It doesn't make sense to me either

Danielle quotes Father Thomas Euteneuer's article on Catholic Exchange, in which he discusses the mystifying phenomenon of companies such as Johnson & Johnson--a company famous for its baby shampoo, baby powder, baby lotion, and commercials featuring happy babies and blissful parents, and infamous for its support of Planned Parenthood. They are also a large manufacturer of birth control pills and devices.

Do they not realize that they are donating money toward, at best the prevention, and at worst the murder of their future customers? It doesn't make good business sense to me.

Knowing J&J's role in the whole situation, I find it very hard to watch their commercials. Hallmark-card sentiment is merely a veneer for the destructiveness underneath, and I resent their attempts to sugar-coat what they are doing.

Of course J&J is not the only one. But it's a big one, and that's daunting sometimes. Do I think they really notice, or care, if I don't buy Johnson's Baby Shampoo to wash my child's hair? Of course not. I think that what needs to accompany a financial boycott such as the one LDI proposes (and I support) is an effort by those people who participate in the boycott to do three things:
1. Don't buy their stuff.
2. Write to them, and tell them why you don't buy their stuff.
3. Pray for them, that God may change their hearts, and that they ultimately will change their policies.

It's really easy, most of the time, not to buy their stuff. There are plenty of other readily available alternatives to most of the items J&J manufactures. And you get used to it, after a while. It's the two other parts of the boycott that are tough. I like to write (but you knew that) but I don't like to write boycott letters. Why? Yes, I resent that I have to--but I think there might be a little embarrassment in there. That's silly, because those people don't know me, so I have nothing to fear, really.

I am going to make a better effort to be an instrument of change by really following up on the writing and praying parts of the boycott.

Saint Gianna Beretta Molla, pray for us

Today is the feast of Saint Gianna Beretta Molla.



Saint Gianna was a medical doctor and mother, who during her last pregnancy at age 39, refused treatment for a cancerous tumor because the treatment would have been fatal to her unborn child. She died one week after the birth of her youngest daughter.

The Prayer of Saint Gianna:
Jesus, I promise You to submit myself to all that You permit to befall me,
make me only know Your will.
My most sweet Jesus, infinitely merciful God, most tender Father of souls,
and in a particular way of the most weak, most miserable, most infirm
which You carry with special tenderness between Your divine arms,
I come to You to ask You, through the love and merits of Your Sacred Heart,
the grace to comprehend and to do always Your holy will,
the grace to confide in You,
the grace to rest securely through time and eternity in Your loving divine arms.

I encourage you to visit the website in her honor and learn more about this extraordinary modern mother.

More Prayers Needed for Father T

I wish I had good news to report in the case of a good family friend, concelebrant at my wedding, the first principal under whose leadership I was privileged to teach, and most of all a wonderful priest. (Actually, to be technically correct, it's "Monsignor T" but he'll always be "Father T" to me. I knew him far too long under that name.)

But, (expletive deleted because this is a family-friendly blog) that is not the case.

Tonight my uncle emailed me that Father T has learned that the cancer has returned, and he cannot handle the rigors of more chemo. Instead, he is contacting hospice. The only good news is that Father T is in no pain. He's had enough of that over the course of this long illness.

So I come to you to ask again for prayers for Father T.

But what do I ask? I don't want to pray for a peaceful death for him. I don't want him to have to have a death--not now, anyway. Father T is not someone I see often but he was part of some of the Big Stuff in my life and I don't like the idea of having to let him go, even if it is to a better place.

And what do I say, to those who are closer to Father T than I ever was?

I guess that all I have at this time is the Irish Blessing:
May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
And the rain fall soft upon your field
And until we meet again
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

SO much better than Cliffs Notes

Why didn't they have this when I was in graduate school? And to think I spent an entire semester learning Anglo-Saxon so I could spend another entire semester translating Beowulf.

Hat tip to Julie D. for this great link!

Music to My Ears

I'm sitting here trying to get through the hugely gigantic piles of papers, books, flyers, coupons, receipts and who-knows-what-else on my desk. Of course, most of it is trash but I must inspect it 43 times first and move it 37 times until it finally comes to rest in the recycle bag.

And the background music is not the television. It's not a video game. It's not the radio. It's Little Brother, singing a little Stream of Consciousness Song while he rummages in the Lego bin. Two kinds of imagination at work at once! It's amazing how four-year-olds can multitask like that.

I could listen to that sound all day.

Pray for the Preemies

Some babies are just in way too big a hurry to get here! Amy has requested prayers for her twin nieces who are only 30 weeks in the womb but want to be born now. Please remember in a special way today these two little girls, that they are born healthy and safe; their parents and other family members, that they may have the comfort of the Lord during this scary time; the medical personnel who will care for these tiny blessings; and all other preemies and their families.

The Need is Great

This weekend at church the Serra Club took a few minutes after Communion to speak about prayers for vocations. They asked parishioners to pledge to attend a Mass once a month, pray a Rosary once a month, or pray daily for vocations.

Please join me in offering the Serra Prayer for Vocations:

O God, Who wills not the death of a sinner
But rather that he be converted and live
Grant, we beseech You,
Through the intercession of the Blessed Mary, ever virgin,
Saint Joseph, her spouse,
Blessed Junipero Serra and all the saints,
An increase in laborers for Your Church,
Fellow laborers with Christ to spend and consume themselves for souls
Through the same Christ Jesus, Your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God forever and ever. Amen.

In his analysis of God or the Girl, Moneybags observes that without priests, there is no Eucharist. Sister Eva-Maria had the same thoughts during the Triduum. Our pastor said the same on Sunday as he thanked the Serrans for their important prayer ministry. I am encouraged by the fact that each Sunday during the Prayers of the Faithful at our church, an intention is offered for those considering the priesthood or consecrated life.

Let us pray, and encourage, those who are considering priesthood or consecrated life, those who are in formation, and also those priests and religious who are already ministering in the Church.

The Kids Continue to Surprise Me

I guess Big Brother isn't the only one of my children who has been listening to the homily in church these days.

Our pastor always ends his homily with these words: My dear brothers and sisters, while we have time, let us do good.

Yesterday Middle Sister brought home an art piece she had done at school. It was a paper plate with a colorful design all over it. In the center of the plate, worked into the design, were the words "Why'll we have time let us do GOOD!"

It's a good motto for anyone to follow. I'm glad she has heard it, not just with her ears, but with her heart.

You Never Know What Kids Will Pick Up On

My children have never, EVER commented on a homily before, unless it is to remark (complain?) at the length of it.

Yesterday on the way home from church, Big Brother observed, "Father really dissed the Apostles in his homily today!" He was clearly impressed that this could be done. And I think it was good for him to notice and hear this message: those Apostles, even though they had been blessed with Jesus' constant presence for three years, still managed to mess up! They fell asleep, denied Him, abandoned Him during the crucifixion, and locked themselves in someone's second floor room, only to disbelieve the first few people (Mary Magdalene and the other women) who saw Jesus resurrected. And Jesus let them have it. But then he still let them lead His Church.

Anyone who says motherhood doesn't steal your brain cells...

...has not spent much time in the company of a preschooler. Their logic can boggle the mind. Older children are often no better, but they do have moments when they can think clearly.

This morning I headed off to Target. My mission: to take advantage of the 90% Off Easter Candy sale that was going on. 16 cents for a bag of Whoppers! How could I miss! $3 later I had a big bag of candy--enough chocolate and sugar to keep me and the kids hyper for quite some time.

While I was there I wanted to pick up some sandals for Little Brother. I gave him the new shoes after he got home from school, and he was thrilled to try them on. Naturally he wanted to go outside and run around in them.

I was making lunch so I told him he could go but he needed to stay In Our Yard. He ran out the door happily and was back way before I expected him.

Me: "Why did you come in? Do your new shoes hurt?"
LB: "They don't hurt. I like them. They're good."
Me: "If they don't hurt, why are you taking them off?"
LB: "Because there are too many bees outside!"

Start by doing what's necessary...

Over on my sidebar I have a quote from St. Francis of Assisi: "Start by doing what's necessary, then do the possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible."

In a small way, I got a taste of what this means today.

START BY DOING WHAT'S NECESSARY...
I have been a part of a folk choir in our parish since March, so I'm new to this group but I've been doing music ministry for 25 years. I'm still settling in with the group and it's been going pretty well. The group leader's husband is battling cancer right now, and when I called her today to find out what the musical selections included, someone else answered the phone and informed me that she had taken her husband to the hospital with a fever.

I had an hour and a half before Mass started, and I informed my husband that I had to be ready to take care of music at this Mass. There was no way that I was going to leave the church with no music if I could do anything about it, particularly during Easter time when it's everybody's job to "make a joyful noise unto the Lord."

So I read the readings, and planned some music that I hoped others in the group, if they showed up, would know. And as I started the car for church, I asked the Holy Spirit to give me a little extra help today.

...THEN DO WHAT'S POSSIBLE...
When I got to church one of the deacons told me what I already knew--that Dave had gone to the hospital and his wife would not be there to lead the music. I told him that I had it covered and he needn't worry. The pastor was happy to hear that, when he came in, and I gave him a list of the music I had chosen. Then I got the music stand and the microphone and everything else arranged and ready. Two more adults and two girls who sing in the choir, including Middle Sister, were also ready to sing.

I announced the opening hymn but the microphone had mysteriously stopped working. I just kept singing. Father anounced the number again and we all went on with things. Before the Gloria I checked the mike connections and hoped for the best.

...AND SUDDENLY YOU ARE DOING THE IMPOSSIBLE.
I sang with everything I had and more, hoping that it would be heard in the back of the church, and not knowing if the mike worked or not. I had to cantor the Psalm and accompany myself; again, I was singing with more power than I have ever had before. I do not have a solo quality voice and I do not have the ability to project my voice, "unplugged," through that large a space. But I could tell it was getting there. I could hear it. My voice was doing something that I know it cannot do, on its own. And I was so thankful for that gift, to be able to do what I knew was necessary but thought might be impossible, so there could be the proper music for the day.

We raised the roof on the Psalm (The Easter Verses from Celtic Alleluia) and the Lord's Prayer--mike or no mike.

I know it worked out when Father announced that the reason much of the choir was missing was that Dave was in the hospital, and he thanked me for handling the music today, even with a broken mike, observing that "Barbara has several children, so she's used to raising her voice."

On the Divine Mercy

All over the Catholic blogworld you can find the novena to the Divine Mercy this week. This was the first time I have ever participated in it in person, as our church prayed the novena before Holy Thursday Mass and the Good Friday service as well as before the Easter Vigil. Amy and K have been posting the Novena daily.

Father J.C. Maximilian has a good explanation of what's behind the Divine Mercy prayers and the image, in case you are as new to it as I am. I appreciated the background information and the relation to Eucharistic Adoration.

Big Brother learned early in his school career that this prayer "has never been known to fail." He had a wise teacher.

I hope, during this Easter season, to pray this chaplet more often and to learn more about the devotion.

Staying up late for trivia quizzes....

...some things never change.


I beat the monkey by 18 points.
Monkey Challenge Trivia Quiz

And going along with the "Always go with your first guess" school of thought, I would have had a better score had I not changed a few answers. Dagnabbit!

Via the Rambling GOP Soccer Mom.

Contributing to the World

While I had my lunch today I was reading a "motivational" article in Family Circle magazine (print edition) entitled "I changed my life." It had good stories about women who made the effort to change their lives--finishing their education, losing weight, having a child, leaving the workforce to care for young children.

I had a few issues with the lionizing of the single woman who, in her 40s, underwent fertility treatment including AI and IVF...but I really don't need to go down that road right now. Let's just say that I agree with all the reasons the Church teaches that these are wrong, and that I believe that children are ideally born into a married relationship. Enough said.

But the story that really got me was the one about the "working" mom who gave up her job to stay home with the kids. You'd think I'd be all for it--and of course, I am! But there was that undertone through the whole article, that this woman would somehow be less of a person if she did not have a paying job. Imagine! Her skills would all rot! Her education would be useless! So she got a part-time job selling books at home parties, and even timed the birth of her second child to happen during her "slow season." How convenient.

I think this really touched a nerve with me because when I was pregnant with Big Brother, a very good friend of mine told me flat out that if I stayed home to raise my child, my education would be wasted. Now, granted I haven't had the need or opportunity to share my knowledge of Anglo-Saxon poetry, Beowulf, Shakespeare, or Nathaniel Hawthorne with my children--yet. That's not to say I won't. And my background in education has helped me understand the stages my kids go through at different times in their lives, and to help other parents who have questions about schooling their kids. In college and graduate school I learned valuable time-management, study and research skills which, though they aren't something I was directly tested or graded on, impacted my education greatly and are something I can pass along to my children at the appropriate times in their own educations.

The final line in the article really toasted my marshmallows: "I feel like I'm contributing something to the world...without having to miss my kids' childhoods." This is all wrong. Her kids are her contribution to the world. The way she raises them, teaches them, helps them grow has a ripple effect far beyond them.

A Candle Rescue

Kelly Clark describes some "technical difficulties" experienced in the lighting of the Easter Candle during a daily Mass. She had a bigger point to make, and it's worth the jump over there to check it out, but it put me in mind of a "technical difficulties" story of my own.

Big Brother was privileged to be an Altar Server two years ago at Middle Sister's First Holy Communion. He has never been tall for his age, and that presented a big problem when he stood, snuffer in hand, to light the Paschal candle. There was just No Way he could reach it. Naturally the church was full of people, and before long everyone was whispering about his predicament.

He's a resourceful guy, so when he couldn't reach it from the floor he climbed the pulpit steps and leaned across. Close--but not quite there. More whispers and murmurs from the crowd. I wanted to rescue my kid so badly but I'm not tall either, and that candle was huge.

Finally from out of the crowd came someone we haven't seen in two years--a dad whose son used to be a Cub Scout with Big Brother, and whose daughter used to be in Middle Sister's class. She was making her First Communion that day too! This very tall dad, not a stranger to us, stepped up to the altar, whispered a reassuring word to Big Brother, took the snuffer and lit the candle.

I am quite sure that if a total stranger had rescued Big Brother, he would have wanted to sink right through a hole in the floor. It was a great relief that there was a person we knew sitting in the congregation, willing to step in and help out a kid who was trying very hard to hide his dismay at not being able to reach the candle. And surely it was not an accident that it worked out this way.

Be Not Afraid

I never thought of myself as the "fearful" type. I am a worrier, to be sure. I fret, and stew, and use a lot of time, effort and energy on the "what ifs." And I'll freely admit to being afraid of heights, bridges, tunnels, and certain insects, big ones with mandibles of death, as "Calvin and Hobbes" would say. Surely I'm not alone there.

Then the Holy Fool published this piece on fear. He reminded me that
We fear for what we will lose.
And that fear deprives us of joy. It pillages us of peace. It shatters our confidence in life. It erodes our trust in God--our very Faith.

That was a revelation to me: fear is actually a lack of faith. And I'm not talking about bugs here--but all those "what ifs" that I worry over.

Part of the miracle of Easter is that Jesus showed us that we need not fear so much. How many times in Scripture do we see the words, "Be not afraid"--even when those times seem to be times when fear is a natural response? Even Easter, a joyful event, must have inspired fear in the disciples and others. Yet at Easter Christ won the victory for us! As the Psalmist wrote, "Cast your cares upon the Lord, and He will sustain you" (Ps. 55:22)

Sometimes it's easier to hang onto the fears, even though they are uncomfortable, because they are familiar, than to let go and let the Lord take over. But that is exactly what we are called to do.

Lord, I believe; help my unbelief! (Mark 9:24)

Fashion Emergency!

Middle Sister is wearing a very cute pink and blue shorts outfit, accessorized by one of my grandmother's old necklaces she was given as a dress-up item several years ago. It's brown.

Me: "Interesting choice of necklace with that outfit."
MS: "Thanks! I think I'm going to wear it to church."
Me: "With what?"
MS: "I don't know....it's been getting pretty hot in church. What should I wear?"
Me: "You have 2 spring dresses. You could wear either one of those." (And neither of them goes with the necklace in question....)
MS: "I'd be roasting in those!"
Me: "You'll be fine."
MS: "I could wear some capris."
Me: "Capris are not for church. Capris are for picnics."
MS: "But we never go on picnics!"
Me: "You and your cousins were served picnic food for dinner last night. You could have had a picnic! Where did you eat?"
MS: "In the dining room...."
Me: "It was so nice out. Why didn't you eat outside?"
MS: "Because I have no capris!"

If you happen to know the name of the Patron Saint of Parents of Preteen Drama Queens, I'd love to hear from you. I'm going to find out, and step up my devotions. I think I'll need all the help I can get here.

Meme Times 4

I was tagged by Michelle at Rosetta Stone, who was up impressively early this morning just to do this meme. I've done this one before so I'll try to think up some new answers. Except for the movies. That one will have to stand.

Four places I have worked in my life:

1. Girl Scout Camp, as business manager
2. Library, as a page
3. Bakery, as a sales clerk (YUM)
4. School, as a Spanish teacher

Four movies I could watch over and over:

1. Blues Brothers
2. Sound of Music
3. Sister Act
4. Wizard of Oz

Four places I've lived:

1. New Jersey (Haskell, Haledon, Carteret, Willingboro, Delran)
2. Pennsylvania (Scranton)
3. Indiana (South Bend)
4. New York (for one summer, in Carmel, in a tent at a Girl Scout camp)

Four TV shows I love to watch:

Michelle responded: TV? I'm happy I could come up with 4 movies I'd watch more than once.
I'll stick with her answer. I watch almost no television and that's pretty fine by me.

Four Places I've been on vacation:

1. The Jersey Shore
2. Lancaster, PA
3. New England
4. cross-country drive as far west as Salt Lake City

Four websites I visit daily:

1. anything on my Blogroll marked "updated"
2. Family Corner
3. my local library
4. Prolife Search

Four of my favorite foods (not necessarily in the same meal):

1. Spaghetti
2. Potato Salad
3. Mashed rutabagas
4. Chocolate

Four places I would rather be right now:

1. dining al fresco (I think I'll heat up a slice of leftover pizza, pour myself a Pepsi, and take myself, my lunch and my newspaper to the back porch and MAKE IT HAPPEN!)
2. the library
3. shopping, with a full debit card
4. either one of my grandmothers' kitchen tables, having lunch and a nice chat (all those lilacs blooming right outside the window have me missing my grandmothers right now!)

I already tagged people last time, so I will refrain from tags this time. If you want to do this one, leave me a comment and I'll read yours!

You Know You've Been Browsing Too Many Cookbooks...

...when you are in the grocery store and see a good deal on bone-in chicken breasts (which you normally don't buy), so you buy them because you remember that just last week you saw a Very Appetizing Recipe that called for bone-in chicken breasts, but now that you have the proper ingredient for this recipe, you can't find the recipe or remember which cookbook you saw it in.

Book Review Times Two

I've managed to finish reading two fiction books in the past week.

The first, and my favorite of the two, is
Skyward

by Mary Alice Monroe.

This is not a "heavy" book but was an enjoyable read. It's the story of a former ER nurse who, seeking change, accepts a job as a caregiver for a young diabetic child. She has to confront many of her own demons as part of this job, as does the child's father, who runs a wild-bird clinic and is fairly oblivious to human relationships, including the one he has with his own daughter. Predictably, a romance develops; just as predictably, there are complications with that. You can see it all coming. The most original thing here was the backdrop of the bird sanctuary. Learning about the birds was fascinating to me. The story was not compelling but it was pretty good. I'd call it a "beach read" if you're looking for one this summer.


Miracle at St. Anna by James McBride was a tougher go for me. Perhaps it was the material: it centered on some absolutely horrific events of World War II Italy. In that sense there was a good deal that reminded me of
Painted Bird

by Jerzy Kosinski. The location was different, but a story centered on the terrible things an abandoned child must experience during a war nonetheless. I unsuccessfully tried to find on a map where this story must have happened, as the author explains in the preface that this novel was based on real events. I would recommend this book to a friend but I would also give this caveat: this book is not for the "weak of stomach" or anyone expecting the true "happy ending."