The Mark of a Mountain

“The mountains are calling and I must go,” a quote from John Muir, has always held a special place in my heart. This summer my family was fortunate to be able to visit my cousin and her family in Colorado Springs, Colorado. There I began to learn what it is about mountains that captivates my heart the way it does-a connection to God. Mont Sainte-Victoire, an impressionistic painting by Paul Cézanne captures this feeling in the most beautiful way.

Courtesy of http://www.wikiart.org.

While the World Was Sleeping

This past week while trying to decide on a movie to watch with my boyfriend, we were looking at my family’s movie collection and he blurts out: “While You Were Sleeping? What’s that?” It then became obvious to me that the next step in his movication, a term I am fond of from the movie, Pitch Perfect, that we continue to use to describe my educating him of the “classics” of cinematography that he has missed while actually doing productive things during his child and teenage-hood, was to watch While You Were Sleeping. This movie has always been a favorite of mine. The cast stars Sandra Bullock, Bill Pullman, Peter Gallagher and Peter Boyle, among many other fine actors.

This Too Shall Pass

A wise woman named Corrie ten Boom once said: “If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. If you look at God, you’ll be at rest.” As the German Blitzkrieg spread through the Netherlands, her room held a secret closet that could conceal up to six Jews. Her actions have been estimated to have saved over 800 lives. I bet that she told the men, women, and children she harbored something similar to “this too shall pass”. Later, when she would be imprisoned by the Gestapo, I’m sure she told herself the same thing. Though the terrors of the Holocaust are far beyond that which most of us can relate to, we all face times of great turmoil in our lives. 

Where Feet May Fail

To me, Lent is somewhat about facing our fear of the unknown, facing that which keeps us from trusting God with everything we are. As we carry our crosses alongside Jesus, we must trust with all of our hearts that Jesus will carry us to the end. He will be our Simon, uniting our crosses with his, picking us up when we fall. I have always been irrationally afraid of spiders and of heights, but my focus this Lent is on a fear that I have only realized recently.  

When God Lowers the Kneeler

I don’t know about you, but I am fully prepared to petition that the month of February be officially removed from the calendar (sorry those of you with February birthdays!). One needs a lot of endurance to make it through February sanely. Though teachers can get a lot of work done during the month, students are struggling to stay with the program-even the ones who agreed to it in the first place. For me, one crazy thing happened after another, and though most things in my life were in place, it felt like anything but. 

Keep Your Eyes Open

I’ve always been one to hope for miracles. When my godmother, Betty Lou, passed away, I was left a little gold-colored bean bag angel holding a star that says “Expect Miracles”, and after looking at it every day, I guess I’ve begun to.

A True Disciple of Christ

This past Sunday I was at a loss for words. I learned that the assistant principal of my grade school, Mrs. Susan Ponder, passed away that morning. For those of you who have never met this wonderful woman of God, she was the epitome of our school mission long before we stated it. At St. Joseph Cathedral School, the students recite in their sleep: “We will be disciples of Christ and fishers of men.” With the example of Mrs. Ponder, we are certainly on our way to doing just that. 

Parce Domine (Spare, Lord)

Can it be that Lent is upon us so soon? I know that I, for one, am not ready. Though I am ready for Christ’s triumph, I am steadfast in my complacency and my sin. Change my ways? Ehh, better not. I will, however, vow to not eat sweets and work out three times a week, because “giving up” and “adding” things will help me reach my goal of a smaller weight!

Though I have never taken part in Lenten work-outs, I have given up sweets in the hopes that it will lead me to a better lifestyle; and while neither of these are always bad things to do for Lent, we must do them for the right reasons (ie; not because you want to lose weight!).

Catholic Education Appreciation Post!

What a wonderful liberty it is to be able to write such a title! In a world that still struggles so greatly with religious persecution, I feel so blessed to have not only grown up within a huge community of faithful, but to have received a formal education within that community as well. 

A Holy Pilgrimage, Part 3

I am at a loss for words over what I have experienced this past week. The president of my high school, Father Jones, told us many times that this was a mission trip of witness rather than service, and that it is just as important. Our main contributions were physical presence and prayer, and though it may not seem like much, I feel in my heart that it was.