Mama Mondays-A Parenting Testimony about CONSISTENCY

My Change to Consistency
I remember a specific day years ago when my oldest three children were still young. I was talking to a friend on the phone, and I remember telling the caller that I could hear my little daughter jumping on the couch in the other room, and that I "really should go stop her...." Then it hit me. Yes, that's exactly what I needed to do in order to begin seeing some lasting results in my efforts to raise godly children. I needed to stop talking to my friends on the phone, and go correct my daughter every single time she needed it. That would be true consistency, and I hadn't been doing it.

So, I decided to change. I resolved to make consistency my top priority. I stopped running unnecessary errands, stopped over-indulging in my hobbies, stopped making excessive social phone calls, and set my mind diligently and consistently, on training my children. I continued with the normal mandatory tasks of life, such as basic housekeeping, laundry, and cooking, but even as I did those things, I kept in mind that my children were my top priority, not a fancy dinner or a spotless house. I gathered my children close to me so I could always see and hear them, then I stopped what I was doing and promptly corrected them, every time they needed it.

At first there were numerous corrections necessary and I had my doubts about the strategy, but very soon there was noticeable improvement in the way they responded to me. The worst was over after only a few days, and hardly any major disciplining was needed after the first few weeks. By the end of the third month, I had a new family. They had, in just that short amount of them, acquired a whole new respect for me and for my words. It was a miracle, produced mostly the simple consistency that God instructs us to use!

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
- I Corinthians 15:58


This post was taken from my favorite parenting book, Raising Godly Tomatoes, which you can -- and should-- read and purchase HERE.
It is the testimony of every parent who at one point or another decided enough was enough and buckled down to actually PARENT their children. I find that whenever I stray from these principles, it is because I have not been diligent to WATCH and CORRECT my children. It's a simple formula, but if I'm posting it today, it's because I needed the reminder... AGAIN. :O)

The Host

I posted THIS the other day on my facebook, about a Catholic priest in Orange County (surprise!) who concelebrated mass with a protestant minister, allowing him not only to receive communion but to distribute it, too. The outraged parishioners, of course, petitioned the Bishop... we'll see what happens. (Note, this morning, as I finish up this blog, the Bishop has put said priest on leave.) The comments on my post were outraged too... and rightly so. But I had a friend write and ask me the following question, and it made me think that maybe a lot of my non-Catholic friends might have the same question, too: 

"Hey! I have a question about the article you posted about the Protestant minister who concelebrated (what does that word mean?) Mass and took Holy Communion.My first question is right there, about that word. Is that something more than just attending Mass? My second question is about Communion, I know that Prottys can't take it in a Catholic church, but I was wondering why?"

The answer to the first question is that to "concelebrate" means to co-celebrate the mass. In modern Catholic terminology, the "Celebrant" is the priest. Because now more than one priest can say mass at the same time (not just lead, but officiate) we have what's called a "concelebrant." This is an ordained priest in good standing (they literally have to be card-carrying) who can come up and do the priest thing with the priest who is there. Sometimes, there are literally dozens of priests "concelebrating." There will be one who leads and the other(s) participate in various parts, and always mouth the words of consecration along with the leading priest at the point where the bread and wine are transsubstantiated.


Where they are whaaaaaat???


More on that in a moment.


I remember once having a family member attend mass with us, who wasn't Catholic. He was interested in the experience, since he was working through his opinions and ideas about the Catholic Church. Everything was fine for him, and reconcileable with scripture, until he got to the part where we go up for communion. That's when we reminded him that he was not able to partake of the communion with us, but that he was certainly welcome to come up and get a blessing from the priest. Of course, this threw him for a huge loop and he became indignant, disrupting the serenity and reverence of the mass and storming out. Was he wrong to do so? Of course, but he was also considerably confused and frustrated-- he had just been refused admission to the communion table, when all the time we kept telling him that he and we served the same Lord and Savior. What was up?

In order to understand why we do not allow anyone but Catholics to recieve communion, you need to understand what communion is for us, and what the Mass actually means.


First, we believe that the body and blood, soul and divinity of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ are LITERALLY there, "disguised" under the appearance of ordinary, unleavened bread and wine, brought there by the action of the Holy Spirit through a properly ordained priest of God's Church. YES. We do. If this is the first time you've heard this, welcome to the absolute core and center of Catholic belief, and the one thing which sets us apart from all other Christians.


Second, we believe that participation in this Sacrament is necessary unto salvation. It is the ORDINARY means of Grace that God has prepared for His people (this doesn't mean that people who don't receive can not be saved, as we know God is merciful, but that the "established, correct, right and proper" way for us to be saved is to participate in the plan of grace by receiving Communion.)


Third, we believe that unworthy (I'll explain that in a moment) participation in this Sacrament is detrimental to spiritual and even physical health, as laid out in the Bible, because it is A, a sign that we are repentant and desire Christ's Salvation and , B, a sign of communion with the Body of Christ, His Church. Therefore a person who receives Communion unworthily (a person who is not in the state of grace and has committed a mortal sin, or alternatively a person who -- though he may be a penitent-- is not in full communion with the Church's doctrine) is lying to himself, the Church, and ultimately God and will be harmed by this decision, whether in this life, in the next, or both, depending on the gravity of his lie.


Therefore out of reverence for Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, we take care not to commit sacrilege with Him, not to "give what is holy" to those we should not. Out of love for the people, we take care not to allow them to harm themselves to the best of our ability. And out of the theological concept of free will and freedom of conscience, we trust God to move people to do what is right with regards to receiving Communion. And he does!


I've shared before how as a soon-to-be protestant who was praying about my relationship with the Catholic Church, I was supernaturally protected from harm and simultaneously made partner in this great truth by the Holy Spirit of God. It was HIM who moved me to refuse to participate in Communion with Catholics at that point in my journey, even though by all "external" signs I absolutely could and was "allowed" to. I didn't know this, but God was protecting ME from harm-- because receiving communion I would have been making a statement which I did not believe. This made the moment I DID believe all the more powerful.... when I came back to the Church through the study of scripture, and realized what a great gift communion was, I wanted to run to receive Him. But I was so thankful that His Spirit had protected me from mocking Him and possibly hurting myself.


The Statement, therefore, which all Catholics make when they receive Our Lord in Holy Communion, whether they know it or not, has two parts.


A. I believe that this truly is Jesus Christ and desire His Salvation. I am sorry for my sins, have repented, confessed, and resolve to do penance and amend my life.
B. I believe all the truths which the Holy Catholic Church teaches to be true, and profess the Catholic Faith in it's entirety, in no way disagreeing with Catholic doctrine. Therefore I am in full communion with the Holy Catholic Church, which I believe was established by God.


This is why a non-Catholic person, even a non-Catholic person who loves our Lord very much, may not-- indeed CANNOT-- receive communion.


The Catholic Mass has two parts-- the Liturgy of the WORD, and the Liturgy of the EUCHARIST. During the Liturgy of the Word, we partake together of the Word of God, by hearing proclaimed several portions of scripture, which change according to the calendar date or situation.
After that, we partake together of the Word Made Flesh, the Holy Eucharist. You see, Communion is, for us, the source and summit of the Christian life. We do not believe that we are receiving bread and wine, but -- pay attention-- the BODY, BLOOD, SOUL, and DIVINITY--- the actual presence--- of Our Lord Jesus Christ. This is transsubstantiation... the actions of an ordained priest with actual spiritual authority to change the bread and the wine into the body and blood of Our Lord, truly present.
We call the Bread the Host. This, of course, reminds us of the Presence within a body. You see, whereas protestants tend to be very focused on the spiritual, often tending towards the belief (heretical, incidentally) that the body or physical material is BAD, evil, or wrong, that physical things are not spiritual things, etc. However the reality of the Eucharist is a perfect example of a way in which Catholics believe we sanctify everything around us... in Catholic theology, it is literally "His Kingdom," here below. While God has, of course, prepared us for heaven, we do not discount or discredit the wonder and glory of the Creation here below, every single cell of which speaks volumes to the wonder of the Creator there above. The Host is a piece of bread, the Cup a cup of wine. But with the blessing of the priest and the work of the  Holy Spirit-- cooperation between God and man, it becomes divine.


We believe that the mass is a sacrifice-- that the mass is a mystical rememberance of the ONCE present (this is important, because we do not re-sacrifice Christ) crucifixion of Our Lord. When we assist at Holy Mass, we are ONE at the foot of the Cross of the Savior-- as if time is suspended, in a sense-- and responding to His Words in John 6 and at the last supper.


it looks like this:

And all of us there present, surrounded by the angels and saints (Even those who have gone before) are  together, with one voice, worshipping Christ, the lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, to ask Him for mercy on us.

It is literally heaven on earth. It is literally Our Lord. 

This should explain a number of perplexing practices to non-Catholics.

1. It explains the nondenominational/charismatic (and possibly other traditions) protestant practice of "the altar call." In which, for the unitiated, a section of time at the end of a protestant service is reserved for allowing people to respond to God's personal call to repentance. The lights and music get low, a prayer is said, and an invitation made to "come forth" and "recieve the Lord." Catholics started that back when protestant theology was Catholic theology. Only instead of coming forth to say "I believe" and "I have repented and trust in your mercy," and leaving empty handed, we literally recieve Jesus Christ. When I watch the long line of Catholics at mass coming up to receive communion, I'm often moved to tears because I know that even if they do not know what they are doing, many of them will recieve graces, and possibly crosses, as a result that will change their lives and indeed draw them to a deeper faith in God. I KNOW they are not leaving empty handed.

2. It explains the old tradition, still practiced by many protestant denominations and outrageously irrespected in many Catholic parishes today, of acting, dressing, and becoming more reserved, reverent, quiet, reflective, humble, and modest when we go to Church. Protestants, again, do this because Catholics started it, and we do it because Our Lord is literally present INSIDE the building. We hear often people say "a building is just a building, and God can reach you anywhere. There is nothing special about this building, so we should not feel like we have to dress up, be quiet, or be respectful." This is true, a protestant church is just a building, and there is nothing special about that other than it may retain a particularly "fragrant" character by virtue of the numerous prayers offered up inside. It is also true that God can reach anyone, anywhere. However, the miracle that occurs at every Catholic mass is that Jesus Christ is made present to us, as we are made present to Him at His sacrifice on Calvary. There IS something special about a Catholic Church-- the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World, is really and actually present there. 

Let me share briefly an explanation of what I mean. Because we are given the eucharist as our "Spiritual food" (ever wonder where the expression "I'm not being fed" came from? :P) as a gift of grace, from God, the REAL presence of Christ daily makes miracles inside your local Catholic Church. Miracles of repentance and faith, miracles of healing and deliverance, etc. I realize that He does this elsewhere as well, but no where more powerfully than in His ACTUAL presence. (Because remember, He has said in His Word: "Behold, I am with you ALWAYS, and even to the end of time.) In other words, the Catholic Church will not cease to exist until the end of time. The gates of hell, it was promised in scripture, will never prevail against her. Because when the Eucharist disappears, the end has come. And Jesus Christ will return.

What's more, we can visit Him inside the Blessed Sacrament at any time, day or night because it is the practice of the Church to reserve a consecrated host inside the tabernacle at all times. That's what that lit candle above the tabernacle in every Catholic Church is about... it lets us know: "He's home!" 

 He is there, waiting for us to come to Him. Once a year, however, He is NOT there. Just before easter, we take down the giant crucifix you always see behind the Catholic altar. We place it down on the ground, without the body of Christ on it, symbolizing Jesus, dead in the tomb and not walking among us. We venerate the Cross on which He hung, and at the same time, we strip the altar, open the doors and windows and remove every eucharistic host from the tabernacles so that in no Catholic Church in the world will you find a consecrated host at that time. THIS is the world without Jesus. On that day, and that day only, the Catholic Church becomes just like any other building or church in the world, and on that day, let me tell you, the loss of His presence is tangibly felt. The atmosphere is somber, the inner reflection profound, and the great gift of the Resurrection and of the Incarnation and Eucharist is never more beautifully experienced. I dare you to visit a Catholic Church during Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Holy Sunday. You'll experience the difference, and true JOY at the Resurrection and return of Our Lord. It's thick theology.

3. It explains what makes priests "different" from laypersons, and The Mass different from a "Worship service" and the reason a Catholic cannot, in good conscience, miss Church on Sundays or replace Mass with a regular worship service that does NOT contain the Eucharist. The Mass is a true sacrifice-- it is the perfect Sacrifice, since our Priests offer Jesus Christ, ONCE immolated on the Cross for all time, to the Father each day for the people of God.

In a sense, priests can bring us Jesus in a way that laypersons can't. It doesn't mean that laypeople aren't called to their own particular common priesthood, but the office of the priesthood is definitely that of a man "set apart." We need our priests to be holy because we need the Eucharist, not because they are special people who have any particularly holy qualities all on their own.  We need sacraments, so we need priests. Simple as that. The priests, like Melchizedek of Old, who also was a priest forever, offer up our sacrifice, the sacrifices we bring to the altar. YES, the bread and the wine, but also all the week's events and situations and personal issues we bring to the table of the Lord. They offer up the Savior, on the Cross, transfering our curses to Him. And there we receive Him from them and at their hands, and consume Him, thus receiving all the benefits to our bodies and souls of being united, as one, with God, provided we are not in a state of mortal (and preferably not venial) sin.

4. It explains why even on battlefields and in hospitals where people are quarantined, Catholics are calling for priests and priests are willing to brave whatever it takes to get to them. There are countless inspirational and amazing stories about courageous priests LITERALLY bringing Christ to the people who need Him.

5. It explains why little children wear "wedding clothes" to their First Communion-- it is their first day participating in the wedding feast of the lamb and tasting Heaven on Earth.

6. It explains why Catholics literally adore (worship) the Host. Have you ever seen a monstrance? It is a beautiful, large, object made with precious metal that is designed to display and showcase the Consecrated Host. There, it is displayed, and we pray before Him present. This is where most protestants lose me.... We agree that there is a sacred element to Communion. We agree that it draws us to God. We agree that it brings us into community with God's people. We agree that God is "truly" present in the communion bread and wine. But when I say.... I WORSHIP Jesus present in the Communion Host. I lose them. :) Every time. 

This makes them nervous, but think about it..... if what I am teaching is true, then what SHOULD we do with the Host? It is not an ordinary piece of bread. That is my Lord! If He were in the form of a man, remember, what honors and love people showed him and His body, especially after he was crucified. Why would I do any less for Him today?

However, you're right, if what I am teaching is false, then Catholics everywhere are committing idolatry and worshipping the Creation rather than the Creator. This is very important to discover. This is very important to explore..... we all want to draw closer to Jesus. What if He were truly present, HERE? 

Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

-Jesus, as recorded in Matthew 28:20

"This food we call the Eucharist, of which no one is allowed to partake except one who believes that the things we teach are true, and has received the washing for forgiveness of sins and for rebirth, and who lives as Christ handed down to us. For we do not receive these things as common bread or common drink; but as Jesus Christ our Savior being incarnate by God's Word took flesh and blood for our salvation, so also we have been taught that the food consecrated by the Word of prayer which comes from him, from which our flesh and blood are nourished by transformation, is the flesh and blood of that incarnate Jesus." Justin Martyr, c A.D. 148-155 

If all of this sounds, still, totally inclusionary and harsh towards protestants, who we do believe share a large part in our same faith, then consider this: 
There are literally hundreds and hundreds of Catholics who DO believe, and yet who do not receive, but only adore Him present in the Blessed Sacrament. They respectfully wait and long for the day they CAN receive Him present in the Eucharist. 
Some of them because they are waiting to be fully brought into the Church. Others of them because they are, in some cases, in marriage situations or other types of situations which they know are not pleasing to God but they aren't yet willing to relinquish them or haven't yet been able to. Others because they have sinned, and have not confessed. Others because they are in situations which need still to be remedied. Whatever the reason, they believe, and yet they wait, unwilling to sin against Our Lord even further. So what about you? Are you willing to respect the presence of the Lord in the Eucharist, and abstain without feeling "slighted?" The Eucharist is a gift of grace, and a gift is not something to be taken. It is not something that is owed us. It is something to be recieved with gratitude at the love of the Giver.


To get a glimpse into the absolute joy and amazement which touches the hearts of the people of the Catholic Church who understand this doctrinal reality and benefit from it, I encourage you to watch this video, which, as one who believes, I can not watch without weeping. Thank you, Lord, for the gift of your eucharistic, incarnational presence. I love you.

On Judaizing Catholicism.

Hey!

Sorry for this intrusion, but I am just fascinated with so much of the material you post/blog about. A few weeks ago you were posting about the Jewish roots of the RCC (something I've always been big into as I was messianic at one point) and I was curious as to how/if you incorporate any jewish traditions into your spiritual life/that of your family's? I've been looking into Saint Edith Stein online, and she's been drawing me back to this topic in a way, as it's been a whileeeee since I've practiced "Judaism" as I used to (and in a way I miss it, it's like a spiritual thirst!) 

I went to a chabad shabbat service this friday and was constantly thinking of the experience in terms of its meaning in the fulfillment of Yeshua. So yeah, just curious as to where you draw the line as spiritually distracting and what aspects you derive much fruit from in terms of our Jewish roots!

Blessings always :)

N------i

I get a lot of emails asking questions like this based on things I post in facebook, twitter, or on my blog so I thought I would take a moment to respond somewhere where everyone can read it.



I was a messianic at one point too, although not affiliated with the movement by the same name. Rather, I was a messianic by a move of the holy spirit in my life, and all that that entailed was to make an effort to live the gospel through the eyes of a person who understood that Torah was the root and core of what the Gospel's relevance was, and as a person who understood the distinct "set apart"ness that God has for His people and what that entails. I did NOT go to a messianic synagogue or anything like that, and I was never affiliated with other messianic jews, even though I chose to put "messianic" on my dog tags when I got to basic training. Part of that was a personal exploration of my own identity. But most of it, I believe, was a genuine move of the Holy Spirit in my life to help me to see and understand that Jesus Christ really is the TRUE messiah and savior of the world.

All that "jewishness" was CRAAAZY relevant for me in my conversion process because I realized just how important both "jewishness" and "christian-ness" was. Like, ridiculously important-- there is such a delicate balance between the two. Judaism formed Christianity. Christianity completes Judaism. Therefore in order to be an "authentic" or "true" Christian, we must necessarily retain both some elements and some culture of biblical Judaism.
I think it was Pope Benedict XVI who said: "One cannot encounter Christ without encountering Judaism." The entire structure of the Catholic Church is based on biblical Judaism. We are the true fulfillment, in the Messiah, Yeshua, of God's plan for the earth. If you are a protestant, and reading this, you're probably gasping for air right about now.... but read on to see what I mean when I say that.

I guess the first thing to keep in mind with the question of "how much is too much" is to understand the GLORY of the Church as she is today. God's establishment of the Church and his system of governance of it is exactly the way He intended it to be.
The value of obedience is largely misunderstood in the world at large. In obedience to the Church lies all we need for salvation and sanctification. The Church is exactly as she should be, and is constantly being formed towards perfection.

There is a LOT of talk today, especially in messianic jewish circles, about the tension that existed (and still exist, in some ways) between the Catholic Church and the Jewish People/Religion. Messianics use this as leverage to claim that the Catholic Church is an evil deception and they are the "TRUE" Church. (Because it becomes increasingly evident, theologically, to ANY Christian who studies the Bible that Judaism has a very significant role to play in Salvation History.)

Messianics aren't all wrong. There IS and has been a tension present between Christians and Jews at all times. These tensions are for a reason. Catholicism is FULFILLED Judaism, which inherently applies that there is something that lacks in Judaism. And there is! That "something" is Jesus, the source and foundation of our Catholic faith. Without Jesus, our faith is incomplete, we are only seeing part of the picture, and a rejection of Him when we KNOW Him and have everything at our disposal to glorify and honor Him is  without a doubt a portion of the "unforgiveable sin" described in scripture as "Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit."

To know Jesus and love Him, and yet to turn away from Him because of the desires of our hearts to identify with Jews? This is nothing less than blasphemy. Every action of our bodies, minds and souls should be directed at him, which is why we it is not good enough for us who love judaism to be "just jews," as great and wonderful and inspiring and amazing being Jewish actually IS. This is because Christ is the source and foundation of our faith.

The form of the Church, her governance, her liturgy, and her teachings, exist the way they do for a reason. There are endless theological and mystical connections to be made in observing the incredible bonds between these things, revealed to us in the deposit of faith which includes the Holy Scriptures and Holy Tradition. To sit through a mass as an observer can be confusing. But to study the ceremonies and rites outlined in scripture as they were presented to God's people, the Jews, and then to observe the mass through the lens of judaism and salvation history---it is breathtaking! It is the reason bible-believing protestants convert every single day!

In liturgy especially, our "completed jewishness" is made even visibly evident. Therefore, a person does well to know and study biblical (I keep stressing the word biblical, and I'll explain why in a moment) Judaism as a Catholic Christian and even as a protestant Christian, for it can only strengthen one's faith.

The tension I described, however, comes when the Church apprehends the fleshly tendencies of our broken world to "JUDAIZE" the faith more than it already is.  There are many reasons, vast and varied why people do this. Some out of attachment to traditions and objects and "things we do." Others out of attachment to people and culture and identity. I'm as guilty as the next person of these things.... Mea Culpa. If I knew how to "leave everything behind" for my Jesus, whom I love above all things, I would have no more use for this pilgrimmage on earth and God would soon call me home to heaven. I DO struggle with over-judaizing the Christian faith and always have. However, no sooner do I catch myself doing that when God tends to slap me right back to reality by reminding me of two things--- the jewish REJECTION of messiah Yeshua and the Gentile ACCEPTANCE of messiah Yeshua.

This tension is right and proper. When we are reprehended for acting/being/living/speaking/etc "too jewish," we are gently being reminded that CHRIST must remain the focal point. For without the messiah, we are nothing, and our religion, whether jewish or Christian, is meaningless. There are those who say that the Catholic Church has been unfair towards Jews and Judaism. I disagree. The threat of Judaizers, those who wanted ALL nations to live, act, and observe those things prepared for the Jewish people alone, was very real. Kept unchecked, it would have meant certain death to the Christian religion, and God knows this.

Gentiles needed the Jews to illumine their path.... without them they would have never seen the truth. But Gentiles did not need to BE Jews. They needed to be followers of the Jewish Messiah, the light of the WORLD, not just the Jews, who for reasons of spiritual deception (this is where the talmud comes in) were a threat. The threat of Judaizers was not restricted to the biblical times of Christ. We still have this threat today-- and their error is visibly present in Messianic Jews today, who, in their zeal to incorporate all elements of Judaism into their faith in Christ miss the point that Christ is the point, to a degree that becomes more evident as time goes by and their theological structure becomes more clearly and officially defined. (for example, modern messianic theologians are now doing things like rejecting the doctrine of the trinity.)

Another thing to keep in mind is that Judaism as it exists today is only a shadow of a shadow of the BIBLICAL religion it was intended to be. The Talmud is the core of modern judaism, even the most orthodox of orthodox judaism, and the Talmud, at it's root, is of the devil. In fact, the entire system of freemasonry, and many other satanic sects and occult groups, is based on talmudic principles. Among other choice things, the talmud states that Jesus Christ was illegitimate (based on the Blessed Virgin Mary's adulterous affair) and was conceived during menstruation (rendering him unclean), was foolish and insane, a conjurer and magician, and simultaneously an idol and idolater. Christians are called "dung" in the Talmud, fornicators and idolaters, murders and magicians, differing only in form from beasts. Christians are also called followers of the devil and unclean, and are to be harmed both indirectly and directly.  (for more information, you can start here:)

When John Chrysostom, a Catholic Saint and Doctor of the Church, who was famous for his incredible and accurate preaching, called "golden tongued," and whose TONGUE remains incorruptible to this day, said: " The festivals of the pitiful and miserable Jews are soon to march upon us one after the other and in quick succession: the feast of Trumpets, the feast of Tabernacles, the fasts. There are many in our ranks who say they think as we do. Yet some of these are going to watch the festivals and others will join the Jews in keeping their feasts and observing their fasts. I wish to drive this perverse custom from the Church right now. My homilies against the Anomians can be put off to another time, and the postponement would cause no harm. But now that the Jewish festivals are close by and at the very door, if I should fail to cure those who are sick with the Judaizing disease. I am afraid that, because of their ill-suited association and deep ignorance, some Christians may partake in the Jews' transgressions; once they have done so, I fear my homilies on these transgressions will be in vain. For if they hear no word from me today, they will then join the Jews in their fasts; once they have committed this sin it will be useless for me to apply the remedy."
Which is explained more clearly when he said: "But do not be surprised that I called the Jews pitiable. They really are pitiable and miserable. When so many blessings from heaven came into their hands, they thrust them aside and were at great pains to reject them. The morning Sun of Justice arose for them, but they thrust aside its rays and still sit in darkness. We, who were nurtured by darkness, drew the light to ourselves and were freed from the gloom of their error. They were the branches of that holy root, but those branches were broken. We had no share in the root, but we did reap the fruit of godliness. From their childhood they read the prophets, but they crucified him whom the prophets had foretold. We did not hear the divine prophecies but we did worship him of whom they prophesied. And so they are pitiful because they rejected the blessings which were sent to them, while others seized hold of these blessing and drew them to themselves. Although those Jews had been called to the adoption of sons, they fell to kinship with dogs; we who were dogs received the strength, through God's grace, to put aside the irrational nature which was ours and to rise to the honor of sons. How do I prove this? Christ said: "It is no fair to take the children's bread and to cast it to the dogs". Christ was speaking to the Canaanite woman when He called the Jews children and the Gentiles dogs."


His concern is right on....and what the people of the day absolutely needed to hear. Over time, in the population, perhaps, unworthy and obstinate as we are to understand lofty theological concepts AND live them in a manner that pleases God, went too far in the other direction, something which has been noted by our present Church leaders and is being remedied today. Balance must be achieved. We must both honor the system and way by which God revealed himself to the world, and not idolize it or hold it in a higher position than it has been given. The system is not God. God is God.

Our end is attachment to God and detachment from the world, our means is the grace of attachment to God and detachment from the world. We can not be simultaneously attached to something (in this case, Judaic traditions/practices, etc) and detached from them. Judaism is not a sacramental religion. It is a religion of sacred tradition which foreshadows a sacramental religion. Attachments to the Sacraments of the Catholic Church, however, ARE attachment to God. The Holy Eucharist IS Jesus Himself, body, blood, soul and divinity.

What does this mean? It means that many people, myself included, can find themselves guilty of idolatry with regards to means and methods God has set in place. We aren't worshipping Golden Calves, we are worshipping the Ark of the Covenant, the people who carried it, and the ceremonies in the temple. We are worshipping the prayers God gave us instead of God Himself. We are worshipping still a creation rather than the creator. And it has to stop. As a mother, I've been in places before where I was addicted to prayer and Bible study. This is wonderful and a worthy pursuit, no doubt. but I was guilty of idolatry in it, and DEEPLY guilty of neglecting my duties in life through it, and this is because God has planned for me that I will be sanctified not only through the study of His Word and a relationship with Him but through mortification, the putting to death of my flesh through work and other not-so-pleasurable endeavors. Judaizing is like that-- it is good that we love jews and jewishness. But it is harmful that we love them so MUCH that we ignore something even MORE important. But why is it SO detrimental?

Most Christians today wax poetic (I'm one of them) about the nation of Israel and the protection and love God has shown the Jewish people. But let us never forget the great harm the Jewish nation and people have done for the cause of Christ. Let us not forget, for example, that when Jews who believe in Jesus go to make Aliyah and live in the place that is rightful theirs, they must sign a paper that claims they do not believe in Jesus. To preach the gospel of Jesus Christ is both illegal and infuriating to the authorities in the State of Israel. As hard as it is for some of us to face, there have been GRAVE injustices against the palestinian arab people. Further, unusually vehement disdain exists among today's jewish people for the person of Jesus Christ and his followers.

Even more frightening, perhaps, is the extraordinary manner in which Satan is using God's chosen people to demolish and destroy society and our culture. It is a well known fact that Hollywood, the music industry,the media and the television industry, and the fine arts, all of which are perpetually pouring satanic ideas and images into the minds of willing listeners under the guise of "entertainment," are run in the vast majority by jewish persons. This is not an accident, nor is it a statement about judaism. It is simply a sign pointing to the reality of God's Gospel, to the spiritual reality around us. Throughout history, we find that frequently, some of the worlds' most unsavory characters have been born of Jewish blood. Also, in the world of big money and big corporations (and nothing smells corruption and immorality like big money, we know) many, many Jewish names and faces pop up. And lastly, one need only look at the face of the new "moral" state of the world--- with regards to politics and theology, there were liberal jews before there were liberal Christians, and that is a sign we must be aware of as well.

All this, of course, not to malign Israel or the jewish people in any way. The Jews are our brothers, our friends, and our common inheritors in the love of God. Insofar as I have here shown only a few examples of ways in which we must be careful not to "overdo" our enthusiasm about all things jewish, I will also point out that some of God's brightest lights have been of Jewish blood. Our Lord Jesus Christ, His Blessed Mother and Ours, Mariam, and His most chaste and pure Foster Father Yosef, of course, come to mind. But what about some of our most incredibly gifted saints.... John of the Cross, and Teresa of Avila? St Edith Stein? Certainly the Church herself has been quilted from the moral and ceremonial laws of the jews and pieces of truth present in the gentile nations, a masterpiece that only God would have the time, foresight and patience to create, one which I give him glory and credit for daily. I love the Roman Catholic Church, and I see in her all truth, all beauty, all goodness, all hope for peace in the world. This is how I know she comes from God.

So what does all of that mean, practically speaking? How would YOU answer the email questions above?
In my own family it has been a constant struggle. A healthy struggle! I met my husband in basic training. We were in the same unit, but I paid very little attention to him until I noticed that he too attended the Jewish services instead of Christian services, even though I knew he was a Christian. I formerly kept a kosher home and observed Shabbat and the other feasts of Israel. of course, marrying a Southerner meant that my life changed in many ways  when "two became one," but probably most in the style of life I had and in my religious observances. Southerners like pork, for example. I can tell you that just the other day I was skyping with a dear friend and like-minded thinker about all things pork (ew) when my husband came gleefully in waving a spoonful of PORK BRAINS in front of my webcam and at my face for me to try. I was horrified, but you know, dutifully gave it a try. I'm praying I didn't get a parasite. :P BUT I digress...... the point is that my husband and I don't really see eye-to-eye on the Jewish issue. Whereas I find it important to persist in creating a specifically HEBREW christian culture around my kids, for many reasons of which the primary one is that the Holy Family were observant jews and I model my family life around theirs. He, on the other hand, views the Jewish thing as a step on his way to Catholicism and leaves it at that. Whereas I find (and have found my whole adult life) great peace and comfort in lighting the shabbat candles, he sees it as an unnecessary "Addition" to an already full wealth of ever-meaningful family traditions we already have. I have often sought out fellowship with like minded Hebrew Catholics, but been deterred by the fact that many of them see the Talmud as an equally interesting and viable collection of works which they don't mind assimilating into their own family cultures.

The Church's official position is that she IS the fulfillment of Judaism. St Edith Stein echoed this sentiment by saying at her conversion from judaism to Catholicism: "I finally feel jewish again." It follows, then, that the best way to incorporate judaism into your family life is to be the best Catholic you possibly can be. I didn't come to this conclusion on my own-- I was forced into it by my husband's constant blocking of any of my attempts to "judaize" our Catholic practices. (incidentally, he is right to do so. The Catholic Church recommends participation in jewish life insofar as it does not become a pathway out of the Church but rather as a means of seeing the richness and fullness of the Catholic faith. In the same way, it recommends that when we do Jewish things, such as hold or attend a Passover Seder, for example, we do so according to the Jewish liturgy and NOT adding our own "Catholic"-isms to it and changing it however we see fit. Again, for good reason.)

In doing so, you will see (as I have) that what the Church teaches is true-- we really are the fulfillment of Judaism. I have rambled enough here and don't need to go into detail, but let's just give a couple of examples. I've blogged before about how Christ is the fulfillment of all the jewish feasts (and will be, of course, at his second coming-- like the feast of trumpets) But how about how similar observant Catholic and Jewish culture can be? What's more Jewish than mother guilt? And what other culture has mastered  the art of guilt? Yep, Catholics. What else do Jews and Catholics have in common? How about a deep rooted belief in action to heal the world? How about liturgy, prayer styles, and prayer books? How about headcovering? How about holy water fonts at the entrance to our homes, just as jews have mesuzahs at the entrance of their homes? How about a literary tradition and a culture of "study," particularly bible study? We are a people of the book, both of us. How about a home life that sanctifies the world? How about a traditional fascination with home-cooked food? How about a Sabbath that starts and ends at Sundown with strict rules of observance? A liturgical calendar? Blessings after meals? An entire  culture of blessing and sanctifying the world around us? A culture where tradition and family are the core and bulk of who we are?

The deeper we think, the deeper it goes. For example, Jews often talk about the feminine nature of Shabbat, and how it is like welcoming another soul to be with us during that special time. Could it be that Catholics, who by revelation of the Virgin Mary set aside our Saturdays as a special way to honor her and spend time with her, knowing she will always lead us to her Son,  enjoying what's called the "Sabbatine privilege." Why did God choose a BLUE thread for the tzit tzit? Could it be because it is in seeing the Virgin Mary, whose color has always been blue, that we are reminded of God's commandments? Is this why wearing the Miraculous Medal is so miraculous for conversion? I could go on forever.

Needless to say that while all this is true, some of you may, like me, still feel a "tug" to observe the feasts of the biblical year in addition to our Catholic ones. You may feel called to devotion to a particular saint which does not get much attention from Catholicism in itself and yet has been affirmed as a saint by the Church (such as our Old Testament heroes.) You may feel drawn to a certain observance or practice that is more "Jewish" in nature than "Catholic." And to that I say.... pray. Pray and ask God to reveal areas in your heart that are still walking in confusion or darkness, first. There could be any number of reasons why this impulse towards judaism might be a perfectly legitimate gift from the Holy Spirit.... for example, because you live in a Jewish community and will be respected and befriended more easily and therefore better able to evangelize (although, as we have said, it is not so much necessary to evangelize Jews OUT of Judaism as it is to get them to truly LIVE their jewish faith, by which they will be saved. This statement is perplexing to many, but true on many levels and believed and taught by the Church, as well as being vastly misunderstood. Hint: it does NOT mean that they don't need Jesus to be saved.) Another reason might be because you actually ARE Jewish, that somewhere in your blood and genetic makeup jews are your people. This might be known to you, in which case you desire to celebrate that in order to identify with other Hebrews, and that's perfectly fine. Or perhaps it is unknown to you, and simply a quiet desire to *connect* with other Hebrews, again, which is perfectly fine.
On the other hand, there could be many reasons why this impulse is not an acceptable offering of worship to Our Lord. Perhaps because it has become a stumbling block, keeping you from Jesus, or because through it you are being exposed to Talmudic teachings or other occult phenomena which can harm your soul. Because your SOUL is at stake here, not Jesus Christ.

Is it ok to observe Pesach or Sukkot, or to Light Shabbat Candles, or to read the weekly Torah portion, or to avoid work on Saturdays? Is it ok to visit services at synagogue? To hang a mezusah on our door? To have a menorah in the house or bake challah? To recite the rosary in Hebrew or send your kids to Hebrew school? Sure, I would say, as long as it's ok with the authorities that be over your head (husband, parents, whatever) and AFTER you have examined, REALLY examined the reasons behind that desire. Obedience is the path to sanctification, and if you are really convinced in your heart that these things are good and right, obeying the powers that be around you is FAR more important to God than lighting a couple of candles or saying a certain prayer.
In my experience, the spiritual benefit to a person who is 100% committed to Christ of choosing a hebrew life is profound. However, I would caution you in two ways:

First, the heart of the Catholic (and Hebrew) religion is lived out in the HOME. Let your home silently point to your faith in Christ and in His Church. Do not neglect to make the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary the CENTER of your family life. enthrone them in your homes. People should enter your house and KNOW they are in a Catholic home... possibly wondering why the Votive Candles with Hebrew letters are even there on the mantle and what in the heck your beautiful feast day spread is doing with the addition of a kiddush cup and a challah board. :) But let it be a CATHOLIC home.

Second, in your association with and your relations with the Jewish community, be upfront about who you are: you are not considering conversion to judaism, but neither are you there to evangelize jews. You are simply a person who sees a great value in biblical Judaism and seeks to affirm that great value. By all means, celebrate life, feast and fast with the jews around you (again, if you are allowed to do so under obedience) but do not seek to "fit in" so much that you do not slightly "stand out." Take to heart the Catholic Church's teachings to, when participating in a rite or ritual that belongs to the jews, LEAVE it to the jews and not transform it to your own liking or add to it to make it more complete. Your Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church already has a liturgy and a Roman ritual and a way of doing things that is, in itself, ALL that you need for sanctification. The whole point of our participation in Jewish liturgy is that it is supposed to remind us of Christ, of the lack and need and "hole in the heart of" Judaism without Messiah. Therefore be who you are-- a daughter or son of the Roman Catholic Church, the Church founded on and by Messiah, a completed jew. But have a quiet, vibrant faith which is not founded on words but actions, the chief of which should be love for your neighbor and respect for his human dignity, in which free will reigns supreme.

The sweet soul who wrote me the email at the top of this blog is so much like me! I hope that in her life, as in mine, the resounding joy of being a Catholic who sees, lives and understands the relevance of the Hebrew people, culture and religion in salvation history and in the eyes of the Most High God will be felt and cause waves in the world that will, when unified with the requests of Our Lady, especially at Fatima, help the cause of world peace. Amen!

I leave you with this analogy. As a Catholic, I have often blogged about how I am a "completed" protestant... all of the things I did and said I believed as a charismatic protestant are still present within me, but transformed from being OPPOSED to the Catholic Church (having once considered it an impediment to truth) to embracing it as THE fulfillment of all that I was seeking as a protestant. I MISS being in a worship environment where there was a strong current of faith and which lived and breathed Spirit-led prayer. I miss worshipping God with all my voice and strength. I miss vibrant preaching and on-fire, bible-breathed intercessory prayer. But guess what? All of those things are still mine as a Catholic, mine to practice, mine to participate in, and mine to share. What I cannot do is impose those things at Holy Mass, or during Adoration. I cannot interrupt the recitation of the Rosary. I cannot alter the liturgy of the hours to include them. They are no less a part of my faith experience, only some things are holier than others-- the Eucharist above all.

And so it is with Judaism. Catholicism completes what lacks in every religious experience. This is why it is the truth. Amen.

The Catechism according to a four year old

My oldest was sitting at the breakfast table with me and suddenly said:
"Mommy, teach me catechism like Lucia at Fatima!"
So I pulled out my family catechism and started to drill her. Ordinarily, I ask her the questions somewhat out of order, so that she learns them by heart and hears them in her heart, and not just in one particular order.
At first, I was annoyed, since we had gone over the answers to these questions a million and one times, and I couldn't understand why she was getting them wrong. But as it went on, I realized there was a pretty profound meaning behind her simple answers. She was having so much fun counting out the responses on her fingers and was beaming with pride that she knew how to answer... it was adorable. Increasingly, as I listened, it became deeply humbling.... Whereas I knew all the "right answers," I struggle daily to put them into practice. My little girl, on the other hand, had no problem finding the practical application of each one.
Thought some of you would be blessed by this, the Catechism according to a four year old.
"From the mouths of babes....."

What are the principal good works?
Correct Answer: Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving
Her Answer: Loving Jesus, obeying my parents even when I don't want to, sharing my toys with [my brother].


What are the three theological virtues?
Correct Answer: Faith, Hope, and Charity
Her Answer: Believing in Jesus, being happy, and sharing my food.

How many kinds of sin are there?
Correct Answer: There are two kinds of sin: Original and Actual.
Her Answer: So many. It's really sad.

What is Original Sin?
Correct Answer: The Sin we inherit from our first parents, and in which we were conceived and born "children of wrath." (Eph 2:3)
Her Answer: Eating an apple when God said "no."


Who were our first parents?
Correct Answer: Adam and Eve, the first man and the first woman.
Her answer: Adam and Eve. And they lived in a garden. Do WE live in a garden?


What is Actual Sin?
Correct Answer: Any willful thought, word or deed or omission, contrary to the Law of God.
Her Answer: Whenever I do bad things and make Jesus and Mary's heart sad. Or [my brother]'s heart sad.

What are the ten commandments of God?
Correct Answer:I am  the Lord thy God, thou shalt not have strange Gods before me. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain. Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. Honor thy father and mother. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods.
Her Answer: God is really real. We should always be nice to him. We should always pray. We should always share our toys and be nice. We should always help mommy to bake bread and smash it when it's dough. We should always just love God and love our mommies and daddies. Is that ten? I can't remember. No, I can't remember.

What happens at holy Mass?
Correct Answer: The Sacrifice of the body and blood of Jesus Christ, which are really present under the appearances of bread and wine, and are offered to God by the priest for the living and the dead.
Her Answer: The Priest is there, and he gives us our prayers, and we pray with him, and we listen to God and say yes. And then he brings us the Holy Spirit who makes the bread and the wine into the REALLY REAL Jesus. Why can't I HAVE THAT???  How can Jesus live in my heart if I don't eat it when I go???(pause for me to explain) OK. And  then he tells us to "Go in peace." So we go in peace.

What is Baptism?
Correct Answer: A sacrament which cleanses from original sin, makes us Christians and children of God and heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven.
Her Answer: It's when the priest puts holy water on the baby to make her holy and then that makes the devil lose all of his power so she can go to heaven. And it makes her a sister. Can you make ME a new sister so we can baptize her??

Why do we make the sign of the cross?
Correct Answer: To beg that Jesus Christ, by His Cross and passion, may protect me and bless me.
Her Answer: It makes the devil run away from me and get scared and angry.


Does the True Church have a soul?
Correct Answer: yes, a body and a soul.
Her answer: Yes, it's very shiny and beautiful.


Who belong to the Body and Soul of the Church?
Correct Answer: All who profess the Catholic faith openly and go to the sacraments.
Her Answer: People who serve the Real God.


Who belong only to the Soul of the Church?
Correct Answer: All baptized non-Catholics, invincibly ignorant of their errors.
Her answer: Too many people. Grandpa, and Grandma, and Scott and Lauren and lots of people we love. They would be happier if they came to mass because Jesus is REALLY there. (me: but do they love Jesus? And do the very best they can to serve him?) Yes, they do. They really love him. Maybe one day they will come to mass and visit Him!

Pray with me for Fr Tom Euteneuer.

Found this incredibly heartbreaking, and yet not surprising, article today about what has really happened to Exorcist and former president of Human Life International, Father Thomas Euteneuer. There has been so much speculation and trash talk all over the internet since August, and it is very relieving, for me at least, to read the background story.

For those of you who don't know, Fr Euteneuer is an orthodox and fascinating priest with a powerful, brilliant, and successful pro-life message, since he is one of the few to preach and teach the connections between abortion and the demonic religion. In fact, he had just written a highly acclaimed book on the subject of exorcism when he was pulled from ministry, resigned as the head of the HLI and his books were pulled from the shelf. Then... radio silence. There was, as you can imagine, much talk.

To read his letter was, like exposure to every priest's moral failures, nothing short of depressing.
But there is hope! We know the enemy is furious with this good priest, and we understand why he would have succumbed to temptations, especially in the situation and way in which he did. The faithful must pray for this man, for the whole Church, for an end to abortion and for the reign of Christ to crush the head of the dragon. We know that the demons loathe the Blessed Virgin, as she is, of created things, the most glorified in heaven for her great humility and docility towards God's plan. She is the great Enemy of the Enemy.

Let us pray to the Immaculate One for Father Tom. Join me in this Nine-Day Novena to Our Lady of Mt Carmel:



NOVENA PRAYERS

First Day  O Beautiful Flower of Carmel, most fruitful vine, splendor of heaven, holy and singular, who brought forth the Son of God, still ever remaining a pure virgin, assist us in our necessity! O Star of the Sea, help and protect us! Show us that you are our Mother! (pause and mention petitions)  Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.

Second Day  Most Holy Mary, Our Mother, in your great love for us you gave us the Holy Scapular of Mount Carmel, having heard the prayers of your chosen son Saint Simon Stock. Help us now to wear it faithfully and with devotion. May it be a sign to us of our desire to grow in holiness. (pause and mention petitions)  Say: Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.

Third Day  O Queen of Heaven, you gave us the Scapular as an outward sign by which we might be known as your faithful children. may we always wear it with honor by avoiding sin and imitating your virtues. Help us to be faithful to this desire of ours. (pause and mention petitions) s) Say: Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.

Fourth Day  When you gave us, Gracious Lady, the Scapular as our Habit, you called us to be not only servants, but also your own children. We ask you to gain for us from your Son the grace to live as you children in joy, peace and love.(pause and mention petitions)  Say: Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.

Fifth Day  O Mother of Fair Love, through your goodness, as your children, we are called to live in the spirit of Carmel. Help us to live in charity with one another, prayerful as Elijah of old, and mindful of our call to minister to God's people. (pause and mention petitions)  Say: Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.

Sixth Day  With loving provident care, O Mother Most Amiable, you covered us with your Scapular as a shield of defense against the Evil One. Through your assistance, may we bravely struggle against the powers of evil, always open to your Son Jesus Christ. (pause and mention petitions)  Say: Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.

Seventh Day  O Mary, Help of Christians, you assured us that wearing your Scapular worthily would keep us safe from harm. Protect us in both body and soul with your continual aid. may all that we do be pleasing to your Son and to you. (pause and mention petitions)  Say: Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.

Eighth Day  You give us hope, O Mother of Mercy, that through your Scapular promise we might quickly pass through the fires of purgatory to the Kingdom of your Son. Be our comfort and our hope. Grant that our hope may not be in vain but that, ever faithful to your Son and to you, we may speedily enjoy after death the blessed company of Jesus and the saints. (pause and mention petitions)  Say: Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.

Ninth Day  O Most Holy Mother of Mount Carmel, when asked by a saint to grant privileges to the family of Carmel, you gave assurance of your Motherly love and help to those faithful to you and to your Son. Behold us, your children. We glory in wearing your holy habit, which makes us members of your family of Carmel, through which we shall have your powerful protection in life, at death and even after death. Look down with love, O Gate of Heaven, on all those now in their last agony! Look down graciously, O Virgin, Flower of Carmel, on all those in need of help! Look down mercifully, O Mother of our Savior, on all those who do not know that they are numbered among your children. Look down tenderly, O Queen of All Saints, on the poor souls! (pause and mention petitions)  Say: Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.

Random Rant- Motherhood is bad for you. Really.

The Duggar Family

Motherhood is bad for you.
That's the message so many of my triumphant progressive acquaintances have gleaned and celebrated from a new study which recently surfaced in the New England Journal of Medicine.


A new study financed by the pro-abortion Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, might I add.
*false autism / vax connection crisis anyone?*
But I digress....


This article has been gleefully reposted on facebook over and over by the progressive crowds, pro-aborts, and feminists as being somehow proof that all mothers who persist in having legions of kids must, in some sense, be slightly ... "off." That those sneaking suspicions these people had that Michelle Duggar, for example, couldn't possibly be as sane and happy as she claims to be were now "proven accurate." On my own facebook page, I've had it posted and emailed to me at least seven times in the last week as a sort of "aha!" towards me, proof positive that all my pro-motherhood and pro-life posting is obsolete and possibly even.... dangerous.

To which I say:

And who wouldn't find childbirth and motherhood traumatic instead of glorious in this sick society?? We are weak, and the message being spread is so strong!
This society values women who kill their children and choose careers over parenthood. The persistent message is that children are an unnecessary, and even an unnatural burden.

I use public health. In order to recieve medical care for my pregnancy, I must first see a doctor who will give me a pink slip that says I am pregnant, which I can then bring to social services. I go to the public health department, stand in line with all the teenage girls, pee in a cup and hand it over. The way it looks is like this:

When it is announced to me that I am to bring a child in the world, I am put in a room with a nurse on one side and a social worker on the other. They introduce themselves. Then, the nurse, on my right, announces the pregnancy by saying: "Your test is positive."
They pause to allow me to respond however I am going to respond.
The Social Worker then asks me: "Are you going to terminate?" If I respond in the negative (in my case, emphatically in the negative!) they tell me that there is a program available for those who decide to keep the baby which supports the woman through the pregnancy. (Having been through this program during my second pregnancy, I will say here that this "support" includes bi-monthly visits from a social worker who assesses your situation by making judgements about your income, ability to cope, parenting skills with any other child you might have, and asking at almost every encounter which birth control method you will use once you are no longer pregnant.) They also give you a brochure that helps you to procure an abortion should you change your mind.
 Next, they begin their line of questioning:
"Were you planning this pregnancy?"
"No."
"So you are surprised."
"Not entirely. I understand that a by-product of having sex is that I might get pregnant."
"What type of birth control were you using?"
"I do not use birth control."
"Oh, well then you can't be surprised that you are pregnant!"
"I practice NFP."
"What's that?"
"It's a method of determining when ovulation occurs and abstaining from sex during the fertile periods."
"Oh, rhythm."
"no, it's not the rhythm method. It is far more scientific."
"OK. What type of birth control methods will you use when this pregnancy is over?"
(note how they never say things like... "after the Baby is born?" Rather, they constantly refer to the condition as "the pregnancy" so that the patient won't feel traumatized about ending it should she decide to.)
"None. I don't believe in using contraceptives."
"You realize that you may get pregnant again if you choose not to use birth control."
"I realize that."

And just like that, it begins. This is how I begin to be conditioned to believe that by saying "yes" to motherhood, I'm somehow saying "no" to normal life.

The message of our society is that new life is a burden. Unbelievably, pregnancy and parenting magazines are FILLED to the brim with this message.... going on and on and on about how much pampering we should be getting and how difficult it is. They always finish with "but it's all worth it." And it is!
But why the negative attention pregnancy receives? Satan is smart, and he knows what the result of all the focus on the challenges of pregnancy will do:
It dcreates momzillas in those who actually choose to embrace the child growing inside of them-- the pregnant version of the bridezilla-- selfish, obnoxious, and difficult. Clammoring for a comfortable chair, a favorite restaurant, an open window.
Everything about our society is backwards. The men are encouraged to lay everything side to wait hand and foot on the women, who literally are encouraged to do nothing but get backrubs and eat ice cream while getting their toes painted and think about "me, me, ME!"
No wonder the transition into motherhood is so hard for women today--- once the baby is born and the mother begins having to be self-less, the difficulties arise. Why do so many women experience postpartum depression, even REJECTING their newborn child?? Could it be that the transition from self-focus to focus on another is almost impossible to overcome without help these days?

You see, in this society, we tell women all the time that while dedication to motherhood is important, CHOOSING motherhood over other pursuits is equivalent to mental suicide. If we can't convince women NOT to have kids (and more and more of them are "childfree by choice,")  then we convince them to kill the children when they are conceived. If we can't convince them to kill the children, we convince them to become so utterly selfish and self-centered that when the baby is born, they hate it... utterly rejecting it as a source of joy and growth. Nevertheless, truth prevails, and the message-- which is that giving is more important than receiving and that openness to life is the ultimate measure of personal growth-- comes through because somewhere inside each woman we instinctively understand these things... that we are better people for the children we are raising.

Because of the state of society, most women take an entire lifetime with only one or two children to actually grasp the fullness of this lesson... that they are not in control of  their own lives, that giving is more blessed than receiving, that the very purpose of marriage is co-operation with the Creator God and nothing less than union, with one another, with Our Lord. They fight this knowledge every step of the way, even though I suspect that many of them know it somewhere inside of them and struggle with it.

Other women realize the great gift they have been given and welcome life. They yearn for it! These women have many children , as many as they are given and prayerfully, responsibly, able to care for, and they lose themselves in their families, building up a culture of life. And oh, how they suffer for it at the hands of the world!
They are hidden, when the world demands that to find happiness, you be "known."
They are contemplative, prayerful, and self-controlled, when the world demands that to have worth you be loud, reactive, and heard.
These women are busy, when the world says the value of your life is determined by your ability to be entertained and enjoy the experience of liesure.
They are living saints walking among us, for they know the key to happiness and fulfillment is to lose oneself in whatever God puts in your life to care for and give to.

So let's examine some of the messages that women with more than two children receive on a regular basis when out in public. (And this, daily.)
"Are those ALL yours?"
"I remember those days, bless your heart. You couldn't pay me to do that again."
"Do you run a daycare?"
"When do you have time for you?"
"You poor thing."
"You'll be in my prayers."
"How do you keep track of them all?"
"Aren't you tired?"
"What are you going to do once they grow up?"
"I'm glad I'm not you!"
and on and on it goes.

Then there are the whispers people think we don't hear, completely unfounded fears that people eat up and spit out at mothers of more than two children as if the mothers were inhumane:

"That's so irresponsible."
"Don't they care about the planet?"
"How can they take care of the needs of each those kids?? It's selfish."
"She's like a zombie."
"She's like a slave."
"She's a baby machine."

Even worse, in today's society, a mother who actually cares for her children enough to discipline them and train them up is looked at as archaic and "off." I can rattle off COUNTLESS  personal experiences when I have been scorned for actually saying "no," to my children or refusing to indulge them in some terribly selfish pursuit. So once again... if the woman actually makes it to the place where she accepts parenthood, she is then vilified not only for bearing children but for actually raising them instead of letting them run wild. It's amazing how crafty the devil is.

Michelle Duggar, one of the few "famous" American women to have had 18 children (so far) has been vilified constantly in the public eye. I once heard an entire group chant over and over about her:

"A Vagina is not a clown car."

How could a mother, especially a devoted mother who welcomes life as it comes, recognizing what a blessing she has been given, NOT have a difficult time coping in the world she sees outside the happy walls of her home? If we let even one whisper, one magazine headline, one disapproving glance get to us, we allow doubt to seep in because the flesh is weak.

The flesh is weak, but the Spirit is willing, and by the Spirit of God, motherhood has been deemed noble. It is our society, our culture of death, which aims to destroy the spirit of motherhood, the spirit of self-sacrifice, the spirit of giving and the spirit of joy that comes from these things, all the while using the same language to lie, lie, lie. Satan the liar. Satan the deceiver. The prince of this world.

It takes a strong spirit to overcome the lies we are fed. It takes grace, for we cannot do it alone.
 This article is the result of a study funded by a pro- abortionist group. This group wants to fund studies like this so that abortion will continue and life will cease. And meanwhile, those of us who see past the lies and deceit will continue to pray:


"Lord, you are God. I submit my LIFE to you and pray that you would use me to transmit your life to the world. Be thou king, O God, over all the world, including my reproductive system and my desires. Make me to know your will and to say YES to life, as Mary did, for through her came the savior of the World. Amen."