Illuminated By Joy

  If you've ever weeded a garden before, you know that some weeds pull out much more easily than others. Some only need a little tug, and they are out, roots and all. But others, like dandelions, have deep roots and don't come out well. If you pull hard, the leaves break and the root of the plant remains in the ground.  If you want to dig it out you usually need to use a shovel and slowly dig around it until you can finally pull that stubborn root out.  Well, sometimes sins are like that. Some are easy to root out of your life. Just one quick pull. But with others, you pull and pull and finally you break the leaves and stem off. It seems like that sin is gone from your life. You can't see it anymore. It appears to be gone. But the root still remains, hindering spiritual growth in the soul.  The only way you can finally exterminate this sin is by carefully probing until push it out at last by the shovel of your will, which is pushed down by God's grace.  We can never be

 Hello everyone! This is just a really quick post to celebrate the reversal of Roe Vs Wade!! Around 26 states are probably going to ban or at least restrict abortions!! This will save so many lives! And on the feast of the Sacred Heart too! That's not a coincidence!! But keep praying everyone, because a lot of people will be angry about this, and it is not enough to stop abortions on the legislative level, we also need to change people's minds and attitudes about abortion and expose it for what it really is.  (Also I know some people are scared churches might be viciously attacked so pray that doesn't happen.) #alllifematters #savinginnocentlives God bless everyone and Happy Feast of the Sacred Heart!!

Hello everyone!  So, you all have probably guessed by now that Bl Pier Giorgio is a favourite of mine, considering how many of his quotes I've dropped in posts. Well, I thought that maybe a good place to introduce you all a bit more to him is to tell you how I came to know him.  On Goodreads once a book was recommended to me called To The Heights by Brian Kennelly. I clicked on it. On the cover was a young man on top of a mountain. I read the summary and was intrigued.  Enter the heart of a passionate young man, who in his brief life reached the heights of adventure, friendship—and sanctity.   Born to a wealthy family in Turin at the dawn of the 20th century, Pier Giorgio Frassati was good-looking, popular and athletic. He spent much of his youth climbing the rugged Italian Alps, disappearing into the clouds for days at a time. He was quick with a joke or a prank and enjoyed a good time. It seemed he was blessed with everything a young man could ask for. But he hunge

*deep breath* I'm doing it. I'm jumping in the deep end of the pool. Let's dive right into it!  Happy Humility Month!!That is what I believe June should be called with the current state of things. June is the month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Humility is one of the greatest characteristics of His Sacred Heart; and one we should strive to imitate. It's not enough to protest 'Pride month' with words, we need to protest it with our actions by practicing the virtue of humility. You can't fight fire with fire. We have to quench the raging fire of pride with the cool waters of humility.  Gay 'pride' doesn't just target adults: children's schools, movies, shows, books, and entertainment have homosexual elements included in, ruining the innocence of children. Worse than that,people are encouraging kids to come out as gay as young as five! It's horrific. Children that age shouldn't know anything about that sort of thing, and yet they are pra

 Sometimes it's easy to become complacent. In our own spiritual lives yes, but also in regards to the world.  We can become complacent about the world in two ways: 1. "The world is evil, it always has been, and there's nothing I can do about it." 2. "The world's not so bad, people do wicked things yes, but they are hurting and are right in their hearts." They are both dangerous in their own way, and sometimes we need a jolt to start us out of them. The first is wrong because, although the world as a whole is evil, every single person was created to be a saint by God, and it is never too late until they draw their last breathq. We must have hope for the world.  The second is wrong because, actually, a lot of people aren't right on their hearts. Despite all the 'be nice' talk going around, the world is getting crueler and crueler. Violence, abortion, sexual immorality, revenge, gossip, and selfishness are all increasing.  I was unconsciously in

 Hello everyone and welcome to Illuminated By Joy!  I hope you find that this blog will be an informative and fun resource for Catholic teenagers.  I started this blog to help Catholic teens . Grow in their faith . Navigate an increasingly anti-Catholic world . Find resources aimed at Catholic teenagers . Create a space where they can meet others like them and have fun together.  But most of all this blog was started to help teens be good and heroic Catholics while they are in their teen years.  So what kinds of posts will there be? I plan on a good mix of serious and fun discussions. There will be theological rambles, book and movie reviews, tips, encouragement, commentary on recent events, and whatever else you can think of! This blog is called Illuminated by Joy from a wonderful quote by Bl Pier Giorgio Frassati: The end for which we are created invites us to walk a road that is surely sown with a lot of thorns, but it is not sad; through even the sorrow, it is  illuminated by joy.