Be on the lookout for a post this weekend with more Facebook cover photos of the Catholic variety. I made two more and hope to have four total in one post for easy find-ability. :)
— 2 —
After writing my post on John 6:63, I’ve been further pondering the verse and its implications in light of the rest of the text. I’m beginning to think this verse may be my favorite support for the Eucharist from Scripture. If Jesus is not talking about His flesh in this verse (which He isn’t, because that interpretation is blasphemous), what is He talking about? The only satisfactory answer points to a literal interpretation of Christ’s words in the rest of the passage.
— 3 —
Utter mayhem is about to descend upon our little hometown. Every September, we are home to the largest fair in the state (larger than the state fair, actually). We live four blocks away from the fairgrounds, so close that we can hear the tractor pulls and the concerts. It’s really quite fun if you don’t have to drive anywhere. We’re planning to take the family on opening day. I anticipate being broke for the rest of the month.
— 4 —
Thanks for your prayers regarding the big ministry opportunity I (vaguely) referred to last week. I was asked to fill a pretty important role at a pro-life ministry in my area. I was so honored to be considered. In the end, however, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to balance this new opportunity with the commitments I already have on my plate. I was so sad to turn it down, but I am confident in God’s guidance in the decision. Maybe someday the door will open again.
— 5 –
I almost never watch talk shows, but I caught the beginning of a Dr. Oz show yesterday. It was about infertility and fertility treatments. As Dr. Oz was describing the process of conception, he referred to the fertilized egg as “the child.” I almost spit out my coffee. The rest of the show was just awful in the moral bankruptcy department, but I do wonder if the good doctor will receive backlash from his comment (which definitely granted personhood to the tiny zygote on his uterus diagram). Gosh, you forget to be politically correct for just one moment and all this logic starts coming out!
— 6 —
Would you stop reading my blog if I wrote a political post? Just one. I didn’t want to, but as this election season progresses I’m finding it harder and harder to shut up. And it’s only August. Yikes. A rant is forming in my head and it needs a place to land…
— 7 —
I’m participating in Support a Catholic Speaker Month 2012! The top 100 Catholic speakers have been named over on Brandon Vogt’s blog and I was able to “claim” a speaker to feature here in a blog post. Don’t worry, I got somebody cool. You can either wait until September to find out who it is or go here to search the list for The Recovered Catholic. ;)
By the way, there appear to be more speakers available if you’d like to participate. You can fill out a form at the above link to jump in on the fun.
I’m no graphic designer, but this was fun to make! I think I’ll create some more and start an archive somewhere on this blog. They will all be steal-able.
If you subscribe to any number of Catholic blogs, then you’ve almost certainly heard about this great opportunity. But just in case you haven’t, here’s the info!
Pillars of Catholicism is a just-launched online course that aims to reach today’s tech-savvy people with the fundamentals of the Catholic faith. Produced by John Paul the Great University, the course offers thirteen 30-minute videos as well as study guides, quizzes, and more. Best of all, it’s free!
My husband and I are excited to do this together over the coming months. Let me know if you’re planning to join in too. The program starts today, August 20th, and it appears that you can jump aboard anytime hereafter.
I’m reading the book of John right now. This coincides well with what we’re reading at mass this month, particularly John 6. Chapter six is read during the summer every three years on the liturgical cycle. Shannon and I read through it this week and all we kept saying was “This is…amazing.”
— 2 —
We’ve been seriously enjoying the Olympics in my house this week. Our toddlers are enjoying it to, as evidenced by the variety of dangerous feats they’ve attempted when my back was turned. Synchronized diving off an overturned laundry basket (no pool) is a popular stunt. I’ve also witnessed some pretty unspeakable balancing activities at the playground . Never was prime time television such a bad influence!
— 3 —
My new friend Melissa shared this photo on her blog a few weeks ago:
1945 U.S. Marines receive Communion from a Marine chaplain on Iwo Jima
I cannot stop staring at it. I think we’re going to have this in our home somewhere. Huge.
“What does the poor man do at the rich man’s door, the sick man in the presence of his physician, the thirsty man at a limpid stream? What they do, I do before the Eucharistic God. I pray. I adore. I love.” St. Francis of Assisi
— 4 —
My post from yesterday was a call for guest submissions. If you’re Catholic and like to write, I’d be so thrilled to share your story on my blog!
— 5 —
My best friend’s father in law told me about this really great app for fans of Archbishop Fulton Sheen. It’s basically an audio library of his talks, categorized by topics like Catholic Teaching, The Passion of Christ, About Women, Gospel Characters, etc. There’s 284 talks in the latest version. Best of all, the app is free! Check it out here.
— 6 —
Speaking of my best friend, she and her husband celebrated their first anniversary this past week. I had the honor of standing by her side as a bridesmaid last summer just as she had done for me in 2007. Jackie and I have been friends for twelve years and it shows – we even chose the same bridesmaid dresses (in different colors) for our weddings! Happy anniversary to my favorite married couple ever. To many, many more.
— 7 —
This week’s Blog Better Than Mine got deleted by the author. I’m actually pretty bummed about the whole thing.
The blog was a beautiful one written by a Baptist man. He wrote a post this week announcing his conversion to Catholicism and the outcry was so severe that he apparently took down his entire blog. Before deleting, comments from his former Christian cohort ranged from name-calling to slander to making inappropriate comments about his wife.
When will this behavior cease? I find the whole scene entirely disheartening, to say the least. This has been a big summer for conversion to the Church with many respected Protestant Christians making the decision to embrace Catholicism. The negative reactions I’ve read from some of the more popular Protestant bloggers have lacked in substance in favor of an angry, sarcastic, and clearly frustrated response. I really enjoyed the comments section on this post here addressing the (ridiculous) claim that Catholics convert “to be cool.” May I learn to react with such grace when faced with worldly scorn. These blogs I admire truly are better than mine.
A storm is a-brewin’ for a well-known Presbyterian pastor who recently announced his conversion to Rome. I have a post ready to publish with the details and a link to the most recent update, but controversy has become so intense that the link I planned to share has been made unavailable for viewing at this time. I hope the good people over at Called To Communion are able to re-publish the beautiful post again soon. It was a stunner.
In the meantime, check out the initial announcement made by Jason Stellman over on his blog here. If ever you doubted that true anti-Catholic bigotry existed today, take a gander at the comments section. As one former Reformed reader noted, “This really is a blood sport for some of you men.”
I’m praying for Jason as he makes a most difficult and wonderful transition.
— 2 —
At about the same time I was clicking “publish” on my last 7QT post, a gunman was shooting at innocent movie-goers at a theater in Colorado. We’ve all heard the story by now. In a small way, the tragedy brings me back to what was easily the most terrifying day of my life when a young man opened fire on a lecture hall at my alma mater, Northern Illinois University. On that February day in 2008, I sat crouched in a building next door peeking out the window as students ran for their lives. Five students were killed in the same room where we attended our weekly Campus Crusade for Christ gatherings. Bullets were fired from the same stage where the word of Christ was preached every Thursday night.
I’ll never forget how weird it was to see helicopters in the air above my school, above my apartment. While I watched the horror of last week unfold in the news, I could feel the shock on the faces of the survivors. It never hits you that this actually happened here. Keep praying for those folks who were affected by last week’s shooting. Twelve people dead and lives forever changed. It’s just not fair.
— 3 —
I really appreciate the comments I received on my post about NFP. While I still have some unresolved reservations, I definitely have a better understanding of the issues I raised, namely in regards to NFP being used as contraception. This might be one of those topics that take years to comprehend, but the last few days have been small stepping stones to better understanding. Blogging is awesome.
— 4 —
A Chic-Fil-A is opening in my neighborhood. I’m going to buy their food using the money my husband earned working for a large corporation that supports gay marriage. Now everyone can question my integrity… equal opportunity!
— 5 —
Eight days ago, my prankster brother planted a microchip in my house that emits a shrill, electronic beep every 9 minutes and 42 seconds. He attached it with a magnet to the underside of my fridge. The only reason he came clean about the whole thing is because after a whole week spent emptying the kitchen in frustrated rage, we’d figured out it was indeed coming from the refrigerator. He was afraid we’d call a repair man and end up with a hefty bill. At least he knows where to draw the line. Love you, brother! Don’t forget what they say about revenge.
The device, aptly named the “annoy-a-tron.”
— 6 —
Welcome to Homily Heaven! I am loving Father Mike Schmitz these days and this podcast is being heavily utilized in our house. Check out the one from July 1st for a really amazing breakdown of the HHS Mandate debacle from the perspective of a modern-minded yet totally orthodox (lower-case “o”) Catholic priest. What a boss. I used to think that only Evangelicals could preach with fervor. Nope.
— 7 —
This week’s Blog Better Than Mine is really amazing. It’s by my friend Nicole who writes a beautiful blog titled Mashena. Check out her recent post about internet friendships: Ode to the Internet.
Nicole and I actually met online almost ten years ago through another blogging site. Over the years we’ve grown as friends through the ups and downs of life. About two years ago Nicole moved to Chicago for a job working with young women as a house mother (lucky ladies!) and we’ve had the blessed opportunity to meet up “in real life.” Wednesday was a really great day as we set out into the city for lunch, shopping, and catching up. Her post Ode to the Internet expresses my thoughts about online friendships so perfectly. I hope you love her blog as much as I do.
I distinctly remember the day I ventured into Barnes and Noble to buy my first book about Catholicism. At this point I still considered myself highly skeptical of all things Rome and thus found the experience of browsing the “Religion” section to be more than a little intimidating. I started with a very basic title: Catholicism for Dummies by Fr. JohnTrigilio and Fr. Kenneth Brighenti. It seemed simple, straightforward, and to the point (and actually it was awesome and I highly recommend it to anyone, Catholic or otherwise, though later I moved on to more scholarly sources). I was terrified that someone would see me buying such a blasphemous book, so I got out of there as quickly as possible.
For some reason I decided to keep the receipt from my purchase. I used it as a bookmark, not really thinking much about it. About a year later, my husband and I joked that no one could ever accuse me of making a rash decision to become a Catholic revert – and I had the receipt to prove it! The other day I found that silly receipt and we had another good laugh. It’s almost three years old now.
September 9, 2009. And I totally overpaid.
I think I’ll keep it as an artifact from the beginning of our amazing journey home.
— 2 —
Any home educators out there? This fall, our homeschooling years officially begin. My older daughter just turned three and I’m excited to begin some semi-structured learning at home. Of course, both of my girls are already learning at home through play and interaction together and with friends. My hope is to devote a bit more focus on specific preschool skills in preparation for the academic years that are just around the corner.
My educational background is in elementary education and I feel pretty confident in my ability to evaluate curriculum and chart our own learning course. What intimidates me is the idea of instructing my girls in our faith (which will obviously be a major focus of my homeschooling objectives). This is a totally new area of expertise for me and while I consider myself to be a knowledgeable Catholic, I’m not so sure I’m knowledgeable about making our beautiful faith come alive to my little girls. I have the added terror of recalling what I was like as a child – the skeptical, bored, and inwardly-rebellious kid who secretly tuned out at the mention of Jesus. What if my kids are like me? Why do I get the feeling that my kids are going to just as inquisitive as I was? I need to be prepared for this.
So needless to say, I’m on the hunt for preschool curriculum that has an emphasis on Catholic faith. I’m also interested in finding forums, web sites, and blogs that focus on these topics too. Can you recommend anything?
— 3 —
Speaking of my children, they’re already brilliant if I do say so myself. The other day I found them in bathroom baptizing their dolls in the dog’s water dish. My older daughter seemed to be the main celebrant of the sacrament with the younger daughter simply following her orders. Later, younger daughter emerged from the bathroom with a dripping head and that’s when I put the kabosh on the whole thing.
I also noticed that my older daughter has been paying attention at mass lately. This evening she was “reading” one of her story books and kept inserting the phrase “the Lord” as she narrated the pictures. The only place she could have picked this up was from church! She’s also more familiar with the new translation of the mass than many of our fellow parishioners.
In a way, “homeschooling” is going pretty well already.
— 4 —
Under the heading “Things In Which I Will Never Be Competent,” I place the field of web design. I had one major goal this week for my business: create a website. I have failed so miserably to scrape together anything that even remotely functions as a professional internet destination. I wish I could describe what I find to be so difficult about the web design process, but my brain is so fried from the experience that I can’t even articulate what is going awry. I have made the executive decision to hire someone. It will be expensive but the relief I feel tonight is worth it already.
Ironically, I’m really happy with the design of this blog. I like the header design, the fonts, the background pattern. ”I’m like a web designer!” I thought erroneously. As it turns out, I’m not. It was just an unfortunate coincidence that The Recovered Catholic looks presentable. I’ll probably never change the appearance of this blog again, lest I destroy it with my sheer lack of any technological skills whatsoever.
— 5 —
My husband and I have been completely obsessed with this song by Josh Garrels called Revelator. (Spoiler alert: It’s about the book of Revelation.) We both agree that it gives us chills.
— 6 —
A dear friend of mine had a question about the video featured in my last entry. She asked specifically for the biblical proof of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. Her question was a good one and the answer wasn’t clear from the video itself. Here was my response:
At 8:20 in the video, there is a reference to the Annunciation. For whatever reason, the creator of the video didn’t provide the exact scripture verse. It’s Luke 1:28 in which the angel Gabriel says “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you.” The traditional Greek translation of “full of grace” is “to fill or endow with grace.” The tense of the phrase is in the perfect passive participle which, in English, indicates that Mary’s fullness of grace was present always, at the very earliest moment of her being – her conception. She was given grace in the past with continuing effects in the present. This is where we get the term “Immaculate Conception.”
Another scripture proof that the video creator DID include is a bit more implicit. The latter part of the video demonstrates Mary’s role as Ark of the New Covenant. If Mary IS the Ark of the New Covenant (which we can reasonably conclude through scripture), then it would be both logical and necessary that she be undefiled by sin. The Old Testament Ark of the Covenant was the epitome of sacred to the Jews because it symbolized the forthcoming Messiah. The Old Ark was so pure that it could not even be touched by sinful man. If Mary is the New Ark, she brought the Messiah to mankind – literally. She would need to be pure and free from sin.
This week, I’d like to highlight some links to a few fantastic reads from my Reader as of late. The New Evangelization is alive and well in the Catholic blogosphere these days!
We Are Starting Over by “The Reverend Know-It-All,” Father Richard Simon of Relevant Radio. He has some interesting thoughts on the future of religious education.
Paganism, Prophesies, and Propaganda by Father Dwight Longenecker. He shares his thoughts on the claim that Catholicism is a recycled form of Paganism.
Okay, over and out! It’s been a particularly ridiculous week for my music program and as you read this, I’m conducting a field trip for thirty kindergarten students. This is on top of the six students I will teach this afternoon in my regular classes. Luckily, my schedule is consolidated into just two hectic days. Weekend, she cometh!
Actually, accepting the Church’s teachings on Mary didn’t take an entire hour. It took eleven minutes, the length of this video. (The other forty-nine minutes of that hour were spent in tears of amazement.)
It was yet another moment in which I asked myself “To where else would I go, but the Catholic Church?”
The first thing that kindles ardor in learning is the greatness of the teacher. What is greater than the Mother of God? What more glorious than she whom glory itself chose?”
Last Friday my husband and I left the kids with Grandma and Grandpa and went to see For Greater Glory. I don’t even know what kind of sentence to type next. It was well-produced and fascinating and pretty darn scary all at the same time. If you haven’t heard of it, the film is about the Cristero War of 1926-1929 in Mexico. The Mexican government basically tried to eradicate the Catholic Church by means of extreme persecution. The Church fought back and proved again that “the gates of hell would not prevail.” But oh, the violence and terror those Christians faced. So many martyrs. That could never happen here….could it?
— 2 —
On a much lighter note, I learned this week that my grandparents have sold their house and are moving to live closer to us. What used to be a 60+ minute drive will now be a mere 15 minute trip. We are really excited about this, as we’ve always wished to be closer to them. I know they’ll be sad to move away from the place they called home for over forty years, but hopefully the excitement of seeing their super adorable great-granddaughters more often will help ease the transition. My husband is excited to help them shovel their driveway in the winter. What a guy. :) They close on the new house in August!
— 3 —
In other family excitement, my brother just returned from Europe this week after a six-month stay in Linz, Austria. He is studying music and is now home on break. My family was so thrilled for his homecoming. Not only did far too many people accompany my dad and me to retrieve him from the airport, but we also had a huge lunch at a fun restaurant on the way home followed by a massive steak dinner that night at my parents’. We ate European chocolate and drank Austrian beer and watched my daughters show off for their uncle with visible excitement. It’s been really fun and I thank God for his safe return home. He’ll be with us in the States until September.
— 4 —
I’ve been learning about the Liturgy of the Hours (it’s also apparently called the Divine Office). At first I looked at it and thought “Oh no way. I am just too busy for that.” But the more I learn, the more I’ve begun to seriously consider making it a part of my daily life. I love the idea of praying with millions of fellow believers as one Church, one body. I really liked Simcha Fisher’s thoughts on the subject over on her blog at the National Catholic Register website.
You might be thinking, “Well why not just start doing it then?” Because I’m type-A, that’s why. I either do things or I don’t do them; “go big or go home.” Its just how I am. I have a feeling I’m going to choose to do it, though. When I do, I want to be committed and actually pray with consistency. Anyone else pray the Divine Office? Is it a difficult discipline? Do you recommend it? (I don’t really expect anyone to answer “no” to that last one.) I’m especially interested in tips from fellow mothers of one or more human cyclones adorable young children who might find themselves short on time as it is.
— 5 —
It was the Fourth of July this past week and the first year that I didn’t see any fireworks. :( My excuse: it was too darned hot! The Chicagoland area has been experiencing a terrible heat wave and temps remain in the nineties well after nightfall. The lack of rain has not helped. More fireworks were scheduled for Sunday night but have been canceled due to fire hazards. I am thanking God for air conditioning and have on several occasions said to my husband, “Remember when we almost bought that one house without central air?! What were we thinking?!” (It’s true. At one point during our 2010 house hunting adventure I fell in love with a house without a/c. What a short-lived love that would have been!)
— 6 —
My last post about sola scriptura was fun because I received some interesting feedback from a few readers in the comments section. It is neat to encounter such a diverse range of Christian perspective in one place. Anyway, as much as I enjoyed the comments exchange, I found myself feeling really stressed out about responding in a timely manner. I felt like if I didn’t sit down and respond this very second, I could think of little else. I hereby give this disclaimer: I do most of my blogging on the weekends while the kids are in bed and my husband is at work (he works third shift). So if I don’t get back to you on a Thursday morning, just check back with me in a few days.
There. Now that I’ve said this, I won’t feel nearly the pressure I did before. :) (I’m one of those people who invents her own stress. Can you tell?)
— 7 —
This week’s Blog Better Than Mine is not actually a blog, but a website that has a blog. It’s a new project called 1Flesh.org and is aimed at addressing the pitfalls of contraception use in marriage. Your reaction will be either one of two varieties: 1) “What the hell? Who on earth is against contraception? Is this a joke? ” or 1) “Awesome! A hip, attractive media outlet for young married people to discover the beauty of sex as God designed it!” Whatever your reaction, I hope you’ll follow the link to this very cool and very informative site.
I think the feature that I most appreciate about this new project is the total absence of faith affiliation. Of course, everyone would expect a site like this to be run by crazy Catholics (and for the most part, it is!), but you won’t find any talk of religion here. The developers sought to focus on the practical and universal benefits of rejecting contraception. (And as I learn time and time again, Catholicism and reason are usually on the same side of any controversy.) Anyway, at least check out the graphics. Some of them are hilarious. I hope to snag one of them for this blog to help spread the word.
Last week I was asked to be a Eucharistic minister at my church. The proper term for this, of course, is “Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion” (EMHC), as the priest is the actual Eucharistic minister. In case you’re unfamiliar with Catholic jargon, this means that I will be assisting with the distribution of the Eucharist at weekday and weekend masses. In case you’re also unfamiliar with Catholic doctrine, this means that I’m charged with actually giving Jesus to my fellow church members. How do you even describe something so incredible? Pretty amazing. It’s a real honor to even be asked.
I met with my priest yesterday to be trained for this new ministry. It was the most fascinating thirty minutes of my life. Catholic tradition (lower-case “t” this time) is so utterly awesome. I could have spent all day there just repeatedly asking, “Okay, now tell me about this.” Maybe I’ll do a full post on some of the interesting things I learned. These takes are supposed to be quick, after all.
You know, this is ironic. The Evangelical churches we used to attend would distribute communion juice in little cups that nested inside this massive tray. The tray was usually passed from row to row. It looked like this:
I used to joke with Shannon that I had NIGHTMARES about dropping it. The tray would come my way and I’d practically insist that the people on either side of me just pass it over my lap. It was awkward, heavy, and full of disaster potential. Such fear, and that was juice! Oh man. Thankfully now I’ll be handling a chalice, not a tray. I will be fine. My first turn is this morning at 8:30 AM mass. I’m excited and humbled and amazed that I get to do this. [Edited to add: It went fine. ]
— 2 —
I’ve had my new smartphone for over a week now and I’ve been busy filling it up with apps that everyone else has already been using since 2009. I feel like I’m catching up with technology (for a few seconds anyway). One app you might not know about is called the Laudete app. Its basically for Catholic geeks like me, but you might like it too. It has the daily readings, the Liturgy of the Hours, an interactive Rosary, stations of the cross, prayers (English and Latin!), two bible translations and even a catechism. Its the #1 free Catholic app. Go download it!
— 3 —
I ran across an interesting quote/poem this week on a random blog I was perusing. It’s called the Litany of Gendlin and I thought it was worth sharing here. It really spoke to me in terms of my recent reversion and the whole process that entailed (especially that first stanza!):
What is true is already so. Owning up to it doesn’t make it worse. Not being open about it doesn’t make it go away.
And because it’s true, it is what is there to be interacted with. Anything untrue isn’t there to be lived. People can stand what is true, for they are already enduring it.
— 4 —
Yesterday the Supreme Court declared Obamacare to be Constitutional. I don’t plan to exhaust the issue further by providing my personal feelings on the subject. Instead, I’ll link you to a posting on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website. If you’re wondering my opinion, it aligns with theirs. If ever this changes, so will the name of this blog.
It was a wild morning on Facebook when the news broke, to say the least. My pick for best meme image of the day goes to the creator of this:
— 5 —
Last summer I had the privilege of helping plan my best friend’s bridal shower. This summer, I’m helping to plan her baby shower! This September I become an honorary Auntie to a beautiful baby girl. The planning for the shower just got underway this week and we’re shooting for a mid-August party. I’m so excited to share the joys of parenthood with someone I grew up with. From passing notes to planning playdates…life is surreal.
— 6 —
I’m struggling to strike a balance in the kind of reading I like to do. Generally speaking, I have no time for fiction. There are so many theology-related books on my “to read” list that it actually causes me anxiety. I’m just not into reading fiction when there is so much to learn (and since I know fiction is worthwhile and awesome, I do hope I come to embrace it someday). As a busy mother of two toddlers, my reading time is seriously limited which makes my “to read” list seem even more insurmountable.
The problem gets more specific. What kind of Christian theology should I prioritize? Within this vast genre, I like to read books from the Catholic perspective but also from the non-Catholic perspective. I’m a firm believer in being well-rounded in study. I guess I’m wondering this: If I am decidedly and forever Catholic (yes), how much importance should I place on reading the works of dissenting thought? On the one hand, I’ll disagree with much of what I read and also potentially take time away from studying the many great works that await me in Catholic literature. On the other hand, the study of God is never wasted. Whether I agree with a concept or not, its helpful to understand the theological workings of other faith doctrines. I personally feel that you don’t really “know” a topic until you can understand why one understanding is correct to the exclusion of the others. I’m speaking of matters of absolute truth here, obviously. Arg. So much to read, so little time.
And don’t even get me started on my list of blogs! My google reader is giving me a panic attack tonight.
— 7 —
This week’s Blog Better Than Mine is by LT Horton and is aptly titled Look! A Black Catholic! LT’s blog really did make me stop for a second and say, “Huh…I really don’t know any black Catholics! I wonder why that is?” She has a beautiful conversion story and a really unique perspective on the universality of our awesome Church. I love her posts and hope you will too.
“I will go peaceably and firmly to the Catholic Church: for if Faith is so important to our salvation, I will seek it where true Faith first began, seek it among those who received it from God Himself.”
– St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
My name is Christina. I'm a revert to the Catholic faith after a long journey from "cradle Catholicism" to atheism to Protestantism to my new home in the spectacular Catholic Church. I'm a married mother of two (with one on the way) and I live in rural Illinois. This blog chronicles the joy I've found in the fullness of Christian faith and my reflections upon the road that got me here. Welcome!
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