GUEST BLOGGER: From The Mind of a Teenage Catholic

I am pleased to announce that today we have a guest blogger.  I would like to introduce you to Kateri S., who offers her insights as a Catholic teenager and pro-life warrior.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                   
                                              From the Mind of a Teenage Catholic
                                                                   by Kateri S.

Tomorrow morning I’ll get up and head to the best celebration ever.  It’s a banquet, a feast of heavenly proportions.  Millions go to it around the world every day.  It’s called the Mass.  I love it, I live it, I seek it.  It is the central part of my Faith, the Catholic Faith.

My faith shapes my life.  It brings me peace.  Sends me hope.  Leads me to Eternity in heaven.  Is it always easy to stay true to it, though?  I wish I could say yes . . . but the answer is honestly no.   Sometimes I think it could be easier to act like I don’t care about religion.  To just do whatever I want, not have to worry about anything, but even just thinking that makes me feel sad.  I liken my life without faith to a candle that can’t be lit.  Useless.  So, I try to keep my light burning as brightly as I can.  The choices I make every day will either make me shine or fade.  Having faith in God makes making the right choices easier.

One of my favorite things about being a Catholic is all the awesome role models I have.  All I have to do is look to the saints to find ways to become a better person.  They all have such amazing stories.   Some of my favorite saints are St. Catherine Laboure, St. Kateri Tekakwitha, St. Benedict, St. Patrick, St. Athanasius, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Rose of Lima, Bl. Mother Teresa, St. Anthony, St. Augustine . . . sorry, I’m rambling on aren’t I?  I guess I don’t just have a few favorite saints.  I love them all!

I forgot to mention one saint up in the above paragraph.  Or was it intentional . . . ?  Either way, she’s St. Gianna.  I really like her story because of the pro-life connections it has.  She was pregnant and diagnosed with cancer.  The treatment needed to save her life would have killed her baby.   She decided to postpone treatment until the baby was born.  She died less than two weeks after her child was born.  She made the ultimate sacrifice for her child.

I mention this story specifically because of the close connection the Catholic Church has with being pro-life.  We truly believe that life starts at conception and should be protected through all stages.  A couple years ago I got involved in the pro-life movement through my mom.  She started a pro-life club in my homeschool group . . . and the rest is history.  I love learning more about how the faith I know and love is connected to the pro-life cause.  It is a beautiful thing.

To close this rambling post written far too late at night to be trying to write coherently . . . I thought I’d share one of my favorite prayers.  I say it often and it never fails to make me feel secure.

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.  Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created.  And you shall renew the face of the earth. 

O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

CATHOLIC VIDEO WEEK WINNER

I am pleased to announce that the winner of the Roses of St. Therese video competition is "Those That Never Were", a heartfelt testimony to the unborn, a heartbreaking video tribute and love song to "those who never were" allowed outside of the womb.  If you have not already seen the powerful video for this wonderful song, I highly recommend that you visit my earlier post below:

http://rosesofsttherese.blogspot.com/2012/09/catholic-video-week-video-3-those-who.html

Congratulations to Lindsey Thompson, the singer of this beautiful song, her husband, Will, who wrote it, LiveWorshipMusic, and anyone else involved in the project!  :)

Honorable mention goes to the creators of the Religious Freedom videos, who were in second place.  Many thanks to starmediapro and theblackstonefilms for standing up for their faith and the basic rights of all people!  Thanks also to those who attended the rallies depicted in the videos or, in some other way, fought for this worthy cause.  ¡Viva Cristo Rey!

Pax Christi,
The Little Rose

Shower of Roses: A Song for St. Therese

I haven't seen the film THERESE, but I recently listened to the theme song and found it to be beautiful.  Here is a version of the theme, "Shower of Roses", which, given the title, was likely played at the end of the film.

Pax,
The Little Rose

Catholic Video Week Poll: Vote for your favorite video!

I apologize for my delay in posting the poll. 

You have the opportunity to vote for your favorite Catholic video from Roses of St. Therese's Catholic Video Week.  The video with the most votes will be recognized in a special post. 

Please note that, although there are two sections of the poll (far right, above and below the Blog Archive), there is only one distinctive poll.  In other words, please only vote for *one* of the seven videos (or video categories, in the case of Religious Freedom Day).

Voting commences today and will end in six days.  Please vote for your favorite video within that time period. 

Thank you, and happy voting!!  :)

Pax,
The Little Rose

Feast Day of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux

Happy Feast Day to the Little Flower.  <3  We love you!  You are truly an inspiration, as the name of this blog attests.  Thank you for your continual prayers up there in Heaven for those of us on Earth.
 

"May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.”
― St. Thérèse de Lisieux

 

 

                                          (Photo credits: The Divine Mercy facebook page)

St. Thérèse said, "When I die, I will send down a shower of roses from the heavens.  I will spend my heaven by doing good on earth.”  During times of discernment, novenas to St. Therese are often said with the request that a rose be sent as a sign. 

Saint Thérèse, the Little Flower of Jesus, please
pick a rose from the heavenly garden, and send it
to me with a message of love.
I ask you to obtain for me the favors that I seek (here mention your request).
Recommend my request to Mary, Queen of
Heaven, so that she may intercede for me, with you,
before her Son, Jesus Christ.
If this favor is granted, I will love you more
and more, and be better prepared to spend eternal
happiness with you in heaven.
Saint Thérèse of the Little Flower, pray for me.

 “For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.” 
- St. Thérèse of Lisieux

 

Caritas Christi Urget Nos,

The Little Rose

Support a Catholic Speaker Month 2012: Eduardo Verastegui

I was first exposed to the strong presence of Eduardo Verastegui in 2007 when watching the beautiful pro-life film Bella.  I remember being amazed by how he could convey so much with a single facial expression . . . a look in the eyes that held so much meaning.  Now that I think about it more, this expression, this look, was rooted in a deep commitment Eduardo had made in recent years: to do God's will rather than that of society.

After watching the movie, I remember visiting a comprehensive fan-made website and scrolling through photos taken at Medjorgorje and even one with our beloved Pope John Paul II not too long before his passing.  I became more curious about the man behind "José".  I learned how he had once been the stereotypical "Latino bad boy" and how his heart had changed through a re-affirming of his Catholic faith, inspiring him to instead promote a positive image of Latinos in film . . . and to advance positive media in general.  He vowed to only take roles that would glorify God, never those that would compromise his morals.  The more I learned, the more Eduardo Verastegui earned my admiration and respect.  As a result, I felt honored upon hearing that I would be blogging about him for Support a Catholic Speaker Month 2012 (http://brandonvogt.com/scsm12).

Although I unfortunately was unable to interview Eduardo Verastegui for this post, I have prepared a video that highlights the profound influence he has had as a role model for Catholics (and, truly, all people) in a less-than-moral world.  I have also included two videos at the end which emphasize his role as a pro-life speaker.  Please feel free to share this post with others.

                                                   The Story of Eduardo Verastegui
                                                             by The Little Rose

 

 If you are having difficulty viewing my video or would prefer to see it in a larger format, please visit the youtube link at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSKF78XQjGs&feature=plcp .


                                                         Catholic Speaker Videos: 
                          Eduardo Verastegui at the 2007 Celebration of Life (Parts 1 and 2)

 

 

 

 

In addition to his role in BELLA, Eduardo Verastegui plays Blessed Anacleto Gonzalez in FOR GREATER GLORY, a film that chronicles the religious persecution of Catholics in Mexico in the 1920s.

(Photo credits: FOR GREATER GLORY facebook page)

Pax Christi,
The Little Rose

Inspirational Quote from St. Therese

"I can, then, in spite of my littleness, aspire to holiness."
- St. Therese of Lisieux