I am now realizing how our hearts are constantly being broken, repaired, emptied, and restored. St. Paul says, ”For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil 1:6). God is always challenging us, forming us deeper in our heart. It is only when we listen that we can receive this grace; this transformation. Without this change, nothing would be accomplished for the kingdom.

The longer we hold on to our past pains and egos, the longer we resist the metamorphosis God wants to give us. We are just cocoons sitting under a leaf until we die to ourselves to rise with him.

This is a poem I wrote about allowing God to transform us.
It is called How Angels get their Wings.

Read More Grace Poetry

Written by CORE member Vanessa Hartz

As the night progressed, we danced the waltz and soon I was flying through the air; doing lifts we’d never practiced before.  I felt like I was on dancing with the stars! Once I came back from cloud 9, I realized how we accomplished graceful dancing.  It is because Ken led and I followed.

Perhaps dancing has an important message to say about the relationship between a man and a women. I have recently learned the importance of allowing the man to lead, and I have found freedom in following.

Here are a few joys in allowing men to lead the dance:

• It builds them up. Men want to know they have what it takes to do a good job. When we entrust them with a task, it fuels their fire and gives them the confidence to succeed.
• We get to be surprised! When the man leads, we don’t have to know where we are going, what move to do next, where to spin, or if the person behind us is in our way… It’s all taken care of (assuming you have a confident lead).
• We get to look pretty. There’s no better feeling than to being twirled, held, and dipped.

How can we apply these concepts to dating?

• Give men a challenge by allowing them to take the lead and pursue you. This one is always hard in a world that tears down masculinity. Still, we need to encourage our brothers in Christ to gain the confidence and fulfill this role. If they don’t learn how to lay down their pride and fight for us now, they will not know how to do this in marriage.
• Don’t have expectations. Treat every man as a brother in Christ and have confidence that if it is God’s will, he will reveal it to both your hearts and bring you together.
• Feel loved with no strings attached. Learn how to have appropriate friendships with the opposite sex. There is so much joy in being able to accept genuine attention from your male friends without feeling obligated to give something physical in return.

Dancing is a great metaphor for love and relationships. In love, it takes more than two to make the relationship work; it takes three– a man, woman and God.

If we can learn to dance with God, we will learn the virtues we need to practice in marriage. Marriage is not all romance– we need a strong foundation to prepare for this dance. The only one who can teach us our worth, that we are beautiful and good, is God.

I have found my dance with God to be adventurous, but it takes trust. I had to learn how to let Him lead. Let me describe this dance.

Dancing with God is a lot like dancing with a strong man. Just like Ken patiently revealed each step of the tango to me, I watched God reveal each step that ultimately led me to my life mission–sharing the message of Theology of the Body.

I have learned that when your vision is limited, the steps of the dance can seem complex leaving you wondering how it will come together. But once you learn the steps and the music starts, your heart reveals this truth- I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13). It is then that you will begin to hear the music and feel God lifting you to new heights.

-Vanessa Hartz, CORE member and Content Editor
Gracehealings.org and Grachealings.com

Each saying speaks of a blessing or “divine favor” bestowed upon a person resulting from the possession of a certain character quality.  The word “beatitude” comes from the Latin beatitudo, meaning “blessedness.” The phrase “blessed are” in each of the beatitudes implies a current state of happiness or well-being. The expression held powerful meaning of “divine joy and perfect happiness” to the people of the day. In other words, Jesus was saying “divinely happy and fortunate are” those who possess these inward qualities. While speaking of a current “blessedness,” each pronouncement also promises a future reward.

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

With this phrase, “poor in spirit,” most likely Jesus was speaking of our spiritual condition of poverty—the recognition of our need for God. “The kingdom of heaven” refers to people who acknowledge God as their King.

Simplified: “Blessed are those who humbly recognize their need for God, for they will enter into his kingdom.”

Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.

“Those who mourn” speaks of those who express deep sorrow over sin, or those who repent from their sins. The freedom found in the forgiveness of sins and the joy of eternal salvation is the “comfort” of those who repent.

Simplified: “Blessed are those who mourn for their sins, for they shall receive forgiveness and life eternal.”

Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.

Similar to “the poor,” “the meek” are those who submit to God’s authority, making him Lord. Revelation 21:7 says God’s children will “inherit all things.”

Simplified: “Blessed are those who submit to God as Lord, for they will be heirs to everything God possesses.”

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.

“Hunger and thirst” speaks of a deep need and a driving passion. This “righteousness” refers to the Lord, Jesus Christ, our righteousness. To “be filled” is the satisfaction of the soul’s desire.

Simplified: “Blessed are those who passionately long for the Lord, Jesus Christ, for he will satisfy their souls.”

Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.

Simply put, we reap what we sow. Those who demonstrate mercy will receive mercy. Likewise, those who know great mercy will show great mercy. This mercy is shown through forgiveness and also by offering kindness and compassion toward others.

Simplified: “Blessed are those who show mercy through forgiveness, kindness and compassion, for they will receive mercy.”

Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.

The “pure in heart” are those who have been cleansed from within. This is not talking about outward righteousness seen by men, but inward holiness that only God can see. The Bible says in Hebrews 12:14 that without holiness, no man will see God.

Simplified: “Blessed are those who have been purified from the inside out, being made clean and holy, for they will see God.”

Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.

The Bible says we have peace with God through Jesus Christ. Reconciliation through Jesus Christ brings restored fellowship (peace) with God. 2 Corinthians 5:19-20 says God entrusts us with this same message of reconciliation to take to others.

Simplified: “Blessed are those who have been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ and who bring this same message of reconciliation to others. All those who have peace with God are called his sons.”

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Just as Jesus faced persecution, so he promised his followers persecution. Those who endure because of their faith rather than hiding their righteousness to avoid persecution are genuine followers of Christ.

Simplified: “Blessed are those daring enough to openly live for righteousness and suffer persecution, for they will receive the kingdom of heaven.”

Wow! By the time the session came to a close I didn’t want Mark to stop talking about all the connections between the Old and the New Testaments. I experienced a newfound joy in the all the bits of the Old Testament as it became clear how they foreshadowed the coming of Jesus.  Understanding the order of events leading up to the coming of Jesus, including the prophecies and connections in the Old Testament, both enlightened and empowered me. It even strengthened my knowledge and illuminated the New Testament in a whole new way for me. Events I knew before, now had additional meaning; a new depth to comprehending the Word.

For example, the first plague God sent on Egypt was not an isolated incident. It foreshadowed Jesus’ first miracle during the wedding at Cana, when Jesus turned the water into wine. It was not by coincidence that in Exodus it is written, “Throughout the land of Egypt there shall be blood, even in the wooden pails and stone jars.” In addition, John writing about this first miracle of Jesus, says, “Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told them, ‘Fill the jars with water.’” He then turned this water to wine. He fulfilled the Old Testament, showing us God’s true intentions for how we are to live. Instead of the water being turned to blood to hinder the people in Egypt, now the water is turned to wine for the celebration of people becoming one under God. And now, we receive His blood in the Eucharist, which is consecrated from the wine.

Jesus is the Lamb of God, but I didn’t know that this was foreshadowed in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New Testament as well. In Genesis 22 after traveling three days and Isaac carrying the wood for the sacrifice on his back, the angel stops Abraham from sacrificing Isaac, and it is written, “As Abraham looked about, he spied a ram caught by its horns in the thicket. So he went and took the ram and offered it up as a holocaust in place of his son.” So as Abraham was going to offer up his son for God (but in place he sacrificed a ram caught in thorns), God offered up his son Jesus for us, who wore a crown of thorns. Additionally, Jesus is the lamb that every Jewish family offered up on Passover during the last plague on Egypt. The Old Testament documents, “The lamb must be a year-old male and without blemish.” And later it is written, “Then take a bunch of Hyssop, and dipping it in the blood that is in the basin, sprinkle the lintel and the two doorposts with this blood.” Both of these actions are fulfilled with Jesus on the cross. John writes in chapter 19, “After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, ‘I thirst.’ There was a vessel filled with common wine. So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth. When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, ‘It is finished.’ And bowing his head, he handed over his spirit.” As the lamb’s blood on Passover was put on the door with a hyssop branch, Jesus, the Lamb of God, takes his final drink of wine from the hyssop branch, and as the lamb for Passover was required to be unblemished with no broken bones, John also writes, “But when they came to Jesus and saw that he had already died, they did not break his legs.” By doing this, it is made clear that Jesus is the one true Lamb of God.

These connections make the Old Testament so much more interesting. There is so much more in the Word to aid us in understanding Jesus and his mission. The Old Testament is literally packed with these correlations and I find myself looking for them now as I read. If I hadn’t obtained this knowledge, I would still be reading the New Testament on a flat surface and missing the depth involved, which would only limit my relationship with Christ. It is my experience that the research is well worth the time to come to a fuller understanding. God is so wonderful and this shows how huge his plan really is! He fulfilled promises through Jesus that he made approximately seventeen hundred years before. Now it is our job to draw near to Him and to trust in God’s plan, even if we don’t always understand, and to continue to pray and find love in Him who knows all. The Word is his gift to us – a precious gift where He shares with us His great love story. How we use this gift is up to us.

–By Olivia Swinford

St. Patrick’s hosted Mark Hart’s Bible Timeline, a five hour class about salvation history from Genesis to Revelations. Here is a teen’s testimony about her experience.

I’ll admit it- when I signed up to attend the Bible Timeline, I was more excited to spend five hours learning from Mark Hart than I was to spend five hours learning history. But, as usual, God and Mark surprised me.

I had expected to be familiar with the basics of Scripture, since my theology class sophomore year was all about the Bible, but this event was more than a lesson, it was a glory story and a prayer. God’s love really is unconditional, and I have a role in salvation history, just like Esther, Ruth, David, and Jeremiah. If you keep those two things in mind while you read the Bible, you’ll discover oceans of meaning that you didn’t see before.

I was also overwhelmed by the realization that thousands of men and women have died to make sure that the 73 books of the Bible still exist for us today. Different authors wrote in different centuries with different styles- there are poems, letters, family trees, narratives- but every word of Scripture is meaningful.

-Written by Leadership Teen Becca Self

Women CORE at SP fall retreat 2011

My sister and I are extremely close. So close that we often don’t need words; we only need laughter. We are not only sisters in blood; we are sisters in our hearts.

I have been contemplating the brokenness with my sisters in Christ compared to my relationship with my sister. Today I realized that I don’t offer the same standard of love to my sisters in Christ as I do with my “real” family.

Perhaps it is because no one compares to my sister, or maybe it is because I don’t offer the same compassion and mercy I give to my family; therefore, it has been difficult to connect with all my sisters in Christ up to this point in my life. I get restless in my relationships when I have been hurt or feel like I am being rejected.

Today I was reflecting on my relationship with my sister and I recalled the tears we shed together. I remember the apologies that followed and I remember the laughter that soon returned. When you’re in it for the long-haul, no simple anxiety, mistake or act of insensitivity can overcome the commitment to love.

This is the type of love and forgiveness we are called to offer our brothers and sisters in Christ, but too often I see fear instead. It has taken me years to recognize this disregard of opportunity in my own life; I know there is a need for change. I feel God transforming my heart through prayer and practice. I am stepping out of my safety zone to reach out to my ladies in Christ and offer support, love and forgiveness when needed. We are, after all, united through the same blood; the blood of Christ.

I have a special friend who is a beautiful example of a sister in Christ- not just to me but every young woman in her life. She laughs readily with her sisters at heart and responds with love and affection you only expect to find in a friend of years. I feel like I have encountered the presence of a best friend I can open my heart to and share my goofy side with. She has a gift of sisterhood and I pray I can learn how to open my heart to others the way she has.

Here is an inspired poem about loving our sisters in Christ.

Enlighten the path; show the way.
Hold out your lamp- don’t walk away.

Get comfortable when others run-
Embrace the pain, allow love.

Close your eyes and laugh with tears.
Affirm my crazy, wild ideas.

Be a sister, if only at heart.
Confirm Christ’s presence and call to love.

Enlighten the path; show the way
Lovingly guide me away from mistakes.

By Vanessa Hartz

P.S. The women CORE members are a great example of spiritual mothers and sisters in Christ. You are always welcome to come to us.

Over the summer, I went with our church’s LifeTeen to visit Disneyland. On the bus ride, our LifeTeen coordinator requested that we join in praying an “Our Father” for a safe trip. While I was praying, I accidentally spoke the words “our kingdom come” rather than “thy kingdom come.”  No one around me heard, but I was terrified that God was going to be irritated by my mistake and crash the bus.

Obviously I was worrying way too much, but it did get me thinking. Some people actually do believe that it is our kingdom rather than the Lord’s. They want to control their lives by letting their will be done instead of His. For many, it is unsettling to have faith and totally trust God.

So, why aren’t we willing to put our life in God’s hands? It is often easier said than done and can be scary to let the Lord take the wheel not knowing what He has planned. We worry that something bad might happen or feel that somehow we can prevent horrible scenarios. Sadly, no one’s life is perfect.

When our lives are out of control, there are two ways to react to unfortunate situations. We can either become angry, blame God for everything, and vent about what a horrible life we have… or we can learn something from the experience. St. Paul says, “… we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). Searching for the lesson in an experience allows us to become stronger and closer to His kingdom. Know that you are secure in his care and be joyful. Finding joy in all things helps us to become more like Christ.

This virtue can be a difficult one to achieve because most of us prefer quick solutions. God’s answers to prayers rarely work like a vending machine. It’s not as if we can put requests in a slot and expect God to reveal to us what’s going to happen in one big swoop. It takes time and patience, along with trial and error. He wants us to learn from our mistakes, try new things, and most of all continually seek and trust Him. Besides, if we always knew what was going to happen in our lives it wouldn’t be as much fun or exciting.

“Who can straighten what he has made crooked? When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future” (Ecc. 7:13-14).

Remember, God loves you and always wants what’s best for you. Let Him take control. After all, it is His kingdom that is coming.

By St. Patrick’s Leadership Teen: Sarah Zorman

Vanessa's first communion in 2002 with her Dad, Manuel.

When we prepare for Holy Communion, we prepare ourselves like a bride to her bridegroom.  This sacrament is the source and summit of our faith. It is the source of grace that provides strength so we can reach the summit of our faith- perfection in Christ.

The CCC, explains, “The mode of Christ’s presence under the Eucharistic species is unique. It raises the Eucharist above all the sacraments as “the perfection of the spiritual life and the end to which all the sacraments tend” (1374).

If this is our source of grace that allows us to be perfect like our heavenly father is perfect (Matt 5:48), it must happen through union with Christ because he is the only way to God (John 14:6).

If we want to go to heaven and be connected to God, not only in a Spiritual sense but participate in the self giving love of the Trinity, we must be united to Christ. As the communion of saints, we make up the body of Christ and we are meant to be his bride one day.

Why would we want to be united to God? Let me give you an example. If I got married tomorrow, why would I want to be united to my husband on our honeymoon? Because I want to be united to him and share in not only a spiritual communion but a physical unification.

When other denominations choose not to receive the consecrated host, they not only deny Christ’s presence in the Eucharist, but they are choosing to not unite to their bridegroom. They are not only missing out on being one with God, they are missing out on the communion of saints.

So how does the communion of saints work? When we consume the body of Christ, we unite not only to Christ, but each other.  This means we’re family now, we share the same blood; the blood of Christ running in our veins.

As a convert I can tell you that there is a strong sense of genuine brotherhood and sisterhood in the Catholic faith and I believe it is because of Holy Communion.  When we get to heaven we will fully understand that the communion of saints is not just a spiritual communion, but physical unification. The Church is one body and we will be presented to Christ as his bride- purified through His mercy and grace.

Fully participating in the communion of saints takes willingness and faith. We must retrain our self centered tendencies and be truly present to those we encounter.  When you realize we share the same Spirit of God you can encounter God in each and every one of your Catholic friends, acquaintances, and even strangers.

A beautiful example of this union through Christ is Mother Theresa and John Paul II. When I see pictures of them together, I know they shared the light of Christ to each other in this life and they are fully united in heaven waiting and praying for us to join the ultimate union with God.

Written by Vanessa Hartz, CORE member

It was the first night I felt the spirit move me when the gold monstrance passed down the middle aisle to the altar. I knew He was there.

Sometimes it takes an extreme experience to see what is right in front of our eyes. Observing others in passionate worship can inspire us to participate.

Before my exposure to the spirit at the Steubenville west conference in 2006, I was indifferent to adoration. I always enjoyed communion because we consume the Host and become a walking tabernacle. It’s something I can taste, touch, and feel when Christ’s presence enters me.  Adoration is different, but similar.

Eucharistic adoration starts with the body of Christ being inserted into a monstrance, a gold or silver receptacle with a transparent container that exposes the consecrated Host. Like a tabernacle, a monstrance holds the body of Christ, but instead of containing it, it shares it. The Latin word mōnstrāre means to show.

So instead of enjoying Christ’s presence within us, we adore his presence outside of ourselves. We can kneel on holy ground in the presence of God, just like Moses did on Mt. Sinai. When Moses was on holy ground, it was then that God called him for his purpose and spoke to him. If God is willing to humble Himself and dwell in bread or even a burning bush, we should embrace the opportunity like Moses did.

The catechism says that the basic movement of Christian prayer is an encounter between God and man (CCC 2626). When we place ourselves in the presence of God, we can encounter him through prayer in a deeper way.

So the next time there is an extreme life teen event, or your church has adoration, embrace the experience.

Here are 4 ways to make adoration more meaningful:

• Ask God if there’s anything He wants to tell you as you kneel in His presence.
• Make the sign of the cross to acknowledge Christ’s presence when He passes down the aisle and when the priest gives the blessing, moving the monstrance in the sign of the cross.
• Go to an adoration chapel once a week; attend events with adoration every chance you get. The more you spend in God’s presence, the easier it will be to hear him speak to your heart.
• Be okay with silence. When the world is noisy, escape to kneel in his presence… it’s amazing how holy silence can calm your heart.

A week before I encountered Christ at Steubenville West, I was on Summer Staff in Camp Tepeyac. During our formation, Darla Hickman shared a reflection on adoration with us. She inspired me to write a poem about the importance of making Christ present to others at every opportunity. To accomplish this, we must become a walking monstrance for Christ.

Monstrance

Let me be a monstrance,
Let me glow for Christ.
Let Him shine in me
Through my eyes.

Help me reflect His beauty
In all that I do.
Remake me pure as Gold
So I can hold the consecrated You.

In the bosom of my soul
Where only You can go
And You fit me perfectly
You are my Prince of Peace

Let the cloak that holds Him high
Touch and heal my sinful life.
Bind away any evil bringing me down
Lift me up and heal me from the ground.

Make me anew, let me shine for You.
Build me as a monstrance
Containing an empty heart, pure and clean
That can only be filled by You.

Written by Vanessa Hartz

The teaching of the Trinity is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are all one God in substance, but three divine Persons in individuality.  In a similar way, water is all H2O but found in three forms with different purposes.

Through osmosis, I can see the stamp of the Creator. One difference is water can transition to gas and change back just as easily; whereas, the Trinity is connected by something much stronger without changing the Persons.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “It is the Father who generates, the Son who is begotten, and the Holy Spirit who proceeds” (CCC 254).

So the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and Son, unites them and intercedes for us. Jesus said he would send us a comforter when he left. He left us the greatest gift of all, full access to himself through His Holy Spirit.

“The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes with sighs too deep for words” (Rom 8:26).

What a cool gift! To be united to God through His Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit, we find God the Father’s love and learn to be more like Christ.

So now when our friends ask us what the trinity is, we can tell them, it’s kind of like H2O in 3 forms: water, ice and gas… The Father is the ice, the Son is water because he comes from the Father to wash our sins away, and the Holy Spirit is the gas because he is present on earth even though we can’t see him.

If you still think the Trinity is too farfetched for your taste, consider this: If God created the rules of science and we can accept them, even if they were a mystery at one point in history, why can’t we accept the mysteries of the church?

We must be like children if we want to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:3). Children have faith without knowing the science or explanation of things… we should strive to have faith and embrace the mysteries of the church.

Written by CORE member Vanessa Hartz