Father Mike gave kind of a depressing homily last night.. and on Tuesday-- about the end of the world and the end of the Catholic faith as we know it. It's all dark and gloomy when you think that the church will no longer be able to openly profess their faith. It's all dark and gloomy to think of millions of Catholics being forced to hide their love for God and hide their beliefs. Just as I believe in religious freedom for everyone, I do not believe we should have to fear the loss of our rights to express our faith. I have never once looked down on any person of another faith for professing their beliefs, I do not feel it's fair that someday we will be forced to hide.
Last night, he told us a story of a man in Mexico who gave his life to profess his faith. He hung a sign in his shop on which he hand wrote Viva Christo Rey, Long Live Christ the King. When the police cut out his tongue for speaking those words in public Viva Christo Rey, he pointed up to God. When the police cut off his hands for pointing to God saying Viva Christo Rey and public announcing his faith, he spread his arms and physically turned his body into the cross. They shot him. They killed a man for being strong enough in his faith to profess it out loud and to the world.
Viva Christo Rey. Long Live Christ the King.
That story strikes me. First, because it happened. It happened in Mexico, where a large percentage of the population is Catholic. Yet a man died because he was Catholic. Second, I am left to wonder.. would I be brave enough to do it? Would I be brave enough to stand up and die for my faith? Would you? Even if you're not a Catholic or Christian.. would you stand up for your faith? Would you die for it?
Viva Christo Rey. Long Live Christ the King.
Long live my king.
-H.Eilene
November 30, 2012
November 28, 2012
I've Made a Decision
Hello Friends!
I've been sitting on this decision for awhile, going back and forth, but I've officially decided to transfer down to the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. I am extremely excited and happy with this decision. I have very solid reasons to transfer mostly focused around living expenses and opportunities for internships and learning experiences. I did not come to this decision lightly, but my reasons are for myself and what is best for me, and I'm very excited.
I'm also very sad. I have made a ton of new friends while in Duluth and have grown very close with my friends at the Newman Center. But, I'm not leaving for another semester, so there are still great memories to be made. I'm so excited to share these next few months with the friends I've made and will use this time with them to build up strong and lasting bonds.
Have a fabulous Wednesday!
Hannah
I've been sitting on this decision for awhile, going back and forth, but I've officially decided to transfer down to the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. I am extremely excited and happy with this decision. I have very solid reasons to transfer mostly focused around living expenses and opportunities for internships and learning experiences. I did not come to this decision lightly, but my reasons are for myself and what is best for me, and I'm very excited.
I'm also very sad. I have made a ton of new friends while in Duluth and have grown very close with my friends at the Newman Center. But, I'm not leaving for another semester, so there are still great memories to be made. I'm so excited to share these next few months with the friends I've made and will use this time with them to build up strong and lasting bonds.
Have a fabulous Wednesday!
Hannah
November 27, 2012
Christmas is Coming
Hello Again!
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend, and I hope you were able to share how thankful you are for you family and friends and all the beautiful things in your lives. I know I was. More than anything, this weekend gave me the opportunity to realize how lucky I am to have such an amazing and healthy family. I spent much of my weekend with my sister and her husband (and little Violet too!!). I always enjoy my time with them, but it just seemed even more special this weekend!
The background image on my phone is of Jordan and I from Halloween when he came up to my school to visit, and every time Violet saw the phone she kept saying "Jojan!!!" (Jordan) It was absolutely the most adorable thing in the world. Beyond that, she kept trying to talk to him on my phone, and my heart melted every time. We spent a lot of our time making cute videos this weekend of Miss Violet singing, counting to ten (in French!) and practicing her ABCs. She is just too precious!!
Alas, the weekend is over and it's back to school for me! It's a snowy wonderland here in Duluth and the wind has started to nip at your fingers and nose. Its officially become sweater season! (Which, I'm pretty thrilled about).
This week's game plan:
Catch up on all my reading-- because finals are only 3 weeks away!!!!
Finish my Christmas countdown!!!
Bake more Christmas cookies!!
Sneak peak on next post: An inside look at Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathon Safran Foer
I hope you have a marvelous Tuesday-- more to come soon!
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend, and I hope you were able to share how thankful you are for you family and friends and all the beautiful things in your lives. I know I was. More than anything, this weekend gave me the opportunity to realize how lucky I am to have such an amazing and healthy family. I spent much of my weekend with my sister and her husband (and little Violet too!!). I always enjoy my time with them, but it just seemed even more special this weekend!
The background image on my phone is of Jordan and I from Halloween when he came up to my school to visit, and every time Violet saw the phone she kept saying "Jojan!!!" (Jordan) It was absolutely the most adorable thing in the world. Beyond that, she kept trying to talk to him on my phone, and my heart melted every time. We spent a lot of our time making cute videos this weekend of Miss Violet singing, counting to ten (in French!) and practicing her ABCs. She is just too precious!!
Alas, the weekend is over and it's back to school for me! It's a snowy wonderland here in Duluth and the wind has started to nip at your fingers and nose. Its officially become sweater season! (Which, I'm pretty thrilled about).
This week's game plan:
Catch up on all my reading-- because finals are only 3 weeks away!!!!
Finish my Christmas countdown!!!
Bake more Christmas cookies!!
Sneak peak on next post: An inside look at Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathon Safran Foer
I hope you have a marvelous Tuesday-- more to come soon!
November 20, 2012
10 K
Hello!
As some of you, or all of you, or maybe none of you might know, in two days I will be running a 10k. Pretty ridiculous if you know me... because I'm not a big runner. But, I'm doing it nonetheless. I'm not ready for it, my training is almost nonexistent aside from a few short runs and lots of long walks, but you know.. I'm okay with that. I'm not running to win or make a record time for myself... considering it's my first race, I'm just going to be happy with however I do. I'm going to try my best, but I know I'm going to end up walking a lot of it. Let's be honest... |
| I will ALWAYS be thankful for my sisters |
Your body is worth love, but not worth worship, your body is worth Sacrifice. He ended his homily by asking us to sacrifice time out of our weekend for Jesus and for others.
A big selling point of this 10k that I'm running is that each runner is to bring canned goods to donate for those who are in need. I'm going to sacrifice a few hours on Wednesday evening to collect canned goods for the run. I'm going to sacrifice some time out of the busy weekend of friends and family and go to Church and pray. I'm going to take this holiday about giving and gratitude and do what I can to give to those in need and be grateful to the Lord for the wonderful things he's given me-- food, shelter, a family and many friends.
I hope you'll take this holiday to be thankful for everything you have, and make a point to give to others who are less fortunate.
Always,
H.Eilene
November 16, 2012
Family
In honor of Thanksgiving (which is in 6 days!!), I'm doing a post about family. Father Mike gave a pretty good homily last night about how family is messy and crazy and we fight, but yet we're family... that's what family is. It's a beautiful mess, but it is our beautiful mess. Well, no. That's not what his homily was really about.. it was about treating our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, as family-- making their mess ours, giving them time and attention, and loving them... and so on.
But I want to focus on the family part. The fellow Oakes-Youngs-Benson family. They are my family. I sit here, at college, and I miss them. I miss them like crazy, all I want is to go home, see them. Have my dad tell me to do the dishes or complain about the recycling, have my mom wondering how the kitchen gets so dirty after only a few hours, and my sisters, my amazing and wonderful sisters... one fighting over clothing and the other cutting coupons in the most inconvenient places.. my nieces, in all their glory being noisy. I love them. I love the crazy, the mess, the annoying comments about cleaning or the inability to fit everyone in the living room. I love it.
I get home, and I get annoyed. I get mad because we can't get through dinner without someone saying something that makes someone else mad. It makes me angry when my parents expect me to clean up messes I didn't make because I want to relax and enjoy my time home... but that's what family does. We make sacrifices for each other. I look back at all the times I rolled my eyes and complained about doing someone else's dishes, and I'm ashamed. I should have been happy to do them. I should have been proud to stand up and help out where I was needed.
Family is messy. Family is annoying. Family can be infuriating. But, Family is beautiful. Family is love. My family is MINE. No one can take that from me. They're my beautiful mess. I am so proud, and so lucky to be part of my family.
But I want to focus on the family part. The fellow Oakes-Youngs-Benson family. They are my family. I sit here, at college, and I miss them. I miss them like crazy, all I want is to go home, see them. Have my dad tell me to do the dishes or complain about the recycling, have my mom wondering how the kitchen gets so dirty after only a few hours, and my sisters, my amazing and wonderful sisters... one fighting over clothing and the other cutting coupons in the most inconvenient places.. my nieces, in all their glory being noisy. I love them. I love the crazy, the mess, the annoying comments about cleaning or the inability to fit everyone in the living room. I love it.
I get home, and I get annoyed. I get mad because we can't get through dinner without someone saying something that makes someone else mad. It makes me angry when my parents expect me to clean up messes I didn't make because I want to relax and enjoy my time home... but that's what family does. We make sacrifices for each other. I look back at all the times I rolled my eyes and complained about doing someone else's dishes, and I'm ashamed. I should have been happy to do them. I should have been proud to stand up and help out where I was needed.
Family is messy. Family is annoying. Family can be infuriating. But, Family is beautiful. Family is love. My family is MINE. No one can take that from me. They're my beautiful mess. I am so proud, and so lucky to be part of my family.
November 14, 2012
Exhaustion
College is tiring. In fact, I would argue that college is exhausting. So much so, that today, when I went to rest my eyes for a few minutes.. I slept for a few HOURS. Not minutes, not one or two hours.. I slept for almost 4 hours. That is the longest and ONLY nap I have taken in over a year. Holy cats.
For this reason (exhaustion), I have not been posting. But-- I PROMISE. This weekend, I will have time to come back to this and add much more about the crazy week it's been.. also, this weekend is going to be EPIC. Also, I'm gonna tell ya about my weekend home (this past weekend) :) Stick around-- keep coming back!!
Always (and yawning)
H.Eilene
For this reason (exhaustion), I have not been posting. But-- I PROMISE. This weekend, I will have time to come back to this and add much more about the crazy week it's been.. also, this weekend is going to be EPIC. Also, I'm gonna tell ya about my weekend home (this past weekend) :) Stick around-- keep coming back!!
Always (and yawning)
H.Eilene
November 13, 2012
It's Beautiful
Today is a gorgeous (and cold) day in Duluth!
Today, my hair is curled, I'm wrapped up in the amazing (and LONG) scarf my mom made me,
and it's just a happy day. I had a busy morning, and now, my afternoon is full of homework and
I have to fit in a run... but I think I can do it! :)
Have a fabulous Tuesday (I'll be back with more tomorrow!!!)
Adios!!
~H.Eilene
November 5, 2012
Vote
My clock says 12:02 AM. That means the day has come for Americans to voice their opinions, and exercise their right to elect the leader of our country. I feel like it is our duty as citizens, no.. I KNOW it is our duty as citizens to go out and vote. But don't just go voting for whoever's name sounds the best, or the candidate whose skin tone matches yours. Vote for the candidate's platform matches your own.
My friends are all across the board, voting Romney for religious reasons or voting Obama strictly for his openness to certain topics like abortion, birth control and gay marriage. You can vote for whomever you want. If you believe that same sex marriage isn't okay, then vote Yes. If you believe that marriage shouldn't have to be between a man and a woman, vote No. I won't tell which side you should be on, because for me, that was a hard decision.
I wish I could say it were easy, because so many of my friends were firm in their belief that marriage is for everyone. I have friends, who I consider family, who I want to be able to marry moving forward in life. But, I had to look at my faith too. Not because I think the Bible says they can't, or because I think God doesn't love people who are attracted to people of their same sex (because that's not true). It was hard for me because I was shown how the amendment could impact Catholic Churches and Catholic schools in the future. I shown that the amendment will lead to a change in what we teach our children, that parents who are uncomfortable with the change in teaching can't withdraw their children, and that schools, such as Catholic schools can't refuse to teach it--- which would essentially lead to their shutting down. I love my friends, but I also love the idea of children going to Catholic school and being taught the love and mercy of Jesus.
In the end, I know the decision I made makes me feel okay. I know that I voted for what I felt in my heart was right. I voted keeping both sides of the issue in mind. For some, the decision to vote yes or no was easy. There was no thought... but I'm glad I had to think. I'm glad it made me question my stance as Catholic and as someone who believes in equal rights for everyone. I'm glad it made me think, because it made me feel all the better as I sent in my absentee ballot.
Take each of the issues in your heart, and truly think about the impacts your vote could have. Every single one of us has a voice, and every single one of us will be heard today. On this day, we stand as a nation and vote together for the future of our country.
I pray for everyone who is going out to the polls, who know in their hearts what they want to vote, even if their faith or other social pressures are telling them otherwise. I pray that they have the strength to do what is in their hearts, and that God will grant them peace in their decisions, and that He forgives them if it isn't what the Church is calling them to do. I pray for everyone today who casts their vote for the future of our nation, and I pray for our nation as a whole, that today and the next four years brings about positive change and policies that protect and serve all people, and not the selected few.
Always,
H.Eilene.
 |
| http://www.calyouth.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/vote.jpg |
I wish I could say it were easy, because so many of my friends were firm in their belief that marriage is for everyone. I have friends, who I consider family, who I want to be able to marry moving forward in life. But, I had to look at my faith too. Not because I think the Bible says they can't, or because I think God doesn't love people who are attracted to people of their same sex (because that's not true). It was hard for me because I was shown how the amendment could impact Catholic Churches and Catholic schools in the future. I shown that the amendment will lead to a change in what we teach our children, that parents who are uncomfortable with the change in teaching can't withdraw their children, and that schools, such as Catholic schools can't refuse to teach it--- which would essentially lead to their shutting down. I love my friends, but I also love the idea of children going to Catholic school and being taught the love and mercy of Jesus.
In the end, I know the decision I made makes me feel okay. I know that I voted for what I felt in my heart was right. I voted keeping both sides of the issue in mind. For some, the decision to vote yes or no was easy. There was no thought... but I'm glad I had to think. I'm glad it made me question my stance as Catholic and as someone who believes in equal rights for everyone. I'm glad it made me think, because it made me feel all the better as I sent in my absentee ballot.
Take each of the issues in your heart, and truly think about the impacts your vote could have. Every single one of us has a voice, and every single one of us will be heard today. On this day, we stand as a nation and vote together for the future of our country.
I pray for everyone who is going out to the polls, who know in their hearts what they want to vote, even if their faith or other social pressures are telling them otherwise. I pray that they have the strength to do what is in their hearts, and that God will grant them peace in their decisions, and that He forgives them if it isn't what the Church is calling them to do. I pray for everyone today who casts their vote for the future of our nation, and I pray for our nation as a whole, that today and the next four years brings about positive change and policies that protect and serve all people, and not the selected few.
Always,
H.Eilene.
November 2, 2012
November 1, 2012
Beautiful Things
I've learned in the past few months that there is so much beauty in the world around us. It's everywhere. Everywhere you look there is something precious, something so beautiful. I see beauty in life, in children with their parents, in my friends, in music, in the bible, in my faith as a whole, it's all so beautiful to me.
Tonight, tonight was a night where I saw beauty in the faith of many many people. Today for the Catholic faith was All Saints and All Souls Day, a day of Holy obligation. Today was also a mass and meal day, which usually has around 40-60 people in attendance. Tonight, as we walked into Father Mike's house, shoes were sprawled a good ten feet up to the door, and the living room outside of the chapel was packed. We got in and realized that not only was the room outside the chapel full, but the chapel was full. By the time mass started there people standing shoulder to shoulder in the living room and extended down the stairs into the basement and through the entry way and up the stairs to the house.
The whole collection of people celebrating their faith and celebrating All Saints Day was overwhelmingly beautiful. The homily tonight also got me.
You know how sometimes people say things that just... kinda hit you in the gut and really make you think? Well. Fr. Mike succeeded tonight in knocking the wind outta me with his message. In essence, he explained the purpose behind celebrating All Saints Day-- because it's not just the Saints like St. Mary, St. Joseph, St. Benedict etc. Everyone who has been baptized and died are considered saints too. He more or less told us that we are always surrounded by people who have already ran our race, who have already gone through what we are going through, and that they're cheering us on in our lives every day. It was amazing.
I'm constantly being reminded of His grace and His goodness.
I find it truly beautiful.
Tonight, as I celebrated All Saints Day, I especially prayed for my Grandma Violet. I never had the chance to meet her, but I've heard the most amazing stories about her, and if there's anyone I want standing by my side as I struggle and triumph, it's her.
Always,
H.Eilene
 |
| http://assets.inhabitat.com/files/lights.jpg |
The whole collection of people celebrating their faith and celebrating All Saints Day was overwhelmingly beautiful. The homily tonight also got me.
You know how sometimes people say things that just... kinda hit you in the gut and really make you think? Well. Fr. Mike succeeded tonight in knocking the wind outta me with his message. In essence, he explained the purpose behind celebrating All Saints Day-- because it's not just the Saints like St. Mary, St. Joseph, St. Benedict etc. Everyone who has been baptized and died are considered saints too. He more or less told us that we are always surrounded by people who have already ran our race, who have already gone through what we are going through, and that they're cheering us on in our lives every day. It was amazing.
I'm constantly being reminded of His grace and His goodness.
I find it truly beautiful.
Tonight, as I celebrated All Saints Day, I especially prayed for my Grandma Violet. I never had the chance to meet her, but I've heard the most amazing stories about her, and if there's anyone I want standing by my side as I struggle and triumph, it's her.
Always,
H.Eilene
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