Hear me out, peoples

There is so much I want to talk about on this blog . . . SO MANY IDEAS.  AHHHH.  TOO MANY. 

So I was listening to some really good talks by Fr. Mike Schmitz, Jason Evert, Fr. Robert Barron, Patrick Madrid, etc., and they really hit me hard.  First of all, THOSE PEOPLE ARE AMAZING CHRISTIANS AND SPEAKERS.  Like, wow.  After listening to those talks I wanna go out and be a missionary and a martyr and serve Jesus and just praise the Lord to the heavens!!!  (You ever feel like that?)


Now, I'm a traditional, passionate Catholic.  But I'm not shoving my Faith onto you, and I'm not trying to convert you or whatever, so please don't think that.  I'm just writing down the thoughts I have about God, whatever I feel inspired to say at the moment.  That's it. 


Here, have an Archbishop Fulton Sheen quote.  Because that man was beyond amazing.  He was the epitome of amazing.  HE WAS AMAZINGNESS. 

ISN'T THAT JUST BEAUTIFUL??  So true for today's culture...

Recently, there's been something I just began to notice about my life. 


I've been a horrible Catholic.  I've been a despicable Christian, and thick-headed, stubborn, judgmental, and immensely selfish person.  A terrible jellyfish, I tell you.  (I still am.  I'm working on it, but I am still a terrible jellyfish, my peoples. *hangs head*)


I was raised a cradle Catholic.  I was brought up in a traditional Catholic atmosphere, and went through a huge "on fire for the Faith" phase that lasted until I was about 14 years old.  Then . . . something happened.  I stopped caring.  I became lukewarm.  I could care less about my Faith, or going to Mass, or praying, and I most certainly didn't have a personal relationship with God. 


Why?  Why did I go from being an almost blindly passionate Catholic to a lukewarm "meh" Catholic who just didn't care?  (Seriously I went through that phase.  It was terrible.) 


It was because I didn't know my Faith. 


I didn't know God, and God didn't know me. 


That's one of the traps cradle Catholics can fall into so easily.  We believe our Faith because "our parents taught it to us" or "that's how we were raised".  Then when we get old enough to start really thinking about it, we fall away because we really don't know why we're Catholic or why we believe this stuff.  Not everyone, of course, but for me . . . *raises hand sheepishly*  Guilty. 


I didn't actually even begin to know God until I was like, 17.  (So yeah, last year.  Pathetic, really.)  I got into a debate with some Protestants and Atheists and suddenly found myself in an uncomfortable situation.  I didn't freaking know how to defend my Faith.  These kids were posing questions on me that I couldn't even answer.  It was embarrassing.  So I began to research.


And I found so much glorious information, I just couldn't get enough of it!  I kept on studying and researching and getting in contact with apologists and my school began to suffer because I was spending all my time researching, haha! 


I was once again on fire for my Faith.  God had lit the flame again, and it grew and grew. 


Too many Catholics have fallen into the same trap I did.  They just don't know their Faith.  So they lose it. 


But once you actually start understanding it, once you let God speak to you and actually LISTEN to him, it all starts to slowly make sense. 


I think that was my problem.  I was searching for God, but it was sort of a half-hearted attempt.  I wasn't trying hard enough.  I wasn't giving enough.  I was still holding a part of me back, not willing to give God my whole self.  I didn't want to sacrifice myself. 


It was hard, learning to listen and talk to God, it was even harder building a relationship with him, but every time, it got easier and easier.  Prayer became easier, and I wanted to pray more often.


"Here I am, " God said.  "I've been waiting for you.  Talk to me.  Listen.  Open your heart."


Even after that, I fell again and again, but he was always there, always helping me back up and reprimanding me when I did wrong.  I'm nowhere near even half perfect, but I'm trying.


I think that's something that definitely changed once I let God into my life.  Once you let God start talking to you, he won't stop.  There is almost a kind of responsibility that comes with it; a new meaning to life, new freedom and new joy. 


I never understood those friends of mine who were so rooted and in love with their Faith.  I thought they were "too Catholic" Ick.  But now I get that.  I feel that way now.  It's like my eyes were actually opened for the first time. 


Now I want to be a missionary,  an apologist, and a martyr, and it's crazy, cause once you let God into your life, your life is changed forever.  There's no going back. 


But I wouldn't go back for the world. 


Dying to self isn't such a terrible thing after all.  Trusting whole-heartedly in God is much easier than I expected. 


It's only when we truly die to ourselves that we can be free in God.


Did I mention I really really love Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen?  Back in the 50's, the most popular show on TV was an archbishop talking and writing on a blackboard.  That was it.  And watching it, you can see why!  I wish they would put these back on TV lol.  THESE AREN'T JUST FOR CATHOLICS, PEOPLES. 

Well there's my testimony post for the day.  I'm sorry if you miss the fun fandom gif-y ones, but I promise I will post more of those soon. :) 

Well, peace out, minions.  I'm off to watch some Doctor Who.  *shuffles away*




What did you think of this post?  Do you like these spiritual-based ones or no?  What kind of posts would you like to see more of in the future?