First Sunday of Advent

 Advent is a beautiful time of the year!  It is a special time to prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of the Messiah!  Christmas is all about Christ.  If you don't have any time to marvel upon the miracle of God becoming a tiny little baby in order to redeem mankind, then you need to stop and ask yourself what exactly does Christmas mean to you.  To help keep us "Christ-centered" I thought it might be fun to use some of the Christmas carols we all know and love to help us meditate on the birth of our Savior.

Week 1- "Go Tell It On The Mountain" written by John W. Work Jr.

                     While shepherds kept their watching

                       Over silent flocks by night,

                       Behold throughout the heavens,

                        There shone a holy light:

                       Go, Tell It On The Mountain 

                        Over the hills and everywhere;

                       Go, Tell It On The Mountain

                          That Jesus Christ is born.

{This is the year of evangelization, have you told anyone about Jesus?}  Take a look at another of the verses:

                      When I am a seeker,

                    I seek both night and day;

                  I seek the Lord to help me,

                  And He shows me the way:

                Go, Tell It On The Mountain

                  Over the hills and everywhere;

                Go, Tell It On The Mountain

                   That Jesus Christ is born.

Take some time this first week of Advent and ask Jesus to help lead you closer to Him.  Make a list (and check it twice) to see what God is calling you to do.

-Susan

Looking For Signs Of Christ This Christmas- Home Parish Youth Group

    This post is the first of many in a new series on this blog called "Looking For Signs of Christ This Christmas". We will be featuring posts about how churches/families/neighborhoods are preparing for Christmas. Our first post is about my own parish youth group.

   Our youth group just got a brand new facility so we decided to come together as a group to decorate it for Christmas. We had a small crowd come in and spend the afternoon setting up, decorating the tree, and hanging lights. In the end, the room looked beautiful and ready for Advent.  All of us felt a strong sense of accomplishment seeing what we created together. Youth group member Antonio said, "I really enjoyed hanging out with the youth group, hanging up lights, and giving back to the church."

    For the youth group, this was about so much more than just making the room look festive.  This was a way to be active in our ministry, and let our church know how important our faith is to us. This was also an opportunity to show how excited we are for Advent, and that we teens are not just about making Christmas lists. Season to season we are growing together in faith.

We would like to invite all of you to send us pictures of how your church/family/neighborhood is preparing for Christmas.  Email  us at dwellingwiththespiritmail@gmail.com with some pictures and a short description/message about how you see signs of Christ this Christmas in your life. This is our chance to share the Spirit of Christ with each other this Christmas.  We have viewers around the world and I think this would be a great way for all of us to connect. Submissions will be taken through the 20th of December.

God Bless,

-Theresa.

Happy Thanksgiving

  Happy Thanksgiving!  Today is a wonderful day for many reasons, we get to spend time with family and friends, we get the day off of school and work, and we get to eat delicious food. Often in the midst of all the Thanksgiving craziness, we forget why we are celebrating this holiday in the first place, to give thanks. We have so many things to be thankful for in life, and today is a wonderful day to reflect upon this.
  In America this holiday is celebrated as a remembrance of when the Pilgrims and Native Americans came together to celebrate a good harvest with a huge feast. One detail many Americans leave out when celebrating, is what a huge part prayer had in this famous feast. The pilgrims were very religious.  They had put their trust in God and searched for a new land of opportunities and religious freedom.  They really had to trust God because the first year didn't go as planned. The extreme cold and lack of food was devastating to the Pilgrims. So many were lost that first year. Can you imagine allowing your faith to lead you to a mysterious land, and then watch everyone you know starve and freeze to death?  Fortunately, things turned around for the Pilgrims when they were blessed with a wonderful harvest the following year.  Being mindful of this blessing, they held a great feast to thank God! 
  I think we could all learn a lesson from these early settlers.  Life is full of difficult challenges and it is when we are the weakest, that our trust in God must be the strongest.  God's plan for us does include a great harvest and sometimes we are asked to be faithful and patient.  This holiday isn't just about the meal, its about enjoying all the amazing things God has blessed us with and giving Him thanks for all He has done.  And please say a prayer today for all those who may be cold or hungry or missing a loved one.

-Theresa

Christ's Feast of Unity

"Frequent Communion brings peace into a family and into the soul. It also fosters faith in God and heavenly relationships with all God's dear ones in heaven."  
                      -Venerable Solanus Casey

  I thought this quote definitely deserved a few moments of quiet meditation this week.  As we begin our preparations for Thanksgiving lets be sure to embrace the Eucharist.  It is the feast that Christ, himself, offers to each of us.  An opportunity for each of us to feel God's love, forgiveness, guidance, generosity and goodness.  It also contains a promise: "Whoever eats this bread will live forever."  Those who have departed from this world now live more fully in Heaven.  Our loved ones are not lost to us, because God allows heaven and earth to unite around the Eucharistic table as one family. I think that is pretty amazing and definitely something to be thankful for.  God truly is great!

-Susan

Feast of Christ the King

This is my greatest desire.

-Susan

Carrying the Cross

The cross is a very recognizable symbol of our faith.  In Luke 9:23 Jesus said, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me." 

Each one of us is challenged to carry our own cross.  It is both a symbol of victory over sin and death and at times a difficult reality of our daily lives as disciples.  But what is the best way to carry our cross?  Here is what I have discovered on my quest.  Place the intersection of the the two beams on your strongest shoulder.  For when you struggle and look for help in this endeavor, as you look up you will encounter God the Father, and when you look to one side you will encounter God the Son, and when you turn your head to the other side you will encounter God the Holy Spirit.  It is at the intersection of the Trinity that your cross will be the easiest to bear.  Be careful not to drag your cross behind you, because your strength must come from the power of the Trinity.  Call out their names as you take each step and listen to Their Voice as they guide you.  When you carry your cross on your shoulder the Presence of the Trinity surrounds you, when you drag it behind you, you must turn your eyes and heart backwards and it may cause you to stumble.  My friends let us continue our quest being very mindful how difficult some crosses are to carry and let us pray for strength for ourselves and for those who are struggling.

-Susan

Light a Candle of Hope for the World

  Another night went by as I listened to the news completely stunned and numb.  My heart goes out to all the victims and families whose lives have been forever changed.  I turned off the tv and decided to pray for the world.  For a long time I sat in silence begging for wisdom, peace, and some understanding.  Hours passed and I heard no words.  But slowly, I felt an urging inside to write a few words which I will share with you.  It is a candle of hope for the human race.  I hope it inspires you to light your own candle of hope and pass it along.  Perhaps if we all join in lighting a candle, our vision of the world will be clearer and brighter.

God Bless,

Susan

The Holy Trinity

  Catechism classes have been in full swing this fall.  Theresa and I are teaching a fourth grade class.  I really love teaching.  The awesome part about teaching is that you get to talk about how amazing God is for over an hour with a group of kids, who in turn, tell you their understanding and experiences of God.  Often helping someone else come to a better understanding of their faith forces me to look at my faith from different vantage points.  It offers opportunities for personal growth and enlightenment.  We started the year off talking about the Holy Trinity.  Teaching that we believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit is an important and necessary truth of our faith.  However, it is also one of the most amazing and mysterious aspects of our faith.  I told my class that it's alright if you can't fully understand the Trinity.  No one can.  God's ways are so above our ways.  But I think it is important to embrace the mystery Holy Trinity with open arms and begin to unwrap and discover as many layers as you can.  It will be a lifelong project of loving moments, thoughts and prayers beckoning you to a deeper understanding.  I hope that thought thrills you as much as it does me.  I would like to suggest that over the next week you begin asking yourself what is your understanding of the Holy Trinity?  How does this mystery influence your life?  And then I hope you spend the rest of your life discovering the answers.  It is a holy quest worth pursuing.  Let's talk more about this in the future...

-Susan

Pray 4 Paris

Please join our hearts and prayers for those in Paris, Beirut, and Baghdad.  May God's loving mercy heal their brokenness.

-Susan

Glorious mysteries

Rosary Meditation on the Glorious Mysteries

I.  Jesus' Resurrection

  Alleluia, alleluia Jesus has risen from the dead!  He is alive!  Do you believe it?  Oh Jesus, let the power and love of your Resurrection  fill us completely and remove all our doubts.  Let us love you so fully that we accept whatever challenges we must face.  Give us the courage to run towards your tomb and discover that death has no power over you or those who believe in you.  Let our faith in you roll away the stones that imprison  us with fear and doubt and confusion.  Let us bathe in the light of your Resurrection so that our faith will shine brightly and touch all that we encounter.  Let us tell everyone that Jesus is alive and He lives in me!!

2.  Jesus' Ascension into Heaven

Jesus tells the disciples "Know that I am with you ALWAYS even to the end of the world.". Close your eyes and try to understand how much Jesus loves you. He never wants us to be alone, He walks with us every moment of our lives.  Even when we are selfish and self-absorbed or are cruel and unkind, Jesus loves us and waits for us to notice Him. Can you even get a handle on that.  Jesus who is our Lord and Savior waits for us to love Him.  Why are we so blind to His love and goodness?   Ask Jesus to heal your blindness so that you can see the world with eyes of faith.  Look at your life and see Jesus in it.  He is so close to you right now that you could softy whisper in His ear.  Go ahead,  let Jesus hear the whispers of your heart and then . . .  listen to the whispers of His heart.

3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles

Like the disciples who gathered in the upper room praying for the Holy Spirit to come, we too gather together and pray that the Holy Spirit touch and change us as well.  The more open we are to the Spirit, the more the interior life of our soul grows.  But how do we become more open to the Holy Spirit?  We ask Mary to lead us in prayer.  Mary's life revolved around her time spent in prayer with God.  Can we honestly say our lives are centered around prayer?  How much time did you spend in prayer yesterday, was it the center of your life?  If prayer can move mountains then why are we only interested in moving the buttons on the remote control or the mouse of the computer.  Let's face it, we could do so much better.  Time is a precious gift.  How you use it here on earth could make all the difference in Eternity.  Let the Holy Spirit blow away some of your silly distractions and fill you up with Christ's love instead.  Prayer- everybody's got time for that!

4.  Mary's Assumption into Heaven

Ever wonder what's the best way to get to heaven?  Ask Mary.  They way she lived her life was so pleasing to Jesus that He personally escorted her body and soul into heaven.  

5.  Mary is Crowned Queen of Heaven

Mary is the mother and queen of every Christian family.  Let us ask Mary to watch over our families and teach us how to inspire our children and friends to have faith in Jesus.  Mary teach us how to be obedient to God's loving desires for us.  Inspire our family to honor and remain devoted to you,  so that we remain close to one another and close to our heavenly Father.  Mary be generous with the graces you bestow upon us so that we in turn can be generous with our neighbors.  Mary our Lord loved you so much that He crowned you Queen of Heaven. I, too, love you so much that I would like to crown you queen of my heart.

-Susan

My Confirmation -Guest Writer Theresa

Yesterday was the big day, I finally made my Confirmation!!!
I have been waiting for my Confirmation my whole Catholic life, and now that I have finally made it, I feel like I am truly in charge of my faith, and the possibilities are endless.

When I walked into the church yesterday I remember being so nervous. I looked around at my peers and I saw how nervous they were, too. We were all dressed to impress and eager to get into the worship space to begin mass.  When mass did get started, I felt as if nothing else in the world mattered at the moment, and I think my fellow candidates felt the same way. It didn't matter what happened at school that day, what we were wearing, or anything else- we were all about to receive the Holy Spirit, and we were as excited and eager as ever. The mass went by surprisingly quickly,  but I made sure to soak in every word and every song.  When the Bishop anointed me with chrism on my head, I took a deep breathe in and realized that today was the first day of my adult Catholic life and I was excited as ever. After the inspiring service, I was overwhelmed with happiness for the rest of the night. I was truly an amazing day.

I would like to take a minute to give some thanks where thanks is due. First off, I would like to thank my Mom, Susan.  She has always inspired me to be a better Catholic through all the years she has taught me catechism, in writing this blog together, and all the in-depth talks we have had about our faith. I would would also like to thank my sponsor, Brandy, for helping me through this whole process and being an amazing sister. And last but not least, I would most definitely like to thank all of you. This blog stated out as a random crazy thought during the summer, but has turned into so much more. I would like to thank you for following my Confirmation journey, and I am very excited for what is to come with the future of this blog.  Please stay tuned in, My Confirmation was not the end but only the beginning!

God bless,
Theresa


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Dear Theresa,

 Today is Confirmation day and I am so excited for you!  Some days come and go in your life and you may label them as a good day, or a bad day, or a productive day.  Sometimes we turn the page of a calendar and not even realize the impact those past thirty days had on our lives. But today will be one of the most extraordinary days of your life!  Today you will invite the Holy Spirit to strengthen His Presence in your life and bestow all His amazing gifts upon you so that you may draw closer to God!  I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am for you.  Thirteen years ago, your father and I brought you- a tiny beautiful baby to the church to be baptized in the name of the Father and Son and Holy Spirit. We witnessed our little Theresa become a child of God, cleansed of original sin, and become a member of the Catholic Church.  We promised to teach you the faith and bring you to mass so that you would know God and have a loving relationship with Him. I have watched as your faith has grown in you and I couldn't be prouder. Today is the day that you will give God your "yes" and be sealed with the gift of His Spirit.  

  I pray that you allow the Holy Spirit to be alive and active in your life. Be faithful to His inspirations. Remember the goal of life is not to become rich or successful or popular, it is to do the Will of God and draw as close to Him as you can. A life spent loving God and sharing His love with others will be more rewarding than you will ever know.  Remember, you are the church, and you are the Body of Christ. God has a special plan for your life and He wants you to be an active part of it.  Continue to be strengthened by the mass and sacraments so your faith will grow.  Allow His Presence to transform you and care for those He puts in your path.  Confirmation is the beginning of a beautiful journey towards God.  Remember, God is always good. Always trust in His loving ways and let the Holy Spirit guide each step you take. 

Love always,
Mom  

Wonder and Awe- Guest Writer Theresa

    If someone asked you two questions- what is bad in the world and what is good in the world, which question would you be able to answer more easily? Often the bad can get in the way of the good, and we are missing all the amazing things that God has made for us. It seems everything in our lives today are centered around the bad, like trashy magazines making millions exploiting people's personal tragedies, or whatever the latest life changing product is that we can buy to take away the bad in our lives. If we could just open our eyes to what is really important, God, we would be so overwhelmed with goodness that none of the bad would matter.

    It is impossible to even imagine just how much God loves us. He has given all of us this amazing world to live in, and has another amazing place waiting for us in heaven. Think of all the people in your life- God gave you them. God also gave you all the opportunities you've had, the places you've been, and everything you love. He also gave you the world, which is pretty amazing. God has done so much for you and everyone else in this world, its time we realize just how awesome everything He has done is.

-Theresa

Gift of Knowledge

  The Gift of Knowledge isn't about knowing a lot of different facts it is rather a search for Truth.  Jesus said "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No one comes to the Father except through me."  Jesus also told Pilate "the reason He was born into this world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."  We need to be careful not to be mislead by false worldly notions.  The gift of knowledge can help us align our thoughts with God and help us determine what God wants us to do.  It helps us live a life of faith.

-Susan

Gift of Right Judgment

Decisions are an every day occurrence.  Sometimes we instinctively know what to do and sometimes we really need to think things over.  The Gift of Right Judgment helps us make the best decisions by aiding our ability to know right from wrong.  Of course we always want to make the right decision, but deciding what is most important or more compassionate or what's best for everyone can be confusing.  It can be hard to know if you are doing the right thing for the right reason.  The Holy Spirit can help us better evaluate a situation by making us more sensitive to the feelings and rights of others and help us see how to avoid actions which may be harmful or lead to destructive behavior.  The Holy Spirit wants us to be happy and have peace of mind.  Life can be messy and confusing and painful, but if we pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance and are faithful to His inspirations, we are better prepared to handles life's challenges and circumstances. Right Judgment-don't leave home without it.

-Susan

Gift of Understanding- Guest Writer Cathy McInerney

Too many questions.  Sometimes I drive the people around me crazy with too many questions.  I’m curious and I’m driven to understand, take in, discern, reflect and keep or let go.  Sometimes I envy those who immediately see everything in black and white, right or wrong; I see shades of gray a lot. So I am constantly searching to understand the truths of our faith, my relation to God and my role in the world around me.  Understanding is so much more than intellectual knowledge.  It is about combining the intellectual with the spiritual and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, the gift of understanding helps me order my life toward God.  

(Cathy McInerney)

Gift of Courage-Guest writer Pio

A True Story of Courage

It was an icy day in December.  I awoke to the pre-recorded message that stated school was cancelled.  Yes!!  This is going to be an awesome day!  Or so I thought.  While eating breakfast, I found out my Dad was having some numbness in his face and had to go to the emergency room.  It wasn’t until late that night that I found out my Dad needed to have brain surgery.  The tests showed a bleed in his brain and the doctors didn’t know why.  My dad was totally healthy.  He rarely ever got sick.  What was going on?  I couldn’t make sense of it.  Surgery was scheduled in three days.

I went to visit my Dad in the hospital with my brother and sisters every day.  We laughed and joked around like always.  My Dad seemed totally fine.  He told me not to worry.  He also told me that his head needed to be shaved.  I was a little freaked out about this.  I’m not the type of person that likes change.  My Dad didn’t want us kids to get upset so he decided to make a “party” out of it. Surprisingly, my Dad handed over the razor and let us kids help shave his head.  We joked around the whole time.  When it was all done, my Dad definitely looked different.  We told him he looked tougher and should join a motorcycle gang.  I gave my Dad a hug before I left and added “I will see you tomorrow after surgery.”

My Mom stayed with my Dad, and my oldest sister drove us kids home.  It seemed like a very long ride home.  I thought about my Dad the whole time.  I worried about the surgery.  I wondered if my Dad was going to be okay.  I thought my Dad was being pretty brave about the whole thing.  I wished there was something I could do to help him.  But I was in the fifth grade, what could I do?  My brother and I started talking about my Dad shaving his head when the idea hit us.  What if we shaved our heads too to show him our love and support.  “That’s crazy!” I announced.  I mean I like my hair.  My sister heard us talking and replied, “Yes!  You should totally do it.”  When we got home she then shaved both me and my brother’s heads!  Yikes!

The next day my Dad went to surgery and my brother and I went to school. Unfortunately, none of us had a very good day.  Our classmates just didn’t understand.  I felt really proud of my decision to support my Dad, but my classmates made fun of me.  I got a lot of really awkward stares.  Nobody seemed to understand.  It was worse for my brother in junior high.  Junior high kids really didn’t get it.

After my Dad left the ICU I was able to visit him.  I’ll never forget the smile across his face when he saw my brother and I walk into his room.  He couldn’t believe it.  He told me, “That is the coolest thing you have ever done for me!”  And then he gave me a bear hug.  This was just the beginning of a series of life lessons my Dad’s brain cancer was going to teach me. Supporting the people you love is the coolest thing you could do. It didn’t matter that a lot of my friends made fun of me and thought it was stupid.  Sometimes you just have to take a stand in what and who you believe in no matter the cost.  I took a stand against cancer.  Cancer may have taken my dad’s hair, but it didn’t touch his sense of humor or the way he loved me.  Shaving my head didn’t make sense to my friends, but it made more sense to my Dad than anything else I could have done.

-Pio

Gift of Wisdom

  The Gift of Wisdom encourages us to look at a situation from God's point of view.  With this gift we may see things not only from our own perspective, but from other's as well.  Sometimes we need to step back a little so we can see the full picture.  This gift of the Holy Spirit encourages us to take a little extra time to really think about things in order to discover God's Will.  I would like to share the lyrics from the chorus by a song by Brandon Heath called "Give Me Your Eyes".  If you have a chance,  spend a few minutes with your eyes closed listening to the entire song.

  Give me your eyes for just one second
  Give me your eyes so I can see,
  Everything that I keep missing,
  Give your love for humanity.
  Give me  your arms for the broken-hearted
  The ones that are far beyond my reach.
  Give me Your heart for the ones forgotten.
  Give me Your eyes so I can see.

Confirmation Countdown--Praying for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit-Gift of Reverence

  Confirmation is only seven days away for Theresa and her fellow candidates!  We have decided to spend the next seven days highlighting the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.  We will dedicate a different gift each day and will have some guest writers.  We would love it if everyone could spend a few minutes praying that these candidates will be strengthened by the awesome gifts of the Spirit!

The Gift Of Reverence
  We often enjoy causal conversations with acquaintances,  causal Fridays, or a nice pair of causal shoes.  However, casual is not the word we should use to describe our relationship with God.  Our relationship with God should be intimate, holy, and respectful.  We shouldn't casually follow God, we should love God with all or heart, with all our mind, and with all our soul.  We should strive to become holy,  just as Jesus is holy.  I would like to suggest that today we pray for the Gift of Reverence by praying three times: 
        "Jesus you must increase in me, and I must decrease."

-Susan

All Souls Day

Thinking of my two best friends in heaven today.  I miss you both so much!  It makes me smile knowing you are enjoying the glories of heaven.

-Susan

Happy All Saints Day! Here's some saintly words for all....