Shades Of Our Youth

Praise God, our pilgrims are back!

This was my favorite photo, taken of my son...I thought it was an amazing reflection, through his "shades"(sunglasses), of the crowds at World Youth Day.  His Facebook caption of this photo reads: "Lend me your eyes and I can change what you see."

 Through the shades of our youth, I saw many hours of EWTN coverage on WYD and cried many tears of joy.  I came away with invigorating hope.  

Did you hear there were an estimated 2 million pilgrims?...Most of them being the future of our church. Wow!
Through the shades of our youth, I saw the endearing love for our Holy Father...

The youth endearingly cheered for the 264th successor to St. Peter (and 265th Pope):

"Benedicto, Benedicto, Benedicto!

I was inspired by the photos taken by our pilgrims, young people on fire for our faith.

Through the shades of our youth, I saw the universal church in all of it's glory and love.

They said there were approximately 170 country flags, all for 1 faith.

Through the shades of our youth, I saw that our pilgrims made fast friends with many young people around the world, regardless of background or culture.  We are 1 body.
  Madagascar pilgrims were close companions...

Along with Brunei (I had to look that one up on the map)
Hint:  It's a Malaysian island and own separate country in South East Asia!

Uganda (below)

And a special bond made with pilgrim friends from Trinidad...

 Through the shades of our youth I also saw my son always in pictures with a bunch of girls!
Hmmmm:)

I saw that "firm in the faith" also meant "firm in the metro"!
Through the shades of our youth, this is FUN.  Through my forty-something shades, this looks like purgatory!  Although I must say that it is colorfully captivating to look at:)
Thankful to have them back and eager to see what's in store for their future...

All God's plans are shining through the shades of our youth.

It was exciting that our pilgrims had a brief interview with EWTN's Life on the Rock!
They are in green shirts and my son was the spokesperson at the 1:57 mark on the video.  This was a great show, if you have a chance to watch the whole thing.
(You can click over to the right hand column (slightly up)to shut off my blog music from my playlist)

Beyond Beautiful Words

If you haven't had a chance to follow World Youth Day, I'm posting this first homily (in letter format) from the Holy Father. It was just too beautiful NOT to share...I cried all most of the way through it!:)  Be sure to visit WYD Central where I copied the text.

Pope to pilgrims: ‘Use these days to know Christ better’

“Listen regularly every day” to the words of Jesus, Pope Benedict told young people gathered in Madrid’s Plaza de Cibeles, “as if he were the one friend who does not deceive.”Following an initial address at the start of the Welcome Ceremony liturgy, the Holy Father delivered a longer homily. Drawing upon the World Youth Day theme, he urged the young faithful to “build your lives upon the firm foundation which is Christ.”
Published below is the full text of Pope Benedict’s homily:

Dear Friends,
Thank you for the kind words addressed to me by the young people representing the five continents. And I salute with affection all of you gathered here, young people from Oceania, Africa, America, Asia and Europe; and also those unable to be here. I always keep you very much in my heart and pray for you. God has given me the grace to see and hear you for myself and, as we gather together, to listen to his word.
In the reading which has just been proclaimed, we heard a passage from the Gospel which talks of welcoming the words of Jesus and putting them into practice. There are words which serve only to amuse, as fleeting as an empty breeze; others, to an extent, inform us; those of Jesus, on the other hand, must reach our hearts, take root and bloom there all our lives. If not, they remain empty and become ephemeral. They do not bring us to him and, as a result, Christ stays remote, just one voice among the many others around us which are so familiar. Furthermore, the Master who speaks teaches, not something learned from others, but that which he himself is, the only one who truly knows the path of man towards God, because he is the one who opened it up for us, he made it so that we might have authentic lives, lives which are always worth living, in every circumstance, and which not even death can destroy. The Gospel continues, explaining these things with the evocative image of someone who builds on solid rock, resistant to the onslaught of adversity, and in contrast to someone who builds on sand – we would say today in what appears a paradise – but which collapses with the first gust of wind and falls into ruins.  Dear young people, listen closely to the words of the Lord, that they may be for you “spirit and life” (Jn 6:63), roots which nourish your being, a rule of life which likens us – poor in spirit, thirsting for justice, merciful, pure in heart, lovers of peace – to the person of Christ. Listen regularly every day as if he were the one friend who does not deceive, the one with whom we wish to share the path of life. Of course, you know that when we do not walk beside Christ our guide, we get lost on other paths, like the path of our blind and selfish impulses, or the path of flattering but self-serving suggestions, deceiving and fickle, which leave emptiness and frustration in their wake.
Use these days to know Christ better and to make sure that, rooted in him, your enthusiasm and happiness, your desire to go further, to reach the heights, even God himself, always hold a sure future, because the fullness of life has already been placed within you. Let that life grow with divine grace, generously and without half-measures, as you remain steadfast in your aim for holiness. And, in the face of our weaknesses which sometimes overwhelm us, we can rely on the mercy of the Lord who is always ready to help us again and who offers us pardon in the sacrament of Penance.
If you build on solid rock, not only your life will be solid and stable, but it will also help project the light of Christ shining upon those of your own age and upon the whole of humanity, presenting a valid alternative to all those who have fallen short, because the essentials in their lives were inconsistent; to all those who are content to follow fashionable ideas, they take shelter in the here and now, forgetting true justice, or they take refuge in their own opinions instead of seeking the simple truth.
Indeed, there are many who, creating their own gods, believe they need no roots or foundations other than themselves. They take it upon themselves to decide what is true or not, what is good and evil, what is just and unjust; who should live and who can be sacrificed in the interests of other preferences; leaving each step to chance, with no clear path, letting themselves be led by the whim of each moment. These temptations are always lying in wait. It is important not to give in to them because, in reality, they lead to something so evanescent, like an existence with no horizons, a liberty without God. We, on the other hand, know well that we have been created free, in the image of God, precisely so that we might be in the forefront of the search for truth and goodness, responsible for our actions, not mere blind executives, but creative co-workers in the task of cultivating and beautifying the work of creation. God is looking for a responsible interlocutor, someone who can dialogue with him and love him. Through Christ we can truly succeed and, established in him, we give wings to our freedom. Is this not the great reason for our joy? Isn’t this the firm ground upon which to build the civilization of love and life, capable of humanizing all of us?
Dear friends: be prudent and wise, build your lives upon the firm foundation which is Christ. This wisdom and prudence will guide your steps, nothing will make you fear and peace will reign in your hearts. Then you will be blessed and happy and your happiness will influence others. They will wonder what the secret of your life is and they will discover that the rock which underpins the entire building and upon which rests your whole existence is the very person of Christ, your friend, brother and Lord, the Son of God incarnate, who gives meaning to all the universe.
He died for us all, rising that we might have life, and now, from the throne of the Father, he accompanies all men and women, watching continually over each one of us.
I commend the fruits of this World Youth Day to the most holy Virgin Mary, who said “Yes” to the will of God, and teaches us a unique example of fidelity to her divine son, whom she followed to his death upon the Cross. Let us meditate upon this more deeply in the Stations of the Cross. And let us pray that, like her, our “Yes” to Christ today may also be an unconditional “Yes” to his friendship, both at the end of this Day and throughout our entire lives. Thank you very much.

You may visit our diocese blog where we have posted some photos, though limited, and a few pilgrim reflections:)



Please Pray For Pilgrims!

Dear husband and oldest son ready to go to WYD!

Please join me in prayer as young pilgrims (and their 'older' chaperones) from all over the world are now in route to World Youth Day, 2011.    The youth of our future are convening together in Spain to be "Built up in Christ" and be "Firm in the faith" for the next 12 days!  They will meet with the Holy Father, beginning on the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and all throughout that week.  What a beautiful time for Our Lady to be close to them in a special way!

There were 17 pilgrims that departed today from our parish, joined by 10 other pilgrims from 2 other parishes.  Thanks be to God, they will be joined by a priest to serve as their spiritual leader!  

A few of our parish pilgrims met for morning Mass prior to their departure.

It was an unexpected blessing that Father M. was wearing his red vestments for the Feast of St. Lawrence, a martyr for the faith.  Fr. M. matched the pilgrims:)

There has been so much to do to get ready for this trip...I think everyone is smiling about it finally being time to go!

Today was the first day of my son's (and other pilgrims) senior year of high school...Amazingly special to be heading to Spain! 

I'm not even going but I'm still SO excited for each and every one of them!

~Come Holy Spirit, Come!~

Our CAV (Catholic Assault Vehicle) served a great and noble purpose...It carried the Advanced Party (military term for Tour Leaders) and their children;)

We were able to stuff all backpacks for 6 pilgrims in the back!

Being the chauffeur, I got honked at all the way home while I was stuck in commute traffic!  I just waved with my new special rosary while I prayed the Glorious mysteries on behalf of our pilgrims:)  It  was so much fun!

Honk for the Holy Father and Honk for Spain!

This was the final group photo that my husband texted me from the airport...What a glorious group of pilgrims and blessed, indeed!

WYD Hymn Madrid 2011

"Firm in the faith"

(1st verse)

Your love, it builds us up and keeps us rooted,

Your cross, it gives us constant strength and courage,

Your flesh, it ever saves us and sustains us,

Your blood, it flows to cheer us and renew us,

O Christ, you are our Brother,

O Christ, you are our Friend, you are our Lord,

Make us firm in the faith, make us firm in the faith!

**Follow WYD at Virtual WYD or  Catholic TV**

Stop, Drop And Love

Life is a mile a minute sometimes...How often do we forget to stop, drop to our knees... and love?

St. John Mary Vianney's feast day (August 4th) reminds us of a man's love that was so big, his heart remained incorrupt after his death.  What a miracle of love! Last summer we were blessed with a visit and real presence of this relic at a nearby parish.  I just love the prayer that was printed on the holy cards (pictured above) made for the pilgrimage of St. John Vianney's heart:

"I love you, O my God,

and my only desire is to love you until the last breath of my life.

I love you, O my infinitely lovable God,

and I would rather die loving you, than live without loving you.

I love you, Lord, and the only grace I ask is to love you eternally."


This is the perfect prayer as we are getting ready to send Dear husband and Mer-man off on their pilgrimage to World Youth Day (WYD) in Spain ...They leave in less than 1 week!  I made these cupcakes for one of their last preparation meetings with the symbol of WYD.  I love all of the symbolism and meaning behind the logo...

The logo has a cross that reflects the theme for World Youth Day, "Rooted and built up in Christ and established in the faith." The color red of the crown forms the letter M... this stands for Madrid and the M for Maria. The joining of the crown evokes youth coming together. The crown also represents The Virgen de la Almudena the female patron of Madrid. According to the creator of the logo, the orange, red, and yellow symbolize Spains warmth and the warmth of God. (We only used red icing on the cupcakes:)

 The World
The designer, Jose Gil-Nogués, said “The [logo] has a spontaneous and strong stroke, as the youth of the twenty-first century. It’s close, friendly, open, cheerful, casual and positive…The use of a palette of warm colors (red, orange and yellow) transmits an unmistakable warmth and heat, identity of a city like Madrid, Spain as a country. These colors are also a reflection of the warmth of God, ‘Trinity of Love."

WYD (World Youth Day) in Spanish is JMJ (Jornada Mundial de la Juventud). JMJ also stands for the Holy Family~Jesus, Mary and Joseph


The rest of our family, here at home, will hold down the fort and finish our school planning and preparations while our pilgrims are across the waters for 12 days!  We do have a little trip planned (with Grandma and Grandpa) to the lake. It will be a nice distraction from missing Dad and brother! It will also be our last "hurrah" before our school year kicks off very soon.

Back to stop, drop and love, we like to begin our school year on a Marian Feast Day as we strive to be closer to Christ.  After all, no one leads us quicker to Jesus than His very own Mother and our heavenly Mother, Mary.
"Let us live as the Blessed Virgin lived: loving God only, desiring God only, trying to please God only in all that we do."
~St. John Mary Vianney~
‎"I tell you that you have less to suffer in following the cross than in serving the world and its pleasures." - St. John Vianney-

Last year I believe we started our school year on The Assumption of Mary. This year we are aiming for the Queenship of Mary!
"Because the Virgin Mary was raised to such a lofty dignity as to be the mother of the King of kings, it is deservedly and by every right that the Church has honored her with the title of 'Queen'"
~St. Alphonsus Ligouri~
I am praying that I can pull everything together in time for our school start date...Trying to breathe remember to stop, drop and love!

Litany in Honor of St. John Vianney

Lord, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us.

God the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.

Saint John-Mary Vianney, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, endowed with grace from thine infancy, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, model of filial piety, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, devoted servant of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, spotless lily of purity, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, faithful imitator of the sufferings of Christ, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, abyss of humility, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, seraph of prayer, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, faithful adorer of the Most Blessed Sacrament, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, ardent lover of holy poverty, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, true son of St. Francis of Assisi, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, exemplary Franciscan tertiary, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, tender friend of the poor, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, penetrated with the fear of God's judgment, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, fortified by divine visions, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, who was tormented by the evil spirit, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, perfect model of sacerdotal virtue, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, firm and prudent pastor, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, inflamed with zeal, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, faithful attendant on the sick, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, indefatigable catechist, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, who didst preach in words of fire, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, wise director of souls, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, specially gifted with the spirit of counsel, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, enlightened by light from Heaven, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, formidable to Satan, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, compassionate with every misery, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, providence of the orphans, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, favored with the gift of miracles, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, who didst reconcile so many sinners to God, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, who didst confirm so many of the just in the way of virtue, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, who didst taste the sweetness of death, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, who dost now rejoice in the glory of Heaven, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, who givest joy to those who invoke thee, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, heavenly patron of parish priests, pray for us.

St. John Vianney, model and patron of directors of souls, pray for us.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.

V. Pray for us, blessed Jean-Marie Vianney, R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let Us Pray

Almighty and merciful God, Who didst bestow upon blessed John Mary Vianney wonderful pastoral zeal and a great fervor for prayer and penance, grant, we beseech Thee, that by his example and intercession we may be able to gain the souls of our brethren for Christ, and with them attain to everlasting glory, through the same Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end.

Amen

Sacred Heart of Jesus and World Youth Day

Have you heard that the Holy Father will be consecrating the youth to the Sacred Heart of Jesus at World Youth Day?  Our pilgrims are so excited!  They have worked very hard and have been incredibly blessed to raise enough money, after 2 years of fund raising, to cover their entire trip.  My dear husband and a few other adult chaperones are leading about 20 pilgrims, including our 17yo son,  to WYD in Spain this August.  Everyone is joyfully preparing for this special spiritual journey.  Just for fun, we attempted to make a giant Sacred Heart Sugar Cookie.  It wasn't quite as fancy as the cake we made last year but it tasted good!   If you know other pilgrims who are attending WYD or if you would like to pray a long with everyone there, be sure to order the Magnificat WYD Pilgrim Guide.  It's only $6.95 with shipping and handling.
We baked this cookie for the Immaculate Heart of Mary today:D

This afternoon we had one of those "mission accomplished" moments. We were able to celebrate the Holy Hearts by making these fun liturgical folders that I mentioned in a previous post.  I have been admiring them for quite some time forEVERand over at Gardenia's place and we finally sat down and made some.  The children really enjoyed doing them and the project turned out to be a great distraction as we tried to wait patiently for Dad to come home (with Army Dude) from their week-long Scouting trip.  They will finally be home late tonight...Hallelujah!
~Superboy (Age 7) did the Sacred Heart of Jesus folder~

Here is the inside...

We talked about the meaning of the Sacred Heart and he copied a little prayer onto some cut-out hearts.  Shhh, I didn't tell him that this was good summer writing practice!

~Princess did the Immaculate Heart of Mary~

Here was the inside...

A closer look...

Angel Baby broke out with her coloring debut!  We were all shocked that she colored so well in the lines and picked her own color scheme.  I was working with the other kids and looked over her shoulder to discover "wow!"  We all thought it was amazing work for a 3yo.

Here was her final product...

Oh, how I love the sweet treasures that little hands make!

"Everything in Mary leads us toward her Son, our only Savior, by whose foreseen merits she was preserved immaculate and full of grace; everything in Mary lifts up our hearts to the praise of the Holy Trinity."~Pope Paul VI~