Catholic Writers Conference Online

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Two years ago, a friend told me about the Catholic Writers Guild and their annual online conference. At the time, I had just started dreaming of publishing a Catholic chapter book series, but I didn’t know where to start. Feeling overwhelmed, I pursued the Catholic Writers Guild website to see about this conference.

The skeptical part of my brain told me it was too good to be true. The frugal part of my brain told me $40 was a honey of a deal for access to three days’ worth of presentations. (The conference is free for clergy and $60 if you’re not a Catholic Writers Guild member; also, membership is totally worth the $40/year dues). Additionally, all the sessions are recorded, so I could go back and rewatch my favorites and check out the ones my schedule conflicted with.

To say my mind was blown by what $40 got me is an understatement. I took almost a whole journal’s worth of notes and gathered ideas for what it means to be a Catholic writer in the world today. I learned about things that I didn’t even know I needed to know, and felt the Holy Spirit reaffirming that this is what I am called to do. I met other people who shared my passion for writing within a Catholic lens. I started to believe I could actually do this.

I left that conference on fire. Since then, in the last two years, I have published the first three books of my chapter book series, visited Catholic schools to talk about my stories, written and published countless articles (one was even translated into Hungarian!), and started writing and editing Catholic curriculum. None of this would have happened without the Catholic Writers Guild.

The Guild is composed of fellow Catholics who want to use their gifts from God for good. Our genres and styles are as varied as we are, but we all strive to grow in holiness as we write. During the online conference, some presentations were more relevant and helpful to me, but I learned something from every talk.

This year, I am counted among the presenters, and I’m thrilled to volunteer to share my own experiences in the hopes of encouraging and educating other Catholic writers. Sure, I get a small stipend and exposure to other Catholic writers, but that’s not why I’m presenting this year.

Two years ago, women and men from the Catholic Writers Guild planted seeds that have begun to sprout in my life. With God’s continued light and watering, I know I will have full-grown trees one day. In the meantime, I want to spend my time planting seeds of my own.

You don’t have to be an established writer to attend this conference. You don’t have to know what you want to write or even the genre. All you need is an interest: a tiny prompting of the Holy Spirit that the written word may be one of your gifts He is asking you to share.

Join us at the online conference this year from February 23–25, 2024. Worst-case scenario? You’re out $40. Best-case scenario? Well, only God knows that.

© Maria Riley 2024

MY SPIRITUAL REBIRTH

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When I was a senior at Villanova University, I “came alive” in the City of Philadelphia! It was a Saturday night in November 1998, two days after my mother’s birthday. I was agonizing over eighteen credits that semester, sad about having to leave all my friends in a few months, and in a few days – on Tuesday, November 10th – I would be taking an actuarial exam in nearby Philadelphia. My father, a former Marine, was excited because the Marine Corps was born in Philadelphia on November 10th, so he considered that good luck. I was studying for the test while waiting to do gown to Corr Chapel on Main Campus to help out with the SEARCH Retreat taking place at Camp Newmann. All of a sudden, I realized that after years of living just to work hard and get awesome grades, I was tired of the lack of balance I had.

During the prayer service in Corr Chapel, I felt myself glowing. We drove over to Camp Newmann to give palancas to the team leaders so that they could distribute them to the retreatants. It was a dark and dreary night outside, but inside, a fresh new light was shining. Michael Vassallo was reborn! From that night on, I wanted to keep people like my fellow SEARCH friends in my life no matter how busy I was. I was determined to hold on to this newfound sense of balance.

What joy I felt to arrive at the camp and bond with the retreat leaders! My schoolwork and upcoming actuarial exam were crushing me, but I insisted on focusing on the warm circle of love, even though I was not a retreatant that weekend. My time for that had already come, but that Saturday night in November 1998, I felt more elated than I did when I was on my own SEARCH weekend in October 1997. I felt liberated.

That night, I went to bed feeling peaceful – still worried about the other stuff, but happier.

The next day, we had a welcoming mass in Corr Chapel for the retreatants once they got back to the campus. That added to my happiness, and if that weren’t enough, after that, a bunch of us were taking my friend Will’s mother out to dinner off campus for her birthday! Once again, I felt a sense of belonging and acceptance unlike any other I’d ever had!

A few days later, when I took the R5 train from Villanova (conveniently right outside my dorm) into Suburban Station in Center City, I had another epiphany. I had ventured into Philadelphia by train all alone before – mainly to take this same exam or to get home or come back to school by Amtrak – but for some reason, as I emerged from Suburban Station and set foot in Center City that morning, I felt something different in the air, and it was not because of the rain. In fact, despite the rainy day, my heart radiated with sunshine! My life was still changed from the other night, but the feeling was magnified – as if the spirit of the City of Brotherly Love was reinforcing the love I felt from over the weekend. I had never realized how beautiful Philadelphia was until that morning. It was breathtaking, and I carried this magnified feeling with me as I walked a few blocks over to the test center on Walnut Street – the same street where I would one day enjoy going to dinner at Morton’s Steakhouse and Moriarity’s Pub!

I wound up failing that test in this city in which the Marine Corps was born on this day over two centuries ago, but I still felt that peace, that spirit, that love. Our country earned its freedom from Great Britain in Philadelphia, and, in a sense, I earned my freedom there – from the “tyranny” of my own self-imposed workaholism. I had been thinking of relocating to the area around my school, and these epiphanies I’d been having over the past few days solidified that desire. This city which I had taken for granted for so long now struck me as a magical place of love, beauty and hope where I could start my life over.

Later that same day back at school, we had another SEARCH function in Corr Chapel. This was a renewal for all veteran SEARCHERS.

Coincidentally, I retook the exam again the following February in Center City – only to have a SEARCH renewal that night in Corr Chapel again!  That chapel will always remind me of Philadelphia and my epiphany related to it, especially since I was in both places in one day – more than once! Could that have been a sign?

© Copyright 2024 by Michael Vassallo

Featured Image by Bruce Emmerling from Pixabay

Roses and Ashes

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Gather ye Rose-buds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying:
And this same flower that smiles today,
Tomorrow will be dying.

 Robert Herrick, “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time” 1648

In a rare, but not unprecedented, synchronicity this month, St. Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday will fall on the same day. These two dates last came together in 2018, and they will do it again in 2029. According to the Fayetteville Observer, this convergence seems to happen approximately three times in every one-hundred-years. The Twentieth Century also recorded three occurrences, in 1923, 1934, and 1945. (1)

The origins of our contemporary St. Valentine’s Day celebration are hidden in history. Even Roman Catholic sources record an astounding variety, of what can perhaps best be regarded as legends. He may have been a priest, a bishop, and/or a physician. It’s unclear whether the stories that have been combined under this saint’s name include the life one man, or the lives of two.

There is some evidence that, on an actual occasion, a prisoner named Valentine left a letter for his jailer’s daughter signed, “from your Valentine.” He’s said to have healed the child of her blindness; we all prefer to believe he did. He may well have converted her to Christianity. He might have converted her father, too. Plausible evidence does exist that a man named Valentine was imprisoned and martyred for his Christian faith. Other tales suggest that the little girl, and possibly her father, died with him. (2)

One fact is clear, that the official liturgical calendar of the United States makes no reference to a saint’s feast on February 14. On the USCCB website, it’s marked only with a purple dot indicating a day of Lent. There is no alternate reading for a saint’s feast day. (3)

Another mystery is how a saint, whom most legends report died as a martyr for his Faith, came to be a symbol of chocolate, flowers, and every other sort of indulgent romantic concupiscence.

Ash Wednesday, on the other hand, is a reminder of the death we all will experience. The Latin counsel memento mori, “remember you will die,” dates back to the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates, from sometime before his death in 399 B.C. (4).

The use of ashes as a symbol of penance and anointing for death by the Hebrews is documented in the Old Testament books of Esther 4:1, 484-465 B.C.; Job 42:6, 700-500 B.C.; Daniel 9:3, circa 550 B.C.; and Jonah 3:5-6, circa 500 B.C. (5)

Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale, Illustration from The Book of Old English Songs and Ballads, Circa 1920; Public
domain, via Wikimedia Commons

A solemn recognition of Ash Wednesday has been practiced since the earliest days of Christianity. The words, “For you are dust, and to dust you shall return,” from Genesis 3:19 (6), have been spoken through millennia in both the Eastern and Roman Catholic churches. They are still used for Ash Wednesday services in many Protestant churches today, as well. 

But the question remains. What meaning can we discern from this mysterious union of love with death, that seems to appear as a trinity in multiple centuries?

For one answer, we might turn again to scripture, and discover that Song of Songs is the only one of three writings classified by biblical scholars as ‘Wisdom books’ that appears in Protestant bibles. Our Catholic Bibles contain all three, with the Book of Wisdom and the Book of Sirach included (7). Here is another trinity.

The Song, also called Canticle of Canticles, is a romantic poem that evokes all the sensual joys of earthly lovers, as metaphors that describe God’s desirous love for us. In Christian churches it is read as allegory (8). The determination of the bride to reach her lover, and the strength of their bond, represent the Sacrament of Matrimony on earth and Christ’s love for His Bride, the Church, in eternity.

When the cross of ashes, death, and dust is marked on our foreheads again this year — and the day wavers from joy, to penance, and grief — may we remember the powerful lover who awaits us, and continue to sing the Canticle:

“… Set me as a seal upon your heart,

as a seal upon your arm;

For Love is strong as Death …

Deep waters cannot quench love,

nor rivers sweep it away …

 … You who dwell in the gardens,

my companions are listening for your voice–

let me hear it!

Swiftly, my lover,

be like a gazelle or a young stag

upon the mountain of spices.”

Song (Cant.) 8:6-7, 13-14 (9)

John William Waterhouse, Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May; 1909, Public domain, via Wikimedia
Commons.

© Copyright 2024 by Margaret King Zacharias

Featured Photo: John William Waterhouse, Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May,1908, Public domain, via
Wikimedia Commons.
Footnotes for Roses and Ashes and Sources for Further Reading
  1. https://www.fayobserver.com/story/news/live-wire/2018/02/06/live-wire-when-was-last-time-ash-wednesday-and-valentines-day-were-same-date/15307391007/#
  1. For a few different perspectives, see:
https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/will-the-real-st-valentine-please-stand-up
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Valentine
https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/history-of-st-valentine.html
  1. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021424.cfm
  2. https://dailystoic.com/what-is-memento-mori/#:~:text=Memento%20Mori%20—%20(Latin%3A%20remember,but%20dying%20and%20being%20dead.”
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Socrates
  1. https://catholicstraightanswers.com/what-are-the-origins-of-ash-wednesday-and-the-use-of-ashes/
  1. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/genesis/3
  1. https://www.artesianministries.org/bible-study/why-are-catholic-and-protestant-bibles-different/
  1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Song_of_Songs
9. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/songofsongs/8

Where Love Is, There Is the Eye

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How do you find, and then continue to see, the good in other people? Especially those people in your life who are particularly difficult to get along with, much less love? How does one love even the seemingly unlovable person? Well, first of all, you have to want to find some good in them. Finding and approving the good in other people is an act of your will. You have to choose to look for the good rather than the bad in others; you have to choose to focus on the good rather than the bad. As fallen creatures, we all tend to be a mixture of the good and the bad. To will to focus on the good more than the not-so-good in others is to open your heart more fully to love. Genuine love cannot take root when you are quicker to see the faults and shortcomings in others than you are to see the good in them.

There is a Latin phrase that applies here: Ubi amor, ibi oculus — “Where love is, there is the eye.” Love enables us to see. Love enables us to see the good more clearly: in other people, in ourselves, and in life itself. Love enables us to see beauty and truth more clearly as well. Adopting a predisposition toward love by consciously willing to find the good in others makes it easier for you actually to see the good that is there — the good that otherwise might have escaped your notice. Adopting a predisposition toward love opens up our eyes, our minds, and our hearts to other people.

There’s another old saying that is also relevant here: “People see what they want to see.” Well, that’s often true. Old sayings don’t tend to become “old sayings” unless they have at least a grain (and often much more than a grain) of truth in them. People do tend to see what they want to see. If people choose to focus on the faults and shortcomings of other people, that’s mostly what they will see in them. But thankfully, this phenomenon works in the other direction as well: if people choose to focus on the good in others, then they will mostly see the good. Resolve to focus on the good in others rather than the not-so-good, and to keep yourself focused on the good you do find in them. When you notice your attention drifting toward their faults, consciously re-direct your attention to the good. Obviously, we need to exert extra effort to focus our attention on the good in the other person when we’re dealing with people we find to be more difficult to love. But like most things in the school of love that is this earthly life, this becomes easier with practice. One of the reasons God places those difficult people in our lives is precisely to help us grow in our ability to love.

* This article is an excerpt from Rick’s latest book, The Book of Love: Brief Meditations

Photo by Marc Schulte on Unsplash

Copyright 2024 Rick Clements

A Poem, an Ornament, and a Choice

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A Poem, an Ornament, and a Choice

Even though it is now a few weeks since the official end of the Christmas season (with the exception of those who close out Christmas with the celebration of Candlemas), I still have one ornament up. This particular ornament, called “Snowy Woods,” is always the last one to be packed away, and every year it makes the short journey from the Christmas tree downstairs to the family prayer space, upstairs. It hangs in silence until the end of the month, inviting reflection, contemplation, and most importantly, it asks a single question as we begin the liturgical cycle again: Which path will we choose to follow this year?

The ornament is quite simple and is made of glass, surrounded by a metal frame. A snowy scene is etched on both sides of the glass; two deer walking apart yet aware of each other, in a wintery wood. Every time I look at it, Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken,” springs to mind.

The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost (1915)

(1) Two roads diverged in a yellow woods

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

(2) To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

(3) And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black,

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

(4) I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

This “Snowy Woods” ornament is a snapshot of the meaning the poem is getting at – how our choices affect our lives. In the ornament, the adult deer is looking back, pausing in mid-step. Has he heard a noise that caused fear? Or is he just taking a breather before continuing the way? Is the fawn following or leading? It all has to do with perspective.

 A snowy scene is etched on both sides of the glass; two deer walking apart yet aware of each other, in a wintery wood. 

When the ornament is held with the adult deer facing you, it seems as if the deer is looking back, over his shoulder. The shadowy fawn in the background appears to be watching and waiting for the adult deer to make a decision. But turn the ornament around and the positions are reversed. The adult is no longer looking over his shoulder but is gazing into the shadowy world at the small fawn. His steps and his gaze are very much focused on the small deer. The fawn, on the other hand, is looking out, away towards something outside of our vision. Both positions are telling. The fawn waits for the adult deer to make his decision, to take the path “less traveled by,” even though the path that the deer will take is set out by the fawn. The paradox of Christianity.

The adult deer is a perfect example of a Christian. He is solid. He is not shadowy or vague, but entirely painted in. His hooves are firmly rooted on the ground, even being entirely covered by the heavy snow. He is part of the physical, visible world we all live in. He is concerned with the daily struggles of life, poised to flee or fight, while wrestling with the heavy snowfall, the daily crosses of his world. While he is engaged, he is being watched by a small, shadowy figure, a guiding spirit who assists and guides his steps. This spirit might be an angel or even a figure of Jesus himself, always just out of sight, but somehow his presence is felt. The fawn, not the adult, knows the way through the snowy woods. It’s eyes are on something else, something higher and distant, away out of time and space. Unlike the solid white adult deer, the fawn is almost transparent, pointing to a spiritual, unseen aspect.

The two deer in this ornament are in a profound relationship, despite the fact that they are on two different levels. They remind us that no matter what path is chosen, the traveler will not remain in the crossroads. A choice, consciously or not, is always made. St. Catherine of Siena talks about this in her book Dialogue. She writes that “as long as you are pilgrims in this life you are capable of growing and should grow. Those who are not growing are by that very fact going backward.”

Each year, this simple little ornament strikes a chord with me. After all the decorations are done and we are looking forward, preparing to set out again, it beckons and asks, “What path will you follow this year? And will you walk it with Me?”

Photos courtesy of Sarah Pedrozo.

*This ornament was designed by Hallmark artist Robert Hurlburt and is part of the Elegant Ornaments Collection, a group of ornaments often based on archived Hallmark greeting cards.

 

January 2024 Member News

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January 2024 Member News

 

Our Catholic Writers Guild members are always working hard on new projects. From writing articles and works of fiction to developing courses and winning awards, we’re excited to celebrate the following members and their accomplishments from Quarter 4 of 2023!

Join us in celebrating and supporting our fellow members, won’t you?!

 

Articles

 

“Back to Basics: Experiencing God at Army Basic Training Camp” by Lisa Livezey

Specialist Livezey with his mom, the author

Published: October 2023

 

Published in the National Catholic Register, this article highlights the depth and solid foundation the Catholic faith provides to a new army recruit, the author’s son, during Basic Training. Her article can be viewed in its entirety at link: Back to Basics

 

 

 

 

 

“Christmas Questions” by Thomas B. Demshuk

Published: December 2023

This article explores the true answer to the question “what did you get?” for Christmas.

 

 

Audiobooks

 Perdition’s Heirs by Jane Lebak

Published: Fall 2023

 

The audiobook for Perdition’s Heirs is the sixth book of the Archangels Series and available on Audible. Link: Perdition Heirs

 

 

 

 

Awards

 

“Advent Redux: A Seasoned Colloquy” Poem by Sr. Fran McManus, RSM

Sr. McManus’s “Advent Redux: A Seasoned Colloquy” poem placed Second in the 2023 Marian Advent Prayer Contest: Seeking Intercession poetry category. You can view her listing here: link  Advent Redux – A Seasoned Colloquy

 

 

Cinder Allia by Karen Ullo

Winner, Louisiana Indie Author Project, November 2023

 

The Indie Author Project recognizes the best independently published work across the U.S. and Canada. It is sponsored and judged by public libraries. Cinder Allia is the statewide winner for Louisiana, which includes a cash prize and a feature in Library Journal. Cinder Allia will also be considered at the national competition with winners to be announced in 2024. Cinder Allia can be purchased on Amazon. Link: Cinder Allia

 

Going To Williamsport by Rich Agnello

Sports Category Finalist, 2023 American Fiction Awards

 

This Sports Finalist recognition was for Rich’s first published novel. The Sports Category Winner,  Bob Moseley, writes for Sports Illustrated and the New York Times! Not bad for an altar boy going to the Little League World Series from little Keyes, Oklahoma! Going to Williamsport is available on Amazon. Link: Going to Williamsport

Award information is available at Link: Award Info.

 

 

 

 

“I’m a Wolf, Not a Monster” by Nikos Lambdin

“I’m a Wolf, Not a Monster” is a hilarious short story and fresh take on the Big Bad Wolf as a disgraced grocery store employee. It was published in Niko’s college’s literary anthology, The Lantana Review. Later, in October 2023, Nikos attended a public launch party at the college, which celebrated submitted and published works. This achievement has given Nikos the inspiration and courage to pursue and evangelize through other projects including Catholic children’s novels.

 

 

 

Children’s Books

 

Gerold’s Dream by Angela Lano 

Published: October 2023

Gerold lives a lonely life at home with his overprotective mother. He dreams of going off to battle in war like his older brothers and finding a beautiful woman to marry. It seems his dreams will never come true, but God has an unexpected future in store for him! To learn more or purchase, visit Amazon at Link:  Gerold’s Dream

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I’m Getting to Fly! by Beth Ann Ramos

Published: November 2023

 

In Olive and Andy’s latest adventure, I’m Getting to Fly! Andy gets to go on his first airplane ride! Although he’s a bit nervous, he is excited that flying means seeing and exploring even more of the world! With big sister Olive leading the way, the siblings navigate check-in, savor plane snacks, and meet air travel helpers like pilots and flight attendants. This simple and colorful rhyming children’s book is the perfect way to show your child what to expect on their first flight! Available on Amazon. Link: I’m Getting to Fly

 

 

 

Where the Trees of Freedom Are by Suzanne Cruz Published: Fall 2023

 

Where the Trees of Freedom Are breaks down the complex idea of freedom. From the time of Socrates’ teachings under the sycamores to modern day America’s Liberty Tree, this idea has been discussed under Trees. But the bonus is the Mount of Olives where Jesus taught the real secret to freedom. You can learn more on Suzanne’s website at Link: SuzanneCruz.com

 

 

 

 

Courses

 

Catholic Self-Publishing Course and Author Membership by Kate Frantz

 

Kate recently reopened her Fiat Self-Publishing Academy. She now has a Self-Publishing 101 Course / Roadmap with a comprehensive checklist, videos, and tons of resources for learning how to self-publish. Additionally, she has an affordable author membership for Catholic self-publishers looking for marketing, business, and book coaching. If you are Catholic and considering self-publishing or have already self-published and are looking for support, this is the place for you! You can learn more at link: https://academy.thyolivetree.com/p/products.

 

 

Fiction 

 

All Things New by Victoria Everleigh

Published: November 2023

 

This book is the first in Angela’s new Connecticut Coastline Series. She published it just 11 days prior to giving birth to her second child! All Things New explores whether a shattered marriage can find redemption in the midst of betrayal. You can learn more at VictoriaEverleigh.com or purchase from Amazon. Link: All Things New

 

 

 

 

The Charter Class by Anne Faye 

Published: December 2023

 

Mother John Berchmans Somers of the Sisters of St. Joseph dreamed of establishing a college to serve the Catholic young women of western Massachusetts. With the support of Bishop Thomas O’Leary, that dream became the College of Our Lady of the Elms. In September 1928, thirty-six brave students embarked on the grand adventure of being the charter class for the new institution. In their quest to obtain a college education at a time when that was an unexpected route for young women, these students will face challenges at home, at school, and in their personal lives. Available on Amazon at link: The Charter Class

 

 

 

The Cookie Connection by Sarah Anne Carter 

Published: November 2023

 

The Cookie Connection is a clean holiday romance that has been well received at events (attended by Sarah Anne) after an article about it was published in the newspaper. Reviews and sales are good so far. This is the first book she has self-published and she is especially proud of all she learned during that process. You can find Sarah’s book on Amazon. Link: The Cookie Connection

 

 

Paper & Feathers by Zephyr Thomas 

Published: November 2023

 

Paper & Feathers is the latest novel by ZMT Books, a unique entry into the literary fantasy genre. Focusing more on characterization and drama than tension and action, the book is a low-stakes, relaxing read with full-color interior illustrations. The e-book is available now. The paperback version will be available in early 2024. You can learn more on his website: link: Paper & Feathers

 

 

 

 

 

Newsletter

 

“The Forgotten Library” by Suzanna Linton

 

Susan began posting short speculative fiction on Substack. Her stories are about God’s grace bursting into people’s lives in strange and sometimes disconcerting ways. You will find a blend of fairytale, horror, fantasy, and science fiction, all from a Catholic point of view. You can view her newsletter on Substack. Link: https://theforgottenlibrary.substack.com

 

“Playful Poet–Where Faith and Fun Meet” By Sharon Dodd (pen name Rose of Sharon)

Published: October 2023

Do you have children who think learning about their faith is boring? In Sharon’s newly launched “Playful Poet Newsletter,” jokes, rhyming riddles and mystery poems are beautifully woven together along with saint bios, fun facts and prayers. Playful Poet is published on the first Wednesday of each month and highlights a saint or liturgical theme for that particular month. You can learn more at: https://playfulpoet.substack.com/

 

Non-fiction

 

 

The Peace in the Storm Project by Maureen Pratt

 

The Peace in the Storm Project is a new model of ministry to help parishes accompany people who live with chronic pain and illness. It is based on my book, Peace in the Storm: Meditations on Chronic Pain and Illness. Over the past few months, it has been approved in numerous archdioceses and dioceses and in early 2024, parishes will begin implementing it (as I introduce them to The Project). I’m beyond grateful for this tremendous blessing and abundant work! Please keep The Peace in the Storm Project in your prayers.—Maureen Pratt

Learn more about The Peace in the Storm Project at http://www.thepeaceinthestormproject.com

 

 

 

 

Novella

A Paper Snowflake Christmas by Jane Lebak (Pen Name Maddie Evans)

Published: December 2023

Available on Amazon at  A Paper Snowflake Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poetry

 

Total of Eight Poems by Carmela Martino

Published: Quarter 4, 2023

Carmela’s poetry was published in three different publications this quarter! Most recently, two appeared in the Christmas-Winter 2024 edition of Parables: Catholic Stories for Children, a magazine for children ages 6-12. Details can be found online in the January 2024 issue of Carmela’s newsletter at Link: https://preview.mailerlite.com/z7e1n3u4w0/2385691276063281723/h0k4/

 

Poetry by Sr. Fran McManus, RSM

Published: Various Dates, 2023

Sr. McManus had an essay and two poems published!

She contributed an article called “The Revelation of Poetry” to the book Forming Franciscan Minds and Hearts, which is available here: link https://www.franciscanpublishing.com/books/spirituality/forming-franciscan-minds-and-hearts/

Her poem, “The Catch,” was featured in the Catholic Poetry Journal. More information is available here: The Catch

 

Young Adult Fiction

 

A Faith Such as Heaven Intended by Amanda Lauer

 

This book is the fifth in Amanda’s award-winning Civil War series. You can learn more on her website at: https://amandalauer.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our next Member News blog post will highlight Quarter 1, 2024 accomplishments. Stay tuned for details on how to submit your next accomplishment!

 

(Some links may include affiliate links by which the authors benefit.)

 

 

Hearing God’s Voice in Unexpected Ways

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Hearing God’s Voice in Unexpected Ways

I am savvy regarding computer programs, social media sites, and internet surfing. Recently, I found a new feature on my cell phone that allows me to create stickers from photographs. I found joy quickly when I made stickers of the dog and began to share them. I only recently realized this feature has been around for a long time. A little deflated that my discovery was old news, I didn’t let it steal my joy and continue to play with it today.

The other day, as I was digging through photographs for sticker making, I stumbled upon a short video I had captured a few days earlier. I had been sitting at my desk, and out the window, I saw one lonely leaf on the tree, literally wiggling side to side. As a butterfly lover, I thought it was a very large chrysalis. Jumping out of my chair, I reached for the binoculars, quickly discovering a rolled-up leaf had remained after the tree lost its leaves for fall.

I am obsessed with caterpillars and butterflies, so my perception is, in a sense, tainted. Anyone else looking at that tree would have seen a leaf blowing in the wind. I, however, had an inside scoop. Only a few months earlier, I had witnessed a considerable caterpillar making its way up the most extended branch. Still, it never dawned on me that it was winter and the butterflies had transformed many months ago. Since I am currently working on a project writing about bugs and caterpillars, I chalk up the vision I saw to divine inspiration! After all, my first book began with a caterpillar clutching a leaf as a storm erupted around it.

I should also note one other important aspect of my leaf video. In the moment I recorded, the sky was dark and gray. Yet, when I watched it back, a small area of light appeared, proof in my eyes this was a Holy Spirit-filled moment. Always in tune with how God communicates to me, I knew there was a reason I was so captivated by the leaf in the wind.

Because I am a woman of faith, open to the promptings of the Spirit, my perception is programmed to view the light in the video as God’s whisper. However, anyone else looking through the same lens and watching the same video could pick up the reflection of the ceiling light bouncing off the window.

Another example is how we perceive God’s fluffy clouds in the sky. There have been days when I’ve seen things like a bunny, a vintage feather pen, a replica of the Ark, etc. Someone else looking at those same puffy clouds probably wouldn’t see them as I do. That doesn’t mean my perception is wrong. It all depends on how God has conditioned my eyes to see what He has placed on my path.

The stirrings in my heart and the knowledge of God’s presence are all I needed to convince myself of an experience of a Spirit-filled moment. Circumstances have trained me to expect God to show up and do big and small things. The instance in the tree is one of those small things, but it may have a more significant impact someday.

Going to scripture, I reflect on Luke 24:13-15, when the disciples walked the road to Emmaus. Because they had witnessed the death of Jesus, they did not expect him to be on their path. God had closed their eyes at that moment, but their perception was also conditioned by what they had experienced earlier.

When we are consistently open to the promptings of the Spirit, God can and will do big things. He will set the scene right when He has something to show or share with you. How you perceive it all depends on your willingness to let God in. It might be something that only you can see or something others think is entirely absurd—these are the moments when you stop and pay attention. God is most likely speaking to you and only to you!

Copyright 2024 Kimberly Novak
Images: Canva

The “Call”: We All Receive Them, But When Will You Answer?

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The “Call”: We All Receive Them, But When Will You Answer?

Nine years ago, I got a text from a friend I hadn’t seen in a few years: “I don’t know where to turn or what to do. I’m sick and getting evicted from my apartment as of the 31st. Help me!”.

I was happily living my life. I was a successful singer and sommelier in the San Francisco Bay Area. But, with that one text, my life changed.

Are You Ready When the “Call” Comes?

My friend—we’ll call him Tom—flew with his life partner to say goodbye to his dying mother. While there, Tom’s partner fell gravely ill, passing away in the same hospital a few rooms away from Tom’s mother. In the breath of a few days, Tom lost his mother, partner, and reason to keep going.

Tom was a PhD and very well respected in his community and academia. Over the following couple of years, Tom filled his life with drugs, alcohol, and activities to numb his emotions and memories. When his life was turned upside-down, he reached out to people, but many either didn’t have time, want to change their plans, or put up with his antics caused by the pain.

Trying to Say “No” to the “Call”

I felt the same way when I received Tom’s text. I told myself, “I don’t have time for this! It’s the day after Christmas and my anniversary.” In full disclosure, Tom had been quite dismissive and mean in earlier conversations with me. So, I wrote back saying I couldn’t see him. He replied, “I have nowhere else to turn. This may be it for me. No one cares anymore.” Stunned by his hollow reply, I said I’d come by, but only for a few minutes.

When I arrived, I found Tom visibly shaken, sick, and weighing only half of what he had the last time I’d seen him. He had a few things packed in old, smelly grocery store boxes that he’d scrounged up, and he sat in one place—silent, rocking forward and back, eyes fixed on a spot a few feet in front of him. After making something warm to drink, he came out of the trance long enough to fill me in on what brought him to this point. He’d burned through all his money and lost his job and every “friend” he had. As of New Year’s Day, he would be on the street. He later told me he contacted me either for help or to say a final goodbye.

I stayed, helped him pack boxes, and promised to return the following day, but just for a few hours. That night, I spoke with my wife and told her all I’d seen and heard. The decision was made. We had to help. The next day, we moved his things into a storage locker and helped find a facility to take him in, allowing him to dry out and receive mental help. New Year’s Day became the first day of the rest of Tom’s life.

Answering the “Call”

This was the day after Christmas nine years ago. This week, I received a note via email from Tom. He’s starting a new job he never thought he would have. He is fully employed, off the street, getting benefits—and most importantly—whole again.

Since saying “Yes” to that simple text—that simple “call”—my life has changed in ways I can’t yet express. Soon after, I received a “call” (quite literally) from a nun at my parish to help her establish an overnight homeless shelter for when there was inclement weather in the Bay Area. The men would bed down on our parish hall floor, and I would be there to facilitate and make sure everyone felt safe. I became a Knight in the Order of Malta, sworn to aid the poor and the sick, and I’m on the trail to the Permanent Diaconate. All of this is due to answering a simple “call.”

Did answering that single “call” change my life? Yes! Was it an easy transition? No! My life became topsy-turvy! What was important—no longer held my interest. What I held in high regard—was now pedestrian. And things that I didn’t have time for—became my focus.

We read in 1 Samuel that Samuel was “called” in the night. He didn’t know who was calling him or why, but when Eli told him to answer, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening,” Samuel answered the “call.” And when two of John the Baptizer’s disciples heard him say, “Behold, the Lamb of God…” they listened to the “call” and followed Jesus to where he was staying, causing Andrew (one of the two) to tell his brother, Peter, “We have found the Messiah.” All of this because they heard and listened to a “call.”

I say all these very personal things not to pat myself on the back or state how good I am. No. Just the opposite! I’m opening up to show that anyone, every sinner, like me, is being “called” regularly—every year, month, week, day—we each and every one is being called.

So:

  • What “calls” are you hearing today?
  • What things are causing you to say, “I don’t have time for this…” like I did?
  • What “call” can you finally say “yes” to in your upcoming year?

Copyright 2023 Ben Bongers

How Good That You Exist!

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How Good That You Exist!

Everyone wants approval from other people. Some people are more desirous of approval than others, and some people are more aware than others of the existence of this desire within themselves. But the fact is, we all want to be approved of by others. Even gang members want to be approved of (at least by other members of their gang). In fact, that’s one of the main reasons that some adolescents seek out gang membership in the first place: to gain a sense of approval from their fellow gang members, to experience a sense of belonging and acceptance. Kids who experience approval at home, and who have a sense of belonging to a solid family, are far less likely to seek out a gang to join, and are far less likely to respond to a gang’s efforts to recruit them.

So what does it mean to “approve” of someone? Literally, it means to judge that person to be good, in the sense of having value or worth.[i] We all want to be judged to be valuable. We all want to be judged as being worth something. Josef Pieper, the insightful Roman Catholic philosopher from Germany, described the type of approval we seek, and the type of approval that others seek from us, as being captured by the exclamation, “How good that you exist!” We want other people to be glad that we exist, and other people want us to be glad that they exist. We all want to feel like we matter, that the world would be diminished by our absence.

You cannot truly love another person if you cannot honestly proclaim that it is good that they exist. You cannot truly love another person if you cannot first see some good in them. Finding some good in the other person is the first essential step toward being able to love them. And once you have found that good, you then have to continue to see the good in them, even at times when you may find that very difficult to do. Otherwise, love dies.

* This article is an excerpt from Rick’s latest book, The Book of Love: Brief Meditations

[i] Pieper, Faith, Hope, Love, 164.

Copyright 2023 Rick Clements

Photo by Annette Sousa on Unsplash

Cath-Lit Live: Murder at Penwood Manor

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Cath-Lit Live: Murder at Penwood Manor

 

“Cath-Lit Live!” features brief interviews with Catholic authors who are releasing new books. Hosted by Catholic author and speaker Amy J. Cattapan, “Cath-Lit Live!” gives viewers a glimpse into the latest Catholic books while getting to know a bit about the author as well.

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Murder at Penwood Manor by Antony Barone Kolenc

Xan and Christina embark on a journey to Harwood Abbey, where they reunite with their old friends, Lucy and Joshua. When a brutal murder occurs at nearby Penwood Manor, all evidence points to Laurence, a Crusader recently returned from the Holy Land. Unconvinced of the man’s guilt, Xan and his friends must act swiftly to solve the crime. Who could have committed such a horrible killing, and is anyone safe? Is Laurence tormented by demons, or is he haunted by some other secret? And will Xan be forever changed by the choice Lucy and Christina present to him?

 

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About the author:

Antony Barone Kolenc (“Tony”) is the author of the teen historical fiction series, “The Harwood Mysteries,” which has won a dozen book awards. He is an author of fiction and non-fiction books and articles, a columnist for Practical Homeschooling Magazine, and the host of “The Shepherd’s Pie” radio show and podcast. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel from the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps after 21 years of military service. He currently teaches law at Ave Maria School of Law, and he speaks at writing, legal, and homeschool events. Tony and his family live in Florida.

 

 

You can catch “Cath-Lit Live” live on A.J. Cattapan’s author Facebook page. Recorded versions of the show will also be available to watch later on her YouTube channel and Instagram.

 

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Copyright 2023 Amy J. Cattapan
Banner image via Pexels

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