He Never Misses

Category: Catholicism

  • Waiting for Your Chance to Talk?

    guardianangelfrustratedHave you ever had a moment when you realize that instead of truly listening, you are merely waiting for your chance to talk?  (All you truly patient and humble parents who would scarcely even consider interrupting your little angel as he recounts the how his older brother was playing unfairly or when he wants to tell you yet another knock-knock joke……well… you ladies and gents can stop reading here).

    If you are still with me, then I want to transport you to a tiny little “minivan moment” from this afternoon.

    “Mom?  Do you think it’s almost the end of the world?”

    “Z, oh my!  What would make you ask that?”

    “Well, Grandma Jane and Aunt Jennie have cancer.  Aunt Robbi, Mrs. Ferrucci and Mrs. Ryan all had kinda scary surgeries in the last couple weeks and you were at the hospital lots of times.  So, I was just wondering if maybe God is planning to bring the moms to Heaven first so when all the kids get there we won’t be scared.”

    HOLY COW.  I didn’t realize his little mind was racing around trying to make sense of the chaos.  Except for the fact that we have been praying together a lot for all these truly terrific women in our lives, I didn’t even sense he noticed much.  For a moment, I felt a guilt-filled mom pang.  I knew he had been trying to tell me before this moment that he was worried, but I hadn’t been paying enough attention.

    After I set aside the guilt, I thought “Our God is an Awesome God!”  How would we ever be able to make sense of anything without the gift of faith?  This silly little man in my world often reframes things through a Christ centered lens, and his comments often catch me off guard.  In his own little 9 year old way, Zach was being faithful, trusting God with his worries about his aunt, grandma, and the mothers of two of his close friends.  I have to say, I really love that.  It’s a terrific witness of faith from which I could learn much.

    You don’t have to do much digging through scripture to find out what Jesus had to say about the wisdom of children and the often beautiful, faith filled example they provide.

    When the chief priests and the scribes saw the wondrous things he was doing, and the children crying out in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant and said to him, “Do you hear what they are saying?” Jesus said to them, “Yes, and have you never read the text, ‘Out of the mouths of infants and nurslings you have brought forth praise?” (Mt 21:15-16)

    God’s instrument today for me was my sweet freckle-faced boy.  The spirit filled message:   Listen to others with the intention to understand, and never forget that faith is a grace filled gift from our amazing God!!

    I do believe it’s possible that the most pressing communication foible we suffer from, collectively, is simply being inattentive.   Instead of focusing on others, we are thinking about what we will say or do next.   I wonder what incredible gifts God has given me that I have missed because I am thinking about me instead of the person to whom I am supposed to be directing my attention– really hearing?

    It’s time to drag out that Litany of Humility again before some wise priest issues it to me as a penance……..AGAIN.

    Am I the only one suffering from a recurrent case of this listening but not listening malady?  Who’s with me?

    The litany of humility asks for our Lord’s assistance in humbly following in His footsteps and casting aside, or at least offering up to Him, all those issues that come with our self-centeredness.  I am convinced that the fact that each time I read this prayer and never fail to think it is positively dreadful is a sure sign I need to pray it.

    LITANY OF HUMILITY

    O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.

    From the desire of being esteemed,

    Deliver me, Jesus. (repeat after each line)

     From the desire of being loved,

     From the desire of being extolled,

     From the desire of being honored,

     From the desire of being praised,

     From the desire of being preferred to others,

    From the desire of being consulted,

     From the desire of being approved,

     From the fear of being humiliated,

     From the fear of being despised,

     From the fear of suffering rebukes,

     From the fear of being calumniated,

     From the fear of being forgotten,

     From the fear of being ridiculed,

     From the fear of being wronged,

     From the fear of being suspected,

     That others may be loved more than I,

    Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.  (repeat after each line)

     That others may be esteemed more than I ,

     That, in the opinion of the world,

     others may increase and I may decrease,

     That others may be chosen and I set aside,

     That others may be praised and I unnoticed,

     That others may be preferred to me in everything,

    That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should,  

    Jesus grant me the grace to desire it.

    PS.  For what it’s worth, I sent a text to Aunt Robin.  She made a “facetime” call immediately to her nephew after hearing about his concerns.  Seeing her smiling face did wonders for Zach’s apocalyptic mood.  Get well fast, sis!  We have a vitally important appointment with Poolbar Jim we simply cannot miss!!

  • The Naked Saint on the Pizza

    03-st-francis-renounces-all-worldly-goods-1299“Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words.”

    ― St. Francis of Assisi

    Earlier this week, I was the mystery reader in my son’s 2nd grade class.  Apparently the clues I sent in about myself made it “waaaay easy” to figure out who I was before I entered the classroom.  You see, “normal moms” send in clues about the type of minivan they drive or how many kids they have, while I chose to share slightly more colorful information about how I dominate my youngest son in wall ball and that I find watching golf on TV torturous.  I’m not sure how I went wrong there, but my little man was a touch irritated.  In any case, the class was expecting me and plenty squirrely when I sauntered in at the end of the day.

    First, I read a funny and silly book called Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day.  Mostly, I chose that one because it’s sure to get laughs from a class full of 8 year olds.  It did.  Then, I went with something a little different.  It was a book about St. Francis.  Perhaps it would be nice for the kids to hear about the saint after whom our new Pope chose his name?  I mean, I love St. Francis.  The Pope loves St. Francis.  His is just a beautiful story of conversion, leaving behind “things” and choosing God.  Nothing but good can come from learning a little more about St. Francis, right?

    WRONG.

    Let’s review the facts on the great saint from the perspective of an 8 year old.

    “Mrs. Thieme, he was kinda a rich guy with a mean dad, huh?”

    “Mrs. Thieme, Mrs. Thieme!  He was rich before he went crazy and got naked on the pizza.”

    “Well, sweetheart, the word is actually PIAZZA.  It’s not the same…”

    “Mrs. Thieme!!  Can we see the picture of the naked saint?”

    “Yeah, we wanna see the picture of the crazy naked guy!”

    To the parents of 2nd graders in my son’s class at St. Louis de Montfort, I apologize for any conversations you might have had to endure about the scantily clad, mentally unstable saint after whom the former Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio chose to name himself.  I meant well, my heart was rightly motivated, and it just didn’t translate how I intended.  For the record, there WAS a cartoon style illustration in the book which showed the unadorned backside of St. Francis renouncing his worldly possessions at the behest of Bishop Guido, but I skipped over the page 17 picture.  I did so much to the chagrin of all the boys and girls listening.

    Here’s the thing.  St. Francis is a saint worth knowing.  I am a touch friendlier with him than I am with some of his other cohorts there in heaven, because I spent 8 years of my life being taught by the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration (SSFPA) at St. Lawrence Catholic School as a kid.  Those gals made sure we knew all about Francis and his simple life of joy.  I knew for a moment he was considered the biggest fool in Assisi, that some people thought he was mad.  But, I looked at those gals who taught me in class each day, wearing those tragic brown outfits and I noticed their smiles.  Nothing spoke to me as a more powerful witness about the love of God than did those happy Franciscan sisters who had chosen to say yes to Jesus calling them to be His spouse.

    I was just dying to share a little piece of this amazing man with the kiddos.

    Without the ferocity of devotion St. Francis had to God centuries ago, this group of amazing religious women who helped me learn so much about the love of our Awesome Creator wouldn’t even exist.  That’s just one tiny thing among millions that a powerful crazy love for Christ can accomplish.  Francis was on fire with faith and that fire spread like a raging forest fire through hundreds of years all the way to Indiana.  Cool, huh?

    Even just this week, our new Pope preached about this idea of “apostolic zeal”.  Pope Francis said at mass on Thursday this week that Apostolic zeal, implies “an element of madness, but of spiritual madness, of healthy madness” in proclaiming Christ.

    He urged all present to press on with zeal, the kind of zeal clearly evident in that naked guy I tried to introduce to the 2nd graders.

    Said Pope Francis, “There are backseat Christians, right? Those who are well mannered, who do everything well, but are unable to bring people to Jesus through proclamation and Apostolic zeal. Today we can ask the Holy Spirit to give us all this Apostolic fervor and to give us the grace to be annoying when things are too quiet in the Church the grace to go out to the outskirts of life. The Church has so much need of this! Not only in distant lands, in the young churches, among people who do not know Jesus Christ, but here in the cities, in our cities, they need this proclamation of Jesus Christ. So let us ask the Holy Spirit for this grace of Apostolic zeal, let’s be Christians with apostolic zeal. And if we annoy people, blessed be the Lord. Onwards, as the Lord says to Paul, ‘take courage!’ ”

    I like this Pope.  He speaks my language.  Did you read what he said?

    “If we annoy people, blessed be the Lord.”

    In the spirit of being annoying  and not letting it drop already (a particular strength area of yours truly), I’ll give you a few neat facts about Francis I learned so long ago that I never got to share in 2B this week at St. Louis de Montfort School.

    • St. Francis invented the first creche in a mountain cave near Greccio where he celebrated Christmas mass in 1223 and shortly thereafter in 1224 received the stigmata.
    • St. Francis wrote the “Canticle of the Sun” but did not write “The Prayer of St. Francis”.
    • St. Francis was canonized in 1228 by Pope Gregory  IX in Assisi, and his feast day is celebrated Oct. 4.

    P.S.  Is it just me or do we need more religious women back in our Catholic schools ASAP?!  Let’s pray for vocations!

    “All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.”

    – St. Francis of Assisi

  • Up Until Now

    The Laundromat life....
    The Laundromat life….

    I believe I have shared before that the “house” part of “housewife” gives me a fair amount of trouble.  So, when a child fails to meet my remarkably low standards for cleanliness, it suffices to say things have gone far past messy and landed squarely in the middle of just plain “ick”.

    This is the predicament my oldest son landed in over the weekend.  He had already had a rough week having injured his back at practice, he was hobbling, a bit broken and I just didn’t have the heart to get grumpy.  When his father used the word “disgusting”, I figured it was time for an intervention.

    “How did you do this to yourself?” I asked my 15 year-old.

    “Well, I wish I had some exciting story to tell you, Mom, but my room just got away from me.  I’m kind of a disaster. ”

    Argue for your limitations and sure enough, they’re yours.  –Richard Bach.

    As we ate breakfast, I began noodling about how to handle this one.  Then, I told my sons that they needed to gather all their dirty laundry.   While I did the dishes and danced around the kitchen to my favorite Pandora channel, I heard the scurrying overhead.  A few moments later my incredibly bright middle kiddo, Drew, expressed fairly articulately the serious concern he had about the amount of laundry in his brother’s room.

    That’s when it hit me.

    “Boys, listen up!  I want you to put all your laundry into large trash bags and bring it downstairs. “

    “Ok, Mom.”

    As the trash bags filled my kitchen, I was warned that their numbers were going to be disturbing, and I admit, I didn’t realize Nick had that many clothes.  In all, more than 6 large trash bags were assembled.  Wondering if the Irish in my heritage might show itself, the boys searched my face looking for signs of an imminent temper tantrum.  They needn’t have worried this time.  I had devised a plan.  My spirit was calm.

    Here’s what I know from plenty of first-hand experience.  We all have well-worn patterns of defeat in our lives.   It was time for a little lesson on how the past doesn’t have to dictate the future and that we must take responsibility for making good choices.  Language can be powerful and words have the power to transform us.  We needed to invoke the power of “UP UNTIL NOW.”

    I instructed the boys to put the back row of seats down in the van and told the uninjured teenager who had warned me earlier about the volume of dirty clothes to load up the heavy laundry bags.  An act of Christian charity was about to be performed by all of us for the benefit primarily of my oldest son, but hopefully the lesson would resonate.

    “Guys, I need you to bring me every quarter you can find.   And, Zach—grab a deck of cards.“

    “What’s going on, Mom?”

    “Boys, we are going to the laundromat.”

    The Kwik Kleen Laundromat in Carmel, Indiana is what I would deem typical as these places go.  It was adequate.  However, the rows of washers and dryers were an unexpected delight to my three laundry novices.  They seemed a bit giddy in amazement of the place, which I estimate was last renovated perhaps in 1982.  Who knew it could be so much fun to load clothes and coins into washers—13 washers!!?

    Zach and I played ourselves into a 5-6 euchre deficit against his older brothers while the washers did their job, and then the completely “awesome” complimentary wheeled baskets whizzed about the place at the hands of the Thieme boys as we dropped quarter after quarter into dryers all over the building.  We were operating so many of them at the same time that my 8 year old worked off his breakfast checking the timers on them all and providing play-by-play.

    There are no mistakes. All events like this are blessings from which we can learn.  God clearly tells us that our challenges and problems are not unique.  No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to us all.  (1 Cor 10:13).

    When we had finished washing, drying, and folding all these loads of clothes, I looked around and realized that my guys were all smiling from the experience.  We had giggled our way through the laundromat afternoon, mercilessly teasing Nick for the hole he had dug for himself, but with our good temperaments undamaged.  We had freed him to begin again.

    Smiling and loading up the van was the perfect time, I thought, to underline today’s lesson.  Surrendering negative thoughts and changing poor patterns means looking to God for a new way.  It’s news I wish I had assimilated years ago, and so, as I learn it myself I want very much to share the lesson with my sons right away.  Waiting until age 42 is a touch pathetic, so I am trying to save my boys a long ride on the “struggle bus.”  How do I explain what we’ve just done?  I have about 2 sentences to impart some hard learned wisdom, since that’s the attention span of 8-15 year old boys.  Hmm.  Choose your words carefully, Shelly.

    Come, Holy Spirit. That was my silent prayer.

    Then, I said, “Nick.  Do you remember telling me this morning you’re a disaster?”

    “Yeah.”

    “Up until now.”

    “Huh?”

    “UP UNTIL NOW, you have been a laundry disaster.”

    “And now, I have a fresh start and I will do a better job. “

    “That’s exactly right.  You can do this better.  I know you will.”

    This is what God tells us.  You must replace negative thoughts with positive ones.  We can screw up in ways small and large, but His advice is filled with common sense.

    Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.  Keep on doing what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me.  Then the God of peace will be with you. (Phil 4:8-9)

    In other words, think positive and positive change is possible.  When tempted to fall back into old patterns of unhealthy thinking or behavior, add the words “up until now” to your sentence.  I’ve been trying this of late and I think it’s brilliant.

    “Up until now, I have been a laundry disaster.”

    “Up until now, I have failed in exercise.”

    What about you?  Up until now, what have you done??

    Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies. – Mother Teresa

  • Shelly 2.0

    What’s wrong with you people?  Why can’t you understand how special I am?MotherTeresa

    I mean sure, I have a little bit of a patience issue this week, but the sun hasn’t been out in months here and I am a tax season widow–so there are special circumstances.  Plus, I’ll grant you that I’m well past the pleasantly plump label at this point, but you have to keep in mind the medical challenges and my personal history.  It’s been too cold to exercise EVERYDAY.   I mean, the time hasn’t been right.  It’s a special case.  The laundry might be a smidge backed up, and I forgot to take the trash cans in AGAIN.  The “house” part of “housewife” is constantly giving me fits.  But you see, I have 3 boys playing on five teams right now who need to be carpooled to 2 different schools everyday…. and I hosted Easter last week and this weekend was my youngest son’s first communion.  We were celebrating.  We’re really busy.  It’s spring break.  I’m sure you’ll agree that’s different.  It’s a special situation.  I could go on, but I think you get the idea.

    ENOUGH.  My “special” attitude isn’t working.

    It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels. — St. Augustine

    Ever feel like you’re overdue for an attitude change, a behavior shift?  If failure drives change, then I guess I am in the middle of a new experience with freedom here.   There is a certain freedom, after all, in knowing I don’t have to worry about screwing up anymore.  It’s happened.  I’ve already done it.  BUT, I hear without failure, there is no growth.

    Growth in my case seems to mean I need to come to grips with being a little smaller.  Pun intended.  I mean it literally and in a figurative way.  Now might be time to put down the goldfish crackers and come to grips with my nothingness.

    A friend of mine who has survived a long ugly battle with leukemia told me once that she wakes up every day and no matter how crappy she feels, she wants to do something positive for someone else.

    Karen is clearly on to something.  It’s time to start waking with a new attitude.  So, I decided a change is in order–less me, more God.  If God is love, then I am going to thank God for the day He has given me by doing something that makes someone smile.  Inspire someone.  Be someone’s light.  Love more.

    I prayed about it and I thought about it and I committed to a turnaround.  Let’s go!

    Cue reality.   The day before yesterday, my internet went out.  This isn’t a new problem.  We live in a not so bright house, if you catch my drift.   I unplugged it then turned the modem back on.  Nada.  Then, I waited for a miracle.  If a particular service has been dead more than 24 hours, I let my fingers do the walking.  The nice gal tried at the cable company to work her long distance techno magic, but the pinging was to no avail.  She decided I needed a new modem and scheduled a service call for today.

    A few hours later, I noticed that my land line was dead.  Since we have the same provider for the phone, internet and cable, I decided I would dial them again from my cell phone and add this issue.  The words of Mother Teresa rolled around in my mind.  Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.  Okay real life, here we go.

    That’s when I noticed that the dead modem was looking more alive and my email was operational.  So, I hooked up via cell phone with my good friends at Brighthouse and a customer service gal who identified herself as Vicki answered.  Here’s how our conversation progressed.

    “M’am, I see we already have a service call scheduled for tomorrow.  Do you need to reschedule?”

    “Vicki, no I don’t.  I just need to chat with you for a second.  You see, when I called earlier for service and talked to the other gal, it was my internet that was out.  Now it’s my phone.  But the internet is working again.  The modem has come out of its coma for now.”

    “Oh, okay.  So you want to cancel the internet technician but have a phone tech visit instead?”

    “Well, Vicki, not really.”

    “Mrs. Thieme, I am so sorry you’re having trouble but you don’t need to get upset, I will do what I can to help.”

    “Listen, Vicki.   You can relax and call me Shelly.  No one has cancer over here.  I’m not worked up at all and there won’t be any phone rage.  This isn’t an emergency of any kind.  It’s just that I am bummed I am paying for phone, internet and cable and I don’t think all three have ever been working at the same time for a solid week since we moved here.  I already know all your technicians.  Can we talk?”

    “Thank you for being nice M’am.  What can I do?”

    “Well, Vicki, I know you have thousands of customers.   There’s nothing special about me or my house.  I am just thinking maybe we can talk about what other options you have there.  Do you guys have a team of super smart geeks you send out to call on the houses of people who are yelling and talking about unfair treatment?  I kinda want a shot at those guys.  Only I am going to be nice and try to make them eat super yummy cinnamon bread that I am now not allowed to eat myself so they will stay long enough to untangle the technology cluster going on over here.”

    Audible giggles.  “M’am.  Shelly, I mean.  Can you hold for a minute while I do something I say I am going to do but rarely actual do?”

    “You’re going to talk to a supervisor, aren’t you?”

    “Yes M’am, please hold”.

    “Thank you for holding for so long and being so nice.  I’ve checked your account.  I think we can do a better job for you.  I’ve asked permission to give you a promotional discount we give to new customers.  Your bill will be $61 less per month from now on.  Oh, and this month you have been given a $50 credit.”

    “Vicki.  That’s so kind.  Thank you for doing that!  I’m not sure what possessed you but gosh I am grateful.”

    “M’am.  I’ll tell you.  It’s three things.   You didn’t complain about being on hold for 42 minutes. You are so funny,  and best of all, you haven’t tried telling me how important or special your problems are one time.”

    Hmm.  I think she just said she was extra nice to me because I know I’m NOT SPECIAL.  Haha!!  Okay, God.  I hear you commenting on my change.  Shelly 2.0 it is.

    “Our technicians will be at your house tomorrow between 8am and 10am.  Is that okay?”

    “Vicki.  I feel like you used a plural word.  Did you say technicianzzzz?”

    “Yes, M’am.  I did my best.  Thank you so much for being really nice.  Good luck.”

    Pope Francis said, “The sin that repulses me most is pride and thinking oneself as a big shot” in an interview for a book written about him by Sergio Rubin in 2010.  He said when it happened to him, “I have felt great embarrassment and I ask God for forgiveness because nobody has the right to behave like this.”

    Seems like our new pope might be working with more updated software than yours truly.

    Version 2.0:  Less me, more others, more love, more God.

    Amen.

  • The Snow Storm Birthday

    My backyard on March 24, 2013
    My backyard on March 24, 2013

    Nearly all the best things that came to me in life have been unexpected, unplanned by me.  –Carl Sandberg

    Yesterday, we set a record here in Central Indiana.  According to WTHR, our NBC affiliate, it was the largest snowfall ever recorded in March.  As of this morning, there were 8 inches in my backyard and the snow continues to fall.  The previous record of 5.8 inches was set on March 1, 1912. March ONE.  For goodness sakes, God, it’s March 24!!  On this day, my birthday, I usually plant pansies in my front porch flower pots.  What is going on here?

    It seemed to me as the forecasters continued to issue their “Winter Storm Warning” in advance of Palm Sunday 2013 that this was just going to be an utterly depressing weekend.   I was thinking like my friend Lauren who posted on her Facebook page, “You know that phrase – I’ll see you when hell freezes over?  Snow at the end of March makes you wonder.  Just sayin”

    I’m absolutely with you, Lauren.   You make me laugh because I was thinking this is what the first week of spring is supposed to look like…..maybe in Juneau, Alaska?

    Ever an optimist and determined to enjoy myself anyway, I remembered this little golden nugget.

    “This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”  (Ps 118:24)

    Ok, God, I will try to love this snow covered birthday.  I will.

    Being a lover of all celebrations of life, and with childlike enthusiasm for my own as well, I jokingly issue annual reminders to all who will listen about the upcoming “festival of Shelly” when it comes around exactly one week after St. Patrick’s Day each spring.  If that seems a tad childish and disturbingly narcissistic, then you have a clear and accurate picture.  A gal has got to do what a gal has got to do.

    I’ll not defend myself so much as ask that you allow me to explain.  First of all, I have the most amazing parents (no, really, mine are the best) who taught me birthdays are just plain “the greatest”.   We have some fairly terrific birthday memories from over the years and NO MATTER WHAT Mom and Dad always find a way to get us together to celebrate every birthday in the family WITHOUT FAIL.  Always.  This exercise is compulsory.

    God used them to teach me something about the value of every life.   I believe a birthday is a gift– it is one day set aside each year to celebrate life.  If your life intersects with mine on a regular basis, eventually I will seek out the date of your birth, add it to my calendar, and when it’s your day,  I will try to make sure sun shines all over you.  Some of you will resist and you will lose your battle.  On my day, I love the chance to celebrate my fantastic life, filled with gratefulness, with those I love.  All of us have been given that great gift of life, all of us are made in God’s image, and all of us have lives worth thanking God for with a little gusto on our special day!

    Secondly, a gal sometimes has to advertise the birthday just to hedge against the possibility the CPA husband could lose track of her fabulousness during these ugliest days of tax season.  My friend Lisa would call this my “charmingly abrasive” side.  However, 80 and 90 hour work weeks are brutal.  My guy is pretty well trained now and I could probably back down the advertising campaign, but now it’s kind of a treasured ritual of our family life! Right, honey?

    Stay with me now as I circle back to the snow covered birthday of 2013.

    My fabulous husband suggested, in advance of the snow, that our immediate family go for dinner to open up the festival.  We did that on Saturday night.  I chose “The Ram” in Fishers because I am a mom with 3 boys and a husband who love March Madness and I knew we could enjoy our family time AND see the games.  I even got to overrule the watching of Tiger Woods on the golf channel “because it’s my birthday” and watching golf on TV makes removing old wallpaper seem like fun.  We giggled, ate onion rings, and then came home, watched more basketball.  Later, they brought me a scoop of ice cream with 2 candles on top and sang, “Happy Birthday”.  In short, it was awesome!

    When I opened my eyes the next morning, yesterday, the snow was already falling.  We made it to mass and the grocery store.  My crazy parents drove down here in the snow.  Mom and I went shopping for Easter dresses while the snow came down.  Dad taught the kids a new card game.  We had pizza for dinner, we ate my favorite homemade angel food cake, and then the greatest thing happened!!

    THERE WAS SO MUCH SNOW.

    There was so much snow in fact that the boys got to stay up late because school was cancelled.

    There was so much snow that their grandparents decided to spend the night.

    So, the party continued.  There was a long, loud card game won by Tom, a lesson on what exactly is “The Harlem Shake” for the grandparents, there was late night hot chocolate, NCAA basketball bracket updates, more giggling, and bacon and eggs this morning for breakfast followed by a game of euchre.

    “We know that all things work for good for those who love God- who are called according to his purpose.”  Romans 8:28

    Thanks to Tom, Nick, Drew, Zach, Mom and Dad for ringing in my 42nd birthday with me during the snow covered weekend.   It was fantastic.  I love you.  You all are the most amazing blessing.

    And God?  You just get me.  The snow storm birthday of 2013—nice.  THANKS.

    “Be happy in the moment, that’s enough.  Each moment is all we need, not more.”  Mother Teresa

  • Pope Francis I

    Pope Francis I
    Pope Francis I

    POPE FRANCIS?  Wow!

    A friend who knows how much affection I have for all things Franciscan sent me a text message when our new leader’s name was announced.  It affected me so instantly and deeply.   

    NBC News shortly thereafter followed by saying, “Cardinal Dolan confirms Francis named himself after St. Francis of Assisi.  He says the Pope specifically explained that to the Cardinals.”

    The joyful message, still ringing in my heart:

    The voice of God that spoke to St. Francis of Assisi now echoes forth from the conclave, “Francis, rebuild my Church.” 

    And now, we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name!  Amen.

  • On Pope Alarms, Adopted Cardinals and the Secret of Happiness

    Well, I’ve adopted my cardinal.  I’m following @PapalSmokeStack on Twitter, and I’ve signed up for the “Pope Alarm”.  I mean, it’s time to rock and roll on this whole matter of the conclave, right?  I mean no disrespect to the men in black (and red) when I say, “Let’s get ‘er done fellas!”

    My adopted Cardinal Claudio Hummes of Brazil
    My “adopted” Cardinal Claudio Hummes of Brazil

    I was with some Jesus gals this morning.  We took a few minutes to pray for our Holy Mother Church and the Cardinals in Rome now.  We all expressed our fervent hope that the Holy Spirit will be powerfully present.  We prayed that pride would be set aside and God’s choice would be made powerfully clear to the College of Cardinals by His grace.

    As history is made, it’s pretty exciting to be a witness.  My oldest, a 15-yr old, reminded me of this fact the morning that we heard about Pope Benedict’s resignation.  As we watched Matt Lauer interview Cardinal Dolan last month, my son recalled vividly being a 2nd grader during the last conclave and described in fairly impressive detail the exuberant reaction of his classmates when the new Pope Benedict stepped out onto the “loggia”.  He clearly felt that as a defining moment in his Catholic journey when he said, “I think I got it for the first time then that I am part of something really big.  Being Catholic I mean.”

    Still, as much as we have heard about the “papabile” the last few weeks, participated in prayer and guessed about who our new leader will be, ultimately, a large part of my internal thought process was in sync with a friend who wrote me today to say that it’s simply all in the hands of the “important people” or the “elite” of the Church.

    Then, moments later I heard the following.  It was written by Fr. Mattias Scheeban, a relatively obscure German theologian from the mid 1800s.  In this I heard God speaking to me.  I hope you will too.

    “The soul adorned with grace becomes a new reality, an ennobled tree which is always green, always in bloom, always bearing fruit.  If you knew yourself, Christian soul, how you would treasure and esteem yourself!  If you but knew yourself, O saintly soul lived and dwelt in by God…lovely paradise of your Creator, splendid tabernacle of the Holy Trinity…if you but knew yourself daughter of the Father, Sister of the son, (spouse) of the Holy Ghost, Associate and companion of the whole blessed Trinity!  If you only knew yourself, how highly you would prize yourself, not because of what you are (in and of) yourself, but because of the dignity that Grace brings to you!”

    Is not God reminding me through Fr. Scheeban of how highly God prizes each of us, hearing us and our prayers clearly even despite how invisible or sinful we may feel?  Are you and I impossibly unimportant in the big picture here?  Or, are we all terribly vital and equally valued and loved in the sight of God at this moment and always?

    Dig into the memory banks for a moment and remember with me a parable….. the tax collector who stood at a distance and would not even dare raise his eyes to heaven?  Perhaps you recall him too?  He’s the publican in Luke 18 who says “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.”  Little and despised though he was in the eyes of men, God heard him and he was justified.

    Where am I going with all this? Though we may feel of little consequence, though we may feel invisible, our task is to become more like Mary, especially now during this important time for our Church universal.  A faithful soul that magnifies the Lord can ask anything and it will be given.   We have to know who we are in Christ.   If we pray often, give all the praise and honor to Him, He will continue to bless us and guide us on our journey to Him, serving Him in ways big and small– though we may not ever realize what He has accomplished through us—or what He plans still.

    So, as the dental hygienist worked on my teeth this afternoon,  I never dreamed we would be talking about the conclave.  She quizzed me about prayer as we chatted about THE smokestack and I confessed about my morning and my prayers and then she said,  “Can I ask you something?  How do you know what to do, what to say?  I just really feel weird about prayer.”   

     I said, “Don’t worry about how to do it.  Just be who you are.  Try to be patient with yourself. God knows you.  Just talk to him.  Just be you.”

    Then, I smiled and I dug in my purse to give her a copy of some terrific wisdom from Cardinal Mercier.  You may have seen this before, but it’s worth reading again and again.  One of the Jesus gals gave it to me this morning, and since I had seen it before, I almost said “thanks, anyway.”  I felt nudged to grab it, and I’m so pleased this time I listened. 

    PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

    I am going to reveal to you the secret of sanctity and happiness.  Every day for five minutes control your imagination and close your eyes to the things of sense and your ears to all the noises of the world, in order to enter into yourself.  Then, in the sanctity of your baptized soul (which is the temple of the Holy Spirit) speak to that Divine Spirit saying to Him:

    O, Holy Spirit, beloved of my soul, I adore You.  Enlighten me, guide me, strengthen me, console me.  Tell me what I should do….give me your orders.  I promise to submit myself to all that you desire of me and to accept all that You permit to happen to me.  Let me only know Your will.

    If you do this, your life will flow along happily, serenely, and full of consolation, even in  the midst of trials.  Grace will be proportioned to the trial, giving you the strength to carry it and you will arrive at the gate of Paradise, laden with merit.  This submission to the Holy Spirit is the secret of sanctity.  –Card. Mercier

    Note to self:  Silly woman, when someone offers you the secret of sanctity and happiness, take 2 copies.

  • A Passion for Purple: GCHS

    St. Theodore Guerin, pray for us!
    St. Theodore Guerin, pray for us!

    Two trimesters into our family’s likely 30 trimester experience at Guerin Catholic High School, I am feeling grateful to God and therefore I am compelled this day to share 10 things I love about this high school.

    1. The first all school mass of the year.  A standing ovation to welcome the freshmen?  You gotta be kidding me.  AWESOME!

    2.  Long Live the GC Student Section!  Experiencing the rowdy, smiling fools– dressed in God knows what crazy theme on any given night—totally fun!

    3.   Boys who know how to tie their own tie. 

    4.  Deacon Rick’s weekly letter.  Man oh man, I’m gonna miss that guy!

    5.  Purple Pride.  This one was almost a deal breaker for us choosing GC.  Think LSU colors.  Yikes!  But now, I admit, I find myself searching out purple accessories.  It grows on you.

    6.  Ash Wednesday Lunch:  A bowl of soup, a piece of bread.   Hello, Lent.

    7.  Fr. Joshua Janko:  Fantasy conclave pushing, mass before finals celebrating, oversized basketball jersey wearing PASSION.

    8.  Mr. Panasuk’s Videos:  Here’s a sample:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJcDQ8muSwo

    9.  Community Service Day:  “Be a Servant. Be a Leader” (X 750).  Powerful.

    10.  Teachers who get it:  Here’s the sort of thing that happens in every department, with consistency.  These people just get it.  This letter went out to Spanish students yesterday.  Remember, this isn’t from the Theology teacher.

    Estudiantes,

    Final exams have been graded and plugged in.  The overall grade you see listed is your FINAL grade for the course.  There is nothing more you can do, even if you are only .0000000001 from whatever the next grade up may be.  If you wish to see your final exam, you may come check with me after the last final exam period is complete. I thank you for a good trimester together and would like to leave you with a quote from Fr. Michael Keating, an associate professor of Catholic Studies at St. Thomas University in Minnesota that recently struck me as the reality of this statement is stunning.  He said, (referring to eternity) “You will either be a creature of eternal light and rule with Christ in His Kingdom, or you will be an eternal horror full of darkness in the depths of hell. You are not called to just be a ‘nice’ person.” I don’t know about you, but I find that to be absolutely amazing and terrifying at the same time. Let us pray today for the grace to live a holy life, so that we can live forever as creatures of eternal light. Your life may be the only Bible some people read.  – Author Unknown

    It is impossibe to estimate what a Christian education does for these young people. — St. Theodore Guerin

    Great Catholic schools everywhere deserve our thanks.  They are filled with amazing educators, administrators and volunteers who aren’t in it for the money, that’s for sure.  What do you love about your Catholic school??

  • Lent: A Little Morbid?

    LentYesterday, I was chatting it up with the CVS store clerk as I waited for the pharmacist.  I remarked about her truly cute haircut and bemoaned my own overly gray “situation”.  The sweet young gal said “Nobody will even notice your bad hair day because we are all thinking about your dirty forehead.”

    I began to giggle at her honesty and I said, “Ashes?”  She truly looked at me like I needed to put down the crack pipe.  It was then I explained, “It’s Ash Wednesday.  Today’s the start of Lent.  It’s a Catholic thing.”

    “Oh!”

    It wasn’t the most impressive evangelization effort, that’s for sure.

    We find ourselves in the midst of those 40 days which began with us each being literally marked as sinners.  To dust we shall return.   If that seems a wee bit morbid, well, I think that’s the point.

    Shouldn’t we be interiorly restless as it relates to the fundamental question of sin—especially as it speaks to eternity?  How likely are we to use our freedom to choose God if our minds are focused on the question of our own salvation?

    “Enter by the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.”  (Mt. 7:13)

    Yikes.

    Lent is an excellent time to reflect on the reality of our own mortality and ask to be filled plentifully with grace, loving Him enough to repent for sins large and small.

    Bishop Fulton Sheen said “Conscience tells us when we do wrong so we feel on the inside as if we have broken a bone.  The bone hurts because it is not where it ought to be.”

    In this increasingly secular world, it’s easy to forget about salvation and focus on what is of this earth, what is finite.  During Lent, the Church wisely suggests we take a pause from those things which cause us to drown out that voice of God within.

    I know what some of them are for me and what I am going to work on.  What about you?

    “Seek eagerly after love.  Set your hearts on spiritual gifts.”  (1 Cor 14:1)

    I move that we all embrace the austerities of Lent, find our way to a confessional, and pray for properly formed consciences, through which (with our cooperation) the Holy Spirit will encourage us after each mistake to turn towards our God and walk in His light once more.

    P.S.

    Oh, and don’t forget to use some of that prayer time to ask the Holy Spirit to be powerfully present for our Cardinals too as they choose our new Pope!

     

  • News Flash: God is NOT a Bully

    “Souls do not wish to be bullied, but gently brought back; such is the nature of man.”

     –St.  Francis de Sales

    After carpool dropoff this morning, I made a trek to Northside Radiology.  Being an expert, I had worn the sports bra and a pair of pants without a zipper.  All this would save time and a little naked humiliation I reasoned as I carefully chose my wardrobe this morning.  Once there, I shed all my gear that coulFinal-Analysis-poem-Anyway-mother-teresad possibly contain metal, and I found myself once again laying down on the X-ray table.  As I did the “breathe in…now hold it” routine, I was pondering about how long the doctor’s appointment would last because after that I needed to get to the lab to draw 2 blood samples today for the endocrinologist, Dr. Baker.  On my mind, too, were my in-laws and my own parents who have had more than their share of waiting rooms over the last year.  I wish things had been easier for them all.  It’s easy to take good health for granted.

    The X-ray tech waved goodbye, and within just a few minutes I was inside the office of my urologist, Dr. Dave Hollensbe.  The doc is a good Catholic guy and terrific at what he does.  He has a dry and sarcastic sense of humor.  Hollensbe strikes me as rather a smart ass, if I’m completely honest.  Since most the men in my family share that trait, I feel right at home with him.  I have gotten to know him better than many docs I’ve seen over the years because he’s performed 3 or 4 kidney stone procedures on me.   I have a special gift for churning out stones.  Try not to be too jealous.

    We chatted and he gave me some input and a question to ask the other specialist when I see her next week.   As we were finishing up the doctor said to me, “Are you okay?  You seem agitated.”

    The truth is I was agitated, and perhaps even a bit despondent.  However, I was really surprised to be called out.  I thought I was cloaking those feelings with cheerfulness pretty well.  Clearly I was not.   I could defend myself by giving you a few decent sounding reasons why I woke up on the wrong side of the pillow.  I will spare you.

    The truth is I should be living in joyful awareness of God–instead of dragging my cross behind me so everyone can choke on the dust.

    Mother Teresa said this, “When I see someone sad I always think, she is refusing something to Jesus.”  It was in giving Jesus whatever He asked that she found her deepest and lasting joy. She said, “Cheerfulness is a sign of a generous and mortified person who forgetting all things, even herself, tries to please God in all she does for souls…for God loves a cheerful giver.”

    I want to live in joy.  So rather than depending on something to change so that I can be joyful, I choose joy right now.  Greeting others warmly, speaking encouragement and affirmation, my own joy will increase as I share positivity and focus on positivity.  This is not new news.  Oftentimes, I simply forget.

    Have you ever read the book of Job?  I hadn’t until this week.  It’s worth a look if you aren’t familiar– or even if you are.  This poor guy’s life went from incredibly abundant to complete depravity nearly overnight.  He lost everyone and everything.  Knowing his own righteousness, he cried out to God in long pathetic speeches.  The Lord ultimately replied, “Will one who argues with the Almighty be corrected?  Let him who would instruct God give answer!”  The Lord seems to challenge Job to play God.  When Job realizes what he has done and to whom he has been railing, he says to God, “I have spoken but did not understand; things too marvelous for me, which I did not know…therefore I disown what I have said and repent in dust and ashes.”

    The message I hear is the one Mother Teresa shares which is:   God loves us and wants us to trust His will for us will always be an expression of that perfect love, however impossible it is for us to comprehend His marvelous designs.

    “Be glad in the Lord and rejoice.” (Ps 32:11).

    Thanks, God, for gently bringing me back to reality today through the good Doc.  I wasn’t giving the world my best this morning.

    I am issuing a challenge to myself and to anyone else out there who might feel called.  Do something today to share joy, INTENTIONALLY, with another.  It’s an act that really is also a prayer– something beautiful for God.  It’s really all between you and Him anyway.  Then, repeat tomorrow.