Just as we wouldn't say, though, that a mother is the mother of her child's body and not her soul, we also wouldn't say that Mary is the mother of Jesus' human nature and not His divine nature- both make Him who He is. (Example from Catholic Answers!!) To separate Mary from Jesus is to deny that Christ is fully God AND fully man- a fundamental aspect of Christian Theology. If Mary is not the Mother of God, then: a) Jesus is not God, only man, and only has human nature (Arianism, rejected by the Church at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD) b) Jesus is two separate persons- and Mary is only the Mother of the human person. (Nestorianism, rejected by the Church at the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD) c) Jesus is only God and only seemed to have a human nature. (Docetism, rejected by the Church at the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD) To deny Mary as the Mother of God is to deny Christ's human and divine nature. To deny Christ's nature is to deny either His humanity of divinity. To deny His humanity or divinity means that no one can be saved. This is catastrophic. If Mary is not the Mother of God, then death still has the final say. So we praise God for His great gift of Mary in giving us her as Theotokos- God bearer- and we celebrate her in a special way on January 1st on the feast of Mary, Mother of God. Still confused? Leave your questions in the comments!

Each time I read the part of the Gospel that we hear today, I think of it as a love letter from Jesus and the Father. It's incredible. It's like each word is dripping with meaning and love, like He said each one precisely and intentionally. Sometimes I have to close my eyes when I hear it during Mass, and let it sink into the depths of my soul. It's so, so beautiful. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me." "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be" "In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places" "I am the way and the truth and the life." "If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it." "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you." "In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live." "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid." These words- as well as the rest of them found in chapter 14 of the Gospel of John- are like a remedy for the pain and the lies that surround us. Yes, we might suffer, but we do it with Him. These words spoken by the Lord are words spoken to a bride. You, my friend, as a Baptized member of the Church, are His Bride. He speaks peace over you. He tells you that He is preparing a place for you! And He tells you not to be afraid. Let your heart be at peace. At the end of the passage, Jesus says some beautiful words. An invitation: " Get up, let us go." He invites you to the Garden of Gethsemane. To be with Him in His Passion. To keep Him company is the greatest gift you can give the One who loves you so deeply. Will you go with Him?

One thing that the FOCUS missionaries on my campus like to do with us to start out our Bible studies is have us share a high, low, and God moment from the week. It's fairly self-explanatory... you share one "high", or fun, exciting, or happy thing that happened during your week; one "low" or sad, difficult, scary, etc. time from your week so that your friends can pray for you, and a God moment, a time when you encountered the Lord and saw Him working throughout your week. Today I want to share with you some of my highs, lows, and God moments from the past couple of weeks just to give you an update and ask for some prayers. To start off with the "highs"... I got a new prayer journal. We held a bingo for the SFU Respect Life Club and made a lot more money for a pregnancy care center than we had accepted. Pumpkins! I got to go home for fall break and be with my family. I found a time management and planning system that works well for me. I did well on my midterms. My roommate and I got a TV for free! Now the lows... Seasonal depression is kicking in (but I'm trying to kick it back!!!) Pain. Not fun. It's cold outside. God moment... This one topped them all this week. To preface this, I'm currently in a book study that is reading the book "Healing: Bringing the Gift of God's Mercy to the World" by Mary Healy. We've been talking and learning about how the ministry and miracles of healing are not something confined to the early Church, but are something that we are called to practice as well, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Fantastic book. I'd highly recommend it. Anyway... back to my God moment. This past Thursday I had been at work all morning and got done with my shift at twelve to go to Mass. I had a migraine and was feeling really sleepy. Instead of suffering through it, gritting my teeth, and trying to tough it out, I was honest with Jesus. I told Him that my head hurt really badly and I was trying so hard to stay awake for Him. And then I asked for healing. I prayed all through Mass, "Jesus, I know you can heal me. I trust that you want to heal me. You've done it before and I know that you will do it again. I trust you." And then He did. It took me a few moments to realize it, but as soon as the Host touched my tongue, my migraine was gone and I could stay awake to pray. I could concentrate on praying and communing with Jesus, and was even able to go to lunch with my friends afterward instead of going back to my room to lie down. I was so comforted by the fact that He had healed me that I started telling random people... my friends, the lady who made my sandwich for lunch, girls in the Bible study I was leading... pretty much anyone who asked how my day was going. It was incredible, and I'd like to think that Jesus healed me partially so that even just one of those people, or someone who overheard, would put their trust in Him. Granted, my migraine did come back later in the day, though to a lesser intensity, and I've been in a lot of pain in other ways since then, but there is no doubt in my mind that Jesus healed me, even if my being pain-free was only for a few hours. I'm so grateful. I'm sharing this also to encourage you to pray for healing. Pray for your own healing, both physical and emotional, and for that of your friends and family. Every single person is going through something different and difficult. You might be the only person who has the faith to pray for their healing. Whether you pray with and over them or simply in the silence of your heart, know that our Lord hears our prayers and will heal us when the time is right. I'm praying for you!

The following is a research paper that I wrote for a college composition class. I wanted to post it on here because I believe it might be useful for any youth ministers, parents, or teens in ministry to read! Just a bit of background info... The sources I used are linked at the bottom of this post. I was taking the course through a Protestant university, and thus, all of my Biblical citations are from the King James Version of the Bible. I spoke vaguely about Catholicism within this essay, as I could not be too specific, but I use very Catholic concepts within my writing. Please let me know what you think and if the ideas I present in this paper are useful to you! I have always gone to church. I’ve always believed in God, loved Him, and said my prayers. However, I was never personally invested in my faith- it never excited me or made me live my life any differently from the rest of my friends. It took me until around age thirteen to realize that being a Christian meant more than going to church every Sunday and saying prayers before bed. My overly simple views of Christianity changed when I began attending my parish’s youth ministry program. My relationship with Christ, which had begun at my Baptism, was strengthened, and my relationships, life’s path, view of God and of my religion, and my entire world was changed and opened up by youth ministry. But why me? So many thousands of American teenagers attend services every week and never set foot back in a church for the rest of their lives after they graduate high school. Their parents, pastors, and youth group leaders cannot figure out what went wrong. Perhaps there was no specific programming or groups for teenagers. Maybe the church did have a thriving youth ministry program and great volunteers, but their group only had fun activities and fellowship nights with no educational, service, or worship opportunities. Youth ministry, in my own life and in the lives of many people that I know, has been vital to our journeys of faith. Without it, we would not be the Christians we are today. There are many different types of youth ministry programs, and each has a primary focus on a different area. Some focus on service and social justice, some on fellowship and having a good time, and some on learning about the liturgical and Biblical aspects of their faith. I have concluded that the reason why the youth ministry program I attended was so instrumental in my faith journey was that it incorporated all different types of youth ministry techniques. All of the different types of youth ministry programs are great, but Christians who incorporate opportunities for education about the faith, fellowship, service, and worship into their youth ministry programs will be most effective in keeping teens engaged with their faith and growing in their love for God. Before analyzing the effective strategies for youth ministry, one must first recognize that God can work through any event and any person for any purpose. He is not bound by the effectiveness of our youth ministry programs and can inspire anyone He wants to come to Him, with or without youth ministry. To make sure this discussion applies to the majority of youth group attendees, I will assume that the average teenager attending a youth ministry program is one who regularly participates in other religious events and services: “ About half of American adolescents regularly participate in religious organizations in the form of religious service attendance and participation in religious youth groups. … Youth who participate in one tend to be the same youth who participate in the other ” (Smith et al. 609). Therefore, the average teen will come to youth group for the first time with a basic understanding of, belief in, and love for God and even profess that what their church teaches is true. However, what is the benefit of going to church if they do not find ways to apply what they are being taught to their own lives? This is even illustrated Biblically in James 2:26: “ For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also”(NKJV). Faith in God, or even mere belief in God, is of no eternal benefit unless it forces one to begin following God’s commandments more closely and live life for Him. This change occurs when a person is open to doing the will of God in their lives. God is always waiting for us to be open to Him, but we must be receptive to His graces as well. We are not capable of saving our own souls, but we must cooperate with God’s grace and the Holy Spirit’s movement in our lives in order to be saved when we die. This is illustrated Biblically in Philippians 2:12-13: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (NKJV). When God works in a soul, they are inspired to do what He wills and obey His commandments, but as people have been given free will, God does not force us to be receptive to His graces. We are not automatically saved if we simply profess our faith but fail to live it out. From a secular perspective, “Adherence must be turned to acts, involve our emotions and will—our whole self—in our beliefs” (Baumlin 34) This means that true belief in a cause, not simply a religious one, calls for action and not simply mental agreement. For this reason, teenagers need ways to apply their beliefs to their daily lives and interests. Certainly, it would be difficult for a pastor alone to make sure that teens have ways to apply what they hear in church to their lives. After all, pastors have so many congregants of so many different ages. For this reason, it is the job of the youth minister(s) (or parent, religion teacher, etc.) to apply what is taught in church services to the teenagers’ lives. The teens may hear and believe in all the truths of their faith that they are taught in church, but until someone shows them how to live them out, they will not become important or put into action in the teenagers’ lives. This is a result of the psychological developments that occur during adolescence. McGinnis explains to readers that “adolescence is a time when the brain busily prunes away rarely used neural connections” (1). She later describes this as the “’use it or lose it’[principle ]” (McGinnis 1). The recognition of this fact is very important to remember for those who work with teenagers. What teens focus on is what they will form their lives around and oftentimes the things they “use” in their lives are not specifically covered in religious settings. “Most of the things that appeal to young people and that they consider worthwhile in the present often fail to surface in the Religion programme. … Relationships, sport, music, social events and special interests all occupy their [teenagers’] time and attention” (Hunt 144). In light of this, those who minister to teenagers must make the Gospel message relevant to the teenagers' interests and experiences through engaging activities that will help them think through and grasp the ideas presented to them, thus enabling the teens to "use" but not "lose" their religious beliefs in their everyday lives. Some practical ideas for providing applicable educational topics might include leading Bible studies that highlight the practical aspects of the Christian life; providing lessons in Christian morals and ethics that would apply to teenagers’ lives (ie: sexual morality, pro-life issues, etc.); playing trivia games that cover a variety of topics about the faith; allowing the teens to choose which faith-related topics about which they would like to learn. The applicability of topics to students’ lives will keep them engaged with the things about which they learn. McGinnis points out that it is important for teachers and others who engage with teenagers to provide “engaging activities that require [their] students to think critically, since what happens in [their] classrooms can ultimately impact the hardwiring of their brains” (1). While, yes, the faith-related educational topics that a youth minister chooses to cover must be relatable, they also must encourage the teens to think critically and analyze why they believe what they are being told is true. Once someone is taught about how to apply their faith to their lives, in my experience, it is helpful that they are given opportunities to do so. For example, in my early teen years, I enjoyed learning about theological topics during youth group and was enthusiastic about the idea of evangelization but never had really had opportunities to put them into practice. It was only when I had the opportunity to teach a group of elementary and middle school girls about what I believe and what I have found to be true about Christ and His Church that my beliefs were solidified in my own mind. Because teens have different temperaments, spiritual maturity levels, backgrounds, etc. their community and youth ministers can help give the teens the guidance they need to identify their strengths, interests, and how they can put them into action in order to serve others. Christians could provide students with these opportunities by helping the teens to plan and lead service projects or events for the community (whether they be of an educational or simply fun nature). During my time leading the group that I mentioned above, the boys’ group leader and I would brainstorm a service project that related to the topics we were discussing. The events and projects that we planned helped the participants to get excited about their faith and helped them to put what they had learned in the educational component of our time together into practice. When given opportunities for service, students will put what they have learned about the Christian life into practice so that they are less likely to forget or ignore what they have learned. This again illustrates the use it or lose it principle and takes advantage of the psychological and physiological brain development of adolescents. When students take advantage of the many opportunities for service, the more that service and living out the Gospel will become important to them. Any work of mercy one accomplishes through an act of service puts faith into action. Mercy is expressed in three ways: deed, word, and prayer. Communities can offer opportunities for mercy through deeds by volunteer opportunities at nursing homes, hospitals, food pantries, homeless shelters, pregnancy care centers; by collecting and donating items to a family or charitable organization; or by fundraising for a specific cause. Mercy by word could look like setting up a public prayer station and praying with people who walk by on the street, writing letters of encouragement to soldiers or people in the hospital, writing inspirational notes and sticking them in random public areas, or simply by being encouraging and loving in speech. Mercy by prayer could look like praying outside of an abortion clinic, holding a prayer service for the intention of peace in the world, or handing out surveys asking people how you can pray for them, and then praying for those intentions as a group. Putting mercy into action will be spiritually beneficial to all who participate, not only the teens, and help them to live out what they have learned in youth ministry or in church. After all, “The mercy of God [is] the beating heart of the Gospel” (Francis 7). Service opportunities benefit both the teens and those whom they are serving: For many congregations, service projects and community ministry programs not only provide the opportunity to meet a significant community need, but also attempt to provide opportunities for congregants to develop and grow in their faith, based on a theology that faith is not only belief, but action (Hugen et al. 410). There is no way of telling how some tiny service project will change the life of another person, whether it be the teen or the person being served. In my own experience, the opportunity to lead the ministry group gave me a passion for working with young people, strengthened my own faith, and formed some beautiful relationships in my life. I have little way of knowing how my service impacted the girls with which I worked, but I entrust them to Jesus and continue to serve them through my prayers. Another great benefit of service projects in youth group environments includes the connections that are made between the students and those they serve, and most especially those that students make with one another. Both educational and service activities performed in a youth ministry environment build connections and relationships between teens. In my own life, some of the most important relationships I have outside of my family have been formed because of youth ministry. At a time in their lives when they are always learning and growing, seeking to figure out who they are and what that means for the way they should live their lives, peer influences are vital to teenagers’ social development. In addition to this, teenagers “are faced with questions of what their religious identity will be, if any, and the nature and degree of that identity” (Lopez et al. 1298). Youth ministry programs help to form teenagers both socially and spiritually giving them the chance to explore with their peers how they will live out what they are taught. For some teens, youth ministry may have no major effect. They may not have formed friendships within the group or perhaps other influences in their lives were stronger. However, “the more people interact with and participate in the activities of a group, the more the group’s norms will be reinforced, and the more likely they are to use those norms to evaluate their behavior” (Desmond and Kraus 15). Following this logic, if teenagers regularly attend youth group and participate in the activities and opportunities provided, they will adopt the viewpoints and ideologies of the group and consequently live their lives by those standards. It’s also important to note that teenagers are very community-oriented- where their friends go, so will they. If they go to a youth group and build their friendships through that group, they will consequently keep returning and participating in the activities of the group such as learning through educational youth group meetings and participating in service projects and times of worship, thus starting the cycle again, strengthening both their faith and relationships with one another. Hunt writes, “Only in relation to a 'you' can an ‘I’ be aware of self” (141). This is especially true in teenagers. It is only in relating and reacting to someone else that teenagers become aware of who they are. Youth groups help to shape the views of the “you” by teaching them the truth about their faith in relation to the rest of society so that teens can become aware of the truths about themselves, who they truly are and how they should live. The teens also form deep relationships with their peers because of the raw intimacy of sharing and accompanying one another on the spiritual journey. The friends one makes in youth group will hold them accountable for living out their faith and encourage them to live their life for Christ in all circumstances. Even if a youth group is not particularly sophisticated or large, occasional fellowship nights for students are vital for bringing about those deep friendships. While the teens will not solely discuss faith-related matters, the time is still of benefit because it allows them to form friendships with other people who have similar moral and religious views and who come from families who share similar values. For any teens attending who may not come from any particular faith tradition, it will allow them to make new friends and eventually encounter and form a relationship with Christ. Teenagers become more comfortable discussing religious topics and voicing their opinions within a youth group setting when they are given opportunities for friendship and community building. When teens have those "mountain-top" experiences together (i.e. service projects, retreats, etc.) they will be more likely to discuss them with their friends and share their experiences. I was not comfortable with evangelizing until I could openly discuss my faith with my youth group friends. Having a group of people with whom one is comfortable sharing questions, experiences, and concerns, particularly when they relate to faith-based topics, is very helpful in one’s spiritual journey. The attitude of a youth minister towards the teenagers to whom he or she is ministering to also has a large influence on the attitude of teenagers towards their faith. It is noted “that effective youth ministry is attainable particularly when youth find their pastors are caring, warm, and friendly” (Ji and Tameifuna 308). When teens can build strong, loving, Christian relationships with positive role models they are more likely to feel like they are a part of a community and not simply a burden because they are young. In a religious environment, teenagers feel more comfortable and are more likely to keep coming to group events if their youth minister acts as he or she enjoys being with them. The opposite of this, however, is also true. Youth ministers who are impersonal, dry, inactive, unengaging, or who treat youth like children rather than young adults (even if some of them don't act like it) drive teens away from forming positive relationships with them and consequently with their churches, with each other, and even with God. Opportunities for prayer and worship tie youth ministry together. After all, what is the point of youth ministry programs, of all the service, education, and community, if they do not help students to grow in their love and understanding of God? There are multiple ways of introducing opportunities for prayer and worship into teens’ lives. The specifics might depend on the practices of the specific faith tradition that the church of the youth group is a part of, but however one presents opportunities for worship, the goal should be the same- to initiate an encounter with God for the teens. Overall, the focus of worship in youth ministry is to create, “quality programs that can create vibrant personal religion and the sense of sacredness in the youth's spiritual life” (Ji and Tameifuna 308). Ultimately, it is these experiences of prayer and worship- this encounter with the God that they learn about and serve through their ministry to others- that will get and keep the teens in love with their Lord and with their church. If a youth ministry program is not based in prayer, it is virtually worthless. If Christians do not provide teens with opportunities for prayer and worship, then what is the point of their ministry? True conversion results from encounters with God. In my own experience both leading and participating in youth ministry, it is the direct spiritual experiences that bring students into love with their Lord. Ultimately, it is not the youth minister, the educational or service experiences, or the friendships that will keep students coming to youth ministry and ultimately in love with God, but it is the habits of prayer that they form and the experiences of intimacy with Him that will keep them lifelong and devoted Christians. For we who love Christ and want to bring others to Him, specifically teenagers, it seems that to minister effectively to teens, we must incorporate opportunities for education, service, fellowship, and most especially, worship into our programs and youth groups. The goal is to get and keep teenagers living the faith they have been taught and in love with God. The previously mentioned strategy takes advantage of the natural human learning process, along with adolescent psychological development, and tendencies. Ultimately, it is up to the teenagers to decide, just as I did, to live out their faith and the things they are taught in youth ministry programs. It is up to them to decide to take initiative and responsibility for their life choices and their decisions to follow God and cooperate with His grace. But it is up to us, the Christian community, to provide the teens with all the resources and experiences we can to help guide them to live out their faith in and love for Christ and all people. Works Cited Baumlin, James. “Persuasion, Rogerian Rhetoric, and Imaginative Play.” Rhetoric Society Quarterly , vol. 17, no. 1, 1987, pp. 33-43, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3885207. Accessed 16 Apr. 2022 . Desmond, Scott A., and Rachel Kraus. “The Effects of Importance of Religion and Church Attendance on Adolescents’ Moral Beliefs.” Sociological Focus , vol. 47, no. 1, 2014, pp. 11–31, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24579357 . Francis. “Misericordeiae Vultus.” The Holy See, 11 April 2015. https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/bulls/documents/papa-francesco_bolla_20150411_misericordiae-vultus.pdf . Hugen, Beryl, et al. “Service and Faith: The Impact on Christian Faith of Community Ministry Participation.” Review of Religious Research , vol. 47, no. 4, 2006, pp. 409–426. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20058107 . Hunt, Vincent J. “Religion Caught and Taught — Teaching Religion Today.” The Furrow , vol. 62, no. 3, 2011, pp. 139–147. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23046401 . Ji, Chang-Ho C., and Tameifuna, Tevita. “Youth Pastor, Youth Ministry, and Youth Attitude Toward the Church.” Review of Religious Research , vol. 52, no. 3, 2011, pp. 306–322. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23055554 . Lopez, Anna B., et al. “A Longitudinal Study of Religious Identity and Participation During Adolescence.” Child Development , vol. 82, no. 4, 2011, pp. 1297–1309. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41289843 . McGinnis, Patty. “Critical Thinking and the Adolescent Brain.” Science Scope , vol. 42, no. 3, 2018, p. 1 https://www.jstor.org/stable/26611851 . Smith, Christian, et al. “Mapping American Adolescent Religious Participation.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion , vol. 41, no. 4, 2002, pp. 597–612. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1387477 .

I’m going to be honest here. My life has been very difficult lately. I haven’t dealt with it in the best way. I’ve used busyness as an excuse to not pray as much. I’ve been irritable and have complained. I’ve allowed the stress, anxiety, and trouble with adjusting to new situations to get the best of me. I think we’ve all been there at some point in our lives. Suffering is a fact of life. I realized this afternoon that, well, God never said that this life would be easy. Yes, we have those “mountain-top” experiences, but in reality, the majority of the time is just a climb- a struggle. I’m not being pessimistic here, just realistic. Think about our Lord. He endured His suffering to give us a model of how to endure our own. He willingly accepted the cross when it was given to Him. He didn’t complain. He didn’t try and stop it. He let what was going to happen, happen. But, notice, He didn’t go looking for the cross. He didn’t look for suffering, but when it was given to Him in the form of a cross, He didn’t fight it. He embraced it. We all have suffering that we can’t avoid and didn’t choose. These are our crosses. Is your cross one that involves another person? Someone who annoys you endlessly or who has caused a major change in your life? Friend, He sees you. Love them as best you can. In doing this, you are loving both them and God and giving purpose to your suffering. Is your cross a health condition? Friend, He sees you. Embrace it. Yes, seek comfort and healing as much as you can, but willingly accept whatever happens to you. Offer it to Christ as an act of love! Is your cross one of an interior nature? Scrupulosity? Anxiety? Depression? Friend, He sees you. Offer it to Him, taking refuge in Him and trusting in His mercy. Is your cross built up of many little crosses? Daily struggles and annoyances? Friend, He sees you. Each moment of suffering is another chance to love. Whatever it is, friend, I encourage you to embrace it. This sounds scary, but I promise you, you can do it. Suffering is going to happen anyway, so you might as well use it for good!! I think of St. Therese of Lisieux as an example of embracing suffering. She offered to Jesus even her littlest sufferings- moments of humiliation and annoyance, for example- and gave them to Him as offerings to His merciful love. Suffering can be turned into an act of love for God, allowing us to grow in virtue and love God and our neighbor. St. Francis of Assisi is said to have gone around crying out, “Love is not loved! Love is not loved!” When we embrace our suffering by abandoning ourselves to the mercy and love of God, we allow ourselves to be loved by Love Himself, and we, in turn, love Him. So many people have rejected His gift of love, the innumerable graces that He wishes to give. How would that make Him feel? How would we feel if the majority of gifts we ever offered were rejected? If those we most deeply and intimately loved chose to be miserable rather than accept our help and love? We would feel unloved, unneeded. Suffering without Love is dead. Suffering with Love is life, is an imitation of Our Lord and a gift to Him. Offering your sufferings to Jesus and asking Him to help you out and give you all the graces that no one else wants, both helps you to patiently endure your suffering and to console His wounded heart. This afternoon, I saw once again that the suffering I’ve been given is yet another opportunity to love. No, we don’t have to be happy all the time, and it's okay to cry, vent, and be upset sometimes, but when we offer our suffering to Christ as an act of love, our suffering is redeemed in our own lives and we show our love for our Lord. Friend, whatever you are going through, I invite you to offer it up. Carry that cross right alongside Jesus for love of Him. St. Francis was right- Love is not loved. When we use our sufferings as acts of love for God and for the world, our trials gain new meaning, and we let Love Himself be loved.

Side note: This was an essay that I wrote for a theology class, but had to cut it down because I had too many words. I didn't want to get rid of it though, so I thought I'd post it :-) One thing that I read in the readings assigned this week that I didn’t recognize the importance of before was in Hebrews 4:12. In this verse, the author writes, “Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.” At the beginning of the verse the author says, “Indeed, the word of God is living and effective…”. How can a word be living? Only creatures are alive. The word of God is different. We know from John 1:14 that Jesus is the Word of God. (“And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.” ) The fact that Christ is the Word of God also makes sense because when one comes to know the Word of God, he or she comes to know Christ. When people do not know the Word of God they cannot know Christ as deeply as He’d like to reveal Himself to them. As St. Jerome once famously said, “Ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ.” If Christ is the Word of God, then all of the things that the author of Hebrews uses to describe the Word of God must also apply to Christ. The author of Hebrews says the Word of God is living and effective. If Jesus is the Word of God, as John said (John 1:1), then He must also be living and effective. This makes sense because although Christ died here on earth and was then resurrected, He never died again. He ascended into Heaven, body, and soul, but He did not die. If someone did not die, we can logically assume that they are not dead, and therefore was and are alive. Christ is effective because His life, death, and resurrection had a tremendous effect on all of the universe and all of human history, and He continues to affect the lives of all in major ways to this very day and will do so for eternity. The author of Hebrews then goes on to describe the Word as “…sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating between even soul and spirit, joints and marrow…” Does this make sense when applied to Christ as the Word? Absolutely. In Matthew 10:34, Jesus says, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword.” When we as Christians know the Word of God as it was meant to be interpreted through the help of Christ and the magisterium of the Church, we will be given knowledge of things by the Word of God and Christ which are one and cannot be separated. When this happens we will not be able to help but share them and the one who gave us that knowledge. Both spreading our knowledge of Christ, the Word, and His Church, are highly controversial, and, sadly, are not agreed upon by all Christians. We may be disliked because we know the Truth. Our beliefs may bring division between us and our loved ones. So, as crazy as it seems, the Word of God is divisive, and so is Christ. The final observation about the Word of God that the author of Hebrews makes in this verse is that it (He) is “able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.” Any ordinary word that is spoken cannot do anything even remotely similar to this! This line, along with the text of the next verse when the word is referred to as “He", proves that Jesus is the Word being spoken of. When we pray with the Word of God, we come closer to Christ. He alone can discern our reflections and thoughts, and help us to more deeply understand Him through the things we are reading. In studying this verse, I have a strong desire to come to know the Lord more deeply through encountering Him as Word made man. I find it very interesting how everything in the Old Testament as well as in the new, points to Christ. This makes sense now after reading this verse, as He is the Word of God! This discovery found in reading the book of Hebrews helps me to further understand Christ’s role in Scripture and to be more excited to soak up the Word of God- Jesus Christ- through the mysteries and stories of the Bible.

“For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy,”- St. Therese of Lisieux Prayer is simply a turning of one's heart and mind toward God. It doesn't have to be (and shouldn't be) only our talking and God listening. Here are 100 ideas or ways to lift our hearts and minds to the Lord... Please comment and let me know if you have a favorite way to pray! Read part of one of the Gospels. Use your imagination to put yourself in your favorite Biblical story. Read the Gospel of Mark and reflect on the humanity of Christ. Read the Gospel of John and reflect on how Christ was in control the whole time. Pray the Rosary. Pray a Scriptural Rosary. Pray the rosary, praying for one specific intention on each bead. Go to adoration and just sit with Jesus. Go to adoration and let Jesus look at you and heal you. If you can't go to adoration in person, find it live-streamed on YouTube. Create a spot for prayer in your bedroom and say good morning to Jesus first thing every morning. Talk to Jesus about your day. Go to Mass. Go to Confession. Pray the Liturgy of the hours. Memorize Scripture Put on a Christian music playlist- don't pick out a specific song- press play and see what Christ says to you through music. Use music to pray. Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet Make a Rosary to give to someone, praying it as you make it. Read a Catholic book and talk to Jesus about what is being revealed to you. Tell Jesus what you are afraid of. Tell Him what you need. Tell Jesus what you're worried about. Tell Him what makes you happy. Ask Him to take over your life and use it all for His glory. Write a letter to Jesus Start a journal, writing to Jesus each day. Write down attributes of God, and pick one to imitate. Ask Jesus to show you His will for your life. Ask God to work miracles in your life. Consecrate yourself to the Blessed Mother Consecrate yourself to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Consecrate Yourself to Divine Mercy Ask your Patron Saint to pray for you. Think about Heaven. Contemplate Christ's divinity and humanity Listen to Him. Make a list of all you are thankful for, thank Him. Pray the Apostles or Nicene Creed and really mean it. Slowly pray the Our Father Contemplate what it means to be chosen and loved by God. Pray the St. Michael the Archangel prayer when you are tempted to sin. Ask your Guardian Angel to be with you always and be an advocate for you before Christ. Pray for all who have died. Picture yourself leaning on Jesus, as St. John did. Rest in Him. Let Jesus work in You. Pray for growth in a specific virtue. Read the daily Bible readings. Read the daily Bible readings, picking one verse that sticks out to you, and then journal about it. Pray for all of your friends and family. Pray for the intentions of the Holy Father. Pray for all women considering abortion. Go to https://nunsforpriests.org/ and adopt a priest to pray for. Download a spiritual adoption app and "adopt" an unborn child to pray for. Pick someone in your life who needs prayers and pray a novena for them. Draw your prayer in a journal. Pray a Litany Look up a random Bible verse generator and meditate on the verse it gives you. Be still. Read the life of a saint and ask them to help you to imitate their strongest virtue. Pick a friend or family member and focus on praying for them for the day, week, month, etc. Talk to the Blessed Mother, asking her to bring all of your intentions, thoughts, and worries to Christ. Memorize a scripture passage. Write a song or poem of prayer. Call a friend and pray with them. Host a prayer night with friends and family where you all get together and pray for one another's intentions. Pray using a Psalm. See a random person in front of you in line at the store? Pray that God will bring them to Heaven with Him someday. Pray for your friends, that they will respond to God's call to holiness. Fast from something. Go on a retreat. Try to be silent for an entire day, offering it to God. Meditate on a religious icon or just a picture of Jesus or Mary Pray the five finger prayer Pray with a younger sibling. Bless yourself using Holy water, and renew your Baptismal vows. Take a walk, and pray the Rosary while you do so. Take a walk, praying for the people inside each house you pass. Examine your conscience, and then confess your sins to God, even if you can't go to confession right then. Pray for big things- World peace, an end to abortion, a renewal of Church unity, etc. Simply say the name of Jesus, calling on Him to help you. Pray before a test or quiz, asking your Guardian Angel to help you. Listen to a Catholic podcast Write down what you want to ask Jesus when you get to Heaven, then realize that you can ask Him right now, and then ask Him! Pray for the vocations of your siblings. Pray for your future spouse. Make a list of prayer intentions. Choose one to focus on in prayer each day. Pray for all who are spiritually, physically, or mentally lost. Picture yourself opening your heart to Jesus, and invite Him to come and dwell in you. Then live like you know He's always there. Sing! Serve the poor. Pray for world leaders. Make a Spiritual Communion. Pray, "Jesus, Mary, I love you. Save Souls!" Thank Him for everything. Use a prayer app. Sit in a Catholic Church, recognizing you are in the presence of Christ. Pray out Loud. Sit in silence. Let Him love you.

With IVF frequently in the headlines, it's essential to understand the ethical dilemmas it presents, and know how to answer when people ask you, "Why are Catholics opposed to IVF?" Many people- even many other Christians- do not understand why IVF is immoral. If it helps couples who struggle with infertility to have children, it should be a good thing, right? IVF dissociates procreation from unification; dominates using technology and “sterile” techniques, strips the marital act of its perfection; deprives children and parents of their dignity; and causes the death of thousands of unborn children each year. Those conceived via IVF, whether they are born or unborn, are precious children of God, loved into being by their ultimate creator, deserving and worthy of respect and dignity, even at the moment of conception. They are the primary reason why we stand against IVF. The most universal moment- one that every single human being ever has and ever will experience- that of conception, has been stripped of its sacredness, beauty, and dignity. This separation of unity from creation lies at the heart of the immorality of IVF. The men and women who choose to use IVF often are not aware of it's devastating effects, and are using it as a last resort to cure their infertility. However, there are many, wonderful physicians who will work with and help couples who hope to conceive a child naturally- the way that God intended- without the devastating physical and mental consequences for both the children and parents. You can learn more about these doctors and their work at https://naprotechnology.com/ and https://fertilitycare.org/ You can use the infographic below to brush up on your understanding of IVF and why Catholics should not and cannot be in support of it. Leave your thoughts and questions below!

With All Saints Day this past week, you're likely to encounter more questions than usual about the Saints. Here are answers to a few of the most commonly asked questions. Bookmark or save this post to come back to when you need to answer someone's question or to use as a resource for others! "What is a Saint?" A saint is any person who is in Heaven. "Why do you pray to the Saints? Can't I just go directly to God?" Of course you can! But just like we ask our friends to pray for us when we're struggling or have a prayer request, we can ask the Saints to pray for us, too, as our Brothers and Sisters in Christ. "But isn't that talking to the dead?" No. Jesus Christ defeated death. This means that those who are in Heaven are not dead at all, but alive in Christ Jesus! "How does someone become a Saint?" As I said, a saint is any person who is in Heaven. However, to receive the actual title of Saint, a certain process is followed by the Church through which it is infallibly declared that the person is in Heaven (meaning, we have proof!). Here is an article about the process of canonization: https://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia/beatification-and-canonization "Do Catholics worship Saints?" No. We worship God alone. There are different types of veneration, though, that can help us distinguish Worship of God from veneration of the Saints: Dulia : is the term for the general veneration of Saints and Angels. They are in no way worshipped. However, they are role models and intercessors for the faithful as they journey to Heaven. Proskynesis : This is a term for the simple form of veneration that is reserved for relics, images of Saints, and holy places. They are to be treated and talked about with reverence and respect. The word comes from the Greek word  " proskyneo" which translates to two words : pros  (towards), and  kyneo  (to kiss). Hyperdulia : This literally means "more-dulia" and is reserved for veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is distinct from the Saints but not on the same level as God, and thus, deserving of more veneration and honor than other Saints. Latria : This is the form of worship reserved for God alone. "Are we allowed to pray for the intercession of a person who we believe is in Heaven, but hasn't been canonized?" We are absolutely allowed to ask for the intercession of those holy people who have not yet begun the canonization process. If we would have asked for their prayers on earth, we can certainly ask for prayers while they are (presumably) in purgatory or heaven! Another way to look at it is, in order for a Saint to be canonized, multiple miracles attributed to his intercession must occur, and these would not occur without someone here on earth praying to that particular person even though they are not yet canonized.  "What are patron saints?" Patron Saints are saints who, in their lifetime, were intercessors for a certain cause, group of people, or location. They most likely have a similarity to whatever they are the patron of. When a Catholic is Confirmed, they choose a Saint to be their patron because they relate to them in some way. What other questions do you have about the Saints? What are some objections you've heard about the Church's teaching about the Saints? Feel free to leave a comment and I'll help you to answer your question!

Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) once said, "Anyone who seeks truth seeks God, whether or not He realizes it." When we seek the Truth, beautiful things happen. Saint Teresa Benedicta knew this well, and even experienced it herself. She came from a Jewish background, but was a self-proclaimed atheist. Her studies of philosophy led her to the Church where she devoted her life to Christ, eventually dying a martyr's death in 1942. Stop for a moment and think about this. If someone is truly seeking to know the Truth about humanity, the world, how we ought to live, etc. what will they ultimately come to? God. The Truth. Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6) Without God, there is no truth, because God is truth itself. This is why science points to the existence of God. Philosophy points to the existence of God. The human body points to the existence of God. Nature points to the existence of God. Everything that is good,true, and beautiful points back to God. And once we realize this, is it enough to simply recognize it in the world around us? No. Truth is all consuming. Once one truly realizes the Truth they cannot help but devote themselves entirely to the pursuit of it! And where will this lead? Jesus. And where does Jesus lead? His Church. Truth Leads to the Catholic Church, which holds the fullness of Truth in Jesus Christ, fully and truly present in the Most Holy Eucharist. There is no other religion in the world that claims to have God as its founder. Truth as its founder. No other religion or Christian denomination can claim this, because only one Church was literally created by God. This probably sounds insane, I know. Like I've taken this too far. But if God is Truth, and God started a Church, then that Church is the one, TRUE Church because it was founded by the God of the universe, who is literally Truth itself!! 1 Timothy 3:15 even confirms this... "if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth." God's household is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. When one seeks the Truth, they will ultimatley always be led back to the foundation of Truth, whether or not they even realize it! And there are so many beautiful examples of this happening in our world today. Think of Scott Hahn. Trent Horn. Jimmy Akin. Tim Staples... and so many more! In history, Saint Augustine of Hippo has one of the most widely cited conversions. He sought the Truth, turned his life around by the grace of God, and went on to be one of the world's most notable theologians! If you’re on a journey to discover the Truth, I encourage you to look to Christ. Invite Him to guide you and reveal the way. Find peace in His presence, knowing that He embodies Truth itself. By following Him, you will remain close to the Truth you seek.

Do you like mysteries? I used to love to read Nancy Drew books when I was younger and my dad would read my brother and I the Hardy Boys books before bed. I was at a bookstore last week and found a bunch of the older copies of the Nancy Drew books! Now that I'm a little bit older, the mysteries get more predictable as I read more of them. Lately, I've been watching Monk on Netflix, and that keeps me entertained! 😂 The Catholic faith is one of mysteries. It's no secret that our God and His ways are mysterious and beautiful- beyond our comprehension. The Holy Trinity is one of these mysteries of our faith that people have wrestled with since the beginning of Christianity. The basic premise is this... God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit are all one, united in love and being. They are distinct, but are one at the same time. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains it best... "The Incarnation of God's Son reveals that God is the eternal Father and that the Son is consubstantial with the Father, which means that, in the Father and with the Father the Son is one and the same God. The mission of the Holy Spirit, sent by the Father in the name of the Son (Jn 14:26) and by the Son "from the Father" (Jn 15:26), reveals that, with them, the Spirit is one and the same God. "With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified" (Nicene Creed). "The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father as the first principle and, by the eternal gift of this to the Son, from the communion of both the Father and the Son" (St. Augustine, De Trin. 15, 26, 47: PL 42, 1095)." (CCC 262-264) To break it down even further... God the Father and God the Son are the same God. The Spirit, sent by the Father and the Son, is also one and the same God. The Holy Spirit is the gift of love and unity between the Father and the Son- their spirit. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are in relation with one another, but at the same time, are all one being. Think of it this way... You and I are people. Everything that is living exists, but it is not necessarily a distinct person. A rock, flower, tree, and snail are not "people." However, you and I are each one individual person, simply by our human nature. God, in His nature, is three persons who are all united as one. This is a really complicated concept to grasp- not predictable like Nancy Drew! 😂 So to help with that, I've compiled a list of articles that might help to explain further the mystery of the Trinity: How Can I Explain the Trinity to Someone Unfamiliar with Christianity? How to Teach Elementary School Students About the Trinity? (Jimmy Akin uses the "people" analogy I used in this article!) Resources for Learning about the Nature of the Trinity These articles are from Catholic Answers and can help explain more! It's also important to note that we don't NEED to understand everything in order to believe. We won't ever fully understand the beauty, unity, and mystery of the Trinity, but with faith in God, we can trust that His revelation of Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is good, true, and beautiful. If you have more questions about this concept, feel free to comment or send me questions on the blog's home page.

There are so many misconceptions surrounding what Catholics actually believe about Salvation. Here's a quick overview... We have been saved by grace through faith by Jesus' Sacrifice, ordinarily received at Baptism, and by no works of our own-that’s justification. (Eph 2:8–9, Rom 5:1) We are being saved by "working out our salvation with fear and trembling" by living a life in cooperation with God's grace; - that’s sanctification. (1 Cor 1:18, Phil 2:12) We have confident hope to be saved and united with God forever in Heaven- that’s final salvation. (Rom 5:9–10, 1 Cor 3:12–15) So in other words: We are saved, we're being saved, and we will be saved. Sometimes people say that Christians are "Once saved and always saved" because Jesus said, “No one can take them out of my hand” (John 10:28). That’s true- no one can force us away from Him. But we can choose to walk away ourselves. Grace is a gift, but God doesn’t force it on us. We have to say “yes” to it, not just once, but continually, with our lives. That’s why works are important: not because they earn salvation, but because they are the fruit of faith and a sign of our cooperation with God's grace. Think of it like this: If someone doesn’t want to live with God here on earth-by rejecting His grace and ignoring His commands-why would they want to live with Him forever in Heaven? God loves us too much to force us into Heaven if we don’t want Him. So, to summarize: God loves you. You were made to live in friendship with Him. But when we sin, we turn away from that friendship. So God sent Jesus- to die, rise, and restore that friendship. When we trust in Him and receive His grace through faith and the Church He gave us, we can be united with Him forever. We do good things not to earn Heaven, but to love God and others. And one day, He’ll ask how we loved. (Matthew 25:31–46) That's why faith and good works go together- they both come from love for Jesus. Have questions or thoughts? Let's talk about it some more! Drop your questions in the comments or ask your question here.