A Mother's Wisdom
Holy wisdom with a woman’s name became the first of God’s creation: Sophia—the gift of knowing that gives birth to utter reverence.
For magnificent to behold is the handiwork of God, miracles of life that bring us to our knees in gratitude and to grab a closer look: the quiet majesty in a diamond glint of rain, the first smile that blossoms on an infant’s face.
For a mother knows that life is the pearl without price, whose only cost is love—what Jesus knew when he stretched his arms out wide to show his love for us on the cross, the same Jesus who taught us to say “Abba,”
knowing there’s bits of “mama” in that blessed Father’s name.—by Mary Lynn Hendrickson |
Time crunched
How busy schedules are sapping our spirit
 After 15 years in the feverish world of corporate technology sales, Lu Ann Polejewski, mother of two, decided to make a change—or, as she says, to “re-engineer” her career. She now works from her suburban Minneapolis home as a business consultant, earning less money than she did during her sales career but spending more time with her family.
“There comes a point when there’s no more time and something has to give,” Polejewski says. “What I would tell others who are struggling to balance family and spiritual issues is that we can’t go after all this materialism and not plan for other things. The reality is that our world is tech-driven and fast-paced. But if we don’t manage it, it’s going to manage us.”
Polejewski’s words point to what many scholars and religious thinkers contend is a deep and growing crisis in American culture: the loss of time available for family, friendships, spiritual and psychological growth, and personal reflection. This “race against time” is sapping the private and communal soul, not only robbing individuals of satisfying lives but also undermining the economic and social institutions that support a healthy society.
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Seeing the sites:
Finding God in the World
Our Lady:ourladyweb.com/mary.html
Your Web Portal: mycatholic.com
God’s YouTube: godtube.com
Last time:
Worldwide reflections: other6.com
Imagination station: beestill.org/gallery.php
Real deal: www.crsfairtrade.org
First Communions have gotten out of control
Courtesy of U.S. Catholic
Let's bring back simple celebrations of the sacrament, argues one mother
who refused to give into the pressure to supplement her daughter's special day
with fashion shows, matching jewelry, and limo rides to fancy hotels for post-parties.
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10 to-do's after "I do"
What makes a marriage work? Marriage experts and everyday couples offer 10 tried-and-true tips.
MAUREEN ROGERS AND LANNY LAW, caught in a sudden downpour, took shelter in a little café and warmed up with some tea. After several hours of conversation—and several pots of tea—Maureen and Lanny knew they wanted to be together. Some 20 years have passed since that tea-filled heart-to-heart talk, but when Maureen phones her husband to say she's on her way home, Lanny's ready reply is, "I'll put the teapot on." For Maureen, that simple phrase, loaded with memories and meaning, tells her she is still loved by the man she fell in love with.
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Catholic 101:
Jubilee. Not exactly a golden wedding anniversary or a Boy Scout jamboree, but an event worthy of immense celebration, a “jubilee” year during Old Testament times happened every 50 years—after seven cycles of seven years. In the 50th year, all debts were cancelled, slaves were freed, and property that had been sold off to stave off poverty reverted to its rightful owners. Seven cycles of seven years. If that kind of math sounds a little like Jesus saying we need to forgive not just “seven times seven” but “seventy times seven,” one can be sure that forgiveness is a cornerstone of his ministry, proclaimed in Luke 4:16 (see page 1). The ability for people to start over, to begin life anew with a clean slate, is a major hallmark of Jesus’ teaching—seen when he sets the adulterous woman free from a lawful stoning. Jesus demonstrates God’s saving mercy, which we can see as concretely today in everything from the “born again” Christian to the Catholic celebration of the sacrament of Reconciliation. But one of the most ancient themes of jubilee would be lost if we didn’t also note an underlying significance to Leviticus 25—a way out of poverty, as seen at jubilee4justice.org
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Seven habits of highly effective Massgoers
From: U.S. Catholic
magazine
HAVE YOU EVER TRIED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH SOMEONE WHO WON'T RESPOND? Or tried to dance with someone who won't move? What would happen if the outfielders just stood there and stared as the ball was hit deep into center?
In all of these situations, the participation of each person is necessary for the event to be successful. We admit the outfielder that won't run and catch has little right to complain about the score. You can't complain if you didn't try. And the better you become at the task, the greater your satisfaction . . . .
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Also: Mass book recommendations for children and . . .
Pass the faith, please
Handing on Catholic tradition and practice to your kids can be a little more strenuous than passing the peas and carrots. Not to worry, writes Catherine O’Connell-Cahill in this Reader Survey. U.S. Catholic and family newsletter At Home with Our Faith
readers have plenty of ideas to keep family faith cooking.
Like a rock
I think my son must wonder sometimes how much of his world is built on shifting sands. A year after he graduated from our parish’s Catholic grammar school, it closed due to low enrollment. Last year he graduated from Chicago’s high school seminary, a historic institution attended by my husband, my brother, and scores of men we know: It is sadly closing after this school year. Our city’s landmark department store, Marshall Field’s, where we used to shop, last fall was bought out by Macy’s of New York, now despised by many Chicagoans for dumping the Field’s name. Our local ice cream parlor, a neighborhood favorite since the 1970s, closed while he was away at college. I could go on and on . . .
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How to raise kids who care
THE THANKSGIVING TURKEYS SIMMERED IN THE OVENS as my 4-year-old and 2-year-old flitted between the kitchen and the dining room. My brother and his girlfriend helped to set the tables, and my parents as always put together a dazzling array of dishes and sweets. Others went back and forth bringing out hot dishes and calling for silverware or rolls as they headed out to the dining room.
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TV's not
a black and white issue
It's a safe bet that Sister Rose Pacatte watches more TV and movies than you do. She even has TiVo, which only seriously addicted TV watchers will admit to. If you asked her about this, she would say, "Hey, it's all part of my job!" And you might nod and say indulgently, "Of course it is, Sister."
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The parent trap:
How to break the grip of an on-demand culture
U.S. Catholic
editors interview William Doherty
 "You've heard of the overscheduled child," no doubt. Family therapist William Doherty is one of the people you can thank for putting a name to that thoroughly modern problem and bringing it into the public lexicon. Watch out, because Doherty has now taken aim at consumer values creeping into family life as well as marriage.
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