Night Before Christmas 1985

Tucson, Arizona. Land of saguaro cactus, red desert and the yearly gathering of the Gastellum clan for Christmas.

For as far back as I can remember, we would make the annual fourteen hour drive from Colorado to Arizona to spend one or two weeks with family in a continuous celebration that centered on the Faith, family and food.

But before we made the trip our family made its own Christmas cards. My Dad’s an artist and my Mom does beautiful calligraphy so we always had perfect cards to send out. Even farther back before Christmas my Mom would get each of us a Christmas ornament that had something to do with an event during the past year. One year I got a brass skier because I went skiing for the first time. Another year I got an ornament of Pikes Peak because I completed the half marathon ascent that summer. Ouch!

My Mom’s parents had lived in the same house ever since I could remember Christmas and later my aunt and uncle moved into the house three doors down. Several other aunts, uncles and various greats also lived in Tucson. I was even blessed with knowing my Great Grandmother. You know, the lady who was quick enough to catch mice by the tail?

There was always an Advent wreath on the dining room table and Christmas stockings always made the trip with us. For some reason, the felt Advent calendar that my mom made with the snap-on ornaments for each day almost never made the trip so we only got about two weeks completed and then had to add everything else after Christmas.

My mom collects Nativity sets and I think she got that from her mom. There were always a variety of Nativity sets around the house, missing baby Jesus, of course until Christmas day. Unfortunately, most sets are now made in China so our store isn’t able to offer a large selection of them.

Night Before Christmas 1984

On Christmas Eve we always had a traditional Mexican dinner with homemade tamales, re-fried beans, calabasitas and the best tortillas anywhere. We would then all gather in the spare room and with a roaring fire in the fireplace and the blinds strategically cracked open, my grandfather would read The Night Before Christmas from a huge coloring book that all of us cousins had taken a hand at coloring. Just like clockwork every year Santa would be on the roof, shout down the chimney and flash by the window before vanishing across the golf course behind their house. We would then all go back in to the living room and find our stockings full. My poor Uncle Steve, and some years Uncle John, frequently missed this momentous event. It’s amazing how things always came up right at that time.

Tumacacori Mission

Some years we would go down to the Tumacacori Mission to sing carols and see the luminarias lining the church and walls at night. My family has a long association with the Mission. My grandparents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary there and they met at the Catholic church just up the road in Tubac. One of my great-(great?)-aunts was scalped by Indians while her siblings hid in the mission bell tower. She survived.

When we were all younger and had the energy we would then go to Midnight Mass and then come home and open presents. I don’t know how my grandparents did it.

Christmas day was the time to go visit Uncle Mannie and Aunt Armida. It was also the first place that I got bragging rights for eating exotic food. Every Christmas Aunt Armida made Menudo and I loved it. Christmas dinner was a traditional turkey affair.

Saguaro National Park at Sunset

During our time in Tucson we had three typical site seeing visits to make. The first, and most regular, was a trip to the Sonoran Desert Museum. My Grandfather had been a park ranger most of his life and was a supporter of the museum. My favorite exhibits were always the prairie dog town and the geological exhibit with the earthquake detectors and the path through the “cave”.

The second visit was a guy trip to some dive for authentic Mexican food. I don’t remember the names of any of the places we went but you probably won’t find them in tourist books.

Some years we would make a trip to the Pima Air Museum or have a picnic at the Saguoro National Park. Yes, a picnic in December. Except for the one year it snowed and we had a snowball fight instead.

Okay, now it’s your turn. What fond memories do you have of Christmas?

Editor’s Note: I am pleased to share the following guest column by Matthew Plese, President and CEO of CatechismClass.com.  Please note Matthew’s generous discount offer in the article below. Lisa

“Parents are the first heralds of the Gospel to their children. One of the greatest challenges of our time is to enable and assist parents in the important work of being family evangelizers. It is in the home where the Word of God is first and continually proclaimed and where God’s love is intimately communicated” (Pope John Paul II).

As the President and CEO of CatechismClass.com, I am frequently asked how I see the current state of the Church and the role of catechesis in the lives of average Mass-going Catholics.  I could very much dwell upon the negative facts in our Church today: 33% of people do not believe in the Real Presence of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, countless numbers support incorrect positions regarding issues of central doctrine, and many are now confused.  But, rather than focus on the negatives – since after all, there will always be negatives (cf. Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43) – I am extremely pleased with a growing awareness of the importance of catechesis, especially with parents.

Our Lord Jesus Christ epitomized the virtuous life and in taking on human flesh, our Lord has shown us the way to Heaven and perfect obedience of the 10 Commandments.  Our Lord in particular has granted on His Mother, Our Lady, the greatest graces that any human being has received, chief among them her Immaculate Conception in the womb of St. Anne.  All mothers should strive to imitate our Blessed Lady in her patience, virtue, and holiness.

Life can be challenging and I am quite aware of this.  In addition to my work with CatechismClass.com, I work a few other jobs including a fast-paced financial job and each day must consciously resolve to rise early and pray before the work day commences.

I am very thankful for that which my own mother has done for me and the virtues that she has taught me.  Never underestimate the role of the mother in the life of a child.  You are tasked with one of the chief and most central of all responsibilities in educating your children in the one, true Faith.  The same Faith that our Lord Jesus Christ came to preach.  The same Faith for which countless numbers of holy men and women willingly died rather than sin or renounce their Faith.  Catechesis may have struggled – even may have been dealt a near mortal blow – over the course of the past forty years, but catechesis remains in families centered on the Faith.  This is true in a very large part because of the role of mothers.

I wish to thank all of you for what you do for our Church, for our Lord, and for the Faith by which all mankind is to saved.  This is the Faith that saves souls.  You teach the very Faith without which no one may be saved.

It is my hope that you will take a look at CatechismClass.com to find materials for your children as you fulfill this central responsibility.  CatechismClass.com was founded in March of 2004 by Father J.D. Zatalava, who has since appeared on EWTN to promote our programs.  Our program has received letters of support not only from prominent bishops in the United States but even from Pope Benedict XVI.  CatechismClass.com operates with the singular goal of being nothing short of the best online Catholic catechesis program in the world.  All actions of the company are ultimately directed to the purpose of saving souls.  In the words of the holy apostle Paul, “And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard?”  (Romans 10:14)

• Here is a link to see the children’s CCD programs that we have
• Here is a link to our Sacramental Preparation Programs
• Here is a link to our marriage preparation program
• Here is a link to our Catholic Book Summaries
• Here is a link to our Adult Education (RCIA) Program
• Here is a link to the Teacher’s Edition materials to use in connection with the CCD Program
• Here is a link to our lesson on the New Translation of the English Roman Catholic Missal or you can purchase a pdf download or a paperback copy.

Additionally, I wish to extend to all readers of this blog a special gift.  When purchasing a product, please enter “CatholicMom” and take 10% off all of our products. This is my gift to you.  We are not able to give away our products, largely because we must cover our costs each month.  But, if you are particularly interested in a product and feel that it is out of your price range, please contact me through our support system.  I am sure that I could find a price that works for you and your family.

Again, thank you for what you do on behalf of our Church.  It is my hope that together we both can help spread the Faith and win souls for Jesus Christ.

Reviewed by Elyse Wilson

Donna Alice Patton’s novel, The Search for the Madonna, is an exciting story of a girl’s longing for a stable home for her and her family. Written primarily for girls around the middle school age, it is ideal also for high school girls who enjoy a suspenseful mystery. Intertwined with the plot of clues and mystery is a strong theme of Catholic values and faith in seemingly impossible circumstances.

Situated in the depression of the 1930’s, the story follows young Maggie as she and her sister move in with their gentle and very Christian aunt. Immediately the mystery of a family treasure begins to unfold and builds with each chapter, made all the more tantalizing because Maggie’s aunt is about to lose her family farm due to her poverty. Throughout the entire story, Maggie turns to Mary, the Mother of Jesus, for strength and guidance. Not only is Maggie struggling to make sense of clues, she is also growing in virtue as she constantly strives to be kind, patient, and to practice self-control.

The young Christian reader will find herself drawn into sympathy and understanding as Maggie tries to deal with a difficult sibling. She will admire Maggie as she conquers her own fears, and be drawn to the beauty of seeking to follow the example of Jesus’ Mother.  Truly noble character is praised in this story and presented in a way that appeals to young girls.

This is an excellent book for girls in middle through high school. It is both an exciting story and also a life-lesson in virtue, honesty, unselfishness, and other priceless character traits. It is a valuable book to share with others, as well, as the giver will know she is passing on much more than a good story.

Order The Search for the Madonna and Support CatholicMom.com with your purchase

Copyright 2010 Elyse Wilson

Editor’s Note: This guest post was shared by Jodee Blanco, author of

.  Given recent news events regarding the prevalence of cyber bullying, I am very pleased to share Jodee’s remarks and to recommend her book.  Lisa

For the past eight years, I’ve been traveling the nation’s schools, sharing my message with thousands of students, teachers and parents that it’s NOT just joking around, that when kids tease and reject one another, they are damaging each other for life. I know firsthand because from fifth grade through the end of high school I was tormented by my peers, as so many other kids are today, simply for being “different.”

You would think after speaking at so many schools, they would all seem alike to me. Truthfully, some do. And then, there are those that stand out as remarkable examples of what can be done in the fight against bullying when the adults in the school are courageous and unrelenting in their efforts. The principals at these schools are open and honest with faculty and students, encourage the same healthy communication in return, and are dedicated not only to intervention, but consistent follow-up, something still sadly lacking in too many educational environments.

Schools are stepping up to the plate, but no educator can or should replace the role of parent. If we’re to win this war on school bullying, I urge each and every parent reading this column to take stock at home. Is your child a possible victim of bullying? Or are they themselves a bully? When the lights are turned off at night, is your child sleeping, or are they lying awake in the dark, dreading school the next day because they know they will face hurt and rejection the moment they walk through those big glass doors? Do you know the names of the students your child admires, and those they don’t and why? Is your child happy or simply putting on a happy face for you?

Schools reach out to me for solutions to these questions every day. Now I am reaching out to all of you who are parents:

• Pay attention to your child’s mood. Don’t just relegate grumpiness to back to school blues. It could be fear masquerading as irritability.
• It’s the beginning of the school year. Get involved now before problems start, not after they’ve begun.
• Establish a rapport with your child’s guidance counselor.
• Don’t be afraid to ask your child specific questions, and learn to listen patiently and without judgment.
• Get to know the parents of your child’s friends and establish an open line of communication and support.
• Encourage your child to embrace the new students at school. It’s an easy way to make new friends.

As parents, we are often overwhelmed by the responsibilities of daily life. Sometimes we are tired and irritable when we get home from work, and the thought of going one more place, doing one more thing is just too much. Let me just say this. Our own emotions, and most especially, logistics, should never get in the way of being present to, and helping our children.

I’m often asked what my own mom and dad did during my lonely school years that helped. It was something so remarkably simple, but it saved my life, and it could save your child’s life too.

For most bullied students, whether it’s the child who’s overtly abused or the one who’s ignored and excluded day after day, it’s the relentless loneliness that is often hardest to bear. While all the other kids from school are hanging out together, going to parties and having fun, you’re sitting at home, aching to be a part of it, waiting for invitations that never come. I remember those dark moments well, and if your child is experiencing a similar sense of isolation, you need to understand that every child needs friends and a social life, and this is doubly true for bullied kids. If school doesn’t yield this companionship, seek an interim social life for your child, somewhere he or she can participate with other peers in an activity they enjoy.

Believe it or not, local park districts and libraries are wonderful outlets and can be a lifeline for lonely teens. Reach out to the park district and local library the nearest next town over from where you live that doesn’t feed into your child’s school, and ask them to email or fax you their list of organized activities for kids. They often will have everything from soccer and cheerleading, to dance, computer clubs, and Reader’s Theater, among other options that your child can participate in. My mom enrolled me in a youth community theater program where I finally found other kids my own age that I fit in with.

It’s vital however that you go one town over, because if a child is being bullied at school and engages in a park district activity with those same classmates, it defeats the purpose, which is to provide the experience of a fresh start with new faces. You can achieve two objectives by enrolling your child in a park district or library activity: on the days school feels especially lonely, your child has something to look forward to; additionally, this new social outlet will likely boost his confidence, and the more confident he is, the less of a target he will be at school. This will also buy you the necessary time to address any bullying issues with the school.

One of the biggest mistakes parents make is that they become so immersed in trying to deal with the school once they discover there’s a problem, that they forget to tend to their bleeding child first. And make no mistake. The bullied child is bleeding, but they’re bleeding in the form of loneliness. You can stop that bleeding by finding your child a source for friendship, but you must act swiftly, definitively, and follow up. Don’t just print out the brochures from the park district and leave them on a table. Show them to your child, choose an activity together, then pick up the phone, and make it happen.

© 2010 Jodee Blanco, author of Please Stop Laughing at Me: One Woman’s Inspirational True Story.

Order Please Stop Laughing at Me: One Woman’s Inspirational True Story and support CatholicMom.com with your purchase.

Editor’s Note: A special thanks to Chris Castagnoli of

The Our Catholic Prayers website www.ourcatholicprayers.com was established to help bring people closer to our Lord and to each other through prayer. Its founder, Christopher Castagnoli, a catechist and volunteer at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, has designed it to be appealing especially to those who might feel intimidated by prayer, or who otherwise feel that they need some special quality of holiness in order to have a good prayer life. Nothing could be further from the truth, as he points out on the site.

While we can, and often do, indeed advance in holiness through prayer, we don’t have to start out as saints! God is more than happy to help us with our spiritual lives, even when we just start out by saying the “Our Father”, “Hail Mary” and “Glory Be” once a day, or praying the name of Jesus in difficult situations.

The site’s approach to prayer is meant to be friendly without being frivolous. It brings to mind the advertising slogan from Home Depot: “You can do it. We can help.”  Prayer is not just for monks, mystics, or saintly ladies in mantillas, after all!

As we say on the site’s home page: “God Is Calling! Are you listening?” To help people answer Him and to be more attuned to receiving His grace, our site includes many traditional favorite prayers, such as the Lord’s Prayer and the Rosary, prayers to Saints, as well as others for different needs, and some lesser-known gems such as the “Magnificat”.

We provide short commentaries on each prayer, including helpful information on their spiritual significance, for inspiration and reflection. (We currently feature over 125 pages of articles, with more on the way.)

The Our Catholic Prayers site also provides useful information from other websites and posts prayer requests from all over the world. We also answer e-mail inquiries from our readers about religious matters. Since we started the site four years ago, we’ve received a gratifying and growing response from readers in the United States, Canada, and over 80 countries around the world.

Hopefully, we’re doing our part to spread our Lord’s Good News. One reader, a Catholic convert from Hinduism gave us some encouragement with these words: “I am always looking for more guidance and information to improve my prayer life. Your site really helps.” You can reach us from the “Contact Us” form on the site or at info@ourcatholicprayers.com.

Visit www.ourcatholicprayers.com for additional information.

Lost Island Smugglers

This story moves quickly enough to hold a 10 year old’s attention but goes into enough detail to engage the imagination.  Ten year old Sam Cooper, the main character, is struggling with the challenges of making new friends after he and his parents move to Florida. He quickly makes two friends and together the three of them learn how to scuba dive. Choosing adventure and his friends over the good judgment that his parents have taught him, Sam finds himself and his two buddies on a dangerous sailing adventure and then marooned on a deserted island.

Throughout the story the three boys learn they have to face the consequences of their bad decisions. They also use good judgment in helping each other when they have no one else to turn to. Strong morals, honesty, integrity, bravery, and unselfishness are presented in a very positive light to the young reader, leading him to admire the characters who possess these traits. All the while the characters are very believable and the boy who reads this story will be able to relate to Sam Cooper and put himself into Sam’s shoes.

I highly recommend this book for young boys. Mr. Anderson has given them a quality story that will encourage them to wish to be strong, moral men.  In today’s world with conflicting values and none-too-clear morals, Lost Island Smugglers is a refreshing find. Boys who read it are almost sure to get hooked on the series.

Order Lost Island Smugglers and support CatholicMom.com with your purchase.

Reviewed by Elyse Wilson

Lumby on the Air by Gail Fraser
Reviewed by Anne B.

There is going to be a party, and you are invited!

If you like to travel to Lumby, you’ll be happy to know that there is a brand new book in this fun series.  Lumby on the Air takes you back to Lumby to celebrate Mark and Pam Walker’s 25^th Wedding Anniversary.  They have decided to celebrate by closing Montis Inn and host a family reunion.  The week long reunion will coincide with the county fair, and of course Mark is certain everyone in his family will be as excited about the miscellaneous events he will participate in as he is.

Pam’s only family is her mother, and she is full of surprises which cause Pam much anxiety.  Mark’s family includes a sister he hasn’t spoken to for years, and a brother-in-law who is a “shock jock”.  Mark’s niece ,who he remembers as a little girl, turns out to be a rebellious teen.  Although he has promised to be on vacation, the brother-in-law besides to broadcast his show from Lumby, and of course makes fun of the small town.

Add to the mix, a local resident is selling a large parcel of land, and a well known developer wants to build a resort!  The county fair is of course lots of fun!  Pam & Mark are wonderful hosts and provide a busy schedule for their guests.  The week comes to a close with a party and some surprises.  After reading the book, if you are like me, you will be looking forward to more “Lumby” fun.     Lumby on the Air is an easy read that will make you laugh.  As usual, author Gail Fraser has added some post scripts to the book which you will enjoy!

Order Lumby on the Air and support CatholicMom.com with your purchase.

School Bullying — Tips Every Parent Should Know

Please Stop Laughing at Me?: One Woman’s Inspirational True Story

For the past eight years, I’ve been traveling the nation’s schools, sharing my message with thousands of students, teachers and parents that it’s NOT just joking around, that when kids tease and reject one another, they are damaging each other for life. I know firsthand because from fifth grade through the end of high school I was tormented by my peers, as so many other kids are today, simply for being “different.”

You would think after speaking at so many schools, they would all seem alike to me. Truthfully, some do. And then, there are those that stand out as remarkable examples of what can be done in the fight against bullying when the adults in the school are courageous and unrelenting in their efforts. The principals at these schools are open and honest with faculty and students, encourage the same healthy communication in return, and are dedicated not only to intervention, but consistent follow-up, something still sadly lacking in too many educational environments.

Schools are stepping up to the plate, but no educator can or should replace the role of parent. If we’re to win this war on school bullying, I urge each and every parent reading this column to take stock at home. Is your child a possible victim of bullying? Or are they themselves a bully? When the lights are turned off at night, is your child sleeping, or are they lying awake in the dark, dreading school the next day because they know they will face hurt and rejection the moment they walk through those big glass doors? Do you know the names of the students your child admires, and those they don’t and why? Is your child happy or simply putting on a happy face for you?

Schools reach out to me for solutions to these questions every day. Now I am reaching out to all of you who are parents:

• Pay attention to your child’s mood. Don’t just relegate grumpiness to back to school blues. It could be fear masquerading as irritability.
• It’s the beginning of the school year. Get involved now before problems start, not after they’ve begun.
• Establish a rapport with your child’s guidance counselor.
• Don’t be afraid to ask your child specific questions, and learn to listen patiently and without judgment.
• Get to know the parents of your child’s friends and establish an open line of communication and support.
• Encourage your child to embrace the new students at school. It’s an easy way to make new friends.

As parents, we are often overwhelmed by the responsibilities of daily life. Sometimes we are tired and irritable when we get home from work, and the thought of going one more place, doing one more thing is just too much. Let me just say this. Our own emotions, and most especially, logistics, should never get in the way of being present to, and helping our children.

I’m often asked what my own mom and dad did during my lonely school years that helped. It was something so remarkably simple, but it saved my life, and it could save your child’s life too.

For most bullied students, whether it’s the child who’s overtly abused or the one who’s ignored and excluded day after day, it’s the relentless loneliness that is often hardest to bear. While all the other kids from school are hanging out together, going to parties and having fun, you’re sitting at home, aching to be a part of it, waiting for invitations that never come. I remember those dark moments well, and if your child is experiencing a similar sense of isolation, you need to understand that every child needs friends and a social life, and this is doubly true for bullied kids. If school doesn’t yield this companionship, seek an interim social life for your child, somewhere he or she can participate with other peers in an activity they enjoy.

Believe it or not, local park districts and libraries are wonderful outlets and can be a lifeline for lonely teens. Reach out to the park district and local library the nearest next town over from where you live that doesn’t feed into your child’s school, and ask them to email or fax you their list of organized activities for kids. They often will have everything from soccer and cheerleading, to dance, computer clubs, and Reader’s Theater, among other options that your child can participate in. My mom enrolled me in a youth community theater program where I finally found other kids my own age that I fit in with.

It’s vital however that you go one town over, because if a child is being bullied at school and engages in a park district activity with those same classmates, it defeats the purpose, which is to provide the experience of a fresh start with new faces. You can achieve two objectives by enrolling your child in a park district or library activity: on the days school feels especially lonely, your child has something to look forward to; additionally, this new social outlet will likely boost his confidence, and the more confident he is, the less of a target he will be at school. This will also buy you the necessary time to address any bullying issues with the school.

One of the biggest mistakes parents make is that they become so immersed in trying to deal with the school once they discover there’s a problem, that they forget to tend to their bleeding child first. And make no mistake. The bullied child is bleeding, but they’re bleeding in the form of loneliness. You can stop that bleeding by finding your child a source for friendship, but you must act swiftly, definitively, and follow up. Don’t just print out the brochures from the park district and leave them on a table. Show them to your child, choose an activity together, then pick up the phone, and make it happen.

© 2010 Jodee Blanco, author of Please Stop Laughing at Me?: One Woman’s Inspirational True Story

As I read more, I began to see who Frances was and why she behaved the way she did.  I began to respect her son as he tried to see that his mother would be able to die with dignity.  The story explores Frances’ relationships with each of her three children as well as her husband.  You begin to see that she really does that know them and wants them to be able to go on without her.

I think Finding Frances emphasized the need for us all to have a living will, and to make our wishes concerning our final care known.  It also helps one to look as death as a natural part of our lives, and not something we should fear.  The other lesson I learned from the book was the important part Hospice does to help with the end of life process.  The book lets the reader really look at and think about quality of life and decisions regarding treatment in terminally ill persons.

I can’t say Finding Frances was an “easy” book to read, but I feel that I benefited from reading it.

Reviewed by AMB

Order Finding Frances and support CatholicMom.com with your purchase.

Have you ever been at church or a prayer meeting where the leader gets everyone to quiet down by saying something like,

“Let us now place ourselves in the presence of the Lord.”

They usually try and look real pious closing their eyes and folding their hands.  Then everyone settles down feeling like they’ve reached a more God centered frame of mind.

I read book a while back that pointed out the absurdity of all this.  We all understand what the leader wanted to accomplish, but could we actually put ourselves outside of God’s presence? How would we go about doing that?

Silence on Fire: The Prayer of Awareness by author and priest William Shannon challenged my thinking using the teachings of Thomas Merton.  Shannon steers us away from a “getting our prayers in” mentality and instead encourages us to:

• Live more present to everything we do,
• Increase our conscious awareness of God’s very real presence and
• Work at seeing all we do as a prayer.

The book really challenged me.  It helped me reframe my relationship with the Lord so it became less like traveling somewhere in order to find Him and more like the lifting a fog that lessens my awareness or ability to experience Him.

My new blogging effort aims at helping us all (and this really includes me) grow in this awareness proposed by both Merton and Shannon.  My first step was to launch the My Take on the Sunday Readings podcast at www.PurelyCatholic.com.  My Take is a weekly audio podcast to help listeners prepare for the upcoming Sunday Mass.  Visitors can listen to right on the website or download for listening on the IPOD or MP3 player.

Each episode starts with the reading of the Sunday first, second and gospel readings aloud followed by a reflection and questions to help listeners reflect and mediate.  Each episode is 20 minutes max and is released so they’re available a week in advance.

The www.PurelyCatholic.com website is built so listeners can comment on the week’s program and share their insight with other listeners.  The idea there is to provide a forum for exchanging ideas with others.

My plan is to continue growing the site with other written, audio or video blogs discussing topics relevant to Catholics as they work at growing in their faith and awareness of God’s very real presence in our lives.

Copyright 2010 Jorge Lazaro Diaz

Editor’s Note: A special thanks to guest columnist Theresa Doyle-Nelson and to Michael O’Neill McGrath for his kind permission to use his image of Léonie.

I have lots of favorite saints … St. Thérèse the Little Flower, Sts. Francis and Clare of Assisi, St. Rita, etc.  Each one offers me special insights into my own heart and somehow makes me feel closer to God.  I recently learned more about a person who is now on my list of favorites … she is actually not yet an official saint, but after researching her life, my heart is convinced that she is undoubtedly in heaven.

Marie-Léonie, one of St. Thérèse’s four older sisters has caught my attention for decades.  Even back in 1979, when I first read The Story of a Soul, a memoir St. Thérèse wrote under order, I noticed how this particular sister was hardly mentioned in comparison to Thérèse’s other three sisters.  Léonie (in French, pronounced lay-o-NEE) seemed to be somewhat of a shadow in the background.  I often wondered about Léonie … who she was … and why she is infrequently referred to in any work about her immensely popular sister saint.

Curiously, the name Léonie means, “lioness.”   This name seems to have fit for she was a constant challenge to her family and a very difficult child for the Martin parents to “tame.”  She was closest in age to her two older sisters, Marie and Pauline.  These three oldest sisters were actually born within 40 months of each other.  Marie and Pauline, however, paired together, leaving Léonie to herself.  For a time, Léonie had another sister just 16 months younger than herself named Hélène.  Perhaps she had felt a special bond with this little sister, sadly, though, Hélène died when she was only five years old.  The two youngest girls of the family, Céline and Thérèse were 6 and 9 years younger than Léonie and also paired off as best friends.   So, Léonie was a middle child with no special childhood sibling or buddy.  To accentuate matters, when the girls’ mother died, Marie took on Céline as a special younger sister to watch over and Pauline became Thérèse’s “Little Mother.”  Once again, Léonie was the odd sister left alone.

Léonie’s appearance and demeanor were less charming than her four sisters.  She had poor health and was not very bright, having had great struggles with school work.  Also, she had an emotionally frail personality.  She could be very stubborn and defiant, truly a thorn in the side of a very bright, spiritual and otherwise happy family.  Léonie no doubt felt the pain and loneliness of her misfit status.

The Martin girls had an aunt who was a nun at a Visitation Monastery in Le Mans, France.  This Aunt, Sr. Marie-Dosithée, was very close to her sister, Zélie Martin and gave special attention to Zélie’s trouble child, Léonie.  This special attention was very meaningful to Léonie who as a child expressed interest in someday becoming a Visitation nun like her aunt.  Aunt Sr. Marie-Dosithée worked hard to have Léonie accepted into the monastery’s boarding school where she gave Léonie much individual attention, hoping to help her overcome learning and behavioral difficulties.  While progress was made, this disruptive child was still asked to leave the school after just a few short months.  Aunt Sr. Marie-Dosithée, however, never gave up praying for her Léonie.  She felt mysteriously convinced that Léonie would at some point discover God’s plan for her and become a saint.

Léonie’s odd and uncomfortable nature caused great concern to her mother.  Zélie Martin prayed often for her daughters, but especially for Léonie.   As Zélie became sick and sensed that death was drawing near, she stepped up her prayers for her still “untamed” Léonie.  After Zélie  passed away and  Léonie got older, she strove to become a pleasing family member.  It was a challenge for her though and she often fell back to her discomfiting ways.   As Pauline successfully entered the Carmelite convent and Marie made plans to enter as well, Léonie continued to struggle to find her niche.  At one point, Léonie abruptly entered a Poor Clare convent, surprising the whole family.  Her stay there however, lasted only two months.  Within a year, at the age of 24, Léonie attempted to become a Visitation nun … like her dear aunt, Sr. Marie-Dosithée.  However, she left after only 5 months, returning home just days after her youngest sister, Thérèse, had received special permission to enter the Carmelite convent at the unusually young age of 15.  Léonie, surely bewildered and disappointed in herself, nonetheless spent the next few months generously giving her younger sister affectionate attention and encouragement before Thérèse’s uniquely early entrance into the Carmelite convent.

After Thérèse’s entry into Carmel, Léonie together with Céline took tender care of Monsieur Martin.  He had become partially paralyzed and his mental health had begun to deteriorate.  For a while, he had to reside at a mental institution in Caen where the two sisters went to visit him at least once a week.  Often during the visits to Caen, Léonie stopped off to pray at the chapel at the Visitation Monastery where she had earlier spent five months, hoping for a vocation.

Later, at the age of 30, while three of her sisters: Marie, Pauline and Thérèse were thriving at the Carmelite Convent in Lisieux, Léonie attempted to enter the Visitation Order in Caen again.  Intriguingly, Céline had become accustomed to Léonie’s companionship and help and felt a sad grief when this “lioness” sister left.  This time, Léonie remained at the monastery for two years.  It was during this two year time frame that the girls’ father passed away.  Just a month and a half after Monsieur Martin’s passing Céline entered the same Carmelite Convent as her three sisters.  About one year later, Léonie once again left Caen and returned to Lisieux to live with relatives … by now, both of her parents were deceased and all four of her sisters were at the Carmelite Convent.

It was while Léonie was back in Lisieux living with her aunt and uncle, that Thérèse became very ill.  During a conversation with Céline, Thérèse told her sister that when she got to heaven, she would look out for her sisters still on earth:

“When I am in heaven, I’ll draw from God’s treasures and I’ll say:  ‘This is for Marie, this for Pauline, this for Léonie, and this for the very little Céline.’”

“I’ll still be even more with you than I was before; I’ll not leave you.  I will watch over Uncle and Aunt, over my little Léonie, over all of you.”

It was perhaps from these “treasures of God” and promise of “watching over” that helped Léonie.  She was 34 when Thérèse, passed away.  A year later when A Story of a Soul was published, Léonie carefully read and reread the inspired work.  Although she must have noticed that she did not appear in the book as much as her sisters, it did not seem to matter to this singular sister.  She still felt a strong inspiration to follow the “Little Way” of her younger sister.  Within a few short months after the publication of A Story of a Soul, Léonie re-entered the Visitation Convent in Caen and remained there the rest of her life.  She chose for her religious name “Sr. Françoise-Thérèse … in honor of St. Francis de Sales and her departed sister, whose presence she often felt.  Léonie very graciously accepted her sister’s apparent superiority to her.  Perhaps it was Thérèse’s written explanation of why some people seem less spiritually gifted than others that helped Léonie to accept her place in the world:

“I understood how all the flowers He has created are beautiful, how the splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the Lily do not take away the perfume of the little violet or the delightful simplicity of the daisy.  I understood that if all flowers wanted to be roses, nature would lose her springtime beauty, and the fields would no longer be decked out with little wild flowers.”

Little by little, Léonie learned to rely on a simple and accepting sense of spirituality to make her way in religious life.  Though her inferiorities could frustrate her, she strove to accept and embrace her limitations in life.  She endeavored to allow herself to be the way God created her and merely accept His will.  She hung on to a belief that Jesus would offer her special protection because of her weaknesses.

As the world increasingly came to know and love her little sister Thérèse, many became curious about Léonie as well.  Often, interested people came to the monastery in Caen to see the sister of the Little Flower.  Léonie, having slowly become a gentle and much-more-tamed “lioness,” avoided public attention and did her best to stay hidden.  Léonie lived within the monastery walls prayerfully living as a quiet, inconspicuous little violet in God’s large and beautiful garden.

Léonie died at the Monastery at the age of 78 in 1941 and was entombed within the crypt of the Monastery chapel.  Over the years, countless people have felt compelled to visit the tomb of Léonie … to contemplate her challenging life … or to pray for Léonie’s intercessions for their troubles.  The monastery has received multitudes of letters from around the world from people who seem to feel a bond with this little violet.  They share troubles of a difficult family member or of vocation struggles.  They ask for prayers, request that written petitions be set before Léonie’s tomb, or relay miracles received through the intercession of this gentle lioness of the Martin family.

Léonie is indeed a favorite undeclared saint of mine.  The way she struggled, faced her life challenges, accepted her faults and let God be her strength are a source of inspiration.  She lived a difficult life, and lived it well.

The calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them.

Isaiah 11: 66

A BIT OF EXTRA INFORMATION:

*The religious order that Léonie settled with, the Visitation Order (also known as Visitandines), was founded in Annecy, France by Saints Francis de Sales and Jane de Chantal.  The order called to holy service men and women with physical strength and emotional endurance that made the rigors and severity of many other orders less achievable.  The goal of the order has been to grow closer to God through a prayerful, patient, gentle, step-by-step fashion.

*If you feel inspired to ask Léonie to pray for a problem inå your life, try a “Glory Be Novena” … tie 33 knots (symbolizing the 33 years Christ spent on earth) on a piece of string and for each knot say a “Glory Be,” followed by the request, “Léonie, please pray for me.”  Repeat this for nine days.  If you would like a prayer request placed at the tomb of Léonie, have the nuns at the Visitation Monastery in Caen pray for your intentions, or share a miracle through the intercession of Léonie, write to:

Monastère de la Visitation

3 rue de L’Abbatiale

14000 CAEN

FRANCE

*Happily, a full-length feature movie about Léonie is currently being produced.  It will be called “Léonie!” and is due for release this year (see www.LeonieFlim.com).

*For further reading:  Léonie Martin: A Difficult Life (Veritas Publications) by Marie Baudouin-Croix is a wonderful biography on this sister of St. Thérèse.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Baudouin-Croix, Marie.  Léonie Martin: A Difficult Life. Dublin, Ireland:  Veritas Publications, 1993.

Clark, John, O.C.D.  St. Thérèse of Lisieux: Her Last Conversations. Washington, D.C.:  ICS Publications, 1977.

Martin, Thérèse.  Story of a Soul. Washington, D.C.:  ICS Publications, 1976.

Info@Thérèse-de-Lisieux.com

(Madame Laurence Panontin, Service accueil du Sanctuaire de Lisieux)

www.CatholicHerald.co.uk

www.HelpFellowship.org

www.MacombDaily.com

www.MartinSisters.org (Ron Hannan)

www.Meaning-Of-Names.com/search/

www.Name-Meanings.com/search.php

www.NewAdvent.org

www.RomeoObserver.com

www.Thérèse-De-Lisieux.catholique.fr

www.VisitationMonastery.org



Theresa Doyle-Nelson is the mother of three sons, ages 24, 22, and 13.  She writes form the Texas Hill Country and can be reached through her website: www.TheresaDoyle-Nelson.com.

Rewinding to nearly twelve years previous on an August morning a truck pulled into the drive. And into our lives pulled in Bennet Wallace Hoffman. A mere six weeks old, a baby! There were five of us kids, three of whom were home schooled at the time . Having that little baby nine hours a day, five days a week was like having a little brother that never got annoying. Ben grew up with our family, said morning devotions with us, went to Friday mass every week, played with the basket full of rosaries, asked countless questions about Jesus, the crucifixes in the house, and about the pictures of Mary. He complained right on cue whenever we did, but listened more attentively than we ever had.

Ben grew up but he didn’t move on. He was a member of our family. He often spent the weekends at our home and we joked frequently that he would have come over even if it was just my dad to hang out with. Sunday morning often saw us all in a pew. By then two sisters and a brother had move away and the pew wasn’t quite as full, but Ben came nearly every week. It was at that church on a Palm Sunday that a spark was lit. Ben wanted to know more about Jesus. Something-the Passion perhaps, or our church’s intricate wood crucifix-resonated within him. Merely eight years old at the time he could have ignored this, this desire to know Jesus more. But he didn’t. In fact he began to collect religious items to remind himself of Jesus. My mom mentioned receiving his first communion and for 2 years, two years, Ben dragged his parents to class, parents who had never been religious but who could see this desire in their son. Adults three times his age could not have been more dedicated or joyful about the religious ed classes. What a witness!

Slowly Ben led his family back into the arms of the Church and on a bright May morning his family crowded into the front pew. My family was in that front pew as well and we stood behind Ben with his mother as he had the honor of receiving Jesus, body, blood, soul and divinity in the most intimate of forms. My mother’s eyes welled with tears of pride remembering, no doubt, those 11 years blessed by the presence of this special boy. There Ben stood, so proud, and so tall!! He was at least two feet taller then the other children, and almost four years older. Amazingly, when in this culture we care so much about what others think, Ben did not. He only cared about the Eucharist, Jesus Christ, that he was receiving.

Ben had the pleasure and privilege of receiving Jesus three more times before being received by Jesus in Heaven. That phone call, one little phone call, will be remembered forever. It sent us all to our knees at the foot of the cross. Jesus. How Ben loved You and is loving even more yet. He followed Your whispered voice, knew You could be found. Wise beyond years, an unexplainable faith, a love that looked beyond social norms and a desire that spanned so many years in such a short life. 11 years wasn’t long enough for us, but Ben was ready, he had freely chosen. In doing so he didn’t have a spectacular, earth shaking, look at me kind of faith. He didn’t leave on exotic mission trips, stand on a soap box, go door to door, or feel the need for the bright lights of a more charismatic church. Rather, his faith has left us, those of us still here, grieving and in pain, something to aspire to, to obtain and to become. His life, and death, touched not only those of who knew him well, but also community members, those at school, the church community and many more. Not many of us can say that at a mere eleven years of age. Thank you Ben, for having an open and willing heart. As those of us left to feel senseless and alone trying continue on, help us to see Jesus the way you did. Help us to remember that we are always together in the Eucharist, that death has not ended our bond, merely changed it. Help us to have a relationship with Him, to have that love and simple yet profound faith. You have led by example and are still yet leading us into the arms of Jesus. Finally, although its hard to do, I need to thank Jesus for the time we had with Ben. The time was short, the pain deep, but the blessings phenomenal.



Copyright 2010 Rachel Grinwis

The summer is a joyous time when loved ones come together.  But for many families, the summer can also be a time of stress and frustration, sometimes unintentionally resulting in an increased risk to the child.

Prevent Child Abuse Texas offers the following tips to help families enjoy the summer while keeping tension to a minimum:

1.         Establish a budget for summer spending.  Be realistic about what you can afford to spend on entertainment, special foods, travel, etc.

2.         Hold a family meeting to discuss summer plans.  Ask for ideas from the children for family activities that would appeal to them.

3.         Post a calendar of family activities in a place where all family members will see it.

4.         Check community calendars and local lists of events to find inexpensive or free activities for children.  Write all possibilities on individual slips of brightly colored paper and put them in a “summer fun jar.”   When children have been especially cooperative with other family members, allow them to choose a slip of paper from the jar.  Then, the family can enjoy an afternoon of fun activity together.

5.         Have your children make a list of elderly or shut-in neighbors in your area.  Plan to share a meal, some of your time, or run errands for these neighbors.  Explain to children that helping and sharing are important elements.

6.         Find time to relax and reflect on the simple joys of the summer.  When you feel yourself becoming overwhelmed, take a break to get a better perspective on what needs to be done and what can be done.

7.         If you find that it is becoming difficult to avoid being verbally or physically harsh with your children, STOP.  Don’t take out your anger on your kids.  Instead, try the following:

• Take a deep breath and count to 20.
• Phone a friend.
• Take a walk outside, or use another form of exercise.
• Laugh.  Even a comedy show on television will help relieve stress.
• Spend one hour doing something you really enjoy.

Prevent Child Abuse Texas is the leading organization working to prevent the abuse and neglect of our state’s children.  More information is available by accessing the organization’s web site at www.preventchildabusetexas.org.

Learn More about Prevent Child Abuse Texas

Mother Melania, of Holy Assumption Monastery in Calistoga, CA, has a new partnership with The Benefactory, a 21 year-old publisher of wholesome, nurturing children’s stories (also CDs, DVDs, toys and puzzles.)  Together they have launched a unique opportunity for work-at-home-moms – Storytelling events in homes, schools, libraries and churches.  Storytellers (usually moms, teachers, or grandparents) sign on for their own home-based business, hold events for other parents or parents with children, read stories to the children, and set them up with art activities, while parents browse the products.  Storytellers keep 25% of their event sales, and love the concept of performing a community service, and empowering children in family values and reading.

The Benefactory distributes 19 of Mother Melania’s ‘Halo Stories’ and is publishing her ‘Good Neighbors’ tales about animals learning character and morals, in the fall.  Sales of both series help support both Holy Assumption and St Barbara Monasteries.  The Benefactory also publishes true stories about animals, sales of which benefit 12 nonprofit animal protection organizations.

For information about Storytelling, visit: www.thebenefactory.com, or write randy@thebenefactory.com.

Editor’s Note:  I’m pleased to share the following contribution from Carol Showalter, author of Your Whole Life! The 3D Plan for Eating Right, Living Well, and Loving God.Carol shares the origins of the book as well as the nutrition plan she’s developed to encourage you to care for yourself spiritually and physically.

Almost 40 years ago the first Christian diet program began, and soon it swept across the United States and many other countries.  As the director of 3D, I wrote a book about the program, with sale reaching more than 500, 00 copies.

The 3D (Diet, discipline, Discipleship) came out of my own personal need.  Although I have made many changes in my life over the last four decades, I am as passionate today as I was in the beginning of 3D about the vision of what can happen when people earnestly consider the whole person and not just the body.  I am as convinced as ever that committed Christians are being challenged to look at the connection between the body and the soul.  We must join with each other. Our health, our emotions, and our energy are all involved with our Christian walk.   This is a journey, not a destination.

The 3Ds are Diet, Discipline, and Discipleship.  I would like to define these terms with a new understanding: Eating Right (Diet), Living Well (Discipline), and Loving God (Discipleship). I challenge you to turn your head and your heart around to a new direction with one goal: to become whole.

In my walk toward health I have benefited tremendously over the past eight years from the wisdom of well-known nutritionist and registered dietician Maggie Davis. I went to Maggie for help with diet, but got more than nutritional help.  Maggie put many questions before me that pushed me to examine my whole life—questions that to her were obviously related to my weight struggle.  So I took a spiritual inventory at the same time I was learning new facts about nutrition. She and I worked as a team on this book to share how these things indeed work together.

This new paperback edition is chock-full of new concepts and a new understanding about nutrition and “diet.” It is about transformation from the inside out, and it is about feeling good about yourself from the outside in!  It has challenges for each one of us about what it means to live well and how to incorporate these changes into our daily lives.

It will challenge you to face yourself just the way you are.  It will challenge you to come to a new place where you can accept yourself, weaknesses, and all, and to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God can help you.  It will also challenge you to believe in the love and forgiveness of God, who is in the business of making all things new. There is not time to waste in looking back and counting our failures and wishing that we could have done things differently.  That is all in God’s hands.  Now is the time to stand in the present and to look forward with open minds and hearts to new insights and new beginnings.  Remember that God promises that the best is yet to come.

Many new insights and challenges will come from Maggie, who is walking alongside to share what she has taught me and so many others……Maggie brings forward new concepts and offers them through the interpretive framework of the 3D plan; her nutritional and wellness advice are presented in shaded sections of the book.

This book is a tool for a twelve-week journey….Take your time reading Your Whole Life! . Browse through the book, but then take it a day at time.

You can follow the 3D plan by yourself, or others can join you and form a support group where you can help each other….Guidelines for group leaders can be found in the back of the book and on our web site, www.3dyourwholelife.com. You may call 1-800-451-5006 and talk to the 3D administrator any time for assistance…..As you move through the pages of this book, it is my prayer that you will see the concept, challenges, and knowledge as tools for your own success…..Be open to new understandings of your weight struggles; be honest about your needs; and most of all, have faith. God is in the business of healing lives and you are at the top of his list today.  The scripture verse that led us to the title of this book was one in which Jesus says to a woman, “Your faith has made you whole” (Mark 5:34).  I invite you to join me in this journey toward wholeness.

Order Your Whole Life! The 3D Plan for Eating Right, Living Well, and Loving God and support CatholicMom.com with your purchase.

Today’s guest article is submitted by Rich Maffeo of

Father Pedro Arrupe, SJ, wrote: “Nothing is more practical than falling in love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love, with what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you’ll do with your evenings, how you spend your weekends, what you read, who you know, what breaks your heart, what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love (with God). Stay in love, and it will decide everything.”

I began an online study of St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians with the hope that my fellow Catholics — and Christians in other churches — will learn to fall more deeply in love with God, to serve Him with increasing fruitfulness, and make the cry of the Lord Jesus for unity (John 17) our cry as well.

In light of the growing anti-Christian sentiment rising in many areas of America, Canada and Europe, if we do not stand together we face a very serious risk of falling separately. A house divided against itself still cannot stand, and it is prudent to remember the words of Martin Niemoller, a Lutheran pastor during the Nazi years:

“In Germany they first came for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me — and by that time no one was left to speak up.”

As we study Ephesians we take advantage of the insights garnered from a variety of Christian sources. All baptized children of God can learn from each other, and so while we refer often to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, we also look to the thoughts of Christians such as Oswald Chambers, Pope John Paul II, C. S. Lewis, St. Catherine of Siena, Pope Benedict XVI, Thomas a Kempis, Bishop Fulton Sheen, A. W. Tozer, Mother Teresa, St. Ignatius, St. Francis De Sales, and many others.

We also use various translations of the Scriptures, such as the New American Bible, the New American Standard Bible, the Amplified Bible, and the Catholic Douay-Rheims version. I also keep a lexicon of Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic nearby.

So, let us press on to know the Lord, taking up the full armor of God that St. Paul speaks of in Ephesians 6, verses 10-20. All Christians, whether Catholic, Protestant or Orthodox, are engaged in a great spiritual battle for the souls of the lost, and we would do well to make Saint Terese of Avila’s prayer our own:

“Lord Christ, You have no body on earth but ours, No hands but ours, No feet but ours. Ours are the eyes through which your compassion must look out on the world. Ours are the feet by which you may still go about doing good. Ours are the hands with which You bless people now. Bless our minds and bodies, that we may be a blessing to others. Amen.”

You can visit the study at www.equippingcatholics.blogspot.com

You can also read my contemplative blog at:  www.thecontemplativecatholicconvert.blogspot.com

Copyright 2010 Rich Maffeo