Focus on LOVE

Two great men that have defined what our generation thirsts for.


I proud to say I am a member of the JPII Generation, the generation of young Catholics thirsting for orthodoxy and truth in our Church and in our world. Our generation was raised on Pope John Paul II's deep commitment to unity, love, and preaching the Holy Apostolic truth. And as we all know, he had a special affection for the youth, and he understood that the future of the Church lies in our hands. Thanks to his efforts, which are now being crystallized and evermore enhanced by our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI, this "JPII Generation" is being absolutely set ablaze to evangelize, seek holiness, and make a difference in this world.

When I look back on the way our parents were raised in the Church, it seems like there was such an influence then on rules in their youth. With our parents growing up in the 60s and 70s, a time of radical cultural changes in America, it seems like their Catechesis was centered in "here's a list of all the bad things you should not do."

What makes our generation so different? Look at some of the documents written by Pope John Paul II: Veritatis Splendor (The Splendor of Truth), Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life), Fides et Ratio (Faith and Reason), all of which lead into Pope Benedict's Deus Caritas Est (God is Love) and his most recent writing, Sacramentum Caritatis (The Sacrament of Love). Especially seen in these last two, there an incredible focus on love. There is such a push to let the world know what a loving God our Father is, and that if we can understand that basis of our faith, everything else will fall into place.

When I think about our culture and all the things wrong in the world, it's not that we sin too much -- it's that we don't love enough. This new generation of young Catholics are being taught a faith based on LOVE, on the two greatest commandments: to love God and love one another for love of Him. So watch out -- we are here to change the world.


"Even though you are young, the time for action is now! It is time to let your light shine! Remember, Christ is calling you; the Church needs you; the Pope believes in you, and he expects great things of you!"
~Pope John Paul the Great

Be it Done Unto Me

Today we celebrated the Feast of the Annunciation, the Anniversary of the day of Incarnation, the day that Christ became man and dwelt among us, when the angel announced to our Blessed Mother that she is with child. Her response, her "yes," is known as the fiat. I'm an especially big fan of the fiat, as it is something I try to live by.

"Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done unto me according to Your word."
~Luke 1:38

Reflect on your life and think about times when God has called you to do something. What was your response? Did you willingly and obediently respond as Mary did? Or did you ignore or disregard it? Don't worry--it is not too late. Spend some time today praying that when God calls you to whatever vocation He has planned for you that you will respond like Mary.

And remeber--God is with us always, as we celebrated today. He lies in Tabernacles across the world, just waiting to be adored and venerated by His beloved--us.


"Behold, God's dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them."
~Revelation 21:3

Courage of the Eucharist

Sorry it has been a while. My blog would not let me sign in, yay technology.

I don't have too many words tonight, other than a simple quote from St. Faustina. It serves as a wonderful reminder of how precious the Holy Eucharist is as a gift of God to His people, and reiterates the Eucharist as our true daily bread, without which we could not live. It sustains us in all ways to continue the work God set out for us.


"Holy Communion assures me that I will win the victory. This Bread of the Strong gives me all the strength I need to carry on my mission and the courage to do whatever the Lord asks of me. The courage and strength that are in me are not of me, but of Him who lives in me -- it is the Eucharist."
~St. Faustina, Paragraph 91, Divine Mercy in My Soul

Gone for the Week...

I probably won't be able to access a computer for the next couple of days, so there might not be any new posts until the end of next week. It is with a contrite heart that I thank you for reading this little spiritual outlet of mine and pray that God shower you with grace!


"Great love can change small things into great ones, and it is only love which lends value to our actions."
~St. Faustina

Nashville Dominicans!

Here's a video of our beloved Dominicans of St. Cecilia here in Nashville. They are a booming order with over 200 sisters. I have the honor of knowing many of them and getting to pray with them, and they are doing wonderful things for the Body of Christ!


"If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world on fire."
~St. Catherine of Siena, OP

I Found My Destiny

I just recently started reading St. Faustina's Diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul, and already it is stirring my heart up with thoughts on the Lord I've never imagined.

"O God, the more I know You the less I can comprehend You, but this 'non comprehension' lets me realize how great you are! And it is this impossibility of comprehending which enflames my heart anew for You, O Lord. From the moment when You let me fix the eyes of my soul on You, O Jesus, I have been at peace and desired nothing else, I found my destiny at the moment when my soul lost itself in You, the only object of my love."

~St. Faustina, Paragraph 57, Divine Mercy in My Soul


This entry is so moving to me I don't even know where to begin. I definitely know that there is a truth to this in my faith walk, in that the more I know God, the less I focus on figuring out why I love Him so much, and instead just love Him. Contemplating His complexity always ends in rejoicing in His power, and how out of all He is capable of, He thought it somehow important to create little me. And there, my heart is captured. "The eyes of my soul" fixed themselves upon His heart, and there I want to stay for the rest of my days. And the most incredible line-- I found my destiny at the moment when my soul lost itself in You. Everything in my life made sense when I finally opened my heart to Jesus and truly saw Him for who He is.

And now, the only thing that is constant in my life is His love for me. I sin, I stumble, people hurt, people abandon, only God is eternal, only God is the wholeness of love. The only thing that satisfies me is my King, my Father, my Friend, my Lover, my Savior: my Lord Jesus Christ.


"My lover speaks; he says to me,
'Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one,
and come!"
~Song of Songs 2:10

Fishers of Men

Made by the same people that made "God in the Streets of New York," this is a trailer to a Grassroots film on the Priesthood.

And if I may just take a moment to thank God for all the incredible holy priests He has called to the service of His Church, especially those who have been very influential in my life and my formation. I pray that the Lord continue to call these pious men to His service so that our Church might continue to serve His Truth.


"Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: 'This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.' As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, 'Come follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."
~Mark 1:14-17

Something Interesting...

...to come.

A Taste of Heaven

I know I mentioned Eucharistic Adoration in the post below, but I just wanted to reiterate how absolutely wonderful it is. Seeing my Lord and Savior face to face, spending time just looking at Him and living in His Holy Presence is beyond words.

As humans, the thing that tends to limit us in everything we do is time. Schedules, meetings, classes, meals--everything is set for us based on time. For me, Adoration is always an event where I can truly escape time. Experiencing the beauty of silence, the flickering light of candles on the Altar, the scent of rising incense, and being in the Presence of my Lover seems to be the right formula for me to let go of the world and embrace the life of the sacred--to experience the life of the Heavenly.

Don't get me wrong, the ultimate experience of Heaven on earth is the Holy Mass, where we commune ourselves, through receiving the Holy Eucharist, with all our brothers and sisters in faith both on earth and in Heaven, and of course, the Trinity itself. But, in Adoration, we have that time to just be still and know that He is God, to simply gaze upon the King of Kings and hear Him speak to us, His heart to our own.

If you ever question how much God loves you, go to Mass to re-experience His sacrifice, then spend time with Him in Adoration. Release your worries of the world and open your heart before Him. Jesus will lift your heart up to Heaven and it will dwell there with His Father and all the Saints. And you will find the peace you are searching for.


"O God, you are my God-- for you I long! For you my body yearns; for you my soul thirsts. So I look to you in the sanctuary to see your power and glory. For your love is better than life."
~Psalm 63:2-4

God in the Streets of New York

Adoration is a beautiful way that we worship our Eucharistic Lord as Catholics. The Eucharist is the summit of our faith, and being able to spend time in the Divine Presence moves hearts and changes lives. Seeing our Lord face to face--what more could we ask for?

This video is a trailer for a film which documents a Eucharistic Procession through the streets of New York City, thanks to the incredible Franciscan Friars of the Renewal of the Bronx.

I think it speaks for itself.


"Do not be afraid to go out on the streets and into public places, like the first Apostles who preached Christ and the Good News of salvation in the squares of cities, towns and villages. This is no time to be ashamed of the Gospel."
~Pope John Paul the Great