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Showing posts from November, 2013

And now a word from our Holy Father...

APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION EVANGELII GAUDIUM 1. THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew. In this Exhortation I wish to encourage the Christian faithful to embark upon a new chapter of evangelization marked by this joy, while pointing out new paths for the Church’s journey in years to come.I. A JOY EVER NEW, A JOY WHICH IS SHARED2. The great danger in today’s world, pervaded as it is by consumerism, is the desolation and anguish born of a complacent yet covetous heart, the feverish pursuit of frivolous pleasures, and a blunted conscience. Whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and concerns, there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor. God’s voice is no longer heard, the quiet joy of his love is no longer felt, and the desire to do good fades. This is a…
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Parenting through tough times: Five tips

It's sort of funny when I look at this post title. It seems that ALL our parenting time has been tough. If it's not one kid, it's another. Or two at once. Or all five. We've had normal challenges (bedtime woes, weird eating habits) and really tough things (mental illness, criminal activity). It is hard to stay sane. It is hard to stay faithful. It's hard to parent when you're really mad at your kid.

What to do? Here are five ideas.

1. Pray. I know, it sounds trite. I know it sounds obvious. Believe me, it's not. When things get really hard, it can be tough to pray. You want to blame God; you want Him to fix stuff NOW. Or, He feels so far away that you think, "Why bother?" Remember, prayer isn't for God; it's for us. Prayer will keep you connected to Him, help you to remember to rely on His grace and mercy and ultimately, remind you He is in control. If you can't pray spontaneously, then use a prayer book or spiritual reading.

2. Get h…
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Monday Morning Art Jam

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Praying with Flannery O'Connor

I admit: it took me a long time to "get" Flannery O'Connor. Her writing seems weird, wild, without boundaries. However, once you understand the Catholic framework that undergirds her writing, it all makes sense.
A Prayer Journal has just been released, which is a short, sort of train-of-thought journal she kept from the late 40s to the early 50s. It's quite lovely. 
At one point, she prays, "Will I ever know anything?" Another time, she prays, ""I say many many too many uncharitable things about people everday. I say them because they make me look clever." All I could do was nod in agreement...
It's worth your time - especially with Advent right around the corner.
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Freakin' Friday Fun

To mark the 50th anniversary of the death of C. S. Lewis.


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Judaism and the Crucifixion in Art

One of my favorite books is My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok (who wrote some remarkable books.) Asher Lev is the story of an Orthodox Jewish boy who has incredible artistic talent. He begins to paint nudes and the Crucifixion, which you might imagine doesn't go over well in his community. But Asher believes he is being true to himself and his faith.

At First Things, Tom Wilson explores the art of Marc Chagall, the Jewish painter of the 20th century and his crucifixion paintings.

More important, it seems, is the way Chagall uses the crucifixion as a symbol for not just human, but specifically Jewish, suffering.

For Chagall places the crucifixion amidst contemporary scenes of anti-Jewish persecution. Jesus is unmistakably Jewish: a Jewish prayer shawl in place of the more typical loincloth, the addition of phylacteries to the arm of the figure upon the cross. In one, Apocalypse in Lilac, Capriccio, it is even a tailed and swastika-wearing Nazi, rather than a Roman soldier, th…
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Coming home, or just come check things out

Have you been away from the Church? Maybe you just stopped going. Maybe your work schedule got weird and getting to Mass was near impossible. Maybe you were hurt by someone at a parish - they didn't listen, they were cruel, they said or did something hurtful.

Now is the time to come back.

There are a lot of reasons you can think of to stay away. But there is one reason to return: God loves you. He wants you at Mass. He misses you.

You see, our celebration at Mass is not complete without you. Yes, YOU. You have gifts, talents, and a soul that no one else has or can provide. Your presence is crucial. We need you.

Just come to Mass. Sit in the back. Sit up front. Come with a friend. Ask someone to drive you. But come. And then come back next week.

Listen to the Word of God and the sermon. I guarantee God will speak to you.

I invite you. But more importantly, God invites you.
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Are human beings simply a collection of body parts?

There is nothing simple about Bl. John Paul II’s writings, and yet, his work collectively called the Theology of the Body offers a remarkable chance to reflect on the unique creation that is man. In modern culture, we see humanity reduced to a collection of parts (a lung to transplant, a womb to be rented) or as an instrument to be used (for lust or for slavery.) The human body has become “treachery”, as George Orwell notes in 1984, not a beautifully rendered creation. John Paul II:

There is a deep connection between the mystery of creation, as a gift springing from love, and that beatifying “beginning” of the existence of man as male and female, in the whole truth of their body and their sex, which is the pure and simple truth of communion between persons. When the first man exclaimed, at the sight of the woman: “This is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh” (Gn 2:23), he merely affirmed the human identity of both. Exclaiming in this way, he seems to say: here is a bo…
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And now a word from our Holy Father...

From Pope Francis' Nov. 4 Papal Mass homily:

We have listened to the words of St Paul: “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” (Rom 8:38-39).

The Apostle presents the love of God as the deepest and most compelling reason for Christian trust and hope. He lists the opposing and mysterious forces that can threaten the journey of faith. But immediately he states with confidence that even if our entire life is surrounded by threats, nothing will ever be able to …
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This is what happens when you're Franciscan

If you are a follower of St. Francis - trying to emulate his love of God, his devotion to prayer, his intensity for spreading God's word - you also have to deal with the whole poverty thing. Now, for Francis, poverty wasn't simply "let's just give away everything we own"; it was a total reliance on God for one's needs - physical and spiritual.

Dear Husband and I have found - sometimes in the hardest way, sometimes in the oddest way - that God takes us seriously when we call ourselves "Franciscan."

My mom typically gives her kids $25 for their birthday, which she did for me yesterday. She gave me cash, as I was visiting her this weekend. And off I headed for home. I stopped at the local McD's and got my Diet Coke and hit the road.

Halfway home is another McD's, which we typically use as our "rest stop" on the trip to my mom's. And I did, taking only my keys into the restaurant with me - I wasn't going to buy anything, just …
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Monday Morning Art Jam

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Freakin' Friday Fun

My birthday is this weekend, and I think "gangster" pretty much sums me up.
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I stand with Thomas Peters

Thomas is a fellow Catholic blogger in need of help. Nearly four months ago, Thomas was left in critical condition after a horrific swimming accident. Read Thomas' powerful reflection on his journey thus far and on what is to come: “Reflections on my time away." You, dear blog readers and friends,  have been steadfast in your prayerful support of Thomas since that time. But today, we're asking you to do a little more!
The next TWO MONTHS of Thomas' recovery are crucial! According to Thomas' doctors, the majority of mobility/independence returns within the first six months following the injury. Well, folks... we've got two months till the six month marker.  The day has come! It's #IStandWithThomasPeters Day! Will you join us? 
PRAY Join us and thousands of others in prayer for Thomas' full recovery, for Thomas and Natalie's perseverance while carrying this cross, for all those with similar injuries, and in thanksgiving for all the blessings…
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Pay Attention!

It snowed here this week, which is not unusual for mid-November where I live. However, that first snow always makes everyone a bit crazy. Everyone exclaims about it, groans about driving, wonders if it's going to "stick." If you live somewhere where "cold" is 45*, then you probably don't get this, but it's kind of funny: this is only the beginning of a very, long cold stretch of weather. But that first snow...

I love winter. I like the cold and snow. It's beautiful in ways you cannot imagine. It demands attention. You don't walk out the door, out of the comfort of your warm home, into a 3* day with a wind chill of -15* and not notice. It's like a slap in the face. When you live 30 miles from Lake Michigan, you also have the joy of "lake effect snow," which essentially means that when a storm passes over the lake from Wisconsin or Illinois, it picks up steam from the relatively warm waters of the lake and drills you with snow. It&#…
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And now a word from our Holy Father....

From his Nov. 3 Angelus address:

There is no profession or social condition, no sin or crime of any kind that can erase from the memory and the heart of God even one of his children. "God remembers", always, he never forgets those who he created. He is the Father, who watchfully and lovingly waits to see the desire to return home be reborn in the hearts of his children. And when he sees this desire, even simply hinted at and so often almost unconsciously, immediately he is there, and by his forgiveness he lightens the path of conversion and return. Let us look at Zacchaeus today in the tree: his is a ridiculous act but it is an act of salvation. And I say to you: if your conscience is weighed down, if you are ashamed of many things that yo…
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Listening Intentionally

I've been trying very hard the past few weeks to listen very closely to the sermon, and find some bit or nugget I  can focus on during the week. Then, I write it down and put it on a post-it note on my computer screen.

I've also been trying something new, in that I've been doing an "art" journal on this sermon bit - although calling it "art" is a stretch. Mostly it's just a way for me to really think about what I've heard and try to visualize it and remember it better.

This week, the Gospel mentioned we'd be "like angels" in Heaven. Father Lam (our new pastor!) did a terrific job helping us understand what that meant. Here's my attempt at journaling it.


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Monday Morning Art Jam: Part Two

Treasure Trove! Check out the work of this artist, Daniel Mitsui.


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Monday Morning Art Jam

Our priest mentioned the pilgrimage we are all on as we make our way to Heaven, and that really resonated with me. Stop and pray today on your pilgrimage.
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Great interview with Audrey Assad

If you're not familiar with this Catholic artist, you should be. Her meditative and thoughtful lyrics have enriched my prayer life, and her voice is...well, to-die-for. From an interview with The Catholic World Report:

As you stated, the music on Fortunate Fall is intended for personal devotion and public worship. I envision it being incorporated into anything from prayer time in the car on the way to work to Adoration and even, in some cases, Mass -- based on the Church’s guidelines, we did our best to notate appropriate usages in the liner notes. Hopefully that’s helpful to those who pick up a physical copy! 


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Freakin' Friday Fun

Yeah...my life....
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Actually Kissing the Leper: Pope Francis

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What's keeping me busy?

I know I haven't been doing a lot of blogging lately, mostly due to work responsibilities. Also, I'm trying to get some knitting done for the holidays, and add some more exercise time to my schedule.

Things weighing heavy on my mind right now:
Youngest Son who is struggling so much right nowGetting guardianship for Dark-haired Daughter, as she just turned 18, and getting her into the adult mental health care systemWork & research on Obamacare and on human trafficking for workTrying to get a re-do of the laundry room off the groundMoney, money, money: the furnace just died, I need new tires for the car, kids need stuff like food...Stupid eye/sinus infection thing - argh!
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And now a word from our Holy Father...

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Why we decided to change parishes

I went to the same parish from the time I was born until I was in my early twenties. As Catholics, we're taught that you stick with your parish, regardless of whether or not you like a particular priest. The parish we've belonged to is one I've been a member at for about 20 years.

(If you're Protestant, you may not know that we do things a bit differently. The bishop picks the priest for each parish in his diocese, and typically the priest is there for 8-12 years. If a parish doesn't like him, there isn't much they can do. On the other hand, a beloved priest can get moved and again, the parish doesn't really have any say in it.)

Your parish is your home. It's the center of your Catholic life: spiritual, social, philanthropic. You baptized your kids there, watch 'em grow, receive sacraments, join the choir, teach religious ed., go to the parish picnic. It's your place.

Until it isn't.

We've decided to change parishes. It's been a ter…
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Monday Morning Art Jam

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Freakin' Friday Fun

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Blessed Feast of All Saints

Oh all ye saints and angels, who see Him face to face, Whom I here receive under these humble veils, and thou, most especially, ever blessed Virgin Mary, in whose sacred womb He was conceived and borne for nine months--I most humbly beg the assistance of your prayers and intercession, that I may in such a manner receive Him here in this place of banishment, as to be brought, one day, to behold Him with you in our true country, and there to praise and bless Him for ever and ever. Amen.
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