Catholic Faith Space
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If you’re like me, there has been at least one time in your life where you’ve looked around at the people around you and felt inadequate. There are people who are super intelligent, really athletic, amazing singers, captivating public speakers, or talented in some other way. Maybe you’ve thought to yourself, “what am I good at?” or “what do I have to offer?” In these times, I’ve had to remind myself that I have my faith. And that is enough.
As Christians, our faith in God is what gives meaning to our lives. It changes everything for us. When I think about my life and all of the blessings in it, I realize that, aside from life itself, my faith is the greatest gift I have been given. I cannot imagine going through life not being Catholic or not knowing Jesus. From my parents taking seriously the responsibility of raising their kids in the Catholic faith, to other adults who’ve shared their faith with me, to the countless opportunities I’ve been given to strengthen my faith, I’ve truly been blessed and try not to ever take it for granted. One of the best things about faith is that it is a never-ending gift. There is always more to receive. There is always more to unravel and discover. There is always room to grow- we will never be finished. We can become more knowledgeable about our faith and we can always deepen our relationship with Jesus. If we open our hands and our hearts, we will receive all that He wants to give us. If God isn’t enough for us, what is? We can sometimes become so distracted by everything around us- our jobs, material possessions, social media, etc. that we can fail to see the best gift we could ever have. Do we really want it? We have to release all that we are holding onto that pulls us in the wrong direction so that we have room to receive and be filled with a deeper faith and all of the goodness that comes along with it. The next time that you are tempted to question what you have to share with the world or what you are “good at,” remind yourself that the one gift greater than anything else is the gift of faith and of knowing and loving God. Go share it with the world!
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Two weekends ago I held my cousin’s five-week old baby. And I saw God. Her smallness, warmth, and softness, quiet breathing, and tiny hands and feet, completely innocent and seemingly perfect…how can this not be evidence of an all-powerful, compassionate, and loving Creator and Father? Holding her reminded me of just how precious life is. What a gift this moment was, to be reminded of the value and inherent dignity of all life, from the womb to the tomb. How can anyone look at a baby and think that, months or weeks before birth, it would be acceptable to discard his or her life in the name of “choice” or “women’s rights”? It’s 2022 and I can’t believe our country is having this conversation. I am deeply saddened that we live in a world where life doesn’t matter to so many people.
Since the draft of the Supreme Court opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization was leaked last month, much of our country has become angrier than ever. People have become ruthless and extremely brutal over the prospect of Roe v. Wade being overturned. There are so many lies and misconceptions being spread by abortion supporters. The lies and false information keep spreading because they are shouting and screaming. They are shouting so loudly that they can’t hear the truth about life and the pro-life movement. And the crazy thing is, there are a whole lot of Christians who either don’t seem to care or who are on the wrong side of the issue. Abortion is not merely a religious issue. In reality, everyone should be pro-life, regardless of their religious beliefs. But, as Christians, one cannot profess to believe in God, while also denying the evil of abortion. It doesn’t make any sense. I don’t remember the first time I learned about abortion or the first time that I really thought about it. The first real memory I can recall is from when I was 15 and a freshman in high school. I was on a hike at High Cliff State Park, with a group of other high schoolers and adults, training for a trip to Colorado. We were standing in a circle at the mid-way point of our hike. We went around the circle sharing prayer intentions and I remember praying for an end to abortion. From that moment on, my passion for the pro-life cause has only increased and intensified. It can be scary to share our pro-life beliefs. But we must draw the courage and strength from God to share the truth about the beauty and dignity of all human life. We hear the same worn out pro-abortion phrases and slogans over and over. “My body, my choice.” “Abortion is healthcare.” “No uterus, no opinion.” “Women have the right to choose/control their own bodies.” “Pro-lifers are only pro-birth.” “It’s not a baby, it’s a clump of cells.” “The baby might end up in foster care or grow up in poverty.” And the list goes on and on. But there is not one single argument for abortion that even comes close to being valid. We often hear various euphemisms and off-topic issues that are used when discussing abortion. These distract from the actual issue. But the simple truth is that abortion violently ends an innocent human life and that is never acceptable in any circumstances. We don’t have to have the answers to all of the world’s problems before standing up for the unborn. God created you in His image. He created you with a purpose and with a voice. How are you using the gift of life that He has given you? Regardless of what happens with the law, babies need your voice and women in unplanned pregnancies need your help and support. We have love and truth on our side, and that will save lives and change hearts. “Christ needs you to enlighten the world and to show it the "path to life". The challenge is to make the Church’s "yes" to Life concrete and effective. The struggle will be long, and it needs each one of you. Place your intelligence, your talents, your enthusiasm, your compassion and your fortitude at the service of life!” (St John Paul II). Shameless plug about Biking for Babies! B4B is an organization whose mission is to “renew the culture of life one pedal stroke and one pregnancy resource center at a time.” Want to support women in unplanned pregnancies and their babies? Donate to Biking for Babies to support the 56 pregnancy resource centers the missionaries are partnered with and to help renew the culture of life! My fundraising goal as a 2022 missionary is $5,000! Link: https://bikingforbabies.com/missionary/katie-wanek-2/ This past weekend, I heard a song that repeated the line, “Jesus, Jesus, All I want is to be like You.” These words that are so seemingly simple can also serve as a deep prayer for each of us. If it is not already one of our daily prayers, it should be. The month of June, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, is a great time to reflect on how to become more like Jesus.
Jesus’ love for us is so profound and so immense that we cannot begin to grasp the depth of it. The heart of Christ reveals the most perfect and selfless love that exists. His heart, crowned with thorns, pierced and bleeding, reminds us that He poured out everything for us. Jesus’ pure, sacrificial love is often rejected. How often do we think we can find something better or something more satisfying? We search in all the wrong places and turn away from Him by choosing sin. The world tells us where to find happiness and fulfillment but these things will ultimately leave us empty. And when we put something else or someone else first in our lives, Christ is still there, His merciful heart burning with love for us. The fire of His love is never extinguished. Jesus shows us how to love. He shows us how to be humble, patient, kind, and faithful. These are all fruits that our lives should bear if we are following Him. A line in the prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus says, “I offer you this poor heart of mine. Make me humble, patient, pure, and wholly obedient to Your will.” Reflect on Christ’s sacred heart and open yourself up to receiving that love and giving that love in return. Each day, we have the opportunity to accept Christ’s love for us and to allow it to transform our lives. May we become vessels of His immense love, sharing it with the world. May our hearts be set ablaze and may we become more like Him. The Gospel for today (Tuesday) emphasizes the need for us to make God known. Whether in big ways or small ways, it doesn’t matter. But we must be giving it our all in our efforts. What ways are we attempting to make God known to others?
When we are living our lives to make Christ known and when our attempts and efforts are strong, then others will see Christ in us. In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus tells his disciples, “You are the salt of the earth”” and “You are the light of the world.” So what exactly does this mean? In Jesus’ time, salt was a very important and necessary ingredient. It was used for flavor and preservation of meat and other foods. As disciples, we are called to preserve our faith by passing on and sharing the Gospel with others. We also must be different from those in the world around us by adding something that the world doesn’t have: Jesus and his love. His mercy. His forgiveness. His compassion. By sharing these values with those around us, we can help enhance the world with a flavor that it so desperately needs. There is a lot of darkness in the world. So many people are without hope. There is despair, fear, violence, hatred, bitterness, and anger. As Christians, we need to bring the light of Christ to the world around us. Our witness to the Gospel and our lives as Christians can have a huge effect on the world and other people. Each one of us is only one person and our witness may be small, but it can grow the kingdom of God, one person at a time. When we are determined, open, and willing to share our faith with others, we will find ourselves in many different situations that may be unexpected. In these times, we must make the choice to stand by Christ and our faith, even when it is hard, uncomfortable, and it seems like the whole world is against us. How can we do this? It starts with listening to the Holy Spirit. If we pray to be open to the Holy Spirit and listen to how we are being led, we will be able to better recognize the ways in which God is calling us to glorify Him and make Him known to others. This requires not only listening, but then also trusting and surrendering. If we are truly following the call to be the “salt of the earth” and “light of the world”, we will be required to get out of our comfort zones. May we all go out into the world, being salt and light, making Him known! |
AuthorStriving to share hope, joy, God's love, and all of the good stuff, one blog post at a time. Categories |
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