tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10887996519809219712024-03-12T19:43:50.891-07:00Catholic Moms TalkCatholic Moms Talk about Church, Family, and FaithDonna-Marie Cooper O'Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16415118689761630639noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088799651980921971.post-47247017376552326272013-10-02T14:48:00.001-07:002013-10-02T14:48:14.806-07:00Seeing Christ in Others<a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christophers/2013/10/seeing-christ-in-others/">Seeing Christ in Others</a><br />
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<img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54485/172/3123482AAEB197A70381524F163CB786.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;" />Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16415118689761630639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088799651980921971.post-89872447584810204202013-08-25T08:47:00.000-07:002013-08-25T08:47:24.212-07:00We Cannot Sleep Peacefully<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhKYYz6MTWMISg2IpyqEHASut90sB57JFTGBsTIPLwhu3MSS8l9qYCya8ykdSdShunLyyka3LE3IXT8psncxAs8oyJ1Bw7XJYjlwbpBOXp7ZeSpIsRPZ5JawPBt8TExikzUpy8dpD7WSp-/s1600/Lisa_Hendey_2011-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhKYYz6MTWMISg2IpyqEHASut90sB57JFTGBsTIPLwhu3MSS8l9qYCya8ykdSdShunLyyka3LE3IXT8psncxAs8oyJ1Bw7XJYjlwbpBOXp7ZeSpIsRPZ5JawPBt8TExikzUpy8dpD7WSp-/s200/Lisa_Hendey_2011-1.jpg" width="141" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lisa Hendey</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Catholic girlfriend, Lisa Hendey received a wake up call and shares it with us...</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It was Pope Francis, tweeting again in the middle of the night. I have my Twitter account set to text me when the Holy Father tweets. He has a tendency to do so in what equates to the early morning hours here in Fresno. Typically I wake up, read his tweet, whisper a quick prayer, and roll back over and go to sleep. I’m a disgustingly great sleeper… I can fall asleep in less than a minute when I go to bed at night. I’ll choose sleep over just about any other luxury, including chocolate.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So imagine my reaction to this text, with these words. <em><strong style="font-weight: bold;">“We cannot sleep peacefully…”</strong></em></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Oh my.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Quite the wake up call.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I’ve been pondering Pope Francis’ tweet since then, trying to figure out how — for me — it is a personal call to action. This is not a call to drop an extra buck in the basket on Sunday at Mass and merrily go about my way. This is not a chance for me to think, <em>“I give to Catholic causes xyz and abc…”</em> and consider myself exempt.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It’s also not Pope Francis calling me to pack up my stuff, leave my family, jump on a plane, and go feed orphans half a world away.</span></div>
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<em><strong style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We cannot sleep peacefully…</span></strong></em></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In fact, I don’t have to go looking very far to find babies who are hungry or elderly who are without medical assistance:</span></div>
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<em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In 2012, the University of California, Los Angeles – Center for Health Policy Research identified that approximately 3.8 million individuals were food-insecure within California. The report also identified the San Joaquin Valley as having one of the highest rates of food insecurity within the state. <a href="http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/news/agriculture/7090-cdfa-to-discuss-hunger-at-fresno-meeting" style="color: #185e15; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Source</a></span></em></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ironically, this is happening in an agricultural area. There’s a great chance that some of the fruit in your refrigerator was grown in this Valley. Those planting, picking and processing all that food are among the underserved, the hungry, the medically untreated.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The good news is that there are structures in place to respond to many of those needs — but without my support and that of my neighbors, those structures remain understaffed, underfunded and overwhelmed by the daunting tasks they are charged with accomplishing in our community.</span></div>
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<em><strong style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We cannot sleep peacefully…</span></strong></em></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The past few nights, Pope Francis’ call has been ringing in my head, messing with my sleep. His tweet wasn’t a “direct message” to <a href="https://twitter.com/LisaHendey" style="color: #185e15; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">@LisaHendey</a>, but this one is hard to shake off as<em> “Well, that’s a nice tweet…”</em></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So I’m pondering, praying about what my response can be. Not just on the hunger issue, but also on the equally as challenging crisis of how we treat (<em><strong style="font-weight: bold;">or ignore</strong></em>) our elderly. One baby step towards that solution might be if each of us simply took more time each day to actively love the elderly <strong style="font-weight: bold;">in our own lives</strong>: our family members, fellow parishioners, and retired priests and religious.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I’ve set myself a mental deadline for turning pondering into a <strong style="font-weight: bold;">plan of action</strong> for this particular challenge from Pope Francis. Until that action plan is in place, I think I’ll be sleeping a little less peacefully.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The grace in this situation is the manpower we can muster, the change that we can bring about when we each <strong style="font-weight: bold;">wake up</strong>, lift a tiny portion of the burden, and commit to action.</span></div>
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<em><strong style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We cannot sleep peacefully…</span></strong></em></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Let’s do this.</span></div>
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<em><strong style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A question for you: How are you personally responding to the Church’s call to serve those around you with dignity and love?</span></strong></em></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">~Lisa M. Hendey is the founder and editor of CatholicMom.com and the bestselling author of The Handbook for Catholic Moms and A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">[This post appeared originally at Patheos: <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/lisahendey/2013/08/we-cannot-sleep-peacefully/">http://www.patheos.com/blogs/lisahendey/2013/08/we-cannot-sleep-peacefully/</a>]</span></div>
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Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16415118689761630639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088799651980921971.post-18410344316143926402013-08-15T13:10:00.000-07:002013-08-15T13:10:54.097-07:00Catholic Mom Ponders the Chapel Veil<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Pros and Cons of Wearing the Veil </div>
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by Gail Buckley, LHS</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhz_AiCqeWr3qdDTRr_MPdEyFQ5daZxwGzM1f11Vf_KCctVItgZwSfX_eEpeTgRrPhGy6rdfLQSrUleqpgLFpNuRoQattBnXbLWyIqZyXA9WfWEYpvlhPqYIjnw5wmAGyrzN0tSv7kSgL3/s1600/Gail_Buckley.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhz_AiCqeWr3qdDTRr_MPdEyFQ5daZxwGzM1f11Vf_KCctVItgZwSfX_eEpeTgRrPhGy6rdfLQSrUleqpgLFpNuRoQattBnXbLWyIqZyXA9WfWEYpvlhPqYIjnw5wmAGyrzN0tSv7kSgL3/s200/Gail_Buckley.png" width="175" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Gail Buckley, LHS, is the founder and president of Catholic Scripture Study International (<a href="http://www.cssprogram.net/">www.cssprogram.net</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> ) She also hosts “The Bible Lady” show live every Monday on Radio Maria and as well as a “Bible Lady” segment on The Catholic Connection with Teresa Tomeo on Ave Maria radio. Gail serves on the boards of several Catholic apostolates and is a Lady of the Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, an ancient order under the Papacy. In 2009 Gail had a private audience with Pope Benedict XVI and presented him with a CSS study. To contact Gail, please email </span><a href="mailto:info@cssprogram.net">info@cssprogram.net</a></span> </span></div>
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I had a profound conversion of heart at age 45, which in turn
led to my conversion to the Catholic Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In hindsight, I believe it was the culmination of a journey
Mother Mary started me on when I was 15 years old, maybe even younger, but
that’s another story for another time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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I grew up as a Methodist in a small southern town where there
were many Protestant churches but only one Catholic Church. There was a
Catholic school adjoining the Church and it was only 2 blocks from my
house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, the Church was on
the corner of the street where my best friend, Carol lived and so when we
visited each other we would walk by the Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Often we would stop and swing or see-saw on the school
playground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Even closer to my home, just around the corner, was a
Catholic convent that housed nuns who taught at the Catholic school. This was
in the late 1950’s, before Vatican II when all nuns wore full habits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I often saw the nuns walking to or from
the school and Church and I was always in awe whenever I saw them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought they were the holiest people
I’d ever seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know why I
thought this because I knew nothing about the Catholic faith but they had a
positive impact on me, even though I never even talked to them. Just the fact
that they wore those habits spoke volumes to me – they were not ashamed of
their faith or their calling. As Jesus said, no one lights a lamp and then puts
it under a bushel basket.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
were letting the light of Christ show through them just by wearing their habits
– they didn’t hide the fact that they were brides of Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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It wasn’t just the nuns who captured my attention by their
attire though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also noticed that
Catholic women and girls wore veils on their heads when they attended
Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, I was very
impressed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only Catholic girls did
this and this set them apart and that made them special in my mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought it made them appear holy too.
I certainly didn’t have any theological reason for my thinking – just that to
me It just seemed like the right and reverent thing to do when attending the
house of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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And that brings me to the topic of this article.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My husband is also a convert and a few
years ago he started questioning me as to why I didn’t wear a veil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said, “You’re the “Bible Lady” (my
nickname and name of my radio show) “and in Scripture St. Paul says that women
should cover their heads at Church.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I replied r, “well, the Church interprets Scripture and the Church
doesn’t require women to wear veils any longer and I follow what the Church
teaches.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a couple of years
though he started challenging me about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To my response he’d say, “Well, the Church doesn’t require
you to go to daily Mass but you do, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the Church doesn’t require you to pray the Rosary, but
you do that too.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>True.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“And the Church no longer requires you
to abstain from meat on Fridays except during Lent, yet you abstain every
Friday of the year, correct?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> [Editor's note: we are required to do penance on Fridays if we don't abstain from meat during times of the year other than Lent when we are required to abstain.] </span>That’s true too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“And the
Church doesn’t require you to go to confession but once a year but you go on a
regular basis.” Right again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“So, he said, why is it that you don’t
wear a veil?” I didn’t have an answer.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .05in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<o:p> </o:p>So I decided I should pray about it and I believe it was from
that prayer that I was led to make a list- a list of pros and cons for wearing
the veil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Below is my list:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .05in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Pros<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .05in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Wearing a veil shows reverence for Christ and His Church<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .05in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
It gives a good example to others outside the Church</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .05in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
It feels like the right and holy thing to do</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .05in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
It shows my faith - that I’m Catholic</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .05in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
It’s a simple expression of my love for Christ, His Word and
His Church</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .05in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
It’s a very easy way to show the reverence I have for Christ
in the Eucharist.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .05in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Cons</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .05in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
I look like a drowned rat with it on my head; not at all
flattering to my appearance</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .05in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
It’s old fashioned and the Church no longer requires it</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .05in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
It’s hard to remember to wear it and it’s not always
convenient</div>
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I’m a lector and I’d have to wear it up on the altar where
everyone would see me </div>
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People would probably stare at me and make me feel self
conscious</div>
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People would think I was trying to appear “holier than thou”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .05in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
I’d have to buy one and they’re difficult to find and also expensive</div>
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I’m invited to speak at Churches – It’d be embarrassing to
have a veil on when giving a talk at a Church.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .05in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
If I started wearing it, I’d have to do it all the time </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .05in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
As you can see, I had more arguments against wearing the veil
than for it but if you’ll also notice that my arguments against wearing the
veil are all based in pride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was obvious to me that I had no good excuses for not wearing the veil and many
good reasons for doing so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .05in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .05in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
I think wearing a veil at Mass is the LEAST I can do to show
reverence for our Lord in the Blessed</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .05in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
Sacrament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a Catholic I realize that our outward actions reflect what is in our
hearts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Genuflecting, kneeling, crossing
ourselves, using incense, dipping our fingers into the holy water when entering
and leaving Mass – these are all outward actions that reflect our inward
feelings of reverence, just as wearing a veil does.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .05in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .05in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
We are living in times when there is a lack of respect for our
Lord and His Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Atheism and
Relativism has become the norm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many fall away from the faith because they don’t understand it and don’t
see people living their faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
need to set examples of reverence for others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe they will be intrigued enough to start looking into
their faith more and come closer to our Lord in doing so.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .05in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
And you may be surprised to know that faithful Catholic men
like to see women wearing the veil – just as my husband wanted me to do so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been complimented by many good
Catholic men and priests about wearing the veil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One young priest said to me that he loved looking out at the
congregation and seeing women wearing veils.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He felt that it was important to do everything we can to
restore reverence in Church and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he
wished that wearing the veil would make a comeback.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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I hope women who are reading this article will give this
simple act of reverence more consideration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think about it -<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>what are your reasons<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1088799651980921971" name="_GoBack"></a> for NOT doing so?</div>
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Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16415118689761630639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088799651980921971.post-91388482835199551182013-05-06T10:25:00.001-07:002013-05-06T10:25:09.412-07:00Following Mary's steps in hope, faith and love<a href="http://www.osv.com/tabid/7621/itemid/10845/Following-Marys-steps-in-hope-faith-and-love.aspx#.UYfnasNK1HA.blogger">Following Mary's steps in hope, faith and love</a>Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16415118689761630639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088799651980921971.post-72248856556286782682013-05-02T06:08:00.001-07:002013-05-02T06:08:52.915-07:00Catholic Mom's Cafe: Catholic Mom's Cafe filled with Faith, Hope, and L...<a href="http://catholicmomscafe.blogspot.com/2013/05/catholic-moms-cafe-filled-with-faith.html?spref=bl">Catholic Mom's Cafe: Catholic Mom's Cafe filled with Faith, Hope, and L...</a>: "I treasure my morning prayer time, which sets the tone for the rest of my busy day. And yet, we moms often have the best of intenti...<br />
<br />
<img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54485/172/3123482AAEB197A70381524F163CB786.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;" />Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16415118689761630639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088799651980921971.post-37719635290030179402013-04-03T11:00:00.000-07:002013-04-03T11:00:02.564-07:00Where was Mary?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span face="Times New Roman">Converts often have a reticence about Mary. After my conversion, Mary fit theologically into the overall picture of the faith for so many reasons. As one Church Father noted, "You cannot have God as your Father without Mary as your mother." Of course. On paper "she works." Now as a person, she's another matter.</span><br /><br />Like any person, time has to be invested in the relationship to build a foundation of love, trust, and understanding. This Easter will be my 29th as a Catholic — call me slow, but the foundation is finally in place. Years of rosaries, meditations, spiritual reading, theological formation, and, most importantly, personal prayer have allowed the relationship to blossom and deepen into a wondrous friendship. The abstract understanding of "new Ark of the Covenant" and "mediatrix of all graces" has warmed into the honest-to-goodness joy of knowing that she is "<em>my</em> mother!"<br /><br />Therefore, this Holy Week I can't help but wonder beyond all my observance of the profoundly beautiful liturgies that lead to and mark the Passion — where was Mary?! What could she be doing at this intense time as her Son's earthly life comes to its climactic close? How could she be enduring this sword of all swords, piercing her heart and making its attempt to shatter her peace?<br />
<br />
<div>
Once again — silence. Just as she is so quiet in the biblical accounts, she is all but absent in this pivotal week. But we know that she's there, most likely in Jerusalem already. Just as she and Joseph brought the Holy Child to the feasts each year, she made the trip alone this time. Alone or probably with her circle of women friends, mothers of key figures in the ministry of Jesus and those who provided for Him and His disciples over the years.<br /><br />I picture now this subdued and apprehensive band of prayerful women. They know at the depths of their very beings that something powerful is about to occur. They've seen the anger, the threats, the attempts to silence and stone Jesus. They recognize the stirrings in the hearts of their sons. They also know that it is for them to withdraw and let the events pass; but rather than wring their hands over feeling "isolated" or "marginalized," they will pray intensely for the will of God to prevail, whatever that might be. Following the lead of the Mother of Jesus, they will all observe the demands of their Jewish faith at this important spiritual time while joining their every word and prayer to <em>the</em> intention at hand — the fulfillment of God's plan of Salvation.<br /><br />I know her circle of women is focused; they are hidden — but not inconsequential. Every step of Christ is paved with Mary's prayers, His very flesh yearns for souls and thus so does hers. She models for us where our hearts should be and on what our thoughts should be resting. Amidst the tumultuous events of the week — when the very sons of the women in her circle betray her own Son — they will all remain fixed in prayer, in an attitude of forgiveness, and with hopeful eyes on their loving Father, Who will bring them all to the Resurrection in His own time, the time ordained since before any of us were.<br /><br />Her prayerful silence and support mean more to me than ever this year as the Church continues along its path of purification. She is mother and refuge for all who weep and suffer, she is strength for those who find themselves weak or faint-hearted. We have found Mary and it is with her that we must be. A blessed Holy Week.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Also here: <a href="http://feminine-genius.com/index.cfm?load=page&page=305">http://feminine-genius.com/index.cfm?load=page&page=305</a></div>
</div>
Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16415118689761630639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088799651980921971.post-15681576692169521432013-04-01T10:00:00.000-07:002013-04-01T10:00:04.235-07:00When Weakness Becomes Our Strength<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">I am happy to welcome, our guest blogger, Allison Gingras who is a Catholic writer and inspirational speaker. She founded <a href="http://www.reconciledtoyou.com/"><b>Reconciled To You</b></a> ministries in 2009, which seeks to awaken our response to God's abounding gift of grace by cultivating a Sacramental life.<span> </span>Allison is currently producing women’s events on topics of Forgiveness and Trust. She is very<a href="" name="_GoBack"></a> excited about her upcoming event, “<a href="http://tasteofgodsgrace.eventbrite.com/">A Taste of God’s Grace</a>” in Danbury, CT on June 22, 2013. Allison's book: "<a href="http://www.reconciledtoyou.com/books.html">Three Persons, One God: Growing in Relationship with Father, Son and Holy Spirit</a>" encourages the reader to reconcile their idea of God, with that which is taught us in Scripture and Tradition.<span> </span>She also contributes a bi-weekly column to TechTalk on <a href="http://www.catholicmom.com/">Catholicmom.com</a> - reviewing Android Apps and Technologies as they relate to the Catholic Faith.<span> </span></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">When Weakness Become
Our Strength<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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As a mother, I make a lot of mistakes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is probably what I do the most of,
and am the best at. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While that may seem a negative assessment of one’s
motherhood, I consider it a fair and accurate evaluation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I see it as a frame of mind that keeps me humble, honest and
always trying to improve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am far
from a failure as a mom, as I am blessed with three children who still do most
of what is asked of them, come to me for advice, and participate in our
Catholic faith without bribery or threats. However, I know that this admittance of my weaknesses
and natural tendencies to get lazy in some area of discipline and parental involvement,
are in truth my strengths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
order to keep improving as a parent, I must first admit that there is always
room for learning and growing in my vocation. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Therefore
I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with
persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I
am strong. 2 Cor 12:10<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
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In this Year of Faith, I am taking my attitude toward
parenting and applying it to my vocation as a Christian Catholic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the many years of practicing my Catholic faith, I have
made many mistakes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Practice, does
not, as they say, always make perfect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I</span>’ve had phases of being lazy at spiritual things, and
doing the bare minimums – or less.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’ve had phases of excuse making about why I was not attending Mass
regularly, was avoiding confession, and even giving up on praying. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then the pendulum would swing, and
I would experience times of arrogance of faith, sure that I had overcome all earthly
bonds, emerging from the confessional booth to become -- (*you’ll have to add
your own super hero theme music here for effect) – Super Catholic!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scripture warns against being a lukewarm
follower, as well as speaks of the dangers of self-righteousness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
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To grow in skill as a parent, I have a many options.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can talk to more experienced moms
about lessons they have learned in their own journeys of motherhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can pick up reading on proper
parenting – such as magazines and books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can hit cyberspace for advice, instruction, or just
plain old fashioned camaraderie. Additionally, I can take my concerns, fears and
present state of motherhood to God – seeking His grace, guidance and blessing, knowing His promise to never abandon or forsake me. Yet to make any true changes, I must first admit where
I weak, so that I know what information I am looking for, what questions I need
answered, and most importantly, what areas I need to change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I am not willing or able to admit
weakness, then I will not be open to accepting guidance and I will remain
stuck where I am as a parent, which for me would have meant being stuck forever with a non-sleeping,
tantrum throwing, unpotty-trained child (or 2)!</div>
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<br /></div>
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To grow as a Catholic, I have to my surprise, the same
options.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can talk to more
experienced women (or men) of faith, and learn from their spiritual
journeys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can open up the Bible,the Catechism, or any number of wonderful Catholic books available to enlighten and
teach me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition, a plethora of wonderful magazine and newspapers are available to aid in education of the faith. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cyberspace provides many fantastic resources for faith
discovery – however, just as when someone uses it as a Pediatrician, the Internet as a Spiritual Director, requires prudence and common sense. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, I cannot help but marvel
at how God has allowed the World Wide Web, in particular social media, to bring
His Church together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we continue to experience a decline
in the number of Catholics living their faith, being able to connect with those
who do, will become increasingly important. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Be
strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them,
for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will
not fail you or forsake you.” Deut 31:6<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Always, I can turn to God, seeking His grace, guidance and
blessing--knowing His promise to never abandon or forsake me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I can humble myself before
God, admitting the areas of my spiritual life that are lacking, then I am open to
receive the graces God has for me to fill those holes. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I am not willing or able to
admit weakness, I will not be open to accept God’s loving, merciful and
gentle direction and I will remain stuck where I am, which for me would mean being
stuck forever as a lukewarm, tantrum throwing, untrained in my faith adult! </div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16415118689761630639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088799651980921971.post-74446782644013493902013-02-11T05:50:00.001-08:002013-02-11T05:50:44.728-08:00Who's in charge when a Pope leaves his post?<a href="http://www.romereports.com/palio/whos-in-charge-when-a-pope-leaves-his-post-english-8979.html#.URj3JW04Xd6.blogger">Who's in charge when a Pope leaves his post?</a>Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16415118689761630639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088799651980921971.post-46786933663955694092013-02-10T06:13:00.001-08:002013-02-10T06:13:00.531-08:00Catholic Mom's Cafe: Journeying Through Lent with the Family<a href="http://catholicmomscafe.blogspot.com/2013/02/journeying-through-lent-with-family.html?spref=bl">Catholic Mom's Cafe: Journeying Through Lent with the Family</a>: Our Church wisely gifts the faithful with a Liturgical calendar comprised of many seasons of grace in which to journey closer to heaven...Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16415118689761630639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088799651980921971.post-26013548758112101732013-01-18T10:41:00.003-08:002013-04-02T17:28:27.306-07:00A New Year's Look at Mother's Work<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'm so happy to welcome Theresa Thomas as a guest to "Catholic Moms Talk" today. She shares "A New Year's Look at Mother's Work."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ40GOSXkh1VxcaG_Ck41EZztxGz2Rj4DDSDWcHn0R7drn2-RrY4sMqtd62bsJhJWjL3vLwnnloZXky79Rz-3q7U79OEEI6exB6JoVnV0lE0OKH-9gAcEJminNxUNNrI2l8vsWWonx8wVB/s1600/Theresa_Thomas_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ40GOSXkh1VxcaG_Ck41EZztxGz2Rj4DDSDWcHn0R7drn2-RrY4sMqtd62bsJhJWjL3vLwnnloZXky79Rz-3q7U79OEEI6exB6JoVnV0lE0OKH-9gAcEJminNxUNNrI2l8vsWWonx8wVB/s200/Theresa_Thomas_.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Last week, an ordinary mother not unlike you, in fact <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">perhaps</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">very much like you</i>, went with one of her older children to Confession.
</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And when I say ‘one of her older children’ I actually mean
‘young adult’ because although the aforementioned person will always be his
mother’s ‘little boy’, he is in his early twenties, lives many miles away and
was only home on vacation, so he of course isn’t a child any more. And when I
say ‘went with’ what I really mean is <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘took’ because while this offspring of hers practices the
faith of his childhood, he may quite possibly not have chosen to go to the
sacrament <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that day</i>, had the mother
not said she was going and suggested that he tag along and that then they could
stop for coffee afterwards. She is unsure about whether he needed this nudge or
not but she is his mother and loves him fiercely and has a long history of
risking nagging for the sake of the greater good. So she nudged. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This young adult, of course, is quite capable of managing
his personal spiritual life, yet this mother still worries whether she is doing
enough to support and encourage. You see she made a promise when the son was a
newborn infant- a promise to help him grow in faith in every way she knows how,
with all her strength until the day she dies. And she is not dead. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">On that day she made that promise, she also begged God to
watch over and protect this child morally, physically, emotionally, all the
days of his life, and told God she will do whatever it takes – forever- to
cooperate for this intention and help accomplish this. When she invited this
son to Confession despite the fact that she had gone less than a week before,
she was delighted that he had accepted. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Now, the mother and son are standing in line for Confession together:
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The wait is long and the line is slow and the mother is
secretly worried that her son will want to leave because the wait is long and
the line is slow and he is quick-thinking, quick-deciding and not unlike her,
somewhat impatient. In fact, after awhile, the mother herself wants to leave
because the wait is long and the line is slow. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But she doesn’t. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">They stay.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As the mother stands there waiting with her son (her own
impatience growing, now she has something more to confess), she catches a
glimpse of the exposed Blessed Sacrament, there on the altar, also waiting…for
her. And suddenly, unexpectedly, something hits her like a roaring train on the
tracks of an unsuspecting small town: </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">He</i> is here. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">She remembers and realizes the reality of Who is there and
why He is there and the significance of Him- <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the Son-</i> being there …while he – her son- is there, with her. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And she recognizes the opportunity present, and has a sudden
urge of inspiration to re-dedicate this child to God and renew the plea for His
protection of him.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Spontaneously, she whispers in a wave of emotion:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Here
he is, Lord. I brought him to You today. Pierce his heart and soul with Your
Love. Give him Your grace and courage and peace and strength. Keep him close to
You and help him now and always…whatever it takes from me…whatever it takes….</i></b></span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This mother prays these ending words <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">whatever it takes</i> not because she thinks that God is a punishing
God who only bestows gifts only for a trade-off of pain but she prays these words
because she knows He is a loving God who allows His creatures the privilege of
participation, and she knows the the beauty and restorative power of redemptive
suffering that occurs when one, even if just a mother, unites her suffering to
His. She does not know what her son needs but she knows whatever it is, God
will provide it and she offers her life –spiritual and physical- again for him.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Because God is a loving and merciful Father, the mother who
helps bring forth the physical life through birth to her children- is granted too
the opportunity, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">indeed daily is granted
the opportunity</i>, to also bring them in part, in a very small way, to the
threshold of God and eternal life, mysteriously, through her cooperation and
merits. She and her life can become vessels of grace again and again. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Clearly, quietly and firmly in this mother’s heart she hears
an answer to her spur-of-the-moment prayer: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">YES</i>.</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Yes! It is distinct and profound and quiet, very still. And
she feels the warmth and presence and sweetness from the altar, the dwelling place
of Him and she feels her heart will burst in the significance and renewal of
this moment. </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Then a door closes and the mother looks up. Her son has
entered the confessional. Moments later she does too. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In the days that follow, the mother contracts the flu, just
as the abovementioned young adult child is about to depart on a plane back to
his place of residence and work thousands of miles away. She does not hug him
goodbye nor stand and look face-to-face into his eyes before he leaves, as she
normally does, for fear of exposing him to her illness and fever. Instead, she
stands in the door of the room, 15 feet away, as he turns with his duffle bag and
she ‘air hugs’ him. He air-hugs her back. She will probably not see him for months,
but she remembers that even little sacrifices like foregone hugs can contribute
to the good of those she loves when she unites these actions with Christ. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The days that follow her son’s departure are full of daily
mundane challenges- and the now familiar thought of noble redemptive suffering
punctuates itself in another inconvenience, when this mother discovers her
email has been hacked. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hundreds of
people have received messages about discounted Rolex watches from her account.
And because this mother didn’t catch this hacking for several days (she has
been sick and offline you know) her Twitter account has also been compromised,
and shut down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But she deals with
these problems, as well as mountains of laundry that have amassed in her
illness, patiently and carefully, not because it is in her nature, but because
there is a higher reason and an intention for which to pray, and she knows that
work and suffering can be prayer. There is an acceptance because there is a
purpose.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When the jury selection order appears in her mailbox, on the
heels of this trying week right when she is scheduled to resume homeschool with
her youngest three children, and when she calls the bailiff to ask for a deferral
until summer so she can meet her state’s 180 day education requirement, and
when the bailiff is cold and indifferent to her plight and is in fact rude when
she finds out the mother homeschools, and denies her request, the mother does
not succumb to frustration in the least. Because of an encounter earlier that
week, in fact, she smiles. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This mother, this ordinary mother not unlike you, in fact <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">perhaps very much like you</i>, thinks about
the new month of January, full of promise and opportunity and new beginnings.
She thinks about the sacrament of Confession and its opportunity and new
beginning as well. She thinks of Him, and him, and her. And how they are all
intertwined in love and sacrifice. She thinks of how acceptance can be a gift.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And this mother ponders the turn of events in the previous
week, amazed at the God who allows not just her but all mothers the opportunity
to be living gifts to their families. They-<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">-we</i></b> are not just gifts in physical
ways such as doing the laundry and preparing meals and kissing boo boos of
young children. No, they--<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">we</i></b> can be gifts in large and
significant ways, united-in-redemptive suffering ways, in leading-our-children-to-Christ
ways. We can be gifts to our families in eternal ways by dedicating, praying,
leading, suffering, accepting, and uniting in Christ what we do. The profound
can indeed be quiet. The significant can be simple. And we need to remind one
another of this, as ordinary mothers. The consequences of what we do can be
everlasting. </span></div>
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</div>
<div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">Theresa Thomas, Co-Author <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Stories-Homeschool-Heart-Maguire-Armstrong/dp/0984486410/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1302978954&sr=1-1" rel="nofollow" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Stories for the Homeschool Heart</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> (Bezalel Books, 2010 & winner of </span><a href="http://catholicism.about.com/od/thechurchintheworld/ss/Best-Catholic-Media-About-Com-Catholicism-Readers-Choice-Awards-2011_2.htm" rel="nofollow" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">About.com<span style="font-style: italic;">Best Catholic Book of 2010</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">)</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Family Columnist </span><a href="http://www.todayscatholicnews.org/2011/03/saving-sundays-part-two/" rel="nofollow" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">Today's Catholic News</span></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Contributing Writer</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> <a href="http://www.integratedcatholiclife.org/2011/04/thomas-channel-of-grace/" rel="nofollow" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Integrated Catholic Life</a></span></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Watch for </span><i>BIG HEARTED: Inspiring Stories from Everyday Families</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> </span>coming soon in 2013!</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: 'bookman old style', 'new york', times, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<br />
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16415118689761630639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088799651980921971.post-37740398706961316902012-12-15T08:45:00.003-08:002012-12-15T08:45:21.363-08:00Moving Closer To The Crib <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">
<strong><em><span style="color: darkslateblue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Moving Closer To The Crib During a Season of Struggles and Great Hope</span></span></em></strong></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We read in the Catechism, <em>“When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present [the] ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Savior’s first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for His second coming (CCC, 524).”</em></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Just recently, in his Dec. 2<sup>nd</sup> Angelus at St. Peter’s Square, Pope Benedict reminded us of our responsibilities as a Christian witness during this time of year. He said, <em>“Amid the turmoil of the world, or the deserts of indifference and materialism, Christians accept salvation from God and witness with a different way of life, like a city set on a hill.”</em></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Pope Benedict also told us that we are <em>“a sign of the love of God, his justice that is present in the history but that is not yet fully realized, and that we must therefore always be waiting and seeking it with courage and patience.”</em></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Advent is one of the most beautiful seasons in our Liturgical year. It’s a season of joyful expectation – all about reflecting on our faith and pausing to prepare our hearts to greet the Christ Child, and even preparing for entering our Eternal reward and looking forward to Jesus coming in His full glory one day. It is indeed a distinctive period filled with the amazing graces awaiting us – pregnant with wondrous hope!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sometimes, though, the hype from the secular culture, which seems to scream at us at every turn, can be downright discouraging. Trying to find the necessary silence required to immerse our hearts into prayer at this time of year can be extra challenging. As well, we might be feeling overwhelmed thinking about our responsibilities to “put on a great Christmas” or to accomplish everything we feel compelled to do and maybe feeling tempted to pull off some sort of unobtainable level of perfection regarding our shopping, decorating, baking or whatever.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Our to-do list seems endless and we usually inadvertently add to it: the cookie baking, pageant watching, Christmas card writing, cleaning and scrubbing every corner of the house for the holidays, getting the tree, decorating, holiday parties to attend, the meal preparations and food shopping. Oh! Did I mention Christmas shopping?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Advent season can get utterly lost in our busyness and the culture’s craziness. Perhaps, instead of lamenting about the fact that we feel so bombarded and stretched while facing that lack of time dilemma to truly participate in Advent, let’s instead do something different. How about attempting to change our attitudes (how about practicing the virtues?) and tweak our schedules a bit to weave in extra prayer and meditation on the marvelous events that mark the Advent season?</span></div>
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Advent Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated<strong> </strong></h3>
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Try to take the unnecessary pressures off of yourself. You don’t need to strive for Norman Rockwell picture perfect – seriously!</div>
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Along these lines, in my newest book, <em>Rooted in Love: Our Calling as Catholic Women</em>, I said:</div>
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I think that we women can become our own worst enemy by worrying that we’re not doing enough to please others and God, too. We actually heap more responsibilities (whether they be actual or emotional) than is necessary upon our own shoulders. We deal with so many demands for perfection in our lives. Many of the saints spoke about how a whole lot of us might never do very big things in life (or what some might consider “big” things). But we can lead simple yet faithful lives by doing small things with great love. This is very pleasing to God and is actually the secret to real holiness as both St. Therese of Lisieux and Blessed Teresa of Calcutta preached. And, yes, God calls all of us to become saints.</div>
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Perhaps the irony is that, as many women struggle with the demands of our society and the mass media to become “perfect,” achieving perfection is simply being faithful to the duties of our lives. God looks at perfection much differently than do we.</div>
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I think of the holy simplicity of tiny baby Jesus making His entrance into the world very quietly in Bethlehem in a cold cave in the dark of the night, warmed by the breath of animals and His loving Mother’s tender embrace.</div>
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I ponder the humility, obedience, and holy love of Mother Mary, a faithful young Jewish teen of Nazareth in Galilee who had prayed with her people for the coming of the Messiah and perhaps for half a second found it difficult to grasp that<em> she</em> was the simple virgin chosen by God to bring about the birth of our Savior.</div>
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When the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary delivering the life-transforming message, Mary took the blessing straight away to her heart and offered her whole being to God – her Fiat. <em>“Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”</em> Through her selfless Fiat, Mary was immediately collaborating with the entire work of what Jesus would accomplish.</div>
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As we know, the angel Gabriel also informed Mary that her elderly cousin Elizabeth was pregnant with John the Baptist. Rather than worry about her own pregnancy discomforts, Mary focused on the service of another by running in haste to help Elizabeth for the remainder of her pregnancy.</div>
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Blessed Mother Teresa spoke about our Blessed Mother’s generous heart in lovingly serving Elizabeth. She said,<em>“The wonderful tenderness of a woman’s heart: to be aware of the sufferings of others and to try to spare them that suffering, as Mary did. Do you and I have that same tenderness in our hearts? Do we have Mary’s eyes for discovering the needs of others?”</em></div>
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No matter how much we may try to run and hide from the seasonal chaos, we should remember that Advent is indeed a season of hope and expectation for the most wonderful GIFT of all, given to us by our loving God. There’s no need to go into hibernation mode to avoid the crowds at the malls or the advertizing frenzy on the TV and radio. Unless we live the life of a hermit, we are meant to associate with others – within our families and when we are out and about in our community. Amazing transformations can occur within our encounters and exchanges when we allow God in.</div>
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Perhaps we can all take some time in the coming days to ponder how God might be calling us to “run in haste” to aid someone. Could it be our spouse, our child, our relative, our fellow religious, our co-worker, or our lonely neighbor?</div>
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Reaching Out Beyond Our Comfort Zone</h3>
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Reaching out to those in need around us can be accomplished in the seemingly tiniest of ways – a smile, a friendly word (even when it might be difficult to do so!) and in greater deeds too, like helping our elderly neighbor decorate for Christmas or bringing a hot meal to a shut-in and visiting for a while. When the phone rings or a message comes in through your social media from someone requesting your advice, perhaps you can consider it to be an opportunity to serve with Christ’s love even when you are so busy. Time is a precious gift, often tough to part with in these jam-packed days. But, the rewards are great indeed for everyone involved.</div>
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You can perhaps discuss with your spouse, family, or parish group possible ways in which you can make a loving difference in someone’s life this Advent season. In addition to your gesture being warm and lovely, the act becomes a Christian example, a form of evangelization.</div>
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In my new book, <em>Rooted in Love: Our Calling as Catholic Women </em>I talk a lot about the necessity of prayer in our lives and I express that I wholeheartedly believe that one of the most important prayers is our Morning Offering in which we offer our prayers, works, joys, and sufferings to our Lord first thing in the morning on our knees right by the side of our bed. I said:</div>
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The great thing about the morning offering is that you are surrendering everything over to God as you start your day. In this way, you are giving him complete control – handing him the reins. By doing so, you in essence are freeing yourself of worrying about how things will unfold throughout the day. All of the challenges, craziness, joys, and everything that presents itself will be enveloped in a trusting prayer to God. He will be with you and help you in every detail of your day. It’s a simple prayer requiring very little time and effort, but when sincerely and lovingly presented to God, it will guarantee that your life that day is shrouded in his infinite grace and love – no matter what happens!</div>
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Yes, schedule those essential times of personal and family prayer. But, be mindful too, that simply living out our vocations in life as faithfully as we can is in reality a prayer too. Everything that happens and each person we encounter is an extraordinary opportunity for grace. The outcome of every experience depends upon our attitude and our responses to each circumstance.</div>
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This awareness can perhaps offer us another way to view little hardships, inconveniences, and greater trials we may experience too, as well as the encounters of grumpy demeanors, or people with short fuses, “parking lot rage,” and the various needs of others in our midst.</div>
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Let’s pray for the courage and patience that our Holy Father Pope Benedict encouraged us to use during this Advent time of seeking and waiting. The world looks to us as that “city set on a hill.” Will we say “Yes” to God even when we are being challenged? Can we even pray for the people who harass us or irritate us in some way?</div>
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I’m reminded of the guy who gave me <em>the finger </em>in the grocery store parking lot. In return, I waved a friendly “hello” to him and then prayed a decade of the Rosary for him as I drove away. As Mother Teresa would say, that person is<em>“Jesus in the distressing disguise of the poorest of the poor.”</em> Maybe there’s no one else in his life at this time who would take the time to pray for him. Perhaps God put me in his life to gift him with prayer.</div>
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Let’s ask ourselves, “Do we have Mary’s tenderness of heart and her eyes for discovering the needs of others?” Can we “renew our ardent desire” each time we utter “Yes” to our Lord in all He asks of us this season of hope?</div>
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Here I am Lord</h3>
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<em>Dear Lord, Jesus, please open my heart more fully during this Advent season and please nourish my heart and soul with Your abiding love and comfort. Help me to feel Your miraculous peace at a time when I feel stretched to keep up with all I need to do and while I struggle with what the world beckons me to accomplish. I am continually bombarded with messages from a lopsided culture and the ever-present advertising frenzy all around me and I wish to keep my eyes on You.</em><em> </em></div>
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<em>Show me the way to strike a healthy balance regarding preparing for the Christmas holiday and preparing my heart to welcome You more completely. Please continue to enkindle the holy flame of Your love which You have placed in my heart so that I might become a radiant beacon of Faith to all I meet this Advent season and beyond.</em><em> </em></div>
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<em>I pray that every person I encounter will feel Your holy presence in my soul. I humbly offer this prayer to Your most Sacred Heart, dear Lord Jesus. I trust in You. Amen.</em></div>
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You can see this article at: <a href="http://www.integratedcatholiclife.org/2012/12/donna-marie-cooper-oboyle-moving-closer-to-the-crib/">http://www.integratedcatholiclife.org/2012/12/donna-marie-cooper-oboyle-moving-closer-to-the-crib/</a></div>
Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16415118689761630639noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088799651980921971.post-85424079677528486962012-12-11T08:51:00.003-08:002012-12-11T08:51:57.413-08:00Advent teaching from Johnnette Benkovic<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCw3udbdh5POQD_6toiJxviK1a7JIkniyUenfpMwKkTQuCeW4U7efdZ42cH18aFm6nnfqDxJf4yKb2f56PtY7TqNEDBiUvPxQ_SdsUpwSpAN4EQrZgvsBvaYs_i2Lo7fxmy9mAGYzkxRet/s1600/Benkovic_Apr_13_2011_23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCw3udbdh5POQD_6toiJxviK1a7JIkniyUenfpMwKkTQuCeW4U7efdZ42cH18aFm6nnfqDxJf4yKb2f56PtY7TqNEDBiUvPxQ_SdsUpwSpAN4EQrZgvsBvaYs_i2Lo7fxmy9mAGYzkxRet/s200/Benkovic_Apr_13_2011_23.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The ancient prayer form called <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lectio-Divina </em>is a perfect way for us to enter into an ever deepening relationship with God, and the season of Advent provides us with the perfect opportunity to use it. The following six steps lead us in this beautiful method of prayer:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: 300; line-height: 24px;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: 300; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"> <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">1. First, prepare to meet with God.</span></strong></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Come to your time of prayer with expectant faith, knowing that this prayer meditation on the Word of God will yield fruit in your life even if it is not immediately apparent. Before beginning, rid yourself as much as possible from distractions. Turn off the television, radio, CD player, and — the cell phone. This is a time to be alone with God and to hear His voice in the inner confines of your heart.</span></div>
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<strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">2. Select a Scripture passage.</span></span></strong></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">While there is no right or wrong way to select a passage, during this Advent season readings relating to the coming of the Messiah are particularly appropriate. Use the readings of the day from the Sacred Liturgy, the Office of Readings, a Scripture study guide, or the infancy narratives. The passage need not be lengthy. The goal here is not to make progress in reading the Bible, but to make progress in your relationship with God.</span></div>
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<strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">3. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you.</span></span></strong></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Ask the Holy Spirit to remove any interior obstacles or blocks that might prevent you from hearing the word of God. Ask Him to give you knowledge and understanding, wisdom and hope. Ask Him to illuminate any areas of your heart that need to experience His healing and light.</span></div>
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<strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">4. Read the passage of Scripture s-l-o-w-l-y.</span></span></strong></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Make yourself present to the Word through an act of faith. Consider the context of the passage, what is being said in the passage, and what the specific application might be for you in your life.</span></div>
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<strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">5. Listen for God’s voice in the “bottom of your heart.”</span></span></strong></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">What is God saying to you through this passage? Is He teaching you a lesson, explaining a great truth, shedding light on a circumstance in your life, “revealing the fundamental cause of a present day difficulty?” Listen, listen, listen.</span></div>
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<strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">6. Voice a response back to God.</span></span></strong></div>
<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal arial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 30px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">St. Teresa of Avila said, “<em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">All that should be sought for in the exercise of prayer is conformity of our will with the divine will, in which consists the highest perfection.” </em>With that in mind, what resolutions, decisions, or changes do you wish to make in your relationship with God, within yourself, or with others? Tell God what they are and use His grace to follow through with them. Take the first step immediately.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Prayer is the gateway to divine union and intimacy with God. Through it we are informed, reformed,and transformed. Our heart is healed. Our spirit is purified. Our soul is made whole. During this Advent, promise to make time for prayer every day. See what a difference it will make in your preparation and experience of the coming of the Lord.</span></div>
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<strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Today’s Spiritual Exercise:</span></em></span></strong></div>
<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal arial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Select one of the following two passages from Sacred Scripture. Pray it using the Lectio-Divina method described in this post. Keep a journal and record your insights and inspirations for this passage. Be sure to formulate a response back to God.</span></em></div>
<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal arial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Psalm 25: 1-5</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Matt. 3: 1-3</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Some resources to make your Advent more meaningful:</span></div>
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<a href="http://womenofgrace.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=8" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In Coversations with God: Advent/Christmas Edition</span></a></address>
<address style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.625em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="http://womenofgrace.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=59" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Dawn of the Messiah by Dr. Edward Sri</span></a></address>
<address style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.625em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="http://womenofgrace.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=262" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-color: initial; border-style: initial; font-style: inherit; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial;"><u>Watch and</u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-color: initial; border-style: initial; font-style: inherit; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial;"> </span><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Pray: An Advent Reflection</span><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"> with Fr. Edmund Sylvia, C.S.C.</span></span></a></address>
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">[The blog post above is from the teaching series that Johnnette gave a previous Advent: <a href="http://www.womenofgrace.com/blog/?s=advent&paged=6" style="text-decoration: none;">http://www.womenofgrace.com/blog/?s=advent&paged=6</a>.]<br /><div>
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Find Johnnette here: <a href="http://www.womenofgrace.com/" style="text-decoration: none;">www.womenofgrace.com</a></div>
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Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16415118689761630639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088799651980921971.post-75902458928632359262012-12-07T14:51:00.000-08:002012-12-07T15:09:17.783-08:00The "Yes" of Advent<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP_TZdzgZbB0miQb5ZFxmyborQzwVTbweWzPk-n2TUn3RM0MZUYgEqLMsTxvZZ5gIix075g4tS868KreiX04tPm0VSZh-8urhlI2LJpdNDTIC4SQCcV62F7eVNM0346vVRjvVS8OqF3GSf/s1600/reinhard_sarah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP_TZdzgZbB0miQb5ZFxmyborQzwVTbweWzPk-n2TUn3RM0MZUYgEqLMsTxvZZ5gIix075g4tS868KreiX04tPm0VSZh-8urhlI2LJpdNDTIC4SQCcV62F7eVNM0346vVRjvVS8OqF3GSf/s200/reinhard_sarah.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I am pleased to welcome Sarah Reinhard to "Catholic Moms Talk" today. Sarah is a wife and mother, author and blogger. She blogs at <a href="http://snoringscholar.com/" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">SnoringScholar.com</a> and is the author of <a href="http://snoringscholar.com/my-books/" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">a number of books for families</a>, including <a href="http://snoringscholar.com/my-books/welcome-baby-jesus/" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><i>Welcome Baby Jesus: Advent and Christmas Reflections for Families</i></a> and <a href="http://snoringscholar.com/my-books/a-catholic-mothers-companion-to-pregnancy/" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><i>A Catholic Mother's Companion to Pregnancy: Walking with Mary from Conception to Baptism</i></a><i>.</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The “Yes” of Advent</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Some years ago, for reasons that I don’t even fully
understand myself, I started walking around with a big bah-humbug chip on my
shoulder.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I would grump my way through Advent, resist all attempts
at smiling and celebrating anything related to the dreaded C-word, and pretend
it was all okay.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And then, inevitably, I would find myself at Midnight
Mass.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In our small parish church, wherever I was seated, I would
smell the incense. The priest and procession would come, with Baby Jesus in
their midst. Father placed Jesus in the Nativity, and Mass commenced.<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Every year, I’d walk out into the crisp Ohio night after
that Mass and somehow was changed. The bah-humbug chip would be gone, replaced
by emptiness and a fullness that combined within me.<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In my non-Catholic upbringing, the closest I came to the
experience of Midnight Christmas Mass was in the before-bed singing of my Aunt
Charlotte.<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Aunt Charlotte was the only adult I’ve ever known who
believed in Santa Claus and could make me believe. Somehow, I never really
bought into it, unless I was with Aunt Charlotte. She had a way of making the
magic of Christmas come alive, and she did it while teaching me about the wonder
of the Advent wreath and the beauty of preparing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHyUdwKbDdW4z0c-_PVCNgZNaw0riI4zYJCEnWwcka6oh2rVXo73Ufuf9HfxJIfNeK_thrLsOepPQr42pNYRIDw-MDPkacQYRIjbIxv_FOx1lXwVlUMUxFhUx_c2PJXxq_FPxafTV-mlZ-/s1600/get-attachment.aspx.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHyUdwKbDdW4z0c-_PVCNgZNaw0riI4zYJCEnWwcka6oh2rVXo73Ufuf9HfxJIfNeK_thrLsOepPQr42pNYRIDw-MDPkacQYRIjbIxv_FOx1lXwVlUMUxFhUx_c2PJXxq_FPxafTV-mlZ-/s1600/get-attachment.aspx.gif" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Her belief in the magic of Christmas was really a faith in
the truth of the Incarnation. She had a childlike simplicity in her approach—before
she died unexpectedly a few years ago, she began asking me about my devotion to
Mary. I struggled to explain it to her in a way that would share the beauty of
my love for Mama Mary with her—in a way that would make it as real as the trust
she had in Jesus and Santa.<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Christmas Mass makes me think of Aunt Charlotte and Mama
Mary in equal measure. And getting to Christmas Mass, through the journey of
Advent, has made me struggle to throw that grudge away from me.<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I want to enjoy this season of light and joy. I want to be
ready for the King.<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This year, I think I’m going to be closer than I ever have
been. I’m blaming my kids for this: my seven-year-old has been reminding me of
Aunt Charlotte this year.<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">On the one hand, my seven-year-old has it firmly in mind
that it is Advent. She knows it’s not Christmas.<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And yet, she’s not afraid to have fun, to laugh, to enjoy
herself. She’s been regaling me with her opinions and thoughts about Santa’s
love for children in ways that hearken to my aunt.<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Each evening, my seven-year-old reminds me that we need to
light the Advent candle. She’s interested in what this week’s focus is, in what
we’re preparing for, in what this journey is leading to.<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Her insatiable curiosity is inspiring in a way I haven’t
felt since I was slightly older than she is, and Aunt Charlotte grabbed my
shoulders and turned my head. With excitement in her voice, she exclaimed, “Look!
In the sky! Do you think…?”<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It’s really about a Yes, isn’t it? For me, it all comes
back to the Annunciation, to that young girl who said Yes to God’s incredible
proposal.<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Can I say Yes this Advent? More importantly, <i>will</i> I?</span><span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16415118689761630639noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088799651980921971.post-20845769054250206502012-12-05T05:15:00.000-08:002012-12-05T07:35:04.262-08:00Advent Week One: A Time of Preparation, A Time of Prayer, Part I<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #83477f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Advent Week One: A Time of Preparation,</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #83477f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">A Time of Prayer, Part I</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #373737; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 24px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Great events are marked by great preparation. A wedding, the coming of a new baby, graduations, special anniversaries, significant birthdays, and celebrations of all sorts are often months in the planning.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #373737; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 24px;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRKdbs8uR7j-3-lnKSqX1oB5ytFtdTUR0Uy3FbGL9pl5tcv-xvvNjDkNUvx7CA5an-SUrvythBkoC8kDYEOLlBaI5h8FTpV6xTo2mCtT4AdRJL2VW0HcnTOkse5WVNlIal9GCbN-ZgRmMd/s1600/Benkovic_Apr_13_2011_23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRKdbs8uR7j-3-lnKSqX1oB5ytFtdTUR0Uy3FbGL9pl5tcv-xvvNjDkNUvx7CA5an-SUrvythBkoC8kDYEOLlBaI5h8FTpV6xTo2mCtT4AdRJL2VW0HcnTOkse5WVNlIal9GCbN-ZgRmMd/s200/Benkovic_Apr_13_2011_23.jpg" width="132" /></a></h1>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: 300; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Christmas is a spiritually significant event. And so it follows that Christmas is preceded by a time of serious preparation. Advent is that time. This liturgical season helps us prepare for the spiritual reality of Christmas — the gift of our salvation through the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. How then can we make our Advent experience more fruitful?</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: 300; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">All true spiritual preparation begins with prayer. Prayer is to the spiritual life as lungs are to the physical life. Without prayer, spiritual life cannot be sustained. It languishes, suffers and dies. For the Christian, prayer is not optional. It is essential.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: 300; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Throughout the ages, great men and women of faith have shared their experiences of prayer with us. What they have written is helpful. It educates us, encourages u and enlightens us. St. Teresa of Avila tells us that prayer is simply conversation with God. St. Francis de Sales says, <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“The chief exercise of prayer is to speak to God and to hear God speak in the bottom of your heart” </em>(Letters to Persons in the World, 3, 11). And John Cardinal Newman states, <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“As speech is the organ of human society, and the means of human civilization, so is prayer the instrument of divine fellowship and divine training” </em>(Miscellanies, 203).</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">But, in the end, the only way to pray is to begin. And the only way to pray well is to pray often. As one spiritual writer says, <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“The only way to pray is to pray; and the way to pray well is to pray much. If one has not time for this, then one must at least pray regularly. But the less one prays, the worse it goes” </em>(Dom Chapman, Spiritual Letters).</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">And why shouldn’t we pray much. In prayer, God lifts our hearts and minds to Him. Through prayer, He calls us into intimacy with Him. From prayer, we<em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </em>grow to spiritual maturity. And because of prayer, “the fundamental cause of present day difficulties” is removed (Pope Pius XI, Caritate Christi compulsi, 1932).</span></div>
<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal arial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">How, then, can we pray better? Meditating on Sacred Scripture is one way. Sacred Scripture is God’s revelation of Himself, and through it He speaks to us. With each reading, God instructs us, guides us, leads us, and answers our deepest needs. Using Sacred Scripture as a means of entering into prayer, then, is the best way to improve the quality of our prayer time.</span></div>
<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal arial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lectio-Divina </em>is a centuries-old way of praying with Scripture. This way of praying can deepen our advent experience and help prepare us to receive the abundant life Jesus Christ longs togive us this Christmas. Tomorrow we will discover the six steps of Lectio-Divina and begin to utilize this ancient and efficacious prayer form.</span></div>
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<strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Today’s Questions for Reflection</span></span></em></strong></div>
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<em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">To what extent am I willing to make this Advent a truly holy time of preparation?</span></em></div>
<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal arial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">What practical adjustments may I have to make to follow through with my commitment? </span></em></div>
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<em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Which adjustment can I make today?</span></em></div>
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">[The blog post above is from the teaching series that Johnnette gave a previous Advent:<a href="http://www.womenofgrace.com/blog/?s=advent&paged=6">http://www.womenofgrace.com/blog/?s=advent&paged=6</a>.]</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Find Johnnette here: </span><a href="http://www.womenofgrace.com/">www.womenofgrace.com</a></div>
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Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16415118689761630639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088799651980921971.post-53117667463831010852012-12-04T07:12:00.000-08:002012-12-04T07:17:49.650-08:00Hark, a Herald Voice Is Calling...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCw3udbdh5POQD_6toiJxviK1a7JIkniyUenfpMwKkTQuCeW4U7efdZ42cH18aFm6nnfqDxJf4yKb2f56PtY7TqNEDBiUvPxQ_SdsUpwSpAN4EQrZgvsBvaYs_i2Lo7fxmy9mAGYzkxRet/s1600/Benkovic_Apr_13_2011_23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCw3udbdh5POQD_6toiJxviK1a7JIkniyUenfpMwKkTQuCeW4U7efdZ42cH18aFm6nnfqDxJf4yKb2f56PtY7TqNEDBiUvPxQ_SdsUpwSpAN4EQrZgvsBvaYs_i2Lo7fxmy9mAGYzkxRet/s200/Benkovic_Apr_13_2011_23.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I am thrilled to welcome Johnnette S.
Benkovic to "Catholic Moms Talk" today. Johnnette is the Founder
and President of Women of Grace®, a Catholic apostolate for women featuring a
number of outreaches including conferences, media, study groups and more. She
is also Founder and President of Living His Life Abundantly® International,
Inc. (a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit corporation). After years of being a
non-practicing Catholic, in 1981 Johnnette experienced a deep conversion back
to her Catholic faith. Her conversion sparked a new vocation: that is, one of
sharing the Gospel message through the utilization of media. She has been an
inspiring and consistent presence on Catholic radio (1987) and in Catholic
television (1988) ever since. You can find Johnnette here: <a href="http://www.womenofgrace.com/">www.womenofgrace.com</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; line-height: 21px;">Johnnette is the Executive
Producer of the Women of Grace® television program, a program highlighting
contemporary issues from a Catholic perspective which also discusses authentic
femininity™ in the world today. She is also host of Women of Grace® Live,
a call-in radio talk show airing five times a week. She is heard nationally on
AM/FM stations, Sirius Satellite 160, and internationally via short wave radio.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">In addition, Johnnette
is a popular conference speaker, published author, retreat director, and
seminar presenter. She is the author of several books including <a href="http://shop.womenofgrace.com/product/21/"><span style="color: #001ee6;">Full
of Grace: Women and the Abundant Life</span></a>, <a href="http://shop.womenofgrace.com/product/34/"><span style="color: #001ee6;">Grace-Filled
Moments</span></a>, <a href="http://shop.womenofgrace.com/product/46/"><span style="color: #001ee6;">Living Life Abundantly: Stories of People Who Have
Encountered God</span></a>, <a href="http://shop.womenofgrace.com/product/51/1"><span style="color: #001ee6;">Experience
Grace in Abundance: Ten Strategies For Your Spiritual Life</span></a> and <a href="http://shop.womenofgrace.com/product/1/"><span style="color: #001ee6;">The
New Age Counterfeit</span></a>. She also developed the internationally
recognized Women of Grace® Foundational Study Series which has transformed
thousands of women worldwide through the healing love of Jesus Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">On the personal side, Johnnette lost her son Simon
in a tragic vehicular accident, just after he returned from Iraq as a decorated
soldier. Soon after Simon’s death, she lost her beloved husband of more than
thirty three years, Anthony, to terminal brain cancer. Through these tragedies,
Johnnette was strengthened by her faith, family, friends and the prayers of the
many wonderful supporters of Living His Life Abundantly® and Women of Grace®.
Family life is very important to her. She enjoys time with her daughters,
grandchildren, extended family and friends.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;"><i><b>Hark, a Herald Voice Is Calling</b></i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHyUdwKbDdW4z0c-_PVCNgZNaw0riI4zYJCEnWwcka6oh2rVXo73Ufuf9HfxJIfNeK_thrLsOepPQr42pNYRIDw-MDPkacQYRIjbIxv_FOx1lXwVlUMUxFhUx_c2PJXxq_FPxafTV-mlZ-/s1600/get-attachment.aspx.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #636974; float: left; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Hark, a herald voice is calling;</b></span></em></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-color: initial; border-style: initial; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial;"><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></em></span></span><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></em></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></em>
<em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #8e7cc3; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“Christ is nigh,” it seems to say;</span></em></b></span></div>
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<em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>“Cast away the dreams of darkness,</b></span></em></div>
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<em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>O ye children of the day.”</b></span></em></div>
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<em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Lo, the Lamb, so long expected,</b></span></em></div>
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<em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Comes with pardon down from heaven;</b></span></em></div>
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<em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Let us haste with tears of sorrow,</b></span></em></div>
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<em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>One and all to be forgiven.</b></span></em></div>
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<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: small; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span>Roman Breviary,</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: small; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Hymn <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">En clara vox </em></span></span></span><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: small; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">redarguit </em>at Lauds</span></span></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>For Reflection:<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Advent is a time to watch, wait, and make preparation. How do I see all three of these reflected in the above hymn? How am I employing these in my life as I begin this Advent season?</b></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span>
<span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Come back to visit "Catholic Moms Talk" tomorrow for another (longer) Advent Reflection by Johnnette.</span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span>
</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8e7cc3;">Find Johnnette here:</span> </b></span><a href="http://www.womenofgrace.com/">www.womenofgrace.com</a></span><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></b></em></div>
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Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16415118689761630639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088799651980921971.post-90235397679929597862012-12-02T00:00:00.000-08:002012-12-02T07:47:51.775-08:00Affairs of the Heart<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I am very happy to welcome Genevieve Kineke to "Catholic Moms Talk" today. Genevieve is a wife, mother of five, and convert to the faith. Her latest book is <i>Set Free: The Authentic Catholic Woman's Guide to Forgiveness</i> (Servant Books). She can be found online at <a href="http://feminine-genius.com/" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">feminine-genius.com</a>.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">“Affairs of the Heart”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">There is a common question that asks if there are more stars in the sky or grains of sand on the earth. Such distractions can be amusing, not only for the sake of comparisons, but also to remind us of the vastness of the universe. Our Lord is immense, indeed.<sup>*</sup></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">While God is creator of those things too big to contemplate, he is also the one who counts the hairs on our confused heads, showing that he is also the master of every detail (<i>cf</i>. Luke 12:7). From galaxies to dust particles, he has it all in hand. But what is that to a busy mother?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I recently came across a detail that leapt out at me—a minute element of life that we can all understand in a portion of the private revelation Jesus gave to Saint Faustina:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">“Tell sinners that I am always waiting for them, that I listen intently to the beating of their heart… When will it beat for Me?” (<i>Diary,</i> 1728). </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Heartbeats! Now we've delved into a woman's world—the universe of love and affection, of mood and inclination. While the number of hairs on our heads is academic—quite superfluous to our vocation—the pulse of those around us is the very thing we monitor in various ways.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Surely, we know who once made our hearts leap, and perhaps we've been privileged to make a life with them at our side. Our children often bring about those pitty-pats of joy and delight as well. But there are other jolts that are more ominous—an unexpected email, a phone call relating a medical emergency, or the face of a friend that signals crisis. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">What brings this reflection together, though, is the arrival of Advent which has a life of its own—a life that is wrapped in memories, family events, and acts of piety. There are the meals, the gifts, the cards, the gatherings. There are the pageants and the concerts, the plays and the recitals, and amidst it all we pray. We internalize all of these dutiful actions scattered along the path to Christmas, and see our participation in each as an extension of our love for others.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">But when we make this journey towards the Crib, what does Our Lord read in our heartbeats? Do we realize that he is close enough to monitor our very pulse from second to second? In assessing our calm (or anxiety!) he knows what our priorities are. He senses our anticipation, our frustration, even the occasional wave of dread—but over what? Is the elevated pressure a measure of our longing for Christ, or a response to the peer pressure to keep up appearances? When our hearts skip a beat, is it over neglecting Christ, or due to impending responsibilities? Do we fuss about mundane details or about those occasions that reveal our lack of love? Does our heart race for him and his intentions, or merely concerning the frivolities of our own making? </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Picture, if you will, the unborn Lord living beneath the heart of Mary, which beat steadily in confidence and love. Her priorities were his, her anxiety felt only on his behalf, her anticipation lay in embracing him alone. Their hearts beat in unison, the Immaculate one depending on that which was Sacred, hers having been spared by the piercing of his. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Follow your heart, in the coming weeks, but not in the worldly sense. Attend to what agitates it, what excites it, and what it fears—so that you'll know what Christ already knows. There is so much that we do that is oriented toward him and his splendid nativity, but not all. That which still tarries in the world must be laid at his feet so that it can be purified. When your heart finally beats for him, you will truly be his—and all will be well. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><i>Mrs. Kineke is a married mother of five. She can be found on-line at </i><a href="http://feminine-genius.com/"><span style="color: navy; text-decoration: underline;"><i>feminine-genius.com</i></span></a><i>.</i></span></div>
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Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16415118689761630639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088799651980921971.post-46036204372297718462012-11-30T00:00:00.000-08:002012-11-30T00:00:12.033-08:00Lessons from the Emptying Nest<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lessons from the
Emptying Nest<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The emptying nest. I have dreaded this era of my life since June 2, 1993. It
was the day I became the mother of my lovely 19 year old daughter Gabriela
Maria. My mother had often repeated the idea during my life that our children
are just loaned to us by God, for a brief time to be launched out in the world
when they are ready, yet the thought of letting go of my precious daughter was
frightening to me. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We are very close.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I only worked for one terrible year outside the home, missing my sweet
toddler all day till I rushed home from school at 2:00 PM to nurse her to sleep
for her afternoon nap. I vowed never to work outside the home full time, and
thanks to my husband, I was able to keep that promise. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I devised ways to be home as much as
possible, from running a home day care, to teaching at a local college Saturdays
while she and her sisters spent time bonding with Daddy. They rode bikes and
went to the beach, and I would find them disheveled and happy when I returned
from work.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We homeschooled for eleven years, then Gabbi went to a
Catholic high school where she became a leader in the pro-life club and student
government. It wasn’t easy, moving from Long Island to Connecticut in her
freshman year, she was angry at me for her entire 15<sup>th</sup> year, but now
thanks me for taking advantage of the beautiful Catholic community in Eastern
Connecticut, where we have many friends. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We prepared for college all summer,
she helping me organize a home office so I could live without her gift for organization
and me helping her build a wardrobe and fix her car. I couldn’t bring myself to
help Gabbi pack; however, I left that to her younger sister, 15 year old Bella.
The two would talk and laugh long into the night, while sorting through the
stuff of their shared room. I fought the dread of her departure all summer,
often succumbing to morose reflections like, “You won’t be going to Mass with
us next month.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When the day arrived, I was remarkably calm. After all,
leaving a beloved child at Franciscan University of Steubenville is a reason to
celebrate, not mourn. Freshman Orientation was as much a time of learning for
the parents as the students. We celebrated inspiring Masses and learned the
term, “dynamic orthodoxy” which is the hallmark of a Franciscan student. Living
the fullness of the Catholic Faith with all the boisterous joy of a college
student, all the while growing in knowledge of the richness of our theology, I
discovered that Gabbi was one of an exclusive club, one of only two transfer students
admitted into the third rated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program in the
nation. Her father and I were bursting with pride as we drove down University
Boulevard towards the bridge to West Virginia. Our job would now consist in
being Gabbi’s cheerleaders and intercessors. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Once we returned home I turned my attention to the two
daughters still at home; my 15 year old high school student, Isabella and 10
year old Christina with Down syndrome. Bella, like Gabbi had homeschooled for
her Freshman Year of high school, and was entering a Catholic prep school which
would challenge her both academically and spiritually. Christina was
experiencing some physical challenges and I had just discovered that she has a sensory
processing disorder, which impedes her ability to communicate. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The needs of my
younger girls being so demanding, I missed Gabbi’s company all the more. After
adjusting to life in the countryside in Connecticut, Gabbi had become my
confidante. Bella is going through the agony of a 15 year old who is becoming
independent while still at home and I have to do the delicate dance of mom who
is needed but not always welcome. Christina has difficulty expressing her needs
so I have to learn about her conditions, and then take educated guesses at how
to meet her needs. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I spend long hours talking to specialists and taking her to
appointments where she can receive needed therapy. I arise before six to drive
Bella to school, and work with Christina who has to be coached through her
dressing routine in the morning. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So, these lovely daughters have less emotional gratification
to offer Mom than their absent sister, yet I have become more disciplined in my
prayer life, adding a three o’clock Divine Mercy Chaplet , and Rosary walk of
1-2 miles and reading Magnificat in the morning. I have made efforts to spend
time with good Catholic friends who support me. This has given me the strength
to endure teenage trauma, and the added work of a child with special needs
while Gabbi is busy building her future over 500 miles away. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So when Gabbi came home this weekend, and at last I embraced
my college girl, she was as impressed with how much her sisters and I have
grown as we were regarding her newfound independence. We have never been more grateful
to God at Thanksgiving than this year of the newly emptying nest. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">~Leticia Velasquez, Co-founder of<a href="http://keepinfantswithdownsyndrome.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"> KIDS</a> (Keep Infants with Down Syndrome) </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">author of "<a href="http://aspecialmotherisborn.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">A Special Mother is Born</a>" </span></div>
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Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16415118689761630639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088799651980921971.post-74108325366552311632012-11-27T00:00:00.000-08:002012-11-27T16:25:20.078-08:00Who's Teaching Whom?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I am pleased to welcome Judy Dudich to "Catholic Moms Talk" as a quest blogger today. Judy is the author of<i> I Surrender</i>, the study guide for women seeking Christ as the center of their daily lives. She is owner of <i>Homeschool Faith and Family Life:</i> the website that uplifts, encourages, and supports you in your daily family life journey. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">With her husband Tom, Judy is blessed with ten children and four grand-children and each day enjoys learning along-side the eight kids who are still at home with them. She writes a regular column on several websites, including : FAR Above Rubies and <a href="http://catholicmom.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">CatholicMom.com</a>. Judy's online radio show, Mothers at Home, is enjoyed on Blog Talk Radio. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">You can find all links to Judy's blogs, websites, books, and social networks by visiting <a href="http://judydudich.weebly.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">judydudich.weebly.com</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Who's Teaching Whom?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I recently read a quote which aptly describes my mothering-heart. The author was listed as, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">"Anonymous" ("Anonymous" has become one of my most favorite authors, through the years!). </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">"I have been busy teaching my children all about life. They have been busy, teaching me what life is all </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">about." </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">As a Catholic, homeschooling mother of ten and "Grammy" to four, I could be offered as a living </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">testament to the truth of this statement. Often, I ask my darlings, "Who's teaching whom, here?" </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">In fact, that's one of the greatest blessings God has brought to me through our homeschooling and family </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">life journey; the opportunity to learn along-side and "from" my children. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Pope Benedict XVI has proclaimed a "Year of Faith" for our One, Holy, and Apostolic Church. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Truly, this couldn't have come at a more appropriate, pertinent, and needed time. (Which is why <b><i>he's</i></b> the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Pope, right?) </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">As I ponder this title and reflect and pray about ways that I can live out the Holy Father's commission to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">us, I am repeatedly drawn to thoughts of my children; and, the anonymous quote, above. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I can teach my children the catechism. Of course, I am instructed <b>by </b>the Catechism to teach my children </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">the Catechism. This Catholic text tells me that, as a Catholic wife and mother, </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I am the first and foremost </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">educator in the lives of my children. Further, that I am obligated to provide a truly Catholic education for </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">each and all of them. I, like other parents the-world-over, try my best to do just that. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">However, through it all, during it all, in the lessons, after the lessons, in conjunction with the lessons, it is </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I who am being taught...by them. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">This "Year of Faith" is to be lived. It is to be celebrated. It is to be shared. We are being called forth to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">study, to know and try our best to understand our beautiful, timeless, and lasting Catholic Faith. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The current state of political affairs, family life (and the attack on it), faith life (or, lack of it) and day-to-<span style="font: 12.0px Helvetica;"> </span>day issues that the average American is dealing with, tells me that the time has come for us, as Catholics to be "real", "authentic", and "courageous" (not to mention "steadfast", "zealous", and "loyal") in our Faith. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Two of my children are grown, married, and raising families of their own. Eight, are still at home with </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">my husband and me. I look at them, and I can't help but think of Saint Francis of Assisi, who said, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">"Preach the Gospel, and, if necessary, use words."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">My children would not be described, in most circles, as "outspoken". They are, indeed, comfortable </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">speaking to others; though none really goes out of his/her way to "take the stage" so-to-speak, when it </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">comes to espousing matters of the Faith to the general public. They know their Faith, they adhere to the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Teachings of the Catholic Church, and they are pretty good at "Apologetics," when confronted or </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">approached by someone trying to "trip them up" or "put them on the spot."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">In the spirit of the teaching of Saint Francis, however, it moves me to tears, fills my heart with joy, and, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">mostly, humbles me, to observe my children "preaching the Gospel" in the way they live their lives; each </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">and every day. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Christ is alive in the youth of our world, today. I see Him, in my children. The "Year of Faith" is being </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">brought to life. I see it in my children. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I see it when I walk into a room and find one of my older kids helping his/her little brother or sister to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">memorize the Ten Commandments. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I see it when there is a new face in the crowd of our parish and I watch my teens go up to that person, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">after Mass, to welcome them and shake their hand. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I see it when I watch them bow their head and offer a heartfelt intention, at the beginning of our family </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">rosary, for a friend in need, for the unborn; even for our president. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I see it when they do something wrong, and quietly come to me, in private, to speak truth and apologize. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I see it when they have the courage to change the radio station, in front of their friends, when an </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">inappropriate song is being played. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I see it when they take bags of sandwiches to the homeless, in the park. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I see it when they go with my husband and friends to serve the residents at Mother Teresa's House in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Washington, DC. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I see it, each month, when my teens give their free time; as they've done for the last four years, to serve </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">and work at our local food pantry; helping those in need in our community. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">This "Year of Faith" is alive and well in my children. And, they are teaching me "all about life." </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I saw it, when our pastor announced that he was going to walk 100 miles to witness for the Catholic </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Church: as a penance, in reparation for our sins, as a quiet testimony against the unjust laws, taking away </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">religious freedom in our nation, and as a way to be seen, in this"Year of Faith" so as to draw others to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Christ and win souls for His Glory; and my teens immediately said, "YES! WE WILL JOIN YOU WE </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">WILL WALK 100 MILES FOR THE CATHOLIC FAITH AND FREEDOM!" </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">It was summer time. It was </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">scorching-hot outside. It was their vacation time from school; their "free" time. And, they gave it to the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Church. They gave it to God. They gave it to their fellow man. They suffered blisters. They missed their </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">family for the eight days it took to get to the Basilica, in Baltimore, MD. They climbed mountains. They </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">slept on hard floors. They were frightened, walking on the edges of highways, with tractor trailers blowing </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">past them at 65 miles an hour. Yet, they never complained. Not once. They never whined. They (and the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">other awesome teens who were with them) went without much sleep, without showers, without bathrooms </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">and more...because they believe in this "Year of Faith." They believe in their Church. They believe in their </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">country. They believe in freedom. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I am a wife. I am a mother. I am a teacher. I am a woman of God. I own my own website. I'm a published </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">author. I'm an online speaker and radio show host. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">And, yet, in this proclaimed "Year of Faith," I am a humble student, at the feet of my children; for, like </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Saint Francis, they are, indeed, preaching the Gospel, by living their lives. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Our hope lies in Christ Jesus. And, He makes Himself known to us through others. I give thanks for the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Youth of America. They are on-fire with love for the Holy Spirit and they want to live their Catholic </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Faith, in-full; not partially, not cafeteria-style, but, completely, consistently, and joyfully. They are the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">future of our nation. They are the vessels that God will use to share His love with the world. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">It doesn't matter what is happening in the White House, as much as it matters what is happening in our </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b>own </b>houses. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">"I am busy teaching my children all about life. They are busy teaching me what life is all about."</span></div>
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Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16415118689761630639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088799651980921971.post-16566526927676798032012-11-26T00:00:00.001-08:002012-11-26T08:20:20.160-08:00As Simple as That<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I am pleased to welcome Mary Ellen Barrett to "Catholic Moms Talk" today. Mary Ellen is a mother of eight children and wife to her husband, David. She is a writer, speaker, homeschooling mom and picker up of Legos in Lindenhurst, New York. <br /><br />Mary Ellen is a columnist for <i>The Long Island Catholic</i> as well as an editorial advisor for <i>Mater et Magistra Magazine</i>. She chronicles the journey of living a faithful, but imperfect, always trying to be better, Catholic family life on her blog: Tales From the Bonny Blue House (<a href="http://www.maryellenbarrett.com/">www.maryellenbarrett.com</a>). Mary Ellen also blogs about the dangers of the occult and the New Age at <a href="http://www.amazingcatechists.com/">www.amazingcatechists.com</a>.
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<b>As Simple as That</b></div>
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I need to let you in on a little secret.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I married a heathen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not a total heathen since he was
baptized as an infant but my husband was raised having received no other
sacraments or any religious instruction at all. David’s father was a fallen away
Catholic who baptized his first child in deference to his own mother and his
mom was raised Jewish and only kept the more cultural customs rather than any
religious worship.</div>
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His not being Catholic never concerned me, which was odd
since he was the first non-Catholic I had ever seriously dated. The thing was,
my mom and dad liked him, a rarity in my dating life up till that time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As they began to know David, my parents
were giddy with happiness that I finally brought home a man who, in my father’s
words, “wasn’t completely useless.”</div>
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That aside, David was completely supportive of my faith and
often came to church with me. As soon as my mother heard this she declared him
full of potential and gave me her full blessing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All this, I want you to know while the poor man had no idea
we were planning the rest of his life for him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he did make the connection that we were made for each
other my parents were thrilled to welcome him to the family and my mom immediately
began a relentless and hidden rosary campaign for his conversion.</div>
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When we discussed having children David mentioned that he
would like two. I turned my brown eyes on him and said, “I’ve always wanted a
large family.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Ok,” he replied,
“three would be good.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I smiled
and bowed to his wisdom.</div>
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We had eight. Through that openness to life that desire to
fulfill my desire for a family his heart gave over to love. Love of family and
love of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was complicated
and yet simple. He loved me, so he loved our children and he came to realize
that love was reflective of the love of God for us all.</div>
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With every baby, immediately after giving birth, my first
thought would be that I could not wait to do this again. As Pope John Paul II
said, “In the newborn child is realized the common good of the family.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every baby has brought good to my
family in ever increasing ways as well as a stronger realization that the work
of motherhood was holy work. Eternal work. </div>
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Yes, I was
often tired and overwhelmed, who isn’t? However, I just loved and still love
being a mom. Turns out, my husband loved being a dad and once we made the
decision to allow our fertility and family be dictated by God amazing things
began to happen the biggest being that Dave had a strong desire to complete his
Baptism and receive the other sacraments of initiation. Another blessing is
that our marriage flourished and we became truly one flesh in every way. Every
baby that we were blessed to receive solidified our commitment to each other
and to our faith.</div>
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It’s not been easy, and the struggles continue but through the mothering of this little brood I truly believe that I can change the world. Mother Teresa said, “The woman is at the heart of the home. Let us pray that we women realize the reason for our existence: to love and be loved and through this love become instruments of peace in the world.” So this is my mission field, to be an instrument of peace in this little corner of Long Island that we occupy. To change the world through the raising of soldiers of Christ and sending them off to evangelize simply by the way they live and love. Changing the world on load of laundry, one potty training session, one recited alphabet at a time. It doesn’t need to be any more complicated than that.<br />
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Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16415118689761630639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088799651980921971.post-3727077292737927742012-11-15T07:26:00.001-08:002012-11-15T07:26:41.131-08:00Embracing Motherhood: Thanksgiving around the corner!<a href="http://donnamarieembracingmotherhood.blogspot.com/2012/11/thanksgiving-around-corner.html">Embracing Motherhood: Thanksgiving around the corner!</a><br />
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<img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54485/172/3123482AAEB197A70381524F163CB786.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;" />Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16415118689761630639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088799651980921971.post-82872955495113142302012-11-14T10:11:00.002-08:002012-11-14T10:11:22.968-08:00Resources for the Year of Faith<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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"It seemed to me that timing the launch of the Year of Faith to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council would provide a good opportunity to help people understand that the texts bequeathed by the Council Fathers, in the words of Blessed John Paul II, "have lost nothing of their value or brilliance. They need to be read correctly, to be widely known and taken to heart as important and normative texts of the Magisterium, within the Church's Tradition "</div>
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Pope Benedict XVI, Apostolic Letter Porta Fidei,<br />For the Indication of the Year of Faith</div>
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Lots of good resources here for the Year of Faith including some videos of EWTN shows: <a href="http://www.ewtn.com/yearoffaith/">http://www.ewtn.com/yearoffaith/</a></div>
Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16415118689761630639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088799651980921971.post-70132832720434655662012-11-09T01:00:00.000-08:002012-11-09T01:00:15.515-08:00 My Children are the Heart of God Himself<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I am pleased to welcome Kate Wicker to "Catholic Moms Talk" today. Kate shares a special story with us today. I suspect many moms will relate to her reflection. Kate Wicker is a wife, mom of four littles, speaker, and the author of <i>Weightless: Making Peace with Your Body</i>. When she's not attempting to keep her home one step ahead of a health hazard, she is a regular voice on Relevant Radio and a health columnist for <i>Catholic Digest</i>. Visit <a href="http://KateWicker.com/">KateWicker.com</a> for more information.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>My Children are the Heart of God Himself</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Several springs ago when my brood numbered three littles rather than four, I made the spontaneous decision - to strap the older girls into the double stroller and to tuck the baby in the Ergo and head outdoors for an evening walk. The girls were already in their pajamas and thought it was a great adventure.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">For me, it was therapy.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /></span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The sky was bruised with clouds. It looked like a rain was on its way, and I hoped I might be able to drive out the hurt and the dull ache in my heart by physically pushing it out before the sky broke apart.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /></span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My older girls were quiet at first. A breeze cut across them, and I watched my two-year-old’s uneven wisps of blond air take flight in the wind. Back at home, a golden pile of my child’s hair sat on my dresser, evidence of an unfortunate encounter with scissors that went down while I had been nursing the baby to sleep for a nap. Those strands of hair were the straw that broke my back - and my patience.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /></span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Pushing the stroller ahead, I tried to keep from crying. It had been a day of too many tears - from the older girls who were stressed about an upcoming move, from a sick baby, and from a tired mom.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /></span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As I walked, I had trouble keeping my head where my feet were. My mind raced ahead to the future and how my actions from this day might affect my relationship with my daughters down the road. That image of me - the wonderful mom who is always gentle and never raises her voice - dissolved in the silent tears that began to track down my face.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /></span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We approached a patch of green where on solo walks I’d been known to see a rabbit hopping about. This is where I made my deal with God. I whispered to Him in my heart so my children could not hear.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Let there be a bunny rabbit. Please give them that. Give me that.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /></span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I said to the girls, “Keep your eyes peeled. This is where I sometimes see bunny rabbits. And keep quiet, too. We don’t want to scare them away.”</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /></span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The girls leaned out of the stroller, silent and seeking out a flash of fur in the maze of thick, green vegetation. My eyes strained, praying for my rabbit to appear.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /></span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But there was nothing. I experienced a childish anger toward God. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Where’s my rabbit? Where’s my children’s little piece of happiness? Where’s my sign that you love me, forgive me, and are a real, breathing presence in my life?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /></span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was about to mumble an apology to my girls about the dearth of cute, furry things (there had been as many apologies as tears that day), but my oldest daughter said something first.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /></span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Mommy! I think I saw a rabbit. Really. I saw some white ears poking out.”</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /></span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Where?” I asked.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /></span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Over there,” she pointed to a patch of vegetation we’d already cruised past. “When we turn back around, we’ll check to see if the rabbit’s still there.”</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /></span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Of course, there was nothing there when we passed by the same place. To me, this was a corroboratory fact that it was only a mirage conjured up by the wishful thinking of a child. But to my daughter, it was proof. “It definitely was a rabbit,” she said, “because it’s not there anymore. It must have hopped away when it saw us.”</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I flushed with pleasure. My regrets from the day seemed to soften with the sky that was no longer an ominous gray but a peachy pink.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My then five-year-old had a fractured ulna and radius acquired from a fall at the playground. The bones had already began to heal, the orthopedic surgeon had reported at her most recent appointment. Her fingers that had escaped the prison of her big, blue cast were still slightly puffy from the swelling, but she wielded her arm as she always had. She is resilient. Her bones are malleable. Her body is quick to heal.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And, thank God, so is her heart.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I’m tempted to see my maternal missteps as global pronouncements of my failure to nurture my children right. But my children see no such thing. They forgive and they forget. Their mercy pours down on me like the spring rain that came later that same week that we had gone looking for rabbits. I hate when my raw edges are exposed and I fall short of the mother I want to be, the mother I am called to be. But it’s my children who smooth out those edges by their very love for imperfect me and their knack at seeing things - good, hopeful things - that I don’t.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">While I’m busy looking for a sign from God that He loves and forgives me, my children are the heart of God Himself loving and forgiving me without me even asking for it.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Where I see everything I do wrong as a mother, they notice a lot of the things I do right - like taking them on walks at dusk in their pajamas to look for rabbits.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Where I see only wild grass, they see the rabbits.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Visit <a href="http://KateWicker.com/">KateWicker.com</a> for more information.</span></div>
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Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16415118689761630639noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088799651980921971.post-56201592901105196392012-11-04T00:00:00.000-07:002012-11-04T04:48:19.740-08:00Ad Jesum per Mariam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'bookman old style', 'new york', times, serif;">I </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I am pleased to welcome Leticia Velasquez to "Catholic Moms Talk" today. She shares her special story which touches all of our lives. Leticia and her husband have three daughters including Christina who has Down syndrome. She is the author of <i>A Special Mother is Born</i> a collection of inspirational stories from Catholic parents of special needs children, and a contributor to the award-winning <i>Stories for the Homeschool Heart </i>and<i> A Catholic Mother's Companion to Pregnancy. </i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In 2008 Leticia co-founded KIDS (Keep Infants with Down Syndrome) to raise awareness of the tragically high abortion rate of babies with Down syndrome. She has appeared on EWTN, diocesan TV, and Canadian Television, and on various radio programs across the nation. She is a correspondent for the <i>National Catholic Register, </i>and a contributor to several websites including her blog <a href="http://cause-of-our-joy.blogspot.com/" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Cause of Our Joy</a>, Leticia can be found on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Leticia-Velasquez/173188272759868?ref=ts&fref=ts" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, and on Twitter @CauseofourJoy . </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>CCC 166<span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></b>Faith is a personal act — the free response of the human person to the initiative of God who reveals himself. <b>But faith is not an isolated act. No one can believe alone, just as no one can live alone.</b> You have not given yourself faith as you have not given yourself life. The believer has received faith from others and should hand it on to others.<b>Our love for Jesus and for our neighbor impels us to speak to others about our faith.</b> Each believer is thus a link in the great chain of believers. I cannot believe without being carried by the faith of others, and by my faith I help support others in the faith.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In 2002, I , the mother of two girls, became the mother of a baby girl with Down syndrome. It was something I never imagined I could handle, I rationalized that I didn’t have enough patience, that my marriage could not withstand the stress. Nevertheless, one Sunday morning, while attending Mass halfway through my pregnancy, I heard a voice in my heart, which said, “You are going to have a baby with Down syndrome.” </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I doubted this voice, and tried to shrug it off. But a few minutes later, I was in the Communion line and the voice said, “I want you to accept this child as a gift from My Hand.” I accepted God’s will and His Body in tears saying, “Yes, Lord, but please bring my husband along for the ride.” God used even my reluctant fiat to accomplish His will in my life.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Four months later, Christina was born and the voice was proved to be prophetic; Christina did have Down syndrome and was tiny at 5 pounds, but was otherwise healthy. I felt surrounded by an embrace of love. Phone calls came, meals arrived, and over one hundred people attended her Baptism, in the pouring rain on Mother’s Day. Their faith kept me afloat when I was weak, recovering from a C-section, dealing with her jaundice and nursing issues, as well as supporting family members who were still coming to grips with the fact that she had Down syndrome.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My pastor connected me with the mother of a lovely twenty year old young lady with Down syndrome who calmed my fears by telling me that Kristin was happy, working a job a local bakery, busy with family activities, and a godmother three times over. Another friend sent an Elizabeth Ministry package with a book and CD “Sometimes Miracles Hide” which was full of testimonies of parents of special needs children. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My faltering faith was buoyed by a loving tide of support from my faith community. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Once I regained my stride as a mother, I began to notice that other mothers of babies with Down syndrome are not given such support.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I took Christina to her older sister’s softball game and it brought tears to the eyes of a mother who had felt unequal to the challenge of bearing a child with Down syndrome, and made the tragic choice of abortion. My baby helped this mother realize she had made a mistake; between 75-92% of moms who received a diagnosis of Down syndrome choose abortion. I resolved to share my story with moms like this who feel overwhelmed, as I did, but who do not have the beautiful community of support I enjoyed. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I learned that my doctors were not going to pass my phone number to their patients, so I took to the Internet. There, I found a place to share how my little child with Down syndrome was a blessing to my family and the larger community. I shared how she was an example of faith by her simple prayers to God in times of need, her unconditional love of all those she met, and her boundless joy at Mass. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Soon other parents shared their inspiring stories with me, and I collected them into a book <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Special-Mother-Born-Extraordinary-Parenting/dp/1449724167" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">A Special Mother is Born</a></i> a collection of 34 stories from Catholic parents of special needs children who share what a blessing they are.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So many women have told me that these moving stories strengthened their faith, making them additional links in the chain of believers, and I am grateful to God for the grace to say “Yes” to His gift of Christina a little girl with Down syndrome. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">~Leticia Velasquez, Co-founder of<a href="http://keepinfantswithdownsyndrome.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"> KIDS</a> (Keep Infants with Down Syndrome) </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">author of "<a href="http://aspecialmotherisborn.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">A Special Mother is Born</a>" </span></div>
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Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16415118689761630639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088799651980921971.post-61476825889395097872012-11-02T15:34:00.002-07:002012-11-02T15:36:32.468-07:00They Just Don't Understand<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It is my pleasure to welcome Patti Maguire Armstrong to "Catholic Moms Talk" today. Today Patti speaks about the blessing of families.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Patti Maguire Armstrong and her husband Mark have ten children. Patti was managing editor and co-author of Ascension Press's "Amazing Grace" series, published over 600 articles, appeared on EWTN Bookmark program, EWTN LIve, and Catholic TV as well as radio stations across the country. She is also winner of the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1088799651980921971" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;">About.com</a> 2011 Reader's Choice award. Her latest books <i>Big Hearted</i>, (Scepter Publishers) and children’s book, “Dear God I don’t get it” (Liguori Publications) will be released in Spring 2013. Visit Patti’s <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1088799651980921971" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">blog</span></a>, Twitter or Facebook at <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1088799651980921971" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;">author page</a> <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1088799651980921971" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;">GPS Guide to Heaven and Earth</a> <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1088799651980921971" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;">Homeschool Heart</a> and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1088799651980921971" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;">Big Hearted Families</a></span><br />
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I once did not understand. So now, instead of getting upset when others don’t understand, I see it as an opportunity to inform or at least to pray for them.</div>
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When I came to understand Catholic teaching on love and marriage, my heart grew to include the unborn children I once thought I did not want. Knowledge demanded action since my husband and I had taken permanent measures to end the creation of life in our family. One reversal and four more souls later, our clan of ten, grew to twelve when we later accepted two orphans from Kenya. Love grows; pure and simple. But some just don’t know that.</div>
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Here are my thoughts to some of the people in my life over the years, who just didn’t understand.</div>
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To the guy I know from church who pointed to my pregnant belly and said, “Tell Mark the tax credits aren’t<i> that</i> good.” You just don’t understand what real treasure is.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEoi9ox8K_oad6FDA33yt0KE-O2gVk663DpfEJPJR1bvO4TU8E2-Xwo8QhlgmqBA9tsq80X4rmRiQ1ZAT9dU9lrwW0iTUBYWpyhPmNIo4iTT6N8RVDqu45op8Dd-LTvDEi-aHECciYkNI/s1600/images.jpeg" style="clear: left; cursor: pointer; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="168" id="d3cbe5c1-7949-4816-b145-9069c2ad14c0" src="http://mail.aol.com/37130-111/aol-6/en-us/mail/get-attachment.aspx?uid=29832343&folder=OldMail&partId=3" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></span></a>To the man at the basketball game who shouted to me as I walked down the bleachers carrying our youngest one, “Is that the last one?” Really? I may have smiled but I did not enjoy all the people in the lower bleachers looking up at me and waiting for my answer. I nicely told you that’s not a question you should ask people. If I wasn’t navigating my way down bleachers with a baby in arms, I might have said much more.</div>
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To the girl at Papa Murphy’s Pizza who loudly asked: “Are you having any more?” You certainly provided a teaching moment with all eyes in that small store on me, waiting for the answer. Some things only God knows, especially the things we surrender to him.</div>
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To the man in the airplane who turned and angrily glared at me years ago when the baby kept crying. I was traveling alone with three children; did you think I was pinching the baby to <i>make</i> him cry? Your dislike of children was clear, but trust me, I was more stressed than you. What a blessing when we de-planed and a lady came over to tell me she had prayed for me. Thank you to everyone who quickly offered me help. Sir, your heart is small and your anger quick. I said a prayer for you.</div>
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To the man who told me we are not Mormons: No, I’m Catholic and so are you. Do you know what that means?</div>
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To any of the well dressed women in malls or grocery stores who were tempted to look down on me in my sweatpants with my large brood: Don’t feel sorry for me, these sweat pants are comfortable, and the sneakers are too. I don’t want what you have but do you know what I have? </div>
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To my son’s friend who commented: “Imagine how rich your parents would be if they didn’t have so many kids.” Do you know how rich we really are? There is nothing on the face of the earth that my son would trade in place of his siblings.</div>
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To another son’s friend who meant it as a compliment when he said, “I respect your parents for having so many kids and not taking welfare.” I know you meant well but perhaps you confuse openness to life with dysfunction. Not that it’s wrong for people to need help sometimes, but your intended compliment showed ignorance on what it means to accept the blessing of a large family.</div>
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To all those who have made comments that they won’t be having anymore because they’ve gotten “fixed” or “taken care of it.” Nothing was broken before. Surgically altering a healthy body to prevent natural functioning is not “taking care” of that body. No judgment from me, however. Remember, I too once did not understand.</div>
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For those who made comments about how old my husband and I were with our last one, (45 and 44). We are including eternity in our timeline, are you?</div>
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To the woman at the fast food restaurant who thought I ran a day care. I do care for mine every day. You were surprised when I said they were all mine but I loved the look on your face when I told you there were still four more. Thanks for the laugh.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ89zGMZWRQGfTT70DHiaDjJiDJ_mRIsAckOsNm9U5pnUlF6VhmiSSStUXEkNRY8NbpXSZJyk_Upzp6HJhmEWyWeQfXb_ZXYW7e6qZMNGE1FYLuajIstDIpXYHQUt3g93nxCp2Q34eq3w/s1600/fun.jpg" style="clear: left; cursor: pointer; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="240" id="6bedcb59-7c88-4398-94d8-33ecc7e07f2f" src="http://mail.aol.com/37130-111/aol-6/en-us/mail/get-attachment.aspx?uid=29832343&folder=OldMail&partId=4" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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To the nursing student who asked me how I can stand all the drudgery? Won’t you be cleaning bedpans and other messes and taking care of needy people? The difference in what you will do and what I do is that I am taking care of the people I love most in the world. I prefer the word blessing to drudgery.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnrsG-X-asp8Le6plfTA3hATRbH3LRQn02M38W83u7YmruBVrxnRArG7lPgs4iUZtUksQMROV-O_H2dUCBEyAKFUP1dUVHsmfvd6MnfM4B8gmMuka9GHNXhspT9OMkz4X0Iz1-wGEg8Ag/s1600/images.jpeg" style="clear: right; cursor: pointer; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="200" id="7be0ec72-abad-4740-89bc-22ff31a4ecd8" src="http://mail.aol.com/37130-111/aol-6/en-us/mail/get-attachment.aspx?uid=29832343&folder=OldMail&partId=5" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></span></a>To anyone who thought we were adding to an already overpopulated world. Inform yourselves. Most of the world is suffering—really suffering—from a population decline. People are our greatest natural resources. Get out of town sometime and notice that most of the world is still empty. Or just remind yourself that God is all knowing. He would not have made a world too small to contain us nor make a heart too small to receive all that he has to give.<br />
~Patti Maguire Armstrong</div>
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Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16415118689761630639noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1088799651980921971.post-78345285126655248792012-11-01T05:58:00.001-07:002012-11-01T06:02:29.007-07:00Year of Faith Saint for November<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, M.S.C.</span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxIrldnylAZ49zqRMjOhokLZAUMjAgHUtTz4jXqGVN4Z7Cs87Sa9F29Bwv-P-oGPIZWZpMIvbBOiXuYNkf8likiHQnCTY3b4Tti_0oertnvy6NOvguo4iMnQ68xdP84HtldThw-MFYi27X/s1600/cabrini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxIrldnylAZ49zqRMjOhokLZAUMjAgHUtTz4jXqGVN4Z7Cs87Sa9F29Bwv-P-oGPIZWZpMIvbBOiXuYNkf8likiHQnCTY3b4Tti_0oertnvy6NOvguo4iMnQ68xdP84HtldThw-MFYi27X/s320/cabrini.jpg" width="220" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Francis Xavier Cabrini was born into a family of thirteen children. Due to health reasons, her first request to join a religious community was refused, but she was finally able to take her vows in 1877. Soon after being named prioress of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, she was urged by Pope Leo XIII to become a missionary in the United States. However, the house that had been promised to her for an orphanage was unavailable when she reached New York City, and the archbishop advised her to return to Italy. Frances departed from the archbishop’s residence all the more determined to stay and establish that orphanage. And she did. In 35 years, Frances Xavier Cabrini founded 6 institutions for the poor, the abandoned, the uneducated and the sick, and organized schools and adult education classes for formation in the Catholic Faith. She died of malaria in her own Columbus Hospital in Chicago in 1917. She was the first United States Citizen to be canonized, and she is known as the patron saint of immigrants.</span></div>
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See more here: <a href="http://usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/new-evangelization/year-of-faith/saints-for-the-year-of-faith.cfm">http://usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/new-evangelization/year-of-faith/saints-for-the-year-of-faith.cfm</a></div>
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Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boylehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16415118689761630639noreply@blogger.com2