Follow the Path God has for You Instead
This past week I realized I've been in Ireland longer than the amount of time I have left here. I can't believe my plane trip back home is less than four months away.
I'm so grateful for the time I've had here and there is so much more to do before we leave.
I am praying for this town and this country to grow in their faith and seek out more of an understanding to what it means to be a Catholic.
Are you just going through the motions?
I feel like I think about that a lot, I think about what it means to truly be living a Christian way of life. Too many people I've encountered have just gone through the motions and are just stuck where they are at, not growing and learning.
I suppose it might be because in our society these days we don't talk about the real important things; we just go along with the crowd checking out the next viral video being shared on social media.
We don't have real discussions anymore. We don't take the time to have quality conversations, put our phones down, and be open and honest with one another. We hide ourselves away and we pretend that we're doing alright.
I find myself struggling with this as well, and I don't even have a phone to distract me and I have limited internet time during the week. Though there is something to be said when you make that decision to not follow the crowd and follow the path God has for you instead. We must take that time, every single day to stop fixing our eyes online and fix our eyes on God to pray and listen to Him.
The Season of Lent
With Lent coming up, it's hard to make the decision on what to give up, and what to bring into your prayer life. It's more than just about the sacrifice of a want that you could survive without, it's about how are you deepening your relationship with Christ, what are you doing to grow in your faith?? That's the real question. Father Mike Schmitz said it perfectly in his preparing for lent video.
Life on NET
We have had five confirmation retreats. Then we have three more coming up and seven secondary school retreats as well! I am so excited for all the ways we get to minister to the youth here! It's beautiful to see them grow in their Christian faith and to continue friendships with them throughout the year!
We also had the pleasure to meet our new NET staff member, Gerard! He has played soccer for the past 7 years and moved into working for NET this past week! So he got to experience a little of what it's like to live with a team and what it is that we do in our local ministry.
The Parish we are working with here is beginning to start up perpetual adoration, there was a Mass for the commissioning of the adoration chapel and there is one thing the Priest said in his homily about the importance of spending time with Jesus.
This is along the lines of what he said, social media and video chat is great and all, but nothing beats meeting in person, there's nothing like being in someone's presence.
Until I heard that, I didn't really view adoration in that way before, because I'm used to the three-hour Eucharistic Adoration on retreats with my youth group back home.
Though it's so true and beneficial for us to spend time in the real presence of Jesus, this goes back to what I was saying about truly living a Christian life.
I have felt beyond blessed since I have been back how much the Lord has blessed me. He gives me so much strength, patience, and courage to keep doing His will, all for His glory. Please continue to keep me in your prayers, my team, the rest of NET, and all the youth of Ireland.