Going to see the family.

Truth be told, even though it's been a month in a half since I've seen my family, I'm not excited about this trip.

I hate traveling. Loathe it.

I hate hot weather. Despise it.

I hate having to live like gypsies. Detest it.

I hate having a pile of work that I'm going to have to attack, remotely.

I hate ("tmi" warning) that I won't be able to be intimate with my husband. In football going long is a good thing especially when the receiver makes the catch and runs it in for the goal. In my monthly cycle going long means that the intimacy husband and I will have during my visit will be holding hands and sitting together in a dark theater because we won't even have a couch to cuddle upon. Can't wait!

Can you tell I'm excited? It's not what I want. Rarely is it ever what I want, but my consolation is that it will be exactly what I need. 

Having voiced all that, my husband is fairly creative, so I really can't wait to see what he comes up with to nurture intimacy without union. TMI, I know. I apologize, but I did warn!u!

The "tolerant" and "open-minded" are only so when you agree with them

therwise these people are the most intolerant and closed-minded individuals on the planet. If you  don't agree with them, they get angry and you are personally attacked. Don't believe me? 

The Catholic church teaches homosexual relations is a sin, but people supportive of homosexual relations get angry when the church speaks up about it (the latest: a sportwriter bashed Archbishop Dolan. Have you read what His Excellency wrote on the true meaning of Marriage? It was beautiful.). 

'Who are you to impose your barbaric taboos?'. Who indeed? Good question, maybe I'll address that later.... the argument is they are consensual. Ah, yes, may I remind you that Switzerland is contemplating getting rid of incest laws because of this way of thinking. The fact that anyone is even 'contemplating' that should be a slap in our faces, but most of us will go, eh, Switzerland, but you see that's how sin works. It dulls our conscience to what is right. We look to the person and we love them and want to support them so we approve of the behavior as proof that we accept the person. In reality, we can accept the person without approving of the behavior. Perhaps too many Christians have rejected the person in order to reject the behavior. This is not ok, but we know all too well that we Christians are flawed and in need of a savior too. We too struggle with how to live our faith. More often then not, we fail. Please forgive us.

Someone has to stand up and be the light in the world pointing us to what is right, true and holy so that we may live in eternal happiness in heaven. Jesus wants all of us to get to heaven. It's the church's responsibility to proclaim a gospel that at times makes us all uncomfortable. It's suppose to make us uncomfortable! Seriously! I appreciate the people who lie to me and tell me, 'No, you don't need to lose weight. You're healthy. Have some more.', but I would have never started to lose weight if my clothes didn't scream at me to shed some pounds. I didn't like them very much, but they couldn't help but proclaim the truth.

From Kierkegaard, the Danish philosopher

"If I were a physician, and if I were allowed to prescribe just one remedy for all the ills of the modern world, I would prescribe silence. For even if the Word of God were proclaimed in the modern world, how could one hear it with so much noise? Therefore,create silence."

So wrong...

A tale of two priests: Fr. Corapi and Fr. Cutie

I am absolutely astounded at the reaction to Fr. Corapi's announcement to leave the priesthood. The way the crowds have reacted is just mesmerizing. Akin is troubled with the undertones and imagery his new persona,  Black Sheep Dog portrays. I think he's reading just a little too hard into the tea leaves.
What amazes me is not the announcement or even the reaction, ok well the chick at the Register commenting about him took the passive aggressive stance on Corapi but even that's not surprising. (She's a woman; it's more in our nature.) What is surprising is the reaction to the reaction.

If you recall back a couple years ago this Florida priest who had his hands down some beach babe's swimsuit, remember him, Fr. Cutie? Yes well as soon as he was found out people were all in a rush to come to his aid to support him to excuse him. What did he do?  He announced he was going to take some time to pray over his situation. Ah, the high road. What did his lengthy meditation of less than a week determine? He would leave the church, get married to beach bimbo and join the Episcopal church, not just join but be an ordained minister. Did he inform his bishop? Did he ask to be laicised? Nopedy, nopedy, no, no. At the time he said he saw value in the priesthood and that he was not against celibacy and that he wouldn't be the "anti-celibacy" pitch man....until a year or so later when he became the anti-celibacy pitch man.

Fr. Corapi announces he is leaving the priesthood after what, the lenten and easter season and then some. He hasn't yet announced officially that he's asking to be laicized, but we will have to wait and see how he handles that part of the story. He did inform his superiors before he went public though.

The reaction to the reaction is very telling. With Fr. Cutie, people could forgive him but with Fr. Corapi it seems the mob is yelling "fraud". Fr. Cutie left the table. He left his bride out in the cold. Fr. Corapi it seems is still part of our table and as much as he may or may not want to be separated from his bride, he's determined THAT is what is currently needed.

Circumstances sometimes dictate that spouses be separated to complete a mission at hand. That is the situation I presently find myself in at the moment. My husband is assisting his aging parent so our family is separated and will be. Neither of us like it but we understand. We still love each other and we still support each other. Who knows perhaps that's Corapi's mission now. It might be his sacrifice to be removed from priestly ministry. We may never know.

Because no one wants to give his life away cheaply

An excellent article on youth ministry by Mike Aquilina

The Litany of Mothers

My friends and I came up with this Litany from having to deal with our mothers, mother-in-laws and women in general. We all have challenging days with those wonderful ladies in our life, so just like good Christians, we decided to pray, sort of... It goes really well to John D. Becker's Litany of Saints, but it certainly doesn't carry an imprimatur so I wouldn't go making prayer cards for this one.

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Queen Pouts a Lot, we pray for you.
Mother most cranky, we pray for you.
Woman incessantly needy, we pray for you.
Lady most irritable, we pray for you.
Mother-in-laws, we pray for you.
Draining our energy, we pray for you.
Perpetually unstable, we pray for you.
Mother most irrational, we pray for you.
All you cranky, grumpy women, we pray for you.


Yes, well I know my children if not already doing so, will be praying this litany for me too, and for the record, I do love being a Catholic nerd!

Marriage

The UCCSB just put out a new video on marriage and in it are several married couples and single parents discussing the uniqueness of marriage, the self-lessness required in living out that vocation and the gift children are to the marriage and the spouses are to the children. Check it out http://www.usccb.org/marriageuniqueforareason/index.shtml

Clever parents strike again!

Your Excellency, love the hat!

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Clients from Hell

Priceless. Read the lightsaber story. Priceless.

Giving until it hurts

My dad once told me when I was oh probably in sixth grade, that I was all 'Moreno'. Now Moreno was his 'greedy' side of the family. For them everything was about money, having it, the things it would buy and getting it no matter the cost. Money was more important than people and the more people you screwed over to get it, the better. Honestly, I never understood how this was me but ok. I think I was displaying an inability to share food, which for those of you who know me, know that you might draw back a nub if your hand gets in the way of my plate. I have a thing for food, always have. I love food, glorious food but I digress. Oh, I have some embarassing stories that are hilarious and I promise to share.
What he said stung me, because it was true? No, because someone who loved me and promised to protect me said something hurtful. Ah love, we hurt those we love the most. He doesn't like that side of the family so my understanding was he didn't like me. Nevertheless, it always makes me think, am I being generous? Do I give? Do I give until it hurts? Or when it hurts do I pull back and take care of me?
We are living in two households at the moment so that means we have double the expenses. I've been saving up for a family trip, tropical, beaches, sunny, beachhouse, swimming pool...you get the picture. Well I could cut back on my charitable giving to help us out. That's the temptation isn't it? Give to God leftovers. He feeds us with the finest he has to offer and we want to return to him only the leftovers, if that. What does that say about us?
My plans for a family vacation, well maybe it won't happen this year. Sometimes God says, 'not right now', and as much as I don't want to hear that yet again, I'm gonna trust Him. It might hurt that I have to sacrifice something I want, but God is nothing but gentle. Even the sacrifice, it's my choice. It's your choice too.