Novena to the Divine Mercy: Day 1

Today, bring to Me all mankind, especially all sinners, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. In this way you will console Me in the bitter grief into which the loss of souls plunges Me.

Most Merciful Jesus, whose very nature it is to have compassion on us and to forgive us, do not look upon our sins, but upon the trust which we place in Your infinite goodness. Receive us all into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart, and never let us escape from It. We beg this of You by Your love which unites You to the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon all mankind and especially upon poor sinners, all enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, show us Your mercy, that we may praise the omnipotence of Your mercy forever and ever. Amen (1210-1211).

Pray Chaplet of Divine Mercy which can be found at http://thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/praythechaplet.php

Prayers for Good Friday

In case you don't have the luxury of having the day off from work or can't make it to church, here are a few prayers for you. Perhaps you can take a moment to reflect over your lunch hour (since we are all fasting, right?)...

Stations of the Cross
The standard set from the 17th to 20th centuries has consisted of 14 pictures or sculptures depicting the following scenes:

1. Jesus is condemned to death
2. Jesus carries his cross
3. Jesus falls the first time
4. Jesus meets his mother
5. Simon or Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry the cross
6 .Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
7. Jesus falls the second time
8 Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
9. Jesus falls the third time
10. Jesus' clothes are taken away
11. Crucifixion: Jesus is nailed to the cross
12.Jesus dies on the cross
13. Jesus is taken down from the cross
14. Jesus is laid in the tomb.


To provide a version of this devotion more closely aligned with the biblical accounts, Pope John Paul II introduced a new form of devotion, called the Scriptural Way of the Cross on Good Friday 1991. He celebrated that form many times but not exclusively at the Colosseum in Rome.[12][13] In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI approved this set of stations for meditation and public celebration: They follow this sequence

1. Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane,
2. Jesus is betrayed by Judas and arrested,
3. Jesus is condemned by the Sanhedrin,
4. Jesus is denied by Peter,
5. Jesus is judged by Pilate,
6. Jesus is scourged and crowned with thorns,
7. Jesus takes up his cross,
8. Jesus is helped by Simon to carry his cross,
9. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem,
10. Jesus is crucified,
11. Jesus promises his kingdom to the repentant thief,
12. Jesus entrusts Mary and John to each other,
13. Jesus dies on the cross,
14. Jesus is laid in the tomb.



And now a little Taize meditation on the words of the good thief. (Click on the picture or caption to be taken to a video of the sung meditation.)

Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom

7LW: Good Friday

Jen over at Conversion Diary isn't hosting a 7 Quick Takes in observance of Good Friday, so no quick takes today. Instead, I thought I'd offer the 7 last words (thus 7LW) of Jesus for contemplation on this holy day.

1) Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do. Luke 23:34

2) Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise. Luke 23:43

3) Woman, behold your son. Behold your mother. John 19:26-27

4) My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? Matthew 27:46

5) I am thirsty. John 19:28

6) It is... finished. John 19:30

7) Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. Luke 23:46


If I am more on top of  my game next year, perhaps I'll do a little reading and contemplating and have some reflections for you as well. This year, here are some links to resources to guide you in your contemplation on the 7 Last Words:

Loyola Press Interactive Meditation

The Seven Last Words of Christ: Reflections for Holy Week by Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts

No Beauty Sleep for Me!

Though the little boy slept a full 8 hours...that's right - EIGHT HOURS - there was no beauty sleep for this mama. Someone is conspiring against me! At this rate, the luggage under my eyes may be there as long as the lost luggage on Saturn! 

Whilst the babes all slept peacefully, praise God, we were up due to a carbon monoxide detector that wanted us to test it so it could tell us that we were at 0ppm CO. Did I mention that it was at 1:30 in the morning. By the time we figured all that out, we went back to bed around 2AM. I then felt it necessary, just in case the detector was faulty, to spend the next hour monitoring my symptoms and researching carbon monoxide poisoning and the features of our detector online. Once I heard that alarm, all I could think of were the news articles about the families who didn't know and then ended up dead. Yeah, I'm that girl - I worry even though the detector really detected  nothing. 

I am thankful, though, that it was nothing at the end of the day (or rather the beginning of it). Plus, the whole ordeal made me think of Phoebe's altercation with her smoke detector which made me giggle and then look up the episode, though we did not throw ours out or get a visit from a fireman in the middle of the night... Click on the photo if you want to see the clip!

Worship Wednesday: Vol 4 [Third Day, "Thief"]

To prepare us for Good Friday and in late observation of the feast day of St. Dismas, here is Third Day playing Thief live (yes, I've gone back to a staple band and song for me). It is the story from the perspective of the Good Thief as the events of the day unfold. Here is the story according to the Gospel of Luke (NRSV):

As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus. A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him. But Jesus turned to them and said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For the days are surely coming when they will say, “Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.” Then they will begin to say to the mountains, “Fall on us”; and to the hills, “Cover us.” For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?’

Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!’ The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’There was also an inscription over him, ‘This is the King of the Jews.’

One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’

Messy Grace

As I sit awake with sweet baby J, there are a million thoughts going through my head. Yes, many of them revolve around what might get this poor uncomfortable little boy to sleep through the night, but some venture on the more deeply spiritual, like grace.

Grace is a free gift. We don't earn it, and we can't buy it. Grace, too, is bestowed out of need. No need, no get. Finally, as grace is given freely, it must be received freely as well. God can pour grace out like a monsoon, but if we stand there with a golf umbrella, it won't do us much good.

I get stuck in the messiness of my life right now. The laundry is never done, sleep is usually a pipe dream, my mind is far from a steel trap. I'm realizing though that it is exactly in the midst of this that God pours out his grace upon me. If I take my eyes off of me and turn my eyes toward Him, maybe I can take a big old gulp of that grace I need so badly! It's a good thing I can't usually find my umbrella...

Now, let's get this kid to sleep peacefully, huh???

Love Must Come First

Mother Teresa was quoted as saying, "When choosing between being right and being kind, always choose kindness." I don't think anyone could accuse the saint of Calcutta of either being heartless or compromising the Truth. She embodied both kindness and righteousness.

As I've watched Facebook explode in red from all angles today, I've felt extremely uneasy. My stomach has been in a knot (though not enough to prevent me from shoveling food in my mouth). I wasn't quite sure what the source of this unease and sadness was at first.

Some of may assume it was from the number of people changing their profile pictures to the icon in support of same-sex marriage. Others might assume it was in realizing that the church may be fighting a losing battle. Still others might think it was due to the injustice people face in not being able to share the same "rights." Really none of those were at the heart of my discontent.

As I was praying about what was really tugging at my soul, and what I might have to say that was any different from the arguments that were already saturating the Internet, Mother Teresa popped into my head. I have a real love of this woman who loved the untouchable and seemingly unlovable in the city of my parents' youth. Her intimate knowledge of Christ and resulting wisdom has never steered me wrong. Tonight is no different.

As her words came to mind, I realized two things. First, we have in large part forgotten how to be kind to one another especially in the midst of disagreement. Second, we forget that issues that relate to the human person actually involve human persons with feelings.

How disappointing to see the vitriol that circulates on the Internet. It is too easy in the world of faceless, bodiless communication to retort in sarcasm, anger, ignorance and hate. That goes for all sides of an issue. I would dare those who use such tactics to do so face to face. I'm quite certain we'd have a different game altogether.

For those of us who profess kinship with Christ, the call to be kind goes so much deeper than mere politeness. Jesus came for the sick. We are all broken, beaten, sick and downtrodden without him. It is unfortunate that some people's brokenness becomes fodder for public debate while others of us go unscathed. Yet, Christ reminds us he desires mercy. If we cannot convince the other that we love them beyond ourselves, then no amount of argument or correction is worth the breath or ink that is used. Love must come first. This does not mean we must not stand firm in the Truth we've been given, but it must be shared in the context of a loving relationship. Love comes first.

On the other hand, simply because one does not agree with the current vocal trends of the culture does not make one hateful or a bigot. I can disagree wholeheartedly with what you are doing in and with your life and still love you to pieces. If we abandon kindness, well, that claim is a little harder to make. Again, love comes first.

There are people living day to day the issues we are discussing - they are not nameless and they are not faceless. They most certainly are not heartless. We only inflict pain if we talk as experts on struggles we do not face. Get to know who it is you're speaking about. Take on their pain as your own. Then show them the joy that exists in breaking through the darkness of pain and letting Light in. It is what Jesus did when he took on human form, and it is what we must do if we really want to enter into a meaningful discussion apart from icons, banners, soundbites and propaganda. Love must come first.

Here Comes Peter Cottontail...

I was reading a friend's status on Facebook yesterday, which read something like he and a coworker were talking about their weekends, and it came up that the coworker enjoyed celebrating Easter with his family. My friend expressed his disappointment that Easter to that coworker was just an egg hunt and good meal. No Jesus risen. 

That got me thinking this morning, and really throughout the day. I want to sit with Li'l G and do some Easter crafts, and I have been tremendously looking forward to an Easter egg hunt in our backyard the day before. What am I doing, though, that connects for her, inseparably, the feast of Easter and the resurrection of Christ. Sure, I could call the Easter eggs Resurrection Eggs. Yes, we could build our own Calvary out of Popsicle sticks. What traditions, though, could we begin to establish in our own family that will etch on her heart the true miracle and joy of Easter? 

Certainly without Good Friday there is no Easter, and we will impress that upon her at an older age. For now I want her to be filled with wonder, not at the candy, but at the sacrifice Jesus makes for us and the utter miraculous and inexplicable joy when the tomb is found empty. I realize it will take years for her to fully grasp that concept. If we are honest, I'm not sure any of us have fully come to understand its meaning and implication in our lives. Right now, what I want to do is be thoughtful about what traditions we begin to establish and what nugget of Truth with a capital "T" these traditions will convey. 

As I've started looking into the tradition of the Easter Egg, I'm not sure what I think. I understand the origin, but as we neither stain the eggs red to symbolize the shedding of Christ's blood and then the new life that comes (the egg), or fast from eggs and dairy during Lent in our culture, I'm not sure there is as much symbolism as there is craft and candy. We could always revive that old tradition and stick with red while indulging my artsy side. That is certainly a thought. Maybe we will have an egg hunt with empty eggs to symbolize the empty tomb (won't my kids love me?). Or maybe we will fill those plastic eggs with Scripture and a puzzle on where to find the candy that is related to the great message of joy and redemption of the resurrection. My brain is still spinning around this one.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Traditions you have that you want to share?? I'm listening!! 

And yes, I still have the bunny ears....

Raising Rebels: In Conversation with Steve Ray

The Hubs and I have been blessed to be able to be away over the last couple of weekends to go to some Catholic conferences. Last weekend we were at the Charism School at Christ the King in Ann Arbor (which I wrote about here), and this weekend we were at the Michigan Catholic Young Adult Conference in Lansing. In my former life as a young adult minister, I was rather involved in the planning of this conference. Since the littles have come along and I've stopped working in full time ministry, my involvement has...waned, shall we say? I'm quickly aging out of the young adult bracket as well, as I crawl toward the big 4-0, too, so this was a bittersweet year for me as I approached the weekend. God always has better things in mind. What we approach with sadness or fear, he turns to joy and peace. This was no exception.

We had the honor and privilege of having Steve Ray (aka Jerusalem Jones) as our keynote speaker. If you don't know of him, you really should check out his work. His conversion story is pretty amazing. What struck me most about him, though, wasn't the utter wealth of knowledge he possesses, which he does. In listening to him speak, what really amazed me is how much God prepared Steve for His purpose in His time. All the experiences of Steve's life added up to what God was calling him to do. His parents' life and conversion, being raised and trained in the Baptist tradition, the friends he had made...everything led to him being who he is today and what he is doing for the Kingdom. This struck me as especially poignant at a time in life where I'm not always sure what God is preparing me to do or where I belong. Clearly there is a grander plan that is perfect in His time and purpose - I just have to be faithful to what He is calling me to today, big and small. Additionally, we had been trying to book Steve for the conference for three years and something always interfered. I think God was using those who came before Steve to plow the field to make it ready for the message he brought this weekend (along with Bishop Boyea of Lansing and Bishop Cepeda of Detroit). It is one of being on the offensive in our discipleship and armed for our mission of bringing souls to Christ, of reuniting them in love with their God, who loved them so much He gave His life for them. I'm not sure we would have had an audience ready to receive that fully three years ago.

Outside the realm of talks, the Hubs and I were also fortunate enough to be sitting right next to Steve's vendor table, so we took the opportunity to introduce ourselves and chat with him a bit throughout the day. There was one part of the conversations that really struck a chord with me. Steve and his wife have raised four children and have eleven grandchildren (as of now). He was sharing stories about parenting and mentioned a bit about the teenage years. His advice? Raise rebels, but raise them to be rebels for Christ - that's what's truly rebellious in our culture anyway. The years ahead will bring our children many temptations to think they are rebelling when in fact they are just going with the crowd. Don't be afraid to steer them in a rebellious direction arming them with morals and faith. Find them their own rebel army - surround them with friends who will rebel with them and hold each other accountable. Most of all, don't be afraid to be firm - just give them faithful alternatives and always help them to see the truth. Tall order, but one that is really pretty exciting! Who doesn't want to raise a rebel army?!?

This means, of course, that we ourselves have to deepen our faith and stand firm in the truth handed down to us. We need to be intentional about strengthening our friendships with those who are also firm in their faith and raising their families that way. We have to do all this without locking ourselves in a Catholic bubble or living in fear of the culture and the people in it. We have to prepare our children to eat with the sinners as Jesus did to share with them His love and His kingdom (and realize we all fit that bill). We have to be willing to do this ourselves so our children see and understand their identity and role as God's children, and the dignity all people were given created in the image and likeness of God.

Again, it's a tall order, but we absolutely cannot settle for less. There are too many people who wander lost and broken in this world not knowing there is One who has already shed his blood to save them and restore them to the glory of God. What a perfect message as we approach the season of Easter!

Happy Palm Sunday and prayers for a blessed Holy Week!!

Confessions of a Mom with a Toddler: Take One

...the proportion with which I dole out Cheerios is the measure by which I want to pick them up off the floor.

7QT: The Week in Review

Not that I'm complaining, but it's Friday again already? 

1) Lessons from Veggie Tales: "For a thankful heart is a happy heart." While we were in the land of Dora for the last year or so (yes, I'm THAT mom that let her kid who wasn't 2 watch television, and probably way more than she should - reference #2 before commenting please), we have now entered the land of Veggie Tales. Can I tell you how much infinitely more sane I feel? Of course, this means I go to work belting "I'm so blue-hoo-hoo, blue-hoo-hoo, blue-hoo-hoo, hooooo," but not only can I stomach the stories more, they often will hit home for me with quite a punch. Scripture is the living Word of God, whether on paper or with cartoon vegetables, after all. At this point we are slightly obsessed with Madame Blueberry (be thankful for what you have and do not always want more "things") and Dave and the Giant Pickle (no matter how "little" you think you are, with God all things are possible). Hmmm, well played, Lord, well played. Use my 2 year old's viewing choices to get your message across. A gentle spring wind would work too.

2) Guilt is sometimes healthy, but we should be in the business of building up, not tearing down and condemning. Confession time: I kind of went off on a rant in a comment to one of my friends on Facebook because of a link she posted to a blog article ranting about Rachel Martin's post, Dear Mom on her iPhone. I deleted it after I woke up fully. While I still believe everything I wrote, I realized I just did exactly what I was chiding the author of the article for doing - ranting when something struck a nerve. Let's face it, that's generally when we rant. Here's the thing - I do believe we need to let go of excessive mom-guilt. Can we qualify it as that, though? Excessive guilt is damaging. A healthy dose of Jiminy Cricket in our ear and on our heart - maybe not so damaging. Guilt can be an indicator that something is askew, and sometimes that is exactly what we need to hear, as long as it is dealt with encouragement and not condemnation. With the blog in question, Rachel convicted me that something needed to change, but knowing her writing, I know she did it with the utmost love and encouragement, not condemnation. If you don't read her regularly, perhaps you didn't know that. Did I feel guilt? Oh heck yeah. Did it change the way I do things? Absolutely. Do I sit and lament about how awful I am if I fall back into old patterns with iPhone use? Not as much. I just dust myself off, get back up, and start over. Like any addiction or bad-habit, it takes time to modify behavior. We all have our issues and challenges - why not acknowledge them and then help and encourage one another to overcome those struggles? It seems while there is an awful lot of unnecessary mom-guilt inducing judgment out there, to react by saying no guilt is good just reinforces the "I'm okay, you're okay" culture which is, like, not okay, okay? (hee hee) There is right and there is wrong, and we need to acknowledge that in our own lives so we can pass it on to our children.

Clearly, these are NOT the Pope's shoes

3) Pope shoes: There has been much ado about Pope Francis since news of his election. Most of it is a breath of fresh air, but some of it is making people nervous. Remind you of anyone else? A certain carpenter, perhaps? Pope Francis has been on the job about a week and is shaking things up! Praise God! Jumping out of the Popemobile to bless someone, greeting all Massgoers after Mass, and now...celebrating Holy Thursday Mass at a juvenile detention center with prisoners. The Holy Father will be presenting a challenge to us all, much like that carpenter from Nazareth. Are we too tied to pomp and circumstance (not that all of it is a bad thing, but are we attached)? Does the fact that he's not wearing red shoes shake your faith? It really shouldn't. I'm quite excited to see what the Holy Spirit has in store for the Church. In essentials, I dare say she will never change, mostly because God already told us that. Not much of a dare, I suppose. With all the hoopla surrounding Pope Francis, there is one strain of commentary that has been troubling me, especially as I was praying last night. While we are in love with our new Holy Father as well we should be, some are using it as an opportunity to make snide commentary about the "policies" or "style" of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. I don't think that the Holy Father in any way would desire his new style to create any hostility or lack of charity to our former Pope. The kicker for me last night, though I hardly think that Benedict is on the interwebs, was wondering what it felt like to hear all that about yourself when all you did was serve God according to His will and not your own. Having laid down his life for the Church, to have the churchgoers insinuating that somehow he was less holy and less humble due to the red shoes (which are not Prada - please give that a rest) or formal attire of Pope's past...how hurtful would that be? So, please, be in love with Pope Francis for being what God has called him to be, compare even if you must, but do so with charity in realization that the man you are comparing him with also laid down his life in service for you, regardless of whether you liked his style or not. Thank you kindly.

4) Simplifying isn't always simple. It takes oodles of time. I am learning to be happy with baby steps, so the purging could take a few seasons. I'm actually okay with that. I told you there was a lot of healing and deliverance last weekend! Of course, if someone wanted to find us a couple of days where we didn't have other obligations and would take the kids so we could focus on a room or two with great intensity, I wouldn't mind. :)

5) Oh, Google, what are you doing? Really, is it necessary to dump Google Reader? Well, I guess I am glad I use Feedly, since it seems that is what you'll be using to help us transition to a Google-Readerless world. I'd been searching for an app that would let me read seamlessly on my iDevice, and I finally found my heart's desire with Feedly, mostly. The only thing I don't like is that it doesn't store old posts, but I can get to the blog's website pretty stinking easily to find them on there. Yeah, it's really not a downer at all. So far I'm pleased. How about you? Any suggestions for other apps?

6) My new favorite blog: Catholic and Loving It. The Hubbers had been telling me for quite some time that I would enjoy it, but I never quite got into following blogs until recently. Once again, he was right. I love it. Written by Mark Shea (who I've referenced before with his book, The Work of Mercy), the writing is quirky and sarcastic, but charitable and wise. I pretty much am nodding my head in agreement while trying not to laugh and wake any sleeping children. Love. So go. Check it out if you haven't. Now. Do it. Do it now.

7) I heart sleep. I'm not sure that really is a shocker to anyone, especially moms of littles. I still think it is worth saying out loud sometimes. This past weekend I got to sleep without the interruption of babies or cats for TWO FULL NIGHTS! That's TWO nights of 6+ hours of sleep! To top it off, Baby J even slept through the night for the first time in way too long and I got ONE MORE night of 5+ hours of sleep! Oh, slumber, dear friend, how sweet to see you again. Lest you think I brag, we were back to some wee hour waking last night. Still, we are moving in the right direction and I will take it for now. Plus, I know I have the potential for yet one more night of 6+ hours as we head to another conference this weekend.

And now for a little humor...

Check out other Quick Takes at ConversionDiary.com!

The Pope is Heading to Prison?

Sherry Weddell posted on Facebook, "Pope Francis will spend Holy Thursday in prison." She is quite right, and quite adept at getting your attention! The Holy Father will be celebrating the Mass with prisoners at a juvenile detention center. It is no longer business as usual at the Vatican, though I hardly think we can feign surprise at this point. Not a church of and for the poor, huh? I have a feeling much is about to change in the public image of the Church with the Holy Father getting his own hands and feet dirty for Jesus (and in example of Christ for us). [Insert the Catholic Lenten "A" Word here. Not the one that rhymes with Mass. The one that rhymes with BalletMooYa.]

Here's the article from Vatican News:

Pope Francis to celebrate Holy Thursday Mass at juvenile prison

(Vatican Radio) It was announced by the Holy See Press Office on Thursday that Pope Francis will celebrate the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper at the juvenile prison 'Casal del Marmo' in Rome, the same facility visited by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007. The Mass of the Lord’s Supper, which commemorates the institution of the Eucharist, also features the rite of the washing of the feet. In his ministry as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Bergoglio used to celebrate the Mass in a prison, hospital or hospice for poor and marginalized people. The other Holy Week celebrations are expected to follow the schedule already released by the Office for Liturgical Celebrations.

Read more at The Deacon's Bench...

Running With Sharks

Ok, ladies, I know this is many of you. You're trying to get back in shape. You're on a new health kick. You have a little way to go to get to that goal, but you are on your way. Picking yourself up by the gym shoes, you march your slightly wider behind on over to your local exercise palace, only to be scorned by the queens of the machines. You know the ones I'm talking about. They're the ones who look you up and down with the knowing look that says "you don't belong here, but clearly you need help." They appear more like a sculpture than a woman, clearly residing at said facility because they certainly don't look like they need to be there at all. Yes, they're who I mean. Sadly, some of us may be those women (no fingers pointing at anyone specific!)...stop!

We talk about the mommy wars, but those are really just a subcategory of a much larger sickness - the woman wars. Clothing, work, marriage, sex, and yes, the gym. We judge, we gossip, we gloat, we lament, when what we really should be doing is supporting one another (in all things good and healthy, but that's another post).

My good friend and über-talented writer Nancy Vitale has written a short comedic film inspired by her own experience with the piranhas of the pool. These aren't your middle school bullies - they've had experience...about eight decades to be exact! Produced by Nilou Safinya, Running With Sharks is about a woman making a fresh start against the odds. Knowing Nancy, it is sure to have us laughing and rooting for victory in the end.

Nilou Safinya, producer

Nancy Vitale, writer

The pair and their new production company, Eyes Up Here (I think many of us can relate to that name!) are currently working to secure funding to produce their film for entry in festivals as well as a pilot presentation to pitch to television networks. If you think you might enjoy the show, check out their pitch at http://vimeo.com/m/62112973 and Indiegogo campaign at http://igg.me/at/runningwsharks. You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter!

Best of luck to you, dear friend! I for one am hoping you get this going sooner rather than later - I can't wait to see what you've got up your sleeve and in your head. PS - when you make it big, don't forget who let you live with her for free - please send good hummus and red wine. And if you happen to run into Colin Firth, you can bring him with you when you deliver the goods. Smooches!

Worship Wednesday: Vol 3

So, with all the chaos over the last week, and the kind of Friday I had at the beginning of the day, I thought this week would be a perfect week to feature a little Francesca Battistelli with "This is the Stuff." It's a great anthem to get me through those moments where I feel a little bit overwhelmed and forget that God uses all things for the good of those who love Him. All things. Even the stuff I hate and makes me react in a not so God loving way. Sing this at the top of my lungs in the car with the windows down, and the "stuff" just seems to melt away. Mostly.

Here it is - Worship Wednesday with "This is the Stuff"...

The Living Power of God

The Hubbers and I were tremendously blessed to get away this weekend to a conference in Ann Arbor. Called the Charism School, the weekend allowed us to grow closer to Christ, practice the presence of the Holy Spirit, and deeply recognize how little we tap into the power that God has given us through our baptism and the gift of his Holy Spirit. We realized how easily we are enslaved by the flesh and ways of the world and how little we truly believe the promises God has given to us as believers. 

I'm going to begin with an apology. I am breaking every rule of witness I have ever learned and was definitely given to me this weekend. This is a LOOONG post, so I hope you will stick with me. To play by the rules, I'll give my elevator minute version first. This weekend I gave words of knowledge from God to a stranger and received words of knowledge from a stranger that were accurate and relevant. I saw people miraculously healed of physical ailments. I experienced deliverance from things I had been struggling with for a long time, some of which I didn't even name correctly. I have been convicted in a very real way that Jesus is alive - today and every day. Now for the longer story for more details...

I confess, I read Scripture and while I "believe" that miracles are still possible, I kind of figure God has chosen other people to work them. Priests, pastors, preachers, missionaries, etc etc etc dot dot dot. Not little old me who struggles with her own spiritual darkness and lack of discipline. Well, let's just say that this weekend shook my out of my "not me tree." Now, I'm not claiming to be performing miracles just yet, but I am convicted that each and every one of us who has been baptized into the life of Christ as priest, prophet and king can, in fact, be a conduit for miracles. Let's be clear - we do not perform them. We offer our active faith and allow God to use us to perform supernatural deeds.

The school is taught by Damian Stayne, who founded Cor et Lumen Christi, an international ministry devoted to miracle healings and deliverance. He is clear. As believers, especially in this world, for the glory of God, we must perform signs and wonders - we are commanded to perform greater miracles than Christ. (We are, of course, commanded to do this out of love for God and our neighbor, not vanity in our ability to do wonders in demonstration of our own glory.) "Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it." John 14:12 

During the course of the weekend, we focused on placing ourselves in the presence of the Holy Spirit and growing in faith to open our hearts to do His works. First we practiced giving words of knowledge. These are bits of information or insights from God for another person - this weekend specifically people we had never met before and had no way of having prior knowledge about. I was ridiculously nervous. What if I was the only one who didn't have a revelation? What if I didn't have enough faith or wasn't holy enough? What if, what if, what if? Well, the other piece of the puzzle that Damian was clear on was that acting with the power of God requires a willingness to risk - to risk being foolish, to risk our reputations, to risk being wrong (being cautious not to do harm). So there I sat, praying, waiting for God to give me giant revelations. And my heart started beating faster. I could feel every bit of anxiety welling up and springing forth. In faith I took a deep breath and kept praying for something, anything that might be a word of knowledge from God to my partner. You know what? The littlest thing that I thought was nothing and a distraction in my prayer was in fact a word to my prayer partner. I had an image and phrase come into my mind that meant nothing to me and seemed irrelevant. Well, to me it was - but not to her. It wasn't some giant revelation, but it was relevant to something she was struggling with recently. Holy smokes! I know the Hubbers had a similar experience. In fact, almost everyone there was able to give a word that was specific and relevant to their partner (who in all cases was supposed to be a stranger to them). We're not talking in vagueries here, either. No "your fortune will increase" or "you will meet a stranger" nonsense of fortune telling. We are talking about very specific, albeit seemingly small, words from God.

Imagine if we always were able to discern what some random thoughts in our minds during prayer were meant!??

Part of the school included a miracle healing service led by Damian Stayne as well. Though I will admit a certain prejudice to skepticism, I cannot be skeptical of healings that I saw with my own eyes. I will share one - there was a man who came in able to walk only with the aid of a walker. It turns out he had just had surgery earlier in the week. After being prayed over, the man was not only able to walk, but could jog around the church with Damian. Yes, it is the stuff of movies, yet it was very, very real. No plants in the audience - we saw this man on our way in well before the service. Scores of others were healed of less dramatic ailments, and admittedly, some did not receive healing (myself included). It is easy to remain skeptical, but after seeing that man I mentioned before, I cannot be fully so. What power we have if we act in faith and are received in faith! Certainly, it may be God's will that a healing not occur for the greater good of salvation, but what if He wants to heal us and we don't grant him our faith and our will to "make it so" - what then?? How many of us walk around burdened with ailments that God has intended to heal? 

The last part of the school that was a profound experience for me was the deliverance session. I should be clear - first, this has nothing to do with that horrendously, awful, disgusting movie. And two, it is not the stuff of movie exorcisms. Those are conducted only by approved and official exorcists. Somewhat reassuring to me, as the supernatural haunting genre seriously creeps me out, was the reminder that if we earnestly give our will and assent to God (regardless of our human failings in that respect), we are not able to be possessed. So the deliverance here was from oppression and other areas of spiritual warfare. No Exorcism of Emily Rose moments, praise God. I know for me, it was the most powerful prayer I have ever received, at least since my initiation into the Church. I've shared that I had been struggling with frustration and anger, as well as self-doubt, to a point where it was truly weighing down on me. I can explain it no better than this - we first prayed a prayer of renunciation of a multitude of sins - as soon as self-hatred was mentioned, tears were flowing. I never knew THAT was what it was...I just thought of it as low self esteem in certain plaguing areas. When the prayer of deliverance was said over us, all that weight, weight I really hadn't even sensed as physical  completely lifted. I literally felt myself stand up straighter and hold my head up. Immediately. Then the weeping started, because let's face it, I'm a woman and that is my method of release (apparently emotional AND spiritual). We saw and heard many other things during that session which I cannot and will not share, but if I didn't believe that we were in a battle of powers and principalities before, I surely do now. I believe that it is NOT the big things that plague us, either - we can be faithful people and be oppressed by things that we open ourselves to unknowingly and willingly. The little things most definitely matter and can be used for the power of God or by the power of darkness. It's not just for movies or the pages of a Bible or the third world. It is real. It is now.

So what is the moral of this story? I need a stronger prayer life for myself. We as a family need to simplify and make more room for God so that we can be used by him to fulfill his mission and spread his Gospel so all may believe. We need to pray, pray, pray for our children and with our children. Pray for their protection. Pray for their faith. Pray for an intimate knowledge of the unyielding love of God so when other forces tempt them to stray, they know they are forever in the arms of love. We must be wise and in constant discernment of the things that we allow to influence us. Do we live in excess? Do we hold on to pastimes and entertainment that takes our eyes off of Christ? This isn't to say that we can only watch EWTN or listen to Christian music. What is it we are opening ourselves to, though, in what we allow in? Fr. John Riccardo in his preaching says "garbage in, garbage out." The garbage sticks to us, too, though, so we have to be ever mindful without becoming over-scrupulous, of course. Lastly, we reflect what surrounds us - we are in need of a community of believers where we can practice living in the power of the Holy Spirit and exercising the gifts God has given us. There simply are not enough communities around - Christ the King in Ann Arbor is exceptional. We are not in Ann Arbor. We are not in the Diocese of Lansing. We need community here that fits our season of life. We need the Church to be that gift to us so we can grow in our gift to the community. Sadly, we realized that as so much in young adult and young family ministry, if we want it, we may have to build it. At a time when we are so very stretched, that is a sad realization after such a fantastically high weekend. We know, though, if God is calling and it is His will, He will pave the way. Let's see what the months ahead reveal...

The Dream Of Joseph by Theandric

Hot off the presses! On the feast of St. Joseph, Catholic band Theandric announces a new single from their upcoming album. Here's a link and their description so you can check it out!

The new single from Theandric's forthcoming album, "The Door of Faith"! This song recounts the experience of Joseph as he confronted with the mysterious pregnancy of his spouse, Mary. By being open to God's grace, he receives the strength and courage he needs to welcome and protect the gift of life.

The Dream Of Joseph by Theandric

St. Joseph - Husband, Father, Protector

On this historic day of Pope Francis's inaugural Mass, we also celebrate the feast of St. Joseph, husband of Blessed Mary and adoptive father of Jesus.

This particular quote from the Holy Father's homily has been making the rounds, and I (along with numerous others) feel it expresses beautifully the challenge and fulfillment of husband and father. This goes out with a tremendous amount of gratitude to all those husbands and fathers striving to live in imitation of St. Joseph, first and foremost my own Hubbers. Praying St. Joseph may guide and protect you in the name of Jesus.

"How does Joseph exercise his role as protector? Discreetly, humbly and silently, but with an unfailing presence and utter fidelity, even when he finds it hard to understand... How does Joseph respond to his calling to be the protector of Mary, Jesus and the Church? By being constantly attentive to God, open to the signs of God’s presence and receptive to God’s plans, and not simply to his own...

Here I would add one more thing: caring, protecting, demands goodness, it calls for a certain tenderness. In the Gospels, Saint Joseph appears as a strong and courageous man, a working man, yet in his heart we see great tenderness, which is not the virtue of the weak but rather a sign of strength of spirit and a capacity for concern, for compassion, for genuine openness to others, for love. We must not be afraid of goodness, of tenderness!"

~ Pope Francis, from his inaugural homily

7SDQT (SuperDuperQuickTakes): Version Two - Full Steam Ahead

So, as I was driving, I was going through my morning and realized I could do an entire Quick Takes just on my morning. Indulge me - I gotta vent. Be warned - this is not a "Life is Good" post (though it is, it really is). There aren't even pictures. You know that's not normal!

-1-

Just for once I would like to feel like I am not behind the game and stressing to get out the door relatively on time without drool on my shirt and hair and makeup done. Just once. I'm guessing that's not in the cards for a family with littles or cats who throw up just as you are walking out the door. Sorry Hubbers, we'll have to clean that up when we get home - I wasn't coming back in the door!

-2-

I am sick sick sick of clutter. Too many toys, too much everything! I was reading some other 7QT posts and a few people were talking of our perpetual Lent as parents (and especially parents of littles). Yes yes yes! This Lent, my goal was to detach from my iDevice and be more present. You know what would help me be more present? Let's just take everything in the house that is causing clutter, put it in a large pile in the yard and take a match to it. No, really. Is that detached enough for you? Hey Scott - I'll even let you light the match that gets to engulf my frivolous books! (Note to all my bibliophile friends - no, I'm not actually going to burn books. Note to Hubbers - in this case, "what's yours is mine" does not apply - please breathe.)

-3- 

This is partially due to #1 on the list, but why, oh why, must the Devil aggravate me with bad drivers when I'm already late? Seriously, if I am the only car coming, and you need to pull out into traffic to turn left in the direction I am going, WHY must you cut me off and then drive >10 MPH slower than me? Would it have killed you to wait 10 seconds and pull out after me? NO ONE IS BEHIND ME! I am, of course, as I get ready to indulge myself in a bit of road rage and tailgate, reminded that time - all time - is created by and belongs to God and there must be a purpose greater than my little mind can comprehend. Yeah yeah, I hear ya Holy Spirit - stop whispering.

-4-

We are at THAT stage with Li'l G. The one where she latches on to one thing we say and then repeats it over and over and over and over and over and over until I want to stick my finger in my eye to relieve that headache that is beginning. It's not enough that she doesn't stop talking EVER during waking hours, but once she latches to a word or idea, game over. Kids were going over to Nonna's this morning....around noon, mind you. Well, she remembered and from 7:45 when she woke up until I contemplated finding a fifth of whatever was lying around the house, that was ALL I heard. Well, that interspersed with "watch Veggie Tales" over and over and over and over and over.

-5- 

Stress eating leads me to McDonald's. Heaven help me, all I wanted to eat (since I didn't have five seconds to put together a meal) was a Filet-O-Fish meal from McD's with a chocolate shake. You bet your bum that's what I am having for lunch. "Lose It!" gets shelved for today before mama loses it for realz.

-6-

I miss my mom and am rather frustrated she is not around. Granted, when she is here she typically drives me nuts, but I'd rather she were here anyway. We are incredibly blessed to have Nonna helping us with the kids well beyond what is probably acceptable with our Lenten and Easter conference/work schedules, but as much as she is my second mom, it's just not the same as my own mom. Besides which, my mom is missing out on precious moments with these kids who may never really get to know her, y'know? Does someone else want to take up the banner of "move your behind to Michigan" with her? I'm spent.

-7-

I'm spent. I mean hanging on by a thread spent. Prayer life - mediocre at best. Eating - yeah, pretty much whatever is convenient...what's healthy? Health - yeah, starting to worry that's suffering a little too. I'm so thankful for the mommy blogosphere and other mom friends who read my posts and let me know I'm not completely nuts. However, something has gotta give. Hoping this weekend conference/retreat will provide some major breakthroughs and miracles. I need to live in my gifts and struggling every day to find ways to do that is draining. I need light within the tunnel, not just at the end of it...

I told you. All just this morning. Mommy needs a real vacation.

7QT: White Smoke & Midnight Oil, Among Other Things

I'm just going to cut to the chase this week - no snappy intro!

1) Habemus Papam! I mean, how can I not lead with that? (And yes, I am the nerd who sat fixated to the television, camera in hand to be able to capture the moment through teary eyes. I'll admit it, I was a little emotional.) I've already written quite a few thoughts, so I'll not write too much on this one. All I can say is that the more I see, read and hear, the more easily I can see the work of the Holy Spirit. In reading around the Catholic blogosphere (is there a more trending topic among Catholic blogs this week?!?), I see many reactions. Some are rejoicing that so many new firsts may mean significant changes - this is probably true, though not in the way some mean, especially the MSM. Pope Francis has been clear that the deposit of faith is the deposit of faith. In contrast, some are trepidatious that his will be a very different papacy, and downright vitriolic about it.

Both reactions make me giddy with joy at prayers answered! I have a feeling Pope Francis is going to shake up our human understanding of what it means to be Catholic, with an unyielding witness of radical love for the marginalized reconciled with an unyielding proclamation of the Gospel message and God's plan for life, love and freedom in Christ. He will challenge us to live as true disciples with a witness set apart from life as usual and church as usual. As I said in a previous post, I'm so thrilled that the Holy Spirit shook things up. If I'm thrilled, I can't imagine how excited Sherry Weddell and the Catherine of Siena Institute must be (mostly Sherry). Our own Li'l G was pretty darn cute - when she woke up from her nap right after all the hullaballoo, I told her we had a new Pope whose name was Francis, like the saint she liked to read about. She said "Pope Francis? Go see Francis!" All right, kiddo, let's go - any generous donors willing to send my Li'l G with her family to Rome??

2) Speaking of Sherry... Must reads that I'm working through, especially in light of the white smoke: Forming Intentional Disciples by Sherry Weddell. If you ever have a chance to attend a Called & Gifted workshop with her, I highly, highly recommend it. Sherry's work inspires a similar reaction in me as that mentioned above.

Works of Mercy by Mark Shea. As I said, part of this blog will be evolving into helping us to live out the call to works of faith in the corporal an spiritual works of mercy.

(Interesting note: Sherry and Mark both came into the Church in the same RCIA class at Blessed Sacrament parish in Seattle. The Holy Spirit was up to something, and working efficiently!)

Hubbers tells me the last one to add to my list is Evangelical Catholicism by George Weigel. He's convinced these three books may be foundational in how we move forward as a church. Though I'm still making my way through them, I tend to agree.

3) We are into a terrible sleep pattern with baby J. I'm not sure if we are teething (likely at almost 8 months), but we have yet to sleep through the night. Most nights I end up holding him a good number of hours more than I should. I know it will soon end, but the result is that I am bit sleeping and feeling the repercussions.

4) One repercussion is a short fuse. I hate that the littlest annoyances threaten to send me over the edge these days. That is not the mom I want my kids to know or remember, or the kind of wife I want to be. I do pray more in those moments, but it isn't the quality of prayer I had before. Sometimes I feel trapped in a cycle of exhaustion and outbursts with no end in sight, and I feel like the biggest spoiled drama mama around. I have help. I have good kids. If you look at my house, it's not like my family demands white glove care or expects home cooked, gourmet meals nightly. I still lose it and wonder how our moms did it without taking to the drink.

5) I'm beginning to get to that age where I worry about my health and my weight beyond just feeling like a fat cow who doesn't look cute in anything. My best friend from college tipped me off to an app which I like better than anything I've used. It's called "Lose It!" and has an orange scale as the icon. Admittedly it's not even been a week. Here's what I love so far, though. First, it's free. Second, you can enter just about any food, or scan items, and it will give you the caloric info per serving and track it. Third, it gives you options for weight loss goals and bases your plan off how much weight you want to take off and how quickly you'd like it gone. It's pretty much modeled after Weight Watchers online tracker, but purely caloric and not points based. You can upgrade for a fee for more planning tools, but so far I'm liking the free version. Next up: the dentist and a physical. Check back in the fall. ;)

6) Sweetest sounds this week:

Baby J starting to consistently talk in syllables - first "word"? Dada(dadadada). Totally okay with that. I've learned my lesson - once they say mama, it.never.ends.

Li'l G singing hymns and praise. Love hearing her little off key voice belting "your grace is enoooough" from the back seat or "el shaddai" as I'm singing to her at bedtime.

7) So.ready.for.spring. Bring it! Walks and open windows, more road trips with the kids during the day...yup. Ready! Also starting to get the spring cleaning bug, but wouldn't mind having the kids out of the house for a couple days to be able to clean uninterrupted. Any takers? I'll swap, too! :)

And one last picture for the week. 

Viva il Papa!!

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio will from this day forward be Pope Francis, the 265th successor of St. Peter. The little part of me that was hoping we'd be surprised is quite pleased. I understand that he was the second contender at the last conclave, but the "experts" thought his age would keep him from consideration this time. Get to know a little bit about the new Holy Father at http://www.catholic.org/hf/faith/story.php?id=50111. (Again, not sure how to hyperlink from the Blogger App - anyone know?)

Pope Francis, a Jesuit priest, is 74 and is the Archbishop of Buenos Aires. So many firsts for the papacy: first Jesuit, first Argentinian, first American, first Francis! Exciting times, exciting times...open the windows and breathe in that fresh air of the Holy Spirit!

I am hoping that with so many new firsts, people will not go overboard with their speculation about major changes in Church teaching as relates to the standard hot button US issues. Clearly there are bigger fish to fry... Poverty, war, religious persecution, not to mention a waning spread of the Gospel. To quote Cardinal Hume, "I suspect that it is a trick of the Devil to divert good people from the task of Evangelization by embroiling them in endless controversial issues to the neglect of the Church's essential role, which is mission." Let's keep our eyes fixed on Jesus in prayer for our new Holy Father, who faces turbulent times ahead to be sure. Viva il Papa! What a World Youth Day to come in Rio - was the Holy Spirit working overtime, or what?

In other news, when Li'l G woke up from her nap and I told her we had a new Pope named Francis, she wanted to go see him. Yes baby girl, we certainly should go see him. Anyone want to send us to Rome??

Habemus Papam!

The Vatican is prompt in their web updates at the very least! As of 3PM EDT the website has been updated as we await the announcement of who was elected and his chosen Papal name. Still we wait...

Worship Wednesday: Vol 2

The Hubbers has always liked this song. So much so that he wanted it in our wedding. We each got vetoes, and I used mine, because all I could think was Cat Stevens, and that wasn't what I wanted to think about on our wedding day. (Incidentally, he used his veto on How Beautiful.)

All is changed now that Third Day has recorded the song, though. Had they made this version 4 years ago when we were planning our wedding, the Hubs may have gotten his wish! Third Day makes everything better, and for those who know me, they may know I may love this band a wee bit. Just a wee bit. And certainly not inappropriately. (but Mac Powell, you may visit our mansion in heaven any time you wish.) (And yes, I know that's not how our mansions in heaven will work.)

Now that Cat Stevens no longer immediately comes to mind with this song, I can completely appreciate the beauty of the lyrics and how delicately they are written. "Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlight from heaven. Like the first dewfall, on the first grass." How beautiful is that imagery??

Without further ado, here is Third Day with Morning Has Broken to begin your morning. Enjoy - I know I will!

Black Smoke, White Smoke: Reflections on Opening Day

Clearly I'm talking about the Conclave at St. Peter's and not the Tigers. I don't even know when opening day for them is! Gasp, I know.

Today in the Catholic world it was a mix between the Oscar Red Carpet and Super Tuesday/Presidential election night. There was a lot of "oh, look! There's Cardinal [insert name here]!" and even more speculation about front runners and favorable candidates. Let's be honest. Many Catholics have their favorite hopeful, and for many US Catholics it veers between Cardinal Dolan (Archbishop of New York & President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) and Cardinal O'Malley (Archbishop of Boston). Catholics really in the know have their favorites from the larger Catholic world too (I've heard whispers of Cardinal Turkson of Ghana, Cardinal Tagle of the Philippines, Cardinal Scola from Milan, and the list goes on).

While it has been fascinating to learn about the history of the conclave and the different men most likely "in the running," I tend to find all the speculation (beyond simple hopeful conjecture) to be odd. It reeks a bit too much of every other election and award we are used to in the United States. We can certainly put our opinions and analysis out there, but there's only one who knows in the end, right? It's not any news anchor or reporter or church insider of the human variety - I'm putting my money on the Holy Spirit to do what's needed. After all, while we may be right in our assumptions, his ways are not our ways and his thoughts are not our thoughts (cf Isaiah 55:8). Even if we guess the person to be elected correctly, we don't know what his pontificate will bring, much like Pope John XXIII. You can read up on his papacy here - http://www.ewtn.com/piusix_johnxxiii/johnxxiii_history.htm (sorry I can't hyperlink on the app as far as I know).

The fact that I'm writing any of this at all betrays my own church nerdiness and addiction to needing to know the latest scoop. In 2005 during the Conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI, I hadn't yet started fully working in ministry. I was peripherally involved, so I had no idea of the conjecture or possible front runners. I'm not sure which way I prefer it, to be honest. I do kind of like knowing who the main players might be (there is also a part of me that hopes a little that we will be surprised). I just don't enjoy the nonstop analysis, I suppose.

We are most definitely on Popewatch here, though. Our prayers are united with the Cardinals. May the Holy Spirit grant them wisdom and knowledge to discern our new shepherd, and for this Mama who struggles with patience, may it be by the third vote!

Bring on the white smoke!!