theROCK

On the Side of Angels

When I attended my first March for Life in Washington D.C. recently, I was surprised at the number of youth attending the march, including some from St. Dominic, local high schools, and universities. They marched selflessly; with faith, hope, and love, trying to protect the God-given right to life of the unborn.

Sadly, it was just a few days later when media showed the ghoulish behavior of the New York governor and legislators celebrating a law that permits the killing of babies just days or even hours before they were to be born. In Virginia, a bill was narrowly defeated that would have allowed “delivered babies” to be made comfortable while the mother and doctor(s) decided whether to take the life of the newborn child.

To be clear, the Catholic Church teaches that abortion is a “grave immoral action” and that we are all entrusted by God to the noble mission of safeguarding life. The Catechism clearly explains “Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception.”

With the death-toll now surpassing 60 million surgical abortions, we can no longer sit on the sidelines and hope for this culture of death to go away. Do not be afraid. Pray and get active. Join a march or a life-chain, peacefully protest at an abortion center or participate in 40 days-for-life. Vote pro-life and tell your legislators to do the same. Teach your children about the sanctity of life from the womb to the tomb.

As Archbishop Listecki said at the Respect Life Mass, whenever we are serving on behalf of the voiceless and vulnerable, we will always be “on the side of the angels.”

"If you believe it, you will see it."

I really try to have a positive attitude. More often than not, that serves me well. I have also been called names because of my rosy outlook—Pollyanna rings a bell.

One thing I have learned about living in a glass-half-full world, is that I have to do reality checks from time to time. Not only does this help me find balance, it also helps me build relationships with the people around me. It helps me be aware of those relationships in order to foster them, or not, in some cases. I truly believe that it is important to surround yourself with individuals that will help you become the best version of yourself as God intends.

When I arrived at St. Dominic, I used a phrase with the teachers—“If you believe it, you will see it.” I will remind them of this phrase from time to time especially when we are working together to meet the challenges we face. If we remember who we are and what we are here for, we will see the fruits of our labor accordingly.

As St. Julien says, "All will be well." If you believe in the good, that is what you will see. If you believe in hope, that is what you will see. If you believe that Jesus lives in each one of us, that is what you will see. If you believe that there is joy in the world, that is what you will see. The opposite holds true as well.

Despite my rosy outlook, I do get caught in the muck and mire of life. But I do believe that things happen for reasons. I do believe that God has a purpose for every moment. I pray for the understanding of the potential in those moments - the holy moments. For if you believe it, you will see it.

Spiritual Investments

Recently, I had a discussion with Dave, my financial advisor. He wanted to update me on investments, as well as guide me in making decisions on what to do with the money I have been saving. He says this every time, but he knows it’s worth repeating: “Our ultimate goal is to get you ready for retirement.”

When I first met Dave and he discussed us working together, he mentioned three points of importance:

• You need a plan. If you don’t have a financial plan, you will never be prepared for retirement.
• While the short term is important, it’s really all about looking at the long term picture. Don’t be afraid of mistakes and failures. You will win in the long run.
• You need to be persistent. Your money needs to keep growing. You can’t borrow against it or use it for an emergency with plans to pay it back. (You never will.)

While many of us have financial plans for our future, we don’t always talk about our spiritual investments.

• You need a plan. Living a life of faith just doesn’t happen. You need to invest in the power of doing good. Everything starts with a good intention. The secret is to discover how to put your intention into action.
• While the short term is important, it’s really all about looking at the long term picture. Living a life of faith takes energy. As humans, we get selfish. We get crabby. We often forget about taking care of each other. If we stick with our plan, the long term picture only gets stronger.
• You need to be persistent. Living a life of faith is not a part-time-Sunday-morning-when-I-feel-like-it type of job. It’s a life choice. Who do you want to be? What’s your plan? How are you going to stick with it every single day of your life?

I trust Dave to guide me with my money. I trust God to guide me in my faith. And I know both will be earning interest and paying high dividends.