Family Meal Time

"Wedding in Skagen" by Anna Archer

“The sharing of meals has too often been neglected and is commonly now thought to be a trivial or less important part of the home, education, or community life. I believe such ignorance is serious and has caused the collapse of one of life’s foundations. It does not take up too much time; it is a thread that holds life together....

“Ah, how one looks forward to this satisfying regular part of life…Nothing can replace this day-in, day-out pattern. NOTHING…! Relationships are forged around the table. It is a vital part of life.”

~Susan Schaeffer Macaulay, For the Family’s Sake

Purgatory

"Purgatory is not some kind of supra-worldly concentration camp where one is forced to undergo punishments in a more or less arbitrary fashion. Rather it is the inwardly necessary process of transformation in which a person becomes capable of Christ, capable of God [i.e. capable of full unity with Christ and God] and thus capable of unity with the whole communion of saints… Encounter with the Lord is this transformation. It is the fire that burns away our dross and re-forms us to be vessels of eternal joy."

- Pope Benedict XVI, Eschatology: Death and Eternal Life

One of the post perplexing dogmas of the Church, to non-Catholics, is that of Purgatory. Upon death, Catholics hold that those who have unrepented mortal sin on their souls will be consigned to Hell, while those whose souls are untainted (by absolution of any sin) or which bear only venial sins are destined for eternity in Heaven. The untainted souls go directly to Heaven, but those whose souls are still impure to some degree spend a time in Purgatory where they are made fully clean before being united eternally with God. (To understand the difference between and significance of venial and mortal sin, please refer to my previous post on the subject.) This concept is particularly difficult for Protestants. There are two reasons, I believe, for this. The first is the foundational Protestant doctrine of sola scriptura, or "only Scripture"; the second is the other pillar of Protestantism, sola fide, or "faith alone." In combination, these two cornerstone doctrines make Purgatory a perplexing and troubling concept for many Protestants. Let me explain:

Protestants believe in the concept of sola scriptura, or "only Scripture." This means that only the documents of Scripture itself may be used authoritatively in order to understand God (and the Protestant Scripture differs somewhat from the Catholic and Orthodox Scriptures). Since Scripture does not speak explicitly and overtly about Purgatory (though, Purgatory is mentioned implicitly in many, many passages, as I will discuss in a moment), Protestants believe that we cannot assert a belief in it. For Catholics, Sacred Tradition--those teachings of the Church that are deemed to be explicitly Apostolic, meaning they come directly from the Apostles--is a lens through which we read and understand Sacred Scripture. The two work hand in hand, and it is through Sacred Tradition that we are able to discern those things which are referenced or alluded to but not explicity defined in the Scriptures. Catholics find Purgatory written about in Scripture, as well as in other Apostolic teaching about it that is not contained in the Biblical Canon.

Next, let's look at the doctrine of sola fide, "only faith." For Protestants, one's salvation, purchased by the grace of God through the Blood of Jesus Christ, is a matter of "faith alone". If you believe in the salvation of Jesus Christ and accept it, then you are saved; if you don't, then you will spend eternity in Hell. To be specific, Protestants do not believe that we are "saved by faith," but rather that we are saved by God's grace alone (just as Catholics believe) and justified by our faith. Catholics do not hold this latter belief. Catholics believe that we are justified by both faith and sanctifying works, which topic I have written about previously and will not discuss again here, though you can follow the preceding link to read more about it. Protestants merely believe that we are sanctified by works, not justified. There is also an understanding among many Protestant denominations that this sanctification does not have to be completed in life, and that each "saved" person will become fully sanctified upon death when they will be transported to Heaven to spend eternity in the Presence of God. For Catholics, sanctification is essential and a necessary prerequisite to entering Heaven, but it does not necessarily have to be completed entirely in this life.

Because our God is a just God, Catholics believe that there are two types of punishment which correspond to the two types of sin. Mortal sin, if left unabsolved, results in "eternal punishment"; if mortal sin is confessed, the eternal punishment (Hell) is removed by God's mercy from the sinner, but "temporal punishment" remains. Venial sin merits only "temporal punishment." As I discussed in my post on venial and mortal sin, though Jesus' suffering provides ful atonement for all sins, we must still participate in our own sanctification through good works and through penance for our sins. Through good works and penance, we are not meriting our salvation but rather mitigating the very real effects of our sins and participating in God's work of making us holy. For many of us, this work will not be entirely completed in life; thus we will continue our sanctification in death. As the above quote from Pope Benedict XVI (top of post) points out, this is not arbitrary punishment; it is the necessary precursor to and result of being united with God and with the entire communion of saints. In order to be one with ultimate holiness, we must be made fully holy.

"The forgiveness of sin and restoration of communion with God entail the remission of the eternal punishment of sin, but temporal punishment of sin remains. While patiently bearing sufferings and trials of all kinds and, when the day comes, serenely facing death, the Christian must strive to accept this temporal punishment of sin as a grace. He should strive by works of mercy and charity, as well as by prayer and the various practices of penance, to put off completely the 'old man' and to put on the 'new man.'" (CCC 1473)

Now that we've talked a bit about what Purgatory is, let's take a look at what Scripture says on the subject. Remember what I said earlier, however. There is no explicit or overt mention of Purgatory in Scripture; just as there is no explicit or overt mention of the Trinity. It is because of Sacred Tradition that we are able to discern mention of Purgatory in the Bible, similar to how we are able to understand many of the prophesies in the Old Testament about Jesus in light of His Death and Resurrection.

In Ecclesiastes 12:14, we are reminded that no deed will go unaccounted for: "For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil." This drives home the point that reparation will need to be made for our sins, whether through good deeds or by acts of penance and sacrifice. In 2 Corinthians 5:10, we read, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad."

Because of this necessary judgment, we are admonished to be sanctified:

"May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones." (1 Thessalonians 3:13)

"Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord." (Hebrews 12:14)

"Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." (2 Corinthians 7:1)

Our goal is to complete reparation and perfect our sanctification in this life so that we may be immediately united with God upon death.

Let me repeat Hebrews 12:14: "Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord" (emphasis my own). This is a vital point. Unless we are holy, we cannot be with God. This is one reason why God appears to Moses only in the burning bush or with His back to him; if Moses were to look fully upon the Lord, being unholy, he would perish. If this is true of Moses, how much more so for us? Revelation 21:27 further drives this point home: "Nothing impure will ever enter it [Heaven], nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life" (emphasis my own).

"Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light. Because I have sinned against him, I will bear the LORD's wrath, until he pleads my case and establishes my right. He will bring me out into the light; I will see his righteousness." (Micah 7:8-9)

We see from these verses how Scripture is insistent that all deeds will be accounted for, that reparation for all sins will need to be made, and also that nothing impure or unholy may be united with God. But does that necessarily mean there must be a Purgatory? Doesn't Christ's atonement cover all our iniquities? Let us consider Jesus for a moment. Malachi 3:1-4 speaks to us of the coming Messiah as a "refiner":

"'See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,' says the LORD Almighty. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the LORD, as in days gone by, as in former years." (emphasis my own)

1 Corinthians 3:11-15 points out that, while the foundation of our salvation is Jesus Christ, our works will still be "tested" and "revealed with fire." We further see that the "fire" spoken of will not necessarily destroy the sinner--if his or her foundation is in Christ:

"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames." (emphasis my own)


To me, this passage, in particular, very clearly refers to Purgatory. A place where the deeds of those who already have their foundation in Christ are tested and revealed through God's refining fire. Such refining will result in "loss" if we have attached ourselves too much to the things of this world because we will need to be stripped of those things, yet we will be saved "as one escaping through the flames." Hebrews 12:19 tells us that "our 'God is a consuming fire.'" He is our purifier, our Holy Fire.

But, is Purgatory a real place, distinct from Heaven and Hell? If you've read Dante, you'll probably think that this is the orthodox understanding of Purgatory, and it was a prevailing conception of Purgatory in the past, particularly in the Middle Ages. It is drawn from passages like Philippians 2:10-11, which says "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." The thought was that Heaven was a real place located above the earth and Purgatory and Hell were real places located below the earth, but this conception of Purgatory is no longer the orthodox viewpoint. At an audience on August 4, 1999 Pope John Paul II said that Purgatory did not indicate a place, but "a condition of existence."

Though Purgatory may not be a real destination that we could map out in the cosmos, it is a very real "condition of existence." In many passages of Scripture, Jesus speaks of "Gehenna"; in Protestant Bibles this word is translated "Hell" or "grave" or "fire." In Catholic translations, it is left untranslated as "Gehenna." In order to understand the importance of this word, we must consider the Jewish understanding of it. For the Jews, Gehenna was a place of purification where sinners were thought to spend approximately one year before release. This is the understanding that Jesus had when He used the term in speaking with His disciples. Now, let's take a look at how the differences in translation may either show Gehenna to support the dogma of Purgatory in Scripture or not. I will use Matthew 5:29-30 to illustrate this point:

The NIV translation (arguably the most popular modern English translation among Protestants) of these verses can be read thus:
"If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell" (emphasis my own).

Look at the difference in the NAB (New American Bible), a Catholic English translation:
"If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna" (emphasis my own).

The NIV translation speaks of eternal punishment in Hell. The NAB speaks of temporal punishment in a purgatorial place or state, Gehenna. Consider the context from which these verses are drawn: Jesus is challenging His disciples not only to avoid mortal sins (such as adultery) but lesser manifestations of the same sinful roots (such as looking at a woman lustfully), which might easily lead to mortal sin. Since Christ is speaking, here, about venial sins, rather than mortal sins, it makes sense that He would be speaking about a place of corresponding temporary punishment rather than one of eternal punishment.

The final mention of Purgatory in Scripture that I would like to point to is one that most of my Protestant readers will dismiss, because it comes from the Book of 2 Maccabees. 2 Maccabees is a part of deuterocanonical Scripture, which is present in the Catholic Bible but absent in Protestant Bibles, unless it is tacked on as an appendix under the heading of "Apocrypha." A part of the Septuagint, Catholics hold that 1 and 2 Maccabees are a part of Sacred Scripture. After the Protestant Reformation, Protestants decided to use the Jewish canon that was codified sometime between the years 200 BC and 200 AD, rather than the Septuagint in forming their canon of the Old Testament. It is thought that this decision weighed heavily on the Protestant aversion to some doctrinal innovations, such as that in 2 Maccabees on the efficacy of prayers for the dead, which is discussed in the passage below. Prayer for the dead is a clear support of Purgatory. If there were not souls that were continuing to be refined in death, why would the deceased need our prayers? Yet, if Purgatory is real, then prayer for the dead makes perfect sense: those of us still journeying on earth may pray for our departed brothers and sisters, that their sufferings in Purgatory may be shortened and their entrance into full communion with God hastened.

Here is the passage from 2 Maccabees 12:39-46, which takes place following a battle between the Jews and the forces of Gorgias, governor of Idumea, after the Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost, in which "a few of the Jews were slain" (2 Maccabees 12:32-34).:

"On the following day, since the task had now become urgent, Judas and his men went to gather up the bodies of the slain and bury them with their kinsmen in their ancestral tombs. But under the tunic of each of the dead they found amulets sacred to the idols of Jamnia, which the law forbids the Jews to wear. So it was clear to all that this was why these men had been slain. They all therefore praised the ways of the Lord, the just judge who brings to light the things that are hidden. Turning to supplication, they prayed that the sinful deed might be fully blotted out. The noble Judas warned the soldiers to keep themselves free from sin, for they had seen with their own eyes what had happened because of the sin of those who had fallen. He then took up a collection among all his soldiers, amounting to two thousand silver crachmas, which he sent to Jerusalem to provide for an expiatory sacrifice. In doing this he acted in a very excellent and noble way, inasmuch as he had the resurrection of the dead in view; for if he were not expecting the fallen to rise again, it would have been useless and foolish to pray for them in death. But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin" (emphasis my own).

So, we've discussed what Purgatory is, and we've looked at what Scripture has to say about it. We've talked about the necessity for complete purification, and we've considered how Purgatory enables that purification. We've talked about the major barriers that many Protestants have in understanding and accepting a belief in Purgatory, namely the two pillar doctrines of sola Scriptura and sola fide. I hope I have helped to shed some light on the Catholic understanding of Purgatory and why it is important to us. I do not intend, and neither does the Church, for this doctrine to frighten or guilt anyone. Rather, I hope it will exhort us all to lead better lives here on earth and to pray for the repose of the souls of our departed brother and sisters, that they may be sped on their way to Eternal Joy in Heaven.

"Of course I pray for the dead. At our age the majority of those we love best are dead. What sort of intercourse with God could I have if what I love best were unmentionable to Him? I believe in purgatory. Our souls demand purgatory, don't they? My favourite image on this matter comes from the dentist's chair. I hope that when the tooth of life is drawn, a voice will say, 'Rinse your mouth out with this.' This will be purgatory."

- C.S. Lewis, Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer

Are All Sins Created Equal?

Recently, I received a request from one of my readers to write about the dogma of Purgatory, one of the most misunderstood teachings of the Catholic Church. However, as I began to write that post, I realized that I would need to explain something else first: the difference between venial and mortal sin. This is another Catholic teaching that seems to get people's backs up when they hear it. You see, it flies in the face of the doctrines of many other Christian denominations, particularly Calvinism, which has strong holdings in our country, even in non-Calvinist sects and in civil/secular life.

Are all sins created equal?

On a gut level, I think many of us would say, "No." After all, how could we possibly equate telling a white lie with murder? Clearly, our very natures proclaim, murder is the more serious sin, the "greater sin," if you will. Yet, many Christian denominations declare that there is, in essence, no difference. All sin, they say, separates us from God, no matter how insignificant the sin may seem. Therefore, all sin is the same. All sin is equal and equally as serious.

Interestingly, this is the not the belief of Judaism, the parent religion of Christianity. If you read through the Jewish Bible (Christians call it the Old Testament), you will see very clearly that while some sins got you a veritable slap on the wrist, others called for the death penalty. Indeed, this sort of differentiation of punishment being dependent on the severity of the crime, is the same type of system we find in our own judicial system in the United States. I don't think there is an American out there, no matter what his or her religious denomination, who would argue that stealing a pack of bubblegum should receive the death penalty anymore than we would say a serial murderer deserves a slap on the wrist and ten hours of community service. Our innate sense of justice differentiates between crimes based on their severity and demands that punishment fit the crime for which it is given.

Let's be clear about one thing, before we move on: Though we may not all be criminals, we are all sinners. This point is driven home again and again throughout Scripture, often juxtaposed with the immense mercy of God. St. Paul quotes from several Old Testament passages when he gives his famous dissertation on sin in Romans 3, which begins, "There is no one righteous, not even one..." "[A]ll have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Paul goes on to explain that we are incapable of being holy by our own merit and are, rather, justified through the grace of God because of our redemption in Christ Jesus. So, though I may have only ever told white lies in my life, I cannot, in a sense, say that I am "better" than the murderer in prison. Whether my sin be less serious, I am nonetheless a sinner, and thus so far removed from God in His ultimate holiness that I am closer to the murderer than to God in my nature. To this degree, all sins are equal, in the sense that they all make us unholy or, in other words, contrary in nature to the very Nature of God.

In another and broader sense, however, all sins are not equal. In fact, they are very different. Scripture even mentions one sin which is declared by Jesus Himself to be unforgivable!: the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Mark 3:28-29). 1 John 5:16-17 clearly differentiates between sins that "lead to death" (ie. that, if left unrepented, will condemn the sinner to Hell) and those that "do not lead to death."

"Suppose you see your brother or sister commit a sin. But that sin is not the kind that leads to death. Then you should pray for them. And God will give life to them. I'm talking about someone whose sin does not lead to death. But there is a sin that does lead to death. I'm not saying that you should pray about that. Every wrong thing we do is sin. But there are sins that do not lead to death."

Even St. Paul chimes in about the differentiation of sin, when he declares, in 1 Corinthians 6, "Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor sodomites nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God." Notice that these are some of the same types of sin that warranted more severe punishment in the New Testament. Notice, too, that Paul mentions nothing about "the white liars" or "those who hit their little sisters."

The Catholic Church differentiates between sins by placing them into two main categories: venial and mortal. Mortal sins (not to be confused with the "deadly sins" portrayed so grotesquely in the move Seven) are the more severe type of sins. They are alternately referred to as "grave," "eternal," grievous," or "serious" sin. For a sin to be a mortal sin, it must meet all three of the following criteria:

1. 
   
   It's subject must be grave (or serious) matter.
2. 
   
   It must be committed with full knowledge, both of the sin and of the gravity of the offense (though no person is deemed to be completely ignorant of the moral law, which is embedded on the conscience of every human being, Romans 2:14-15).
3. 
   
   It must be committed with deliberate and complete consent, such that it was a personal decision to commit the sin.

Any sin that meets these criteria is considered a "mortal" sin. "Grave matter," for those interested, is defined by the Church "as violations of what Jesus told to the man who asked him what the most important commandments were, namely, "do not kill", "do not steal", "do not commit adultery", "do not bear false witness", "do not defraud" and "honour your father and your mother" (CCC 1858, Mark 10:19). Though all mortal sins are deemed extremely serious, as they merit grave and eternal consequences if left unabsolved, even these sins are considered to be of varying weight within canon law (the official law of the Catholic Church). This is why the Church criminalizes certain mortal sins, such as abortion and heresy, and not others. (For those who don't believe the institution of canon law to be Biblically founded, please refer to Luke 17:3, 1 Corinthians 5:12, 1 Corinthians 6:2-4, and Galatians 6:1.) Another important distinction of mortal sin is that it actually hinders the reception of grace if it is not repented of an absolved. Quite literally, it separates us in a very real way from God, not just in the hereafter but right now. "[I]f we sin willfully after having the knowledge of the truth, there is now left no sacrifice for sins" (Hebrews 10:26).

And, what about venial sins? Venial sins are sins that are sin, yet do not meet the above criteria. For example, they may not be of grave matter, or the person committing them may not be fully culpable due to young age or mental incapacity. It is worth noting that there is no "list" of mortal and venial sins out there to cross-check. Due to the criteria, it is only possible for the sinner him- or herself to discern through prayer and reflection if they have committed a mortal sin or not. Don't be lacadasical about this, though; willful ignorance is not going to grant you a "get out of jail free card." God judges the heart, and on some level, your heart knows if you've committed mortal sin, even if you have disengaged your brain.

The question on many minds at this point might be, "But, what about Jesus? Wasn't His Sacrifice full atonement for all sin?" Certainly. Jesus' Death was the complete and final atonement for all sins ever committed, past, present, and future. Our Redemption through His Blood is a free gift, one that cannot be merited, and one that is not made necessary only by grave sins and not others. We are all in need of Salvation. Only God is Holy. Still, we are called to participate in our salvation, working it out "in fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12). Of course, this brings us to issues of salvation and justification. I have already written a post on this topic, so rather than repeat myself ad nauseum, I will refer to that post.

There is another side to Christ's atonement, however, and that is God's justice. It wasn't enough that someone die for the sins of mankind. God Himself, in human form, after having withstood the temptation to sin, had to be the pure Paschal Lamb. He who was sinless had to take upon His shoulders the sins of all the world. God does not let sin go unpunished; He does not withstand unrepented sin, and He cannot turn a blind eye to sin. Moreover, nothing that is unholy can ever be united with God--yet that is our goal (1 Corinthians 6:17): to be united with God for eternity in Heaven. And, this brings us to Purgatory. What happens when we die with unconfessed sin on our souls? According the Catholic Church, if the sin is mortal, we will go to Hell to suffer eternal damnation. (Scary, I know, but the Catholic Church isn't the Big Bad Wolf; it gets this teaching straight from Jesus: Matthew 8:12, Matthew 13:42, Matthew 13:50, and Luke 13:28, for example.) If the unconfessed sin is venial, the Church teaches that the deceased will spend time being cleansed in Purgatory, which name we get from the same root word as "purge" and meaning "a place of cleansing or refining."

I think this is where I will leave things for now, and we'll pick up again with Purgatory.

Show & Tell Friday: The Nursery

With less than nine weeks until the baby is due, I thought I would share our nursery with you all. In actuality, the nursery will continue to be Sophia's domain until our newest addition is six months old. Until then, he will be in a co-sleeper beside our bed, just like Sophia was when she was first born. It makes nighttime feedings so much pleasanter for everyone.

One interesting thing about our nursery is that, apart from the paint on the walls and the carpet on the floor, everything in it was either handed-down, purchased used, or received as a gift, so everything has a wonderful story behind it. The bunny decorations on the walls and the crib bumper and matching quilt were mine as a child and later were used by a couple of my little cousins. The clock on the wall, as well as the cute curtains and the curtain rod with the bunny finials were gifts from my mother before Sophia's birth. The Baptismal certificate, which now hangs over the changing table/dresser is also a gift from my mother. The crib was given to us by some friends from church. The rocking armchair that I use for nursing once belonged to my parents. The magazine rack table next to the nursing chair was purchased for $5 off of Craigslist. The crocheted blankets you can see tucked away in a couple of photos were lovingly handmade for Sophia.

Most of these photos are actually from before Sophia was born, so they are missing a couple of lovely pieces of bunny artwork given to us by friends and family and the shelf that holds Sophia's few figurines, piggy banks, and music boxes given to her by loved ones. Sophia's Christmas present from Mommy and Daddy this year (a wooden rocking horse) also lives in the nursery, now, but does not appear in these photos. Once our little boy takes over the crib and Sophia gets her "big girl" bed, we'll naturally need to rearrange our tiny nursery to accommodate two. At that point, I will take some new photos of the nursery and share again. Until then, this should give you a hint of what our nursery is like. And, by the way, can you tell I love Beatrix Potter?

St. Catherine of Sweden

St. Catherine of Sweden was the daughter of St. Bridget of Sweden. Though her father insisted she marry a German nobleman, Eggert von Kurnen, at the age of thirteen, Catherine lived a life of consecrated virginity. Her husband was a very religious man who gladly agreed to make their marriage a chaste one. Together, the couple devoted themselves to a life of piety and charity, and it is said that their love was a profound one. Despite the closeness of husband and wife, Catherine accompanied her mother Bridget on a pilgrimage to Rome in 1349 at the age of 18. While in Italy, Catherine received news that her beloved Eggert had died in Sweden.

Now a widow, Catherine lived constantly with her mother, serving alongside St. Bridget in her prolific ministerial life and eagerly accepting her mother's ascetic lifestyle. The two women, along with Catherine's brother, Birger, went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1372. Bridget died shortly after their return to Italy, and thereafter, Catherine worked tirelessly for her mother's canonization. Though she was not able to obtain the canonization at the time, due to a Schism regarding the papacy, Bridget was able to aid in the restoration of unity due to her loyalty on behalf of Pope Urban VI during the painful Schism, on whose behalf she testified at a judicial commission in Rome. St. Catherine is said to have written a devotional work called "Consolation of the Soul," but no manuscript has ever been found. Five years after her mother's death, Catherine returned to Sweden where she died shortly thereafter. In 1484, permission was granted for veneration of this saint, and her feastday is now celebrated on March 24th.

St. Catherine of Sweden is the patroness against abortion and miscarriages.

St. Catherine is a paradox. A princess who devoted herself to charity and self-denial. A wife who lived a life of virginity. A loving daughter, sister, wife, and child of God: Catherine is an example of someone who emptied herself completely to be filled with God's Spirit. It is no wonder that she is the patroness against abortion and miscarriages. Only someone so completely emptied of ego could understand the emptiness of the bereaved mother. Though Catherine was a virgin and never had biological children of her own, she had many spiritual children through her life of ministry. She also understands the loneliness and desolation of the mother who has no child to hold in her arms because of an abortion or a miscarriage. As a person of Swedish descent and a mother who has suffered a miscarriage, I feel a deep affinity for St. Catherine of Sweden, and she is one of the saints venerated in our home.

Here are some ideas for how to honor the feastday of St. Catherine of Sweden:

• Pray for St. Catherine's intercession against abortion in our country and in our world.
• Pray for St. Catherine's intercession for healing from a miscarriage for yourself or other mothers you know.
• Go on a pilgrimage (just a local one!), as St. Catherine did in her life.
• Make your pilgrimage a family affair as it was for Catherine. St. Catherine, St. Brigid, and Birger certainly understood the profound truth that the "family that prays together stays together." Celebrate your faith as a family today.
• Enjoy some Swedish foods. Despite their smorgasbords, Swedes aren't particularly known among other cultures for delicious main dishes (jellied eel or lutefisk, anyone?). But, we do make fantastic pastries! Consider making some Swedish pepparkakor cookies (spicy cookies accented with orange zest) or saffron bread or buns for tea time. There are some very tasty Swedish dishes, but you won't find them in your average cookbook, unfortunately. Some websites have yummy versions of Swedish meatballs, though. And sweet-and-sour red cabbage-and-apples is always a winner for sidedishes!
• If you homeschool, consider studying not only the life of this saint but a little bit about the history of Sweden. With Scandinavian being so predominantly Lutheran today, we sometimes forget that the Catholic Church was a significant presence prior to the Reformation. You might even want to do a mini-study in comparative religion: how does Lutheranism differ from Catholicism? What pagan traditions were adapted by the Church in Sweden to Christian practices?
• St. Catherine of Sweden carried out her apostolates alongside her family members, namely her husband and mother. Do you have family members or close friends with whom you serve God and others? Why not thank them today for all they have done to help you in your ministries? If you don't share your ministry with others, why not consider approaching a friend or family member with a proposal to begin serving together? Think of something you are both talented at or passionate about and support each other in service.

* The Bookworm's Library has been updated: The Mass by Dr. Tom Curran

Latest Sophia Photos

Playing with Daddy's hat:

Playing with Daddy's laptop (yes, we like playing with Daddy's things...Mommy's, too):

Eating our waffle with peaches and whipped cream...she was in Heaven:

We have such a silly, sweet girl!

Welcome the Spring!

“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.” ~ Margaret Atwood

Show & Tell Friday: 10 Week Countdown

That's right: less than 10 weeks to go until my due date! Here are the latest photos of the belly baby and me. I can't believe how quickly this pregnancy has flown by compared to my first. I better get cracking on those freezer meals; this little boy will be here before we know it!

What Makes a Saint?

 

Yesterday, on the feast of St. Patrick, I received the following question from a reader:

"Have you considered writing a post or book about the Catholic Saints compared to the every day person that comes to Christ and He's now their Savior thus making them a Saint and a child of God adopted into the family of God?"

Truthfully, I hadn't considered writing such a post, but now that I've been asked the question, I think it's an excellent topic to discuss.

To start, it is important to mention that the Catholic definition of a saint is a bit different from what most people would expect. A "saint" is simply someone who strives to live a life that is faithful and dedicated to Christ. This would be exactly what my reader was referring to when she spoke of "the every day person." St. Paul supports this "sainthood of believers" in several of his epistles: Romans 1:7, Philippians 1:1, Ephesians 2:19. All believers who are trying to live like Christ are saints--even if they fail miserably at it. The Catholic Church refers to all such Christians, both living and dead, as the "communion of saints," in case you were wondering where that line in the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds comes from. The Catholic Church doesn't make anyone a saint; God does. What the Catholic Church does do is officially recognize the sainthood of certain persons throughout Christian history who lived particularly extraordinary lives of faith and who, after their death, were noted for the power of their intercession. (On the topic of the intercession of the Saints, please refer to my previous article on the subject.)

This practice of recognizing particularly remarkable lives of faith was common practice by 100 AD--before all the books of the New Testament had even been recorded. This followed an ancient Jewish tradition in which prophets and inspired leaders were given special recognition after their deaths and were honored as examples of faithfulness and righteousness. During the time of the Roman persecution of the church in the second century, many of the martyrs were given the status of saints due to the strength of a faith that could offer such a sacrifice. These recognized saints were the first of what would become the community of canonized saints that the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches venerates. In the early centuries of Church history, saints were recognized by popular acclaim. It wasn't until the 10th century that the Church decided it needed to have a formal process of canonization. This assured that the faithful were recognizing real people, real saints, not just the stuff of legends.

So, what sets canonized saints apart from the rest of us? First, let's remember one thing: most of the canonized saints were ordinary people just like us. Sure, there are a few popes and bishops thrown in there, as well as members of royal families, but the vast majority of saints were just ordinary people--ordinary Christians who did extraordinary things by faith. By surrendering their lives so completely to Christ, God used these ordinary men and women (and children, in some cases) to do marvelous things in His Name. And, so we recognize their lives; we venerate them; and we strive to emulate their example. They are profound reminders that we are all called to sainthood, no matter how humble our beginnings, no matter how insignificant our lives may seem to us, God can still do amazing things through anyone who will surrender themselves to His Will.

To become a canonized saint, the first step is to die. In order to recognize a life as a remarkable example of Christian faith, that life on earth has to be completed--though, of course, the saint will live on in the hereafter for eternity with Our Lord. Next, the person is put forward as a candidate for sainthood. According to canon law this cannot happen for at least five years after the person's death. A local bishop investigates the candidate's life and writings to find out if the candidate lived an exemplary life that was consistent with church practice and doctrine and that demonstrated evidence of saintly virtue. The bishop then compiles a report that is submitted to the Vatican to be reviewed by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, which studies the report from the bishop and evaluates the candidate's life. If the Congregation's evaluation of the candidate is favorable, the candidate is recommended to the Pope who proclaims the candidate to be venerable.

Before we go on with the canonization process, let's pause a minute for the obvious question raised at this point: What is veneration? To venerate a saint simply means to "honor" them. The practice of veneration has adopted many conventional rituals and traditions over time. These traditions differ from Sacred Tradition, which is the term the Catholic Church uses to describe that inspired body of information passed down to us directly from the Apostles. (Don't get overwhelmed; I know theological vocabulary can seem extremely intimidating and highfalutin. I'm only offering this information on Tradition vs traditions because I have had a lot of questions about it; if you're not interested, just move on.) To venerate a saint, one might make bow or make the sign of the cross before a picture or statue of the saint, just as you might pause to remove your hat at a war memorial or before a likeness of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a sign of respect for those represented by those monuments.

Traditionally, Protestants have balked at the practice of veneration because of the belief that there can be no distinction between veneration (honor given to saints) and worship (honor, glory, and praise reserved only for God). John Calvin once said, "The distinction of what is called dulia [veneration] and latria [worship] was invented for the very purpose of permitting divine honours to be paid to angels and dead men with apparent impunity." Similarly, Muslims consider all veneration to be a form of idolatry, which is one of the reasons that no visual representation of men and women, including the Prophet Mohammed, is permitted in Islam. Admittedly, there are Catholics who have crossed the line between vernation and worship and have committed heresy. But, it is my opinion that there is no need to throw out the baby with the bathwater. Every Christian should reflect carefully about the traditions that they practice. What may aid one Christian in his walk may prove to be useless or, worse, a stumbling block to another. Such unhelpful practices should be reevaluated and, if they are not essential the faith, such as participating in the Sacraments, may be abandoned. Still, many Christians throughout the past two millenia have found their walks with Christ to be imminently strengthed through veneration of those holy men and women we recognize as saints.

Moving on: the next step of the canonization process is beatification. This requires convincing evidence that the saint has effected a posthumous miracle, which the Pope will then approve in order to beatify the saint. For those who believe that the Church is relegated to only those believers who are still alive and walking this earth, this will seem like a bunch of malarky. I have written about the communion of saints in a previous article, for those who are unaware of the Biblical support for this doctrine. If you believe in the communion of the saints, it would only make sense that those who are closest to God, in Heaven, would be even more capable of performing miracles than those on earth who perform such deeds in His Name.

The final step of sainthood is the canonization itself. For this to occur, a evidence of a second miracle must be examined and found thoroughly convincing, at which point the Pope will officially declare the deceased Christian a saint. The act of canonization is regarded by the Roman Catholic Church to be infallible and irrevocable. Once a person has been declared to be a saint, that title cannot be removed by any future evidence or process, so the canonization process is often extremely lengthy and arduous as the saint's life, writings, and purported miracles are brought under intense scrutiny. This infallibility, of course, does not pertain to those who were declared saints in the early centuries of the church without the formal process of canonization. Again, I would like to point out that canonization does not "make" a saint. God makes saints! The Catholic Church merely recognizes some of them.

I hope this has helped to clear up some confusion about what saints are and how the Catholic Church regards them. Please feel free to ask any further questions in the comments section or by emailing me, and I will do my best to answer.

* The Bookworm's Library has been updated: The Underground History of American Education by John Taylor Gatto

Why I Love St. Patrick

Before I can properly explain why I love this saint, I suppose I should say something about who he was. First, I'll tell you what he wasn't: He wasn't a leprachaun; he wasn't obsessed with the color green, and he wasn't Irish! Ironically, St. Patrick was actually born a wealthy Englishman. Yes, you read that correctly, Patrick was English. His father happened to be a deacon, but the family was not deeply religious. At the age of 16, his family's manor was sacked by Irish raiders and Patrick was kidnapped and taken to Ireland to work in isolation as a shepherd. During this time, Patrick had a dream in which God told him to return home. Once home, Patrick had another dream in which an angel told him to convert the Irish, and the young saint determined to do so. He trained for fifteen years and then returned to Ireland as a missionary and in order to minister to the smattering Christians already there.

Patrick's holiness, determination, care of the poor, and preaching were all admirable aspects of his life and certainly worthy of reverence and imitation. The thing I love the most about St. Patrick, though, is his approach to evangelism, which was very revolutionary at the time. Rather than attempting to eradicate the culture of his pagan converts, Patrick drew from the cultural elements of the Celts, weaving into them Christian doctrine and tradition. For example, Patrick incorporated the Celtic revernce for the sun by placing it behind the cross. Today, this is still referred to as the Celtic cross. Another example is Patrick's incorporation of bonfires, which the Irish were very fond of, into the Easter celebrations. Patrick's methods were so effective that he ended up converting nearly the whole of Ireland. This mass conversion is what gave rise to the legend that he banished all the snakes from the island; the snakes were symbolic of pagan practices.
Patrick is often pictured wearing green and holding a shamrock or herding snakes with his bishop's staff. Where do these symbols come from? We've already discussed the snakes. The shamrock had always been held, by the Irish, as an important symbol of rebirth. Patrick used the shamrock as a way to explain the Trinity--the Christian mystery of God in three persons--to the pagans of Ireland. Over time, the shamrock became a symbol of Irish nationalism and loyalty the Roman Catholic Church as clashes with the Anglican Church became preeminent. Wearing a shamrock, or the "wearing of the green," came to be a way of showing loyalty to Ireland and Holy Mother Church. This is why green is now associated with St. Patrick's Day.

St. Patrick is so important to the Catholics of Ireland that the Church has declared St. Patrick's Day a Holy Day of Obligation for Catholics living in Ireland. This means that all Irish Catholics living there must attend Mass on March 17th. In the United States, our celebrations are somewhat more secular. But, that's no reason not to incorporate some more faith-filled traditions into the day. Refer to yesterday's post for some ideas!

"From St. Patrick's Breastplate"

Christ be with me

Christ before me

Christ behind me

Christ in me

Christ beneath me

Christ above me

Christ on my right

Christ on my left

Christ where I lie

Christ where I sit

Christ where I arise

Christ in the heart of every man

who thinks of me

Christ in the mouth of every man

who speaks of me

Christ in every eye that sees me

Christ in every ear that hears me

Salvation is of the Lord.

A Blessed St. Patrick's Day to you!

Celebrating St. Patrick's Day

In the United States, we tend to associate St. Patrick's Day with big parades, shamrocks, beer, leprachauns, and of course the color green. However, traditionally, St. Patrick's Day has been a religious holiday, celebrated by Roman Catholics--mandatorily celebrated by Irish Catholics who claim Patrick as their country's patron saint. In Ireland, St. Patrick's Day is a Holy Obligation for Catholics. This means that all Catholics living in Ireland are required to attend Mass on March 17th. It wasn't until the 1990s that the Irish government began utilizing the holiday as a vehicle for celebrating Irish culture and natural pride. In the States, the more secular traditions date back much further.

The first St. Patrick's Day parade was held in New York City in 1762 by Protestant Irish immigrants. During the famine of the 19th century, a vast influx of Irish Catholics reclaimed the holiday--and the parade--as their own. The New York City St. Patrick's Day parade is, interestingly enough, the oldest civilian parade in the world and remains the largest St. Patrick's Day parade worldwide. Leprachuans didn't become a central part of the festivities until Walt Disney released it's fantastical film Darby O'Gill & The Little People in 1959. Americans went crazy for the minute, mischievous leprachauns, the Irish equivalent of the brownie or tomten. Blue not green, it would seem, is the color that was originally associated with St. Patrick.

Unlike in Ireland, celebration of St. Patrick's Day in the US is by no means relegated to the Catholic community. Peoples of all different faiths flock to the parades and don glittering green hats and shamrocks. Traditionally speaking, however, the color green is associated explicitly with Catholics. Have you ever wondered about the colors of the Irish flag? The green represents Catholicism, the orange represents Protestantism, and the white in between those two colors represents the hope of peace between the two Christian traditions. Today, Irish Catholics proudly participate in the "wearing of the green" to show their pride of heritage and faith, while Protestant Irish wear orange. If your family is Protestant, you may want to consider changing your colors this year. Don't worry, it's all completely authentic--Did you know that St. Patrick himself was English? (Though, not Protestant; he lived long before the Reformation.)

In addition to the wearing of either green or orange, here are some ideas, both secular and faith-centered to celebrate St. Patrick's Day:

• Go hunting for four leaf clovers, which are thought to bring good luck to the finder. The Irish love lucky charms. You'll find many more shamrocks than four leaf clovers. Take the opportunity to tell the story of how St. Patrick used the shamrock to explain the doctrine of the Trinity to the pagan Celts.



• Speaking of Lucky Charms, consider having a big bowl of this popular cereal with your family for breakfast!



• Another great breakfast idea is Irish Soda Bread. This is what we serve in our family, hot from the oven, with plenty of butter, honey, and jam. Consider serving traditional Irish breakfast dishes like broiled tomatoes, eggs, and sausage with your bread.



• For dinner, you must have corned beef and cabbage. We serve ours with fluffy potatoes that we smash with our forks, boiled cabbage, and lots of sweet butter! A note to Catholics: This year St. Patrick's Day falls on a Tuesday, but when it falls on Friday, you must see if your bishop has given special dispensation to life the requirement to abstain from meat on Fridays in Lent. Usually, they will :-)



• Mark a pilgrimage to a local church named for St. Patrick. Find images of Patrick in the stained glass windows or statues of him. Say a prayer in honor of the saint. You might also consider praying for peace between Catholics and Protestants in Ireland or for all those who have not heard the Good News of the Gospel. Do pray and seek St. Patrick's intercession for these intentions, even if you don't have a local St. Patrick's parish. For non-Catholic Christians who are confused about the practice of praying for the intercession of the saints, please refer to this article I wrote on the subject some weeks ago.



• Attend a St. Patrick's Day parade.



• Incoroprate leprachauns! My friend's mother used to use tiny doll shoes to live washable green paint "footprints" leading up the front path of the house. On the doorstep, she would place a basket of gold foil-wrapped chocolate coins. I know some people use miniature gold-wrapped Reese's peanut buttercups as "pots of gold." You may not wish to do this if you feel it will overshadow the religious significance of the day. Personally, I find that most children will still understand the true meaning of the day even with a little "magic" thrown in.



• Drink Guiness! Or Harp, if you must, but make it an authentic Irish beer. Don't bother with the cheap, green stuff. It may look festive but it won't taste nearly as good! Nothing says "Ireland" to me like a pint of Guiness stout. And, did you know that Guiness is one of the lowest calorie beers? Don't let that be an excuse to get sloshed, though. Remember, the God who turned water into wine for celebration also advised us, "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18).



• Consider visiting a local pub to get a taste of Irish food, a pint, and some Old Country atmosphere. Unlike bars, most pubs will allow children.



• Make a special St. Patrick's Day dessert. Especially if you're doing a traditional Lenten fast, it will really make the day a celebration if you life your fast on sugar in honor of the feastday! It doesn't have to be elaborate: When I was a kid, I loved getting the shamrock shake from McDonald's. Do they still do that? Consider either something green (lime or mint flavored desserts are great here) or something traditionally Irish, like a rhubarb crumble.



• Make St. Patrick's Day themed crafts. Cut out green construction paper in the shape of shamrocks and decorate them with green glitter. Draw your own leprachauns. Color pictures of St. Patrick.



• Make "snakes" out of strips of paper. Have each family member write a habit or practice that they think is hindering their walk with Christ on their strip or strips of paper. Then, staple all the strips together or tie them together with green yarn. Hang the snakes. Talk about what each of you wrote and pray for each other that you can break these bad habits or change your practices. You can burn the snakes in the fireplace (safely!) or throw them away later.

This year our family is planning to enjoy green pancakes for breakfast. We'll talk about the life of St. Patrick and honor this remarkable Christian. We will also be sharing a traditional corned beef dinner complete with soda bread with our neighbors before our weekly bible study. I'm trying a new soda bread recipe this year. If it's good, I'll share it with you all later in the week! We will, of course, participate in "the wearing of the green"...all except my husband who, as we remark every year, doesn't own a single item of green clothing.

St. Patrick's Day Cake

Growing up, my family was fonder of pies than cakes, so I never had much experience in baking them. I consider myself a pretty accomplished baker (particularly for a 24-year-old), but cakes have always been my bane. Because I hate to be beaten, especially by something so sweet, I decided to take cakes on and determined to make one on holidays throughout the year. Here is my St. Patrick's Day specimen. I think it turned out pretty nicely (if I do say so myself). It's a two-layer sour cream chocolate cake with peppermint buttercream. I made the design on top by placing a shamrock-shaped cookie cutter lightly on the frosting and decorating around it with sprinkles, then outlining the design with buttercream.

I will post more on St. Patrick's Day later this week--not just because it's such a fun holiday or because I'm part-Irish but because Patrick is one of my very favorite saints.

What are you doing to celebrate St. Patrick's Day this year?

* The Bookworm's Library has been updated: The World's First Love by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

The Curveballs of Life

"Throw Boy" by Nick Rebollozo (Public Domain)

"We make plans, and God laughs." ~ Yiddish Proverb

I have taken the Meyers Briggs personality test a few times in my life for various organizations. For three of the four categories, I end up right on the dividing line, neither on one side or the other. However, when it comes to the J (judging) vs P (perceiving), I am a definitive, indisputable "J." Being a "J" doesn't mean that I'm judgmental, which is what I was afraid of the first time I took the test! It actually has to do with how you live your outer life, the way you behave, your habitual manner that others see, the types of lifestyle choices you tend to make. To others, "J"s tend to look very orderly; we like to have things organized and we tend to feel better when decisions are made and settled rather than having things up in the air. On the inside, we may still be flexible and enjoy spontaneity, but our outer life will make us appear appropriately suited to be excellent librarians.

So, yes; I'm a planner. I planned my entire wedding myself, since it took place 3,000 miles away from my family--and my maid-of-honor. I loved every minute of it and never felt stressed out or overwhelmed, despite the dozens and dozens of lists that I had tacked everywhere in my dorm room to help me keep things straight. Every night, I write up a to-do list of everything that needs to get done for the next day. Sometimes I write one for my husband, too. I have two calendars (one with all appointments, which is next to my desk, and one with occasions and events that will effect my husband right next to the door so he can glance at it on his way out; incidentally, he is NOT a "J") and a planner that I take with me. I plan menus for holidays and birthday parties at least a month in advance--and have fun altering them multiple times over the following weeks leading up to the event. I am not a procrastinator. I'm not saying I'm not lazy; I am. But, I also get anxious if I've purposely left undone those things which I could do today. So, I tend to overcome my laziness from sheer restlessness.

This is the way I like things: organized, planned, orderly, settled, decided. It makes me happy. I love checking off items on my lists. I love writing my lists. I love compiling folders of ideas for things I'd like to do in the future. Fortunately, on the inside, I'm also flexible when it comes down to it. As the proverb above states, God and I have had some pretty good laughs together throughout my life! This week has been one of those running jokes.

On Monday, I had planned to sweep off our porches. We live in a third-story condominium, which happens to be the top floor, and every year in late February, our landscaping crew comes along and blows all the debris from the roof onto our balconies, so this is always a part of my Lenten Spring Cleaning regimen. Well, wouldn't you know, on Sunday night, it started snowing cats and dogs (can it snow cats and dogs?), breaking a two-decades-long record. It hardly ever snows here all winter, let alone in March. Well, I thought, there's no way it'll stick; it's sure to melt by tomorrow. I'll just sweep the porches then. Au contraire. There are still patches of snow all over our yard, and the debris on the porches is now encased in ice! Unless I attach a chisel to my broom, those porches are not getting swept this week.

Wednesday, my husband calls at 2:20 to tell me he's just been informed he needs to be at a meeting at 2:30...which might last as late as 7:00! "No problem," I say, "I actually had leftover planned for dinner tonight, so don't worry what time you come home; we just need to reheat them." Ah, I think to myself, my planning has saved me once again... 7:00 rolls around. No call, no husband. I decide to feed Sophia dinner. 7:30...same thing. I put the baby to bed. Finally, my husband calls me about 7:45; he'll be home by quarter past eight. I neaten up in anticipation of his return. He walks in; I give him a kiss and say, "Great! I'm starving; let's eat." He gets a terribly guilty look on his face and says, "Oh...I thought you were going to have leftovers...I ate pizza at the meeting." I laugh as I heat up my leftover quiche and make myself a salad. Here I was, seven months pregnant, ready to gnaw my arm off, relying on my "brilliant" planning...and he'd already eaten! I could have had dinner hours ago! Not only that, but Sophia wakes up calling for "Daddy!" the second she hears his voice. So much for trying to stick to routine :-) Out she comes to play with Daddy while Mama eats dinner at 8:30... There's always tomorrow for routine.

Thursday rolls along: my shopping day. Following an old routine for chores, which makes Thursdays "marketing days", I always go grocery shopping on Tuesdays. I even have a routine for doing the shopping. Our COSTCO opens at 10:00, and I've discovered that if I show up at 10 minutes to the hour, I can get one of those coveted parking spots right in the front of the giant lot. If I show up at 5 minutes to the hour, I'll be trudging through the cold with Sophia from the back of the parking lot. So, Sophia and I show up at COSTCO at 9:50, go shopping at COSTCO, then hop back in the car and swing around to pick up non-bulk items at our local Safeway and then drop off/pick up library books at the library that's a block away from the Safeway before heading home. Usually, I can complete our weekly shopping and library trip in an hour. It's amazing the things that can make you feel so accomplished when you're pregnant and raising a toddler!

Well, this particular Thursday, this "J" was going to get a big laugh from the Lord. Wouldn't you know our car battery died from the unprecedented cold? So, Brian has to come home on his lunch hour to check out what's going on and replace the battery. Thank goodness he's salaried, so he can do these sorts of things! So, no "sweet spot" for COSTCO, and here I am, a complete morning person, running all my errands in the afternoon. Not to mention, the money for the new battery threw our budget a bit off-balance, too; another plan gone awry. God must be chuckling away.

And, today? Well, this morning, I had planned to go to a Moms & Tots group at church that I'd been looking forward to for two months, since I'd had to miss last month's meeting. I got Sophia all dressed and fed, got myself ready, got us down to the car...and the discovered that thanks to our fiasco from yesterday, the carseat was missing! My husband had forgotten to put it back in the van after we got a new battery yesterday and he'd driven off with it in his car to work!

Of course, these are all relatively small, silly instances. Sometimes life throws us a curveball that we really don't want to laugh at. Sometimes, if our plans get blown to smithereens, we consider that if God were to laugh at us now, He really would be rather cruel. When those days come, I like to keep in mind that God is still in control. My plans might be shot to heck, but His plans are always accomplished. Case in point, the night of our rehearsal dinner:

Remember that wedding I told you I had planned to a t? Well, all of our out-of-town guests (which included our parents, honor attendants, and three of our other six attendants) flew into town the day before our wedding. We had the rehearsal that night, and dinner right in the fellowship hall of the church because we all had to get to bed early so we could be ready for an 11 AM wedding the next morning. I wake up the day of the rehearsal to an unpleasant phone call: my grandmother had to get frisked at the airport, thanks to all the post-9/11 security measures, and she had an anxiety attack and had to be taken to the hospital. Thankfully, she was fine, but she wouldn't be able to fly, and my two aunts who were with her had missed their plane. You better believe I started that day with some serious prayer. Later that morning, I get another call: somehow, my aunts managed to get on a nother flight and were on their way! I was overjoyed; some more prayer was in order.

For the rest of the day, things were going pretty well. Of course, my bridesmaids and I were running late for the rehearsal, since we'd been finalizing plans all day long. When we showed up, the walkway in front of the church was packed with our out-of-town guests...and the doors were locked. We called the wedding coordinator. No answer. We called again. And again. And again. I think our best man's phone record showed that he called her about two dozen times. Well, it was beginning to get late, and we still had a lot to do, including setting up the tables at the reception hall for the next day. We sent two of our groomsmen to get the food for dinner, and decided to head across the street to an open classroom where I knew there was a piano to start the rehearsal. (To clarify, our wedding took place on our college campus with the ceremony at the campus church and reception at the beautiful ballroom built in 1925.) Meanwhile, a couple of guests tried breaking into the church for us. This brought the campus security around, but they were very helpful. Unfortunately, they were still not permitted to let us into the building without the missing wedding coordinator. Finally, nearly two hours late, the coordinator showed up! She said she'd had an emergency at her other job and had forgotten her cell phone. Thanks to a lot of prayer, I can say I experienced one of the most Spirit-filled moments of my life just then--then: when I might have exploded in anger at this woman. I asked her if she was alright, assured her that we would be fine, and gave her a hug. Of course, she started crying and thanked me. But, I know it wasn't me. That was God speaking through me.

Our groomsmen returned with the food. We had a great dinner and time of thanking our attendants, guests, and parents and distributing little gifts to everyone who had helped with the wedding. We did a quick rehearsal. We ran over to the reception hall--several of my relatives came along to help us set up--and we got everything finished by the time we had originally planned to be done, even with the two hour delay! We headed back to the hotel, got a good night's sleep and were more than ready the next morning. And, wouldn't you know...we weren't supposed to be able to have our photographer move around to take pictures during the ceremony, but because of the fiasco the night before, the wedding coordinator didn't intervene when our photographer decided to take a few liberties, and we got some amazing pictures!

There's nothing wrong with planning, but we have to remember to be flexible. When life throws you a curveball, you either need to catch it, hit it, or get out of the way. If you're not flexible; it's going to hit you! When we take the curveballs as they come, we most often learn things: about life, about ourselves, about others, and about God. We may also find that God had a better plan in store, but we weren't listening; so He had to mess up our lesser plans in order for us to follow His. Keep your sense of humor, and remember, if God's laughing, it really is better to laugh along... I've found that if you make a habit of this, you'll even get the joke from time to time. And, of course, if you need to cry rather than laugh, remember the shortest verse in Scripture: "Jesus wept" (John 11:35).

""The best-laid plans of mice and men
often go awry."

- adapted from "To A Mouse" by Robert Burns