Resi in California

Tell us a little bit about yourself!
My name is Resi. I am 29 years old and I am newly married (May 12, 2018)!

Where are you located? 

San Diego, California

Are you a cradle Catholic, convert or revert?

I am a cradle Catholic and a revert. I began exploring non-denominational Christianity after college even though I went to a Catholic university. I came back around 2014 when I first met my husband. It started one Sunday when he invited me to go to church with him where his family was going to be. As I got to know his family, his sister played a particularly significant role in helping us understand the faith & guiding us back to the Church. We’ve all been going to mass together ever since.

What’s been the biggest game changer in your Catholic faith?

I would say I have two big game changers in my Catholic faith – reading “Rediscovering Catholicism” by Matthew Kelly and “Theology of the Body for Beginners” by Christopher West. These books have helped me understand my faith in a way that I never understood it before. They provided the answers to many of the “why” questions that not even my parents could answer and a fire began to burn in me to learn more. My lifestyle & worldview has changed drastically since understanding the true teachings of the Catholic Church.

Name a saint you identify with and share why.

To be honest, I haven’t found a saint I can identify with yet perhaps because there are so many I just haven’t found one. However, I can say that I truly admire Saint Pope John Paul II. What compels me the most about him is his teaching on the Theology of the Body. I haven’t yet read it in detail but from what I have read, his insight on marriage & sexuality has been truly life changing and I am so passionate about sharing his theology to a world that is losing the sense of sacredness in marriage & sexuality.

When have you felt most valued as a woman in the Church? 

I suppose I never felt “undervalued”, but a time I felt most valued specifically as a woman would be at a women’s retreat. It reminded me how important & precious I (and all women) am in God’s eyes. I was reminded of the special & unique gifts given only to us as women, such as the ability to grow another human life inside the womb.

What’s your favorite way to pray?

My favorite way to pray is going to adoration, kneeling before Jesus, and writing Him a letter. I’ve been journaling practically my entire life and writing out my prayer helps me organize & process my thoughts. Sometimes I have so many things & people on my mind that I want to pray about/for that I can’t feel peace unless I write them all down.

Favorite liturgical holiday?

Am I allowed to say Christmas? I love Christmas season! It’s such a special season filled with joy & love that everyone can feel. The birth of a child is such a joyous occasion and celebrating the birth of Jesus is even more special! I also love that our Catholic faith celebrates Christmas long after December 25 because one day is simply not enough!

What do you do for fun?

I love spending carefree timelessness with my family & friends; I value my time with them because I realize God can call us home at anytime. I am a huge Disney fan and I love being at Disneyland! Sadly, I can't go there everyday so I also like to spend my extra time reading books about our faith or young adult novels or listening to Catholic podcasts & YouTube channels. I also recently started a blog because writing is my preferred form of communication and ever since I started understanding the faith better, I’ve had a strong desire to share my knowledge & experiences with everyone around me. I also like to workout either at the gym or by going hiking or biking outdoors.

Three words that describe you — go! 

Understanding, kind, observant.