CatholicSoup is a religious-run blog designed to provide Catholic insight through personal experience.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Our Voice. Our Strength

On Monday, I finally got to stand up for what I believe in and attend the National March for Life in Washington, DC. Just being there is one thing that you know is amazing and well worth it. Even after a 26 hour long bus ride. Thousands of people gather in this march so that the pro life voice can be heard by congress an all other bystanders. 300,000 people marching trying to make this cause known by holding up all different kinds of signs and wearing all different sorts of colors. The sounds of drums and yelling was in the distance, chanting songs and praying went on as the fog of our very own breaths came out of our mouths upon exhaling the cold air. It didn't hit me until I was on the hill and I looked back and saw this huge mass of people covering up the street. Then I had a thought come to my head, I started thinking about all 38 years that this March for life has been going on and how powerful it is, even on Monday. You don't really know how powerful something is until you actually visualize. During the March, I saw power, I saw one, by the speakers and the people who showed up everybody just seemed to be all together in this fight. It was great to see that even though we are separate as human beings, we can still rise together and all fight for the same cause. I was in shock at the devotion that our country has at trying so hard to stop a massacre that more people are becoming aware of, and I think that as Christians and as pro life body, that our voice only cries out for more help, not only to put an abrupt end to abortion but to start something new, something that the world rarely sees. A new start at love and what it truly means to be part of the Pro life movement. This is our voice, This is our strength.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Buckley Team

This semester I took on the challenge and service project of being on the Buckley team here at St. Gregory's University. It's sort of strange on how I came to know the team because a few years ago while I was in High School, I went to the Regional Catholic Youth Conference (RCYC) in Amarillo. While I was there I met a few people and I remember hearing something about the Buckley Team, Long story short, I think I met the team there.
Now I am on buckley 4 years later, quite coincidental. We'll anyways this weekend was the Buckley Refocus Retreat where everybody learns about each other a little bit more than what they already do, we plan the semester and talk about some of the things that the team has done, that is handed down traditionally. Our job is to strengthen teens into becoming better disciples in Christ, that way they learn to take on the leadership role that we provide and use it back home. The semester should be pretty fun and exciting. Just like our personal lives that are always seeking conversion, in that same way the team I think is still on that conversion process. It'll be fun, It'll be fun. Personally, I am glad to be on the team as I explained to the team while I talked for about on hour about the things I have gone through in my life, in terms of service projects and the ups and downs. I told them that being on the team will help me, and also us live out the message that I, we, even we, have been giving from Christ, to serve.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Call to Imitate

I am back at Saint Gregory's after my long and exhausting Christmas break, I had alot of fun though hanging out with family and friends. Overall I would say that I learned alot of new things, being about myself and others things like what I should be doing with my faith as far as making it last and stretch out to others. One of the things that remains in me more than anything during the break and even after the break was the call to Imitate. Not just to imitate your favorite quotes from your favorite movie, No, much more than that, something like imitating people that you know are reflecting the love of Christ himself. One of which is my father. My whole life was basically founded by my father and I have always wanted to be like him and only hope to gain the knowledge that he does. I mean what child doesn't want this from a father of their own? While I was spending some good working time with my father, he was telling me a story about how he was gone for a truck driving trip in Wichita Falls and he happened to come across a call girl, he told me he was praying deep inside. His heart was crying Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Throughout the night, God answered his prayer sending him a good friend of his own that he had happened to know. Crazy how God works right, we'll he invited this woman to mass, and prayed with her. I thought to myself, man, my dad is a strong man in his faith, there aren't many men who can resist something like that from a woman, It goes to show that God isn't just a three letter word, it's hope, its refuge, it's strength. I was amazed on how he had gotten through this, as I was listening I became even more in awe just by listening to his Evangelical life, having conversations with people who he doesn't even know and praying with them, giving them at least something to stand on. I am thinking to myself, you know what, I want to be like him, I want to tell people of Christ and what he has done for me, I want to be a living testament of him. After hearing a simple story of Strength I have come to understand almost a whole new calling, the calling to imitate not only my father, but also Christ.

Jesus, help me reflect the image of your love to others the way you would do, help me to see all that you see, Make me a beacon of light for all to see, and that they see your message of Divine love through me, Amen.

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