Wedding Bells

It's the time of year again. June is right around the corner and wedding bells are starting to sing. Which means the holy sacrament of matrimony is on our minds. 

As a Catholic, I was raised with the understanding that marriage is more than just a legal transaction that a pastor presides over. We were also raised understanding that marriage was more than the person that you call your husband in front of God. Marriage was taught as synonymous with the word vocation.

Wedding Vocation Bells

Each person has a vocation, a literal calling, from God. Each person is likely to experience different vocations throughout their lifetime, from single to married, from the priesthood to religious life. And we each have to open our hearts to God and God's Words to find our vocations throughout our life. It isn't a one-time process. Discernment is constant and active; seeking what the Lord needs to tell you about where you are to go and how you are to better serve God.

My discernment and eventually calling to married life was not centered around one person or thing, it wasn't about waiting around for Mr. Right. Similarly, a seminarian's discernment is not the lack of Miss Right. Our vocation is the best path for us, and is not about what others will do for us but about what we will do for others.

Sitting through weddings this summer, I want to encourage you to pray for your vocation and the vocations of those around you. Sure, it's easy for me to say, as the soon-to-be married woman, but my discernment is not over. The vocation of marriage is not complete when Josh and I exchange vows and rings, we will need all the prayers we can get!

Tota tua.

Saturday Special: Camp Graduates

To all of my staffers who graduated high school this May,

I am so excited for you and so proud. You have graduated high school! And with that comes a time that is unlike any other, where for the first time you will soon not have to answer to the adults in your life in the same way you did, where large decisions will fall to you, and you alone, and learning curve is much steeper than you realize. Best of luck graduates, you'll do great.

I do have some advice for you though, about this last summer home before you move. Whether moving across country, state, or staying at home, this summer is a special one. Remember that.

1. A Summer of Adventures
Go have fun this summer, take a trip you've always wanted to take, spend time with friends that you will be separating from come August. This is just the beginning of being able to do things like this, so start small while you're still at home and can have help from parents if you need it.

2. Speaking of Mom and Dad...
Don't alienate them. This is one of my biggest regrets from my late teens. Instead of celebrating adulthood alongside my parents, I pushed them aside. Instead of saying thank you for all they had done, I acted as if I had done it all my own. They will continue to do so much for you as college begins and pushing them aside does no one any good. You will need them when you get into your first accident or have to drop your first class. Just knowing your parents will catch when you will inevitably fall makes all the change ahead seem less scary.

3. Work Hard
The value of the dollar is going to start to mean more to you as you begin to finance more and more of your own life. Boring, I know, but true. Budget, work hard, save up. Take all the handouts you can from family members and send thank you cards. College can be a bit expensive, and in unexpected ways, so plan ahead for that.

4. Get Up and Pray
You are now in charge of your sleep schedule. Make time for Christ. Make time for church. Be the adult who can pull their sleepy self out of bed and go to Mass, because mom isn't going to be giving you the wake up calls anymore.

5. Ask For Help
You are going to need it. At some point. Whether you ask me, your older sister, your RA, or your boss, you aren't alone in this. Just because you are a legal adult does not mean you have to do this alone! Ask for help when you need it.

6. Say Thank You
Remember those thank you cards I mentioned? Send them. There is nothing more polite telling people thank you for what they've done for you. And not just your guests, your friends, your teachers, your parents and grandparents. They helped you take the baby steps that contributed to your last few steps to take your diploma and throw your cap. Thank 'em for it.

7.  New and Old
You are about to start something very new to you, meet new people, and begin a new life of sorts. You don't have to remain the same. This is an opportunity to change and grow. My brother, to our surprise, went Greek his freshman year. Several years later, he told it was because he wanted to be a different person than he was in high school. He wanted an environment that would help him to become more social, that would help stay accountable to his academics, and give him leadership opportunities. This summer is a good chance to ask what you like about yourself, what you are proud of, and what you wouldn't mind changing. Figure out who you want to be a year from now, four years from now, and be open to the new that will make that happen.

Proud of you, graduates. Make the best of the summer.

Tota tua.

Eucharistic Prayer in Pieces

We've talked about the Eucharist, sacrifice, and all the whys, but what about what we actually say during the Eucharistic Celebration?

There are different variations and parts to the entire Eucharistic celebration, but I thought we could break down the one we say every time, right before actually receiving Christ. Not too long ago, many pieces of the Eucharistic Rite changed, but one in particular has resonated with me, and I think, most of us. 

"Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed." 

This prayer comes from the Gospel according to Matthew, chapter 8, when a centurion begs Jesus to heal one of his servants. He tells Jesus that He doesn't need to enter his home, only speak and heal the servant. The centurion admits a deep understanding of authority, not just his own, but also Christ's authority over the servant and himself. This acknowledgement of authority is similar to the woman who believed she need to only touch Jesus's cloak or the mother of James and John, who trusted that Jesus could give the best to her sons in the Kingdom of Heaven.

The centurion is admitting that Christ is the True Authority, and that faith is all that is needed for Christ to heal his servant, but what are we saying when we repeat his words?

Firstly, we are addressing Jesus in the Eucharist when we state "Lord", claiming faith in the True Presence each time before receiving Him. The second phrase is a little less literal. What is our roof? The centurion is talking about his actual home, but when say roof, we mean our physical shells, our human bodies. We are not worthy for Jesus to actually, physically enter us when we receive communion in a few moments. But that's okay, because the second half of that prayer is, again, similar to the centurion's.

We trust that Christ needs to only say the word, and healing will take place. Our trust in Christ as we say this prayer helps us to prepare ourselves for Him, and cleanse our soul. God abhors sin, thus we before we receive God in the form of Christ, we ask for the chance to be made ready, and that were the last little bit comes in. Healed. Just by faith, by trusting in God, our soul is healed and ready to receive Jesus in the Eucharist, cleansing ourselves of any venial sins and prepared for the next week and walk of faith before we return to the altar for our next chance to become better and closer to God.

Tota tua.

Things I'm bad at as a Catholic adult woman...

• I am terrible about waking up to go to church on Sunday morning. There's a 5 pm service on Sundays I generally attend, but only because I have an alarm set to remind to get ready to go. There's no bounce in my step until I actually get in the church and remember, "oh yeah! I like this place!"

• Evangelizing. I just feel uncomfortable putting my religion out there into someone else's life when they haven't even asked for it. Sure, there's this blog, but people get the option to click on the link or not. At school and in public places, I try not to scream about Jesus, although I'm not opposed to whispering. I realize it's one of things we are called to do, but I'm just not at the point yet where I feel the need to announce to the world, all the time, that they should be like me -  let's go hang out with Jesus 

• Socializing. For starters, I truly dislike large crowds of not-well-known humans. This makes living in KC difficult. It makes attending church functions a nightmare, and is why I haven't officially signed up with a parish yet. Because that means I'm officially a part of this community of believers, and I don't even know their names!? 

• Staying focused on the Mass, during the Mass. I know there is beauty in the Mass because the Mass is repetitive, and I know that part of that is so we can meditate, but I'm positive that it's not so we can meditate on what we're going to be doing next Friday or how our homework is coming along. At camp, it's even worse. I can't sit still, and I'm constantly trying to make sure that the campers and staff are focused and behaving, and there I am, not focused. 

• Bedtime prayers, because honestly, law school makes me want to sleep more than anything else has in my life. Camp taught me the value of sleep, but law school has made me want to sleep. I wen to bed at 6:30 on Monday. 6:30. And then I slept until 6:00 am, uninterrupted. And with all this desire to sleep, I tend to fall asleep before I've even had a chance to tell God thanks for the day or snuggle with the dogs, which means I need to adjust my routine. I just haven't yet, because I keep sleeping...

So, what are you bad at as an adult (confirmed) Catholic or just as a Christian? Same things? Different things? All of the things? 

God doesn't expect us to be perfect, but God does expect us to move forward and try to be better, and we can't do that unless we know what's not working. 

Tota Tua,

LeAnn