Thankful for Advent 2011

My place card from last year's Christmas Feast :)

We had my annual Thankful for Advent party last night and I have to say, though the turnout was way smaller this year this is rapidly becoming one of my favorite traditions!!

There is something really special about getting together with other women who want their kids and families to have a spectacular advent and Christmas scene not because of commercialism or nostalgia but because of Jesus Christ! It's amazing.
In fact, I like it so much I think I am going to organize a similar event each year based on planning for the Lent and Easter seasons. It's a perfect mix of singing, holiday foods and drinks, cheer, prayer, Bible study and open discussion about creating or continuing traditions and their impacts. 

This year in particular, I've been struck by how many stores had Christmas trees up before Halloween and how many of my friends and family are so disgusted by the whole thing that they just write off Christmas. But that's why we need the Church, who provides a compass to help us make our way through the crazy and the materialistic nonsense and moves us into meaningful use of our calendar to mark sacred time that leads to sacred things. Christmas is not something we can skip. It's the celebration of our Savior, come to earth--- God with us! Advent is the perfect way to prepare for Christmas, take a breather, without feeling ANY let down that Christmas can bring from being too focused on people, places, things, or events. The Church year is a soul-journey. Taking the journey together is the POINT of Christianity. As we learned last night, that's real Christmas magic.

I know many of you who live near me had to miss the party last night and I hope that providing the discussion outline will help you to meditate on ways you can find your way along the path towards Christ this year. If you are a person who believes that Jesus is the Messiah but does not celebrate Christmas, I encourage you to read along anyways, perhaps you will find a meaningful idea or practice you can incorporate here regardless, and at the very least, it may help you to understand that those of us walking around excited about Christmas aren't G-dless Heathens. ;)

Thankful for Advent Party 2011

CALL TO ATTENTION….O Come O Come Emmanuel 

Oh come, Oh come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear

Rejoice, Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, Oh Israel!

Oh come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer
Thy people with Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight

Rejoice, Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, Oh Israel!

Oh come, Thou rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'ver the grave

Rejoice, Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, Oh Israel!
Rejoice, Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, Oh Israel!


OPENING PRAYER
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the sameHoly Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen. 

BIBLE STUDY
We are going to start with a brief bible study.

i. Advent is about Christmas, and Christmas is about the birth and incarnation of Jesus. What makes us know that Jesus is the promised Messiah? If we could answer that question, we can help millions of beautiful, well meaning people all across the world find what they are looking for, and see peace on earth, so that when we say: Peace on earth and goodwill towards men, we not only mean it but can do our part to accomplish it!

ii. It seems funny to start before Jesus, but really the story of Jesus begins before Creation. Salvation history shows us a series of covenants, each building upon the other. (To understand this clearly, I recommend a book by Scott and Kimberly Hahn called "From Genesis to Jesus," which walks us through the scriptures to demonstrate clearly what God's plan of salvation is.) These covenants are: Creation, Noah and the renewed creation, Abraham the Father of the Faith, Moses and the Israelites, the Covenant with David, and Jesus, the fulfillment of all promises. 

iii. We don’t have time to cover all of it, or even come close. But we do have time to focus on two very important pieces of the puzzle that will enrich your Advent thoughts. Tonight we will focus on the prophecies of Isaiah regarding the Messiah, helping us to know that Jesus really IS the promised messiah.

THE PROPHECIES of Isaiah

THE FULFILLMENT in Jesus of Nazareth:

Will be born of a virgin (Is 7:14)

Jesus was born of a virgin named Mary (Mt 1:23; Lk 1:26-31)

He will come from the lineage of King David (Is 11:1-2, 10; 16:5)

Jesus was a descendant of King David and was the fulfillment of the covenant promise made to David (Mt 1:1; Lk 3:31-32; Ac 2:29-36)

Will have a Galilean ministry (Is 9:1, 2)

His ministry began in Galilee of the Gentiles (Mt 4:12-16; Mk 1:1-15; Lk 4:14-15; Jn 2:1)

Will be an heir to the throne of David (Is 9:7; 11:1, 10)

Jesus was given the throne of His father David (Lk 1:32-33)

Will have His way prepared (Is 40:3-5)

Jesus was announced by John the Baptist (Mt 3:1-3; Mk 1:1-3; Lk3:2-5; Jn 1:19-28)

Will be spat on and struck (Is 50:6)

He was spat on and beaten (Mt 26:67; Mk 10:34; Lk 22:63-65)

Will be exalted (Is 52:13)

He was highly exalted by God and the New Covenant people (Ph 2:9, 10)

Will be disfigured by suffering (Is 52:14; 53:2)

Jesus was scourged by Roman soldiers who gave Him a crown of thorns (Mt 27:27-31; Mk 15:15-19; Jn 19:1-3)

Will make a blood atonement (Is 53:5)

Shed His blood to atone for our sins (Mt 26:28; Rm 3:25; Heb 9:11-12, 18-22; 1Pt 1:2)

Will be widely rejected (Is 53:1, 3)

Jesus was not accepted by many (Jn 12:37, 38)

Will bear our sins and sorrows (Is 53:4, 5)

He died because of our sins (Rm 4:25; 1Pt 2:24, 25)

Will be our substitute (Is 53:6, 8)

Jesus died in our place (Rm 5:6, 8; 2 Co 5:21)

Will voluntarily accept our guilt and punishment for sin(Is 53:7, 8)

Jesus took on our sins upon Himself (Jn 1:29; Rm 6:10; 2 Co 5:21)

Gentiles will seek Him (Is 11:10)

Gentiles came to speak to Jesus (Mt 8:5-13; 15:21-28; Mk 7:25-30; 21)

Will be silent before His accusers(Is 53:7)

He was silent before Herod and his court (Lk 23:9)

Will save us who believe in Him (Is 53:12)

Jesus provided salvation for all who believe (Jn 3:16; Ac 16:31)

Will die with sinners (Is 53:12)

Jesus was numbered with the sinners (Mk 15:27, 28; Lk 22:37)

God’s Anointed will heal the spiritually wounded and brokenhearted and to comfort those who mourn (Is 61:1, 2)

Jesus was God’s Anointed who healed the spiritually wounded and brokenhearted and the comfort those who mourn (Mt 3:16; 5:5; Lk 4:18-19)

God’s Spirit will rest on Him (Is 11:2)

The Spirit of God descended on Jesus (Mt 3:16; Mk 1:10; Lk 3:22; 4:1)

Will be buried in a rich man’s tomb (Is 53:9)

Jesus was buried in the tomb of Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea (Mt 27:57-60; Jn 19:38-42)

He will judge the earth with righteousness (Is 11:4, 5)

Jesus was given authority to judge (Jn 5:27; Lk 19:22; 2 Tm 4:1, 8)

TRADITIONS
So now that we know why we are celebrating the advent of our messiah, we need to know a few things about the season of advent. 

1. Advent is a season of PENANCE and PURIFICATION. Like a "little Lent," Advent carries us not through a season of rejoicing necessarily (that's what Christmas is for) but a season of focus on our sinfulness and our NEED for a Savior. The liturgical color of Advent, like Lent, is purple, which represents sorrow for our sins. We should make the time for practices like fasting (Orthodox Christians to this day fast from all products containing lard, butter, cream, etc.) examination of conscience (doing a daily check-in with God to see how we may have sinned and what we should do about it) and also regular confession. During Advent, we wait in hushed expectation for the coming of the Lord and examine our hearts... and this is especially important in light of the fact that we know Jesus is coming AGAIN and that there will be judgement at that time. When I asked the question: "Are you prepared to FACE the Lord? When he came at Christmas, He came as a little baby, bringing a promise of judgement and justice. This time, He comes in all His glory!! Are we ready for that?" We ALL have to hang our heads in shame. None of us is really ready for that. Advent is the time to get ready. Attack your sins with a vengeance!

2. Acts of Service. While penance and charity are two sides of the same coin, we often ignore one or the other. Advent is a good time to ensure that we are doing both. Ideally, during Advent it is a wonderful idea to take extra steps to reach out to those whom we have wronged or who we have difficulties with because they have wronged us. But it is also a great time to reach out to those who are alone and suffering alone. Some families make it a point to write letters on the four Sundays of Advent to people in their family they have wronged or who they struggle with... letters of forgiveness and compassion and kindness. Some people visit hospitals, visit shut ins or retirement communities, even elderly priests, and bring homemade breads or cookies, sing, or even prepare a nativity play or some other activity. Advent caroling is a wonderful activity that my family enjoys very much.... we simply walk from house to house in our neighborhood, singing hymns of Advent. I've seen people cry, hug us, etc. It's amazing what an impact this can have on a community. Families may enjoy taking Advent to make Christmas Cards they will send off for Christmas. Kids in particular enjoy this task. One tradition that is commonly shared is that of "Kris Kringles" (Christ Child.) We know it as Secret Santa, but returning to it's roots shows us the point of this tradition is not materialism and the accumulation of junk but of love. Family members or friends can draw names out of a hat and then spend Advent secretly doing acts of kindness and service for the person whose name they drew. Also popular is the idea of "Advent Angels." Similarly, names are drawn, and then we agree to pray for the person every day of Advent. At the end, you can even throw a party where you share who your person was and what happened. :) One of the most popular advent traditions regarding acts of service is that of simply baking cookies and breads and bringing them to neighbors. What a joy it has been for us to receive a beautiful plate of gingerbread cookies from neighbors we don't know well, giving us an opportunity to talk. Another idea I love is that of putting a bowl of straw somewhere central in the house. next to it, an empty "crib" made of wood or popsicle sticks. Whenever a child in the home does an act of service or kindess, a piece of straw is transferred to the Crib, making a soft bed for Jesus by the time He arrives. What a powerful image for the children to retain!

3. Prayer. Advent is a time to pray like we've never prayed before. If we are truly preparing for the coming of Christ, we should pray, because prayer is our pipeline to God. Many Catholics who do not pray the Liturgy of the Hours (our way of praying the psalms without ceasing) will do so now, and you can pray along with us using this website if you don't have the book by going to the site and then clicking on the appropriate time of prayer (morning, daytime, evening, or night): http://divineoffice.org/

The Advent Wreath in particular is a powerful tradition that incorporates prayer and song (He who sings prays twice, right?) and which children in particular absolutely LOVE. For many people who are concerned about the possible pagan origins of a tradition, the advent wreath may be particularly meaningful because it stems from the Sabbath lights lit by the Jews in obedience to God and in anticipation of the Messiah. During Advent, like on Shabbat, we light the night, bless, pray and sing! And advent wreath can look any way you like: four candles in a row, a ring of candles, etc. It can be decorated or not. It can consist of four taper candles, pillar candles, etc. Traditionally, the advent wreath has three purple candles, one pink, and one large white candle in the center. The first two sundays we light only the first, and then the second purple candles, the third a pink (the third sunday is called Gaudete Sunday -- the rejoicing Sunday) and then purple again. On Christmas Day we can finally light the Christ Candle in the center. My family lights the candles (I do that, just like I light the Sabbath lights) and we hold hands (or not) and sing O Come O Come Emmanuel followed by the blessing of the bread and wine and food. They remain lit during the meal and are put out afterwards. My kids, even the tinyest ones, have the song memorized by the end of advent and will generally make me nuts by singing it from morning til night in anticipation of the great Candle Lighting Moment. I highly recommend it. 

For more information about Advent Wreaths, please see this link: http://www.fisheaters.com/customsadvent2.html

You can also create a prayer book for your children. Kids loving cutting things out and pasting them, so find some meaningful scriptures and prayers you read regularly, cut and paste pictures you find online that speak to you, and bind the whole thing with ribbon. Kids will LOVE reading these before bed, and it's a great way to build prayer into your normal reading and play time together.

The Jesse Tree is another tradition that many families find meaningful. Either a real tree or a large poster or wall hanging of a tree is used to hang ornaments, one a day for all of advent, representing different facets of Salvation history leading up to Christ. This brings the Old Testament to life for people and is also a fun activity you can do with children-- although many people purchase their own Jesse Tree ornaments, most families read the scripture for the day and then make their own ornaments, which is great. There are MANY websites which describe different ways of doing the Jesse Tree. One such website I recommend is here: 

http://www.fisheaters.com/customsadvent9.html

(note, the author of that site feels very strongly that the Star of David is not an appropriate symbol for Christians to use and not a biblical symbol to represent Judaism and King David. You may disagree with her opinion and want to just ignore the bottom section, the rest of it you will not find offensive.)

Advent Calendars are similar ways to draw the family to prayer. 24 little doors are opened behind which are scriptures to read that lead us towards Christ's arrival. You can read more about advent calendars here: 

http://www.fisheaters.com/customsadvent12.html

Lastly, nativity scenes (the Crèche, where I come from) are also ways to pray in the season. Families will unite to gather items in the natural environment (moss, grass, sand, etc) and creative elements (tin foil, wrapping paper, etc) to create a "scene" of the nativity. (many include figures representing various family members or villagers.)

As the figurines are placed, it is useful to pray for the virtues represented by each "character" present: for example, you may want to place one figurine each day, and as you place: 

- The Angel, pray for the grace to be a messenger of joy with  your positive and encouraging words that day.

-Saint Joseph, pray for the grace to be ready and willing to listen to God and do His will.

-The Blessed mother, pray to be more aware of Jesus' presence as you go about the day's duties.

-The Shepherd, pray to do your duty faithfully and lovingly.

-The Ox, pray to cheerfully accept each task assigned to you.

-The lamb, pray to follow the shepherd wherever he may lead.

-The Donkey, pray to lighten the burdens of others by carrying along family and friends.... etc.

The O Antiphons begin December 17. At that time, we find ourselves faced with beautiful depictions of Christ's person which we can work into our prayer any number of ways, from declaring them over our dinners before we eat to using them in the liturgy of the hours, advent wreaths, or even the Jesse Tree.  You can read more about them here: http://www.fisheaters.com/customsadvent10.html

4. Gift Giving and Feasting. Though Advent has a penitential character, the Church year contains feasts which are best taken advantage of for the character building potential they contain if nothing else. We celebrate the saints because we believe that there are no dead in Christ, therefore we honor those who have gone before as if they were still with us-- because they are. Just as we have certain friends here on earth who help us more than others and who have guided us, by their prayers and example, we have certain friends in heaven who lead us towards Christ by guiding us through their prayers and example. Some of the feast days which can be used to celebrate a particular event that leads to Christmas are: 

December 4, Saint Barbara's feast day. St Barbara was a virgin and martyr killed by her own father for serving her heavenly Father. On her feast day, people in the south of France plant little containers of wheat which will grow all of advent. On Christmas, they will be ready to place in the nativity scene, and red ribbon will be wrapped around them for decoration. Since she was a martyr, on St Barbara's day we decorate with red.

December 6 is the feast of St Nicholas, which most people today know as Santa Claus. For our kids, December 6 includes a surprise "visit" from St Nick who brings oranges and chocolate coins in their shoes, placed there the night before. For some people, this is the time the stockings are filled. This is also a great day to make a meal for a needy family or something similar.

The Feast of St Lucy is December 13, and a family favorite around here. For more information on traditions and ideas, see my best read blog, here: http://marymission.blogspot.com/2010/12/saints-on-saturdays-lights-lussekatter.html

The feast of the Immaculate Conception and the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe are also popular days of celebration and appropriate SMALL gift-giving moments. Lastly, there is also Hannukah, which you can read about here: http://www.joi.org/celebrate/hanuk/index.shtml Catholics can read about Hannukah in our bibles (the story is NOT found in protestant Bibles!) and that alone might make it a good reason to celebrate. :)

If gift giving seems to be too much for just ONE day, do consider spreading it out and doing it in very small doses through many of these exciting and wonderful feast days and even during the Christmas Season itself, which contains many opportunities and feasts. More on that next blog :)

The general rule for Advent decorating is UNDERSTATED. All the ornaments come out for Christmas, so during advent we have a few physical reminders (the wreath, the jesse tree) that Christmas is NEAR but that we aren't ready yet. 

Instead, focus your traditions on prayer and song, giving and fasting.

I hope this has been helpful! May God bless you this advent season, sisters, as you prepare your hearts and help your families to recieve Him in the fullness of His glory!

Happy feast of Our Lady of the Rosary!!

Why not take today to start making a habit out of praying the rosary?



From the Catechism of the Catholic Church: 


971 "All generations will call me blessed": "The Church's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship." The Church rightly honors "The Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honored with the title of 'Mother of God', to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs...This special devotion...differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration." The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an "epitome of the whole Gospel," express this devotion to the Virgin Mary.

1674 Besides sacramental liturgy and sacramentals, catechesis must take into account the forms of piety and popular devotions among the faithful. The religious sense of the Christian people has always found expression in various forms of piety surrounding the Church's sacramental life, such as the veneration of relics, visits to sanctuaries, pilgrimages, processions, the stations of the cross, religious dances, the rosary, medals, etc.

2678 Medieval piety in the West developed the prayer of the rosary as a popular substitute for the Liturgy of the Hours. In the East, the litany called the Akathistos and the Paraclesis remained closer to the choral office in the Byzantine churches, while the Armenian, Coptic, and Syriac traditions preferred popular hymns of St. Ephrem or St Gregory of Narek, the tradition of prayer is basically the same.

2708 Meditation engages thought, imagination, emotion, and desire. This mobilization of faculties is necessary in order to deepen our convictions of faith, prompt the conversion of our heart, and strengthen our will to follow Christ. Christian prayer tries above all to mediate on the mysteries of Christ, as in lectio divina or the rosary. This form of prayerful reflection is of great value, but Christian prayer should go further: to the knowledge of the love of the Lord Jesus, to union with him.

RECITATION OF THE HOLY ROSARY
MEDITATION OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI

Pontifical Shrine of Pompeii
Sunday, October 19, 2008

Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood,
Dear men and women religious,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Before entering the Shrine to recite the Holy Rosary with you, I paused briefly before the tomb of Bl. Bartolo Longo and, praying, I asked myself: "Where did this great apostle of Mary find the energy and perseverance he needed to bring such an impressive work, now known across the world, to completion? Was it not in the Rosary, which he accepted as a true gift from Our Lady's Heart?" Yes, that truly was how it happened! The experience of the Saints bears witness to it: this popular Marian prayer is a precious spiritual means to grow in intimacy with Jesus, and to learn at the school of the Blessed Virgin always to fulfil the divine will. It is contemplation of the mysteries of Christ in spiritual union with Mary as the Servant of God Paul VI stressed in his Apostolic Exhortation Marialis cultus (n. 46) and as my venerable Predecessor John Paul II abundantly illustrated in his Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae that today I once again present in spirit to the Community of Pompeii and to each one of you. You who live and work here in Pompeii, especially you, dear priests, men and women religious and lay people involved in this unique portion of the Church, are all called to make Bl. Bartolo Longo's charism your own and to become, to the extent and in the way that God grants to each one, authentic apostles of the Rosary.

To be apostles of the Rosary, however, it is necessary to experience personally the beauty and depth of this prayer which is simple and accessible to everyone. It is first of all necessary to let the Blessed Virgin take one by the hand to contemplate the Face of Christ: a joyful, luminous, sorrowful and glorious Face. Those who, like Mary and with her, cherish and ponder the mysteries of Jesus assiduously, increasingly assimilate his sentiments and are conformed to him. In this regard, I would like to quote a beautiful thought of Bl. Bartolo Longo: "Just as two friends, frequently in each other's company, tend to develop similar habits", he wrote, "so too, by holding familiar converse with Jesus and the Blessed Virgin, by meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary and by living the same life in Holy Communion, we can become, to the extent of our lowliness, similar to them and can learn from these supreme models a life of humility, poverty, hiddenness, patience and perfection" (I Quindici Sabati del Santissimo Rosario, 27th edition, Pompeii, 1916, p. 27: cited in Rosarium Virginis Mariae, n. 15).

The Rosary is a school of contemplation and silence. At first glance, it could seem a prayer that accumulates words, therefore difficult to reconcile with the silence that is rightly recommended for meditation and contemplation. In fact, this cadent repetition of the Hail Mary does not disturb inner silence but indeed both demands and nourishes it. Similarly to what happens for the Psalms when one prays the Liturgy of the Hours, the silence surfaces through the words and sentences, not as emptiness, but rather as the presence of an ultimate meaning that transcends the words themselves and through them speaks to the heart. Thus, in reciting the Hail Mary, we must be careful that our voices do not "cover" the voice of God who always speaks through the silence like the "still small voice" of a gentle breeze (1 Kgs 19: 12). Then how important it is to foster this silence full of God, both in one's personal recitation and in its recitation with the community! Even when the Rosary is prayed, as today, by great assemblies, and as you do in this Shrine every day, it must be perceived as a contemplative prayer. And this cannot happen without an atmosphere of inner silence.

I would like to add a further reflection concerning the Word of God in the Rosary, particularly appropriate in this period in which the Synod of Bishops is taking place on the theme: "The Word of God in the life and mission of the Church". If Christian contemplation cannot leave the Word of God out of consideration, if it is to be a contemplative prayer, the Rosary must always emerge from the silence of the heart as a response to the Word, after the model of Mary's prayer. Seen clearly, the Rosary is completely interwoven with scriptural elements. First of all there is the enunciation of the mystery, preferably made, as it has been today, with words taken from the Bible. The Our Father follows; by giving the prayer a "vertical" orientation, the soul of who recites the rosary is opened to the correct filial attitude in accordance with the Lord's invitation: "When you pray say: Father..." (Lk 11: 2). The first part of the Hail Mary, also taken from the Gospel, lets us listen again each time to the words that God addressed to the Virgin through the Angel and to the words of her cousin Elizabeth's blessing. The second part of the Hail Mary resounds like the answer of children who, in addressing supplications to their Mother, do nothing other than express their own adherence to the saving plan revealed by God. Thus the thought of those who pray remains ever anchored to Scripture and to the mysteries presented in it.

Lastly, remembering that today we are celebrating World Mission Sunday, I wish to recall the apostolic dimension of the Rosary, a dimension that Blessed Bartolo Longo lived intensely, drawing inspiration from it to carry out on this earth so many charitable initiatives and works of human and social promotion. Furthermore, he wanted this Shrine to be open to the whole world as a centre of outreach of the prayer of the Rosary and as a place of intercession for peace among peoples. Dear friends, I would like to reinforce both of these aims: the apostolate of charity and prayer for peace, and I wish to confirm and entrust them once again to your spiritual and pastoral commitment. Following the example and with the support of the venerable Founder, never tire of working with enthusiasm in this part of the Lord's vineyard for which Our Lady has shown a special fondness.

Dear brothers and sisters, the time has come to take my leave of you and of this beautiful Shrine. I thank you for your warm welcome and especially for your prayers. I thank the Archbishop Prelate and Pontifical Delegate, his collaborators and those who worked to prepare my Visit in the best possible way. I must leave you, but my heart remains close to this region and to this community. I entrust you all to the Blessed Virgin of the Holy Rosary and I cordially impart the Apostolic Blessing to each one.

© Copyright 2008 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Story of a revert.

Found this video this morning through the CLAA forums.... this man's family is schooling their children using the CLAA and he was featured on EWTN recently.
I initally watched it out if interest based on my interactions with his wife on the forums, but really enjoyed hearing about his conversion experiences and loved the insights. Thought you might like it too.

On How to Hear Women's Confessions (for priests)

Confessions of Women. 

A dangerous rock which the priest encounters in the stormy sea of the world is the hearing of women’s confessions. The knowledge of this fact and a sense of dread are his best safeguard. He must persevere in a state of indifference and insensibility towards female penitents; he must keep his heart hermetically sealed against human sentiments of affection and avoid every sign of familiarity, though cherishing a holy respect and reverence for the sex of our mothers. 

Woman needs the sacraments more frequently than man. Her good influence in the home-circle is of the highest value for the faith and morality of those who come in daily contact with her. Her presence should spread about her the perfume of Christian devotion and charity. It is the duty of a confessor to cultivate the virtues of humility and purity in the queenly heart of the Catholic woman and to fit her for the exalted position which Mary, the Mother of Jesus, won for her in the Church of her Son. 

Guard your eyes: Averte oculos tuos, ne videant canitatem. The eyes are the windows of the soul; close them to keep sensuality aloof. Do not look at a female penitent either before, during, or after confession. It would he injurious to you and others for several reasons. Non permittas illas ante confessionale accedere, ut tibi loquantur, et multo minus, ut manus deosculentur. In actu confessionis non ostendat, se eas agnoscere (St. Alph.). Guard your tongue; never use expressions of friendship and familiarity; put the fewest possible questions. 

With young women observe the advice of St. Augustine: Sermo brevis et rigidus cum his mulieribus habendus est; nec tamen quia sanctiores, ideo minus cavendae; quo enim sanctiores sunt, eo magis alliciant. St. Liguori says: Cum junioribus in confessionariosis potius rigidus quam suavis. Speak to a woman in the confessional as if you were addressing her spirit, separated from the body and standing before the judgment-seat of God. Be kind and respectful to old women, especially if they are afflicted with deafness or some infirmity peculiar to their age. Obsecra anus ut matres (1 Tim. v. 2). 

Do not permit them to tell more than their sins, and check garrulity. Piarum praecipue muliercularum garrulitatem graviter ac moderate coerceat (Conc. Balt. IT. 281). Be not deceived by tears: they may be sincere, but women’s tears are always cheap and handy. Frequently raise your heart to Mary Immaculate that it may not be moved by human sentiment. St. Alphonsus gives another important advice: Abstineant Confessarii a munusculis recipiendis, et praecipue ad illarum domus non accedant. 

Rev. William Stang, D.D., Pastoral Theology (Second, Revised and Enlarged Edition) (New York: Benziger Brothers, 1897), 178-180. 

NOTE
Born in Germany, William Stang (1854-1907) taught theology and was a parish priest before he came to the Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island. The book cited above was meant to be a practical guide for future priests. In 1904 he was named the first Bishop of Fall River, Massachusetts. He died following surgery in 1907. Bishop Stang High School was founded at North Dartmouth, Massachusetts, in 1959. The school is coeducational and sponsors weekly reconciliation services.

Want to understand purgatory?

A friend of mine found this video, and it nearly made me cry it was so beautiful. In it, you will begin to grasp why Catholics DO what we do, and believe what we believe. Come, Holy Spirit. Enlighten our minds that we might know God more each day.

Mama Mondays: Influencing the family culture.

I made Challah today. It was the first time in years I had braided the soft dough, and I was hopping up and down with excitement as I watched it rise and cook in the oven. It came out beautifully, and one tiny bite was all it took to flood me with memories.
You've noticed, I guess, that these conversations with Messianics I've been having online have been really getting my thinker going! And in some sense, I'm all the more thankful for them since they really confirm for me, in a time where I'm having so many challenges due to the progressive agenda I see in the  faith lived out in the Catholic Parishes around me and subsequently doubting myself and my choices (not my choices to be Catholic, but my choices about where to go and what to do about it) that it has been refreshing to take the time to really stop and re-examine the scriptural and historical roots of Catholicism and spend some time reflecting on how well I represent those to my kids in catechizing them.
My personal faith journey has taken me through Messianic Judaism. Very early on in my "purposeful" Christian walk I recognized the relevance of my Jewish roots and the signs in the Hebrew Bible pointing towards the Messiahship of Christ. Nothing is by accident in Scripture.
As a protestant, I began to discern the need for liturgy, and a lack, as it were, in my worship that came from non-adherence to both Oral and Written Torah. I never joined a messianic congregation, but I did frequent a reform synagogue and a Hillel at the University for Shabbat, going to my regular Churches on Sundays, for years, and I did begin, in my own "uneducated way" to live an authentically Jewish life. My time in the army was the first time I officially identified myself as "Messianic" despite the previous decade of attempting to keep Torah in the context of my Christian faith.  I remember the decision to put "Messianic" on my dogtags was an intense one for me to make. And it was in the army that I realized how special it was that the man I had just met and who I knew was going to be my future husband shared in his understanding of the importance of Judaism in the context of his own Christian faith... after all, we each, totally independently of the other, spent our "worship" time in the Army alternating between the protestant praise service and the Jewish service.

When we got out, however, the bond we shared in that was somewhat broken.... we were married, and my personal Jewish "life" went out the window for the most part in obedience to him, as he was not interested in keeping a Kosher household, for example, and didn't have much of an interest in Shabbat or otherwise. He was a good sport, though, indulging me in my many visits to our local Orthodox synagogue and in many a night of forced Hebrew singing and praying. :P I think in part because he felt a real draw towards Judaism.... he understood it. I personally believe that ANY person who has felt the call of the gospel of Christ on their heart and who responds will find, in Judaism, a deeper understanding of that need for God. My husband was aware of it. Some are not.
In fact, after much prayer we felt our call towards Judaism could only mean one thing, and began looking into life in Israel, hoping against hope that we would somehow be able to make it work. "Next year, in Jerusalem." It means something special in our house. Discovering that we were in no way eligible for Aliyah without signing a paper that said we renounced faith in Jesus as Messiah, we knew that wasn't happening. And to make a long story short, his interest in Judaism and in Israel, while he still supported Israel in every way he could, waned.
At that time, I didn't lose my hope that Jewishness would somehow find it's way back into my family culture, but I made a conscious effort to give it to God and let Him do what He would. And He did!
An event occurred that really stands out in my mind as the day I decided to put my "one foot in, one foot out" Judeo-Christian life away for a while, and that was the birth of my son. We were on Medicaid at the time, and the hippies had JUST succeeded in passing a law that said circumcision was no longer covered by Medicaid and we hadn't been informed about it until we were literally standing in front of the delivery room door staring at a sign with great dismay that said we needed $400 on the spot to circumsize our coming son. I was ENRAGED. The importance, to me, of circumsizing my son, my son with a Jewish name and a Jewish identity, was beyond words. My poor husband tried over and over again to comfort me despite his own frustration by reminding me that circumcision was not "necessary" any longer under the new covenant, (true) but it was no use. I was devastated and remain devastated.
Immediately upon returning home from the hospital, I began making phone calls to see about raising the money somehow for a procedure at the pediatrician's before it was too late, but had no luck. God had not made a way. Undaunted, I began placing phone calls to Mohels all over the state... even traveling Mohels who would come from anywhere to do such an important mitzvah. But each time, as soon as they heard that the child would be raised to know Jesus as Messiah (yes, they asked!) they told me they couldn't help. Frantic, I thought to check the Messianic congregations in the area, if there were any. Did they have Mohels? I had no idea, but it wouldn't hurt to find out. To my surprise and great joy, I found three within a short distance. I explained my situation and asked if they could help me. And each time, I was told that if the child was not going to be raised a messianic, rather than a Christian, they regrettably couldn't help me. WHAT??
I was disgusted. My poor little son still has an anteater.... he probably will all his life since I don't see where we would get the money to do it now... all because of hippies and faulty theology. It was more important to Messianics to prevent someone from following Church tradition than it was to do something which God had directly commanded. They were focused on the don'ts, and not on the do's. I didn't want anything to do with Jews and Messianics if they weren't going to live what they professed to believe: that to circumsize a Jewish child is a mitzvah.
It was around that time that I put away the star of david necklace I had worn, and placed my shabbat candlesticks in the drawer.... I was disgusted.
My walk with God took on a distinctly "American Evangelical" nature from then on, and though I still loved all things Jewish and genuinely desired to make those things a part of the fabric of our family life, I realized that it just wasn't possible for Torah observance to be part of my life in my situation. I realized that God was taking me out of my "identity" with a Human family and Putting me back into the fold with His own. 
Fast forward a year or so to my re-discovery of the Catholic Faith. Catholicism is the perfect fulfillment of Judaism, a continuation of Judaism for believers in Christ. It is so easy to see how in Christ, each element of Judaism is perfectly accomplished, and how Catholic observances literally ARE Jewish observances taken in the context of Jesus as Messiah. Catholics are the ultimate Messianics, for they do not compromise their Christianity or New Covenant in any way, theologically. I have said many times over that an observant Jew would not only feel comfortable and recognize what is happening in Catholic liturgy but would probably come to believe in Christ as Messiah simply through liturgical observation and the understanding of that reality that it promotes... just ask the countless Catholic converts from Judaism! (St Edith Stein, who said "I finally feel Jewish again," upon becoming a Catholic, pray for us!)
I didn't know it at the time, but returning to the Catholic Church, and my husband's conversion, firmly grounded us in those Jewish roots I so longed to honor. At the same time, my husband's steadfast "greek"ness, and his alliegance to Western thought and civilization, keeps me constantly grounded in Truth. My life is a perfect blend of east and west.
All this to say that it has been years since I've considered, really considered, the implications of the "Jewishness" of the Catholic faith on my family, and that these lengthy discussions and debates with messianics, who loathe the Catholic Church but honor and uphold Judaism as the root and foundation of the Christian faith, has brought to the forefront of my mind the influence and impact these things have on our family culture, which is already so interesting and varied.
I was born and raised in France, so Southern French traditions are a huge part of who we are. With me come traditions and meals in the realm of mediterranean life, and my children are growing to know what it is like to celebrate life in Provence, Italy, Greece, Northern Africa, Israel.....olive oil, petanques, and a good pastaga, Oh my!
Likewise, my husband is an "American by birth, Southern by the Grace of God," (:P) and my children live here and are learning the ways of the South... .the slow paced, friendly life that honors God, family, and country.
He is also Swedish and Norwegian on one side and Scottish and Irish on the other, and was raised in Germany. I spent a good deal of time "becoming" a Swede when in a serious relationship with one, and my family background is Irish. I lived in Germany for a brief while. All of these elements have their place in our home in many, many ways. Peter loves India, and Korea. I love Tahiti. We incorporate these things into our lives. Although we dislike globalism, and very seldom travel outside the South, we are the most international family I know! And this plays out in our family culture in various ways, because we expose our kids to the wonders of Creation, from Shabbat to Pita bread, from Olives to Kimshi. My children dance like russians and are lulled to sleep with Irish lullabies. They say "thank you," in French and eat Sushi and Schnitzel, Calamari and Lussekater. They plant St Barbara's wheat with provencal children and sing Lucia carols with Swedish children. They wear kilts, and blow out advent candles.
 We decide what to pour into them, and it becomes a part of who they are. I'm thankful to Messianics, then, for the reminder to celebrate the Jewish roots of this family and not "put them away."
Having been only acquainted in passing with Hebrew Catholics in the past, I have joined them this week in hopes of celebrating and making known the Jewish roots of the Catholic faith. Unlike Messianics, they recognize the Truth and perfection of the Traditional, from-the-beginning Church founded by Christ, and they honor and respect ALL the wide spectrum of Catholic Tradition, within the framework of Judaism. I have placed my star of david on my necklace with the Miraculous Medal again. And I'm making Challah again.
All in the hopes of instilling in my kids a sense of identity that reaches far beyond the Babel here below, an identity that reminds them their Kingdom is not of this world-- the heavenly Jerusalem.

Theology Thursdays: The Sabbath and The Lord's Day.

Recent discussions with Messianics about the relevance and importance of Shabbat to the Lord as a perpetual remembrance have got my head spinning with the wonderfulness of the Lord's Day! In their zeal to get me to understand the importance of the Sabbath Day, I am totally awed by how perfectly the Lord's Day, and Christ Himself, fulfills the precepts of the law and literally becomes to us what they were meant to be. I know that isn't their intention, but if it helps, it really has added so much to my understanding of the meaning of the Sabbath to have these conversations. It has made me experience true contrition for the times I did not take my Sunday obligations seriously.

For those who need the abbreviated version, Christians traditionally observe the Lord's Day, the day of the commemoration of His resurrection, which is not a replacing of the Sabbath but something different altogether-- a "fulfillment" of the principles of the Sabbath centered on Christ's atoning work. (Which is why Christians and Catholics who wish each other a "good Sabbath" on Sundays will infuriate Messianics and Seventh Day Adventists, who, technically, have a right to be infuriated, since it's not the same thing.) For a detailed explanation of the how and why, click here. and here.

Because I'm often told that I can't make a good case for the necessary observance of the Lord's Day vs the necessary observance of the Sabbath, here is a simple demonstration of the Biblical and Historical reasons for observing Sunday as The Lord's Day. It is information every Catholic should know and have on hand.

Isaiah 1:13: Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations— I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.

Isaiah opens with God's displeasure with the Jewish people and in particular with His displeasure over their Sabbath and feast observances. It sets us up to see what is going to happen.

Matt. 28:1: Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.
Mark 16:2,9: Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb. When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons.
John 20:1,19:Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! "Peace be with you," he said.

Here, the authors of the  Gospels, very purposely, reveal that  Jesus' resurrection and appearances were on Sunday. They do this because Sunday was an important day in the life of the early Church, which you will see later from the historical proof I will provide.

Acts 20:7: On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.

 Clearly, it was the apostolic tradition to gather to celebrate Eucharist on Sunday, "the first day of the week." Nothing is included in Scripture by accident. Luke makes sure to demonstrate this point because it was a departure from the way Jews worship.

1 Cor. 16: On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.

Here, Paul is giving instructions. He says to make sure the contributions are gathered on the "first day of the week." (Sunday.) They can do this because that is the day they gather for worship, therefore this scripture demonstrates that Christians, unlike Jews, gathered on Sundays.

Col. 2:16-17: Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 

There are not many scriptures more clear than this one: Paul here is teaching that while the feasts and sabbaths are not "wrong" to celebrate, they are only a shadow of which is to come: the reality in Christ. (Which is Our Lord, fully present in the Eucharist.) Therefore, he says: "let no one pass judgment any more over a Sabbath."

2 Thess. 2:15: So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.

These are clear instruction to hold fast to apostolic tradition, whether it is oral or written. The 2,000+ year-old tradition of the Church is that the apostles changed the Sabbath day of worship from Saturday to Sunday, not only with apostolic authority (and this is a major point worth pausing on-- what IS apostolic authority if it is not to determine how and when and why we worship. Is not apostolic authority the authority conferred by God Himself to lead the Church?) but also with a clear understanding that the purpose and perpetual need for Shabbat is FULFILLED in Christ, who IS our Rest, Our peace, etc.

Heb. 4:8-9: For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God...

Regarding the day of rest, if Joshua had given rest, God would not later speak of "another day," which is Sunday, the new Sabbath. Sunday is the first day of the week.  It is also the first day of the new creation brought about by our Lord's resurrection, which was on Sunday.

Heb. 7:12: For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well.

Because we have a new Priest (Jesus Christ) and a new sacrifice, (the Eucharist) we also have a new day of worship, which is Sunday.

Rev 1:10: It was the Lord's Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit. Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast.

Again, nothing in scripture is "by accident." I had a pastor who used to say: "If it gets repeated, it's going to be on the test." John specifically points out that he witnesses the heavenly Eucharistic liturgy on Sunday, the Lord's day, the new day of rest in Christ.

Matt. 16:19; 18:18:
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.

Did you catch that? Jesus, in speaking to PETER, said: Whatever the Church binds on earth is bound in heaven. Since the resurrection, Mass has been principally celebrated on Sunday. Again, this comes down to the purpose of apostolic authority, as an ACTUAL authority, under the tutelage and protection of the Holy Spirit.

So there you have it... Catholics DO have a perfectly scriptural case to make regarding the "changing" (I prefer the word "transferring" or "observation of the fullness of" Shabbat to a Sunday, the day of Our Lord's Resurrection. If that isn't enough, let's take a quick look at just some of the historical evidence that points to the fact that the early Christians did absolutely worship in common on Sunday and observe the Lord's Day on that day.

On the Lord's own day, assemble in common to break bread and offer thanks, but first confess your sins so that your sacrifice may be pure." Didache, 14 (A.D. 90).
 
"If, therefore, those who were brought up in the ancient order of things have come to the possession of a new hope, no longer observing the Sabbath, but living in the observance of the Lord's Day, on which also our life has sprung up again by Him and by His death--whom some deny, by which mystery we have obtained faith, and therefore endure, that we may be found the disciples of Jesus Christ, our only Master." Ignatius, To the Magnesians, 9:1 (A.D. 110). 
 
"The seventh day, therefore, is proclaimed a rest--abstraction from ills--preparing for the Primal Day,[The Lord's Day] our true rest; which, in truth, is the first creation of light, in which all things are viewed and possessed. From this day the first wisdom and knowledge illuminate us. For the light of truth--a light true, casting no shadow, is the Spirit of God indivisibly divided to all, who are sanctified by faith, holding the place of a luminary, in order to the knowledge of real existences. By following Him, therefore, through our whole life, we become impossible; and this is to rest." Clement of Alexandria, Stromata, 6:16 (A.D. 202). 
 
"In fine, let him who contends that the Sabbath is still to be observed as a balm of salvation, and circumcision on the eighth day because of the threat of death, teach us that, for the time past, righteous men kept the Sabbath, or practiced circumcision, and were thus rendered "friends of God." For if circumcision purges a man since God made Adam uncircumcised, why did He not circumcise him, even after his sinning, if circumcision purges? At all events, in settling him in paradise, He appointed one uncircumcised as colonist of paradise. Therefore, since God originated Adam uncircumcised, and inobservant of the Sabbath, consequently his offspring also, Abel, offering Him sacrifices, uncircumcised and inobservant of the Sabbath, was by Him commended; while He accepted what he was offering in simplicity of heart, and reprobated the sacrifice of his brother Cain, who was not rightly dividing what he was offering. Noah also, uncircumcised--yes, and inobservant of the Sabbath--God freed from the deluge. For Enoch, too, most righteous man, uncircumcised and in-observant of the Sabbath, He translated from this world; who did not first taste death, in order that, being a candidate for eternal life, he might by this time show us that we also may, without the burden of the law of Moses, please God." Tertullian, An answer to the Jews, 2 (A.D. 203).

"The apostles further appointed: On the first day of the week let there be service, and the reading of the Holy Scriptures, and the oblation: because on the first day of the week our Lord rose from the lace of the dead and on the first day of the week He arose upon the world, and on the first day of the week He ascended up to heaven, and on the first day of the week He will appear at last with the angels of heaven." Teaching of the Apostles, 2 (A.D. 225).

"Hence it is not possible that the rest after the Sabbath should have come into existence from the seventh of our God; on the contrary, it is our Saviour who, after the pattern of His own rest, caused us to be made in the likeness of His death, and hence also of His resurrection." Origen, Commentary on John, 2:27 (A.D. 229). 
 
"On the seventh day He rested from all His works, and blessed it, and sanctified it. On the former day we are accustomed to fast rigorously, that on the Lord's day we may go forth to our bread with giving of thanks. And let the parasceve become a rigorous fast, lest we should appear to observe any Sabbath with the Jews, which Christ Himself, the Lord of the Sabbath, says by His prophets that 'His soul hateth;' which Sabbath He in His body abolished." Victorinus, On the Creation of the World (A.D. 300).

"They did not care about circumcision of the body, neither do we. They did not care about observing Sabbaths, nor do we." Eusebius, Church History, 1:4,8 (A.D. 312).

"Also that day which is holy and blessed in everything, which possesses the name of Christ, namely the Lord's day, having risen upon us on the fourth of Pharmuthi (Mar. 30), let us afterwards keep the holy feast of Pentecost." Athanasius, Epistle 9:11 (A.D. 335).

"Fall not away either into the sect of the Samaritans, or into Judaism: for Jesus Christ henceforth hath ransomed thee. Stand aloof from all observance of Sabbaths, and from calling any indifferent meats common or unclean." Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures, 4:37 (A.D. 350).

"Christians must not judaize by resting on the Sabbath, but must work on that day, rather honouring the Lord's Day; and, if they can, resting then as Christians. But if any shall be found to be judaizers, let them be anathema from Christ." Council of Laodicea, Canon 29 (A.D. 360).

"For many other observances of the Churches, which are due to tradition, have acquired the authority of the written law, as for instance the practice of dipping the head three times in the layer, and then, after leaving the water, of tasting mingled milk and honey in representation of infancy; and, again, the practices of standing up in worship on the Lord's day, and ceasing from fasting every Pentecost; and there are many other unwritten practices which have won their place through reason and custom. So you see we follow the practice of the Church, although it may be clear that a person was baptized before the Spirit was invoked." Jerome, Dialogue against the Luciferians, 8 (A.D. 382).

"Then as one whom they must respect, there will be the presbyter among them and this will contribute to the security of the estate. There will be constant prayers there through thee hymns and Communions through thee; the Oblation on each Lord's Day." John Chrysostom, Acts of the Apostles, Homily 18 (A.D. 388).

"And on the day of our Lord's resurrection, which is the Lord's day, meet more diligently, sending praise to God that made the universe by Jesus, and sent Him to us, and condescended to let Him suffer, and raised Him from the dead. Otherwise what apology will he make to God who does not assemble on that day to hear the saving word concerning the resurrection, on which we pray thrice standing in memory of Him who arose in three days, in which is performed the reading of the prophets, the preaching of the Gospel, the oblation of the sacrifice, the gift of the holy food?" Apostolic Constitutions, 2,7:59 (A.D. 400).

"Well, now, I should like to be told what there is in these ten commandments, except the observance of the Sabbath, which ought not to be kept by a Christian,--whether it prohibit the making and worshipping of idols and of any other gods than the one true God, or the taking of God's name in vain; or prescribe honour to parents; or give warning against fornication, murder, theft, false witness, adultery, or coveting other men's property? Which of these commandments would any one say that the Christian ought not to keep? Is it possible to contend that it is not the law which was written on those two tables that the apostle describes as 'the letter that killeth,' but the law of circumcision and the other sacred rites which are now abolished? But then how can we think so, when in the law occurs this precept, 'Thou shall not covet,' by which very commandment, notwithstanding its being holy, just, and good, 'sin,' says the apostle, 'deceived me, and by it slew me?' What else can this be than 'the letter' that 'killeth'?" Augustine, Spirit and the Letter, 23:14 (A.D. 412).

"He [Constantine] also enjoined the observance of the day termed the Lord's day, which the Jews call the first day of the week, and which the pagans dedicate to the sun, as likewise the day before the seventh, and commanded that no judicial or other business should be transacted on those days, but that God should be served with prayers and supplications. He honored the Lord's day, because on it Christ arose from the dead, and the day above mentioned, because on it he was crucified." Sozomon, Ecclesiastical History, 1:8 (A.D. 443).

"It has come to my ears that certain men of perverse spirit have sown among you some things that are wrong and opposed to the holy faith, so as to forbid any work being done on the Sabbath day. What else can I call these but preachers of Antichrist, who, when he comes, will cause the Sabbath day as well as the Lord's day to be kept free from all work. For, because he pretends to die and rise again, he wishes the Lord's day to be had in reverence; and, because he compels the people to judaize that he may bring back the outward rite of the law, and subject the per-tidy of the Jews to himself, he wishes the Sabbath to be observed. For this which is said by the prophet, 'Ye shall bring in no burden through your gates on the Sabbath day', could be held to as long as it was lawful for the law to be observed according to the letter. But after that the grace of Almighty God, our Lord Jesus Christ has appeared, the commandments of the law which were spoken figuratively cannot be kept according to the letter. For, if any one says that this about the Sabbath is to be kept, he must needs say that carnal sacrifices are to be offered: he must say too that the commandment about the circumcision of the body is still to be retained. But let him hear the Apostle Paul saying in opposition to him, 'If ye be circumcised, Christ profiteth you nothing.’” Pope Gregory the Great [regn. A.D. 590-604], To the Roman Citizens, Epistle 13:1 (A.D. 597). 

Let us celebrate the Lord's Day, beginning by gathering together at the Eucharistic Sacrifice, uniting our prayers to the priest as he offers up Our Passover Lamb to the Father in union with the Holy Spirit.

  


Special thanks to John over at Scripture Catholic who has compiled these scriptures on his website, at http://www.scripturecatholic.com/sunday_worship.html

Shame Shame on The CCL for promoting AP Parenting

The Couple to Couple League, for those who don't know, is an organization which promotes the mentality of Choosing Life in this screwed up world which contracepts.

They are advocates for sensible fertility awareness and periodic self-control combined with prayerful discernment with emphasis on the blessing of children, as opposed to presenting the "Family Size" issue with the fanatical eye (ie. Let's all beg God for and try to have 35 children no matter what) or with the world's viewpoint (ie. Let's all have no kids because the bunnies are dying and storms are scary so we 'll just kill ourselves and our potential babies with hormones, and if that doesn't work we'll kill them when they get a little bigger. If that still doesn't work we'll feed their selfishness as they grow so that they might kill each other later.)

I am so onboard with the "Official" Catholic position on Birth Control. That position is quite simple: it's that if you think birth control is a good idea, you're wrong.

OK, so let's pause for a minute, because if this sounds crazy to you, birth control is so much a part of your mentality that your head might have just exploded when you heard that. Birth Control is a GOOD, RESPONSIBLE thing, right?

Wrong. The Birth Control Pill has only existed for about 30 years. In those thirty years, it has only been ACCEPTED by Christian communities for about fifteen. Why? Because of it's intended purpose. Because of what it does to women's bodies. Because of what it creates and grows in a marriage.

I'm not going to give you a Bible Lesson on the blessedness of a fruitful womb or on the privilege of our Co-Creation with God or even on the absolute insanity of accepting into our bodies something which is capable of destroying not only a new baby's life but also OUR OWN. (the pill is listed as a KNOWN CARCINOGEN!)

There is PLENTY of research out there to demonstrate the monstrosity that the Pill really is. Yes, I find it shocking that women all over the world who meditate, exercise, pray and eat organic foods still contracept as if it was good and fruitful despite the fact that we allegedly live in the "information age." Believe me, someone is working very hard to ensure that the idea of the Pill being a bad thing gets silenced and shut down. And yes, there's a money trail. Follow it.

There are also plenty of quiverfull websites out there and Catholic websites out there that will dispel your fears about having more than two kids and that are intended to teach you to think differently about what's important in life. And no, that doesn't mean we all think you need to have more than one child to fulfill God's will for your family.

I HIGHLY recommend the protestant book Family Unplanning for an in depth exposition on an accurate worldview with regards to family planning.

And yes, it takes a stance against using ANY type of "family planning" method. And that has always been the Church's teaching, until the Church has been asked to elaborate due to the demands of this age. So now the Church recommends that couples practice a fertility awareness method and abstain during fertile periods...not all the time but IF THERE IS A GRAVE reason. In other words, if you don't have a job, pray and ask God if you are supposed to abstain for a while during fertile moments (yes, there's that "abstaining for a time of prayer" line from scripture.) If you have cancer, stop and ask God together whether you should continue not abstaining during fertile moments.

The myth is that the Catholic Church promotes NFP as "THE" Catholic answer- that's a line the progressives are working hard to feed you. The reality is that the Catholic Church practices and teaches Quiverfull ideas COMBINED with common sense, which makes it unfanatical and totally worth looking at. You cannot tell me that you can build a scriptural case for contracepting. It really is that simple.

So moving along, the premise of the Theology of the Body and the whole concept of a Catholic marriage is built around this foundation-- that families are forever because God works through people, loves people, and asks us to participate with him in creating and raising up Kingdom Dwellers. Right? If you're not going to be bringing children into this world and training them up, then scripture and the Church asks you to re-consider whether you are supposed to be married at all. After all, that IS the purpose of the married state, and NOT the warm fuzzy feelings generated by paying bills together and enjoying meals together. Marriage is to make families, and in order to do that, you should be open to having kids. It's not about YOU. It's about why God put you here-- for others, not for yourself.

So with this in mind, even though I'm more "quiverful" in my mentality, I support the pro-NFP activities of the Church and in the protestant world because I know that NFP is like a bridge between the culture of death and the culture of life, and further that it is frequently necessary, if only for a while, in our day and age.

The important thing, to me, is to support individuals and organizations that preach that there is an intimate connection between your openness to life as a couple and the health of your marriage, of your bodies, and of your full spiritual life.

Now, if I am going to be supporting the idea that married couples SHOULD be having children, and not just one or two for the most part,(and remember, I believe that God is Lord over each couple, that some are called to have one child, others none, and others to have 13 and that it's not MY job to tell them)--
but if we are going to promote HAVING babies we need to be promoting efficient parenting techniques as well. Because the image of the drowning housewife who is overrun by rowdy kids is one society sells us on a regular basis-- how many times a DAY on any given outing do people make comments to me, the mother of three, about how atrocious motherhood is EVEN THOUGH my kids are well-behaved?? I can only imagine being the parent of seven, or twelve!

The thing is, guys, the Bible has the answers about your fertility but it doesn't leave you hanging when it comes to parenting-- it has those answers too! And you don't need ME to teach them to you: spend a few days pouring over Proverbs and make a list of the scriptures that pertain to parenting, you will find yourself with a pretty good picture of what a good, godly parent looks like. No, there ARE answers, and we CAN find them in two places: in the Bible, and in the teachings of the Church.

Which is why I was absolutely horrified and disgusted to find an article in the CCL's magazine, Family Foundations, highlighting the Sears family and their "attachment parenting" teachings as solid Catholic Truth to all the NFP couples who depend on this magazine for support in training and raising their little ones.

Let me start by saying that I am FIRMLY against the fundamental concepts of Attachment Parenting, as you well know, believing two things about it:

1. Attachment Parenting operates under a false premise and paints a false picture of "non-AP parents."
It is not a "new idea" or "revolutionary" that we must meet our children's NEEDS. Every parenting philosophy from the beginning of time keeps this fundamental principle in mind and all parents should theoretically agree on it.
To set those who do not practice Attachment Parenting and do practice corporal punishment as "not compassionate" or "unkind" is absolutely preposterous. It is not an average non-AP parent who ENJOYS spanking her children or letting them cry it out periodically, but rather she recognizes that it is the best thing for the child-- just as she doesn't like saying "No, you cannot have another cookie" to a smiling, gleeful two year old. What kind of parents would we be if we constantly indulged our children and responded to them by giving in to their every whim and desire? Terrible ones. Ones who are building selfish little monsters who always get their way. Which is why I RESENT the implication that non-AP parents are unkind. We are long-term thinkers. We are giving our children love that is neither emotionally-driven nor self-serving, because often the REWARDS of our parenting style come not immediately but in the long term, when we observe good character and virtue and thankfulness in our children. A child who has been corrected will not be happy about it at the time. He will not indulge the parent with loving behavior and a sweet disposition right away. However, when the same situation arises, the corrected child will then CHANGE his behavior, and thus the desired results are achieved. Non-Ap parents are concerned with our children's HEARTS, not their actions. We are particularly attentive to the underlying belief patterns that form behavior, and diligent to correct those as they present themselves wrong. We do not distract, redirect, or remove the temptation from the child as a general rule. We teach them to overcome their unhealthy desires. It's a winning style of parenting, and it is far more challenging than the AP style of parenting, if nothing else because if you do not respond to your child with constant emotional flattery and warm mushy feelings, you will not always be "popular" right off the bat. You will frustrate. You will annoy.
AP operates on a FALSE premise, which is that non-adherents are wrong about their children's abilities, mean, and callous. No. We are talking about warm, happy, loving families here.

2. Dr Sears and his wife alongside AP Parenting adherents present corporal punishment as "unbiblical," "unhealthy" and "incorrect." The reality is that there is absolutely nothing in the Bible, nor in modern psychological SCIENCE that proves such a thing, even though it pretends to.
First, psychology is a soft science, and we must be careful not to accept it's hypotheses, polls,statistics, recommendations and ideas as "fact." I address Roman Catholics here, and say that the Church has NEVER pronounced a judgement regarding corporal punishment- it fully allows each individual family to make the decision to use or not use spanking as a tool for discipline, provided that the child is harmed neither emotionally nor physically. Thus those of us who care what God thinks will turn to the Word to see if IT has anything to say. And it does. Again, I will not give you a Bible study here but suffice to say that if you do as I recommended and take down all of the parenting verses and do the word research yourselves, you will find that corporal punishment is in actuality a perfectly recommended form of discipline according to the Bible. That being said, I don't know a single parent who believes in spanking who says that you MUST spank your child. Simply that you can because it is effective.
However, AP parenting does just the opposite- it paints an unfair and completely inaccurate portrayal of the Spanking Parent, and as such is not a reliable source for parenting information.

Which is why I was absolutely disgusted to find a HUGE article about parenting like the Sears family in this issue of Family Foundations, the Couple to Couple League's magazine destined for reading by parents who are learning to accept more children into their marriages as a blessing. WHY? In the interview, the Sears family contrasted their experiences as protesants being told to parent a certain way with their experience of returning to Catholicism, going so far as to say that "The Catholic way of discipline is typically not based on spanking." I'm sorry, WHAT? The last time I checked the ONLY official stance of the Roman Catholic Church can be found in CCC 2223:

Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. They bear witness to this responsibility first by creating a home where tenderness, forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and disinterested service are the rule. The home is well suited for education in the virtues. This requires an apprenticeship in self-denial, sound judgment, and self-mastery -- the preconditions of all true freedom. Parents should teach their children to subordinate the "material and instinctual dimensions to interior and spiritual ones." Parents have a grave responsibility to give good example to their children. By knowing how to acknowledge their own failings to their children, parents will be better able to guide and correct them:

He who loves his son will not spare the rod. ... He who disciplines his son will profit by him.

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Basically, if you're Dr or Mrs Sears and you're teaching that the Catholic Church teaches AP parenting, or you are the Editor of the CCL and promulgating this information to your readers without sharing the other side of the story, shame on you!

The facts are that the Roman Catholic Church promotes openness to life and responsible parenting, and that it is up to the individual couple to educate themselves via scripture and Church doctrine insofar as what that might mean. Don't be fooled-- Attachment Parenting is NOT the "Catholic" parenting solution, nor is it the "ONLY" responsible parenting solution. I am deeply disappointed that an organization which so many Catholic parents hold in high esteem would spread such distasteful false doctrine among it's unsuspecting readers. Much damage is done to children and new moms who swallow the AP pill.

To be FAIR to the AP crowd who will inevitably read this, I do believe your purpose is well-intentioned, albeit misguided. You want people to nurture children. I'm all for that-- our job is to nurture our children, to provide for their true needs, to build a bond with them and to provide them with unconditional love and security. On this we agree and there is much goodness here. I think a sensible, AP-Parenting family who understands the need for setting boundaries and correction can still create a "good" child. I am not doubting your methods or convictions if you meet the above criteria.

The main issue I have with AP Parenting is the assertion it makes that a spanking or that a failure to pick up a crying baby -- one whose other needs have been fully met but just wants to be picked up-- results in HARM to a child. While it would be easier to assert the opposite and prove it, I'm not going to bother. I will simply say that I find the promotion of AP parenting which is ALL OVER our modern culture from books to magazines to websites to be dishonest and utterly frightening in it's propagandist methods and its purpose to quickly and efficiently remove all parents who do NOT parent the same way from society, to question their sanity, or to accuse them of abuse.

How DARE the CCL's Family Foundations Magazine Editors promote the Popcaks (of Parenting with Grace) or the Sears as "experts" in Catholic Parenting?? Exactly what are their qualifications? For NFP users and Catholic readers of Family Foundations believe that Holy Scripture AS INTERPRETED BY THE Magesterium, and ONLY the Magesterium, may tell the rest of us how we are to live.

For those readers who are interested in either hearing a sensible defense of the idea that spanking might not just be "acceptable" but "good" parenting, and for those who seek to understand why many of us are so passionate about NOT Attachment parenting our children, I present to you an article written by a Tennesse Preacher who ministers mostly to Amish and plain people. This man and his wife once wrote a book entitled To Train up a Child which was given to me when I had my first child. The information and ideas in this book are so simple-- it teaches that children are watching and are smart, so that we are constantly training them one way or another by our actions. Thus the premise of this book is that when the Bible says to "Train up a child" it literally means it-- we are to purposely train our children, working with them to teach them basic obedience and good sense not "on the side" as we go through life but by setting them up in situations where they will learn, thus eliminating the frustration of corrective discipline almost altogether. This idea horrifies most people who have been brought up as parents with the AP mindset because it directly recommends what they call "over-parenting" but what we call "immediate obedience and respect for parental authority and involvement." Because of their position, the Pearls have been vilified and accused of every form of abuse and atrocity, alongside anyone who (like me) would dare to recommend them to members of our psychologized and utterly brainwashed socialist society.
Therefore, I HIGHLY recommend that if you have a problem with what you've read here or can't understand the reason I and many like me are so vehemently anti-AP,you read the following apologia by Michael Pearl on the varying methods most spanking parents will use. This does not mean that I think the Pearls are "perfect." As I said, it is the Magesterium, and the Magesterium alone, who has the authority to dictate exactly WHAT parental discipline should look like. My family does not personally use all of the methods laid out by the Pearls or ANY "parenting teacher." We prayed about it, studied our bibles, and asked those people we know and respect who have what we consider to be "good" grown children what they had done, developped a plan, and implemented it.

Nevertheless, I am asking you to read this article because it says what I would want to say to you, readers, in such a way that I hope you will come to understand that we are not raging for no reason-- there is a definite satanic plan in place to destroy the family any way he can. The AP parenting technique is a lie. The fear of spanking, obedience training, and parental authority and involvement is a lie. A lie which virtually everyone in this society is being conditioned to believe. Which is why I am disgusted to read this lie in a magazine that Catholics all over America probably consider "Gospel Truth" when it comes to parenting and what fertility is.
Though I do not doctrinally "line up" 100 percent with the Pearls in matters of theology, in matters of common sense living I think there are very few teachers/ministers available to the American public who do a good job helping families to grow together in love and mutual charity and respect. Their wisdom comes from years of raising their own family and is not "theoretical" but practical and proven. I credit their book, "Created to be a Help Meet" with saving my marriage, and their book "To Train up a Child" with giving me much food for thought with regards to the PURPOSE of our parenting. So if you are looking for a good alternative parenting option, I recommend the folks at No Greater Joy and at Raising Godly Tomatoes to everyone I know.

His excellent article explaining why the proliferation of AP teaching is dangerous can be found HERE

A PERSONAL NOTE: ANY ATTEMPTS TO ENGAGE ME FURTHER IN COMMENTS ABOUT MY PERSONAL PARENTING PRACTICES WILL BE IGNORED, SO DON'T BOTHER. THIS IS NOT ABOUT HOW I PARENT BUT RATHER ABOUT WHAT A CATHOLIC ORGANIZATION SHOULD AND SHOULD NOT PROMOTE AS "CATHOLIC" PARENTING. THANK YOU.