Messiness.

God comes to us in our messiness.

I recently read something that said our rooms reflect our hearts. It was on the blog of another friend actually, but I thought about this a moment. I looked around my room - and it was a disaster. I had laundry overflowing from my sack, a basket here, boxes there, bags from Christmas shopping for my family, books here, there, and everywhere. All my drawers are unorganized. My clothes are shoved into my dresser. If you know me, you know this is all very unusual. My room is typically very clean. I'm organized. Everything has it's place. As I reflected on my messiness - I realized God was still coming to me. If my room is this messy - then I'm not so sure I want to take a peak at my heart.

Everything is disordered. Everything is chaotic. In my heart there are many questions - What am I doing with my life? Am I doing the right thing? I know I need to remove something, what is it? Am I supposed to stay at Capital next year or transfer to Mt. Carmel? Am I supposed to take a year off and serve with NET ministries? What is my vocation? Am I called to marriage or religious life? How can I better live out my faith next semester? How can I keep good grades? What kept me from God? How do I please my parents and serve God?

Now - that's a lot of questions. That's a pretty messy heart. But it's okay, Jesus is still here.

We're all disastrous. We all have messes. And the good Lord still loves us. God meets us where we are. It is easy to want to run from Him. It is easy to ask the question - how could the God of the universe love someone as broken as me?
The answer is far beyond what my mind can fathom - just trust and know that Jesus loves you. He is with you, even when you reject his love and deny him the love he deserves. He loves you just the same.

Our Lord humbled himself, took on the sinful human nature, and died out love for us, for our salvation. He's not going anywhere?

The question is: Will you run to the Lord in your messiness? Will you allow the Lord to heal you and help mold you to greater holiness?

Just Some Quotes

"the greatest gift he can give us is his friendship, his presence, his love. He is the precious treasure we should ask for and treasure always." -Pope Benedict XVI


Each one of us is called to understand that in the prayer of petition to the Lord, we must not expect an immediate fulfillment of our requests, of our will; rather, we must entrust ourselves to the Father's Will, interpreting each event within the perspective of his glory, of his design of love, which is often mysterious to our eyes," -Pope Benedict XVI


"This seems to me to be very important: before the gift is given, to adhere to him who gives; the Giver is more precious than the gift." -Pope Benedict XVI

Be peace-loving. Peace is a precious treasure to be sought with great zeal. You are well aware that our sins arouse God's anger. You must change your life, therefore, so that God in his mercy will pardon you. What we conceal from men is known to God. Be converted, then, with a sincere heart. Live your life that you may receive the blessing of the Lord. Then the peace of God our Father will be with you always. -Saint Francis of Paola

Not the goods of the world, but God.
Not riches, but God.
Not honors, but God.
Not distinction, but God.
Not dignities, but God.
Not advancement, but God.
God always and in everything.

-- Saint Vincent Pallotti

The gate that gives entry into these riches of his wisdom is the cross; because it is a narrow gate, while many seek the joys that can be gained through it, it is given to few to desire to pass through it.

-- Saint John of the Cross

In my heart there is only one vacant seat. It is for God and nobody else. Temptation in like fire in which gold is purified. So we have to go through this fire. The temptations are allowed by God. The only thing we have to do is refuse to give in. If I say I do not want it, I am safe. There may be temptations against purity, against faith, against my vocation. If we love our vocation, we will be tempted. But then we will also grow in sanctity. We have to fight temptation for the love of God. -Mother Teresa

Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect. -Romans 12:2

“Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.”
― Mother Teresa

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
The LORD redeems the lives of his servants;
no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him.
Psalm 34:19, 23

‎"The world promises you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness."
— Pope Benedict XV

St. John of the Cross

Here are some awesome quotes from our dear friend, St. John of the Cross.

The gate that gives entry into these riches of his wisdom is the cross; because it is a narrow gate, while many seek the joys that can be gained through it, it is given to few to desire to pass through it. 

-- Saint John of the Cross 


If you do not learn to deny yourself, you can make no progress in perfection.

Where there is no love, pour love in and you will draw love out. 

In detachment, the spirit finds quiet and repose for coveting nothing.

To be taken with love for a soul, God does not look on its greatness, but the greatness of its humility.

The Lord measures our perfection neither by the multitude nor the magnitude of our deeds, but by the manner in which we perform them.

I wish I could persuade spiritual persons that the way of perfection does not consist in many devices, nor in much cogitation, but in denying themselves completely and yielding themselves to suffer everything for the love of Christ.

Live in the world as if only God and your soul were in it; then your heart will never be made captive by any earthly thing.

O you souls who wish to go on with so much safety and consolation, if you knew how pleasing to God is suffering, and how much it helps in acquiring other good things, you would never seek consolation in anything; but you would rather look upon it as a great happiness to bear the Cross of the Lord.

In giving us His Son, His only Word, He spoke everything to us at once in this sole Word -- and He has no more to say ... because what he spoke before to the prophets in parts, he has now spoken all at once by giving us the All Who is His Son.

God desires the smallest degree of purity of conscience in you more than all the works you can perform. 

With what procrastinations do you wait, since from this very moment you can love God in your heart?

There is a God who Loves you Just the Same

Today's Gospel: Matthew 21:28-32
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:
"What is your opinion? 
A man had two sons. 
He came to the first and said,
'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.' 
The son said in reply, 'I will not,'
but afterwards he changed his mind and went. 
The man came to the other son and gave the same order. 
He said in reply, 'Yes, sir,' but did not go. 
Which of the two did his father's will?" 
They answered, "The first." 
Jesus said to them, "Amen, I say to you,
tax collectors and prostitutes
are entering the Kingdom of God before you. 
When John came to you in the way of righteousness,
you did not believe him;
but tax collectors and prostitutes did. 
Yet even when you saw that,
you did not later change your minds and believe him.


As humans, with free will, it is easy for us to say no to God's will and choose what we want to do over what God has planned for us. Luckily, our God is patient, and merciful. Luckily, our God can work with our decisions, and do His best to make the best out of every situation. 

Sometimes we will make choice, and upon re-evaluation, make a change, just as the son in today's Gospel. Being a young adult, college student, this something that is often done. I've successfully completed my first semester of college. There are girls in my dorm who are transferring to other schools, majors are being changed, decisions were made - and now, with re-evaluation changes are being made. Often times, it is scary to do this. Making decisions are scary. Choosing to take a year off school and to serve is scary. Choosing a college is scary. Choosing a major is scaring. Choosing to do declare yourself single for a season is scary. Choosing to enter into a relationship is scary. Becoming engaged is scary. Getting married is scary. Having your first child is scary. Sending your first child to kindergarten is scary. Sending your children off to college is scary.

 Life is all about making decisions. Things rarely turn out as you expect. But it's all a part of growing up. It's all a part of living. And being 18, and a freshman in college, living on your own for the first time, away from parents, is the perfect time to learn. You make mistakes, and learn from those mistakes. Just remember, there is a God who loves you despite every good or bad decision you may make - You will be loved just the same.

May the Lord guide us and lead us to make prudent decisions. May we humbly follow the son in today's Gospel, and not be afraid to change. May we seek to choose God always.  Amen. 

Times Gone by

My heart weighs heavy

As I long for times gone by

Crafts with grandma

Silly stories around the fire

While roasting marshmallows

Fish with grandpa,

And learning how to cook the fish

Splashing in the lake

And building sand castles

On the memories of times gone by

My heart weighs heavy

As I long for times gone by

Careless wonders of a child

A carefree love

A first kiss

Playing house with the neighbor kids

The ones with whom we spent our time

Creating a make-shift theater on rainy days

And paying mom in pennies for our candy

Oh the memories of times gone by

My heart weighs heavy

As I long for times gone by

Family dinner every night

And waiting to eat until dad comes home

Then closing the night as a family with a show

Oh the memories of times gone by

My heart weighs heavy

As I long for times gone by

When mom would make me dolls

And hold me when sick

Learning to make perogies

And baking chocolate chip cookies

Ending with a burnt chin

Oh the memories of times gone by

My heart weighs heavy

As I long for times gone by

Before stress, anxiety, and depression

Before jobs and choosing your education

Before the ever so common question:

            What are you doing with your life?

Oh the memories of times gone by

My heart weighs heavy

As I long for times gone by

When cookies and milk fixed all problems

And a hug from your daddy.

Oh for the memories of times gone by

My heart weighs heavy

As I long for memories of times gone by

The innocent trust of a child

Linked to the side of our parents

When we did not question why

But simply went about embracing childhood

Oh for the memories of times gone by.

Prayer for Students

Here's a prayer for students, preparing to study, by St. Thomas Aquinas - just in time for the end of the semester or quarter :)

Creator of all things,
true source of light and wisdom,
origin of all being,
graciously let a ray of your light penetrate
the darkness of my understanding.

Take from me the double darkness
in which I have been born,
an obscurity of sin and ignorance.

Give me a keen understanding,
a retentive memory, and
the ability to grasp things
correctly and fundamentally.

Grant me the talent
of being exact in my explanations
and the ability to express myself
with thoroughness and charm.

Point out the beginning,
direct the progress,
and help in the completion.

I ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.