The Anchor as a Symbol of Hope

"We have this hope as an anchor to the soul, firm and secure" Hebrews 6:19

Hope is my favorite virtue. Also, a couple months ago I fell in love with anchors. They have been using anchors on a lot of clothing items lately and also on bags, and I thought they were so cute and bought myself a necklace. Later, I went to James Avery, a silver jewelry store and I saw that they were selling an anchor cross. The vendor explained that the anchor was a symbol of hope and he recited Hebrews 6:19. I thought that was extremely cool and my love for anchors grew. I didn't really understand the bible verse completely, so I decided to do a little bit of research. I love what I discovered. 

So why are anchors used as a symbol of hope?

Anchors are heavy objects attached to a rope or chain used to secure a ship in a particular place. Used as a verb, to anchor means to secure something firmly in position or to provide with a firm basis or foundation. Because of the great importance in navigation, the anchor was regarded a symbol of safety because it would prevent the boat from drifting due to wind or current. It became the captain's last resort when the boat was close to sinking. 

The anchor then became a key Christian symbol during the period of Roman persecution. Anchors would be used instead of crosses in the epitaphs of the believers' tombs showing the hope Christians felt in their anticipation of heaven.

For that reason, anchors serve as a symbol of safety, a symbol of hope in the future. Just as anchors prevent ships from drifting away due to wind or current and cast unto the sand. As they hold a ship securely, so hope can keep our soul at rest, safe as if anchored in the harbor. Even in the midst of suffering, distress, oppression, or deep sorrow, it remains firm. It provides safety and sustains us. 

About hope

Hope is a yearning with expectation or anticipation. Used as a noun, it is to aspire, desire, wish, aim, goal, and plan. But to "have hope" means to want something desperately to happen. To expect, anticipate, and look for something. What is that something we expect and anticipate? Jesus. 

Hope in Christ

Christ is the unfailing hope. If Christ is hope, then He is our anchor. We are safe and secure by him. Trust Him and love him during beautiful and happy times and also and let Him take care of you in difficult times. If you believe in Him, you will have eternal life. That eternal life is what we are all searching for. That unending happiness by being surrounded by our father. I hope for that! 

Hope in your daily life

That hope in Christ is what drives my every action.We should have hope in everything you do. Have hope that better days are coming. Have hope in people, and especially have hope in yourself. If you don't believe that your work and your life will make a difference, that you can make tomorrow better for someone, your life will begin to lose meaning. 

I got this anchor-cross necklace at James Avery yesterday. I had wanted it for a really long time but finally decided to get it since I'm going to be traveling to so many different places, I need a reminder of Christ and hope. I need Him to be my guide as I travel across the waters.

Also, just a reminder that if you are going through a difficult time in your life right now or you are struggling with something, it is very difficult to have hope. If that is the case, I encourage you to pray to Jesus and ask him for a renewed hope and strength to carry on. I believe in you, you can get through it! Never give up! Always have hope because pain ends. 

The Weekly Saint- Catherine

Lent ended, and I decided to keep posting on this blog, even if it is just once in a while. I have realized it helps me realize everything that I am grateful for and everything that God is making happen in my life.
I also decided to start a new thing on the blog. Every week or so, I will be posting about someone that I think is doing an extremely good job at life. Someone that is well on their way to sainthood. I am calling it "The Weekly Saint".

This week, I want to talk about my friend Catherine. Fist of all, she is probably the best person I have ever met. She has made me grow so much closer to Christ and she makes me feel like I am extremely important every single second I am with her. The thing about her, is that she is always thinking of others and what others want 24/7, and she never thinks about herself (which gets to be extremely overwhelming for her) but she will always notice is there is something wrong going on with you or if anyone is feeling sick or sad, she will be the first one to notice and take care of it. She always has a smile or a kind word to offer. She is just an all-around incredible and talented person and I really really hope she can see that, because that's all other people see in her, an outstanding person.I truly believe that God sent her into my life to teach me a handful of lessons. He is definitely using her for big things in life!

Secondly, she is extremely close to God. She has such a special connection with him that you can literally see Jesus acting through her with her acts of kindness and love. I had the pleasure of being her roommate for one semester and she would basically remind me to pray every night and invite me to mass or prayer groups all the time, even when I was feeling discouraged she would make sure I attended. She would visit the Eucharistic chapel several times a day, and after mass, she would go and pray in there for a while. Even though I never told her, I was always a little bit jealous of her super-strong connection to God. She would pray to him in the chapel for long periods of time when all I could do was pray for 5 minutes...

Thirdly, Catherine has been sick for three years. She has "been struggling with severe symptoms since [her] senior year of high school. From extreme fatigue, bad headaches and brain fog to vision problems and dizziness every time [she] stands up. Much of the past two years have felt more like surviving than living. Not only has it been hard living a life that is anything but "normal," but [her] symptoms have been and continue to be diagnosed, re-diagnosed, misdiagnosed, claimed to be curable by some doctors while incurable by others, constantly resulting in further frustration and fear. “Is it ever going to end?” is sometimes a heavier cross to carry than the physical suffering. Where is God? Why is He allowing this? These are the questions I have been asking since day one. I thought He wanted me to be happy…But through much prayer, grace, and encouragement, I have been able to see that He has been by me the whole time, waiting for my permission to help me carry my cross. When I finally gave Him permission, I thought He would take the whole thing. “Here’s my cross, Jesus! Take my suffering and my pain, take it all! If I knew you were here all of this time, I would have handed it over sooner!" (Catherine's website). Even though she has been sick for so long, she is an incredible source of hope, guidance, and happiness to others. She continues to love every single person ans treat them like true children of God. 

Catherine recently stated a website of encouragement for anyone that feels like they are running out of hope. Her reflections are some of the best things I have ever read. Each one made me cry like a baby. I invite you guys to go check it out.

http://iamwithyoualways.wix.com/hope

I have seen Catherine make so many people smile, feel loved, feel wanted, bring them closer to God, that I am sure she is a little saint on earth. She is extremely special to me and I cannot wait to re-unite with her soon!

Dear God,

Please help us all strive to be your good and faithful servants. Help us love you with all out hearts, with all out might, with all our soul. Help us be holier every day, to raise our heads and hearts up high and to rejoice in your love. Help us be saints. Everyday. Help us be holy, pure, and more loving.

Amen. 

What is the purpose of life?

 At the beginning of every philosophy class, out professor ask us a question to answer for ourselves and then share with the class if we would like to. Today, he asked the most difficult question. "What is the purpose of life?" I have asked myself this questions several times during my relatively short life, and my answer depends on how I'm feeling that day. Some days, I feel like there really is no purpose, like everyone just wakes up and goes to work, tries to make money, survive, and that's the end of it. Some other days though, I feel like the purpose of our lives is to become the best-version-of ourselves to help others achieve happiness and ultimately go to heaven. Suffering is necessary to become the best-version of yourself.

A lot of people in the class answered that the purpose of life is to be happy. I totally disagree with that. I believe that being happy is our greatest desire, and we will only fully achieve that when we are in Paradise, but I don't think God just created us to be happy. God created us because He is great. It is because He is good that we are, that we exist. He did not create us out of necessity; He did not need us. He did not create us out of justice; he owed us nothing. It is to his sheer love that we owe our existence. Therefore, I believe that our purpose is to love with all of our soul and help others reach happiness so that someday too we can be in Paradise. Can you Only Imagine what heaven will be like? It's going to be the most beautiful sight in the world. 

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Day 13 of Lent

• Finally finished the 'Live for Others Jar'. It took me about 2 hours to finish writing down names and cut them up.  I feel so proud of it though! Today, I picked out Madison. She went to my high school and she was class president and probably one of the most popular girls in school, or so I thought. I had a conversation with her senor year and she said that she had really lost all her friends and didn't know what to do with herself. I told her that we should be friends and hang out, but we never really did because, well, she's a lot "cooler" than me and we have different personalities, but I kept being kind to her. Today, I offered up mass for her and practiced the good deed of the day on her.

So many names to write out!

What the finished jar looks like

• Good Deed of the Day- "Call Someone on the phone to let them know you have been thinking about them". So I was a little nervous about this one because Madison and I weren't close friends so it would be a little bit strange just calling her, but I had courage and dialed the phone. She didn't answer, but I left a message saying: {Hi! I thought of you today and was just calling to say hey and was just wondering how everything was going for you in college and to tell you that I miss you and hope you are having a great day.} I'm pretty sure she heard the message, but she didn't text or call back. I just hope it meant something to her and it at least made her smile. 
• Positive Experience- I lost my geometry notebook and I was looking for it the whole day and was really worried because it has all the notes I need for the year in it. I prayed to St. Anthony, called my brother to look for it at home, and looked everywhere in the room. Later, I had a weird 'vision' (aka remembering where you left something) so I went to look for it there, and there it was. It was such a good feeling of relief!
• 3 Things I am grateful for-

1. My Philosophy professor, he is amazing!
2. St. Anthony
3. Colored pens

• Prayer intentions- For a girl who asked for prayers on Facebook, for all the mothers considering abortion, and those who have no one to help them with everything. 

This Is Just The Beggining

I recently heard that lent is the time to 'get on track spiritually' and well, I am pretty behind,
and have so much to catch up on.

As I was thinking of something to give up this lent, all I could think of was giving up food, because that's what I struggle with the most. Then I realized that giving up food was more like a diet plan, and it would only benefit me and no one else.  So I started to think of other things I could do this lent that would improve my relationship with Christ, benefit others, and myself.

So this is what I came up with... Lenten Promise 2014 (12 steps to becoming a better person.)

1. Do morning and night prayers
  -Do an examination of conscience every night and listen to a praise and worship song and reflect on it.
2. Go to daily mass (My campus offers it several times a day!)
  -If it is absolutely not possible to go to mass, pray the rosary.
3. Do a "good deed a day" journal.
 -I recently purchased a journal that has 365 good deeds to accomplish, so I will be doing those every day, and reflecting about it at the end of the day.
4. Drink more water
 - I never drink water even after having kidney stones 3 times. I have to get better at this NOW.
5. Downsize my portion size at lunch and diner to stay a little bit hungry after each meal.
6. No candy or dessert.
7. Say: "I just want you to be happy" in my mind to every every person I see or talk to.
8. Smile more
 - This on is especially hard for me. I just can't do it, it doesn't feel natural to me, but everyone points it out. I am going to try really hard!
9. Do the: how to be happier checklist by Shawn Achor (I will be posting this in full later, It is amazing!)
10. 'Live for others Jar'
 - I am SO excited about this one! I came up the idea to live for others and sacrifice everything I do in the day for them. I went through my whole facebook friend list (1,500 people), my phone contacts, and just everyone I have ever met in my life, I wrote their names down on a piece of paper, cut them up,  and put them in a jar. Every day, I will:
  A. Pick a name out of the jar with my eyes closed
  B. Sacrifice everything I do that day for God and for that person.
  C. Pray for them.
  D. Message them on facebook/text/call with words of encouragement or something to make them smile.
  E. If the person I pick out happens to live on campus or close to me, I will anonymously do a good thing for them. 
  F. If I have ever had a conflict with that person, I should love them, forgive the, and pray for them even harder.
  G. I will then post about my experience with that person on this blog every day of lent.
11. Post all my experiences and reflections on this blog
12. LOVE MORE

I am so excited to start on this journey and see where this project takes me.