Grace is… sharing a meal with another person of faith who
serves as such a tremendous inspiration just by being who he/she is that you
leave feeling more joyful and hopeful than when you arrived, a full-house for
the Charismatic Mass held at a nearby parish, people who never cease to amaze
or amuse you, unexpected answers to prayer, the Holy Spirit working in and
through people in ways they don’t even begin to realize the significance of at
the time…
-2-
All We Have There have been a number of
things that have happened over the course of this week during which the Lord
has reminded Kevin and I in no uncertain terms that He is ALL we have and that
He gives us ALL we need. For now,
suffice it to say that we are blessed to serve an amazing God who has placed
some really awesome people in our lives from which we can learn and grow!
“Prayer
transforms us, for it is impossible to come into contact with God without being
changed. The change is proportional to
our openness, our disposition, to being transformed by God.” (p. 24).
A Lenten Journey with Jesus Christ and St. Thomas Aquinasis a wonderful resource to help
Christians understand the importance of prayer, the necessity of ongoing
transformation, and the value of the Sacraments. This book is one that could easily be used
for a group study as well as for journaling, personal prayer, and
contemplation.
I enjoyed reading
this book with its single serving size insights from St. Thomas Aquinas to go
with the Gospel readings for each day of Lent and Holy Week. Dominican author Fr. Paul Jerome Keller has
done a magnificent job of incorporating brief passages from one of the most
well-known and widely read members of the Order of Preachers, Thomas Aquinas,
into daily meditations that are perfect for the season of Lent. Fr. Keller has selected poignant passages from
Aquinas’s vast works as the precursor to his own short reflections and original
prayers written on the Gospel for each day.
During the season
of Lent, we are all encouraged to enter into a deeper relationship with the
Lord Jesus Christ through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. These practices are intended to bring us
closer to Jesus not only as we prepare for the upcoming Easter season, but also
as we move beyond it and live out our call to apostolic action.
If we are truly
changed from the inside out by our encounters with the Lord, then we will not
be content to return to our former ways.
We will be inspired and called to keep moving forward into a more
intimate relationship with the Source of All Love and Mercy.
“The real benefit
of prayer is that we are lifted to God; in our conversing with Him, which often
should involve more listening than our own talking, we are deepened in our love
of God.” (p. 23).
Grace is… having a family dinner with some of our
favorite little cuties, faith-inspired discussions, remembering to turn to God again when you realize you’ve
been trying to do things on your own, having talents and abilities which can be
used to help others, finding young adult novels at the library that are
interesting, entertaining, well-written, and touch on topics of faith and
religion, knowing for certain others are praying for you, the healing power of certain songs…
-2-
LOVE
KNOW LIVE This is a reflection I wrote on
the theme “Love Know Live” which is dedicated to the participants of the 463rd
Men's Cursillo taking place at Shalom House
from Thursday evening through Sunday. This article first appeared in the
February issue of The Rooster Review.
If we treat love as a verb and a decision
then we tend to view it a bit differently from the way we would the noun,
especially when surrounded by a slew of heart-shaped candies, mushy cards, and
suggestions for romantic overtures around Valentine’s Day. Real love requires sacrifice, selflessness,
and a commitment to the overall wellbeing of another. It’s not always neat, pretty, or easy to love
others. Christ showed us that during His
Passion and death.
“Real love leaves scars” a priest once
told us in his homily. We can’t offer
true love and charity to others without giving something of ourselves. Oftentimes suffering, struggle, and
resistance are necessary elements we face internally or externally when we
commit to being there for and with someone, come what may.
Of course we have the most amazing
examples of love from which to learn: the Father’s love for us, as expressed in
giving up His Only Son for our salvation, and the Blessed Mother’s love for God
the Father, Jesus Christ, and the whole of humanity in saying yes to being the
supreme God-bearer-Theotokos. We can
know love because God loves us first and shows us how to extend that charity,
tenderness, and devotion through serving others.
We know someone loves us when he or she willingly
accepts any challenges, suffering, and/or transformation necessary in mind,
body, and spirit to bring us closer to the Lord. Christ gave up everything out of love for us:
His peace of mind, His healthy body, His power, all of it. Some who many not know Christ can still know
love because they have people in their lives who care deeply for and about
them.
If we make a friend, we’re risking loving
that person. When that outreach is
accepted, the person comes to a greater knowing that he or she is loved. Once we know we are loved by others, but most
importantly, by a merciful, compassionate God, then it is possible for us to go
forth and live in that love.
God is love. We were created out of love and are sustained
by it. Taking time in prayer to listen
to the Lord increases our awareness that God loves us and wants to love others
through us. We need to be plugged in,
recharged, and rejuvenated by the Source of All Love if we are ever going to
know and therefore be able to live out those most important of all
commandments: 1.) Love the Lord God with all your mind, and with all your
heart, and with all your strength 2.) Love your neighbor as yourself.
Note to Readers: This reflection on their theme is dedicated to the participants of the 463rd Men's Cursillo taking place at Shalom House from this evening through Sunday. This article first appeared in the February issue of The Rooster Review.
Grace is… a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter’s night, being
reminded that some of the kids you took care of ten or more years ago are
growing up to be really neat people, seeing cute pics of kids playing in the
snow all bundled up, hanging out with my sister and nephew one afternoon, an
hour of Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament…
-2-
Snowmageddon 2014 Kevin and I have occasionally had a few moments of enjoying snow days. My husband has a more legitimate than usual reason for watching several hours of The Weather Channel. It's kind of cool to watch the Winter Olympics with snow falling in the background (out your window) while you're sitting warm inside drinking hot chocolate in the cute matching mugs your mom got your for Christmas a while ago.
-3-
Another Snow Day Home with the Kids If
you’re dreading another late school opening or snow day home with the kids,
then I think you will
appreciate this video.
I
think my mom was one of the few parents who actually enjoyed having us home
from school on snow days—at least most of the time. She’d make chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast. We’d play in the snow and, if possible, go
sledding. We’d have fun doing arts and
crafts, watching movies, reading books...
-4-
Stuff my husband says: I am a voracious reader, and
Kevin prefers magazines to books and isn’t much into reading as an obsession or
even a hobby. A while back, I was
reading some of the books by Christian preacher Joel Osteen. Kevin came up with a great alternative title
for one of his books: How to Become a Better Ewe (as opposed to a better you). I know some of his jokes are pretty baaaaad,
but at least he tries. Now I laugh anytime I see something by Joel Osteen
thinking of what would actually be a fun title for a book about Christian
living. I know I could stand to learn how to be a better sheep.
-5-
Valentine’s Day Yeah, so this post is a day late, because Kevin and I have
been having a pretty awful week, few months...
Multiple things going wrong all at once, and the hits just keep on coming. I was in such an awful mood yesterday and was
so overwhelmed by all of the different things we’re dealing with that I simply
couldn’t sit around here any longer.
The needle that
pierced the camel’s eye (how’s that for a mixed metaphor) was that before 3pm
on Friday our kitchen cabinets had to be completely emptied, because our
ceiling was leaking again, though they’ve just put a new roof on our building. I got up on the counter to find out exactly
where the water was coming from to discover it’s running right down the wall
behind our cupboards.
That’s not
all. Oh no, that’s not all! Our kitchen cupboards which we have been
concerned about possibly falling are very, very likely to do so sooner than
later since there are several screws not just loose, but no longer touching the
wall that should be holding them up. So
yes, a few screws loose was part of the problem, but not everything.
-6-
It Could Be Worse I went to Mass at St. Benedict’s
by myself, then went to our parish to wait for my friend who I thought was
having a prayer meeting at church which finished at 8pm. I parked by the Columbarium where my dad’s
remains have been interred and ended up sobbing for a while alone in my car on
a cold wet night.
My friend, who’s
usually very dependable, never called me back, so I eventually left and went to
Martin’s, the one where I used to take my dad shopping when he was too sick to
do it on his own and later when he was too sick to go to the store at all. Of course, this brought back more
memories.
I wandered around aimlessly, noticed they
didn’t have any soup in the prepared foods section, and that’s what I’d really
been hoping for. I bought 3 boxes of Puffs
tissues, because I’d used up the box and the extra napkins in my car while sitting and crying outside of church, then I got some fruit and a cup of Krispy Kreme chocolate
donut holes which I ate in my car.
Next, I decided to swing by my mom’s and see if I could come by for
a cup of tea. She didn’t respond when I
texted her, and I knew she was home, so I thought maybe she didn’t want
company. No, that wasn't it. It turns out she didn’t get my
texts because she was on the phone with a friend, so she didn’t see them until
after I'd left.
I ended up going to Denny’s
since they’re open all night, and it was one of the places my dad and I went
for breakfast way back when. I sat in a
corner booth facing the window, and that’s where I was for the next few
hours: just me, a root beer, water, an
English muffin, and some hash browns with a pen and my journal. (I know many mommy bloggers reading this are likely jealous that I got time away and could spend it alone writing, but under the circumstances, it was not the best of times). I texted Kevin to let him know I was there
and invited him to join me. He said he
had a headache and was going to bed. There's more, but that's enough for now.
The sad thing about yesterday is that I
can’t honestly say it was the absolute worst Valentine’s Day I’ve ever
had. There have been others that in the
grand scheme of things were far worse for our family as a whole.
-7-
Prayers Pul-lease! This has been a very
rough week, actually it’s been a rough several months for both of us. Many of the things we’ve been dealing with have
not been resolved and/or fixed, yet, so we could definitely use some extra
prayers right now. The leaking kitchen ceiling
and cabinets about to fall down are actually the least of our worries at this
point, but they’re certainly the easiest to mention as an example of stuff
going down.
Word is out that I love reading, and tend to devour books, especially on topics of faith and spirituality, so when the Cursillo co-chairs in our area received a copy of Sisterhood of Saints, they asked me if I wanted to be the first to read it. How could I turn down a book written by a fellow Cursillista whose reflections in the magazine Living Faith my husband and I both love? I couldn’t. I wouldn’t. I didn’t.
I was immediately drawn to the beautiful cover. Yes, I know you’re not supposed to use that as a way of judging a book, but in this case, it is actually quite indicative of the loveliness found in these pages. That plus the focus on female saints, our sisters in Christ, got me intrigued right away. Of the 366 saints Melanie Rigney includes, I’ve heard of and know a bit about a number of them, but I have to say that the majority of them are brand new or nearly new to me.
I love the mix of famous saints with more recently canonized, lesser-known women of faith. For each day of the year, a woman’s brief bio is given along with a quote from Scripture or from the saint herself that serves as a summary of her philosophy on life and ministering to others.
Here’s one inspirational quote I love: “The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for all that he, in his goodness, sends to us day after day.” -St. Gianna Beretta Molla
One of my favorite aspects of Sisterhood of Saints is that the reader is not only given the opportunity to connect and identify with other holy women, but through the challenge on each page, she is also invited to incorporate the wisdom of these women into her day. Each challenge relates to some aspect of the saint’s life and ministry but is a very doable, practical way to reach out to others in our modern world. The prayers and actions suggested are often simple, but powerful. Most of them would fit under the category of “small things” that done with great love can make a huge difference.
Here are a couple excerpts of the challenges: “Ask God what he wants you to do today, and what he wants you to prepare to do for tomorrow. Then, no matter how challenging it seems, do it” (pg. 212).
“Who in your life today inspires you by the way he or she has persevered in a struggle? Write this person a note of thanks. Ask for the wisdom to deal with a challenge you currently face” (pg. 348).
This treasury of saints serves as a perfect daily inspiration to live out our “feminine genius” in ways as varied and creative as these women. I can’t even fathom surviving, much less thriving in the circumstances in which some of these women lived, but each one ultimately proved that staying close to Christ is always the best way to endure anything and gain eternal life.
Whether living in a busy city or a remote village, called to consecrated religious life or to marriage and raising a family, these saints will spark your interest, feed your faith, and give you hope for the journey.
Here is one of our all-time favorite comedy bits on the Olympics. Watch the first 4 minutes and 24 seconds of this clip from Jerry Seinfeld's "I’m Telling You for the Last Time," and I'm pretty sure you will be cracking up. My personal Seinfeld favorites from this bit are his description of the biathlon and his suggestions for a new Olympic event: the Involuntary Luge.
I couldn't help but be amused by some of the profound comments announcers have made during the Winter Games:
Announcer for Men’s Moguls event: “He had kind of a rough ride.”
My response: “The whole slope is full of moguls!”
Announcer for Women’s Luge: “Look at that toe point…she’s going for it!”
“Those white walls come up fast.”
Announcers for Women’s Curling: “The US is only one and two. They’re only one game out.”
“It curled a little bit more than she anticipated.”
“Always thinking about the next shot. Sort of like a game of pool.”
“There’s a reason the scoreboard is what it is.”
“I think she thought she had enough weight."
“How do you handle and manage when conditions seemingly change?”
“It’s a little tough down the center. It’s a little bit tricky.”
“You can’t just leave the building and the clock won’t run.”
“They’re not positive if that rock is biting the house or not.”
My Husband on Curling: “Of all the sports this one takes the most skill to watch.”
“They know how to knock each other out. I guess that’s good for something.”
“Shuffleboard heavyweights.” “Just what in the world is the point?”
Kevin said: “Did Grandma forget to take her meds?” and later on: “I think they’re psyching out the competition. If you look at those sweaters long enough it may create convulsions, possible black-outs.”
Grace is…people from countries around the world coming
together for the Olympic games, realizing that if you’ve impressed upon
children the important lesson that they need to wash their hands with soap and
water you have taught them a skill and health tip with immeasurable worth,
especially in the midst of flu season, a delicious meal at a family-owned
restaurant, going to daily Mass with your spouse, learning to be gentle with
yourself…
-2-
My Reflection on the Little Way How often in our lives are we
challenged by the seemingly small things in our day or on our to-do list?
How attentive are we when doing those many mundane chores that don’t seem
very significant? For me, there are many times I really have to slow
down and be aware of being present if I am to do even the most menial daily
tasks with great love.
Most often we are sanctified by looking to the Lord for love and living each
moment, doing each minor task set before us as if we were carrying it out for
Jesus Christ Himself. Does that include washing another load of laundry,
preparing another meal, doing more dishes, paying the bills, being the
chauffeur, holding the door for someone, smiling to cheer someone else up, and
being friendly even when you don’t feel like it? Yes, it includes all of
those things and many more…Read more here.
-3-
Three Gifts of Thérѐse of LisieuxAs someone with a special affection for Thérѐse
of Lisieux (as well as some other well-known St. Teresas), I knew I’d enjoy
reading about how a bishop who considered The Little Flower as a sister to him
from the time he was in seminary. He was
inspired to serve the Lord and live out the prescribed “Little Way” she wrote
about in her autobiography The Story of a
Soul. Patrick Ahern cherished
Thérѐse’s writing and example so much that he went to the trouble of learning
French when he was 70 for the sole purpose of being able to read the original
manuscript and other works written by scholars in her native tongue. That to me shows a profound respect for the
written word and the desire for an even deeper understanding of a saint he
loved dearly…Read the entire book review here. (Since I already know French, I do believe I'll have to read the book in the original language it was written. I know much can be lost in translation or gained in reading more than one version.)
Kevin said: “Did Grandma
forget to take her meds?” and later on: “I think they’re psyching out the competition. If you look at those sweaters long enough it
may create convulsions, possible black-outs.”
-5-
Saving Mr. Banks My mom, Kevin, and I went to see Saving Mr.
Banks in the theater last Friday night.
I had to laugh every single time someone in the movie said: “You’re
perfectly capable of...” I find myself
saying that all the time, especially to young children who are just discovering
the many things they can do on their own if only they’re given a chance or
expected to take care of such tasks.
When Sunshine is old enough to see the making of the Disney movie Mary
Poppins from the book by the same name, I have a feeling it might make her
think of me, hopefully with a smile.
-6-
New
Winter Weather Faves There are some children’s books that quickly make it
on to my list of favorites to read and share with little ones, and here are two
of them I love for winter weather: If It’s Snowy and You Know It, Clap Your Paws which is quite entertaining
and can be sung to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It” and Ten on the Sledwhich can be
read/chanted to the tune of “There Were Ten in the Bed…”
-7-
Creative Outlets Often I’m inspired by
what the kids I am taking care of and/or teaching are interested in doing. Watercolors were something Sunshine and I
enjoyed doing together often when her twin sisters were sleeping. I’ve pulled my paints out at home a number of
times for a quick creative outlet. This
is one of the pieces that I added additional embellishments to with Sharpie
markers once the paint dried.
How often in our
lives are we challenged by the seemingly small things in our day or on our to-do
list? How attentive are we when doing those
many mundane chores that don’t seem very significant? For me, there
are many times I really have to slow down and be aware of being present if I am
to do even the most menial daily tasks with great love.
Most often we are
sanctified by looking to the Lord for love and living each moment, doing each
minor task set before us as if we were carrying it out for Jesus Christ
Himself. Does that include washing
another load of laundry, preparing another meal, doing more dishes, paying the
bills, being the chauffeur, holding the door for someone, smiling to cheer
someone else up, and being friendly even when you don’t feel like it? Yes, it includes all of those things and many
more.
Our most important conversions and
service to others may look different from those St. Thérѐse of Lisieux and others have
experienced and performed, but we need not be discouraged by our weakness,
frailty, and sinfulness as long as we come running back to Christ each time we
have turned away and allow His Mercy and Love to wash over us once more.
Perhaps one of the greatest
challenges in life and certainly in growing closer to the Lord is accepting how
small and feeble we are, how liable to make mistakes, how likely we are to try
to run from or hide our weaknesses rather than embracing them. I
would have to say that I’m very apt to get frustrated, flustered, and upset by
my many imperfections. There seem to be
so darn many, and they don’t get resolved permanently, so I have to keep coming back to Jesus over and
over for the grace to do better. The
magnificent, saving grace is that He doesn’t get sick of us returning to Him
once we’ve messed up. Not now, not ever.
It’s really quite a
tiring project to fall down and get back up a bazillion times (Just ask any
toddler trying to learn how to walk), but when we are welcomed and comforted by
a loving Lord ready to embrace us with open arms after yet another fall, we
have the incentive to keep going. What
God calls each of us to do, though, is to let our vulnerability and humanness
be the biggest, most urgent inspiration for us to acknowledge how profoundly we
need His Mercy every minute of every day.
We try and do things on our own, make our own rules, use our own
strength, test our own wisdom and pride, and because we have the gift of free
will. He lets us.
So often we rush through or even neglect the less
glamorous, smaller tasks that we’re given to carry out in pursuit of great,
noble undertakings, yet, it’s the little mundane things that St. Thérѐse
realized as being prime opportunities to exhibit God’s love if we are fully in
the present moment. I can’t imagine what a huge
difference making an effort to be fully present to God’s grace each moment
will make in our marriage, our home, our family, our relationships, and
ministries, but I intend to find out.
As someone with a special affection for Thérѐse of Lisieux (as well as some other well-known St. Teresas), I knew I’d enjoy reading about how a bishop who considered The Little Flower as a sister to him from the time he was in seminary. He was inspired to serve the Lord and live out the prescribed “Little Way” she wrote about in her autobiography The Story of a Soul.
Patrick Ahern cherished Thérѐse’s writing and example so much that he went to the trouble of learning French when he was 70 for the sole purpose of being able to read the original manuscript and other works written by scholars in her native tongue. That to me shows a profound respect for the written word and the desire for an even deeper understanding of a saint he loved dearly.
One of the most beautiful and inspiring books I’ve ever read about Thérѐse is one that Bishop Patrick Ahern wrote that was published in 1998. It is a heartfelt story based on the correspondence between Thérѐse and a young seminarian. Their letters to one another are filled with love, wisdom, and affection. Both of them were tireless in serving the Lord and in doing whatever they could to spread His Love in the world. Maurice and Thérѐse: The Story of a Loveis a remarkable example of how two people of faith can pray for and encourage one another a great deal—even if they are miles apart, never meet in person, and have very different lifestyles due to the specifics of their vocations.
I love Three Gifts of Thérѐse of Lisieux: A Saint for Our Timesall the more knowing the tenderness and affection Ahern recognized Thérѐse had for Maurice, her sisters, her family, those in her religious community, and the entire world. Thérѐse suffered a great deal of loss, illness, disappointment, as well as a very dark night of the soul, yet she remained cognizant all the while that even she could be useful for God if she would live out the daily tasks given to her with supreme love and selflessness.
One of my favorite personal stories from Ahern’s faith journey is included in this book. It involves a brief stop at a candy shop that changed everything for him. What he thought of and saw as weakness in a friend turned out to be an act of faith so profound that it changed the course of his life (and no doubt his friend’s as well). I enjoy how much Ahern appreciates and embodies what Thérѐse experienced and described as the “Little Way.”
Great! February 4, 2014 is a special day for us to combine the New Evangelization and the Little Way in a way that will hopefully make great waves.
On Feb. 4, 2014, Image Books is inviting Catholics everywhere to share their faith through 140 little characters on Twitter by tweeting about the ways St. Thérѐse has impacted your faith and life and by using the hashtag #LittleWay.
Will you please consider joining us for the Day of the Little Way movement and help us demonstrate the enormous power of simple faith?
One of our goals is to get the hashtag #LittleWay trending on Twitter on Feb. 4.
To learn more about this movement, check out this news article that appeared in The Colorado Catholic Herald.
This movement was inspired by the publication of Bishop Patrick Ahern’s beautiful book, Three Gifts of Therese of Lisieux (Image Books, Feb. 4, 2014).
Grace is… a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter’s night, being
reminded that some of the kids you took care of ten or more years ago are
growing up to be really neat people, seeing cute pics of kids playing in the
snow all bundled up, hanging out with my sister and nephew one afternoon, an
hour of Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament…
Valentine’s Day Yeah, so this post is a day late, because Kevin and I have
been having a pretty awful week, few months...
Multiple things going wrong all at once, and the hits just keep on coming. I was in such an awful mood yesterday and was
so overwhelmed by all of the different things we’re dealing with that I simply
couldn’t sit around here any longer. 
It Could Be Worse I went to Mass at St. Benedict’s
by myself, then went to our parish to wait for my friend who I thought was
having a prayer meeting at church which finished at 8pm. I parked by the Columbarium where my dad’s
remains have been interred and ended up sobbing for a while alone in my car on
a cold wet night.
My Reflection on the Little Way How often in our lives are we
challenged by the seemingly small things in our day or on our to-do list?
How attentive are we when doing those many mundane chores that don’t seem
very significant? For me, there are many times I really have to slow
down and be aware of being present if I am to do even the most menial daily
tasks with great love. 
New
Winter Weather Faves There are some children’s books that quickly make it
on to my list of favorites to read and share with little ones, and here are two
of them I love for winter weather: If It’s Snowy and You Know It, Clap Your Paws which is quite entertaining
and can be sung to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It” and Ten on the Sled which can be
read/chanted to the tune of “There Were Ten in the Bed…”
