Life Is For Loving

Happy Sunday! This weekend was too good for words. Yesterday we had yet another wonderful retreat experience with All Saints Parish, the day started off busy with 20 students, they were quiet at first but as the day progressed they turned into a lively bunch. As the team members gave their sessions I noticed a change in atmosphere and how comfortable the students had gotten. The students began to open up more. One thing that really stood out from this group was their desire for life, and a desire to go deeper with our Lord, it simply blew my mind.

I can not believe it has been TWO months since we started our journey with SPIRITUS, I remember coming in scared, missing my family in CO, with a list full of questions, to taking that leap of faith. So far on this journey I have learned vulnerability, confidence, patience, and a hunger for understanding. Patience learning how to be patience with myself, others around me. Patience with the different personalities of team members, the different retreat groups (3rd-12th graders). Confidence, I'm learning to be okay with the gifts that I have been given to me, learning how to live with amazing brothers and sisters, learning to cook, speaking in front of tons of students, performing dramas, singing, and really being stretched out of my comfort zone. Vulnerability, allowing people to see me to the depths of my core. I have heard stores that have incorporated themselves into my soul. The struggles that the youth have had to endure, the pain in their eyes, their enormous hearts, seeing inspiration in every corner, it has opened my eyes to so many different things. It has allowed me to listen to each story and let them change my life, my view, and my heart. These two months I've had the chance to get to know this vibrant ministry that is now apart of me. I am in awe of what SPIRITUS, God, the youth have done to a small town girl like me, I have learned from my brothers and sisters, the youth, Jesus Christ, and all the challenges. How being vulnerable allows us to be human, it gets us to the rawest of emotions, it’s a glimpse of the soul on fire. Now this hunger for understanding, I am hungry to know more about Jesus, the youth we'll continue to encounter, my brothers and sisters, this ministry, the struggles, more stories, to change me, to mold me. There is more to come, but for now ponder on this quote from Mother Teresa. Remember life is for loving.

"Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. Life is beauty, admire it. Life is a dream, realize it. Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a duty, complete it. Life is a game, play it. Life is a promise, fulfill it. Life is sorrow, overcome it. Life is a song, sing it. Life is a struggle, accept it. Life is a tragedy, confront it. Life is an adventure, dare it. Life is luck, make it. Life is too precious, do not destroy it. Life is life, fight for it." -Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

OOOOOHHHHH and welcome to the family of saints :)

Saint Pedro Calungsod!
Saint Kateri Tekakwitha!
Saint Marianne Cope!
Saint Jacques Berthieu!
Saint Giovanni Battista Piamarta!
Saint Carmen Salles y Barangueras!
Saint Anna Scheffer!