Tag Archive for: catholic writing

They Need to Stay Out of Our Faith

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I’m tired folks. Not because I am a senior citizen or because my back hurts or because I am a cancer survivor. All of that stuff is GOOD. I am tired and worn out from being slapped upside the head because I am Catholic. Yeah–just like all of you here– Catholic. It seems we go along day after day, year after year, and watch and hear our faith denigrated and mocked by a secular world where the slightest hint of a moral boundary professed or defended is ridiculed. God forbid anyone (especially someone who represents our church) attempts to say “NO” to anyone of “modern virtue” who has their own ideas as to what our faith should be.

I am a blue-collar Catholic guy who loves his faith and his church (just like all of you) and that is all there is to it. My three priorities have always been: God, Family, and Country—in that order. But you see, no one ever bothered us about that, right? God bless the framers of the Constitution. Were they SMART. Freedom of Religion–the very first amendment. They knew what kind of lid had to be placed on the pressure cooker of diversity that was to be America. They knew that religion transcended man-made law. It made things either right or wrong. It said yes and no, it gave us a “right thing to do”, it provided a moral compass. Ah, “yes and no”—how archaic to so many in our sophisticated and secular 21st century world. Yet, how beautiful and reassuring to so many others. Such a paradox.

Look, we go to Mass on Sunday and some of us, if possible, might go every day. And then, on occasion, we like to pay a “visit” to our church. It does not matter where the church is located. Anywhere in the world is just fine. They may look different but they are all the same. Jesus is there. For real. We believe that. We know that for a fact. It is a faith thing. We can stop in for five minutes just to say “Hi Jesus” or we can sit for five hours and talk to Him or not talk to Him. He doesn’t care. He’s always happy to visit with us. If anyone has a problem with that—oh well, Freedom of Religion—remember. Faith is that great intangible. Illogical if you have not been given it. Wondrous if you have embraced it.

So, what’s my problem? Well, first of all I thought that we were supposed to live our faith 24/7. I mean, when I leave church, is that it? Haven’t I gone to church to be nourished and reinforced, so when I leave the church and confront the world outside I am prepared to do my best to live up to my beliefs? And now, unprecedented in American history, an administration in power is telling us that when we go OUTSIDE our church we must violate our beliefs under penalty of breaking the law, facing a fine or even imprisonment. They have even suggested that we have declared a “war on women” because we are refusing to give contraception to women. Have THEY LOST THEIR MINDS? President Nixon signed Title X into law in 1970 , 42 years ago, and contraception on demand has been available all over the country ever since.

This first Tuesday of the month blog is supposed to be about ‘writing stuff’. Well, I am writing a little bit different here. I think it is what all of us have to do more of as writers. Write more about our faith that is being held under siege. I am tired of this unrelenting attack on our faith, supposedly being waged under the banner of “virtue”. What a crock. Maybe we should close all the Catholic hospitals and schools, foundling homes, Catholic Charities, the St. Vincent De Paul Society and HIV/AIDS Centers, homes for the deaf and the blind and the homeless. Have they LOST THEIR MINDS? They need to stay out of our faith and we need to, following the example of our bishops, defend it.

May and Mary

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May is, without a doubt, a crazy month for most of the people I know.

Lately, I’ve been reflecting on the fact that maybe May is Mary’s month because the only way we moms will get through it is with her help.

Call me a bit cynical. Or overwhelmed. Or considering crawling under the table to hide from my to-do list.

I blame Mary for the fact that I write. It’s God’s fault I have the opportunities I have.

There’s really no problem, except when I try to interfere and control.

Just as Abram (later Abraham) hedged his bets by sleeping with Sarai’s maid to get himself some offspring, instead of trusting what God told him (see Genesis 16), so I tend to try to take control.

Of my duties. Of my lists. Of my vocation.

Why is it so hard just to say yes? Why haven’t I learned yet to trust?

Having a whole month to focus on Mary isn’t such a bad thing. I am imperfect in my approach–and that will only change in small steps, I suspect.

Even so, as I quake in the face of that which is in front of me, I’m going to lean on Mary, especially in this month of May.

image source: MorgueFile

One of my Favorite Characters, Sister Grace

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I’m excited to blog today about one of my dear characters, Sister Grace, for two reasons:  First, her second book came out this month—Live and Let Fly.  Second, her story, Siren Spell, comes out today from Flying Island Press.

Sister Grace is not your typical nun.  First of all, she’s not from our world.  She was born in Ireland, but in the Faerie dimension, where magic, elves, demigods and all manner of unusual creatures are a fact of life.  Secondly, she’s not fully human—but I’ll let you read about that in Flying Island.  Suffice to say, it gave her some very powerful magical ability, which for the safety of herself and everyone, were consecrated to God when she was very young,  Currently, Sister Grace is partnered with a dragon, Vern, and they run a private investigations agency here in our world.  Most of the time they handle mundane (and Mundane) cases like finding lost animals or assisting the police when magic might be in play.  Every so often, they have to take on major supernatural baddies  to save our world and Faerie.

Grace is the perfect complement to a snarky, cynical and sometimes selfish dragon.  She’s got the spunk—and the grace—to keep him in line and following God’s direction more willingly than he usually does.  She’s also helped him enjoy his current situation.  Vern is good for her, too—she feels protected and secure with him, and he makes her laugh, which she hadn’t done for a long time before they met.  He also gave her the confidence to use her magic again after having faced some difficult temptations at the hands of some demons.  The two love each other dearly—which makes things a little awkward when Vern turns human for the case in Live and Let Fly.

That’s what I love about Grace, though.  She’s spiritual and utterly devoted to God, but she’s nonetheless human.  She’s been known to lose her temper, grab people by the ear, even get into magical spats with other beings.  She lets Vern get away with stuff now and then.  (Check out Vern’s “Apologia on Extortion,” http:// flowersonthefence.blogspot.com.)  But she’s also ready to sacrifice herself for others and always ready to follow God’s call.  And her reaction to seeing her very best friend as a gorgeous guy?  “Mary loved her sweet Joseph, and there have been plenty of married but celibate saints.  I’ll be fine.  But, just don’t touch me.”

Spirit, spunk, and a big dose of practicality.  That’s Sister Grace.

About Live and Let Fly:

The magic is Faerie.  The technology, Mundane.  When they meet, the survival of the world rests in one dragon’s…er…claws.  See Vern as you’ve never seen him before!  

For a dragon detective with a magic-slinging nun as a partner, saving the worlds gets routine. So, when the US government hires Vern and Sister Grace to recover stolen secrets for creating a new Interdimensional Gap– secrets the US would like to keep, thank you—Vern sees a chance to play Dragon-Oh-Seven.

No human spy, however, ever went up against a Norse goddess determined to use those secrets to rescue her husband. Sigyn will move heaven and earth to get Loki—and use the best and worst of our world against anyone who tries to stop her.
It’s super-spy spoofing at its best with exotic locations (Idaho–exotic?  Well, it is to them!), maniacal middle-managers, secret agent men, teen rock stars in trouble, man-eating animatronics, evil overlords and more!

Here’s an Excerpt with Vern and Grace talking the details of a case:

“Sure it was 2:30, exactly?”

Grace pulled off her shoes and massaged her feet. Then she wiggled her toes. She’s never cared for shoes. “They didn’t say exactly. Why?”

“Something about that time…”

Grace waited patiently while I mulled it over, then wracked my brains. Once upon a time, everything I learned I remembered; now “Wisdom of the Ages” is just a tag line on my Yellow Pages ad. I had my excellent memory back, but only of more recent events, and not always with perfect recall. There was something about the Gap and 2:30. Two-thirty. Two hundred thirty. Two-Three-Oh…

I felt more than heard Grace begin a prayer. She did that sometimes, prayed that a particular bit of knowledge would come to me. In fact, in our first case, her novena caused me to translate a popular song that turned out to be an ancient summoning rite—just in time, too.

I let it go. If there was something about the time we needed to know, God would help me remember. I settled myself down, arms tucked under my chest, and said my own dragon-style prayers until I saw Grace cross herself. “Hungry?”

“Ach, no. I’ve been filled with snacks.”

“Sure, nuns get pastries, but who feeds the dragon? After all, by now they know I prefer lunch meat over lovely maidens.”

She chuckled. “Well, someone hit a doe on the Gap road. Randy asked me to see if you were interested.”

“Best tip I’ve had all day. So how was the wedding?”

“Beautiful. Very simple, very heartfelt. A pleasure to sing at.”

I couldn’t help but grin at Grace’s starry gaze. Who said nuns can’t be romantics, too?

Then her expression changed. “Vern, do ye not think it’s time to apologize to Kitty?”

“Apologize?” I resisted the urge to ask, “What for,” since she’d come up with a list as long as my tail. “If I apologize to McGrue, she’ll only take that as evidence that she’s won somehow. That woman is as bad as—”

“—a dragon?”

There were times I’d rather face McGrue’s accusative stares than Grace’s guileless looks. Couldn’t she at least arch an eyebrow or something?

“I’m going to see what I can pick up at the Colt’s Hoof,” I growled on my way out.

Purchase on Amazon:  http://tinyurl.com/amazonllf

Purchase from Publisher: http://tinyurl.com/LiveAndLetFly

Remember Your Priorities

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Last week, during the Catholic Writers Conference Online, I was reminded of something that I’m going to just go ahead and remind you of, too.

Because you know what? We all need to hear this.

Remember your priorities.

You are Catholic first, everything else second.

That means your big-V vocation–spouse, parent–comes before your little-v vocational pursuits or jobs–including your writing.

Blogging is something that’s easy to get into. But that doesn’t mean it’s right for you. It doesn’t mean you should blog.

When you’re not sure how you’re going to fit one more thing into your schedule, here’s my advice:

STOP. Pray. Listen.

I know, that’s so idealistic. You don’t have time to go to the bathroom unsupervised, and yet I’m challenging you to find somewhere quiet and turn up your ears? All you can hear is your own screaming. What the heck?

I was asked in two different chats, by at least four different people, how they should figure in blogging time.

“They,” after all, say that you should blog to build or grow your platform.

“They” say that blogging is a must.

But you know what? “They” are a bunch of idiots.

Do They have the same priorities you do? Are They called to the same Vocation and vocation as you? How are They even speaking to you?

Take what’s good and discern what’s not, and after you do, don’t look back when you leave it in the trash can.

Not everyone can blog, not everyone should blog, and hey! That’s OK!

We’re here to encourage each other, and I want to cheer in your corner.

Remember your priorities.

Frequent the sacraments, first and foremost, especially the Eucharist and Confession.

Spend time with Jesus BEFORE you spend time doing your work, whether it’s your primary vocation or your work pursuits.

Give it to him FIRST. Everyone else SECOND.

If you’re really stuck, take it to Adoration. Sit in the silence before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and lay your head in his lap. Let his mother stroke your temples and close your eyes.

This is where you belong. This is where you are headed. This is why you struggle through the day.

If blogging is something you are truly called to do, you will. You can.

It’s not easy to do God’s will, but it’s even harder when we’re deaf to what God’s trying to tell us.

Let’s pray for each other, shall we? It’s not an easy thing, being an artist. It’s not an easy call we’re heeding.

But easy isn’t what we’re after. Heaven is.

That rosary is one I got via Trendy Traditions.

Catholic Writers Retreat Set For Oct 5-9; Register by Sep 28

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NOTE: We need more people to sign up by the 20th or we have to cancel, so if you know you want to go, please register before then!


Catholic Writers to Enjoy Special Spiritual Retreat

Lansing, MI: In collaboration with FAITH Catholic Publishing and Communications, The Catholic Writers Guild, will sponsor Your Word is My Delight, a Catholic writers’ retreat, Oct 5-9, 2011. Come and delight in God’s word and sacrament, and pray in a beautiful and serene retreat setting.

The retreat’s key presenter is Pat Gohn, Catholic columnist, podcaster and catechist (link: http://www.patgohn.com/patgohn/About.html) . Other presenters are Father Charles E. Irvin, David Krajewski, Father David Rosenberg and Father Larry Delaney.

Writers will enjoy five spiritually-enriching days of daily Mass, adoration, the sacrament of reconciliation and many hours of writing time. Talks will explore how God speaks to and encourages writers through Scripture, papal writings and other topics in order to promote faith-filled writing.

Opportunities for networking also will be offered through an informal “book bash and social hour” Wednesday evening and Faith Catholic’s one-on-one “pitch sessions” that give writers the chance to sell their current writing projects.

Cost for the four-day retreat is $450, which includes meals and accommodations. Deadline for registration is Sept 28. A nonrefundable deposit of $45 is required at registration.

It’s Mary’s Fault I Write

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May is Mary’s month, and I can’t help but reflect in this space about how it’s Mary’s fault that I write.

Yes, I blame her. Writing was a dream of mine years ago, when I was a wee girl living in the country and filling notebooks with terrible tales, but I never thought I’d actually do it as work.

The reality of writing, though, is such that I can only shake my head and surmise that, surely, only God’s MOTHER could be responsible for this.

I was going to be so! much! more! The image of me frantically pecking at a keyboard while kids are bouncing off the walls or while racing the nap times and potty breaks and snack times is so far from what I had planned for myself that I can’t help but laugh…still…all these years later.

It all started when Father was out of town and I was holding down the parish office fort by myself. During that week, I had what felt like a whole series of weird “Mary signs.” I don’t know what else to call them. They were significant to me at the time, but if I shared them with you now, you’d laugh (and I wouldn’t blame you).

I was so moved by them that I started a list and bombarded Father with them when he returned.

“Well,” he said. As I rambled on and on and ON, he sat there and probably tried not to smile.

It was later that year that I started blogging, which was intended to be a daily writing exercise. The feeling that I was supposed to write was…uncomfortable. It’s not that I didn’t think I could do it, it was that I really had no training for the craft, for the networks, for all the ins and outs.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that my big “break” into writing came as a result of a column about Mary’s various titles over at Catholic Exchange. And then there was the opportunity to join the Catholic Moments show with a “Mary Moment.”

Opportunities kept growing and expanding. In fact, my Marian writing is what seems to always attract people, to get the leads, to keep my writing alive.

So I guess the least I can do is keep plugging along, relying on her (and her Son!) for help and strength on the journey.

Do you have a patron for your writing endeavors? I’d love to hear your stories in the comments!

—
Sarah Reinhard, author of Welcome Baby Jesus: Advent & Christmas Reflections for Families, is a Catholic wife, mom, and certifiably addicted blogger who can be found online at SnoringScholar.com.

Volunteer Drive: Seal of Approval

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CWG MEMBERS ONLY: This is the first of a series of activities the Guild does, and that it needs volunteers to help with. The CWG wants to be a force for promoting quality Catholic works–and quality works by Catholics. Won’t you give of your time and talent for this worthy endeavor? If the program below doesn’t appeal to you, but you want to help, check out the other programs here.

Seal of Approval:

This is a BIG project for the Guild. Not only are we providing a perk for marketing, but we are developing relationships between the Guild and bookstores. However, as this has increased in numbers applying, Sarah Reinhard, the hardworking coordinator, is getting overwhelmed as are the small core of readers. Here’s what Sarah needs:

A SECOND COORDINATOR TO SHARE THE LOAD: You two would decide how to split the load of applicants. Here’s the process Sarah follows:

1. Receive the application via email. (Though some applications come via hard-copy in the mail.)
2. Gather information into email, send to distribution list of possible reviewers.
3. Enter information into spreadsheet (which I can share with you if you’d like, it’s a Google Doc) as reviewers reply.
4. Send appropriate electronic copies OR contact submitter with addresses of those who get hard copies.
5. Track down reviewers to find out if they have finished reading the book (this is what leaves things lingering; some people take the full 60 days, or find out halfway through that they can’t do it. Also, there are the times that people raise questions/concerns about aspects of the book and I then contact Father Pat Toner, who’s my “is it okay theologically etc” expert.
6. Once I have the responses from reviewers, send letter to submitter confirming or denying.
7. Copy Margot Davidson on that email if it’s an award letter, because she takes care of sending them the actual seals.
8. Once a month, I send an email of all the SOA titles awarded to Maria and a few other folks (Ann, Ellen, Jennifer Gladen, Margot, you, Ann).
9. Rinse and repeat.
Sarah wants four volunteers who are well-versed in Catholic teachings to be a core go-to group for when a reader has concerns about a book. These people would read the book and make a final decision.

WE ALSO NEED READERS! This is your chance to get free books! You just need to read them for their Catholicity and minimum quality standards. (We are not a critique group, but if a book is so badly edited that it would embarrass the Guild to approve it, we will reject on those grounds.) Sarah sends out a call for readers. You pick what you’d like, send back a request (and whether you want it electronic or print.) You do not have to read all the books! Once you read it, you fill out the judging sheet, send it in–and that’s it! The book is yours to do with as you will. (except resell on eBay.)

To help with the Seal of Approval, contact Sarah Reinhard at sarah(at)snoringscholar.com

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