'finding saint therese'

I've been wanting to post this for awhile now, and just figured out how to do it...

This is the video -- "Finding Saint Therese"-- I made for ND Vision '04 about my experience as a "Called to Witness" delegate to Rwanda with Catholic Relief Services. (ND Vision, by the way, is an awesome summer program at Notre Dame for high school students based on the lives of a few of my favorite people--> please check this program out if you are/know/love any teenagers!)

I knew before going to Rwanda in September '03 that I wanted to make a video about my experience to share the following summer at ND Vision, but it wasn't until the night before I was to share for the first time with about 200 high school students and 50 mentors in faith that it all came out. Literally. I started around 10pm (after a long day at Vision) and finished as the birds were chirping and the sun was coming up.

Danielle Rose and Michael Downs were the first to see it the next day when we did a test run in Debartolo Hall. It's hard to believe that was almost 5 years ago...

Imana aguhe umugisha,
(God bless you)
nicole


"Finding Saint Therese"

yo yo ma

I've fallen in love with Yo Yo Ma lately... this man is joy and peace personified.

I was recently given a beautiful gift of his latest CD, "Yo Yo Ma and Friends: Songs of Joy and Peace." The CD came with a documentary of the making of the music that is one of the most beautiful things I've seen in a long time. Here is one of my favorite parts... Yo Yo Ma with James Taylor recording "Here Comes the Sun." Be ready for your heart to melt!!


And here he is at the inauguration playing "Air and Simple Gifts" arranged by John Williams with Itzhak Perlman, Anthony McGill & Gabriela Montero. Look at his joy!

life... and memories of d.c.

"The first thing which kindles ardor in learning is the greatness of the teacher. What is greater than the Mother of God? What more glorious than she whom Glory Itself chose?"

-Saint Ambrose of Milan

(miraculous medal chapel, basilica of the immaculate conception, d.c.)

It was bittersweet being in d.c. yesterday for the march for life. While is was powerful to join in a sea of people proclaiming the sacredness of all life, including children in the womb, it was also very sobering to remember exactly why we were there... that it has been 36 years that abortion has been legal in the United States. Approximately 3,700 abortions a day in the US... 1.37 million a year... 49,551,703 since Roe v. Wade. (Center for Bioethical Reform and National Right to Life.)

The most powerful moment of the march for me was hearing the post-abortion testimony of Georgette Forney of nearby Sewickly, PA who now devotes her life to the "Silent No More" campaign. She said, "We who have lived with the pain and regret of abortion declare to our nation that abortion is unjust, cruel, and oppressive. If hope is truly to be restored, abortion must end." As she spoke, a large group of women stood behind her with signs that read "I regret my abortion." These same people, along with men saying "I regret lost fatherhood" led the march from the National Mall to the Capitol building, sharing their testimonies on the steps of the Supreme Court following the march.

I wanted to share a few photos from the march and from what was the highlight of my day... mass and visiting the chapels at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.


the march~






the basilica~





So many memories came back to me yesterday when I was at the Basilica.

Last time I was at the Basilica was with Sister Rose Therese when I joined her in D.C. for a concert organized by our friend Brendan at the house of some friends of his studying at the JPII institute. At this awesome house concert Danielle shared for the first time songs from the album she was writing for Mother Teresa, "I Thirst". That night was the first time I heard "Holy Family", "Small Things with Great Love" and "Love Until it Hurts" and it was a concert unlike any of hers that I had ever experienced before. (I remember that Brendan felt the same way.) There was a depth to her spirit, a quiet strength in the way she spoke and sang, that was captivating. A few weeks later she found out she would need to go on vocal rest, and shortly after began discerning her call to religious life.

Earlier that day we went to mass at the National Shrine with Brendan, and I remember visiting almost every chapel with Danielle. Then I remember running to the metro -- Brendan with Danielle's pink guitar case in hand-- so we wouldn't be late for our meeting at the White House offices with Jim Towey, who at the time was the director of the Office for Faith Based and Community Initiatives. We made it to his office in time and had a beautiful visit as he shared many stories of Mother Teresa with us. Towards the end of our visit I so clearly remember Danielle singing "Love Until It Hurts" for him. I remember the look on his face as he closed his eyes as she sang. He was so moved by her gift that he gave all three of us a prayer card of Mother Teresa that included a relic-- a small piece of her habit.

God really surprised me with the gift of her presence at the Basilica yesterday, both in these blessed memories and in the living present. I especially thought of her when I was in the chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe (where I found the "roses") and also when I found a beautiful statue of Saint Therese, with this quote below it~

"How often have I thought that I may owe all the graces I've received to the prayers of a person who begged them from God for me, and whom I shall know only in heaven."

-Saint Therese of Lisieux

How awesome it is that we can meet each other in His heart...

Prayers for the fullness of life for all of you today and always~
nicole

Feels like the weekend....

When an exam falls on Tuesday, Wednesday gets to be the weekend... so today was one of those all-around good 'catching up on life' days. I went to the bank, to the dry cleaner, cleaned my room, gave the blog a facelift, went through some of my 'piles' and just felt great about catching up and cleaning up. It's amazing what cleaning your room can do for mental clarity and peace of mind!

Last night after the test I went to dinner (at a great Italian restaurant) and to see "Marley and Me" with Ani and Veronica, two of my closest friends from school. The movie isn't exactly Oscar material, but it is a sweet movie with a good message about love, and yes, it did make me cry :-)


('Marley and Me' was a cute movie, but not half as cute as 'Marlo and Christy'!!!)


Honestly, the best part of the night was celebrating finishing this class with such good friends. It's amazing how much we can learn about taking care of each other-- both in celebrating the joys and in being together in the struggles-- through med school. I know that I couldn't do it without the friends and family-- both near and far-- who so lovingly surround me with so much support and encouragement. Thank you!!

We only have two more courses (and therefore tests!) left in our second year, and our last exam (before the boards) is February 27th. A little over a month to go... where has the time gone??? It is exciting (and truthfully a little intimidating) to think about beginning rotations in May. Most of all it's a good thing that with God all things are possible, because I definitely could never do it on my own.


I'm heading to DC tomorrow for the March for Life... more updates soon. Praying for all of you!

nicole

"God wants to reach out to others through your hands. He wants to speak to others through your lips, and God wants others to look into your eyes and see Him... Give God Permission..."
~John Cardinal O'Connor

bread for the journey

I just wanted to share the daily reflection for today in Henri Nouwen's "Bread for the Journey." This really spoke to me today~

January 17: Be Yourself

Often we want to be somewhere other than where we are, or even to be someone other than who we are. We tend to compare ourselves constantly with others and wonder why we are not as rich, as intelligent, as simple, as generous, or as saintly as they are. Such comparisons make us feel guilty, ashamed, or jealous. It is very important to realize that our vocation is hidden in where we are and who we are. We are unique human beings, each with a call to realize in life what nobody else can, and to realize it in the concrete context of the here and now.

We will never find our vocations by trying to figure out whether we are better or worse than others. We are good enough to do what we are called to do. Be yourself!

Or, according to our beloved Saint Therese, (in response to her sister Celine when Celine claimed that Therese's responsibility for the novices gave her more worth)

"I'm really only what God thinks of me. As for loving me more because He has given me charge of souls... I do not share your opinion. I think He has made me rather your servant. It is for you and not for myself that He has bestowed these virtues which make me pleasing in your eyes."

unlikely friends

Thanks to my cousins Chuck and Beth for sharing this story with me... hope you enjoy it!

ordinary time

Tonight at mass I was struck by the fact that today is the first day in ordinary time (meaning "numbered or counted") of this liturgical year.

This means that last night my Christmas season drew to an end as I coincidentally returned home to Pittsburgh after three very full and beautiful weeks spent with family and friends. It has been bittersweet returning to my commitments here, but I love how today begins a new part of the liturgical year marked by hope and growth.

As I read tonight~

In vestments usually green, the color of hope and growth, the Church counts the thirty-three or thirty-four Sundays of Ordinary Time, inviting her children to meditate upon the whole mystery of Christ – his life, miracles and teachings – in the light of his Resurrection.

If the faithful are to mature in the spiritual life and increase in faith, they must descend the great mountain peaks of Easter and Christmas in order to "pasture" in the vast verdant meadows of tempus per annum, or Ordinary Time.

Sunday by Sunday, the Pilgrim Church marks her journey through the tempus per annum as she processes through time toward eternity.

When I heard the Gospel at Mass tonight I also couldn't help but think of how Peter, Andrew, James and John were in the middle of their ordinary lives -- fishing by the Sea of Galilee-- when Jesus approached them with an invitation... "Come after Me." They had no idea of all that was to come, and yet it was all there in the promise of that moment as they were surprised by His invitation that would change their lives forever...


After John had been arrested,
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God:
“This is the time of fulfillment.
The Kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”

As he passed by the Sea of Galilee,
he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea;
they were fishermen.
Jesus said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Then they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along a little farther
and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They too were in a boat mending their nets.
Then he called them.
So they left their father Zebedee in the boat
along with the hired men and followed him.


May we all be so open to His invitation in the midst of our ordinary lives!

epiphany

I loved the first reading at Mass today....

"Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; but upon you the LORD shines, and over you appears his glory. Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance. Raise your eyes and look about; they all gather and come to you: your sons come from afar, and your daughters in the arms of their nurses. Then you shall be radiant at what you see, your heart shall throb and overflow, for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you, the wealth of nations shall be brought to you. Caravans of camels shall fill you, dromedaries from Midian and Ephah; all from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense, and proclaiming the praises of the LORD." - Isaiah 60: 1-6

looking back

My friend Sarah asked me the other day what my favorite month of 2008 was and why, and I thought I'd ask the same question here to all of you...

Anyone who'd like to share, I'd love to hear your thoughts!


PS. Reading Ryan and Sarah's answer reminded me that I didn't answer the question yet. May through December were all stellar months, but I have to agree with them that July was my favorite. Why? Click here , and you will see it is just as they said... a month so full of grace that we'll be unpacking it for years to come. Well said (as usual!!) Ryan and Sarah!!

family!

hope

There are some games where cheering for the other side feels better than winning.

by Rick Reilly


They played the oddest game in high school football history last month down in Grapevine, Texas.

It was Grapevine Faith vs. Gainesville State School and everything about it was upside down. For instance, when Gainesville came out to take the field, the Faith fans made a 40-yard spirit line for them to run through.

Did you hear that? The other team's fans?

They even made a banner for players to crash through at the end. It said, "Go Tornadoes!" Which is also weird, because Faith is the Lions.

It was rivers running uphill and cats petting dogs. More than 200 Faith fans sat on the Gainesville side and kept cheering the Gainesville players on—by name.

"I never in my life thought I'd hear people cheering for us to hit their kids," recalls Gainesville's QB and middle linebacker, Isaiah. "I wouldn't expect another parent to tell somebody to hit their kids. But they wanted us to!"

And even though Faith walloped them 33-14, the Gainesville kids were so happy that after the game they gave head coach Mark Williams a sideline squirt-bottle shower like he'd just won state. Gotta be the first Gatorade bath in history for an 0-9 coach.

But then you saw the 12 uniformed officers escorting the 14 Gainesville players off the field and two and two started to make four. They lined the players up in groups of five—handcuffs ready in their back pockets—and marched them to the team bus. That's because Gainesville is a maximum-security correctional facility 75 miles north of Dallas. Every game it plays is on the road.

This all started when Faith's head coach, Kris Hogan, wanted to do something kind for the Gainesville team. Faith had never played Gainesville, but he already knew the score. After all, Faith was 7-2 going into the game, Gainesville 0-8 with 2 TDs all year. Faith has 70 kids, 11 coaches, the latest equipment and involved parents. Gainesville has a lot of kids with convictions for drugs, assault and robbery—many of whose families had disowned them—wearing seven-year-old shoulder pads and ancient helmets.

So Hogan had this idea. What if half of our fans—for one night only—cheered for the other team? He sent out an email asking the Faithful to do just that. "Here's the message I want you to send:" Hogan wrote. "You are just as valuable as any other person on planet Earth."

Some people were naturally confused. One Faith player walked into Hogan's office and asked, "Coach, why are we doing this?"

And Hogan said, "Imagine if you didn't have a home life. Imagine if everybody had pretty much given up on you. Now imagine what it would mean for hundreds of people to suddenly believe in you."

Next thing you know, the Gainesville Tornadoes were turning around on their bench to see something they never had before. Hundreds of fans. And actual cheerleaders!

"I thought maybe they were confused," said Alex, a Gainesville lineman (only first names are released by the prison). "They started yelling 'DEE-fense!' when their team had the ball. I said, 'What? Why they cheerin' for us?'"

It was a strange experience for boys who most people cross the street to avoid. "We can tell people are a little afraid of us when we come to the games," says Gerald, a lineman who will wind up doing more than three years. "You can see it in their eyes. They're lookin' at us like we're criminals. But these people, they were yellin' for us! By our names!"

Maybe it figures that Gainesville played better than it had all season, scoring the game's last two touchdowns. Of course, this might be because Hogan put his third-string nose guard at safety and his third-string cornerback at defensive end. Still.

After the game, both teams gathered in the middle of the field to pray and that's when Isaiah surprised everybody by asking to lead. "We had no idea what the kid was going to say," remembers Coach Hogan. But Isaiah said this: "Lord, I don't know how this happened, so I don't know how to say thank You, but I never would've known there was so many people in the world that cared about us."

And it was a good thing everybody's heads were bowed because they might've seen Hogan wiping away tears.

As the Tornadoes walked back to their bus under guard, they each were handed a bag for the ride home—a burger, some fries, a soda, some candy, a Bible and an encouraging letter from a Faith player.

The Gainesville coach saw Hogan, grabbed him hard by the shoulders and said, "You'll never know what your people did for these kids tonight. You'll never, ever know."

And as the bus pulled away, all the Gainesville players crammed to one side and pressed their hands to the window, staring at these people they'd never met before, watching their waves and smiles disappearing into the night.

Anyway, with the economy six feet under and Christmas running on about three and a half reindeer, it's nice to know that one of the best presents you can give is still absolutely free.

Hope.

(You can find the story here on espn.com.)