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Dear 2020 Confirmandees, Your life is about to change. I know it already has in these past few months, but it's about to change even more. You are receiving an incredible and life- changing gift. One that completes your baptism and enables you to more fully live out your faith as a Catholic- Christian. Through the sacrament of Confirmation, God is giving you the grace to go out into the world as young men and women and be soldiers for the kingdom of Heaven. He is giving you the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are the greatest gifts you could ever receive! (Go back and read my post, "The Holy Spirit- Greatest. Gift. Ever." to learn more). I don't typically share personal stories on this blog, but this time will be an exception. I was confirmed last year. I had gone through two years of classes with some of my very best friends in the whole entire world and was very well prepared to receive the sacrament. My teachers were amazing and I learned so much. When the day of Confirmation came, I was very excited. After Father's homily at Mass that evening, it was time for Confirmation. In our diocese, our Bishop gave permission for the priests to perform the sacrament that year, and this year as well due to COVID-19. When it was my turn to be confirmed, I walked up to the altar with my grandmother, who is my sponsor, and Father placed His hands on my head. He said, "Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit." At that moment, and as I walked back to my pew, a feeling of warmth came over me. I couldn't stop smiling! I was on fire for Jesus, and have been ever since. The Holy Spirit has been working in my life and using me in ways that I never could have imagined. (For example, I never could've imagined that I would have a blog with 50 posts!!) And He will do that for you too. God has plans in mind for you that you couldn't even imagine. They are beautiful and they will fill your life with joy from the Lord. Through the gifts of the Holy Spirit, you will become the saint that you are called to be. But you can only make use of a gift if you open it and use it as it is meant to be used. This being said, it is important to remember that CONFIRMATION IS NOT GRADUATION!! Just because you are going to be or are now considered an "adult" in the Church does not mean that you are free to skip Mass on Sundays or not go to confession. If anything it means you should participate in those things more often than you did before you were confirmed. This is only the beginning of your journey of faith. You have a responsibility to yourself, your loved ones, and to God Himself to open up those gifts of the Holy Spirit that you have received and use them for the glory of God. So my final message to you, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, is this: Don't be afraid to Trust God. He has an amazing plan for your life. Participate in the sacraments as often as possible, and be a witness to our incredible faith. Stay close to Jesus and His Mother, Mary. Develop a solid prayer routine. Ask for the intercession of your patron saints, and strive to imitate them daily. Find good friends who share your goal of becoming a saint and encourage one another to become who He made you to be.The world that we are living in desperately needs more holy people. I am confident that we, as the young Church, can fulfill that need. It also needs love. Our culture has lost the meaning of real love. We need to bring it back, and we will only be able to do so by prayer, and by treating every single person that we meet as the Child of God that they are. The more people that come to know and love Jesus with all of their hearts, the more love there will be. Know that I am praying for you, and the Church is praying for you. You are so loved and so amazing. Your holiness and prayers are going to change the world. So get out there and be the saints that you are called to be! God bless you :-) Love your sister in Christ, Catholic Teen To anyone who is reading this, please pass it on to any Confirmation students you may know! God bless you!

Hello friends! This month is a big one for Catholic Teen Life. We have an amazing Saint (well, almost saint) of the month, lots of posts coming up, and a new themed Rosary feature. Head to the "Themed Rosary" tab on the page to learn more! The first of these is a Rosary for America in honor of America's birthday on the 4th of July. America is in desperate need of prayer right now. It's hard to find peace and joy and love. But these things will be restored if we pray. The Rosary is one of the most powerful prayers that we've been given. When coupled with specific intentions for each individual prayer, I believe that it is especially effective. Please join me in praying for our country using the Rosary for America. Together, our prayers can help to fix the world. Some more good news.... The blog officially has 50 posts (51 counting this one)! Please continue to share this website with your loved ones, and keep liking and commenting on posts. Also, I'd love to hear what you think of the blog and any of your ideas for blog posts or Themed Rosaries. You can give me your feedback through the contact form on the home page. Know that you are all in my prayers during this unpredictable time. We will get through this! The Church is still strong. We have the power to change the course of history through our prayers. It's happened before and by the grace of God, we can make it happen again. Keep reaching for sainthood and being who He made you to be! God bless you! Catholic Teen

Again, this month's "saint" is not a saint yet. This young man, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati is another one of my favorite young Catholic people. He didn't write any books. He wasn't a priest. He wasn't anyone famous. He was a young man with a big heart and love for Jesus in the poor. He was born into a wealthy family in the year 1901. His parents made sure that their children were not spoiled and instilled in them a great love or the poor. As a young man, Pier was involved with many Catholic youth-based groups. He was very active in all of them and was devoted to all that he chose to participate in. He loved to serve the poor and had many friends on street corners and in the back alleys of his home city of Turin. When he died at the young age of 24 of polio, his parents expected many political figures, as well as family members to show up to Pier's funeral. Instead, thousands of poor and underprivileged people lined the streets to celebrate Pier's life and to pray for his soul. His body was found incorrupt when the tomb was opened in 1981 and his body is now kept in a cathedral in Turin. He was beatified on May 20th, 1990. His feast day is July 4th. Pope John Paul II called him, "Man of Eight Beatitudes" because of His great love for all people, no matter what. Blessed Pier, please pray for us that we may learn to love and serve the poor as you did. Help us to see Christ in everyone we meet, especially the poor. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Gospel of St. Matthew 5:3-10

Today's Gospel reading was from the book of John 3:31-36. In it are the words, "He does not ration his gift of the Spirit." Isn't that amazing!!! God pours out His Holy Spirit in immeasurable amounts on us. He doesn't save some for later or give more or less to different people. He is constantly giving us all that He has. Can you even imagine what our lives would be like if we embraced this gift? We would be doing the will of God for our lives, and that alone would change everything about us. In Jeremiah 29:11, God says, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" God has the perfect plan for our lives. Better than we could ever imagine. In living it out, we will be happier than we've ever been before! Just think about it... What would it be like if every single person in our world tried the best that they possibly could to live out the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit? (Wisdom, counsel, piety, fortitude, understanding, knowledge, and fear of the Lord AND generosity, joy, gentleness, peace, faithfulness, patience, modesty, kindness, self-control, goodness, and chastity.) It would be absolutely amazing! People would be kind to one another, they would live chaste lives, crime would decrease, and the world would be amazing because people would be living the lives that God intended for them to live. While we can't exactly get everyone in the entire world to allow the Holy Spirit to take over their lives, we can start by letting the Spirit take over our own lives. You may not realize this, but your actions can cause so many hearts to turn back to God. When you show kindness, evangelize, or even just smile at someone to show that you care, you can change someone's life by making them want to act the way that you act. Joyfulness and generosity are contagious! That is so powerful! When we live out the gifts and fruits that the Holy Spirit has given us through our Baptism and Confirmation, we live out the plan that God has for our lives, as well as encourage others to do so. Accepting the gift of the Holy Spirit will change your life. God wants to give you everything he has. Don't let this offer go to waste. It is my prayer for you that you will accept the gift of the Holy Spirit that the Lord is offering to you and use it to transform your life and the lives of those around you.

When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I will do it. Be made clean.” His leprosy was cleansed immediately. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one, but go show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.” Matthew 8: 1-4 This Gospel passage is another one of the many that demonstrates Christ's love and power. There are so many things to pick apart even from just these few words that Saint Matthew uses to describe this miracle. "And then a leper approached" When Jesus walked the earth, those with leprosy were seen as the outcasts of society. People would stay as far away from them as they could for fear of the disease. But it was more than that. Most people were unkind to them because of their leprosy. People would call them unclean because of the marks and scars that they had on their bodies. Similarly, we too are unclean. Although most of us probably do not suffer from leprosy, we all suffer from sin. Sin dirties our soul, and the only thing that can clean us is the mercy of Christ. Like this leper, we must not be afraid to approach Jesus with all of our sins and trust that He will take care of them. "Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean." This is the next step. Asking to be cleansed. We, as Catholics, do this every time we say an Act of Contrition or every time we participate in the sacrament of reconciliation. We come to Jesus and ask Him to cleanse our souls from the stain of sin. "I will do it. Be made clean." This sentence shows what Jesus wants for us. Without any questions or hesitations, He cleansed this man of this disease. Jesus wasn't afraid of the ugliness of this man's scars or of what the illness could do to Him. It's the same way with us. As humans, we have the sinful tendency to judge others' actions. If someone has done something really bad, we see them as a bad person and avoid them, just as the people did to the lepers. Jesus doesn't do that. He embraces the sinner (and the leper) and welcomes them into His friendship if they desire it. If we are actually sorry for our sins and want God's love and mercy to be manifested in our lives, God will forgive us. He will make us clean, just as He did the leper. All we have to do is come to Him. And there are multiple ways of doing this. One way is through the Holy Eucharist. Every time we receive the Eucharist, all of our venial sins are washed away. So as long as you don't have a mortal sin on your soul (a grave act deliberately committed with full knowledge of its gravity to hurt yourself, God, or another person*) your soul becomes as clean as it was on the day of your baptism. By the way, if you are in a state of mortal sin, you should not receive the Eucharist before receiving absolution in the sacrament of reconciliation. (See 1 Corinthians 11:27) This brings s to our next method, the sacrament of reconciliation. In this sacrament, we confess our sins to a priest who is "in persona Christi," in the person of Christ, and God forgives us completely through the priest if we are really sorry for what we have done**. In this sacrament, we literally hear the words "I absolve you from your sins"*** spoken by Christ through the priest. Your sins are completely gone. Washed away. Isn't that amazing?! Through this sacrament, God also gives us the grace to turn away from all future sins. The third way is by confessing your sins to God and making a perfect act of contrition.**** You could do this when you are unable to go to confession or mass, for example, during a pandemic. A perfect act of contrition is an act of contrition prayed solely out of sorrow for your sins and love of God. Even though we do not physically hear the words of absolution, we can hear them in our hearts by trusting in the love and mercy of God. Just as He did with the leper, He wills that we are forgiven! He actually wants it more than we do. "See that you tell no one" Jesus wasn't telling the leper not to tell anyone because He was ashamed of helping the leper. He told Him this because of His humility. Jesus did not heal the man because He wanted recognition for His great works and miracles, He did it because He loved the man with leprosy. He loved him with the perfect love that He extends to all of us each and every day. We, almost 2000 years after Jesus walked the earth, can feel this same healing power of Christ every day of our lives by opening ourselves up to His forgiveness. And we don't need to be afraid to do this!! It's super easy. Just take the first step: Approach Him and trust that His mercy is bigger than any sin you could ever commit. Jesus loves you, and just like the leper, He wills that you be cleansed in His love and mercy. * Catechism of the Catholic Church 1857 ** Catechism of the Catholic Church 1441-1442 *** Catechism of the Catholic Church 1449 **** Catechism of the Catholic Church 1452

Happy Feast of Corpus Christi!! Normally this great solemnity of the liturgical year is celebrated with Mass and then a Eucharistic procession. This year, it may be slightly different. Despite this, we can still celebrate! This day celebrates the great gift that Christ gave us in giving His entire self to us in the Eucharist. He gave us this great gift so that we too may be one with Him in this life and the next. Receiving the Eucharist is the closest we can be to Heaven while still being on Earth because we are literally becoming one with God Himself! His body and blood veiled under the image of bread and wine are our food for the journey of life. Do you remember your first communion? I only remember bits and pieces but if I could go back and do it all over again, knowing what I know now, I definitely would. We must always receive Jesus with the same wonder and awe that we would if it was our first time. My little sister, along with four other girls from her class were able to receive their First Holy Communion last night! It was wonderful to watch five beautiful young members of the Church receiving their Lord and God for the first time. Please keep them, as well as all of this year's first communicants in your prayers! The next time you have the chance to go to Mass, contemplate who it is that you are receiving into your soul. Who you are becoming one with. Jesus is there in the tabernacle waiting for you to come and be one with Him. He has waited thousands of years just to see you come to Him, bow before Him in complete love and amazement, receive Him into your soul, and then with a resounding "amen!", confirm that you truly believe that He is who you have just received and that you believe in His Church that He established. He loves you so so much and wants you to receive this amazing gift of His body and blood, soul and divinity. So, on this Divine celebration of Jesus Christ's body and blood, remember who you are receiving, and why you are receiving Him. This is an amazing gift that Christ allows us to receive as Catholic Christians. When Jesus promised that He would be with us always, this is what He meant. He will always be present in the Eucharist, loving and guiding, and there for us to become one with Him, the one who loves us infinitely. Here's a special gift for you on this great feast day... This amazing video will bring you to tears and make you realize who is really present at every single Mass. Let me know what you think in the comments! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOLZDaTgIaM

Jesus said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” -Matthew 5:13-16 Do you remember that song, "This Little Light of Mine"? It's a staple in pretty much every single Sunday school class around our country, no matter what kind of church. Everybody's heard it, but have you ever stopped to think about what you're saying when you sing that song? You said, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine!" But what light are the songwriters talking about? The same light that Jesus talks about in today's Gospel. When we let our light shine, we are shining the light of Christ to the world. Christ bathes us in His light, and we reflect that light of joy and love to those around us. Later in the song, it says, "Hide it under a bushel? No! I'm gonna let it shine!" Think about a time when you have not been a witness to your faith in Jesus. Maybe you weren't the nicest you could've been to someone, or you didn't stand up for your beliefs when they were being challenged. This is hiding your light under a bushel basket. Because that light is the light of Christ, when we hide it from others we are hiding Christ from everyone around us. We, as Christians, were not created to be silent about our faith. We were created to shout with joy to the Lord and to sing joyful songs to Him! (Psalm 100:1-5) When we shine our light by not being afraid to talk about our faith, we are doing just that. Don't be afraid to talk about Jesus! Even if you get made fun of or laughed at, you can always remember that so many amazing people have come before you who spread the light of Christ through their words and changed so many lives. Just as Jesus says, we must let our light shine so that others may strive to imitate our good works which glorify God. All of our lives must bring glory to Him alone! Now, what about the salt? Salt is what brings flavor to things. Jesu wants us to be the salt of the earth so that we can bring the spice of love and joy and peace to the soup bowl of our world! So many people are so unhappy. They are lonely and sad and afraid. But when they see you and your youth group writing sidewalk chalk messages on the sidewalk in front of your church, they feel that joy radiating from you and can feel the love that you are giving through those colorful messages. And it doesn't even need to be sidewalk chalk!! You could just smile at someone in the hallway at school, wave to a neighbor while walking your dog, or offer to help someone with something. When you shine Jesus' light and spread that joy to others, you are being that salt of the earth and making everything around you just a little more perfect. People can feel the love that you are doing something with through your words, actions, and body language so always keep a disposition of love. Show others that you care. Show them that you- as well as your creator- are there for them. So go. Be that salt. Be that light. Live for Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ.

In today's Gospel reading from the Gospel of Mark, Jesus gives us a very important reminder. One that our world desperately needs. In this Gospel, Jesus is explaining the two greatest commandments: "Love the Lord your God from your whole heart, and from your whole soul, and from your whole mind, and from your whole strength" and "Love your neighbor as yourself." If we as a human race were truly following these greatest commandments, can you imagine how much better our world would be? If every single person on this earth lived their entire lives for God and God alone, they would follow His commandments instead of the commandments of the world. The world says that to get even, violence needs to occur. God says that we don't need to get even, just to forgive. The world says that lives are worthless- that no one has meaning. God says that all human beings are made in His image and likeness. The world says that God does not exist and that we are all alone. God says "I am with you always." And He means it. The world says to tolerate and God says to love. If we would just begin to realize the lies that are thrown at us day after day and run to the arms of Truth Himself, the God who tells us who we are and how we can be the saints that we are called to be, the commandments of the world would slowly disappear until all the world would once again follow the commandments of God. Jesus commands us to "Love your neighbor as yourself." What does that actually mean? Loving your neighbor means loving them despite their flaws, despite their weaknesses, and despite who the world says they are. Loving them means seeing Jesus in them, even if they can't see Him in themselves. It means recognizing them as the Child of God that they are and treating them as such. Even if they are the most horrendous person to ever walk on this planet, God still loves them and is waiting with open arms for them to come back and walk in His love and grace. But before we can truly obey this commandment, we need to learn to love ourselves. And that comes from loving God with all of your heart. If you truly love God with your entire being, you will also love what God loves, and God loves YOU! And the more you learn to love yourself despite your failures and weaknesses, the more you will learn to love others, and in turn, love God. Sometimes we will find ourselves complaining about our current situation or the situation that our country or world is in. Despite all of the anger, anxiety, or sadness we may feel as a result of tragedy in our world, complaining is never going to help anything. And neither is violence. When tragedies strike and people are in pain, the only things that can help are love and prayer. When we learn to live out these commandments, we will begin to see why Jesus calls these ones the greatest and we will see the profound effect that they will have on our lives if we just try to live in union with the one who loves us most, and try our very hardest to love everyone, no matter what, in the way that their Heavenly Father does. Love is the key to healing our broken world.

If you didn't already know, the home page of this website features a new saint each month. Sometimes it's because a saint has a feast day during that month, or it's just because they're really cool and I can't wait to write about them :-) You can find the section on the home page, right above the "contact" section. This month's saint isn't actually a saint yet, but she's been declared blessed by the Church, so pray for her canonization! Below is the story of Bl. Imelda Lambertini, a girl with an amazing love for our Eucharistic Lord. Please pray for her intercession for my little sister who will be receiving Jesus for the first time in the Holy Eucharist in a couple of weeks! Bl. Imelda Lambertini ​ The Story: Bl. Imelda Lambertini was only 9 years old when she went to live with the Dominican sisters near Bologna in Italy. She had an amazing faith in Christ and a great love for the Eucharist. It is said that all she wanted to do was receive Jesus! One day while she was in prayer, a light described as "The Light of The Host" was seen over her head. Her priest, upon seeing this, felt compelled to allow her to receive her first communion. After she had received Jesus, she went back to her pew to pray. She remained there for a while, and one of the nuns whom she lived with came to check on her. She was still kneeling in prayer with a huge smile on her face. The Sister later called her name, and when she was not given a response, went to check on the little girl. She was found to be dead, and had died out of pure love and joy from receiving her dear Lord. Ironically, one thing she would often say is, "Tell me, can anyone receive Jesus into his heart and not die? " This little girl who possessed such great faith and love for Christ is one whom we should all desire to imitate. Her love and short life greatly demonstrate the power of our dear Eucharistic Lord. ​ Patron: First Communicants Prayers: Lord, you instilled in Bl.Imelda Lambertini a great love for You in the Eucharist. Help us always to imitate that same love so that we too may one day be present at the Eucharistic feast in Heaven with you. Bl. Imelda, intercede for us before the Father and ask Him to grant us the grace to love His son with the same passion that you had, so that we may one day be present at the Heavenly banquet along with you and all of the saints and angels. Amen. ​ Sources: Catholic Online, Getfed.com, Nashvilledominican.com (This story is posted on the home page in the Saint of the Month section)

So today is Memorial Day. Depending on where you are living right now, it's probably very different from Memorial days in the past. Many cemetery Masses/services, parades, and picnics have been canceled. Despite all of this, we need to remember why we actually have a day such as this. While the fun traditions are definitely enjoyable, Memorial Day was established not as the beginning of picnic season, but to be a reminder to all Americans of those brave men and women who lost their lives while defending our freedom as American citizens. Memorial Day isn't about parades. It isn't about picnics. It's about remembering and praying for those souls who lost their lives so that we could live in a country where we can practice our faith, exercise our freedom of speech, and live the lives that God has given us so that we can make it to Heaven! In thinking of what to write for this post, the thought came to me that those who lost their lives while fighting for freedom are a lot like Christ. Jesus gave up His life so that all people, even those who would never know or love Him, could someday be freed from the sin that holds them back from being who they were meant to be. He fought the devil for our freedom and won. The men and women who lost their lives while fighting for our freedom did a very similar thing while fighting for the freedom of their country, both in that present-day and in the future. Since Christ made the ultimate sacrifice and beat sin and death, we now have the chance to go to Heaven. With this in mind, I have a challenge for you today. In the time that you would normally be at a picnic/parade/memorial service or even while you're on your way to a non-canceled one (yay!), pray a Divine Mercy Chaplet* for all those men and women who lost their lives for your sake. Pray that when they died they were thrown into the Ocean of Mercy and taken to Heaven where they were rewarded for their bravery, courage, and Christ-like sacrifice. Pray also for those whom they were fighting against and those who persecute us now, that they will repent and turn back to the path God wants them to be on- the path to sainthood. All of these things can happen because the ultimate Good is always stronger than evil. *How to pray the Chaplet: https://divinemercyforamerica.org/action-plan/pray-like-st-faustina/chaplet-divine-mercy/?gclid=CjwKCAjwtqj2BRBYEiwAqfzurzW-CVROnbe6wdJxsahOrxW7I75nOUijbDjeMKqIEN3K-hP_ibl9EhoCTZ4QAvD_BwE

Many people have been endlessly searching YouTube lately to find some entertainment and end to their boredom. While videos of cooking hacks or crazy science experiments may be temporarily enjoyable, they will not bring true joy (or end boredom). What many people don't know is that there are a TON of Catholic YouTubers out there who have amazing messages to share and information about any topic imaginable relating to the Catholic faith. Next time you find yourself endlessly scrolling through YouTube, check out some of these awesome channels that are great for Catholics and Non-Catholics alike. Now when watching YouTube, you'll actually be learning something useful! Catholic Answers Okay. So. I know I talk about this amazing organization A LOT but if you just go to their YouTube channel, you'll see exactly what I'm talking about. The apologists at Catholic Answers have an answer to virtually every question you could ever have about the Catholic faith. This would be an excellent resource for those who are new to the faith or are just beginning to discover the wonderful world of Catholicism. https://www.youtube.com/user/catholiccom Kid Catholic This channel was created by a teenager, just like you and me, who felt the need to create a channel specifically for kids and teenagers that teaches about Catholicism. He explains things in a very clear and easy to understand way and is also pretty funny. He has videos on the Bible, high school, current issues, Church teachings, and interviews with people, and much more. Lately, in his videos, he is encouraging everyone to like and subscribe so make sure to do just that :-) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8xnRLyVlvmPL-PFiu-1bYg Franciscan University of Steubenville I know what you're thinking. This is a college. But just trust me with this one. Franciscan University is (in my opinion and in the opinions of many others) one of the best Catholic universities in existence. Along with learning about why this is one of the best Catholic colleges, on this channel, you can watch videos that dive deep into the Catholic faith, virtually attend daily Mass, and see just how special Franciscan university really is. https://www.youtube.com/user/FranciscanUSteubie Breaking In The Habit This channel was created by a young Franciscan priest who makes videos about different Catholic topics and his journey to the priesthood. The description of his channel is this: Offering personal reflections and explanations from a Catholic and Franciscan perspective for Christians who want to become better disciples of Jesus Christ and discern their vocation. There you go! That pretty much sums it up. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDcdVPVsJRxAVKq4vY0NYeg Ascension Presents Ascension Presents is a channel that features videos from numerous "Catholic famous" speakers including Father Mike Schmitz, Taylor Tripodi, Jackie and Bobbie Angel, Fr. Mike Mary, and more. They all give their insight into different Catholic topics and moral issues. If you're a teen who goes to church with me* you'll probably recognize some of these people from confirmation class. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVdGX3N-WIJ5nUvklBTNhAw thatonecatholicgirl This channel is by - you guessed it - a Catholic girl. She gives information about life as a young Catholic as well as answers common misconceptions about Catholicism. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdSHCzmybKoeKLrXR1HL4NQ Daughters of Saint Paul Vocations YouTube and religious sisters don't seem to go together, right? WRONG! These sisters, nicknamed, "the media nuns"use as many forms of media as they can to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, their lover and spouse. The channel features videos including interviews with the sisters, a peek into their lives, storytime with the sisters (for during quarantine), and much more. It's definitely one of my favorites. Check it out! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC49C6nTKr-pkaSL7ShwLUeQ Sisters of Life This channel also highlights the life and mission of another religious order, the Sisters of Life. These sisters take a fourth vow to protect and enhance the sacredness of human life. They do this through caring for pregnant women, as well as those who have had an abortion. They are amazing women who really truly spread Christ's love to the world. Their channel gives songs, saints, podcasts, and testimonies from both the sisters and the women that they have helped. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk-lprdcbPFIrVeK5cjhZ6A Students for Life Students for Life is one of the largest pro-life organizations in America. Their channel provides resources for SFLA groups, pro-life news, and facts about abortion. It is an awesome resource and really makes you aware of how much abortion impacts our society and needs to be stopped. https://www.youtube.com/user/studentsforlife And the last one... New Catholic Generation This one is just funny. The channel was made by a few Catholic college students who really have a passion for the faith. They provide extremely funny videos about Catholic life which may or may not make you laugh out loud.... Trust me. It happens. Frequently. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsKwXPRyjFpX6nWRLssluvA/featured Of course there are many other Catholic YouTubers, but these are just a few of my favorites. Feel free to comment with your favorite Catholic YouTube channel or let me know if you checked out any of these! Happy Watching! * Why don't you eat some goldfish while you're watching these videos???

A couple of years ago in seventh grade, I noticed a poster in my computer teacher's classroom. It is the inspiration for this post and for all of my friendships that I have right now. I wanted to share with you how this poster changed my perspective on friendships and relationships in general. Who knows.... maybe it will help you! The poster says, "Surround yourself with who you want to be." I don't think it really sunk in at first. It was just another motivational quote. But now , after having that teacher again this year and seeing the poster again, I see just how important living out that quote is. If you think about it, it really does make sense. If you want to be a musician, surround yourself with musicians. If you want to be an athlete, surround yourself with athletes. If you want to be a good Christian, surround yourself with good Christians. If we live up to this quote, we will have better relationships with others, as well as see ourselves grow. We have such a huge impact on the lives of those around us. Just one smile can change a life. If someone sees you being kind or generous, they will naturally feel compelled to do the same. If we want more people to live their lives totally for God, we need to give them that example and do it ourselves. But it goes the other way too. If you surround yourself with people who place popularity, clothing, or romantic relationships before everything else, you will gradually start to behave that way too. True friends build each other up and help each other to achieve their goals. When you have good Christian friends you can help each other get to the ultimate goal: Heaven. I, thankfully, am blessed with some amazing friends both at church and in other areas of my life. I am so, so grateful for them and the impact they've had on my life. But I haven't always had such great friends. I, and so many other teens, have been in friendships that do not lead us on the path to sainthood. It is our responsibility as Christians to make sure that any relationship we are in is bearing good fruits. In Matthew 7:18, Jesus says, " A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit." We can easily apply this to friendships. If a friendship is good, it will bear good fruits in your life and lead you closer to God. If it a rotten tree (friendship) it will not bear good fruit and will lead you into a more sinful lifestyle. If you recognize that one of your friendships is like a rotten tree, CUT IT DOWN! End that friendship and don't let yourself be trapped in a place that leads you away from Love. Ending friendships can be extremely difficult. It can take months, even years, to distance yourself from a friend whom you were once very close to. But it will happen eventually. While you are trying to end this friendship, make sure that you pray for your friend! If they are engaging in sinful behaviors , make sure that you let them know that what they are doing is wrong, and continue to keep them accountable for their actions. Stay close to Christ and you will be just fine. Most of the time when friendships go wrong it's because the people involved don't have the same goals. My goal as a Christian is always to know, love, and serve God in this life so that I can be happy with Him in the next. If my friends didn't share that same goal, the relationship almost always ended. Now, I won't put all the blame on my former friends. I have messed up and not been a good example plenty of times! But now, by experiencing true friendship with the friends that I have now, I see where I messed up before and I am given the example of how to be a better friend. At a Steubenville conference that I attended last summer, Jackie Francois Angel gave a talk on friendship. She said that there are four types of friends. They are Virtuous friends, Enjoyable friends, Useful friends, and Toxic friends. Virtuous friends are the best kind of friends to have. They are the friends that keep you accountable and lead you closer to becoming the saint that you are meant to be. Your relationship is used to glorify God. Enjoyable friends are also great! They are the friends that you share common interests with. They are fun to be with because you like to do the same things. Useful friends are those who you are friends with because it is convenient . For example, friends on a sports team, in a club, or at school. It is good to be friends with them because you can help each other through common problems and situations that you will face together on your team or in your club or class. Toxic friends are those trees that bear rotten fruit. They have bad habits, lead sinful lifestyles, and are not good for your soul. They might talk about you behind your back, spread rumors about you, or even just be very confusing. These are sometimes the people who seem to be your best friend one day and then ignoring you the next for absolutely no reason at all. These are the friendships that you need to end. I challenge you to make a chart of these four types of friends. Sort your friends into the categories and see who are truly your friends. You can also turn it around. What kind of friend are you to other people? Take the time to really think about it- don't just jump to conclusions. Once you've done this, think about how you can improve your friendships. I've asked a few of my best friends in the entire world what they would tell other teens to look for in virtuous friends and how we, as teens, can help each other grow in our relationships with God. Here are the answers that I got.* What would you look for in a virtuous friend? Someone who will love you for who you are. Someone who helps you through a hard time Someone who offers prayers for your family and other people Someone who is supportive Someone who helps you grow in your faith Someone who doesn't judge you if you make a mistake, they help you fix it Someone who will make community service and other church activities fun Someone who you have a lot in common with Someone who has the same moral beliefs as you Someone who is passionate about their faith Someone who you can be yourself around What advice would you give to teens so that they can help their friends grow in their relationships with God? Talk about God... don't be afraid Participate in Church events together Pray for each other Pray together -Show each other that you care about one another Encourage each other to pray Let them know how much they are loved Go to Mass together Attend Steubenville conferences (or other retreats) together Encourage each other to go to Confession Keep each other accountable Friends are one way that we find who we really are. Spending time with people who can help you get to Heaven is very important and will change your life. Not sure where to start finding these types of people? I would start as close to Christ as possible. Church. Check and see if there's a youth group at your parish or a youth retreat that your diocese hosts. These are great places to find other people that share your beliefs and goals. And just remember: If there aren't any friends in your life right now who can lead you closer to Heaven, Jesus is the best friend that you could ever have :-) * Huge shoutout to these amazing teens! Guys, if you're reading this, just know that you all are some of the greatest people I've ever known and you've had such a huge impact on my life. Keep eating goldfish and being awesome :-) I love you tons and thank you for being you <3