Simple Gifts

My children slept until 7 am this morning. This is virtually unheard of! So this morning I am thanking God for a wonderful night's sleep.

Something to think about

I was standing in line at the grocery store today. As usual the magazine racks in the check-out aisles were full of gossip rags. Everywhere I looked I saw famous faces looking out at me with headlines proclaiming the latest divorces, weight battles, marital indiscretions, hook-ups and more.

I must admit, I don't understand the attraction. Why do people spend so much time (and money!) caring about other people's lives and relishing in whatever misfortune has recently come their way. I feel badly for the celebrities, who after all, are people, too. It must be incredibly painful to have your personal life out there for the world to see. But I also feel badly for us as a people, that gossip has become the national pastime. What if as much time and energy was devoted to developing our sense of spirituality? What if we said nice things about other people instead of trying to ruin people's reputations? What if we held up people of faith as role models rather than people who just happen to have money? What a different world this would be.

Becoming Who You Are

I just posted a new review of Becoming Who You Are by Fr. James Martin.

Remembering Veterans

I apologize for not blogging much this week. I've been buried in design work and life in general.

In the U.S. November 11th is set aside to remember those who have served in our armed services. In my own family, both my father and father-in-law are veterans, and my nephew is currently serving in the Navy. David's school did a brief program today honoring Veterans in our parish. On the back of the program was a beautiful prayer. I thought I would share it with you.


A Soldier's Prayer

When I am called to serve, Dear Lord,
Wherever war may be,
Give me courage to fight the battles,
My country may ask of me.
Grace me with Your presence,
And know that I love You,
While I fight the enemy,
My country needs me too.
Help me protect my comrades,
as You expect me to,
And keep me in Your loving hands,
While I do what I must do.
I want to do my duty,
And to give the best in me,
To do what I've been called to do,
And protect our liberty.
And if, according to Your will,
I must give up my life,
Please bless with Your protecting hand,
My children and my wife.

Amen.

Will You Answer the Call?

Fr. Gary Dailey, the vocations director for our diocese, came to speak at the Children's Mass this morning. Ironically, he wasn't there to speak to the children, but rather to the parents. He spoke of the importance of the call from God that we each receive. We are each called to our state in life, married, or single, or the consecrated religious life. Our children are being called as well. Fr. Dailey challenged us to be open to our children answering the call to religious life.

God is continuing to call young people to serve, but that call is often drowned out by the definition of success that is so prevalent in the world today. Parents want their children to be successful. Teachers want their students to be successful. The success that is so sought for is often equated with the amount of money one can make. Even those who are open to low-paying service professions such as teaching or social work often can't envision their children as dedicated religious.

Yet, a parent's influence can be so important as a child struggles to discover what God wants for him or her. A parent can offer guidance and encouragement and offer a counterpoint to a world which places little value on service and sacrifice. If a child has even the slightest inclination to religious life, parents have the responsibilty to help them pay attention and at least explore the options available. We also have a responsibility to point out positive role models in the religious community. Religious sisters are not as common as they once were. Catholic schools and religious education programs are often staffed fully by lay people today, but point out those that do take an active role in the parish community. By the same token, one can also talk about the various roles that a priest has and how important it is that there continue to be priests to perform such important sacramental and ministerial functions.

Is it a sacrifice to have a child enter religious life? Of course. It may mean giving up the dream of watching grandchildren grow up. It may require a radically different picture of your child's future than the one you had envisioned. But just as God calls young people to religious life, God also calls their parents to be willing to give them up to God's service. If you hear God calling your child, will you answer the call?

For more information on vocations, visit www.vocationsplacement.org or contact the vocation director for your diocese.

Getting Ready for Christmas

If you are searching for a religious gift this Christmas season or some spiritual inspiration to help you prepare for Christmas, please visit the Spiritual Woman Religious Giftshop. Through our affiliation with Aquinas and More Catholic Goods, every purchase helps support Spiritual Woman. I have selected some gifts that I thought were particularly good to feature on my site but there is always a search box for you to search their full collection.

Also if you plan to shop from Amazon.com this season, please consider clicking through from our site. You can purchase anything once you get to Amazon, but purchases must be made within 24 hours after clicking through from our site for a commission to be credited to us.

Thank you in advance for all of your support!

All Saints Day

Today is the day we celebrate all those in heaven. At David's school today, the eighth graders dressed up the Kindergarteners as their patron saint and gave a short presentation on who they were. David was St. David, patron saint of Wales. His big buddy worked really hard on David's outfit. It was so wonderful to go to mass this morning and see David and his big buddy. There was such a great spirit in the Church!