If the world is a puzzle and we are the pieces...

The world is like a giant jigsaw puzzle and we are each a piece of it. We are not all intended to be the same shape or piece- there must be some of us who are ‘ends’ and corners while others must be the middle pieces. We cannot be something that God did not create us to be. If we try to jam ourselves into the puzzle in the wrong spot- we’ll set the whole puzzle off. We all have a purpose. But how do I know if I am supposed to be on a corner or in the center? How do I know if I am supposed to be a wife or a nun? Unlike a jigsaw puzzle, the world is not so neat and clean cut. But unlike a jigsaw puzzle, we have a God who guides us and is with us every step of the way. We have a God that intimately knows each piece and can see the whole picture.  He sees our trials and failures and softly whispers hints and directions in our ears-- we must be willing to listen. 

No matter where God is calling you and me to be, I know that He is calling us to live a life of love. He wants each and every one of us to be saints. As we all know, the saints are varied and diverse people. The path to holiness and sainthood does not automatically mean that everyone must be a priest,brother or nun … 

In France during the mid-1800’s, Zélie Guérin and Louis Martin were both discerning the call to the religious life. While Louis considered staying single, Zélie discerned the call to become a nun. As fate would have it, they met and decided to marry on July 13^th 1858. Although they were married, they tried to live together in chastity like “brothers and sisters” but were instructed by a priest that this was not the way to embrace their vocation of marriage. At the age of 46, after 19 years of marriage, Zélie Martin passed away. This left Louis to raise their (living) five daughters. The daughters of this French couple became nuns of various orders… one of which is now widely known as a patron to the Carmelites, St Therese of the Little Flower. This couple which had such different plans for themselves gave their lives to God and trusted in His plan for them. Who could imagine that God would be calling them to birth, nurture and raise saints and holy women!

We can all learn a thing or two from their experiences. Everybody has a plan for themselves, not fulfilling our own plans does not mean that we have 'failed' or 'fallen short'. Sometimes God has different plans for us. As pieces in the puzzle of life, we have a limited understanding of our surroundings. If we wish to live a life that truly glorifies the Lord and allows us to reach our full potential, we must rely on God - who not only can see but actually made the whole picture. We must trust in Him to lead us. As a Trinitarian sister once told me, we are all like different types of flowers, we all need different things to help us grow (spiritually) but only God knows what garden we belong in so that we can be as beautiful and full of life as possible. We must trust that God will lead us to that garden which will nurture our souls- whether it is through motherhood, becoming a hermit, or remaining single. Only God knows what is best for us...

May God Bless and guide you in whatever vocation you are called to. May you trust Him utterly and completely to ‘see the big picture’ and may you desire to be the piece of the puzzle that God wants you to be. For an increase in understanding and acceptance of vocations and for all who are discerning- we pray to the Lord!

ChiRho Comedy ...

Finally Clean, Catholic Comedy worthy of viewing & sharing with the whole family! The wait is finally over! The ChiRho Comedy youtube channel is now up and running! Here's the latest video! :D

(clean) Catholic Comedy !?!

Soon- several Catholic teens [from a family of 8 children] will spend their summer creating clean Catholic comedy for YouTube. There is a rumor that these young adults were partly inspired by the video 'Stuff Catholics Say' though they deny this saying "no- this is something we have been thinking about for awhile now. There is a Catholic stand-up comedian [Judy McDonald]." The teenagers that plan to launch 'Chi Rho Comedy' report that collectively, they have seen Catholic comedian Judy McDonald 'nearly a dozen times' the oldest in the group claims "its incredible to see how she brings joy and humor to the people without feeling the need to use profanity or inappropriate references." 

There has been a long journey between their initial inspiration and putting it into action. The group of youngsters expresses confidence in their plans to captivate an online audience which they hope will be comprised of young and old, Catholics and Non-Catholics alike. They realize of course that this ambitious goal is a large one to take on- one of the members explains "we feel that its very important for us- as Catholics- as true believers- to engage in media in order to correct the misconceptions that people have about our Faith." Is making YouTube comedy videos really doing this? "Of course, a few of us have been engaging online with people for several years now doing just that- we are called to bring the Truth to people- this is New Evangelism at its core" another member chimes in "The Mormons will come to your door- we want to come to your computer... we want people (especially young Catholics) to watch listen to less (N.) and watch less TV and YouTubers like (N.)- To instead fill their minds and souls with something healthier- to protect their chastity and innocence." When asked about what style of comedy they plan to use- they looked at one another and burst into laughter. The youngest member explained "That's something we've been discussing for awhile now. We all have such a variety of tastes and preferences- instead of limiting ourselves to one 'style' we've decided to use a more democratic approach- we've each written scripts- parodies, sketches, songs, mockumentaries ... since we're all family its easier to work through our disagreements- we can be completely honest with one another. We're all really excited to start filming- as to style - a little bit of everything as long as its tasteful and appropriate." The young man in the group interjected "Absolutely- being tasteful and appropriate is of the utmost importance to us- we want to make videos that you wouldn't be embarrassed to share with your priest."     
Already, Chi Rho Comedy has complied a long list of ideas and scripts which they have been editing and preparing for several months in anticipation for filming this summer. Naturally, I wonder... if this group of young passionate Catholics already has such well composed and solid ideas and even scripts! - why not begin filming already? The answer lies in the fact that the oldest member in this to-be comedy troupe [one of their older sisters] is currently attending college several hours away. Upon her return home in upcoming weeks, the family plans to fully launch their Catholic comedy on YouTube. The group already has a channel which they are now encouraging people to pre-subscribe to. Chi-Rho Comedy has already released a 'teaser' or promo for their channel which, in my opinion, looks very promising. The Catholic comedy group features an "over-the-top" and "ridiculously dramatic promo which is meant to mimic television commercials- its supposed to be kind of silly and fun."


   

(STOP) HHS MANDATE Challenge!

SIGN THE PETITION!

Q:How do we know the Roman Catholic Church is the original and not the Orthodox Church?

Somebody asked me when did the Orthodox Church leave the Roman Catholic one? How do we know that we are right and they are not? This is a slightly tricky one since we are both Apostolic. Following the Fall of the Roman Empire, the (Roman) Catholics remained in the West. What came to be known as the "Orthodox" remained in the East and claimed to be the continuation of the Roman Empire [which we now call Byzantium despite their claims] As you know, we date our first pope back to St Peter [Jesus' disciple & friend]. One might ask, can there be anything earlier than this? I'm sure they have the same claim however - afterall we are both Apolostolic. However, determining which is 100% the TRUE Church might ultimately come down to faith.
For me, "proof" that our Church is the correct one [between the two] lies in the fact that we continue to use Latin [the first Bible which was commissioned by the Pope & translated/compiled by St Jerome c185 AD]. We continue to use unleavened bread for Eucharist [as Jesus did at the Last Supper- we know this because it was a Passover Sedar]. Our priests are not allowed to marry- we are told in Scripture that those who can do so [remain celibate & chaste] should - those that cannot should marry & create (Catholic) children. They also reject the Immaculate Conception. The Orthodox Churches have no formal stand on Abortion [-no opinion or forbidding of the murder of babies?...]   If I have learned correctly, Orthodox are "Catholics" as well but they qualify the same as those which are not in full communion with the Holy Mother Church [Vatican/ Rome].

Unofficially, the distance combined with the different cultures between the East and the West allowed for the Eastern Catholics to develop different influences upon their practices, superstitions and beliefs [I say superstitions because in the 400 - 700's there were many... in the Orthodox churches we have a record of somebody making an icon painting the supposed godparent of a child .... ?].   By the time we split, both the Eastern & Western Churches were (unofficially) kind of doing their own thing. When our Churches officially split in 1053 [despite wikipedia I learned it as 1053 in History] we (the Roman Catholic Church) continued to use Latin and the continued to use the Vulgate Bible [until very recently when we allowed it to be translated- I think with the Douay Rheims version]. The hill on which Vatican is (and always has been) is the place where St Peter (our first pope) was crucified upside down. We continued to hold this as our Church's center/head quarters/ capital while the Eastern Church created Constantinople as a new center/capital to their new (Byzantine) empire. I hope this helps explain : D  

Archangelati !!!!!!!!!!

Catholic Veils - Women in Mass

This is not one of my videos... but it is amazing & very dear to me - I thought I'd share it here :D
Also- if you are looking for a place to purchase a veil, you CAN use VeilsbyLily but it can get a bit pricey [though there is an excellent selection- remember... you can only use 1 at a time... if you take good care of your veil it might last you- years!]. If you are looking for something a bit cheaper... try http://rosamysticamantilla.com/ or even a just a plain [wide] scarf which you might already own!

Catholic Daily Devotion- Decade in Latin!

Prayer For Priests

Lent...

I hope everybody is off to a good start for Lent! This is a wonderful time for us to reflect on our own lives and to reach out & improve the lives of others. If you live in an urban region, I highly recommend you set aside some time during this Lenten Season to volunteer in a shelter... if you don't have the time, bring an extra snack in your purse & share it with the needy you pass by on the street! There is always Operation Rice Bowl... if your Parish does not already participate in this or if you would like more information click on the link above... growing up- each of the children would get a little cardboard box from Catechism classes to fill with change and share with the poor. [I am from a very large family...] There would always be somebody that forgot to turn theirs in on time! What began as a fluke became a great system to give even more! We would end up with one or two extra little boxes that we would keep until the following year [that way we would have more than just Lent to set aside our small change and found pennies]. Though ours was on accident- it is something you might consider doing purposely. Yes, Lent is a time for [extra] giving... but we should also not just limit ourselves to Lent... let your Lenten choices become not just temporary ways to please God but to become good habits for spiritual growth and to benefit others....

Don't forget! Lent is a time not just for sacrifice & sharing... but for prayer & re-centering our lives on God! Please take just 2 minutes & watch this video.  - God Bless & have a spiritually fruitful Lent!

LENT: Ash Wednesday - St Therese Chaplet

Hello- I just wanted to remind everyone that Lent begins very soon. Ash Wednesday is tomorrow- it is NOT a Holy Day of Obligation [at least - not in America] but it is very highly recommended that you attend Mass & receive the ash & blessings. This is an excellent way to begin the Lenten season... it helps us to call upon the Holy Spirit to strengthen us & help us endure. Don't forget! Ash Wednesday is a day for fasting too! - NO MEAT, AND 2 SMALL MEALS [or the equivalence- 1 small meal & 2 snacks etc.]... Did you know?... that the Lenten fast was [in previous years] not limited to Ash Wednesday & Fridays... but during the ENTIRE season. Red Meat? - Heck no! Roman Catholics went VEGAN during Lent! [the whole Lent- no cheating on Sundays]... [Where did Fridays come from?...] No meat on Fridays was the tradition for the REST of the year! Just something to keep in mind when you catch yourself complaining about fish tacos or faced with the temptation to eat a  Double Bacon Cheeseburger...
      I want to share a new video ... the Feast of St John of the Cross is coming up... He is a very important patron saint for all Discalced Carmelites.... I'd like to share with you the Chaplet of St Therese [a French Discalced Carmelite]. Don't worry if you don't have the chaplet with X beads etc. ... I find that prayer videos are nice & easy to follow... you can also pause them & come back if absolute need be!  PLEASE watch it AND share it with others. You might be surprised how many Catholics have such a devotion to St Therese of the Little Flower [also known as St Therese of the Child Jesus]. Her autobiography "Story of a Soul" gives us her "little way"- a guide to finding and following Jesus in and through all.  

Say a prayer for me...

I'm teetering on the line of exhaustion. Three midterms paper, Three hours of sleep, a jelly-filled doughnut & iced coffee.... I have no other words for my weekend or my morning. To anyone that sees this post- please throw an Ave Maria my way when you get the chance.

Holy Communion & tradition! A video & a word of encouragement!

I have a NEW video! This takes a look at the different methods of receiving Holy Communion [America is free to stand OR kneel... ] A few words from His Eminence Cardinal Arinze [he's AMAZING- I've been listening to his interviews all week!] ALSO - a link to an official Vatican document Prot. N. 47/03/L that will clarify a few issues that some Catholics have been known to experience in their local parishes. If you [OR somebody you know!] have been told that you cannot or should not receive the Holy Body & Blood of Jesus Christ while kneeling- please print this out and mail it or present it to your priest. [He needs to know!] Just a little note... I noticed AFTER I posted the video for a SECOND time- that I mispronounced a word [@ 4:18]... I was also corrected by a viewer for my use of the term "crumbs"- what I should have said was "Sacred Particles"... MEA CULPA

Soon I will be posting "tips to receiving on the tongue"... It is not of my own inception- [I was always taught to receive the Eucharist by hand- though I have decided I will now begin to receive by mouth]... The tips come from a priest (I think) but were posted on Dr Taylor Marshall's blog [if you can find it- by all means look 'em up!] Anyway- I'll be (re)posting them soon- or a variation of them... so be on the look out! In the mean time- if you want to begin receiving the Holy Eucharist by tongue- I highly encourage you to do so! Don't worry about feeling silly or embarrassed- with God [and FOR God] we can do all things! 

Before I get back to writing my FOUR midterm papers [due this next week...] I want to offer a word of encouragement to ANYONE that God has blessed with the opportunity to either see or follow this blog. BE NOT AFRAID! Stand up for the Lord! We often think that only the big stuff we do for Him counts- that's not true! We must do all things with great love- whether its washing the dishes [this can ease the burdens of your spouse- what a great act of love this can be!], cooking dinner for the kids [not just "cooking"- providing the substance necessary for LIFE itself! you hand them not just food on a plate- but nourishment, culture, and love!]... all things can be done with such great love! To do so is to truly "Glorify the Lord with your Life". 

Another point I feel is worth making- since this post IS about Holy Communion & pleasing the Lord... DON'T BE AFRAID TO BE TRADITIONAL! I know this is something I have been apprehensive about in the past [particularly with wearing the chapel veil] ... we must remember that if we know that something - an action [or NOT doing certain actions!] pleases God- then we should worry about about doing just that- pleasing God!Don't worry about what others think... the only opinion that should matter to you is Jesus Christ's! Whether its considering dressing with more modesty , wearing the chapel veil, asking the priest to bless some salt, kneeling [that 2nd time] during the consecration, receiving the Blessed Body & Blood of our Lord Jesus, kneeling before Him when you receive His Body & Blood in Holy Communion ... Who knows !?! Maybe other people want to be more traditional too! Maybe they just need to see your courage and devotion to our Lord in order to gain enough of their own courage to do the same!

Don't forget to pray for our priests, all that are discerning, all abused &/or homeless children, an end in abortion & contraception, an increase in reverence for our Lord (which comes through the spread & adoption of tradition). Please pray for our Bishops & ALL the clergy! May God guide them so that they may better guide us!  Please pray for our exorcists as well- we leave them out far too often- they really need our prayers too! May our Heavenly Father Bless you now and forever. May He guide you to the truth, may you open your heart and listen to Him! May He quell all your fears and help you to worship and adore him properly. May you be blessed with good health & happiness & may your family [and all relationships] be healed in whatever manner is needed most! 

+++PAX VOBISCUM+++ SANCTE MARIA- ORA PRONOBIS+++

 

Abortion/Planned Parenthood documentary/exposé - "Bloodmoney"

I don't have too much to say today... I just want to remind everyone that Lent is approaching quickly. This year Ash Wednesday falls on February 22nd. I recently found some wonderful cites and I can't pass up the opportunity to share them! There is a wonderful Pro-Life documentary narrated by Martin Luther King's niece - Dr. Alveda King. Bloodmoney takes a look inside the American abortion industry. Spanish speakers can watch this documentary on YouTube. Non-spanish speakers will have to order it online- by visiting the cite above. It is $10-13  [there are two versions- one is 55 minutes making it ideal for showing in your Health, US Govt, Religion/Theology, or CCD classes, the other is 80 minutes]. There are also options to purchase the Spanish version or in bulk for sharing or distribution [at your local parish- or you send one to each of the churches in the diocese!].   This documentary has EXTREMELY high reviews & promises to be quite enthralling. It is both sensitive and informative- but not political or pushy. It is focused on giving facts and the absolute truth about the American abortion industry [namely Planned Parenthood]. Rather than slander or condemn- it raises awareness to the unfathomable emotional and psychological damages that having an abortion leaves with women. I highly encourage EVERYONE  to look into this documentary and/or send the link to your local Pro-Life ministry [the local church may or may not have such a ministry]. This NEEDS to be shared with the younger generation! Please send the link to the youth leaders/ Faith Formation leaders at your local parish [or to all of them in the diocese!]. To watch the promo video- click on the video above. God Bless- and please remember to pray an end to abortion throughout the world! Please pray for all the unborn AND all women that are considering abortion as a so-called "option".

Lots going on this week! Celebrations, Feastdays, pro-life!

I have a few things to share with you- I wanted to remind everybody that Candlemas ["the presentation of the Lord"/ "Christian festival of lights"] is tomorrow [Feb 2nd]. To learn more about the origins of Candlemas or what it is- click on the trusty link to Fisheaters HERE  or click on the following for the explanation in the Catholic Encyclapedia.
Also- Friday [Feb 3rd] is ST Blaise day! St Blaise is one of the 14 holy helpers [a special group of saints]. On his feast day it is customary for priests to [with awesome- twisty candles!] bless the throats of all the parishoners [usually after Mass]. Check & see if your home parish will uphold this tradition- perhaps they don't have the "twisty-candles"[see picture- which is not my own]. If you are interested in engaging in this traditional blessing/annual celebration- you can inquire about it with your local priest [before or after mass]. Perhaps your parishioners can collectively donate a set of the candles [or a fund specified for them] to the church for such annual blessings.
Third point- voting season approaches! [kind of]- PLEASE make sure you pick a candidate WISELY. BEFORE  casting your vote- truly reflect & pray about who to vote for. Remember- the Catholic Church DOES NOT take pro-abortionists lightly. You are morally obligated to vote for a PRO-LIFE candidate. This is perhaps the MOST important issue to consider [yes- economics & social concerns come 2ND or even 3RD!].  As Catholics- rather as basic humans- ending the legalization of infanticide [- the mass murder of infants] and protecting the dignity of all God's children is of the utmost importance! To view my video or to learn more about why God AND the Catholic Church are 100% pro-life click on the following  WHY PROLIFE? [Catholic teachings] . To view a Live Action Films  video on the paradox of being "Personally Pro-life" click on the red link.
May G-d Bless you all [& your families!] now & forevermore & may you come to know him in a deeply personal way. May you glorify Him in all you do & preach the gospels at all times- using words when necessary. Have an awesome weekend ;)

NEW VIDEO!!! [yay!]

I now have my new video posted & available for viewing [I had it reserved for awhile trying to pick something for audioswap]. Of Course! After posting it- I noticed there was a small typo [yes- it should be "wherever" not "where ever"] but I had some computer problems & it didn't save :( so I could post it with this little error or start all over again (I really don't have the time for that right now). Please watch this it & share it with your Catholic friends, your children, parents, neighbors, youth leaders, etc. Not only is it nice for them to know that you care- it'd be good for them to see this & know that we- as Catholics - DO have a strong religious identity. We are part of a community made up of the living AND the dead [via saints]. We should not be ashamed of our faith! We must stand up & defend it! We must learn it & pass it on [properly] to the next generations! We should be proud to be a part of the ONLY church Jesus directly promised - "The gates of hell shall not prevail" against us. Please- as a testimony to your Catholic faith please watch this & share it with others. As per usual- have a blessed week & don't forget! - Friday is St Blaise day! Go to church- your parish might do the blessing of throats! 

Back in Ordinary Time...

Hello! I know its been awhile since I have posted anything- I've just been so darn busy & I keep forgetting. I decided to take a minute real quick though & post a video. This video is intended for ANYBODY & EVERYBODY that has ever ventured into new age, occult, attended other [ESPECIALLY non-Judeo-Christian] religious service. Doing the aforementioned [& other stuff too! as explained in the video] is a grave sin & leaves you extremely vulnerable to spiritual attacks (from demons or demonic entities) & can often lead to spiritual possessions, infestations, obsessions, or afflictions. [Not my idea of a fun time & probably not yours either].... SO for the benefit of you &/OR your friends, neighbors, spouse, or loved ones [you can share this with them] I decided to transfer a prayer (from a little Spiritual Warfare booklet a family friend recently sent me)- to video for a easy-to-follow prayer video & explanation. . . . . . . .