GIVEN UP FOR YOU: Every single day

Tonight at Praise and Worship Adoration night at St Lawrence at KU, we sang this amazing song called "The Stand." There's this part of the song where it says "You stood before MY failures, and carried the cross for MY shame. MY sin weighed upon your shoulders. My soul now to stand." Just think about that for a sec. CHRIST suffered for YOU and ME. When He was up on that cross, what was on His mind? You and me. Crazy.

But here's the craziest part: The death and resurrection of Christ happens EVERY SINGLE DAY in the Eucharist at Mass. So every single day He's thinking of you and me, and giving up His life for OUR failure, shame, and sin. Everyday. 

Once I thought of that, I was thinking... Wow, He does all that for us every single day? So that means that every single day, He should be on our minds, and we should make an effort to praise Him. Yeah, there are days when life seems like it sucks, but Christ is still carrying us on those days, too.

He didn't just suffer for us once, he does it all the time in the Mass. So our constant gift of ourselves to Him can't just be a one-time thing either. We can't just have a cool conversion of heart on Kairos, TEC, Koinonia, at Camp Tekakwitha, Steubenville, etc. and think that that's good enough. We've gotta live out that change of heart every single day, just like Jesus does for us. :)

If you remember one thing from all of this, just remember: Christ shows his love for us every single day, so the least we can do is make an effort everyday to show our love for Him and those around us. 

"The Stand" by Hillsong

You stood before creation
Eternity in your hand
You spoke the earth into motion
My soul now to stand

You stood before my failure
And carried the cross for my shame
My sin weighed upon your shoulders
My soul now to stand

So what could I say?
And what could I do?
But offer this heart, Oh God
Completely to you

So I'll walk upon salvation
Your spirit alive in me
This life to declare your promise
My soul now to stand

So what could I say?
And what could I do?
But offer this heart, Oh God
Completely to you

I'll stand
With arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the one who gave it all
I'll stand
My soul Lord to you surrendered
All I am is yours

Guardian Angels: Better than any other security guards

I was just on LifeTeen.com, reading a pretty stinkin' great blog by Mark Hart about Guardian Angels. And since today (Oct. 2) is the Catholic Church's Feast Day in honor of Guardian Angels, I totally got to thinking... What does my guardian angel look like? What does he do for me? 

So from that point, my mind went into small-child imagination mode. And here are a few characteristics I've come up with for the angel who's always got my back:

1. Football pads —I like to think that my guardian angel is like my crazy awesome protector, sent down from God. So it makes sense to me for him to have some serious armor for all that business. "Therefore, put on the armor of GOd, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground" (Ephesians 6:13). Football pads seems like the perfect answer. Lookin' legit and holding down the fort.

2. Rainbow-colored wings (and lots of them) — All angels should have wings, right? So why not have tons of them and make them colorful? Remember that show Dragon Tales from back in the day? I've gotta give them props for their colorful wings. And as for how many wings... The more the merrier. "How precious is your love, O God! We take refuge in the shadow of your wings" (Psalm 36:8). I'm thinking that more wings means more shelter. Yes, please.

3. A shield like Captain America's — I'm picturing a sweet shield that blocks out ANYTHING. A shield that relies on the power of God. A shield of FAITH. "In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one" (Ephesians 6:16). But instead of a big star in the middle of the shield, he'll have a huge Kairos cross on his. My guardian angel is a champ.

4. A Rosary — Finally, I was thinking about all the crazy weapons he could have to fight off anybody who tries to come at me... I'd thought of swords, baseball bats, nun chucks, and all of those things... But I don't want to underestimate the power of prayer here. Instead of attacking my enemies, my guardian angel can "kill 'em with kindness." The Rosary is the perfect weapon. It calls upon our Heavenly Mother, who NEVER loses a fight. As we hear in The Memorare, "Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy PROTECTION, implored thy HELP, or sought thine INTERCESSION was left unaided." Mary can totally help my guardian angel show people who's boss. The Rosary packs a powerful punch.

So how do you picture your guardian angel?

However it is, just know that he or she ALWAYS has your back, and is ALWAYS protecting you and helping you carry out the will of God.

Guardian Angels, PRAY FOR US.