Home for the weekend

I have been home for only 28 hours and I am already hurting for the drive back to Omaha. There is nothing like a little tender love from the parents and your family. Being a missionary and exploring news things is great. To keep it short because I need my rest;

• Who would have thought a girl who has never eaten sushi and has not eaten it two days in a row...its secretly really GOOD!
• Waffle House at 1 am and than again at 9 am---I eat too much.
  
• Parades are fun because candy is just too good [my friend, Brenda can totally testify] and ....
  
• Well nothing like sitting around a fire roasting some hot dogs, smoking some cigars and eventually eating those s'mores.

Phone calls are not hugs

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It has been a great night. Still have a lot to do. Yeah, but I love phone calls from my friends [especially ones from Amherst, MA :)]

Life what a wonderful thing?!?!

It doesn't matter how much you want to pretend you have your whole day planned out for you, God throws in a curve ball at you.

I cannot complain, tonight I shared with others the moment where evagelization became a reality. It was late one night around 1 in the morning and a few us where having a sleep-over at FOCUS summer training. The topic of judgment came about. "When you pass away, all your sins will be played to you in a big screen and everyone would be watching." One of the girls said. I said, "WHAT? No one ever told me that." Yeah I started thinking, oh crud I better start behaving or my life is going to stink and I won't go to heaven.

But life is not just about us. It's about all the souls around us. What good will heaven do if my loved ones are not joined with me. It's our duty and call to bring everyone we know to heaven with us, hopefully we make it that far.

"Those who have received the Good News and who have been gathered by it into a community of salvation can and must communicate it and spread it…" (No. 13) (Evangelization in the Modern World, Pope Paul VI) However we cannot spread this news alone. That is why we have the Eucharist.

St. Augustine says it beautifully, “To fall in love with God is the greatest of all romances; to seek Him, the greatest adventure; to find Him, the greatest human achievement."

"At least I am not Catholic"

One of things we do as a first year on a new campus is just sit around on campus and be present. Every once in a while we will make conversation and see people we have encountered before. After mass and prayer this morning, I was sitting there organizing my e-mails/working on a time sheet and so forth when the table next to me were being quite loud.

"What religion are you?" one the gentleman asked the other. One of them said, "I am Buddhist" and went on and on how the Buddhist is the best religion because no one makes fun of them or no one every gets in trouble for practicing such a religion. At the end of he claimed..."At least I am not Catholic." My heart just sunk to the floor. I thought, "What do I do now? Catholicism is my life." I sat there going back and forth in my mind on the conversation I could have with this fellow. As I packed my bag and walked to his chair, I said in my head, "Mother Mary, HELP ME NOW."

"Excuse I didn't mean to over hear your conversation, but I am actually a Catholic missionary and if you ever want to talk about religions and faith, let me now." and I handed him my card. He was caught off guard and said, "Oh, okay thanks." He didn't make eye contact whatsoever, but I walked away thanking the Lord.

We have those moments in our everyday life where we can speak the truth. What's keeping us from telling others the reason for our hope. 1 Peter 3:15

1. Touch - It's my love language and I am pretty sure I can never get enough hugs. I thank my friend for showing me my love this weekend.
   
2. School Bus - At UNO, there are shuttle buses that go from north campus to south campus, back and forth all day. I sat with a student to take a tour of campus. Yeah it's a good life I leave, we entered the same stop we were dropped off in.
   
3. Tennis - I enrolled in intramural tennis here at UNO. The amazing thing I won, I won my first ever sports competition. I don' t know what happened, but God, I thank you.
   
4. High School dance - Saturday night, I went to Hastings to hang out with a friend. She lives next door to a Catholic school. We walked with another high schooler to a homecoming dance. Lord, pray for all those high schoolers out there. High school is a time of confusion and I pray that our Mother Mary is guiding them to their Son.
   
5. Forgiveness and Understanding - I love the Sacrament of Confession. A friend told me over summer training, "Saints have past, Sinners have futures." I guess there is hope for all of us.
   

Quick few words

I know for those that read this, I haven't posted a real entry in quite some time now. I just have a few words and I will describe later...

1. Touch
   
2. School Bus
   
3. Tennis
4. High School dance
5. Forgiveness and Understanding

It's bed time. But I promise I will clarify what these statements mean tomorrow. If nothing else, you are in my prayers.

Saint Januarius, the patron saint of Naples

"Count yourself lucky if you're in Naples on 19 September close to the Duomo (cathedral) around 10am to see the long-awaited liquefaction of Saint Januarius's blood! Legend has it that, in 305 AD, the bishop of Benevent, Januarius (Gennaro), was beheaded by the Romans and some of his blood was collected in a tightly sealed vial. This dried blood is said to miraculously liquefy each year on his feast day of September 19 when the vial is taken from the cathedral and paraded through the city streets. The quicker the blood liquefies, the better the year will be for Naples and the Neapolitans seeking protection from Saint Januarius against disease and the rage of Vesuvius. Nowadays, many Neapolitans only half believe the legend, critical yet superstitious at the same time." [http://www.viamichelin.com/viamichelin/gbr/tpl
/mag4/art20040901/htm/dest_naples.htm]

The stories you hear now and than about the Catholic faith, how can you not fall in love even more.

Look at the simple miracles of your day and praise the Lord.

Great Day!

It's 48 degrees on September 18th. Seriously what is going on in this world. Sometimes I wonder if the coldness in the weather is a reflection of the coldness in my spiritual life.

Lord, in this quick post, I ask you for the graces to feel the warmth of your Holy Spirit. Let me have the passion to work even harder with passion with Your will not mine.

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

How can we not celebrate today. Every good Catholic and Christian has cross. It might be a symbol that we are so used to with that we do not think of its beauty anymore. When I traveled to Rome in March, I visited Santa Croce in Gerusalemme. There you will find many relics that will leave you in awe. I didn't even know these things existed. I pray that the picture allows you to remember the beauty of the cross.

LET'S CELEBRATE TODAY!

This information was taken from: http://www.sacred-destinations.com]

The relics enshrined at Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in the Chapel of the Holy Relics are:

1. Hanging vertically on the left: A large fragment of the Good Thief's cross;
2. Top shelf, left: The bone of an index finger, said to be the finger of St. Thomas that he placed in the wounds of the Risen Christ
3. Top shelf, middle: A single reliquary containing small pieces of: the Scourging Pillar (to which Christ was tied as he was beaten); the Holy sepulcher (Christ's tomb); and the crib of Jesus
4. Top shelf, right: Two thorns from the Crown of Thorns. It is said that the plant from which these came cannot be identified.
5. Middle shelf, in large cross-shaped reliquary: Three fragments from the True Cross
6. Bottom shelf, left: One nail used in the Crucifixion. Far more than the original three nails are venerated around the world; several popes openly cast copies that contained filings from those believed to be the originals.
7. Bottom shelf, right: The Title of the Cross, discovered in the church in 1492. The fragment shows the word "Nazarene" written in Hebrew, Latin and Greek.

Reading II- Phil 2:6-11

Brothers and sisters: Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

"I get by with a little help from my friends."

"I get by with a little help from my friends." - John Lennon.

This weekend I had a great time to relax and unwind. My friend came up to visit me in Omaha. Often times people wonder what I do all day that I am so busy. Well, my dear friends just have a little faith and trust me that I am busy. For instance I have been so busy today going from one place to another that I have not had time to take care of my little cold today.

I have nothing wise or wonderful to say tonight. Just a few things...

1. Say "Thank you" to all those people in your life that bring happiness in your life.
2. Say a prayer to all those on this anniversity of 9/11. My parents are there now. I cannot imagine if they had gone 5 years ago, the emotions my heart would be feeling now. Pray for the healing soul and mind of those touched my the actions of 9/11.
3. Smile. [Smiling truly makes you feel better, might seem weird, but just Smile].
   

It just clicked...

This photo was taken at St. Margaret Mary's Parish in Omaha. Every Wednesday during the school year there is a Mass 'n Munch at noon. Students gather from their busy schedule for mass and free lunch afterwards. As a missionary its one of my favorite days because that means I eat lunch for FREE!

I was sitting there before mass thinking... Wondering how cool it would be to see Jesus. We all have those people in our lives that we see as heroes and would love to meet and shake hands with. I mean look at the Pope, it would be pretty amazing to meet him, wouldn't it? Well, guess what being you see your hero face to face everyday, in the Eucharist. There are thousands even millions of parishes in the world that gives us the opportunity to see our hero, either in an adoration chapel or in mass. We even have the apparently to become one with Him in the Holy Sacrament of communion. Our flesh becomes one with Him. So next time, I think, man it would be exciting to just sit and talk to Jesus. Well, guess what, I can in the Eucharist. Yeah it's pretty cool I can see my hero any day or time I want. I am pretty spoiled.

Mother Theresa knew the heart of FOCUS...

September 5th, 1997 our Lord called Blessed Mother Theresa home. It is hard to believe that 9 years ago so many people mourn the loss of an inspiring hero and even one day declared finally a Saint. I cannot recall any other Catholic figure that created so much hope in the hearts of so many individuals Catholic or not. "Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired. " Look at her beauty, she was wise and knew exactly the right words to say. Love that is tired is not contageious. As a missionary we can grow weary with all the tasks that we feel need to get done in our day. But is our number one task to love others. I know at the end of the day, I am exhausted. In her words, "Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier."

This weekend was amazing for sure. My team took a team trip to Lincoln to get away and do a little bonding. The highlight of the weekend had to be Saturday. I have just one other thing to say. There are no fans like Nebraska Husker fans. I have to admit I have become a fan. I even bought myself a hat. Craziness.