Cycle of Confusion

Let's get this straight. I loathe pornography. For my final public speaking speech, I spoke about how porn damages the brain, relationships, and society. The ethos, pathos and logos were on point because truth always prevails. If you can’t make those modes of persuasion work, then you’re probably not conveying the truth. I also discredited vaccines in another class, but that’s a different story for another time.

I find porn to be vile, disgusting, and a key destroyer of relationships. Whether they are marriages, dating relationships, friendships or family relationships, porn just shreds them up from the inside out. I call it the silent killer. I really don't have crazy, unrealistic standards for my future spouse, but I'll be damned if I get with anyone who's into it. That just won't fly with this chick, never has and never will. Ever. I'm that girl, and I won't apologize for wanting better for myself and others. I have standards, hear me roar.

I'm not in the mood to get into it about chastity and purity right now, so that's that. However I will say that pornography strips men of their much needed masculinity, and also deprives women of their true feminity. In turn we have effeminate men who don't know how to conduct themselves as men, and women who no longer possess the mystery of authentic femininity. No wonder everyone is so confused, because no one knows how to act in the first place. Since no one knows how to act, no one knows how to respond to one another. What we have now is a cycle of confusion where no one knows if they're coming or going. You can thank porn for that, since it shrinks the frontal lobe of your brain. It's only the part of the brain that's in charge of problem solving and decision making. No big deal, right? Immaturity is also a factor, and porn does a great job of keeping its viewers perpetually immature. No thank you.

The solution is simple. Painfully simple. Reject it. Don’t be lame, because that’s what porn is. Want better for yourself. There's no crime in that. Want better for your current and future relationships and you'll thank yourself later. If one little girl could reject what wasn’t good for herself and others, then why can't you?

St. Maria Goretti, pray for us.

What time is it? It’s Novena Time!

It’s that time of year again. Summer has just begun, and that means Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati’s feast day is right around the corner! July 4th, to be exact. In celebration, please consider joining in the novena in his honor, which starts on June 25th. More details can be found here. It’s going to be awesome, and I’m looking forward to it. 

Here’s the thing about Bl. Pier Giorgio; he’s incredibly generous in Heaven, just as he was on Earth. In my own personal experience, when you faithfully and humbly approach him with sincerity, he’ll have you covered. Just one of the many, many reasons he’s my favorite man up in the Heavens. 

Besides, who can say no to this face? 

I hope you join this novena, and receive many blessings from our dear mountain climbing friend up above. 
Until next time, verso l’alto!

Wise Words of Sanctification

Praise be to baby Jesus, I'm done with high school. With that part of my life now being over, it's time to let the blogging juices start flowing once more. St. Teresa of Avila, pray for me. In the meantime, enjoy the cluster of my personal favorite saint quotes. We have much to learn from the saints, and we can't learn from them unless we know them. Without further ado, I present to you my most beloved quotes from our friends in Heaven. 

"Foolish is he who follows the pleasures of this world, because these are always fleeting and bring much pain. The only true pleasure is that which comes to us through faith." -Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati

"Until we have a passionate love for our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament, we shall accomplish nothing." -St. Julian Peter Eymard

"Love that cannot suffer is not worthy of that name." -St. Clare of Assisi 

"The life of a Christian is nothing but a perpetual struggle against itself; there is no flowering of the soul to the beauty of its perfection except at the price of pain." -St. Padre Pio

"I adore You, Lord and Creator, hidden in the Most Blessed Sacrament, would that I be transformed into a hymn of adoration of You." -St. Faustina 

"God would never inspire me with desires which cannot be realized; so in spite of my littleness, I can hope to be a saint." -St. Therese of Lisieux 

"Our perfection does not consist in doing extraordinary things, but to do the ordinary well." -St. Gabriel Possenti of Our Lady of Sorrows

"Oh Jesus, how are you doing in my heart? In the narrow cell of my chest in love with You, tell me, oh Jesus, how are you doing there? Oh fire always burning, without ever dying down, if only you would let all of me go up in flames? Would You let this fire perfect me? Oh Jesus, oh Love! My life, my sustenance, my strength!" -St. Gemma Galgani 

"If you have devotion to Mary, Help of Christians, you will see what miracles are." -St. John Bosco 

"As mariners are guided into port by the shining of a star, so Christians are guided to Heaven by Mary." -St. Thomas Aquinas



Until next time, pax. 

Suffering and Senioritis

Is "meh" an adjective? Probably not. But I've been feeling very meh lately. Perhaps it's partly because November is one of those months associated with what I just can't seem to forget. But I'll save that for my memoirs, in about 35 years or so. Anywho, health problems, senioritis, stress and what seems to be inevitable sleep deprivation, are all summed up in one almost non-existant word: meh. My Providential woes are not uncommon, and they too shall pass. But what are we to do in times of tribulations? Stay where we are and hope for the best, or get out to improve the situation? I'll let you know when I figure it out. Until then, I'll be beginning a novena to St. Maximilian Kolbe, because Lord knows I need heavenly intercession. Besides choking on incense during benediction and fresh holy water fonts, that's one of the many things I love about being Catholic. Even when we hit the wall, or cry alone in a fetal position until our eyes are painfully swollen, we are not alone. Better yet, we are never alone. Not with the multitude of angels and saints praying and cheering for us on this rocky road home, aka Heaven. 

There's also nothing to fear with Divine Providence (which is always perfection) in control. The difficult situations are the ones that can be the most purifying and strengthening, but only if we let them. They either make us or break us. Even when we want to give up or give in, difficult circumstances offer a priceless source of edification. Many a virtue has been born through tough times, the saints can attest to that. We're not going to be tested or tempted beyond our threshold, so we might as well come out stronger, and look back at woeful instances as times of strengthening and growth. It's either that or allow our souls to wither away in a corner, as the chalice of albeit painful yet sweet purification is wasted. Contrary to what the world says, sometimes we need to suffer in order to grow. Again, take a look at the saints. There's not one who didn't suffer. When accepted gracefully and with great love, suffering is a recipe for sainthood. For proof and holy examples, read the lives of St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Maria Goretti, or Bl. Chiara Badano. Suffering is sanctifying, so in order to be sanctified, we must suffer.

I don't know exactly when I'll move past this period of feeling mehish, but if it wasn't beneficial to my soul, then it wouldn't be happening. That's my sole comfort. At the end of the day, Divine Providence is still amazingly awesome and absolutely perfect, even in the hours of suffering. St. Maximilian Kolbe, ora pro nobis.

How's that for No-Shave November?

"For Jesus Christ I am prepared to suffer still more." -St. Maximilian Kolbe

The Saintly Celebration

Happy All-Saints Day! All you holy men and women, ora pro nobis! 
In a recent post, I said I wasn’t going to celebrate the mainstream version of Halloween. Instead I celebrated Holyween, in preparation for All-Saints Day. I don’t think I’ve ever had that much fun, and neither have my brothers or sisters. Putting together our costumes was so much better than buying costumes that we probably won’t remember in a few years. So without further ado, I present to you a glimpse of what my very Catholic Halloween looked like. 

Here I am with my youngest brother, as Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and Baby Jesus. Getting him to wear his costume was a huge accomplishment!

         From beginning to end is St. Francis Xavier, St. Rita of Cascia, and a wingless St. Michael the Archangel. 

St. Kateri Tekakwitha 

                                   The now-winged St. Michael!

Special thanks to my mom for sewing, creating and helping with our costumes! We love you mother dearest. 

For the past two years I’ve dressed up as Momma Mary, but my figurative and literal Papa Joseph is nowhere to be found. God really does have the best sense of humor. :)
I’m already thinking of what to be next year… but for now I’ll try to wrap my mind around the fact that this year is almost over. So, so much has happened in the past year, and I can’t believe this chapter is almost over! Praise the Lord. Anyway, have a blessed All-Saints Day… remember that it’s a holy day of obligation, so now you can’t say that you forgot or didn’t know. You’re very welcome. Pax. 

Saint Spotlight: St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows

I am very, very excited about this particular saint spotlight, because St. Gabriel just happens to be my favorite male saint and patron. Since I like telling stories, here is the story of how I "met" St. Gabriel Possenti.

When I was about 11, I won a game at a church All Saints' Day party. My prize was a very small picture of St. Gabriel. Soon after I lost this image, and forgot his name. I wouldn't recognize his image again for years, but I'm sure that he had been praying for me since that day, and maybe even before then. Fast forward to mid-January of 2013. At the time I was sick, so I was resting in bed reading a book I had received for Christmas only a few weeks before. It was called, "Modern Saints: Their Lives and Faces". As I read about the lives of great saints and holy people, one young man stuck out to me the most. His name was St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows. As soon as I saw his picture, I remembered my own small image from years ago. From there I learned of his intercession with my own patron, St. Gemma, and the rest is history.

"Our perfection does not consist of
doing extraordinary things, but to do
the ordinary well."

St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows

Born: March 1st, 1838, Assisi, Italy

Died: February 27th, 1862, Gran Sasso, Kingdom of Italy

Occupation: Passionist seminarian 

Cause of holy death: At 24 years old, St. Gabriel died of tuberculosis before he could see his ordination. To the dismay of his novice master, he had previously prayed for the grace of a slow and early death, so that he could spiritually prepare himself.

He is a shining example to youth with religious vocations, because while he did put off his own religious vocation for some time, after Our Lady called him, he readily left his world of dancing, being fashionable, socializing and the sort, to fulfill his true calling, which was that of a religious brother. There are so many inspirations to draw to from his life; how he patiently fought for his vocation, the way he strived to perfect his state of life as a seminarian, but most of all, his love for Our Lady of Sorrows. St. Gabriel understood the pains of Our Lady, and the need to meditate upon them and compassionate with her. Through his ardent devotion to our Sorrowful Mother, St. Gabriel quickly reached the height of Christian perfection, and died a holy death. 

By loving Our Sorrowful Mother, not only do we sympathize with her dolors, but we also learn to see her beaten, battered Son through her own compassionate eyes; thus teaching us to better understand His dolorous Passion. By better understanding His Passion, we learn to greatly improve and heighten our love for Him, because we are no longer seeing the crucified Lord through our own eyes that are clouded with the effects of sin; but through the pure eyes of His most empathetic and loving mother, who witnessed the whole Passion in its real, full, achingly terrible and sanguinary entirety. 

Love Our Sorrowful Mother, who stood at the foot of the Holy Cross. Love her crucified Son, who by His Holy Cross, redeemed the world.

St. Gabriel Possenti, ora pro nobis,
Mater Dolorosa, ora pro nobis,

-Yvonne Gemma

Another One about Chastity

Happy feast of St. Dominic! Founder of the Dominican Order and patron of astronomers, pray for us! Our Lady gifted us with the Holy Rosary through him, so a wonderful way to celebrate his feast day would be to faithfully and devoutly pray one rosary, or two, or three. There's a huge difference between saying the rosary, and actually praying it. I have found that much more graces come from praying it, instead of flying through the beads. Concerning the rosary and Dominicans, Pope Pius XI said, "The Rosary of Mary is the principle and foundation on which the very Order of St. Dominic rests for making perfect the life of its members and obtaining the salvation of others."

St. Dominic, ora pro nobis!

Today's topic is emotional chastity. While we apply chastity to the flesh and our actions, it can also be applied to our emotions. Remember that chastity is not repression, nor is it the absence of carnal desires. Like I've said in my previous post about chastity, it is also not about being physically unattractive or having a neurotic outlook on the opposite gender. One of my favorite organizations, Made In His Image, defines chastity as, "the ordered approach to love." As the ordered approach to love, it calls for what it best for the beloved. I may have said it before, but chastity frees love to be authentic. To be physically chaste is one thing, but to be emotionally chaste is another. We all have emotions, and emotions are meant to be felt. However, we should not be entirely dictated by our emotions, because they are fleeting and can easily change from one way to another. This is where chastity comes in. Chastity allows us to control our emotions and desires, instead of letting them control us. 

Just as we use chastity to guard our most intimate beings, mind and heart, it can also be used to guard our emotions, which comes back around to guarding our hearts. One way of being emotionally chaste is to not begin fantasizing or imagining things about a person, whether it is sexual or not, because the bottom line is that the said person is being reduced to an object to be used. In plainer words, it is objectifying them. While some imaginings may be innocent, such as a handsome man bringing a single girl flowers or in more extreme cases, imagining what their children would look like, it is nonetheless objectifying the man, because whether she knows it or not, the woman is seeing him as a means to fulfill her emotional needs, and no longer as a whole person. Men can also fall into this trap, but in a different way, because they were created to be very visual. One solution is to remember/realize that every single person walking this earth has a soul, heart and mind, and they were not meant or created to be objectified, as if they were an inanimate object. Going back to our definition of love, objectifying the person is not what is best for them because it is depriving them of their humanity, so it is not chastely loving them. 

Emotional chastity also has relevance to our relationships with others. In a sense, to be chaste is to preserve a special part of ourselves that is only meant for one; either for your spouse, or for Christ, depending on what vocation you are called to. When we are emotionally unchaste, while we are not physically giving away ourselves, we are doing this emotionally. This is not healthy and can lead to heartaches, if we are unwise with the use of our emotions. Yes, we can have (chaste) relationships with others, because man is not meant to be alone, but we should go at it in a way that recognizes the dignity of ourselves and of the person next to us, as children of God.

Physical chastity demands discipline and the virtue of fortitude. Its emotional counterpart also requires these, but rather in the mind and thoughts. By practicing emotional chastity not only are we guarding our hearts, but also our souls. Through both physical, mental and emotional chastity; the virtue of chastity as a whole, we are opening the door for pure and authentic love to waltz in, of course in our Heavenly Father's time. Think about it; if nobody has regretted being chaste, why would anyone regret being emotionally chaste?
The ability to love is one of the sweetest gifts God has given us. Chastity is what trains and prepares us to give and receive the authentic love I have been speaking of. While practicing chastity may be difficult today or tomorrow, I can promise you that in His time, when your vocation is all figured out, and you are where you are meant to be, the struggles and triumphs will be worth it. Even in the now of things, it also greatly improves your relationships with others, both male and female. It's an armor of the mind. A perfect model of this virtue is St. Joseph, Our Blessed Mother's most chaste spouse. Through his example, we can draw inspiration and strength to fight the good fight, and come out victorious in Christ. 

I understand the struggle of remaining chaste in this modern society, but be rest assured that my prayers are with you. More importantly, all of Heaven is cheering you on. Go, be chaste and if you fall, get back up and try again! Remember that there is no such thing as too much perseverance. 

St. Joseph, pray for us,
Mater Dolorosa, ora pro nobis,
-Yvonne Gemma

-End of actual post, other small tidbits here-

I'm preparing to begin school again very soon, (senior year, class of '14). Although I don't have senioritis, I'm looking forward to graduating high school. I'm hoping to keep busy without becoming stressed out this year, since idleness can be spiritually dangerous. Please pray for me! 

Hiatus Over, Rants are Back

I'm back! I didn't go anywhere, but in the past two weeks I couldn't find time to sit with my coffee and type away. My apologies. However, my little hiatus has been very eventful. The most important is that my baby sister, Gianna Maria, was born healthy. Thank you baby Jesus and St. Gerard! She's such a little blessing, and she has my eyes. Double-win. Since we have not had a baby girl in my immediate family in 10 years, I'm soaking up the newborn baby smell, shades of pink, bows and cuddles. Life is grand. It's also good training for the future, Deo gratias.  
I have about a million things running through my mind for this post, so I'm just going to jot a few relevant ones down.

Firstly, happy feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola! Let's celebrate with an inspiring quote by him! 

"If God causes you to suffer much, it is a sign He has great designs for you, and He certainly intends to make you a saint. And if you wish to become a great saint, entreat Him yourself to give you much opportunity for suffering; for there is no wood better to kindle the fire of holy love than the wood of the cross, which Christ used for His own great sacrifice of boundless charity."

St. Ignatius, ora pro nobis!

Secondly, I recently completed a novena to Our Lady Undoer of Knots. The results were not what I expected, but my prayers were certainly answered. As St. Teresa of Avila said, "More tears are shed over answered prayers than unanswered ones." It was definitely tough love, but this beautiful novena taught me to really put trust in God's Divine Providence and to abandon myself to His will. I'm still a work in progress, but that's what perseverance is for! I highly recommend it to anyone that has "knots" in their life. It can be found here. 

Thirdly, the liberal media needs to stop taking what Pope Francis says, out of context, and Catholics need to stop believing what is being twisted. Because his quotes tend to be simple (yet still acute), the liberal media has taken advantage of their simplicity time and time again. For example, if the Huffington Post reports something that Pope Francis said, yet they try to decipher or add their spin on it, frankly, it's not worth believing. In fact, I won't believe anything any liberal news outlet says about the Pope's sayings or quotes, because they are not understanding them in the context which they are meant to be understood. Catholicism is already very misunderstood as it is, so why would/should we (Catholics) believe what the liberal media, the source of the corrupt agendas against our religion, has to say, especially when it comes to matters of faith? 

Lastly, I've had O Sacrum Convivium stuck in my head for the past three days. It's a recurring #CatholicProblem for me to get traditional hymns stuck in my head for days, but it really is great because I enjoy singing the soprano part. Thank you choir. This text was authored by St. Thomas Aquinas, in honor of the Blessed Sacrament. I find Latin hymns to be much more meaningful especially during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, because they are beautifully composed, the translations are equally beautiful and Latin is a powerful language. To sing is to pray twice, and to sing in a language the Enemy fears is the perfect storm. 

The translation is, "O Sacred banquet! in which Christ is received, the memory of His passion is renewed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory to us is given. Alleluia." 

That's all I've got for today, and now I'm off to enjoy some flapjacks and baby Gianna cuddles. 

Mater Dolorosa, ora pro nobis,
-Yvonne Gemma

Joyful Holiness: Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati

 Today (July 4th) is not only the celebration of America, but also the feast day of Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati. He is one of my patrons and favorite holy men, right next to St. Gabriel Possenti and St. Thomas Aquinas. Let's look at the basic 

facts about him.

Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati
Born: April 6th, 1901, Turin, Italy

Died: July 4th, 1925, also in Turn, at the age of 24

Occupation: Third Order Dominican, servant of the poor and social activist.

Cause of holy death: Without warning, he died within five days of developing polio. It is believed he contracted the disease from the poor he was serving. To his parents surprise, thousands arrived at his funeral to pay their respects to, as Bl. John Paul II called him, "a man of the Beatitudes". 

Not only was Bl. Pier Giorgio truly "a man of the Beatitudes", he was also a great example of joyful, devout Catholic living and piety, especially for the youth and young adults in the world of today. This holy young man was selfless, brave, handsome, chaste, athletic and always ready for a good joke. Although he was born into a wealthy Italian family with prominent influence, that did not hinder his extraordinary virtues or path to holiness. Bl. Pier Giorgio understood that where faith is, holiness and happiness are also nearby. He demonstrated this when he said, "You ask me whether I am in good spirits. How could I not be so? As long as faith gives me strength I will always be joyful!" 

Although he was indeed joyful, his life was also touched with sorrow. Each sorrow that the saints endured were all unique and specially designed for them, as a test of their faith. His own trial was just that. It came in the form of heartache. Bl. Pier Giorgio fell deeply in love with a girl named Laura Hidalgo, but this love was not destined for the altar. Because of social prejudice towards Laura from his mother and his own painful realization that it was not God's will, he did not pursue a relationship with her. Despite the sorrow he endured, Bl. Pier Giorgio sincerely fulfilled what true love calls for. Since love is not about happy-fuzzy feelings or emotions, but rather doing what is best for the beloved, which requires sacrifice, Bl. Pier Giorgio carried this out faithfully and with masculine grace. By sacrificing his love for Laura to honor his mother and the will of God, he still experienced and demonstrated authentic, selfless love. 
I especially admire him for this, as it takes a lot of courage to say "No" to our own desires, and "Yes" to God, even when it is painful or difficult. 

It is often believed that to be a saint, one must be gloomy and always in a religious habit. Bl. Pier Giorgio showed the world that to be a saint, you don't have to be somber, boring or in a religious habit. He was fun-loving, exuberant, active and the image of what it really means to be a devout Catholic layperson. Holiness is never boring! As St. Teresa of Avila said, "May God deliver me from gloomy saints!" While the Lord calls many special souls to know, love and serve him through consecrated religious life, He does not call every single one of us to this means of sanctification. This is perfectly okay, as the Lord has other ways of bringing us closer to Him, because truly, we're all called to sainthood, no matter what our state in life is. Bl. Pier Giorgio is an example of that. By God's grace, his life was sanctified by living out his daily life in true joy and genuine charity for all. If all Catholics, young and old alike, imitated his character, we would surely see a change in the Catholic culture.

The phrase, "verso l'alto" is often associated with Bl. Pier Giorgio. The translation is, "Toward the top". There is a photograph of him that captures his last mountain climb as he looks up towards the summit. On the back of this image, he wrote these words. After his unexpected death, the simple expression later proved to be a portrayal of his life and spirituality. Bl. Pier Giorgio certainly did move "verso l'alto". His joy here on earth has been magnified a thousand times over in Heaven, the pinnacle of jubilation, and he is now awaiting future canonization. 

Happy Feast Day!

"In God's marvelous plan, Divine Providence often uses the tiniest twigs to do good works... what would life be without acts of charity?"
                                                               -Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati


Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati, pray for us,
Mater Dolorosa, ora pro nobis, 
verso l'alto,

-Yvonne Gemma

Saint Spotlight: St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

 Now that I have summer modesty covered for now, let's move back to the month of the Sacred Heart. I have mentioned St. Margaret Mary Alacoque several times since the beginning of June, but I have yet to really take a look into her life. As we know thus far, she was specially chosen by Our Lord to spread the devotion to His Sacred Heart, along with the First Friday devotion. Through her zeal, perseverance and great love, we now have this devotion, which is well-loved by many Catholics around the world. 

St. Margaret Mary was a French mystic born on July 22nd, 1647, in France in what is now known as the Commune of Verosvres. As a little girl, she developed an extraordinary love for the Blessed Sacrament. From the time she was a child into her adulthood, she practiced harsh corporal mortifications. During a serious illness, she consecrated herself to Our Blessed Mother and vowed to enter the religious life. Following this, she was immediately cured. Soon after she added "Mary" to her name, in honor of the Blessed Mother. Around this time, she began to have visions of Jesus, but in her holy simplicity she assumed that these visions were part of the norm for all. Even through difficult times, (the death of her father and sudden poverty) she maintained her great devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. After her family recovered financially, at the age of 17, her mother urged her to enter into society, which she did out of obedience. She had not forgotten her vow, but believed it to be no longer relevant because it was made in her childhood, and she was now a young woman. 

 When the Lord desires a soul to be only His, He makes it known in different ways; ways that always speak to the innermost being of the soul. This precisely happened to our dear saint. After a party, while still arrayed in her beautiful clothes and ornaments, she experienced an intense vision of Our Lord. He looked as if He had been scourged, with blood and fresh wounds. He told her that His Heart was brimming with love for her because of her past promise, and reproached her for not being mindful of Him. This experience deeply touched her; she fulfilled her vow and became a fully professed Visitation nun on November 6th, 1672 . Years later, through visions, Our Lord made it known to her that she was to be the one to make known the love and spread the devotion of His Sacred Heart. This was not an easy task. In the beginning many doubted the authenticity of these visions. This must have caused her interior sorrow and discouragement, but as I said before, she continued to persevere. Eventually the visions were accepted and pronounced to be genuine. After becoming the Novice Mistress to her convent, she saw the private practice of this devotion take place at the beginning of 1686, and two years later a chapel was built in honor of the Sacred Heart. Our Lord called His faithful servant home on October 17th, 1690. She did not live to see the devotion to the Sacred Heart spread around the world, but she successfully completed her divine mission. Her feast day is October 16th. She is the patron of those who have lost parents and those who are devoted to the Sacred Heart. 

 I find St. Margaret Mary's life to be very inspirational, especially the way she abandoned everything at her young age to follow Christ. Only the bravest and most devoted souls have the courage to do what she and many other religious have done. She is a wonderful model of leaving behind the allurements of this world, out of love for Christ.

While St. Margaret Mary was a Blessed, this great saint intercessed for my own dear patron, St. Gemma Galgani, while she was suffering severely from spinal meningitis. With the help of St. Gabriel Possenti of Our Lady of Sorrows (my other patron), St. Gemma completed a novena to St. Margaret Mary and the Sacred Heart. Although St. Gemma was not too familiar with St. Margaret Mary, St. Gabriel insisted that she loved St. Gemma dearly and desired her to carry out the novena, so as to heal and secure many graces for her. The novena was finished and very soon after, St. Gemma was spared death and fully healed. This novena began St. Gemma's profound devotion to the Sacred Heart, which greatly aided her in her process of becoming a victim soul and holy saint. 

 St. Gemma's story is only one of the fruitful experiences that has been borne through St. Margaret Mary Alacoque's work of spreading the devotion to the Sacred Heart. In my own life, His Sacred Heart has poured out innumerable graces, as He has used His most loving Heart to draw me to closer to Him and to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary. But I'm not the only one. The souls which Our Lord has gathered through His Sacred Heart are countless. A myriad of graces have flowed and souls have been saved because St. Margaret Mary devoted her life to bringing this beautiful, holy devotion to us. It's utterly amazing what can happen when we forget ourselves, and say "Yes" to Our Lord. 

Let us look to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in thanks and ask her to teach us how to inflame our own hearts with love for the fiery furnace of love that is the Sacred Heart. 

"The Sacred Heart of Christ is an inexhaustible fountain and its sole desire is to pour itself out into the hearts of the humble so as to free them and prepare them to lead lives according to His good pleasure."

                                                                    -St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us,

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, pray for us,

Mater Dolorosa, ora pro nobis.

-Yvonne Gemma

P.S Click the nifty button on the sidebar to follow me on Pinterest!

The Sacratissimo Corde Iesu, aka the Sacred Heart of Jesus

I can't believe that it's already June. Which means that the year is halfway over. It's amazing how quickly time flies. While pausing to reminisce about where I was only a year ago, I can only praise and thank God for everything. It's funny (not in a comical sense, but you know what I mean) that when we are in the midst of the situations that life throws at us, we (at least I do) wonder, "How am I ever going to get through this?". But when looking back, the way things fall into place usually ends up making sense... we just couldn't see it at the time. Nonetheless, even if things don't make sense, we should still praise and thank God, because they will make sense in His time, which is always perfect. 

Now back to the month of June. Summer is beginning and school is ending, but that's not what makes it a special month. Most importantly, June is the month dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It's a simple image, yet can still be profoundly meditated on.

                                                 

Cor Iesu, bonitate et amore plenum, miserere nobis

This particular devotion was spread by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, after He appeared to her, and instructed her to make known the love of His Sacred Heart. On His hands, Our Lord visibly bears the wounds that He so selflessly endured for our sake, while also revealing His great love for us. With one look, we can gather that His Sacred Heart is burning and radiating with love. When was the last time someone's heart literally burned with flames and shone light with love for you? There's no love on Earth comparable to the ever-flaming, fervent love Jesus carries for us. My own weak words are not enough to convey the depth of this Divine love. As Our Lord said Himself, "Behold the Heart which has so loved men that it has spared nothing."

Let's take a minute to reflect on His hand gestures. 

As Jesus holds His Sacred Heart, He is also offering it to us. 

With the other hand, He is extending it as an invitation to be drawn closer to Him. So, as He offers Himself and His Divine love to each and every one of us, will we accept it?

Notice how His Heart is also circled with a crown of thorns. They serve as a reminder that while Our Lord loves us dearly, we must remember that He also suffered immensely for our sake, and our sins still hurt Him. The way I see it is that every time we sin, we are pushing the thorns deeper into His tender heart. We should have a repugnant attitude towards sin, so as not to cause Our dear Lord any more pain. How dismal it is to think of the souls who go day by day endlessly offending Him, without repenting.

However, there is a solution to the wave of unrepentant souls, as instructed to St. Margaret Mary by Jesus. 

Adoration. But not just any adoration, the Devotion of First Friday Adoration.

Our Lord instructed St. Margaret Mary Alacoque to receive Him on the First Friday of the month and to make reparation to His Sacred Heart for the outrages and offenses committed against Him. Not only will this appease the divine anger, but it will also console Our Lord in the sorrow He felt when the Apostles could not watch with Him for an hour. (A more in-depth read on all of this can be found here, which I highly recommend to all.)

Lo and behold, this upcoming Friday, the 7th, is the First Friday of June. How Divinely Providential. If you have not practiced the First Friday Devotion, this is the perfect opportunity to begin. If you have, please continue to do so. One cannot completely fathom the joy and consolation it must bring Our Lord when those with intent of reparation, approach Him in the Sacrament of the Altar. 

Like I have said before, when practicing piety, you have nothing to lose, and all the more to gain. 

For the remainder of the month, I will continue to focus on Sacred Heart related topics, such as St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, the promises of the Sacred Heart and so on. Stay tuned.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy of on us. 

Mater Dolorosa, ora pro nobis,

-Yvonne Gemma

P.S- check out this amazing Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Chastity and Love: BFF's

Oh love. Glorious, marvelous love. It makes boys smile in spite of themselves, and girls blush while their eyes light up. Love is great. It's great to be in love, no one can deny that. But, love has a best friend and counterpart.
Chastity. 
Be prepared to read that word about fifty times, more or less. While all of the virtues are wonderful and holy, chastity happens to be one that is near and dear to my little heart. Since I have experienced the utter joy, peace, love and patience (note: a few fruits of the Holy Spirit) that chastity brings, I cannot stress how important and fulfilling it is to practice this virtue. 

But what is chastity?

Bl. John Paul II put it excellently as follows, "Chastity can only be thought of in the association of the virtue of love." 

However, what is love? Really and truly? Whether we admit it or not, we all long for love. That is not a bad thing. We were created for love, and to be loved. First, it should be by our Heavenly Father; the only One Who can fully and completely satisfy the thirst for love. I firmly believe that when a person loves God above all, He will guide them to the form of love He has planned for him or her. It could be through holy matrimony, holy orders, or blessed singleness. However, one should not fret or be opposed to any of these great vocations, because each one is perfectly assigned through Divine Providence, by a God Who makes no mistakes. 

Now then, all of this information is good, even great, to internalize. But it still hasn't answered the first question. 

Ready for it?

Love is sacrifice and desiring the greater good for your beloved, even when it means dying to yourself.

Before I begin to explain how chastity ties in with this definition of love, let us look at Christ crucified. It is not an easy image to see, but this is love. 
Behold the greatest act of love that has ever been accomplished on this Earth.

Christ crucified is the absolute perfect image of true love. He completely and fully died and sacrificed Himself for His bride, the Church, His beloved, for her greater good. The crucifix is all masculine and all love. How so? Love is and calls for sacrifice. A boy doesn't become a man when he loses his virginity; he becomes a man when he learns to forget himself in order to selflessly sacrifice... which is hence, masculine. So men, to learn how to be masculine, and how to love in a chaste and pure way, look to Jesus crucified. Yes, it is difficult, but to die to yourself for the greater good of your beloved, whether it be to a woman, or to the Church under holy orders, will only make you a better, more Christ-like man. Next, in soars chastity. My favorite speaker on chastity, Jason Evert, has said, "Chastity teaches you to give yourself to another in a sacrificial way." 

To be chaste and practice chastity, does not mean to be prudish or to be as physically unattractive as you can. Think of it this way: the ugliest person could be the most unchaste person, while the most beautiful can be the most chaste. Chastity also is not the same as repression, as if it is holding you back or stopping you from anything. As the ordered approach to love, chastity does the opposite. It frees you to authentically love in a pure, selfless and amazing way... without being sexual. The world would gasp at such an expression of love, but take a look at how those relationships end up working out, as in usually failing. Harsh, yet true. 

As chastity and modesty go hand-in-hand, there is an air of mystery about the relationship. What is not seen and what is unknown, is alluring and provides a stronger foundation to the couple practicing chastity, because they are falling in the love for the right reasons, without the worry of lust. When a couple is sexually active, the relationships tend to end more quickly, because lust is impatient. As Jason Evert has also said, "Love can wait to give, but lust can't wait to get." However, chastity provides the protection that is needed to sift out the users. Chastity also brings forth the opportunity to love one another in pure, non-sexual ways. This can be through little gifts, innocent time spent together and so on. With the elimination of sex and impure actions, lust is thrown out the window and genuine love is invited in. With the distraction of sex out of the picture, the pair can really focus on getting to know each other, and clearly discern if their vocations are to be married. 

Chastity challenges men to go beyond their sexual desires, and show their beloved that they can chastely and purely love and relate to them, beyond their body. Ladies, don't settle for a guy who isn't willing to do this for you. No man has any right to your body, until he lifts your wedding veil and puts a ring on your finger. At the bottom of every girls' heart, she wants to be loved for who she is, beyond her sexuality. Only after marriage, should you give your husband the priceless, beautiful gift of yourself, and he the same for you. The marital act isn't bad, and isn't dirty, because it comes from God, and He does not create anything that is bad or dirty. It is good, sacred and holy, when it is done within the boundaries of marriage, the only place where it is meant to be. When you truly love someone, you do what is best for them, at all costs. To put the sin of impurity on their soul is not what is best for them, because true love waits. It is patient and not rushed. 

Yet, even if you have made mistakes in the past, what matters the most is where you go from here, as Jason Evert and his wife, Crystalina, always note. Chastity opens the door for a love that is authentic, pure, peaceful and focused on the greatest good for the whole person. Meanwhile, its' counterfeit offers stress, the potential pain of being used, and an uneasy conscience. Why an uneasy conscience? Notice that when something is chaste and pure, it does not have to be rationalized and peace comes with it.

Which form of love will you choose to give and receive?

Before I end this post, I have one thing left to say. Pray for your future spouse, even if you have not met them yet. Your prayers for them can make a world of a difference in their lives. Girls, entrust your future husband to St. Joseph. Guys, entrust your future wife to Our Blessed Mother. Praying for your future spouse and knowing that they are out there somewhere should help you to live a chaste life; wouldn't you also want them to live a chaste life, prior to your marriage? Even if your vocation is not holy matrimony, living a chaste lifestyle will greatly benefit your vocation of holy orders or blessed singleness. When you respect and treat your sexuality with the dignity and reverence it deserves, you are also honoring God, He Who is also love. 

St. Maria Goretti, St. Raphael, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Gemma Galgani, St. Gianna Beretta Molla, Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati, St. Augustine, chaste heart of St. Joseph, Mater Dolorosa, pray for us.

Stay strong, chaste and pure, authentic love awaits...

-Yvonne Gemma

Yes, I'm That Girl Who Veils

As a Catholic girl, there are certain items and articles I carry with me a good portion of the time. Rosaries, holy cards, my spiritual journal, my breviary, a Benedictine crucifix, and my personal favorite; my veil. From some Catholics, I can hear it now, "A veil? Isn't that old fashioned and out dated?"
Before I begin to explain this, let me say this first: the point of this post is not to look down upon anyone, or to smack anyone around with my veil or liturgical snobbery. The point of this post is to shine some light on the beauty of veiling, because I have found it to be very rewarding and I want to share that with others.
Now that we have that covered, let us continue in a charitable, open-minded manner.
Let's begin! The veil is a head covering worn by women during mass, in the presence of the Holy Eucharist, including when He is hidden in the Tabernacle and exposed in the monstrance. Regarding the matter, the Code of Canon Law 1917 states: "1262.2 Men are to assist at sacred functions, whether in the church or outside of it, with their heads uncovered, unless a reasonable custom or special circumstances justify a departure from this rule. Women, however, should cover their heads and be dressed modestly, particularly when they approach the Lord's table."
If Canon Law states that women should have their heads covered... Then why did this tradition cease to be practiced? In 1983, another Code of Canon Law was written. However, it did not mention veiling. Although it was not abrogated, the tradition of veiling became a voluntary practice. But, let's look back about 20 years before this happened. During the expansion of the feminist movement in the 1960's, the veil was viewed as degrading and negatively patriarchal. So, along with their bra burning, they also burned their veils. This was done in direct defiance to the Church, to supposedly liberate themselves from this "demeaning" practice. 

However, from another perspective, veiling is a beautiful inner and outer act of voluntary humility, all for the greater glory of Our Lord. 

Let's face it: women are beautiful. In the book of Genesis, God saved the best for last when He created woman; the crescendo of creation. Now because women are so beautiful, their beauty can be distracting (especially to our brothers in Christ) during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. In mass, the highest form of prayer, all of our focus should be on God, not on those around us. When a woman veils, she is silently saying, "Don't look at me, but look to God." 

So in essence, we do not veil ourselves because we are bad to look at, or because we are shameful, lesser human beings. Not at all. We veil because we are wonderful creations of the Lord, but we acknowledge that He is infinitely greater than us, and through covering ourselves, we elevate Him. In my own personal experience of veiling, I have found that it greatly diminishes distractions and provides a sense of tunnel vision to assist in focusing on the Lord. To the statement that veiling is old-fashioned and out-dated, I say this, "Since when is having reverence for God old-fashioned?"

Another great reason to veil is because it imitates Mother Mary and the saints. Mother Mary is always depicted veiling, and most female saints also veiled, like St. Maria Goretti, for example. 

Now that we have learned that veiling is a beautiful act of humility and love, let's take a moment to address what veiling is not.

Veiling should not be used to puff oneself up, or to say, "Hey everyone, look at me! I'm waaay more holier than all of you!!" To do so would be an abuse of the veil, and counterproductive to its true meaning. 

If you're feeling inspired to begin veiling, I highly recommend the mantillas from Veils by Lily

That's it for now, may the Holy Spirit inspire you today and always,

Mater Dolorosa, ora pro nobis,

-Yvonne Gemma

I Suppose I Should Introduce Myself

As I typed up the title of this post, I subconsciously asked myself, "Who am I?" A moment later, I was singing, "Who am I? Who am I? I'm Jean Valjean!" But alas, I am not Jean Valjean. However my name is French, and I am also Roman Catholic, but that's as far as the comparison goes. Since we are on the topic of what I am, let us continue. I am a big sister, daughter, friend and student. All very typical titles. One day, through further discernment and working alongside God's will, I will be a Mrs., or Sister, or I may still remain a Miss. It's all fair game, but that's not very important at the moment. Then what is important? What's important is who I am right now, and who I will always be, from my present state of youth, to my future state of advanced age. 
Who I am will continue to prevail, whatever my vocation may be. You're probably thinking, "Okay Yvonne, get to the point. Who are you?!" 
It's quite simple, yet still extraordinary. 
I'm a daughter of the King.
That's exactly who I am. It's who I'll always be; what I've been created to be. I couldn't ask to be anything more. Nevertheless, it's no different then what you also are, my dear readers. You are also sons and daughters of the King. How divinely awesome is that?  
When I was younger, I didn't realize that I wouldn't find my identity in the music I liked, or "look" I tried to have. I kept wondering why I felt so unfulfilled, incomplete and overall bored with my life... bored, although I had everything. Or so I thought. Finally, one night I took a step back from my worldliness. It wasn't until I was fully face-to-face, bowing to the King, that I found what my heart had so desired. Love. The complete, unbroken, unblemished love that only He can give. It was that night that I found my true identity... in Him. 

"You have made us for Yourself O Lord, and our hearts are restless, until they rest in You."
               -St. Augustine


Until next time, au revoir.
Mater Dolorosa, ora pro nobis,
-Yvonne Gemma

10 Tips and Shortcuts I've Learned Throughout the Years

Before I attempt to say anything wise or spiritual, I must say this first: I'm a list-maker. I'm truly a left-brained thinker, much to my dear mothers annoyance. But hey, that's just the way the Good Lord programmed my brain. Now then, because I thrive in list-making, it only makes sense to begin my very first post with... you guessed it, a list. So, without further ado, here are 10 things that I have learned in my experience as a Catholic adolescent. These points may be preaching to the choir, but bear with me. 

1) Pray the Rosary often

The rosary is a powerhouse of graces. St. Josemaria Escriva sums it up perfectly when he said, "The Holy Rosary is a powerful weapon. Use it with confidence and you'll be amazed at the results."

Call Mother Mary often, you've got nothing to lose by it, and much to gain. 

2) Make Momma Mary your best friend

This can be done through praying the holy rosary. With her by your side, holding your hand, your journey through this life will be much sweeter. Don't be afraid to embrace her, she's already waiting for you.

3) The sooner you accept Divine Providence, the better

But what is Divine Providence? I will delve much deeper into this on another day, but in a nutshell, it is God's complete plan for your life. Every joy, sorrow, triumph and hardship you endure, is all from Him, and yes, it all serves a greater purpose. The sooner you accept it, the more you work with Divine Providence. It's basically abandoning your will to His, which is one of the best things you can do for yourself because it allows Him to work with you. Pretty cool, if I do say so myself.

4) Stay away from discerners

This goes for both guys and girls alike. If someone says, "I'm discerning.", then that's a sign to run the other way. Fast. Especially if it's the religious life. Or to not be as extreme, keep them at an arm's length. Better yet, two arms length. Discerning is a time to focus on trying to figure out where God is willing you to be, and it's not a time to become distracted... especially not romantically. To avoid potential heartache and sticky situations, keep a healthy distance (emotionally and physically) from the Discerner and pray for them. That's it. No more, no less. Then go on your happy way and focus on Jesu Rex Admirabilis. Because really, there's no better companion than Him. :)

5) Guard the senses

I'll be quick and honest about this one. Turn off the smutty shows and impure music. Avoid raunchy movies and dirty "literature". Did a tv series or artist you like come to mind? Good. If it's picking at your conscience, then it's most likely not benefiting your soul in a positive way. 

6) Surround yourself with good, Catholic friends
It's much easier to live out your faith when your friends on your side. I have been very blessed to be part of an awesome, Catholic community where we're all on the same page. Think of it this way, "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another." Prov. 27:17
If you're not being sharpened... are you being dulled instead?

7) Read about the saints daily
When I was a mere tweenager, barely discovering the beauty of Catholicism, I had the habit of reading about different saints, every single day. This worked out wonderfully because every day is the feast of at least one or several great saints. I highly recommend doing this, because not only will it increase your knowledge of holy men and women, but there's an abundance to learn from each and every one of them.

8) Make good use of the sacraments
Go to confession, go to mass, baptize your adorable babies! The sacraments are beautiful because they only take the bad away, and leave you with the good, to assist you in reaching Heaven.

9) Develop a strong prayer life
I will leave this to a quote from St. Padre Pio, "Prayer is the oxygen to the soul." (I really like saint quotes, if you haven't noticed.)

10) Go to adoration
I mean, it's adoration! It's spending time with the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, our glorious Savior, Jesus Christ Himself. He waits for you, yes you. Go to Him, love Him, talk to Him, lay your troubles at the foot of His throne, let yourself be enveloped in His great, unfathomable and ever-burning love. 

That's a wrap for this post, but I hope you enjoyed it and I will be back soon with more ramblings and things of that sort. 

Mater Dolorosa, ora pro nobis.
-Yvonne Gemma