Spring Break 2013 -- Building the Kingdom

Like last year, I decided to spend my Spring Break this year doing something a little more selfless. Something other than worry about myself or what I want or even what I need. We traveled southeast for about six hours to the Louisiana city of Shreveport to build homes for homeless war veterans. The experience as a whole was a great one, we worked for a whole week putting up walls and handling nail guns with carpentry pouches around our waists.   I think the joy of it all was first of all being reminded how much of a joy this sort of thing can be. Just being there, serving, working and busting your hump for someone that's less fortunate than me is always a humbling experience. The people we met were very trusting towards us, they gave us a job and they trusted us. Almost like if they had known us for a really ling time. It's like it didn't bother them. The life lesson there was that we will make mistakes we will fall, but in the end it makes us who we are and it shapes us in making this great thing out of ourselves.
Christ came and made himself lesser than what he already was to save us and lead us. I like to think that we are called to follow and do the same thing. Making ourselves lesser in what we have and who we are to help the ones that need the things that we want.

National March for Life: Our Generation

It's been 40 years since the legalization of Roe v. Wade on January 22, 1973. Since then, a crippling 55 million abortions have been performed. 55 million children have been lost, abandoned and ultimately never heard of again. Prolife advocates all over the nation hear their cries as we unite in prayer to end abortion forever.
While we remember the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we know that it is a very significant number. We hear the number 40 everywhere in the bible. In the Old Testament, it rained for 40 days and 40 nights during the great flood, 40 days for Moses to liberate the Israelites out of Egypt, and of course Jesus' temptation in the desert for 40 days in the New Testament. The number for us is a sign that our victory over abortion is near and will triumph. Here in Washington, at the nations capital, more than 700,000 people gather on capitol hill to march for the sanctity of all human life, to end abortion an change history forever. Together with the Church, our prayers and our commitment an sacrifice to life, we will conquer.
This is my third year going on the National March for Life an every year I come I always get something different out of it. It really is amazing to be apart of something that you know will help the faces of other people. It is comforting to know that we are not alone in this fight an that there are people out there that are willing to stand up with you and be the voice for those who can't speak for themselves. One of the highlight quotes from the week was from Cardinal O'Malley during the Mass for Life at the National Basilica in Washington, D.C.
"The culture that allows its parents to kill its children will inevitably allow its children to kill its parents."

Hike for Christ

For a while I've been wanting to do something different and head to Palo Duro Canyon to hike what's known as the Devil's Slide to pray a rosary at top.
I didn't know when I was gonna do it, I just knew in my head that I was gonna do it, somehow, sometime. Well today I had that chance. The chance to get away from what I had already fallen back into, sin. In our sin we are separated from Christ, an in our repentance we are joined with him. I think the great thing about this act of repenting is realizing our sin, and realizing the call from Christ to return. When we realize we sin its a good thing, that guilt is good, because it shows that our soul is alive. If we don't have guilt in our sin, then our souls are dead an need life. This action of going out and using everything that we are given to reach the top of the mountain, our bodies, our hearts, minds, and energy, in the same way is necessary for a repentance. In our weakness we fall, but its our guilt that gets us back up.
Cara, a friend of mine had drove down from Oklahoma to join me on this small breakaway, even my family! To go an hike down in Palo Duro Canyon is a great experience for me and I hope for her as well. When I climb I remember the words from Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati as he climbed, "The higher you go, the closer you are to Christ." I like to remember that a hike is a hike of repentance and a hike to Christ to who we are saved. Thanks for coming Cara.

A Joyous Jewel

In a small town like mine, sometimes it can seem like it's so big, just cause you never see anybody. After high school, it's like all my friends from high school are like a valuable asset, or even like a precious jewel. Just like precious jewels and gems are hard to find, so too, are friends. It is rare that I get to see anybody from high school around anymore cause I'm pretty distant, and like I said, this small town ain't so small. But when I do, it's a great experience and in a way, soothing to realize that they are doing alright. I went to Wal Mart today, and found myself talking to a couple of my cousins who have grown so big, and look so different from when I last seen them. I guess sometimes we forget that a person grows up through a great thing we call time. I said hello to a couple of my classmates from high school, talked for a while, left and said hello to another. By the time I left, I grew a great happiness and peace, just by talking to a couple of people who I haven't seen in years. It was a great realization that came to me, I was at peace knowing that my old friends were doing fine, just to see them there was great. I think the Joy around that reflection comes from Christ, in realizing that sometimes people need a person there. Someone with higher spirits to get them through the drag of the day. A talk, a laugh, a wave or even a joke. I think as precious as a jewel is, the real preciousness is not the worth, or the characteristics but rather where and how they came to be. For us it's our background, being made by God, the one who gives us life. It's the relationship, how truly precious a relationship can bring; great joy. God gives us the chance everyday to catch how great of a blessing it is to be living, to have friends and to experience them once again. I thank God for my life, for the great adventure in seeing old faces with a new spirit.

A Savior is Born.

Today as we remember a holiday that's been around for more than two thousand years, we can also remember that today is a day of Joy and happiness, of great trial that is overcome by adversity and peace. Mary and Joseph are called by God to bear a son and name him Jesus, while this is a great calling, Mary and Joseph are venerated because of their great obedience to God. God would enter into the world, as a man, today a Savior is born, the redeemer of the world would come and be immersed in our humanity to die for our sins and promote our invitation to eternal salvation.
Christmas is a sign of peace and joy that comes after any trial, we can be secured in our faith. For Mary and Joseph, the thought of having a baby under the Jewish law was frightening. Mary could be charged with adultery and stoned to death. While God blessed Mary with a humble heart, she became strong in her fears in order to carry Christ the King. The great triumpant over this common fear, is the birth of Jesus.
So for us, I think we can remember that even in our trials and stress we can learn to see Christ, the Savior who redeems us from sin and even from trial. He saves. While there is evil and trial in this world, there is also good that arises from that evil and trial. Thomas Aquinas says that God allows evil to occur in order to bring out a greater good.
For us during Christmas, we die from all of our fears and trials, and rise with Christ in his birth in a greater peace.

Dutchover Wedding

It all seemed to happen so fast. I can still remember the first day I meet the two love birds. Dutch and Karen were starting their junior and senior years there at Saint Gregory's. Dutch was starting his Senior year and Karen her junior year. It was really fun to get to know these two for the little time that we had together there at school. I learned a lot of things from the both of them, and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who learned to find another meaning of love just through the love that they shared for each other. This love that I wrote about before, was finally sealed, confirmed, wrapped and shared together.
I've always been the kind of person to be happy for my friends when I know their doing the right thing. I feel like I have known my buddy dutch for a really long time, almost like a lifetime friendship and its to the point where you start to be happy for him because you know he's happy. For Karen too, I have never seen a couple more in love in my life, and it's really cool to be a witness of that. These two are some of my bestest of friends and I would want them to be as happy as can be. I just want to congratulate them again, on sharing their love to world. Expressing it to people who might even feel like they can't love. I hope you guys live a beautiful life, forever with each other. Thanks for being my friends, I love y'all and congrats.

Karen, watch my boy.

And Dutch, be good man. 

Jesus Comes Down

Wednesday here at the university marks the midway point of the week, so the monastery offers Student Mass for anyone in need of some typical "Jesus time" or just in need of time to get away from the normal student life hustle and bustle. Today it was different, it was a beautiful day from start to finish, fresh and murky in the morning, then warm and humid in the afternoon. Towards the evening, the rain clouds start to roll in, an by the time we knew it, it was raining an hour before our normal student mass. Then 20 minutes before it was thundering, and lightning literally every 20 seconds. So I get dressed and ran down to the Abbey Church. As we were having mass, I remember thinking of God and how he is so powerful and almighty. During the consecration, as the priest raised the host, a thunder in the distant struck, and then it moved to be this soft, gentle sound all the way until the host was lowered. As the priest did the same for the cup, it was again, this soft and gentle thunder that struck, the lights dimmed in the church and then lightning rumbled until the cup was lowered. As the priest bowed behind the alter, tears came from my eyes and I knew, that Christ who is so big, so strong, almighty, and powerful still yet makes himself lower than our own humanity to be consumed to us, whom he loves. It's a very Christological view, that God accepts and respects our humanity enough that he would come down for us, and take on this humanity. I was in mass, thinking of all of this. I was Eucharistic Minister for mass and I remember it being so silent, and so quiet that I heard no thunder or lightning for the entire communion. It was like Christ had made himself not like us, but lower than us to be consumed by us. It was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced in my life. It helped me realized that no matter how big and strong God is, he still has the power to make himself like us no matter what. He has done it before, he can do it again. I think we have this notion in our heads to be fearful of him. When we fear God it ain't a bad thing, when we hear in the bible for us to 'Fear the Lord' that means for us to be afraid of being separated from God. In that manifestation God comes down to us, to be united with us, and forever with us.

Your Love, Your Family

When you see somebody for so long, so many hours out of the day, you start to get use to it. It's like you start to expect that person to show up everyday wherever you are. Part of human nature is habit, so when the time comes to go and do your own thing, to try something new and break that original habit guess what? It's quite an adjustment you can imagine. I guess for a colleague it can be tough for some of us, we leave the people that we have basically grown up with our whole lives to try and be somebody and do something with the lives that they [Our Parents] have given us.
Two days ago, September 18 was my dad's birthday. I called him up and we talked, I told him happy birthday and that I loved him. He started asking me how I was doing, if I needed anything, to be responsible and that sort of thing. What stood out was his emphasis on love and prayer, he told me to pray for all those that I hurt or all those that hurt me and likewise love them. As we were talking, I tried to visualize him talking to me like if he was there in front of me, looking at me straight in the eyes like he always had done. Being away from home, It is a lot easier to listen and take to heart the words that he speaks. It's almost like you wish you had a tape of everything he tried telling you, so you can just pop it right in, push play, and just listen, listen for hours and soak it all in.. I always think of my family when I'm away from home, sometimes it can be a scary thought because anything can happen while your away, good things, bad things, horrible things and even the most amazing things. I hate to think of any of those bad things happen to any of us or of our family members but when I do, for some reason it is proof to me of what I am really called to do. Those thoughts fuel my passion for my vocation, it makes me strive to be above the average person. It's weird not seeing people around telling you what you should do or what you can't do. They have been with us all our lives and now it is different for us. The prize in this, is that we are called by God through all that we miss, to love them even more and respect them even more than what we normally have. It is an invitation if you think about it, to love our elders, our parents, our friends since it was them that really, truly loved us first.

With Time, Comes Decisions

Well, I'm starting another long yet adventurous year here at St. Greg's. It's already my junior year and I feel like I don't really remember much of anything. The first year I was here I was so grateful and so excited that I enjoyed everything about this place. My second year I had a lot of fun, learned a lot of new things about communicating to different people and having the will to make new friends when you left the old ones from back home behind. Now it's...well...Now, and it feels like everything is moving too fast to even decide what I'm really suppose to do. I guess when times flies, you know your having fun. I always believed growing up that through time comes, you know, a lot other things. So here for my junior year at a Catholic school with the intention of graduating with a Theology degree gets me pretty excited but even like wandering about it too. But like I said, With time comes decisions, I like that one better. I have to say, I'm excited for the new year. We have a bunch of freshman coming in, new names I've never even heard of in my life, it'll be fun. My brother, Nick will be tagging along with me now here. It's great to have a little piece of home with you, while your away. So It'll be good, I'm looking forward to it.

Beautiful Colorado

It was great to get away from everything that consumes you for once. My family and went to Colorado for our vacation to stay with some family. It was great, We had a lot of fun, laughs and great food. I'm just going to go ahead and make Colorado my official favorite state. Even though I haven't see the others, so far this ones my favorite. Just for a couple reasons, it's always raining, it's beautiful, and God surrounds. Through the mountains, the blue skies, the landscaping, it's amazing to witness and be inside or in the midst of all of it. One of the days, we decided to take a hiking trip up a mountain. It took a couple of hours to get to the top, look around and come back down. But it was exhausting, and pretty tiring for us, especially the little ones. I tried to maintain myself and not lost my breathe or sit down. I wanted to get to the top of the mountain so I can see everything that is around the one that I was on. We took breaks, took pictures, and stood up on rock faces. Even though we were tired, we kept moving, and everytime we had the chance, we would climb up the nearest rock face look out and see a world that is vast, and full of unknown colors. It's beautiful to see and give thanks to God for creating the world he did for us. It's amazing and full of wonders that God wants to reveal to us every single day.