A Harvard Valedictory Speech...In Latin!

First of all, props to Mary Anne Marks for making it into Harvard. Not just that, but she made valedictorian! Not just that, but she delivered her valedictory speech in Latin!

See for yourself:

I don't even know what she said, but I'm impressed that it's memorized and not in her native language. Latin isn't exactly easy, and I struggle with just singing/chanting it.

ALSO!!!!!

More props, because not only did she graduate as valedictorian at Harvard, but she's also becoming a religious sister with the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist in Ann Arbor, MI. 

CRAZY. AWESOME.  ...CRAZY AWESOME!

Kathryn Jean Lopez from the National Review Online interviews her about her background and motivations as to why she decided to enter into religious life.  Interesting!

LOPEZ: I don’t know about you, but I read the New York Times. A number of the op-ed columnists there, and a number of the news stories, tell me that the Catholic Church is anti-woman. And from other stories, about the various scandals, the Catholic Church also sounds like a dying, loser organization of sinners. Why would you choose to represent it in such a public, hard-to-miss way — in a religious habit?

MARKS: I feel privileged to represent the Catholic Church in a visible way, because it is an organization of sinners and sinners-turned-saints, emphatically alive, expanding, and responsive to the needs of the time, an organization that has been enormously effective in promoting the spiritual and material well-being of women and men throughout the 2,000 years of its existence.

Read the rest here.

Pretty cool stuff. She is definitely en fuego.

- JD

I first read about this through Fr. Z's blog.

Speech // YouTube

A Better Deal For Pumpkin Spice Coffee

As I recall, about a month or so ago, people were posting about their excitement or resentment that Starbucks would soon put the much acclaimed pumpkin spice latte back on the menu. Really, that was simply a sign...

Personally, I like pumpkin pie, tarts, and other pumpkin-flavored baked paraphernalia. But I have reservations about buying pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks. Simply put, it's not cheap or it's not the most economical solution for me. I noticed the other day that a tall pumpkin spice latte at the Starbucks at my work is $4.50! Ok, maybe it's slightly cheaper out in the wild...

$3.95. Plus tax. Delicious choices make for smaller wallets.

Let's do some math. And math is hard, so I kindly ask you to suffer with me as I do math.

If JD (that's me) drinks one cup of coffee a day during the work week...

That's $21.40.  A week. A week. $21.40 a week. For a pumpkin spice latte. I like pumpkin flavored things and as far as coffee goes...what if I don't even want the whipped cream, milk and extra spice because I drink my coffee black?

Ok. So. I need a more economical solution that simply fulfills my requirements of enjoying pumpkin spiced flavored coffee drink without having to spend that much money, and without having to spend money on the extra stuff.

That's when I had a stroke!

...of inspiration!

To brew my own pumpkin spiced coffee!

Luckily, I live in a Catholic world. And living in a Catholic world, there exists the awesomeness that are religious communities of friars, monks, brothers, sisters, nuns, etc.  And sometimes they actually sell stuff they make/grow.

That's where Mystic Monk comes in.

In Wyoming, there's a community of Carmelite monks who have a routine of prayer and manual labor. Part of their manual labor is growing coffee beans, which they sell through Mystic Monk. I've heard lots of good things from Catholic friends and acquaintances about how great their coffee is, so I decided to try them for the first time.

Because...

They have...

THIS

Pumpkin spice coffee beans! From Mystic Monk! (No, they don't sell college mugs or knife sets or paper towel holders with paper towels included...)

ZOMG

I immediately had to bust out my coffee making skills... (in caption narrative)

I'm too lazy to boil water over the stove so....electric kettle...

Just opening the bag and scooping the beans unleashes a tsunami of pumpkin spice aroma that drowns my nostrils!
Wasn't sure if tasting through mouth or through nose

Go go grinder gadget!

Dang, looks so fine

My preferred coffee brewing method--the Aeropress

Funnel it in

Just add the electric kettle'd water and stir the water and grounds...then press...then add more hot water...then boom. A pumpkin spice coffee! (Of course, you could always use other coffee machines and Keurigs, etc)

Best enjoyed while sitting at the table reading Lord of the Rings, I'd say

I'm not high enough of a Coffee Barista level to create lattés, but even then I drink my coffee black.

So how is this a more economical solution than what Starbucks has to offer? If you check out the page for Pumpkin Spice flavored coffee beans at Mystic Monk, you'll see they sell individual 12 ounce bags for $11.95. Plus shipping and handling, that comes to about $18.10 (or at least that's what I paid).

I've had about 5 cups of pumpkin spice coffee and I've used half the bag of beans. Some more hard math:

As you can see, I save about $12 a week by making my own rather than paying for the Starbucks version. Sure, I know it's not a 1-to-1 comparison because Starbucks uses espresso, pumpkin sauce/syrup, spice, whipped cream and steamed milk. Oh and apparently these ingredients contain a ton of sugar, not necessarily organic stuff, and a Class IV Carcinogen?!

Maybe that's why it tastesssss soooo goooodsss

But even if I were to suddenly start making actual lattés, adding milk and whipped cream wouldn't increase my per drink cost that much.

So then, thanks to math, I was able to remind myself why I don't like going to and paying for Starbucks, and I was able to find a better deal. Praise God for coffee-making Carmelite monks in Wyoming!

Now, they do sell a wide array of other things besides pumpkin spice coffee.  Things like normal coffee in the usual roasts, other flavors of coffee, specialty coffees, teas, MONK SHOTS (for the K-cup lovers), coffee storage and making devices, shirts, Catholic religious gifts, and Gregorian chant CDs. AND you can even sign up for coffee subscriptions. Whoa.

If it suits your fancy... head on over to MysticMonkCoffee.com! Banner on the right sidebar or links on this blog post. By going to them via my blog, you'll basically be saying "JD sent me here" and any purchases you make will help the "JD is going to Poland in 2016 for World Youth Day" fund. And I'll be using the extra cash I'm not spending at Starbucks and save it for Poland!

Much appreciation if you do make a purchase through my blog! And either way, you primarily help the monks out so they can continue making great coffee as they pray for us as well as helping out their local community.

Math is hard. But tastes so good.
- JD

Brace Yourself, Pumpkin Spice Everything is Coming // The Sprouting Seed
Jimmy Fallon Ew meme // Reddit-Tumblr

The Reason Why Our Country Hasn't Fallen Apart

When I was on pilgrimage for the March for Life in Washington, D.C. earlier this year, I had the opportunity to go to the Holocaust Museum. I mean, how fitting since my group had just prayed in front of one of the most active abortion clinics in the country earlier in the morning. Since it was a holiday, they weren’t performing abortions and thus were closed for the day. Whew. But! What better way to continue reflecting on the injustice of the vulnerable and innocent than by refreshing on or learning more about the Nazi’s Holocaust of the Jewish people, others they deemed unfit, and others who stood in their way.

While standing in line waiting to go into the Museum, I noticed a religious brother had gotten in line just behind me. Talking to him was simply irresistible because religious brothers are just awesome! After talking to him for a little while, I learned the basics: the name he goes by is Ignacio, he’s from Texas, he is of the Benedictine order hence he is a Benedictine monk (but not a priest), and he’s been assigned to their monastery in Washington, D.C.

As we were talking to him, I was surprised to learn about his monastery because I didn’t know there was a Benedictine monastery nearby. I mean, I knew of the Franciscan monastery because that is normally part of our itinerary for this pilgrimage for the March for Life. Not only was it nearby, but the Benedictine monastery is also near the Franciscan one. Huh, I would have never guessed…but…cool!

During the course of our conversation, my buddy asked him how he liked being here in D.C. He said he loves it and that it’s an exciting place to be. I’m a Texas boy too and big city life like Washington, D.C. would surely be full of not dull moments.

He said one thing that sticks to my mind more than anything. Brother Ignacio said that it is really important to have a Catholic presence in our nation’s capital because of all the power and influence that reside along the Potomac River. Just by my knowing of Br. Ignacio’s existence pointed to the reality that there must be a greater Catholic presence in D.C. then I had previously thought about up until that point. And what he said made sense regarding such density of authority in the capital. Of course! It is very important to have a Catholic presence there because of all the crazy things we have to deal with as a nation, and a certain handful of people in our capital can make decisions that affect each and every single American's life.

He jokingly said that the reason why our country hasn’t completely fallen apart is because of the Catholic presence of religious brothers and sisters constantly praying for our country and our country’s leaders at the heart of all the political action. We all laughed, and it’s funny because there’s truth to that. I couldn’t help but wonder what other Catholic friaries, monasteries, convents, etc. exist in and around Washington, D.C. Like I said, I knew of the Franciscan Monastery, and also the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration just down the street from them. Also, there’s Catholic University of America with the behemoth of a Catholic church that is the Basilica, which I know many priests and seminarians pass through those halls. And to think…all of them (plus all the others I have yet to find out about) praying for us and for our country...

Sure, the best ways to help our country would definitely come through physical, tangible means. You know, making laws, decisions, etc. meant for the betterment of this country that we love so dear, from sea to shining sea. And then actually following through with those. But as a practicing Catholic, I’ve come to learn and appreciate that just as much as there is a physical reality to things, there is also a spiritual reality. That’s where prayer really helps. Through prayer, we approach God in humility asking for His help because without His help, we wouldn’t get very far. If we carry this interior disposition to truly love and serve others in a genuine way by seeking their ultimate good, that will carry through in our actions and manifest in physical reality.

I'm glad that we've got presence in the capital, and that joining them in prayers for our country is myself and the gray-haired ones who warm the pews on a daily basis when no one else is around during the week. Our prayers will be unceasing. How can I truly help my fellow Americans and serve them?

At the very least, I think it's cool that I randomly had this opportunity to speak to a Benedictine brother for a little bit. Haha! He ended up meeting the rest of my group and pretty much abandoned whatever group he was chaperoning. He hung out with us for a long while after we were done.

Story time with Br. Ignacio.
- JD

A Religious Sister Rockin' Out On THE VOICE (IT)

I saw this floating around in the Catholic blogosphere and other Cath social medias (be sure to turn on the captions, which you might need to click the YouTube button in the corner below to actually go to YouTube to do so):



Incredible! I just loved the judges' reactions when they hit the buzzer to turn their chairs around to see who was singing. They totally didn't expect it to be a religious sister. I also really loved just her absolute joy in having this opportunity to share her God-given gift of singing so well!

Looking at the judges' comments and the crowd's reaction, you can tell that they were touched and amazed by this performance. Psh, even blog site Jezebel, which isn't necessarily a friend of the Catholic Church (both authors and commenters) agreed!

There's something about Beauty that resonates within us as human beings. When we encounter something objectively beautiful,  we are moved. That beauty points to something greater (as beauty is meant to), and Sr. Cristina is a beautiful witness to that. Seeing her and her fellow sisters rootin' for her really gives me a sense of what real Catholic joy is.

So, the title of my blog is "En Fuego". Sr. Cristina is being who God created her to be...she's being herself as God created her...and this is audio/visual proof of her setting the world on fire.

18+ million hits.
- JD

Picture of Raffaella Carra surprised from Melty.it
Picture of joyful nuns from Jezebel

What Does The Monk Say?

WAIT!

Before continuing, if you do not know what does the fox say, then watch this first:

And then...now we can begin discerning what does the monk say.

Kyrie eleison.

- JD

Associate's Day

I'm a big fan of the Franciscan Friars (and sisters, but this is about the friars) of the Renewal. Always have been. They're an awesome group of friars and it's cool that my parish has a close relationship with them (maybe in recent history, two of our own are or have been Franciscans of the Renewal), and it's nice that they have a local friary!

Once a month, usually at the beginning, they host an "associate's day" for us lay people. I've been hearing my some of parish friends talk about attending and how great it is. A lay associate is simply a lay person who desires to share in the spirituality and work of a particular religious community.

Looking at my really busy calendar, I saw that yesterday was a free-enough of a day for me to attend!

Under ordinary circumstances, an associate's day consists of several things. It starts out with Morning Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours, a few hours spent with the homeless at a local park, lunch, catechesis, and a Holy Hour.

I arrived at the friary a few minutes past 8AM. I thought I would be late because my dog escaped my residential premises this morning, and it took a little while to coax her back close enough for me to catch her... >_>

No one was really there when I arrived. A few other guys and I walked into the friary and got to chit-chat with the friars while we waited for everyone to show up. I met Br. Isaiah, who I have never met or seen before. I also met Fr. Leo, who apparently is just visiting since he's assigned to some town in England (I forget the name). He apparently is a home grown local and a Tech Red Raider. He is visiting because he needs to receive some surgery.

This was my second time inside their humble abode. After a while, I want to say like 40 people showed up? A good chunk were familiar faces from my parish! 

Because yesterday was the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, the friars did a renewal of lay associate promises. Lay associates can commit themselves for a full year of dedication to the spirituality and mission of the Friars of Renewal. I got to partially take part in that even though this was my first time. By partially, I mean that everyone present participated in reciting the prayer, but only the candidates who wanted to be official lay associates stated their name during the prayer. The friars keep a list ;-). Haha I didn't put myself on that list...this time.

After that brief ceremony, if you will, we went into catchesis to learn more about an aspect of the faith. In the past few associate's days, Fr. Pio had been explaining the Mass and its different parts. Apparently last month, he had wrapped up talking about Eucharistic Prayer I, and yesterday he explained Eucharistic Prayers II through IV and the end of the Mass.

Wow! I learned a lot! I didn't realize there was a lot of theological, Scriptural, symbolic richness to the Mass! I mean...I knew, but not the details! And even then, I only got part of the Mass since I wasn't there when Fr. Pio explained the beginning parts of the Mass!

Fr. Pio finished his talk, took some questions, then jetted out of there to catch a flight to Chicago to talk more about his experiences in a visit to China where it's really tough to be Catholic. While trying to digest all he had said and all that I learned, we all went into brunch mode.

As I found out at some point, the friars weren't going to take us to the park where, under ordinary circumstances, we we would hang out and help the homeless. And then I also found out that they wouldn't be doing a Holy Hour of Adoration. Instead, there would be brunch and then we would be joining our diocese's Respect Life committee for a Mass in memorial of babies lost before baptism celebrated by our diocesan administrator (since we don't have a bishop...yet).

So, brunch mode. That explained why I saw many other associates bring food through the friary door earlier in the morning. It was a scrumptious spread of dessert and breakfast-type foods! Speaking of food coming through the friary door, one of my parish friends works at Panera Bread, and on Friday night he was able to obtain the leftover breads. He sincerely wanted to donate the bread to the poor and homeless somewhere, and knowing that some of us from my parish were going to the friary, he decided to join along but arriving later. I saw him walk through the door with his bags and bags of breads. What a good way to make use of that bread since I know the friars will definitely distribute it amongst the poor and homeless that they work with!

After much mingling with others, we all left the friary to go to the Mass at another nearby Catholic church.

Haha, it was funny on our way out. I carpooled with two of my parish buddies, and as we pulled out of the parking lot of the friary, Fr. Leo flags us down. Apparently he needed to catch a ride to the church because he was going to concelebrate the Mass.

We arrived at the church and walked in. I had never been in this particular church before, but I could have had an opportunity for Wedding #3B but it conflicted with Wedding #3A. Oh if only I had the gift of bi-location to be at both weddings at the same time!

Beautiful church though! The stain glass windows were recently cleaned and fixed up and you can tell! They had an adult My Size Mary Statue outside that was pretty cool. Oh if only I took a picture ....

Like I said, the Mass was for unborn babies lost before baptism. This includes those babies lost due to abortion, also miscarriages and illnesses as well. And while I could go into writing about why Catholics baptize babies and how important that is, that would make this post too lengthy.

It was cool because I saw some of my brother Knights of Columbus, of the 4th degree, were dressed in their full ceremonial regalia (feathered hat, cape, saber, sash, etc). If I ever see them, that means its a special occasion for sure! There was a part during the Mass (between Liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of the Eucharist) where people processed down the aisle to place a rose at the feet of Mary (ie. place the roses at the feet of a Mary statue at the side of the sanctuary). I don't quite know the significance of this other than A) it was Saturday AKA Mary's day B) the Mass was dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary and C) each rose placed is in memoriam of a baby lost before baptism. Solemn stuff.

After Mass, there was a reception. I made the comment to my parish friends that you could never go hungry at Catholic events because you'll always be fed--spiritually and physically. I mean, we just had brunch not too long ago... Haha. At the reception, I got to do more mingling. Then...went home.

So there you have it! While I fully intended to experience a Franciscan Friar of the Renewal lay associate's day, it didn't end up being that way. But that's okay! I still had a very good experience praying with, hanging out with, and Mass-ing with my fellow brothers and sisters! While I think next month might be a challenge for me to go to associate's day, I'm for sure wanting to come back for December!

Beards.
- JD

The Community of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal // CFRtexas.com

Not A Review on Elysium

The other weekend, I had the opportunity to go watch Elysium after much deliberation about what movie to go see with my parents.  Apparently we chose the wrong time of summer to go watch a movie because not a lot of blockbuster hits are out right now? And my parents weren't at all interested in watching Disney's Planes, much to my dismay as an aerospace engineering nerd.

Elysium tells the story of one man's desire to go to Elysium, which is a  futuristic, space habitat orbiting the Earth.  The setting of the story is in the far future, year 2154, where the poor and less fortunate live on Earth, and the rich and privileged live on Elysium.  To further emphasize that difference in wealth and living, the citizens of Elysium have access to wondrous technology, and guard it very closely. They live a luxurious, comfortable life whereas the people on Earth live a rougher life without access to the most advanced technology. And I'll leave it at that so as not to spoil the story.

Perhaps I'm just turning into a Catholic nerd, but I find it interesting to pick up on the use of anything Catholic in Hollywood movies recently.  I've seen hints of Catholicism either be part of the story or make a cameo in some movies like Skyfall, The Avengers, Les Miserables (ok, Catholicism really oozes out of this one), For Greater Glory, The Hobbit, etc. just to name a few.

In Elysium, I definitely picked up on the religious sister seen at the beginning of the movie.  She plays a role in the main character's life and is the vehicle to present the "overall theme" of Elysium's story (though I would say not as effective as it could have been, but this is not a review).

Seeing her against the setting of this futuristic world in Elysium provides a visual example of a reality that unfolds here in real life, beyond the silver screen, by the Catholic Church. And it kind of struck me in a way that helps me better fully appreciate my faith.

In the context of Elysium, the fact that it is set in the far future and that a religious sister is present shows that the Church will still be around. Even if we, all humanity, endure through tough times, the Church will still have a presence here on earth. In the real world, deeper study into the history of Catholicism shows that we've been around for the past ~2000 years (since the time of Christ), and what's another 2000 more? Just as we've seen many changes throughout the course of human history in the best of times and worst of times, the Church has been present. Cool stuff! Perhaps as long as there are humans walking around this earth and/or floating in space, there will be the Catholic Church on earth until the end of the age.

Secondly, not only did I see a religious sister present in the movie, but it is obvious in the context of the story that she looked after orphans.  In reality, I find it easy to associate religious with works of charity and service to others.  Religious brothers and sisters take those vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. I see many communities that also run apostolates and have certain charisms like running schools, hospitals, orphanages, crisis pregnancy centers, homeless outreach, media, and countless other ways to reach out to others. Also, the religious sister in Elysium was appropriately seen on Earth, where the poorer people and less fortunate live and not on Elysium where the privileged and elite reside. This further illustrates how, in reality, religious communities are more frequently found in poorer areas helping the poor.

I'm a fan of the Franciscans of the Renewal

Lastly, the religious sister says a line that seems to be one of the main themes of the movie. She says something to the effect of "never forget where you come from." This is important to the movie because of the main character's trying journey to Elysium. And I wish I could say more but that would spoil the story! In the real world, seeing a religious brother or sister becomes a sort of reminder for me that there is a God and that their life is a visible sign of what it means to know, love, and serve the Lord. Seeing them reminds me of where I come from--I come from God, created in His image and likeness. And as a response to His love and commands, there is a Church comprised of His Body. These are the Christians, specifically Catholics. Seeing that religious sister in the movie reminds me that I'm Catholic, and that I shouldn't forget that I belong to God and His bride, the Church.

Awesome stuff.

I find it interesting to gain better appreciation of my faith through cinema. Despite Elysium's shortcomings in plot development, it had cool visuals and action in addition to the presence of a religious sister that helped me better appreciate my faith. I only wish her dialogue involved any God-centered words, but I suppose her simple inclusion was enough for me.

Never forget.
- JD

Elysium movie poster // Wikipedia
Capuchin Franciscans of the Renewal Community // Franciscan Friars of the Renewal

This Religious Sister Has Got Kicks!

In my continual love of Catholic nuns and religious sisters... enter: Sister Linda Sim.

From The Straits Times:

When Sister Linda Sim was growing up, all she wanted to do was serve the nation. In the 1970's, she applied to the Singapore Armed Forces to be a front-line soldier, but was told women could take up only clerical positions. The Singapore Police Force also turned her down as she was too petite. Undeterred, the gutsy woman took up taekwondo and eventually earned a black belt. Then she heard her religious calling.

Read more and watch a 48 Singporean second video here. Especially note how she puts those TKD skillz to use!

It becomes fascinating the types of skills and gifts people bring to their religious vocations...and how they're able to use those skills and gifts in the service of others and the Church. Perhaps pursuing the religious life is not a renunciation of one's past life, but a fuller expression of it.

I like this because A) Catholic religious sister and B) we share that commonality of having a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

Dat's what's kickin',
- JD

Sister Linda Kim // Desmond Lim, The Straits Times

Angels and Saints at Ephesus

I suppose one of the fruits of listening to Catholic radio in the morning is learning about all sorts of different things.  One day recently, I overheard them talking about a new CD by cloistered nuns.

Basically, the background is...this husband and wife, after years of working in the recording industry, decided to start their own record company with the idea of recording the music of religious communities and all other sorts of Sacred Music.  They really try to capture the authenticity and genuineness of their recordings by recording the music in the religious community's natural habitat (ie. in their church/chapel, etc) doing their normal singing/chants.

They were on Catholic radio promoting this new CD with recordings of the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of Apostles.  This community of cloistered nuns follows the rule of St. Benedict for monastic life and they chant in Latin.  

From the CD insert...

The Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles is a monastic community located in rural Missouri.  Consecrated to the Queen of Apostles, their lives are dedicated to contemplative prayer, especially for priests.  They support themselves primarily by making priestly vestments. Professing full obedience to the Church's teaching, the community upholds a loving commitment to preserving the liturgical heritage of the Church in the Extraordinary Form of the Mass and traditional monastic Office.  This is their second recording with De Montfort Music and Decca Records.

Because they are cloistered, it's difficult to get a hold of them and they don't go out in public, but I'm grateful that De Montfort Music reached out to them and recorded their beautiful music.

And my primary motivations for even getting the CD in the first place was that my iTunes library is lacking sacred music, and I figured I could use this for future Catholic reasons, whatever they may be.  I was sold after listening to a sample of a song on their website.

The music is absolutely beautiful! Yes, I'll admit I'm a fan of mainstream radio music and I often tire of its simplistic melodies and repetitive noise, and the band nerd in me appreciated the complex melodies and harmonies found within Angels and Saints at Ephesus. I don't recognize most of the tracks mostly because I've never heard the melodies and...a majority of the tracks are in Latin. Truly...their voices are quite angelic and saintly...though not for their own sake...

The Sisters say this about their CD (again, from the insert, emphasis mine):

Called to embrace a liturgical spirituality, our lives literally revolve around Christ as a many-faceted jewel, manifesting His majesty through the mysteries of His own life, that of His Mother, and by extension through His holy ones, the angels and saints.  The feasts of the angels and saints reflect the Light of the World in their own way, reminding us to follow them, shining forth only insofar as we reflect Christ.  At the Priory of Our Lady of Ephesus, these interspersed feasts are especially commemorated in song.  The saints and angels are honored either in hymns written for them or, in many cases, hymns written by the saints themselves.  In this way, we can take up their own words to share in the eternal hymn they now continually raise to God.  It is our hope that this music raises your hearts likewise to Him, that at the end of our life here, our souls may be prepared to share the company of the angels and saints when we behold God face to face.

Awesome! Yeah, I think these hymns, as performed by them, definitely has that effect.  I decided to listen to it the first time while I was at work and things got pretty stressful.  Their music helped me stay more at peace by reminding me of God by uplifting my mind (through my ears) to Him. Cliché-sounding, but true.  And really...because the recordings are done well...because they sound freakin' awesome...because the words, even though I don't know Latin, are directed at God, I cannot help but think of Beauty, Goodness, and Truth!

And fun fact!  Angels and Saints at Ephesus has been in the Top 10 of the Classical Albums Billboard chart since its release a month ago.

You can learn more about the sisters at www.benedictinesofmary.org

Ave Regina caelorum: Ave Domina Angelorum: Salve radix sancta, ex qua mundo lux est orta. Gaude gloriosa super mones speciosa: Vale valde decora, et pro nobis, semper Christum exora. (Track 12)
- JD

7 Quick Takes (Vol 2.)

--- 1 ---

Last Saturday, I got to hang out with religious brothers and sisters, priests, and other Catholic friends.  I've mentioned The Shepherd's Cafe before, and that's where I went this past Saturday.  They usually host a vocations night on their yearly anniversaries.  This is where those who have chosen a religious vocation have a chance to talk about why they chose such a life.  Not only that, but since The Shepherd's Cafe typically features entertainment following spending a Holy Hour with Jesus, some of the religious/clergy performed as part of the entertainment!

Some seminarians performed a decent cover of the 4 Chord Song, and my consecrated friends in Regnum Christi performed a beautiful song.

A picture of the religious and Shepherd's Cafe volunteers

Lastly, this evening was the first time I saw my friend who's been away for the past several months helping out with an urban mission effort called Christ In The City.  She just recently got accepted to join the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate in New Bedford, MA.  And she was recognized at The Shepherd's Cafe for having made that decision.  Please pray for her as she enters into the religious life!

Gettin' recognized!

--- 2 ---

I'm grateful for the truth!  It just seems like nowadays, you can't really expect the media/news to give truthful news especially when they talk about Catholicism or things Catholics like.  I would give the benefit of the doubt and assume that reporters don't usually take the time to learn the truly Catholic viewpoint on things.  I mean, this topic deserves its own blog post, but I'm grateful not only for the truth, but for us taking the time during class to inform our Catholic students that the media sometimes puts forth an agenda with bias and partial truths and that we should not base our understanding of Catholic truth in such un-grounded "Catholic facts."

I had another #realtalk group gathering this week where we talked about truth some more and the dangers of relativism.  As a topic for a good case study, we applied the conversation to abortion in light of recent news (or lack thereof).

--- 3 ---

Sometimes I get so tired that not even two cups of coffee helps me stay awake.  Maybe I built up my tolerance?  Apparently the only thing that I find that helps is taking a nap or using one of those "energy" single-serve drink mix packets to wake me up.  So, confession: I'm cheap and go for the Wal-Mart brand ones.

Unfortunately...as tasty as they taste...they make me sick sometimes.  I must come up with a better solution and perhaps getting more hours of sleep is it. x_x

--- 4 ---

A recent tradition at my parish is to have a men's cold beverage night once a month.  This means going somewhere to grab some food and a cold, adult beverage.  I've gone to a few of them now and they're fun because it's a great way to just kick back and relax and just chill in good company.

Obviously, whenever you get a group of guys together, interesting conversations ensue.  But, not your stereotypical "oh here's a bunch of guys talking about guy stuff" conversations.  Yes, there were intros and "what do you do?"'s.  And yes, the Texas Rangers were playing and dominating according to about 10 TV's that were in the restaurant establishment. But, one of our men was a Franciscan Friar of the Renewal but now discerning to become a diocesan priest...and I'm pretty sure he was teaching some of the older men about Catholic things as well as telling his story about religious life.  I'm pretty sure that I was in a conversation about natural family planning for a good solid 15 minutes.  Apparently there's an NFP app (and others too)! And the guy sitting across from me teaches NFP with his wife!  While I couldn't relate since I'm not married like most of the guys present at the table...It's cool to hear the enthusiasm and success about NFP.  Something to look forward to, should I ever get to that point, haha.

--- 5 ---

I think I need a vacation.  For whatever reason, I haven't had a lot of time this past week to chillax.  And this weekend I seemed to have overbooked myself in things to do...so it's pretty much going to be an action-packed weekend starting Saturday morning.  And then Sunday is always busy because my parish literally becomes my second home.  Needless to say...I think I was stressed this past week in not being able to properly prepare for the busy weekend.

Jesus' words from the end of Matthew 11 come to mind...

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light." (NAB)

 Ah, maybe the reason I feel stressed is that I haven't devoted a lot of time resting in God this week....

--- 6 ---

I love how it is the beginning of May and we were totally enjoying nice, spring-into-summer weather and then all of a sudden...

BAM

...it gets super-ridiculously windy and cold within a day.  In fact, it'll hit close to freezing where I work and people are Instagramming their snowstorm pictures from other parts of the country.

I mean, I don't mind the cold...but...it's such an outlier in the recent average temperatures, ya know?  Roses in bloom, I was totally rockin' flip-flops last weekend, and I could actually walk from the parking lot to work without a jacket on.  Not so much today.

But while this brief cold spell is upon us...I have to discern which North Face jacket to wear... #firstworldproblems

--- 7 ---

It seemed like only yesterday when my parents and I helped moved my bro into his dorm room.  But now, he's about to wrap up finals and thus completing his freshman year. Wow. Though it doesn't really make me go "whoaaaa where has the time gone" simply because my brother has been home seemingly every weekend for the past several months.  He goes to college like 30 mins away and it's halfway between work and home for me.  I offered to take some of his stuff back home today, and I'm glad that full-sized keyboards fit in my car. Haha. 

And he'll be home for the summer starting next weekend!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

- JD

7 Quick Takes (Vol. 1)

--- 1 ---

I realized I'm not social among other (Catholic) bloggers, and I see how much I'm missing out.  Hence, I recently joined the Catholic Bloggers Network. and followed suit with "7 Quick Takes" hosted by Jennifer Fulwiler, who is a popular blogger for the National Catholic Register and runs her own blog at ConversionDiary.com.  She's an atheist-to-Catholic convert who basically...blogged her way to Catholicism.  She's also an Aggie! WHOOP! (but didn't graduate).  I'm not...biased or anything... O:-)

In all honesty, I need to work on my Short Blog Post skills since I tend to write long ones. Like here. Or here. Here. Oh yes, even here.

--- 2 ---

So, I had no idea salt could be used as a sacramental!  It wasn't until my coworker ninja-blessed my cubiclemate's desk with holy water and salt that I learned this was possible.  Apparently, she was worried that my cubiclemate would have a terrible, angry day.  And by spraying holy water (yes, spray bottle) and sprinkling blessed salt, she hoped that it would bless the space around his desk so that he, too, would be blessed.  My desire for the truth motivates me to find out more about salt used as a sacramental.

--- 3 ---

This has been a great past week having opportunities to hang out with my goddaughter!  I got to see her multiple times since the weekend.  It seemed like only yesterday that she was only an infant but now she's owning the world as a 1-yr old.  She has the prettiest eyes and that stereotypical baby smile that turns any man into a cooing, sensitive...well, ahem.  Ya know.

You can follow my goddaughter's adventures through her mom's blog at Bernie's Banter.

--- 4 ---

Tomorrow is looking like a really busy day.  My bro is performing with his university jazz lab band at a jazz festival in the afternoon.  And in the evening, I'm going to Adoration and partying it up with priests, brothers, sisters, nuns, etc. at The Shepherd's Café for their 6th anniversary.  I've been attending The Shepherd's Café for a few years now.

Usually on their anniversary, they invite religious and clergy to come speak and give their vocation stories.  Typically, they have musical guests perform while everyone chills with refreshments.  But! My main reason for going to The Shepherd's Café is for the opportunity to adore our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and to go to Confession.  And then have fun afterwards!

You can check 'em out here at TheShepherdsCafe.com.

--- 5 ---

Catholic Answers is hosting their second conference ever this September and I am...discerning if I should go.  I've got one vacation day left to spend before I get a refill in October.  I mean, it's not like I will spend 9 out of my 10 vacation days in Rio De Janeiro or anything... O:-)

Now, the reason why I'm even tempted to go to this conference is because...well, I really like the Catholic Answers radio show (podcasts can be found on my sidebar).  I've learned a lot through listening to their show, and perhaps deep down I want to be competent at explaining and defending the Catholic faith.  A useful skill since I'm a teacher of the faith.

And oh yeah, I do have family in San Diego, which is where the conference is located.  Excuses, excuses...I know...

--- 6 ---

A while ago (say, a month), I openly declared to the saints in heaven that they have permission to stalk me.  I think I did this when I went on a silent retreat, which I haven't blogged about yet.  Why?  Why would I do that?  I dunno...I thought it would be fun and interesting to see if they really do or not.

So how do I know that they are, in fact, stalking me?  Maybe I don't really know because I'm basing my evidence on apparent, coincidental occurrences with seeing an image of them or an associated object...or maybe just hearing about them in some random way.  These moments stick out to me moreso than before, and perhaps that's how I know that they are stalking me.

This past week?  Our Lady of Guadalupe seems to have graced the back of a lot of pickup trucks in my daily commute this past week.  Maybe I live in Texas.  But whatever.  And...I went to Confession the other day and while I was praying in my pew, the sun was just at the right angle that it shone through the stain glass window my parish that has of St. Therese of Lisieux.  Like, right on me. Like, no other window. Like, it was blinding. And oh, she's also known as "The Little Flower"...and my rose bushes at home are blooming ... a lot.  A sample:

--- 7 ---

It's been a crazy past week or two and bad things are happening in the world.  That's why I blogged about Divine Mercy.  It begs the question...what's wrong with the world?  Easy answer.

...I am.

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

Wow that was quick.

- JD

Competitive, Joyful Nunnery

I just recently found out that Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist are competing in this round (season?) of The American Bible Challenge on Game Show Network.

A few things:

1. I didn't know there was such a show on TV!
2. Even moreso, it's hosted by Jeff Foxworthy!
3. I just really like nuns

Haha, I think this is really cool because sometimes we Catholics are stereotypically not well versed in book-chapter-verse Biblical knowledge and here we have nuns on a game show that tests Biblical knowledge with occasional quasi-Minute To Win It challenges. 

...and so far, they're doing pretty well!

This past Thursday was the semi-finals.  A sneak peak:

lol the Christian Wrestlers, Righteous Rubies, and the Sisters of Mary...and I don't know about you, but that seems rather intense stacking books alternating horizontal and vertical and having to worry about what order they're supposed to be in.  It's intense for me because I would miserably fail. -__-  I need to work on that...I mean, my OT skillz.  Not so much on book stacking. ;-)

You know what's cool about seeing them compete like this?  Their joy shines through.  Sister Maria Suso was interviewed by Brandon Vogt, Catholic writer and speaker, and she talks more about their community, her experience on the show as well as what joy is:

I wish I had known about this sooner...and I wish I had caught the semi-finals episode...but alas, this past Thursday I was in the middle of a meeting with a Knight of Columbus regarding insurance.

Anyway...maybe I can catch the next episode because THEY WON THE SEMI-FINALS!  They posted on their Facebook page... (yes, they have a Facebook page)

Awesome.  I do have a DVR...

Hey, joyful sista.
- JD