Be An Angel? Hardly.

**Climbs on soapbox**

We all know PeTA (people for the ethical treatment of animals) is to be charitable, constoversial, in their approach to spreading their message. In recent years their ads have attacked fat people, and children. If you don’t believe me, do a google image search for their ads, and take a gander at what pops up.

And now, just in time for Christmas, they’ve finally decided to take a stab at our Lord, Jesus Christ. For their new Christmas ad, they’ve gotten Playboy “model” Joanna Krupa to pose nude, which is nothing new, for either Krupa or PeTA, which has run many nude ads over the years. The focus of these ads is:

Be An Angel for Animals. Always Adopt. Never Buy.

Now, to be fair, that is a good message. Our dog comes from a shelter, and the shelters are so crowded and often the animals are really just surviving. It makes sense. BUT, the manner in which PeTA displays this message is undignified, immodest to the core, offensive to the season of Advent, and blasphemous.

The image of “model” Joanna Krupa, naked, with angel wings and a halo, wouldn’t be much different from what you see at Victoria’s Secret, except this “angel” is holding a strategically placed crucifix over her naked body. That’s right friends.

Warning: here is the image. Skip down if you don’t want to see it.

*shudders* To make matters worse, Ms. Krupa claims to be a practicing Catholic. Of course, we wouldn’t want just any naked Playboy “model” holding the Crucifix over her lady bits in a public ad; we need the “Catholic” one. There are standards of course.

Here is what Ms. Krupa had to say in response to the claims of the Catholic League:

“As a practicing Catholic, I am shocked that the Catholic League is speaking out against my PETA ads, which I am very proud of. I’m doing what the Catholic Church should be doing, working to stop senseless suffering of animals, the most defenseless of God’s creation. I am a voice for innocent animals who are being neglected and dumped by the millions at shelters. In my heart I know that Jesus would never condone the suffering that results when dogs and cats are allowed to breed.”
I will give her this; Jesus would never condone the suffering that results when dogs and cats are allowed to breed. True enough.

But you know what I’m fairly certain he’d never condone either? A woman who claims to be part of His Church, who should therefore know what the Crucifix means, abusing the symbol of Christ’s torture, humiliation, and death, to make a political point by draping it over her naked body, which she is then exposing for the world to see.

I’m pretty sure that she is, in fact, not doing anything remotely close to what the Church should be doing when it comes to the appropriate way to spread a message of compassion for animals. Nice try though, Ms. Krupa.

**Climbs off soapbox**

Thanks for listening to my rant.

Advent Tradition, Old and New

When I was growing up, my family did not have an Advent wreath, since my grandparents (who raised me) were barely practicing Protestants. I went to the Catholic church, so I saw the Advent wreath there, and learned what Advent was through religious education at my parish. But I don’t think I realized until college that individual families could have Advent wreaths in their homes. Oops.

My education in Advent traditions began then, and continues to grow with each passing year. I now relish the weekend after Thanksgiving, when I can take our wreath out of storage and set it up in a place of prominence in our dining room. I love lighting each candle as the weeks leading up to the birth of Christ get closer. I love singing O Come, O Come Emmanuel as we begin evening prayer together, in our domestic Church.

Here’s some Advent wreath history and ideas for traditions surrounding this beautiful and holy symbol.

The Catholic Home by Meredith Gould gives a helpful chart showing what the traditional items in an Advent wreath symbolize:

wreath: the eternal nature of God

holly: the crown of thorns

bay: victory over sin and death

violet: penance

rose: joy

The first candle symbolizes Isaiah and the prophets who foretold the coming of Christ. The second candle symbolizes the Bible. The third candle (the pink one!) symbolizes Mary, the mother of God. The fourth symbolizes John the Baptist, who called Jesus the light of the world. And placing a large white pillar candle at the center symbolizes Jesus, the light of the world.

I love it! All the symbolism brings out the English lit major in me (I lasted for two semesters).

Anyway, since there’s no official rite for Advent wreaths in the home, we’re free to be very creative in this Advent devotion. Here are some ideas:

As you light each Advent candle, read the Gospel passage for that day, or a Scripture passage from the time leading up to Jesus’ birth.

Combine Advent candle lighting with opening doors on your Advent calendar (Ours has chocolate — thanks grandma!).

Sing Advent hymns or carols while you light the candle. Or, if you’re not much of a singer, you can listen to recordings of them.

Pray the joyful mysteries of the Rosary accompanying the lighting of Advent wreath. These are great mysteries to meditate on during Advent.

I’d also recommend the book Mary and the Christian Life: Scriptural Reflections on the First Disciple by Amy Wellborn. I got this book last year during Advent, and although it’s small, it’s got some wonderful stuff for meditation on during both Advent and Lent.

 

This year, as part of Advent devotions, I am doing a daily gratitude journal. Mostly because, although I am very blessed, I have a tendency to dwell on that which I do not have. But also partially because I need to be constantly reminded that all of the blessings I do have are from God, and not mine because I have earned or deserve them. I think keeping a daily list of blessings can help remind me of the Source of all gifts.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.”

I pray that this Advent I will be able to remember that message and pause to make room in my busy, distracted heart, for the Source of all good and perfect gifts, who longs to be born in me (and all of us) anew this Christmas.

What are your Advent traditions and devotions? I’d love to hear about them!

 

 

Finally!

I have been listening to Christmas music since Friday morning; I love it!

My new favorite album for this Advent is Sarah McLachlan’s Wintersong. She really has such a beautiful voice.

Happy Liturgical New Year, and First Sunday of Advent! Do you have your wreath out yet?

Happy (early) Thanksgiving

Hello Friends!

As we are having a guest arrive tonight (my grandparents next door neighbor who has been like a mom to me — she knew me before I was born! She met my mom for the first time when she was pregnant with me, how cool is that?) and she will be here for the holiday and until Saturday. I’m so excited to have her here and show her all around our new city!

Anyway, since I will be busy showing her the sights, then prepping a turkey, making a carrot cake, and of course THANKSGVING, I’ve decided now is a good time to take a short blogging break. I’ll be back some time this weekend.

I pray that you and all your families have a wonderful, blessed, safe, and delicious Thanksgiving!

This song is so cheesy it’s kinda hilarious.

Chapel Veil – Part 2 (of 2)

Just when you thought the chapel veil was tired and went to bed, I decided to wake her up. Just kidding, sort of. I wanted to give an update and also respond to some of the wonderful comments that people left about the first chapel veil post.

After praying more after that post was written, I have discerned that at least for now, God is calling me to wear the chapel veil. Sunday morning rolled around, and I stuffed my veil in my purse to put on upon entering Church. I felt a small pang of nervousness as we walked in, wondering things like: What will people think? Will they judge me for wearing the veil? Will they think I am judging them for not wearing a veil? Will it be awkward and uncomfortable?

As I put on my veil, after sliding into the pew, I noticed the woman sitting at the far end of the pew looking at me. I smiled. She smiled back. *whew* That was a good sign. And then…nothing happened. I happily prayed for a few moments before Mass began, then sat back and enjoyed attending the Holy Sacrifice. I didn’t feel uncomfortable, and no one stared at me as though I had a booger hanging from my nose. And the best part? When I approached for communion, and knelt at the communion rail, with full view of the altar where the host was consecrated, I felt right. I felt sure that I was doing what God asked me to do, just this once.

So that’s the non-story-story of week one of the chapel veil.

Now I’d like to clarify a bit about my reasoning for thinking the chapel veil is appropriate.

Rae, very aptly pointed out that a portion of the article on the veil I had linked to had some possibly questionable theology regarding why the veil is appropriate and should be encouraged.

He says in the article, “The authentic Catholic reason for wearing the chapel veil is the Biblical reason.” Well…maybe. I mean, certainly the Biblical reason (and here this means 1 Corinthians 11: 2-16 : “Any woman who prays…with her head unveiled dishonors her head…let her wear a veil…” is the basic gist of it) is not wrong, but it also is not the whole of Catholic thought about why this practice has merit.

Rae rightly pointed out in her comment that to simply say that this one passage of Scripture is the sole reason why a woman should wear a chapel veil is an oversimplification. I am inclined to agree that the authentic Catholic reason for veiling is much more rich than one passage of Scripture.

What I liked about this article, though, was what he said next: “The Catholic Church has decided to no longer enforce this Biblical custom through Canon Law, and in doing so, the Church is saying it does not want to be our nanny. The chapel veil is a custom for women to do voluntarily, because they want to, not because they are being forced to. The idea is that women are to read what the Scriptures have to say, and be convicted according to what is contained therein. In order for a chapel veil to be an authentic sign of humility and holiness, it must be voluntary. Indeed, Christian women are supposed to wear one, but it is never to be forced.”

I liked his point that this is something that should not be forced; rather, the reasoning for why it is something good should be presented, but ultimately women should act in conjunction with their consciences, and take up the chapel veil because they believe that God wills it of them.

That said, I’d like to just mention a few of the points I found in doing further reading about veiling, that I think speak on a deeper level to Catholic reasons for wearing a veil.

- Until 1983, the injunction that a woman’s head must be covered in Church was present in the Code of Canon Law. The injunction was not reversed in the 1983 edition; it was simply excluded. It would seem that it is no longer required, but is certainly still more than acceptable to practice.

- St. John Chrysostom presents a theology of the veil that I think is beautiful. Woman, because she was created by being drawn from man’s side, is constantly trying to return to him. She desires the original unity of one flesh and one bone. The desire for unity between man and woman is a mirror of the relationship between Christ and the soul.

As woman longs for union with man in human relationships, she is also drawn to unity with God. He calls her to become one with Him: to come under His side and become flesh of His flesh and bone of His bone. This occurs during reception of Eucharist.

The covering of the head with a veil symbolizes the reality of woman sheltered in the side of her Source and becoming one with Him. She becomes covered and hidden in her Divine Spouse.

- And, as Betty Beguiles mentions beautifully here, the wearing of the veil is a symbol of the woman’s physical role as tabernacle. Woman was created with the privilege of being a vessel of life — literally capable of bearing life within her. In this way, she is a kind of living tabernacle. The Holy Tabernacle is sacred because it contains Life Itself, and likewise woman is sacred because she protects life within her.

When a woman wears a veil, she is physically covering her head as an act of symbolizing her sacredness as a temple of life. The Tabernacle, which contains Jesus, and the Holy of Holies, which contains the very essence of God, is veiled at all times. When a woman wears the veil, she is reminding herself and others of her God-given role as tabernacle which protects new life.

While I don’t disagree with Paul, and with the Biblical reasoning for veiling, I guess the specifically Catholic theology of the veil has been the most compelling for me personally.

Thanks for all of the thoughtful comments on this topic!

Thanksgving Recipe — Sweet Potatoes

I found this recipe from Better Homes and Gardens November 2009 issue.

Prep: 45 minutes  Bake: 36 minutes  Oven: 350 degrees
4 1/2 lbs. sweet potatoes
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. salt
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup whipping cream or half and half
2 tbsp. maple syrup (sugar free please)
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
2 cups mini marshmallows (optional)
1/4 – 1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted

1. Pre-heat oven to 350. Scrub potatoes and prick with a fork. Brush with olive oil. Sprinkle salt over potatoes. Place potatoes in 15×10x1-inch baking pan. Roast, uncovered, 30 to 40 minutes or until soft. Cool until easy to handle.

2. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Halve potatoes, scoop out flesh and discard skin. Mash and transfer to a large bowl.

3. In a small saucepan combine butter and cream; cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a simmer. Fold into the sweet potatoes along with maple syrup, nutmeg, and salt. Transfer to 2 quart baking dish.

4. Sprinkle marshmallows on potatoes, bake uncovered, 12 to 15 minutes or until marshmallows are golden brown. Sprinkle pecans. Serve.

Bon Appetit!

7 Quick-Takes Friday

** 1 **

This weekend is the collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development at parishes around the country. CCHD gives grants to community based organizations which seek to help the poor help themselves.

In recent months, CCHD has come under attack by some people who claim that the grants have, in the past, erroneously gone to organizations who embrace contraception, abortion, or same sex-marriage, and that this should lead to ALL of CCHD’s work being abolished. Obviously. Because when an organization has a very specific problem in certain areas, the best thing to do is to…disband the entire organization.

Anyway, lest I digress into a rant about CCHD, thereby violating my dictum against talking about Church politics, if you want to know why my husband and I will be giving money to CCHD this weekend, I refer you to this article from the USCCB.

Baltimore, Md., Nov 19, 2009 / 04:21 am (CNA).- The chairman of the U.S. bishops’ subcommittee which oversees the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) has defended the program against what he called “outrageous” allegations and claims. He reiterated that the campaign is pro-life and has “zero tolerance” for funding any group that violates Catholic teaching.

Bishop of Biloxi, Mississippi Roger Morin on Tuesday addressed the fall assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) on the topic of the CCHD.

He said that some attacks on the campaign are motivated by concern for the poor or for the Church’s teachings. Some critics may not understand the social teachings of the church, while others charge that the bishops are funding groups that are pro-abortion.

“The critics are using this as an opportunity to attack the shepherds of the Church. I reiterate that we are pro-life, from conception to natural death,” Bishop Morin said. read the rest of it here…

To take a page from Forrest’s book: That’s all I have to say about that.

** 2 **

Thanksgiving approaches! It’s less than a week until the big day. So I’m curious; what are your family plans for Thanksgiving and the weekend? Where will you celebrate? What will you eat? and of course, Will you shop on Black Friday??

Atticus and I will be having a family friend of mine for the holiday, and we will all be going to his parents house, along with his sisters’, a boyfriend, and another friend. We will be 9 in all!

I am bringing mashed sweet potatoes with mini marshmallows and toasted pecans, and a carrot cake for dessert.

** 3 **

Tomorrow morning Atticus and I are picking up our turkey. We have on hold, a pastured, free-range turkey from a farm in Bloomington, IN, about an hour away. I recently read, in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, about modern turkey production, and vowed that we would never again buy a conventional turkey.

“Of the over 400 million turkeys Americans consume each year, 99% are of one variety: the Broad-Breasted White, a quick fattening monster bred specifically for industrial scale-setting. If a Broad-Breasted White should escape slaughter, it likely wouldn’t live to be a year old: they get so heavy their legs collapse. In mature form, they are incapable of flying, foraging, or mating. That’s right, reproduction. Genes that make turkeys behave like animals are useless to a creature packed wing-to-wing with thousands of others…so those genes have been bred out. Docile lethargy works better and helps them pack on the pounds.” Pg. 90

I’m fairly certain that when God gave dominion over the earth to man, he meant it as a positive thing, and that genetically breeding an animal to literally be able to do nothing but produce excessive amounts of cheap meat for humans, is a gross violation of that stewardship.

Animals do not have human dignity (obviously). But they do have animal dignity, which seems to logically dictate they be able to live as animals ought, with fresh air, and room to run around, forage, and live out their animal natures. Being packed wing-to-wing in bird houses so tiny the animal cannot even turn around, and never steps foot outside in its entire life, is wrong. They only way these animals can reproduce is by means of a human being, whose job title is, Sperm Wrangler. I’ll leave you to think about that one.

With all of that said, Atticus and I are not vegetarians. We like meat, and we do not think it is ethically wrong to eat meat, as long as the animal we eat has had a chance at living as an animal ought.

That’s why we’re going to pay about 40$ for our Thanksgiving turkey, and as we savor it’s hormone-free, delicious meat, we can be thankful, rather than ashamed, about the kind of life “our” turkey lived.

** 4 **

Tomorrow I am also going to watch the Harvard-Yale game with Atticus and some alumni of both schools. Atticus is a Yallie, and he found out about the event via a friend of his dad’s who is also a Yallie (that’s the little nickname for Yale alumni!) Isn’t it silly, but I am a bit nervous. You know, I did not go to an Ivy league school. Will they be able to smell it on me?

Oh dear, I better dig out my pearls.

** 5 **

Soon! I love the Macy’s Parade; does anyone else?

** 6 **

Also, 1 week from right now, CHRISTMAS MUSIC! My house will be filled with strains of beautiful Advent/Christmas music. *collapses in a heap from excitement*

** 7 **

God Bless you all and check out Conversion Diary for more quick takes!

Books Galore!

In the last week or so, I’ve looked around me and realized that I’m under a deluge of books. And I love it! I keep stumbling upon books that look so very delicious to me. Some of them are being re-read in order to work on a blog post, some are new, and blog related, some just look darn good! Let me know if you’ve read any of them, or have any thoughts about any of these books.

The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions by Sr. Helen Prejean. I read this book in college as part of a philosophy course on the death penalty. I’m re-reading some parts of it in order to prepare part two of my blog series on the death penalty. (I haven’t forgotten about it! I’m just reloading. *kidding*) In the first part of the book, she tells the stories of two men whom she has accompanied to execution, both of whom, the evidence seems to indicate, were innocent. The second part of the book examines Catholic teaching on the death penalty, and the many examples of how easy it is for an innocent person to be wrongfully convicted of murder and placed on death row. Highly recommended if you’re interested in learning more about capital punishment.

The Authentic Catholic Woman by Genevieve Kineke. I am *almost* done with this book. I have been reading it with Elizabeth of That Married Couple. In fact, sometime in the next week or two, Elizabeth will be doing a guest post on this blog about her thoughts on the book. So, I won’t spoil it by saying too much right now, other than in my opinion this is a great read for all Catholic women, but especially for those in the throes of raising a family.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver (with Stephen Hopp and Camille Kingsolver). Author Kingsolver, who wrote “The Poisonwood Bible” and a whole bunch of other fiction, has written a book about her family’s challenge to spend a whole year eating only food that they have either grown themselves, or that has come from the county in Virginia where they live. It’s so fascinating. I have read about 120 pages of 350. Along with telling her family’s story, she also gives some stark truths about how the food we eat is produced, and what we can do to make it more sustainable and healthy. Fascinating read. Also includes some great recipes.

Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To: Divine Answers to Life’s Most Difficult Problems by Anthony DeStefano. I think this is actually a pretty absurd book title, BUT, it did prompt me to pick it up off the shelf and start to read it. It’s really a very wonderful book. It addresses many of the situations in life where it is difficult to pray, and how prayer, to be “answered” can’t simply be a bunch of demands we thrust in God’s general direction. I especially loved this quote:

“When God decides to grant a prayer request, he uses a completely different set of criteria than we do. Like a good father, he is not concerned with gratifying our every wish. Instead he is concerned about only one thing: our ultimate good, which boils down to whether or not we make it to heaven. Every request we make of God is “evaluated” by him in light of that long-term goal.”

OH. Well, of course, when you put it that way. I like this book, despite it’s cheesy title.

He Leadeth Me: An Extraordinary Testament of Faith by Fr. Walter Ciszek S.J. with Fr. Daniel Flaherty S.J. Fr. Ciszek was captured during WWII by the Russians, and held as a “Vatican spy” for 23 years in Soviet labor camps in Siberia. He was released in 1963. I have not started this one yet; I just picked it up from the Library today. BUT, there have been some wonderful quotes from it in my ENDOW class book on suffering, so I wanted to check it out. I think I might read this as part of my Advent devotions; after all, Advent is a time of penitence. Joyful penitence, but penitence all the same.

Letter and Spirit: From Written Text to Living Word in the Liturgy by Scott Hahn. The parish where I do my ENDOW class has an amazing Catholic library in the parish center where anyone can take out books! I have borrowed this one from them. I know it might be sac-relige to say so, but I am not a huge fan of Dr. Hahn’s books. Now, he is an amazing and engaging speaker, but I sometimes feel that books are talking down to me, just a little bit. However, I am trying to get more into the Mass, and I thought reading through this book might help me do just that. If anyone’s read it, I’d love to know your thoughts!

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling. Inspired by a wonderful blog post about the HP series, I have decided to re-read the whole series, back to back (something I have not done before). I am on the second book of the series now. I will hopefully have some new and witty insights into HP once I finish. But, more than likely I’ll just cry a little, and then post quotes from the books anyway.

The Gospel According to Harry Potter: The Spiritual Journey of the World’s Greatest Seeker by Connie Neal. This is a book that seeks to show how aspects of this series, far from being Pagan or evil, actually contain glimmers of the Gospels. I am very intrigued, because I have drawn basically the same conclusion myself, but it will be interesting to see what she has to say.

 

 

 

 

100th Post Giveaway!

Hello Friends!

I’m very excited to say that this is the 100th post of this little blog. I know that it’s God’s grace that I have been able to string two interesting sentences together, let alone write 100 posts!

It’s always been my goal in having this blog to write about my Catholic faith, which is the most important thing, and to write about how my relationship with God has impacted my relationship(s) with those closest to me, those not so close, and the world at large, with its beauty and its pain.

Since it wouldn’t make writing nearly as much fun if no one read this baby blog, I am going to use my 100th post to thank first and foremost; God, and then: YOU! Those awesome ladies who take time out of their often hectic schedules to read and comment on my thoughts and ramblings. I feel so humbled to know that the things I write merit five or ten minutes of your busy day!

THANK YOU for your support!

Since my 100th post coincides with the end of the liturgical season, and the rapidly approaching season of Advent (my favorite!), I want to say a special thank you to all of the wonderful women who read and comment on my blog.

Anytime between today and Friday, if you leave me a comment telling me what post you’ve enjoyed most, and how I can improve this blog, I will send you an Advent/Christmas mix with some of my favorite songs for this joyful season!

If you’re at all like me, you are waiting with baited breath for the day after Thanksgiving, to press play on that Christmas CD. I hope you will enjoy the selection I put together.

And thank you again for your support and encouragement; God Bless you all!

Epic is right…

I LOVE this short video from Catholics Come Home, which is titled Epic. The first time I saw it, it gave me goosebumps and I teared up a little bit. Check it out!

 

Whenever I count my blessings, which to be honest is not often enough, my Catholic faith is always at the top of the list. Deo Gratias!