Ciao di Roma!

Seeing as I haven't written on this blog in seven months, I feel the need to offer a brand new welcome! And now hailing from across the ocean, I will offer it in my newest language: Bienvenuti!

The Lord has been blessing me with an amazing pilgrimage before and now during my study-abroad semester in Rome. It would take forever to chronicle all that He has brought me to see and experience, but I do want to share some of the highlights with you! (Unfortunately, due to technological diffculty on my computer, I can't share pictures just yet but I promise to post some in the not-too-distant future).

My fellow classmates and I first travelled to Assisi on pilgrimage, where we walked in the footsteps of St. Francis and St. Clare. It was a beautiful experience to watch the sunrise over the mountains three mornings in a row and so powerful to pray in front of the San Damiano cross where St. Francis heard the voice of Christ. Next, we went to Siena and stayed by the home of St. Catherine and sang for Mass in her sanctuary. We also had the amazing opportunity to attend Mass in the chapel of a Eucharistic Miracle. In 1730, 223 consecrated hosts were stolen from the Tabernacle of a Church. Two days later, they were found in the back of another church and today, after 281 years, the hosts have not disintegrated but are still perfectly fresh and intact.

Then we returned to Rome to settle in and begin classes. What a privilege to walk across St. Peter's Square every day. I will never tire of that beautiful basilica! I love being in the heart of the Church. There is so much exquisite art and architecture here and the history is so alive and tangible! This past week, we attended a papal audience and saw Pope Benedict XVI within five feet. On the same day, we went below St. Peter's basilica to see St. Peter's tomb. It was full circle: the first Pope to the current Pope, all in one day!

The latest highlight was taking a trip through the mountains and up the coast of the Adriatic Sea yesterday to visit Loreto, where the home of the Holy Family was miraculously transported from the Holy Land during wartime. Scientific research has confirmed "that the building materials used in the house correspond to those used in the basement of the home still in place in Nazareth... Furthermore, various markings of Jewish-Christian origin found in the stones also resemble those found at Nazareth." (Catholic Shrines of Western Europe Book)

Sending prayers for you from all of these holy places. If you have any special intentions for me to remember, please let me know. Arrivederci e Dio vi benedica!

The Word Became Flesh...

...and dwelt among us!

Dearest Mary, as we celebrate the day you uttered "Fiat," giving life to the Son of God become man in your womb, please teach us to joyfully say Fiat to whatever He asks of us! Amen.

Jesus in the Eucharist

"Children have need of Him that they may be formed to habits of virute; youths have need of Him that they may obtain mastery over their passions; maidens have need of Him that they may preserve their innocence untarnished; grown-up men and women have need of Him that they may advance in virtue and carry out faithfully the duties of their state of life; there are none who can afford to neglect the great source of spiritual stength, none who can do without Him."

- Pope St. Pius X

Lenten challenge: try to make time during the week to attend Holy Mass and receive Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist more frequently--every day if possible! For the spiritual strength He gives us in this Sacrament is "the surest and shortest way to Heaven" (Pope Pius X). Even if you are already in the habit of frequent reception of Holy Communion, take a few minutes to quietly contemplate the immense GIFT He bestows by giving us Himself. What a privilege to receive the King of the Universe into our hearts!

Blessed Advent Week of Love!

From the Gospel for the 4th Sunday in Advent:

“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.” - Matthew 1:18-24

Praising the Lord for all of His blessings, especially that of being home with loved ones after a full, intense, yet blessed fall semester at Christendom!

Dearest Lord, teach us how to be perfect in love just as You taught Mary and Joseph, and show us how to give You this perfect gift for Christmas. Amen.

Now I'll set a new record...

...and post twice in 10 minutes!
A brief update on this past week at Christendom College:

Last weekend: The Christendom Players' Fall Production of "Appointment With Death" by Agatha Christie. Yours truly acted not on stage but behind the scenes as program-designer and hair-dresser.

During the week:
- Paper on "The Role of the Family in the Church and in Modern Society" for Second Vatican Council Class
-Latin exam on a letter by a Roman magistrate regarding the early Christian martyrs
-Elections for the Chester-Belloc debate society spring semester
-Visit from our dear friend Victoria and her mom for the weekend
-Exegesis on Psalm 84 (Oh how lovely is Thy dwelling place...): an examination and presentation on the rich levels of a scripture passage...23 pages long
-St. Cecilia's Night! Last night Veronica and I both performed vocal numbers: I soloed "Esurientes Implevit Bonis" from Bach's Magnificat, and together we sang "Duo Seraphim" by Richard Dering. What a privilege!
- Now two more paper assignments await my attention... :)

But today is the great feast of Christ the King! The choir will be singing a glorious Mass in our Christ the King Chapel in the morning and the special Palestrina choir which I am a part of will be leading Vespers in the afternoon. Medieval Fest and a debate on penal law to follow in the evening. Never a dull moment here at Christendom!

Viva Christo Rey!

"You have made us for Yourself, O Lord...

...and our hearts are restless until they rest in You."
- St. Augustine, Confessions, book one

Oh how grateful I am that God is always here to bring peace to my soul, even when time is too short to complete all that must be done. It is His work, not mine, and so I re-consecrate it to Him.

As Thanksgiving approaches, what do you thank Him for today?

In Gratitude for Many Blessings...

My goodness, I think I just set a record for the longest period of time not updating this blog since its inception. Apologies for my very extended silence! Sophomore year has been, shall we saya little intense? this semester. :) At the same time, though, it has been filled with so many countless blessings and reminders from our good God that even though we are so weak, HE is strong. And even when times seem stressful and there is too much to do, HE has everything under control. What beautiful lessons in trust He daily teaches me! How many opportunities He gives me to blossom as His daughter, and to appreciate all that I am learning here!

In prayer last night the Holy Spirit led me to meditate on Psalm 84. Why don't you dust off your bible and quietly ponder these holy words -- His words -- for a few moments?

Praising His glorious name, and begging that I may always add to His glory during my brief time here on earth!

Yours in Christ, through the intercession of Blessed Mother,
Sarah

On the Priesthood...

"Just as from the temple all good emanates, so from the temple all evil emanates. If the priesthood has been unspotted, the whole church flourishes; if, however, it has been corrupted, everyone's faith is withered. If the priesthood has been involved in sin, the whole population is turned toward sinning. Just as when you see a tree faded and withered, you know it has a defect in its root, so when you see a people undisciplined and irreligious, without doubt the priesthood is not healthy."

- From a Father of the Church (quoted in Piers Plowman, Christendom History 201)

Let us pray fervently for our priests, for on their shoulders rests the power to either bring many souls closer to Christ or to lead them astray. May Mary, Mother of all Priests, keep each of them united to the Heart of Her Son, Jesus. Amen.

Give Thanks to the Lord...

...for He is good. His mercy endures forever!

I just realized how long it's been since I last wrote anything here, and for that I apologize! The Lord blessed me with one of the most wonderful and memorable summers ever. It would take pages to describe it all, so I will just list a few highlights since Ave Cor Mariae Summer Camp:

- Spending precious time with family and friends, working together to spread the light and love of Christ to many souls (and sometimes doing random fun things like play volleyball in the yard at midnight :)

- A visit to Wisconsin to spend a week with Grandpa and Grandma, helping serve hundreds of people at their county fair, and learning the joy of bringing a smile to people's faces...even when they are complete strangers.

- Working into the wee hours of the morning preparing for "Catholic Cruz: All Aboard the Sacrament Ship!" Catholic Kids Day Camp, doing such things as writing the daily Saint skits, painting helper's t-shirts, writing, drawing, and type-setting "Gifts of God" - our newest coloring book on the Seven Sacraments, and so much more. What a blessing to do the Lord's work and be used as instruments of the Holy Spirit in such a way.

- Guiding the "Lighthouses" group of 20 preschoolers at Catholic Kids' Camp, and making up fun religious ditties to help them remember who we were (The Lighthouses!) and what we were learning about (the Sacraments!). What a joy to guide them each day to their activities, lead their lessons, bring them to Eucharistic Adoration, and to experience their enthusiasm and love of life!

- Attending the Couple to Couple League Family Convention in Greenlake, WI, with my family, helping lead music for Holy Mass each day, teach children's songs, instruct a family contra dance and young adult swing and ballroom lessons, and spend time with big, happy Catholic families!

- Camping in Michigan near "Sleeping Bear Dunes" and experiencing two picturesque days of hiking, swimming, singing, and praying with my family (and a young couple we met on their honeymoon!), climbing back up the 450ft dune, watching the sunset and then the stars come out, writing "God is Love" in the sand with big rocks and then witnessing a young man propose to his (now) fiancee and ask her to marry him! It was beautiful.

Now I am back at Christendom, with a joyful and grateful heart for the MANY ways God continues to bless us. Please keep Veronica and I in your prayers as we have now entered the new school year.

Challenges await all of us! But God is on our side. All He asks is for our faithfulness.

For the King!

Praise the Lord!

My mother, sisters, and I just spent a truly blessed week at Miles Jesu's Ave Cor Mariae Catholic Girls' Summer Camp in Dixon, IL. Not too many years ago I attended as a camper myself, but for the last few years I have gone back as an assistant leader. What a beautiful mission field Our Lord calls us to! Each day we were privileged to help minister to 72 girls from all over the country in all sorts of ways... Mom as camp nurse and Claire, Veronica, and I leading daily activities such as art, craft, hair, dance, skits, and finally a talent show at the end of the week. Even though each day was extremely packed, Christ was so present there, providing all the strength and grace necessary to carry out His work! Each morning began with Holy Mass and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Confessions were available each afternoon. So much joy and love abounded and I am so grateful to have been a part of it all.

Thank You, Lord, for Your Goodness!

Congratulations...

...to my talented sister Claire who is attending the Sacred Music Colloquium this week and was selected to sing the soprano solo in her polyphony choir. Praise God!

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"Make music to the Lord with the harp and melodious song." - Psalm 98:5

Since I am a Princess with Jesus as my King and Mary as my Queen...

...and this month is dedicated to Them, it is only fitting that I dedicate a post to Them! And since blogger will not let me copy the beautiful consecration prayer to the Sacred Heart that I wanted to post here, I will simply include a link: CatholicCulture.org.

I love the prayer all the way at the bottom of the page entitled "Renewal of the Consecration of Families". Please head on over to Catholic Culture and pray it with me. And if your home and family have not yet been enthroned to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, please read about the devotion and consider doing it with your family! We had our home and family enthroned on my birthday in 1994 and it has been a huge grace for us.

All for the Sacred and Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, all through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, all in union with St. Joseph.

Thank You Lord...

...for Life! And for the many blessings You've given me these first 20 years of my life and continue to give me today.

Love,
Sarah
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"Trust in the Lord, (delight in the Lord!) and He will give you the desires of your heart."
- Psalm 37:4

Credit Where Credit is Due

In my latest two posts, I shared two wonderful quotes from two wonderful women.
Now it's only right that I share where I found these quotes:

Betty Scott Stam:
found on girltalkhome.com

Corrie Ten Boom:
found in Alex and Brett Harris' book Start Here: Doing Hard Things Right Where You Are

Spiritual Surrender = Eternal Joy!

"Lord, I give up all my own plans and purposes, all my own desires and hopes, and accept Your will for my life. I give myself, my life, my all utterly to You to be yours forever. Fill me and seal me with Your Holy Spirit. Use me as You want, send me where You want, work out Your whole will in my life at any cost, now and forever."

-Betty Scott Stam, Christian missionary and martyr in China

Blessed Pentecost Sunday, my friends, (just two days late)! I spent the Solemnity at the Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist in Ann Arbor, MI on retreat, followed by a brief camping trip with my family. Thank the Lord for spiritual and physical rejuvination!

Mary, Mother of Jesus and Spouse of the Holy Spirit, pray for us!

Courage + Humility + Gratitude =

Heroism!

These virtues are what made holocaust survivor Corrie ten Boom the true heroine that she was:

"When people come up and give me a compliment -- 'Corrie, that was a good talk,' or 'Corrie, you were so brave,' I take each remark as if it were a flower. At the end of each day I lift up the bouquet of flowers I have gathered throughout the day and say, 'Here you are, Lord, it is all yours.'"

Praise God for the gifts He showers upon each of us each day!

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My current good news is that I survived finals :), enjoyed a busy and wonderful final weekend at Christendom, and am now home safe and sound. Thank You, Lord!

Reflection on Freshman Year

Classes are complete. 2 finals done and 4 more to go. Where has freshman year gone? It has become a wonderful memory... a year of so many blessings, so many graces given by God. I have learned so much, participated in so many activities, grown in so many ways. There are many dear, dear people whom I am now privileged to call my friends (who make the idea of leaving for 3 whole months very difficult). But at the same time, summer is near and I look forward to spending it with my family and friends back home, working and volunteering and doing things I love to do!

Thank You, Lord, for bringing me to Christendom. Words cannot express my gratitude for all the gifts You are giving me here. Please help me to give back in some small way. Help me to make the world a better place for You!

Today's challenge: Take a moment to pause and thank God specifically. How has he blessed your life today? This week? This school year? Please keep me in your prayers, friends, and know that you are in mine!

For some wonderful spiritual reflections, see my sister Claire's blog here!

Mother Mary, help us on our way to your Son...in Paradise

This prayer to our Heavenly Mother in Paradise is so beautiful that I have to share it!

Virgin Mother, daughter of your Son,

humbler and loftier past creation's measure,

the fulcrum of the everlasting plan,

You are she who ennobled human nature

so highly, that its Maker did not scorn

to make Himself the Creature of His creature.

In your womb was the flame of love reborn,

in the eternal peace of whose warm ray

this flower has sprung and is so richly grown.

for us you are the torch of the noonday

of charity; below, you are the spring

of ever-living hope for men that die.

Lady, so great you are, such strength you bring,

who does not run to you and looks for grace,

his wish would seek to fly without a wing.

Not only does your kindness come to brace

our courage when we beg: often your free

favor arrives before our prayer's race.

In you is mercy, in you is piety,

in you magnificence, in you the sum

of excellence in all things that come to be.

Prayer of St. Bernard in Paradiso

(Divine Comedy by Dante, trans. Anthony Esolen, 33.1-21)

Spring Musical and Spring Formal!

Spring Formal was very enjoyable! My lovely dress was designed and made by my sister Veronica, with accessories (hair piece and jewelry) designed and made by my sister Claire. Thank you, dears! You helped make me look like the princess I felt!

Also, our spring musical Hello, Dolly! was a huge success! Thank you for your prayers. See a write up with great photos here.

Today's quote:

"Pride goes before another fault."
- by yours truly and a fabulous waltzing partner at Spring Formal

Alleluia!

HE is Risen!

What did you do to commemorate the Triduum and celebrate Easter Sunday?

I went home with my good friend Sarah B. and stayed with her sweet family a few hours away from college. Here is a glimpse of some of the things we did...

Holy Thursday:
Studying Philosophy outside in the sun
Mass of our Lord's Supper
Adoration
Singing around the guitar with Mr. B

Good Friday:
Walking Stations of the Cross with the Archbishop
Rosary outside of an abortion mill
Tour of the first US Cathedral
Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet with Novena of the Divine Mercy at 3pm
Good Friday service with veneration of the Cross

Holy Saturday:
Shopping for baking ingredients and Easter dinner (we snuck in some Thrift Store shopping too and found a dress for Sarah B. to remodel for Spring Formal :)
Lunch on the run (a yummy veggie pizza)
Baking! We made two poppyseed rolls, cinnamon raisin buns, apple of your eye cheesecake, cookie dough truffles, and German butter cookies...
Easter Vigil (Where 8 catechumens were baptized and 14 more candidates were confirmed into the Faith. Praise God!)

Easter Sunday:
Sarah B.'s little brother woke us to come downstairs for a delicious homemade breakfast!
Holy Rosary before Mass
Holy Mass. He is Risen, Alleluia!
Lunch and recreation with family members, which included violin and guitar music, ultimate frisbee, and finally a campfire where the little ones roasted marshmallows and I taught them fun kids' praise songs with actions!
Then we hit the road to come back to Christendom and it's been delightfully busy ever since.

Please keep me in your prayers and know that you are in mine!

Praise the Lord!