Blessed is the Kingdom

Nice blog!

I hail from Boston. And I still live there, most of the time.

I found you on twitter and was intrigued enough to come visit, and post this at 1 AM…

I’m still a student for the next two months at least, so my typical day involves either school or my part time job. No matter what day of the week though, it involves writing, even if it’s just on social media.

I learned that Rome wasn’t built in a day. I know it’s cliche and over used, but since I’ve trying to integrate my catholic identity with my LGBTQ identity, the saying has come in handy. I mistakenly thought this problem must be solved by graduation… I can’t get rid of either identity so this is going to be trickier than I thought it’d be.

If I were a bragger, I’d mention how I’ve been an altar server since I made my First Communion. Then I’d go on to explain how awesome it makes me feel and how I love having such an active role in the Mass. But I’m not much of a bragger, so I guess I won’t…

My Hero is definitely my Pastor. He’s been at my parish all my life (and a few years before it). He baptized me, and helped me get through a dark part of my life a few years ago.

I desperately want to write and publish a book. If you have time, I’d recommend reading some queer religious narratives. (Wrestling with the Angel is a good anthology to start with) There are numerous people who are both Queer and Religious and found various ways of dealing. The spectrum’s pretty well represented in the book. I hope to publish my own personal narrative one day and give a fresh look at the “age old” question of how do you remain queer and religious at the same time? I’ve been blogging about my experience over at queercatholicgirl.wordpress.com

I was born in Pennsylvania but have lived in North Carolina for the past 30+ years. My husband and I are converts; we joined the Church through RCIA about 14 years ago. I now help to teach RCIA in our parish. I have an additional ministry of corresponding with inmates on death row; I try to share my faith with them and have found it a rewarding – and humbling – experience. (Humbling because “there but for the grace of God…” I also have a blog of my own: http://acts17verse28.blogspot.com/. I’m looking forward to exploring yours.

God bless you.

Sue

1. I’m from Texas and currently live between Dallas and Austin.

2. A friend of mine suggested it to me because I’m her token Catholic friend.

3. I’m a grad student so a typical day includes teaching class, being a student in classes, researching/writing my thesis, and time spent with my boyfriend when we get a chance. (We watch a lot of Star Trek and Modern Family)

4. I am capable of so much more than I ever imagined.

5. Oh, tough choice. Tie between “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” from The Little Prince and “Preach the gospel always. When necessary, use words” from St. Francis of Assisi

6. Book: The Little Prince, Band: Old 97′s, Movie: Pan’s Labyrinth, Blog: CakeWrecks.com.

7. I would brag about my dogs. They are actually wolf-dogs and are incredibly intelligent!

8. Hero: Óscar Romero and St. Perpetua (my confirmation name).

9. I would like to earn my masters in Spanish literature. One year left!

10. I have one but I’m just paranoid enough not to give it out to everyone.

I have been reading this blog for close to a year, having stumbled upon it by searching “Blogs by Catholic Clergy”. I really like what you have to say and so I thought I would make it “official” by introducing myself. So….
1. I am a native Californian originally from a sleepy beach town in the Central Coast but have been living in the greater San Francisco Bay Area since college which is about 30 years. I am Italian-American; Italian was my first language and I am very proud of my ethnicity.
2. I began to visit this blog and keep coming back because, unlike so many other Catholic blogs out there, you promote our Faith in an attractive simplicity that avoids elite arrogance on one hand and religious indifference on the other. The longer I live the more I realize that really, deep down, our relationship with God is quite simple but too often we make it so complicated. Make sense?
3. As a Benedictine Oblate I strive for balance in daily as the Rule of St. Benedict teaches. I am a college level educator in the field of medical technology and I carry this out under the auspices of active duty military and veteran health care. I pray the Liturgy of the Hours and talk to God heart top heart throughout the day. I work out most everyday of the week except Sundays mixing it up between free weights, kettle bells, cable machine, power yoga, and interval cardio. I try to see to the care of mind, body and spirit.
4. Something significant I have learned this year? I think that would be that when the Son of God became man he assumed our human nature as it was after the Fall (except for sin) because only in this way could he lift us up and redeem us, AS ONE OF US. I had always thought Jesus had a pre-original sin human nature and simply consented to experience the weaker aspects of humanity (hunger, suffering, death, etc.). This was truly an eye-opener for me and I learned in Christology class that my former understanding of the Incarnation would mean that Jesus was not truly human but only kind of acting as if he was human
5. I have two and I do not know the sources for either.  “We either laugh or cry ourselves through life. I choose to laugh” (I had a lot of suffering as a child and this helps me focus) and “If not now, then when?” (This speaks to my tendency to put off doing difficult things).
6. Hmmm…these are tough questions because my tastes are quite eclectic and I am moved more by a particular work than by an artist or author.
BOOK:  (besides the expected religious ones of Bible, catechism, etc.) I would have to say “The Big Book” of Alcoholics Anonymous because my life has been radically altered since embracing the 12 Steps in the light of faith 11 years ago. Alcohol wasn’t my issue when it comes to destructive behavior, but AA is the mother of all recovery fellowships and their Big Book remains the fundamental sourcebook for all such endeavors.
MUSICIAN: Lots are in my iPhone but one that endures is “Kiss Me Again (Stuttering)” by Ben’s Brother. Also in my iPhone is a song that always moves me – “Calling Down an Angel” by the defunct Christian band Plus One (from the 90s) which speaks to me about the initial struggles inherent in recovery and the hope that is found through it.
MOVIE: “The Passion of the Christ” though I have seen it only once. I own the DVD but cannot watch it no matter how often I try every Lent.  When I first saw it in 2004 at the theater I left the show and arranged to make my first and only general confession. It took a couple hours with a priest who ministered in 12 Step Recovery.  But I am a real fan of movies like X-men, Lord of the Rings, etc)
BLOG: Well, besides Blessed is the Kingdom : )  I would have to say The Deacon’s Bench by Deacon Greg  Kendra http://www.patheos.com/community/deaconsbench/, He takes in a lot of things from throughout the blogsphere and net.
7. Well this isn’t braggable stuff but it is a bit unusual: I am both the son-in-law and the father of Catholic priests. My father-in-law has been a priest for 32 years and my son was just recently ordained and is on his first assignment. I am halfway through diaconate formation in our archdiocese. I will be ordained in a little over 2 years.  So one day perhaps I will be joining my father-in-law and my son at the altar in the celebration of the Eucharist and assisting in family sacraments and services (we have a huge family).
8. One of my heroes would be St. Mark Li Tianxiang, one of the Chinese martyrs. The reason is that he was an opium addict from age 36 until his martyrdom at age 66. He was ostracized by the Church in not being allowed to receive Holy Communion for those 30 years (back then they didn’t understand the psychology of addiction, diminishment of freedom, etc. as we do now) yet he remained faithful to God in his struggle and suffering. Still in the clutches of his addiction, he nevertheless went to martyrdom rather than deny Christ and they say he went singing the Litany of Our Lady. Now if THAT isn’t inspiration for disciples who struggle reminding us to never give up, then I don’t know what is. He should be a patron saint of Catholics in 12 Step Recovery.
 
9. I am an artist – pen and ink drawings – but I would like to learn how to write icons. I just do not  have the time or the money to do so by traveling to a workshop, etc., I would especially like to write an icon of St. Mark Li Tianxiang.
 
10. I do not have a blog…I don’t even have time to keep current with Facebook.

Welcome Miriam!

Welcome Deanna. Hope you are well.

Good Morning,
I am Cathie and I live in Wisconsin. My cousin sent the link in answer to the question, “How did she discover she was extreme bipolar”.
The movie I would recommend is “Have a Little Faith” based the book by Mitch Album.
I am happy I found this blog, I see there are many posts regarding the new missal card, can’t quite rap myself around it yet. Change is difficult and understanding it is also. So I will read and hope to understand.

http://laynejeffcoat.blogspot.com/  That is my blog.  I am a college student in Central Alabama.  I work closely with drug addicts and in the local church in the community.  I am currently in the middle of a conversion to Roman Catholicism from being a Southern Baptist.  Nobody really knows of my conversion intent besides the local priest.  So I am looking for the appropriate venue to reveal my intentions.  I find this website to be very interesting and I am looking for places like this.  Also anyone can follow me on twitter at ljeffcoat91.  or check me out on Facebook!  Look forward to being on here a lot!