Greatness of Humility

Hi friends!

I hope you are well. Do you ever think about how God has grown you in a given amount of time? I know I look back and count my blessing and remember the challenges I've overcome. All of that is beautiful. I don't necessarily think back on the vices and virtues but as time progresses my growth will just present itself almost as a surprise. In other places where I haven't grown pops up at time too. Oh my faults. Many, many faults. 

How true, the closer we get to God and His perfection, the more we see where we need to grow. When I think of Christ and His love, His compassion, His strength, His suffering and all of His life I see perfection. While I know that by myself I will never be perfect I know that God can grow me and shape me into what He wills if I am faithful to be clay in His hands. If I've learned anything in the last  two years it's humility that allows me to be clay. 

In a world that pushes pride, our savior calls us to humility. He opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble. So when you see ______ Pride. Black Pride. White Pride. Gay Pride. Straight Pride. Married Pride. Single Pride. Educated Pride. Uneducated Pride....whatever it is. It's not the preceding word that God opposed it's the latter half: the pride. He loves Black, White, Gay Straight, Married, Single, Educated, Uneducated. He opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. 

If I learn anything from learning more and more about God it is how prideful I am. You see my savior, He humbled Himself to become a man, to walk this earth, to be beaten and hated and killed for my sake and then He rose. He came humbly as a baby. He humbly fell carrying the cross when He could have called legions of angels to carry it for Him. He humbly allowed Himself to be tempted as we are. He humbly worked as a carpenter. He humbly befriended prostitutes and tax collectors. His beautiful humility beckons my heart. Thankfully He has given me thousands of saints to show me that even in our present day humility is possible. Even if you have an affluent job or social status, you can use it for the good of others. Even if you have nothing, you can give of yourself to others. No matter what your circumstance, He is calling you to be humble, to know that every good and perfect gift comes from Him and that all of your talents and gifts are given not earned.  

You friend are loved and humility allows Him to fill your heart and hands with love. It is amazing how He loves you and me. Amazing who He cares for you and me. You see friend when your heart is filled with humility is when you lead others to Him. The saints reflected Him greatly because of their great humility. 

To be taken with love for a soul, God does not look on its greatness, but the greatness of its humility.
--St John of the Cross

Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance.
--Saint Augustine

He who wants to learn true humility should reflect upon the Passion of Jesus.
-- St Faustina, Divine Mercy in my Soul (267)

The highest point of humility consists in not merely acknowledging one's abjection, but in taking pleasure therein, not from any want of breadth or courage, but to give the more glory to God's Divine Majesty, and to esteem one's neighbour more highly than one's self.
--St Francis De Sales

The most powerful weapon to conquer the devil is humility. For, as he does not know at all how to employ it, neither does he know how to defend himself from it.
--Saint Vincent de Paul

These are just a few quotes by them on this virtue. Friend I encourage you to really think on these. Ask God to teach you what St. John of the Cross, St Augustine, St Faustina, St Francis De Sales and St. Vincent De Paul really knew about these. Ask them to pray for you that you would learn what they knew.  If you don't know about their lives I encourage you to do a little search and look at their example. Each of them points us so clearly to Christ by their humility. 

St. John of the Cross - pray for us

 St Augustine - pray for us

 St Faustina  - pray for us

 St Francis De Sales - pray for us

St. Vincent De Paul - pray for us

Friends I'm praying for us, that you and I will both continue to grow in humility. That we will reflect Him and point people to Him.

<3


---

You can follow on twitter  https://twitter.com/Anitamorinpa
You can follow on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/beautygoodtrue

Our Lady of La Leche and Baby Ariana

On October 11th 2014 I traveled to St. Augustine with my husband and one of my best friends, Suzanne. I had a heavy heart as we drove up as baby Ariana, a sweet infant in the NICU of South Carolina was in critical condition. God had blessed her with life on 9/17/14 and she was given to Brianne and Daniel to love and care for her for a short time. We at the time had no idea what God would plan from there but we knew that He had a plan. She has been beautiful from her first day and while all I've seen are pictures and updates I loved her as if I knew her personally. Knowing it was the feast of Our Lady of La Leche we had to go to the shrine just a few hours away and pray for Ariana. We had to pray for Brianne and Daniel. We had been storming heaven with prayers and asking all the angels and saints to join in with us and each day we celebrated to know she was alive. As doctors tried to give up Brianne and Daniel didn't, they fought for care, food and water for her, they asked for some positive news and asked for love and compassion. They were ready to take her no matter what whether healthy and happy or in a wheelchair, on a feeding tube, on a respirator, they loved without limits. They knew she was perfect no matter what happened. They knew she was created by a loving God and they cherished being entrusted with her care for as long as God allowed it. For Paul and I, other than giving and praying that's all we could do and on this day we were both teared up offering to God all of our intercession. Praying for comfort, praying for peace, praying His will to be done. 

As we got there and I got on my knees in the warm little chapel the stories hit me:

My friend who loves babies so much whether human or furr babies and she and her husband are struggling with the weight of infertility. I know God's promises. His timing.

The coworker who is so sweet and she and her husband have the cross to bear of infertility as well. 

It came flooding back sitting in that restaurant with a friend telling me she lost a baby through miscarriage. 

The text messages from another that their princess went to be with Jesus due to early delivery.

The pictures of all the babies lost to abortion and the fight of Osceola County to STOP Planned Parenthood from claiming the lives of the innocent children. I prayed for the community as they not only stop abortion but that they would say YES to adoption, fostering, respite care, and love for the children that are unwanted or the families or are unequipped. 

The e-mails I have received of women who have read my blog and are stopping birth control and trusting God with their fertility. 

The close friends I have who have had struggles during their pregnancies and our prayers for health babies and health deliveries. 

The mommies who come in who hurt as they break their bodies to provide nutrition for their children through breast feeding. I prayed for strength for them and that they wouldn't give up. 

My own struggles of wanting a baby but trusting God to lead us to a place where we could even consider that. We are faithful to not use contraceptive but through just reason have been avoiding pregnancy and yet my heart so much wants to grow with love for a baby of our own. Praying that God would prepare my heart as I have no idea what He has planned for our family but we will take it. We will love the babies He gives no matter the cost and no matter how He gives them. We are openly a family that says - if you don't want your child please drop it off at our house. Your going to have an abortion? Give it to us instead. We don't know when God will use our openness but someday He might and we will welcome with open arms all the beautiful babies God will bless us with because each is just that: a blessing. 

At 25 years old, with only a four legged furr baby that sounds like a crazy thing to accept- as many babies as God will give us, but God has brought us there, both Paul and I and I know that it is by his design we have that heart and not of our own will.

In a society where babies are treated as an inconvenience and birth control treated as a right up there with the importance of air and water I sat in awe. In awe of how backwards we have become to name fertility as a disease with a treatment. To hear my patients say "my husband got fixed" as if he were "broken" before shocks me. Friends, these stories and more I contemplated on a tiny bench, next to my husband as I saw tears stream down his face in prayer. I knew without him even speaking he was praying for the same things I was and our afterward conversation confirmed it. It's amazing to have your husband be on the same page as you are, down to having the same prayer intentions without even rehearsing them. 

As I sat in mass and the Bishop Esteveze shared on the importance of Our Lady of La Leche. He explained that she is the first depiction of Mary that was celebrated in the United States. She features a breast feeding Jesus and provides intercession for healthy deliveries and babies. She provides hope for couples struggling with infertility and God answers prayers for visitors to this shrine every year who bring back their babies in thanksgiving. He shared how many couples struggle to get pregnant and how precious babies are. He charged the faithful to hear: babies are a gift, each and every one. 

As I sat there I continued to pray. The mass was beautiful with so many faithful there to celebrate the feast and so many children could be heard throughout the mass. It was beautiful among the words of the gospel to hear the babies giggle and cry. Their very presence blessed my heart as I prayed and listened. 

"While he was speaking a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, "Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed." He replied "Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it" -Luke 11:27-28. 

Here we see Jesus not rebuke the mother of Jesus but emphasize her attentiveness to God's word and the need for our attentiveness. Jesus loved His mother and she was the first disciple so willing to follow where God called. She is to be blessed for her faithfulness. As catholics we recognize her call to "Do whatever He tells you." We don't worship her, but we don't ignore her. We are thankful for her example as we are thankful for the example of all the saints. 

I got out of mass and met Haley from Carrots for Michaelmas. She was a sweetheart and I encourage you to go check out her blog here: http://www.carrotsformichaelmas.com

Another faithful catholic family and it was so great to meet them. It was her blog I've used to encourage mommies that babies are welcome in our mass. Please read this post: How My Kid's Didn't Ruin Mass

As we walked the streets of St. Augustine I held my husband's hand. He wasn't feeling well at all and yet he was so selfless with his time letting Suzanne and I explore and never once complaining. 

Friends please pray for them and all the mommies and babies out there. Pray for healthy babies and healthy deliveries, healthy breast feeding, and healthy families. 

Friends let's love babies. Let's love women. Let's love families. Let's provide for the needs of one another and let's love the least of these, the innocent children. Let's stop hiding the struggle of women to conceive and let's stop treating fertility as a disease. Let's love without limits and let's trust God with our lives, our bodies and babies. 

For Ariana I will remember and celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of La Leche each year, to remember that no matter if you can't even speak or walk or eat you can be used as an instrument of God. 

"Naked I came forth from my mother's womb, and naked I shall go back there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord!" - Job 1:21

Please be praying for Ariana just as we are. I know as much as He has challenged Brianne and Daniel He has given them so much. Faith, family, friends, love, Ethan, and He has so much more to give to them. So much grace for them. I see an amazing love for Him in them and I am so blessed to know them.  For now all I can do is ask you to pray for all involved. 

I pray that Our Lady of La Leche will intercede for Brianne and that in Gods timing that He will provide for them the desires of her and her husbands heart. 

<3

The Biggest Claim the Catholic Church Makes Part 1 (History)

Hello Friends,

We all know the Catholic Church makes claims. As I sit and think about the biggest claims that bothered me coming to the church I believe the two biggest would be:
1. The Catholic Church is the one true church
2. Jesus is physically present in the Eucharist (really present, not a symbol).

When I ponder which of these is the bigger claim it would be the second one. The first claim is made by other churches (Jehovah's Witness for example). To claim Jesus is physically present in the Eucharist, in His full body, soul and divinity through a miracle of the Holy Spirit is one that isn't just a small claim, but this claim begs to be addressed. In our world it is easy to accept relative truths, things that might be good for me, but don't affect you. To claim Jesus is truly present in the Catholic Church is a claim that affects everyone. If it is true- then we can't go to another church once we know that our Lord is present in one (not just spiritually present as he is spiritually present everywhere, physically present.) If it is false, that is the biggest heresy catholics have ever claimed. This will be a couple part series to address this question:

Is Jesus present in the Eucharist?

I want to present the evidence and hopefully you can come to the conclusion on whether the catholic church is claiming truth or heresy.

We can start... in the beginning.
History.

What did the early christians believe about the eucharist? What was written down?

Justin the Martyr (100-165)- This man was beheaded for refusing to offer sacrifices to another God. Writings say He glorified God and confessed the Savior while He was scourged and beheaded.  So we can say he was pretty serious about his faith. He wrote:

And this food is called among us the Eucharist of which no one is allowed to partake but the man who believes that the things which we teach are true, and who has been washed with the washing that is for the remission of sins, and unto regeneration, and who is so living as Christ has enjoined. For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Savior, having been made flesh by the Word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so likewise have we been taught that the food which is blessed by the prayer of His word, and from which our blood and flesh by transmutation are nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh. For the apostles, in the memoirs composed by them, which are called Gospels, have thus delivered unto us what was enjoined upon them; that Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks, said, "This do ye in remembrance of Me, this is My body;" and that, after the same manner, having taken the cup and given thanks, He said, "This is My blood;" and gave it to them alone.

-"First Apology", Ch. 66, inter A.D. 148-155.

St. Ignatius of Antioch (the third pope)- an amazing leader and martyr of the church (you will find a theme that most of the faithful were murdered for their beliefs)

"Consider how contrary to the mind of God are the heterodox in regard to the grace of God which has come to us. They have no regard for charity, none for the widow, the orphan, the oppressed, none for the man in prison, the hungry or the thirsty. They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they do not admit that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, the flesh which suffered for our sins and which the Father, in His graciousness, raised from the dead."

"Letter to the Smyrnaeans", paragraph 6. circa 80-110 A.D.

(in this letter he also used the phrase "catholic church" for the first time to mean all christians...)

St. Augustine-a man with a radical conversion and a prolific writer who was a Catholic Bishop in 396. He's pretty well known and quoted quite a bit in all christian circles but some of his  writings show his devotion to the Eucharist.

"The fact that our fathers of old offered sacrifices with beasts for victims, which the present-day people of God read about but do not do, is to be understood in no way but this: that those things signified the things that we do in order to draw near to God and to recommend to our neighbor the same purpose. A visible sacrifice, therefore, is the sacrament, that is to say, the sacred sign, of an invisible sacrifice… . Christ is both the Priest, offering Himself, and Himself the Victim. He willed that the sacramental sign of this should be the daily sacrifice of the Church, who, since the Church is His body and He the Head, learns to offer herself through Him.

Source: St. Augustine, The City of God, 10, 5; 10,20, c. 426:

"You ought to know what you have received, what you are going to receive, and what you ought to receive daily. That Bread which you see on the altar, having been sanctified by the word of God, is the Body of Christ. The chalice, or rather, what is in that chalice, having been sanctified by the word of God, is the Blood of Christ."

-"Sermons", [227, 21]

Are there other saints who wrote on this? Of course. Check the resources below because otherwise we will be here forever. The moral of the story. Some pretty radical faithful men of the early church believed Jesus was really present in the Eucharist and it wasn't just a symbol. They viewed this as non-negotiable.

I would encourage you to read the saints and grow from what they share. Of course the writers of the bible were saints...but we will cover that next in the scripture that supports the Eucharist.
I encourage you to pray about this as if you are anything like me- hearing Jesus was present in the Eucharist was such  foreign concept. It sounded ridiculous. Truly, I've met with lots of people and talked with them about this and they have a hard time wrapping their mind around it and when they finally get it they something akin to "you mean like ...eating Jesus !?" Keep in mind this is a miracle of the Holy Spirit. You aren't tasting blood when your drink it and you aren't tasting skin when you eat it. It's a miracle- but more on that later

What have you heard about the Eucharist? Have you ever heard of it?

Good books to read on the topic:
The Mass of the Early Christians - Aquilina
Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist - Brant Pitre
Consuming the Word- Scott Hahn

Good resources:
http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/father/a5.html (some of the above quotes taken from there but verified that they are really quoted correctly through various online websites.


Have any good books for me? Please comment below. I would love to find more to read! ( I love books).