Assumptions

People delight me, frustrate me, and provide me with endless excitement...which is why I sometimes pray for a rut.

Still, I am amused by the assumptions I encounter in the daily. One eager woman approached me with her smile and a Bible tract and asked me if I was Amish or Mennonite. I replied I am Catholic (as if the crucifix I was wearing did not explain it). "CATHOLIC!!!!" she screeched and scurried away as if I were some diseased thing.

Then there are sweet folks who come to the house and think they will find
1. A monastic cell
2. A horse and buggy
3. A hermit's cave.

Plain Catholics know we will be misunderstood. Tis part and parcel of the charism. All the saints and Jesus Himself encountered the assumptions and the misunderstandings. So we laugh and gently let them know that while we use technology such as cars and phones, we do not let it possess us. We see it as a particular use rather than a status symbol. The core of our charism is the Liturgy of the Hours, Lectio Divina, and simplicity in life and lifestyle: Ora et Labora.

Inside of our homes you will see Catholic art and gifts from our children. You will also see old furniture and basic appliances. You will even see some with a wood cook stove for winter meals and warmth... and books, books on the Faith, books on the farm, books of gentle humor and books to record the outcomes of bees and chickens, gardens and projects. As the seasons progress you will see the various activities change in our lives from gardening, to sewing, to woodworking, to wood splitting; we enjoy working with our hands as well as our minds. You will not see us own a Mercedes nor a Lexus; we keep our homes small, our gardens large. Our clothing is simplified, we do not wear expensive jewelry. Our crucifixes are simple as are the rosaries. However these are all just externals; less is more.

We do not "party", but we do have family gatherings and engage our youth in wholesome fun. We have even been known to take vacations, mostly camping and the visiting of relatives. Places where you will not see a Plain Catholic: Casinos, nightclubs, bars, nor discos. Places you will find us - Mass, home, volunteering for the church and the community; the occasional meal at the local diner or camping, fishing, and hunting. We also visit the Catholic shrines and cathedrals.

Some folks will say they live this way already and did not know there was name for it. So you may be Plain and not know it...till now.

The Plain Catholic heart is the heart of the charism. We rejoice in our faith. We do not collect for the sake of collecting because it means we are owned by the material. We hope only to be owned by Jesus Christ the Eternal and to express His love for all people in our lives. Be patient with us if we sometimes fail, as we seek to be patient with you. All of us are only human after all.

That's me away.

The Bridge is Finished

We rejoice in the news and welcome them back to the Catholic faith with open arms! God bless them for standing firm with sound Christian teachings.
Pope establishes structure for Anglicans uniting with Rome

...Good Lord, Deliver Us...

“From silly devotions and from sour-faced 'saints', good Lord, deliver us.”

St. Teresa of Avila is a delight to read: often she candidly expresses those exasperations we all feel in the day to day. Here, she is expressing frustration with the shallow-minded, the overly scrupulous, and those who put on a show for the sake of others.

This is a woman who struggled with bureaucracy, bad buildings, and human failings in both herself and in others. Loving, intelligent, witty, she was to the point and no-nonsense. Often cracking a joke with God and with others, she was a fully human and a fully devoted disciple. This woman presents as a flesh and blood saint, not some pious postcard. She tried to be an example of a higher standard of Christian discipleship yet readily admits her own failings. We can all learn from her humility, her humor and her passion for being a good disciple for Jesus.

Here are some of her other memorable tidbits to remind us that being human does not bar us from sainthood but rather it enriches our journey.

"WHEN THEY SAY... THAT SOMEONE IS A SAINT, IT'S BOUND TO BE NONSENSE."
I tell you that I find here a wonderful leisure that I have desired for many years.... And the reason is that there is no more thought of Teresa of Jesus than if she were not in the world. And this will be the cause for my not making any attempt to leave here, unless I am ordered to do so. I was disheartened at times to hear so my foolishness; for when they say there [Valladolid] that someone is a saint, it's bound to be nonsense. They laugh because I say that should declare someone else in that place to be one, for it doesn't cost them any more than words. [p.251]

I tell you, daughters, although it may seem to you to be nothing, this incident was for me one of the really bad moments I went through. From the uproar of the people you would think that a herd of bulls had come into the church. [Foundations, ch.24, pp.226-27]

Her book Foundations is full up with wisdom and wit as are her Meditations and Letters. I recommend highly that everyone get a taste of Teresa in their library.
That's me away then.

Keeping the Appointment

Snowball cleaning. Tis what I call it. When I start to clean and organize and it "snowballs". I take out 3 things and find 5 others that need to be organized.

This morning it was my pantry. Over several months last year while recovering from surgery I simply neglected it. There were other, more pressing chores to do and limited energy and ability to do them. In the months that followed, again the pantry was still far down my priority chore list as I tried to catch up on the chore list.

So I decided to tackle that poor pantry. What a mess! Cans were not in their place; old food stuffs had been shoved to the back; and the spiders!

Now what does this all have to do with our spiritual walk? It occurs to me that our spiritual life can end up like that pantry. Worldly concerns push aside our quiet time with the Lord; our reading is neglected; the Bible gets dusty; prayer times become scattered. When we finally take the time to address our spiritual walk, we find a lot of cobwebs and disorganization.

Set a time each day to nourish your relationship with our Lord. Keep your appointment with Jesus. Put your prayer and reading time at the very top of your priority list. It will enrich everything you do.
That's me away.

Sometimes tis nothing...

From a Michigan Amish community, Sept. 1, 2009

"Jonathon and Anna S had a rude awakening one night when they heard a window breaking. Upon investigating they found one of their horses rubbing his back-end against the window, breaking it in. Needless to say they were relieved to find it was only a horse, instead of a burglar, as would usually be the first thoughts.

"My note: sometimes there is real danger...and sometimes tis just the back-end of a horse.

Psalm 27: 1-8
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom do I fear? The LORD is my life's refuge; of whom am I afraid?
2 When evildoers come at me to devour my flesh, These my enemies and foes themselves stumble and fall.
3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart does not fear; Though war be waged against me, even then do I trust.
4 One thing I ask of the LORD; this I seek: To dwell in the LORD'S house all the days of my life, To gaze on the LORD'S beauty, to visit his temple.
5 For God will hide me in his shelter in time of trouble, Will conceal me in the cover of his tent; and set me high upon a rock.
6 Even now my head is held high above my enemies on every side! I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and chant praise to the LORD.
7 Hear my voice, LORD, when I call; have mercy on me and answer me.
8 "Come," says my heart, "seek God's face"; your face, LORD, do I seek!

That's me away.

17 Signs

The Seventeen Evidences of a Lack of Humility by St. John Vianney
Saint John Vianney (Cure of Ars) wrote this when he signed his name to a clerical petition. His fellow priests circulated a petition accusing St. Vianney of sensationalism, ignorance, and ostentatious poverty and austerities. As it was addressed to all clergy, St. Vianney got a hold of it, read it, and promptly signed it. By 1834 the local priests themselves were going to St. Vianney for confession.

The seventeen evidences of a lack of humility are:

1. To think that what one says or does is better than what others say or do

2. To always want to get your own way

3. To argue with stubbornness and bad manners whether you are right or wrong

4. To give your opinion when it has not been requested or when charity does not demand it

5. To look down on another's point of view

6. Not to look on your gifts and abilities as lent

7. Not to recognize that you are unworthy of all honors and esteem, not even of the earth you walk on and things you possess

8. To use yourself as an example in conversations

9. To speak badly of yourself so that others will think well of you or contradict you

10. To excuse yourself when you are corrected

11. To hide humiliating faults from your spiritual director, so that he will not change the impression he has of you

12. To take pleasure in praise and compliments

13. To be saddened because others are held in higher esteem

14. To refuse to perform inferior tasks

15. To seek to stand out to increase your reputation and status

16. To refer in conversation to your honesty, genius, dexterity, or professional prestige

17. To be ashamed because you lack certain goods

For more information on the Cure of Ars, read Saint John Vianney by George William Rutler.

A Great Grief

Jim Pouillon (in the red shirt),

an elderly pro-life activist was shot multiple times and killed this morning in front of Owosso High School in Michigan while he was peacefully protesting abortion with a sign depicting a baby and the word "Life," according to local police cited in the Flint Journal newspaper.

http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/sep/09091101.html

We pray for Jim and his family; we pray also for the conversion of the perpetrator who did this. May God have mercy on us all.