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 what'cha doing this week?

NATIONAL VOCATION AWARENESS WEEK
January 9 – 15, 2011
From Fr. Peter Dumag, Director of Vocations
Source: Catholic Hawaii

January 9 – 15, 2011 is National Vocations Awareness Week. It begins with the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord. Let us remember to pray for priests and consecrated men and women this week, and for married couples and families. Send a card to a priest or consecrated person this week, thanking them for the gift of themselves given to Christ and to his body, the Church. Pray for more vocations to priesthood and consecrated life, and consider a vocation to priesthood and consecrated life.

So here's the checklist:

1. Did you pray for priests, consecrated men and women, married couples and their families?

2. Did you thanked your parish priest today? Last week? Last month?...Last year?
"Without the priest, the passion and death of our Lord would be of no avail. It is the priest who continues the work of redemption here on earth...What use would be a house filled with gold, were there no one to open its door? The priest holds the key to the treasures of heaven: it is he who opens the door: he is the steward of the good Lord; the administrator of His goods...The priest is not a priest for himself, he is a priest for you." ~Saint John VianneyDo you know any consecrated people who have made a difference in your life? Maybe a Nun is your teacher?

3. Diocesan Prayer for Vocations

Heavenly Father, your divine Son taught us
to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into His vineyard.
We earnestly beg you to bless our Diocese and our world
with many priests, deacons and religious who will love you
fervently and gladly and courageously spend their lives
in service to your Son's Church,
especially the poor and the needy.
Bless our families and our children, and choose from our homes
those whom you desire for this holy work.
Teach them to respond generously
and keep them ever faithful in following your Son Jesus Christ,
that under the guidance of the Holy Spirit
and with the inspiration of Saint Damien and Blessed Marianne
the Good News of redemption may be brought to all.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Are you discerning a religious vocation? =) Well, here are some links to help you with #4:
Ministry of Vocations, Hawaii
Are You Discerning God's Will For Your Life? (a local blog)
A Nun's Life, Vocation Forum
VISION Vocation Network

"Now the Work of Christmas Begins"

Special thanks to Ask a Catholic Nun on Facebook for this one! =)



When the song of the angels is stilled,
when the star in the sky is gone,
when the kings and princes are home,
when the shepherds are back with their flocks,
the work of Christmas begins:
to find the lost,
to heal the broken,
to feed the hungry,
to release the prisoner,
to rebuild the nations,
to bring peace among the people,
to make music in the heart.
~Howard Thurman

Yaaah! Take that, worry!

"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
~Matthew 6:34




"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
~Philippians 4:6




"Perfect love casts out all fear."
~St. John




"And He said to His disciples, 'For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing? Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life's span? If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith! And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying.'"
Luke 12:22-29




"Do not be afraid, I am with you..."

Media and the Unborn

Found this article on Facebook, and thought it was interesting:

The American entertainment industry has never been comfortable with the act of abortion... Reality TV thrives on shocking scenes and subjects...but abortion remains a little too controversial, and a little bit too real.

The full article: The Unborn Paradox

(Just a note...the article borders on the PG-13 kind of topic. I don't know how old my poor neglected readers are, but just to let you know.)

Emmanuel

Mele Kalikimaka and Happy New Year to you all! May this year be filled with God's grace and many blessings! =)

To me, new year's eve night is filled with the excitement that bursts in the air along with the fireworks, but also comes with a twist in my stomach for what the new year could bring. It's always hard to stay calm, especially if you don't quite know what you're doing, where you're going, and mostly taking God's word on what seems like a whim. Yet every time that bout of nervousness nearly sweeps me off my feet, God sends a beautiful light in the sky to remind me of His presence and to guide my wavering heart. Whether it's a real light in the cold sky or an internal Eppiphany star of grace, God sends a message that lasts through the ages no matter what year it may be: that He is ever with us, our Emmanuel.

"My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think that I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always
though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me,
and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
Amen.
~Thomas Merton"

Courage Is...

Last night we watched the movie Invictus.

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

~William Ernest Henley

Courage is when we've fallen into the darkest moments of our lives but still have the guts to keep trying, running the race, and loving others...even if they've made our lives miserable.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, 'who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be?

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same."

~ Marianne Williamson

Shine!

I promised my younger siblings that I'd post this up. =)

"God shares in the suffering of life and brings redemption for everything that is broken. This revelation causes, no, demands, that those of us who have experienced and participate in this great rescue, display such a thing to those who live unaware of a balm, a fix, an answer to and for all that is bent."
~David Crowder

"Shine your light for all to see it..."

Our Bishop's Letter

Happy All Saints' Day, by the way! =)

A quick word/post about tomorrow's election day:

The following pulpit announcement was read at all Masses this past weekend:

"Dear Parishioners:
We Catholics have a mission: to proclaim the good news of Jesus, who came to announce the Kingdom of God. It is a kingdom where love reigns, even in difficult circumstances. Our faith embraces many values, including the sanctity of human life, the sacredness of God’s plan for marriage and family, economic justice for all, and freedom to practice our faith not just as a private matter but as a contribution to the welfare of the entire community. The leaders we elect are extremely important, so I urge every Catholic who is eligible to vote to do so in this week’s general election. Let this sacrifice of your time be a pleasing offering to God. Let us always pray for our community and our civic leaders."
+ Bishop Larry Silva

Since our family serves during Sunday Masses, I heard this letter being read three times. And our Bishop is right. As Christian Catholics, we are entrusted with the mission of proclaiming Christ in everything we do - including voting. Tomorrow when we who are eligible to vote step up to the polls, will we be able to say that we are truly acting as Christ's messengers; proclaiming Him King through our actions? Or are we going to proclaim ourselves in His place?
I pray that each and every one of you will make the right choice.