About Present Catholic
We’ve all experienced the anticipation leading up to something before. While anticipation is not necessarily a bad thing in and of itself, it can lead us to live in a constant state of longing or desire for the future. This can cause a disconnect from the present moment and keep us from enjoying, participating in, or simply recognizing its existence at all!
My focus with the Present Catholic blog is to foster a way of thinking and acting that helps people truly embrace the present moment. The word “present” can be used in multiple ways. As an adjective it encourages you to BE in this moment. As a verb it reminds you of your calling to GIVE. And as a noun it inspires us to CHERISH the gifts we are given TODAY. By living in the present moment we allow ourselves to better prepare for what the future will hold because we’re actively participating in its creation!
Through this blog, I hope you find encouragement to embrace each moment you are given by cultivating a healthy balance between anticipating the future and looking back on the past.
About Melissa
First and foremost, I am a beloved daughter of God. I write that as much to remind myself as I write it for you because there will never be anything that comes before that. I love spending time with my family and friends- they give me life. I find a lot of joy in hospitality and bringing people together through fun and meaningful gatherings. If you have a story to share, I want to hear it! For work, I was the Director of Campus Ministry at a small Catholic college for 5 years. I left that job in June 2022 to pursue my dream of opening a Catholic café! You’ll find me sharing a lot of the journey of this dream with you here.
Kickboxing is my absolute favorite form of working out but I’m also super proud to say I completed a Tough Mudder in 2022. And if there’s anywhere I could travel to it would be back to Italy which stole my heart when I studied abroad there in college!
As far as my faith, I seek to abide by the teachings of the Catholic Church in every area of my life which I’m only ever able to do by the grace of God, and when I fail (more often than I care to admit) I embrace the Sacrament of Reconciliation to atone for my shortcomings and seek holy guidance to align myself with the will of God once again. See the Nicene Creed and Catechism of the Catholic Church for a full rundown of beliefs 🙂
There are many Bible verses that I could quote in an effort to sum up my faith but here are two. The one that has been with me the longest & the one God has used the most to reach me:
“I believe, help my unbelief.” Mark 9:24
“The Lord will fight for you, just be still.” Exodus 14:14