Prayer

Christ in Our Home

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Over the years I’ve come across beautiful personal shrines to Christ and His Blessed Mother. Many are even complete with candles and kneelers, little nooks that have been transformed into places of family prayer. My mom created such a place in her home atop my parents’ old upright piano. At the time she did this I was still in high school and had yet to find my faith. However, I did have a passion for music and loved playing that very piano. 

Sadly, the rebellious teenage voice in my mind, small and quiet though it was, looked on this shrine as a kind of trespass upon my own place of worship. Of course, I hadn’t given much thought to exactly who or what I was worshiping but playing the piano was one of those things I liked to do to unwind and converting it into a mini Catholic shrine felt like an overstep. I never shared this with my mom but a tiny part of me resented how the piano was suddenly strung with rosaries and depictions of Christ. 

Thankfully, I have grown in my knowledge and faith since then. My teenage indignance has turned to spiritual envy and I now find myself imitating my mother. Nearly a decade later I have erected a very similar display in my own home. In our small house we have no piano or convenient nook but we have a bookshelf set in the middle of our family room. It is laden with our favorite stories including that of Christ on the cross. 

Baby’s First Stations

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During a long visit with my family from Colorado we had the supreme joy of welcoming our baby girl into the Catholic Church. She is now baptized and an adopted child of God. She has received her passport to heaven. Now the hubby and I are tasked with teaching her how to use it. 

In that spirit, my parents joined us for a drive to the Shrine of Christ’s Passion in St. John, IN. It was a warm, bright sunny day, perfect for walking the life like stations of the cross. I count it a special blessing to be able to take this walk with my parents as well as our newest addition to the family. 

1st Station: Jesus is condemned to death

2nd Station: Jesus carries his cross

3rd Station: Jesus falls the first time

4th Station: Jesus meets his mother

5th Station: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry his cross

6th Station: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus

7th Station: Jesus falls the second time

8th Station: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem

9th Station: Jesus falls a third time

10th Station: Jesus is stripped of his garments

11th Station: Jesus is nailed to the cross

12th Station: Jesus dies on the cross

13th Station: The body of Jesus is taken down from the cross

14th Station: Jesus is laid in the tomb

Wrapped in Mary’s Grace: The Brown Scapular

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My husband and I recently hosted one of our priest friends for dinner which turned out to be an evening of abundant blessings. The three of us chatted over a delicious meal of my husband’s trademark BBQ ribs, rosemary potatoes and corn on the cob. The conversation spanned work, life and of course all things Catholic. Though still not very far along at the time, we were excited to share our news of my recent pregnancy and the Father was happy to celebrate with us.

At one point the conversation also turned to my desire to be enrolled in the brown scapular and without missing a beat, the priest offered to complete the ritual that very evening. As Catholics we do not subscribe to superstitions. The brown scapular is not a lucky charm but a sacramental. It serves as a reminder to us of our love and commitment to God and, through adherence to a particular prayer routine laid out for those called to wear it, we believe we can receive special graces. I think I encountered those graces later that night. After the dessert plates had been cleared away the priest did as promised and enrolled me in the brown scapular, praying over me and blessing the scapular with holy water before I donned it for the very first time.

Later I struggled to fall asleep due to the nausea of first trimester morning sickness and a mind whirling with worries over how best to nurture the baby now growing inside me. It’s funny how easy the fears of first time parenthood come. As I lay in bed, uncomfortable and wide awake watching the hours tick by, I touched the scapular now resting flat against my chest. I thought of the man laying beside me, my living, breathing, miraculous proof of God’s love for us. I thought of our wedding day, the most perfect and blessed day in my memory, not because the guests raved about the food, venue or music choices, but because that was the day that my husband and I were joined to each other and to God in holy and sacramental matrimony. I also thought of the baby we had been praying for for months, now a reality and the source of my newfound discomfort and worry.

What a beautiful life! How blessed I am to suffer these things! No matter how my life and goals shifted throughout the years, motherhood was always at the forefront. Though there are still many months to navigate before we meet our child, God in His infinite love and mercy has blessed me with the fulfillment of my life’s deepest and truest calling. I am a mother. Thank you Lord, for filling the life of this sinner with good things.

Praying for the Stars and Stripes

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Today, July 4th, marks the anniversary of a day in 1776 when the 13 colonies claimed their independence from Great Britain. The Declaration of Independence was signed and adopted and continues to be a guiding force in our country today though many people have forgotten exactly what it says. Most will likely recognize this sentence from history class but perhaps, amid all the backyard barbeques and fireworks displays this weekend, we all could find a little time to refresh ourselves on the document in its entirety and recall precisely how our country was born. 

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

I’m thanking that Creator everyday for all the blessings He’s given me. I ask everyone to please pray for our country, not just today but all days and in all seasons.

A Prayer for our Country

O Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy, at this most critical time, we entrust the United States of America to your loving care. Most Holy Mother, we beg you to reclaim this land for the glory of your Son. Overwhelmed with the burden of the sins of our nation, we cry to you from the depths of our hearts and seek refuge in your motherly protection. Look down with mercy upon us and touch the hearts of our people. Open our minds to the great worth of human life and to the responsibilities that accompany human freedom. Free us from the falsehoods that lead to the evil of abortion and threaten the sanctity of marriage and family life. Grant our country the wisdom to proclaim that God’s law is the foundation on which this nation was founded, and that He alone is the True Source of our cherished rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. O Merciful Mother, give us the courage to reject the culture of death and the strength to build a new Culture of Life. Amen.

Faith isn’t Taboo

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There always seem to be a couple of subjects that most people shy away from in professional or social situations. Politics and religion are devoutly avoided because you never know who could be listening and of course you don’t want to offend your friends or coworkers. This is, in my opinion, precisely the wrong approach.

As disciples of Christ we are called to do God’s work and spread the good news. We should talk about our faith just as freely as we would a favorite hobby because it’s so much more than a hobby. It’s a lifestyle and a conscious choice that informs everything we do. In every conversation, whether it be at work or at a Saturday potluck, we should always strive to be living examples of Christ for the other person. This does not mean that we have to be preachy or holier than thou. It doesn’t mean that we are on a mission to force our ideas and beliefs down the throats of everyone we meet. Quite the opposite.

We are always called to act in an attitude of service, kindness and compassion toward our neighbor (friends, family, coworkers, random strangers on the street) and to turn toward God in everything we do. This sounds straightforward but can be surprisingly uncomfortable in our modern society. Sometimes it seems nothing short of social suicide to tell people what we believe. However, as with everything in life, practice makes perfect. Here are some small, everyday ways that you can profess your faith without losing your friends.

  • Wear a cross or crucifix
  • Make the sign of the cross and pray before a meal when you go out to eat
  • Pray a rosary when boarding a plane or other public transportation
  • Be honest in office small talk. Share your weekend fellowship or service ministry experiences and your Sunday plans.
  • Invite friends to mass – they might say no but at the very least it’s nice to be invited and there’s always a chance that this is just the invitation they were waiting for.

We might be a little uncomfortable and out of practice when it comes to sharing our faith but we absolutely can and should talk about it. Being Catholic is more than going to church on Sunday or helping with the local soup kitchen or filling up the parish collection basket. We have to go out into the world and proclaim the good news.