Saintly Wisdom

"Oh Jesus my Lord, help me. Let what you have planned before all ages happen to me. I am ready at each beckoning of your holy will."

~ Saint Faustina Kowalska

St. Joseph the Worker

Happy Feast Day!

O Saint Joseph, we pray to you for those who are out of work, for those who want to earn their living or support their families. You who are the patron of workers; grant that unemployment may vanish from our ranks; that all those who are ready to work may put their strength and abilities in serving their fellowmen and earn a just salary. You are the patron of families; do not let those who have children to support and raise lack the necessary means. Have pity on our brothers and sisters held down in unemployment and poverty because of sickness or social disorders. Help our political leaders and captains of industry find new and just solutions. May each and every one have the joy of contributing, according to his abilities, to the common prosperity by an honorable livelihood. Grant that we may all share together in the abundant goods God has given us and that we may help underprivileged countries. Amen.

On Faith

"You have made us for yourself, Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you."

~ St. Augustine of Hippo (350 - 430 A.D.)

I do believe that God reaches each of us uniquely, and that each of us, in our absolute uniqueness, makes manifest an aspect of our infinitely complex and wonderful Creator. We are, of course, made by Him, in His image. Does this mean that we can each have our own path to heaven? Well, yes, of course, yes.

That's not to say, though, that absolute objective Truth is not to be found. How can we believe something as important as the meaning of Life, and have that be a subjective truth? If my truth is only for me, if it's subjective, then by definition, it isn't really Truth, now, is it? I'm not trying to say I have all the answers. But actually, I really do think that despite my own humble falterings and failings, I do have the Main Answer. I do.

Oh, dear one, I so wish for you this peace and happiness! How frustrating it is--no doubt for you even more than me--that wanting to believe just doesn't make it so. "Give me proof," you say, "faith doesn't do it for me." After thinking about it, it seems to me that it doesn't really have to be all based on faith alone. It's just the first tiny bit--just open the door just the tiniest bit--and the proof you need will be there, if you look. It's like catching the light just right, and you'll see the thing you couldn't see when the cloud covered the sun, or something.

For me, the "proof" really has come largely through rational, intellectual means, rather than just "faith" or emotion or some kind of lightning bolt. My seeking has mostly taken the form of my favorite hobby--reading, reading, reading, everything I can get my hands on about Christianity--history, biographies, literature, apologetics. Oh, and, uh, the Bible!

But more recently, believe it or not, studying ancient history and the middle ages with the kids, I've just been amazed at how every bit of human history fits together so perfectly when viewed through the lens of God's plan of salvation for mankind. By this I mean that starting from the Creation of the world and the first people, history has unfolded in a logical, measured progression through the millenia right up to the current age, according to a structured and organized plan orchestrated by its divine author. The more I learn, the less likely it seems that any of this could be random--of course this goes for science as well as history.

So I guess you could say that I'm not really just taking my religion on "faith." I analyzed it until I was satisfied that it all fit together. Actually, that's how I ended up settled on Catholicism--so far, I've found it logically airtight, which is almost a joke to say, given the 2000 years of far more learned, wise, and even holy men and women who have studied this before me and come to the same conclusions! I haven't found anything that I must "just believe." To me it seems there is actual evidence for just about everything, when I look for it.

So back to this idea of a door open, just a crack. I really think that it all comes down to seeking. It's there. He's there. Really, really, really. Not in a "praise-the-Lord," in-your-face kind of way--unless you want it that way! Just in a quiet, powerful, deep, peaceful, loving way. Really. I can't tell you how much I wish for you to have this peace--it really is the key to a happy life, for sure. I would never, ever, presume to get between you and God, but please let me know if I can help in any way! I love you so!

Preparing for Lent

"Live in the world as if only God and your soul were in it; then your heart will never be made captive by any earthly thing."

~ St. John of the Cross

Celebrating St. Valentinus!

Valentine was a physician in 3rd century Rome. He was also a Christian priest, administering the sacraments in secret during the times of Christian persecution under Emperor Claudius II Gothicus.

One day a jailer from the emperor's prison appeared at Valentine's door with his small child, a girl who was blind. Knowing the difficulty of curing blindness, Valentine vowed to do his best, and over the weeks of treatment and prayer the three became fast friends. But even his friendship with the jailer could not save Valentine when the Roman soldiers came to imprison him.

Valentine was martyred on February 14, 270, and in 496, Pope Gelasius I named February 14 as the feast day of St. Valentine. On the day of Valentine's martyrdom, the jailer's little girl was able to see for the first time--and her first sight was of a crocus, which is the traditional flower of St. Valentine.

Happy Feast Day, St. Nicholas!

From St. Nicholas Center:

The true story of Santa Claus begins with Nicholas, who was born during the third century in the village of Patara. At the time the area was Greek and is now on the southern coast of Turkey. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to the those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships.

Under the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who ruthlessly persecuted Christians, Bishop Nicholas suffered for his faith, was exiled and imprisoned. The prisons were so full of bishops, priests, and deacons, there was no room for the real criminals—murderers, thieves and robbers. After his release, Nicholas attended the Council of Nicaea in AD 325. He died December 6, AD 343 in Myra and was buried in his cathedral church, where a unique relic, called manna, formed in his grave. This liquid substance, said to have healing powers, fostered the growth of devotion to Nicholas. The anniversary of his death became a day of celebration, St. Nicholas Day.

Through the centuries many stories and legends have been told of St. Nicholas' life and deeds. These accounts help us understand his extraordinary character and why he is so beloved and revered as protector and helper of those in need.

One story tells of a poor man with three daughters. In those days a young woman's father had to offer prospective husbands something of value—a dowry. The larger the dowry, the better the chance that a young woman would find a good husband. Without a dowry, a woman was unlikely to marry. This poor man's daughters, without dowries, were therefore destined to be sold into slavery. Mysteriously, on three different occasions, a bag of gold appeared in their home-providing the needed dowries. The bags of gold, tossed through an open window, are said to have landed in stockings or shoes left before the fire to dry. This led to the custom of children hanging stockings or putting out shoes, eagerly awaiting gifts from Saint Nicholas. Sometimes the story is told with gold balls instead of bags of gold. That is why three gold balls, sometimes represented as oranges, are one of the symbols for St. Nicholas. And so St. Nicholas is a gift-giver.

One of the oldest stories showing St. Nicholas as a protector of children takes place long after his death. The townspeople of Myra were celebrating the good saint on the eve of his feast day when a band of Arab pirates from Crete came into the district. They stole treasures from the Church of Saint Nicholas to take away as booty. As they were leaving town, they snatched a young boy, Basilios, to make into a slave. The emir, or ruler, selected Basilios to be his personal cupbearer, as not knowing the language, Basilios would not understand what the king said to those around him. So, for the next year Basilios waited on the king, bringing his wine in a beautiful golden cup. For Basilios' parents, devastated at the loss of their only child, the year passed slowly, filled with grief. As the next St. Nicholas' feast day approached, Basilios' mother would not join in the festivity, as it was now a day of tragedy. However, she was persuaded to have a simple observance at home—with quiet prayers for Basilios' safekeeping. Meanwhile, as Basilios was fulfilling his tasks serving the emir, he was suddenly whisked up and away. St. Nicholas appeared to the terrified boy, blessed him, and set him down at his home back in Myra. Imagine the joy and wonderment when Basilios amazingly appeared before his parents, still holding the king's golden cup. This is the first story told of St. Nicholas protecting children—which became his primary role in the West.

Another story tells of three theological students, traveling on their way to study in Athens. A wicked innkeeper robbed and murdered them, hiding their remains in a large pickling tub. It so happened that Bishop Nicholas, traveling along the same route, stopped at this very inn. In the night he dreamed of the crime, got up, and summoned the innkeeper. As Nicholas prayed earnestly to God the three boys were restored to life and wholeness. In France the story is told of three small children, wandering in their play until lost, lured, and captured by an evil butcher. St. Nicholas appears and appeals to God to return them to life and to their families. And so St. Nicholas is the patron and protector of children.

Several stories tell of Nicholas and the sea. When he was young, Nicholas sought the holy by making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. There as he walked where Jesus walked, he sought to more deeply experience Jesus' life, passion, and resurrection. Returning by sea, a mighty storm threatened to wreck the ship. Nicholas calmly prayed. The terrified sailors were amazed when the wind and waves suddenly calmed, sparing them all. And so St. Nicholas is the patron of sailors and voyagers.

Other stories tell of Nicholas saving his people from famine, sparing the lives of those innocently accused, and much more. He did many kind and generous deeds in secret, expecting nothing in return. Within a century of his death he was celebrated as a saint. Today he is venerated in the East as wonder, or miracle worker and in the West as patron of a great variety of persons-children, mariners, bankers, pawn-brokers, scholars, orphans, laborers, travelers, merchants, judges, paupers, marriageable maidens, students, children, sailors, victims of judicial mistakes, captives, perfumers, even thieves and murderers! He is known as the friend and protector of all in trouble or need (see list).

Sailors, claiming St. Nicholas as patron, carried stories of his favor and protection far and wide. St. Nicholas chapels were built in many seaports. As his popularity spread during the Middle Ages, he became the patron saint of Apulia (Italy), Sicily, Greece, and Lorraine (France), and many cities in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Russia, Belgium, and the Netherlands (See list). Following his baptism in Constantinople, Vladimir I of Russia brought St. Nicholas' stories and devotion to St. Nicholas to his homeland where Nicholas became the most beloved saint. Nicholas was so widely revered that more than 2,000 churches were named for him, including three hundred in Belgium, thirty-four in Rome, twenty-three in the Netherlands and more than four hundred in England.

Nicholas' tomb in Myra became a popular place of pilgrimage. Because of the many wars and attacks in the region, some Christians were concerned that access to the tomb might become difficult. For both the religious and commercial advantages of a major pilgrimage site, the Italian cities of Venice and Bari vied to get the Nicholas relics. In the spring of 1087, sailors from Bari succeeded in spiriting away the bones, bringing them to Bari, a seaport on the southeast coast of Italy. An impressive church was built over St. Nicholas' crypt and many faithful journeyed to honor the saint who had rescued children, prisoners, sailors, famine victims, and many others through his compassion, generosity, and the countless miracles attributed to his intercession. The Nicholas shrine in Bari was one of medieval Europe's great pilgrimage centers and Nicholas became known as "Saint in Bari." To this day pilgrims and tourists visit Bari's great Basilica di San Nicola.

Through the centuries St. Nicholas has continued to be venerated by Catholics and Orthodox and honored by Protestants. By his example of generosity to those in need, especially children, St. Nicholas continues to be a model for the compassionate life.

I love this picture from St. Nicholas Day at our former parish, in 2004. The kids are so little!

St. Nicholas usually makes a stop at our house on the eve of his feast day. The kids leave out their shoes, and St. Nick leaves them goodies. He came again this year!

More Wisdom from the Saints

The past few days (perhaps I should say months or years) I have been really thinking that I might have a slight--okay, maybe more than slight--attention deficit problem. Call it adult ADD, call it Mommy Brain, call it the everyday plight of a homeschooling Mom, but I'm taking multitasking a bit over the top these days.

And once again today Jen F. over at Conversion Diary has hit on another gem of a post that speaks perfectly to what I've been thinking. I'm running to the library to get the book she mentions by St. Francis de Sales.
Here's an excerpt:

We should not want to practice many exercises at the same time and all of a sudden. The enemy often tries to make us attempt and start many projects so that we will be overwhelmed with too many tasks, and therefore achieve nothing and leave everything unfinished. Sometimes he even suggests we undertake some excellent work that he foresees we will never accomplish. This is to distract us from the prosecution of some less excellent work that we would have easily completed. [...]

Very often...the evil one deludes us, and to distract us from achieving some good, he proposes another that seems better.

It's my age-old "good vs. best" dichotomy.
I can't WAIT to read this book; I'll give you a full report!

Here's hopin'

Check this out: I just read that November 3 was the Feast Day of St. Martin de Porres. From this week's Catholic Herald:

Martin was the son of a Spanish nobleman and a freed black Panamanian slave in Peru. His parents were unmarried and his father abandoned the family. Later in life he regretted that decision and once again became part of Martin's life. Young Martin grew up feeling the sting of racial prejudice.
Martin's entire life was spent caring for the poor and sick. Martin also took care of slaves brought to Lima from Africa. He had a tremendous love for Jesus in the Eucharist and would spend hours in adoration. He desired to receive Holy Communion as often as he could. The Holy Eucharist was the source of his strength and love for the poor.

So anyway, St. Martin de Porres (1579-1639), whose feast day was the day before the election, is the patron saint of African-Americans and racial and social harmony and justice, among other things.
Pretty cool, eh? Here's another article about Obama from our Catholic Herald that I wanted to share. It's by John Meganck. Long, but I'm copying it whole because it is so good.

Months ago I had a conversation with my father that will stick in my memory forever. I told him Barack Obama was a lock to be our next president. My father who was born in 1940 and raised me to believe all people were created equal regardless of their skin color told me, "I don't believe the people of the United States will elect and African American in my lifetime."

The civil rights movement of the 1960s has been a defining part of his generation. Ending segregation ad gaining people of different races equal access to the blessings of America was the civil rights movement of his generation.

While there will always be injustices done to people because they belong to particular groups, I believe the election of Mr. Obama to the highest office of our great country demonstrates the success of this movement. As an African American becomes our president for the first time by his own talents and hard work, everyone who has ever toiled for freedom should feel joy in his success.

Will President Obama lead us forward to remove the overpowering civil rights atrocity of my generation? I was born in 1973, the same year Roe vs. Wade removed any protection for the weakest members of our society. In the 35 years since, over 48 million Americans have died as a result.

The loss of life is the greatest atrocity created by Roe vs. Wade. There has also been a cost to the freedom of every American when five of nine Supreme Court justices can take liberties to create meaning in our Constitution. That takes freedom from the voters in this country to make the laws that will govern us.

As a Congressman, Mr. Obama's record is on the wrong side of this issue. Deep down he must know abortion is an evil act, as he has admitted that no one likes abortion. President Lyndon Johnson had a bad record on segregation when he came to office, but the civil rights legacy of his presidency was the end of the great evil of legal segregation.

The legacy of civil rights under President Obama will be whether he has the courage to stand for what is right as President Johnson did. It will be sad if President Obama allows his greatest civil rights achievement to be getting elected as an African American and not protecting the unborn with the power he now has.

Kind of a nice twist on things, don't you think?

(And here's another link on this subject that I couldn't resist putting in.) :)

Happy Feast Day, St. Therese!

Yesterday (10/1-the day I started this post!) was St. Therese's feast day. Saint Therese of Lisieux, who lived January 2, 1873 - September 30, 1897, is one of the most famous, popular and beloved saints in all of Catholic history. Although she did not live a long life, her insight into how to make meaning from her life has been so influential that she has been proclaimed a Doctor of the Church. She is one of a handful of women to be given that distinction. Tradition has it that St. Therese promised a shower of roses after her death and that roses did indeed appear to the sisters in her community.  She is revered as one of the most powerful saints in the Catholic hierarchy.

A Letter Sister Therese carried on her heart on the day of her Carmelite profession:

O Jesus, My Divine Spouse!  May I never lose the second robe of my baptism!  Take me before I can commit the slightest voluntary fault.  May I never seek nor find anything but Yourself alone.  May creatures be nothing for me and may I be nothing for them, but may You, Jesus, be everything!  May the things of earth never be able to trouble my soul, any may nothing disturb my peace.  Jesus, I ask for You nothing but peace, and also love, infinite love without any limits other than Yourself; love which is no longer I but You, my Jesus.  Jesus, may I die a martyr for You.  Give me martyrdom of heart or of body, or rather give me both.  Give me the grace to fulfill my Vows in all their perfection, and make me understand what a real spouse of Yours should be.  Never let me be a burden to the community, let nobody be occupied with me, let me be looked upon as one to be trampled underfoot, forgotten like Your little grain of sand, Jesus.  May Your will be done in me perfectly, and may I arrive at the place You have prepared for me.

Jesus, allow me to save very many souls; let no soul be lost today; let all the souls in purgatory be saved.  Jesus, pardon me if I say anything I should not say.  I want only to give You joy and to console You.

Dear St. Therese, we joyfully claim your promise of roses from Heaven!  You are such an inspiration to us!