I was tagged almost a week ago, by Jenna at Caring Catholic Convert to list my favorite 3 prayers and then to tag 5 other people to do the same.
Here they are:
PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
Holy Spirit, inspire in me
what I should think,
what I should say,
what I should leave unsaid,
what I should write,
what I should do,
and how I should act
to bring about the good of souls,
the fulfillment of my mission
and the triumph of the Kingdom of Christ.
Amen.
This provides me with a daily reminder that I can't go it alone, left to my own devices I easily say, do, think or write the wrong thing.
The Litany of Humility
Jesus, meek and humble of heart, hear me!
From the desire of being esteemed, Lord Jesus, free me!
From the desire of being loved, ...
From the desire of being acclaimed,...
From the desire of being honoured,...
From the desire of being praised,...
From the desire of being preferred...
From the desire of being consulted...
From the desire of being approved...
From the desire of being valued,...
From the fear of being humbled, Lord Jesus, free me!
From the fear of being despised...
From the fear of being dismissed...
From the fear of being rejected...
From the fear of being defamed...
From the fear of being forgotten...
From the fear of being ridiculed...
From the fear of being wronged...
From the fear of being suspected...
From resenting that my opinion is not followed...
That others will be more loved than I, Lord Jesus, make this my prayer!
That others will be esteemed more than I...
That others will increase in the opinion of the world while I diminish...
That others will be chosen while I am set aside...
That others will be praised while I am overlooked...
That others will be preferred to me in everything...
Lord Jesus, though you were God, you humbled yourself to the extreme of dying on a cross, to set an enduring example to the shame of my arrogance and vanity. Help me to learn your example and put into practice so that, by humbling myself in accordance with my lowliness here on earth, you can lift me up to rejoice in you forever in heaven. Amen.
-Cardinal Merry del Val, Secretary of State under Pope St. Pius X (!865-1930)
This one is a difficult one to say and to live, but in my struggle to attain true humility, saying this prayer itself has been humbling as many times I have recited it in tears.
Pardon Prayer
My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love you.
I beg your pardon for those who do not believe,
do not adore, do not hope, and do not love you. Amen.
This is a new favourite, and actually reminds me of the importance of Our Blessed Mother's role since this prayer was taught to the Sheppard children of Fatima, to whom the Blessed Mother appeared to.
Now for the hard part...who to tag:
Dorothy at Gutsy Catholic Mom
Janelle at http://wwwjanellecc.blogspot.com/
Kate at Momopoly
Stay at Home Mom at Work
Mary Saylor at http://marysayler.blogspot.com/
The rules are as follows:
Name your three most favourite Catholic devotional prayers, and explain why they're your favorites. Then tag five bloggers - give them a link, and then go and tell them they have been tagged. Finally, tell the person who tagged you that you've completed the meme. The Liturgy and the Sacraments are off limits here. I'm more interested in people's favourite devotional prayers.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Twilight Untwisted: Breaking Dawn
Deforming Our Conscience
This was by far the most difficult book of the series for me to read. It took me less time to complete it because I couldn’t wait to be done with this series so I picked it up as often as I could. I prayed before and after I read it, because I was considering not completing this read. I know some may ask, “Why did you read it?”
As I mentioned in my first post on this series, Twilight Untwisted: A Catholic Mom’s Perspective I felt compelled to review this series and it has taken much discernment and prayer to make it through.
Read More...
This was by far the most difficult book of the series for me to read. It took me less time to complete it because I couldn’t wait to be done with this series so I picked it up as often as I could. I prayed before and after I read it, because I was considering not completing this read. I know some may ask, “Why did you read it?”
As I mentioned in my first post on this series, Twilight Untwisted: A Catholic Mom’s Perspective I felt compelled to review this series and it has taken much discernment and prayer to make it through.
Read More...
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Are we all just a bunch of hypocrites?
As per http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Hypocricy
Hypocrisy is the act of pretending or claiming to have beliefs, feelings, morals or virtues that one does not truly possess or practice.
Hypocrisy is a deliberate pretence used to convey sentiments or ideas that are false (acting as if one likes something or someone or agrees with a belief or political position when in fact they do not).
What may not be hypocrisy?
Some people sincerely regret that they cannot overcome temptation over some harmful behaviour. An example is someone who says something like, “Please never start smoking. I wish I could stop." Also, some people genuinely fail to recognize that they have character faults which they condemn in others. This is called Psychological projection. This is Self-deception rather than deliberate deception of other people. People understand vices which they are struggling to overcome or have overcome in the past. Efforts to get other people to overcome such vices may be sincere.
"Do as I say and not as I do" is not a false representation of one's own true feelings or beliefs (including moral beliefs). It is the belief that one is above or otherwise not subject to the same rules they apply to others. An adult proscribing alcohol or tobacco use, or driving or sexual behaviour to a minor is an example.
A personal example is how we can minister to engaged couples on the value of chastity and openness to life regardless of the choices we made in our past that may have been contrary to this. To emphasize that now that we see how this can strengthen marriage we want to help others make better choices than we did.
I recall a conversation with someone who was a life-long smoker, dealing with severe lung disease, when questioned if he would have quit the habit sooner he response, was I never would have started.
I’ve often thought, it truly takes a certain amount of wisdom to learn these types of lessons through the mistakes of others instead of having to learn the hard way by experiencing the hardships first hand.
So does this make us all hypocrites? Surely we have all made decisions in our past that time, wisdom and maturity have shown us that in reality the consequences far outweighed any benefit we thought we’d receive.
As we find in Matthew 7:5 “Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of your own eye; and then shall you see clearly to cast the mote out of your brother's eye.” The passage means that it would be ridiculous to help someone remove a splinter or a piece of sawdust from their own eye, if you yourself had an entire log in yours and hadn't first tried to remove it (i.e. attempt to resolve your own flaw).
We may not all be hypocrites, but we certainly are all sinners!
What is the difference? Well, there isn’t really a contrast here, since hypocrisy would also be a sin.
I’ll attempt to illustrate an example...
Two Catholic women, who both know their faith and try their best to live it, are very much aware that it is a mortal sin to miss Sunday Mass. However, while one of them attends every Sunday, the other struggles to make this commitment and occasionally gives in to the temptation to sleep in rather than make the effort to attend one of the many Eucharistic celebrations on Sunday.
Does this make her a hypocrite? No. Has she given in to sin? Yes. The question would then rely on what she does in this state of sin, is she quick to go to confession and does she attempt to discover what the route of the problem is that keeps her away from committing to mass? (That is a whole other post: There is a great book on this topic by Mathew Pinto: Do I Have to Go? )
What does it mean then to be a hypocrite? Well in the above example we already established that the women who occasionally gives in to the temptation to forgo attending weekly mass is a sinner, she could not easily become a hypocrite, by not attempting to overcome this sin. If she remains in the state of sin, and then continues to participate fully in the Eucharistic celebration, or she attempts to pass on to her children the importance of attending mass, while she herself doesn’t regularly attend.
An example of hypocrisy is when one claims to be a Catholic, but holds beliefs that are very much contrary to the Catholic faith.
An example I saw on a bumper sticker while on vacation last week that read:
“You cannot be Catholic and be pro-choice”
Sometimes I think, when I hear the accusation that the Church is full of hypocrites, I wonder if they just mean full of sinners, which in that case they would be correct. We only have to look at the Gospels to see and understand that Christ came for sinners, what better place for us to be then where he is?
Other times, I think what they mean to say is that perhaps they believe we are being pharisaic. Do they feel that we are expecting them to live up to a standard we ourselves are not living up to? If we are all trying, all struggling and in this process we are accepting, loving and taking advantage of all the sacraments, including reconciliation, then NO, we are not being pharisaic, we are expecting that all of us are trying to live a life of virtue and when we fail, we will turn to Christ for forgiveness and a fresh slate.
I’d like to say it as we find in Timothy 1:15:
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.
Hypocrisy is the act of pretending or claiming to have beliefs, feelings, morals or virtues that one does not truly possess or practice.
Hypocrisy is a deliberate pretence used to convey sentiments or ideas that are false (acting as if one likes something or someone or agrees with a belief or political position when in fact they do not).
What may not be hypocrisy?
Some people sincerely regret that they cannot overcome temptation over some harmful behaviour. An example is someone who says something like, “Please never start smoking. I wish I could stop." Also, some people genuinely fail to recognize that they have character faults which they condemn in others. This is called Psychological projection. This is Self-deception rather than deliberate deception of other people. People understand vices which they are struggling to overcome or have overcome in the past. Efforts to get other people to overcome such vices may be sincere.
"Do as I say and not as I do" is not a false representation of one's own true feelings or beliefs (including moral beliefs). It is the belief that one is above or otherwise not subject to the same rules they apply to others. An adult proscribing alcohol or tobacco use, or driving or sexual behaviour to a minor is an example.
A personal example is how we can minister to engaged couples on the value of chastity and openness to life regardless of the choices we made in our past that may have been contrary to this. To emphasize that now that we see how this can strengthen marriage we want to help others make better choices than we did.
I recall a conversation with someone who was a life-long smoker, dealing with severe lung disease, when questioned if he would have quit the habit sooner he response, was I never would have started.
I’ve often thought, it truly takes a certain amount of wisdom to learn these types of lessons through the mistakes of others instead of having to learn the hard way by experiencing the hardships first hand.
So does this make us all hypocrites? Surely we have all made decisions in our past that time, wisdom and maturity have shown us that in reality the consequences far outweighed any benefit we thought we’d receive.
As we find in Matthew 7:5 “Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of your own eye; and then shall you see clearly to cast the mote out of your brother's eye.” The passage means that it would be ridiculous to help someone remove a splinter or a piece of sawdust from their own eye, if you yourself had an entire log in yours and hadn't first tried to remove it (i.e. attempt to resolve your own flaw).
We may not all be hypocrites, but we certainly are all sinners!
What is the difference? Well, there isn’t really a contrast here, since hypocrisy would also be a sin.
I’ll attempt to illustrate an example...
Two Catholic women, who both know their faith and try their best to live it, are very much aware that it is a mortal sin to miss Sunday Mass. However, while one of them attends every Sunday, the other struggles to make this commitment and occasionally gives in to the temptation to sleep in rather than make the effort to attend one of the many Eucharistic celebrations on Sunday.
Does this make her a hypocrite? No. Has she given in to sin? Yes. The question would then rely on what she does in this state of sin, is she quick to go to confession and does she attempt to discover what the route of the problem is that keeps her away from committing to mass? (That is a whole other post: There is a great book on this topic by Mathew Pinto: Do I Have to Go? )
What does it mean then to be a hypocrite? Well in the above example we already established that the women who occasionally gives in to the temptation to forgo attending weekly mass is a sinner, she could not easily become a hypocrite, by not attempting to overcome this sin. If she remains in the state of sin, and then continues to participate fully in the Eucharistic celebration, or she attempts to pass on to her children the importance of attending mass, while she herself doesn’t regularly attend.
An example of hypocrisy is when one claims to be a Catholic, but holds beliefs that are very much contrary to the Catholic faith.
An example I saw on a bumper sticker while on vacation last week that read:
“You cannot be Catholic and be pro-choice”
Sometimes I think, when I hear the accusation that the Church is full of hypocrites, I wonder if they just mean full of sinners, which in that case they would be correct. We only have to look at the Gospels to see and understand that Christ came for sinners, what better place for us to be then where he is?
Other times, I think what they mean to say is that perhaps they believe we are being pharisaic. Do they feel that we are expecting them to live up to a standard we ourselves are not living up to? If we are all trying, all struggling and in this process we are accepting, loving and taking advantage of all the sacraments, including reconciliation, then NO, we are not being pharisaic, we are expecting that all of us are trying to live a life of virtue and when we fail, we will turn to Christ for forgiveness and a fresh slate.
I’d like to say it as we find in Timothy 1:15:
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.
Twilight Untwisted: Eclipse
Relativism at Its Best
There is a running theme in the 3rd book of the Twilight Series, Eclipse that shows the main character Bella torn between to loves. At first glance one may think that Bella’s predicament is that she must choose between to ‘goods’. Two good-looking, strong caring young men are willing to ‘fight’ to win her heart. Lest we forget that Bella’s choice is actually between two evils – wolf or vampire? [...]
Read More...
There is a running theme in the 3rd book of the Twilight Series, Eclipse that shows the main character Bella torn between to loves. At first glance one may think that Bella’s predicament is that she must choose between to ‘goods’. Two good-looking, strong caring young men are willing to ‘fight’ to win her heart. Lest we forget that Bella’s choice is actually between two evils – wolf or vampire? [...]
Read More...
Friday, July 9, 2010
What is Truth?
Twilight Untwisted: Book 2: New Moon
Excerpts from post found at: http://livingwater2009.wordpress.com/2010/07/09/what-is-truth/
...Bella seems to lack this natural inclination to preserve and perpetuate life. She is the personification of the culture of death in the way that she devalues her own life and disregards the importance of saving her soul.
...When they are reunited, Edward makes an observation that not only sums up Bella’s character but our modern society as well, “Why can you believe the lie, but not the truth?”
Read the complete post
Excerpts from post found at: http://livingwater2009.wordpress.com/2010/07/09/what-is-truth/
...Bella seems to lack this natural inclination to preserve and perpetuate life. She is the personification of the culture of death in the way that she devalues her own life and disregards the importance of saving her soul.
...When they are reunited, Edward makes an observation that not only sums up Bella’s character but our modern society as well, “Why can you believe the lie, but not the truth?”
Read the complete post
Catholic Writers Conference
Catholic Writers! The Catholic Writers Conference Live is Aug 4-6 at King of Prussia, PA. Info/Register http://catholicwritersconference.com/
Video link: http://animoto.com/play/QsIiivcmRlI7XsXnDDTDvQ
Most Current Press Release
M E D I A R E L E A S E
CONTACT: Ann Margaret Lewis
e-mail: annlewis(at)joesystems.com
Karina Fabian
E-mail: karina(at)fabianspace.com
For Immediate Release
Catholic Writers to Hold Conference in Valley Forge, PA
World Wide Web--The second annual Catholic Writers’ Conference LIVE will be held August 4-6, 2010, at the Scanticon Hotel Valley Forge in King of Prussia, PA. Sponsored by the Catholic Writer’s Guild and the Catholic Marketing Network (CMN), and held in conjunction with CMN’s annual retailer trade show, the Catholic Writers Conference LIVE provides Catholic authors with a prime opportunity to meet and share their faith with editors, publishers, fellow writers, and bookstore owners from across the globe.
This year's conference will feature presentations on such topics as market tips and time management for busy writers, poetry, creating evil characters, working with an editor, creating winning proposals, journaling and much more. Speakers include Catholic publishing representatives Claudia Volkman - General Manager of Circle Press, Regina Doman - acquisitions editor for Sophia Institute Press, and Tom Wehner - Managing Editor of the National Catholic Register, all of whom will also hear pitches from writers.
Among the other speakers are Mark Shea (Mother of the Son), Michelle Buckman (My Beautiful Disaster), Donna-Marie Cooper-O’Boyle (Mother Teresa and Me), Susie Lloyd (Please Don’t Drink the Holy Water), and Publicist Lisa Wheeler from the Maximus Group.
“Attending this conference has been the best thing I have done for myself professionally,” Carol Bannon, author of the children’s book Handshake from Heaven, said of the 2009 conference. Her fellow writer Melanie Cameron agreed, saying she left the last conference re-energized. “I recommend [this] conference as a resource for any author (or wannabe) at any stage. You will walk away empowered!”
The Catholic Writers Guild, a religious non-profit organization, sponsors both this live conference in August and an online conference in February to further its mission of promoting Catholic literature. “Our conferences are totally focused on encouraging faithful Catholics to share genuine Catholic culture and faith in their writing no matter what genre,” says CWG President Ann Margaret Lewis. “These events are integral to our mission of ‘creating a rebirth of Catholic arts and letters.”
Registration costs $85 for CWG members, $95 for non-members and $42 for students. There's also a discounted combined membership. To register or for more information, go to http://www.catholicwritersconference.com
Video link: http://animoto.com/play/QsIiivcmRlI7XsXnDDTDvQ
Most Current Press Release
M E D I A R E L E A S E
CONTACT: Ann Margaret Lewis
e-mail: annlewis(at)joesystems.com
Karina Fabian
E-mail: karina(at)fabianspace.com
For Immediate Release
Catholic Writers to Hold Conference in Valley Forge, PA
World Wide Web--The second annual Catholic Writers’ Conference LIVE will be held August 4-6, 2010, at the Scanticon Hotel Valley Forge in King of Prussia, PA. Sponsored by the Catholic Writer’s Guild and the Catholic Marketing Network (CMN), and held in conjunction with CMN’s annual retailer trade show, the Catholic Writers Conference LIVE provides Catholic authors with a prime opportunity to meet and share their faith with editors, publishers, fellow writers, and bookstore owners from across the globe.
This year's conference will feature presentations on such topics as market tips and time management for busy writers, poetry, creating evil characters, working with an editor, creating winning proposals, journaling and much more. Speakers include Catholic publishing representatives Claudia Volkman - General Manager of Circle Press, Regina Doman - acquisitions editor for Sophia Institute Press, and Tom Wehner - Managing Editor of the National Catholic Register, all of whom will also hear pitches from writers.
Among the other speakers are Mark Shea (Mother of the Son), Michelle Buckman (My Beautiful Disaster), Donna-Marie Cooper-O’Boyle (Mother Teresa and Me), Susie Lloyd (Please Don’t Drink the Holy Water), and Publicist Lisa Wheeler from the Maximus Group.
“Attending this conference has been the best thing I have done for myself professionally,” Carol Bannon, author of the children’s book Handshake from Heaven, said of the 2009 conference. Her fellow writer Melanie Cameron agreed, saying she left the last conference re-energized. “I recommend [this] conference as a resource for any author (or wannabe) at any stage. You will walk away empowered!”
The Catholic Writers Guild, a religious non-profit organization, sponsors both this live conference in August and an online conference in February to further its mission of promoting Catholic literature. “Our conferences are totally focused on encouraging faithful Catholics to share genuine Catholic culture and faith in their writing no matter what genre,” says CWG President Ann Margaret Lewis. “These events are integral to our mission of ‘creating a rebirth of Catholic arts and letters.”
Registration costs $85 for CWG members, $95 for non-members and $42 for students. There's also a discounted combined membership. To register or for more information, go to http://www.catholicwritersconference.com
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Over 300 Murders Occurred today...Would the people responsible please stand up?
Today I write to appeal to your conscience!
There are 2 ladies who have been called to fight the good fight in a way that some of us may find radical.
Linda Gibbons and Mary Wagner are currently imprisoned at the Vanier Center for Women in Milton, Ontario, Canada, simply because they seek to remind all of us that abortions hurt women and kills babies.
According to an article posted at LifeSiteNews, Mary Wagner was arrested in March 2010 for speaking with women, workers and even the owner of an abortuary. What is her crime? It appears that in her effort to show compassion to those who are facing a very desperate and difficult decision, she has broken some law or infringed on someone’s right.
Linda Gibbons is a pro-life Grandmother who has already suffered more than 7 years in prison for her peaceful pro-life witness. All she does is walk outside a Toronto abortion clinic with a sign that reads “Why Mom when I have so much love to give” She speaks to the women who willingly chose to speak with her, she does not infringe on anyone, but she is giving the unborn babies a voice.
How many more individuals will be jailed for this before we as a society, as a country recognize that we are all responsible for the 300+ murders that happen every day in the abortion clinics?
When a women feels that she has no other option but to turn her womb, which is the starting point for the miracle of life, into a slaughter house, who is to blame?
We can all point fingers outward in different directions, but we all must realize as it was once said, all that is needed for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.
Haven’t we done ‘nothing’ long enough?
When a woman makes this desperate decision it’s because we as a society have failed her. She is scared of the unknown, and fears judgement from her peers. She doesn’t feel supported, and doesn’t know where to turn.
These two women, Mary Wagner and Linda Gibbons have shown great courage and great compassion in reaching out to those women who feel desperate and alone; attempting to show them that there is another option. While many of us may not feel called to lay down our lives for this cause as Linda and Mary have, we can and should support their fight.
Join in prayer and then write to the Premier, Attorney General and the Ministry of Health. Let them know how you feel, urge them to stop the injustice being done to these two women.
We are treating them the same way the townspeople treated Jesus when he cured the two demoniacs in the town of Gadarenes – Matthew 8:28 – 34. It makes us uncomfortable and brings us face to face with the consequences of our sinfulness, so we would rather be rid of the radical healer and supernatural lover of justice so we want to send them away from our district.
Let us not be like the townspeople in today’s Gospel, but instead be like St. Paul and join in the good fight, so that one day when we celebrate Canada Day and sing our national anthem we will be able to sincerely sing “the true north strong and free” For until we are a country that values life from conception to natural death, we will not be strong nor free.
God Bless!
There are 2 ladies who have been called to fight the good fight in a way that some of us may find radical.
Linda Gibbons and Mary Wagner are currently imprisoned at the Vanier Center for Women in Milton, Ontario, Canada, simply because they seek to remind all of us that abortions hurt women and kills babies.
According to an article posted at LifeSiteNews, Mary Wagner was arrested in March 2010 for speaking with women, workers and even the owner of an abortuary. What is her crime? It appears that in her effort to show compassion to those who are facing a very desperate and difficult decision, she has broken some law or infringed on someone’s right.
Linda Gibbons is a pro-life Grandmother who has already suffered more than 7 years in prison for her peaceful pro-life witness. All she does is walk outside a Toronto abortion clinic with a sign that reads “Why Mom when I have so much love to give” She speaks to the women who willingly chose to speak with her, she does not infringe on anyone, but she is giving the unborn babies a voice.
How many more individuals will be jailed for this before we as a society, as a country recognize that we are all responsible for the 300+ murders that happen every day in the abortion clinics?
When a women feels that she has no other option but to turn her womb, which is the starting point for the miracle of life, into a slaughter house, who is to blame?
We can all point fingers outward in different directions, but we all must realize as it was once said, all that is needed for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.
Haven’t we done ‘nothing’ long enough?
When a woman makes this desperate decision it’s because we as a society have failed her. She is scared of the unknown, and fears judgement from her peers. She doesn’t feel supported, and doesn’t know where to turn.
These two women, Mary Wagner and Linda Gibbons have shown great courage and great compassion in reaching out to those women who feel desperate and alone; attempting to show them that there is another option. While many of us may not feel called to lay down our lives for this cause as Linda and Mary have, we can and should support their fight.
Join in prayer and then write to the Premier, Attorney General and the Ministry of Health. Let them know how you feel, urge them to stop the injustice being done to these two women.
We are treating them the same way the townspeople treated Jesus when he cured the two demoniacs in the town of Gadarenes – Matthew 8:28 – 34. It makes us uncomfortable and brings us face to face with the consequences of our sinfulness, so we would rather be rid of the radical healer and supernatural lover of justice so we want to send them away from our district.
Let us not be like the townspeople in today’s Gospel, but instead be like St. Paul and join in the good fight, so that one day when we celebrate Canada Day and sing our national anthem we will be able to sincerely sing “the true north strong and free” For until we are a country that values life from conception to natural death, we will not be strong nor free.
God Bless!
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