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When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people putting their offerings into the treasury and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins. He said, “I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.” Lk 21:1-4 The above passage is the Gospel reading for today, the Feast of Saint Cecelia. Do you know what's amazing about the poor widow in the Gospel today? She got God's attention. Notice, Jesus didn't comment on how effective the large sums of money given by the wealthy would be for the treasury supply, He commented on a small act of love, a small gift made by a widow, that turned out to be so large. This woman gave all she had to God by offering all her money to the Temple where He was worshipped. This got God's attention. What can we learn from this? When you do little things for others-and consequently for God- YOU get God's attention. When you are kind to someone who you don't usually talk with, YOU get God's attention. When you help your mom out with dinner (even though you would rather be playing video games), YOU get God's attention. When you give up your Sunday morning breakfast with friends because you know you should fast before Mass, YOU get God's attention. See, God doesn't expect all of us to do great things or give to Him in large ways. Sure, some of us may be called to holiness by serving the Chruch in a big way, becoming a priest or a nun, or traveling to foreign countries to be missionaries, but most of us will probably not be called to give everything for God by being martyred for our faith or by giving all of our money to the Church. However, all of us will be called to ordinary holiness. We're all given the opportunity each day to give God our "two coins" and offer Him all we have: the little and insignificant things we do or talents we have, and He uses them to build up the Kingdom. We are called to do small things with great love, as the widow in the Gospel did. Do you want God's attention? Do you want to feel closer to Him? Do you want to follow His will for your life? Do small things with great love, and all will fall into place. When we offer all we have for the Kingdom of Heaven, we get His attention, and God takes what little we have given and helps us become the saints we were created to be.

CALLING ALL CATHOLIC BOOK WORMS!!! Earlier in the year Ms. Julie Ash contacted me through this blog and asked if I would read and review her new book, In the Palace of the Great King: a Catholic Novel. In the Palace of the Great King is an engaging, prayer-provoking, and truly beautiful read for the young Church. I thoroughly enjoyed every word of it. I would see it as an especially good book for young women discerning a Vocation to the Religious Life, although I'm sure it will be loved by all who read it. The book details the lives of two young women on their search for truth, meaning, and happiness. Their paths intersect in an unexpected way, and it alters their lives forever. (read more in the description below from Amazon) You can see the official website page for the book here . Please leave Ms.Ash a review, if you'd like! The novel is currently available in E-book format through Amazon at this link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09FXBTC8V?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420 Hard copies of the novel are available now wherever books are sold! If you read this beautiful novel, please let me know what you thought of it in the comments section below (You're going to have to scroll down quite a bit to find the comments section. Long post. Sorry!) and I will share your praise for the book with Ms. Ash. Please share this post with your friends so we can spread the word about this beautiful Catholic literary work. *Note: I am not monetarily profiting in any way from writing this blog post or providing these links, however, this book was a wonderful use of my time, and I greatly profited from it in that sense of things :-) Here is the synopsis of the book (along with some reviews, including mine!) from Amazon: The devil doesn’t care how much money your parents make. All that matters is that you keep your mind on anything and everything but God. In the Palace of the Great King (348 pages) by debut author Julie Ash reveals how two teens from totally different backgrounds respond to the call to conversion and contemplative religious life in the midst of an often hostile secular culture and a Church in crisis. “Julie Ash crafts an iconic tale of demons, angels, beliefs, and the reality of what it means to give one's life to God.” D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review “What if Heaven is everything they say it is? What if it’s this wonderful place where you can have everything you ever wanted and be happy forever? And nobody told us?” Lonely 14-year-old Char Fisher isn’t as popular as her beautiful younger sister, Kayla. Jealously they bicker and argue. Then a family trip to Cleveland changes everything when their mother has a major meltdown over a pro-life protester. After her beloved Abuelita Isabel dies, 17-year-old Tia Esperanza gets uprooted from her childhood home in San Antonio when her mother decides to move them all to Cleveland. Now, they’re closer to Tia’s father, but things aren’t exactly working out. She’ll be graduating soon, and then what? She’s so busy working and helping take care of her special needs brother while her mother works nights that she doesn’t have time to think about anything else. Char and Tia come from totally different worlds, but when a chance bus ride in a terrifying storm throws them all together in Holy Angels Monastery, something beautiful emerges that even Tia with her Catholic upbringing couldn’t have expected. This true-to-life young adult novel by Julie Ash is packed with gripping adventure, heartwarming humor, and a stunning conclusion that you won’t see coming! "In the Palace of the Great King is an engaging, prayer-provoking, and truly beautiful read... I thoroughly enjoyed every word of it." “Catholic Teen,” Catholic Teen Life "I was astounded by how well-written and enthralling this book was, and it is now one of my favorites." Grace Donahue, A Catholic Girl Reads Again, I encourage you to purchase and read this wonderful novel for Catholic Teens! I guarantee you will not be disappointed . Thank you to Ms. Julie Ash for writing such beautiful work of literature!

I love writing about Vocations. A Vocation is literally a call from God. How could anything get better than that?? We all are called by God to do different things at different times throughout our lives. We are called when we are young to be sons and daughters, students, and friends. When we get a bit older we are called to a mission in some sort of career, or by serving our families or the Church. This is the kind of Vocation that we, as the Church of the United States, discuss this week, specifically Vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life, though we encourage and celebrate all Vocations. The important thing to remember is that no matter how Jesus calls you to love in this life, ultimately, the Vocation of every single person is to know, love, and serve God in this life so that we can be happy with Him in the next. If you feel God tugging on your heartstrings in one direction or another, GO, FOLLOW HIM! Or maybe you're not sure. If all you've had is a strong desire and peace when you think about which state of life you will enter, that's a sign of where God is leading you. GO, FOLLOW HIM ! Maybe you've never even considered that God has a magnificent plan for your life. It's amazing. GO, FOLLOW HIM, and He will lead you on a beautiful journey that you never could've imagined!! I speak this from personal experience. Long story short, for a long time, I felt called to religious life. I thought I was supposed to become a Sister and serve the Church in that way. Over time though, I realized that I was only focusing on my own desires- not asking God to reveal to me what HIS plan was. Now, after lots of prayer and tons of confirmation from God, I have found that He is calling me to be a wife and mother someday. : ) There are tons of resources out there for people of all ages discerning their vocations. The USCCB website has some great resources, and any website for a religious community will too. The best piece of advice about discerning my Vocation was given to me in confession by a priest at a Steubenville conference. I don't even know who he was, but I am SO grateful that he told me this. He said that in discernment, we don't need to know the path right away. Our job is to have an open and receptive posture to whatever God wants, and God will work out the rest. It's okay to not have it all figured out. Our God is a God of love and a God of surprises. He has a plan for your life and for mine that is greater and more beautiful than we can even imagine, and in His time, He will reveal it. Last year for National Vocations Awareness Week I posted some resources along with interviews with a few people who are boldly living out their Vocations. Here are the links to those posts: Vocations Resources Post- https://catholicteenlife.wixsite.com/mysite/post/vocations-resources An Interview with a Religious Sister-https://catholicteenlife.wixsite.com/mysite/post/an-interview-with-a-religious-sister An Interview with a Seminarian https://catholicteenlife.wixsite.com/mysite/post/an-interview-with-a-seminarian An Interview with a Priest: https://catholicteenlife.wixsite.com/mysite/post/an-interview-with-a-priest Please share them (or any other Catholic Teen Life posts) with anyone you think could benefit from reading them! Prayer to Know My Vocation from a prayer card that I have: Lord, I want to be happy with you in this life and spend eternity with you in the life to come. From the first moment of my existence, you knew my Vocation. Please help me discover your plan for my life. Help me to know myself. Help me to overcome my fears. Help me to want what you want. Help me to trust You completely . Send your Holy Spirit into my mind and hearts so that I can see the gifts you've given me and hear Your call to serve the Church. Increase my desire to bring others to you and to help them reach Heaven. Mary Most Holy, Mother of God, pray for me, that I can discover my Vocation and have the courage to respond in faith. Let's pray for one another that God will show us how He desires for us to love in this life so that we can be happy with Him in the next : ) God bless you!!

The people we celebrate today are Mothers, Fathers, Husbands, Wives, Nuns, Monks, Priests, Deacons, Children, Teenagers, Babies, and hopefully, someday, YOU!! (basically, we're celebrating everyone who is in Heaven, canonized saint or not.) A few of my go-to saints are Saint Gianna Molla, Saint Anne, Blessed Carlo Acutis, Saint Therese, and, of course, Mamma Mary. Feel free to comment below and tell me who your favorite saint is! Do you know of an obscure saint with an amazing story that I should check out? Are you doing anything to celebrate All Saints Day? I'd love to hear all about it! “Believe me, don’t wait until tomorrow to begin becoming a saint.” ~St. Therese of Lisieux Let's never forget that God desires for us to become Saints! Aim high! Aim for eternal glory! The path to sainthood begins NOW! And if Heaven is your goal, God will make sure that you'll succeed. Have a blessed and happy All Saints day!

Dear Catholic Teen Life Readers, As part of my history text for the school year, I have to choose a project to complete each month. This month I chose the following prompt: Read the Gospel Accounts of the Resurrection and write a narrative explaining the events beginning Holy Saturday night and going up to Christ’s first appearance to all His apostles in the upper room on Easter Sunday morning. I chose to write the narrative from the perspective of Saint Mary Magdalene. This narrative is entirely fictional, although based on the information about the Ressurection contained in the Gospels, and I've used my creativity to come up with the details. Mary is the subject of a great amount of speculation, and so for the sake of simplicity I've based her character only on Biblical descriptions. I had a lot of fun with this project and wanted to share it with you all :-) I'm considering adding on to this short story so that it includes a (fictional) account of all the events that took place from Holy Thursday to Good Friday. If you enjoy this type of writing and think I should continue, please let me know in the comments section below (Or through the contact form on the home page)! I'd love to hear your thoughts. ~Catholic Teen How It Began- A short story from the perspective of Mary Magdalene Saturday Evening “What do we do now, Peter? We can’t intrude on these poor people’s lives forever!” “I know, Mary. But it’s safer this way for now. We don’t know what’s going on out there.” “Fine.” He turned and walked away, apparently satisfied by my response. “ That’s all he’ll get.” I thought. I walked back to the corner of the room where Joanna, Salome, and Mary, James’ mother, were sitting. “It’s no use. He won’t make a decision.” I sighed as I slumped down against the rocky wall behind us. We’d been hiding in the upper room since Jesus died on Friday. The child in the family downstairs had been healed by Christ on Wednesday, and the family had been kind enough to let us stay in their attic for a while so we could be together while we grieved and figured out what to do next. But we had to do something. We couldn’t hide forever. “Pray for them, Mary.” Joanna said softly, always the rational, supportive one of the bunch. “They have a big decision to make.” “Yeah. I know. But we must do something. We can’t just sit here forever.” I glanced around at the other people in the room. Peter and James sat in the opposite corner, discussing what to do next. John sat with Mary in the other corner by the fire that Matthew had built, holding her hand while she cried softly. The rest of the men sat in groups throughout the room, talking in hushed voices. Andrew had already laid his cloak on the floor and was ready to sleep after a long day of doing, well, nothing. “Let’s go to the tomb in the morning and take the spices with us. You’re absolutely right, Mary, we must do something.” Salome said after a moment. “Yes. That’s something we can hopefully do without making too much of a disturbance. I still can’t believe they actually killed Him. They said they would, but I just can’t believe it." A while later the four of us removed our cloaks and laid down on them on the floor as we’d done the night before. John stood up from the corner of the room where he was with Mary. He brought her over to us and gave her his cloak to lay on, as hers was soaked with tears. “Goodnight, Imma!” John said, kissing her on the cheek. While He was hanging on the cross, Jesus told John to take her into his home, and Mary that John was now her son. The two had developed a bond before then, so it was a beautiful privilege that Jesus had given to the two of them. I think it’s so sweet how he already calls her Imma. (Imma means mamma in Hebrew) As the room slowly became quieter except for Andrew’s quiet snores, I felt tears dripping down my cheeks. This happens sometimes. I become numb with pain, not even letting myself feel it until late at night when I’m sure no one else will know. When I was young and my parents still allowed me into their home, I had to keep my feelings inside of me. My father was a cruel man. Then when he tossed me out, leaving me to fend for myself once I became possessed, I had no one to talk to in my clear moments. I kept all of my emotions bottled up inside, like a grape, overripened and needing to burst forth. Once Jesus healed me I became a new person. I was so emotional for a long time, overwhelmed by the love with which He had treated me. But then He was gone. And I felt like I needed to be strong for everyone else, so I only allowed myself to feel the pain late at night or when I knew they couldn't see. This was no exception. The first person in this world to treat me with dignity had died. I had to grieve but didn’t quite know how. Even now, five years later, living out in the desert, alone, I still need to mourn what happened even though I know how the story ends. Or shall I say, begins? Sunday Morning It was so early that the sun had only just begun to lighten the room. Only the four of us were awake. Joanna began gathering the spices that she’d hidden in the folds of her cloak after we left the tomb on Friday. As quietly as we could, only stopping to tell Peter where we were going, (at which he looked me straight in the eyes and said “be careful.” Before rolling over to go back to sleep.) we slipped down the stairs from the room, pulling our veils closer to our faces as we stepped onto the road. The sun dawned in the sky, more beautiful than I’d ever seen it before. About two miles later, as we climbed the hill leading to the garden where the tomb was, I ran up ahead of the other women. They are older and slower than I, and Joanna, though younger, stayed by their side. I was only twenty at the time. I crested the hill, seemingly walking into the sunrise. At the bottom was the garden where the tomb was in which they’d buried Jesus. The tears began to fall, and for once, I allowed them to. I shivered as I crossed the threshold into the garden. As I turned the corner to enter the gate where the tomb was, I stopped in my tracks. The stone had been rolled back. I peered inside. Nothing. I sank to my knees, sobbing. “All of that and now they’ve stolen His body. How could anyone be so cruel?” I heard footsteps behind me. Thinking it was the other women, I did not turn around. A man’s voice came from behind me. He must’ve been standing about five feet away. “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid Him.” I gasped out between sobs. “He must be the gardener.” I thought. “Maybe he knows what happened.” “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take Him.” “Mary!” The man’s voice changed as he spoke my name with the utmost tenderness. My heart stopped. It was the voice of my Lord. “Rabbouni!” I cried out, turning and throwing myself at His feet. His face was radiant with love as it had been, even bloodied and bruised as he hung on the cross. He leaned down and embraced me, allowing me to cry in his arms. After a moment He stood, drawing me up along with Him. He looked directly into my eyes and said with a small smile, “Mary, stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘ I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” “Yes, Rabbi! I said, tears filling my eyes yet again, “I will go!” I turned and ran to the gate, glancing behind me as I did. The other women were just arriving. “He’s there!” I cried out through my tears, now of joy. I ran back to the upper room and told Peter and John what I’d seen. They didn’t seem to believe me. I could still sometimes tell that Peter still saw me as that crazy girl who’d been possessed and then healed by the Messiah. Jesus became my life. My everything. And on top of that, I am a woman. Who would listen to me? Nevertheless, the men ran off to the tomb, doubting my testimony but yet with a spark of hope in their hearts. 11 a.m. Sunday The other women gathered around me, their tongues alight with happy speech and giggles of disbelief for the first time in a while. “An angel was there! And oh, Mary, it was unlike anything I’ve ever seen!” “He said that Jesus is risen and to come and tell Peter!” I relayed to the rest of the men all that had happened. They also were skeptical of what we had seen. Just then we heard the thunder of footsteps as Peter and John raced up the stairs. “Well, Mary," Peter said as they burst into the room, “There were no angels or visions or anything of the sort, but something strange is happening. The stone is rolled away, as you said, and the burial cloth was folded neatly. Not something robbers would do.” John said softly, “The Jews will think we stole His body and staged this to cause trouble. We must hide. The family downstairs says we may stay as long as necessary.” He locked the door behind him as he said this. The men began to murmur among themselves, only adding to their worry as they discussed possibilities of what may have happened. We women sat in the corner further discussing what we had seen. We all knew in our hearts that it was true and were not afraid. Jesus was alive! He would certainly do something to let us know what to do next. Later in the afternoon, Jesus’ mother remarked, “He said this would happen, did He not? If they only believe they will be at peace.” 6 p.m. Sunday Thomas had gone out to beg for some bread in the marketplace, spreading ashes over his face from our fire to make himself seem dirty like a beggar. The men continued to worry while we waited for him to come back with whatever morsels he could find. They were so afraid of what might happen to them. They looked at us as if we were crazy when we laughed, and once, we even began singing as Joanna tried to recall the song the angels had sung as they'd praised God! As the men talked among themselves, and John sat with Mary, there was suddenly a flash of light. We all sat up straight, startled. “Peace be with you.” A voice came from the far corner of the room where the family’s old table and chairs sat. We all turned and looked. “Jesus” voices breathed from all around the room. The room filled with light and laughter as everyone tried to comprehend what they were seeing. Peter began to sob uncontrollably. Mary ran to her son. He embraced her and sat her down on one of the chairs. He wordlessly displayed his hands and feet with the nail marks in them. When they’d taken Him down from the cross we had not had time to clean His wounds before the sun went down and the Sabbath began, so He had been dirty and bloodied. Now all that remained were the holes in his flesh where the nails had been and the wound in His side where he had been pierced. He walked to each of us, embracing us one by one and saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” before He moved to the next person. Everyone gathered was either crying or laughing uncontrollably by the time Jesus got to each of us. He then turned to the men and, looking Peter directly in the eyes, said, “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven. Whose sins you retain are retained.” Jesus remained with us a while longer, about half of an hour, before He disappeared out the door. We peered out the window to see which direction He went, but we did not even see Him leave the house. I was overjoyed. I did not even try to comprehend what had happened. All that mattered was that He was alive. The Messiah, the man whom our people waited for thousands of years, had been killed. But now He was alive. Thomas returned to the room with a small amount of food, startled by all we told him had occurred, and refused to believe, saying, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” He became annoyed with all of our babbling and tears of joy and retired to his cloak on the floor hours earlier than the rest of us. About a week later, Jesus appeared to us all and Thomas came to believe, but that is a story for another time. As I lay on my cloak that night, too excited to sleep, I realized that what happened to Jesus had happened to me, too. I was dead. Broken, lost, abandoned, and then He raised me up. He pulled me out of the darkness into the light and life of His love. To this day, five years later, I continue to receive notes from Peter telling stories of how Jesus continues to raise people out of the darkness of this world and into the light of His Truth, though He ascended to His Father. The Holy Spirit that Jesus gave to us that night is alive and working. Though the community is still small, it is growing, and I am confident that someday all will know what occurred on that glorious morning and come to believe and find new life in Christ as I, and so many others, have.

Blessed Chiara "Luce" Badano ​ Her story: Blessed Chiara was born in 1971 in Sasello, Italy. Chiara was a popular, fun-loving, ordinary girl. She had a heart for others and evangelized more through her deeds than through her words. She is- quite literally- an ordinary saint. She did nothing remarkable other than love her Lord! When she was 17, she was diagnosed with bone cancer. She offered up her sufferings, continuing to stay positive and spread the light of Christ to everyone around her, and remained active in the faith despite being so sick. She once said that if she had to choose between walking again and going to Heaven, she'd choose Heaven. She had chosen Jesus as her spouse and was excited to be with Him. One of her more famous quotes is "At this point I have nothing left, but I still have my heart, and with that I can always love." She died in 1990, and within 9 years her diocese pursued canonization for this amazing young woman. She was beatified in 2010. ​ Born: 1971 Died: 1990 Feast Day: October 29 ​ Quotes: “I discovered that Forsaken Jesus is the key to unity with God and I want to choose Him as my first Spouse and be prepared for when He comes.” “I have nothing left but I still have my heart and with that, I can always love.” And my personal favorite... “For you Jesus. If you want it, I want it, too!” Blessed Chiara, pray for us that we may live out our teenage lives in service to our Lord just as you did. Help us to be a light for the world!! ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

Side note: I don't typically repost things, but this is an exception! This was an essay that wrote for my theology class last December, but had to cut it down because I had too many words. This is the full version of that essay. Since Hebrews 4:12 is part of the second reading today, I thought it might be a nice reflection. God bless!! :-) One thing that I read in the readings assigned this week that I didn’t recognize the importance of before was in Hebrews 4:12. In this verse, the author writes, “Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.” At the beginning of the verse the author says, “Indeed, the word of God is living and effective…”. How can a word be living? Only creatures are alive. The word of God is different. We know from John 1:14 that Jesus is the Word of God. (“And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.” ) The fact that Christ is the Word of God also makes sense because when one comes to know the Word of God, he or she comes to know Christ. When people do not know the Word of God they cannot know Christ as deeply as He’d like to reveal Himself to them. As St. Jerome once famously said, “Ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ.” If Christ is the Word of God, then all of the things that the author of Hebrews uses to describe the Word of God must also apply to Christ. The first thing that the author of Hebrews says about the Word of God is that it is living and effective. If Jesus is the Word of God, as John said, then He must also be living and effective. This makes sense because although Christ died here on earth and was then resurrected, He never died after that. He ascended into Heaven, body, and soul, but He did not die. If someone did not die, we can logically assume that they are not dead, and therefore was are alive. He is effective because His life, death, and resurrection had a tremendous effect on all of the universe and all of human history, and Christ continues to affect the lives of all in major ways to this very day and will do so for eternity. The next things that the author of Hebrews uses to describe the Word are “…sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating between even soul and spirit, joints and marrow…” Does this make sense when applied to Christ as the Word? Absolutely. In Matthew 10:34, Jesus says, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword.” When we as Christians know the Word of God as it was meant to be interpreted through the help of Christ and the magisterium of the Church, we will be given knowledge of things by the Word of God and Christ which are one and cannot be separated. When this happens we will not be able to help but share them and the one who gave us that knowledge. Both spreading our knowledge of Christ, the Word, and His Church, are highly controversial, and, sadly, are not agreed upon by all Christians. We may be disliked because we know the Truth. Our beliefs may bring division between us and our loved ones. So, as crazy as it seems, the Word of God is divisive, and so is Christ. The last thing that the anonymous author of Hebrews says about the Word of God in this verse is that it (He) is “able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.” Any ordinary word that is spoken cannot do anything even remotely similar to this! This line, along with the text of the next verse when the word is referred to as “He", proves that Jesus is the Word being spoken of. When we pray with the Word of God, we come closer to Christ and He alone can discern our reflections and thoughts, and help us to more deeply understand Him through the things we are reading. This study of this verse makes me want to read my Bible more often so that I can further come to know Christ in all of His forms, specifically as the Word made man. I find it very interesting how everything in the Old Testament as well as in the new, points to Christ. This makes sense now after reading this verse, as He is the Word of God! This discovery found in reading the book of Hebrews helps me to further understand Christ’s role in Scripture and to be more excited to soak up the Word of God- Jesus Christ- through the mysteries and stories of the Bible.

In today's Gospel reading (the one for Tuesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time, not for St. Faustina's Feast Day) we hear the story of Mary and Martha. (You can read it in Lk 10:38-42 ) What a beautiful story this is, and a wonderful lesson for those of us who are pretty busy people! (I think that's mostly everyone...) As Martha learned, when we put Jesus first, giving up our worries, chores, homework, and any other pressing activities, for a few moments just to lift our thoughts to Him, He will bless our efforts afterward and we will still get done all that needs to be done. I've noticed this in my own life. If I'm feeling overwhelmed and I just take a few minutes to spend time with my Lord, I'm more at peace while I'm working on whatever I need to do, which in turn helps me to be more efficient and cheerful while I work. Being busy can be overwhelming. Thinking about the future and everything you have to do to get to where you want to go can be overwhelming. But, as Martha learned two thousand years ago, when we put God first, making time to spend with Him- even for just a moment, everything will fall into place.

Our culture has thrown aside the fact that a woman of worth and dignity is more precious than almost anything else in the world. Fortunately, we can remind our world of this by striving to live out God's plan for women. This Summer I've been attending a Bible study on Proverbs 31 at my parish. I got so much out of it, and it has completely changed my outlook on femininity, marriage, and motherhood. I would like to share some of my notes from the Bible study with you in this post. I pray that it will touch your heart as it did mine and inspire you to live out God's plan for your life. This blog post is sort of long, so you might need to read it in more than one sitting, but I encourage you to get your Bible out, take some notes, and read along with me! Please let me know in the comments section if you enjoy this post and would like to see other Bible study posts like it (or any other comments or questions you might have). Enjoy! General Notes: Proverbs 31 is the only known chapter in the bible written by a woman. It is written as a poem so needs some dissection to understand the true meaning. In this chapter, a queen is writing to her son telling him what kind of woman he should marry. Proverbs 31 provides a model for women in all Vocations, not only married life. Being a Proverbs 31 Woman is impossible without Christ. Proverbs 31:1-9~ Queen Mother giving her son advice... not yet the main part of the chapter, but still valuable. Proverbs 31:10~ "Who can find a woman of worth? Far beyond jewels is her value." A Godly woman is infinitely valuable to her family and society. She knows her dignity and expects to be treated with it. Proverbs 31:11~" Her husband trusts her judgment; he does not lack income." Her husband trusts her with the household affairs and is able to provide for the family as a result. Her husband trusts her in everything because he knows that she trusts God. Ways to cultivate trust in any relationship: Good, structured prayer time Purity of thought Forgive from the heart, even when it’s hard Thankfulness Try not to talk about other people badly behind their back Avoid gossip Speak the truth in love (communicate with respect) Never lie Practice discretion Modest dress Take full advantage of the sacraments Bottom line: Imitate Mary! She and Joseph, (and she and God) had to trust each other completely. Proverbs 31:12~ “She brings him profit, not loss, all the days of her life” *THIS ONE IS MY FAVORITE!!* Marriage is a life of service to another. Marriage is a covenant, (an exchange of persons), not a contract (exchange of goods or services). Her husband’s work increases in quality under her supervision and help. A woman’s ultimate purpose is to be a helper. Imitate Christ, who withheld nothing from His spouse, the Church. Would you be willing to die on a cross for the other person? She is committed to her future husband, even before they are married. She is frugal in her time and money. She offers all she can to her family, church, and community. She brings her husband gain in all areas of his life: physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally, financially, etc. She loves her husband and brings out the best in him. He flourishes under her love. She knows how to disagree and how to argue well. She is forgiving and knows how to handle her emotions. Proverbs 31:13~ “She seeks out wool and flax and weaves with skillful hands.” She works joyfully She values her identity as a wife and mother (Or spouse of Christ if she is in religious life) She smiles frequently She is cheerful! Teenage application: Help around the house, but do it with a smile. :-) Proverbs 31:14~ “Like a merchant fleet, she secures her provisions from afar” She knows how to get what she and her family need. Grocery shopping! Laundry! She’s organized and saves money and time. Proverbs 31:15~ “She rises while it is still night and distributes food to her household, a portion to her maidservants.” She will put her family before her own desires Makes time to pray before she begins her day. Wakes up before her family to prepare for their day. Even takes care of non-household members before providing for her own desires Teenage Application: Get up 10 minutes earlier than usual and spend some time with God before you start your day. Proverbs 31:16~ “She picks out a field and acquires it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard.” She budgets and spends her money wisely, in turn, putting it to good use. She is wise with money and doesn't spend extravagantly. Teenage Application: Budget your money and begin saving for the future. Proverbs 31:17~ “She girds herself with strength; she exerts her arms with vigor.” She keeps herself spiritually, mentally, and physically strong. Teenage application: Keep your prayer life strong and exercise your brain and your body. Proverbs 31:18~ “ She enjoys the profit from her dealings; her lamp is never extinguished at night.” She enjoys what she does, knowing that even if she doesn’t make any extra money (stay-at-home/homeschool mom) that the profits of her work are happiness and holiness for her family. Her light is always on for others. She is supportive and is there when someone needs her. Proverbs 31:19~ “She puts her hands to the distaff. Her fingers ply the spindle.” She works hard. Proverbs 31:20~ “She reaches out her hands to the poor and extends her arms to the needy.” She is a helper. She is frugal. She cares for people in need. She doesn’t live in her own little world but is in tune with the needs of her family and community. Teenage application: Get involved in a service group at your school or parish, or find another way to serve those in need. Proverbs 31:21~ “She is not concerned for her household when it snows- all her charges are doubly clothed.” Her family is cared for. Her household is in order. She is prepared for pretty much anything! She is prepared to meet Jesus when she dies. Proverbs 31:22~ “ She makes her own coverlets. Fine linen and purple are her clothing.” She is modest and takes care of her appearance. She makes sure that she is dressed decently, even just around the home. She dresses her children in a modest, decent manner. Teenage Application: Dress like the BEAUTIFUL woman that you are! Proverbs 31:23~ “Her husband is prominent at the city gates as he sits with the elders of the land.” She doesn’t want to disappoint her family. She recognizes that her actions and speech matter in the lives of her family. She knows that she needs to act like the Christian that she is. Proverbs 31:24~ “She makes garments and sells them, and stocks the merchants with belts.” She has a hobby and uses it to profit her family. Proverbs 31:25~ “ She is clothed with strength and dignity, and laughs at the days to come.” She is positive, trusting that Jesus will take care of her and her family no matter what. She surrenders her future to God. Teenage Application: Trust God with your future. Ask Him what He wants for your life. Proverbs 31:26~ “ She opens her mouth in wisdom; kindly instruction is on her tongue.” She speaks lovingly and with wisdom. She gives advice She speaks gently She is a teacher Proverbs 31:27~ “She watches over the affairs of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness.” She takes care of her household. She does not make others do the work for her. She manages her time wisely and does not allow distractions to overcome her. Teenage Application: Don’t waste your time on social media! Try to go a day without social media or digital games. See how much time you save! Proverbs 31:28~ “Her husband and children rise up and call her blessed. Her husband too, praise her.” Her family respects her. When her children are grown they realize all she has done for them and who she is as a woman of God. Her husband is proud of her! Proverbs 31:29~ “Many are women of proven worth, but you have excelled them all.” This is the ultimate praise from a husband! She is noticed, loved, and appreciated by her family, mainly her husband. Proverbs 31:30~ “Charm is deceptive and beauty, fleeting, but the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.” She lives her faith and Vocation boldly. She makes herself beautiful on the inside because she knows that she won't be physically beautiful forever. Proverbs 31:31~ “Acclaim her for the work of her hands, and let her deeds praise her at the city gates.” Her community knows her holiness, servitude, and goodness by her works. God knows her deeds. She will go to Heaven! I know what you’re probably thinking… HOW IN THE WORLD IS THIS POSSIBLE?? This woman that the queen is describing seems soooo perfect. The fact is until we get to Heaven, perfection isn’t possible. But we can try. God gives us each all the graces we need in order to get to Heaven. The bottom line of the Proverbs 31 Woman is that she strives for perfection, recognizing her littleness and imperfection, and yet knowing that God will make her holy through her efforts to fulfill her Vocation. Another thing to recognize, any woman can be a Proverbs 31 Woman as long as she has Christ: nuns, religious sisters, single women, wives, mothers, girlfriends, anyone. What I most admire about the Proverbs 31 Woman is her ordinary holiness. It is through the fulfillment of her inherent Vocation as a woman, to be a lover and a helper, that God makes her holy. She, as Saint Mother Teresa said, “does small things with great love.” Lord, I want to live my life as the woman that You’ve created me to be. Please help me to put into practice the qualities and actions of the Godly woman described in Proverbs 31. Thank you for your Word and the ability to read, study, and understand it. Help me to do all things in love, and to be a cheerful giver in all of my relationships. I trust that You desire to make me holy and that You will give me the qualities necessary to fulfill Your plan for my life. Jesus, I trust in You!

" Blessed be God who filled my soul with fire!" This beautiful verse is found in the responsorial psalm of the daily readings for today, the feast of Saint Clare. In reading it this morning, another recent verse from the daily readings came to mind: "As Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the commandments in his hands, he did not know that the skin of his face had become radiant while he conversed with the LORD." ~ Exodus 34:29 Do you know someone who just seems to radiate the love, joy, and peace of Christ? They seem not to know that they do it, but somehow, through their words and actions, they radiate Christ. I believe that this "radiation" is caused by the "fire" that is spoken of today in the responsorial psalm. When one is on fire for God, they cannot help but spread His Love to all they meet. I met a priest like this, once. He smiled at me from a distance away, in a room filled with a thousand teenagers, and immediately I felt that Christ was with Him, smiling through him. It has impacted me deeply and made me realize what an immense and individual love that our Father has for us. And I really don't think the priest knew how deeply his smile impacted me. Just like Moses, he was radiant with the love and presence of God. He didn't have to do anything special. All he did was smile. When we allow God to set our souls on fire with His divine love and grace, amazing things will happen in our lives and in the lives of those we encounter. So, how can we, as teenagers, radiate this amazing joy? How can our own souls be set on fire with Christ's love? If we look to other places in Scripture, we will easily find the answer. Psalm 34:5- " "Those who look to him are radiant with joy; their faces will never be ashamed." Look to God. It's as simple as that. Look to God and you will be radiant with joy. When we look to God in all things, finding His presence in the simple , ordinary things of life, we cannot help but radiate joy. Christ will dwell in us, and us in Him, and He will shine His light to the world through us. Lord Jesus, I look to You. I ask you to come and set my soul on fire and make me radiant with joy. Dwell in me and work through me that more souls may be set on fire for love of You. You, O Lord, are my joy!

This past weekend I was at a Steubenville Youth Conference weekend with a group from my parish. It was my second time going, and while it was a lot different from last time, we all still had an amazing time with lots of laughter and tears, prayer, dancing, changed hearts and lives, and honestly just silliness! :-) I learned so much, but here are some highlights: God has a plan for each of us, and He loves each of us totally and without reserve. God will guide us, but we have to be the ones to be courageous and take a leap into the unknown Prayer is a conversation between friends. Our God is a God of surprises. He knows our names. How to discern if something is the will of God: 1. You have a sense of peace 2. It is not against God's will 3. God's people confirm it God cares about the little things. The first lived experience of a woman on earth was of being delighted in. Intercessory prayer is SO powerful. Sometimes we think God is going to do one thing, and then He does something completely different, And that's okay. Mamma Mary is amazing, and a super-duper powerful intercessor for her children. Our desires, gifts, and talents are all factored in by God in His plan for our lives. Steubenville conferences are so powerful, and both I've been to have truly changed my life. God is a God of love, and of surprises. He loves and cares about even our smallest desires. This year's Steubenville conference theme was "Restored" from Psalm 80:3. God is the restorer of hearts, minds, and souls. He restores our wounded hearts by showing us that He is Love itself, and we will never be at peace without Him. God restores our minds by purifying us of our guilt and shame and helping us to turn our minds to the things of Heaven. He restored our souls by redeeming us by His sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, and by leaving us His body and blood, soul, and divinity in the Most Holy Eucharist, and in thousands of other ways! I encourage everyone who reads this to look at your life (prayerfully) and write down which areas you need God to restore you in. You might need your heart to be restored from past sins, you might need to forgive someone, or you might need a relationship to be healed (with God or with another person). Whatever it is, ask God to enter into that and to heal you. You can be restored. There is no need to live in darkness, in pain, fear, and regret. I can't stress enough how much God wants to heal you and restore you to new life! Let go of the pain, let go of the grudges, let go of everything that is holding you back from abandoning yourself into your Father's arms! Turn back to Him, let Him heal you! He wants to heal you more than anything else in the world. He is your Father and He loves you unconditionally and without reserve. How do I know this? One, because that's pretty much what I spent my weekend learning about, and two, because I've experienced firsthand the power of God's redeeming love and His working in His plan for my life. It is truly amazing what happens when you open up your life and let God in. Please know that I am praying for you, and I hope you will let God restore your heart, mind, and soul so that you can become the saint that He has made you to be! Want to learn more about Steubenville Youth Conferences? Go to https://steubenvilleconferences.com/youth/ If you've been to a Steubenville conference and would like to share your experience, I'd be happy to hear about it! You can contact me through the "contact" form on the home page of the blog or leave a comment below. God bless you!

“For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy,”- St. Therese of Lisieux Prayer is simply a turning of one's heart and mind toward God. It doesn't have to be (and shouldn't be) only our talking and God listening. Here are 100 ideas or ways to lift our hearts and minds to the Lord... Please comment and let me know if you have a favorite way to pray! Read part of one of the Gospels. Use your imagination to put yourself in your favorite Biblical story. Read the Gospel of Mark and reflect on the humanity of Christ. Read the Gospel of John and reflect on how Christ was in control the whole time. Pray the Rosary. Pray a Scriptural Rosary. Pray the rosary, praying for one specific intention on each bead. Go to adoration and just sit with Jesus. Go to adoration and let Jesus look at you and heal you. If you can't go to adoration in person, find it live-streamed on YouTube. Create a spot for prayer in your bedroom and say good morning to Jesus first thing every morning. Talk to Jesus about your day. Go to Mass. Go to Confession. Pray the Liturgy of the hours. Memorize Scripture Put on a Christian music playlist- don't pick out a specific song- press play and see what Christ says to you through music. Use music to pray. Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet Make a Rosary to give to someone, praying it as you make it. Read a Catholic book and talk to Jesus about what is being revealed to you. Tell Jesus what you are afraid of. Tell Him what you need. Tell Jesus what you're worried about. Tell Him what makes you happy. Ask Him to take over your life and use it all for His glory. Write a letter to Jesus Start a journal, writing to Jesus each day. Write down attributes of God, and pick one to imitate. Ask Jesus to show you His will for your life. Ask God to work miracles in your life. Consecrate yourself to the Blessed Mother Consecrate yourself to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Consecrate Yourself to Divine Mercy Ask your Patron Saint to pray for you. Think about Heaven. Contemplate Christ's divinity and humanity Listen to Him. Make a list of all you are thankful for, thank Him. Pray the Apostles or Nicene Creed and really mean it. Slowly pray the Our Father Contemplate what it means to be chosen and loved by God. Pray the St. Michael the Archangel prayer when you are tempted to sin. Ask your Guardian Angel to be with you always and be an advocate for you before Christ. Pray for all who have died. Picture yourself leaning on Jesus, as St. John did. Rest in Him. Let Jesus work in You. Pray for growth in a specific virtue. Read the daily Bible readings. Read the daily Bible readings, picking one verse that sticks out to you, and then journal about it. Pray for all of your friends and family. Pray for the intentions of the Holy Father. Pray for all women considering abortion. Go to https://nunsforpriests.org/ and adopt a priest to pray for. Download a spiritual adoption app and "adopt" an unborn child to pray for. Pick someone in your life who needs prayers and pray a novena for them. Draw your prayer in a journal. Pray a Litany Look up a random Bible verse generator and meditate on the verse it gives you. Be still. Read the life of a saint and ask them to help you to imitate their strongest virtue. Pick a friend or family member and focus on praying for them for the day, week, month, etc. Talk to the Blessed Mother, asking her to bring all of your intentions, thoughts, and worries to Christ. Memorize a scripture passage. Write a song or poem of prayer. Call a friend and pray with them. Host a prayer night with friends and family where you all get together and pray for one another's intentions. Pray using a Psalm. See a random person in front of you in line at the store? Pray that God will bring them to Heaven with Him someday. Pray for your friends, that they will respond to God's call to holiness. Fast from something. Go on a retreat. Try to be silent for an entire day, offering it to God. Meditate on a religious icon or just a picture of Jesus or Mary Pray the five finger prayer Pray with a younger sibling. Bless yourself using Holy water, and renew your Baptismal vows. Take a walk, and pray the Rosary while you do so. Take a walk, praying for the people inside each house you pass. Examine your conscience, and then confess your sins to God, even if you can't go to confession right then. Pray for big things- World peace, an end to abortion, a renewal of Church unity, etc. Simply say the name of Jesus, calling on Him to help you. Pray before a test or quiz, asking your Guardian Angel to help you. Listen to a Catholic podcast Write down what you want to ask Jesus when you get to Heaven, then realize that you can ask Him right now, and then ask Him! Pray for the vocations of your siblings. Pray for your future spouse. Make a list of prayer intentions. Choose one to focus on in prayer each day. Pray for all who are spiritually, physically, or mentally lost. Picture yourself opening your heart to Jesus, and invite Him to come and dwell in you. Then live like you know He's always there. Sing! Serve the poor. Pray for world leaders. Make a Spiritual Communion. Pray, "Jesus, Mary, I love you. Save Souls!" Thank Him for everything. Use a prayer app. Sit in a Catholic Church, recognizing you are in the presence of Christ. Pray out Loud. Sit in silence. Let Him love you.