Amazing Catechists

Teaching and learning the faith together

What is Advent, anyway?

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The season of Advent begins this Sunday, December 2nd.  For some of our readers, especially RCIA candidates, the meaning and traditions of this Season may be a brand new experience. For others, you may not fully realize the meaning behind the beautiful things we do at this time of year.  I have provided here a “mini Advent lesson.”  Hopefully, you can find 10 minutes of “quiet time” to review the information and gain the most from this Season.

LESSON ON THE SEASON OF ADVENT

At this time, we are “waiting for the Messiah” and “preparing Him room” in our hearts.

We are to be open to what He wants to change in us in order to for us to become more of who we are intended to be.

This first link is a beautiful, five-minute video short that most effectively ushers in the sentiments and meaning of Advent.

Advent come…we wait

This second link gives you a fairly complete look at the meaning and practices during this season.

http://catholicism.about.com/od/holydaysandholidays/p/Advent.htm

 

Wishing you and your families a very blessed Advent Season!

 

Peggy

 

HOT TOPIC: Same-Sex Attraction (SSA)

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I’d like to introduce this topic by saying that I believe, personally, that there are many possible roads leading to the experience of SSA. For some, it is emotional/physical deprivation or abuse that creates the deep-seated need for same-sex affirmation and affection, but for many young people raised in loving homes, it may be cultural influences bearing down through indoctrination, peer example, and the destruction of intimate friendships by an over-sexualized society. I’m not an expert, so feel free to disagree with me, but this 3-minute video, created by a young woman who has identified a clear path to her SSA, uses “spoken word” (rhythmic, like rap) to powerfully express her legitimate, personal experience. Please share it around.

 

 

The “Truth” About the War on Christmas

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A dear family member sent me the following video and asked, “What do you think?”

https://mic.com/articles/186563/a-jesuit-priest-reveals-the-big-problem-with-the-so-called-war-on-christmas#.dXpO3ld3t

In the video, posted at a progressive, liberal website called Mic, Rev. Kevin O’Brien, dean of the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University, expresses the opinion that Jesus would not care if we wished each other a Merry Christmas, at all. He claims that Jesus would prefer we lived out the message of the Gospel. 

Interesting topic.  Here’s my take:

Father O’Brien conflates our concern for the commercialization of Christmas with what he claims is a generally-accepted rule of thumb: that the greeting, “Merry Christmas,” is considered a litmus test for whether we are authentically Christian. It’s a fallacy, right out of the gate. There are two completely separate issues going on, here.

First, no reasonable person thinks that if we say “Merry Christmas” it proves our Christianity. In recent generations here in the United States, those happy words have been casually and good-naturedly appropriated and used as a seasonal greeting by people across all faith boundaries. This claim that Christians pat themselves on the back for saying it and then sit back, satisfied that they have proved their authenticity, is not credible.

Second, there is something quite concerning about today’s intense cultural pressure to bury the real meaning of this holy season. That’s what this is really all about.

At this point in our history as a nation, corporations now routinely prohibit their sales staffs from saying Merry Christmas to customers. The idea, ostensibly, is to avoid offending people of other faith traditions; yet, the whole reason for the huge upswing in sales for these same companies is this particular Christian tradition, which is sacred to billions of people around the world. The fact that people of other traditions join in the fun is beside the point. If this were a Muslim tradition and wealthy corporate barons tried to erase the real meaning by prohibiting certain words from being said in public, the cries of tyranny would be deafening.

This suppression of two harmless words that have long expressed kind wishes to all–while reaping profits that keep many of these businesses afloat the rest of the year–is “cultural appropriation” at its worst, something progressives claim to despise.

Those who attempt to bully employees out of acknowledging the meaning of the season are not acting in a true spirit of tolerance and acceptance–quite the opposite. They are trying to erase it.

Why? I believe it’s because Christianity has always been a thorn in the side of those in power. Christians historically are willing to suffer rather than succumb to indoctrination, and our society is full of indoctrination on all sorts of issues: social, moral, and political. The school system sees to the indoctrination of the young, joined by the media, higher academia, and other powerful social influencers.

So my response to those who would forbid anyone from saying something as kind and heartfelt as “Merry Christmas” is this: Stop appropriating our traditions, which are sacred, purely for your own profit, and posturing and pretending that to acknowledge what is sacred to Christians is inherently offensive. Even if only a tiny remnant is celebrating Christmas out of love for Jesus, it is still our sacred tradition, a tradition that shines a unifying, healing, and eternal light into the darkness of our fallen world.

Regarding wishing people a Merry Christmas and the possible risk of offending our Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Atheist, or other brothers and sisters, here’s what I do, everywhere I go:

I pay for my items, thank the store employee with a smile, and then ask, “Do you celebrate Christmas?” If they say, “Yes,” I wish them a merry Christmas. If they say (as the girl at the bakery counter said, this morning), “I celebrate Hanukkah,” I say, “Well have a very happy Hanukkah!”

This accomplishes two things (at least): It tells my fellow traveler that I am Christian and take the season seriously, but it also says that I respect the other faith traditions and the sacredness of those celebrations, beliefs, and customs. This moment of human warmth and connection can be that “encounter” that Pope Francis wants for us, in a very small way. Yet, those small encounters can be used by God to sow His holy peace among us, and that is huge.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, devoted to the Little Way of St. Therese of Lisieux, reminded her followers to do “little things with great love.” The little things matter. God can work miracles of grace through every tiny act of love.

Of course our faith is about living the message of the Gospel, not just saying something Christian (as some sort of phony proof of our authenticity). That is just beyond obvious. But the phenomenon of censorship and denial that has been called, in recent years, “the war on Christmas,” is something we should all be concerned about, whatever our beliefs. Nobody’s faith tradition should be stripped of its identity for any reason, least of all politics or profit. So we actually do defend the rights of other faith traditions when we stand up for our own, in a spirit of mutual love and respect.

If Christmas is in your heart, share it kindly.

May God bless you with his holy peace, providing all that you need to fully become the person you are meant to be, whatever your traditions, beliefs, and customs. Amen.

VIDEO: My Visit With Doug Keck on EWTN Bookmark

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My new book for parents, catechists, and Catholic school teachers, helps adults and children learn their faith together!

It was an honor to be interviewed by Doug Keck, on EWTN’s BookMark, on location at the Catholic Marketing Network Tradeshow.

In this episode, Doug featured me and three other members of the Catholic Writers’ Guild, talented Catholic writers with a true heart for the Church: Joe Wetterling, A.J. Cattapan, and Cathy Gilmore.

My interview starts at about the 5 1/2 minute mark, FYI.

Email me directly, if you’d like to gift a bundle of discounted copies of my book to your catechists, faculty, or homeschool network!

Blessings of Advent

Lisa Mladinich

lisa@mladinich.com

EWTN to Broadcast Docu-drama on French Nun Who Discovered Mary’s House

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Dear Readers,

What do the Assumption of Mary, St. John the Evangelist, Muslims, and a small, stone house have in common?

SET YOUR DVRs!!!

Watch “The Journey of Sr. Marie de Mandat-Grancey” on EWTN: Monday, December 11, at 6:30 PM EST, and Tuesday, December 12, 2:30 AM EST!

Sister Marie is the French Vincentian nun who discovered, purchased, and restored Mary’s house at Ephesus and preserved it for veneration.

Pope Paul VI, St. John Paul II, and Pope Benedict XVI all came as pilgrims to venerate the house and said Holy Mass inside the small, stone shrine, which is believed to be the site of Mary’s Assumption into Heaven.

Millions of visitors come to Mary’s house, each year, and more than half are Muslims. Christians and Muslims pray side-by-side, at the house, which is why devotees believe that Sister Marie will be a key to Christian/Muslim reconciliation and conversions.

A wonderful book on her life, the mysterious path to finding the house, and the impact of this incredible discovery can be purchased, here.

Sister Marie’s beautiful life story will be broadcast twice, this week! 

 

Tax exempt donations to Sister Marie’s cause are gratefully accepted at this address: 

The Sister Marie de Mandat-Grancey Foundation

P.O. Box 275

Cold Spring Harbor, NY  11724   USA

erinvonu@aol.com

www.sistermarie.com

sr.marie@yahoo.com

John 19:26-27 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son. Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

Blessings of Advent,

Lisa

Three Secrets That Lead to Advent Joy, Not Exhaustion

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Advent comes from the Latin word, “adventus,” which means “coming.” Jesus is coming, we know, and there is much to do! But life can be intensely stressful, noisy, and draining, especially when we are caught up in the material demands of the Christmas season.

Lenten Vestments (Catholic Company) [Click for ordering information]

In the race for the perfect gifts, decorations, foods, and cards, we can easily forget something central to our faith: that the richness and depth of the color purple that adorns our Advent liturgies is a reminder to us to atone for sin and open our hearts in more trust, more purity, and more love to the Infant Jesus. It is He who comes into the world and into our hearts to save us (John 3:16). Being ready for him takes an attentive and humble heart.

Here are three easy ways to weed out unnecessary distractions and plant our hearts firmly in Advent:

1. Give away your stuff:

Many charities will come right to your house or apartment building, pick up your boxes and bags full of giveaways, and leave you a tax-receipt, making it extremely easy to clear out closets, book cases, and cupboards–to bless someone else with your plentiful belongings. Gently-used clothing, housewares, books, toys, costumes, knickknacks, artwork, crafting supplies, unused office supplies, and almost anything else that is still in good condition can touch the lives of others less fortunate, while the charity truck gives us the clutter-free environment we long for.

It is a spiritual truth that we have to clean out our hearts to receive Jesus more fully (more on that, soon). Let’s clean out our homes and unburden ourselves from the guilt and stress of useless clutter. Just as Jesus can transform a heart open to his love, He can transform our homes into sanctuaries of of peace and simplicity.

2. Pop the question:

Wikipedia Commons (Public Domain) [click for more about this Christian symbol]

What are your family’s favorite Advent and Christmas traditions? If you’ve never asked them, you’ll be amazed at the answers. While you’ve been slaving to duplicate every household display, every traditional recipe, and chase down the perfect Christmas cards, surprises, and gatherings, your family has been secretly waiting for just one or two moments to arrive.

Each person has a touchstone, a particular event or practice that says, “Christmas joy” more than anything else. For me, it’s caroling and decorating our tree. For our daughter, it’s Christmas brunch and opening presents with Grandma. For my husband, it’s a Christmas Eve celebration with old friends. Knowing that these are the most important touchstones for my family helps me to discard anything that simply adds to our busyness and stress. It simplifies our lives and takes away that feeling of having to “do it all” before it’s too late. It also minimizes the let-down after Christmas–that feeling that you worked yourself to death for an experience that faded within hours.

3. Prepare spiritually:

  • Get to confession more regularly!

Oh, joy, right? I’m laughing because Reconciliation is the sacrament that people avoid like the plague, when it is precisely the pathway to joy that we all need. When we leave our little sins unconfessed, we become comfortable with them, and they weaken us spiritually, making it easier to commit more serious sins. We also block the graces that Jesus longs to pour into our hearts in Holy Communion.

C. S. Lewis wrote, in a collection of his essays called, The Weight of Glory, that the sins we cling to are the “dead places” in our hearts. It makes sense, doesn’t it? If we block the Lord of Life from entering certain areas of our lives, then those are dead places.

If we want our lives healed, if we want to grow in virtue, if we crave joy and intimacy with God, it’s critical that we get to confession. The Holy Eucharist is the Real Presence of Jesus Christ under the appearance of bread and wine, and His power to heal us is infinite; however, Jesus is a gentleman and never forces himself into our hearts, so we must prepare–and make room for him in the inn, so to speak. It is only then that He can pour the graces needed to free us from attachment to sin, heal us from the wounds of our past, and bring us into lives of great freedom and fulfillment.

You see a priest in the confessional and hear the words of absolution from another human being, and that may seem awkward and embarrassing, but what is really happening is an astonishingly beautiful encounter: it is Jesus who forgives, absolves, and heals through the words and actions of the priest. Do not miss this precious and life-changing encounter with God!

Here are some resources for making a solid examination of conscience before confessing your sins:

The Sacrament of New Beginnings, of Freedom! (includes a wonderful short video)

The Ten Commandments (article from Our Sunday Visitor about the “yes” behind every “no” in God’s laws)

 

  • Choose a meditation for the four weeks of Advent:

(HINT: I love all of these but usually only try to do one at a time)

  • The St. Andrew Christmas Novena
    • This traditional prayer honors the first Apostle called by Jesus, St. Andrew. Pray this short prayer 15 times daily throughout Advent for a special intention (many graces will follow):Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born Of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen.
  • Simply “hold” the Baby Jesus to your heart. 
    • One year I was stressed and distracted and had no “Christmas spirit” at all, so I asked Jesus for help. A vivid and tender image came to me of the Infant Jesus in the manger, and I bent to gather the sweet Child into my arms. From that moment on, just the thought of cradling the Baby against my shoulder and holding him close brought me to a quiet, reverent, and joyful place in the privacy of my heart. Christmas Eve mass and Christmas day were extraordinarily meaningful, that year.
  • Pray with the children in your life, every day. 

God, when I think about Jesus coming to earth, I realize the he must love each of us very much. Jesus is God and can do anything he wants to, but he chose to become a helpless baby born to poor parents, to teach us that love is what makes us rich. Remind us that when his mother laid him in a manger that animals eat out of, Jesus was already teaching the world that he would one day become our spiritual food. Amen.

UPDATE: Here’s the prayer I shared on Relevant Radio’s Morning Air show, today:

Also from Week 20: Christmas, from my new book, Heads Bowed: Prayers for Catholic School Days:

Holy Spirit, you brought Jesus to earth through your divine power. Thank you for giving us the best Christmas gift of all. Our Lord Jesus is a gift beyond price. Inspire us, O Lord, to love the Baby Jesus and carry him in our hearts at all times. When we fail, give us the grace to return to Jesus and confess our sins, since he always loves us, no matter what. Praise be to God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Stained Glass Advent Calendar (Catholic Company)

Have a very peaceful, beautiful, and holy Advent!

 

The Miracle of the Sun and Fatima’s Message for Today

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Happy 100th Anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun!

Enjoy this beautiful talk by Father Andrew Apostoli, CFR, which urgently and lovingly places the message and meaning of the apparitions at Fatima into the context of our lives, today.

Please begin by saying a brief prayer for this holy priest’s health.

 

He Never Leaves You

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This short, but powerful, video came to my attention through a local friend.

It would be a great meditation point for your RCIA, Youth/Campus Ministry, Confirmation, or other adult/teen program.

The message?

Jesus never leaves you—no matter what.

 

Note: I am blessed to live the Diocese of Rockville Centre, in New York, where some of our holy and faithful priests maintain the beautiful blog that featured this original video. Please visit them here: petersboat.net.

EWTN to Broadcast Superb 8-Part Queen of Heaven Study

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SET YOUR DVRs!!!

I led this program in my parish, and it was STELLAR.

Do not miss this chance to see it free on EWTN, and consider bringing it to your parish! We prayed the Rosary before each episode, and hearts were changed, love for Our Lady increased, and many committed to praying the daily Rosary for the first time.

Here are the particulars:

Queen of Heaven series airs on EWTN

Beginning Friday, Oct. 6 through Friday, Oct. 13 at 6:30 PM Eastern, QUEEN OF HEAVEN will air on EWTN (check your local listings for the channel) or via Live Streaming on the EWTN website.

Queen of Heaven is an approximately 4 hour documentary-style program on Mary hosted by acclaimed Catholic actor Leonardo Defilippis and filmed in multiple locations and Marian shrines including the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the World Apostolate of Fatima Shrine, and the Saint John Paul II National Shrine.

It includes contributions from 15 theological experts including Tim Staples, Fr. Dominic Legge, Dr. Carrie Gress, Dr. Paul Thigpen, Fr. Chris Alar, Fr. Jeffrey Kirby and more.

In Queen of Heaven, viewers will accompany Mary from her Immaculate Conception through her Assumption and beyond. They’ll join her as she defends Christendom at Lepanto, frees a captive people at Guadalupe and heals a broken nation at Lourdes. Listen to her at Fatima as she predicts the rise of Communism—and watch as she defeats it through her beloved Pope.

Above all, viewers will discover why, though the battle continues, victory is assured to all who turn to the Queen of Heaven.

 

SCHEDULE:

The Battle Begins: The Woman and the Serpent

Airs on EWTN: Oct. 6 at 6:30 PM

 

The Annunciation: The Day Creation Held Its Breath

Airs on EWTN: Oct. 7 at 6:30 PM

 

Mother of the Church: All Generations Will Call Me Blessed

Airs on EWTN: Oct. 9 at 6:30 PM Eastern

 

Guadalupe: Mother of the Americas

Airs on EWTN: Oct. 10 at 6:30 PM Eastern

 

Lourdes: I Am the Immaculate Conception

Airs on EWTN: Oct. 11 at 6:30 PM Eastern

 

10/12 – Fatima: The Lady of the Rosary

Airs on EWTN: Oct. 12 at 6:30 PM Eastern

 

The Consecration: My Immaculate Heart Will Triumph

Airs on EWTN: Oct. 13 at 6:30 PM Eastern

Reparation Power: Good Comes From the Threat of a Satanic Mass

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On August 15th of this year, on the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven, the Oklahoma City Civic Center is hosting its second public black mass, in spite of the outrage it caused the first time, in 2014.

In addition to profaning a consecrated Host in the most vile way possible, the registered sex offender who will officiate the ritual will also desecrate a statue of Our Lady, on her feast day.

Still, “be not afraid.” The Church provides a super-powered way to respond to these dark acts. I’ll explain about prayers of reparation, in a few paragraphs. First, a little context.

TFP.org is circulating an online petition to be sent to the Mayor of Oklahoma City, as well as the Governor of Oklahoma, demanding that this hateful, anti-Catholic ritual be stopped. This is no mere matter of free exercise of religion, and here’s why.

Attacking Jesus Christ, the Blessed Mother, and the Catholic Church are the purpose of the sexualized desecrations that constitute a black mass, yet the group now seeks acceptance as a mainstream “religion.” They essentially have nothing of their own–unless you count perversion and hate.

Holy_Virgin_Gospa_from_Tihajlin_next_to_Međugorje

Wikipedia Commons/public domain

Lord, have mercy on us and on all who participate in, support, or accept this sacrilege. +

After signing TFP’s petition and sharing it around, it occurred to me that just getting angry wasn’t going to cut it; I thought, in addition to speaking out (which we should all do), I should make reparation for the offenses against Our Lord and Our Lady. I’d never really thought much about it, before, but suddenly it really mattered.

So, what is reparation? To make reparation means to make amends for harm that is done to another. Reparations in society are usually made in terms of assigned labor (community service) or the monetary payment of damages, as in civil suits.

In Catholic tradition, reparation means to make acts of prayerful, sacrificial love in order to accomplish several objectives:

  • Give honor to the person wrongly offended
  • Make amends for our own wrongs or in place of those who committed the offense
  • Save souls–including and perhaps especially those who desecrate what is holy

This is powerful stuff, and I trust that the prayers and sacrifices inspired by Oklahoma City’s latest affront will far outweigh the evil acts being proposed.

Here are some simple ways to join in:

  • Attending the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and receiving Jesus in the Eucharist with tender reverence. Nothing is more powerful.
  • Confessing our sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation with sincere penitence and cultivating the virtues we lack. This is an offering very pleasing to God.
  • Praying the names of Jesus and Mary with affection, reverence, and love is a very simple way to make amends for the ways their holy names–and the Blessed Sacrament–are offended, daily–and it can be incredibly moving. When I started praying with more intentional love and affection, and cultivating more gratitude in prayer, my soul caught fire in a new way.
  • The Sacred Heart Novena, popularized by St. Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio), can be prayed daily. (For more on the Sacred Heart, this is a good article from Word on Fire Ministries.)
  • Fasting, offering up ordinary tasks, any sacrifices done cheerfully
  • Cultivating beauty in your life and sharing it with others through hospitality and friendship
  • Our Lady of Fatima requested the First Saturday devotions in order to make reparations for the five offenses against her Immaculate Heart. (To learn lots more about that, Father Andrew Apostoli has a new book called “Fatima For Today” and a superb, hour-long talk, which you can watch for FREE on YouTube, here.)

The five offenses against Mary’s Immaculate Heart are as follows:

  1. blasphemies against her Immaculate Conception
  2. blasphemies against her perpetual virginity
  3. blasphemies against the divine and spiritual maternity of Mary
  4. blasphemies involving the rejection and dishonoring of her images, and
  5. the neglect of implanting in the hearts of children a knowledge and love of this Immaculate Mother.

With the intention of making reparations on the first five Saturdays (of five consecutive months), Our Lady asked us to do the following:

  • go to confession (within a month before or after the first Saturday–it used to be 8 days, but not everyone has access to confession on a regular basis, so the Church allows a longer grace period, now)
  • receive Holy Communion in a state of grace (which means that if you have committed a serious sin, you need to get to confession BEFORE receiving Holy Communion)
  • pray the Rosary (preferably in presence of the Blessed Sacrament, but it can be anywhere)
  • meditate for an additional 15 minutes on one or more mysteries of the Rosary (ditto, great to do in church)

Our Lady also told the seers of Fatima–Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco–that she was grieving because souls were “falling like snowflakes into hell.”

AncientCatholicRosaries

Wikipedia Commons/public domain

She asked them to pray the Rosary every day.

Through angelic, divine, and Marian apparitions, the following prayers were also given to the shepherd children at Fatima, and they are available to help us all make loving reparation and save souls.

Prayers of Reparation from Fatima

My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love Thee! I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love Thee.

Most Holy Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit- I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifferences whereby He is offended. And through the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners.

Oh my Jesus, I offer this for love of Thee, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Oh My Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have most need of Thy mercy.

In discovering the simplicity and beauty of reparation, I feel my heart is being expanded to hold more love–not my own paltry love, but the gracious love of God that is poured into any willing heart as pure gift. One thing leads to another, and now I’ve got plans to start the Five First Saturday devotion on August 6th. I’m really excited about it.

So you see? Much good can come out of very bad situations.

Be hopeful, my friends! To hope is to praise the goodness of our God.

And praising our merciful Lord makes amends in countless beautiful ways.

Enjoy this beautiful hymn, “It Is Well,” sung by Audrey Assad: