Memorial Day Memories

Kevin’s father, the real Harry Potter, died over Memorial Day weekend five years ago. This WWII veteran was a devoted husband, a loving father and grandfather—a model family man. The loyalty and dedication he had to his wife, children, grandchildren, his career, and his country are what stood out the most in his life. His generosity, nurturing, and selflessness were prominent traits recognized by all.
    
Being there with him in his last days was a gift. Everyone gathered around to tell stories about his life, laugh, catch up with each other, all while honoring a great man with a lasting legacy. Kevin’s oldest sister Deb even brought Harry’s three beloved cats to the hospital one day, so he could see them one last time.
    
The morning before the day he died, Kevin and I made it to Rochester to see him. Kevin sat next to his hospital bed in the hospice ward. He held his hand and felt him grip it, though his eyes remained closed.
   
I met some members of Kevin’s extended family for the first time. We shared our wedding pictures with them. Stories, tears, laughter, and prayers filled the room with love and cherished memories creating stronger bonds and helping us all let go of Harry, so he could move on to the next life.
    
When Harry took his last breath, he opened his eyes briefly and saw all his children around the bed before he finally let go. The real Harry Potter passed away at 5:37pm on Sunday, May 29, 2005, surrounded by his family. Kevin noted that he was born on Labor Day and died on Memorial Day weekend.
    
The morning after his death, on Memorial Day, we realized he’d died on the exact day and time of the week when the family usually got together at the cottage to share a meal and enjoy an evening at the lake.
    
We love you, Harry! Thanks for the memories.

Only Say a Word and I Will Be Healed

     Recently, I’ve become good friends with a charismatic Catholic in our parish who is currently serving with me on a Christ Renews His Parish women’s retreat formation team. She was the one who invited me to my first charismatic Mass, which I really enjoyed. It was fun singing really upbeat, soulful songs, some of which I remembered from college when I participated in the campus Baptist Student Union for Bible study and Christian fellowship.

     There was a man next to me at the Mass who speaks French. He said many of the prayers we were praying aloud in French, and it reminded me of going to Mass in Paris once I’d finally found the Magnificat in French and learned to pray all of the prayers I’d memorized in English during my youth in a second language.
     I still say: “Lord, I am not worthy to receive You, but only say the word, and I shall be healed” aloud during the Eucharistic prayer, then silently follow it with: “Seigneur, je ne suis pas digne de te recevoir, mais dis seulement une parole et je serai guéri…je serai guéri.”
     I actually like the French better because the article is different, so the direct translation would be: Lord, I am not worthy to receive You, but say only a/one word, and I will be healed. This translation sounds even more powerful to me for some reason. It may because the English version seems to imply that with the Lord’s permission or go ahead, a person will be healed.
     I guess I see the French translation as going one step further and claiming that only one utterance, just one single word from the Lord, is enough to wipe away all suffering in mind, body, and/or spirit. Both are equally true statements, and soon neither will be used since the wording of the Eucharistic prayer is going to be taught to us in a translation closer to that of the original text.
     Lord, thank You for the gift of Your son, for the graces of faith, healing, hope, love, peace and joy.  Show us how to submit more fully to Your will, so that the Holy Spirit can move freely in and through us to reach others of every race, color, and creed. Amen.

Rise, Let Us Be on Our Way

As is often the case in his books and epistles, John Paul II emphasizes the importance of having Christ as the focus of one’s life in order to carry out the call to be an apostle. This autobiographical book, Rise Let Us Be On Our Way, gives a detailed look at John Paul II’s thoughts, experiences, and memories of becoming a priest and a bishop.
    
Visiting parishes and getting to know the people he served was extremely important to him as a bishop and later as a pope. Throughout the text John Paul the Great’s affection for his native country of Poland and its people are quite evident. It was very difficult for him to leave his beloved homeland, but his willingness to do so underlines his commitment to serving Christ however and wherever he was called to do so.
    
One of the parts I found rather amusing and very telling was the section about when he had been on a canoeing trip with his friends and was summoned by the Primate. He reported to him right away and was asked to serve as auxiliary bishop to the archbishop of Kraków. He accepted the position, though he believed at thirty-eight he was too young to take it. Next, he went directly to tell Archbishop Eugeniusz Baziak, his Ordinary, about his new role. The archbishop took the arm of the auxiliary bishop-to-be and uttered the prophetic words, “Habemus papam”—“We have a pope.”
    
After having reported to the Primate and his Ordinary, he asked for permission to go back and join his friends on their canoe trip. How humble and telling that after his big “promotion,” his first request was to return and hang out with his friends in the great outdoors. At first, he was told it didn’t seem like a good idea, but later he was granted permission. John Paul II’s love and appreciation for nature and close friendships remained significant throughout his life.
    
In this work, John Paul the Great used a number of Scripture verses as well as some excerpts from poetry and prayers which support the duties and attitude bishops are called to embrace. He also explains the symbolism of the ring, miter, and the crosier presented during the ordination liturgy for a bishop.
    
The tone of this book is humble, candid, and at times even conversational. The gratitude John Paul II expressed for his teachers and peers keeps even the more instructional passages from seeming stiff or the least bit condescending. A sharing of wisdom and experience is the thrust of the text.
    
This is a must-read for every bishop, priest, deacon, and lay leader in the Church.

You can purchase this book here.
    
I wrote this review of Rise, Let Us Be On Our Way for the Tiber River Blogger Review program.    Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.  I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.

Miracles: Healing for a Broken World

I refer to an occurrence that has been brought about by the Holy Spirit as a God-incident. Several God-incidents have come about in direct relation to my finding out about Miracles: Healing for a Broken World. When scanning the summaries of various books available to review, this one seemed most intriguing. Little did I know what an effect this book would have on me.
    
I know beyond a shadow of a doubt the Holy Spirit led me to this book in May for a myriad of reasons. I was very surprised when reading the author bio on the back cover to discover that Fr. Stefan Starzynski is a priest in a diocese near ours who is a Cursillo chaplain as well as an advocate for the unborn. I hadn’t known a thing about Fr. Stefan when I selected the book, and I certainly never dreamt he would live so close, be involved in Cursillo (as my husband and I have been since 2006), and also be a voice for the unborn (a ministry that’s very important to me).      In this well-written book, Fr. Stefan describes the miraculous cures, occurrences, and adventures God has brought about through faith, prayer, and openness to the Holy Spirit. On the day of his ordination, Fr. Stefan, through the power of the Holy Spirit, performed his first miraculous cure. He left his own ordination party to go pray for a baby who was in critical condition. His charism for healing and his dedication to following the promptings of the Holy Spirit have made him a blessing to many over the years.
    
Perhaps one of the most far-reaching miracles came about when a woman and her husband were told their baby would be born without lungs. Doctors suggested they abort him, but the parents refused. Fr. Stefan prayed with and for them. The parents got to spend an hour with their son who was indeed born without lungs before his little heart stopped beating. Many years later his memory lives on through the Paul Stefan Home for Expectant Mothers created in his honor, with the help of Fr. Stefan and the pro-life parents who turned their tragedy into hope for others.
    
Fr. Stefan has truly embraced and lived by the quote from Mother Angelica which appears on the dedication page of his book: “Unless you are willing to do the ridiculous, God will not do the miraculous.”
    
The first part of the book is written by Fr. Stefan. The second part is all testimonies written by the individuals who were healed or a family member (in the case of babies and children) who witnessed the healing Fr. Stefan tells about from his perspective in the first part.
    
Lord, help us be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, so that You are free to love and heal in and through us. Thank You for the example of people like Fr. Stefan who remind us that miracles occur and that healing is always possible through You. Amen.

This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Miracles - Healing for a Broken World. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest book review.

Veggie Tales Dave and the Giant Pickle: A Lesson in Self-Esteem

     Veggie Tales Dave and the Giant Pickle: A Lesson in Self-Esteem is another high-quality, very entertaining portraying of a famous Bible story. Though the story of David and Goliath is one that many children learn and can understand on some level, this rendition of the conflict makes more aspects of what was at stake accessible. We all come up against people and situations that seem too big for us to handle. At those times, others may suggest a slew of solutions that have worked for them, but they may not be right for us.
     This movie addresses that size and height don’t matter if your intentions and your focus are right. Oftentimes kids become frustrated because they don’t feel as if they are heard or that they can make a big difference in how things turn out. Through amusing characters, well-orchestrated songs, and clever animation, kids and parents can see that this isn’t the case. If we spend too much time looking at all that we lack, we’ll get discouraged. If we spend more time centering on all that God is, we’ll have more hope. Many times throughout the Bible God has chosen someone who is just about the least likely candidate for a job, but through His grace and power, He turns the person into a force to be reckoned with who overcomes great odds.  I’ve found children to be some of the best spiritual directors, so it makes sense that these kid-friendly, caregiver approved movies will speak to the truths they already hold and remind us of often if we take the time to listen.

You can purchase this movie here.

Veggie Tales Rack, Shack and Benny: A Lesson In Handling Peer Pressure

I have been a fan of Veggie Tales ever since my sister, who is eleven years younger than I am, began listening to their audio cassette tapes many years ago. I watched one of the Veggie Tales movies on a high school retreat put on by a friend’s church, and in college there was a study break one evening night when they planned to serve Meatlover’s pizza and watch Veggie Tales. 

   
Rack, Shack and Benny is as educational, entertaining, and funny as the other Veggie Tales movies I’ve seen over the years. My husband, who is a bit of a music connoisseur, appreciates the variety and quality of the music. I love the catchy melodies and the lyrics which touch on a vast number of virtues—everything from being honest, standing up for the truth, and heeding your parents advice to avoid the sins of gluttony, greed, and idol worship.

   
My husband and I are always very impressed by how the creative minds behind the Veggie Tales products manage to do such an amazing job presenting Bible stories in a way in which children (teens and adults) can better understand the morals, struggles, and consequences in certain passages of Scripture.

   
Not only do they put a child-friendly spin on the story of from the book of Daniel about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, but they also underline some of the Ten Commandments with catchy songs, reminding kids it’s important to obey their parents and make decisions that are in line with the values espoused by them even when they’re with their friends.

  
The more I think about it the more real life lessons and morals I realize are included in the movie. The setting of this story is a chocolate factory, and the song about having to work hard, not getting a break until late in the day, and sending the money home for family brings up social justice issues and could be a good springboard for discussing different jobs and work situations with your kids. There are several opportunities for teachable moments based on the material which could be used by parents or even religious education instructors.

   
The silly songs are a source of laughter for both children and adults. In this particular movie, they include “The Dance of the Cucumber” which Larry the Cucumber sings in Spanish while Bob the Tomato translates.

   
An added bonus for the adults are the behind-the-scenes extras. You’ll be in awe of all the thought and work that goes into these movies, get to meet the cast, see the studio, and hear about the inspiration for different songs and stories.

   
This movie is a great choice for people of all ages and definitely a perfect family movie night selection!

You can purchase this movie here.

In Honor of Mothers

A poem I wrote a while back in honor of mothers
Trisha Niermeyer Potter © 2008

In honor of mothers:

the very hungry caterpillar
will not gorge himself on sweets
before he builds a cocoon
and turns into a beautiful butterfly.

Sam I am will eat green eggs and ham

without any bribes or charades.
The tweedle beetles will stop
battling with their paddles.

The Cat in the Hat won’t release

Thing 1 or Thing 2 while you’re out and about.

Mickey and Minnie will wash
behind their ears without being reminded.
Lightening McQueen will stop
flashing everyone in public.
Swiper will have enough self-control
to keep from swiping from Dora the Explorer.

Oscar the Grouch will clean his can

and maintain a positive attitude.

Cookie Monster will share his cookies.

The Count will refrain from tallying

the number of dirty dishes in your sink.

Amelia Bedelia will do all the chores

and not take everything you say or write

so darn literally.

Rainbow Bright will restore the original

color to the clothing and linens

that have faded in the wash.

Bob the Builder will fix up the house.

Old MacDonald will feed the animals

and mow the lawn without being asked.

Clifford will be careful wagging his red tail.

All your ducks will come immediately

from over the hills when they hear you quack.

The three little pigs will compose

a folk song in appreciation

of your selfless hard work.
The Big Bad Wolf will leave your mom alone.

Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber

will evangelize your younguns

while preparing a fresh relish tray.

All the Little Red Hen’s friends

will pitch in to make you a nice meal.

Strawberry Shortcake will prepare you

a scrumptious dessert.

The ten little monkeys won’t even think

about jumping on your bed.

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod

will allow you to take a nap in peace.

Maurice & Thérèse: The Story of a Love

After having read books and articles about Thérèse of Lisieux, I was interested in reading her personal correspondence knowing that letters show a window into the soul that other forms of communication often lack. Even approaching this book expecting to be moved, I couldn’t fathom the intimacy and agape kind of love that a “saint among saints” and a seminarian who eventually becomes a priest and missionary would express for God and one another.
    
A very small excerpt from one of these letters which a brother in Christ e-mailed me when he was reading the book before lending it to me, has remained in my mind and drawn me closer to the Lord.  I could never have imagined the affection that developed between a dying cloistered nun and a young man who during the course of their correspondence went from being a struggling seminarian to a suffering priest.
    
I’m not sure why I was struck that someone with the profound humility and desire to save souls that St. Thérèse possessed would not only correspond with, but also be a source of hope and encouragment for Maurice Bellière while “the Little Flower of Jesus” was facing the advanced stages of tuberculosis and her imminent death. Of course someone so united to the Source of all Love, who aspired “to be Love in the heart of the Church,” would agree to uplift through prayer and writing a stranger seeking guidance and consolation. It makes more sense to be amazed rather than surprised that St. Thérèse would be a conduit of familial love, hope, and inspiration while going through a dark night of the soul and in the midst of intense physical pain.
    
The author, Patrick Ahern, who is said to be one of the top experts on the spirituality of Thérèse, has done an amazing job of putting the letters together and connecting them with valuable historical and spiritual information and insights. It would be far too easy to miss some of the significant lessons St. Thérèse shares with Maurice if Ahern weren’t so adept at pointing out the elements of the “little way” in his commentary in between each of the letters.
    
The only thing that disappointed me was reading about Maurice’s rather sad and tragic life once St. Thérèse died. I’m not sure if it’s that Maurice’s life seems rather pitiful after delving into the legacy of his spiritual sister, or if the lack of more detailed information about his emotional and spiritual state in his ministry instead of just at the end of his life makes his life seem melancholic and insignificant for someone who had the lessons, love, and prayers of a great saint behind and within him.
    
Maurice & Thérèse is an incredibly powerful love story that illustrates the deep bonds that can form between a man and a woman centered on God.  You can purchase this book here.
   
I wrote this review of Maurice & Thérèse for the Tiber River Blogger Review program.  Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.  I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.

Sabbath Presence

I’ve been telling so many people about Sabbath Presence I've lost count. I would love to buy several copies to share them with my nearest and dearest. This is the perfect book for anyone who is busy trying to balance family, work, volunteering, personal prayer time…In short, it belongs on everyone’s must-read list. It expands upon the “Be Still and Know” theme of the June 2006 Women’s Cursillo, by inviting us to deeper personal reflection and quiet time to feel God’s presence.
    
“Being still” seems counter-cultural and all but un-American. Kathleen recognizes this, and through a close look at her own life experiences and desire for balance, examines how we can benefit if we “keep holy the Sabbath.”
    
I can't tell you what a profound impact this book has had on my life. I've read more spiritual books than I could keep track of over the years, but I rarely reread any books. I knew how deeply this book resonated with me when I read through it, stopping to do the meditations and journaling exercises at the end of each chapter, then I immediately started to reread it.
    
The second time around I’ve only read one chapter on any given day, so all of the wisdom can sink in and I can take as much time as I need to process through prayer and journaling how the principles apply to my own life.
    
Sabbath Presence is an intimate portrayal of Kathleen’s own struggle to let go of the tendency to fill every waking minute with activities. She shares her own experiences and then leads us to take a look in the mirror and ask ourselves how we can break away from a life of busy-ness in order to rest in God’s presence, Sabbath presence.
    
There are numerous thought-provoking questions in the book, but the main one that links all of the others together: how would it change your life, the Church, the world…if everyone observed the Sabbath by making it a day of rest to focus on God and family?

Interview with the author of Sabbath Presence & Meal Stories

Brief Bio: Kathleen (Casey) Ferguson is a cradle Catholic who went on Encounter with Christ in college and made her Cursillo in 1998 at Mary Mother of the Church Abbey in Richmond, VA. She has since served on a number of Cursillo teams and also completed the Spiritual Direction Institute (SDI) program with Monsignor Chester Michael. She has written two spiritual books: Meal Stories and Sabbath Presence. She has two adult children and belongs to St. Gabriel parish where she participates in group reunion, is on the Feast Team, and serves as a Eucharistic Minister.  She works as a Speech Language Pathologist in Richmond, VA.

Note: I conducted the below interview, and it originally appeared in The Rooster Review August 2006.

How did you come to write Sabbath Presence?
I was part of a Jubilee Committee, and Sabbath was the first of the Jubilee values. It was simple, clear cut, important, but the invitation to observe Sabbath was not well-received in the parish.

What writing process do you use?
I mostly used Lectio Divina which has four parts: read, recite, respond, rest. I read Scripture, meditated on it, had a conversation with God, and then did twenty minutes of centering prayer at the end. I used different types of Lectio Divina and my prayer journal to write both books. My first one was Meal Stories. I wrote both books because God instructed me “pray, read Scripture, and write your experience.” So I wrote to be obedient. A series of coincidences brought about the publication of the first one. I thought that was all God had in mind for me to do. The publisher called to ask if I was writing another one, and I said, “No, I’m a therapist, not a writer.” When asked if I was currently working on anything, I said I was preparing a retreat on Sabbath and that it could in no way be expanded into a book.

What was your experience writing this book?
It has been an awakening of dissatisfaction and holy longing. It was much more disturbing to write this one than Meal Stories. I finished it almost because I couldn’t do it anymore.

What spiritual books would you recommend?
The Gift of Being Yourself by David G. Benner
True Self/False Self by Richard Rohr
Why Not Be a Mystic? by Frank X. Tuoti
Street Spirituality by Robert J. Wicks
New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton

The Very Hungry Caterpillars Crawl Again

     Lately, many kids at school have spent the majority of their time on the playground searching for caterpillars. Because some 3-5 year olds aren’t as gentle as others, we began to enforce a look but don’t touch rule. Each time someone spotted one crawling along, he or she shouted to everyone to come and see. One teacher began saving the caterpillars the children found by moving them on a paddle, piece of mulch, or a stick to a tree outside of the sandbox and just slightly above the reach of curious little hands.
     Sparked by the kids’ curiosity and my newfound fascination with the process of a tiny caterpillar hatching from a little egg and in a matter of weeks going through several stages of transformation that lead to a magnificent butterfly, I went to the library and checked out some books on the life cycles of butterflies.
     I brought one of the books to school that has a easy caterpillar comparison page, so we could try to identify the type of caterpillar crawling all over the play area. At circle time one day, I explained the life cycle of a butterfly to the kids and showed them the wonderful photos included of each stage leading up to the emergence of the butterfly. By the end of story time, the kids and I had narrowed our guesses about what is probably populating our playground down to three different types of potential butterflies.
     I was thoroughly impressed when a four year old came up and showed me the drawings he had done of a butterfly’s life cycle. Interestingly enough, the only thing missing was a picture of the caterpillar crawling on a tree, the very part of the life cycle he and others sought out each afternoon. I mentioned this, and he quickly went and drew one, then we spread the drawings out, and he put them in order with an extra page on the front and back so I could staple it for him, which in his mind is all it takes to make it into a book. I was so excited that he actually got it that I started showing other teachers and students the book he’d done.
     One of the great things about working with children is that they get really excited about the things adults so often overlook. I don’t think I’ve ever spent so much time examining caterpillars as I have recently, simply because they are so fascinating to the kids at school. The patterns on some of them are really intricate and beautiful. They’re very agile, acrobatic even.
     I’ve often been able to see God in the splendor of nature, but it’s usually a sunset, a flower, a tree, or a butterfly that makes me smile in awe and His creation. I’m grateful that the enthusiasm of little ones has brought me to an appreciation of the magnificence of nature in all its stages. Children have again proved to be very good little spiritual directors for me.  (Originally posted May 2, 2009 on my former blog).