Things Every Catholic Teen Should Do

     Hello! I'd like to say that of course this list can't hold everything that everyone thinks a Catholic teen should do. This is just my own personal take, I would even say it's sort of a bucket list for me. Well I probably shouldn't keep you waiting too long. On with the list!

-Come and see a religious order. (There's many to choose from!)

http://vocations-syracuse.org/ 

-Pray the Morning Offering every morning

http://www.catholicspringtime.com/large-size-cards/morning-offering-prayer-card-LARGE.html 

-Make at least one holy hour every week

http://www.stbrendansatl.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/adoration.jpg 

-Try to attend daily mass whenever you are able to. (And every Sunday no matter what).

http://daybreaktv.org/RegularProgramming/TheDailyMass.aspx 

-Spend at least 15-30 minutes everyday to learn something new about the Catholic faith.

http://www.aboutcatholics.com/beliefs/the-role-of-the-catechism-of-the-catholic-church/

-Attend the March for Life wherever you are able to, whether it be in Washington D.C. or your state capitol. 

http://www.olmcumberland.org/right-to-life-2014/

-Use every opportunity that you have to share and stand up for your faith.

http://www.stpeterslist.com/3834/i-stand-with-the-catholic-church-10-pictures-in-defense-of-the-church/ 

Our Lady of La Vang/ Marian Days Mobile Background

I took many pictures at Marian Days! And my devotion to the Blessed Mother has increased daily. So I wanted to share the photo I edited to have an Our Lady of La Vang and Marian Days phone background. Feel free to download and use for your person use, and I hope you like it!

Marian Days

     Maybe you've heard of Marian Days, maybe you haven't. Either way, this blog post will give you a little bit more knowledge on this lovely event. To start off, it's held in Carthage, Missouri every year around the first week of August. It takes place on the grounds of the Congregation of the Mother Co - Redemptrix. Thousand and thousands of Vietnamese Catholics gather at Marian Days every year for this event.
     Usually it starts on a Thursday an opening mass, but if you're unable to make it to that one on time, there's another mass for souls later at night. There's been about 80,000 people at the recent years, but I'm sure that the amount will increase over time. There's multiple masses throughout the next few days of the event which lasts until Sunday morning. Throughout the week there are speakers for families, adults, and youth. I can't even begin to count how many religious orders are there, to even participate or to showcase their order. Wherever you go, you'll see people excited about not only the Vietnamese culture, but also about their Catholic faith. For many, they were refugees or first-generation immigrants. This event brings many Vietnamese Catholics together to celebrate who they are as Vietnamese Catholic.
     Of course this doesn't mean that others who aren't in the two general groups cannot attend. Anyone can come!! The local Knights of Colombus have a stand where they sell food. And I almost forgot, there's plenty of places to enjoy authentic Vietnamese food and cuisune. Before I forget to mention, there's also plenty of places where you can get smoothies and other wonderful cold drinks for the hot weather. There's also many talks given both in Vietnamese and English for everyone there. Another great thing is that there's usually always confession avaliable, either outside or near the adoration chapel avaliable in English and Vietnamese! Also, there are wonderful spaces to visit such as the area for the stations of the cross, or the garden with names of deceased ones. Usually on Saturday night, there's a concert from either of the two Vietnamese entertainment companies, Paris by Night or Asia. 

     I personally enjoy the shops that are avaliable. They range from religious books to tiny keychains, to fans or to personalized mugs. My personal favorite is all the t-shirts avaliable! There's so much to be done at Marian Days and so much to learn more about the Catholic faith and Vietnamese culture. I'd say one huge negative is the bathroom lines. Usually you wouldn't see bathroom lines of thirty or forty people for both men and women. But it's alright since it's a time to be more spiritually aware than anything else.

     Overall, these couple of days are a time for renewal and appreciation. Many first-generation immigrants will be thankful for the opportunity that we have given to us by our parents and grandparents' sacrifice. We learn more about the Vietnamese culture, and another reminder to look back at ourselves to see if we're the best that we can be. It's time spent with family and friends, for some, it may even be a time to discern. Whatever a person's purpose is of being at Marian Days, everyone's invited!