God's Presence In A Noisy World: My Weekend Trip to Chicago

This past weekend I took a much needed mini-vacation to Chicago-land. It was my first trip there in over a year. Not only do I enjoy the hustle and bustle that comes with being in a big city, but I also love the hundreds of beautiful churches that are held within the city walls. I like to look at it as God’s abounding presence in a world full of distractions. God is alive…even in a city full of Bears and Cubs fans…

My trip featured some of the finest churches and shrines that the Chicago-area had to offer.  The first landmark that I visited was Marytown-The National Shrine of St. Maximilian Kolbe in Libertyville, IL.  A ministry of the Conventual Franciscan Friars of St. Bonaventure Province, Marytown includes a Franciscan Friary, a contemporary Retreat and Conference Center, the Marytown Press- Catholic Books and Gifts, historic Chapels and numerous outdoor shrines and rosary gardens. It is definitely a place that you would want to visit for a highly uplifting spiritual experience.

Right down the road from Marytown is the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary. Since opening in the year 1921, it is one of the largest seminaries in the United States and has the most spectacular campus you will ever see.  I had a wonderful opportunity to go straight down from the university to the lake below. Secretly I had hoped to bump into the rector, Fr. Robert Barron, but alas, it was not meant to be.

After spending quite a few hours on campus, I made my way to the vigil Mass at Our Lady of Victory Parish which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. The Mass celebration was extremely beautiful and was presided by the current pastor of four years, Fr. Robert Fedek. Fr. Fedek, a remarkable priest originally from Poland, was invited by Cardinal George to study at Mundelein Seminary for the Archdiocese of Chicago. Needless to say, I believe that Our Lady of Victory was handed a wonderful pastor, whose warm personality and love for the Eucharist is very evident. My only regret is that I didn’t get a picture with him.

Please enjoy some pictures from my weekend trip and let us keep in mind that no matter how busy or noisy our lives may be, God always blocks out the busyness and noise with constant beautiful reminders of His presence in our world.

                                    (Left: Marytown Chapel. Right:Mudelein Gazebo)

                                    (Beautiful worship space at Our Lady of Victory)

Keep Living Where God Is: Daily Encouragement From The Spiritual Writings of Henri Nouwen

I am a huge fan of the great spiritual writer Henri Nouwen. Both a Catholic priest and a university professor, Nouwen wrote many spiritual books such as Reaching Out, The Wounded Healer and the Return of The Prodigal Son, that have influenced so many over the years in their search for God and for meaning in their lives.

One of my favorite books by Nouwen, The Inner Voice of Love, was actually written in the form of journal during one of the hardest periods of his life. During this difficult period when he struggled with self-esteem and faith in God, Nouwen wrote short paragraphs of encouragement to himself.

In the journal entry, “Keep Living Where God Is,” Nouwen speaks of putting aside your own agenda, your very own hopes and dreams, and consistently finding God in each moment. I find this section of the book extremely relevant for today’s culture and specifically in my own life.

I am someone who loves attention, maybe we can even say I crave it. Everyone wants to be liked and have a vast amount of approval, right? Who doesn’t want to get noticed for doing something special? Sometimes when I write my blog, and I’m sure that other blog-writers can attest to this as well, I get caught up in selfish thoughts that distract me from my main goals as a writer.

This blog, which is intended to inspire young adults in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and wherever you may happen to be, is not the John Bender show. The initial goal of this blog is to bring people closer to God, whether that is through promoting public events or sharing personal stories. It is only human nature that we get caught up in our own selfish ways. 

We, as a society, need to remember that everything that we do in life should be to honor and glorify God, and if the things we take on aren’t doing precisely that, then we might be doing more harm than good.

Let us always pray that we put our selfish ambitions second in comparison to giving God deserved glory and that we may do the work of the kingdom in drawing people closer to him through many unique avenues. 

Get Out Of The Boat: A Recap of Bishop Hying's Homily at Roses For Our Lady

"The safest place to be is on the open water with Jesus, trusting that He will grasp us by the hand. We can't stay in the comfort of the boat because Jesus is not there. Like Peter, when we join Jesus on the open water, no matter what we are trying, in the end, we will succeed because He succeeds in us."  ~Bishop Donald J. Hying, homily on Matthew 14: 22-33 at Roses for Our Lady's August 8th holy hour at Saint Francis de Sales Seminary

Roses For Our Lady (a local organization promoting authentic Eucharistic and Marian devotion) held their monthly Holy Hour for Vocations today at St. Francis De Sales Seminary in St. Francis, Wisconsin.  The presider was Bishop Donald J. Hying, Auxiliary Bishop of Milwaukee.

The Gospel account today was the inspiring story of Christ calling Peter out on the water. In front of a congregation of 50 plus people in Christ King chapel, Bishop Hying said that this Gospel account, “calls us as Christians to step out of our comfort zones and allow Christ to work in our lives in new and exciting ways.

As humans we have a tendency to stay put in certain situations where we feel safe and secure. No one likes the feeling of being vulnerable. However, if we want to make strides in our relationship with Christ, we are required to take a leap of faith and land in the arms of God. We cannot be satisfied by just dipping our toes in the water, but instead need to place both feet on the surface and begin focusing our eyes and hearts on our Lord. It is through the most uncomfortable and unfamiliar situations where we really come to know about God and surrender ourselves to His great love and mercy.

In what ways is Christ asking you to take a leap of faith today? Are you ready to accept the challenge?

For more Roses For Our Lady events and news please check out www.rosesforourlady.org

Lost in God: Praying For Your Future Spouse

                                                                                                      (photo courtesy of www.jackieandbobby.com)

“A woman’s heart should be so lost in God, that a man must seek Him to find her.”

-  Maya Angelou

My first few adult years have been a great learning experience as I seek God’s will for my life and I’ve found great encouragement through reading other Catholic blogs. There are many great resources online such as TheChastity Project, Catholic Gentleman, Jackie&Bobby and Arleen Spenceley that discuss dating, marriage, and chastity just to name a few. Check them out if you haven’t already!

I feel very strongly that it’s so important to find a woman that is completely in love with God. Good character is very important. After all, it is our spouse’s job to help us get to our heavenly destination. Upon reading Jackie&Bobby (a website run by a married couple) on the subject of a woman’s heart, I began praying for my future wife, offering her up to Our Lord at daily Mass as the host and chalice are elevated. In today’s culture, praying and waiting is not an option, but I believe that if you surrender everything in your life completely to God, wonderful things can happen and it’s exciting to see the results.

Here are a few ideas from JackieandBobby.com that can be helpful in searching for a spouse-

Pray for your future wife or husband

Consecrate them to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Start a 54 day novena (27 days in petition, 27 in thanksgiving no matter what happens)

Write a journal for your future spouse

Take comfort in knowing that God is always with us in everything we do and He will never let you be alone.

God loves you and He is always in control.

A Solid Wall Of Brass Against Opposition: Cardinal Harvey's Homily at Cor Jesu

Last night I had the great opportunity to attend Cor Jesu, an Archdiocese of Milwaukee initiative held at  St.Robert Parish in Shorewood, WI. Last night's Mass was a very special occasion with Cardinal James Harvey, Prefect of the Papal Household, presiding at Mass. 

Cardinal Harvey's homily was outstanding and much of what he said spoke directly to my heart. Cardinal Harvey, while quoting Jean Vanier, a Canadian Catholic philosopher, theologian and humanitarian, stated that, " even in our brokenness and uniqueness we can bring people to come know God."

So many times I am convinced that I need to do something big and important in order to attract other people to God. I convince myself that I need to be an intelligent theologian, an extremely generous philanthropist, a brave missionary or an accomplished writer and speaker in order to give God proper glory.

Cardinal Harvey's homily reminded me that I don't need to be anything but myself in order to spread the Gospel. It is a comfort that no matter what intellectual limitations, lack of theological learning, or brokenness that we possess, "God makes us a solid wall of brass against any opposition," and will love us just the way we are. Despite obstacles, we will be able to spread His Good News in very remarkable ways.

To Hear Cardinal Harvey's full homily please visit www.missionmilwaukee.com under "Homilies".

Clarity Moves Through Silence: Reflecting On The Words Of Matthew Kelly

Last Friday I had the awesome opportunity to go and hear Matthew Kelly, a world renowned Catholic motivational speaker and best-selling author at St. Leonard Catholic Church in Muskego, WI. Traveling with the Dynamic Catholic Institute, Matthew Kelly and gifted musician Eliot Morris presented the event, Living Every Day With Passion and Purpose. It was the first time I had heard Matthew Kelly speak in person and it was extremely exciting. He is such a powerful speaker and his love for the church and its people is very clear. You could just sense the energy and excitement through the entire church building.

I really felt that this event came at a perfect time for our Archdiocese, our individual parish communities and especially in my life. Living in a world of intense noise and distraction, a large majority of us, myself included, get so caught up in what the world wants our driving forces and motivations to be, that we lose sight of what we should be focusing on.

 I struggle with this a ton. I want to be the biggest champion for God, but I get so distracted by what the world can offer me instead. I listen to the opinions that the world has of me as a young adult Catholic and before I know it, I am heading down the opposite direction from God. It happens to all of us. It’s hard to be focused and engaged, when you live in constant noise. 

Matthew Kelly brought up the point that, “if we as Catholics want to live with passion and purpose, we need to have personal clarity.” Personal clarity is the ability to know:

Who you are

What you are here for

What matters most in your life

What matters least

It’s a huge challenge to be able to have personal clarity in today’s culture, but God who dwells in the silence of our hearts brings us to where we are supposed to be. Clarity moves through silence in the midst of a world drowning out our passions and desires with noise.

To be more engaged Catholics and more complete human beings, we need to separate our hearts and our minds from the world, and place them in the silence that will bring a sense of wholeness and clear vision.

How do you make time for peace and quiet in your life?

Gratitude, Humility & Surrender

"We shall steer safely through every storm, so long as our heart is right, our intention fervent, our courage steadfast, and our trust fixed on God." - St. Francis De Sales

Recently I’ve been picking up some interesting books at the library detailing, “CEO success stories”, and “ways to advance your career.” I often find myself to be very impatient with the way a current job or financial situation is working out and so I’m constantly looking at ways to improve myself. When it comes to the impatient feelings, I know that I am not alone. No one is being okay with being mediocre.

What if God wants us to be in this state of dissatisfaction though? I’m not saying that God takes pleasure in seeing us complain and be unhappy. We do not have a God who laughs at our shortcomings. I feel that we do sometimes overlook the idea that God’s will for us at this very moment, is to stay put with the way our lives are panning out now. God could care less if we were CEO’s of billion dollar companies or have stellar reputations. God does care however, about how we use the times that we struggle with being ordinary. When we feel impatient and wish that things could be better; do we pray for the grace to accept things the way they are? Or do we grumble and complain?

 I think there is always a great need for us to be grateful for what have. It can be through these avenues of ordinary living in fact, that we really come to understand the way God works. God wants us to be patient with Him. God is in control at every moment and that’s a great comfort that we can give our restlessness to.