To Trust the Unseen

Watched Thé rèse on EWTN tonight, and just about cried my eyes out.  Saint Thérèse of Lisieux is my Confirmation saint; I have read her autobiography, The Story of a Soul, and know about her life, but only the bare bones of it.  The film gave her story such a vividness and breath to really drive home how extraordinary she was.  She was so young, but so passionately in love with God.  She said it herself in the movie: "I don't need to grow up."  Biologically, she never did; tuberculosis claimed her when she was twenty-four...one year older than I am now.  Nor did she ever grow up spiritually, and in that she truly embodied Jesus' words to his disciples: "He said to them, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it'" (Mark 10:14-15).  She promised to spend her heaven doing go...

A little drawstring pouch, once a bright white felt, embossed with the crest of the Knights of Columbus...now yellowed with age, dulled and stained with other colors of things it has touched over the years, worn with time and use, so much so that the KoC crest is no longer visible.  Inside, a string of small clear beads held together in a pattern by an equally tiny links of a metal chain (slightly tarnished but still strong and intact), held together in a loop by the same crest.  On the other side of that crest is the Queen of Heaven with her crown of twelve stars, and at the other end of a smaller segment of beads and chain, is where this whole work of art--as with everything in this world--begins and ends: the Cross.  Specifically, the Crucifix, the most important and recognizable symbol of the Catholic faith. I was about ten years old when my grandfather, himself a Knight of Columbus at the time, gave me this rosary.  Two others have come to join it in the pouch...

For some time I've considered starting a blog, but I have so many interests that I had no idea at first what I would want to and could keep up a substantial blog about.  Then when I hit upon what I thought could be a really good idea, I found there was already a blog for it and I didn't want to feel like I was copying someone else. But then again, no two people can think or write exactly the same.  So now I'm just going for it and testing the waters, so to speak, with a blog about something near and dear to my heart: my faith. Admittedly, since I graduated from college and left behind those wonderful days spent with campus ministries, I've gotten a bit lazy keeping up my devotional notebook, the place where I would mostly reflect on a certain day's Scripture readings or spiritual discussions.  But it occurs to me that with something like this blog, I might be more motivated to take time out for that, as well as ruminate on other things related to Catholic Christ...