Acting in persona Christi, is a consuming thing which requires a long journey of prayer, education and contemplation. This journey frequently takes the priest to places he had never expected, people that he never even thought he would know, and jobs he never imagined he would perform. When I think of the many priests that have positively influenced my life, I am thankful to have known such a colorful cast of characters that have kept me faithful to the Church and her teachings. We need to take a few seconds to think about that appreciation. Without the priest, we would have no Sacraments. The Eucharist, the source and summit of our Catholic lives, would not be there. All of the other Sacraments we frequently take for granted would be gone. Our lives as Catholics would be shattered without the seven sacraments that bring us into daily participation with God’s divine love.

All of the theological aspects we take for granted would be gone. Initiation into the faith, forgiveness from sins, spiritual strengthening while sick, marital covenant expression, links of Apostolic succession, the imposition of the Holy Spirit and Eucharistic nourishment all vanish without our Catholic priests.

This is the time to affirm their importance. Celebrate their Holy Orders and reaffirm support for all priests that daily bring to a fragile world the love of Jesus.

I think of the many priests that have influenced me in life. Good influences, holy men with countless talents as well as human shortcomings. The aroma of cigar smoke always brings Msgr. Joseph Waldron to mind. He was never without his beloved cigar. He gave me my first job, answering the phone and the door at Saint Gabriel Rectory. I guess it was a sign of things to come, namely my involvement for so many years in the telecommunications industry. Other priestly men are always with me as well. Rev.George Feider, O.Praem., a Norbertine priest that guided me through the complicated mazes of high school course selections as well as the guttural complications of studying German. No matter what I wanted to do, he always loved me and directed me to the right choice of doors.

I can never forget the person of Rev. Arthur Taborelli (recently returned to God). He kept me on spiritual track during my seminary years. His theological explanations and spiritual suggestions were always surrounded with humor but wrapped in pragmatic and realistic understandings of the Gospel message. His colorful personality always brought a welcome “cheer” to an otherwise dreary moment.

Little things always remind me of these men of prayer, learning and faith. Their lives illuminated and inspired me to study philosophy and theology. Regardless of each priest’s influence and personality they were all men of prayer and Eucharist. The celebration of the Sacraments was always the primary purpose for them. They brought Christ’s love and teachings to the world.

Priests today, no less colorful, accomplish the same tasks, with different methods. Those priests touch me as well through their daily ministry. The parishes are different but Christ is always brought into view at Divine Mercy Parish, Saint Madeline, St. Frances Cabrini, St. John the Evangelist and Saint Gabriel. Men that make a difference on a daily basis bring Christ to the world.

That is why we need to support and celebrate with them – and pray for them.

Whether we realize it or not, priests offer many facets to our lives that are being polished into theological diamonds.

Sometimes we think of our priests as ‘out of step’ and outdated. However, always keep in mind these guys are Jesus among us. A lot of times, because of our own human nature, we forget that the priest is human as well. We take for granted the Church’s Sacraments. A few moments of thought make me realize what an empty life I would have without sacramental grace. I appreciate and thank God daily for our Catholic priests and the great mission they accomplish.

When we go to the parish this Sunday, remember to thank your parish priest for everything, for being present, and for the Sacraments.

Copyright 2010 Hugh McNichol

“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.” John 20:19-23

“There appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:1-11

A few years ago I was undergoing a difficult time, struggling with a deeper conversion into my Catholic Faith. I was completely caught up in my thoughts and prayers and had a hard time focusing on my daily family life. I was deeply drawn to adoration and daily Mass and spending time in prayer at church. The priest who was giving me spiritual direction at the time wisely reminded me that my first and true vocation is that of wife and mother and that I could just as easily find God in my home as I could find him in the church. I told him that I so desperately wanted to hear the still, small voice of God and thought that it would only happen while I was in prayer at church. He lovingly teased me and said “Anne, I don’t think you will ever hear the still, small voice of God. For you, I think it will be the loud, booming voice of God!”

Pentecost Sunday arrived a few weeks after that conversation with my spiritual director. I was preparing a large Sunday breakfast for my family as usual. My son, Jack, was sitting at the kitchen table coloring pictures. He said, “Mom, I’m drawing a picture of a campfire.” “That’s nice,” I replied as I continued to stir the eggs. Then he said, “No, Mom, its not a campfire, it’s the flames of fire on the apostles heads!” Again, I distractedly murmured something about that being very nice, and went on with my breakfast preparations. Jack finished coloring, taped his picture to the kitchen cabinet, and our family went on with our breakfast and preparations to leave for Mass.

Jack’s picture stayed on the kitchen cabinet for several days and I really didn’t give it much thought. One evening, my husband took our five children over to the playground to have a baseball game, and I stayed at home to wash the windows. One of our kitchen windows was broken and wouldn’t stay open without a brace. I had forgotten about that in my still distracted state. I raised the window, and then turned to walk away, when the window came crashing down on my head, shattering into thousands of shards. As painful as that experience was, it was probably just what I needed to wake me from my dream state. As the window hit me, I was looking at Jack’s Pentecost picture. Suddenly, the words of my spiritual director came back to me “You will find God at home, following your vocation, and God’s voice will be loud and booming.”

Nothing could have been more loud and booming than a window shattering on my head! It was as if God woke me up out of my daze and said, “Look at that picture! Look what Jack drew! He drew a picture of Pentecost, your new spirit! Your life is in this home and in this family. Pay closer attention to your children, they understand more than you can ever know!”

That picture stayed on the kitchen cabinet until my spiritual director came over to bless it. Then I framed it and placed it in my prayer corner so that I would always remember that my Pentecost, my new spirit, is in my family and in my vocation as wife and mother. I will always find God in my home and I can hear his voice anytime, anywhere, soft and still or loud and booming.



Copyright 2010 Anne Bender

By including these consecrated individuals in our daily prayers and interceding on their behalf, we obtain many of God’s graces for them…and hopefully, a few for ourselves and those we love.

In addition to the children’s liturgy, members of our parish organized a great program for the children. A small group of kids from the ages of five to twelve eagerly joined The Rosary Club. One of the many purposes of the club is to engage the children in activities based on our Catholic principles and also to teach them to reflect on the mysteries and lead them in learning to pray the rosary.

Over time, the kids have assembled their very own oversized rosary; put on a play depicting the Joyous Mysteries; made St. Therese sacrifice beads and enjoyed countless other activities.

Among the several events and fundraisers running throughout the year, the group organizers decided in observance of the year’s theme, it would be great for the kids to get more familiar with the long and demanding road a man must take as he journeys to become a priest.

Creativity and appeal were key ingredients for this project with a bunch of kids under twelve and they came up with a wonderful way to introduce the kids to the life of a seminarian.

The group leaders received permission for access to our diocese seminarians and collected information to create easy to read and understandable profiles about them for the kids. They were even able to provide a photo of them.

The kids were gathered around the table and told they had an important mission to carry out for Jesus. It was explained to them that they were going to write a very special letter to young men who were studying to be priests. They were shown the various profiles and instructed to each choose one.

The children spent the afternoon writing and decorating letters and cards to their new spiritually adopted consecrated brothers. There were no formal guidelines as to what they should write; no corrections to spelling. Even the youngest, with the most basic of printing proficiency had free reign over what their message was. Included along with each welcoming salutation and unique introduction, every single one of them wrote that they now had a new friend who they would include in their prayers.

As I watched the smiling, enthusiastic faces light up at how much fun they were having and heard the squealing at each other’s ideas and encouragement of one another, I was struck by the innocence and purity of the moment. Children truly are of the kingdom of God.

I imagined the smile on the faces of those young men; the joy they must have felt in their hearts upon opening up the cards and letters and discovering they were from children.  How touched they must be to know, there are so many angels praying for them.

I hope it comforts them and strengthens their determination on really tough days. The road to being a priest is long and intense and often, it can be a lonely stretch out there on the highway of secularism. We are all driving it but they often times don’t get asked to carpool with the rest of the crowd.

That group of young seminarians now has these little earthly angels on their side, praying for them. Their prayers have a most wonderful privilege. Their prayers soar on wings straight to heaven, through the gates of eternity and are whispered directly into the loving heart of God.

Even if you should have countless guides to Christ, yet you do not have many fathers.               1Corinthians 4:15

Copyright 2010 Manuela Giannotti

Self-donation began with and is rooted in Christ, in God’s gift of himself through sacrifice. “In earlier times God met his people in a covenant of love and fidelity. So now the Savior of mankind…meets Christian husbands and wives in the sacrament of matrimony. Further, he remains with them in order that, as he loved the Church and gave himself up for her, so husband and wife may, in mutual self-giving, love each other with perpetual fidelity. True married love is caught up into God’s love; it is guided and enriched by the redeeming power of Christ and the saving action of the Church…” (Gaudium et Spes, n. 48).

Mutual self-donation exists when husband and wife seek to share one’s life with the other, the identification with one another that this involves, and the sacrifices it entails. Love is sacrifice. Love involves the will, not simply the emotions. “The essence of love is sacrifice. Love that is not willing to pay a price is phony, hollow, an imposter to the throne,” says Fr John Corapi.

Part of the sacrifice required of such clarity is related to the fact that, in marriage, a husband and wife will be together even when they are not at their best. Surely, some disillusionment is possible with this level of intimacy, but this must be counter-balanced by a deepening of love and spiritual life, as well as patience.

Pope John Paul II states, “We love the person complete with his or her virtues and faults and up to a point independently of those virtues and in spite of those faults.” See your spouse’s virtue, and love him for it. See his faults, and love him all the more.

To foster mutual self-donation, married couples must also foster both companionate and romantic love, to be one another’s best friend and greatest lover. This requires spending time with one another as the exclusive theme of interest. Take time to look at one another, into one another’s eyes and souls, and dwell exclusively in one another’s presence. “Superficiality does not fair well for love!” (Alice von Hildebrand). Only in the soul’s depths can serious encounters and unveilings take place. These encounters should not be limited to the sexual sphere. Although necessary, beautiful, and wonderful, this must not be the only common meeting together as persons. Speaking of our day, voicing fears, discussing future plans, praying as a couple, reading meaningful or spiritual books together, sharing mutual interests and activities, and simply taking time to be completely present to one another without distractions are some ways to encourage continued growth as “one flesh.”

In our modern world, with its many demands and distractions, this mutual self-donation is frequently difficult to cultivate. It is often easier to accept the status quo. However, in the sphere of love, we must not concern ourselves with what is easier; but rather, with what is more beautiful! And there is nothing more beautiful than a love based on reality, self-donation, and sealed by the marriage covenant. “By [the husband and wife’s] intimate union of persons and of actions they give mutual help and service o each other, experience the meaning of their unity, and gain an ever deeper understanding of it day by day” (Gaudium et Spes, n. 48).

(This article is based on excerpts from von Hildebrand, A. (1989). By Love Refined: Letters to a Young Bride. Manchester, NH: Sophia Institute Press.)

Copyright 2009 Ericka Soileau

What is it like at your parish before liturgy starts? Is it a quiet, sacred church? Or is it noisy and neighborly? Deacon Tom discusses this by sharing about a recent Saturday evening at his parish in Arizona.

Do you want a Mary Vitamin in your inbox?  Sarah Reinhard shares a quote from a recent Mary Vitamin and encourages you to sign up to receive your own.

This episode of Catholic Moments is sponsored by CatholicMatch.com, the Leading Catholic Singles Community.  Share your feedback at 206-339-9272, comment here on the blog or email lisa@catholicmom.com.

Links for this Episode:

• Wee Believers
• Sean Clive – The First Day
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HANCEVILLE, Ala. — In medieval days, knights were men who were elevated by their king and consecrated to a position of trust. These noble and faithful men would pledge to give their very lives to the service and protection of their lord and his kingdom.

Today, members of the Knights of the Holy Eucharist, a vibrant community of consecrated young men deeply committed to the Catholic faith, provide that very service for their Lord and King, Jesus Christ, through their work at the magnificent Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament and Our Lady of Angels Monastery in rural Hanceville, Ala. Situated on 400 acres of lush farmland along a remote country road some 45 miles north of Birmingham, the Shrine receives thousands of pilgrims each year who seek to nourish their faith amid this sacred and peaceful environment.

The Shrine and monastery, home to a cloistered community of Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration, were founded by Mother Angelica, the beloved nun who entered religious broadcasting in 1981 on little more than a prayer and developed the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), the largest and most popular religious media network in the world. EWTN is headquartered some 50 miles to the south in the Birmingham suburb of Irondale, where the nuns resided in the original monastery until their relocation to the present site in 1999.

In the spirit of St. Francis

The Knights of the Holy Eucharist represents part of the resurgence of vocations in the Catholic Church developing from the “new evangelization” promoted by Pope John Paul II and continued by Pope Benedict XVI. Its members have as their primary focus the fostering of reverence for the Blessed Sacrament as well as the assistance and protection of the nuns of the monastery. Along with maintaining the grounds and facilities, the Knights host clergy, brothers, and seminarians on retreat; serve as acolytes at Shrine liturgies; and provide assistance for pilgrims.

Community members live the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience but do not profess public vows. In their daily work and personal contact with pilgrims, the Knights also seek opportunities to evangelize by performing works of charity and providing instruction and comfort when necessary. Putting aside the things of this world, they live by the motto of their patron, St. Francis of Assisi: “My God and my All.”

The Knights strive for a structured balance of work and prayer. In addition to their assigned labors, Knights participate daily in Mass, the Rosary, Morning and Evening Prayer, and two hours of scheduled adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. They also take formation classes three days a week, make a Holy Hour on Thursday evenings, and plan a monthly one-day retreat.

Luke Johnasen, whose religious name is Brother Laurence, finds the life of a Knight to be very fulfilling. He entered the community in 2006 after visiting his younger brother Nyles (Brother Philip), who had joined the Knights a few years earlier after making a retreat at the Shrine.

“When I saw the Knights and how they lived their lives in work and prayer, with daily adoration, it really seemed to speak to me,” said Brother Laurence, 28, who is originally from Hilo, Hawaii. “Even when we are not physically in the chapel of adoration, we are doing work around the chapel all day long, so we are still doing work centered on the Blessed Sacrament.”

David Rodriguez, known as Brother Juan, became part of the community at the age of 18. The formation he has received there has given him “a deeper understanding of how God’s grace works in each and every one of our hearts,” he said.

Now 21, Brother Juan said that the sacrifices he has made to pursue his vocation bring him “a fulfillment largely in the joy that comes from answering God’s call.”

Called to serve

Like EWTN, the Knights of the Holy Eucharist was the inspiration of Mother Angelica herself. In the summer of 1998, with the Shrine under construction and nearly 18 months from completion, the foundress decided to start a new community of men dedicated to maintaining the facility, assisting at liturgies, and providing hospitality for pilgrims. Among those she invited to consider this vocation in consecrated life was 35-year-old James Fazzini, who had only recently come to work at the monastery. “What have you got to lose by trying it?” she asked him. He joined the Knights that August and in December received Brother David as his religious name.

Initially, the Knights boarded temporarily in a house just down the road. “We took an existing pole barn on the monastery grounds and converted it into living quarters because Mother wanted us to be on the property,” said Brother David, who presently serves as the Brother Guardian of the community. “We’ve added to it ever since, and now we receive 200 priests each year who come to the Shrine for retreats.”

One of the original seven Knights is Brother Pio, who is named after St. Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio), the 20th-century mystic who suffered the stigmata, the wounds of Christ on his own body. Like his namesake, Brother Pio is a “victim soul,” having been disabled since he sustained a serious spinal injury in a fall several years ago. Brother Pio presently lives in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., but visits the community once or twice a year.

“We felt in the early stages that we needed to have a victim soul, one who was called to suffer for the community, and Brother Pio is our victim soul,” said Brother David, a native of West Virginia. “Because he is confined to a wheelchair, all the suffering he endures and all his prayers are offered for the community.”

Two years ago, the Knights of the Holy Eucharist became affiliated with the Heralds of the Gospel, a rapidly growing evangelistic community that was founded in Brazil in 1999 and canonically recognized as an “association of the faithful of pontifical right” in 2001. The Heralds and their founder, Msgr. João Scognamiglio Clá Dias, had developed a relationship of mutual support and admiration with Mother Angelica and were very receptive when the Knights petitioned Msgr. Clá to join the Heralds family.

On June 29, 2007, the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, the Knights of the Holy Eucharist thus became “a branch within the Heralds of the Gospel,” said Brother Thomas Walsh, who lives and works in a Heralds community in Houston. With that union, the Knights of the Holy Eucharist share the Heralds’ pontifical blessing.

That fall, the Knights enrolled its first candidates for the priesthood at Holy Apostles Seminary in Cromwell, Conn. This coming academic year, the Knights will have six seminarians at various stages of formation.

Twenty-four-year-old Damien Pellerin, now Brother Michael, was one of the first Knights to enter the seminary. He was working in construction for his father in southern Louisiana five years ago when the two of them happened to stop by the monastery en route to a builders’ convention in Florida. Having already decided to spend a year to discern his vocation, Damien was impressed with the Knights and applied for acceptance shortly thereafter.

“After I was there just a short time, I felt this was it,” said Brother Michael. “It was really the charism of the community, the great spiritual life, the solid formation. Life at the monastery is a great gift to all of us.”

Developing a sense of vocation

By fall, the community will have 12 members in all. Many more are envisioned for the future.

“Mother Angelica has felt for a long time that the vocations are truly there, that God continues to call young men to the consecrated life. Unfortunately, with all the distractions of today, they don’t hear God’s voice calling them,” said Brother David.

As a result, “many young men today are not thinking about their vocations,” he said. “There’s a sense of a lack of fulfillment in the soul, and the soul can’t be at peace where it is, and ultimately that leaves them unhappy. They have to develop not only the awareness that they have a vocation from God, but also how to carry out that vocation plan in their lives.”

The community seeks applicants between the ages of 17 and 21 and hopes to draw more young men right out of high school. Part of the vision is to establish an academy near the Shrine that can begin the formation of young men separated from the world, Brother David said.

As the vision continues to unfold for the Knights of the Holy Eucharist, many more community members will be needed to serve the Shrine and monastery, form young men in the academy, and provide priestly ministry to pilgrims, sisters, and fellow Knights alike.

There is further expansion planned for the monastery grounds as well. Among these plans is the Pope John Paul II Eucharistic Center, conceived as an educational center designed to lead both Catholics and non-Catholics to a deeper appreciation of Christ’s Eucharistic Presence — which is what the Knights of the Holy Eucharist are all about.

For young men still trying to discern the path upon which God is calling them, Brother Michael offered simple and straightforward advice.

“Seek to do the Lord’s will,” he said. “That’s where we find our peace and joy.”

How to inquire:
To become a Knight of the Holy Eucharist, a young man must meet the following requirements:

1. Be a single male Catholic in good standing with no legal responsibilities.
2. Have good physical and mental stability.
3. Be between the ages of 17 and 21.
4. Be a high school graduate.
5. Have the ability to perform strenuous manual labor.
6. Have a desire to serve and not to be served.

If you are interested in becoming a Knight of the Holy Eucharist, please send us a letter including an application (available on the website), a recent photograph of yourself, and a statement or essay stating why you are considering the possibility of becoming a Knight.

For more information, contact:
Knights of the Holy Eucharist
Attn.: Brother David
3222 County Road 548
Hanceville, AL 35077
knightsinfo@gmail.com
www.knightsoftheholyeucharist.com

A Knight’s  prayer
An Act of Consecration to Jesus Christ, by the hands of Mary, a daily prayer of the Knights of the Holy Eucharist:

I, [name], a faithless sinner,
renew and ratify today in thy hands,
O Immaculate Mother,
the vows of my Baptism:
I renounce forever Satan, his pomps and works;
and I give myself entirely to
Jesus Christ,
the Incarnate Wisdom,
to carry my cross after Him
all the days of my life
and to be more faithful to Him
than I have ever been before.
In the presence of all the heavenly court,
I choose thee this day
for my Mother and Mistress.
I deliver and consecrate to thee,
as thy slave, my body and soul,
my goods, both interior and exterior,
and even the value of all my good actions,
past, present, and future,
leaving to thee the entire and full right
of disposing of me and all that belongs to me,
without exception, according to thy good pleasure,
for the greater glory of God,
in time and in eternity.
Amen.

Sarah Reinhard brings us a Mary Moment with Deacon flair!  Sarah and Deacon Tom Fox discuss devotion to the Blessed Mother, including the self consecration to Mary, Louis de Montfort’s True Devotion to Mary, the Madonna House, and Sarah’s column on Our Lady of Combermere.  Don’t forget to contact Deacon Tom at his Catholic Vitamins podcast to get one of the free copies of the “Discerning Your Gifts” brochure.

We close the show this week with a debut of the terrific Popple song Salt and Light from their new CD “Hip Hip Hooray”.  Check out the Popple website and download or order your copy of Hip Hip Hooray today.

We are thrilled to announce our partnership with CatholicMatch.com as they begin sponsoring this podcast.  Please support CatholicMatch.com and be sure to enter our current CatholicMatch.com for your opportunity to win a three month membership to the Leading Catholic Singles Community.

This episode of Catholic Moments is sponsored by CatholicMatch.com, the Leading Catholic Singles Community.  Share your feedback at 206-339-9272, comment here on the blog or email lisa@catholicmom.com.

Links for this Episode:

• Fr. Andrew Gawrych, C.S.C.:
  • The Cross, Our Only Hope: Daily Reflections in the Holy Cross Tradition
  • The Gift of Hope: Advent and Christmas Reflections in the Holy Cross Tradition
  • The Gift of the Cross: Lenten Reflections in the Holy Cross Tradition
• Current CatholicMom.com Contests – Rosary Workout Book Contest, CatholicMatch.com Membership Contest
• CatholicMom.com Book Club
• The Catholic Company
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Everyone loves surprises. But only Chesterton realizes Who first thought about surprising us. What will you do to surprise your family today? Enjoy this week’s Chesterton Moment with Nancy Brown for the American Chesterton Society.

What’s that? The Leaky Deke? What the heck is that about? Today, Deacon Tom combines Confession, a visit by the Bishop and the Holy Spirit to help solve one of Tom’s problems.

This week, Sarah Reinhard shares a reflection on making grape jelly and the Blessed Mother’s upcoming birthday.

Share your feedback at 206-339-9272, comment here on the blog or email lisa@catholicmom.com.

Links for this Episode:

• Sr. Prudence Allen, R.S.M.:
  • The Foundations of Religious Life: Revisiting the Vision
  • Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious
  • Sacrifice of Enduring Love Eucharistic Congress
• Current CatholicMom.com Contests – Making Music Praying Twice Homeschool Edition
• SQPN Connect
• CatholicMom.com Book Club
• The Catholic Company
• Lisa’s Facebook Profile, SQPN Connect Page, Plurk, Twitter
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To enter, you must leave a comment on this post with a valid email address (which won’t be published or shared) before Midnight PST on August 29, 2009.  I’ll draw random winners and announce the winners when the contest has ended.

Here’s a brief description of A Taste of Heaven:

A Taste of Heaven, devout Catholic and journalist Madeline Scherb beautifully captures the heart and spirit of the holy work that goes into making some mouthwatering delicacies.  In this one-of-a-kind homage to the heavenly foods of America, Belgium, France, and Germany, Scherb details the history (Charlemagne was first given bloomy rind cheese by a monk); the process (the nuns at the Abbey of Saint Hildegard do everything by hand to make their lovely Riesling); and the itineraries for touring those abbeys open to the public (a dozen of which are in the United States).

Including over 30 recipes from notable chefs that incorporate these foods, A Taste of Heaven also provides information for anyone unable to travel to the monasteries themselves on buying or ordering these delectable ingredients.

Recipes include such delights as:

• Flamiche (a Belgian version of quiche that uses Postel cheese from the Postel Abbey in Belgium)
• Boneless Pork Loin Roast with New Skete Farms Smoked Bacon (uses bacon from New Skete Monastery in New York)
• Brownies a la Mode with Trappistine Caramel Sauce (uses caramel from Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey, Iowa)
• Blackberry Cabernet Sorbet (made with Pinot Noir from St. Hildegard Abbey near Rudesheim, Germany).

The 36 year-old Tarcher Books publishes books in the body-spirit-mind category. Some of its bestsellers include Julia Cameron’s The Artists Way; Piero Ferrucci’s The Power of Kindness; Levi H. Dowling’s The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus Christ; and Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich.

To enter, you must leave a comment on this post with a valid email address (which won’t be published or shared) before Midnight PST on August 29, 2009.  I’ll draw random winners and announce the winners when the contest has ended.

Update: Our lucky winners are Kelly (#3) and Sharon (#41). Your prize will be sent soon.  Take a look at our other CatholicMom.com contests for more great chances to win!

I am so very excited to be involved in a wonderful project as we kick off the Year for Priests. I will be serving as a judge in The Catholic Company’s Incredible Priests Incredible Stories Video Contest. Simply create a short video (up to three minutes) sharing why specific your priest demonstrates exemplary priesthood. Many prizes will be given, including $500 Shopping Spree to The Catholic Company for the winner PLUS an 8-Day Tour of Rome for the winning priest! Find all of the rules and entry information at IncrediblePriests.com and get busy with those video cameras!!

Video Link

So often, in my own life, I question my calling – am I responding to God in a way that is good and pleasing to Him and helpful to others?  Sometimes, I think it is very amusing that a person my age could still be asking herself, “What does God want me to be when I grow up?”  This video is a helpful guide to examining our response to His Callings. I also think this film would be great to share with our children, in our families and religious education classrooms.

Here is a bit of “official information” about the video:

A collaboration of the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City ~ St. Joseph and award-winning documentary filmmaker John Altman, the documentary explores the inspirations and motivations guiding each subject.

“All around us in our daily lives, we come into contact with people who seem to be, somehow, more grounded than others,” said Diocesan Vicar General Msgr. Robert Murphy, executive producer of the film. “Many of them view their careers not as a series of decisions they have made, but a response to an invitation and an acceptance of a calling,” Father Murphy said.

Among its subjects, Callings explores how faith moved Major League Baseball’s Mike Sweeney, civic leader Alvin Brooks, and marine biologist George Keiffer.

Sarah Reinhard joins us for another wonderful Mary Moment.  Be sure to visit the Mary Moments Carnival being hosted at Sarah’s great blog this week.

Don’t forget to register for SQPN’s upcoming Catholic New Media Celebration.  Deacon Tom and I will be there and would love to meet you!  Share your feedback at 206-339-9272, comment here on the blog or email lisa@catholicmom.com.

Links for this Episode:

• Deacon Tom Fox
• Deacon Chuck Stevens
• Books on the Permanent Diaconate:
  • Ministry and the Family of the Permanent Deacon by Dottie Mraz
  • 101 Questions and Answers On Deacons
• Marialis Cultus
• Minnesota Catholic Home Education Conference
• The Catholic Hack podcast
• Catholic Spotlight Podcast Voting and Review Page
• Catholic New Media Celebration
• SQPN Star Teams
• CatholicMom.com Book Club
• The Catholic Company
• Lisa’s Facebook Profile, Plurk, Twitter
• Catholic Mom Logo Store

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I wanted to share the following video which was shared by my friend Sister Anne Flanagan.  She says of Sister Julia, the video host:

Sr Julia talks about her current “stack” of spiritual reading books. Sr Julia Darrenkamp, fsp, is manager of Pauline Books & Media in suburban New Orleans. Originally from Lancaster, PA, she is a soprano soloist with the Daughters of St. Paul recording choir. (Her father, John, sang with the New York Metropolitan Opera for 20 years!)

Since their founding, the Sisters of Life have been dedicated to providing practical assistance and spiritual and emotional support to pregnant women in crisis. Many of these women have had abortions in the past and want to give their unborn child life but are unsure of how to cope and move forward. The sisters state that “we strive to bring His peace, the gift of hope and a ‘beginning joy’ to each of these women God sends our way, even amidst what the women themselves readily admit are ‘non-ideal circumstances.’ We have witnessed the truth that ‘life is always a good’ as we have watched it slowly but surely blossom forth in so many of these courageous women with a heart faithful to the call to love.”

At the Holy Respite, located in the heart of Manhattan, New York, pregnant women “most vulnerable to the pressure of abortion,” whether Catholic or not, are invited to come and stay. A woman is welcome not only through the birth of her child, but up to six months after so that she may get back on her feet and begin to create a life for herself and her child.

The Sisters also help those who are suffering from the pain of abortion. The “Entering Canaan” program takes its name from the Exodus experience of the Jewish people crossing the desert to reach the Promised Land. This program takes women “on a Sacramental journey into the true Promised Land of the Heart of Jesus.” Each retreat is directed by women who experienced both the pain of abortion and the healing found in Christ. Retreats are also offered for men who are experiencing pain as a result of an abortion.

Education is yet another mission of the Sisters of Life. Thanks to the generosity of the Knights of Columbus, Villa Maria Guadalupe in Stamford, Connecticut became a reality. “The retreat house hosts Evenings of Recollection, educational seminars on life issues and retreats for everyone (themes include Theology of the Body, Young Adult Retreats, Post-Abortion Healing, and retreats on the Dignity and Vocation of Women). “ It is “a spiritual home for the pro-life community.” The Sisters also staff the Family Life Office of the Archdiocese of New York, supporting marriages and families.

A more recent addition to the Sisters’ outreach has been the creation of an organized group of laity known as Co-workers. These volunteers work out of local or parish communities to provide help to women in need. Some open their homes to pregnant women; others work to help women find resources in their local communities. Men involved as co-workers help move furniture or build cribs or mentor fathers.  Health professionals, college contacts, business professionals, counselors, and lawyers are all offering their talents to this effort.

For more information on any of the programs offered by the Sisters of Life, please visit their website at www.sistersoflife.org.

Copyright 2009 Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur