Recapturing Our Catholic Patrimony

Offering our Best to God

rcpstudy@gmail.com (Peter) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 15:24:00 +0000

Many people begin, but few finish. And we, who are trying to behave as God’s children, have to be among those few. Remember that only work that is well done and lovingly completed deserves the praise of the Lord which is to be found in Holy Scripture: ‘better is the end of a task than its beginning’.

Many Christians are no longer convinced that the fullness of Life that God rightly expects from his children means that they have to have a careful concern for the quality of their everyday work, because it is this work, even in its most minor aspects, which they have to sanctify.

It is no good offering to God something that is less perfect than our poor human limitations permit. The work that we offer must be without blemish and it must be done as carefully as possible, even in its smallest details, for God will not accept shoddy workmanship. ‘Thou shalt not offer anything that is faulty,’ Holy Scripture warns us, ‘because it would not be worthy of him’ [Lev 22:20]. For that reason, the work of each one of us, the activities that take up our time and energy, must be an offering worthy of our Creator. It must be operatio Dei, a work of God that is done for God: in short, a task that is complete and faultless.

If you consider the many compliments paid to Jesus by those who witnessed his life, you will find one which in a way embraces all of them. I am thinking of the spontaneous exclamation of wonder and enthusiasm which arose from the crowd at the astonishing sight of his miracles: bene omnia fecit, he has done everything exceedingly well: not only the great miracles, but also the little everyday things that didn’t dazzle anyone, but which Christ performed with the accomplishment of one who is perfectus Deus, perfectus homo, perfect God and perfect man. (Friends of God, 55-56)

Make it count!

rcpstudy@gmail.com (Peter) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 14:50:00 +0000

To follow in Christ's footsteps, today's apostle does not need to reform anything, but even less has he to take no part in the contemporary affairs going on around him. He has only to act as the first Christians did, and give life to his environment. (Furrow, 320)

What I have always taught, over the last forty years, is that a Christian should do all honest human work, be it intellectual or manual, with the greatest perfection possible: with human perfection (professional competence) and with Christian perfection (for love of God’s Will and as a service to mankind). Human work done in this manner, no matter how humble or insignificant it may seem, helps to shape the world in a Christian way. The world’s divine dimension is made more visible and our human labour is thus incorporated into the marvellous work of Creation and Redemption. It is raised to the order of grace. It is sanctified and becomes God’s work, operatio Dei, opus Dei.

Get the word out! Prepare your hearts.

rcpstudy@gmail.com (Peter) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:20:00 +0000

Check out http://www.fullnessoftruth.org/ for more info!

Ordinary Lives; Extraordinary Grace

rcpstudy@gmail.com (Peter) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 22:11:00 +0000

Amidst all the confusion of our day, I'd like to share this message.

Look around...Here's a thought for your Monday

rcpstudy@gmail.com (Peter) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 15:27:00 +0000

Live a special Communion of Saints: and, in the moments of interior struggle just as in the hours of professional work, each of you will feel the joy and the strength of not being alone.

St. Josemaría Escrivá

(The Way, 545)

Blessed are the Poor in Spirit

rcpstudy@gmail.com (Peter) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 12:20:00 +0000

If you want to achieve this spirit, I would advise you to be sparing with yourself while being very generous towards others. Avoid unnecessary expenditure on luxuries and comforts, whether out of caprice, or vanity, etc. Don’t create needs for yourself. In other words, learn from St Paul ‘to live in poverty and to live in abundance, to be filled and to be hungry, to live in plenty and to live in want: I can do all things in him who comforts me’. Like the Apostle, we too will come out winners in this spiritual combat if we keep our hearts unattached and free from ties. (Friends of God, 123-124)

COLLEGE

noreply@blogger.com (The Fergusons) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 15:45:00 +0000

My brother-in-law is a senior in high school and he, like millions of white middle class children, is preparing to undergo the rite of passage that is now expected of virtually all in his situation - entering college. I too was in his situation in the not to distant past. I remember the preparations, the applications, the interviews and the pressure. Like him, neither of my parents had the opportunity to attend a college or university, and so like him, my parents were very adamant that I get an education so that I "wouldn't have to work as hard as they had."

College, we are told, is the gateway to a better life today. It is so important in the estimation of society today, that for a young man or woman to forgo a college education when they have the opportunity, is often viewed as tantamount to wasting one's life. A college education is so valuable that incurring 10 to 15 years of post-graduation debt is viewed as an acceptable and even necessary evil (or even no evil at all). We the people, esteem it so vital that we will even subsidize community colleges to educate students who can barely read let alone conduct scholarly research.

Yet as a college graduate, I no longer hold these views. Looking back, I wish that I had not entered Texas A&M directly out of high school.

An examination of the practical, social, moral and spiritual issues behind my reasoning will be the the subject of a 4 part series of posts to follow in the next week or two. No doubt some will take issue with the generalizations I'll be making, but it I am speaking from my own experience and observations and it is my hope that others will lend their perspectives as well. I hope you enjoy.

If anyone's been wondering what the heck happened to us....

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 15:04:00 +0000

We didn't intend to go on a 3-month-long blogfast. But Life demanded our attention and she has yet to relent.

It started way back in November with the sudden onset of a very high fever in the baby, an illness that turned out to be a viral respiratory infection which produced the worst cough we have ever witnessed in any of our children, an illness that lasted for over two months and had me begging St. Blaise for intercession. The cough finally disappeared but Hannah rolled right into a stage of teething that is ongoing. Couldn't they all pop through together? God's gift of patience to me has been watching one tiny tooth break free only to realize that another was bulging into her sad and swollen gums. The third has yet to make its appearance.

Much of this was occuring during the holidays, which can't be postponed. Neither can we ignore growing piles of laundry or the fact that our family still needs to be fed, bathed, and read to. Of course, Peter still has to go to work everyday and attend his MBA classes, and I've been striving to regain some normalcy by getting back to a little bit of homeschooling everyday. And, just when I thought we were finally getting over the hump, yesterday evening Thomas began complaining about an earache that kept us awake half the night. (Please say a quick prayer for him because he seems to be in a bit of pain.) In any case, with everything going on blogging just became the least of priorities.

The good news is that the children have been extremely cooperative and patient, not expecting too much of me and forgiving me when I've exhibited less than model behavior, due mostly to my neglect of prayer but also because of a lack of sleep. I always knew those all-nighters in college would serve me well...I just didn't realize that it was a preparation for motherhood. Who needs a wooden board to sleep on when you have 4 young children to mortify your body's desire for rest? (St. John Vianney, pray for me!)

So, if you've wondered where we disappeared to, everything is good...we've just been busier than usual. Please keep us in your prayers and I'm sure we'll be back around once things settle down.
"Our business is to love what God would have us do. He wills our vocation as it is, let us love that..." St. Francis de Sales

Hello

noreply@blogger.com (The Fergusons) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 17:36:00 +0000

Hello RCP-ers,

My name is Jason, and Peter invited me to contribute to his Recapturing Our Catholic Patrimony blog from time to time, so I guess that I should give a little background. I met the Parks during a brief stint in Houston working for a local pro-life organization. After about a year, my wife and I moved our family out of the big city and back to the small hill country town in which we were raised. I'm a country bumpkin through and through, not nearly as refined, eloquent, insightful or optimistic as Sarah and Peter, so if anything I write here impresses anyone, just remember the old adage, "even a blind hog finds an acorn once in a while." I will probably write about politics, movies, the Faith, personal finance, country living and my own frustrations most of the time. I have a big ego, what hobby writer doesn't ;), and so in the interest of my own sanctification I hope that some readers will help to deflate it by ruthlessly critiquing and criticizing my every thought. Enjoy.

Rejuvenated. Now FOCUS!

rcpstudy@gmail.com (Peter) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:17:00 +0000

Well, I’m at a loss as to where to begin with this blog…my instinct is to just begin.

I hope you enjoyed your vacation, Christmas and New Years, as much as I did. But as the holiday spirit wanes and we Parks return to the normalcy of life, I wonder…what are my plans, my goals for 2009?

As you may recall, I live a “new year” each quarter. It’s more interesting and motivating for me. So, I ask myself: What are my plans, my goals for the first quarter 2009? I invite you to ask the same question of yourself.

Three months to a new me? A better me? What can I say…do…be in the next 3 months…no, in the next 30 days, to get me going once again?

Dignitas Personae

rcpstudy@gmail.com (Peter) — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 21:28:00 +0000

Here's the latest from the CDF: the Instruction, Dignitas Personae.

Twenty years after Donum Vitae, the Instruction begins...

1. The dignity of a person must be recognized in every human being from conception to natural death. This fundamental principle expresses a great "yes" to human life and must be at the center of ethical reflection on biomedical research, which has an ever greater importance in today's world. The Church's Magisterium has frequently intervened to clarify and resolve moral questions in this area. The Instruction Donum vitae was particularly significant.1 And now, twenty years after its publication, it is appropriate to bring it up to date.

The teaching of Donum vitae remains completely valid, both with regard to the principles on which it is based and the moral evaluations which it expresses. However, new biomedical technologies which have been introduced in the critical area of human life and the family have given rise to further questions, in particular in the field of research on human embryos, the use of stem cells for therapeutic purposes, as well as in other areas of experimental medicine. These new questions require answers. The pace of scientific developments in this area and the publicity they have received have raised expectations and concerns in large sectors of public opinion. Legislative assemblies have been asked to make decisions on these questions in order to regulate them by law; at times, wider popular consultation has also taken place.

These developments have led the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to prepare a new doctrinal Instruction which addresses some recent questions in the light of the criteria expressed in the Instruction Donum vitae and which also examines some issues that were treated earlier, but are in need of additional clarification.

Check out:
the Instruction, in full (.pdf)
Vatican summary of the Instruction (.pdf)
Questions and Answers about Dignitas Personae (.pdf)
news release from the USCCB

Don't forget to listen to Colin Donovan's review of the document:

New:
Dom Giordano's show, "The Big Talker" interviewed Cardinal Justin Rigali on these new guidelines. He was graciously offering the Cardinal time to explain how "the Church is a friend to science"and welcomes the many cures already attributed to ADULT stem cells. This invterview was filmed by Fox News and will be televised shortly. Listen to another of his interviews of Cardinla Rigali here.

The Best Decoy Rig and Accessories I know

rcpstudy@gmail.com (Peter) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:35:00 +0000

Find more videos like this on Doc's Hunt-N-Stuff

Protecting Christ in the Eucharist

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 17:27:00 +0000

"JENSEN BEACH, Fla. - Police in Florida said they arrested a Connecticut man after he tried to steal communion wafers during a church service.

The Martin County Sheriff's Office said a 33-year-old man was cornered by fellow churchgoers when he grabbed a handful of wafers from the priest during communion services Saturday.

The Stuart News reported that the man was being held down by six or seven offended parishioners when deputies arrived at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church in Jensen Beach. Police say two parishioners, ages 82 and 61, received minor injuries in the scuffle."

God bless these conscientious Catholics. Although, this could have been prevented if Holy Communion was distributed to communicants on the tongue, kneeling at the altar. Of course this kind of thing is rare, but better to prevent it altogether than leave any room for errors. And I'm just wondering, how was this man acting if it took six or seven to hold him down?

Homeschooling at its best

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:28:00 +0000

Seeing this homeschooling mom's blog has humbled and inspired me at the same time. The best part of this blog, though, aren't the pictures that give me an idea of how beautiful and organized a schoolroom can look. The best part is the list of autumn-themed children's books she has on the left sidebar - what a fabulous collection. I'm going to the library!

What are you reading?

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:37:00 +0000

I've been on a reading frenzy the past couple of months. Looking at this list I wonder where I find the time, but the reality is that most of the time I have 2 or 3 books on my nightstand and I rarely read a book word-for-word, line-by-line, cover-to-cover. I skim some chapters, skip others altogether, and only really dwell on the parts that are especially significant and/or interesting. And it's amazing how much more you can "read" if you listen to books on cd while doing dishes and cooking, and how nursing gives you the perfect opportunity to sit down with a good author. How I love being a stay-at-home mom!

"My Grandfather's Son" by Clarence Thomas. Best autobiography I've ever read. Reads like a novel and it had me crying at various times. It's mostly about his life from abject poverty to the Supreme Court, but it opened my eyes to the complexity of politics in DC (and the nastiness of Joseph Biden).

"Where the Right went Wrong" by Pat Buchanan. This book is especially enlightening about the Iraq War (why we shouldn't have gone) and terrorism, not to mention fiscal responsibility. I actually listened to it on CD - probably more enjoyable than reading it.

"33 Questions about American History You're Not Supposed to Ask" and "How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization" by Thomas E. Woods. I cannot speakly highly enough of these two books. Extremely informative and eye-opening.

"Dreams of my Father" and "Audacity of Hope" by Barack Obama. Who is this man? I had to hear it from the horse's mouth and reading his memoirs is the most obvious way. I guess I just got tired of demonizing him without a substantial knowledge of who he purports to be and stand for.

"Real Learning: Education in the Heart of the Home" by Elizabeth Foss. I'm rereading it for the third time. This book singlehandedly transformed my vision of homeschooling and has inspired me to strive for greatness in this most noble endeavor. This book is so me it's ridiculous.

"Boys Should be Boys" and "Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters" by Dr. Meg Meeker. Parenting books that are at once insightful, practical, conservative, and encouraging. Much of her work is a basic common sense approach, it won't be anything new, but I find it helpful to have a secular perspective that supports my parenting beliefs.

What are you reading that you'd recommend?

All Hallows Eve 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 20:49:00 +0000

Not the most original costumes, I know. I just wasn't feeling all that creative this year especially because we went for a cabin camping trip that weekend. And I learned a very valuable lesson. Kids' expectations for these kinds of things are only as high as the parent sets them. They were perfectly happy to be a princess, a pumpkin, Bl. Kateri Tekakwitha, and store-bought Buzz Lightyear. No theme, nothing fancy, just a simple costume and receiving candy. Truth be told, they enjoyed scaling the cabin stone walls far more than trick-or-treating. My kind of kids.

Who is Bobby Jindal?

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 04:29:00 +0000

Time to open the blinds and pull back the curtains. Two days of hiding away in a closet of disbelief, depression, and horror is enough for me. Since there's nothing better to talk about on the American political scene these days, we may as well look forward. The question is, to what?

Do we abandon ship as quickly as possible, assuming that the GOP has for far too long been steered off course, and attempt to build a third party? One based on authentically conservative values? Or do we give our whole-hearted support to the remnant of truly conservative Republicans left out there, in hopes that the party will wake up and realign itself? I'm tempted to go third party, and by that, I mean giving my full support starting now. But then, it occurs to me. Do we have the time to establish a third party with any realistic chance of making a difference, considering that two days ago our nation hit the fast-forward button on the "How America lost its mind, money, and civil liberties" tape?

Now watch this:

I think, knowing that he's a convert to Catholicism and openly pro-life, that he's young, intelligent and seemingly unapologetic about his conservative views, I see one more glimmer of hope for the GOP. I have some reading and research to do. I need to find out more about Bobby Jindal.

All is Vanity

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0000

This is a slightly edited version of a piece I posted awhile ago on a different blog. In light of the election results, it seemed appropriate to be reminded...

All is vanity. What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains for ever. The sun rises and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises. The wind blows to the south, and goes round to the north; Round and round goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns. All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; To the place where the streams flow, there they flow again.
All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; And there is nothing new under the sun. Is there a thing of which it is said, "See, this is new"? It has been already, in the ages before us.
There is no remembrance of former things, Nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to happen among those who come after. (Eccles. 1:2-11)

As I read these words, I consider the endeavor to restore authentic Catholicism to the hearts and minds of men, to rebuild our society based on truly Christian principles. And it keeps resounding in my head. “A generation comes, a generation goes…The sun rises, the sun goes down…There is nothing new under the sun…There is no remembrance of former things…”

There will always be new crises, new battles. We can never create utopia on earth – neither in the world nor among the Church militant. Hopes of restoring a truly Catholic civilization, even if they are ever realized, will never become a permanent reality. Sooner or later, the house of cards will fall yet again, waiting to be picked up by a future generation of Catholics. How many times has history patiently observed as carefully constructed dynasties have crumbled into artifacts? How often has she overheard God pleading His case to a beggar in a tattered brown robe, asking him to “rebuild His Church”?

So what is it all worth? For what do we toil under the sun and strive after the wind? Put simply, personal sanctification. It is not the finished product of a Catholic society that most perfectly reveals God’s glory. It is not even the restoration of the most beautiful thing this side of heaven – the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in all its splendor. The glory of God is most perfectly revealed in the lifelong process by which an individual becomes the very image of God through the act of pouring Himself into his own little creation.

There is something in all this that reminds me of childbirth. I actually have a kind of pity for men, that God did not grant them the gift of childbirth. Not because it’s a sublime and heroic event. Rather, because childbirth is at once hellishly painful and gloriously productive. I pity men for their absolute inability to experience or even understand the closest thing to purgatory on earth. What other act can rightfully claim to bear sheer physical torture for the singular purpose of delivering a soul into the hands of a loving father?

And so, childbirth it is. Each contraction becomes increasingly agonizing, and each one is only ever appreciated for itself. There is “no remembrance” of the previous pain, nor is there any consideration for the future crises that will bring a woman steps closer to the moment of birth. And yet, each one is necessary and each one must be confronted. Each one reaches a searing crescendo that demands one’s attention, so much attention that nothing else matters, no other disturbance is heard or felt.

Our present sufferings as Christians lost in the sea of pain known as neo-paganism is but the latest birth pang of the New Israel. In a certain sense, the current crisis is necessary, not only for our Holy Mother Church in her anguish for delivery, but also for our personal sanctification. Could we rest peacefully if we were not engaged in some battle with the dragon?

Is our project of restoration undertaken in vain? No. It is a vain project, but it is not done in vain. Not if, in the process, more than a passing civilization is restored; if the process also procures the glorified image of God in our souls. We do it not because we will create anything lasting here on earth; we do it because our toils re-create our souls for all eternity.

“But he who is joined with all the living has hope… For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward; but the memory of them is lost. Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and they have no more forever any share in all that is done under the sun.

Go, eat your bread with enjoyment, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already approved what you do. Let your garments be always white; let not oil be lacking on your head. Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life which he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun.

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going…

I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools.” (Eccles. 9:4-10, 13, 17-18)

Holding the Fort

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 20:57:00 +0000

Two people, my dentist and a clerk at Home Depot, asked me point-blank who I voted for today. Why was I embarrassed to admit that it was McCain? There are certainly aspects of his life that are admirable - his military service and adoption of his daughter from Bangladesh being at the top of that list. Yet, a few good qualities notwithstanding, he is far from my ideal candidate. Not being the man I would choose if my choice mattered, I couldn't bring myself to even feign enthusiasm. So, why did he get my vote?

After the GOP primary, in my disappointment and disgust, I was determined to investigate and find a third party candidate I could stand behind. The problem is, I couldn't. The strongest option, particularly from a pro-life standpoint, was Chuck Baldwin. But it seemed instantly obvious to me that Baldwin is clearly less qualified to be president than even Barack Obama. Conservatives have questioned Sarah Palin's qualifications for the VP position, but to me, voting for Baldwin would be the epitome of giving a candidate a pass on the necessity of experience for his adherance to conservative positions. And, even still, I'd have been willing to give him that pass if I thought voting for him made any sense.

When it comes right down to it, I simply can't see the logic in voting third party in a national election. There is a time to have the discussion about the way things ought to be. This is not that time. When a bridge is on the brink of collapse and in doing so will admit the death of many, it is not the appropriate time to argue about how it should have been constructed nor is it honorable to refuse assistance in upholding the bridge as long as possible to save as many lives as possible because you are personally convinced that by allowing it to collapse you will have taught the misguided engineers a very important lesson about building bridges.

It is my firm conviction, instilled in me by my mother who had nothing like an easy life, that if we're going to play we have to play the cards we're dealt. If we want to play a different game, then we must get that game in play long before we come to the table. The reality is that third parties do not make any headway in the American political system because those who end up supporting them in the voting booth have not been committed to them in any substantial way in the months preceding the election. For example, how many of those who voted for Chuck Baldwin or Bob Barr did anything else to promote their cause? How many of those voters even endorsed the third party candidate on their personal blog or put his sign in their front yard?

In doing as much research as I could do in the past few months, from listening to talk radio, reading many blogs and articles, and more importantly, delving into books by Obama, Pat Buchanan, Thomas Woods, and the autobiography of Clarence Thomas, I have come to the realization that the roots of our societal problems are much more far-reaching and complicated than I ever imagined. I have changed and/or formed my political views in many areas. And while the truth is that McCain and those like him are much more a part of the problem than the solution, I came to believe that an Obama presidency is so greatly to be feared that I became willing to ally myself with the neighborhood bully in order give assistance in defeating the menace that threatens our entire way of life.

Indeed, our society must be reconstructed from the ground up, but new construction can only be a possibility if all is not lost. And though I'm not sure I consider myself an optimist, I can't help but see the signs of hope embedded like seeds in the soil of our culture. The openness to life that this generation of Catholics exhibits, the increasing number of families who are committed to a truly Christian education for their children, the growth of orthodox religious orders, the courage of the younger American bishops to speak on behalf of life and the Church. It is my conviction that our present duty is that of holding the fort until reinforcements come along - which is why, though I am not thrilled at the prospect of McCain winning tonight, I will surely be pleased to see him at the command of our post than see it destroyed by an Obama victory. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

My Favorite Homeschooling Product so far

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0000

With two sisters that have been homeschooling for years and several friends that have recently just begun the endeavor, I've had the privilege of looking over quite a few educational products for homeschooling. I've spent probably too much money but I've thoroughly enjoyed the planning process, including creating my very own customized curriculum. There's so much out there nowadays, and while it's wonderful to have such a variety of materials to choose from, the task of knowing what will be best has been somewhat daunting.

I'm an idea person (which really means that I typically like the idea of something far more than the reality), and I am more than happy to put into practice the theories and suggestions of Elizabeth Foss' wonderful book entitled "Real Learning". The bulk of their education comes from reading good books.

But I still have a handful of more structured "subjects". I like my phonics program, love the math, am learning so much from the saints' stories, but by far, my favorite product is Aline Wolfe's art appreciation course that can be begun with children as young as 3 years old, "Child-size Masterpieces". I highly recommend it.

Are there any good tv shows?

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 02:08:00 +0000

The only show I ever watch is "The Biggest Loser". It's corny, no doubt. But I find it very impressive to see these people working so hard to change their lives for the better. The only bad thing is that I feel incredibly guilty sitting down with a beer and a bowl of chips to watch a show about losing weight. Though, my guilt doesn't exactly me put the chips away...

Oh, and we get "Dog Whisperer" episodes from the library. That Cesar Milan is amazing. I like him so much that he's made it to my prayer list for conversion of fallen-away Catholics.

I can't lie. There's one more: the PBS kids afternoon cartoon, WordGirl. It's clever and thoroughly entertaining, even for me, and I've never liked cartoons. It comes on just about the time I have to nurse the baby when the others are waking up from naps and getting out of quiet time. If you're unfamiliar with it, here's a clip of an interview of WordGirl by Jim Leher.

Isn't she cute?

Holy Friendship

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 19:16:00 +0000

I know I've said it before, but I think I belong to the greatest mother's group ever. The women are intelligent, considerate, fun-loving, and most importantly, open to life. Consider a baby shower we threw on Friday evening for two of our ladies. At the party, there were three expecting moms (one of them pregnant with her fourth and the others pregnant with their second), there were five of us who have had a baby in the past seven months, one mom with 5 kids under the age of 7, and of course I have 4 under 6 years old. At any given time, we have at least one, and usually several, pregnant and nursing mothers.

I believe this may be why I have such a hopeful outlook towards women. I am surrounded by women - my friends (both here in Houston and from FUS) and my four sisters - who are devout Catholics that accept the Church's authority, ladies who challenge each other to live up to the example of womanhood set by the Blessed Mother in developing virtue and bringing Christ into the world. I have the blessing of being supported in my openness to life and choice to homeschool, as well as in every other moral detail, such as modest dress habits and learning to discipline my children.

Of course, these women are without exception led by good and virtuous men, though I lament that there are so few organized associations for Catholic men through which they can support and challenge each other. As the Opus Dei priest, Fr. McCloskey explains in his book, "Good News, Bad News, Evangelization, Conversion and the Crisis of Faith,"

"I truly believe that here and now the friendship deficit syndrome is a much bigger problem for American men than it is for American women. At the same time, I recommend that women who care about men - mothers, sisters, wives, and prospective wives - pay close attention to what follows. Besides concern for the man or men in their life, self-interest dictates that. In the absence of strong men capable of entering into and sustaining healthy relationships - including friendships with other men - marriage and the family are at risk... Wives especially can help combat FDS by encouraging their husbands to spend more time, not less, with their male friends...

As it stands, for many men - Catholics along with the rest - 'friendship' has come to signify an attenuated and largely artificial tie based on little more than a common interest in beer, cars, sports, and/or the promiscuous pursuit of young women. By contrast, a genuine male friendship is a deep and lasting bond that reaches to the two friends' depths. Such friendships are not common among American men today...

What to do? Resisting this tidal wave of social pathology is enormously difficult, but resistance is necessary for many reasons, including the reestablishment and defense of male frienship as a basis for evangelization and apostolate."

I know how significant it has been to my spiritual growth to be supported by sisters in Christ, and so it is a dear petition of mine that the Catholic men in our lives will find a way, among all their other pressing duties and concerns, to build strong friendships with each other. And, as Fr. McCloskey exhorts, to do my best to sacrifice some of my extra time with Peter as he pursues these holy friendships.

(P.S. To any OLoPH ladies who couldn't make the shower, I assure you that you were sorely missed!)

The Implications of Manly Leadership

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 23:53:00 +0000

It is no exaggeration to say that “The Soul of the Apostolate” by Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard, OCSO is one of the most influential books I have ever read. A work on the necessity of the interior life and the dangers of what Chautard calls “activism” (the failure to place the interior life as the foundation of every exterior apostolic work), the book bears the distinction of being recommended by the great Pope St. Pius X, who once said, “I value it very highly and have myself made it my bedside book.”

Thinking about my previous post, and wishing to expound upon my conviction that the role of men, particularly fathers, in the building up of a Christian civilization is too often understated even by traditional Christians, I was reminded of something I read in Chautard’s book. Chautard was describing the work of a great priest, a Fr. Allemand, who based all of his own evangelization on a deep and dedicated interior life of prayer, and then branched out by establishing “shock troops” of Christians who could do the same. Chautard explains,

“The man of God gained a great ascendancy over these energetic youths, by which he dominated them and gained their esteem, respect, and love. Fr. Allemand wanted to build on no foundation but the interior life, and he was strong enough to form a nucleus of young men, at the center of his movement, men of whom he did not hesitate to ask, to the extreme limit permitted by their condition, a complete inner life, uncompromising custody of the heart, morning meditation, and so on. In a word, he asked the complete Christian life, in the sense in which it was understood and practiced by the Christians of the earliest times.

And these young apostles, succeeding one another, have continued to be the true center of this movement at Marseilles; and the movement has given to the Church several Bishops, and continues to give her many secular priests, missionaries, religious, as well as thousands of family men who are at all times the chief support of the parochial works in the great Mediterranean seaport, where they form a group that not only does honor to business and industry and the professions, but constitutes a real center for the apostolate.”

And here we come to the portion that is directly pertinent to my previous post. Keep in mind that this was written by a French priest in 1907.

“We have mentioned “family men.” That brings to mind the burden of the refrain that can be heard almost everywhere: “The apostolate is relatively easy in the case of young men and girls and especially married women, mothers. But when it comes to mature men, it is just about impossible. And yet so long as we have not made the fathers of families not only into Christians but also into apostles, the influence of Christian mothers, great as it is, will be obstructed or short-lived and we will never set the social kingdom of Christ on a firm
basis.”

This demonstrates to me that though a mother’s influence in her family is profound, unique and irreplaceable, it in no way compares to that of a father – for good or bad. It also tells me that long before the effects of the feminist movement ravaged our present society, good priests were everywhere having a difficult time making apostles out of men and, as Dom Chautard predicted, without truly Christian men as heads of families the social kingdom of Christ could never be secure. There were times and places, such as his example of Marseilles, in which mature men were Christianized and the effects on the societal landscape were great. Yet it was the lack of formation in "family men" that he laments, long before liberal women had been unleashed into the world in all their ungodly rage.

Though feminism has further exasperated our societal woes, we have to explore the possibility, nay the reality, of a deeper root. We have to go back to a lack of good leadership on the part of men as the direct cause of the rise of feminism. If the reins are securely in the hands of women, we should ask ourselves, “Who handed over the reins in the first place?” If women browbeat their men into submission, we ought to ask ourselves, “Is man so weak that he can so easily be browbeaten, or is it that a very many men have lacked conviction and have carelessly allowed their God-given duty to be wrenched from their hands?”

Still, it is not my intention to simply point the finger at men as the sole source of all our problems, nor is this an attempt to exonerate women when they have failed to act as truly Christian women. Liberal feminism is an evil that has permeated society, to the detriment of the family and society. Yet it is my conviction that we cannot stop at the gates of feminism, we must go deeper.

We must all of us consider the implications of leadership, which in the realm of the family happens to belong to the man as the head of his domestic church. We can consider it in light of other relationships, if that makes the study any easier. Thinking of a struggle for dominance between parent and child, if the child assumes the dominant role, whom do we have to thank but the parent? Surely, the child does what is wrong and it must be corrected, but it is the parent who has the lion’s share of culpability and must be formed in the appropriate ways to keep the proper order. And the same is true for our priests and bishops. As Catholics we know that bishops are responsible for every soul in their diocese, and we see that when bishops take their leadership seriously (or less than seriously) the effects are clearly evident in their seminaries and parishes. Dom Chautard touches upon this when he remarks to his fellow priests,

“When we thus admit helplessness [in converting mature men], do we not display our poverty in the exterior life, which alone can teach us the means of preventing so many men from getting away from the influence of the Church? Do we not prefer the easy sermons that are so successful with youths and women to the intensive labor of preparation demanded by sermons that have power to arouse convictions and love and lasting resolutions in the minds and hearts of men? Only the interior life can sustain us in the hidden, back-breaking labor of planting the seed that seems to go so long without fruit.”

Being a truly great man and priest, instead of only pointing the finger at the “family men” who are so difficult to evangelize, Dom Chautard assumes responsibility upon himself and calls his fellow priests to do the same. He doesn’t exempt the lay men from their fault, but neither does he exempt himself. In doing so, Chautard demonstrates the beauty and importance of each Christian embracing his particular role of leadership, with all its ups and downs. He tells us that blame as such is useless. Instead, examining our situation in its complexity, and contending with all the sources of sin is the greatest way to remedy our plight. Most importantly, Christian men are called to imitate their Savior who, though He was perfectly innocent, assumed all the guilt on His own shoulders and in doing so was able to redeem those whom He loved.

What does Gonzo have to do with blogging?

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 02:14:00 +0000

"There's not a word yet, for old friends who've just met..." It's a line from Gonzo's song (I'm Going to Go Back There Someday) in The Muppet Movie and it's how I feel when I stumble upon a blog that I instantly love.

And Sometimes Tea, by a Catholic homeschooling mom, is definitely worth checking out. Happy blogging!

What is a father worth?

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 18:19:00 +0000

Peter got a voicemail from Frances at work the other day. It went something like this:

"Umm, hello, daddy. I love you. I just want to say that you're my favorite person. And I always love to do things with you. Bye, daddy."

Okay, a lot of this has to do with the novelty of being allowed to use the phone and knowing how to call daddy via speeddial. But there's an obvious but all too often overlooked truth in this simple message from a five-year-old girl to her father: the pivotal role a man plays in the lives of his children. As Meg Meeker, a pediatrician and the author of "Boys Should be Boys" and "Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters", puts it, "The greatest predictor of good self-esteem [in a child] is the physical affection her father shows her."

It is not about success or popularity, it is not about good-looks or intelligence. It isn't even about the mother's love and affection, which is obviously crucial to the development of a child. A mother's love is naturally taken for granted by a child because the emotional bond was present from conception, due in large part to the physical connection they shared. It is a father's approval, appreciation, and affection that is the greatest predictor of a child's self-esteem, and it is because a child's relationship with his father is the first relationship that is at the same time essential but not guaranteed. A father's love must be proved. In so many spoken and unspoken ways, children from a very young age say to their father, "You are important to me. I adore you. Do you feel the same about me? You don't have to love me, but do you anyway?" If a father shows in little and big ways that he does in fact treasure the child, the child knows he is a worthwhile human being. If there is no response from the father, or it is negative, the child will for the first time feel unloveable.

This is even more important for my son than my daughters. Why? Because boys do not only learn that they are worthwhile when their father loves them, they completely formulate who they are on an existential level according to the model of manhood that is set before them. As Dr. Meeker simply states, "Every boy in America needs a man in order to become one."

"Boys are impulsive. They become mad and they yell. When they are frightened they lash out and they run. When they are sad or their feelings are hurt, they run to a corner and sulk. Grown men don't (or shouldn't) do these things. A man is fully mature when he is able to acknowledge a multitude of intense emotions and then make a deliberate decision about how to react to them (if he needs to react at all)...
Men have a keen sense of responsibility for their own happiness. They learn to reverse boyhood questions. They don't ask how others can make life better for them; they ask how they can make life better for themselves and those around them. Every boy deserves the freedom to enjoy manhood. He needs your help in getting there...
And a boy takes that push much better from a man than he does from a woman. He trusts a man more, because a man has done what he has to do. The biggest mistake we make with adolescent boys is forgetting that they all need help moving out of adolescence. Millions of boys grow older, but few become men. No boy really wants to stay in the banal world of perpetual adolescence, but he needs someone to lead him out. His deepest longings pressure him toward manhood and he needs to respond. He wants to respond but he simply doesn't know how...."

Along these lines, but emphasizing the significance of manhood on society at large, our Holy Father once remarked, "The crisis of the modern world is a crisis of fatherhood."

I have always wondered why traditional Catholics and evangelical Protestants have a tendency to point to the liberal feminist movement as a source of so many of our societal ills. As a woman, I can't help but see the injustice in that. To be certain, women have their role to play and too often they neglect it, to their own detriment and the demise of our family structure. But to lay all the blame at the feet of one sex, especially when it is the weaker sex, is to understate the very real and serious responsibilities of the other.

However, to say as Pope Benedict said, that we are primarily facing a crisis of fatherhood, does not lay all the blame on men. It merely suggests that men and women must both be at the service of re-establishing the pivotal role of fatherhood in our families. It means, on a practical level, that men must not only determine what God intends for a man to be, but they must also deliberately and purposefully pass that on to their sons. He must become the source of strength and security his daughter needs in order to be virtuous. As women, we must be ever vigilant to encourage the very significant relationship between our husbands and our children. No matter how loudly our vanity may protest, we must desire and encourage his priority of place in their hearts.

The well-being of our children and the health of the world demands it.