I don't know about the few of you who read my blog, but I'm tired of being a grown-up--the only grown up I know sometimes seems. I feel like I know too much about some people and too little about others. I have to make all the decisions, and push every one else in my life to do so. I am the only one who can pick up anything, remind everyone else to pick up anything, or remember to pick up anything. I am the one who runs all the errands, and must make all the phone calls. It seems like I am the one who has to make sure everyone eats and breathes.
Sometimes, I sit dazed at the end of the day wondering--when is my day off? When is my break? When do I get to have fun?
I have so long fought for my children's right to be kids that they can't be bothered to do chores, or pick up after themselves. Now, I'm not even taken seriously unless I'm yelling at everyone. I don't know when that happened. I've tried to tell everyone that I don't enjoy being angry, but they don't do anything I say unless I'm yelling. I hate it.
Being the grown up sucks.
I need to pray more:
"When night comes, and retrospect shows that everything was patchwork and much that one had planned left undone, when so many things rouse shame and regret, then take all as is, lay it in God's hands, and offer it up to Him. In this way we will be able to rest in Him, actually to rest and to begin the new day like a new life."
[St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross - excerpted from Gold in the Furnace, Jean M. Heimann, copyright 2004.]
"Holy Spirit, come into my heart; draw it to Thee by Thy power, O my God, and grant me charity with filial fear. Preserve me, O ineffable Love, from every evil thought; warm me, inflame me with Thy dear love, and every pain will seem light to me. My Father, my sweet Lord, help me in all my actions. Jesus, love, Jesus, love."
Amen
[St. Catherine of Siena]
Showing posts with label motherhood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label motherhood. Show all posts
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Friday, May 21, 2010
Ode to BJ
This guy is definitely not your typical teenager. He has been my Den Chief for the last three years (Bears, and two years of Webelos) when no other adult in the Pack was willing to be the Den leader, let alone an assistant. Since according to Boy Scout rules, I, as a leader, could not be with the boys by myself, my brilliant son stepped up to the plate at 13. For the last two years he has been an 1st grade RE assistant, working for me. He is wonderful with the kids. He lead them in singing, praying, and games at the beginning of class. He has won a prize (honorable mention the first year, a silver, and 3 golds) every year at the district history day fair for the past 5 years. He has won a bronze twice in the last 3 years at the state contest (one was this year). He is an altar boy at Church and volunteers readily for special events and last minute fill-ins (it helps that we live 4 blocks from church, but they wouldn't call if he couldn't be relied on). He is an active member of the High School youth group and always volunteers when they need help. Just the other day, he helped set up, serve food, and clean up for our Golden Angels group's (over 55 crowd) mother's day 'banquet' hosted by the youth group. This year he was confirmed under the patronage of St. Florian. What a proud moment that was for me and the rest of the family.
He is not typical in that he doesn't throw fits or fight all the time with his parents. He doesn't get into trouble with the "wrong" crowd. He doesn't experiment with cigarettes, drugs, or alcohol--he is a type 1 diabetic, so those things would be life threatening anyway. However, he does get into moody times that can be quite dark. If he were a "typical" teenager, I'm afraid he might have come to some harm by his own hand. All he dwells on is what has happened to him that is negative. The one year he spent in a "Catholic" school he was bullied (by at least 3 guys), made fun of because he was hit in the face with a basketball and cried, ridiculed by one of his teachers on at least one occassion, and finely "talked to" because of the one time he stood up to a bully and punched him (in the arm). He dwells on the fact that because he is diabetic (type 1--which has absolutely nothing to do with diet or weight) people treat him "like a baby." At resident Boy Scout camp, the 'cook' would not let him have seconds, he was never allowed soda, except diet, desserts, or ice cream with the rest of the boys. Typically, he is not allowed sodas when he is out with the scouts or youth group when they stop for snacks. He is almost always left out when it comes to "treats" of any kind. It's not as if he, the self-proclaimed history geek, doesn't already feel different. He really doesn't need the help of the adults or kids around him to make him feel worse.
Through homeschooling and more outside experiences, I had hoped to give him a more positive outlook and more positive 'self-esteem.' I apologize to him and to God for my failures in this area. You see, I have been feeling the financial pressures, the responsibilities of being the bill payer, the housemaid, the caregiver, and the teacher of five kids and becoming a depressed, negative person. I need to do some "taming" just like a friend of my said on her blog. Right now I am working hard on changing that negativity. I plan to streamline the junk in my house. Get my school reports in ASAP. Hug on my kids a lot more! And, tell my teenager how wonderful he is and how proud I am of him at least once a day from now on.
Know what he did today? He was an altar boy for a funeral. He had to go without breakfast (his blood glucose was too high) but didn't complain a bit. Boy am I proud of that boy who is as tall as the priest, and just as handsome as an fairy tale prince. He is brave, loving, responsible, strong, and worthy of trust. I have been truly blest.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Pentecost Sunday
Sunday is the day we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit, Pentecost, as promised by Our Lord Jesus to the disciples. A friend of my reminded us on his blog that this is the last chance to fulfill your Easter obligation. If you're one of those who can't seem to make it every Sunday to Mass (a faithful Catholic is obligated to go every Sunday, btw), you must attend Mass and Confession at the very least, once a year at Eastertide. Sunday is the last day of the Easter celebration season. So, if you have not done so, please get yourself to confession and Mass this weekend.
Sunday's Gospel reading:
Gospel Jn 20:19-23
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”
What a beautiful message, and what a beautiful gift Jesus Christ gave the Church, not only the Holy Spirit, the best thing He gave us, but also the power to forgive our sins in His Name. To hear "Your sins are forgiven" outloud by one sitting in the place of Christ, can be very liberating.
For you moms out there that try to keep wiggly ones occupied during Mass, I recommend the Catholicmom.com's Gospel activities for kids aged 7-14.
Go here: http://new.catholicmom.com/2010/05/17/may-23-2010/#more-9888 I've used these for my younger ones.
God Bless, see you at Mass.
Sunday's Gospel reading:
Gospel Jn 20:19-23
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”
What a beautiful message, and what a beautiful gift Jesus Christ gave the Church, not only the Holy Spirit, the best thing He gave us, but also the power to forgive our sins in His Name. To hear "Your sins are forgiven" outloud by one sitting in the place of Christ, can be very liberating.
For you moms out there that try to keep wiggly ones occupied during Mass, I recommend the Catholicmom.com's Gospel activities for kids aged 7-14.
Go here: http://new.catholicmom.com/2010/05/17/may-23-2010/#more-9888 I've used these for my younger ones.
God Bless, see you at Mass.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Devotional
"Will God really dwell with men on earth? If the Heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain you, how much less this temple that I have built! --I Kings 8:27
"The Mother of God contained the infinite God under her heart, the God Whom no space can contain. Through her, the Trinity is adored, demons are vanquished. Satan is cast out of heaven, and our fallen nature is assumed into heaven." --St. Cyril of Alexandria. [From: "Mary Day by Day"]
"Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted. (Mt23:12) These are the Lord's words and they cannot be untrue. Therefore, when God determined to become man in order to redeem lost humankind and reveal His infinite goodness to the world in this way, and when it was necessary for Him to choose a mother on earth, He looked for the woman who was the holiest and most humble of all. And among all the women in the world, there was only one on whom His eyes rested, namely the sweet Virgin Mary. She was already perfect in every virtue, but she considered herself as simple and lowly as a dove. There are young maidens without number: one is my dove, my perfect one (Cant. 6:7). So God said: This one shall be My mother...." --St. Alphonsus Liguori, "The Glories of Mary", Sermon 4: Mary's Annunciation.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Saint for Today
**NOTE: I just found out today that St. Macrina is one of the 140 saints standing on top of the colonnade in St. Peter's square. She stands to the right of St. Dominic himself (who is next to St. Francis). Pretty cool, huh?
January 14
St. Macrina
Profile
Grandmother of Saint Basil the Great, Saint Gregory of Nyssa, Saint Peter of Sebaste, and Saint Macrina the Younger, and apparently raised Basil. Spiritual student of Saint Gregory Thaumaturgus. She and her husband lived in hiding in a forest at Pontus for seven years during the persecution of Diocletian, nearly starving several times. Widowed.
http://saints.sqpn.com/saintm71.htm
On January 2, we celebrated the feast of a grandchild of today's saint. St. Basil the Great, who was born around 329, came from a family of saints. Macrina, his father's mother, was one of his favorites. She seems to have raised Basil. As an adult, he praised his grandmother for all the good she had done for him. He especially thanked her openly for having taught him to love the Christian faith from the time he was very small.
Macrina and her husband learned the high price of being true to their Christian beliefs. During one of the Roman persecutions of Galerius and Maximinus, Basil's grandparents were forced into hiding. They found refuge in the forest near their home. Somehow they managed to escape their persecutors. They were always hungry and afraid, but they would not give up their faith. Instead, they patiently waited and prayed for the persecution to end. They hunted for food and ate the wild vegetation and somehow survived. This persecution lasted seven years. St. Gregory Nazianzen, who shares Basil's feast day on January 2, recorded these few details.
During another persecution, Macrina and her husband had all their property and belongings taken from them. They were left with nothing but their faith and trust in God's care for them.
St. Macrina survived her husband but the exact year of each of their deaths is not recorded. It is believed that Macrina died around 340. Her grandchild, Basil, died in 379.
http://www.daughtersofstpaul.com/saintday/m1.html
January 14
St. Macrina
Profile
Grandmother of Saint Basil the Great, Saint Gregory of Nyssa, Saint Peter of Sebaste, and Saint Macrina the Younger, and apparently raised Basil. Spiritual student of Saint Gregory Thaumaturgus. She and her husband lived in hiding in a forest at Pontus for seven years during the persecution of Diocletian, nearly starving several times. Widowed.
http://saints.sqpn.com/saintm71.htm
On January 2, we celebrated the feast of a grandchild of today's saint. St. Basil the Great, who was born around 329, came from a family of saints. Macrina, his father's mother, was one of his favorites. She seems to have raised Basil. As an adult, he praised his grandmother for all the good she had done for him. He especially thanked her openly for having taught him to love the Christian faith from the time he was very small.
Macrina and her husband learned the high price of being true to their Christian beliefs. During one of the Roman persecutions of Galerius and Maximinus, Basil's grandparents were forced into hiding. They found refuge in the forest near their home. Somehow they managed to escape their persecutors. They were always hungry and afraid, but they would not give up their faith. Instead, they patiently waited and prayed for the persecution to end. They hunted for food and ate the wild vegetation and somehow survived. This persecution lasted seven years. St. Gregory Nazianzen, who shares Basil's feast day on January 2, recorded these few details.
During another persecution, Macrina and her husband had all their property and belongings taken from them. They were left with nothing but their faith and trust in God's care for them.
St. Macrina survived her husband but the exact year of each of their deaths is not recorded. It is believed that Macrina died around 340. Her grandchild, Basil, died in 379.
http://www.daughtersofstpaul.com/saintday/m1.html
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Mary, Mother of God, Solemnity
Prayer in Praise of the Mother of God
Mary, our Mother, the whole world reveres you as the holiest shrine of the living God, for in you the salvation of the world dawned. The Son of God was pleased to take human form from you. You have broken down the wall of hatred, the barrier between heaven and earth which was set up by man's first disobedience. In you heaven met earth when divinity and humanity were joined in one person,
the God-Man.
Mother of God, we sing your praises, but we must praise you even more. Our speech is too feeble to honor you as we ought for no tongue is eloquent enough to express your excellence. Mary, most powerful, most holy, and worthy of all love! Your name brings new life, and the thought of you inspires love in the hearts of those devoted to you.
St. Bernard
[Prayer: New Saint Joseph People's Prayer Book, Catholic Book Publishing Co., NY]
[Painting: The Holy Mother of God, tempra on wood, Collection of Mr. Giovanni d'Alessandro, Italy]
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
ChristMass is Here!
The Peace of Christmas
Loving Father of the human family, as we celebrate once more the birth of Jesus, your Son, we marvel at your love for us. Give us the grace to hear more deeply and live more fully the promise of peace proclaimed by the angels that first Christmas. We lift up to your loving providence all who live in the shadow of death and violence, especially those who work for freedom, justice, and peace in Iraq and in the lands where Jesus once walked.
Heavenly Father, may the reconciling love of Christ, your Son, truly dwell in our hearts and homes, making us ever-more open to His presence among us. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Scripture Texts Christmas Midnight Mass
Reading I
Is 9:1-6
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone. You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing, as they rejoice before you as at the harvest, as people make merry when dividing spoils. For the yoke that burdened them, the pole on their shoulder, and the rod of their taskmaster you have smashed, as on the day of Midian. For every boot that tramped in battle, every cloak rolled in blood, will be burned as fuel for flames. For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counsellor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace. His dominion is vast and forever peaceful, from David’s throne, and over his kingdom, which he confirms and sustains by judgment and justice, both now and forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this!
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 96: 1-2, 2-3, 11-12, 13
R. (Lk 2:11) Today is born our Saviour, Christ the Lord.
Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all you lands. Sing to the LORD; bless his name.
R. Today is born our Saviour, Christ the Lord.
Announce his salvation, day after day. Tell his glory among the nations; among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.
R. Today is born our Saviour, Christ the Lord.
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice; let the sea and what fills it resound; let the plains be joyful and all that is in them! Then shall all the trees of the forest exult.
R. Today is born our Saviour, Christ the Lord.
They shall exult before the LORD, for he comes; for he comes to rule the earth. He shall rule the world with justice and the peoples with his constancy.
R. Today is born our Saviour, Christ the Lord.
Reading II
Ti 2:11-14
Beloved:
The grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of our great God and saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people as his own, eager to do what is good.
Gospel
Lk 2:1-14
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrolment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, (Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a saviour has been born for you who is Christ and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
I Had to Say Something.
On a discussion group I belong to, one of the ignorant opponents decided to throw Blessed Teresa of Calcutta under the bus. He said that she never preached the Gospel to anyone and that what she did and taught were against the teachings of the Church. For one thing, he has NO CLUE about the True Faith. He proves it every single time he posts one of his anti-Catholic diatribes. He NEVER supports his allegations about Church teachings with Church writings OR Scripture, just lots of hot air. Secondly, to attack some one as saintly as Mother Teresa is just pitiful. No one LIVED the Gospel like Blessed Teresa. No one epitomized Matthew 25 more that Blessed Teresa. Can you tell me that NO ONE was converted by the love, compassion, and mercy of Christ that shined through that tiny Albanian woman? I didn't think so.
In 1952 the first Home for the Dying was opened in space made available by the City of Calcutta. Over the years, Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity grew from 12 to thousands serving the "poorest of the poor" in 450 centers around the world. Mother Teresa created many homes for the dying and the unwanted from Calcutta to New York to Albania. She was one of the pioneers of establishing homes for AIDS victims. For more than 45 years, Mother Teresa comforted the poor, the dying, and the unwanted around the world.
In 1966, the Missionaries of Charity Brothers was founded. Homes began to open in Rome, Tanzania, and Australia. In 1971, the first home in the United States was established in the South Bronx, New York.
Mother Teresa gained worldwide acclaim with her tireless efforts on behalf of world peace. Her work brought her numerous humanitarian awards, including : the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. In receiving this award, Mother Teresa revolutionized the award ceremony. She insisted on a departure from the ceremonial banquet and asked that the funds, $6,000 be donated to the poor in Calcutta. This money would permit her to feed hundreds for a year.
She is stated to have said that earthly rewards were important only if they helped her help the world’s needy.
Beginning in 1980, homes began to spring-up for drug addicts, prostitutes, battered women, and more orphanages and schools for poor children around the world. In 1985, Mother Teresa established the first hospice for AIDS victims in New York. Later homes were added in San Francisco and Atlanta. Mother Teresa was awarded Medal of Freedom, the highest U.S. civilian award.
In 1991, Mother Teresa returned for the first time to her native Albania (know known as Serbia) and opened a home in Tirana. By this year, there were 168 homes established in India.
On February 3, 1994 at a National Prayer Breakfast, sponsored by the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, in Washington, DC, Mother Teresa challenged the audience on such topics as family life and abortion. She said, "Please don’t kill the child. I want the child. Give the child to me."
Mother Teresa traveled to help the hungry in Ethiopia, radiation victims at Chernobyl, and earthquake victims in Armenia. Her zeal and works of mercy knew no boundaries.
In November of 1996, Mother Teresa received the honorary U.S. citizenship.
An address at the National Prayer Breakfast (Sponsored by the
U.S. Senate and House of Representatives) February 3, 1994
On the last day, Jesus will say to those on His right hand, "Come, enter the Kingdom. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was sick and you visited me." Then Jesus will turn to those on His left hand and say, "Depart from me because I was hungry and you did not feed me, I was thirsty and you did not give me to drink, I was sick and you did not visit me." These will ask Him, "When did we see You hungry, or thirsty or sick and did not come to Your help?" And Jesus will answer them, "Whatever you neglected to do unto one of these least of these, you neglected to do unto Me!"
As we have gathered here to pray together, I think it will be beautiful if we begin with a prayer that expresses very well what Jesus wants us to do for the least. St. Francis of Assisi understood very well these words of Jesus and His life is very well expressed by a prayer. And this prayer, which we say every day after Holy Communion, always surprises me very much, because it is very fitting for each one of us. And I always wonder whether 800 years ago when St. Francis lived, they had the same difficulties that we have today. I think that some of you already have this prayer of peace - so we will pray it together.
Let us thank God for the opportunity He has given us today to have come here to pray together. We have come here especially to pray for peace, joy and love. We are reminded that Jesus came to bring the good news to the poor. He had told us what is that good news when He said: "My peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you." He came not to give the peace of the world which is only that we don't bother each other. He came to give the peace of heart which comes from loving - from doing good to others.
And God loved the world so much that He gave His son - it was a giving. God gave His son to the Virgin Mary, and what did she do with Him? As soon as Jesus came into Mary's life, immediately she went in haste to give that good news. And as she came into the house of her cousin, Elizabeth, Scripture tells us that the unborn child - the child in the womb of Elizabeth - leapt with joy. While still in the womb of Mary - Jesus brought peace to John the Baptist who leapt for joy in the womb of Elizabeth. The unborn was the first one to proclaim the coming of Christ.
And as if that were not enough, as if it were not enough that God the Son should become one of us and bring peace and joy while still in the womb of Mary, Jesus also died on the Cross to show that greater love. He died for you and for me, and for the leper and for that man dying of hunger and that naked person lying in the street, no only of Calcutta, but of Africa, and everywhere. Our Sisters serve these poor people in 105 countries throughout the world. Jesus insisted that we love one another as He loves each one of us. Jesus gave His life to love us and He tells us that we also have to give whatever it takes to do good to one another. And in the Gospel Jesus says very clearly: "Love as I have loved you."
Jesus died on the Cross because that is what it took for Him to do good to us - to save us from our selfishness in sin. He gave up everything to do the Father's will - to show us that we too must be willing to give up everything to do God's will - to love one another as He loves each of us. If we are not willing to give whatever it takes to do good to one another, sin is still in us. That is why we too must give to each other until it hurts.
It is not enough for us to say: "I love God," but I also have to love my neighbor. St. John says that you are a liar if you say you love God and you don't love your neighbor. How can you love God whom you do not see, if you do not love your neighbor whom you see, whom you touch, with whom you live? And so it is very important for us to realize that love, to be true, has to hurt. I must be willing to give whatever it takes not to harm other people and, in fact, to do good to them. This requires that I be willing to give until it hurts. Otherwise, there is not true love in me and I bring injustice, not peace, to those around me.
It hurt Jesus to love us. We have been created in His image for greater things, to love and to be loved. We must "put on Christ" as Scripture tells us. And so, we have been created to love as He loves us. Jesus makes Himself the hungry one, the naked one, the homeless one, the unwanted one, and He says, "You did it to Me." On the last day He will say to those on His right, "whatever you did to the least of these, you did to Me, and He will also say to those on His left, whatever you neglected to do for the least of these, you neglected to do it for Me."
When He was dying on the Cross, Jesus said, "I thirst." Jesus is thirsting for our love, and this is the thirst of everyone, poor and rich alike. We all thirst for the love of others, that they go out of their way to avoid harming us and to do good to us. This is the meaning of true love, to give
until it hurts.
I can never forget the experience I had in visiting a home where they kept all these old parents of sons and daughters who had just put them into an institution and forgotten them - maybe. I saw that in that home these old people had everything - good food, comfortable place, television, everything, but everyone was looking toward the door. And I did not see a single one with a smile on the face. I turned to Sister and I asked: "Why do these people who have every comfort here, why are they all looking toward the door? Why are they not smiling?"
I am so used to seeing the smiles on our people, even the dying ones smile. And Sister said: "This is the way it is nearly everyday. They are expecting, they are hoping that a son or daughter will come to visit them. They are hurt because they are forgotten." And see, this neglect to love brings spiritual poverty. Maybe in our own family we have somebody who is feeling lonely, who is feeling sick, who is feeling worried. Are we there? Are we willing to give until it hurts in order to be with our families, or do we put our own interests first? These are the questions we must ask ourselves, especially as we begin this year of the family. We must remember that love begins at home and we must also remember that 'the future of humanity passes through the family.'
I was surprised in the West to see so many young boys and girls given to drugs. And I tried to find out why. Why is it like that, when those in the West have so many more things than those in the East? And the answer was: 'Because there is no one in the family to receive them.' Our children depend on us for everything - their health, their nutrition, their security, their coming to know and love God. For all of this, they look to us with trust, hope and expectation. But often father and mother are so busy they have no time for their children, or perhaps they are not even married or have given up on their marriage. So their children go to the streets and get involved in drugs or other things. We are talking of love of the child, which is were love and peace must begin. These are the things that break peace.
But I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself. And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another? How do we persuade a woman not to have an abortion? As always, we must persuade her with love and we remind ourselves that love means to be willing to give until it hurts. Jesus gave even His life to love us. So, the mother who is thinking of abortion, should be helped to love, that is, to give until it hurts her plans, or her free time, to respect the life of her
child. The father of that child, whoever he is, must also give until it hurts.
By abortion, the mother does not learn to love, but kills even her own child to solve her problems. And, by abortion, that father is told that he does not have to take any responsibility at all for the child he has brought into the world. The father is likely to put other women into the same trouble. So abortion just leads to more abortion. Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want. This is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion.
Many people are very, very concerned with the children of India, with the children of Africa where quite a few die of hunger, and so on. Many people are also concerned about all the violence in this great country of the United States. These concerns are very good. But often these same people are not concerned with the millions who are being killed by the deliberate decision of their own mothers. And this is what is the greatest destroyer of peace today - abortion which brings people to such blindness.
And for this I appeal in India and I appeal everywhere - "Let us bring the child back." The child is God's gift to the family. Each child is created in the special image and likeness of God for greater things - to love and to be loved. In this year of the family we must bring the child back to the center of our care and concern. This is the only way that our world can survive because our children are the only hope for the future. As older people are called to God, only their children can take their places.
But what does God say to us? He says: "Even if a mother could forget her child, I will not forget you. I have carved you in the palm of my hand." We are carved in the palm of His hand; that unborn child has been carved in the hand of God from conception and is called by God to love and loved, not only now in this life, but forever. God can never forget us.
The beautiful gift God has given our congregation is to fight abortion by adoption. We have already, from our house in Calcutta, over 3,000 children adoption. And I can't tell you what joy, what love, what peace those children have brought into those families. It has been a real gift of God for them and for us. I remember one of the little ones was very sick, so I sent for the father and the mother and I asked them: "Please give me back the sick child. I will give you a healthy one." And the father looked at me and said, "Mother Teresa, take my life first than take the child." So beautiful to see it--so much love, so much joy that little one has brought
into that family. So pray for us that we continue this beautiful gift. And also I offer you--our Sisters are here--anybody who doesn't want the child, please give it to me. I want the child.
I will tell you something beautiful. We are fighting abortion by adoption - by care of the mother and adoption for her baby. We have saved thousands of lives. We have sent word to the clinics, to the hospitals and police stations: "Please don't destroy the child; we will take the child." So we always have someone tell the mothers in trouble: "Come, we will take care of you, we will get a home for your child." And we have a tremendous demand from couples who cannot have a child - but I never give a child to a couple who have done something not to have a child. Jesus said, "Anyone who receives a child in my name, receives me." By adopting a child, these couples receive Jesus but, by aborting a child, a couple refuses to receive Jesus.
Please don't kill the child. I want the child. Please give me the child. I am willing to accept any child who would be aborted and to give that child to a married couple who will love the child and be loved by the child. From our children's home in Calcutta alone, we have saved over 3000 children from abortion. These children have brought such love and joy to their adopting parents and have grown up so full of love and joy.
I know that couples have to plan their family and for that there is natural family planning. The way to plan the family is natural family planning, not contraception. In destroying the power of giving life, through contraception, a husband or wife is doing something to self. This turns the attention to self and so it destroys the gifts of love in him or her.In loving, the husband and wife must turn the attention to each other as happens in natural family planning, and not to self, as happens in contraception. Once that living love is destroyed by contraception, abortion follows very easily.
I also know that there are great problems in the world - that many spouses do not love each other enough to practice natural family planning. We cannot solve all the problems in the world, but let us never bring in the worst problem of all, and that is to destroy love. And this is whathappens when we tell people to practice contraception and abortion.
The poor are very great people. They can teach us so many beautiful things. Once one of them came to thank us for teaching her natural family planning and said: "You people who have practiced chastity, you are the best people to teach us natural family planning because it is nothing more than self-control out of love for each other." And what this poor person said is very true. These poor people maybe have nothing to eat, maybe they have not a home to live in, but they can still be great people when they are spiritually rich.
When I pick up a person from the street, hungry, I give him a plate of rice, a piece of bread. But a person who is shut out, who feels unwanted, unloved, terrified, the person who has been thrown out of society - that spiritual poverty is much harder to overcome. And abortion, which often follows from contraception, brings a people to be spiritually poor, andthat is the worst poverty and the most difficult to overcome.
Those who are materially poor can be very wonderful people. One evening we went out and we picked up four people from the street. And one of them was in a most terrible condition. I told the Sisters: "You take care of the other three; I will take care of the one who looks worse." So I did for her all that my love can do. I put her in bed, and there was such a beautiful smile on her face. She took hold of my hand, as she said one word only: "thank you" - and she died.
I could not help but examine my conscience before her. And I asked: "What would I say if I were in her place?" And my answer was very simple. I would have tried to draw a little attention to myself. I would have said: "I am hungry, I am dying, I am cold, I am in pain," or something. But she gave me much more - she gave me her grateful love. And she died with a smile on her face. Then there was the man we picked up from the drain, half eaten by worms and, after we had brought him to the home, he only said, "I have lived like an animal in the street, but I am going to die as an angel, loved and cared for." Then, after we had removed all the worms from his body, all he said, with a big smile, was: "Sister, I am going home to God" - and he died. It was so wonderful to see the greatness of that man who could speak like that without blaming anybody, without comparing anything. Like an angel - this is the greatness of people who are spiritually rich even when they are materially poor.
We are not social workers. We may be doing social work in the eyes of some people, but we must be contemplatives in the heart of the world. For we must bring that presence of God into your family, for the family that prays together, stays together. There is so much hatred, so much misery, and we with our prayer, with our sacrifice, are beginning at home. Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do, but how much love we put into what we do.
If we are contemplatives in the heart of the world with all its problems, these problems can never discourage us. We must always remember what God ells us in Scripture: "Even if a mother could forget the child in her womb" - something impossible, but even if she could forget - "I will never forget you."
And so here I am talking with you. I want you to find the poor here, right in your own home first. And begin love there. Be that good news to your own people first. And find out about your next-door neighbors. Do you know who they are?
I had the most extraordinary experience of love of neighbor with a Hindu family. A gentleman came to our house and said: "Mother Teresa, there is a family who have not eaten for so long. Do something." So I took some rice and went there immediately. And I saw the children - their eyes shining with hunger. I don't know if you have ever seen hunger. But I have seen it very often. And the mother of the family took the rice I gave her and went out. When she came back, I asked her: "Where did you go? What did you do?" And she gave me a very simple answer: "They are hungry also." What struck me was that she knew - and who are they? A Muslim family - and she knew. I didn't bring any more rice that evening because I wanted them, Hindus and Muslims, to enjoy the joy of sharing.
But there were those children, radiating joy, sharing the joy and peace with their mother because she had the love to give until it hurts. And you see this is where love begins - at home in the family.
So, as the example of this family shows, God will never forget us and there is something you and I can always do. We can keep the joy of loving Jesus in our hearts, and share that joy with all we come in contact with. Let us make that one point - that no child will be unwanted, unloved, uncared for, or killed and thrown away. And give until it hurts - with a smile.
As you know, we have a number of homes here in the United States, where people need tender love and care. This is the joy of sharing. Come and share. We have the young people suffering with AIDS. They need that tender love and care. But such beautiful--I've never yet seen a young man or anybody displeased or angy or frightened, really going home to God. Such a beautiful smile, always. So let us pray that we have the gift of sharing the joy with others and giving until it hurts.
Because I talk so much of giving with a smile, once a professor from the United States asked me: "Are you married?" And I said: "Yes, and I find it sometimes very difficult to smile at my spouse, Jesus, because He can be very demanding - sometimes." This is really something true. And this is where love comes in - when it is demanding, and yet we can give it with joy.
One of the most demanding things for me is travelling everywhere - and withnpublicity. I have said to Jesus that if I don't go to heaven for anything else, I will be going to heaven for all the travelling with all the publicity, because it has purified me and sacrificed me and made me really ready to go home to God.
If we remember that God loves us, and that we can love others as He loves us, then America can become a sign of peace for the world. From here, a sign of care for the weakest of the weak - the unborn child - must go out to the world. If you become a burning light of justice and peace in the world, then really you will be true to what the founders of this country stood for.
Let us love one another as God loves each one of us. And where does this love begin? In our own home. How does it begin? By praying together Prayer for us that we continue God's work with great love. The sisters, the brothers, and the fathers and the lay missionaries of Charity and co-workers: we are all one heart full of love, that we may bring that joy of love everywhere we go. And my prayer for you is that through this love for one another, for this peace and joy in the family, that you may grow in holiness. Holiness is not the luxury of the few; it is a simply duty, for you and for me, because Jesus has very clearly stated, "Be ye holy as my father in heaven is holy." So let us pray for each other that we grow in love for each other, and through this love become holy as Jesus wants us to be for he died out of love for us.
One day I met a lady who was dying of cancer in a most terrible condition. And I told her, I say, "You know, this terrible pain is only the kiss of Jesus--a sign that you have come so close to Jesus on the cross that he can kiss you." And she joined her hands together and said, "Mother Teresa, please tell Jesus to stop kissing me."
So pray for us that we continue God's work with great love and I will pray for you, for all your families. And also I want to thank the families who have been so generous in giving their daughters to us to consecrate their life to Jesus by the vow of poverty, chastity, obedience, and by giving wholehearted free service to the poorest of the poor. This is our fourth vow in our congregation. And we have a novitiate in San Francisco where we have many beautiful vocations who are wanting to give their whole life to Jesus in the service of the poorest of the poor.
So once more I thank you for giving you children to God. And pray for us that we continue God's work with great love.
God bless you all!
More here: http://www.ewtn.com/motherteresa/
In 1952 the first Home for the Dying was opened in space made available by the City of Calcutta. Over the years, Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity grew from 12 to thousands serving the "poorest of the poor" in 450 centers around the world. Mother Teresa created many homes for the dying and the unwanted from Calcutta to New York to Albania. She was one of the pioneers of establishing homes for AIDS victims. For more than 45 years, Mother Teresa comforted the poor, the dying, and the unwanted around the world.
In 1966, the Missionaries of Charity Brothers was founded. Homes began to open in Rome, Tanzania, and Australia. In 1971, the first home in the United States was established in the South Bronx, New York.
Mother Teresa gained worldwide acclaim with her tireless efforts on behalf of world peace. Her work brought her numerous humanitarian awards, including : the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. In receiving this award, Mother Teresa revolutionized the award ceremony. She insisted on a departure from the ceremonial banquet and asked that the funds, $6,000 be donated to the poor in Calcutta. This money would permit her to feed hundreds for a year.
She is stated to have said that earthly rewards were important only if they helped her help the world’s needy.
Beginning in 1980, homes began to spring-up for drug addicts, prostitutes, battered women, and more orphanages and schools for poor children around the world. In 1985, Mother Teresa established the first hospice for AIDS victims in New York. Later homes were added in San Francisco and Atlanta. Mother Teresa was awarded Medal of Freedom, the highest U.S. civilian award.
In 1991, Mother Teresa returned for the first time to her native Albania (know known as Serbia) and opened a home in Tirana. By this year, there were 168 homes established in India.
On February 3, 1994 at a National Prayer Breakfast, sponsored by the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, in Washington, DC, Mother Teresa challenged the audience on such topics as family life and abortion. She said, "Please don’t kill the child. I want the child. Give the child to me."
Mother Teresa traveled to help the hungry in Ethiopia, radiation victims at Chernobyl, and earthquake victims in Armenia. Her zeal and works of mercy knew no boundaries.
In November of 1996, Mother Teresa received the honorary U.S. citizenship.
An address at the National Prayer Breakfast (Sponsored by the
U.S. Senate and House of Representatives) February 3, 1994
On the last day, Jesus will say to those on His right hand, "Come, enter the Kingdom. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was sick and you visited me." Then Jesus will turn to those on His left hand and say, "Depart from me because I was hungry and you did not feed me, I was thirsty and you did not give me to drink, I was sick and you did not visit me." These will ask Him, "When did we see You hungry, or thirsty or sick and did not come to Your help?" And Jesus will answer them, "Whatever you neglected to do unto one of these least of these, you neglected to do unto Me!"
As we have gathered here to pray together, I think it will be beautiful if we begin with a prayer that expresses very well what Jesus wants us to do for the least. St. Francis of Assisi understood very well these words of Jesus and His life is very well expressed by a prayer. And this prayer, which we say every day after Holy Communion, always surprises me very much, because it is very fitting for each one of us. And I always wonder whether 800 years ago when St. Francis lived, they had the same difficulties that we have today. I think that some of you already have this prayer of peace - so we will pray it together.
Let us thank God for the opportunity He has given us today to have come here to pray together. We have come here especially to pray for peace, joy and love. We are reminded that Jesus came to bring the good news to the poor. He had told us what is that good news when He said: "My peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you." He came not to give the peace of the world which is only that we don't bother each other. He came to give the peace of heart which comes from loving - from doing good to others.
And God loved the world so much that He gave His son - it was a giving. God gave His son to the Virgin Mary, and what did she do with Him? As soon as Jesus came into Mary's life, immediately she went in haste to give that good news. And as she came into the house of her cousin, Elizabeth, Scripture tells us that the unborn child - the child in the womb of Elizabeth - leapt with joy. While still in the womb of Mary - Jesus brought peace to John the Baptist who leapt for joy in the womb of Elizabeth. The unborn was the first one to proclaim the coming of Christ.
And as if that were not enough, as if it were not enough that God the Son should become one of us and bring peace and joy while still in the womb of Mary, Jesus also died on the Cross to show that greater love. He died for you and for me, and for the leper and for that man dying of hunger and that naked person lying in the street, no only of Calcutta, but of Africa, and everywhere. Our Sisters serve these poor people in 105 countries throughout the world. Jesus insisted that we love one another as He loves each one of us. Jesus gave His life to love us and He tells us that we also have to give whatever it takes to do good to one another. And in the Gospel Jesus says very clearly: "Love as I have loved you."
Jesus died on the Cross because that is what it took for Him to do good to us - to save us from our selfishness in sin. He gave up everything to do the Father's will - to show us that we too must be willing to give up everything to do God's will - to love one another as He loves each of us. If we are not willing to give whatever it takes to do good to one another, sin is still in us. That is why we too must give to each other until it hurts.
It is not enough for us to say: "I love God," but I also have to love my neighbor. St. John says that you are a liar if you say you love God and you don't love your neighbor. How can you love God whom you do not see, if you do not love your neighbor whom you see, whom you touch, with whom you live? And so it is very important for us to realize that love, to be true, has to hurt. I must be willing to give whatever it takes not to harm other people and, in fact, to do good to them. This requires that I be willing to give until it hurts. Otherwise, there is not true love in me and I bring injustice, not peace, to those around me.
It hurt Jesus to love us. We have been created in His image for greater things, to love and to be loved. We must "put on Christ" as Scripture tells us. And so, we have been created to love as He loves us. Jesus makes Himself the hungry one, the naked one, the homeless one, the unwanted one, and He says, "You did it to Me." On the last day He will say to those on His right, "whatever you did to the least of these, you did to Me, and He will also say to those on His left, whatever you neglected to do for the least of these, you neglected to do it for Me."
When He was dying on the Cross, Jesus said, "I thirst." Jesus is thirsting for our love, and this is the thirst of everyone, poor and rich alike. We all thirst for the love of others, that they go out of their way to avoid harming us and to do good to us. This is the meaning of true love, to give
until it hurts.
I can never forget the experience I had in visiting a home where they kept all these old parents of sons and daughters who had just put them into an institution and forgotten them - maybe. I saw that in that home these old people had everything - good food, comfortable place, television, everything, but everyone was looking toward the door. And I did not see a single one with a smile on the face. I turned to Sister and I asked: "Why do these people who have every comfort here, why are they all looking toward the door? Why are they not smiling?"
I am so used to seeing the smiles on our people, even the dying ones smile. And Sister said: "This is the way it is nearly everyday. They are expecting, they are hoping that a son or daughter will come to visit them. They are hurt because they are forgotten." And see, this neglect to love brings spiritual poverty. Maybe in our own family we have somebody who is feeling lonely, who is feeling sick, who is feeling worried. Are we there? Are we willing to give until it hurts in order to be with our families, or do we put our own interests first? These are the questions we must ask ourselves, especially as we begin this year of the family. We must remember that love begins at home and we must also remember that 'the future of humanity passes through the family.'
I was surprised in the West to see so many young boys and girls given to drugs. And I tried to find out why. Why is it like that, when those in the West have so many more things than those in the East? And the answer was: 'Because there is no one in the family to receive them.' Our children depend on us for everything - their health, their nutrition, their security, their coming to know and love God. For all of this, they look to us with trust, hope and expectation. But often father and mother are so busy they have no time for their children, or perhaps they are not even married or have given up on their marriage. So their children go to the streets and get involved in drugs or other things. We are talking of love of the child, which is were love and peace must begin. These are the things that break peace.
But I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself. And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another? How do we persuade a woman not to have an abortion? As always, we must persuade her with love and we remind ourselves that love means to be willing to give until it hurts. Jesus gave even His life to love us. So, the mother who is thinking of abortion, should be helped to love, that is, to give until it hurts her plans, or her free time, to respect the life of her
child. The father of that child, whoever he is, must also give until it hurts.
By abortion, the mother does not learn to love, but kills even her own child to solve her problems. And, by abortion, that father is told that he does not have to take any responsibility at all for the child he has brought into the world. The father is likely to put other women into the same trouble. So abortion just leads to more abortion. Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want. This is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion.
Many people are very, very concerned with the children of India, with the children of Africa where quite a few die of hunger, and so on. Many people are also concerned about all the violence in this great country of the United States. These concerns are very good. But often these same people are not concerned with the millions who are being killed by the deliberate decision of their own mothers. And this is what is the greatest destroyer of peace today - abortion which brings people to such blindness.
And for this I appeal in India and I appeal everywhere - "Let us bring the child back." The child is God's gift to the family. Each child is created in the special image and likeness of God for greater things - to love and to be loved. In this year of the family we must bring the child back to the center of our care and concern. This is the only way that our world can survive because our children are the only hope for the future. As older people are called to God, only their children can take their places.
But what does God say to us? He says: "Even if a mother could forget her child, I will not forget you. I have carved you in the palm of my hand." We are carved in the palm of His hand; that unborn child has been carved in the hand of God from conception and is called by God to love and loved, not only now in this life, but forever. God can never forget us.
The beautiful gift God has given our congregation is to fight abortion by adoption. We have already, from our house in Calcutta, over 3,000 children adoption. And I can't tell you what joy, what love, what peace those children have brought into those families. It has been a real gift of God for them and for us. I remember one of the little ones was very sick, so I sent for the father and the mother and I asked them: "Please give me back the sick child. I will give you a healthy one." And the father looked at me and said, "Mother Teresa, take my life first than take the child." So beautiful to see it--so much love, so much joy that little one has brought
into that family. So pray for us that we continue this beautiful gift. And also I offer you--our Sisters are here--anybody who doesn't want the child, please give it to me. I want the child.
I will tell you something beautiful. We are fighting abortion by adoption - by care of the mother and adoption for her baby. We have saved thousands of lives. We have sent word to the clinics, to the hospitals and police stations: "Please don't destroy the child; we will take the child." So we always have someone tell the mothers in trouble: "Come, we will take care of you, we will get a home for your child." And we have a tremendous demand from couples who cannot have a child - but I never give a child to a couple who have done something not to have a child. Jesus said, "Anyone who receives a child in my name, receives me." By adopting a child, these couples receive Jesus but, by aborting a child, a couple refuses to receive Jesus.
Please don't kill the child. I want the child. Please give me the child. I am willing to accept any child who would be aborted and to give that child to a married couple who will love the child and be loved by the child. From our children's home in Calcutta alone, we have saved over 3000 children from abortion. These children have brought such love and joy to their adopting parents and have grown up so full of love and joy.
I know that couples have to plan their family and for that there is natural family planning. The way to plan the family is natural family planning, not contraception. In destroying the power of giving life, through contraception, a husband or wife is doing something to self. This turns the attention to self and so it destroys the gifts of love in him or her.In loving, the husband and wife must turn the attention to each other as happens in natural family planning, and not to self, as happens in contraception. Once that living love is destroyed by contraception, abortion follows very easily.
I also know that there are great problems in the world - that many spouses do not love each other enough to practice natural family planning. We cannot solve all the problems in the world, but let us never bring in the worst problem of all, and that is to destroy love. And this is whathappens when we tell people to practice contraception and abortion.
The poor are very great people. They can teach us so many beautiful things. Once one of them came to thank us for teaching her natural family planning and said: "You people who have practiced chastity, you are the best people to teach us natural family planning because it is nothing more than self-control out of love for each other." And what this poor person said is very true. These poor people maybe have nothing to eat, maybe they have not a home to live in, but they can still be great people when they are spiritually rich.
When I pick up a person from the street, hungry, I give him a plate of rice, a piece of bread. But a person who is shut out, who feels unwanted, unloved, terrified, the person who has been thrown out of society - that spiritual poverty is much harder to overcome. And abortion, which often follows from contraception, brings a people to be spiritually poor, andthat is the worst poverty and the most difficult to overcome.
Those who are materially poor can be very wonderful people. One evening we went out and we picked up four people from the street. And one of them was in a most terrible condition. I told the Sisters: "You take care of the other three; I will take care of the one who looks worse." So I did for her all that my love can do. I put her in bed, and there was such a beautiful smile on her face. She took hold of my hand, as she said one word only: "thank you" - and she died.
I could not help but examine my conscience before her. And I asked: "What would I say if I were in her place?" And my answer was very simple. I would have tried to draw a little attention to myself. I would have said: "I am hungry, I am dying, I am cold, I am in pain," or something. But she gave me much more - she gave me her grateful love. And she died with a smile on her face. Then there was the man we picked up from the drain, half eaten by worms and, after we had brought him to the home, he only said, "I have lived like an animal in the street, but I am going to die as an angel, loved and cared for." Then, after we had removed all the worms from his body, all he said, with a big smile, was: "Sister, I am going home to God" - and he died. It was so wonderful to see the greatness of that man who could speak like that without blaming anybody, without comparing anything. Like an angel - this is the greatness of people who are spiritually rich even when they are materially poor.
We are not social workers. We may be doing social work in the eyes of some people, but we must be contemplatives in the heart of the world. For we must bring that presence of God into your family, for the family that prays together, stays together. There is so much hatred, so much misery, and we with our prayer, with our sacrifice, are beginning at home. Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do, but how much love we put into what we do.
If we are contemplatives in the heart of the world with all its problems, these problems can never discourage us. We must always remember what God ells us in Scripture: "Even if a mother could forget the child in her womb" - something impossible, but even if she could forget - "I will never forget you."
And so here I am talking with you. I want you to find the poor here, right in your own home first. And begin love there. Be that good news to your own people first. And find out about your next-door neighbors. Do you know who they are?
I had the most extraordinary experience of love of neighbor with a Hindu family. A gentleman came to our house and said: "Mother Teresa, there is a family who have not eaten for so long. Do something." So I took some rice and went there immediately. And I saw the children - their eyes shining with hunger. I don't know if you have ever seen hunger. But I have seen it very often. And the mother of the family took the rice I gave her and went out. When she came back, I asked her: "Where did you go? What did you do?" And she gave me a very simple answer: "They are hungry also." What struck me was that she knew - and who are they? A Muslim family - and she knew. I didn't bring any more rice that evening because I wanted them, Hindus and Muslims, to enjoy the joy of sharing.
But there were those children, radiating joy, sharing the joy and peace with their mother because she had the love to give until it hurts. And you see this is where love begins - at home in the family.
So, as the example of this family shows, God will never forget us and there is something you and I can always do. We can keep the joy of loving Jesus in our hearts, and share that joy with all we come in contact with. Let us make that one point - that no child will be unwanted, unloved, uncared for, or killed and thrown away. And give until it hurts - with a smile.
As you know, we have a number of homes here in the United States, where people need tender love and care. This is the joy of sharing. Come and share. We have the young people suffering with AIDS. They need that tender love and care. But such beautiful--I've never yet seen a young man or anybody displeased or angy or frightened, really going home to God. Such a beautiful smile, always. So let us pray that we have the gift of sharing the joy with others and giving until it hurts.
Because I talk so much of giving with a smile, once a professor from the United States asked me: "Are you married?" And I said: "Yes, and I find it sometimes very difficult to smile at my spouse, Jesus, because He can be very demanding - sometimes." This is really something true. And this is where love comes in - when it is demanding, and yet we can give it with joy.
One of the most demanding things for me is travelling everywhere - and withnpublicity. I have said to Jesus that if I don't go to heaven for anything else, I will be going to heaven for all the travelling with all the publicity, because it has purified me and sacrificed me and made me really ready to go home to God.
If we remember that God loves us, and that we can love others as He loves us, then America can become a sign of peace for the world. From here, a sign of care for the weakest of the weak - the unborn child - must go out to the world. If you become a burning light of justice and peace in the world, then really you will be true to what the founders of this country stood for.
Let us love one another as God loves each one of us. And where does this love begin? In our own home. How does it begin? By praying together Prayer for us that we continue God's work with great love. The sisters, the brothers, and the fathers and the lay missionaries of Charity and co-workers: we are all one heart full of love, that we may bring that joy of love everywhere we go. And my prayer for you is that through this love for one another, for this peace and joy in the family, that you may grow in holiness. Holiness is not the luxury of the few; it is a simply duty, for you and for me, because Jesus has very clearly stated, "Be ye holy as my father in heaven is holy." So let us pray for each other that we grow in love for each other, and through this love become holy as Jesus wants us to be for he died out of love for us.
One day I met a lady who was dying of cancer in a most terrible condition. And I told her, I say, "You know, this terrible pain is only the kiss of Jesus--a sign that you have come so close to Jesus on the cross that he can kiss you." And she joined her hands together and said, "Mother Teresa, please tell Jesus to stop kissing me."
So pray for us that we continue God's work with great love and I will pray for you, for all your families. And also I want to thank the families who have been so generous in giving their daughters to us to consecrate their life to Jesus by the vow of poverty, chastity, obedience, and by giving wholehearted free service to the poorest of the poor. This is our fourth vow in our congregation. And we have a novitiate in San Francisco where we have many beautiful vocations who are wanting to give their whole life to Jesus in the service of the poorest of the poor.
So once more I thank you for giving you children to God. And pray for us that we continue God's work with great love.
God bless you all!
More here: http://www.ewtn.com/motherteresa/
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
"1930's Marital Scale" Quiz
I scored 90!!! Whoo hoo. What does that mean? That I'm just old fashioned??? It was fun. Give it a try.
 | 90 As a 1930s wife, I am |
Sunday, October 26, 2008
A Call for a Rosary Novena
By Fr. John Corapi
www.fathercorapi.com
Among the most important titles we have in the Catholic Church for the Blessed Virgin Mary are Our Lady of Victory and Our Lady of the Rosary. These titles can be traced back to one of the most decisive times in the history of the world and Christendom. The Battle of Lepanto took place on October 7 (date of feast of Our Lady of Rosary), 1571. This proved to be the most crucial battle for the Christian forces against the radical Muslim navy of Turkey. Pope Pius V led a procession around St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City praying the Rosary. He showed true pastoral leadership in recognizing the danger posed to Christendom by the radical Muslim forces, and in using the means necessary to defeat it. Spiritual battles require spiritual weapons, and this more than anything was a battle that had its origins in the spiritual order—a true battle between good and evil.
Today we have a similar spiritual battle in progress—a battle between the forces of good and evil, light and darkness, truth and lies, life and death. If we do not soon stop the genocide of abortion in the United States, we shall run the course of all those that prove by their actions that they are enemies of God— total collapse, economic, social, and national. The moral demise of a nation results in the ultimate demise of a nation. God is not a disinterested spectator to the affairs of man. Life begins at conception. This is an unalterable formal teaching of the Catholic Church. If you do not accept this you are a heretic in plain English. A single abortion is homicide. The more than 48,000,000 abortions since Roe v. Wade in the United States constitute genocide by definition. The group singled out for death—unwanted, unborn children.
No other issue, not all other issues taken together, can constitute a proportionate reason for voting for candidates that intend to preserve and defend this holocaust of innocent human life that is abortion.
I strongly urge every one of you to make a Novena and pray the Rosary to Our Lady of Victory between October 27th and Election Day, November 4th. Pray that God’s will be done and the most innocent and utterly vulnerable of our brothers and sisters will be protected from this barbaric and grossly sinful blight on society that is abortion. No woman, and no man, has the right to choose to murder an innocent human being.
May God grant us the wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and counsel to form our conscience in accordance with authentic Catholic teaching, and then vote that well‐formed Catholic conscience. Please copy, email, link and distribute this article freely.
God Bless You
Fr. John Corapi
www.fathercorapi.com
Image from: http://www.marysource.com/rosary.html
You'll also find help in saying the rosary or here: http://www.marysource.com/novenas/rosary.htm
for help on how to say a Rosary novena.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Why can't anything be easy?
Today I finally got all my school lesson plans. Wow! One and a half boxes of paper. I can't believe how much paper that is. But, they forgot my whole third grade. So far, I have found two books I forgot to order and I ordered the wrong Latin program lesson plans. I want to wait until I've checked over everything to make sure I don't need to order more--oh, and I accidently ordered my daughter's science workbook twice. I know the homeschool we enroll in is VERY busy at this time of the year but I want to get started now. I am anxious to get school set up and start soon. Aren't I their most important customer? ;-)
Another problem I'm having...I cannot pay for an item on ebay. My paypal account does not seem to work. I wrote the security center. They sent me a nice note back that they were happy to inform me that my account now works. So, I go to pay and...it doesn't work! So, I CALL the "help" center. Of course, you have to go through a 'phone maze' first. Then I talk to some woman who talks fast and has some kind of accent. She talks to me like I am stupid...Do you know your password? Is your caps lock on? Did you try this way? Did you try that way?....IF I didn't already try those WHY WOULD I BE CALLING YOU?????? Anyway, after an hour of repitition and stupid questions (hers I mean) I just said, "Thank you very much, let's not waste each other's time," and I hung up. I sent another message to the so-called help center. We'll see.
I am trying to get my three year old potty trained. I think I already missed "the window of opportunity." You know, that window where they are willing and able to train but you're too busy. Anyway, I hope it doesn't take as long as son #3 did. I had to make a deal with him. I asked him (picture my pulling my hair out), "When will you use the potty????" He said when I am four. So, since his fourth birthday was 2 1/2 months away by then, I didn't mention it again. Yes, I kept wiping his poopy butt. On his fourth birthday, we had a heart to heart. "You promised you would use the potty when you were four." (picture the honey tones here) THREE DAYS later he said, "I did it! Wanna see my poop?" It was one of the best days of my life...sad, huh? Anyway, I hope it doesn't take son #4 that long. He was very excited to wear his new training pants today but sat on the couch and went in them. So, now I have to change him and dry the couch.
Storm clouds outside, leaky basement, ugh....
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Tired
I was told I was being lazy that I hadn't written in awhile. I have been waiting for a moment of peace and quiet in which to put together a cogent post. But thought I'd put a few things down.
Let's see I've got to get my homeschool clean, set up, and my lesson plans done in the next two weeks. I know some people will say that that is a self-imposed deadline but if there is no deadline at all things will NEVER be organized or taken seriously. I have started on my lesson plans for material not included in the school's plans. I am still waiting for plans in the mail. I do hope they come soon!!! I also have to complete my quarterly reports to send to the school for last year.
We've been in this house for almost a year and it still looks like we just moved in. I sure would like a clean garage to park my car in this winter--but I'll not hold my breath.
I just met the new DRE at church. She seems nice. We had been missinig each other on the phone--my kids do not relay messages. And, I emailed her without knowing the email address had changed. We each thought the other was not responding. I have mixed feelings about this year of CCD. My lesson plans are retreads from last year but it will have a whole different feeling starting on my own this year.
Saw the 'old' DRE today also. She is teaching 1st grade this year at the parish school. What a lot of work she was stuck with! Cleaning blinds and windows, wow! She also got furniture damaged by the carpet installers. They want her to store all the extra 1st grade material (for a second class they are not having this year) in her room somewhere--where? I rather like the sky blue they painted her room (only about a shade lighter than my breakfast-room-turned-office, but she hates it. I think it is bright and cheery.
I sure wish I could afford to finish painting and decorating. I think we may just paint another room soon. We'll see.
I discovered our dog has been "leaving his mark" in my youngest two children's room--AGAIN. Of course he doesn't respect either one of them. But, the real problem is that if I leave the house with my oldest in charge, the dog is ignored. The kids are oblivious to the dogs needs and don't see him wandering into the bedrooms to use them as a toilet. He is over a year old now; you'd think he'd be done with that by now.
In my mind, I am working on a cooking/cleaning schedule for the kids. I have to put it down on paper and get them going. I have to work out a reward system also. I am also trying to figure out how to fit some sewing in before serious work on school is completed. Oh, and I have to plan the Webelos Scout year as well.
I also have elements of a novel floating around in my head. I don't want to give away anything because I don't want my ideas stolen. The initial impetus for the story came from my 13 yo plus elements from various sources. It has some theology in it but it is mainly fiction. I hope to start work on it soon before I start to forget my ideas.
I'm feeling so overwhelmed, I can't seem to get anything done. Anyway, tired....
Let's see I've got to get my homeschool clean, set up, and my lesson plans done in the next two weeks. I know some people will say that that is a self-imposed deadline but if there is no deadline at all things will NEVER be organized or taken seriously. I have started on my lesson plans for material not included in the school's plans. I am still waiting for plans in the mail. I do hope they come soon!!! I also have to complete my quarterly reports to send to the school for last year.
We've been in this house for almost a year and it still looks like we just moved in. I sure would like a clean garage to park my car in this winter--but I'll not hold my breath.
I just met the new DRE at church. She seems nice. We had been missinig each other on the phone--my kids do not relay messages. And, I emailed her without knowing the email address had changed. We each thought the other was not responding. I have mixed feelings about this year of CCD. My lesson plans are retreads from last year but it will have a whole different feeling starting on my own this year.
Saw the 'old' DRE today also. She is teaching 1st grade this year at the parish school. What a lot of work she was stuck with! Cleaning blinds and windows, wow! She also got furniture damaged by the carpet installers. They want her to store all the extra 1st grade material (for a second class they are not having this year) in her room somewhere--where? I rather like the sky blue they painted her room (only about a shade lighter than my breakfast-room-turned-office, but she hates it. I think it is bright and cheery.
I sure wish I could afford to finish painting and decorating. I think we may just paint another room soon. We'll see.
I discovered our dog has been "leaving his mark" in my youngest two children's room--AGAIN. Of course he doesn't respect either one of them. But, the real problem is that if I leave the house with my oldest in charge, the dog is ignored. The kids are oblivious to the dogs needs and don't see him wandering into the bedrooms to use them as a toilet. He is over a year old now; you'd think he'd be done with that by now.
In my mind, I am working on a cooking/cleaning schedule for the kids. I have to put it down on paper and get them going. I have to work out a reward system also. I am also trying to figure out how to fit some sewing in before serious work on school is completed. Oh, and I have to plan the Webelos Scout year as well.
I also have elements of a novel floating around in my head. I don't want to give away anything because I don't want my ideas stolen. The initial impetus for the story came from my 13 yo plus elements from various sources. It has some theology in it but it is mainly fiction. I hope to start work on it soon before I start to forget my ideas.
I'm feeling so overwhelmed, I can't seem to get anything done. Anyway, tired....
Sunday, July 13, 2008
It's Been Awhile
To whom it may concern:
I can't believe it has been almost a month. But I guess it is just coincindental that my husband has been home for a month, also?. I has been an eventful month with 3 weeks of camps, swimming, rafting, and library trips for the kids. I am still waiting for my vacation. Hah!!
I'm exhausted. I get even more so when I think of all the work I have to do be for school starts in a few short weeks. I have to get the basement classroom clean and organized. The mountain of unpacked boxes in enormous; the space designated for the storage of all that school "crap" is small in comparison. Our basement floor is a lake every time it rains hard. We have no money to fix the foundation so must mop up and patch it the best we can each time.
I have gotten my kitchen and office area, my bathroom, and one kid's room painted since we moved in August of last year. I have only taken down the wallpaper trim in the dining room and living room so far--wow, the ceilings rose a couple of feet! I promised the kids in the other two rooms that we would paint this summer--I have no idea when we are going to do that.
My diabetic son went rafting with the youth group. I was nervous about it from the start. I am continually being laughed at as overprotective. Yeah... He lost his insulin and drowned his meter. His father went to get him--three hours away. Dad did not bring insulin because our son did not tell us he lost it. So he had to take a large corrective insulin dose when he got home. Yeah, I'm overprotective, right...
Anyway, the end of summer is fast approaching and I have no idea how I am going to get school, CCD, and cub scouts ready for the fall. And, I need to have my house ready, the kids clothes ready, school paid for, chores set up, etc, etc, etc... It never ends.
I love my life. I love my life. I love my life. I love my life.
Picture: Close up of "The Holy Family Resting - The Flight to Egypt" from the Crypt Church of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, DC.
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