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Hi friends! Just a reminder.... Tomorrow is the feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and, thus, a Holy Day of Obligation! Don't forget to go to Mass! : ) We celebrate and remember the day 9 months before Mary was born (September 8) that marks the day of her conception. This is known as the Immaculate Conception, because Mary came into being without original sin. Some simple ways to celebrate this day would be to pray the Rosary, put flowers at a statue of the Blessed Mother, or light a candle in her honor. You could dress in blue (her color! 💙). Listen to Marian Hymns. And most importantly, go to Mass!!! While we're on the topic of Catholic things to do in everyday life.... What are you doing for Advent this year? Lent isn't the only time we make spiritual resolutions! Advent is a time of preparation for the coming of Christ, which means we must prepare our own hearts and souls for His coming! Personally, I've been reading the Blessed is She Advent Devotional (find the digital download here!) , trying to pray the Rosary each day while coloring in my Drawn to Faith "Mysteries of the Rosary" coloring book that my roommate gave me (Find it here!) , as well as praying using advent meditations and prayers on the Hallow App, in addition to my other daily reading and journaling. I'm also going to be finishing redoing my Consecration to St. Joseph on the 10th! Please keep me in your prayers! Advent is a beautiful time for a new beginning. How are you growing closer to God this Advent season? I'd love to hear about it! You could also leave some suggestions on the Catholic Teen Life Blog forum, if you wish, or just leave a comment below. It's never too late to start making room for Jesus ❤️ Have a beautiful day, and blessed Feast of the Immaculate Conception tomorrow! ~ Catholic Teen

Hi friends! I just wanted to ask for some prayers! Tomorrow my dad is being ordained as a Permanent deacon. Then, on Monday and Tuesday I have my last classes for the semester, and then it's finals week! This is a crazy, but wonderful season of life. I am so grateful for you all and for your prayers. Thank you for your patience as I navigate balancing college and blogging and such! I hope to be more active soon : ) Please also keep my family, especially my father, in your prayers as we begin this new journey! Happy belated Thanksgiving!! In His Mercy, Catholic Teen

ORIGINALLY POSTED 11/20!!! A blessed and happy solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe! This is my favorite day of the liturgical year. It's just so incredible. Like, think about it... Our Jesus. Whom we are in love with and who loves us in return, who cares about each and every tiny, seemingly insignificant moment of our lives, who sees you in our most joyful and sorrowful times, is literally the king of the universe!! That includes any possible aliens. Right? I'd think so. Might need to ask Jimmy Akin about that one. 🤣 But all jokes aside, our Jesus is greater. He's greater than all of the evil, strife, turmoil, war, famine, drought, poverty, and fear. He's greater than your big test tomorrow that you were going to skip Mass to study for. He's greater than sleeping in for an extra twenty minutes and losing your prayer time for the day. He's greater than all mental illness. He's greater than you. he's greater than me. He's the King over everything, every aspect of our lives. Jesus is the King. We, the Church, are His bride. Friend, do you realize your dignity?! Do you realize that you have such an amazing privilege and responsibility? As a member of the royal family, you are an image of the kingdom. You must reflect the kingdom's values, morals, traditions, and laws. You are also responsible for defending the kingdom against all attacks from neighboring kingdoms. That being said, you must know the laws and teachings that the kingdom upholds. You must always reflect the kingdom in the way you dress and conduct yourself. You are set apart. At the same time, by the nature of your position, you are called to minister to those outside of the kingdom, and you will naturally draw them in by the goodness, beauty, and truth that you exude. You must draw them back to your spouse, the King, so they, too, can worship Him and come to know and love Him. Friend, your King has gifted you with an amazing responsibility. But this day is not about you; it's not about me. It's about Him! It's about Our Lord Jesus Christ. It's about His kingdom—the Kingdom of Heaven. I invite you to reflect on that today as you go to Mass and go about your day. Think about your King... think about how good He is, how much He cares for His people. Think about who YOU are because of Him and about the responsibilities you are privileged to have because of your royalty. And most of all, thank Him. Thank our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe, for being your king and for making it possible for you to be a member of His Kingdom!

This is not a blog post. This is not an article. This is not a reflection. This is just me. Here to tell you. That Jesus loves you. Don't be afraid. Everything's gonna be okay. I'm here if you need to talk. I'm praying for you. Keep being the light. <3

Today we celebrate the Feast Day of Pope John Paul II, an incredible man who died in 2005 and was a lover of youth, spiritual father to the world, brother in Christ, and the adopted and devoted son of God and Mary. JP2, as he's lovingly known, once said, " Dear young people, let yourselves be taken over by the light of Christ, and spread that light wherever you are." Have you ever known someone who just seems to radiate love, joy, and peace? Who is striving to be so close to Jesus that they literally radiate His love? It's like you could know they're in love with him just by hearing them speak. That was JP2, and that's what he, as the pope, wanted for all of us. You are called to be someone who is filled with that light of Christ. Not just filled by it, but taken over by it!! Our love for Christ should be so evident that all who encounter us can see Christ's love, joy, peace, and mercy within our souls. It seems overwhelming at first. We all fail at doing this! I certainly do. I'm young, and I'm still learning. In fact, I doubt I'll never ever be happy all the time until Jesus brings me to Heaven someday!! But happiness is not the goal. Joy is the goal. Love is the goal. Fear, anxiety, depression, illness, worry, stress, sadness, or anything of the sort need not steal our joy and peace. They aren't from God. He's greater than all of that! He defeated death, for goodness sake! He's got this!! His light always shines. If we let Him work through us and resolve to be undeterred by the things, circumstances, feelings, and people of this world that try to blow out the candle radiating the Light of Christ within us, then we too, as Pope St. John Paul II did, continuously shine the light of Christ's love, joy, peace, and mercy to our world!

The trees are fully dependent on God. Without Him, without His gift of the proper amount of sunlight, of rain, of nutrients from the soil, they would die. Trees, in a sense, are fully surrendered to God, as is all of natural creation, and as we ought to strive to be. Now, if even the trees, living organisms without souls, that don't do much of anything except help us breathe and sometimes provide us with food, are completely taken care of by our God, then why would we ever believe that He is not taking care of us, preparing us for our death and Eternal Life? Think about a tree. Most trees, right now, are losing their leaves, beginning their journey towards death and winter's sleep until they can wake up in the spring. It would be difficult to believe that such a tree, filled with reds and yellows and oranges would be barren, empty, and seemingly lifeless in just a little while. God makes these trees beautiful. Without Him, they wouldn't not exist. If He can make the trees beautiful before they seemingly die, how much more beautiful is He able to make your soul before you (seemingly) die and enter into eternal life!! Friends, all our lives, we are preparing for Heaven. Our leaves, if we allow them to, change colors until we are, in the eyes of God, ready for Eternal Life. Sometimes, on earth, not all of our leaves have changed colors by the time we die. That's what purgatory is for... To prepare us, even more, for Heaven, if that's what we desire, and to make beautiful the parts of our souls that have not yet been perfected. God knows what we need, both in our physical needs, and spiritual needs. He will take care of us, and will give us every oppurtunity possible to be with Him forever in Heaven. Look at the trees today... See how they're clothed in beauty. That's how much God loves them. Then look in the mirror. He loves you, dear friend, infinitely more. ❤️

I went to Mass this morning at the local basilica by my college and was astounded by the number of families with small children. It's led me to reflect on the Vocation of families. Parents are called to reflect the Father's love to their children. Children are called to learn and grow under their parents' instruction, guidance, and love. Together, they show the world the life and love of the Holy Trinity! Everything about our faith is familial. The Mass is a Divine Wedding Feast between us, the Bride, and Christ, the Divine Bridegroom. At the end of Mass, we are told to " Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life." Our love and unity with Christ is made fruitful by living with and for Him and spreading that love to all we encounter! This is why I think it's so beautiful when families come to Mass and practice their faith! They're a beautiful symbol of the Divine Life with Christ that we are called to. And also, I love when there's a baby that shakes her rattle while the organ is playing. That happened today. It was really nice. 🤣 It's so refreshing to see new life, young, life in the Church. I encourage you, friends: if you believe God is calling you to be married someday, reflect on the immense responsibility you will be given in your marriage and life as a parent. You are called to lay down your life for your family and to reflect the love of Christ to each of them. You will be entrusted to care for, nurture, and protect the souls of your spouse and children! What a beautiful and immense responsibility to be gifted with. Have a wonderful week, everyone! In His mercy, Catholic Teen

An excerpt from my journal when I saw this image tonight... (scroll down to see it! I was praying in the chapel at St. Francis University tonight and saw this beautiful shadow from the crucifix, perfectly reflecting onto the Blessed Mother). "Mamma... The cross... You're crucified too. Yours was an emotional cross. It's real. Its a cross. You were certainly afraid, but you chose to trust. Fear isn't the sin, it's the lack of trust that is sinful. You were afraid! But you trusted!! The 'Why, God?'; the 'How is this gonna work out?!'; the 'I'm scared, Lord' all went through your head. You cried, I'm sure. You felt. You know what this feels like. <3 Let me suffer well in my sufferings, like you, and unite my cross to yours and to your Son's." Friends, if there's anything the Lord (and my campus minister...) have been showing me since the beginning of college, it's been that emotions aren't sinful. Being sad, angry, homesick, scared, or anxious isn't a sin. It's how we can sometimes handle it. No one likes feeling any of those things, but please, friend, do not be afraid. You are not bad because you're feeling these things. Jesus is inviting you to surrender to Him more deeply. Let Him hold you. You console His heart when you do this! This Summer, I became a Marian missionary of Divine Mercy. This picture in this post is, I believe, a beautiful image of what it means to be a Marian Missionary of Divine Mercy. Suffering with our Mamma Mary... simply being with Jesus. Knowing that though sorrow and pain are real and will happen, we need not despair. Jesus continuously holds us and invites us to unite our sufferings to His. In our sorrows, we must simply be with Jesus. Imitate Mary in her trust, even in our moments of emotional suffering. Simply, Trust.

Imagine you're in a dark room. Completely dark. But there are whispers all around you. Telling you you're not enough. Saying you'll never be forgiven. Saying God doesn't love you anymore. Telling you lie after lie, wanting you to doubt God's mercy. In your hands, you're holding a candle. It's unlit, and it will do you no good. You see someone in the distance, and you somehow know that it is Jesus. You see Him walking in front of you, turning around, looking all around Him, and calling your name. You don't say anything. You just feel relief. He locks His gaze with yours. And the candle gets brighter. He walks closer. Even brighter. He reaches out, grabs your hand, and pulls you to Himself, hugging you. You fall limp in His arms for a moment and then return his embrace. You look up. The candle you were holding has become so brightly lit that it has illuminated the entire room! You look back at Jesus, and He looks into your eyes, smiles softly, and says, "Come, follow me." He leads you out of the room, and you are blinded by the light of the candles people around you are holding. They are all together, laughing, and praising God! Jesus nudges you towards them, and you go and join them! You heal. Being with the light- in the light- helps you to heal from the lies that have been whispered into your soul. You feel loved. You feel like you belong. You know you are forgiven. You stay there for a while. You're not sure how long. And then Jesus catches your eye. He motions to you and mouths, "Come." and you do. He leads you out into a dark hallway. He brings you to the first doorway. You can hear the same whispers a you had heard before. Jesus knocks on the door, and says, "Go. I'll come soon." and you (somewhat hesitantly) enter the room. In the corner is a person. Crying. At the end of their rope. They look up. Your candle is bright- as bright as it was when you were the one trapped in the dark. The room is illuminated by your candle. The person in the corner stops crying- is just sniffling now. You embrace them and reassure them that the whispers are wrong- They ARE loved. God WILL forgive them. They do NOT have to be afraid. And slowly, very slowly, the flame of their candle lights up. Jesus opens the door. The person with the newly lit candle looks to Him, and peace fills their face. Jesus smiles and says to them, "Come, follow me." As the person follows Him out of the room, Jesus turns to you and whispers, "Well done!" You walk out of the room behind them and turn to the next doorway, your light even brighter than it had been before, and you begin again. Friend, in today's second reading, St. Paul writes: "This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Of these I am the foremost. But for that reason I was mercifully treated, so that in me, as the foremost, Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life." (1 Timothy 1:15-17) Paul was a great sinner. Through Him, through His ministry, He brought so many people to know the love and mercy of God. You are called to do the same. Please, don't believe the lies that are whispered in the darkness. Please allow Jesus to heal you, to light your candle! Those of us who have know the darkness of sin, the darkness of the world, the darkness of grief and sorrow are the ones who Jesus is specifically calling to bring the light of mercy to His children who are still living in the darkness. You are loved; you are forgiven. The Sacrament of Reconciliation has wiped your soul completely clean! Your candle can shine ever brighter in the darkness because it is so bright now. Bring your candle to the darkness. Find those who need the light, and spread the light of God's mercy to the world! "I was mercifully treated... so that... Christ Jesus might display all his patience..." Patience, in this case, is another word for mercy. God wants to use you, like St. Paul, to spread His message of mercy! Will you say yes and help Him?

How do we prepare for the rest of our lives? How do we prepare and train for what God will ask us to do? In preparing for careers, people go to college or trade school. In preparing to have a child, parents gather resources and supplies to care for the baby properly. But how does one prepare for their Vocation? Sure, some people just know they're called to be a Sister, and others know they're meant to get married. But how does someone prepare in between? What if you're unsure whether you'll be a mom or a nun? A husband or a priest? No matter how drastically different these Vocations may look on the outside, they all have one thing in common: radical, self-giving love. The more we know how to give of ourselves, the more of ourselves we will have to give when we enter into our Vocations (i.e., get married, enter religious life, are ordained, etc.). So how do we do that? How do we practice this radical self-gift in our everyday lives? What does it look like as a teenager? Let's think about it. Who are you being called to love right now? First of all, God. And how can you give yourself totally and completely in love to God? A simple answer is prayer. In any relationship, you must communicate to grow in love. Prayer is communication with God! If we are going to give ourselves totally in love to God, we must be devoted to prayer, making intentional time for it and for God each day. Another way we can totally give ourselves in love for God is by receiving Him, body and blood, soul and divinity, in the Eucharist. When we receive Him, we should also be giving ourselves to Him, giving over everything and letting Him have control. Saint Francis of Assisi captured it perfectly: "Hold back nothing of yourselves for yourselves so that He who gives Himself totally to you may receive you totally." Self-giving love is also fruitful. Just as the self-giving love of husbands and wives in marriage can come to produce children, so our communion of self-giving love with God should be fruitful. This looks like the graces we receive growing and being present in our everyday lives! The closer we come to God, the more we resemble Him, and the more we can share His love with others. The fruitfulness of self-giving love to and with God is love itself. Who else are you called to love right now? Is it your siblings? Your classmates? Your friends? How can you give yourself to them? Are you willing to pour yourself out in love and service to them, even when it's difficult? What is the fruit of this love? Maybe they will not reciprocate, but your love will draw them closer to God because you love them as He does. By practicing this self-giving love, you will be more fully prepared to give yourself totally in love in your future Vocation. If you are called to enter religious life, you'll be giving yourself totally in body, mind, and soul to Him and receiving His love in return. You'll give yourself to your spouse if you are called to married life. If you're a priest, you'll give yourself, body, mind, and soul to God and the people you serve. More specifically, if you know your Vocation, how can you prepare for it NOW? If you think God is calling you to be married someday, pray for your future spouse! You could start a journal writing letters to them, include them in your rosary intentions, and overall, in your dating process, recognize that the goal in dating is marriage. If you think God is calling you to be in religious life, explore communities, connect with Sisters or Brothers, and ask them about their lives. Go on discernment retreats! The same goes for anyone discerning the priesthood... explore your options! Make connections! But the most important thing to prepare your heart, mind, and soul for any Vocation is love. Love God, and love those around you. After all, what is a Vocation but the total gift of self in love with another?

What is He trying to say to you? Look at your life. What are the blessings? Where have you seen God working? When have you felt full of life and joy? What or who has made you feel alive? Ask Jesus... "What are you saying to me?" and "What are the common factors here?" Then ask Him to show you where you've sinned, where you haven't lived as the Son or Daughter of God that you truly are. When have you felt empty? What happened to make you feel that way? How can you remove that from your life and replace it with things that make you feel more fully alive? Now ask Jesus to embrace you with His love and mercy. Ask Him to be merciful to you and show you exactly what He's trying to say to you. Rest in His arms. Gaze up at His face and marvel in His gentleness. Lean your head on His chest and listen to the beating of His heart. You are safe, and you are cherished and loved. Show Him your wounds, and let Him show you His. Now listen to Him... Is He whispering gently, His breath tickling your ear? Is He looking you in the eyes, gazing at you as He tells you gently but firmly what He wants you to hear? Does He have tears in His eyes as He asks you to come closer? To just listen? Is He smiling down at you? What is He saying? Daughter, you are beautiful. I've forgiven you. My son, don't you see that you are STILL good? When will you trust me? Love, when will you say "yes" to me? Son, you can let it go now. I'm in control. I won't let you go. I am close to you always. It's okay. Don't be afraid. I'm here. Just rest with me. Whatever it is... rest in it. Rest with Jesus. That's all He wants. He thirsts for you! Let yourself be loved, and, in return, resolve to embrace what Jesus told you and love without reserve. Stay with your Jesus. Let Him hold you. Just listen. Just rest. *Inspired by the BAKER Examen method

Hi friends! Is there something you've always thought the world needed to know about Catholicism? Something you believe if other teenagers heard, they couldn't help but be inspired to live their lives for Christ? Do you have a fantastic story- or even your testimony- that you'd like to share with other Catholic teens but aren't quite sure how? Do you have a piece of advice for others? A Catholic small business, book, or blog recommendation? A prayer intention? An essay relating to the Church that you wrote for school? Something else?! If you said yes to any of those questions, I need your help. I leave for college this week, which unfortunately means I (most likely) will not have much time to blog. However, I still want to keep this blog as a resource for YOU. And for that reason, I'd like you to consider helping me, and many other Catholic teens, by sharing what you think the Catholic Teen world needs to know. If you are a Catholic teen (or young adult, or adult, youth minister, parent of a teen, or just really love being Catholic...) and you have something you'd like to say to Catholic teenagers, please message me through the "contact" tab on the home page of the blog with: What you'd like to tell Catholic teens! Your first name (or a nickname or be left anonymous) and/or Instagram account name Anything else you'd like me to know or about which you have questions! There is no minimum or maximum word count for the writing and no deadline for submission. I also cannot provide any monetary compensation as I do not get paid for my blog! Your writing submission is simply a chance for you to give other Catholic teens your words of wisdom. 😉 I'll preview and proofread everything before I post it :-) If you are a fellow Catholic blogger, do you have any tips for fitting in time for your blogging ministry when life gets super busy? I'd love to hear your thoughts! Please keep me in your prayers as I prepare for and begin this next step in my life! I'm attending a Catholic college and am excited to see what the Lord has in store. I'm so excited to hear all of your great ideas and words of wisdom to share with the Catholic Teen world! May God bless you always! In His mercy, Catholic Teen