Interview on Creativity and The Work of Our Hands

It was an honor to be the guest today on The catholic Catholic podcast where I discussed creativity and my book The Work of Our Hands. It's never sold a lot of copies, but it is one of my favorite books.

 

 

(Ignore the ugly lock screen!)

New Insights on the Theology of Being a Woman

The Language of Your Body: Embracing God’s Design for Your Cycle

 

I picked up a copy of The Language of Your Body: Embracing God’s Design for Your Cycle by Christina Valenzuela with a sense of skepticism. The blurb states “Menstruation is sometimes labeled a ‘woman’s curse,’ but the Catholic Church invites us to claim our cycles for good. This book is a beacon to all women searching for positive ways to integrate our menstrual cycles into our sense of self, our relationships, and our prayer.” I can honestly state that for the nearly four decades that cycles have been part of my life, I have viewed them as a curse. They have caused me a great deal of both physical and emotional pain and suffering. Could Valenzuela possibly convince me to change my opinion?

I was familiar with Valenzuela’s work through pearlandthistle.com, her ministry in which she provides cycle education to girls and women at all stages from early puberty to perimenopause. She has a master’s degree in theological studies and is a certified Natural Family Planning instructor as well as a member of the Lay Fraternities of St. Dominic. She brings a great deal of wisdom and understanding to the conversation about this important part of being a woman which has been largely ignored by the Church except for its role in reproduction. Her cycles have also caused her suffering, which means she isn’t viewing this topic from the viewpoint of one who has had a relatively pain-free experience.

There is no doubt that motherhood, both physical and spiritual, is valued in the Church, but “womanhood is much bigger than this single function” (21). In addition to the obvious point that much of our Catholic theology has been written by men, another reason that women’s cycles have been largely ignored is that a true scientific understanding of them is a relatively recent phenomenon. Valenzuela ties science and theology together, discussing the roles of various hormones in our cycles and the way they can impact how we live, work, and even how we pray and practice virtues. She explores the way women uniquely reflect the image of God. “We deserve to know that our body, in all of its functions, is loved and cared for by Christ” (48).

I’m a firm believer that all women should learn how to chart their cycles, whether or not they plan to use that information for family planning. Understanding the way one’s body works is empowering. Valenzuela explains many of the various charting instruction and methods available. That is not, however, the primary focus of this work.

Instead, The Language of Your Body: Embracing God’s Design for Your Cycle is a beautiful scientific and theological exploration of a woman’s embodied spirituality. This book should be required reading for priests, deacons, and all who minister to women in the Church. I could see it as part of courses on women’s spirituality at Catholic colleges and universities. Most importantly, though, it is useful for women to come to a greater appreciation of our bodies and our cycles and to help support our young daughters as they transition through puberty.

Did Valenzuela bring me around to a positive view of this aspect of my life? Not completely. As I indicated, I have a lot of baggage there. But she made me think about the process in a more comprehensive way and had me pondering theological truths in a way I never had before. This book is groundbreaking and I hope all those who can benefit from this understanding will read it. 

 

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#OpenBook for May 2024

Happy May! May is my favorite month of the year! 

Welcome to #OpenBook. I'm joining up with Carolyn Astfalk who hosts an #OpenBook Linkup on CatholicMom.com. Here's what I've been reading this past month. The dates indicate when I finished the books. Thanks for stopping by!

 

4-5-24 Love in the Eternal City - Rebecca W. Martin - I was excited to read a preview copy of this contemporary debut romance by Rebecca Martin. After being dumped by her ex-fiance and sabotaged by her former best friend, Elena goes to Italy to begin a new life. She meets Benedikt, a handsome Swiss guard who is quickly enamored with the attractive American. However, her past and her mental health issues and his family dynamics cause some major issues for their relationship. Stalking and an assassination plot up the stakes.There's plenty of intrigue in this book to keep readers turning pages. This is a wonderful debut and I look forward to reading more fiction from this writer. (Currently available for pre-order through Chrism Press).

4-7-24 Olivetti - Allie Millington - This is a middle-grade book, but I requested it from the library because I was intrigued by the premise. One of the primary narrators is a a sentient typewriter, Olivetti. The other is Ernest, a neurodiverse twelve-year-old boy obsessed with the dictionary. When Ernest's mom disappears, Olivetti holds the secret of where she has gone if only the typewriter can find someway to get people to listen. This is one of the most innovative books I've read in a long time and I applaud Millington's creativity and imagination. The ending left me a bit unsatisfied. I wish there had been a tad more resolution, but overall, this was a truly enjoyable book.

4-12-24 The Black Box: Writing the Race - Henry Louis Gates, Jr. - The essays in this book are based on lectures from Henry Louis Gates, Jr.'s Introduction to African-American Studies class that he teaches at Harvard. It was a very interesting discussion of racism, African-American history, history, and Black culture. 

4-13-24 Palace of Books - Patricia Polacco - Polacco is one of my favorite picture book writers / artists. This is one she published last year. It focuses on when she was a little girl and discovered the local library and John James Audubon's pictures of birds. It is a lovely story about the value of libraries and the beauty of nature. 

4-17-23 Matters of the Heart - Kelly Irvin - This Amish romance deals with some weighty issues. Bethel wonders if she should get married because her family carries the genes for muscular dystrophy (which has afflicted three of her siblings). Meanwhile her love interest faces a cancer diagnosis. This isn't a lighthearted book, but it does explore the challenge of trusting in God in difficult circumstances. (Read for a book review publication)

 

4-22-24 A Thieving at Carlton House - Erica Vetsch - This is a Regency mystery set in 1816 London. Philippa Cashel is a former prostitute who has a new life after being rescued by her half-sister, the Duchess of Haverly. She is now working to establish a home to help other former prostitutes, many of whom are young teens. The Duke of Haverly leads a detective ring and is setting up Sir Bertrand Thorndike as the head of a new department. Philippa is also recruited to work for him. They are quickly drawn into their first case when a set of jewels is stolen from the prince regent's home. (Read for a book review publication)

 4/20/23 Finding Margaret Fuller - Allison Pataki - If you enjoy women's historical fiction, this one is for you! Margaret Fuller was a friend of the Transcendentalists and an early feminist. She hung out with Emerson, Hawthorne, and Thoreau, worked for Bronson Alcott, and was an inspiration to the young Louisa May Alcott! She was the the first woman every permitted to work in the Harvard College library and worked as a foreign correspondent in Italy. How have I never heard of her before? This novel based on her life was fascinating. 

4-24-24 The Family That Prays Together Stays Together: A Bead-by-Bead Family Guide through the Mysteries - Fr. Willy Raymond, CSC - I received this book as a gift for being a CatholicMom.com contributor. I didn't know much about Venerable Patrick Peyton, a twentieth century priest who did much to promote the recitation of the family Rosary, before reading this book which offered a short biography of his life and interspersed facts about him along with reflections on the mysteries of the Rosary. This would be a good book for someone who is just starting to pray the Rosary.

4-29-24 Surprised by Oxford - Carolyn Weber - Lisa Hendey had posted about the movie version of Surprised by Oxford back in September. While I haven't seen the movie, I requested the book from the library after reading that post which somehow took until now to get to me! This is a memoir about the author's conversion to Christianity while studying at Oxford. In addition to that, it has a touching love story and portrays Oxford life in the 1990s. The author's wrestling with the questions of faith is quite profound, and while she didn't convert to Catholicism, I think there is much to be said for the way others shared the Christian faith with her and how she now shares it with others.

Since spring of 2019 (Five years!!!!), I have been making my way through the Great Books Curriculum of Thomas Aquinas College (I'm currently working on the readings for junior year). 

 

 

4-18-24 Don Quixote - Miguel de Cervantes, translated by Edith Grossman - Those of you who are regular readers of my #OpenBook post may recall that last month I was dreading reading this nearly 1000 page tome. I'm happy to report it was not as bad as I feared. I read it as a novel, not bothering to take notes or engage in any deep analysis, and it was reasonably enjoyable. It's basically a comedy, or satire, of knighthood. This work was written in two parts, the first in 1605 and the second in 1615. Cervantes began working on it when he was imprisoned for malfeasance. 

 

 

 

My thirteen-year-old daughter and I read the following book this month:

4-23-24 Hidden Figures - Margot Lee Shetterly -  I had seen the movie version of Hidden Figures but had never read the book. This is the "young readers" version designed for ages 8-12, but honestly, adults will enjoy this one just as much. It was so interesting to read about the Black women who worked on the math that made space exploration possible. It also covers some historical context about segregation.  

 

4-27-24 Much Ado About Anne - Heather Vogel Frederick - We read the second book in the Mother-Daughter Book Club. This time, the girls are in seventh grade and they are reading Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea. They also have to work together to try to save their friend's farm. My daughter and I are really enjoying this series of books!

 

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