I found myself rushing through a grocery store on a busy Friday afternoon at the end of an arduous week. There was Christmas music blaring throughout the store, my stomach was grumbling and I was frantically picking my way through the produce section before I had to be at work.

Ever since I was a young girl, sports have been my outlet. The rush of energy that comes from scoring a goal, the thrill of passing someone in a race, the satisfaction of mastering a skill, are moments I lived for.

Have you ever sat in complete silence for a half hour?

‘Light the advent candle one, now the waiting has begun.’

As a young Catholic, I’m finding that it is important to surround myself with as much of a Catholic presence as I can. I’m in my last year of high school, and I’ve noticed that through the past few years it’s gotten harder to hold steady in my faith.

When presented with barrages of violent and destructive images, sometimes the only place to look is away. To say that it is a challenge to witness these horrors is an understatement, but to go beyond that and work against these horrors is what makes heroes.

As Nov. 5 approaches, I become increasingly excited. No, it is not my birthday, but my name day, called “imieniny” in Polish.

When I moved out of home for the first time, going to university, the big decision was taking matters of faith into my own hands. At university, there is no parent to wake you up on Sunday morning and drag you out to church. Did I really want to do all of that?

There used to be a time when I thought of Mass as just an obligation; something I had to attend to please God. It was after going to Madrid for World Youth Day 2011 that my eyes were opened. I understood that I had been approaching the Eucharist in the wrong way.

October is a special month for Catholics because it is the month Pope Pius XI chose in 1926 for the first World Mission Sunday. Falling on Oct. 23, it is the day we remember missionaries such as priests, sisters and lay people who continue to dedicate their lives to living out the gospel through prayer, action and love.