A Great Talk from Sr. Bethany Madonna

Love this Lighthouse Catholic Media talk from Sr. Bethany Madonna:

Desires of the Heart: Receiving the Gifts of the Father

The Church Loves us as a Mother

"Think of what a good mother does.  A good mother sets high standards for her children, standards of behavior, standards of cleanliness, standards of respect, standards of work.  And she expects her children to meet them, and that's love.  And that's the way the Church loves you, as a mother, setting those expectations, setting those standards.

"Where is mercy? Mercy is not to lower a standard. Mercy is to love you and help you when you have earnestly tried, and failed, to live the standard. The Church always could be and always should be more merciful in that way, to reach out, to seek out, like a shepherd, those who struggle to live that standard, and to love them in their struggle."

Homily from Fr. Andrew, Good Shepherd Sunday

Listen to all here. 

Fruit of praying St. Thomas' Prayer for Ordering a Life Wisely

So, I had this wonderful grace today. As I looked around seeing all that needs to be done, which usually overwhelms me, I realized something. Paradoxically, I think it's the fruit of praying St. Thomas Aquinas' prayer for ordering a life wisely. It's a paradox because my life feels very far from ordered right now. But God revealed to me that He loves me and is pouring out His grace on all of us right in the middle, and really through our messy life (in a physical and spiritual sense). When I looked around, suddenly all of this:

-legos built and unbuilt (not fun to step on)
-A pile of toy nerf guns confiscated yesterday on which I stubbed my toe really bad in the dark this morning (ouch!)
-dust (lots and lots of it)
-a hot wheels race car set at the bottom of the stairs (why there?)
-train set somewhere, or so I've heard
-dirty kleenex (I know! gross, it's not me)
-food on the floor (we don't have a dog, working on Chris in this matter)
-dirty (and also clean, unfolded) laundry taking over (literally overflowing)
-piles of papers with printed out prayers/articles I like
-prayer books
-piles of kids' school projects, homework, forms that need to be filled out
-childrens' books on the nightstands, on the floors, on the beds, on the counters, on the stairs (not fun to slip on), on the kitchen counters
-my books in all the same places as the childrens' books
-unsent Christmas cards that I didn't have an address for (I give up on this one)
-unsent school pictures (working on that one too!)
-dirty dishes
-coats, blankets, socks, shoes, mittens, etc...
-Christmas tree still up
-Nativity sets still out
-Superhero birthday decorations still hanging up
-Pink flower birthday decorations still hanging up
-wonderful school books laying around haphazardly in the living room that when used teach God's beauty in all parts of our life and studies
-a violin with music scattered around
-a very dusty piano that needs tuning
-unmade beds
-and much much more believe it or not

made me realize something beautiful. My messy life, and that of my family, is the evidence that there are 7 beautiful souls living in this house, learning to love God and each other, and that despite the fact that it feels and looks so "disordered", it is in fact ordered. Ordered to the love of God, the love He has for each one of us, and the love we have for Him.

Thank You Jesus! Amen.

Prayer to St. Joseph for the Church Militant

 

O GLORIOUS St. Joseph, chosen by God to be the foster father of Jesus, the chaste spouse of Mary ever Virgin and the head of the Holy Family, and then appointed by the Vicar of Christ to be the Heavenly patron and defender of the Church founded by Jesus, most confidently do I implore at this moment thy powerful aid for all the Church Militant on earth. Do thou shield with thy truly paternal love especially the Supreme Pontiff and all the bishops and priests who are in union with the Holy See of Peter. Be the defender of all who labor for souls amidst the trials and tribulations of this life, and cause all the peoples of the earth to submit themselves in a docile spirit to that Church which is the ark of salvation for all men.

Be pleased also, dear St. Joseph, to accept this dedication of myself which I now make unto thee. I dedicate myself wholly to thee, that thou mayest ever be my father, my patron and my guide in the way of salvation. Obtain for me great purity of heart and a fervent devotion to the interior life. Grant that, following thine example, I may direct all my actions to the greater glory of God, in union with the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary and in union with thee. Finally, pray for me that I may be a partaker in the peace and joy which were thine at the hour of thy holy death. Amen.

But what do you do when you are drowning?

This morning I was up earlier than normal and read a blog post about a facebook / pinterest meme that I had not seen yet.  Jennifer Fulwiler wrote an excellent blog post about how this meme proves that we are living in a culture of death.  She also referred to Mindy Goorchenko's also excellent post pointing out "flaws in the analogy."  I highly recommend reading both of these posts.

Maybe I should have stayed in bed, or maybe I should not have gone online and prayed instead because that facebook meme is really bothering me.  Jennifer and Mindy make very good points of which I am in wholehearted agreement.  But that meme really hits home, and I believe that is why it is so insidious.  Comparing the "birth of a baby to a horrible form of death" is so insidious because it is a twisting of a beautiful truth.  Getting married and having children is a death, but not a horrible form of death that brings destruction.  Getting married and having children is a death to self that brings about life.  And if you do not know about death that brings life, that brings redemption, you will drown.   

"It stuns the conscience," as Jennifer says.  It stuns my conscience because it just so happens that right now in my life, I feel like I am drowning.  Sometimes drowning just in dishes and laundry and little people needing me at every minute of the day, but also in a deeper way drowning in emotions, and hurts and trying to find healing.  Sometimes I go through times where I feel dry and parched, especially in prayer, and this can bring desolation.  Other times desolation comes because I feel overwhelmed, like I am drowning.  It is in these dark moments where I think how could we possibly handle another child or how could I possibly stay here and be  a wife to my husband and a mother to my children.  And my fight or flight instinct kicks in and I either run away for a period of time or fight my way to the surface just trying to get a breath.  Neither really works.  Only surrender does. 

The answer is not to stay out of the water.  The answer is not to put on a temporary life jacket.  The answer is not to take swimming lessons.  The real answer is to let go and surrender and let the grief, sadness, hurt, and yes, death, come.  Because there is new life that is better than anything we can imagine.  Do not be afraid, Christ will rescue you.  He will bring you to the surface.

UPDATE:  Elizabeth Foss has a fantastic post Overwhelmed by the Everyday that really helps!  Surrender to God, listen to Him, and say yes to Him!

 

When St. Joseph Sleeps: Homily given by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Rome, March 19, 1992

Homily given by Pope Benedict XVI, then Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Rome, March 19, 1992. 

from www.josemariaescriva.info

“St Joseph asleep”, by Vicente Lopez Portana

Dear sisters and brothers:

Recently I saw in a friend’s house a representation of St. Joseph that really made me think. It was a relief from a Baroque Portuguese altarpiece, depicting the night of the escape into Egypt. You see an open tent with an angel standing beside it. Inside, Joseph, who is sleeping, but dressed in the garb of a pilgrim, wearing long boots as needed for a difficult journey. The first impression may be somewhat naive, showing him as a traveller, but sleeping. However, if we think more deeply we begin to understand what the image is trying to suggest.

The silences

Joseph sleeps, it is true, yet he is able to hear the voice of the angel (Mt 2:13 ff). The scene appears to represent what the Song of Solomon had proclaimed: “I slept, but my heart was vigilant” (Song 5:2). The external senses are at rest, but the depths of the soul are open and receptive. In this open tent we see the figure of a man who, deep down, can hear what resonates within or is told him from above; a man whose heart is open enough to receive what the living God and his angel tell him. In that profound openness, the soul of any man can meet God. From it, God speaks to each of us, and shows that he is close to us.

However, most of the time we are invaded by cares, concerns, expectations and desires of every kind. We may be so full of images and worries produced by everyday life, that however alert we are externally, we lack inner vigilance and fail to hear the sound of the voices that speak in the depths of the soul. Our souls may be so burdened and partitioned that the gentle voice of God, who is so near to us, can not be heard. With the advent of the modern age, we have increasingly mastered the world, and tailored everything to our desires, but these advances in our dominion over things, and in our knowledge of what we can do with them, have diminished our sensitivity so that our universe has become one-dimensional. We are ruled by our possessions, by all the objects that our hands can reach, and that we use as instruments to produce other objects. Basically, we see nothing but our own image, and we are unable to hear the voice that comes from the depths of Creation, and that, today too, speaks to us of the goodness and beauty of God.

Joseph, who sleeps, but who at the same time is alert to hear the voice that rings out in his soul and from on high – which is what today’s Gospel tells us about – is someone who unites inner recollection and promptness. From the open tent of his life he is inviting us to withdraw a little from the tumult of the senses; to recover our inner recollection; to learn to look inside ourselves and to look up, so that God can touch our souls and speak his word to us. Lent is an especially appropriate time for us to turn aside from our daily cares and redirect our steps once again along the paths of the interior life.

He gets up and welcomes God’s plan

We can proceed to a second point. Joseph, as we see, is prompt to get up and do what God tells him, as the Gospel shows us (Mt 1:24; 2:14). This is where his life touches that of Mary, in the response that she gives at the decisive moment of her life: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord” (Lk 1:38). St Joseph reacts in the same way: “Behold your servant. Command what you will of me.” His reply is the same as that of Isaiah when he was called: “Here am I! Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8; see 1 Sam 3:8ff). This calling will fill his whole life from that moment on. But there is also another text of the Gospel that is relevant here: the announcement that Jesus makes to Peter when he tells him, “They will lead you where you do not wish to go” (Jn 21:18). Joseph, with his readiness, makes it his rule of life, because he is ready to let himself be led, even though it is not the direction he wants to go in. His whole life is a story of this kind of responsiveness.

It begins with the message of the angel about the secret of Mary’s divine motherhood, the mystery of the coming of the Messiah. Unexpectedly, his plans for a quiet, simple, peaceful life are turned upside-down, and he finds himself part of the adventure of God among men. As happened to Moses before the burning bush, Joseph finds himself face to face with a mystery of which he is to be witness and participant. He will soon learn what this implies: that the Messiah’s birth cannot take place in Nazareth. He has to set off for Bethlehem, the city of David, but the birth does not even take place within Bethlehem, because “his own people received him not” (Jn 1:11). This already points to the Cross, because our Lord has to be born outside the city, in a stable. Next, after a new message from the angel, there comes the flight into Egypt, where they endure the fate of the homeless and exiles: refugees, foreigners, rootless wanderers looking for a place to stay.

Joseph returns to Israel, but the dangers have not ceased. Later he suffers the painful experience of the three days during which Jesus is lost (Lk 2:46). Those three days are a foreshadowing of the three days between the Crucifixion and the Resurrection: days when our Lord has disappeared, and his absence is felt. And just as the Risen Christ does not live among his followers again in the same way as before, but tells them “Do not try and hold onto me, because I shall ascend to my Father, and you will be able to be with me when you too ascend (cf. Jn 20:17), so too now, when Jesus is found in the Temple, what is foregrounded is the mystery of Jesus in its distance, gravity and greatness. Joseph feels, in a sense, put in his place by Jesus, but at the same time set on his way to the heights. “I must be about my Father’s business” (Lk 2:49). As much as to say, “You are not my father but my guardian, and on being entrusted with that office you received the task of guarding the mystery of the Incarnation.”

Finally, Joseph dies without seeing the mission of Jesus made manifest. All his sufferings, all his hopes, are buried in his silence. Joseph’s life is not that of someone who, aiming to fulfil himself, seeks only within himself for the resources he needs to make of his life what he wants. Joseph is a man who denies himself, lets himself be taken where he does not wish to go. He does not make his life into a possession for himself, but into a gift that he gives. He is not guided by a plan thought up by his own mind, decided on by his own will, but, responding to God’s wishes, he renounces his will to give himself to the will of the Other, the grandiose will of the Most High. But it is precisely in that total self-renunciation that man discovers himself.

Because that is the truth: that only if we learn to lose ourselves, only if we give ourselves, can we find ourselves. When that happens it is not our will that prevails, but that of the Father, to which Jesus submitted: “Not my will, but yours be done” (Lk 22:42). And since this fulfils what we say in the Our Father – “Thy Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven” –, there is then a part of Heaven on earth, because the same is done on earth as is done in Heaven. So St Joseph, with his renunciation, his abandonment that was in a way a foretaste of the imitation of the crucified Christ, teaches us the paths of faithfulness, resurrection and life.

Always on the road

There is a third aspect for us to consider. As we look at St Joseph, who is dressed as a pilgrim, we understand that from the first moment of the Mystery, his life is that of someone who is always on the road, on a constant pilgrimage. Thus his life is marked with the sign of Abraham, because the history of God among men, which is the history of his chosen ones, begins with the command given to the father of the Chosen People: “Go from your country… to the land that I will show you” (Gen 12:1; cf. Heb 13:14). Our dwelling-place, or as St Paul says in the Letter to the Philippians, our citizenship, is in Heaven (Phil 3: 20).

Today these words about Heaven sound bad, because we tend to believe that such an attitude diverts us from fulfilling our duties on earth and alienates us from our proper world. We tend to believe that we are called to make a paradise of this earth. But what happens in reality is that by acting according to that belief, what we do is precisely to destroy creation. Because basically man’s desires point to the Infinite. Today more than ever we can see that only God can totally satisfy man. We are made in such a way that finite things leave us ever unsatisfied, because we need much more: we need inexhaustible Love, unlimited Truth and Beauty.

Although that desire cannot be suppressed, we can displace it and seek for what is infinite in things that cannot give it. Wanting to have Heaven while still on this earth, we hope and demand everything from the earth and from present-day society. But in this attempt to extract the infinite from what is finite, man tramples on the earth and makes ordered social relations impossible, because each sees other people as a threat or an obstacle. Only when we learn anew to direct our gaze to Heaven will the earth too shine out in all its splendour. Only when we enliven the great hopes of our souls with the idea of being with God eternally, and feel once again like pilgrims on the way to Eternity, instead of clinging stubbornly to this earth, only then will our desires also radiate towards this world so that it too may have hope and peace.

For all of this, let us thank God today because he has given us this Saint, who speaks to us of being recollected in God; who teaches us promptness, obedience, and the attitude of pilgrims who let themselves be led by God; and tells us that this is precisely the way to serve this world. Let us beg for grace so that, by showing that same vigilance and promptness, we may one day be received by God, the true goal of all our journeying.

Homily given by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Rome, March 19, 1992.

A Friend in Christ is a Treasure

Good friends are hard to find, but they are out there!  There have been many people in our lives who have come and gone, and as I am growing in faith, it is becoming less painful to say good bye because I trust that God has a plan for each person He places in our lives.  Once every relationship is viewed in the light of Christ and His Love, the ups and downs are easier to handle because Christ is always the same and He never leaves.  And we can recognize that it is Christ loving us through those people with whom we are friends and Christ loving them through us.  With Christ in a friendship, it is possible to truly love another person for that person's sake, not for one's own selfish reasons.  And with Christ in a friendship, it becomes possible to truly forgive and to be forgiven.  Today, I am speaking about relationships where Christ is the foundation for both sides, but in reality, this can apply to all people with whom we meet and interact.  We can love them for who they are, love Jesus in them, and hope for Jesus to come into their hearts when it seems like they do not know Him.  In all of this, it is Jesus Loving us, and them, with an eternal Love.

One such family that has come into our lives will be moving away next week.  We knew they were only here temporarily, so it has been easier to prepare in this sense, knowing always that they would be moving.  But it did not stop us from nurturing a close friendship in Christ.  Christ has provided us with the freedom to enter into a friendship that we know will change over time, and to dispel the fear that we would get too close and then have to say good bye.  It is sad to say good bye, but yet, I also have a great amount of hope and am looking forward to see what Jesus has planned for them and for us over the years.  I will truly miss spending time with them, and so will my husband and our children.  The best part was how well our entire family got along, moms, dads, and the children!

Really, God has provided such grace in all of this.  We both homeschool; we both had 4 children when we met, and had babies 1 month apart last year.  I came home from the hospital on Mother's' Day, and their daughter was born on Father's Day!  Our families are both lego fanatics (well maybe not us moms, even though we think legos are cool); the dads are both Eagle Scouts and went camping with the boys' cub scout troops, we love playing games (except a couple of us need to work on the other two about their lack of desire to play cards ;)  ); we went to Mass together for the first time in our newly restored Cathedral here in our diocese; both moms blog; and both families have a heart for Jesus!

Our oldest son Joseph will be going to his first confession this weekend.  Joseph has found a true lego soul mate in their oldest son, Kolbe.  They have spent hours building legos together.  Kolbe made the card shown above for Joseph (all out of his own desire in religious ed, with no prompting from his parents).  My heart is full of gratitude for each person in their family.   

Thank You God!  We pray for their safety and blessing as they finish packing and as they travel back home.  Give them courage, hope, perseverance, a strong faith, and love as they live out their beautiful vocations in You.

A Story of Hope

This morning I read a great post over at Creative Minority Report about one couple's struggle with conceiving and their decision to go to Gianna Catholic Healthcare Center for Women. The writer Mary talks about how when you prepare for marriage the priest asks you if you are open to having children, but what about the burden of not being able to get pregnant? She does not talk about miscarriage, but the loss of a child by miscarriage and multiple miscarriages is devastating as well. Here is an excerpt, you will want to read the whole post over at CMR:

But they never ask if you are you prepared for when the children don't come. It can be a frustrating and devastating process full of anxiety, doubt, and heartbreak. It is also not something you fail at once like your 7th grade Social Studies test, it's something that 12 times a year you know you failed. After a year or maybe two, you start to really wonder if something is wrong with you. You see your friends having babies and they tell you you’re next. Or you see a show on television where the character is having a baby and you have to switch channels. Or because you look at the second bedroom in your place that you named the nursery when you moved in and now call the office.

I went through five years of this. So many tears and advice. Of course, IVF was not an option. Where do you turn? On my birthday last year, I got the monthly reminder that we failed. Again. As I laid on my bed crying, my husband decided to make a call. He called Gianna, The Catholic Healthcare Center for Women. My brother Matthew had told us about them.....

Read the rest here.

St. Gianna, pray for us!

A Pearl of Great Price - Pay it Forward Tuesday

Pay it Forward is hosted by Holly at A Life-Size Catholic Blog. Thanks Holly!

One of my favorite priest bloggers (or rather, a priest who happens to blog), Fr. Andrew, has a great post from his homily this past Sunday at his website Catholic-Vision in which he challenges us to live the wisdom of Scripture:

The wisdom of Scripture says to sell everything for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. Like a great pearl there is no price too great. Like treasure in the field we must sell all to acquire that field. The wisdom of the world says to hold something back for yourselves and don’t trust the Kingdom of Heaven to provide for you—which is the wisdom of our enemy, the master of this world, Satan.

He reminds us of the 43rd Anniversary of Humanae Vitae and the consequences of choices our culture has made regarding the use of artificial contraception. His post is not about what is right and what is wrong, but about our trust in God. Fr. Andrew speaks to us with love and with challenge, as a good father does. Thanks Fr. Andrew! Read his post here.

A Mother's Heart

My heart is full after reading Raising a Vocation by Anne over at Imprisoned in My Bones and her oldest son's discerning a call to the priesthood. He has a blog about his experiences at St. Francis de Sales Seminary Camp, a high school camp for high school boys discerning the priesthood. I am so amazed at how beautifully God works in people's lives!

What an amazing privilege, honor and blessing to have a son called by God to become a priest or to have a daughter called by God to become a nun. It would be wonderful for any or all of our children to have such a beautiful vocation as this! This is my prayer, but I often find myself doubting my ability as a mother to help guide their hearts. This is why I was so happy to see Anne's post, which encouraged me that God has placed this desire on my heart for a reason. Whatever His plans are for our children, we must encourage them in their walk and help them learn to listen to God.

One of the things we tell our children is how important it is to listen to God in their hearts, to listen to Christ's call and to go where He wants them to go, wherever that may be. Listening with the ear of their hearts may be in simple every day ways now, but will hopefully guide their hearts to Him more and more as they grow in age and wisdom. Living our lives in an authentically Catholic way is the best way to form them in this way. When I begin to neglect living an authentically Catholic life, I begin to fall away and it is harder to be the mother God has called me to be.

I am so thankful for Our Holy Church, Blessed Mother and St. Joseph to guide us as parents, so that we will grow in His Love and continue to nurture the faith growing in our children. God speaks to us in many ways, through receiving Him in the Holy Eucharist, at Holy Mass or during Adoration, at Confession, during prayer, through everyday experiences, and through people. May we always know and receive the graces He desires to give us, and turn back to Him when we fail to receive Him and His Love.

Lord, let me see You, hear You, receive You, and love You everywhere and always! If it be Your Will, let any or all of our sons hear and respond with an enthusiastic yes to Your call to be a priest. If it be Your Will, let any or all of our daughters hear and respond with an enthusiastic yes to Your call to be a nun. If it be Your Will that they live a married vocation, let them respond with an enthusiastic yes and bless their future spouse. Teach them all to listen to You and Your specific call for them. Help us as parents to guide them to do Your will and let them live their lives here on earth so that they will be with You forever in Heaven. In Your Holy Name, Amen.

Importance of Fathers - repost

Love is Larger than the Walls that Shut it In

+JMJ+

Since many of you are newer readers, I thought that I would repost one of my first posts when I had just started to blog:

~~~

How beautiful and pure is the relationship between a loving father and his daughter. Such a father instinctively wants to guard and protect his daughter while teaching her wisdom, courage and grace. More and more I am encountering places where this relationship is degraded, either by a father that does not guard and protect his daughter or by a society that mocks a father who is strong and courageous enough to do this for his beloved daughter.

At a recent talk I attended by a nationally known feminist, a very brave and courageous young woman stood up after the talk and defended her pledge to purity after the speaker roundly mocked this type of pledge, particularly when it involves the father's vow of love for his daughter. So this incident inspired me to write a post about the importance of fathers and how much they mean to their daughters.

None of us have perfect relationships with our fathers, and some have hurts that are so deep that healing seems impossible, but NOTHING is impossible with God. My heart is filled with so much gratitude for all fathers and for those especially that guide us to Our Father in Heaven. Thank you to my dad for his love for me and for giving me life and for teaching me true compassion for others. Thank you to my husband for his devotion to our family and for sharing his love with me, flowing out of God's Love abiding in his own heart and demonstrated by his dedication to passing on our faith to our sons and daughters.

It is very difficult to describe in one blog post the profound impact that one father, Casper Ten Boom had on his daughter Corrie Ten Boom, but I want to share a few quotes from the book, The Hiding Place, that so touched me it still stirs my heart years after reading Corrie's memories of her father. Casper's words and actions so formed Corrie's heart, that she was led to bring God's Healing Love and Mercy to the horrifying darkness of a Nazi concentration camp.

In an amazing witness of courage and Love that can only come from God, Corrie Ten Boom recounts growing up in Holland and her family's experiences helping protect Jews escape imprisonment by Nazis. Eventually Corrie and much of her family are imprisoned themselves. This Love originated with our Father in Heaven and flowed through Corrie's father Casper Ten Boom, a kind, strong and humble watch repairman whose words and actions resonated deep within his daughters' hearts. I hope these memories touch your heart as much as they do mine:

Corrie's thoughts about "childhood scenes from the past":

Today I know that such memories are the key not to the past, but to the future. I know that the experiences of our lives, when we let God use them, become the mysterious and perfect preparation for the work He will give us to do.

Casper's words to Corrie when she asked about "sexsin" as a young girl. They were travelling together, so he showed her the burden of this by talking to her about the heaviness of her suitcase:

It’s too heavy. Yes, and it would be a pretty poor father who would ask his little girl to carry such a load. It’s the same way, Corrie, with knowledge. Some knowledge is too heavy for children. When you are older and stronger you can bear it. For now you must trust me to carry it for you.

Casper to Corrie about death:

“Corrie,” he began gently “When you and I go to Amsterdam, when do I give you your ticket?” I sniffed a few time considering this,”Why, just before we get on the train.” “Exactly. And our wise Father in heaven knows when we are going to need things, too. Don’t run out ahead of Him, Corrie. When the time comes that some of us will have to die, you will look into your heart and find the strength you need – just in time.”

Corrie recalling her father's words while listening to her beloved Tante Jans speak just before her death:

“Dear Jesus, I thank you that we must come with empty hands. I thank you that you have done all– all – on the cross, and that all we need in life or death is to be sure of this.” It was Father’s train ticket, given at the moment itself.

Casper and Corrie having a talk about Love:

“Corrie,” he began instead, “do you know what hurts so very much? It’s love. Love is the strongest force in the world, and when it is blocked, that means pain. “There are two things we can do when this happens. We can kill the love so that it stops hurting. But then of course part of us dies too. Or, Corrie, we can ask God to open up another route for that love to travel.

“God Loves Karel – even more than you do- and if you ask Him, He will give you His Love for this man, a Love nothing can prevent, nothing destroy. Whenever we cannot love in the old, human way, Corrie, God can give us the perfect way.” I did not know, as I listened to father’s footsteps winding down the stairs that he had given me more than the key to this hard moment. I did not know that he had put into my hands the secret that would open far darker rooms than this- places where there was not, on a human level, anything to love at all.

The following quote can be used for a future post about the beauty of motherhood, but I really want to include this reflection of Corrie about her mama to show the major influence she had on Corrie as well:

Mama’s love had always been the kind that acted itself out with soup pot and sewing basket. But now that these things were taken away, the love seemed as whole as before. She sat in her chair at the window and loved us. She loved the people she saw in the street – and beyond: her love took in the city, the land of Holland, the world. And so I learned that Love is larger than the walls that shut it in.

Corrie's thoughts on Love:

How did one show it? How could God Himself show Truth and Love at the same time in a world like this? By dying. The answer stood out sharper and chillier than it ever had before that night: the shape of a Cross etched on the history of the world.

Through her amazing story, Corrie expresses how her father taught her and loved her by relating all back to Our Father in Heaven, Our Father Who pours out His Love for us by giving His Son, Himself, for us. This Love given to Casper for his family brought Corrie and the many lives she touched in the Nazi concentration camp through an unspeakable horror with Faith, Hope, and Love perhaps broken for a time, but not destroyed.

If you have never read The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom, I highly recommend it. There is so much more contained in her story, so read the book. If it has been awhile since you told your father how much you love him and how thankful you are for him, do so while thanking God for adopting us as His sons and daughters.

Gotten Alinskied Lately?

Badger Catholic wrote about being Alinskied recently, and I had to laugh....

So I can relate to being discombobulated by the kids when trying to make valid political points with someone who is obviously uninformed... of course, who knows what the poor uninformed person is thinking.... "can't they even control their kids?"

Family Prayer in our Domestic Church

Here is a prayer that we added to our nightly family prayers several months ago. This is a prayer my husband found in one of his books about fatherhood, and he thought it would be good to pray this together. The kids like to take turns leading this one too. The best is when our two year old (almost three) "reads" it, and I love how she says we "fo-give wun anodda":

~~~JMJ~~~

God made us a family.
We need one another.
We love one another.
We forgive one another.
We work together.
We play together.
We worship together.
Together we learn God's Word.
Together we grow in Christ.
Together we love all people.
Together we serve our God.
Together we hope for Heaven.
These are our hopes.
Help us obtain them, Father,
through Jesus your Son,
Our Lord. Amen.

We have a baby boy!!

Hi, just a quick update!

Michael Aidan was born Friday afternoon May 6th. He was 7 lb 8.5 oz and 19.5 inches. We came home yesterday from the hospital! What a wonderful Mother's Day gift!

Will try to post pictures soon. Thank you SO SO much for all your prayers!!!!

I Love My Grownups

Another priceless moment lying in bed with our 2 year old (although since I am so big and pregnant it is harder and harder to get out of her toddler bed when I lie down with her at night):

Sophia: Mom, I love you. I love Daddy too. I love my grownups. I really love my parents.


:) :) :) :) :) :) :)


P.S. - I am over 3 cm dilated and 80% effaced, and if I do not have the baby before then, the doctor wants me to come in again on Friday for a re-check. If I have made more progress, she wants me to go ahead and go to the hospital since I usually have fairly fast (TRANSLATE: not easy, fast, majorly intense) labors. Please continue to pray for us! Many thanks :)

In Defense of Purity

A friend sent me an article A Case for Purity: In Defense of Overprotective Parenting by April at Catholic Phoenix.

I highly recommend reading this article, it is wonderful and was very encouraging to me as I struggle with doubt about parenting in our oversexualized culture. Living an authentic Catholic faith is truly swimming upstream, and many times I am so exhausted with it all and with my own sinfulness that I just decide to quit paddling and go with the flow. I am so thankful for this article because it has encouraged me once again the absolute importance of protecting our children's purity. It really is an act of heroic faith to not give in to the ways of the world. Let us pray for eachother to stay the course. I hope this article is as encouraging to you as it is to me.

Have a wonderful Sunday. Praise God, our Almighty Creator!

H/T swissmiss

A Beauty Veiled

Yesterday, I posted a video of early life development that was amazing. And it is. But after Women's Holy Hour last night, I realized that there is no video, no ultrasound, no genetic biology explanation that can even come close to describing the beauty and mystery of God's creation. And certainly my own words cannot do this.

The sad part about it all is that the beauty and dignity of life is under attack in such a diabolical way right now in our world that it seems necessary to prove that life exists from the moment of conception. And I am so thankful for all the ultrasounds out there that have saved a child and his or her mother's life. I am also very thankful for the work at LiveAction.org to show people the truth about abortion and abortion providers. I am thankful for scientists who have uncovered genetic biology and can prove life begins at conception.

But most of all, and most importantly, I am thankful to You God, for giving us life, for the mystery of Your creation, a beautiful mystery that I know by faith. I pray for all of us who at times require proof of Your Majesty, Your Almighty Power. I pray for all of us who miss the beauty of keeping Your Mystery veiled. Have Mercy on us.

Thank You for the Mercy of being in Your Presence in the Blessed Sacrament, for veiling Yourself as the Eucharist so that we may dare to enter Your gaze as sinful as we are. In Your Holy Name I pray. Amen.

Psalm 139

Lord, You have probed me, You know me:
You know when I sit and stand;
You understand my thoughts from afar.
My travels and my rest You mark;
with all my ways You are familiar.

Even before a word is on my tongue,
Lord, You know it all.
Behind and before You encircle me
and rest Your Hand upon me.
Such knowledge is beyond me,
far too lofty for me to reach.

Where can I hide from Your Spirit?
From Your Presence, where can I flee?
If I ascend to the heavens, You are there.
If I lie down in Sheol, You are there too.
If I fly with the wings of dawn
and alight beyond the sea,
Even there Your Hand will guide me,
Your Right Hand hold me fast.
If I say, "Surely darkness shall hide me,
and night shall be my light"
Darkness is not dark for You,
and night shines as the day.
Darkness and light are but one.

You formed my inmost being;
You knit me in my mother's womb.
I praise You, so wonderfully You made me.
wonderful are Your works!
My very self You knew;
my bones were not hidden from You,
When I was being made in secret,
fashioned as in the depths of the earth.

Your Eyes foresaw my actions;
in Your book all are written down;
my days were shaped, before one came to be.

How precious to me are Your designs, O God;
how vast the sum of them!
Were I to count, they would outnumber the sands;
to finish, I would need eternity.
If only You would destroy the wicked, O God,
and the bloodthirsty would depart from me!
Deceitfully they invoke Your Name;
Your foes swear faithless oaths.
Do I not hate, Lord, those who hate You?
Those who rise against You, do I not loathe?
With fierce hatred I hate them,
enemies I count as my own.

Probe me, God, know my heart;
try me, know my concerns.
See if my way is crooked,
then lead me in the ancient paths.

Amazing Video of Early Life Development

Wow, this is amazing!



HT Creative Minority Report and LiveAction


Update: If you have trouble viewing the video, you can watch it at liveaction.org

Parents Prayer

My husband went to a Catholic Men's conference recently, where Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers gave some great insight on the role and perceptions of fathers in our society. Maybe I can talk my husband into doing a guest post some time about it. Anyway, Deacon Harold talked about praying before going on the internet and placing Holy Cards around your computer monitor. Our oldest daughter and I went shopping for some Holy Cards just for this purpose and she picked out several really good ones. This prayer is one is one of my favorites that was on the back of a picture of the Holy Family:

Most Loving Father, the example of parenthood, teach us what to give and what to withhold. Show us when to reprove and when to praise. Make us gentle and considerate yet firm and watchful. Keep us from weak indulgence, or from great severity. Give us the courage to be disliked sometimes by our children, when we must do necessary things which are displeasing in their eyes. Give us the imagination to enter into their world in order to understand and guide them. Give us all the virtues we need to lead them by word and example in the path of righteousness. Amen.

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to my dad, to my father-in-law, to my husband, to our grandpas and to all the priests out there serving us as spiritual fathers. I love you all and am so thankful for each and every one of you! Thank you God for giving us all life and each other to bring us closer to You, our Heavenly Father.

In honor of all the dads out there, this is still my all time favorite evah Spencer Tracy/Katharine Hepburn film scene of a dad telling it like it is (although now I disagree with Spencer Tracy's assertion that "the only thing that matters is what they feel" simply because life and love is about so much more than just a feeling):




Have a blessed Father's Day!