tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30433796653401937262024-03-12T22:39:14.630-07:00Behold Your Mother: A Bouquet of Love to Mary from Her ChildrenDedicated in thanksgiving to the Blessed Virgin Mary from a grateful daughter, for the publication of this little book. May it bless the hearts of her true children everywhere. Started on the 150th anniversary of Our Lady of Lourdes.Heidi Hess Saxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02791510605285520649noreply@blogger.comBlogger184125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043379665340193726.post-56692848921150421492009-12-31T20:19:00.000-08:002009-12-31T20:20:05.781-08:00It's a New YearDon't forget that as Catholics, we must attend Mass on Friday. It's a Holy Day of Obligation, The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God (Theotokos).<br /><br />How appropriate to start the new year honoring our Heavenly Mother! From whence all love comes. The "glue" that keeps us together is she and all mothers.<br /><br />Hail Mary! Theotokos!<br /><br />We turn to you for protection,<br /><br />Holy Mother of God!<br /><br />Listen to our prayers and help us in our needs.<br /><br />Save us from every danger, glorious and blessed Virgin!<br /><br /><br />May God save us all in 2010!Ebethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14090396741792229132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043379665340193726.post-43183695121919188822009-11-05T16:34:00.001-08:002009-11-05T18:16:26.133-08:00Prayers to our Mother, O Holy Momma!Everyday as my husband drives off to work, I say a little prayer for him. First I say the St. Michael prayer to protect my knight-in-shining-armour from the evils of temptation, and then I ask Mother Mary to keep him under her mantle of prayer and intercession.<br /><br />How important is it that we make sure our families are well fed, clothed, and happy by our loving hands, how important is it that we make sure our children know that we love them and keep them close to our hearts every minute of our being, and how important is it that our spouses know how desirable and needed they are is the very reason we should turn to our Heavenly Mother for her much needed intercession to her Divine Son.<br /><br />Our Mother, the very vessel of love and self sacrifice, gives us all her love and support from her holy place with Christ. As we care so deeply for our own families, our Mother cares for us. We are very blessed to be the beneficiaries of such love. Turn to her right now, remember to turn to her tomorrow and everyday. She is waiting for you!<br /><br />Hail Mary, Full of grace!<br />The Lord is with thee!<br />Blessed art thou amongst women!<br /><br />And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus!<br /><br />Holy Mary, Mother of God!<br />Pray for us sinners now<br />and at the hour of our death!<br /><br />Amen!Ebethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14090396741792229132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043379665340193726.post-66454080715246322152009-08-20T04:50:00.000-07:002009-08-20T05:15:33.293-07:00End of an Era<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioP4yNozhbFiT05DaV6esOQQBpd8E9BfwN6a4mrmLPF99WwqMy3yDVyNssJMnTIdTKUnLeuSIoxCx6lLJz93ARycCc57laJMhl1TsTzZIk1dE5jntGn85NudqbC8njRQS8YVEP2XD5Amg/s1600-h/holy-family.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372017623946611218" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 226px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioP4yNozhbFiT05DaV6esOQQBpd8E9BfwN6a4mrmLPF99WwqMy3yDVyNssJMnTIdTKUnLeuSIoxCx6lLJz93ARycCc57laJMhl1TsTzZIk1dE5jntGn85NudqbC8njRQS8YVEP2XD5Amg/s320/holy-family.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Yesterday I read the final post of <a href="http://sherryantonettiwrites.blogspot.com/2009/08/full-plate.html">Sherry Antonetti,</a> a fellow blogger who has decided that, for personal reasons, she needs to stop blogging in order to focus on more immediate, pressing needs. I'll miss Sherri, especially her humor and her wisdom.</div><br /><div></div><div>And yet, her post also inspired me to write this. For some time now I've had the sense that I need to simplify my current "engagement schedule" in order to make room for other things I should be doing (from washing the kitchen floor to getting ready for my podcast). Now that BYM has been out for almost two years, I've decided to conclude this tribute -- though it will remain here for anyone seeking a little encouragement or information about the Blessed Mother.</div><br /><div></div><div>Thank you, readers. If ever you'd like to see what is going on at the Saxton house, be sure to check out <a href="http://mommymonsters.blogspot.com/">"Mommy Monsters," </a>which I will continue to update periodically. However, my primary blogging platform will be <a href="http://extraordinarymomsnetwork.wordpress.com/">"Extraordinary Moms Network."</a></div><div> </div><div>I leave you now with a few of my favorite "Mary links."</div><div></div><br /><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPvAQxZsgpQ">Pavarotti sings Schubert's "Ave Maria" on YouTube</a></div><div>Sarah Reinhard's column series at <a href="http://snoringscholar.com/tag/todays-catholic-woman/">Today's Catholic Woman</a></div><div><a href="http://snoringscholar.com/">Ginny Kubitz Moyer's "Mary and Me"</a> (book and blog)</div><div>Cool quotes about <a href="http://weedon.blogspot.com/2009/08/luther-on-blessed-mother.html">Luther and the Blessed Mother </a>at "Solus Christus"</div><div>A new-found post about <a href="http://thesthilaires.blogspot.com/2009/08/feast-of-assumption-of-blessed-virgin.html">Fulton Sheen and the Blessed Mother.</a></div><br /><div></div><div>Assorted blog posts about the Blessed Mother at <a href="http://dir.blogflux.com/topic/blessed+mother.html">"BlogFlux"</a>. There are so many other wonderful tributes out there about her going up all the time, a search engine really is your best bet!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Under the mercy,</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Heidi</div>Heidi Hess Saxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02791510605285520649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043379665340193726.post-75459188019342654462009-08-15T08:25:00.000-07:002009-08-15T08:27:38.463-07:00The Purity of MaryLately I have had any number of discussions with various friends and acquaintances about whether the <a href="http://www.catholictreasury.info/mary.php">Blessed Virgin Mary</a> struggled with the concupiscence of the flesh. <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04208a.htm">Let us begin with the definition of concupiscence as given in the <span style="font-style: italic;">Catholic Encyclopedia</span></a>:<br /><blockquote>In its widest acceptation, <!--k23-->concupiscence is any yearning of the <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14153a.htm">soul</a> for <!--k03=x82968.htm-->good<!--u44-->; in its strict and specific acceptation, a desire of the lower <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01656a.htm">appetite</a> contrary to <!--k01=12673b.htm-->reason<!--u66-->. To understand how the sensuous and the <!--k03=x85239.htm-->rational<!--u44--> <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01656a.htm">appetite</a> can be opposed, it should be borne in mind that their <!--k03=x84242.htm-->natural<!--u44--> objects are altogether different. The object of the former is the gratification of the senses; the object of the latter is the <!--k04=x82968.htm-->good<!--u44--> of the entire <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09580c.htm">human</a> <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10715a.htm">nature</a> and consists in the subordination of <!--k04=12673b.htm-->reason<!--u66--> to <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06608a.htm">God</a>, its supreme <!--k04=x82968.htm-->good<!--u44--> and ultimate end. But the lower <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01656a.htm">appetite</a> is of itself unrestrained, so as to pursue sensuous <!--k03=xxyyyk.htm-->gratifications<!--u44--> independently of the understanding and without regard to the <!--k04=x82968.htm-->good<!--u44--> of the higher <!--k03=x82628.htm-->faculties<!--u44-->. Hence desires contrary to the real <!--k04=x82968.htm-->good<!--u44--> and order of <!--k04=12673b.htm-->reason<!--u66--> may, and often do, <!--k03=xxyyyk.htm-->rise<!--u44--> in it, previous to the attention of the <!--k01=10321a.htm-->mind<!--u66-->, and once <!--k03=x85476.htm-->risen<!--u44-->, dispose the bodily organs to the pursuit and <!--k03=xxyyyk.htm-->solicit<!--u44--> the <!--k03=x86573.htm-->will<!--u44--> to <!--k01=04283a.htm-->consent<!--u79-->, while they more or less hinder <!--k04=12673b.htm-->reason<!--u66--> from considering their lawfulness or unlawfulness. This is <!--k23-->concupiscence in its strict and specific sense. As long, however, as deliberation is not completely impeded, the <!--k07=x85239.htm-->rational<!--u44--> <!--k04=x86573.htm-->will<!--u44--> is able to resist such desires and withhold <!--k04=04283a.htm-->consent<!--u79-->, though it be not capable of crushing the effects they produce in the body, and though its freedom and dominion be to some extent diminished. If, in fact, the<!--k04=x86573.htm-->will<!--u44--> resists, a struggle ensues, the sensuous <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01656a.htm">appetite</a> rebelliously demanding its gratification, <!--k04=12673b.htm-->reason<!--u66-->, on the contrary, clinging to its own <!--k03=x85931.htm-->spiritual<!--u44--> <!--k01=08075a.htm-->interests<!--u67--> and asserting it control. 'The flesh <!--k03=xxyyyk.htm-->lusteth<!--u44--> against the <!--k03=x85915.htm-->spirit<!--u44-->, and the <!--k04=x85915.htm-->spirit<!--u44--> against the flesh.'</blockquote>According to Fr. John Hardon, S.J. in his classic work <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=3Ke37zpSv3gC&pg=PA158&lpg=PA158&dq=Did+mary+have+concupiscence%3F&source=bl&ots=5NSM8Luc9e&sig=PDiEwGIkNURh62AHnXn5lr5EN4s&hl=en&ei=9wt_St_YHoOktgfFuLTxAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5#v=onepage&q=Did%20mary%20have%20concupiscence%3F&f=false"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Catholic Catechism</span></a>: "From the time of her conception, Mary was freed from all concupiscence and also (on attaining the use of reason) free from every personal sin during the whole of her life." (<a href="http://astore.amazon.com/httpfountainofelias-20/detail/038508045X"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Catholic Catechism</span></a>, p.158) In <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/httpfountainofelias-20/detail/0764806645"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Glories of Mary</span></a>, St. Alphonsus Liguori, Doctor of the Church, writes of Mary: <blockquote>Mary certainly could not be tormented at death by any<span class="gtxt_body" id="para.380.1.0.box.104.166.768.1011.q.60"> remorse of conscience, for she was always pure, and always free from the least shade of actual or original sin, so much so, that of her it was said: 'Thou art all fair, O my love, and there is not a spot in thee.'<span class="gstxt_sup"> </span>From the moment that she had the use of reason, that is, from the first moment of her Immaculate Conception, in the womb of Saint Anne, she began to love God with all her strength, and continued to do so, always advancing more and more, throughout her whole life, in love and perfection. <span style="font-weight: bold;">All her thoughts, desires, and affections were of and for God alone: she never uttered a word, made a movement, cast a glance, or breathed, but for God and His glory; and never departed a step, or detached herself for a single moment, from the Divine love</span>. (<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=7uwCAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA351&output=text"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Glories of Mary</span></a>, p. 351)</span></blockquote><span class="gtxt_body" id="para.380.1.0.box.104.166.768.1011.q.60"><a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07674d.htm">Here are excerpts of what the Fathers wrote of Mary and her purity (one gets the distinct impression that they did not view her as a typical teenage girl)</a>: </span><blockquote><p><!--yyy=xxyyyk.htm-->Patristic<!--u44--> writings on <!--yyy=x68684.htm-->Mary's<!--u44--> purity abound. </p><ul><li>The <!--yyy=x61583.htm-->Fathers<!--u44--> call <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15464b.htm">Mary</a> the tabernacle exempt from defilement and corruption (<a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07360c.htm">Hippolytus</a>, "Ontt. in illud, Dominus pascit me"); </li><li><a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11306b.htm">Origen</a> calls her worthy of <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06608a.htm">God</a>, immaculate of the immaculate, most complete <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07386a.htm">sanctity</a>, perfect <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08571c.htm">justice</a>, neither deceived by the persuasion of the <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04764a.htm">serpent</a>, nor infected with his poisonous breathings ("Hom. i in diversa"); </li><li>Ambrose says she is incorrupt, a <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15458a.htm">virgin</a> immune through <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06689a.htm">grace</a> from every stain of <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a> ("Sermo xxii in Ps. cxviii); </li><li><a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10081a.htm">Maximus of Turin</a> calls her a dwelling fit for <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08374c.htm">Christ</a>, not because of her <!--yyy=xxyyyk.htm-->habit<!--u44--> of body, but because of original <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06689a.htm">grace</a> ("Nom. viii de Natali Domini"); </li><li><a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14579a.htm">Theodotus of Ancyra</a> terms her a <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15458a.htm">virgin</a> innocent, without spot, void of culpability, <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07386a.htm">holy</a> in body and in <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14153a.htm">soul</a>, a lily springing among thorns, untaught the ills of <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05646b.htm">Eve</a>, nor was there any communion in her of light with darkness, and, when not yet born, she was <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04276a.htm">consecrated</a> to <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06608a.htm">God</a> ("Orat. in S. Dei Genitr."). </li><li>In refuting <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11604a.htm">Pelagius</a> <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02084a.htm">St. Augustine</a> declares that all the just have truly <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08673a.htm">known</a> of <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a> "except the <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15464b.htm">Holy Virgin Mary</a>, of whom, for the <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07462a.htm">honour</a> of the <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08374c.htm">Lord</a>, I will have no question whatever where <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a> is concerned" (<a href="http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1503.htm"><em>On Nature and Grace</em> 36</a>). </li><li><a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15464b.htm">Mary</a> was pledged to <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08374c.htm">Christ</a> (<a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11762c.htm">Peter Chrysologus</a>, "Sermo cxl de Annunt. B.M.V."); </li><li>it is evident and <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11126b.htm">notorious</a> that she was pure from <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05551b.htm">eternity</a>, exempt from every defect (Typicon S. Sabae); </li><li>she was formed without any stain (<a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12449b.htm">St. Proclus</a>, "Laudatio in S. Dei Gen. ort.", I, 3); </li><li>she was <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04470a.htm">created</a> in a <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04211a.htm">condition</a> more sublime and <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06585a.htm">glorious</a> than all other <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10715a.htm">natures</a> (<!--yyy=xxyyyk.htm-->Theodorus of Jerusalem<!--u44--> in <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09609c.htm">Mansi</a>, XII, 1140); </li><li>when the <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15464b.htm">Virgin Mother of God</a> was to be born of <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01538a.htm">Anne</a>, <!--yyy=x84251.htm-->nature<!--u44--> did not dare to anticipate the germ of <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06689a.htm">grace</a>, but remained devoid of fruit (<a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08459b.htm">John Damascene</a>, "Hom. i in B. V. Nativ.", ii). </li><li>The <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14399a.htm">Syrian</a> <!--yyy=x61583.htm-->Fathers<!--u44--> never tire of extolling the sinlessness of <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15464b.htm">Mary</a>. <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05498a.htm">St. Ephraem</a> considers no terms of eulogy too high to describe the excellence of <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15464b.htm">Mary's</a> <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06689a.htm">grace</a> and <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07386a.htm">sanctity</a>: "Most <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07386a.htm">holy</a> Lady, Mother of <!--yyy=x63317.htm-->God<!--u44-->, alone most pure in <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14153a.htm">soul</a> and body, alone exceeding all perfection of purity ...., alone made in thy entirety the home of all the <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06689a.htm">graces</a> of the <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07409a.htm">Most Holy Spirit</a>, and hence exceeding beyond all compare even the <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01476d.htm">angelic</a> <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15472a.htm">virtues</a> in purity and <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07386a.htm">sanctity</a> of <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14153a.htm">soul</a> and body . . . . my Lady most <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07386a.htm">holy</a>, all-pure, all-immaculate, all-stainless, all-undefiled, all-incorrupt, all-inviolate spotless robe of Him Who clothes Himself with light as with a garment . . . flower unfading, purple woven by <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06608a.htm">God</a>, alone most immaculate" ("Precationes ad Deiparam" in Opp. Graec. Lat., III, 524-37). </li><li>To <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05498a.htm">St. Ephraem</a> she was as innocent as <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05646b.htm">Eve</a> before her fall, a <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15458a.htm">virgin</a> most estranged from every stain of <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a>, more <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07386a.htm">holy</a> than the <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13725b.htm">Seraphim</a>, the sealed fountain of the <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07409a.htm">Holy Ghost</a>, the pure seed of <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06608a.htm">God</a>, ever in body and in <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10321a.htm">mind</a> intact and immaculate (<a href="http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3702.htm">"Carmina Nisibena"</a>). </li><li><a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08278a.htm">Jacob of Sarug</a> says that "the very fact that <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06608a.htm">God</a> has elected her <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12454c.htm">proves</a> that none was ever <!--yyy=xxyyyk.htm-->holier<!--u44--> than <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15464b.htm">Mary</a>; if any stain had disfigured her <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14153a.htm">soul</a>, if any other <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15458a.htm">virgin</a> had been purer and <!--yyy=xxyyyk.htm-->holier<!--u44-->, <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06608a.htm">God</a> would have selected her and rejected <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15464b.htm">Mary</a>". It seems, however, that <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08278a.htm">Jacob of Sarug</a>, if he had any clear <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07630a.htm">idea</a> of the <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05075b.htm">doctrine</a> of <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a>, held that <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15464b.htm">Mary</a> was perfectly pure from <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11312a.htm">original sin</a> ("the sentence against <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01129a.htm">Adam</a> and <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05646b.htm">Eve</a>") at the <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01541c.htm">Annunciation</a>. </li></ul></blockquote>Paul Haffner in his book <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=w-yQbSmHMFwC&pg=PA93&lpg=PA93&dq=did+mary+have+concupiscence%3F&source=bl&ots=rQpDfgh4Sb&sig=1c8-k7_gR-i_e9R7Msd8jHX-73g&hl=en&ei=lA5_SpCVJamutgerhdXcAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#v=onepage&q=did%20mary%20have%20concupiscence%3F&f=false"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Mystery of Mary</span> offers a brilliant discussion about Mary and concupiscence which I recommend reading in full. Haffner says</a>: Not only was Our Lady freed from original and actual sin, but also from concupiscence....The Angelic Doctor offers the various opinions of absence of concupiscence in Mary....Either that concupiscence was entirely taken away from her by her first sanctification or it was fettered. (<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=w-yQbSmHMFwC&pg=PA93&lpg=PA93&dq=did+mary+have+concupiscence%3F&source=bl&ots=rQpDfgh4Sb&sig=1c8-k7_gR-i_e9R7Msd8jHX-73g&hl=en&ei=lA5_SpCVJamutgerhdXcAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#v=onepage&q=did%20mary%20have%20concupiscence%3F&f=false"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Mystery of Mary</span></a>, pp 93-94)<br /><br />As for the relationship of Our Lady and St. Joseph, St. Augustine of Hippo (who was not the first Calvinist as some people seem to think, but a Father, Doctor, Bishop and Saint of the Church) remarks that theirs was a true marriage, albeit unconsummated according to the flesh. T<a href="http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/15071.htm">o quote St. Augustine (I know, he would not be popular on the preaching circuit today)</a>:<br /><blockquote>The entire <!--k39-->good<!--k31-->, therefore, of the nuptial institution was effected in the case of these <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11478c.htm">parents</a> of <!--k39-->Christ<!--k31-->: there was offspring, there was faithfulness, there was the bond. <!--k80=15-2107-->As offspring, we recognise the <!--k39-->Lord<!--k31--> <!--k38-->Jesus<!--k31--> Himself; the fidelity, in that there was no <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01163a.htm">adultery</a>; the bond, <!--k80=15-2108-->because there was no <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05054c.htm">divorce</a>. [XII.] Only there was no nuptial cohabitation; because He who was to be without <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a>, and was sent not in <!--k37-->sinful<!--k31--> flesh, but in <em>the likeness</em> of <!--k37-->sinful<!--k31--> flesh, <span class="stiki" id="note152109"><a href="http://www.newadvent.org/bible/rom008.htm#verse3">Romans 8:3</a></span> could not possibly have been made in <!--k37-->sinful<!--k31--> flesh itself without that shameful <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09438a.htm">lust</a> of the flesh which comes from <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a>, and without which He willed to be born, in order that He might teach us, that every one who is born of sexual intercourse is in fact<!--k37-->sinful<!--k31--> flesh, since that alone which was not born of such intercourse was not <!--k37-->sinful<!--k31--> flesh. Nevertheless conjugal intercourse is not in itself <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a>, when it is had with the <!--k37-->intention<!--k31--> of producing children; because the <!--k36-->mind's<!--k31--> good-will leads the ensuing bodily pleasure, instead of following its lead; and the <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09580c.htm">human</a> choice is not <!--k36-->distracted<!--k31--> by the yoke of <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a> pressing upon it, inasmuch as the blow of the <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14004b.htm">sin</a> is rightly brought back to the purposes of procreation. This blow has a <!--k38-->certain<!--k31--> <!--k35-->prurient<!--k31--> activity which plays the king in the foul <!--k36-->indulgences<!--k31--> of <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01163a.htm">adultery</a>, and fornication, and lasciviousness, and <!--k37-->uncleanness<!--k31-->; while in the indispensable <!--k37-->duties<!--k31--> of the <!--k38-->marriage<!--k31--> state, it exhibits the docility of the <!--k37-->slave<!--k31-->. In the one case it is condemned as the shameless effrontery of so violent a master; in the other, it gets modest praise as the honest service of so submissive an attendant. This <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09438a.htm">lust</a>, then, is not in itself the <!--k39-->good<!--k31--> of the nuptial institution; but it is obscenity in <!--k37-->sinful<!--k31--> <!--k39-->men<!--k31-->, a <!--k38-->necessity<!--k31--> in <!--k33-->procreant <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11478c.htm">parents</a>, the fire of lascivious <!--k36-->indulgences<!--k31-->, the shame of nuptial pleasures. Wherefore, then, may not <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11726a.htm">persons</a> remain man and wife when they cease by mutual <!--k37-->consent<!--k31--> from cohabitation; seeing that <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08504a.htm">Joseph</a> and <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15464b.htm">Mary</a> continued such, though they never even began to cohabit?</blockquote>St Alphonsus Liguori has a more poetic approach (which is why I long ago took him for my spiritual father) especially when discussing anything to do with the Most Holy Virgin.<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=7uwCAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA457&dq=By+reason+of+her+purity,+the+Blessed+Virgin+was+also+declared+by+the+Holy+Ghost+to+be+beautiful+as+the+turtledove+:+%22Thy+cheeks+are+beautiful+as+the+turtle-dove%27s.%227+%27Mary,%27+says+Aponins,#v=onepage&q=&f=false"> Of Our Lady's marriage to St. Joseph he says</a>: <blockquote>By reason of her purity, the Blessed Virgin was also declared by the Holy Ghost to be beautiful as the turtledove : 'Thy cheeks are beautiful as the turtle-dove's.'<span class="gstxt_sup">7</span> 'Mary,' says Aponius, 'was a most pure turtle-dove.'<span class="gstxt_sup">8</span> For the same reason she was also called a lily : 'As the lily among the thorns, so is my love among the daughters.' <span class="gstxt_sup">9</span> On this passage Denis the Carthusian remarks, that Mary was compared to a lily amongst thorns, because all other virgins were thorns, either to themselves or to others ; but that the Blessed Virgin was so neither to herself nor<span class="gtxt_body" id="para.487.1.0.box.162.176.792.696.q.60"> to others, for she inspired all who looked at her with chaste thoughts. This is confirmed by Saint Thomas, who says, that the beauty of the Blessed Virgin was an incentive to chastity in all who beheld her. Saint Jerome declared that it was his opinion, that Saint Joseph remained a virgin by living with Mary ; for, writing against the heretic Helvidius, who denied Mary's virginity, he says, ' Thou sayest that Mary did not remain a Virgin. I say, that not only she remained a Virgin, but even that Joseph preserved his virginity through Mary.'<span class="gstxt_sup">3</span> An author says, that so much did the Blessed Virgin love this virtue, that to preserve it, she would have been willing to have renounced even the dignity of Mother of God. This we may conclude from her answer to the archangel: 'How shall this be done, because I know not man ?'<span class="gstxt_sup">3</span> and from the words she afterwards added: 'Be it done to me according to thy word,'<span class="gstxt_sup">4</span> signifying that she gave her consent on the condition that, as the angel had assured her, she should become a Mother, only by the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost.</span> (<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=7uwCAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA457&dq=By+reason+of+her+purity,+the+Blessed+Virgin+was+also+declared+by+the+Holy+Ghost+to+be+beautiful+as+the+turtledove+:+%22Thy+cheeks+are+beautiful+as+the+turtle-dove%27s.%227+%27Mary,%27+says+Aponins,#v=onepage&q=&f=false"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Glories of Mary</span></a>, pp. 457-458)</blockquote>I think we are safe in assuming that the love Our Lady and St. Joseph had for each other was the love of true spouses but the love which spouses share in heaven. Because of Mary and Joseph's unique mission as parents of the Son of God, they began to live the life of Heaven even amid the many perils, trials, and sufferings of earth.elena maria vidalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17129629173535139807noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043379665340193726.post-27511910334320471792009-08-15T07:18:00.000-07:002009-08-15T07:39:54.611-07:00Going Up! Happy Feast of the Assumption!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDQAZquO1PInM3m9Iak8fqpPaf4ByQwI_O2CjdgK6iKPT3fwX9aEiojOw0sLngVJloxNdkzYNQNpApBgVQH_IuaM2cmS-4hN8KmgDa1pLtQRqDFwGZ5iu876y8yb85LopeJxJQGnYPqHg/s1600-h/motherofgod..bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370200218440914482" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 275px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDQAZquO1PInM3m9Iak8fqpPaf4ByQwI_O2CjdgK6iKPT3fwX9aEiojOw0sLngVJloxNdkzYNQNpApBgVQH_IuaM2cmS-4hN8KmgDa1pLtQRqDFwGZ5iu876y8yb85LopeJxJQGnYPqHg/s320/motherofgod..bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Today is the day we celebrate Mary's "homecoming," when she was taken into heaven at the end of her life. (For more details, go to Ginny Kubitz Moyer's blog post entitled <a href="http://blog.maryandme.org/?p=105">"Body Talk, Mary Style."<br /></a><br /><div></div><div>Because of her special connection to Christ, Mary was the first to receive the glorified form that is the destiny of all believers, united body and soul with God in heaven, beholding the beatific vision with all the angels and saints.</div><div></div><br /><div>I was thinking about this recently when I went to visit the grave of my friend, Father Roger Prokop, while I was in Elmira NY last week. While I knew that the pain and suffering he had endured with the brain tumor was over, it hurt to think of his body lying there under the soil. This is a natural human impulse, I think -- we were meant for eternal life, and so death in a certain sense goes against God's original purpose. It hurts.</div><br /><div></div><div>Today we celebrate the fact that in a very real way, death has lost. The death and resurrection of Christ has paid our debt -- a debt we could never pay ourselves, no matter how "good" we were or how hard we tried. The Christian life, then, is about allowing those transcendent graces to seep into every pore, every sinew, every breath until (in the words of the great hymn) "changed from glory into glory, till in heaven we take our place. Till we cast our crowns before thee, lost in wonder, love and praise!"</div><br /><div></div><div>That, dear friends in Christ, is what we are celebrating today. Mary, the Queen of Heaven, has tossed the first crown at the feet of her Son!</div></div>Heidi Hess Saxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02791510605285520649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043379665340193726.post-73360894511144991752009-06-20T19:54:00.000-07:002009-06-20T19:55:30.763-07:00Feast Day of Immaculate Heart of Mary reflectionReading today in my June Issue of 'The Word Among Us,' I am reminded how Mary took everything quietly into her heart. Trusting that young Jesus followed them on the caravan and finding out that he didn't, caused them confusion and panic. The change in her 12 year old son had begun, part of the different phases a young boy/man goes through as he tries to figure out his true mission and destiny in life. He knew something was up at aged 12, but maybe he didn't know what it was. Mary, possibly had forgotten His purpose too, in all the days and years of being a mother to this young God/man. From the Annunciation, to the Magnificat, to the Presentation of our Lord to this moment, lots of mothering days and moments occurred. She bonded with Him as a mother should, loved him and cared for him, so much so that even these enormous moments in her history with this young lad could be buried deep in another realm not part of the real mechanics of daily life.<br /><br />Fast film forward and we stand in the midst of modern day parenthood. I know these Biblical stories, I know that Our Lady is praying for me as a modern day mother of 3. She knows the struggles, bonding, love, and care that I put into being who I need to be for these 3 people. But what struck me today is that I don't take these things quietly into my heart as she did. I lecture, scream, panic, cry, mourn, and regret the ineviable, trying to change, reverse, and preserve the yesteryears of my children. Taking these changes quietly into my heart. No, I seem to continue to fight these invaders. Keep them at bay so that I and my knight can continue to enjoy the simpler days of parenthood. But now I see that I am selfish! These young people don't want to remain perpetually young and childish, they want to fly, flourish, and grow independent and free. They see what their parents have and want them too. Drive cars, have their own money (we have money!), they want their own homes, clothes, jobs and the freedom to make choices as adults do.<br /><br />So, I must not fight these changes, but welcome them as doorways into a new realm of relationships. From being a 'mommy' to being 'momma', to recently being just plain 'mom'...they still call me when they need me. My job isn't going anywhere, just changing. My place in their lives is still important to them. With this, I am learning too.<br /><br />Dear Mother Mary, Please keep praying for me.....I think they might finally be working. AmenEbethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14090396741792229132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043379665340193726.post-26328303554053372082009-05-11T12:36:00.001-07:002009-05-11T12:38:17.428-07:00Mary Moments in May<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAHKUPd3LI4yvzZOVCq2wgYMPcVoSI3Fjtaid9mz5ycJ62Lflng4qVTZlYrqf2FdOLEvVivYlVCx7i0Sj7OzuKno8etJ3O4U5mAVnpx5u1CUnn0huKIdEbT0NQahf4dla-74dAmyHW2DfB/s1600-h/MMcarnivalecg.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAHKUPd3LI4yvzZOVCq2wgYMPcVoSI3Fjtaid9mz5ycJ62Lflng4qVTZlYrqf2FdOLEvVivYlVCx7i0Sj7OzuKno8etJ3O4U5mAVnpx5u1CUnn0huKIdEbT0NQahf4dla-74dAmyHW2DfB/s200/MMcarnivalecg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334652733452697362" border="0" /></a><br />This month, "Mary Moments" are back and will honor motherhood -- and all parenthood -- on Monday, May 25 at <a href="http://www.snoringscholar.blogspot.com/">Just Another Day of Catholic Pondering</a>. The carnival will include a Mr. Linky or you'll be welcome to share in the comments if you don't have a blog or a website.<br /><br />Mary Moments are where we share our Mary-inspired thoughts, reflections, tips, and everything related to our Blessed Mother. We'll focus on parenthood this time around, which doesn't mean you have to be a parent to participate. :) We all have an experience with parenthood, with someone who inspired us and helped us forward.<br /><br />Spread the word and dig through your archives, if you don't have time to write something new (or if you haven't already written something in May).Sarah Reinhardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682511477646768745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043379665340193726.post-44538756154422725152009-05-08T10:07:00.001-07:002009-05-08T10:10:03.045-07:00A Great Way to Spend Your MayIf you haven't ever dropped by <a href="http://prayingforgrace.blogspot.com">Praying for Grace</a>, hosted by the lovely Barbara, you should do so. During May, she's writing a Mary post every day.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Every day</span>.<br /><br />I admit, I'm impressed. I'm in awe.<br /><br />And I'm loving them.<br /><br />Which made me think that maybe <span style="font-style: italic;">you</span> would too. :)<br /><br /><a href="http://prayingforgrace.blogspot.com/search/label/Blessed%20Mother">So go on over and check them out. </a><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(Geeky technical note: that second link goes to what I think is the specific category for her Mary posts. The first link goes to the main page of her blog, which contains other good stuff, but may not take you right to the Mary posts.)</span></span>Sarah Reinhardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682511477646768745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043379665340193726.post-23556083121867995552009-05-07T06:48:00.000-07:002009-05-07T08:24:51.376-07:00Kathy Sullivan Vandenburg, "womanpriest"Today at <a href="http://www.secretummeummihipress.com/content/view/170/1/">Secretum Meum Mihi Press</a>, Kristen West McGuire runs an interview with a "womanpriest" Kathy Sullivan Vandenburg.<br /><br />Interesting interview. Kristen (who by the way does not condone Vandenburg's actions, but wanted to understand them better) conducted a good interview, which got inside the head of her subject and allowed us to see the progression of events that led this woman from the Catholicism of her childhood (pre V2) to her current state as an "ordained" minister under an excommunicated woman "bishop."<br /><br />As a convert to the faith, as I read it I was reminded of why the concept of authority – handed down from Jesus to the apostles to their successors – is such a central teaching in the Church. People blame the Holy Spirit for all kinds of foolishness; sadly, we are susceptible to all kinds of self-delusions and rationalizations when we refuse to submit to the spiritual authority God has put there for our benefit. Once the hen is out of the proverbial hen house, she seldom sees the need to return until it is too late, and the fox is lurking at the door!<br /><br />I don’t doubt that there are many, many women who have particular gifts that – in a man – would be useful in ordained ministry. And many gifts that women CAN legitimately use in ministry opportunities available to them. (God makes men and women equally valuable, but not interchangeable. Our calling – and our nature – is built into the fiber of our very being. Women bring life into the world and nurture it, and are a living representation of Bride. Men sacrifice themselves for the good of their families in other, but no less important ways, and are a living representation of the Eternal Bridegroom.)<br /><br />The question, then, is why “ordained” ministry is so crucial in the minds of some women -- why they resent it that the Church is not authorized to ordained women priests. In most cases, sadly, the resentment stems from a disordered understanding of human nature ("male and female he created them"), as well as spiritually deadening tendencies toward envy and pride.<br /><br />Like Ms. Vandenburg, I attended seminary as a graduate student alongside seminarians – but never once did it ever occur to me to covet their calling. The Dean of Students asked me about this once, if I wanted a priest’s vocation. My answer was immediate and from the heart.<br /><br />“Why on earth would I want ANOTHER vocation? Most days it’s all I can do to handle the one I have!”<br /><br />He laughed. Then he met my kids . . . and I think he understood.<br /><br />One need only look at the Blessed Mother to understand the Lord's intention in selecting Twelve. She was present for some of the most crucial moments in Christ's ministry, and stood with Him strong and unmoving when all the others had fled. She was first to see Him enter the world, first on His heart after the Resurrection. Because her life -- like that of most women -- was largely hidden, we do not know how often she traveled with her Son physically, but she was clearly never far from His thoughts, nor He from hers.<br /><br />How often we as women cheat ourselves when we give in to the temptation to be "just like men." God wants us to aspire to something altogether higher, for it is was what we were created to be: not an "ordained minister," but a life of ministry -- most of it unseen, unlauded . . . and noticed only by those who matter most. What reward is in store for those who are faithful to such a calling!Heidi Hess Saxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02791510605285520649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043379665340193726.post-11201192942923900472009-05-06T08:02:00.001-07:002009-05-06T08:09:08.978-07:00"Contempla a Tu Madre": My First Spanish Review!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyQXPjtiAqzNlA6NrAkqfxi3m1AyaoQF65FrKWnoYOo7gDNLCL3proLICYPKkUtS5NvbvJ3Ar8Ih2fgVHH_-AeEO88WaIXk7iZfBTILk7wCy05F54dpU4TFfBwIZ-uPDyNuuImMES_hDY/s1600-h/contempla.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332727100379715650" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 121px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyQXPjtiAqzNlA6NrAkqfxi3m1AyaoQF65FrKWnoYOo7gDNLCL3proLICYPKkUtS5NvbvJ3Ar8Ih2fgVHH_-AeEO88WaIXk7iZfBTILk7wCy05F54dpU4TFfBwIZ-uPDyNuuImMES_hDY/s200/contempla.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I'm very excited to <a href="http://creciendounidos.blogspot.com/2009/05/contempla-tu-madre-de-heidi-hess-saxton.html">post this link </a>and offer my warmest thanks to Silvia Amador, who was kind enough to publish this glowing review at her Spanish-language blog, "Creciendo Unidos." </div><br /><p>Thank you, Silvia!</p><p>Orders for the book in the United States may be placed through <a href="http://www.christianword.com/">my website</a>. Those outside the United States may be placed through <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Contempla-Madre-Spanish-Heidi-Saxton/dp/0980048362">Amazon.com. </a></p><p></p>Heidi Hess Saxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02791510605285520649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043379665340193726.post-41573390515450072472009-05-04T04:06:00.000-07:002009-05-04T04:11:41.792-07:00The Month of Mary<span style="font-style: italic;">The month of Mary is the month of blessings and of grace, for, as St. Bernard, in company with all the Saints, assures us, all grace comes to us through Mary. The month of Mary is a continuous festival in honor of the Mother of God, which prepares us well for the beautiful month of the Blessed Sacrament which follows it.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Because our vocation calls us to give special honor to the Holy Eucharist, we must not for that reason give any the less devotion to the Blessed Virgin. Far from it, he would be guilty of blasphemy who would say, "The Most Blessed Sacrament suffices for me; I have no need of Mary." Where, then, shall we find Jesus on earth if not in Mary's arms? Was it not she who gave us the Eucharist? It was her consent to the Incarnation of the Word in her womb that inaugurated the great mystery of reparation to God and union with us which Jesus accomplished during His mortal life, and that He continues in the Eucharist</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Without Mary, we shall never find Jesus, for she possesses Him in her heart. There He takes His delight, and those who wish to know His inmost virtues, to experience the privilege of His intimate love, must seek these in Mary. They who love that good Mother find Jesus in her pure heart. We must never separate Jesus from Mary; we can go to Him only through her.</span><br /><div style="text-align: right;">-- St. Peter Julian Eymard, Found of the Blessed Sacrament Fathers<br /></div>Sarah Reinhardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682511477646768745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043379665340193726.post-21631886172682573852009-04-29T06:48:00.001-07:002009-04-29T06:51:24.753-07:00Marian Prayer Day by Day<span style="font-style: italic;">I found this while I was working on our parish bulletin this morning. Wouldn't this be a great way to incorporate Mary into your daily prayer life, especially as we approach May, the month where we turn our eyes to Mary in a special way, to honor her and revisit our great love for her?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sunday</span><br />Mary, Mother of our Redeemer and Mother of the Church, we offer you the praise of the Angel of the Annunciation--Hail, full of grace! Through you the Holy Spirit gave this world Jesus its Savior--Son of God, Word made Flesh, Foundation of the Church.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Monday</span><br />Through you God's holy people, his Church on earth, appeal for light and strength in its pilgrimage of faith. You have gone before us on the same journey and are now glorified in heaven. Be for us who are still on that journey of faith a true Star of the Sea, leading us to the presence of your Son where he sits at the right hand of the Father, enthroned in glory.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tuesday</span><br />You were the first to believe. You persevered in prayer with the disciples in the Upper Room. You were a unique witness to the mystery of Jesus. All generations have called you blessed. Now in this Marian year God's holy Church looks yet again to you for inspiration and help.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wednesday</span><br />Be our Mother. Share with us your limitless faith. Take and keep us within your protective arms in a world that has largely lost faith and abandoned hope. Petition for us from your Son--as once you did so powerfully at Cana of Galilee--an increase of vocations to the priesthood and the religious life so that the Church may flourish in our time and thereby magnify his name. Touch the hearts of all our youth that they may see in every walk of life an opportunity to serve.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thursday</span><br />Take from all our hearts the selfishness that sours relationships and keeps us centered only on ourselves. Give us hearts aflame with charity and filled with love. Make us, like the apostle John who was commended to your care, loving children of our heavenly Father, conscious always of your maternal presence in our lives.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday</span><br />Look favorably upon your children in our failure to provide the one flock under one shepherd for which Jesus prayed. Shine forth for us and for all the peoples as a sign of sure hope and solace as we strive to make our pilgrimage of faith hand in hand. Be our common Mother who prays for the unity of God's family. May we see in you our model of that obedience of faith which should be found in all who listen attentively to what the Spirit is saying to the Churches.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saturday</span><br />He who is mighty has done great things for you. Humbly we ask that you in turn may do for us these things for which we pray in the name and through the power of that most Holy Spirit who lives and reigns in the unity of the Father and the Son, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"> -- written by Pope John Paul II and found via the <a href="http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/prayers/jppray01.html">University of Dayton</a><br /></div>Sarah Reinhardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682511477646768745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043379665340193726.post-72930243532176824102009-04-17T13:05:00.000-07:002009-04-17T13:14:33.096-07:00Mary LinksYou have a lot to do, I know. Even so, I can't resist sharing two fantastic Mary-related links I came across in the last two weeks.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.patgohn.com/patgohn/AmongWomenPodcast.com.html">Among Women</a><br /></span><span class="style_4"></span><span class="style_5">“Among Women”</span><span class="style_4"> is a podcast that celebrates the beauty and grace that women experience in their Catholic Faith and Life. We hope this “faith-sharing” program will be "faith building" ...inspiring women in their call to holiness by drawing closer to Christ and the Catholic Church, by living lives of prayer and loving service.</span><span class="style_6"></span><br /><p class="paragraph_style_6"><span class="style_4">Mary, the Mother of God, is the patron. And if you are looking for an audio cup of tea and fine company, well then, <span style="font-style: italic;">this</span> is the podcast for you!<br /></span></p><p class="paragraph_style_6"><br /><span class="style_4"></span></p><p class="paragraph_style_6"><a href="http://www.marysproject.com/_mgxroot/page_10728.html"><span class="style_4"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mary's Project</span></span></a><span class="style_4"><br />I heard about this gem on the <a href="http://sqpn.com/2009/04/07/saintcast-119-testimony-the-dvd/">SaintCast</a> and when I looked up, just a minute ago, I saw that I had lost ten minutes! It's a fabulous compilation of Marian links, catechesis, resources, and articles.</span><span class="style_8"></span></p><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Sarah Reinhardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682511477646768745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043379665340193726.post-2186940927573152262009-04-11T10:40:00.000-07:002009-04-11T10:42:29.181-07:00Mary at the Foot of the CrossI just discovered this podcast by Dr. James Dobbins, and yesterday there was a new episode entitled "<a href="http://yorked.podomatic.com/entry/eg/2009-04-10T17_41_48-07_00">Mary at the Foot of the Cross</a>." (You can download it via that link too, or find it in iTunes.) Though it was today (Saturday) before I listened to it, I found it just as striking and just as meaningful. Check it out for yourself.Sarah Reinhardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682511477646768745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043379665340193726.post-67981654198207552912009-04-10T05:04:00.000-07:002009-04-10T05:33:15.064-07:00Good Friday Mourning<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlXhJQiWt0sLyniiZGN83mKvcvcC7kJte77LleNyiHuLpuOSLYv17NO5Pl_dxlPs-szaJ8oTFNxGSkpNFzacO_xprQl12mMVEG-WDSYj0GiKG_IsHfI06V3H_MJQVY6jIv60nYF0IV1ks/s1600-h/ThePassion.Jesus.Mary.at.Foot.of.the.Cross.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323033455081605538" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 228px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlXhJQiWt0sLyniiZGN83mKvcvcC7kJte77LleNyiHuLpuOSLYv17NO5Pl_dxlPs-szaJ8oTFNxGSkpNFzacO_xprQl12mMVEG-WDSYj0GiKG_IsHfI06V3H_MJQVY6jIv60nYF0IV1ks/s320/ThePassion.Jesus.Mary.at.Foot.of.the.Cross.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><p>This morning I'm watching a documentary called "Jesus in India," which proposed that between the ages of 13 and 30 Jesus lived in India. Some contend that Jesus returned here after surviving crucifixion -- because the Lord's legs were not broken (Jn 19:33-37), they say, he could have been taken down from the cross unconscious but still alive. </p><p>According to the documentary, Muslims believe that Jesus must have survived crucifixion because God would not have allowed one of His prophets to die in this manner, as it would have been a sign of (the prophet's) failure. And indeed, on that terrible day following the crucifixion, before the Resurrection, it would have been difficult on a purely human level for the apostles and even the Lord's own mother NOT to feel let down that God would permit this horror to happen.</p><p>But then ... Sunday came. "Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; the weakness of God is stronger than men" (1 Cor 1:25).</p><p>The question of where Jesus was between the ages of 13 and 30 may be open to question; the Scriptures are silent on the subject (though it seems likely he grew up working alongside St. Joseph in Nazareth). That Jesus died, and rose to conquer death itself by the power of God ... is simply not open to debate. Two thousand years of Christian history rests upon this bedrock truth: </p><p align="center"><em><span style="font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;"><strong>Christ has died, </strong></span></em></p><p align="center"><em><span style="font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;"><strong>Christ is risen, </strong></span></em></p><p align="center"><em><span style="font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;"><strong>Christ will come again!</strong></span></em></p>Heidi Hess Saxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02791510605285520649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043379665340193726.post-15805849195833539072009-04-09T04:54:00.000-07:002009-04-09T04:56:46.051-07:00The Offer to Say YesHave you ever had an offer you just couldn’t refuse?<br /><br />Maybe it was an opportunity that seemed to fall in your lap. Maybe it was something that just lined up perfectly. Maybe it was a dream come true.<br /><br />Whatever it was, you couldn’t refuse.<br /><br />Oh, you <span style="font-style: italic;">could</span> have. You could have said no. But why?<br /><br />Even though it would be a lot of work in the end, even though it would mean a lot of effort (and probably some pain), even though it would take you out of your comfort zone...you didn’t say no, did you?<br /><br />When you feel the call, the one that gets a capital “C,” you have to make a decision: yes or no. Does saying no mean admitting that God doesn’t know best? Or does it mean recognizing that the offer you thought you couldn’t refuse wasn’t so great after all?<br /><br />That offer is black and white. There might seem to be gray at the time, but when you look back, you’ll see the starkness between the “yes” and the “no.”<br /><br />Do you remember how it felt when you said “yes”? Did you feel a shiver in your intestines, like you were in the front seat on the big hill of the roller coaster? Was there a moment where the time it took you to draw a breath could have been five milliseconds or five minutes? Were you scared, just a little?<br /><br />Imagine how it was, on that day in Nazareth, the sun streaming through the windows as an angel made a simple -- and huge -- request of a young girl. She didn’t hesitate. It was an offer she couldn’t refuse.<br /><br />Now fast forward 33 years. See that girl, still recognizable? See her there, clutching a young man, watching the procession of the Galilean with a cross? She’s sobbing...but she’s still saying yes.<br /><br />What kind of homecoming must it have been three days later? How many tears did she cry as she saw her yes in front of her again, resurrected, smiling gently at her?<br /><br />As we approach the Easter Triduum, commemorating the Lord’s Passion, death, and Resurrection, there’s an offer waiting for us. In the washing of our feet, we have the opportunity to humble ourselves to those around us. In the outstretched hug from the cross, we have the chance to suffer with joy. In the glory of the Resurrection, we have the security of trusting in God’s judgment.<br /><br />I’m going to try to say “yes” this week with the same continued devotion that Mary did. Rather than be intimidated by her perfection, I’m going to be inspired by her constancy. Whether I’m embracing my cross or celebrating new life, struggling in daily life or enjoying small comforts, sobbing from frustration or laughing with hilarity, I’m going to remember that my Mother walks beside me, encouraging me to say “yes.”Sarah Reinhardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682511477646768745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043379665340193726.post-68013087894244502682009-04-05T05:01:00.000-07:002009-04-05T14:19:28.921-07:00Way of the Palms<strong><span style="color:#6600cc;">I just received word that <a href="http://hicatholicmom.blogspot.com/">"Hawaii Mom"</a> Esther Gefroh's father passed away suddenly. Please keep Esther, her father, and their whole family in your prayers.</span></strong><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEind7_mglgd9wqjlQER6HuLdpBPpFXHYPgCMS2r_3AhxWoF3Phxy2EwTQOXhKfz0ZJWgoZAo0KA7FMeuwVQCYCtLw2BUTr_5KaT-Nzbi0ZvyAEQL8cv6QWOsTK1BgWH4VtlL6IR45NsZkc/s1600-h/palms.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321180981333220514" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 218px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEind7_mglgd9wqjlQER6HuLdpBPpFXHYPgCMS2r_3AhxWoF3Phxy2EwTQOXhKfz0ZJWgoZAo0KA7FMeuwVQCYCtLw2BUTr_5KaT-Nzbi0ZvyAEQL8cv6QWOsTK1BgWH4VtlL6IR45NsZkc/s320/palms.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Today we commemorate what must have been the longest and most tumuluous week of Mary's life. Catholics believe that Mary was kept from sinning, through the graces merited by her Son. And yet, we also know that she was truly a mother.<br /><br /><br /><br />So as her only Son entered Jerusalem like a king, riding on a donkey and hailed by a joyeous crowd, her heart must have raced at the sight. Her own cries must have rang out above the rest, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" In her excitement, perhaps she even wondered if her Son, the Messiah, was about to pull off a bloodless coup, a true revolution of grace. See, how all the people loved Him!<br /><br /><br /><br />But it was not to be. In just a few days, she would listen in horror and wonder from the kitchen as Jesus anticipated His betrayal and death, first washing His disciple's feet -- the job of the lowliest servant -- then infusing the familiar Passover rite with unprecedented light. He would be with them until the end of time, no matter what ... but first He must debase Himself by dying a criminal's agonizing death. Not for the grateful crowds that chanted His name today ... but for the mocking masses that spat upon Him as He hung there, helpless.<br /><br /><br /><br />And through it all, Mary stood close by, waiting for Simon's sword to find its mark.Heidi Hess Saxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02791510605285520649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043379665340193726.post-71840614091846334732009-04-03T04:45:00.000-07:002009-04-03T04:47:58.413-07:00Mary in the Stations of the CrossFather Jay Fineli shared a version of the Stations of the Cross in a special episode this week at <a href="http://www.ipadre.net/2009/03/ipadre-148-stations-of-the-cross/">iPadre</a> (also available from <a href="http://sqpn.com/2009/03/28/ipadre-148-stations-of-the-cross/">SQPN</a>). It's inspired by the writings of <a href="http://my.homewithgod.com/israel/acemmerich/">Anne Catherine Emmerich</a>, a mystic who witnessed the Passion (and <a href="http://www.jesus-passion.com/DOLOROUS_PASSION_OF_OUR_LORD_JESUS_CHRIST.htm">whose writings</a> inspired the Mel Gibson movie "The Passion of the Christ").<br /><br />But that's not all, and, actually, that's not the part that "got" me the most. Closing each station, there's a different voice, a female voice, speaking as Mary. I kid you not: I felt like Mary was reaching through my earbuds and talking to me. It was amazing!<br /><br />There's a download button, you listen from your computer, or you can subscribe in iTunes. It's going to play a part in my Holy Week, that's for sure!Sarah Reinhardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682511477646768745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043379665340193726.post-3467847199458090072009-04-01T12:35:00.000-07:002009-04-01T12:41:35.233-07:00Mary, the Refuge of Sinners: a Guest Post<em>I have been honored to participate at <a href="http://woman.catholicexchange.com/">Today's Catholic Woman</a> as a <a href="http://woman.catholicexchange.com/category/columnists/sarah-reinhard/">weekly columnist on reflections inspired by the various titles of Mary</a>. In writing these weekly reflections, one of the invaluable resources in my life (and one of the few people who is privy to my terrible first drafts) is my parish priest, spiritual director, and good friend, Father Patrick Toner. This week, I'm working on a reflection inspired by Mary's title as Refuge of Sinners. Father Pat gave me permission to share his reflections here, with you, and I hope you find them as moving as I did.</em><br /><em>--</em><br />The Catechism starts by reflecting on our desire for God that is implanted in the human heart. We seek refuge from a world made hostile by sin. Eden was such a world before sin caused our loss of innocence. I go back to the garden to recall my innocence. I go to find peace in a world filled with stress. I go to renew myself. I find that refuge in my daily holy hour before the Blessed Sacrament. I need peace in my life as I go about life in the world.<br /><br />We find our refuges in the Eden of our past. The church has always been a place where I felt at peace. We cannot live in the past. What we seek is in our future, heaven. It is a touch of heaven from the past that fills my soul.<br /><br />There are three women who are important in the life of every priest: his mother, Holy Mother Church, and the Blessed Mother. We can all recall resting safe in the bosom of our mother. Her voice and presence can bring calm and peace into the midst of our broken world. Mary comes to me bringing that promise of heaven, “Everything will be fine.” She is a link to what God has planned for me. She seems always to be prayerful and peaceful. I always find her in the church, taking my hand and leading me to her Son.<br />--<br /><em>Thanks, Father Pat, for sharing these reflections with all of us.</em>Sarah Reinhardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682511477646768745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043379665340193726.post-90390243029284256952009-03-27T04:35:00.000-07:002009-03-27T04:47:26.033-07:00The Little CrownRecently, I read -- no, devoured -- a great book. It was one that I would have never picked up (or not so soon, anyway), had it not fallen in my lap.<br /><br />The book? <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1905574304?ie=UTF8&tag=justanotheday-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1905574304">True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin</a>, by St. Louis de Montfort. If you haven't read it, you should. Not only is it enlightening, it's easy to read. (That last reason is the exact opposite of what I was expecting.)<br /><br />In that book, St. Louis mentions a prayer that caught my interest, the Little Crown. I shared the outline of it (from what I remembered and was using from the book) with a friend who did some research and came up with <a href="http://www.fisheaters.com/littlecrown.html">this link</a>.<br /><br />And then, because we were working on a moms dinner, she got all crafty and made up special chaplets and I made up a prayer card. We've received feedback from some of the women that this prayer has been such a blessing for them. I thought you might find it to be as helpful as they did (and as I have), so I'll share it with you here. I use my fingers, but you could also (if you're crafty) make your own chaplet.<br /><br />First, pray the introductory prayer:<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and enkindle within them the fire of Thy love! Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Let us pray. O God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit dost instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant us by this same Spirit to relish what is right and ever to rejoice in His consolation, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.</span><br /><br />Then, pray this pattern:<br />One <a href="http://www.catholicplanet.com/catholic/our.htm">Our Father</a>, followed by four <a href="http://catholicplanet.com/catholic/hail.htm">Hail Marys</a>, one <a href="http://www.catholicsupply.com/EXISTING/prglorybe.html">Glory Be</a>, and one <a href="http://www.holyspiritinteractive.net/prayers/therosary/fatimaprayer.asp">O My Jesus</a>.<br />Repeat for a total of four times.<br /><br />For more information and to find the complete prayer with additional praises to follow each Hail Mary visit <a href="www.fisheaters.com/littlecrown.html">www.fisheaters.com/littlecrown.html</a>.Sarah Reinhardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682511477646768745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043379665340193726.post-19535197961390128322009-03-25T04:48:00.000-07:002009-03-25T12:41:20.255-07:00Mary and ConfessionI can always tell when it's time for Confession. <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Everything</span> starts to annoy me, from the colors of the world around me to the smallest thing said by my preschooler. I'll find myself wondering what I thought was so great about, oh, anything really. The true litmus test is when I start getting annoyed with my husband, who isn't just nicknamed Prince Charming for his good looks but is, in fact, a charming and easygoing guy.<br /><br />Lately, I've noticed that when I ask Mary for help, she is good for it. When I recently asked my Heavenly Mother for guidance, for a pointer to what I should improve, it became clear to me that Confession was what I was supposed to focus on.<br /><br />Needless to say, I procrastinated. I made excuses. I got <em>reeeaaaallll</em> busy.<br /><br />But there was no avoiding it.<br /><br />But wasn't just a call to Confession. It was a call to <em>frequent </em>Confession. Going once wasn't going to get Mom off my back.<br /><br />Lent is a great time to start a new habit, but I often find (when will I learn?) that God has a plan for me that's slightly different than the plan I have for myself. I've been talking to Mary more of late, asking for her advice and guidance and, most of all, her prayers. It's no surprise, but it's still a pleasant experience, that she leads me, time and again, back to a closer relationship with the sacraments. My new fervor for the sacrament of Confession (or Reconciliation or Penance...whatever you want to call it) has done good things for my life, and not just my prayer life (though that too).<br /><br />When I'm paying attention to myself through the lens of frequent Confession, I can honestly strive to be more like Mary...because I'm trying to sin less, to grow closer to her Son, to act more in accord with how God wants me to act. Confession opens me to the graces of the other sacraments that are a part of my life, including my marriage and the Eucharist.<br /><br />If it's been a while since you've been to Confession, why not consider praying a rosary for the grace to go? Mary's just waiting for you to ask for her help. She's right over there, past your elbow, eagerly waiting for you to tap into her experience and knowledge. Isn't that what a mother's for?Sarah Reinhardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682511477646768745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043379665340193726.post-73310890889942928282009-03-24T17:07:00.000-07:002009-03-24T17:10:23.705-07:00The Annunciation: Guest Post from Ginny Kubitz Moyer<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj23qVPdiuQJ6xzr3PKnnSx8L5awIh43LzN7I1YqjI3Yhpk_wxbUwtc87bab1eCvqSfdCJwM8k8gtHpJ0JNioce42v8UAWPTRSjaJMIotp91jMJMhq1kjO35bwGy1nINHa9jkyRhVg_iAY/s1600-h/annunciation.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316910752562973026" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 321px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj23qVPdiuQJ6xzr3PKnnSx8L5awIh43LzN7I1YqjI3Yhpk_wxbUwtc87bab1eCvqSfdCJwM8k8gtHpJ0JNioce42v8UAWPTRSjaJMIotp91jMJMhq1kjO35bwGy1nINHa9jkyRhVg_iAY/s400/annunciation.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>In honor of the Feast of the Annunciation, here's a guest post from Ginny Kubitz Moyer over at Mary and Me. <a href="http://blog.maryandme.org/?p=684">She celebrates Mary's "yes"</a> -- and reflects on what, exactly, might have led this very young girl to make such a very courageous choice. </div><div></div><div>"The Annunciation" by Henry Tanner.</div>Heidi Hess Saxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02791510605285520649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043379665340193726.post-69685709011463254222009-03-20T03:52:00.000-07:002009-03-20T04:07:59.224-07:00Finding the CalmHave you read <a href="http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_p-vi_exh_19740202_marialis-cultus_en.html">Marialis Cultus (For the Right Ordering and Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary)</a>, by Paul VI? Don't feel badly if the answer is no...I only picked it up recently because, well, because I was doing research and it was there and...yeah, you see how it is. Church documents always seem so...intimidating, so hard-to-understand, so inaccessible to me.<br /><br />I've discovered few things could be farther from the truth. Granted, I haven't attempted Aquinas or Augustine, but Marialis Cultus is a gem and Paul VI has a style that's...well, I don't know. It's deep, yes, but it's also enjoyable. I wouldn't call it easy reading, but it was well worth my time.<br /><br />In paragraph 57, he writes:<br /><blockquote>Contemplated in the episodes of the Gospels and in the reality which she already possesses in the City of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary offers a calm vision and a reassuring word to modern man, torn as he often is between anguish and hope, defeated by the sense of his own limitations and assailed by limitless aspirations, troubled in his mind and divided in his heart, uncertain before the riddle of death, oppressed by loneliness while yearning for fellowship, a prey to boredom and disgust. She shows forth the victory of hope over anguish, of fellowship over solitude, of peace over anxiety, of joy and beauty over boredom and disgust, of eternal visions over earthly ones, of life over death.</blockquote>How often do you find yourself torn? When do you find yourself facing the smallness of yourself, the boundaries of what you can do, the impossibility of life? Where are you divided, by a tough decision, by a faith choice, by a concern?<br /><br />Paul VI reminds me to turn to Mary, who offers hope and peace. I can feel her cool hand on my fevered brow when I read that phrase "calm vision and reassuring word." Isn't that just what we all need nowadays?Sarah Reinhardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682511477646768745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043379665340193726.post-73954559289832646762009-03-18T04:38:00.000-07:002009-03-18T04:41:20.382-07:00Our Lady of the Links<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRi2rfXydqL37HRaeIf2rU-X7LJ-FrNAokqGwykkOF9o2RJK5DEH5MIbONe3RLxMljbhxXvWntAN8qvXGUmGweDlsM9h8YAVIv__NnSOKW1FhuPyY4j5Xb_6MNGaVhlTfwC4qgl_uV1K5P/s1600-h/3000161.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 183px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRi2rfXydqL37HRaeIf2rU-X7LJ-FrNAokqGwykkOF9o2RJK5DEH5MIbONe3RLxMljbhxXvWntAN8qvXGUmGweDlsM9h8YAVIv__NnSOKW1FhuPyY4j5Xb_6MNGaVhlTfwC4qgl_uV1K5P/s200/3000161.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314491422311609282" border="0" /></a>I never expected to golf. It has always seemed like a sport that’s for, well, <span style="font-style: italic;">other</span> people. My husband, though, expressed an interest a few years ago, found a used set of clubs, and began going to the driving range and the less expensive golf courses with his brothers.<br /><br />Over the course of a year or two, I started to get curious. When our oldest daughter was toddler-aged, I started to also long for more time with him. When our second daughter was born, I started to plot and plan ways to spend afternoons together.<br /><br />Enter my conversion to the world of golfing.<br /><br />We’re both outside people, though hiking isn’t something we generally enjoy together. (He insists I set out to attack the trail; I maintain that he could walk faster since he has <span style="font-style: italic;">much</span> longer legs than I do.) After I officially owned a set of very cheap golf clubs, I became Bob’s golf partner.<br /><br />We’re at about the same level of expertise, somewhere between stink and laughable. When we get a few hours to golf, we’ll go to a local driving range or to the par 3 kiddie course down the road from his mom’s house, where we leave the kids.<br /><br />I’ve heard people rave and rant about the game of golf. I used to make fun of it myself, but now that I understand it a tiny bit better, I am downright mocking...of myself. There’s nothing to instill humility in my day like the fourth hole. There’s nothing to inspire me to listen to the amazing man I married like the silence of the course. There’s nothing to make me rejoice like one of us beating par.<br /><br />Humility, listening, and rejoicing are things I experience regularly during Mass, in church, at prayer. But it’s when the holy is inserted into the everyday that I find myself transformed a bit.<br /><br />In that transformation, in that shift that’s a piece in my ongoing conversion, I am nudged closer to my Mother’s arms. She’s out there with me on the golf course, patting me on the back when I hold my tongue from the word that <span style="font-style: italic;">almost</span> slipped out, inspiring me to look past my failure and to joke about the “net profit” of golf balls found versus lost.<br /><br />Our priest, who’s an avid golfer, often tells us, before he leaves the office, that he’s going to “pray the 18 stations.” I used to laugh about that. I still laugh, but I understand it more now.<br /> There’s praying to be done wherever we are, and the true gift is in opening ourselves to the grace to experience it, to let go of our agenda and give in to God’s.Sarah Reinhardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05682511477646768745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3043379665340193726.post-58376458717297466112009-03-16T17:41:00.001-07:002009-03-16T17:46:22.975-07:00"Irish Envy" ... Guest Post by Ginny Moyer<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeQei-CuOHCgBhJfJoDWzVyBkr8XKgQCIpzqw__9VBTWajmjCBbm_2Hd6OC2mnPYErAIOq__w7ZuHpQzVWUq39MZtmifDygjoWlsmOc5qqUB_ev5FsaRInfkJGIcK5n37Gd1xMSXrKhsc/s1600-h/st-patricks-day-clipart-3-184x300.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313951609443704274" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 184px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeQei-CuOHCgBhJfJoDWzVyBkr8XKgQCIpzqw__9VBTWajmjCBbm_2Hd6OC2mnPYErAIOq__w7ZuHpQzVWUq39MZtmifDygjoWlsmOc5qqUB_ev5FsaRInfkJGIcK5n37Gd1xMSXrKhsc/s400/st-patricks-day-clipart-3-184x300.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Today we received <a href="http://blog.maryandme.org/?m=200903">this guest post </a>from Ginny Moyer, author of <em>Mary and Me. </em></div><br /><div>She writes: </div><div><br /><blockquote>"In honor of St. Patrick’s Day tomorrow, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. I have a very bad case of Irish Envy.<br /><br />"I think it dates back to my Catholic elementary school days, when a girl named Maureen came to school on March 17th wearing an Irish beret. It was just so darn cool. She looked jaunty and insouciant (words that I did not know back then, but which I certainly would have used if I had). ..."<br /></blockquote></div><br /><div>For the rest, why don't you head on over to Ginny's blog, "Mary and Me"?! Technically, it's not a Mary post ... but it certainly honors one of her favorite sons!</div><br /><div><em></em></div><br /><div><em></em></div>Heidi Hess Saxtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02791510605285520649noreply@blogger.com