Plain Catholics in the Mountains and Valleys

Gypsy Homeschooling

2012-01-20T15:43:00.001-05:00

In the down time of the winter months, we take our family on a road trip to historically significant locales in American history. For two weeks our homeschooling classroom is an ancient motorhome that takes us places many children rarely get to see. Two years ago we drove to St. Augustine, Florida to see the first permanent European settlement of North America. There the kids were delighted to see America's oldest surviving wooden school house. The building itself is so fragile they have an anchor chained to it to keep it from being blown over in a stiff wind. The fort of coquina stone was an interesting tour as well, complete with it's military tattoo (drum performance) and firing of the cannon.

The most touching spot though is one that is not frequented with as many visitors. At the Mission of Nombre de Dios is a wee chapel, the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche. A tiny chapel, it was the place where Mass was celebrated for the first settlers. Outside is the ancient graveyard occupied by the religious sisters, priests and other settlers who fell victim to the hazards of the new world, either through accident or disease. It is a holy place, a place to go and contemplate whether we would have had the faith and courage to leave all behind for the unknown.

In today's secularized culture, people of faith are once again pioneers. We dare to stand firm in Christ Jesus and try to raise our families in the Truth of holiness. We pray all can find the courage to live their Catholic faith radically, generously and without hesitation.

Toasty Warm

2012-01-04T23:38:00.001-05:00

In the midst of this icy spell, our wood cook stove is keeping us very comfortable. The hard work of downing trees and splitting logs is warming us again through the winter.

We pray that all have had a blessed Christmas and New Year's time with their families. We are asking all of our friends to pray for the persecuted Christians around the world, many of whom are being martyred by anti-Christian forces. We especially remember in prayer St. Theresa Catholic Church in Madalla outside Abuja, Nigeria that was attacked on Christmas Day.

It is the children who suffer that wracks the heart with great cracks of sorrow. Lord Jesus, send the angels to protect them. Let us hug our own children tonight and tell them we love them. Then pray for our broken world to be healed.

The Characteristics of Jesus

2011-12-18T20:27:00.004-05:00

This is the time of year in which we praise God with the O Antiphons. Beginning on December 17th and ending on December 23rd, each day honors an attribute of Christ, Our Savior:

December 17: O Sapientia (O Wisdom)
December 18: O Adonai (O Lord)
December 19: O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse)
December 20: O Clavis David (O Key of David)
December 21: O Oriens (O Dayspring)
December 22: O Rex Gentium (O King of the nations)
December 23: O Emmanuel (O God Who is with us)

As we move closer to celebrating the birth of Our Savior, we pray for all to have a blessed Christmastide full of graces and hope.

Practical and Happy

2011-11-24T10:36:00.001-05:00

A most blessed and Happy Thanksgiving to you all! We are most grateful for our loving and merciful God who patiently tends to us in our walk in spite of our manifold faults and failures. We can always get up again once we fall and Jesus will dust us off and help us along our way.

I want to recommend to one and all an excellent source for integrating our Faith with our daily walk. It is called "Ask a Carmelite Sister". She has wonderful advice about how to be charitable in speech; our prayer life; and dealing with those who commit offenses against the Faith. Here is the link and I pray all have a grace-filled Thanksgiving and Advent!
http://www.integratedcatholiclife.org/category/ask-a-carmelite-sister/

K.I.L.L.

2011-11-05T12:47:00.004-04:00

Now that is an acronym that grabs attention! It is not what you think though. K.I.L.L. means Keep It Loving and Local referring to the needs of our own neighbors and parish church.

These are tough economic times, no doubt about it. We are in a Depression in which the housing market has literally fallen apart and our states and cities are struggling. Our parishes too are struggling as the donation basket is not filled as it once was.

Those of us who are able can up our donations to our parish to help it survive in order for our priests and people to serve Our Lord. Here are some suggestions:

Add up how much you spend on your "thirst stop" or "snack stop" each day to buy a coffee, soda, chips, pastry, etc. over the course of the week. Add that amount to your normal weekly gift to the collection and you will not only have helped your parish but you will also likely lose that extra ten lbs. you have wanted to shed.

Skip eating out in a restaurant once a week and eat a light soup and sandwich for dinner instead. Add up how much that restaurant meal normally costs you and add it to the collection basket. Again, better for the parish, better for the waistline.

These are just a few of the ideas we have generated. I am sure each family will have others. Sit down tonight and come up with ways to add to the collection plate at your church. Our pastors are overworked and their collars are thread bare. Let us show our Love and Local giving by remembering to help them financially and with volunteering so that costs may be cut.

If every family in every parish were to add just $1 extra to the collection basket each week, the average parish of 800 families would have $800 to help stem the collection shortfall. That would help fight the rising costs of heating and cooling for the church buildings and the rising cost of food for our already overtired pastors.

The Plain Catholic response to economic depression is to K.I.L.L. it: Keep It Loving and Local. Find a way for every family to add an extra bit to the collection each week as they can. Your waistlines will thank you and so will your pastor.

Anthropological Mutation... Pope Benedict XVIs Homily to a Charterhouse

2011-10-11T14:37:00.002-04:00

Pope Benedict 16 brings up the very necessary vocation that pursues silence to hear God's whisper. His comment "... the development of the media has spread and extended a phenomenon that had already been outlined in the 1960s: virtuality that risks getting the upper hand over reality. Unbeknown to them, people are increasingly becoming immersed in a virtual dimension because of the audiovisual messages that accompany their life from morning to night.
The youngest, who were already born into this condition, seem to want to fill every empty moment with music and images, as for fear of feeling this very emptiness."

This is a reminder that the Plain Catholic emphasis on tech as a tool, not a lifestyle is also a much needed vocation. Following is the entire text of his homily to a Carthusian community:

“Fugitiva relinquere et aeterna captare": to abandon transient realities and seek to grasp the eternal. These words from the letter your Founder addressed to Rudolph, Provost of Rheims, contain the core of your spirituality: the strong desire to enter in union of life with God, abandoning everything else, everything that stands in the way of this communion, and letting oneself be grasped by the immense love of God to live this love alone....

Technical progress, markedly in the area of transport and communications, has made human life more comfortable but also more keyed up, at times even frantic. Cities are almost always noisy, silence is rarely to be found in them because there is always a lingering background noise, in some areas even at night. In the recent decades, moreover, the development of the media has spread and extended a phenomenon that had already been outlined in the 1960s: virtuality that risks getting the upper hand over reality. Unbeknown to them, people are increasingly becoming immersed in a virtual dimension because of the audiovisual messages that accompany their life from morning to night.

The youngest, who were already born into this condition, seem to want to fill every empty moment with music and images, as for fear of feeling this very emptiness. This is a trend that has always existed, especially among the young and in the more developed urban contexts but today it has reached a level such as to give rise to talk about anthropological mutation. Some people are no longer capable of remaining for long periods in silence and solitude.

I chose to mention this socio-cultural condition because it highlights the specific charism of the Charterhouse as a precious gift for the Church and for the world, a gift that contains a deep message for our life and for the whole of humanity. I shall sum it up like this: by withdrawing into silence and solitude, human beings, so to speak, “expose” themselves to reality in their nakedness, to that apparent “void”, which I mentioned at the outset, in order to experience instead Fullness, the presence of God, of the most royal Reality that exists and that lies beyond the tangible dimension. He is a perceptible presence in every created thing: in the air that we breathe, in the light that we see and that warms us, in the grass, in stones.... God, Creator omnium, [the Creator of all], passes through all things but is beyond them and for this very reason is the foundation of them all.

I have come here for this reason... to tell you that the Church needs you and that you need the Church. Your place is not on the fringes: no vocation in the People of God is on the fringes. We are one body, in which every member is important and has the same dignity, and is inseparable from the whole. You too, who live in voluntary isolation, are in the heart of the Church and make the pure blood of contemplation and of the love of God course through your veins.”

--Pope Benedict XVI
Homily to the Carthusian Community
Charterhouse of Serra San Bruno
Calabria, 10 October 2011

St. Francis is still at work

2011-10-04T20:55:00.005-04:00

It seems that St. Francis is still quite busy with his ecumenical outreach. Two thirds of the protestant churches in our area had a blessing of the animals in celebration of St. Francis' feast day. Lutherans, Methodists, Anglicans/Episcopalians: all feel a kinship with the gentle saint who once discussed the Faith with a Muslim Sultan with such glowing charity it is said the Sultan converted to Christianity on his deathbed. You can read a little more about it here St. Francis of Assisi: Converter of Muslims
Not being able to transport all the chickens, dogs, cats and goats for blessing, we procured our own holy water and celebrated the blessing ourselves.

May all enjoy the loving companionship of family and animals, giving thanks to God for His bounty. Below are some animal pictures that remind me of Bible verses.

Psalm 61: 4, 5 ...for you are my refuge, a tower of strength against the foe. Let me dwell in your tent forever, take refuge in the shelter of your wings.

1 Peter 3: 8, 9 Finally, all of you, be of one mind, sympathetic, loving toward one another, compassionate, humble. Do not return evil for evil, or insult for insult; but, on the contrary, a blessing, because to this you were called, that you might inherit a blessing.

Spes... the Final Frontier

2011-08-17T01:37:00.005-04:00

Have you ever had to wait at an airport and be subject to the incessant bad news coming from the tellys suspended every ten feet for an hour or more? Every 20 minutes the bad news repeats itself on the cable news networks with only the occasional new tidbit tossed into the mix of mayhem, murder, and market madness. No wonder sales of meds for depression and high blood pressure never falter.

The true and faithful Christian continues in hope in spite of persecutions from governments, from other religions, and from those who believe in diversity as long as it does not include a Christian in that mix. A Disciple's faith feeds that hope which in turn, fuels the fire in our bellies to continue the difficult road every day. We need hope and God is generous when we pray for hope. He always answers our prayers. Spes... hope... really is the Final Frontier in today's overcast world. (HT to Gene Roddenberry).

As a kindness to yourself, turn off the bad news and open the Good News for some uplifting strength. May hope be your companion, your faith fervent, and charity your signature on your every action.

'Umble

2011-08-10T12:07:00.003-04:00

'Umble: that's the way we Texan Plain Catholics say "humble". What is being 'umble? It's not about being a door mat. On the contrary we stand firm in our faith. It's not about being lower than everyone else: all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God Romans 3:23.

Really, being 'umble means we admit to the possibility that we might be wrong. It means not getting into a debate or argument about every little point on the news today. It means asking for help when we need it without being embarrassed or ashamed. It shares the same root word with the Latin word for humus or "soil". So being 'umble recognizes who we really are, dust but with one exception. We're God's dust. We've been given a second chance to follow Him. Now mix that dust with a little manure and you'll have some mighty fine tomatoes too!

That's us, just dust. And like those tomatoes we come in all shapes, sizes and stages of maturity in our Christian discipleship.

We're redigging the garden for Fall plantings of cabbage and collards. Praying yall have a blessed day. Don't you forget to feed Hester the Hamster down below. Just click on her picture and out pops some kibble.

Coping with the computer

2011-07-22T04:31:00.007-04:00

Forums, blogs, indeed the very internet have wrapped themselves around us and can immobilize us for hours. The solution was to share the duties as we have received more inquiries and contacts about our life and charism.

In the past year, this blog has added some new Plain Catholic authors to share the responsibility. The number of posts will continue to vary from month to month as we remain dedicated to the priorities of Faith, Family and then if there is time, computer or anything else. To represent the new authors, both men and women, the avatar has changed as well... yes, people have noticed.

Our Plain Catholic families have volunteered to commit to one forum or blog each, so that the computer time is managed without damage to Faith and Family time. At last we can control the time-hungry computer monster.

We have all decided to post simply as "Plain Catholic" to protect our families from the less honorable who cruise in cyberspace. The anonymity is also protective of our desire to avoid personality cults that seem to spring up in any effort to spread the Gospel. It is important to us to avoid pride and vanity and to remain in humility as we serve God.

2011-07-17T21:29:00.002-04:00

"Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear." (Matt 13:40-43)

Looks like we had better be distinguishable from the weeds for the sake of the angels. Our actions as well as our Faith will produce good fruit or bitter seed. Let us all choose to be producers of good fruit for Jesus.

A mini course on holy living

2011-07-09T17:30:00.001-04:00

Proverbs 2 is a mini-course on holy living. Though it is directed to young men who are being taught to avoid evil companions, it also speaks of our service to God and the pursuit of holy wisdom. In light of the terrible events of this summer, let us pray these verses and remember that God is in control of it all.

[1] My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and wilt hide my commandments with thee, [2] That thy ear may hearken to wisdom: Incline thy heart to know prudence: [3] For if thou shalt call for wisdom, and incline thy heart to prudence: [4] If thou shalt seek her as money, and shalt dig for her as for a treasure: [5] Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and shalt find the knowledge of God.

[6] Because the Lord giveth wisdom: and out of his mouth cometh prudence and knowledge. [7] He will keep the salvation of the righteous, and protect them that walk in simplicity. [8] Keeping the paths of justice, and guarding the ways of saints. [9] Then shalt thou understand justice, and judgment, and equity, and every good path. [10] If wisdom shall enter into thy heart, and knowledge please thy soul:

[11] Counsel shall keep thee, and prudence shall preserve thee, [12] That thou mayst be delivered from the evil way, and from the man that speaketh perverse things: [13] Who leave the right way, and walk by dark ways: [14] Who are glad when they have done evil, and rejoice in most wicked things:[15] Whose ways are perverse, and their steps infamous.

[16] That thou mayst be delivered from the strange women, and from the stranger, who softeneth her words: [17] And forsaketh the guide of her youth, [18] And hath forgotten the covenant of her God: for her house inclineth unto death, and her paths to hell. [19] None that go in unto her shall return again, neither shall they take hold of the paths of life, [20] That thou mayst walk in a good way: and mayst keep the paths of the just.

[21] For they that are upright shall dwell in the earth, and the simple shall continue in it. [22] But the wicked shall be destroyed from the earth: and they that do unjustly shall be taken away from it.

http://www.drbo.org/chapter/22002.htm

Good with Wood

2011-05-31T08:56:00.000-04:00

One of the blessings of a wee farm is the ready resource of trees. We have some that fall from old age or storms and thus provide us with our fuel for the coming winter. Some of the timber is a beautifully grained wood that serves to make bowls, furniture, and other oddments. Some wood is straight and strong for walking sticks, other bits are bent and curled.

We are like that wood: some of us who are strong and straight can be leaned upon for the tough roads. Those of us who are bent from the cares of life are beautiful too. In wood, the bends and the curls make beautiful graining for bowls. All that is needed is for the Master Carver to shave away the odd bits to expose the beauty within and to create a vessel to hold Christ. Deo Gratias!

You Are Free

2011-05-19T09:48:00.010-04:00

You Are Free

by a Plain Catholic

+++

You are free to:

Choose to smile instead of grumble.

Choose to pray instead of worry.

Choose to forgive instead of grudge holding.

Choose to err on the side of compassion.

Choose silence instead of many words.

Choose family as your fortune.

Choose God as your Love.

Choose God's Will in all things and you will find peace and joy.

As the Cosmos Turns

2011-04-14T13:08:00.002-04:00

The yellow Cosmos I planted two weeks ago has sprouted and is growing rapidly. By Easter it will have its first blooms beginning to open. The Cosmos is a tough, drought resistant little flower that happily blooms in the sun without needing any pampering or special care.

Thinking about this, I realize that as Christians, we should be gladly blooming and edifying the landscapes of our own lives without the need to be pampered. Would that we can all become as tough and as beautiful as the Cosmos plant.

Palm Sunday is upon us and the Holy Triduum will soon follow: joy and sorrow combined in perfect harmony to perfect the condition of the human race if we but only believe.

That's me away.

Sacrifices and Tears

2011-03-15T14:11:00.000-04:00

We have been praying ardently for the people of Japan and of Christchurch NZ. Our tears and prayers are offered up for them as Lenten sacrifice. Obligations at home restrain us from going to help and so we give money to the Catholic emergency relief organizations.

On Ash Wednesday, we observed a pleasant surprise. Half of the women at Mass were wearing head coverings such as mantillas, veils, and modest hats. Previously only 5 to 10% of the women wore a head covering to Mass at the parish. God bless them with the courage to continue.

May all remember those who suffer this Lent and bless them with prayers and material assistance.
That's me away.

Deep Calls to Deep

2011-02-13T11:20:00.006-05:00

Psalm 42: 8,9

8 Here deep calls to deep in the roar of your torrents. All your waves and breakers sweep over me. 9 At dawn may the LORD bestow faithful love that I may sing praise through the night, praise to the God of my life.

As Lent approaches, the need for quiet in life intensifies. So much of life in our era is replete with information noise, natterings, and sensory overload. To hear God, we have to hear His whisper: and so we step farther away from the information overload. The Plain Catholics listen to weather reports for the farm. We listen to the Word in Lectio divina, Mass, and the Liturgy of the Hours. We listen to each other to strengthen the bond of charity; and we pray. We pray for each other and for a world that too often does not know how to pray for itself. What more do we need?

Abyssum abyssum invocat. Deep calls unto deep. Amen.

Prayers for Cares

2011-02-02T21:14:00.001-05:00

With the magnitude of weather and politics around the world tonight, tonight we lift up our prayers for those in the blizzards, our brothers and sisters in Australia, and for those caught in the violence of the Middle East, especially the children.

May God send His guardian angels.

Abandonment and Joy

2011-01-30T09:09:00.003-05:00

“The Beatitudes express the meaning of discipleship…
What the Beatitudes mean cannot be expressed in purely theoretical terms;
It is proclaimed in the life and suffering, and in the mysterious joy, of the disciple who gives himself over completely to following the Lord.” Pope Benedict XVI

Our dear Papa Ben is a brilliant man who is able to cut through the rhetoric and reach the heart of the matter. In reading his writings, one can see how immersed he is in Scriptures. Let us give ourselves over to completely follow Jesus as he has, serving the world in humble attitude and gratitude.

Homebound/Snowbound

2011-01-10T13:03:00.004-05:00

When we are forced to stay inside because of weather, it becomes essential to fight the cabin fever that can plague relationships. Winter weather is a delightful God-given opportunity to clear out clutter.

One cabinet that seems to harass all of us is the "plastic container zoo". Tis a temptation to keep it all, after all the thrifty side of us says we should not just throw it out and waste it. Still if one cannot remember when a container is bought or from whence it came, then tis time for it to leave the kitchen.

Children can be a blessing for this: those containers can be reused to corral the crayons and capture the small game bits that seem to forever scatter. They can take the containers and learn to categorize, to organize, to label thus putting into practice multiple scholastic skills. Husbands too, appreciate those containers for their workshops to organize the nails and screws that seem to always need a home.

So this snowy day, all the containers were cleared away from the cabinet and reused in a more useful fashion. The rest shall see the recycle container for plastics; whenever the roads are clear again.

That's me away.

There are no strangers

2010-12-22T14:39:00.005-05:00

As we recount the story of the birth of Our Savior, I am reminded to think on the truth that even the most passing encounters in our day may be a brush with an angel or Christ Himself. The manger welcomed the tiny Babe and the travelling Holy Family. I pray we can remember to make room for them in our hearts every day of the year.

May the Holy Season of Christmas bring new graces and mercies to us all.

We keep in prayer our priests, our religious and our families. We especially remember those who live or serve in the danger spots of the world. May the angels protect them. We pray too, for those who are homeless, impoverished both spiritually and materially; and for those who have no one to pray for them.
Lk 1:46-56

Gospel
Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.”
Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months
and then returned to her home.

Weary in Well-doing

2010-12-10T06:02:00.000-05:00

Tis about that time of the season in which the weariness sets upon us from the doings of the season: baking, cleaning, shopping.....

Let us remember that tis the holy season of Advent and take our rest in reading and in prayer. We can always put up our feet for a rosary. We can break out a book of spiritual respite. Our loved ones will understand the less than perfect floor and prefer our love and attention.

Let us quietly pray the Angelus while waiting in line at the postie or store; or even at a stop-light. God honors the prayer in crowded places too. "We shall reap if we faint not".

May your Advent season be full of blessed moments.
That's me away.

God's Autumn Party and True Holiness

2010-10-26T17:53:00.001-04:00

God has truly blessed us with leafy jewels this year. After the rain, the leaves flutter down like multi-colored confetti. Our Lord truly knows how to give us a party!

Msgr. Pope has some edifying words: true holiness, while it does not seek a fight, does not easily fit into this world’s schemes and categories. You can read more of this wonderful homily here
http://blog.adw.org/2010/10/holiness-is-more-than-being-nice/

That's me away then.

Wintering Up

2010-10-23T11:23:00.002-04:00

The chores we do to prepare for cold weather we call "wintering up". Mulching the vegetable and flower beds; cutting firewood; tightening up the windows and doors. The days are shorter, the leaves changed to brilliant rubies and golds.

What do you do to prepare yourself for life's winter? Walk closely with Jesus and you will be kept warm.
That's me away.

Contentions

2010-09-21T09:30:00.002-04:00

Last week, my first encounter with a Catholic activist who promotes female ordination occurred...at the farmer's market of all places. Of course the usual bits about equality came out in her rant. When I asked the woman if she had a devotion to our Blessed Mother, she said quite firmly "Of Course!!!" Here then is what I shared and which sent her on her way. May God use it to help others who struggle with this topic.

Notice that Jesus gave his Blessed Mother to a disciple to be cared for instead of "ordaining" her to priesthood, as He, the Son of God could most certainly have done. Here is the Mother of God, the quintessence of Holiness by abandonment to Divine Will. Instead of being given a position of preaching or teaching, she is given to us in the role of Mother and helper for those who preach and teach the Gospel. When we accept our roles and work for the Glory of God's Kingdom, we are both weak in our human ambitions but supremely strong from our obedience and humility. For it is then, in that weakness, Jesus can truly work through us.

That's me away then.

Continuity and 9/11

2010-09-11T14:56:00.001-04:00

Today, while praying for our military and for the victims of the 9/11 attacks, I was at the same time peeling and coring apples for the apple saucing and the apple buttering. Tis exactly what I was doing on that grievous day 9 years ago and every year before that day and since.

There is a time outside of time. We still grieve and yet life continues. We remember while repeating the same routines of each season.

May God bless our nation with renewed hope in the Lord and with renewed vigor in freedom. May He protect our brave military men and women facing harm.
That's me away

Billboard Theology

2010-09-07T19:37:00.001-04:00

The tiny independent congregations around the mountains all have billboards and they can be a source of humor and humility. One such billboard this past week paraphrased Oscar Wilde's quote and proclaimed:

All Saints have a past; all sinners have a future.

I was pleasantly surprised to see a tiny Baptist church use the term Saints with a capital S. Tis a wonderful quote, filled with hope for all.

Canning continues with rounds of late tomatoes, pickled okra, green beans and now the applesauce season has begun. Less an exercise in labor, canning can be conducive to contemplation and prayer. The repetitive peeling and slicing makes it easy to visit with Jesus, think on the Scripture readings and offer up intercessory prayers for others.

The days are cooler, the sunshine more gentle; deer are wandering around boldly before the hunting season. God is indeed good to us.

That's me away.

Millennialists? End Times?

2010-08-03T12:37:00.007-04:00

The other day a comment from a stranger had me back to the books looking up the beliefs of "millennialism" and eschatologists. Plain Catholics do not worry about whether it is the end of the world or about Christ's return. We do grow and can our food; hunt, and fish but it is always for the coming winter and for the present nutritional necessaries. Ours is a life of seeking the simplest solution without expensive means. We dedicate our energies in discerning and following God's Will in the NOW, the PRESENT and entrust ourselves to God for the future. We full well understand that eschatology is an exercise in hypotheses for in Matthew 24:36 we read

36 But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.

So it is Plain Catholics seek to separate ourselves not just from societal immorality but also from societal fear, trusting that God will protect and guide us as promised in Luke 12:
4 I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body but after that can do no more.
5 I shall show you whom to fear. Be afraid of the one who after killing has the power to cast into Gehenna; yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one.
6 Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins? Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God.
7 Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.
8 I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God.
9 But whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God.

and Psalm 91
9 You have the LORD for your refuge; you have made the Most High your stronghold.
10 No evil shall befall you, no affliction come near your tent.
11 For God commands the angels to guard you in all your ways.

Let us walk with Our Lord in a spirit of hope, not fear.
That's me away.

Internet: Part 2

2010-07-30T07:41:00.003-04:00

While we have been excited to be able to contact other Plain Catholics around the world, we also recognize that the computer is a hypnotic time trap. For our part, we limit our time online to no more than one hour per day (unless illness has us bed-ridden, Plain Catholics rarely sit that long to do anything).

How do you control your time on the computer so that it does not use up your day and control your life?

The Wonder of the Internet

2010-07-28T14:55:00.003-04:00

Tis quite easy to bash on the internet for its quantity of worthless content and rightfully so. Still, there is a use in the thing. For our part it has brought together Plain Catholics from every continent in the world.

Of late we have been receiving news from Plain Catholics in Spain (bendiciones y saludos) and Ireland (beannachtaí agus beannachtaí). Thanks to rudimentary translation websites, we have been able to inform and receive information from Plain Catholics who do not speak English. God is capable of turning this digital instrument of mental and moral harm into an instrument of communication and edification for those seeking to be faithful to God. God indeed, has a sense of humor! Let us praise our God and in all ways, give thanks.
That's me away.

Taking the Time

2010-07-07T15:16:00.000-04:00

Summer is full of slow heat, the kind of swelter that brings our steps to a slower pace. We seek cool shade and rest. One day I was in town and realized I had an hour until my next appointment. Instead of dashing into a department store, I went down the street to the wee Catholic Church and sat inside in the darkened coolness.

Pulling out the rosary, I went through a decade, stopping periodically to sit with Jesus, sharing my day, my worries, my joys with Him. He listened patiently and in the sweet coolness I remembered a quote from a long forgotten source book of saints: "All will be well."

Msgr Charles Pope wrote a stellar article that defines discipleship that is effective. Titled Seven Habits of Divinely Inspired Evangelizers tis a grand exploration of habits we can all develop to serve Our Lord in a better manner. It gives us much to ponder and resolve.

That's me away.

The Core of Our Life

2010-06-27T08:38:00.000-04:00

Msgr. Charles Pope does a stellar job of teaching about the Five Disciplines of Discipleship.

Kindly click the link above and read this marvelous meditation on our purpose as Catholics.

That's me away on this Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul.

Introducing the New Mascot

2010-06-21T17:34:00.000-04:00

Hester the Hamster has taken up residence on this blog. By clicking on the picture we can feed her, have her chase the cursor and even jump on her wheel. Just scroll down the page to find her sleeping and enjoy playing with her by putting the cursor on the picture.

Now our virtual farm has an animal too...
That's me away then.

The Feast of the Sacred Heart

2010-06-11T15:01:00.004-04:00

God bless you all on this feast of the loving and merciful heart of Jesus. The weather is soggy and our time is taken up with the weeding that seems to sprout overnight with the favorable conditions of constant rain. The fruit trees were prolific this year and pints of peach and cherry jam now line the shelves sharing space with the pints of strawberry preserves. Next will be the blackberries and the blueberries to laden the larder.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I believe in your love for me. Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like your heart. Amen

That's me away to continue the canning.

A Life Well Chosen

2010-05-17T10:45:00.005-04:00

One of several vocations in the Church, life as a contemplative nun is one of prayer and work, ora et labora. They hold the world in prayer, especially for those unable or unwilling to pray as well as those already praying. Their hearts are dedicated to Christ and His mission of salvation. Following the example of Our Lord, they use the most powerful weapon in the universe: prayer combined with sacrifice. Do not be mistaken for in their life there is much joy too: fellowship, answered prayers and internal consolations from Our Lord. A Peace that surpasses all understanding.

The photos at the following link record the Perpetual Profession of one such group: the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles. They exchange the black veil for a blue one in honor of the Blessed Virgin, Mother of Christ. Warning: you may need a hanky as the four pages of photos are beautiful.
http://kansascatholic.blogspot.com/2010/05/benedictines-of-mary-queen-of-apostles_7842.html

Here is the website of these dear Sisters:
http://www.benedictinesofmary.org/page-home.html

Enjoy!

A New Wrinkle On An Old Idea

2010-05-11T17:53:00.006-04:00

The dawdy haus is a smaller home for the parents of adult children located next to the primary residence in Amish society. It is there a couple can spend their "silver years" near their children and their grandchildren without losing a sense of dignity or independence, maintaining close family ties without being "too close". Relationships are important to us all.

A new wrinkle on the dawdy haus is the MEDCottage. The idea for this high-tech cottage for the elderly came to a Methodist pastor who was touched by the plight of his elderly parishioners forced to move to a nursing facility. The cottage can be easily moved into the backyard of a primary residence and has some amenities that the traditional dawdy haus does not: monitoring systems and other accommodations to help the senior resident function more independently. Ports for medical equipment and other needs are built into the structure.

Faith in Action: tis a beautiful result.
That's me away then.

Stormy Weather

2010-04-26T10:59:00.004-04:00

Our stormy spring is bringing us much needed rain this year for which the gardens are glad.

Sometimes the storms are fierce and bring the anxiety of tornados. It reminds me of Matthew 14 with the disciples in the boat tossed on the waves; and the anxiety of our own era in which all seems topsy turvy in our culture. We may feel abandoned, alone in the tempest yet Jesus reaches out His hand... all we need is faith to walk the tempest with Him.

God does not abandon us; we abandon Him through lack of faith. If we are honest with ourselves, we are often like St. Peter who became frightened; we quickly forget there is a greater God than a mere storm of the times. The answer to this fear is in the prayer of the boy's father in Mark 9

23 Jesus said to him, " 'If you can!' Everything is possible to one who has faith."
24 Then the boy's father cried out, "I do believe, help my unbelief!"

That's me away then. Fear not but believe.

Feast of Mercy

2010-04-11T14:00:00.003-04:00

On this feast of the Divine Mercy of Jesus, may we all resolve anew to grow in holiness and mercy; and to continue in that resolve every day for the rest of our lives.

Jesus Christ is Risen, Alleluia!

2010-04-05T12:31:00.003-04:00

He is risen indeed, Alleluia! We have so very much to be hopeful for, grateful for, and needful for more! May God grant us perseverance!

Today the temperatures are in the 80s and it seems to be summer post-haste. Sneezes and wheezes signal the blooming of the trees and the gentle buzzing of the bees out and about have begun their gathering of the pollen. The intensity of Holy Triduum is finished but we hope to hold the heart of it all in our prayers continually.

With the blooming and the buzzing, work outside is pleasant and tiring. Tis good to feel the body stretch and strengthen in the physical labors of the farm.

Lunchtime is finished and now in the heat of the afternoon tis time to run some errands.
That's me away then.

Palm Sunday

2010-03-27T13:56:00.002-04:00

This picture of Christ is compelling: in His Holy Face we see Him contemplating the end of the week ahead as He knows how it will all end. Yet the faces around Him are laughing, joyous, oblivious to the coming pain and passion.

We gather together with blessed palms in hand to once again rejoice in our Savior. But that rejoicing also includes pain and sacrifice. Ours is not a health and wealth Faith: ours is a Faith based on prayer, work, sacrifice and discipleship that leads us into the same Passion as our Lord. Thursday begins the Holy Triduum, the 3 Days of Darkness and Light. The darkness of crucifixion, the Light of the Resurrection.

May God bless us all with renewed faith, and desire to do His Holy Will.
That's me away.

Laetare Jerusalem

2010-03-15T13:16:00.006-04:00

"Laetare Jerusalem" - "O be joyful, Jerusalem" is the sung introit; it lends its name to our 4th Sunday of Lent, Laetare Sunday. Also known as Refreshment Sunday and Rose Sunday, tis the time in our penance season in which we take a break to remember the joy of our Salvation, the reason for our hope.

Daffodils wave to us in the winds of March and the tomato seedlings pop forth in promise of bounty to come; collards and turnips enjoy the brisk cold of March winds, sweetening with each kiss of frost. In working on the garden I keep my head wrapped in a wooly scarf and wear an ancient jacket that has seen many seasons of plantings and hikes into the mountains. The wellies are warm and comfortable while working in the muddy soil.

The plastic on the hoops will remain a little while longer to protect the young bean seedlings peeking out of the dirt and the tired old fence is now in need of repair having been breached by some thieves who munch the young plants as appetizers. It does not take a forensic genius to discover the identity of the thieves: deer prints in the dirt give it away. More hog wire and some new metal posts will be necessary and a trip to the hardware store in the old pickup is on the afternoon schedule.

The garden rows get an early start with the the row hoops covered in plastic. Lengths of half inch pvc pipe fitted over 18 inch rebar staked into the ground gives me an inexpensive green house. If you would like to read more about this method, go to this link http://whizbangrowcover.blogspot.com/

God bless each and all of you; let us be thankful for our new life in Christ.
That's me away to the hardware store.

The Beginning

2010-02-16T09:43:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow is the beginning of Lent, a beginning of penitence, a symbolic fresh start to sort our spirituality into a more Christ-like image. Many will seek to "party" on Mardi Gras, trying to have a last go at those things they think they will give up during Lent. Plain Catholics propose a different attitude: let us "take on and leave behind" rather than "temporarily give up".

Let us take on a more kind approach in our speech towards others and leave behind sarcasm.

Let us show concern and interest for others and leave behind gossip and tabloid-like conversations.

Let us pray for our pastors and church leadership and leave behind the constant criticism and "Sunday morning quarterbacking"- for when it comes to changing hearts, prayer and sacrifice is far more powerful than criticism.

Lent is a grand time to start work on the "new self, created in God's Way" and the Scriptures and Catechism give us the knowledge and tools to do so.

Ephesians 4 reminds us:

17 So I declare and testify in the Lord that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds; 18 darkened in understanding, alienated from the life of God because of their ignorance, because of their hardness of heart, 19 they have become callous and have handed themselves over to licentiousness for the practice of every kind of impurity to excess.

20 That is not how you learned Christ, 21 assuming that you have heard of him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus,
22 that you should put away the old self of your former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires,
23 and be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
24 and put on the new self, created in God's way in righteousness and holiness of truth.

That's me away then.

Purification

2010-02-01T11:10:00.002-05:00

The Church is always at its best when life goes to the worst. The truly faithful arise and overcome the obstacles, more dependent on God and more pure in their discipleship. The best analogy I have ever heard to describe the outcomes of persecution and difficulties for the faithful disciple of Christ involves water. When a stream or brook is forced underground by a rockslide it will eventually come to the surface as a spring, all the more pure because the rocks underground cleanse it.

This speaks to me so clearly because we have the mountains with their underground springs that come bubbling to the surface and the water is the sweetest I have ever tasted. So too, for the faithful Christian, difficult times are actually purifying and edifying. We become purified and sweeter thus nourishing both the Church and world with the life giving water of Christ.

That's me away to the planting.

Meta-Food

2010-01-09T08:13:00.006-05:00

Meta-Foods: tis my pet name for spiritual metaphors that use food imagery. Have you ever noticed how many spiritual writings use this imagery? Nourishment, meat and milk are favorites to indicate spiritual feeding and sustenance. In Corinthians, Hebrews and 1 Peter, St. Paul was fond of describing new or immature Christians as those who can only handle the milk of Christian teachings rather than the solid food. In his own succinct style, St. Paul conveyed vast and complex spiritual realities in one single, well-chosen metaphor. He cut to the bone of the matter efficiently and with ease in his letters. My kind of Apostle, that.

In thinking on this from Lectio divina, I began to notice that there are many 'meta-foods' used in our daily speech. Roasting in which the person is jabbed with jibes and "honored" at the end of it all. Breaking bread is an older one but refers to having what the younger generation calls a "confab" while eating. You never know what's cooking in someone's stewpot is another that means "don't make assumptions about others". When someone is stewing, they are usually boiling with an unresolved anger.

I wonder if St. Paul ever referred to an angry person as chamin-ing (Hebrew for cholent/stew)? Surely, the master of the meta-food would not have neglected that one.

With that thought, that's me away to set the chicken to stewing on the wood stove.

Fresh Start?

2010-01-04T21:37:00.002-05:00

Here tis a thought for the new decade. Do we bring all of our old bitter baggage into the new decade or do we try to bring a new attitude of gratitude, turning obstacles into opportunities?

Do we seek to have everything according to our idea of right or do we open ourselves up in prayer and seek God's Will for us. Who do you think has the better idea: you or God?
That's me away to pray.

Happy New Year

2010-01-02T00:03:00.002-05:00

After finishing the Feast of the Mother of God which is the Day of Prayer for Peace, we wish all the graces and wonders of God in the New Year. Let us strive to grow mature in our walk with our Lord.

Countdown

2009-12-17T16:56:00.005-05:00

The Advent Wreath is counting down the days to the Feast of the Holy Nativity of Our Lord. The incense of a Plain Catholic home tells the story of Murphy’s Oil Soap on freshly mopped floors; of cinnamon and vanilla from cakes and cookies baked as gifts; of the simmer of the stews on the wood cookstove and of the hickory logs who await their turn for the slow burn to warm the home in the cold evenings.

The soft gray of the Advent day is a temptress for napping but there is too much to do to prepare for the Lord’s Nativity. Rooms are readied for company, the Liturgy of the Hours pushes patience as the readings become less routine, more instructional.

The visitations of family and of friends are more rambunctious than the Visitation of a faith-filled young woman to her cousin so long ago. Chatter and laughter become hymns of their own, telling and retelling the family memories around the tables. The happy conversations over games of Dominoes, Dutch Blitz, Scrabble and Chutes and Ladders invite us to become ever closer to Our Lord and to each other. Soon songs of the season are being picked out on the old piano or guitar and every one joins in the singing. Professionals we are not.

There are still the daily chores of the animals needing the feeding and care, children and husbands who need clean clothes to wear … life must continue amidst the waiting. With family everyone pitches in to collect eggs, pour the feed into troughs, clean the coop. Each evening as quiet settles on the home, we rest, we pray, we wait…. and we chatter over the clatter of the dish washing and the tucking into the beds.

Christmas Eve: Giggles and wiggles of littles bring forth whisperings as the parents and grandparents shush them into quasi-quiet attention at Mass. Tiny yawns blend with the Scripture and become antiphons to the prayers. The home creche has an empty place that waits for the tiny Jesus. Arriving home after Midnight Mass the littles run to the creche first to see if somehow Jesus remembered to come. Their smiles confirm that tiny Jesus did indeed make it into the creche while away to the Mass. Reassured they climb into bed, falling asleep while the incense of hearth and Faith hovers round them.

Enjoy each precious hour and minute of your families and your Faith for all too soon it will disappear with the last wisp of the extinguished candles. Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His Mercy endures forever.

With fervent prayers that your holiday is a truly Holy Day and may the Lord bless you and keep you always; that's me away.
In gratitude to my dear friend Laura who keeps me mindful when my memory does not.

Minding Our Own Affairs...

2009-12-02T07:59:00.004-05:00

1 Thessalonians Chapter 4: 9-12
9 On the subject of mutual charity you have no need for anyone to write you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.
10 ... Nevertheless we urge you, brothers, to progress even more,
11 and to aspire to live a tranquil life, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your (own) hands, as we instructed you,
12 that you may conduct yourselves properly toward outsiders and not depend on anyone.

This is one of the key Scriptures for Plain Catholics. We seek a balance in our lives of prayer, work, and intellectual development. We try to be so very busy that we do not have time to leisurely read tabloids about celebrities; we avoid gossip as we seek to always be aware that "only God knows what is cooking in someone's stewpot".

Staying away from telly helps with this. The incessant debate and noise on the news channels becomes an irritating roar. The tabloids in the market checkout appear ridiculous in light of the beauty of good fellowship and good living.

Let us all aspire to tranquility, personal discipline and constant prayer with God.
That's me away then.

Bishop Tobin: He Has a Mustard Seed

2009-11-28T16:17:00.008-05:00

Bishop Tobin has a mustard seed and he is not afraid to use it. Faithful Catholics in the USA are giving him a standing ovation. May God bless him and expand his ministry with many graces in his work for Our Lord, Jesus.

Bishop Tobin on O'Reilly: Catholic Politicians Must "Quit Your Job and Save Your Soul" Rather than Support Abortion

The Manhattan Declaration's exponential growth in signatures is the thunderous acclamation to the politicos who do not stand for their faith that we will indeed, "Rock you" with The Rock upon which our faith is built.

We thank our God for blessing us with those who are faithful leaders in the Church. That's me away.

Assumptions

2009-11-18T07:37:00.012-05:00

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

2009-10-21T11:53:00.002-04:00

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...

2009-10-15T07:30:00.013-04:00

“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

2009-10-03T23:35:00.003-04:00

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...

2009-09-19T10:14:00.003-04:00

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

2009-09-13T10:01:00.001-04:00

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

2009-09-11T14:03:00.004-04:00

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.

Getting Rid of Our "Eggshells"

2009-09-03T00:16:00.006-04:00

*When We Are Mistreated*

We are, first and foremost, disciples of Christ and belong to His culture. Our ethnicity always comes second to that. The best gift that we, as Christians can give to this tired old world is to stop forcing our family, our friends and our neighbors, to walk on eggshells constantly because of our feelings. We must give up our touchiness, our thin skins, our defensiveness, our self-righteous martyrdom. We must offer up our feelings to God and offer the other cheek to our neighbor as Scripture tells us. Jesus says to us directly in Luke 6:27-49
27 "But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
29 To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and
from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic.
30 Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.
31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

32 For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.

33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same.

34 If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit (is) that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount.

35 But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.

36 Be merciful, just as (also) your Father is merciful.

37 Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.

38 Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.

39 And he told them a parable, "Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?

40 No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher.

41 Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own?

42 How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,' when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother's eye.

43 "A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit.

44 For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thorn bushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles.

45 A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.

46 "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' but not do what I command?

47 I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them.

48 That one is like a person building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built.

49 But the one who listens and does not act is like a person who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed."

As a disciple of Christ, we must always be the first to show love, forgiveness, charity, and respect to the other person with no expectation of anything in return. "Forgive them; they know not what they do" is what Christ said while dying on the cross... and it is His strength we must engage for ourselves. In a barking mad world of retort and retaliation this will be difficult … but it is not impossible because “I can do all these things in Him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 Then truly shall we be able to hope for the title "disciple and beloved of Christ" in order to be the leaven that raises a community of charity instead of a culture of alienation and hurt.

That's me away.

The Autumn of Life

2009-09-01T12:34:00.005-04:00

On September 1st, I am often reminded by my aching joints that I am aging. Ruminating on this fact of life, I came across this 17th Century Nun's Prayer I tucked in my journal many years ago and now seems ever so nearer and relevant to me.

Lord, Thou knowest better than I know myself that I am growing older and will some day be old. Keep me from the fatal habit of thinking I must say something on every subject and on every occasion. Release me from craving to straighten out everybody's affairs. Make me thoughtful but not moody; helpful but not bossy. With my vast store of wisdom, it seems a pity not to use it all, but Thou knowest, Lord, that I want a few friends at the end.

Keep my mind free from the recital of endless details; give me wings to get to the point. Seal my lips on my aches and pains. They are increasing, and love of rehearsing them is becoming sweeter as the years go by. I dare not ask for grace enough to enjoy the tales of others' pains, but help me to endure them with patience.

I dare not ask for improved memory, but for a growing humility and a lessening cock-sureness when my memory seems to clash with the memories of others. Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally I may be mistaken. Keep me reasonably sweet; I do not want to be a Saint - some of them are so hard to live with - but a sour old person is one of the crowning works of the devil. Give me the ability to see good things in unexpected places, and talents in unexpected people.
And, give me, O Lord, the grace to tell them so.
Amen.

That's me away to get the liniment.

Changes and Eternity

2009-08-19T09:59:00.004-04:00

While reading the following story, I am reminded of how God never changes. As Jesus assures us in Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

MELTING BORDERS from http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090819/ap_on_re_eu/eu_switzerland_italy_melting_border BERN, Switzerland – Switzerland has expanded its border at Italy's expense because of melting glaciers in the high Alps. The Swiss government on Wednesday approved shifting the border up to 150 meters (164 yards) into Italian territory in some areas. The changes were made after the Swiss Federal Office of Topography found that the watershed which determined the border in 1942 had moved because of melting glaciers and snow fields. Topographer Daniel Gutknecht says Switzerland has become "a little bit" larger but added "we won't be correcting the atlas." The Italian embassy in Bern said the change has already been approved by Rome. The shift moves the final stop of the Furggsattel Sesselbahn ski station near the famed Matterhorn peak onto Swiss territory.

That's me away then.

A Blessed Feast

2009-08-15T13:36:00.003-04:00

The Blessed Virgin Mary who was always obedient to God is an excellent model of faith and courage for us. Let us celebrate her example on this Feast of Her Assumption into Heaven.

That's me away.

Lectio Divina

2009-08-10T21:31:00.005-04:00

Frequently I am asked about the prayer of Lectio Divina. Here are two websites who can explain this prayerful reading Scripture more eloquently than I can.
Introduction to Lectio Divina

Lectio Divina Resources

Our dear Pope Benedict XVI time and again encourages Catholics to spend at least 30 minutes a day in prayerful Scripture reading. If there is only one spiritual practice you pursue this year, let it be Lectio Divina.
That's me away.

...wonderfully made

2009-08-06T10:38:00.007-04:00

After a long hard day on the farm, we are tired but it is not until the next day the muscles ache because of the lactic acid buildup. I am in awe of the marvelous bit of engineering by the Great Engineer who created us: He knows that we need to rest after a long hard effort and those aches remind us that we need to rest, even if we are not always so wise about our own bodies.

Good stewardship of the land, of our bodies, of our money.... tis all about the discipline of gratitude and love for the blessings we are given. Let us praise our God and in all ways give thanks.

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19,20

With prayers for all on this Feast of the Transfiguration of Christ

That's me away.

2009-08-04T14:20:00.005-04:00

Three kittens began coming to our front door a couple of weeks ago, furry hobos hoping for a handout. We have decided to adopt them: the old He-Cat has simply accepted their presence and allowed them to curl up beside him for comfort...unconditional acceptance, unconditional love. Jesus loves us this way and more.

Our pickles are done and the 22 pint jars should last until the next summer season. 30 quarts of tomato sauce, 27 quarts of creamed corn, 35 quarts of green beans both pickled and plain: God indeed has been our provider and our joy.

In the heat of the day, I try to check my emails and do a wee bitty wandering around the internet. I know, it can be a horrid place but thankfully, I have found a number of positive things the internet has offered: Iranians and Muslim women throughout the world are coming together in solidarity for freedom. There are numerous websites and resources for uplifting Christian refreshment, many of them by dear Titus 2/Proverbs 31 women of many different denominations. The internet like life offers many opportunities for the good, the bad or the ugly...let us always choose the good and rejoice in our Joy who is Jesus!
That's me away.

Watching Paint Dry

2009-07-21T14:08:00.002-04:00

Life is too exciting at times: deadlines; appliances and machinery breaking down; funerals; crises.... There is an old saying "Dull as watching paint dry". We can all use that kind of dullness. Constant crises wear out the spirit and deadens the soul.

Tis good to sit with the Lord and yes, watch paint dry together.
That's me away.

New Beginnings

2009-07-19T20:33:00.006-04:00

In another few weeks our Yukon Gold potatoes can be dug. In the meantime, the hydrangeas, roses, peonies, and other perennials need fertilizing.

As one season of the garden passes and the canning is done, we plan and prepare for our Fall garden. The veg that sweetens with a kiss of frost are the best for Fall. Cabbages and collards, kale and garlic make up the tasty landscape. Tilling under the old garden is a promise of new beginnings, new growth, and new harvests.

In Lectio Divina, the prayerful reading of the Scriptures, we hope to be able to till and fertilize our souls for new growth and harvests. May God bless both gardens.

That's me away.

God Bless America ...

2009-07-04T10:39:00.002-04:00

and prayers for our dear military who are in harm's way protecting our freedoms. I hope you enjoy this beautiful rendition, tis well done.

The Year of the Priesthood

2009-06-20T06:10:00.011-04:00

May God bless the Workers in the Vineyard, our Priests. The Catechism tells us that we are also a priesthood after a fashion. We must help our priests by being the change we want to see in others. Parish hopping and whining does not help us nor our parish.

In this year of the priesthood, let us help our priests who cannot do it all: we must tuck into the fray and help in ministry to our brothers and sisters. We must honor God with our lives, pray, and practice the virtues. Let us a be a positive influence, not a whinger nor whiner.

That's me away.

2009-06-15T09:18:00.005-04:00

A mini meditation:
How can you be excused if -- at a time when others are persecuted, exiled, and otherwise harassed -- you do not exert yourself for your distressed people, either by your presence or by your teaching?
St. John Chrysostom (347-407AD) on Persecution

Something to think about: Christians in the Middle East are being killed just for believing...in what light does this place your reluctance to "stand out" by wearing a head covering?
*******************************************************************
The young apple trees are heavy with fruit. Tulip poplar saplings that grow like weeds here make excellent sturdy props for the burdened branches. God is good to us with His blessings of fruit. We hope to have enough for the applesauce and the apple butter come fall.

The bee broods have been very strong this year. We always leave at least half of the honey for the bees: it is their natural food, full of the very elements needed to keep them healthy and try to feed as little sugar syrup as possible during the winter unless the weather becomes too harsh.

The garden is busy sprouting the peas and beans, small pickling cucumbers are weighing on the vines. God blesses us indeed.

That's me away then.

2009-06-05T21:41:00.006-04:00

The killing of George Tiller grieves us greatly. While this man was one of the few doctors who performed late term abortions, we believe in LIFE for everyone.

Please pray for Dr. Tiller's soul as that is the Christian thing to do. Also please pray for the pro-life movement which will now be vilified because of this needless act of violence. Violence is never the solution. EVERY life is precious to God. May Jesus have mercy on us all.

Breaking ground

2009-06-03T12:04:00.002-04:00

We till and we toil the soil for a good harvest. Inputs and outcomes. The amount of effort we put into a garden will often show good results. The Christian walk is a garden too: we must always put a good effort into it if we expect to grow in Our Lord.

So let us put away sloth and procrastination and resolve each day to work on our harvest of soul and garden.
That's me away.

Plain Catholic Primer ©2009 - The Good Parish

2009-05-16T11:39:00.018-04:00

© 2009
It takes a genuine faith to BE the example rather than looking for another to set the example. If WE are the EXAMPLE, then like leaven in bread, any parish will rise because of our positive and genuine presence. Priests are human too. They need to see that there are parishioners who exude the genuine love of the Gospel and who are willing to cooperate with the good works of the parish without being "holier" or "proud" or whiners who complain all the time.

Priests need this encouragement: just read St. Paul's writings where he speaks of how he is encouraged by the example set by a given community...and he was a SAINT! We must first seek to BE the parish we want to be in. It may take awhile but others will begin to understand and join you in being a positive and joyful presence. Only the terminally grumpy will continue in their whining. So let us BE the Good Parish in a humble and joyful way, not talking the walk but walking the walk and others will gladly join us. As St. Paul reminds us repeatedly:

If we make a mistake we must admit it.
If we see a need, we must seek quietly to help meet it with no fanfare for ourselves.
If another makes a mistake do not grouse nor nitpick the person, quietly set it right.
Comment only on the positives of the parish; pray about the negatives without saying a word to another and thus avoid spreading the sin of gossip and detraction.
Thank your priest and those who volunteer in your parish frequently.

We must encourage and support our priests who carry the heavy burden for us. It will help to create good parishes where ever we are. As Pope John Paul II reminded us:

We need a docile heart in order to build an exemplary Christian community. We need a spirit that is strong in the faith in order to proclaim the love of God that conquers sin and saves in Christ Who died and is risen. Pope John Paul II (1920 - 2005AD)

That's me away then.

The Infection...

2009-05-04T22:27:00.003-04:00

On May 3rd in a homily at St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Benedict XVI warned of a different kind of infection.

"Here we need to pay attention to a reality: that this 'world,' in the evangelical sense, threatens even the church, infecting its members and the ordained ministers themselves," he said.

"The 'world' is a mentality, a manner of thinking and living that can pollute even the church, and in fact does pollute it, and therefore requires constant vigilance and purification," the pope said. The Christian vocation, ... is to be free from evil and different from the world, though living in the world.
http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0902029.htm

God bless our Pope for having the courage to speak out against the secularism that can make us fall in our love for Christ!
That's me away then.

He Walks With Us

2009-04-15T10:46:00.003-04:00

He is risen indeed! He walks with us, ever at our sides. Let us be mindful of His Presence when we speak, when we act, when we react. Let us devote all our thoughts and actions to His most Holy Name...Jesus!

That's me away to chat up Our Lord.

Another time of waiting

2009-04-08T11:03:00.003-04:00

We are awaiting the steady warm weather for planting. The seedlings have sprouted tall in their little green houses. The young chicks are huddled under the warming lamps and the pets sleep contentedly next to the wood stove while stews simmer gently on top and sweeten the air in the home.

The bees have refuged in their hives again to wait out the recent cold snap. As the weather warms they scatter far and wide for the pollen from the blossoming trees and flowers. They are gathering, preparing and working assiduously to become a strong community ready to fulfill their mission in life.

Now we are working into Holy Week, the most important Week in Christianity. The Week that saves the human race if we but accept the Gift. Keeping this brief, I wish all a most blessed and spiritually fruitful time of prayer during the Holy Triduum.
We must learn to arrange very cautiously a proper time, and when the voice is to open the mouth prudently, and also to arrange wisely the time when silence is to close it. Pope St. Gregory the Great (540-590AD) on Conversation

That's me away then.

Happy Feast of St. Benedict to All the Benedictines

2009-03-21T15:58:00.004-04:00

While praying the Liturgy of the Hours, we often use special prayers for a feastday. St. Benedict has two feastdays, the newer being July 11 but the older date that is still celebrated by some is today, March 21st. So with a sense of covering all of the bases we prayed the special prayers for St. Benedict today.

I wish to pay special respects and send my loving appreciation to the seminarians of St. Meinrad School of Theology who participated in the March for Life in Washington, DC this past January. You can see the slide show of their walk here
http://www.saintmeinrad.edu/v2/monastery/monastery_slideshows.aspx

May God bless your vocations and service to Jesus and His Church ut in omnibus glorificetur Deus.

That's me away

Dealing with Your Identity

2009-02-26T20:54:00.003-05:00

Here is a good exercise for Lent:

When confronted with the sinfulness of a behavior that you consider part and parcel of your identity and modus operandi, how do you react?

Do you rationalize and ignore it, making excuses and changing the subject?

Or do you confront it with prayer and effort to change it?

Be honest with yourself as:

He who rejects admonition despises his own soul, but he who heeds reproof gains understanding. Proverbs 15:32

That's me away.

Heart Check

2009-02-23T13:54:00.002-05:00

Hearing a comment the other day, it made me examine my motivations more closely for fasting and abstinence. A lady said, "I can't wait for Lent because I have to lose 23 lbs for my swimsuit to fit!"

Do I fast and abstain to perfect my body or to perfect my soul?

That's me away.

Weeds, Seeds, Lambs and Fruits

2009-02-07T14:13:00.006-05:00

Tis the time of year we are preparing our gardens for the spring planting. Weeds are uprooted and the ground is disturbed with sod forks and fertilizer to prepare a rich soil for abundant growth and harvest. Our Lord was fond of farming parables as they conveyed in a few words some mighty lessons on walking with Him and our purpose as disciples of Our Savior. We are familiar with Jesus' parable in Mark 4:8

And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit. It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.

We know what Jesus was talking about here: we need to have ready hearts and minds in order for us to produce good fruit for the Kingdom of God and to understand His Word.

Another favorite verse of mine with a farm reference, but one whose meaning is not so readily apparent, is in John 21:18

He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." (Jesus) said to him, "Feed my sheep.

Sheep are grazers; they are rarely ever fed but rather forage for themselves. The only time sheep are fed is 6 weeks before and after they give birth. Jesus is telling St. Peter here that we are to feed His sheep so that they too will produce good and healthy disciples (lambs) to carry on the work of the Kingdom.

Both verses remind us what we are to be about: producing fruit, producing disciples and carrying forth a worthy example of Life in Christ. For Jesus reminds us in Matthew 7

13 "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. 14 How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.
15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves.
16 By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?
17 Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 So by their fruits you will know them.
21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?'
23 Then I will declare to them solemnly, 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.'
24 "Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
25 The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
26 And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
27 The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined."
28 When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching....

Let us get busy and enter the narrow gate; let us tend our lives so that they bear good fruit for the One Who ransomed us from eternal death. Let us think on these things and follow through with a life lived faithfully and fully in Christ. We have been warned by Christ Himself.
That's me away to the garden.

Personal Responsibility vs "Big Brother"

2009-01-28T12:10:00.003-05:00

As Americans, we have become accustomed to "having a big brother" in our government. Many have become dependent upon the government to monitor food production, safety, education, etc. In recent years we have become painfully aware that big brother is inadequate to the task. We must exercise personal responsibility in our choices and make informed decisions.

Tis a temptation for those who have been dependent to try to find a replacement Big Brother. Whether tis a doctor, an organization, a "spiritual group", or some other entity, the temptation is to once again find oneself following blindly to avoid having to make one's own decisions. Cults come in all shapes and sizes and no cult that excludes Free Will is good for us. The Catholic Faith recognizes this too.

God gave us Free Will and with that He gave us responsibility to use our intellects and the promptings of the Holy Spirit to make good choices in all aspects of our lives. The Church has nearly 2000 years of discernment and scholarship to parse the various aspects of the Faith and we are to learn from those efforts as well as grow in our own spiritual walk by daily walks in Scripture and Catechism. It is good to have guidance. It is good to have Faith. It is never healthy to stop making conscious decisions in any aspect of our lives.

Let us sharpen our Free Will then and make our own decisions. We shall pray that Christ is our first and foremost decision in each and every hour.
That's me away then.

The Tragedy

2009-01-24T15:47:00.004-05:00

Generally I prefer to be a person of encouragement and hope. Yet upon encountering some nuns who were protesting the Iraq War and carrying signs saying: "4000 and counting" I was very tempted to give them some more grim statistics.

During the time we have been in Iraq 7.5 million victims have been tortured and murdered, having their arms and limbs torn from their bodies and then beheaded. They did not volunteer for dangerous service as our military have done. No, they were innocent; killed because they were simply unwanted. 7.5 million babies lost their lives during the time we have been in Iraq because of abortion.

This picture is of a unborn infant's hand holding the finger of the surgeon who is performing an intrauterine surgery. It is a beautiful testimony to the life cradled and sheltered within a mother.

Let us pray that our new President's heart will be changed and he stops supporting abortion with our tax dollars. We must all pray assiduously that this genocide is no longer supported by our government.
That's me away to pray.

Too Many Rabbits to Chase...

2009-01-17T15:42:00.003-05:00

One trap of homesteading is the fact that there are so many skills to pursue. One sweet couple I know wants to "do it all" at once. They want to raise sheep and goats for spinning their own wool and making cheese: to grow their own corn for feeding geese and chickens for eggs and poultry to sell; garden their own veg for canning; baking for a baking business; treadle sewing; soap making; growing and grinding their own wheat and oats ... and so on ad infinitum. All this while homeschooling their children and the husband holding down a job. They are exhausted. Burnt out some would say.

As with any endeavor, slow and steady wins. Homesteading, like any huge project, must be tackled in bits and pieces. If a couple wants to have livestock, start small with chickens and slowly add on from there. Gardening? Grow what the family likes and eats first before experimenting with new veg. Starting with the basics and slowly acquiring each skill will make it much easier and much more fulfilling instead of flagging.

The Catholic faith is much akin to beginning homesteading: so many devotions, so many worthy organizations for lay spirituality; 2000 years of scholastic writings parsing the very essence of Scripture and theology ... where does the new convert begin??? My advice from personal experience is that all of the Catholic faith boils down to the balance between Scripture and Tradition. Scripture is the source and essence and the writings of the Early Church Fathers carry through with interpretation and Traditions from the Apostles. The Catholic Catechism is based upon the Scriptures and the Early Church Fathers with scholarship expanding upon those two foundation stones. I always tell a new convert to start there. As they grow, they may find they are drawn to a charism such as Lay Carmelites or the Benedictines (two of many charisms: the Church knows that there are many personalities among its believers).

Lectio in Scripture, study in the Catechism: a sure foundation that will create a strong and able disciple who is better prepared to withstand the buffeting of the world and its enticements to sin. Like the boot camp for the soldier, these two sources will provide the knowledge and the skills to survive in the Faith.

That's me away.

Fr. Neuhaus, You Will be Missed

2009-01-08T18:13:00.002-05:00

We lost a voice of sanity today: Fr. Richard John Neuhaus (1936–2009)
We are all the poorer for this loss; his writings were logical and always without the usual sarcasm nor negativism so prevalent in today's mass media. His commentaries during the vigil of JPIIs final hours as well as the Papal election were always the voice of sanity and faith in the media madness. He never let the bizarre assumptions rule, never snarked nor put down. He was able to bring clarity, calm and gentle humor to a barking broadcast of overwrought emotions. You will be missed, dear Friend. Rest well after a race well run. An essay he wrote in February 2000, Born to Die, helps us to understand his thoughts on the cancer that would claim him and his ability to face death with courage. May we be so blessed with courage upon our own going home to God.

That's me away.

New Means to Old Habits

2009-01-06T08:15:00.003-05:00

Clutter Collectors. Tis what we all are. When I first entered the internet world, information mad me went hog wild collecting all sorts of skivvers and scoobies. When I wore out one printer printing out all that "necessary" information, I stopped myself: it had become yet another way of "clipping articles" for that sad little self who wanted to be prepared rather than trust in God. Now I download a pdf or other tidbit into a Word doc and store it on the computer. Once a year, usually February, I go through and delete all those files I used once or never used. It sure saved the cash and cleared the clutter for me.

It also brought an epiphany: the world's information does have a "sell by" date. It becomes outdated, useless. Only the wisdom of God is permanently useful and valuable. Our broken selves simply become savvy at new ways of clutter to feed the need of our insecurities and so. We cannot run away from the fact that we must ultimately abandon ourselves to trust in Divine Providence.
That's me away.

Seizing Your Spiritual Maturity

2009-01-04T21:56:00.009-05:00

A most blessed Feast of the Epiphany and how appropriate tis for us to seek an epiphany of the coming year! As we do, this is the time of year for resolutions. Weight loss, job goals, family goals all have their usual place in this list. What of your spiritual goals?

As Plain Catholics, our spirituality is quite Benedictine in its charism. While the Rule of St. Benedict is always a good book for your book basket, allow to me to suggest an excellent commentary on that Rule which brings it into the level of everyday living. What Makes a Cistercian Monk? by Fr. Anthony Delisi, OCSO is just as relevant to our family life and its spiritual health as it is for the monks in the Chapter to whom he gave these talks.

Pithy and to the point, do read it slowly and ruminate thoroughly. No rambling anecdotes, no self-important revelations; Fr. Delisi simply passes on hundreds of years of living the Rule in the daily and the ordinary as it is handed down from monk to monk. Gospel living at its simplest and best. This tiny book is well worth the read and is one that remains in my book basket for the long term.
That's me away.

Balance

2008-12-30T11:43:00.002-05:00

Balance: tis a goal we must all seek to acquire to maintain a healthy spiritual life as well as our physical and emotional health. The Rule of St. Benedict emphasizes balance between work and prayer, ora et labora. Plain Catholics who are inspired by the RB seek this as well. For a Plain Catholic family, shoveling manure is as much a part of the life as praying the Hours. Our prayers may be said in the house or out in the field. As such, we sort our day according to needs of both farm and family. Yet we always, always make time for prayer as God is our Family, Our Father, our Life.

In a world gone barking with incessant manipulation to buy the latest product or to follow the latest trend, we turn toward God and away from excess. Just as the bees have a season to make honey and a season to rest, we too have times for work and prayer. Plain Catholics are self-starters: we do not await a time to "feel like it". Tis a life of self-discipline, initiative and trust in God for the outcome. Tis not a life in the herd of popular culture.

So we plan, prepare, parse and pray. May all have a bright and blessed New Year. That's me away.

In this Holy Christmastide

2008-12-24T03:29:00.002-05:00

May Our Lord and His Blessed Mother enrich you with bountiful graces in your spiritual walk with God. May the angels sing you to sleep; and the Saints awaken you with the desire and enthusiasm to grow each day as a more faithful disciple of Jesus, Our Savior.

God bless you all.

Salt and Vinegar, II

2008-12-17T21:58:00.005-05:00

In Salt and Vinegar we talked about the need to be salt for our world. We need to be a means of Christ's healing for the society in which we live. As we pray the "O Sapientia" let us humbly ask for wisdom in being that salt ut in omnibus glorificetur Deus.

O Sapientia, qun ex ore
Altissimi prodiisti, attingens
a fine usque ad finem forti-
ter, suaviterque disponens
omnia; veni, ad docendum
nos viam prudentiae.

O Wisdom, that proceedest
from the mouth of the Most
High, reaching from end to
end mightily, and disposing
all things sweetly come
and teach us the way of
prudence.

Sedes Sapientiae, Ora Pro Nobis.
Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, pray for us.

Varia

2008-12-16T01:12:00.004-05:00

We bid a fond farewell to Cardinal Dulles who passed away this week at the venerable age of 90 and was a convert to the Catholic faith. A more complete bio on him can be read here Cardinal Avery Dulles Online.

This week, the house is once again filled with baking smells for cookie swaps and gift giving. Tis a quiet Christmastide this year with fewer people in the stores and fewer cars on the road - a more contemplative Christmas, an introspective Advent. God has the nation's attention it seems; or so we hope. Tis a good quiet for ora et labora.

Now to bake the Lussekatter or St. Lucia's Cats saffron bread to give as gifts. You may like to try this one. If you do, serve it up with coffee or Julmust.

1 Tbsp active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water (105-110 degrees F)

3 1/2 - 4 cups flour

pinch saffron

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup evaporated milk, undiluted

6 tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 tsp salt

currants, raisins, or dried cranberries

sugar

______

Glaze

1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water.

DIRECTIONS

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Set aside for 5 minutes. Combine 2 cups flour, saffron, sugar, egg, evaporated milk, butter and salt. Mix thoroughly. Add yeast mixture and mix thoroughly. Add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth — about 10 minutes.

Place in greased bowl, turning to coat top. Cover; let rise in warm place until double — about 1 hour. Punch down dough. Divide it into 32 pieces. Form each piece of dough into a string, 6 - 8 inches long, then arrange the string in a double S. Place on greased baking sheet. Cover; let rise in warm place until double — about 20 minutes.

Place a currant/raisin/cranberry in each curl. Make glaze. Brush buns with glaze and sprinkle with more sugar. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven about 25 minutes or until done. Cool on wire rack.

That's me away then.

Waiting.....

2008-12-10T13:03:00.003-05:00

Tis Advent and we are watching, waiting for the birth of the Savior. We eat less, pray more and clean the house thoroughly in the anticipation of the Nativity. The coming Sunday is Gaudete Sunday: the Sunday we take a break from fasting and celebrate our faith in joy. It is the Sunday we light the pink candle and give thanks for our blessings from God.

The countryside is all brown and misty as the trees and the veg sleep until the warm weather awakens them. The bees hum in their hives staying warm and feasting on their honey. The kitchen smells of the ammonia from the scrub-down, the fire is crackling in the wood stove keeping us warm. The quilt I am stitching waits for me each evening, a prayer for the recipient goes into each stitch.

Watching and waiting. That's me away then.

He Ain't Heavy...

2008-12-01T01:33:00.002-05:00

Full up with feast and waddling through the washing, tis glad that Thanksgiving holiday is done. Sunday was the first Sunday of Advent and the Prophet candle was lit. Scripture readings from the prophets who foretold the birth of Our Savior were part of the Mass today and Father had on his indigo chasuble. So now we await the Holy Day that remembers the birth of Our Savior; like an expectant mother, we watch and pray for the Child who is the Son of God.

Our wood stove burns warmly and the winter stews simmer fragrantly; the biscuits and the breads send delicious smells throughout the house. We are expecting snow tomorrow and while we never get very much of it, we always enjoy what we receive. The sweet hush that falls over the woods and the farm is akin to being in a church...alone.

We did not have many tourists at Mass this weekend. Sometimes we have quite an overflow of tourists who come on holiday. May God bless them safe travels as they return to their homes and beds.

That's me away

The Parable of the Poop

2008-11-22T15:30:00.005-05:00

The Parable of the Poop or Closed Mind, Open Heart

There is a popular parable making the rounds about the parent who tried to teach her children about the dangers of compromising with non-Christian doctrine and concepts. She made a batch of brownies and when finished, put them on a plate. Calling in the children she told them these were special brownies in which she had added something extra. The excited children all wanted to know what the new ingredient was.
“Dog poop,” their mother said.
“EWWWWWWW NO WAY AM I GOING TO EAT THAT!”

“But it’s just a little speck of poop, how can that hurt you?” the mother countered.

“It will make us sick!”, the children stated together.

Point made. Even small compromises with the secular and sinful ideas of the world can sicken our walk with God.

Jesus never told us to open our minds to sin; on the contrary we are to close off our minds from bad influences while we open our hearts to those who are hurting, thus preserving our minds from the gangrene of godless gurus. In 2 Timothy 2, St. Paul reminds us:

15 Be eager to present yourself as acceptable to God, a workman who causes no disgrace, imparting the word of truth without deviation. 16 Avoid profane, idle talk, for such people will become more and more godless, 17 and their teaching will spread like gangrene.

and in Romans 12:1, 2

I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship. Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.

In the books of Titus and James we are told how to open our hearts yet remain undefiled by the toxic culture:

...showing yourself as a model of good deeds in every respect, with integrity in your teaching, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be criticized, so that the opponent will be put to shame without anything bad to say about us. Titus 2:7, 8

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this: To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. James 1:27

We are to hold to the wisdom and commonsense of our Faith and it’s teachings on purity and sin while we help others. We must guard against the wee bitty bit of “poop” that will spoil and poison our spiritual walk. A local farmer sums it up succinctly: “Be careful that when you open your mind your brain doesn’t fall out.”

So let us close our minds to sin’s influence while we open our hearts to others: after all, we must be salt and light to the world. Would you care for a brownie?

That's me away to my baking.

Of Anxiety and the Plain Response

2008-11-21T23:55:00.005-05:00

There seems to be a heightened level of anxiety since the election. Those who treat elections as a competition between teams view the political parties as part and parcel of their identity. The more they identify with the political party, the more upset they become when their party loses.

The economy still struggles in spite of a smooth electoral process. News from other quarters of the world is increasingly overwrought, even shrill.

The holidays are upon us. Let us take pause from the telly, the radio, even the internet news. Those who are addicted to continual updates of news all day long seem to be the most overwrought of many.

Pray. Trust in God. Remember what Jesus, Our Savior tells us in John 14:27

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid."

"Be not afraid", Pope John Paul II announced referencing that Scripture. He knew the peace that Christ brings and knew well the reassurance of Romans 8:28

"We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose."

That's me away.

Flu's Blues

2008-11-08T23:41:00.003-05:00

Being down in the belly leaves me with little energy for the past three days. Soups, teas and water keep me full while the kittens keep me company, consoling me with their purring and head nudges. I offer up the roly poly nausea to God for others and thank Him for the comfort of kittens and their entertaining acrobatics.

Being a farm, we have cats and dogs for company and protection. The dogs protect us from predators and the cats protect us from snakes, moles, voles and other beasties who would harm limb or garden. The cats have proven quite effective at keeping away the flycatchers who would eat the bees too. Losing a queen to a flycatcher can collapse a hive. The bees need their queen and without her, they abandon the hive if no new queen is added or emerges from a queen cell. Before the bird lovers start an outcry, the cats have never caught a bird yet. The birds are too quick for them. But the cats are able to patrol the area and thus keep the flycatchers and other bee predators at bay. Interestingly, none of the cats have ever been stung. God is good to us.

Last week a man at the parish tried to convince me that a Latin Mass is superior to the vernacular. Apparently no one has notified him that the Magisterium considers both the Latin Mass and the Novus Ordo Masses valid. Personally I am glad to simply be able to attend Mass 6 days a week regardless of its language. With so many parishes being closed down due to lack of priests, we are truly blessed to have both a priest and regular Masses.

Having an attitude of gratitude is the best way to approach life, for God is indeed good to us.
That's me away then.

Happy to be Hard Core

2008-11-02T14:21:00.003-05:00

Overheard: A teen, commenting on my rosary and kapp was telling a friend that I am a "Hard Core Catholic".

"Thank you for that compliment," I told him sincerely.

He looked puzzled. So I quoted to him Revelations 3:13-16

13 '"Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
14 "To the angel of the church in Laodicea, write this: " 'The Amen, the faithful and true witness, the source of God's creation, says this:
15 "I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot.
16 So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

Then I said, "That is why we should all be Hard Core Catholics. Because Jesus prefers it and it is for our own good so that we will not be spit out."

The young man was very quiet and very thoughtful as I left. May God touch his heart and may he respond well to God's graces in his life.
That's me away then.

Salt and Vinegar

2008-10-30T10:51:00.006-04:00

When Jesus told us that we need to be the “salt of the earth” in Matthew 5:13, He was conveying a very deep and manifold concept. Salt irritates and stings infected and injured flesh because it is killing harmful microbes that sicken and destroy the flesh. Salt is also used to preserve food to keep it from spoiling for the same reasons. So too, as Catholics who seek Christ and to be His faithful disciples, we must not lose our saltiness for Jesus reminds us that we will then be good for nothing.

As salt, we need not and should not verbally get in everyone’s face by confrontational irritation for this is the deadly sin of pride. We will be irritating enough by simply trying to focus on our own growth and spiritual maturity. By following Jesus’ example; by choosing virtue in every decision, instead of choosing sin, pride and vice as our response in every moment of our lives, we will be far more effective as salt through our example than we would be with words. Our society is drowning in words and it is only by the fruit of our lives (Matthew 7:15-20) that we remain salt for the earth and a light to the world.

Our example will be more irritating to the world the more the world saturates itself in the infection of evil. We must humbly persevere in following Jesus in the face of that evil. Pray and work in virtue. Seek the seven virtues, both theological and cardinal; study the Scriptures; and pray, pray to and with Christ without ceasing. Do all with a cheerful heart so that you do not become vinegar and bitter. Do know that the crown awaits those who persevere in humble obedience to Christ.

After all, salt and vinegar is only tasty on chips.
That’s me away.

Ergo...the Ego

2008-10-29T22:14:00.004-04:00

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to forget our truest Freedom, the Freedom promised by Christ? Our freedom is found in detachment from materialism; detachment from the self-centered agendas; detachment from the flattery that strokes one's ego. Without that detachment we become very, very small; imprisoned in the tiny world we have created with our own paradigms and perceptions.

Christ wants us to be freed from the prison of pride and the ego; the sin that comes from that very pride of ego. The path to holiness does not echo "I have the answer". It reminds us that only God has the answer. As we spend time with God in prayer and study of His Divine Will in Scripture, we begin to understand that the walls which are made up of our egos are inadequate to the truly grand design of God's Holy Will. That sense of True Freedom dawns in our tiny, dark rooms that our egos have created and we step into the Light of God's Presence; we become a part of something that is much bigger, much grander than anything we can devise, anything we can hope for from our own tiny plans.

Pope John Paul II reminded us: "Be not afraid." So let us set aside our fears and step into the Light of Christ. Tis much more beautiful than a wee dark room.

That's me away; do not forget to pray to God this day.

PLEASE JOIN US

2008-10-26T21:44:00.003-04:00

A Call for a Rosary Novena
By Fr. John Corapi
www.fathercorapi.com

Excerpt

I strongly urge every one of you to make a Novena and pray the Rosary to Our Lady of Victory between October 27 th and Election Day, November 4th. Pray that God’s Will be done and the most innocent and utterly vulnerable of our brothers and sisters will be protected from this barbaric and grossly sinful blight on society that is abortion. No woman, and no man, has the right to choose to murder an innocent human being.

Let us pray for an end to the murders of unborn children.

PAX: ON PEACE AND BENEDICTINES

2008-10-20T10:02:00.004-04:00

St. Benedict was immersed in Scripture; his Rule of life for his monasteries still functions well as a practical and pragmatic guide for living the life in the Gospel of Christ.

St. Benedict knew full well the kind of Pax/Peace that Jesus meant when he said in Matthew 10

34 "Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword.

35 For I have come to set a man 'against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;

36 and one's enemies will be those of his household.'

37 "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;

38 and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.

and again in John 14

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.

Tis not the peace of protest marches; nor is it the peace without pain nor joy. When Benedictines speak of peace as their by-word, they think on these verses and know that peace from trust in God's Holy Will and abandonment to His Divine Providence. Tis not a good time party nor warm fuzzy feelings though those are not excluded. Both joy and pain are part and parcel of this peace. Tis our attitude toward all of life as Disciples of Jesus : trust in God and His Holy Will as we take up our cross and walk with Him.

St. Teresa of Avila, educated by Benedictines, sums up that peace that "surpasses all understanding":

Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things pass away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
He who has God
Finds he lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.

That's me away then.

A Busy Bee

2008-10-18T11:50:00.006-04:00

September and October are very busy weeks for the harvesting and the canning. With pantry full and muscles sore, we now rest and enjoy the mellow autumn days with God's paintbox of landscapes.

Jesus is generous both in harvest and graces. We have dear friends who come to our aid when we need help and curious converts who want to make yet another, deeper step to become more like Christ whom we serve. There are many inquiries into the Plain Catholic charism. Some come to seek a deeper spiritual life. Some only seek fellowship.

Some think we are "greenies" (environmentalists) and some think we are saints. We are none of these. We are simple, straightforward seekers and disciples of Christ who try to divest ourselves of all distractions that keep us from prayer, family, study and work.

Now that the harvest is done and the days are freed up, tis my hope to again be more present on the posting of this "day in the life".

That's me away then.

The Highway to Holiness

2008-09-15T11:12:00.009-04:00

If you want to travel the fast lane of spiritual maturity, forgiveness of injuries and insults tis the means. We have Christ's example from the Cross from Luke 23

33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him and the criminals there, one on his right, the other on his left.
34 Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." They divided his garments by casting lots.

and again we have the followup from two great Doctors of the Church:

*There are many kinds of alms the giving of which helps us to obtain pardon for our sins; but none is greater than that by which we forgive from our heart a sin that someone has committed against us.

*St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430AD) on Forgiveness
Mini-Bio: North African; bishop, theologian, Doctor of the Church

**The saints rejoiced at injuries and persecutions, because in forgiving them they had something to present to God when they prayed to Him.

**St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582AD) on Forgiveness

Mini-Bio: Spanish; Founder of the Discalced Carmelites, Doctor of the Church. She left us excellent writings and teachings on prayer and had a great devotion to St. Joseph.

Humility is the earth that feeds our need to forgive. Let us be humble and recognize that pride causes us to become bitter over the real or imagined injury.

That's me away, then.