Friday, October 30, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Revelations
Revelations? It is amazing how your crosses in life become your biggest strengths. Maybe that is what Jesus wants to teach to us. All my life the one gift I treasured the most was writing and it is the most scary gift. You lay yourself vulnerable out there, because the best writers write from experience. Since 1992, I have been a teacher. I chose this profession because it was a safe profession. I was never the risk taker. Writing as a profession was scary: would have enough money to survive on? All these questions through it all, one thing was missing my Trust in God. I told a good friend yesterday that Trusting in God is easy during the good times. When the bad times comes Trusting in God is truly a cross one bears. Well I have come to that cross and He has shown me the way, either I keep pedaling to it with God or I stop pedaling and fall off the bike. There are so many things going on in our lives right now and I am choosing to pedal it and finally start freelancer again with God's guidance. He will show me the way. I will still be teaching at home(homeschooling), but for now my teaching degree will be taking a back saddle. Homeschooling and writing for God's Divine Grace are my vocations He set me on the path to do. Through this whole struggle we have been going to two of the beatitudes come close to home:
Blessed are the poor in spirit, theirs is the Kingdom of God.
Blessed are the pure in heart, they shall see God.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, theirs is the Kingdom of God.
Blessed are the pure in heart, they shall see God.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Meditation of the Day
Admit it.
Aren’t you annoyed sometimes, when reading the lives of the saints, to find
them deeply grieved over sins or weaknesses that appear incredibly minor?
Teresa of Ávila begged God’s forgiveness for having been fond of parties and
pretty dresses when she was young. Francis of Assisi repented publicly for
having eaten chicken when he was sick. He had one of his followers tie a
rope around his neck and lead him through the villages crying out: “Here is
the great glutton who ate chicken in secret!” And then there is Augustine,
who lamented a “deed of darkness”—stealing pears with some friends when he
was sixteen.
If we could just dismiss such saints as obsessive, it might let us off the
hook—but no such luck. These men and women were moved to repentance because
they were able to recognize outwardly minor failings as shoots from deeply
buried roots of serious issues like vanity and pride. In Augustine’s case,
willful rebellion against God was behind that youthful theft: “The pleasure
I got was not from the pears—it was in the crime itself.” And furthermore,
he explained, it was only by the grace of God, “who illumines my heart and
searches out its dark corners,” that he came to see his sin for what it
really was.
The same is true for us. How easy it is to delude ourselves that it’s other
people who commit the big sins and that we ourselves are pretty good
followers of Jesus. Oh sure, I stumble every now and then—but nobody’s
perfect. Or if we do happen to sin more grievously, how easy to justify
ourselves or to consider the sin a “one off”—something not typical of our
basically holy selves. As today’s two readings point out, this blindness to
our own failings comes accompanied by an exquisite sensitivity to other
people’s!
There is only one remedy for this tendency to misjudge our neighbors and
ourselves. It requires bringing every thought and action to God, asking him
for help to get on course and stay there. Challenging? Yes. But consider
this: Your judge is also your healer, who wants you to know “his priceless
kindness, forbearance, and patience” (Romans 2:4). How will you respond to
his invitation today?
“Probe me, God, and know my heart. Correct whatever is broken and crooked,
so that I can walk in freedom and become the person you created me to be.”
Psalm 62:2-3,6-7,9; Luke 11:42-46
Aren’t you annoyed sometimes, when reading the lives of the saints, to find
them deeply grieved over sins or weaknesses that appear incredibly minor?
Teresa of Ávila begged God’s forgiveness for having been fond of parties and
pretty dresses when she was young. Francis of Assisi repented publicly for
having eaten chicken when he was sick. He had one of his followers tie a
rope around his neck and lead him through the villages crying out: “Here is
the great glutton who ate chicken in secret!” And then there is Augustine,
who lamented a “deed of darkness”—stealing pears with some friends when he
was sixteen.
If we could just dismiss such saints as obsessive, it might let us off the
hook—but no such luck. These men and women were moved to repentance because
they were able to recognize outwardly minor failings as shoots from deeply
buried roots of serious issues like vanity and pride. In Augustine’s case,
willful rebellion against God was behind that youthful theft: “The pleasure
I got was not from the pears—it was in the crime itself.” And furthermore,
he explained, it was only by the grace of God, “who illumines my heart and
searches out its dark corners,” that he came to see his sin for what it
really was.
The same is true for us. How easy it is to delude ourselves that it’s other
people who commit the big sins and that we ourselves are pretty good
followers of Jesus. Oh sure, I stumble every now and then—but nobody’s
perfect. Or if we do happen to sin more grievously, how easy to justify
ourselves or to consider the sin a “one off”—something not typical of our
basically holy selves. As today’s two readings point out, this blindness to
our own failings comes accompanied by an exquisite sensitivity to other
people’s!
There is only one remedy for this tendency to misjudge our neighbors and
ourselves. It requires bringing every thought and action to God, asking him
for help to get on course and stay there. Challenging? Yes. But consider
this: Your judge is also your healer, who wants you to know “his priceless
kindness, forbearance, and patience” (Romans 2:4). How will you respond to
his invitation today?
“Probe me, God, and know my heart. Correct whatever is broken and crooked,
so that I can walk in freedom and become the person you created me to be.”
Psalm 62:2-3,6-7,9; Luke 11:42-46
St. Callistus I
The most reliable information about this saint comes from his enemy St. Hippolytus, an early antipope, later a martyr for the Church. A negative principle is used: If some worse things had happened, Hippolytus would surely have mentioned them.
Callistus was a slave in the imperial Roman household. Put in charge of the bank by his master, he lost the money deposited, fled and was caught. After serving time for a while, he was released to make some attempt to recover the money. Apparently he carried his zeal too far, being arrested for brawling in a Jewish synagogue. This time he was condemned to work in the mines of Sardinia. He was released through the influence of the emperor's mistress and lived at Anzio (site of a famous World War II beachhead).
After winning his freedom, Callistus was made superintendent of the public Christian burial ground in Rome (still called the cemetery of St. Callistus), probably the first land owned by the Church. The pope ordained him a deacon and made him his friend and adviser.
He was elected pope by a majority vote of the clergy and laity of Rome, and thereafter was bitterly attacked by the losing candidate, St. Hippolytus, who let himself be set up as the first antipope in the history of the Church. The schism lasted about 18 years.
Hippolytus is venerated as a saint. He was banished during the persecution of 235 and was reconciled to the Church. He died from his sufferings in Sardinia. He attacked Callistus on two fronts—doctrine and discipline. Hippolytus seems to have exaggerated the distinction between Father and Son (almost making two gods) possibly because theological language had not yet been refined. He also accused Callistus of being too lenient, for reasons we may find surprising: (1) Callistus admitted to Holy Communion those who had already done public penance for murder, adultery, fornication; (2) he held marriages between free women and slaves to be valid—contrary to Roman law; (3) he authorized the ordination of men who had been married two or three times; (4) he held that mortal sin was not a sufficient reason to depose a bishop; (5) he held to a policy of leniency toward those who had temporarily denied their faith during persecution.
Callistus was martyred during a local disturbance in Trastevere, Rome, and is the first pope (except for Peter) to be commemorated as a martyr in the earliest martyrology of the Church.
Catholic Product Reviewer program
Catholic Product Reviewer Program
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Your review could be as simple or as complex as you'd like. We expect you to be more interested in some products you receive, so it's natural for some reviews to be better than others. Sometimes, you may get a product you don't care for at all. That's alright, we still want your honest review!
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Reviewers must have an existing blog, podcast, vidcast, or web site that shows signs of active readership. The content must not contain anything contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church. The author must not spam or promote their site in any unacceptable way. You may choose a product to review from the available review products once every 45 days. There is no deadline to complete a review, however we prefer that reviews be posted within 2 months of receiving the item. You will not be able to choose a new product until your previous review is completed. Each review must include a link to our home page and a link to the product page on our site; no affiliate links allowed in the review. There is no length requirement, but each review needs to be unique content created by the reviewer.
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Tuesday, October 13, 2009
In Memoriam of Chris Klicka--you will be missed
A longtime champion of homeschooling rights around the globe, Home School Legal Defense Association Senior Counsel and Director of State and International Relations Christopher J. Klicka was called home by his Lord on October 12, 2009, at age 48, following a 15-year battle with multiple sclerosis. An attorney, spokesman, lobbyist, and homeschooling husband and father, Chris is survived by his wife, Tracy, their seven children (ages 11–21), and his parents, Ardath and George Klicka.
“Chris was both a people person and a goal person. He cared deeply about people, but was also driven to always do more!” says HSLDA President J. Michael Smith. “He was the most determined person I ever met in my life. Even with all the things he accomplished every day at HSLDA, he continually wanted to tackle new challenges and serve homeschoolers in more and better ways. He was so focused on the homeschooling world, but he was also very much focused on his family and dedicated to raising his children.”
An integral part of Home School Legal Defense Association’s staff for 24 years, Chris was HSLDA’s first full-time employee, first executive director, and first full-time attorney. He believed passionately that homeschooling was the best educational method for children and demonstrated that passion in every area of his life.
Chris and Tracy homeschooled all seven of their children. He traveled across the United States (and around the world) defending families’ right to homeschool and advocating homeschooling. He participated in countless radio interviews on homeschooling issues. He wrote five books on homeschooling, penned numerous articles, and had two more books in progress when he passed away. He lobbied state legislators, U.S. senators, and foreign diplomats to support homeschooling. He sought greater freedom for homeschooling parents and students in every area—from local school districts to sports associations, college admissions departments, and military recruitment requirements. He sought to educate the educators, truant officers, policemen, judges, and even social workers about the benefits and legality of homeschooling.
Even deeper than his passion for homeschooling was his deep love for his Lord. We may never know how many people Chris inspired to homeschool or continue homeschooling, or how many people he inspired to draw near to his Lord.
“Chris’s accomplishments as a lawyer for homeschooling are clear and of value that cannot be overstated. He was one of the most important pioneers of our movement,” says HSLDA Chairman Mike Farris. “He believed that this truly is God’s way to teach children to love God. He believed it deeply. His conviction was infectious. He was a man of single-hearted devotion that I have never, ever seen equaled. The passion that Chris felt for the mission to which God called him never, ever, ever, ever dimmed, even slightly.”
HSLDA deeply appreciates and honors Chris’s life and his dedicated contribution to our organization and to homeschooling. Our staff will miss him more than we can express, and we are praying with and for his family. The homeschooling movement has lost one of its greatest advocates and friends, but Chris leaves an incredible legacy of freedom and awareness of homeschooling to the thousands of homeschooled students whose parents have made The Right Choice.
”I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.“ II Timothy 4:7-8
”Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.“ Revelation 2:10
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Saint Francis of Assissi
October 4, 2009
St. Francis of Assisi
(1182-1226)
Francis of Assisi was a poor little man who astounded and inspired the Church by taking the gospel literally—not in a narrow fundamentalist sense, but by actually following all that Jesus said and did, joyfully, without limit and without a mite of self-importance.Serious illness brought the young Francis to see the emptiness of his frolicking life as leader of Assisi's youth. Prayer—lengthy and difficult—led him to a self-emptying like that of Christ, climaxed by embracing a leper he met on the road. It symbolized his complete obedience to what he had heard in prayer: "Francis! Everything you have loved and desired in the flesh it is your duty to despise and hate, if you wish to know my will. And when you have begun this, all that now seems sweet and lovely to you will become intolerable and bitter, but all that you used to avoid will turn itself to great sweetness and exceeding joy."From the cross in the neglected field-chapel of San Damiano, Christ told him, "Francis, go out and build up my house, for it is nearly falling down." Francis became the totally poor and humble workman.He must have suspected a deeper meaning to "build up my house." But he would have been content to be for the rest of his life the poor "nothing" man actually putting brick on brick in abandoned chapels. He gave up every material thing he had, piling even his clothes before his earthly father (who was demanding restitution for Francis' "gifts" to the poor) so that he would be totally free to say, "Our Father in heaven." He was, for a time, considered to be a religious "nut," begging from door to door when he could not get money for his work, bringing sadness or disgust to the hearts of his former friends, ridicule from the unthinking.But genuineness will tell. A few people began to realize that this man was actually trying to be Christian. He really believed what Jesus said: "Announce the kingdom! Possess no gold or silver or copper in your purses, no traveling bag, no sandals, no staff" (see Luke 9:1-3).Francis' first rule for his followers was a collection of texts from the Gospels. He had no idea of founding an order, but once it began he protected it and accepted all the legal structures needed to support it. His devotion and loyalty to the Church were absolute and highly exemplary at a time when various movements of reform tended to break the Church's unity.He was torn between a life devoted entirely to prayer and a life of active preaching of the Good News. He decided in favor of the latter, but always returned to solitude when he could. He wanted to be a missionary in Syria or in Africa, but was prevented by shipwreck and illness in both cases. He did try to convert the sultan of Egypt during the Fifth Crusade.During the last years of his relatively short life (he died at 44) he was half blind and seriously ill. Two years before his death, he received the stigmata, the real and painful wounds of Christ in his hands, feet and side.On his deathbed, he said over and over again the last addition to his Canticle of the Sun, "Be praised, O Lord, for our Sister Death." He sang Psalm 141, and at the end asked his superior to have his clothes removed when the last hour came and for permission to expire lying naked on the earth, in imitation of his Lord.
St. Francis of Assisi
(1182-1226)
Francis of Assisi was a poor little man who astounded and inspired the Church by taking the gospel literally—not in a narrow fundamentalist sense, but by actually following all that Jesus said and did, joyfully, without limit and without a mite of self-importance.Serious illness brought the young Francis to see the emptiness of his frolicking life as leader of Assisi's youth. Prayer—lengthy and difficult—led him to a self-emptying like that of Christ, climaxed by embracing a leper he met on the road. It symbolized his complete obedience to what he had heard in prayer: "Francis! Everything you have loved and desired in the flesh it is your duty to despise and hate, if you wish to know my will. And when you have begun this, all that now seems sweet and lovely to you will become intolerable and bitter, but all that you used to avoid will turn itself to great sweetness and exceeding joy."From the cross in the neglected field-chapel of San Damiano, Christ told him, "Francis, go out and build up my house, for it is nearly falling down." Francis became the totally poor and humble workman.He must have suspected a deeper meaning to "build up my house." But he would have been content to be for the rest of his life the poor "nothing" man actually putting brick on brick in abandoned chapels. He gave up every material thing he had, piling even his clothes before his earthly father (who was demanding restitution for Francis' "gifts" to the poor) so that he would be totally free to say, "Our Father in heaven." He was, for a time, considered to be a religious "nut," begging from door to door when he could not get money for his work, bringing sadness or disgust to the hearts of his former friends, ridicule from the unthinking.But genuineness will tell. A few people began to realize that this man was actually trying to be Christian. He really believed what Jesus said: "Announce the kingdom! Possess no gold or silver or copper in your purses, no traveling bag, no sandals, no staff" (see Luke 9:1-3).Francis' first rule for his followers was a collection of texts from the Gospels. He had no idea of founding an order, but once it began he protected it and accepted all the legal structures needed to support it. His devotion and loyalty to the Church were absolute and highly exemplary at a time when various movements of reform tended to break the Church's unity.He was torn between a life devoted entirely to prayer and a life of active preaching of the Good News. He decided in favor of the latter, but always returned to solitude when he could. He wanted to be a missionary in Syria or in Africa, but was prevented by shipwreck and illness in both cases. He did try to convert the sultan of Egypt during the Fifth Crusade.During the last years of his relatively short life (he died at 44) he was half blind and seriously ill. Two years before his death, he received the stigmata, the real and painful wounds of Christ in his hands, feet and side.On his deathbed, he said over and over again the last addition to his Canticle of the Sun, "Be praised, O Lord, for our Sister Death." He sang Psalm 141, and at the end asked his superior to have his clothes removed when the last hour came and for permission to expire lying naked on the earth, in imitation of his Lord.
My retreat
Yes, I know I haven't written that much lately. I have had alot of crosses to bear lately and homeschooling is just alot more this year with a 7th grader and 5th grader. I went to an awesome retreat this weekend and I almost didn't make it. If it was not for a good friend of mine telling me she would miss me at the retreat, I would have missed one of the best retreats in awhile. God was working through her. The theme Fear Not! was so appropriate for me this year. Sr. Nancy Kelleher was awesome how she relates God in our everyday life and how to live with your crosses. I know God has many more crosses for us to bear in the coming months and many didn't changes, but somehwhere in there, there will be a set of pearls from God. I had so much time to be with God just him and I and I finally surrendered last night what I needed to surrender for some time. I will be writing more in the next couple of weeks and let you know about the adventure God will be sending us on, many mini adventures. You guys know how much I love change! Well say a prayer for us for tomorrow. God Bless!
Praising Him,
Noelle:)
Praising Him,
Noelle:)
Saint Francis Feast Day!
Sanctify yourself and you will sanctify society.- Saint Francis of Assisi (1181-1226)
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