January 2015

New Evangelists Monthly - January 2015

New Evangelists Monthly - January 2015

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Secret Cynics

joy by Melanie Jean Juneau

Progression of Sin Analyzed

A Spiritual Journey by David Wong

Inconceivable! The Ongoing Dissolution of the Christian Faith

A Faith-Full Life by Adam Crawford

The Christmas Dilemma: An Elegant Solution

God-Haunted Lunatic by Rick Becker

Why Celebrating Christmas as a Season Makes Sense

A Slice of Smith Life by Tracy Smith

Trust, Fertility and Advent

Plot Line and Sinker by Ellen Gable Hrkach

Hide in Plain Sight 2

Smaller Manhattans by Christian LeBlanc

Thankful

Lord, Make Me a Saint by Jamie Jo

St. Therese's Birthday

Cherishing Everyday Beauty by Sarah Therese

7 Catholic New Year's Resolutions

Saints 365 by Debbie Gaudino

Become like the little drummer boy

Blog of a Country Priest by Fr. John Corrigan

I Wished I Was Different

The Veil of Chastity by Cindy Hurla

Fullness

With Us Still by John Schroeder

Bethune Catholic

Bethune Catholic by Jim Curley

No Nativity, No Eucharist

by Tony Agnesi

Behold, I make all things new (Rev 21:5)

JOY Alive in our hearts by Nancy Ward

The Complementarity of the sexes: embarassing but indispensible

LMS Chairman by Joseph Shaw

St. Stephen and a hog-killin

A Catholic Mom climbing the Pillars by Ebeth Weidner

Welcome to Advent - Mission Statement for the Liturgical Year

Our Home.... Under Mary's Mantle by Emily Davis

Have Yourself Some Mischief This Christmas with these Favorite Reads

Between the Linens by Ashley Woleben

All Dogs Do Not Go to Heaven: What the Pope Really Said

Designs by Birgit by Birgit Jones

Duns Scotus and the Immaculate Conception

by David Torkington

Embracing Compassion - Step into the Suffering

by Virginia Lieto

Missionaries in the Family

Grace of Adoption by Mary Beth Brummond

The Job of Mother Doesn't Stop on a Birthday

Holloway Family North by Ruth Anne Holloway

Joy: Christmas Homily

Fr. Ben's Biblical Blog by Fr. Ben Hadrich

Abortion: When does a person become a person?

Catholic Deacon by Deacon Scott Dodge

Picturing Mary at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

by Tom Perna

Really Pretty Simple, Isn't It?

The Breadbox Letters by Nancy Shuman

Christmas and the Fulfillment of Human History

Musings of a Missionary in the Modern World by Sr. Anne Marie Walsh

The Centrality of the Family in Catholic Social Teaching

The Paper Gryphon by Michael Brumley

So Help Me God

Blogging For A Better Life by Rose O'Donnell

My Jesus, My King

Journey to Wisdom by Larry T

A Zany Christmas Party To Save The World

Peace Garden Mama by Roxane Salonen

A State of Grace

Declaring the Whole Counsel by Fr. Chori Jonathin Seraiah

Catholic Resources on Extreme Parenting

Can We Cana? by Karee Santos

St. Juan Diego Picture Books

Happy Little Homemaker by Jen Steed

Book Review: The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands

These Joyful Mysteries by Kathleen S

When compassion is the only gift that counts

Leaven For The Loaf by Ellen Kolb

Remembering Our Lady of Guadalupe

Harvesting The Fruits of Contemplation by Michael Seagriff

Let Your Light Shine Before Men

Bartimaeus' Quiet Place by Bartimaeus Timeo

Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell

The Wayward Catholic by Paul Roy

What a Glorious Christmas/Birthday!

Quiet Consecration by Leslie Klinger

Star Studded Wonder

Dancing in the Rain by Kathryn Cooper

Advent: Another Year of the Long Watch

Wed, 07 Jan 2015 12:00:00 EST by Brian Gill

Lessons Learned

Kitchen table chats by Denise Hunnell

Christmas Musing: Preti's "The Visitiation" and Our Search for the Infinite

Rambling Follower by Allison Salerno

Matthew 6:33

The Running Hail Mary by Carolyn Smith

Remembering our Advent journey 5 years ago: Coming home

Catholic Review by Rita Buettner

A Branch of the Tree

Busy Catholic Moms by Shannon Vandaveer

10 Reasons Some Women Are Wearing Veils in Church Again

ChurchPOP by Brantly Millegan

CANADA'S SHAME: Peaceful Pro-lifers get Prison, Canadians Killed Seconds Before Natural Birth

Christ's Faithful Witness by Susan Fox

EUTHANASIA: Rejecting the Comfort of Christ

Christ's Faithful Witness by Lawrence Fox

The Canaanite Woman's Daughter

Bible Meditations by Barbara Hosbach

Moved to Tears

FranciscanMom by Barbara Szyszkiewicz

I Am Here

bukas palad by Fr. Adrian Danker

Jesus Wore Purple Knickers

beautiful thorns by Lisa Ponchak

The Art And Science Of Time Travel: Hebrews 1-1-6

GONZO HOMILETICS by Fr. Tucker Cordani

If Christians Had Chutzpah

The Crooked Halo by Nanette Carey

The Perfection of Love

Suffering With Joy by Barbara Schoeneberger

Selling Peace for a Song...

Blossoming Joy by Melody Marie

An Encylical on Climate change, what we wish Pope Francis would say

Catholic Xray by Michael Depietro

Reflected in Our Faces

Mere Observations by Jeff Walker

Suicide, Sin and Dealing with Depression

A Catholic Citizen in America by Brian Gill

On the Language of Reverence

Yard Sale of the Mind by Ishmael Alighieri

The Enemy's Tactic #1: The Loss of Reason

by Philip Kosloski

Hits and Misses of 2014: These Stone Walls

Freedom Through Truth by Michael Brandon

Christmas Camellia

salliesART by Sallie Thayer

I May Have a "Deformed" Left Hand, but...

by Kim Padan

"Alas, Alas for the Great City!" An Urgent Plea for Prayer at the New Year!

Archdiocese of Washington Blog by Monsignor Charles Pope

Belated Christmas greetings. Also, music.

crucesignatiblog by Christina Sawchuk

Mary: The One That Leads

CatholicSoup by Vinny Carr

Talking with Deacon Tom about Erin's Ring

String of Pearls by Laura Pearl

Ready to be generous

by Margaret Felice

Dear

Loved As If by Drusilla

Book review: Catholicism and Contraception

Father Souza's Blog by Fr. Gerald Souza

Fight Like a Child

Small Paul by Paul Smith

Rejoice

A Catholic Heart For Home by Niki Chris

A Fruit of the Saint John's Bible Visit to My High School

Catholic Bibles by Timothy McCormick

Tears of joy

walk the way by John Donaghy

The Woman's Body in Prision

The True Dignity of Women by Bethanie Ryan

Mary and Her Spirit

Travels of a New Christian by Reese Cumming

The Ache of Longing

A Still Small Voice by Zoe Jumonville

Faint Hue of Grace

Faint Hue of Grace by Allison DeWolf

My Jesus, My King

Journey to Wisdom by Heidi Knofczynski

Midnight Clear

La Joie Inattendue by Kimberly Lynch

The Christmas Conversion of St.Therese

Principium et Finis by James Milliken

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New Evangelists Monthly is an informal, dynamic, crowd-sourced “meta-magazine” showcasing the best posts faithful Catholic bloggers publish each month. Here you will find many different, but faithfully Catholic viewpoints, insights and perspectives.

Contributing authors submit their very best piece from the prior month between subsequent first and second Saturdays. Readers are welcome to visit anytime, even while contributions are still being accepted for a new issue. Back issues are available in the archive.

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Secret Cynics [at joy]

Do I wait stoically or with joy?

Do I wait like a child, a child who trusts that his daddy will keep His promises or has life’s disappointments left me jaded and closed off to any spiritual surprises?

Come to think of it, how many of us actually expect to receive any joy on Christmas morning? When we are secretly cynical, we will not receive a thing, not a crumb of Light because we lock the door to our hearts. Then, we will cement our cynicism in place for another year.

As we wait, secretly longing for the dark, empty places within us to be flooded with His light, we should look to our children to teach us how to wait for the Christ Child to be born anew in our hearts. They trust and believe the words of both their earthly and heavenly Fathers. Think of a young child, eyes twinkling, barely able to sit still and contain his excitement because he knows that his dad will never give him a stone instead of a loaf of bread. No wonder Jesus tells us,

“I assure you,” He said, “unless you are converted and become like children, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven…” Matthew 18:4

 I can be an open window for the Holy Spirit and become one of many counterpoints of spiritual light to push back the darkness.

I can choose tCandleo welcome new life into my inner darkness. So I relax and let go of the burdens. Then I turn my eyes to the child Jesus in silent expectation, waiting to be filled with light and hope because it is Advent, the brink of Christmas, a festival of light, joy and peace on earth. If we are open and humble, the flames of the Advent candles shine as beacons of hope in the darkness, symbols of the Light of the world who will come on Christmas morning.

In fact, why don’t we all humble ourselves and ask for the faith of a child as we wait this Advent.

Has God surprised you with special blessings at Christmas? Can you take a leap of faith and ask your Father in heaven for the bread of His Presence, knowing He will not give you a stone?

This contribution is available at http://melaniejeanjuneau.wordpress.com/2014/12/21/secret-cynics/
Copyright is retained by the contributing author (follow above link for info on this piece).

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Progression of Sin Analyzed [at A Spiritual Journey]

      All sins begin with an impure heart. The mind receives the thought first, making entertaining sinful thoughts the most common sin. Left unchecked, the sin propels the sinner into action, and the easy action to take is to speak words. Hence, sinning in words is the next most common sin, often causing others to sin in their thoughts and words. The other action is to perform the deed to fulfill the sinful intention. This sin may be the least common of the three here, but it can affect others devastatingly. 

This contribution is available at http://journeyofimperfectsaint.blogspot.com/2014/12/progression-of-sin-analyzed.html
Copyright is retained by the contributing author (follow above link for info on this piece).

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Inconceivable! The Ongoing Dissolution of the Christian Faith [at A Faith-Full Life]

Only 500 years ago it would have been absolutely inconceivable to think of any individual Christian simply going out and creating their own church. Christ had already founded a Church on, and through, His apostles. This Church was called by His name – Christian – and it was known as the Church Catholic, i.e. the Christian Church universal.

A church created by someone else 1,500 years after Christ, naming itself not after Christ, but instead naming itself Lutheran after it’s founder Martin Luther (or Calvinist after John Calvin, etc.)? Inconceivable! Churches who define themselves not by their universality, but rather by their protest against the Church universal? Inconceivable! Churches who take their name and define themselves by a very singular aspect of their theology (Adventist, Pentecostal, Anabaptist, Evangelical, etc.)? Inconceivable!

And yet…

500 years ago it would have been absolutely inconceivable to think of any Christian church who would teach that baptism was not the normative means of salvation. Martin Luther himself wrote in his large Catechism that, “Baptism is no human plaything but is instituted by God himself. Moreover, it is solemnly and strictly commanded that we must be baptized or we shall not be saved. We are not to regard it as an indifferent matter, then, like putting on a new red coat. It is of the greatest importance that we regard baptism as excellent, glorious, and exalted.”¹ Baptism was universally seen by Christians as in some sense necessary for salvation, until Ulrich Zwingli in the 16th century denied its necessity.² Now there are literally thousands of Christian denominations (and non-denominations) which teach that baptism is optional, unnecessary, or merely symbolic. Inconceivable!

And yet…

500 years ago it would’ve been absolutely inconceivable to think of any Christian church who would teach that the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist was only symbolic. In fact, with the exception of Ulrich Zwingli, all of the Protestant reformers believed in some way that Christ was really present in the communion elements; that His presence was not merely symbolic, metaphorical, or by His activity alone. Zwingli challenged this notion asserting that communion was only symbolic, and countless Protestant churches and denominations have followed suit.

The celebration of the Eucharist has always been at the center of the Mass – reflected in the Scriptures as the reason for the gathering of the early Christians, and pronounced by the Church as the, “source and summit of the faith.” Now merely a metaphor, the Eucharist has been removed from the altar, the central focus of the nave, and regulated to the sides or backs of the auditoriums where many Christians meet; partaken of infrequently if at all. Most Protestant churches are bereft of crucifix, altar, tabernacle, candles, and religious images and statues of any kind. It is the preacher’s podium which has become the central aspect of the church service rather than the real presence of Christ. Inconceivable!

And yet…

500 years ago it would’ve been absolutely inconceivable to think of any Christian church who would allow for divorce and then permit remarriage. Based on the teachings of Christ in the Scriptures, Christians have always believed that divorce was only permissible in the case of adultery, and if a divorce was granted, both partners were directed to remain celibate so long as their former spouse was alive. But then King Henry VIII came along. The king demanded a divorce and was willing to declare himself Supreme Head of the church (1534) in order to justify his continued divorces and new marriages. What’s good for the king is thus good for the people, and virtually every Protestant church has since followed suit, allowing for both divorce and remarriage by it’s members. Inconceivable!

And yet…

Less than 100 years ago it would have been absolutely inconceivable to think of any Christian church who would teach that contraception was permissible for married Christians. In issuing Humanae Vitae, Pope Paul VI relied on the Minority Papal Commission Report of the Pontifical Commission on Birth Control. The Minority report argued that: “One can find no period of history, no document of the church, no theological school, scarcely one Catholic theologian, who ever denied that contraception was always seriously evil. The teaching of the Church in this matter is absolutely constant. Until the present century this teaching was peacefully possessed by all other Christians, whether Orthodox or Anglican or Protestant. The Orthodox retain this as common teaching today.” 

As a point of historical fact, all of the major reformers shared the view that contraception was a grave moral wrong. It is not until the 1930 Lambeth Conference that the Anglican church first gave approval for birth control in some circumstances. At the 1958 Lambeth Conference it was stated that the responsibility for deciding upon the number and frequency of children was laid by God upon the consciences of parents “in such ways as are acceptable to husband and wife.” Virtually every Protestant church has since followed suit permitting it’s members to use contraception as they see fit. Inconceivable!

And yet…

Less than 50 years ago it would have been absolutely inconceivable to think of any Christian church who would teach that directly causing an abortion was permissible. New Testament scholar Bruce Metzger comments, “It is really remarkable how uniform and how pronounced was the early Christian opposition to abortion.”³ Likewise, Protestant reformer John Calvin followed both the Scriptures and the historical position of the church when he affirmed, “The fetus, though enclosed in the womb of its mother, is already a human being, and it is a most monstrous crime to rob it of the life, which it has not yet begun to enjoy. If it seems more horrible to kill a man in his own house than in a field, because a man’s house is his place of most secure refuge, it ought surely to be deemed more atrocious to destroy a fetus in the womb before it has come to light.”⁴

Within the last few decades, however, it has become popular for certain theologians, ministers, and Christian denominations to be pro-abortion. The Religious Coalition for Abortion Rights has, for instance, adopted the motto, “Prayerfully Pro-choice,” and pro-choice advocates point to it as proof that conscientious Christians can be pro-choice. Several mainline Christian denominations have followed suit including the Methodist Church, United Church of Christ, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. Inconceivable!

And yet…

Less than 50 years ago it would have been absolutely inconceivable to think of any Christian church who would teach that homosexual acts were permissible, much less ordain homosexual clergy or perform homosexual marriages. Historically, Christian churches have regarded homosexual acts as sinful, based on the Catholic understanding of the natural law and a traditional interpretation of certain passages in the Bible.

Recently however, many Christian churches and denominations have interpreted these biblical passages differently and argue that the practice of homosexuality can now be seen as morally acceptable. This approach has been taken by a large number of denominations in the US, notably the United Church of Christ, the Moravian Church, the Anglican Episcopal church, Friends General Conference, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and others. Relatively large denominations have also taken this approach in Europe including United, Reformed and Lutheran Churches, the Anglican Church, the Evangelical Church in Germany, Church of Sweden, Church of Norway, Church of Denmark, Protestant Church of the Netherlands, Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches, Methodist Church of Great Britain, the Church of Scotland, and others.

In 1989 The Evangelical Network was formed with LGBT Evangelical Christians. It is a network of churches, ministries and Christian workers. A new denomination, the Metropolitan Community Church, has also come into existence specifically to serve the Christian LGBT community. Inconceivable!

And yet…

What will the next decades and centuries bring in the continuing dissolution of the Christian faith? An even more radical departure from historic and orthodox Christian teaching and practice?

Inconceivable?

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

!

Large Catechism 4:6, Martin Luther ↩

Cross, Frank Leslie; Elizabeth A. Livingstone (2005). “Baptism”. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 151–154. ISBN 0-19-280290-9. OCLC 58998735 ↩

Michael Gorman, Abortion and the Early Church (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1982), p. 9. ↩

John Calvin, Commentary on Pentateuch, cited in Crisis Pregnancy Center Volunteer Training Manual (Washington, D.C., Christian Action Council, 1984), p. 7 ↩

This contribution is available at http://adamncrawford.com/
Copyright is retained by the contributing author (follow above link for info on this piece).

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The Christmas Dilemma: An Elegant Solution [at God-Haunted Lunatic]

The best way to shorten winter is to prolong Christmas.
~ G.K. Chesterton

1950 Merry Christmas grandma... PlymouthIt’s December 21, and we just today procured our Christmas tree – finally!

Considering that most families have had their trees up and decorated since late November, you’d think we were just über-cheapskates who stall until merchants start giving them away free. Or, worse, maybe we’re somehow anti-Christmas – a household of Scrooges muttering “Bah” and “Humbug” at every turn.

Nope, innocent on both counts – we’re actually Christmas spendthrifts and fanatics! Untold number of decorations, special linens, and other seasonal paraphernalia are starting to reappear after their yearlong absence, and I know we’ll be buying more – we always do! And not only do we relish the celebrations, we like to let them linger as long as possible into the new year. In fact, if it were up to me, we’d leave a Nativity scene set up on the mantle year round to foster a perpetual yuletide groove – why be extravagantly cheerful and generous once a year?

Nevertheless, in terms of Christmas trees, we’re almost always the last ones on the block to get one, and it’ll stay bare until Christmas Eve. We’ll decorate it that night before departing for Midnight Mass, and we’ll spread out the gifts underneath when we return. Then – and here’s the real kicker – we’ll leave the decorated tree up until well into January!

This is the heart of what I call the “Christmas dilemma” – a phenomenon Catholic parents know all too well, and it’s only tangentially related to Santa Claus.

Instead, the Christmas dilemma is rooted in the utter collapse of Advent outside of the liturgy. I mean, you know and I know that Christmas is preceded by four weeks of preparation, and that the eight-day feast itself begins on the evening of December 24th. Likewise, you know and I know that the Christmas season continues on until the Baptism of the Lord – this year falling on Sunday, January 11th. The dilemma, the problem we parents face, is that nobody else knows those things, least of all our children, and the culture at large is determined to keep it that way.

bizholidays-analysis3daConsider the obvious: Wal-Mart and Walgreens start hawking Xmas merchandise as early as Halloween, so our kids are already salivating over holiday treats and gift possibilities long before Advent is even on the liturgical radar. Up next, Thanksgiving – the faux Christmas Eve, with St. Nick himself, sitting atop his , ushering in the “real” Christmas season (read: “shopping orgy”).

Then, the High Holy Day itself arrives: Black Friday! With sales and Santa blasting us from dawn until dusk, and omnipresent Christmas music 24/7 on radio and overhead Muzak wherever we go – there’s no escape! Even if conscientious parents want to preserve the Advent illusion throughout the month of December, the schools hammer the Christmas theme from Thanksgiving on, right alongside Target and Kohls and the Chamber of Commerce.

Advent-wise our kids don’t stand a chance, and then December 25th arrives almost as a disappointment – an idea that Dave Barry captures so well:

I really like Christmas Eve. I think I like it even more than Christmas Day. On Christmas Day, you get to open your presents and see what you got, but you also know that Christmas is starting to be over for a year, and by nighttime some of the stuff you got is already broken. On Christmas Eve, all the tree lights are on and carols are playing and people are saying “Merry Christmas,” and everything is about to happen, but it didn’t happen yet. That’s the best time of the year.

And, just in case we didn’t get the point, there’s the holiday coup de grâce: The universal Christmas tree dump on December 26th – the very day that the feasting should just be getting underway. My kids are already pretty sensitive about being Catholic weirdos – Mass obligations on the weekend, confession from time to time, meatless Fridays, movie restrictions (what, no R-rated flicks?!) – so they’re always on the lookout for opportunities to, say, blend in a little more. Putting up the tree in mid-December and then leaving it up until mid-January is like asking for trouble from their vantage point: “Can’t we just be like everyone else for a change?”

What to do? I’ve given it lots of thought, and it occurred to me that the solution has been staring us in the face all along – it’s so obvious, so simple! Yes, it’ll also seem radical – off the wall even – but I’d like to propose it all the same, although I imagine it’ll take some time to implement, and we’ll have to run it past the Roman Curia, if not Pope Francis himself.

Here’s my idea in a nutshell: Let’s admit defeat with regards to Advent, cut our losses, and move the celebration of Christmas to the day after Thanksgiving – genius, right?! Consider the advantages:

On account of the long Thanksgiving weekend, most Americans already have Black Friday off – check! Plus, sane people would welcome an excuse to stay home and away from the malls that day anyway – check, check! And football? Yes, of course. But that comes later in the day, leaving plenty of time for Mass and unwrapping gifts and sharing a cup of cocoa around the fire before the afternoon games begin – check, check, check!

Then, there’s the shopping advantage – I’m no expert, but I’ll bet those October early-bird sales crush the tepid deals you’ll find after turkey day. Moreover, if Advent runs from All Saints until Thanksgiving, you’d be able to actually focus on preparing for Christmas instead of merely enduring what has become a preemptive holiday onslaught.

Finally – and the clincher as far as I’m concerned – a Black Friday Christmas can usher in a true octave of feasting and festivity that accords with what everybody else is already doing! Christmas cookies, secret Santa gift exchanges, holiday parties, and hearty “Merry Christmas!” greetings could be embraced with gusto. We could go caroling – real caroling – any time in December free of liturgical guilt. And, the best part? The tree! We could put up our Christmas trees right after Thanksgiving, and then toss them out on the curbs first thing on St. Stephen’s day, just like the neighbors. No more furtive curtains drawn on our January tinsel and lights, skulking around in the new year with our dried-out Douglas firs. It’ll be “when in Rome, do as the Romans do,” and all that.

The objections, I know, are legion, but at least we’ve all developed a tolerance for this kind of liturgical shapeshifting – Ascension “Thursdays” celebrated on Sundays is my favorite example.

Anyhow, maybe my proposal could be the basis for further discussion. The key, I think, is to make it easier for American Catholics to practice their faith, don’t you think? Sure, the Holy Father wants us to reject a culture of comfort, but let’s be reasonable. Nobody wants to stick out; better to blend right in – where’s the harm in that?

_______________________________________________

This contribution is available at http://godhauntedlunatic.wordpress.com/2014/12/21/the-christmas-dilemma-an-elegant-solution/
Copyright is retained by the contributing author (follow above link for info on this piece).

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Why Celebrating Christmas as a Season Makes Sense [at A Slice of Smith Life]

So after the

festivities and fun (and sometimes fever) surrounding Christmas Day

, what's next?  Does Christmas end on December 25, after all it's been celebrated since before Thanksgiving for many families and stores? 

According to the radio channels, Christmas must be over since there are no more carols being heard and stores no longer play the cheerful tunes. (And my family misses hearing the carols AFTER Christmas Day!) Now stores are rushing to set up for the next holiday, Saint Valentine's Day. 

All families have their

Christmas traditions

and have good reasons for them.  So if you have already packed up the decorations and thrown your tree to the curb, that's fine, but I invite you to keep reading.  I hope what I say here may give you greater insight on why you may see others keeping Christmas decorations set up and lit up well past Christmas Day.  I've been pondering a lot lately of why celebrating Christmas as a season vs. just one day makes sense.  

  Lacy at Catholic Icing

has a great post about thinking about

Advent (preparation before Christmas) as a time of nesting

to prepare our hearts and homes for Jesus.   I loved her analogies and examples in the post of how preparing for the birth of Baby Jesus is similar to nesting for a baby.

After I read Lacy's post and have seen and heard how others take down decorations soon after Christmas Day, you could say I had an epiphany myself:

celebrating Christmas as a season is very much like celebrating the birth of child for a family.

But how you may ask?

*

Each year on Christmas Day, Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus / Each year on a baby's birthday families celebrate the birth of their child.

*

We greet others with "Merry Christmas!" past Christmas Day to join in the celebration of our newborn King / We tell families "Congratulations" past their baby's birth date to join in the celebration of their newborn.  

*

The

12 days of Christmas

are the 12 days

after

Christmas Day, which is a time of rejoicing and celebrating about Jesus' birth / the days/weeks following the birth of child into a family is certainly a time of rejoicing, celebrating and welcoming the new child into this world. 

*

Christmas lights and decorations stay lit and up several days past Christmas Day since we celebrate a season and not just a day / parents' homes are decorated with "Welcome Home" signs, balloons, flowers and beautiful nurseries not just on the baby's birth day, but for many days following the joyous birth.

*Christmas cards are still being sent and delivered

past December 25 (because rejoicing about Jesus' birth lasts beyond Christmas Day)  / Family and friends send cards of congratulations to the family (because rejoicing about a baby's birth lasts beyond the baby's birth day)  

*

12 days after Christmas Day is the

Epiphany

, where the 3 Wise Men bring gifts to Baby Jesus / friends and family bring gifts to a new baby 12 minutes, 12 hours, 12 days, and maybe even 12 weeks after a baby is born.  

*

On Sunday, December 28 in the Catholic liturgical calendar, we celebrated the

Feast of the Holy Family

and

the Holy Family had its challenges, difficulties, tense moments and opportunities for misunderstandings

.

/

When a baby is born into their loving family, there is much celebrating and feasting, yet at the same time a baby comes into a family that has plenty of trials and triumphs too!   

My comparisons are simplistic, but I hope it has given you some greater insight on how our family thinks about Christmas as more than just one day.  If the Christmas season extends well past Christmas Day, how do some families make a conscious effort to celebrate the joyous and holy season?   I'm glad you asked. :)   

Here are some great blog posts that focus on ways to celebrate the 12 days of Christmas leading up to the

Feast of the Epiphany

.  

And

HERE

is a similar version of the traditional "12 Days of Christmas" song that can help you meditate on the tenets of the Catholic faith. 

And then there is the question of when does Christmas end?  That's a whole new topic, but you can go

HERE

to read up on when Christmas actually ends. 

What do you think about the celebration of Christmas as more than just one day?  Maybe a day is all your family celebrates because that's your family's traditions, maybe not?  I would love to hear your thoughts about this! :)  

This contribution is available at http://www.asliceofsmithlife.com/2014/12/why-celebrating-christmas-as-season.html
Copyright is retained by the contributing author (follow above link for info on this piece).

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Trust, Fertility and Advent [at Plot Line and Sinker]

image copyright James Hrkach/Josh Hrkach

One of my favorite shows is

“Mayday,”

a documentary which recounts stories of plane crashes or near crashes. My favorite episodes are the ones where everyone (or most) survives. Survival often depends on the skill and precision of the pilots and flight engineers. I find it fascinating just what can bring a plane down and what can also save a plane.

It dawned on me when I was flying back from Chicago last summer that it takes tremendous trust to get on a plane: trust that the pilots are trained to fly the plane with precision, trust that the builders created a solid, well-performing plane, trust that the mechanics have serviced the plane properly. After all, which one of us wants to be 20,000 feet in the air when a mechanical problem happens or when a pilot encounters a situation he’s not trained to handle?

Of course, the same can be said for any situation. We trust our doctors, food companies, school bus drivers and many others. On a daily basis, we are called to trust those who are human and have the potential of making mistakes.

Consider how most couples “trust” with regard to their fertility. They take pills, get injections, apply chemical patches, insert devices, consent to operations. Instead of working with their fertility, they try to destroy it. Instead of embracing their fertility, they fight it. They “trust” that by using contraceptives, they will be able to “control” their fertility.

Newsflash: none of these chemicals, devices or operations are 100 percent effective in preventing pregnancy. No method, except for complete abstinence, is 100 percent effective in preventing pregnancy. And yet millions of couples put their “trust” in contraceptive methods on a daily basis. If the methods “fail,” and a child is conceived, many will resort to abortion.

So what does this have to do with Advent?

Well, a lot. When told that she would be the mother of our Savior, Mary replied, “Be it done to me according to your word.” That took tremendous trust in God’s plan for her. She didn’t say, “Hmmm, let me think about that for a few weeks and I’ll get back to you.” Without her trust, without her yes, we would not be preparing to celebrate Christmas.

Admittedly, the times I’ve appreciated Our Lady’s fiat the most have been when I was expecting a child during Advent and Christmas. I loved being pregnant and feeling the movement of my babies. It definitely helped me to be more empathetic to what Mary went through: nine months pregnant, on a donkey and making a long journey away from home. It was equally difficult for her to give birth in a stable, surrounded by the smells and sounds of animals. And yet Mary trusted that this was God’s plan for her and accepted it without question.

So what is God’s plan for us especially regarding our fertility? I can tell you what it is not: God’s plan is not for us to destroy the gift of our fertility with devices, behaviors, chemicals or operations. This “trust” that many couples place in contraceptives can sometimes result in an unwanted, permanent loss of fertility and can lead to numerous other consequences as well. Pope Paul VI, in his encyclical Humanae Vitae (On Human Life, 1968) talks about one of the most common consequences of contraceptive use: “A man who grows accustomed to the use of contraceptive methods may forget the reverence due to a woman, and, disregarding her physical and emotional equilibrium, reduce her to being a mere instrument for the satisfaction of his own desires, no longer considering her as his partner whom he should surround with care and affection.”

God’s plan is for couples to embrace their fertility and to be generously open to life. Does that mean that God wants us to have as many children as possible? No, it doesn’t. God gave us the gift of reason and he also gave us a built-in natural method of avoiding pregnancy that works with fertility and not against it. God, the Author of life, wants to be part of our decisions regarding our fertility.

What about us? Who do we trust with our fertility? Is it God or is it a device, operation or contraceptive behavior?

Couples who want to trust God with their decisions will trust Him with all of their decisions, including the beautiful gift of fertility. When couples have serious need to avoid pregnancy, Natural Family Planning (NFP) is a moral way to do so. NFP uses no devices and works with God instead of against Him. Wives who use NFP seldom feel used by their husbands. NFP also works well to achieve pregnancy. It’s healthy, effective and safe. NFP encourages good communication and strengthens marital relationships.

Advent is the ideal time to rethink who we trust our fertility with. Do we trust a chemical company? Do we trust a condom manufacturer? Or do we trust God, the Author of Life?

Learning Natural Family Planning nowadays is as simple as turning on your computer. My husband and I teach NFP online through the Couple to Couple League. For more information on NFP classes or NFP in general, please comment below or email me: fullquiverpublishing(at)gmail.com.

Copyright Ellen Gable Hrkach 2014

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Hide in Plain Sight 2 [at Smaller Manhattans]

I know, I beat

this Annunciation

 to death. But I wouldn't if it weren't full of Biblical-Catholic content. I blame the artist,

Matthias Grünewald

. For now let's just focus on a single theme:

overshadowing

. A

theme

I beat to death, but only because it too is full of Biblical-Catholic content. I blame the Holy Scriptures.

So let's look at this blow-up:

1. Bottom right: the Ark of the Mosaic Covenant, about to become the Ark of the

Old

Covenant.

2. Left: Mary, about to become the Ark of the

New

Covenant.

3. Upper left: the Shekhinah, the Glory Cloud of the Mosaic Covenant.

4. Upper left, inside the Shekhinah, the Holy Spirit.

This is the moment when Mary accepts God's uhh,

proposal

, delivered by Gabriel the messenger; and Mary learns how this baby-making will,

you know

, actually happen: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God." The Shekhinah makes God the Father's power manifest in his physical creation, the fallen world we inhabit. And we know the Holy Spirit later showed himself as a dove at Jesus' baptism, so why not here as well?

Now this is interesting: we expect the Holy Spirit to come over Mary (in this painting, over her womb). But the Shekhinah does too, both in Scripture and in the painting. That is, the power of God the Father, as expressed in the Glory Cloud, has shifted from overshadowing the Old Ark to overshadowing the New Ark. That makes sense- the Old Ark contained God's Stuff: the Ten Commandments, the pot of Manna, and Aaron's Staff. The New Ark contains God Himself, little zygote Jesus. I mean, if I were God the Father, this would be a no-brainer: my child trumps my stuff.

Strictly speaking though, Mary is not just an Ark, because she doesn't hold

stuff

. She's also a Tabernacle, where a living being dwells. Now you may reasonably think that both Noah's family and baby Moses were living things inside Arks. That is true, but neither Ark was a dwelling per se, in which one settles down. They were temporary protections which had no intrinsic longterm value; and both Noah's family and Moses abandoned their respective Arks for appropriate dwellings.

This difference between Arks and Tabernacles hints at a bigger difference between God's presence in the two Covenants. In the Old Covenant (O.C.), God himself was spirit, and his Stuff in the Ark made physical testimony to Him. In Catholic terms, the Stuff was an O.C. analog to sacramentals such as Holy Water. But in the N.C., mere Stuff is amped-up by Jesus being God in the flesh. To some extent, yeah, Jesus' body is stuff, but it's as integral to his divine being as our bodies are to our human existence. Living stuff, fused with unique spirit. The stuff of Jesus' body, or even my body, has moral aspects that don't apply to say, rocks. Or a pot of Manna. So think of Jesus not as a

sacramental

such as Holy Water; but as a

sacrament

such as Baptism. All the difference in the world. And the idea of Mary being not just Ark, but Tabernacle, a little house for God to live in, expresses a whole new reality about how God will from then on dwell among his people. In other words, the N.C. counterpart to the O.C. Ark of Stuff is not another Ark of Stuff, but God Himself physically among us, dwelling in a house.

All that said, this is really a post about Catholicism and how its architecture may communicate Bible Truth. Here's a photo from my church, St. Mary's in Greenville, SC:

A lovely visual shorthand for the Holy Spirit spreading its protecting wings over Mary and Jesus, recalling the Annunciation and numerous additional Biblical references to overshadowing. But wait, there's more! Not only does this liturgical detail allude to Jesus dwelling in Mary for 9 months, but connects that idea to the present day, and extends it indefinitely into the future. Have a look:

There ya go, the big picture. As Jesus once dwelled under the shadow of the Holy Spirit in Mary, he remains overshadowed, now dwelling in the little houses, the Tabernacles, in Catholics churches the world over. And Jesus will continue to dwell in them until the New Covenant passes away, and we live together with Him forever, bodies and souls united in the New Jerusalem.

In Catholic churches, big ideas hide in plain sight.

This contribution is available at http://platytera.blogspot.com/2014/12/hide-in-plain-sight-2.html
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Thankful [at Lord, Make Me a Saint]

 Thankful we are HERE, in the warm air and sunshine!

We decided we needed to leave Minnesota for the winter.

We will be back March 1st

 Thankful I was able to get all the things we needed packed for our 3 month trip away from home.

 This was not an easy feat...now, take note of those black suitcases there.

Mine is on the left, packed full, carrying three days worth of clothes for three days of travel,

for myself and 3 of the kiddos,

Simeon's baby blankets, his favorite books, my 5 year old's favorite pink cowboy boots,

extra jammies and any extra last minute things I'd forgotten.

Tom's suitcase on the right there, his has his clothes for 3 days,

along with 3 of the older kiddos clothes for 3 days, including jammies,

Tom's work laptop, all his meds and vitamins, checkbooks, his i-pod,

all our Star Wars DVD's, and many other things.

REMEMBER THIS, THERE IS MORE TO THE STORY!!

(He's awesome by the way)

 OH, my gosh, look at that snow and those gray skies....

Thankful we loaded up the U-Haul and drove off to the Twin Cities and

spent our first night at Tom's folks home.

Now, I have a "God Story" for you.

The next morning, we left around 5am from the Twin Cities.

Within 15 minutes, Tom noticed something fall of the U-Haul in his side mirror.

Now, it was dark, and he wasn't sure, we stopped along side the freeway.

Cars were zooming by at 70-80 MPH.

Sure enough, the back of the U-Haul had come unlatched

and we lost our luggage.

Thankful we did not lose everything.

The luggage must have exploded or a semi hit them,

because by the time we backtracked there was not much left.

Jedi had a pair of jeans that had $75 bucks in, and those were beside the freeway

(he was freaking out a little about his "worked all summer for that money" money)

Simeon's baby blankies were lost.

Along with his favorite books.

(I had plans on reading those in the hotels at night)

OH, those hurt this mama's heart.

Something black flew up when a car zoomed by,

it ended up being my 10 year old's Tee.

"Got Jesus?"

was the Tee.

Wow.

We were feeling pretty defeated at this time,

no clothes to wear for the next 3 days,

the laptop, Tom's meds...we lost so much,

but you know what?

We have Jesus.

WE HAVE JESUS!!

And He is all we need.

Now, if that was not a direct sign from God,

I sure don't know what would be!! 

﻿

 Traveling with 6 kids was not fun.

Thankful it is over.

Until February.

We planned 2 very long days and one not so long.

Thankful we learned our lesson

and on the way home plan to stretch that out to

3 1/2 not so long days.

An extra stay in a hotel will be so very worth it!

 She does have her seatbelt on here...but not the arm strap...Hmmmm....

 We took turns driving.

His back was killing him, the whole time.

It didn't matter if he was driving or riding, it hurt no matter what.

OH, I wish that could just go away for him.

 I have to say that Iowa was pretty boring....

But Kansas, was beautiful!!

And

once we got to Texas,

there were cactus's and palm trees everywhere!!

And it was SO WARM!!!

Look at the beautiful street!!

Thankful for the scenery changes from state to state!  

Thankful for our view from our patio.

The pools and the ocean and the beautiful sky.

﻿

 Thankful every morning, I get up to walk the beach during the sunrise

and before I do, I go to our patio and put on my shoes,

and get to look at this!

It's like the clouds part the way for the SUN to come up!!

It's amazing.

 The sunset over the bay is not so bad either.

 Thankful for lots of beach time

 Thankful for 5 year olds that sing while they play.

OH, I could watch her all day.

Oh, yeah, I do.

I'm Thankful for that!

 Thankful for hot tub time and swimming pool time!

Free Vitamin D!!

 Thankful for big brother moments like this.

 And little brother toesies moments like this.

 The big girls said they were not going to go in.

They ended up getting soaked.

We have a hard time staying out of the water!

 Thankful for shell searching!!

And buckets

And these 2 cutie pies!!

 Thankful for soft sand under our feet

 And for our hands to dig in.

 Thankful there is so much to do here, he is back to taking naps.

(wherever he can)

 Thankful for our little tree for our simple Christmas..

 Thankful for these cool pool chairs!!

Wouldn't you love to have one of these?

(I'd have to add some pillows though)

 Thankful for sunny beach days

 And cloudy beach digging days

 Thankful for the most amazing scenery.

Thankful for busy boys exploring a new world.

 I'm going to end this with a HUGE thank you to

She made Simeon his original baby blankie.

that he lovingly called, his "Quack-Quack"

It was lost when we lost our luggage

and you know what?

She made him an exact replica

the day she found out

and sent it out.

He was so happy when he got it,

he rolled around the lobby hugging it and smiling and dancing with it.

 He got into his carseat

(why yes, he does have a hand-me-down carseat from his sister, why do you ask?)

and laid his Quack-Quack duck side up

and was the happiest I'd seen him since we left the morning we lost the luggage.

It was like having a little of  "home" again.

My mama's heart was happy.

Now, this blankie is even more special than before.

Thankful for the sun on my face,

the sand under my feet, the smell of the salty ocean air,

the breeze in my hair and

for a God so BIG

He created it all.

Now, don't look at these pictures and think we have it all perfect and all.

We've struggled to live in tighter quarters than we are used to.

We've got anxiety issues and fighting and unappreciative kids.

We are 8 very different personalities with constant wants and needs.

Just like you.

I'm not sure how much blogging or blog reading I'll be doing.

It will be here and there, but my main focus

is my family at this time

I don't want to be distracted from what God has given me.

I have a little girl begging me,

"Mama, find me something to do!"

(in a very whiney voice)

over and over and over.

I have an almost 3 year old

 at my side wanting me to "weed to me mama"

(Read to me mama!)

 I waste the precious time given me with my children.

while I look at this rectangular thing.

I'm losing so many opportunities

for joy and grace.

Balance

All in balance

God bless you!

﻿

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St. Therese's Birthday [at Cherishing Everyday Beauty]

One sure-fire way to tell if you are truly obsessed with your patron Saint is when you know the date of his or her birth... and you celebrate it!  January 2 is, in fact, a significant date in my mind because it is the anniversary of the birth of St. Thérèse of Lisieux.

Some time ago, I asked if anyone would be interested in the collection of books I have regarding this little Saint and I do recall there being some interest.  Regardless, I'm sharing now ;-)

Without further ado...

What I typically do with images for these blog posts is take them on my phone then email them to myself.  This time, I thought my phone had sent me duplicates of the images when I saw 14 unread emails in my inbox, but then I realized that I literally have 13 books for this here blog post.  And, yes, I've read each one at least once ;-)

Well, there you have it.  My Little Flower collection, excluding medals, relics, rosaries, and chaplets.

Oh, by the way...

Up next: I can't decide between a few pictures of my nephew and some reoccurring thoughts on Abundant Life (John 10:10) and Wonderful Joy (1 Peter 1:6).

Sayonara!

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7 Catholic New Year's Resolutions [at Saints 365]

The New Year is upon us - and with its coming brings New Year's resolutions - we are all familiar with them; we have all made them; we have all broken them by January 7...The media is replete with lists of the most popular resolutions which can usually be broken down into three categories: losing, quitting, and saving - as in weight, smoking/drinking, and money. It is a rare exception that a New Year's Resolution involves our ultimate and final goal of this life - eternal happiness with the Lord in the next.  Don't get me wrong - I am not suggesting that you cease making the "losing, quitting, saving" resolutions - just that you consider adding a resolution or two that will impact your life for all eternity.

Here are 7 Catholic resolutions for the New Year to consider:

1. Go to Daily Mass one extra day per week. 

The 

Catechism of the Catholic Church

, quoting Lumen Gentium, describes the Eucharist as "the source and suumit of the Christian life" and states that "the Church strongly encourages the faithful to receive the holy Eucharist on Sundays and feast days, or more often still, even daily." If you are not already a Daily Mass attendee, resolve to attend just one more Mass each week.

2. Add a new prayer to your prayer routine

.  For me, this year, I am planning to embrace the discipline of doing Morning prayer and Evening prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours each day. However, there are so many ways of incorporating more prayer in your life: Daily Mass, the Rosary, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, the 

Noon-time  Angelus

- the list is endless. Make a commitment today that will be achievable - even if the only commitment you are able to make is to pray one single Our Father each day.

3. Read the scriptures. 

The Bible is the living word of God and spending just 10 minutes a day reading it will change your life. If you are new to reading the Bible - begin with the Gospel of John and commit to reading for 10 minutes. If you are already a regular scripture-reader, pick a book that you are not as familiar with and begin reading it. More ambitious? Check out this 

daily reading plan

 which will help you read the entire Bible in one year.

4. Begin a spiritual journal. 

Keeping a spiritual journal has been one of the most fruitful practices I have ever adopted. I journal my prayers, struggles, scriptures or quotes that have inspired me, petitions, thanksgiving for blessings and more. My journal is a concrete expression of my prayer time and provides a great tool for being honest in my prayer time. Reflecting upon my completed journals allows me to see how the Lord has moved in my life over a period of time. Looking for more tips about journaling?  Read 

7 Lessons From Keeping a Spiritual Journal

, grab a notebook and pen and being your love letter to the Lord this year!

5. Forgive.

 Holding a grudge? Resenting someone who has hurt you? Angry and upset about the way your parents/husband/children/friends/boss/etc. treat you? Holding on to unforgiveness is hurting only one person - you.  This New Year - resolve to forgive those who have hurt you. Spend some time in prayer and ask the Lord for the grace to extend forgiveness.  Remember that Jesus forgave from the Cross- it is difficult to withhold forgiveness when you meditate on the crucifixion scene. A great way to start is to write a letter to the person who has hurt you (you don't have to actually send it). In the letter, be specific about what you are forgiving that person for. When you have completed the letter, place the person in the Lord's hands and let them go.

6. Go to confession. 

Confession is tough stuff - it is not easy to sit before another person and plainly state, without excuses, all your failings, weaknesses and shortcomings. I spent 20 long, dark years away from Confession and can personally attest that it is an incredibly powerful Sacrament and the grace that is available through it to bring healing, freedom and wholeness is immeasurable. Do not be afraid to go to confession -

even the Pope does it

. If you have been away from the Sacrament for awhile, ask a friend to go with you. Find a priest that you think you would be comfortable with and explain that you are unfamiliar/uncomfortable/uneasy or just plain afraid - he can help with the mechanics of the Sacrament. Ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind your sins and then jump in with both feet. You will be relieved, elated, and joyful afterwards. Don't wait - the Lord's mercy is the most amazing gift!

7. Make friends with a saint.

 Ever been asked by a non-Catholic:

 "Why do you pray to a statue?"

  The Communion of Saints is a gift and a mystery that have nothing to do with praying to statues and everything to do with being part of a family that spans the boundaries of time and space. The saints are role models for living lives according to God's plan and powerful intercessors before the throne of the Lord in heaven. This year, resolve to learn about one new saint in a deep way - read their writings, watch videos about their lives, strive to identify and imitate their heroic virtue, and pray to them for their intercession.

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Become like the little drummer boy [at Blog of a Country Priest]

“Unless you change and become like little children,” our Lord tells us, “you will never enter into the kingdom of Heaven.” (Mt 18:3)

It’s with that in mind, that I propose that ‘The Little Drummer Boy’ is worth contemplating for its spiritual truths. The story itself is fictional, but its lessons are real. We’d all do well, I think, to imitate the little drummer boy.

Come they told me, pa rum pum pum pum
A new born King to see, pa rum pum pum pum
Our finest gifts we bring, pa rum pum pum pum
To lay before the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

So to honour Him, pa rum pum pum pum,
When we come.

Anyone who celebrates Christmas with Mass already resembles the little drummer boy. Why go to Mass, except to honour our new born King?

Baby Jesu, pa rum pum pum pum
I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum

The little drummer boy immediately sees that he and Jesus share something in common. “I am a poor boy too.” It requires child-like boldness to compare oneself to God, but that’s the point of Christmas! God became a man, so that men and women can become like God.

There are many episodes in the Gospel which indicate that Jesus encourages this sort of bold familiarity. He defends the woman who anoints his feet with perfume and tears. He insists the children come to him, so that he can lay hands and pray over them.

When Jesus meets Zaccheaus in a tree, he invites himself to his place for dinner. It takes a certain chutzpah to invite oneself to someone else’s house! When the apostles fall short of our Lord’s expectations, he doesn’t hide his frustration. He sighs, and he rolls his eyes, and he chastises them.

But none of this is obnoxious. It’s borne of love — the sort of love which only occurs in very close relationships. We save our ‘best selves’ for strangers; but it’s the people we live with; the people we love, who see our true selves. This is the way Jesus wants us to approach him.

I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum pum pum
That’s fit to give a King, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

Shall I play for you, pa rum pum pum pum,
On my drum?

The little drummer boy recognizes his poverty. What can he possibly offer God? What can you and I offer?

But he is not discouraged by his poverty, and nor should we. He offers to play his drum. We offer our time and our presence here, to worship him.

Mary nodded, pa rum pum pum pum

Like the little drummer boy, we should look to Mary!

Every Christian home should have an image of our Lady — a picture, or a small statue — and not in a forgotten corner, either. It should be somewhere prominent, so that whenever anyone enters that room, they can look to Mary, and nod to her as she nodded to the little drummer boy.

This is a very simple way of praying. Placing flowers in front of that image, to honour our Lady, is another simple prayer, which is easily taught to children. And never forget the power of the rosary.

“Do whatever he tells you,” Mary told the servants at the wedding feast in Cana. She says that to us too. “Do whatever he tells you.”

The ox and lamb kept time, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my drum for Him, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my best for Him, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

Then He smiled at me, pa rum pum pum pum
Me and my drum.

Isn’t that a beautiful conclusion? “Then he smiled at me . . . me and my drum.” This should be our goal too — to please our Lord. To give him cause to smile.

He’s smiling now, because here we are. The beauty and scandal of the liturgy is that it has no utility. It has no earthly purpose or benefit. It’s focused soley on God. You and I come to church — at great cost to comfort and convenience — not for ourselves, but to honour the birth of Jesus. To give him praise and worship.

God so desires our company and affection, that he became one of us — born in a stable on a cold winter’s night, so that you and I might approach him with confidence.

He desires our presence so much, that he becomes present under the appearance of bread and wine, so that we might visit him; receive him; enter into communion with him.

“When you approach the tabernacle, remember that he has been waiting for you for twenty centuries.”

St Josemaría Escrivá.

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I Wished I Was Different [at The Veil of Chastity]

As Christmas approaches, I am compelled to encourage you about how God made you.  I have a story in my book which demonstrates how I struggled in my singleness and at times wished I was more like other girls instead of how God made me.

As I have shared before, every single guy that I dated went on to marry the very next girl that he dated.  Maybe what I haven’t explained is how different from me these girls were.  They looked different from me and they had different strengths, features, careers and personalities than me.  It really exaggerated my belief that I somehow needed to be different in order to be loved.

I am sharing this story about Sam with you because I felt that way even when I didn’t have strong feelings for the guy.  I would end up thinking that even the guys who I feel lukewarm about are passing me over for girls who are different from me.  Here is the story: 

Sam

Right before I met Gregg, I dated this guy whom I met through Catholic on-line dating.  Sam was from a large Catholic family but did not seem to embrace his faith in a way that was obvious to me.

He seemed interested in me but I could tell that he was not really my type.  He met most of my hopeful criteria in that he was Catholic, did not crush my heart, was not a smoker and he wanted children. He was also physically nice looking and he was gainfully employed. What is not to like, right?

There wasn’t anything overtly wrong with him other than our conversation seemed so flat and I did not feel like I was being wooed.  So I continued to date him in case my heart changed toward him. You know how it is when you are in the am-I-expecting-too-much phase?

The chastity thing was fine with him but in all other ways he seemed sort of lazy in the area of wooing a girl. He emailed me (this was before texting) to ask me out on dates. Sigh. Sam lived about an hour away from where I lived. The hour-long drive to my house seemed like a hassle to him.  Of course he was not invited to spend the night so he had to drive an hour home after our dates.  For the ‘give it to me now’ world, this was asking a lot. I was an inconvenient date.  But, he endured the drive, usually only on weekends and this went on for about 4 months.

The Housewarming Party

He was always inviting me to his rural neck of the woods for dates and I would always sweetly decline.  I was a single girl and I was not willing to drive home from his house late at night.  I cared about my safety and believed he should have cared too.  But, today chivalry is tough to come by.  And, chivalry is a characteristic marked by humility, patience and vigor. A man cannot be lazy and chivalrous at the same time.

So, I would sweetly decline his offers for dates in his neck of the woods.  But, then he had a house-warming party.  This was an opportunity for me to meet his brothers and sisters and for them to meet me.  So, I accepted the invitation and drove to Sam’s house for the party.

Do You Like Camping?

At one point, his sister-in-law says to me “Do you like camping?”  I sweetly and honestly said with a smile, “No, not really.  I am a big wet blanket when it comes to roughing it in the great outdoors.” She gave her disapproval by her silence. I was trying to be light-hearted in response to a question that made me feel uncomfortable.  Her response, or lack of response, was also uncomfortable.

She Likes Camping

I drove home that night and felt pretty lukewarm about him.  He called me soon after that night to say his sister-in-law (the same one) wanted to set him up with a friend of hers.  This friend of hers is a teacher and likes camping.  So, he confessed to me that he was going to give her a try.  I never heard from him again but I know through a common friend that he married the outdoorsy teacher.

She Had A Heart

I obviously did not have strong feelings for Sam and kudos to him for being up front and honest.  But, you can imagine how this made me feel. Was I being rejected because I did not like to go camping?

And, the big stab to my ego is I was replaced by a teacher!  It seems that all my exes (I am not exaggerating) went on to marry nurses and teachers.  You know, girls with soft hearts, patience and compassion who are just the opposite of me (a cold, calculating engineer).

So, I felt I just was not the right type of girl and these were the times I wished I were different.

The Veil

Sam definitely saw something in me that he liked.  It was like he was straining to see me and then decided I was not the girl for him.  Now I see it was The Veil. And, once you are loved for who you are, all those terrible feelings about yourself fade away.

So Many Things I Am Not

I could go on and on about the ways in which Gregg could have rejected me.  I don’t like to camp and I don’t like to go to concerts, NASCAR or much else.  I don’t have any hobbies.  I don’t like to shop.  I don’t like to spend money.  I have weird eating habits and have some little itty bitty control issues.

Gregg sees all that but it does not prevent him from loving me.  Those things are overlooked and instead he sees the things that he does love about me.  I believe this is a result of Superabundance.

No Doubt

Have you ever been rejected and replaced by a girl who was so very different from you that it made you doubt yourself?  If so, I hope to encourage you and help you understand that your uniqueness is exactly what will endear you to the right man.

Stay close to the Lord so He can lead you, heal you and comfort you in your time of anticipation and waiting. Trust Him.

Merry Christmas my sweet girls.

God Love and Bless you!

p.s. I will be off-line for Christmas and will not be posting 7QTs on the 26th.  I will catch up on email on the 27th!

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Fullness [at With Us Still]

‘Children, it is the last hour,’ writes St. John in the passage we heard from his first letter at Mass today. Apropos, to say the least, on this final day of 2014. But it was the Gospel reading—also from John—that really caught my attention this morning: To my ear, at least, a pitch-perfect summary of the season…and the year we are about to conclude.

With no little sense of wonder, John testifies

And the Word became flesh, and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory…full of grace and truth.

A little later in the same passage, John continues

From [Christ’s] fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace…

Looking back on 2014, my heart is full of gratitude for a year that truly did overflow with blessings for my immediate family.

Hannah enjoys an outing with Mom & Dad

Way back in January, we welcomed Hannah—our first grandchild—into the world. And in the months that followed, we’ve had many opportunities to savor her presence in our lives…to watch her grow, and take delight in her ever-expanding repertoire of antics.

Hannah was there in June, too, along her Dad (our son Brian) and Mom (daughter-in-law Sarah) for the ordination of her Uncle Chris. It was a glorious celebration, but one that seemed like it was over much too soon—particularly since our son does not reside in these parts. He’s stationed in California with the Jesuits, so we don’t often get the chance to hear him preach or see him preside at Mass.

Fr. Chris presides at daily Mass on the feast of St. John for our parish family.

What a blessing, then, to have had Chris here in our home for the last two weeks of the year…and to be with him as he celebrated the Eucharist for congregations both large and small.

‘It must be such a joy, to have a son who’s a priest,’ people have been saying to me ever since June…and even moreso in recent days. They’ve got it right, too: It IS a joy. And yet, something more than joy—especially when I hear the words of his homilies and see his hands stretched out in the act of consecration. It is a participation in a holy mystery, much like the one John identifies in today’s gospel:

…to those who did accept him, [Christ] gave power to become children of God…who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God.

It would have been enough to have had just these blessings poured out on me, on us, in 2014.

It is fitting: Shane proposed at Confluence State Park…

But like the Evangelist, I find myself appreciating a fullness that goes beyond even these profound blessings—grace upon grace: not the least of which is the happy news that our daughter Ellen became engaged in November. So our family will soon be expanding again, to welcome Shane, her beloved.

It’s an exquisite thing to see how he makes her smile…how Shane treasures Ellen…and to know that both are working to fashion a place for God at the center of their relationship. It is a gift that this Daddy’s heart has long desired for his precious daughter—to one day experience the grace of a marriage that offers the strength of a three-ply cord.

So I think you can see why I’m overwhelmed with gratitude as we come to the close of 2014. I’ve had a front-row seat for the fullness of grace in recent months–and more than a few opportunities to experience how God does indeed dwell among us…offering us portals into the heavenly presence through the Body of Christ, the loving people whom God puts into our lives.

I’ve noticed, too, how that Presence extends beyond the joys I’ve experienced in 2014…how God has been there in some of the year’s most confounding moments as well: When my friends and family members have felt the devastation of divorce…addiction…death…disease…dementia. Despite the pain, we knew we had not been abandoned. We could draw on life-giving waters, and on the promise that everything–absolutely everything–in our lives is redeemable.

That’s the fullness of grace: God with us. Emmanuel.

Is there a greater Gift we could possibly unwrap, at any point in this holy season?

So thank you, St. John, for the reminder of the treasure that is ours for the asking, as ‘the last hour’ of this blessed year draws near.

And perhaps we can all take a cue from dear Hannah about the sentiment that’s most appropriate for a pilgrim people as we ring in 2015!

Let us pause now…to recall that we are in the presence of the Holy One.

IHS

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Bethune Catholic [at Bethune Catholic]

Many Republicans want to claim the mantle of Ronald Reagan, but few are qualified. These Republicans are usually hawks (always seeing use of the armed forces as the solution to foreign policy crises). But Reagan was no hawk. Sure he built up the armed forces capability, and he sent an occupying force to Lebanon (disastrously), and he raided Granada, but the greatest foreign policy conflict of his presidency was won without a shot fired by the US armed forces.

Let us look at some instances. First consider “star wars”, the program Reagan championed, intended to prevent Soviet warheads from reaching our shores. The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) was criticized from the beginning as being unrealistic and even unscientific. Without going into the merits of SDI and the success of some of the program (or failures), look at the rationale. Our foreign policy to prevent nuclear war had been mutually assured destruction (MAD) for many years; that is, that because both sides could destroy the other, neither the US nor the Soviet Union would dare launch a nuclear attack. I’ll bet most of us know of games of “chicken” which have gone bad. MAD was another game of “chicken” waiting to blow up. Reagan recognized this and thought there must be a better way, a defensive way while other avenues were pursued.

Reagan partnered with Saint Pope John Paul II, English Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and others to bring down the Soviet Empire peacefully, through moral and economic pressure.

Reagan was patient. He wasn’t concerned about his legacy-that the Cold War would end during his presidency. He was content that the Iron Curtain would crumble someday, even on someone else’s watch.

Today’s politicians and so-called statesman should learn some lessons as we throw ourselves into more and more armed conflicts around the world which spawn even more conflicts. Just because we have the biggest and best fighting force in the world, not all the battles and wars can be won with them. (I recall what Saint Pope John Paul II said about war always being “a defeat for humanity”, and “Peace is not just the absence of war. Like a cathedral, peace must be constructed patiently and with unshakable faith.”

How many of our foreign military interventions in the past 20 years have built peace?

The anti-Federalists warned us over 200 years ago that a strong central government with a standing army was more likely to fight wars to settle disputes than any other way. Our history has borne this out repeatedly, and especially in the last 20+ years.

I am not strictly a pacifist; I believe there are times a country and a people must go to war. But I also believe fervently that often we use our armed forces simply because we have them. (I am not implying that we use them to justify large defense budgets, but perhaps the case could be made ….) It seems to me that our government (both the Administration and Congress for many years) lacks creativity in foreign policy.

As a nation and as a people, we suffer.

Oremus pro invicem!

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No Nativity, No Eucharist

“And she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” –Luke 2:7

NativityOur living room is rarely used. It has become a place to go to make a quiet phone call, read or just get away from the noise and activity of the day. It’s our quiet room.

It is also the place where my wife, Diane sets up the nativity scene each year, a place where I enjoy going to pray and reflect on the birth of our Savior.

As I contemplated the scene, I realized, for the first time, that the Eucharist was a continuation of the nativity, the continuation of Christmas.

The manger, a simple feeding trough, where the animals of the nativity scene were fed, held the same body of  Jesus, the bread of life, that we feed on in the sacrament of the Eucharist.

The next morning, as I received communion at daily mass, for a moment, as I held the Blessed Sacrament in my cupped hand, I realized that I held Jesus, body and blood, soul and divinity, the same Jesus born in a manger that first Christmas day.  My hands represented the manger and for a moment, as I held Jesus in my hand, my mind returned to the manger scene where I had prayed the night before.

In that moment, the stable where Jesus was born became the tabernacle and the manger became the ciborium. And, it became clear that we owe the Blessed Sacrament to Bethlehem.  No nativity, no Eucharist!

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst. –John 6:35

Bethlehem, the city of Christ’s birth, Beit Lehem (בית לחם) is Hebrew for “House of Bread.” How appropriate that our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life, would be born in a city known as the “house of bread.”

We realize that the bodily presence of Jesus, made incarnate that Christmas morning in Bethlehem, is the same presence, body, blood, soul and divinity that we share in the Eucharist.

Every time we receive the Eucharist, we are given the opportunity to “lay him in a manger.”

Over the years, volumes have been written about keeping Christ in Christmas, about continuing the Christmas spirit not just on December 25th, but every day of the year. We pray that we can somehow make every day Christmas day.

Help us Lord, to realize that we can do just that. We can do it in the reception of the Eucharist!  The Jesus, the Bread of Life, we receive, is the same body, blood, soul and divinity, born that first Christmas morning in the tabernacle of a stable and the ciborium of the manger.

Join with me, my friend, as we celebrate Christmas, not just on Christmas day, but all year long in the frequent reception of the Eucharist.

God bless you and Merry Christmas!

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I dreamt I was in the loving arms of my grandmother in her big old house on Summit Avenue. Only my older sister Betty Clare was with us.  Suddenly we were jumping up and down and trying to hug each other at the same time.

As I looked more closely at the scene, I noticed that Betty Clare and I wore our school clothes. We hadn’t changed into our play clothes after school.  I was young, 6 or 7, and Mother wasn’t there, or Kathleen, my younger sister.

I realized that this was the day Kathleen was born, when I was barely seven. We were celebrating her birth with great joy.

This dream jolted me into realizing how easily I forget the good times in our family. So much has happened since then. Kathleen died earlier this year, so I am the only one in that dream who is still alive. Our family spent many a Christmas at my grandmother’s home. The celebrations brought us closer, although I let negative comments spoil a few.

Families are forever

Whether the holidays bring us closer to our family or we still keep our distance, they are always our family. Some family members are more loveable than others. We are more loveable to some of them than to others. But we are family. We struggle with accepting them as they are while we long for them to love us the way we need to be loved.

The Lord promises that he makes everything new!  Can you take a step back and take a new look at your family relationships, warts and all, and see that the fruits of the Spirit are beginning to emerge? Perhaps there is more love displayed, more joy and peace emerging that you didn’t notice last time you were together. Are some of the extended family members more patient, and are you kinder than before? Do you see that goodness in them that the Lord puts in every one of his children?  Are they more faithful to family celebrations and gentler with you? Are they teaching you self-control, even the hard way?

Decision to heal

We may have a strong desire to heal broken family relationships. But our commitment to difficult family members does not require us to suffer in silence.  The Lord values family unity so much that when we give him our damaged relationships, he will heal them in his time. Healing is well within the Lord’s power. He can heal any relationship problem when we call upon him and commit to loving and serving those he gives us to love. It may not be an easy journey of love, but, as the song goes, “it sure is hard enough!”

When we act on our decision to love and care for one another by bringing the Lord into the family, the feelings will come later. Be not afraid! Those feelings will confirm that the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control he wants for you are growing each season.

Do you have a holiday horror story of broken relationships you want the Lord to make new through the fruits of the Holy Spirit?

(© 2014 Nancy H C Ward)

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The Complementarity of the sexes: embarassing but indispensible [at LMS Chairman]

The complementarity of the sexes is is beautifully illustrated by men taking their hats 

off,

 and women putting hats or mantillas 

on,

 in church: there is a difference between them. This is the basic point of the Position Paper on Headcovings which I've introduced on Rorate Caeli and discussed on

this blog yesterday

. This symbolic role, however, is part of the reason why liberals don't like the practice: they don't want to hear about complentarity. They want 'gender' to be a social construct, which ought to be a personal choice, and irrelevant to what one does in life.

Now, people have begun to notice that same-sex marriage is very difficult to resist if you accept contraception. Accept that sex, and indeed marriage, needn't have any connection with procreation, and it becomes impossible to explain what is wrong with homosexual sex, and homosexual marriage. The resistance of Evangelical Christians to SSM is, therefore, very difficult to maintain. Well, we have resisted that concession, so perhaps we are ok.

But a similar problem arises with sexual complementarity: if marriage is not based on

differences

 between the sexes, then why should it be limited to people of different sex? Right, say the Catholic apologists, let's wheel out the doctrine of sexual complementarity to deal with this. You can read all about it in the 

Catechism of the Catholic Church

, in the section on homosexuality (2357; cf 2333).

But the problem is this. Catholic apologists actually find the issue of complementarity very embarrassing. They realise it is necessary as a reply to homosexual activism, but they are desperate to say as little about it as possible. The very same Catechism of the Catholic Church which uses it against homosexuals, 

does not even mention it in discussing marriage. 

(Here's the 

section

: search it yourself.)

There is more. Pope St John Paul II understood that sexual complementarity was absolutely necessary as part of the explanation for why we can't have women priests. He said lots of nice (and true) things about women in Mulieris dignitatem. But what he doesn't say much about men. Ok, Mulieris dignitatm is about women. But won't anyone say anything about men? If men and women are different, and we have all this stuff to say about women being 'spousal' and representing the bride-Church, what are we going to say about men?

The horrible, horrible truth, which Catholic apologists would apparently rather be flayed alive than admit, is that the thing which is complementary to the spousal Church is the authority of Christ the Bridegroom.

Priests, most obviously, represent Christ, they act 

in persona Christi,

 in their liturgical and sacramental and pastoral functions. Women represent the bride-Church, so to speak, the congregation. But as St Paul makes explicit, and as the apologists desperately need, yet desperately fear, to acknowledge, this complementarity is not limited to the role of 

clerical 

men vis-a-vis

a feminised laity

. The relationship between the clergy and the congregation is mirrored in the relationship within marriage between the sexes. The authority of the priest over the congregation is paralleled by (those of a nervous disposition look away now)

the authority of the husband over the family

.

Is this teaching of Scripture, all of the Fathers, and, obviously, of the Catholic Church, reiterated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church? You must be joking! Can you imagine a Catholic bishop today, or a mainstream Catholic theologian, allowing this irreformable teaching to be dragged out of him? Neither can I. But silence about it is, in fact, a huge problem.

It creates the impression that in the Church all authority is 

clerical

 authority: clericalism.

It creates the impression that talk about the special dignity of women is

just a sop to the ladies

to compensate them for not being allowed priestly ordination, and doesn't flow from a coherent view of the roles of the sexes with which we are actually comfortable.

It creates the impression that the Church has 

nothing nice to say

 about men: reading some apologists, one is tempted to say that men are just second-class women, and should become as like women as possible if they want to become holy.

These are some of the reasons Catholic apologists have a hard time dealing with modern issues. They have tied themselves into knots to avoid saying certain unsayable things; the things they think they can still say, however, don't make very much sense on their own.

It is also among the reasons why the current generation of Catholic leaders and apologists have failed Catholic men, so few of whom can be found in the typical congregation.

Support the work of the LMS by becoming an '

Anniversary Supporter

'.

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St. Stephen and a hog-killin [at A Catholic Mom climbing the Pillars]

Wow, right off the bat, we have to be confronted with the martyrdom of a young brave man from the early Church.  We have to wipe that smile of joy and celebration amidst the gifts, food, and fellowship off our faces, we have to be confronted with sadness and unbridled meanness contained in human nature.

Why, pray-tell?

Does it make sense right at the beginning of our celebration season that we should be sobered by the fact that this celebration came with a price?  St Stephen, by the way, the name in Greek Stephanos, means crown, was a deacon...and a well respected one at that.  The apostles, after Christ's death and resurrection, after walking the road to Emmaus and being rejuvenated by Christ himself, took to the ministry with renewed zeal and all seriousness.  They realized that they needed help with the service of the ministry, the feeding and raising money for the poor and widows. So, they appointed seven followers they knew to be of respected spirituality and knowledge to help in these capacities.  Stephen was one they specifically pointed out as being, "a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 6:5)

How can one celebrate something without really understanding the beginning, or the why, a celebration is in the first place?  I recently watched one of my favorite programs concerning cooking and a chef and a farmer, called "

A Chef's life

".  It was the Christmas special containing many traditions of her family concerning food and customs.  During the program, they had a "hog-killing" which was quite emotional for all of them.  Life is life, right?  Well afterwards the chef was cutting up the hog at a table and talking with a fellow chef, she said after experiencing this, I don't want to waste any part of this hog, I want to use it all.  Her husband noted, that if you don't know this part, you have no right to be in the grocery store buying pork chops.  I get what he means, sounds harsh, but I understand now after watching the hog alive, then hearing the rifle go off and seeing the chef's face before and afterwards.  It's part of life, God's provisions for us, but it is painful and life is lost...a hog's life, but its where a pork chop begins.  yes, yes, we can be carnivores without knowing or witnessing the killing of the animal, but there comes an appreciation that seems to make the bacon taste all the better.

Back to St. Stephen and his martyrdom and why the Church calendar has us acknowledging his being killed for the sake of the Church right after the nativity. To understand what price was paid to be where we are today, gives us the appreciation necessary to celebrate.  Without learning what brave souls we have to thank, to aspire to, to be in awe of , how can one see the present and into the future with hope and a fervor to save, celebrate and carry on the mission Christ was born to?

It is my prayer that this Christmas season brings those Catholic Christians that are lukewarm, disenchanted, lost, or just plain lazy about their faith into the path of an on-fire Catholic Christian and receive the necessary tools with which to wake up and join in the fight to save, celebrate and carry one the mission!

Merry Christmas from the Pillar household to all!

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Welcome to Advent - Mission Statement for the Liturgical Year [at Our Home.... Under Mary's Mantle]

Oh Jesus, present in the Blessed Sacrament, give me greater faith that it is truly your Body and Blood that I receive. Where I lack faith, increase my belief in your real presence. Amen. I believe in you. ~from A Eucharistic Christmas

Happy Happy Saturday All!

Happy Feast of St. Nicholas. Marque is working on a base in Colorado. And Christopher picked his jump boots to use for St. Nicholas. Sigh. He just leaves chocolates. There are chocolate coins in the boots. And yes, he needed a “grooming kit”. lol And so, good old St. Nicholas brought one.

Here is a close-up of the chocolates. <3

I’ve been trying to create my Advent Post all week. The truth is, we all do so much during Advent. But my mind keeps going to “what do people do the rest of the year?” I am very blessed with fantastic and faith filled friends, who practice their faith yearly. And while I think it’s important to hold some seasons in our Liturgical Calendar above others, I have a question for you…

WHAT IS YOUR FAMILY MISSION STATEMENT FOR THE LITURGICAL YEAR?  Wait what? I know, the crazy lady asks CRAZY questions. And!!! What’s your answer?

I will paraphrase from one of my Advent books — There is a reason the Liturgical Year starts with Advent. New beginnings inspire us to make a fresh start. Advent is the season of setting priorities straight, right? We remember what is important to us and why, right? We get rid of things that don’t work and embrace things that do work…. You get the point.

For Christians, this new beginning is also a reminder of the hope in which we live. That hope has its source in the birth of a child some two thousand years ago — a child we know in our hearts to be God-with-us. In this season, we share the hope of our ancestors who eagerly awaited this birth. We enter into the hope that Christ will — even now –be born in our hearts and minds so that we might be transformed by his spirit and we awaken our hope for Christ to come again so that we might finally dwell with him forever.

Marque is gone, but before Advent is over, we will have a Family Mission Statement. I love that idea.  Here is something that the book says -

Our mission in Advent is to embrace what God says as possible and to believe that what God says will be so. Our mission is to give witness to what is possible in us by God’s grace and through God’s power. Light can shine in our darkness, and a stable can be the birthplace of a king THE KING.

I submit that is is great to fill your home outward signs of the season. Go ahead, wear that Christmas sweater. However, if you don’t FEEL the season in your heart and aren’t working towards changing YOU… then you have missed a great opportunity. End of lecture. Love you.

Advent Wreath …

We made our wreath this year. Mason jars, sprigs of greenery and floral accents and ribbon and votive candles. It’s not professional or anything, but we like it.

Advent Readings…

Some we read together, the Magnificat I read alone (in fact it’s on my iPad too).

Children’s Books Each Night…

This is a sampling of Advent Books that we read nightly (or sometimes throughout the day). We have books as old as the 1940’s. And of course, some newer ones. All with beautiful stories.

Jesse Tree…

This is our Jesse Tree. Nesting Holy Families (baby Jesus is inside Mary), The Advent Wreath and the Jesse Tree all find a place on our formal dining table. (The ornaments are from Jesse Tree Treasures. She is giving away a set of her O-Antiphons here on my blog on December 9th, so check back!) The tree is last year’s tree cut down. HA

Advent Calendar…

There are treats and silly things in this. AND typically there are cards I call  Advent Activity Cards.  I think if you click on that you can download it.

I am going to say this, and it may not be popular with some. But we just really enjoy the Holiday Season. We watch old movies like It’s A Wonderful Life, Annabelle’s Wish, A Year Without Santa Claus, The Polar Express and Elf.  We know this season is about Jesus. And HE knows we know. You know? ha… Our home is a great mix of secular and faith filled resources and it’s just the way we like it.

Oh and while you are celebrating, please remember that December 8th is the day we celebrate the Immaculate Conception AND is a Holy Day of Obligation.

And don’t forget – we’re on a Mission as Catholic Faithful. Evangelization and loving our neighbors are key. What is your Family Mission Statement? Think about it!

Love, Hugs & blessings,

Em

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Have Yourself Some Mischief This Christmas with these Favorite Reads [at Between the Linens]

Murder mysteries are my go-to fiction genre; there’s something about the observational quality that I love. I read other genres like classical literature or historical fiction but the murder mystery holds dear to my heart. Agatha Christie and P. D. James are my favorite authors that I re-read over and over. Recently, authors like Charles Finch, Martha Grimes, and Charles Palliser have really brought some polish to the genre. I thought I would share my top five favorites that are perfect for a mug of cocoa (tea, a toddy, some coffee, whatever adult beverage you prefer here) and a warm blanket. Some of these will be light reads with twists that are not all that mind bending. Isn’t that the perfect Christmas book though? Allowing the mind to wander but not overly taxing.

Aahh, Poirot with his moustache, Hastings, George, Ms. Lemon. These books always feel like home to me. This book in particular draws me back time and again. The characters in the story are this odd mix of stock and real; truth be told, I like stock characters, especially in Christie’s novels. She has this way of making them appear as if living down the street. In the world, I guess people are stock characters to some extent allowing societal norms to dictate responses and actions; people fear the shame of eccentricity. I find her novels all have an underlying theme of just that. The scenes of a proper ole English Christmas are so very entertaining. Plus, the wacky and harsh mix of characters will make any family get together I host seem tame. I’ve never had to serve eggnog to a constable…yet. There’s also a great film adaptation (it’s on Netflix instant as well!!) with David Suchet (le sigh…he finished with the last Poirot this past summer. I teared up. I admit it.).

Out of these five books, this one takes a strong stomach. If you like Gothic novels but with a direct biting vocabulary, then Palliser is your man. What I love about this book is atmosphere. In fact, I don’t think I have read a modern novel that invokes that true to the core Gothic ethereal transporting feel. Be forewarned that there is a hint of sexual abuse from a caregiver to his wards, and while I don’t think it is overly descriptive in gore it does have very strong imagery that is haunting.

I found this book through the Catholic Book Club at Life of a Catholic Librarian. While disappointed in the Roma people as a plot device, I enjoyed the handling of the Roma (Leach stayed very historical and did not engage in the customary condescension of the culture) and the overall book. It is a proper English mystery; the plot centers around Berdie the Vicar’s wife who has retired from investigative journalism and her best friend Lilly. I highly suggest this book for those who are new to murder mysteries or who aren’t too keen on them as it is low violence and no gore. There are two other books in the Berdie Elliot series, Up From the Grave and Into the Clouds. Super fun thing about this series: it follows the liturgical year! (#catholicnerd).

Noticing a trend? I might be an Anglophile. Just a little. Okay, an intervention is probably needed.

 This book is part of a series; however, I don’t believe that reading the books in order is all that important where this book takes place in the series. Martha Grimes is a gritty writer with a penchant for a good buddy book. Plant and Jury play so well off of each other that the quips keep the book light but realistic.

So I have been a fan of Charles Finch since his first book, A Beautiful Blue Death. I even won a signed copy of A Burial at Sea three years ago. Charles Lennox is an amateur sleuth in Victorian England and the books center around him and society. Finch writes his characters with such ease that I feel that I know the ticks and nuances of each main personality I encounter within the pages. There are also side characters layered in the novels that bring out the humanity in the main characters by softening their personality or playing to their strengths. What I appreciate about this period series is that Finch does not bog down the reader in dry descriptive details. He concisely relays the plot allowing for the reader to ride along as if the companion to Lennox.

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All Dogs Do Not Go to Heaven: What the Pope Really Said [at Designs by Birgit]

Did Pope Francis say animals go to heaven?

 That's the title of another great explanation offered by Jimmy Akin for our oft-misinterpreted pope - the Holy Father Pope Francis. Evidently this isn't the first pope to have been misquoted on the subject. That there are absolutely no records - other than secular media about the claim - is quite the barometer of the truth. 

What did Pope Francis actually say about animals, Heaven, and Eternity at his public audience?

His words were devoted to the subject of creation and the new heaven and earth. This is what he said:

At the same time, Sacred Scripture teaches us that the fulfillment of this marvelous plan cannot but involve everything that surrounds us and came from the heart and mind of God. 

The Apostle Paul says it explicitly, when he says that “Creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Rom 8:21). 

Other texts utilize the image of a “new heaven” and a “new earth” (cf. 2 Pet 3:13; Rev 21:1), in the sense that the whole universe will be renewed and will be freed once and for all from every trace of evil and from death itself. 

What lies ahead is the fulfillment of a transformation that in reality is already happening, beginning with the death and resurrection of Christ. 

Hence, it is the new creation; it is not, therefore, the annihilation of the cosmos and of everything around us, but the bringing of all things into the fullness of being, of truth and of beauty. 

This is the design that God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, willed from eternity to realize and is realizing.

It's appalling that there is so much misinformation out there these days. Reporters are actually using opinion blogs as 'sources' when they report on a story. So much for journalistic integrity! This lack of care for the truth is helping the devil undermine the Catholic Church in the eyes of the unwary - after all, if it's on the internet, it's got to be true right?

Hint: no it's not!

So let's just take a breath, pray fervently, and discern the facts before getting all shaky about Holy Mother Church. After all, Jesus and the Church have never let us down before - nor will they. Even humanity, in the form of wolves in sheep's clothing, can't change that!

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Duns Scotus and the Immaculate Conception

Blessed John Duns Scotus saw so clearly that God had planned that his son, for whom the world was created, would be made flesh to live in and rule over that world as Christ the King. From this Duns Scotus argued that the very moment that God had made this decision, then that decision included a human mother, how else would he be made flesh? As Scotus put it – “If God wills an end, he must will the means.” This was obviously before creation had taken place in space and time, so his mother would have been conceived perfect in every way, as the mother of the Word to be made flesh, or if you like, Immaculate. She would be totally free from sin. When sin did eventually stain humankind, God made sure that the human mother of his son remained exactly as he had originally conceived her, otherwise his plan would be in jeopardy. It was inconceivable for a woman warped by sin and selfishness to give birth to and bring up a perfect man destined to be the King that he claimed to be before Pilot.

It was for these reasons amongst others, that at the beginning of the fourteenth century, Scotus was the greatest champion of the Immaculate Conception. He was furthermore in the minority, sometimes of one, as he defended this doctrine against all comers most particularly against the Thomists. Now Scotus wasn’t anti- Thomas Aquinas, in fact there’s no evidence that he ever read his works, except through the writings of others. Inevitably the Thomists who held what’s come to be called the ‘Legal Theory of Redemption’, argued that all the descendents of Adam were infected by his sin and that included Mary. Many bitter battles were fought over this doctrine until it was finally defined ‘de fide’ by the Church in 1854.

The moment the famous Jesuit mystic, Teilhard de Chardin had heard about Scotus’ teaching, he immediately replied, “Voila! La theologie de l’avenir.” “There it is, the Theology of the future”. So many of Chardin’s ideas not only resonated with those of Scotus, but added to them and even enhanced them. One thing Chardin did say that was relevant to what Scotus stood for was this: – “Love differentiates.” In other words, love makes things different. The prayer inspired by St Francis ends with these words, “It is in giving that we receive.” In other words when we try to love God, in the very act of loving we receive his love in return and this loves enables us to grow into our true selves, and in becoming our true selves we all become different. That’s why Scotus taught that love is the principle of individuation. There’s an old saying –‘people are the same the world over’ –and it’s true, self-centred people are the same the world over. They are like a handful of different seeds. Even an expert horticulturist would find it difficult to distinguish one from another, because they all tend to look the same, they all seem to be turned in on themselves. But, put them in good soil, water them and make sure that they get plenty of sunlight and see what happens. Then, when they bloom they will all become totally different, each manifesting God’s beauty in many totally different ways.

If human  care can do this for common seed, what can God’s love do when it is allowed to enter into human beings? It will enable them to grow into their true selves. Then, as they become their true selves, they will gradually become more and more different from the crowd from whom they were hardly distinguishable before. Francis of Assisi was a case in point, he was just one of the boys before his conversion, but the more he allowed the love of God to change him, then the more he became what love made of him – his true self, and that was miles away from the drinking pals he’d left behind. That’s why all the saints were totally different. Compare Francis of Assisi with Thomas Aquinas or St Teresa of Avila with St Joan of Arc or St Ignatius of Loyola with St Benedict – love differentiates. Even the early companions of Francis, Leo, Angelo, Rufino, Masseo and Giles etc were, thanks to the love of God, all completely different. I have no doubt that most of them would have been canonized shortly after their deaths, but unfortunately it would have been seen as supporting one faction of the order at the expense of another. What was more important at the time was supporting the unity of the whole order, than stating publicly what those who knew them knew only too well.

Perhaps Chardin’s famous little phrase helps to give a further glimpse into the very nature of the Trinity – ‘love differentiates’. As we have seen, the closer love enabled Francis to draw closer and closer to God, the more he became aware that His love is not just twofold. For the love that continually revolves between the Father and the Son is not just a blind impersonal force, but a person too in ‘His’ own right. Furthermore Francis realized that the more that love entered into him, the more he became himself, not just here on earth but hereafter. The invitation to share in the love unlimited that binds the three in one together to eternity, means that his journey never ends. It is not just one continual ecstasy but ‘epecstasy’, as St Gregory of Nyssa described it. What he means by adding the pre-fix ‘ep’ to the word ecstasy is that we are not just taken out of ourselves and into God, but continually taken out of ourselves and into Him forever and ever. The more love that we receive, then the more our hearts are opened to receive more love, and as God’s love is infinite, the journey goes on and on without end.

The reward of the traveller is to go on travelling, the solace of the searcher is to go on searching, for there is no end to this journey this side of eternity. In heaven the ever deeper and fuller loving simply goes on to eternity together with the ever increasing joy and delight that being loved always brings with it. Like a rose bud that is touched by the sun, it cannot help but respond. Now the longer the sun shines on it, the more the bud opens to receive its powerful rays with ever greater intensity, until it is fully open to display the fullness of its beauty and spread its fragrance to the delight of all. The sun however is finite, it has a beginning and an end, and so does the rose that depends upon it, but the love that we depend on for our completion had no beginning and no end. We have a beginning like the rose, but we have been created by God with an infinite capacity for love so we can go on living and loving to all eternity, like the love that that never stops possessing us with ever increasing power and intensity.

When Our Lady appeared to Marie-Bernarde Soubirous in 1858 she told St Bernadette, as she was later to be known, that she was the Immaculate Conception. Mary herself confirmed what had been defined by the Church only four years before. The teaching of Scotus, once only held by a minority, had at last become part of her official teaching.

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Embracing Compassion - Step into the Suffering

Embracing compassion: “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matt 25:40). Do you need any additional rationale for embracing compassion? When you care for those who suffer, you minister to the Lord, Himself! Jesus states this exhortation slightly differently, yet appeals with the same message in Matt 10:42 where He says, “ And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple – amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.” Jesus is telling us that we have each been called to be compassionate to our fellow man, in the same manner as Jesus demonstrated compassion during His time on earth.

As humans, we are, by nature, social beings, meant to live in communion with each other. Therefore, we are called by Christ to have empathy for those in need. We are strengthened by the grace of Christ to step into the sphere of suffering of those in need to alleviate the suffering in any way that we can. Sometimes it is as simple as providing a listening ear, or a promise to pray for the person. At other times, the degree of compassion called for is quite intense. Yet God never asks us to take on more than we can handle with His grace. So why is embracing compassion so difficult for some people?

We can go back to the summer of 2014, and look at the humanitarian aid crisis that occurred at the southern border of the United States. Where was the compassion in those who shouted slurs at children? These people wanted to turn their backs on these small children who had walked many miles seeking safety from violence. I believe that it is difficult for people like this to embrace compassion because these people allow fears, doubts and past hurts to override their consciences. They cannot step into the sphere of suffering, to alleviate the suffering of another, without passing judgment because, they, themselves are in need of compassion.

When you come across a person who lacks compassion, step into the sphere of their suffering, without passing judgment, and pray for that person. By doing so, you will be embracing compassion.

What are some tangible ways that we can practice compassion? We’ll address the answer to that question, in our next four-part series of reflections on practicing compassion. There are many ways to practice compassion – Don’t miss them!

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Missionaries in the Family [at Grace of Adoption]

About ten years ago while in college I heard of an organization called Family Missions Company (FMC). Family Missions Company is a Catholic ministry that sends lay missionaries around the world. A few friends of mine did spring break mission trips with them. I love that there is a Catholic group equipping and sending out missionaries. 

Fast forward to 2014. 

In August my little brother Luke and his wife Amy felt God calling their family to serve as missionaries through Family Missions Company. Their family includes their five kiddos (Isabelle-7, Elijah-6, Gabriel-5, Maggie-3, Vivian-6mos). Yikes. That is a radical decision.

Luke and Amy had recently sold their home, Luke then quit his job and they got rid of their material possessions. During the past three months they completed three months of intense training. In January their family will be heading to Comiguin Island, Philippines to serve as missionaries. 

When I first learned that my little brother was taking his family and my five nieces and nephews half way across the world I was surprised, and to be honest, kind of anxious. I discovered that it's one thing to be supportive of missionaries, it's another thing when those missionaries are my brother, sister-in-law, and nieces and nephews! I admit it. I am selfish. Also, I had all the normal fears that come with moving to a third-world country.

Despite my fears, watching Luke and Amy live their faith in this radical way is inspiring and convicting. I am actually quite proud of them. While we are not all called to sell our homes, quit our jobs, and move half-way across the world, we

are

all called to abandon our lives to Christ and be missionaries to those we encounter in our daily life. As I observe my brother and his wife I've been reflecting on that quite a bit lately.

Could you pray for Luke and Amy these next two years? They will be going through lots of transitions and changes as a family. Also, they are raising financial support for their time in the Philippines. Please consider donating! You can learn more about their family 

here

 and also follow their blog at: 

Bolle Family Missionaries

.

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The Job of Mother Doesn't Stop on a Birthday [at Holloway Family North]

Today, was, is, my birthday! I’ve always loved my birthday. It always does seem to sneak up on me, especially the last five years, but I always am excited. It always seems like the it should be the one day where it’s “all about me”. I tend to think this means: I don’t have to do the dishes, or make dinner, or the cleaning, or the hard, not fun parts of motherhood, things like that. But…. today showed me something different.

The morning started out pretty much like every other morning recently: squished in bed with the newborn, get up, make lunch for Jared, get coffee….

Johnny came stumbling down stairs a few minutes after I did, mumbled “happy birthday, mommy”. *heart melts* Then he said “my tummy hurts” followed by “I’m thirsty”. So I got him something to drink (in hindsight grape juice was probably not the wisest choice, but it was the only juice we had available at the moment…).

Anyways, I went on to feed the baby/drink my coffee…. and… John threw up.

I cleaned it up, kinda laughing a little at the “of course this would happen today” thought that went through my mind.

Once that was done, I clicked through FB and had a message from an aunt that read in part:

what I pray for you today; … tons of patience for accomplishing the wonderful Call of being a mother, your vocation.

I have been remembering that all day. And really letting it wash over me and rearrange my thinking on what “my” day should be. Because I certainly didn’t get an ” easy pass” on being a mother today. John threw up again, Jared forgot his lunch, and none of the big kids napped, which always makes the afternoons “interesting”. I still had to clean up the kitchen (how else was I going to make frosting when I couldn’t reach the counter?). I still made dinner (I did leave the dishes in the sink… tomorrow is another day). I guess I did sweep one floor and wipe the chocolate cake from the table, but that was the extent of my cleaning.

But in the middle of that I brought Jared his lunch (which I almost never do) because I was feeling excited about… not really anything in particular… just bubbly.

And on a spur of the moment I decided to see if I could find a park that I knew was around where Jared was working so I could take the kids. Nevermind that it had rained this morning and the slides were wet. I just felt excited (it should be noted here that I also almost never take the kids to the park either).

It turned out good. It was just cool enough to be invigorated by being outside, but not *too* cold. It was a good change of pace. Johnny felt better. We all felt better. (Well until Karl realized his pants were drenched from the slide, but he didn’t melt down… so. win!)

And I’m so grateful for my aunt for the reminder I needed to see written.

Pictures are from the park. Taken and edited with the phone.

Linking up to Black and White Wednesday

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Joy: Christmas Homily [at Fr. Ben's Biblical Blog]

  He said that we can’t live like we are always in Lent without Easter or look like we just got out of a funeral.  He even wrote a document called The Joy of the Gospel.  Pope Francis has made known that there is no room for crabby pants because we have nothing to be crabby about!  God became man—he became a baby to save us from our sins!

Have you ever stopped to think that God wants you to experience joy?  The Catholic Church wants you to be joyful!  I want you to be joyful!  We are called for more than what the world offers.  The world—secular society especially through the media—drives us to consumerism.  We see this most clearly this time of year.  We need more presents, more sales, more cars, more lights, more money, more, more, more!  Yet no matter what earthly goal we accomplish—getting a nice paycheck, a new car, a great party—we still yearn for something more.  We are made for more than what this world offers.

This is why we are giving each of you a gift—a stocking stuffer if you will.  It’s the book Made for More by Curtis Martin.  It’s a short read, and even includes pictures!  It’s one of the best books I’ve read as it succinctly explains why we can trust Jesus and why this matters for our life.  I mean, if we really believe Christmas is more than a cute story, if this Jesus guy is really God, this should make our lives very different!

I pray that Jesus fills you and your family’s hearts with joy this Christmas.  I pray that our parish will be saturated with joy, and that everyone who walks through our doors is welcomed with open arms.  I pray that the fact that God became one of us may open our hearts to worship Him as Lord of lords and King of kings.

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Abortion: When does a person become a person? [at Catholic Deacon]

When does human life begin? Does it begin at conception? When does conception occur? Is there a "moment" of conception?

According to the teaching of the Catholic Church, "Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception" (

Catechism of the Catholic Church, par 2270

). I suppose there is some ambiguity as to when "the moment of conception" occurs. However, given what is at stake, namely the inherent sanctity and dignity of each and every human being created in the image of God, the Church, if she is to err, does so on the side of caution. Hence, when the sperm fertilizes the egg would be the earliest "moment." In natural terms, a lot can happen to a fertilized egg both before and after it implants on the uterine wall and cell division begins. Nonetheless, to willfully kill a fertilized egg (as with taking the so-called "morning-after-pill") is a gravely sinful act.

It is our duty to protect each human life from the "moment" of conception until natural death. Now, natural death can occur pretty early as many pregnancies end quite early as the result of what are usually called natural, spontaneous abortions. In these instances, due to purely natural reasons beyond anyone's control, the new life ends. For moral purposes, these surely count as natural deaths.

Speaking of moral purposes, when it comes to abortion, that is, when someone intends and then deliberately ends a pregnancy, the most important question is about whether one is terminating a "what" or a "who." If it's a "who" then what I like to call the Dr Seuss principle applies: "A person's a person, no matter how small." In other words, if abortion is about taking the life of an innocent person, then it can in no way be morally countenanced. This strikes me as obviously true even for people without particularly strong religious convictions. Stated differently, such a view is the application of right reason, which does not require divine revelation.

Pope Francis, who trained as a chemist, obtaining a master's degree, before beginning priestly formation,

speaking

just last month, expressed something he's expressed before, namely that the Church opposes abortion not only as a matter of faith, or even of philosophical principle, but as a question of science: "Many times in my life as a priest, I have heard objections. 'Tell me, why, for example, does the Church oppose abortion? Is it a religious problem?' — 'No, no. It’s not a religious problem' — 'Is it a philosophical problem?' — 'No, it’s not a philosophical problem.' It is a scientific problem, because there is a human life there and it is not licit to eliminate a human life to resolve a problem."

For those who profess belief in and seek to be faithful to the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, the latter of whom was given the name Israel by God (

Gen 35:10

), we have as one of the Ten Commandments- "You shall not kill" (

Exo 20:13

). Right now, we are in the time of Advent during which the Church recites the O Antiphons. Here is the antiphon for 18 December:

O Adonai and Ruler of the House of Israel, you appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush and on Mount Sinai gave him your law. Come, and with outstretched arm redeem us.

Divine revelation often serves to bolster what is available to us by our right use of reason.

All of this brings me,

via

the long route, to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints official statement on abortion (you can access the statement

here

), issued in April 2011. In their official statement the LDS Church allows for "possible exceptions," as opposed to "automatic" exceptions, to its general prohibition on abortion for three reasons:

Pregnancy results from rape or incest, or

A competent physician determines that the life or health of the mother is in serious jeopardy, or

A competent physician determines that the fetus has severe defects that will not allow the baby to survive beyond birth

I don't want to be derogatory in any way, but if we adhere to the axiom that a person's a person no matter how small, or, stated more seriously, that life

in utero

is human life, then how can exceptions, even in these admittedly distressing cases, be considered moral as opposed to just being expedient? How would having an abortion in these situations not be a violation of God's commandment not to kill? As Pope Francis said in the same

speech

cited above: "Listen, in the old and the modern schools of thought, the word kill means the same thing!"

Given the rapid approach of our celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, this is a timely reflection, especially when we consider that the circumstances in which He was conceived were far from ideal, at least from a worldly point-of-view. Clearly, from a Divine perspective, the situation was ideal, as St Paul bore witness: "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption" (

Gal 4:4-5

).

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Picturing Mary at the National Museum of Women in the Arts

As we celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception today, I want to draw your attention to the capitol of the United States of America, Washington, D.C. Not only does this city have the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, but until April 12, 2015, the National Museum of Women in the Arts will host the exhibition, Picturing Mary: Woman, Mother, Idea.

Drawing upon sixty artistic masterpieces from the Renaissance and Baroque periods, and which were gathered from public and private collections, the Vatican collection, and the European state, Picturing Mary: Woman, Mother, Idea, is a visual delight depicting the sacred life of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a young woman, mother, and queen.

Although you can view this collection with a purely secular eye, as Catholics, I would highly encourage you to also check out an accompanying website – PicturingMary.com. This website developed after friends of the exhibit asked the Dominican Sisters Mary, Mother of the Eucharist to write spiritual reflections that correspond to the masterpieces displayed in the collection. The reflections give individuals an opportunity to learn more about the Marian doctrines and virtues of the Blessed Virgin Mary that surround her immaculate and beautiful life.

Following the reflections are additional resources that draw from Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. If you are a Catholic school teacher, Catholic artist, or just someone looking to teach others about great Catholic art that depicts the many truths of the Blessed Virgin Mary, then this website is an excellent starting point for you and those under your educational care.

As I always do with my writings, I highly encourage you to share this post, the website – picturingmary.com, and the website to the National Museum of Women in the Arts on your social media sites. If you have a Facebook page or Twitter account, please use the hashtag #MeetMary whenever you talk about this phenomenal collection of Marian art. If you find yourself in Washington, D.C. before April 12, 2015 and can check out the exhibit, make sure you post something about it on your social media outlet(s).

Let us give all Praise, Adoration, and Honor to Our Lord Jesus Christ for giving us the great lady, our Gebirah, our Queen, Virgin, and Mother, Mary Most Holy. Let this exhibit and collection of art shine as an example of true feminism in a world darkened by a false understanding of the feminine genius and the true beauty of women.

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Really Pretty Simple, Isn't It? [at The Breadbox Letters]

'Prayer is conversation with God.'

Clement of Alexandria

Painting: Walter Moras

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Christmas and the Fulfillment of Human History [at Musings of a Missionary in the Modern World]

God does not usually surprise us without first preparing us, sometimes for a long period of time, for what He is about to do. And yet, we are often surprised because we do not recognize His preparations.

All of history, up to the first Christmas, was a preparation for that Holy Night. That Christmas, and every celebration of Christmas since, was a great revelation of a simple but astounding truth: God's plan, His desire, His dream, is to dwell with us, to make His home among us, so that He might be our God and we might be His people.

The whole of Scripture can be read in the light of this desire of God to live with us, to share with us a life of intimacy, familiarity and communion. We find it from the beginning, when God walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden in the cool of the evening. We find it in Exodus, where God’s presence with His people was manifested in a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night which the people followed. We find it in the meeting tent, when Moses came out with radiant face after speaking with God.

This desire of God to be near His people is seen in the ark of the Covenant, the building of the tabernacle and the temple and in the liturgy of the Jewish people. We find it in the covenants themselves. And then, in an absolutely extraordinary way which few people recognized at the time, the whole of the Old Testament culminates in God coming to us in Person, taking on our flesh and coming to live with us as one of us, in Christ Jesus. "In the midst of our fallen world, in the midst of incredible darkness, in the midst of a world dying from sin…He comes to make a home for Himself. He comes to set up camp among us and establish a place where people can come to be healed, to be saved, and transformed.” (Fr. Michael Keating, CMSWR address 2011)

This is really quite extraordinary. Very few people were expecting this. And most of the world missed it. Only a few holy souls, Mary and Joseph, Simeon and Anna, a few simple souls (the shepherds), and those seeking wisdom (the wise men), witnessed this marvelous mystery of God coming into the world in Person to dwell with His people.

In Jesus, this Divine desire for intimacy with us becomes incarnate. He dwells within the womb of Mary for 9 months and then comes into the world as a tiny infant to dwell with us in utter poverty and need. He lives and grows up among us in the ordinary surroundings of daily life. He learns the ways of a trade with His foster father, dwelling in deep communion in a family, the Holy Family with Mary and Joseph.

When He begins His public ministry, He invites and calls the apostles and disciples to live with Him. They do everything with Him, accompanying Him in His work, asking Him questions, being fashioned and formed by His gaze, His teachings, and the words and works and wonders that come forth from Him.

And then, as He’s about to enter into His Paschal Mystery, He devises a way to still stay with them. He gives them the Holy Eucharist and ordains them so they will forever be able to bring Him down into the midst of our valley of tears -- so mankind will never be without God. As He is ascending into Heaven He reminds the apostles that He is not really leaving. He says: “Go forth and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit… and lo, I am with you till the close of the ages.” (Mt28:20)

This is astonishing, this reality that God simply does not seem able to keep away from us, does not want to keep away from us. He longs to be with us! He delights to be among the sons of men!

Fr. Hans Urs von Baltazar describes it this way: “For you must understand: He desires nearness; He would like to live in you and commingle His breath with your breathing. He would like to be with you until the end of the world. He knocks at all souls. He makes Himself small and inconspicuous so as to be able to partake of all their little transactions and concerns. He approaches quietly so as not to disturb or be recognized; He comes to be present incognito in the full hubbub of the earth’s annual fair. He seeks trust, intimacy; he is a beggar for your love.” ("Heart of the World")

When we understand God’s desire to live with us, to be one with us, our vision of life is changed. The world is full of His invitations, His attractions, His drawings to intimacy with Himself. We begin to find ourselves stealing away to be alone with Him. We begin to experience in the silence of our own spirits an ever deepening desire to be with the Lord, and to live in His House all the days of their lives.

The first Christmas contains within it the promise found both in the beginning of man's history in the Garden, and at the end of man's history in Revelations 21:1-4:

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. The sea was no more, and I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more. Neither shall there be mourning or crying or pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

In the midst of all our preparations, may this Christmas find us seeking the tiny Babe, that we may take Him into the humble dwelling of our own hearts where He longs to be. To the glory of God, which the angels sang on that first Holy Night, may it be said of us:

"Behold, the dwelling of God is with men."

Advent, 2014

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The Centrality of the Family in Catholic Social Teaching [at The Paper Gryphon]

In his Apostolic Exhortation on the role of the Christian family in the modern world, Familiaris Consortio, St. Pope John Paul II proclaimed that: “Willed by God in the very act of creation,

marriage and the family are interiorly ordained to fulfillment in Christ”” (3). In a way, John Paul the Great, has summarized the reason for the centrality of the family in Catholic Social Teaching. The omnipresence of familial themes throughout Holy Scripture and Church Tradition are a testimony to the sacred nature of the family and the role that it plays in God’s divine plan. The Second Vatican Council produced one of the most profound documents concerning the modern Church, Gaudium et Spes. This dogmatic constitution assesses much, including the role of the family. “The Christian family loudly proclaims both the present virtues of the Kingdom of God and the hope of a blessed life to come. Thus by its example and its witness it accuses the world of sin and enlightens those who seek the truth” (Lumen Gentium 35). This truth is evident in every aspect of society, from the individual to the whole of civilization. Because of this, Catholic social teaching (CST) is informed greatly by the needs and duties of the family. Why and how does family play such crucial role in CST? To know this we must first understand what CST gleans from the Bible by way of the Old Testament and the Holy Family, how today’s families figure into God’s divine plan, and how the magisterium has illustrated these things to us through CST.

When speaking of the family, as it relates to CST, one would be remiss to forego the impact that the Holy Family has had on its development. That being said, the significance of the Holy Family is bolstered by the familial themes found in the Old Testament. In the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church there is a passage that beautifully references the depth of the Bible’s reverence for the family:

It is in the family that one learns the love and faithfulness of the Lord, and the need to respond to these (cf. Ex 12:25-27, 13:8, 14-15; Deut 6:20-25, 13:7-11; 1 Sam 3:13). It is in the family that children learn their first and most important lessons of practical wisdom, to which the virtues are connected (cf. Prov 1:8-9, 4:1-4, 6:20-21; Sir 3:1-16, 7:27-28). Because of all this, the Lord himself is the guarantor of the love and fidelity of married life (cf. Ma 2:14-15)” (209-210).

Here The Compendium illustrates the significance of the family utilizing only the Old Testament as reference, and these are far from the only Scriptures that pertain to the subject. The importance of this is that just as the Old Testament Messianic prophecies came to fruition in the person of Jesus, so did the Holy Family come to exemplify the tenets of what the Old Testament shows a family to be. CST’s concern for the plight of the impoverished and marginalized and the corollary experiences of the Holy Family are unmistakable. From Mary’s (perceived) pregnancy out of wedlock to Christ’s birth in a stable, the Holy Family had much to contend with in the way of social exclusion. Christ’s first miracle, at Cana, was at the ultimate celebration of family, a wedding! In addition to the humble circumstances of Christ’s socio-economic status are his very specific calls to help the underprivileged. In the Gospel of St. Matthew Jesus puts forth a soteriological call to the “human family”: “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me… just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (NRSVC Matt 25:35-40). 1994 was declared the “Year of the Family” by Pope John Paul II. In his letter to families, Gratissimam Sane, he artfully illustrates how the Holy Family remains a beacon of hope for modern families. In concluding his letter he mentions the significance of each member of the family of Christ:

May the Holy Family, icon and model of every human family, help each individual to walk in the spirit of Nazareth. May it help each family unit to grow in understanding of its particular mission in society and the Church by hearing the Word of God, by prayer and by a fraternal sharing of life. May Mary, Mother of "Fairest Love", and Joseph, Guardian of the Redeemer, accompany us all with their constant protection (Gratissimam Sane 23).

The Holy Spirit leads God’s family ever further along the path of salvation. The 20th and 21st centuries have been integral in hastening us upon this course. CST has grown by leaps and bounds. Pope Francis’ recent Synod on the Family, and the one to come in 2015, are testimonies to the continued focus on this most basic social institution. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have had a hand in the development of social doctrine, especially as it pertains to the family: “Marriage and the family are the central social institutions that must be supported and strengthened, not undermined. We believe people have a right and a duty to participate in society, seeking together the common good and well-being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable” (Themes of Catholic Social Teaching). It is the pursuit of these rights that serve to illuminate the need for healthy and contributing family units, households, communities, and the Church alike. The precursor to next year’s fourteenth ordinary general assembly of the Synod of Bishops, and the follow up to this year’s third extraordinary general assembly of the Synod of Bishops, was 1980’s Synod on the Family. St. John Paul II’s postsynodal apostolic exhortation, Familiaris Consortio presents a brief list of what CST hopes to address with respect to the modern family; “Thus, with love as its point of departure and making constant reference to it, the recent Synod emphasized four general tasks for the family: 1) forming a community of persons; 2) serving life; 3) participating in the development of society; 4) sharing in the life and mission of the Church” (17).

“Forming a community of persons” involves the responsibility of society to foster the well-being of the individual. What better expression of a communion of persons than that which is established in the Sacrament of Marriage. It is for this reason that the integrity of marriage, as the building block upon which families are established, is held in such high regard. “For the good of the spouses and their off-springs as well as of society, the existence of the sacred bond no longer depends on human decisions alone. For, God Himself is the author of matrimony, endowed as it is with various benefits and purposes” (Gaudium et Spes 48). It is a union by which God joins a man and wife and perpetuates that community of persons through procreation and the promotion of God’s divine plan. As Catholics it is our responsibility to cultivate a culture that preserves this most sacred of institutions. Through active participation in our communities and at the polls we can do our part in encouraging a society built upon the morals of the Church. “Marriage must be defined, recognized, and protected as a lifelong commitment between a man and a woman, and as the source of the next generation and the protective haven for children. Policies on taxes, work, divorce, immigration, and welfare should help families stay together and should reward responsibility and sacrifice for children” (Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship 70).

Once children enter the picture, the small “community of persons” that God has created is focused on providing for those who cannot provide for themselves, our children. This is where the “participation in the development of society” comes in. The First Epistle of John speaks to this directly. The language is familial in nature, and the priority placed on charity through action is explicit: “How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action” (NRSVCE, 1 John 3:17-18). Children are dependent upon their parents for food, shelter, clothing, education, moral support, and the tools by which to further the family/society as adults. Fostering a family environment that promotes empathy and love through affection, in God’s name, creates a small society that encourages the tenets of Christ’s Law (NRSVCE, Galatians 6:2):

The first and fundamental structure for "human ecology" is the family, in which man receives his first formative ideas about truth and goodness, and learns what it means to love and to be loved, and thus what it actually means to be a person. Here we mean the family founded on marriage, in which the mutual gift of self by husband and wife creates an environment in which children can be born and develop their potentialities, become aware of their dignity and prepare to face their unique and individual destiny. (Centesimus Annus 39).

To achieve this we must be socially aware and proactive. “Authority, stability, and a life of relationships within the family constitute the foundations for freedom, security, and fraternity within society. The family is the community in which, from childhood, one can learn moral values, begin to honor God, and make good use of freedom. Family life is an initiation into life in society” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2207). The lessons learned at the family level, and perpetuated through the generations inform who we are as a society. “A truly sovereign and spiritually vigorous nation is always made up of strong families who are aware of their vocation and mission in history. The family is at the heart of all these problems and tasks. To relegate it to a subordinate or secondary role… would be to inflict grave harm on the authentic growth of society as a whole” (Gratissimam Sane 17). To prevent this subordination of the family it is our duty as Catholics to take an active role in protecting our children. As much as we would like to be there for them every minute, it is impossible. Because of this we must ensure that the social institutions responsible for our children in our absence are correctly ordered. An example of one such institution would be our education system: “Government, through such means as tax credits and publicly funded scholarships, should help provide resources for parents, especially those of modest means, to exercise this basic right without discrimination. Students in all educational settings should have opportunities for moral and character formation (Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship 72). This is just one example of society’s responsibility for the care of our young. In addition to this we must have the moral fiber to ensure that laws, rules, and regulations are in place to protect our most valuable assets, our children, from exposure to pornography, gratuitous violence, and similar threats to their developing minds.

In step with this theme of providing for those who are unable to care for themselves is the Church’s stance against abortion, contraception, euthanasia, capital punishment, and similar threats to human life. In this way the family is central to “serving life.” Rather than a place where life is optional in the face of suffering, Pope John Paul II demands that that family be a “sanctuary of life.”

It is necessary to go back to seeing the family as the sanctuary of life. The family is indeed sacred: it is the place in which life — the gift of God — can be properly welcomed and protected against the many attacks to which it is exposed, and can develop in accordance with what constitutes authentic human growth. In the face of the so-called culture of death, the family is the heart of the culture of life (Centesimus Annus 39).

The dignity due to the individual is rooted in God’s creation of man, and similarly in man’s reproduction: “In procreation therefore, through the communication of life from parents to child, God's own image and likeness is transmitted, thanks to the creation of the immortal soul” (Evangelium Vitae 43). God’s imprint upon our beings informs all that we do in striving for the greater good, and similarly informs the dignity due to men as children of God.

Another indispensable aspect of Catholic Social Teaching and the family is our call to “share in the life and mission of the Church.”  Families can do this in two ways. The first way is by creating what Pope John Paul II called “the little domestic church” within the walls of our own homes (Familiaris Consortio 51). The family unit should be a place of frequent prayer, constant learning, praise, and worship. Each member of the family should strive to emulate each of the members of the Holy Family, and in doing, catechize those around them:

As a sharer in the life and mission of the Church, which listens to the word of God with reverence and proclaims it confidently, the Christian family fulfills its prophetic role by welcoming and announcing the word of God: it thus becomes more and more each day a believing and evangelizing community… The discovery of and obedience to the plan of God on the part of the conjugal and family community must take place in "togetherness," through the human experience of love between husband and wife, between parents and children, lived in the Spirit of Christ. Thus the little domestic Church, like the greater Church, needs to be constantly and intensely evangelized: hence its duty regarding permanent education in the faith.” (Familiaris Consortio 51).

The second way the Church impacts the family is by being said family! In his papal encyclical, Deus Caritas Est, Pope Benedict XVI elaborates upon the role of the Church as family, provider, and caretaker: “The Church is God's family in the world. In this family no one ought to go without the necessities of life” (25b).

The Church offers an original and irreplaceable contribution with the concern that impels her to make the family of mankind and its history more human, prompting her to place herself as a bulwark against every totalitarian temptation, as she shows man his integral and definitive vocation. By preaching the Gospel, the grace of the sacraments and the presence of fraternal communion, the Church, “heals and elevates the dignity of the human person,… consolidates society and endows the daily activity of men with a deeper sense of meaning (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church 51).

God the Father Almighty has gathered us into His house, into His Church, and eternally stands as the model upon which our own families are built. “Just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ” (NRSVCE, Ephesians 1:4). Our responsibility to the Church is similar to our civic responsibility. We are called to be active, concerned, and helpful. We are charged with contributing in a positive way and abiding by the rules that have been set. More than anything we have been appointed to perpetuate the message of Christ on earth.

If society as a whole is able to recognize the proper and natural order of God’s plan we will be able to make the progress necessary for peace “on Earth as it is in Heaven” (NRSVCE, Matthew 6:10). It is only through caring for each and every person of the human family with the same amount of care that society places on the achievement of power and monetary gain that we can improve the conditions of those who cannot do for themselves:

Man's social nature makes it evident that the progress of the human person and the advance of society itself hinge on one another… Among those social ties which man needs for his development… like the family and political community, relate with greater immediacy to his innermost nature; others originate rather from his free decision. In our era, for various reasons, reciprocal ties and mutual dependencies increase day by day and give rise to a variety of associations and organizations, both public and private. This development, which is called socialization, while certainly not without its dangers, brings with it many advantages with respect to consolidating and increasing the qualities of the human person, and safeguarding his rights. (Gaudium et Spes 25).

Catholic Social Teaching in the 20th and 21st centuries has continued to be one of the only constant sparks of light in a gradually darkening room. The influence of the Catholic Church, and ultimately He who instituted her, cannot be understated. The family as an institution is challenged on a daily basis. Traditional moral values are being undermined by the unfortunate redefinition of marriage, and the conjugal act has been relegated to recreational act. The flagrant disregard for life at conception has led to a loss of respect for life at any age. Death has become a viable alternative to pain and unwanted pregnancy. Only through nurturing the family unit as the most basic building block of society can we hope to effect humanity at large. Pope Francis, in his Papal Encyclical, Lumen Fidei, commented on the dire consequences of a modern society preoccupied with brotherhood without the benefit of a guiding father: “Absorbed and deepened in the family, faith becomes a light capable of illumining all our relationships in society… Modernity sought to build a universal brotherhood based on equality, yet we gradually came to realize that this brotherhood, lacking a reference to a common Father as its ultimate foundation, cannot endure (54).

Sources: Benestad, J. Brian. Church, State, and Society: An Introduction to Catholic Social Doctrine. Washington, D.C.: Catholic U of America, 2011. Print. Benedict XVI. Encyclical Letter Deus Caritas Est: On Christian Love. The Holy See, n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2014. Catechism of the Catholic Church: With Modifications from the Editio Typica. 2nd ed. New York: Doubleday, 1997. Print. Catholic Church. United Sates Conference of Catholic Bishops. The Challenge of Peace: God's Promise and Our Response A Pastoral Letter on War and Peace by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. Washington: USCCB, 1983. Web. 4 Dec. 2014 Catholic Church. United Sates Conference of Catholic Bishops. Economic Justice for All: Pastoral Letter on Catholic Social Teaching and the U.S. Economy. Washington: USCCB, 1997. Web. 4 Dec. 2014 Catholic Church. United Sates Conference of Catholic Bishops. Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility from the Catholic Bishops of the United States. Washington: USCCB, 2011. Web. 4 Dec. 2014 Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church. 7th ed. Cittá Del Vaticano: Libreria Editrice Vaticana ;, 2004. Print. Francis. Encyclical Letter Lumen Fidei: On Faith. The Holy See, n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2014. John Paul II. Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus: on the Hundreth Anniversary of Rerum Novarum. The Holy See, n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2014. John Paul II. Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio: On the Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World. The Holy See, n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2014. John Paul II. Encyclical Letter Evangelium Vitae: on the Value and Inviolability of Human Life. The Holy See, n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2014. John Paul II. Letter to Families Gratissimam Sane. The Holy See, n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2014. McCarthy, David Matzko. The Heart of Catholic Social Teaching: Its Origins and Contemporary Significance. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Brazos, 2009. Print. Paul VI. Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes: On the Church in the Modern World. The Holy See, n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2014. Themes of Catholic Social Teaching. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. USCCB Publishing, 1 Jan. 2005. Web. 14 Dec. 2014.

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So Help Me God [at Blogging For A Better Life]

Throughout the world, in different languages, from the Far East to the Far West, nonstop words flow, echoing pleas and petitions, asking God for Help.

Our God hears, He takes pity, He reaches out to us, and He tenderly soothes our hurting hearts.

“Help me get through this…pain…cancer…stack of unpaid bills…prison sentence…divorce…parenthood…(and all other daily struggles.) Help me pick up the pieces of my life – help me God, please.”

God is but a call away. Psalm 34:4 – “I prayed to the Lord, and He answered me; He freed me from all my fears. The oppressed look to Him and are glad; they will never be disappointed. The helpless call to Him, and He answers; He saves them from all their troubles. His angel guards those who honor the Lord and rescues them from danger.”

Oh Yeah! He answers! He saves! He rescues!

Our God, He hears us, He helps us through the good and the bad in life, and He saves us from ruin.

No matter what life throws at you, God is there, waiting.

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My Jesus, My King [at Journey to Wisdom]

A Reflection on Matthew 2:1-12

For all the oracles of the prophets foretold him,

the Virgin Mother longed for him

with love beyond all telling,

John the Baptist sang of his coming

and proclaimed his presence when he came.

– The Roman Missal, Third Edition, Preface II of Advent

By 7 B.C. the Jews had been subject to Roman domination for nearly seventy years, and from the beginning of Roman rule they had prayed desperately to God for the advent of a new Jewish king. Suddenly there he was – the king of the Jews was born.

¹ When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem,

² saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.”

³ When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

⁴ Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.

⁵ They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet:

⁶ ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,

          are by no means least among the rulers of

since from you shall come a ruler,

          who is to shepherd my people Israel.’”

⁷ Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.

⁸ He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.”

⁹ After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.

¹⁰ They were overjoyed at seeing the star,

¹¹ and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

¹² And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way. – Matthew 2:1-12 N.A.B.

But, what kind of king would Jesus be? The Jewish people had been praying fervently for a great warrior king who would overthrow the Romans, reunite the twelve ancient tribes of Israel, reestablish the Davidic kingdom, and return the Jewish nation to its former glory. The king they were anxiously awaiting was expected to do all of these things and more. They wanted a messiah on their own terms, but since Jesus failed to meet their expectations, they rejected him.

What about us? What kind of King is Jesus to us - to me - to you? While atheists reject Jesus outright and some other religions recognize Jesus as simply a prophet, I am a Christian and he is my King. Still yet, do I genuinely accept Jesus as my King, and do I accept all of His commandments, or have I molded him into a reflection of what I want him to be rather than who he is? If I choose to reject one or more of his commandments can I expect a wink, a nod, and a smile from him? Haven’t Christians been tripped up by this sort of self-deception from the very beginning?

We’ve seen the same sort of distorted thinking recently applied to Pope Francis. From the very beginning of his papacy various misguided special interest groups and media have misquoted him in such a way as to serve their own interests. They make him a reflection of what they want him to be rather than who he is to serve their own purposes. 

As we continue to celebrate Jesus’ birth, we might reflect on these two questions: Do I truly accept Jesus as my King? And do I accept all of His commandments?

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A Zany Christmas Party To Save The World [at Peace Garden Mama]

It's become one of

my favorite events during the holiday season, and also, one of the most important. Each passing year, in fact, I'm more and more convinced that this little gathering, which takes place in the privacy of one of our homes, just might save the world.

The annual wig and nog and glog party begins, as all parties do, with an invitation, followed by a trip to the thrift store, sales rack or attic in search of the zaniest head gear possible.

This party is not for the glum. Only the merry are invited, and merry we are this night. You can't help but be. There's a reason for all our smiles, which I'm getting to, soon.

But back now to this idea of saving the world. It's a bit ambitious, right? One most will say is as crazy as the head gear we wore at this year's festivities. (My husband and I are in the back row, left.)

It's a big idea,

especially when considered from the outside, not to mention downright laughable! But on the inside, something else entirely is going on, because this party is all about marriage, and why we keep saying yes to it, over and over again, despite what the world seems to want, despite what sometimes seems logical, despite all the difficult moments.

We say yes, like Mary, who did not know in her "yes" all the joys and also trials that would come about because of that one word. Nevertheless, she said yes, and it is in large part because of that that we are saved. Because without Mary's yes, the savior would not have been born. This is a fact of the most sizable proportions.

Our Marriage Encounter group has become more precious to me each year because I sense more and more the erosion of marriage, of the yes, of the hope of what the union of a man and woman can become. It is only through marriage that children can come into the world and be enveloped into a unit that ties them with their mother and father. Marriage is how our world has flourished. Each member within that unit becomes irreplaceable to each other. This is a big idea, and it's real.

So every time we celebrate this seemingly impossible pairing of man and woman that often expands to include others, which leads to a world that is growing rather than fading, we are adding something valuable to the cause of the world's sustenance.

We're not here to judge

those whose lives did not lead to the ideal. Ours didn't either. We're just here to say the daily yes can lead to a beautifully fulfilling life that's worth reaching for. We all come to it broken, but hopeful, trusting mightily in the Lord and His promises.

Everyone in the group has a story to share, and the details are no less perfect than the blue, pink and burgundy strands of hair on our heads. But through God's grace, and only through it, we are survivors, you might say, and we are here as witnesses to attest to the fact that it's worth saying "yes" to marriage, even when it's not easy.

Our evening always ends with a rousing and very competitive game of "The Newlywed Game." It's a blast to try to guess how our spouse has answered a list of questions posed in another room out of our ear shots. Though there is only one victor, we all go away feeling like winners just because we are still here, despite the odds.

We leave filled up on eggnog, glog and other Christmas treats, and walk out the door inspired at having seen, once again, the impossible in action, and ever more hopeful for what can be when the "yes" to one another becomes a living thing.

Dear Lord, please be with all those whose marriages are hurting this Christmas. Let them feel your hopeful, healing love. For those who are trying their best to say "yes" each day, be with them, too, in the daily struggles and joys. Help us be a witness to others, that in us, others might see a spark of something good and worthy that can only come from your heart. We cannot do this without you, Lord, so please, be with us now and always. Amen.

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A State of Grace [at Declaring the Whole Counsel]

Last weekend, I mentioned something in my homily that I knew was not widely known. I had no idea how few there actually were that knew it. I pointed out that if one commits a grave sin, and then receives communion without having gone to confession, that it is in itself, a grave sin. It is compounding one sin with another. There were a number of folks who mentioned to me after Mass just how new this idea was to them.

Apparently, at some point in the past, a number of Catholics were given the impression that there was a

requirement

for Catholics to receive communion at every Mass they attend (regardless of whether they are in a state of grace or not). This is an interesting, but sad, twist on the truth. In actuality, we are required to attend Mass each Sunday, but we are

not required

to receive communion at every Mass. In fact, the only requirement in regard to receiving communion is once a year (!). This is because the Church wants us in Mass, but she does not want us to receive communion in a state of sin.

We are required to go to confession as soon as possible after a committing a grave sin, and (even if we have not committed a grave sin) to go to confession at least once a year (preferably during lent). I heard from a friend that somewhere back in the 80's a priest he knew mentioned the Church's encouragement to receive communion more regularly; he did this in such a way that a number of people thought that the restriction of being in a state of grace to receive communion no longer applied. I can only pray that this was done unintentionally.

The Church does want all the faithful to receive communion frequently. Yet, she does not want this to happen while people are not in a state of grace. In other words, the Church wants the faithful to confess their sins more regularly and receive sacramental absolution, so that they can receive the Eucharist more often. As an illustration, if I asked you to go to the store for me, do I need to mention that I do not want you to get in a car accident? Of course not, the assumption is that I want you to do what I ask in a safe and godly manner!

Back in 1905 when Pope Pius X encouraged a more frequent reception of communion, he did not cancel the requirement of being in a state of grace. The document "Sacra Tridentina Synodus" points out that: "Frequent and daily Communion. . . should be open to all the faithful, of whatever rank and condition of life; so that no one who is in the state of grace, and who approaches the holy table with a right and devout intention, can be lawfully hindered therefrom." Notice that being "in a state of grace" is reiterated as being necessary--no changes have been made.

Unfortunately today, it appears that fewer and fewer Catholics know just what it means to be in a state of grace. We have been numbed to the concept of sin, and as a result we have also been numbed to the concept of grace. If you cannot understand sin, you will not be able to understand grace. We need to teach people what sin is, so that they can learn to stay away from it. We need to help them to turn from their sin once they recognize it. We need to seek grace as a means of holiness once again.

So I too will encourage: go and receive communion frequently. Only, do so in a state of grace; do not compound one sin with another. Therefore, go to confession more frequently,

so that

you may receive the sacrament of the Eucharist more frequently. Hear the call for communion, just answer the call in holiness and purity.

This contribution is available at http://declaringthewholecounsel.blogspot.com/2014/12/a-state-of-grace.html
Copyright is retained by the contributing author (follow above link for info on this piece).

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Catholic Resources on Extreme Parenting [at Can We Cana?]

My request for Catholic online and print resources on extreme parenting circumstances got an amazing response, so I'd like to share it with you. There's more on adoption than I thought, including an excellent new resource scheduled to be released by Pauline Books in 2015 (huge shout-out to author Jaymie Stuart Wolfe and the sisters at Pauline). But there's much less on fostering and step-parenting than I was hoping to find.

Please, please, please if you have more to add to the list, respond in the comments or by email to santoskaree@gmail.com. It's so important to support parents taking on this holy but often incredibly arduous work.

Adoption

Adoption: Room for One More?, by Jaymie Stuart Wolfe (forthcoming from Pauline Books in 2015)

Adoption: Choosing It, Living It, Loving It, by Dr. Ray Guarendi (St. Anthony Messenger, 2009)

Longing to Love: A Memoir of Desire, Relationships, and Spiritual Transformation, by Tim Muldoon (Loyola Press, 2010)

While We Wait: Spiritual and Practical Advice for Those Trying to Adopt, by Heidi Schlumpf (ACTA Publications, 2009)

Little Lucy's Family: A Story About Adoption, by Eleanor Gormally (ACTA Publications, 2008) (for children)

Special Needs

Faith, Family, and Children with Special Needs: How Catholic Parents and Their Kids with Special Needs Can Develop a Richer Spiritual Life, by David Rizzo (Loyola Press, 2012)

A Special Mother is Born, by Leticia Velasquez (WestBow Press, 2011)

Ha Nacido Una Madre Especial, by Leticia Velasquez (Ediciones Rialp, 2013)

Be Not Afraid: peer-based support to parents experiencing a prenatal diagnosis and carrying to term, www.benotafraid.net

National Catholic Partnership on Disability, www.ncpd.org (includes resources on sacramental preparation for special-needs children)

Big Families

Big Hearted: Inspiring Stories from Everyday Families, ed. by Theresa Thomas & Patti Armstrong, eds. (Scepter Publishers, 2013)

Table for Eight: Raising a large family in a small-family world, by Meagan Francis (Penguin Group, 2007)

This contribution is available at http://canwecana.blogspot.com/2014/12/catholic-resources-on-extreme-parenting.html
Copyright is retained by the contributing author (follow above link for info on this piece).

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I’m so excited to share our first Saint in the Virtual Saint Picture Book Club – St. Juan Diego. St. Juan Diego’s feast day is December 9. If you are unfamiliar with him, St. Juan Diego is the saint to whom Our Lady of Guadalupe revealed herself.

St. Juan Diego Picture Books [at Happy Little Homemaker]

I suggested two picture books for this month’s saint. The first was Talking Eagle & the Lady of Roses by Amy Cordova and Eugene Gollogly. This is a beautiful hardcover picture book that will be in your family for years. Not only are the illustration colors rich and vibrant, but the paper is thick and the pages are actually sewn together. That is rare indeed.

Aside from the fact that Talking Eagle & the Lady of Roses is physically a quality book, it is equally quality as far as story and picture are concerned. Unlike many stories, this one actually tells a bit about St. Juan Diego’s life and culture so that there is a little context around the story. It tells of his people and his childhood and even his wife. The pictures depict Juan & Our Lady as I imagine his people would recognize them (not white, but Mexican). The illustrations are beautiful and the story is accurate as far as I can tell. The story was woven together beautifully, told as a story, not as a textbook. The only thing I wish it had was a pronunciation guide for the difficult words. TOTALLY worth the extra money for Talking Eagle & the Lady of Roses!

The other book is a simple little paperback. This has all the pertinent details such as time period, place, feast day, and map in addition to a simply told story. Juan Diego: Mary’s Humble Messenger tells the story of how Mary appeared to Juan Diego. The pictures are detailed and the text is in a rose framed text box.

The end also shares a little bit about the church that stands there today, a prayer, and a glossary. This book is intended for a younger reader and the words and sentences are very simple. If your children are a little old for it, perhaps they could read it to their siblings who cannot. A cute book and a very affordable way to add books about saints to your library. They have several series of Saints and Me! books and have a workbook to go with each set.

St. Juan Diego Picture Books [at Happy Little Homemaker]

While I started this book club for those who want to live the liturgical year but never have time, I did want to include a few extras pin case you have a little extra time this week. Many of these would work as activities for Our Lady of Guadalupe, too. That is celebrated on December 12.

Easy Food for the Feast of St. Juan Diego

If you are interesting in doing a little extra, have a small Mexican feast. Tacos, burritos, or enchiladas would easy to do. You have to eat dinner anyway, right?

Didn’t plan ahead? How about some cookies & hot chocolate. Add some cinnamon, nutmeg and the tiniest bit of cayenne pepper, for Mexican hot chocolate.

If you have extra time & energy, you could make Mexican Wedding Cookies. I love those!

Make a God’s Eye (or Ojo de Dios)

You remember making God’s Eyes as a child, right? Now is the time to pass the torch! Popsicle sticks & yarn scraps. This video is really the best way to refresh your memory.

Juan Diego & Our Lady of Guadalupe Printables

Real Life at Home just released a set of printables for Juan Diego & Our Lady of Guadalupe (feast day December 12) that were hand-drawn and colored by her husband!

If you have the Glory Stories Vol. 1 (includes the story of St. Juan Diego) from Holy Heroes, they have a free set of coloring pages about Juan Diego & Our Lady of Guadalupe available on their website.

SaintMail

While you are a little late to get the SaintMail package for this saint, if you would like to celebrate the liturgical year and not have to do any prep, you might want to give SaintMail a try. We got to review SaintMail last year and have been subscribing ever since!

You can see our package for St. Juan Diego above (we pay for the extra sibling supplement). Every month, you will get items relating to the Saint, a letter from the saint (with a wax seal! Love that touch :D), a craft or other activity, discussion points and ideas to take it further if you have time. Oh and a magnet, too. These are all on our fridge & the letters, activities and discussion points are filed to use again in the future as we have time. It’s totally worth the money. If I could afford it, I would buy them for my Godchildren, too! If you DO have a budget for an awesome Godchild gift, consider ordering a subscription to SaintMail for Christmas!

Molly & I have been working closely to coordinate our packages whenever we can, though we can’t always. It’s hard to find good picture books!

Do you have any favorite books, activities or other quick and easy ways to learn about St. Juan Diego for busy families?  Please share them in the comments.  Links welcome!   Did you read one of our selected books for this month?  I’d love to hear what you thought of them!

This contribution is available at http://www.happylittlehomemaker.com/2014/12/st-juan-diego-december-9-saint-picture-book-club/
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Book Review: The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands [at These Joyful Mysteries]

I remember as a young girl my Mom always telling me that when you are married your goal is to get your spouse to Heaven.  Hearing that, I had dreamy-eyed visions of how I would accomplish that goal. I imagined my husband and me headed to mass each Sunday with our children, praying together as a family, and endless conversations about how he could be a better person....with me being his shining example of a true Christian, of course.

Fast forward 20 years and here I find myself actually doing a very good job with getting Bill to heaven.  The problem is, it's not at all how I imagined. My "shining example" wasn't exactly...how shall I say?.... Shiny.

I am a work in progress for sure, but Bill is definitely making big strides towards heaven having to deal with the likes of me. Not exactly how I pictured it, but at least I've got him heading in the right direction.

I just finished reading a book by Dr. Laura Schlessinger.  I have heard of her before and even remember tuning into her radio program a few times.  Her callers were typically women asking for marriage or family advice. (in other words, they were complaining about their husbands) They would often be taken back by Dr. Laura's blunt, and often times brutal, advice forcing them to end the call with their "tails between their legs" so to speak.

The book I read is called "The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands."  I highly recommend it.  Dr. Laura speaks for the husbands in this one.  Often times we can get caught up in what our husband is "lacking" that we forget that he is designed in a certain way....to protect and provide for his family.  He's not designed to be an "extra girlfriend" for us, a point which really caught my attention.  I can't tell you how many times I felt that Bill was emotionally unavailable for me.  Well, I came to realize it's not in his physcal make-up to sit with me for hours over coffee and talk things through.

Another eye-opener for me that Dr. Laura points out is that taking care of our children, cooking dinner, and doing the laundry, while all worthy and important tasks for the family, this is not taking care of my husband.  All of those things I would do for my family regardless.  She points out that he has needs of his own.  I know what thought just popped into your heads.....and yes,

that

of course is a high priority, but also going out of my way to do little things....looking nice when he walks in the door (dare I say goodbye to my sweat pants and ball cap?), a meaningful hug and kiss when he comes in from work (not a quick peck as I continue to cook dinner and barely make eye contact), or even rub his feet without being asked as we sit on the couch and watch TV (stinky feet and all). 

Let's not forget about the power of praise.  I've taken to verbalizing my appreciation for Bill.  He works really hard but never lets work get in the way of his obligations to his family.  So, I thank him and tell him he's doing a great job at work and at home.  

The book is full of Dr. Laura's conversations with callers and her answers and suggestions to have a happier marriage. It's quite entertaining to say the least.  Dr. Laura pulls no punches and really gets to the heart of the matter. The bottom line is the book really speaks to having a mutual respect for each other

.

Often times we women can inadvertently adhere to a double standard when it comes to our husbands. This book reinforces the fact that husbands and wives are inherently different and should be treated in a way that embraces our chemical make-up.  We are not created "equal."

Since I'm sure I am not doing the book justice,  you can read more about it

here. 

 Let us all work towards that goal of getting our spouse to heaven!  And hopefully ourselves as well.

To quote St. Francis: 

"It is in giving that we receive."  

Want to win a free copy?  Just leave me a comment below and I will pick a name out of a hat on Friday. (emails to me will also be placed in the hat for those non-commenters)

This contribution is available at http://thesejoyfulmysteries.blogspot.com/2014/12/book-review-and-giveaway.html
Copyright is retained by the contributing author (follow above link for info on this piece).

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When compassion is the only gift that counts [at Leaven For The Loaf]

Some people are in mourning this week. You, perhaps? Death of a loved one, loss of a job, a relationship falling apart: grief and pain and loss don’t take this week off. Christmas can be hard to take. I learned this firsthand a few years back.

Think of the hurting people this Christmas week. Please, reach out. It makes a difference. I’ve felt it. It might be the best pro-life ministry you could perform right now.

The Friday before Advent in 2000, my father succumbed to cancer. My mother was desolate, but even in her grief, Mom had as much self-discipline as ever. She was not about to miss Mass that weekend. She knew it would be hard. Her parish neighbors knew that Dad had been gravely ill, and Mom steeled herself against hearing “how is he?” and having to respond “he’s gone.”

We got to Mass. Her neighbors saw me enter with her, and they seemed to know that my presence signaled sad news about Dad. A few people approached us before Mass to offer sympathy. Mom was nearly numb and she left the talking to me. A challenge, that.

Mass began, with a visiting priest. As if he were clairvoyant, the unknown priest opened his homily on that First Sunday of Advent with these words: “Some people are crying this week. Not everyone is in the mood for Christmas.” That kindly and perceptive man, who didn’t even know us, gave us the gift of acknowledging our grief. He didn’t minimize it.

Over the following days and weeks, cards and letters piled up. My mother was a very conscientious housekeeper, and she had never let mail accumulate. Her lifelong routine had been to read it, answer it, and toss it. She let that routine slide a bit after my father died. She put the condolence cards in a basket in the living room. Whenever she walked past that basket, she absentmindedly let her hand brush lightly over the pile of cards and messages, as if to draw strength from their kind words.

Bless those people who wrote to us. They were busy with their families’ holiday plans, and they made time for my family’s grief. How desolate our Christmas would have been without them!

The awkwardness one feels at another’s grief seems compounded by this season and this week. How often have I kept silent in the presence of someone who’s been bereaved or stricken with bad news, out of a keen sense that I don’t know what to say?

Yet I have no real excuse for silence. When my father died, Christmas was redeemed by the little messages, the hugs, the I’m-sorrys. Paying it forward again and again is really the only way for me to express gratitude for the kindness that got me through that season.

St. Teresa of Avila wrote, “Christ has no body but yours …yours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world.” A hug, a text, a card, a brief word: all ways of “looking compassion” on those who mourn in the midst of Yuletide. Let’s be there for one another.

This contribution is available at http://leavenfortheloaf.com/2014/12/22/compassion-at-christmas/
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Remembering Our Lady of Guadalupe [at Harvesting The Fruits of Contemplation]

While my wife and I were cleaning out our attic and basement a few weeks ago, we discovered a long lost treasure - photographs from a trip that my eldest daughter and I had taken to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City more than twenty-five years ago.

At the time of that visit, the original Church built at the request of the Blessed Mother, was deemed unsafe to enter. A new modern structure – much larger had been erected nearby.

I remember pausing in awe and wonder watching pilgrims walking on their knees across the plaza leading to the Cathedral, some of whom I was later told had been walking in that manner for miles. I regret now not having photographically captured the inspiring witness of those devoted souls.  

When we entered the Church, our eyes were immediately drawn to the readily recognizable image of our Lady displayed immediately above and behind the sanctuary. Our heavenly Mother is surrounded by golden brick.

The next thing I recall was the noise and busyness around me.

Shortly after our arrival, Mass began. Few of the hundreds of visitors milling around the interior of the Church appeared to be aware or appreciative of the magnificent event taking place in the sanctuary. This must have been a great disappointment to our Blessed Mother whose image looked down upon the Holy Sacrifice.

I had seen many pictures and renderings of the image our Lady of Guadalupe in my lifetime. None of them do justice to the actual image I was blessed to view! Although more than five centuries old, it looked like it had just been painted. The colors were vibrant and jumped off the aged tilma of Blessed Juan Diego – two inexplicable but miraculous facts. 

How privileged my daughter and I were to be in the presence of this sacred and much venerated icon. It was magnificent to behold! I wanted to stay, gaze and ponder this image but the moving walkway which slowly transported us to and past our Blessed Mother’s likeness prohibited protracted stays.

When I reached the end of the walkway, I had a feeling of incompleteness, a desire for more and an internal non-verbal assurance that another profound blessing awaited us.

We left the Cathedral, walked across the plaza and up steep steps to visit the actual apparition site.

As we made our way there, we encountered a magnificent outdoor sculpture depicting the apparition – breathtakingly beautiful and life-like.

The little chapel built at the actual apparition site was not far from there. The minute I entered, I knew I was on holy ground and in the presence of both my loving Lord and His most Blessed Mother.

So real and ostensible was that sensation that I fell to my knees at the altar rail with tears of thanksgiving and appreciation flowing from my eyes – thanking God that He had extended this great undeserved privilege to my daughter and me to be where His Mother once stood and where over the centuries so many have been healed and cured. 

I offered an unending stream of prayerful petitions, the most urgent of which was for my youngest sister who had recently, and without warning, experienced heart failure – a drastic reduction in the ability of her heart muscles to contract with sufficient force.

Without hesitation, I asked our Blessed Mother and her most precious Son to heal my nearly forty-year old sibling. I felt at peace.

It was so very difficult to leave this comforting and healing place. But we had to rejoin our group.

When I returned home, my sister informed me that forty percent of her heart function had been restored. The doctors had no real explanation for such a remarkable turn-around in her physical condition which we later confirmed occurred at the time I had sought our Lady’s intercession and assistance! My sister has experienced no further deterioration in her heart function over the intervening years!

Oh, that we might better appreciate the blessings we have received and grow closer to our Blessed Mother!

Our Lady of Guadalupe intercede for us and for those we know and love. Lead each of us to the bosom of your Son’s Sacred Heart!

This contribution is available at http://harvestingthefruitsofcontemplation.blogspot.com/2014/12/remembering-our-lady-of-guadalupe.html
Copyright is retained by the contributing author (follow above link for info on this piece).

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Let Your Light Shine Before Men [at Bartimaeus' Quiet Place]

Let Your Light Shine Before Men

<> The Light Shines in the Darkness

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

(John 1:1-4)

<> He, himself, when He was with us, affirmed that …

“We must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day; night comes, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (John 9:4-5)

<> But now that He is gone we are called to do His works –  for He is in us and as long as we abide in Him, He says to us…

“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”  (Matt. 5:13-16)

My fellow pilgrims in Christ Jesus,

As we enter a new year in our walk with Christ it is necessary that we become more observant of the “signs of the times” as Jesus would say. Not so much because we are attempting to foresee what is coming, and when, but mainly to be aware of the breakdown of our current culture and its turning away from God. The more our culture turns away from God and His Righteous principles the more we, humanity, become liable to His judgments and chastisements. And, of course, the more the need for the world to come to repentance in order to be restored to fellowship with Him, Praised be His Holy Name!

The role of Christians in these times, therefore, is not to entrench ourselves in fear of what is coming, but rather to put on the armor of light so that we may not only defend ourselves against the attacks of the evil one but also so that the Lord may use us as His envoys of His Light to proclaim the Gospel of Light with an even greater anointing and power to rescue as many in the world as possible from the Tsunami of darkness that is coming over the world. For we are called to let the light divine that is in us shine forth into the darkness that the world may see the power of God working in us and through us for the Glory od His Kingdom!

Unfortunately, many of us pew-dwellers do not wish to get involved but rather prefer to continue compliantly, passively and comfortably in our routine religious practices and devotions, thinking that, after all, we are just lay people and that it is the responsibility of our clergy, our missionaries and our evangelists to go out to the front lines and fight for the faith. After all, hasn’t the clergy told us, implicitly, that our only responsibility is to “pay. pray, and obey?”

Opened Your Gifts Yet?

In so doing, we leave unwrapped the spiritual gifts we all, laity and clergy, have available to us, the spiritual gifts that empower all of us to bring the Word of God that enlightens – the Word that activates and brings to life the spirits of those who are embedded in the darkness of this world. We, without understanding it, or knowing it are abdicating our calling to be communicators of the “Light of the world” to the world.

In a modern-day sense, we are not entirely to be blamed for such an attitude, because, in the past, the Lord did mainly use the clergy and missionaries to bring the Gospel to the entire world and while we, the laity, actively supported these outreaches, we pretty well concentrated on brining up our children and mainlining our family life.

We were complacently thinking that the front lines for defending our faith and Christian traditions was mainly in Communist China, North Korea, Africa and the Middle East. The problem is that the front lines are no longer in some distant nation but in our own families, parishes, school districts and local governments.

Our own children are walking away from the Christian Faith and are being swallowed up in the spiritual darkness and immorality of the world system in which we are all embedded. Today it is easier to evangelize in skid row than in our own families. Because of the influence of their peers, and the liberal unbelieving public education system, our children place more faith in what the world says and announces than in what their parents or their churches are teaching and preaching.

Today, we, the laity have lost our “saltiness”, that is, the anointing of the Holy Spirit over our lives. We have come to believe that only the clergy and consecrated, can exercise any spiritual power in living out their lives. For example, I once prayed for a man who was offended when I prayed over him for a personal problem he was having. He asked me “who do you think you are, praying like this?, You are not a priest or minister – you are just a sinner just as I am”.

Of course, he was right, I am a sinner just as he is, but in Christ, I am “New Creation”, saved by grace, and I am anointed by Him to bring the good news of salvation and healing to all He places in my path. I can do nothing in my name – everything I do is in His Name, and it is through His Name and the anointing that is in Him that I act on His Word to perform His works in this world. This is the calling and legacy he has given to every believer …

Go into all the world …

“And he said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mark 16:15-18)

But what, we may ask is the Good News, the Gospel, that I am to proclaim not only with words but through my own consecration to that Gospel in my life.  The New Testament Scriptures make that gospel very clear and in fact summarizes it very concisely …

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”  (John 3:16-17)

and,

“…[T]he word is near you, on your lips and in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach); because, if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and so is saved The scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.” (Rom 10: 8-11)

Yes, like Jesus, who also was a lay person, if you proclaim this, the only true Gospel, you will be rejected, you will be despised. you will be asked, “who gave you this authority?”, but if you, acting in obedience to His command will continue to carry out the “Great Commission” in faith and love just as He ordained, you also will witness to the results that follow. By your obedience to His Word you will open and use the spiritual gifts he has accorded to each one of us who walk after Him in Faith! Praised Be His Holy Name!

“And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it. Amen.” (Mark 16:20)

So let it be with you, brethren, as you enter this New Year renewed in the Spirit of Christ that is in you.

In conclusion I pass on a compendium of the Apostle Paul’s prayers to the Ephesian community (see below), regarding being faithful to their calling (and ours), by acting on and taking into account all the revelation, anointing and graces that we have been given through Christ our Savior and Lord for the Glory of His Kingdom. To Him and to Him alone be Glory and Honor Forever. Amen and Amen!

Your fellow Pilgrim and brother in Christ Jesus … Bartimaeus

© B.R.Timeo and Bartimaeus’ Quiet Place, [2008-2014])

St. Paul’s Prayers for the Ephesians [and by implication for us]

“

Jesus Baptized in the Spirit

… [I] Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And has put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fullness of him that fills all in all. (Eph.1: 5-23)

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with might through his Spirit in the inner man, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen”. (Ephesians 3:14-21)

Related Links

Prayer to Receive the Holy Spirit

I stand at the Door and Knock

Pray to the Lord of the Harvest (part 2)

Reflection on the Beatitudes (part 4)

This contribution is available at http://quietplace4prayer.wordpress.com/2014/12/27/§-let-your-light-shine-before-men/
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Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell [at The Wayward Catholic]

Warning: We are about to get into some pretty deep theological discussion, well at least deep for me. As I wrote in my last post, my sister passed away last week and as one who has to analyze everything on different levels (maybe over analyze would be a better way to put it) I began thinking about Purgatory. As far as I know, I believe this is a uniquely Catholic belief.

Let me give you the textbook definition of Purgatory, from the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

1031 The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned.  The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire:

As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come.

Basically we can look at Purgatory as being somewhere between Heaven and Hell, this is the place where our sins are washed away before we can get into Heaven. Of course in order to go to Purgatory, we have to profess our belief in God, even if it is on our deathbed. We have three choices of places to go after death:

We can go directly to Heaven

We can go directly to Hell

We can stop in Purgatory on the way to Heaven.

Once in Purgatory, we may stay there for awhile, but from what I have read and heard, we will eventually get to Heaven.

Alright, so what was I thinking about regarding Purgatory and my sister? Is it possible for us to be in Purgatory while we are still alive? As I had mentioned in my last post, my sister suffered from mental illness. For the last 35 years or so, her life (at least as I see it) wasn’t all that good. She suffered from Paranoid Schizophrenia, with all the attendant symptoms, delusions, hearing voices, paranoia. For the record, she wanted nothing to do with me for the last ten years, so I don’t have first hand knowledge of this, but I don’t imagine she was very happy or that her quality of life could have been all that good. Again, this is an assumption om my part.

Therefore, if this were in fact true, could this have been her Purgatory? If she were suffering, was this the suffering she needed to go through in order for her to get to Heaven? We as Catholics are taught that only Saints go directly to Heaven, everyone else has to go through Purgatory, but is it possible that my sister had her Purgatory while she was alive?

We always hear that God has a plan for all of us, and I believe that, but I wonder what His plan for my sister was? It wasn’t her fault she had this illness, yes, some of her actions may have contributed to it (a subject of debate between my siblings and I) but it certainly wasn’t something she chose. We all have the free will to sin or not sin, but we don’t have the choice on whether or not we suffer from mental illness.

I don’t know the answer for this, at least not yet, but I will continue looking into it. If anyone has any input, please feel free to leave a comment.

Some resources on Purgatory:

The Divine Comedy: Volume 1: Inferno (Penguin Classics)
The Seven Storey Mountain
The Biblical Basis For Purgatory

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What a Glorious Christmas/Birthday! [at Quiet Consecration]

God blessed me and mine with the best Christmas in over five years.  My mother and I were invited guests to my brother's home and we had a lovely, lovely time.  The food was excellent, the company fantastic.  We laughed, we ate, we celebrated the day.  Though my brother remains far from Holy Mother Church we know that our prayers and petitions are being answered and both of us continue to trust that God will touch his heart.  The fires of his Baptism and Confirmation will be rekindled.  He will return in God's time, of that I am sure.

Our birthday (yes, he and I share a birthday) was just a blast!  We went out to dinner with cousins to Surla's in Modesto.  The chef (chef extraordinaire, in my humble opinion) has put my Grandmother Crocco's meat sauce on the menu.  It is properly prepared.  The mere smell transported me back to her kitchen at The Ranch.  All that was missing were her ravioli (the ones he served with them were ok but not enough filling. I love my ravioli and I want them fat like Grandma used to make).  The evening was so fun.  Surrounded by family, we toasted our birthdays and made plans for me to party DOWN when my next one rolls around - 60 is something to celebrate, I think.  59 seems just old and tired...but 60?  Shoot, for someone with my past reaching that age and still be able to dress myself and walk properly is a real accomplishment.

My only complaint?  I could not get in to see the movie Unbroken.  Every theater was sold out!

I also received an odd email.  I have a feeling it was not meant for me but was sent in error.  It reads as follows:

To: Leslie

I think it's stupid that some members of (the 12th Step Program to which I belong) want to define our friendship as one in which I was a so-called "victim" of Catholicism and it's teachings. How incredibly insulting. To all those who know Leslie and who know about our differences, she never, ever, tried to "convert" me to Catholicism. I inquired about the Catholic faith. She never, ever tried to "convert" me to the Catholic faith tradition. What an insult to me and to her. I have a mind of my own and I can think on my own.

Interesting.

While I am very grateful that the person who sent this to me does not see me as victimizing them with either Catholic Teaching or my love for Holy Mother Church, I question why anyone in the 12th Step Program to which I belong would think this way.  In fact, the only people I can think of that

would

think like this are people who do not know me, are incredible bigots (we do have a lot of those around, even today) or are not sober.

If you had shown this to me ten years ago, it would have really upset me.  I would have demanded to know who was saying these things.  I would have confronted them, telling them exactly what I think of their bigoted, nasty mind set and then bombarding them with my incredible knowledge of Catholic Doctrine to prove what horrible people they are - but that was then.

This is now.

Today, my first thought is, "Really?  People in our 12 step program who profess to believe in Love and Tolerance as a code, have spoken to you like this?".  My second thought is, "Those poor souls.  How broken and sad they are to treat the Truth in that matter".  And finally, my third thought is, "I wonder if the Niners will promote Vic Fangio or Tom Tomsula to Head Coach now that Harbaugh is gone or if they will go outside the organization and grab Mike Holmgren or Jon Gruden?".

Every day someone hates the Catholic Church.  Our beloved Archbishop Fulton Sheen maintained that they really hated what they

think

the Catholic Church is and not the Church Herself and I tend to agree with him.  Since any organization, even one as wonderful as the 12 Step Program that brought me to sobriety, reflects the society at large this same kind of misguided hatred will be a part of the fellowship.  It is not my job to eradicate it; rather, it is my job to just love the lost, walk with dignity and grace and hope that someday these sad little people will get the pot smoke out of their eyes long enough to see how sad and ugly they are behaving if and when they do what this person is accusing them of doing.

Every day I am reminded that the Catholic Church is the Church Jesus founded and so, if I want to be a true Christian, this is the Church to which I should belong.  I believe this and I live this but if you don't, that's up to you.

As we approach the coming year, my prayer is for the lost and the lonely and those who have been so broken by today's world.  Know that you are valued and loved but that Jesus believes, with His Grace, that you are called to greatness and you can achieve it.

Have a FANTASTIC day!

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Star Studded Wonder [at Dancing in the Rain]

There were four in the bed and there wasn’t a spare inch to be found. Three of them nestled together, sleeping head to foot, foot to head, head to foot. I squished into the corner of the top bunk, since my legs were designated pillows. I’d say they tossed and turned but the truth is they just talked. The eldest requested me to braid her hair while the youngest excitedly proclaimed “I hope you come back really soon.” Only to break the silence minutes later by stating, “As much as I want you to come back really soon, I hope my mom comes back sooner!” Their imaginations ran wild and they narrated a night of wonder creating villains and heroes who encountered everyday plots with heroic virtues. Two hours later, I begrudgingly left their room realizing that was the only way they would actually go to bed.

“Kids are a gift, The only reason people don’t have more is for selfish reasons. I know that’s the case for myself,” she explained. It was a rather matter of fact statement and yet it provoked a flurry of questions for reflection, especially in light of the previous night’s joyful, wonder studded evening. Though she spoke of her hesitancy to receive the gift of more children, it made me realize that there are times when I refuse the gifts God’s giving. How do we see the gifts we’ve been given and yet construct certain boundaries to limit the love of God, to minimize the gifts He has given and wants to give? What gifts have I refused to accept from God because of my selfish reasons and selfish intentions erroneously thinking the gifts God offers contradict my way and my plans? What good gifts have I blocked – whether out of fear or selfish ambition - because the gifts didn’t come packaged as I expected or hoped?

As we prepare to celebrate the Epiphany this weekend, what gifts have you received from Christ this Christmas? What gifts have you received this year? Name the gifts; name the graces. At the start of a New Year, let us look forward with joyful and expectant hope. Let us replace worry with wonder and let us accept with grateful hearts the greatest gift He has given, the present of His presence. By the gift of Christmas, we know: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 3:15) “ This year let us resolve to leave His light on.

Verso l’alto,

Kathryn Grace

O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect Light

A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn'

Gimme faith, gimme love, 'Cause I need it!
Show me grace, make me strong, lemme feel it!
Where to go?, Can I walk?, To redemption?

We can leave the night on

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Advent: Another Year of the Long Watch [at Wed, 07 Jan 2015 12:00:00 EST]

Today's Gospel reading starts on the second verse of this excerpt:

" 'But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

"Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.

"It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch.

"Watch, therefore; you do not know when the lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning.

"May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping.

"What I say to you, I say to all: "Watch!" ' "
(Mark 13:32-37)

Watching, Working

As I said last week, we've been on standby alert for about two millennia. (

November 23, 2014

)

There's plenty to keep us busy while we wait. One of our jobs is making "disciples of all nations," and passing along ethical standards our Lord gave us. (

Matthew 28:18

-

20

)

The basics are simple: love God, love our neighbors, see everyone as our neighbor, and treat others as we'd like to be treated. (

Matthew 5:43

-

44

,

7:12

,

22:36

-

40

,

Mark 12:28

-

31

;

Luke 6:31 10:25

-

27

,

29

-

37

; Catechism of the Catholic Church,

1789

)

Consequences and Hope

I think one reason the job is taking so long is that we're expected to live as if "respecting the transcendent dignity of man" matters. That starts inside each of us, with an ongoing "inner conversion." (Catechism,

1888

,

1928

-

1942

)

It's not easy. Humans, like all creatures, are basically good. But our first parents decided to ignore God's will. We've been dealing with consequences of that choice ever since. (Catechism,

385

,

388

-

390

,

397

-

409

)

God did not abandon us, though. After we lost harmony within ourselves and with the universe, God kept calling us back. (

Genesis 3:15

; Catechism,

410

-

412

)

It's been a long wait: and that's another topic. (

February 23, 2014

)

Advent: Remembering and Looking Forward

"In the fullness of time," about two thousand years ago, the Word became one of us, grew up, and was executed. We're celebrating because our Lord didn't stay dead: and because God wants to adopt us. (

John 1:1

-

5

,

19:17

-

42

,

20:17

;

Galatians 4:4

-

5

)

During Advent, we remember when our Lord first came, and look forward to the Savior's return: whenever that will be. (Catechism,

524

,

673

,

1040

,

2772

)

In the meantime, like I said, we have work to do.

Somewhat-related posts:

"Victory and Standing Orders"
(November 23, 2014)
Particularly

" 'In the Beginning:' a Continuing Story"
(December 22, 2013)

" 'Blessed are You Who Believed' "
(December 21, 2011)

"First Sunday of Advent, 2011: Joy, Peace, Love, and a Dog Named Rollo"
(Guest post) (November 27, 2011)

"God Knows, I Don't: And That's Okay"
(November 14, 2010)

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Lessons Learned [at Kitchen table chats]

As I mentioned in the

previous post

, we have now reached the empty nest phase of our lives. Children still come through our doors but they are visitors, not residents. Overall, I feel very blessed by my children. I know I did the best job as a mom I could do at each stage of their lives. Of course, that does not stop me from musing about "what if's". There are definitely some things I would have done differently if I had the wisdom at age 25 that I now have some three decades later.

The Advent and Christmas seasons bring this to the forefront. I did always mark the season of Advent with a nativity scene and an Advent wreath. But I was probably ten years in to this parenting adventure before I really appreciated the value of the liturgical calendar. The rhythm of the liturgical seasons with their special feasts and traditions keep a family focused on God's time, not the world's time.

So just looking at Advent and Christmas there are some things I wish I had done from the very beginning and other things I am grateful that I figured out early on. I had Christmas dishes but they stayed in storage and were brought out for Christmas entertaining and on Christmas Day. It was hard to justify the storage space for these dishes when they were used so infrequently. Then I realized that if Advent and Christmas are seasons, I can use the dishes throughout the season. So part of the first Sunday of Advent ritual was changing out the dishes. From the First  Sunday of Advent through Epiphany I use my Christmas dishes. This was a daily signal to the kids that Christmas is coming.

What I didn't take advantage of were all the wonderful feast days during Advent. For example, it has only been in the last ten years that I consistently marked the Feast of St. Nicholas. The Feast of St. Lucy is the perfect day to begin Christmas baking. I wish that I had promoted a family Rosary on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe to distinctly mark these Marian days.

Christmas is a season, not just a single day. Yet after putting up decorations in October the secular world stops all Christmas carols and takes down the decorations as soon as the day is done. It is not uncommon to see discarded trees on the curb on December 26. I am sorry to see so many neighbors stop turning on the Christmas lights once Christmas Day has passed. I do understand after the mayhem of Christmas morning it is tempting to quickly put everything back in order. All of those New Year's resolutions to be more organized are looming and there is an urge to get a running start on discipline. I think part of the problem is that all of the gifts are exchanged on Christmas Day so there is nothing anyone is really looking forward to after that. Christmas is defined by the material and not the spiritual.

My solution that I did not implement with my own children, but I wish I had stems from basing our celebrations on the liturgical calendar. I would begin Advent as always. I would mark St. Nicholas Day with candy or other small treats in their shoes and perhaps a small wrapped package at their dinner place.

I would try to keep the focus of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day on family and on Mass. We would have our big family dinner and and attend Mass together but gifts would be de-emphasized. In the current culture it is unrealistic to make Christmas Day devoid of gifts. However, I think I would make it a stockings only gift day. If family is visiting and leaving soon after Christmas Day we could exchange gifts with them. However, all other packages would stay under the tree.

My mother told me that in her Hispanic community as a child, most gifts were received on Epiphany. I wish I had done that. The gifts given and received are tied to the gifts of the Magi to the Christ Child. I also like

the idea of keeping the Three Kings from our nativity scene wandering about the house throughout Advent and Christmas

and having them arrive at the manger scene on Epiphany.

I don't think I failed at celebrating the Advent and Christmas seasons with my children and I don't think there was anything wrong in the way our Christmas traditions evolved. I am not even certain that doing the things I described above would be better and not just different. I just wish I had been smart enough back then to give it a try.

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Christmas Musing: Preti's "The Visitiation" and Our Search for the Infinite [at Rambling Follower]

When we rounded the corner to the left and into the Baroque room at the

Virginia Museum

 of Fine Arts this morning, my eyes welled with tears. There it was; the painting I had visited the museum for, a painting called "The Visitation" by 17th century Baroque master

Mattia Preti

, a Calabrian and a protege of

Caravaggian

 naturalism.

How fitting the painting first went on display here on Christmas Eve.

I was struck by vulnerability on the face of the Blessed Mother and even more moved by how Elizabeth's hands are touching Mary's belly, which is newly ripe with child. What a deeply human gesture. Elizabeth, who in old age is pregnant with her own child, realizes Mary, who took a perilous visit to see her, is to be the Mother of God.

Elizabeth realizes the word has become flesh.

It dwells among us to this day.

"This is one of the coolest things we've obtained recently," the docent standing near the painting told us.  My family chatted with him and some other museum visitors for a few minutes and then he suggested we check out the woodblock display around the corner.

It was the first time to this Richmond museum for my sons and me; Greg had visited 30 years earlier. The museum has an exhibit right now called Water and Shadow, which features the early works of

Hasui Kawase 

, a Japanese landscape painter and woodblock print maker. In 1923, an earthquake in Japan destroyed most of his work.

As I toured the woodblock exhibit, I thought about how we are all born with a longing for Beauty, for the Infinite. I thought about how incredible it is that Preti's oil painting somehow survived through the centuries. How amazing the woodblocks survived the earthquake.

I thought about how Kawase's art also reflect the longing to capture the ephemeral nature of life.

In other words, artists attempt to memorialize our lives. But God-made-flesh gives us the possibility of disappearing forever back into the Mystery that made us. Elizabeth's moment of recognition is the reality reflected in Preti's powerful painting.  

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Matthew 6:33 [at The Running Hail Mary]

         There's a boy who lives here.  He's sensitive and obnoxious; precocious and juvenile; insightful and obtuse;  mostly he's just good.  We talk a lot.  We butt heads a lot, too.  We love each other very much.

     There's a mom who lives here.  She's well-intentioned and falls short;  a success in some regards and a colossal failure;  insightful and obtuse;  mostly she's clawing to keep her head above water and somehow get herself and her family to heaven.  She talks a lot.  Sometimes she even listens.  And she loves.  

      As parents who want to pass along something so great as our Faith, we do a lot.  We keep Catholic our lifestyles, we observe the liturgical seasons, participate in tradition, and tell our children, every day, something about what it means to be a follower of Christ, and how to live out our Catholicism.

      And then, sometimes, as Catholic parents, we are struck with fear.

      One very late night, in a reflective tone, the boy says, "Mom.  You know how you feel close to God?  I know you do, because I see you get really animated when something moves you and all." "Yes, I guess I do feel close to God.  Not all the time, but mostly.  When I don't, it's because I've moved away from Him.  We're all human, so I fall a ton."  "Mom, how do you do that?  I want to feel that.  I want to feel Him in me.  I want to 'feel' like I'm close to God.  How do I know He's there? How do I get that?"

      Instantly, my heart breaks and aches on so many levels.  If one can internally sob, I think I did. My thoughts crash one upon another, "Have I failed him? Is it too late? Did I lose him? Did I never give him enough in the first place? Is my example too poor? Oh, child! I know...I know that longing!"

      I have to stop myself.  I have to collect myself.  I have to trust that I have given him good things.  Yes, I have given him knowledge and prayer and habit and examples, and examples of things to NOT do.  I have given him richness and beauty, a faithful lifestyle.  I have to trust that I've given him a foundation.  That I have been, and will continue to do my job as "carer for his soul".  I have to stop and think...

     Yes, I have GIVEN to him, and then I remember being his age (which really isn't as long ago as he would think).  I, too, had a foundation.  A long, storied, firm foundation.  I have good parents.  I have good grandparents (who also formed me).  However, there came a time when every day was closer and closer to me being farther and farther away from their influence.  And go away I did (don't press, just trust me, I did).  And then there came a time..when I had to go in search of instead of having it be handed to me.

     When I had children I had to decide how to live and what we would pass on.  Yes, I always knew we'd be a Catholic family, because, well, I came from a Catholic family.  But I had to make choices, grow, and learn.  I really hadn't thought about that as a stupid teenager.  I didn't realize that faith and religion had to be cultivated.  I just thought it "was".  So I understand completely how it felt to my boy; that faith is something that some people have and some people want, and how the hell did people GET it and why don't I have that strong feeling?

     "You know, I'm not sure how to answer that", I say quietly, "but I will try."

     Silently, I pray, "Holy Spirit, give me words..."

      "I had a child who was born with a pneumothorax, because he was such a strong baby and his first breath burst the alveoli in his lungs.  On the second night of his life, he turned gray because he stopped breathing.  They brought you back.  I know that was God."

       I whispered, "My eighth baby, the one who needed the most, had RSV, and then it turned into pneumonia, and then her lungs collapsed and then she went to the hospital, and it took three hours to stabilize her, and she should have died, and the hospital staff encouraged me to call a priest, and this holy, holy man administered extreme unction with a relic of Bernadette on baby's chest as he prayed, as he cried throughout the entirety of the sacrament, and then within hours she turned around, so that I could stop wracking my brain, wondering where we would bury her...I know that was God."

       "Not for nothing, but my third baby had RSV, too, when she was twelve days old, and was in Children's Hospital for eight days, and then she got better and we baptized her the day after she got home. I know that was God."

     "One day, and you know this because you were there, son, we all watched in horror as your four year old brother rode a bike with no brakes into route 140 at rush hour.  No matter how quickly we reacted, no matter how fast we ran, we would never catch him in time. Oh, my Lord, I wondered in that split second what the accident would look like, what his body would look like in the grill of a box truck....and so as we ran down the driveway I screamed 'JESUS! JESUS! JESUS!' the whole time and then, as if a hand were pushing them, the cars, in both directions, slowed. Then they stopped.  Ten cars in either direction.  And not one squeal of brakes.  I know that that was God."

     "These things, and a thousand more close-calls, and a thousand comforts when they're not close calls, but the real thing, these are signs to me that Our Lord is with me.  These are the things that make me feel Him in my life."

     "Before all this, though, I had to decide to have faith. I had to decide to trust God.  I had to choose to see him."

     I was able to say to my child that night.  We were both in tears; the written word cannot convey the emotion in what I told him.  I know that the boy had a sense of what I was trying to say, but I need to expound on it.  To give him just a little more.  Even if it's only a smidgen of what he needs.

     My son, (all of my children, for that matter)  I want to tell you something.  Jesus is always here.  You are never alone, even if his presence is intangible. These episodes that I mentioned, they are my signs, and you will have your signs, but before I ever ever EVER felt a closeness, I had to seek him.

      When I finally understood that I had to turn to God, I didn't have to look far, because He's always with us, but I did have to LOOK for Him.

     When we genuinely seek Him, we know the route to follow, because the Church gives us the rubric to being in a state of grace.  We have faith by knowledge, not feelings, but guess what?  When we have grace, we are blessed with the feelings, many times, too.  Not always, but very often.  Our eyes must always be open, though. We have to search for, find, and get to know God.  I didn't really realize, when I was a kid, that I needed to put myself into it, as well.  I never want you to not know that.

     My child, whom I love more than my own self, I want nothing more than to give you Jesus.  I have brought you to him.  He has given his own self to us.  You know what to do, and how to do it (read the saints, scripture, apologetics, good Catholic authors, receive the sacraments frequently, spend time before Jesus in the tabernacle and at adoration, live a life of service).  But, see, I alone cannot give him to you.

     You. You must seek him. Never stop seeking him.  He won't let you down, I promise.

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Remembering our Advent journey 5 years ago: Coming home [at Catholic Review]

During Advent I have been reflecting on our journey to adopt our son Leo five years ago this month.

After two weeks in China, we were ready to come home. China is truly amazing. But we couldn’t wait to trade in hotel living for our own beds, American cuisine, and our extended family.

We flew from Guangzhou to Beijing and then changed planes for our 14-hour flight to Chicago. The flight was...long. I walked the aisles of the plane trying to find a place to comfort a tired little boy who couldn’t get comfortable unless he was sleeping on his Baba. But I knew every minute we were closer to home.

As we were flying into Chicago, a college student a few rows ahead of us mentioned that a blizzard had hit the East Coast. I was more excited that the moment our plane touched American soil, our son became a U.S. citizen.

We had luggage to collect, immigration officials to meet, and a plane to catch.

Except there was no plane.

That student was right. All flights to the East Coast had been canceled. John, our little boy, and I were stranded in O’Hare Airport with no cell phone, no debit card (we had been told not to take it with us), and about $20 in U.S. cash.

I found a pay phone—remember those?—and called my parents collect. Yes, there is a lot of snow, they said. You’re not going to get a flight home tonight. The lines of people rescheduling their flights snaked through the airport. We decided to look for a hotel. But since the world was also stranded in O’Hare, it started to seem unlikely we would even find a hotel.

We felt so helpless. And tired. And defeated.

Then we turned around and saw familiar faces—our friends who had adopted their daughter on the same trip. We had said goodbye to them earlier, and we just happened to find them again in the airport. They live just outside Chicago. They had a cell phone. They helped us find a hotel. They even gave us a ride.

From our hotel room I called our airline and stayed on hold for more than an hour. It was six days before Christmas, and I started to realize how unlikely it was that we would get a flight home.

“Let’s rent a car and drive home,” John said. What an absurd idea. Our little boy had never ridden in a car seat. We had no idea what we would face on the roads between Chicago and Baltimore. But it also seemed to be our only option. And, honestly, the idea of getting on another airplane again ever was not appealing.

So I called and reserved a car and a car seat. And the next day my very tired, jet-lagged husband installed a car seat in a rental car, we strapped our son into his seat, and we started the long drive home.

It was the best part of the trip.

Once Leo got used to being in the car seat, he settled in and enjoyed the ride. We could sing, we could laugh, we could play with obnoxiously loud toys, and he could throw Cheerios all over the floor.

Nothing mattered. We were on our way.

We stopped in South Bend, Ind., for Leo’s first cheeseburger.

When he got antsy, we pulled into rest stops and let him run in circles. We spent a night outside of Pittsburgh. And it was five years ago today that we finished that last leg of our trip.

We couldn’t drive straight home because we had left our house key with my parents. So we went to their house, and Leo met Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Treasa, and Aunt Shai. Our plan had been to keep his world small, but that isn't how it happened. We were just so happy to be home.

Then we climbed back into the car and drove another 30 minutes to our house in Catonsville, where my parents and our neighbors had shoveled us out of more than 2 feet of snow.

It was dark when we pulled into our space, and Leo was asleep. I carried him inside and sat down on our couch.

Finally, finally, finally we were home. He opened his eyes.

He seemed hesitant. Then he saw the toys, books, and stuffed animals. He slid off my lap and started exploring. I watched as he started to fall in love with his very own home.

As I look back on the unexpected twist our journey home took, I think of Mary and Joseph. How did they feel to be planning a trip to Bethlehem when they knew that Jesus could be born any day? And then, just when they were ready to go home, how must St. Joseph have felt to have to set aside his plans and head into Egypt?

So often we come across roadblocks and surprises that interfere with our hopes or plans. And yet so often the difficulties put us on a path that leads to a more wonderful experience than we could have imagined.

That’s how John and I feel about our infertility. It’s how we feel about our adoption journeys. And it’s how we feel about our extended trip home from China, and the fun we had in the car, traveling through state after state as our new little family of three.

If your Advent hasn’t been exactly the spiritual experience you were hoping for, I hope it has been different in a wonderful way.

12/21/2014 10:50:47 PM
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A Branch of the Tree [at Busy Catholic Moms]

The decorating is finally finished at our house.  Whew!  I had to do it piecemeal because I didn’t have one long stretch of time to do everything.  So even though I knew that we wouldn’t have time to decorate the tree until the weekend, at the request of the children, the tree was one of the first decorations that I got out of the basement.

Artificial trees are great because you don’t have to water them or vacuum needles, but you do have to find a place to store it and assemble each layer, piece by piece.  So one morning last week when I happened to be home from work, I dug into the bins in the basements, taking about 10 trips to drag the branches of the tree upstairs.

If you have an artificial tree, you also understand that after being squashed in a box each year, each bough has to be fluffed, so to speak so that its individual branches aren’t bent at odd angles.  As I was assembling the layers according to color coding on the base, I wondered if the branch I held happened be stuck in the back or in the front the previous year.  A silly thought, I know, so I dismissed it, thinking it doesn’t matter where the branch is or what it looks like, because what people see are the ornaments that each one holds, whether it be a breakable, intricate star or a snowflake made by loving little fingers.Christmas

In much the same way, I realized, we are part of something much larger than ourselves.  Individually, we may be scruffy, rough around the edges or bent the wrong way.  But when God places us where He wants us, directing our branches where they need to go, we can become something so much more beautiful.   And when He places on our branches delicate ornaments, that need extra loving care, glittery homemade ornaments for everyone to reminisce about, or favorite ornaments that always bring a smile, no one notices the branch itself – just the ornament it is holding up.  We can be that branch, lifting up others through our actions, our service, our love.  Our own wants, desires, and imperfections do not matter if we let the Decorator adorn our branches with the silver and gold of His hands.

And when we are able to step back from that beautiful tree and view the creation in its entirety, we see how each piece fits perfectly together – how each piece is where it is meant to be – where our God intends for us to be.

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10 Reasons Some Women Are Wearing Veils in Church Again [at ChurchPOP]

Today is “Wear the Veil Day.” In honor of the day, I – a young woman who chooses to veil in church – present to you 10 reasons why some women are choosing to cover their heads in church.

Not that long ago, Christian women always covered their heads at church, and now many are choosing to once again. While lots of women are going the route of the chapel veil, others are choosing things like hats, scarves, or stylish headbands.

What are their reasons for doing this?

1) It’s in the New Testament

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I have delivered them to you. But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a woman is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.

Any man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, but any woman who prays or prophesies with her head unveiled dishonors her head–it is the same as if her head were shaven. For if a woman will not veil herself, then she should cut off her hair; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her wear a veil. For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. (For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.)

That is why a woman ought to have a veil on her head, because of the angels. (Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God.)

Judge for yourselves; is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not nature itself teach you that for a man to wear long hair is degrading to him, but if a woman has long hair, it is her pride? For her hair is given to her for a covering. If any one is disposed to be contentious, we recognize no other practice, nor do the churches of God. (1 Corinthians 11:1-16)

Now, I know that this is a hotly debated passage, but let me try to explain.

2) The Church veils things that are sacred

The tabernacle is veiled. The chalice is veiled. Altars are veiled. Moses veiled his face after he had seen God. A veiled woman shows reverence for God, symbolizing the veiled bride of the Church, but also honors herself as a woman before God.

3) Men and women are different

Men represent Christ, the bridegroom, which is why we have the male priesthood. Women represent the Church, the bride. All laymen take part in the feminine nature of the Church, but women symbolize the Church as the bride.

Veiling goes against a society that tells us that men and women are the same, that there are many genders, and that gender is not important when people want to marry. Veiling is an outward statement against modernity and its lies. A woman choosing to be submissive as a wife, as woman, to her husband is against all that our society tells us about man and woman. St. Paul talks about women submitting to their husbands, the Church submitting to Christ, Christ loving the Church to the point of his suffering and death, and husbands loving their wives in this same way.

4) Women and men are equal

St. Paul said this, which went against his culture’s ideas about men and women: “Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God.”

Christianity has made men and women equal in God, and St. Paul says this right in the middle of the passage where he talks about women covering their heads. It is important to remember that when Jesus and St. Paul talk about women in the Scriptures it is in a new way that was not normal to their cultures. Women veiling is not putting them lower than men, but must be seen in conjunction with men not covering their heads. It emphasizes the difference of men and women, and the symbol they are as the image of God.

5) A veil accentuates the natural beauty of a woman

St. Thomas Aquinas explains in his commentary on veiling passage of 1 Corinthians that human beings in general naturally augment their natural beauty with clothing.

Women naturally have beautiful hair, and a veil ornaments and accentuates that beauty. In general, we want to bring the best of ourselves to liturgy, and veiling is a way of doing so.

6) It is part of the tradition from the Apostles

St. Paul writes that he wishes the Corinthians to “maintain the traditions even as I have delivered them to you.” He did not make this up just for their culture. Rather, he is passing on a tradition of women covering their heads and men not doing so. This tradition was from the Apostles and it was maintained until the 1960s when so many liturgical traditions were discarded.

The 1917 Code of Canon law required women to cover their heads and forbade men from covering their heads.  The 1983 Code of Canon law omitted the passage about women covering their heads, but maintained that men should not.

It is unclear why the Code was changed, though it is clear that head covering by women is no longer required by Church law. It is also clear this has been a tradition passed down, and as laity there is no reason why we cannot continue that tradition even if it is not in the Code of Canon law.

7) Some women pray better that way

Some are choosing to veil not just in church, but anytime they pray in private or in public. It is a way to help them focus. A prayer to pray when putting on a veil when entering a Church is, “Blessed am I whom am called to the marriage feast of the Lamb.”

8) Having a veil or hat immediately dresses one up for church

Whether at church on a weekday or on a Sunday, when a woman puts something on her head, she is saying to herself and to others that she is dressed for church. A working woman can mentally distinguish between work wear an church wear by using a veil. A woman who wears “mommy clothes” all day, can instantly be dressed up for church when she puts on a veil.

9) Robing oneself in a beautiful veil in the presence of God feels right

It makes the woman feel beautiful, and some husbands think that veils are “hot.” The beauty of the veil is something that honors God in the same way beautiful architecture or beautiful vestments do. They contribute to giving God the worship that is due to Him.

10) Because of the Angels

St. Thomas Aquinas explains this statement from 1 Corinthians 11.10 simply by saying that it is because Angels are present at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Men must show reverence as well as women. Women show reverence by covering their heads, and men show reverence by not covering their heads.

Bonus Fact

Women still cover their heads when they have an audience with the pope.

What do you think of chapel veils? Join the conversation in the comments!

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CANADA'S SHAME: Peaceful Pro-lifers get Prison, Canadians Killed Seconds Before Natural Birth [at Christ's Faithful Witness]

by Susan Fox

Poor St. Peter, he healed a lame beggar, and that’s when his troubles began.

“Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” (Acts 3:6)

And then the man “jumped” to his feet, and began to walk.

So Peter and John were hauled off to jail for an act of kindness.

When they were released, the elders of Jerusalem admonished them to stop teaching or preaching in the name of Jesus. But who should they obey? God or man?

“Peter and John, however, said to them in reply, “Whether it is right in the sight of God for us to obey you rather than God, you be the judges. It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:19-20) Answer: Obey God.

So it is with Canadian Pro-Life Witness Mary Wagner imprisoned on Christmas Eve in a Maximum Security Prison in Milton, outside Toronto, for interrupting the “lawful enjoyment” of the business of an abortion clinic. So here are special businesses that “enjoy” the murder of children, an act that many in the world call a “crime against humanity.”

In Canada, a child can be killed up to seconds before natural birth without any penalty. About 100,000 unborn Canadians are killed every year through surgical abortion out of a population of 33 million. It is estimated that four million have died in 45 years in a country in which all “persons” are guaranteed the right to life.

Welcome to the Civilization of Death.

Ironically, Mary Wagner did not try to interfere with the business of the abortion clinic: the doctors/nurses performing abortions, the bookkeepers keeping records, and the secretaries answering the phones.

But she did enter the clinic to influence mothers whose “choice” has been enshrined in secular society as a “human right.” But apparently that “human right” is only sacred if they intend to abort their child. Clearly, they are not allowed to change their minds.

Most of those women aren’t there because of choice anyway. They will tell you their parents, their boyfriends, their statutory rapist or their fears of career/financial insecurity is forcing them to have the abortion.

What is Mary’s crime deserving of a maximum-security prison cell on Christmas Eve? She politely entered the Bloor West Women's Clinic in Toronto two days before Christmas, handed out roses, cards and requested the mothers let their children live, offering real assistance in an attempt to remove their fear.

For similar acts Aug. 12, 2012, Mary Wagner was jailed and spent almost 2 years in prison. An abortion clinic worker testified in Mary’s 2013 trial that she caught her kneeling at the feet of a patient and offering her a rose. Oh my. That would frighten me too! As the ridiculous Queen of Hearts in Wonderland yelled, “Off with her head!”

Canada’s consciences have been lulled to sleep in the recent decades because of a law that says if you are caught and convicted three times trying to influence decisions of women in or near an abortion clinic, you go to jail for life. (Real crimes get the same penalty) “People have a sense of being defeated by this,” Wagner said in a Polish television interview.

Even pro-lifers standing on a public sidewalk outside an abortion clinic are arrested. “Canadians are used to the status quo,” Wagner said. “The sense of defeatism and apathy (on the subject of abortion) is widespread in the country.”

I have witnessed many times outside an abortion clinic on a public sidewalk in the United States, and by Canada’s law I should be in prison for life. But for the same “crime,” Canadian Pro-Life Defender Linda Gibbons has spent 10 of the last 25 years in prison.

“We don’t go there to be arrested,” Gibbons said in an interview with “Beyond the Talk.” “We go there to be the last opportunity to rescue a child from being decapitated, dismembered and disemboweled.” And to the mothers, she offers real assistance and one last chance to change their minds.

The other critical gift she offers is fetal development information. Gibbons has met many grieving mothers after the abortion. They often explain they were entirely ignorant of fetal development. One woman told her she had asked the abortion doctor what a four-month-old unborn child was like, and she was told, “It is a blob of cells.”

Gibbons showed her the model of a child at that stage of development and the now-childless mother was heartsick. The unborn child looks like a tiny human being even at eight weeks from conception. I saw my son Raphael at that stage right after his miscarriage, whole and entire. I recognized my husband’s long legs and face. He was our son! Reality is different than what the words “blob of cells” conveys.

Both Gibbons’ and Wagner’s rights have been violated because Canadian law also guarantees an individual “freedom of expression, conscience and religion.” And the Criminal Code says you cannot go to jail for using reasonable means to prevent an assault upon another person. At the heart of the issue is the Canadian government’s stubborn refusal to recognize a “person” in the womb. In Mary’s trial, the judge refused to hear testimony even from a non-Christian embryologist. No doctors, no scientists were allowed inside the courtroom.  

Article 19 of the Declaration states: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”

“The Canadian government takes great pride in boasting of its "human rights" positions - well, why is there another standard for our Angel for Life, Mary Wagner?” Toronto Catholic Witness blogger Barona pointedly asked. He has created a new Twitter hashtag, #RosaryforMary, inviting all to pledge to pray the Rosary for Mary Wagner.

So pro-lifers in Canada may not even defend themselves in court by saying they are there to protect the life of the child. In Wagner’s lengthy court trial, she tried unsuccessfully to use this reasoning to defend her actions in the abortion clinic. Her ultimate goal is to get the Canadian government to abandon its stubborn refusal to recognize the personhood of an unborn child. One of her judges angrily told Mary, “If you think you have the right to tell other women what to do you are wrong and your God is wrong!”

Both the judge and Legal Aid Ontario refused funding for her defense beyond the most basic charges. Crown counsel argued that when Wagner said she was trying to protect the child, she was “manufacturing” a defense to act as a guise for her political beliefs. That’s like the pot calling the kettle black!

Mary’s journey into witnessing for the unborn child began in Denver in 1993 during World Youth Day. “Pope John Paul II spoke to my heart: ‘Do not be afraid!’” Mary said. Saint John Paul II’s thinking very profoundly affected Mary throughout her trials because repeatedly in interviews she acknowledges that the Pope asked Catholics to disobey unjust laws.

“Abortion and euthanasia are thus crimes which no human law can claim to legitimize. There is no obligation in conscience to obey such laws; instead there is a grave and clear obligation to oppose them by conscientious objection,” wrote the prophet John Paul II in the Gospel of Life.

The second event that led Mary into pro-life witnessing was a trip to the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz. At least 1.1 million people were killed in Auschwitz gassed with a pesticide, a very painful death. Ninety percent of them were Jews.

“That was a very profound experience for me to see a place where there was a complete disregard for a certain group of people,” Mary said. “And then I read the guest book – ‘May this never happen again!’ People had written that over and over again.”

“But I thought, ‘This is happening again.’” She said God was preparing her “for a greater commitment to give more of myself in the struggle to protect life.”

The third event that influenced her was a friend who was working in medical research and his conscience was troubled by what he was working on. She began to pray for this man, “and in that context, it was like God lifted the veil for me and I saw the reality of what happens in an abortion.”

She said she never wanted to see a film of an abortion because it’s disturbing, “but it was as though God was forcing me to see that reality.” And so He began to lead her to draw closer to where it was concretely happening – to the “times and places where our unborn brothers and sisters are being killed.”

Are you Christian? Pro-life? If you are living in the United States, you still enjoy unparalleled freedom to witness on the public sidewalk outside abortion clinics nationwide without fear of arrest. Perhaps the heroic witness of our Canadian pro-life brothers and sisters will inspire you to pray for and speak to people outside the clinics.

But in Canada many ordinary heroes are needed. “I would hope there are enough God-fearing people in Canada who are appalled that Parliament sees no limits on its own authority to pass whatever laws it wants,” said, Dr. Charles Lugosi, Mary Wagner’s counsel. 

“Our Constitution talks about the supremacy of God … and the rule of law, which is based on natural justice … Parliaments cannot pass laws that include some human beings and exclude other human beings from the human family,” he added. “If it starts with the unborn, it will go to the disabled and elderly … This is the time to wake up, get aggressive and get active. Let’s see if people are prepared to sacrifice.”

Yes, it is as my mother warned in the 1960s, there is an ugly creature lurking in the human conscience. Once a man accepts the murder of the unborn, then he has prepared for his own murder. We had legalized abortion in my youth, and now, I and my generation are ripe for involuntary euthanasia in our old age.

In going to jail on Christmas Eve, Mary Wagner’s feet were firmly planted on the Rock of Jesus Christ. It was He, who invited Peter and John to make an act of civil disobedience to Jewish authorities -- authorities who unjustly demanded they stop speaking about Jesus Christ.

And what would have happened if they obeyed man, and not God?

This effort owes many thanks to Toronto Catholic Witness for their courageous reporting on Mary Wagner's arrest. 

This contribution is available at http://christsfaithfulwitness.blogspot.com/2014/12/canadas-shame-peaceful-pro-lifers-get.html
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EUTHANASIA: Rejecting the Comfort of Christ [at Christ's Faithful Witness]

Thirty-year-old Brittany Maynard seemingly chose to end her life on Nov. 1, 2014, although she said truthfully just days before, “It doesn’t seem like the right time now.” 

Given months to live with terminal brain cancer, the young woman moved to Oregan so she could take advantage of the state’s assisted suicide law.

Even though many pro-life people, who were dying naturally, tried to share their witness with Brittany, what she was never offered by her family or friends was the promise of hope. For our society has rejected the comfort Christ offered in his Passion, Death and Resurrection.

The Catholic Church reflecting upon the life of Christ recognized that with Baptism the whole person (body and soul) entered into the life, death and resurrection of Christ (not something symbolically but substantially rooted in a promise). Jesus said to his disciples, “Unless you pick up your cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.” (Matthew 16:24) That is a promise. 

Soren Kierkegaard (Danish Philosopher 1813-1855) wrote a pamphlet titled: “Sickness unto Death.” It is an excellent read especially given the post-modern rush to re-canonize “suicide” as an expression of pagan virtue. 

Kierkegaard said that for the pagan, suicide represented the mingling of courage with despair as an expression of virtue. What the pagan wanted was courage rooted in the virtue of hope.“Redemption is offered to us in the sense that we have been given hope, trustworthy hope, by virtue of which we can face our present: the present, even if it is arduous, can be lived and accepted if it leads towards a goal, if we can be sure of this goal, and if this goal is great enough to justify the effort of the journey,” Pope Benedict XVI wrote in his second encyclical, “Saved in Hope.”

While the pagan honored suicide as virtue, he yet waited for the Church to preach the virtue of true hope. Hope is a virtue rooted in a promise -- a promise founded upon Jesus, the way, the truth, and the life. There is a part of the prayer at the end of the Rosary which goes: “Pray for us O Holy Mother of God, that we may be worthy (able) to receive the promises of Christ.”

JESUS’ PROMISES CUT BOTH WAYS

“If you obey my commands, then you will be my disciples, you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free,” Jesus promised. (John 8:31, 32) So many of us miss the first part, “If you obey my commands…” We want freedom but we live like slaves. That is because true freedom is the ability to say, “Yes” to God and His commands and “No” to ourselves and our commands.

The City of God is in principle populated by men capable of saying “Yes” to God and to a

loss of self, wrote St. Augustine in his work, “The City of God.” The city of men is in principle populated by men who say “Yes” to self and to a loss of God.

God builds His city by teaching and enabling men to live as God. Man builds his city by teaching and demanding men to live as men. To commit suicide is tragically man living like well, merely a man.

Post-modern man no longer lives the virtue of hope, since he has rejected the commands and promises of Christ. As such, the post-modern man has re-embraced “suicide” in order to act out the pagan mingling of courage and despair. Soren Kierkegaard states that modern man in the mid-1800s was in a much worse condition than that of the pagans prior to their hearing of the Good News. 

The pagans at least were waiting for a message of hope. Post-modern man has rejected the Good News or replaced it with something unnatural. In essence, peoples which were once Christian are now living the negative promise: “Then it (the demon) goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there (in the previously possessed person). And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation." (Matthew 12:45)

The Christian lives God’s Plan for his life, and the virtue of hope shines, according to Kierkegaard. This Danish philopher helped me to better understand the source and power of hope by looking at the opposite condition which he identified as “despair” or “sickness unto death.”

Sometimes apophatic knowledge comes by looking at the negative of that thing. Kierkegaard pointed out that Satan exists in absolute despair. His judgment, intellect, will, actions and all his conversations are rooted in despair. Satan was created with great intelligence, beauty, and glory. He was asked to do something and he refused, “I will not obey!”

There is only one God, but Satan chose the lie and shared it with Adam and Eve: “There is NOT only one God.” They accepted the lie, which resulted in their spiritual deaths and that of their children -- namely us. Who was it that said, “Adam burped and we all starve?” 

While reading Soren’s words, I thought about the words of Jesus to his disciples, “Satan was a liar and murderer from the beginning.” Despair expresses itself by lying and murdering the innocent. Think of all the evil perpetrated with a lie which leads to greater violence and murder.

The pagan deeply longed for hope. Christianity brought this hope to the pagans. Soon the pagans stopped slaughtering their own children, stopped performing human sacrifice, suicide was diminished, and monogamy increased, and for a time neighboring lands developed a code of conduct even for war. Now their rejected evils have come back in spades -- even within the Church.

Something happened in Europe, truth and freedom somehow became separated from obedience to the commands of Jesus Christ.

It began with Luther’s doctrine, Justification by Faith Alone. This doctrine certainly has diminished charity in the Mystical Body of Christ. The evidence of this lack of charity is the perpetual multiplications of schisms and separations within the body of Christ. You shall know the tree by its fruits.

Today, St. Paul’s concern that every effort be made to maintain communion and not grieve the Holy Spirit is meaningless outside the confines of the immediate or particular congregation. This is an expression of nominalism – the denial of universal truth. Paul writes: “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." (Ephesians 4:3-6)

Luther taught the opinion of “imputed justice.” A person makes a claim of belief in Christ Jesus and justice is imputed to that person. That person by “faith alone” becomes clothed cosmetically in Jesus’ righteousness while dung and dirty rags remain underneath. Luther’s opinion of imputed justice - properly understood – ends up arguing against Jesus’ total victory over sin and death. 

Imputed justice argues that the power of sin remains intact within the Mystical Body both on earth and in heaven. Underneath, sin clings like dung. That does not sound like heaven. It sounds like something out of the mouth of Mohammed and not the mouth of Jesus. And yet, I have heard Christians explain to me time and time again Luther’s theory of imputed justice using the same example. I explain to them – when I can – “You have not truly thought through that analogy.”

“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.” (Romans 6:1-7)

Through the grace of faith in baptism, the initiate become members of Jesus' mystical body, a new creation in Him. Jesus’ suffering and death was death to man's sin.  Participating in the sufferings of Christ brings about a death to sin, a purging and death to self. "But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” (1 Peter 4:13) 

Jesus offered to the Father that which man could not give on his own: “perfect love and thanksgiving.” Because of Adam’s sin, man ought to provide recompense but cannot. God is able to provide satisfaction, but justice demands that humanity provide satisfaction. A conundrum exists. 

God became man so that in the human flesh satisfaction for sin could be made. Jesus was like us in all things but sin. Therefore he could freely offer to the Father that which was not required of himself; a free complete giving of Himself at the hands of humanity. The Father received such recompence gladly, and in response gave to the Son all authority in heaven and on earth.

The ultimate expression of hope is Jesus with all authority offering us back to the Father -- not as dung cosmetically prettied up as Luther taught -- but as people who through suffering have learned to no longer live for ourselves but for God through the power and indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

The 4th Eucharistic Canon of the Roman Catholic Mass says these words: “And that we might live no longer for ourselves but for him, he sent the Holy Spirit from you, Father, as his first gift to those who believe, to complete his work on earth and bring us the fullness of grace.”

COMFORT IN SUFFERING?

For those attracted to the healing ministry, please be of sound mind for St. Paul’s 2nd Letter to the Corinthians is very insightful in this manner: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.” (2 Corinthians 3:7)

SHARING IN THE CHRIST’S SUFFERING AND COMFORT

Years ago, I understood why Jesus left the Holy Eucharist with His Church: the Eucharist enables the Christian to share in His comfort

which flows forth from His suffering. I later heard this confirmed in a film about Medieval Franciscan philosopher John Duns Scotus. In the film, Scotus states: “Jesus left us the Eucharist so that He could comfort us.” 

An excerpt from the 4th Eucharistic Canon of the Mass reads as follows: “We now celebrate this memorial of our redemption. We recall Christ's death, his descent among the dead, his resurrection, and his ascension to your right hand; and, looking forward to his coming in glory, we offer you his body and blood, the acceptable sacrifice which brings salvation to the whole world. Lord, look upon this sacrifice which you have given to your Church; and by your Holy Spirit, gather all who share this one bread and one cup into the one body of Christ, a living sacrifice of praise.”

In other words by participating in the Holy Eucharist, the recipient shares in Christ’s suffering and comfort. Both flow from the Sacrament of the Altar into the faithful recipient’s heart, mind, and body. In this way, the Christian is clothed with Jesus’ righteousness both inside and out.

Sadly, no one informed Brittany Maynard of the comfort Christ offers before she got involved with the advocacy group, the so-called “Compassion” & Choices. 

In a video released just before her death, she said, ““I still feel good enough and I still have enough joy and I still laugh and smile with my family and friends enough that it doesn’t seem like the right time right now (to end her life).” 

But the next day, she was dead.

“Human life is a journey,” Pope Benedict

concluded his encyclical on hope. “Towards what destination? How do we find the way? Life is like a voyage on the sea of history, often dark and stormy, a voyage in which we watch for the stars that indicate the route. The true stars of our life are the people who have lived good lives. They are lights of hope. Certainly, Jesus Christ is the true light, the sun that has risen above all the shadows of history. But to reach him we also need lights close by—people who shine with his light and so guide us along our way.”

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The Canaanite Woman's Daughter [at Bible Meditations]

Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly.  Matthew 15: 21-28

“But he didn’t answer her at all.” We’re told that Jesus didn’t answer the woman, but we’re not told why. Although it’s easy to conclude that he was ignoring her, there are other possibilities. For all we know, he may have been formulating how to respond to her without seeming to neglect God’s chosen people. Taking time before responding–especially under pressure–is effective.

…Often, when our loved ones are suffering, we would willingly suffer in their place if we could…As caregivers, we willingly endure sleepless nights, bedside vigils, or weary trips to and from the hospital. We do everything in our power to alleviate their discomfort.

…Sometimes we’re like helpless puppies, scrambling around in a knot of directionless love and energy. We need the guidance and support of someone not so vulnerable to excitability. In addition to seeking help on a practical, medical level, and the help and comfort of those around us, let’s remember that the Divine Healer is always available. It’s challenging when our prayers for healing don’t result in the hoped-for outcome, or when God seems not to answer our prayers at all. Even so, let’s not stop trusting that God is in charge and that God loves our loved ones even more than we do.

Reflection:  Jesus did not answer the woman’s appeal immediately. Under what circumstances is it helpful to remain silent before responding to another person?

Prayer:  God, when my loved ones are hurting, help me remember that you love them even more than I do.

Excerpts from:

“Your Faith Has Made You Well: Jesus Heals in the New Testament”

Copyright 2014 by Barbara Hosbach

Paulist Press, Inc., Mahwah, N.J.

www.paulistpress.com

Used with Permission

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Moved to Tears [at FranciscanMom]

The first- and second-grade classes are deep into rehearsals for this year’s Christmas play, a children’s musical with a “true meaning of Christmas theme.”

unplugged ChristmasOne child commented after a rehearsal, “This is a lot like A Charlie Brown Christmas.” Thematically, yes. We don’t have Snoopy, but yes.

There are a few songs they had to learn, plus a few traditional carols. The second-graders do a version of Silent Night complete with hand motions (based on sign language; we learned it from a YouTube video) and it’s impossibly sweet.

We’ve had our funny moments, like yesterday when a first-grade boy walked up to me and confided, “I’m not sure if I’m supposed to be a shepherd or a Wise Old Man.”

But today we ran the whole show for the first time. And as the Nativity tableau was complete, the Wise Men crossed in front of the stage area. I reminded them to walk slowly and hold their hands as if they were praying. Then the first Wise Man–the rough-and-tumble football-playing boy who gets that “make me” look on his face when he’s corrected–reached the place where the manger will be.

And, unprompted, he genuflected. The other two Wise Men did the same.

I can’t even stand it. I’m not going to make it through this show without tissues, and I defy any other adult in the room to manage that feat.

Shared in the !

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I Am Here [at bukas palad]

Year B / Christmas Day

Readings: Isaiah 52.7-10 / Responsorial Psalm 98.1-6 (R/v 3c) / Hebrews 1.1-6 / John 1.1-18

I can see her face still, after all these years. It is Sunday morning. We are on the 17th floor, in the psychiatric ward where I am training as a hospital chaplain. Outside, the downtown skyscrapers of New York City glistened in the sunlight. Inside, the Catholic patients are gathering for a Communion service I’m about to conduct. 

She is twenty-six years old, an African-American, a veteran of the Iraq war. She is recovering from a failed suicide attempt. She had tried to end her life because of guilt: she had accidentally killed a 16 year old whom she mistook for an Iraqi insurgent. She comes up to me, her eyes tearing. In a voice pregnant with longing, she asks, “Where were you?” 

Every time I remember her haunting question, I am reminded poignantly of another question we all struggle with from time to time: “Where are you, God?” “Where are you, God, in my pain and suffering?” “In our illnesses and deaths?” “When my expectations are unfulfilled and our love is unrequited?” “When our plans are laid to waste and my future looks bleak?” 

Whether we cry out “Where are you, God?” or “How long, Lord, how long?” we do so thinking that God is absent, remote, distant, apart from us. Yet, we believe that God is “always and everywhere present.” And today, more than any other day, we celebrate that God is with us: “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” What then?

Not for us anymore the “what ifs” of who God is, or what God does, or where God is. What the Word made flesh, in Jesus, offers as the correct answer to this question are these truths: God is here with us; that God is here for us; and God is here because God loves us. This is why the outstretched arms of the baby Jesus is God’s invitation to you and me to enter the embrace of Emmanuel, God-with-us.

How can we do this? By surrendering ourselves to our God who is “always and everywhere present.” But our surrender must be as childlike, as God is childlike in coming to us in Jesus.

The final stanza of John Shea’s poem, “Sharon’s Christmas Prayer,” gives us a glimpse of the form this childlike surrender ought to have. When asked who the newborn baby is, Sharon said, “God.” Then “she jumped in the air / whirled around, dove into the sofa /and buried her head under the cushion / which is the only proper response / to the Good News of the Incarnation” (The Hour of the Unexpected). Sharon’s delightful response is to throw herself in trusting abandonment into the Good News God is. 

Isn’t this how the shepherds and the wise men in the Christmas narratives of Luke and Matthew come to Jesus too? Don’t they surrender themselves in confident submission to the joyful Good News that God is amongst us? 

Like Sharon, the shepherds and the magi show us that there is no only other way to savor the wonder of Jesus, God’s gift, but to surrender. When God bids us come to God, be it through angels singing “peace on earth” or a bright star that leads all to Bethlehem, how can we not come?

And so, surrendering ourselves we must, and we can. For as the poet, W. H. Auden explains “Because of God’s visitation in Jesus, we may no longer desire God as if He were lacking; our redemption is no longer a question of pursuit but of surrender to Him who is always and everywhere present” (For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio). 

Yes, God has come and God continues to come, to answer our question “Where are you?” with the gentleness of Jesus’ gurgle; his is a little noisy din that resounds loudly as the Word of God breaking into our lives to console, accompany and uplift us, saint and sinner alike. 

Perhaps, this is why we have come to worship the child Jesus today: he is God-with-us. We know the joyful song the angels sang and we recollect how the shepherds proclaimed God’s glory after visiting this child in the manger. And we know – no, we believe – that we too are called to come, to see and to go forth singing the same angel song and announcing the same shepherd testimony to the world.

So, let us come to the Christmas Crib to look for Jesus who we must never lose sight of amidst life’s attractions and distractions. Finding him, let us kneel before Jesus who comes as our Saviour not just today but always. Then, let us go forth to announce this Good News.

Only when we dare to do this will the world and we experience God’s immediacy and intimacy in each other’s words and actions. In another’s warm embrace in your disappointment. In the family’s thanksgiving for your kindness. In the forgiveness of others for mistakes made. In a faraway friend who emails to celebrate “Merry Christmas” this morning. In a mother’s delight for a child’s success. In hands clasped as a father passes on. In the first “I love you” a couple clumsily utters to each other. In the honest challenge to one’s vocation. In our care for one another as we journey through life and faith.

These are our human ways of expressing why God became human: so that God can be with us. As we become more and more aware of these God moments, we should be more enlightened that in Jesus God’s embrace is wider, broader, and deeper than any sin committed, any evil done, any refusal of God made. 

Surrendering ourselves with an “Amen” is the Christian way to better hear God’s answer that God has come to our question, “Where are you, God?” 

But what if “Amen” is the very response God hopes to hear from us who come to Jesus today? Our “Amen” as the most appropriate human response to God who is asking us through the child Jesus, “Where are you?” “Where are you, Barney?” “Where are you, Audrey?” “Where are you, Therese and you, Philip?" "Where are you, and you, and you?” “Where are you, Adrian?”

I can still remember this female veteran sitting with the others around an ordinary table that Sunday morning. I can see their expectant faces. The consecrated hosts rests in a ciborium on a hand towel that is laid out like a corporal. We pray the Our Father. 

Then, all receive Holy Communion, including this young lady who has not had communion for the longest of time. She receives the Body of Christ, in the littleness of a host, once again. As it is placed into the cradle of her hands, she responds, “Amen.” And so it is: God has come, and God will be here, always. 

Preached at St Ignatius Church, Singapore.

artwork: Adoration of the Shepherds by Gerard van Honthorst

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Jesus Wore Purple Knickers [at beautiful thorns]

I recently realized I hadn't blogged the whole month of December. It wasn't because I was too busy or because I didn't have anything to write about but because I have been pondering some things and have been letting them take root before sharing.
One truth I have been reflecting on is how Jesus took on our shame. He literally took on our shame when he died such a shameful death on the cross. Since he took on our shame, we do not need to walk in shame. Often however we do walk in shame because of past hurts and sin we have experienced. The enemy would like to use these hurts to keep us down and keep us from doing the works God has called us in advance to do (Ephesians 2:10). The Lord however would like to help us overcome these hurts and then would like to use these healed hurts to help others and bring glory to his name.
One such incident in my own life was from middle school. In 7th grade, I was bused to an inner city school in Alexandria, Louisiana. My mother had just taken a trip to Chicago and discovered new fashions that she had not yet seen in my little town of Pineville, Louisiana. One such fashion she witnessed was on a mannequin in a high end department store. She thought it was adorable so she bought it for me. It consisted of dark purple knickers and knee high yellowish, orange socks. Please do not google purple knickers because good things will not come up, but basically they were pants that went to the knees with elastic. This was not yet something my little town in Louisiana had seen in the early 1980's. Reluctantly I decided I would wear them to school since my mother was so excited about them and she lovingly bought them for me. Let's just say it did not go very well. In the morning before classes started, everyone would gather under the outdoor pavilion. On this particular day, not even my friends would stand by me. Many of the students stood in a circle, with me in the middle as they pointed, laughed and called my knickers another name that sounds similar. I was beyond humiliated and it turned out to be the longest day ever. I hung my head low in shame each time I had to switch classes and then in the afternoon, get on the bus. I thought I would die and the day would never end!
That incident happened years ago and I had pretty much forgotten about it. I definitely did not think it still affected me, but one day the memory reared it's ugly head. As the memory surfaced, I realized I still felt embarrassed and shameful regarding it. That incident made me feel like a loser. I prayed about it and asked Jesus to show me where he was when this happened. Do you know what he showed me? Something that made me laugh and put a smile on my face; He showed me himself standing next to me when all my peers were standing around me taunting and making fun of me. Not only that, but he was proudly wearing purple knickers!!! I get teary eyed even thinking about it.
That is what it means that he took on our shame and humiliation. He really did experience everything that we experience. That is what the incarnation was all about! He didn't just redeem us from a distance, he became one of us! His entire life was an act of redemption!

Philippians 2:6 - Though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death - even death on a cross.

And I will end with this awesome scripture passage that I read just this morning: 

Philippians 3:20-21 - Our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself. 

Have a very blessed New Year!

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The Art And Science Of Time Travel: Hebrews 1-1-6 [at GONZO HOMILETICS]

THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD AD 2014

On the Second Sunday of Advent I preached a sermon the subject of which was time, specifically on the minutiae that governs our temporal reality. Like sands in an hour glass, so are the days of our lives.        

Now I would like to revisit the subject of time from a different perspective—time travel.

This is not so fantastic as it seems. I’m not talking about H. G. Wells or a radioactive Delorean powered by a flux capacitor going 88 MPH (though that would be a pretty cool ride).

Rather, I would argue that faith in the birth of Jesus Christ who is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow takes us back to our past, teaches how to live well in the present, and hinges our hopes on the future when Christ returns.

Jesus is the Word made flesh existing for all ages and born in time 2,014 years ago today.  To have faith in the creating God makes us sharers of his power—we become equipped to embark upon a magical mystery tour of the past, the present, and the future. Thus we dwell with God who has pitched his tent among us.

Scientifically speaking, time travel is possible, but presently we lack the technology. Stephen J. Hawking, the world’s foremost physicist,—and an atheist—affirms that time travel will one day be accomplished.

A quadriplegic confined to a wheel chair, Hawking can speak only by using a computer. His physical condition hinders him in space but not in time; in fact, it enables him to dream thrilling scientific theorem.

“If I had a time machine,” he says, “I’d visit Marylyn Monroe in her prime and drop in on Galileo as he turned his telescope to the heavens.”

What then is Christmas, if not a remembrance of things past, celebrated in the present and providing hope for the future? The Scriptures display a breathtaking tapestry, a living Word that whispers in our hearts even as the prophets and evangelists preach the ear-splitting truth in time for posterity.

Something definitive has happened in history, Opus Dei, “the work of God.” The miracle of the birth of God is a gift to be accepted by people of good will, universally: those who have gone before us; ourselves today; and future generations.

Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem into a poor family (cf Lk 2:6-7). Encouraged by an angel the protoevangelist shepherds confirmed this when they stooped to enter the stable. Eyewitnesses, they preached the gospel that Christ the Lord was born. Throughout the ages the Church has never grown tired of singing the refrain of the shepherds.

It goes a long way back, this Story of God. Once upon a time when there was no time the Word was made flesh and lived among us (Jn 1:14a). An accurate rendering of that statement as written in Greek by Saint John is more concrete, literally, “he pitched his tent among us.”

The harmony of the cosmos that could help Professor Hawking get a date with Marylyn Monroe is not an impersonal force, like that of Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

Not at all. As transcendent God he is master and commander of space and time though he exists outside these dimensions. There never was a was when God wasn’t.

As a priest, I believe that God created everything out of nothing (that’s a good that a priest should believe that). You don’t need to be Albert Einstein to believe that God turned himself into a human being to live with us, to be closer to his people, and to display the great love he has for us.

We who are willing can obtain nearness to our creator. By refusing him, as many did from the very day he was born until he suffered death on a cross, we deprive ourselves of God’s power, lack the ability to clarify our lives in the past, the present, and the future. We peer only through a dark window.

After all, are we not baptized as priests, prophets, and kings? We belong to a royal family ruled by a Wonder- Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace, who long ago forged his plan that we might know him better. To know him is to love him and to love ourselves and others in return.  All you need is love (John Lennon).

I have become the curator of my family’s collection of photo albums. When I look through them, as I often do, I notice how many of the photographs were taken at births of babies, at baptisms, weddings, Christmas, Easter, and the Fourth of July. These pictures existed before the “selfy.”

I have only lived in Michigan for a little more than a year and the familiar images in the albums reminds me of the past though many of my loved ones have fallen asleep, to use a biblical expression. Memory and imagination enables me to revisit good and bad times, to remind myself of who I am and where I came from and to conjecture who I one day will become. That is how I practice the art and science of time travel.

When you think about it, time can be arbitrary, no? To me, a diocesan priest, time is capricious—because I have no progeny. I could go so far as to say that time is irrelevant to me—especially when I’m preaching.

The portion of scripture that offers a concise understanding of the Word made flesh, the real-time birth of the savior, is the Epistle to the Hebrews. The writer spoke on the condition of anonymity but his message offers hope for posterity.

“In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the prophets. In these last days he has spoken to us through the Son, whom he made air of all things and through whom he created the universe, who is the refulgence of his glory, the very imprint of his being, and who sustains everything by his great word” (Heb 1:1-6).

The writer considers divine revelation through Christ to be superior to the oracles of the prophets, and the message of the angel to the shepherds. That’s some pretty deep stuff. Not even Doc Brown could dream that up.

In another time’s forgotten space a certain writer needed money to pay off his credit card bills that he maxed out on a Christmas past.  So Charles Dickens penned a short novel, A Christmas Carol, which concerns the miser Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge was the wealthiest man in London yet was angry and intense. Every night after work he pried his shoulders from his earlobes with a crowbar. Humbug! he said again and again.

Then the Lord God sent three spirits to encourage Ebenezer to amend his life. One spirit reminded him of his lonely childhood and how he loved money more than his fiancé.  Presently, the second spirit showed him how his actions negatively impacted the lives of others.

But when he saw his name and date—December 25, 1843— on a gravestone, tears rained down his cheeks like Niagara Falls.  How blessed Ebenezer  was to be rocketed into the fourth dimension—that which makes time travel possible, according to Professor Hawking.

Ebenezer Scrooge, who had many possessions, realized that you never see a U-Haul following a hearse.

The great Christian apologist C.S. Lewis wrote that God is always in the moment. God is the same in 2014 as he is in 1914.

Have you ever heard of the Christmas Truce of 1914? It happened on this day one hundred years ago on a battle field in France during the First World War. Trench warfare pitted English and French battalions against the Germans, each side firing at one another and lobbing and grenades from forty or fifty yards away.

In between the trenches was the “no-man’s” land, an entanglement of razor wire and littered with dead soldiers rotting in the frozen in the mud.

Isaiah prophesied: “For every boot that trampled in battle, every cloak rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the flames” (9:4). Well the Allied and Axis forces knew this and did just that to survive.

Germans began to carol. The English and the French applauded. They hoisted a sign: MERRY CHRISTMAS/ JOY NOELLE! The Germans trimmed a Christmas tree. By dawn soldiers on both sides laid down their arms and began to fraternize.

They shared the Christmas packages they received—coffee, wine, chocolate, and cigarettes. A German entertained everyone by juggling. On the battlefield he wasn’t much to look at but he was famous before the war. They struck up a soccer match; the Allied soldiers let the Germans win 4-1.

It was as if, on Christmas God was born in the battlefield during the “war to end all wars,” same as he was in 6 BC and in this church right now. The Prince of Peace pitched his tent in no-man’s land.

On this most holy day, a Savior was born. Wonder- Counselor; God-Hero; Father-Forever; Prince-of-Peace. Salvation is worldwide, universal, beginning with the one who has no beginning or end but who dwells on earth with us.

Back to the original question.  Is time travel possible? I think so. It is a matter of perspective. Every step we take in the present carries us further into the future as we leave the past behind.

We can choose the path taken by the shepherds who heeded the message of the angel and sought the newborn king. Some of us aren’t sure which direction to follow. So we hang around, time ill-spent. Worst is to walk away unconvinced that Jesus Christ was born, yesterday, today, and for all time. He is the Word made flesh, born outside of time. 

We choose what direction we take. Either way, time takes time.

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If Christians Had Chutzpah [at The Crooked Halo]

It's December 27th and Christmas is only 2 days old...yes, 2 days. Catholic/Christians forget that up until the 25th it is Advent. Christmas is celebrated for 12 days and ends with the Feast of the Epiphany. I was told by a sage Episcopal priest that for Christians to rush about during Advent buying, wrapping and giving gifts along with Christmas cards that include a New Year greeting...is wrong. We have the luxury of sending out cards and giving gifts for almost 2 weeks longer, but like many original traditions...this, too, has been secularized. If Christians had chutzpah and abide by this tradition, we wouldn't be so rushed, stressed and often disappointed that "Christmas is over" on the 26th. Please, don't get me started.

If Christians had chutzpah we would push back against the commercialism that has nearly destroyed the true meaning of this Sacred Season.  The phrase, Jesus Is The Reason For The Season, has been said airily so many times that it has become a trite phrase that lacks conviction and meaning. Pablum.

Many Baby Boomers, and now their children, have raised brats...Christmas brats. We are willing to go into debt at Christmas to give them everything they've asked for. We can't say no. Once, two gifts and some candy or fruit in a stocking sufficed. Now if the kids and grand-kids don't open a minimum of 6 gifts....Christmas joy goes into the dumpster. If a family decided to give one gift and spend a certain sum on the needy instead, how many of our kids would be pleased? How many would understand that this IS the way to celebrate Christ's birth? And I'm not saying that needy children should get all the gifts either....hello? the lesson is for ALL Christians. I'm suggesting that $$ go to a charity for ill children, wounded veterans, soup kitchens, food banks, etc.

I'm tired of the Christmas bashing. I'm tired of feeling guilty because I believe that Christ is born on Christmas Day. Merry Christmas....horrors! Not on ads, not on flyers, not on the lips of the employees taking a Christian's God-given money. Please, don't get me started. If Christians had chutzpah we'd cash in our bargaining chips...don't buy but one gift for your child(ren). Remember the charities...and you'll see how quick the

Merry Christmas

banners will go up!

And what's with every group under the heavens being represented in the Town Square along side of the Nativity? This past Christmas,

Karl Etters of the Tallahassee Democrat, reported that the Florida Capitol's holiday display would include a greeting from the Church of the Spaghetti Monster and the Satanic Temple. Read it here:  satanic-temple-joining-capitol-displays. What do these groups have to do with Christmas??? Do you really think that their " good wishes" are heart-felt? Do you really think that their desire to express their freedom of speech is to spread peace and love-the essence of the Christmas season? Humbug. Why does a Temple that represents the Evil One need or should be displayed at Christmas time? It, along with the Atheists and others of this ilk, have only one common reason for wanting to be represented....their animosity for Christ.   This isn't Happy Holiday time, people, it's Christmas. I don't buy gifts for Thanksgiving....I don't buy gifts for New Year's Eve. I buy as a nod to the Magi...gifts from the Three Wise Men to the Savior of the World.  Oh, non-Christian business owner....alert! if Christians had chutzpah they'd keep out of your shops during Christmas time and shop at Christian based stores for that one-gift-they-will-buy.  Most churches have a gift shop, Hobby Lobby is Christian owned, as well as Mary Kay cosmetics. There are Christian book & gift stores galore on-line. Don't harass Christmas and we will bless you with our God-given money. Freedom of speech, you say? My antlers it is! It's just being plain mean spirited. Do you think Christians want to hone in on an Atheist's holiday? They can declare April Fool's Day as their High-Holiday. I'd be fine with it and have no desire to add my Christian sentiments to their special day.

I believe that anti-Christmas groups are emboldened because they know there are so many disinterested Christians. Poinsettia and lily church goers have no passion for Christ. The Birth of Jesus is nothing more than a time to over-eat, over-drink and out buy the Jones'. Many children from these Christian-lite homes have no clue why there's a star on top of the Christmas tree or that the lights on their house is supposed to reflect the Light of the World. Will disinterested Christians even notice when all remnants of religion are removed from "The Holiday Season"? Christmas Squelchers are counting on it, and as long as nothing gets in the way of the latest sale...it's all that matters...on both sides.   The world is riddled with war. Our country is ablaze with anger and hate. So here we have a season to reflect on peace and good will to all humankind and society has allowed anti-Christmas groups to strangle it into silence. Really? Really? Instead of everyone banning together and using the joy, love and generosity of this Sacred Season to heal our hurting world...God's intention all along...they use it to slash the heart out of hope. They label it political correctness and freedom of speech when in fact it's the lying, liberal voice of Satan. If Christians had chutzpah we'd protect every wonderful, grace-filled aspect of Christmas as though we were protecting the Baby Jesus Himself. Merry Christmas. Christmas, my child, is love in action.  Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas.
--Dale Evans

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The Perfection of Love [at Suffering With Joy]

December 12, 2014

The Flight Into Egypt, 1451-52, Fra Angelico, tempura on wood, Museo di San Marco, Florence

Today being the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe who is the patroness of this website, I am reflecting on a quote from The Marriage of Our Lady over at Catholic Spiritual Direction. In this Advent meditation Archbishop Goodier, S.J., offers us a statement which I find completely refreshing in light of the many seriously broken and destructive relationships out there today. Goodier was commenting on three points:

Mary was a married woman.

Mary was also always a virgin which means that she could not have bound herself to that vow except through Joseph’s consent who correspondingly was also a virgin, both having accepted the obligations of the vow.

Mary and Joseph had a human love for each other but also a selfless love that transcended self-gratification.

It was here that Goodier wrote something that struck me as profound:

The perfection of love is the renunciation of its indulgences…

As we move into the holiday season where while many solid families enjoy each others’ company, many other families suffer from all kinds of dysfunctions that often make members tense and prone to drawing inward with a mindset that says, “If I can only get through this without a big uproar,” or “What is _____ going to pull next?”. What provokes that kind of victim thinking is selfishness of others. Selfishness, the farthest thing from the perfection of love, makes the holidays a burden, not a joy, and something to be endured rather than a time of celebration of the coming of the Lord and the many lessons we can learn from all the members of the Holy Family.

We can stop victim thinking by looking at the Holy Family and modeling ourselves after Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. At the center of everything in the Holy Family is Christ. Perfect love resided in that small household. We can see in it the renunciation of indulgences.

Mary and Joseph willingly renounced the sexual relationship that accompanies marriage. They surrendered to God what can rightfully be called an indulgence they were entitled to. I am not saying everyone should do this, but giving it as an example of something really big they gave back to God. Both lived according to the law and appeared to be perfectly ordinary to their neighbors, but between them there must have been a daily looking to responding to the other’s need often at the expense of gratifying their own wants. Both were focused on raising Jesus to be an upright Jewish man. Jesus renounced His life to save us. Nowhere do we get even a whiff of entitlement in the Holy Family.

Renunciation in all its forms is the antidote to selfishness which is the killer of all positive relationships and the source of dissonance at home and in society. Just because we are entitled to something, or we have the means to do something lawfully, does not mean we must take advantage of that good. Mary and Joseph showed us that in their love for one another and the Child Jesus. Jesus, who could have struck Herod, the Sanhedrin, Pilate, and all those who sought his death dead, chose instead to sacrifice Himself for us without uttering one word of complaint. The Author of Life was entitled to life but he gave it up to His Father in heaven.

So now, what do we make of ourselves in this season? Are we ready to forego any of our rightful indulgences? By baptism we are brothers and sisters of Christ, members of the Holy Family. What can we bring to our family members this Christmas season, what renunciation can we offer that will foster peace and harmony? How far can we advance toward the perfection of love in the footsteps of Jesus, Mary and Joseph?

V. Praised be Jesus Christ!

R. Now and forever!

(Click on the link above to read why I end my posts this way.)

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Selling Peace for a Song... [at Blossoming Joy]

I work my way around the rack of blue jeans and become aware of a dull irritation settling in. The harsh lights. The stuff everywhere. The feeling that I'd like to run away as fast and far as I can. And the music. That damned music.

Damned. I mean that word. I'm not just throwing it around like wannabe sorority mom who knows a few vulgarities and how to use them. I'm too awkward to pull that off anyway. I stop in the middle of pawing the denim and rest my head on the rack. Listening to the pounding of the music of the damned.

I don't have any idea where the musical stars belting out their tunes are going to spend their eternity. But their lyrics are certainly the echo of damnation. The hellish sort of poetry that reminds me I am not of this world and thank God that He has given me a way out of it. It exhausts my soul. Works my senses to a frenzy. I can feel the battle for my affection. 

Oh, I know how I sound. My words are the words of the uptight Christian mama pharisee who wouldn't know fun if it hit her in the forehead. Maybe I'm a Catholic Footloose parent who can't see that we have to be able to escape from our Christ-personalities for a little while in order to thrive. To which I reply...

NO.

There is no joy that can be found anywhere but Christ. And I don't think I'm supposed to go looking for Him in the words and rhythms of the walking dead. I know there are beloved souls behind the creation of those songs but I don't have to eat the fruits of the wandering lost in order to love the souls. I've got my own soul to save here, too. I'm tired of the "misguided mystics". If they are misguided, then why do we follow? They reject true Love... so let me love from afar then.

Yeah my mama she told me don't worry about your size
She says, "Boys like a little more booty to hold at night."

Well, the mall ain't no TOB convention. What did I expect? I wonder if my little daughter hears and what she thinks. And I shop jeans for a young boy in a world that isn't mine. But maybe it's me. Maybe it's just me.

What is sin? Sin is the rejection of Love. And my God calls me with the passion of a lover to enter into His joy. Is it really possible to enter purely and fully into that joy while I give myself with abandon to the words of His enemies?

One young "misguided mystic" takes the reins from another, flooding the store with her voice...

Let's go all the way tonight
No regrets, just love
We can dance, until we die
You and I, will be young forever

Young forever. Not in this life. It's a lie. A damned lie.

I sigh out loud and the girl behind the counter looks at me with a bit of concern. I'm strange, honey, I know it. But this music... it has caught me at a soft time. A time when my heart is a little more sensitive to His Word. I'm usually blind and stone deaf. I'm always weak and complaining. But sometimes...

... Sometimes I hear the words that I sing so carelessly with the car radio and I know. These aren't the words that a Lover sings. These are the words of infidelity.

And the blue jeans come into view again and I start to check the price tags. My soul starts to get caught by the bass in the background and I feel the power of music on creation... 

I live for the applause, applause, applause
I live for the applause-plause
Live for the applause-plause
Live for the way that you cheer and scream for me
The applause, applause, applause

For the love of God... make it stop.  Because we profess to be in love with God... stop...

Dear Music,

I love you with an inordinate love. That longing defies my logic and draws me... where? Just draws me. Away. I just want you to know that I belong to Someone and I'm not a cheat. He asked for my whole heart and I give it. I know how to have fun. But I told Him that He could have my fun, too, if He wanted it. And He promised... Do you know what He promised? He promised that He would return Joy for my faithfulness.

So though you pull me in, I don't dance to you. I only dance to praise.
And though you sit right there on iTunes, I don't buy. My money is not my own.
And though you plague me in the blue jean section, I sing the song of my Beloved in my heart. And leave the trash where it belongs.

You can keep singing of the damned. But I can't go with you.

Sincerely,
A Daughter of the King

Buy the jeans, girl, and go home. Rest in the quiet of the loud children and humming washing machine. There is no shame in this song of love. Or in a desire for purity. And peace.

There is no song that is worth more than the honor of my God. There is no artist who has a right to my adoration. I would give it up in a moment if I knew it would please Him. And what pleases Him? What displeases Him? This beautiful Lover of my soul. Rooting it out... rooting it out...

The blue jeans are home and the beat and lyrics that I know so well continue to play on repeat in my head. I am sensory like that. It disturbs my prayer and I again wonder why so few people seem to mind the ugly that we drink in. So I pray for peace of mind and soul. And for a revolution of Love. And I write it down.

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An Encylical on Climate change, what we wish Pope Francis would say [at Catholic Xray]

In previous post we made some predictions about what Pope Francis would say about “climate change”. Although we really wish he would write about something else, what follows is what we wish he would say ( written in my best “Vatican-ese”). Alas he has not called to ask, but I offer it here since I don’t think anything that ranges far afield from the following would have any value, and most of what the Church could say with authority is contained in what follows.

To the Bishops, Priests and Deacons, and all the lay Faithful of the Catholic Church:
The Supreme Pontiff wishes to address the important issue of climate change. Let us first outline the problem:

As many of you know the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued a report in 2007, and subsequent reports on the phenomena of global climate change. Using data from multiple sources climate experts have concluded that the overall average temperature of the Earth is increasing. The overall magnitude of this increase is fairly small measuring only about 0.6 degrees centigrade over the last century, however the rate of rise appears to be increasing, and in the opinion of many, even most scientists, it is correlated to the release of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, most of the CO2 being related to the increased use of fossil fuels. In the view of many, perhaps most scientists even relatively small changes in the average global temperature can have profound consequences on the environment which might be quite harmful.
The precise effect of the continued release of CO2 into the atmosphere is complex since multiple factors can offset this effect. One recent study suggests that the CO2 promotes increased growth of tropical rain forests, which will consume some of the excess greenhouse gas for example. We mention this not to suggest this kind of thing is adequate to neutralize such an increase in CO2, but merely to demonstrate that the effects of increased CO2 in the atmosphere can have multiple effects that make predicting the overall impact on the environment a complex endeavor. There are a myriad of other factors involving the potential interaction of  increased CO2 production with other atmospheric phenomena that  determine the exact amount of any global temperature change and the consequent effects of this change. Scientists have sophisticated mathematical models that attempt to account for and predict these changes. No matter how sophisticated however there are limitations in the accuracy of any model, and the predictions made can be erroneous. For example as the widely regarded scientific journal “Nature” has reported, current models are having difficulty accounting for the lack of significant warming over the last 16 years, in spite of predictions by most models of the contrary. No doubt scientists will develop theories to account for these phenomena.

It is laudable that man as steward of creation use his intellect to attempt to understand such phenomena and indeed to respond to them, by appropriate means, in order to forestall any harmful effects that might adversely impact the human condition. Indeed many kinds of solutions have been proposed to limit the ongoing production of greenhouse gases involving legal treaties and governmental regulation of energy use in the various countries of the world. The utility of the various responses gives rise to a number of complex questions. Policies designed to limit energy use or promote alternative sources of energy may have multiple effects, some of which are unintended. For example schemes to limit energy use may drive up the costs of energy and impact the economies of many countries. Given the complex interconnectedness of the global economy it is hard to say such “side effects” will not affect the world’s poor adversely. In any case this has lead to much acrimonious debate, and unfortunate political polarization between those who believe the changes in climate are severe, and favor significant governmental intervention to limit these changes, versus others who while in the minority, express concerns that either the changes in climate are overstated or even if not overstated, that some of the proposed remedies would cause severe harm to the economies of nations resulting in an increase in human suffering.

What can the Church add to this debate? In one sense it can add very little. The primary role of the Church is to assist men in achieving eternal life, and this is done by exhorting them to follow the Law of Christ, and fortifying them by administering his sacraments. This is not obviously connected to the problem of “climate change”. On the other hand something an issue this profound, potentially affecting all of humanity, deeply concerns the Church since she is mother of all the faithful, and it is the will of her master, our Lord, Jesus Christ, that she seek the good of all, it seems appropriate that we speak to this problem. How can the Church do this in a way that will promote dialog and aid her children?

First let us specifically state what the Church cannot do, and more specifically what I cannot do as Supreme Pontiff. She cannot answer the question of whether global warming is occurring, and the specific utility of any proposed solution in terms of its overall benefit or harm. What she can do is outline what are the overall moral duties of those who seek to address this problem. This really touches on the most basic requirements of charity and the natural law, but the call to even the basic requirements of the moral life needs to be forever repeated given our fallen human nature.
It is clear that the Church cannot pronounce on the accuracy of scientific predictions regarding climate change, its severity or the resultant consequences of such change. These are purely technical questions which must be evaluated by scientific experts using the tools they have at their disposal. If the Church goes beyond this competence or even appears to do so it risks misleading her children and indirectly detracting from her central message of salvation. Christ promises us to guide the Church infallibly in providing the means to salvation. This means we are protected from error in preaching on morals or the things God has chosen to reveal to us. God in his wisdom has the left understanding of the workings of nature to human ingenuity and so the answers to purely scientific questions are something outside the mandate of the Church, and we have no special insight into such questions.

There are grave moral questions involved in this problem which we can speak to however. These can be broken into 2 basic categories. All people have a duty to seek the truth without regard to more ignoble concerns, and all people must make sure our solutions to this grave problem are morally upright, with a goal of rigorously seeking the common good, not profit, fame or political power for their own sake.

Addressing our first concern, it should be obvious that scientists and policy makers should be engaged in seeking the truth. Thus the proponents of climate change should not vilify, suppress or otherwise personally impugn the integrity of those who criticize the accuracy of the theory, the adequacy of the models that predict temperature change or similar things. The same could of course be said about the duties of those who dispute the findings of proponents of the current paradigm of climate change. Given that proponents are in the majority the opportunity to suppress countervailing views is greater for proponents that opponents of the theory. We note the dismaying ad hominem attacks on those who dispute the current theory as merely “climate deniers”, and radical calls that they be imprisoned or suppressed. It should also be clear that all of the assertions regarding the problem of climate change should be judged on their merits and faulty arguments should be countered in an appropriate manner using the typical reliance on evidence and facts that scientists pride themselves on. Of course it goes without saying that manipulation or lying about data in order to push a particular view or promote a particular favored policy is clearly sinful, and given the gravity and importance of the topic, if fully voluntary might be gravely sinful. This kind of dishonesty earns vigorous condemnation from every quarter, and all men have a duty to expose it for the evil it is. Similarly discrediting an opponent based on unsubstantiated personal attacks can amount to the grave sin of rash judgment or calumny. These kinds of actions must be condemned.

A certain amount of humility regarding such a complex and multifaceted issue seems in order here. It has been the history of science that views once held at a given time by the vast majority of scientists have later been shown to be false. One recalls the widespread belief that the earth was bathed in an invisible “ether” that permeated the universe and through which light waves traveled, this idea famously being shown false by Einstein’s special theory of relativity.  One also thinks of the many ideas of Freud regarding the utility of psychoanalysis which while once a dominant theory for psychiatry has been superseded by a more detailed understanding of brain science that suggests mental illness is largely a consequence of disturbances in brain physiology rather than a consequence of competing subconscious desires. Conversely someone in a minority position should be scrupulous in making sure they are not merely adhering to their own view of the evidence in an idiosyncratic manner ignoring evidence which does not suit their pet theory. As the aphorism goes “they laughed at Einstein, but they also laughed at Bozo the clown”.

Humility by all and a desire to seek the truth are morally required. In the current discussions regarding climate change we have seen this lacking, on both sides but especially notable in those wishing to suppress any counterarguments against the current understanding held by the majority view. Again if the majority view is correct, the theory can be refined and perfected if its flaws are openly discussed and debated in a dispassionate manner.

The second concern is that any proposed solution weigh carefully its effects on the weakest members of society, that is the poor, and also not be immoral in and of itself. Some have proposed draconian curbs on population, even to have governments take active measures to curb population growth. To have governments dictate to individuals if they can have children or not is clearly tyrannical and intrinsically immoral, regardless of any benefits on the climate, and in fact such a solution is anti-human. The planet and all of creation exists for the good of man and not the reverse. Moreover given the coming demographic implosion, with the aging of entire populations and decreasing numbers of younger individuals able to assist with the support of the aged, not to mention, not being available to contribute to the economic growth of their own nations, such a solution may be disastrously counterproductive. It is with great dismay that we note groups working under the auspices of the United Nations have advocated approaches that suggest similar things, and we note that this seriously undermines the moral credibility of this body.

At this point such a policy solution with clearly evil implications represents only a small fraction of the potential responses to the problem of climate change. Other responses are purely areas of prudential judgment. One such proposal is to encourage a widespread increase in the use of nuclear power, which is an established and proven source of energy which does not increase CO2 emissions. We defer the assessment of the pros and cons of such an approach to the appropriate experts, however we reiterate our comments that that all the experts have a duty to seek the truth and the common good. We also note that any policy solution take special care to not adversely impact the poor of the developing world who can least bear the burden and whose sufferings are already great. Solutions which indiscriminately drive up the cost of energy in order to curtail its use need to weigh such an effect, although we certainly support any efforts to encourage wise and prudent use of energy and encourage voluntary energy conservation measures. We reserve the right to comment on plans that hurt the poor, not so as to specify detailed alternatives, given that the specific effects of a particular political/economic policy on the poor is a technical question left to the faithful, but rather to call to the world’s attention the need always to protect poor given Our Lord’s special love for them.

We also understand it might not be possible to find perfect solutions that do not cause some harms. Most public policies involve just such mixed effects and tradeoffs of competing goods.  The morality of such policies lies in the proper application of the well known principle of the “Double effect”, and is of its nature complex and difficult to discuss in the abstract.

Finally we note that it is not the role of the Church in most cases to specify policy choices or to choose political leaders. This is a decision left to the prudential judgment of the faithful. In some cases however some political choices advocate things which are intrinsically immoral. It is never licit to choose such things and it becomes immoral to choose candidates who promote them when a viable opposing candidate exists, who would make a better choice. This is made very clear in the situation of abortion in which it is always the duty of the state to protect innocent human beings from being killed. Given that abortion is a most heinous crime and in fact a particularly grave form of homicide, to support a pro-abortion candidate is always immoral and to advance laws that protect the unborn is a duty of all the faithful. This was pointed out by our predecessor,  Saint John Paul II of happy memory. In contrast most of the political choices surrounding the issues of climate change do not involve issues of intrinsic immorality, they are prudential judgments involving competing goods. Carbon tax credits and their pros and cons are one such thing. The Church can have no particular position in such a debate. A candidate for political office who perhaps has a political stance in such prudential matters that one finds appealing is not thereby excused from promoting things which are intrinsically evil. One would not support someone who favors torture or slavery or some form of tyranny even if one agrees with the policies enacted to offset climate change. As mentioned above a candidate who favored a policy which was intrinsically immoral, in terms of a solution to climate change would require that he be opposed. For example a political figure who mandated a government imposed one child policy including forced sterilization of its citizens would be advocating an intrinsic evil, even if it prevented a rise in CO2 emissions. This type of candidate could not be morally supported.

For now we pray for all those concerned with this issue and wait along with the rest of the world results of further dialog. We commend the planet to the care of our Lady of Guadalupe, patron of the unborn.

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Reflected in Our Faces [at Mere Observations]

I read this today and it profoundly connected with my own musings and observations of late.

It was a spiritual kinsman of St Isaac, the Father Zossima of The Brothers Karamazov, who showed how our direct responsibility for our own bodies and for dumb creatures may indirectly stretch yet further. In his final conversations father Zossima describes how our very faces may indireclty produce momentous consequences. He asks us to think of a child walking down a street, rather bewildered by the evil in the world and searching for signs that life has meaning. If we have over the years allowed our hearts to become embittered, that will be reflected in our faces. So when the child has seen our face the image that will remain in his heart will be of evil and meaninglessness. It may turn out that our face has sown a seed of evil in the child which will one day overgrow his whole heart. On the other hand, if we have over the years filled our hearts with love, that also will be reflected in our faces and the passing child in the street will be encouraged by what he sees to find meaning in life.

Nor is such an illustration by any means imaginary. We have from the pen of Olivier Clément a moving account of how a face saved his life. It as in the days when he was an atheist, though an unhappy one. He was so unhappy, in fact, and so oppressed by the meaninglessness of human life that he was seriously thinking of committing suicide. Then one day as he was walking depressed beside the Mediterranean sea-shore his attention was riveted by the face of someone who was passing by. The person’s face was radiant with meaning, full of such goodness as can only come from years of cultivating a loving heart. In a twinkling Clément’s suicidal thoughts were dispelled and a seed sown in his heart that was eventually to transform him into an ardent believer. Not surprisingly, Clément asserts with warm conviction that there is a branch of theology that is properly described as a ‘theology of faces.’ –Donald Nicholl, Holiness (New York: Seabury Press, 1981), 48-49.

Source: Shirt of Flame

*****

I wonder how much of the unrest, protests and violence today is caused because those committing these acts feel they are invisible. I suspect much of it is. Have you looked around lately when you’re in a crowd? How many sets of eyes actually raise up to meet your own? How many are staring at their shoes or more likely…at a digital screen?

How many lash out because it’s the only way they can think of anymore to get someone…anyone…to pay them attention? When I see a rioter or a protester I see my toddler (when I had a toddler) lashing out in order to get my attention.

I see a lot of things these days through the tired eyes of a parent.

We don’t look at each other in the eyes anymore as a species. I think that is one of the greatest problems we face today. Comments are entered on the internet in anger or biting sarcasm as we viscerally cut those whom we cannot see.

One of the great miracles of the Incarnation of God made man was his desire to enter into His creation and to look us in the eye. When we peer into the manger at the child wrapped and fragile in human flesh we look into the very Creator of the universe. Time and eternity meet our humanity in a glance.

Don’t be quick to look away this Christmas. You are made in the Imago Dei. The image of God. Your eyes contain the power to change someone’s life.

Your eyes show them they matter.

Tell them that they are not invisible.

Demonstrate that they are indeed seen by someone else.

No longer alone, two-dimensional and empty. But surrounded by love, hope and joy, three-dimensional and full of the Spirit and able to do the same for others.

This Christmas I’m grateful for a God whose eyes are much older than my own, but that are never tired.

I’m thankful that He came for me.

He sees my face.

Even when my eyes are closed to His presence, He sees me.

Thank you for those in my own life who look me in the eye when I feel unworthy, lost and alone. I needed that.

We need each other.

*****

My Jesus, I forever thank You for allowing me to see You.

I thank You for being visible in all the grandeur of nature, in the mountains, the streams, the oceans, the trees. I thank You for being visible in the beauty of the stars, the sky, the magnificence of the sun.

I thank You for being visible in every beating heart, in every created life. I thank You that I am able to see the gift of love, instilled in every human being, and so often abused, crushed, neglected by the world.

My Jesus, You are visible in every act of charity and compassion, in the forgiveness of every hurt, in every sacrifice offered for another. I thank You for allowing me to see You in the pain and suffering of all people in their struggles.

My Jesus, You are visible in every baby’s smile, in every mother’s caress, in the innocence of every child and the willingness of every mother to say “yes” to life. I thank You for being visible in every miracle, in every healing, in every conversion, in the joy of every soul who has suddenly accepted Your existence.

I thank You for being visible in the faith and trust of countless millions, in the perpetual existence of Your Church in the face of centuries of persecution. I thank You for being visible to me now, in my prayer, in my trust. In every day of my life, in every need, in every way.

Jesus, You died for my sins and I thank You for allowing me to see that sacrifice perpetually before me in the Eucharist. Jesus, I especially thank You for being so visible to me through Your forgiveness and love in the midst of my failures and sins. The world never has.

From An Hour With Jesus: Volume II.

C’mon…laugh.

*****

Photo credit

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Suicide, Sin and Dealing with Depression [at A Catholic Citizen in America]

Like I said last week,

'tis the season to be frazzled

. It's also a time of year when folks get together with family, including folks like Yogi Yorgesson's "goofy relations:"

"...After dinner my Aunt and my wife's Uncle Louie
Get into an argument; they're both awful screwy
Then all my wife's family say Louie is right
And my goofy relations, they yoin in the fight.
Back in the corner the radio is playing
And over the racket Gabriel Heater is saying
'Peace on earth everybody and good will toward men'
And yust at that moment someone slugs Uncle Ben...."
("I Yust Go Nuts At Christmas," via eLyrics.net)

Oddly enough, December is generally a month with the fewest suicides each year in America. ("

Holiday Suicides: Fact or Myth?

,"

Injury Prevention & Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(December 31, 2013))

Digging a little deeper, I noticed that those 'December suicides' statistics may or may not include murder-suicides: the sort of thing I talked about in "

Psycho Santa's Slaying Spree - The Catholic Connection

," back in 2008. That's not quite another topic.

Maybe folks get the idea that suicides spike during the holidays because we read or listen to the news. It's the old 'man bites dog' is news thing. Sort of.

Think about it: John Doe kills himself, and it's July 17. That's a big deal for John Doe and anyone who knew him: but not the sort of thing that makes headlines. John Doe kills himself, and it's December 24: odds are there'll be a "Christmas Eve Suicide" headline somewhere in the paper.

Knowing When — and How — to Get Help

I take suicide personally, since that's how I lost a dear friend: and I've felt the impulse occasionally. Basically, it's not always someone else; or 'those people.'

Depression is one of suicide's

risk factors

, along with a family history of suicide, loss, and, as the

CDC

put it, "unwillingness to seek help because of the stigma attached to mental health and substance abuse disorders or to suicidal thoughts."

Before I forget it, here's some contact information I ran into while scraping this post together:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 800-273-TALK (8255) 800-273-8255

A free, 24/7 service that can provide suicidal persons or those around them with support, information and local resources.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

I like the "free" part: that puts it in my budget.

I get

verklempt

sometime during Advent, each year. A procedural glitch in getting some prescriptions filled helped make this year's session particularly interesting, and I'll get back to that.

Depression: It's Treatable

Major depression gets called

major depressive disorder

;

clinical depression

;

unipolar depression

, or unipolar disorder; or, if it happens off and on,

recurrent depression

.

I'm among the 96.6% with major depression who haven't killed themselves.

This isn't the occasional blue funk folks can 'snap out of.' It's real: and, happily, treatable.

In my case, all it took was a combination of extremely powerful antidepressants: which sure beats downing a dozen cups of ultra-strong coffee a day to stay vaguely focused. I go through withdrawal when the paperwork doesn't go through promptly: but it's still better than the pre-pill decades.

Lots

better.

If medicos had known more about depression when I was growing up: well, that's

water under the bridge

. I'm very glad to be living now, when we have access to this sort of information:

There's more at the Mayo Clinic site: I just hit the high points, or low points, or whatever.

I'm not likely to kill myself, but like I said: I've had the occasional impulse — including a really strong urge during my teens, while driving over a bridge.

I'd been having an unusually unsavory day. It took a few seconds to realize that I was stubborn as a mule: and could probably out-endure what was going on.

Turns out, I was right.

I'm still stubborn, I'm still working on

fortitude

, and that is another topic.

SAD, Depression, and Soap Opera Amnesia

That 'crossing a bridge' thing happened during summer, by the way: not midwinter. My Advent

angst

may get a boost from

SAD

, but I'm nearly certain that it's connected to what happened around Christmas, when I was in 7th grade.

There's a '

hole in my mind

,' a gap in my memory that runs from before that Christmas to the next spring.

It's not, I think, really a hole: more like roadblocks. The memories of are most likely still in there, but my brain apparently purged their indexing. That's a horribly mixed metaphor, but you get what I mean.

I've been told that's going on in my head acts a bit like PTSD,

post-traumatic stress disorder

, including feeling hopeless about the future and "not remembering important aspects of the traumatic event."

That illustration shows which parts of the brain handle fear and stress. It's from this fact sheet:

Wait a minute.

"

Feeling hopeless

about the future?" Aren't Christians supposed to be just simply oozing hope?

Yes, but my faith doesn't depend on how I'm feeling at the moment. My hope is more of a decision than an emotion, and I'm still working on it.

"HOPE: The theological virtue by which we desire and expect from God both eternal life and the grace we need to attain it (1817).
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, Glossary)

Back to depression, suicide, and similarly-cheery topics.

Complications

of PTSD include depression and suicidal thoughts or actions.(

Mayo Clinic

)

Or, in my case, not remembering that the traumatic event happened.

Unlike a soap opera amnesia case, I've never forgotten who I am. All that's missing from my

autobiographical memory

is a few blocks of

episodic memory

. There's a Wikipedia page about

Psychogenic_amnesia

, which sounds cooler than

hysterical amnesia

, but it's pretty much the same thing: also not much fun, and that's yet another topic. Topics.

Mortal Sin and Not Losing Hope

There wasn't much of anything religious or theological in my decision to

out-wait

my troubles on that bridge. I've learned quite a bit since then: which led to my becoming a Catholic. Yet again more topics.

Since I'm Catholic, I must believe that human life is sacred; which makes murder wrong, even if I'm the victim as well as the murderer. (Catechism,

2258

-

2262

,

2268

-

2269

,

2280

-

2283

)

Suicide is a particularly bad idea because once we're dead, our options are severely limited.

Murder and suicide are mortal sins: acts that destroy charity. While we're alive, we can decide what we did was wrong, take responsibility for our actions, and repair the damage we've caused. Getting that done after I've killed myself would be — difficult. (Catechism,

1021

-

1022

,

1033

,

1451

-

1460

,

1855

,

2283

)

The Catholic Church does

not,

however, say that all suicides go to Hell. Suicide is a monumentally bad idea, but I'm not allowed to lose hope for folks who killed themselves.

God can do things we don't and can't understand: even allowing postmortem repentance. "...The Church prays for persons who have taken their own lives." (Catechism,

2283

)

"Here Shall They Hang," and Clueless Critics

That picture is Gustave Doré's illustration for Canto XIII of Dante's "Divine Comedy, Inferno."

Dante and Virgil are walking through the 'Forest of Suicides' on their way across the

Seventh Circle

of Hell. They're the two chaps you see toward the back of that scene.

Dante's epic poem is not an official Church document: but he knew his faith.

I'm not a soul riding in a body: I'm a human being, a living body

and

soul. The material and spiritual parts are designed to work as a single unit. Death separates body and soul: but they're reunited before the Last Judgment. (Catechism,

362

-

365

,

990

-

991

,

1005

,

1038

-

1041

,

1059

)

In his imagined Forest of Suicides, souls of folks who had killed themselves were waiting for the Final Judgment, when they'd be unpleasantly reunited with their bodies.

"Here shall we drag them, to this gloomy glade;
Here shall they hang, each body evermore
Borne on the thorn of its own self-slaughtering shade."
("The Divine Comedy," Inferno, Canto XIII, lines 106-108)

Some folks in Dante's day didn't know much about poetry:

" 'here shall they hang:' Nowhere, perhaps, does Dante assert more clearly than in this moving an terrible image his conviction of the intimate and unbreakable bond between spirit and flesh. The Suicides willed the death of the flesh, but they cannot be rid of it: their eternity is an eternity of that death. (The absurd charge of heretically denying the resurrection of the body was brought against Dante on the strength of these lines, but only by those to whom the language of poetic imagery is a sealed book.)"
(Dorothy L. Sayers' footnote to "The Divine Comedy," Inferno, Canto XIII, line 107; "The Divine Comedy 1 Hell," Dante Alighieri, Translation by Dorothy L. Sayers (1949); Penguin Classics reprint)

And that's still another topic.

Here's that contact information again:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 800-273-TALK (8255) 800-273-8255

A free, 24/7 service that can provide suicidal persons or those around them with support, information and local resources.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

More about life and health:

"Robin Williams, Suicide, and Hope"
(August 17, 2014)

"Christopher Marlowe's '...Doctor Faustus:' Despair, a Dagger, and a Helpful Demon"
(December 19, 2011)
Particularly

"Prayer, Medicine and Trusting God"
(March 4, 2010)
Particularly

"Medication for Depression? Yeah: The Catholic Church is Okay With That"
(February 25, 2010)

"Facts, Frustration, and Fear"
(January 28, 2011)
Particularly

Background and advice, mostly for folks who aren't 'at risk' for suicide:

This contribution is available at http://catholiccitizenamerica.blogspot.com/2014/12/suicide-sin-and-dealing-with-depression.html
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On the Language of Reverence [at Yard Sale of the Mind]

I’m just old enough to remember when we students at St. Mary’s of the Assumption School in Whittier, California, would start our day at Mass. Each class had an assigned area – 16 in all, as there were double classes of about 50 kids each for each of the 8 grades. Our parents would drop us off at church, and we’d find our class, and join them. Nuns in habits would make sure we genuflected before the Blessed Sacrament, knelt, stood and sat at the appropriate times, and generally behaved ourselves. No talking, no slouching, and kneeling meant kneeling, not that weird z-shaped butt-on-the-pew thing.

I’m a weirdo – I liked it. I liked Mass, I liked the rituals, I liked the songs. I also learned – physically – what reverence meant, and how to show it.

Sadly, this all came crashing down about the time I hit 3th grade. But for a couple glorious years, I got to go to Mass a lot as a kid.

One error I think almost all of us make all the time, at least us older guys and gals who have some idea what reverence is, is to think of reverence as something reserved for Church. On the contrary, here’s a definition from Fr. John Hardon’s Modern Catholic Dictionary via CatholicCulture.org

The virtue that inclines a person to show honor and respect for persons who possess some dignity. There are four forms of reverence, corresponding to four forms of dignity: 1. familial reverence toward one’s parents or those who take the place of parents; 2. civil reverence toward persons holding civil authority; 3. ecclesiastical reverence toward the Pope, bishops, priests, and others in the service of the Church; 4. religious reverence toward any person, place, or object related to God. (Etym. Latin reverentia, awe, respect.)

This is a good definition, but I don’t think it goes quite far enough. For example, there must be an element of reverence in a family not just on the part of children toward parents, but between a husband and wife, and on the part of parents towards their children (and, by extension, all children) and even between siblings. On my best days, I do feel an awe and respect toward my wife. That she (and God Himself!) has somehow recklessly entrusted her life and salvation to *me* in even a tiny degree is awesome; that this woman bore my children deserves way more than respect. And I wept when the nurse handed me my first born – awe and respect hardly describe it, but are essential components of what I experienced and continue to experience as a father.

But what we feel is not the important part – that’s what the good sisters were trying to beat into our thick little skulls at Mass (figuratively speaking – the Dominicans were not violent in my experience). We needed not only to learn to be reverent, but to develop and own a language of reverence. The nuns were determined to teach us. In church, that language consists of gestures, postures and silence – and that’s exactly what was being enforced. The concept may be abstract, but the language in which it is expressed is concrete.

We’re suffering under a double whammy these days. First, few if any Catholics under the age of 50 even know what it would mean to be reverent, even in church. Nope – we talk, wander around, plop ourselves in the pews like we’re at a beach party. At best, there’s a sort of awkwardness, a feeling that maybe I should be doing something.* But even worse, and much more insidiously, we never learn to have reverence for each other. By failing to learn a language of reverence at the source – the awe inspired by the Living God – we have no words for the reverence that beautifies and enriches our lives. Without reverence for each other, much of the family life that is, after all, the image of the Divine Life, becomes desiccated, drab and at risk of death.

The reverence we should practice at Mass is another aspect of the gift of the Eucharist. It is something that is part of our mission that the dismissal send us on: Go! You are sent! Having a language of reverence gives us a way, a form, in which to speak the language of love to our brothers and sisters. Without a language of reverence in word, gesture and posture, life not only becomes crass and dull, it is gradually bled dry of love itself.

So, be reverent at Mass. Don’t make a show of it – kids can always tell – but, from the heart: genuflect, stand, kneel and sit as if you are in the presence of the Lord and Maker of the Universe – because you are. Our bishops here and in San Francisco are trying hard to make this happen, but, boy, is it an uphill battle. The chronological solution may be the only way. But we can do our part.

* One hilarious one – I have a dark sense of humor:  at daily Mass, two of the about 25 of us bring up the bread and wine at the offertory. It’s often amazingly awkward: the simple, direct, reverent thing to do is to walk up to the altar as a team, hand the priest the offering, then together, bow once to the altar and priest, and then return to your pews. Simple enough? But because of decades of bad catechesis and worse examples, people are baffled: they wander up more or less together, and wander off semi-randomly after having unloaded the gift they personally were carrying, with no bow or other gesture to punctuate and complete the action. They are afraid, it seems, to perform the obvious reverences, either because they just don’t know how or, sadly, because some Fr. Hippy-dippy has told them that all that kneeling and bowing harshes his mellow and they should just be *natural* or something. So they perform liturgical gestures like a herd of cats…

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The Enemy's Tactic

This week in our series investigating the many tactics of the devil, we examine the loss of reason in our society and how the Enemy loves to use this to his advantage.

The loss of reason has become the devil’s playground in modern culture. Ages ago people used to debate about topics and when the debate was over, the other person would actually be convinced. There would be a change of mind, because the other person’s argument was convincing and it made sense. Today, that ability to argue and be convinced is almost entirely gone.

A Culture of Experts vs. Reasonable Arguments

C. S. Lewis frames the situation in this way,

[Screwtape, a senior demon writing to Wormwood, his understudy demon] It sounds as if you supposed that argument was the way to keep him out of the Enemy’s [God’s] clutches. That might have been so if he had lived a few centuries earlier. At that time the humans still knew pretty well when a thing was proved and when it was not; and if it was proved they really believed it. They still…were prepared to alter their way of life as the result of a chain of reasoning. (Screwtape Letters, 1)

Screwtape goes on in his letter to explain that they have acquired many weapons recently to combat this sense of reason. He writes,

But what with the weekly press and other such weapons we have largely altered that….He doesn’t think of doctrine as primarily “true” or “false”, but as “academic” or “practical”, “outworn” or “contemporary” or “ruthless.” Jargon, not argument, is your best ally in keep him from the Church. Don’t waste time trying to make him think that materialism is true! Make him think it is strong, or stark, or courageous–that is the philosophy of the future. That’s the sort of thing he cares about. (1-2, emphasis added)

We can see this “culture of experts” in our society even today, whereby we believe everything we see without testing it to determine if it is a valid argument or not. Essentially we view the news stories through the lens of “if the New York Times writes about so and so, then it must be true.”

We open up the newspaper or visit blogs or news sites and instead of arguments that are reasonable and that follow a logical order, we see classic fallacies that appeal to authority or celebrity (if Taylor Swift is doing it, then it must be OK) or appeals to emotions, that make heinous crimes look like the most merciful acts of love a person could do (the suicide of Brittany Maynard is the most recent example).

What the Enemy Hates

It is obvious that the devil hates a return to reason. To teach our children how to make choices based on sound arguments would be the end of all the devil’s hard work. As Screwtape puts it,

The trouble about argument is that it moves the whole struggle on to the Enemy’s [God’s] own ground. He can argue too….By the very act of arguing, you awake the patient’s reason; and once it is awake, who can foresee the result? (2)

It is not surprising then that school systems across the board, including Catholic schools, have done away with Philosophy or Logic. Classical curriculum is far from being in the mainstream and is primarily being used by homeschool families as well as a select few classical school systems.

The devil applauds this loss of reason in our education and it only makes his job easier. However, if we are able to recover this sense of reason in our society, it will have drastic effects on our culture and can very easily turn the tide.

Takeaway Point #1: if we want to combat the devil, we must be reasonable and use our God-given ability to think.

***If you would like to follow-along reading the The Screwtape Letters, I suggest to purchase your own copy of C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters. If you don’t like reading, I highly suggest buying the dramatization of the letters by Focus on the Family, called The Screwtape Letters: First Ever Full-cast Dramatization of the Diabolical Classic (Radio Theatre). It features Andy Serkis, who played Gollum in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit and is well produced.

This contribution is available at http://www.philipkosloski.com/the-enemys-tactic-1-the-loss-of-reason/
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Hits and Misses of 2014: These Stone Walls [at Freedom Through Truth]

Well, Dear Reader:

Father Gordon MacRae, one of my favourite Roman Catholic Priests has released the

The Hits and Misses of 2014

from These Stone Walls, the blog he writes as a priest falsely imprisoned in the New Hampshire State Prison for Men.

For readers of TSW, and there are many faithful ones out there, it is a summary review particularly of the best that has happened in a prison for men filled to double its capacity with men who have run afoul of the law (or not).  These men are our brothers, who by dint of circumstance of birth, family, genetics, and/or environment have taken a path less chosen, and one that we might have taken ourselves except for our own particular circumstances.

But I have noticed as time passes, and as the Consecration that Father Gordon, Pornchai and others made to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary takes deeper hold of their spirits, the hits keep getting better, and the misses though sad, are in fact hits on God's Hit Parade, since He ultimately is in charge.

You must read the post linked above, I beg you.  Spend some time looking at the photographs, of Pornchai and his foster family, (and also Father Gordon) who were reunited with him this year, by the Grace of God.  Look also at Michael Ciresi united with his children, and their mother at the family celebration inside the prison for Christmas.  Then do what Catholics do when they see an icon.  Pray for all these folks, that God will continue to Bless them and fill them with His Holy Spirit, that their lives, to a one, will glorify Him and praise Him on earth and in heaven one day.

Michael, I pray that our mutual patron saint, Saint Michael the Archangel, will defend you in the day of battle, be your safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil, and may God rebuke the devil, I humbly pray, and may Saint Michael the prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of your soul and the souls of all your loved ones.

We read of Jesse Pickard, at age 27, soon to be released from prison, and pray that the graces imparted upon him by the hands of Father Gordon and the other men of faith there, as it so pleases the Father will sustain him as he works to make a life for himself outside These Stone Walls.

We read also of the overall Miss, which is really a Hit, that is the ongoing attempts to achieve justice for Father Gordon.  Of course, it is a miss.  But Father Gordon has become a much stronger priest inside prison than he could have been outside prison, and all readers of TSW have benefited, though the most important benefits are realized by the men there with him, whether they know it or not.

Don't let the shiny dome in the picture in the linked post fool you.  When you see the face of Father Gordon you are seeing the face of Christ.  Father Gordon is showing us how to be Christ for each other from very difficult circumstances.  Didn't Jesus do that for us over 2000 years ago?

It is a worthy read, but the redoubtable Father Gordon has missed one hit, to which I have just alluded.  The real hit inside These Stone Walls is its author himself.  God has chosen Father Gordon to be a witness to the truth in the midst of deception and lies.  He has shown mercy where mercy is not warranted by actions, but by the image in which his fellow inmates were created, the image of God.

So, my vote for the Hit of 2014 is Father Gordon J. MacRae.

Remember him and all the men in this particular prison, and all people imprisoned throughout the world in your prayers as we end 2014 and in 2015.  Sometimes a prayer is all they have.

This contribution is available at http://freethroughtruth.blogspot.ca/2014/12/hits-and-misses-of-2014-these-stone.html
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Christmas Camellia [at salliesART]

Camellia sasanqua, Family Theaceae, is a species of Camellia native to China and Japan. There are a number of cultivars that have been developed from C. sasanqua.  This particular one is known as the Christmas or Yuletide camellia.  This large shrub has glossy, dark, evergreen foliage. The flowers range in colour from crimson-pink to white depending on the cultivar. 
These various cultivars of C. sasanqua were developed in Japan in the early 1700s.  The cultivar known as Christmas camellia did not arrive in the west until 1869 when Dutch traders imported some specimens into Europe. 
C. sasanqua has a long history of cultivation in Japan for practical rather than decorative reasons. The leaves are used to make tea while the seeds or nuts are used to make tea seed oil which, over the centuries, has been used for lighting, lubrication, cooking and cosmetic purposes.
Once again, the dark green leaves in my drawing are not glossy; however, I am continuing to experiment with my software in the hopes of eventually finding a way to create glossy, dark, green leaves.

Many of the above facts were taken from Wikipedia.

__________________________________________________

NEW RONÀN AND BRADEN PHOTO

___________________________________________________

SUKI AND SALLIE

Another week, another trauma for poor Suki!  Let me tell you what happened.
There was a flood in the bathroom of the apartment two floors above me.  Loud dripping noises in the wall alerted both Suki and myself to the problem early Wednesday morning.
I was sitting in my little office space working away at the computer when I noticed that Suki had gotten up from her morning nap and was standing in the middle of the room with her ears in that erect position that let me know right away that she was hearing something she did not like.
I pushed the pause button on my iPad which had been playing Vivaldi`s Four Seasons and listened.  It was then that I, too, could hear the drip, drip, drip of water falling inside the wall between the bathroom and the bedroom.  Quickly, I telephoned our building emergency number to find out what was happening.  I was informed by the building super that there had been flooding on a certain floor above me and that the plumbers were rushing here even as we spoke.  
Within half an hour, I could hear pounding on the pipes above me so I knew that help had arrived.  Unfortunately, I also knew that because a little over half an hour had passed from the time I first heard the dripping sounds that there was going to be some water damage in my place as well.
During all of this, Suki was getting more and more agitated -- and what made it worse was that the back wall of the bedroom closet, which is Suki`s bolt hole, backs onto the bathroom.  The water sounds followed by the banging on pipes was most loud inside the closet so Suki had no place to hide.  I really felt sorry for her as I could see how much she desired to go into her safe place only her safe place wasn't  that safe anymore.
Then, to make matters worse, about half an hour after they arrived, the plumbers came banging loudly on my door.  At this point, poor Suki simply dived under the bed while I let the plumbers in so that they could see that all my bathroom drains were draining normally.
As the day progressed, the dripping stopped and, finally, the banging stopped as well.  Soon after that , Suki crawled out from under the bed and started asking to be fed.  Since it wasn't quite lunch time yet, I distracted her by showing her where the water was dripping from above the bedroom closet door and plopping noisily onto the folded towels spread across the floor.   Suki found this quite fascinating for a time as she tried to catch the drops of water before they hit the towels.  Eventually, of course, her thoughts turned back to lunch.
Now, of course, all that happened on Wednesday is forgotten by Suki and she is sleeping soundly as she takes her morning nap. What she doesn't know is that the plumbers will be back this week in order to repair the hole they made in the wall behind the kitchen when they were cleaning the drains last month.  Since they plan to install a small, metal door where the hole is, I am certain that they will be bringing their electric drill with them.  So, the monster will return... poor Suki... more trauma ahead.
As for me, I continue to deal with all my usual pains and

difficulties in my usual way.  There have been more visits and phone calls these past few days, however, as today is my birthday. Truly, I never thought I would get this old, but here I am. Thanks to all of you who have contacted me one way or another: cards, phone calls, emails and Facebook.  I feel very well remembered.

I share my birthday with my great-nephew, Daniel.  As usual, I sent him a card that I had made.  Since he, like all my family, lives in the USA, I always worry that the birthday cards I send won't arrive in time.  Thankfully, in this case, he received my card a few days before the 14th.

________________________________________________

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’” as the prophet Isaiah said. Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.” This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.     John 1:19-28

"Among you stands ... the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal."
The entire introductory section of St. John's Gospel is full of so many amazing things.  In this passage, for example, we are told that the God of all, in order to show us He is Love, Itself, came and walked among us.  Not only that, but we are told that He wore the footwear of poor people -- rough sandals -- and got his feet dirty -- like all the other poor folks -- as he walked along the dusty roads of ancient Palestine.
I have heard these words so many times, however, that I have to stop and say something to myself along the lines of "what if this is really true?"  When I ask that question then I am shocked once again at the possibility that there is a Creator who loves us so much that He lived among us and, like us, got His feet dirty.  Not only that, in order to show us how much we are loved, he suffered to be born as a baby with feet that could not walk at first. He lived a life of hard work and suffered from cold feet and feet that ached at the end of a long day. Eventually, He was condemned, falsely, as a criminal and had nails driven through those same feet just like all the poor criminals of His time and place.  Is this not amazing?
May we rejoice on this "Gaudete (rejoicing) Sunday" as we contemplate the coming of the Christ Child with his tiny, precious feet that speak to us so loudly about the God who is Love.
Amen.

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I May Have a "Deformed" Left Hand, but...

left handEarlier this week, I read an article that both angered and saddened me.  The title grabbed my attention, because it specifically mentions “a ‘deformed’ left hand.”  I almost could not finish reading it.  An Australian woman chose to have an abortion because her unborn child would have a physical “problem” and might face discrimination in the future.  The following paragraph is from that LifeNews article.

Instead of condemning the abortion, much of the reporting at the newspaper laments that the couple couldn’t have killed their unborn baby sooner — as if destroying the “disabled” baby’s life earlier in pregnancy somehow morally atones for aborting an unborn child over a minor physical issue.

This appears to be a growing trend, or perhaps I am just more aware of it.  Or perhaps women feel more comfortable acknowledging choosing abortion due to an “imperfect” child.  This is tragic in more ways than I can express.  And because of my own “deformed” hand, I see the huge injustice committed here.

My disability, Dejerine-Sottas, is progressive.  I walk more poorly now than I did as a child, or even compared to two years ago.  One thing has been fairly constant:  my very weak left hand.  It prevented me from playing a musical instrument, despite scoring well in a musical aptitude test.  I did take voice lessons, and I still enjoy singing, but I always wanted to play the cello or piano.

I can only use my left index finger when I (try to) play piano or even as I am typing this post.  I am unable to grasp or carry many things, and tying ribbons on my cards takes quite a bit of extra effort.  Did kids make fun of me years ago?  Yes.  Do some kids still look at my hand with a funny and curious gaze? Yes.  Has my hand (and legs and balance…) impacted my life’s journey.  You betcha.  But as Psalm 139:14 says,

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

God does not make mistakes!  We live in a fallen world, so we will see and experience illness and pain, and possibly disability, but these experiences are not the sum of our existence.  Nor do they define our purpose or value as individual persons.

Oh how I wish I could have spoken with this woman in Australia!  How I wish I could have opened her eyes to the possibilities of JOY this child would have experienced!  How I wish I could say to her “Your child will bring you joy too.”

I most likely will never meet her, but I can pray for her.  I suspect someday she will regret her decision, but I do not want her to live in regret forever.  JOY is still an option!

Will you do me a favor?  Join me in prayer for this woman and her family, as well as other families who have chosen to abort “imperfect” children.  Please pray that they find the One Perfect God, Who created them and loves them (and all of us) despite our imperfections.

This contribution is available at http://gabrielsmom.com/2014/12/i-may-have-a-deformed-left-hand-but/
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"Alas, Alas for the Great City!" An Urgent Plea for Prayer at the New Year! [at Archdiocese of Washington Blog]

Screen Shot 2014-10-20 at 8.14.38 AMWe are very close to the new year, 2015 AD. And most of us at the new year have it in mind to pray for the future year not only for ourselves, but also for our family, country, and culture. With that in mind, there is something of an admonition to us all that I would share from Scripture. For while we look to the new year with hope, we do well to soberly assess the warnings of God that are seemingly more applicable than ever. Above all we must pray so as to avoid the otherwise necessary chastisements of God and the inevitability of ruin at our own hand if we do not soon repent.

We have good reason to have concern for what we have come to call Western culture.  Our last century was nothing less than a blood bath of world wars, cold wars, killing fields, mass starvations, abortion, and euthanasia. It is conservatively estimated that 100 million were put to death for ideological purposes (e.g., in Hitler’s camps, Stalin’s mass starvations, Pol Pot’s killing fields, Mao’s camps, Rwanda’s genocide, the Balkan genocides). Add to this the war dead and the victims of abortion and the number easily reaches 200 million.

In the middle of that period in the West, we threw in many social revolutions: the sexual revolution, the revolution against authority, the widespread use of hallucinogenic drugs, radical feminism, abortion on demand, contraception, and no-fault divorce. The solitary boast of the tainted 1960s was the civil rights movement, largely granted to it by the 1950s.

It is no surprise then that Americans, still reeling from these selfish and egotistical revolutions, find that most baby boomers are now in various combinations of drug rehab, AA, SA, Overeaters Anonymous, or even jail. Add to this situation vast amounts of psychotherapy, psychotropic drugs, and a self-esteem-driven culture with endless distractions to keep the revolutionaries and their children sane. Then throw in large amounts of antibiotics to treat the sexually transmitted diseases … would someone please call in the exorcist?

We have sown the wind and we are reaping the whirlwind. Enter now the desperate confusion of the “rainbow,” a once beautiful sign of hope that now only bespeaks sexual confusion of a colossal degree. And let no heterosexual gloat until he ponders rampant fornication, easy divorce, abortion, and the disgraceful lack of self-control that has helped usher in the sex-is-just-about-pleasure-and-means-whatever-I-say-it-means culture. Confusion, from top to bottom!

So here we are in 2015. And if we have any sense and any faith at all, we need to fall on our knees and pray for miraculous conversion. I love this country and Western culture. I do not think anything finer has ever graced this globe. But we have become collectively corrupted. Our freedom has become licentiousness; our sense of human dignity has been debased; our comforts have made us lazy and inimical to the Cross and to discipline.

And thus we do well to heed God’s warnings of old to other cultures that had become similarly corrupted.

A little over a week ago, as we wrapped up Advent, Isaiah uttered a warning to a pompous and self-secure empire (Babylon) that its might and power, its wealth and poise, were soon to come to an end. Of special mention was the scorn that God had for Babylon’s arrogant presumption that she would never fall or suffer loss and that her power would be forever. And yet too often this same arrogance besets us today. Listen to what God says to ancient Babylon at the zenith of her power:

Come down, sit in the dust, O virgin daughter Babylon; Sit on the ground, dethroned, O daughter of the Chaldeans. No longer shall you be called dainty and delicate. I will take vengeance, I will yield to no entreaty … Go into darkness and sit in silence, No longer shall you be called sovereign mistress of kingdoms …

Now hear this, voluptuous one, enthroned securely, Saying to yourself, “I, and no one else! I shall never be a widow, or suffer the loss of my children”—Both these things shall come to you suddenly, in a single day: Complete bereavement and widowhood shall come upon you For your many sorceries and the great number of your spells; Because you felt secure in your wickedness, and said, “No one sees me.”

Your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray, And you said to yourself, “I, and no one else!” But upon you shall come evil you will not know how to predict; Disaster shall befall you which you cannot allay. Suddenly there shall come upon you ruin which you will not expect (Isaiah 47: 1-15 selected).

Be soberly attentive, dear reader, and pray. For it is hard to read words like these and not see how they apply precisely to an age like ours! And before you exultantly say, “Bring it on!” please consider how instantly different our lives would be. Are you really ready for a world with no electricity, no Internet, and no central government with a Bill of Rights? Are you ready to live without roads, running water, and trash collection? Repentance is a far better solution. So pray for a miracle!

What was (is) Babylon? At one level, it is an historical nation-state at the time of the ancient Jews. There were others: Egypt, Assyria, Medo-Persia, and later Greece and Rome. But all these powers, though real historical places, also symbolized the world and all its glories arrayed against God and His kingdom.

Egypt with its power, its fleshpots, and its leeks and onions was something the ancient Jews were always pining after. Abram ran there during a drought instead of trusting God to sustain him in the Holy Land. When Moses led the people out, they were always looking back, forgetting the slavery and remembering the fleshpots. They loved the world and trusted it more than God.

In their fear against invaders, the Jews were ever succumbing to the temptation to make alliances with Assyria and Egypt (i.e., with the world and its power). “Trusting God is too risky. Let’s trust in Egypt or Assyria. Let’s trust in the world to come through for us.”

In Babylonian exile, the Jews left, singing that they would never forget Jerusalem. But after 8o years in Babylon (a symbol of the world and its empires) most had no interest in returning to the Promised Land (a symbol of Heaven) when they were allowed to do so. They preferred Babylon and its hanging gardens to God’s kingdom. Only a small number returned. “Why should I go back to Israel? I have a pretty nice little jewelry shop I run here in Babylon on the corner of Tigris and Euphrates Avenues …”

And thus places like Babylon, Egypt, Sodom, Assyria, and later Greece and Rome, were not just city-states; they were symbols of the world arrayed against God and vying for that place in our heart that belongs to Him. The prophets often accused Jerusalem herself of having become Sodom, Egypt, and Babylon.

But no kingdom of this world can or will stand. In the age of the Church, and even prior to that in the Old Testament period of the Church, kingdoms came and went. Nations rose and fell. Empires emerged and collapsed. Where is Nimrod now? Where is Pharaoh Necho? Where are Cyrus the Persian, Alexander the Great, Caesar Nero, Napoleon, Stalin, and Chairman Mao?

But what of us? All those ancient kingdoms fell not merely because their time was up, but because of sin and the collapse that pride and sin bring. And as for us, how can a nation or culture stand that is increasingly permeated by pride, godlessness, corruption, fornication, abortion, sexual confusion, families in crisis, lack of sexual self-control, gluttony, drug use, alcoholism, rampant pornography, and ridicule of authority, tradition, and faith?

Consider a similar passage from the Book of Revelation (Chapter 18) warning the faithful about “Babylon.” (By 90 AD Babylon was actually long gone. Thus “Babylon” here is a symbol for the world and its tendency to fall into corruption.) John was saying that the “Great City” (Jerusalem – the great city which is allegorically called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified – Rev 11:8) had become Babylon. And he develops this theme in Revelation 18. Sadly, by 70 AD, having been given 40 years to repent, Jerusalem was sacked, burned, and utterly destroyed just as this prophecy had warned.

Have America and the West become like Babylon? Does the chilling judgment that came on Jerusalem and many other ancient cultures now apply to us? It would seem so unless repentance comes quickly. Hear and heed the warning given to ancient Jerusalem (which had become like Babylon) on this eve of the new year. Babylon is

I. Dominated by Demons - The text says,  After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority; and the earth was made bright with his splendor. And he called out with a mighty voice, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!  It has become a dwelling place of demons,  a haunt of every foul spirit,  a haunt of every foul and hateful bird; for all nations have drunk the wine of her impure passion,  and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her,  and the merchants of the earth have grown rich with the wealth of her wantonness.” Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,  “Come out of her, my people,  lest you take part in her sins,  lest you share in her plagues; for her sins are heaped high as heaven,  and God has remembered her iniquities. Render to her as she herself has rendered,  and repay her double for her deeds;  mix a double draught for her in the cup she mixed (Rev 18:1-6).

And as ancient Jerusalem was said to have the abomination of desolation (Mat 24:15), so too has our age embraced and even celebrated many abominations: abortion, fornication, homosexual acts, and the greed that becomes injustice to the poor. Scripture speaks of four sins that cry out to Heaven for vengeance: murder (Gn 4:10), homosexual acts (acts of sodomy)  (Gn 18:20-21), oppression of the poor (Ex 2:23), and defrauding workers of their just wages (Jas 5:4). There are also sins against the Holy Spirit, sins that harden a soul by rejecting the Holy Spirit. Six sins are in this category: despair, presumption, envy, obstinacy in sin, final impenitence, and deliberate resistance to the known truth.

Welcome to America after the social revolution. Pre-revolution America (prior to 1968) was no paradise, but there was more of a sense of basic right and wrong. Now everything is up for debate, and what used to slink around in back alleys now parades down Main Street in broad daylight.

To all this demonic influence, celebration of depravity, and excessive passion comes the plea, “Come out of here, my people!” Otherwise we will share in Babylon’s punishment. Make no compromises with this modern age, which has become the dwelling place of demons. Celebrating its secularism, our age, in rejecting God, has delivered itself to the machination of demons and all sort of human foolishness.

Stay sober, my friends, and see this age for what it is becoming: the dwelling place of demons, the haunt of every foul spirit, impure passion, and wanton desire. Have custody of your eyes and guard your heart!

II. Defiant in Depravity –   As she glorified herself and played the wanton,  so give her a like measure of torment and mourning.  Since in her heart she says, ‘A queen I sit,  I am no widow, mourning I shall never see’  (Rev 18:7).  

Yes, no matter how high the body count rises from abortion, from the broken lives of children raised without fathers, from exposure to pornography, from the celebration of greed and whatever is base or decadent—the modern West is too drunk to notice the harm she inflicts on herself. 70 million abortions, more than half of children raised in fatherless homes and in chaos … never mind all that! We are liberated. We will do as we please. We will not be told what to do!

And thus defiance and even the celebration of what is wicked and cries to heaven for vengeance continues apace. Despite all sorts statistics that say we are in real trouble, most go on calling “good” or “no big deal” what God calls sin. But God will not be mocked and ultimately we cannot avoid the consequences of our increasing depravity. At some point, God will have to end it if we do not repent.

Sadly, our defiance makes it seem unlikely that we will repent.

III. Destined for Destruction - So shall her plagues come in a single day,  pestilence and mourning and famine,  and she shall be burned with fire;  for mighty is the Lord God who judges her … Alas, alas, for the great city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth!  In one hour she has been laid waste. Rejoice over her, O heaven, O saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!” Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So shall Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and shall be found no more; and the sound of harpers and minstrels, of flute players and trumpeters, shall be heard in thee no more; and a craftsman of any craft shall be found in thee no more; and the sound of the millstone shall be heard in thee no more; and the light of a lamp shall shine in thee no more;  and the voice of bridegroom and bride  shall be heard in thee no more;  for thy merchants were the great men of the earth,  and all nations were deceived by thy sorcery. And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints,  and of all who have been slain on earth” (Rev 18:8, 19-24).

Jerusalem, the great city, the holy city, was utterly destroyed. 1.2 million Jewish people lost their lives in the conflagration. Jerusalem was burned, and when the Romans were finished, not one stone was left on another. Jesus had warned of this day in the Mt. Olivet discourses  (Mark 13, Matthew 24, Luke 21) and had wept over Jerusalem: O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! Behold, your house is forsaken and desolate (Matt 23:37-38).

And what of us? Will we repent? Or will we be defiant and destined for destruction? Pray for America. Pray for the West. Pray for our culture, which still has great goodness but has succumbed to much corruption.

IV. Depressing in Desolation – And the kings of the earth, who committed fornication and were wanton with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning; they will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, “Alas! alas! thou great city, thou mighty city, Babylon!  In one hour has thy judgment come.” And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo any more, cargo of gold, silver, jewels and pearls, fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet, all kinds of scented wood, all articles of ivory, all articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls. “The fruit for which thy soul longed has gone from thee, and all thy dainties and thy splendor are lost to thee, never to be found again!” The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud, “Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, bedecked with gold, with jewels, and with pearls! In one hour all this wealth has been laid waste.” And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, “What city was like the great city?” And they threw dust on their heads, as they wept and mourned, crying out,  “Alas, alas, for the great city” (Rev 18:9-19).

Here’s the bottom line: Satan sails a sinking ship. Nothing of this world can stand except on the firm foundation of Christ and His Church. Too many Christians are in a compromised state with a sinful world. Scripture says, For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city which is to come. Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God (Heb 13:15-16).

In this new year, pray for our Western world as never before. We have brought great gifts to the world through our marriage with Christ. But now, acting like an angry divorcée, we have forsaken Him and turned to great wickedness. But God still seeks us and wants to renew His covenant with us.

Pray. And before you exultantly say, “Bring on the destruction!” please consider that this is no “made-for-TV movie.” Think about how instantly different our lives would be! Please consider the bloodshed and loss of life. Again, would you be ready for a world with no electricity, no Internet, and no central government with a Bill of Rights? Are you ready to live without roads, running water, and trash collection? Repentance is a far better solution. So pray for a miracle! It doesn’t have to end in destruction. Jerusalem could have repented, and we still can.

The Church will survive. God’s will shall prevail. But what of our beloved country and the West? That is up to us.

So pray at this dawn of the new year. Pray a lot. Only then will it be a “Happy New Year!”

For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world!

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Belated Christmas greetings. Also, music. [at crucesignatiblog]

As I write this, it is practically my favorite sort of December weather outside: fifteen degrees below zero (Celsius), fluffy snowflakes falling, frosty trees, and just a little breeze giving a “nip” to the air. This is one of those wonderful wintery days that brings classic Christmas card images to mind. The kids and I will probably go sledding this afternoon, but for now I have piano to practice.

Ah yes, I am a pianist. This is a detail I haven’t spoken much about on the blog. I started piano (under duress) when I was five years old, and I changed teachers a number of times. I am currently playing Grade 9 repertoire (Royal Conservatory). Music is one of the things that gives me a reason to get up in the morning. Even listening to it can leaving me feeling refreshed, in awe, or with a new outlook on life in general. The latest piece I am working on is Mozart’s 1782 . Exciting, really. To God be all the glory. :)

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
    praise him with the harp and lyre,
 praise him with timbrel and dancing,
    praise him with the strings and pipe,
 praise him with the clash of cymbals,
    praise him with resounding cymbals.

 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.     Psalm 150:3-6, NIV

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Mary: The One That Leads [at CatholicSoup]

Mary in her holiness and faithfulness places on us a tender, loving aid that comes to us only through the Father, and through this she leads us to Christ her son. The only thing that might be so hard for us male-breeds to understand is that Mary by her role, is someone we are suppose to turn to, and not only turn to but FOLLOW. That's right I said it, we should follow a woman. 

Follow her obedience and faithfulness to seek out a life that she did in holiness, yes. But as a man we should be willing to follow her, because it is by her loving care that she leads us to God and prepares us along the way before we are presented. It can be hard to give into an idea that says we should let the woman lead the way, with all respect. For so long our role as a man on the earth has been to lead the woman, be the man of the house, or work your ass off to provide food for your family and eat meat with meat drink. Following a woman can't possibly be the answer, because that means doing what she says. We're suppose to be tough, chop wood and grow beards right? Sure, but it can be easy to lose sight of the whole purpose of Mary in a bigger perspective. She was a Mother to Jesus, carried him for nine months knowing she could be killed if she had been caught bearing child outside of wedlock. Still, she gave birth to our Savior, raised him and accompanied him even at the time of his death. The message is that Mary as a Mother can raise us the same way she raised Jesus, she can protect us and care for us. All we are called to do, is follow her path of holiness and come to know her in a relationship of prayer and devotion. 

The thing is that God placed Mary as the Mother of Mercy and Queen of Peace. Her role in the Church is to lead us to Christ her son, as intercessor to pray for us, and prepare our hearts for the Mercy of Christ available to all.  The Joy is that in her completeness, she perfects us and cleanses us before we are presented to her son, our King. It doesn't matter what we have done or what we still do, Mary still offers us the love of God through herself and by it we return to Christ. Saint Jose Maria Escriva once said, "To Jesus we always go, and to Jesus we will always return, through Mary."

So, calling ALL MEN, to embrace the love that Christ gives us through Mary, to follow her deeply in prayer and devotion, pray to her, ask for her intercession; that she be present in both our lives, mine and yours. She is a Mother placed before us to love us tenderly, to care for us, protect, prepare and lead us to Christ in the same way she brought Christ to us; by her prayer. 

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Talking with Deacon Tom about Erin's Ring [at String of Pearls]

I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to talk about my new YA Catholic novel 

Erin's Ring

last week with Deacon Tom Fox over at Catholic Vitamins.  I was very nervous beforehand (and when we had to cancel our phone chat on the originally appointed afternoon--due to technical difficulties--and reschedule for the following day, I felt I'd been given a "stay of execution" or something!).  But Deacon Tom is so wonderful and he put me totally at ease.  I felt as if we were two friends chatting at the kitchen table over a cup of coffee!  (And it didn't hurt, I'm sure, that my awesome husband was upstairs praying a Rosary for me while I was having my interview.)

Here's a

link to the podcast

, if you're interested in listening.  If you're not familiar with Deacon Tom's show, this might be a good time to become a follower!  ;)

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Ready to be generous

Ready BadgeWe are asked throughout Advent to stay ready. For the next few weeks I invite you to reflect with me on the many forms of readiness.

Like many young people, I went through a phase when I thought saying “Rather than give a homeless person money, I buy them something to eat” made me sound very thoughtful and prudent. This was, of course, when I lived in a suburb and didn’t have any regular interactions with homeless people.

There’s nothing wrong with giving someone food, is there? But after years of living in an area where I see panhandlers all the time, I have attempted to develop a habit of giving them what they are actually asking for.

You’re cringing. What if they use that money for drugs or alcohol? What if they are liars, or secretly have stashes of money, or in some other way are not worthy of what I have to share?

moneyI’m going to let you in on a little secret: my giving has little to do with them, and everything to do with the kind of person that I want to be. I want to be someone who doesn’t feel the need to cling to one or two dollars when I know that budget-wise I don’t have to. I want to be someone who doesn’t judge the needs of others and simply takes them at their word. I want to be someone who gives with a fraction of the abundance God shares with us.

Even before I had gainful employment I had a practice of making modest donations to charity, because I knew that if I waited until I had “enough” I would never have enough. 

I don’t tell you this because I want to be admired. I am not a generous person by nature. Like most human beings my inclination is to horde, to be stingy. I am not a nice person. So I come up with a set of rules for myself to be the person I want to be rather than who I am.

*******

When I started hearing details of the torture report, this was, oddly, what I thought of. There will be those who are coldly logical about the whole thing, who will meet my disapproval with their rational calculus of benefits: what if torture saved 10 lives? What if it saved 10,000? What if the person being tortured had done x, y or z heinous acts?

Those are the wrong questions. The question I ask is “what kind of people do we want to be?” Are we a nation that is willing to engage brutality as long as the person being brutalized is part of “them”?

There’s not much that I can do about CIA practices or clandestine interrogation techniques, so I go back to focusing on my own inconsequential heart, trying to shape it, with God’s help, into a free giver of gifts.

What do you do to encourage generosity in your life?

This contribution is available at http://margaretfelice.com/2014/12/10/ready-to-be-generous/
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Dear [at Loved As If]

Beloved,

I didn’t realize, not until You showed me. It’s mind-boggling that You hold me so dear. I’ve focused so much on what I lost. But then I spent 10 days with people who were adult versions of the children I spent a good portion of my childhood avoiding.  You’ve given me a eyeful of what You preserved in me, what You saved me from, what You gave me.

You preserved my heart so that I know what cruelty is and hate it. You gave me distaste for the endless anger at a world that doesn’t do as I demand, doesn’t recognize my worth as I think it ought. You kept me innocent enough to be interested in everyone and everything around me. You held my desire to help in place until it became my default. And You made me hunger for healing. That’s where I invested my life because I knew being whole was a worthy goal. I knew I couldn’t do anything else well, no matter how smart and capable I am, unless first the gaping wounds were healed.

Thank You. And thank You for those who were welcoming and caring during those ten days. The contrast made the lesson that much clearer. And may I ask for one favour? Please convert the hearts of adults who believe that it is normal to be cruel, filled with anger, petty, and full of small, hatefulness. Please restore their innocence and joy and wonder. I know, they too are dear to You.

***************************************

Every Friday,100s of bloggers set a timer, write for 5 minutes, and then publish the results. We don’t edit or engulf ourselves in concerns about whether our writing is worthy to be seen. We expose our incomplete, unpolished thoughts and words to each other and our readers. Kate Motaung’s, at  Heading Home, provides the prompt on Thursday evening. We all link our posts there and tweet them with the hashtag #FMFParty. Join us.

This contribution is available at http://lovedasif.com/2014/12/05/five-minute-friday-dear/
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Book review: Catholicism and Contraception [at Father Souza's Blog]

Recently, I had the pleasure of reading Dr. Angela Franks’ Contraception and Catholicism: What the Church Teaches and Why. Dr. Franks succinctly lays out God’s vision for relations between husbands and wives as well as for sexuality in general. The goal of the conjugal embrace of husband and wife is love and life, babies and bonding, unity and procreation; Dr. Franks points out that this is a part of “God the Father’s plan of loving goodness.” Indeed, God’s plan for each person includes his or her greatest happiness in this life and the next—not an arbitrary list of things that say, “Don’t do this…” Rather than mere moralizing or listing of rules, Dr. Franks makes Church teaching relevant to us.

Regrettably, our society is afflicted by the hookup culture and contraceptive mentality. Dr. Franks writes: “Support for contraception is usually framed in positive terms, about what we can achieve and gain from birth control. But the question that should make us think even more is the negative one: what are we fleeing from? In other words, what are we all so afraid of?” Questions such as these, and others that Dr. Franks proposes, help us to become more intentional with regards to our actions.

Much confusion and misinformation exists on what people think the Church teaches with regards to sexuality and family planning. Dr. Franks clearly and succinctly presents the what and why of Church teaching, but more importantly she shows how couples and individuals can enjoy a happier, more fulfilled life. With regards to family planning, Dr. Franks has a chapter entitled: NFP: Not Your Grandmother’s Rhythm Method. In this chapter she highlights the sympto-thermal method and shows how it is scientifically based and highly reliable—not medieval and impractical. Towards the end of the book, practical actions are provided that couples and individuals can take to improve relationships.

Recognizing that people come from different places in their spiritual journey and that couples are at different places in their relationships, Dr. Franks presents her own family’s story as well as the stories of two other couples. This is significant because God has a plan for every individual and couple. Regardless of what your practice is now, God wants to meet you where you are and take you where you need to go. Contraception and Catholicism is a great aid for us as we walk along the path God lays before us.

Part of my vocation as a priest is to make people happy—not happy in the sense of being amused or entertained, but happy as in possessing the joy which only God gives. Dr. Franks writes that, “No technology can make us happy. The only way to be really happy is to be virtuous.” Chastity is a virtue which is necessary for every person, regardless of one’s state in life. Chastity keeps our desires aright and opens our hearts to love. I recommend Contraception and Catholicism because I believe that it will help us to have happier, more fulfilled lives. In particular, I strongly recommend this short book to parents and those who are at the beginning stages of forming a family. As Dr. Franks writes, “the Church’s teaching on contraception is a call to embrace a happiness that is infinitely greater than what we can piece together from the shreds of our own plans.”

Contraception and Catholicism can be ordered here or here.

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Fight Like a Child [at Small Paul]

I have been meditating on an unusual view of how to fight against my sinfulness and against those who would push their sinful habits upon me. Christ says to be child like. The humility of His birth, His death and His whole life demonstrate an aspect of childhood that we must imitate. The other aspects of preadolescences are obvious: complete trust in one’s parents and other learned adults, and inquisitive mind, a loving heart, the inability (or at least the unwillingness) to use another person for one’s own gain, and the frailness that by its nature makes a child humble.

To approach my own sinful habits with this frame of mind makes the fight easier. I have complete trust in God’s direction and I might ask questions to clarify that direction. I will also ask questions in order to see the worst case scenario and the best case scenario. The love in my “childlike heart” will push me to be selfless. The understanding that I have far less intelligence than God and far less understanding of anyone’s situation then God, keeps me dependent on His help in all my decisions and keeps me from judging others.

When someone tries to teach a child, the child asks a lot of questions. The child genuinely tries to understand what is being taught and why. When someone tells me that sex before marriage is okay because it will lead to a better marriage, I ask them how it does that. I ask them for statistics and resources to back it up. I do so with the tonal and voice inflections of an inquisitive child. I will then begin to ask questions that I already know the answer for in an effort to let them see for themselves the error in their way of thinking. This method can be applied to most secular arguments presented to me.

Have you ever marveled at a small child’s hug? Have you ever been envious of the way a small child plays? Small children do almost everything with a loving joy that oozes out of them. With God’s grace I can be like that. That is true evangelization. Others will want to be like that and will ask questions.

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Rejoice [at A Catholic Heart For Home]

Today is Gaudete Sunday. We've lit the pink candle and we get into a rejoicing mood. We rejoice!!!

Do we?????

Christmas is a little over a week away. Everywhere we go the crowds are ridiculous. That uncle we deleted from our gift list has decided that he will come to the family Christmas gathering after all so we should really get him a gift did I mention he has suddenly gone gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan. You spend an hour driving around a parking lot, 25 minutes navigating the crowds in store, 45 in a line at the check out and all you wanted was 3 items yet still forgot one of them.

Yesterday I found myself in my car praying about my attitude. I left home an hour later than I wanted to after getting a phone call about a Christmas get together that I was asked to plan that I didn't really want to plan but felt pressured to. I was now driving around and around a car park looking for a space to park, cars behind me we honking because we hadn't moved in a few minutes, I was thinking of everything I still had to get done that day plus I needed to make some headway with that party.

I felt myself getting frustrated, annoyed, overwhelmed and mean. I sat in a car that was neither moving nor parked, waiting for the ones in front to figure out what they we doing and my mind, heart and attitude just tanked. I was having unpleasant thoughts, a pity party and arguing with myself (I swear I am not crazy), definitely nowhere near rejoicing or finding joy in this beautiful season that we are in.

Thankfully God's graces abound. Just before I made another loop of the parking lot I caught myself. This is not the person I want to be, this is not how I want to find myself in these days leading up to Christmas. I took deep breath and just started pray asking God to change my attitude. To give me an attitude and spirit of joy, patience and love. To take away my anxiety and to give me peace in the situation.

It is very easy to let the petty annoyances build up and cause us to react. To let disappointments become bigger than they really are and lead us away from the peace and joy that we are trying to have this Advent.

This Gaudete Sunday let us find one thing to rejoice about. You got one present wrapped. Your favourite Advent song was sung at Mass. Someone complimented you on your clothes, hair, smile or the wonderful behaviour of your kids.

Rejoice!!!!

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Prayer of Thomas Merton

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always, though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

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Tears of joy [at walk the way]

“The dangers to which I am exposed and the tasks I undertake for God are springs of spiritual joy, so much so that these islands are the places in all the world for a man to lose his sight by excess of weeping; that they are tears of joy.”
St. Francis Xavier

 Today is the feast of St. Francis Xavier (Francisco Javier), one of the first Jesuits and a missionary to the Indies and the Far East. He died on this day in 1552, almost alone, on an island off the coast of China.

The right arm of St. Francis Xavier, the Gesù, Rome

He was an indefatigable missionary, baptizing tens or hundreds of thousands, so many that he once wrote a letter complaining about the failure of the European universities to send missionaries:

In these lands so many people come to faith in Jesus Christ that many times my arms fail me because of the painful work of baptizing them.

The arm that he used for baptisms is preserved in the Church of the Gesú in Rome.

For his years spent in mission, he is the patron of foreign missionaries.

But what struck me about San Francisco Javier this morning was the quote that heads the entry for his feast in Robert Ellsberg’s All Saints, which I quoted above.

There is a joy for me in mission, here in Honduras. Yes, there are days of loneliness, days when I’m frustrated by the lack of response by some people, days when I’m cursing out the drivers who nearly hit me on a mountain road, days when my stomach is “upset,” days when I worry about my car which is again being repaired because of the terrible roads.

There are days of sadness when I hear of deaths and killings in the parish, when I hear that a promising young man left, trying to reach the US, when I hear of the mental crisis a young leader recently experienced, when I see the poverty, especially the houses of tin or mud as I drive through the parish.

But despite – or maybe even because of – these experiences, I have found a deep peace and joy here.

It’s a joy that is a gift.

I find joy when I see 101 young people seeking to be baptized, as I saw last Sunday at the entry into the catechumenate in the Dulce Nombre parish. I was especially moved when the sponsors knelt before their godchildren to sign their feet with the cross.

I find joy when I listen to a young widow speak of how she would like to help the unmarried couples in her village.

I find joy when I witnessed more than 500 confirmations in the parish earlier this year.

I find joy when I can joke with people and provoke a smile – as I did yesterday in a bakery and as I often do with the workers in the house under construction.

I find joy when I see that the workers on the house, without my instructions, put my name in broken ceramic in the floor of the utility room.

I find joy when I work with the catechists who devote hours each week to share the faith with the young people of the parish.

I find joy when I can give someone a ride in the countryside. I find joy when they smile at my response to their question, “How much do I owe you?” I used to say “Nothing,” but now I say “Pray an Our Father for me!”

I find joy when I see the young man who had a mental breakdown at Mass as a sponsor for a catechumen and when I see in church the young man who tried to go to the US.

I find joy when a young catechumen asks me if I was in the Viet Nam War, surprised at his interest in history. I find even more joy when I can tell him that I was among those who protested that war.

I find joy when I can be present to the joys and sorrows of the people here.

I find joy here and at times I find myself close to tears – seeing the workings of God among the people.

For all this, I give thanks for the grace to have been called here, to Honduras, to the parish of Dulce Nombre de María.

Gracias a Dios.

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The Woman's Body in Prision [at The True Dignity of Women]

I’m sure many of my readers have never been to prison. I don’t know about you, but I don’t typically think that I have much in common with women behind bars. You might think, they’re criminals, what could I have in common with them? Or, they’ve had such hard lives and mine has been so easy, how can I be similar to them in any way?

I recently read an article discussing the plight of incarcerated women. It struck me how their lives illustrate the Theology of the Body and the feminine genius in their own way.

Most women behind bars are there for non-violent crimes. Many of them had dependents, children or other family members, that they had to support. As women, they took quite seriously their responsibility to nourish and support those who depended on them. If they felt they could not provide this support by legal means, they resorted to illegal ones. They sold drugs and their own bodies to do their job as mothers and caregivers.

Many of the women who are in prison for violent crimes are there for attacking or killing an abuser. A little appreciated part of the feminine genius is our unique calling to protect all those in need. As our bodies are built to protect the unborn child in our womb, we are called to protect the defenseless and the voiceless. So, these women took their calling to an illegal extreme in killing the one who hurt them, their children, or someone else they cared about.

Women behind bars were victims of rape or abuse at more than twice the national average. At some point in their lives, their dignity as human beings was undermined. This callous disrespect of their dignity can shatter even the best, most morally upright people.

The article I read specifically talked about women in solitary confinement. We are social beings, we all need community. This is especially true for women. Women in solitary confinement have bigger problems with it than men do. They are more likely to have a mental illness exacerbated by their time in solitary. They are more likely to have been victims of abuse before going into prison, leading to additional stress in solitary. They are also more likely to be abused by guards while they are in solitary. Solitary confinement takes mothers even further away from their children, straining the relationship. As any mother could understand, seeing your child on a TV screen rather than in person is heart-wrenching.

I do not write this solely to garner sympathy for women behind bars. I write this principally for illustration of the feminine genius, especially the universal call to maternity. All women,

inside prison or following the law,

on the poorest streets or in mansions,

in convents or in whorehouses,

married or single,

gay or straight,

Catholic or atheist,

fertile or not,

regardless of their state in life, their socio-economic status, race, creed, or sexuality, they (we) all have printed in their bodies the ability to create, protect, and nurture life. That is something we all have in common, even, or perhaps especially, our sisters in prison.

Sources:

US Dept. of Justice

The Sentencing Project

ACLU report “Worse than Second Class“

This contribution is available at http://truedignityofwomen.wordpress.com/2014/12/11/theology-of-the-body-thursday-8-the-womans-body-in-prision/
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Mary and Her Spirit [at Travels of a New Christian]

I rarely tackle exegesis in my posts. The reason is simple. I have not poured hours and hours into bible study; thus making the connecting of the dots an easier effort than it would be otherwise. It has not been my concentration as a Christian. I have come to Christianity through a different process and it is one that I will continue going forward with, as it leads me quickly past the sedation of faith and the sediments of religion. And so, here I go with an essay on Mary, mother of Christ.

Now, for those who might prefer a more spiritual post, as the past two have proven, I want to assure you that this post is critical to your understanding of the importance of the dominion of your spirit in your salvation and sanctification (your endeavors for heaven). I would not be going here otherwise, for this is highly unlike me. As a relatively new Catholic I am admittedly not indulgent in Marian adoration. Perhaps I am being intellectually resistant. Perhaps it is some dormant Protestant residue of my cultural environment. Or perhaps it is as I have always done since being born again; to simply not tackle a subject until God shows me both the reason why it is purposeful for me to know it, and the way to that knowledge. In other words, I wait upon Him to show me my path.

I’m doing this essay because Mary represents an important asset to my current discourse on the spirit within each one of us that I have begun to delineate in my last two posts: The Spirit Within and The Spirit Immured. My argument will be a simple one; that Mary was not guided by her free will – that she made no choice – but was rather submissive to her own spirit-within, and thus to God’s will.

And so as I began to write this post it occurs to me that Jesus, as shepherd of mankind, hopes to guide us to a spiritual will – the spiritual condition of a man without sin – and lead us away from our own intellectual will; that will guided by man’s law, or that effort we make to find love despite of and therefore through sin. Think of the young, rich man in the Gospels who believed he had led an exemplary life of virtue, and thus found cause for his eternal life. I’m sure he was much confused as he sadly walked away from Jesus realizing that apparently it is not intellectual and economic wealth, nor even intellectual obedience to God’s laws, that brings eternal life as he had hoped. For all that he had achieved, and so thought that such things are of value in Jesus’ mind, he had in fact missed the point entirely. Jesus remarks afterwards:

“What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

Jesus, I believe, is making the point that no intellectual, physical, economic, political, and whatever human power it might be, can achieve what the spirit can achieve. Jesus speaks not so much of God’s power as to the power of one’s spirit in perfect communion with God, as spirit. As the spirit-within only knows love, Jesus shows us, through His teachings and example, how to love both God and man at the same time. This is an extraordinary and practically impossible call to man’s capacity to put aside his will for the will of his creator. And since few will do such, most lives are a maze, full of the choices and emotions of an existence that lacks the one crucial thing it needs most; God’s hand in ours at all times.

Not wanting a metaphor to confuse; the “hand” I refer to is in fact God’s spirit, and our implied “hand” is our spirit-within. As both are spirit, and our spirit is created by God, so they are linked immutably and eternally; enjoying the perfection that no intellect or body could ever savor. In such a condition, humility is without a beginning or an end. Humility is not a sea to be plied by the gravity of the moon, nor a meadow of flowers to find their birth by the nurture of dirt, water, air, and sun. Humility, when spent through willingness – God’s will – is without tide, and needs not the nurture of creation. Humility, when spent through willingness, is but the confident expectation of nothing other than God’s love. And humility is one of the greatest signs that one’s spirit is in healthy operation and free to commune.

To this point, our most revealing and profound reading on Mary is in Luke, chapter 1, verses 26 through 38, where Mary encounters the angel Gabriel. To be honest, I do not know in its richest sense, all of the traditional reasons for Catholicism’s adoration of Mary, but I do hope it has a lot to do with her response, in verse 38, to the angel Gabriel’s proclamation:

“Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.’”

I hope to encourage those Christians who immediately begin twitching like a pavlovian dog against the irritation of a perceived heretical concept – the hypersensitivity to any perception that Mary is more than just Mary – that you instead keep an open mind as I move forward, and that your focus is on two things:

One, that Mary is the mother of God. If you unhitch from the much discussed “virgin” aspect of Mary’s history for the moment, and hitch yourself to why God favored Mary for such a task, what will proceed might be more illuminating. God assigned Mary for the most important, covenantal step in man’s redemption by one purely man (woman). God’s knock on the door of Mary’s parents had a lot more to do with what it meant to be of David’s lineage than simply blood.

And two, drink deep of Luke 1:38, and consider its reach past the obvious and temporal, and into the veiled and eternal. A fast read and I certainly cannot condemn any Christian who views Mary as little more than pliant putty under God’s dominion. But to pause and reflect on the conditions that must be present for the exchange to occur, as it did between God, angel, and human, reveals a nature of Mary that is unique in the world. This is why I am talking about Mary. I believe she possessed the one element that can lead one to heaven; a prevailing spirit.

The Annunciation – Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

First, let’s consider the location: Nazareth. In the days of Mary, Nazareth was a frontier, gentile town, north of Samaria; in Galilee. The tribe of Judah, from whence came David, Mary’s ancestor, was bequeathed the lands south of Jerusalem; from the Mediterranean Sea to the Dead Sea. They are far apart from one another, and it is interesting that of all the possible women whose blood flowed with the ancestry of David, that the mother of Jesus, the Christ, was not more properly located as a Jew of Judah living within the boundaries of her tribal ancestors; in what was then Judea. Instead, we find her in lands long since tilled of its strong Jewish dominion, and now ethnically diverse; a sampling of the world you might say.

Yes, I understand that Joseph, through a warning in a dream, thought it best to not settle in Judea, as Herod’s son, Archelaus, had become Ethnarch of Judea, Samaria, and Edom. This could be dangerous coming back to Judea. It is interesting to me that another son of Herod’s, Antipas, was made Tetrarch of Galilee, and so would it not follow that they would be in just as much danger in Nazareth? Archelaus was tossed from power just two years after his father’s death, while Antipas ruled Galilee until after the death of Jesus. In all, Archelaus managed to cause more mayhem with the Pharisees than with Jesus and His family. It was Antipas who is known in the New Testament as the Tetrarch of Galilee that put John the Baptist on the chopping block, and who Pontius Pilate attempted to pawn Jesus off onto; no success there.

Perhaps the prophecy of Jesus being a Nazarene would help this scenario to form according to Matthew, but there appears to be no such Old Testament prophecy as is mentioned in Matthew 2:23. So we are left with but a small, not-worth-anything village that apparently has earned the crude remarks from sources as diverse as anonymous Jews, some Pharisees, and Nathanael.

My point here being that God rarely seeks a socially, centric person through which to work out His redemption with mankind. We see this frequently in the Old Testament, where the oddity of the selection of the younger child over the older one is played out in stories such as Jacob and Esau, or with Joseph or David. It might also be said that Noah and Abraham were insignificant men of their times. In Mary’s case, it’s not so much that she is insignificant (she was) or downtrodden (a cause célèbre), but rather that her spirit is unique in its commission, and remember, it is God who had placed that spirit within her. I sense that all of the protagonists in the Testaments exhibited a strength of spirit, to one degree of another, that was responsible for the events that ensued in their lives. Socially centric people rarely have consequential spirits as they are often too concerned either by their own desire or through the desire of others of more worldly things. Mary was outside of the mainstream, unheralded, and part of the inconsequential world that was soon to find the grace of God; she was God’s people. That is all good and accountable to what took place in Mary’s life. However, it is my belief that it was Mary’s prevailing spirit that God knew was the necessary part in the success of Christ’s mission here on earth. Her spirit was in full and absolute bloom at that moment of Gabriel’s visit, and in truth, timing had nothing to do with it.

What is impossible with intellectual will is possible with spiritual will. Hence Mary.

As we get into this brief scripture, and depending upon the bible version you are reading, Mary is saluted by Gabriel as being highly favored or full of grace. Either way, Gabriel’s comments speak of the privileged condition of Mary that God holds her in. The Lord is with her and she is blessed amongst women. Few individuals in biblical history can credit themselves with God’s grace in such an obvious manner. To be in such an exalted condition would require a spiritual quality that must be in close alignment with God. In fact, I can think of no one other than the Christ who was so clearly and undeniably in God’s ample grace. How so?

As there is no free will in heaven, one might conclude that the closer one is to God and kingdom, the closer they are to the natural practice of God’s will. You might say that God’s will supplants one’s own will, and in Mary’s situation, I would venture to say that she has led a life where her intellectual will routinely submitted to her spiritual will. What the secularist or intellectual or crass might view as a “simple-minded” Mary, she was indeed just that; simple-minded. Blessed be such a person who finds God’s will more attractive than their own; His will can be a lot easier to deal with and the results are guaranteed.

And Mary’s reaction to Gabriel’s sudden appearance is naturally in line with God’s order of things. She wants to know of what nature is this visit to be. What one might believe to be a frightened Mary – a troubled Mary – I believe is rather a watchful Mary. Yes, the power of God before her in the physicality of an angel would be a most disturbing moment in one’s sedate existence. It is right that her intellect and body would be quite alert and intimidated before such spiritual power. However, the more dominant side of Mary – her spirit – knows what is coming, and thus we see the inquisitive and the anticipating.

As a side note, Jesus confirms this as of proper order when He counsels His closest disciples in Mark 13:32-36.

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back – whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”

Mary’s spirit had been waiting all along, and being in tune with God as spirit, Mary’s spirit leans her into what is coming.

A look at Gabriel’s words reveals that he is not really talking about the coming Christ as the answer to the socio-political ailments of the Jewish people. He is not coming to free the Jews from their bonds through religious zeal, intellectual prowess, or physical force. He is not to lead them into an empire of chariot and gold. Rather, Jesus is to be king of a kingdom without end. As the spirit realm is the only eternal realm, so too is this kingdom. What Gabriel is talking about is a spiritual kingdom, not a physical one. And this is confirmed when she learns that her pregnancy will not be due to a man’s seed, but rather by the presence of the Holy Spirit within her.

Mary’s final words to Gabriel are a demonstration of her spirit and not her free will.

“Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.’”

I have seen commentary on Mary that says she demonstrated a “tremendous feat of faith”, in accepting her fate. I will suggest the commentator has a limited sense of who Mary really was and the quality of her spirit, as well as, short-changed God’s power. We must realize that the human language is both crude and ill-suited to discuss and illuminate the true work of God in His creation. We continually refer to God choosing someone or something through which to perform His work, and in this case, the commentator believes that Mary took the time to decide A or B, and then mustered the strength to proclaim it. I propose that this is erroneous thinking. God makes no propositions, no choices, no selections, no decisions, no market samplings, and no judgments. He comes to no revelations and makes no conclusions. God is God. All that is – regardless of its time stamp by man’s perceptions – is as one by God. Man insists upon viewing God through man’s own limitations and we see it in the formation and use of man’s language. We write as if God is man and confined by time and condition, and yet we must. It is the best we can do when ruled by our intellect and but part way on our journey to God’s kingdom. If one looks not at this event, between Mary and Gabriel, as an occasion of free will, but rather as the simple, automatic, and perfectly natural willingness of Mary to God’s will, then I believe we have a human result that is nothing more than God’s plan. I guarantee you, there was never going to be a plan B.

Now coming around briefly to the virginity of Mary – as it is crucial here – there is more to say about it than simply that Mary needed an untainted womb through which to give birth to a divine human. Too much is given over to the sexual aspects of this condition, when in truth what is most important for us to take away from the word virgin is its receptivity – its space – for the divine to enter through the emptiness of the virginal womb. Here is where I can amply credit, The Reed of God; an insightful and inspiring book on Mary, written by Caryll Houselander.

In the course of one separating oneself from God and seeking their own way in life, there is a natural accumulation of experiences; as with any course of action. The same accumulation would be for one who carefully follows God’s path their entire lives. The difference is that with the latter individual, there is a constant emptying of oneself of those aspects of experience that would turn them from God and His will, while with the former, there is no expunging of the harmful effects of experience. Rather, such things simply lie within the intellect and body as disordered and corrupting refuse; in turn producing denial, guilt, internal shame, and external pride; and of course, continual and generational sin. But to clean it all away is to ensure the health and liberty of the spirit to commune, without burden, with God.

The Catholic Church understands this, and it is through Confession that one has the opportunity to excise those effects of experience that would otherwise cause great harm to one’s spiritual relationship with God. Through Confession one is renewed and prepared to encounter experience as a humble and virtue-seeking being. They are prepared to be a receptive vessel for the Holy Spirit. Experience that would taint the individual is purged of its harm; leaving experience as a path away from fear and towards wisdom. Now, in defense of the many, good reformers of the Ecclesia who see no purpose in confession to a priest, I note that their confessions directly to God through prayer and witnessing has, in my estimation, a result that only God can judge.

Now in Mary’s time, there was no Catholic Church, nor confession. And so it becomes obvious to me that there was and is another way to such a blessed emptiness, and that is by one’s spirit. There are two types of people who speak of an emptiness in their lives; those who equate solitude, space, silence, and submission as mortal, and thus run from it in the hope that mortality will never catch them. Then, there are those who view such things as immortal, and thus seek them out; knowing that what they bring is the nurturing of God’s will within them. It is by the spirit that such a thing is done. No intellect or mind can perform this work. They were not made to do so, but the spirit was. There is a natural, constant rejuvenation of life when the spirit has dominion over your intellect and body. The spirit has that quality of virginal emptiness – a receptivity and a submission – through which experience is nurtured into virtue, and God’s will is then played out as the natural process and conclusion to all things.

And thus it is with Mary. She is God’s vessel by which He will pour out redemption for mankind through Jesus Christ; the nurtured will of God within that vessel. Mary possessed a spirit-within that was not to be challenged, nor conquered by her intellect and body.

I can offer an example of the presence of Mary’s spirit and its communion with God. It happens just before Jesus is about to begin His ministry. They are both attending a wedding in Cana, and the wine has been consumed while the merriment continues. After telling Jesus of the lack of wine available to the guests, and in light of His returned words that appear as some form of rebuke to her, Mary’s statement to the servant of the house is practically cryptic:

“Do whatever he tells you.”

Much commentary has been written by well-respected men and women that would contend that Jesus did indeed rebuke His mother for overstepping her boundaries. I have seen arguments going in both directions; respect and disrespect. But what is certain is that Jesus clearly states to His mother that His ministry has not begun as of yet. There are to be no miracles; especially one seemingly as trivial as providing wine to the wedding guests. And yet, that is just what Jesus then does. One may write all they want on this short passage, but taken at face value, and why not, it is easy to conclude that Mary and Jesus were actually on the same page. I might assume that there is some form of spiritual link between the two far greater than mother and son, and that link – and its power – is the type Jesus refers to in Luke 17, a passage I employed in my last post:

“He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.”

What I believe we are viewing between Mary and Jesus is the natural communion of spirits, and as His spirit is the Holy Spirit, I can safely predict that Mary’s spirit is privy and part of what is to take place at this wedding feast in the way of a supernatural act. And while I am here, I wish to point out two, separate passages that I find complementary to my assertion of the spirit-within.

The first is Matthew 12, verse 50:

“For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” NIV

In reading this verse in a variety of translations, the verb “does” or “do” appears consistently. The act of “doing” is not bound by choice. It is always somewhere in the stream of action, and does not rely upon its beginning as a justification for its existence of action. This is not how free will works, but it is how the spirit works. Jesus does not say, “Whoever chooses to do….” He assumes the process, He does not hope it to begin.

The second is Luke 11:28:

“But he said: ‘Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it.’” DRA

In reviewing many translations, there is a little more swing in the rendering of the primary verb. In the one I selected the verb is “keep”. I came across two other verbs: “observe” and “obey”. Once again, I am going to propose that these verbs are consistent with the verb “do”; they exist somewhere in the stream of action and do not rely upon their beginning as a justification for the existence of their action. Choice is not the instrument of choice for the spirit because the spirit is one with God’s spirit, and God works outside of choice. This is how I see Mary; one outside of choice – happily so – and close to her son, Jesus. The water becomes wine naturally by the supernatural. Mary tells the servants to do what Jesus would have them do because she is simply alerting them to the work that comes. Mary is experiencing the same thing that Jesus is experiencing; the divine communion through their spirits with God. She knows of the Cana miracle just as Jesus knows of the cross. But, none of this is through the intellect. One cannot attempt to view this through the lens of human will and choice.

In conclusion, I recognize that I have most likely trampled in the well-manicured garden of Marian exegesis. Law is a fastidious keeper of traditions. For those I might have assaulted, I can only ask that you give some consideration to my perceptions on the spirit that resides within you, and within Mary. What would that spirit of Mary be like that would bring our Lord to her doorstep?  In my mind, it could only be a spirit that God had set from the beginning to be the source of Himself incarnate in man.

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The Ache of Longing [at A Still Small Voice]

Peace of Christ brothers and sisters! I hope I find you all well. :)

I attended the SEEK2015 Conference this past week and truly had a beautiful and fruitful time.

It was filled with a whole bunch of laughter, meeting new friends, reuniting with old ones, getting lost,

over priced food

and a whole bunch of holy Wisdom and the love of the Most Holy Trinity.

However, I did not have an epiphany (ha) on this trip. I found myself at peace and constantly adoring Our Lord. I truly thank God for all of the people I was able to attend SEEK with and I thank Him for the new friends that I got to know in such a short amount of time.

Over the past few weeks I’ve neglected Jesus’ love for me but this past week I became vulnerable and was literally swimming in His love by the means of the most sacred Sacraments of Mass and Reconciliation, His Mother and the people whom are His.

My heart is heavy though and my soul is longing.

On the way home I realized that my being wasn’t satisfied,

not that I wasn’t satisfied with the week or the talks or the experience,

because I didn’t come with expectations. (I actually signed up not having strong desires to go, but the will of God spoke otherwise.) However, I realized that this dissatisfaction was within myself. I felt my heart longing, aching, literally.

I had no idea as to why or how this longing came about and I was greatly confused. I just had such a beautiful time at the conference, nothing went wrong (other than minor incidents), it was simply peaceful and humorous.

I kept on asking God “Why is my heart so heavy right now?” “What could I possibly desire more?” “What are you asking of me? There has to be something that you’re asking of me that you would give me these seemingly unattainable desires.” “Why I am not quenched?”

My girl, St. Faustina, stated that her desires are mad and unattainable and I was just having a real, deep bonding time with her because I was stating that to Jesus over and over and over again.

It is truly crazy how beautiful and “mad” the Lord is and the way He works.

You see, my beautiful best friend, Addie, has gone to be sanctified in the light of the Carmelite Convent so we aren’t able to see or talk to each other a lot, other than Come and See’s and letters for Christmas and Easter. Throughout our friendship, (which began in 8

th

grade) we grew together and we matured together spiritually. When I converted to the truth and beauty called the

Catholic Church

, we started recognizing that we both go through similar things (sufferings and struggles in most cases) at the same time. Jesus never failed. Either I would talk to Addie and she would exclaim how she was going through that too, or she would come to me and I would say that I was going through that, also.

As one would imagine, it has been extremely difficult but so extremely beautiful that Addie has been called to such a beautiful way of sanctity.

Without fail, the Lord continues to mold Addie and my own heart together, even through physical separation.

I’m convicted of this for multiple reasons.

Addie sent me a letter for Christmas and in this letter was a present for me on my birthday that I wasn’t allowed to open until January 6 - my birthday (which is today, that’s why I made the epiphany pun.)

As I awoke from my deep sleep, which was very much needed, I opened it and wept.

In this gift, was a poem titled “Sweet Soul That Wanted More.” Boom. Jesus.

If you don’t mind, I would like to share this gift to you so that you can make it your gift, also.

“How lovely is Your dwelling-place, O Lord,

In that Sacred Wine and Bread.

My soul always knew it longed for more

Than what it had instead.

And now, how I always long to adore

That sacred side that bled;

Those beautiful Hands, those Precious Feet,

Your Loving Heart, Your wounded Head.

And how I always long to receive You -

As You run to meet my soul

From golden chalice, golden plate.

How unworthy they are to hold You,

These golden, earthly things.

Still how unworthy is my soul

To behold my Great and Gentle King!

O Lord! I love Thee, how I love Thee

Even to gaze on You in the monstrance.

When my heart is worried worn. . .

I know Your love is always constant!

My God, You’ve captured me,

You’ve captivated my little soul.

In Your sweet, loving glance, You made me see

That only You can make me whole.

I became like the woman at the well

To whom You said “I thirst.”

I know that I too thirsted for You

And not those things I wanted first.

I became like the Magdalene,

Falling before You, to the floor,

You let me see nothing in those things I wanted then,

But it was You, always You,

That my soul wanted more.”

How insane… y’all even the littlest things in there are miracles in itself. Not to take away that the whole poem was singing of my soul, of my longing -

thirsting

.

Later on, before I opened my gift, I was searching for a picture of Mary, Mary Magdalene and John at the foot of the Cross for interior purposes to contemplate and of course, there it appears.

Now, after all of this and lunch with mom I desired to go pray in the local perpetual Adoration Chapel. However, I knew that I couldn’t hold back my tears when I would see Him so I decided that I wanted to pray in the Church instead. If you don’t already know this, our local Church is ALWAYS locked -

ALWAYS

. (Exception of Mass.)

I was walking up to the doors of the Church and I was repeating “Jesus, please open the door, open the door, open the door.” Just to open the doors to that beautiful sanctuary. I started laughing as I genuflected, because ultimately, Jesus is funny.

There, on the altar, before Jesus in the tabernacle I wept and sounded like a broken something or another that makes noises.

I wept because I was confused, I wept because I was unsure of what God was asking of me, I wept because I knew something more was coming and I was scared.

Before Jesus, I began writing my prayers (like I sometimes do), which I will provide at the end. They are extremely lengthy (I’m a yapper.)

While I concluded my date with Jesus and His Mother, I was walking out and I looked up, just to see a stained glass window of Mary, John and Mary Magdalene at the Feet of my Jesus (the image in which I was looking for later on that day.)

How Jesus wants to fulfill the desires of my heart, even the littlest ones, even the mad and seemingly unattainable ones.

I reveal a lot of what my being is crying in my prayer, but I would like to conclude that Jesus doesn’t place some of these desires in a heart to leave it lost, to leave it thirsty. He desires to quench, to satisfy. He is the ultimate satisfaction, He is the living Water.

In this time of this uncertain longing, I ask that you would pray for me, that I would respond with love, humility and courage so that when Jesus reveals what I’m longing for I may say ‘yes.’

God bless you and Mary protect you.

"And they all ate and were satisfied."

Matthew 15:37

Here, my friends, is my prayer during this ache of my longing. It's real.

My Beloved Jesus,

How I love You. 

I adore You.

How much my whole being aches for You.

This longing, O Lord, is for something more. 

I'm heart-broken, I'm hurting, I'm longing, I'm searching, I'm asking, I'm weeping, I'm suffering.

I desire You. I desire You. All of You. I desire heaven and I wish to love You for all eternity. 

This longing, O my sweet Jesus, is hurting me, it's confusing me. What do You seek? What do you desire of this lowly daughter that she is never satisfied?

All I want is You. All I want is You. All I want is You. 

Let not my heart stray, O Lord, let me always cling to You. Never let go of me. Keep me in captivation of Your glory, of Your mercy, of Your love. O Lord, I lack so much - so much and this I know. But what is this longing You have placed inside of me? I have come to think, O Lord, that You are preparing me for something greater, but first I must go throughout an abundance of suffering, through purgation, through pain in order to fully and fruitfully love Thee. And this longing, O Lord, that seems mad and unquenchable is Your way of strength for me. 

My persistence, O Lord is great, which You know, and I believe that the persistence inside of me is You. Be my perseverance in this time of longing, while I wait for whatever You reveal to me. 

Hold me, O Lord, in this time and make this longing, these mad desires, stronger until I come to do what You will of me in perfect humility, joy and love. 

My soul, O Lord, is dark. 

My body, weeping. 

My heart, fragile. 

My mind, loud. 

My Jesus, my God, my Desire. Look upon me with Your most tender and merciful gaze and radiate

Your truth within me, bring me out of my misery, I give You permission to continuously shed light on my soul, so that I may come to know myself interiorly, come to recognize all of my failings. All of the ways I do not love and cure me of myself. Shine so brightly so that I may truly see.  See who You are, purely. I want to see You in all truth, in all beauty.

As for my weeping body, O Lord, it is Yours. Do what You will of me. Give me the courage, the humility, to do and to love.

My heart, O Lord, I bind to Yours. Let the continuos beat of the life within me give all glory and praise to You at every moment.

My mind, O Lord, seems to be my constant vice. Quiet my mind and keep it fixed on You. Conquer my thoughts and captivate my mind on all things pure and heavenly. Fixate my wandering thoughts to Thee.

I love You. 

I am Yours.

Entire Abandonment

  Zoë     

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Faint Hue of Grace [at Faint Hue of Grace]

The Holy Family is stalking me.
No, but really.  They keep showing up in various places in my life.  And they're doing it as a group and individually... I guess I shouldn't be surprised.  It is, after all, kind of their month.  

At first, it was difficult to see how I could learn from them.  After all, 2/3 of their family was perfect, and the other 1/3 was top-of-the-charts holy.  How could I enter into their family, to allow myself to learn and grow?

The final straw occurred when I attended an Opus Dei Evening of Recollection with my sister this past Monday, and 2 of the talks were, again, on the Holy Family.  Fine, I thought.  If this practical priest thinks they're relevant, I will do my best to change my thinking.

So I'm beginning to pay attention.

I'm starting to see the beauty of Mary, a young woman, unsure of her future, but knowing that God's plan is bigger than her own.  And I realized I could learn from that.
I'm entrusting myself to Joseph, the protector, whose quiet guidance and gentle strength was Mary's support.  
And I realized I could learn from that.
I'm meditating on the helplessness of the tiny Son of God, who allowed Himself to be placed in the most difficult conditions for the good of others.  
And I realized I could learn from that.

This time of year, it's hard to think about anything except the busyness, the gifts, the events, and yes, even the disagreements.  We tell ourselves that "It's all about Jesus", but do we live like it's all about Him?

This Christmas, I'm challenging myself to make it about Him.  I'm learning from Mary, as a young woman preparing for my last semester of undergrad, unsure of what next August will bring, but trusting that God knows what I need better than I do.  I'm looking to Joseph as a protector, someone who I can reach out to at any moment, someone who wasn't perfect, who knew sin, but who was strong and quiet in his faith.  And I'm learning from my Savior, that just as He offered Himself to us in a stable, on that quiet night so many years ago, in order that He could serve us and help us, so too am I asked to offer myself in service to others, sacrificially and selflessly.  

 As the activities of the coming week become more stressful, may we all find peace in the Truth of the Nativity and comfort in the arms of the Holy Family.

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My Jesus, My King [at Journey to Wisdom]

Merry Christmas!

I have been trying all Advent to post something for Journey to Wisdom, but time is not on my side! So here it is Chirstmas Eve, all four candle are lit and if it is not done now, it didn't need to get done, right?  So I may as well write!

This has been a good Advent, though I would not have said so even a few days ago.

Because even though I thought I had all things under control as we lit the first candle; our Magnificat in hand with it's beautiful prayers and our children's nativity Advent calendar ready to go. (It usually comes out after we are past day 5 and we have to catch up with our readings!)  But then everything spun out of control!  The crazyness of the December activities had something to do with it, a new grandson living with us took up some time and energy, plus, as if those were not enough, a brief, but still burdensome, stint on Federal Jury Duty.  That was all it took!  We fell behind and our evenings got late so our prayer felt hasty--  when we had time to say them! When we did, I was always scolding (yelling at) the kids who never seemed to be listening, or much interested at all! So yeah, I was all like this:

Which always tells me that I am focusing on the exterior appearence of devotion rather than simply opening my heart up to God's intiative and allowing Him to pour out His  grace on us just as we are.  Instead, in my fear of not being good enough, or that I have to do something to catch His eye, I grasp and clutch at spiritual feelings, even though I know that when I grasp and clutch I lose more than I retain! As a result there is much anxiety that goes along with this type of spritual rapacity.

Unless the LORD build the house,
they labor in vain who build.
Unless the LORD guard the city,
in vain does the guard keep watch. (Psalm 127;1)

Of course this isnt to say that we need not keep Advent devotions;  they nurture our desire for the Lord, and we need to desire the Lord more, much more!  But even in our deficient, but growing desire we need to trust that He is pouring out what we need:

God gives to his beloved in sleep (Psalm 127;2)

Which is the gift He gave me this year, He calmed me down and let me know that my desire for Him is all He needs; I do not need to let anxiety overcome me, but yeild the deepeining desire He draws from me even as I sleep, or bumble thorugh my prayers.  

So as I tuck my children to bed this Christmas Eve; as I bless them and help nurture their desire for Him, and as I myself go to sleep, I will not allow my desire to be turned into fear and anxiety. Rather, I will know and believe, that Christ is being born in my soul, because He desires to be and He is deepening my desire for Him!  No matter what!

In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace. Luke 1: 78-79

Know today that the Lord will come!  In the morning you will see His glory!

Merry Christmas!

Heidi

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Midnight Clear [at La Joie Inattendue]

This is a re-print from my other (dormant) blog, Catholic Working Mama.  It's one of my favorite memories of the time leading up to my conversion.  Merry Christmas!

Until I was about 10, I had attended a Catholic parish with my family, attended CCD classes, even had experienced my first Communion and first Confession.  When my father started attending a different church, my family attended fewer Masses until we stopped going altogether.  It was a completely different type of service, as it had a very Evangelical (and I daresay a very anti-Catholic) tradition.  My 10-year-old brain at the time could not comprehend the difference in theology, and all I knew was that a charismatic service trumped a solemn one.  The teaching at my father’s church became my new religion.  

Fast forward to adulthood: about 3 years after we had married, my husband Greg converted to Catholicism, which to me was the worst denomination any true Bible-believer could be a part of.  I was stuck in a dark place, overcome with confusion, anger, and growing resentment towards my husband and his faith.  For at least a year we tried to awkwardly avoid confrontation, but I sought opportunities to fire all my misinformed theological gunfire in an attempt to catch Greg in a trap.  I mistakenly believed that if Greg had rejected aspects of my faith, which is a significant aspect of my identity, he was ultimately rejecting me.  Consequently I had little respect or patience for his newfound faith, and I found myself constantly on the defensive.

But with God all things are possible, even the softening of a Grinch-y heart like mine.  

Two years ago, as we had done in years past, we drove to my parents’ home to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas morning.  The route to snowy New Hampshire passed through quaint New England towns, antique homes adorned with Christmas wreaths, garlands, and white lights.  Greg was visibly uneasy.  He slowed down considerably as we passed through each town, eyeing each church.  I know what he was doing, but neither one of us said anything.  He was looking for a Christmas Eve vigil Mass that he could attend, and thus minimize an awkward interruption of our Christmas morning (and considering my dad’s harsh view of the Catholic Church, this was a sensitive move on Greg’s part).  Each church we passed had a Mass that either started much later than our trip allowed, or had already happened.  I was growing impatient to get to my parents’ home.  And yet, in some sort of Christmas miracle, I sympathized.  I realized that he was trying to discreetly find a Mass and celebrate one of the most important days of his faith without offending my (albeit rather ridiculous) belief system.  As he was having no luck finding a Mass on our way, he said he would go to a midnight Mass in my parents’ town after everyone had gone to bed.

Christmas Eve with my family was cozy and festive.  The fire roared in the fireplace.  My mother’s decorations and my father’s cooking created an inviting atmosphere and a pleasant yuletide aroma.  We ate until we were stuffed, watched some football, and started dozing off while watching a cheesy TV special.  Slowly we each retired to bed.  Greg and I were the last ones watching the TV.  I started to feel bad that Greg would have to wait by himself for another 2 hours until it was time for Mass, and I also started to worry that he would get lost either to or from the church.  I offered to stay awake and go with him.  

At 11:30 we bundled up and snuck out.  It was a cold and clear December night.  Millions of stars sparkled bright and their reflection glistened on the crusty frozen snow.  All was still on the way into town of Jaffrey.  An ice-covered swamp bordered by tall, snow covered pine trees dazzled under the moon’s light.  We didn’t see one car until we approached the church.  The light from inside the building poured out onto the street and revealed a long line of cars parked at the curb.  Families walked close together to stay warm, and greeted others with a strong handshake as they entered.

We were able to find a seat, but there were few remaining.  An usher wearing Carhartt pants, work boots, and a flannel shirt led us up to a pew.  I gulped; it was the second pew from the front.  As much as I had boldly argued the pitfalls of Catholicism with Greg at home, walking up that aisle made me feel meek and timid.  The family already sitting in the pew squished together to make room for us, and greeted us with warm smiles and a kindhearted “Merry Christmas”.  Although they did not know me or my bitterness, their welcoming faces seemed to demonstrate forgiveness.

Each progression of the Mass weakened my presumptions of Catholic Masses as dull and empty; it intrigued me.  Parishioners sung loud, the homily was profound and fiery, and the sign of peace was heartfelt and full of hugs.  Most touching, however, was the serving of Communion.  People of all shapes and sizes, all manners of dress, all ages, and all states of health made their way up front.  The line seemed unending.  Such a genuine display of faith!  I was amazed to see that the priest seemed to know most of people he served, as he gave a knowing smile to young and old.  Not at one point did I feel excluded or unwelcome because I was not Catholic.  On the contrary, the strangers around me shared their joy that I could celebrate the birth of our Lord with them.  

Finally, as we sang the final hymn and we all filed out, a strange and amazing mini-miracle occurred.  I held Greg’s hand so as not to get separated in the crowd, and for the first time in many months I felt connected to my husband.  The months after his conversion had made me feel inferior and confused, but this night I felt united with him.  We continued to hold hands as we walked our way to the car.  The cold air was abrupt yet refreshing, and the clarity of the stars reminded me of the simplicity of the night’s celebration:  on such a starry night the brilliance of the angels flooded the vast shepherd’s fields, and lit the manger where the Holy Family made their shelter.  No theological rants, no complicated relationships, just pure love and adoration.  The midnight clear drove out the darkness that had cloaked my soul for too long.  

The softening of my heart was irreversible at this point.  The moment was too romantic, the stars were too bright, the night was too clear to deny my newfound openness towards my husband’s faith.  

For the next couple weeks, I did my research.  I read books written by Catholic converts, looked up many informative sites on the internet, and found material that directly confronted my skepticism.  Three weeks after that Christmas Mass I sought out the chaplain at the school where I work, and he led me through my first Confession in about 20 years.  Later that morning I had my first Communion at our school’s daily Mass.  When I texted Greg about the monumental decision I had made, he sent me a message back saying he had been in Confession at the same time.  

And a few weeks after that we found out we were expecting.   (We wouldn’t find out I was having twins until several months later… that is, a few weeks after my Confirmation.)

There is a lot more to my conversion story than just that one Christmas night.  I know it was the result of many people praying, and most certainly by God’s mercy and grace.  Our Lord came to the world to bring peace, and that on that Christmas two years ago, He most certainly did: peace to a rocky marriage, peace to a wounded heart, and peace to a family united in Christ.

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The Christmas Conversion of St.Therese [at Principium et Finis]

        In the lives of the Saints we can find some amazing stories of Conversion: the Risen Lord literally knocking his persecutor Saul to ground and blinding him, in order to raise him up as St. Paul; the rich and spoiled son of an Italian cloth merchant who needed a year in a dungeon as a POW followed by a near fatal illness before he cast off self-indulgence to become St. Francis of Assissi; the vain and vainglorious Spanish nobleman who had his leg nearly shot off with a cannonball, and then went through months of excruciating recovery, before he could begin to see God in All Things as St. Ignatius of Loyola.  How startlingly different, and yet how strikingly the same is the conversion of the little French girl Thérèse Martin, now St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, as she tells it her autobiographical Story of A Soul: 

     I had a constant and ardent desire to advance in virtue, but often my actions were spoilt by imperfections. My extreme sensitiveness made me almost unbearable. All arguments were useless. I simply could not correct myself of this miserable fault. . .  A miracle on a small scale was needed to give me strength of character all at once, and God worked this long-desired miracle on Christmas Day, 1886. . .

     Now I will tell you, dear Mother, how I received this inestimable grace of complete conversion. I knew that when we reached home after Midnight Mass I should find my shoes in the chimney-corner, filled with presents, just as when I was a little child, which proves that my sisters still treated me as a baby. Papa, too, liked to watch my enjoyment and hear my cries of delight at each fresh surprise that came from the magic shoes, and his pleasure added to mine. But the time had come when Our Lord wished to free me from childhood's failings, and even withdraw me from its innocent pleasures. On this occasion, instead of indulging me as he generally did, Papa seemed vexed, and on my way upstairs I heard him say: "Really all this is too babyish for a big girl like Thérèse, and I hope it is the last year it will happen." His words cut me to the quick. Céline, knowing how sensitive I was, whispered: "Don't go downstairs just yet—wait a little, you would cry too much if you looked at your presents before Papa." But Thérèse was no longer the same—Jesus had changed her heart.

     Choking back my tears, I ran down to the dining-room, and, though my heart beat fast, I picked up my shoes, and gaily pulled out all the things, looking as happy as a queen. Papa laughed, and did not show any trace of displeasure, and Céline thought she must be dreaming. But happily it was a reality; little Thérèse had regained, once for all, the strength of mind which she had lost at the age of four and a half.

     On this night of grace, the third period of my life began—the most beautiful of all, the one most filled with heavenly favours. In an instant Our Lord, satisfied with my good will, accomplished the work I had not been able to do during all these years. Like the Apostle I could say: "Master, we have laboured all night, and have taken nothing."

     More merciful to me even than to His beloved disciples, Our Lord Himself took the net, cast it, and drew it out full of fishes. He made me a fisher of men. Love and a spirit of self-forgetfulness took possession of me, and from that time I was perfectly happy.

The Lord didn’t need to knock Thérèse down, beat her up, or have her shot in order to get her full attention; all he needed was to allow her to overhear a couple of stray comments from the father she loved so dearly.  That wounded her deeply enough to reveal to her the reality of her own selfishness, and to open her up completely to Christ’s Grace.  The meaning of Conversion, after all, is to “turn around” from a way of life dictated by our own desires to one truly centered on God.

     Now, most of us need a wake-up more like that which was granted to St. Paul or St. Francis; perhaps not quite as dramatic, but most of us, I suspect, are much more wrapped up in our sin than was little Thérèse Martin.  But that is precisely why the Little Flower’s conversion stands out: even someone who seems to be doing just about everything right is still in need of conversion, and not just in one instant, but continuously over a lifetime (and of course she did experience greater suffering later in her short life). Sin will always be trying to turn us back. 

     St. Thérèse’s conversion story reminds us of something else.  There will always be opportunities for conversion.  We don’t need to go out looking for trouble, because we will all have ample opportunity to experience The Fall in our lives.  The more enmeshed we are in sin, however, and the higher the walls between ourselves and God, the harder our fall must be.  Wouldn’t it be better to come to Christ like Thérèse did, without too much collateral damage to ourselves and to others?

     Finally, St. Thérèse learned to turn her hurt and disappointment into generosity of spirit, her selfishness to selflessness.  When I think back on her Christmas of 1886 I am reminded that I need to ask my Lord for the Grace to do the same. O come, O come Emmanuel!

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