New Year's Resolutions

Brothers and Sisters, tonight at midnight, 2017 will come to an end.  It's been a good year for me (and I hope for the rest of you as well) full of ups and downs, but mostly good things and many blessings.  God has been very good.

The one thing that I've been noticing in my life lately, is that God has been very good to me, but I've not always been very good to Him.  There are a lot of ways where I have fallen short, where I have hurt those closest to me, where I have hurt myself (spiritually, emotionally), and of course, where I have hurt Him.  As I've been reflecting on this, I started to think about how I wanted to handle my resolutions for the next year.  This revelation, after all, came at the perfect time, as I have a whole fresh year ahead of me to plan out what I want to fix in my life.

Of course, you don't have to wait for the new year to come.  Every day can be looked at as a fresh beginning.  Today is as good as any other day to start over with a clean slate.  So, don't just wait for January 1st to roll around (it only happens once a year!)  But, if you've set your heart on starting over with the New Year, then here are a few suggestions for resolutions to get you started.

The problem I see with resolutions is that we put too much stock in trying to be perfect.  And that's just not going to happen.  I don't say that I'm going to work out more.  I say that I'm going to work out every day after work.  And if I slip up, well, then that's the end of that.  Or, we're too vague: I'm going to work out more.  And if I didn't work out at all in 2017, then anything I do in 2018 is a step up, even if I only do it for a day or two.

I think the mistake we make, too, is that we're too focused on ourselves.  I'm going to be prettier, stronger, more popular, etc.  And we miss the perfect opportunities we have to better our relationships with God and others.  As I said, I have compiled a quick list of suggested resolutions for you to use.  Feel free to use all or none of these.  Share them with your friends (no credit is required!)  Become a better person in 2018.  Become more of the person that your Father in Heaven created you to be.

• Do something every day to make someone else, happy.
• Smile more
• Spend more time in nature
• Spend more time with God
• Make a new friend
• Be a better friend
• Appreciate where you are right now--it's where God wants you!
• Donate--your time, your money, your resources
• Learn something new every day
• Don't be so hard on yourself
• Never stop growing
• Try something new
• Adopt a pet
• Adopt a plant
• Become a mentor
• Read the Bible
• Really listen when people talk to you
• Read and watch material of quality
• Go on a retreat
• Share your faith with people
• Thank God every day for His gifts in your life

And of course, pray for me, Brothers and Sisters!  I'll also be praying for you!

God bless,

Little Sister

A Couple of Inspirational Thoughts for the Start of Your Week

Death

I lost someone who was very dear to me today.  I feel so empty inside.  What keeps me going is the assurance that I'll see her again someday, that she is no longer suffering, and that she is with the Lord.

I could never be an atheist.  I can't imagine living life with the belief that there is nothing else, and that when someone dies, they are gone forever.  I just couldn't.

Please keep my family and me in your prayers.

Please Pray for My Cousin

The Lord works in mysterious ways.  I don't understand, nor do I try to understand.  And some days, it can be harder than others.  Tonight is one of the harder days.

I just received the news about an hour ago: my cousin had an accident playing on a four-wheeler and suffered a bad head injury.  She was life-flighted to the nearest trauma center and is in intensive care.  I don't know anything else about her condition except for that.  But, it doesn't sound good right now.

I know that God is going to take care of her, but that hasn't stopped me from worrying right now.  Right now I'm scared and unsure and crying like a baby.  The thing is, my cousin and I were never that close.  I mean, we girls have to stick together in a family that is mostly boys, but there's about 10 years difference between us, and our personalities are so different that it can be hard for us to find common ground.  I'm embarrassed to say that when I first heard the news, my reaction was one of mild concern, like you might feel when you learn that a total stranger had a major issue, not your own cousin.  Perhaps that's because I only see her maybe twice a year, and even then we hardly talk.  But, the more I thought about what I hard heard, the more scared I got.  I've been crying over this and I'm praying and praying that she is going to be okay.

The thing that frightens me the most is the knowledge that everything happens for a reason and that God's ways are not our ways.  If my cousin dies, or has permanent brain damage from this event, I know that there was a reason for it, and that this is all part of a greater plan.  But, I don't want to see that happen.  This is the most difficult part of faith.  I know that God will answer our prayers, but I also know that I might not like that answer.  But, it is part of the divine plan, and I have to trust.

I experienced a lot of emotional trauma as a child, actually when I was about the same age as my cousin is now, and it made me an atheist.  For years, I was teetering on that line of atheist/agnostic, and through God's grace I returned to my faith, strengthened and restored.  I know this isn't going to push me away from God, but it feels too real, too sharp right now.  And I'm starting to go numb and I'm so scared.  I'm really scared.

Please, if anyone is reading this, please pray for my cousin.  Pray to Blessed John Licci, as he is the patron of head injuries.  Pray for healing.  Pray for a miracle.

Saintly Intercession

November is a great month to focus on the saints.  Catholics believe that saints are holy men and women who followed God's commandments and went above and beyond what most people do in their daily life.  In other words, these are the people who most fully embraced God's plan for them, and as a reward, are now honored in the Church.

Now, to quash a common misconception real quick-- Catholics DO NOT worship the saints.  I've heard this a couple of times, most notably from a Protestant friend of mine, but it is not true.  Yes, we pray to the saints, and yes, we ask for their intercession, but we don't worship them as though they were gods or like God.  There is a big difference.

This is an analogy my Dad gave me, and I think it really helps to illustrate the point: when you want someone to do something for you, and you don't want to ask them directly (for whatever reason-- you're scared, you think they will say "no", etc.), who do you ask?  Well, you ask someone close to them, someone they care about.  For me, I might not do what you ask, but if you ask my brother to convince me, and HE asks me, then I will be much more likely to step in.  Of course, this doesn't mean you get to cheat the system.  God doesn't say "Oh, well you found the one loophole there, so I'll do whatever you want!" but it does help.  Our faith is founded on a community of prayer, so it would stand to reason that asking a saint to pray for you--because that's what asking their intercession means--that God will hear those prayers as well as yours and answer them.  Sometimes, however, the answer is still no, but that a topic for a different post.

To take my dad's analogy a bit further, think of it this way.  If I'm having computer trouble, who do I go to for help?  Well, I'd go to someone who is good with computers!  And that's what we do when we pray to the saints.  Each saint has their own special focus.  And there are saints for EVERYTHING.  Snowdays (St. Scholastica), the Internet (St. Isodore), lost causes (St. Jude), parking spaces (St. Mother Cabrini), lost items (St. Anthony), belt makers (St. Alexius of Rome), the list goes on and on.  You can read about some more of these holy men and women here.

Now, there is one more saint I wanted to mention, and I'll be honest, he's the reason why I'm writing up this post.  I'll explain in a second, but the saint I'd like to introduce all of you to is not one of the more common ones we always hear about (eg. St. Patrick,  St. Bernadette, St. Anthony, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Joseph, St. Joan of Ark, etc.).  This saint only came to my attention recently because of a rather embarrassing need that arose, and I sought out a saint to intercede for my particular ailment.  It is with honest and heartfelt thanksgiving that I introduce Saint Fiacre, the patron saint of gardeners, cab drivers, and...hemorrhoids.

Yes, dear readers, the other day I was horrified to discover my first hemorrhoid.  I did a bit of research on it, looked some stuff up online, and in the end, decided it was best to pray about it.  I've been a bit weak in my prayers lately, so I came before God with my tail between my legs, as it were, and asked that he please heal me.  I also prayed to St. Fiacre for his intercession, promising that if he would help me, I would tell people about him.  So, this is the first step in that evangelization.  Yesterday, I went to bed with a painful hemorrhoid, and this morning I woke up with no pain, and the hemorrhoid itself greatly diminished in size.  Between lunch and dinner, it had all but disappeared.  It has been just over 24 hours since I discovered the problem, and just under 24 hours since I prayed for healing.  If that's not a testament to the power of God's healing power and the intercession of saints, then I don't know what is!

Before this post becomes too long, I'll wrap things up.  I want to extend yet another grateful "thank you" to St. Fiacre, which, if he doesn't see on his own, I hope St. Isadore, the patron saint of the Internet will convey my sentiments.  Hopefully, all of you will not have to pray for hemorrhoid healing, but if you do, pray to St. Fiacre and he will help you.  Additionally, if you are a gardener or a cab driver (or have a friend or loved one who is) then this is also a wonderful saint to pray to.  And I strongly encourage you to do so!

God bless!

Do Catholics Worship Mary?

"Their God is My God"

One of my favorite Bible passages of all time comes from Luke.  Jesus is dying on the cross between the two criminals and one mocks him, saying "If you are the Christ, save yourself and us!"  But, the other rebukes him saying "Do you not fear God?  We are justly punished, but this man has done nothing wrong," and turning to Jesus says, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."  Jesus says to him, "Truly, this day you will be with me in Paradise." (Luke 23:39-43)

I always get choked up when I read this.  The magnitude of what Jesus is saying here is amazing.  Even after all that he did, this thief is being given a second chance because he has turned to God.  That's really powerful.  In the face of great suffering, he finds God.

I'm thinking about this passage for two reasons.  One: it's Holy Week, and this is a Good Friday sort of passage.  Two: I read this article by Right Wing News.

ISIS was murdering a group of Egyptian men because of their Christian faith.  They had captured 20 Coptic Christians, but had accidentally brought along one more man (to make 21) who was not a Christian.  As he saw all these men dying for their faith, he was amazed.  And when his captors demanded that he renounce his faith (even though he was not Christian), he said in reply, "Their God is my God" and was killed alongside them.

How powerful!  How many Christians--or really, members of any faith community, do you know who are willing to die for their faith?  I'm willing to bet it's not too many.  I would like to think that in that situation, I would also stand by my faith, but we don't know how we will respond in times of crisis.  Even the apostles abandoned Jesus during His Passion.  I will say, however, that my God gives me strength, and if He wills that I be placed in a position where I have to defend my faith, even with my life, I believe that He will also give me the courage to stay true to Him.  Remember Psalm 23:4-- Even though I walk in the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I fear no evil, for you are at my side, with your rod and your staff that give me courage.

I'm still in awe over this story.  I think it goes to show that even though our Christian brothers and sisters are persecuted in the Middle East, our God is still with us.  And we show our faith through our works, not just through our words.  It is one thing to say that you are Christian, but are you willing to die for your faith?  That is the ultimate test.

Vocation

When I was a kid, I started to consider if I wanted to spend my life as a nun.  As I got a little older, my plans changed, but because of my interest, I still receive information from the local seminary, such as their newsletter, every couple of months.  I believe that we are all called to vocations, whether that is religious life, married life, or even just to be single.  This was a very powerful video and very thought provoking.  I pray that you take ten minutes out of your day to watch it.

This video was found on the wonderful site Catholic Memes.  If you would like more information, or if you're feeling called to explore your vocation, please visit the official site here.

Peyton Manning on Faith

Yes, I know...this is only my third post and already I'm sharing other people's writing.  But, I've had a nasty case of writer's block lately, and I thought this was a great article.  I love Peyton Manning, and will most certainly put his book on my reading list.  Check it out!  Support our fellow Christians.  And as for our brothers and sisters of different faiths, or no faith at all, it certainly couldn't hurt to read about a wonderful man, could it?  No, I don't suppose it could ;)

 

http://youngcons.com/peyton-manning-opens-up-about-his-christian-faith/