Among Women

Recovery Stories on Among Women

2012-02-23T15:01:00.000-05:00

We've all had our fair share of heartache, pain, illness, broken dreams, and abuse... and yet, somehow we know we've got to find a way to recover... to find healing, hope, and a way to carry on.

Let this be an invitation to hear stories of faith and inspiration from women who tell their recovery stories in their own words. There's something here for every woman.

On Among Women 21, Lisa Hendey, found of CatholicMom.com and I discuss recovery from breast cancer.

On Among Women 22, Susie Weiss shares how a broken marriage can recover using techniques from Retrovaille.

On Among Women 29, Kathleen Fitzpatrick talks honestly about her recovery from a one-night stand that changed her life. The resulting pregnancy was hard to handle at first, but with the help of her family, she decided to raise her son as a single mother.

On Among Women 47, "Margaret" describes her recover from repeated episodes of sexual abuse.

On Among Women 57, Sr Kathryn Hermes discusses surviving depression and her book on that subject.

On Among Women 60, Dr Ronda Chervin offer steps to recovery from anger and its effects as we discuss her book Taming the Lion Within.

On Among Women 69, Anastasia Northrup shares her recovery from verbal abuse

On Among Women 75, Dr Theresa Burke, a leading psychologist in the field of treating women suffering from the hurts of abortion, and the founder of Rachel's Vineyard Ministries, gives advice and a path toward healing. In a follow-up discussion, Dr Burke talks about healing from sexual abuse on AW 79.

On Among Women 87, Dorothy Consiglio talks about her recovery from an a car accident that killed two of her best friends, and severely injured her.

On Among Women 89, Ellen Gable Hrkach shares about her recovery from miscarriage.

On Among Women 97, Lisa Duffy of DivorcedCatholics.org deals candidly with divorce and its aftermath.

On Among Women 103, Rosario Rodriguez describes her amazing recovery from a gun shot wound to the chest, and her even greater recovery in terms of forgiveness toward her assailant.

Lessons of confidence and courage from the saints in the face of death

2012-02-23T10:33:00.001-05:00

In the aftermath of Ash Wednesday, when we consider our dustiness, and that to the dust that our mortal bodies will return, I'd like to suggest two articles that take those themes into consider, in light of the Gospel and in light of the heroic virtues found in the lives of the saints.

The first is Dying With the Confidence of a Saint... and here's a snippet:

Our societydoesn’t like to think much about death. Yet, there is much to be gained, as aChristian, by reflecting on our death, and about our final destiny. This ideaof uniting our death with the death of Jesus is the key to facing our own death with hope and, even, joy and peace.

The saints show usthe way.

St. Therese ofLisieux, who died of disease as a young woman in her twenties, said this: “I am not dying. I am entering eternallife.”

Note the boldnessof her statement: she is not dying! She is merely passing through death on the way to the next phase oflife! Was St. Therese being merely sentimental or foolish? No! She saw the truth of this reality, andsaw the opportunity to remind her loved ones of that fact. Recall that theChurch underscores such truth by making Therese a Doctor of the Church. Herstatement is found in the Catechism(Cf. CCC 1011.)

St. Therese, andother saints like her, had a rich and vivid faith in the promise of everlastinglife that we must strive to imitate. Death is only a threshold; it is not anend.

St. Teresa ofAvila is another great example. She, too, is matter of fact: “I want to see Godand, in order to see him, I must die.” (Cf. CCC1011.)

If you read St.Paul’s epistles, you will again encounter this lively faith in Christ thatgives positive meaning to Christian death: “Forme to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Phil 1:21.)”

You can read the rest here.

The second is taken from my archives, and it honors the saint that is honored in today's liturgy, Polycarp: An Unusual Name, A Remarkable Story... here's an excerpt:

At the stake Polycarp seizes the opportunity to prayaloud before all the spectators. His 86 year-old heart swells as he calls uponthe true God.

"O Lord GodAlmighty… I bless You because You have granted me this day and hour, that Imight receive a portion amongst the number of martyrs in the cup of Your Christunto resurrection of eternal life...

May I be received…in Your presence this day, as a rich and acceptable sacrifice, as You didprepare and reveal it beforehand, and have accomplished it, You that art thefaithful and true God. (Martyrdom 14: 1-2.)

God answers Polycarp’s prayer in a most unusual way.

When he hadoffered up the Amen and finished his prayer, the firemen lighted the fire. And,a mighty flame flashing forth, we to whom it was given to see, saw a marvel,yea and we were preserved that we might relate to the rest what happened.

The fire, makingthe appearance of a vault, like the sail of a vessel filled by the wind, made awall round about the body of the martyr; and it was there in the midst, notlike flesh burning, but like a loaf in the oven or like gold and silver refinedin a furnace. For we perceived such a fragrant smell, as if it were the waftedodor of frankincense or some other precious spice.

So at length thelawless men, seeing that his body could not be consumed by the fire, ordered anexecutioner to go up to him and stab him with a dagger. And when he had donethis, there came forth [a dove and] a quantity of blood, so that itextinguished the fire; and all the multitude marveled that there should be sogreat a difference between the unbelievers and the elect. (Martyrdom, 15:1 – 16:1.)

Imagine experiencing thesatisfying aroma of bread baking in the oven when you should be observing ahideous death… imagine one man’s life being consumed by the Eucharistic majestyeven as he prepares to breathe his last.

Everything about Polycarp’s lifedeclared: “I am a Christian.”

For years, scholars have writtenof the parallels between the suffering of Jesus’ passion and the final hours ofPolycarp’s life… the prayer for the disciples, the final meal, the arrest, theinterrogation, and the many people calling for his death. It is all of a piecein the will of God.

Tertullian, writing in the years followingPolycarp’s death, declared, “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of Christians.”

The death of martyrs did not putan end to Christianity as some opponents had hoped. It only served to fuel thefaith of Christians for generations to come, whose sustenance and hope remainsin the Eucharist to this day.

You can read more, here.

If you like this column, you can subscribe to receive it weekly in your email or via an RSS feed. Subscribe.

Among Women Podcast #126 Special Edition: Lenten Practices and Devotions

2012-02-21T20:37:00.000-05:00

Among Women 126 is a Special Edition featuring your host and cast of wonderful listeners and former guests sharing their favorite Lenten practices and devotions.

Special guests include:

Julie Davis of Happy Catholic
Maria Johnson of Catholic Weekend
Sarah Reinhard of Snoring Scholar
Kate Wicker of Kate Wicker.com

Listen!

This makes me think... really think about slowing it ALL down... Ahhh, Lent the time to be present...

2012-02-20T07:00:00.001-05:00

Time to Be Present

Lord, let me find back
The lost treasure of time:
Time for gentle listening to a friend,
For sharing the play of a child,
For consoling a suffering person,
For thinking without strain,
For labor without pressure.
Time to delight in birds and flowers,
Blooming trees and lustrous green.
Time to enjoy music, friends, and meals,
Time to be silent and alone,
Time to be quietly at home,
Time to be present to Your mystery.
Free me from the tyranny
Of time urgency.
Let time not possess me
Neither the pressure of daily concerns.
Let me not cram every moment
With useful or exciting things
To do or say.
Let my life be a gentle preparation
For the pure and precious moments
Of listening to you
So that I may not drown
In the rushing waters
Of practical pursuits.

---Susan Muto & Adrian van Kaam, Practicing the Prayer of Presence, 1993, Resurrection Press.

Among Women ReadHER 2.18.12 Hugs, Lent, Love, oh yeah and the HHS Mandate.

2012-02-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

Among Women ReadHER

2.18.12

Every Single Bishop has Condemned Obama's HHS Mandate
By Thomas Peters at CatholicVote.org
Stay informed.

Contraception and Understanding: Rebuilding the Foundation
By Elizabeth Duffy at her column at Patheos
Absolutely required reading if you have pre-teens and teens.

Statistics, Obamas, and Internet Memes
By Michael Flynn at his blog TOF
If you've been wondering about the figure being tossed around in the media about "98% of Catholic women using contraception"...it's bogus. You'll want to read this. It's a bit long, but really gets good about midway through it.

Lent is Next Week!
By Marika Donders, campus minister at the KSC blog
Marika gives some great suggestions... the best one: Keep it simple!

Lent and the Corporal Works of What, Now?
By Maria Morera Johnson, subbing in for "yours truly" at my column at Patheos
Maria Johnson challenges us to blast out of our comfort zones.

Lenten Link Up!
By Lacy Rabideau at Catholic Icing
Go imbibe!

Archbishop Dolan Makes Big Push for Twitter, Social Media in Rome
By Joanne Molloy at The New York Daily News
Rock on, Your Excellency!

Just Give Me a Hug!
By Anthony Buono at Catholic Lane
Just go on, you know you wanna...

The Witness of Beauty
By Emily Stimpson at CatholicVote blog
No matter what your politics, this is interesting reading. The fight for true beauty and the preciousness of femininity -- a combination of fashion modesty and creativity -- is something we Catholic Christian must lead the way on. I'm no fashionista by any stretch, but this piece strikes a cord.

"Coffee Break" with Mary Lou Rosien, author of Catholic Family Boot Camp

2012-02-17T09:00:00.000-05:00

"Coffee Break" / Among Women 125 (mp3)

The F.U.N. Quotient... birthday edition

2012-02-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

Today is my Hubby's birthday. So here's a little fun in his honor...

About the only thing that comes to us without effort is old age.

For all the advances in medicine, there is still no cure for the common birthday.

Age is something that doesn’t matter, unless you are a cheese.

Life is a moderately good play with a badly written third act.

Inside every older person is a younger person – wondering what the hell happened.

Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest.

Men are like wine: some turn to vinegar, but the best improve with age.

After 30, a body has a mind of its own.

Last week the candle factory burned down. Everyone just stood around and sang, ‘Happy Birthday’.

Looking fifty is great – if you’re sixty.

The best birthdays of all are those that haven’t arrived yet.

Just remember, once you’re over the hill you begin to pick up speed.

Birthdays are nature’s way of telling us to eat more cake.

Old age isn’t so bad when you consider the alternative.

You are only young once, but you can be immature for a lifetime.

To me, old age is always 20 years older than I am.

Source

The word for "A Word in Season" is mercy: A guest post by Maria Morera Johnson

2012-02-16T10:33:00.000-05:00

Maria Morera Johnson is a friend in real life and in my online writing and podcasting world. Since she lives in the South and I live in the Northeast, our virtual communications are punctuated by occasional road trips. It doesn't matter who is doing the driving or riding shotgun, half the fun is getting there!

We both do a fair amount of writing each week, and it's a pleasure when we can buckle up and share the road together... like she is today, guesting at my column at Patheos. Half the joy of the Easter-to-come is magnified in the getting there. Maria challenges us to consider a merciful road map for Lent, so let us be off!

Maria writes:

In today’s busy world – where we are pulled by ourresponsibilities to family, work, friends, and all the extra things we findpiled on our plates, it’s probably not a bad idea to prayerfully discern aparticular course for Lent. Why notget ideas from people who’ve managed to make it work, or managed to articulateit in a manner we can comprehend and apply.

So here I am jumping on the bandwagon and sharing an idea... In fact, it’s one of those things that pushes the boundaries of my comfortzone. When that happens, I think maybe I’ve hit the right course of action formyself.

You see, the nature of my day job, as a professor, and thenature of my other job, in new media both give me a platform to run my mouth. Italk all day to a captive audience in my classroom, and then, I get on mysoapbox on my blog and behind a microphone on my podcast and talk some more.

With all that talking, I figure it’s time I put my moneywhere my mouth is…um…where my hands and feet are…as the hands and feet ofChrist.

I’m going to embrace the CorporalWorks of Mercy. It’s daunting.

Don't be daunted, read the rest.

Among Women Podcast #125: "Spiritual Bootcamp"

2012-02-14T19:37:00.000-05:00

Among Women 125 is all about spiritual bootcamp and the fight against vices big and small and turning our hearts toward virtue. Join me for a reading on obedience from St Catherine of Siena's The Dialogue, and then catch my dialogue with author and OSV columnist, Mary Lou Rosien. Together we'll talk about faith, the challenges of family living and her new book, Catholic Family Boot Camp. There's a free drawing for a copy of the book too so email me at amongwomenpodcast@me.com or visit our facebook page.

This is the last week to submit your favorite Lenten practice (thru 2/20)... what "works" for you in Lent? Call our feedback line and get your voice on the show: 206-203-2024.

The Heart of Jesus Beats for You on Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T08:49:00.000-05:00

Learn more about this image of the Sacred Heart, and it's artist, Joseph Fanelli.

Great devotional prayers to the Sacred Heart at EWTN.

Learn more about the Sacred Heart at this website, and via the Among Women Podcast, episode 89.

image credit

This makes me think... being thankful all my days...

2012-02-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

Thank you, Lord

My Father, you have carried me through
wanderings
and loved me through my rebelliousness.

I praise you.

You have given me untold riches:
friends to love,
beauty to enjoy,
quiet spaces.

I praise you for life on this planet,
for trust between people,
and the unimaginable gift of the gospel.

Keep me thankful all my days,
that, against all the odds,
I may never lose sight
of hope and delight.

---Angela Ashwin, A Little Book of Healing Prayers.

Among Women ReadHER 2.11.12 Late breaking HHS news, Career/family balance, parenting, Valentine's angst & more...

2012-02-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

Among Women ReadHER

2.11.12

!!! Bishops Warn that the HHS Mandate debate is far from over!

By the USCCB website

There is more to this story than fully being reported. Stay informed.

Don't miss this, either, a letter from the bishops.

Got a minute? Check out Marian Minute

I've added this to my bookmark bar.... to keep it accessible.

Time to Admit It: The Church has Always Been Right about Birth Control

By Michael Brendan Doherty and Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry at Business

This is just more consideration by many considering the outcry of the Church against the HHS Mandate.

The Feminist Shaming of Fertility

By Ashley Crouch at First Things

Read and consider this carefully. The author refers to a brilliant chapter by Dr. Angela Franks in Women, Sex, and the Church, (add it to your library!), compiled by Erika Bachiochi, a recent guest discussing this book on Among Women 98.

Victoria's Secret Model Quits to Reserve Her Body 'for my Husband'

By Jennifer Abbey

Ok, that's not something you hear every day. Let's credit God for both the young model's journey, and the writer who cared to publish the story.

Don't Let Valentine's Day Make You Cranky

By Robyn Lee at Catholic Match

Here, here! A post for the single un-attached! By Robyn Lee, a recent guest on AW 122, give her a listen!

It's National Marriage Week

By the USCCB

From the I-must-live-under-a-rock dept: I didn't know that! When did we get that? Makes sense with Valentine's Day coming up.

Interview with Dr. Michael Barber - Scripture and New Media

By Brandon Vogt at The Thin Veil

A most excellent post - chock full of resources for your spiritual growth. I highly recommend them all! Bookmark and save for further exploration and digestion.

Handprints on the Mirror

By Leanne Willen at CatholicMom.com

Awww... sweet reflection about the little ones.

Presidential Fathers and Sons

By Michael Medved in the Wall Street Journal

Here's an interesting angle regarding the recent history of the presidency.

The True Test of Leadership

By Mike Myatt at Forbes

Great advice for working women and men. It's simple, Mike writes: "If you focus on your family, your career won't suffer, it will flourish. Get this wrong and not only will your family suffer, but so will you..."

The Loveliness of a Personal Litany

By Sarah Reinhard

Got saints? Sarah suggests a way to pray with the members of the communion of saints that are important to you. Sarah was a recent guest on AW talking about advent, and talking about blogging and books and more, way back on episode 11.

Strawberry Milk: A fun and easy treat for St. Valentine's Day

By Lacy Rabideau at Catholic Icing

Yes, emphasis on Easy!

Did I Just Have a Heart Attack?

By Susan Brinker at Women of Grace

It's February and Heart Awareness Month. Some good reminders here on the differences of heart symptoms between women and men.

Barbara Walters: "Heartbreaking" for Women to an Ultrasound (prior to their abortion)

By Steven Ertelt at LifeSiteNews.com

It causes more guilt. Hm. Sometimes guilt can lead us to do the right thing...

Hoops Star Elena Delle Donne Treasure Relationship with Older Sister

By Frank DeFord in Sports Illustrated

Ok, I love this story of the love of sisters and the love of basketball.

Why the French make better parents.

I don't think this is rocket-science, but I do think there are helpful insights if you need some encouragement in the parenting of small children. Some of these simple principles are inherent in a lot of parenting techniques I learned from Focus on the Family, and others, who emphasized the authoritative role (not authoritarianism) of parents. There is a corresponding article.

And finally, a little hilarity... The Crescat and Nuns... do click through to the link to see Kat's spoof of the now-famous dating service video of the woman and her over-the-top love of pets. I shoulda put it on the F.U.N. Quotient, but...

"Coffee Break" with Kathryn Lopez and Elizabeth Scalia -- on a Special Edition of Among Women

2012-02-10T09:30:00.000-05:00

"Coffee Break" / Among Women 124 (mp3)

Find the blog post for this episode.

Listen online. (You must have Quicktime.)

Or find it on iTunes- look for episode 124.

The F.U.N. Quotient... a goat rodeo... but a real treat for music lovers!

2012-02-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

Reviewers are calling it a hybrid of bluegrass and classical... I'm calling it downright joyous. Here's a taste ...

I had the pleasure of seeing these gentlemen perform in concert in Boston recently -- a fun night out with my daughter. Anyway, this concert will be on PBS in the weeks to come, but for the time being I'm content with the music from this collection filling my speakers.

On the subject of toes... a page out of my prayer journal

2012-02-09T09:23:00.001-05:00

I'm over at Patheos...

In this chapel, directly above the monstrance, there is astatue of the Risen Jesus, arms outstretched. Faithful to the biblical accounts( Jn 20: 24-28), the wounds of Jesus’crucifixion are still visible on his glorified body. This depiction of his once-crucified feet extends low intomy field of vision, inches away from the monstrance, as I concentrate on hisTrue Presence in the Host.

And as I visit, the statue’s portrayal, and the Lord’sprofound nearness in the Eucharist, is an ever-present reminder of “This is my body, which is given up for you(Lk 22:19).”

As I enter the chapel each week, my knees hit the floor andI bend low: My Lord and my God!

Not insignificantly, my Lord and my God has toes.

And I’m struck deeply by the delightful humanity of it all.The precious and weighty reality of the Incarnation becomes, remarkably, accessible. And in that moment ofrecognition, I find this God, who is undeniably wondrous and magnificent as theCreator of the Cosmos, all at once, very much lovable to my down-to-earth womanlysensibilities.

I have a God with toes. Isn’t that amazing?!

Of course, there's more.

Among Women Podcast #124 features Elizabeth Scalia and Kathryn Lopez discussing Catholic opposition to the US HHS Mandate

2012-02-08T22:01:00.000-05:00

Among Women 124 is a Special Edition that looks at objection of US Catholic Bishops, and multitudes of Catholics and others who view the federal mandate from the Health and Human Services Department as a violation of religious liberty. This Special Edition unpacks this issue with references to press releases from the USCCB, and commentary from Catholic opinion journalist, Kathryn Lopez, editor of National Review Online, and Catholic blogger and pundit, Elizabeth Scalia, managing editor of the Catholic portal at Patheos.

Please listen to this podcast, read the links, and share with others.

"Coffee Break" Among Women with Lisa Schmidt.

2012-02-06T09:00:00.000-05:00

"Coffee Break" / Among Women 123 (mp3)

This makes me think...

2012-02-06T06:30:00.000-05:00

The Christian faithful are to hold the Most Holy Eucharist in highest honor, taking an active part in the celebration of the most august sacrifice, receiving this sacrament most devoutly and frequently, and worshiping it with the highest adoration. In explaining the doctrine about this sacrament, pastors of souls are to teach the faithful diligently about this obligation.

--- Code of Canon Law - par. 898

Among Women ReadHER 2.4.12 Catholics against HHS Mandate... saints, sex, the examen & more

2012-02-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

Among Women ReadHER

2.4.12

Note: Earlier this week you may have read my post containing a variety of links regarding the Catholic concerns over recent decisions within the US department of Health and Human Services rejecting conscience clauses within "Obamacare".

Here it is: Helpful articles, video & action tips re Obamacare's affront to religious freedom and conscience

Take time this week to pray and evaluate your role in fighting initiatives that demean the dignity of the human person and promote a culture of death. As I've said in the past, this is not a political commentary blog... and yet... we've had many discussions on Among Women regarding the moral issues surrounding certain health care issues, respect life issues, and our role in the public square. This intersection cannot be ignored, so check out that earlier post for links on that subject.

----

St Philomena Encourages Youth to be Pure
By Eddie O'Neill at National Catholic Register
Another send up to this great saint. Hear about St. Philomena on the Among Women Podcast episode 103.

Sex and the Eternal City
By Kathryn Lopez at National Review Online
An interview with Christopher West about his new book on the subject of Theology of the Body and the new evangelization. A good read.

The Eternal Child
By Heather King at Shirt of Flame
Beautiful. Haunting. Real. Healing. (You can hear Heather King speak of her latest book about the life of St. Therese of Lisieux on AW 108.)

Why You Should Wear the Miraculous Medal
By Taylor Marshall at Canterbury Tales
An info-packed teaching on this great sacramental.

The Conscience and the Examen
By Marcia Morrissey from her column at Patheos
Here's a healthy spiritual practice.

Pretty Happy Funny Real
By Margaret Bern at Minnesota Mom
Delightful pictures and commentary about her daughter's first confession.

Inside the Mom (of a toddler) Brain
By Lauren Warner at Sipping Lemonade
A picture is worthy of a 1000's words... you will smile.

Happy Birthday Coffee & Canticles - Giveaway week!
By Daria Sockey at Coffee & Canticles
Divine Office enthusiast gives real life advice for praying with the Liturgy of the Hours. She's also giving away some nice books.

Say No to Competition (among women, friends, etc.)
By Meg Meeker, MD at her website
Great advice from Dr. Meeker!

Why Catholic Women Don't Make Good Mommy Bloggers
By Betty Duffy, guest posting over at The Anchoress.
Oh, this is rich. Like the way dark chocolate makes so much more sense to me than white chocolate.

And finally, this ode to the tech "symphony" (?) around many of us... H/T to Deacon Greg at The Deacon's Bench

Digitals from Chris Crutchfield
on Vimeo.

The F.U.N. Quotient... more comics...

2012-02-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

I've been following the Savage Chickens by Doug Savage for some time... (I never really appreciated the post-it note as a source of creativity before!)

A few recent favorites:

We all scream.

Insufficient.

Paying attention.

It's academic.

A Word in Season: A Shrug is Meager Exercise... Or, whatcha gonna do with venial sins?

2012-02-02T15:48:00.002-05:00

My column this week at Patheos is one part confession, and one part resolve. I got some habits that be needin' some kicking.

Pardon me, but my spiritual mediocrity is showing.

Lent is approaching -- Ash Wednesday on February 22 – andit’s causing me to consider my spiritual health. For a Christian, theresolution to be good and do good should permeate every day, notjust at the onset of the penitential seasons. The call to holiness is in seasonand out.

The trajectory of our lives should be a movement from ourinitial conversion -- a turning away from mortal sins and toward Christ. Indeed,the full maturation of the children of God is the call to be living saints,resembling Christ by imitation.

Yet sometimes my witness is a bit shaky.

No, let me say that more truthfully: I often settle formediocrity.

I settle for well,I haven’t broken any of the TenCommandments recently, and I don’t have any mortal sins to confess, and soI coast. Even though I am old enough to know better, I am not immune to thelure of bad habits

Read the rest.

Please feel free to subscribe to this column for your RSS reader or email.

Oh, and if you want a insightful look at the deadly sins in modern language, check this out, again at Patheos.

Among Women Podcast #123 - Practice, Practice

2012-02-01T21:41:00.000-05:00

Among Women 123 features ideas about being a practicing Catholic... and to get that done I "interview" St. Margaret Mary, and converse with The Practicing Catholic blogger herself, Lisa Schmidt. Together we talk about the joys of living in sync with the Universal Church and the graces God brings to us through his Word and his healing touch in our lives. You'll benefit about Lisa's stories about faith, marriage, John Paul II, healing from miscarriage, Mary's house, and more!

Join us for the coffee and conversation! Oh, did I mention I'm also talking about coffee on this episode?

One more thing: think about how you might contribute to an upcoming Special Edition of Among Women. Send me your favorite and most meaningful Lenten practices at amongwomenpodcast@me.com! Or call your ideas in to our voice mail: 206-203-2024.

Helpful articles, video & action tips for Catholics re Obamacare's affront to religious freedom & conscience clauses

2012-01-31T15:27:00.000-05:00

Note: This is not a political commentary blog. Yet, we've had many discussions on Among Women regarding the moral issues surrounding certain health care issues, respect life issues, and our role in the public square. Recent decisions within the US department of Health and Human Services rejecting conscience clauses within "Obamacare" touch us all. Take time this week to pray and evaluate your role in fighting initiatives that demean the dignity of the human person and promote a culture of death.

HHS Contraception Mandate is "un-American"

By Archbishop (and Cardinal-designate) Timothy Dolan of New York in USA Today

It's a brief article. Read it. Then watch a short video of +Dolan's criticism of the mandate. Are we peeved enough to act yet? Take action here via the US Bishops website.

The Jesus Mandate vs The Obama Mandate

By Bishop William Lori of the Diocese of Bridgeport

Read on! Get educated and understand the source of this righteous indignation.

Obamacare's Great Gift: Clarification

By Elizabeth Scalia at First Things

Elizabeth writes: "Now is the time for all good Catholics to come to the aid of providers-- the schools, hospitals, charities, and soup kitchens who serve communities in need without asking affiliations."

A Petition for All Freedom-loving Americans to Sign

By Frank Weathers at Catholic Lane

A comprehensive look at why we must fight this mandate. The reason to petition the White House at their site: "Why should I bother to help?” Simple. How many bishops are there in the United States? 145. How many votes do they command? 145. If only the bishops speak, and there is no other tangible sign of support from the rest of us, you know, backing them up, they will just be perceived as barking in thin air. 145 + 25,000, on the other hand, might just get a little more notice."

The HHS Mandate: Now it Personal

By Julie Davis at Happy Catholic

Even small business owners like Julie and husband will be affected, forcing them to bring up religion in the workplace and why they may have to drop health coverages. This article also links to the petition in Frank Weathers' article, above.

Current List of Bishops who Speak Out against Obama/HHS Mandate (~~115~~ 153 at this posting)
By Thomas Peters at Catholic Vote.org
I'm sure this list will grow. Thomas also writes about other notable updates on this topic including a legislative move by Senator Marco Rubio to rescind the mandate.

This makes me think... about the consequences of loving Christ

2012-01-30T14:45:00.000-05:00

The saint is not one who accepts suffering because he likes it, and confesses this preference before God and men in order to win a great reward. He is one who may well hate suffering as much as anybody else, but who so loves Christ, Whom he does not see, that he will allow His love to be proved by any suffering. And he does this not because he thinks it is an achievement, but because the charity of Christ in his heart demands it be done.

The saint is one so attuned to the spirit and heart of Christ that he is compelled to answer the demands of love by a love that matches that of Christ. This of for him a need so deep and so personal and so exacting that it becomes his whole destiny. The more he answers the secret action of Christ's love in his own heart, the more he comes to know love's inexorable demands.

---Thomas Merton, No Man is an Island, 1955.

Among Women ReadHER 1.28.12 ...HHS ruling... Mom stuff... Pope quotes... Stuff to make us think...Nags!

2012-01-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

Among Women ReadHER

1.28.12

HHS ABC Rule: Anybody but Catholics Has Religious Freedom
By Sr. Mary Ann Walsh at the USCCB Media Blog
Read this and stay informed on this issue.

Prayers for Women Approaching Labor
By Lisa Schmidt at The Practicing Catholic
Pray!

To the Mother With Only One Child
By Simcha Fisher at her blog at National Catholic Register
This struck a chord with me, and many other women, judging by the combox at the end of the post. Oh, and Tom Hoopes gives the Dad's version.

Talk to Your Mother!
By Simcha Fisher at her blog at National Catholic Register
Yes, a double-header from Simcha. There are no rules here, I link what I like each week. (Re the post: If you're like me, you wanna write a post that challenges us to do a test study on the rosary's power to break bad habits. I bet others have stories like this. Go Momma Mary. Go Rosary.)

March for Love
By Tim Muldoon at Patheos
Read this one slowly. Then listen to your heart.

Girl Scout Leadership: Pro-Choice, Pro-Gay Ideologues
By Mary Hasson at Catholic Lane
I was a GS for years. It was a great organization back in the day when I was young. But I've seen a slow decline in the moral values that were once characteristic of the organization. So I'm very troubled by the links on this post that just underscore that even more.

Silence and Word, The Path to Evangelization
By Pope Benedict XVI
For those of us active in new media evangelization, these World Communications Day messages are important to read. But let me say that what strikes me as profoundly simple about this message is the implicit call to go deeper still in our personal communication via the dynamics of love, friendship, and Communion.

Pope Stresses Role of Spiritual Guides in Discernment (for vocations)
Posted by Zenit
The Pope emphasizes importance of priests and parents in presenting vocation options to young people.

Meet the Marriage Killer
By Elizabeth Bernstein at the Wall Street Journal
All about nagging. Some good suggestions for avoiding it, at the end of the article.

A City's Soul in the Balance
By Elizabeth Lev at Zenit
Commentary on the good, the bad and the ugly in NYC.

Lunch with the Girls
By Lisa Hendey at Faith and Family Live
Book it!

Forgotten Relics Found in Buffalo
Posted by Fox News
Cool news story. Hope there is follow-up!

2 VIDEOs: Fr. Robert Barron comments on the recent viral video dealing with "Why I love Jesus and hate religion."

Miss the March for Life? Here it is in hyperdrive summary form...

The F.U.N. Quotient... the comics edition

2012-01-27T06:30:00.000-05:00

Once, in a galaxy long ago and far away, in a middle-school theatre production I played "Patty" in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. I was reared on Peanuts, spending many summers reading comics books, so I couldn't resist passing this along...

10 Peanuts Characters You've Probably Forgotten

And then, there's this: Happiness is Loving Your Enemies...

----
And then there's this totally-unrelated-to-Peanuts little gem... of subtle humor that only MAC users would understand.

Among Women Podcast # 112: Star of the New Evangelization

2012-01-26T18:42:00.000-05:00

Among Women 122 takes the view that the new evangelization is everybody's business. Pat shares that our guide for excellence in sharing our love and joy of the faith is Mary, the first and most faithful disciple of all.

In 2012 the Church will be invited to a Year of Faith and the world's bishops will be traveling to Rome for the Synod on the new evangelization.

Join myself and writer Robyn Lee for an honest discussion on how to be a witness, and how your encounter with Christ really is the glue that holds life together. Together we explore a few themes of the Lineamenta that leads up to the Synod, and find simple practical ways that talk about the faith out loud and in person.

Also, remember that SQPN's giving campaign is in full swing. Tax-deductible donations to the non-profit new media apostolate are most welcomed.

The Contagious Bonds of Faith and Friendship

2012-01-26T06:30:00.000-05:00

My weekly column at Patheos today looks to the saints and apostles for inspiration on glories of friendship... and how friendships can evangelize and build up the church.

Here's a sample:

Faith is caught not taught. That pithy adage describes myown conversion to Christ as a teen. I was raised in a Christian home, but I didnot as yet own my faith. Though I knew about Christ, I did not know him.

The witness of a few close friends won me over. At first, itwas more of what they did and lessabout what they said.

My heart yearned for what they had… authentic love for oneanother born of respect, not competition or social status. They walked togetherwith an easy regard for the uniqueness of the other; characterized by abuilding up, not tearing down. Their joy radiated from boon companionships. Acommunity ethic rooted in teamwork brought compassionate service to others.

There was a warm fire about them. And I needed to know itssource.

Jesussaid, “I have called you friends.” (John 15: 15.)

Friends… The God of the Universe wants to be friends withus. God took on a permanent partnership with his creatures, not only by takingon flesh in the Incarnation, but by longing to share our company so that oneday we might share his.

God, the mighty friend -- refuge and rock, consoler and confidant,healer and lover -- caught my attention. And I have never been the same. Once“caught” I couldn’t wait to be “taught” about the faith of the friends of God.

There's more. Subscribe to the column here.

This makes me think... about the gift of one's nature...

2012-01-23T06:30:00.000-05:00

Fish cannot drown in the water,
Birds cannot sink in the air,
Gold cannot perish
In the refiner's fire.

This has God given to all creatures
To foster and see their own nature,
How then can I withstand mine?

I must to God--
My father through nature,
my brother through humanity,
My bridegroom through love,
His am I forever!

Think ye that fire must utterly slay my soul?
NAY! Love can both fiercely scorch
And tenderly love and console.

--Mechthild of Magdeberg
(1210-1297)

The sad anniversary of Roe Vs Wade... some podcasts that speak to life issues...

2012-01-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

Here's a reminder about previous Among Women episodes that speak to life issues. Each episode has its own page that lists links to resources that respect life.

The following four episodes are no longer downloadable, but can be listened to online on the Among Women website.

Among Women 29 -- Guest Kathleen Fitzpatrick chronicles her journey of becoming pregnant as a college student and dealing with her process of acceptance, and her choice to give birth to her son and raise him as a single mother. Statistics show that 10% of all college aged women become pregnant every year. That's why Kathleen's story is so important, and why we need films and information that reach out to women in that age group that accounts for 45% of all abortions. (<--note: this link opens a .pdf file)

Among Women 30 -- Guest blogger and pro-life activist Leticia Velasquez discusses respect life advocacy and building the "culture of life". She gives valuable tips on how average citizens can stay informed on issues and awareness.

Among Women 28 -- Guest Merry Nordeen pioneered the "choose life" specialty license plates now available in Massachusetts. Merry also discusses how the initiative can come to the other states in the Union.

Among Women 40 -- Guest Earline Tweedie shares her faith story and her experiences of raising a son with Downs Syndrome.

The following episodes are available on iTunes or at the Among Women website.

Among Women 74 -- Guest Jessica Schacle, then a high school student, discusses her reasons behind her pro-life advocacy. This episode also features teaching on the Church's profound understanding of the dignity of the human person.

Among Women 75 -- Guest Dr. Theresa Burke, an international expert on post-abortion stress and healing, as well as a clinical psychiatrist, discusses the process of healing after an abortion. Many great resources are available through Rachel's Vineyard.

Among Women 120 -- A compelling story of birth mother and an adoptive mother talking about the decisions they made, the prayers they prayed and the daughter they share via an open adoption... 14 years later after the child was placed for adoption.

Among Women ReadHER 1.21.12 Sleepless... struggles.. quotables... politics..and bookishness!

2012-01-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

Among Women ReadHER

1.21.12

Before
By Amy Welborn
A warm reflection about her father's study, oh, and so much more, in the months after his death.

Politics as a Vocation: Mary Ann Glendon discusses the duty of all Christians to engage in public life
By Christopher White at the National Catholic Register
I'm a fan of practically everything Mary Ann Glendon writes or shares. (Glendon is former Ambassador to the Vatican under Pres. George W. Bush, and a top lawyer in Church affairs and at Harvard.) She's a woman who is a gift to the Church and to our country, always defending the normative place of religion in the public square.

Thriving!
By Arwen Mosher at Faith and Family Live
If you struggle with comparing yourself to other Moms around you, let Arwen's voice resound in your head.

Get a Good Night's Sleep: Pray, Hope, and Don't Worry!
By Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur at CatholicMom.com
A recent study shows lots of women suffer insomnia or put off sleep due to worries or stress. Patrice has some advice. Patrice was a guest on AW back in the early days, on episode 6.

Well Said: Being Childlike

By Julie Davis at Happy Catholic

Julie always pulls something of interest from her Quote Journal...this time it is one that I had read before but had forgotten from Madeline L'Engle... enjoy! To hear more fabulous quotes, listen to Julie's conversation with me on AW 99.

On faith
Posted by BenedictEveryday.com
Speaking of more quotes, I love these daily quotes from our Holy Father.

Read about Project Inspired's Campaign to stop selling Cosmopolitan magazine to under-aged girls.
Sign the anti-Cosmo petition here. H/T Teresa Tomeo, who recently guested on AW 118.

Beatitudes for Parents

By Patti Armstrong

Patti posts a short reflection from Marion Kinneman -- it still rings true. Patti was a recent guest on AW, you can find that interview here.

Tech Talk Tuesdays
By Sarah Reinhard at CatholicMom.com
If you are a gadget person with a smart phone or tablet, you'll enjoy Sarah's series at CM for recommendations for Catholic and family-related apps. I've linked to her archives. Sarah was a guest on AW 11 and AW 116.

Sure, I love to read online, but I also love curling up with good book. Here's a whimsical short video for book lovers...

The Moral is the Story: Flannery O'Connor's Wisdom for a Catholic Literary Renaissance
By Vaughn Kohler at the Gregorian Blog
This one's for all my writing buddies, especially in the Catholic Writer's Guild.

I'm over at Catholic Mom today...

2012-01-20T07:53:00.000-05:00

My latest at Catholic Mom is another installment in the occasional series I'm writing on the empty nest:

"Kids Learn What They Live"

The F.U.N. Quotient - IRL

2012-01-20T07:30:00.000-05:00

Sometimes ya just gotta take a day off with your girlfriends and go play! That's what I'm doing today. Maybe I'll post a picture or two later.

So this is your F.U.N.* quotient content for today: Go have some fun in real life today!

*frequent unbridled nonsense

The Teenaged Saint Remembered in the Eucharistic Prayer

2012-01-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

A young teen from the 4th century inspires both the Church calendar, and Eucharistic Prayer I. Read all about St. Agnes in my column at Patheos this week.

Among Women Podcast #121 Each Life is a Masterpiece

2012-01-19T01:44:00.001-05:00

Among Women 121 is back with a look at the passionate love and life of St. Clare of Assisi and a conversation with author, blogger, and pro-life advocate, Leticia Velasquez. Leticia and I discuss the unexpected blessings found in raising children with special needs, and we focus on some of the stories found in her new book A Special Mother is Born:

Parents Share How God Called Them to the Extraordinary Vocation of Parenting a Special Needs Child.

You can also get your name in for a free drawing of this book, by submitting a request to amongwomenpodcast@me.com, or leaving a note on the Facebook page for the Among Women Podcast.

Leticia is also the founder of K.I.D.S. (Keep Infants with Downs Syndrome), and we look at some of the misunderstandings surrounding Downs Syndrome, and the pro-life cause in light of this year's March for Life on Jan. 23 in Washington, DC.

Listen to the podcast or subscribe to it here.

Need Joy? Sunday is your answer. My latest at Amazing Catechists...

2012-01-18T11:44:00.002-05:00

Here's what this article at my column at Amazing Catechists is about:

Sometimes, the joy busters of life get the better of me. But not lately.When I delve into the Catechism of the Catholic Church, I really get a sense of the joie de vivre of Catholic life. Something that has had a real and practical application for my life is finding the joy of Sundays. After all, Sunday was the day that Jesus was raised from the death… and in so many ways, a thoughtful observance of Sunday can breathe life back into the other days of the week for me.

Tucked in the middle of a longer summary about Sundays, I came across this tiny, yet powerful phrase: the day of joy. I was immediately struck by how often I have revered Sunday as an obligation and a day of rest, but have not always consciously entered into it as a day of joy, save for major feast days. As it turns out, that is just one aspect of a bigger idea that describes Christian joy as proper to Sundays.

Read the whole thing.

This makes me think... St Catherine's Prayer before the Eucharist

2012-01-16T06:30:00.001-05:00

O boundless charity!
Just as you gave us yourself,
wholly God and wholly man,
so you left us all of yourself as food
so that while we are pilgrims in this life
we might not collapse in our weariness
but be strengthened by you, heavenly food.

O mercenary people!
And what has your God left you?
He has left himself,
wholly God and wholly man,
hidden under the whiteness of this bread.

O fire of love!
Was it not enough to gift us
with creation in your image and likeness,
and to create us anew to grace in your Son's blood,
without giving us yourself as food,
the whole of divine being,
the whole of God?
What drove you?
Nothing but your charity,
mad with love as you are!

--St Catherine of Siena (1347-1380)
as found in Praying in the Presence of Our Lord, by Fr Benedict Groeschel, CFR

Among Women ReadHER 1.14.12... the gamut today: joy... yummy things.. time savers... death... mothering & more

2012-01-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

Among Women ReadHER

1.14.12

The Space Between
By Jaymie Stuart Wolfe from her column at The Pilot
Always smart, always reflective, that's why I follow Jaymie's column. I was pleased to welcome her to Among Women back on episode 114.

Being a Single Parent Isn't So Bad. There are worse things. Trust me.
By Katrina Fernandez at The Crescat
The #1 rule of good writing: write what you know. Kat speaks from a deep, compassionate well of experience.

SCOTUS Unanimous on Religious Freedom
By Elizabeth Scalia at The Anchoress
We all have to stay abreast of the news: As Christians continue to face persecution both here and abroad, this ruling from the US Supreme Court is particularly important for the operation of churches in the USA. Elizabeth Scalia gives a good round up of the issue and the ruling. Be sure to see her links embedded in the post.

Bringing Death Into the Light Was Never Crazy
By Elizabeth Scalia at First Things
Yes, a second offering from Elizabeth Scalia... another culture-related post. This time it is a cogent, compassionate, and occasionally humorous consideration on how our society avoids the truth of death, and what we lose when we do. Elizabeth was a guest on Among Women last year, listen here.

The Fallacy of the "Yummy Mummy"
By Betty Duffy at Patheos
A sanity check here for all of us who may struggle with weight issues and perspective.

Rape Definition Updated by the FBI
By Peter Yost of the Associated Press
Women and men need to know this information. Pass this on to college age and high school age kids too. (Sadly, date-rape is more widespread that we might like to think or imagine.) And then, there is this sad statistic.

Motherhood and the Call to Holiness
By Thomas L. McDonald at National Catholic Register
Some good comments by the women interviewed.

The Happy Mother Challenge, Day 1
By Meg Meeker, MD at her website
A good book to put on your reading list!

25 Tips to Make Your Life Easier
By the Daily Buzz
Wow! I loved this list. (H/T The Anchoress)

Tim Tebow's Testimony
By Jennifer Roche at CatholicVote.org
I'm seeing more and more women write about Denver's QB. (Of course I live in Patriots Nation, so there's lots of trash talk going on around here. But that's besides the point. I agree with Jennifer here: Give Tebow credit for living his faith in the public square. There is persecution of such a soul, and there are graces too.

Beautiful Joy: for you!
By Hallie Lord (guest posting at Elizabeth Foss' blog)
Recalling delight in being a girl, a woman. Hear Hallie guest on AW 84.

My Father's Rosary
By CCR at The Conservatory
Found this article via someone's twitter feed. I don't really know the writer or his religious views, but I was moved that he was moved by his father's beads. Sometimes we may feel our children, or loved ones may never fully embrace the faith, but moments like this show the allure of the Holy Spirit is always at work.

12 Signs of a Spiritual Awakening
A resource posted at SilentNoMore.org
-- Silent No More Awareness is a Campaign whereby Christians make the public aware of the devastation abortion brings to women and men. The campaign seeks to expose and heal the secrecy and silence surrounding the emotional and physical pain of abortion. Find their new updated website here. If you have suffered an abortion, you may wish to listen Among Women 75 on that subject.

Jesus' life was about joy...

The F.U.N. Quotient - further proof that I am easily amused

2012-01-13T06:30:00.001-05:00

For the moms and caregivers out there -- did any one of your children even go through a dinosaur phase? Mine did. And so, here's a brief send up to those memories...

Dino Fail.

Dino Lego.

Dino Comes to School: Kids "gobsmacked"!

Dino movie:

Here's 12 great episodes of Among Women from 2011... Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss what's coming up in 2012!

2012-01-12T15:57:00.000-05:00

Here's an even dozen selected for your listening pleasure. Just click on the link to listen on your computer, or download via iTunes. Subscribe to the podcast here, and subscribe to the blog in the sidebar at right.

If you're new to Among Women, or you haven't been around for a while, here's a look back at some of what we've covered together in the last 12 months.

AW 85 with Elizabeth Scalia... Stand Up for the Faith

AW 92 Special Edition... The Bible and You -- a round-up with our listeners as guests!

AW 93 with a panel of guests... Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

AW 94 with Jennifer Willits... Ringing Around the Rosary

AW 99 with Julie Davis... Happy to be Catholic

AW 100... Celebrating 100 Episodes... with the guest from Episode 1: Dr. Virginia Kimball and a cast of thousands... (ok, not 1000's but a bunch of beloved listeners giving their two cents about AW.)

AW 103 with Rosario Rodriguez... When Forgiveness is Hard

AW 109 Metanoia... Listener Erin Miller talks about her conversion and the road to Carmelite spirituality.

AW 112 Special Edition... What I love about the Rosary! -- more fun with our listeners!

AW 113 with Lisa Hendey... Communing with the Saints

AW 118 with Teresa Tomeo... A Women's Relationship with the Media

AW 119 with Dorothy Pilarski... The Interior Life of Mothers

The Ripples of Generosity, Unseen - my latest at Patheos

2012-01-12T06:29:00.000-05:00

The beauty of the Sacred Scripture is the myriad of layers that are found in every chapter. My column this week at Patheos ponders the coming of the Magi to Bethlehem, and the unexpected blessings I have witnessed, and sometimes received, from modern-day "magi" in our midst... in a kind of unseen ripple effect...

Here's an excerpt:

Generosity is going the distance with big-hearted energy. Itpowerfully frames the Gospel’s challenge to “love one another (John 13: 34).”

After all, the call to holiness is supposed to imitate God’sfirst love for us… “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son…(John 3:16.)”

God’s munificence leads us, like Magi-wannabes, towardcharity for others.

Generosity has a rather noble duty attached to it. It isalways connected with lifting up another person. It is a chance to serve, bless,or elevate another through the sheer graciousness of giving liberally. Toparaphrase Jesus’ later Sermon on the Mount: we go the extra mile. (See Mt 5: 39-41.)

Generosity is the ability to give with no thought ofgetting, whether one is giving time, talent, or treasure. Fortunately, in God’seconomy, giving without thought of a return is never for nothing.

People I know have routinely offered their generosity to myfamily and me. I am so grateful for their unselfish love. Even if they wereunable to see into the future to know if it was all going to be worth it, theydidn’t stop from giving in the first place.

The gifts of the Magi remind me of a remarkablepotentiality: when we bestow generosity on those beyond our own circles, unseenexponential blessings become possible. There are many people this side ofheaven who will never know that they have participated in the largesse ofProvidence through their own charitable giving.

Read the rest of the column here. And please consider subscribing to A Word in Season today, and get it delivered right to your RSS reader or email inbox.

This makes me think... (Hint: read/buy the Compendium)

2012-01-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

I Believe in Jesus Christ, the Only Son of God

79. What is the Good News for humanity?
422-424
It is the proclamation of Jesus Christ, the “Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16), who died and rose from the dead. In the time of King Herod and the Emperor Caesar Augustus, God fulfilled the promises that he made to Abraham and his descendants. He sent “his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5).
80. How is the Good News spread?
425-429
From the very beginning the first disciples burned with the desire to proclaim Jesus Christ in order to lead all to faith in him. Even today, from the loving knowledge of Christ there springs up in the believer the desire to evangelize and catechize, that is, to reveal in the Person of Christ the entire design of God and to put humanity in communion with him.

“And in Jesus Christ, His only Son our Lord”

81. What is the meaning of the name “Jesus”?
430-435
452
Given by the angel at the time of the Annunciation, the name “Jesus” means “God saves”. The name expresses his identity and his mission “because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Peter proclaimed that “there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we can be saved” (Acts 4:12).
82. Why is Jesus called “Christ”?
436-440
453
“Christ” in Greek, “Messiah” in Hebrew, means the “anointed one”. Jesus is the Christ because he is consecrated by God and anointed by the Holy Spirit for his redeeming mission. He is the Messiah awaited by Israel, sent into the world by the Father. Jesus accepted the title of Messiah but he made the meaning of the term clear: “come down from heaven” (John 3:13), crucified and then risen , he is the Suffering Servant “who gives his life as a ransom for the many” (Matthew 20:28). From the name Christ comes our name of Christian.
83. In what sense is Jesus the Only Begotten Son of God?
441-445
454
Jesus is the Son of God in a unique and perfect way. At the time of his Baptism and his Transfiguration, the voice of the Father designated Jesus as his “beloved Son”. In presenting himself as the Son who “knows the Father” (Matthew 11:27), Jesus affirmed his singular and eternal relationship with God his Father. He is “the Only Begotten Son of God” (1 John 4:9), the second Person of the Blessed Trinity. He is the central figure of apostolic preaching. The apostles saw “his glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father” (John 1:14).
84. What is the meaning of the title “Lord”?
446-451
455
In the Bible this title regularly designates God as Sovereign. Jesus ascribed this title to himself and revealed his divine sovereignty by his power over nature, over demons, over sin, and over death, above all by his own Resurrection. The first Christian creeds proclaimed that the power, the honor, and the glory that are due to God the Father also belong to Jesus: God “has given him the name which is above every other name” (Philippians 2:9). He is the Lord of the world and of history, the only One to whom we must completely submit our personal freedom.

--Just a sampling of all the good stuff found in the Q & A format of the Compendium of the Catechism.

Find it online here.

Find a hardcopy here.

Among Women ReadHER 1.7.12 ...Epiphany, Supper, Gists, Digital Stuff and more

2012-01-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

Among Women ReadHER

1.7.12

A Blessed New Year
By Archbishop Timothy Dolan from his blog at the Archdiocese of New York
Some simple spiritual suggestions for the new year! Oh, and in case you missed the hoopla this week, we'll be calling him "Cardinal" Dolan very soon!

My Digital Resolutions for the New Year
By Lisa Hendey at CatholicMom.com
Timely, useful, and realistic ideas.

An Epiphany Royal Supper
By Tiffany at Catholic Cuisine
Neat-o!

The Premiere of "The Gist"
Posted By Catholic TV
Missed the debut episode? Click on the link above!

What Christian Parents Need to Know about Facebook
By @Sticky Jesus
Some basics. Check it out if you are a newbie to FB, or if you're kids are in middle school or older.

The Case for Calling Mom
By Sarah Klift at Washington Post
New study gives evidence that Mom needs to hear from you!
H/t Bonnie Rodgers at Catholic TV

Healthy Habits for the New Year include NFP (Natural Family Planning)
By Ellen Gable Hrkach at Amazing Catechists
A great reminder! I too recommend NFP, not only from a Catholic perspective, but also as a "green" and healthy alternative! Listen to Ellen's guest visit on Among Women 89.

Melanie Bettinelli's site The Wine Dark Sea got an upgrade!
Listen to the 2-part interview with Melanie here on Among Women.

America's Next Top Model: A little boy with Down's Syndrome
By Deacon Greg Kandra at The Deacon's Bench
A real human interest story... emphasis on the beauty of humanity.

Catholic issues in the culture... as posted in CatholicVote.org

image credit

The FUN Quotient... Amazing Harmonica edition

2012-01-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

I first heard Buddy Greene play the harmonica back in my days as a deejay for a Contemporary Christian music station. My favorite song penned and song by him is "A Virtuous Woman" listed below...

What Would You Like Me to Pray For? My latest at Patheos.

2012-01-05T10:29:00.002-05:00

If you've listened to the Among Women podcast, you know that I regularly ask for prayers from my listeners, and I regularly offer intercessory prayer them as well. The habit of intercession is one we all should take up in the new year if we haven't already.

Here are some thoughts from my latest column at Patheos about why and how you should intercede in prayer for others...

It’s like when the doctor asks, “Tell me where it hurts?” Allthe patient has to do is point to the boo-boo. Intercession is like that….People don’t have give a lot of elaboration, they just need to point and say… “This…”

“He’s sick and waiting on the lab reports...”

“I need a job…”

“She’s cutting…”

“He got arrested…”

“I’m getting a divorce…”

“We lost the baby…”

“I might have failed my class…”

“My father is dying…”

“My son is in the military…”

“I hate my coach…”

The interior logic of intercession leads to love. For somepeople, that might be an unintended consequence, but the law of love is alwayswithin the will of God.

So, this is only advice I can give: When you choose toactively pray for someone, prepare yourself to love him or her. If you already lovesomeone, prepare to love them even more. And if you pray for someone that youdo not love or like -- be it a difficult boss, an annoying relative, or someonewho has trespassed against you -- prepare to see signs of love or peace breakingthrough, even when you’d rather resist. You might not see changes in thatperson or their circumstances, but you will soon find that you cannot pray forsomeone in a detached way. It will move your heart in ways that might besurprising and sympathetic, especially if it leads to forgiveness, or freedom,or healing.

I think that is exactly why Jesus asked his followers tolove our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us. (See Mt. 5:44.) Heknew that intercession builds bridges between the painful stuff of earth andthe mighty throne of heaven. Intercession works reflexively to benefit bothparties, building a spiritual connection, a relationship woven invisibly by theSpirit.

Intercessory prayer, the practice of standing in the gapbetween what is seen by our earthly clay and unseen behind heaven’s veil -- beit for a few minutes, hours, or even years -- is a sublime gift weightier than worldlymeasures. It is an entering into God’s economy and surrendering to his channelsof grace.

Read the whole thing here.

Christmas greetings... more than a day... a season, a life.

2012-01-01T12:00:00.000-05:00

Asfar as I can tell, the first Christmas greeting ever mentioned in Scripture wasnot a Christmas card at all. It was more of a singing telegram sung by a choirof angels near the outskirts of Bethlehem where shepherds watched their flockby night. And as far as I know, those famous Magi bearing gifts for the ChristChild arrived after the fact… andtheir gifts represented not just a moment or a day in time, but a life to be lived, one that woulddevelop and grow and bless many in its wake.

Enterthe wisdom of the Church’s meditation on the Birth of Christ, giving us a sensethat this blessed event was really aseason… that we are entering into a newtime, a new era.

Anew order of life opened up that first Christmas night. And we have never beenthe same.

TheChristmas season for the Christian is everything that comes after the birth of the Newborn King.Just like the life of a family celebrates the birth of a child after theirarrival. This does not discount the advent of the child’s birth as unimportant.That is an important time of patient interior nurture. It anticipates thechanges to come within the family, and allows time for appropriate preparations.But a birth brings external celebrations and excitement and blessed obligations.A birth initiates changes within all the relationships of the family, and beyondto the wider community.

Thereal joy is not just about a birth day, but thelife that it represents… a tiny soul born with a profound destiny.

Soin the spirit of birth announcements arriving after the birth, and the spiritof a continued season of wonder and joy as we welcome a newborn in our midst…

Let us be about the holding and the hugging…

Let us practice saying his name lovingly on our lips…

Let ustake turns embracing his family and kissing and cooing the warm bundle that isours to share.

Letus linger over this somehow… like Mary did… by pondering these thingsin our hearts. Even if the rest of the material world is packing up Christmas,or selling it for 75% off, we can silently be assured that something more thanday has passed. And something more remains.

Christhas truly entered in, for all time.

Wehave been given a new life in andthrough this Holy Babe. May we understand this, so many centuries later, that wehave a Savior who, truly, anticipated our own births. And his loving gaze andoutstretched arms still await our coming into full knowledge of our profounddestiny.

Maythe grace of Christmas be yours for more than just one day, but every day. And may your New Year mark many days where Christ enters in.

Howsilently, how silently,

thewondrous Gift is given;

SoGod imparts to human hearts

theblessings of his heaven.

Noear may hear his coming,

butin this world of sin,

Wheremeek souls will receive him still,

thedear Christ enters in.

(O Little Town of Bethlehem, Phillips Brooks 1835-1893)

image credit

Among Women ReadHER 12.31.11

2011-12-31T08:00:00.000-05:00

Among Women ReadHER

12.31.11

Eve in Mary Reconciled, As Are We All
By Elizabeth Scalia at The Anchoress
This is from a few weeks back but still relevant during the Christmas season. (I must have missed it while I was traveling!) Turn to it now -- if only for the brilliant, provocative, and powerful illustration that accompanies it. Just stare into it and take it in. If you love Mary, I dare your heart not to be moved. As always I tip my hat to the equally brilliant wordsmith, otherwise known as The Anchoress, whose blog has long been a favorite stop of mine. (Hear Elizabeth Scalia on an AW episode from last January.)

A Dad at Christmas

By Elizabeth Foss at The Catholic Herald

More loveliness for the Christmas season from the ever-wise Elizabeth Foss.

Let Me Not Keep Christmas
By William O'Leary at Catechesis in the Third Millennium
Short and inspired.

Making Movies for Christ

By Robyn Lee at Amazing Catechists

Our YouTube-fixated culture proves that even home movies can reach millions of eyes. Let's get going, Catholic friends. DO try this at home!

Virgin is the New Mermaid

By Alicia Therese from On Earth, As It Is

A powerful metaphor for the case for chastity among singles.

All the Things in 2011
By Maria Johnson at Another Cup of Coffee
Nice reflection on gratitude.

New Catholic TV Show Aimed at Catholic Women

By Christopher S. Pinco at The Pilot

Coming in January, "The Gist", featuring Danielle Bean, Rachel Balducci and Carolee McGrath! Here's a trailer:

Hear Danielle on a previous episode of AW discussing her recent book with Elizabeth Foss.

The F.U.N. Quotient.... church musician nightmare edition

2011-12-30T09:00:00.000-05:00

Among Women podcast - On hiatus for a couple weeks!.

2011-12-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

I am taking a podcasting break until mid- January. Hope to be back around Jan 12 or so!

You can find links for archived podcasts cataloged by topic, saint, and guest at the Among Women Index page. Maybe there's something in our archives that will interest you while you are waiting for the next new AW?

Don't forget, as an AW subscriber, you get the podcast as soon as it uploads to iTunes. Click on this link to subscribe to Among Women.

One more thing, in case you missed the news, SQPN has 4 new affiliates: check 'em out!

In the meantime, let us pray for each other! I'll still be doing some moderate blogging, just not recording until into the new year!

SQPN Marathon Postponed!

2011-12-26T21:22:00.001-05:00

Fr Roderick and the Board of Directors at SQPN have decided to postpone the 12 hour Marathon originally scheduled for December 27th. Stay tuned for updates at SQPN and here at AW for a new date to be announced. In the meantime, enjoy the Christmas holidays!

This makes me think... (Absolutely one of my favorite acapella groups of all time)

2011-12-26T09:00:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas... May the Holy Family bless you and yours!

2011-12-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

Photo credit: Maria Johnson

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirin'i-us was governor of Syria. And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.

And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.

And the angel said to them, "Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger."And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!"

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child; and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.

But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart.

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

--Luke 2: 2-20.

From my family to yours, a very Merry Christmas!

Bob and I

Boulder, CO, December 2011

O Come Let Us Adore Him -- sing it!

2011-12-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

The F.U.N. Quotient... happy Christmas traveling edition...

2011-12-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

Among Women Podcast #120 News of a Baby at Christmas

2011-12-22T08:30:00.000-05:00

Among Women 120 is one part Christmas story, one part love story, and one part a single adoption story shared by two families.

Download this week's episode and listen to Pat recite O. Henry's famous story, The Gift of the Magi. Plus, listen in to a remarkable conversation between two women who've experienced an "open" adoption, whereby both the birth mother and the adoptive mother not only knew each other from the early days of the child's life, but have become very good friends in the process! It's an amazing story of courage, openness, intergenerational understanding, and love --with a few Christmas "God-incidences" thrown in for good measure!

Don't miss this extra-long, jammed-packed edition of Among Women. And find out how you might win an Among Women coffee mug!

Get involved in SQPN's giving program, and don't miss the SQPN Marathon on Dec. 27th from 9am-9pm. Join Pat at 12 noon EST for the Angelus and the recitation of the Scriptural Rosary. Plus talk and giveaways too! (Find it through the SQPN live show site.)

UPDATE: The SQPN Marathon, originally slated for Dec 27th has been postponed. Stay tuned! We'll announce the new date here when we know it!.

image credit

This makes me think... prayer and love of neighbor are linked

2011-12-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

Q: How does loving my neighbor -- husband, wife, children, friends, co-workers -- contribute to my contemplative prayer?

A: I may begin with the theological core of the matter: there is only one virtue of charity by which we love God, ourselves, and our neighbor. If I am not loving others -- although not necessarily liking them -- I cannot have a deep prayer life, for its heart, love, is missing. My prayer will be no better than my love for others. No set of techniques... will be able of themselves to improve it.

...

The whole of life is lived in the divine presence, which is an atmosphere of love. We are urged by St. Paul "to live through love in his presence (Eph 1:4). St. Augustine also shrewdly noted that "in loving our neighbor the eye of our mind is purified to contemplate God." Loving our associates requires that we practice other virtues: humility, gentleness, patience, obedience. Thus we are purified of our faults, each of which may be an impediment to growth in divine intimacy.

---Thomas Dubay, S.M. Seeking Spiritual Direction, Servant, 1993.

Among Women ReadHER 12.17.11 Adventing,Christmas poems and blessings...

2011-12-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

Among Women ReadHER

12.17.11

Alphabet for Christmas (a poem)
By Misty Nagel at her blog, Misty's Morning
Love-i-ly!

Celebrating Advent: An Advent Wreath Carnival Link Up
By Sarah Reinhard at Snoring Scholar
Simply sharing the advent wreaths from readers. It's nice to see what other folks do at their family table, or putting their wreaths at other focal points in their homes. Go check out Sarah's most recent visit to Among Women 116 where she shares her Advent book, Welcome Baby Jesus.

Why Religion is Not About Being Good
By Marc Cardaronella at Evangelizing Catechesis
Marc's spot on with this post.... especially in the season of 'bein' naughty or nice'.

Why Are the No Catholic Mom Bloggers in this Top 100 List
By Jennifer Fulwiler at the National Catholic Register
Things to think about in terms of the new evangelization...

A Mom's Holiday Playbook
By Erika Higgins at CatholicMom.com
I missed this article from a few weeks back. This idea may be too late to implement this year, but you might still get started. It's a simple way to "plan" to get through the holidays. I'm sure you could design your productivity apps on a phone to do similar things for you.

A Blessed Christmas!
By +Archbishop Timothy Dolan at his blog at the Archdiocese of New York
This is Bible and Catholic trivia that I've known for years, but I'm pleased that His Excellency pulled it all together in one handy article... making connections like this: "Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the Hebrew word for 'house of bread.' Thus, on His birthday, we approach the Eucharist to receive this “bread of life” in Holy Communion." (I love learning stuff like that!)

It's All About the "O"
By Daria Sockey at her blog, Coffee and Canticles (The Divine Office in your Life)
The "O Antiphons" that is! They start today!

Why Did the Magi Cross...

By Meredith Gould

That Meredith, such a kidder! A giggle.

image credit

Feeling better, but I need to simplify...the next Among Women podcast comes next week.

2011-12-16T16:20:00.000-05:00

Nothing like a couple of sick days over the last two weeks to put a hiccup into ye ol' makin' of the list and a-checking it twice. I am feeling better, but now I have a slightly elevated fear of "lost time" from a productivity standpoint. Now I wish I could hire a few elves to help me dig out of the hole that I am in. But at least I still have my sense of humor! (Fortified by green and red M&Ms among other goodies.)

My list is becoming radically simplified, and I'm just doing what I can.

To wit, simplifying means the last podcast for the year will be delayed till early next week. Simplifying may include sending Christmas cards deeper into the Christmas season, and baking a whole lot less, just to name a few things. In the meantime, I've just had the blessing of a little year-end work that needs my attention, as well as a few busy chores needing Momma's coordination skills. I am one woman, taking one step, and one prayer at a time.

So, until we talk again, let's continue to pray for one another as we zip and zoom along. Oh sure, we all have good intentions about keep a good and calm Advent. I know. I just came from adoration. But I also know that many of the folks who listen to Among Women, or read this blog have obligations to meet for their families and their jobs as we prepare for a Christmas weekend that will follow this long fourth week of Advent. It is not often that we get a full fourth week, so let's try to embrace it, and all its expectations and demands.

So let's just be mindful and remember each other... somewhere we are all lifting a prayer for one another. If you are reading this. Take a brief moment and take a deep breath. Then say a "Hail Mary" for the last person who read this and the next person reading this. There. You see? In 30 seconds, you just performed a spiritual act of mercy for someone else.

Here's another little something I'm trying to keep in mind: I love Psalm 89 that we will pray this Sunday: "For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord."

That would be "for ever" I will sing of the Lord's goodness. Not just when I feel like it -- when everything is going great. Not just when I've "got my act together", or gotten through the "to do"list. No, it is very good counsel to sing of the goodness of the Lord wherever we are.

Singing frees the soul, and singing to God allows me understand that everything we are and everything we have is from God's Providence. The to-do is a gift. The people I'm going to see this Christmas are a gift. The unexpected work I've encountered can be a gift. Even the sickness and difficulties can be gifts that slow us down and bring us to him. Everything in our lives passes through His hands... and it is a gift.

"For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord."

"Sing Forever" --St Philip Choir on youtube.

The F.U.N. Quotient -- The real JOY edition

2011-12-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

Put Yourself into the Christmas Story, my latest at Patheos

2011-12-15T08:59:00.001-05:00

Here's this week's column from Patheos describing a simple method for meditating on the Christmas story... spend some time in God's Word this season! Here's a little bit...

Put yourself in the story. It’s a real spiritual exercise; aform of meditation that disallows just passively listening to the message, but activelyreceives it.

Imagination stirs us to become a character in the story’saction, or to be ourselves as bystanders or witnesses of the events. That kindof identification draws us deeper into “the Greatest Story Ever Told”, lettingit take root. We make personal connections when we ponder what catches ourattention. The longer you meditate on a scenario in Scripture, the more you relaxwith the details, and the more vivid the experience. And while your mind isengaged this way, the Spirit of God may whisper to your heart as well.

Read the infancy narratives in chapters 1 and 2 in theGospels of Matthew or Luke. You can work with a few paragraphs,or the Gospels at Mass.

See, smell, touch, hear, and taste. Talk to the people youare reading about.

Putting myself into the story helps me to “get it.” Iacknowledge the truth of my situation; the need for more of God in my life andless of everything else.

I discover that the supernatural takes place within therealm of my natural world. That’s what makes Christmas so utterly amazing. My eyessee and my heart detects God becoming part of the human family, and I find himin my own experiences.

Read the rest of "Put Yourself into the Christmas Story."

image credit

I'm over at Catholic Mom today, with another installment of what I'm loosely calling "Tales from the Empty Nest"

2011-12-14T17:56:00.000-05:00

Have I told you how much I love CatholicMom.com, and its intrepid and wise founder-turned-author Lisa Hendey? Sure, you've probably heard me sing those praises before. But, no joke, check it out if you are a Catholic Mom and you're looking for information, inspiration, and a dose of fun for your Catholic Mommy Years. Back in the dark ages of CatholicMom, oh I'd say about two website iterations ago, I started writing for Lisa, and it continues to be a favorite stop for me, even tho' I'm not in the trenches anymore with small children. So, I'm writing about what I do now as a Mom....

Here's a snippet from "The Letter to the College Freshmen":

Dear Peter,

I hope your life at college is going well. Your last email and your Facebook statuses all sound pretty positive. Your departure as the youngest child off to college means that there are a few new things going on around here. So I thought I’d let you know about them before you arrive home between semesters.

After 24 years of parenting, I’ve gotten rid of the infamous lost sock bag. That’s right. Let the purging begin. I matched what could be matched, and the rest will be recycled into grease rags for Dad’s auto repair kit, dust cloths, and doggie chew toys. There are only two people here now, one guy, one gal. Finding mated sock pairs is pretty easy. But I almost caved on the whole project when I got to the bottom of the bag and found blue socks from when you were little. No lie! Blue uniform socks from grade school! *sniff* Unmatched in size, of course! But I could not throw them away. Not quite yet. I am keeping them in an undisclosed location since there is no more random sock bag.

Oh there's more. Find it here.

The Gohn "kiddos"

(That's Peter's high school graduation.)

Here's an earlier installment on the launching and sending off of sons. (Um, and another one about the oldest finishing college and leaving home.)

Our Lady of Guadalupe, another delightful nickname for Mary!

2011-12-12T07:30:00.001-05:00

In my family, affectionate nicknames play a certain role. My Bob is Hubby, Honey, St. Bob, My Love and more... My children all have similar versions that play on their names, or little titles that they grew up with Bobster, Katiekins, Petester, Jellybean, Bud, Sweetie... you get the picture.

There's a lot of affection for Momma Mary, the Blessed Virgin Mary, around this blog and on the podcast. The Church too has no shortage of affectionate "nicknames" or blessed titles for her.

Today we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas.

It's a lovely story to revisit if you have the time and inclination. There are some lovely photos of the Shrine in Mexico here.

Earlier this year, my friend, Maria Johnson, (whose got quite a few nicknames herself) shared her love of Guadalupe in an article that I am re-posting here. Months back she also sent me this photograph of the statue that inspired the article.... I love how the stars are illuminated and dance on Mary's mantle.

+Our Lady of Guadalupe, Pray for us!

photo credit: Maria Johnson

Previous posts on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe: 2010, 2009.

Or, for more on nicknames for the Mary, try this: M.O.M.S. the Word!

This makes me think... about praying more...

2011-12-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

The central concern of most people seeking guidance in their pursuit of God is contemplative prayer...

[A] thirst for the divine... coincides with the biblical "one thing," the top priority in any human life: "to gaze on the loveliness of the Lord" (Ps 27:4, see also Lk 10:38-42 NAB).

It is not for nothing that the very incarnation itself took place deep in the flesh of the contemplative woman par excellence, in her whose personal spiritual life is twice characterized by St. Luke as pndering the word in her heart. (Lk 2:19, 51.) As von Balthasar put it, "Because she was a virgin, which means pure, exclusive hearer of the Word, she became mother, the place of the incarnation of the Word."

Each of us is an incarnated puzzle, and each of us has an insatiable thirst for the infinite. Never content with the limited nibbles and tastes offered by created realities, we find buried in our depths a dynamic that is restless and voracious. Even the self-avowed atheist is, in his or her endless desires, a witness to this basic need for the divine. Though Jesus shared in none of our wounded sinfulness, his actions as well as his words pointed to the primacy of immersion in the Father: "In the morning, long before dawn... he went off to a lonely place and prayed there... He went off into the hills to pray... He would always fo off to some place where he could be alone and pray... He went out into the hills to pray... He was praying alone... He would spend the night on the hill..." (Mk 1:35, 6:46; Lk 5:16, 6:12, 9:18, 21:37.)

---Thomas Dubay, S.M. Seeking Spiritual Direction, Servant, 1993.

Among Women ReadHER 12.10.11 Advent, Gadget Craziness, Love, Babies, Charlie Brown & more

2011-12-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

Among Women ReadHER

12.10.11

Advent - Waiting, Hoping, Dreaming, Believing
By Dione Grillo at CatholicMom.com
Chuck full of good stuff. It's never too late to embrace Advent in the home with your family.

O Come Let Us Adore Him
By +Archbishop Timothy Dolan of NY from his blog
Do NOT miss this. Then share it.

Resisting the Electronic Christmas Craze
By Mary Beth Hicks at Family Events
Excellent family gift-buying advice.

"Such Love is Seldom Seen": Mother Mary Walsh OP (1850- 1922)
By Dr Pat McNamara at Patheos
Dr Pat is a great church historian and he retrieves a great story about a woman who heroically lived the beatitudes in the tenements of New York, and brought gifts to children who were forgotten by Santa, and so much more.

Wedding Dresses and Women, or How Women Dream of Prince Charming but Wake Up in "The Hang Over"
By Pia de Solenni from her blog of the same name
As a moral theologian Dr. Pia has some razor-sharp commentary on this, and I was quite taken with the insights of the wedding dress designer mentioned in this post.

Genetic Warrior: Leticia Velasquez and the New Diversity
By Lisa Mladinich at her column at Patheos
Leticia Velasquez is a smart and sassy leader in the pro-life movement, with expertise in the special needs arena. Leticia has been my guest, talking about her life with Christina, her daughter diagnosed with Downs Syndrome, on AW 30.

"A Man for All Seasons" and the Call to Fanaticism
By Joseph Susanka at Patheos
One of my all-time favorite films, and Joseph gives me more reasons to re-view it.

The Gospel According to Peanuts: How A Charlie Brown Christmas Almost Didn't Happen
By Lee Habib at National Review Online
Interesting history behind-the-scenes of the making of this family classic, especially in light of the media's hostility toward Christianity today.

Ah. So That's Where Babies Comes From
Posted by Patrick Madrid at PatrickMadrid.com
Cute and fun video short involving one woman's pregnancy. Rated G.

Because Natural Law is Catholic
By Frank Weathers at Why I Am a Catholic
Big topic covered deftly and with good resources; worth the read.

Catholic University's Same-Sex Dorms Foster Friendship, Respect
By John Garvey, CUA President, at the Washington Post
I have heard John Garvey speak several times and am very impressed with the direction he is taking here. FWIW, out freshman has no problem with the same-sex dorms, and indeed, welcomes them.

SQPN Announces 4 New Affiliates
By Steve Nelson, Exec. Director at SQPN
Catholic podcasting continues to grow. Check out the 4 latest affiliates at SQPN! There might be something that catches your ear! Don't forget, SQPN's annual giving campaign is in full swing, and we need cheerful givers!

This TED talk has been making the rounds... very encouraging mathematician describing the reaches of technology that visually takes us to the body's interior from conception to birth. (10 minutes long)

The F.U.N. Quotient... Bethlehemian Rhapsody

2011-12-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

Some Advent Humor.

Catholics Don't Have a Monopoly on Mary: Her Motherhood Reaches Out

2011-12-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

Over the past few years, my personal study regarding Mariology, or the study of Mary in light of Christology, (the study of Christ), has brought me in contact with the members of the Ecumenical Society of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Now that's an organization with a long title, but just take a moment to consider the important work it might do. Imagine what might happen if Catholics and non-Catholics alike found peaceful co-existance around a common Mother?

I write about it in my column this week at Patheos, titled "Blessed Virgin Mary: A Mother Not Just for Catholics".

Here's an excerpt:

As a young girl, I somehow got the impression that Catholicsheld the monopoly on the Blessed Virgin Mary. After all, we’re the ones who setaside feast days like today, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. As akid, some of my local Protestant friends scoffed at Mary, thinking erroneouslythat we Catholics worshipped her, or somehow deified her. As it turns out, bothpoints of view were suffering from a profound tunnel vision.

How much I had to learn, both of Mary, and of the genuineesteem and interest that other faith traditions held for her, whose life anddestiny exemplified both the love and the glory of God.

Today, the Catholic Church, indeed, celebrates Mary, theImmaculate Conception, officially promulgated in 1854 by Pope Pius IX.

The most Blessed Virgin Marywas, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilegeof almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of thehuman race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin.(PiusIX, Ineffabilis Deus, 1854).

But the seeds of this dogma are found much earlier than 1854. In factPope Pius IX was just affirming what was already grounded in Sacred Scripture. Tobegin with, there is the familiar story of the Annunciation to Mary in the firstchapter of Luke’s gospel.
And the angel… said unto her: Hail, fullof grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. (Luke 1:28 Douay-Rheims version).

Mary’s person is declared tobe full of grace in this verse. Sheis singled out from the rest of humanity. Her ontological nature or her being -- her very existence -- is full of grace according to God’s Word onthe lips of the Angel.

This makes Mary unique. One-of-a-kind. Pure. Immaculate. “Blessed…"

Mary’s Immaculate Conception reveals the love and the glory of God, andher being and magnificent life is God’s masterpiece in Creation. Mary is therecipient of God’s extraordinary love and highest praise as shown through themessage of the Angel.

What is accomplished in Mary points to the glory of God. Her role in humanhistory, and ultimately, salvation history, has meaning for us all. Her life isintimately acquainted with every member of the Trinity: Mary is the faithfulDaughter of the Father, the loving Mother to the Son, and the fruitful Spouseof the Holy Spirit.

What’s more, Mary’s way of life is a beacon for many people… even thosewho do not ascribe to the Catholic Christian tradition. She is a spiritualmother to millions of children around the globe: Roman Catholic, EasternOrthodox, Protestant, and Muslim.

One example of this blessedness of the Virgin Mary is found within the conversationsand ongoing work within the Ecumenical Society of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its mission bringstogether scholars, clerics, and laity interested in finding Mary as point of unionand connection, rather than division.

The Ecumenical Society of the Blessed Virgin Mary (ESBVM) existsto advance the study at various levels of the place of the Blessed Virgin Maryin the Church, under Christ and of related theological questions; and in thelight of such study to promote ecumenical devotion. Its aim is to show that, inthe Blessed Virgin Mary, Christians of many traditions may find a focus in theirsearch for unity. (Taken from the ESBVMwebsite.)

Read the whole thing.

This article contains commentary from Dr. Virginia Kimball and Dr. Maura Hearden, two theologians who have been frequent guests on Among Women.

Dr. Kimball joined us for AW 1, 2, 100, & 101.
Dr. Hearden joined us for AW 31, 32, & 83.

Among Women Podcast # 119 - The Interior Life of Mothers

2011-12-08T00:28:00.001-05:00

Among Women 119 welcomes author Dorothy Pilarski and a discussion centered on her book Motherhood Matters. Together we discuss the graces needed for mothering and the constant need to develop a stronger interior life, or life with God.

Also this week, don't miss the opportunity to put your name in for the free drawing for Dorothy's new book, by sending me an email at amongwomenpodcast@me.com, or sending me a note on the Among Women Facebook page.

This episode of AW also profiles the life and times of St Mary Di Rosa, a 19th century nun who lived a life of quiet heroism.

Reminder: SQPN's annual giving campaign needs your support. AW is an affiliate but all funds go to support the organizational needs of SQPN and its international apostolate that helps spread the gospel via Catholic new media. Please contribute if you can. Thank you.

This makes me think... nothing we do is wasted...

2011-12-05T06:30:00.000-05:00

Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.

Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.

Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

--- St Teresa of Avila, as cited in A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms by Lisa Hendey

O Come O Come Emmanuel / Second Sunday of Advent

2011-12-04T09:00:00.000-05:00

Among Women ReadHER 12.3.11

2011-12-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

Among Women ReadHer

12.3.11

The Our Father, Word by Word, a round-up of posts
By Jennifer Fulwiler at Conversion Diary, and a cast of thousands.
It took 9 months to give birth to these posts with several guest bloggers! Big thanks to Jen!

News from Faith and Family
By Danielle Bean at Faith and Family Live
Big changes regarding the magazine.

In the Fight Between HHS & the Bishops, Let's Remember Who Has the Most to Lose...Women.
By Thomas Peters at CatholicVote.org
Something to watch.

Heaven is Measured in a Mass

By Christina Novak at CatholicMom.com

The author writes: "Truly, children do have a special ability to see supernatural realities where we grown-ups sometimes fail." I have found this to be true.

Sharing to the Power of 2012
By Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, writing/speaking at The Economist
Be sure to watch the video commentary at the end of this article. This is very powerful stuff in terms of social media's reach, potential for good, and potential for abuse/misuse.

The 5 Best Toys
By Wired
If you're a veteran Mom or Sitter, you already know this! H/T Faith and Family Live.

The Diocese of Peoria has been introducing the Missal changes with catechesis using this video. (11 mins.)

The F.U.N. Quotient ... singing and talking dog edition.

2011-12-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

It was my daughter's birthday this week, and yes, this was just a gratuitous excuse to post a Boston Terrier video.

This one makes me laugh out loud...

The Advent of our Attentiveness - my latest at Patheos

2011-12-01T07:00:00.001-05:00

In this, my final column in the series on the new Roman Missal, I pick up on the themes of the early Gospels in Advent, and the response of the Centurion, whose words we make our own as we respond to the invitation to partake of the Eucharist. Here's the heart of it:

The Gospel, echoing the Prophets Isaiah and John the Baptist, speaks ofthe raising of the voice -- proclaiming -- not just watching. For Advent isalso about speaking and doing… of reacting to what one knows to be true.

These words beckon a holy disposition… not only watchful waiting, butof solemn preparations and vocal proclamations telling of our love for the OneWho is to come. The One who is soon to arrive in our midst bringing his powerand his glory.

In this, the final article in this column’s series on the people’sresponses in the updated Roman Missal,we discover at the words we utter as we prepare to receive Jesus in theEucharist.

They have everything to dowith a careful watchfulness and a proper preparation for a divine encounterwith the Lord. The same Lord, who, remarkably, comes via the Incarnation as oneof us, just as surely as he surpasses us in wisdom, power, and glory… comes tocure us, forgive us, and save us.

He is Jesus: the One God recognized even by a pagan Centurion (See Mt 8: 5-13) … Whose beloved servant wasparalyzed and suffering, yet whose faith anticipated the touch of Jesus to cometo the rescue.

Indeed, it is the Lord who comes to us in this holy visitation at Massin word and sacrament.

In the old translation we prayed: Lord, I am notworthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.

In the new translation we pray:

Lord, I am notworthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soulshall be healed.

The Centurion’s watchful eye had taught him everything he needed toknow about Jesus, whose very words contained the power. And so he petitionedJesus to heal his servant. As Jesus acquiesced, prepared to come directly toperform the healing, the words of the Centurion’s faith and humility admitsomething profound. Jesus’ great power and authority is so potent that he needonly speak it, and the healing will be manifested.

And so, our new prayer at this point in the Mass is this directiteration from Matthew 8:8, theCenturion’s response to Jesus: Lord, I amnot worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and myservant shall be healed. Only we will not pray for a servant’s healing, wewill be praying for our own.

What more appropriate prayer might we make during this holy season ofAdvent?

Here's the whole thing.

If you enjoy this weekly column, consider subscribing so it comes right to your email or your Reader or RSS inbox. Thank you.

Among Women Podcast # 118 features Teresa Tomeo

2011-11-30T11:40:00.001-05:00

Among Women 118 challenges us to take time this Advent to go deeper with Christ and the Church. This week, we'll draw inspiration from two women whose lives were transformed by doing just that. The program presents a profile of Dorothy Day, whose 20th century conversion and convictions regarding service to the homeless, poor, and disenfranchised inspired countless Americans through the Catholic Worker Movement. Her cause for canonization is underway.

We also visit with media expert and radio/TV host, Teresa Tomeo, as she unpacks themes from her latest book, Extreme Makeover: Women Transformed by Christ, not Conformed to the Culture. (View trailer below.)

Together we talk about a woman's relationship with the media, plus evaluate media's potentially toxic effects on a woman's wellbeing. Don't miss taking a media "reality check"in light of your relationship with Christ on Among Women today!

Subscribe to Among Women via iTunes.

The trailer for Teresa Tomeo's Extreme Makeover...

image credit

This makes me think... use GOOD words today. Do GOOD. It's Advent.

2011-11-28T06:00:00.000-05:00

Video and Audio Resources the First Sunday of Advent

2011-11-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

Fr. Robert Barron on Advent Spirituality

Fr. Robert Barron on the new Roman Missal -- I've posted this before, but perhaps you've yet to see it.

Among Women 116- The advent of Advent with Sarah Reinhard, discussing her new booklet, Welcome Baby Jesus.

Among Women 114- Prepping for the New Roman Missal with Jaymie Stuart Wolfe, with a lively discussion of translations changes and our life with Christ. Also featured, a booklet called The Mass Explained for Kids.

Among Women ReadHER 11.26.11 Mass Translation, Mass Confusion, Mass Participation...

2011-11-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

Among Women ReadHer

11.26.11

When Thanksgiving is Filled with Turkeys
By Fr. James Martin SJ at Patheos.com
A bit late for the actual holiday, but soooo much of this is applicable to the forthcoming Christmas celebrations!

Sharing With Others
By Rachel Balducci at Testosterhome
A little bit on the joy of girls, and a little bit of loving on the strangers we meet.

31 Elaborate Marriage Proposals
Posted at MentalFloss
Hey, I'm just happy that people STILL want to get married, despite the high stats on cohabitation, and people who eschew marriage! (Altho', theologically and biologically speaking, I believe we are made for marriage, and the ultimate marriage feast of the Lamb, but I digress...) Don't know how many Catholics are represented here, but surely a few clever romantics!

Saying Good-Bye to the Old English Translation of the Mass
By Patrice Fagnant MacArthur at Spiritual Woman
It's ok to say you will miss the old translation. It's healthy, even, to say that this will be hard for you, for us.

Pope Benedict XVI on Children and Prayer
By Lisa Hendey, at Faith and Family Live
So simple, so true, so easy to share. (So often folks think of B16 as this giant theological intellectual... and *ahem* he is... but he is also a great, humble, Papa who speaks to the moment, even with children.)

Jesus' Eager Desire: Our Participation at Sunday Mass
By Cardinal Sean O'Malley of the Archdiocese of Boston (as found in The Pilot)
Excellent catechesis for everyone everywhere (not just us folks in MA) on our relationship with Jesus in the Eucharist, and our relationships with the people in the pews next to us in our parishes. Long letter, but worth it. Share it with your loved ones.

Did you see the pilot episode for the sitcom Mass Confusion? If not, you can catch it on demand at Catholic TV.

The F.U.N. Quotient ... a visual for those of you who appreciate Bach!

2011-11-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

A little bit of fun for those of refined musical tastes... a great musical piece by Bach with a little video extra!

Happy Thanksgiving from Our House to Yours... "Now Thank We All Our God" - JS Bach

2011-11-24T09:30:00.000-05:00

Now thank we all our God, 
 with heart and hands and voices, 
 who wondrous things has done, 
 in whom this world rejoices; 
 who from our mothers' arms 
 has blessed us on our way 
 with countless gifts of love, 
 and still is ours today.

O may this bounteous God 
 through all our life be near us, 
 with ever joyful hearts 
 and blessed peace to cheer us; 
 and keep us still in grace, 
 and guide us when perplexed; 
 and free us from all ills, 
 in this world and the next.

All praise and thanks to God 
 the Father now be given; 
 the Son, and him who reigns 
 with them in highest heaven; 
 the one eternal God, 
 whom earth and heaven adore; 
 for thus it was, is now, 
 and shall be evermore.

Text: Martin Rinkart; Trans. by Catherine Winkworth

Among Women Podcast # 117 The Gifts We Are to Each Other

2011-11-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

Among Women 117 celebrates Thanksgiving with a reminder on how we are all connected by baptism to the Body of Christ by sharing a story of bread and wine from St. Francis de Sales... you may look at the bread you serve and the wine you drink a little differently after that.

Then the first segment describes one of the saints from the liturgical calendar this week, on Nov 25, St. Catherine of Alexandria. She was a 4th century martyr who died followed standing up to the Emperor for his persecution of Christians.

Guests this week are co-authors Patti Armstrong and Theresa Thomas who introduce their book Stories for the HomeSchool Heart.

Come read my latest column at the newly-redesigned Amazing Catechists website.

2011-11-21T14:35:00.001-05:00

No matter who we are... we are all called to know the love of Jesus Christ. That's the whole reason to be a Christian in the first place. If you teach about the Faith, that's the only reason to be a catechist. In fact, being a witness to your own faith is an important prerequisite to sharing it with other. You can't give what you don't have. You don't have to know it all to be a catechist, the first prerequisite is to love God, and the second is to love your neighbor... for the catechist, that's the people you teach.

Everybody has a built-in restlessness that never rests until they rest in Jesus, says Augustine. And the Catholic Church echoes that claim. Even celebrities and the rich and famous need Jesus... and so does the rest of general population. We need to reach out to anyone within our reach with the gospel message of salvation, healing, peace, and love. Thus, my latest installment over at Amazing Catechists: I'm a Catechist, not Kim Kardashian.

This makes me think... like, sainthood might actually be accessible.

2011-11-21T10:26:00.000-05:00

Through baptism we become part of a family much larger than our biological family. It is a family of people "set apart" by God to be light in the darkness. These set-apart people are called saints. Although we tend to think about saints as holy and pious, and picture them with halos above their heads and ecstatic gazes, true saints are much more accessible. They are men and women like us, who live ordinary lives and struggle with ordinary problems. What makes them saints is their clear and unwavering focus on God and God's people. Some of their lives may look quite different, but most of their lives are remarkably similar to our own.

The saints are our brothers and sisters, calling us to become like them.

---Henri Nouwen, Bread for the Journey. (More about Henri here.)

Among Women ReadHER 11.19.11

2011-11-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Among Women ReadHer

11.19.11

Lesson One in Prayer
By Dr. Peter Kreeft at The Integrated Life
This is the first installment in a larger series. Definitely worth a read, and there is a recorded talk (podcast) with Kreeft also at this link.

Making Room
By Simcha Fisher at her blog at the National Catholic Register
Writer lesson one: write what you know. This is a home run. For parents, for families, for advent.

The Calm Before The Storm

By William O'Leary of Catechists in the Third Millennium

The calm before the Christmas "storm" that is... three ways to make your Advent more meaningful... and consider clicking through to the article mentioned at the end of #3. (It is an archived piece by Mary Beth Bonacci and well worth the trouble.) Need more Advent prep help? Check out this week's AW 116 with Sarah Reinhard with ideas for lowering the stress levels.

Teen Girls Twice as Likely as Boys to Tweet
By eMarketer
Not surprised. Other stats listed too. (One of my son's once complained about a former girlfriend who chronically texted him with suffocating frequency.)

The Catechism Demystified
By Julie Davis at Happy Catholic
Simple, direct, with illustrations. Go see. Julie is a wise and wonderful Catholic blogger and podcaster; hear a delight and fun conversation about her Happy Catholic book on AW 99, or find her conversion story and blog story on AW 49.

The King's Speech
Posted by Rocco Palmo at Whispers in the Loggia
A transcription of Archbishop Timothy Dolan's opening speech at the Plenary meeting of the US Catholic Conference of Bishops. (+Dolan is the president.) For me the speech captures the heart and mission of the new evangelization.

Mississippi Didn't Need Personhood Amendment to Ban Abortion
By Steven Ertelt on LifeSite News
I still think we need discussions about personhood as part of the overall discussion regarding the dignity of the human person. However, having personal discussions about this issue, and the necessity for specificity of language regarding the law are two different things. I think the legal counsel on this --from a Catholic standpoint -- was that this was not the legal battle that would help end abortion in Mississippi, and therefore it did not garner the support from the major Catholic voices in the public square, most specifically the US Catholic Bishops, among others. Honestly, I should have done my homework better on that score; I think I was a bit too quick in my own support of it, as I saw supporting it as a way of standing with other Christians (non-Catholics that I know) in trying to promote a culture of life. In retrospect, I need to take the wider long term view.

Christ the King and the 'Net Positive
By Elizabeth Scalia at her Tuesday column on First Things
You never know who is listening, watching or reading.

How to Restore a Culture in One Easy Step
By Joe Carter at First Things
Yes, another selection from First Things, but worth it! You know I always try to promote bible reading and bible study... Carter makes a case for it as we've witnessed the shift away from a once-Judeo-Christian ethic that figured prominently in recent centuries and has been abandoned in our secular age.

Buying Locally Catholic
By Sarah Reinhard at SnoringScholar.com
Good advice. Try this as you prepare for the Christmas holidays. And hey -- if you're preparing for Advent, not to be redundant, but take a listen to Sarah Reinhard's appearance on the latest episode of Among Women!

Wasted for Love
By Sr. Lisa Marie at Virtuous Pla.net
A look at discerning God's will in life and in our vocations.

Bishops Add 2 New Memorials to our Liturgical Calendar
By Deacon Greg Kandra at The Deacon's Bench
And the two are 1) Oct. 22 for Blessed John Paul II and 2) Jan. 23 Blessed Marianne Cope (who we recently profiled on AW 115.)

And again, thanks to The Deacon, who posted this totally amazing TED talk (about 10 minutes) complete with video on new technologies that see inside the body -- a short film from conception to birth -- splendidly done.

And speaking of videos, Matt Warner at National Catholic Register posted 10 short previews of all the films in the landmark Catholicism series produced by Fr. Robert Barron.

The F.U.N. Quotient... (Mom edition, part 2)

2011-11-18T06:30:00.000-05:00

Advice from Moms of Yesterday:

Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing. -Phyllis Diller

Never lend your car to anyone to whom you have given birth. -Erma Bombeck

From "Leave It to Beaver"...

June Cleaver: "Wally, where are you going?"

Wally Cleaver: "I'm going over to slug Eddie."

June Cleaver: "That's no way to talk, this is Sunday."

Wally Cleaver: "You're right, I'll wait 'til tomorrow and slug him in the cafeteria."

I subscribe to Barbara Johnson's calorie-burning definitions of laughter:

A Princess Gives It All Away -- Inspiration for real life from St. Elizabeth of Hungary

2011-11-17T09:08:00.001-05:00

I first encountered the story of St. Elizabeth of Hungary when my husband and I were first married. We belonged to St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish. She was always depicted with a basket of bread in her hands and she wore a crown. In real life, I think she might have hesitated wearing the crown-like adornments, but I can't say for sure. But her lifestyle was one lived in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi, and her day-to-day activities were filled with loving service to her neighbors, despite having the privileged life as a daughter of King Andrew of Hungary, and being wed a prominent German Duke. The woman had it all -- a devoted, wealthy husband, three children, a castle life...and she simply gave it all away...

Read the story of St Elizabeth of Hungary at A Word in Season.

Among Women Podcast #116 - The advent of Advent

2011-11-15T23:18:00.001-05:00

Among Women 116 is the "advent of Advent" show where we gently want to remind you about the upcoming season of Advent... but try NOT send you into panic mode. Of course, Advent is a wonderful time of preparation for the Christmas holiday, but its arrival so close after the Thanksgiving weekend, and such, well... sometimes the holidays just get a little cramped and busy, we don't feel very festive.

Today we welcome blogger and author Sarah Reinhard to discuss her new book, Welcome Baby Jesus. And we welcome Sarah's suggestions for making this season one of recollection and receptivity of the baby Jesus.

And I'll also be talking about St Bonifacia Rodriguez Castro of Spain... one of the newest canonized women, and a little bit about walking with Jesus through unmet expectations and disappointments. Listen in to Among Women!

If you like what we do here on Among Women, kindly consider leaving favorable review and rating on iTunes.

New Website Unveiled today by the USCCB: Marriage - Unique for a Reason

2011-11-14T16:49:00.001-05:00

Marriage: Unique for a Reason Homepage.

Check out two videos.

In related news, the Bishops of the US are meeting in their fall plenary session.

Rocco Palmo at Whispers in the Loggia is covering it.

Check out Archbishop Timothy Dolan's opening remarks.

This makes me think... about dealing with fear...

2011-11-14T06:30:00.000-05:00

If you abide in the love of Christ, rooted in the faith, you will encounter, even amid setbacks and suffering, the source of true happiness and joy. Faith does not run counter to your highest ideals; on the contrary, it elevates and perfects those ideals. Dear young people, do not be satisfied with anything less than Truth and Love, do not be content with anything less than Christ.

Nowadays, although the dominant culture of relativism all around us has given up on the search for truth, even if it is the highest aspiration of the human spirit, we need to speak with courage and humility of the universal significance of Christ as the Saviour of humanity and the source of hope for our lives. He who took upon himself our afflictions, is well acquainted with the mystery of human suffering and manifests his loving presence in those who suffer...

... Dear friends, may no adversity paralyze you. Be afraid neither of the world, nor of the future, nor of your weakness. The Lord has allowed you to live in this moment of history so that, by your faith, his name will continue to resound throughout the world.

--Benedict XVI, Homily at Prayer Vigil, World Youth Day, Madrid, 2011, August 20, 2011.