Coucoumellisms

Since the beginning of the coronavirus shutdown, eating was never banned, only eating out in restaurants. Talking and writing were never banned, only restricted to the bare essentials in public places. Praying was never banned, only praying in groups in public places. Listening to music was never banned, only going to public concerts. Drinking alcohol was never banned, only drinking at public bars. And get this: masses were never banned, only public masses.  As Catholics, we believe that the Holy Mass is the most important prayer. Jesus's sacrifice on the cross is what saved the world and Holy Mass is the continuation of that sacrifice. The continuation, not the repetition, as protestants think, (there is a difference) of that sacrifice. On the night that he instituted the sacrament of the Eucharist, Jesus said: "Do this in memory of me." That's a direct order, and it's in the Bible. God made himself man and came to earth to save us from sin, but He doesn't ju...

At Gabriel's last catechism class, the kids went around to each parent and asked this question:  "Where is Jesus?" I thought about giving the obvious, (yet, perversely overlooked) answer which I think I gave when it was Maryssa's turn, previously; "In the Eucharist."  I decided against it. Jesus can be found in many obvious places, such as prayer, meditation, or nature.  Most of the other parents mentioned these.  I thought about mentioning "in other people, when you really need them most." But I ended up going with prayer as well; "in the stillness of an empty chapel", meaning, in front of the tabernacle, in front of the host, the blessed sacrament, in the silence, alone, in the semi-dark. (I was thinking of this moment .) Thinking about it later, I realized that where I see Jesus the most recently, is with a friend of mine.  I literally see his presence there.  Her husband left her, and their 7 children.  Without going into ...

I was going through my Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church e-mails just now, and I thought I would share a couple of little bits about prayer.  Sometimes, it's good to be reminded of things we already know. Why is prayer sometimes a struggle? The spiritual masters of all times have described growth in faith and in love for God as a spiritual, life-and-death combat. The battlefield is man's interior life. The Christian's weapon is prayer. We can allow ourselves be defeated by our selfishness and lose ourselves over worthless things or we can win God. Often someone who wants to pray must first conquer his lack of will power. Even the Desert Fathers were acquainted with spiritual sluggishness ("acedia"). Reluctance to seek God is a big problem in the spiritual life. The spirit of the times sees no point in praying, and our full calendars leave no room for it. Then there is the battle against the tempter, who will try anything to keep a perso...

I was listening to Father Barron's Catholicism Series last night, and he mentioned something that stuck with me.  He said something about the difference between Christians (and people from certain other religions) and the secular world, is often the difference between knowing we are sinners and not knowing it. Someone who knows he is a sinner and knows he needs to ask forgiveness no matter how hard it is, will be quite different and react quite differently from someone who would rather ignore the fact that they are a sinner. As a parent, it is easy for me to get mad at my kids and blame them when things don't go as planned, even if it isn't entirely their fault.  It's not easy to let go of pride and say I'm sorry.  I think it's even harder when you don't even believe in sin or God, or that we are all sinners who need forgiveness. I have seen two dear friends go through their spouse cheating on them in recent years, and I have a theory:  face...

Prayer is not an "I ask, you give" thing. God is not Santa Claus.  If you pray once a year, and only if you need something, don't expect to get it.  You probably won't.  Unless of course, God sees that you would really get some good from it.  You may eventually get it, you may not. God may have something better in store.  He may also be waiting for you to grow up. People who pray all the time, who trust God to give what is needed and open other doors if one is closed, and not just when they need something, often receive answers to their prayers.  This does not mean that nothing bad ever happens to them, it means God works around the bad. Prayer is not a monologue. It is a dialogue.  Prayer, at first, feels like a monologue.  That's because you have to learn the language of the soul.  The soul communicates without sound or sight.  You won't hear the answers to your prayers with your ears.  You will feel them.  You will ...

So, my husband went to go play volleyball and took the three youngest hobbits with him yesterday evening, and I went and drank 1/2 a glass of Chartreuse, and proceeded to sing loudly along to drunken Irish, American and Canadian songs on YouTube   Then I finished the bottle, managed to get myself plastered, and started a conversation with a friend in which he found me very funny and through which I giggled and snorted at myself (it was not pretty) the whole way through because I could not spell anymore and I had suddenly become dyslexic.  I temporarily could not find my Hotmail, which I found extremely funny (even though it is right there on the bookmarks bar at the top of my screen). I sent my friend my book that I just finished, and amazingly, this morning I still do not quite regret having done so, although perhaps I may yet.  Oh those nasty monks...  (wink, wink)  (Oh my aching head) When my husband came home, I went to bed whereup...

I had a dream when I was young. I saw myself living a life, not quite so different from what it is on the outside, yet very different from what it is on the inside.  I had hopes and dreams for an inner, spiritual life.  I had a dream my life would be so different, not, as Fantine, from this hell I'm living, but from this desert I'm living. I could be bitter, but there are too many bitter and hurting people on this planet.  They didn't start out bitter.  I didn't start out bitter.  Too many people think God has given up on them, or don't believe in God anymore because what did He ever do for them? I think back to before I had any real regrets.  Who was I then?  What changed?  Why did it change? Things changed when I made a decision to do things my way. God did not abandon me.  I went my way.  I didn't leave him completely.  I just decided to do this one thing my way.  I made a wrong decision, and I suppose you coul...

Here's an interesting thought: CARRY YOUR ROSARY EVERY DAY When you carry a Rosary, Satan has a headache. When you use it, he collapses. When he sees you praying it, he faints. Let us pray the rosary every time, so that he'll keep fainting. Imagine what might happen if every Catholic in the world would pray a Rosary on the same day! We have an example in October of 1573, when Europe was saved from the invasion of the mighty Turkish fleet, by the praying of the Rosary by all Christians! Let's unite in praying one of the most powerful prayers in existence, for these intentions, on one of the holiest seasons in our Church year. God bless us all! Wikipedia has this to say about October 1573 : The Battle of Lepanto took place on 7 October 1571 when a fleet of the Holy League, a coalition of Catholic maritime states, decisively defeated the main fleet of the Ottoman Empire. The five-hour battle was fought at the northern edge of the Gulf of Patras, off weste...

Got this in an e-mail from my aunt: Please pray for this urgent situation. This very intense surgery will take place Monday, April 11th and both Mom and Baby are at serious risk. My daughter Claire just called me about a Filipino Catholic woman Claire cared for today at Saint Vincent's Hospital. The woman's name is Lenny. Her husband converted to Catholicism in the last year. Lenny had a baby less than a year ago by C-section and became pregnant again right away. The pregnancy was not healthy. The placenta grew abnormally outside of the womb through the C-section incision. It is growing into her other vital organs,her bladder, bowel and other places so that all the organ's blood vessels are tangled up with the placenta. Doctors told her she had to have an abortion or she would die. She refused. They did an MRI at 22 weeks and cared for her as best they could. Now she is bleeding. They will do another MRI on Friday and operate to do some surgery Monday to try and save...

I have declared war. Now all I need is an army.  And the arsenal.  If you are the praying type, please leave me a message and I will let you know what we are going to war on. I'm going to need: Scapulars Holy water Blessed oil and salt (where the heck do I get those?) Novenas lots and lots of prayer We've got some pretty powerful "heros" on our side: St. Therese (of Lisieux), Patron saint of missions Sts. Rita and Monica , patrons of impossible cases and difficult marriages/disappointing children respectively St. John the Baptist , Patron Saint of converts and French -Canadians (among many other things) St. Afra , Patron Saint of converts Elizabeth Leseur St. Mary Magdalen , Patron of converts and many others...

To you I fly for aid and for instructions, St. Monica, wondrous exemplar of unswerving prayer for children. Into your loving arms I place my ( child ) children _______, that through your powerful intercession they may obtain the graces for genuine conversion to Christ Our Lord. To you I also humbly appeal, matron of matrons, to ask our Lord to grant me the same spirit of ceaseless prayer He granted to you. All this I ask through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen. O God, Who observed the devout tears and pleading of St. Monica and granted to her prayers the conversion of her husband and the penitential return of her son, Augustine, grant us the grace to implore Thee also with earnest zeal, so that we may obtain, as she did, the salvation of our own soul and the souls of those belonging to us. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.