Heroic Moments

Authority, Humility, & Love

While explaining today's Gospel, our own Fr. Nelson said something along the lines of, "Authority cannot be realized without true humility and love." He was speaking of Peter's role as Pope. However, as I read the Fatherhood Blog this morning I realized how very much this sentence applies to Godly men in their vocations as husbands and fathers.

My husband is a true Renaissance Man. He does all the things he's "supposed" to do as the Head of our family. Plus, because I have been either physically or emotionally unhealthy for much of our marriage, he has had to learn the "jobs" of the Heart of the family. And his growth in the Lord has been phenomenal.

I knew the role of a Christian wife when I married; Bill's authority over our family was set. But as I've seen his struggles and successes in the very dailiness of our lives his authority over my heart has grown. I would follow this man anywhere without question. By God's grace I will follow him to Heaven.

When I see my Beloved Bill serving our family with increasing humility and greater love I am inspired to become what I am: a good wife and mother; Beloved of God and beloved of my husband.

"...Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant....Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Matt 20:26, 28) The ultimate in Authority tempered with Humility and Love. I pray I can follow His example as well as my husband does.

The Successful Writer

While young, I often dreamed of being a writer. No, not just a writer; an Author. Stories and poems came as easily as breath. I couldn't imagine a life without words. And I couldn't imagine in those tender years the possibility of failure.

Later I learned writing is a talent to be nurtured, a skill to be honed. And I found I hadn't the self-discipline for the work involved. I've had friends read a letter or a blog entry and ask if I've written professionally. I rarely reply to these queries - I'm too ashamed. Because, of course, other than school newspapers, my "work" has never been published. And that's the only reason one would write, right? To be a success?

Upon further reflection I realized the shame wasn't there because I was a "failure", but because I had abandoned my dream. Recent events have conspired to force me to reconsider that abandonment. My grandma's struggle with dementia; my father's misplaced raging; my own full family life. I've worried that the anti-depressant I must take has robbed me of my creativity: I feel a need to dispel that notion. A growing idea that I should be doing something for myself even as I care for others has been nagging at me.

Today I watched a re-airing of Raymond Arroyo's interview with Ron Hansen. I am not familiar with Mr. Hansen's work, though I soon will be. Budding writers asked him for advice. He said keep writing. Read all you can and write. Anything. Letters, poems... just, write. WRITE. The only way to be a success is to do it.

So. My prayer is that you are seeing the beginning (again) work of a successful writer. Thanks for sticking with me.

Cooking some frogs

It's an analogy I've heard in many capacities. If you put a frog in a pan of boiling water, he'll jump right out. If you set the frog in a pan of water and turn the heat up gradually he'll cook because he doesn't sense the danger. (Has the ASPCA heard of the people who found this out?)

Lately I've been watching more tv than is healthy. We're inundated with adult shows dealing with many controversial issues. Two especially noticeable have been homosexuality and euthanasia. But I find it quite interesting HOW these issues are presented.

Firstly, Lesbianism seems almost ignored on television now. I think perhaps the opinion is lesbianism will be more socially "acceptable" because it is less "invasive" than male homosexuality. Secondly, gay men are nearly always portrayed as fun and funny; the life of the party: or they are portrayed as stable, serious men in a comitted, monogamous relationship who would be "perfect" parents. No attempt is made to show an accurate account of the homosexual lifestyle; the rampant promiscuity, the accompanying psychological problems, the increasing physical risks....

Euthanasia is presented almost exclusively as a loving choice done at the request of the ill or injured victim. I love you so much I don't want you to live with me like this and you love me so much you'll kill me if I ask you to (?!) In the shows it's done by a loving family member or friend. No mention is made of the emotional scars on the remaning family who weren't involved in the "choice". Nothing is said about the probability that eventually it will be doctors & insurance companies deciding who will die rather than family. Not once is the word "murder" used.

In both of these cases the television audiences are expected to become inured to SIN. For the most part, our public school system is not teaching people to think for themselves. A society getting its ideas from increasingly liberal programming will eventually accept without question that agenda. In other words, our culture is cooking some frogs. By the time our children are lawmakers the hope of those extremists is that they'll have been in hot water so long they won't recognize it and will vote accordingly so that anything goes. Except , of course, religion. We will not be able to tolerate such intolerance.

"Do Your Best..."

"...'Cause it's the best you can do." A recurring theme I've heard in various forms in kids' shows the past few years. Is it really applicable? I've been debating this interiorly for some time. In our Christian lives are we called to do our best in everything?

So I talked it over with my Beloved. We agreed God is a God of details and yes, He does expect us to do our best. Everyday. All the little things. The best dusting I can do. The very best hug for this child. The best smile I can muster. It sounds exhausting.

You know, God, sometimes this Chiristianity stuff is just too hard.
You ask too much of me.

Whereupon I imagine Him shaking a crucifix in my face and saying, "Too much? Too much? I haven't asked THIS of you yet!"

That "yet" scares me a bit.

Family Life in Cartoons

Actually there aren't many families depicted in the cartoons we allow our children to watch.

Teletubbies: cute, boucy music, inspires our youngest son to dance. Not a family.

The Wiggles: four grown men who harmonize beautifully singing inane self-written or folk songs, aerobic dancing, and cheesy costumed characters. VERY big with the younger set, but again, not a family.

Stanley: Animal-loving hero with a great big Book of Everything. This one is family based; cartoonist, work-from-home dad and dentist mom who apparently share the household duties and an older brother into music who grudgingly spends time with little brother. Shows a detached sort of parenting that's a bit disturbing. These parents never notice the large bear in Stanley's bed or the horse he's chasing down the street. Shouldn't a parent notice that sort of thing?

Roly Poly Olie: sweet family show. A brother and sister who play together and enjoy spending time with each other. A grandfather and uncle very much involved in their lives. The parents seem to be in love with each other; they say and do the kinds of corny things Bill and I do. They love, play with, and care for the children.

Actually, I'd have to say the Polys are the cartoon family I identify most with us. Of course, they're robots. Hmmmmm......

Thank You

I'd like to thank everyone at St. Blog's for the kind welcome, warm comments, and links. I look forward to being an active member of the "parish".

Insults

In 30-some years on Earth, I've heard many, MANY insults. We're trying to teach our children to be polite and respectful to everyone they meet. I thought you all might like to hear the highest insult our older children use against each other.

"You are NOT what you are."

Delivered in a sing-songy voice, followed by one child running & the other wailing "Mommy!" I'm not sure where the phrase came from or how it came to cause so much pain. However, when you consider our Holy Father has commanded

"Family, become what you are."

that little phrase my children throw at each other may just be the chief insult.

Ordinary time in the secular world

Out of diapers. Again. Off to Wal-Mart. On a Sunday. Yuck. Armed with a short list that will take me the length of the store (why do they do that?) I decide to swing by the toy aisles to see if I can find the stuffed bugs and/or armadillo Dear Daughter has requested for her birthday. Across from the stuffed animal aisle next to all the garden implements is a row of Christmas decorations. In September.

Apparently, the Christmas season runs from right after Labor Day to December 26 for secular retailers. Sometimes I wish there could be holy Catholic communities with Mom & Pop stores following the liturgical calendar and selling things that make it easy for the rest of the community to follow the liturgical calendar as well. I guess if there were such a Catholic community we wouldn't be truly "in the world" as in "be in the world, not of it."

Memorization

I'm very grateful for my Protestant past simply for the Biblical foundation it gave to me. I memorized many different verses that are recalled at appropriate times. Although chapter and verse, and sometimes book, like the "beautiful feet" of this morning, are lost to me now, the meat of the verse is there for me.

My boss at the Catholic bookstore where I work part-time, a fellow convert, once said to me, "Protestants memorize Scripture; Catholics memorize prayers." She's right - the memorization is about the same, but the material is different.

My husband and I have five children. One is in Heaven praying for us as we raise and homeschool the other four. I hope to include in their memorization Scripture verses that will readily come to their minds at will and, more importantly, in need.

Beautiful feet

I have often wanted to pray for the Body of Christ after Communion, but I am easily distractible. I tend to critique their behavior, their fashion choices, their parenting skills, etc., and if I leave my eyes closed I tend to focus my prayers on my own needs or am distracted by my own thoughts.

At today's Mass, however, I sat in the front row. While kneeling in prayer I opened my eyes and realized I could see the feet of those who had received the Body and were returning to their seats. Immediately there came to mind a verse I memorized as a child:

How beautiful are the feet of those who bear good news.

I realized that all those feet walking past me bore "Good News" because all those folks had just received the Body of Christ, so I was able to focus on the feet and pray for my fellow parishioners. Whenever I got sidetracked by sparkly nail polish or questionable footwear, the verse circulated again: "How beautiful are the feet..." to keep me on track.

It was very refreshing to pray for all at Mass with me.