Very interesting article. I'm not very familiar with the Venerable Archbishop but I know that he was one of the first to further Catholicism through media. I really like what he has to say about contraception. Makes so much sense!
A Contraception Quote and Broadcast from Archbishop Fulton Sheen…
Showing posts with label Catholicism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Catholicism. Show all posts
Friday, July 13, 2012
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Sharing NFP - Helpful Information
I love this article - Do's and Don'ts of Sharing NFP.
This one is easy for me. I used to use artificial contraception so who am I to talk? Throwing the first stone and all of that.
Go and read the rest of the article. Good stuff!
Don’t condemn their current or past choices. Our culture embraces contraception as something we are entitled to, a basic right. They may be choosing contraception because they don’t know that there is another way.
This one is easy for me. I used to use artificial contraception so who am I to talk? Throwing the first stone and all of that.
Don’t judge. Using NFP doesn’t automatically make one a saint. We all have our own sins and struggles to overcome. Remember: “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone.”This one is hard for me. I tend to think that anyone else that uses NFP is perfect and that it means they are SUPER Catholics. I don't know how many times I've thought to myself, "But they use NFP" when I hear of them acting a certain way or of their marriage having problems etc. Then I have to remind myself that SO DO I and I'm far from a SUPER Catholic - I'm barely even a kind of good one.
Do talk about your cycle. When someone asks for a tampon in the bathroom because she was surprised by a period, mention offhand how you love the predictability you get from charting.Believe it or not, just because I blog about it (or used to, I know, it's been a while) doesn't mean it's easy for me to actually talk about it in person. I throw it in here and there after I know people for a while, but if they start to ask more questions about it or seem negative towards it, I quiet down a bit.
Go and read the rest of the article. Good stuff!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Where Have You Been All My Life?
Finally...the website I've been looking for all my life! I have so much trouble finding good ideas for Catholic crafts and activities to do with my younger kids. It's pretty easy to find materials for older ones - word searches and harder crafts and things like that - but not for the younger ones. But today I ran across this amazing site - Catholic Icing.
You will find cute things such as making an alphabet of saints crafts, a neat prayer and activity to do while carving pumpkins, and some fun All Saints Day games are examples of what you'll find right now. These are easy, fun crafts for little ones but older ones will enjoy as well.
We will sure be doing some of these fun activities!!
You will find cute things such as making an alphabet of saints crafts, a neat prayer and activity to do while carving pumpkins, and some fun All Saints Day games are examples of what you'll find right now. These are easy, fun crafts for little ones but older ones will enjoy as well.
We will sure be doing some of these fun activities!!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Book Review: The Angels and Their Mission
My most recent Catholic Company Book Review is The Angels and Their Mission by Jean Danielou. Truth be told, I've had a hard time with this book. I picked it because I wanted a departure from the family/NFP/mom books that I've been reading. I felt like having a change and broadening my horizons...well, I did that with this book for sure! The cover of the book should have been my first clue that this is not a book about cute little angels flitting about heaven. I was really wanting a book that explained more about angels - the different hierarchies of them etc. In this book, Jean Danielou went a quite a bit beyond that and was definitely writing to an audience more well versed in the subject of angels, and even in the subject of church fathers, than I am. At the first mention of Pseudo-Dionysius I was like, what is a fake Dionysius verses a real Dionysius. And then he mentions Origen and I couldn't figure out why Origen was capitalized or what he was trying to find the origination of. Now that you all know how uneducated I am in our Church Fathers...I'll continue with the review.
I quickly figured out that this wasn't exactly what I was looking for when I chose this book and I admit that I had a tough time getting through it. And I've had a tough time figuring out how to review this book. I did something that I never do when starting out...I looked at another blogger's review. It was my friend Julie D's at Happy Catholic. I know that she loves angels and the curiosity of what she wrote versus what I was thinking just got the better of me! What I read was both shocking and exactly what I expected. Huh?? I know, right? The part I expected was that this was a pretty easy read for her. She's way smart and very knowledgeable already about angels so this for her while, as she puts it "not light, bedtime reading", was pretty easy for her to get through. What shocked me was that the part of the book that absolutely blew my mind because it was such a new concept for me was front and center in her review and apparently a new concept for her too.
This book is a tough read, but it is well worth the time and effort it takes to get through it. It has opened new thoughts and concepts to me. It has made me more interested in exploring and studying the Church Fathers which I admit to knowing nothing about. The chapter on The Angels and the Spiritual Life states that the angels try to help our spiritual life progress. I think they did just that in guiding me to read this book.
This book was reviewed as part of The Catholic Company's reviewer program. Read more reviews here. Order the book from The Catholic Company here.
I quickly figured out that this wasn't exactly what I was looking for when I chose this book and I admit that I had a tough time getting through it. And I've had a tough time figuring out how to review this book. I did something that I never do when starting out...I looked at another blogger's review. It was my friend Julie D's at Happy Catholic. I know that she loves angels and the curiosity of what she wrote versus what I was thinking just got the better of me! What I read was both shocking and exactly what I expected. Huh?? I know, right? The part I expected was that this was a pretty easy read for her. She's way smart and very knowledgeable already about angels so this for her while, as she puts it "not light, bedtime reading", was pretty easy for her to get through. What shocked me was that the part of the book that absolutely blew my mind because it was such a new concept for me was front and center in her review and apparently a new concept for her too.
Just as, at the Nativity, we see the Word descend, surrounded by the angels of heaven, and meet the guardian angels of earth, so now we see Him rise, accompanied by the angels of earth, and meet the angels who guard the gates of heaven. but these do not recognize Him, because He appears united to the human nature that He assumed and bearing the marks of His Passion. Thus, they question the angels who are accompanying Him to find out who He is.I love the image of the angels just being blown away by Jesus coming back to Heaven and they don't even recognize him because of his human nature! Wonderful! Love it!
[...]
Thus, the mystery of the Ascension completely amazes the angels of heaven. for what it reveals to them is really a mystery, hidden up to then, an entirely new reality, disconcerting at first glance
This book is a tough read, but it is well worth the time and effort it takes to get through it. It has opened new thoughts and concepts to me. It has made me more interested in exploring and studying the Church Fathers which I admit to knowing nothing about. The chapter on The Angels and the Spiritual Life states that the angels try to help our spiritual life progress. I think they did just that in guiding me to read this book.
This book was reviewed as part of The Catholic Company's reviewer program. Read more reviews here. Order the book from The Catholic Company here.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Joint Statement From Dallas and Fort Worth Bishops
I think this is a very important letter from our bishops that all Catholics, whether from Dallas or Fort Worth or elsewhere, should read. It is very clear in stating our obligations as Catholic voters. This stood out as most important to me...
For the record, Barack Obama supports the intrinsic evil of abortion, "abortion rights". He has voted against human rights for babies born alive after attempted abortions and called babies punishments.
It cannot be more plainly stated.
“To vote for a candidate who supports the intrinsic evil of abortion or ‘abortion rights’ when there is a morally acceptable alternative would be to cooperate in the evil – and, therefore, morally impermissible.”
For the record, Barack Obama supports the intrinsic evil of abortion, "abortion rights". He has voted against human rights for babies born alive after attempted abortions and called babies punishments.
It cannot be more plainly stated.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Catholic Voter's Guide & Texas Voter Registration
Julie at Happy Catholic has some excellent links for Catholics who are trying to decide who to vote for in November. Please take some time to read them!
Also, for Texas voters, this is a really neat Texas Voter Registration website. You can register, make sure you already are registered, find out where to vote and much more. Check it out and make sure that you are ready to go and vote!
Also, for Texas voters, this is a really neat Texas Voter Registration website. You can register, make sure you already are registered, find out where to vote and much more. Check it out and make sure that you are ready to go and vote!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
High Tech NFP!
The Couple to Couple League is updating their ministry to meet today's high tech couples. Read all about it here. I think it will really help attract new folks to NFP.
The Billings Ovulation website is being able to do your chart and get instruction online. I don't think I'd like learning it online - I like having someone that I can ask a zillion questions! But I do like the idea of charting online!
The Billings Ovulation website is being able to do your chart and get instruction online. I don't think I'd like learning it online - I like having someone that I can ask a zillion questions! But I do like the idea of charting online!
Friday, April 4, 2008
The Other Side
This article was written by Ann Furedi who is the chief executive of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), the leading provider of abortion services in the UK. She theorizes that the rise in abortion in the UK is a good thing. If you do not want children, choosing abortion is the responsible route and makes you a "good parent". Emphasis is mine.
A woman quoted in the article said of the abortion of her third child...
This is what I thought would be the worst of what I was reading...but I couldn't stop - the car wreck syndrome. You know, where you can't look away. I witnessed this personally last week when I had a wreck and the door of my van was hanging by a thread. Everyone passing by was just craning their necks to get a better view of the wreckage that was my family's lifeline to work, church, and play. But I digress...back to the article...the stomach churning begins.
This is where it gets REALLY bad...
WHAT?????? Is this a candid camera moment? This is so far the opposite of my viewpoint that I started to wonder if this was some sort of spoof article - a sick joke. But it is not funny.
Her answer to everything is...guess what??? Yep, contraception of course!
However, she contradicts herself because at the beginning of the article she notes that the abortions are rising despite the fact that:
Do you think this would surprise Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI? Does it surprise anyone who has read Humanea Vitae or Theology of the Body?
Now contrast that article to Radical Catholic Mom who said this:
Ahhhh....I feel so much better now. There is sanity in the world!
The idea that you would become a parent because a condom split is something that people don’t generally find very acceptable; and in this context, abortion is seen by many people as a responsible decision. Wouldn't it be more responsible just to not have sex in the first place if you are not ready for the consequences of your actions?
A woman quoted in the article said of the abortion of her third child...
Moran’s own abortion was, she says, ‘one of the least difficult decisions of my life’: ‘I’m not being flippant when I say it took me longer to decide what work-tops to have in the kitchen than whether I was prepared to spend the rest of my life being responsible for a further human being
This is what I thought would be the worst of what I was reading...but I couldn't stop - the car wreck syndrome. You know, where you can't look away. I witnessed this personally last week when I had a wreck and the door of my van was hanging by a thread. Everyone passing by was just craning their necks to get a better view of the wreckage that was my family's lifeline to work, church, and play. But I digress...back to the article...the stomach churning begins.
This is where it gets REALLY bad...
There is a very easy way to make abortion rare, and that’s to ban it, or to take away services, or to stigmatize it so people don’t feel able to have recourse to it. Do we really want to go there, as a society? We have a choice to make: either we continue to see abortion as a problem, or we allow people their moments of intimacy, we allow them to enjoy sex, and we allow them to make use of abortion as a back-up to contraception.
WHAT?????? Is this a candid camera moment? This is so far the opposite of my viewpoint that I started to wonder if this was some sort of spoof article - a sick joke. But it is not funny.
Her answer to everything is...guess what??? Yep, contraception of course!
One obvious strategy is to increase contraceptive use among non-users. Hmmm....the obvious strategy to me is to practice self control through abstinence.
For people who are using contraception, those involved in family planning (not natural family planning mind you)may be able to help reduce their risk of unintended pregnancy by encouraging the use of LARCs, implants and IUDs, which don’t require that they remember to use a barrier method, or take a pill every day. Emergency contraception (EC) is also a very positive development, because it can be so forgiving, (Soooooo...why do you need forgiveness if you've done nothing wrong?) allowing women to use the contraception after they have had sex.
However, she contradicts herself because at the beginning of the article she notes that the abortions are rising despite the fact that:
a wider range of contraception is available, and that the authorities are actively encouraging the use of long-acting reversible methods of contraception (LARCs).
Do you think this would surprise Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI? Does it surprise anyone who has read Humanea Vitae or Theology of the Body?
Now contrast that article to Radical Catholic Mom who said this:
The last few months charting has been extremely difficult because the meds I am on have obscured the typical signs making it very difficult to tell when I am fertile and when I am not. The result has been, using Billings rules, that Chastity time has been extended for longer and longer periods of time. We finally had to sit down and talk and discuss what this was doing to our marriage, why we believed what we believe, what the Church had to say AGAIN, and for us, WHY it was so important that artificial contraception was not allowed in a Catholic marriage. We concluded that what we were going through was the Cross. It was a great sacrifice in the here and now and we had a choice when confronted with our Cross. We could go around it and avoid it-by using some barrier methods-or we could accept it and say "Yes, God, we accept your Cross knowing that there is no such thing as pain and sacrifice without the Resurrection around the corner."
Ahhhh....I feel so much better now. There is sanity in the world!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Blogoversary and The View
I just realized that my one year Blogoversary was at the beginning of this month! It passed without fanfare since I forgot about it! Watching The View the other day reminded me why I started this blog in the first place and made me realize that I have gotten pretty far away from my original intent! Not that I am unhappy with my blog...I could just be doing better. And yes, I said the View! I'm sorry. I like the post Rosie View! Yes, I know most of them are very liberal. But, they are funny, I love Elizabeth, and sometimes it's good to hear the "other side" of things once in a while! In this case, it actually helped me in my mission to share the good news of NFP and the Church's teaching on it which is what I originally started this blog to do. Not only to inform others who do not know the Church's teaching on NFP and, therefore, are endangering their eternal souls, but to have a place for other women practicing NFP to come and feel supported in their decision. I meet with a group of women once a month for a prayer group. We all happen to practice NFP (or in the case of the couple of single women who come, believe in practicing NFP) and quite often our monthly meetings turn into a support group for each other. It is nice to talk to have people to talk to about it without them looking at me like I'm a two headed monster! It is wonderful to hear how much they love practicing it and how it helps them to feel closer to their husbands and also to God. It is also nice to hear that they, like me, sometimes get frustrated with it. That sometimes they too think it's one of the hardest things we are called to do as Catholics! But it's also one of the things that brings us the most blessings!
So, how did The View, of all shows, remind me of all of this? Elizabeth, the token conservative of the show, was making a comment on a story they were talking about that had to do with sex (shocking...talking about sex on The View!). She said something about using protection - I don't remember the context or the story or anything. I just remember that one word in her comment hitting me like a ton of bricks. Protection. From Websters:
Okay not helpful - Protect. From Webster's:
So the lights are low, the candles lit, the wine is poured and it's getting hot and heavy. You say the following to the person you love and want to give yourself to...
Huh????? What???????? How sad. I had never thought of it this way before. The word protection as a synonym for contraception is so common that the next definition for the word protection in Webster's is:
Anyway, that is what I heard on The View that really got me thinking about how sad contraception really is and how our world view on it is so far from God's plan and in some little tiny way, I want to try to spread His message about it to the world. Or at least to a few people who find their way to my blog. I've been praying that He would use this blog for His purpose. Hopefully I'll be able to fulfill my desire to glorify Him in whatever way I can!
So, how did The View, of all shows, remind me of all of this? Elizabeth, the token conservative of the show, was making a comment on a story they were talking about that had to do with sex (shocking...talking about sex on The View!). She said something about using protection - I don't remember the context or the story or anything. I just remember that one word in her comment hitting me like a ton of bricks. Protection. From Websters:
1: the act of protecting : the state of being protected
Okay not helpful - Protect. From Webster's:
1 a: to cover or shield from exposure, injury, damage, or destruction
So the lights are low, the candles lit, the wine is poured and it's getting hot and heavy. You say the following to the person you love and want to give yourself to...
Honey, I really love you but before we go any further, do you have something to shield me from exposure, injury, damage or destruction while we "make love"?
Huh????? What???????? How sad. I had never thought of it this way before. The word protection as a synonym for contraception is so common that the next definition for the word protection in Webster's is:
2 a: one that protects b: supervision or support of one that is smaller and weaker c: a contraceptive device (as a condom)
Anyway, that is what I heard on The View that really got me thinking about how sad contraception really is and how our world view on it is so far from God's plan and in some little tiny way, I want to try to spread His message about it to the world. Or at least to a few people who find their way to my blog. I've been praying that He would use this blog for His purpose. Hopefully I'll be able to fulfill my desire to glorify Him in whatever way I can!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Kidz Linkz
I found a really neat Catholic website for little ones called My Friend Magazine! I'm always in search of fun ways to introduce my kids to their faith - crafts, games, etc. I've found that there is very little out there for the tiny ones like mine - toddler and preschool age. So I was thrilled to find this. It has games that my preschooler can play online, coloring pages for the toddler, fun stuff for older kids to read with topics that pertain to their issues, and ideas for parents and teachers to use with their kids. Check it out!
Domestic-Church is another good one that gives parents some neat ideas on how to celebrate different feast days and seasons. It has separate sections for young and older children. Again, a lot of the "young" children stuff is for school age young children but some of it can be adapted.
My sister sent me this website. It would be great for an older teen or young adult. It's called the Red Letters Project. Here's how their website describes it:
Neat idea!
Domestic-Church is another good one that gives parents some neat ideas on how to celebrate different feast days and seasons. It has separate sections for young and older children. Again, a lot of the "young" children stuff is for school age young children but some of it can be adapted.
My sister sent me this website. It would be great for an older teen or young adult. It's called the Red Letters Project. Here's how their website describes it:
"The Red Letters Project" is like no other. It's the Book of Matthew as written in the New Testament, word for word, put to rock music with influences that include Coldplay, Aerosmith, Lenny Kravitz, James Blunt, Arctic Monkeys, Gorillaz and Weezer.
Neat idea!
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Me Too's Priest, Prophet and King Day!!
Today is Me Too's baptism anniversary! I call them Priest, Prophet and King days - explanation below. Baptism anniversaries are very special to me even though I haven't really done anything special to commemorate this one for Me Too like I did last year. We'll talk about it tonight over dinner and I pulled out her white garment, candle and the neat program that Grampy made for it and will put that all out somewhere on or near the dinner table. This past Sunday we looked at pictures of her baptism when we were talking about celebrating Jesus' baptism so it is already fresh on our minds. Actually, that is what reminded me about today - I almost forgot!
I wrote this last year on our family blog and since I don't have too much time to write anything special today (this is being done one handed as it is!) I thought I'd just repost it.
From January 15, 2007....
Today is Me Too's Priest, Prophet and King day! In other words, it's the anniversary of her baptism day. The special day when she joined the body of Christ and called to be a priest, prophet and a king. Celebrating the kids' baptism anniversary day is an idea I got from a dear friend who does this with each of her kids. I meant to do it for Big Bear last year but forgot and vowed to start this year. We have 3 special ones - Big Bear is April 11, Me Too is January 15, and my goddaughter and niece (her nickname is Princess Crinklenose) is August 13.
I woke up this morning and remembered that it was Me Too's and immediately thought to myself, "It's her priest, prophet and king day" and that is what I will call these baptism anniversaries from now on. Being called to be a priest, prophet and a king is a part of the baptism ceremony that I remember but I couldn't exactly explain what each thing meant. I thought it would be nice each year to remind the kids of this calling and talk about it. So, in order to do this, obviously I have to know what it is too!! So I've done a little digging around and will share my new found knowledge. Since Me Too isn't really old enough to understand, it's more up to Doug and I to be examples of these roles for her in our family life so that is what I'll focus more on today.
Priest - to be a priest represents men before God - or "talks to God about men". We are called to pray for each other and offer our lives as a sacrifice to help bring others to God. Doug and I can do this through prayer for and with our children. We can do this through the sacrifices of our daily lives - going to work, housework, making dinner, mowing the lawn, watching kids shows instead of what we want to watch, and putting together Care Bear puzzles for the millionth time when we'd rather take a nap - and doing them without complaining, grumbling or being resentful but instead offering them up to God.
Prophet - to be a prophet is to represent God to me - or "talk to men about God". I think the most important way to do this is to live our lives as Christ's witness. Especially at home and in front of the kids - Jeusu should shine through to them in our words, actions and deeds. We are also prophets by teaching them prayers, taking them to church and making sure they receive their sacraments.
King - to me the other two were easy to understand and explain even before I looked anything up but this one is harder for me to get - even after reading. The best explanation I found was that a king is called to service to his people. Jesus is our King but he was called to service to us by becoming a human and giving his life. We are called to service by loving our neighbor. As parents, we do this not only through loving and serving our children, but also by serving our church and others.
These are just some things I'm thinking about today as I'm remember Me Too's beautiful baptism one year ago. It was a cold and rainy day but inside the little baptistery at St. Thomas it was warm and cozy with love and family. She had already become very fussy due to her reflux but was a perfect, quiet angel all through the ceremony. Big Bear had a ball walking around and seeing everyone while eating her little cereal snack that Grammy brought her. Then we had a wonderful party at home which was combined with Big Bear's 2 year birthday party - a little late b/c of having been in the hospital with Me Too on her real birthday. Skip forward to yesterday when Doug and I split up mass letting her walk around in the back! Doesn't feel like too much progress but I know we'll get there!! It's a journey! We're going to celebrate tonight with one of Me Too's favorite dinners - spaghetti and meatballs - and we'll have some cupcakes.
Friday, June 15, 2007
My NFP Conversion Story
This is my NFP conversion story. I was asked to write this by someone back in September! I was honored to be asked and very excited to do it but for some reason I could never make myself sit down and do it. I thought about it often. Actually, it is what caused me to first think of starting this blog. I would think about writing my story down and that would lead me to think about how I felt called to share the truth of the church's teaching on contraception and sexuality which led me to think about starting a blog to express my thoughts. I haven't done too great a job since I've gotten pregnant and been so sick but now that I'm feeling a little bit better I am finally motivated to sit down and write this...so here goes!
I grew up Catholic and always felt that I was a very knowledgeable one. We went to Mass every Sunday, I went to Catholic school through 9th grade and my parents were very devout - heck, my dad is a deacon! After attending a retreat at church called the Christ Renews His Parish (CRHP) retreat, I came to the realization that I didn't know squat about my faith. I had what amounted to a 9th grade education in my faith...if even that...and let's face it, my dad being a deacon didn't mean anything about my personal understanding of the church. It doesn't pass through by osmosis or anything! And my knowledge on the particular topic of the Church's teaching on birth control was much lower than a 9th grade level.
This realization came to me slowly. The first seed was planted at the retreat when I was looking over an examination of conscience that was provided to the us. It had been probably 10 or more years since I had been to confession and to say I was nervous was the understatement of the decade. Root canals, labor pains and firing squads would have been welcome options for me that night! But, a huge part of me wanted to go and get it over with. I had some things I had wanted to confess for years and years and I knew it would be so wonderful to get them off of my chest. Anyway, as I was reviewing this examination of conscience wondering how I would ever get 10+ years of stuff into one confession, I noticed that one of the questions asked if you had ever used birth control. I remember being surprised that it was there . I knew the church opposed it but didn't know it was a sin! I always just thought it was a very outdated belief of the church. I worked at a Christian foster care agency once with a bunch of good protestant ladies and the subject of birth control came up. I remember laughing and saying, "Oh, I don't follow that one! The Church really needs to get with the times on that subject"! My husband and I had contracepted for the first 3 years of our marriage until I had gotten off the pill to try to get pregnant shortly before attending the CHRP retreat. So, since I wasn't currently using it, and I was trying to make a really good confession after so long, I added it to my long list. That was really the last I thought of it for a while.
Shortly after attending the retreat I became pregnant with our first child! We were so thrilled. When I was about 4 months pregnant, my husband was laid off from his job. It was a very scary time for us. Luckily, I was in formation at the time to present the next CRHP retreat and my team really carried me through this difficult time with prayer and support. They also gave me something to think about that would change my life, although at the time I didn't understand how much. Someone sent a transcript of Janet Smith's Contraception: Why Not? speech via email. I printed it out and started to read it one night. I had a very confusing reaction to the information I read there. On one hand, I was very excited and energized the way you feel when you learn something new but feel as if somehow you already knew it...if that makes any sense! I was also very sick to my stomach because I knew there was no turning back once I knew this truth. How in the world was I even going to begin to explain this to my protestant, "Where in the Bible does it say that exactly" husband? How would I get him on board? I started to pray that the Lord would open his heart. One night I felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit telling me to start the conversation. I basically told him that I had been doing some reading on the subject and that my understanding of the Church's position on birth control had grown and developed and that there was no way I could see myself being able to go back to birth control. At this point I had not really researched much on NFP and didn't have a lot of good information to give him on it but I was really just telling him what was in my heart. His reply was that he didn't know how he could object to my new found religious beliefs and he had never liked the effect that the pill had on me (it made me very sick each month). But he was also concerned about using NFP. All we had ever heard of up to that point was the rhythm method and we had heard that it didn't work all that well. So, we basically tabled the conversation for a while and I kept praying about it.
When I was 6 months pregnant, a week before my team put on the CRHP retreat for the next group of ladies to come, even though my husband was still unemployed, I quit my job. There had been some problems with my bosses at work and the situation had deteriorated to a point that I was really on the verge of an emotional breakdown. So, there we were...two people with no jobs and a baby on the way. Whoa - talk about emotional breakdown! That was the darkest time that I can ever remember - although I know leaving that job was the absolute right thing to do. Soon, my husband began working for a wonderful and generous man who actually put him through school to become a home inspector. He got a job inspecting a few months after the birth of our first baby. I worked part time for our church. We barely scraped by...and sometimes didn't...but somehow we survived. I think we survived on the pure infatuation we had with our baby and a LOT of prayer!
I quickly realized we needed to get on the ball with the NFP stuff and figure out what we were doing as we were in NO position to be pregnant again any time soon. So, I called the lady who did the NFP classes for the engaged couples at our church. I remember when we were engaged, I had seen something about going to those classes. I was horrified at the thought of sitting through it and had envisioned some hippy lady talking to a group of other hippies with me and my husband thrown in the mix. I think that at the time that we got married, it was suggested that we go but not required. Now it is required and I wish it had been for us...although I don't know if I would have really gotten the message or not. So, off my husband and I go, with baby in tow, to the introductory NFP class. I remember being a little embarrassed to be there with a baby in my arms amongst all of these young, cute engaged couples but we got through it. It was there that the deal was sealed for me regarding contraception and especially the pill. It was there that I first heard the term abortifacient as I listened in horror to the teacher explaining this term in relation to the pill. I almost didn't even hear the rest of the class and started crying as soon as we got in the car. I couldn't believe that I possibly had babies in heaven that I never even knew about. I've read somewhere since then that statistically for the amount of time that I was on the pill I have something like 2 or 3 souls in heaven that should have been my children. I know I've been forgiven, but this is like a wound the re-opens over and over every time I think of it. I can't wait to be reunited with them one day in heaven.
I think at this point my husband was still on the fence about the whole thing. He still really didn't understand the religious side of it and was mainly concentrating on the fact that we couldn't pay our bills every month, our debt was growing like no body's business, and we were still really tired from having a newborn in the house. I got my hands on the Janet Smith speech on CD and listened to it one day. Hearing her speak the words was even more inspiring than reading it and I knew I had to get my husband to listen to it so he could understand. One day as he was out in the garage working on one of his control line airplanes (his big hobby), I took the CD out to him and asked him to listen to it while he worked. To my surprise, he did! And it worked. He understood and it made sense to him. This is not to say that it was an easy transition. The concept of abstaining during certain times of the month is certainly something that couples have to work on. The concept of having faith that everything would work out is definitely something that couples have to work on...and boy did we get to work on it!
When our first daughter was 14 months old, we discovered that we were pregnant! I had actually disregarded a sign that I was fertile one day and thought that it was early enough in the fertile time that we would be safe. We still couldn't pay our bills each month, our debt was through the roof and we had private insurance. We were sure that having a baby with private insurance would cost a bundle but imagine our horror and surprise when we found out that it did not cover pregnancy AT ALL in Texas. I called my doctor's office to inquire as to how much it would be to pay out of pocket. Since I have to have a c-section we're facing at least a $20,000 bill barring any complications. We started discussing going to apply for Medicaid. Every time the topic came up all I could do is just cry. I was a social worker in my first years out of college. I knew there was no shame in going on government assistance and believed that it was an okay thing to do as long as you worked towards getting off of it and didn't abuse it as a way of life. But I couldn't get over my pride. One day we got my mom to come over and babysit and we went up to the Medicaid office. We stood in line for 10 or 15 minutes and then left because I was crying so hard. We didn't know what we would do but we didn't feel right about that option. I prayed and prayed. I was very candid with the Lord. I said, "Look, we were doing what we were supposed to be doing. We were open to life and here it is, now you're just going to have to fix this"! It always makes my husband nervous that I talk to God that way, but my opinion is that he's a big God and can take it!
My dad's job at the church is invaluable for things like job searches. He puts out the word and someone can usually help out. A man at church, Mark, told my dad to have Doug call him and he would give him an interview. He owned a mortgage company called Catholic Home Loan. Doug had interviewed with him two years previously when he had lost his job and he had been told he didn't have enough experience in the mortgage industry. Plus, it was a sales job and none of us really thought Doug was suited for sales. But he went on the interview. We didn't think much more of it when a few weeks later he was offered a job. I still had personal concerns about this being the right type of work for him but it was a more steady paycheck and, most importantly, there was insurance that would cover the birth of our child even though we were already pregnant!! Our second beautiful daughter was born in November and one week later we moved into a bigger house and used the equity from the sale of our home to pay off all of our debt.
I truly felt that our faith and our obedience had been rewarded. I just knew that everything was going to be perfect after this! Nothing is ever perfect but it sure does keep getting better and better. Not without some more struggle though and not without a lot of faith. I wish the financial part of our story ended with the paying off of our debt...but it didn't. Our debt is back due to the fact that Doug's job provided us enough money to pay most of our bills but not all of our expenses. However, he has continued to make more and more money. We are now pregnant with our third child. A little while before becoming pregnant I read a post over at Et Tu Jen about every child coming with a loaf of bread under it's arms. This is absolutely true in my opinion. Since becoming pregnant with this baby, my husband's pay at work has increased so that we are bringing home enough money each month to cover everything and while we still have the large debt, at least the bleeding has stopped. I have been able to quit my second job and only work one part time job - one that allows me to be around my children during the day!
The Lord is so good. He promises to take care of us and not to give us more than we can handle. I am realizing that this does not mean we will feel like we can handle it and we might not always even feel that He is taking care of us...but He is, always. To me, the Church's teaching on contraception, sexuality, children, and marriage is one of the most beautiful truths I've ever known. I did a book club on the Theology of the Body. I won't even act like I understood half of it but I loved what I did understand. This does not mean it is not a struggle to live out this truth. It is! My ladies monthly prayer meeting was discussing this just today. It is so hard to follow NFP and the teachings of the Church - for husbands and wives. But, nothing good ever comes easy and knowing that it is the right thing in the eyes of God and knowing that He gives us the graces that we need if we just ask, helps us through it.
I pray for all of you who are practicing NFP. I pray for all of you who may be struggling with the teaching of the Church or coming to understand the truth of the Church. It can be a punch in the gut while also being a beautiful eye opening reality. And I pray for the conversion of our society from one of a culture of death to one that celebrates and welcomes life. Please join me in these prayers.
I grew up Catholic and always felt that I was a very knowledgeable one. We went to Mass every Sunday, I went to Catholic school through 9th grade and my parents were very devout - heck, my dad is a deacon! After attending a retreat at church called the Christ Renews His Parish (CRHP) retreat, I came to the realization that I didn't know squat about my faith. I had what amounted to a 9th grade education in my faith...if even that...and let's face it, my dad being a deacon didn't mean anything about my personal understanding of the church. It doesn't pass through by osmosis or anything! And my knowledge on the particular topic of the Church's teaching on birth control was much lower than a 9th grade level.
This realization came to me slowly. The first seed was planted at the retreat when I was looking over an examination of conscience that was provided to the us. It had been probably 10 or more years since I had been to confession and to say I was nervous was the understatement of the decade. Root canals, labor pains and firing squads would have been welcome options for me that night! But, a huge part of me wanted to go and get it over with. I had some things I had wanted to confess for years and years and I knew it would be so wonderful to get them off of my chest. Anyway, as I was reviewing this examination of conscience wondering how I would ever get 10+ years of stuff into one confession, I noticed that one of the questions asked if you had ever used birth control. I remember being surprised that it was there . I knew the church opposed it but didn't know it was a sin! I always just thought it was a very outdated belief of the church. I worked at a Christian foster care agency once with a bunch of good protestant ladies and the subject of birth control came up. I remember laughing and saying, "Oh, I don't follow that one! The Church really needs to get with the times on that subject"! My husband and I had contracepted for the first 3 years of our marriage until I had gotten off the pill to try to get pregnant shortly before attending the CHRP retreat. So, since I wasn't currently using it, and I was trying to make a really good confession after so long, I added it to my long list. That was really the last I thought of it for a while.
Shortly after attending the retreat I became pregnant with our first child! We were so thrilled. When I was about 4 months pregnant, my husband was laid off from his job. It was a very scary time for us. Luckily, I was in formation at the time to present the next CRHP retreat and my team really carried me through this difficult time with prayer and support. They also gave me something to think about that would change my life, although at the time I didn't understand how much. Someone sent a transcript of Janet Smith's Contraception: Why Not? speech via email. I printed it out and started to read it one night. I had a very confusing reaction to the information I read there. On one hand, I was very excited and energized the way you feel when you learn something new but feel as if somehow you already knew it...if that makes any sense! I was also very sick to my stomach because I knew there was no turning back once I knew this truth. How in the world was I even going to begin to explain this to my protestant, "Where in the Bible does it say that exactly" husband? How would I get him on board? I started to pray that the Lord would open his heart. One night I felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit telling me to start the conversation. I basically told him that I had been doing some reading on the subject and that my understanding of the Church's position on birth control had grown and developed and that there was no way I could see myself being able to go back to birth control. At this point I had not really researched much on NFP and didn't have a lot of good information to give him on it but I was really just telling him what was in my heart. His reply was that he didn't know how he could object to my new found religious beliefs and he had never liked the effect that the pill had on me (it made me very sick each month). But he was also concerned about using NFP. All we had ever heard of up to that point was the rhythm method and we had heard that it didn't work all that well. So, we basically tabled the conversation for a while and I kept praying about it.
When I was 6 months pregnant, a week before my team put on the CRHP retreat for the next group of ladies to come, even though my husband was still unemployed, I quit my job. There had been some problems with my bosses at work and the situation had deteriorated to a point that I was really on the verge of an emotional breakdown. So, there we were...two people with no jobs and a baby on the way. Whoa - talk about emotional breakdown! That was the darkest time that I can ever remember - although I know leaving that job was the absolute right thing to do. Soon, my husband began working for a wonderful and generous man who actually put him through school to become a home inspector. He got a job inspecting a few months after the birth of our first baby. I worked part time for our church. We barely scraped by...and sometimes didn't...but somehow we survived. I think we survived on the pure infatuation we had with our baby and a LOT of prayer!
I quickly realized we needed to get on the ball with the NFP stuff and figure out what we were doing as we were in NO position to be pregnant again any time soon. So, I called the lady who did the NFP classes for the engaged couples at our church. I remember when we were engaged, I had seen something about going to those classes. I was horrified at the thought of sitting through it and had envisioned some hippy lady talking to a group of other hippies with me and my husband thrown in the mix. I think that at the time that we got married, it was suggested that we go but not required. Now it is required and I wish it had been for us...although I don't know if I would have really gotten the message or not. So, off my husband and I go, with baby in tow, to the introductory NFP class. I remember being a little embarrassed to be there with a baby in my arms amongst all of these young, cute engaged couples but we got through it. It was there that the deal was sealed for me regarding contraception and especially the pill. It was there that I first heard the term abortifacient as I listened in horror to the teacher explaining this term in relation to the pill. I almost didn't even hear the rest of the class and started crying as soon as we got in the car. I couldn't believe that I possibly had babies in heaven that I never even knew about. I've read somewhere since then that statistically for the amount of time that I was on the pill I have something like 2 or 3 souls in heaven that should have been my children. I know I've been forgiven, but this is like a wound the re-opens over and over every time I think of it. I can't wait to be reunited with them one day in heaven.
I think at this point my husband was still on the fence about the whole thing. He still really didn't understand the religious side of it and was mainly concentrating on the fact that we couldn't pay our bills every month, our debt was growing like no body's business, and we were still really tired from having a newborn in the house. I got my hands on the Janet Smith speech on CD and listened to it one day. Hearing her speak the words was even more inspiring than reading it and I knew I had to get my husband to listen to it so he could understand. One day as he was out in the garage working on one of his control line airplanes (his big hobby), I took the CD out to him and asked him to listen to it while he worked. To my surprise, he did! And it worked. He understood and it made sense to him. This is not to say that it was an easy transition. The concept of abstaining during certain times of the month is certainly something that couples have to work on. The concept of having faith that everything would work out is definitely something that couples have to work on...and boy did we get to work on it!
When our first daughter was 14 months old, we discovered that we were pregnant! I had actually disregarded a sign that I was fertile one day and thought that it was early enough in the fertile time that we would be safe. We still couldn't pay our bills each month, our debt was through the roof and we had private insurance. We were sure that having a baby with private insurance would cost a bundle but imagine our horror and surprise when we found out that it did not cover pregnancy AT ALL in Texas. I called my doctor's office to inquire as to how much it would be to pay out of pocket. Since I have to have a c-section we're facing at least a $20,000 bill barring any complications. We started discussing going to apply for Medicaid. Every time the topic came up all I could do is just cry. I was a social worker in my first years out of college. I knew there was no shame in going on government assistance and believed that it was an okay thing to do as long as you worked towards getting off of it and didn't abuse it as a way of life. But I couldn't get over my pride. One day we got my mom to come over and babysit and we went up to the Medicaid office. We stood in line for 10 or 15 minutes and then left because I was crying so hard. We didn't know what we would do but we didn't feel right about that option. I prayed and prayed. I was very candid with the Lord. I said, "Look, we were doing what we were supposed to be doing. We were open to life and here it is, now you're just going to have to fix this"! It always makes my husband nervous that I talk to God that way, but my opinion is that he's a big God and can take it!
My dad's job at the church is invaluable for things like job searches. He puts out the word and someone can usually help out. A man at church, Mark, told my dad to have Doug call him and he would give him an interview. He owned a mortgage company called Catholic Home Loan. Doug had interviewed with him two years previously when he had lost his job and he had been told he didn't have enough experience in the mortgage industry. Plus, it was a sales job and none of us really thought Doug was suited for sales. But he went on the interview. We didn't think much more of it when a few weeks later he was offered a job. I still had personal concerns about this being the right type of work for him but it was a more steady paycheck and, most importantly, there was insurance that would cover the birth of our child even though we were already pregnant!! Our second beautiful daughter was born in November and one week later we moved into a bigger house and used the equity from the sale of our home to pay off all of our debt.
I truly felt that our faith and our obedience had been rewarded. I just knew that everything was going to be perfect after this! Nothing is ever perfect but it sure does keep getting better and better. Not without some more struggle though and not without a lot of faith. I wish the financial part of our story ended with the paying off of our debt...but it didn't. Our debt is back due to the fact that Doug's job provided us enough money to pay most of our bills but not all of our expenses. However, he has continued to make more and more money. We are now pregnant with our third child. A little while before becoming pregnant I read a post over at Et Tu Jen about every child coming with a loaf of bread under it's arms. This is absolutely true in my opinion. Since becoming pregnant with this baby, my husband's pay at work has increased so that we are bringing home enough money each month to cover everything and while we still have the large debt, at least the bleeding has stopped. I have been able to quit my second job and only work one part time job - one that allows me to be around my children during the day!
The Lord is so good. He promises to take care of us and not to give us more than we can handle. I am realizing that this does not mean we will feel like we can handle it and we might not always even feel that He is taking care of us...but He is, always. To me, the Church's teaching on contraception, sexuality, children, and marriage is one of the most beautiful truths I've ever known. I did a book club on the Theology of the Body. I won't even act like I understood half of it but I loved what I did understand. This does not mean it is not a struggle to live out this truth. It is! My ladies monthly prayer meeting was discussing this just today. It is so hard to follow NFP and the teachings of the Church - for husbands and wives. But, nothing good ever comes easy and knowing that it is the right thing in the eyes of God and knowing that He gives us the graces that we need if we just ask, helps us through it.
I pray for all of you who are practicing NFP. I pray for all of you who may be struggling with the teaching of the Church or coming to understand the truth of the Church. It can be a punch in the gut while also being a beautiful eye opening reality. And I pray for the conversion of our society from one of a culture of death to one that celebrates and welcomes life. Please join me in these prayers.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Happy 20th Anniversary!!
I remember how proud I was watching my dad be ordained a deacon 20 years ago but it doesn't even compare to how proud of him I am today watching him serve the Lord by impacting peoples lives and making Jesus real to those he comes in contact with each day. It keeps him busy to say the least. My mom's response to people when they ask where my dad is goes, "Our Father, who art in a meeting". But, it brings him such joy and such satisfaction that it is worth the sacrifice we have to sometimes make...like when I noticed the other day that he has a rehearsal dinner scheduled on my birthday!! Oh well...it's not a biggie this year anyway.
I've been having some memories related to my dad becoming a deacon that I thought I'd share today. The first is the day he told me that he and my mom had made this decision. I was in the 3rd grade. A little boy in my class had been involved in some sort of accident that resulted in his death. The day of his funeral I was sick but desperately wanted and needed to be there to say goodbye with the rest of the class. So I stayed home until my dad picked me up and took me to the funeral. Afterwards, he was driving me to my doctor's appointment (I think I had strep throat) and it was there in the car on the way to the doctor's office that he told me this big news. Funny that I remember all of that but I don't really remember how I felt about the announcement. I think I just thought it seemed pretty okay with me.
I also remember how he had to go away for an entire weekend once a month for 4 years. I was in 4th grade when he started and in 8th grade when he was ordained - and I was the oldest of 3! When I think of it now, especially now that I'm a mom who lives for the moment that my second pair of hands arrives, I don't know how my mom did it! I know it was hard on her because we've talked about it but...I look back on those weekends and remember them being really fun. But, that's how my mom was and is today with my kids. She can make things so much fun. One particular weekend that stands out in my mind was a rainy one. Again, as a mom now, it makes me shudder to think of a whole weekend alone with 3 kids and not being able to get out of the house! But I remember that we made a huge train track out of pillows all throughout the downstairs or our house. We must have used every pillow from every bed and couch in the whole house. It was a blast!
As I got older, I had mixed emotions about my dad being a deacon. Deep down inside I was immensely proud and new that it was a really special thing. But as I grew into a teenager I couldn't express that of course. I had to be pretty cool about it. My friends would joke and call me a DD for Deacon's Daughter. They said I could be like the preacher's daughter on the movie Footloose. I would agree and laugh along with them although I had never seen that movie and had no idea what they were talking about! I quickly figured it out from how they talked about that character and soon I began to take that on as a bragging point to show people that I was a "cool DD" which is hilarious because I couldn't have been more opposite than that girl!
Last, I remember the first mass that my dad served as an ordained deacon. I was used to seeing him up on the altar helping and serving in different capacities but this was the first time as "the deacon". There was of course the now often told story of the pastor of our church announcing that my dad would not be preaching that day because he did not have all of his faculties. After the church finished laughing I think he explained that faculties in this case meant that he had not finished his "preaching training" for lack of more knowledge on my part as to how to explain it but of course it sounded like the priest was saying that my dad was loony. I had no idea what either meaning of the word was so I had no idea why everyone was cracking up.
But there was a part of the mass where I did get to laugh. When they got to the part of the mass where the deacon (in this case my pop!) sings, "Let us proclaim the mystery of faith" my whole family just cracked up. I think partly because we were not expecting it and partly because, well, he wasn't a bad singer...I just think maybe his very first time doing it didn't sound so natural or something? Not sure why but it just struck me, my mom and brother so funny and I remember us just all giggling there in the pew.
Those are just some of the memories I have about this special time in our lives. I don't know if anyone but me will even enjoy them but I sure have had fun thinking about these things. The rest of the 20 years has been filled with watching my dad proudly from the pews, listening to people rave about how wonderful he is and sometimes even just going to my knees to pray for some of the things he has to do like being with people when they die or helping families through crises. I don't know how he handles those things but I know he depends on God to give him the graces he needs in every situation - and God does not let him down.
Please say a prayer for my dad and his ministry as well as all who are called to serve the Lord in any way. Here's to another 20 great years pop!
I've been having some memories related to my dad becoming a deacon that I thought I'd share today. The first is the day he told me that he and my mom had made this decision. I was in the 3rd grade. A little boy in my class had been involved in some sort of accident that resulted in his death. The day of his funeral I was sick but desperately wanted and needed to be there to say goodbye with the rest of the class. So I stayed home until my dad picked me up and took me to the funeral. Afterwards, he was driving me to my doctor's appointment (I think I had strep throat) and it was there in the car on the way to the doctor's office that he told me this big news. Funny that I remember all of that but I don't really remember how I felt about the announcement. I think I just thought it seemed pretty okay with me.
I also remember how he had to go away for an entire weekend once a month for 4 years. I was in 4th grade when he started and in 8th grade when he was ordained - and I was the oldest of 3! When I think of it now, especially now that I'm a mom who lives for the moment that my second pair of hands arrives, I don't know how my mom did it! I know it was hard on her because we've talked about it but...I look back on those weekends and remember them being really fun. But, that's how my mom was and is today with my kids. She can make things so much fun. One particular weekend that stands out in my mind was a rainy one. Again, as a mom now, it makes me shudder to think of a whole weekend alone with 3 kids and not being able to get out of the house! But I remember that we made a huge train track out of pillows all throughout the downstairs or our house. We must have used every pillow from every bed and couch in the whole house. It was a blast!
As I got older, I had mixed emotions about my dad being a deacon. Deep down inside I was immensely proud and new that it was a really special thing. But as I grew into a teenager I couldn't express that of course. I had to be pretty cool about it. My friends would joke and call me a DD for Deacon's Daughter. They said I could be like the preacher's daughter on the movie Footloose. I would agree and laugh along with them although I had never seen that movie and had no idea what they were talking about! I quickly figured it out from how they talked about that character and soon I began to take that on as a bragging point to show people that I was a "cool DD" which is hilarious because I couldn't have been more opposite than that girl!
Last, I remember the first mass that my dad served as an ordained deacon. I was used to seeing him up on the altar helping and serving in different capacities but this was the first time as "the deacon". There was of course the now often told story of the pastor of our church announcing that my dad would not be preaching that day because he did not have all of his faculties. After the church finished laughing I think he explained that faculties in this case meant that he had not finished his "preaching training" for lack of more knowledge on my part as to how to explain it but of course it sounded like the priest was saying that my dad was loony. I had no idea what either meaning of the word was so I had no idea why everyone was cracking up.
But there was a part of the mass where I did get to laugh. When they got to the part of the mass where the deacon (in this case my pop!) sings, "Let us proclaim the mystery of faith" my whole family just cracked up. I think partly because we were not expecting it and partly because, well, he wasn't a bad singer...I just think maybe his very first time doing it didn't sound so natural or something? Not sure why but it just struck me, my mom and brother so funny and I remember us just all giggling there in the pew.
Those are just some of the memories I have about this special time in our lives. I don't know if anyone but me will even enjoy them but I sure have had fun thinking about these things. The rest of the 20 years has been filled with watching my dad proudly from the pews, listening to people rave about how wonderful he is and sometimes even just going to my knees to pray for some of the things he has to do like being with people when they die or helping families through crises. I don't know how he handles those things but I know he depends on God to give him the graces he needs in every situation - and God does not let him down.
Please say a prayer for my dad and his ministry as well as all who are called to serve the Lord in any way. Here's to another 20 great years pop!
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Happy Anniversary to Young Fogeys
Congrats to Fr. Jay Toborowsky at Young Fogeys on celebrating his 9 year anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. Thank you Fr., for answering the Lord's call to serve Him and for how you have
And I would add teaching me and making me laugh through your blog! You and your ministry are in my prayers as are all religous who follow the Lord's call.
tried to raise His people to new life through my preaching and teaching, how I've counseled His people and forgiven their sins in Confession, and how I've fed His people through celebrating the Mass of the Roman Catholic Church.
And I would add teaching me and making me laugh through your blog! You and your ministry are in my prayers as are all religous who follow the Lord's call.
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Soap and Good Friday
After reading Sister Mary Martha's post about honoring the hours between 12-3 on Good Friday, which I had never thought to do, I decided that I would spend that time with no computer, no television, no radio - no stimulation. I thought I would just spend that time in silence as I did whatever I was going to do so that I could contemplate our Lord's suffering while he hung on the cross dying. Incidentally, I discovered that I am a "stimulation" junkie. Usually, I have the television or radio on while I'm doing stuff around the house. If I'm not doing stuff around the house I'm usually on the computer. So giving up all 3 was a big change for me. I was jittery and nervous and didn't know what to do with myself! I need a 12 step program!
Anyway, I started straightening up the house and then remembered that I had a couple of soap making kits that I had desperately wanted for Christmas but had never gotten out. I began making the soaps and was having the best time. The girls were down, it was quiet, and I realized that instead of just sitting in front of the computer the whole time the girls are napping, I should spend my free time a little more productively once in a while!
But then I started to feel guilty that I was having such a good time. I was supposed to be thinking of Christ and his suffering - not enjoying myself. As I got further into it, I realized that you can make some analogies between soap making and Lent! Yes, soap making and Lent. Let me explain:
The first thing you do is melt down cubes of raw soap that have no scent (well, not a nice one anyway) or color. Once it is liquid, you add the pretty scents, colors and even decorative things like flowers if you'd like. Then you pour the liquid into a mold and let it sit until it cool and hardens. When you're done, you have a beautiful soap that smells so good. But, if you're like me and don't have all of the right equipment to use, the soap can have some imperfections such as bubbles, or not being an equal amount and therefore a little lopsided. Or, better yet, a little piece of the flower can be sticking out of the soap - ha, ha - hey, it was my first attempt at this! This is sort of what we go through at Lent. For 40 days we sacrifice, fast, abstain from meat on Fridays, go to confession, perform works of charity, and genuflect and kneel a lot (stations and Good Friday service have my out of shape body sore - yikes!). We're like the raw soap that is melted and beaten down. But through the process, we are left open and ready for God to decorate our hearts and make us beautiful through His Son's glorious rising on Easter. But, just like the soap I made there will still be imperfections and flaws. The only difference is the soap maker! The flaws in the soap I made were due to my inexperience and humanity while the flaws in us are also due to our imperfections, not our soap maker who is perfect! At this point I'm thinking - great analogy - I'll have something for the blog. But I was still not thinking about Christ's suffering like I was supposed to.
As I started to really get into mixing the colors and the scents I started thinking about the many different types of soap I could come up with if I had time to keep working on it. This made me think about how much fun God must have making humans! He gets to choose from countless different colors, heights, and statures. What a blast He must have! No wonder He loves us so much! But I still wasn't suffering or thinking about suffering...I was really having too much fun. The creative juices were flowing!
I was taking some newly melted soap out of the microwave when my hand moved in a funny way and the very hot liquid soap spilled everywhere - all over the microwave, the cabinets, the floor and my clothes! A bunch of it spilled on my pants up on my thigh and it was hot! It was burning my thigh but I was still trying to right the bowl so as not to spill more so my options were to hold my pants off my leg and not get burned but drop the bowl or get burned and hold the bowl. I kind of did a combination of both while thinking, "Well at least now I'm suffering with Jesus". I looked at the clock on the microwave and it was 3:00!!! The time of our precious Lord's death. So I ran back to my room to change and I was really overcome with sadness and grief. I dropped to my knees and started praising Jesus and thanking Him for suffering for my sake. Then I remembered that I had a copy of the most wonderful stations of the cross. I got my crucifix and placed it in front of me and proceeded to pray the Stations of the Cross. It was a truly wonderful way to spend the hour of our Lord's death. Somehow the girls stayed asleep and quiet the whole time even though they were overdue to wake up. It was very special and really got me in the mood to venerate the Cross at the evening Good Friday service.
In a funny way, I think if I had not been doing the soap making at that time, I may have gotten busy doing something else and missed having such a holy experience. We can find God in such every day experiences if we're just looking and open to His presence.
I have so many more thoughts on my Holy Week, or really Triduum, experiences but it has taken me since Friday to get finished with this post due to the craziness that is my life! I am finishing this on Easter Sunday morning as we have already been up and to Mass and now are all having a great time just relaxing at home - not worrying about what a mess it is! I'm hoping to find some time to write more because I am on such a high after the beautiful and sacred Easter Vigil last night. I sat there last night thinking that this must be very similar to what Heaven is like...with a few notable exceptions that I'll also mention for humor's sake!
Happy & Blessed Easter!
Anyway, I started straightening up the house and then remembered that I had a couple of soap making kits that I had desperately wanted for Christmas but had never gotten out. I began making the soaps and was having the best time. The girls were down, it was quiet, and I realized that instead of just sitting in front of the computer the whole time the girls are napping, I should spend my free time a little more productively once in a while!
But then I started to feel guilty that I was having such a good time. I was supposed to be thinking of Christ and his suffering - not enjoying myself. As I got further into it, I realized that you can make some analogies between soap making and Lent! Yes, soap making and Lent. Let me explain:
The first thing you do is melt down cubes of raw soap that have no scent (well, not a nice one anyway) or color. Once it is liquid, you add the pretty scents, colors and even decorative things like flowers if you'd like. Then you pour the liquid into a mold and let it sit until it cool and hardens. When you're done, you have a beautiful soap that smells so good. But, if you're like me and don't have all of the right equipment to use, the soap can have some imperfections such as bubbles, or not being an equal amount and therefore a little lopsided. Or, better yet, a little piece of the flower can be sticking out of the soap - ha, ha - hey, it was my first attempt at this! This is sort of what we go through at Lent. For 40 days we sacrifice, fast, abstain from meat on Fridays, go to confession, perform works of charity, and genuflect and kneel a lot (stations and Good Friday service have my out of shape body sore - yikes!). We're like the raw soap that is melted and beaten down. But through the process, we are left open and ready for God to decorate our hearts and make us beautiful through His Son's glorious rising on Easter. But, just like the soap I made there will still be imperfections and flaws. The only difference is the soap maker! The flaws in the soap I made were due to my inexperience and humanity while the flaws in us are also due to our imperfections, not our soap maker who is perfect! At this point I'm thinking - great analogy - I'll have something for the blog. But I was still not thinking about Christ's suffering like I was supposed to.
As I started to really get into mixing the colors and the scents I started thinking about the many different types of soap I could come up with if I had time to keep working on it. This made me think about how much fun God must have making humans! He gets to choose from countless different colors, heights, and statures. What a blast He must have! No wonder He loves us so much! But I still wasn't suffering or thinking about suffering...I was really having too much fun. The creative juices were flowing!
I was taking some newly melted soap out of the microwave when my hand moved in a funny way and the very hot liquid soap spilled everywhere - all over the microwave, the cabinets, the floor and my clothes! A bunch of it spilled on my pants up on my thigh and it was hot! It was burning my thigh but I was still trying to right the bowl so as not to spill more so my options were to hold my pants off my leg and not get burned but drop the bowl or get burned and hold the bowl. I kind of did a combination of both while thinking, "Well at least now I'm suffering with Jesus". I looked at the clock on the microwave and it was 3:00!!! The time of our precious Lord's death. So I ran back to my room to change and I was really overcome with sadness and grief. I dropped to my knees and started praising Jesus and thanking Him for suffering for my sake. Then I remembered that I had a copy of the most wonderful stations of the cross. I got my crucifix and placed it in front of me and proceeded to pray the Stations of the Cross. It was a truly wonderful way to spend the hour of our Lord's death. Somehow the girls stayed asleep and quiet the whole time even though they were overdue to wake up. It was very special and really got me in the mood to venerate the Cross at the evening Good Friday service.
In a funny way, I think if I had not been doing the soap making at that time, I may have gotten busy doing something else and missed having such a holy experience. We can find God in such every day experiences if we're just looking and open to His presence.
I have so many more thoughts on my Holy Week, or really Triduum, experiences but it has taken me since Friday to get finished with this post due to the craziness that is my life! I am finishing this on Easter Sunday morning as we have already been up and to Mass and now are all having a great time just relaxing at home - not worrying about what a mess it is! I'm hoping to find some time to write more because I am on such a high after the beautiful and sacred Easter Vigil last night. I sat there last night thinking that this must be very similar to what Heaven is like...with a few notable exceptions that I'll also mention for humor's sake!
Happy & Blessed Easter!
Friday, March 16, 2007
Novena Prayer for Conversion from Contraception
Fr. Euteneuer has posted a novena for prayer for conversion from contraception that starts tomorrow and goes to the Feast of the Annunciation. Also, read his piece The Church Will Not Be Hannitized about the response to all of what has been going on with Sean Hannity. He has received "more than 1250 emails and dozens of other communications which have run clearly 90-10 in favor of the Church’s teaching"!
Novena Prayer for Conversion from Contraception
Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer
March 15, 2007
This prayer is to be prayed prior to the Feast of the Annunciation (this year Monday, March 26th) from Saturday, March 17th to Sunday, March 25th, 2007 inclusive, as a novena of conversion for those who use or promote contraception
Heavenly Father, “from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name,” (Eph 3:15) grant conversion of heart to our world, our society, our families and especially to our own hearts regarding the sin of contraception.
We believe, beyond a doubt, what the one, holy, Catholic and apostolic Church teaches about this moral evil, and we wish to be a light to the nations to make the truth known wherever this evil practice and ideology has taken root.
Call us to be faithful to your command to “Be fruitful and multiply!” so that we may advance the civilization of life and love that you wish to create for the human family.
Bring to conversion those who, in public or private, lead others into the sin of contraception and who erroneously teach that it prevents abortion. Help us all to be purified of the lies and distortions of the culture of death by obedience to the truth and bring us all to the fullness of truth through the guidance of your Church.
We ask this through the intercession of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, in whose fertile womb your Blessed Son found his home on earth.
Amen.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Let the children come unto me...unless it's a newborn
A conversation I had with a protestant friend has been bothering me all day...and I couldn't stop thinking about it at mass just now.
She was sheepishly admitting that they hadn't been to services in the 6 weeks since her baby was born. It's her 3rd child so I knew it couldn't be that she was overwhelmed at getting out the door or worried about germs - the typical new mommy things that keep us holed up at home! She went on to say that they pushed them so much to put the babies in the nursery. My eyes must have popped wide open at that! "One that small - in a nursery??" is what I exclaimed. She said yes, or if you want to take the baby to the service, there is a section in the balcony where they would "let" you sit! Whoa!!!! I told her she needed to come and visit my church sometime where you almost feel awkward if you don't have a baby either in your arms or in your belly! Our pastor, Fr. John, has often been heard to suggest to moms that they sit right down in the front pew with their babies and little children. And his famous quote is that he'd rather hear a baby cry than a cell phone ring during mass!
It makes me sad that this mother, who is at that hard newborn time when fellowship with other moms, normalcy of schedule, and the need to hear the Word of God (unfortunately in that church she is not able to be fed by the Eucharist which is the saddest of all) at a time when the world is temporarily turned upside down by this new little blessing, is being kept away from all of this because her church will not let the little children come unto Him.
She was sheepishly admitting that they hadn't been to services in the 6 weeks since her baby was born. It's her 3rd child so I knew it couldn't be that she was overwhelmed at getting out the door or worried about germs - the typical new mommy things that keep us holed up at home! She went on to say that they pushed them so much to put the babies in the nursery. My eyes must have popped wide open at that! "One that small - in a nursery??" is what I exclaimed. She said yes, or if you want to take the baby to the service, there is a section in the balcony where they would "let" you sit! Whoa!!!! I told her she needed to come and visit my church sometime where you almost feel awkward if you don't have a baby either in your arms or in your belly! Our pastor, Fr. John, has often been heard to suggest to moms that they sit right down in the front pew with their babies and little children. And his famous quote is that he'd rather hear a baby cry than a cell phone ring during mass!
It makes me sad that this mother, who is at that hard newborn time when fellowship with other moms, normalcy of schedule, and the need to hear the Word of God (unfortunately in that church she is not able to be fed by the Eucharist which is the saddest of all) at a time when the world is temporarily turned upside down by this new little blessing, is being kept away from all of this because her church will not let the little children come unto Him.
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