Pint-Sized Vestments

This is one of my favorite photos. How old was he? It's hard to remember. Maybe 6 or 7. He is "saying Mass" at Grandma's house on a toy chest that his Uncle Craig made. He planned for the event, inviting family members days in advance. You can see by the photo that he is taking it seriously.

I love the contrast between the various toys and clutter and the event unfolding in the middle of it all. He is undisturbed by those details and was slightly annoyed that I took a picture at that time. Which is why I only took one.  I made those vestments for him for his 5th birthday. They were never "play clothes" for him but something a little more. He never skipped any Mass parts that he knew of and even included rousing homilies. I never quite knew whether to laugh or to cry at the fervor and innocence with which he exhorted us to virtue!

Does he have a religious vocation? Time will tell. He doesn't know yet. He would be a wonderful daddy and has an amazing example in his own father. He also seems suited to a priestly vocation in certain ways and does seem drawn to it. I'm certainly glad that the decision is not mine to make! We will do our best to teach him to properly discern his vocational call and then leave the rest in God's hands.

In this Year for Priests, we have an excellent reminder and opportunity to not only pray for priests but for seminarians and blossoming vocations as well. I am taking full advantage of it as the realization strikes that God could indeed call one of my sons. It appears that baby boys do indeed grow up.

This next photo is Crash a few years ago wearing the same vestments. He does not seem as attracted to the life of a priest....but one never knows! If he does, we will have to inquire about the seminary policy for replacing broken lamps:). Three and you're out? What if it's just a blown light bulb? Of course, that sounds a bit easier than finding a wife who doesn't mind an occasional howling at the moon (or at whatever) and a terrible urge to torment females in his household. Of course, he'll just wink and flash his charming smile and all will be well. He has his mother wrapped around his little finger, why not a wife, too?

O Holy Spirit, Spirit of wisdom and divine love, impart Your knowledge, understanding, and counsel to youth that they may know the vocation wherein they can best serve God. Give them courage and strength to follow God's holy will. Guide their uncertain steps, strengthen their resolutions, shield their chastity, fashion their minds, conquer their hearts, and lead them to the vineyards where they will labor in God's holy service.
Amen

Merry Christmas!

He is coming!

In spite of my best efforts to remain grumpy and stressed out, I am slowly succumbing to the sweet smiles of my Little King. In about 5 hours, we'll be at Christmas Eve Mass and my heart is starting to do little flips. I can't resist. He is irresistible!

My son took this photo last year of the creche in our church. I wanted a sneak peak; a little reminder of for what (or for Whom) we do this. Our tree is still bare. The lights are in a pile on the floor. Most of them don't appear to be working. After Mass I begin the wrapping. My normal Christmas Eve bedtime is around 4 or 5am. I am already tired:)

But He is coming! Glory to God in the Highest!!

Brief Refreshment before commencing with the madness...

Must the end of Advent always find me tied in such knots? Exhaustion that surpasses the adventure of joyful late nights of preparation and enters into an unfortunate something that looks remarkably like wretched desperation. Oh, where is my Infant King Who will raise me out of this madness? He is coming.

I stumbled upon the London Symphony Orchestra and the Tenebrae choir performing Handel's Messiah (2006) on YouTube and got swallowed up in it. I wish I was sitting in that audience (5th row, center) just inhaling the sound until my teeth vibrate.

For Behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall rise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee, and the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising....

Come unto Him, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and He will give you rest. Take His yoke upon you, and learn of Him, for He is meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 

If I could sing those words like they do, you better believe I would. I'd do it right now. And everyone would think I'm crazy. But not crazier than I already was today. A much better kind of crazy.

Mama's Baby Boy...Growing Up Strong

It was twelve years ago today that you stole my heart. My firstborn. I'm a mama for the first time! Living in another state from all of our family members was a challenge. No baby sitting available for the new and inexperienced mother! But what a blessing. Just you and me, kid. You with severe reflux and a very sore tummy. I with bleary eyes, holding you, rocking you, dancing with you, walking with you and keeping watch day and night. Is he breathing? Is he hungry? Is he cold? Is he lonely? My "burden" was light when I sat up with you through the night. Caring for you was a privilege and a joy.

Remember our first Christmas Eve? Of course you don't, but I will never forget. I was discharged from the hospital in the evening and we were just able to make Christmas Eve Mass. I had nothing in my closet that would fit and no time or energy to search further so I wore sweatpants. I was embarrassed to wear those clothes on such a special night and kept my hospital ID (which I had not time to remove) visible hoping someone would notice that I wasn't your everyday slob. Your Daddy put on a tie. You wore a little yellow sleeper that was much too large. He held you in the crook of his arm and you almost disappeared there as he advanced to receive Jesus in the Eucharist. I was hiding behind him while slinking up the aisle and could see people point at you and gasp and exclaim at the sight of such a tiny baby. I forgot all about my sweatpants in the joy and pride of motherhood.

It's not always easy for a kid to have a birthday so close to Christmas. Time is short. Money is short. But you have never complained. And I can not imagine a more perfect beginning to our life together. There is no Christmas that I do not remember the particular joy of your birth.

Today, you are excited and truly grateful for the gift of a refurbished guitar that you have already been playing for a year. But now it is your own and that means something to you. You can't wait to play well enough to offer your own gift of praise before the Lord. I am so proud of you.

I have never loved you more. I am incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to love you and pray that the good Lord will cover my failings so that you may grow to be the man He has made you to be. This Christmas, I stand yet again before our Infant King and thank Him for the gift of my son.

Year for Priests Coloring Contest

Are you looking for another great way to celebrate the Year for Priests? One of my favorite Catholic companies is sponsoring a coloring contest just for that purpose. Illuminated Ink has been doing these coloring contests for years and my kids have participated a number of times. In 2006, they added an adult category and I felt like a kid again when I was notified that I won:). Here is my winning entry from Advent 2006 ...

Illuminated Ink is a small, family-run company that produces amazing, high-quality educational materials for Catholic children. We have used many of their products and I never regret my purchases. The artwork is gorgeous and has a depth that is lacking in many other sources. Check out the newest image presented for the Year of the Priest coloring contest . The technical skill, arrangement and use of symbolism...Wow! I can't wait to get a pen on this...

Did I mention the incredible prizes? Odds of winning are rather high since these great folks are so generous. But participation without a prize is a reward on it's own. A history and explanation of the image is made available to assist the family in teaching more about the riches of our faith.

And to all you creative moms out there: You know you color anyway; go for it!

Haste makes cake...

...wrong color, wrong theme and lopsided. I am skillful at disaster recovery (having to frequently fix my own messes). It is edible and not actually ugly. But do you think that the male preteen for whom it's intended will share my victory dance? I did manage to work in a little blue. Hopefully, his sense of humor rolled out of bed with him this morning. Perhaps he will appreciate the fact that I was able to overcome adversity in order to provide the cake at all. Hopefully, he won't ask how I got into the muddle in the first place (the "haste" part is involved in that). And how many hours of my day this actually took to mess up and correct. Is it still cool for boys to like pink or have we moved out of that fad yet?

It's all about me...

I was inspired to do this "25 Things About Me" post by Allison over at A Broken Fortress and Cam at A Woman's Place . I enjoyed reading theirs so much that I thought I'd go for it. My list won't be as impressive as theirs but it's all mine.

1. I am an introvert. Introvert defined as "a shy, reticent and typically self-centered person". I was so painfully shy as a child that I would become literally immobilized by my fear. I prefer an evening at home to most things.

2. I am an extrovert. Extrovert defined as "an outgoing, overtly expressing person". Confused? Me too. I am passionate about many things and as I got older, found that I needed to get beyond my fear and express those stirrings of my heart and mind. I also needed to learn how to order a pizza without an anxiety attack. I would like to say that I simply matured but I'm not sure that's accurate. I talk and write excessively. It is a fault. I express a lot or not at all.

3. My average bedtime is 2-3am. This is largely because I lack discipline but also because I love the silence of the sleeping house and the opportunity to spend one-on-one with my hubby (who also has lacks discipline in this area).

4. I played rugby for a semester in college and found it to be alternately exhilarating and terrifying. I alternated between wing and back. It was my job to run as fast as I could with the ball to avoid getting smashed score goals. I also did a lot of kicking to avoid getting smashed clear the ball from pressure situations. I quit when I realized that the team culture was saturated with immorality and depravity and hardly avoidable.

5. I am a former liberal feminist who admired and frequently quoted radicals such as Gloria Steinem and Mary Daly . My freedom came when I realized that the authentically Catholic vision of femininity was pretty much the most beautiful thing that I could imagine for myself. I was swept off my feet by Pope John Paul's Mulieris Dignitatem (On the Dignity and Vocation of Women) and The Privilage of Being a Woman by Dr. Alice von Hildebrand. I was also swept off my feet by my husband who bought me black cherry ice cream (who could resist?) and taught me how to properly use my brain (a work in progress, of course).

6. I learned to sew in my early 20's and purchased at least 10 yards of fabric before I owned a sewing machine.

7. Thinking...thinking...

8. ...am I only on number 8? I'm clearly not a very interesting person.

9. My sport of choice is volleyball. In my senior year of high school, I think I spent more time playing volleyball than all other things combined (only a slight exaggeration). Sand doubles and 3's are my favorite (when in good physical condition, of course).

10. I once spent 3 weeks worth of high school English classes hiding in the bathroom. Approximately 10 hours of sitting in a bathroom stall before I was missed. That's how much I hated school. I learned through this experience that the particular teacher did not take attendance. Neither, I think, did she even know I was in her class. My grade that quarter was a B-.

11. I do not generally drink alcohol. I become a blithering idiot after about 6 ounces of pretty much any alcoholic beverage and think it tastes rotten anyway. I don't mind if you drink it; as long as it does not cause you to become an idiot, dismiss your (properly formed) conscience, cause you to make a pass at me, make you vomit on my shoes, pass out on my floor or otherwise lose control of your will, your ability to respect others and yourself, and your ability to fulfill the duties of your vocation.

12. My favorite thing to bake is cheesecake. My favorite thing to eat is cheesecake. With a side of salad.

13. When I was 15 years old, I suffered a complete tear of the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in my knee while clearing a hurdle at track practice. I passed my driver's license test the day before surgery.

14. I met my husband at a neighbor's house when I was 17-years old.  It was late at night and the neighbor threw stones at my window to wake me. I declined (from my window) since I had an early track meet in the morning. We have PIZZA, says he. Pizza? I'm there. They were finishing a Bible study. I snuck out of the house to meet them and stayed until the wee hours. I did poorly at my track meet but was blissfully happy anyway having just met my knight in shining armor.

15. I would live 80% of my life in hoodie sweatshirts if I could. Wait a minute...maybe I already do!

16. The remaining 20% of my life I would dress in flowing skirts and flowers. I made a Regency dress a few years ago and wore it to Easter Vigil Mass. I looked odd but felt lovely.

17. If I had $100 to spend frivolously today, I would buy a new pair of running shoes.

18. I do not have a tattoo and never wanted one because I could always draw really cool things on my skin without being burdened with them permanently. I no longer draw cool things on my skin unless it entertains a toddler.

19. I never wanted to be a mom until I met my husband.

20. I've been proposed to twice. The first time I was 13 years old; a 26-year old man from Indonesia proposed hoping to find easy U.S. citizenship. And a young bride! I said 'no'. The second time I was 18 years old and said 'Yes!' to the love of my life.

21. If I could go back to school, I would study art so that I could learn to express more fully the love and joy that I have in being a daughter of the Most High King. The first thing I would paint is His Blessed Mother.

22. Are we there yet?  I can't think of 25 things about myself.

23. I am competitive. Perhaps to a fault. My husband shares that quality and we make an effort to be on the same team in any contest in order to preserve our wedded bliss. Our competitors are not always happy with or understanding about this arrangement but I assure them that it is best for marital peace. We recently forgot this necessity while playing Monopoly. I will not forget again soon.

24. I prefer stale licorice to most types of candy. Stale within reason, of course.

25. Ah! Finally at 25. A truly random and unimpressive 25. I'm going to resist the urge to edit. This exercise is not intended to be complete or detailed. Did I mention I struggle with perfectionism? Enjoy the first draft edition of random me. *struggling intensely with the urge to edit so that you will find me a bit more impressive* This is either a really good exercise in humility or a really bad temptation toward pride.

We Are Rich!

This has always been an incredibly rich time of year for our family. We managed to have most of our children between November and January which adds a bit of birthday and Baptismal craziness to the Advent and Christmas calendar. Several family members and godchildren also had the gumption to be born during this blessed time! We even have a Nicholas in the mix. Add a First Communion, lots of name days and feast days, a rather predictable bout with some kind of virus (nothing yet this year!) and you've got a season quite overflowing with joy and a touch of insanity:).

I recently spent some time enjoying seasonal photo memories. Doing that was the perfect antidote to the chill of the day. My heart is sufficiently warmed and contented.

Beautiful Button (my preemie) was baptized on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe surrounded by the love of family and friends. Oh, where does the time go?

Professor (6 yrs old) with Fr. Larry Richards after his First Holy Communion

A 9th birthday at the skating rink and a narrow escape by mom and dad:)

JellyBean's first Christmas

Even the stomach flu couldn't keep them from decorating for Jesus that year!

This year isn't as pretty as years past. It looks a lot like this:

But my heart is full and the time for rejoicing is near. A little drywall dust can't stop the feasting!

 I am missing my littlest one who was due to be born this month; another joyful bundle supposed to be adding a bit to the hustle and bustle and beauty of Christmas. But his joy is complete and there's no greater wish of a mother for her child. I will have to be content to hold my new godson who, incidentally, will be baptized 2 days after Christmas. Bring on the celebrations!!!

Forever Young at Christmas

I just completed a custom blankie order...for a 20-something woman. The young lady was captivated by a little pink cheetah print blankie that I had for sale at a craft show and wondered aloud if I would be able to make a larger one for her. After she revisited my table about 5 times, her mom and boyfriend got the message and contacted me 2 days later to order her a special blanket for Christmas.

It really turned out beautiful. I wish you all could touch it! And I wish I could see her face on Christmas morning.

Really Fun Four Hands Guitar

This is a whole lotta fun! Huge happy points for these guys.

The Cure for the Christmas Blues

"Jesus has always many who love His heavenly kingdom, but few who bear His cross. He has many who desire consolation, but few who care for trial. He finds many to share His table, but few to take part in His fasting. All desire to be happy with Him; few wish to suffer anything for Him. Many follow Him to the breaking of the bread, but few to the drinking of the chalice of His passion. Many revere His miracles; few approach the same of the Cross. Many love Him as long as they encounter no hardship; many praise and bless Him as long as they receive some comfort from Him. But if Jesus hides Himself and leaves them for a while, they fall either into complaints or into deep dejection. Those, on the contrary, who love Him for His own sake and not for any comfort of their own, bles Him in all trial and anguish of heart as well as in the bliss of consolation. Even if He should never give them consolation, yet they would continue to praise Him and wish always to give Him thanks. What power there is in pure love for Jesus--love that is free from all self-interest and self-love!"

                                        --The Imitation of Christ Book 2, Chapter 11

There is so much written and said about the "holiday blues" and Christmas depression at this time of year. I think it is the rare person who is not afflicted by it in some measure either before, during or after the big day. For myself, I recognize that the contradiction between worldly preparation and the intense spiritual preparation cause some of this effect. It is easy to fall in love with the physical beauty of Advent and Christmas; so much so that my heart is drawn less toward the Creator and more towards the created.   I am constantly drawn to created things that are beautiful and good but still fall so short of filling any void in the soul. At the same time, it is a tremendously fruitful season spiritually as I bring my focus to the coming of the Infant Christ. My heart is particularly lonely for His Presence. The result is a persistent ache and stretch between earthly "joy" and feasting and desperately seeking to connect with Christ; from trying to fill one hole with both desires and finding that it still remains empty since they cannot both fit.

The above excerpt from the Imitation of Christ has been a good companion to me this year. How faithful would I be if nothing went beautifully this season? Would I falter when my consolations were gone? Or would my joy and fidelity be unwavering even in the face of loneliness and suffering? Will I offer Him my loneliness and emptiness when the good feelings and emotions pass? Will I praise Him when my heart is broken and weary.

God is so good. I beg Him daily to hang on to me through my weakness lest I should cling to my own desires and reject the path to sanctity.

Christmas is a beautiful time and I am not suggesting that we avoid the festive preparation and celebration. But if we do find ourselves suffering an absence of emotional happiness this year, let's remember that Christ did not come so that we will feel good everyday; He came to offer a peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7) and a joy that does not fade when holiday company leaves.
Just keep on praising Him.

Grandma's Music...

When my maternal grandmother was a young woman, she sang professionally for Robert Shaw. I never heard her sing. When she met my grandfather (well before my time), he insisted that she end her career. I do not know whether he was justified in such a request, but by the time I knew her, she was a chain smoker with a voice that croaked and rasped. I had a hard time imagining that she ever even carried a pretty tune. I like to close my eyes, listen to Shaw's music, and imagine my grandma raising her voice in praise. She had a hard life. I pray that she is singing now with the angels.

Christmas Music Favorite

My current favorite Christmas music selection is Christmas Star: the Cambridge Singers and Orchestra, directed by John Rutter.   So beautiful. When I play this album, I go about my Advent business with smiles and sighs.

Growing into Pa Ingalls

We are not big outdoorsy type people. We love God's creation but are born and bred city folk who aren't the most eager to shed that inclination. But we are trying to grow. We bought a house with property which is a start. We handled our mouse invasion rather well. We got to know and appreciate our extremely noisy chimney swifts . I don't scream as loudly as I used to when I am surprised by a garter snake beside me in the grass. And...

...the boys took a little hike and brought us our first homegrown Christmas tree. We weren't the ones who planted it but it is now ours. Crash found it, Professor approved of it and Pa cut it down. And that's a pretty cool thing for people who generally buy their trees from WalMart.

Bah! Humbug! Dissin' Santa...

Some of you are going to think I'm Ebenezer Scrooge incarnate (before his change of heart) for writing this post. Before you put me in stocks for my controversial position on Santa Claus, I just want to say that we do give our kids Christmas presents, feed them regularly and let them out of their rooms at least once a month day. I mention this because we don't "believe" in Santa in our house and that admission, to some, is something akin to admitting child abuse.

Allison over at A Broken Fortress brought the topic up today and I was inspired to blog about it. So, if you are upset after reading this, I assure you that it's all her fault:).

This blog post should properly be titled:

Why we don't tell our kids that a fat, bearded man in a red suit brings presents down the chimney (or through the front door with a magic key or whatever) after riding across the world in a flying sleigh pulled by magical reindeer. 

(I think that the title alone would bolster my case. At any rate, it wouldn't fit in the subject field.)

There are two primary reasons that we do not lie to our kids about Santa. The first is that we simply do not wish to lie to our children. The second is that the celebration of Santa has the potential to dilute the primary message of Christmas.

The Lie

If you are a Christian parent, you know that every word that comes out of your mouth is a testimony to your child about the love and truth of Christ. You know from experience that your failures in virtue are soaked up into your little sponge children in the blink of an eye. You know how compromised your witness is by any uncharitable word, selfish behavior...and all deceitfulness. We know how much we abhor lies in our children and teach them to imitate Jesus who is the Way, the TRUTH, and the life. The game of pretending does indeed become a lie if it is intended to deliberately deceive for any extended period of time. When your little one looks trustingly up into your face and asks, "Mommy, is Santa really real?" and you say "Yes, He is", what acceptable justification is there for such a deception? It is likely that, someday, that same child will  look at you and ask, "Mommy, is Jesus really real?" and you will say "Yes, He is." The child is asking for the truth and deserves purity in our responses. Our children need to know that we will not lie to them and must be able to trust our word in all things because we are their primary witness to love of Jesus Christ in their lives.

There are various common defenses of this lie.  One is that it's a cultural tradition that is fun. Another more often used defense is that it causes no harm. These two explanations are generally used in conjunction. First, I disagree that fun is ever justification for deliberately breaking a Commandment of God. I will address the second defense below. It deserves it's own book because it deals with our obligation to give primacy to Jesus in every area of our lives.

The Harm


One of the challenges that we face as a Christian people living in the world is that we are constantly being pulled off the path of holiness by the distractions of the world. We have faith but it waivers and fluctuates with the difficulties of life. We live according to our senses and reaching out to a hidden God is a struggle that even the greatest saints had to overcome and embrace.

A great temptation in our situation is to begin to see the Incarnation as a story that just comforts us and entertains us. But to make our faith living and relevant requires a maturity and a love that steps out of that comfortable place. If our faith in the reality of God becoming man becomes simply a "story" for us, we fall into immediate peril of losing it. We know this temptation and danger is real for our children. If we knew of a danger to their faith wouldn't we go to significant lengths to defend them from it?

Santa is not evil. Santa makes kids smile and laugh and makes for a fun and interesting story. But since the story is not necessary for either a productive or happy life, it's worth examining how much weight we give it and if the lie is worth the possibility of subverting the power of the Nativity to the story of a fictional man.

During Christmas time, there are two stories that thrive side by side. One is the Nativity story. The other is the story of Santa Claus. If we place a similar significance and emphasis on both of them and spend an equal (or disproportionate large) amount of time on the pretend story; and if we look straight into the eyes of our children and lie believably and habitually about reality of Santa, then we are running a very real risk of compromising the power of the love of Christ in the minds and hearts of our children.

I know many families who are able to nourish a very real and deep faith in their children and who also lie to them about Santa. I also know my own experience of life without that deception and I highly recommend it. I know that many Americans simply cannot imagine that Christmas can be "fun" without Santa but the experience of my family and others bears testimony to the joy, beauty and FUN of a Christmas wholly centered on Christ. We don't lose anything. We gain because we are free to devote ourselves entirely to preparation for His birthday. Other advantages include:

**The freedom from pressure to have Santa-sized (similar to "super-sized") gifts under the tree. The children know that all presents are from mom, dad and siblings and their gratitude is properly directed. They also know that mom and dad have limited and fluctuating resources and are content even during "skinnier" years.

**Being free from the pressure of having to pay money for our children to sit on the lap of a mall employee.

**The look on the face of the WalMart cashier when she discovers that my 5-year old does not think Santa is real. I feel a bit naughty about this one but it is rather funny to hear a 50-year old woman debate a 5-year old about the existence of Santa. My favorite explanation from my 5-year old was to an elderly grocery store bagger:

"Santa isn't real but sometimes we play that he is. St. Nicholas was real but his feast day is on a different day. But that's who Santa used to be. Jesus' birthday is the funnest and mommy and daddy buy us presents. And I really like Christmas Mass when we sing Silent Night with all the lights off. And then we go to Grandma's house. Both of them. And we sing Happy Birthday!"

The look on the bagger's face was of utter shock and dismay. He replied, "But you must believe in Santa! I do!" And we got the silent treatment for the remainder of our time in his line.

Guess he missed his point.

I think that we can incorporate our cultural traditions into our domestic churches without compromising Christ. I doubt we can do it as well as we ought if we think that deceit is a prerequisite for joy.

A Homemade Christmas Week #2: Felt Play Food

This is my week #2 contribution to SimplyVintage Girl's A Homemade Christmas meme. As I stated in my week #1 post , I don't normally participate in memes but this one is easy for me and I love the mission given by Emily Rose on her blog:

Through this, I hope we can inspire and encourage one another in our preparation to celebrate...the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.

Week #2: Felt Play Food 

A couple years ago, we had to get rid of our play kitchen. It had been damaged and didn't make the cut during our move. It was plastic with pink and purple accents and accessorized with plastic in every color of the rainbow and some more besides. I decided then that if the girls ever got another kitchen that it would be something I could put in my living room without adding to the feeling of a day care center. I have nothing against plastic (in fact, I am a huge fan, particularly of those little Ziploc containers) but my preference is for toys that inspire with their natural loveliness.

Last month, my daughter received her new kitchen as a birthday present. Handcrafted by a local craftsman, Jim Kelley (the same generous genius who lovingly made a burial box for our little Matthew), this kitchen is everything I dreamed of for her.

And now I'm making food for Christmas. My humble beginnings are pictured above. Cherry pie, Christmas cut-out cookies, eggs, lettuce and tomato (for an in-progress sandwich), strawberries, and a pink frosted donut. Not pictured is a stack of felt, cut and uncut, about a foot high that is waiting for my sewing machine to come out of it's temporary retirement. The drywall sanding is now complete and the making of the food will commence!!! My plan is to have a basket full by Christmas morning.

Patterns and tutorials:

The cookies and pie are my own. It's not too hard to design your own food but it does help to have a pattern on hand or a tutorial to guide the way. Here are some great places to go for inspiration and direction:

ohdeedoh.com free felt food tutorials

Fabulously fun felt food on Crafster

Bugga Bugs Felt food patterns

Keeper of the Cheerios best felt food patterns from around the web

**WARNING**

If you are a generally crafty person, you will likely find this a highly addictive project! Have fun!

Spiritual Motherhood for Priests

"Every vocation to the priesthood comes from the heart of God, but it goes through the heart of a mother!"  - Pope St. Pius X        


During this Year of the Priest , the Holy Spirit has been moving in the hearts of Catholic women, inspiring them to accept the obligation of constant prayer and sacrifice for specific priests and all priests. In 2007, the Congregation for the Clergy issued a document called "Adoration, Reparation, Spiritual Motherhood for priests"  in which they write:

The vocation to be a spiritual mother for priests is hardly unknown, barely understood and consequently, rarely lived, although fundamental and vitally important. It is a vocation that is often hidden, not apparent to the human eye, but intended to transmit spiritual life...

"...Independent of age or social status, everyone can become a mother for priests..."

The document explores the particular and beautiful role of Mary in the life of her Son, the High and Eternal Priest, and her importance to the growth of priestly vocations and the sanctification of those already ordained. Strongly encouraged is the practice of continuous Eucharistic adoration by those who "may devote themselves to prayer...in a spirit of genuine and authentic reparation and purification."

It's a lengthy document, filled with examples of spiritual mothers throughout Church history; servants of God such as Saint Monica and Saint Therese of Lisieux who said, "Let us live for souls, let us be apostles, let us save especially the souls of priests...Let us pray, let us suffer for them, and, on the last day, Jesus will be grateful." Don't let the length frighten you away. It is a treasure of inspiration and wisdom. Take your time to examine and savor each section.


Since the publication of "Spiritual Motherhood ", women all over the world have been moved to discern their own call to this special vocation. This desire seemed to collectively intensify with the advent of the declaration of the Year of the Priest and many new resources and spiritual communities have begun to appear. Here are just a few helpful resources for those who are interested in learning more:

Spiritual Motherhood for Priests
Vultus Christi 
USCCB Year of the Priest 
Honolulu Spiritual Motherhood Apostolate   (This is an example of what one group of women has done in their diocese)
Priests in Crisis 
Crusade for Priests Spiritual Adoption Program 

Christmas shopping...for myself

While not exactly consistent with the spirit of giving, there are things that catch my eye from time to time that I would love to find under the tree on Christmas morning. Not many. Just a few dozen. I'll spare you the lengthy list and just share 3 that I found cool pics of.

I love my husband T-Shirt $10 

This one gets bonus points for being pink

2010 Liturgical Calendar Poster $15

This would be perfect in our new school space

"I'll take endless showers" fine photographic art print $20

This print is so breathtaking; it reminds me of my faith journey

(btw...please don't use this image in any way as it is copyrighted by the photographer)

                                                

Rich Mullins 'Screen Door' gem

The quality of this video is terrible. But it's the best (and only) live "Screen Door" I can find. This is Rich Mullins in all of his barefoot, joyful, truth-telling simplicity. I saw him do this live about 3 months before his death. Firmly stamped on my memory. He spoke at length to us about St. Francis and instantly honored our obnoxiously loud 
request for "Creed" . 
Like all great preachers of the Gospel his effectiveness sprang straight from his pure love of Christ. If you're a Rich fan, you get why this lousy video is just plain beautiful:).

(Please forgive the crazy spacing of this post; my edit tools are a bit wonky today.)

Saints Club...Are you a saint?

Do you want to be a saint? I certainly do. And at the same time...I don't. What I mean to say is that I want the fruits of a sanctified life; but a life of sacrifice and the carrying of my cross? Well...not so much. I want to want it for the glory of my Lord, Jesus Christ, and for the salvation of my soul but know that I have an imperfect love.  My burden becomes heavy because I imagine that a life of comfort is a sign of blessing and I misunderstand suffering. I congratulate myself on virtue when it would be easy even for a wicked person to behave. Desiring to love is not the same as loving; the same way that reading about prayer is not the same as praying. I long for a heart that is not afraid to love with abandon.

Recently, a priest in my parish started a Saints Club for those of us who are interested in loving and serving the Lord more than we ever have before. In his inaugural article (Are You a Saint? ), Fr. Richard Bona writes:

What would you think if someone who is supposed to love you would tell you: “I know it is hard to love you 100%, but I think you should be satisfied if I just love you with a 40% effort.” We would reject that “offer” right away. So, why are we doing it to God? God loves us unconditionally and He calls us to love Him back with all our might and strength. However, we tell Him we can’t do it and that He should be satisfied with some of our efforts because that is what He is getting from us. But that is not the language of love. Love is never afraid; love is willing to be consumed, to be spent for the sake of the beloved. That is why the call to holiness is the response of our love that we have for God.

That is what I want. I want to be free from all tepidity or fear in my love of God.

He is calling me to fall in love with Him all over again. Remember when you first looked into His eyes and knew that nothing would ever be the same again? Remember how you wanted to stay awake all night just to be with Him? I want to be there again...And forever.

There are a few basic promises that those of us in this club make (none carry the penalty of sin if broken since we promise our good efforts and not immediate perfection).

1) Say a short daily prayer of consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

2) Do a weekly holy hour (can be broken up during the week)

3) Monthly confession

4) Daily Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy

 5) Monthly meeting -- We gather with Fr. Bona each month to discuss what we are currently reading (at his suggestion) and to learn more about the spiritual life in the context of our Catholic faith.

Our journey also includes different reading assignments. We are currently reading the book Prayer for Beginners  by Peter Kreeft . I strongly recommend purchasing this and reading it often. I confess that I fancied myself rather accomplished at prayer until I read it through. It helped me realize how habitually shallow and self-centered my prayer really was. Now I have the opportunity to be a little one again in God's hands. Thank God for new beginnings!

Although we have only had 2 meetings so far, I have been incredibly edified by the process of gathering with members of my community to grow together. I love the fellowship, the opportunity for the growth and the accountability.

My heartfelt gratitude to Fr. Bona for loving God enough to do this for His people.

This photo is of "St. Dorothy", "St. George" and Fr. Bona. We don't think that giving saints "bunny ears" is a sin as long as they are given with the utmost respect and charity:).

*Note to my Protestant friends*

My Dear Sisters,


Your friendship is such a treasure to me. Through your fellowship I have learned so much about what it means to love Christ with abandon and to give spontaneously and generously from the depths of that love. Your passion and dedication to the Gospel message has left me awestruck and humbled on a many occasions. This Saints Club may sound a little too "Catholic" for you but I think you know me well enough to know that my love of Jesus Christ drives me to it. If you have any questions or concerns about anything you read here or any interest in understanding why I am completely in love with the Catholic faith, you know how to contact me:). In the meantime, I do highly recommend Peter Kreeft's book to all Christians who desire to develop a stronger and more authentic prayer life.


Your Sister in Christ,
mellie