catholic family faith

Happy Feast of St. Lucy!

Today, December 13, is the Feast of St. Lucy.  I have grown to appreciate St. Lucy more over the years.  For her story, go to http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=75.

Light a candle and ask St. Lucy to pray that you will see the Light of Christ in your life.

Online Advent Resources

It's the end of the first week of Advent.  Are you still looking for something to inspire you in this season of preparation and anticipation of Christ's coming?  Check out some of these websites:

• Loyola Press - http://www.loyolapress.com/liturgical-year-advent.htm?ftm=ocf - Advent calendars, wreaths, and activities  (I really like their on-line Advent experience - a reflection or activity for each day of Advent.)
• CatholicMom.com - http://catholicmom.com/advent_kids.htm - coloring pages, word puzzles, and other activities for Advent
• Homeschooling Countdown to Christmas - http://homeschooling.about.com/cs/unitssubjhol/a/advent125.htm - each day of this Advent calendar offers a recipe, a game, a coloring page, an activity page, and a craft
• Catholic Icing - http://catholicicing.com/category/adventchristmas/ - this is a "sweet" website filled with crafts and recipes

Whatever you do this Advent, make sure you make time just to simply enjoy the season.  If you need some rest, take it.  Too often we try to cram too much into the season - baking, shopping, wrapping, church, get-togethers with family and friends - to the point where we get sick or feel depressed.  When God became human through the Incarnation, God didn't intend for us to feel overwhelmed with having to do all kinds of stuff.  God really wants us to be filled with joy and peace.

I pray that whatever you do this Advent, you are able to experience God's abundant joy and peace and love in a profound way.

 

 

We Wait in Joyful Hope - Advent 2012

Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.   (Mark 13:33, NAB)

Ominous and gloomy? Perhaps not. 

Why do we so often contemplate the coming of the Son of Man with fear and dread?  Isn't it going to be a glorious return?  Will we not rejoice when we see His face?

Fear and gloom?  I think not.

Yes, we need to stay alert and be watchful, but aren't we alert and watchful even when we're enjoying ourselves?  God created us to be happy.  We can prepare for Christ's coming with joy and loving anticipation.  We can prepare to look upon His face by practicing love and having a positive attitude.  Jesus didn't say we had to be watchful in a state of dread and gloom.  He simply said, "Be alert!"

We can look forward to the return of the Son of Man with joyful hope.

How is your family celebrating this season of Advent this year?  Are you enjoying this first week of the season?  What are you doing to prepare for and celebrate the Incarnation? 

Beautiful Litany of Saints for All Saints Day

This is the best recording of the Litany of Saints that I have found.  Very prayerful and soothing.  Fitting for All Saints Day tomorrow.

 

Forgive Unceasingly - Lord's Day Faith Chat - 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 11, 2011

Then Peter approaching asked him, "Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him?  As many as seven times?"  Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."  (Matthew 18:21-22, NAB)

Every time we pray the Our Father, we say "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."  But do we really mean what we say?  Do we forgive others as we wish to be forgiven by God?

Today's reading reminds us that we need to practice living in God's mercy.  We need to practice forgiving as God forgives.  Mother Theodore Guerin, foundress of the Sisters of Providence in Terre Haute, Indiana, once wrote, "God's mercy is greater than the number of sins we will ever commit."  God's mercy is greater than any number or greatness of sins we can commit.  No matter what we do, if we ask God's forgiveness, God will grant us forgiveness.

What a comforting thought!

But do we do the same for others?  or even ourselves?  Does our forgiveness mirror God's?

When was the last time you held a grudge?  How many grudges are you holding right now?  Why do you hold onto those grudges?  What good is it really doing you or anyone else that you aren't forgiving?

As you reflect on the reading for this Lord's Day, invite the God of Mercy to fill you with compassion and to help you forgive.  Allow God to take the weight of holding those grudges off your heart.  You will be amazed at how much happier you will after you give and accept forgiveness!

Lord's Day Faith Chat - 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time - August 2011

Readings:  Isaiah 22:19-23; Psalm 138; Romans 11:33-36; Matthew 16:13-20

When Peter responded to Jesus' question, "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus told him, "Blessed are you...for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father." 

When did you first believe - really believe - that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the living God"?  I grew up in the Catholic faith, so from my infancy I heard that Jesus is the Son of God.  But it wasn't until I was older that I could truly affirm my belief in Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God.  I suppose that's so for many people raised in the Christian faith.  At some point when we're able to decide for ourselves, we come to state the belief from our heart rather than just speaking the words.  (At least, I hope that all adults who state belief in Christ Jesus do so from their hearts and not just speak the words.)

While we might be raised in believing in Christ Jesus as the Son of God, it is the Holy Spirit who inspires us to accept the belief and proclaim it from our hearts.  We cannot proclaim any belief without the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  So give thanks, today, to God the Holy Spirit for filling you with belief in Christ Jesus, the Son of the living God!

Sometime this week, invite family members to share their favorite titles of Jesus (eg., Lamb of God, Prince of Peace, Good Shepherd, etc.) and come up with words that describe Jesus' personality, ministry, and mission (eg., healer, compassionate, listening, etc.)  The create a word cloud about Jesus with the titles and descriptive words, connecting words together with shared letters.  [Go to www.wordle.net to create a word cloud online.]

Lord's Day Faith Chat - 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time - August 7, 2011

Readings:  1 Kings 19:9a, 11-13a; Psalm 85; Romans 9:1-5; Matthew 14:22-33

This Sunday, we proclaim the account of Jesus walking on the water.  There are a couple of thoughts that strike me in this reading.

"After he had fed the people (last week we heard the account of Jesus feeding the 5,000 with two fish and five loaves), Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.  After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray." (Matthew 14:22-23, NAB)

Jesus sent the disciples on ahead of him, then went off by himself to pray.  After curing the sick and feeding the hungry, Jesus needed to refresh and renew his spirit.  And, if you remember, he hadn't had very long to mourn the death of his cousin, John the Baptist.  Jesus recognized his need to be along with his Father.  He needed to pray to his Father about the sorrow he was feeling, to rest in his Father's arms, to simply bask in the silence of God's love.

Parents need time to refresh and renew their spirits.  Parenthood is a 24/7 job.  We feed kids, make sure they are clean and clothed, tend their injuries and illnesses, listen to their joys and struggles, and much more.  Parents need to make time to reconnect with one another and to God, our loving Father.

When was the last time you and your spouse got away?  Or if you are a single parent, when was the last time you were alone?  It is critical for your spirituality and for your sanity, to get away from your kids once in a while.  It doesn't have to be a long time; simple date nights or even an hour or two after sending the kids to be early every now and then will suffice.  Make a commitment to you, your spouse, God, and your kids, to get away.  Even if your kids whine and cry, "Why do we need to go to bed early tonight?" or "Why can't we go with you?" or "I just can't survive without you!" explain to them that you will be a better parent to them if you get a little quiet time once in a while.

Another segment of this story that spoke to me is when Jesus walks on water and approaches the boat.  Peter exclaims, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water."  I have often struggled with Peter's doubt:  "If it is you..."  But I had a different insight this week.  Peter loved Jesus so much that he wanted to be like Jesus.  I can imagine him thinking, "If Jesus can walk on water, maybe he'll let me walk on water, too!"  Just as Peter wanted to be like Jesus, our children want to be like us.  It is natural for children to look up to their parents.  After all, their first encounter with God and God-like love is through their parents.  So kids want to do things that their parents do.  I remember the questions my daughters asked when they were little:  "Can we stay up with you tonight?"  They wanted to be like me, to see what I did after they went to bed (and they hated missing out on anything that might be happening!)  "When can I take Communion?" (before they celebrated their First Communion.)  "When can I have my first glass of wine?" (when they were a little older.)  "Will I have an office like you someday?"  When parents share God's love with their children, their children want to be like them.  When Jesus did something, Peter wanted to be like him.

So Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water.  "But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, cried out, 'Lord, save me!'  Immediately, Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter."  Peter did fine while he was focused on Jesus, but when he started listening to the wind, he lost his trust and courage and began to sink.  I can't tell you how often I've done the same.  I pray daily.  I often feel God's presence with me throughout the day, but many times when life or work just seems overwhelming, I loose my trust and courage and feel like I'm sinking into despair.  Jesus, like a loving parent, immediately - immediately - stretches out his hand and rescues me.  Just as we would not hesitate to save our kids - catching them on their bikes as they are learning to ride, picking them up after they've fallen, running to them when they're hurt, rushing them to the doctor when they're sick - Jesus never hesitates to save us.  We just need to reach out, grasp his hand, and allow him to pull us up.

This week, make time to get away with your spouse or by yourself.  Take a walk.  Go to a movie.  Take a nap.  Spend time in prayer.  And then think about how you want to be like Jesus.  What one characteristic of Jesus would you like to nurture in your life?  How can nurturning that gift help you to be a better parent?

With your whole family, re-read the Gospel reading and talk about the "strong winds" in your life that pull you away from focusing on Jesus.  Share ideas of how you can help one another stay focused on Jesus despite the strong winds.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus & The Immaculate Heart of Mary

Yesterday, July 1, was the Solemn Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  Today, July 2, is the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  Two feasts celebrating tremendous LOVE.

The Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is celebrated 19 days after Pentecost.  The Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary falls on the Saturday following the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus had been practiced as a private devotion since the Middle Ages, especially among the Benedictines, Cistercians, Franciscans, Dominicans and Carthusians.  In the 17th century, Margaret Mary Alacoque claimed to have had visions of Jesus Christ.  Through her visions, Saint Margaret Mary promoted the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  The Church, in its typical sceptical fashion, did not immediately embrace the revelations of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  It wasn't until Pope Leo XIII at the end of the 19th century that the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was officially instituted in the Church.

In his encyclical Annum Sacrum (http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/leo_xiii/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_25051899_annum-sacrum_en.html), Pope Leo XIII decreed that the entire human race be consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 11, 1899.  Pope Pius X decreed that this consecration of the human race be renewed each year.   Pope Leo XIII also established that June be the month devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and encouraged the entire Church to practice the devotion of the Nine First Fridays.  Since that time, Catholics around the world have gone to daily Mass on the First Fridays of the month.

It doesn't happen often that the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus falls on July 1st.  This occurs only when Easter is the latest that it can be, at the end of April, which did happen in 2011.

Even though yesterday, July 1, was the offical Solemnity of the Sacred Heart, I would suggest that individuals and households pray the Litany to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Download Litany_SacredHeartofJesus.pdf (58.7K)

The devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary refers to the interior life of Mary, her joys, sorrows, and virtues, and her devoted love of God and complete self-giving to her son, Jesus.  Devotion to Mary's heart and her example of selfless love have been practiced since the first century Church.  The alliance of the devotions of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus officially began in the 17th century with Saint Jean Eudes, prior to the visions of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.

For more on the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, visit

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_Heart and http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07163a.htm

For more on the devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, visit

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immaculate_Heart_of_Mary and http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07168a.htm

Fruit of the Spirit - Patience

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23, NAB)  

21st century American culture promotes instant gratification:  If you want it, you need it NOW!  To live as a person filled with the Spirit, is to be counter-cultural.  If your focus is on God, nothing else will be as important and so, you will be able to nurture the fruit of PATIENCE.

So often I hear people say that they just need more patience.  "I need more patience...when dealing with my children; when dealing with my co-workers; when dealing with my spouse..."  Patience seems to be a sought-after virtue. 

I have to admit that I'm having a bit of a difficult time coming up with ideas for practicing and cultivating patience.  Here are a couple, but if you have others, please share them by offering a comment.

• Practice the art of waiting.  Be deliberately counter-cultural.  As you're shopping, when you find something in the store, don't give in to the culture's "got-to-have-it-now" mentality.  Gaze at it for a few moments, then walk away.  When you get home and over the next couple of days, pray to God for insight as to whether you should really have that item.  If you find that you aren't thinking about the item, you're probably able to live without it so you really don't need it.  (This will also help keep your finances and clutter under control!)
• Take a step back.  The practice of counting to 10 really does work.  If you feel yourself getting frustrated with your children, spouse, co-workers, or friends, close your eyes, take a deep breath and count to 10 or even better, pray a short prayer (Glory Be, Hail Mary, Jesus help me...) 

What other techniques do you practice to cultivate PATIENCE?

Fruit of the Spirit - Peace

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23, NAB)  

Our world is full of unrest...war, violence, abuse, crime, serious family dysfunction.  It seems that for every act of good and peace, there are more acts of violence and unrest.  How can we even begin to work for peace?

We begin to work for peace one act at a time.  We begin with ourselves.

Remember, the Spirit of peace already dwells within you.  So how can you nurture that Spirit to produce and grow the fruit of peace?

• Recognize and accept your weaknesses.  One of the primary causes of unrest within ourselves is our need to be perfect.  No human being is perfect, with the exception of Christ Jesus.  No matter how hard you try, you will never attain perfection on your own.  You will only attain perfection when you are purified when you meet the Creator and Author of Life in heaven.  So give yourself a break.  If something isn't turning out the way you had hoped, ask yourself what the Holy Spirit might be saying to you.  You cannot control everything.  As you work and work to attain perfection, you are likely inhibiting the Spirit of Creativity and Surprise to move in your life.  As you recognize your weaknesses and realize that it really is okay to make mistakes, you will feel more peace in your soul. 
• Give yourself permission to slow down and be quiet.  Our culture drills it into us that we need to keep moving:  Work to make money to buy things; get your kids involved in lots of activities so that they will succeed in life; idleness is bad.  God, on the other hand, gave us the Sabbath.  God so recognized our need for rest that God told Moses, "You must tell the Israelites: 'Take care to keep my sabbaths, for that is to be the token between you and me throughout the generations, to show that it is I, the Lord, who make you holy'" (Exodus 31:13).  Our bodies need to rest in order to function.  Our souls need to rest in order to cultivate peace within.  Make time to just be, without doing.  This may be very difficult at first, but just keep trying.
• Forgive yourself.  One of the most difficult lines of the Lord's Prayer is "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."  The "those" that we need to forgive includes ourselves.  It seems that it is more difficult to forgive ourselves than it is to forgive others.  God loved you into being and so God will do everything God possibly can do to keep you close, including forgiving for any and every sin you will ever commit.  God's mercy is beyond human understanding.  Each and every day, accept God's mercy.  At the end of each day, tell yourself, "I forgive you."

As you cultivate the fruit of peace in your own life, it will flow over into your relationships with others.  And as you cultivate peace in your relationships, it will flow out into the world.