Celebrating the "Year of the Priest" in our Home

These past couple weeks I have been pondering the significance of the Holy Father's decision to make this the "Year of the Priest." What a beautiful gift to all of us! The graces that will come from praying for vocations, both those that are budding and those that are present, will be many.

Why did the Holy Father choose this theme for the year? In an article on www.zenit.org, vatican spokesman Father Lombardi said that the declaration of the Year of the Priest responds to various struggles of recent times. The article quotes him:

"The general climate of secularization in vast regions of the world, a lessened appreciation for the role of the priest in society, the deep wounds inflicted on the public image of priests due to unworthy behavior by some of them, and even the worthy valuing of the lay vocation in the Church.' Faced with these difficulties, the spokesman continued, "the Pope does not respond with socio-religious considerations, but by promoting a commitment to interior renewal on the part of all priests, so that their Gospel testimony in the world of today is more intense and weighty."(http://zenit.org/article-26254?l=english)

With the scandals that have tainted the world's view of the priesthood, in addition to the other struggles listed above, this year is a chance to promote the importance of praying for our priests- how they NEED our prayers to help them in their vocations! I am convinced that the devil, in an effort to conquer souls marked for Christ, seeks to attack the heart of each priest. This year we will strengthen the armies behind our priests, shielding them with the armor of our prayers.

John Vianney liked to say: "If we had faith, we would see God hidden in the priest like a light behind glass, like wine mixed with water." Recognizing the unique and beautiful vocation of the priesthood, how important it is to speak positively of each of them. Individually, they face a difficult spiritual battle every day, and they need our positive prayers, not criticisms. This is especially true of our pastors and parish priests. How easy it is to fall into the trap of discussing amongst ourselves which priest we "like," which one is "good" or which one makes decisions for the parish that we agree with. Shouldn't we instead be saying of each, "What a difficult time he must have making those decisions," "How can I better serve him in the parish," or "What can I do so that he feels my love and support today?"

I am blessed to have a brother who is pursuing a vocation to the priesthood. He is in his 6th year of seminarian studies with the Legionaries of Christ and is currently in Rome. Often times, when praying for my family members, I am ashamed to say that I am tempted to pray less for him thinking that he's set (that I don't have to worry about him- he's going to be a priest- he's got God). What a dangerous thread I walk there! In truth, he is the one that needs my prayers the most. He is fighting a spiritual battle that I have no true taste of, as he dedicates every hour of every day to intense studies, deep prayer, and the living of true Christian Charity in his community. Sounds like the devils favorite kind of "meat" if you ask me.

Pondering all of these things, I am devising ideas of how we can celebrate the Year of the Priest in our own home. My favorite idea so far is to take advantage of the plenary indulgence opportunity on the 1st Thursday of each month (see the text below with the guidelines for obtaining a plenary indulgence this year). Following confession of course, we would attend Mass on that day and then afterward with my children (and any friends who want to participate) we can make cards for a priest, maybe learn about the saint for whom that priest is named, offer prayers for him, and send him our artwork. This would be a simple, tangible way for my children to grasp the importance of praying for AND supporting our priests. Plus, I can obtain a plenary indulgence in the meantime- everybody wins:)


Here is the text of the Holy Father's audience at the start of the Year of the Priest on June 19:
http://zenit.org/article-26278?l=english
Here is the text of the Holy Father's audience just after the inauguration of the Year of the Priest on June 19.
http://zenit.org/article-26274?l=english;
And here is the text relevant to the lay faithful on receiving a plenary indulgence this year of the Priest:

VATICAN CITY, MAY 12, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The Vatican is offering a plenary indulgence for all faithful on the occasion of the Year for Priests, which is set to begin June 19 and last one year.

For the faithful, a plenary indulgence can be obtained on the opening and closing days of the Year for Priests, on the 150th anniversary of the death of St. Jean-Marie Vianney, on the first Thursday of the month, or on any other day established by the ordinaries of particular places for the good of the faithful.

To obtain the indulgence the faithful must attend Mass in an oratory or Church and offer prayers to "Jesus Christ, supreme and eternal Priest, for the priests of the Church, or perform any good work to sanctify and mould them to his heart."

The conditions for the faithful for earning a plenary indulgence are to have gone to confession and prayed for the intentions of the Pope.

The elderly, the sick, and all those who for any legitimate reason are unable to leave their homes may obtain the plenary indulgence if, with the intention of observing the usual three conditions as soon as they can, "on the days concerned, they pray for the sanctification of priests and offer their sickness and suffering to God through Mary, Queen of the Apostles."

A partial indulgence is offered to the faithful when they repeat five times the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be, or any other duly approved prayer "in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to ask that priests maintain purity and sanctity of life."

© Innovative Media, Inc.

Reprinting ZENIT's articles requires written permission from the editor.

Come out, Come out, wherever you are!

Today I think God is hiding in the piles of laundry. So much to do, so little time to do it. Wish I could just get 30 minutes of quiet time for prayer, and maybe I will during nap time, but as of right now its not looking promising. And then there's the piles of laundry looming over me like big mountains that are about to come crashing in. Yes, it is that bad.

Sometimes I wonder how I could possibly find God in my chores. I'm reminded of Christ the worker. He lived at home with his parents until he was 30 years old! That's a long time to live at home. I think he did that just for us stay at home moms, because by doing so he sanctified the normal responsibilities and duties of home life. Ora et Labore: Work and pray. So much easier said than done if you ask me.

So today I don't have much to say except that I am reminded that the Lord gave me my vocation to Motherhood, and so I am meant to find Him in the normal and mundane (and I mean MUNDANE) responsibilities of my home.

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta (one of my personal favorites) said, "Whatever you do in your family, for your children, for your husband, for your wife, you do for Jesus."

I once heard a woman say that for every article of clothing that she folded she prayed for the family member to whom that clothing belonged. I think I'll try that today- it would certainly bring more meaning to the laundry which haunts me and which I normally look for every excuse to avoid!

Book to check out on the side-bar: "Grace Cafe."- a beautiful book of "recipes" for faithful mothering.

The Hidden Power of Kindness

Do you believe in it? I do...mostly because I believe in the ultimate, fulfilling, complete and unconditional love of God. But also because I have seen its power firsthand. God, in His infinite mercy and love, takes our humble efforts of self-sacrificial love and turns it into glory. The greatest charity is performed not to those who are "easy" to love, but to those that are hardest, or even those that are strangers ("When you saw me hungry and fed me, when you saw me naked and clothed me..."Matthew 25:34-40), and then there is "no greater love than to lay down your life for a friend" (John 15:13). Who is your friend? The Samaritan, the stranger (Luke 10:25).

I know a woman who has struggled for years with road rage. I don't blame her! There is hardly much worse than to be dangerously cut off by some speedster on the road. But as she grew in the experience of Christ's love for her, she decided that instead of giving in to her angry passion by cursing, flicking the person off, or yelling at him (none of which are productive), she turned her energies to the positive. When she would be cut off she would give the person every benefit of the doubt. She would say to herself, "Oh my goodness, that man is in a hurry, his wife is probably dying in the hospital and he's rushing to be by her side! Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with thee..." and she would pray for him. She forgot herself and turned it into use for the Good of the person who offended her! If you believe in the Love of God, then you know that no good act goes unfruitful. When she did that, something good happened somewhere as a result. I believe it. Maybe, just maybe, that prayer helped that man in some small way. Maybe it saved his life. Maybe it went to use to help that man convert back to the faith. She didn't know and it didn't matter- what mattered is she made an act of love, something that cost her (for it was not easy, she was angry!), for someone she did not know.

This past weekend I was faced with the opportunity to lay aside my own interests for the better of a stranger. I had just received some news that made my blood boil and my stress level rise. The specifics are not important. I turned my attention to praying for my intention, something that is not by any means bad to do, but I was immersed in my own problems and self-pity. On the way to a family event, I asked my husband if we could stop by the Adoration chapel at church. I needed some time in front of Christ to get my thoughts centered. I brought with me a novena that I was going to say for the intention of that thing that was causing me so much worry.

In the chapel, I laid all my fears and concerns at the foot of the cross, and begged the Lord to help me. While I was praying, a woman who had been praying in the chapel quietly walked to the front, knelt down, and embraced the tabernacle. She tried to hide it, but she was crying, and shaking. Then she got up, turned, and quietly walked out of the chapel. My heart was moved for her, so I got up and followed her out. She was standing outside the chapel at a crucifix, touching it and crying. I approached her and whispered, "I am praying for you. Don't worry. I am praying for you." She began to cry even harder. In addition to her emotional suffering, it became obvious she was in immense physical pain.

It turns out she had been suffering a severe illness for some time, she was in deadly pain, it hurt her eyes to see, her head to move. But that wasn't all. In spite of her suffering, her husband was leaving her and she feared that her children would be taken away from her because she is in so much pain it is hard to care for them. What could I say? I offered her my prayers. She looked me in the eyes, and it was then that I saw Christ: "I was sick and you visited me." My heart was moved.

I returned to the chapel, knelt down, and said a quick prayer for her. A heartfelt prayer, but a quick prayer (see how slow I get the point). Then I picked up my novena to say for my own seemingly horrible intentions. But when I got to the part of the novena that asked me to state my intention, I suddenly felt that my problems were nothing compared to this woman, and that while I felt that my issue was very important and needed prayers, I decided to offer the novena for this stranger instead of for my own personal situation. Specifically, I am praying for her physical and emotional healing.

It was my impression that this woman's resources were tapped. She had no where to turn, and was begging Christ for help. Well, my small and humble efforts to offer my novena for her may just help her a bit...and I hope that it means even more because I "died to myself" (I forgot my own passions and desires) for the sake of helping this soul. And maybe, just maybe, Christ's answer to my prayer for help was to turn my attention away from myself and towards another who needed Christ more.

Now I don't know what will come of her, or if she'll be healed or not. But every day I strive to give my whole heart into the novena for her. She is counting on my prayers, and needs them desperately. And let me tell you its not easy. I am still tempted to offer an extra novena for my personal intention, but then I'm reminded that if I give myself totally for the good of another, if I die to myself, then the Lord will take care of me.

Its a big journey in growth for me. But one I know I must make. And I know that what enabled me to do this is that I believe in the hidden power of kindness. We can transform the world one little act of kindness at a time!

These thoughts lead my heart to resolve to see Christ in each person I encounter today and to search for one hidden act of kindness for each. Oh, that's a lofty resolution- but I feel up to the challenge today. I'll let you know how it turns out.

For your leisure, I recommend the book "The Hidden Power of Kindness."

My life is a musical

I may be stating the obvious for those that know me, or have read my introduction above, but what none of you may realize is just how much of a musical my life really is. Being a former ballet dancer from a performing arts family may have something to do with it, I don't know.

Our life here on earth is a constant spiritual battle, and I try to be careful never to allow myself to get too comfortable, but to instead see my spiritual challenges or daily stresses as opportunities to cultivate virtue. Sounds easier than it is. Sometimes I just need to get pumped up. Anybody who grew up in the 80s is familiar with the song "Hit me with your best shot." Well, it is on my ipod, and when it just happens to come on while I'm out for an evening run it pumps me up. I imagine myself challenging satan with the threat, "come on, hit me with your best shot, I can take it, I have the Lord on my side and you can never win!"

For many of you this may sound childish or corny, but what you have to understand is that when I feel I've exhausted my prayer reserves, sometimes I just need a little humor to make my resolution to persevere more concrete. You should try it, you might be surprised at how effective it can be!

There are times in each day that I feel temptation grabbing at me. The temptation to give into my passions one way or another, whether it be to ignore the child who needs me just because its not a convenient time for me, or to ignore the piles of laundry just because I'm not in the mood, or to ignore an inspiration of the Holy Spirit to reach out to someone in need simply because "I don't have the time."

The reality is that every day is a spiritual battle. But bit by bit, Christ helps me to conquer my pride and vanity and through the experience of his love I am motivated to move forward.

Sometimes I encounter someone who is carrying a HUGE cross on their shoulders: an illness, the loss of a family member, strains in their marriage, a job lay-off, etc. And sometimes all they need is the experience of Christ to pull them through it. They need to experience Christ's love. And if I can somehow be that experience to them, if somehow they can feel Christ's personal love for them through me, than I have succeeded.

The important thing to remember is sometimes a person's cross may be invisible. They may be carrying a spiritual cross. The truth remains, Christ heals the deepest wounds. A smile, an act of love, a generous gesture, a loving sacrifice, a positive encouragement- these are all ways in which I have experienced Christ's love through others around me.

This week my spiritual battle has been with my children. How can I bring Christ to them in these moments of trial, when I fear we might rip each others eyes out? Okay, maybe its not that bad, but my times with my 3 year old and 1 year old can feel like that. Face it, we're a normal family! This afternoon, I leave with these thoughts: If I can be Christ to others outside my home, but not to my own husband and children, then I am a hypocrite. This afternoon I will search for 1 way to lovingly meet a need in each of family members that is costly to me (afterall, what good is giving anything if it costs me nothing?).