Links in this episode:
The New Abortion Providers

Brazos Valley Christian Home Educators Association Statement of Faith

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Final Song: Michael James Mette: This is our Lamb

For one who was born and grew up in the small towns of the Midwest, there is a special kind of nostalgia about the Fourth of July.

I remember it as a day almost as long-anticipated as Christmas. This was helped along by the appearance in store windows of all kinds of fireworks and colorful posters advertising them with vivid pictures.

No later than the third of July – sometimes earlier – Dad would bring home what he felt he could afford to see go up in smoke and flame. We’d count and recount the number of firecrackers, display pieces and other things and go to bed determined to be up with the sun so as to offer the first, thunderous notice of the Fourth of July.

I’m afraid we didn’t give too much thought to the meaning of the day. And, yes, there were tragic accidents to mar it, resulting from careless handling of the fireworks. I’m sure we’re better off today with fireworks largely handled by professionals. Yet there was a thrill never to be forgotten in seeing a tin can blown 30 feet in the air by a giant “cracker” – giant meaning it was about 4 inches long. But enough of nostalgia.

Somewhere in our growing up we began to be aware of the meaning of days and with that awareness came the birth of patriotism. July Fourth is the birthday of our nation. I believed as a boy, and believe even more today, that it is the birthday of the greatest nation on earth.

There is a legend about the day of our nation’s birth in the little hall in Philadelphia, a day on which debate had raged for hours. The men gathered there were honorable men hard-pressed by a king who had flouted the very laws they were willing to obey. Even so, to sign the Declaration of Independence was such an irretrievable act that the walls resounded with the words “treason, the gallows, the headsman’s axe,” and the issue remained in doubt.

The legend says that at that point a man rose and spoke. He is described as not a young man, but one who had to summon all his energy for an impassioned plea. He cited the grievances that had brought them to this moment and finally, his voice falling, he said, “They may turn every tree into a gallows, every hole into a grave, and yet the words of that parchment can never die. To the mechanic in the workshop, they will speak hope; to the slave in the mines, freedom. Sign that parchment. Sign if the next moment the noose is around your neck, for that parchment will be the textbook of freedom, the Bible of the rights of man forever.”

He fell back exhausted. The 56 delegates, swept up by his eloquence, rushed forward and signed that document destined to be as immortal as a work of man can be. When they turned to thank him for his timely oratory, he was not to be found, nor could any be found who knew who he was or how he had come in or gone out through the locked and guarded doors.

Well, that is the legend. But we do know for certain that 56 men, a little band so unique we have never seen their like since, had pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. Some gave their lives in the war that followed, most gave their fortunes, and all preserved their sacred honor.

What manner of men were they? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists, 11 were merchants and tradesmen, and nine were farmers. They were soft-spoken men of means and education; they were not an unwashed rabble. They had achieved security but valued freedom more. Their stories have not been told nearly enough.

John Hart was driven from the side of his desperately ill wife. For more than a year he lived in the forest and in caves before he returned to find his wife dead, his children vanished, his property destroyed. He died of exhaustion and a broken heart.

Carter Braxton of Virginia lost all his ships, sold his home to pay his debts, and died in rags. And so it was with Ellery, Clymer, Hall, Walton, Gwinnett, Rutledge, Morris, Livingston and Middleton. Nelson personally urged Washington to fire on his home and destroy it when it became the headquarters for General Cornwallis. Nelson died bankrupt.

But they sired a nation that grew from sea to shining sea. Five million farms, quiet villages, cities that never sleep, 3 million square miles of forest, field, mountain and desert, 227 million people with a pedigree that includes the bloodlines of all the world. In recent years, however, I’ve come to think of that day as more than just the birthday of a nation.

It also commemorates the only true philosophical revolution in all history.

Oh, there have been revolutions before and since ours. But those revolutions simply exchanged one set of rules for another. Ours was a revolution that changed the very concept of government.

Let the Fourth of July always be a reminder that here in this land, for the first time, it was decided that man is born with certain God-given rights; that government is only a convenience created and managed by the people, with no powers of its own except those voluntarily granted to it by the people.

We sometimes forget that great truth, and we never should.

Happy Fourth of July. .

——-

Thank you President Reagan. Thank you for reminding us what has been lost in the leadership of these times. May God grant you eternal rest and peace. And please pray for us. Please pray for U. S.

Deacon Tom

Contact us [at] catholicfamilypodcast.com or call our comment line 206-339-8993

Picture by Brandi Tejeda Photography

Special Edition of Catholic Family: David interviews a friend from China about being Catholic in China. Email us [at] catholicfamilypodcast [dot] com or call the comment line at 206-339-8993
Graphic: Txina – China by ~aramaixo

In this episode: Nacho party, Luke sings the blues, Why your phone bill is so high, Adopting a 23 year old, Kathryn’s swim-team pic in the Navasota Examiner,  Austin’s dream, ordination, motto of the bible: Be Prepared,

Music in the episode:
Bach: Allemande in D – Linda Holzer

Final Song: Desmond Pringle: Heaven

Call our comment line at 206-339-8993 or email us [at] catholicfamilypodcast [dot] com

Do you remember a time not too long ago when some families were building bomb shelters and survival shelters? It was an action many felt called to do during the cold war days. We may have seen many of these people as sort of quirky or strange. They didn’t want to be a part of the uncaring world. There still are firms catering to this survivalist retreat mentality: hardened underground shelters, radiation protection, water purification systems, portable generators, preserved foods, etc. This topic probably has a low level of reader interest — unless you think about the assaults taking place on our traditional American values and our Catholic faith practices.

The battles and attacks I’m thinking about are those which challenge our understandings of marriage as a sacrament between one man and one woman… the battle to deprive us of control over our federal tax dollars such that we must pay to fund abortions and embryonic stem cell research…. the lack of protection and care about the conscience issues of Catholic and Christian health care workers, the more subtle battle against our morals that is happening even in our churches when couples live together without benefit of marriage because of economic or annulment issues. I’m saddened to say that the battleground includes priests (and deacons) afraid to speak out in defense of Church teachings — afraid to upset the flock — afraid to cause letters to ‘the bishop’ or the press.

What I postulate we need are Catholic Survival Shelters — places we can go to survive the tyranny of relativism and indifference. Where can we find these shelters? They are found in strong, vibrant Catholic families!

I don’t mean for this column to be a plug for our podcast found at www.catholicvitamins.com — but in a show we did some months back — we interviewed the Closs family, Bob and Dar. It turned out to be such a good interview (we have had more feedback on that podcast than any other show) that we divided it into two parts. If you are interested — it was Catholic Vitamin F for Family.

We started the show in the 1960‘s with the marriage of two young ‘kids’ from upper Michigan. Through the course of the interview, we followed them from California to New Mexico to Arizona as they raised a family including 13 (yes, thirteen) children. Wife Darleen said she was ‘pregnant or lactating for 25 years’! Everything the Closses discussed during the interview was about how to concentrate family efforts towards holiness, Catholicism and faith practice. Values and self-worth came about from this family approach. And the thing was — this wasn’t goody two-shoes type talk — this was real and down-to-earth. You could tell that while the Closs family did a lot to live the Gospels in the outside world – they focused inward — creating a sort of survival shelter mentality to help prepare their brood to leave and enter the world.

I’ve spent a little time reviewing the 1994 Letter To Families written by the late, great John Paul II. Here are a few of his thoughts:

-The family is the first and most important way to God through the Church.

-He referred to the family as a ‘living cell’ of mankind. This cell gives special meaning when 2 or more gather to say the words “Our Father….”

-John Paul said that the world needs the indispensable witness of families.

-It is interesting to see the continuing and beautiful teachings of dignity and the Theology of the Body as John Paul talked about the gift of self to others.

-The pope also spoke a repeating theme of responsible fatherhood and motherhood.

I know David and Allyson have invested their time and talents in home schooling and faithful practice of the faith as central components of their own Catholic Survival Shelter. My wife and I were gifted to spend some time with the Sweeney kids — even some time with two of their children away from mom and dad. Having had that experience, one can see evidence of a great hope for holiness and wholeness when the kids take flight from the nest.

I don’t think of myself as a rural survivalist. In fact, I tend to be mostly happy and hope-filled. I like Home Depot shopping and spending time in rural coffee shops. But these times — the laws and movements underway cause me to urge everyone to retreat to their Catholic Survival Shelters. Lock the doors for a while and refresh and renew all inside.

Blessings.

Deacon Tom
www.catholicvitamins.com
www.deacontomonline.com
www.catholicmoments.com
www.catholicmom.com

In this episode: the CF has posted two shows in a row! Mary Jane’s Farm Magazine,  homeschooler’s connections and relationships, idiosyncrasies, good business posture,  table talk, kid career goals – Scare Tactics or Realistic Expectations?  Mailbag:  Tom in MN, Juan in OK, Pat in IN, Christina from Canada on Mark Shea’s Ayn Rand Blog Post.

email us [at] catholicfamilypodcast (dot) com or call the comment line at 206-339-8993.

Post Photo: Stupid Fish

Final Song: Home Cookin: Brick House in Memphis from their album Afrobilly Soul Stew
from Iodapromonet
Home Cookin’
“Brick House in Memphis” (mp3)
from “Afrobilly Soul Stew”
(Materiali Sonori)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at Napster
More On This Album

Just a little note to tell you about our new back-catalog feed. You may have noticed that our subscription feed only goes back to episode 100. Would you like to hear us before I had so much gray hair, before we had teenagers, and when we were young and good looking?  You can download those old shows by subscribing to

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In this episode: simple flowers,  Simple Fish Soup,   Catholic movies,  NFP Scare, quick confessions, Atlas Shrugged. Final song: Chris Daniels and the Kings: You Don’t Change Horses in the Middle of the Stream

Contact us [at] catholicfamilypodcast [dot] com or call 206-339-8993

Catholic Family Column for April 2010 by Deacon Tom Fox

My wife and I have followed the Catholic Family folks, AKA: The Sweeneys for years now. If I remember correctly — David is a convert to the Catholic Faith. And again, if memory serves correctly — Allyson isn’t a convert but was raised in a solid, practicing Catholic family. Converts and reverts to the faith have such a joyous story to tell. Many of them are found on the Marcus Grodi Coming Home program on EWTN television. Other stories are found in books by Scott and Kimberly Hahn, the Surprised by Truth series published by Patrick Madrid – and so many others. I love conversion stories — I encourage you if they aren’t a part of your reading or viewing to give them a try.

The greatest convert is, of course St. Paul. What was he like following his encounter with Christ? Consider his opening words in a letter to the Church in Rome. They show how much this highly educated, chief enemy of the early Church had changed: “I Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus… called to be an apostle… I send greetings to all the beloved of God in Rome, you who are called to be holy. Grace to you, and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Conversion yields such powerful Christians and Catholics. You may be familiar with the Promise Keepers. They got their start in Colorado and they have led a lot of men to a conversion in their lives. And the men’s movement in the Catholic Church is alive and on fire…. throughout the country. There is no denying that these movements call men to conversion to Christ.
And in countless thousands of cases, they lead to profound changes in religious practice, spousal relations, family life and in the workplace.

As I say — I love conversion experiences. Many years ago, EWTN ran several showings of the BBC documentary, SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL FOR GOD. It was the BBC documentary that propelled Mother Teresa to the world stage in 1968. What is most touching and profound to me is that the agnostic journalist who directed this program, Malcolm Muggeridge later credited his conversion to Catholicism to Mother Teresa.

Mother Teresa was no namby-pamby, politically correct nun. She spoke the truth – one example is as follows… Malcolm Muggeridge was walking with Mother Teresa during a break in the filming of this documentary… He said to her, “Mother, I’m sure God needs people in other churches just as much as He needs them in the Catholic Church.” Her immediate reply was, “No He doesn’t.” That ended that paragraph of conversation immediately.

There is another tale of conversion that has often resulted in tears in my eyes. Have you heard the name John Newton? He is the slave trader and reputed alcoholic who turned into an abolitionist preacher… and he wrote the immortal words to Amazing Grace.

Amazing grace… how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found… I was blind, but now I see.” Was blind but now I see… sounds like St. Paul doesn’t it? Perhaps someone in your life… your family… even those of other faiths are converted people who were blind to grace … and who now see.

Amazing Grace was pastor Newton’s personal story of spiritual redemption. An event happened in his life – a near shipwreck off Newfoundland in 1748. He stood in awe of a God who would embrace a slave trader. “Twas grace that taught my heart to fear…. and grace my fears relieved… how precious did that grace appear… the hour I first believed.”

Most interesting about Newton’s words of thanksgiving and praise is that there came to be a religious revival that swept the colonies in the 18th century… plantation owners didn’t so much get involved in the revival – the ones who found religion and Christianity were slaves… thousands of slaves were converted to Christianity. How odd that God should choose a slave trader to participate in new conversions. How odd that blacks would pick up the words and sing the words of God’s loving grace and freedom!

The song Amazing Grace is about being ‘brought low’ and ultimately about victory over sorrow and failings in our lives…

Sometime during this Easter period — or as a preface to a Pentecost conversion for this world — maybe you’d be willing to join me in praying for profound conversion in all our lives… and for rebirth fueled by God’s powerful, loving… Amazing Grace.

Blessings.
Deacon Tom

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Most of us don’t think of Lent as a season of gifts. Most have trouble thinking of Lent itself as a gift. And perhaps one part of this struggle is because the Holy Season of Lent reminds us to take seriously the 2,000 year old call of Jesus, the call to repentance. That call is still so necessary today. Moses called on the people and told them to adhere to the statutes and decrees of the Lord… and to teach them to your children and your children’s children. And Jesus said that he had not come to abolish the law or the prophets he came to fulfill them. All of this is leading to the topic of the Lenten practice of Repentance — the sacrament of Confession available to Catholics at this time of year.

There is a name you may be familiar with. She is Elizabeth Ficocelli – a writer of articles in Catholic magazines and with a number of published books. She has written on topics ranging from St. Therese of Lisieux, to Medjugorje and about Lourdes. Other book efforts have been for children.

I mention Elizabeth because I saw an article she wrote on confession — and I’d like to share a portion of it with you. In a wonderful piece penned about her own experiences with the practice of confessing sin… Elizabeth wrote these words:

“In the Lutheran church of my youth, confession was handled in a rather tidy manner. The congregation would stand and, together with the pastor, face the altar and read aloud a statement of confession. The pastor would then turn to face the congregation and read a response that essentially told us we were forgiven.”

“I don’t remember feeling heartily sorry for my sins – or heartily forgiven, for that matter — it was just a part of our Sunday worship. I suppose I must have talked to God privately about my sins growing up, but forgiveness and reconciliation do not hold strong memories for me.”

Later, Elizabeth became a catechumen when she began RCIA and the process to enter the Catholic Church. At first, she was squeamish about the Catholic approach to confession. She dreaded having to bare her soul to a man…. a man who would think badly of her whenever their paths crossed. Now quoting her again, she wrote, “At the same time, however, something significant was happening. I was beginning to realize that once I made a confession, I truly felt better. Forcing myself to verbalize and take responsibility for my offenses and ask pardon for them really did make a difference in how I felt afterward. It was harder than my Lutheran way, but I was starting to see the benefits.”

“My biggest stumbling block remained not being able to forgive myself. I used to come out of the confessional disappointed by the Act of Penance – to say an Our Father or something easy like that. I would have much rather been told to take ten laps around the church property. Still seeing things from a purely human point of view, I was unable to grasp God’s ready and complete forgiveness. Then, I experienced a miracle.”

Elizabeth read the writings of a young Polish nun – we know her as Sister Faustina… and inspired by what she read, Elizabeth seemed to become a missionary inside her own little parish for the Divine Mercy of Jesus… and she fell more in love with the Sacrament that celebrates God’s mercy.

Later, Elizabeth told a sort of ‘God has a sense of humor story.’ She said that she had one sort of major sinful experience in her life — enough that she had to apologize to her son and to her husband. She knew she also had to go and apologize to God. Approaching a penance service and confession – she wanted to avoid her pastor and go to confession to a visiting priest. Arriving at church, she found the visiting priest line had something like 25 people — while there were only three in the pastor’s line. (NOTE: Elizabeth — did you see me standing in the long line waiting to avoid the pastor too?

Swallowing fear and perhaps a bit of pride – she went to confession to her pastor. She said that upon leaving the confession she had an almost tangible sensation as of water being poured over her head — washing her clean and tingling down to her feet. Nothing like that had happened to her before.

I’ve shortened this story quite a bit – but it is told for those who through pride or hardness of heart will hear that God’s mercy awaits sinners — not the obstinate. God’s mercy is available in either the pastor’s line or the visiting priest line. God’s mercy happens in every line. It’s endless.

This Lent — join me in the line for a shower — a real and beautiful experience of restoration. It’s the only thing I’ve found that can restore this broken deacon to the state I enjoyed when I was three weeks old and was baptized on the east side of Detroit. That’s how profound this sacrament is. Don’t let the formation of the world or the formation of fear block you from this Lenten gift.

Blessings.

deacon tom

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www.deacontomonline.com
www.catholicmoments.com

In this episode: Does planting time really simplify your life? Catholic homeschooling projects, We’re Debt Free! Random seating for supper, good management is good parenting, simplifying church donations,  Mail Bag: Cassie

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Final Song: Hello Industry – Half of my Heart from the Podsafe Music Network

Picture: Snow Capped Easter Tulip by ~jamiep

In this episode: what do you like about being Catholic,  Book Review: Hugo Pepper, Movie Reviews: Liberty Kids, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Kid’s Catholic Corner: What is Lent? Mattie Moment.

You can contact us by emailing thekids [at]  catholicfamilykids [dot]  com or calling our Podline at 206-339-8993

Final Song: Our God is Amazing by Hello Industry, new music from the Podsafe Music Network

Graphic: Saddle by =Grinmir-Equines

A Catholic Family Column by Deacon Tom Fox

There is a saying that has found a home in my memory cells to use when it’s appropriate. I believe it originated on the Seinfeld TV show many years ago. It goes: “Men don’t want to know what’s on TV; men want to know what else is on TV.” I have a friend — Deacon Don who is the epitome of that statement. Don is always in control of the TV’s remote — and this family has the ‘picture in a picture’ feature on their TV. Don is forever… I mean endlessly switching pictures on the main screen while commanding other images into the smaller display screen, and then bringing one of the small images up onto the main display. His dear wife is used to it and doesn’t say anything — but it seems endlessly impatient and restless.

When I’ve used that joke about men and TV — I’ve often thought to myself that that well could be a saying about men who have frequent attention and diversion towards other women. And in certain parts of our culture, it seems that many change wives with an ease that threatens even the notion of marriage vows or lifetime unions.

I was in the midwest recently — in an area that might be considered the middle of the Bible belt. It could be anywhere out there — but my attention and the thrust of my observations has to do with Missouri. There are more Biblically-based mega-churches and Christian faith walks in this part of the country. And it must be a certain truth now that the idea of permanent marriage in most of these Christian churches is an illusion.

There are so many divorces and remarriages in these parts — and so many people live together before they are married — I just don’t know what their preachers are teaching or saying to them. I just don’t know how Biblically-based faiths can disregard the historic understandings of marriage. And of course, we could extend this topic area to same sex unions, to contraception and to abortion.

I’m in a (real, sacramental, permanent) marriage sort of mood as I write this column. I have come to value my DW so much in recent years — a gift resulting from the strong marriage rebuilding and repair work they did with us deacon candidates during the four year formation period for deacons in the Archdiocese of Denver. I know — I think both Dee and I know of a time when we were not blessed with a happy and sound marriage. It must have been… must have been a Grace-moment that had us both saying ‘yes’ again to marriage the way it should be. It didn’t happen over-night. It wasn’t always pretty. It wasn’t easy. And it isn’t perfection — but we are in love.

Last weekend — I traveled from Arizona to Colorado. I had been invited by a beautiful woman to come to our old parish in Estes Park and to do the homily and the vows for Elizabeth’s marriage to Michael. I had been delegated (given permission) to do these tasks during a Mass. It was a special honor — and one that doesn’t happen often because the priest is most normally the presider over the liturgy and to be the official witness of the Church for the couple being married. The tender thing to share with you about this invitation was this. Elizabeth said to me many times during our planning that they wanted a holy, sacramental marriage. She said that the reception was simply an opportunity to give people a meal. There were no brides maids — no best man or other men involved in the ceremony. Many non-Catholics attended — and the continuing comment that people shared with me or with the bride and groom was how beautiful — how intimate and holy the marriage ceremony (and Mass) were.

Most of us know of Scott Hahn, the former Protestant Minister and now a prolific Catholic author, professor at Franciscan University — and a happily married family man. I love the way he talks about his beautiful wife, Kimberley. I met Dr. Hahn in Ohio a few years ago as I asked him to autograph a book he had written. I’ve listened to his lectures — but have never had the opportunity to attend a talk by his wife. I did find a quote from Mrs. Hahn in a book she wrote about marriage:

“If you want a successful marriage – and if you want your children to have successful marriages – it is important to live marriage God’s way. He is the one who made us, after all, and he is the one who designed marriage. This is why the queen mother of Proverbs 31 says to her son, ‘Do you know how to recognize a good woman for a wife? Listen carefully to know what to value in a wife; then choose wisely.’”  Kimberly Hahn
Chosen And Cherished: Biblical Wisdom For Your Marriage, Servant Books

And I would add only this — intend to choose a spouse for life.

Blessings.

Deacon Tom
www.deacontomonline.com
www.catholicvitamins.com
www.catholicmoments.com
www.catholicmom.com

In this episode:  The Catholic Family retools the show: Living Simply Within Your Means, giving campaigns, separating the kids, movies, school’s back in session, tuba Christmas, reading the bible with your kids.

Links in this episode:

http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/

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Final Song: Adrina Thorpe – Did You Think

Episode Graphic: Simplicity by todo-el-mundo

Hello and well-wishes from Deacon Tom and Dee Fox. We greet and care for the Sweeney Family in Texas. And through this column, we hope we reach some or many of their listeners. We send you Christmas greetings and warm holiday wishes.

We have a person in our family who has been through a lot. She is twice divorced and currently a single mom. She is raising a teen and two young children. She has become quite toughened by life experiences, some resulting from impetuous decisions she’s made. She has often said she has virtually lost the capability to cry any more. Now while she is a very good and caring person, and does things for the poor and needy, things don’t deeply move her or touch her heart. I think this is so sad, and we pray for this person quite a bit.

On the other hand, I am an unabashed softy. So many things move me and get me ‘verklempt.’ Many months ago on the Catholic Mom site, I wrote a column on the Gift of Tears — and would you believe I’m still getting email about the words I shared there? There are a number of us who are touched — or pricked by a beauty unseen by others.

I guess there would be a goodly segment of the world, especially the macho men who would say you don’t have to cry to be a nice person. True enough.

There are things that quickly touch my heart, and I wonder if you have such areas? Not the same ones as I have of course. But do you have special areas of tenderness?

Yesterday, my wife and I went to a Christmas chorale concert. For our small town, this is a wonderful group — 70 some strong. Men and women and some teens — all who love to sing. They have auditioned and when chosen, they have rehearsed for months to put on two shows at Christmas and two shows in the Spring.

When 70 people blend their voices to share beautiful Christian hymns — and a number of nice commercial holiday tunes — this softens me up for Christmas. There must have been 300 appreciative people in the audience, and we stood at the conclusion of the uplifting seasonal concert.

Speaking of music — one of my all-time favorite Christmas CD’s is called WINTERFALL. The music is led by Lee Spears and Donna Beck Michael and was produced and published by Thistlegate Productions. This album features a hammered dulcimer, piano, guitar, English horn and a cello. On a website called Christmasreviews.com, a Carol Swanson wrote these words, “This excellent recording is minimalist instrumental folk music of the sweetest kind. The music is oh-so-soothing and even life-affirming. This recording is not fearful of silence, letting thoughtful pauses speak volumes… I have two favorite cuts on Winterfall, and they are the final two on the disc. “Midnight Clear” (“It Came Upon a Midnight Clear”) is an exquisite arrangement, an intensely beautiful mélange built upon a complex and fragile structure.” Swanson concludes her review: “Winterfall is an excellent Christmas CD. In a high-anxiety world of over-cranked volumes, this recording is a breath of fresh winter air.” We played a little bit from one of the cuts of this CD on our Catholic Vitamin N – Nativity program released recently.

Why consume so many words about a CD you may never hear? Because to listen to this CD is to experience what Carol Swanson and the Deke and his daughter have experienced. It touches us and says the season of Christ’s birth is almost here’ when we start playing Winterfall.

Oh — one more (almost silly) thing as I think about music. Many years ago I found an inexpensive album with the late John Denver and the Muppets. It’s called A CHRISTMAS TOGETHER. As hokey as the Muppets may sound when talking about Christmas music, I really enjoy some of the cuts, e.g. The Peace Carol and a wonderful gospel-sounding song, “When the River Meets the Sea.”

As I began the thought process of preparing this piece for the Catholic Family site, my thoughts were about asking you if your heart is hardened at and by the Christmas season? Have you lost the capability to be moved by It’s a Great Life when you see a replay of that movie? Have you lost the capability to smile deeply by children in a nativity play? Have you lost the capability to see beauty in a season when you’ve got gifts to buy and wrap and decorations to put up and not enough real help around the house?

I would bet that the Infant of Bethlehem wouldn’t wish that upon you. He’d love for you to be happy and be open enough to be touched by the Christmas message once again. In the song When the River Meets the Sea, there are these words, “We are born and born again most gracefully… when the river meets the Almighty Sea.”
You and I are the river. We are invited to see and contribute to the beauty of God’s work on earth. You and I might do well to ask the Lord for a special gift this Christmas: “Lord — in some way, let us hear the angels who sing for you also sing for us. Just as the angels sang to brighten skies over the area of your birth, and were heard by people waiting in hope, let it be so for us. Whether at a nursing home or in a Christmas concert or a child’s tender efforts at a Christmas gift for us… Lord, let Your music of this season and of renewal touch our hearts.

Blessings again.
Deacon Tom
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In this episode, the Catholic Family Kids have a little fun. Since they deleted the shownotes, who knows what they are talking about?

email thekids [at] catholicfamilypodcast [dot] com or call 206-339-8993 to leave feedback.

In this episode: Wood Badge, Confirmation,  Catholic Charlotte Mason idea, Director of Planned Parenthood resigns, Mail Bag: Dee from,  AZ, Pamella from Glasgow. Final Song: Flame of Freedom by Grandbury Live.

One of the topics that I think I need to write about every once in a while is the brokenness of the Church. Those of us in new media — we don’t do this very much… we keep a pretty positive profile on our output and sharing. And yet — most of can see and experience things that tell us that there is a brokenness in us. And if there’s a brokenness in us — there most certainly is some measure of brokenness in our Church. I would want to paraphrase what follows — and you may not agree with some of these thoughts that were just sent to me the other day. These are from the late author and speaker Henri J. M. Nouwen:

“Over the centuries the Church has done enough to make any critical person want to leave it. Its history of violent crusades, pogroms, power struggles, oppression, excommunications, executions, manipulation of people and ideas, and constantly recurring divisions is there for everyone to see and be appalled by.

Can we believe that this is the same Church that carries in its center the Word of God and the sacraments of God’s healing love? Can we trust that in the midst of all its human brokenness the Church presents the broken body of Christ to the world as food for eternal life? Can we acknowledge that where sin is abundant, grace is superabundant, and that where human promises are broken over and again, God’s promise stands unshaken? To believe is to answer yes to these questions.”

Ah! Superabundant graces and God’s promises from here into eternity. Now those words give me hope. Those words add balance. Those words tell me the Church isn’t as dark as the bold letters shown above.

Let me share a couple of God’s promises that I have had personal experience with. There was a black priest from Africa. He came to Colorado to attain a doctorate in civil engineering. He is a Dominican priest and his order gave him his Colorado assignment so he could ultimately go back to Africa and work on water purification and land hydration issues. He wasn’t assigned to our parish, but he came as a visiting priest a few weekends — and he absolutely set people’s hearts on fire.

This priest’s name is Fr. Marcel Zibognon — and I asked him if he would satisfy a requirement that was imposed on me as a first year deacon candidate. I had to have a priest as a spiritual advisor. Fr. Marcel said he would be ‘so happy’ to do this with me. He said that we would learn to journey together and from each other. How’s that for refreshing hope wrapped in humility? He was exactly what I needed then.

Now here’s what I want to share with you. Fr. Marcel wasn’t always an on-fire Catholic. He told me that as a young teen, he was leading a life of self-pleasure, hedonism and that he had left the practice of the Catholic Church. Despite his self-centered lifestyle, Marcel got involved in a visit to France for World Youth Day. And as I I remember him telling the story, he got to be physically quite close to the Holy Father – and Marcel said he strongly felt something inside inviting him to give up his lifestyle.

Fr. Marcel says there was such Christian magnetism, radiated holiness and such a call to action that it was like an aura that surrounded Pope John Paul. That one exposure led Marcel to go through a profound life-changing conversion. He went to Confession, started back to the sacraments – he started praying about what to do with his life. And then he felt the call to the priesthood. And in the superabundant dole of graces from the Lord, Fr. Marcel helped dozens… no hundreds of us to try to be better believers.

The second story also relates to John Paul II — and I do this because it is my premise for this article that where and when necessary, God restores, rebuilds, shores-up or renovates His Holy Catholic Church. And much of the restoration comes about from abundant  ‘infused’ graces.

Were you aware that John Paul II, as pope also did a World Youth Day event in Colorado in the 1980’s? Did you read or has anyone told you the effect that the Holy Father had on young people? We’ll never know the number of vocations and re-versions to the faith from Colorado, like Father Marcel’s experience that happened in France. But here’s another nugget.

There is a beautiful retreat center called St. Malo north and west outside of Denver. It is picturesque, surrounded by mountains and hiking trails through the national forests in that area. After WYD in Denver, they took the Holy Father up to St. Malo for a day and a half of rest and restoration. There are pictures of the Pope’s visit there. It looked funny to see the pope’s familiar long white garment on with tennis shoes sticking out the bottom. Down about 500 yards from the retreat center is Colorado Highway number 7.

Some former parishioners who lived near St. Malo told us that Holy Father John Paul was out walking along the side of Highway 7.  Traffic was coming to a stand-still along the highway. Can you imagine Fred and Ethel driving along and Fred sees what looks like the Pope walking along the road? Ethel might reply, “Oh you’re crazy — a priest maybe – but not the Pope!” Well — it turns out to be true — the Pope was walking long the highway and spending time talking with astounded tourists. Think how people there at St. Malo were touched by his presence. And Denver which for a time had to close its one seminary now has two vibrant and very active seminaries. Two seminaries! Thank you John Paul the Great. Thank you Lord God for the abundant graces which passed from you through the late Holy Father.

Can those who feel that the Church is completely broken possibly, just possibly end feelings of dissatisfaction and remoteness from the Church and its leadership?  Can we recognize the mostly invisible but all-too-powerful presence of Jesus in His Church? His sometimes broken, ponderous, centralized, but Christ-filled Church. But where Jesus is — and I hope you will see Jesus inside the Sacraments and in many if not most of the clergy — where Jesus is, there too is his Mother. So it’s not all male dominated who are hung up on this objection. And you ought to meet the on-fire and highly educated and powerful nuns in the Denver Archdiocese. You ought to meet the high-powered, in-love-with-the-Church-women of the ENDOW Organization: Educating on the Nature and Dignity of Women.

One reason that St. Augustine cites for his entry into the Catholic Church is the never-ending, hope-filled prayers of his mother Monica.

Whatever your marital status – whoever you are – how about if we agree that it might be time to consider having two women in our lives? Holy Mother Mary can be one of them… and the other is the humanly imperfect but divinely powered Holy Mother Church.

Your Church is no more totally broken — any more than society is completely broken.  There is hope built upon the promises of Christ: Behold, I will be with you till the end of time.

In this episode, David flies solo, sans Allyson. Review of The Dragon’s Eye: The Dragonology Chronicles, Volume One by Dugald A. Steer (Author), Douglas Carrel (Illustrator), Catholic Vitamins, 40 Days for Life, Pat Gohn – Among Women,  Ask Sammy: Why Sammy Got Kicked Out of Heaven,  Final Song: The Only One by Ten Nine courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network, now known as Mevio. Graphic: Spitfire Airplane by Molock67

I’ve often wondered about the average age of those who listen to David and Allyson’s podcast. I would guess — although the Sweeneys would know better — I would guess that they have a wide range of audience — but most would be in their 30’s and 40’s. What do you think?

I ask about this because if this is true about the age range, then it’s likely that almost none of the audience has had to face the tough, tough decisions related to putting a parent into a nursing home. It may sound like a down-subject, but please stick with this column. I had to face this issue some years ago with my mom. She had end-stage congestive heart failure and she cycled in and out of serious ‘health-crashes.’ The medical team at the hospital under the direction of mom’s doctor pretty much decided that she would be passing soon. But it could be a week or a month or more. I was the only child left from our family and we lived on the west coast while mom lived in Detroit. My wife and I both had careers so it was a guilt-ridden time in our lives. We placed mom in an east-Detroit nursing home where she had some good days and some days of labored breathing.

Eventually, mom did pass and we had the funeral Mass at her church (Queen of Peace in Harper Woods, Michigan). The Mass was celebrated by mom’s favorite priest, Fr. Lentini who had known and pastored mom for many earlier years. We then faced the quick decisions necessary about shutting down the physical presence of a person’s life. We put her condo up for sale… my wife Dee and I went through her things.

A lot went to a nearby monastery which had a thrift shop for the needy. Many larger things we shipped to our daughters and to our own home in the San Francisco area.

As I said, this may sound like a not-so-pleasant topic to be writing a column about. Well — there is a purpose to this, and first I share that in this kind of time in your life, you do what you have to do and you move on. Mom has had more Masses said for her… she (and my late father and brother) are mentioned almost daily in my own Mass intentions. So overall — I hope and feel that mom is in heaven although I still pray for God’s mercy for her.

This topic leads me to another story that I really wanted to share with you. As deacon, the pastor has asked me to visit a nearby elder-care nursing home. I take Holy Communion to a group of eight to ten residents. One of the men is a priest who is struggling with what would appear to be an early form of dementia. He wants my help to ‘leave’ this facility. I told him I can’t do that but that I would be happy to come and be a deacon if he did a daily Mass in his room. As I left him, he said, “Come here – let me give you my blessing.”  He laid hands on me and gave me a great and meaningful blessing. It was very nice and pastoral of him.

But here’s the real heart of this column and the story I wanted to get to. One lady — I would guess her to be about 70 or a little more… she is in nearly full-blown dementia, and she’s in a lock-down area.

I’ve taken her Communion several times. And recently – she’s been sleeping and refused to get up — she hasn’t wanted the Eucharist. The other day, I went through my rounds, and when I got to this lady, Eleanor’s room, her door was firmly shut. It seemed odd. So I went to the nurse’s station and asked about Eleanor. The attendant said, “Oh she’s sleeping a lot and she doesn’t get up until about lunch time.”  I looked at my watch and it wasn’t even eleven AM yet… but I decided to see how she was doing. I knocked on the door — and woke her up.

True to recent practice, she didn’t want to receive Holy Communion and she said she didn’t feel very well. Rather than leave her — I asked if she’d mind if I said a prayer over her? She didn’t refuse so I blessed myself and her and I recited the Our Father. She became a little bit more ‘present’ to this visit and I started talking to her about how things were going. She told me — in a rather confused narration that she didn’t feel very good most of the time… but that she really loved the Catholic Church and the Mass. She kept calling me ‘Father,’ even though I had told her I was a deacon a couple times.

I struggled to keep conversation going — asking her where she was from before Arizona. The answer was Indiana — from South Bend. I asked if she was from near Notre Dame and she smiled and said, “Oh Yes!” I asked her about her parish and about any priest she remembered back there. She did have a church name that came out quickly — and she mentioned a priest name a couple times. She said she loved it when he said Mass.

Now what I want you to know is that during a part of this more animated conversation, she had taken one of my hands and she kept holding on to it. She became more interested in what we were talking about although, quite frankly — her mind did wander. But she was enjoying the sharing.

Finally — she took my other hand — she held both of my hands quite tightly. It would have taken effort to remove my hands. She started saying, “Thank you… thank you for coming to visit me. I’ve enjoyed this so much. Thank you.” She was very animated and her face looked radiant for these moments.

And as I watched her speaking to me – it came to me in a firm image that this was Jesus. He said he’d be the one we visit when we visit the sick and the dying. He said it would be Him whom we visit in prison. He said we wouldn’t always recognize Him — and sometimes we won’t get the reward that I got the other day… because you know what happened to me?

Jesus wouldn’t let go of my hands. It was awesome!

Blessings.

Deacon Tom

www.deacontomonline.com

www.catholicvitamins.com

www.catholicmoments.com

www.catholicmom.com

In this episode:  Who  is CFP? Laundry Soap Update,  Baby Update, Why did Satan get kicked out of Heaven? New parochial vicar – Fr. Phi, ghostly albs, What does the Catholic Church say about ghosts? Movie Review: Incredible Mr. Limpet, Mail Bag: Jim from Monkey in the Middle Podcast, Mary from MN, Dee from AZ

Links in this episode:

Raising Olives

Texas Homeseader

Final Song: Transmission – I Know a Fount

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In this episode:  Armor Games, Moshi Monsters, Review of Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, Review of The Sisters Grimm by Michael Buckley, Catholic Vitamins, Mattie Claire, Voicemail from Mary, Paul from New York

Links in this episode:

http://www.addictinggames.com/ngame.html
http://www.andkon.com/arcade/
http://www.moshimonsters.com/

email thekids [at] catholicfamilypodcast [dot] com
or call 206-339-8993

In this episode:  We need a beer! Homeschool Share dotcom,  laundry soap, Parenting – Teach Your Children 12 Ways to Live a Life with No Regrets by Bob and Cheryl Moeller, Mailbag:  Mary from MN, Cheri from South Dakota,  Dr. Jim Beeghley,  Petra, Pat from IN, Lisa Hendey

Links in this episode:

http://homeshoolshare.com/
http://www.mommiesmagazine.com/cheryl-moeller/667/
http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/PylWond.html
http://www.siministries.org
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Final Song: Jimmie Bratcher: Right Side of the Tracks on the Podsafe Music Network

Graphic: Blue Moon by froggynaan

In this episode: The floating raft explained, Feature Films for Families: Down and Derby, Kidless, Structure/No Structure,  Matthew’s Baptism, Church Chat: 1st Peter Chap 3v8, Homemade Laundry Detergent, Email: Tina, Greg,  Mary.

Links in this episode:

http://www.familytv.com/

http://myaudiojournal.blogspot.com/

http://raisingolives.com/

http://raisingolives.com/2009/03/homemade-laundry-soap/

Call our comment line at 206-339-8993 or email us [at] catholicfamilypodcast [dot] com

In this episode: The kids return to the show with a special kids edition. We are NOT podfaders!, Austin reviews summer camp and  being Troop 159 chaplain, Austin and Luke review video – Down and Derby, Hannah reviews Lightning Thief,  Kathryn reviews Septamus Heap series, Kathryn and Hannah discuss theater camp,  Luke’s Jokes,  CNMC

Please send us feedback using our podline at
206-339-8993 or
thekids [at] catholicfamilypodcast [dot] com

Final Song: Sarah Bauer – Extraordinary

In this episode:  The Catholic Family returns after a 5 week hiatus; Baby Update, Kathryn’s Program, All about Food.

Links in this episode:

SQPN Connect

Sarah Bauer

Call our comment line at 206-339-8993 or email  us [at] catholicfamilypodcast [dot] com

Final Song:  Sarah Bauer: Radiance

Hi there Catholic Family Podcast listeners and readers! Back yard-reading and blessings of the summer of 2009. Just in time for summer, we finished installation of a covered deck over our concrete patio and we’re already using it. Last Sunday, we had dinner out there – with a ceiling fan slowly pushing a gentle breeze above us. I also took the paper and some reading material out there.

Now – one of my habits – and it does annoy some folks when I underline sentences in books that I own. Sometimes I dog-ear the pages as an aid to find the underlines. All of a sudden I feel like Andy Rooney telling you about this habit of mine. Do you do this? Or are you a Ph.D. purist about books: don’t bend the spine, don’t write in them, leave the dust jackets on, etc.?

Let me tell you about two of the books that I have really abused. I do this to recommend books you may wish to take on a vacation with you. I’m hoping that you do take some inspirational reading with you as well as some escapism reading.

For inspiration – I recommend these two books:

-Living the Catholic Faith – Rediscovering the Basics by Archbishop Charles Chaput; Servant Publications, Ann Arbor, Michigan   (and)

-Grace in Every Season – Daily Reflections (Through the Year) with Catherine Doherty; Madonna House Publications, Combermere, Ontario, Canada.

There are probably no books in my relatively dense library of books – no books which are more underlined and dog-eared than these two. Here’s why and here are examples.

For Archbishop Chaput (who is the bishop that ordained me) – he lays out a wonderfully readable book that invites and challenges the reader to look at the Catholic faith they profess. And from a guided way of looking at faith aspects – the bishop asks you to pray and consider your reply. Here’s an example from page 136 of Chaput’s book in a chapter titled “The Family As Leaven:” (In a series of recommendations or ideas for the Catholic family, Archbishop Charles says): “Sixth, teach your children to develop the virtues of the heart. Help them to value fidelity instead of broken promises; patience instead of restlessness; simplicity in place of confusion; humility instead of pride; courage in place of cowardice; honesty instead of excuses; forgiveness in place of revenge; a hunger for justice in place of apathy. And seventh, teach your children to revere the sanctity of life.”

Whether you are yet to have children… or you have them and this is a handful to expect from where you are… or if you are a grandparent who does occasional babysitting, these are suggestions and challenges that can lead to loving Catholic Christian hearts in young people. One other quote from the Archbishop that I have used many times in my preaching: “… God doesn’t need ‘nice’ Christians, Christians who are personally opposed to sin, but too polite to do anything about it publicly.” BINGO!

Now Catherine’ Doherty’s book is a wonderful daily inspirational and reflective sort of book. Most topics are about one page.

And it’s on a variety of things to ponder and let wash over your satisfaction with where you are and what you’ve been doing. There are about 310 pages in this book – and I’d guess I’ve dog-eared 200 pages… maybe more. I’ve written about this particular topic here at Catholic Family – it seems so apropos for mulling over during summer: “Christian recreation is truly re-creation, a renewal, a re-gathering, a re-collection… it doesn’t mean doing nothing… Recreation is to re-create, to make new. It is done with God, for God, for his honor and glory.” The rest of Catherine’s reflection is about things that one might do on vacation – done with an eye to becoming a new person when you return to home and work. Let me assure you that swimming, sunning, reading a book – these are all part of her examples of God-based re-creation. Imagine swimming for God!

As I complete this column for you who visit the Catholic Family website – I will take your intentions with me as I leave for a while. My wife Dee & I will be doing some marathon driving; we don’t mind too much. We’ll be in Springfield, MO visiting our daughter and family. I’ll go to Franciscan University in Steubenville, OH for an annual priest and deacon retreat and conference. Dee will go on to Bedford County, PA to visit her mom and family and I’ll join them when I finish my retreat. And finally, we’ll leave the east coast area and drive to San Antonio, TX for the Catholic New Media Conference, sponsored by SQPN. You know you’re invited – and many famous podcasters will be there. [We may have to stop near College Station, TX and help midwife a baby while David is away. I’m not a doctor and I don’t play one on TV… but I’m up for this assignment! Pray for the Sweeney’s, okay?]

Blessings. See you in July! Happy Re-creating! Deacon Tom

www.deacontomonline.com
www.catholicmoments.com
www.catholicmom.com

In this episode: David’s tomatoes,  baby update, Clothesline and clothespin bag, hammer down,  parenting tip of the week, Deacon Tom’s article on praying together, Mail Bag; Patrick in Michigan, Sean the Duct-Tape-Guy, Catholic New Media Celebration

Link to Clothespin Bag Allyson likes

Final Song: Hammer Down by Wiser Time

Email us [at] catholicfamilypodcast.com or call our comment line at 206-339-8993

Patrick in Michigan compiled this list of our recent top ten (thanks Pat!):

1. Have them read the back of the Loreal Preference Box.  It has the best sentence structure.
2. They must pray before meals.  Otherwise, starve them until they pray for mercy.
3. Be consistent.  If you aren’t, you might mess up and not cover all of the gray.
4. Teach them how to handle money, but don’t tell them how much the house cost.  That way you can deduct more rent from their allowance.
5. Go on a date.  If with your spouse, go somewhere cheap like Taco Bell or a bookstore.
6. Do something fun and different with your kids.  If they don’t like it, take them on a forced march through the forest.  Don’t forget the first aid kits!
7. Child labor laws don’t apply at home.  Get free labor out of them or the pets die!
8. Teach them to serve others without expecting anything back.  Otherwise your hair will go gray.  Just look what happened to your poor Mother!
9. Don’t give in to peer pressure.  If they do, throw them off the pier and feed them to the sharks, along with all of the other naked people.
10. Practice what you preach.  Or color your hair.  Which ever is easiest.

In this episode: David and Allyson review the top 10 issues (tips?) they had during the past year. Allyson undergoes a miraculous transformation. David finds a trade.

Call our comment line at 206-339-8993

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Links:

Children Learn What They Live

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This year – 2009 is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Fr. Patrick Peyton, CSC. He was a famous priest back in the 1940’s and 1950’s and beyond. If you don’t yet know of him (or have forgotten about him) – please stick with this column.

It is interesting to me that Father Peyton wrote his autobiography and titled it All For Her – and he had such great devotion to the Rosary and to the Blessed Virgin Mary, as did the late, great John Paul II. And you likely remember the late pope’s motto which was Totus Tuus: ‘totally yours.’ This was a statement of devotion to Mary.

Let me quote from Fr. Pat’s book:

I was born on January 9, 1909, in a picturesque valley in County Mayo in the west of Ireland. On one side were the Ox Mountains; on the other was the Atlantic Ocean.

From my earliest memories, I saw my father with the Rosary beads in his hands and my mother holding hers. My older brothers and sisters and I knelt around them, praying. Father began with the Sign of the Cross, then the Apostles’ Creed, the Our Fathers, the Hail Marys, the Glory Be’s. What impressed me most was the voice of my mother talking to Mary: “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.”

For the first 19 years of my life, this was our daily practice as I grew from childhood to boyhood to my teens.

In good times and bad, in sickness and health, in poverty and hard work, we ended each day speaking to Jesus and His Mother, offering them the greatest tribute that could possibly be given, making the greatest act of faith, and honoring Mary above all the angels and saints.

Because of the daily family Rosary, my home was for me a cradle, a school, a university, a library and, most of all, a little church.”

For the sake of space, I’ll just summarize a bit of the story of this Irishman who became the leader of the Family Rosary Crusade. This prayer effort to promote the rosary and family prayer began a journey to fame and holy success when the Mutual Radio Broadcasting Network (the largest radio network at that time) offered a half hour radio broadcast to the entire United States. The first broadcast was on Mother’s Day and Fatima Day, May 13th, 1945. The show was reported to be one of the most listened to – most favored broadcasts ever. Fr. Peyton had a winning format for his radio broadcasts – he got a number of famous movie stars, bishops and other leaders to come to the studio and participate in prayer. They were often interviewed and it was a most popular approach to this Catholic devotion. Imagine trying this today!

Fr. Peyton built up the devotion to family prayer and the rosary throughout the U. S. and later around the world. There is a story told as follows. Once in Bogota, Columbia, as he had completed a Crusade and was mingling with the crowd, a young priest laughed at him and cried out, “Father Pat, the people need bread and meat and you give them rosaries.” In gentle Irish fashion, Fr. Peyton said, “Son, they need both bread for the body and bread for the soul.”

I mention this bit of biography and history about Fr. Peyton for a couple reasons – to remind us how much we have lost… most of us anyway. The motto of Fr. Peyton’s Rosary Crusade was, “The Family That Prays Together, Stays Together.”

Some people might respond that they pray a night prayer with their children… something like, “Now I lay me down to sleep.” Perhaps in later years, an Our Father and or a Hail Mary… but consider the testimony and example that Fr. Peyton gave to us. My wife Dee and I pray Evening Prayer (Liturgy of the Hours) together just about every night. We pray this together and voice our petitions for family, the sick and other intentions we carry in our hearts. This has made a big difference – a very big difference in our lives and devotion and faith.

Yet I have encouraged Dee that we need to do the rosary together more often. And in that vein – I encourage members of the Catholic Family Podcast to try – try adding more prayer together. Don’t feel as if you have to do it all. Take a small segment of prayer and be faithful to it. Perhaps start with a decade of the rosary – along with a different intention each time you do it.

When kids share in prayer intentions – the poor… the needy… deceased members of the family… for orphans… for peace – it gives them a holy and world connectedness far beyond saying a single Hail Mary at bedtime.

Archbishop Charles Chaput says, “Raising a family is heroic work.” You can be a spiritual hero if you lead the effort to bring more prayer into your family – all of the family, together. Please remember to pray for our bishops, priests, deacons and nuns. And the souls in Purgatory.

Thank you… May your family stay together – in good times and in bad. Dedicate yourself to Mary and ask for her help. Blessings.

Deacon Tom

www.deacontomonline.com
www.catholicmoments.com
www.catholicmom.com

In this episode: Family Life; Working in the Yard, Lara’s Texas Homesteader, Allyson contemplates a year without makeup, Recycling, Catholic School Reunion, Church Life; Confirmation Retreat, Luke’s First Communion, Mailbag; Debbie from Texas

Links in this episode:

• http://www.texashomesteader.com/
• http://recyclingbin.com/
• http://steepandcheap.com/

Final Song: Telemann: Trio Sonata in D minor by the Voices of Music

Christ is risen… Alleluia. He is truly risen… Alleluia! Hello and blessings once again. The theme that’s in my heart (again) is how this season leads many of us (well me at least – and a few others that I am in contact with) to want to ‘green up’ their lives… add some spring thinking to their souls. For some, we are so glad to be finished with Lent. And gosh, wasn’t it long this year?

Last year at this time, I wrote about a ‘resurrection’ in our attitudes towards women. I wrote about using the E-5 Program which calls men to fast and pray for their wives… their girlfriends (if not married)… and for daughters and sisters and cousins and granddaughters… praying also for women of past relationships. I think my feelings about this topic are there for a number of reasons.

First – how vividly I remember Mel Gibson’s portrayal of Mary and the women in his Crucifixion movie of a few years back. Mary virtually ‘floated’ through the movie and especially at Christ’s most potent hours – the way of the Cross and his crucifixion. A good wife – a good mother sometimes ‘floats’ from need to need and service to service – always where she is called.

And then, there are those Scripture images of the (sleep-deprived) women coming at first dawn light to anoint the precious body of Jesus. There is the image of Mary Magdalene asking the ‘gardener’ if he knew where they had taken ‘her Lord.’ We are told Christ’s resurrection was announced to women first. Women were so faithful throughout the life of Jesus. How many women are up during the night, only to be up early with their chores at the start of a new day?

Easter is all about Christ’s victory over death – we know this. Yet don’t women seem to add a special grace and beauty to Easter? My heart is filled with love for today’s women of Christ as we all go to Church on Easter. I love the little girls in their Easter dresses and some with hats or bonnets. I love that many women seem to want to dress up on this day: “Greetings Risen Lord – I bring you praise and worship in my better Easter clothes!” In their finery, women add to the beauty of what Christ has accomplished for all of us.

This leads me to a theme that I find myself returning to quite often… I hope I don’t bore you. It would be my prayer that this Easter season leads us to a resurrection of the dignity of the women in our lives and in our families… a resurrection in our prayers and attitudes about women of our past.

And to share what I’m getting at – let me re-tell a story from when I was in the seminary. At that time, we deacon candidates were studying and working on many things – our spirituality, our knowledge of Scripture… philosophy, theology… the Catechism. Yet, we were always working on our marriages… working to improve our love and our expression of total gift of self to the other.

One weekend when we were on retreat at the St. Malo Retreat Center outside of Estes Park in Colorado, husbands and wives were together for a liturgy. A good friend name Joe Gerber was assigned to preach a ‘homilette’ that evening. The Gospel readings had to do with marriage but they could well have had to do with women in general.

Joe spoke about Blessed Virgin Mary as the first ‘bearer’ of Christ – and how our wives are bearers of Christ to their families in these times. Joe did something that has stuck with me for all these years. Without having arranged this before hand – he called his wife Julie to come forward and Joe came down and around in front of Julie. He said, “Julie, I now recognize Christ in you – and I honor Christ truly present in you.” Joe then genuflected to Christ’s presence in his wife. WOW! Did Joe ever get it – this is the truth.

I share with you in this column – asking you to help return the sense of dignity to our wives and the other girls and women in our lives. Sure it’s okay to kibitz and fool around – for many of us that is our real style. But in some and certain ways – let our daughters, our granddaughters and especially our wives know that we believe they are the bearers – the current generation bearers of the resurrected Christ.

Blessings of Easter. Deacon Tom

www.deacontomonline.com

www.catholicmoments.com

www.catholicmom.com

In this episode:  Luke makes his first reconciliation, tie dying the baby’s onsies, camping and parenting tips – no sarcasm, review of The  Wonder Clock by Howard Pyle, Triduum podcasts, Mail Bag: Mary From MN, Deacon Tom,  Kathryn gives ‘thumbs up’ for Kitt Kittridge – American Girl movie

Don’t for get the SQPN Giving Campaign or the Catholic New Media Celebration

Final Song: Sing Hosanna to the Son of David, Tewkesbury Abbey Scola

Tewkesbury Abbey Schola Cantorum, Benjamin Nicholas, Carleton Etherington
“Hosanna to the Son of David” (mp3)
from “Thomas Weelkes: Sacred choral music”
(Delphian Records)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at Rhapsody
Buy at Napster
Stream from Rhapsody
More On This Album

2009 Triduum Special: The liturgical meaning and music of Holy Saturday.  Credits to Linda Armstrong and the choristers of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Plantersville, TX. Music from GIA used with permission.

2009 Triduum Special: The liturgical meaning and music of Good Friday.  Credits to Linda Armstrong and the choristers of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Plantersville, TX. Music from GIA used with permission.

2009 Triduum Special: The liturgical meaning and music of Holy Thursday.  Credits to Linda Armstrong and the choristers of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Plantersville, TX. Music from GIA used with permission.

In this episode:  The kids want more bandwidth, Allyon’s reunion, Spring Break, Parenting Tip: Getting the Kids to Bed, Shakespearian Movie,  Church Life: Stations of the Cross. Final Song: Stabat Mater- Haydn.

Links in this episode:

Stations of the Cross
Stations for Children
Link to the words for the Stabat Mater and real audio link
Pronounciations of the Latin
Stations of the Cross in Groom, TX
Wikipedia Stations of the Cross
Catholic Roundup on uStream
March 28th – uStream
http://catholicroundup.com/

Final Song: Stabat Mater from “Haydn: Symphony No. 44 in E Minor
Anna Maria Bondi, Claudia Eder, Axel Reichardt, Jürg Krattinger, Arlette Heudron, Chorale Philippe-Caillard, Jean Bridier, Orchestre Les Solistes de Paris, Henri-Claude Fantapié
“Stabat Mater” (mp3)
from “Haydn: Stabat Mater, Symphony No. 44 in E Minor, Concerto in F Major, Libera Me, Domine”
(Divine Art)

More On This Album

In this episode: Podcasting by the seat of their pants, David and Allyson talk about the new baby, parenting kids after 9pm and lots of poop issues.

Green Mountain Diapers

Very Baby

Call our comment line at 206-339-8993

email us [at] catholicfamilypodcast.com

March 2009 Column for www.Catholicfamilypodcast.com

Hello Catholic Family members. Lenten blessings and ‘can’t we go get a coffee and a piece of peach pie somewhere?’ Greetings.

If you are using many of the wonderful SQPN or other Catholic websites – you are aware that Lent is everywhere. Priests and deacons and e-family members giving you Lenten ideas and suggestions. Are you hearing or reading what they are saying? Doesn’t it seem like there are a lot of suggestions? Give this up. Pray this. Meditate on that. Read this. Do this. Take two of these and call me in the morning J. Yikes!

Okay – let me revisit a topic that parishioners hear me talk about often – it’s Madonna House (MH). MH was founded by Servant of God Catherine Doherty and she is being studied by the Church for sainthood. Catherine founded MH in Combermere, Canada and it now has field houses in about 20 locations around the U. S., Canada and other countries. MH is a mostly lay organization founded on the challenge of living Gospel life – everyday… in a most simple manner. Well – a simple, radical manner.

Foundress Doherty talked in very simple ways about doing things that are easy to grasp. Catherine talked about Lent as a great time to ‘Spring Clean Your Heart.”

She recommended working on the simplest of problems which become like sin-clutter in our lives. What kind of things? Impatience, resentments, laziness, jealousy, envy, and coldness towards those we love… they can happen in our day-to- day lives and even become ingrained. You can probably add to the list.

How to get rid of or at least work on these? Catherine told her people to pray and fast… fast and pray. But then she taught the staff that peeling potatoes can be a prayer. Folding laundry with love can be a prayer for the person who will use these clean items. And not ‘snapping back’ at someone (who may even deserve it) – that’s a form of fasting. Doing a small act of sacrifice for another without telling the person it was you – that’s an act of love and a form of fasting combined.

So while you and I may set typical goals (I’ll give up TV or I’ll cut down to one Starbucks a week….) – maybe what we’re really called to consider doing is to make more of our life a life of simple prayer and fasting. Let’s look at a paragraph which describes St. Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower. “In nine years as a Carmelite nun, Therese (of Lisieux) loved God in the pursuit of her ordinary duties.  With God first in her thoughts, she swept the choir loft, washed clothes, folded altar linens, escorted elderly nuns about the convent, and cut up food for a sister who had difficulty eating.  Unlike other great saints, she did nothing noteworthy.

She did not found an order, build a hospital, or convert an aboriginal tribe. Though the little Sister is very good,” said one of her sisters, “she had never done anything worth speaking about.”

Did you catch what that sister said about the Little Flower: “she had never done anything worth speaking about?” Right… nothing worth speaking about unless you want to consider that she became one of the few great women Doctors of the Catholic Church and a role model for generations of children and men and women. You and I should be so much ‘never doing anything worthwhile.”

And so – between the themes and teachings of Catherine Doherty and St. Therese – we have models – Lenten designers who can give us concepts for day-to-day living in a radical Catholic manner. If you are burned out on Lent already…. Or if you are burned out on traditional Lenten concepts that don’t seem to work for you… would you consider surrendering one or two of those pesky faults and sin-clutter which have taken up residence in your heart?

Please – I need someone to do this with me – I don’t want to do this journey alone. Oh… speaking of Lenten journey – I’ve joined a few folks on another website blog found at http://thesefortydays.blogspot.com/ – please come visit Nissa Gadbois and Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle and others as they work to inspire your Lenten days. Their overall topic for These Forty Days is ‘surrender.’ Hope to see you there.

Meanwhile – I’ll be in prayer for you… blessings. Deacon Tom

www.deacontomonline.com

www.catholicmoments.com

www.catholicmom.com

www.thesefortydays.blogspot.com

In this episode: The kids’ camping trip, review of Fireproof, service opportunities, baby update, the kids learn to dance, visiting priests, mailbag; Pat from Michigan, Michael Rieken.

Links in this episode:

Quinzhee
Ice Racing
Graphic: Saint Maximillian Kolbe by lordshadowblade

SQPN Catholic New Media Celebration June 27th, 2009 in San Antonio Texas

contact us @ catholicfamilypodcast [dot] com or call the comment line at 206-339-8993

Final Song:  Steady On: The Winds of Your Grace

(SQPN) CATHOLIC FAMILY EXERCISE

Hello dear members of the Catholic Family Podcast Family. And from what I see and hear – many of you are also members of the greater SQPN Family: listening to other podcasts, becoming members of their families as well. If you are new to all of this – welcome. I hope you come to know and care for the podcasters, their personal families and their extended families as much as we have.

For those who have been around for awhile – do you remember when Greg (of www.gregandjennifer.com and Rosary Army and the Catholics Next Door fame on XM Satellite Radio) was training to run a marathon in Georgia? He helped inspire many to support him with prayers and best wishes. He also helped inspire many of us to want to do some good things for our bodies. And wasn’t it fun to hear the sound-scene-recording of Greg’s race day? Wasn’t it great witness to hear how much Jennifer and family were there encouraging – cheering Greg on to the finish? It was so wonderful to hear Jennifer’s loving congratulations to her husband as he completed the goal! (Congrats on daughter Lilly, too!)

And then what happened? Well, I remember our own resident (fearless) Catholic Family Podcast leader, David Sweeney working and getting physically active. He did quite a bit of training and then David accomplished a half-marathon. Thanks David for your example and call for us to do good things with the gift of our bodies.

And friend Lisa Hendey (From www.catholicmoments.com and www.Catholicmom.com) – she started work on a grueling prep program for doing a race in southern California. She gave us regular updates on her progress until she did her race. Lisa has since added a personal trainer to help buff and shape.

Good job Lisa! Good job all! You SQPN podcasters caught and taught the ‘family’ spirit and helped demonstrate what it means to be a walking (or in this case ‘running’) Gospel witness.  (Now I could break into a sidebar story here and talk about pregnancies – another thing sweeping the SQPN family. But I won’t.)

You podcasters demonstrated something else. As with the clergy or with lay leaders in our Church – you have demonstrated what it means to give witness – and to share in the responsibility – the mantle of good example and leadership in the Body of Christ. And it is a mantle that needs to be continually shared.

In this year of St. Paul – the Holy Father and Church leaders are suggesting that we pray to… we look to and study writings of this leader who inspired hundreds of thousands of Gentiles. Paul was a podcaster before there ever was a computer or an internet.

One of Paul’s teaching approaches was his use of a racing metaphor to share with us that being a Christian requires effort – discipline – regular workouts. There are many PACE Catholics or Christians… you know what PACE means? Palms, Ashes, Christmas and Easter. That’s the ‘pace’ regimen they set for themselves. And while our loving God will be the final judge of every man and woman – I wouldn’t want to rest my hope of eternal happiness if I only set a ‘pace’ of four visits a year to Church.

Wherever you and I are as we run the race towards eternal life with Christ – we know that a regular routines of spiritual exercise will help get you into better shape. Recently, Lisa Hendey encouraged listeners to consider adding a daily Mass – perhaps just starting with one day a week.

David and Allyson give warm and great witness by the many ways they support the needs of their parish. And for years, the Willits family gave us example and encouragement to ‘make them, pray them, and to give them away.” They were of course speaking of the Rosary. Greg and Jennifer reminded many of us that closeness to Mary isn’t something that comes just from Mary. We need to spend time …. exercising and growing our relationship with the Blessed Virgin Mother just as we need to do with our own spouse.

On a recent interview on Relevant Radio – I talked about the simple act of surrendering ten minutes or more of sleep and getting up to spend completely quiet time with the Lord. This is nothing new – it isn’t something I created. I remember a very, very busy Colorado pastor – a popular, in demand pastor who did a lot of good in my old state of residence. More than once I heard him talk about getting up early in the morning – having a steaming mug of coffee and spending quiet time in silence – listening for the Lord to speak to him. Then, he went into prayer.

Is there any area of spiritual sluggishness that you’ve carried over from the old year? Would you consider starting a new ‘exercise’ program? Let me know what you’re doing… it may help inspire me. And I’ve noticed a few ounces of sluggishness on me. I’m waiting to hear your witness.

Blessings.

Deacon Tom

www.deacontomonline.com

www.catholicmoments.com

www.catholicmom.com