Let Love Shine

I have been meaning to post this post for a while but have not had the time to finish it. But here it is. We are in the second week of Advent and thus we are preparing for the coming of Jesus. One of the messages that often comes up during the time before Christmas is the message of love. It is wonderful because everyone gets into the spirit of love and kindness. I believe that this is the spirit of love that God wishes us to express every day not just during December.  

Spending Time With God

My name is Monica. I’m a 20 year old 2nd year college student. From August of 2015 to May of 2016 I was a missionary in Syracuse, New York with Hard as Nails Ministries.  Hard as Nails (HANM) is a Catholic evangelization ministry that reaches out to youth and their families with a message of hope. Their message is: “You’re Amazing” not because of what you have done or what you look like but because of Jesus who died for you. They go to schools, churches and men's conferences all around the world giving hour to hour ½ talks. The role that missionaries play is that they help out in the office with office tasks, go out on the road, talk to kids, pray with kids and basically are like older brothers/sisters at the events.

Power of Prayer

You know those moments where life hit us by surprise? The moments we aren't expecting, the moments where life happens and we're left to figure what to do next. You feel like you need to do something but you don't know what. More often than not, there is nothing that you can do. Which makes it that much harder to deal with. There is nothing worse than the feeling of helplessness that comes with these moments. Yet, it is in these moment of helplessness that I find myself turning to God even more. 

Same Same but Different

It has always been a humbling experience to witness and become one part of a person’s life story. What a gift it is to listen with an attentive ear to the stories of people from all different walks of life. To share with them for a moment a feeling of novelty, uniqueness, and beauty that encompasses the very essence of who they are and what makes them tick. I’ve always been fascinated by other people: what they choose to be passionate about, who their friends are, their purpose for rising every morning to a start a new day, what they like to eat, who they love, and how they suffer. This summer my curious mind and adventurous heart led me to Southeast Asia where I explored the intricate beauty and warming culture of Thailand. I was invited to fall in love with a new place but most importantly to fall in love with the stories of strangers that soon became my friends. Language barriers were abrogated and dialogue was never closed off despite these language differences, instead what I was able to witness, was that at the core of every human heart we are all the same-created to love and be loved.

Discovering the Gift of Presence

“May today there be peace within.

May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.

May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.

May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.

May you be content knowing you are a child of God.

Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.

It is there for each and every one of us.”

― St. Thérèse de Lisieux

Mary Mother of the Body of Christ

   “For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior” (Ephesians 5:23). I think many of us are familiar with this concept, the Church being the Body of Christ. This passage from St. Paul unveils a reality which is beyond our own perception.  We can perceive the visible Church, but her spiritual reality is something relatively hidden from us. This spiritual reality links the Church with her source, Christ. Christ guides his Church as the head guides the body, and just as all the parts of the body are in service and exist for the sake of the head, so too does each member of the Body of Christ exist for the sake of Christ and for Christ. But how does this idea relate to the person of Jesus?

The Magic of Music

I've recently been spending a lot more time listening to my favorite style of music. That style of course is Folk music. I listen to a podcast that is produced by a lovely gentleman in UK named Mike Harding. Each week Mike shares some of the best of folk music present and past. It has become a staple part of my week. Many of these songs are filled with emotion and stories, mind you there are also a good number of them that are filled with humor as well. Well this week I was trying to figure out why it is that I enjoy folk music so much. I've come to the conclusion that it's because much of the music comes from people's own experiences. Sometimes it is not their own experiences but the experiences of their ancestors or the people around them. It is a music style as Mike says that has two requirements, "four chords and the truth".

The Mountains Are Calling...

As I rest in these summer months, with a schedule that temporarily allows for some healthy boredom and quiet reflection, I find myself looking back to where I was exactly one year ago: Montana. Dubbed as “the last best place” for its unexpected and quiet beauty, Montana is a place one could explore mountains, discover hidden lakes, ride rivers, and take distant hikes among the trees. How I miss “getting lost” in such a place, for in the midst of such nature I found a deeper connection to the divine. Prayers of thanksgiving and gratitude of the immense loveliness around me seemed to more easily leave my lips and my soul could feel the love of God enveloping me. Now living in San Diego, I can appreciate the nature around me, especially not being land locked (aka access to the ocean); however, a part of me senses this longing, this call to be in the mountains once again. I feel this longing reverberating in my bones, inviting me to step away from the noise and “get lost” in the quietness of the mountains once again. Upon hearing such an invitation, I immediately thought of John Muir’s wildly popular quote:

“The mountains are calling and I must go.”

But Your Grief Will Become Joy

Anyone who has lived out their faith for a while will tell you, life isn’t always sunshine and daisies. Just because you believe in Jesus and have chosen to follow Him doesn’t mean life becomes easier. The truth is we have trials just like everybody else and being a Christian doesn’t change that. Hard times fall on everyone at one point or another, it is simply a part of life. That being said, through the midst of hard times we can continue to have joy in our lives regardless of the trials life throws our way. Before His death, Jesus told His disciples,

“Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.”

John 16:20

Inclined to be Good

With elections coming up we often hear the terms, "corrupt governments," "corrupt politicians" or "corrupt business men." These are all titles and descriptions that are thrown about on television and social media, especially in the current political race. What does corrupt really mean though? Does it mean that these people are inherently bad. Do we think that these people have always been bad and we just never realized it? "Corruption" is thrown in our face so often that people tend to think that we as humans are inherently bad. Personally, I have always been a supporter of the belief that we as humans are inherently good. I remember being in High School and my teacher once asked us to write an essay on this exact topic. I was astonished to find that many of my classmates felt that humans are naturally inclined to do do bad things. Mind you this was after reading books like Lord of the Flies and similar novels. So I can see why they might have argued for the later. However, I can't help but believe that we are naturally inclined to be good people.

Remind Me Who I Am

"When I lose my way and I forget my name, remind me who I am. In the mirror all I see is who I don't wanna be, remind me who I am. In the loneliest places, when I can't remember what grace is."

I heard these lyrics recently playing from my phone as I washed the dishes one day. It had been over a year since I last heard this once beloved song. While it may seem like a random probability this song would pop up among the hundreds of other songs on my playlist, I oftentimes find that God has a way of intervening, whether through a song, person, or book, at exactly the right time with exactly the right message. And so He did.

Go and Announce the Gospel of the Lord

At the end of every Mass we usually hear the priest or deacon say, “Mass has ended, go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.” or sometimes “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.” It happens so often we usually don’t give these words much thought. Instead we manically say in response “Thanks be to God” and then proceed to sing the closing song. We breeze over the fact that we were just commissioned to spread the Gospel with the people we meet in the week. We fail to realize that as members of Christ’s body we have just been reminded of our responsibility to live our lives as an example of the faith giving glory to the Lord with our actions. One of the last things that Jesus said before His Ascension was,

“Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15

Small Acts of Kindness and Love

What if we spent less time trying to make our life better than everyone else's? And instead we spent more time trying to making everyone else's life better?

Will you pursue your Personal Legend?

           As I prepared to visit a dear friend of mine in windy Chicago, I decided to dust off a book I had put away for some years. Many told me to read this beloved book, “The Alchemist”, but I was too distracted by the business of life to delve into the pages that contemplated life in a fictitious, yet very real manner. As I sat crammed in between two passengers on a plane bound for Chicago, I entered into the land of Andalusia with a young boy named Santiago and was instantly enchanted by his quest to discover his Personal Legend and treasure. You will not find many plot spoilers here (for you should also put off business to read this rather rare gem), but a brief highlight of how this book wrestles with the all too familiar question of why we should listen to our heart.

It's A New Day, It's A New Dawn

"Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.” Isaiah 60:1

Thy Will Be Done

Whether we are young or old, rich or poor many of us are stuck with the idea that we must change the world. At one point I wanted to become an astronaut and go to space. It seemed like the most splendid thing I could accomplish. What greater adventure could there be than reaching those shining stars? Mind you, I am no longer working towards blasting off into the space. My focuses are slightly closer to home.

Trusting God When We Seem to Be Lost

“My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.”

― Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude

Can I Get a Witness?

Have you ever loved something so much that you just had to share it with everyone? A favorite pizza place that you always visit. That awesome bar that you take all of your friends to. Or that one dish your mother makes each year and you talk about it for days on end. Why is that? What is it about those things that makes you so passionate that you just can't keep it to yourself? Is it the taste? Is it the way it looks? Is it the memories you've had? Or perhaps it's something more...

Sanctifying the everyday in the age of YOLO

            As we begin the season of Easter, I reflect on my Lenten experience and optimistically bring new habits and insights into this new self that has risen with Christ. Now, if you were to ask me to share a profound moment of my Lenten journey that left me flabbergasted and radically changed, I would be unable to rise to this challenge and illustrate such a moment. This is not to say, however, my journey was “ordinary.” Though tempted, I stray from such a label because “ordinary” carries such a bland and insignificant connotation. It would imply that this season of Lent was just another period of time in my life, “filler” time if you will, that left no lasting impact and simply led me from point A to point B. I would argue that, in the past, my own concept of “ordinary” carried such a tone. I regarded different seasons of my life as “normal” and “with no special or distinctive features” that did not fit into my vision and pursuit of holiness or the “best-version-of-myself.” I was just wasting time to get where I needed to be. This Lent, however, my own concept of “ordinary” was challenged. I was invited by a spiritual guide to not simply walk through life from “extraordinary” moment to “extraordinary” moment, trudging in the “ordinary” in between, but to sanctify each and every moment.  

Light of Christ

Happy Easter one and all! Jesus Christ is risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Easter is a day of light. A day when the darkness has been shattered. Let us shout joyfully to the world that this day is a blessed day indeed.

Let Your Light Shine

"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

            It’s a common saying “You may be the only bible some people read,” or “You may be the only Jesus some people see.” Imagine how different our behavior would be if we lived each day with this in mind. You see, people pay attention to our actions and whether we realize it or not our actions have the power to influence others. The question is whether you will use your influence on others for good or for bad.

Shine Bright

I believe there is something wonderful about candles that has always mesmerized humans. Even in our modern day and age we see them when they are no longer needed. Some are used for prayer and some are used to help us relax while others are used for birthday cakes. These small objects give light and something a little extra. Since this blog is titled "Shine" I wanted to share my reflection on how each of us can be a candle in the world.  

Yes! Jesus Loves Me!

"Jesus loves me this I know,
For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to him belong,
They are weak, but he is strong."


I'm sure many of you have at one point or another heard this song in your life. I know it's a children's song and it doesn't seem to have much depth to it. Some people might easily misconstrue it as a way to "brainwash" children. It popped into my head earlier this week and I realized that there is much more to this song.

Looking For Light

Though it is stormin in San Diego there is still light to be found. You just have to look in the right spot.