Walking with St. Therese and St. Francis!

 As I sat down to write this blog post, I was looking for inspiration and there on my wall I saw my Tau cross hanging and surrounded by these inspiring quotes that came with my room!

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life…” This is something I am always working on and need to work on. My story of how I got to CYFM is a story of learning how to trust God and learning to let go of my own vision of how things should work out.

St. Francis and St. Therese are two of my favorite saints and their feast days were both celebrated this month! I find their stories inspiring and I have found Franciscan spirituality becoming a big part of my own spirituality.  St. Therese is known as the Little Flower and is often remembered for her little way. She was a Saint who did ordinary things in an extraordinary way. She would offer up little sacrifices as a prayer for others, and she would offer up her own suffering. She also had a remarkable way of looking at things. She could look at the most negative situation you could think of and turn it in to something beautiful! What I love about her story is she that it’s so simple. She had a deep love for Jesus and that was enough to inspire great things. She reminds us that we are all called to be Saints!

My journey to CYFM was not an easy one but I had St. Therese to remind me to look for the beauty in it all. By January of my senior year of college I had my next steps all planed out. I was going to be a missionary for an organization that had a very positive influence in my life. The mission of this is organization is to “Awaken youth to the power of God’s love”, and this mission spoke to my heart. I was packed and ready to go in July, but three weeks before the program started I got a phone call. I was suddenly unaccepted. I was crushed. I had felt so strongly called by God to be part of this missionary program and it was suddenly taken away.

I scrambled to find something to do with my year. I did not know what I wanted to do and was forced to truly rely on God for a plan. I found myself part of a Franciscan service program, Change a Heart.  I lived in Pittsburgh, I lived in community, and I served as a preschool teacher. There were a lot of ups and downs but over all I loved it. However it did not fill the desire in my heart to radically be living for Christ and to be using my story, my experiences, to lead young people to His love.

I began thinking ahead a searching for what was next. I applied to Hard as Nails Ministries, but by the time they responded to my application they were already full. I applied to NET Ministries, but I did not get accepted. I was beginning to question my desires to serve God, if this is what He wants me to do why isn’t it working out?  Then I found Capuchin Youth and Family Ministries.  I interviewed within a few weeks of applying and I was accepted before returning to Pittsburgh. 

Saint Therese was convinced of her vocation. She faced a lot of obstacles but she persevered. Because of her perseverance and because of the obstacles she faced she became a beautiful witness. Her witness gives me hope that even though my journey was challenging, I was still following God’s plan He has for me. 

Entering into my second year of service as part of a Franciscan service program I am beginning to develop a stronger sense of what it means to live in the spirit of Saint Francis.  Growing up I knew Saint Francis as the animal lover, and always thought of him as a peaceful guy. There is so much more to him than that.  Working closely with the Capuchin friars has helped me to see what it means to live out Franciscan spirituality. Saint Francis desired to become like those he served, he was not afraid to go against the grain, and he loved relentlessly. People said that when they met Saint Francis they felt like they were meeting Jesus himself. Saint Francis loved Jesus so much that he wanted to take on His suffering; he loved Him so much that he received the stigmata.  To live in the spirit of Saint Francis is to love Jesus so much that His desirers come before your own, to live in the spirit of Saint Francis means serving others with a joyful and a humble heart. 

As I live out my year as a CCV I hope that I can grow in Franciscan spirituality. I hope that I can learn from Saint Francis and be a witness of Christ’s love to all who I encounter.

Until next time,

-Sam

A Reflection on the Papal Mass

Imagine this: a 16 year old, excited as can be to go to Madison Square Garden to see our Holy Father, Pope Francis. Not many kids come to mind but I am definitely one of them. My name is Isabel Quinones, a fairly regular teen at CYFM. I've been going since the seventh grade and it has changed my life. Day by Day Agape (DDA) is a common retreat at CYFM and the one that started the transformation of my faith life. If you're reading this and haven't gone on DDA, what are you doing? Go sign up now!! (Especially since I'm on team for DDA 243 in November!)

Anyways, on September 25th I went to MSG to see Pope Francis. This was an incredible, once in a lifetime experience. To get to see the Pope is an honor, and to get tickets, you were entered into a lottery at your parish. I was blessed to attend with my mother! Our day started wonderful-- taking the train from lovely Beacon, NY down to Grand Central. I can't even talk about subways but I sacrificed my phobia. We got to MSG at around 12:30 and were let in at 2. I was anticipating the Pope's arrival and every second was so exciting. The pre-show had acts such as Jennifer Hudson and Broadway Choirs. It was truly beautiful. They all sang a form of Christian music that was so inspirational. 

After the pre-show it was finally time for Pope Francis to arrive. He came in a golf car and rode around the main floor two times. This was truly amazing, the energy in the room was undeniably loving. Everyone was screaming "Vive El Papa" and chants in other languages. This made me feel so energized. Seeing him smile and wave to those in the crowd brought me tears of joy.

After his arrival he went and got vested for mass. The mass was truly beautiful. Music was in Latin and my favorite hymns were played. I enjoyed listening to the mass in Latin, it's original language. I felt overwhelmed by his presence. You could feel the energy of the room and how electric it was. I was so blessed to be surrounded by so many other people that believe in what the Pope is doing for the Church. The amazing things he teaches such as to love everyone, help the needy, and show God in all you do is completely eye opening. I attached a few photos from the mass, I apologize for the quality!

As Catholics, I believe we have two beautiful aspects of our faith that no other religion has. We have the Holy Eucharist and our shepherd, Pope Francis. The Pope is our shepherd that is leading us to become better Christians and to be more like Jesus Christ. In his homily, Pope Francis talked about how Christ lives in our cities. Here's an excerpt from his homily:

"Go outside. Go one and all. Go and announce this joy it's for all ever the citizens, all the cities. The Lord that works, walks besides us, has become of to us in our homes. Because the Lord is in between us like a father that comes out every morning and every afternoon to see if his son or daughter comes back home. He sees them come, he runs to embrace them. This is beautiful. A hug that looks to purify his sons, father in his embrace is very good means to the poor. Liberty to everyone. Help for the people in need. Prince of peace, go be with us, to tell us that the Lord is our father, that he walks besides us, he liberated us. From a life with faces, an empty life and he introduces us to go to school which will help us liberate us from the war to open up the street of peace."

I found this beautiful. He is telling us to go and help the needy, to embrace those who need us, and to go be God's people, a model for all to see. We as daughters and sons of Christ are called to go live our lives and evangelize the good news. Our society today is so covered in smog by the media and celebrities. God is more of a forgotten figure and most don't associate themselves with a religion. As Catholics, Pope Francis calls us to show the world what we believe in by our action. St. Francis of Assisi uses action to demonstrate the faith. We must try to do this each day we go out. 

Seeing Pope Francis is an experience that I will remember for the rest of my life. Being able to have this time with my mom was even better as we share and grow in our faith together. I am so blessed to be able to have been in his presence even if it was in a large stadium. As the Prayer of St. Francis says, "Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and whether sadness, joy. " God Bless.

Jesus is our sixth roommate.

What is it like to have a chapel in your house you may ask? Well, Paul and Amanda are here to tell you all about it!

Our lovely little chapel

Paul

This past month has been an absolute whirlwind. Everything is fun, new, but it is a very different experience than what I am used to. I am going from living with my best friends of four years that I was blessed with in college to living with four strangers. Well four strangers and someone very, very familiar. My room is right next to Jesus.

Senior year of college, my apartment building on campus was right across from the Chapel. I was able to wait for the elevator and look outside and see the gorgeous St. Dominic Chapel every single day. Those restless nights when my mind was racing I would throw on sweatpants and a hoodie and sit in the pews until I felt calm again.  I would be able to roll out of bed and walk across the road into the chapel whenever I wanted. I thought that this was the greatest thing ever and it couldn’t get any better, but it got better. Jesus is literally my next-door neighbor. Jesus is our sixth roommate.

 We all answered the call and said “yes” to this year of service. I have been thinking about this for a while now, but I am almost certain Jesus has been haunting my dreams in the most beautiful of ways. I, like so many people, have tried to plan out what is next. I am very guilty of trying to take control of my future, but this year I am letting go of all control. I am letting God in. God is present in all of my dreams, in the most beautiful way possible.

Amanda

Have you ever had an awesome roommate?  Someone you got along with really well and spent a lot of time with talking and hanging out? Well I bet that mine is a lot more awesome than yours because my roommate is Jesus. Well, technically Jesus lives in the next room over in the chapel, so He is more of my housemate than roommate, but close enough. You see my bedroom in the red house is next door to our chapel and my bed is right on the other side of the wall from the tabernacle. So I literally live right next door to Jesus! How great is that!? 

The thought that Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is on the other side of the wall makes me more aware when spending time in my room. Sure, there are plenty of times when I come home tired after work and flop down on my bed to nap, or sit and listen to music, write letters to friends, or read a book, but I’ve also found myself  being more intentional about prayer and taking time to just sit and appreciate where I am. I am so blessed to be here at CYFM and to live and work with such amazing people, and I often find myself sitting in my room in awe that I get to be doing what I am doing. Then I remember Jesus is next door and I say a quick prayer in thanksgiving and gratitude for this wonderful life. Also, I find that living next door to the chapel has helped me in my prayer life. At night I am able to say night prayer with my community, and whenever I want I can just walk next door at sit in Adoration with Jesus.

To have a chapel in our house is a real blessing. Not only can I hang out with Jesus whenever I want, but I think the presence of the Blessed Sacrament brings with it a certain feeling, atmosphere and reverence. It has helped me to appreciate my community members more as well. Just the thought that Jesus is present in our home makes me want to be a better house mate. I try to be more patient, thoughtful considerate, and kind to my community members, and I try to do my part at keeping the house clean. No, it isn’t always perfect and I’m sure problems will arise at some point, but I think remembering that Jesus is present in our home can help us stay focused on what really matters and come together as a community.

So yeah, it’s pretty great living next door to Jesus.

A Round Up of Fr. Fred Fridays!

Did you somehow miss out on Father Fred Fridays this year? Well, fear no more! We've gathered the posts for the 2015-2016 year thus far! Hope you're enjoying it as much as the CCVs are!

Week One: September 4, 2015

The return of Fr. Fred Friday's!
"Fr. Fred, what's your favorite meal to cook?"
"Subway!"

Week Two: September 11, 2015

Fr. Fred what is your favorite part of the Interlaken Retreat? 
"The creamery!"
If the Creamery is your favorite part, What is your favorite flavor?
"Coffee!"

Week Three: September 18, 2015

Happy Fr. Fred Friday everyone!

Did you know that Fr. Fred is also a ninja?

Week Four: September 25, 2015

Is that you, Fr. Fred?
Happy Fr. Fred Friday Friends!!

Week Five: October 2, 2015

"This is great! I can do some fire and brimstone preaching from up here!!"
‪#‎FranciscansTakeOnHolyCross‬

Happy Friday Friends!

Bonticou Crag

Have you ever heard of a Rock Scramble? What do you think of? Keep that image in your head, because it's probably similar to the image that Val, Sam, and I had on the day we went hiking in New Paltz.

This is what a Rock Scramble is. The Lady CCVs (minus Amanda) were not expecting this. Fr. Tomás was not expecting this either. Once we got started we realized how difficult this part of the hike was going to be. However, it was much harder to go back down than it was to keep going.

This is a view of the Rock Scramble from the top of Bonticou Crag. 

As we climbed over boulders, and worked our way through the scramble, we worked together. There was no way we were getting out of that rock scramble without relying on one another. There were a few parts of the climb that were very difficult. It was in those moments that we talked each other through each step and gave each other a hand when needed (quite literally).

This was a team building experience like no other. I don't think any of us thought we would be bonding so much during this little hike to Bonticou Crag.

The end result was amazing though. The view from the top of Bonticou Crag made it all worth it. We were all grateful for the experience, and the team building that took place.

God is Good.

Love and Prayers,

Mary

Interlaken

The Calling of St. Matthew // Caravaggio

About a week ago, the CCVs and staff had the chance to go on our own retreat. Now, as most of you know, our ministry is based around running retreats. So, you can imagine that this was a really nice way for us to bond and get away for a few days. 

A major part of our staff retreat was the sharing of our faith stories with one another. 

Roll away your stone, I'll roll away mine

Together we can see what we will find 

You know that song by Mumford & Sons? It's called Roll Away Your Stone and our community is obsessed with it. It has these wonderful themes that fit so nicely with our faith and with our new found journey with one another. 

The Christ Candle

During each session we would light the Christ candle, and pray for one another. Then, one person had 45 minutes to share his or her faith journey. 

It seems that all my bridges have been burnt
But you say that's exactly how this grace thing works.

Each of us shared how we came to the faith, the hardships that we have endured, and how Christ changed our lives. I think that it takes a lot to share the most intimate parts of your life with people that you've known for only a month. Sure, we've been living and working together for that month. So we spend the majority of our time with one another, but there's always a little hesitation in any new situation to share those most intimate moments with one another. 

Lake Cayuga, New York

I can remember feeling very anxious before my story. In my heart I knew that my new community would accept me and love me for who I am and how I got to be where I am today, but my head thought otherwise. I was very anxious. I knew my story. After all, I have lived it, but I still wanted to plan it out. That way I would be able to refocus if I became upset or nervous. 

Our dinner table with a view of Lake Cayuga

Each of us shared the most intimate parts of our stories. These are the parts that Christ used in each of us, to touch our hearts, and lead us to a new life with Him. At the top of this post I chose to put The Calling of Saint Matthew by Caravaggio. This was partially because today is Saint Matthew's feast day, and partially because I realized how perfectly it fit with this post. Saint Matthew, a tax collector, was called by Jesus to follow and live a new life. Each of us, in some way or another, experienced this very same thing. We encountered Christ, and were given an invitation. 

It's not the long walk home that will change this heart
But the welcome I receive with every start

We each decided to accept that invitation. We each accepted in our own way. We each have a different mission, but at this point in time we are called to serve together. 

The CYFM team at Taughannock Falls State Park, New York

I'm sure St. Matthew was very grateful for his encounter, and I am too.

With Love and Prayers,

Mary