"Marriage Readings" as read by the Single Girl

This Sunday is the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time. I had a student ask me why this Sunday is already the "2nd Sunday" if The Baptism of the Lord was technically the end of the Christmas Season. He is also that kid that raises his hand way too much, but I honestly wasn't totally sure of the answer. Only thing I could come up with is that we've had a full week of Ordinary Time already? Maybe? Anyone know?

In my reading of the readings for this Sunday- The 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time- I, single girl that I am, with all of the (other people's) weddings under my belt, I was, of course, drawn to the fact that the first readings and Gospel have images of marriage and weddings in them.

From Isaiah:

"No more shall people call you “Forsaken, “
or your land “Desolate, “
but you shall be called “My Delight, “
and your land “Espoused.”
For the LORD delights in you
and makes your land his spouse.
As a young man marries a virgin,
your Builder shall marry you;
and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride
so shall your God rejoice in you."

And the Gospel reading is The Wedding of Cana found in John where Christ performs is first public miracle:


"the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him,
“Everyone serves good wine first,
and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one;
but you have kept the good wine until now.”
Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs at Cana in Galilee
and so revealed his glory,
and his disciples began to believe in him."


One of the pros and one of the cons of working in ministry is that my prayer and work often overlap, as you've heard me say time and time again. This week, my faculty department colleagues and I had a meeting and we reflected on this Sunday's Gospel to begin our meeting. The priest who was joining us noted the multiple uses of marriage imagery throughout the Bible. Which led me to think today in prayer: "Why?" Why all the images of weddings and marriage in Scripture? As if I haven't been surrounded by weddings enough??

This would, I think, be an excellent thesis or research topic- the marriage imagery in the Bible- but we all know I am up to my ears in catechetical documents right now. (No, but seriously):

Three separate piles of books and binders strewn across my bedroom. A sad, sad state of affairs...

But I did think about the immediate connections that could be made to Christ, His Church, and the Sacrament of Marriage.

(A COMPLETE aside which I know you find SHOCKING coming from me and the way I write, but since I *am* currently up to my ears in catechetical documents, but also meditating on this Sunday's readings, I couldn't help but notice that in my reading of the first National Catechetical Directory- Sharing the Light of Faith- the document uses "Mysteries" to describe the Sacraments of Initiation, Sacraments of Healing, etc. So for example, Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist are referred to as "Mysteries of Initiation" which I kind of liked...Sacraments ARE Mysteries!)

In the first reading, God is indicating that he will be taking Israel and His people and "espousing" Himself to them-committing Himself to them through Christ- for better, for worse, etc. I've mentioned before that our Baptismal vows are just as important and binding as wedding vows, yet somehow, we take both for granted.

And it is no coincidence that Christ performs his first miracle at a wedding, for it does set the stage for his covenant with us. A covenant is a sacred bond or agreement- exactly what is made in marriage. In my Old Testament course, we discuss all the names that change (Abram to Abraham, Sarai to Sarah) to indicate their new covenant or bond with God. We also use name changes to show a covenant in our modern world even today.

Weddings, of course, are also parties and feasts which indicate a heavenly feast or banquet to come, but today I was particularly struck by the indication of God's marriage or covenant with us; His promises to us. I think we can all agree that we get way too caught up in the party sometimes, instead of the life-long commitment and promises being made for a lifetime at a wedding!

In the first reading from Isaiah, there is the image of virginity, too- a couple giving their complete selves to one another. I believe this mimics the complete union that God desires from our us- our whole selves- as He also gives everything, including Salvation through His Son, to us.

Promises, Union, Vows...this is what marriage, and also life in the Church, is about. I don't exactly like the idea of being "forsaken" and "desolate" without this espousal, but placed within the context of Christ, we are indeed these things without Him.

So I am grateful for His promises and His perfect faithfulness...a pretty cool thing to think about in this "Ordinary" time.

Peace,
Julia

The Virtue of Faith in the Year of Faith

Happy 2013! We've had all kinds of "new years" up and around us these past couple of months. In October we began the "Year of Faith" as a Church. Then in December, we began the liturgical new year. And then, obvi, on Jan. 1 we started another new year. All these beginnings! Kind of exciting, no?

 I have began my "new years" in January with a retreat with my friends since 2010. For three years, we gathered with my spiritual director for about 24 hours and prayed, laughed, and listened to God together.



2010

2011

2012

This year, since I have given priority to my studies, I didn't feel called to organize the retreat. It does make me a little sad because the retreats had borne so much fruit in the past, gave us a good vision for the new year, and also really reminded me of  how amazing my friends are!

But my friends are still amazing and I am blessed to have a spiritual director who steers me in the right direction regardless. I do hope to go on a retreat - even if for a day- sometime soon. But in the midst of studying for my comps, I'm not sure when that will be.

I met with my spiritual director recently, though, because I do like to have a fresh look and start for the new year. The Year of Faith really does kind of give us a theme or a lens to look at this year with already, however.

I bloggged about how to begin the year of faith, I read the document- Porta Fidei- and shared it with my students. Then, over Christmas, I followed one of the Holy Father's suggestions and made a "pilgrimage" to the place of my Baptism.

I am very task oriented. I can really get caught up in checking things off a checklist. Faith, though, is meant to be lived. And so my spiritual director has given me the challenge now, not to look so much at the practice of faith, but the virtue of faith in my life.

In an USCCB's (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) document for adult faith formation, there is an article called "Living Faith" that I use with my students. In it, the bishops say that faith is "both a gift of God and an authentically human response." I share this with my students because I think sometimes we believe that some people have faith and some just don't. And thems is the breaks.

The truth is, we all receive the virtues at baptism. Faith is the first of the theological virtues.

I have taken the gift of faith and my baptism for granted at times in my life because the virtue of faith does seem to come somewhat more easily for me. But I believe that is because of my response to faith. God has given me a great faith, but I have allowed it to be a great part of my life (for better or for worse :).

Hebrews 11:1 says that "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." One of the first places we find the virtue of faith in Scripture is in Genesis with Abraham. Genesis 15: 6:

"Abram put his faith in the Lord, who attributed it to him as an act of righteousness." This verse is written after God tells Abraham that he will have descendants, of his barren wife Sarai, and Abraham eventually chooses to believe. Abraham is a great model of the virtue of faith because God really challenges Abraham and time and again, Abraham continues to choose to place his trust in God.

As I prepare for my comps, I have to go through a reading list with 45 books that I just have to be "familiar" with. The Catechism happens to be one of them. I mean, I'm "familiar" with the Catechism....but I'm not sure what exactly I will need to know from it....it's kind of a LARGE BOOK.

Anyways, as I research and study for my exams, I multi-task by also finding this gem which I think will aid me as I meditate on the virtue of faith (again, pertaining to our guy Abraham):

Part 1, Section 1, Chapter 3, Article 1, Paragraphs 144-146 (Man, I hope I don't have to get that specific when taking my exam!):


"I. The Obedience of Faith

144 To obey (from the Latin ob-audire, to "hear or listen to") in faith is to submit freely to the word that has been heard, because its truth is guaranteed by God, who is Truth itself. Abraham is the model of such obedience offered us by Sacred Scripture. the Virgin Mary is its most perfect embodiment.

145 The Letter to the Hebrews, in its great eulogy of the faith of Israel's ancestors, lays special emphasis on Abraham's faith: "By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was to go."4 By faith, he lived as a stranger and pilgrim in the promised land.5 By faith, Sarah was given to conceive the son of the promise. and by faith Abraham offered his only son in sacrifice.6

146 Abraham thus fulfils the definition of faith in Hebrews 11:1: "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen":7 "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness."8 Because he was "strong in his faith", Abraham became the "father of all who believe"


The Catechism, too, then shows Abraham as the father and model of our faith. He chose to "freely submit" to the "word he had heard." And this is the example set for us to do in our own lives as well.

Faith is a gift that we receive by our Baptism, but as the bishops document says, it is also is a response. I'm going to be taking some time this year to reflect on the response(s) to faith in my life. I think we can all start with our Baptisms. Today, the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, ends the Christmas season, but Baptism begins our journey in the Christian Faith. Many of us don't remember our baptisms since we are infants, but Baptism is a great gift that the Lord gives us, whether we (or even our parents) chose it authentically or not.

I share this with all of you to perhaps give you something to reflect on in this new year and Year of Faith, too. I'm going to be praying with Scripture verses that discuss faith as well. Here are some to get us started if you'd like to join me!

Matthew 16: 8- "oh you of little faith"

Matthew 17: 14- 20: "because of your little faith"- the apostles are trying to cast out a demon like Jesus

Mark 2: 6- healing of the paralytic

Mark 5: 21-34- faith of the woman with the hemorrhage

Luke 7: 9- faith of the centurion

Luke 8: 25- calming of the storm

John 14: 1- Last Supper Discourse

And that's just a start from the Gospels! Also see the book of James chapter 2 (faith and works) 1 and 2nd Timothy, and 1 Peter for how the apostles and early Church grapple with the gift of Faith.

 Happy New Year!

Peace,
Julia

Confident at Christmas

No, that subject heading is not meant to be an oxymoron or read sarcastically. Seriously. I am going to write about how we should feel confident at Christmas. I dare say no sane woman has ever attempted this before.

It seems contradictory to the stressors that we have placed on the season: buying the perfect gift, shedding the extra pounds put on by Christmas cookies, fearing what inappropriate thing grandma will say about us or our significant other (or lack there of...) this year.  We get STRESSED at the holidays. But we should feel confident at Christmas because the overall message(s) are of hope, peace, joy, and love.

It's the 4th Sunday of Advent. And this year, the 4th week of Advent really only lasts a day. We kind of get a free-bee on Christmas this year. A few less days of repenting? A few days closer to feasting and rejoicing? I'll take it. And the readings for today carry this theme of confidence that I am talking about:

Micah in the first reading is sure of the Savior. Of his origin, of His ability to save. There is no doubt in his voice: "He shall stand firm and shepherd His flock..." That's right. Our Savior isn't going anywhere. He is here to save. Heh.

The psalm response: "Lord MAKE US turn to you...and we shall be saved." We don't even have to turn our own heads to see Him! God will do it for us if we ask and let Him!

And I personally love the reading from Hebrews that discusses the Will. Because although, it sounds really nice that God could "make us turn our heads" there is also an element to that that sounds domineering and not so fun. The reality is, we have our WILL and it was given to us for a reason. And in a beautiful way, the author of Hebrews tells us, it was Christ's Will to die for us so that we don't have to make our own offerings anymore. It is an exchange of our wills now. And isn't that really what Love is? Follow this with me for a second.

This (along with this theme of confidence) is something that my spiritual director and I have been speaking about the past few times we've met, and then I also heard this in my Theology course this semester: Our Intellect + Our Will is what defines or makes up Love.

If you think about it, it is true. What we know about a person, makes us love them. And when we know them so well, we can even predict what they might do! And it is our choice, our will to love them. Marriage, in a sense, is two people willing themselves to each other. Of their own free will. In love.

In the Gospel for today, we see a confident Mary who goes to get confirmation about her cousin being with child. Elizabeth praises Mary's confidence in the Lord: "Blessed are you who believed that what the Lord has spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled." - Luke 1: 45

A couple of months ago, we began the year of faith. And I told myself I was going to focus on the gift of the Sacraments as well as my relationship with Mary. This Gospel passage today really helps me connect to Mary. What am I currently believing that the Lord has spoken to me? What am I confidently sharing with others about Him as she did?

And in terms of the sacraments in this year of faith, my spiritual director gave me this beautiful exercise that the Holy Father has suggested to the faithful: make a pilgrimage to the place of your baptism.

Each Christmas, we go to the Church where I was baptized- my grandmother's Church. The same church my parents, my cousin were married in. Same church where we celebrated my grandfather's and uncle's funeral Masses.

I went yesterday and spent a little time in prayer. I walked in and took a seat by the baptismal font. Who knows if it's the same one I was baptized in, but it was kind of cool to think about. I walked passed the altar and saw that a monstrance was all in its place, all ready for adoration! I love when I wander into places not knowing about Adoration and then Jesus shows up. He's so good to me like that.

I got to go to confession, too, at this Church which was a great way to experience two of the sacraments that I can receive regularly- Eucharist and Reconciliation- while meditating on my baptism. I highly recommend and encourage you readers to have an opportunity to do the same!

Place where the magic happened:

Oh, and another reason I am feeling super confident this Christmas...my cousin and I went to my grandmother's to take part in a nearly century-old tradition: pierogi making. And we didn't screw it up! The matriarch of the family may have even COMPLEMENTED us on our work. This is HUGE, people:

 The master at work on the dough. Bowls are overrated.

 The pinching is seriously everything...

I didn't ruin Christmas! Yet!

Happy 4th Sunday of Advent aka the eve before Christmas eve this year! And Merry Christmas!
Peace,
Julia

Advent 2012!

Here we are- Advent! Some years it sneaks up on me, some years I can't wait for it to begin. But as God would have it, in the spirit of this pretty great year, it has been a good balance right now of challenge and peace. As it should be right? I think I keep proving to myself that by our 30s, we finally start to get things right ;)

I know it's week two...I couldn't find one with two candles lit and I'm not that tech-literate to create my own. Though I did find this fun generated image on the internetz:

I last blogged on the Feast of Christ the King. With that feast, which ends the liturgical year, began my prayers for a holy Advent. I wanted to enter into the season fully. I went to confession right away, made some resolutions (I am re-committing to daily Mass for one. This school year we switched to a five minute earlier start time for classes and somehow that through my whole morning off! Finally getting it back into gear this Advent!) and am trying to make my daily prayer time special and Advent-y.

I think around this time of year I find myself blogging about hope because it just fits in so easily with the season. No one gets sick of hope,though, right? My thoughts are naturally drawn to hope again this year and like I said, we can never have too much of it.

I love the readings from the prophets during Advent that speak of this hope that I can't get enough of:

"The desert and the parched land will exult;
the steppe will rejoice and bloom.
They will bloom with abundant flowers,
and rejoice with joyful song...

Strengthen the hands that are feeble,
make firm the knees that are weak,
Say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God..."  Isaiah 35: 1-10

I think I have blogged before about the difference between "Christmas Joy" vs. "Easter Joy". "Easter Joy" comes from the fruit of our suffering having entered into the desert with Jesus during Lent. Advent is a penitential time, too, but one of more waiting and anticipation. And the Joy of Christmas is more a free gift (certainly, the salvation of the Resurrection is free gift! But in the Spirit of Lent, it is a joy we feel after weeks of sacrifice).

Let's put it this way: Easter is more like  an "ALLELUIA! OM THANK GOD EASTER IS HERE!" than "oh, HEY. Christmas is pretty sweet!" . Christmas joy comes out of these messages of hope from the prophets and it is unexpected and truly free.

And so on that note, I'm just feeling real positive this month, y'all! I have passed one test so far towards my Masters degree, I have one final this week which I am also feeling surprisingly confident about. 

My prof gave us about 13 options for possible exam questions last week. ( I made sure to tell him that 13 was a terrible number, but I'm guessing since he teaches the course which is actually numbered TRS 666, he isn't one for numerology or superstition. Priests are like that. )

At first I was overwhelmed about the research I might have to do to find all the answers to said questions,  but once I dove into my notes I realized a.) I had taken REALLY good notes (despite all the texting and tweeting I did through classs...sshhh! I become the WORST student after teaching all day!! and b.) the concepts wouldn't be as hard to remember as I first thought. Whew!

Today in one of my sophomore classes a student actually asked me (without her knowing it) one of the questions on the exam! We were talking about human suffering and Christ's own suffering and she asked: "Does God the Father suffer?" One of my exam questions was on the heresy of patripassianism and I FREAKED OUT. I was like "NO! I know this one! And the answer is NO!" 

I then attempted to explain to her "divine impassibility" the best I knew how. 

I then emailed my prof to tell him all of this and that I was going to nail Question #2 should he ask it on the exam.

He wrote back to tell me he LOL'd. 

This is my life. 

I'm such a nerd.

But Advent Hope! It's here! Christmas Joy! Let's get it! I'm all about it! 

It all reminds of THIS SONG that my roommate introduced me to (whom I'm soo thankful for, btw. Mainly because she watches tragic reality television with me. We gagged together when we watched Honey Boo Boo make "sketti" and also are obsessed with Tamar Braxton- "GET YOUR LIFE!")

Anyways, as the song says: Go get your blessing! It's your time!

(Mary Mary also have their own reality show, too, btw ;)

Peace, Love, Hope and JOY-

Julia

Feast of Christ the King

As previously mentioned, this was like, one of the best years ever for me. It was filled with friends and family celebrations (aka WEDDINGS) but also a lot of time focusing on myself, my studies, etc.

We get realllllyyyy excited for Advent and Christmas, but Christ the King is a pretty cool feast in and of itself. Just like last year, my sophomores' unit on the Ascension fell around this feast of Christ the King again. It's great because my mind is already focused, then, on the gift of the Ascension and what it means for us and it helps me enter into the "end is near" readings of this end of the liturgical year.

We all know how I love NYE (going to LA this year!!)....the feast of Christ the King is like New Year's Eve in a way. The first Sunday of Advent is our "new year" in the Church, so this feast of C to the K is always a chance to look back on the year, but also look forward to new year's resolutions of Advent and, of course, ahead towards our end goal of heaven.

So it's time to start thinking...what is going to be my Advent repentance/resolution? How did I live this past year? And am I working towards my end goal of heaven?

I have a lot of goals in sight: end of the semester. End of 2012. End of grad school. But right now is the time to prepare for those ends the best way I know how. Similarly, now is the time for us to think about how we are preparing for Christmas, for the New Year, and ultimately, heaven.

This image of Christ the King has Jesus looking super official as the authority of Heaven and Earth...but the priest today at Mass reminded us (as I also do with my students), Christ was not the typical King. He is now sitting on his throne in heaven where he is in all of his glory, a glory so great that we can't imagine the beauty that is the beatific vision....BUT we know that he embraced the broken and was himself broken before taking His rightful place.

This verse from Hebrews is always comes to mind: "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin."- Hebrews 4:15

Love it. I am also grateful for this feast because it helps remind me that OMG ADVENT IS COMING!!! Time to get on the resolutions for the penitential season stat.

Oh! And it was about this time last year that we were all worried about the NEW TRANSLATION of the Mass....how is that working out for ya? I still get tripped up on the Gloria and Nicene Creed myself, but think of how far we've come! :)

Happy New Year, guys! It's almost here!
Peace,
Julia

Giving Thanks 2012

Around Advent, I like to recap the the year in pics. Advent is almost here and 2012 has been a stellar year!!! I finished my 2nd full year of teaching and began my 3rd. I began my last *full* year (hopefully) of grad school!! I traveled to ALL of the places! AND...of course...

The Year of the Wedding 3.0:

Nov.

Oct.

Sept.

July

May

March

And back in Feb.

Don't judge...I recycled some dresses. Also, I had to say no to 3 weddings that are not featured here and I still have 1 more to go! Whew!!

When I found out that I was going to be going to all of the weddings last year I knew that I was going to have to chose to make 2012 be a little about me as well. Check and check:

 If you are going to go to a wedding, in FL, might as well make the most of it...

Viva Puerto Rico!

And of course, there was Greece...

 A little East Coast fun: Philly, Atlantic City....

...and West/Midwest! LA...

 And home to Ohio for some family fun.

And like the weddings, the travel hasn't stopped yet! Over the Christmas break, I plan to go back home to Ohio for a week and then head back out to the West Coast and celebrate New Year's Eve in LA!

So what am I grateful for this year? Obviously, the above people and places which I have been blessed to have included in my year. I'm grateful that I've gotten to do ME this year. I debated a little during my last session of spiritual direction whether or not I've been too selfish this year. I wouldn't change anything about this year. But I am aware that after I have finally obtained my Masters, I need to probably slow down and start to give back my time again.

(This fall, however, I made it a goal to do one of *my favorite* things several times: go to a winery every weekend. I made it prob 5 out of 8 or so weeks :)



2 of VA's finest :)

I am grateful for all of my friends, but in a special way my single girls this year. I have received so much support from all of my friends and family, but it's been especially nice to know I can call on my girls and they are always there at the ready to grab a drink, go shop, or just chill out and watch some bad reality TV. I've actually decided to forgo the traditional thanksgiving this year, and while I will miss being with my family,  I've decided to take a little break from the travels and stay here in DC with one of my best friends for turkey day (hey, she said she would cook, so I'm in. I'm in charge of the wine, of course! ;)

And I have high hopes for 2013! It will mark 10 YEARS from graduating from CUA the *first* time and should include me graduating from the same institution a *second* time!

Also, as much as I have been blessed to live with many awesome solid roommates over the years, I think 2013 will include me moving out on my own and possibly becoming a...gulp...homeowner?!? We shall see what God has in store.

I definitely made the most out of 2012 and I am so grateful!

Happy Thanksgiving!
Peace,
Julia

New Evangelization

So I don't know if you all know this, but there's kind of a lot of things that have happened in our country recently. Sandy. An election. A day to honor those who have served in war.

While I clearly am not afraid of sharing  my religious beliefs, I do refrain from making overarching political statements because I do let my faith, obviously, influence my politics and I do happen to believe there is no particular political party in our country that encompasses my beliefs. I also happen to believe that while absolutely we should let our faith and values inform our politics, we have separation of church and state and freedom of religion (which has become a hot button issue, so I know y'all know this too!). God Himself gives us the guidelines, but he also gives us free will. Love is, by design, a choice. Love is not forced. (see this awesome video of my favorite little priest talking about Thomas Aquinas' definition of love :) We can share with others our beliefs and vote from our own consciences, but that is really all we can do.

Oh, yeah. And we can PRAY. I know that seems really trite, perhaps, but I was amazed at the amount of people who took to facebook and Twitter to judge rather than pray. And, trust, I am just as guilty as the next when it comes to using Twitter for Judgy McJudgerton things. I will be the first one to tell you when the woman in front of me is buying 12 boxes of kitty litter or the guy on Jeopardy collects Star Wars action figures just to make myself feel witty. But come on, people! If you really want people to buy into your point of view, HONEY. NOT VINEGAR.

And also prayer. Because our Church is guided by the magisterium insofar as they are guided by the HOLY SPIRIT. And how does one receive insight from the Holy Spirit? Prayer. 

I'm not gonna lie, I started to feel a little lost and hopeless after this election, but not for the reason some of my fellow Catholics were. I was more saddened by the Catholics I saw posting the Facebook messages I mention above. I was more saddened by the homilies I heard that chose to sway our political beliefs instead of our belief in the Gospel.

It is easy to make ourselves seem like an authority on something when we can't see the person we are speaking to like on Facebook or Twitter. And I'm not saying we shouldn't use these to evangelize, because, come on! I'm a media girl. Also, I'm clearly blogging. Sharing our beliefs via social media is a part of the New Evangelization. But the goal of using these cultural tools is to meet people where they are at. Not bark down to them from whatever level you think you are on.

Okay. I need to stop myself lest I fall into the very same category which I am speaking against. New evangelization also involves prayer. It involves us looking into ourselves FIRST and converting ourselves FIRST so that we might lead others to Christ by our example.

I was starting to lose hope...but then I saw this from Cardinal Dolan (yes the man who gave a blessing at the RNC and DNC) and I was reminded of how the Holy Spirit moves and that the Spirit is in control, not us:

http://www.usccb.org/about/leadership/usccb-general-assembly/2012-november-meeting/presidential-address-cardinal-dolan.cfm

I'm not naive...i know some of you won't read the whole thing :) But the thing that sold me are the following points which I will share with you:

"We cannot engage culture unless we let Him first engage us; we cannot dialogue with others unless we first dialogue with Him; we cannot challenge unless we first let Him challenge us."

.   .    .

"​To be sure, the sacraments of initiation - - Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist - - charge, challenge, and equip the agents of evangelization. Without those sacraments, we remain isolated, unredeemed, timid and unfed.

​But, the Sacrament of Reconciliation evangelizes the evangelizers, as it brings us sacramentally into contact with Jesus, who calls us to conversion of heart, and allows us to answer his invitation to repentance -- a repentance from within that can then transform the world without."

and also this:

"With this as my presidential address, I know I risk the criticism. I can hear it now: "With all the controversies and urgent matters for the Church, Dolan spoke of conversion of heart through the Sacrament of Penance. Can you believe it?" 

To which I reply, "You better believe it!" 

First things first! "

First things first. We need to look into our own hearts, pull out our own plank in our own eyes, and meet others where they are at:


"The premier answer to the question "What's wrong with the world?" "what's wrong with the church?" is not politics, the economy, secularism, sectarianism, globalization or global warming . . .none of these, as significant as they are. As Chesterton wrote, "The answer to the question 'What's wrong with the world?' is just two words:'I am,'"

​I am! Admitting that leads to conversion of heart and repentance, the marrow of the Gospel-invitation. . . If we want the New Evangelization to work, it starts on our knees."

Thank you, Holy Spirit, for inspiring each of us and giving us hope. And thank you, Cardinal Dolan, today, for these inspiring words!

Peace,

Julia