I know Catholics are known for loving on baby Jesus a lot and not just during Christmas… I mean He’s all grown up now and our King of Kings, mighty in heaven, etc right? But I believe it so important we remember that in His humanity he was God and that each stage of his life expressed his full divinity just as we all as babies were fully ourselves and our mothers remember us tenderly, vividly and love on that image of us in a way that almost plays back those very moments before their eyes. And Jesus was the most beautiful of children, a living image of what it was to be child-like and not childish. He was perfect when he cried, when he slept, when he peered out those wee eyes in confusion! So how much more should we meditate on that divine little babe! Jesus in his perfection never lost childlike goodness because He is all things good. That is why I do not find it strange to see depictions of Jesus as a child with deep, knowing eyes because it so wonderfully symbolizes his essence in two ways- That he is all the good of a little boy and all the good of a man, that innocence and wisdom can coexist in one being. As He grew He never stopped being a child. We were the ones that forgot because we see a man with our eyes and so we expect his manliness, but not his divine childishness. We see the courage of a King when he dies upon the cross for the love of His Queen, but forget the unfailing trust of a small child who still believes every word his father tells him even at the threshold of death. And so I find it natural to call upon His Divine Childishness to help me preserve all the good of my youth, because it is inextricably bound to helping me invite all the good of adulthood.
How beautiful is my Lord in every single light, in the morning or in the night, in my memory or here in sight, it is you and so I rejoice in everything you touch, all the things that you are are are.
For he is who he is whether he is big or small in a manger or on the cross.
Have a Blessed Christmas my friends.
Keep me in your prayers and I’ll keep you in mine. Send your prayer requests over the next couple weeks to fgarza@g.risd.edu.
I was drawing Katniss during a meeting, when one of my co-workers asked if it was her, I said yes and then we high-fived! When I finished the series I was such a wreck that I cropped the drawing and painted it up as therapy.
"To see him you'd think he'd be cold to the touch, but his hug was so warm it saved me from the frost that had nearly gone to my heart. And here you find me safe and sound, as whole as when I went into the forest. I don't think I'll be afraid to go play there anymore."
-Lucia, the morning after the snowstorm.
January is a very important character in the story of the Twelve Months. January holds the keys to the the New Year. He is commonly referred to as The Doorway. He is the oldest and wisest of the months and can't be bothered with the petty quarrels of his younger brothers and sisters. He is the first to meet little Lucia and saves her from the deadly snowstorm that swept up the land on a quiet winter night. She becomes a little light in his life and him in hers.
The Twelve Months is a Concept Project that is inspired by the Russian fairytale by the same name, which I am recreating in my spare time. It may become a graphic novel or children's book but for now it simply remains a world of fancy I visit sometimes. Please visit the other pages under the tag of Twelve Months for more.
In a vehement moment of self-indulgence I gathered images of characters or people portrayed in movies that have compelled me to reach above mediocrity throughout my life; characters that have subconsciously formed the virtues I strive for and the excellence I long for. I'm curious to see which ones people recognize, some being more obscure than others!
-2-
My father gave me St. Therese of Lisieux's autobiography years ago, claiming he thought I'd be a saint like her one day. When I first read it it was an intense source of inspiration in my life but over the years I drifted away from the particular love I had for her spirituality... I think I was running away from accepting that I was little, weak and sensitive like her. In coming back to read some passages from her autobiography again this week I have realized that it is precisely because she was little that God was able to work such great things in her, and so the quiet aversion that had begun to grow on me towards her in recent years was swiftly knocked away. She died at twenty-four, my age.
Here is a passage from her biography:
I look upon myself as a weak little bird, with only a light down as covering. I am not an eagle, but I have only an eagle’s EYES AND HEART. In spite of my extreme littleness I still dare to gaze upon the Divine Sun, the Sun of Love, and my heart feels within it all the aspirations of an Eagle.
The little bird wills to fly towards the bright Sun that attracts its eye, imitating its brothers, the eagles, whom it sees climbing up toward the Divine Furnace of the Holy Trinity. But alas! The only thing it can do is raise its little wings; to fly is not within its little power!
What then will become of it? Will it die of sorrow at seeing itself so weak? Oh no! The little bird will not even be troubled. With bold surrender, it wishes to remain gazing upon its Divine Sun. Nothing will frighten it, neither wind nor rain, and if dark clouds come and hide the Star of Love, the little bird will not change its place because it knows that beyond the clouds its bright Sun still shine on and that its brightness is not eclipsed for a single instant.
At times the little bird’s heart is assailed by the storm, and it seems it should believe in the existence of no other thing except the clouds surrounding it; this is the moment of perfect joy for the poor little weak creature. And what joy it experiences when remaining there just the same! And gazing at the Invisible Light which remains hidden from its faith!
O Jesus, up until the present moment I can understand Your love for the little bird because it has not strayed far from You. But I know and so do You that very often the imperfect little creature, while remaining in its place (that is, under the Sun’s rays), allows itself to be somewhat distracted from its sole occupation. It picks up a piece of grain on the right or on the left; it chases after a little worm; then coming upon a little pool of water, it wets its feathers still hardly formed. It sees an attractive flower and its little mind is occupied with this flower. In a word, being unable to soar like the eagles, the poor little bird is taken up with the trifles of earth.
And yet after all these misdeeds, instead of going and hiding away in a corner, to weep over its misery and to die of sorrow, the little bird turns toward its beloved Sun, presenting its wet wings to its beneficent rays. It cries like a swallow and in its sweet song it recounts in detail all its infidelities, thinking in the boldness of its full trust that it will acquire in even greater fullness the love of Him who came to call not the just but sinners. And even if the Adorable Star remains deaf to the plaintive chirping of the little creature, even if it remains hidden, well, the little one will remain wet, accepting its numbness from the cold and rejoicing in its suffering which it knows it deserves.
O Jesus, Your little bird is happy to be weak and little. What would become of it if it were big? Never would it have the boldness to appear in Your presence, to fall asleep in front of You. Yes, this is still on of the weaknesses of the little bird: when it wants to fix its gaze upon the Divine Sun, and when the clouds prevent it from seeing a single ray of that Sun, in spite of itself, its little eyes close, its little head is hidden beneath its wing, and the poor little thing falls asleep, believing all the time that it is fixing its gaze upon its Dear Star. When it awakens, it doesn’t feel desolate; its little heart is at peace and it begins once again its work of love.
-3-
Continuing on the topic of Little Therese, my friend and I are asking her for her prayers in a novena right now and I found this on Etsy for her.
More pieces of jewelry can be found here. They are created by the Salesian Missionaries of Mary Immaculate.
-4-
Art has been slow, but it is happening. I'm working on an piece that requires a lot of time and detail...
here is a little preview of part of it in progress.
- 5 -
I watched Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle and I was blown away. I hadn't seen it in years but I'd never been this struck by it before. The depth of the story is beautiful... and it's so darn pretty! Watch it.
-6-
1 Peter 1: 6-9
6 This is a great joy to you, even though for a short time yet you must bear all sorts of trials;
7 so that the worth of your faith, more valuable than gold, which is perishable even if it has been tested by fire, may be proved -- to your praise and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.
8 You have not seen him, yet you love him; and still without seeing him you believe in him and so are already filled with a joy so glorious that it cannot be described;
9 and you are sure of the goal of your faith, that is, the salvation of your souls.
-7-
Something I wrote in the back of my copy of Fellowship of the Ring because I didn't have anything else to write it on:
It's not about getting what I want but loving as I should.
love, love,
Fabi
~
7 Quick Takes hosted by Jennifer Fullwiller @ConversionDiary
Hello Peeps!
I'm making a few spot murals for a couple of adorable twins. They each have their own rooms; Hallie's is pink and Paige's is purple. I got the chance to babysit them and their little brother, watch Ponyo with them and take a look at their room set up. I took down the colors, shapes and characters on their bedspreads so that the final paintings would complement them. These are my drawings and color plans for each room.
For all of you that had not idea this thing called "Catholic Colors" was happening let me just fill you in that indeed I had two blogs my art blog and my chatty, rambling blog called "Catholic Colors". I had a fun time moving all my posts from that site as well as my domain to make things in the end much easier for myself. This is now officially:
http://www.catholiccolors.com
Where I post my art, my writing and stuffs. I still have to fill out the "Gallery" page but that will be up soon.
To celebrate I will send you to VirtuousPla.net where I contribute a piece of writing or art once a month.
Hey Guys, just letting you know that if this blog looks ugly and weird for the next few weeks it's because I'm reorganizing my bloggy blogs and I want the finished result to be really user friendly and purty.
If someone had told me 5 years ago that I'd be going to daily Mass I would have said. "Pff, only old ladies do that and there's no way I'm going to be uncool." And then I'd avoid whoever said that like crazy.
-2-
If someone had told me 5 years ago that my most cherished time would be with my awesome Priest friend on Skype and with my best girly praying novenas, I would have cried at the idea of being such a weirdo.
-3-
If someone had told me 5 years ago that I'd be speaking to fellow Christians on how Jesus has transformed my life I would have offered myself up for martyrdom rather than speak in public.
-4-
If someone had told me 5 years ago that'd I'd take up a love of theology books equal to my love of fairytale novels I would have been like "Hmm, do you have any idea how much I love my fairytale books?"
-5-
If someone had told me five years ago that St. Francis de Sales, St. Therese of Lisieux, G.K Chesterton, J.R.R Tolkien, C.S Lewis, and Scott Hahn would be great comforts during my sorrows, I would have been only a little disturbed. "Who?"
-6-
If someone had told me 5 years ago that I'd be blogging about my faith I would have said, "What's a blog?"
-7-
It was about 6-5 years ago when I stopped just skimming on the surface of God's almighty love. I decided to take a dive in because I was drowning. And then I kept swimming deeper and deeper, sometimes against the current, sometimes leisurely but I found that there is never a bottom. I found that I am either swimming continually down into the depths of love or I beginning to float up toward the surface again. I've never regretted a minute of it no matter what the suffering has been. He has always been present no matter what I've done or what I fear. He is always there waiting for me to go deeper. My conversion is continuous, daily. Everyday I have to choose to say "Yes!" to God.
EXTRA
-8-
Squeeeee! Is my new favorite thing to write when I'm full of girlish delight.
SQUEEEEE!
And for everyones info I'm just giving y'all a head up that I'll be consolidating Catholic Colors and My Art Blog into one so that I don't have to do double posts and keep two blogs up. I donts got the times.
I'm not quite sure how it happened that My Little Pony become loved by all but my excitement couldn't be contained and I've drawn so many ponies for my friends. If you're not watching the new My Little Pony show please get on it. Just goes to show you shouldn't care if other people don't like what you like since what's lame today is cool tomorrow and lame again the next!
-2-
PHENOMENAL article by a Catholic man who is gay, and to follow up with what's going on with him go to his blog.
I just got my copy of Catholicsim the tv series produced by World on Fire. I have to say it is phenomenal. I'm almost through the whole series. Get your hands on your own copy or ask your local PBS station to air it.
I started reading The Fellowship of the Ring and I cannot contain my joy. I didn't even think about the fact that Fall is about to start and it will be amazing to curl up with that book and a hot drink. It makes me feel at home.
-6-
OOOOH! I almost forgot. I'm also planning a few wall paintings for some kids' rooms. Here is some of my planning for one of them. I have to keep to the color scheme of her bedspread as well as the motifs.
-7-
Go see the Lion King in theaters! It is beautiful.
I am glad that you're here again for another round of stories from World Youth Day. I had a few weeks to reflect on the impact WYD had on me. Even as I was there the experience was extremely profound, other-wordly, mystical and yet concrete. My faith, usually experienced in a climate not amiable to it became light rather than heavy because the Joy of the Holy Spirit was so palpable. There was a freedom to simply enjoy God as heartily as you wished in streets, metros, parks, malls, it didn't matter. The world was turned on it's head and it was the sanest insanity I have ever experienced. It was like living in the City of God for a week.
~
My group was recieved by two spanish teenagers in lime green t-shirts. Green t-shirts meant that they were volunteers. They took us to the parish where we would be staying along with many other groups from around the world. We were given our much anticipated WYD packs which had alot of informational books and goodies in them including a cross that we'd get blessed by The Pope the last day of our trip. Filled with hope for the week we were led around the building to be shown our sleeping quarters and the showers.
The Girls Room
The showers and even the bathing that ensued the following week deserves a full paragraph. After seeing where we'd put down our sleeping bags and so forth we followed a volunteer past a hall that led to the garage. Were our showers past the garage? We all looked quizzically at each other when we realized the showers were in the garage next to a huge SUV that was parked there. They had just been installed and they didn't have any curtains separating the stalls. We had been told that we'd have to wear our bathings suits anyways, but we had a good laugh and started joking around about it being just a car wash for people. That idea met a quick death when we were told there would be curtains by the evening. Wahhh, no carwash fun. But that wasn't really what made our showers so memorable. Something was broken and there was only ICE COLD water for the entire week. Unless you woke up at 5am for scalding water that would melt your skin off. My first shower was the first moment I really felt I was on a pilgrimage. In Cordoba we had been spoiled by our host families. Long showers, soft bed, privacy, etc. It was a nice vacation. But I went to WYD to get joyfully uncomfortable because I'm weird like that and want the full experience. The first few days of showering with water that must've come directly from Siberia were not the worst. I developed a good system in which I was able to splash some water on my legs in such a way that I wouldn't get goosebumps so I could shave then I'd get any kind of soap I needed on me so all I had to do was rinse really well but really fast. By day three or four I literally had to pray before I went in because I really didn't want to get in. I had to think of somebody that was going through a rough time and imagine them screaming for help or something and I'd quickly jump in and offer up the shower. I'm very creative with my prayer life ;) I think I've finally managed to channel my overactive imagination in a positive way.
Anyhoo... before I continue I should mention that at WYD you bring things from your country to trade with other ppl, mostly bracelets but anything goes. In Cordoba I had spotted some kids from Poland with Pope John Paul II bandanas and I made it my mission to aquire this item at some point. MUST HAVE, my brain said. Luckily then, there was a huge group of Polish people at the parish. I kept a fierce eye out. It would be mine! Then I snapped out of that zone and met some people. But not many since we were starving. We went out to eat, but some of us starting twitching with anxiety because we were going to miss some meeting, and by meeting I mean meeting of people.... cough, cough. In the end we got our apples* to go and were off and we didn't miss anything of real importance at all. Boys shower at night and girls in the morning, the end.
*A common desert item we'd get with our food vouchers. :D Apples!
The volunteers at the parish were nothing short of amazing. Even the parish priest came down at 2am when one of my Australian friends got sick. He treated us like we were literally his little children who he loved. We gave him a little statue of St. Paul when we left :)
(If your attention span is waning now would be a good time to get a cookie. )
Day 1- August 15, Tuesday!
I woke up the next morning with no memory as to when I went to bed. I showered! Then got my my little breakfast from the volunteers. There was a Y.H.O.P.E huddle and the following plan was laid out:
I had already been on the metro but even more than before each stop picked up more people in yellow t-shirts and backpacks and flags. There was spontaneous chanting of the Jesus or nationalistic sort and clapping. Some of the uninvolved ppl on the metro looked like they were trying to sleep but others had smiles on their faces.
We got off at our stop, went up the stairs into the fresh, hot air of midday Madrid. My breath stopped. People and flags were literally pouring through any street I looked down. A river of color and song decorated the already lovely Spanish scenery. And they wouldn't stop coming, more and more! Surely not everybody had decided to do the same thing? But it wasn't everybody, it was just some... and then I laughed a big laugh and sang along. This outpour of color and song was present all week, rain or shine.
Our little group made its way to the Almudena Cathedral. Incredible packed, but gorgeous.
This is the beautiful ceiling of the cathedral!
We bumped into other ppl from Boston there. Yay! including Sister Olga. The first time I met Sister Olga I literally sensed the holiness around her. No joke. I'd never felt that before. All she did was say hello. She's originally from Iraq where she tended to the homeless and imprisoned.
We continued to the Franciscan cathedral and it was beautiful but what I remember most is the south african group praying the rosary in one of the side chapels. Their devotion was beautiful. Quiet, bent bodies. Clear, knowing words.
I don't always want to pray, sometimes I'm genuinely annoyed inside when people suggest one more rosary because we have some free time.Then God and I have a good chat about those feelings. Watching them helped my internal dialogue with God and it softened my rebellious disposition concerning that. Praying the Rosary takes a good deal of concentration and full abandonment so you can say the prayers while meditating on moments in Christ's life and a lot of the times I don't want to put in that kind of effort. Again, during the pilgrimage when spontaneous rosaries happened A LOT I was tried and it felt like a pilgrimage; like Christ was working through some messy bits inside. It had more to do with my anger and annoyance at these occurrences when I just wasn't in the mood to do it than the fact that I did or did not want to do it. I believe a truly Holy person would trudge through and fight the annoyance for the possibility of having an encounter with God since you were asked to pray anyways. I dunno still I'm working through that one. If anything it was a continous reminder of my need for God and his transforming power.
After the sightseeing we broke off into a few different groups. I tried to go to Theology of the Body which was for english speakers but the sports center filled up and we didn't make it. We looked for some food, had some communication issues, but we took some deep breaths and survived. We finally met up with the greater group at another church for Taize Prayer*. Very necessary after the torrid afternoon. My favorite song from the prayer was this simple phrase:
Nada te turbe, nada te espante, quien a Dios tiene nada le falta.
Let nothing unsettle you, let nothing frighten you, whomever has God lacks nothing.
*Taize Prayer: Meditative prayer involving the repetition of songs. Slowly so that it sinks in.
The sun was still out and shining when the event concluded. The day still wasn't over and we went over to a square to see the opening mass on a huge screen that was set up.
I fell asleep quickly that night.
(You can get another cookie or maybe save the rest for tomorrow. I don't mind. )
~
Day 2- August 16, Wednesday!
I woke up the next morning completely enthused. It was the first day of Catechesis*
Catechesis means oral teaching.
Catechesis happened each morning, three days in a row and we'd be taught by a different Bishop or Archbishop each day. There were several places we could go for an english speaking Bishop, including our Parish so we decided to stay there.
Before the Bishop arrived a Nigerian Priest and choir were in charge of coordinating this event and they led us in song, prayer and witness talks. Afterwards we were joined by the Bishop of Dublin who looked a little like this:
He talked about the great desire he has to touch the youth of his country and his hope to rekindle the faith that has been so watered down in the past decades.
There was Mass and then we were off into Madrid for more adventure. We went to park where I found Winnie the Pooh (not as good as the Poohs you find at Disney World, alas), a Christian Aussie band, a Gaudi exposition and a Vocations Fair. Exhausted we plopped down on the grass sang some songs, were joined in song by some strangers and we met some cute kids who thought our american swag was the best.
My favorite part of the day though was going to a concert in memory of Blessed* Chiara Luce Badano who died when she was eighteen. Her now much older parents were there and they gave their testimony on the life of their daughter, who bravely suffered through cancer in total surrender to Jesus. While I was there my hard heart softened tremendously and I had great hope for the kind of great love I wanted to give during my own life. Favorite song from the concert:
Blessed means that Chiara was beatified or that she's on the 2nd of three steps to being declared a Saint by the Catholic Church.
~ Day 3- August 17, Thursday!
My New Zealander friend, Kathleen invited me to go look at a fashion museum, but that meant missing catechesis... I weighed my options... and I decided to go to the museum! It was breathtaking; the most beautiful collection of garments I have ever seen. They ranged from the 16th century to the present. Kathleen actually makes dresses so she was quickly sketching sleeves, ruffles and petticoats. I tried to sketch some things too but the light was dim, presumably to keep the items of clothing in good condition. Kathleen and I had a nice time getting to know each other and we were back by noon just in time for me to see that the Bishop of Brooklyn had been the visiting speaker.
The Pope was going to arrive that day so we decided to head into the city so we had time to do something before that. We went to an exhibit on Mother Theresa.
<3
young Ratzinger!
Afterwards in the heat and after many attempts to find a place that would let us use their bathrooms we waited on the side of a street to wait for the Pope to come by. I sat right on the curb and the Popemobile whisked by! Alright, I cried just a little. I didn't really expect to but my religious emotionalism got to me. I didn't feel too awkward since the filipino girl next to me made weird sobbing sounds which I could only interpret as a good thing. If Walt Disney had shown up I would have died a happy woman.
We walked toward a screen to watch the Pope deliver his an opening address (BIG SCREENS were placed around the city during any big event because not everybody could fit in the square or area where said thing was taking place). I tried to translate things here and there for my american buddies but I wasn't that good at it and I think they weren't too unhappy when I stopped trying.
I vaguely remember going to dinner somewhere with a group but I think I was falling asleep. ~ Day 4- August 18, Friday!
A wonderful Bishop from Nigeria delivered catechesis in the morning and I was asked to read a petition (prayer asking for something) and I was so excited! I love reading at church. To my horror when I got to the pulpit and I realized that either the people in front of me were making their prayers up on the spot or were reading something they had prepared for themselves. Normally I wouldn't have minded at all but I usually need to be told I have to deliver something spontaneous. I went up there and delivered something sincere but illogical. A little red in the face I went back to my seat.
Today was to be my first successful visit to the sports stadium where all the english speaking events were going on. I didn't really know what we were going there to see but I followed happily since I had now acquired my JPII scarf from a very nice Polish girl named Luiza. I pondered on the fact that I could just wear a Pope scarf all day like it was totally normal and COOL. I had officially entered a pleasant version of the twilight zone.
The stadium was huge. Somebody said it fit 20,000 people and I couldn't believe it had been full for Theology of the Body. I sat down and saw that there was already a panel of people. They were talking about media, mainly film and art. My ears perked up. Art! That's me! Matthew Mardsen, a british actor talked about how important it is for us to strive for excellence in art. Art needs to inspire man deeply and there is no place for art to be mediocre. A "Christian" label does not make a work of art brilliant. I was writing all these things down when I noticed that one of the panelist was Father Robert Barron. WEEEEE! Brilliant! Here's a link to his website and the trailer for his latest venture!
I like him. He talked about a film that he thought spoke particular human truths. True Grit is apparently fraught with awesome storytelling. I'll probably write about that once I've seen it but one of his points was that there is a difference between a movie showing bad things and a movie advocating bad things. It is important to develop a mind and heart that discerns good from bad well. Being close to the Lord is key in doing so.
I rushed down the steps of the stadium after the panel finished so I could meet him. And I did! I told him I was an artist at a video game company and sometimes I watched his commentaries while I worked :).
I felt a little guilty about not wanting to stay for the next panel but I was getting a bit restless so I tried to go to a smaller talk in one of the side rooms of the arena but again it was overpopulated, then I tried praying in a small chapel that was set up with all these cool screens depicting the Mysteries of the Rosary* but I wasn't very successful. In the end I think all I needed was some fresh air. I went outside with Linda and got some snacks.
Mysteries of the Rosary: The rosary is divided by sections of one Our Father and ten Hail Marys, and while you pray them you're supposed to meditate on a mystery aka a moment in the life of Christ or Mary. For example The Wedding of Cana or The Cruxifiction.
I went back inside to watch one of the most important events for WYD: The Stations of the Cross on the big screens. Stations of the Cross is a devotion in which you "visit" different moments of Jesus' Passion all the way to the crucifixion. If you go into almost any Catholic church you will find depictions of these on the walls but for this occasion beautiful statues were brought from all over Spain and the Pope was there presiding over the prayer. Different groups of young adults who suffer persecution carried the WYD cross from one station to the other. This same cross was taken to Ground Zero in New York not long before, and it was originally a gift from JPII to the youth.
On my way back to the parish I bumped into badcatholic, a fellow blogger I have never met save through blogs! God is good.
It was a beautiful, beautiful day. I felt full.
This is the end of the Madrid events before the grand culmination of Mass with the Pope. That is the best story and it will be up soon. Thank you for reading.
Good late night to you all!
Here is January's color studies! Hurrah! So much closer to finishing his process up.
January is the month of the doorway into the new year. The oldest and wisest of the months he is the first to find Lucia on the coldest night in winter. It is because of him that snowdrops can grow in the winter today. He is often stern but his laugh can be heard from miles away.
Traits: Generous, Constant, Wise
Lucia: You know all this snow makes it hard for me to dance outside.
January: If you studied as much as you danced maybe you wouldn't be failing geometry.
Lucia: All those numbers and shapes give me headaches, besides nobody cares if you're good at geometry.
January: If you don't get at least a B on your next quiz you can forget about coming with me to meet the spring months.
Lucia: Yeesh, a B? Okay, I'd better go study then.
So I finally got another itch to keep making my home nice so I painted a fun little swirl and flower painting around my crucifix hanging above my bed and I bought a carpet that reminded me of Appa because its so soft and fluffy.
^ APPA ^
And I started on the final design for January (Hurrah!)
I seriously considered not writing this entry since I've been very internety the last week which I attribute from internet withdrawal once in Spain, but it can't be that since I didn't really miss it. It must be because while I am home I am just too horrifyingly interested in finding fun things that are just as fun as Spain. Or maybe it's because I have all these things I said I would do online.
-2-
One said thing is writing about WYD which is a bigger task than I though since there are some photos I'm still waiting for and because the trip was so freaking packed. But I will have that done at some point.
-3-
The second said thing was writing an article for VirtuousPla.net . A bunch of young adult catholic bloggers where invited to contribute stuff. You can find my first entry Advice to Singletons here. Somebody got a little upset about it and I apologize I meant it to be mostly funny and to the point, but compassionate too. Maybe I should stick to art.
-4-
This really beautiful movie from Studio Ghibli is coming out soon take a look at the trailer!
-5-
Here is a quote from Chesterton for the week:
They knew much better than we do what was the matter with them and what sort of demons at once tempted and tormented them; and they wrote across that great space of history the text; "This sort goeth not out but by prayer and fasting."
-Excerpt from St. Francis of Assisi on the Christians that had lived the culture of the Roman empire and were soon to begin living the Middle Ages. Emphasis by me.
-6-
I drew this:
It's January, the wise month that my character Lucia encounters on a winter night.
-7-
I just got a bible on my iPod. Best thing to do. I can no longer make the excuse, "but it doesn't fit in my cute purse!" But I do have to strain my eyes a bit. I think I will fall into the the kindle hole soon and just collect beautiful old editions and art books.
You’ve begun the first chapter of this travel diary! Congratulations! If you haven’t read the intro do so now or be confused about what this entry is about.
I went to World Youth Day with my young adult group called Y. H.O.P.E. Thirteen of us managed to go.
The flight to Spain was uneventful except for the fact that I was dreadfully embarrassed of my knee-hi stockings that I wore to help circulation in my legs during all that sitting down time. I managed to whisk them off when we arrived in Cordoba and were met by our fashionable host families. At least they looked fashionable to me. I might have imagined them wearing couture because of my anxiety over my stupid, granny stockings that never saw the light of day again. But I’m happy to report that they worked marvelously.
Cordoba
We had no idea we were staying with host families for the first part of the our trip. YUSS! Linda (the only one who brought a rolling suitcase) and I stayed with the Zamora family. Both parents are professors and they have three children. The girls were especially lovely. They both love to draw and we talked about their dreams of becoming fashion designers.
We were slowly introduced to other groups who were going to spend some time in Cordoba before going to Madrid for World Youth Day. This time before WYD is called Days in the Diocese. In our case Cordoba was our host diocese*.
*Diocese: Area under the care of a Bishop
We were invited to countryside for some food, fellowship and swimming a couple of times. There was also sightseeing, and a procession (where I met some Australian and Polish peeps).
Pilar (11), Me, Kateri and Laura (17)
In the evenings we had Mass with the Bishop and then there was music and dancing outside of the church.
I met people from Spain, Southern France and Canada. Prayer and worship continued inside the church so if you got tired of too much dancing (not possible) you could go back in and pay our Lord a visit.
Seminarians from Iraq, who suffer persecution in their own country for their faith (kidnapping, death, etc) danced until dawn. One of them I was told had just gotten out of jail recently.
Send-off
As our send-off Cordoba held a mini-World Youth Day with the Bishop. There was a theatre performance, testimonies, singing, adoration and sleeping on the grass.
The play on the life of Jesus was silent but the music and artistry left me a bit dumbfounded. I just didn't expect something like that. And then they used a song from Prince of Egypt for their end number and I squealed like a two year old. The Bishop of Cordoba danced with the little kids with "There Can Be Miracles" in the background and Marie (our fearless organizer) was about to bawl. All I could think was how it could possibly get any better. How could Madrid be better?
After the play there were testimonies, but the one that made everyone fall silent was the one given by a Bishop of Iraq who had suffered greatly but was so touched by the joy around him.
Then there was adoration. The monstrance* for the Eucharist looked like a spaceship made out of gold. It's a treasure from the 16th century and it was brought out especially for this occasion.
*Monstrance: Basically a display case for the Eucharist while adored. Most of the times it's in the shape of a radiating sun.
No matter how cool this was we were tired and so we slept on astroturf for a few hours then woke up for Mass. I was very sleepy, but I did write down in my journal a bit of the Bishop's sermon that struck me.
"Satan throws our sins in our face to discourage us but Christ's victory is also ours."
Bishopy ppl
At the end of Mass the heat was intense. Spain is hot and dry at this time, about 100 degrees and we had to get our behinds to the train station so we could get to Madrid. We put on our hiking bags and walked for about forty minutes. This quirky spanish lady decided to befriend us and insisted on walking us there. She gave us cookies and we let her take snapshots of us with american flag. Win-win! In Spain most people looooved americans others, mmm not so much.
At the train station Linda and I had a lot of coffee and tea and Brian fell asleep on his laptop. The rest is sort of a blur until we arrived at Madrid, where I was told I'd be able to shower and see the Pope.
Yay! You've finished this chapter! Hurrah! Stay tuned for showers in a garage, nun watch, meeting a fellow blogger, Metro parties and much much more!
