"[U]m profeta não é honrado na sua própria terra." - João 4,44

Lessons from Fr. John, SJ

•  Our God is a God of opportunities
•  "It sounds crazy, so ok." - What a fellow Jesuit during novitiate described as his vocation story ;)
•  If we say yes, we can go forward
•  Leaving our options open is not saying yes to anything.  It does not not help us go forward.
• Pray through your activities.
• "God, today is really Your day.  It's not my day, it's Your day." - Possible morning offering :)
• If we go through our day praying through all our activities and giving them to God, we can accomplish what God wants (Not necessarily what we wanted to do), and we can move from activity to activity with a sense of peace; no rushing <= How I was last semester ;)
• We don't have time to do everything.  We might have to say no to something in order to say yes to something good.  
• "God: How do You want this relationship to be?"  If we put all our trust in God He will take care of everything.  0 = )  (It really works out... Think of last semester, World Youth Day in Rio, and coming to Campion [Jesuit] College).  0 = )
• We need to eat and sleep.  There's a time to rest, to be with friends, and be alone.  Think of Ecclesiastes 3.  0 = )  Fr. John is an advocate of me taking naps between classes if I need to.  Ashuhaus!  :)  Praise God!  :) 

 
 
Rezamos: Nossa Senhora Aparecida, rogai por nós...  Ajuda-nos a fazer sempre a vontade de Deus.  SZ
 
 

From Fr. Frank, SJ's Homily

We forget how fragile we are.  ><

Wow! Ualll! :D

Very cool games to teach people about social justice: http://www.devp.org/en/thinkfast/activities

^^  Ótimo!  Se alguém precisa um tradução para o português de inglês, só me avisa.

Because This is Important :)

Fall in Love

"Nothing is more practical than 
finding God, than 
falling in Love 
in a quite absolute, final way. 
What you are in love with, 
what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. 
It will decide 
what will get you out of bed in the morning, 
what you do with your evenings,
how you spend your weekends,
what you read,
whom you know,
what breaks your heart,
and what amazes you with joy and gratitude.
Fall in Love, stay in love,
and it will decide everything."

--Pedro Arrupe, SJ. Read more Ignatian prayers here: http://bit.ly/18EG342

Wisdom

Source: http://chastityproject.com/qa/im-going-to-a-university-in-the-fall-and-i-am-setting-my-heart-on-meeting-someone-there-if-not-i-think-i-may-have-to-become-a-priest-is-this-being-too-harsh-on-myself/

When we try to force our vocation into a timetable, we are acting out of impatience and saying to God, “You’ve got X amount of months to accomplish my will.” Often God’s ways are not our ways, so pray that God [helps you clearly hear how] he calls you to serve him. If you accept any vocation, it should be out of generosity, love, and courage, not frustration.

Sometimes we decide what we want in order to be happy, and then we wait until we get it to become pleased with life. This is a recipe for unhappiness, because God gives us what we need, not always what we want. Though this time of singleness may seem like a problem, perhaps you need to look at it differently. Mother Teresa used to say that there are no problems in life; there are only challenges in love for Jesus. She also remarked that the world sees everything as a “problem.” Why not use the word gift?

Why a gift? Well, the vocation that God has in mind for you is where you will have the most joy. You do not want a marriage that he has not willed, and you do not want to have a marriage before God wills it. The Bible repeatedly says in its love poem, Song of Songs, “Do not stir up love before its own time” (Song 2:7; 3:5; 8:4 NAB). You may feel that love’s time is long overdue, but trust that the Lord will act, and know that his timing is perfect.

Take one day at a time. His faithfulness and kindness reach to the skies, and God has glory in what he conceals. He wants you where you are right now, so embrace his will as it is revealed to you in the present moment in order to grow in sanctity. Also, remember that a vocation is not the ultimate purpose for our existence. Holiness is. God may not be calling you to know your vocation today, but he is calling you to holiness.

I understand that this time of loneliness is difficult, but allow the words of Scripture to console you and encourage you to persevere:

“My son, when you come to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for trials. Be sincere of heart and steadfast, undisturbed in time of adversity. Cling to him, forsake him not; thus will your future be great. Accept whatever befalls you, in crushing misfortune be patient; For in fire gold is tested, and worthy men in the crucible of humiliation. Trust God and he will help you; make straight your ways and hope in him. You who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy, turn not away lest you fall. . . . Study the generations long past and understand; has anyone hoped in the Lord and been disappointed? . . . For equal to his majesty is the mercy that he shows” (Sir. 2:1–7, 10, 18, NAB).

Fato - Eu amo os Jesuítas! :D

Today Fr. Frank said enough with giving things up for Lent - we should actively do things for others.  How Jesuit!  The fasting rule has changed for us in Canada.  It's so cold that we need our nutrition.  We're not required to fast.  *duly noted*  :D

uallll! This is the best!

O melhor!!

1. In the morning make a list of your priorities and God's priorities.  :D  Ask God: What do You want me to do?
2. Make sure you get enough sleep and exercise, otherwise you can't help anybody.
3. As they teach a Jesuit centre in New Orleans you need to discern a qualified yes ie. say, "I'll get back to you on that."  :]
4. If an evil thought enters your head you can do what the Buddhists do: See it as a passing cloud; let it leave.  Avoid attachment to it.
5. In your examens go deeper: Ask God why things are unfolding the way they are; why you have certain challenges.  
6. Mary is a great example: She is often depicted with her arms wide open; ready to do what God calls her to do.
7. You can only receive what God has for you if your hands are empty.  :)

Aim for Beauty

From http://www.ibosj.ca/2014/02/unexpected-olympic-grace.html by John D. O'Brien, SJ:

The classical definition, one favoured by Thomas Aquinas, was that beauty in all its forms is reducible to the three qualities of integrity, proportion and clarity. Integrity basically means that all the substantial parts are present. Proportion means there is a harmony or right ratio between those parts. Clarity refers to a kind of inner splendour, in which the object’s essence shines forth with a particular brilliance. 

Ha!

http://www.decentfilms.com/blog/jesuitical

Lessons from Fr. John Meehan, SJ :)

1. Consolation means you feel the presence of God.  Desolation means you cannot feel the presence of God.
2. We need to be both Martha and Mary (http://www.usccb.org/bible/luke/10).
3. If we are pulled in too many directions we can lose our focus or our sense of purpose.

Handy link: http://www.marquette.edu/faith/ignatian-principles-for-making-decisions.php

Hmm...

I wonder whether being in Heaven is somewhat similar to being in a reality TV jury house.  You'd see people come in and think, "Nooo!  How can this be?  You're [dead]?"  kkkkkk.  Then again you would be indescribably content with the Beatific Vision.  SZ

More Wisdom from Fr. John Meehan, SJ :)

Pray about your relationships.

You can do the examens prayer to gauge your relationships.  There are healthy relationships and unhealthy relationships.

You put God first - at the centre of your life.  Christ is at the centre of our relationships.

We bring others closer to Christ.

Today's Reading and Gospel:

http://usccb.org/bible/readings/111813.cfm

Moral of the stories: Be yourself; who you are.  SZ

At the end of the Gospel the crowd who was trying to shut the blind man up praised God.  0 = )

Possible Ignatian reflection on today's Gospel: Where are you in the Gospel?  Are you the blind man yelling for Jesus and being shushed by the crowd or are you the crowd?

Positive Thoughts

From Fr. John Meehan, SJ:

• Each person we encounter is a mystery for whom we should have reverence.
• God delights in everyone.
• We were all created good.
• We must see others the way God sees them.
• Love your neighbour as yourself.
• Stop negative thoughts in their tracks.
• God loves everyone, even the toxic people (We have to love them too.  Just be careful).

Querida Família no Brasil, muito obrigada pelas orações SZ

Minha melhor amiga é minha mãe!  @_@

Jesuit Talk from Fr. John Meehan, SJ :)

If you find yourself judging people check on them.  Ask them "Where is God in your life?"  That will help us have more compassion; see where they're at.

In the Our Father we pray for our daily bread.  We can focus on the present.  God only provided as much manna as His people needed in the desert.  God only gives us what we can handle.

Our vocation is who we are.  It was given to us when we were in our mother's womb.  0 = )

"Antes que no seio fosses formado, eu já te conhecia" - Jeremias 1:5

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you" - Jeremiah 1:5 

Be patient in your discernment.

Feelings/attractions don't go away when you have a religious calling/made a vow.  What matters is what you do with those feelings.

Pray the examens at least once a day - e.g. in the middle of the day, before you sleep...  Where was God in my day (consolations - things to be thankful for)?  Where did I not feel God in this day (desolations)?  St. Ignatius said the examens is an essential prayer.

Bring everything to prayer.  That way we will stay close to God.  If we stay close to God we can't go wrong in our discernment. God doesn't play tricks on us.

'Cause this boy is a hero :)

http://lifeteen.com/gay-catholic-and-doing-fine/

good dreams :)

Quite a Successful Day :)

1. Driving lesson
2. Work
3. Cooking a delicious beef stroganoff (Recipe was in February/March 2012 issue of Fine Cooking magazine)
4. Chocolate cookies for dessert 
5. Used a manual blender to mush up fresh cucumber into a masque (combined with honey) for my face (Dad's recipe courtesy of Angela)
6. I (kinda) fixed my chipped nail (Nail lacquer manicure from She to Shic) 0 = )