Picture caption contest for this week.

The object of the contest is to come up with a caption for the picture. Submit your entry using McLinky; winners will be chosen next week.





And now for the winner of last week's contest, found here:

"I cheated. This is my punishment."

I’m going to try something different this week (Monday through Friday) and post about a single theme: marriage. I’d appreciate hearing your insights along the way. If you’re picking up the thread of the posts today, you may want to scroll down and start with the post titled “Kids talk about love and marriage”.


Wow.

Apparently this man's wife isn't about to let him forget what he did. I'm assuming it will be many, many years before peace reigns in their home.

Forgiveness?

Not yet.

Maybe never.

Contrast this with the promise we've received from God:

“This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

- Jeremiah 31:33-34

Jesus asked His followers to take it one step further... A giant step:

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

- Matthew 18:21-22

Was the man pictured above right in cheating on his wife? No.

Was her unforgiveness understandable? Maybe. But was it right?

What about us? Are we refusing to forgive anyone?

Serial marriage?

I’m going to try something different this week (Monday through Friday) and post about a single theme: marriage. I’d appreciate hearing your insights along the way. If you’re picking up the thread of the posts today, you may want to scroll down and start with the post titled “Kids talk about love and marriage”.

I ran into an interesting perspective on marriage

Marriages Within Marriage

Many developmental models include such stages of marriage as: honeymoon, the career establishment period, the child-rearing period, the empty nest when the children are gone, and the retirement marriage. An interesting approach to these seasons of marriage is taken by Christian author and marital therapist David Augsburger (1988) who recognizes that, regardless of whether couples parent children, the marriage relationship has a life of its own which changes over time. He believes that those who live in a marriage over several decades are likely to experience the equivalent of at least four different "marriages" between them as partners within their own marriage. "Marriage is not a single style of relating, committing, trusting, negotiating, conflicting, and growing. When there is growth... there will be multiple marriages, serial marriages, a series of marriages that unfold as the persons grow".

Marriage One: Dream. "I love you, I must be with you. I'll never leave you. You'll always be first. We are in love." Feelings of hurt, fear, or frustration are cautiously shared or concealed. Differences are tolerated or overlooked. Conflict is avoided, since it is damaging to the dream. Intimacy is fueled by the fires of romance.

Marriage Two: Disillusionment. "I still like you, but I can't go on without change. I need space. I need respect. I need to be me as well as 'we.' We are in struggle." The dream begins to evaporate, manipulation occurs as a way to get what we want. We risk sharing feelings, but find them threatening, often uncontrolled, confused and confusing. we demand change of the objectional differences in the partner. Conflict erupts form frustrated feelings. There is fighting, bargaining, pressuring. Intimacy is intense at times, but absent when there is tension.

Marriage Three: Discovery. "I find you surprising. What I liked at the first I came to resent in you. Now I wouldn't change it at all. We are learning to love." True communication is invitation and work toward equality. We own our feelings and express them with candor. We discover that our differences are creative, necessary parts of each of us and of our marriage. We find more creative ways of resolving conflict, seeking mutually satisfying solutions more quickly.

Marriage Four: Depth. "When I'm with you, I feel at home, complete. When we're apart I am at peace, secure. We are loved." There is more genuine mutuality and equality in our communication. We flow with both our thoughts and feelings. We delight in our differences and develop them in each other. We accept conflict as a healthy process and utilize it to work for mutual growth. (Augsburger, 1988, pp. 10-12, 24, 25).

While couples and circumstances differ, research and clinical observation shows these "marriages within a marriage" last about a decade with transition periods between them.

Failure to negotiate the passage between 'the marriages within a marriage' makes divorce more likely and complicates immensely the normal patterns of growth. It is the treacherous passage into and out of the second marriage which sinks many basically good relationships that might have matured and become deeply satisfying and fulfilling alliances. (Augsburger, 1988, p. 13).

There's lots to think about there, don't you think?

If you're interested in reading more of the article this excerpt comes from, go here. And
Augsburger's book, published in 1988 by Regal Books, is Sustaining love: healing and growth in the passages of marriage.

Kids talk about love and marriage

I’m going to try something different this week (Monday through Friday) and post about a single theme: marriage. I’d appreciate hearing your insights along the way.

Here's some wit and wisdom from children about dating, love, and marriage:

What do most people do on a date?

"On the first date, they just tell each other lies, and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date." -Martin, Age 10

Concerning why love happens between two particular people:

"I think you're supposed to get shot with an arrow or something, but the rest of it isn't supposed to be so painful." -Harlen, Age 8

Some surefire ways to make a person fall in love with you:

"Don't do things like have smelly, green sneakers. You might get attention, but attention ain't the same thing as love." -Alonzo, Age 9

On the role of good looks in love:

"If you want to be loved by somebody who isn't already in your family, it doesn't hurt to be beautiful." -Jeanne, Age 8

How can you tell if two adults eating dinner at a restaurant are in love?

"Lovers will just be staring at each other and their food will get cold. Other people care more about the food." -Brad, Age 8

The great debate: is it better to be single or married?

"It gives me a headache to think about that stuff. I'm just a kid. I don't need that kind of trouble." -Will, Age 7

What is marriage?

"Marriage is when you get to keep your girl and don't have to give her back to her parents." -Eric, Age 6

How can a stranger tell if two people are married?

"You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids." -Derrick, age 8

How to make love endure:

"Be a good kisser. It might make your wife forget that you never take out the trash." -Randy, Age 8

"Tell your wife that she looks pretty even if she looks like a truck." -Ricky, age 10

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Don’t forget to enter the latest photo caption contest,
found here!

Are you a rabbit or a bloodhound?

Sometimes I’m more like a rabbit than a bloodhound.

When I think about rabbits, I tend to think of them leading a zigzag path, able to be distracted and set off course by any unusual scent or motion. They may have a goal when they start out, but there’s no telling where they’ll wind up. (Apologies to my rabbit-loving friend, Marion, if I’ve misjudged them…)

On the other hand, when I think of bloodhounds, I think of them as being fixed on a goal, in this case a scent. (Marion, not to worry… in my illustration, they’re helping the police in their pursuit of a criminal – NOT a rabbit…) At any rate, the bloodhound isn’t easily distracted by extraneous sights and smells. He continues to stay focused on what’s directly in front of him. Sure, he’s aware of the end goal – finding the source of the scent – but he stays on track.

St. Francis de Sales has some top-notch advice for the rabbits among us:

In order to journey steadily, we must apply ourselves to doing well the stretch of road immediately before us on the first day of the journey and not waste time wanting to do the last lap of the way while we still have to make it through the first.

The apostle Paul also has some wisdom for us along the same lines in the third chapter of Philippians:

But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things.

Today, I pray that I will follow the example of the bloodhound and keep my eyes on the prize.

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H/T to Alice Claire at How Can I Keep From Singing for the quote from St. Francis de Sales!

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Don’t forget to enter the latest photo caption contest,
found here!

Kid wisdom from today's email

Last week, I took my children to a restaurant.

My six-year-old son asked if he could say grace.

As we bowed our heads he said, "God is good, God is great. Thank you for the food , and I would even thank you more if Mom gets us ice cream for dessert. And Liberty and justice for all! Amen!"

Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby, I heard a woman remark, "That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today don't even know how to pray. Asking God for ice cream! Why, I never!"

Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, "Did I do it wrong? Is God mad at me?"

As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job, and God was certainly not mad at him, an elderly gentleman approached the table. He winked at my son and said, "I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer."

"Really?" my son asked.

"Cross my heart," the man replied.

Then, in a theatrical whisper, he added (indicating the woman whose remark had started this whole thing), "Too bad she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes."

Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal. My son stared at his for a moment, and then did something I will remember the rest of my life.

He picked up his sundae and, without a word, walked over and placed it in front of the woman. With a big smile he told her, "Here, this is for you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes; and my soul is good already."

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Sometimes, we all need some ice cream.

I hope God sends you some Ice Cream today!

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Don’t forget to enter the latest photo caption contest,
found here!

Does God exist?

H/t to American Paptist

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Don’t forget to enter the latest photo caption contest,
found here!

In God We Still Trust

According to a fact sheet from the United States Mint (found here), the motto “In God We Trust” was first placed on coins in the United States as a result of an increase of religious sentiment during the Civil War. The Secretary of the Treasury, Salmon P. Chase, received many requests from U.S. Citizens to recognize God on U.S. coins. In response to these appeals, the Secretary of the Treasury instructed the Director of the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia, James Pollock, to prepare a motto. The following is taken from Chase’s letter:

Dear Sir:

No nation can be strong except in the strength of God, or safe except in His defense. The trust of our people in God should be declared on our national coins.

You will cause a device to be prepared without unnecessary delay with a motto expressing in the fewest and tersest words possible this national recognition.

There are those who question whether it is appropriate to retain these words on our currency. But in this era where the right thing is too often sacrificed on the altar of political correctness, I agree with the sentiments expressed in this song.

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Don't forget to go to Jen's place, Conversion Diary. Each Friday, she hosts 7 Quick Takes. You'll find lots of good bloggers there.

And this week, be sure to leave your "get well wishes to Jen. She has the flu. EW!

Notice the widget on the top of my sidebar. It will lead you to lots of good information about the flu on the website of the Center for Disease Control.

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Don’t forget to enter the latest photo caption contest,
found here!

The best position for prayer

Three preachers sat discussing the best positions for prayer while a telephone repairman worked nearby.

"Kneeling is definitely best," claimed one.

"No," another contended. "I get the best results standing with my hands outstretched to Heaven."

"You're both wrong," the third insisted. "The most effective prayer position is lying prostrate, face down on the floor."

The repairman could contain himself no longer. "Fellas," he interrupted, "the best prayin' I ever did was hangin' upside down from a telephone pole."

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As is the case with a lot of humor, there's a certain amount of wisdom to this, isn't there? In this instance, part of the reason that the repairman's prayer was his best prayin' is because it was undoubtedly quite sincere.

God doesn't require fancy language, and while the posture we assume in prayer may matter to us, God looks at the "posture" of our hearts. I like the simple but beautiful prayer of Fr. Mychal Judge, the NY Fire Department Chaplain, who was killed on 9/11/01 while administering last rites to a World Trade Center victim:

Lord, Take me where you want me to go;
Let me meet who you want me to meet;
Tell me now what you want me to say,
and keep me out of your way.
Amen

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Don’t forget to enter the latest photo caption contest,
found here!

An example of heroism

An article in the September 20, 2009 issue of Our Sunday Visitor tells an interesting story: that of Father Vincent Capodanno. He was born in 1929 in Staten Island, New York and entered the Maryknoll Missionary seminary in 1949. After his ordination, Fr. Capodanno served as a missionary in China and later became a United States Navy Chaplain serving with the 7th Marines in Vietnam. After his first tour, his request for an extension was granted and he served with the 5th Marines.

On September 4th, 1967, some men serving with the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines found themselves heavily outnumbered by a large North Vietnamese Unit of approximately 2500 men in the Thang Binh District of the Que-Son Valley near the village of Dong Son. Operation Swift was underway, but going badly; Company D was in dire need of reinforcements.
Chaplain Capodanno sat in on the morning briefing at the 3rd Battalion’s Combat Operations Center and received word of the battle taking place. As men from Company "M" and "K" prepared to load onto the helicopters, "FatherVince" requested to go with them.

“It's not going to be easy,” he said.

Fierce fighting ensued, and Father Capodanno went among the wounded and dying, giving last rites and caring for wounded Marines. While doing so, he was wounded once in the face and received yet another wound that almost severed his hand. Despite his own serious injuries, Father Capodanno moved to help a wounded corpsman only yards from an enemy machinegun. He lost his own life in the process.

On January 7, 1969, Father Vincent Capodanno was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in recognition of his selfless sacrifice. And on May 21, 2006, thirty-nine years after his death on the battlefield of Vietnam, Capodanno was publicly declared Servant of God, the first step towards canonization.

I think this man's story is interesting and inspirational, but it also gives me the opportunity to quote from my favorite saint, Francis de Sales. Although Francis was a priest, he believed strongly that all people, whatever their vocation, can, and should, strive for holiness. Here's what Francis has to say:

When he created things God commanded plants to bring forth their fruits, each one according to its kind, and in like manner he commands Christians, the living plants of his Church, to bring forth the fruits of devotion, each according to his position and vocation. Devotion must be exercised in different ways by the gentleman, the worker, the servant, the prince, the widow, and the young girl, and the married woman. Not only is this true, but the practice of devotion must also be adapted to the strength, activities, and duties of each particular person.

...Is it fitting for a bishop to want to live a solitary life like a Carthusian? Or for married men to want to own no more property than a Capuchin, for a skilled workman to spend the whole day in church like a religious, for a religious to be constantly subject to every sort of call in his neighbor's service, as a bishop is? Would not such devotion be laughable, confused, impossible to carry out?

...Every vocation becomes more agreeable when united with devotion. Care of one's family is rendered more peaceable, love of husband and wife more sincere, service of one's prince more faithful, and every type of employment more pleasant and agreeable.

It is an error, or rather a heresy, to wish to banish the devout life from the regiment of soldiers, the merchant's shop, the court of princes, or the home of married people.

Priest or soldier, wife or doctor, at home or in the workplace, in the mountains or the jungle... we are all called to holiness. We may not have the opportunity to perform an act of heroism like Capodanno did, but we can strive to remain faithful to our vocation, whatever it is. In its own way, this, too, is heroic.

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If you'd like to learn more about Father Vincent Capodanno, go to the Our Sunday Visitor article mentioned above; you can find it here. Additional information is also available here.

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Don’t forget to enter the latest photo caption contest,
found here!

New Photo Caption Contest for the week of Sept. 23

OK, everyone: here's your chance! Can you think of a caption for this picture? Please submit your suggestions using the McLinky list below. Your comments are also welcome.

Good luck!



And here are the winners for last week's contest, found here:

Living in today

Do not look forward to what might happen tomorrow; the same everlasting Father, who cares for you today, will take care of you tomorrow and every day.

Either He will shield you from suffering,
or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it.

Be at peace, then, and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations.

- St. Francis de Sales

The case of the errant embryo

As our world becomes more complex and our technology becomes more sophisticated, we face increasingly thorny ethical dilemmas. One of the most disquieting I’ve heard of is that of Carolyn and Sean Savage.

The couple had two sons (now 12 and 14 years old) and wanted a third child. After a series of miscarriages, they decided to go forward with in vitro fertilization. The procedure was successful; they now had an 18-month-old daughter.

Then things got more complicated.

There were still 5 cryopreserved embryos. Carolyn and Sean believe that these embryos constitute life; they do not believe in discarding them. Carolyn said, ““We felt strongly that we needed to give every embryo that we created a chance at life.”

Their physician told them that they could possibly hope for one embryo to be viable after the “transfer”, and they went forward with the procedure. Complicating matters still further, at some point along the way they realized that, because of health issues of her own, this would be Carolyn’s last pregnancy.

Not long after the embryo transfer, Sean received a call from their physician. He was told that Carolyn was pregnant, but that a mistake had been made: the wrong embryos had been implanted. Sean was faced with the responsibility of breaking this news to his wife.

The couple met with the doctor, who told them that there were two options to choose from: (1) they could terminate the pregnancy, or (2) they could take the pregnancy to term, but if they did so, they would have to give the child to the biological parents.

Sean and Carolyn’s religious faith is important to them, and their beliefs made the thought of abortion untenable. They decided to go forward with the pregnancy, knowing full well that they would be unable to keep the child.

14 weeks into the pregnancy, the Savages had their attorney contact the child’s biological parents. Ultimately, the two couples met face-to-face, and the biological parents will attend the birth of their son, which will be via Caesarean section.

“It’s been hard,” Carolyn said when interviewed for the TODAY show. “We’ve been rooting for the baby the whole time. We moved from a position of shock to a realization that this was actually going to happen. We needed to put the needs of the pregnancy and the child first. It’s just been difficult, but we feel we made the right decisions on how to handle it.”

But though the pregnancy has been difficult, the Savages recognize that the delivery will be even more difficult. They’ve asked the biological parents to give them the opportunity to say “hello” and “goodbye” to the child; after that, they don’t know if they will have another opportunity to see the child or to learn how he is doing.

Meanwhile, there are still 5 cryopreserved embryos at the fertility clinic, and as Carolyn is unable to safely become pregnant again, the Savages are currently pursuing the option of having a surrogate carry their remaining child or children to term.

If you’d like to read more about this story, go here. Also, you can view an interview with Sean and Carolyn Savage here. And please leave a comment to let me know what you think.

A question of closure

According to a September 16, 2009 Reuters article, Ohio officials tried unsuccessfully to execute inmate Romell Broom, who had been convicted of murder and sentenced to die. Ohio law requires that condemned inmates be executed via lethal injection, but 53-year-old Broom didn’t have a suitable vein to use for the purpose. Ohio officials state, “Our team attempted several times to obtain an access point, however those access points were not usable.”

So for the time being, Broom has been returned to death row.

Family members of the victim had been present in hopes of witnessing Broom’s death and, according to prison spokesman Julie Walburn, who added, “They were looking for closure and obviously they did not get that.”

I have to preface my comments by saying that I’m opposed to the death penalty. I haven’t always been. In fact, at one point, I was a vocal proponent of capital punishment. So I’m able to see both sides of the argument, and I am willing to concede that there are well-meaning people – good people – who hold opinions different from mine. I’ve heard people cite scripture in defense of capital punishment, and I’ve heard people quote passages that seem to oppose it. And people hold very strong opinions about this divisive and controversial topic. So I’m reluctant to open a discussion on the merits of either position.

But I do want to pose one question for discussion.

Just for a moment, imagine that you were the family of the victim, murdered about 2 decades ago. And let’s assume for a moment that Broom is without question guilty of the crime. (Note: This isn’t always the case: there have been 135 people released from death row since 1973 when they were found to be innocent, and there is reason to believe that some innocent people have been executed…)

At any rate...

Assuming Broom is guilty, how would you feel as the family of the victim? Assuming you’d thought that Broom’s execution would bring you closure, how would you feel now, having finally arrived at the long-awaited day where you would see him die, only to have your desires thwarted?

Is there such a thing as “closure” in a circumstance like this? Does the execution of the person convicted of the crime bring some sort of healing? Or after all is said and done, does the wound caused by the original act of violence remain untouched? Is forgiveness possible?

I thank God I’ve never had my capacity for forgiveness tested to such a degree, but I want to share a quote from Debbie Morris. This woman – kidnapped, brutalized, and raped repeatedly by a man who was later executed for a different crime – had this to say:

People often ask, “How do you feel about the death penalty now? Are you for or against it?” I still have ambivalent feelings. I’ve seen mankind’s idea of ultimate justice; I have more faith in God’s. And even God seems to put a higher priority on forgiveness than on justice. We don’t sing “Amazing Justice”; we sing “Amazing Grace”.

Does that mean that I think a holy God would oppose the execution of a convicted murderer like Robert Willie? I don’t know; I’m still wrestling with that question. But I do know this: Justice didn’t do a thing to heal me. Forgiveness did.

I suppose in a sense I'm stacking the deck by citing this quote, because Debbie found forgiveness brought her the healing that the justice system did not. I haven't found a quote from someone who would speak for the other side of the argument. But I ask you:

In your opinion, would Broom’s execution bring a grieving family long-awaited healing, or would forgiveness be the key? In such an instance, which of these leads to "closure"? Does either one?

What do you think?

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Don’t forget to enter this week’s caption contest! You can find it here.
I'm planning on holding one every Wednesday - I've had fun seeing your creative ideas!

Start your week with a laugh... Men In Coats

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Don’t forget to enter this week’s caption contest! You can find it here.
I'm planning on holding one every Wednesday - I've had fun seeing your creative ideas!

Too busy to listen?

In the background of my story I see the early years of my busy fervor as a Catholic lad who loved his vocal prayers and his devotions. I aimed at doing good by my example, by frequent approach to the sacraments, visits to the tabernacle, giving what alms I could to the poor, and making what efforts I could to convert sinners and non-Catholics.

My ideal was the missioner, and above all the missioner-martyr, dying to win pagan souls to God. I saw virtue in terms of activity, of doing things for God. My eyes rested lovingly (and exclusively, I think) on external activity spent in the great cause. What Paul wrote to Timothy (2 Tim. 4:2) expressed my dream: “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, entreat, rebuke in all patience and doctrine.”

Even when I entered religion, submitting willingly and co-operatively to my training, my viewpoint remained unchanged. I thought of myself as getting ready for really efficient external work. My studies would make me a great preacher and apologist. I promised to “wear myself out” in external labor for Christ, the while by prayer and obedience I grew in virtue.

Always I was longing “to get going,” to be doing things… I was, though not consciously, assuming that God really needed the crack of my rifle and the thrust of my bayonet, in order to win His battle. Instead of saying to God: “With Your help I’ll try to do what You want, whether it be to work or to rest in idleness,” I said to God: “Dear God, I’m going to do this and that for You! See if I don’t!”

- E. Boyd Barrett

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Don’t forget to enter this week’s caption contest! You can find it here.
I'm planning on holding one every Wednesday - I've had fun seeing your creative ideas!

I hate math.

I have to be honest here. I absolutely HATE math.

I understand why it's important. I understand it's irreplaceable for zillions of functions other than torturing me while I was in high school. But it really DID torture me while I was in high school. And elementary school. And quadrillions of times since then.

If I were a bigger and better person, capable of standing the jeers of squillions of people who LOVE math, I'd tell you how I used to try to balance my checkbook. That system - and countless others - didn't work, so I've developed a system that would be even MORE embarrassing to describe.

You see, I've decided that the problem is that I started with something that was only slightly off, and over time, it became more and more off base, until finally it wasn't even remotely in the same ballpark. In fact, I don't think it was even in the same universe. So...suffice it to say...

I hate math.

So this quote from St. Francis de Sale's Introduction to the Devout Life really struck me:

Since little faults committed in the beginning of a project grow infinitely greater in its course and are finally almost irreparable, above all else you must know what the virtue of devotion is. There is only one true devotion but there are many that are false and empty. If you are unable to recognize which kind is true, you can easily be deceived and led astray by following one that is offensive and superstitious.

In his pictures Arelius painted all faces after the manner and appearance of the women he loved, and so too everyone paints devotion according to his own passions and fancies. A man given to fasting thinks himself very devout if he fasts, although his heart may be filled with hatred. Much concerned with sobriety, he doesn't dare to wet his tongue with wine or even water but won't hesitate to drink deep of his neighbor's blood by detraction and calumny. Another man thinks himself devout because he daily recites a vast number of prayers, but after saying them he utters the most disagreeable, arrogant, and harmful words at home and among the neighbors. Another gladly takes a coin out of his purse and gives it to the poor, but he cannot extract kindness from his heart and forgive his enemies. Another forgives his enemies but never pays his creditors unless compelled to do so by force of law. All these men are usually considered to be devout, but they are by no means such. Saul's servants searched for David in his house but Michol had put a statue on his bed, covered it with David's clothes, and thus led them to think that it was David himself lying there sick and sleeping. In this same manner, many persons clothe themselves with certain outward actions connected with holy devotion and the world believes that they are truly devout and spiritual whereas they are in fact nothing but copies and phantoms of devotion.

Genuine, living devotion, Philothea, presupposes love of God, and hence it is simply true love of God.

All of us are, to some degree, "copies and phantoms of devotion"... or at least I am. It's so easy to look at the things we do well and feel content, to "rest on our laurels". Truth be told, though, we all have work to do.

St. Francis doesn't want us to put on hair shirts and indulge in self-flagellation over the ways we fall short, though. He encourages us by saying "a strong, resolute soul can live in the world without being infected by any of its moods"... including that of feeling defeated by sin. After all - "I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength". (Phillipians 4:13)

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Don’t forget to visit 7 Quick Takes over at Conversion Diary today!

And please don’t forget to enter this week’s caption contest! You can find it here.
I'm planning on holding one every Wednesday - I've had fun seeing your creative ideas!

Keep your fork

There was a woman who had been diagnosed with cancer and had been given 3 months to live. Her doctor told her to start making preparations to die (something we all should be doing all of the time.) So she contacted her pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what she wanted to be wearing. The woman also told her pastor that she wanted to be buried with her favorite Bible. Everything was in order and the pastor was preparing to leave when the woman suddenly remembered something very important to her. “There's one more thing.” She said excitedly. “What's that?” came the pastor's reply. “This is very important.” The woman continued. “I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.”

The pastor stood looking at the woman not knowing quite what to say. “That shocks you doesn't it?” The woman asked. “Well to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request,” said the pastor. The woman explained:

“In all my years of attending church socials and functions where food was involved, my favorite part was when whoever was clearing away the dishes of the main course would lean over and say 'you can keep your fork.' It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming. When they told me to keep my fork, I knew that something great was about to be given to me. It wasn't Jell-O or pudding. It was cake or pie. Something with substance. So I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder 'What's with the fork?' Then I want you to tell them: 'Something better is coming so keep your fork too.'“ The pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the woman goodbye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did.

She KNEW that something better was coming. At the funeral people were walking by the woman's casket and they saw the pretty dress she was wearing and her favorite bible and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over the pastor heard the question “What's with the fork?” And over and over he smiled. During his message, the pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. The pastor told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either. He was right.

So the next time you reach down for your fork, let it remind you oh so gently that there is something better coming. Keep your fork. The best is yet to come.

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To An Unknown God

In the course of Paul’s missionary travels, he went to Areopagus (in Athens). He visited their holy places, and at one of these shrines, he found the inscription, “To An Unknown God”. The altar may have looked much like this altar to an unknown god, found in Rome:

In Acts 17, Paul provided the answer to this puzzle about the unknown god in the form of a great theological discourse to the Greeks. There he offers a Cliff Notes version of much of what we believe as Christians. He recognizes that there is only one God, the creator of the universe and of all that dwells in it. Man-made idols do not do His work, nor does He live in a man-made structure; rather, God is everywhere, “not far from any one of us”. God doesn’t “need” to be served by man, for He created and sustains man, and God demands our repentance, for there will be a day of judgment. This judgment will take place through a man appointed by God, a man who was raised from the dead.

I’ve summarized Paul’s words above, but nothing I say could ever top the beauty and precision of his words, found in Acts 17:22-31:

Then Paul stood up at the Areopagus and said: “You Athenians, I see that in every respect you are very religious. For as I walked around looking carefully at your shrines, I even discovered an altar inscribed, ‘To An Unknown God.’ What therefore you unknowingly worship, I proclaim to you.

“The God who made the world and all that is in it, the Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands because he needs anything. Rather it is he who gives to everyone life and breath and everything. He made from one the whole human race to dwell on the entire surface of the earth, and he fixed the ordered seasons and the boundaries of their regions, so that people might seek God, even perhaps grope for him and find him, though indeed he is not far from any one of us. For ‘In him we live and move and have our being,’ as even some of your poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’

“Since therefore we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the divinity is like an image fashioned from gold, silver, or stone by human art and imagination. God has overlooked the times of ignorance, but now he demands that all people everywhere repent because he has established a day on which he will ‘judge the world with justice’ through a man he has appointed, and he has provided confirmation for all by raising him from the dead.”

This beautiful passage touches me in great and wondrous ways. In the middle of it, I found the inspiration for the title of this blog. I hope that all of it will provide the inspiration for my life.

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What's your approach to reading the Bible? Are there parts of the Bible that speak to your heart in a special way? Don't forget to email me with your thoughts. In a week or so, I’ll summarize what you’ve shared in another post. If you want to be credited with your idea as an individual or via a reference to your blog, please include that information; otherwise, I won’t include any references that would identify you. My email address is ncsue0514 AT msn DOT com. (Replace AT with @ and DOT with a dot, or period.) And let me know if you would like to be a “guest blogger” on this topic.

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I'm planning on holding one every Wednesday - I've had fun seeing your creative ideas!

This week's photo caption contest. Good luck!

Here's another picture that's yearning for a caption. Use the McLinky list below to submit your entry for this week's contest or, if you prefer, you can comment. Just remember to include some way to contact you if you're one of the winners.

Good luck!

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And here are the winners for last week's contest. If you'd like to see the photo in question, click here:

Seven Sorrows

You may have noticed that one of the blogs I follow on my sidebar is "A Concord Pastor Comments". His blog reminded me that today (September 15) is the feast day of Our Lady of Sorrows.

Are you aware that there is a Rosary of the Seven Sorrows, or Seven Dolors? Here's some information about it:

The Rosary of the Seven Sorrows consists of seven groups of seven beads, with three additional beads and a Crucifix. The seven groups of seven Hail Mary's are recited in remembrance of the Seven Sorrows of Mary, namely:

1. The prophecy of Simeon - Luke 2:25-32
2. The flight into Egypt - Matthew 2:13-18
3. The loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple - Luke 2: 41-46
4. Mary meets Jesus carrying His cross - Luke 23-27
5. The Crucifixion - John 19:25-27
6. Mary received the body of Jesus from the cross - Matthew 27:58-61
7. The body of Jesus is placed in a tomb - Luke 23:55

Three Hail Mary's are added in remembrance of the tears Mary shed because of the suffering of her Divine Son and to obtain true sorrow for our sins. The concluding prayer is:

V - Pray for us, O most sorrowful Virgin
R - That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Replaceable people?

According to this BBC article, Elton John has decided to adopt a boy who has been living in an orphanage in the Ukraine. He evidently had long resisted his partner David’s desire to adopt, but on the day he performed at the orphanage and met 14-month-old Lev, he said, “David and I have always talked about adoption, David always wanted to adopt a child and I always said ‘no’ because I am 62 and I think because of the traveling I do and the life I have, maybe it wouldn't be fair for the child. But having seen Lev today, I would love to adopt him. I don't know how we do that but he has stolen my heart. And he has stolen David's heart and it would be wonderful if we can have a home. I've changed my mind today.”

Although Lev “stole his heart”, love wasn’t the only factor that John cited. Another was loss… loss of his friend and keyboardist Guy Babylon, who died of a heart attack at age 52 just the week before the concert in the Ukraine. John said, “What better opportunity to replace someone I lost than to replace him with someone I can give a future to.”

On many levels, I find this story disturbing. A 62-year-old gay rock star who had been unwavering in his refusal to adopt changed his mind on the very day he met a young boy who could “replace someone” he had “lost” the week before. But I think the last disturbs me the most.

Bits of the Bible

When I was a Protestant, I wondered why the Catholic Bible was different. Why did the Catholic Church add certain books into the Bible… books that weren’t recognized by my denomination? Then I became a Catholic, and I wondered why Protestants took some books out of the Bible. A few days ago, I ran into an article that differentiates between the biblical canon (the list of books considered authoritative as Scripture) of several different groups: Samaritan, Hebrew, Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Syriac, Ethiopian, and Protestant. I had no idea!

Click here to see the article, and then email me with your thoughts. In a week or so, I’ll summarize what you’ve shared in another post. If you want to be credited with your idea as an individual or via a reference to your blog, please include that information; otherwise, I won’t include any references that would identify you. My email address is ncsue0514 AT msn DOT com. (Replace AT with @ and DOT with a dot, or period.) And let me know if you would like to be a “guest blogger” on this topic.

The cell phone versus the Bible

I got an email from a friend at work the other day that got me thinking. First I'd like to share the email, and then I'd like to invite YOU to share:

Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we flipped through it several time a day?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to kids as gifts?
What if we used it when we traveled?
What if we used it in case of emergency?

This is something to make you go...hmm...where is my Bible?

Oh, and one more thing. Unlike our cell phone, we don’t have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill. And no dropped calls!

As I read this, I recognized (again) that I have room for improvement here. So I pose these questions to my readers, and hope you’ll respond:

• Do you read the Bible regularly? If not, what seems to be your biggest obstacle? If so, what advice would you give to others who want to develop this habit?
• How do you decide what to read? Do you “start at the beginning and go to the end”? Do you focus on a certain topic? Do you follow along with the Lectionary or some other established sequence?
• Do you use a prepared Bible study guide of some sort? If so, can you offer some recommendations of ones you’ve found helpful?
• Do you read the Bible in conjunction with your daily devotions or at some other specific time?
• Do you read or study the Bible with someone else – a friend, your family, a group from church?
• Have you found any online resources to be especially helpful? Are there other printed resources such as a Bible dictionary that you would recommend?

There are a lot of questions here, and you may not want to answer them all. But I’d love to hear what you have to say about these questions. I’m going to turn the comments off and ask instead that you email me with your suggestions and comments. In a week or so, I’ll summarize what you’ve shared in another post. If you want to be credited with your idea as an individual or via a reference to your blog, please include that information; otherwise, I won’t include any references that would identify you. My email address is ncsue0514 AT msn DOT com. (Replace AT with @ and DOT with a dot, or period.) And let me know if you would like to be a “guest blogger” on this topic.

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Pass it on!

Over time, I have come to understand that some gifts are meant to be passed on, not repaid. All of us know somebody who would benefit from a kind word. I’m encouraging you to act on it. For the biggest impact, do it in writing. And do it for somebody who knows you have nothing to gain. It’s important to give encouragement to family and friends, but their happiness and yours are inseparable. For the maximum velocity, I’m suggesting that you give your encouragement to someone who can’t return the favor – it’s a distinction that won’t be lost on the recipient. And remember, there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.

– Scott Adams

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Coming to God

I came to You late, O Beauty so ancient and new. I came to love You late. You were within me and I was outside where I rushed about wildly searching for You like some monster loose in Your beautiful world. You were with me but I was not with You. You called me, You shouted to me, You wrapped me in Your Splendour, You broke past my deafness, You bathed me in Your Light, You sent my blindness reeling. You gave out such a delightful fragrance and I drew it in and came breathing hard after You. I tasted, and it made me hunger and thirst; You touched me, and I burned to know Your Peace.

- St. Augustine of Hippo

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Thoughts from the "in box"

I received the following email yesterday:

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, "How heavy is this glass of water?" Answers called out ranged from 1 ounce to 10 ounces.

The lecturer replied, “The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”

He continued, “And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on. As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden. So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home; you can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can. Put down anything that may be a burden to you right now. Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while.”

As I thought about this, I recognized that the lecturer didn’t go quite far enough in his analogy for me. He neglected to mention the importance of seeking help from others – and particularly from God – to bear the burdens we’re to carry. I remembered these verses from Matthew 11:28-30:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Each time I’ve read these words, I’ve thought of the heavy burdens Jesus bore. His 3-year ministry on earth would have been exhausting for me, and its conclusion – the trial, the scourging, the crucifixion while carrying the sins of each and every one of us – would have been impossible for me to endure. And I was supposed to take up that burden??? And think it light???

Then, for the first time, I looked – really looked – at a “yoke”. And I realized that if Jesus and I were yoked together, I would be carrying only a fraction of the burden, for it would be shared with Him. Furthermore, He and I would be in such close proximity that we would literally be shoulder to shoulder. As we walked, we could talk with each other. I would be able to observe how He handled the weight, and I would indeed be able to "learn from him". For the first time, I understood - really understood -how the burden shared with Jesus could, indeed, be easy to bear.

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What are we missing?

Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.

4 minutes later: the violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

6 minutes: A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

10 minutes: A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.

45 minutes: The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

1 hour: He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities. The questions raised: in a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made.... How many other things are we missing?

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TOO funny!!!

10 rules for handling disagreement like a Christian

The article found below was written by Bishop Vigneron of the Diocese of Oakland.

Dear Sisters and Brothers:

When I began my term as the rector of the major seminary in Detroit a little over 10 years ago, one of the problems I had to help my students deal with was the often-sharp differences of opinion that we find within the Church.

The seminarians looked to me as the pastor of that community to help them navigate through the contentious expression of differing viewpoints. To fulfill my responsibilities as the father of that seminary family I composed what I called “Ten Rules for Handling Disagreement Like a Christian.”

Whether or not the clash of opinions within the Catholic community in the U.S. has grown stronger or weakened over the last decade I couldn’t say; however, I do know that with some frequency we still find ourselves at odds over what we think and where we want to head.

With that in mind, I thought that I, now serving as pastor of the family of the Oakland Diocese, could profitably share these “Ten Rules” with all of you. So, here they are, along with my own brief commentary on each.

1. The Rule of Charity: “Charity is primary.”
This has to be the place to start whenever we disagree with one another: with love. St. Paul said: “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Cor. 13:1). No matter how wise my insights or astute my plans, they count for nothing if I do not offer them with love.

Now, that charity is the first and fundamental requirement for all authentic Christian speech does not mean that such speaking can only be weak, but it does mean that whatever is said ought always to be offered respectfully and for the genuine service of others, especially my hearers. In fact, all of St. Paul’s sage advice in the “Hymn to Charity” in 1 Cor. 13 spells out eloquently this “Rule.”

2. The Rule of Publicity: “Think with the mind of the Church.”
This rule is simply a translation of the Latin axiom “Sentire cum Ecclesia.” This means that, when we disagree, the final measure for judging what’s on target and what’s off the mark is what the Church thinks, not, ultimately, what you think or what I think – not private opinion, but what the Church has said to all to know.

This is the reason I call this the “The Rule of Publicity.” The criterion for our deciding our disagreements is not one’s own private opinions, but the mind of the People of God, what the Church thinks. In order to apply this rule effectively, we need to use a corollary: “Measure everything against the authoritative documents of the Magisterium.”

The logical question to follow any call for us to “think with the mind of the Church” is: How do I know what that is? The answer is: “Look in the places where the Church has expressed her mind with authority.” Look in the writings of the Councils and the popes, in the Church’s laws, and in the teachings of her Fathers and Doctors. Any survey or poll, no matter how extensive or accurate, if it contradicts the Magisterium, is not the Church’s mind.

3. The Rule of Legitimate Freedom: “What the Church allows is not to be disallowed.”
This rule means that in situations where the Church says that a variety of views or opinions is legitimate, I should not impose my option as a mandate on others. For example: we can receive Holy Communion in the hand or on the tongue. Either one is acceptable.

4. The Rule of Catholic Freedom: “There’s something for everybody, but not everything is for everybody.”
This fourth rule is an extension of the one above. It applies the same sort of respect for diversity to the wider spheres of our common life. This rule is based on the recognition that “It’s a big Church.” God has given gifts of grace in an almost dizzying variety. Some folks are attracted to the Carmelite Third Order, others gather for charismatic prayer. Nobody has to live the Christian life exactly the way I do.

Remember: “Think (and act) with the mind of the Church.” We need to respect every practice or approach that has a legitimate place in the life of the Church, and we cannot make our favorite practice or approach mandatory for others if the Church has not.

5. The Rule of Modesty: “Not all of my causes are God’s causes.”
Yes, it’s true that in many cases we invest our heart’s devotion because that’s what God commands for all his people. But that’s not necessarily so in every instance. Some of my agendas are mine. It’s right to embark on projects with a zealous desire to give God glory, but I have to remember that while it may be his will for me to take this on, there are cases when it’s not his will for everyone else to join me.

6. The Rule of Integrity: “To do evil in order to accomplish good is really to do evil.”
Breaking one of God’s commandments is not the way to advance his Kingdom, ever. If, in the service of Christ, I act in an un-Christian way, I become a highly effective ally of the very forces I set out to combat. (Among those who are big “Star War” fans, this rule is sometimes referred to as the “Darth Vader Axiom.”)

7. The Rule of Realism: “Remember that Satan is eager to corrupt my efforts to build up the Kingdom, and he’s smart enough to figure out a way to do it.
This rule is strong statement about the need for each of us in our disagreements to practice that form of realism, for which the more common name is “humility.” My cause may be right or my view may be true, but I have to watch that their goodness is not corrupted by my infidelity.

8. The Rule of Mystery: “Not all the habits and attitudes which belong to a society governed by a representative democracy are appropriate in the Church.”
In every age there is a tendency – often unconscious – to shape the life of the Church after the pattern of the secular order of the day. In the Middle Ages, the governance of the Church was often configured to the feudal system of the times, sometimes with very harmful consequences. For example, bishops and abbots were identified with the barons of the nobility.

In our own day, we could make a similar sort of mistake: thinking that the responsibility and authority of the Church’s pastors are of the same sort as that of our elected officials. In such mistaken identifications, what is at work is a forgetting that while the Church is, yes, a human reality, she is also a divine reality, a mystery, unlike any other community every known in the history of the world.

The Church is neither a democracy nor a monarchy. She is the Church, the Lord’s own creation, constituted according to his will and plan.

9. The Petrine Rule: “Nobody ever built up the Church by tearing down the pope.”
This rule follows quite logically from the one immediately above. The Holy Father’s leadership is part of the Church’s constitution from Christ. Because the pope is not the sort of democratic leader we are accustomed to in civil society, there is a tendency by some observers to characterize his office as a “throwback” to times that we have surpassed, a “burden” for the Catholic people that we would well be freed from. Not so.

The pastoral care we receive from the Holy Father is a great grace, St. Peter’s own service of his fellow disciples continuing to this very day. A great pope makes us a better Church.

10. The Eschatological Rule: “The victory is assured; my job is to run out the clock with style.”
Christ is risen – truly, body and soul risen and in glory at the Father’s right. He has conquered sin and death and all the forces that threaten us. Whatever is at stake in our trials or conflicts, the certainty of Christ’s victory is not in doubt.

And he promised he would be with us always, until the end of time (cf. Mat. 28:20). He will never leave his Church, and his victory will be ours as long as we abide with him in his Mystical Body.

This rule, of course, is not an excuse for giving less than our full effort to spread the Kingdom; that would be a kind of presumption. However, this rule is a call to remember that there is one Savior, and it’s not you or me. Our mission is to serve the Lord in fidelity and hope, and be ready for him to act, for he surely will.