Seize the Moment Because Tomorrow You Might Be Dead: Things I Learned At Cafe Catholica

Last updated on: July 7, 2015 at 12:50 pm by Monique Ocampo

Seize the Moment Because Tomorrow You Might Be Dead: Things I Learned At Cafe Catholica 2015-07-07T12:50:03-05:00 Monique Ocampo

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

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 Catholic: The many, many, many gorgeous churches!

The night started with my friends and me singing praise and worship songs before Mass started. I pretty much sang by ear because I hadn’t sung in choir since I was a kid. But I felt like I was performing, looking out at the crowd in front of me. Best of all, I was doing this for God, not just for myself. After Mass ended, there was a dinner. I didn’t eat much given my allergies, but I was glad to find some friends from retreats as well as fellow UST alums who were either with friends or volunteering. I even made some new friends and managed to avoid causing any drama in spite of the fact that I fangirl squeed over Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris with one of my friends and argued with someone over Doctor Who companions. (Shipping and fandoms are serious business with me.)

The lecture last night talked about authentic love and how it’s more than just a feeling. Authentic love is a reflection of God, a reflection of the Trinity. She mentioned a lot of CS Lewis and Pope Benedict, both of which scored major points with me. Overall, I felt like I had a great time.

I’ve been complaining about how I wish my life were different on this blog a lot. The biggest thing I learned from the Mass, the dinner, and the lecture at Cafe Catholica last night was that I needed to enjoy the moment. I tend to go into events like this with a lot of expectations only to end up disappointed. This time, I just went with the flow and left the event feeling wonderful. Although there was wifi, I chose not to seek out a way to log into it because I was in a church and felt like going online, either before the Mass or during the lecture, felt improper. I also chose not to focus on the past, either, because I was there to try new things. I told myself “You are going to sing your heart out and blow their socks off!” And that’s exactly what I did.

I learned that I was getting better at making small talk. That there were other people who were going through the same thing that I was going through. Most of all, I learned that when you live in the moment, really cherishing it instead of hiding behind a smartphone or a layer of apathy/disgust/boredom, you find new, wonderful things.

So, as my favorite Slayer says “Seize the moment because tomorrow, you might be dead.”

Previous Post

July 6, 2015

Why Inside Out Is the Smartest Movie Pixar Ever Made (So Far): A Night At The Movies

Next Post

July 8, 2015 "But They're Not My Type!" - Balancing Standards and Flexibility in Dating

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category A Night at the Movies Apologetics Asperger's Syndrome autism Being Catholic Books Buffy the Vampire Slayer Faith Fandoms Heart of Mary Women's Fellowship Interviews Lent Music Personal Life Poetry Prayer Radiance and Grace Reflections Relationships Religion Saints Seven Quick Takes Social Media Taylor Swift Television The Soapbox True Love Tuesday Uncategorized Women of Christ Wednesday writing Young Adult Issues

Select a Month February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz