Truth for Your Mind Love for Your Heart: Satisfying Your Hunger for God by Alfred McBride, O.Praem.

Truth for Your Mind Love for Your Heart: Satisfying Your Hunger for God by Alfred McBride, O.Praem. is a masterful blend of Scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), with popular devotions, inspiring stalwarts of the faith, and prayers. As he did in the other book of his I read most recently, A Priest Forever: Nine Signs of Renewal and Hope, this well-respected author brings to light some stirring examples of holiness and devotion to the Lord.
   
Ever since the Catechism of the Catholic Church first came out in 1994, Fr. McBride has been writing about it. His expertise appears clearly in the carefully woven passages quoted and referenced from this tome of the faith into his summation of the many aspects of Catholicism that set us apart from other Christian denominations.
   
I like how he brings together a number of holy men and women I’ve read about in previous years and shows how they lived out the Truths present in Scripture and the CCC. Each chapter is relatively short, concentrating on one key principle that’s essential in the rich Catholic tradition. A set of reflection questions and a prayer come at the end of each chapter.
   
This smattering of saints, Church doctrine, and common devotion will likely remind you of some of the most famous Catholics from history while introducing you to others who’ve lived more recently and a handful who are still alive today striving to live out the Gospel.
   
Fr. McBride has put together in an interesting, easy-to-read, informative book several of the main strengths of the Catholic faith and illustrated these teachings and principles through a variety of sources, saints, encyclical letters from various popes, and his own insights into the Catechism.
   
I highly recommend this book for those just learning about the faith as well as for those who have been practicing it for a while and could benefit from a refresher on how amazing and profound the Catholic faith is.
   
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 Truth for Your Mind, Love for Your Heart. They are also a great source for serenity prayer and baptism gifts.

Campbell's Soup, Frosted Flakes, & Sex

     With a Respect Life Grant from the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, Saint Michael the Archangel’s Respect Life Committee brought in a national speaker who describes herself as a “Frustrated Stand-Up Comedian.”
     Linda Hancock, FNP, PhD., Director, Wellness Resource Center at Virginia Commonwealth University, has been a nurse practitioner for over twenty years. In her job, she’s worked with all the "S's"- sex, substance abuse, smoking cessation, spirituality, stress, and statistics on social norms. She thinks college students are fun and fascinating.

To Baby Margarette's Parents on the Day of Her Funeral Mass

Dear Frank and Rose,    
    
From the moment of conception, God calls parents to love their child as selflessly as is humanly possible. He gives us the grace to believe and love what we cannot see, hear, or feel at the beginning. God asks parents to be guardians of life at its most vulnerable time. He invites us to respect and protect the dignity and sanctity of every human life. The best gift parents can offer their children is to love them as unconditionally as possible and give them back to the Lord so He may work in and through them in any and all ways He sees fit.
    
Since Margarette was conceived, you have loved her, welcomed her as part of your family, and done whatever you could to honor the precious life growing within you. You lived up to one of the greatest challenges parents face, you did what was most difficult and chose life, God, and love, when doctors and others recommended abortion, death, and lies about what would be best.
    
Though her life was shorter than expected, you did everything God asks of parents. You loved her the entire time she was on this earth and took the best care of her possible while she was here. The love between you and Margarette will always remain. She will be there to greet you at the gates of Heaven...

Before Kevin came back to the Catholic Church, I would often write different Scripture verses and songs on my letters and cards to him. One I love is that: “Eye has not seen/ear has not heard/what God has ready/for those who love Him.” Heaven is better than we can possibly imagine. Oneness with the Lord is indeed the fulfillment of all our earthly desires.

I pray that the Holy Spirit will give you a profound peace which passes all understanding as you wade through the waters of grief and hold on to the promise of everlasting life...

"You are here for just a short time...to discover and believe that you are a beloved child of God." -Henri Nouwen

"For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come , nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."  Romans 8:38-39

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back…to the place from which I carried you into exile.”  Jeremiah 29:11-14

Exposing the Lies, Accepting the Truth, and Experiencing Healing

Many of the women and men who have been hurt by abortion, which is the #1 moneymaker of Planned Parenthood, have come to those of us who are praying for an end to abortion in order to share their stories about what happened to them, how it's affected them, etc. A major part of our ministry, prayer coverage, and practical support is in providing healing from the hurt they've experienced as a result of a choice they made.
    
Now many women who have had abortions and who later came to aid in performing abortions have experienced profound transformations when they've been honest with themselves and others about what they were thinking, feeling, what others did and said to them, what they chose, and what it's been like since that choice. I was thoroughly amazed by the courage of the women and girls, scientists, lawyers, and civil rights activists who speak out in the documentary BloodMoney.
    
There are few people whose testimonies and experiences with Planned Parenthood are more powerful than those who have had an abortion, worked in a clinic where they've led others to have abortions and/or assisted in the procedure itself, and have since seen the Truth about the sanctity of life.      No one wants to be lied to. No one wants to be told that what they experienced and have felt isn't valid. Well, many who are coming forward now, some whose stories I've heard because we're close friends, are proving to be incredible wounded healers once they've received the forgiveness God wants to give them for their sin.
    
I know that any time in my life when I've been open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, that the Lord has continued to show me the lies I have believed that have caused me pain as well as hurt others. I'm never going to have it all figured out. I'm always going to be in need of mind renewal this side of heaven. That being said, there are some Truths that I have experienced in such profound ways through the grace of God, that I've been completely transformed from the inside out.
    
Lies and deception are the devil's playground. They are where he operates. If each of us acknowledges that we don't have all the answers, but that God's Divine Truth supersedes all of our thoughts, arguments, and experiences to the contrary, then we realize the only way to discover the Truth and even attempt to live in it is to be willing to allow Him to replace our lie-based thinking, in every and all areas of our lives.
    
This reminds me of one of my favorite Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir songs which includes the lyrics: "we are not fighting flesh and blood, but principalities of the dark." What needs to be exposed most goes way deeper than Planned Parenthood or abortion, it goes much deeper than individuals, it can be traced back to basic lies that we have believed about God, humanity, how we're to treat one another, and what is truly good versus evil.

God Loves Me More Than That

Reading God Loves Me More Than That written by Dandi Daley Mackall and illustrated by David Hohn is a wonderfully imaginative way for children and adults to think about the unlimited scope of the Lord’s love. This book reminded me in some ways of Guess How Much I Love You classic written by Sam McBratney and illustrated by Anita Jeram. The love relationship between parent and child is explored in both. In this book, however, the intimate connection is between a child, God the Father and Jesus Christ.
    
This book hints about the magnitude of the Lord’s love for His children as it is expressed in Ephesians 3:17-19. It allows the child to go on an adventure to explore God’s profound affection. Carefully crafted metric rhymes and inviting illustrations draw you in to different aspects of nature and creation in order to give you some concrete comparisons for how “wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.”     
    
I’d definitely recommend this book. The rhymes are soothing and the illustrations are bright and colorful. I love that the focus is on the scope of God’s love and presents in such imaginative ways how great it is. What a wonderful mini meditation this is for children and adults to share together on the immeasurable love of the Lord.
    
I received God Loves Me More Than That for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group in exchange for this review. For more information about this book or to order your own copy, click here.

World Day for Consecrated Life 2011

     Many smiles and hugs were shared by all. A great deal of joy swept through the Pastoral Center yesterday. My mom had told me that Mass would be crowded Tuesday since they were celebrating World Day for Consecrated Life there. She was right. As I was walking in from the parking lot, I saw Sister Charlotte, who was in a very serious car accident a while back. She was walking using a cane, but she’d recovered remarkably well. I marveled at this woman who had gone every day to bring my grandma Communion when she was in St. Mary’s Hospital back in 2009. When she came in the building, a number of religious came up to her to tell her they’ve been praying for her. Her immediate response was: “Don’t stop!”
     It’s always been quite uplifting to hear when others have been praying for me. I could tell by the joy and surprise in their faces, all who knew Sister Charlotte were grateful their prayers for her recovery were being answered in such miraculous ways.
     I recognized many of the priests, sisters, and brothers in attendance.  Several women were there from St. Joseph's Little Sisters of the Poor, where my grandmother lives. I recognized some of the monks from Mary Mother of the Church Abbey, and others from various organizations and prayer groups I’d been involved in over the years.

Soulprint: Discovering Your Divine Destiny

Soulprint: Discovering Your Divine Destiny has a number of qualities I appreciate in a good spiritual book. Batterson uses Scripture, but then goes beyond what exactly is written in the Bible to create an even more true-to-life scenario to consider when looking at how God sees us, how others see us, and how we see ourselves. A variety of references and comparisons from different disciplines such as art, nonfiction books, psychological theories, and the author’s own life experiences make the insights into David’s life, his God-given uniqueness, and integrity that much easier to apply to our own lives.
 
Clearly Batterson is well-read, has a polished writing style, and the wisdom to know that there’s always room for improvement and ways we can each become more Christ-like. A very admirable trait of this book is that the author has the courage and humility to show the ways in which he has struggled with some of the same pitfalls as David.
   
Instead of coming across as an expert who has it all figured out and has appeared to show the rest of us how it’s done—I believe Christ already did that—Batterson illustrates the humanity, fragility, and vulnerability of the human spirit. Through concrete examples from his own life and ministry, he shows how and why we owe to the Lord to be true to the image we’re made in—God’s image.
   
The discussion questions in the last chapter are great for digging deeper to discover your “soulprint.” There are many questions that would be wonderful to consider and pray about, perhaps even journal on. The proposed group activities seem like they would be ideal for intimate group discussions.
    
To find out more about Soulprint or to order your copy, click here. I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

The Practice of Healing Prayer

The Practice of Healing Prayer: A How-To Guide for Catholics is a great introduction to the idea and movement that are based on the Holy Spirit’s ability to work in and through people to bring about healing. For a number of years, the Church sort of drifted away from the importance and power of laypeople in bringing about healing in mind, body, and/or spirit. Clergy and kings were the only ones “authorized” to anoint the sick or suffering at one point in time.
   
Former priest, now husband, father, and author, Francis MacNutt, Ph.D., has been working hard to revive the healing prayer movement in the Catholic Church. He and his wife Judith, cofounders of Christian Healing Ministries in Jacksonville, Florida, have developed their organization around the fundamental grace of healing God has given His children throughout the ages. This book includes information on the how, why, when, where, who, with and for whom of healing prayer, especially for laypeople in the Catholic Church.
    
The Practice of Healing Prayer helps open the eyes of Catholics to the Scriptural basis for Jesus Christ and his disciples healing others. It is a great source to learn more about the Charismatic Renewal Movement, which in many countries and ways, is leading the healing revival taking place in the Catholic faith as well as other Christian traditions.
    
I liked how MacNutt included and emphasized the inherent healing power of the sacraments of the Church. He brings up the medical connection, the role of doctors and modern medicine as part of the healing process God uses to transform our lives. He also gives plenty of examples of Jesus healing people in the New Testament and includes testimonies from people who have experienced healing recently through the laying on of hands and intercessory prayer.
    
The spiritual director for the Christ Renews His Parish formation team I served on this past summer recommended we read this book and discuss it at our next meeting. I have to say it’s a good choice. Though I’ve read and been learning more and more about the Charismatic Renewal over the past year, I found this particular book to be a great introduction and bridge, especially for Catholics who aren’t familiar with the movement or as well-versed in the laity’s role in healing ministry. Much of what he writes about is already being lived out in the Charismatic Renewal Movement as I’ve seen through the invitation of a friend of mine at church to become involved in their prayer meetings.
    
I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in learning more about how God, who is Perfect Physician and Wonderful Counselor, can and does use clergy and laity as vessels for His healing love.
    
You can purchase this book here.
    
I wrote this review of The Practice of Healing Prayer 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.

Seven Levels of Intimacy: The Joy of Loving and Being Loved

My husband and I have enjoyed the mixture of wisdom, faith, enthusiasm, and humor Matthew Kelly uses in his CDs, books, and speeches, so I figured we’d probably like The Seven Levels of Intimacy: The Joy of Loving and Being Loved DVD version of the book I recently read and reviewed by the same title. We both give it a thumbs up!
    
Many of the general statements Matthew Kelly makes about human nature and relationships, vulnerability and humility are extremely accurate. Since he started his ministry at the age of nineteen, he’s observed quite a bit, read and experienced a good deal, and has gleaned from all three of these elements in order to fine-tune his talk.
   
In this particular DVD, he’s talking to a group of people at a Catholic Singles Conference. He adeptly weaves in the theme of cultural bias against people who are single, and why not to buy into it.      He also underlines some major misconceptions our culture promotes that cause trouble in our relationships. Three of the big ones Kelly spends time on are: 1.) Good relationships are based mainly on common interests. 2.) Understanding is what makes a relationship really work. 3.) In a good relationship, there is no conflict.
    
Kelly explains why good relationships are instead based on a common purpose which he defines as becoming the best version of ourselves and helping others become the best versions of themselves. He shows how it is acceptance and healthy conflict that make for strong relationships rather than understanding and the absence of any disagreement.
    
This gentleman from Australia is certainly a very experienced, well-polished public speaker. I might have to say in some cases that his CDs and DVDs are in some ways better than his books, which cover much of the same material. The technique of repeating, summarizing, and repeating again while giving a talk seems wise and effective, whereas laboring over the same points in a book as many times as you would in a speech seems sloppy.
    
Truthfully, the only problem my husband and I had with the DVD is that the sound quality was really bad. If Matthew Kelly weren’t such a good speaker, my husband, a former sound man for bands and studio owner, wouldn’t have been able to sit and listen to the background noise and interference on the DVD.
    
I recommend this DVD for singles, couples, consecrated religious, priests, and anyone who is interested in improving any and all of their relationships.
    
You can purchase this DVD here. I wrote this review of Seven Levels of Intimacy: The Joy of Loving and Being Loved (DVD) 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.

March for Life 2011: Photos You're Not Going to See on the News

    Today I joined hundreds of thousands of people from around the country who have heard God's call to respect and protect human life from the moment of conception by attending the 38th annual March for Life in Washington D.C.  

     Along with several of our elected officials, both Republicans and Democrats, people from a variety of different religions and ethnic backgrounds, we came to pray, take a stand, make our voices heard, go on a march to tell our president, our government, our country that the majority of Americans are not okay with abortion and we certainly don't want our taxpayer dollars going to fund the killing of innocent children.   

Be Dazzled: Sudden Sparks of Inspiration

I’m often inspired by the kids I teach and take care of, but I had no idea what five hours with a creative nine-year-old would rekindle in me.

Her mom told me she liked to make jewelry and would be content to spend the entire time we were together coming up with new beaded creations. We went to the craft store where I’d been countless times since fifth grade in order to get some more supplies after making a few pieces of jewelry each.

By the time I got in the car to drive to the store, I was inspired again to take up a hobby I hadn’t done much of since I was in middle school. We picked out some more supplies for her bead collection, and I ended up getting several things so I could make jewelry for my mom and sisters for Christmas. I’ve had a blast getting back into jewelry-making all thanks to a day I got to spend with a nine-year-old who reminded me of a creative outlet I thoroughly enjoyed in my youth.     

When growing up my mom, Mary, and I did tons of arts and crafts. We loved making jewelry, and frequently made trips to Ben Franklin, a local craft store, for supplies. We had quite the collection of markers, crayons, colored pencils, glitter, sequins, beads, paper, paints, scissors, glue, clay, popsicle sticks, yarn, thread…and we made and decorated all kinds of things.
    
I’ve never really stopped doing arts and crafts. Working with children, I often get to use crayons, markers, glue, pretty papers, beads, yarn, and things. I also learned how to cross-stitch from my mom and how to knit from my grandma. I picked up scrapbooking and card making interests along the way.
     
I still love paper. Apparently, I have ever since I was little. My mom used to keep wrapping paper in the bottom drawer of the dresser in my room. I used to have so much fun taking it all out and flinging it around. I was nicknamed “the paper monster.” Now, I’m more likely to write on it, fold it, decorate it, etc., but it’s still fun to experiment with.
    
It’d been a while since I’d made jewelry more complicated than ten beads on stretchy string that’s virtually impossible to tie, especially around a squirmy little kid’s wrist or neck. I’m very grateful that a certain someone reignited my passion for making jewelry.
    
Lord, thank You for the many opportunities you give us each day to inspire others with our interests, our creativity, passion, knowledge, generosity, and curiosity. Help us to accept the invitations You give us to celebrate beauty and creativity. Amen.

Set Free to Love

Set Free to Love shows the powerful, life-changing effects of reading and studying John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. Through a series of stories from people of different ages, stages, vocations, and with quite varied life experiences, the reader is given some valuable insights into the teachings of the theology of the body and how they have completely changed the way many view the human body, sexuality, marriage, celibacy, and how God intends for us to glorify Him through these gifts.
    
The implications of the Biblical interpretations in Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body by John Paul II has revolutionized the way men and women see and treat themselves and others. My primary reason for reading this book after already having read and been thoroughly impressed by the masterpiece by Pope John Paul II is that the rather long tome is easier for me to recommend than it is for others to purchase and commit to reading cover-to-cover.
    
I was right in figuring that this book would serve as a good introduction and inspiration to delve into the true source of such wisdom, insight, and revelation into God’s creation of man and woman. The true stories contained in it definitely give a sufficiently intriguing look into the teachings of the theology of the body and how they have transformed many people’s thoughts, actions, lifestyles, even their career paths to be more in line with God’s will and unconditional love.
    
Now, I have found, Set Free to Love, a well-written and thought out 84 page book to recommend as a sample that will entice those serious about Bible study, God’s view of and love for creation, and/or the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church to put the time and effort into reading and learning more about the theology of the body.
    
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 Set Free to Love. They are also a great source for serenity prayer and baptism gifts.

Bloodmoney: A Documentary narrated by Alveda King

BloodMoney is a documentary I would also classify as a nonfiction horror film in which the most gory graphic images are left to the viewers’ imagination while the cold, hard facts are given outright by scientists, lawyers, historians, and former abortion clinic workers. Far scarier than fiction are the accounts of blood, dirty instruments, infant body parts, cash-only for quick death transactions, and a long list of life-long side effects.

    
I don’t watch horror films. I don’t like haunted houses. I don’t enjoy being scared, frightened, or terrified, but I have a passion for uncovering the truth, even if it leads me to conclusions and evidence that is extremely disturbing.
    
This documentary on the high profitability of abortion clinics, the conception of Planned Parenthood and its current work, the scientific research showing when life begins, and the scientifically and medically verified devastating side effects of abortion is narrated by Alveda King, Martin Luther King Jr.’s niece. It’s quite fitting that she has taken a strong stand against abortion that is as radical to some as her uncle’s was when it came to civil rights.      There were a number of times watching this film that I cringed or gasped aloud, not usually because of what I saw, but because of the scientific, medical, historical, even legal facts given. Some of them I’d heard and read elsewhere, others I was learning about for the first time.
    
What affected me the most was hearing the details about the practices and business plans of an abortion clinic from a clinician who spent a number of years in the industry. She plainly described the many unregulated, immoral, unethical, and often even illegal tactics and procedures she, the doctors, and staff other staff carried out .
    
Also very powerful are the testimonies of women who have had abortions talking about the experience, some of them a number of years after having had the procedure, sharing about the physical, emotional, and even spiritual scars this supposed “quick fix” has caused them.
    
If you are just learning about the ways we are called to respect and protect human life from conception to natural death or you have been in the pro-life movement for years, this documentary will educate you, move you, and likely inspire you to prayer and action.
    
Watch the movie trailer here. Find out more about the film and/or order your own copy at Bloodmoney Film.

The Seven Levels of Intimacy

Matthew Kelly’s done it again. He’s provided readers with an honest, open, and attainable process for improving all of our relationships. In The Seven Levels of Intimacy: The Art of Loving and the Joy of Being Loved, he talks about the purpose of life being to become the best version of ourselves and encourage others to become the best version of themselves.
   
After having read his book A Call to Joy and listening to the Lighthouse CD by the same name as well as the CD entitled Becoming the Best Version of Yourself, I’d heard many of his basic principles of personal growth already.     

As the title suggests, this book focuses on the varying levels of intimacy we have in relationships. Kelly includes a number of questions he invites readers to journal on as part of envisioning and creating concrete goals to improve our relationships, particularly with those most vital in our lives.
    
I am hoping my husband will read the book as well. The two of us have sat down and discussed dreams and goals in the past, but it’s been inspiring to have such a wonderful reminder of how important it is to continue making goals, sharing our dreams as individuals and as a married couple seeking to glorify the Lord through our covenant.
    
Much of what Kelly has written I’ve read or heard elsewhere, but the lessons are such fundamental ones for bringing about personal growth and strengthening relationships that we often glaze over them for more complex ideas and techniques.
    
This book serves as a good reminder of why we need to simplify our lives, reevaluate our purpose in life, and the priority we give to our relationships.
    
From a literary point of view, this isn’t a lyrical prose masterpiece. The language is plain, simple, and frequently repetitive. At times, it made me think of the Gospel of John or Gertrude Stein. From an English major/copy editor perspective, there’s much more that could be done to make this book grammatically and typographically the best version of itself.
    
I’d recommend reading this book. It’s a good refresher of the basics and invites the reader to take the time to learn about and from past and present relationships, then dream and consider for a bit what your ideal would be. Put that ideal on paper along with the small, attainable, measurable goals you will discipline yourself to do in order to improve your relationships and become the best version of yourself.

You can purchase this book here.
   
I wrote this review of The Seven Levels of Intimacy 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.

Ain't No Party Like a Catholic Party...

      Kevin and I had a lot of fun at the annual Cursillo Epiphany party held at St. Edward’s Saturday January 8, 2011. As I said in my Ultreya talk a couple years ago, getting together with our Cursillo friends is like coming together for a family reunion, except perhaps for the fancy nametags. We had the chance to catch up with many people who we consider family. We prayed together, ate together, danced, sang, laughed, talked, and cleaned up together.

     There were delicious barbecue, many homemade side dishes and scrumptious desserts. The DJ played music we could dance to, besides the Elvis songs played in honor of his birthday. Laura, my friend since middle school and babe chick since last summer, and I had fun dancing to the swing, the electric slide, and some good old rock’n’roll.

If Today You Hear His Voice...

The refrain of Psalm 95 and the Gospel reading from Mark 1:40-45 really got me thinking during and since Mass. The Responsorial Psalm was “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” The phrase made me think of some of the conditions I’ve sometimes put on my submitting completely to God’s will.

Our family moved many times when I was growing up, and I hated it, so sometimes I’ve been praying to be open to new opportunities God might have in store, but then I’ll tack on some proviso such as, but I don’t want to have to move, again.
    
In Mark 1: 40-42, Jesus reaches out to one of the untouchables in society in order to heal him. “A leper came to him and kneeling down begged him and said, ‘If you wish, you can make me clean.’ Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched the leper, and said to him, ‘I do will it. Be made clean.’The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.”
    
For a number of reasons, this Gospel really hit home for me. Many times I’ve examined the attitude and circumstances of those individuals Jesus heals in mind, body, and/or spirit. In this instance, the humility and courage the leper must have been graced with to come up to Jesus seem necessary in order for the miracle of healing to occur. It’s rather remarkable that a man who society forced to live away from everyone else because of his illness was willing to risk further rejection and humiliation by approaching Christ. What tremendous trust and faith this man had, through the grace of God!
    
Another aspect of this story that jumps out at me is that the leper doesn’t ask to be made clean, but he simply expresses the faith and Truth that if Jesus wills something, He can carry it out.
    
I know miracles happen. I’ve seen and experienced some quite remarkable ones. I still have found that one of the hardest for me to believe without any doubts is that the Lord will remove a serious illness someone’s struggled with for years. The truth is, if God wills it, then He can and does bring it about. Frequently things may not happen how we thought they might, and often events don’t transpire in the timing we imagined, but if it’s part of His plan, then it will happen eventually.
    
Last night at our Christ Renews His Parish meeting we reflected on a Scripture passage using the method of meditation called Lectio Divina. Two things came to me when we had time for silent reflection. The first was to pray that I would do whatever is necessary to submit completely to the Lord’s will. The second was simply a statement: “healing is coming.”
    
Lord, please help us to open our hearts to the healing You know we need most. Help us submit to Your will, no matter what it means we must endure, so that we are made into better tabernacles for You, more effective vessels of love and healing. Amen.

Christ Renews His Parish, yet again!

It’s hard to believe that I didn’t know these women last year at this time. They were smiling faces among the thousands of people who attend our parish until a day and a half last February gave me the opportunity to meet and spend time getting to know some amazing women of faith.
    
Though I haven’t had the chance to get together with everyone as often as we did when our team was in formation, we have had some great times together recently. One CRHP sister had a really fun Halloween costume party. We gathered for Christmas festivities at a local library, and many drove over the river and through the woods to a really fun Epiphany party.
    
Last Sunday, one of our team members got up at Mass to give the ten reasons to make a Christ Renews His Parish (CRHP) weekend. I couldn’t help but smile when she said that you could sign your spouse up for the retreat. That’s what I did last year, and Kevin not only went on the weekend, but he also served on the formation team after that and is giving a talk on this upcoming Men’s weekend as well.
    
She then asked all of us in the congregation who had attended a CRHP weekend to stand. We did, and she invited all of those who had not yet made a weekend to ask us about our experiences. I looked around and saw many men and women in our parish who I know would get so much from (and give so much to) those on the retreat.
    
This evening we met in the upper room of Martin’s for a time of quiet prayer, lectio divina and reflection, then followed it with our usual food, fellowship, and laughter. We talked about the meal we’re going to make and serve for the upcoming Women’s CRHP weekend.
    
Hopefully enough people will sign up for both the Men’s and Women’s weekends, so the formation teams who have been working so hard for months will get to put on the retreats they’ve prepared.
    
If you had the chance to invest a day and a half to grow closer to God and thereby become a better parent, a better spouse, a better friend, would you take it? Yes. Then sign up for a local Christ Renews His Parish retreat!  Here are two examples of parishes that have used the CRHP program for a number of years: St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church and St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church.
      
Links to two great articles for general info about Christ Renews His Parish are: here and here.
      
If there are no nearby parishes with CRHP, a formation team can be requested through the CRHP national office:

CHRIST RENEWS HIS PARISH P. O. Box 19100 Cleveland, OH 44119
Office: (216) 731-7903 (voice mail)
FAX: (216) 481-1666
Evening: (440) 338-8469
E-Mail: CRHPFW@aol.com

Who Is Jesus Christ?

I’m usually someone who devours books instead of reading a chapter at a time, writing down answers to the reflection questions in my spiritual/prayer journal, and occasionally only reading one chapter in a day. Who Is Jesus Christ?: Unlocking the Mystery in the Gospel of Matthew by Eric Sammons was a good read that I digested over a longer period of time than I normally spend on one book.
    
There are several Scripture passages quoted throughout the book, and each chapter ends with its own set of reflection questions that could be used for personal reflection or group discussion.
Some of the questions, which could very easily be ones a spiritual director would ask, inspired me to write several pages in my spiritual/prayer journal. Others made me stop and think, then pray for a bit.     
I love how Sammons tied together Old Testament and New Testament readings in order to show how Jesus Christ is indeed the fulfillment of the many prophecies made in the Old Testament. Examining each of the names of Christ for each chapter did provide a good mélange of who the Son of Man was in a variety of situations.
    
Oftentimes, I’ve felt closer to God the Father, the Holy Spirit, and have felt Jesus is a bit at a distance, except of course, in the Eucharist. I was intrigued by this book’s title for many reasons. No matter how many books I’ve read, songs I’ve heard, prayers I’ve prayed, God continues showing me new things about Himself. By looking at the names of Jesus that others called Him and what He called Himself, I have felt a bit closer. 
    
This is a good read that even avid readers who tend to speed through books like I do can slow down to let the wisdom of the Word sink in.
     
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 Who Is Jesus Christ? Unlocking the Mystery . They are also a great source for first communion gifts and baptism gifts.

Repentance Is a Daily Decision

     I could identify very well with Fr. Peter’s homily today during which he reminded us a number of times that: “Repentance is a daily decision.” He drove home the point that identifying our sinfulness and being genuinely sorry in the depths of our hearts is something we must do each day.
     Yesterday I accidentally dropped the Precious Body of Christ and today I almost stole something from the Diocese of Richmond Pastoral Center, but even without two such mishaps, I’ve been increasingly aware of the desperate need I have for the Lord’s mercy.  It's just now many others are even more aware of that need in me as well.

The Solemnity of Mary, Queen of Peace, Mother of God

I’ve had a very strong devotion to the Blessed Mother for a number of years. I know the Lord has used her example and intercession to help me grow closer to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Mary was willing to do what God calls us each to do: put Him before everyone and everything else now and always.
 
When she was asked to be the Mother of Christ, she didn’t say something to the effect of: “I don’t know (or flat-out no), it wouldn’t be good for my reputation or my family if I became pregnant before living with my betrothed. Actually, since I would likely be stoned to death since that’s the punishment for a woman who becomes pregnant out of wedlock, I think I’ll pass.”
  
She asked how this would come to pass and is told: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (Luke 1:34-35). Instead of fretting over what her parents would think, what Joseph would say, what her friends might start whispering behind her back, Mary had the grace and trust in the Lord to respond with: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38).

What a wonderful example Mary was of being open to the Lord’s grace and willing to serve Him in whatever ways He calls us to be vessels, holy tabernacles for the Holy Spirit! There have been countless times when I’ve prayed to know God’s will and have the courage to carry it out, but at the same time, I’ve had a million things come to mind about what might happen in terms of adversity, struggle, pain, or suffering, if I submit to the Lord completely in mind, body, and spirit. I know doing so means He’ll likely bring about some major changes in and around me that will bring me closer to Him. Some of the Divine Pruning will be quite painful, though, absolutely necessary.
  
“Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord. My spirit rejoices in God my Savior’” (Luke 1:46-47. These two statements seem to sum up what every person is called to do: be a tabernacle which reflects and projects the Lord and rejoice in the God who saves us.
  
Lord, thank You for the gift of Your Son Jesus and the Blessed Mother of God, who always point others to You. Please help us be open to whatever is necessary for us to become holier tabernacles for You. Plant Your will in our hearts and make it our deepest desire and most fervent longing. Amen.