March for Life 2012: Planning Woes but God always knows

This past Friday, I got on a bus for what we thought at the time would be a 22 hrs bus ride. No big deal, spend nearly a day traveling on a bus filled with fellow Rockhurst students and Benedictine students. Well, there was ice in IL and IN...lots of ice. We spent 6 hrs moving 8 miles (I say moving because we weren't really driving, it was a roll, slide on ice, roll, etc). Needless to say during the 33 hr bus ride, there were lots of movies, praying, and SUDO-sleeping. 

We got to our hotel, slept a couple hours, and woke up for the Students for Life Conference, the largest Pro-Life Conference in America. It. Was. Awesome. 2,000 college students, woke up at 6-7am to arrive at a conference in which they would learn about abortion, the link between breast cancer and the pill, overpopulation myths, how to help pregnant women on campus, how to help women hurting after abortion, fundraising techniques, and so much more. We learned, we wept, we laughed, and...we learned some more. http://studentsforlife.org/

It was Sunday and after desperate searches for Mass, we found one at Georgetown University. Our bus driver was kind enough to drive us over and wait till Mass was over. It was wonderful being on a Jesuit campus with college students.

Monday morning began with massive chaos, just like all previous days :) We began by heading to St. Alosius for the Jesuit Mass and Rally but the man at the hotel desk was very incorrect on where we needed to be. Needless to say, we were at 20th street and Mass was at 1st street...with fifteen minutes before Mass was to start. We began walking. About halfway through, a seminarian, Stephen, joined us after he said a prayer to God asking for someone to help him find Mass. Stephen missed Mass at the Verizon center so according to him we were his "answered prayer". Stephen is an amazing seminarian, he followed us as we got extremely sidetracked while speaking to the sisters and two Irishmen (one, who was 87, told me he goes to two big events each year the March for Life in DC and the St. Paddy's Day Parade). Once we got back on track, we were walking in Chinatown and found a church named St. Mary's Church. However, they didn't have Mass until noon- it was ten. I decided to poke my head in to see if there was someone around I could ask where a nearby Mass would be. But that would not be necessary as God always provides. :) The priest was getting ready for Mass which would start in a minute. 

It was a Latin Mass in a beautiful Church. After we continued our way to the Mall, stopping at a McDonalds for lunch, where our Seminarian, Stephen paid for us all! He explained that God had blest him with us so it was the least he could do. Well God had blest us as well by giving us him for a few hours! We got to the Mall, listened to the Rally in the cold rain, and marched. 

Before leaving for DC I planned for several hours on where we were going when and how we were getting there. There were countless times I got discouraged, wondering why I planned so much when nothing was going the way I figured out it would. I had forgotten it isn't my will but the Lord's. Usually that would be enough for me, and I would be able to let it all go, this time however, I could not. I couldn't let go of all the work I had done, all the time I used up, I just wanted something to go 'right'. I needed to see God. Looking back on it, God was all around me. God was in the joyful sisters and Irishmen who took us off our path but brought me personally joy in talking to them. God was in the people we meant and gave bagels to. God was even in the many people I asked for directions who mumbled "sorry I don't have time" while briskly walking away. I think in situations like these it's okay to get upset and frustrated, it's okay to be annoyed at the amount of time used to plan, just as long as one is able to sit back and see God at some point in all the chaos. To see that God brought us through all of that so we could find Mass at St. Mary's, so we could see Jesus in the Eucharist, to see God in the loving but lost seminarian, to realize that yes, it is not our will but His. Sometimes the work in which you do for the Lord (all that planning I did) is what He wants but not always used because he has something better in mind. 

I've always heard that when you pray for something, God gives you the opportunity to practice it. God, thank you for the opportunity to practice patience, I shall never pray for it again! ;)

Learn more about the March for Life 2012: a video account by blogger, Bad Catholic
article National Catholic Reporter
P.S. 400,000 Marched for Life...just sayin' :)

I saw God today...

Today as I pulled into the Church parking lot I saw I man hobbling around the sidewalk, homeless and drunk. And then he fell onto the sidewalk. I decided as I found a parking spot I'd see if he was okay. (Now at this point some people may be thinking 'you are a 21 year old female...careful....', well I was thinking about that too, don't worry. But my theory is if I ever get robbed they're gonna be really disappointed- $3 and a 2yr old free tmobile phone won't make them much money...I'd probably be most disappointed about my coupons and chapstick...) Anyway, so I caught up with the man and asked if he was okay. He said he was but he had been drinking so he had been having a hard time. He then vowed to quit drinking all together because it doesn't get him anywhere. I agreed with him and we chatted a bit. I then noticed he wasn't wearing gloves. We continued our conversation which led to God and his faith in Jesus. He explained how he didn't understand atheists but he secretly tries to explain to them why God is so good, he asked God for forgiveness for being sneaky (I laughed). Throughout this conversation I looked him in the eye. He had such beautiful blue eyes and I decided to give him my gloves. Unfortunately they were a Christmas present my sister made me (I haven't broke the news to her that I gave away the gloves she spent hours on...eeeeekkkkkk!)


As he put on his gloves, I held his cane, needless to say I had to help him. He then assured me he'd stop drinking because alcohol does no good. He only got one glove on while I was with him because then he started falling asleep so I told him I hoped for the best for him and began walking up the steps to Mass. He then told me I was an amazing person and told me God Bless countless times. As I stepped into Church, there was Jesus in the Monstrance and it struck me, I just had a conversation with a (probably) homeless drunkard who now has my sister's mittens (they were too large for me anyway...they fit him like a glove! sorry...couldn't help that pun...). But that man is still a man, just as Jesus helped everyone, we should too. So in a small way, I helped Jesus and I realized all this as I was starring at the beautiful Monstrance hold Jesus. 


This is why I'm Catholic. I seek to see Jesus in every human being. I get to be with Jesus in the Sacrament of the Eucharist everyday if I want. But why don't I? Why don't I help more people in need? Why am I not more charitable? Why do I not always seek God with my whole heart? Or utilize the amazing Sacraments, especially the Eucharist? Lots to ponder on... but for now, I shall work on seeking God in all things.