Wake-Up Call Changes Priest

My mother has shared with me the story of Father Steven Scheier more than a few times after seeing him on EWTN. I was excited to see it in the most recent issue of the National Catholic Register.

His story is really very powerful. While it is personal testimony and, as such, no one is required to believe in it, I do believe that it is real. I do believe in near-death experiences and the transformation in people that have had them. His story provides a counterweight to the many stories we hear of happy, peaceful experiences. Not everyone has a positive experience when they cross to the other side. We will be held accountable for our lives. Read his story and decide for yourself: Wake-Up Call Changes Priest

New Blog About Angels and Saints

Melaine Ryther, author of Partners in Holiness: Guardian Angels in the Lives of the Saints has a new blog about Angels and Saints. Visit it here: http://angelsandsaintsandus.blogspot.com/

Homeschooling with Gentleness

Homeschooling with Gentleness: A Catholic Discovers Unschooling
by Suzie Andres
Front Royal, VA: Christendom College Press, 2004

I came to "Homeschooling with Gentleness" after reading Andres' more recent book, "The Little Way of Homeschooling" which tells the stories of many Catholic unschooling families. "Homeschooling with Gentleness" is Andres' own story. Subtitled "A Catholic Discovers Unschooling" it describes her journey to unschooling as well as offering philosophical arguments about why unschooling works and whether Catholics can morally unschool. In case there was any doubt given the title of this book, yes, they can.

Andres does not put forth unschooling as the only way to homeschool - far from it. The introduction states, "I am not writing to recommend this approach to all Catholic homeschooling families. Rather, I am writing about what works for us, and what I suspect will work for some others. . . Please understand that I am proposing and defending as Catholic one particular way among many."

In the pages that follow, she tackles defining unschooling (not an easy task!) and shows what it looks like in her home. She explores the difference between being a Catholic unschooler rather than a secular one, and encourages readers to learn to trust - both God and nature. Her last chapter is devoted to having books as friends. This is followed by a booklist of some of her and her family's favorite books.

Andres writes in a very accessible manner. Reading this book is much like sitting down to have a conversation about homeschooling, and unschooling in particular, with a dear friend. She shares her struggles and triumphs, her doubts and her joys. I greatly enjoyed reading this book, found much wisdom in its pages, and would recommend both "Homeschooling with Gentleness" and "The Little Way of Homeschooling" to anyone considering homeschooling.

Carrying the Cross

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever wishes to save his life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 16:24-25

There it is in black and white: the cost of discipleship. Contrary to what many people seem to believe, Jesus did not say, “Follow me and have an easy life.” He told us that if we are to follow him, we are going to have to suffer. He Himself set the example. The passage that immediately precedes this one has Jesus telling the apostles that he is going to suffer and die before being raised. Peter tells him that this should not happen, and Jesus rebukes him strongly: “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” (Matthew 16: 23)

Like Peter, we are human and we think like humans. We like comfort and ease and try to avoid suffering, often at all costs. Yet, suffering is an integral part of life. We don’t need to seek it out. It finds us. Every person you meet is suffering in some way, no matter his age, sex, race, or economic status. Some are very forthcoming about their difficulties – they go on ad nauseum about them and will complain to anyone who comes within earshot. Others keep their pain entirely to themselves, and never let anyone help them carry their crosses. Others fall somewhere in between, perhaps sharing their difficulties with a close few friends. Regardless, one should always be kind. We never know for sure what crosses another person is struggling to carry.
Crosses can come in many forms – physical ailments, emotional pain, relationship issues, heartache, grief, employment problems, spiritual pain, and economic pressures, to name some of the most obvious. At any time, any one of us is most likely carrying more than one.

If we are to follow Christ, we are to accept those crosses and carry them. We are not to run from them. This doesn’t mean we don’t seek appropriate help for whatever difficulty we are having. It does mean that we accept the difficulties that have come our way. It means that we pray for God’s will to be done, even if it means that we will continue to suffer. It means that we trust that our suffering is serving a higher purpose, even if we don’t know what it is.

Jesus had to suffer and die before he could rise from the dead. So do we. This life is not about taking the easy path. It is not about indulging all our desires, or trying to collect the most possessions. No, if we profess to be Christians, the purpose of our lives is to deny ourselves and accept whatever crosses that may come our way. No one ever said it would be easy, but we have Christ’s word that it will be worth it!

Catholic Writers to Enjoy Special Spiritual Retreat

Lansing, MI: In collaboration with FAITH Catholic Publishing and Communications, The Catholic Writers Guild, will sponsor Your Word is My Delight, a Catholic writers' retreat, Oct 5-9, 2011. Come and delight in God's word and sacrament, and pray in a beautiful and serene retreat setting.

The retreat's key presenter is Pat Gohn, Catholic columnist, podcaster and catechist (link: http://www.patgohn.com/patgohn/About.html) . Other presenters are Father Charles E. Irvin, David Krajewski, Father David Rosenberg and Father Larry Delaney.

Writers will enjoy five spiritually-enriching days of daily Mass, adoration, the sacrament of reconciliation and many hours of writing time. Talks will explore how God speaks to and encourages writers through Scripture, papal writings and other topics in order to promote faith-filled writing.

Opportunities for networking also will be offered through an informal "book bash and social hour" Wednesday evening and Faith Catholic's one-on-one "pitch sessions" that give writers the chance to sell their current writing projects.

Cost for the four-day retreat is $450, which includes meals and accommodations. Deadline for registration is Sept 28. A nonrefundable deposit of $45 is required at registration.  

• To view a schedule of events, click here.  Schedule of Events


•  To download a brochure, click here.   Brochure


•  To register for the retreat click here.  Register

Wanted: Dating Catholic Male

As many of you are aware, I am an editor with Catholic Exchange. While I post many articles, I don't always have the opportunity to go back and see what the response to an article was. However, when I logged in tonight, I noticed that Wanted: Dating Catholic Male had over 300 "likes" on Facebook. Anthony Buono definitely hit a nerve.

I'm the first to admit I never met a man who met all these qualities. It is definitely a "perfect" man kind of list, and just like with us women, we all fall a bit (more than a bit?) short. It is good to allow for some imperfections, yet this list definitely gives men something to aim for.

Manga Hero

This article in the National Catholic Register: Manga Pope on a comic book about Pope Benedict XVI caught my attention. As a young girl, I remember having a comic book about Pope John Paul II and another about Mother Teresa. They captivated me! So, I know that the comic book style can capture a young person's attention in a way that a traditional book may not.

When I looked for it on Amazon, however, it was nowhere to be found. Unfortunately, it was only printed for those who attended World Youth Day. If you read Spanish, you can read it online for free here: Habemus Papam

The good news is that their other comics are more widely available, including Paul: Tarsus to Redemption (Volume 1), Paul: Tarsus to Redemption (Volume 2), and Judith: Captive to Conqueror (Volume 1).

To find out more about the company behind these books, please visit: Manga Hero