Category Archives: Live Your Catholic Life

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Accepting the Challenge from Blessed JP2: Be Not Afraid

By Bradley Opitz | October 22, 2012

I believe that Pope John Paul II was one of the greatest Popes to have ever served the Church. History has shown him to be a man who can be all things to all people. He was an athlete, an actor, a writer, a priest, a bishop, an activist and most of all a follower of Christ . . . In terms of leadership and bravery, William Wallace has nothing on this guy. During the years of Pope John Paul II’s service to the Church, he encountered many things that would make the average person run and hide.

Where’s My Prince Charming?

By Katie Heller | October 17, 2012

Eventually the topic of guys comes up, and, on occasion, girls begin to complain about how there aren’t any good guys left or that guys today aren’t respectful or they don’t open doors. Somehow as women we’ve created an expectation that guys, to be worthy of us, must look, act, and sing, like Prince Charming . . .

Do You Have Insecurities?

By Dom Quaglia | October 10, 2012

Read that above quote again. This is a message of freedom. This is a message of hope. Brothers and sisters, we are free. Any feelings of shame or unworthiness or insecurity that you feel, Jesus took it to the cross. He felt it for you. Those feelings died with Jesus, and when He rose, they were gone.

To live weighed down by insecurities is contrary to the Gospel. We need to strive to embrace the freedom we have in Jesus Christ. The freedom to pursue holiness, the freedom to love, and sometimes the most difficult, the freedom to be loved. You are worthy.

Has Science Disproved God?

By Matt Fradd | October 4, 2012

This guest post is from Matt Fradd, a Catholic apologist and speaker who has a sweet Australian accent. He’s a convert from Agnosticism. In this blog he gives the reasons why science and God can co-exist – they don’t cancel out each other. If you want to learn more about agnosticism, atheism, and Matt, check out the video about his conversion story at the end of the blog.

Practical Advice for a Pure Life

By Dom Quaglia | October 1, 2012

For some of us, myself included, telling me not to do something isn’t enough of a reason for me not to do it. It helps to have some insight into why we do what we do. Sex isn’t bad and your desires don’t make you evil. We should seek purity because we know our sexuality is a gift from God and can point us to heaven. In my own journey, I’ve seen the way an impure life can damage hearts, friendships, self-esteems, and souls.

How Far is Too Far?: Purity in Dating

By Erika Parks | September 26, 2012

This October, my boyfriend and I will celebrate our 1 year anniversary of dating. Needless to say, I’m excited to celebrate the day with a bunch of cheesy romantic gifts and a fancy dinner!

However, as the day comes closer, I find myself reflecting on all the things I’ve learned these last twelve months, especially about how to live a holy and chaste relationship.

Catholics Care About Gays?: The Myth Debunked

By Christina Mead | September 24, 2012

Did you know that the Catholic Church actually cares about homosexuals? I even feel confident saying that we love them alot. I sincerely hope that no one has ever made you think otherwise because they were sorely misled and misinformed . . . and probably unhappy too because of this faulty way of thinking . . .

Gay, Catholic, and Doing Fine

By Life Teen | September 24, 2012

So, yes, it’s hard to be gay and Catholic — it’s hard to be anything and Catholic — because I don’t always get to do what I want. Show me a religion where you always get to do what you want and I’ll show you a pretty shabby, lazy religion. Something not worth living or dying for, or even getting up in the morning for. That might be the kind of world John Lennon wanted . . .

My Youth Group is Boring

By Megan Bodenschatz | September 20, 2012

Step up and be a leader. It’s easy to participate if the year’s activities are planned out and all you have to do is show up. But do you have what it takes to work with the youth minister and other members to plan community service and prepare faith formation? It takes commitment and perseverance, especially if you know only a few people will be at meetings.

Real Sex & Respect

By Alison Griswold | September 18, 2012

But we live in a world that doesn’t really get that.

A world where people sing songs about how they’re perfectly good at being “bad” and radio edits of songs switch “love” in for the “f” word like there’s no difference. Society has taken something sacred, designed by God to unite couples in the Sacrament of Marriage and cooperate in bringing new life into the world — and categorized it as just another extracurricular activity.

After the Vows: Sex Within Marriage

By Brian Kissinger | September 17, 2012

I’ll never forget what happened at about 2:05pm on April 14. In front of my family, friends, and God, I swore in church. And then the girl standing next to me swore. It wasn’t inappropriate. It wasn’t bad; it was actually a good thing.

We swore that we would love each other faithfully for the rest of our lives and we begged God to seal and strengthen our commitment. We were so excited to get married, but we knew that the sacrament wasn’t just about us.

Don’t Look Back

By Ben Lesnefsky | September 12, 2012

So here is my advice to you . . . be radical! Don’t go back to your old ways. It’s a sad trend that we go on these awesome retreats, have this amazing experience of God’s power, fall deeply in love with Him, but then leave it all behind when we toss our flip flops to the back of the closet.

What if after St. Paul had his conversion experience with God, he went back to his old ways of killing Christians? That would be weird (and tragic). Then why do we think that we can return to our old ways? You don’t have to sell yourself short. Be different.

Male and Female: What’s the Point?

By Mary Bielski | September 10, 2012

Have you ever wondered why God made you male or female? Think about it . . . God could have made us “unisex” like that billboard I saw in the airport, but he made us two genders. Why?

Well if we want to understand why we were created, we have to look back to the one who created us – God. In the Book of Genesis we learn that . . .

To Party or Not to Party: The "Good Influence" Argument

By Mark Hart | September 5, 2012

Not going to the party makes a much bolder statement. It doesn’t mean you’re judgmental. It doesn’t mean you’re anti-fun or anti-friend. It means you’re pro-God. You might think people won’t notice or won’t care, but you’re wrong. No, the entire school might not take notice but some people will. Your courageous example to step away might be exactly what others need to see to do the same. There are others who, if given another option, would rather not be at the party.

Thinking About Drinking?: The Bible, Alcohol, and You

By Mark Hart | September 4, 2012

I talk to teenagers just about every day, and the conversations are often the same. They deal with the Bible and what the Church teaches and how challenging it can be to live a holy life in an unholy culture. I’d say that most teens that I talk to are truly looking for the Lord; some, however, are looking less for the Lord and more for the “loopholes.” For instance: “I heard that the Bible doesn’t say drinking alcohol is a sin.”

“Well, no, the Bible does not say that drinking alcohol is a sin,” I respond. I then go on to explain that it does become sinful (very easily), if any of the following happen…

Embracing Poverty

By Erika Parks | August 30, 2012

As the new year began, I was still jobless and doubting that it was God’s plan for me to make such a big move in just a few months. However, I went to daily Mass one day and found myself begging God to help me understand what He had planned for me. I remember praying over and over, “Lord, give me the grace to follow you, even unto death.”

I Will Wait: Mumford & Sons and Purity

By Christina Mead | August 15, 2012

Can we just have a moment of silence in respect of the creative genius that wrote these lyrics and immortalized my thoughts about purity for endless generations to come? ( ……. ) Thank you. Just put your eyes on this . . .

Blessed the Beggar: Who Are the “Poor in Spirit”?

By Mark Hart | August 14, 2012

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 5:3)

This is one of those Scripture passages that many people “know” (meaning, they’ve heard it before) but countless people fail to understand. My own parochial school teacher taught us that it simply meant God loves poor people “more.”

Ummm, to put it as charitably and bluntly as possible . . . no, that’s not what it means . . .

Bold Manhood

By Aaron Hostetter | August 13, 2012

As a result, “loving your neighbor” has become more of a general accepting of someone for everything they choose to be and do. This idea is summed up as the great “virtue” of tolerance. On the surface, it seems like a great and honorable ideal. Everyone can do what they want without being judged and nobody hurts anyone else’s feelings.

Yet we find something radically different in the biblical vision of love. In the gospel of John, Jesus says “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).

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