My New Year's Resolution: Indulge my Creativity

I generally don't do well with New Year's Resolutions. Those self-improvement projects tend to fall by the wayside quickly. When I set goals for myself that I don't meet I feel horrible about myself which isn't great for someone who regularly fights depression. I don't need any help feeling horrible about myself.

But, I am a very project-oriented person, reasonably good at time management. I have lots of work projects I'd like to accomplish this year. The reality is that I most likely won't be able to accomplish all of them, which is okay. What I want to do on a personal side is embrace my artistic side a bit more. I love art, so much so that I majored in art in college.

I firmly believe the world needs art and beauty and those who take the time to embrace and appreciate the beauty. But since those college days, my relationship with pure art (like drawing and painting) has been complex at best. I was never able to make it as a fine artist. I've only sold a handful of pieces in my life. What this means is that if I create a piece of art, it then dies a long, lonely death in my closet, taking up space, reminding me that no one wants what I have to offer, adding to my depression and feelings of worthlessness.

So, I channel my creative energy into other projects. Writing is one outlet, one in which I feel I make a contribution to the world. Quilting is another. I enjoy my Saturday night quilting projects. I may only create one quilt a year, but it keeps me busy and when I am done, I have a useful end product that can keep someone warm. But, I still miss the act of drawing.

Which brings me to my project. I've decided to spend 10 minutes a day doing a small sketch. I can squeeze 10 minutes into my day. I picked up a sketchbook at Staples yesterday. I wanted a pretty one, but all they had were black covers, so I decorated it today using magazine pictures and ModPodge to seal it. I like how it came out. That was a creative project in and of itself. And now, my sketchbook is ready for me to begin on Sunday. It gives me something to look forward to in the New Year and that is something to be thankful for.

Book Review: The Best is Yet to Come

Looking to make the most of the new year? Thinking that your life needs an attitude adjustment but aren’t sure where to begin? The Best is Yet to Come: Living Fully in Each Moment by Sr. Anne Bryan Smollin (Sorin Books, 2016) offers a wonderful guide to squeezing the maximum amount of joy out of each moment.  

Sr. Patricia A. St. John, C.S.J, who was Sr. Anne’s best friend and a fellow Sister of St. Joseph, shares in the Foreword that Sr. Anne lived by the mantra to  “live well, love much, and laugh often.” She prayed that God would allow her to touch people’s lives. Sr. Patricia emphasizes that Sr. Anne lived the life she preached, “striving to seize each moment and live it fully, to experience the ordinary events of life as sacramental, and to cultivate possibility.” At the time of her sudden death in September of 2014, she left the manuscript of this book nearly completed. Sr. Patricia put the finishing touches on it for her friend, who was always convinced that the best was truly yet to come.

In her introduction, Sr. Anne shares her hope that “as you read through these pages, you will be energized and challenged to make each day count .” As she points out, it is up to each of us “to decide how to live, how to spend those precious 86, 400 seconds” we each are given each day. Sr. Anne was an international lecturer on wellness and spirituality who also served as an educator and therapist. She had a doctorate in counseling psychology. Yet, despite all those qualifications, she retained the humility to laugh at herself. She is willing to share many embarrassing, humorous stories about herself as a means of making a point. She also shares many anecdotes she has heard. Like Jesus who spoke in parables, Sr. Anne knows that a story can preach louder than a treatise.

There is no rocket science in these pages. No doubt, you’ve heard or read similar material at some other point in your life on the value of smiling, dreaming, making personal connections, the gift of proper perspective, a sense of humor, and being open to change. Yet, the message is of infinite value. No matter where we are on our life’s journey, we all can use the reminder and reinforcement because in the muck of everyday life, it is so easy to forget how meaningful and grace-filled it all is. 

In her final book, Sr. Anne has left behind a beautiful gift sure to touch many lives. May we, like her, trust that the best is yet to come as long as we are willing to look for, embrace, and appreciate it. 

The Mistletoe Secret

One of my annual December traditions is to read whatever happens to be the new Richard Paul Evans' Christmas book. Ever since The Christmas Box, I have loved his stories. One thing I appreciate about them is that they are short which means that I can read and enjoy them in one or two days - a perfect indulgence for this crazy, busy time of year.

This year's offering is The Mistletoe Secret. Alex Bartlett is a lonely man. His wife left him last year during the holidays which leaves him dreading this holiday season even more than usual. His two work friends encourage him to try on-line dating. While he is surfing the net, he decides to search for loneliness and discovers a blog in which a young woman writes letters to the universe about the pain of loneliness. She asks the existential question (which as a fellow blogger I can totally appreciate), "If you blog something and nobody reads it, did you make a sound?" Alex soon finds himself falling in love with this unknown woman who signs her posts LBH. From clues in her posts, he discovers that she lives in Midway, Utah and he sets out on a quest to find her.

While there, he meets a young waitress named Aria and soon finds himself falling for her. Yet, he continues his search for the elusive LBH.

This is such an enjoyable book, easy-to-read, charming, and relaxing, a perfect short treat for yourself during the Christmas season. It might even encourage you to reach out to someone who might be lonely and hurting during the holidays or any time of year.

New Chime Travelers: The Strangers at the Manger

The Chime Travelers series by Lisa Hendey features fun-filled, time-travel adventures with a Catholic message that takes kids to long-ago times and faraway lands.

Each book features prayers and a short bio to introduce children to a major saint’s life and legend. Discussion questions about saints, sacraments, and Catholic life help children understand what they’ve learned through the stories.

The most recent story is perfect for the Advent/Christmas season.
 
In The Strangers at the Manger, it's Christmas time at St. Anne parish, and a new family has arrived! The Perez family doesn’t look like the other families in the parish. As five-year-old Mateo stares at Katie and Patrick, clutching his little stuffed burro, they see he's just puzzled about them. But it's Father Miguel's job to take care of them, right? Just then, a bell rings and the twins are swept up in another Chime Travel adventure, this time to find Mary and Joseph on their way to Bethlehem.

This fresh yet authentic retelling of the biblical Infancy Narratives sheds new light on the life of the Holy Family. And when at last the Magi arrive, Katie asks Mary, “Are you sure you want all of these strangers around the baby?" Mary smiles. "Strangers are simply new friends, just waiting to be loved.” Katie and Patrick think of the Perez family. Can they still make new friends for Christmas?

Books to Last All Year

Looking for a book for yourself or a loved one to provide daily meditations for the coming year? Here are books that have crossed my desk recently:


A Year of Daily Offerings

by James Kubicki, S.J.

This is a a thoughtful book of morning meditations from Rev. James Kubicki, S.J., national director of the Apostleship of Prayer provides a rich array of reflections based on Ignatian spirituality that invite you to begin each day with a sincere offering of your life to God. He provides a fresh perspective on the promise of connecting with God through the practice of morning prayer by using monthly themes, prayers of the saints, a word to carry throughout the day, and an evening reflection to reflect on the day you offered to God.

The Cross, Our Only Hope: Daily Reflections in the Holy Cross Tradition
Edited by Andrew Gawrych, C.S.C. and Kevin Grove, C.S.C.

Priests and brothers of the Congregation of Holy Cross offer an introduction to the rich, vibrant spirituality of the Congregation through a series of daily reflections on the themes of Holy Cross spirituality: trust in God, zeal, compassion, hope in the Cross, discipleship, and education in the faith. You can find out more about the contributors at http://vocation.nd.edu/get-connected/books/the-cross-our-only-hope-contributors/


Saint of the Day

Edited by Leonard Foley, OFM

This is the 40th anniversary edition of Saint of the Day, first compiled by Leonard Foley, O.F.M., and published in two volumes. Through the years, this popular book has been a go-to source for information on key saints. This seventh revised edition contains the following additions:

• New saints and blesseds such as John of Avila, Hildegard of Bingen, John Henry Newman, and John Paul II.
• An expanded Introduction, with more detail about the current process of canonization.
• Also, background on the evolution of Saint of the Day since the first two volumes, including its recent formats as a daily online resource and as an app.
• A suggested resources section of additional Franciscan Media products with information about saints and blesseds

Saint of the Day has been a trusted guide for forty years, and this latest edition continues the tradition.



And I would be remiss if I did not mention the Catholic Mom offering which I contributed three reflections to:

 The Catholic Mom Daily Prayer Companion
Edited by Sarah Reinhard and Lisa Hendey

Created by moms for moms, these hope-filled meditations touch on the issues and concerns you face as you try to get through the day with a sense of God's presence in your life. Whether you are a new or seasoned mom working in or outside of your home, this inspiring collection of reflections for every day of the year will help you

• stay in touch with the seasons of the Church year:
• remember Mary's loving presence on her feast days:
• keep company with both new and familiar saints:
• see the spiritual meaning of secular holidays: and
• make you smile with occasions such as Houseplant Appreciation
  Day and National Popcorn Day.

Each day begins with a brief quotation from scripture, saints, recent popes, or important spiritual writers. A personal reflection--written by contributors including Danielle Bean, Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle, Lisa Mladinich, Elizabeth Scalia, Carolyn Woo, Mark Hart, and Jeff Young--focuses on some dimension of your spiritual, emotional, intellectual, or physical life. Each day also includes a brief prayer and a question or thought to ponder throughout the day.

Book Review: The Loving Push

If you have a child on the higher end of the autism spectrum (or if you are without an official diagnosis but suspect that your child fits the criteria) you will definitely want to read The Loving Push: How Parents and Professionals can help spectrum kids become successful adults. Temple Grandin, Ph.D., who has autism and is a popular lecturer on autism, teams up with psychologist Debra Moore, Ph.D. to offer a how-to guide to helping your child learn how to be an adult. 

The authors acknowledge that the definition of a successful adulthood will vary from person to person given the child’s natural abilities and the severity of the autism, however “the common denominator is a life lived to one’s own unique, full capacity.” Parents need to help their children overcome their fear and be aware of their choices. Unlike neurotypical children who are usually chomping at the bit for independence, those with autism “are going to move forward only when you are behind them pushing! And they probably won’t go willingly.”

Grandin and Moore tackle many practical topics such as dealing with obsessive gaming, training children to do household chores, resisting habitual negative thinking, dealing with anxiety, finding mentors, the value of volunteering or paid work, helping your child stretch beyond their comfort zone, and how to teach driving. That last one is particularly relevant in my life as teaching my Aspie to drive is on my to-do list for this coming year. (Prayers are definitely welcome for the success and safety of that task!)

The Loving Push is essential reading for parents or educators of teenagers or young adults on the spectrum. It will help you help your child make the most of their life as an adult.  

Pray the Angelus for Advent

The Angelus is a centuries-old Catholic devotion that recalls the annunciation of Christ’s birth by the Angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary.

Named for the opening words of the devotion's first prayer in Latin, “The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary,” the Angelus is typically prayed at 6 a.m., noon, and 6 p.m. each day. It takes about two minutes. What better way to prepare for the coming of Christ Incarnate than to pray this beautiful devotion with thousands of others each day?

Jared Dees, Catholic author and creator of the popular The Religion Teacher website, wants Catholics to incorporate the Angelus in to their prayer lives during Advent. Already almost 500 people have committed to opening themselves up to “let it be done” according to God’s Word.

The goal is to help others experience a deep conversion as they prepare for Christ’s birth. “The mystery of this prayer is that God works through the words that you say even when you do not realize it,” Dees said. “That openness leads to things you may least expect.”

Anyone who joins the Advent Angelus movement will have access to resources and periodic mediations on the devotion throughout the season. Many of the reflections are included in Dees’ forthcoming book from Ave Maria Press, Praying the Angelus (March 2017), but others are unique for Advent.

You can connect with The Advent Angelus community on the website AdventAngelus.com or on The Angelus Prayer Facebook page, where Dees will lead the prayer on Facebook Live throughout Advent.

Book Review: Dear Pope Francis

If you had the opportunity to ask Pope Francis anything, what would you ask? 259 children from 26 countries, writing in 14 languages, had that opportunity. They sent Pope Francis letters containing questions, comments, and corresponding drawings. The Pope answered 30 of these letters, sharing his responses with Fr. Antonio Spadaro, S.J., who then turned them over to Loyola Press, a Jesuit ministry. The questions, drawings, photos of the children, and Pope Francis’ responses are all included in Dear Pope Francis, a book made to be shared with children and adults throughout the world. 

 

While some of the questions are sweet and innocent, such as a six-year-old girl asking, “When you were a child, did you like dancing,” many were not so easy. Children wonder about complex issues, problems, and ideas. Questions such as “What did God do before the world was made?” and “If God loves us so much and didn’t want us to suffer, why didn’t he defeat the devil?” and “How can you settle conflicts in the world?” have no simple answers. 

Pope Francis loves children. He views them as the future of the Church and the world and knows that treating them with kindness and respect is of the utmost importance. The Pope’s answers to these questions are honest and wise. He truly wants to speak with these children, and by extension, to all of us. As Fr. Spadaro states, “I realize that the language of Pope Francis is simple and that he lives in simple words. . . Pope Francis’s responses to these questions will do good for all, and especially for those who refuse to become simple like children.” 

The question that spoke most to me is one that I wonder about even as an adult. Maximus, a ten-year-old  boy from Singapore, inquired, “Why did God create us even though he knew we would sin against him?” Pope Francis replied, “Because God has created us to be like himself. God created us to be free. Freedom is the greatest gift he has given us. Do you know that? . . . Freedom can scare people because it can’t be programmed like a machine. And exactly for this reason, freedom is beautiful and God’s greatest gift.”

A copy of Dear Pope Francis should be in every Catholic school and parish library. It also makes a great gift. It is a beautiful book, enjoyable to read and ponder for children, teens, and adults. 

Christmas Novena begins November 30th

It is time once again for the Christmas Novena which begins on the Feast of St. Andrew (November 30th) and goes through Christmas Eve. Some say to pray the following prayer 15 times a day each day; others have it once a day. However you decide to pray, humbly ask God for whatever your heart desires most this Christmas.


The Christmas Novena

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment
At which the Son of God was born
Of a most pure Virgin
At a stable in Bethlehem
In the piercing cold.
At that hour vouchsafe, I beseech thee,
To hear my prayers and grant my desires.
(Mention your request here.)
Through Jesus Christ and his most Blessed Mother. Amen.

Thanksgiving Prayer

This prayer was sent in a card to Catholics in the Diocese of Springfield, MA from Bishop Mitch Rosanski. I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

O Gracious God,

We give you thanks for your overflowing generosity to us. 
Thank you for our home and family and friends,
especially for those gathered here today. 
Thank you for the blessings of the food we eat  
and especially for this feast today.
Thank you for our health, our work, and our play.

Open our hearts to your love so we may help those who are hungry, alone, sick, and suffering war and violence. We gratefully remember too, our family members and loved ones who are not here with us physically and celebrate the gift which they have been and continue to be for us.
May we live this and every day grateful for all that has been given to us.

We make this prayer as we do all things through Christ our Lord,

Amen.

Creches of Germany: Tradition of Faith Exhibit

The Knights of Columbus Museum’s 12th annual Christmas exhibition, Crèches of Germany: Tradition & Faith, opens November 19, 2016, and continues until January 29, 2017.

As in the past, many of the objects on display hail from the internationally renowned Museo del Presepio of Rome, Italian Friends of the Crèche Association and the Glencairn Museum in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania.

Although its German origins are uncertain, the crèche or Nativity scene presumably was introduced by Franciscan friars. The oldest recorded German crèche was housed in the Monastery of Füssen in Bavaria and dates to 1252, shortly after the arrival of the followers of St. Francis, the “poor man of Assisi,” who developed the custom of a Nativity scene some 30 years earlier.
From the 16th century on, the Society of Jesus (or Jesuits) is credited with spreading the tradition of the Nativity scene. Records from this period reveal that German monasteries, abbeys and churches added elaborate Nativity. In response to increasing requests for crèche accessories, markets known as Christkindlesmärkte (Christ Child Markets) began to flourish in cities such as Munich and Nuremberg.

Read more:  http://www.kofcmuseum.org/km/en/exhibits/2016/germany-creche/index.html

Book Review: The Wedding Shop

Some books are a pure delight to read. The Wedding Shop by New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hauck is one of those books.

In The Wedding Shop, Hauck tells the story of two women whose lives are connected by this bridal storefront. Miss Cora Scott inherited the shop from her great-aunt and has made a life for herself taking care of the local brides at Heart's Bend Tennessee in the midst of the Great Depression, but she herself has not walked down the aisle. She has promised her heart to Rufus, a riverboat captain who she sees only on rare occasions.

Eighty years later, former Air Force Captain Haley Morgan has returned home to Heart's Bend after a disastrous relationship bit the dust and her childhood best friend died. She discovers the wedding shop is about to be turned into a parking lot and she decides she is going to save it.

Hauck is a skillful writer, seamlessly intertwining these two beautiful stories about strong women, second chances, true love, and forgiveness.

If you are a fan of Christian romance, this is one book that you definitely want to add to your to-be-read list. It is actually the middle book of a trilogy. The other books are The Wedding Dress and The Wedding Chapel, neither of which I have read although now I certainly plan to. While the stories are connected, each can stand alone.

Prayer for After An Election

From the USCCB

God of all nations,
Father of the human family,
we give you thanks for the freedom we exercise
and the many blessings of democracy we enjoy
in these United States of America.
We ask for your protection and guidance
for all who devote themselves to the common good,
working for justice and peace at home and around the world.
We lift up all our duly elected leaders and public servants,
those who will serve us as president, as legislators and judges,
those in the military and law enforcement.
Heal us from our differences and unite us, O Lord,
with a common purpose, dedication, and commitment to achieve liberty and justice
in the years ahead for all people,
and especially those who are most vulnerable in our midst. Amen.

Advent with St. Teresa of Calcutta

In celebration of the canonization of one of the Church’s newest saints, Servant Books is proud to present this small book of meditations for the seasons of Advent and Christmas, including special feast days associated with those seasons. Mother Teresa’s life and writings, marked by a spirit of humility, simplicity and love, encourage readers to quiet their hearts as they prepare to receive the Lord. 

Heidi Hess Saxton’s Advent with St. Teresa of Calcutta captures the humble yet faith-filled spirit of this great lady of Calcutta. Each day of the Advent seasons, readers are invited to pray, and to consider what they might offer the Lord as their gift to him during this Christmas season. St. Teresa’s example calls readers to consider how they might love more deeply, surrender more completely, and let go of all the things they do not need, so there is more room to receive from the Lord all he wishes them to have.

For those who wander in darkness, St. Teresa of Calcutta is a true
patron of joy yet to be discovered.

All Souls Day Prayer

November 2nd is All Souls Day - A day to remember in a special way all those who have died, especially those in Purgatory.

The following prayer comes from The Association of Marian Helpers:

Merciful Father, hear our prayer and console us. As we renew our faith in Your Son, whom you raised from the dead, strengthen our hope that all our departed brothers and sisters will share in His resurrection, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. 

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

Why Do We Pray?

As part of our homeschool program this year, I have been using Decision Point by Matthew Kelly with my teen boys. I think it is an excellent book. It was given to me by a friend and I am so thankful for the resource. It is geared for right where teens are at in their lives, trying to figure out who they are and what they want their future to be. But as I read it, I learn (or relearn) things as well.

In doing my homework for the coming week today I came across this quote:

During [Thoreau's] time there in the woods, he wrote these words:

"I went to the woods because I wanted to live life deliberately . . . I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life . . .to put to rout all that was not life . . . and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."

In some ways, I pray for the same reason Thoreau went to the woods. I pray because I want to live life deliberately. I pray because I want to live life deeply and suck all the marrow out of life! I pray because I want to work on what really matters in this life and spend my time on those things. I pray because I don't want to come to the end of my life and discover that I have not really lived.

I have tried life with and without prayer, and found that life without prayer is unbearable. Without prayer, life doesn't make sense. I don't know how people live without prayer. I don't know how you could remain sane in this crazy, noisy, busy world without prayer. Living without prayer is like choosing to be blind, lame, deaf, and dumb.

I have always loved that quote by Thoreau. It describes how I want to live, but I have never thought of it in connection with prayer before. I think Kelly nails it in this passage. Prayer is hard sometimes, but I can't imagine life without that connection to God. There are times when there is no consolation, and it feels like my prayers are falling on deaf ears. Prayer does not mean my life is problem free, but I always feel like life would be worse if I did not pray. It would certainly have less meaning. God gives me the grace I need to get through one day at a time. I hope if my children learn nothing else from me, they will learn that prayer is the most important thing in life.

Most Highly Favored Daughter shines light on Sex Trafficking

I recently had the pleasure of reading Most Highly Favored Daughter by Janice Lane Palko. It is a suspense-filled Catholic novel with many plot twists which draws attention to the issue of sex trafficking. Because of that theme, it can be a difficult and troubling story to read at times, but it is an important topic that we should not turn a blind eye to. 

Palko was inspired to write a novel pitting a pair of sisters against each other in rivalry for their father's affection while completing coursework studying the sister relationship. At the same time, her increasing awareness of the enormous problem of human sex trafficking spurred her desire to address this horrendous problem in a book. Initially, she intended to set the novel in a larger metropolitan area such as New York or Washington, but her readers spoke and urged her to set the novel in her hometown of Pittsburgh.

A freelance writer, Palko previously interviewed Dr. Mary Burke, a professor at Carlow University and the founder of the Project to End Human Trafficking, for an article, and from that interview, Palko was convinced that her book should be set in Pittsburgh because many people falsely assume that human trafficking is confined to larger cities not smaller ones like Pittsburgh.

The novel tells the tale of the Hawthorne sisters--Cara and Sophia. Cara Hawthorne, the elder sister, has it all, that is, until she inexplicably awakens naked in a strange hotel room the morning after being honored with the Mother Teresa medal by the Diocese of Pittsburgh for her charitable work. When an envelope arrives containing despicable photos framing her with a heinous crime, her charmed life begins to crumble, jeopardizing her reputation, her marriage, and ultimately her life. 

As she and private investigator Jake Gold battle to prove her innocence, they unearth shocking revelations about the city she serves, the people she loves, and her beautiful reckless sister, Sophia, the celebrity diva. Set during Pittsburgh's first time as host of the Super Bowl, Most Highly Favored Daughter scores big with those who like their suspense served Pittsburgh style.