My Dwelling Place

     Hi everyone! This week, I thought that it would be good to reflect on the Gospel where Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, as it is essentially foreshadowing what is to come later in Holy Week. Within John's gospel, when Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, that is the final straw for the Pharisees who decide then and there to have Him arrested.    In the moment that He performed the sign, Jesus first asked for Martha's belief that He was the Messiah who would bring about the raising of the dead. Jesus knew that He would bring Lazarus to life again. And yet He was moved to tears by the whole circumstance, because He had empathy for the suffering of Martha and Mary.      As you read through this gospel passage, I invite you to reflect on what Jesus is trying to tell you through His conversation with the other biblical characters. In the face of their suffering, He feels so deeply for them that He cries. How do you think He feels when He sees th...

  Trigger Warning: Depression, Abuse, Loss of family members.      I enjoy writing novels, reading books, listening to music, dancing, and spending time with my family and pets. I was involved in Campus Ministry as well as the soup kitchen- the Door is Open, for the entirety of my time in high school. As well, I often did readings during Mass (both during my time in elementary and high school) and was an altar server at my parish for a few years. Currently, I am involved in UBC’s Cancer Association and am doing a faith study with the CCO (Catholic Christian Outreach) at UBC.      I was baptized as a baby and regularly went to Mass with my mom and sister as a young child. However, I never truly began believing in God or Christ until I switched from a public school to a Catholic school and became more involved in the faith. I originally had a bad outlook on the Church community not because of any personal negative experience with it, but because my fath...

  Trigger Warnings: anxiety, depression, self-hatred, self-harm, overdose      I am a third year student at UBC, studying philosophy. Today, I am an active part of the Catholic community on campus known as Catholic Christian Outreach (CCO), as well as discerning mission life, bettering my personal prayer, and leading other students by personal accompaniment. In my spare time, I like to read, write, and play music. I also like travelling, camping and hiking, coffee, and thrifting.       I'm what is known as a "cradle Catholic", but I would not have considered myself "practicing" until summer after my first year of university. Before that, I believed in God, but did not believe He was good. I was involved in volunteering, youth and campus ministry, and social justice for most of my life; I was known among friends as the more religious one and would be asked to lead often.       I also struggled with anxiety, depression, self-hatr...

Trigger warnings: Deeper, more sensitive topics for mature audiences. Mentions of anxiety and depression. Mentions of suicide.      I like hanging out with people, laughing with others, spending time alone in nature, listening to praise and worship music, and learning new hobbies such as knitting or crocheting. I have participated in many opportunities of youth ministry and campus ministry in high school and I continue to in university, but it wasn’t until later in high school that I really felt God’s love. I continually have to strengthen my commitment to God and say “Yes” to Him, as it isn’t always easy, and I’m human, but I know that every time I fall, God will always be there and He loves me.      My mental health has been up and down many different times and for many different reasons. I had a much different childhood compared to most people that I won't go into details about. I've struggled a lot with accepting what happened while also not allowing it...

   I’m currently a first-year student studying to become a project manager. Throughout high school, I had many hobbies such as crafting, high performance athletics, reading, baking, and more. I also volunteered with my church by teaching Sunday School and planning/leading the annual church retreat. Overall, I really enjoy being active and living a healthy lifestyle. I was raised a Christian for my whole life, attended a Christian school from grade 4-12, and have been consistently attending church since I was born. Being constantly surrounded by believers has been both beneficial and damaging to my faith because of the echo chamber created by my friends, family, and communities. I struggled to create my own faith, instead choosing to piggy-back on what other people said because it seemed like  the “easier version” of Christianity. This created some struggles in finding who I am in Christ because I never built my faith on my own beliefs. As I’ve grown and matured, I have ...

     I’m a student in my first year of university, hoping to become a highschool english teacher, or to work with youth in some way. I was raised Catholic my entire life, and attended Catholic elementary and highschool education. As a kid, I went to children’s ministry during mass, and later on I loved to altar serve. While I loved my faith, and knew I was valued as a daughter of Christ, up until I was a teenager, my decision to be Catholic was influenced by the environment I grew up in. When I entered grade seven, I began to have greater access to social media, and was exposed to ideas and opinions that countered what I was taught, and saw content where not every Christian was acting with love as they were intended to. This led me to struggle a lot with my faith, until I encountered other young teens who shared my concerns. Being surrounded by other young people who share my faith has helped me feel comfortable to explore it, and help other teens explore their own faith ...