Franciscan Focus

Married bliss vignette #4,581

2009-05-10T19:57:00.003-05:00

Me: Walking into room where Husband Mike's on the computer. "OK, my saddlebags an' I are heading out for a run."Husband Mike: Eyeing said saddlebags. "Hey, are those like camel humps where they retain water for long periods of time?"No, I didn't hit him.* * *Hey, so it's been ages since I last posted, and as you may have picked up in the vignette above, I've finally gotten back into runnin' and

Everyone Against Abortion Please Raise Your Hand

2009-03-10T18:35:00.000-05:00

March for Life 2009

2009-01-22T13:35:00.006-06:00

I so wish things could've worked out for Husband Mike and me to attend this year's March for Life. While we can't be there, we can and are praying for those wonderful folks out marching right now.You definitely won't see the MSM reporting on this, and if they do, what they may say will misrepresent and downplay the march's magnitude. Thankfully, pro-lifers are stepping in to get the word out, and

Married bliss vignette #3,218

2009-01-03T21:59:00.004-06:00

Me: (entering a room from which Husband Mike had just left) "Ewww! Hey! Why didn't you warn me about the cat puke in here?! I just stepped in it!"Husband Mike: "What? What cat puke?" (wanders back into room and examines the puke, which is more like spittle) "Oh, that's nothing. It's just a prelude to a hairball." (moves around the room, looking in corners) "Ah! Here's the hairball, over by this

Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, & Joseph

2008-12-28T21:47:00.008-06:00

Oh, how I love this feast day! It reminds us that Jesus came to us from within a family, as the ultimate good of Mary and Joseph's marriage. With them, He formed a union of divine and human hearts, and established an earthly trinity to help us better comprehend the mystery of the heavenly Trinity.And He gave us not just a means of contemplating the heavenly Trinity, but a living example for us

What are your core prayer intentions?

2008-12-27T23:55:00.009-06:00

Years ago in a forum, I started a thread asking folks to share their core (things that you always pray for) prayer intentions. 'Twas fun and insightful, so I figured I'd do the same again here. (Hey, recycling's a good thing, right?)Mine are:Husband Mike, our cats, family, friends, and coworkers.All Franciscans -- First, Second, and Third Order (Secular and Religious).Priests and brothers of

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-26T18:36:00.006-06:00

Just a quick post wishing y'all a Blessed and Merry Christmas! And no, I'm not late in doing so -- the Christmas Season proper only just kicked off yesterday and lasts through the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (this coming year on 11 January).So, Merry Christmas!

Spiffy: Friars setting up the creche

2008-12-23T16:56:00.005-06:00

Check out this neato time-lapse video of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate as they set up their creche at Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel. The friars reposted this from when AirMaria was just getting started.Fi News #1

Today's blog post is brought to you by Google

2008-12-11T20:24:00.004-06:00

I've seen my pal Maria do this from time to time, and I'm flat-out stealing her idea ...When going through my site's referrer logs, I'll occasionally find some really wacko keyword searches that somehow direct folks thisaway. So, for your reading enjoyment (and 'cause it's a lazy way to eke out a blog post), here are a few, with my comments added:"ancient hebrew label cousin" (Ummm ...)"

Sign the Fight FOCA petition

2008-11-06T16:51:00.004-06:00

While campaigning for the U.S. presidency, Barack Obama made a promise. In 2007 before the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Barack Obama told pro-abortion activists:"The first thing I'd do as President is sign the Freedom of Choice Act."With a single stroke of the pen, the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) would establish the right to abortion as a fundamental right (like the right to free speech) and

Watch this before you vote

2008-10-29T23:12:00.004-05:00

... and if you still insist on voting for Obama, know that you've played your part in making this even more -- not less -- common. Bravo for you!Oh, and btw? I was born at 28 week's gestation.

Ten years of marriage!

2008-10-10T23:36:00.009-05:00

[On the wedding night, Sarah] got up, and [she and Tobiah] started to pray and beg that deliverance might be theirs. He began with these words: "Blessed are you, O God of our fathers; praised be your name forever and ever. Let the heavens and all your creation praise you forever."You made Adam and you gave him his wife Eve to be his help and support; and from these two the human race descended.

Worldwide Rosary for the Unborn Oct. 18

2008-10-07T21:46:00.005-05:00

Please participate and pass it on: Saint Michael the Archangel Organization is coordinating a Worldwide Rosary for Unborn Babies on 18 October (Saturday).The idea is that everyone, according to their time zones, prays the Rosary sometime between 9-10 a.m. with the intention, "For an end to the surgical and non-surgical killing of unborn babies." Because participants will be praying the Rosary

Dissonance in action

2008-10-06T16:19:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, Husband Mike and I attended Mass at Back-Up Parish, which is where we go when we can't make Mass at Home Parish.While walking through the parking lot, we saw a car sporting pro-life license plate frames and ... a bumper sticker for a US Representative (Republican, if you're curious) whose re-election campaign material proudly boasts of his "commitment to women's right to choose" and

Abortion hurts men, too

2008-09-25T22:50:00.004-05:00

It's not just women who suffer. The fathers of aborted children do, too. Friar Augustine of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate shares his abortion experience during a Silent No More rally held on 07 September at the Connecticut State House."I REGRET MY ABORTION."-friar AugustineH/T to Leticia of Causa Nostrae Laetitiae.

What part of "non-negotiable" don't you understand?

2008-09-24T23:28:00.005-05:00

Love it! H/T to Fr. Erik Richtsteig. :-)Expanding on the subject of non-negotiable issues vs. prudential judgment ones, see Fr. Dwight Longenecker's article, Why Abortion and the Iraq War Are Not Equivalent.

If the shoe fits ...

2008-09-23T13:38:00.004-05:00

Nearly busted a gut laughing over Jeff Miller's campaign sign satire; the following is especially spot-on:Go check out the rest; clever stuff (I'm still impressed that he worked "Albigensian" into a bumper sticker). And then go read Sheila Liaugminas' thoughtful post, Understand who Catholic Americans are.

These least brothers of mine ...

2008-09-16T00:11:00.004-05:00

"Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me." ~ Matthew 25:40(click for larger image)H/T to Barb, sfo, and thanks to Mama Says for creating and sharing this poster.

Catholic first

2008-09-12T20:46:00.009-05:00

When asked in an interview, "What should it mean when I'm 'voting Catholic?' ", Archbishop Charles Chaput, OFM Cap. replied:"We should see ourselves as Catholic first -- not white or black, or young or old, or Democrat or Republican, or labor militant or business owner, but Catholic first as the main way we identify ourselves. Our faith should shape our lives, including our political choices. Of

It's not a "single issue", it's a foundational one

2008-09-10T22:55:00.006-05:00

Thanks to my pal, Deacon John, for the heads-up on this splendid web site, CatholicVote.com, which features the following powerful and hitting-the-nail-on-the-head video:Catholic Vote 2008Along these lines, I've never been interested in buying campaign paraphernalia, but this one is darn good:For a more in-depth explanation of Church teaching and non-negotiable issues when voting, check out the

Church Fathers 'n' Zombies

2008-08-05T18:18:00.009-05:00

(Yeah, let's see what kinds of search results that title will show up in!)It's been ages since I've last posted here thanks to work insanity, but the craziness has finally settled down, and we finished the project on time!So, that means I have time to post here again ... y'know, when my brain cells bounce back. :-P And I figured rather than go the Lengthy And Weighty Route, I'd get back into the

Suffering, Sacrifice, and Geese: Rest in peace, brave Boaz

2008-05-11T18:45:00.012-05:00

[Hover over images for captions]"Sacrifice is usually difficult and irksome. Only love can make it easy; and perfect love can make it a joy. We are willing to give in proportion as we love. And where love is perfect, the sacrifice is complete." (Instruction Before Marriage)I've mentioned before how Husband Mike and I love Canada Geese, and so naturally, we get extra-excited 'round this time of

Franciscan Friars of the Rewal rock, literally

2008-05-10T20:40:00.005-05:00

Check out this Most Excellent video on the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, who are truly a shining example of what it means to be Franciscan.HDNet World Report - The Funky Friars segment(H/T to Roman Catholic Vocations.)

Profession in the Secular Franciscan Order

2008-05-08T12:02:00.011-05:00

Yowza, how time flies -- today is the second anniversary of my permanent profession in the Secular Franciscan Order. Since it's a weekday, I haven't really planned on doing anything special to mark the occasion, but I may stop by my parish's adoration chapel this evening and silently repeat my profession promise. And one of these days, I really will put together a small profession scrapbook; been

Chirping Twitter's praises

2008-04-29T16:29:00.010-05:00

OK, so when I jumped on the Twitter bandwagon last August, I was skeptical -- looked like a lot of boring chatter. And who would possibly be interested in anything I had to "tweet" about, anyway? But after nearly 9 months of twittering, I've changed my tune.First, Twitter is an excellent way to follow trends and listen in on topics of popular conversation (rather like hanging out at a virtual