Answer Me This: Vol. 2

May 11, 2014June 25, 2014 ~ Laura ~ 1 Comment

Linking up with Kendra!

1. What’s for dinner?

Tonight it was a “we need to finish all the random food before we leave for the summer” kind of dinner! We made spaghetti with meat sauce and pudding for dessert. Yum! Having non-caf food is quite glorious around here, and I’m looking forward to being home late this week to have “real” food 🙂

2. What’s the last thing you borrowed from someone?

Hmmmm . . . good question. I honestly can’t remember the last time I borrowed something! Well, that’s boring. Maybe a dish sometime to cook.

3. What is your favorite prayer?

Many! Oh, there are so many beautiful prayers. But one of my favorites (which I discovered over spring break) is one Mother Teresa said everyday:

“Dear Jesus,

Help me to spread Your fragrance wherever I go. Flood my soul with Your spirit and life. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly, that my life may only be a radiance of Yours. Shine through me, and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel Your presence in my soul. Let them look up and see no longer me, but only Jesus! Stay with me and then I shall begin to shine as You shine, so to shine as to be a light to others. The light, of Jesus, will be all from You; none of it will be mine. It will be you, shining on others through me. Let me thus praise You the way You love best, by shining on those around me. Let me preach You without preaching, not by words but by my example, by the catching force of the sympathetic influence of what I do, the evident fullness of the love my heart bears to You.

Amen.”

4. What is the oldest thing in your house?

In my dorm room, it’s probably old diaries/journals I brought back to read after Christmas. Holy cow, they are quite interesting! They make me cringe sometimes (enter an apparent obsession with musicals), but it’s really neat to see how God’s been working for so many years to help me become who I am today.

5. What’s the best concert you ever attended?

Never having gone to a legit concert, let’s go with “What concert would you like to go to?”! I’d love to go see The Fray or Sugarland, and pretty much any country person. Sign me up!

6. Do you have a nickname?

Family ones, yes, but friends always call me Laura. Sometimes I’m Lala or now Lals or Pancake.

What about you? What are your answers?

Finish This: Week 18

May 7, 2014June 25, 2014 ~ Laura ~ 5 Comments

I participated in this link up a while ago and then stopped. But when Bek invited me to join . . . I had to! This link up is hosted by: Jen at The Arizona Russums, Nicole at Three 31, Lisa at Coastlined, and Becky at The Java Mama. Here are my answers for the week 🙂

I feel an adrenaline rush when . . . a good song comes on when I exercise, I used to perform in musicals, I’m watching an inspiring video or moment in a movie, or I have to unexpectedly speak in front of people. Someday I want to go zip-lining, and I imagine that I would experience a tad bit of adrenaline with that too 🙂

I feel energized when . . . I get enough sleep, pray, and am organized. Yay for responsibility!

I feel small when . . . standing next to tall people (story of my life as a person who is 5 feet), I’m part of a big crowd (ie. March for Life), or standing near something like the ocean.

I feel big when . . . I’m confident about what I’m doing, or I’m not the shortest one in the room.

I feel indestructible when . . . I’m in the middle of a good workout. This is especially the case when I exercise regularly and get strong and do something I realize I could not have done in the last couple weeks. I’ve gotten a lot stronger in my yoga class this semester and it feels amazing to be able to power through the intense plank – push-up -push-forward – downward-dog – plank – repeat routines.

I feel stupid when . . . I instantly forget a person’s name. Beginning of freshman year all over again! I’m generally good with names, but every so often this still happens.

I feel smart when . . . I know the answer to something a professor asks and no one has raised their hand. Talking more in class is definitely something I’m planning to work on more next year because I have something to say much more often than I actually say it.

Thanks for tagging me, Bek!

Answer Me This: Vol. 1

May 6, 2014May 6, 2014 ~ Laura ~ Leave a comment

I recently found this new link-up (hosted by Kendra) with random questions each week, so I thought it’d be nice to join. Here goes my first-ever (and late – ha!) installment of Answer Me This.

1. Are you becoming your mother?

Well, I would say there’s a bit of both my parents in my personality. Wasn’t that a fascinating first answer?!?!

2. Coffee or tea?

Tea, in my opinion, is gross. Iced coffee is my favorite (with the milk and all that jazz) along with caramel lattes. However, coffee is a diuretic (tmi, much?) which is not very convenient so I don’t have it very often.

3. What foreign country would you like to visit?

If I were to travel abroad, I would want to go to the Vatican or Ireland. The Vatican because of all the history and the Pope – Ireland because it is so beautiful and awesome. But I don’t have my heart set on traveling, so I don’t know that this will ever happen (and I’m okay with that). I want to see all of America first!

4. Do you cry easily?

It depends, honestly. I sometimes cry when I’m mad, which can be annoying. But I am able to work through it when the issue is going on. I can hold it together when I have to. I’ve noticed that I tend to put up with a whole lot, but when something puts me over the edge I will cry, get over it, come up with a solution, pray, and be done. If it’s an issue with a particular person, I remove myself from their presence to cool off.

I cry when reading inspiring stories sometimes, or watching beautiful movies. The hardest I ever remember crying was watching For Greater Glory. Is that weird? I don’t know.

If you haven’t seen it, skip this next part. It was during the part when the little boy (was he named a saint?) had been caught and was standing near a grave with a guy who had a gun at hand. The boy’s parents came into the scene (details are fuzzy), and were crying. The guy with the gun was telling the boy to renounce God, and he refused. The boy’s parents begged him to, and were frantic. The boy refused, though, and was killed right before their eyes. I don’t know how they made it so realistic. It was the looks between them. The ultimate sacrifice. Gosh, it gives me chills.

5. How often do you wear heels?

Pretty often! It’s definitely a perk of being on the shorter side. I don’t wear crazy high things, but a classy heal is definitely my go-to for Mass and fancy occasions. Check out WIWS posts for pictures.

6. Do you play an instrument?

Not fluently. I took piano for a few years on-and-off, and did voice lessons when I was in musicals in high school. I’ve always wanted to be one of those people who can sit down at the piano (or guitar) and just knock out an awesome song, buuuut nope. It takes a lot of work. Perhaps someday I will buy a piano and watch YouTube videos to re-learn.

Check back on Sunday for next week’s post!

NAS: Favorite Saints!

May 6, 2014June 25, 2014 ~ Laura ~ 5 Comments

This week’s topic is favorite saints! But not just any saints . . . some related to purity, chastity, etc. Here goes!

Mother Teresa is probably my favorite saint EVAH (and she’s not even technically a saint yet). St. Joan of Arc was quite a boss. I’ve also learned more about JPII recently and love, love, love him. The Catholic church has so many beautiful people for us to look to as role models.

Buuut I’m supposed to be writing about saints related to purity, chastity, etc. 🙂

There’s the obvious St. Maria Goretti who refused to give in to an attacker and then forgave him (yes, that’s rather vague, someone remind me of the story!). She’s one that many people look to as a beautiful example of purity. But for me? I stick to St. Michael and St. Raphael, two of the archangels.

St. Michael is pretty much always pictured defeating Satan. I’ve grown to love (and know by heart!) his prayer which is a beautiful plea to be protected against evil. It’s appropriate in many ways, and definitely for asking for his intercession for the courage and grace to beat Satan to a pulp when he tries to temp us into straying from the straight and narrow.

Here is his prayer:

“St. Michael, the archangel, defend us in battle. Be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do thou, O prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil creatures who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.”

St. Raphael, I’ve learned, is the patron saint of happy meetings (among other things). There’s a beautiful story derived from the Book of Tobit about how he healed Sarah who was grieving and influenced Tobias and after stuff they got together and yay! It’s deeper than that, though. Read about it!

Here’s a prayer I found asking for his intercession (which I think is really beautiful):

“St. Raphael, loving patron of those seeking a marriage partner, help me in this supreme decision of my life. Find for me as a helpmate in life the person whose character may reflect some of the traits of Jesus and Mary. May he (she) be upright, loyal, pure, sincere and noble, so that with united efforts and with chaste and unselfish love we both may strive to perfect ourselves in soul and body, as well as the children it may please God to entrust to our care.

St. Raphael, angel of chaste courtship, bless our friendship and our love that sin may have no part in it. May our mutual love bind us so closely that our future home may ever be most like the home of the Holy Family of Nazareth. Offer your prayers to God for the both of us and obtain the blessing of God upon our marriage, as you were the herald of blessing for the marriage of Tobiah and Sarah.

St. Raphael, friend of the young, be my friend, for I shall always be yours. I desire ever to invoke you in my needs.

To your special care I entrust the decision I am to make as to my future husband (wife). Direct me to the person with whom I can best cooperate in doing God’s Holy Will, with whom I can live in peace, love and harmony in this life, and attain to eternal joy in the next. Amen.”

And that’s that.

Head over to Jen and Morgan‘s for more on this topic!

The Reason I Have Hope

April 29, 2014June 25, 2014 ~ Laura ~ 5 Comments

Last Saturday night my school had a watch party for the canonization of (now saints) Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII. We watched a beautiful movie about JPII earlier in the day, and oh my goodness. He was an incredible man. I don’t know how accurate the movie was, but to know how much adversity he came from blows me away.

There were moments in the movie where you could just see and feel the mercy he exuded. There was a guy who was dating a student of JPII’s. The guy was hired to spy on JPII, and planted a bug in the confessional, listening to every one. (Sidenote – anyone know if that really happened??) The guy was so moved by hearing the mercy of JPII, and told his boss that he could not find one word to use against the then Bishop.

It hit him hard. And he realized that JPII wasn’t this old white guy telling people what to do. He came to JPII crying, confessing what he did. It was really a beautiful moment.

That night we had adoration, lots of snacks, and a “Whose line is it anyway?” hilarious event leading up to the live streaming of the Mass in St. Peter’s square (which started around 3am). It was tough staying awake since I had gotten up at 5am to sidewalk counsel (up for about 24 hours, whoohoo!).

As I looked around in adoration, it kind of hit me how blessed I am to be here where so many people are striving to live an authentic Catholic life. It’s hard to explain, but there is something utterly beautiful about the church (*ahem* Jesus) that gives us hope and passion for life. Most people, I am convinced, do not understand this concept, and why Catholics do what we do.

You see, there is so much joy in abandoning yourself to the life you were made for.

It’s not easy. There are days when you might be tempted to succumb to the pleasures the world offers. I can’t imagine anyone is really without that in their lives. But when you have faith in something bigger than yourself, life makes sense. Because you know what doesn’t make sense?

– school shootings

– an article I saw today about a model who went in public in a mini-skirt, stripper heels, and bra (yeah, no shirt)

– the rampant technology that is melting people’s brains

– the recent news stories about moms killing their newborns

– all that happened during the Holocaust (which JPII’s story reminded me of)

How do we manage to survive in this world? How can we not be overcome with despair with what our world is coming to?

It’s this faith and hope. I know that no matter what happens, God will not give me anything I cannot handle. I know that he is there to carry me when life is hard, and to celebrate in life’s moments of joy. I can’t lose hope, because I have every reason to hope. I have faith in something, and someone bigger than myself and this world. His name is Jesus.

The movie about JPII reminded me how much believers have suffered for the faith in the past. They were horrendously murdered, tortured, and martyred. And yet, they refused to renounce God. They gave him their lives. In those moments, you can see the beauty that living a faith-filled life brings. It causes us to live differently.

Do you know of anyone who has died in defense of their belief in atheism?

Me neither. There’s just something about God that gives me, and many other people, an inner peace and confidence that the things in this life are incomparable to those of the next. It gives us a courage to face all that life throws us while abandoning ourselves to something so much bigger that our lives. That doesn’t mean people who aren’t Catholic are terrible people. Absolutely not! But at some point you have to ask the questions: What gives us hope?

How are we, when we strive to live the authentic Catholic life, given the grace to live so fearlessly?

I’m not really sure where this is going, except to say that I am so happy and thankful to be Catholic. Maybe it doesn’t make sense to you. Maybe you wonder what gives us this hope. Maybe you’ve only seen the rules the church has, and not all the joy. I’m sorry if you’ve never met an authentic Catholic person.

For your sake, I hope that you are able to encounter at least one person who is truly striving to live the authentic Catholic life. It’s something that is hard to wrap your head around until you experience it – this deep, and fearless hope, this confidence in our creator, this faith in truth that has been revealed to us.

Thank you, JPII (and all the saints!) for giving us examples of how to live the authentic Catholic life. Jesus, please give me the grace to reveal the beauty of Catholicism to people in my life. Help me to spread your love everywhere I go, and to “be your light” to our darkened world. You give us hope to live fearlessly while striving to love you more perfectly. Please help us show others why we have this hope.