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.
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                                              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.