The Reason for the Season

Every year Christmas rolls around, we often get into a groove of traveling, shopping, wrapping, and baking. I found myself in this groove once again after school let out for winter break. In the 5 days leading up to Christmas my schedule was filled shopping and cooking. ( Side note: I spend Christmas in Michigan, so traveling and visiting family is also added into my already busy schedule.)

I didn't realize how crazy busy I'd been, until I had time to be still at Christmas Eve mass. After receiving the Eucharist I reflected on the days leading up to Christmas. I realized that I had neglected prayer and my Advent meditations during my time up North.... But the whole time I was busy shopping, and cooking, and wrapping presents, Jesus was waiting for me to come and spend some time with Him. It's comforting to know that no mater where life takes us, Jesus is always with us. 

Meditation: How often do you get caught up in daily life, and neglect your relationship with God? Are you making time for prayer? Are your thoughts directed towards Christ? Do you offer each day up to God?

Later that night, my family and I were opening Christmas presents before bed--No worries, it was past midnight so technically it was early Christmas morning. 

As I opened my gifts I was in a weird mood, because I didn't get EXACTLY what I wanted. I wasn't disappointed, because my gifts weren't bad at all, in fact I got some pretty great gifts (Thanks Mom & Dad ilysm). I asked myself, why my heart was so restless.... I was in my favorite state, surrounded by family, with gifts other kids could only dream of receiving....

I laid down that night and thought about my discomfort and my thoughts from mass, and finally made sense of my restless heart.

Although watches, sweaters, iPods, and gift cards are great to have, Heaven is WAY better. All too often, we get caught up trying to make Christmas absolutely perfect, and forget about the reason for the season. We try to get the best presents for our family, cook the most elegant meals, and decorate our houses better than our neighbors-but sometimes things don't go the way we want them. Pies burn, lights short circuit, your little brother hates the toy car you bought him. We are often left wondering, where the joy is in Christmas is if things don't go according to plan?

Well let me tell ya, eternal joy is not  found in presents or pie, but in Jesus Christ. For example.....

Look at the Blessed Virgin Mary, 9 months pregnant, in a foreign city, with no where to have her baby boy. She was probably stressed out, wondering how on earth she was going to care for her baby, the Son of God. But she didn't lose faith. She knew that the birth of her son wouldn't be the way she'd hoped for, but it would all be okay because God was watching over her. And what'll you know, everything did turn out grand! Christ our Savior was born, and Mary's fears were crushed by God's awesome plan! What a great example to Christians everywhere. How often do we get frustrated in the face of our fears? I find myself looking to Mary a lot when I'm anxious, because I think that her faith in the face of fear is what we should all strive for. 

"But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart." 

 (Luke 2:19)

Sometimes things are hectic and we neglect to give Christ the attention He deserves. Sometimes things don't go the way we planned. But God only gives us what we need and can handle. We can learn from the Gospel, that God can turn a seemingly awful situation, into an awesome situation. Christmas isn't about the presents we receive or the food we devour, it's about being thankful for the fact that Christ came down from Heaven to free His brothers and sisters from their sins, so that they might be happy with Him in the next life. Maybe you don't get the gold necklace you wanted, maybe you left the turkey in the oven too long, maybe things didn't go according to plan. Whatever the situation is, praise God. Because the gift of Heaven is the greatest gift of all. 

Rejoice! Our Savior was born, and saved us from Sin! Be mindful of the Reason for the Season, and have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! Praying for you all!!

-Al

The Victoria's Secret Objectification Show

Most girls around this time of year are boiling over with excitement for the highly anticipated Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. I can't tell you how many tweets and instagram pictures I've see from girls gushing over how beautiful the models are, and how excited they are to watch the show. Even after the show is over girls continue to post about the models' endless legs, flawless hair, and perfect curves. Unlike most girls, I find the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show absolutely insulting and degrading to women. Why? 

1. The most obvious reason is that the models are strutting around in their underwear and bra on live television. Try to think of one great reason why it is okay for a woman to do that. . . Oh wait. . . there is no good reason for anyone to do that. I know this is the 21st century, but that does not give anyone an excuse to parade around in the undergarments. Lets keep it classy folks. 
2. The show distorts the image of beauty. Before, during, and after the VS Fashion show I hear a lot of girls complain about how they wish they could be like the models they see on TV. Girls get this idea in their head that in order for guys to notice they need to dress immodestly. However, immodesty doesn't make women more appealing. In fact, dressing immodestly defiles some of the beauty God gave women. Humans are unlike any other creature on earth because God gave us a living soul, which is far more beautiful and precious than physical attractiveness. God took lots of time to make you who you are, and He didn't make any mistakes when He created you. By dressing immodestly you are not living up to the awesome creation that God made you to be. When a woman dresses modestly it protects the dignity God gave her. Oh and if someone only likes you because you are physically attractive, and can't appreciate the fact that you are a stunning creation of God inside and out, then they aren't worth your time. You deserve better. 
3. We must help our brothers in Christ. Dressing immodestly (or half naked in the case of the Victoria's Secret Models) causes men to degrade a woman from a person to a "thing." In fact there was a study done by Princeton University that actually proved, that when a woman shows lots of skin, the part of the male brain that sees a woman as a person shuts off, and the part of the male brain that is associated with the use of objects turns on. The VS fashion show is an invitation to men all around the world to come and objectify women free of charge. When girls go crazy with the tweets, instagram pictures, and get excited for the show, they send a message to men that it is okay to use a woman for pleasure. When we endorse the VS Fashion show, or immodesty for that matter, we give men the go ahead to feed into temptation and lust over women. When lust enters the heart of an individual, it simply does not stop when the TV goes off or the magazine gets put away, the sin continues to aggressively pursue our brothers in Christ. Not only is this unfair to women, because now we're being objectified, but it is also unfair to men. As daughters of Christ we are called to help our brothers get to Heaven. By not challenging men to be better men we are failing to be our brother's keeper, and failing to be the bold women Christ challenges us to be. 
4. The exposition of the female body unveils a mystery only meant to be unveiled by one person. I think we can all agree that the female body is the most beautiful creature on the planet. This is by no accident. In fact, women are referred to as the "crown of God's creation." God created women to be physically attractive to reflect His own image and likeness, not just because God was bored one day and needed something to do. He did not intend for women to go around and flaunt their goods, and get used up like extra change. God meant for His gorgeous daughters to preserve the mystery of their beauty, and reveal it one day in the context of marriage in order to reflect the relationship of God and humanity. God meant for his daughters to be cherished and loved by a man who respects her dignity and values her worth. By parading around in their bras and panties, the VS models are revealing a gift that should only be unwrapped by one person; their husband. 

We live in a society in which immodesty and objectivity are encouraged, but as Christians it is our duty to stand up for what's right even if we face opposition. As children of God, we don't need people to affirm our looks to make us feel secure. All we need to know to feel secure is that Christ loved each and every one of us so much that He died for us, so that one day we could be united with Him in Heaven. So this year cancel that recording and choose not to watch the Victoria's Secret Fashion. Instead, go spend some time with our Lord, and let Him tell you how beautiful you are. Let Him reassure you of your worth. Let Him cleanse your heart. Let Him love you. Challenge yourself this Advent, to see the dignity and worth in every person you encounter. . . Especially yourself! Do not neglect to acknowledge the fact that you are worthy of love.

"People were created to be loved

Things were created to be used

The reason why the world is in chaos, 

is because things are being loved 

and people are being used."

-Al 

P.S. 

Here a link for more information about the study Princeton University did: 

http://www.colleenhammond.com/dressing-with-dignity/science-proves-men-think-of-immodestly-dressed-women-as-objects/

Oh and here is a great video about modesty by Jason Evert:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYF6lt_Y67Q

Thanksgiving Shenanigans

First off, I just wanted to say a quick thanks to everyone who has been so complimentary of my previous posts. I've gotten so many sweet messages from readers, and I'm just really blown away by the support I've received. So if you're reading this. . . THANKS AND GOD BLESS YOU!

Man it is so crazy how quickly this year is slipping on by. Thanksgiving has come and gone just like that, and there is less than a month until Christmas. . . LIKE HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?! I'm so excited that this year is going by rather quickly, but at the same time I'm feeling anxious because 2014 is going to be a year filled with lots of changes! However, now is not the time to worry about all the things to come. Now is the time to live in the present and concentrate on what I have to be thankful for this holiday season. 

Right now I'm thankful that God let me have such a lovely Thanksgiving break! I did a lot of awesome stuff over the break, so here is a list of all the shenanigans I was up to last week: 

1.  Movie date! Texas experienced some pretty bad weather last weekend, so all of the fun activities my sister and I had planned got cancelled. So we decided to go see the new Hunger Games movie, Catching Fire. It was really great spending some one on one time with my little sister. I hope that we'll be able to have some more fun times like that before I leave for college, because I'm really going to miss her :(

   

   Just in case you can't tell. . . my sister was really excited to see Catching Fire! 

2. Adventure into the City! My friend Erin and I went to visit our friend, Tj, who is being treated at hospital  30 minutes away in the city. I felt really awesome and independent driving to the city without my parents, so that was rad. . . ANYWAYS, it was really great to see my friend Tj, and find out that he is doing a lot better!(Keep him in your prayers please!)  
   
   Oh, but the fun did not stop there. Erin and I realized that there was a cathedral 5 minutes away, so we stopped in to have a look around. We were immediately amazed upon walking into the church, because it had such a beautiful  altar. Probably one of the most beautiful altars I'd ever seen. What I loved about it, was the fact that there was a statue of Momma Mary right above it. Like the whole thing was just beyond beautiful. . . just thinking about the cathedral takes my breath away. I'm so happy that Erin and I got to check it out!
   
   
3. Thanksgiving Potluck! My church hosts an annual Thanksgiving potluck. Usually I don't go because I have to help my Mom prepare for Thanksgiving, but this year my Mom didn't need help I guess so I got to go! I met up with some of my youth group friends beforehand, so it was really nice to catch up with all my cool Catholic friends.  It really made me wish that I had been able to go to the potluck in years prior, because I had such a pleasant time. Like who doesn't like getting to eat an extra Thanksgiving meal and hang out with cool Catholics!?
4. Thanksgiving! Our family friends came over and celebrated the day of thanks with my family and I. We don't get to see them often because they live a little over an hour away, so anytime that we get to spend with them is always lovely. The family has a daughter my age, Chelsea, and a son my brother's age, Dylan, so we always get a long very well. 
   
5. Sleepovers! Every Thanksgiving my best friend Chelsea spends the rest of
   Thanksgiving weekend with us, which is always one big party. Chelsea is really goofy, and I'm really goofy, so when you put two goofballs together you know shenanigans and fun are bound to happen. Chelsea is a year younger than me, so it was also kind of bitter sweet this year, because I know it will be so weird next year at Thanksgiving when I'm the one coming home from college. I've known her since I was 9 years old, so it's really awesome that our friendship is still the same after all these years. 
   
6. Soccer! I had a tournament the day after Thanksgiving, which was not something I was looking forward to at first, because I really don't like having tournaments the day after a major holiday. . .BUT, I realized that having a tournament the day after Thanksgiving wasn't so bad. I mean that gave me an excuse to eat anything I wanted, because I knew I would have 3 soccer games to burn off all that turkey, pie, and stuffing. Praise God! 

It's safe to say that I had a fantastic Thanksgiving break, but now that it is over, it's time to focus on the new liturgical year. We are now in the season of Advent, a time in which we solidify the foundation of our Faith, and prepare to live another year in a way that is pleasing to our Lord. I'm so grateful that God granted me such a peaceful break, so now it's time show my appreciation by working hard not only in this season of Advent, but also, for the rest of the year to grow in my relationship with Christ. 
For Advent I decided to challenge myself, by setting aside time everyday to meditate on the readings for the day. I've also been reading the blog of this really awesome priest, who writes about things to think about after reading scripture. The combination of scripture and the blog has allowed me to be less distracted during prayer. It's really crazy, because I wasn't expecting the addition of daily scripture to effect my day to day life that much. . . but it really has. I find myself being more positive, and my thoughts more directed towards Christ. I'm really happy that I've found zeal for scripture! Praise God, for He is WAY to good!
Try to challenge yourself this Advent to do something extra, so you can grow in your relationship with God and give Him thanks!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving break, and that everyone is preparing their hearts for Christmas!


Praying for y'all!

-Al 

P.S.

Here is the link to that Priest's blog I'm reading! Enjoy!

http://fralfonse.blogspot.com