John Domingo's Confirmation Class

So John asks me 2 weeks ago to prepare a talk/testimony to his confirmation class. I wasn't too worried or apprehensive about this, but I remembered how lazy and unexcited I was during my confirmation classes, and I tried to think about what they would want to hear from some "crazy catholic". But, to my surprise, Johns class apparently loved going to confirmation classes and loved even more the idea of getting confirmed! This blew me away and reaffirmed the faith and hope I have in the youth of the Church as well as my generation together being the SpringTime of the Church. So, from that point on, I became even more excited about having the honor to talk to these young adults. As the evening approached and John started to introduce me as the speaker, it was as if my mind went blank (as usual) but God continued to keep me peaceful. I had planned to talk about how I found the Church and how I found Christ, but something came over me and all I could speak about was Love.....everything I tried to relay to the audience came out as Love, and it really made me question whether or not I am praying to do all things with Love. I know that my motives in speaking tonight were Love and I wanted so badly for these young people to know that Love that Christ gives us, but I need to constantly ask that God might bless my intentions and desires so that they are done with Love. Every relationship, interaction, problem, and oppurtunity I have each day to live, needs to be done in the spirit of Love. I want to thank all those who support me in my journey, especially those who supported me tonight, and I pray that this week we can ask God to show us where we need to beg for Love the most.
Peace

Divine Mercy Sunday

Divine Mercy Sunday....

How amazing is it that we believe in not only a God who loves us, dies for us, has a plan for us, eternal life for us, but has MERCY on us? We are in no way worthy to recieve Him, and yet he has mercy on us? A sign I constantly go to in order to search for the validity of our faith is the humility of the holiest. I recently had the honor to spend time with Father Benedict Groeshel C.F.R. and I can honestly and sincerly say that he is one of the holiest men I've ever met. Almost every person (catholic or not) in New York City has met this man and I can also admit that he is one that I could learn from in efforts to become closer to our Savior. But- and this is what seems to seperate our faith from so many others around the world- he is also one of the most humble servants I've ever met. Wait a minute....the most popular man in NYC, the most holiest man I've met....believes he is lower than me? How bizarre is that? Fortunately, almost every man and women seeking holiness seem to view the world in the same light. On Holy Thursday, the Mt. Carmel mass included 4 of the "holiest" men in the community washing the feet of the congregation. It was the most humbling yet most beautiful experience I've participated in, in years. But, Jesus wants to do this in our lives every minute of every day. He is our teacher, our Lion of Judah, our Foot-washer? In no way can I comprehend the vast reaches Christ made in His lifetime to show the mercy of His Father, and more specifically, the love of the Trinity. Although it is 2000 years later, and the world is full of much more material things, the most amazing example of Christ's love is in His mercy. And it is not temporal, emotional, sympathetic- it is Divine. As I look now at the encounters I've made with the homeless in Richmond, and the encounters I will make in Honduras, I can reflect on the other ways I could have attempted to show the love that my Savior has for them in so many other ways than I did. During the mass at Mt. Carmel last week, I can only imagine what would have happened if I would have stopped everything and began to wash the feet of the many homeless men on the streets. It seems radical, and it is, but romantically, I feel that it would have been the most amazing and awe-inspiring symbol of His love for the poorest of the poor. Although my heart feels called to this for of love, something beyond romantic emotional love, I continue to be ashamed or embarassed. I pray not only that God could have mercy on me and possibly grant me the desire to serve Him in such a radical way, but that my brothers and sisters would be stirred to do the same.

Recently, I met with a friend who has left the church for rightly reason- he failed in finding a good example of a passionate Christ-loving person. I can only apologize to those who have had the same misfortune and cling to the blessings that Our Lord has poured out in me in the Church. He also shared with me a vision he had of Virginia Beach as one church, all of us gathering together, putting aside selfish comforts and political correctness and loving eachother and those who oppose us. It is truly a beautiful vision and it inspired me to pray for all christians. I know that I am one of the weakest because I know the truth and the narrowest path towards Christ, and yet I continue to venture off course due to my own selfish desires. But, because of His mercy, I am granted that continual "knock" on my door, and like a fish who has eaten the bate off of the hook, Christ puts another worm on and casts once again. That is truly a fisher-of-men, and we need to learn from that. True love is patient yet persistant, blunt yet mercifull. On this Divine Mercy Sunday, I pray for the desire to serve God in all of the little ways I can as a human. And I thank Him for his perpetual mercy.

roughly a month and a half left

This blog is intended to verbalize my heart and my faith so that I can reflect upon my growth, struggles, and set backs, because I am after-all, human as God created me. Feel free to read this at your own risk.

Well, I have about 2 weeks until I finish my soph year at VCU and then im back home to virginia beach. Then I'll have about a month to work up some money, raise some funds for Honduras and spend some time with some specific friends and family before Im ready to be gone for a year. I know that God needs me to allow Him to use this time to listen to His will and direction with my family and friends in case something crazy happens down there. It's been a month since Ive been in NY with the friars and already I miss them to the extent that I have dreams about my time with them, as well as so much excitement to be living across the street in Comayagua to them. There is something about their lifestyle that I had envisioned since I was a child, the spiritual freedom to work with whoever whenever God needs me to, and the community and brotherhood they have really fills my heart with peace Ive never known before. Although it's been hard explaining my feelings of being called to that lifestyle to my family and friends, the love of Christ poured through so many of them when they supported the sincerity they said they saw in my words. I pray everyday that those closest to me can continue to support me and my desires to the fullest as well as know that I am not planning on "ditching" any of them. For the possibility exists that I might never see many of them ever again, it is in Heaven that I pray I will be reunited to all of those who have directly and indirectly supported me in my life, my struggles and in my walk with Jesus Christ. As Saint Paul says, "When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things." and I feel that desire in my heart more than ever. Even more than that, I feel the urgency in that calling at this point in my life. These 2 years have held more experiences in them then I had ever hoped or even expected to see at all. My wildest imagination didn't even prepare me for certain events that took place these last 2 years, having friends and acquantances revealing things that have blown me away, in both positive and negative ways. Living in richmond I have seen so many things that virginia beach could never prepare me for, and it was solely through the mercy of the Lamb of God that got me through them and has thus made me who I am today. Through it all, I have felt a very deep calling to serve my fellow man, not only as we are all called to do as the Body of Christ, but in a deeper way. I dont say that as if I have a higher calling, but at this point in my life I see that serving in a religious community (ordained, or as a lay brother) could be the only future that could bring me peace in knowing that I was being used the way I was constructed to be used. It is the love in the eyes of the poorest of the poor even here in Richmond (who have it way better than they could ever realize) as well as in Honduras from my experiences so far that has brought me the peace needed to last all this time. The joy it brings to be used as an instrument of Christs peace so far and even more dramatically in NY for the short time I was there, has really revealed to me my passions and desires for my life. I continue to pray that God reveals more to me and the essential things needed before I leave for this year or possibly more so that my heart can truly be at peace in Honduras for this important part of my life.