All Saints Day 2014

Happy All Saints Day!

Writing About Roses...

Roses are red, 

they smell really sweet.

But thorns they do have,

and that's not so neat.

I took this picture of a rose while my mom was sick…someone had sent it to us with a "get well soon card." I took the picture out of bordom and never really even thought about it. It was just another picture…nothing special. But today, that changed.

I was going through the pictures on my phone today, looking for a certain picture for my blog, when I came across this picture. I totally had forgotten about it…it wasn't anything special, just another picture, one of thousands (literally) of pictures of flowers that I have taken. For some reason, it caught my eye, and I couldn't stop thinking about it. While I was at mass this morning, God helped me realize something that I hadn't thought of before: Life is like a rose, beautiful, delicate, and amazing, but along with its wonderful scent and beautiful petals, are thorns. Now I'm sure I don't have to tell you that thorns really hurt to touch, kind of like some things in life…some things in life just hurt. I found a really cool poem (at the beginning of this post) that I thought that it was a cool way to remember that life just isn't perfect…nothing is, except God.

You're probably like, "Yeah, duh! Life isn't perfect!" and you're correct. But the reason I brought this up is because I never really thought of suffering this way. Suffering is beautiful and amazing, and sometimes you just have to get past the thorns to see the rose. This really made me think about all the suffering and sadness that me and my family went through when my mom was sick…always worried and wondering what the next day would bring. But like I said before, suffering is beautiful… sometimes we just have to make it through the thorns before we get to the roses in our lives.

We still can't forget, though, that getting past the thorns and to the rose doesn't necessarily mean that we won't suffer again…if anything, it only means that we will suffer again, because no one's life is ever perfect. Even the happiest people who seem to have perfect lives, have their thorns. 

During the hard times in our lives, we have to remember to put our trust in God. He is always there for us, and the suffering that you're going through, as awful as it may seem, is all part of God's divine plan for us. He knows what is best for us, even when we think something is exactly opposite of the "best for us." He has a reason for everything. Your suffering might just be an "awakening" for you, helping you to realize something you hadn't really noticed before…like when my mom was really sick, I realized the importance of family, and how we are never promised another day. Thats just an example, though…suffering can show us so much more!

One more thing I wanted to mention was Jesus' suffering on the cross. His "thorns" were coming to earth to suffer and die for our sins…for our lives! He died so that each and every one of us could live! Now, thats pretty cool! A speaker at a retreat said something once that I will never forget. He said that while Jesus was on the cross, He thought about each one of us individually, and He whispered our name…thats how much He loves us. God loves us so much that He sent His only Son to suffer and die for us. So when you're going through any sort of suffering, just think of that. Think about how much suffering Jesus went through for us, and try to imitate Him. And it always helps to say a prayer for help through a hard time…and I also want you to know that I'm specifically praying for each one of you reading this, and for you to have strength as you go through whatever hard time you might be going through:)

Anyways, I want to finish with an inspirational quote, that I thought was fitting for the subject of this post:)

"Although the life of a person is in a land full of thorns and weeds, there is always a space in which the good seed can grow. You have to trust God."

- Pope Francis

Love and Prayers,

Madison ♥

Schoenstatt Camp

Last week, I went to Schoenstatt Camp in Lamar, Tx! (Never heard of Schoenstatt? Thats ok! You can check out their website here.) It was an awesome, and very unforgettable experience! I had so much fun getting to hang out with so many amazing catholic teenage girls!

I'm in a group called the "Roses Ablaze," and my group and I had the wonderful privilege of being able to make our Covenant of Love to Mary together!

Here are some pics:)

It was a 7and a 1/2-ish hour drive, so we stopped to get some treats:) ICEES!!!!!! 

The property that we were on is GORGEOUS!!! You can see the ocean from just about everywhere, and there are tons of flowers! It's sooooooo pretty!

THE SHRINE!!!!

Isn't the shrine soooooooooooo soooooooo soooooo adorable?!?! It looks like it came out of a fairytale book!!!!

The inside of the shrine is absolutely beautiful! 

Inside of me and Claire's room, we found a little carving of the shrine on the wall…..well, it wasn't a carving, it was actually a natural carving from the wood! Isn't that amazing?!?!

Me and my friends! We're the Roses Ablaze!!!!!

(top: Claire; middle left: Marcy; middle right: Veronica (Roni); bottom left: Cassidy; bottom right: Me!)

Random pic of flowers…yeah I took it! In case you haven't noticed, I LOVE photography, especially nature, and more specifically, trees and flowers! I saw the beautiful white flowers and just had to take a pic:)

Dear Jesus,

Thank-you for such a wonderful week at camp with my amazing friends! Thank you for all of the blessings that you give to me, especially for this opportunity to get to go to such an awesome camp, where I got to grow closer to You, and Your Blessed Mother, Mary! I love you:)

-Madison

The Hardest Thing I've Ever Experienced

(Here is another idea from the "list" ☺)

The hardest thing I have ever experienced was having my mom in the hospital...it was sad, scary, and difficult. But our Lord truly gave me and my siblings the grace, courage, and strength to get through our hard time! God is Good...All the time! And all the time...God is Good!

Confirmation

On Friday, I was confirmed! Yay! It was totally awesome! I'm so happy to finally be filled with the Holy Spirit in such a special way! It was a wonderful day!

Me and Claire (One of my bestestestest friends ever!) at the Confirmation reception after we got Confirmed! Claire's Confirmation name is Claire Gabriel (after the archangel Gabriel)!!! ☺

My Confirmation name is Madison Clare! My Confirmation Saints are St. Clare and Bl. Chiara Luce Badano. I was able to get a "double package" because "Chiara" means "Clare" in Italian, so I kinda got to have two in one! ☺I will post their biographies below!

Ever since my Confirmation, I really feel like the Holy Spirit is helping me through my daily life. There are times when I would usually be upset about something (for instance, she Nick tries to annoy me), but somehow, I feel peaceful…which is not like me at all! lol! ☺

I also was blessed to have such an awesome sponsor! My old challenge team leader, Allie, was my sponsor! She is so holy, beautiful, funny, and altogether amazing! If you get a chance, please check out her blog! It's really cool! (Allie's Blog)

Ayways, here are my Confirmation Saint's biographies!

Bl. Chiara Luce Badano:

Feast Day: October 29

Beatified: September 25, 2010

Venerated: July 3, 2008

In 1971, after praying and hoping for a baby for more than 10 years, Ruggero and Teresa Badano family of Sassello, Italy, welcomed a little girl whom they named Chiara.

Even at the age of four, Chiara seemed aware of the needs of others. She would sort through her toys to give some to poor children, and would never give away just the old or broken ones, because that would be horrible for children who had no toys! She invited less fortunate people into the family’s home for holidays and visited the elderly at a retirement center. When other children were sick and confined to bed, Chiara visited them. She loved the stories of the gospel and loved to attend Mass.

When she was 9, Chiara became involved with the Focolare movement and its branch for young people. Focolare emphasizes brotherhood and unity among all people.

Chiara was very popular. She had a lot of friends, she played sports, and she loved to sing and dance. But when asked, she said she did not try to bring Jesus to her friends with words. She tried to bring Jesus to them with her example and how she lived her life.

When she was 17, Chiara learned she had a very serious form of bone cancer. Treatments were painful and unsuccessful. She became paralyzed. One day someone asked her if she hoped to walk again and her answer was no. When she suffered, she felt closer to Jesus. She even refused to take pain medication that would make her too sleepy to continue to live her life.

Despite her illness and being confined to bed, Chiara wrote letters and sent messages to other. She attended Focolare youth meetings. She inspired everyone who she encountered with her faith and love for others. She gave all her savings to a friends who was becoming a missionary in Africa. When her life was nearly at an end, she said, “I have nothing left, but I still have my heart, and with that I can always love.”

Chiara died in 1990. Within nine years, the bishop of her diocese began the work on her cause for canonization. Pope Benedict XVI declared her “Blessed” in 2010. “Only Love with a capital L gives true happiness,” and that’s what Chiara showed her family, her friends and her fellow members of the Focolare movement, the pope said.

She was a normal, everyday girl, and possibly a normal, everyday saint. Chiara’s brief life showed us how much one person can accomplish in God’s name

St. Clare of Assisi:

Clare was a beautiful Italian noblewoman who became the Foundress of an order of nuns now called "Poor Clares." When she heard St. Francis of Assisi preach, her heart burned with a great desire to imitate Francis and to live a poor humble life for Jesus. So one evening, she ran away from home, and in a little chapel outside Assisi, gave herself to God. St. Francis cut off her hair and gave her a rough brownhabit to wear, tied with a plain cord around her waist. Her parents tried in every way to make her return home, but Clare would not.

Soon her sister, St. Agnes joined her, as well as other young women who wanted to be brides of Jesus, and live without any money. St. Clare and her sisters wore no shoes, ate no meat, lived in a poor house, and kept silent most of the time. Yet they were very happy, because Our Lord was close to them all the time. Once, He saved them from a great danger in answer to St. Clare's prayer. An army of rough soldiers came to attack Assisi and they planned to raid the convent first. Although very sick, St. Clare had herself carried to the wall and right there, where the enemies could see it, she had the Blessed Sacrament placed. Then on her knees, she begged God to save the Sisters.

"O Lord, protect these Sisters whom I cannot protect now," she prayed. A voice seemed to answer: "I willkeep them always in My care." At the same time a sudden fright struck the attackers and they fled asfast as they could. St. Clare was sick and suffered great pains for many years, but she said that no pain could trouble her. So great was her joy in serving the Lord that she once exclaimed: "They say that we are too poor, but can a heart which possesses the infinite God be truly called poor?" We should remember this miracle of the Blessed Sacrament when in Church. Then we will pray with great Faith toJesus in the Holy Eucharist: "Save me, O Lord, from every evil - of soul and body." Her feast day is August 11.

Anyways, Confirmation was awesome! Thank you Lord for such a huge blessing!

(The biography of Bl. Chiara Luce Badano is from Saints Recource)

(The biography of St. Clare of Assisi is from Catholic Online)

My Amazing Mommy

So, I'm sure you all are wondering what's been going on with my mom! To start, please read my mom's  beautiful blog post:

Our Path Towards Holiness 

(My Mommy's Blog)

My mommy is the bravest, most selfless, beautiful, holy, and truly amazing person that I know! I don't know what I would do without her! She is my best friend! 

(Me and my mommy… we had a super fun girls' weekend last fall when we took this pic together! Isn't my mom so beautiful? I wanna look and be just like her!)

I love you mommy! Thanks for being the best mom ever!!! I love you!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Happy All Saints Day!!!

Happy All Saints Day!!!! 

Saint Dorothy, please pray for me!

(she is my patron saint....)

Also, if you all can, please pray for the baby today as we find out his/her gender! I will post the gender asap!!!