Rachel Penate - LifeTeen.com for Catholic Youth Archive

What Your Vocation is Not

I didn’t want to become a nun! I didn’t even know what extracurricular activities I wanted to be involved in next year let alone my vocation!

Catholic Companies to Support this Christmas

by Rachel Penate

What if you considered not only how they are a gift to the person you are giving them to, but how they are a gift to the seller – the person behind creating those gifts?

Broken Cycles: The 5 Lessons I Learned from “The Hate U Give”

by Rachel Penate

I just encountered art as art should be: creative expression that changes hearts, challenges minds and social realities, is timely and thought-provoking… and, ultimately, really, really well-made.

How to Prepare for the Confession of a Lifetime

by Rachel Penate

It is truly in the preparation that we set ourselves up for a fruitful confession. So, how do we ensure the confession of a lifetime? We continue to pursue it for a lifetime.

The Book You Should Read Right Now!

by Rachel Penate

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies… The man who never reads lives only one.” -George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons Have you ever read a story or finished a movie only to be wanting for more of the narrative? Have you ever felt so moved or […]

(Don’t) Tap to Buy: Consuming With Care

by Rachel Penate

If I were to take a hard look at my day, I would notice a few things: what I often complain about is usually something I want in excess, not a need that isn’t being filled. For example, “I don’t have ANYTHING to wear” basically translates to “I want to buy new clothes because I’m bored by the ones in my closet.”

Don’t Overthink it: the Simplicity of Prayer

by Rachel Penate

I was always told that prayer was important but whenever I showed up in prayer, I walked away perplexed and frustrated. I knew that I was missing something, but it took that very raw and awkward moment in my life to realize this: I was overthinking prayer.

Expectations vs. Reality: Letting God Into Imperfection

by Rachel Penate

It is amazing to think of the many moments of my day I allow frustration over feeling like I’m not in control to get the better of me. I often allow my expectations for perfection to affect my attitude, and ultimately my gratitude.

Seeing Beyond the Poop: Mary’s Perfect Love

by Rachel Penate

These images of Mary that peer in from the stained glass windows and stand stoically as a statue in the corner are indeed accurate and true. But, what we see is only the exterior.

Dear Hailee Steinfeld: We’re More Than “Most Girls”

by Rachel Penate

I just needed to speak from my unsettled heart because you missed the mark on one simple, yet essential thing: we succeed as women when we stop categorizing ourselves — when we stop the comparison all together.

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