Back from Iraq: Religious Persecution in the War Zone - Jillian Kay Melchior Speaks

Jillian and I went to college together; we took writing classes together in the journalism program. She is a year ahead of me, and we continue to be on friendly terms. I love hearing her updates and am excited to share this speech her gave at our alma mater about her work in Iraq.

(She went to China for a year too - such an amazing journalist!).


Follow her on Twitter!

#ashtag: Lent 2014

Two crosses for us and one Simba swipe for Grace this morning...

The ciiiiiiiiiiircle of liiiiiiiiiife... 

First Things shared an article about being anti-#ashtag, and I must admit, I'm against being anti-#ashtag (a double passive negative? Whatever.) because, contrary to the argument of the author, I do not see the problem with taking pictures/ selfies of wearing ashes. I see it as evangelization.

Wearing ashes are not contrary to today's gospel of people standing publicly to pray and thus receiving their just rewards - it's a public witness. Buzzfeed, for example, posted "Christians Mark Ash Wednesday With #AshTag Selfies" -- and I got to see Fr. Jack, the fantastic priest at my high school, with seven Ursuline Academy students laughing and smiling behind him, as well as many other non-cloistered Christians. 

The importance of wearing one's ashes is never lost on me when I remember waiting for a flight in the Detroit airport during college on Ash Wednesday. I was going to a conference somewhere, waiting with a thick black cross on my forehead. A young girl walked up to me and asked if I had a tattoo on my forehead. She was from L.A and she had never seen ashes before, and explaining why I had them on my forehead was a humbling and surreal experience.

We are dust, and to dust we will return. A sobering and serious thought - and one shared by a community of believers. Why shouldn't that community share our beliefs in a fun and public way? It is one thing to say we are sinners; it is another to wear physical ash as a reminder for all to see- marked for Christ, we share in the humiliation. Our sorrow can become joy, even! A sacramental with real reactions. 

"During a traditional Ash Wednesday service, ashes are applied to the worshiper’s forehead (the “imposition”) in the shape of a cross. In Scripture ashes or dust symbolize mortality (Gen. 18:27), mourning (Est. 4:3), judgment (Lam. 3:16), and repentance (Jon. 3:6). An ashen cross serves as a reminder that you come from dust and to dust you shall return one day. It is also a call to “Consider yourself dead to sin and alive in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 6:11). 

As you begin this journey of Lent, you must start with rending your heart—tearing it from self-absorption and binding yourself (mind and devotion) to Jesus. Regardless of your current state or your proneness to wander, you must “Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love” (Joel 2:13).  

After all, Lent is not about your faithfulness, but rather about the faithfulness of Jesus on your behalf. He is the faithful One!"  

-Journey to the Cross, Day 1, Ash Wednesday

Part of our Confirmation promises is to be a soldier for Christ - soldiering does not mean one is militant, but present. Wearing one's ashes and sharing them with others connects the vines of Christ, and plants seeds along the way too.

#7QT: I Have Confidence In Me!

We're finally home and working off our colds... so I'm blogging away this headache post-putting bebe in her bed. Cheers to joining with Jen!

ONE

It's finally happened. Will's last residency interview. We've been talking a lot about ranking. He's been all over, and now it's coming down to what we want and what they're offering. The programs for emergency medicine are mostly similar; the differences really come down to shift hour lengths, research opportunities, moonlighting allowances, the level of trauma care, and location.

The last one is the one I struggle with - let's go on an adventure, says Will! I've been listening to a lot of Julie Andrews lately, and she's giving me a mantra to live by. Or, at the very least, a good reminder to have confidence in confidence alooooooone!

... Grace, in the mean time, is learning to blow more bubbles, drool extensively, sit, and help me grocery shop. We all have our own adventures, eh?

TWO

A week ago, we left New Orleans. Round trip was over 2k+ miles. We're burning our cars and never driving anywhere again.

Things to always pack on car trips:
- good book(s) on cd
- la croix sparkling water for me; gatorade for Will
-healthy snacks AND unhealthy snacks... because one can only eat so many kind bars.
-extra binkys for Grace
-extra everything for Grace
-pillow and sleep mask (if you're a light sleeper like me and equally desperate for a nap because "someone" has decided that she needs to eat every two hours starting around 3:30 a.m.)

Anything you can't live without? Besides the sound of Jim Dale's voice on the Harry Potter recordings?

THREE

Trip highlights included spending the weekend with Baldwin family members, the longest Hearts game ever, delicious food, hanging out with Will's college friends (and one of mine too!), seeing Will's alma mater, and having delicious catch-up time with dear Katie and her bebe {may we move close and spend lots more time together!}.

FOUR

And so it became clear, at Guantánamo, that the only work left for me to do was to heal my wound.
“What is grief?” I recently asked psychologist Steven Stosny, posing the obvious question I’d avoided for so long.
“It’s an expression of love,” he told me. “When you grieve, you allow yourself to love again.”
“How do you grieve?” I asked him.
“You celebrate a person’s life by living your life fully.”

-- "This Is Danny Pearl's Final Story" by Asra Q. Nomani, The Washingtonian

A beautiful, beautiful story and read; an ending to a modern tragedy.

FIVE

Newest favoritest food? Sweet potatoes. And wait for it.... roasted sweet potatoes with honey and cinnamon. Whaaaaaaaat. Eat your veggies, y'all!

SIX

Thank you, all you wonderful people! I was nominated for "coolest blogger" and "most underrated blog" at the 2014 Sheenazing Awards. Use your free will and vote here!

The Mirror Magazine got nominated too - "most underrated blog" and "smartest blog". Fist bump!

SEVEN

Julie driving, Will in the back seat, sitting next to Grace
Julie: What are you saying to her?
Will: I'm teaching her how to say my name ... say, "Your Excellency" Grace.
Grace:

Happy weekend!

Sunday's Small Things

Today begins the second week of Will's summer vacation, and I've been enjoying the break immensely. By break, I mean break from driving him to and from school- because otherwise, my schedule has not varied greatly.

I had an OB appointment, a birth class, and a lactation class this week. Will and I missed the birth class after going swimming late in the afternoon, deciding we were starving during the post-swim walk around the track (for more my-speed exercise), ordering Chinese food from the place a five minute walk from our apartment, and after being completely overwhelmed with how utterly delicious it was, fell into a food coma while watching Sherlock. We have no regrets. We're currently re-arranging our meal budget to more regularly accommodate for Chinese deliciousness.

And what, you may ask, does this have to do with Sunday? I was merely setting the stage. We've had a low-key week, an informative week, and an all-around lovely week. I even made carrot cake! (The answer is yes, it is delicious. Recipe from one of my favoritest ever cookbooks, The New Best Recipe.) I've started taking sleep medication (yes, my doctor gave me the go-ahead) after a few especially bad nights the previous week, and I am SO HAPPY TO SLEEP THROUGH THE WHOLE NIGHT.

...This may not happen again for a long time, so I am relishing in it. Especially the taking-meds-because-no-one-needs-me-awake-every-few-hours part.

Carrying on.

This morning, Will made us delicious eggs and ham, complete with coffee - which we drink cafe au lait. That's the fancy term for sugar and lots o' milk, with coffee there purely for caffeine purposes.

Mug shots.

We watched an episode of Burn Notice before parting ways to do chores and other menial tasks, like studying and article writing. I had a really fantastic interview with a source, which is always gratifying. I'm writing about the common core in New York, but you should look it up, because it's in 45 states already. One of the more fascinating parts of the common core is that it claims to be a state-led initiative, but it's the same in every state (centralized) and the federal government gives educational grants to schools which thus requires them to use the common core. The common core will and is affecting public schools, home schoolers, private schools, Catholic schools. More on this later.

After my interview, Will wanted to go to the park, and then promptly fell into bed and took a nap. I continued working, but started craving a snow cone.

Background: there is a snow cone place down the street from our apartment, and every time I pass it, rain and shine, there is a line out the door. Does that not scream quality snow cone to you?? I've been trying to make a fun trip of it with Will for about a month now, but we always think about getting one just before the shop closes down.

BUT TODAY WAS DIFFERENT. After I poked Will awake and subtly hinted how much I would love to get a snow cone before mass, and how we needed to leave soon so we didn't hit the hour before communion mark, we set out to our destination. The place is called Hansen's Sno-Blitz and it is practically a historical landmark. The shop is not fancy, and has old newspaper clippings laminated or framed on the wall. Their slogan is "There are no shortcuts to quality!"

Strawberry!

Will and I both agreed: less syrup next time. But still delicious.

Happiness!

Then, off to mass! We go to St. Patrick's Church downtown.

Glorious church! Here's a better shot.

I loved the readings and reflections today.

"Jesus' intent here is not primarily to condemn people, but to challenge them to right living according to the covenant established with God. So must this be our intent."

The priest gave a wonderful homily as well; he also sounds like he needs to work for an audio book company. His voice is simply sonorous!

Dinner was prepare yourself, and we were soon joined by our only friend in NOLA and her sister. Almost two hours later, our two friends in NOLA left us until Wednesday.

I talked to my family today as well, and received text message updates on their happenings and the goings-on at home. Isn't that what Sundays are best for? Spending time with loved ones, especially family? I'm cherishing Sundays with Will because I know they will not always be so care-free. In a month or so (!!), we will have a bundle of joy who will need to be completely cared for, watched, changed, feed and burped. In a few years, we will (hopefully) have a few more. Will's schedule will be set by the hospital, and my schedule will be continue in its flexible, changeable ways.

And I am so, so, so, so, so grateful for all of it.

Check it. 35 weeks, y'all.

Anyways, it's the small (and so not-so-small) things. A belated happy Sunday, dear readers!

Bravery and Babes

I've never felt very brave. I was picked on a lot growing up because I was shy, and I stuttered, and wore glasses. And even after the stuttering was "fixed", I had a hard time not allowing my feelings to be swayed or hurt by other people. This feeling has lasted for many years, although I grew much better at masking it. In the meanwhile, I developed as a writer.

I joined the high school paper, Lion's Roar, my freshman year, as an outlet for writing. It was so fun seeing my name in print and contacting people, asking them what they thought, collecting the facts, writing up a story. I remember when I was named Sports Editor, one of two juniors who got a spot usually reserved for a senior. I was so proud of my little section, which I grew from three writers to six. Our space grew too - a whole page!

I had the glued-to-my-phone pre-req. down

I went to college and decided I didn't want to do journalism any more, so I didn't sign up for the college paper. But then, I got drawn into the independent paper, and spent my entire college career editing, writing, promoting and nurturing it. The tiny staff again grew under me, as I pulled in every resource I could, helping my writers and making them feel wanted as much as they were needed. I hurt a lot of feelings with my edits and editorials and "Hillsdalians of Genius" columns, but I didn't stroke any egos, and I told the truth, and people respected the paper. I even got along well with the journalism department, and got a scholarship to write book reviews for it my senior year.

It seemed the obvious answer, then, when asked what I was going to do after college: journalism.

Statehouse reporting was thrilling, but my work environment was not. I worked for a non-profit, who accepted a grant to fund two journalism positions. Though I was successful, my articles were well-received and picked up by outside outlets, it was a difficult work environment for me, and for personal-affecting-professionalism reasons, I quit.

That was one of the scariest things I had ever done, and it changed my whole life. I had accepted that job because it was great cub reporter experience and I was two hours from home. But now I had quit, and I was thinking about the other job I turned down in Washington, D.C. Was that the better choice?

I decided not to pursue journalism when I returned home, which my journalism mentor severely disagreed with; he told me not to waste my talent. Since then, it's been an interesting ride: family business, nannying, freelance, and plenty more "not-for-profit" writing -- as well as more family time, a new family, marriage, a new city, a baby, and a whole new set of challenges. And I'm happy, even though a part of me twinges to be back in journalism.

And what does this have to do with bravery? I still don't think of myself as particularly brave. I'm still introverted and still have glasses. But I've tasted "failure" - I know what it's like not to have what you want. I know what it's like to think you know what you want. I've known surprise, and I've known success. I know what it feels like to stand at the crossroads, and make another decision you know is going to change your life. Then another. Then another. I keep pressing forward. That's brave. That's living.

We all live with the consequences, whether our action by active or passive. And can you live with regrets? Sure. That's one way to live, but it's not a preferable way - because regret stains all future successes if you allow it. Or you can learn from your mistakes, which is my attitude: I have only one real regret, and that was letting people lead me to think I wasn't worth it: as a friend, as a girlfriend, as a student, as a writer. That is a lie, no matter who you are. We all have potential. We're all on a road to Damascus. None of us have completed the work we were put on this earth to do; most of us are still discerning what that work is, exactly. We should keep working, keep seeking, keep trying, keep loving, keep going.

In Jennifer Aist's book Babes in the Woods: Hiking, Camping & Boating with Babies and Young Children (my current read), she tells parents back off a bit and to let their kids explore (while still under supervision, of course!):

Watch an eight-month-old baby crawl around a coffee table. If left to explore it on his own, he'll run into it a few times, bonk his head on the bottom of it as he tries to crawl under it, and maybe even get a bit frustrated by it. Very quickly, this same baby will learn to duck going around that coffee table, slow down to avoid crashing into it, and generally learn how to be safe around it. The baby with "hover parents" never has an opportunity to learn by trial and error. So though this baby may never bonk his head on the coffee table at home, he also never develops the skills to avoid bonking his head on any other coffee table. Teach children the skills they need to safely negotiate any coffee table they may ever encounter, and you have given your children an incredible gift. You will have taught your child to be capable. 

Remember, frustration teaches children problem solving. Boredom teaches children creativity.

This is the same for adults as well. Be brave enough not to squander the chances in life to try, to "fail", to be who you want to be. You are exactly who you're supposed to be, and that is a true gift to the rest of us.

#7QT: Oh the Shame, the Shame, the Shame

Is it Friday? Bless my buttons! Read below and then more over at Jen's!

ONE

There is a skit by Irish comedian Dylan Moran on shame which uses a brilliant [take-it-with-a-grain-of-comedic-sea-salt] analogy comparing the eating of biscuits between Protestants and Catholics. It is a great Robison family favorite:



"Oh, I can't tell which is nicer, the biscuits or the shame!" 

I've been feeling a lot of shame lately between all my commitments and projects and moving and pregnancy and just being there as a member of my family. It's been a really hard balance, and I'm thankful you readers are still here as I write other things more than blog posts, like thank you cards and freelance.

Although, the book Jen found on writing more/ better has me really excited. As does the ability to download Kindle onto my PC!

I'm starting a women's writer workshop come July and am estatic -- and, hopefully, I'll publish more here too!

TWO

I had my gestational diabetes test done today. My doctor allowed me to eat yogurt beforehand since I still get so nauseous in the morning, but the sugary drink I had 5 minutes to down didn't help with that. I brought work to do, and ended up curled up on my side in the room instead. This pregnancy has certainly given me more to be thankful for, especially my health. I may feel sick and need to sleep way more than usual, but I am still doing well and am a low-risk pregnancy!

I am really going to miss my OB doctor and the staff. My doctor is kind, professional, and I feel extremely comfortable with her. I would have loved to have her deliver Bebe! The staff loves to chat with me and ask about updates - mostly because my FIL is another OB in the officer, I'm sure, but also because they are just as genial and caring.

My #1 task upon moving South: new OB! Well, and unpacking. And maybe going on a cemetery tour and exploring the French Quarter!

THREE

Today is our six months of marriage mark!!!! How exciting. Just to re-cap:

FOUR

Have you ever heard of Temple Grandin?


Inventor, animal activist, and autistic!

FIVE

I am getting to the end of Robert Penn Warren's 'All the King's Men' and it is just thrilling.

“For the truth is a terrible thing. You dabble your foot in it and it is nothing. But you walk a little farther and you feel it pull you like an undertow or a whirlpool. First there is the slow pull so steady and gradual you scarcely notice it, then the acceleration, then the dizzy whirl and plunge into darkness. For there is a blackness of truth, too. They say it is a terrible thing to fall into the Grace of God. I am prepared to believe that.” 

The book is long, extremely well-written, an investment of time and intellect, and worth savoring every word and story. The character of Jack Burton is flawed, smart, introspective, cunning, and just.

SIX

Rest in Peace, Michael Hastings (died in a car accident on June 18):

Okay, here’s my advice to you (and young journalists in general):
1. You basically have to be willing to devote your life to journalism if you want to break in. Treat it like it’s medical school or law school.
2. When interviewing for a job, tell the editor how you love to report. How your passion is gathering information. Do not mention how you want to be a writer, use the word “prose,” or that deep down you have a sinking suspicion you are the next Norman Mailer.
3. Be prepared to do a lot of things for free. This sucks, and it’s unfair, and it gives rich kids an edge. But it’s also the reality.
4. When writing for a mass audience, put a fact in every sentence.
5. Also, keep the stories simple and to the point, at least at first.
6. You should have a blog and be following journalists you like on Twitter.
7. If there’s a publication you want to work for or write for, cold call the editors and/or email them. This can work.
8. By the second sentence of a pitch, the entirety of the story should be explained. (In other words, if you can’t come up with a rough headline for your story idea, it’s going to be a challenge to get it published.)
9. Mainly you really have to love writing and reporting. Like it’s more important to you than anything else in your life—family, friends, social life, whatever.
10. Learn to embrace rejection as part of the gig. Keep writing/pitching/reading.

H/T Explore

SEVEN

Last weekend in Ohio for a while... I'll miss home! I'll miss my big family, taking the dogs to the dog park and hanging with our cats, walking to and from work, my family eating dinner together, walking around the neighborhood, coffee and play dates with the kids, the best job I've ever had, and the familiar.

Until then, I'm going to keep on keepin' on. Happy Friday!

Post of Shame

Last Sunday, my husband asked me if I was still doing 7 Quick Takes... which shamed me into not waiting till the last minute to blog, per my usual route.

This one is for all my fellow slackers! (Thanks to Jen for hosting!) Some awesome reads:

ONE

"When you're born, you don't really know what you're getting into," a resident of mine observed. "I'm not sure how I would have reacted if I had known I would be a 98-year-old old maid in a nursing home."
I knew what she meant. "Yeah," I said, "If I had known what I was getting into, I would have quit then and there."
"Don't quit!" Eula suddenly responded, "If you quit, who will help me get into bed?"
Somehow those unexpected words--spoken in a state of mild confusion--cut me to the quick.

Bethanie Ryan at Sacred Dignity, "Don't Quit!"

TWO

But Jesus in the confessional is not a dry cleaner: it is an encounter with Jesus, but with this Jesus who waits for us, who waits for us just as we are. “But, Lord, look ... this is how I am”, we are often ashamed to tell the truth: 'I did this, I thought this'. But shame is a true Christian virtue, and even human ... the ability to be ashamed: I do not know if there is a similar saying in Italian, but in our country to those who are never ashamed are called “sin vergüenza’: this means ‘the unashamed ', because they are people who do not have the ability to be ashamed and to be ashamed is a virtue of the humble, of the man and the woman who are humble.

Pope Francis, as reported by Vatican Radio - "Pope: Shame is a true Christian virtue"

THREE

Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!

The quote on the left is from President Obama's address to this year's graduates at OSU... as telling as when he told the press (at the White House Correspondents' Dinner) that he prefers to get his news from whitehouse.gov! Which, as we all know, is as trust-worthy as Jay Carney himself.

FOUR

We live in a country where if a six-months-pregnant woman started downing shots of vodka in a bar or lit up a cigarette, people might want her arrested. But that same woman could walk into an abortion clinic, no questions asked, and be injected with a drug that would stop her baby’s heart. 

I’ll put my cards on the table: I think life begins at conception and would love to live in a world where no women ever felt she needed to get an abortion. However, I know enough people who are pro-abortion rights—indeed, I was one of them for most of my life—to know that reasonable and sincere people can disagree about when meaningful life begins. They also can disagree about how to weigh that moral uncertainty against a woman’s right to control her body—and her own life. I have only ever voted for Democrats, so overturning Roe v. Wade is not one of my priorities. I never want to return to the days of gruesome back-alley abortions. 

But medical advances since Roe v. Wade have made it clear to me that late-term abortion is not a moral gray area, and we need to stop pretending it is. No six-months-pregnant woman is picking out names for her “fetus.” It’s a baby. Let’s stop playing Orwellian word games. We are talking about human beings here. 

How is this OK? Even liberal Europe gets this. In France, Germany, Italy, and Norway, abortion is illegal after 12 weeks. In addition to the life-of-mother exception, they provide narrow health exceptions that require approval from multiple doctors or in some cases going before a board. In the U.S., if you suggest such stringent regulation and oversight of later-term abortions, you are tarred within seconds by the abortion rights movement as a misogynist who doesn’t “trust women.”

Kirsten Powers at The Daily Beast, "Abortion Rights Community Has Become the NRA of the Left"

FIVE

My "baby" sister's May Crowning was this past Tuesday! I just love these songs:



"Oh Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today! Queen of the angels! Queen of the May!"


"You were chosen by the Father. You were chosen for the Son. You were chosen from all women, and for woman shining one... Teach us wisdom, teach us love."

SIX

For everyone having a tough day, week, month, year...

SEVEN

My bebe is gettin' so big!

13.6 cm and 12 oz.!

Happy Friday y'all!!! I hope you enjoy it and all of life's little blessings -- in disguise and otherwise!

Gosnell and the Reality of Born-Alive Infants

A documentary on the man and the facts of his crimes. If anything, listen to the witness of the women. The testimonies of the African American community are also very moving:



More stories:
The Catholic World Report: When “the Silent Scream” isn’t silent anymore
USA Today: Philadelphia abortion clinic horror: Column
First Things: A Missed Opportunity That Will Still Be There Tomorrow

Pray for Dr. Gosnell, pray for those who worked for him (especially strength and courage for the ones testifying and are also being convicted), pray for those affected, pray for the innocence and innocents taken.

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness" (Lamentations 3:22-23).

Let's Give Chivalry Another Chance

As seen at The Atlantic:

Chivalry is about respect. It is about not harming or hurting others, especially those who are more vulnerable than you. It is about putting other people first and serving others often in a heroic or courageous manner. It is about being polite and courteous. In other words, chivalry in the age of post-feminism is another name we give to civility. When we give up on civility, understood in this way, we can never have relationships that are as meaningful as they could be. 

If women today—feminists and non-feminists alike—encouraged both men and women to adopt the principles of civil and chivalrous conduct, then the standards of behavior for the two sexes would be the same, fostering the equality that feminists desire. Moreover, the relations between the sexes would be once again based on mutual respect, as the traditionalists want. Men and women may end up being civil and well-mannered in different ways, but at least they would be civil and well-mannered, an improvement on the current situation.

Read more here!

Oh, and here's one more gem: "There's No Perfect Time to Start Having Kids"

All Equals in the Republic of Baseball

Tomorrow is George Will's 71st birthday and his son Jon's 40th birthday. This fact is pointed out to the public in Will's most recent column because his almost 40 year old son has Downs Syndrome and lives quite well.

As some of you may know, in our present time, 90 percent of Downs babies are aborted.

Back then, institutionalizing and sending away the baby away to be adopted were also viable options. Downs babies had an average life-span of 20 years.

Will wrote, "The day after Jon was born, a doctor told Jon’s parents that the first question for them was whether they intended to take Jon home from the hospital. Nonplussed, they said they thought that is what parents do with newborns."

Jon is George Will's first child: "The eldest of four siblings, he has seen two brothers and a sister surpass him in size, and acquire cars and college educations. He, however, with an underdeveloped entitlement mentality, has been equable about life’s sometimes careless allocation of equity. Perhaps this is partly because, given the nature of Down syndrome, neither he nor his parents have any tormenting sense of what might have been. Down syndrome did not alter the trajectory of his life; Jon was Jon from conception on."

More Will on his son: "Judging by Jon, the world would be improved by more people with Down syndrome, who are quite nice, as humans go. It is said we are all born brave, trusting and greedy, and remain greedy. People with Down syndrome must remain brave in order to navigate society’s complexities. They have no choice but to be trusting because, with limited understanding, and limited abilities to communicate misunderstanding, they, like Blanche DuBois in “A Streetcar Named Desire,” always depend on the kindness of strangers. Judging by Jon’s experience, they almost always receive it."

Read the whole thing here.

There are family pictures too; a box of tissues and confetti (to throw about after reading such awesomeness) are not included.

"This year Jon will spend his birthday where every year he spends 81 spring, summer and autumn days and evenings, at Nationals Park, in his seat behind the home team’s dugout. The Phillies will be in town, and Jon will be wishing them ruination, just another man, beer in hand, among equals in the republic of baseball."

Happy birthday to the Will men!

Why Stay A Catholic?

"I am in the Church because, despite everything, I believe that she is at the deepest level not our but precisely “his” Church. To put it concretely: It is the Church that, despite all the human foibles of the people in her, gives us Jesus Christ, and only through her can we receive him as a living, authoritative reality that summons and endows me here and now. …  

This elementary acknowledgement has to be made at the start: Whatever infidelity there is or may be in the Church, however true it is that she constantly needs to be measured anew by Jesus Christ, still there is ultimately no opposition between Christ and Church. It is through the Church that he remains alive despite the distance of history, that he speaks to us today, is with us today as master and Lord, as our brother who unites us all as brethren. 

 And because the Church, and she alone, gives us Jesus Christ, causes him to be alive and present in the world, gives birth to him again in every age in the faith and prayer of the people, she gives mankind a light, a support, and a standard without which mankind would be unimaginable. Anyone who wants to find the presence of Jesus Christ in mankind cannot find it contrary to the Church but only in her."  

--Pope Benedict XVI

As quoted in "On Fifteen Years A Catholic" by Carl E. Olson

Whom Would Kindness Kill More: Them or You?

TBM Topic 31: Comfort the Afflicted

"Whom Would Kindness Kill More: Them or You?" by Julie Robison
Trista at Not a Minx, Moron, or a Parasite
Elizabeth at Startling the Day

We three are from the oft-mentioned, widely-speculated upon demographic of young, twenty-something Catholic women. We're here to dispel the myths and misconceptions- please join us for the discussion on Facebook and Twitter!


During Lent, we will be discussing the Spiritual Works of Mercy.

"Today I told off a cashier who was trashing the president" read the Daily Kos headline. Color me intrigued; I clicked on it. I read it. I cried (figuratively).

The writer was just a member of the site, not an official writer, and proudly stated how he actively listens to progressive radio and keeps up on current events via The Nation and Mother Jones. He apologetically admitted he grocery shopping at Meijer (not sure why, but now I know they're "Michigan owned, .. unionized and ha[ve] a very respectable selection of organic produce as well as locally baked breads.")

 He described the cashier as an older white woman who "looked like she'd had a hard life." The writer, a self-described "very political person," says he "often feel[s] bad when I see older people still working when, in a just society, they shouldn't have to. Obviously I don't know her story but there she was checking and bagging groceries, a job which keeps you on your feet for hours on end, at 8:30 on a Friday night."

 That was a poignant moment for the writer. He feels a bit of compassion for this woman. But he doesn't act on that compassion when he hears the older woman say, "Of course Obama says there's no inflation. I don't think the man has ever had to buy groceries in his life. He probably gets his employees to do it for him. You know, buy his arugula?"

 First comment: I had to look up arugula. It's a salad green.

Second comment: It's a silly connection to make between inflation and greens, but nothing inflammatory. The woman's point is that Obama is an elitist. An elitist is not someone who is well-off financially; it's anyone who thinks they know better than you, and worse, wants to make you follow their plan, and not allow for deviation. Progressive liberals can be elitists. So can Republicans. So can Independent voters. It's a personality trait, usually associated with ambitious people, and not a party line. Obama fits that definition; individual health care mandate, anyone?

The author felt differently:

 My anger was building up to a boil; I mean, I just wanted to get home to that beer and who knows how many people before me had to hear this crap? So after I was all paid up and everything was in my cart I said to her, "I suggest you keep your political opinions to yourself when you're standing there because you never know who's standing here. I don't appreciate hearing my president trashed like that. That's all I'm going to say." Her eyes flashed with anger and realization that I must be one of "those people". She drew in a breath, about to say something and I said, "If you say one more fucking thing I'll go find your manager and all three of us can discuss this." At that, she suddenly deflated. Now the look in her eyes was fear. She looked down and meekly mumbled "Ok. Sorry sir." I left then, proud of myself and still full of anger. 

Wow. Tolerance, much? After that, he felt a twinge of remorse and wondered if he had handled that poorly. He says he realizes she's probably just a low information voter, only listening to conservative media, like Rush and Sean (verses only reading and listening to liberal media outlets), and then he threatened her job. But he's glad he spoke his mind; he only wonders if he could have handled that encounter better.

Ahem. This is where I get to my point about comforting the afflicted: they're not just the physically sick. They can be spiritually sick. Or just lack good manners. I miss the old ladies who would keep order by calling the naughty child's parents. If you want a much-needed reality series, I think Miss Manners should take to the streets!

Comfort is more than sharing a meal or a beer or a laugh. It means firmly and gently showing people the way. Whether it be a friend giving advice or a offering a stranger a smile, people find comfort in kindness. The author of the above was unkind. No opinions were changed through the experience. No hope blossomed that America's fractured politics could reconcile themselves. Instead, a man swore at a woman and claimed victory and, worse, the moral high ground.

This post isn't about politics. It's about love, peace, and Jesus (who, coincidentally, brings both of those things to the party). The writer is right to say we shouldn't back down from defending our beliefs, but never at the cost of another person's dignity. Souls are converted by fellow souls: we must never forget that Christians are the face of Christ for the unbeliever.

As Blessed John Paul II wrote in Crossing the Threshold of Hope, "Before ascending into Heaven, Jesus said to the apostles: "I am with you always, until the end of the age" (Mt 28:20). Though invisible, He is personally present in His Church. He is likewise present in each Christian, by virtue of baptism and other sacraments. It was usual to say, as early as the era of the Fathers, "Christianus alter Christus" ("The Christian is another Christ"), meaning by this emphasize the dignity of the baptized and his vocation, through Christ, to holiness."

Dignity isn't a mercantilism: dignity is for all, and there is an unlimited amount to go around, for loved ones as well every single person you disagree with or dislike. A person's character is not measured based on the love they give when they feel it, but rather, loving (action verb) when feelings dictate otherwise. It's those times in which it's necessary to take a deep breath, smile, and  offer up a situation that is out of your control to God. Every person is unique, and therefore, going to disagree with you on certain points. Offer it up. Do not hurt another person to achieve victory. Offer it up. Let it go.

All for the glory of the Kingdom, people.

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. (Luke 6:36)

Stairway to Sacrilege

Ok Go, an alternative rock band known for catchy beats and viral YouTube videos, recently released a video in a Chevy commercial. The band drove a Chevy car through a two mile track of instruments, releasing their latest song, "Needing/Getting."

Their opening is, "I've been waiting for months, waiting for years, waiting for you to change./ Aw, but there ain't much that's dumber, there ain't much that's dumber/ Than pinning your hopes on a change in another./ And I, yeah, I still need you; but what good's that gonna do?/ Needing is one thing, and getting: getting's another."

This song, though about a girl, plays nicely into a recent NYT op-ed by psychologist Jonathan Haidt entitled, "Forget the Money, Follow the Sacredness." He writes to show the Right and Left's cultural narratives and their amazing ability to talk past each other on issues.

Continue reading at The Imaginative Conservative >>>>>>>>

A Still, Small Voice

"Schumacher’s greatest achievement was the fusion of ancient wisdom and modern economics in a language that encapsulated contemporary doubts and fears about the industrialized world. His words resonated with echoes of Christ’s Sermon on the Mount or the teachings of Buddha but always in terms that emphasized their enduring relevance. The wisdom of the ages, the perennial truth that has guided humanity throughout its history, serves as a constant reminder to each new generation of the dangers of self-gratification. The lessons of the past, if heeded, should always empower the present. But if wisdom was a warning, it was also a battle cry and a call to action. It pointed to the problem and pinpointed the solution.

As both philosopher and economist Schumacher was uniquely placed to bring the two disciplines into harmonious unity. The wide range of professional experience he had gained in the world of economics and industry was combined with his studies in philosophy so that spiritual truths and practical facts were welded into a more critical economic vision. This led him to question many of the conventions of modern economics. For example, was big always best? Most economists, shackled to the dogmatic idolization of economies of scale, believed that the question was already answered. Even if big wasn’t always best it was usually so. Mergers were considered good until or unless they led to monopoly.

Schumacher counteracted the idolatry of giantism with the beauty of smallness. People, he argued, could only feel at home in human-scale environments. If structures—economic, political or social—became too large they became impersonal and unresponsive to human needs and aspirations. Under these conditions individuals felt functionally futile, dispossessed, voiceless, powerless, excluded, alienated. Structures that have a genuinely human scale reveal a healthy culture, to use Wendell Berry’s language, that is part of an order of “memory, insight, value, work, conviviality, reverence, aspiration. It reveals the human necessities and the human limits. It clarifies our inescapable bonds to the earth and to each other. Appropriately, Schumacher’s book was subtitled A Study of Economics as if People Mattered."

-- from "A Still, Small Voice" by Joseph Pearce (The Distributist Review)

Is Democracy Viable?

"A recent poll showed that nearly half the American public believes that the government should redistribute wealth. That so many people are so willing to blithely put such an enormous and dangerous arbitrary power in the hands of politicians--risking their own freedom, in hopes of getting what someone else has--is a painful sign of how far many citizens and voters fall short of what is needed to preserve a democratic republic."

-- Thomas Sowell, "Is Democracy Viable?"

Disordered? Or Specifically Designed to Carry the Cross?

I read this conversation on a CatholicVote.org article:

First, Davide:

Tom, if I told you I was not sexually attracted to you am I disordered? You are mistaken no where absolutely no where does the Church say the attraction is disordered. I encourage you to read the CCC 2357-2359. It says our attraction is a 'trail'. I am willing to go further and say it is not normal or natural. But I don;t need anyone reminding me of this. Imagine a 15 year old Catholic boy who is confused about his sexuality and he is told his attraction is disordered even though he is a virgin. Right out of the gate he feels lost and condemn. His straight buddies are disinterested in his sexuality. So he goes to the 'gay' kids who are disinterested in his faith. But not one of them considered him disordered. So he struggles between faith and what the world wants him to do. More than likely where do you think he will end up? Its no wonder most hetero folks don't understand homosexual advocacy, cause they don't undertand SSA. So I think we should limit the 'disordered' comments to the actual sin.

The response by Tom:

Davide--- Again, I didn't say you or anyone dealing with SSA *is* disordered. And as I read CCC 2358 I see it say of the homosexual attraction, "This inclination, which is objectively disordered...." Am I wrong in interpreting that to refer to the attraction, regardless of the action? If so, how? But again, in no way am I condemning anyone. As I imagine that 15 year old boy confused about his sexuality, telling him that his attraction is disordered isn't telling him that *he* is bad or condemned, but that he has a disordered inclination. Yes, it'll be a tough pill to swallow, but it's not incorrect. The next step, of course, is to help him on the path of living chastely, which, incidentally, is what 15 year olds who don't experience SSA need to be taught also. Perhaps steps can be taken to prevent the feeling of being lost and condemned through proper compassion at that tender age. I do not dispute that the compassion has been lacking far too frequently, but that does not mean the truth is not the truth. ------------ And I do not take any offense to your responses. I have appreciated your contributions and appreciate that you have a personal stake in this topic.

And a welcome clarification from Andy:

Again, "disordered" is not to be thought of in the psychological sense.

I'm glad these respectful conversations are happening. For more on SSA and the Church, the Canadian Council of Catholic Bishops put out the excellent read, "Pastoral Ministry to Young People with Same-Sex Attraction." The Church respects and defends the dignity of all people carrying this cross; let us Catholics do the same, without compromising the Church's teachings.

I think this is a tough issue for the Church, especially since it has become subjective in the sense that people hear "gay" and immediately think of their friend or relative. The teaching of homosexuality is aligned tightly with the Church's teachings of heterosexuality sexuality. They are one in the same; they are concerned primarily to the whole dignity of each person and faithfulness to the Lord's commandments.

Two slim books I really recommend are "Set Free to Love: Lives Changed by Theology of the Body" by Marcel LeJuene and "Washed and Waiting" by Wesley Hill. The former is from a Roman Catholic perspective (he works at Texas A&M and runs the Aggie Catholics blog) and the latter is Evangelical Christian (the author is a graduate of Wheaton College). Another excellent person to read on this subject is Eve Tushnet; she is a Catholic convert, lesbian and single (ergo, celibate). I first heard about her from a NYT article and enjoy her blog. OH! And Steve Gershom - a must-read blog by a "Catholic, Gay, and Feeling Fine, Thanks" man.

I reviewed LeJeune's book this past January; he writes on "sex, chastity, married life, celibacy, Trinitarian love, human dignity, the differences between men and women, and our ultimate purpose in life."

The story by the young man who struggles with same-sex attraction was phenomenal. When he asked Christopher West (renowned TOB author and speaker) how best to "deal" with it, West said, "First and foremost, you are a man."

This young man would later find further grace through the sacraments of the Church: "I started attending daily Mass and receiving the Eucharist day in and day out. I realized this was what I had been looking for all along! If I really wanted to learn what it meant to be a man, how much further did I need to look than the Sacrament of the greatest man who ever lived?"

Please pray with me for further understanding, contentment, respect and joy for all affected in this growing dialogue!

Covering the Pope: a guide for journalists

The Catholic Herald in the UK published a fantasticly scathing piece by Milo Yiannopoulos on Tuesday, who "sheds some light on the arcane world of Catholicism, for the benefit of befuddled mainstream reporters."

It begins:

Imagine you’re a newly minted BBC News intern. You bound into the office on your first day, your 2:1 in Media Studies and Digital Production from the University of Salford burning a hole in your pocket. 

You’ve made it! You’ve reached the dizzying heights of the state broadcaster’s newsroom. You’re ready to take over the world. 

But disaster strikes: your editor hands you the first assignment, and it’s a report on the Catholic Church. Pope Benewhatsit has gone to some place to give some speech about God and stuff. 

You’re eager to impress, but totally out of your depth. What are you to do? Who do you turn to? 

Well, here at the The Catholic Herald, we understand how peculiar and arcane the world of Catholicism must appear to reporters new to the beat. That’s why we’ve trawled the archives of the major broadcasters and newspapers to bring you the lessons learned by your senior colleagues. 

We hope that by sharing these best practice guidelines, we can help reporters to uphold the tradition of fair and balanced reporting on Catholic issues for which the British press is rightly famed. Here, then, are our top tips for success.

This. Is. Brillant. Read the whole thing here!

Where Were You?

I'm watching the 9/11 Remembering Memorial right now, and it is very moving. Right now, the commenters  are talking about details and small decisions which changed the course of people's lives, dead and alive, as family members read off the names of the nearly 3,000 innocent dead, which will take several hours.

September 11, 2011: I was in my 8th grade English class when my civics teacher came running in; he turned on the t.v., and we saw the second plane crash into the WTC.

Where were you?

9:03 AM

TWT's Jim Robbins' eye-witness account, and this year's reminder rebuttal:

"I went back to my office around 9:20. A short time later a friend of mine called, an Air Force officer, and we spoke awhile about the strikes in New York. I was standing, looking out my large office window, which faces west and from six stories up has a commanding view of the Potomac and the Virginia heights. (When I hired on my boss said we had the best view in town. True, most days.) The Pentagon is about a mile and half distant in the center of the tableau. I was looking directly at it when the aircraft struck. The sight of the 757 diving in at an unrecoverable angle is frozen in my memory, but at the time, I did not immediately comprehend what I was witnessing. There was a silvery flash, an explosion, and a dark, mushroom shaped cloud rose over the building. I froze, gaping for a second until the sound of the detonation, a sharp pop at that distance, shook me out of it. I shouted something both extremely profane and sacrilegious and told my friend, ‘They hit the Pentagon. We're under attack. Gotta go.’

I hung up the phone and turned back to the window to see the dark cloud spreading. I yelled down the hall, ‘Look out the window!’ I heard gasps outside, and a researcher dashed into my office and stared. I grabbed my bags and said I was getting out of the building and invited others to do the same. I took the elevator down and walked to the edge of the greensward, in easy view of the Pentagon across the river. I set down my bags and stood in the dew soaked grass, seeing the brilliant blue sky filling with rolling clouds of smoke. The blackness stretched south the length of the horizon. The adrenaline of the initial shock had worn off a bit, and I was able to take in the enormity of the event. Even more than witnessing the plane crash, I remember those long helpless minutes standing in the grass.”

WSJ's Peggy Noonan:

‎"They tell us to get over it, they say to move on, and they mean it well: We can't bring an air of tragedy into the future. But I will never get over it. To get over it is to get over the guy who stayed behind on a high floor with his friend who was in a wheelchair."

A letter from Pope Benedict XVI to Archbishop Dolan:

h/t Always Catholic

President Bush just read this historic letter:

Executive Mansion
Washington, Nov. 21, 1864

To Mrs. Bixby, Boston, Mass.

Dear Madam,

I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle. I feel how weak and fruitless must be any word of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the republic they died to save. I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.

Yours very sincerely and respectfully,
A. Lincoln

George Friedman at MercatorNet:

"The first mission of the war that followed 9/11 was to prevent any further attacks. That mission was accomplished. That is a fact often forgotten."

More good articles at Insight Scoop, Creative Minority Report and Air Force Times.

Also, though many have expressed concern about prayer being excluded from the commemoration, President Obama's speech was moving and used mostly Old Testament language. It was a lovely, short speech.

Blessings on your Sunday, on this country and all her citizens.

There is some blue sky! Let us chase it!

“Speak about Christ only when you are asked. But live so that people ask about Christ!” exclaimed Paul Claudel. Claudel, a 20th Century French poet, dramatist and diplomat, was a revert to his Roman Catholic faith. When he was 18 years old, he was an agnostic; then, during Christmas day Mass, he had a mystical vision. He reported that he heard voice say, “There is a God.”

Paul Claudel in 1927

Continue reading post at Virtuous Planet>>>>>

Hear Ye, Hear Ye: New Super Awesome Young Catholic Adult Website Launched

A brand spankin' new website for young (and the young-at-heart), joyful, orthodox Catholic adults launched today. It's called Virtuous Planet. Catchy, eh?

Bam. The bomb-diggity of logos.

The list of contributors is pretty rockin'-- for example, all three Bright Maidens are full-time writers! As if you could ever get enough of us.

At this time in VP history, I shall be posting on Fridays. Please feel free to e-mail me if you're interested in reading an article on something. I've already gotten a request for scapulars and for me to get my act together and publish my Catholic Sexuality series. But mostly for me to get my act together and stop leaving the state every other weekend for a college friend's wedding and other nonsense like that.

Here is THE website, THE Facebook page and THE Twitter handle.

Read. Like. Retweet. Repeat!

Also, check out my darling Anna's first published column in USA Today on the eve of WYD 2011: "For these millennials, faith trumps relativism"!

Today, I went to Mass on purpose and accidentally attended the Mass of Simple Profession of the 16 Dominican novices at St. Gertrude's on accident. Amazing to watch and partake in, blessed to have such men serving the Church, especially on this, the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven - my soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord! My spirit rejoices in God my Savior!

(Will write on that later too...)

Happy Monday! Happy Assumption! Oh, happy day!