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So they took Jesus, and carrying the cross himself he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha. John 19:17 Think of Christ carrying his cross through the streets. Historians estimate that the cross weighed approximately 300 pounds. Even with Simon of Cyrene to help carry it, the mental and physical pain from carrying that weight while being beaten, spit at, and yelled at, would have been excruciating. However, Jesus carried much more than his cross that day. He carried the weight of every sin that had ever been and would ever be committed. And those sins- our sins- are infinitely heavier than a cross. Jesus didn't need to do this. He was God! He could've just as easily taken himself out of the situation. But he didn't. He chose to carry his cross and eventually die out of pure love for us. Here's the link to the scene where Jesus carries his Cross from the movie, The Passion of the Christ . It's a very powerful clip. I will caution you though, it's very difficult to watch. https://youtu.be/yzKighUf4UY

Today is an amazing day. Today is the day that we celebrate Christ's total gift and sacrifice of Himself to and for us under the form of bread and wine in the Most Holy Eucharist. What a gift our Savior has given us! All that He is, His body, blood, soul, and divinity, is made one with us as we receive the Blessed Sacrament. We all wonder sometimes what Jesus looked like while here on earth. The fact is, He is still here. He is among us, not just spiritually, but physically. I took a psychology class this Spring semester, and this analogy helped me to understand what is meant when we say that Christ takes on the form of bread and wine in the Eucharist. Just as a statue is made up of stone, marble, or some other material, and yet has the form of whatever the statue is depicting, so the Eucharist is made up of Jesus' body, blood, soul, and divinity, and is under the form of bread and wine. We do see Christ. We touch Him. We hold Him. We consume Him, and He, us, with His love. We become one. Since this most Holy Sacrament is truly Christ's Body and Blood, and since we truly receive Him into our bodies and souls, He deserves the utmost respect and love from all of His followers. It is so sad and disappointing that so many Catholics and other Christians do not believe that Jesus meant what He said and that others choose to receive Him and yet live their public lives in direct contradiction to His teachings. Our Jesus waits for us in the tabernacle night and day. He waits for us to come to Him. When we say that "Amen" we are vowing to Jesus Christ and to His entire Church that we believe Him, we trust Him. God wants to give Himself to us, freely and totally, and He asks for our hearts and souls just the same. It is through the Holy Eucharist that we receive Him and He, us. I hope and pray that on this The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, all may witness the power, the beauty, and the love found in Christ's total gift of Himself in the Most Holy Eucharist. *To any non- Catholics or Catholics not sure about the Church's teaching on the Eucharist who are reading this blog, first of all, thank you for reading! Secondly, if you have any questions, feel free to contact me through the form on the home page of the blog, and I will try my hardest to find you some resources and answers to your questions. God bless!

Wishing you all a very happy and blessed Octave of Pentecost! The Holy Spirit is alive and working in hearts and lives during these busy times. I pray that He will continue to work in your lives and shower down many graces to help us, the young Church, to be a light in the darkness of our crazy world. I encourage you to read about the wonderful feast days that are happening this week and read the daily readings. Our Church provides so many opportunities for us to learn more about Her and all of the blessed men and women who make up the Church Triumphant! We are so blessed to make up the Body of Christ as His chosen people. Here's a great song by Catholic artist, Matt Maher that is very fitting for this time in the Liturgical year: Come Holy Spirit by Matt Maher Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

Podcasts have become increasingly popular tools for sharing the faith and have brought so many closer to Jesus Christ (including me!). Here are a few of my favorites. Do you host a podcast or have a favorite one to listen to? Feel free to let me know using the contact form on the home page of the blog. Please pray for hearts to be touched and lives to be changed by the influence of Catholic media. Blessed Carlo Acutis, please pray for us! The Counsel of Trent "In this podcast, Trent Horn gives you an entertaining, informative, and practical explanation of the Catholic faith as well as interviews with the best writers and speakers in the Church today." (From Google Podcasts description) This podcast also covers random topics that Mr. Horn likes to talk about. Some recent ones have been industrial safety videos, corporate mascots, Disneyland, and Choose your own adventure books. It's a lot of fun! The Counsel of Trent on Youtube The Counsel of Trent on Google Podcasts Jimmy Akin's Mysterious World "Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious world is an exploration of the weird, the strange, the unusual, and the fascinating phenomena in the physical world around us—and beyond—from a Catholic perspective. Join Jimmy Akin and his co-host Domenico Bettinelli as they examine ancient mysteries, folk tales, urban legends, and miraculous stories with a methodical, logical, well-reasoned but not entirely skeptical eye." (From Google Podcasts description) Another amazing podcast hosted by a Catholic Answers apologist and speaker! It's extremely fascinating, and there's something for everyone. Jimmy Akin's Mysterious World on Google Podcasts Jimmy Akin's Mysterious World on Youtube Let Love: A podcast with the Sisters of Life "God is Love. 'Let Love' is about giving God permission in your life, letting go, and receiving the Love that frees you to live in the truth of who you are. In the Let Love podcast, join the Sisters of Life (www.sistersoflife.org) for conversations looking at life through the lens of love. You are loved. You are made in God’s image, and your life matters. Let’s talk about it." (From Google Podcasts description) This podcast is SO beautiful and helpful. In my opinion, pretty much anyone of any faith could listen and gain so much from it. And the Sisters are funny, too. I like to hear about the squirrels of New York, haha! Let Love: A Podcast with the Sisters of Life on Google Podcasts Let Love: A Podcast with the Sisters of Life on Youtube The Catholic Talk Show "The Catholic Talk Show is a hilarious, entertaining, and informative Catholic podcast featuring Ryan DellaCrosse, Ryan Scheel, and Fr. Rich Pagano." (From Google Podcasts description) I've only listened to a few episodes of this podcast, but what the description says is true- it's hilarious! The Catholic Talk Show on Google Podcasts The Catholic Talk Show on Youtube Catholic Answers Live and Catholic Answers Focus "Catholic Answers LIVE is a daily, call-in radio program of Catholic apologetics and evangelization airing live from 6-8 pm ET." (From Google Podcasts description) Of all the podcasts on this list, this is my absolute favorite. I listen pretty much every single day. Seriously. Although it's technically a radio show and not a podcast, I'm still counting it because it's so amazing. Catholic Answers Live on Google Podcasts Catholic Answers Live on Youtube "Catholic Answers Focus, the world's premier podcast on Catholic apologetics, helps you explain and defend the Catholic Faith. If you want to take a deep dive into the reasons behind Church teaching, Catholic Answers Focus is for you." Also from Catholic Answers (can you tell how much I love it, yet?!) this podcast covers apologetics topics as well as current events in the Church. Catholic Answers Focus on Google Podcasts Catholic Answers Focus on Youtube

Our God works in the little things. He uses little signs, little gifts in our everyday lives just to say, "Hey. I'm here. You're not alone." I've been noticing this a lot more lately, particularly in nature. God gave us so many beautiful things that reflect His love for us! Last night the sunset was so beautiful, and all I was thinking was "Wow. That must be what Heaven looks like." I love this time of year because flowers are blooming and with them, dandelions! I love dandelions. They're so simple, and so disliked by many, but at the same time so beautiful! They spread quickly, bringing their delicate beauty everywhere they land, and they just won't give up. There are so many lessons and gifts that God gives to us through these little flowers/ weeds and through all of His creation! It's these little "God moments" that are so powerful. God is so involved in our everyday lives. Yes, He waits for us in the tabernacle for us to visit and receive Him, but He also meets us where we are. We are given so many gifts. Some of them are amazing coincidences that let us know, without a shadow of a doubt, that God was with us. I recently experienced one of these amazing coincidences. I mentioned in my last post that I was going on a come and see retreat weekend. During the retreat, we were talking about this blog and one of the other young ladies (who'd I'd never met before) mentioned that she is a subscriber! What a coincidence that we both happened to be on the retreat at the same time! God is so good, and He gives us so many gifts, even in the little things :-) There were many other Divine coincidences during the retreat, and I received so many graces. Thank you to all who were praying for me! I encourage you to look for God in the little things. He is so good to us, and signs of His precious love surround us. He is so interwoven in our lives, and He wants us to talk to Him about them! God cares. He knows our hopes and dreams, joys, and struggles. It's the signs of His love, both the little and big, that give us a glimpse of our Heavenly home.

How is God calling you to love? Who are you meant to be? Where are you being called to serve? These are all things to pray about on this day, the World Day of Prayer for Vocations (and every day!) God has a plan for each one of us. He does not make us do exactly what He wants- we're not robots- but He does guide us and lead us to what is best for us, just as any good father and friend would. Even if at this time we have absolutely no idea what His plan is, we can trust Him. God's got it all under control. I encourage you to pray for all discerning vocations to marriage, the priesthood, or consecrated life, that we may go where God is calling us. I also ask for your prayers, as I will be on a "Come and See" retreat when this post is published! To get more vocation resources, as well as read some interviews with those living out their vocations to the fullest, please go back to my posts from National Vocation Awareness Week 2020 and check out the thousands of Catholic Vocation resources online! Please be assured of my prayers for you this weekend! Do not be afraid to follow where God is leading. Be joyful! He will lead us on this journey and He loves us immensley. :-)

Jesus is amazing. There’s no other way that I can describe it. He is amazing, and He is gracious. I read the Gospel today and all I can think is “Wow.” Here, you can read it for yourself: "Jesus said to the crowds: 'No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him on the last day. It is written in the prophets: They shall all be taught by God. Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world.'” Jn 6:44-51 God gave His body for us. He gave us His flesh as food and His blood as drink. And He is so explicitly clear about it that it’s impossible to deny it without denying Christ Himself. Yes, it is a hard saying. Yes, it is difficult to believe. But if we truly trust that what Jesus said is true, we will believe that He gave us His body and blood under the form of food and drink so that He might be with us forever, and we with Him. He could not have possibly been more clear about this in both John 6, and in the Last Supper narratives, as well as in other places where He alludes to His being the Bread of Life. As is touched on in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles today, we need someone to instruct us in order to even begin to comprehend these mysteries. Thankfully, we have the magisterium of the Church to help with that. Along with leaving His apostles the ability to turn bread and wine into His own body and blood by the power of God, He also left them with evangelization skills and knowledge that could not be achieved without divine intervention. These things are still passed down even to this day by the Sacrament of Holy Orders (ordination)! Jesus meant what He said. It’s undeniable. He continues to give Himself to the Church in the sacraments to this very day. He is here and He is constantly waiting for you and me to come to Him. We must never be afraid to approach Jesus in the sacraments. He is our one, true King, and He has established His Kingdom on earth in the form of a united, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, which remains strong even 2000 years after being established. Yes, it’s confusing. God is so beyond what our tiny human brains can even begin to fathom, But thankfully he’s given us a church to help to explain these concepts! Come to Him. He is waiting specifically for you! He is here, physically present to us in the most blessed sacrament in Catholic churches around the world. Our God is alive! Go and be with Him in Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament, receive Him at Mass. Meet Him in the confessional and have your sins washed away. He is waiting for you and loves you so much! *If you have any specific questions regarding the Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament, please feel free to contact me using the contact form on the home page of this blog. I will try the best I can to answer your question or give you some resources. God bless you! - Catholic Teen

You can find out about this incredible day in the Church here . Our Lord's mercy is so unfathomable and amazing, especially on this beautiful day! Jesus told Saint Faustina, " The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity." *(Please read my note on private revelation at the bottom of the post) God desired to be so closely reunited with us that He will restore our soul back to us back to the state it was in at the moment we were baptized, and all we have to do is trust in Him, be merciful to others, and go to confession** and receive the Holy Eucharist. That is so incredible!! No matter what you've done, no matter who you are, Jesus loves you. He wants to forgive you even more than you want to be forgiven. Do not be afraid of your past sins, entrust them to our Lord, and trust in His unfathomable mercy! He loves you immensely. He wants you to trust in Him. He wants to envelop you in His grace and love and wants you to belong to Him forever. Our God's greatest attribute is mercy. He will not turn souls away if they are truly contrite for their sins. Please pray for mercy for our world, that all may experience God's inexhaustible mercy and love. God bless you, and may you have a very happy and blessed Divine Mercy Sunday, filled with the unfathomable grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! *I am hoping to do a series on Private revelations in the upcoming months, including the revelations of Jesus to St.Faustina as well as numerous other revelations. Though the belief in Jesus' revelations to St. Faustina is not a requirement for belonging to the Church, the Church has supported and celebrated them for many years, and they have been deemed worthy of belief. ** It is not necessary to go to confession on Divine Mercy Sunday, just in a time that is relatively close to the day. So if you went to confession during Lent, that is just fine according to the Divine Mercy website.

Happy Easter!! Catholic Teen Life has also been resurrected on this marvelous Easter Sunday, but that's not the big deal, Jesus is! Our Jesus, our lover, and Lord, our all-powerful God, rose from the dead, and in doing so, saved us from our sins. There is nothing that could possibly be more amazing than that! One thing that I realized for the first time this Lent was how many people went to Heaven on Easter Sunday. Just think about it, when Jesus died, he opened the gates of the Sheol (the place of the dead, not hell, as is commonly mistaken), and all the people who'd ever lived who were not in a state of mortal sin went to Heaven. That's crazy. Millions of people went to Heaven on that first Easter Sunday. Millions of people saw God as He is, in the Beatific Vision, for the first time. God's promise was fulfilled. The son of David saved His people from their sins. In resurrecting He redeemed us, He redeemed death. Death is not the end. This world is not the end. "In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.” -John 16:33 This is our God. This is the only being who loves us completely and totally, without reserve. He died for our sake, and then rose from the dead and won dominion over life and death. He has conquered the world, and even death itself. Love has won. We must rejoice!

Hello Catholic Teen Life Readers! After some thought and prayer, I've decided to take a break from blogging for personal reasons. I will continue to write about our beautiful faith for future blog posts. Please continue to pray for a culture of life, for our country, and for the Church. Now is a crucial time for we as young people to boldly live out our faith. Our world needs a miracle. Prayer works miracles, evangelizing works miracles, but God is the one who makes all of those miracles happen. You are a miracle. Your life is a miracle, and so is that of every single person in this world. You matter and you are loved. So, in the words of Pope Saint John Paul the Great, "Be not afraid!" Even though our world is a mess right now, don't be afraid. Don't be afraid to share your faith, but most importantly to live it. God is on our side, and with Him, everything is possible. May our Lord bless and keep you, and may His love and mercy give you peace. I will be praying for you! Joyfully in Christ, Catholic Teen “For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” ~ Matthew 19:26

Today in the United States we celebrate and remember the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Junior, a remarkable man who worked tirelessly to fight injustice. In his Letter from a Birmingham Jail (April 16, 1963), King says, "To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas: An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust." In our world today, so many things are unjust. Of course, this has typically been the case throughout human history, but in the last century, popular culture has lowered itself so far as to say that life itself is replaceable and easily removable. Of all the injustices that have ever existed, the idea that life is not a God-given, unalienable right and can just be thrown away is the greatest injustice of all. Without acknowledgment of this right, all other injustices are excusable. If life itself does not matter, why would anything else? On this Friday, January 22nd, we mourn the 48th anniversary of a United States court case that legalized the murder of millions upon millions of children. Martin Luther King Jr. says, "We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was 'legal' and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was 'illegal.' It was 'illegal' to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler's Germany." The violent murder of the most vulnerable, innocent members of our society is tolerated and promoted in today's society. Everything that the Nazis did was largely tolerated. Slavery and segregation were largely tolerated. Evil will not cease to be tolerated until a group of people decides to stand up to the horrible injustice and not be afraid of the consequences. In this day and age, we cannot afford to be bashful about good and true beliefs. We need to be faithful and strong in our defense of Truth and Goodness. Martin Luther King Jr. was a great example of this. Of course, not all of his beliefs were in line with Catholic teaching, but he certainly was influential and a good example of fighting for the Truth. He was placed in jail numerous times during his fight against racism and segregation, and would not deny his beliefs in exchange for his freedom. We, as Christians and members of the pro-life movement, need to be prepared to do the same. We need to be prepared for persecution because of our belief in the Truth, and we can not give up or back down. Many of the world's most influential people are against us and against the Truth. We need to remember that no matter who is against us, God is for us, and He is infinitely more influential than any political leader, businessman, or movie star that has ever or will ever exist. In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., "I have a dream." I, along with millions of other rational human beings, have a dream that someday the right to life for all people will be upheld and respected throughout the entire world, and I believe with all of my heart that with God on our side, our dream will come true.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. As high as the heavens are above the earth so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts. - Isaiah 55:8-9 Sometimes things don't go our way. And sometimes things don't go the way that we know they should go. Sometimes no matter how much we plead with the Lord to give us justice in our time, to send us peace and comfort, things only get worse. It can be easy to say "Oh, God didn't answer my prayer, He must not care." God understands our suffering, He knows our pain, and He wants to heal us even more than we want to be healed. Our plans, thoughts, and ways are not the same as God's. The things going on in the United States of America right now are incredibly wrong. No, violence is not the answer, but people have a right to be heard. The cheating, stealing, and deception that the majority of the world knows is going on right now are not okay and will never be okay. But despite all of this, despite how much we beg the Lord to reveal the Truth in our time, things may not go the way that we know they ought to go in. And that's okay. He has promised that all will be revealed someday, and we will all know the Truth. Yes, we keep working for justice, Truth, beauty and freedom, but we let God handle things in His time. God is not at fault for the sins of people, people are, but He is always there to welcome them home with open arms. He has a plan for our nation and a plan for the world. His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. God sees the big picture, and we can't. He will make everything known in His time. In the meantime, we just need to trust Him.