I'm With Her

    Happy New Year!!! As a Church, January 1st we always celebrate Mary, Mother of God. Mary was the epitome of womanhood. She was holy, strong, confident, humble, and loving just to name a few. God chose her to raise the Savior of the world...and she accepted by saying "I am the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to thy word."
    As God's choice of his mother, I'm guessing Mary knew her scriptures exceptionally well. With that statement she willingly signed up to witness the Hebrew Scripture's (Old Testament) prophecies of her son first hand. These prophesies include, but not limited to, betrayed, spat on, ridiculed, beaten, crucified with criminals, hated without cause, and more. I repeat, Mary said yes knowing this would happen! MOST COURAGEOUS PERSON EVER!!! How many times do you think Mary would be outside watching her son play and think about all these prophecies? It's hard enough losing a parent. I couldn't fathom knowing that my son's days were numbered until he would experience one of the most painful deaths in order to save the souls of those who caused him the pain.
    When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son. Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” John 19:26-27
    Jesus called his mother "woman" two times. Scholars believe that he is referring to Mary as "the New Eve." Eve was looked at as the mother of the human race. John was a disciple of Christ. Scholars believe that what Jesus is conveying in this passage is that we (followers of Christ) are to care and respect Mary and she is to care and protect us.
    Mary isn't God...but she is the Mother of God. I don't know about you, but I listen to my mother. When I don't reply to my accountant, she tells my mom to have me contact her...and I do. So if you get the sense that God isn't listening, tell his mother ;)

Christianity is a Hard Knocked Life

    This week of Advent is calling us to focus on peace. Yes, peace. You may be thinking "How can there be peace!?!? Look at all the wars, violence, hatred, bullying in the world! Our President Elect is Donald Trump! It's impossible for us to be peaceful!" Simply looking at these worldly problems shows no hope, but lucky for us Christianity is a crazy religion.
    What I mean by that is Christianity is a religion that tells us (its followers) to love everyone...not just people you like or agree with. Everyone includes thieves, bullies, drug addicts, diseased, elderly, Democrats, Republicans, men, women, gays, straights, transsexuals, Trump, Hillary, etc. It even means caring for Chicago Blackhawks fans. How does love translate to peace?
   If you're lacking peace in your life, it's safe to ask the question who am I not loving (expressing charity for)? There is nothing in this world that can cause you to lose peace without your consent. Don't believe me? Look at the death of our Savior and the apostles. They did not fear even though they suffered painful deaths. Every painful experience these people would view it as an opportunity to share in Christ's sufferings. Not only the physical sufferings, but the emotional sufferings as well. Times like when Christ was betrayed by one of his best friends (Luke 22), when all of his apostles abandoned him in his darkest hour (Matthew 26:56), or when an entire crowd got up and walked away while he was preaching (John 6:66).
   Peace isn't about changing the things around us to make our lives easier...it's about changing our hearts so that we can love unconditionally.  That means when faced with someone you don't like, you can make decisions with that person's best interest at heart. If for no other reason, because God loves that person and you love God. There will always be unrest in this world, but peace comes from within your heart.

Make Advent Great Again!

    Welcome to Advent...or as most people say "CHRISTMAS SEASON IS HERE!!!" To those people I say, "Simmer down, we've got a month to go. Advent is a time to prepare for Christmas. Preparing for Christmas means buying gifts, decorating inside and outside, visiting Santa in the store, shopping, and preparing for family to come over. These can be extremely stressful times that push us further from God, rather than closer. So how can we flip this?

    Let's think about this philosophically. What adds to the stress? The amount that needs to be done. The amount of gifts, decorations, Pinterest recipes, etc. What if we simplified it? Maybe a few less decorations, making food that is simple to cook, getting creative with your gifts.

    We have made Christmas into a production, and by the 20th we're ready for Christmas to be over before it's even begun. Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Christ by caring for one another. You can't care for someone if you're extremely stressed!!!
    The most important thing this Advent is to prepare your heart for Christmas. Be ready to share the love and joy of Christ with friends, family, and strangers. If that means simplifying certain things, DO IT! Your guests will still be satisfied whether you slave over a meal or simply pull out lasagna from the oven with a few store bought pies. Christmas doesn't hinge on the apple pie you made from scratch, it's how you treat others during such a joyous occasion. You are important, not the material things.

When Productivity is Decreasing

Productivity can be a challenge this time of year with entering the last month of school, Spring sports, end of year banquets, your room being messy, etc. In moments like these, I can get very anxious and just want stay in bed. So I've noted a few things that work and figured I'd pass them on to you...

1. Pray. It needs to be something we do throughout our day. It's important because if we don't pause to get on the same page as our Creator, anxiety is going to show up and set up camp.

2. Write a check list. If you write down 5 things to accomplish the following day (and stick to it), you have purpose and drive for tomorrow.

3. Work hard, play hard. Don't mix the two. Playing is a chance to relax and get all the energy out of your system. School is a time to focus and absorb everything the teachers are trying to pass to you. That way, when you're doing your homework, you will understand it more if you were able to focus in class.

4. Get 'er done. Don't put off the homework until the night before or morning it's due. Do the homework as soon as you're able to so that the subject is decently fresh in your mind. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to recall the information. Something that takes you 30 minutes to do the night before may take you only 10-20 minutes if done right away.

5. Leave the house. Fresh air is great medicine.

6. Unplug. Set either a couple hours a day or perhaps one day a week where you only use your phone for an emergency such as you need a ride home; not Jack and Diane broke up. They will soon realize that life goes on ;)

7. Pray. Some people say they don't have time to pray. The reality is that we don't have time not to pray. Prayer is a time to realize what is important. It weeds out the wasted time and allows us to be more productive. You could pray a rosary and clean part of your room once a week (or day).

Why I Don't Want To Be Like Jesus

    Dear God, I often pray that I want to be more like Christ, but today I realize that's not true. I don't want to be like you. Over the weekend I felt used by a friend. Today he didn't show any type of remorse and continued to pass the blame and responsibilities to others (including myself).

    As I sit here in adoration, this weekend's events consume me, and to focus I said "I want to be more like you Christ." Right after I said that I realized that I don't want to be like you. You are used more than you are loved. We (mankind) try to justify our sins rather than accepting responsibility and asking for forgiveness. When we sin we hide from you rather than running back to you to restore our relationship.

    I now know that I don't want to be like you. I don't want to get used like you. I don't want to get punished for sins I didn't commit. I don't want to pray for the people who cause me so much pain. I don't want to be used or walked on like people do to you...like I do to you.

    God, I am so sorry that I use you and take you for granted. I now see what amazing love you have for me even though I use you...especially when I use you.

    By now we both know I don't want to be like you...but I need to be. Lord, give me the grace to be like you. I pray that I am able to love when I feel abused, that when I am punished for sins I didn't commit, that I accept it with humility through your grace. Let me see your grace rushing through me as a motivation to be more like you.

Is Christ Your Cellphone App?

    I have a lot of great apps on my phone that I'm always using. Messenger, Sports Alerts, ESPN, Music, Mail, Maps, and FitBit are my heavily used apps. But I also  have some that go unused such as Tips, Wordpress, Stocks, Compass, and more. It got me thinking...if Christ was an app, how much would I click on him? How long would I stay in the app?
    Sometimes it seems that if Christ was an app, I would use him throughout the day. I'd open him before every meal, before bed, and when I felt scared. But someone told me that Christ wants more. So I'd pray more, and try to have the Christ app run in the background. It seemed like I had a low battery in my life with always dragging Jesus around. I prayed and asked God "how can I live like this? I don't want to be dragging you around like this?" Christ's response was "Don't, let me run your life."
    Christ can't just be an app on your phone; you need him to be the operating system. It is the only way to have Christ at the center of your life. You may be thinking "But if I have God as the center of my life, I'll have to change." If following God doesn't force you to change your life, then you're making yourself God. Without your operating system, you couldn't function. Without Christ, we don't function very well. A lot of people think that more success and money will mean more happiness, but it doesn't. Letting Christ take control of your life brings us the ultimate form of happiness. How much control have you given Christ in your life? How can you give it all to him?

Freedom of Choice

    We all have the ability to choose God or not. It's called "free-will." When we don't choose God, it is called "sin." Is living a sinful life freedom? Sin is a freedom killer. Let me explain...
    When we sin, we choose our desires over God's desires. Have you ever watched a TV show on DVD? When one episode ends, the next one begins. 8 episodes in, you realize that you've wasted half the day, but you just want that one more episode. You get a text to go play volleyball, but you can't muster up the strength to get off the couch. That TV show owns and controls you. You are a slave to a DVD. It could be sleeping in, going on the internet, swearing, falling to lust, etc. that has it's chains on us that guide us further away from God.
    The Devil uses these sins to beat us down with fear and shame. We think, "How can someone love me when I've failed this much?" And we will try to hide from God. We sweep our imperfections under the rug thinking that will fix us. It's like ignoring a flat tire. If you ignore it, the tire doesn't magically get filled with air. In order to not cause greater damage, the tire has to get fixed before the car is used again. God knows we get flat tires in our lives, so he gave us the sacrament of Reconciliation to "fix our spiritual flat tires." There are only two things holding us back from Confession, fear and shame; both we know are from the Devil. He will use shame and fear all the time because it works on us. BREAK THE CHAINS!!!! Live free again by not letting the Devil control you with fear and shame and get to Confession as needed. Christ is waiting there with open arms.

God's Love

    "Jesus loves me. This I know. For the Bible tells me so..." We are told this from our youth. But I don't think we actually realize it. This is because people use the word "love" to describe their feelings towards anything from parents to a burger. Celebrities constantly say "I love my fans!" But God isn't Selena Gomez. When God says he loves you, it is with more passion and love than anyone could imagine.
     "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life." - John 3:16. Christ died for you. Yes, he would have died for the others if you didn't exist, but he also would have gone through that death if you were the only person who needed to be saved. That's the difference with God's love. There is no one on Earth that God loves more than you! He is painting the most beautiful aspects of your life right now, all you have to do is trust him.
    God's fingerprints are in our lives. Years ago I was helping a lady change a tire on the side of the freeway. Some friends saw it was me, and pulled over to help. The jack began to tip towards me. My friends steadied the car so it didn't fall. Another fingerprint is just last week I was too sick to play soccer. That turned out to be a good thing because I would have played on a twisted ankle and could have hurt it more.
    God is sculpting you into the best version of yourself. The version that will be the most rewarding. The version that will change the world. All you and I have to do is let God work through us and trust that his idea of our lives is much more awesome and rewarding than what we would accomplish by picking what we like in the moment (which is probably Netflix, video games, naps, procrastinating, etc). Are you ready to let God's love for you change your life?

Divine Mercy

    This Sunday is Mercy Sunday...wait, that doesn't seem right...oh yeah, this Sunday we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. Divine means "of God." So this Sunday is a time to celebrate God's endless mercy towards us. So how can we fully enter into this Divine Mercy Sunday? Simple, by celebrating the sacrament of Reconciliation, and accepting God's forgiveness.
    Reconciliation was never meant to be a shame thing. The priest doesn't torture a confession out of you. It's more like cleaning your room. It feels overwhelming at first, but once you start it's not as bad, and by the end you enjoy the results of a clean room. Reconciliation cleans the soul. It is humbling yourself to reconnect with Christ.
    Christ knows what you've done, and is ready to forgive you, but he wants you to accept his forgiveness. Remember apologizing to your parents? It's terrifying at first, but after the apology and your parents' instant forgiveness, you feel a weight lifted off of your shoulders, even if you get grounded. This is because you know that the relationship between you and your parents has began it's healing process. In the confessional, we are laying down our pride so that we have the grace to accept God's forgiveness and move on in our lives. Does God's mercy stop after so many confessions? No.
    Divine Mercy is like Niagara Falls. You'd think with all the water that falls, eventually all the water will be at the bottom and it will no longer be a waterfall, but the flow is endless. God will always forgive you. No matter what you've done. He would forgive the Devil himself if Lucifer were humble enough to ask for it. With that kind of mercy ready to be given, who wouldn't want to go to Reconciliation?

Who Would Easter Thank?

    Easter is the time to celebrate Christ's resurrection. But if Easter were to win a Grammy, Easter would have to thank the events of Good Friday for making the Resurrection possible. Think about it, Jesus had to die before he could rise from the dead. How weird would it be celebrating Jesus rolling out of bed on Sunday? We wouldn't. We'd still be waiting for a savior.
    Suffering happens throughout our entire lives. It doesn't mean that you're an evil person, or that God is punishing you. Christ, God's only son, lived in poverty, was hated by many, and died a criminal's death. And because of that, "God greatly exalted him and gave him the name above every name (Philippians 2:9)." Christ stuck it out through the hard times because he knew what was awaiting him at the end.
    When we're suffering, we have the opportunity to suffer with Christ. Because of Christ, when we die, we know that it is not the end and that we will rise with Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:55 says "Death has lost its sting." It doesn't mean that we throw a party for those who die or get sick, but we take comfort that God loves us and wants us to be with him. So use the suffering as a time to grow closer with Christ as he suffers right next to you saying "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me (Matt 27:46, Psalm 22)."
    Next time you have an accomplishment, make sure to thank the suffering that made it possible. Good grades are the result of good study habits. Each soccer goal is brought to you through the practices and conditioning that proceeded it. Suffering now is so that something greater can happen. Sometimes it's in this lifetime, but rest assured that it will have a profound effect in eternity.

- For gold is tested in fire. Sirach 2:5

Ways To Love

    Love isn't a feeling like joy, sadness, or anger; it is an action. In fact, there are 5 different ways to give and receive love. Acts of service, quality time, words of affirmation, physical touch, and gifts. Every act can be categorized into at least one of these groups (or languages). Each of us respond differently to these types of love languages. Typically, the way we give love is the way we like to receive it. So if I like when people affirm me, I'm going to compliment others to express my love. But why is this useful?
    We enjoy receiving many types of love, but some are more effective than others. For example, my mom's love language is acts of service. When I want to show her love, the most affective way is to do an act of service like wash the dishes, get her oil changed, check her tire pressure, etc. She receives this act of love better than if I gave her a gift or complimented her. That doesn't mean that she doesn't feel loved when receiving gifts or compliments, just that acts of service is the most effective.
    If you want to date someone, find out their love language. If it's physical touch, you can pat them on the back, nudge, high five, or hug him/her and as long as they're not repulsed by you, they will enjoy your presence because they experience love around you. If they like words of affirmation, compliment their attire, hair, ideas, smile, etc.
    Knowing your love language and those around you can really assist you when building relationships. It's like having a cheat code in life. Even Christ has primary love languages...what do you think they are? Read the Gospels to find the answer.

Made For Mission

    You are not an accident. God created you for a purpose. “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment,” Matthew 22:37-38. The Catholic Church interchanges the words “love” and “charity.” So what does doing charity for God mean? It means taking part in the Catholic Church…what does that entail you ask?

    It means feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for the sick, visiting those in prison, caring for those society has tossed in the gutter, and showing mercy to those who don’t deserve it. Don’t believe me that the Church is so giving? We (the Catholic Church) started the first Aids clinic in the 80s, we started the university system so people could get educated, we are the largest social service provider by giving food, clothes, and shelter to more people on the planet than any other organization. This is the Church’s mission. To treat every human life with dignity from conception to death.

    Thousands of people have helped this mission with such passion that they have been canonized Saints. These were not wildly successful people…Mother Teresa summed up how to do the Church’s mission by saying that “there are no great things to accomplish in this world, only small things done with great love.”

    Sometimes we have a tendency to get overwhelmed with all that must be done. It starts with you and me right now. It starts with paying attention in class, getting homework done on time, respecting others, and doing our chores just to name a few. Doing the little things each day will have a profound impact on those around you.



So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

5 Tips To Amplify Your Prayer

1. Confidence: You ever go up to a friend and say "Hey, I doubt you will, but could you loan me $20?" Chances are, you're not going to get the $20 because you showed no faith in your friend. At the wedding feast of Cana Mother Mary told Jesus "They have no wine" and that was it. Mary knew he wouldn't disobey his mother.
2. Ask Mary for help: Ask Mary to intercede on your behalf. Just like the wedding feast at Cana, Mary has that persuasion.
3. Pester God: If you go over to a friend's house at midnight asking for food, if he doesn't give it to you out of friendship, he'll give it to you because of your persistence (Luke 11:5-8).
4. Show God it's importance: I remember asking my parents for Kinex when I had a bunch of Legos. They told me that if I would play with the Legos more, it would show that I would also play with the Kinex. I realized that after a few days of playing Legos, it wasn't worth it to continue to get the Kinex. God will ask the same thing. For example, if you really want to date that cutie in math class you tell God, "I'm going to wake up early, go for a run everyday this month as a prayer for the cutie to notice me." Or "I'm not going to play video games for a month." It shows that you have the discipline to see a goal through, and if not, you didn't want it as bad as you thought.
5. Have Patience: Let God work. We all want an instant answer, but that's not how God works. Jacob worked seven years for a wife. Then on the wedding day realized it was Leah when he asked for Rachel. He then worked another seven years for Rachel. That is the epitome of patience.

One Way To Hear God

    So you know you need to pray, but you're sick of just saying the "Our Father," "Hail Mary," and "Glory Be..." over and over again...but you don't know how to pray on your own. Don't worry, I've got a personalized prayer for you whenever you need it.

    First, Grab a Bible (Bible apps work). Then I need you to ask God to give you a number, 1-150. Once you have that number, turn to that Psalm and read it as a prayer (slowly).

    God wants to tell us things, but hearing God's voice often takes patience. And if his voice is not familiar to us, it gets lost in the noise. In seminary I would pray with the Psalms. I called it Bible Roulette. You can also open Bible Roulette to books such as Sirach, Proverbs, Wisdom, and the New Testament.

    Bible Roulette has gotten me through many challenges in my life. One night a few years ago, my parents were getting on my nerves (more than usual). That night, I went to a quiet place to pray. I asked God to give me something to help me with my parents. He put Sirach 7:27-28 on my heart. 
    "With your whole heart honor your father; your mother's birth pangs forget not. Remember, of these parents you were born; what can you give them for all they gave you?" I had a good laugh and was good with my parents ever since...because God reminded me that I owe them my life. God has things that he wants to tell you, if you can't hear what he's telling you, you can read it.

Listening to God

    One of the most important parts of a relationship is communication. More specifically, the ability to listen. Do you listen to God? You might be thinking "Jason, I can't even hear God. How do I know if he's even saying anything?" In order to hear God you need two things, inner silence and familiarity. If inner silence is missing there's a lot of other voices and you can lose God's in the craziness, especially if you can't even recognize his voice.
    Let's start with quieting our minds. In order for this to happen, we need to be comfortable with silence. A way to do this is to find a quiet place and just sit (or walk) for 10 minutes without saying or thinking of anything. Just try to listen. Okay, listen to what? God speaks to us in different ways. Sometimes it is a scripture verse, a vision, a word/phrase, or a really strong feeling that brings comfort.
    Now the big question, how can you know God's voice? That's simple, the Bible. It is the living word of God. That means you can read it over and over again, but it will pull at a different part of your heart depending on what you're going through that day. When reading the Bible, start with the Gospels. The more scripture you read, the more you can detect God's voice. God isn't trying to hide his voice from you. It takes discipline and sacrifice to be able to recognize it. God never said your life would be easy and filled with things that bring short term happiness. He promised that if you followed Christ, your life would be like his...eternally celebrating your self-sacrifice for God and his people.

Lent Is Here!!!!

    Lent is here...and so are meatless Friday's. What genius came up with that rule? That's old school, why should we still do it? Didn't Christ say, "It's not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth." Matthew 15:11. So why do we abstain from meat on Fridays?

    So have you ever grown apart from a friend? Perhaps a breakup? The week after the breakup you still have the habit of reaching for your phone to text that person, but then you think, "eh, better not." That event causes your normal routine to get a little tilted. That is exactly why we abstain from meat on Fridays. It is also why many people offer something up during Lent.

    The moment you open your lunch and see a PB & J rather than a BLT, it's a chance to unite with Catholics all over the world in a physical form of prayer. Fasting and abstaining is offering up our desires as a prayer for our intentions and for the entire Church. These minor sacrifices helps God prepare us for when we are tempted by the Evil One. "If I can say no to a piece of bacon, I can say no to peaking at the test answers."

    This Friday, don't think of it as not being able to have meat, but as a chance to grow in self control and having the confidence that whatever you pray for that day is more impactful. It is said that prayer without fasting is like boxing with one hand tied behind your back...this Lent, untie that second hand.

It It Your Superpower?

    Dear single people, you are single for a reason. No, it's not because of your bad BO or you have a face only a mother could love. It's because at this moment, you have a better chance at Heaven as a single person than in a relationship.

    We get so caught up with "the good ones are all taken" as if men and women are trophies. In the movie Miracle, the USA hockey coach said "I'm not looking for the best players, I'm looking for the right ones." People are not rated trophies. We all bring something unique into each relationship we're in. Marriage happens when the guy and gal brings gifts to the marriage that pulls them self and their spouse closer to God.

    If you haven't met that person, it's for one of two reasons. Either you need to prepare before you meet your spouse so that you and him/her have the best chance of getting to heaven, or God is calling you to a greater life. 1 Corinthians 7:8-9 reads, "Now to the unmarried and widows, I (Paul) say: it is a good thing for them to remain as they are, as I do, but if they cannot exercise self-control they should marry, for it is better to marry than to be on fire." If you can control your desires, you can do so much more of God's work as a single person than you could as a married person. As a single person, you can support more people than just your spouse. Having that self-control is a gift from God, and don't let anyone tell you different. Remember that marriage is not an end goal. It is a gift from God to help certain people get into heaven.
    A tip for everyone out there, if you aren't comfortable with being single, you're not ready for a relationship. You're simply defining yourself by the guy/girl you're dating.