Smile check!

Time for something fun!
Before Mass this morning, I was kinda blah and my mind was pretty preoccupied. It wasn't preoccupied with anything fun, nor anything overly disastrous (Deo gratias for that), but preoccupied enough that I probably wasn't all smiles. XP So I sat in the pew, waiting for the bells to ring, almost oblivious of everyone in the church while a million troubling thoughts ran through my head. All of a sudden a cell phone rang out of the blue, bringing me back to reality...and my little brother started dancing to the ringtone. o.O? Seriously, who dances to ringtones???! (Apparently my brother does) It was so random and hilariously ridiculous after what I'd been thinking about, that I almost burst out in a full laugh! It did the trick though. It reminded me to keep smiling and not get so worked up about things that really are in God's hands, haha. =)

So I'm going to "let go and let God." And dance along with this song! Anyone care to join me? ^^



"And he said unto me, 'My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.' Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." ~St. Paul



Oh. Just a note...you might want to remember to turn off your cell phone before Mass. Even if you're like Moses and expect a call from God any moment, please be respectful of other people. Especially since most of them probably are really praying and not thinking about a million things. Thanks. =)

Love "Scripture Snack" ^^

Love Is...

Over the weekend, CT, my brother, and I had a discussion about what a relationship means. (We were kind of supposed to be part of a monthly discussion group, but couldn't make it. So we held our own ^^) Ok, so we pretty much skirted around the usual fairytale kinds of relationships. We were looking for what REAL love is, not the romanticized version, not the kind that lasts only when the sun is shining.
We all agreed that a relationship, no matter which kind or vocation we are called to, needs to be rooted in God, because God is the source of all love.
The next step was to discuss relationships/friendships with other people. What does it mean to love someone? Well, here's something I learned from a local youth group: read 1 Corinthians 13. Take the word "love" and replace it with your name. Now see how far you get....

Love is patient, love is kind. Love is not jealous, love is not pompous, love is not inflated, love is not rude, love does not seek its own interests, love is not quick-tempered, love does not brood over injury, love does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.
~ Saint Paul, 1 Corinthians 13

Did it match? If it does, then, wow. Congrats to you! Pray for the rest of us, k?
If not, well, nobody expects you to get it right away. In fact, probably the only place we can really have that kind of pure love is in Heaven. This little exercise, by the way, is a good guideline for us not just as a lifetime goal, but as a daily one.

Love hurts. Love after all, is a sacrifice. Just look at the most perfect acts of Love: Jesus in the Eucharist...Jesus dying on the Cross. Love says that we must not keep things for ourselves, but instead give them all away. Love takes a part of us and gives it to someone else. In a relationship (or friendship, or marriage, or any kind of communication we have with another), we need to be this love for the other person, even if that love is not returned.
But Love also endures all things. True Love is always worth it.
As my sister says, it's hard. But it's not impossible.
Let's pray that we attain this kind of love...


And can I say? Saint Paul rocks.

“So we do not lose heart.

Though our outer self is wasting away...

...our inner self is being renewed day by day.

For this light momentary affliction...

...is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison...

....as we look not to the things that are seen but to things that are unseen…”

~2 Corinthians 4:16-18

~*~*~*~*~

A lot to swallow?

(A memorial for the unborn located at Star of the Sea parish)

Happy Respect Life month! =)
"Life is a gift." How many people say that? Now how many people actually stand up and say to the world that all life is a gift from God, much less write a song about it?
That's why BarlowGirl is one of my favorite bands. Not just because their music is great, but because they're willing to stand against the tide of what the world is trying to conform us to. One of their songs is called "Tears Fall", and is proudly pro-life. Alyssa from the band says:

"We’ve always felt very passionate about the sanctity of life. I come from a family with very strong beliefs. Our parents instilled in us from a very young age the importance of callings and destinies. We believe that as human beings created in God’s image, we all have a calling and a destiny. As we’ve opened our eyes to the horrors around us, we can see that one-third of our future population has been brutally killed through abortion. So one-third of our destinies have been killed off. What if an aborted child was going to cure cancer? Did we terminate the life of someone who had the cure for AIDS? Everyone is meant to further the world somehow. In our craving for comfort, Americans have decided it is their right to end someone’s destiny.
I heard a teaching about Genesis Chapter 4 regarding the story of Cain killing Abel led to God saying Abel’s destiny was crying out to him in the original text. I think everyone should have a chance to fulfill God’s plan for their lives. A lot of men and women have been deceived about abortion. We know this is a very sensitive subject for people. We know people who have been through an abortion need healing and we also know that God wants us to protect life."

Here's the whole story.

I once heard someone say that there's a war like never before being waged on humanity; that none of these problems and issues we face today had ever been so strongly imposed. And it's true. When in history have we ever been so unsure about our morals? Do we ever listen to our consciences now, or have we drowned them out? When did the line between right and wrong become so blurred that we're not ever sure how to define life? Or marriage? Or anything else??

This is the world I'm trying to grow up in...and it's a battlefield. The biggest challenge? It's the kind that can't be seen with physical eyes. I know this is probably the last thing you want to read. It's not something I want to acknowledge with either...I've got enough to deal with, being a young person and all! Let's face it, though, running away is one of the things that brought this upon us.

But I'm not giving up hope.

"Finally, my brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having gird your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints..."
~Ephesians 6:10-18

I don't know how much good I'm going to do in this; goodness, besides at least two faithful readers, I don't even know who comes here! In the blogosphere, I'm not anybody, really. But I can't ignore everything that's happening around me. I'm probably in for a pounding, but: "There's still some good in this world...and that's worth fighting for."

So, friends. When you're called to fight, would you take a stand? In this battle that's raging over, in front, and in our heads, which side are you going to take?

"Choose you this day whom ye will serve; . . . but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

Where on earth has Cy been?!?!

Well, I have been on earth...but last week I wasn't anywhere near the Pacific ocean. CT and I attended the St. Paul Summer Program with the Daughters of St. Paul in Boston!

It wasn't a retreat all the way really, but it was sort of a camp/program/retreat.
There were classes given by the Sisters on their Charism and Founders as well as a writting class, art class, and media class.
It was a retreat in a way that we got to join the Sisters everyday for morning prayers and Mass, and had an hour of Adoration each day. We did have a half day silent retreat on friday.
Basically, we were able to see how the Sisters lived and what their community life was like.






Of course, we had outings to some places of note! We went to Isabella Stewart Gardner Art Museum, the largest art museum I'd ever been to. Then we went to Louisa May Alcott's house and went on a tour.
CT and I made friends with girls from across the US and sometimes laughed until we doubled over at whatever jokes we had made up during the week with the Sisters. We had a great time - it was the best summer trip we've ever had and we wished it didn't have to end!
But it did, and now we're all back safe and sound and with a memorable experience.



Thank for all your prayers, BTW!

Photos by CT!

Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul

Pictures from here.

Happy feast day!!
And so ends the Year of Saint Paul...now it's the Year for Priests.





Oh, please keep Jon Cabico in your prayers. He will be ordained a priest today at the Cathedral! Thanks.

Third Sunday of Advent - Joy

"Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." -Saint Paul

Halfway there!!! :-)

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

An invitation for you

For those of us here in the middle of the ocean.
Here's what is says on the brochure:

Daughters of St. Paul and
The Pauline Cooperators
Present


St. Paul and
His Spirituality
for Today

Where: Pauline Books & Media
(downtown near the Cathedral)

When: Thursday Evening:
September 25, 2008
October 16, 2008
November 20, 2008
January 15, 2009
February 19, 2009
March 19, 2009
April 16, 2009
May 21, 2009
June 18, 2009

Time: 6:00-8:00

Registration fee: $20.00
Registration: September 25, 5:30-6:00 p.m.
or by mail, email, or phone.
Please see registration form.

Topics included:
-Paul's conversion experience
-Who is Jesus for Paul? Who is Jesus for me?
-The Eucharist
-The mystery of sin, death, and resurrection
-Holiness
-The Mystical Body and living in charity


The St. Paul and His Spirituality for Today course combines:
-Reflection of aspects of St. Paul's life and thought as found in Scripture.
-Applications for contemporary spirituality and life as found in the Pauline thought and spirituality of Blessed James Alberione.

The participant is enabled to know Saint Paul better as a person, apostle, and lover of Jesus Christ and to become more like him by living the Pauline spirituality.
The methods used in this course facilitate adult learning and integration the content into personal life. These include PowerPoint presentations, prayer, activities, discussions, study and personal sharing.

"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, thankful for your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.
And I am sure that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." (Phil 1:2-5)


For registration forms, please contact my Mom.
Hope to see you there!! :-D

Picture from Patron Saints Index