True Happiness of the Soul or an Empty Worldly Wish?

This was a parable I had written for my sophomore Christology course. I decided to share it on here since I still have a writing block...

There was a man who lived quite happily with his family and was surrounded by love, but one day that all changed when he was presented with a temptation. One day, he met a person who began conversing with him. The two talked and time seemed to stop, until the other person questioned the man if he had everything he wanted. The man had a lovely family; a beautiful wife, and a child who he so dearly loved, but there were times he was greedy and wanted more things in his life. He replied that he was very grateful for all he had, but also admitted to the other things that he wished he had; Money, power, fame, and all things related to vice.

    After hearing the man’s answer, the other person nodded and remarked, “Would you be willing to give up your soul for those things?”

    “Well, I don’t know about that,” the man uneasily replied.

    The other person smiled and said, “I think your actions and thoughts will answer my question.”

    Then quickly disappearing into the night, the other person left the man standing still, trying to comprehend what had just happened. He walked to his car, an older model with a few things that could be fixed, but only if they had the money. Driving through the town, he noticed the high buildings and the glamorous lights that surrounded the elite. When he arrived home, he had noticed that his wife and child were already asleep, so he sat down on the couch and looked out the window while imagining a better life for himself.

    It was only a few days later that he was in an argument with his wife, who had been so enraged by his surprising negative attitude, that she had taken their child and was planning on driving to her parents’ home. He sat alone once again thinking, letting the thoughts of his wife and child quickly come up in his thoughts, only to be pushed away by the attractive idea of an investment he was thinking of making. His wife and child remained at his in-laws home, and he had not apologized for his actions, but instead, slowly pushed them away when they made any attempt at communicating once again.

    Time had passed, and while his wife and child were away, he had been successful in his new investment, upgrading and living a life filled with vice. He received a call though, one day, the call had left him in shock, his wife and child were reported to have died because of an automobile accident. Contemplating his life, he was in a state of utter confusion and chaos.

     His useless thoughts drove him to insanity and he took his own life, not valuing the importance of life itself and his likeness in God’s image. By choosing worldly possessions and refusing the virtuous way to live, he became tangled in a life that would promise him nothing everlasting.

Starting the Day Off

     The best way for me to start the day is by going to mass. Well, truthfully, my morning schedule is; wake up, pray the rosary, maybe pray the morning office, then get ready for the day. That's my schedule for the school year during the weekdays, at least.
     When it's the weekend during the school year or summer, I find something inspiring about going to daily mass in the morning. Ever since third grade to eighth, I've been attending morning daily mass for mostly everyday. People assume morning mass is for the elderly, but let me tell you that it's not entirely true. For example, I see young parents bringing their children to daily mass since they were little whenever possible. I also witness young men and women who take part of their day to celebrate the mass before heading off to their busy work lives. But then of course, you can also see loving elderly couples going to mass together every morning, and it definitely makes you feel something moving in your heart at that sight. How about middle-aged folks, aren't they there? Of course they are! Middle-aged people definitely go to daily mass, some bring their family intentions to mass, while others also go to have a meaningful start of their day.
     It's not just lay people that go to these daily masses, though. Often, I see religious sisters from several different orders. I've seen missionaries, Rochester Franciscans, Nashville Dominicans, Schoenstatt Sisters, and even a Handmaid of the Heart of Jesus. There's also been seminarians from my diocese and others. There's something beautiful about seeing those choosing the religious life and the priesthood at mass. I've witnessed the inspiration that they have brought to me and to others.
     Me? At first I was just a child who was told by my parents to go, and so I went. On days when there wasn't mass, I was a little happy. But, that was a few years ago...before I realized the importance of the mass in my life.
     While I am in high school, it's not possible to go to morning mass since it starts after the beginning of school. I still go on Saturday mornings and of course, I will attend Sunday mass. During the school year, about every two weeks we have an all-school mass that everyone is required to attend, and every Wednesday there is an optional mass before school. There's something I must say, as a student, if you're at school early, why don't you take spend some time with Jesus instead of standing around in the halls talking about worldly things? I don't mean to be hypocritical, but it's heartbreaking to see a maximum of 4-5 students at an optional mass on Wednesdays, when the school has over 400 students.
     Why go to morning mass? I can't give you a definite answer, but I'll tell you my personal experience. I've received so many blessings known and unbeknownst to me. I've experienced tiny miracles that I give all credit to the Eucharist. That is the main reason why I go to mass, to receive the Eucharist. Although at times, it seems like there's better things to be doing. I guarantee you, going to mass brings a peace and wellness to the rest of your day. I've had terrible mornings, but when I entered into prayer in the mass and received the Eucharist, I was open to the goodness of more things.
     Morning mass is something that I treasure very deeply. When I could go all the time, I took it for granted, but now when I can't go everyday, I long for the days that I can. So, I sincerely hope that anyone that is able to go to mass everyday, to take this opportunity and attend morning mass. It'll make a difference in your life, I promise.

Being an Informed Catholic Teen

     I'd say about 85% of the Catholic teens I know are not informed about Catholicism as much as they could be. I'm not saying I'm well-informed either, just that we all can take time and resources to improve our knowledge on Catholicism. The majority of Catholic teens probably cannot quote scripture and cite it, or be intellectually aware of the differences between the Novus Ordo mass and the Tridentine mass.
     At this point, you're probably wondering, "Well, why aren't they aware?" If you're also a teen yourself, maybe question how acknowledgeable you are of the Catholic faith. The importance in being an informed Catholic teen especially in the 21st century is crucial for the world. If the amount of informed Catholic teens in the world decrease rapidly or slowly, it can still cause damage to the Church. When issues such as the sex abuse scandal or the topic homosexuality appear, Catholic teens need to be able to firmly respond correctly and in accordance with the Catholic teachings. For example, many people have an inaccurate view of Catholicism possibly because the Catholics they have met are misinformed and have misspoken about the faith.
     Many teens might not even understand the seven sacraments or be able to accurately state why all human life is sacred. This is concerning. This isn't the fault of a certain person or group of people. The reason is partly due to religion seen as a "negative" in the media, and that other things are more important. This whole idea takes away from the true discovery and education of Catholicism. If only more people understood what the Catholic Church stood for and taught instead of the misconceptions, then Catholicism would definitely take another step in the journey to save as many souls as possible. We're all at fault here, I would personally say that I'm accountable for someone being a less informed Catholic teen.
     In my opinion, I don't think we lack any resources, especially in first-world countries. We have TV channels and radio stations, films/media, books, music, etc. It's unlimited! But it comes down to the individual teen, many are lacking that push to actually find out resources about the faith. It's to the point when we see Catholic teens supporting Planned Parenthood, some even posting IG pictures of products of companies (largely Starbucks) that support Planned Parenthood. We also see many claiming to be "Catholic," but then not understanding the Catholic teaching on homosexuality and marriage between one man and a woman.
     The big question is how can this be fixed? I honestly have no idea, I'm still trying to become an informed Catholic teen myself. But that's the first step, to understand that we lack knowledge in at least one aspect of the Catholic faith, and to change that by taking the initiative to expand our wisdom. If every Catholic teen would take fifteen minutes everyday or more to learn something new about the Catholic faith that they didn't know before, it would not only benefit them, but the entire Catholic Church.
     So other Catholic teens out there, are you an informed Catholic teen? What other things can you do to improve your current position? There's many questions you may have, but there's definitely answers out there.

Good luck to all of you, and please keep me in your prayers as well.

VibrantCatholic

St. James Coffee: Catholic Coffeehouse

     If you happen to follow me on any of my social media, it'd be very likely you've heard about St. James Coffee. But if you haven't heard of St. James Coffee, let me tell you about it! Who doesn't love coffee? Well, I suppose some people don't, which is why I'm here to tell you St. James Coffee also offers others drinks such as teas or smoothies. And you don't have to be Catholic, everyone that goes there is respected and welcomed! Conversations about faith are always welcomed, though!

     How about a little history on this lovely coffeehouse, shall we? It was an idea by a priest when he was still in the seminary, and the idea came to fulfillment in the summer of 2012. It is now a non-profit Catholic coffeeshop in Rochester, MN in the Diocese of Winona. Something really awesome about this place, is about 90% of the hours are covered by volunteers, me (VibrantCatholic) being one, too! How could I have forgotten?! There's a chapel there, too! Although it's not fancy or intricate, it's simple and has Jesus, which I think is more important than anything else.
   
     Now for a little testimony, I just wanted to say that this place has absolutely transformed me to become a better person. Not just because of the physical surroundings in the coffeeshop, but the people I've met there. At St. James Coffee, I've spoken with people who have helped me to grow in my faith and to also see my vocation a little bit more clearly. During this summer, I was going through some personal difficulties and didn't have much hope, but I was also started volunteering around that time, and working there and interacting with those there gave me more hope. I was also able to spend more time in the presence of Jesus and that has definitely been a plus!

Here's the website if you'd like to see it: stjamescoffee.com
Also, please give St. James Coffee's Instagram account a follow! (It may or may not be that I'm one of the people managing it) St. James Coffee Instagram

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!