God’s Christmas Wish

December 15, 2023/0 Comments/in Catholic Theme, Catholic Writing and Publishing, Faith, Family Life, Holidays, Hope/by Kimberly Novak

God’s Christmas Wish

Finding myself deep in the throes of holiday madness recently, a short phrase spoken by a house guest caused me to stop and think about where my focus is this Christmas Season.

“We want as much as we can get. All dogs want are the crumbs.”

Among the busyness that comes with the holidays are many suggestions for the gift-giving season. As a child, I recall giving my parents my gift wishes in not-so-subtle ways. I circled toys in catalogs and newspaper ads, as a blatant way of letting them know all I hoped for that Christmas. I have lovely memories of how my children voiced their wish lists, and I am enjoying how creativity is growing with each new generation.

Fixing our eyes on the birth of Christ becomes complicated when the commercialization of Christmas is all around us. Somewhere, at some point, there needs to be a balance. After all, God gave us the best Christmas gift ever, and doing the same for our families is good. Keeping our hearts aligned with God in the process is even better.

I never imagined such a profound statement coming from giving our dog apple pie crumbs. The truth in those words echoes in my heart days later. At this time of year especially, we do want as much as we can get, and if you think about it, the little dog considers the crumbs a full-course meal. I don’t think I will ever look at a piece of apple pie the same, and if my little dog plays her cards right, she may end up with a whole slice!

What would this look like if we flipped the circumstances just a little? Would crumbs be enough in everything we pray for or desire from God? If God’s will for our lives is not to receive the wish list in our minds but to receive only a portion, can we be as content as the dog receiving scraps? Taking it even one step further, let’s imagine that we are holding the meal, and God is patiently waiting for us to give Him a portion—how much are you willing to give God? Are you offering only crumbs or the entire piece?

A relationship with God requires opening your heart and giving God your time and energy. We put forth all of these things to the multitudes during the holidays. I never think twice about making time for shopping, baking cookies, and attending holiday gatherings. However, there are times when my prayer life suffers amidst the holiday madness. Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Christ, God’s one and only Son, given to us as a gift. It is a beautiful gift for you and me to offer our time, energy, and focus to the God who gave us life.

So how do we find that balance, the sweet spot where we can check off the holiday to-do list while staying true to our commitment to the intimacy of prayer? The obvious would be to put God first. This is easier said than done when our minds focus on everything else. Perhaps a written wish list between you and God might do the trick. Consider what God might wish for you, and then offer your requests prayerfully each day. Actions such as these will help to keep your heart and mind focused on involving God in the holiday preparations.

As you wrap presents and tie beautiful bows this holiday season, offer a prayer or two for God’s children who are happy and content with what little they have. Pray for the desire and grace to be satisfied with what God has given you, and perhaps drop a crumb or two to the little dog waiting at your side; God is right there with them.

Why Do We Write?

December 7, 2023/8 Comments/in Ancestry, Catholic Writing and Publishing, Family Life, Genealogy/by Sarah Torbeck

Why Do We Write?

I never knew him. Even after he died, it would be another 60 years before I made my humble entrance onto the world stage as one of his many great, great grandchildren. The family occasionally spoke of him through the years, but I didn’t start to ask questions until I was in my 20’s.

He is my famous ancestor, a man formerly renowned for his musical and literary works, not to mention his well-heeled occupations as dramatist, professor and newspaper Editor.

His parents were famous and educated as well, along with his siblings and cousins for all manner of accomplishments in the fine arts. In fact, if you look him up (or his family line) you will discover that most of them have Wikipedia pages (you know you’ve arrived when you have your own Wikipedia page).

By now, I’m sure you’re wondering who I’m referring to, so I’ll put an end to your white-knuckled impatience. I am speaking about John Hill Hewitt, the great writer, poet, composer and author.

Underwhelmed, eh?

Yes, he gets that a lot.

John Hill Hewitt was indeed a famous man of musical and literary talent in 19^th century America. He was born in 1801, and by 1825, he had published his first song, ‘The Minstrel’s Return’d from the War,’ which would go on to receive international acclaim. It was this song that earned Hewitt the title of, “Father of the American Ballad.” Unfortunately for my family, the song was published without a copyright, so there is no family fortune, or Hewitt millions.

John Hill Hewitt would go on to produce hundreds of songs, which would garner him a measure of fame and recognition. He also published many poems, essays, stories and plays. Several plays were produced in the South during the Civil War, and were quite popular in the confederate states, since they portrayed Abraham Lincoln in an unflattering light.

It is interesting to note that, during his life here on earth, John Hill Hewitt possessed the uncanny ability to be in the foreground of American History. He was present for the maiden launch of the first Fulton steamboat. He was in the room when Samuel Morse sent the first telegraph message over the Baltimore-Washington line with the famous message, “What hath God wrought.” He mingled and was personally acquainted with the likes of Henry Clay, John Tyler, Jefferson Davis, Davy Crockett, Walt Whitman, and … Edgar Allan Poe.

Certainly, an illustrious and accomplished man by human standards. In fact, he remains a celebrity in our family hagiography.

And yet … John Hill Hewitt was not satisfied. If you read his autobiography, or the family papers and letters, it becomes apparent almost immediately that he felt as if his work was not adequately appreciated. He was competitive and occasionally quarrelsome with other luminaries of the age, as he struggled for prominence in the American literary world.

This struggle was painfully evident in Hewitt’s relationship with Edgar Allan Poe. I think it is even safe to say, that my dear ancestor believed Poe to be his nemesis. He seemed perpetually annoyed and then perplexed by Poe’s rising fame—never fully appreciating Poe’s vision or appeal.

Poe, for his part, was not terribly fond of my grandfather either—and their mutual animosity became physical one night in a Baltimore alleyway. Both men had entered a literary contest sponsored by The Visitor. JH Hewitt was the Editor of The Visitor, so he entered the contest using a pen name. As a result, Poe and Hewitt were awarded first prize. Poe, for his short story, and Hewitt for his poem.

Poe was not happy with this arrangement, and believed that he should have won both prizes. He accused Hewitt of cheating, since he was the paper’s editor, and of course my great, great grandfather being the man he was, punched Edgar Allan Poe in the face. According to history, here ends the tale of two famous literary talents duking it out in the streets of Baltimore. But I’ll let you in on a little family lore: my great-grandmother always used to say, “That papa had to hit Poe because he was no gentleman, and he didn’t know how to treat his wife.” So, there you have it; a little semi-ancient gossip that didn’t make it into the history books.

After Poe’s death, John Hill Hewitt was tapped to offer one of several eulogies; a task he did not relish. But that wouldn’t be the last time he was asked about Poe. Eventually, everyone wanted to talk to him about his animus toward Poe. The contentious relationship between the two men, actually became a defining factor during the last half of my grandfather’s career. This must have been a sobering realization.

Life is full of ironies … and this little story is one of them. John Hill Hewitt spent nearly a century crafting and honing a place for himself in the annals of literary fame, while simultaneously attempting to outshine other luminaries in the field … Edgar Allan Poe, specifically. But in the final analysis, it was Poe who would go on to garner literary immortality, while my grandfather became nothing more than a footnote at the bottom of a biography on the life of Edgar Allan Poe.

Reflecting on all of this family history leads me back to my original question: Why do we write? What’s in it for us? Are we writing because we believe in something? Do we have a message, a philosophy … an agenda? Do we write for personal satisfaction, catharsis, recognition … or something else?

I love my family, and I adore our family hagiography, but I’m a realist and I can see the errors of my literary ancestor rather clearly. He possessed credible talent, but having talent was never enough for him. He wanted something beyond writing and composing. He loved fame … perhaps more than he loved to write, and I cannot help but wonder if that was his downfall.

We all like to receive recognition. Who doesn’t love a good review? But, I pray that I will always write, first and foremost for God, and then for me.

And when it is time for me to leave this earth, I want only one sentence written about my life:

“God is all that matters, and that is why she wrote.”

Images from the personal files of Sarah Torbeck. Used with permission.

REJOICE! The Journey to Christmas Has Begun

December 5, 2023/0 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing/by Larry Peterson

REJOICE! The Journey to Christmas Has Begun

Turkey Day is over and now the 2023 Christmas odyssey is underway. It is my favorite time of the year and it all begins with the First Sunday of Advent.

I love the ‘reason for the season,’ which is the Baby Jesus. I love the awe in the faces of so many children and the extra smiles that come from the wonder and mystery surrounding Santa’s impending visit. I love the cookies and candy and cake and even some of the anxiety and pressure and insanity that mixes in as we move forward. I even love eggnog, fruitcake and pfeffernuesse. I am a hopeless Chrismatist.

More than anything, I love thinking about the Holy Family. Have you ever really thought about the Blessed Mother when she was a young girl about 14 or 15 years old? She was almost full-term in her pregnancy and was forced to travel on the back of a donkey for more than 80 miles to fulfill the census law. We have to marvel at her husband, Joseph, who must have loved her so much that he was willing to accept her Baby as his own. He led her and the unborn Child on this journey, protected them with his life, and made sure that the Savior of all mankind lived to complete His mission. This was, after all, a very different time culturally. Mary’s alternative could have been death by stoning.

Thank you, St. Joseph. Thank you, Mother Mary. Thank you, Jesus.

Yes, the Season of Advent began this Sunday (December 3) I have no idea how the days following will play out. No matter what, it will be OK. We are on our way to Christmas. For all of you willing to embrace the season, it is a beautiful, wondrous time for family, friends, love, joy and miracles. Even those who are experiencing debilitating illness or the grief of losing a loved one can find comfort in the Baby born in a cave surrounded by farm animals. That Baby is everyone’s salvation, even the broken-hearted.

Celebrate the feast of Christmas every day, even every moment in the interior temple of your spirit, remaining like a baby in the bosom of the heavenly Father, where you will be reborn each moment in the Divine Word, Jesus Christ.
–St. Paul of the Cross (Catholicquotes.org)

Remember that the Advent Season is all about reflecting on how we can prepare our hearts and homes for Christ’s birth in the world as it is today. So, wrap the advent season around you and absorb the love and warmth that comes with it. From the joyful to the ill and downtrodden the love of Jesus is there for everyone. Stop what you are doing, take in a deep breath, and fill yourself with the LOVE in the air. It’s FREE.

In closing, as we continue on this unpredictable and happy odyssey into Christmas wonderment, I would like to wish you all a beautiful, blessed, healthy, and joy-filled Christmas.

Image: Pexels

I Wasn’t Prepared

December 4, 2023/0 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing, Conversion Stories, Faith, Family Life, Humility, Interviews/by Michael Vassallo

I Wasn’t Prepared

Image by lisa runnels from Pixabay

A few weeks ago in church, I listened to the sermon about the parable of the ten virgins, five of which were wise and the other five of which were foolish. All went out carrying lamps to wait for and greet the coming Bridegroom. The five wise virgins brought oil with their lamps, whereas the five foolish ones did not. The five foolish ones took it upon themselves to wait until the Bridegroom came, at which point they would ask their wise counterparts for some of their oil. However, the wise ones told them that they could not share their oil with them, lest there would not be enough. The foolish virgins’ only other alternative was to go out and buy their own, but by the time they arrived at the scene of the Bridegroom’s arrival, they could not attend the wedding banquet with Him. The five wise virgins, on the other hand, were prepared, and hence, they were admitted.

My ears perked up when I heard this. When you think about it, it can be scary. It can feel pressurizing to be prepared for the coming of Jesus, lest we miss out on eternal bliss and peace. Nothing is worse than that, although when I heard this sermon, it reminded me of a similar experience of my own in which I was not prepared. No, I didn’t miss out on getting to heaven (at least not yet), but I missed out on something that could have been very good for me. It has been a hard lesson, and I’m still in the process of forgiving myself for this foolish mistake, which I will describe.

I was preparing to make a “leap of faith” and abandon my current temp job to start a freelance case study copywriting career. Saying goodbye to bosses, commutes, deadlines, pointless meetings, and office politics seemed almost within my grasp. I wanted to create a dream job scenario for myself which would allow me the flexibility to work from home doing something I loved, all while making my own hours, deciding what days I wanted to take off, being able to attend to my children’s upcoming issues at school or at home, et al. Being in job transition had allowed me that flexibility, and it had also allowed me to nurture my faith journey and my prayer life, and I got very attached to that routine. The last thing I wanted was to stay in my current temp job or even to take on another job – temporary or permanent.

The time had come for me, I had decided, to be in charge of myself, but when I received the phone call about a job interview in civil service, I should have been ecstatic. Here was a chance for me to work in an environment which is known for being accommodating to people who have children with special needs, for being generous with paid holidays, sick time, and time off in general, job security, solid benefits, and interesting work with good pay. My stupidity got in the way, and my emotions got the better of me because I thought that “my way” with the freelance copywriting career was the ticket to my financial success and my ability to be available for myself and my kids. As a result, I did not take preparing for the interview seriously. I went in with the attitude that I did not care whether I got the job, but that was before I got there and realized that this could be a great thing.

As soon as I got to the office building in Ridgewood, Queens, I gaped. The surroundings were breathtaking. I looked around and realized that I could be happy making this trip into work every day. Then I went in for the interview. There was a panel of three people, all wonderful, warm, and friendly. They made me feel at home, and the questions they asked were pretty straightforward. Still, I did not feel as though I had done my job of preparing, and I’m almost sure that I blew it. I walked out of there wondering how I could have been so careless as to not prepare myself for this good thing. Had I taken it seriously, I could have gotten into the “banquet,” but I was like those five foolish virgins, and now for the rest of my life, I have to live with the consequences of my attitude. My only consolation in all of this is twofold – I learned a lesson, and I have not yet blown my chances of making it into the “banquet” of heaven. At least with that, there’s still time to prepare.

Featured image Image by Aksel Lian from Pixabay

Watch!

December 2, 2023/1 Comment/in Advent, Catholic Writing and Publishing, Holidays, Spiritual Life/by Margaret Zacharias

Watch!

Despite a bit of concern that I might start to be viewed as a presumptuous would-be-homilist, I’m reflecting about the upcoming gospel reading again, on this December First Saturday of 2023.

But as a writer, I’ve always been intrigued by diction, the word choices we make to convey what we want to say.

While we have no way of easily confirming the accuracy of transcription or translation in any of the traditional readings for the First Sunday of Advent, the customary gospel uses one word, “watch,” four different times, in three different ways, within a 98-word passage.

Any word used every 24.5 words in a single brief teaching monologue must surely be significant, especially when that teacher was Jesus. So, I feel it’s a worth a little bit of dissection, to consider why Our Lord placed so much emphasis on this one concept.

“Jesus said to his disciples:
“Be watchful! Be alert!
You do not know when the time will come.
It is like a man traveling abroad.
He leaves home and places his servants in charge,
each with his own work,
and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch.
Watch, therefore;
you do not know when the lord of the house is coming,
whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning.
May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping.
What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’”

— Mark 13: 33-37 (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120323.cfm)

Our first encounter with the word “watch” is as part of an adjective, “watchful,” and we’re immediately given a synonym, “alert.” Jesus seems to be describing a habitual condition that he would like his disciples to inhabit. That condition could also be described as “paying attention.” Attentiveness appears to be an internal quality that we are encouraged to develop.

Then, we are introduced to two nouns, a “gatekeeper” who is “on the watch.”

Lovingly-preserved Medieval house in a contemporary Medieval neighborhood, viewed from the city wall, Rothenburg, Germany. Photo Credit Fr. Lawrence Hoffmann, published with permission.

From paleolithic times, there have been lookouts on hills overlooking valleys, guardians on mountain peaks above passages between cliffs, gatekeepers in watchtowers embedded in city walls, who have served to help keep their communities safe.

The noun “a watch” has most often described a defined a unit of time with specific limits — “I’ll take the first watch, and you can take the second” — during which the person on duty was expected to provide vigilance for all.

So now, a dimension of community responsibility has been added to the internal personal quality of alertness.

And immediately, it is repeated, for the first time as an imperative verb, “Watch.”

“Watch me!” Children shout as they wave going by, up-and-down, round-and-round, on a carousel.

We “watch” the sky for incoming storms, traffic on the freeway for wayward drivers, the bathtub filling, so it won’t overflow.

We “watch” our cakes and Christmas cookies baking in the oven, often while others in the family are “watching” a parade or football game on television.

As writers, we are always “watching” our budgets, and our word counts.

The Cambridge English Dictionary offers this definition for the action verb “watch”: “to look at something for a period of time, especially something that is changing or moving.” (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/watch)

There are two important elements here.

The first is “a period of time.” The verb “to watch” does not mean a brief glance; it means focused attention for long enough to take in the nature, conditions, and dimensions of what is being watched.

The second is “something that is changing or moving.” “Watching” involves engaging in, and recognizing, a process of change and a direction of movement.

Christmas Market Square, Rothenburg, Germany. Photo by Margaret Zacharias, published with permission.

The Christmas markets in Europe, of which Rothenburg is one of the most famous, do offer material goods for purchase as gifts. But their most memorable value is in the experience itself — a satisfying bite into a hot brat on a bitterly cold day; the comfort of a hot cup of chocolate or gluhwein; live musical notes, floating with ephemeral snowflakes in the air.

Do we want broken budgets from too much online shopping this Advent? Do we want morose, unhappy households from endless consumption of ugly world news? Do we want stressed out children from too much sugar, and too many toys?

Or do we want the peace of gratitude for our blessings, the warmth of a simple, unhurried family meal, and the grace of acknowledging that we have enough?

Our Lord’s words speak directly to our authentic needs as human beings, and to the world as it really is.

There have always been wise servants “watching” — and there have always been thieves.

In this new Advent Season that we are about to embark on together, may we be the disciples of Christ who can look into the eyes of our children and grandchildren, our neighbors and friends, with awareness of who they really are, and who they are striving to become.

May faith, hope, and love fill our hearts, and theirs.

Watch.

Featured Photo: Watchtower in the Medieval City Walls, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Bavaria, Germany, on the plateau overlooking Tauber River ravine. Author’s personal photo, published with permission.

Mom Hated to Clean!

December 1, 2023/0 Comments/in Advent, Catholic Writing and Publishing, Spiritual Life/by Ben Bongers

Mom Hated to Clean!

My mom was a typical mom in all but one thing. She hated to clean!

Mom was a good Catholic girl who went to work in a restaurant at 16 and didn’t finish high school until she got her GED at the age of 32, followed by a college degree in art. Later, she was an optometric dispenser for Montgomery Wards and several other companies before she retired. She didn’t make millions of dollars doing it, but she loved what she did. She’d help pick out new glasses or calm those who were told they needed glasses for the first time, or—several times a year—she would be there for people who were told they would lose their sight or lives to a tumor that was found because of an eye examination. Many of these people became lifelong friends; for others, she would go to their funerals, comforting their families.

How did she get to know all these people? Simply by offering to clean their glasses.

Now, you would think that cleaning is cleaning. Not so to her. If she cleaned at home, she would immediately elicit my and Dad’s help in whatever project she conjured up. Then, after the couch was moved, or everything was out of the cabinet, or the beds were moved to a different room, the white tornado clouds of Lysol, Pine Sol, or vinegar would appear. As much as she hated cleaning, she loved the results and always commented, “Well, that wasn’t so bad. We should do this more often.”

The other thing mom loved to do was go to church. She was always the most comfortable—not at Sunday Mass—at the Tuesday night Novena Mass. She loved being in a church at night, with the votive candles flickering and the sight and smell of incense wafting upward—especially during Advent, when the sun went down around 5 p.m. She would usually drag me along and plop me down in the pew next to her, sometimes to pay attention to the priest, others to sit on the kneeler and use the seat for a desk so I could draw a boat or dog or house. I once asked her why she liked the Tuesday night Novena Mass so much. With a calm look and a slight smile, she said, “Because I feel so clean and straightened after.”

Now that I think about it, Mom was very similar to Saint John the Baptist. Since John was the son of a High Priest of the temple, I’m sure he grew up in a comfortable life with finer things—the best cuts of meat, great clothes, never going hungry. But as he got older, he felt restless. He wanted to work, not go to school. He wanted to do what God was telling him to do. He wanted to help people. And, just like Mom, he would go to heroic lengths to “clean.” He went to the desert; he wore only scratchy, stinky camel skin and ate locusts and honey. He would look out in the night sky, not at votive candles flickering, but at stars. He would see the smoke rise, but instead of incense, it was from his small fire for warmth. And just like Mom, John would comfort the people who came to him. He would tell them there was a better life, a life with God, and a life worth “cleaning” for.

So, he would get right down in the river, roll up his sleeves, and clean. He would baptize with Lysol for the spirit, wash away sins with the Pine Sol of the Holy Spirit, and lift them out of the Jordon with the cleaning vinegar of sanctity running down their cheeks and back. And, just like Mom, John would take whoever came to him—young or old, rich or poor, woman or man, heathen or heretic … they were all God’s children, and he was there to serve.

In Advent, we read in the Old Testament,

Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and proclaim to her that her service is at an end, her guilt is expiated… A voice cries out: “In the desert, prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God! Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low; the rugged land shall be made a plain, the rough country, a broad valley …” (Isaiah 40:1–4)

In the New Testament, we have John appearing “in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins… and [they] were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins” (Mark 1:4–5).

Like Mom and John the Baptist, we have heroic cleaning to do. Advent is the perfect season to clean the closet—of our souls. Vacuum up the carpets—of the times we know we missed the mark. And clean your glasses—so your heart can see the goodness of God in everyone you meet during this season of expectation.

Food for the Journey

November 24, 2023/0 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing, Eucharist, Love/by Rick Clements

Food for the Journey

In the sacrament of the Eucharist, Jesus provides us with the strength and sustenance we need to tread the path of the cross, to make our way through the school of love that is this life. In the Eucharist, Jesus breaks open his Body and pours out his Blood as literal food and drink for us so that we can become more fully incorporated into his Body, more fully united with God in love. But he also breaks open his Body and pours out his Blood for us in order to strengthen and fortify us with the divine life and love, so that we can, in turn, break ourselves open and pour ourselves out in love for others. That is why the Eucharist has sometimes been referred to as “food for the journey.” The Eucharist nourishes and supports us on our own journey toward Love, and the Eucharist also strengthens us to go out and become “food for the journey” for other people.

A couple of years before he died, Pope Saint John Paul II wrote an encyclical in which he encouraged Catholics to rediscover their sense of amazement at the Eucharist.[i] It’s a message that many of us need to hear today, especially at a time when surveys indicate that only 31% of Catholics believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist,[ii] and only 39% of Catholics attend Mass on a weekly basis.[iii] Here are three ways to regain or strengthen your sense of amazement at the Eucharist: 1) Read, and re-read, and meditate upon, the words of Jesus regarding the Eucharist in the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John. Jesus makes it abundantly clear that the Eucharist is his actual Body and Blood and not merely some “symbol” of his love for us. Jesus also emphasizes the absolute necessity that anyone who claims to be his follower allow himself to be fed by the Eucharist; 2) If you’re not already attending Mass every week, start doing so. Jesus can’t feed you with the Eucharist if you don’t show up at the table. You wouldn’t choose to starve yourself physically; don’t starve yourself spiritually, either. Commune with the heart and mind of Jesus in the Eucharist, and allow him to transform your own heart and mind to be more like his; 3) “Receive what you are; become what you receive.”[iv] This profound exhortation regarding the disposition with which we should receive the Eucharist was first formulated by Saint Augustine. Meditate deeply upon Augustine’s insightful phrase, and strive to adopt this attitude every time you receive the Eucharist.

In the Eucharist, we receive the Body of Christ, incorporating us ever more fully into that Body, the Body to which we were first joined at Baptism. When we receive the Eucharist, Jesus abides in us, and we abide in him (John 6:56). Fortified by that divine food and drink, we are, in turn, to become the Body of Christ in the world. Like Jesus, we are to “break ourselves open and pour ourselves out” in love for our fellow human beings, becoming “food” and “drink” for them as they make their way through their own journey to Love.

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

Photo by Morgan Winston on Unsplash

[i] John Paul II, Ecclesia de Eucharistia.

[ii] https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/08/05/transubstantiation-eucharist-u-s-catholics/

[iii] https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/attendance-at-religious-services/

[iv] https://earlychurchtexts.com/public/augustine_sermon_272_eucharist.htm

Cath-Lit Live: The Good Death of Kate Montclair

November 15, 2023/0 Comments/in Catholic Fiction, Catholic Theme, Catholic Writing and Publishing, Fiction/by Amy Cattapan

Cath-Lit Live: The Good Death of Kate Montclair

“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.

The Good Death of Kate Montclair by Daniel McInerny

Kate Montclair is dying. She has arrived at late middle age loveless, childless, and having failed to achieve the career dreams of her youth. Now diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, she sees the next fourteen months of suffering as an intolerable prospect. Desperate to avoid excruciating suffering and the indignities of so-called palliative care, the terminally ill Kate Montclair secretly plans to break Virginia law with an assisted suicide—but she isn’t prepared for the passion for life a “good death” can inspire.

About the author:

Daniel McInerny is a novelist and dramatist as well as associate professor and chair of the philosophy department at Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia. In March of this year he published, with Chrism Press, his novel, The Good Death of Kate Montclair, which his fellow Catholic novelist Maya Sinha has called “an instant classic of 21^st-century Catholic fiction.” In June 2024 Word on Fire Academic will bring out his scholarly monograph, The Way of Beauty: A Philosophical Reflection on the Arts, and in the fall of 2024 his play, The Actor, on the early life and underground wartime dramatic activities of Karol Wojtyla, the man who would become Saint John Paul II, will premiere at Christendom College. Visit his Substack, The Comic Muse, for more of his reflections on philosophy, the arts, technology, and culture.

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.

Celebrate the dedication of the ‘mother and head’ of all churches on Nov. 9

November 8, 2023/0 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing, History, Inspirational, Pilgrimage, Sacred Art and Architecture/by Mary McWilliams

Celebrate the dedication of the ‘mother and head’ of all churches on Nov. 9

The diesel engine of the American pilgrims’ tour bus couldn’t quiet the buzzing of questions concerning their next Roman site.

“Who’s St. John Lateran?”

“I’ve never heard of him.”

“What did he do to become a saint?”

Tucked away in southeast Rome and across the street from the Holy Steps (the stairway St. Helena excavated and believed Christ climbed to his meeting with Pilate), sits the historic archbasilica commonly known as “St. John Lateran.”

“There is no saint named John Lateran,” the tour guide announced as the pilgrims gathered at the front entrance of the oldest public church in Rome. It was built on a large campus that housed a palace, barracks, and other edifices owned by the wealthy and powerful Lateran family. The church was originally dedicated to the Most Holy Savior, then later to Sts. John the Baptist and John the Evangelist, giving it the official name of The Archbasilica of the Most Holy Savior and of Saints John the Baptist and the Evangelist. Most people simply refer to it as St. John Lateran. In a city of many ancient churches filled with art and history, this one has a special designation.

What would most Catholics say is the “pope’s church?” St. Peter’s Basilica? That’s the church most associated with the Holy See. In addition to other ceremonies and Masses at St. Peter’s Basilica, the pope celebrates Christmas Eve Mass there, installs new cardinals and, until recently, bestowed the lamb’s wool pallium on new archbishops.

But every year, on Nov. 9, the pope travels less than 15 minutes from St. Peter’s to celebrate the dedication of St. John Lateran. As the bishop of Rome, Lateran is the pope’s archbasilica. And, as Catholics, it’s our church too. The church of every Catholic everywhere in the world.

“Omnium urbis et orbis ecclesiarium mater et caput,” the tour guide read, pointing to the message in Latin. Translated in English, it is “The mother and head of all the churches in the city and the world.” Every Catholic has a parish home, the church they attend regularly and are probably registered. They also have their diocesan home, the cathedral in the diocese that is known as the “bishop’s church.” On an international level, they have St. John Lateran, the mother and head of all churches. Sojourners from around the world are welcomed at daily Masses and join in this universal place as a family. The pope celebrates Mass on many holy days, such as the feast of Corpus Christi and even Christmas Day. On a jubilee year, its holy doors are the first opened of four major basilicas in Rome. Between the 12th and 16th centuries, it hosted five ecclesiastical meetings, collectively known at the “Lateran Councils.” It housed popes until the 14th century. John Paul II journeyed to Lateran for the Rite of the Possession of the Chair of the Bishop of Rome after being elected pope in 1978, invoking Revelation 21:3 when he said, “I wish to kneel down in this place and kiss the threshold of this temple which has been for so many centuries ‘the dwelling of God with men.’” (1)

Yards from the basilica is a statue of St. Francis of Assisi, who ventured to Rome to request permission from Pope Innocent III, in residence at the Lateran palace, to begin his order. Larger than life statues of the 12 apostles surround the perimeter of the nave, each showing the symbols associated with them: Peter holding the keys; John the Evangelist with pen and eagle; Bartholomew, who was flayed alive, holding the skin of his face. Each one teaching us the glory of their entrance into heaven and reminding us that the art in churches was never meant simply as pretty decoration of some artist’s spiritual interpretation. Art was meant to help teach the Gospel, to both the illiterate and privileged. It is just as important today to keep that art public to help enlighten moderns to the Word.

The archbasilica has survived natural disasters and fires, a 1993 bombing, and more than 200 popes. It is a place of rich history that includes the fiendishness of Nero and the benevolence of Constantine who handed the property over to the church under the care of Pope Melchiades (2). Like countless other Catholic churches, it displays sumptuous art and has been a place of significant occasions, some of which have harbored tragedy and joy. It could be argued, however, that the most momentous event takes place daily and exponentially with the arrival of Catholic pilgrims from their native lands who come to the comforting revelation that this basilica is also their home. If you can’t attend a Mass there Nov. 9 to celebrate its dedication, make a virtual visit and get to know your home away from home.

Click here to take a virtual tour of St. John Lateran.

Feature Image: The front of The Archbasilica of the Most Holy Savior and of Saints John the Baptist and the Evangelist, commonly known as “St. John Lateran.”
Image 2: Statue of St. Francis of Assisi and companions requesting permission from Pope Innocent to establish a new order.
Image 3: St. Peter, in the nave of St. John Lateran shown holding his symbol, the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.

References:
(1) https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/homilies/1978/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_19781112_possesso-laterano.html
(2)https://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/san_giovanni/it/basilica/storia.htm

A Gangbanger’s Journey to Sainthood: Meet Peter Armengol

November 7, 2023/0 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing/by Larry Peterson

A Gangbanger’s Journey to Sainthood: Meet Peter Armengol

Please turn on your imagination

Imagine being a dad with a teenage son who has seemingly turned his back on you. He has rejected the values you have worked so hard to instill in him, and he does not seem to care about anything but his own selfish wants. You wonder how this could be. He is 19 years old, and you have not seen him in over a year. A sense of despair has gripped you. You are alone in your living room. You fall to your knees and begin to pray for your boy.

Besides your wife and 14-year-old daughter, you have other things on your mind. You are a respected police chief in a city of two million people where a major political convention will take place in two days. You have been asked by the police commissioner to coordinate the security forces on the convention center’s perimeter. You have a job to do, and right now, it takes precedence over other things.

At 6 p.m. on the convention’s first night, protesters begin gathering on the center’s east side. You can see that they are well-organized and plan to create mayhem. At 9 p.m., the crowd numbers several thousand, and the screaming and yelling is getting intense. Suddenly the crowd, urged on by several masked protesters, surges forward and then breaks into a charge.

One man stops and falls to his knees

Dressed in riot gear, you are standing at the forefront of your men, and in your hand is a taser. One man is charging right at you when suddenly he stops short, falls to his knees, and drops his hands to his sides. You hurry up to him and yank off his mask. You are stunned because you are looking down at your son. He is crying and telling you he is sorry. You lift him up and you hug each other. The surging crowd, witnessing this unexpected turn of events, stops and becomes quiet.

Dial your imagination back in time

Does that sound far-fetched? If so, let us now travel back more than 700 years to a day when something like this really did happen. Even though it may be 700 years ago, people then were like people now when it comes to their wants, needs, and emotions. It especially held true when it came to family.

Arnold Armengol was a member of the Spanish hierarchy. Despite receiving the finest education and upbringing, his son, Peter, rejected that and fell into the secular trap of self-centeredness, self-gratification, and outright depravity. He even joined a band of criminals that preyed on people traveling up the mountains. Peter was so good at this work that he eventually became the gang leader.

King James of Aragon asked Arnold to lead him on a journey to Montpellier so he might meet with the King of France. The King had heard of the brigands that preyed on mountain travelers and wanted his royal guard prepared for any attack.

The crime was punishable by death

As Arnold Armengol led the King’s entourage through the mountain passes, they were attacked by a band of highwaymen. As the robbers charged toward them, Armengol led his men in a counter-attack. With his sword drawn, he headed directly for the pack’s leader. They were about to engage each other when the robber fell to his knees. He recognized his father and, with tears streaming down his face, prostrated himself at his dad’s feet and handed over his sword. The penalty for his crimes was death.

Peter Armengol, repentant and seeking mercy, appealed to King James I and received a pardon. He was filled with shame and, heeding the graces God offered him, entered a Mercedarian Monastery in Barcelona. The Mercedarian’s mission was to use available funds to ransom Catholics captured by the Muslims. Peter excelled at this task and, over a period of eight years, managed to negotiate the freedom of many hostages from the Saracens.

From gang leader to Mercedarian friar

Friar Peter then headed to Africa with Friar William Florentino. His goal was to ransom Christians. On arrival in Bugia, he heard about 18 Christian children held hostage by the Mohammedans. They were under the threat of death if they did not renounce Christianity. Friar Peter offered himself in exchange for the hostages. The captors agreed but warned Peter that he would suffer brutal torture and death if the ransom were not paid on time.

Sentenced to be hanged

The arrival of the agreed ransom and Friar Peter’s release was scheduled for a particular day. The ransom never arrived. Peter was immediately put to torture and endured this for a full day. Tired of Friar Peter being alive, the Moors accused him of blaspheming Mohammad. He was sentenced to be hanged.

Friar Peter was hanged from a tree about a half-mile from the prison walls. His body was left there for the birds of prey to feed on. Six days later, Friar William arrived with the ransom. The Moors refused it and told Friar William that Peter had already been dead for six days and his rotted corpse was still hanging from the tree. Distraught, William went to recover his brother Mercedarian’s body.

The dead man began to speak

William left and headed to the execution site. As he approached, he noticed that Peter’s body seemed to be intact. There was also the fragrance of flowers in the air. William slowly approached the body of Peter. The man who was supposedly dead for six days began to speak. He explained how the Blessed Virgin had come to him and held him up with her precious hands the entire time so his body would not hang on the rope.

The HAPPIEST six days of his life

When recalling the miracle of his hanging, Peter Armengol told his Mercedarian brothers that the happiest days of his life were those six days he hung from the gallows supported by the Blessed Virgin Mary. Peter’s neck, broken from the hanging, remained twisted for the rest of his life, and he always had a sickly complexion. Seven documented miracles were attributed to him while he was still alive.

Peter was 28 years old when he was hanged. He died in 1304 at the age of 66, having lived 38 years after being saved by the Blessed Virgin Mary from death by execution. Pope Innocent XI canonized Peter Armengol on April 8, 1687.

We ask Saint Peter Armengol, O. de M. to pray for us all.

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A Gangbanger’s Journey to Sainthood: Meet Peter Armengol

A Gangbanger’s Journey to Sainthood: Meet Peter Armengol

Please turn on your imagination

One man stops and falls to his knees

Dial your imagination back in time

The crime was punishable by death

From gang leader to Mercedarian friar

Sentenced to be hanged

The dead man began to speak

The HAPPIEST six days of his life

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