This educator was my favorite saint growing up. In my own childhood Catechism class, I first heard this ♪song♫ (Matthew 6:33) when we watched a video about her life…
With my own dreams of helping establish a Ca†holic school in my hometown, I look to St. Elizabeth for inspiration and seek her intercession.
Our Holy Father has spread joy & hope all around the world leading up to his World Meeting of Families | Courtesy ABC‘s Pope Francis & the People special
¡Biénvenidos, Padre!
“Don’t walk alone, always be encouraged. Walk with courage. Courage gives you joy, and joy gives you hope. Always move with courage, and always move with hope. Ask GOD for these.” ~ Pope Francis tells young girl in Spanish (this translated message transcends to all of us) … Similarly, Bishop Mike advised me to always look at the †cross† to refresh my soul with new hope, ♥love♥ and trust. | Courtesy ABC‘s Pope Francis & the People special
As Pope Francis journeys on his well-anticipated trip to America (Philly to D.C. to NYC)
Pope Francis has addressed the *U.S. Congress* | Courtesy ABC‘s Pope Francis & the People special
Pope Francis has connected with my previous home: el Valle | Courtesy ABC‘s Pope Francis & the People special
We also must consider how we take care of ourselves, in terms of our own †spiritual† health.
Pope Francis lifted up this young man’s spirits for taking care of his family | Courtesy ABC‘s Pope Francis & the People special
Lately, I’ve reflected on my self-centered tendencies and been praying to be relieved of them in order to put my life in GOD’s hands. This hasn’t been easy. Fortunately, more messages have reminded me to get more †spiritually-fit.
Has this already been part of our genetic disposition* or is this something that we can learn**?
CourtesyUnited States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Maryknoll‘s Father Finch uses a molecule metaphor about our spirituality already being part of our †souls, from the Holy Spirit to uncover GOD’s mysteries. By following these “spiritual† genetic instructions,” we serve and leadfaithfully.
en español | CourtesyUnited States Conference of Catholic Bishops
**Spiri†ual Bootcamp
First, we must make sure that we maintain our religious practices for the mind:
Bearing in mind and ♥heart♥ all of the above advice plus last week’s scripture, I realize now more than ever that I’m no better than anyone else in the way that I treat others and ought to be treated; after all, as said every Ash Wednesday:
For you are dust, and to dust you shall return. ~ Genesis 3:19
That being said, let’s follow the Pontiff‘s solid guidance to seek from GOD: courage –> joy –> hope ~ as I’ve studied this leadership practice for several years:
Encourage the ♥Heart♥
CourtesyMaryknoll
Spiritual Sources
ABC. (2015, Sept. 4). “Pope Francis and the People.” [TV special].
EWTN. (2014). Women of Grace “Marian Devotion: For Such a Time As This.”*
Finch, Fr. Raymond J. (2015, Sept. 20). Reflections from Maryknoll.** [Email].
A few weeks ago, I celebrated the †Corpus Christi (Most Precious Body and Blood)† at my family’s Church, where our *Deacon’s homily prompted this post in which I’ll paraphrase his proclamation.
Deacon Dan’s Communion Checklist
Fall in line and remain in reverence ~ this is not a social gathering where we’re here to see what everybody’s wearing
Look at the host ~ don’t look away, as we’re receiving this Sacrament
Stay for the rest of the Mass ~ it’s not time for us to leave just to beat traffic
While these may seem like simple steps, the Deacon pointed out how some don’t put them into practice yet must be in play out of RESPECT.
One more rule of thumb: we must have a clear conscience when we receive Holy Communion ~ so regular confession is key.
🎈🎁 ¡Feliz 🎂Cumpleaños🍰 a mi querida Evie mañana! 🎊🎉
Aside from calling my co-minister, co-teacher and faithful friend in ☝️Christ, “Ms. Easygoing Evie” in R.E., I also refer to her as a EV for Evie the Evangelist.
I believe that she, her mother Maggie and Maggie’s Bestie Mary Ellen may practice all 4 signs of Dynamic Catholic, with the 4th being Evangelism. To me, I practice the first three:
Now I pursue to improve on my evangelistic efforts: to draw others to the faith.
😇Saint Pope John Paul II‘s (who would’ve turned 95 in four days) strength in his convictions opened up countless many Catholics’ minds💡 & hearts💖 to come back [†cross† from 🌴Brownsville Cathedral].
How do we bring people to our beautiful 💒Church?
Mother Teresa restored faith in the poor and meek by helping and healing impoverished communities. This special Time issue dedicated to her was introduced by Rick Warren, who wrote The Purpose Driven Life.
Mary Ellen invites anybody and everybody to our Church and in fact influenced Evie’s family to return. Evie encourages others as well, and her approach is gentle in which those who come don’t feel forced or imposed. When we motivate someone, we want to empower👊 them, that they’re doing this on their own free will because our Christian convictions are deeply rooted on:
Volunteering our time⏰ and treasure to serving our Church💒 (mine is through ministry and teaching ~ photos below are of the Oblate Missions River Rocks that I brought back for my students)
Donating our treasure (i.e., money💸) through tithing💰
The Key to Happiness:
*STEWARDSHIP*
We can never give enough, so let’s start with gratitude and go on with a generous attitude!
Last but not least, we’ll explore the sign of:
*Evangelism*
The ☝️Ultimate👏 ✌️Evangelist🙏: Blessed Mother 🌹Mary: Fresh flowers💐 including from my Mom from my Dad‘s garden (2nd-to-right peach🍑 & center back pink🌷)
Source
Kelly, M. (2012). The four signs of a Dynamic Catholic: How engaging 1% of Catholics could change the world. Cincinnati, OH: Beacon.
So do Dynamic Catholics, who also engage in the other three signs that include:
Study
According to Matthew Kelly (2012), reading👓 Catholic books📚 regularly draws us closer to our 🌞faith.
All it takes is just five pages📖 per day …
You’ll be amazed at how much you learn about our religion and answer such questions as:
Why do we practice certain rituals in Catholicism?
One Catholic💒 worth studying is 😇 Saint Pope John Paul II (who passed away exactly a decade ago as of this month and has his 95th birthday next month) ~ who my parents visited in 🇮🇹Italy⛲️ during my dad’s USAF✈️ tour of Europe (where I was born in 🇩🇪Germany)!
As we reach our final moments on 🌍Earth🌏, we still won’t know EVERYTHING, but we can die⛪️ trying to absorb as much information as we can to bring us closer to His☝️ 👼Kingdom!
My St. Pope JP2 †cross† from 🌺Brownsville🌴 & the 🌹Rosary🌷 that he blessed⛲️ in Italy🇮🇹 from my CHRIST Bro Joe for my 🎈birthday🎁
#LifelongLearners✌️
My little kiddos👼 learn and teach a great deal in 💒R.E.
Source
Kelly, M. (2012). The four signs of a Dynamic Catholic: How engaging 1% of Catholics could change the world. Cincinnati, OH: Beacon.
Welcome/Mabuhay/¡Biénvenidos! I am a USAF brat who was born in Germany and grew up State-side while celebrating my Catholic and Filipino heritage. ☼Sunny☼ DISPOsition Elaine’s Eye Candy/DISPhotos ~ I love GOD & His creations, so I take photos @ any given opportunity. Elaine DISPOrts ~ I am passionate about sports, which is my research focus on my ... Continue reading →
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