Working the Night Shift {Fostering a Newborn}

After Mass on the Feast of Saint Charles Borromeo, we answered a call to take in a newborn whose parents cannot yet take care of her.  Due to a strange 'coincidence,' it seems like Saint Charles himself was involved in this new foster placement, but I'll save the 'communion of saints' story for another day.

For privacy purposes, we shall call her Angelina on the blog.  To answer the most common question: No, we don't know for how long she will be with us.  It could be one week, one month or longer.  The fostering process involves much mystery and many moving parts.  Our prayers (and hopefully yours) go out for little Angelina and for her family at this time of separation and the various trials and tribulations accompanying such an unsettling occurrence.

Within 24 hours of our new foster placement, our friends began showering gifts upon little Angelina.

Speaking of St. Charles...
St. Charles Borromeo, St. Peter Canisius, St. Turibius of Mongrovejo and St. Robert Bellarmine are the only four people mentioned by name at the beginning of the Catechism of the Catholic Church; cited as responsible for the Council of Trent, which gave way to the modern day catechism. Have you ever looked at the Catechism of the Catholic Church?  Inside, the teachings of the Church are clearly taught with Biblical citations throughout.

If your authority on what the Catholic Church teaches includes lapsed and/or poorly catechized Catholics or anti Catholics, there's a good chance you'll be pleasantly surprised when you discover what the Church actually teaches and why.

Recently, someone shared an interesting fact gleaned from a historical study of the reformation.  Another asked in response, "I wonder if you will also study the counter-reformation?"  If studying one side of the great divorce of the Church makes sense, doesn't studying both sides of the huge break seem appropriate?  The documents from the Council of Trent make for some interesting reading:

CHAPTER XII
RASH PRESUMPTION OF PREDESTINATION IS TO BE AVOIDED

No one, moreover, so long as he lives this mortal life, ought in regard to the sacred mystery of divine predestination, so far presume as to state with absolute certainty that he is among the number of the predestined,[74] as if it were true that the one justified either cannot sin any more, or, if he does sin, that he ought to promise himself an assured repentance.

St. Charles Borromeo was a key player and brave leader in the counter reformation, and quite an effective reformer within the Church.  He's also a personal friend and a great and powerful intercessor, alive in heaven.  My grade school and parish Church was named in his honor, and I consider him one of my finest teachers.  Thank you, Saint Charles Borromeo; please pray for us!

News from Notre Dame {Zachary's 2nd Year}

Notre Dame; the Golden Dome

About this time last year,  my husband Tim arranged for a surprise return home for Zachary during Notre Dame's fall break.  Although it would have been truly awesome to have a repeat performance this year, it wasn't in the cards, so Zac spent his break week on campus getting caught up on homework and sleep.  His break from the normal university routine allowed for a few extra phone calls, which we enjoyed greatly. 

Rival football fans, Grandma Billie and Grandpa Cliff visited Zachary at Notre Dame for the Oklahoma University game in October, and proudly sat in the OU section with a crowd of supporters bussed in from Chicago for the big event.  Grandma's Sooners claimed victory, but Zachary's time with his grandparents included many other special moments that were less rivalry and more camaraderie.  Taking a long tour of campus, attending daily Mass together at the Basilica, and eating out off campus were a few of the highlights.  Grandpa's trusty camera bit the dust, and Zachary tends toward photographic minimalism, so unfortunately there are no images to share from their time together at ND. 

Autumn view from Zachary's dorm room in Knott Hall

This year, Zachary joined a few extra curricular clubs, including the Notre Dame men's boxing team.  Early season training focuses on conditioning and sound quite intense; Zachary reports icing up to five different injuries so far.  Training with punches begins soon; please consider this a prayer request.  All for a good cause, the boxing club season culminates with the fundraising event "Bengal Bouts" which supports missionary work in Bangladesh.

On the topic of sophomore year academics, Zachary reports that his philosophy class "Paradoxes" is his favorite.  Second year German studies continue, and Zac's renowned theology professor, Father Daley, S.J., is both teacher of "Conversions" class and a coach for the boxing club.

Zac's view from the stands at a ND hockey game

In six short weeks, our firstborn will return home for Christmas break and share a bit of wintery adventure and family time here in the Pacific Northwest.  Six weeks...six short weeks!

Heroic Parenting {Father Cozzens' Story}

Bishop-elect Andrew Cozzens shows his mother, Judy, a pectoral cross given to him by Archbishop John Nienstedt. (Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit)

Abort my child? No way, says bishop-elect’s mom

The devil tried to kill Father Andrew Cozzens before he was born, by tempting his pregnant mother to kill him through the words of a pro-abortion doctor who labelled her unborn child a 'freak.'

Praise God for Judy and Jack Cozzens' strong faith and God given grace to resist the culture of death and the father of lies.  The Cozzens' amazing story exposes the underlying (demonic) forces presenting abortion as simply a 'choice.'  The devil will always choose abortion, and tragically, many mothers and fathers will not have the strength or the conviction to resist the temptation to kill their children.  May God have mercy.

Please pray for those tempted to abort.  Please pray for abortion clinic workers to seek healing and find employment outside the industry of death.  Please pray for the truth about abortion to be known in every human heart.  Fast and pray for an end to abortion.

Sanctify them in the truth; thy word is truth.

-John 17:17

Uprooted & Replanted {Journeying}

Final tagging of baggage before check-in at the departure gate

Another family transition officially transpired without (reported) incident: Zachary has been transplanted to European soil.  Zac's departure via Vancouver, BC, went off without a hitch; other than a very random series of questions by the Canadian Peace Arch border guard, the event was fairly uneventful. We officially received word that he landed and found lodging:

"Couldn't sleep on flight...took a train to Innsbruck and am here now."

Although the first 5 nights of his European stay are unstructured and mostly unplanned, we trust in his survival skills and good intuition, and eagerly await his occasional email updates and hope for photos, too.  As his first update arrived ~at the very moment Tim read it at work~ a customer who lives in Garmisch-Partkirchen, Germany, happened to be in our shop.  The customer overheard Tim sharing Zac's whereabouts and offered him lodging in a six bedroom apartment with a view of the highest peak in the Bavarian Alps, where her husband is currently stationed.  Whether or not Zachary takes the free lodging offer shall remain a mystery for the time being, but talk about Divine Providence at work!

Zac fires away during a pre-departure target practice session for fun on our private property.

Zac's unarmed on this journey, except for his trusty pocket knife, but he's packing a whole host of prayers and an extremely talented and holy guardian angel.  His hammock and lighter may prove useful; whether or not he'll miss his sleeping bag and hiking boots remains to be seen.  He's traveling light, with backpack and day pack, yet stuffed in his Church clothes ~ hand-me-downs from our former parish priest, Father Qui Thac~Marion who passed down and gave away all his belongings before taking the Benedictine habit and living the vow of poverty in extreme simplicity during this past year of discernment.  So in a way, Father QT~M is along for the journey with Zachary as well!

Quote of the day:
I announced, "Zachary is in one of the most beautiful places in the world today!"
Peter replied, "So are we." 
So true.

On top of the world

Like father, like son; at the target range with Mt. Baker looming in the distance

Family supper with our very special guest from Mission, BC

Speaking of Benedictines, we had the pleasure of hosting Father Peter Nygren, OSB, rector of Christ the King Seminary in Mission, BC, for dinner at our home a few days ago.  Father Peter makes a few stops after the school year ends to visit families whose boys have attended the live-ins and made connections with the Catholic boys' school.  We served grilled pork chops and corn on the cob and in return received a beautiful blessing and the opportunity to chant Vespers together in our living room (more or less on key).

Zachary, Peter, Father Peter and Joseph

Dr. Dude gives Zac the business over his beard

Speaking of special visitors, our Goddaughter Hope, and her family are visiting from San Diego.  Former neighbors and faithful parishioners of Sacred Heart, this adorable, growing family lights up the whole city upon their return.  We have cherished a few rowdy suppers at home and some squirming in the pews.  Things are always more exciting with little ones running around, and the timing of their visit coinciding with Zachary's departure helps ease the heart strains a bit.  

Zachary and Dominic chill in the company of Dominic's wiggly sisters: Miriam, Hope and Hannah

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three brothers; apart for the time being, but very close at heart

 

 

 

Step It Up America! {Fortnight 4 Freedom}

The bishops have urged an intensification of penance and prayer for religious freedom in our country.  Further, during this Year of Faith, these resources are provided to help the faithful learn more about our courageous forebears in the faith and to follow their example. (ucssb.org)

Educational Resources ~ use these to teach your children or increase your own knowledge.

Prayer for the Protection of Religious Liberty

O God our Creator,
from your provident hand we have received
our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
You have called us as your people and given us
the right and the duty to worship you, the only true God,
and your Son, Jesus Christ.
Through the power and working of your Holy Spirit,
you call us to live out our faith in the midst of the world,
bringing the light and the saving truth of the Gospel
to every corner of society.
We ask you to bless us
in our vigilance for the gift of religious liberty.
Give us the strength of mind and heart
to readily defend our freedoms when they are threatened;
give us courage in making our voices heard
on behalf of the rights of your Church
and the freedom of conscience of all people of faith.
Grant, we pray, O heavenly Father,
a clear and united voice to all your sons and daughters
gathered in your Church
in this decisive hour in the history of our nation,
so that, with every trial withstood
and every danger overcome—
for the sake of our children, our grandchildren,
and all who come after us—
this great land will always be "one nation, under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

 

Reluctant Christians

Pope Francis releases a reluctant dove in St. Peter's Square (Photo: ucanews.com)

I found this photo floating around the Internet today, and it caught my eye as the mother and personal photographer of a few budding pigeon trainers.  A little research revealed that this image was captured on May 15, 2013, in St. Peter's Square, after a pilgrim in the crowd asked Pope Francis to release two doves from a cage.  Turns out Pope Francis brings bird handling experience to the job, having owned parrots in his younger years.

Will you take a moment to open your heart to the words and deeds of Pope Francis, a holy Christian pastor?  His clear, challenging, and extremely Biblical messages are spoken for our spiritual benefit and sanctification.  May I present exhibit A (below) given to all of us on the very day of the famous dove release.  Reader, be warned ~ he poses a handful of very challenging questions:

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning!

Today I would like to reflect on the Holy Spirit’s action in guiding the Church and each one of us to the Truth. Jesus himself told his disciples: the Holy Spirit “will guide you into all the truth” (Jn 16:13), since he himself is “the Spirit of Truth” (cf. Jn 14:17; 15:26; 16:13).

We are living in an age in which people are rather sceptical of truth. Benedict xvi has frequently spoken of relativism, that is, of the tendency to consider nothing definitive and to think that truth comes from consensus or from something we like. The question arises: does “the” truth really exist? What is “the” truth? Can we know it? Can we find it? Here springs to my mind the question of Pontius Pilate, the Roman Procurator, when Jesus reveals to him the deep meaning of his mission: “What is truth?” (Jn 18:37, 38). Pilate cannot understand that “the” Truth is standing in front of him, he cannot see in Jesus the face of the truth that is the face of God. And yet Jesus is exactly this: the Truth that, in the fullness of time, “became flesh” (cf. Jn 1:1, 14), and came to dwell among us so that we might know it. The truth is not grasped as a thing, the truth is encountered. It is not a possession, it is an encounter with a Person.

But who can enable us to recognize that Jesus is “the” Word of truth, the Only-Begotten Son of God the Father? St Paul teaches that “no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 12:3). It is the Holy Spirit himself, the gift of the Risen Christ, who makes us recognize the Truth. Jesus describes him as the “Paraclete”, namely, “the one who comes to our aid”, who is beside us to sustain us on this journey of knowledge; and, at the Last Supper, Jesus assures the disciples that the Holy Spirit will teach them all things and remind them of all he has said to them (cf. Jn 14:26).

So how does the Holy Spirit act in our life and in the life of the Church in order to guide us to the truth? First of all he recalls and impresses in the heart of believers the words Jesus spoke and, through these very words, the law of God — as the Prophets of the Old Testament had foretold — is engraved in our heart and becomes within us a criterion for evaluation in decisions and for guidance in our daily actions; it becomes a principle to live by. Ezekiel’s great prophesy is brought about: “You shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you.... And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances” (36:25-27). Indeed, it is in our inmost depths that our actions come into being: it is the heart itself that must be converted to God and the Holy Spirit transforms it when we open ourselves to him.

Then, as Jesus promised, the Holy Spirit guides us “into all the truth” (Jn 16:13); not only does he guide us to the encounter with Jesus, the fullness of the Truth, but he also guides us “into” the Truth, that is, he makes us enter into an ever deeper communion with Jesus, giving us knowledge of all the things of God. And we cannot achieve this by our own efforts. Unless God enlightens us from within, our Christian existence will be superficial. The Church’s Tradition asserts that the Spirit of truth acts in our heart, inspiring that “sense of the faith” (sensus fidei) through which, as the Second Vatican Council states, the People of God, under the guidance of the Magisterium, adheres unfailingly to the faith transmitted, penetrates it more deeply with the right judgement, and applies it more fully in life (cf. Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium, n. 12). Let us try asking ourselves: am I open to the action of the Holy Spirit? Do I pray him to give me illumination, to make me more sensitive to God’s things?

This is a prayer we must pray every day: “Holy Spirit, make my heart open to the word of God, make my heart open to goodness, make my heart open to the beauty of God every day”. I would like to ask everyone a question: how many of you pray every day to the Holy Spirit? There will not be many but we must fulfil Jesus’ wish and pray every day to the Holy Spirit that he open our heart to Jesus.

Let us think of Mary who “kept all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Lk 2:19, 51). Acceptance of the words and truth of faith so that they may become life is brought about and increases under the action of the Holy Spirit. In this regard we must learn from Mary, we must relive her “yes”, her unreserved readiness to receive the Son of God in her life, which was transformed from that moment. Through the Holy Spirit, the Father and the Son take up their abode with us: we live in God and of God. Yet is our life truly inspired by God? How many things do I put before God?

Dear brothers and sisters, we need to let ourselves be bathed in the light of the Holy Spirit so that he may lead us into the Truth of God, who is the one Lord of our life. In this Year of Faith let us ask ourselves whether we really have taken some steps to know Christ and the truth of faith better by reading and meditating on Sacred Scripture, by studying the Catechism and by receiving the sacraments regularly. However, let us ask ourselves at the same time what steps we are taking to ensure that faith governs the whole of our existence. We are not Christian “part-time”, only at certain moments, in certain circumstances, in certain decisions; no one can be Christian in this way, we are Christian all the time! Totally! May Christ’s truth, which the Holy Spirit teaches us and gives to us, always and totally affect our daily life. Let us call on him more often so that he may guide us on the path of disciples of Christ. Let us call on him every day. I am making this suggestion to you: let us invoke the Holy Spirit every day, in this way the Holy Spirit will bring us close to Jesus Christ.

~POPE FRANCIS' GENERAL AUDIENCE, Saint Peter's Square, Wednesday, 15 May 2013

Palm Sunday {Prayer Request}

Pope Francis carries woven palm fronds as he walks in a procession at the beginning of Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican March 24. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis celebrated his first Palm Sunday Mass as pope March 24, telling an overflow crowd in St. Peter’s Square that Christ’s death on the cross is a source of eternal consolation and joy.

“A Christian can never be sad. Never give way to discouragement,” the pope said in his homily, assuring listeners that with Jesus, “we are never alone, even at difficult moments, even at difficult moments when our life’s journey comes up against problems and obstacles that seem insurmountable, and there are so many of them.” (from CNS)

Today these words of Pope Francis give our family special consolation, as Tim departs on a just purchased one-way-ticket to Hawaii to be at his mother's side.  Billie is in hospital with an intestinal blockage on the third day of a long-awaited vacation on the island of Kauai.  We received the call from Tim's dad this morning, a call that came much too early on this Sunday morning for anything but urgent news.

UPDATE Monday: The intestinal blockage resolved without surgery!  Tim arrived safely and is with his parents at the hospital.

Two years ago, we flew home from Italy on Palm Sunday, the final day of our family pilgrimage after attending Mass at Santa Susannah.  How time flies!

Please pray for Billie and for Cliff, too.  Thanks!

Spiritual Adoption {Cardinal X}

 
As the Cardinals' Conclave draws near, we are all called to be especially prayerful, and Catholics around the globe are united in fervent daily prayers and sacrifices for the Cardinals and for our Church in this time of transition.  A clever new approach to aid in this universal call to prayer involves adopting a Cardinal with a click at adoptacardinal.org.

Our family gathered 'round the laptop before our evening prayers last night to join the over 300,000 faithful (and counting) who are linking up to pray for a specific, randomly generated Cardinal.  As we awaited the name announcement, we mused about the possibility of being given the Cardinal who will be named the next successor to Saint Peter at the conclave's conclusion.

Of all the Cardinals to be assigned, to our astonishment we were granted the Archbishop of Krakow, Poland, the 'boss' of our dear friend Father Michael Pio.  We received this announcement and photo in our inbox to confirm our adoption:

Congratulations!
You have adopted this Cardinal:
Stanislaw Dziwisz, from Poland, born 1939-4-27.
He's been a Cardinal since 2006-3-24 and his function is: Archbishop of Kraków, Poland

 
Tim's paternal family ancestry is saturated with Poles, so our spiritual connections to this newly adopted Cardinal Dziwisz are also in the blood.  In fact, during at least one of my pregnancies, Tim lobbied for the name Stanislaw in the event of the birth of a boy, to carry on a family name.  I vehemently declined, but now that we've adopted Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, I guess Tim's wish has finally been granted.

In another randomly generated adopt a Cardinal experience this morning, our friends from France were given a Cardinal from France!  Which Cardinal will you adopt?

Please pray with us!

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Father, send down your Spirit over the conclave. Let the Holy Spirit inspire the hearts of the cardinals, that they may choose the man most pleasing to You, as Successor of Peter and Your Vicar on Earth. May Mary, Your Mother and Mother of the Church, be our Advocate. Amen.