#young catholic

[thefaithofnatti]

Hi! I'm Natti, a 19 year old Catholic and I wanted to start this blog to share my faith.

You may have seen me send in a few asks to @angeltreasure but I finally decided to start my own blog to share my experience and have my own little corner of the internet.

I'll leave my story under the cut but feel free to reblog so I can meet more Catholics on here, send in prayer requests, or just interact in any way because I love talking to people!

I talked a bit about this in an ask but I grew up Catholic. I think it's a big part of my Mexican identity and something that's ingrained in me.

Personally, I've always felt connected with my faith and I could see it throughout my childhood, and throughout confirmation where my friends and those my age were going to church or youth group because they were forced to by their parents and then there was me who genuinely enjoyed it and felt close to God.

Then I moved across the country for college and I stopped going to church for a bit. I never made an effort to look for a parish near me as I let other things in my life take precedence to God and it wasn't until spring of this year that I did a quick Google search and lo and behold, there was a church at the plaza near my school - and a Catholic one at that!

I started going to church again and it provided me a lot of comfort while I was away from home. Coming back this Fall for my third year of college I suddenly felt a pull.

Something was calling me to strengthen my faith.

Again, I'd always felt pretty true to my faith and to Jesus, I considered myself a practicing Catholic in the most basic sense of the word, but something was calling me for more.

So I listened. I bought myself a Bible (a bilingual one too) and read things online and watched videos and let myself be pulled closer to Him.

I recently went to confession after many years (my struggle with confession is a whole other story for a different day) and I felt my heart truly open up for the first time in a really long time. I sent in my experience to @angeltreasure because I wanted to share it with someone and they responded with "He has found His lost little lamb" which reminded me of this passage:

Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent." - Luke 15:3-7

I truly feel like I was a lost lamb that has strayed but when He called I listened and now I have found Him again.

That's my story for now! I feel a little out of place starting (continuing?) this journey at 19 - a little too old for a teen/child and a little to young for an adult - but I'm hoping that you guys join me as I continue to expand my faith and grow closer to Him 🤍

[existentialcatholic]

Corpus Christi - Thoughts about the Eucharist

[I apologize in advance for any incorrect theological terms! My grasp of Sacramental theology is still somewhat new. I am open to polite correction.]

Seeing a lot of posts about Corpus Christi today, I am reminded of how Christ drew me back to the Church through his body. The Catholic teaching of Eucharist and the experience of the Real Presence played major roles in my conversion. I knew going in that this area of theology was a large experiential motivator for me. I did not know that said experiences would become even stronger.

When I was growing up, I was taught that the Lutheran Church believed in transubstantiation. Now, I know that is not correct and that they actually believe in consubstantiation (still a little annoyed at that youth pastor). Regardless, my Catholic upbringing and my familiarity with the concept of bread and wine becoming Christ’s body and blood allowed me to accept the Catholic Church’s teaching of transubstantiation easily. I always knew that Catholics consumed more than a symbol at Mass and I understood the power of the Sacrament.

When I first began to attend Mass regularly, I understood Catholic teachings on the Eucharist on an intellectual level. As I attended Mass and sought to join the Church, I began to gain an experiential understanding. I would look to the altar during the Liturgy of the Eucharist and perceive the power of the bread and wine before me. There was a longing deep in my heart to know Jesus and to pursue him and take the Sacrament regularly. I waited until the day of my Confirmation to participate in the Sacrament and it was joyful. My heart raced and I almost started laughing for joy.

Fast forward to this week. Since I began to receive Communion regularly, I have not always experienced that same emotion and longing that I once did. I am totally fine with that--the point of Mass is not what I feel, but rather worship of and closeness with God. But this week, I have felt a closeness with Christ and with the Church beyond my past understanding.

I have walked up to receive Communion, received it, returned to my seat, and perceived such a strong love (of God for me and of myself for others) that I could not help but cry. In those moments, reflecting on the greatness of Christ’s sacrifice for me and the beauty of being able to respond to that in love for God and others. And this experience comes at a time when I really need it.

[catholickate]

It’s been a quiet year since graduating college. And if you told me in the months leading up to graduation what life would look like now, I don’t know that I would have believed you. It’s not becau…

Loved reading this awesome post. You should check it out!

[davidjoshen-blog]

Away from home:

There was once a boy named Patrick who was like any boy with his parents. One day he was kidnapped by pirates and was sold as a slave to work as a shepherd. This boy was away from home and was really lonely,like any other little boy being in his place he stated to feel abandoned but God never left him.He prayed and prayed He would pray every single day and one day after six years of captivity he heard a voice that would tell him that it was the time for him to leave this place. Fleeing his master he found 2 miles away a ship and was bring him back home. He went back to Britain but afterwards returned to the place where he was kept captive and converted the raiders to Christianity. This place was Ireland and this boy was St.Patrick. A lot of us can identify themselves to St.Patrick at least I can but what this story tells us is that one should have faith in God even in the worst situations of our life. Similar to Patrick we should keep our faith in god and pray. One day we will find our ship. Each single day St.Patrick said a prayer called the Lorica of St.Patrick Lorica means in latin Armour and as you may guest this Prayer protects us.    I arise today    Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,    Through a belief in the Threeness,    Through confession of the Oneness    Of the Creator of creation.        I arise today    Through the strength of Christ's birth and His baptism,    Through the strength of His crucifixion and His burial,    Through the strength of His resurrection and His ascension,    Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.        I arise today    Through the strength of the love of cherubim,    In obedience of angels,    In service of archangels,    In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,    In the prayers of patriarchs,    In preachings of the apostles,    In faiths of confessors,    In innocence of virgins,    In deeds of righteous men.        I arise today    Through the strength of heaven;    Light of the sun,    Splendor of fire,    Speed of lightning,    Swiftness of the wind,    Depth of the sea,    Stability of the earth,    Firmness of the rock.        I arise today    Through God's strength to pilot me;    God's might to uphold me,    God's wisdom to guide me,    God's eye to look before me,    God's ear to hear me,    God's word to speak for me,    God's hand to guard me,    God's way to lie before me,    God's shield to protect me,    God's hosts to save me    From snares of the devil,    From temptations of vices,    From every one who desires me ill,    Afar and anear,    Alone or in a mulitude.     I summon today all these powers between me and evil,    Against every cruel merciless power that opposes my body and soul,    Against incantations of false prophets,    Against black laws of pagandom,    Against false laws of heretics,    Against craft of idolatry,    Against spells of women and smiths and wizards,    Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul.    Christ shield me today    Against poison, against burning,    Against drowning, against wounding,    So that reward may come to me in abundance.        Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,    Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,    Christ on my right, Christ on my left,    Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,    Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,    Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,    Christ in the eye that sees me,    Christ in the ear that hears me.        I arise today    Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,    Through a belief in the Threeness,    Through a confession of the Oneness    Of the Creator of creation        St. Patrick (ca. 377) 

[theyoungcatholic]

Anyone planning on going to the next World Youth Day in Poland 2016?

[young-catholic]

Met with Catholic grade school kids for vocation day today. They were so energetic and on fire for the faith.

[young-catholic]

Thank You for your prayers I got through surgery just fine

[young-catholic]

Our announcements on our daily board are now in Latin because we are Pontifical