Halloween Post

This morning I was looking through some old school documents in my computer and stumbled upon a short story I wrote when I was in 7th grade for a writing contest that had to begin with "As I stretched out my hand the broom came to life...."
Yes, the prompt was amidst the Harry Potter obsession that swept through every public school district in the U.S. and that is perhaps still present.

Regardless, re-reading it made me reminisce on the HUGE enthusiasm I had while writing it (and the delight my 12/13 year-old self  took when winning first place, despite knowing probably only a handful had submitted anything from my class)  and how, at least in that particular middle school, writing was taken seriously and very much encouraged as was reading. Even during my College Credit English class senior year of high school I can't recall reading book after book with such voracity and delight as in 6th and 7th grade. I have no doubt that the experience really formed my character traits of deep curiosity (now expressed majoring in Biology) and reflective/analytical skills. 

So, just for the sake of some Halloween celebration and further reminicing here is a portion of it:

P.S. I've also been doing more reading on JP II's "Love and Responsibility" and C.S. Lewis's "The Four Loves". Both really great works! More to come!

"I followed the woman, which I later discovered was named Abigail. We

walked through the narrow streets of colorless village. In every corner

there were corpses of people, young and old, their dead bodies left with

black scars in their skin from the Black Death.

With each sight of the corpses I grew even more uncomfortable. The smell

of death was now penetrated  my cloak. Yet, Abigail kept walking as if the

corpses were invisible. As if seeing dead people were an everyday thing. I

could not understand this, for Abigail seemed weak, her eyes seemed to pop

out of her thin bony face and a slender body that was covered by the

over-sized cloak. 

We kept walking the narrow streets until we were at its center, there stood

a meetinghouse. Abigail turned to me but her face had no expression and

simply pointed at the meetinghouse. Without hesitation I entered. This room

was dark, with only two small candles lighting it.

          “Hello?” I whispered, my voice shaking from the uncertainty of this

place.

          “Come closer, for I can not see your face.  What’s thy name?” a deep

voice commanded from the back of the room.

          “I am, I am Victoria,” I said trying to hide my fear as I walked to this

strange man.

          Suddenly the door burst open and let some light in. I could now see

the room was much bigger than what appeared from the outside.  There was

a table in back where the strange man sat and rows of chairs in front of it. I

was standing in the aisle between the chairs. It was Abigail, with a paper in

her hands. She walked to the strange man, curtseyed and handed him the paper. 
Then she left the room and left me again in the darkness of the room.

The man quickly read the paper and I could see a smirk beginning to form on

his narrow scrawny face..."

First Halloween in St. Louis-2001

"Oh, are you a real Catholic?"

This was the start of a conversation that unfolded today when I picked up a classmate to go to university.

At first I was bit puzzled by his question. I had heard the question "Are you a Catholic?" plenty in high school but I hadn't quite pondered the difference between "Catholic" and "real Catholic". After a few seconds of not answering, he let go of the rosary hanging on my rear-view mirror and continued, "I mean, do you actually believe and go to Mass every week? Or are like most young people that really don't care?"

"Oh," I replied still thinking over the question. I glanced quickly to the side and noticed him staring blankly at the road before us and before I could answer more he continued.

"You know, it's so rare to find people that actually believe anymore.  People that's actually their decision and will and their desire to be Catholic," he wistfully ended.

I left his question unattended until after classes. On the way back a few Gregorian chants from a CD that a dear Dominican friar gave me started playing from my iPod and he joyfully chimed in about the history of Gregorian chant, and its unique 4-note simplicity.

"So you do actually go to Mass?", he asked again.

"Yes, I got at least once a week, and now with afternoon classes I could even go daily if I wanted", I replied with a sincere smile.

"Great, yeah, I usually go about 4 times a week," he answered nonchalantly yet joyfully.

I thought more about his question when I got home. Part of me felt saddened that he thought so few  young people practiced their faith, even if I didn't doubt that was true. However, on that same "sadness" I also realized what great grace this 21-year old held, regardless of the seeming "absence" of others in faith what he believed he adored, and thus it was a most joyful treasure for him and it only took a few minutes to notice this for me.

After further reflection I also began to understand a bit why the separation between "Catholic" and "real Catholic".. or at least this is my own hypothesis on it. I suppose, Mexico, and Guadalajara in particularly, is an extremely extremely "Catholic" city. In the sense that historically, and culturally, it's infused with Catholicism. There are parishes about every 3 blocks, and, particularly downtown, shrines that are across the street from each other. In a sense, it would a shock to not be Catholic, and yet, even amidst this obvious "Catholicity" the reality is its opposite for it's that much easier to neglect and ignore when you no longer recognize the value in what has been around for so long. So yes, I could see how "Are you a real Catholic?" was a very valid question, and, if taken a step further, it really questions upon the faithfulness of our own discipleship. Had this young man meant the latter I am sure I would of had a harder time with my answer.

College life makes me want to do this....

 

I don't think there is anyone following this (blog) anyhow, but just in case there were ghost readers, or even if simply for myself... sorry for the delay! I look forward to writing and thinking about things not Chemistry or Physics related this weekend! In the meantime, praise be to God it's nearly Friday!