A Shower of Blessings

Within Max and Dagny's circle of friends, there've been ten weddings this year. Dagny's will be the last, but after the longest engagement. They can hardly wait to be married, but I'm grateful for this time they've had to grow and mature. It is so beautiful to see young men and women making this lifelong commitment in Holy Matrimony. And we are so blessed to have a beautiful community of faithful women, young and old, who support one another. We have a lot of fun together too! 

Marian Eucharistic Conference Recap

This is an annual retreat for us--it's a small conference that has grown but not too much. I'm estimating about 300 people... What I like best is the quality of the speakers who come and help us grow deeper into our faith. There are always lots of wonderful books to purchase and I still haven't read all the ones from previous years. And then there are others that I read over and over. So this year, I was so excited that we could offer our books to the attendees. There aren't very many children at this conference, but when the organizer discovered I was a children's writer, she suggested that I invest in a table, because she would like to have children's books to offer to the attendees as well. So here we are and the best part was that we were right next to a priest from Peru, who had brought these exquisite religious paintings--all hand painted, each one unique. He had Our Lady of Guadalupe taped to the side of his table and my eyes were drawn continually to her serene expression. I knew we had to purchase one of these to grace our home so I asked Michael to take some time to go through them. We both loved the Holy Trinity with the Holy Family best (and within our budget) so it shall be properly framed and displayed. I loved St. Philomena (what is it about teenage saints that gives my heart courage?) and Madonna of the Grapes by Pierre Mignard (I have a little triptych in my office  that I picked up from the sacramental box at church shortly after I joined the Seven Sister Apostolate--I thought it was such a lovely wink to me from Mary herself, given she's one of the patronesses of the apostolate under this very title). 

I really enjoyed talking with the people who stopped by our table and learning about their children and grandchildren. So fun to be able to recommend books for them. Many Seven Sisters were excited to see Tina's book, One Hour for My Priest--it almost sold out. It's a hidden apostolate so we don't always know who's involved but what a blessing to learn so many Seven Sisters are praying for their priests. The book is a wonderful resource. We were also able to attend many of the lectures and hear Mass and go for Adoration because there's only one track and typically there aren't too many people milling about during them. So win-win. I'm excited to return next year and hope we'll have even more offerings. I'm so happy that all of us in our critique group have several more readers of our stories. 

Tidbits from the conference speakers. You can learn more from their excellent books and talks online:
Fr. Larry Richards is such an energetic priest. He speaks the hard truths that we don't always want to hear. I love how he runs his parish--he makes the people take three classes on: Jesus is Lord; worship; service. If you want to be an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, then you'd better have extraordinary devotion to the Holy Eucharist, meaning spending time with Him in Adoration.
How are you? Blessed. Who's the first who said it? Mary in her Magnificat. We have one purpose in life--to do God's holy will. He speaks but we don't listen. Be still and silent. Sit with the Scriptures with an open heart. We need the Heart of Jesus. Offer your poor heart to Him and He'll give you His Heart. Learn to love from Him. 
Fr. Larry told us a story about a American and a Japanese in a POW camp. The Japanese man was very sick, so the American would share everything he had with him, be it food or a blanket. When he realized that the man might die, he thought, I've shared everything except Jesus, my Savior. So he told the dying man about Him, and the dying man said, "If Jesus is anything like you, I can't wait to meet Him." 

Fr. Chris Alar is passionate about Divine Mercy. And Mary as the mother of Mercy. He quoted Fr. Don Calloway: "If you could make your mother, wouldn't you make her perfect?" Mary is the guide to Jesus. In Genesis, who crushes the head of the serpent? Mary. Who does Satan fear more? God or Mary? He then told us a story about wrestling in high school. He lost to a Japanese national champion. Yet, both his father and his coach said, "good job." But when he was in 4th grade, he drew a girl, who was confident. He was terrified--to lose to a girl would be complete humiliation. Likewise, Satan knows God is God. But to lose to a 15-yr-old Jewish girl is absolute humiliation. It wounds his pride.  

There are four Marian Dogmas: her Immaculate Conception, her Assumption, her Perpetual Virginity, her Maternity--she is the mother of King Jesus. She is our advocate. Protestants have a difficult time with Mary. And because our barbershop chorus is practicing Christmas songs for a concert, I'm reminded why we have songs like Mary Did You Know? It's a lovely lullaby that invites us to ponder like Mary, but the second half of the first verse is flat out wrong [I propose a revision to make it theologically sound because words matter]: 

Did you know

That your baby boy has come to make you new? [make us new]
This child that you've delivered
Will soon deliver you [has done delivered you]

See, she was already delivered from all stain of original sin by the foreseen merits of Christ's Sacrifice on the Cross. She is the Immaculate Conception. Her DNA has no sin. Not a single molecule of her being is under sway of Satan. She is 100% opposed to him. She lives completely in the Divine Will. But I digress. 

The second reading of that Sunday was from Hebrews and Fr. Alar preached on the priesthood. It is so terribly misunderstood. What is the purpose of the priest? To offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. You cannot have worship without sacrifice because the penalty for sin is death. Either you die or someone else dies on your behalf. Mass is the re-presenting the sacrifice. Jesus presents Himself to the Father through the power of the Holy Spirit. We are at Calvary. We enter sacred time. We must be present to receive the grace (when I lie in bed with my kitties and listen to Mass, I am not receiving the graces I would if I were present at Mass). Everything comes from the Father and everything returns to Him. There are three acts of Love and Mercy: God the Father creates; God the Son redeems; God the Holy Spirit sanctifies us so we can return to the Holy Trinity.

There were more lectures. Fr. Bartholomew, a Maronite priest, spoke about the early apostolic churches, their timeline, how they spread to the East and the West. I've been told by a couple of Eastern Rite Catholics how much I would enjoy experiencing their liturgies but we've not managed to go to one. Perhaps when we're praying/singing only one Sunday Mass, we might get the opportunity.

Dr. Ray Guarendi, a psychologist, encouraged us to be strong parents and grandparents, steering our kids in righteousness. It's not easy when the culture tells them the opposite, normalizing sin and making it sound like fun. I used to love listening to his show on Catholic radio on my way to pick up the kids from school and I found his books on discipline and family life especially useful. I was so pleased to meet him and let him know what a difference his books made when we went through a rough patch with our kids.  

Fr. Chris Smith, pastor of Prince of Peace, also spoke about building a Christian culture. It begins with us, at home. As always, we ended our retreat by hearing a beautiful High Mass at Prince of Peace for the Feast of Christ our King. What joy to sing: Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat!!! Come, Lord Jesus!!!

Prayers Answered--Hallelujah!

Last night, I very much felt as I did in 2016, that we were at the edge of a precipice, that our country wouldn't be the same if the democrats stayed in power. I remember going to bed that night, praying that Trump would win, but didn't really think he had a chance. Imagine my joy when Michael woke me up to tell me he'd won. I only heard lamentations from some of my liberal friends--many stopped speaking to me. Yet, their fears were unfounded. President Trump governed well. The world was more stable. And we moved in the proper direction towards defending and protecting life. 

These past four years, we've seen a terrible deterioration in our nation and instability in the world. Public policy regarding Covid was tyranny. So many people's livelihoods were destroyed due to the lockdowns, especially the small businesses. So many were coerced to take the shots that have done more harm than good. And the lies!!! Suppression of valuable information. Persecuting anybody who questions the narrative. And the relentless persecution of President Trump. And yet, I believe that God allowed us to have leaders who were incompetent at best and evil at worst as a punishment for our sins as a nation. I am thankful because these past four years exposed the corruption and collusion within the govt. along with the media and big tech. Trump didn't have to run given all the grief he's been given for the past ten years, including two assassination attempts; he could've retired in his palatial home in Florida. But he fought for the American people. We the people came to support him.

I predicted to my friends that he'd win in a landslide, mostly because I couldn't imagine anyone so blind that they'd want to vote for such a weak candidate as Harris. She has no accomplishments to show, only a great desire to have abortion on demand. It is so bizarre that so many people still supported her for something so horrible. I wanted Trump to win the popular vote too, so there'd be no question. We the people have spoken.  

We the people have been praying and fasting for our nation. I am so thankful to God that finally we can return to some sanity. It's going to take some time to clean up the various departments; he is surrounding himself with knowledgeable people who can help him and I am hopeful. As are so many of our young friends. We oldies were invited to a mega MAGA party and it was such a consolation to see the red wave across the country. Last night, when I went to bed, I knew we'd pulled back from the precipice. Thank you, Lord. With Your help, we can make America great again. This is my prayer from America the Beautiful:

America! America!
God mend thine ev’ry flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law.

November Saints and More

 

We have just finished another triduum of Holy days--All Hallow's Eve, All Saints, and All Souls. And it is so very lovely to live this liturgical life. I think of all my loved ones who are praying for us from heaven and we pray for those who cannot pray for themselves--those in purgatory. So many people immediately canonize their loved ones upon their death, but so few of us could conceivably enter heaven directly upon our death. Every sin needs to be burned off, including any attachment to venial sin. Nothing impure can enter heaven. I love this painting of a Requiem Mass being offered for a soul in purgatory, who is now entering heaven (I found it without attribution, so if anyone knows the artist, please let me know).

I can't help but think of my own mortality and this quote from St. John Chrysostom gave me pause: If you knew how quickly people would forget about you after your death, you will not seek in your life to please anyone else but God. So why do I still seek the admiration and validation from men? Sigh. Striving to walk the path of righteousness. It's not easy. Pray for me. 

In other news, I have already voted in the general election--this is the first time I've not gone on election day. But with a busy singing schedule, plus being out of town for a conference, I thought it wise not to wait. Instead, I will be going to Adoration tomorrow. The choice is clear. Ap. Vigano has written an open letter to American Catholics. It reminded me so much of Deuteronomy 30: 19 "I call heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live." 

One Hour for My Priest

I am so excited to share with you the newest book from our critique group: One Hour for My Priest by Tina Jost. It is a prayer companion for when we offer an hour of prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament for our beloved priests, without whom we wouldn't have the Mass or the Holy Eucharist. We began this practice a couple of years ago through the Seven Sister Apostolate and I cannot even begin to express to you the shower of graces, not only upon the priests we pray for, but in our own lives. I've known Tina since we moved to Charleston--she brought us a most delicious lasagna--and one of the things I discovered is that not only is she a fantastic cook, but a prayer warrior extraordinaire. I can always ask her to pray for an intention and when I feel weak and discouraged, I can rely on her to pray for me. I am so blessed to have a network of strong prayerful women in my life.

So, when Tina showed me some of the prayers she was writing during her Holy Hour, I knew she had to make these available for the rest of us. It's not easy making a Holy Hour for a single person. Too many concerns distract and when the mind wanders it's so helpful to have a book to turn to. Tina's prayer companion can easily be adapted for anyone you want to make a Holy Hour for or for your own self. It is going to become a permanent resident of my Adoration bag to help me turn my thoughts on Him instead of the responsibilities of the day. A Holy Hour is one of the greatest gifts in this life.

I'm also excited that I get to share a few copies at the Marian Eucharistic Conference. Our critique group--Charleston Christian Writers--has purchased a table. We hired Gabriel Shahid to make a banner for us and we just love how beautifully he rendered our vision. We also made flyers--yes, we are learning to do what we can to share our books! 

October Saints

Busy month...but with lots of celebrations. October also has the feast of our Holy Guardian Angels (I have a great devotion to mine and wrote about it: My Guardian Dear | Vijaya Bodach | Shalom Tidings) and one of my favorite saints--the Little Flower of Lisieux, Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face. Her Story of a Soul is a classic, one that made me fall in love with her and her "Little Way." 

We had lovely High Masses and a procession for the Feast of our Lady of the Rosary. It is the easiest prayer and allows one to contemplate the life of our Lord. Our pastor often reminds us about how when people are old and have forgotten everything, they can still recite an Ave Maria. The first half is from Scripture: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. And the second is a petition--Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Prayer is what is needed in these terrible times we are facing right now. Wars. Natural disasters. Government incompetence and corruption. Election.

Fr. Chad Ripperger has penned a prayer for the upcoming election: Mary Immaculate, living tabernacle of the Divinity, where the eternal Wisdom lies hidden to be adored and served by angels and men, Queen of heaven and of earth, beneath whose sway are subject all things that are lower than God, Patroness of the United States of America, sorrowful and mindful of our own sinfulness and the sins of our nation, we come to Thee, our refuge and hope. Knowing that our country cannot be saved by our own works and mindful of how much our nation has departed from the ways of Thy Son, we humbly ask that Thou wouldst turn Thine eyes upon our country to bring about its conversion. We consecrate to Thee the integrity of the upcoming election and its outcome, so that what is spiritually and morally best for the citizens of our country may be accomplished, and that all of those who are elected would govern according to the spiritual and moral principles which will bring our nation into conformity with the teachings of Thy Son. Give grace to the citizens of this land so that they will choose leaders according to the Sacred Heart of Thy Son, that His glory may be made manifest, lest we be given the leaders we deserve. Trusting in the providential care of God the Father and Thy maternal care, we have perfect confidence that Thou wilt take care of us and will not leave us forsaken. O Mary Immaculate, pray for us. Amen. 

Bountiful Garden

We've been enjoying the fruits of the garden and what a delightful surprise to see this beautiful flower from the turmeric plant. It's our first time to grow it and I can't wait to until we can have fresh turmeric. We discovered it at the farmer's market last year so decided to grow our own. I make a tonic with ginger, garlic, onion, turmeric, rosemary, pepper and sea-salt in apple-cider vinegar and it's so convenient adding it to bone broth or any dish really to liven it up. Another new plant that I'm loving in my salads is purslane--the leaves have a peppery taste.

Here's Michael amongst the ginger. I love ginger--my mother used to make a dried ginger candy that we kept in our pockets (she sewed pockets in all our dresses) and it was such a treat to find a forgotten one. Here we are celebrating another birthday! Dagny got him this lovely Viking mead inspired by Kristin Lavransdatter, which he just finished, and which I've begun and loving it (alas, it's too heavy to rest on the cat). I'm blessed to have a husband who can not only bring home the bacon, but cook it. If he could, he'd grow the bacon :)

St. Hildegard von Bingen and Encouragement for Writing

One of my favorite saints is Hildegard of Bingen (Feast Day Sept. 17th)--she was so very gifted. Music, medicine, writing, and so much more. So imagine my surprise when I learned how much encouragement she needed to write. She was a visionary and didn't tell anyone except her spiritual director and confessor. 

In A.D. 1141 God infused her with understanding of the religious texts and commanded her to write everything she would see in her visions, she hesitated due to her feelings of inadequacy. She writes: "And it came to pass...when I was 42 years and 7 months old, that the heavens were opened and a blinding light of exceptional brilliance flowed through my entire brain. And so it kindled my whole heart and breast like a flame, not burning but warming...and suddenly I understood of the meaning of expositions of the books... But although I heard and saw these things, because of doubt and low opinion of myself and because of diverse sayings of men, I refused for a long time a call to write, not out of stubbornness but out of humility, until weighed down by a scourge of god, I fell onto a bed of sickness."

She wrote to St. Bernard and he told the Pope, who exhorted Hildegard to finish her writing. Wow! Even the saints need encouragement. I've been turning to her for the same. Pray for us, St. Hildegard.

Exaltation of the Holy Cross

I learned about this beautiful Cross of Snow in Colorado and the poem that Longfellow wrote upon the death of his wife through a homily by Fr. Joseph Mary on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. I especially loved the quote from Fulton Sheen about the Cross without Jesus making it a burden, whereas, with our Savior, it becomes redemptive. 

It reminded me of another quote of his from his book Life of Christ: “The Western post-Christian civilization has picked up the Christ without His Cross. But a Christ without a sacrifice that reconciles the world to God is a cheap, colorless, itinerant preacher who deserves to be popular for His great Sermon on the Mount, but also merits unpopularity for what He said about His Divinity on the one hand, and divorce, judgment, and hell on the other. This sentimental Christ... Without His Cross, He becomes nothing more than a sultry precursor of democracy or a humanitarian who taught brotherhood without tears.” All this reminded me of another beautiful quote by Dietrich Bonhoeffer on cheap grace. I can only hope and pray that Longfellow, at the end of his life received all the necessary graces to reach heaven. 

  

The Cross of Snow

By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

In the long, sleepless watches of the night,

   A gentle face — the face of one long dead —

   Looks at me from the wall, where round its head

   The night-lamp casts a halo of pale light.

Here in this room she died; and soul more white

   Never through martyrdom of fire was led

   To its repose; nor can in books be read

   The legend of a life more benedight.

There is a mountain in the distant West

   That, sun-defying, in its deep ravines

   Displays a cross of snow upon its side.

Such is the cross I wear upon my breast

   These eighteen years, through all the changing scenes

   And seasons, changeless since the day she died.

Sing! Sing! Sing!

Choir practices have started up at Stella Maris and Sacred Heart and what a joy it is to sing the Mass!!! How perfect to begin this on the birthday of our dear Mother Mary! Oddly, the more I have on my plate to practice, the more I'm writing as well. Don't ask me how or why, but I'm so rejuvenated. Praise God! 

The picture is from the Mass of Dedication of St. Clare of Assisi Catholic Church last year. It was such an honor to be invited to sing with their choir and alongside the professionals. Some of my favorite people are in the picture so what a delight to receive it from the music director at St. Clare. She's recruiting! I've been happy with my own recruiting efforts for our two church choirs and barbershop chorus!

A lot of people don't think they can't sing Gregorian chant, so here's a crash course in a little over half hour from Floriani/Gregorian Chant Academy. 

Singing, like writing, or any other creative pursuit, is so good for our mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. See: Choir singing improves health, happiness – and is the perfect icebreaker | University of Oxford   I can personally attest to its healing power--my migraines are much diminished when I sing or write. So I wish upon you much creative work, good health, and abundant blessings.  

September Saints

How quickly this year is going--it's back to school for my future son-in-law (his last semester, yay!)--and the rest of it is going to fly! We begin celebrating High Masses again with the Nativity of Mary. Only three birthdays on earth are celebrated in the Catholic Church: The birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Dec. 25th, the birth of Mary, His most Holy Mother on Sep. 8th, and the birth of St. John the Baptist on June 24th. All three were sinless. Jesus, by virtue of being the Son of Man; Mary, for being conceived without Original Sin (by the foreseen merits of our Lord's Sacrifice on the Cross); and John the Baptist, sanctified in his mother's womb at the Visitation. All other saints worked out their sanctification with fear and trembling, as we should too. (Phil 2:12) 

September is also the month of Mary under her title of Our Lady of Sorrows. “Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow…” ~ Lamentations 1:12 You can see the prayers and promises our Lady promises to those who remember her sorrow here: Know The 7 Sorrows and Promises of Our Lady of Sorrows (goodcatholic.com)

1. The Prophecy of Simeon. ~ Luke 2:34–35
2. The Flight into Egypt. ~Matthew 2:13
3. The loss of the child Jesus in the Temple. ~Luke 2:43–45
4. Mary meets Jesus on the way to Calvary.
5. Jesus dies on the cross. ~John 19:25
6. The piercing of the side of Jesus, and Mary's receiving the body of Jesus in her arms. ~Matthew 27:57–59
7. The body of Jesus is placed in the tomb. ~John 19:40–42

Happy Feast of St. Augustine of Hippo

"Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me, but I was not with you. Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you they would not have been at all. You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace." ~ St. Augustine of Hippo. 

I love this saint so very much because he converted in middle age, like we did. I marvel at how much he accomplished in his second half of his life! Oh, that we could attain the heights of sanctity as he did. Oh, that we could redeem lost time. And luckily, St. Teresa de Avila, wrote a prayer just for that. How blessed are we to have examples of these great saints:

O my God! Source of all mercy! I acknowledge Your sovereign power. While recalling the wasted years that are past, I believe that You, Lord, can in an instant turn this loss to gain. Miserable as I am, yet I firmly believe that You can do all things. Please restore to me the time lost, giving me Your grace, both now and in the future, that I may appear before You in "wedding garments." Amen. 

Writing with Migraines

I'm so pleased to share some thoughts with you on my friend Carolyn's substack: Writing with Migraines - by Carolyn B Fraiser (substack.com) or her WordPress Acct. Writing with Migraines – CAROLYN BENNETT FRAISER (carolynbfraiser.com). I think it may be a beginning of a book :)

The Texas trip was hard on my head...but I'm recovering. Reading, writing, making music, and beach time are all part of my therapy. 

Wedding Anniversary

Michael and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary with a renewal of our vows in our beloved Stella Maris. I cried again saying those vows. I believe the next 30 years will be even better with Christ at the center of our marriage. Our pastor bestowed many blessings upon us. So much grace! God poured it out on us even while we didn't acknowledge Him, believe in Him, or give Him thanks. I am filled with awe at His generosity at what He's accomplishing in our lives. Ah, He will bring to perfection what He has started! Deo gratias!!!

We celebrated at Dunleavy's pub afterwards with our witnesses. 

Yesterday, we went out to celebrate at Lost Isle on John's Island. Lovely ambience and wonderful food! We take most of our meals on the porch so it was great to be seated outdoors in the shade, smelling the wood smoked meat as it was being prepared, and enjoying a cooling spray from the fan. Much like home, without dishes to wash :)  

I love that our anniversary falls on the Feast of St. Maximilian Kolbe and the Vigil of Assumption of Mary. Both speak powerfully to the married life and its sanctification. Michael and I are reading Preparation for Death: Consideration of Eternal Truths by St. Alphonsus Ligouri and such rich meditations on leading a good Christian life so that we may be assured of a happy death. Our Lord, by his horrible death, has opened the doors of heaven for those who love Him. I will forever be grateful that our Lord never stopped chasing us and brought us to Himself.  Now we pray for the final perseverance so that we're never ever separated from Him. On this Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady, we can never assume that we'll go to heaven but pray for the grace.