NunEssential

This is a beautiful message from Our Blessed Mother in Medjugorje- she speaks much hope and light into the world. Thank you mother :) Subject: Our Lady's Monthly Message of January 25, 2011 “Dear children! Also today I am with you and I am looking at you and blessing you, and I am not losing hope that this world will change for the good and that peace will reign in the hearts of men. Joy will begin to reign in the world because you have opened yourselves to my call and to God’s love. The Holy Spirit is changing a multitude of those who have said ‘yes’. Therefore I desire to say to you: thank you for having responded to my call.”

any of you have asked to hear the full story of the gift of God's mercy in my life. Here is a video version from a talk I gave in August of 2010, I am working on the video quality, so it might qualify better as a audio version at this time! Part 1 Part 2- the audio and video timing is a little off in this clip, sorry- you may just want to listen to it rather than watch-

Friday Feb. 4th - St. Bernadette's Catholic School, Vocation talk to students Feb. 25th-27th - Boise, ID Catholic Youth Convention. See link here Many more dates coming for March, check back for Lenten Retreat dates and locations. The radio show Sisters in Christ can be heard on Thursdays at 6pm Pacific Time on AM 1050 or streamed here

What is wrong with people? Bristol Palin was uninvited to speak on a university panel discussion about sexuality. Why ? because she promotes abstinence only. Apparently an actress who is a member of (WHAT A SURPRISE!!) Planned Parenthood encouraged the students of Washington University in St. Louis to boycott Palin's invitation, should she herself decide to attend the panel. Beyond that arrogance, the actress, Kate Walsh, stooped to a low of saying, "what does she (Palin) know about college or abstaining?" Not cool. So the panel will include a medical doctor, someone from the Catholic Student Center (which is suspect if they don't want Palin to speak, what else would a true Catholic student speak about?) and *shocker* a representative from Planned Parenthood. Bristol, rock on girl, continue to speak your truth. Your light will shine all the brighter in these dark times. I am praying for you. Read the full story here ...

Love the moon? me too :) here is another fun song by Jon Foreman called Moon Is a Magnet

this is a beautiful song by Jon Foreman, an AMAZING songwriter and musician, wow- his music is very deep. I heard this song and I see so much of my own heart in it-- running away. Why do we always run away from the One who loves us? Such a profound mystery... Lyrics: I Am Still Running You remember me before I learned to run At the kissing tree before I learned my guns We were 17 17 years young I am still running I am still running I had no idea the pain would be this strong I had no idea the fight would last this long In my darkest fears the rights become the wrongs I am still running, I am still running I am still running I am still running Build me a home inside your scars Build me a home Inside your song Build me a home inside your open arms The only place I ever will belong I am still running I am still running I am still running I am still running Build me a home inside your scars Build me a home Inside your song Build me a home inside your...

Happy Feast Day of the Conversion of St. Paul- one of the greatest "sinner to saint" stories in the history of the Church. Read about his own account in the Acts of the Apostles. I love that he is so honest about where he came from and where he was called to go- he doesn't try to minimize his past nor hold it over his own head, his life is a testimony to the mercy of God, a mercy that never fails, a yearning for authentic truth and love. I love the work of the Italian artist Caravaggio- you can see posted here his account of the conversion of St. Paul- I love the dramatic use of light and darkness that Caravaggio expresses, a hallmark of his work. it's beautiful, so real and so....human. After a talk I gave last year, an older man came up to me and said, "that was an interesting talk, it was very....human" I don't know if he meant it as a compliment or a derogatory remark but before I began studying TOB, i would have taken it as an insult. I would...

Here is a good article on the new MTV show written by Dr. Manny Alvarez

An open letter to the producers, writers and consumers of MTV: To All It May Concern, The news is out that MTV has released yet another "controversial" teen drama. Of course this drama, as many other featured shows, includes generous portions of sexual scenes, drinking, drug use, homosexuality and other "typical" teen behaviors. It has earned a TV rating of MA (for "mature" viewers only) and it has stirred up the ire of parent groups and advertisers who find the show offensive and vulgar. The Parents Television Council is calling for an investigation that the show is promoting child pornography. To all this, MTV responds "Skins is a show that addresses real-world issues confronting teens in a frank way. We review all of our shows and work with all of our producers on an ongoing basis to ensure our shows comply with laws and community standards. We are confident that the episodes of ‘Skins’ will not only comply with all applicable legal requ...

Thousands came to Olympia, WA to march for life on Tuesday Jan. 18th.  Read about it here!

Ever wanted to know what a high school student would ask a religious Sister? Here is the question and answer interview and I thought the questions she asked were very thought provoking Why did you/ how did you become a nun?    I became a sister (a nun or sister, I am technically a sister, is a Spouse of Christ. She gives her life to Jesus in love for all eternity) because Jesus called me. During my college years, I was living in very profound darkness and from this darkness came a thirst for something more. I didn’t know what the call would be but I wanted to a live a deep, authentic life. When I heard Jesus call me, I said “yes”. Do you feel that you are going against societal values in your calling? I do feel and believe very strongly that a life of authentic discipleship of Jesus goes very much against societal values. Society values money, power, fame, egotism, a misuse of sexuality, domination and control. As I follow t...

Whatever your political affiliation, I am posting two links to today's Glenn Beck show. In this show, he speaks about the personal change that is necessary in order to change the country and the world. That the country will change when we take seriously the journey of becoming the people we were created to be. He speaks a lot of wisdom and common sense and tells the story of his own struggle with alcoholism, the power of the light and goodness of his wife and how when friends told him the truth, even when he didn't want to hear it, it changed his life. Good stuff. Part 1 Part 2

I offer this beautiful song as dialogue between the soul and Jesus. Jesus wants to free us from our fears and solitude, He wants to be with us always, He wants to be one with us. In our souls, we desire this as well. We want to be loved forever, this is the deepest longing of our hearts- eternal, life-giving love. We yearn for this on earth and this longing is a call from heaven, that we were made for eternity. So often we try to squelch this yearning or fill it with things that will never satisfy, rather than allow this yearning and longing to bring us to the One who truly loves us. Let us yearn for this freedom, allow it to purify us and bring us to heart of the One who is All Beautiful.

Here is a link to Samwise Gamgee's speech to Frodo in Lord of the Rings when all hope seems lost. It's beautiful. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEMdXhfO-Wk&feature=related Text of Sam's speech--- Frodo: I can't do this, Sam. Sam: I know. It's all wrong. By rights we shouldn't even be here. But we are. It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chanc...

Ah!! This is an AMAZING song and video by 10th Avenue North-- a beautiful and TRUE message. Have we not all felt this way? wow. Jesus does come to set us free. Lyrics: There's a girl in the corner With tear stains on her eyes From the places she's wandered And the shame she can't hide She says, "How did I get here? I'm not who I once was. And I'm crippled by the fear That I've fallen too far to love" But don't you know who you are, What's been done for you? Yeah don't you know who you are? You are more than the choices that you've made, You are more than the sum of your past mistakes, You are more than the problems you create, You've been remade. Well she tries to believe it That she's been given new life But she can't shake the feeling That it's not true tonight She knows all the answers And she's rehearsed all the lines And so she'll try to do better But then she's too weak ...

The Vatican has its own you tube channel. Check out the latest happenings in the Church and in the world on their channel. http://www.youtube.com/user/vatican

Today the Holy Father gave his message for the World Day of Peace- focusing on the area of religious freedom being the path to peace. Read it here! See a brief recap of his message below!

Pope Benedict XVI gave his annual address, Urbi et Orbi (to the Church and to the World) on Christmas Day in St. Peter's Square. This beautiful message focuses on the reality of Jesus becoming flesh, the Word was truly made flesh- and that changes everything. Read the message here Watch him give the address below--

Happy Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. Today is a beautiful day where we celebrate the motherhood of Mary and also give thanks for all women, as we are all maternal in our spirits. We ask our Mother to teach us and show us what it means to be a woman and to heal us in our wounds. We cannot deny the attack that is being waged upon women and children in this day and age. Not only is this attack becoming stronger, it is also becoming more blatant. Do we as women know what it means to be a woman? Do we know what our mission and destiny is? There is a beautiful passage from the closing documents of Vatican II that reads, "The hour is coming, in fact has come, when the vocation of woman is being acknowledged in its fullness, the hour in which women acquire in the world an influence, an effect and a power never hitherto achieved. That is why, at this moment when the human race is undergoing so deep a transformation, women impregnated with a spirit of the Gospel can do so much t...