All throughout my childhood days, I read. Picture books, historical fiction, new books, old books, you name it, I've probably read it. My mom enjoys recounting the time when I was first learning to read. I had just graduated from my little picture readers to a chapter book. I believe it was an abridged Little House in the Big Woods. Anyways, so the story goes, I came up to my mom and told her that I just loved the pictures in the book, they were so beautiful. I handed her the book and she flipped through to find these famed illustrations. Seeing none, she became very concerned about young Marissa's mental condition. "Marissa, there are no pictures in here!" To which I, young Shakespeare, replied, "Oh no! Not those kinds of pictures! I mean the ones that the words make in my head!"
In high school, my infatuation with the printed page blossomed into a steamy, passionate affair. I found myself hungering after my love's touch and smell. I craved the indelible imprint my romance left on my heart and mind. More than once, my mother discovered me crouched over a book, when I really should have been finishing my Algebra exercises. But what is Algebra in comparison to Austen, Dickens, or Bronte? The books were my worlds. I could pick which world I wanted to be in that day. I had worlds of English estates, snooty aunts, and dashing rich single men certainly in want of a wife. I had worlds embittered with bloody wars, brother against brother, gray against blue. I had worlds of silent, mysterious cowboys who cooked frogs, ministered justice and who stole my heart. The characters were my friends. I knew them, I knew what they would say, what they would do, what they liked to eat, and what they would be wearing. I read to escape from it all.
Then, I went to college. Where I had once read to escape, I now tried to escape from what I read. What was once a breathtaking adventure became a dull drudgery where I promised myself I could stop after I read 50 more pages. Now don't get me wrong! I love the books I am reading in college. I am able to drink deeply of the great thinkers: Aristotle, Aquinas, Dostoyevsky, Waugh, to name a few. I quench my thirst for knowledge in their words. But somehow the passion has died. Reading has now become an obligation, a chore. The only excitement I really gain now from reading my assigned books is a grade.
Now I'm home for the summer. No more homework assignments demanding me to read 150 pgs before Monday. I have the freedom to read whatever I want, whenever I want. I've been trying to do some light reading to rekindle the romance, but the zest just isn't there. I miss my old love. It's been replaced by work, sleep, and planning for my semester abroad in Europe. At least I've become closer to my old acquaintance, writing. Writing is steadily becoming my new amour. But there is still hope that reading will find a way back into my heart. There is always hope.
Friday, July 26, 2013
Thursday, July 25, 2013
The Thunder of Justice
This morning I, along with my mother and two younger siblings went to our county courthouse to witness the scale of justice working in our midst. Up the red brick steps we walked in the summer heat, wondering what kind of cases we would be hearing today. We all hoped for an exciting jury trial of an escaped convict/axe murderer/grand larcenist. One by one we stepped through security. My mom, my sister, and I all made it through scotch free, but my brother got barked at by a police man for having his hands in his pockets as he walked through the metal detector. Oh what a criminal that boy is.
We walked upstairs to a courtroom which we were about to go into, but first my mom had to run to the restroom. My siblings and I stood and ruminated while we waited for her to come back. Somehow we knew that we were going to be embarrassed when we walked in and asked to leave. Sure enough, we walked in and lo and behold. 15 prisoners in dingy beige jumpsuits swiveled around to witness our entrance. 15 sets of hardened eyes leered at me and my sister. We awkwardly trailed in the wake of our mother who didn't seem to notice the creeps staring at us. Then a cop came over and told her that my brother and sister (both minors) couldn't be in there on account of the prisoners without express permission from the judge. It was with great relief that we exited the courtroom.
The next room we graced, a woman was being tried for concealment. Beautifully clad for court in a hot pink hoodie, faded jeans, her hair up in a messy flip bun, she pleaded "guilty" to stealing a GPS and several DVD players from Walmart. She is now banned from Walmart for 3 years. How horrible. No Walmart for 3 whole years! (Feel the sarcasm flowing like honey from my lips)
Next, after the Walmartian's trial, we traipsed down the stairs to the General District Court. Now listen closely my dears, never drive without a license or you will receive a $100 fine and have your license revoked for 3 years. We must have heard at least 10 cases which ended in that sentence.
It was a good experience, seeing law and order in action. But we are all still hoping for the axe murderer trial. Maybe next Thursday... ;)
We walked upstairs to a courtroom which we were about to go into, but first my mom had to run to the restroom. My siblings and I stood and ruminated while we waited for her to come back. Somehow we knew that we were going to be embarrassed when we walked in and asked to leave. Sure enough, we walked in and lo and behold. 15 prisoners in dingy beige jumpsuits swiveled around to witness our entrance. 15 sets of hardened eyes leered at me and my sister. We awkwardly trailed in the wake of our mother who didn't seem to notice the creeps staring at us. Then a cop came over and told her that my brother and sister (both minors) couldn't be in there on account of the prisoners without express permission from the judge. It was with great relief that we exited the courtroom.
The next room we graced, a woman was being tried for concealment. Beautifully clad for court in a hot pink hoodie, faded jeans, her hair up in a messy flip bun, she pleaded "guilty" to stealing a GPS and several DVD players from Walmart. She is now banned from Walmart for 3 years. How horrible. No Walmart for 3 whole years! (Feel the sarcasm flowing like honey from my lips)
Next, after the Walmartian's trial, we traipsed down the stairs to the General District Court. Now listen closely my dears, never drive without a license or you will receive a $100 fine and have your license revoked for 3 years. We must have heard at least 10 cases which ended in that sentence.
It was a good experience, seeing law and order in action. But we are all still hoping for the axe murderer trial. Maybe next Thursday... ;)
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Beautiful, Delicious Random Thoughts
Hello Lovelies! (and handsomes) ;) I have a lot to talk about today since last week was spent refreshing my creativity at the beach. My vacation kind of marks the halfway point of my summer. I was able to use the time to scrutinize where I am going in my life and how I am achieving the goals I set for myself this summer. Consequently, I have decided that I will spend 15 minutes everyday writing on my blog. Maybe I will even try my hand at one of those nail-biter "to be continued" stories. I know my readership is quite miniscule, but I would love to receive comments and feedback. So if anything catches your fancy, you have questions, critiques, suggestions, let me know!
Well, now that is out of the way... If you don't know what this says, then you have a sad life. Either that or you don't know how to use Google Translate. Ok, well I just looked it up on Google Translate to see if it gives the accurate, awesome translation, but it doesn't. So I will give you the cheat sheet...
"Come at me bro."
Well, now that is out of the way... If you don't know what this says, then you have a sad life. Either that or you don't know how to use Google Translate. Ok, well I just looked it up on Google Translate to see if it gives the accurate, awesome translation, but it doesn't. So I will give you the cheat sheet...
Being Catholic is so awesome. :)
That is all for now! See you tomorrow for my 15 minute slice of life and love and fabulous stuff like that.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Get Holy Or Die Trying
A wonderful Monday to ya! My morning has been filled with sunshine, fried eggs, blackberry picking in our garden, and the anticipation of making chocolate zucchini cake.
As I was praying over my morning meditation, I was contemplating virtue and how it is intrinsically connected with sainthood. I assume all of you want to be saints. If you raised your hand, we are on the same page. If you raised your eyebrow, I suggest you toddle off to your friendly neighborhood priest and have a lil' chat with him.
I want to ask you (rhetorically), what are you going to be the patron saint of? Are you good enough, holy enough to be a patron saint of anything? Do you have the virtues you need to overcome your vices? God doesn't accept anything less than perfection, since He Himself is the epitome of perfection. Are you perfect enough to stand in front of Him at your judgment, to hear Him say, "Welcome, my beloved, my dearest heart, come join Me in Paradise?" This is serious, guys. This is real.
This summer, don't just spend your time getting the perfect tan, get the perfect soul! You're just going to lose that tan come winter, but you will never lose a perfect soul. Yes, this world is full of temptations and dark attractions, but there is still hope! God will never, ever present you with a temptation which you are not strong enough to overcome. He will ALWAYS provide you with sufficient grace to resist the charming wiles of that damn devil.
Luckily for us, there are 12 fruits of the Holy Spirit: one for each month of the year! In this Year of Faith, how about we strengthen our Faith, our souls, our lives by growing in virtue and the fruits that flow from them. The fruits of the Holy Spirit are the observable behaviors of people who have allowed grace and virtue to fill their lives. Every month, focus on appealing to the Holy Spirit for one specific fruit.
The Fruits of the Holy Spirit
-Charity
-Joy
- Peace
-Patience
-Kindness
-Goodness
-Generosity
-Gentleness
-Faithfulness
-Modesty
-Self-control
-Chastity
“Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you will know them.” (Matthew 7:17-20)
As I was praying over my morning meditation, I was contemplating virtue and how it is intrinsically connected with sainthood. I assume all of you want to be saints. If you raised your hand, we are on the same page. If you raised your eyebrow, I suggest you toddle off to your friendly neighborhood priest and have a lil' chat with him.
I want to ask you (rhetorically), what are you going to be the patron saint of? Are you good enough, holy enough to be a patron saint of anything? Do you have the virtues you need to overcome your vices? God doesn't accept anything less than perfection, since He Himself is the epitome of perfection. Are you perfect enough to stand in front of Him at your judgment, to hear Him say, "Welcome, my beloved, my dearest heart, come join Me in Paradise?" This is serious, guys. This is real.
This summer, don't just spend your time getting the perfect tan, get the perfect soul! You're just going to lose that tan come winter, but you will never lose a perfect soul. Yes, this world is full of temptations and dark attractions, but there is still hope! God will never, ever present you with a temptation which you are not strong enough to overcome. He will ALWAYS provide you with sufficient grace to resist the charming wiles of that damn devil.
Luckily for us, there are 12 fruits of the Holy Spirit: one for each month of the year! In this Year of Faith, how about we strengthen our Faith, our souls, our lives by growing in virtue and the fruits that flow from them. The fruits of the Holy Spirit are the observable behaviors of people who have allowed grace and virtue to fill their lives. Every month, focus on appealing to the Holy Spirit for one specific fruit.
The Fruits of the Holy Spirit
-Charity
-Joy
- Peace
-Patience
-Kindness
-Goodness
-Generosity
-Gentleness
-Faithfulness
-Modesty
-Self-control
-Chastity
“Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you will know them.” (Matthew 7:17-20)
Sunday, July 7, 2013
This Little Light of Mine
Ok folks! I come before you today to talk about the Little Way! Hey! That rhymes! I'm a poet and I didn't know it! Hehehe! Enough of the corny jokes ('cause it's so hot outside they might pop!) ;P
My favorite saint is St. Therese, the Little Flower. I picked her as my confirmation saint because I was attracted by her simple, sweet and pure love for Jesus. I knew I wasn't capable of performing huge, heroic spiritual feats like Sts. Teresa of Avila or Joan of Arc, I am one of those kinds of people who struggle with even offering up the little inconveniences. Instead of heroically gritting my teeth and offering up my suffering, I tend to snap at the person annoying me and put an immediate end to it, even though it hurts the other person's feelings.
One story that comes to mind concerns this very issue. After Therese entered the convent, she was assaulted with small annoyances designed to test her patience and spiritual strength. While praying evening prayer, she was continually irked by the clink and clank of a sister nun's rosary beads. She was sure that the nun was clinking them on purpose. But instead of switching around and telling her to shut the heck up, Therese silently endured the grating noise and focused on how much God loves all His people, especially the annoying sister.
Not all of us are called to be great missionaries and front linesmen for the Church. Instead, many of us will find our true spirituality serving in the rear guard and offering up the little things for Christ. St. Therese's Little Way will help us live our lives wholly for Jesus by offering up all our time, joys and sufferings in union with the Church, however seemingly miniscule.
"I had offered myself to the Child Jesus to be His Little Plaything. I had told Him not to use me like a costly toy which children are pleased to look at without daring to touch; but as He would a little ball of no value, that He might throw to the ground, toss about, pierce, leave in a corner, or else press to His Heart if so it pleased Him. In a word, I wanted to amuse the little Jesus, and to give myself up to all His childlike fancies." ~ St. Therese of Lisieux
My favorite saint is St. Therese, the Little Flower. I picked her as my confirmation saint because I was attracted by her simple, sweet and pure love for Jesus. I knew I wasn't capable of performing huge, heroic spiritual feats like Sts. Teresa of Avila or Joan of Arc, I am one of those kinds of people who struggle with even offering up the little inconveniences. Instead of heroically gritting my teeth and offering up my suffering, I tend to snap at the person annoying me and put an immediate end to it, even though it hurts the other person's feelings.
One story that comes to mind concerns this very issue. After Therese entered the convent, she was assaulted with small annoyances designed to test her patience and spiritual strength. While praying evening prayer, she was continually irked by the clink and clank of a sister nun's rosary beads. She was sure that the nun was clinking them on purpose. But instead of switching around and telling her to shut the heck up, Therese silently endured the grating noise and focused on how much God loves all His people, especially the annoying sister.
Not all of us are called to be great missionaries and front linesmen for the Church. Instead, many of us will find our true spirituality serving in the rear guard and offering up the little things for Christ. St. Therese's Little Way will help us live our lives wholly for Jesus by offering up all our time, joys and sufferings in union with the Church, however seemingly miniscule.
"I had offered myself to the Child Jesus to be His Little Plaything. I had told Him not to use me like a costly toy which children are pleased to look at without daring to touch; but as He would a little ball of no value, that He might throw to the ground, toss about, pierce, leave in a corner, or else press to His Heart if so it pleased Him. In a word, I wanted to amuse the little Jesus, and to give myself up to all His childlike fancies." ~ St. Therese of Lisieux
Friday, July 5, 2013
Freedom to Love
Happy belated 4th of July! I spent yesterday soaking up sun in my pool, consequently getting sun burnt just a tad, and then working until 10 pm. I was able to see a few fire works through the trees outside of the store when I was taking out the trash, and all in all it was a very good day.
America is the land of potential, of freedom, and opportunity. But there are a lot of issues right now threatening our freedom. The hot, current issue? Gay marriage. There are many different ways I can address this, but I don't think Bible thumping, threats, and bitterness are going to help resolve this. Gays are people too, they are just very confused. Threatening them with damnation is NOT going to make them feel disposed to listen to your point of view. No one wants to hear that God hates them, they are going to burn in hell, and they are disgusting sinners. First of all, God is love, He cannot be not love. He loves every single person he created. Yes, God loves the gays and the lesbians. He loves them and He wants them to be with Him in heaven. As Christians, it is our duty to help fulfill God's divine plan and bring people to heaven. In times and issues like these, we need to ask ourselves the famous question: WWJD? In last Sunday's gospel, James and John wanted to call down vengeful fire upon the Samaritans, but Jesus told them to hold their fire and brimstone. The Samaritans rejected Jesus. They turned Him out of their town. Yet He did not call down fire upon them. So too, in the gay marriage issue, we must handle this with great love and consideration. Not that acting upon homosexuality is not a sin, it is in fact a very grave and serious sin, but these people just want to feel loved and accepted. And what a better place to accept them than the Catholic Church, the Universal Church? God forgives ALL sins. No one is going to enter a Church where they feel persecuted and hated. We must love them, show them compassion, gain their trust, and only then will they learn to reconcile with God. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says:
The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition. (CCC- 2358)
As gay marriage becomes more and more a cultural issue, I urge you to treat everyone with the respect and love owed to them as children of God. Fire won't change the world, love will.
"Preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words" ~ St. Francis of Assisi
America is the land of potential, of freedom, and opportunity. But there are a lot of issues right now threatening our freedom. The hot, current issue? Gay marriage. There are many different ways I can address this, but I don't think Bible thumping, threats, and bitterness are going to help resolve this. Gays are people too, they are just very confused. Threatening them with damnation is NOT going to make them feel disposed to listen to your point of view. No one wants to hear that God hates them, they are going to burn in hell, and they are disgusting sinners. First of all, God is love, He cannot be not love. He loves every single person he created. Yes, God loves the gays and the lesbians. He loves them and He wants them to be with Him in heaven. As Christians, it is our duty to help fulfill God's divine plan and bring people to heaven. In times and issues like these, we need to ask ourselves the famous question: WWJD? In last Sunday's gospel, James and John wanted to call down vengeful fire upon the Samaritans, but Jesus told them to hold their fire and brimstone. The Samaritans rejected Jesus. They turned Him out of their town. Yet He did not call down fire upon them. So too, in the gay marriage issue, we must handle this with great love and consideration. Not that acting upon homosexuality is not a sin, it is in fact a very grave and serious sin, but these people just want to feel loved and accepted. And what a better place to accept them than the Catholic Church, the Universal Church? God forgives ALL sins. No one is going to enter a Church where they feel persecuted and hated. We must love them, show them compassion, gain their trust, and only then will they learn to reconcile with God. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says:
The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition. (CCC- 2358)
As gay marriage becomes more and more a cultural issue, I urge you to treat everyone with the respect and love owed to them as children of God. Fire won't change the world, love will.
"Preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words" ~ St. Francis of Assisi
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