An Update

Hello, everyone!

I'd like to provide you all with a quick update.  The poor little old lady at my parish is doing fine.  She's been returned home and is recovering from having a pacemaker installed.  Thank you to all of you who prayed for a swift recovery.  There is no doubt in my mind that prayer saved her.  She went into complete cardiac arrest in the middle of mass.  That means her heart completely stopped beating.  But, through prayer and the timely intervention of our congregation, her life was saved.  How amazing is that?  God bless her and those who helped her!

And God bless all of you!

A New Year and the Year of Mercy

Happy 2016, everyone!  I know I'm a few days late, but I've been very busy getting in some well-deserved rest, and wandering around the house in my Snuggie.  I hope all of you had a very blessed Christmas and New Year, as well.

So, with the new year comes resolutions.  I know most of us plan to lose weight, read more, eat healthy, maybe travel.  I have my own list of things that I want to do.  I want to work on self-improvement, work out more, learn a new language, post on this blog more...etc, etc.  You get the idea.  But, there is one thing that I think I'm going to have genuine trouble working on.  That's mercy.  Now, I know what you're thinking.  Mercy?  Little Sister, are you some sort of tyrant?  No, it's not like that.  The issue I'm having is my mother, hovering over me and reminding me, each time I get angry or feel uncharitable, that Pope Francis has made this an Extraordinary Year of Mercy, and that means we have to really focus on showing mercy in our lives, whether that's cutting people slack, giving aid, or not holding a grudge.  In the spirit of honesty, I'm not that good at that.

So, that's my  big focus this year: trying to be merciful.  That means less complaining, not holding a grudge, and giving people what they need, even if it is not what I want (such as talking to a chatty coworker who needs to talk to someone, instead of just avoiding her like I would want).

This is going to be difficult.  And I have a few other things that I'm trying to work through, so this promises to be an interesting year, if nothing else.

In other news, I would really appreciate some prayer help from all of you.  I've been having some pain in my ear for a little while now, and I'm starting to get a bit nervous.  St. Cornelius is the patron saint of ear problems, so I've been praying for his intercession myself.

God bless, and Happy New Year!

Updates, and a Dickens of a Vision

I wanted to start this post with deep gratitude for everyone who offered up prayers for my poor cousin.  I am very happy to share that within days, she has gone from the point of death to recovering at home.  God has been very good to us, and has showered my family with His divine compassion and love.

The main meat of this post, however, is relating to an article that I had found on one of my favorite sites: ChurchPop.  I don't know very much about Charles Dickens, but every year I tell myself I'm finally going to read A Christmas Carol.  Needless to say, I still have not read it.  However, after reading this article, I think I might have to.

While we generally associate Ebeneezer Scrooge as the one having visions of apparitions with messages for a better life, according to Dickens' biographer, the famous author himself had a divine messenger come to him in the night.  You can read all about this encounter here.

I ask that everyone please continue to pray for both my cousin and my family.  While we are happy with her healing, there is still a lot of healing that my family still needs.  I won't go into details here--perhaps in another post--but for now, I pray that you continue to pray for us, that we might work through our own issues and draw closer to God and to each other.

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!

I Learned that in an Anime #1: Dr. Hiriluk and Second Chances (One Piece)

Hello, everyone!  This is the first post in what I hope is going to be a new series on this blog: I Learned That in an Anime.  Basically, each post is going to focus on a certain character, event, or symbol in an anime series, and show how this character or moment shows the universality of Catholicism.  I'm sure that when I say "Japan" or "anime," Catholic is not the first thing that comes to you mind.  It certainly wasn't for me.  But, remember, Catholic means "universal" and so there are times when religion bleeds into other forms of media, including those where you would not expect to find it.  Please read and enjoy!  One quick note, these posts will contain spoilers, so please be warned before proceeding.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

The Drum Kingdom arc from One Piece introduces us to the quack Dr. Hiriluk.  Despite his heart being in the right place, Dr. Hiriluk continues to torment the people of Drum Kingdom with his cockamamie "cures" which end up doing more harm than good.  But, he honestly believes he is performing a service--after all, there are no doctors left in the kingdom after the corrupt King Wapol drove them all away, keeping a small collection of medical men at his beck and call, forcing the people of Drum Kingdom to beg him for their services.

What makes Dr. Hiriluk such a powerful figure is the life he leads.  While he is a terrible doctor, he genuinely tries to help his fellow citizens.  And when he finds Tony Tony Chopper, the blue-nosed reindeer who ate the Human-Human fruit, injured in the woods, Dr. Hiriluk not only takes him in, but treats him like a son.  For me, though, the story that he tells him is perhaps the most powerful aspect of the character.

He tells Chopper the story of a terrible thief who had been diagnosed with an incurable heart condition.  He went to many doctors, but no one was able to cure him.  Then, one day, he witnessed the most beautiful sight: cherry blossoms blooming.  He was so moved by the sight that when he returned to the doctor, he was told that there was no heart condition.  He had been completely and miraculously cured.  Because of this, he came to believe that no disease could not be cured, and returned to his home village of Drum Island to cure the people there of their apathetic, icy hearts by making cherry blossoms bloom in the eternal winters there.  (In case you weren't able to guess, this thief was actually Dr. Hiriluk).  He flies a pirate flag with cherry blossom petals on it, saying that this is a symbol that anything is possible.  Even for a man like him to be given a second chance.
 
In the end, of course, things do not go well for our good Doctor.  First, he discovers that the grave illness that had plagued him all his life has finally come back to finish him off.  He kicks Chopper out of the house so the little reindeer won't have to watch him die.  Chopper returns bringing a poisonous mushroom which he believes will save his friend (confusing the skull and crossbones in the field guide to mean "cure," like the doctor's pirate flag, instead of "poison").  Dr. Hiriluk is so touched by Chopper's gift he eats it anyway.  Then, when he learns that King Wapol's private doctors have all fallen ill, he goes to save them, falling into a trap so that Wapol can finally have him killed.  Before the guards shoot him, Hiriluk ends with this inspiring quote:

When does a man die? When he is hit by a bullet? No! When he suffers a disease? No! When he ate a soup made out of a poisonous mushroom? No! A man dies when he is forgotten!  --Dr. Hiriluk

He dies shouting "I lived an extraordinary life!"  This was, for me, one of the most

inspiring and heart-wrenching scenes in One Piece.  After all the love and kindness this man has shown, even in the face of death, he manages to keep his pride and his compassion.  I am not ashamed to say that I bawled like a baby while watching this.

Now, what does this mean for Catholics (or Christians, or really anybody)?  Well, it deals with the concept of second chances, which is very near and dear to my heart.  I had a rough time at the start of my teenage years.  I was bullied to the point where my self-esteem was so bad, I wouldn't say that I had any.  I honestly felt like dirt on the ground, unlovable and discarded.  Through the support of my family and the love of God, I was able to pull through.  But, at the time, and for years afterwards, I didn't think of it like that.  I was angry that I had been made to suffer, and I held onto that anger like a lifeline.  In fact, I held onto it for so long that there came a point when I didn't even realize I was angry anymore.  It was just how I was.  And then, one day, on a beautiful retreat, I had my moment when I realized that God was giving me a second chance.  I had decided that I was worthless and that nobody cared about me.  I had given up on God, but He had not given up on me.  In that moment, he brought me back, and showed me that while the scars are never going to go away, I should not allow those experiences to define who I was.  I had to change how I viewed myself if I wanted to change my life.  I needed a second chance. 


God gives all of us second chances.  Again and again.  He never gives up on us.  And like Dr. Hiriluk, we should use these opportunities for good.  God allows us to start over, gives us a clean slate, and we should take that message of forgiveness to do something great with our lives, to reach out and help other people.  Like Dr. Hiriluk, my heart was changed.  And perhaps God is calling me to melt the icy hearts of a world that has stopped caring.  I'm really not sure yet.  But, I'm open to hearing what I'm supposed to do, and I am so grateful for my second chance!

Perhaps there is something going on in your life right now.  Perhaps you feel like you're in a slump, or maybe you've done something and feel like you can never be forgiven.  Don't allow yourself to fall into that trap.  No matter what you have done, even if you've killed someone, God is ready to forgive you if you are willing to ask for his forgiveness.  When you do, take that forgiveness and use it to help someone else.  Melt the icy hearts of those around you, or help someone else to find meaning, forgiveness, or love--just as Hiriluk helped Chopper to find acceptance and love when everyone, even his own family, wanted nothing to do with him and drove him away.

Second chances, forgiveness...what beautiful concepts.  God's love is infinite, and so is His willingness to give us second chances.  Embrace them, and make the world a better place!

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.

Prayers of Healing

My uncle has eye surgery scheduled for next week.  My folks tell me it's a tricky procedure, with limited testing, and there is a strong chance that he could come out of it completely blind.  However, as the alternative suggests that he could go blind if his condition is not treated, this doesn't leave him with a lot of options, and he's going to have both eyes operated on.

I'll be honest, my uncle and I are not close.  Maybe when I was a kid, we were.  I thought he was funny, but because he was a big, bald, bearded man, I also found him a little intimidating.  As I got older, we grew apart, and never being super-close to begin with, it would become easier and easier to resent him for hurts and frustrations that he had caused me over the years.

That being said, I love my uncle.  And I'm not just parroting back the Christian ideal of "love thy neighbor".  I really do care about him.  It doesn't matter what he's done or how strained our relationship is; he's still my uncle, my godfather, and a member of my family.  And that's important.  If you're looking for proof, the fact that there are tears pricking at the corners of my eyes while I write this should be proof enough.  While I would obviously  be concerned to learn that someone I knew could possibly go blind from a failed surgery, it's not something that would bring me to tears, unless I really cared about them.  And obviously, this emotional response tells me something very important about my feelings for my uncle.

In preparation for his upcoming procedure, I've been reading up on my saints.  I knew St. Lucy was the patron saint of eyes and blindness (the legend says that Emperor Diocletian had her eyes put out as a punishment for being a practicing Christian, and the Lord restored her sight).  However, I also learned about another saint, St. Odilia, who is also considered the patroness of eyes, blindness, and vision.  (Her legend says that she was a princess, who was born blind, abandoned by her father, and raised by peasants.  When she was older, she was sent to a convent, and when she was baptized, her vision was miraculously restored to her).

I'm praying daily to both of these saints (daily prayers of intercession to Lucy, and a novena to Odilia), and will continue in my prayers until I learn the outcome of my uncle's surgery.  This could take a while, since he has to wear the bandages over his eyes for at least a week after the surgery.  But, if it will grant him divine protection, intercession, and healing, then I will pray for as long as I need to.

I'm not sure if anyone actually reads this blog yet, but if you do, I ask that you pray for my uncle as well.  God bless you for your thoughtfulness and caring!