A Servant's Heart

Service in Prayer and the Rosary for Priests

2011-06-24T21:11:00.000-05:00

I am reading a book about Intrecessory Prayer for "Pastors, Christian Leaders, and others on the Spiritual Front lines". The author is not Catholic, but neither is he anti-Catholic, and in reading his book I learned first of all that being an Intercessor is a spiritual gift, and although not all have this gift (just as not all have the gift of preaching, or teaching, or hospitality, or evangelism, or tongues, etc...). yet all are called to fulfill the role of intercessor, especially for our family, our leaders, and our pastors... in the case of Catholics, our priests.

This book has been sitting in a drawer for months, and I find it no coincidence that I happened to come across it again at this time, when the Catholic Church is preparing to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Pope Benedict's Ordination to the Holy Priesthood. I haven't finished the book, and I look forward to reading more about intercession, and how to be an intercessor, but tonight while praying before Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament I tried to "just intercede" for Pope Benedict, for our Bishops, and for priests that I know... suffice to say I ran out of things to ask God for on behalf of them pretty quickly. Granted, I'm a novice intercessor in this way, and I typically pray for priests using one of the many-many prayer cards I collected during the Year for Priests or using The Chalice of Strength, a book full of prayers for priests, but then I remembered the best intercessory weapon in a Catholic's Spiritual Arsenal: The Rosary.

I'm sure that somewhere out there in the world of Catholic books, devotions, and ways to pray the Rosary there is a Rosary for Priests, but obviously I didn't have one with me, and I didn't need one. Here is my Rosary for Priests.

Praying as normal with only one substitution in the Hail Mary, I prayed the following mysteries:

The Agony in the Garden: That priests will spend at least one hour with Jesus in prayer each day.
The Scourging at the Pillar: For those priests who suffer persecution, and even torture.
The Crowning with Thorns: For priests who suffer.
Carrying the Cross: For those priests who have fallen, that they will be sent a Simon.
The Crucifixion: That priests will put to death whatever is sinful.

I prayed the Hail Mary as follows:
Hail Mary, full of grace...
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for our priests, now and until the hour they enter heaven.

From the book I mentioned I learned that "Intercessor" comes from the Latin "inter" meaning "between" and "cedere" meaning "to go", and means "to go between" or stand inbetween, as in "standing in the gap", standing between. I can think of no greater service we can offer our priests than to stand in the gap on their behalf, both in lifting them up to God, and in shielding them from the attacks of the evil one... In fact, the book's title is "Prayer Shield".

The Garden and the Desert

2011-03-15T21:01:00.002-05:00

A friend of mine, who gave me permission to share, shared with our women's prayer group a stunning realization from this Sunday's readings (The First Sunday of Lent) from Genesis and Matthew. Perhaps it's something we should have all realized before, but none of us did, and it is this...

In the second reading, from Romans, Paul compared the fall of Adam to the redemption brought by Christ, disobedience to obedience, but there's more- In the Desert, Jesus reversed every temptation Adam and Eve accepted.

In the Garden, the serpent tempted Eve to eat; "The woman saw that the tree was good for food".
In the Desert, Jesus faced the same temptation when the devil said "...command that these stones become loaves of bread."

In the Garden, the serpent assured Eve that "You certainly will not die!"
In the Desert, Jesus was told " throw yourself down. For it is written: He will command his angels concerning you and with their hands they will support you..."

In the Garden, the serpent said to Eve, and to Adam who was with her, "you will be like gods..."
And in the Desert, Jesus was offered "all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence".

To be sated, to avoid or conquer death, to have power. Each of these temptations was put before Adam and Eve and before Jesus. Adam and Eve sinned. Jesus did not.

Ironically, Adam and Eve were probably already sated, especially as compared to Jesus who had been fasting for 40 Days. And yet the first thing Eve noticed was that "the tree was good for food". Yes, it was "pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom", but first and foremost it looked good to eat.

Is it any surprise, is it not then twice as fitting, that our Lent should begin, end, and include all throughout it, fasting and abstaining... not eating of some kind? Meat on Fridays is not bad, eating three meals a day is not bad, food in and of itself is not bad. And yet, food was the tempter's tool for the first sin, and continues to be a tool for sin in the lives of many... perhaps in the lives of us all? After all, in "The Screwtape Letters" C.S. Lewis, through his diabolical characters, posited the idea that there is a gluttony not just of quantity, but of quality, when we will only be satisfied by just the right temperature/texture/taste.

So are you in the Garden or the Desert this Lent? I know that now, a week into this year's Lent, I am rethinking and reconsidering my Lenten fasts.

So Much To Pray For

2011-03-12T11:16:00.000-06:00

I have a deep love for The Devotion of Divine Mercy in no small part because of the role it played in my conversion. In the "Prayer to Be Transformed into Mercy" the closing paragraph reads

You Yourself command me to exercise the three degrees of mercy. The first: the act of mercy, of whatever kind. The second: the word of mercy — if I cannot carry out a work of mercy, I will assist by my words. The third: prayer — if I cannot show mercy by deeds or words, I can always do so by prayer. My prayer reaches out even there where I cannot reach out physically.

That we serve others in our actions is almost so common sense as to not need to be said, that we can serve others in our words is something we may not have considered, but that we can serve others by our prayer is something that I think we all need to be reminded of. How many times do we hear (or say) "All I can do is pray" in some fatalistic tone, as though it's really nothing at all? "All" I can do? St. Therese the Little Flower is Patroness of Missionaries because of her prayer for them! Prayer is an act of service that we have no excuses and no reasons, not to fulfill.

And there are so many who need us to serve them in prayer.

If you are reading this the weekend I post it, I am sure you are thinking of the thousands who have been affected by the Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan. My friend's Sister-in-Law is in Japan right now; thankfully, her family lives in the mountains, and were not injured or killed, but they are still affected in other ways. The strife in the Middle East, the slow recovery from 2010's earthquake in Haiti, all of the news that flashes across our monitors, TVs, and media everyday are like signposts of those in need of our prayer. We pray for their health and well-being, we pray for rescue and medical care and an end to war and violence... And I hope we pray for their souls.

Garden of Holiness posted this prayer request today. When I first saw the title of the post I thought perhaps there was a specific need or person for which she would be asking for prayer... But should we wait for a "specific" need or person? In her post she says "You who know God have a duty to those of us who do not." Everyone who does not know God is a specific person!

At the blog Acts of the Apostasy, after rejoicing in the conversion of a Catholic woman "priestess", the blogger hosted Adopt A Priestess so that instead of speaking and ranting against those who have decided they know better than the Church, we can pray for them. I signed up, and am praying for the conversion of all those who do not trust that God really did give the Church wisdom and authority in these matters, but also specifically for one woman. And it's not too late to visit the blog and sign up - Larry D will assign you a priestess by name for whom you can pray, and the more people praying the better.

I mentioned earlier in this post, and perhaps have mentioned it before too, that I am a convert. One of the things I love about being Catholic is Chaplets. The Chaplet of Divine Mercy was the first Chaplet I ever learned, even before I learned to pray the rosary, and with its prayer of intercession asking for God's Mercy, it is an ideal chaplet to pray for disaster relief, conversion, penance, etc... But I also love Our Lady of Fatima, and my love for chaplets and my love for Our Lady of Fatima resulted in this Chaplet of Fatima Prayers for the Conversion of Souls. I'm not pushing it on anyone, but it is, for me, the way I pray for conversion of souls, and I wanted to share it in case you, like me, have a hard time praying extemporaneously. (Right, wrong, or indifferent, I just feel like "God, please change so-and-so's heart and give them the gift of faith" just doesn't quite cut it long term; I feel like that's a great aspiration or ejaculative prayer, but it's more like a snack than a meal.) Or perhaps you love Our Lady of Fatima, or love Chaplets... In any case, it's there for you if you want it.

So - there it is. So much to pray for, so many ways to pray... Who will you pray for today?

Chaplet of Fatima Prayers for the Conversion of Souls*

2011-03-12T11:06:00.000-06:00

Begin with the Angel Prayer.
Pray the Pardon prayer 3 times for each of 9 petitions.
End with the Eucharistic Prayer and the Decade Prayer

Angel Prayer
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifference by which He is offended. And through the infinite merit of His Most Sacred Heart, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners.

Pardon Prayer (3x)
My God I believe, I adore, I trust (or hope), and I love You!
I ask pardon for those who do not believe,
do not adore, do not trust and do not love You.

Eucharistic Prayer
O Most Holy Trinity, I adore you! My God, My God,
I love You in the Most Blessed Sacrament.

Decade Prayer
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fire of Hell, and lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy.

* While all of the above prayers are authorized or approved for the private devotions of the Church inasmuch as they were taught to the children of Fatima either by the Angel of Portugal or Our Lady of Fatima, this chaplet was cobbled together by me and has not been promulgated/authorized/approved by any ecclesial authority. Likewise, the "Petition Prayer" below is my own adaptation of the Pardon Prayer. It's just how I pray.

Petitions:
I regularly change my petitions (except for the last), sometimes I will pray each intention for each member of my family by name, sometimes for all of them generically as “my family”, so as to pray also for others etc...This is a very flexible chaplet.

Petition Prayer (1st - 8th)
My God, I ask for the gift of faith for N., that they/he/she may believe, adore, trust, and love You!

9th Petition
My God, I ask for the gift of faith for all those who do not believe, do not adore, do not trust and do not love You so that they will believe, will adore, will trust, and will love You!

List of (some) Petitions (by name or by group):
Parents & Grandparents, Bothers & Sisters, Children & Grandchildren, Spouse, Aunts & Uncles, Cousins, Spiritual Leaders, The Church, Your Priest by name, The Holy Father, Military Personnel/Leaders,
School Administrators/Educators/Teachers, Media, Entertainment Industry, Civil Leaders/Elected Officials, Business/Industry Leaders, Healthcare Providers, Judges (Supreme Court - Local), World Leaders, etc...

I Could Have Been Aborted

2011-01-22T15:11:00.001-06:00

A parent is a servant to their children. Providing them with the basic necessities of food, clothing, and shelter, not to mention the holding, cuddling, and snuggling nurture necessary for healthy psychological development, puts parents in many ways "at the mercy" of their children. They can't leave them alone, for oh, about 12 years (minumum legal age to be home alone in some states) if they want to go out dancing or have a nice dinner. They must wake many times during the night for 2 or 3 years after the birth of a child, they can't drop everything on the floor when they get home from work, everything must be put safely away from curious hands and mouths. Parents are the first servants children meet, are their first example of how to serve others. A parent must serve his or her child.

My mother became pregnant at 17. She lived with my Nana and my Aunt C. She had a part time job at McDonald's and was still in high school. After telling her she was pregnant, her doctor asked when she wanted to schedule the abortion. She didn't bother to ask if she wanted an abortion, she assumed it was the only natural response my mother could possibly have.

But my mother had already spent most of her young life serving others. She'd clean the house, rearrange furniture, help with whatever needed doing; she would even sit with my Nana in the hospital and drill the doctors as to what they were doing, when, and why (my Nana had many chronic illnesses including severe asthma).

My mother knew her life was about to change radically. She knew life was going to be difficult, complicated, and messy. She heard predictions from many in her life that she and (the as yet unborn I) would end up face down in a ditch someday. She was told she couldn't possibly succeed in life if she had a baby.

My mother chose to serve me instead of herself, and I was born 6 years after the legal decision that decreed I could have been aborted... should have been aborted according to the mind-set of some. And for what it's worth, not only did my mom and I not end up face down in a ditch, I was the first member of my family to earn a college degree, my mother is now married and she and my dad (who adopted me at the age of 14) have adopted 5 sons and 2 daughters who also could have been aborted, and in the minds of some should have been aborted. Their mothers were drug addicts, "intellectually disabled" (the term which has legally replaced mentally retarded), and mentally ill; and some of them even have mental or physical problems because of the lifestyles their mothers lived while pregnant...

And yet, all of us, in being served by my mom, and later my dad, also served them. At the time I was born my then 18 year old mother made many decisions which could have led her down an ugly path, a path which might have led to her ending up face down in a ditch. But she put me first. Her care and concern for me, her child, led her to make the decisions to which can be attributed the successful life she now lives.

And yet, I could have been aborted. We've all seen "It's a Wonderful Life" (or some take on it). We've all seen the story about how one life impacts so many-many others. But I could have been aborted, as so many have been aborted.

On this 38th anniversary of the decision that made abortion legal, I mourn the loss of the billions lives that could be here now, if only their parents had chosen to serve, and I ask you to ask yourself which is more important, the life of a child, or a life lived to serve oneself.

Eternal Rest Grant Unto Lavona Rann, SFO

2011-01-21T18:40:00.003-06:00

My friend Lavona Rann, SFO, passed into eternal life around 7 pm December 23, 2010. Today was her funeral Mass, or Resurrection Mass as it was described on the program. As Lavona had so very-very many friends around the world who knew her through the world wide web, from LaPub to Facebook and everything in between, I wanted to share this with those of you who could only join us in spirit.

Below is the program (by which I mean the paper itself, NOT the Mass, which is a LITURGY not a "program"). Father Podwysocki focused his homily on the Beatitudes, and challenged us to ask ourselves if we are ready to face God if we should die today. He also encouraged us to pray for Lavona and said "Even if she is in heaven already, our prayers will not be wasted." Another point he made is that we must let Lavona go even as Mary once let Jesus go, and as Christians, we don't say "good-by", but "see you later".

A statue of the Holy Family, to the left of the altar, above and to the right of which is...

Next are the photos of the Altar, and Lavona's memorial in front of it.

In honor of another of Lavona's friends, here is "The View From the Back Pew" of the church, which hosts 10 Masses every weekend. They have English, Spanish, and Polish Masses (and hymnals!)

Here is Father, who graciously allowed me to take his photo when I asked, telling him that I thought you would all want to see him.

Photos of some of the Memorial Cards and Enrollments.

And last, but most assuredly not least, Lavona.
Born into life February 23, 1943
Born into eternity December 23, 2010

May the Angels lead you into paradise.

Heart of a Servant

2010-06-14T18:22:00.000-05:00

It's amazing how when we open ourselves up to what God may want to say to us, we start hearing Him.

My friend, blogger Lisa, sfo of Franciscan Focus shared a link to this post about the Sacred Heart. From this post I quote:

So what then IS the biblical notion of the heart? While not wholly excluding feelings, the “Heart” in the scriptures is the deepest part of us where we “live.” It is where we deliberate, where our memories and thoughts are. It is where we process feelings and events. It is where we ponder what to do and decide. It is where we reflect and consider the direction of our life and most deeply understand who we are and how we are related to God and others. It is the place of our decisions and where we set priorities. In short is it the place where “I am” in the deepest sense. Most moderns locate this in the brain (or mind, a word that the Scriptures often use for a similar understanding) but the ancients located all this in the heart.

As I have started to dip my toe into the shallow end of the deep pool of what it means to have a Servant's Heart, it never occurred to me that I might need to learn more about the heart itself. And for what it's worth, I highly recommend that you read the entire post from which the above quote is taken. I know it is providing me with much food for thought.

Prologue

2010-06-13T20:08:00.001-05:00

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways. (1 Cor 13:11 RSV)

I was watching The Neverending Story, a 1984 film based on the novel of the same name. It could easily be said to be my favorite movie of all time. I saw it for the first time when I was 5 years old, and it set the foundation of my heart's desire for many years to come. By this I mean that fantasy became my "genre", from The Neverending Story I moved on to The Chronicles of Narnia, and many other fantasy novels and movies. Unfortunately, these fantastical stories were often read to the exclusion of my schoolwork, and definitely to the exclusion of Scripture, which was the exact opposite of the dreamy escapism I experienced in fantasy. Even The Chronicles of Narnia, when read with the understanding of a child, can in the mind of that child lead to a focus on magic and talking animals, rather than the sacrifice of Aslan.

So today, as I was watching The Neverending Story, it occurred to me as it recently has before, that the fantasy novels of my youth, with the exception of The Chronicles of Narnia and books like it, no longer satisfy me. The young heroes and heroines dashing off bravely (and often foolishly) to save the day, the struggling hero or heroine learning to wield a magical "gift", the wrongfully accused hero who must set the record straight and save the kingdom - they no longer speak to me of adventure and fill my heart with hours of daydreamy glory. Rather, I find that after reading one of these stories I feel at best a sense of nostalgia for a time when the only responsibilities I had were schoolwork and keeping my room clean, but more often, I feel a sense of time lost, precious moments wasted that could have been better spent in some other way.

And this, believe it or not, leads us to the seed origin of the Servant's Heart. For it is in the deepest parts of us where desire is seeded, and must of necessity lie dormant until the conditions are right for the seed to break open and the first cautious, fragile roots to reach out. My sophomore year in university I had an experience which led to me "getting off the fence post" and choosing to be Catholic. It was during the next couple years that I began to read Scripture more than I previously had, and began to learn that being Christian was going to be far more than just going to Church on Sunday, reading my Bible, and saying some prayers - when I happened to think of it. And it was this warming of the heart, and watering of faith, that allowed that seed to put forth its first roots.

I couldn't have known at the time what those roots would grow into, and know that even today I am not fully grown. But I was, and am, a journalor (journaler?), and thankfully have my journals to go back to, to read my thoughts and "realizations" as the roots began to take hold in my heart. The only wrinkle in this journey of mine, back in time to when it began, is that journals don't have a table of contents... So, next post, how the roots first broke out of the seed.

New Blog Title

2010-06-09T15:20:00.001-05:00

Wow. It's been 9 months since the last time I wrote a post. You could gestate a baby in that time, and who knows, maybe the new focus of the blog has been gestating in my heart (don't worry, I won't stretch that analogy too far.)

I'm on Plurk and a seminarian friend mentioned that he and some other seminarians had created a new chaplet, and that he planned to blog about it. That set me to thinking about my much neglected blog, and a chaplet that I developed over the course of two World Youth Days (and yes, that means it took over three years!) but haven't really developed the devotion, even if only for myself.

And then, Voila! The thought came to me, as copycat thoughts will, that I could blog about my chaplet, and in so doing perhaps discover for myself what it means to be a Servant of God, and a servant to His people.

I am setting for myself therefore the goal of blogging at least once a week on some portion of my chaplet. Next post, the origin of the Chaplet of a Servant's Heart.

The Ashley Kim Fund

2009-09-18T23:00:00.003-05:00

For those of you who do not already know, I have been asking for prayer for Ashley Kim, a friend of my sister's who broke her neck in a diving accident Saturday September 12th. She was airlifted to an out of state pediatric hospital and in addition to being in need of prayer the family is also in need of financial help. We all know the Lord provides, and He asks us to be His Hands, His Feet, and in this case His pocketbook.

I have added a donation button to this blog, which will also be added to a care page being set up for Ashley. Eventually I will also have an address for those who would prefer to mail checks. As soon as the care page is set up I will share it.

The thing I think of most as I sit here asking you for money is the Widow's Mite from the Gospel. Jesus told of a widow who gave to God what was essentially her last penny. In 2005 when I was a chaperon for a trip to World Youth Day we accepted donations, and one blessed woman gave us ten dimes.

Many prayers are being offered for Ashley and her family; prayers that she will walk again, prayers that she can be taken off a ventilator, and prayers that the Lord will provide for the needs of her and her family. By clicking the donation button you can be an answer to prayer.

Thank you for whatever you can give.

Novena in Preparation for the Feast of the Transfiguration

2009-07-29T12:37:00.005-05:00

I wasn't terribly excited about the only Novena I found in honor of the Feast of the Transfiguration, so I did some searching, and decided to cobble together one of my own... and this was the simplest way I could think of to share it! May God Bless you and Transform you.

Novena in Preparation for the Feast of the Transfiguration
Feast Day August 6

Matthew 17:1-9
After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, "Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and do not be afraid." And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone. As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, "Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

Mark 9:2-10
After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, "Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; then from the cloud came a voice, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him." Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them. As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant.

Meditation and Novena Prayer
We acknowledge the Divinity of Christ - and seek to be Transformed into the likeness of Christ.

Heavenly Father, as we meditate on the mystery of Your Transfiguration, we pray that the light of Christ will transform our lives, rising us from the dust of our human existence into the light of divinity. We strive to live a holy life and aspire to say with St. Paul, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." With St. Peter we rejoice in the spiritual life and say "Lord it is good to be here". Lord, please transform our hearts and minds, renewing them by Your Light, that we may become one body and one Spirit, one in the hope of our call; one with You, our God and Father of all, Who is over all and through all and in all.

Hail Mary full of Grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed are Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, to be transformed into the likeness of Christ, now and at the hour of our death. Amen

Scripture passages from the NAB Translation.
Meditation adapted from http://www.theworkofgod.org

IL Government to Cut Needed Funding

2009-06-24T09:55:00.002-05:00

For those of you who are not aware the IL State Gov't is planning to cut funding that goes to abused children, the elderly, developmentally disabled, etc...

Please read the below and if you are a resident of IL please speak on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves!

I modified the below letter from it's original sender to protect privacy, emphasis added is mine

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Many of you are aware the General Assembly in it's current budget, has passed a 50% budget cut for services funded by DHS and DCFS and other state agencies. Unless this is reversed in the next two weeks, the impact on *** and other social service agencies will be devastating. We received a letter from DHS (DCFS) last week outlining the proposed cuts. Basically, all services that are not paid for by Medicaid will probably be eliminated. This means funding for Respite, Family Support Services, and Supported Employment programs will be eliminated and other programs like residential group homes and vocational day programs may be cut back by 20-30%.

Unless the State passes a tax increase our budget may be cut by 75%. How *** and other agencies serving the developmentally disabled will address this is unclear. In our case, it will mean massive cuts, perhaps closure of many if not all of our programs. If some funding was later restored, we would then offer to rehire some staff and try to reopen some programs, depending on the final state budget.

Our only hope is for the General Assembly to pass a tax increase to reverse this situation. No one wants their taxes increased, yet without such an increase the cost to the citizens of Illinois will be devastating in terms of the impact on abused children, the mentally ill, developmentally disabled, and substance abusers, and the elderly. The Chicago Tribune estimates the budget cuts will result in loss of at least 100,000 social service jobs.We can only turn this around by advocating for people with developmental disabilities, abused children, the elderly, etc....

You need to call or write your State Representatives and State Senators or fax them to explain to them why they must vote to support the income tax increase. Please ask every one of your friends and family members to do the same. This is the best way we can really help the people that would be effected and their families. We have attached a sample letter with some points you might wish to include.

If you are not sure who your legislator is go to www.elections.state.il.us For their Springfield phone number go to www.ilga.gov. (I included a link below too)

Administrator N. has noted that in the 40 years he has been working in this field we have never faced a situation as dire as this one. The thought that *** may need to close programs and terminate staff is unbearable.

We can change this if our voices are heard loudly and repeatedly with our legislators. One legislator told N. that she has gotten calls against the tax increase by a 6-1 margin. We MUST change that. We hope the situation will improve. We will keep you apprised of developments as we become aware of them. Until a final budget is passed and signed by the Governor it is difficult to know the full impact of the actions of the legislature.

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Below is the sample letter I told you about, as well as an editorial about the IL State school for the deaf and the school for the blind which are scheduled to be closed because of the "budget cuts" The Sample letter can be adapted to fit the school closings, DCFS cuts, aid cuts, etc...

Sample Letter:
Dear Representative or Senator:I am asking you to support a tax increase to protect the lives and futures of mentally ill people, people with developmental disabilities, abused and neglected children, and the many other thousands dependent on human services in Illinois. Although a tax increase would be hard on me, without such an increase, our State will be in far worse shape. The Chicago Tribune estimates more than 100,000 social service workers will lose their jobs and thousands of individuals will be denied vital services. Think of the consequences of 100,000 people losing their jobs and the impact on their families and their communities. If my agency closes down this has a major impact on our community. Staff who lose their jobs will then impact the whole community and cause a tremendous loss of sales tax revenue. Think of the impact of hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people no longer being able to receive services and the impact on their families. For each person who does not receive needed services, they suffer, their family suffers, and their community suffers. The jail and prison populations will increase. It costs far more to house people in jail (about $35,000 per year) than to provide them needed treatment to remain in the community. Hospital emergency rooms will become the primary care provider, being less effective and costing far more then community care. This will overburden the ER system and cause a breakdown of emergency services.Asking someone who made $50,000 in income last year to pay $375 more (the effective rate with a 1% increase after their federal income tax deduction or $563 with a 1.5% increase) is a small price to pay to avoid stopping services to hundreds of thousands of our most vulnerable citizens and to avoid layoffs of so many workers.Although I hope more efficiency can be found in Illinois government, there is not $12 billion of waste. While correcting past problems we cannot ignore the State's legal and moral obligation to the mentally ill, developmentally disabled, children and elderly who have no one else to protect them.Please vote "yes" to a tax increase to help save human service jobs and my family and to protect the weakest and most needy people in our State. They have nowhere else to turn, no place else to receive their services.

You can go to:

http://www.elections.il.gov/DistrictLocator/SelectSearchType.aspx?NavLink=1

and type in your address so you can link directly to the e-mail of anyone who has e-mail.

Be Still

2009-03-19T14:35:00.004-05:00

I've been realizing something recently.

Next month I will celebrate my 3rd anniversary with my company, and it will have been 4 years since I moved in to my apartment. This will be the longest consecutive employment I've had with one company, and matching the longest I ever lived in one home (same house all 4 years of high school). I've been feeling odd and out of sorts recently, and I begin to think it is because my life is still.

Now, please do not think that my life is stagnant, it is certainly not that (and I can't wait to tell you about the Miles Christi Spiritual Exercises retreat I made last weekend), but it is still. I am learning to be a steward of what I have where I am rather than to think about what I want or where I will be. I lived in 5 states by age 12, and attended 12 schools by grade 9. I moved around a lot when I was young, and even though I've now been in Illinois for over half my life, that rootless foundation still has it's effect. Even though I don't want anything to change, it feels like it ought to be changing. And that's not to mention that even though I lived in the same house and went to the same high school for four years, I spent all of that time waiting for college, and then I spent all of college thinking about being married, and my first few years after college still thinking about being married - Now, I am living my life.

I think our society is one which avoids stillness (I'm thinking for example of the recent Kate Winslet/Leonardo DiCaprio movie) and I am no different. I used to wake up to the radio, turn the TV on for background noise, and fall asleep to the radio. I used to spend hours daydreaming about being an actress, an officer in the Marines or the wife of a Marine, the wife of an international diplomat... all very exciting, all very glamorous (OK, maybe the Marines aren't glamorous to you - but when I was little and people asked what I wanted to do when I grew up I always said I wanted to Marry a Marine!) and all pretty "non-stop" in their attributes.

So here I am. On my 30th birthday this summer I will still be in the same apartment, I will still work for the same company, still be single, and still (probably) not have heard God say "Go!" God has been saying "Wait" a lot recently; "Wait and be still". "Stay, and learn", "Sit, and listen". Have you ever looked up the word "still" in the dictionary? According to www.dictionary.com "still" has almost two dozen definitions, including "remaining at peace or at rest", "free from sound or noise", "free from turbulence or commotion", "steadily, constantly, always", "in addition", "to silence or hush", "to calm", "to quiet"....

Job 33:31 says "Pay attention, Job, and listen to me; be silent, and I will speak. "

I guess my whole life is God's way of getting me to pay attention. Well the Lord has my attention, and I almost said "now what?" - but the "now what" is to keep my attention on Him. Always.

Be careful what you ask for...

2009-03-03T12:24:00.004-06:00

You just might get it!

As previously mentioned, I know about redemptive suffering. I know about offerring up pain and suffering - for the intentions of the Sacred & Immaculate Hearts, the conversion of sinners & salvation of souls, etc... And thanks to Joseph, I know about "troubling he who troubles me". But as I have been seeking to 'trouble he who troubles me' the fatigue aspect of my fibromyalgia has been increasing and increasing. Argh and growl, what to do...

Last night I was reading "Eucharistic Adoration for the Sanctification of Priests and Spiritual Maternity" and on page 30 is a story of St. Therese of Lisiex. While ill, a sister accompanying her on an ordered walk told her she should rest and she replied, "Well, I am walking for a missionary. I think that over there, far away, one of them is perhaps exhausted in his apostolic endeavors, and, to lessen his fatigue, I offer mine to God."

Should I have known that I can offer up my fatigue just as I can offer up my pain? Of course I should have! If in "whatever [we] do, [we] do everything for the glory of God" (1 Cor 10:31) then we can offer up our whole lives - our joy and sorrow, our pain and health, our fatigue and our leisure. But did it occur to me until I read the Little Saint's words? Nope.

When I was 12 years old I received my First Holy Communion. My catechist, Mrs. L., gave me a copy of "Mercy My Mission" (a biography of St. Faustina) and a booklet about the Divine Mercy. Even though I was still more Baptist than Catholic I never doubted that (then still) Sister Faustina had experienced everything the book said she did, including redemptive suffering for the salvation of souls, and I remember telling God that I wanted to "do that" too. From the mouths of babes eh?

So here I am, around 20 years later, wondering why I'm always so tired and achey and sore and in pain all the time... I don't always remember to offer up my life as it's happening, but St. Padre Pio once told a priest who had intended to offer a Mass for him, but forgot to do so during the Mass, that it was okay - God had accepted the intention he made while walking up the stairs to go to Mass. And there's a BC comic strip that I cut out years ago, and which is still tacked to my bulletein board at home, which states that 'future events cast backward shadows'. A serpent says that doesn't make any sense... until the shadow of a cross falls across him. The rest of the strip is also deeply meaningful and I'm confidently hopeful that it will be included in "I Did it His Way" - a book collection of John Hart's religious comic strips. These two statements, along with the story of Bishop William Emmanuel Ketteler (also included in the document linked to above) have led me to believe that everything I do with the intent of offerring is accepted by God as an offerring - even if I don't remember it at that moment. When I was 12 years old I told God I was willing to suffer for the conversion of souls, now when I do suffer, whether I remember in the moment to make an offering of it or not, I beleive God accepts it as an offering for the slavation of souls.

Of course, by reading spiritual documents and "think[ing] of what is above, not of what is on earth" (Col 3:2) I find that I am more likely to remember and reaffirm the offering throughout the moments of my day, just as St. Therese, and the lay sister told of by Bishop Ketteler, did. I think this is more efficacious, but since I "know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose" (Rom 8:28) I will rest in Him confident that He accepts all my sufferring... and my fatigue.

Off to a Start

2009-02-25T08:24:00.002-06:00

What kind of start I'm not exactly sure, but it's a start!

I actually woke up and got ready efficiently enough to make it to morning Mass, which helps with the fasting in addition to being just plain the best way to start your day. But, on the way from Mass to work I caught myself complaining around half dozen times... and it's only a 15 minute drive!

I don't think fasting is necessarily any more difficult for me than for anyone else, but I am a food person. Food to have something to do with your hands, food if you're bummed, food to celebrate, food if you "have a taste for" something, food to have a full belly; lots of reasons to eat in my little world. So today, fasting, what do I think about every time I get up from my desk - you guessed it, food! I am thankful for having had the opportunity to begin my day with the Real Food and Real Drink of the Eucharist, by God's Grace, every time I think of food today I remember that I am fasting. And why am I fasting? Well, if you said "Because it's Ash Wednesday you might be missing the point. I happened to read a great post at Adam's Ale about purposefully practic[ing] acts of denial, charity, and penance. I highly recommend it.

As for the complaining, well, the Complaint Free World idea is to switch a bracelet from wrist to wrist when you complain. I ordered one (and now think I didn't need to, alas and alack) but don't have it yet, so I decided to use a rosary ring given to me by a friend. The ring fits on my forefinger and not only do I move it from left to right (and back again) when I complain, but becuase it's a rosary I was inspired - deep breath, drumroll, can you imagine - to PRAY when I caught myself complaining. Now why didn't I think of that sooner?

So, here am I at my desk on Ash Wednesday - wearing my ashy smudge on my forehead in spite of the Gospel exhortation to " anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden." - fasting, praying, and working on the practice of not complaining.

Just for the record, how do we reconcile the "wash your face" exhortation with the fact that we walk around ashy all day? My intent is not to have people see my ashy smudge, I was blessed to be able to start my day with Mass, nevertheless, it's there and so I do "appear to others to be fasting"...

Catholic Blogs

2009-02-24T11:53:00.002-06:00

All I can say is, "Wow!"

I knew there were Catholic bloggers out there, my very good friend at Franciscan Focus introduced me to the blogosphere, and Adoro Te Devote is the one who inspired me to finally jump in the pond and swim. I'd heard of Amy Wellborn and the Curt Jester, but after deciding to follow a number of blogs I discover that each blogger has a list of blogs they follow, and those bloggers follow others, and on and on it goes. Now, there are some folk who follow the same folk, but the lists still go on and on (did I say that already?)

Now, on the one hand, this is a little intimidating. I am neither a brilliant researcher, political analyst, or witty commentator. But what I find really amazing is that by entering the blogosphere I have entered a whole new realm of educational resources. Now, the risk is there that I may come upon some heterodoxical blogger who thinks the pope ought to ordain women or some such nonsense, but there are so many wonderful orthodox bloggers out there that I'm pretty sure I'll be able to winnow the wheat from the chaff. Now... where to find the time to read all these wonderful blogs...

A Complaint Free Lent

2009-02-23T10:07:00.002-06:00

A few years ago I read about a church that started a program of not complaining. So, when I felt called to a complaining fast this Lent, I went to A Complaint Free World on the world wide web. People trying to live complaint free wear a purple bracelet (how fitting for Lent, eh?) and every time they complain, switch the bracelet from one wrist to the other. The general idea is to make it 21 days without complaining, and thereby creating a complaint free habit. The Lenten idea, for me anyways, is to teach myself to control with whom I share which information. Does everyone in the office need to know that I'm in a fibro flare up and am having a hard time walking? Probably not. Do they see me walking weird, of course, but I don't need to complain about it. Over the weekend I was having an exceptionally difficult time walking, and especially on stairs. I kept reminding myself to "trouble he who troubles me" and didn't avoid activities that required going up and down the stairs. Complaining about my physical issues has been my way of seeking human consolation rather than divine consolation, and it's difficult to offer up a pain that you're busy whining about, so I'm looking forward to focusing more on my relationship with God than with just anyone who will listen.

What I think I will find difficult is not complaining about everything else. Last week something frustrating occurred in the course of a claim, and I said to a co-worker, "Can we ban stupid people?" I have learned that I have a very low tolerance for mistakes in others (we won't get in to the mistakes I make - planks and splinters for sure). Never-the-less, I figure if I put detailed intructions in writing, and provide my e-mail and phone number in case anything is unclear or there are any questions, then by yiminy if I don't hear from you with questions I expect what I requested in detailed instructions! Right? Yeah, not so much. In fact, earlier that day I had mentioned to the same co-worker my complaining fast, so when I asked my him if we can ban stupid people his first response was, "Is that complaining?" Earlier he had seemed pretty tickled by the fact that he gets to hold me accountable to the complaining fast if he catches me complaing, so he said he was clarifying whether this comment fell into the parameters.

So! Fat Tuesday tomorrow - and no I will not be a compaint glutton tomorrow as a last "hurrah" - and then, Lent. This will be a good Lent for a complaining fast as it is booked pretty solid, and fatigue makes me more whiney. I'm actually a little nervous, and wonder if I'm over-extended, but committments have been made, so we'll see what happens. So far today, I don't think I've complained about anything, although, I have been alone in my office pretty much all morning...

A Lenten Motto: Phillipians 2:14,15

Do everything without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like lights in the world... (NAB)

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe... (NIV)

Joy in Pain Part 3

2009-02-20T10:47:00.006-06:00

In a comment to my first post on Joy in Pain, Joseph shared a teaching of St. Seraphim, that to those who "asked him why he carried a bag of heavy stones on his back, when he was obviously in enough pain and agony with his health, [he would say] "O my dear brother/sister, I am merely troubling he who troubles me!" Around the same time I read an article in Pray! magazine that pointed out that in Psalm 62 we are encouraged to "pour out [our] hearts to him, for God is [our] refuge." These two statements tell me that I can do at least two things with my pain. I can either embrace and welcome it, "thumbing my nose" if you will at the one who brought pain into the world. Or, if I've got complaining or whining in my heart, I need to pour that out to God so that once it is out, He can pour in to my heart something so much better - Joy.

I find it not at all coincidental that these two teachings should be presented to me as I prepare to celebrate the season of Lent. The season of Lent is a Joyful season, (many of the Eucharistic prayers for Lent remind us of this joy) so it's no surprise to me that that God is calling me to refocus on the joy in my pain. In fact, as I said in my reply to Joseph's comment, I had initially only planned on a 2 part Joy in Pain 'series' because I was feeling a little stuck in the whining side of my pain. But thanks to these two halves of a newly forming whole, I get to move on, not just to "part 3" in a blog, but to a closer walk with the Source of Joy.

I can't write in any great depth on either of these statements today, but that's not the point in sharing them. The point is that they are there. The point is that I have the next clue on the treasure map. The point is that, recognizing I was stuck, I have now been given the leverage to get un-stuck. What an exciting, joy filled Lent I have ahead of me! And, by Easter, or Pascha as it is called in the East, I should have a lot more to say about "troubling he who troubles me" and "pour[ing]ing out [my] heart to... God".

Joy in Pain Part 2

2009-02-20T08:08:00.008-06:00

I mentioned in my previous blog that I have fibromyalgia, and included a link to the Web MD overview. But that doesn't really paint the picture, so before I go any further, I want to give you a better idea of how I frame the fibromyalgia picture.

First, I'd like you to imagine that you spent yesterday with the craziest trainer in the world. Though you've never worked out a day in your life, your trainer had you weight training like a WWE wrestler all morning, doing cardio like an Olympian all afternoon, and then put you back on weights in the evening. You then spent all night working on a project, the success or failure of which would mean either getting a promotion or losing your job. You then took a two hour nap somewhere around 4 am before getting up to get ready for work. Now, in addition to the mental and physical fatigue and the body soreness and stiffness, imagine there's a tribe of microscopic, invisible gremlins running around inside your body with sledgehammers and ice-picks, and they may strike anytime, anywhere. Have the mental picture? Good - that's your introduction to fibromyalgia.

Don't get me wrong, most days those gremlins don't do enough to hold down a job in the real world, and the fatigue and soreness is more of an irritant than anything else. But on days like today, when the 'symptoms' raise from a 1 -2 to a 5-6 on that pain scale, they become a very irritating interruption. Something that should take one minute takes five, something that should take five minutes may take fifteen. I can still do everything I need to do, it's just more difficult. And quite frankly, today I'm not going to get in to the 8 -9 level days. If you want to imagine it, take the above description and imagine it's a 75 year old doing all that.

So, now that I've provided an overview of fibromyalgia, you may be thinking based on my comments about Assisi that I am the most joyful person in the world. I wish I could say it were so, but I am sorry to say that what happened in Assisi doesn't happen every day. It "happened" in Assisi; it was a gift by the grace of God so I know it's possible, I know it exists - I know it's a choice. But, it's a choice I don't always make. Many days I am a complaining, whining, pity-partying fool. When a gremlin does strike, I am just as likely to stop in my tracks and wait for the pain to stop before continuing my work as I am to keep working, even though I know the pain is just a nerve misfiring, and nothing is actually wrong. Sometimes, if someone calls me at the wrong time, or makes the mistake of asking "how are you?" as they walk by, (the fact that most people ask that in passing without waiting for an answer is a topic for another blog!) they might even get an earful. But even though I whine and complain to others maybe 10% of the time, the rest of my whining and complaining is all internal, "self talk" as some call it, and rarely, when I think about it, directed to God. I sit in my chair or lay in bed and feel sorry for myself and ask myself why it's so hard "to offer it up" and why can't I be as easily joyful as I was in Assisi... I get caught up in thinking about how irritating, or annoying, or distracting, or hurtful, or frustrating the pain is... I get wrapped up in the negative, and because I don't want to "burden" anyone, or be the person who only calls a friend when she's miserable, I dwell there as though it were my home.

This is not the way I want to live my life. I think it was Matthew Kelly who I once heard ask, "Are you going to let your mortal body control your immortal soul?" I want to live in Assisi, not in Whine World. I want to be full of Joy, not full of frustration and complaining...

Thankfully, although the end of this particular post, this isn't the end of the story.

Joy in Pain Part 1

2009-02-18T11:42:00.006-06:00

There seem to be conflicting views in the world on suffering and pain, and I have to say from my personal experience that the two most amazing, joyful days in my life were also the two most excruciatingly painful days of my life - and considering I have chronic kidneys stones, that's saying something!

In the summer of 2005 I was blessed to be a chaperone on a pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi, Italy and Cologne, Germany for World Youth Day, but before I can talk about the pilgrimage I have to back up a little. In April of that year I had moved in to a new aprtment. Due to problems with my right foot, I carried all the "heavy stuff" on my left side, and started to experience some pain in my left hip. I didn't think much of it until I noticed that trying to baby my left hip and my right foot was causing my right hip to jump on the pain wagon. Finally, around the 4th of July, the pain became so severe that I had to go to the doctor. When the nurse called my name to go back to the exam room and saw how I was walking she offerred me a wheelchair. To give you an idea of how bad the pain was, my blood pressure - normally 80s/40s - 90s/50s - was 112/96 (or somewhere therabouts). The pain was so bad that even with 1,000 mg of Vicodin and 500 mg of Naproxen (my prescribed dosages) I was in so much pain I couldn't sleep, I could barely move, and all I really could do was cry... this moment in life was just one month away from a two week pilgrimage. And what do you do on a pilgrimage? Aside from praying of course - you WALK! (By the way, the diagnosis was bursitis.)

So August rolls around - I have a large backpack with everything I'm going to need for two weeks (including Bible, journal, and rosary supplies) that I have to carry myself, 3 different prescriptions for the pain and inflamation, and on that ubiquitous pain scale of 1 - 10 I was vacillating up and down, but never actually pain free. And my companions on the journey? A group of healthy, energetic high school students. Now, don't get the wrong idea - pain and I were no strangers; I had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia at age 19, and let's not forget those kidney stones, and I had been introduced to the concept of "offering up" pain by a seminarian from my dioces while at WYD in 2002 - but pain wasn't my friend, and I was more than a little concerned about my ability to keep up with the group walking around Rome, Assisi, and Cologne.

So, we then spent 8 hours on a cramped flight to London, then another few hours on a cramped flight to Rome, then a couple days walking at a fast clip around different parts of Rome. By the time a bus dropped us off in Assisi I was exhausted, and the pain... well, let's just say it wasn't taking a separate vaction. After unloading our bags and dropping them in our rooms, what do you suppose we did? If you supposed "walk somewhere" then you supposed right. And if you've never been to Assisi let me inform you that it is not flat. Think lots of up and down, (think San Francisco, but, you know, older :), think uneven cobblestone streets, stairs, hills, and narrow roads. Think, in my case, pain. Then.... Glory and Praise! Mass.

St. Stephen's Basilica was a small building that would fit in one of the unloading bays of the warehouse next to my office. It was a stone walled, stone floored ancient edifice with beautiful acoustics - and solid wood kneelers. During Father's homily he talked about what it means to be on a pilgrimage, and how we take steps along the journey. That particluar word "steps" stuck in my head, until later, during some part of the Mass during which I was experiencing great difficulty remaining standing (and didn't want to kneel on those solid wood kneelers) that word "steps" rolled around and around and around in my mind. In those moments, Father's homily about our steps, my awareness of offering up suffering, and the knowledge that there was over a week of "steps" left to make combined to become an offering to the Lord that every step I took would be an offering for the conversion of souls, in particular those of my family. I was still exhausted and in pain - but now the pain and exhaustion had purpose.

I remember falling asleep shortly after my head hit the pillow that night, and I remember waking up cranky. Very cranky. I rolled off the bed and mentally catalogued every ache, every sore muscle, and especially the sharp shearing pains stabbing through my hips and down my legs. After shuffling slowly toward the bathroom I stopped at the end of the bed and supported myself on the footboard as I rested, scowling and glaring at the expanse of floor separating me from bathroom. Sitting back down was not an option - that bathroom and I had a very important appointment! I thought to myself, looking down at my traiterous body, which shuffled heel to arch (the heel of my leading foot didn't even make it as far as the toes of the other foot) that with my teensy-tiny range of motion it was going to take me a hundred searingly painful steps to get to the bathroom.

And there was that word again. Steps. In an instant my fury, frustration, and self-pity were erased and replaced with the purest, most undistracted joy I had ever experienced. Steps! Every step is a prayer and offerring for the conversion of my families' souls! What would normally take me three or four unmindful, careless strides to accomplish was now going to take many, many careful, mindful, prayerful steps! Suddenly and without any forced intent I was thanking God for my pain, thanking Him for the bursitis, and most of all thanking Him for His Presence with me, and for making me mindful of Him, His promises, and my offerring.

I can't tell you which Basilicas we saw in which order (though I can see them all as clearly in my mind as if I had snapped a photo), I can't tell you which way to turn on any given road to get yourself to this, that, or the other location in the city, I can't tell you what Father's homily was about on our second day in Assisi. I can tell you I have never experienced such joy and pleasure in my life as I did those two days in Assisi, offerring up my pain for the conversion of souls and thanking God for my pain out of a thankful, joyful heart, and not just an obedient one.

In the last years of Pope John Paul the Great's papacy I heard many people ask why he didn't just step aside so someone younger and healthier could do the job. It was, they said, impossible for anyone to do anything worthwhile or effective in his condition. What I realized is that the world does not know that pain and suffering are not punishment, are not weakness, are not defects or shortcomings. Rather, pain, sufferring, sorrow... are Joy, Grace, and the Peace that the world cannot give. Pain and sufferring, like "all things" for "those who love God and are called accoring to His purpose", can be good.

Pax, Bonum, et Gaudium
Peace, Good, and Joy!

A Blog about Blogging

2009-02-17T13:00:00.003-06:00

I don't know if everyone goes through this when they first discover blogging, but with the exception of my friend's blog Franciscan Focus I've never really been that familiar with blogs. I always thought they were something computer savvy people do. Then said friend convinced me to join Plurk and I met a lot of people, many of whom have blogs. It was AdoroTeDevote who, for whatever reason, inspired me to sign in and create a blog. I fully admit I'm, doing this the easy way, I don't know html, I don't know any codes, and apparently I don't know anything neat either. I discovered the "Next Blog" button, but couldn't find any blogs in English, and my French, alas, is nowhere near fluent. So how do you discover nifty blogs? I've figured out how to "follow" them if I find them... And what on earth am I doing this for anyways? I don't even have internet access at home! And really, how much blog reading can I do on my lunch hour... Then again, I did discover a great new read thanks to Catholic Bibliophagist. Well, my right arm and hand pain level just jumped to 7 on a scale of 1 - 10, so I'm going to take that as a sign to go do something else now.

I love the edit function... I have now discovered (at the end of my lunch when I have to put it on hold until another day) that by filling out my profile I can click on my interests and be directed to a list of bloggers with similar interests! O thrill, O joy! Now if only my arm would stop hurting when I clock back in.... Well, guess I'll be offering it up! For the next Cursillo I think.

My First Blog!

2009-02-16T16:45:00.000-06:00

Well, this is my first blog ever so it will probably be short and test-like, but I'm excited. Now I can talk about pretty much whatever I want whenever want... within reason of course. after all, have to take into account this Sunday's second reading...

Reading II 1 Cor 10:31-11:1
Brothers and sisters, Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do,do everything for the glory of God. Avoid giving offense, whether to the Jews or Greeks or the church of God,just as I try to please everyone in every way,not seeking my own benefit but that of the many,that they may be saved. Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

Emphasis mine. Well, let's see how it looks...

Hey cool, I can edit. Thanks for the support, but it occurred to me after logging off, that I am bound to give offense. When I first read this passage I thought of things that offend me; profanity, disresepct, crudity, etc... but then I realized that what I beleive, that abortion is murder for example, offends many people in my society.

So, how does one interpret Paul's instructions to the Corinthians in American society? Talk about "points to ponder"...