Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

A reflection on the word “HOLY”

By Karina Fabian

I have a lot of friends, especially through Facebook, the Catholic Writers Guild, and other groups, who don’t hesitate to ask for prayers for themselves or for those they know.  And I have just as many who are glad to say prayers for me or my family and friends times of need.

Prayer does more than send a message to God; it gives us comfort, even if it’s just the comfort of knowing someone is laying our aching hearts in God’s tender hands.

Yet there is something special about asking Mary to pray for us, and it comes down to that word: Holy.

Mary was a woman like any woman and at the same time, something more.  God chose her, and in her beautiful, holy sacrifice of bearing His son, she chose Him in a way no other woman can.  She shares an ineffable closeness with the Trinity:  handmaid of the Father, vessel of the Spirit, mother of the Son.  Her being and her actions brought her to holiness.

When Mary prays for us, she is more than offering comfort or sending a message to our Lord.  She is also holding our hearts in her hands, the same hands that caressed Jesus’ brow and comforted him as a baby.  She is pressing them upon Him as a parent might give a child something precious and alive to hold.  She loves with a heart big enough to embrace the world because becoming the Mother of God gave her that ability.

Mary is not god or a goddess, as some people claim we Catholics think.  But she is something more than woman, more than a saint.

She is holy.

–

Karina Fabian is an acclaimed author of a number of books and can be found blogging at “Rocket Science for the Rest of Us” and at “Fabianspace.” She’s a founding member of the Catholic Writers Guild and to call me a fangirl is not an exaggeration. Karina is truly as awesome in person as the characters she crafts.

image credit: MorgueFile

I love how the internet and the media-that’s-not-really-”new”-anymore has opened many doors and windows in my life.

I’ve made friends who are not virtual in any way, though miles may separate us. We drink our coffee via Twitter, share joys via email, follow each other’s lives via blogs. We ask for sudden prayers through texts and even call from time to time to sob and pray out loud.

There is no doubt, to me, that the digital continent is a blessing in my life.

You can read the rest at the Catholic Writers Guild blog.

I’ve been writing a weekly Tech Talk column at CatholicMom.com for a while. It’s a lot of fun, but I’ve noticed something increasingly in that time:

Lots of people have Android phones and devices.

I do not. I have iOS (Apple) stuff. I can write until I’m blue in the face about these apps (because I am nothing less than an appaholic, oh yes), but it doesn’t really help those people with Androids.

Lisa Hendey and I have been talking, and she gave me the permission to start recruiting.

 So, if you’re interested, here’s what we need:

Someone who can write on at least a monthly (possibly weekly or biweekly) basis about Android apps. Tech Talk isn’t always about apps, mind you, but we want someone who can focus on Android (and neither of us can).

Benefits:

• You’ll have their own column page on our site (which is an increasingly fabulous thing–check mine out)
• You’ll have a basis for requesting (and receiving) free apps.
• You will have  the chance to become an “expert” on this topic, which means radio interviews, speaking about this topic, etc.
• Writing for CatholicMom.com is very flexible.
• It’s great exposure, especially as the CatholicMom.com book line gets launched and the site gets increasing exposure and popularity.
• You get to work with Lisa Hendey and myself. She’s a ton of fun, truly nice and kind, and I add humor to things on a minute-by-minute basis (just see my Twitter feed if you have any doubts).

What’s needed from you:

• A commitment to write on a regular basis.
• Contact me, either in the comments of this post or by email.

And while you’re there, take a peek around at the new layout!

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

A reflection on the word “JESUS”

By Walt Staples

In reciting the “Hail Mary,” at the end of the second line, one comes to the Word which is the point of the whole exercise, “Jesus.”

This fruit of Mary’s womb smiles back at me from the arms of the Bavarian Virgin on my desk as she dances with her child, just as I’ve watched my wife dance with our children when they were babes.

But who is this Jesus?

Is He the Victorian Jesus who appears to say, “There, there,” and seems to be trying to reassure the comfortable? Is He the angry rebel Jesus of the the Jackson Browne song who appears to snarl at these same comfortable? Is He the confused, swept away Jesus of Anderew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s depiction on Broadway?

Is He the deeply-moved Jesus, with His arms thrown around one of the faithful who made it to that reward above all others, in the painting that draws sneers from the super cool? Is He the tired, smelly, wood shaving covered workman at the end of a long day as suggested by one thoughtful priest? Is He the friendly, fun to be around guest at the marriage feast as shown by the pen and ink drawing known as the “Laughing Christ?”

Is He the wise rabbi who is sharp with those who know better but gentle with those who don’t?  Is He the agonized, bleeding man suffering because of the sins each of us commit with little thought, that is represented by a Spanish bust? Is He the baby smiling at me as His mother gayly dances barefoot with Him on my desk?

Perhaps He is all of these. Man is a finite creature attempting to get his or her head around the Infinite. We are only able to catch facets of this visible part of the Trinity at the best of times; not because He keeps Himself hidden from us but, rather, because of our own limitations.

H.G. Wells used the simile of a fox attempting to understand a steam locomotive in his book, War of the Worlds. We often seem in the same position in trying to understand the Infinite. But, unlike Wells’ fox, we have something going for us; we are God’s children—He tells us so quite often. And like children, we have the capacity to learn as we mature. This holds out the hope that when we each finally meet up with Jesus—some by direct route, most via Purgatory—we’ll understand a lot more.

–

Walt sent me this contribution shortly after I asked him if he would be interested in participating in this project. He passed away in mid-March, and I hope he has found his direct route to find the answer for himself as to which Jesus it is.

image credit: MorgueFile

And you can win a copy!

Rachel says, in part,

I don’t mean to gush (I’m not getting paid to do so!), but I was just so pleasantly surprised by how handy and useful this book really is. I have older boys and I can still see getting a lot of ideas for the whole family.

As someone who has long admired and followed Rachel and been part of the crew at Faith & Family on and off, I’m in my happy zone right now.

Go on over and enter the contest, and while you’re at it, check out the rest of the great work they’re doing over that way.

A Mary Moment Monday post

Four letters, two syllables.

Mama.

Sometimes, the soothing balm to my days. Other times, pronounced in certain way, I find myself cringing, knowing what’s coming next.

Mama.

I don’t remember using this term for my own mother-figures. I don’t recall ever saying this as a child, but maybe I’ve just forgotten.

Mama.

It’s a word I don’t hear the teenagers in my life using with their mothers. Has my own seven-and-a-half-year-old started trending away from using it?

Mama.

It’s such a simple word, isn’t it?

Mama.

Though I do call Mary “Mother,” it’s to this word that I come when I think of her.

Mama.

She can be formal, poised on a statue in the front of the church with perfect hair and a well-behaved toddler boy. She can have great make-up and an unreal complexion and unrumpled clothes.

Mama.

To me, she’s more approachable with an apron and gardening gloves, a coming-lose-at-the-temples ponytail and the start of a sunburn. She’s someone I can talk to when I think of her as human (even though I know she was also sinless) and as a mom-friend (though I know she is the Queen of Heaven).

Mama.

Turning to Mary has become natural, but I sometimes forget its importance. I overlook the difference I can make, I will make, when I trust with my whole self.

Mama.

She must touch our temples, she must hold us tight. She must carry us when the tears flow so hard they blind us. She must pray for us when we don’t know what to ask. Even when we aren’t sure anyone else is there. Even when we wonder if it’s worth it to continue. Even when the bright sun can’t fight the dark night.

Mama.

A whole month for Mama. I’m glad I get a day, but even gladder that she gets a month.

image credit: Karen’s Whimsy

“Sharing Mary” at New Evanglizers

Sometimes, it’s far easier for me to talk about my faith than it is to live my faith.

Take Mary, for example.

I have a huge and ever-growing devotion to the Blessed Mother, and I’ve even written quite a bit about her. Most weeks, at my blog, I do a whole post about her or inspired by her.

So you might have the (false) impression that my kids know all about Mary. You might assume (wrongly) that my family prays the rosary. You might (mistakenly) think we do all sorts of Marian things in May every year.

Truth is, this year is the first time I’ve actually set up a May altar.

Join me there.

Tech Talk at CatholicMom.com: A Great Rosary App

Without my iPad, my prayer life is vastly different. For one thing, I lose my prayer book.

I added the Rosary HD app from ESB Solutions to my essential apps folder just last week. At $2.99, it’s a bargain. Take it fromsomeone who continues to search for the perfect rosary app.

(No such thing, sorry to say, but this one’s definitely a keeper!)

Let me walk you through Rosary HD and tell you what I love about it.

Read it all.

Review of Great Resources for Kids at CatholicMom.com

Excuse me if I sound a little hurried in this review. My seven-year-old returns from school soon and when she sees this pile, I’m going to lose them all. There’s no way my four-year-old will remain oblivious when her older sister shows interest.

And how could they NOT be interested in the beautiful books Pauline has sent to me for review? I’m still debating if I want to share them…

Read the rest for three great new titles from Pauline.

Celebrating May with Flowers

I’ve been Catholic long enough to know better.

I’m surrounded by blooming flowers: on the side of the road, in various flowerbeds, in the yard.

And I have young kids.

So what’s my excuse for not having a May altar of some sort before now?

Read the rest at Columbus Catholic Women.

Blog Talk at Catholic Writers Guild Blog

There’s something appealing about a good picture with a good blog post. I started using images as a matter of course when I noticed some of my favorite bloggers doing it.

It’s like a challenge, sometimes, finding the picture that expresses the post. Sometimes it’s a way of sending another message in the post.

In the rest of the post, I share my favorite free photo and image sources and a few tips for image use.

Two Little Words, Much Appreciated

It was a strange-looking envelope, made even more so by the fact that no one in the house has a birthday in early May.

Who could be sending a card?

Read the rest at Amazing Catechists.

And what a review. He starts,

Yes, I’m a husband and father of eight kids. But family fun doesn’t always come naturally – even (or perhaps especially) in what is often thought of as a “large family.” I dispute that eight kids is a large family, but that’s not the point. My role is too often that of dispute mediator, grievance adjudicator, and apologist for reality (“No, it’s not worth $1,000 for you to clean the basement.”)

Even worse, I fear that perhaps… I’ve become too detached from fun. It’s my own fault, really. I refer to my wife in jest as my “social director” and far too often defer to her in matters that might be construed as “family fun.” Maybe it’s my professional upbringing. I’m a CPA, for crying out loud.

I mean, seriously. Catholic family fun? I really am clueless.

He continues later,

I have a deep and resounding love for my kids, but this won’t help if I don’t invest in them. My love takes the form of time, talent, and sure – treasure. But the ideas in this book don’t require much of the latter.

Kevin gave the book high marks, which I so appreciate. I can’t wait to hear about how his family likes his new Family Fun Mentality. Bet there’s going to be some fodder for interesting blogging there…