A few months ago, I started contributing Bible study meditations to the Heart of Mary Women’s Fellowship, a Catholic Bible study site for women. Not only do they have free Bible studies, but all Bible studies from the upcoming one onward will come with a free study journal! For the first time, I got to write my very own Bible study! My study on 1st Peter starts July 13th, which is incidentally my half-birthday. A sneak preview: Many... Read more
As many of you know, I’m a huge fan of Taylor Swift. I really hope I’m not jumping the gun when I say this, but as I showed in a previous post, I’ve been very supportive of Taylor Swift’s recent relationship with Calvin Harris. Her recent posts on Instagram (as well as one post from Calvin Harris) has only made me all the more excited. But what makes this particular relationship interesting, aside from the fact that Taylor is being open... Read more
Last night, I ventured into my diocese’s annual Cafe Catholica, a young adult event that takes place in the summer. Throughout the month of July, hundreds of people come to a church in my area for Mass, dinner, and a lecture. I wasn’t just there for the lecture, though. I was part of the choir! I sang my heart out alongside my friends and marveled at the beauty of the church I was singing in. Reasons I love being... Read more
I was a fan of Pixar ever since I was a kid. Toy Story was the first movie my brother ever saw and we can both say with pride that we saw all three Toy Story movies in theatres. One thing I love about most of the Pixar movies is that they have a lot of heart. They have a way of making you cry over things like toys and robots and clownfish. Inside Out has officially become my favorite Pixar movie so far... Read more
It’s summer time, which means shopping for bathing suits, dieting, and working out for that “bikini body.” I’m not the kind of woman who feels insecure about her looks, but there are times when even I feel like a hundred-pound cow. Last night, a video of men trying on women’s bathing suits showed up on my social media feed. I rolled my eyes at the antics of the men, but I felt extremely, irrationally jealous over the woman who modeled the... Read more
This looks into Section 3 of Chapter Two, entitled “The Mystery of the Universe.” I can’t help but think of an element common in high fantasy novels known as “world building” when it comes to this particular section. Think of what made JRR Tolkien’s verse unique and the dramatic, vast world in Game of Thrones. Think of video games like Skyrim and Dragon Age, worlds filled with loads and loads of characters. All of these worlds were built by people. In a similar way, Pope... Read more
Cara Buskmiller is an aspiring OB-GYN from Dallas, TX who recently became a consecrated virgin. Today, I ask her about what exactly that kind of lifestyle entails. What exactly is a consecrated virgin and how does that differ from being a nun? Are you joining with a consecrated order or an independent one? I am going to be consecrated a virgin as Canon 604 permits. This means I am not joining a religious order (apostolic or contemplative). I... Read more
Let’s talk about flags for a minute. Trigger warning: You’re probably not gonna like this post. If you aren’t going to comment with civility, please go to Tumblr and complain there like everyone else. Flags are symbols. They are both historical and current. They represent a country’s legacy or an idea. Let’s start with the most controversial flag as of today: I distinctly remember driving through Alabama and seeing this flag flying. I don’t have a picture of it,... Read more
St. Josemaria Escriva’s The Way is not the kind of book you would read in one sitting. It’s more like the Catholic version of a devotional. Only it has a tendency to punch you in the gut and make you feel like doing push-ups. I lovingly call him a “spiritual drill sergeant” because The Way challenges everyone who reads it to take their spirituality to the next level. Examples: Character Conform? It is a word found only in the vocabulary of those... Read more
One quote from Buffy the Vampire the Slayer that resonates with me comes from the Season 5 finale “The Gift”: The hardest thing in this world is to live in it. Be brave. Live. Season 6 of Buffy was themed around the idea of life becoming the Big Bad. As angsty and heartwrenching as it sounds, Whedon got it right. Going to extremes feels easy because of the high-risk, high-reward gamble. We all jump at the chance to do the extraordinary.... Read more
Monique Ocampo Writes
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