HappyMama

Whenever I find myself getting too absorbed in my own little life, it certainly helps to read and pray about global issues.  I have heard about 2 small corners of the world lately that have been most inspiring.

First was the story of a Catholic priest named Zakaria Botros,who is regularly on Egyptian television explaining the teachings of Islam.  He deeply researches each topic, and after thoroughly explaining it to the audience, he invites Islamic spiritual leaders to call into the show and tell him if he is right or wrong.  What is interesting is that he picks embarrassing or little-known teachings of Islam, for example, an ancient teaching that women are required to breast-feed adult men if asked to do so.  (!)  And get this, the spiritual leaders admitted that this was indeed a teaching.  Father Botros ends his program by comparing these teachings to those found in the Bible, resulting in a huge surge of interest in Christianity by all reasonable listeners.  This priest will most certainly be martyred for his work, there is already a $5 million bounty on his head.  Yet he continues his successful work.

Secondly, I’ve read about the work of the Catholic church in the Ukraine, which survived decades of being underground under communism.  Finally, there is a Catholic University in the Ukraine.  It has been a huge leap of faith to start this school, because of the poverty of the people.  Because of outstanding leadership, it appears that the school is doing a lot of good work already.  You can read about it here. 

CNEWA is a charity that we like to support.  They publish a beautiful little magazine called One that explains social problems of the Middle East from a Christian perspective.

Well tomorrow night the kids go trick or treating, and because they love costumes and candy, what kid wouldn’t be excited?!  The challenge for Catholic parents is to keep reminding our children that we are celebrating the eve of All Saint’s Day, and continue the celebration of all the Saints on Nov. 1st.  Many Catholic families are making Saint costumes for the children to wear on All Saint’s Day.  Many will provide a “day off” from home schooling and extra treats, desserts, and decorations. 

But that’s not all… as All Soul’s Day is Nov. 2nd, the gears switch from celebration to enduring prayers of hope for all who have died.  I liked this idea for decorating for All Soul’s. 

I thought this was an excellent article on the Jewish Feast of Booths.

Of the hundreds of possible areas of study we can choose in this life, Scripture is probably the one I’d put the top of my list of interests…

Happy St. Joseph’s feast day!!!  Cool picture here.  Litany of St. Joseph here. 

SACRAMENTUM CARITATIS -

On Feb. 22nd Pope Benedict issued this new Apostolic Exhortation, “Sacrament of Love,” on the Eucharist.  Read it here.

Thanks to Jimmy Akin for pointing out this great Lenten resource from the Vatican.

Lent. 

“40″ - among other things - is a biblical symbol for one generation.  The Chosen People wandered homeless in the dessert for 40 years, and the older generation (excepting Joshua & Caleb) passed away without seeing the promised land.  Christ promised his disciples that the end of the world would come before that generation had fallen asleep… and 40 years later, in 70 AD, the Jewish world, symbolized by the Temple in Jerusalem, was destroyed.

We Catholics choose to spend 40 days preparing to celebrate Easter (which we’ll celebrate for 50 days!)  As Noah waited in the Arc, and as Christ endured temptation in the dessert, we too are marking off 40 days.

My “theme” for this Lent is letting go.  Letting go of what I want.  I was so inspired by Dietrich von Hildebrand’s insistence that we be willing to CHANGE in order to be transformed in Christ.  In every spiritual way that I am unlike Christ, I need to change.  And I need to be willing to do whatever He asks of me, even if it means changing all of the expectations I had before I fell in love, before I got married, before I became a mother.

In our college choir we sang a song that has stuck with me of late, called I Surrender:

I surrender my heart.  I surrender my will.  I surrender myself.  And ask for nothing.     I surrender to the power of your love.

I thought this was an excellent article regarding vocations. (From Catholic Exchange.)

In it is a reference to this blog for men discerning a priestly vocation.