Vote!

Google is doing a competition among elementary and high school aged children to design a google homepage image which answers the question "If I could do anything I would ..."

The artwork and creativity of these kids is amazing! Take a few moments to look through them and cast your vote for your favorite in each category!

http://www.google.com/doodle4google/vote.html

Enjoy!

All That You Have ...

So as I get ready to head to Jerusalem in a few weeks, I'm beginning to spend some time in quiet reflection in preparation for the pilgrimage / course ahead of me. I'm trying to come up with a prayer of sorts that I can say as a Novena before I leave, and while I am there.

Meanwhile, I'm gathering prayer requests from friends and family members, and trying to also think about the particular grace (or graces!) that I want to ask God for on this pilgrimage.

A few things come to mind, some big, some small - in no particular order:

* to be a saint
* for freedom from fear, anxiety
* for greater fervor, zeal
* for clarity in discernment, particularly regarding my future ministry and my current dating relationship
* for physical healing for a friend of mine
* ??
* ??

Even while I seek to identify what grace I ought to ask for on this pilgrimage, the thought occurred to me (as Fr. Juraj once said in a homily), that there are so many and different graces that the Lord wants to give me, and to try and name and pick one would simply not do it justice. I'm also reminded of a part from St. Faustina's Diary in which Jesus tells her how much it pains him that so often we come to receive Him in Holy Communion, and His hands are so full of graces which He wishes to lavish on us, and we don't even ask! In light of this, I always try to remember in my thanksgiving prayer after Holy Communion to sing in my heart to Jesus, "I want all that you have for me." I think too, that on this pilgrimage God wants to give me a great deal of graces - and I need to be sure I don't limit God by having too narrow a vision of what to ask for!

Soften My Heart - Andy Park

Soften my heart with oil,
open my eyes to see
fill me with understanding,
Soften my heart to receive

I want all that You have for me
Jesus, all that You have for me
Open my understanding
Soften my heart to receive
I want all that You have for me.

Don't let my heart be fallow
Don't let my heart be hard
Water me with Your Spirit
Soften the ground of my heart

What would you ask God for at this time?

On Human Nature

As I’ve mentioned before, a hobby (perhaps I should say “part time job”) of mine is reading self-help / relationship books. I love reading these things because usually they have a good deal of helpful information, but also because they challenge me to grow and to change how I approach things in life.

For example, one relationship book I read made me realize that I had been hiding behind my homework for so long – and that if I was serious about relationships I needed to start making time for them. Shortly thereafter, I began dating!

Another big learning moment for me came while reading another relationship book which talked about how in healthy relationships the ratio of positive to negative interactions is 5:1; anything less than that, then the relationship is in a danger zone. Furthermore, I’ve done a lot of reading about emotional intelligence and assertiveness and realized that I often vacillate between “grinning and bearing it” – not saying anything about things that drive me nuts (being passive) and aggressive states, where I lash out and confront a person in a biting or unhelpful manner which usually distances me and causes me to feel terrible in retrospect. I realize that this pattern is one that I learned in my family, and I’m trying to be intentional about being assertive without being an a$$, that is, being honest and upfront about things that bother me in a way that respects and is open to the other person’s perspective as well.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I wrote: “As I strive to evaluate the character of this other person, I cannot help but see myself under the same magnifying glass, and it is quite a humbling process!”

Being in relationship has helped me to see myself – my true character – more clearly. As I start to see my own weaknesses and the weaknesses of this other person, I need to remember these quotes which hang on my wall in my bedroom in Connecticut:

“Be patient with everyone, but above all with yourself. Do not be disturbed because of your imperfections, and always rise up bravely from a fall. Daily make a new beginning; there is no better means of progress in the spiritual life than to be continually beginning afresh, and never to think that we have done enough.” ~ St. Francis de Sales

“Don’t give into discouragement. If you are discouraged, it is a sign of pride because it shows you trust in your own powers. Never bother about people’s opinions. Be humble and you will never be disturbed. It is very difficult in practice because we all want to see the result of our work. Leave it to Jesus.” Bl. Teresa of Calcutta

It’s easy to judge ourselves or judge others harshly… but do we realize how merciful our God is? Our God – who took on human flesh is not unaware of our human weakness. Yet, do we realize how infinitely ready He is to pick us up, dust us off, and make us new? Our God – who has washed us clean in the waters of Baptism, who has imbued us with His Divine Spirit, the very power of God, and who has nourished us with the Flesh and Blood of His Son and continues to feed us still – if He has done all of this, how will He not heal us and take us to even greater depths of purification, perfection, holiness?

If our God is so merciful to us, we ought to, then, be extraordinarily merciful to one another. And even -- to ourselves.

To close, here's a beautiful quote which I got from the E-Devotion Franciscan University puts out. Though it applies to spouses, I think the advice goes for friendships and relationships as well!
“If we wish to be more Christlike in our marriages, we must first and foremost develop a deeper attitude of love and acceptance for our spouse as he or she is, with all the imperfections. Instead of trying to change our beloved or becoming irritated with these faults, we must remain firmly committed to our husband or wife as persons who have been entrusted to us as a gift. Our fundamental attitude toward the beloved in the midst of weaknesses must not be one of agitation, defensiveness or annoyance, but one of unwavering acceptance in our hearts for the other, bearing patiently with all the faults. When we do this, we begin to love as God loves.”

Edward Sri
Men, Women and the Mystery of Love, St. Anthony Messenger Press

Language Stuff

So I'm working on some foreign language stuff right now, and I'm stuck trying to figure out how to roll my "r's." This has been a problem for me since way back in elementary school when I started taking Spanish; then again in high school when I took Italian; then in college when I took German, and ... you get the idea. ;)

I found this HILARIOUS video on YouTube which has, well, sort of helped!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp1drqleHc0

Just thought I'd share for all those tongue-challenged folks out there.