NET and Ignite

Hello! It has been far too long! Sorry about the gap between posts, I've been ridiculously busy.

Okay, what's happening at the moment?

Firstly, I've applied for NET Ministries, which is missionary aimed at young people. On a NET team I will be sent off to a parish to organise youth activities. It's a Charismatic organisation, which was a little worrying for me because I'm pretty traditional in my approach to my relationship with God. I expressed this in my interview with them so they asked me to wait a few more weeks for the Ignite Conference I was attending in Brisbane.

Well, I've came back from that yesterday.....hmmm.

I did like some of the workshops we did but it was a very intense environment. It was a Charismatic conference so we had singing and Emmanual Worship rocking out. It was a very big conference too, about 700 people came, including speakers such as Jonathon and Karen Doyle and Fr Chris Ryan who were just great, and inspiring. But there were others who just went on and on and on about not much.

Mass was a little disappointing, I felt like that would have been a good time for some quiet reflection but they just kept it up (I know our Bishop would have had a heart attack if he'd seen it). Also, I was prayed over in tounges, which I really didn't like. I feel that it is such a rare gift but every one there seemed to be able to do it, which honestly cheapened a very special (and rare) gift from the Holy Spirit.

I also feel a little ambivelant about the Emmanual Community, which really gives off a clique-y vibe. Although, there were some very kind and compassionate people I met from there.

Overall, I don't regret going, I have been able to experience another side of the Church, but I think I might just stay in the traditional Church ;)

I just thought I'd share a really beautiful song with you, this was played during Adoration and you might recognise it ^_^ >>>> Link

Bumming around Sydney

Sorry about the lack of posting (again!) I've being visiting my Dad and friends in Sydney and so I haven't had much time. I just realised how fast this week has gone by! I should be back posting regularyl in a week or so.

Interesting Week

Sorry I haven't posted all week, I've had a busy week and my life is very annoying and unorganised at the moment.

I've finally finished my exams! Yay! Freedom! I'm going down to Sydney for a couple of weeks on Tuesday to see my Dad and my friends.

Well, this week has been interesting, I got serve at my first actual Mass. It was interesting, and a little nerve racking, but I had a very experienced Acolyte with me (apparently he used to serve during the Latin Masses as a child :O). I was a little hesitant when ringing the bell to call the Holy Spirit, but, being Pentecost, I'm sure he heard it loud and clear ;)

On Wednesday I served during my first ordinary time Mass. We had a special Mass for the centenary of Bishop Doyle's death, who was our first Bishop and responsible for building our beautiful Cathedral. He used to ride his horse all over the region collecting money from the poor settlers and built it brick by brick. He died at 59 years old just before the bells arrived from Ireland (where he was born) so at the end of the Mass they were rung for him. They sounded so joyful!

Since it was ordinary time, I had to hold my candle next to the Gospel while our Deacon held it up. I tried not to remember all of the worst case scenarios I had thought up before Mass so I just tried to stare at the candle. It's pretty scary being up in front of the whole congregation (a lot of them important people! And it was being filmed because it was such a special Mass) with their attention divided between just myself, the Deacon and the other candle bearer lol! But I didn't shake too much. We have such a friendly, supportive culture amongst the servers and it was so lovely to have so many of our priests there (about 10-15). I had lots of fun!

And more Mass tomorrow :D

Bleh, I'd better get to bed.

God Bless,

Beth

Pentecost

A couple of nights ago I was lucky enough to be an altar server at the Confirmation service for the local children. Having only just received the Sacrament myself I was able to compare my own experience. Although, I don't what I wore was quite as lovely as some of the dresses the little girls wore, they were all wearing beautiful, long, white dresses, some more tradition than others. I sat there giggling (silently ;P) over it with one of the Acolytes.

However, when the Bishop stood and asked them all to profess their faith, using terms such as "the Communion of saints", "reject Satan" etc I had to wonder whether the children really understood what was being said. The children in our diocese are confirmed at about 10 years old. The Acolyte I was sitting with said "they have no idea what he's saying, but it is beautiful". I spoke to Mum about it later she said that they would have been taught what it means overall and they would be so excited to start taking Communion with their family. Fair point I think.

The Bishop's homily was, also, very interesting. He gave two ways in which to grow spiritually (and he is "completely convinced these work"); frequent involvement in the sacraments and prayer, especially as a family. I'm glad I was there to hear this because I was going to be a little slack about going to confession yesterday, but I was inspired to go, and as usual, it turned out to be a very good experience (even if I forgot to mention a few sins :P).

Although I do pray every night before going to sleep and thank God 95% of time for good things that happen, I find it hard to pray in my family as no one else is a practicing Catholic. It can be kind of lonely because there is no one to talk to about my faith in my family. Having someone to go to church with would be really good as well sometimes. I do feel sad that I am so alone in my faith.

However, this is a bit of blessing because I'm so eager to be involved in my community and I treat them as more of my family. I get to develop friendships with young Catholics through our youth groups and young adult nights. I get to help our priests at mass through my serving. Also, I'm beginning to get to know our seminarians (I actually had dinner with them between services the other night) which is great because almost all interactions between the sexes at my age are based on who we would be willing to go out with. But, with the seminarians, it is completely non-sexual and on a higher, more intellectual level.

So all-in-all life could be worse, we have such a great, close-knit community here that it's much like a secondary family, all of whom are Catholic :)

Have a lovely Pentacost and here's a Prayer to the Holy Spirit*

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of Your love. Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created and You shall renew the face of the earth.

O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations.

Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

God Bless,

Beth

*http://catholicism.about.com/od/prayers/qt/Come_HS_Prayer.htm

About the lack of posting....

Sorry, inbetween power-blackout due to the extreme weather (they refuse to call it a cyclone due to insurance reasons) and assignments/studying for a week of exams this week I haven't had much time. I'll be back soonish :)

God Bless,

Beth

The Beautitudes

I just found a really good site that describes the 8 Beautitudes and how we can apply them to our lives (link) It also gives the practical works of ministry. Everytime I heard the Corporal works I always wondered how I could clothe the naked or comfort the imprisoned...of course I had taken it too literally ;)

Angels and Demons

I went to the movies last night with a few friends and saw Angels and Demons.

Okay, I know everyone thinks it's anti-Catholic, but it isn't! It treats the Church with such a deep respect and gentleness. Even though some of it is incredibly violent, and the dialogue was terrible, and some of the characters weren't developed very well...I know how that sounds, one of the actors had this to say:

""I think Dan Brown is a terribly bad writer, but he has cliffhangers after every chapter which makes you continue reading," Skarsgard told Swedish broadcaster SVT.

"It's like eating peanuts at a bar. You don't like them, but you keep on eating them anyway," he said."*

He seems to be a better storyteller than writer though, it was a pretty intense thriller.

I felt so disappointed in some of the members of the Church, in particular William Donohue of the Catholic League, who were such wowsers about this film. I feel that I actually appreciated it as a Catholic, the best characters were Cardinal Strauss and Camerlengo McKenna. I was terrified for the Cardinals that were kidnapped because, after all, they are Princes of the Church. It also provided a fascinating look at the relationship between religion and science, at the beauty of Rome and the Vatican and the history of the Church.

I would suggest you see it, it's obvious Ron Howard put a lot of effort into not insulting the Church, regardless of his personal beliefs.

(Although, he was a little silly by saying that the Vatican infered with filming (link), I suspect it was a publicity stunt.)

God Bless,

Beth

*http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/14/angels-demons-actor-dan-b_n_203651.html