sailing through this world

Jesus, I trust in You. I have said this prayer countless times in my life. Yet, it was not until recently that something hit me. Not only should I trust Jesus, but I should recognize that He trusts me. Jesus wants us to trust in Him just as He trusts in us. I never before considered how much Jesus trusted me. He trusts me to love Him and never give up on Him. He trusts me to serve Him. He believes in my ability to do good. He believes in me when I do not think I am strong enough. St. Peter denied Jesus. He was scared and lacked faith. Yet, Peter was the one Jesus chose to lead His church. Jesus made Peter the first bishop, the rock on which the church was built. Jesus trusted Peter in spite of his failure. In times of worry, fear, doubt, and anxiety, remember this: Christ chose you. He trusts you. In Christ, Mary Grace

Sometimes, it feels as if nothing is easy. Nothing is falling into place. It is tempting to give up and think that since it is not easy, it is not meant to be. When I was competing in Irish dance, I was trying to win first place so I would qualify for the national competition. I kept getting second place. I got second place five times before I finally won. I was so frustrated. I was tempted to give up. However, I kept working hard and I appreciated my success so much more because of my difficulties. We are all called to persevere. We are called to be saints and fulfill our role in God's plan. But what does this look like? How can we act as saints in our daily lives? One way is to persevere in our daily struggles and offer up our sufferings to God. St. Josemaria said: A saint is a sinner who keeps trying. How easy is it to place the saints in a separate category? Yeah, they were human, but they were special. They were called by God. They were strong. This is not tru...

Have you ever felt like God is trying to tell you something? Lately, I've felt like God is holding a neon sign trying to get my attention. I'm pretty sure that God is trying to get me to trust Him. Exhibit A: Philippians 4:6-8 Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.  When I helped start a girls household at St. Gregory's, these verses from Philippians really resonated with us. Since then, I have heard these verses everywhere!  I had to read them for class, I heard them in mass, my friend read them in her brother's wedding, and a s...