A Testimony About FOCUS

Here is a testimony by John.  He is a great leader in the Catholic Community here at the Naval Academy.  I cannot wait to see how the Lord uses him to bring souls to heaven.  He is one of the most manly and virtuous guys I know, and it has been truly an honor to walk with him in our journey to the Lord. 

During my time here at the Academy the FOCUS missionaries have changed my life in extraordinary ways.  They have helped me develop a daily routine of prayer and a stronger dedication to God.  Marcos consistently reminds me of the profound and unearned love which God has for me.  This simple lesson, which I must learn over and over, has been a perspective changer and has helped me quite a bit in my faith journey.  Marcos makes sure I am staying up to date with my Religious commitments, and this accountability is very important so that my faith does not slowly slip.  FOCUS missionaries have had a profound impact on my life and who I am.  I know that I would not be the same man I am today without the positive influence of the FOCUS missionaries here at the Academy.

P.S. Congratulations to John on getting Marine Corp!!!

Another Semester Almost Over

As the semester starts to wind down, I realize we only have three more weeks left in the semester!

I cannot believe how fast this semester has gone.  The midshipmen are counting down the days until spring break and finals.  The missionaries are counting down the opportunities we have to reach them and introduce Christ, but I can tell you that big things are happening.  We have had more people come to daily mass this week then ever before and people are coming to bible studies and learning about the person of Christ.  We also just announced two mission trips for this spring break, and there has been a lot interest and many midshipmen have started to sign up.  Greg is leading a trip to Mexico City, and I am leading a trip to Ecuador.  I cannot wait to see how the Lord touches their heart, but until then we only have this last few weeks until Christmas break.

This weekend is the last home football game of the season, and the midshipmen are fighting for a bowl game.  They have to win six football games to be eligible for a bowl game.  They should make it, but even if they did not then you can bet that they are still happy about winning the Commander and Chief's Trophy.  That is the competition between the three military academies.  This year Navy beat Air Force, and when Air Force beat Army that made sure that Navy would keep the Trophy for the year.  Maybe next year Air Force!  Navy plays Army on December 14th and they hope to make it the twelfth win in a row. 



P.S.  Keep praying for us and the Naval Academy.

Catholic Midshipmen Retreat

Batman even made time to come to the retreat!

There were so many great things that happened on the Catholic Midshipmen Club retreat this semester.  These midshipmen are challenged everyday and in so many ways.  They are required to workout, go to all of their classes and meetings, and do their homework.  They have to go to formation and are tested in so many ways, and if they have any free time they usually use it to relax or sleep.  This weekend, about forty midshipmen gave up an entire weekend to go on a retreat, learn more about their faith, and pray!  To most people that would seem like a waste of time, especially prayer, but they chose to put their faith first.

There was great adoration where midshipmen were able to sit with Christ.  We even had prayer teams where people could come and be prayed over.  During adoration there was also confession, and it was great to see so many midshipmen go to confession and ask God for the forgiveness of their sins. 

Father Bruno, a Dominican priest, gave most of the talks, and also spoke about living life for eternity.  He also spoke about judgment and Heaven and how we are never alone.  My favorite talk was when he talked about the mass, and how we are taken into heaven during every mass. 



P.S.  Happy All Saints Day!!!!




Live Life For Eternity

This past weekend was the Catholic Midshipmen Club's big Fall retreat.  We were about twenty minutes away from the Naval Academy, which to a midshipmen is glorious and probably seems about a hundred miles away, at a Y.M.C.A. campgrounds called Camp Letts.  We got there Friday evening and after we had wonderful camp food we began our talks.  One of the midshipmen, named Peter, gave a talk on living life for Heaven and not just the Naval Academy.  A lot of midshipmen will workout and study for hours, and that is a great thing and is needed, but they often forget about prayer and living life for eternity. 


Peter preparing for his talk

People all around the world are doing the same thing (with a lot less of working out of course).  I often lose sight of the big picture.  We only get a little time on Earth, but that time is what we use to decide where we want to be for eternity.  If I lived my life for myself, and I wanted to do it my way without finding out what God wants, then the Lord will give me what I want.  If I want to be away from Him or if I put Him second, then because He loves me He will give me what I want the most.  He will give me an eternity of what I want, yet nothing other than Him can fill the infinite hole in our hearts.  I would be miserable knowing that I had given up the greatest gift of all, which is to be with God forever, and I would be in Hell.  Now, if I live for the Lord, knowing without Him I have nothing that can fill my heart, but with Him I have everything; if I do my work, be kind to people, and most importantly get to know Him; If I simply follow truth and the natural law written into my heart; If I let Him in to my heart, then the God who is love and truth Himself will give me everything I have truly ever wanted.  He will give me His entire self forever.  I would choose it, and He would give me Heaven.  The Lord does not make us go anywhere.  We choose our final destination, and because He loves us He gives it to us. Let us remember to live life for eternity. 




More great news of the retreat will come soon. 

Big Retreat Countdown...1 Day To Go

It is Thursday afternoon, and the Naval Academy FOCUS team is having a retreat tomorrow for the midshipmen.  We are traveling about twenty minutes to Camp Letts.  This is the big retreat for the semester, and most of these midshipmen have been waiting all semester.  I can feel their excitement as I talk to them between classes.  I know Christ will touch their hearts if they allow him to, but many people think that means a great emotional high.  Many people think that they are holy if they get a great feeling when they pray.  That is not always the case.

I remember when I played French horn back in high school, and one year we got brand new French horns.  They were so new that I could still smell the oils that they put on it.  No joke, they smelled like chocolate.  I was so excited that I started to play it more, and all of a sudden I thought I sounded way better.  This magic French Horn had made me a better French horn player!  The truth is that I probably was better, because I was finally practicing.  I would really just play some notes and have fun, but I felt really good.  Then after a while I got bored again, and I stopped practicing.  My skill lessened, and I thought to myself "Man, I need a new French horn!" I thought it was the new French horn that made me good, but when I finally realized it was not the new French horn that made me good, then I started to practice.  I mean I really started to practice.  I played scales and arpeggios.  I started private lessons, and I got better then I had ever been.  I began to enjoy playing the French horn, and sometimes it would get hard, but I would push through, and I would get better.  Sometimes, prayer can be similar. 

I used to think that a retreat would fix my prayer problems.  I would go on the retreat and it was easy to pray.  I would eat the chocolates that they would pass out, and I would get a sugar rush.  I would start praying, and I would think "Man, I am holy!  God Loves me so much!" I felt good, and I would leave the retreat on a spiritual high. I would go home and pray for a while, but after a time I would not feel so great about prayer.  I would think to myself "Man, I need another retreat!" I thought the retreat would make me holy, and I thought holiness or having good prayer meant that it always felt good, but the reality is that prayer does not always feel good.  In fact, that time when prayer does not "feel" well is usually when we are growing the most.  When you push through and pray and strive for God, then that is the time when you grow closest to Him.  When I learned this I started to truly pray, and I sometimes I still feel that prayer is tough, and that I am not getting anything out of it, but I push through and stay obedient.  Those times of difficult prayer always pass, and I need that union with Christ.  He calls all of us to Him, because He loves us and we are made for Him, so if you are having trouble in prayer just keep striving for Him and you will find joy and union with God. 


P.S. Please pray for all of the midshipmen at the retreat. 

Government Shutdown!!! WHAT?!

Before the shutdown happened, I told the midshipmen that if the government shutdown then the missionaries would still be there.  “We don’t work for the government.  We work for the Lord!” I reminded them.  Now that the shutdown has taken effect we are still here on the yard trying to spread the gospel. 

With half of the staff at the Naval Academy being civilians, the first thing I noticed on October 1^st was more parking.  Other than that, from the outside, everything seemed to be the same.  There were still guards at the gates.  The midshipmen still walked to class (which always reminds me of ants marching around), and the midshipmen still did their noon formation.  However, if you asked a midshipmen about the changes they could tell you a lot.  For instance, since about half of their professors are civilians many of their classes are practically put on hold.  Midshipmen have to go to class and sit there even if they don’t have a professor.  They are expected to read their books or work on new homework that the professors may have left, but they cannot ask their professors questions.  By law, a professor cannot show up to work or even read emails.  If the midshipmen is lucky (Or unlucky however you look at) they may be assigned a temporary military professor and be placed with two or three other classes.   For a while, they did not even know if the big Navy Air Force game was going to happen, but that was worked out and Navy had a great victory!  Hopefully, everything will continue to slowly go back to normal, but until then let us continue to pray for our country and politicians. 



P.S.  As of October 7th, civilian professors are back to work! 

 

What is Love?

Every time I ask people "What is love?" it never fails that someone starts to sing the song What Is Love by Haddaway.  I am sure you have heard it, and to be honest every time I ask people about love I think about the song too.  For the next hour the song is stuck in my head as I sing the opening over and over, and contemplate one of life's mysteries (I mean love...not the song by Haddaway.).  Have you ever thought about what love is?  I don't just mean romantic love, but also friendship love and love for family members.  The Greeks had different words for these different types of love, so that it would be easier to distinguish them, but I want to talk about what makes them the same.  



Romance

Every person desires to love and to be loved, and most of us believe that we cannot be happy without it.  We will search all of our lives for real love, yet how many people actually know what love is?  If you were to ask around you would hear so many answers.  Some people say love is a great emotion.  Some people say love is lust.  Some people say it is an instinct, and some people do not even believe in love.  One of my favorite answers I received was "Love is when momma gives daddy the last chicken nugget." I love that answer, because I think it is closest to the truth. 

I propose to you that love is not a great emotion; although emotions can be important.  Love is not lust, which is a perversion of attraction; although attraction can be important.  Love is not an instinct; although we always have the desire to love.   I propose to you that love is a free decision to give oneself for the better of the other. 



Friendship

I know some of you are thinking that I am crazy.  I bet you grew up thinking love was an emotion like I thought.  Now I am not here to say that you do not have emotions or that they are not important; In fact I think they are extremely important.  I think they make it easier to choose to love, but I do not think they are love.  Ask yourself how many times do your emotions change every day?  If you are like me then probably a lot. I am sure you do not always feel good towards the ones you love.  I bet there are days when they press your buttons, but you still choose to love them.  The emotions just make it easier to love.  The best example that I can think of is Jesus Christ as he carries his own cross to his own crucifixion.  Do you think he felt jolly about it?  No way!  He felt awful, but he chose to love.  He chose to give his life for our good.  He freely chose to die for our sins, so that if we chose to love then we could be with him forever in heaven.  Now, imagine the emotion he has when we accept that invitation.  Imagine the joy he feels when we repent.  Emotions are important, but love is the decision to give yourself for the better of the other. 



Family

Love is not lust or attraction.  Lust is the opposite of love.  Lust is use.  When a person lusts after another person then he or she is using the other person for his or her own gratification.  Attraction is different from lust.  Attraction is a good thing.  Attraction is God given.  There can be a lot of sexual attraction in romantic love, but usually not in the other types of friendships.  The difference between attraction and lust can seem small, but the consequences can be great.  Imagine that I make a huge cake that looks like a 3-D sculpture of St. Peter's Basilica, and you walk into the kitchen and you see my creation, and you see it for what it is, and you see it's beauty.  You have respect for the artwork and the hard work it took to make.  Now imagine some other people come into the kitchen and see the St. Peter's Basilica cake and all they want to do is eat it, and they grab handfuls until they are satisfied.  They don't realize the detail or beauty of the decorations.  They miss the entire artwork and it's majesty.  Lust does the same thing.  When someone lusts after another he or she misses the entire person.  Attraction recognizes the beauty of the other person and brings people closer, but attraction is still not love; although attraction can be important, and it can help us to love. 

Love is not an instinct either.  Love has to be free.  It cannot be forced.  We have instincts like the animals, but we also have free will.  We can go beyond our instincts, and that freedom gives us the ability to love.  Now, to those people who do not believe in love I am sorry you think that way.  Maybe this type of love is something you can believe in.  Call me a romantic, but I believe in love, and I believe it can last forever too.  If love is a decision then you can choose to love at anytime.  If you continue to decide to love then that love can last forever.  It is really up to us to love.  No other creature on earth can do it, and that does make us special.  It is a major part of what makes us in the image of God, and when we love like Him that will satisfy our hearts.




P.S. Six weeks exams are coming up for the midshipmen.  You can choose to love them by praying for them. 

 

FOCUS Secret Spy Training

Obviously, FOCUS missionaries are not super spies, but I often feel like one as I drive through Gate 1 at the United States Naval Academy.  I have to have a special ID to show to the armed guards at the gates, and I have to have a permit to drive onto the yard too.  I even have to be careful how I hand my ID to the guards, because if I hand it to them upside down it is supposed to mean that I am in distress and need assistance.  They might think someone is in the car with me and holding me hostage.  Imagine driving on the Yard and handing your ID to the guards upside down.  Can you picture the surprise on your passenger's face when the guards pull their firearms on them and drag them out of the car.  Honestly, they will probably ask you if you are OK, but you never know.  Well, luckily FOCUS does not have or need these rules, and FOCUS training was not anything like the Naval Academy. 

This summer we had training at Ave Maria, Florida for five weeks.  It was great to see friends and to know that all of these people were sent on the same mission.  I know they understand me when I talk about the good times and difficult times (There are no bad times.) of campus.  They are my brothers and sisters in Christ.  I felt like the seventy-two that Jesus sent out into the world to preach and heal, and when they came back from their journey they shared how mighty God was and how He provided for them. 



This has to be the funniest staff photo you have ever seen. 

We had great speakers and teachers come to teach us to be better evangelizers.  Curtis Martin, the founder of FOCUS, would come almost once a week and speak to us along with a lot of people from FOCUS National or "Big FOCUS" like the midshipmen call it.  It was great to see how personal they were trying to be with the missionaries.  You could see that they truly cared about us and would do anything they could to help us with our mission.  It is going to be a great year! 

P.S. These sunsets in Florida reminded me of Texas. 

Mids words

Here are some testimonies that two of the men, that I worked with, wrote about their experience with FOCUS.  The Lord is doing great things.  I could not have done it without him. 



Dear Marcos,

Just wanted to say thank-you for teaching your bible study this year. I really learned a lot this year and had a great time. You are an inspiration to other young Catholic men and I wish you the very best in all of your endeavors.

- Matt Metzdorff

Ensign Steve Billmaier

I was raised Catholic but didn't really care much for youth groups, youth contemporary worship, etc., and for that reason I didn't immediately become very active in the Catholic community at USNA.  When I did though, I found it was nothing like what I had assumed it would be.  FOCUS, in particular, was realistically geared towards young adults in a way I could relate to.  It helped me connect with other Catholics my age and share their faith experiences, and it provided some very positive role models in our missionaries.  It can sometimes be difficult to stay positive at a place like the Naval Academy, but Marcos was always cheerful and in good spirits.  He was so polite and confident in his faith that I had atheist and Protestant friends come tell me what a good guy he was after having conversations with him.  He was always ready to take the time to listen to my issues/concerns and provide some insight and advice, and he always checked up on me and my prayer life and even taught me some new ways to pray.  Interacting with Marcos definitely helped me to become more joyful and more devoted to prayer, and I am thankful for all his time and effort.

Ensign Steve Billmaier

P.S. I am back in Annapolis, and ready for the new school year.  More posts will come soon. 

Rome Part 3

Our last night in Rome was still great.  I felt as though I had been in Rome for months, and I was ready to go back to Annapolis, but knowing it was the last night I would be in Rome was still a little odd.  "Did I see everything I wanted?" I asked myself, so I thought about it, and after some thinking I decided I had seen everything except the Sistine Chapel.  I knew there was no chance I could see it tonight since it was still closed after the conclave, but I felt peaceful about the entire trip.  Yeah, I was ready to go back.  I was ready to continue the mission at the Naval Academy.

Mass with Cardinal Edwin Frederick O'Brien

Our last mass in Rome was Saturday evening with Cardinal O'Brien.  He used to be a Chaplain at West Point (Beat Army!!!), and then was made Archbishop of Baltimore.  On March 15, 2012, he was made the Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem by Pope Benedict XVI.  We had scheduled this mass months ago, but we were not sure if it was still going to happen because of the conclave.  Since the conclave was over, Cardinal O'Brien was able to say mass, and it was just going to be our group.  Mass was beautiful as always, and afterwards he came to talk to us about the conclave.  All the Cardinals were sworn to secrecy about certain things inside the conclave, but he told us what he could, so we got inside information.  Obviously, he told us how Pope Francis was elected.  Here is the scoop!!! 

Coming into the conclave there was no front runner, and so for the first election there was no surprise when there was no winner.  On the second election people started to stick out, so by the third election there was actually a tie between Pope Francis and another Cardinal.  After each election the Cardinals would go and pray for who the Holy Spirit wanted them to elect, and Cardinal O'Brien said "at the fourth election something broke." Pope Francis pulled ahead, but he still did not have the two-thirds requirement to become Pope.  By the fifth vote it was all over, and Pope Francis had won the election.  I think the coolest thing is that when the fifth vote was counted Pope Francis won by way more then two-thirds of the vote.  It was inspiring to hear how unified the church was especially at a time when the world seems to be tearing a little around the edges.  It was a great ending to a wonderful trip, but the greatest part of the trip was just getting to know some of the midshipmen in a closer way. 

Hanging out with midshipmen

 

I met so many midshipmen who had never come around to the Catholic Midshipmen Club or bible studies.  It was great to see them grow in their faith as they looked upon the beautiful history of our faith.  There seemed to be a church on every street corner with some kind of amazing story.  It was wonderful to see people's faces as they went from excitement, to amazement, and to peace.  It was also nice to talk to them about what they loved about the faith and what they were still struggling with.  It seemed that everyone that came on the pilgrimage was searching for something. 

One of the midshipmen shared to me many struggles he had with the faith.  He said that he believed in God, but that he had never really heard Him in prayer, and that he really did not know Jesus in a personal way.  He told me that his prayer was not very consistent, so I challenged him to pray fifteen minutes a day for at least a week. I knew the Lord would speak to him, but he doubted that any change would happen.  We never talked about it until after the vigil mass, and he came up to me and said "Marcos, you were right." I did not know what he was talking about at first, but then I remembered the challenge I gave to him, and he shared how the Lord had really spoken to him.  I was so excited, and a little surprised, but I should not have been surprised.  Of course the Lord is going to speak when someone is searching for Him. 

The entire group bonded so much, and there will be moments that each of them will hold in their hearts for the rest of their life.  The Lord was definitely working on our hearts during this trip, and I am so thankful for His love. 

P.S.  Happy Birthday Marta!!!

Sea Trials Video

 

Here is the final video that the midshipmen made, and that I promised I would post.  I am so sorry for the cursing that was not edited out.  They are sailors and we are working on it.  I hope you enjoy it though.  The entire thing was a lot of fun, and I truly respect the midshipmen for having to do something that is ten times more difficult then what we did. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5kWH6ZKWBw


Here is another video that one of the midshipmen made.  They are so funny.  The first time I saw this I thought it was funny, but as I got to know the midshipmen the video just got better and better.  I hope you enjoy this too.  This video is child friendly. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN9PDZ8aVK4


P.S.  I am finally back in Texas, so I will be contacting some of you soon.  Have a great day! 

FOCUS Navy Sea Trials

Every year the plebe class does an intensive workout called sea trials.  It is usually about a 16 hour workout they have been preparing for all year.  This year, the FOCUS team decided to do a mini sea trials to take a glimpse into the life of a freshman midshipman's.  OK, so when I say that we decided I really mean that the midshipmen thought about it, planned for weeks on the best way to torture us, and we agreed to show up and do our best.  They did not think we would last 30 minutes, but we showed them!  We finished their little FOCUS Sea trials after three and a half hours of ... fun.  Ha ha.  No, it was actually great.  Here is a little preview of the event.  I will post the ten minute video later.  I hope you enjoy. 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErOg9XzCl44&feature=youtu.be


P.S.  GO TEAM NAVY!!!

Rome Part 2

Assisi

The day after Pope Francis was elected we went to Assisi.  If you did not know it, this is where St. Francis of Assisi was from and started his ministry.  We planned the trip to Assisi before we went to Rome, and it was the only time we left the city.  The amazing thing was that our new Pope picked his name Francis after St. Francis of Assisi, so that night, when the Pope was elected, we all realized we were going to Assisi the very next day.  It was another one of those little things that the Lord planned for us. 

When we got there I found out that Assisi had two parts to the little town.  There was an old Assisi and a new Assisi.  New Assisi was down the hill by the train station, and old Assisi was on top of a hill, so a few of us started our hike up the hill like real pilgrims while the rest of our group took a cab.  If you ever get a chance make sure you walk.  It was amazing!  It looks like a long walk, but it really was not that bad, and the weather was great. 

 Assisi is one of the most peaceful towns I have ever been  . No, it is the most peaceful town I have ever been to.  Yet, there seemed to be this electricity in the air.  I don't know how to describe it, but I loved it, and at the very top of the city is a castle that was owned by St. Francis' father (The castle is on top of the center hill).  Captain Smith and I wanted to get to the castle, but we could not find the road to get there, so we ended up climbing the hill as if we were invaders. 

 When we finally got up to the castle we found that there was a few from our group already there.  Apparently there was an easy path to the castle. 

When we got to the top of the castle we looked down the hill, and realized why the castle was there.  If Captain Smith and I had been invaders there was no way we would have been successful on our attack.  We would have been easy targets. 

All that work was worth it, because the view was amazing!

Vatican Tour

This was the best tour I had ever been on.  The tour guide was amazing, and so was the Vatican.  I never knew that the Vatican had so many ancient artifacts.  Then again it makes sense that the church would help to preserve pieces of cultures.  It did the same thing in Europe during the Dark Ages.  It was also a great testament to how Christianity conquered all of these great nations.  They were not conquered by force from the outside but by love from the inside.  Here are a few of my favorite pictures. 

This is the vehicle that John Paul II rode when he was shot. 

Rafael's challenge to Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel. 

 

Where's Rafael?

 

Trick question.  He is over here. 

 

Proof I was there. 

I had studied this in high school, but it was much more impressive in person. 

 P.S.  There will be a Rome Part 3. 

ROME Part 1

Waiting for the new Pope!

I still cannot believe that I went to Rome.  It had always been a dream of mine, but I thought I might go someday after I retired.  Of course, I thought the same thing about going to Walt Disney World, but I was able to do that on a band trip my junior year in high school.  This year I was able to go to Rome on a pilgrimage with about twenty-five midshipmen.  It was amazing, and so many great things happened.   I felt as though the Lord had personally planned my trip and made it perfect for me.  We planned the trip months in advance, and we never expected to see the conclave or a new Pope, but that is just what happened.  Let me take you through the highlights of the trip. 

 

The Flight

First, let me give you some advice.  If you ever fly to Rome make sure you sleep on the way over.  I know all  of those great movies are tempting, but you can watch them on the way back.  You are going to need your sleep, because when you get there it could be the morning of the next day, and if you did not get any sleep...Oh man.  I got some sleep, but more would have been great. 

This was my first trip over seas, and other then the eight hours it was a pretty normal flight.  We flew out of Philadelphia, and to my surprise there were people from San Marcos, Texas.  My home town church was taking students to Rome too. 

St Peter's Basilica

This was my dream!  This is what I wanted to see, and it was the first thing that we went to see.  It was huge, and when we walked in, yup it's true, it took my breath away.  It was beautiful.  Here are some pictures. 

 

 

 

My favorite had to be the Pieta. 

White Smoke!

That was the smoke stack (Actually, it is a large screen in the middle of St. Peter's square that made it easier to see the smoke.) on the first night of the election.  We waited for almost an hour, and to no surprise the smoke was black that night. 

This has to be my favorite part in the entire trip.  Imagine this...You are a catholic missionary, and it is your dream to go to Rome and see a Pope.  You hear that the midshipmen are going on a pilgrimage to Rome and you decide to go.  The trip is planned months in advance, and as the trip is getting closer you hear that the Pope is abdicating.  In fact, you realize that there will not be a Pope when you get there.  Someone else might think, "Well, at least it is still Rome, and I can still see the Sistine Chapel and the rest of the beautiful city."  NOT ME!  This was a dream of mine, and who knows when I would get another opportunity to go to Rome?  I knew this could be one of the greatest trips ever, or one of those times when I could say "I was so close...yet so far." In fact, I later learned that the Sistine Chapel would be closed, as they prepared to use the chapel for the conclave.  I never got to see the Sistine Chapel, but that is fine.  It is still the greatest trip I have ever been on, because I was there on the second night when that white smoke came out. 

 



Everyone was so surprised when the white smoke came out, and as soon as it did the Vatican bells began to ring, and all of the bells in the city followed.  Everyone in the square rushed to the front to get a good view.  While the rest of the city rushed to the square (I mean not the entire city, but the square was packed.), and we all waited for our new Pope. 
 

It was perfect!  The rain even cleared up, so everyone was able to pull down there umbrellas.  Otherwise, we would not have been able to see.  We waited for about an hour, and then the lights turned on, and all of the cardinals step out onto to the side balconies waiting for their brother, the new Pope whom they just elected, to step out and meet the world.
 

 

That was my favorite part.  To me it symbolized the unity of the church.  I was blown away, and then he stepped out!  It was amazing!  Here is a little video of that night. 

 



 

I felt as though the Lord had done it all for me, and I will never forget that moment.  Thank you for everyone who has supported me, because I would not be a missionary without you, and I never would have been able to see this.  

P.S.  Hey Luke, is that St. Peter's?

P.P.S. Thank you Father Mike for everything!

Spring Retreat 2013

 

This past weekend the Catholic Midshipmen Club hosted the spring retreat in Centreville, Maryland.  There were about fifty-five midshipmen who came to learn more about the catholic faith.  The midshipmen lead the entire retreat, and the theme was based on the Apostle's Creed.  That is the shorter creed we use in some masses. 

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

 It was so great to see the leaders step up and share their own faith in the talks and small groups. The retreat started Friday evening with the stations of the cross at the Naval Academy. Then everyone traveled in different cars to the retreat center in Centreville. (Haha! Center in Centreville, it just sounds funny to me as I read it.) We all got there at about dusk. We dropped of our stuff, and went straight to dinner. We had some type of fish, because it was a Friday. Then we heard the first talk over the first third of the creed. Next we went to adoration, and father Mike started hearing confessions. Then it was free time which meant people stayed up by the campfire until about midnight. 

 

On Saturday, we started with the liturgy of the hours, at 7:30 in the morning, followed by breakfast.  Liturgy of the hours is a series of set prayers from scripture for the days of the week.  Millions of catholics pray these everyday.  My favorite is Sunday night prayer.  At the retreat, we did liturgy of the hours in the morning and at night, and I think there are a few students who want to continue it at the Naval Academy.  We then heard the second talk and broke up into small groups.  Each group was lead by a student leader, and it allowed for mids to open up and ask questions about the faith.  Next we went to lunch and had about two hours of silence to pray and meditate.  After that we had three hours of free time so we played soccer and football. 

While we were playing, we could see these dark clouds getting closer, but it was still sunny.  After a little while it began to snow, so it was snowing while it was sunny.  Everyone was amazed at how peaceful it seemed. 

We then heard our third and last talk on the Apostle's Creed, had mass, and then went to dinner.  When we came back from dinner we had adoration for an hour.  It was a great time to be with our Lord in prayer, and many times this is most people's favorite part of the retreat.  To finish off Saturday night we had a bonfire and s'mores.  Everyone loves s'mores!

Sunday flew by.  We started the day with mass and then breakfast.  One of the midshipmen named Steve finished up the retreat with a great talk on living our faith and being truly alive.  Many of the mids were truly impacted by that talk, and it was great to see Steve in action and telling his testimony.  After that we ate lunch and went back home.  It was a great retreat, and so many people started coming to bible studies and daily mass the following week.  I can't wait to see what the Lord does. 

P.S. I just came back from Rome, and I saw our new Pope!!!  Thank you for all the photos Katy!!!