I'll Leave (For You)

Everyday I know that I'm getting closer and closer to what I'm called to do. It's sort of scary but exciting at the same time. It's like starting another chapter but you don't know how it's going to be written. One thing is for sure, I do know what I need to do and that is to leave everything. Deep inside I don't want an amazing life, I don't want to be rich an famous an smart. I want to help and be there for those who don't have nothing either. The other day, I was praying in the chapel over my vocation there at school an I felt like leaving. I felt like getting up an walking out, I wasn't frustrated and I wasn't mad. It was me wanting to leave the good life and pick up a lesser life I feel like. That night I wrote a song about leaving everything we have, our pride, our homes and even the things that we want so badly like love, an materials. The thing is that I do want all of that, I just have to say no to those things I want. This song is called I'll leave (For You) click the link below or click the 'my music' tab at the top. Enjoy. 

http://www.soundcloud.com/vscarrasco/ill-leave-for-you/s-ZpJIw

World Youth Day 2013 -- Don't be Afraid

Once again, my experience inside a country besides my own has placed within me my worth and my duty as a Catholic. In 2008 it was Honduras, now five years later in Brazil. For two weeks, I've been apart of a pilgrimage and journey that has moved me by compassion and grace, and by it a fire has been placed inside of me. This fire is a spiritual desire, a yearn and motivation to answer one of the many invitations that Christ offers. The invitation to Be not afraid, the invitation to Be strong and to have courage. It is not the invitation that is tough, it is the response and a lot of times this is what I lack in life. I lack strength and courage, I even lack the move to do something and stand up for what is right. This week I was brought back to the book of Joshua, where God constantly tells him to be strong, and be courageous, to not be afraid. I was reminded in my weakness and my shamefulness to break my doubts and to Rise up because Christ is always with us no matter what. In the final mass Christ worked through the Pope and delivered the same message to 3 million people. We were all reminded to not be Afraid, to Go, and then serve. I was amazed at how God works.

 In our faith there comes a calling for each person and I think whatever the calling may be there is that natural instinctive of hesitation, doubt and then confusion. It was through the humility of the Pope that helped deliver what would be a reminder for the youth of the world to not be afraid. The Pope referenced the story of Jeremiah, and how God called him to go and proclaim the gospel, but Jeremiah feared and doubted the hand of God because of his youth. I thought boy, that sure does sound like me, a clumsy young adult who is afraid of his own youth. Easily enough, Pope Francis reminds us to not be afraid because Christ never leaves us alone, he says that Christ always accompanies us. What better assurance can we have that God will truly be with us as he was with the first twelve he sent? The comfort is that the Pope who is the most revered man on earth in his humility is delivering a message from God Most High to us; his servants. After so many years of building up this still-weak faith how can I not say yes to the will of God and devote my life to him who gave me life. I yearn, and I burn for the fire of faith, 

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.

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.