Finding Less Than Three

Make no mistake: if He rose at all 
it was as His body; 
if the cells’ dissolution did not reverse, the molecules reknit, the amino acids rekindle, 
the Church will fall.

It was not as the flowers,
each soft Spring recurrent;
it was not as His Spirit in the mouths and fuddled eyes of the eleven apostles;
it was as His flesh: ours.

The same hinged thumbs and toes, 
the same valved heart 
that - pierced - died, withered, paused, and then regathered out of enduring Might 
new strength to enclose.

Let us not mock God with metaphor, analogy, sidestepping, transcendence; 
making of the event a parable, a sign painted in the faded credulity of earlier ages: 
let us walk through the door.

The stone is rolled back, not papier-mache, 
not a stone in a story,
but the vast rock of materiality that in the slow grinding of time will eclipse for each of us 
the wide light of day.

And if we will have an angel at the tomb, 
make it a real angel, 
weighty with Max Planck’s quanta, vivid with hair, opaque in the dawn light, robed in real linen 
spun on a definite loom.

Let us not seek to make it less monstrous, 
for our own convenience, our own sense of beauty, 
lest, awakened in one unthinkable hour, we are 
embarrassed by the miracle, 
and crushed by remonstrance.

- John Updike

Sign it. It is your duty as a Catholic. If you don’t, seriously pray into your commitment to the Commandments and the promises of your baptism.

We are required to resist unjust laws. We are commanded to love the Lord above all else — especially above our desires/time/government/selves. 

You were baptized as priest, prophet and king.

-Live your priesthood by sacrificing (fast and pray).
-Proclaim your prophet-hood by speaking out against this injustice! Who cares if someone doesn’t like it!
-And rejoice in your kingship, knowing you have been chosen by the Lord to make a massive difference in this country and world!

Seriously, it takes a minute to sign the petition and 30 seconds to pray a Hail Mary. That is the bare minimum we, as Catholics, can do. Any less, and we are pulling a Judas - leading a tyrant to crucify the most sacred thing we have. 

Just a few things, Sir. 

1. Last week (January 22, 2012) you released this statement, 

“As we mark the 39^th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we must remember that this Supreme Court decision not only protects a woman’s health and reproductive freedom, but also affirms a broader principle: that government should not intrude on private family matters.  I remain committed to protecting a woman’s right to choose and this fundamental constitutional right.”

To be clear, within this statement you claim that Roe v. Wade protects women’s health, allows for freedom and most importantly, it affirms that the government should NOT ever intrude in the most private of matters. Oh, and let us not leave out your commitment to uphold basic constitutional rights. 

2. So now that all of that is clear, let’s talk about this,

“The Obama administration said Friday that most health insurance plans must cover contraceptives for women free of charge, and it rejected a broad exemption sought by the Roman Catholic Church for insurance provided to employees of Catholic hospitals, colleges and charities.”

To be clear again: Friday, January 20, 2012, your administration decided to make it mandatory for most every employer to provide their employees with insurance that provides free contraception, sterilizations and even some abortifacients (abortion inducing drugs).

3. Forgive me, because I must be missing something. Can we go over it again?

First, I hear you’re forcing 1/4 of the people of this nation to violate their consciences and are flat out stealing away their most basic right of religious freedom. Thereby, you are also taking away the ability for many Catholics to have health insurance (because many, if not all, Catholic institutions will stop providing insurance to their employees if this mandate continues), which does not do anything to protect women’s (or men’s) health. And because of all of this you’re allowing the government to completely intrude upon the most sacred and personal aspect of a persons life. 

Then, only two days later, you say you desire to protect women’s health, protect fundamental constitutional rights AND keep the government out of private matters… 

Do you see my confusion, Mr. President? I’ve done my research and still can’t quite wrap my head around all of this. Clearly, I must be missing something. I know you are incredibly busy and all, but would you mind clearing this up for me? I’m sure you have a perfect explanation for it all.

Sincerely,

Erika J. Parks
Confused Catholic

Archbishop Fulton Sheen, Three to get Married.

I’ve become fairly obsessed with Church teaching on purity, love, marriage, sex, etc. recently and I stumbled upon this little gem by Fulton Sheen. Give it a read. It’s gold. 

http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARRIAGE/3GETMARR.TXT

Pope John Paul II, apostolic letter The Rosary of the Virgin Mary

Pier Giorgio, help us to strive for simple hearts, attentive to the needs of others, and friendships based on that pact that knows no earthly boundaries: union in prayer. If we do not know the road, and if we often abandon the path…

If by being superficial we have not put into our knapsack all that we need for the climb, and if we never lift up our gaze because we do not want to take the first demanding steps to set ourselves on the way…

If we lack the strength to overcome the most difficult passes, and if we have the strength but prefer to use it to turn back…

If we never pause to be nourished by the bread of eternal life, and if we do not quench our thirst from the fountain of prayer…

When we do not know how to contemplate the beauty of the gifts we have received, and when we do not know how to offer ourselves for others…

If we have committed many sins…

If we have lost hope…

Pray for us, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. Show us the way, “Verso l’alto,” upward to Heaven and deep into the heart of God. Teach us how to be holy Saints for the Church and for the world, to give witness to the Beatitudes with our lives. Amen.

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati

(All the missionaries at the Grand Canyon)

Hey Family!

So we finished our two weeks of formation and preparation and the first two weeks of camp are officially over. That means I’ve only got two weeks left up here in Prescott at Camp Tepeyac… Its crazy to think that I’ve been here for a month now! There are times where it feels like I’ve been here for months and other times where I still feel like I just got here. In any case though, Tepeyac has become my home and there are definitely some amazing things happening here!

The first week we had a group of about 90+ jr high teens. They were so great and definitely created a soft spot in my heart for those awkward middle school years. I had a group of 16 from St Philip’s parish in Bakersfield, California. Watching them grow throughout the week was such a blessing and I am so grateful for the things I was able to experience with them! Join me in continuing to pray for them as they transition back into being home while still trying to keep up their new hunger for the faith.
Their names are:
Julie, Savannah, Jenna, Sonya, Ann, Natalie, Morgan, Josh, Patrick, Fernando, Ivan, Jeremy, Diana, Joann, Gilbert, and Joseph.

This past week was our largest group of the summer at about 150 high school teens. I was blessed to have a group of 13 girls to hang out with all week. Fun definitely ensued. :) They were from Big Bear Lake, California and this was the first Life Teen thing they’ve ever done. Most of them were sisters, as the 3 chaperones were their mothers. They were seriously some of the most amazing girls I’ve ever met and I was so blessed to join their little family for the week. Please keep them in your prayers as they head home and begin to bring the Life Teen movement to their community that so desperately needs it!
Their names are:
Ann, Madeline, Tammy, Rosa, Rosita, Lupita, Samara, Lindsey, Kayla, Abby, Julia, Sara, and Ariel.

I am so unbelievably excited for the next and final two weeks, despite missing my teens from the first two weeks so much. Please, PLEASE, pray for these last two weeks of camp. Pray for the teens hearts, their parents, chaperones, and youth ministers. Pray for myself and my missionary brothers and sisters. And finally pray for the entire Life Teen movement and all the other camps that are happening in Georgia, Boston, and Belgium!

Now, I am off to enjoy a long weekend with my amazing community!!! Starbucks, Wal-Mart, HARRY POTTER, dinner, and all kinds of other shenanigans! :)

LOVE & Prayers

<3 EJ

The time has come my friends! 

One week from today I’ll be heading to the PHX airport to meet/pick up the other wonderful summer missionaries and then we will head up north for the next 2 months! I am beyond excited to be able to serve as a summer missionary for Life Teen again and cannot wait to see what God has in store.

This week, I’ll be crazy busy with packing, running errands, and tying up loose ends on top of my 45 hour work week. You better believe I’ll need your prayers! haha And speaking of prayers, I’d like to ask for yall to pray for a few specific intentions, if possible.

1. I have been having abdominal/stomach pain and various other symptoms for a while now and was finally able to see a specialist. I had blood tests done to test for Celiac disease, thyroid problems and a few other issues and I should get those results by Monday. I am also getting a CT scan of my abdomen on Thursday afternoon. Obviously, I’m cutting it all bit close timing wise, so if you could, please pray for speedy results and more importantly, results that bring back some sort of answer! I want nothing more than to be able to give my all this summer while serving, and being pain free would really help me do so. 

2. Please keep Sierra Vista, AZ in your prayers. As many know, there are fires all over AZ right now but the one in SV is very close to the city and so many families have been evacuated and have lost their homes. One of my mission sisters, who will be at Tepeyac with me, lives down there, so please keep her, her family and her community in your prayers!

3. Pray for safe travels for everyone! The entire mission team is flying/driving in on Sunday the 26th, so keep us all in your prayers as we travel from all across the country for this mission.

4. Lastly, continue to pray for this mission God has planned. Pray for the thousands of teens that will be attending camp. Pray for their families, that they may all be impacted by the witness of the teens as they return home. Pray for the hosts and musicians as they prepare to lead us. And pray for Life Teen International as a whole, that God’s mission may be fulfilled in our service and that God receives all of the glory and praise, not us. 

Thank you for your unending support and prayers. You all have made it possible for me to answer God’s call with a full and resounding YES! Know that I will be offering up Mass for you all daily and will try my hardest to keep you all updated throughout the summer! 

I will have little to no internet access while I’m gone, but I will most definitely have mail access! So send me letters, postcards, packages, anything! And I will for sure send you some love in the mail! :)

For letters: 
Life Teen Tepeyac
Erika Parks
PO Box 3296
Prescott, AZ 86302

For Packages:
Life Teen Tepeyac
Erika Parks
2600 S. Tepeyac Rd.
Prescott, AZ 86303

Also, CALL ME!!! I would love to talk to yall on the phone when I have some free time. If I dont answer, just leave a message and I’ll call you back (remember how that works… old school I know lol).

***NOTE*** I will have a different number while at camp due to lack of service on my regular number. So call or text me at (480) 652-4160 from June 26th to Aug. 8th! 

Love yall and hope you have an amazing rest of your summer! 

Be Missionary,
EJ <3

feelingphiloslothical:

strengthlikelions:

“To be honest, this question grieves me because I feel that it represents a much bigger issue than simply a couple SF tunes. In true Socratic form, let me ask you a few questions: Does Lewis or Tolkien mention Christ in any of their fictional series? Are Bach’s sonata’s Christian? What is more Christ-like, feeding the poor, making furniture, cleaning bathrooms, or painting a sunset? There is a schism between the sacred and the secular in all of our modern minds.

The view that a pastor is more ‘Christian’ than a girls volleyball coach is flawed and heretical. The stance that a worship leader is more spiritual than a janitor is condescending and flawed. These different callings and purposes further demonstrate God’s sovereignty. 

Many songs are worthy of being written. Switchfoot will write some, Keith Green, Bach, and perhaps yourself have written others. Some of these songs are about redemption, others about the sunrise, others about nothing in particular: written for the simple joy of music. 

None of these songs has been born again, and to that end there is no such thing as Christian music. No. Christ didn’t come and die for my songs, He came for me. Yes. My songs are a part of my life. But judging from scripture I can only conclude that our God is much more interested in how I treat the poor and the broken and the hungry than the personal pronouns I use when I sing. I am a believer. Many of these songs talk about this belief. An obligation to say this or do that does not sound like the glorious freedom that Christ died to afford me.

I do have an obligation, however, a debt that cannot be settled by my lyrical decisions. My life will be judged by my obedience, not my ability to confine my lyrics to this box or that. 

We all have a different calling; Switchfoot is trying to be obedient to who we are called to be. We’re not trying to be Audio A or U2 or POD or Bach: we’re trying to be Switchfoot. You see, a song that has the words: ‘Jesus Christ’ is no more or less ‘Christian’ than an instrumental piece. (I’ve heard lots of people say Jesus Christ and they weren’t talking about their redeemer.) You see, Jesus didn’t die for any of my tunes. So there is no hierarchy of life or songs or occupation only obedience. We have a call to take up our cross and follow. We can be sure that these roads will be different for all of us. Just as you have one body and every part has a different function, so in Christ we who are many form one body and each of us belongs to all the others. Please be slow to judge ‘brothers’ who have a different calling.”

(via spunkycuriosities)

I was in girl scouts all the way up to high school. I sold the cookies. Got badges. Participated in all sorts of events. So after watching this video of two young girls from The Woodlands, TX I was shocked. These beautiful girls have been involved with girl scouts for years, just like I was, but they discovered that GSUSA, in fact, isn’t the organization they thought it was. 

The girls found out that Girl Scouts has a long and strong relationship with Planned Parenthood and other anti-life/pro-choice organizations. 

Personally, I am appalled and totally shocked after reading through the website Tess and Sydney launched (speaknowgirlscouts.com) to make people aware of GSUSA’s relationship with the anti-life movement. I grew up thinking Girl Scouts was an organization that supported young girls and provided them with good role models. However, after seeing Girl Scouts’ advertisements that encourage young girls to visit planned parenthood, my heart just breaks. 

The cookies are amazing, and the concept is great, but as Tess and Sydney put it, “Will we stand for our beliefs, for the dignity of life, the sanctity of marriage, modesty, purity? Or will we remain true to Girl Scouts? We cannot see any way to truly do both.”

So I’ve been all kinds of silent when it comes to this blog thing lately but I just dont want to write anything that I feel isn’t worth anyones time. And lets face it, most of what goes on in my head is better off if it stays there. lol

Anyway, lets get to this. :)

Today is “Rapture Day”! (apparently). As we all know, some guy and a few others have spent the last few months ‘warning’ all of us about what is supposed to happen today. In case you aren’t aware, to some Christians (not Catholics), the rapture is when Jesus comes (second coming) and secretly takes ‘true Christians’ up to Heaven to spare them from the horrible events that will occur at the end of the world (apparently Oct 21, 2011). Side note: Catholics and various other Christians do not believe in this because we do not believe Jesus will come twice (1: to save true Christians, 2: when the world ends/Judgement day). 

The Catholic Church, Orthodox church and most Protestants, do believe in Christ’s second (and FINAL) coming but we believe it just as scripture tells us:

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of Heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” Mat. 24:35-36

Its plain and simple. No need for math or secret codes. Of all the metaphors and poetic wording the bible contains, God laid this out straight up. He will come. But no one knows when. In Luke 12:40 it also says to be prepared for at a time no one knows, Jesus will come again. Once again, plain and simple. 

But in this whole ‘rapture day’ debacle, I’ve noticed a few things that kinda just made me go Hmmm…

1. People are making rapture day jokes like there is no tomorrow… hahaha ok sorry, I had to. ;)

2. I’ve heard a lot of this, “No the world cant end now! I haven’t done _____ yet.” or “I have big plans this weekend, I hope the world doesn’t end.”

Now, this intrigues me and with all the jokes aside, it really made me wake up. As Christians our sole purpose in life is to get to Heaven. To attain everlasting life. So much of scripture tells us to aim for heaven, to detach from this world (1 John 2:15, James 4:4, 1 Peter 4:7) yet in the past few days, how many of us have found ourselves feeling disappointed when talking about the ‘end of the world’? 

And it is not even in just the past few days, but in our everyday lives. Have we become numb to our true goal? Have we lost sight of what our true desires are? How often do we really put life on earth before Heaven? and even more so, how many little, pointless things do we put before our desires of Heaven? Think about it. Really stop and just think about those questions. Since when has a Memorial day weekend BBQ become more desirable than everlasting life?

Now I know that may sound silly and you might be thinking, “thats not what I meant. Of course Heaven is better…” But ultimately, we must remember that what we say and how we act in our daily lives is a direct reflection of our priorities. If we continue to put off going to confession for another week, then that shows how much we condone our sin. If we continue to neglect our prayer lives, that shows how little we care about our relationship with God. If we really feel disappointed at the thought of the world ending because we haven’t done this or that, then our priority is this world and this life. Not Heaven. Not Jesus. Not everlasting life. Plain and simple. 

Certainly, God has placed us in the world for a reason and has made us social beings who love and laugh and enjoy life. But we need to remember that this isn’t the ultimate life. This isn’t even the beginning of what is to come for us. We must remember that we live IN this beautiful world, but not OF it. 

Matthew 26:41 once again says it plain and simple,
“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” 

Be His,
EJ <3 

St. Therese

(Source: memoirsofjosie, via fathershane)

Love this story. and now I love it even more.

John 4:3-30 <3

Like cozy toes in my boots or beautiful sunsets in the AZ desert. 

it all makes my heart smile. :)