What I'm reading: "Treasure in Clay"

At the recent Southeast Deanery meeting in Dayton, one topic we learned about was some of the spiritual habits of Bishop Fulton Sheen. I was fortunate enough to be able to borrow his autobiography, Treasure in Clay. A little background here: I've had an icky week. We've been busy at work, I've had doctors' appointments, haven't felt all that great, have big decisions to make and I need to clean house and pack for vacation.

Last night, this sentence (page 103) helped the perspective immensely.

(This part is my paraphrase)  The disciples were out fishing, caught nothing, then Jesus tells them to put their net in again.  Now the net contains 153 fish.  It was a reminder of the original mission he gave them...

"Implicit, too, was the truth: 'Without Me you can do nothing . . . nothing. Before He gives strength, He makes us feel our emptiness."

If you can find a copy of this book, read it.

The Catholicism Project - NEW TRAILER

Great video from Word on Fire. I'll be anxious to see the finished product.

Quotes

"Lead us not into temptation.  Just tell us where it is; we'll find it."  ~Sam Levenson

Kinda makes you wonder if God ever thought twice about the whole free-will thing, doesn't it?

Vacations

Is there anything more fun than planning for vacation?  I love that part almost as much as the vacation itself.

This year we're taking our sons on their first "real" vacation.  "Real" in this instance would mean that we're not going stay at a relative's house.  Because of their jobs, my husband's brothers have provided some fabulous vacation opportunities - from Raleigh, NC to Spokane, WA.  Our oldest is 16, the youngest son is 12 and it's a perfect time for them to see our nation's capital.  We have no relatives there.  So, it'll be just us and hopefully a couple friends who can tell us where a good seafood restaurant is.

I've started planning.  Did I mention that I love this part?  Since we're driving, we've got an itinerary penciled out.  Found a deal on a hotel, got the tour tickets ordered.  Someone might need a new app or two for their iPod/iPhone.  The boys sandals fit.  So do my shorts from last year!  I tell ya, I'm ready to pack but we leave in two weeks.

Something else occurred to me this morning.  Are we planning for that vacation known as "eternity?"  Are we looking forward to that destination as much as we're enjoying the journey?  I'm thinking that would involve all those things that are spiritually good for us.  So, let's start packing - weekend Mass (a weekday or two if we can, too), reconciliation, adoration, and quenching our spiritual thirst by learning about our faith.  Can't think of a better way to make it a wonderful trek!

Sunscreen - ran out of that last summer,  I know I have to buy some before we go.  And some bifocal sunglasses, too.

Pope Benedict XVI stresses evangelization, too!

Leaving Portugal, the Pope insisted that Catholics cannot be passive, but must always seek to bring others closer to God. He said:

"We must overcome the temptation to restrict ourselves to what we already have, or think we have, safely in our possession: it would be sure death in terms of the Church’s presence in the world; the Church, for that matter, can only be missionary, in the outward movement of the Spirit."

Even the pope says it's time to evangalize. Where do we find Evangelization 101?  Where can we learn how to be confident in teaching our faith?  How uncanny that my friend, Mary, has just given me a copy of Made for More by Curtis Martin.  It's 116 pages covers the background of why the Bible is true. It dispels the rumors of the resurrection.  It talks about living in the Kingdom, the apostles, and Curtis shares the story of his journey back to the faith.  

Get the book and read it for yourself.  Give it away, discusses it with the next reader when they're finished.   The book is easy-to-understand, youth groups and adults will learn from it.  You can purchase a single copy or get bulk pricing here.  Amazon fans can get it here.

Learning Opportunities: Get your calendar!

It felt “funny” that the Bishop's comments that day were just like mine, but actually, I have been using his letter to stress the need for adult catachesis especially in our families.

Women - that means us.  Society is not a family-friendly place.  I heard a comment one day, probably on EWTN radio, that made me stop in my tracks.  Sorry, I don’t know who said it, they said: “What is more important?  That your kids make it to Harvard or your kids make it to Heaven.”  I love my children, they are truly a gift from God.  But someday when He asks me about them, I just have to reply that I’ve brought up those kids the way they should go.  He's God!  Can't lie anyway.

The women are so often the first teachers in the home, but we can’t give away what we don’t have.  

-Please consider attending the Embracing Our Faith conference in Fort Dodge, Aug. 6-9.  Actually, just go ahead and save the date, more info is coming soon!

-Start an Endow study in your parish.

-Stay in touch.  As our new officers take over, we'll have information about meeting dates, our DCCW book club and more.

Deanery Meetings - you should attend!

It’s time to fill you in on the Deanery meeting in Churdan last week.  Bishop Nickless was the Mass celebrant and the speaker.

1.  If you ever get a chance, please go meet our Bishop. 

2.  Download and read his letter to the Diocese of Sioux City.  It is important that you do that.  Then get your highlighter and start reading.  You can read a little at a time, just do it.  He outlines the things that we as Catholics in our diocese need to do to renew our faith and to evangalize.

What kind of example, really, are we setting?  Do we complain about collections?  Do we gripe about our companions in the Kingdom? Do you love your faith?  Yes.  It all matters.

Pray for him, it’s a tough job to be Bishop!  But our Bishop “rocks” and I’m grateful that he’s here as my shepherd.

Mass, adoration and exposition, rosary - does it get any better than that?  Oh, the ladies had a great baked potato bar, too.  Thank you!

"Be Bold. Be Catholic." Oh, the anticipation!

I got this from a Matthew Kelly email:

Sometimes I look around at Church and so many people seem disengaged... and then I remember that these are the 25% of Catholics who actually come to Mass on Sunday. How is it that so few people appreciate or understand the genius of Catholicism?

Isn't it time someone did something?

At the Dynamic Catholic Institute we are doing something. Please hold us in prayer as we continue our mission to reengage disengaged Catholics and reenergize the Catholic Church. For more information, please visit our website, www.DynamicCatholic.com when it goes live May 13th.

Be Bold. Be Catholic.

Matthew Kelly


I've you've read Rediscovering Catholicism, you'll be excited, too.  It was a great book for those wanting to become re-acquainted with the Catholic faith.


We were lucky enough to hear Matthew at a NCCW convention a couple years ago.  His way of relating was refreshing and helped me see deeper into the fulness of the Catholic faith.


I'm anxious to see their new website!

Check it out!

Under the Bishop's picture, the lower line of the Mass readings, click on Reflection.  It's a great summary of today's scripture readings, almost always guaranteed to make you go, "Hmmm."

You Are What You See

I've been reading HappyCatholic for five years now.  I've followed Julie D's blog through litanys, cool Catholic stuff, parenting, beautiful pictures, book reviews, recipes, audio files...    (Look up her conversion story, too!)

She's recently had a post about a soon-to-be-released book that looks fascinating.  The book is called You Are What You See: Watching Movies Through a Christian Lens.  If a HappyCatholic likes it, it's got to be good.

Check out her post here.

A free song for Mary during May only

The Daughters of St. Paul have a new CD.  During May only, you can download the song, Virgam Florem, for free!

It's a soothing album, totally different than anything else I have in my collection.  I found out you don't even have to know Latin to like it.

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/DaughtersofStPaul3

What can I do for him?

My son has worked so hard, working on his "drive" past dark some nights even after a golf meet.  He's so discouraged and Districts are coming soon.  Tomorrow's performance is a HUGE deciding factor.

As they get older, it's harder to comfort them and tonight, even a rack of ribs didn't help.

Is this how Mary felt?  Her pain must have been worse.  A golf meet vs. a crucifixion.  To my son it probably feels the same.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for him.

The feminine genius - it isn't always easy

"He never said it would be easy, He only said it would be worth it."  (I don't know who said it first, but I heard it from Terry Polakovic.)

One of the things we learned in our first Endow class that the "feminine genius," is something that you were born with, but needs to be nurtured and developed.  Looking back, I've had so many things that have happened to help that process along.  I've watched my mother care for others.  My husband's parents and the older aunts of his family have provided many opportunities to practice that authentic femininity.  Many times with wheel chairs and infant car seats in tow, it definitely wasn't easy.

I didn't realize it at the time, but as we were finishing our Endow class, "Letter to Women," at my local parish, my husband's Aunt M. was completing her life.  As she never married, she lived alone in her own home since her last sister passed away in 1998.  Her independence was incredible.  On March 21, 2010 she went out for lunch with her friends.  The next day, she called and said she had to get to the doctor.  Her afternoon appointment ended with a hospital stay for a bowel obstruction.  A few days in the hospital, followed by a few days in the nursing home resulted in another blockage.

On Easter Sunday, 2010, she was transferred to a larger hospital 60 miles away. This now-frail, 94-year-old woman, for the first time in a long time, truly needed someone.

Starting Easter Sunday, Pat and I made one, and sometimes two, trips a day to see her.   The one-hour each-way trip became a part of our routine.  And, it wasn't easy.  Many times we left our 16- and 12-year-old sons early in the morning, or returned close to bed-time.

While her surgery went well, her recovery didn't.  Some amazing things happened during those 2 weeks.  About a week after surgery, we woke her up when we arrived.  She looked at Pat and apologized for being so much trouble.  Her next words I'll never forget, "I don't want to be here, I want to be there."  She was looking past us and through us, so much so that I turned around hoping to see what she was seeing.  Pearly gates?  Gold?  Angels?  I only saw the wall of the ICU and I know she saw more.

By the next morning, I knew she would be wanting to pray the Rosary (she was a faithful prayer) and wouldn't have the physical ability to do so.  I went alone that morning with the goal of praying with her.  I was scared to death.  I don't know why, but I felt like I could say the Rosary with anyone, but praying with her, a Master Prayer, scared me silly.  During the drive, I prayed the whole hour for courage.  When I arrived at her bedside, the Occupational Therapist was there.  I felt at ease rather quickly as I noticed she was wearing her 4-way cross medal necklace and her Saint bracelet!  It was the boost I needed at that moment.  Oh yeah, the words "I came to pray the Rosary with you" came pretty easy that morning.  Know what?  That therapist did not wear that necklace and bracelet again in the week that followed.

Sister Margaret, an long-time family friend, shared a story about telling Aunt M. that the Sisters in Dubuque were praying for her.  When Aunt M. opened her eye, Sister said that she saw a light, almost a glow that she's never seen before.

Pat's aunt did get to celebrate her 95th birthday, but mostly we celebrated her birthday for her at her bedside.  (She would have loved scratching off that $50 Missouri lottery ticket from a relative!  She was a lottery pull-tab expert, too.  I hope the one I buried with her was a big winner.)

Last week my husband and I were amazed that April was almost over.  Where had the time gone?  It wasn't easy dividing up our time, buying gas, being away from home, but our loved one is now with her Loved One for eternity, so it was worth it.  I realized that I didn't have much time last month to read Scripture, but for a while, I guess that I was living it instead.  The things that people said and wrote to me told me that they were watching our actions and that can be the most powerful witness of all.

We've lost six "matriarchs" of our church in the past seven weeks, their ages ranged from 88 to 99.  Pat's aunt is one of them.  They lived through quite a time, didn't they?  World War II, electricity, running water, telephones, cars, short-hand, women's lib...   While their life's journey wasn't always easy, they stayed true to their faith.  Their faith kept them strong.  Looking at their lives, what do they all have in common?  I saw them at church regularly (until bad health forced them to slow down), they were at confession regularly, they wore out rosaries.

What's next?  I still have thank-you's to finish, a husband and sons to care for, a house to clean, work to do, a feminine genius to keep developing.  It won't be easy, but He and our Blessed Mother will make it worth it.

Bishop Nickless' letter

Here's a link to The First Letter of Bishop Nickless to to the Church of Sioux City Diocese.  Download it, read it, highlight it, learn and enjoy.

http://www.scdiocese.org/files/Pastoral_Letter_updated100809.pdf

Refreshed, Renewed and Really Tired

Back from the SCDCCW convention in Cherokee.  You know how sometimes the things you want to do the least are the things you need to do the most?  That was this weekend.  We've had a tough April at our house, and I was in dire need to spend time with my Council friends to get renewed.

Sean and Stacy Martin's programs were great.  Mass is always good.  Brownies are always good, too.

So, tonight it's time with the boys, and updating tomorrow.

Here's a picture of our sleep-over guest.  We got to spend the night with .....
Saint Faustina's relic!