Evangelii Gaudium The Joy of the Gospel

Genuine joy is contagious in the best possible way.  When we have good news, we look forward to sharing it with others in person, over the phone, in a letter, an e-mail, a text, a Tweet, a Facebook message, a blogpost...so they can celebrate with us. 

     
A marriage engagement, new baby, new job, a long-awaited conversion, another life saved, a loved one who is healed…are all exciting developments we want to shout from the rooftops.     

     
We have the best Good News there is: God is with us and in us.  He became man, suffered, died, and rose again that we might live life to its fullest.  Our time on Earth isn’t all there is.  Because of the Lord’s infinite love and perfect plan for our salvation, we are invited to spend all eternity with our Creator, Savior, and Father.  It doesn’t get any better than that.

     
In his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (aka The Joy of the Gospel), Pope Francis expounds upon the advantages of sharing the faith with a spirit of praise and rejoicing.  In a tone and with suggestions reminiscent of St. Francis of Assisi, our pope tells us we are called to reach out to the poor, elderly, outcasts, those who are marginalized or on the fringes of society in our own towns and around the world with the love of Christ. 

     
Doing what the Lord calls us to do, carrying out His will, taking care of the people He’s placed in our lives, and growing closer to Jesus are what bring us true and lasting joy in life.  Who better than a humble man from Latin America, who recognizes we each have in us a spark of God that is beautiful and unique, to write a proposition for a renewed evangelization? 

     
The best testimony of how to evangelize joyfully can be seen in the way Pope Francis lives the Gospel each day.  Whether he is washing someone’s feet on Holy Thursday, calling someone he’s never met to share his condolences, or rallying the youth, he illustrates how serving others, compassion, and relationships are essential to missionary work. 

     
There are great need and suffering all around us.  Many of us have a number of gifts and resources we can use to help others have their most basic needs met.  Are we willing to open our eyes to what is happening in our families, our neighborhoods, our cities, our country, our world, and allow God to transform us to reach out and take action?  If we are, then we’re ready to participate in the new evangelization.          

     
We are invited to be as cheerful and enthusiastic in our discovery and expression of God’s love as we would be if we had a surprise visit from one of our favorite people on the planet.  Hugs, I’ve missed you, I love you are all part of the effervescent greeting.  You feel your heart leap simply being in a dear one’s presence.    

     
This past spring I served on a Cursillo Women’s team with a great group.  One of the women on the team lost not one, but two loved ones during our time in formation.  She made a huge impression on me when she quoted this passage from The Gospel of Joy in her talk: “An evangelizer must never look like someone who has just come back from a funeral!” If anyone could justifiably be a little grumpy or down, she qualified, but that’s not what she did. 

     
What's more, she witnessed to me this aspect of the exhortation and included it in her talk:  “Let us recover and deepen our enthusiasm… And may the world of our time, which is searching, sometimes with anguish, sometimes with hope, be enabled to receive the good news not from evangelizers who are dejected, discouraged, impatient or anxious, but from ministers of the Gospel whose lives glow with fervor, who have first received the joy of Christ.”

     
I finished reading The Joy of the Gospel for the second time in mid-November.  The first time I’d read it was when my mom let me have the copy she’d printed out to read.  It is just as uplifting the second time as it was the first. 

     
This go-round I was more aware of how difficult it is for me to grasp and exude the sort of hope Pope Francis shows is necessary to draw people closer to Christ.  For much of my life, I’ve taken a very legalistic, rule-oriented approach to things—one that by itself isn’t likely to attract or interest anyone in the Catholic faith.  My husband Kevin’s better at joy than I usually tend to be. 

     
I find it true poetic justice that while I was rereading The Joy of the Gospel my husband was listening to The United States Catholic Catechism on CD.  Kevin’s not a voracious reader like I am, and he certainly didn’t grow up with a penchant toward knowing and following the rules, like me, so this is definitely a Holy Spirit inspired activity that’s bulking up his knowledge of the faith in which he was raised.  We’ve both been led to grow in areas the Lord knew we needed help with, and hopefully, we’ll be better prepared to live out the joy of the Gospel.

I highly recommend reading and/or rereading The Joy of the Gospel.  I received a free copy of the book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.  For more information or to get your own copy of The Joy of the Gospel, click here.

Why Be Catholic? Ten Answers to a Very Important Question by Patrick Madrid

When I read the title of this book to my husband, he said: “Cause it’s good for you.”  I had to laugh and couldn’t argue.  Fortunately, others have put a bit more thought into their answer.  Why be Catholic is a question I’ve been asked in a myriad of different ways.  My answers have always been tailored to the person in front of me, though sometimes with limited success.  

Here’s a succinct answer for you by popular author and president of the Catholics Apologetics Academy Patrick Madrid to the question why be Catholic: “because in the Catholic Church you will receive everything in its fullness that God desires to give you to make you happy and free” (p.208). 

     
In Why Be Catholic? Madrid describes the fundamentals of the faith as well as the historical and Biblical accounts and proof for why the Catholic Church is the one true faith begun by Christ.  He devotes an entire chapter to clarify the doctrines on the Blessed Mother and another one solely to clean up the plethora of common misconceptions about papal infallibility and succession.  He explains why the Church is holy, though it always has and always will be made up of sinful people. 

     
The part I found the most fascinating was on which religious orders have seen vocations on the rise and why.  We’re reminded to pray for vocations all the time in our diocese, and rightly so; we certainly need them.  Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) “Vocations Report” indicates a significant rise “in vocations to religious orders in which the Catholic faith is proclaimed and lived out uncompromisingly and without ambiguity.” (p. 190)  This makes total sense.  It takes strong catechesis taught unwaveringly by priests, deacons, religious, and the lay faithful in order to bring people closer to Christ and to a deeper understanding of and appreciation for the basic tenets of the Catholic faith. 

     
What’s missing in many places?  A dynamic duo that can’t be subverted: prayer and proper catechesis for all ages.  If Catholics don’t know what the Church teaches and why, then it’s difficult, if not impossible for them to live it out much less explain it to others. 

     
There has been an unfortunate trend for a number of priests, deacons, and lay leaders to emphasize some Church teachings while completely neglecting others, especially those that are controversial and countercultural.  Something I once heard a priest say in a sermon has stuck with me: “A lie is never pastoral.”  He told us that one of his professors in seminary would often remind them that.  Lying about and/or purposefully refraining from informing people about what the Lord is asking them to do in order to live in the fullness of His love is a tremendous disservice.   

     
We are all called to grow closer to the Lord.  This is the crux of the New Evangelization.  So how do we begin?  By being open to ongoing personal conversion and lifelong faith formation.  It is even more necessary that the lay faithful remain committed to ongoing formation, because many aren’t getting the fullness of the Catholic teachings, not even from the priests, deacons, or lay leaders of their parishes.

     
Madrid also provides a good refresher on Catholic social teaching and doctrine—which is even more essential to have spelled out when the media keeps skewing what is part and parcel of the faith—not an optional side item from the Protestant buffet.

     
I highly recommend Why Be Catholic? for all who have been asked this question as well as for all those who have made such an inquiry.  Patrick Madrid uses humor and a wealth of wisdom to provide ten answers to a very important question. 

     
For more information about Why Be Catholic? or to order your copy, click here.  I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

Candles in the Dark: The Authorized Biography of Fr. Richard Ho Lung and The Missionaries of the Poor

Candles in the Dark has been in a stack on one of our bookshelves for a while now.  Saint Benedict Press sent it to me thinking it would be something of interest to me.  They were right, but it wasn’t the right time for me to read it, yet.  I’ve considered picking it up a few times, but then ended up choosing other books to read which, as the Holy Spirit would have it, were exactly what I needed at that time. 

   
The other day when I was attending daily Mass at St. Benedict’s a young man in front of me who is a very devout and joyful Catholic was wearing a T-shirt with a quote on it from Fr. Richard Ho Lung and the Missionaries of the Poor (MOP).  Yes, God will speak to us however He likes, even through the messages on T-shirts.  The quote and priest quoted reminded me of the book once more.  Intrigued, I removed Candles in the Dark and dove in.

    
Is he a male Mother Teresa as some have said?    Both of them were called to the religious life and were teaching when they each received what’s been described as “a call within a call” to serve the poorest of the poor, those left literally and figuratively, to die in the streets.  They are each devoted to prayer, living among and serving the poor, and using their clout to speak out about the atrocities of our times. But the answer is not really.

    
I can’t think of a better time for me to be reading a book about a man who has devoted his life to serving the poor.  Fr. Richard Ho Lung is nicknamed the “Ghetto” priest for good reason.  The slums in Jamaica are where he was born, where he lives now, and that’s where he has been called to serve Christ “in distressing disguise.”  Some know him because of his illustrious singing career.  Not only has he had a number of hit songs, but he has also written and produced full-length musicals and operas.  Others are familiar with him because of his success as a distinguished literature professor, poet, and Jesuit priest.    

    
As has happened a number of times throughout my life, there is someone whose health and well-being I’m very concerned about who is of no relation to me.  Wondering and praying about what course of action would be best while reading the story of Fr. Richard Ho Lung’s life and the Missionaries of the Poor reminded me that I should not limit what I am willing to do if God asks me to.  I’ve needed this reminder often in life, so this was another way of repeating the lesson.  Consulting the proper authorities as well as other concerned parties, I’ve now taken a good first step toward getting help for an unsafe living situation.

    
One of the things I really appreciated about Candles in the Dark is that Fr. Ho Lung talks about how disgusted and repulsed he was by the condition he would find people living in, but he always knew that he was ministering to Christ in each person he helped.  I have definitely experienced and found myself in some situations I’d rather avoid, but when God brings us into them with the intent that we be an agent of change, we eventually get the courage to speak up. 

    
I’m really hoping to find and view one of Fr. Richard Ho Lung’s musicals sometime soon.  I admire him greatly as a man who has answered the call to be a man of prayer, hope, and love to the many people God has brought and will continued to bring into his life.

     
I highly recommend Candles in the Dark: The Authorized Biography of Fr. Richard Ho Lung and the Missionaries of the Poor by Joseph Pearce.  The writing is genuine, fresh, and captures the priest’s personality, faith, and passion for serving the poor.  I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  For more info or to get your own copy of Candles in the Dark, click here.

Glory Bee to God!

A cute little Carmelite postulant named Michele Morris sent Kevin and me a care package with instructions on the outside  that we were to open it together. 

When she’d written at Eastertime, our dear friend/sister in Christ, mentioned she had a surprise for us.  We never in a million years could have guessed what it would be.   

    
Ever since the spring a few years ago when I gave Michele a Pieta prayer book, we’ve been talking about “glory bees.”  In the prayer book is a Novena to St. Thérѐse of Lisieux which includes twenty-four “Glory Be to the Father” prayers each day.  Upon seeing this, she turned to me and exclaimed: “That’s a lot of Glory Be’s!”  At which point we both started laughing imagining bees with halos buzzing around glorifying God.  Thus began our affection for “glory bees.”

    
That Easter, I presented Michele with a stuffed animal bumblebee with candy in the zippered pocket and a makeshift halo out of silver pipe cleaner.  It was one of the few personal possessions she brought with her when she entered the Carmelite Monastery of Our Lady and St. Thérѐse.  Subsequent gifts to one another after that Easter often carried a theme of bumblebees.  I have a bumblebee pillow pet, a tall mug featuring a cartoon drawing of our adopted mascot, and a pair of yellow and black striped knee socks with bees on them all from Michele.

    
When learning to make rosaries, Michele thought it would be fun to make “Glory Bee Rosaries” for Kevin and me.  She was given permission to do so.  We are now the humbled owners of the first two “Glory Bee Rosaries.”  The community liked the idea, so she made a whole batch of them to go to the mission in Uganda.  With some bee research under her wings, she came up with a brochure using for graphics the picture of the bee I gave her with the halo and some of the bee graphics I used in making a memory book for her before she left. 

    
Inside the package was one self-portrait drawn with brown marker, one “Glory Bee Rosaries” brochure, two black and yellow beaded rosaries, and a five page handwritten letter from Michele.  I was laughing as I read the letter out loud about how she went from learning to make rosaries, to being inspired to make “Glory Bee Rosaries” for Kevin and me, to the project being blessed by the community. 

     Here’s an excerpt of her letter:

    For Trisha the gift is special in other ways as well.  It is also for you:

1.      A bridesmaids gift.  In thinking about and cherishing our “Girls Day Out” it occurred to me that as the bride-to-be I never did give you a bridesmaids gift-as is custom.  So I made one for you as well as Carrie and Betty J

2.      Something tangible to hold onto as reassurance that I am with you and praying for you.

3.      Tangible evidence that God does indeed work through you—inspiring others—good inspirations. 

Since July 16 is the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel as well as the two-year anniversary of the first performance of “Teresita” the original play Michele wrote, directed, and performed, and also the day when Michele received the letter accepting her as a postulant to the Carmelite Sisters by the Sea, I thought I’d share this story and the joy it has brought us. 

Discerning Our Charisms & How God Wants Us to Share Them

In May our parish gave out a booklet titled Discern Our Charisms as part of the Increased Commitment Campaign for 2014.  I’m glad they’ve provided one of these for each of us to fill out, because I can’t for the life of me locate the charisms survey I took some eight years ago in spiritual direction.  I’m sure it’s here somewhere, but I haven’t found it, yet.  Maybe that’s just as well, because discernment is an ongoing process and our gifts and what we’re called to do with them can certainly, and often do change over time.  I would be very interested to see the particular charisms I identified eight years ago which are still very much a part of who I am now as I know a number of them would overlap with the results I reached through examination and prayer this go-round.

    
During the month of June, each person is being asked to complete a Ministry Commitment Form for July 2014-June 2015.  All of the current ministry rosters are being considered null and void.  If you want to participate in a ministry that you have done in the past, you have to register to be part of it again.  If you’re ready to take on or at least learn about a new ministry, you’re encouraged to do so.  This is a big leap of faith, in my opinion.  There are so many different ministries to be involved with and through our parish that it takes more than a full page of legal-size paper just to list them all.

That was then, this is now

I realize it says a great deal about my personality and way of looking at things that reviewing the sheet of all the ministries at our church, I feel bad that I’m not involved in more of them rather than simply grateful that we have so many opportunities for outreach.  Processing and praying has helped me move from feeling I’m not doing enough to being grateful for the many gifts we have in our parish that we use to serve others, while being more aware of the specific ministries we’ve been called to focus on at this point in our lives. 

    
This has been a period of pretty intense discernment for Kevin and me as we have been praying about what ministries to be involved in and what God’s calling us to in terms of our work and careers.  I’m feeling greater peace now that the Lord has shown me the ministries we’re involved in are where He wants us to be devoting our time and energy right now. 

    
For a while, we’ve been serving as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion.  We served regularly at the Sunday 5:30pm Mass and have been filling in as substitutes as needed more recently when our Cursillo commitments have had us at different Masses and sometimes even different parishes from one week to the next.  We do miss taking up most of a row at Mass with the three silly sisters and their parents, but fortunately, we got to be together for Mass and dinner afterward on Father’s Day.

Christ Renews His Parish

Kevin and I have both made a Christ Renews His Parish (CRHP) weekend and served on the teams for the next weekends put on at our parish.  I still gather pretty regularly with my CRHP sisters, both as a group and individually. I first met a friend who introduced me to a couple of other ministries I hadn’t known about before: the Charismatic Prayer Group and Theophostic Prayer Ministry.  This friend has since moved to Chicago to attend pharmacy school, but the connections she created before leaving remain strong.    

 

Theophostic Prayer Ministry

Through that prayer group and because of that friend, I learned about a very powerful type of healing ministry called Theophostic Prayer Ministry (TPM).  She invited me to attend a session with her in Chesapeake, Virginia, and that’s how I met the people at our parish and at New Creation Renewal Center who would journey with me as I witnessed and experienced the healing that the Holy Spirit does through this ministry. 

When they began a group in Richmond that would study Theophostic Prayer, I eagerly joined.  Over the past few years, I’ve been studying and learning everything I can about Theophostic Prayer Ministry through books, workbooks, DVDs, live demonstrations, and by practicing doing the ministry with people who have been doing this for over ten years now.  Over this next year, I will be completing the live practicum portion of my training as a TPM facilitator with the hope that in the summer of 2015, I’ll be ready to take part in a three-day intensive workshop with Dr. Edward Smith, the pastor and counselor who developed this ministry and has been teaching it around the world.  

Spiritual Direction Institute

Kevin and I have begun a two-year course modeled after Monsignor Chester Michael’s Spiritual Direction Institute (SDI) program.  We had our first class last Saturday.  As part of the program, we commit to spending one hour in prayer in addition to doing one hour of study (faith formation) five days each week for the duration of the program. We have two retreats each year.  We have to read at least one book a month and write a one page book report on it.  Obviously this is a big chunk of time and a major commitment which we took time to discern carefully and prayerfully.

    
Anyone who knows me knows that I devour books, often ones that are spiritual and/or religious in nature, so reading a book each month and doing a book report isn’t intimidating for me at all.  The possible challenges posed to me through prayer and when it comes to applying to what I’ve learned from the books is likely to be the most difficult aspect of the process for me.  I knew it would be the prompting of the Holy Spirit if Kevin, who doesn’t usually read books and rarely sits down to write much of anything, discerned now is the time for him to go through this program as well.

Cursillo

We learned about the SDI program from active members in another ministry which we have been very involved in over the past eight years: Cursillo.  Kevin and I attended our first Ultreya  at St. Edward’s the spring of 2006.  We walk into the school hall where the Ultreya was being held, and the first two people we meet are Mary, who was pregnant, and Joseph.  I kid you not.  The married couple who greeted us that evening are actually named Mary and the husband goes by Joey for short.  Their son’s name is Isaiah.  They are still a wonderful, joyful part of our Cursillo family.       

    
We have been members of the Cursillo community since June 2006 when I made my weekend at Mary Mother of the Church Abbey and sat at the table Sea of Conviction, but we renamed ourselves the Spiritual Divas, and that’s how we’re known in the community.  Kevin made his in September 2006.  We’ve each served on team before and were asked to do so again this year.  I served on team for the Women’s Cursillo Weekend that took place April 2014.      

    
Kevin is currently in team formation for the Men’s Cursillo Weekend being held July 24-27, 2014.  I have been a contributor and the editor of the Cursillo newsletter, The Rooster Review, for the past seven plus years.  I’ve lost track of the number of candidates Kevin and I have sponsored and/or co-sponsored to go on Cursillo weekends, but I’m certain it’s over ten. 

    
Through our involvement in Cursillo, we have met some of the most faithful, dynamic, and dedicated Christians we know.  Our close friends, many of whom are already strong people of faith, have been reenergized by making a Cursillo.  The Cursillo Movement is an international, proven method of evangelization designed to bring people closer to Christ in all areas of their lives.  

Something Other than God: How I Passionately Sought Happiness and Accidentally Found It

Prepare to be inspired by Something Other than God.  Oh, wait, Jennifer Fulwiler already tried that approach, and it didn’t go at all the way she planned.  The high-powered job, racy sports car, fancy house, decadent parties, and expensive vacations she thought were essential to be content in life weren’t enough.    

    
Fulwiler relentlessly pursued wealth and the finer things.  She met and married someone as ambitious and single-minded as she was when it came to work and worldly measures of success.  They were on the way up the corporate ladder to the penthouse suite when the arrival of a small, helpless human being changed everything.  It was more than sleep deprivation and the weight of being responsible for the safety and well-being of a newborn that made her question all aspects of her life up to that point.  Though she fought against such introspection, she was most distraught over losing her grasp of atheism.

    
Raised as an atheist who made fun of the many Christians around her trying to talk her into accepting Christ as her personal Savior, she was horrified to find herself being drawn to answers that were beyond her understanding and comfort level—ones certainly above her pay-grade.  She became obsessed with reading about Christianity, the Bible, researching as much as she could, and questioning everything along the way. 

    
As you can imagine, there are some very amusing scenarios that factor into Fulwiler’s full-blown existential crisis.  Conversion Diary, the blog she began so she could ask the tough questions about Christianity, morality, ethics, and get responses from people who were willing to answer her questions and concerns on both an intellectual level as well as a spiritual one remains tremendously popular.  What started as a hobby as she was seeking Truth, opened her up to the Catholic faith and a vocation of sharing her journey with others through her humorous writing, harrowing, often humbling tales of motherhood, and her struggle against her tendencies to be a mostly inert introvert.

    
There are a number of people I’ve thought of whom I’d love to have read Something Other than God.  Fulwiler writes in a compelling way that brings to light the many questions she grappled with and the answers she came to over time.  This memoir is an account of how one woman set out to achieve worldly success and how, through the grace of God, she discovered a greater longing, a deeper void, which nothing and no one other than God can fill.  Fulwiler slaved over this memoir while raising several young children, dodging dubious scorpions, inadvertently providing exercise entertainment for her neighbors, and attempting creative ways to corral her children enough to maintain her sanity (most of the time), so the least you can do is buy it, read it, and recommend it to all your friends—atheist or otherwise. 

     
For more information about this book or to order your copy, click here.  To read more about Jennifer Fulwiler's current life events, funny happenings, and daily struggles, check out her blog Conversion Diary.  I received a free copy of this book from Aquinas and More in exchange for an honest review.

A Subtle Grace by Ellen Gable

A Subtle Grace is the latest masterpiece by bestselling author/editor Ellen Gable.  It is the sequel to the award-winning novel In Name Only.  I’ve really been looking forward to this sequel because I was so thoroughly impressed by the first book, which vividly depicts the lives of the O’Donovan family in the late eighteen hundreds.  I love when I get so drawn into a book that I can picture myself in the scenes and have a real sense of the thoughts and emotions surging through the characters.  She blends dialogue and descriptive prose to create full-bodied personalities.  It is easy to identify and relate to each person’s unique charms, quirks, and flaws. 

  
There are scenes in certain books, plays, and movies that stick with us because of how disturbing or upsetting they are.  Maybe it’s an image from one of the ghost stories popular at sleepovers or an urban legend that hits a little too close to home.  We can all think back to a particular scenario we’ve envisioned and relive the emotions as if it was happening to us in the present.  Adrenalin starts pumping.  Our heart beats faster.  Our palms sweat.  Our muscles tense.  Every sound is amplified and ominous.  We are sure of our safety, nevermore. 

  
In each of these novels, there are a number of scenes I found myself reacting to on a visceral level because of how powerfully crafted and carefully portrayed they are.  The suspense made me not want to put the books down even when the turn of events caused me to cringe.  Gable manages to treat a number of the scenarios I would definitely include in my top five biggest fears of all time in ways that compel me to continue onward through the horror and devastation to discover what’s waiting on the other side.  I can’t exactly say that I enjoy feeling awful, but to me it’s a mark of good storytelling if you can get me to empathize with the characters so deeply that a real sense of sorrow rises within me when they are suffering and a genuine joy comes over me when they have triumphed over it.

  
This is one of my favorite contemporary works of Catholic fiction.  (For purposes of classification, I'm defining contemporary as works written between the 1980 and today) .  The storytelling is masterful, the characters fascinating, and the writing is of high literary quality.  People are imperfect—past, present, and future—but each is given the opportunity to grow, change, learn, and be redeemed.  In this story it’s shown how the greatest mistake of our lives can be turned into one of the most amazing blessings and even be a source of hope for others.  Life’s messy.  People are complex.  We’ve all got some skeletons in our closets, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t also fit some trophies and triumphs in there as well. 

A Subtle Grace has all of the elements that good Catholic fiction should.  For more information about In Name Only or A Subtle Grace, click here.  I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.            

A Letter to Graduates

Dear Graduate,

    
Congratulations!  You did it!  Who knew that you’d one day make it so far, overcome so many obstacles, embrace so many new opportunities, and develop such wonderful friendships?  God did.  He’s known all along the passions in your heart and how you would and will continue to inspire others.   

   
My wish, hope, and prayers for you are that throughout your life you will grow in your awareness of God’s unconditional love, endless mercy, and unbounded joy so that you can continue being a source of living hope to all who come into contact with you.

   
There are some important lessons to remember as you move to the next step in your journey.  People and relationships are far more important than money, worldly success, awards, or prestige.  You are God’s Beloved Child.  I can almost hear some of you asking: "Who me?!"  To which I'd respond with a resounding, "Yes, you!"  

 
God has, does, and will always love you more than anyone else has, does, or can—even your parents, grandparents, family members, closest friends, or your spouse.  Almighty God is the only who one can and will always be with you, and, despite occasional thoughts and feelings to the contrary, He will never abandon or forsake you. 

   
I found it to be so easy to get caught up in my own hopes and dreams or to make my decisions and assess my worth based on the evaluations I receive from others.  Above all, though, we are to seek the Will of the Lord in all areas of our lives and accept the abundance of blessings He provides for us to live that out.  It is the only plan which is best for everyone involved in time and eternity.  We are encouraged and created to move, grow, and have our being in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Any good gifts we have come from Him. Any good we can do for others flows from Him through us.  Only in uniting yourself with the Source of All Love and life will you be a most effective vessel and conduit of love, compassion, generosity, and kindness. 

   
May you keep prayer a source of hope and healing in mind and heart as you seek and guide others in search of goodness, beauty, and Truth. 

     
It can be a little nerve-racking at times to move from one stage of life to the next, especially when it means saying goodbye to loved ones, a particular way of life, a gathering place for friends, but you’re well-equipped to go out into the world and continue making a difference doing what comes naturally to you. 

   
Be gentle with yourself during times of transition. 

   
Who you are is your gift to others and God’s gift to the world. Embrace that truth and live your life to the fullest.  God danced the day you were born and has been elated by you ever since.  Remember that you are loved and lovable because of who you are and whose you are—not because of what you do.  Your value has already been established as a child of God.  No other accolades, honors, or awards are needed to establish your worth.  It just is.

   
The greatest gifts bestowed upon us are those most precious in time and eternity: a love for family and friends, a true compassion for others, a concern for those less fortunate, an active prayer life, ongoing study and faith formation, being part of Christian community, performing actions that provide for the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual needs of others, and a yearning to do God’s will that are fueled by a desire to spend all of eternity with the angels, saints, and the loved ones who have gone before us to Heaven knowing that Christ's life, death, and resurrection have bought us eternal salvation.

   
“All things work for good for those who love God…”  The best in your life is yet to come.  Trust me—the wildest adventures, the most longed for opportunities, the most ecstatic joys, the most unusual challenges, the deepest love, the most profound mercy, and the best blessings beyond all of your hopes and dreams are yet to come for you!  

    

God bless and love from your sister in Christ, Trisha

Catholicism: A Body Both Suffering and Glorious by Fr. Robert Barron

In the spirit of the New Evangelization and with the intention of illuminating the beauty, reverence, and relevance of the Catholic faith in this day and age, Father Robert Barron serves as a knowledgeable, thought-provoking guide to some of the most awe-inspiring mysteries of Christianity throughout the ages.  Though it’s quite unusual for me to say this or have it be true, I saw the Catholicism DVD series before I read Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith.  I must stay that both are well-worth your time and money. 

    
This Catholicism blog tour is to celebrate the release of the paperback version of this book by Fr. Robert Barron, which follows, pretty much word for word the Catholicism DVD series which he wrote and hosted. 

Oh yeah, and did I mention you can also win a trip for two to Rome and Paris?  Image Books and Word on Fire have teamed up to put together a really sweet trip for two, so you and whomever you choose to take with you will get to explore some of the gorgeous places and holy spaces visited in the DVD series and described in the book.  There’s more information about that here.

   
When asked to write a reflection on a chapter of Catholicism, I immediately jumped at the chance.  As the Holy Spirit would have it, my husband has made it his Lenten practice to go to daily Mass most days of the week.  In addition to this best of practices, he’s also been interested in watching the entire Catholicism DVD series for a second and third time.  I can’t think of a better way to bring an already very intriguing book to life, so we revisited some of the breathtaking examples of the faith alive and well today.

“Catholics hold that the church is not merely a human organization, simply a coming together of like-minded people, a community of purely worldly provenance and purpose.  Rather, the church is a sacrament of Jesus, and as such shares in the very being, life, and energy of Christ.” 

Father Barron talks about how the church is a living organism.  Each person is made in the image of Christ, and we are all intimately connected.  When one person suffers, we all suffer.  When one rejoices or is healed, everyone is affected.  Father Barron underlines the importance of the corporal and spiritual works of mercy as necessary outpourings of the grace we experience in the sacraments and are called to go and share with the world.  

   
Fr. Barron shows in a myriad of ways why community is essential if we are going to remain in communion with the Lord and have an interactive, ongoing relationship with Christ Jesus.  I’ve been reminded of this phenomenon a number of times in the past several months.  When surrounded by people who make prayer a top priority and serving others a way of life, I am more likely to do the same.

   
Much of the time, I could easily enough go to daily Mass most days of the week, take time for silent prayer time alone, and reach out to someone who is suffering in mind, body, and/or spirit.  Does that mean I always do?  No.  It is most often in my conversations with the Lord and my interactions with others that I am challenged to be transformed so that I can be made into a more effective living part of the mystical Body of Christ.

   
We are all made in Christ’s image, but we need to stay connected to the Source of all Life, Love, and Truth if we are going to have our will, heart, and mind transformed to be like our Savior’s.  That requires that we accept our God-given holiness, remain open to faith formation, and live out what we’ve learned through action, particularly through serving and ministering to others.   

   
Through a deeper understanding of how and why the church is described as "one, holy, catholic, and apostolic," we see how such a delineation across the centuries has set the Roman Catholic Church apart as the great gathering force rooted in the person of Jesus Christ and subject to the interpretation and leadership of the apostles and their descendants.  

“The Catholic Church has all of the gifts that Christ wants his people to have: Scripture, Liturgy, theological tradition, sacraments, the Eucharist, Mary and the saints, apostolic succession, and papal authority.”   

I highly recommend reading Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith along with watching (or in some cases re-watching) the Catholicism DVD series, and if you have any interest in going on a trip to Rome and Paris, then you should probably enter these sweepstakes. 

     
To check out all ten bloggers who have read and written about Catholicism as part of this blog tour, click here.  

     

Catholicism Blog Tour: March 31-April 9, 2014

     We're celebrating Image Books paperback release of the highly acclaimed book and DVD series by Fr. Robert Barron called Catholicism.  Over 10 days, ten different bloggers (including yours truly) are hosting the Catholicism virtual blog tour by posting a reflection inspired by one of the chapters in the book.  In case you're wondering, the chapters in the book correspond directly with the episodes in the DVD series.  

     For more information or to order your own copy of Catholicism, click here.

March 31 – Chapter 1: Stuart’s Study

April 1 – Chapter 2: Seasons of Grace

April 2 – Chapter 3: A Good Measure
April 3 – Chapter 4: Snoring Scholar

April 4 – Chapter 5: The Catholic Book Blogger

April 5 – Chapter 6: Prints of Grace

April 6 – Chapter 7: Catholic Bibles

April 7 – Chapter 8: Team Whitaker

April 8 – Chapter 9: Single Catholic Girl

April 9 – Chapter 10: The Curt Jester

Lost in the Labyrinth?

     I have a confession to make: I managed to get off-track doing a labyrinth walk (aka Jerusalem Mile).  I can’t bring myself to tell Kevin, yet, as he already loves to hassle me mercilessly about my uncanny ability to get ridiculously lost.  I will never hear the end of it if I explain to him what happened when I was doing the journey inward (to the center) part of the labyrinth.  I don’t have to worry about him finding out by reading my blog.  As is the case with many if not most of my family and friends, that’s rarely something they’re inclined to do on their own.  (At least, Kevin doesn’t check it much since I typically read to him what I’m going to post.  He’s actually the most supportive person in my life about my writing and my blog, and I consider that a tremendous blessing!) 

     After the others had left Richmond Hill at the conclusion of our Cursillo team overnight, I took the opportunity to spend some quiet time alone in their garden.  I made my way to the labyrinth walk, something I’ve had an affection for ever since my first encounter with it when we went on our pilgrimage to Ireland.  The weather was gorgeous that day.  No one else was in that part of the gardens.  I could walk and contemplate in silence, looking out over the city, and have some much-needed downtime before Kevin came to pick me up.

     I must have gotten off-track at some point on my inward journey because I never ended up in the middle when I started from the outside going in.  When I got back to the beginning without ever having made it to the very center as intended I just walked straight to the center and did the outward journey correctly. 

     How perfect an analogy for my life!  Only I could get lost on a labyrinth walk.  Oftentimes, I’m much more concerned about my inner journey than I am about my outreach.  And sometimes, I have to go straight back to the center (God) without any twists or turns.  At least I know enough to go back to the center and begin again when I realize I’m off-track.

     God doesn’t expect us to be perfect and polished inwardly before He sends us out to serve others.  Part of our outward journey is sharing our inner wisdom as well as gleaning wisdom from our interactions with others. 

     Lord, help us to be open to the interior formation and transformation You know that we need most in order to be more effective vessels for the many blessings You wish to give others through us.  Amen.

Blessed Occasions & Causes for Celebration

     Kevin and I both felt the Holy Spirit present in a big way throughout our trip to St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore, Maryland.  We went up there with Carl and Cathy for the institution of their son (and a number of his brother seminarians) to the ministry of acolyte.  

A number of family, friends, some priests we recognized, and others we would meet for the first time, gathered together to celebrate Mass on Monday, March 10, 2014, at 4:30pm.  It was really uplifting to see the Vicar for Vocations from the Diocese of Richmond, Fr. Michael Boehling, among those who had traveled several hours to offer his support and prayers. 

     We experienced a great deal of joy being present for such a blessed occasion.  Kevin was positively beaming through the entire event.  Bishop Joseph C. Bambera from the Diocese of Scranton presided at the Mass.  His homily was beautiful and thought-provoking.  The ceremonies of institution to Lector, for those in their first year of seminary, and Acolyte, for those in their second year, were also quite moving. 

  There is something incredibly powerful about having so many priests in one place for any reason, but what always gets me the most is when they are praying the Eucharistic prayers in unison, some standing on the altar with the bishop, and others from their place in the first section of pews on either side of the altar. 

     The seminarian choir gathered near the piano after Communion to sing a reflection.  I had trouble recalling the last time I’d heard such a strong all-male group raising their hearts and voices to the Lord, thereby, praying twice.       

     I’m absolutely convinced that if more Catholics from all walks of life came to such events, we would have an increase in vocations to marriage, the priesthood, and religious life as well as a whole lot more people regularly praying and encouraging the young men and women who are actively discerning and following the Lord’s call for their lives. 

A Message to John and his brother seminarians: You have been given another level of grace with these new responsibilities.  And with responsibility in a Catholic and priestly sense comes a need for greater dedication to the Lord, more humility, and a deeper level of interior and exterior submission to Christ.  You are up to these challenges.  Your professors, classmates, family, and friends know this.  Most importantly Christ knows this.  Christ is counting on you, and He expects you to be counting on Him.  Anything that is true, holy, and good is possible if you will set aside your ideas and ways in order to submit all that you were, are, and will be to the Lord to use however He determines is best in time and eternity.  

Lumen Fidei: The Light of Faith

Reading Lumen Fidei: The Light of Faith for the second time on Transfiguration Sunday seemed appropriate.  Last Friday, we had our Cursillo Women’s Team overnight, and I believe it’s safe to say we all had a bit of a mountaintop experience while at Richmond Hill.  We were fed in mind, body, and spirit, then sent out to live the Gospel in hope to bring others closer to Christ. 

    
In the sermon our pastor Fr. Dan Brady gave Saturday evening, he emphasized that following Christ, giving your life over to Him, doesn’t mean you won’t face any suffering.  What it means is that you will not be alone in your suffering—for Christ will always be with you.

    
The message of being sent into the world as a light for all nations is one that appears many times throughout the Bible.  Faith isn’t always easy, neat, or tidy.  At times, it can require a whole lot more of us than we ever thought it would. 

    
The New Evangelization we’ve been called to requires that we acknowledge the light of Christ and bring illumination to the dark places in our world so that they may be transformed, so that we may be transformed from the inside out. 

    
God’s love is at the core of who we are and is what we desire more than anything else.  We are given the gift of that love as freely as we are given inherent dignity because we were made by God and in His image.  The more we claim, accept, and grow deeper in that love, the more faith we have in Christ to be with us, especially in the midst of suffering. 

   
Pope Francis describes how vitally important it is that our faith in God and the blessings He gives us are used to help others who are suffering to know, experience, and be opened to the Lord’s unconditional love.  Light, just like faith, changes the way we see things in and around us.  It brings us to a greater awareness of who and what are before us. 

    
The guidance and security of the Light of Christ give us the courage and strength we need to carry out such apostolic actions as will build up the Kingdom of God.

    
Lumen Fidei, the encyclical letter à quatre mains begun by Pope Benedict XVI and completed by Pope Francis, was issued on the feast day (June 29) of two of the original evangelizers: Peter and Paul.  The two apostles, like these two popes, promulgated the faith using their God-given gifts.  We are called to do the same: to offer all that we have been, all that we are and all that we will be to Our Lord to use however He wishes in time and eternity. 

I highly recommend every Christian reading Lumen Fidei.  For more information, or to order your own copy of this encyclical letter, click here.  I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.  

Our Pilgrimage to Ireland

     My mom took my grandmother, sisters, and me on a pilgrimage to a house of prayer in Ireland to receive a special blessing the summer after my sophomore year of college.  For my sisters and I, this was a first.  We’d never been to Europe or gone on an official pilgrimage.  In more ways than one my experience in Ireland foreshadowed what my junior year studying abroad in Paris would be like.

     My mom and her good friend Colleen had taken a day off from the group tour they’d gone on together the previous fall in order to visit Our Lady Queen of Peace House of Prayer in Achill Sound, Achill, County Mayo, Republic of Ireland.  My mom had read Thomas W. Petrisko’s book titled The Sorrow, the Sacrifice, and the Triumph: The Apparitions, Visions,and Prophecies of Christina Gallagher and was inspired to make a pilgrimage to the house of prayer the woman about whom the book was written had been instructed to have built.  In the book it is said that Our Lady appeared many times to Christina Gallagher, a visionary, mystic, stigmatist, and victim soul.  “The Queen of Peace requested this house of prayer be especially used for the recitation of the Rosary, Eucharistic Adoration, and as a sanctuary for priests” (pg. 234).  

     My mom wanted to take all of us on the pilgrimage, but one of my sisters wasn’t sure if she wanted to go.  She had joined a nearby Presbyterian Church and wasn’t sure about coming with us on a pilgrimage to a Marian house of prayer.  Mom asked her to pray about it.  When she did, she was led to a Bible verse.  When she checked out the website for the house of prayer, she saw the exact same Bible verse on there, and that was sign enough for her that God wanted her to come with us. 

     I really wanted Kevin to make the trip as well, but he couldn’t afford it, nor did he understand why it was important to go to a specific place to pray and receive a special blessing.  He still didn’t understand why I enjoyed going on retreats, so traveling overseas on a pilgrimage was way beyond anything he was ready for at that time. 

     I brought a photo of Kevin and me together to put in the box of prayer intentions at the chapel in the house of prayer.  I prayed for us often during that visit, not just at the house of prayer, but also when we stayed at the Connemara Coast Hotel. 

     I had lots of time to pray, read the Bible, and write since I wasn’t able to adjust to the time change.  I shared a room with my youngest sister and didn’t want to keep her awake at night, so I sat in the bathroom where the light wouldn’t disturb her and prayed, wrote notes to Kevin, and filled up page after page of hotel stationery with possible Scripture readings for our wedding, along with hymns, and even a preliminary guest list. 

     During our stay on the Connemara Coast, I would usually sleep during the day while Mom, Grandma (my maternal grandmother), and my sisters went sightseeing.  I’d wake up in the afternoon and walk to the nearby church.  Mary Mother of the Sea Church had a labyrinth walk in the courtyard.  For the first few days I did the labyrinth walk, I unknowingly went about it wrong.  I started on the outside and went in, but then I left.  I finally got a pamphlet from the church explaining the labyrinth walk, and from then on I knew to contemplate my inward journey with God while going to the center of the circle, then meditate on outreach from self to others and the world while retracing my steps back out. 

     Though I thought about Kevin often and went so far as to write down ideas about our wedding, though we weren’t even engaged yet, it was one of the few times I didn’t get to talk with him once or twice a day on the phone.  For some reason, I still felt very close to him. Praying for us encouraged me about the prospects of our relationship and future together.
     It's truly miraculous what God has been doing in our lives since that summer of 2001.  Our marriage, our faith journeys, and our witness are all proof that nothing is impossible with God.  
     Lord, thank You for reminding us from time to time how far You have brought us, through the many twists and turns of life, in and out of joy and sorrow, with an ever sharper focus on You.  Amen.