Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Sunday Fun Day

Sunday's Outfit... GAP Maxi Dress & Denim Jacket

In the Catholic faith, we believe that our calling is to become saints- or holy people.  That notion disturbed me for a while because I didn’t understand its meaning.  I thought that aiming to be saints took the glory from God and shifted it to ourselves, but as I grow more in my faith - my mind too understands concepts anew.  Now, I know that holiness only comes from God (“holiness is Christ in me”), so the more a person achieves it the more God is being glorified in that person and since it comes from God it kills vainglory.  Thus, there are no proud saints.  During the cruise we celebrated the Feast Day of Saint John Bosco and Father described him as the most “fun” saint.  Saint John Bosco studied jugglers, acrobats and magicians and used these fun skills to do tricks that got the attention of children and once he had their attention he taught them about the Catholic Faith and the power of the Mass.  He dedicated his life to helping abandoned boys…  I love the creative imagination of Saint Bosco and his methods of using games and music to inspire the youth.  And while I was listening to father’s homily on Saint Bosco - I thought that if I have a choice I choose to be the saint of fun!  “So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people to do in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them.” Ecclesiastes 8:15
I think the Catholic Church has this image of limitations and killer of all things fun.  If you are Catholic you have to abstain from alcohol, drugs, sex, etc.  And in all these “don’ts” translate to “no fun” and for the legalistic Catholics a “pride” in their discipline of these behaviors.  But scripture tells us to have fun and enjoy life.  God wants us to be happy, if you have trouble understanding this just look around at creation and the beauty of this world.   There’s not a single day that I live without a smile breaking across my face, God has given us all of creation for our enjoyment- talk about generosity! A priest was the first to tell me that what God wants most for us is happiness - since then, I always look at ways to make my life more entertaining.  I go around dancing, joking and laughing and I think at times all this giddiness might make me appear quite shallow to reserved Catholics and at first impression even be perceived as a “party” girl not serious about her faith…  But the more that I discover God the more that I can’t stop the party using rapper Pitbull’s words (smile)- I don’t think a good Christian can go around with anything less than joy in one’s heart and a continuous smile.  Yes, I hurt and I cry messy with buggers and spit- but after the tempest the light of God shines and delivers me again and again. 
A stroll with my Baby.

God does encourage and teaches us to live a life of discipline and provides a life map to follow, but only because of the value God has given everything.  For example, Catholics love sex!  We love it so much that we give it an extremely high value and we save and protect it until marriage.  I have a friend who loves cars.  She has a pimped-out Subaru that she only drives on special occasions and she always makes sure it is parked in safe places when she does take it out for a drive and she stores it in her garage daily.  We all have something that we treasure like she does her car- similarly God told us to treasure sex, to save it, protect it and keep it from becoming exploited.  It is because of love that we are so prude as some have called me, not because we hate it.  Since the beginning God told us sex was beautiful and because it’s so special it requires special care.  I’m telling you when I get married my husband and I will enjoy this gift a lot because God told us it is good (smile)!  In a more mathematical way let’s say I live to be 90 years-old and I don’t get married until I am 34 then that means that for more than half of my life I will have sex- God is only asking me to abstain for a few years while I am single- I think that sounds pretty reasonable (SMILE).   
A Rainbow of colors in Nature!

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