Trusting that Something Good Will Come

May is a month especially dedicated to Mary, our Mother in heaven. And all of us mothers here on earth can look to her for example.

Ginny Kubitz Moyer offers a beautiful reflection on Mary and motherhood in the Mary 2013 issue of St. Anthony Messenger: Mary, Exemplar of Faith.

She writes:

Over the six years that I’ve been a mom, I’ve learned that there are certain qualities that are very useful for parents to have. These include a sense of humor, the ability to multitask, and the knowledge of which battles to pick (note: forcing a toddler into a sweater he doesn’t want to wear is the very definition of “lost cause”). As important as all these are, though, I think the most useful parental quality is faith. 


What is faith? I’d define it as the ability to trust that there will be good things ahead. It’s the knowledge that this moment—this crosscountry flight with a screaming baby, this child’s scary bout with pneumonia—is not the final chapter. Something good is waiting to happen. Often that something good is over a distant horizon, impossible to see from where we stand. Faith is the certainty that it is there all the same.

Every parent faces countless situations where faith is required. When I think of Mary, it’s clear that she was an expert in this area. She gave birth on the road; she had to escape to a foreign country for her baby’s safety; she even lost her teenage son for a few terrifying days. When her child was an adult, she saw him saying things that hit a little too close to the bone of the powerful ones, who ended up killing him.

All of it must have taken extraordinary faith on Mary’s part. And yet, even she must have been surprised and overjoyed at the exact nature of the good things that were finally revealed: a resurrection, eternal life, a fleet of devoted friends who would travel the globe to share the message of her son. 

Please read the full article here: http://www.stanthonymessenger.org/article.aspx?ArticleID=56&SectionID=39&PageNum=1

Saint's Names of the Day - Gwen and Theodore

Today is the last day for the Ave Maria Facebook Contest and the featured names are Gwen and Theodore.

Gwen is a Welsh name meaning "white wave" or "white browed."

Variations include Gwenesha, Gweness, Gwenata, Gwenite, Gwenn, Gwenna, and Gwyn.

St. Gwen (fifth century) was a daughter  of Brychan of Brecknock. She married St. Fragan and was martyred by pagans. According to legend she had three breasts. For this reason, she is invoked for women's fertility. 

Theodore is a Greek name meaning "gift of God."

Variations include Teadomiro, Tedor, Teodus, Teos, Theodon, Theodor, Theodorus, Todor and Tolek.

Some saints with the name Theodore are St. Theodore of Bologna, St. Theodore of Chotep, St. Theodore of Egypt, St. Theodore of Emesa, St. Theodore of Pavia, St. Theodore of Pelusium, and St. Theodore of Tarsus.

St. Theodore (d. 310) was a deacon at Pentapolis, Lybia. He and Saints Irenaeus, Serapion, and Ammonius were tortured by having their tongues cut out. All survived the ordeal and died of natural causes, but they are considered martyrs due to their willingness to die.

For more information on saints and names, please pick up a copy of The Catholic Baby Name Book

Today's Saint Names of the Day - Diana and Stephen

Today's featured names on the Ave Maria Press Facebook Contest are Diana and Stephen.

Diana  is a Latin name meaning "divine" 
Daiana, Daianna, Dayana, Deana, Dianna, Diaanah, Dianah, Dianalyn, Dianarose, Dianatris, Dianca, Diane, Dianelis, Diania, Dianiah, Dianiella, Dianielle, Dianita Dianna, Dianya, Dianyah, Dianys, Didi, Dihana, Dihanah, Dihanna, Dihannah, Dyana
Bl. Diana d’Andalo (d. 1236) was born into a noble family in Bologna, Italy. She became a Dominican nun and helped found the Monastery of St. Agnes. She was one of the first three Dominican nuns in Bologna.

Stephen is a Greek name meaning "crowned"
Estefan, Estevon, Stefanos, Steffan, Stefos, Stepanos, Stephan, Stephanas, Stephano, Stephanos, Stephanas, Stephens, Stephfan, Stephin, Stepven, Steven
St. Stephen (d. 33) was a deacon and preacher who became the first Christian martyr. He was stoned to death by angry Jews. Saul, who would later become St. Paul, was present.

For more information about names and patron saints, please pick up a copy of The Catholic Baby Name Book

Thank you to Wendy Wiese and Christine Capolino

Many thanks to Wendy Wiese for having me on her radio program today: On Call with Wendy Wiese and to Christine Capolino for her kind review of The Catholic Baby Name Book: I Have Called You by Name

Today's Saints Names of the Day - Julia and Nathan

Today's featured names on the Ave Maria Facebook Contest are Julia and Nathan. If you have that name or know someone with that name, please head on over to enter.  

Julia is a top 100 Name that comes from Latin. It means "youthful."

Variations include:  Iulia, Iuliana, Jewelea, Jeweleah, Jewelia, Jeweliah, Jewelya, Jewlya, Jewlyah, Juelea, Jueleah, Jula, Julea, Juleah, Juliah, Julica, Juliea, Julienne, Julija, Julita, Julity, Juliya, Julka, Julya

Saints with that name include St. Julia Maria Ledochowska, St. Julia of Billiart, St. Julia of Carthage, St. Julia of Corsica, St. Julia of Merida, St. Julia of Troyes 

St. Julia of Corsica (seventh century) was born in Carthage to a noble Christian family. She was captured by Vandals and sold into slavery to a pagan named Eusebius. When the ship landed at Corsica, she was commanded to take part in a pagan festival. She refused. Her hair was torn out of her head, and she was martyred.

Nathan is a Hebrew name meaning "gift of God"
Variations include Naethan, Naethin, Naethun,Naethyn, Naithan, Naithin,Naithon, Naithun, Naithyn, Natan, Nate, Nathann, Nathean,Nathian, Nathin, Nathun, Nathyn, Natthan, Naythan, Naythun, Naythyn, Nethan
 
Nathan in the Bible was a prophet who lived in the time of King David. He reprimanded David for his relationship with Bathsheba. He also wrote histories of the reigns of King David and King Solomon. King David named one of his sons after him. His story is told in the books of Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and 2 Chronicles.

For more information on Catholic Baby Names, please pick up a copy of The Catholic Baby Name Book
 

Today's Saint Names of the Day - Audrey and Leonard

Today on the Ave Maria Facebook Contest, the names of the day are Audrey and Leonard.

Audrey  is a top 100 Name. It is an English name meaning "noble strength."

Variations include Adrey, Audey, Audra, Audrah, Audray, Audre, Audrienna, Audrienne, Audrin, Audriya, Audrye, Ethelreda, Etheidreda, Etdelreda
 
St. Audrey (d. 679), also known as Ethelreda or Etheidreda, was an English princess. She had taken a vow of virginity but was married anyway. Her first marriage ended after three years when her husband died.

The marriage had never been consummated. Her second husband
did not wish to live a celibate life and asked St. Wilfrid to release Audrey from her vow
of virginity, but he refused. He instead helped her to escape. Her husband followed her, but he eventually gave up and married someone else, and Audrey became a nun. She founded the Abbey of Ely and lived an austere life. She died of a large tumor on her neck.

Leonard  is a German name meaning "brave as a lion."

Variations include Leanard, Leanardas, Leanardus, Lennart, Leonardis, Leonardo, Leonart, Leonerd, Leonhard, Leonhardt, Leonidas, Leonnard, Leontes, Lernard, Lienard, Linek, Lionard, Lnard, Londard, Lonnard, Lonya, Lynnard, Lyonard
 
Saints with that name include: St. Leonard, St. Leonard Kimura, St. Leonard Muraildo, St. Leonard of Noblac, St. Leonard of Port Maurice, St. Leonard of Reresby, St. Leonard Vandoeuvre, St. Leonard Wegel 

St. Leonard (d. 559) was a Frank courtier who converted and became a monk at Micy. He lived as a hermit at Limoges. The king asked him to pray for the queen who was having a difficult delivery. When she delivered successfully, the king offered him all the land he could ride around on a donkey for a day. On that land, he founded Noblac Monastery. He is invoked to help women in labor and for prisoners of war.

For more information on name meanings and patron saints, please visit: The Catholic Baby Name Book
 

A Prayer for New Mothers

I was thinking today how this was my 13th Mother's Day as a mom. That first Mother's Day, my little David was only one month old. I was exhausted and completely overwhelmed and I recall that he puked all over me during our Mother's Day dinner. I can look back and laugh now, but those were tough days.

Two years ago, Mother's Day was two weeks after I had just been handed two small children. I was once again exhausted and completely overwhelmed. At least, by this time, I had the wisdom and experience to tell our moms (and my sister) that "We love you all and wish you a Happy Mother's Day, but we will not be hosting Mother's Day Dinner because I just can't do it."

And so, today, I'd like to offer a prayer for all new moms, whether it is their first or their tenth, who are tired and stressed and weighed down by motherhood. May God be with them as they navigate this new season of their lives and give them strength in this life that He has called them to.

Blinded by the Darkness, Three Short Fantasy Stories

For only 99 cents, you can enjoy Three Short Fantasy Stories by Catholic writer Karl Erickson. Karl writes:

This e-book contains three very different short story offerings from writer Karl Bjorn Erickson. "Stars Within the Glass" is a fantasy, set in a bizarre world where nothing is as it should be. The character's journey explores the finality and tragic nature of suicide.

While "Light in the Darkness," also falls into the broad category of fantasy, it could not be more different from the first tale. Have you ever wondered if there are mermaids swimming along the Oregon Coast? Read on to discover if their purpose is for good or ill.

"Into the Darkness" began as a different kind of story altogether. It almost could be described as a western serial. Plans of including an historical subplot within my new novel were discarded, and that left me seeking a home for this worthy tale. (Be sure to read the author's note after this featured story appears.)

To read these stories, please visit: Blinded by the Darkness, Three Short Fantasy Stories
 

 

A Moment of Beauty for Today

The tulips are mostly dead now, but that is okay - the whole world seems to have come into bloom. Still, this one dying on my windowsill struck me as unusually beautiful.