What will we sacrifice?

I had so many plans.  A vacation to Florida.  The local GK Chesterton conference.  Training for work out in Washington state.  Events at church and the start of baseball season.  Dinner out with a friend.  March was going to be busy.

Exactly one of those happened.  Everything else has been either cancelled or put on hold.

Right now it all seems like a grand overreaction to me.  Perhaps only time will tell if it is or not.  But, at the moment it is all a bit disconcerting.

Schools are closed along with restaurants and bars, libraries and museums.  Sporting events and other entertainment venues have been shuttered.  Only six people showed up in the office this morning.  The rest are working from home.

On the drive in to work early this morning, stores that are normally empty at that time of day were teeming with activity.  People are hording toilet paper and milk and soup.

I reminds me vaguely of the days after 9/11.  Things were quiet.  No planes were in the air and few people went to work or school.  There was a definite uneasiness.

The one vivid memory I have of that day was showing up at church for daily mass in the evening.  During the week, that mass was held in the chapel.  When Tim and I arrived, it was standing room only inside and there was a line out the door.  I popped into the sacristy to let Father know of the situation.  We subsequently moved into the church and prayed, together.

When we went to Sunday mass yesterday, there was maybe a third of the usual attendance.  I think that is what disturbs me most about this illness and uncertainty.  It has us scattered and isolated.  It makes many afraid to be part of a community. 

People say it is only temporary, however I think some of these changes will be lasting.  After all, we gave a little bit of our freedom away after 9/11 in the name of security.  What will we sacrifice this time?

AMDG

Born To Do This

Recently I read the suggestion reading a chapter of the Gospel of Luke each day in December before Christmas. With twenty-four chapters, you finish on Christmas Eve. It sounded like a good idea, and surprising myself, I stuck with it.

As I got closer to Christmas, the chapters in Luke led up to Christ’s crucifixion and death.

Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”; and when he had said this he breathed his last. Luke 23:46

On Christmas Eve, the Gospel recounted Christ’s resurrection, appearance to the apostles and ultimate ascension into heaven.

They were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground. They said to them, “Why do you seek the living one among the dead?  He is not here, but he has been raised. Remember what he said to you while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified, and rise on the third day.”  Luke 24:5-7

A few hours after reading the last chapter, at midnight Mass we heard in the gospel, also from Luke, the story of Jesus’ birth.

While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son.  She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock.  The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear.

The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”  Luke 2:6-12

The juxtaposition of the stories of the birth and death of Christ struck me as odd, at least until I thought more about it.  It made sense once I remembered a quote attributed to St. Joan of Arc.

I am not afraid... I was born to do this.

The birth and death of Christ. One without the other is meaningless. Had Christ been born but not suffer, die and been resurrected, he most likely would have been considered a great prophet, not the Son of God he was. Christ had to be born human in order to die for our sins.

When we celebrate Christmas, we praise more than the birth of a baby two thousand years ago.  We glorify the salvation of our souls.

Merry and Blessed Christmas!
AMDG

The Cross Still Stands

I think for most of us, the news of yesterday’s tragic fire in the Cathedral of Notre Dame came as a shock, as sort of some sort of demented bad joke.  How could such a thing happen?  How could such a beautiful place, that has stood through centuries, through many wars, be gone in just a few hours?

If you have ever been blessed to go there, you were probably like me and dug out your pictures and dusted off your memories of it.  It will be twenty-nine years ago this summer that I got to visit Notre Dame as part of a European tour I took.  The photos I have are dark and grainy, taken with a small pocket film camera.  However, they still convey the grandeur and beauty of Notre Dame.

I read of people dismissing the tears and sorrow many have shown over this loss.  After all, they say, it’s only a building.  But it is not just a building.  It was a visible and physical location of praise and glory and peace and love given by the artisans and worshipers to our Creator and from Him back to us.

As a Catholic, a church is home.  It is where we find peace and love and safety.  That is why we mourn it.  And, as much as Notre Dame was Catholic in every sense, it was also catholic.  It was universal.  It stood as an icon of beauty and testament to the ingenuity and talent of man.  You didn’t have to be Catholic to be moved by the cathedral and appreciate its greatness.

News reports and government officials are quick to label the fire as nothing but a terrible accident.  I have my doubts.  With the number of churches across France being vandalized and destroyed recently, this seems like more than a sad coincidence that that greatest church in that country should burn during Holy Week.

Evil doesn't like goodness, truth and beauty.  Whatever it was that caused this destruction, accident or intentional, there is one thing you can count on.  Ultimately, you can destroy a place, but the cross still stands.

AMDG

In With the New

How did it get to be the end of January already?  I have been wanting to write this all month, but never seemed to make the time for it.  I really want to sneak this in before the end of this first month of the year.

Back in December, I used Jen Fulwiler's Saint's Name Generator to get my patron saint for the upcoming year.   It seems like I have been split fifty-fifty in getting saints that I know versus ones I never heard of before.  Sometimes it feels like playing Russian Roulette.  Will I get a saint I like?  When I first started doing this years ago, I decided that I have to "keep" whatever saint I get.  I figure that there has got to be a reason, other than pure randomness, that the saint was chosen for me. 

This year, at least for a moment, I was tempted to chose another.  When I clicked the button, I was awarded St. Ignatius of Loyola.  Unfortunately, I don't have the highest opinion of the priestly order he founded.  Usually when I see something of our Catholic faith misrepresented by a priest, many, if not most of the times, it is a Jesuit. 

I went to a Jesuit university, and although I know I received a good education, I'm not sure I got a good Catholic one.  But, as I write that, I wonder if that says more about me than it does the university.  Since I have my "must keep who I get" rule, I think I will use this year to learn more not only about this saint, but about my faith as well.

AMDG

When the World Goes Crazy

With the events of this past weekend, I have felt sad, mad, troubled and depressed.  There are things I thought about saying, most likely not what you might think.  However, I was reminded during last night's Mass for the Feast of the Assumption, there is but one thing to do.  It is time to turn to Mary, patroness of this country.

 

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness;
behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.
The Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is from age to age
to those who fear him.

He has shown might with his arm,
dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.
He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones
but lifted up the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things;
the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped Israel his servant,
remembering his mercy,
according to his promise to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.

Luke 1:46-55

 

Perhaps it is time to commit to prayer, even just one Hail Mary, one Ave, each day.  Won't you join me?

 

AMDG

Time Marches On

I look at the calendar and am amazed that we are two thirds of the way through June already.  It feels like it should only be sometime in May.

 

In a couple of weeks we are going to celebrate my niece and God-daughter's fifth birthday.  I remember Sis and BIL bringing her home from the hospital and now Sara is about to start kindergarten.

 

Again I look at the calendar and remember that twenty years ago today, I met the man with whom I would spend the rest of my life.  Who knew that spinning the “Lucky Number Wheel”  at the parish carnival would pay such great dividends? 

 

The invitation I received in the mail recently reminds me that my college thirty year reunion is coming up this weekend.  College, people, not high school.  And thirty years?  That can't be. 

 

There's no stopping time.  I'm not sure I would want to if I could.  But, I often wonder if I am using whatever time our good Lord has given me on this earth well. 

 

Do the things that I do, and not do, honor God, my family, my faith?  It's as simple and as complicated as that.

 

 

AMDG 

Someone To Watch Over Me

A number of years ago, Jen Fulwiler created the Saint's Name Generator website.   Say a prayer, click on a button, and a saint is randomly selected for you.  Is it really random or is it who our good Lord thinks we need in the coming year?

 

Some people like to do this at the beginning of the liturgical year at the start of Advent.  Others prefer to find their new saint for the new calendar year.  Me?  Usually it's when I remember, and there's no rhyme or reason as to when that is. 

 

Other than Our Lady of Guadalupe, I have known nothing about the other saints that I have been given - St. Cajetan, Blessed Titus Brandsma, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque.

 

For the coming year, I received a saint that I have heard of but know little about - St. Mark the Evangelist.  He was one of Christ's original twelve disciples and author of one of the books in the Gospel.  He is also patron saint of lions, lawyers, notaries, opticians, pharmacists, painters, secretaries, interpreters, prisoners, and people dealing with insect bites.  I am curious as to how St. Mark fits in to my 2017.

 

 

 Did you get your saint yet? 

 

St. Mark, pray for us!

 

AMDG

A Timely Visitor, A Blogiversary, and a Giveaway

Socrates and Sophia came over for dinner on Saturday night.  As they walked into the house, Sophia told me that she hoped I didn't mind, but she had brought an extra guest along.  She was sure that the guest wouldn't eat much.

When Sophia handed me a cloth bag that contained the framed icon, I saw that the surprise guest wouldn't be eating anything.  But, she would be feeding us, our souls.

Our Lady of Guadalupe has long been my favorite depiction of Mary.  I don't know why.  Maybe it's because the way she appeared to Juan Diego.  Maybe it's because of the roses she gave him in the middle of winter.  Or how she pops into my life at different times - the start of this blog and my patron saint one year.

To celebrate my favorite lady's feast day and blogiversary, I have a gift certificate to my favorite online candle shop, Quick Candles, to give away.  Just leave a comment and Saturday evening the hairy beast will determine the winner.

“Hear me and understand well, my son the least, that nothing should frighten or grieve you. Let not your heart be disturbed. Do not fear that sickness, nor any other sickness or anguish. Am I not here, who is your Mother? Are you not under my protection? Am I not your health? Are you not happily within my fold? What else do you wish? Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything. Do not be afflicted by the illness of your uncle, who will not die now of it. be assured that he is now cured.” 

St. Juan Diego, pray for us!

Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us!

AMDG

Advent Wreath 2016: A Time for Hope

"There is no more dangerous or disgusting habit than that of celebrating Christmas before it comes, as I am doing in this article. It is the very essence of a festival that it breaks upon one brilliantly and abruptly, that at one moment the great day is not and the next moment the great day is. Up to a certain specific instant you are feeling ordinary and sad; for it is only Wednesday. At the next moment your heart leaps up and your soul and body dance together like lovers; for in one burst and blaze it has become Thursday. I am assuming (of course) that you are a worshipper of Thor, and that you celebrate his day once a week, possibly with human sacrifice. If, on the other hand, you are a modern Christian Englishman, you hail (of course) with the same explosion of gaiety the appearance of the English Sunday. But I say that whatever the day is that is to you festive or symbolic, it is essential that there should be a quite clear black line between it and the time going before."

- GK Chesterton "All Things Considered"

Check out Catholic Mom to see more Advent Wreaths.

AMDG

Swimming Upstream

I have yet to venture into politics in my little bitty part of the blogsphere.  Until now.  Unless you’re a Luddite or living off the grid, by now you have heard about the eleven year old recording of Trump’s “vile” bragging about his prowess with women.

Please, don’t tell me you were surprised by that.

We have known all along that what we were getting in this candidate was a man who is lewd, crude and rude.  Our other choice is a woman who is corrupt and crass.   Rules don't apply to her.

Take your pick.

Himself and I often talk about politics and the state of our world.  Long ago, we have come to the conclusion that politics is downstream from culture.

In "The Everlasting Man", GK Chesterton tells us that “A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it.”

Many years later, St. Pope John Paul II warned us “This situation, with its lights and shadows, ought to make us all fully aware that we are facing an enormous and dramatic clash between good and evil, death and life, the "culture of death" and the "culture of life".  We find ourselves not only "faced with" but necessarily "in the midst of" this conflict: we are all involved and we all share in it, with the inescapable responsibility of choosing to be unconditionally pro-life.” (EVANGELIUM VITAE 28)

If things are going to change, we need to be among the living, part of the culture of life, and swim upstream.  We have to work to change the culture.  And in doing that, maybe then, and only then, can be get leaders, not politicians, that are worthy of the job.

I have come to the conclusion that it is going to be painful.  Going against the current culture may cost us friends, family, jobs, and more. 

But, that is better than losing my soul.


AMDG

Walking the Labyrinth

Back in August, I was on the west coast for work.  On my last evening there, I spent some time in a local quilt shop.  I still had several hours before I had to be at the airport for my red-eye flight home.   I had read about The Grotto in Portland, so I decided to visit.

 

The property was bought and developed as an answer to a promise Fr. Ambrose Mayer made as a young boy.   His mother was near death after giving birth to his sister.  He prayed for their survival and vowed to do a great work for the church.  He found a large plot of land that, with help, he purchased and built a tribute to Mary.  A large grotto was hewn out of the cliff left behind when the land was quarried by the Union Pacific Railroad for their rail beds.

 

An elevator ride to the top of the cliff leads to a second part of the property that was developed as parkland with areas for reflection and prayers.  There are areas dedicated to St. Joseph, the Rosary, the Stations of the Cross, various saints, and, of course, the Virgin Mary.

 

Tucked away in a secluded spot is a labyrinth.  Designed as a replica of the medieval labyrinth in Chartres Cathedral in France, this is supposed to offer an opportunity for meditation and contemplation as one walks to the center and back out again.

I have to admit I was a bit dubious about the whole thing.  It always seemed contrived and gimmicky, verging on new-agism, to me.  But, since I had time, and no one was around, I figured I would give it a try. 

 

I walked it slowly and deliberately, saying a few prayers, thanking God for productive trip and asking for a safe journey home.  I don't remember everything I thought about as I moved through it.  I had a few insights to some personal situations with which I have been struggling. 

For someone who is not good sitting in quiet prayer, I can see how the labyrinth could be helpful.  Moving through the path helped me quiet my mind.  I don't think I need a labyrinth to do that, though.  Our local parks provide an opportunity to walk, enjoy peaceful surroundings, and have prayer time with our Lord. 

 

 

AMDG

Blessings

I ate my lunch at my desk today while reading one of the latest Patterson novels.  As I sat there, I heard something from a nearby office. 

I got up and stood at the door and listened.  My coworker, Nori, was singing quietly to herself.  I couldn't understand the words she was singing, but it was lovely.  I felt like I was intruding on someone's prayer. 

And, in a way I was.  The song she was singing is Blessings by Laura Story.

It seems every which way you look these days, we hear of pain, suffering, tragedy, things happening that shouldn't be.  It doesn't matter how much we pray, we live in a fallen world and those things will be.  But, we pray on, seeking God's mercy.

This was a song I needed to hear today.

Blessings

We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
And all the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

CHORUS:

'Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from Your word is not enough
And all the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

(Repeat CHORUS)

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not,
This is not our home
It's not our home

'Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near

What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise

AMDG

Prayers Answered

Yesterday we arrived at church a little bit later than we usually do for noon Mass.  We weren’t late, but the parking lot seemed especially crowded.   Since we has gone to Mass at a different parish last week, we hadn’t seen the bulletin or heard the announcements.  We didn’t know if anything special was going on.

Apparently there was.

We were each handed programs as we walked into church.  We glanced down at them and smiled.  One of our own, now Fr. John,  had been ordained to the priesthood just the day before.  We were about to celebrate his first Mass with him.

 

I don’t know how other parishes acknowledge the first Mass of one of their own, but at ours it is a Big Deal.  The full choir was there as well as the Knights of Columbus, in full formal dress complete with swords.  There was incense and loads of flowers and extra altar servers.  Our Pastor and both of our Deacons participated as well as about a dozen visiting priests, all of whom were in some way influential in Fr. John’s discernment, formation, and education.

Before Mass started there was an almost palpable feeling of joy, of great anticipation.  Even the littlest of kids seemed to recognize something amazing was about to happen. 

 

Once Mass started people prayed more energetically and sang louder than maybe they ever had.  What a privilege it was to be the first congregation to respond And with your Spirit to Fr. John!

While giving his first sermon, about the Trinity and love, Fr. John got a bit choked up.  That's okay, he wasn't the only one.  He almost skipped the creed and went straight to the Prayers of the Faithful.  A little nudge from the Pastor got him back on track.  Nerves!

 Make me a channel of your peace,

Where there is hatred, let me bring your love,

Where there is injury, your pardon Lord,

And where there's doubt, true faith in you.

 

 Make me a channel of your peace,

Where there's despair in life let me bring hope,

Where there is darkness, only light,

And where there's sadness, ever joy.

During the Sign of Peace, the priests on the altar appeared to share a special happiness.  There was joy in having a new member in their midst.

I am the bread of life

He who comes to me shall not hunger

He who believes in me shall not thirst

No one can come to me

Unless the father beckons

And I will raise you up

On the last day.

 

It was amusing to watch sixteen priests try to figure out where to go to distribute communion.  After all, they are all used to being in the primary spot.  Thank goodness for bossy deacons.

And holy is your name through all generations!
Everlasting is your mercy to the people you have chosen,
and holy is your name.

For nearly thirty years our parish has had a simple tradition.  After the closing song, no one leaves.  Instead, we kneel down and pray a Hail Mary for vocations.

Hail Mary full of Grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus.

Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners 

now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

We saw the fruits of these prayers yesterday in a most tangible way.  In addition to the ordination of Fr. John, we have three more young men in formation in the seminary.

Our prayers have been answered.

AMDG

Easter People

 

We do not pretend that life is all beauty. We are aware of darkness and sin, of poverty and pain. But we know Jesus has conquered sin and passed through his own pain to the glory of the Resurrection. And we live in the light of his Paschal Mystery - the mystery of his Death and Resurrection. “We are an Easter People and Alleluia is our song!”. We are not looking for a shallow joy but rather a joy that comes from faith, that grows through unselfish love, that respects the “fundamental duty of love of neighbour, without which it would be unbecoming to speak of Joy”. We realize that joy is demanding; it demands unselfishness; it demands a readiness to say with Mary: “Be it done unto me according to thy word”.  

- ANGELUS St. JP II

 

Wishing you and yours a blessed and joyous Easter!

AMDG

Lent, huh?

I think we go into Lent with all sorts of plans.  We want to make it a time of penance and spiritual growth.  We might try to give up something, maybe candy, or alcohol, computer time, TV,  or breakfast runs at Mickey D’s.  Or, we think to do something extra – daily rosaries, Eucharistic adoration, good deeds, spiritual reading.  

But, invariably we fail.  Okay, maybe you don’t, but I do, miserably.

Lent, huh?

I attended our parish mission with the hope of gaining some peace and new insights into our faith.  Miserable failure.  Really.  Miserable.

Lent, huh?

I need a beer.  Well, I want a beer.  Out goes that sacrifice.

Maybe I'll do something else instead.  Or try harder.  Or give up giving up.

This Lent has made me think that this is a time when God laughs.  You had plans?

Perhaps what we were doing wasn't what we were supposed to be doing.  This seems to be a time meant to be open to opportunities as they present themselves.

• Dealing with heath issues or helping another with theirs.
• Letting go of long held desires or goals.
• Being available and open to someone who needs an ear to listen. 

Lent, huh?

Not what we plan, but definitely what we need. 
 

AMDG

Home, Home on the Road

I have been traveling for work more than usual lately.  If the stay is an extended duration, I unpack my suitcase rather than living out of it – blouses, pants and dresses are hung in the closet and undergarments and socks are in a dresser drawer.  I “move in.”

 

But, no matter how long I stay, it’s just not home.  The bed isn’t mine.   Definitely not the pillows.  Neither are the bathroom and living areas.   Even though Himself is just a phone call away, he’s not with me.

 

I have found one place, no matter where I am at, that I feel right where I belong – church.

 

I know when I through those doors I will see a crucifix, front and center.  Also prominent will be the tabernacle.  Somewhere will be the Vatican flag.

 

The most important part, though, is when Mass begins.  Regardless of where I am at, what country, what time zone, the readings, the prayers, the order of the liturgy will be the same.  The catholic-ness, with a little “c”, is apparent.  It is universal.

 

We bless ourselves in the same manner.  We say the same prayers, the same words, though perhaps in a different language.

Our Father who art in heaven.

Padre nuestro que estás en los cielos. 

Vater unser im Himmel
* * *
And with your Spirit.

Y con tu espíritu.

Und mit deinem Geist
* * *
Glory to God in the highest.

Gloria a Dios en el cielo.

Ehre sei Gott in der höchsten  

 Our faith binds us.  We are home.

 

Do I hear an Amen?

 

Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Denver, Colorado

 

Cathedral of St. Mary, Cheyenne, Wyoming

 

St. Francis of Assisi, Chester, England

AMDG

It Was a 'Yeah God' Sorta Day

As I mentioned in TToT(10), two weeks ago I was in Colorado and Wyoming.  I needed to be in Cheyenne on Monday morning for training at our plant and the flight was much, much cheaper if I flew in on Saturday rather than Sunday.

So that left me with a day to “kill”.  Sunday found me driving from Denver to Estes Park and then on to Cheyenne.  What a day that was!

A former coworker who had just moved to Estes Park gave me some advice about things to see.  She also warned me that on a weekend traffic could be heavy and therefore slow.  Taking that into account, I hit the road early.

I have to admit that I find much of Colorado rather meh.  It’s a dessert after all, lots of dry grass and sandy brown dirt.  But this drive showed me the beauty in all that.  Huge, wide open spaces and vistas like none other I’ve seen.

As I drove north on I25 I began to think I was seeing things.  UFO sorta things.  And I was.  Hot air balloons and lots of them.  Out came the camera and my first attempt at road photography began.
  

 



 

I had the radio tuned to a local country music station.  As I got closer to the mountains, Tim McGraw's song Top of the World came on.  Oh so appropriate!

Don't know where we're gonna be
But I know we're gonna be
Sitting on top of the world
So keep hanging on to me
Yeah, don't you wanna be
Sitting on top of the world
Top of the world

 

 

I stopped at the Visitors Center in Estes Park.  When I told the woman there that I had limited time but would love to see some of Rocky Mountain National Park she suggested Lily Lake.  It was a fairly easy drive and didn't require paying a fee to enter.  Since I was a little uncertain about driving some of the roads I had seen in RMNP, and I was too cheap to pay the twenty dollar entrance fee, it sounded perfect.

It was. 

It doesn't matter what direction I looked, the views are stunning.  I would walk ten or twenty feet, stop, take a picture, and repeat.  I met an artist along the way and chatted with her a bit.  She was happy to share her work with me.  As we talked I told her that seeing all this made me think "Yeah God!" and she agreed.

 

 

 

 

The day ended with the lunar elcipse.  I stood in the parking lot of my hotel watching it with a dozen or so other travelers, knowing that Himself was at home doing the same.

I couldn't help but think about how awesome the day had been.  How perfect, how glorious a world our good Lord gave us. 

Shouldn't every day be a Yeah God sorta day?

AMDG

 

Dollars and Sense

During my lunch break at work yesterday I wrote about half of my Quick Takes.   I started editing them this morning and, when I went to undo a change I made, Blogger ate the post, blanked everything out, and then auto-saved it.   Yikes!   I was a bit upset.

But then, I thought about how my morning went and what I had seen while running errands and thought perhaps I am supposed to be writing about something else.  The Quick Takes Sand Pail Update can wait until next week.


I received an email yesterday from one of my favorite garden centers.  On Saturday only, I could get five herbs for free with the enclosed coupon.  I’m all about free and I also had a five dollar off coupon so I decided to take a drive and check out what they had.   Though most of the herbs were fairly picked over I came away with three new ones and a new cone flower that cost me only three dollars after the discount. 

I needed to pick a few things from the grocery store so I took a slightly different route home.  As I drove down the road I passed a barn I have seen several times before.  The people that live there operate a small business selling farm produce, meat, and landscape services.  None of that is easy work, but it seems to me they are proud of what they do and are making a go of it.

I got my groceries and went out a different exit than I had entered. Sitting near the road was a man holding a sign – homeless – please help.   He was curled up, almost in a ball, with his head buried in his lap. 

Often on my way to and from work I see similar sights.  People with signs frequent the side of the road looking for money.  Most of the time they look well fed, decently clothed and just out and out bored.  There was something about this man that was different. 

I drove down the road and couldn’t get him out of my mind.  I turned around and headed back to him. As I drove back, I saw the local “political commentator’s” latest rant.  This man has a sign in his front yard that he posts frequently changing, often scathing, and usually obtuse views on current events and politics.  I found today’s interesting given the last couple of things I had just seen.

Unfortunately, I took a really lousy picture. What the sign says is Donald Trump is already increasing employment – new jobs for comedians.

I spoke with the man at sitting at the street.  I don't think I have ever seen such despair.  He was gaunt and dirty.  I could see the tear streaks on his face.  I can't continue to live like this, he told me.  He was homeless and needed to get his car repaired and gassed up. 

I gave him what I could.  But it's not enough.  It's never enough. 

I wonder if the political commentator knew of this man sitting just a half mile from his house.  Since he is so willing to mock Donald Trump's ability to create jobs, I imagine he might have a better plan.  No? 

I'm not sure I have a point to all this.  I am just trying to figure out what it means and how I live out my responsibility in caring and helping for others in need.  It's easy to mock what others are doing or not doing, but how do we help?  How do we do our share?

I'm just trying to make sense of it all.


AMDG

CWBN: A Bunch of Broads Go To College and a Give-Away

This past weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Catholic Women Bloggers Network's Ohio conference.  If one comes to your area, I have just one word of advice for you: GO!

The group that attended was diverse: single, newly married and long married; new mothers, mothers of many, mothers of none, and even a grandmother; women who stay at home and those who work outside the home either full-time or part-time; bloggers for profit and bloggers for fun; religious bloggers and secular ones as well.  But, there was one very important thing we all held in common: our Catholic faith.

It was a joy to spend time among women who take their faith seriously and who rejoice in the beauty of being a woman.  The locations chosen for the conference, Walsh University and Sancta Clara Monastery, helped set the tone for the weekend. 

We talked about how our words matter.  No matter how large or small a part of the blog world we might be, something we say or post is going to have an impact on someone, somewhere.  What an appropriate message that was on the eve of the Feast of Pentecost! 

For a very lovely and in depth write up of the conference, go check out Melody's post.  Her great planning and organization brought this beautiful group of women together and left us wondering when and where the next conference she was planning would be!

picture courtesy of Jayme Orn Photography

It's the Baum.com

Ordinary Lovely

Columbus Catholic Women

Emily Jaminet

Raising Lifelong Learners

Contranaut Girl

My Domestic Church

Blossoming Joy

Jayme Orn

That Chic Mom

Much Madness

Andrea Singarella

The Sacred Sink

Taylor Tripodi

A Fly on Our Chicken Coop Wall

Giveaway?  Did someone say giveaway? Everyone that attended the conference received a goody bag filled with items that represented, somehow, each person that was there.  My item, courtesy of the American Chesterton Society, was a copy of "What's Wrong With the World".  In honor of GK Chesterton's 141st birthday today, I have copies of the book that I will give to two lucky winners.  Check out one of the blogs above that you have never read before and leave me a comment below.  Next Friday I'll announce the winners!

To be Queen Elizabeth within a definite area, deciding sales, banquets, labors and holidays; to be Whiteley within a certain area, providing toys, boots, sheets, cakes and books, to be Aristotle within a certain area, teaching morals, manners, theology, and hygiene; I can understand how this might exhaust the mind, but I cannot imagine how it could narrow it.  How can it be a large career to tell other people's children about the Rule of Three, and a small career to tell one's own children about the universe?  How can it be broad to be the same thing to everyone, and narrow to be everything to someone?  No; a woman's function is laborious, but because it is gigantic, not because it is minute.  I will pity Mrs. Jones for the hugeness of her task; I will never pity her for its smallness.

- "What's Wrong With the World" by GKC

AMDG

A Beautiful Tribute

...to a beautiful man.

A good friend of ours wrote the memorial tribute below.  I couldn't put my finger on why his death bothered me so until I read this.  CatholicSkywalker sums it up well.

Fr. Benedict Groeschel has passed away.

There are few modern Catholic writers who have had as much of an impact on me as Fr. Groeschel.

The first time I remember encountering him was a from a cassette tape of one of his talks.  I was part of a prayer group that would meet in an old church garage.  We would pray, sing, and listen to audio cassettes from people like Fr. Larry Richards and Fr. John Corapi.  One day my friend, The Bishop, brought a cassette from some priest I never heard of.

And he sounded like Winnie the Pooh.

That was the single salient feature I took from his talk.  There was something soft and gentle in his way of speaking that made him endearing.  That wasn't to say that he was wishy-washy or lacking conviction.  He had wisdom and strength but was not forceful.  He was inviting.  Whereas Fr. Larry got your blood pumping like you were at a big tent revival Fr. Groeschel felt like your grandfather telling stories by the fireside.

 

Read the rest here.

AMDG