Lack of Motivation+ different struggles

Well... I have not posted on here in over a month! I have been busy and I just haven't really had anything to talk about! However, I am going to talk about why bad things happen to good people and why God has different wills



This picture was taken when I had my first communion and the person in the pic is my grandma. This was in 2008. My paternal grandmother was the only grandparent who lived for me to be born, and as blessed as I was to have her as long as I did, she passed away in January this year. In fact, in four days it will mark 6 months since her passing. Sometimes I wonder why I didn't get more of an experience with a living grandparent than I did. Then I remember some people lose their last grandparent when they're younger than I am and some are not even born. I wonder if the reason God didn't end her life sooner is because He wanted me to have more time than I deserved with a living grandparent.


Totally unrelated, I got a job at a Pizza Hut about 25 minutes from home (living in a rural town, that's convient!) However, I lost it after only a week, and I got a job about 45 minutes away. I was sad that I couldn't have a job in a town that feels more like home, but the town is where I go to school. Maybe this is a sign He wants me to return to school in the spring.

God works in mysterious ways. How has He worked for your life?

Advantages of being Catholic

As you know from my blog name, I am a Catholic! I have been my whole life. I will admit that at age 14 and 15, I was going through a phase where I wanted to look at protestant churches. My parents were actually okay with me going to them as long as I made the Catholic Mass a priority. However, staying Catholic was definitely better for me, as I will let you know from what I have found to be advantages of being a Catholic!

1. The original Church. The first protestant church did not arise until the 1500s by Martin Luther, and back then being an atheist was unthinkable. Everyone was Catholic at the time, so you know your methods of worship best point to God (although when done well, many protestant services have been spiritually uplifting).
2. Similar readings and beliefs. The word "Catholic" means "Universial" (I believe it is Greek, but unsure.) The readings will be the same that week for every Catholic Mass in the world. For instance, if one Catholic Church is reading St. Mark 10:12-23 for the gospel, all the Catholic Churches in the world will that day.
3. You have easier access to your callings. As I have said in previous blog entries, only boys should serve and I think there should be an all-girl activity, such as "Handmaids of the Altar". There's no scripture banning altar girls (or requiring servers or handmaids, for that matter), but men and women are different, and this is clearly shown in the way God calls us to serve.
4. We have more role models. God is obviously the most important role model in our life, but he sent other people to help shape His creation up. We believe Mary prays for us on our behalf and that she was very generous. Back then, pregnancy out of wedlock was unthinkable and she suffered a lot of abuse not only during her pregnancy but by watching her son die on the cross. We also have saints who were so faithful that they allowed themselves to be martyred, saints who specialize in special care (such as St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows), and those not considered saints who were very devout with Christ (such as Mother Angelica). Although you can find a role model in a less formal way for anything, God has put these people on Earth to help us stay faithful regardless of any hardship we might endure. 
5. The connection of being Catholic. While there are different types of masses (such as Latin and Novus Ordo), we tend to find comfort in knowing someone else is Catholic. About a month before my grandmother passed away, she was in a behavioral help center in a hospital (not going into details why), but we saw a nurse who happened to also be Catholic. We prayed a rosary together and, a few days later she went unconscious, but we prayed a rosary around here and another nurse pointed out she was Catholic. Being connected to our medical team through our faith was such a blessing because chances are they have also lost a relative and chose to hang on to God during that time the way we were. 
6. The Sacrements. We have all the Christian Sacraments, such as Baptism, Confirmation, etc. We are able to confirm our faith in different ways, such as confirming what you believe as an adult Catholic (partially the point of Confirmation), recieving the actual Body and Blood of Jesus in our bodies at every Mass, and being able to admit our sins to a spiritual leader (a priest) and knowing our sins are forgiven. We are unspeakably honored to have such benefits.

In short, if you decide to be Catholic, I don't think you'll regret it. I offer my words simply as food for thought. Maybe God had you stumble on His page for some life-changing experiences.

Not up to attending Mass/service?

Many so called Christians, even Catholics, only go to church once in a while or only on holidays, and some don't even go then. Some go weekly, but have days where they really don't feel like going to church? Why should you push through and go?


Obviously, nothing is impossible for God, but going to church makes His job of preparing you for Heaven and getting you to prepare others for Heaven easier. You will have help sharing His word by learning what His word even is.

1. It's when you need to go the most. My mom has had days where she just doesn't want to go to church, but she always does. I think it's God calling her to go to mass. My mom once had a dream where she had set her alarm and hit snooze several times, thinking, "I go to church every week. I can skip this once." Eventually, she woke up in real life and went to Mass. She usually feels like going to mass, but this dream taught her to always go.
2. You find a religious community. I am a Catholic and I always like seeing other people and somehow finding out they're Catholic, such as when my family prayed a rosary when she was dying and one of the nurses, who also happened to be Catholic, took a mini-break to pray with us. However, when you go to a Church, you find a lot of people who share your beliefs. In a Catholic Church, apart from a few visitors, everyone else is Catholic. Even in a protestant church, apart from maybe a few atheist visitors, you're still connecting with other people and with God. They are there for you when your faith is being tested, such as if your have cancer or a relative is dying, and you get to be there for them when you need it. The more often you attend Church, the more you can see these people, the closer you two are, and the more they will help you when you need it and vice versa.
3. You may find an opportunity to do something for yourself, the community, and God. If you go to church regularly, you may have different organizations you can join and different ways to help God's people. For instance, maybe an announcement will be made saying that the church needs volunteers for the soup kitchen they run. You might try volunteering and end up doing it frequently. You will be serving God's people using the place you learn about Him. 

I will find more reasons later. Have a good week!

Mini-Pilgramages

A lot of people go on mini-pilgrimages every year. A pilgrimage may vary in definition, but I have taken a few trips to religious sites- which I call mini-pilgrimiages. Here are three benefits I have found.

1. A reason to try the Latin Mass. In a lot of places, the Latin Mass is scarce. Most Catholic churches will have the Novus Ordo, but finding a Latin Mass can be hard. Many major parishes, such as shrines and bascilias, will only offer the Latin mass, although there are churches who offer both types of Masses (such as a parish that offers one Spanish mass and the rest are in English). 
2. A problem or theme to consider. Have you wanted to learn about Mary, the Mother of God, and ask God to thank her and have her pray for us? Even if you haven't, you still could go to a shrine, such as Our Lady of Fatima in Portuguese. You might feel peace knowing you took time with God about a situation.
3. A time to slow down. We live in a fast-paced world that is open 24/7. You might get a text to come into work when you're trying to take a day off- if you're lucky enough to have one! However, as I have said in the past, we are commanded to keep the Sabbath Holy. A trip may help you do so and encourage you to take more rests.

I know these aren't a lot, but I go on one annually, but only have for a few years. I will visit this topics when I learn firsthand of more possible benefits. Have a good week!

God's prayers are answered in His way

I have gotten a job. I had no job experience, so I was basically restricted to fast food, so I have to work on Saturdays and Sundays. I will show how this is relevant later.


God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change what I can, and the wisdom to tell the difference. 

Many Catholics- and perhaps some protestants- are familiar with the Serenity Prayer, which is the prayer I typed below the picture. Such a prayer helps you remember God knows everything and he is in control. This has helped me through college and getting a job. I prayed that God would do His Holy Will for me when I was placed on academic probation during my fall semester. I honestly did not believe I could possibly get off probation during the spring semester, but I prayed about it and I did, thanks to God! However, I feel called by God to take off a semester, and possibly a year, to work in a town closer to my house and save up to live on campus. (At my school, most people live in the county of the school or the surrounding counties. I hadn't thought about living on-campus until last year, but I got interested.) Anyway, my grandma had multiple health problems and passed away in January. This caused my grades to suffer. However, I prayed, and I got off probation after a lot of work, but I am still taking the semester off. God made us able to afford for me to go to college this year, but my grandma's medical and funeral expenses made this financially difficult. I want to take time off so I can make money and so my parents can save money for me to continue my education and live on-campus.

Sometimes God's answers are a little rockier. My mom warned me my grandma would not likely live much longer around Christmas because she was having hip surgery. The surgeons said the fracture was likely an old one because there was no bleeding. She also forgot how to eat and developed an infection throughout her whole body called sepsis. She went unconscious with septic shock a week before she died, and my mom said a miracle could happen. However, as Catholics, we gave her the Anointing of the Sick Sacrament. She continued to decline and passed away on January 27, 2019. Though I was sad she was gone (especially since she was my only grandparent who lived for me to be born), I knew God was calling her home.

Back to my job. I only work four days a week rather than five, but being fast food, I have to work specifically on Saturdays at four PM. This is when people are starting to grab food and hang out. The problem with this is this is when my church has Mass. (It's the earliest you can go to church and it fulfill your Sunday obligation, although I'm not sure why that was chosen.) Since I live in a small town, our church population is low, and we only have a few altar servers. (We allow girls to serve. The reason I still serve is because we don't have many servers and there are few kids, so banning girls, in this case, is not helpful. By the time the altar-boy issue was revealed to me, the damage had been done.) Basically, since that's in the middle of the day and just before dinner time, and since I live in a small town with no fast food chains-and no where for teens to work- I kind of have to work during that mass and go to a different parish without my family. I also have to just hope other people serve and accept the fact that I will not be available to serve anymore. However, I know God will make things at my church work out. Maybe people will see I'm not available anymore and will step up and serve. Maybe some of them will be boys and will become priests one day. Being unavailable is hard, but maybe God has a plan for something good to come out of that.

Of course, God answers many prayers in different ways. Sometimes dying people get a miracle and stay alive, such as Colton Burpo, who almost died due to appendicitis when he was 3. He went to Heaven, but he returned to Earth. Other times, God is calling those people home. I really believed Sophia Gall, a 16 year-old Austrailian who had Osteosarcoma, would beat her cancer, and she did... because her positive and bubbly personality shone through every obstacle she faced and eventually her suffering ended. Although at first I believed she would stay on Earth, she passed away almost a year ago. Some will wonder why a loving God would allow an innocent child to suffer. Although none of us will ever really understand why, it is likely a sign that He is in control and His will will be done.  As hard as it is to accept, one day we will be in Heaven and understand.

It's been almost a year, Sophia. You are missed very much, and so are you, Grandma. Your birthdays were both October 4th. May God make Sophia's family and mine as happy as possible on that day.

Why innocent children suffer

Happy Mother's day for all mothers out there!If this is your first mother's day without your mother, may God bless you today and help you remember and honor your mom. However, some mothers have actually lost a child. Maybe you're in your 60's and your 32 year-old died in a car accident last month, or maybe your six year-old died last week from cancer. If the latter is the case (even if it was not so recent), read on!
https://www.insideedition.com/headlines/24023-3-year-olds-anguish-on-display-in-heartbreaking-photos-to-show-the-reality-of-childhood
I am a teenager and I've never had cancer or any diease so I cannot imagine how a patient with cancer feels, especially as a child! This applies to any diease! I also cannot imagine what a parent feels! I wish I could remember the source, but once I read, "A child whose parents die is an orphan. A woman whose husband dies is a widow. A man whose wife has died is a widower. There is no word for a parent who loses a child because it just does not make sense." This is very true. Just writing this entry breaks my heart! This may make you wonder why God lets children suffer.

No  one knows this answer except God Himself. However, it began at the fall of Adam and Eve when they ate the forbidden fruit and sin became a thing. Suffering can be a consequence of something. For instance, if a little child touches a hot stove after his mother told him not to, he burns his hand. Unfortunately, a burnt hand is a consequence. (Not that he deserves a trip to the ER).

The question remains, "Why do innocent people suffer?" This is not to say suffering is a good thing, but why it happens. He wants us to learn life lessons when we suffer. For instance, some childhood cancer survivors go on to spread awareness of childhood cancer. I know Sophia Gall, a girl who passed away from cancer last year at the age of 16, told us she did not know childhood cancer was a thing prior to her diagnosis. (It was a video of where her YouTube channel hit 100,000 subscribers in 2017.) Cancer is not a good thing, but her bringing awareness to it was. Of course, cancer is not where suffering ends.

If a high schooler had to choose between becoming a lawyer after attending Harvard, you would suggest to them to spend much of their time studying and doing activities so their application would stand out. Harvard rejects more than 90% of their applicants, so you really need to have a competitive edge to go to Harvard. Not only that, but all colleges, especially Ivy League colleges, are quite expensive! Would you tell them, at age 16 and as a sophomore year of high school, to go ahead and become a lawyer, to go ahead and apply to Harvard, or to spend a lot of their time studying, doing multiple extra ciriculars, and working to start making money to go to school? Probably the latter, right? That would mean causing a lot of stress in the short-term and often being tempted to give up! Although, if the teen really wants to get into that school, such stress may pay off, because even if Harvard does not accept them, and even if they end up going to a school with a high acceptance rate, wouldn't they be more successful once they start college? Yes!

As an example related to cancer, Ellie Waters is an 18-year-old from the UK who had Rhabdomyosarcoma when she was 14. She had been planning to become a lawyer, but now she is 18 and wants to be a pediatric cancer researcher. She is suffering from several long-term side effects of chemotherapy, but she wants to work to find medicines to make more kids survive cancer and with fewer side effects. She would not have considered doing so if she had never had cancer.

(I know I suck at making transitions! Working on it!) In short, while no one knows exactly why God allows suffering, we can know it could be part of a plan for God to improve who we are and to make lemons out of lemonade!

Catholics ONLY worship God, but we honor others

One reason why Catholics become protestant is because they think we worship Mary and saints, but we honor them. They are meant to be seen as inspirations to help us become closer to God. Mary prays for us and wants us to honor God, as she was born sinless. That is why God asked her to give birth to Jesus- any other woman and He would have been conceived with sin. When the angel Gabriel came to ask Mary if she would accept God's will, God knew she would say yes. If she had been conceived with sin, Jesus would have been born as a sinner. Now, anything is possible with God, so some may think she could have been a sinner and Jesus could have been immune to this. I don't think humans can really understand this situation outside of faith.



Honoring Mary is not where protestants stop when they say we worship people besides God. (To clarify, I am not saying all protestants think this, I am just saying this for the protestants who are mistaken.) They also believe we worship saints, but we just honor them. I think this is because they made major sacrifices to worship God. Now, the ordained, such as priests, along with women who discern religious life (I do not know what the word is for a woman who becomes a nun), also make sacrifices to God, but we remember special people. "Saint" is French for "holy", so we are all called to be saints, but these saints are special. A miracle has happened in their life that we are thanking God for and we are asking for help in our own trials.
In short, we only worship God, but we look at role models to help us do so. I'm sorry to end this post so abruptly, but I just do not know what else to say.
~Sarah

How to prepare for the Sabbath and why do so

I have posted about ways to keep the Sabbath Holy, but preparing for it is another story! However, why are most schools and businesses closed both Saturdays and Sundays (or Saturdays are a partial day)? Because Saturday is the day before the recognized Sabbath and Saturday is the day to prepare for it. If you don't have such days off, maybe Tuesday could be your preparation day and Wednesday could be your Sabbath, if you have Tuesdays and Wednesdays off. Also, as I have found, keeping the Sabbath is very difficult when you haven't prepared for it. Here are some ideas on how to do so (assuming Sundays are your Sabbath):
Monday:
After school/work, everyone decides what chores should be done and who should do what. The youngest kids would have the easiest work and the oldest kids would have harder ones.
Tues: After school/work, everyone does one chore. Let's say Mom, Dad, 9 year-old Samuel and 6 year-old Emily make up a household. Mom could sweep and mom the kitchen, Dad could vacuum, and each kid could clean up their room. (The kids should do their homework first.)
This would continue every day. On Saturday, necessary errands (such as grocery shopping) could be ran by one parent and one kid while one parent and kid finished any necessary chores. If the house is clean and homework is done, errands could be split among two people to save time.

WHY KEEP THE SABBATH HOLY?
Several reasons!

1. We are commanded to do so! For God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh!
2. We can slow down and actually focus on God. We might read a few bible verses a day and listen to Christian channels on the radio on the way to and from work, but Sunday can be a day where we just relax and work on our relationship with God.
3. You build relationships with your friends and family. Not only can you connect with your household members more, but you have time to write that letter to your Grandma in Maine or to call your cousins in Colorado. Wish you could see them more often? Even if you can't see them, at least you can connect with them more often, and the Sabbath gives you time to do so!
4. You might get more done during the week. Want to take a nap instead of doing those Saturday chores? Want to take a long lunch that will result in less productivity at work? Sunday is the time to take such breaks. You can think, "I'll have the time soon enough. I'll get this done now and relax on Sunday".

https://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/christianity/6-reasons-to-keep-the-sabbath.aspx?p=6

We are commanded to keep the Sabbath rest. Let's focus on God one day and see what He has in store for us!

Why attend a Traditional Latin Mass

I am a lifelong Catholic, and I admit that I have only been to a few Latin Masses in person. They are just hard to find! However, attending a Latin Mass does have benefits (which I know some of from watching the Daily Mass on TV from a chapel in Irondale, Alabama). I have heard some benefits from others and benefits I have seen myself.

1. Only boys serve at the altar. I have posted about that before so I will leave it for that post. (It was 3 posts before this one.)
2. This was the mass most saints attended. The TLM was formed in the 600 AD century and, while becoming uncommon, is still in existence today. This is also the mass people attended when they came to America to practice religious freedom (and several other things.) Imagine how comforting it was to see and hear similar things when they came to America! Even now, the Novus Ordo would probably still be comforting to these people, but there would be even more similarities because more Latin would be spoken!
3. More universiality. Catholic derived from words that mean universal, so even the Novus Ordo has some universiality, but there will be more similar languages spoken because Latin is used more than at the Novus Ordo. They also all only permit altar boys to serve (once again, already posted about that). The Novus Ordo will have the same readings every week and will usually have similar ways of conduct, but they usually have their own differences. Now, I think every Catholic parish has something unique about it (even tri-parishes have unique qualities), but by choosing a Latin Mass, you will have a better idea of what you are seeing. 
4. More accuracy. The Novus Ordo  has missals in a three-year cycle that attempts to read the whole missal, but this can be done on your own time (and who wouldn't encourage that?). However, the Latin Mass focuses on readings appropreiate for the time of the year and important scriptures (not that they aren't all important!). You will be able to relax and have more time to absorb the scripture.
5. Communion by tongue. Not all Latin Masses force this, but most people who go to the Latin Mass will recieve communion on the tongue. This has felt holier for me (which I've tried in the Novus Ordo) because I will not be spreading particles of the spirit with my hand (which is why the priest rinses his hands with holy water before and after giving the body of Christ). 
6. Silence. There is a lot of sound at many Novus Ordo masses. There may be music playing, people singing, or just a lack of silence. A TLM may have music playing during Communion, but not always, and even when it does, it just feels quieter at Latin Masses (based on the ones I have watched at least). 
7. Encourage benefits of the TLM. By going to the TLM, you are encouraging people to attend (though you may want to preach it to be truly effective!). Since only boys serve, you might encourage people to go to the TLM and encourage altar boy life and cause more vocations to the priesthood. 
8. No "sign of peace". I made the sign of peace before communion for a long time, but I've come to hate that part of the mass. I feel like when I watch a Latin mass, we're looking up to God during the Preparation of Communion in unity without interruption. However, when we give the sign of peace, we're united with each other and with God, but then I feel like we're leaving God for a few minutes to visit with our neighbors. Why would we do that? I feel like we're already in unity with each other anyway because we're looking at God. (I AM NOT happy about the coronavirus, but one good thing about it is that our Novus Ordo parishes have stopped that for now).

Many places do not have a Latin mass and it can be hard to find, but why not try to go to a few to see if God is calling you to switch or at least visit a TLM?

Ways to keep the Sabbath Holy

I am going to list the 10 commandments. Since I am lazy,  I copied and pasted from this site.

The 10 Commandments List, Short Form*

1. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2. You shall not make idols.
3. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.*
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet.

Don't worship other "gods", don't steal or murder, etc. Not that hard. Some commandments are a bit harder to follow, but notice I starred #4: Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy. That is the commandment this post is about because it is probably the hardest commandment to keep and the one commandment most don't keep, especially as college students, who are extremely busy. However, notice that God commands it of us and that it is not an option and not advice, for the Lord created the world in six days and rested on the Sabbath, likely the same day Jesus rose from the dead. However, the bible does not specifically say what day of the week that was, so just be sure to work six days (five days of work and one day of household chores) and take a day off. Ideally, this day would be Sunday, but some jobs and schedules just don't allow for that. However, jobs give you two days off in general, so try using one day to catch up on chores and one day to keep holy. 

First, let's clear up a few things about the Sabbath. Resting. Sunday is not a day to do nothing. As St. John Paul II noted:
In order that rest may not degenerate into emptiness or boredom, it must offer spiritual enrichment, greater freedom, opportunities for contemplation and fraternal communion. Therefore, among the forms of culture and entertainment which society offers, the faithful should choose those which are most in keeping with a life lived in obedience to the precepts of the gospel (DD 68).https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/keeping-holy-the-lords-day
Also, there is debate on whether the true Sabbath is Saturday or Sunday. Since there aren't any specific scriptures that clarify this (as far as I know), I assume it's Sunday, but I would think any day would do as long as you keep it on the same day each week. I will assume Sunday is the Sabbath Day as it is likely the most commonly used day for the sabbath.
Here are some ideas to keep the Sabbath (note: this is Catholic-based, but most of these tips are protestant-friendly and even Jewish-friendly):

1. Attend Mass
2. Attend a protestant service
3. Visit a relative
4. Shop and eat out on Saturdays. If you do this Sunday, you force others to work on the Sabbath. Don't support that.
5. Play a game of a sport outside with the family
6. Take a family hike
7. Family rosary, divine mercy, and bible study
8. Make a Sabbath Vlog
9. Discuss what you learned at Mass
10. Donate money
11. Take a family walk or bike ride
12. Have a family discussion on what you’re grateful for
13. Learn the Missionary Discussion
14. Tell a true story about a relative or good friend
15. Make a list to help you prepare for the next Sunday
16. Encourage someone to go to church
17. Cook with a crockpot to minimize the time you spend cooking.
18. CAREFULLY invite relatives to Mass
19. Make a Sabbath day blog/vlog
20. Encourage others to keep the sabbath holy
21. Call distant relatives
22. Memorize verses/scripture
23. Invite other Catholics to your house
24. Play religious based games, like scriptural Scrabble or church pictionary
25. Invite someone to mass/service. I have a cousin and an aunt that I would like to encourage to attend mass with us one weekend. They believe in God, but they don't do much about it, as far as I know. I hope I can encourage them to at least build a relationship with God and even encourage them to be protestant.
26. Do an act of charity. Jesus healed sick people and preached on the Sabbath, so holy work is acceptable. Why not take Sunday as a day to volunteer? You could go to a soup kitchen to serve meals or read books to children in a children's hospital. Or, on a smaller scale, you could make dinner and give a plate to your elderly neighbors.
27. Visit your elderly parents/grandparents/other elderly in your life. My paternal grandmother was my only grandparent to live for me to be born, and sadly she is now deceased, but for the last few years, we would visit her on a weekend (usually on Sundays). When she lived in assisted living (which was about 2 1/2 years), we would take her grocery shopping (this was before I realized the meaning of the Sabbath commandment) and just take her out. Eventually she was not able to go out anymore, but we tried to see her at least every few weeks when she moved to a nursing home. Then she developed multiple illnesses and, while we saw her as often as we could, we gave her the longest visits on Sundays. (As a side note, she passed away on a Sunday. I will write about what happened later).
28. Invite others for church on Sundays for ice cream (sundaes on Sundays)! Encourage them to bring ice cream, a topping, or a drink to share. (Encourage them to buy it on a Saturday though.)
29. Have your children spend one-on-one time with another sibling or parent and take turns. In a house with two parents, two girls, and two boys, there could be all-girl time and all-boy time.
30. Read a book
31. Draw

These are the ideas I have so far, but I am trying to come up with 100, so let me know if you have other ideas!s I have so far, but I am trying to come up with 100, so let me know if you have other ideas!