Week 2: Everyone Has an Origin Story

 Everyone Has an Origin Story 🦸

"May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be" - St. Therese of Lisieux

If you have ever read book, binged watched a television show or movie on Netflix, there is bound to an origin story to the main character's life, or even in the workings of a script. Look at Peter Parker (aka Spiderman). He was a nerdy, awkward teenager who got bitten by a radioactive spider from his best friend's dad's lab in New York City (for all my Marvel comic book loving people like myself). Well, you get the whole story of Spiderman, right? If not, hit that info up! 

Hi beautiful people! Happy Sunday! Today in the Catholic Church, it is the feast day of the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ! This marks the official (though it is debatable) ending to the Christmas season 😢. But it is okay because we are in a new year and new us (got what I did there?). Though I didn't get bitten by a radioactive spider or have magical jewels (Miraculous Ladybug, look it up!) to give me super powers, I want to write about the origins of this blog.

When I started thinking and praying about this blog, I was also thinking of a name for it. With every blog, there has to be a catchy name attached. I was brainstorming in my mind and throwing out ideas like there was no tomorrow. I had some names that were pretty basic (i.e.: Andrea's Blog) to extreme ones (i.e. Li Calzi Writes). Attractive names, right? 

I think it wasn't until I heard from someone or somewhere about how my faith in Christ is unpopular thing and countercultural. It is unpopular to be a Catholic, especially in this post-modern, technological day and age. The culture which I live (Canada) is diverse and beautiful, but the culture sees the Church as a social construct and only an institution that promotes "binding rules and is very judgemental towards people who are outside the church". 

Most Catholics (if not all) agree that these statements quoted are far from the truth. Sure, my faith is unpopular to the current culture, but it is my identity. I am a child of God. It goes against what society teaches us on how to act or feel. What many people don't realize is this: 

Jesus didn't die on a cross for me, He died for EVERYONE. People from the same and different faith backgrounds, people who identify with the LGTBQ+ communities, people from different races, classes, etc., and anyone else in between that should be mentioned. The reason He embraced that cross is so He can be close to us, for HE LOVES US ALL, even when it hurts. 

Being Catholic is an unpopular and not an easy way to be. The reason I chose this name too was because I know that I am far from perfect. I make mistakes all the time. I am a part of a church that had and still has broken people in it. One great saint of the church 

         said, "the Church is a hospital for sinners". 

But I embrace and accept it all, just like Peter Parker accepted his "abnormal" spider powers, I embrace my unpopular identity as a Catholic. I know that Christ is present in His church. He can take our brokeness and make us great, beautiful and enough for Him alone. 

I am actually hoping one day (God-Willing) I can put my blog name will be on a t-shirt, just like those tees, 'the anti-social social club'. A girl can dream, right?  

Everyone has an origin story to tell, what's yours? 

If you are comfortable, write it down blow in the comments. 👇👇👇👇👇

Be Good, Be Safe, Be Happy, 

-Unpopular Andrea 🙏😊