Fish and Lent

"P. Sherman 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney!"

Dory, that fun, perky little fish from Finding Nemo is one of our favorite movie characters. We can even recite her lines better than the rest of the characters', more than any other character from any other movie for that matter! (If only you could hear recordings of my siblings and friends recite Dory from start to finish! It's hilarious!)
Poor Dory has one fatal flaw, though. She has short-term memory loss and "forgets things almost instantly." Things would be going along just swimmingly...until she forgets what she was doing or where she was going.

You're probably wondering whether this has anything to do with Lent, or whether the poor blogger has ended up like Dory and forgot what the correlation was. (Or maybe it has something to do with Catholics and fish on fridays, but...yeah...let's not get into that. Poor Dory.) Actually, Dory has much in common with the Israelites about whom we read during the latter parts of Lent, but more specifically, she has much in common with us.
Doesn't it seem to you that the Israelites had everything going for them until they "forgot" how loving God was? Doesn't it seem to you that we tend to become so complacent in our faith? We get so comfortable staying where we are in our lives so much so that we forget what we're really supposed to be doing, and it takes a tsunami to shove us off our beach chair and do something to solidly live out our Christianity.

That's what Lent can do. It's a reminder of what we were supposed to be doing in the first place; it brings us back to the basics through our denying ourselves of things we don't really need.
Do I really need to watch all the TV shows that I give so much time for? Do I really need to go shopping for things that will make me look glamourous? Do I really need to be on Facebook so long? (Yeeesss!!.....uhmmm...no. *buries face in arms*)
Take a step back. Are these things doing anything to help us focus our lives around God? Are these going to help us fit through the narrow gate? By refocusing the time we use for these things - ironically, by dropping these and taking up our Crosses - we can end up living lives that are more worth living.

Like Dory, we need that reminder to stay focused on our "P. Sherman 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney." AKA, Heaven.

So have a blessed Lent, everyone! And stay focused! =)

Meet one of my friends!

Gasp! Can it be?? There’s actually a new post?! It is, and it’s about Father Alberione!

Here's a bit of an introduction:



Now watch the EPIC trailer!! XD




I’ve gotten to know Father Alberione a little more this past year, and one of the things that amazes me is how fiery and passionate he was about bringing the Good News. He reminds me of Saint Paul - his patron; he wasn’t just content with hearing it, he had to share it! It couldn’t be contained! It was something far too great to keep to himself. Father Alberione is called one of the pioneers of Catholic media because his dream was to proclaim the Gospel through it. Of course, back in Father Alberione’s time, the world of media as we know today was only beginning and people didn’t quite see eye to eye with his visions. (Many thought it was absurd.) Well, when you’re working with God, it doesn’t matter what time it is ‘cause His time is His own. And Father Alberione did work in God’s time. Because of Father Alberione, much of the Catholic media is what it is today.

…and no, I’m not just saying this ‘cause I recently spent a week in Boston with the Daughters of St. Paul. (But it had a lot to do with it! Plus I'm sort of reading a book about him. ^_^) Father Alberione really is amazing, and he makes a great friend.

If you'd like to get to know Father Alberione a little more, visit this link!

"One love, Jesus Christ. One burning desire, to give Him to others." ~Blessed James Alberione

ApologetiX

Thanks to a friend of mine :-)

ApologetiX
A Christian parody band

"Although I went to 12 years of religious school (Grades one through 12) and attended church faithfully, participated in choirs, etc., before I became a born again Christian, I didn't have a clue as to exactly 'why I believed what I believed.' When atheists or agnostics or cultists wanted to debate with me, I'd run away.
"Then I started reading the Bible and really, really researching things, and I discovered that there is a whole lot of evidence to back it up. There's a whole lot more to the story, but the point is that I wanted to be able to help others know 'why they believe what they believe.' So we chose the name ApologetiX, adding the "X" on the end to make it look more modern and to ensure we had a name that nobody else had ever used."
~ Lead singer J. Jackson

This is one of the songs my brother knows, so he was craking up. :D
Life Restored (parody of Last Resort)



p.s.
Really sorry for disappearing again! Can't promise to post more unfortunately, high school and life being demanding at the moment...so there'll be spotty posting...
Hope all is well with all of you and God bless!

Beautiful Ending

New song by BarlowGirl! Yay ♫ It's one of my favs now...




Oh, tragedy has taken so many
Love lost 'cause they all forgot who You were
And it scares me to think that I would choose
My life over You
My selfish heart
Divides me from You
It tears us apart

So tell me what is our ending?
Will it be beautiful
So beautiful?

Oh, why do I let myself let go
Of hands that painted the stars and hold tears that fall?
And the pride of my heart makes me forget
It's not me but You
Who makes the heart beat
I'm lost without You
And dying from me

So tell me what is our ending?
Will it be beautiful
So beautiful?
Will my life find me by Your side?
Your love is beautiful
So beautiful

At the end of it all I wanna be in Your arms

So tell me what is our ending?
Will it be beautiful
So beautiful?
Will my life find me by Your side?
Your love is beautiful
So beautiful...



Sometimes at the end of the day, I'd look back at what I'd done. God had given the gift of another day; had it been spent chasing after my own selfish gains that lasted only for only a few hours, or had it been given back to Him and spent well? Had that gift been spent and used into something beautiful...?

Bread from Heaven...

Yesterday and today's reading


Panis angelicus
fit panis hominum;
Dat panis caelicus
figuris terminum:
O res mirabilis!
Manducat Dominum.
Pauper, servus et humilis.

The angelic bread
becomes the bread of men;
The heavenly bread
ends all prefigurations:
What wonder!
consumes the Lord
a poor and humble servant.
~Saint Thomas Aquinas~


"...and all ate and were satisfied."

We attended the 6pm Mass last night and the lead soprano just sang it afterwards (it wasn't planned or anything, she wasn't even facing the front). It was so lovely and I couldn't get it out of my head...
...that such a great Happening everyday during Mass occurs in the simplest of appearances, and all becuase of the unfathomable Love God has for we who can barely pay attention sometimes.

Divine Romance

"...And leaping up he stood and walked and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God."



"...were not our hearts burning within us?"

Spring Cleaning

I hope everyone had a good Lenten Season!
(Where have you been for the past month??)
Er...yeah, I forgot to say here that I had given up computer for lent..very very sorry!!

So how was everyone's spring cleaning? Well, not the one when you clean the closet out and find some missing items (even I haven't done that yet!)...but the one that we did for Lent.

Like this song by Sanctus Real:



How did you "Let go and let God"?

BTW, now that spring cleaning's done, as CT said, don't let it get dirty now!

Fingerprints of God

Sorry for not posting in a while...

Last week's pro-life march was really successful! Mom and Aunty Esther have pictures...
Every year we make signs and hold them high while marching around the capitol's block. One of the signs Mom writes on her cardboard is:
Psalm 139:13
"I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made"



Fingerprints of God: by Steven Curtis Chapman (it's just the song...not a great video like CT makes!)

There are often signs wherever we go that say we must save the endangered species or be wary of the environment. Well and good, after all, we are caretakers of this awesome world...

...but if we were so concerned in caring for the marvelous works here, why would such a horrible thing be done to the greatest of God's creations?
"Choose life, choose love."

Love Song for a Savior

Last day of Vocation Awarness Week. Sorry, I've been lazy waiting till the last day to post something...:-P
...but if you hadn't yet (ack, why haven't you yet? she has a much better blog!!!) visit CT's blog. She's been posting everyday this week and has great quotes and links! :-D


Love Song for a Savior - by Jars of Clay

One Last Post...

...for the year 2008!




Let's thank God for an awesome year and may He bless us in the year to come!
See you all next year...

O Holy Night

One of my favorite carols...



"Be not afraid to tell Jesus that you love Him; even though it be without feeling, this is the way to oblige Him to help you, and carry you like a little child too feeble to walk" -Saint Therese

Fourth Sunday of Advent - Faith

Found the second pic on Aunty Esther's blog

2nd Sunday of Advent- Hope

Found this on Aunty Esther's Google reader..(sorry, I'm not sure which blog it was from)
Click here

First Sunday of Advent

"The 21st Time"
By Monk & Neagle



Should Christ come tomorrow and find us not doing our part, what would happen then?



Oh, and a happy new Liturgical year! :-D

Feast Day

Happy Feast to my friend, Saint Saturninus!!
Acctually, I'm not sure if he is my patron saint for '08 or another Saint Saturninus

...but a happy feast to both of them




"...indeed, we are called to join them."
The saints are holy men and women who have attained their glorious reward in heaven...
...and ultimately, isn't that our goal as well?

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Couldn't find a better video, but here's the VeggieTales Thankfulness song :-D




Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!!!

Music galore

Sorry, can't help it! I know I've been posting music left and right, but I just like music...a lot...


Well, I'm not posting the next song just cause it's one of my favorites (or..maybe that's one of the reasons), but because today's reading and one a few days ago reminded me of it. It was the reading about a man who kept calling for Jesus to heal him, and though Jesus did not answer his pleas immediately while others around the man were constantly attempting to muffle him, he kept persisting. That's probably just one viewpoint of the song...




Not to mention, I promised to post it. Sorry, couldn't find one that wasn't so dizzying.

Oh, and it happens to be one of my dad's favorites too.

What do you stand for?

Grey
By BarlowGirl





Grey's my favorite color
Black and white has never been my thing
I'll take my drink lukewarm now
Hot and cold is not the thing for me
Absolutes are hidden
I've buried my convictions

I cannot be blind no more
Numb to what I'm living for
Help me stop this compromise
That justifies these lies
I need Your passion
In this life

I don't want to impose
Who really needs to know what I believe?
Cause no one likes rocking boats
Who really cares to see the way I see?
Absolutes are hidden
I've buried my convictions

So give me the fire
God, give me the fire
And raise this life higher

The Other Side of the Radio

"I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."
-Saint Paul

While you were sleeping

It's not the reading for today but...




"Stay awake!"
Whenever Father Gordon gets a chance to give a homily on that reading, he always says those words with such force that you can't help but wake up!



Please wake up and realize what's becoming of the country we love so much!