A Reason to Celebrate

Happy Baptismal Birthday to our beloved M!!

Stone by stone... day by day... cookie by cookie. :)

God Bless Texas!

In light of Kat's recent move and comments on Texas pride, I thought I would point out that there were flags of almost every country of the world represented at World Youth Day 2008 in Australia. Including Texas. We saw tons of Texas state flags on EWTN's coverage!

Happy Birthday

Happy 40th Birthday, Humanae Vitae!
Enjoy this article and its provocative defense of such a prophetic encyclical.

What a great read for all, Catholics and non-Catholics alike!

Ubi Petrus, ibi Ecclesia.

If you are not already reading them, I would really recommend the book series Conversations with God. These books give short (2-3 pages) reflections on the mass readings and related themes for each day of the liturgical year, with quotes from church fathers and great Catholic thinkers and lots of real life advice. As a busy mom, this is a great way to get some spiritual reading in most days even when time is very short, and since things are nicely digested I seem to get alot out of it even when I am tired. You might think of these as great homilies, and you don't have to keep your kids from squirming!

Anyway, yesterdays reflection on Good Shepherd Sunday was a timely reminder that we should be praying for and offering loyalty and love to our pope, who is the Vicar of Christ. One thing that struck me in particular is that God has given authority to the current pope, so it would be incorrect to be longing for the previous one or hoping for the next one.

I recall that Peggy Noonan, the Catholic editorialist, was very fond of John Paul II (she was not alone in this, of course), but I think she has been, in the past, too nostalgic for the personality of his pontificate. In this week's WSJ, however, Peggy does a nice job of outlining her increasing respect and affection for Pope Benedict.

Here is a quote that I love from a Ratzinger homily:

"Being an 'Adult' means having a faith which does not follow the waves of today's fashions or the latest novelties. A faith which is deeply rooted in friendship with Christ is adult and mature."

I, personally, have had a great fondness for this Pope ever since I listened to a dramatized version of parts of a very long interview which Cardinal Ratzinger gave to an agnostic journalist, I beleive one who had fallen away from the Church. I heard it on retreat and do not know the exact source, if anyone is familiar please point us to it in the comments.

Welcome!

Edited to add another picture of the cake

This weekend we had the great joy of baptising our son. A small group of family members gathered in the chapel of our Church after the Mass for Good Shepherd Sunday, and there our son was given his name and was baptised, anointed and clothed in Christ. Afterwards, we had a little luncheon and cake, which the kids kept calling "Leo's wedding cake." When my children are baptised I am mindful of the fact that I am choosing the Church for them now, but later they will have to choose it for themselves. I pray that if marriage is Leo's vocation, many years from now, he will still be close to the Lord and that the cake we eat that day will be a celebration of a Sacrament.

My daughter, God is counting on your help

I thought this message from St. Josemaria Escriva, regarding the role of women, was very uplifting. Enjoy!

Catholic Loves

Happy Feast of St. Valentine!

Like many of you, I am a 24/7, on-call, do-it-all mama! And day by day, my family and I are trying to make it in this crazy world and do so with grace, love, and reverence for our Church. Not an easy feat, by any means, and one that takes great patience and forbearance for any mother!

Thankfully, we've been recently taken by a few Catholic media items that have helped in a small way to smooth over the rough patches in our day and bring us to our knees more often. Couldn't we all use a little more of that? The first has been cycling on our CD player already this morning. My two cherubs love Rose Marie Rudolph's Tiny Hands Precious Feet: A Catholic Baby's First Lullabies. Thanks to Aunt Kat and Uncle ET, our T-baby's godparents, this CD made its way into our home and has been a blessing to us since. In it, Rose Marie and her 6 sons and 6 nieces and nephews sing into the hearts of their listeners with songs, prayers, and poems. It is a beautiful compilation, including Catholic favorites like "Sing of Mary", "Panis Angelicus", and "Adoro Te Devote" along with other classics like "Braham's Lullaby" and "Pachelbel's Cannon in D". It is a heartwarming work and one that my boys love hearing over and over (and over, etc.!) again. Having it play as the soundtrack to our day-to-day has been quite a blessing for our growing family.

The second of our media loves came by the way of a dear blogging friend and sister in Christ and His Church. Prayerfully Expecting: A Nine Month Novena for Mothers-To-Be by Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle has already graced this pregnancy with insight, wisdom, and prayerful encouragement as I journey through month four and beyond. The book invites readers to experience pregnancy in prayerful meditation. Each chapter walks through one month of pregnancy, giving general information about the baby's development and then offering various St. Anne (patron saint for mothers) and St. Gerard Majella Novenas, insights from Pope John Paul II and Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and Rosary meditations. The chapters end with space for the mother to write out her thoughts and reflections for that month. How I long to make this journey of pregnancy through prayer... Day by day, one prayer at a time! I can already tell it will be, by far, one of my most graced-filled pregnancies yet thanks to this wonderful Catholic book.

As we journey this road together, what products do you love? What has encouraged your family toward a more Christ-filled day-to-day? Please share your insight--we are always looking to expand our inventory here in Gasperini-Ville!