My little girl started talking about turning three shortly after she turned two and the only request she had for her celebration was for a pink ballerina birthday cake. So even though I've never been one for pink I had to give her a party with just a hint of the hue ;-) But Lisa, don't tell me you try to stick your faith right into your kid's birthday party?...what a killjoy. Well, I do...and I'm not (and quite frankly I'm insulted you even thought that ;-)
After some 'normal' birthday activities, we had some prayer time. (Pardon the blurry faces- I'm still not sure how I feel about our children's faces plastered on the world wide web) Here we are doing 'how we do' every Sunday evening, that is, praying a family rosary. Last night we were blessed to had a very special guest lead us in prayer-Fr. Torres. He is a warrior and works endlessly every day in leading and guiding his flock to Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He has been spreading the message of Divine Mercy for years- something I urge you to become familiar with especially in this Jubilee Year of Mercy. The graces from participating in it are the greatest we've been afforded- ever in history! Read up on it here: http://www.thedivinemercy.org/ The Rosary is a simple prayer, but it is difficult to get through especially if you are new to it...but the graces afforded to those who recite it are bountiful and priceless! Look here to see some of the graces promised: http://www.ourladyswarriors.org/prayer/15promise.htm ...And for those who are hesitant to say the Rosary for fear that it is not scriptural- fear not, it is ALL scriptural! https://www.renewalministries.net/files/freeliterature/SCRIPTURES%20IN%20ROSARY.pdf We should all have the utmost respect for all of our priests. We should also realize that priests are human and will fall just like us, some more gravely than others. We should acknowledge that without our priests we cannot have the Holy Eucharist and we should be forever indebted to all our priests for giving us that gift. We should pray daily for our priests and be aware of some of the many pressures facing them. In today’s world priests are faced with tremendous disrespect from the general public- I pray God has mercy on those whose arrogance and ignorance spur that hideous attitude towards these most honorable men of God. Can you imagine what hatred priests face today? I am especially grateful for those priests who wear their roman collars in public despite the hate that comes their way because of it. Do you realize how many priests have been publicly mocked, laughed at, shout at, and even spit on? Do you realize the amount of courage it takes to walk alone through a public place with a collar on these days? Each time you see a priest, nun, or religious in public- you should thank them for answering the call. Someday I'll post about the sexual abuse scandal that sadly surrounded and included some of our priests, but that's for a different day as there is so much to say. For now I mention it because I don't think too many people realize that most of the men answering the call to the priesthood THESE days are doing so for the most noble and pure reasons as the prestige and respect that used to come with the priesthood is lost, except for, among the faithful. There is also a huge misunderstanding regarding the church doctrine of infallibility...it doesn't mean priests (or popes) are sinless. Read up here on that awesomeness: http://littlecatholicbubble.blogspot.com/2012/06/pope-fact-infallible-does-not-mean.html With that being said, there have certainly been, are, and unfortunately, there will continue to be some corrupt priests and religious leaders. To them:
So who's beaming with excitement from this historic meeting between Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all of Russia? Just me? Why all the excitement? Because it's been a thousand years...and they have some powerful stuff to say to us:
20. The family is based on marriage, an act of freely given and faithful love between a man and a woman. It is love that seals their union and teaches them to accept one another as a gift. Marriage is a school of love and faithfulness. We regret that other forms of cohabitation have been placed on the same level as this union, while the concept, consecrated in the biblical tradition, of paternity and maternity as the distinct vocation of man and woman in marriage is being banished from the public conscience.
21. We call on all to respect the inalienable right to life. Millions are denied the very right to be born into the world. The blood of the unborn cries out to God (cf. Gen 4:10).
22. Today, in a particular way, we address young Christians. You, young people, have the task of not hiding your talent in the ground (cf. Mt 25:25), but of using all the abilities God has given you to confirm Christ’s truth in the world, incarnating in your own lives the evangelical commandments of the love of God and of one’s neighbour. Do not be afraid of going against the current, defending God’s truth, to which contemporary secular norms are often far from conforming.
23. God loves each of you and expects you to be His disciples and apostles. Be the light of the world so that those around you may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father (cf. Mt 5:14, 16). Raise your children in the Christian faith, transmitting to them the pearl of great price that is the faith (cf. Mt 13:46) you have received from your parents and forbears. Remember that “you have been purchased at a great price” (1 Cor 6:20), at the cost of the death on the cross of the Man–God Jesus Christ.
Who thinks of Fatima when they hear Russia? I am always interested when Russia's in the news and I become VERY interested when Russia is in the news whenever there's a Pope involved! Because quite a bit of the focus of the prophecies of Fatima are centered on Russia. Because "In an interview conducted in November 1984, Cardinal Ratzinger (of the Holy Office) confirmed that, with the Pope’s permission, he had read the Secret and that it concerns, in his words, "a radical call to conversion, the absolute gravity of history, the dangers threatening the Faith and the life of a Christian, and therefore the world. And also the importance of the last times." The Cardinal went on to explain that "if it is not published ... it is to avoid confusing religious prophecy with sensationalism. But the things contained in the Third Secret correspond to what has been announced in Scripture and are confirmed by many other Marian apparitions." (www.fatima.org/essentials/facts/secret.asp) Now if you're not into Fatima, there's a chance you're not excited yet...in that case take the afternoon to look into it. Keep in mind Fatima is not a made up fairy tale even if that's what you've been led to believe all your life. As we come up on Fatima's 100 year anniversary (2017), now's as good as time as ever to become familiar with it's prophecies.
And here is an excerpt to an article written over 2 years ago that speaks more on why this meeting is getting me pretty hopeful about what is happening in Russia:
"Is what is happening in Russia a partial fulfillment of the promised conversion of that Nation offered by Our Lady to the children of Fatima? President Putin exchanging icons of Mary with Pope Francis was not simply a mere nicety. Accounts which have surfaced indicate that it was done with reverence and genuine signs of Christian piety.
Russia, as official policy, is now defending marriage as between one man and one woman, open to life and formative of family. Just this week president Putin signed legislation outlawing advertisements for abortion in Russia. This is a part of a growing recognition of the Rights of children in the womb as restrictions on abortion continue to grow. Parents are being encouraged to have children and the public policy of the Russian government is being adapted to promote such fruitfulness and hold it up for respect, protection and emulation.
The Russian Orthodox Church is free to speak clearly and authoritatively to the Russian people on matters of faith and morals in Russia today. Indications are that there is a resurgence of Christianity underway. To those who are raising their eyebrows, I am not being naive. I am not saying the President Putin has fully embraced the Christian faith. However, he claims that he has. I do find it distressing that our own President Obama, who professes to be a Christian, has intentionally promoted policies and laws which threaten the sanctity of marriage and the family. He has stopped his ears to the cry of the poorest of the poor in their mother's womb and refuses to defend their Right to Life. He seeks to silence the prophetic and moral voice of the Church in our Nation.
I love the United States of America. On this week when we pause to give thanks, I also know that the goodness in the soul of America will not be extinguished. However, I am first, last and all in between, a Catholic Christian. And, I recognize that something quite promising is happening in Russia. Could this be a part of the promise of Fatima being fulfilled? Could the warming of relations between the Bishop of Rome, the successor of Peter, and the Patriarch of Russia be a sign of the healing of the ancient divisions within the Christian community? Might this all lead to a resurgence of Christianity around the world and the dawning of a new missionary age? I pray that it does." - Deacon Keith Fornier
Though this blog will mainly focus on conveying how we incorporate our faith into daily living, I've decided to also include the other things that go into keeping our family healthy and balanced. For us, as I'm sure with many others, when Mama's tired or not feeling well, the whole family suffers. It has taken me years in navigating the Motherhood to finally be able to share a certain formula in how to attain a daily routine that seems to make things flow smoothly (give or take) around here. Holly Pierlot's book "A Mother's Rule of Life" which was recommended to me by my friend, a missionary with a family, was the catalyst to my first real efforts in trying to find balance in a role that I wasn't so natural in! (Previous to my conversion let's just say I wasn't striving to become a wife or mother!-but that's another post ;-) So this will be a post that I add to, but I wanted to start this morning with something that I do each morning after prayer time. That spiritual discipline combined with this physical discipline has me armed with energy, focus, and motivation to tackle whatever the day holds. Now, unless your like my sister "T", who has crazy motivation to work out, as in waking up at 5 in the a.m. just to make sure she gets that heart rate up for a set amount of time, you might be interested in my workout of choice! This workout is 23 minutes long and it gives you energy while healing, toning, realigning, and strengthening your body. It is awesome and I've done it daily for 7 months since my own mama recommended that I try it. (thanks Mom!) The value in this will be initially hard for you to see if you're a "calories burned counter" as it's impossible to calculate just how many you burn off during the day after you do all those tai chi plies and get those mitochondria furnaces going! (you'll get that line once you do an episode or two!) But the benefits of this go far beyond the calorie burned. Of course on an ideal day, I will be able to go for a walk or sneak in a ballet barre class to supplement this, but this workout has been key for me. For those of you who workout hard regularly, maybe just think of adding this to alleviate some of the pain your workouts have undoubtedly brought on. Drumroll please... It's called Classical Stretch and it's taught by Miranda Esmonde-White who is a former ballerina. You can buy the DVD's or try a mini session on youtube....or it's on PBS every morning except on Sundays. Her daughter, Sahre teaches Essentrics, a version of classical stretch, which thankfully, seems to be gaining in popularity. Try this especially if you suffer from joint pain (hip, knee, wrist, ankles, etc), or frozen shoulder, neck or back problems- really if you have any stiffness or soreness. After having 3 babes, two that were 10 pounders, I had some real back issues that made my day pretty uncomfortable at times. It's important to give it your all during these short workouts as they are so brief and you have to push yourself for optimal results. Don't worry if you can't do some of the moves- do what you can each day and soon you'll be on point! Here's one of Sahre's youtube videos that I like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmBtv5T7JBE&feature=player_embedded
A friend's blog (http://dsdoconnor.com/) put up a series of movie clips that is certain to ignite your spirit and zeal. Though they were all inspiring and encouraging, these two from "The Giver" really hit home for me. No surprise there, as anyone who knows me knows of my passion for truth (no matter how hard it is to see, hear, digest, and spread to others). As self explanatory as this first clip is, I am still often surprised at just how many stay silent. While I fully understand how difficult it is to speak up especially in these times when we often stand "alone" in our truth-inspired statements, there are some issues that just must be defended. Is our society so faraway from that of this dystopian one where all of its members are blocked from feeling emotion? Not at all, in fact in certain instances we have become just that. How many people do you know who have dehumanized babies and blocked all emotion surrounding the abortion issue? For those of you who do know the truth, you have a duty to speak up. So be courageous and do it. “Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.” -Mother Theresa
I wanted to start off by showing this video because in today’s world where there is more and more tolerance for the persecution of Christians, especially Catholics- we must remind ourselves of how truly awesome our faith is and all the wonderful things our magnificent church and its people have done through the years. To introduce myself I’m Lisa and I’m in love with Catholicism... but I wasn’t always.
I was raised in a devout Catholic family with a six pretty great siblings and two wonderful, faith- filled parents. I will forever be indebted to my parents for their persistence in prayer. Prayer is very powerful and if it wasn’t for their constant and continuous ones, I certainly don't think I'd have this story to tell you. I grew up attending mass every Sunday, went to religion class, and even got confirmed- but I was really just going through the motions mainly to appease my parents. It didn’t hurt that I had friends who were doing the same. Unfortunately, like many, when I went away to college, I drifted further and further from Christ and gave into some of the many temptations that were there. I eventually got to a point where I was so confused and enveloped in seeking the pleasures and prestige of this world, that I doubted that Jesus was the son of God and no longer gave too much thought as to what awaits after this life. I was in the art program and sadly, in that circle, many are agnostic, atheist, or very quiet about their faith if they had any to begin with. I learned something in school right away- that it was both acceptable and encouraged to be spiritual, but to be religious was to be ignorant, uneducated, and barely tolerated. It just goes to show the mass confusion in our society about religion and spirituality. I hit my lowest low in my final year of graduate school when I fell into a deepening depression, a further state of confusion, and actually got physically sick. I was seeing doctor after doctor and went through many tests to find the cause of my numerous ailments. It was Febuary 2007 when I got an odd phone call from my mother. In a nutshell, she told me that a mere acquaintance of hers wanted to send me to a place called Medjugorje after hearing about my troubles. Keep in mind that I never met this person and wouldn’t for years to come. Of course I thought my mom was a fanatic and crazy for even telling me such a thing. I immediately wrote this acquaintance off as just another eccentric religious friend of hers. However, soon after I hung up I found that I was thinking about the offer and furthermore, I was intrigued with why a stranger would want to send me to a faraway land. I did the obvious thing- I googled this Medjugorje and read a brief synopsis about how Mother Mary was apparently appearing there, sending messages, and something about secrets. Since I was at an all time low I welcomed an escape from my reality, a chance to see the fanatics in action so I could mock them some more, and I decided to accept this free trip to Europe. Despite having two part time job schedules to rearrange and my graduate midterm review scheduled for while I was to be gone, one week from my mothers strange phone call I was on a plane to a little mountain village I’d never heard of in the former communist Yugoslavia.
I want to first say that like Lourdes, Fatima, and Guadalupe, as Catholics, we are not required yo believe in marian apparitions or miracles. They are undeniably responsible for millions of conversions, healings, and spiritual growth- not to mention how they’ve left scientists dumbfounded, but nonetheless we are not required to believe in them. But unlike those places deemed credible and true by our church, the apparitions at Medjugorge still continue to this day so Rome cannot say if they are valid or not. In my opinion, we will know someday very soon if the reported apparitions are authentic.
I can only tell you of my experience in Medjugorje. Three days into my trip, on Valentines Day 2007, I experienced the Holy Spirit in such a way that while a very special priest prayed over me, like St. Paul, I had an instant conversion. That is, I was filled with such peace, clarity, and understanding that I suddenly knew that God exists, Jesus is his Son, and indeed my friends, the Catholic Church is his one TRUE church. Medjugorje was the closest place to heaven I’ll ever experience here on earth. Needless to say, I believe in Medjugorje.
A couple weeks later I flew home back to my cold reality only to realize just how much I would have to give up if I truly amended my life as planned with God as priority. I was dating a man who I thought was the love of my life who despised the church. I had friends who did the same and I was previously living a life that made a mockery of God. I soon lost my boyfriend and most all my friends as my new Catholic identity started to appear. I struggled to overcome many obstacles as I sought to give up my sinful life over a period of time. It’s amazing how God gives you all the necessary graces to do what is right if your heart is open to his will. As hard as this “cleansing” process was, I was finally free- and nothing feels better than true freedom.
I had been making paintings for years and I made some decent work, but when I got home from my special trip I made a different kind of painting. With this particular piece of work, God used little ol’ me as an instrument to communicate something greater. I named it Transcendence. It is still the best piece I ever made. I have never gotten so many intense reactions to a piece of work. People see all sorts of things. They see a skull, a baby, a cradle, teeth, a veiled woman’s figure looking down upon a baby.... truth be told, I’m not talented enough to knowingly put that all in there. Everyone does agree on one thing within this painting though- that is, that there is a distinct battle between good and evil going on in it. And that’s exactly what I painted- an image of an aborted baby.
If you haven’t guessed already, I wasn’t always pro life. It sounded much better to say I was pro choice. I supported a woman’s right to choose- to choose what, I ask now? I was blinded by ignorance and arrogance when I was on the other side. I thought I was supporting feminism. Only pro -lifers know what true feminism is. It’s astounding and truthfully, very scary, how the devil works- isn’t it? Once I studied this issue, of course I became staunchly pro-life and now I volunteer at a crisis pregnancy center. I've become passionate about communicating the evils of abortion and am happy to do it despite the persecution I face because of it. In doing so it holds great merit as it is a spiritual work of mercy. Though I have attended protests, notably the March for Life in Washington DC, which is a truly awesome event filled with hundreds of thousands of people, many of which are young by the way, usually I simply defend life when someone is not. It’s very difficult to do in certain situations, but it is necessary and we are called to do it. Something my father always told me that has rung true is that you never know how your actions effect others....and you may never know on this side of heaven. Your little pro-life statement comment on a facebook post or something like that might actually be the catalyst for someone’s conversion. You can save souls in this way- isn’t that amazing? I’ve never been one for bumper stickers, but I do have my favorite Mother Teresa quote on my car- it states “It’s a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish”. It’s still not easy to drive around with it because I know the hatred that it ignites in people who don’t know better- and nobody wants to be disliked. But once again the Holy Spirit gives you all the strength and courage you need to do what is right. It is said in the gospel that to do or say nothing when you know better is a great sin. When you feel timid about speaking up to defend our faith just think you are actually helping the heavenly kingdom...and if that doesn’t invoke a sense of wonder and awe, I don’t know what will.
After I graduated, I moved to Saratoga and entered into a year of intense study of my newfound faith. You see I believed, but I was still unsure of some of the church’s teachings. I want to just point out here that we must first and foremost humble ourselves and trust in our church’s wisdom and then set out (armed with prayer) to investigate why a church teaching is so. We must remember that like good parents to small children who have to say "no" or nothing at all sometimes, God is our almighty father and he knows what’s best for us always! Each time I have done this, I’ve experienced a great revelation as to why a teaching is so and am blown away by the church’s wisdom, logic, mystery, and beauty. This has happened with the teachings on abortion, contraception, gay marriage, women priests, and premarital sex, and cohabitation. It’s important to acknowledge that much confusion surrounds these hot issues because too often these days we are not hearing what the church actually teaches... even in church! But that's a whole other post ;-) I urge you to please learn your faith. It is your responsibility and I promise you that once you do you will have a stronger love for your faith and even revel in the truth and wisdom it holds. You will become zealous...and courageous. You will become proud to be a Catholic, and be inspired to communicate your faith’s greatness to others. God will never leave us orphans and his church always offers a way to live life joyously without submitting to evil. My study of Natural Family Planning is one instance of this. You are all young, but as you get older you’ll be able to look back and see how God places certain people in your life at certain times for specific reasons. Through this year it was "J", a loud n’ proud protestant who loved to duke it out about how his church was right. Though we are united with protestants as they are our brothers and sisters in Christ and we often share similar beliefs, there are differences. Christ did not want this disunity amongst his body and someday we will all be unified as one. I look forward to that day. Until then, as long as both parties are respectful, a debate can be healthy and actually help both sides in their understanding. As "J" challenged me daily with questions on why Catholics believe as they do, I was eager to find the answers so I could combat his misconceptions about the the Catholic Church and offer him the correct resources that held further explanations. Like the excitement of falling in love with a person, learning your faith can be that exhilarating. I fell in love with Christ’s Church that year.
I want to wrap things up here with how after I decided that I would strive to be a good Catholic, I was struggling with if, where, and when I would ever meet a good Catholic man. I was trying to stay open to God’s will for me, be it the single life or a religious vocation, but I really did want to marry. So I prayed a specific prayer (God asks us to be specific in prayer you know). I prayed that I would meet a man that would make me want to be a better Catholic! Impossible, I thought. On July 5, 2008 I met Joseph. He was an atheist- agnostic at best, but I felt called to give him a chance. Within the first weeks of our meeting, I explained to Joseph some of what I believed and why. I gave him some good faith-filled literature and a cd by Christopher West who speaks on Pope John Paul II’s Theology Of The Body. Unbeknownst to me, Joseph had three rules in dating, and one was to never date a Catholic. Nonetheless as fate would have it, he was intrigued with my resolution and listened to the cd. In fact I found out later that he found the message so surprisingly interesting that he listened to it many times over. By September, Joseph was attending daily mass (I wasn’t), by October he entered into the RCIA program, and in November of that same year, he proposed. On April 25, 2009, after we celebrated a very special Easter with him coming home to the Catholic Church, we got married. We have since welcomed a son and two daughters who have filled our lives with such joy, challenge, and purpose. Though difficult, we try to live like Jesus and lead holy lives. It has always been my personality to want to move mountains, so I often wonder what God wants me to be doing as I struggle to balance being a wife and mother. Lately I am reminded of St. Therese of Lisieux and try to do small things with great love- it is in this way, I have realized, that you can indeed change the world.
Until I became a parent, I never spent much time integrating religious imagery, bible verses, and other reminders of Christ and His word around my home- I just didn't fully realize how much your surroundings effect you. How your home can be part of your witness, aiding in evangelizing, and ultimately helping to save souls. (big picture stuff, people!) Now since I'm a little further along on my journey, it makes perfect sense that we should fill our homes with such imagery so that we can help guard against all the immoral and downright evil propaganda that is constantly in our faces. You do realize we're in a spiritual battle with everything to lose, right? Don't you love that God gives us an instruction manual that tells us just what to do to attain life everlasting? While I sympathize with those who don't value such an effort due to their ignorance, arrogance, or just plain lukewarm spirit as I was there just 9 years ago, I pray that more and more will look towards God's word and try to live by it. We have the bible to instruct us for our own good. A priceless gift! The following was taken from www.catholictherapists.com, which is a wonderful website that you could use in helping to create your own little bubble:
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord;[a]5 and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. 6 And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart;7 and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 And you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.[b]
"In Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Moses exhorts the Israelites to cling to their identity as the people of the covenant, and to teach their children to do likewise. He knew that the people of Israel would be surrounded by pagan nations, filled with idolatry and with abominable practices such as child sacrifice and ritual prostitution, and Moses knew the danger of adopting pagan ways. In order to retain their identity and their fidelity to the Lord, Israel developed a way of life that was imbued at every level with the worship of God and faithfulness to the Torah (a lifestyle we still see today among, for example, Hasidic Jews).
Catholics and other Christians live in a similar atmosphere today: the secular culture of death makes war on Christian beliefs and values at every level. It invades our homes and minds through much of the content of the Internet and popular music and movies, and most prime time TV programming. Any child educated in the public school system – as well as in many “Catholic” schools is relentlessly evangelized with the gospel of political correctness from pre-school on. Long gone are the years when one could count on a Catholic school education, weekly Mass attendance, an occasional family rosary, and parish picnics to ensure one’s children would grow up committed Catholics; I doubt if such a situation ever existed."
Here are some quick pics I took this morning which offer a glimpse at some of the corners of our home where we have tried to do just this. Of course, in a few years our home might look more like the domestic "shrines" I used to mock as I am becoming more and more interested in beautifying our home to glorify and honor God.
