Fork in the Road

Everyone else has it so easy. They get to go to parties and drink all they want; they can wear mini skirts, low-cut shirts and bikinis; they're able to sleep with guys and not even worry about pregnancy because birth control and abortion is an option. Why do I have it so hard? Why do I have to follow all the rules?

In this world we are constantly bombarded by images of our peers leading such lives without a care in the world. I'm sure each and every one of us has asked the question, "Why do they get to have all the fun while I have to be the stick in the mud?" And then we come to the conclusion: Being Catholic is extremely lame.

It would be so easy to say "screw the rules" and join our friends in the fun we envy so much. It would be so easy to ignore our values in order to have a good time and live without a care in the world. We start to wish that we could separate ourselves from our Catholicism--it's just holding us back, keeping us away from a "normal" life.

Our faith has turned into our prison.

So how do we break free? Do we just throw away over 2000 years of Church teaching because we think we know how to live a better life? We could do that. We could go to all the late night parties and get so drunk we can't remember what happened; we could sport the skimpy attire to attract guys who don't look at us for more than a one night stand; we could pop pills as an easy fix to sleeping around. We could do all those things.

But at the end of the day, under the guise of "fun" and "normalcy", we will feel used, abused and full of regret. And then we will look back with longing at our faith which has now become the greener side of the fence. We have gone from feeling like the stick in the mud to feeling trapped in quicksand--at first there may be a certain rush, but the only direction it's pulling us is down. And while we're trapped down there we realize that there is no true satisfaction in temporary gratification, and there is no joy in disrespect of one's body and dignity.

Our faith is actually our freedom.

These "rules" of our faith aren't just there because "God said so". They are there to free us from the bindings of a sinful world. Instead of seeing life as full of things we are not allowed to do, we should view life as full of opportunities to choose the path that will fulfill us and lead us to true joy. There is a reason our faith is the way it is.

God knows that if we overindulge in alcohol we won't think clearly and we will make decisions we will later regret. God protects us.

God doesn't want us to give away the most intimate parts of our bodies with revealing attire. God cherishes us.

God wants us to enjoy the fruitfulness of a true relationship, not one of selfishness. God loves us.

When we pick apart the pressures common in this society, can we honestly say they are looking out for our good? Do the pressures in society protect us? Cherish us? Love us? The answer is no. In fact they do the exact opposite.

So when we find ourself in a situation wondering if we should take that worldly road that appears easier, we should make sure to take a look a little further down that road. Chances are, we will only see emptiness, shallow happiness, and a rough ending. If we continue walking on the path of our faith, while we may face obstacles along the way, it will most certainly lead to a much more fulfilling destination.

More Than Ashes

"Father in Heaven,

Protect us in our struggle against evil.

As we begin the discipline of Lent,

make this season holy by our self-denial.

Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit

one God, for ever and ever."

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent--the first of many days of no more coffee, chocolate or soda. This self-denial is a sacrifice of love; love for our Savior who made the ultimate sacrifice of love for us. We may choose to sacrifice certain foods or drinks, or we may choose to sacrifice those unnecessary activities that tend to distract us from time with Christ (TV, Facebook, Video Games, etc). Either way, we should always strive to take our Lenten promise one more step forward. In addition to giving something up this Lent, let us also add more Christ-centered activities to our life. If you choose to give up watching television, fill that previously wasted time with saying a rosary or reading a passage out of the Bible. Or devote yourself to an outside ministry such as the homeless ministry or a pro-life organization.

The purpose of Lent is not to just sacrifice for 40 days and then come Easter fall back into bad habits or the same routine as before. It's so much more! This Lent, make a promise to carry on the good habits you establish during the Lenten season into the rest of the year. This Lent find something to committ to that will bring you closer in your relationship with Christ, and make an effort to continue with it even when the 40 days are up! With Christ we will find the strength and dedication to accomplish this.

"R-E-S-P-E-C-T...Find out what it means to me"

Who thought I would be bombarded with female nudity when I went to see a Disney movie?? But it’s true. The other day I went to the movies to see Tron, a PG-rated movie. As I was sitting in that dim-lit theatre waiting for the previews to start, three teenaged boys (couldn’t have been more that 16) sat in front of me with a Droid phone flipping through pornographic images of women (I shouldn’t say women because as soon as they began viewing them in that way they turned them into mere objects). It disgusted me. What if it hadn’t been me sitting behind them with a front row view to their lustful behavior? What if it had been a little kid?? This is a Disney movie for crying out loud!

The twisted thing about this is that these boys saw this as “normal” behavior. They weren’t trying to hide it, they weren’t hunkered down in the back of the theatre talking in hushed tones. No, they were smack dab in the middle of the theatre openly pointing at and making crude comments about naked women.

Respect. There is obviously a great lack of it in our world.

We observe it not only in the way men act, but in the way they dress—and in the way women act and dress as well. Men wear t-shirts adorned with the ever classy bare-breasted woman in a suggestive pose, women strive for that image by dressing themselves with the least amount of material possible. Women strut around in bikinis, miniskirts, and low cut shirts causing men to drool lustfully over their bodies, then those guys turn unsatisfied to pornographic images and movies to fulfill theat urge. Women, feeling pressured by men to meet this certain image, then not only allow men to view the most intimate parts of their body, but allow men to touch them and use them to satisfy a craving. It’s a downward spiral, one that is quickly destroying respect, love, and each individual’s dignity.

We need to add respect back into the equation.

One thing we can do as women is to make an aggressive effort to cover ourselves up. If we are causing men to sin by what we wear, we are actively taking part in their sin. If we are the catalyst to lustful behavior, we are now “temptation”. Give me one good reason to wear a bikini to the beach. One good reason to publicly display for all to see part of us which should be reserved for only our husband. There is no good reason—there are only excuses. And those excuses were designed by a fallen society to bring us even further down. Are we really going to buy into these lies? I say we take a stand for respect.

And not just what we wear to the beach. Every day take a good look at what we put on to wear for the day and ask “Would my (future) husband appreciate that every other guy in the world is seeing me in this?”

Once we start treating ourselves with respect it is a lot easier for guys to look at us with respect as well. When the focus is taken away from a lustful portrayal of the body as an object, the focus can be applied to an appreciation and respect of women as human persons. This is the foundation of a good relationship.

What it all boils down to is that this is a two-way street. We can get infuriated that many guys look at porn and are opening disrespectful to women through crude jokes, explicit apparel, and the way they treat women in relationships. But if we don’t respect ourselves then how can we ask them to do the same? We can’t ask the men of the world to stop looking at and treating women degradingly if we’re not willing to make an effort ourselves. So, women, instead of being a catalyst for sin, let us be a catalyst for respect.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Butterflies

Can you believe Christmas is almost here?? As it quickly approaches we are overcome with anticipation, hope, excitement and the desire to make others happy. We make sacrifices of time and money in order to give our friends and family something that will bring a smile to their faces. We participate in Angel Tree or Adopt-a-Family in order to bring joy to those who may not be able to afford something special themselves. We walk around with an extra skip in our step because Christmas is almost here! Now imagine what the world would be like if we continued to live each day like that. If each day we sacrificed of ourselves to bring happiness to others. If each day we were extra bouncy, excited and joyful with anticipation of something absolutely amazing just around the corner. And why shouldn’t we live like that? At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus—the coming of Christ into this world. During Advent we’re preparing for this, anticipating it. But if we put so much preparation and joy into celebrating something that happened so long ago, then we should put so much more into the preparation for the second coming of Christ; we should constantly be self-sacrificing and radiating with the joy of Advent while we wait to be reunited with our Creator. Because that is something we have to look forward to right now. Imagine the joy of being engaged to the love of your life, planning your wedding, excited about spending the rest of your lives together. You have that feeling of butterflies in your stomach and your heart beats a little faster every time you think about the day you will be united with your husband. That’s what it should be like each day while we anticipate being united with Christ. We should have BUTTERFLIES IN OUR STOMACHS, a tingling from our head to our toes, from just the thought of spending eternity with the greatest Love of our lives. And we should constantly be preparing our mind, body and soul for Christ, so that when the day comes and He takes our hand, we can say “I do”.

As we near the end of December, let us really make an effort to carry Advent into the rest of the year. Jesus is alive and He wants US to spend eternity with Him. BE EXCITED!! :)

Just A Little Inspiration

‎"Keep your eyes open, hold tight to your convictions." -1Corinthians 16:13
Do not let the world compromise your faith or let ignorance blur the Truth. It's compromise that pulls us away from the will of God, and ignorance that deafens our ears to His Word.

Nobody ever won a race by stopping at every obstacle in their path. We must face each challenge head on with pure determination, and faith that we can clear every hurdle. "Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one recieves the prize? So run that you may obtain it!"

"Don't sit around and let life pass you by...be aggressive, take control, and always move forward. Make life be the one who has to catch up to you."

"If our beliefs are sound and firmly planted in Truth, the hands of compassion and persistence will push us into action. If we lack action to uphold our beliefs, we do not believe in it strongly enough. For if our beliefs truly are the Truth, then we should be in constant movement to share it with the whole world."

"Without passion, our faith is empty, our lives dull, and our spirits weak. With passion, our hearts are strengthened to endure the battle for truth, love, and human dignity."

"Reach out with open arms and give yourself up to be transformed by Christ's love. It is that sacrificial love that helps us endure suffering for the glory of God; it is that selfless, giving love that unifies us in the Church; it is that endless love that brings us closer to an eternity in the Beatific Vision."

Take Up Arms

Thousands of men and women choose to join the armed forces to serve our country. They fight for freedom, justice and liberty. Each day they risk their lives and throw themselves in harms way to defend this country of ours. Battlefields, guns, bullets, war, pain, death. All of this they endure.

"Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus." 2Tim 2:3

Imagine what would happen if we were as passionate about our faith as soldiers are for their country. If men and women are willing to sacrifice everything for their country, why can't we do the same for our God? There is a spiritual war taking place, and as Christians we are called to take up arms and fight. Fight for the souls of those fallen into sin. Get angry at sin! Get riled up and fight for Truth! Defend the name of our God amongst those who degrade it! This is our GOD, our CREATOR. As His followers and believers, we are called to fight, with Him--the Almighty--leading the way.

Whether we like it or not, we are living in a war zone. And we must choose a side to stand on. We cannot afford to be wishy-washy and stand in the middle--the crossfire will surely bring us down. We must choose a side. We already know that God trumps sin, so isn't the wise choice to stick with Him? There will be pain, there will be suffering, and eventually there will be death. But if we fight with God, after death there will also be life. That is something the other side cannot offer.

Sin is our enemy. Selfishness, vanity, lack of charity, abortion, immodesty, idolatry, impurity, lies, adultery--all of these are our enemies. We must combat sin with steadfast faith and acts of love. If we are truly living Christian lives we should be sacrificing everything for our God, and we should have a burning desire within our hearts to protect all that is good, and triumph over all that is evil.

Once your life on this earth has ended and God asks "How did you live your life for Me? Did you live your faith to the fullest?" What will your response be? Will it be "I sacrificed everything for You, Lord. I suffered so that others may know you, and that Truth and Love may prevail." Or will it be "Well, I kinda just went with the flow of things. I had faith and recognized You and Your will, but only when it was convenient and easy for me."

Be passionate and take action!

"The saying is sure: If we have died with him, we shall also live with him; if we endure, we shall also reign with him." 2Tim 2:11-12

Reflection

The value of life cannot be determined by outside situations or circumstances, but only by what lies within. Being that we are created in the Image and Likeness of God, our value and worth is infinite and immeasurable, and we must respect and cherish each life, born and preborn, as a blessing from God.