In the morning, I drop Vince off at school.  I sign him in at 8 AM.  John picks him up between 3-5 PM depending on the day and signs him out.  

We've begun leaving one another notes in the sign section.  Instead of leaving our initials (like we're supposed to), we've taken to leaving each other tiny phrases:

It makes me laugh because no one ever checks this thing, so these tiny scribbles are like secret notes passed back and forth between class.  

This particular morning, he'd been feeling rough on account of his wisdom teeth being removed the day before. I knew seeing "Feel better" would give him a smile when he picked up Vince, but imagine my surprise when I saw "Thanks beautiful" in the box to greet me the next morning.  Such a small, tiny gesture, but those are the gems that make me happiest.  

He and I might not see eye-to-eye on religion, but we do love one another deeply, take our responsibility as parents seriously, and are committed to one another and our family.  

I truly believe John and I were made for one another.  We met young, fell in love young, and married young.  I believe this was by design, and I am grateful for the spouse I've been blessed with.  He is a good man, a good father, and a loyal friend.  While I know the religion issue is a tough one, I hope you don't use that as the only stick to measure him by.  

If tomorrow he decided to teach Vincent all about Atheism and telling him that Stephen Hawking agrees that there's no need for God when science explains everything, I'd be incredibly upset.  He feels the same way about Catholicism.  Because he views it as something akin to a fairytale, he sees it as a crutch... something fine for children to believe but necessary to outgrow (like Santa Claus).  Adults can't rely on God for things.  Adults shouldn't need direction in things from a book predating most civilization.  Adults also shouldn't base social lifestyle choices on religious rationale. 

I understand his mindset; I do.  However, I simply don't share that viewpoint and, though he doesn't understand my point of view, he vowed to support me, so he does it as best he can.  I must recognize the difficulty he faces as well when he watches me teach our son what he views to be fantasy and unnecessary superstition.  At the same time, he recognizes his promise to allow me to raise our children Catholic.  

Believe it or not, this is what love looks like.  Love isn't always the romantic, happily-ever-after fodder you see in the movies.  In reality, love is dirty, sweaty and yes, even tearful at times.  It is also beautiful, and the appreciation we have for one another... the trust we've developed precisely because of our struggles... the knowledge that we've survived the dreaded "D-word" and come out stronger... this is love, because love endures.

These words were chosen by me for our wedding Mass. I recently read them, myself, at the marriage of two other friends.  These words of Saint Paul are so crystal clear to me whereas before, I'd only understood them in a sterilized, Disney-shaded sense.  

The day I married John, I heard these words as "Be nice to one another because that's what lovers do.  They aren't rude or arrogant, they don't hold grudges and they don't act selfishly. The lovey-dovey feelings you have today will carry you through everything because love never fails."

Oh, Gina... Saint Paul was no Nora Roberts.  How naive of me to fancy him one!  When I read those words now, I hear something so much richer... so much deeper.  Saint Paul might not be Nora Roberts, but if the above snippet doesn't embody the truth of love, there is no such thing as truth and no such thing as love.

This is incredible.  I bowed my head in appreciation and reverence for the outpouring of solidarity, faithfulness and piety that was shown to the Blessed Sacrament in reparation for the horrid mockery allowed to happen in Oklahoma City under the guise of religious freedom.  

We must consistently show this sort of solidarity.  We must consistently and unapologetically pour out our faithfulness and reverence for the God who created us.  

Bless these folks and all who took part in supporting the reparation.  <3

Special thanks to Justin Bell (@ajustbell) for giving me permission to use the above photo for tonight's entry.  He was present for the Procession and took some really incredible photos. Looking through them, my eyes truly began to well up with gratitude for the outpouring of love for Christ within the Eucharist.  

Lord, You are loved. Forgive us for neglecting to show our love like this more often. 

By now, you've all heard of the repugnant event that was to be hosted on the Harvard campus.  I, like many of my Catholics, joined my brothers and sisters in Boston in a national show of solidarity through prayer, fasting and sacrifice. 

There is nothing more I can possibly say on this matter that hasn't already been outline hundreds of times by others who have written about this.  I will say, however, that I was incredibly hurt by such an event being promoted.  Physically, painfully hurt.  

So from 7pm until 8pm, I locked myself away and offered the hour in union with the entire Church.  I offered it in reparation for the mockery of Christ, I offered it for the conversion and repentance of those responsible, and I offered it for the strength and clarity of those with the power to stop it.  

There were no adoration hours available to me locally, so I chose to unite myself by reading about the Eucharist in a little booklet I picked up about a year ago.  It's been sitting in my drawer waiting for this day.  I pulled it out and spent the hour in prayerful reflection of the lessons contained within.

The booklet is titled The Most Blessed Sacrament and is written by Fr. Stephano Manelli, OFM.  I thought it fitting.  Fr. Manelli creates a quilt of reflections patched together by various saints who were entirely devoted to our Divine God hidden in the Eucharist.  

Folks just don't understand how Catholics can adore what - to them - amounts to be a cracker.  God would never, in their minds, appear as something so insignificant.  God is majestic - divine!  He would not stoop so low as to appear as bread and wine.  

And yet this is exactly who we know God to be.  This is precisely why we praise Him, honor Him and love Him.  The Divine and Unencompassable God consents to become the most base staple of nourishment so that He can mercifully feed us in an intimate and personal way.  That is how loving our God is.  He is not this mythical creature who is too self-important to care for His children.  Instead, He bends over backwards to be near to us.  He cares not for golden ciboriums or tabernacles encrusted with jewels; He years to take refuge within the depths of our soul.  He wishes to enjoin Himself to our deepest, truest essence so that He can fashion us to Him and make us more like Himself - divine.  

This is why Satan hates the Eucharist.  He can't stand that the Divine God humbles Himself so basely for the likes of humanity.  It is why he seeks to mock and sully the truest, most blessed gift ever given to humanity.

St. Augustine once exclaimed of the Eucharist, "Although God is all-powerful, He is unable to give more; though supremely wise, He knows not how to give more; though vastly rich, He has not more to give."

Why is this?  Because in the Eucharist, we are given God's Incarnate Son.  Jesus comes to us fully (Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity) to feed us and nourish our souls with effusions of Divine Grace.  God cannot give more than the gift of Himself in this humble form.  This blessed gift is the summation of His promise to be with us always.  

Methinks I'll be doing a lot more meditating on the Eucharistic Lord in the coming months.  The media still isn't entirely sure if the mockery took place or not.  Some reports are saying it happened in a Chinese restaurant across from campus, others are reporting that it has been pushed off indefinitely.  Either way, evil is beginning to get increasingly brazen, and a more constant meditation and show of Christian love is necessary to combat this treachery. 

Did any of you participate in the 7-8pm vigil?

So a wonderful friend of mine left a link on my wall this morning regarding the proposed boycott of Chick-Fil-A that has now extended down to my hometown of Philadelphia.

Blah.

I had read about it here last night, but it was about 2am and I didn't have the energy to find words for the irritation I felt.

Luckily, Nicole found someone who did it for me and was kind enough to share his words this morning.  I'm returning the favor by sharing it with all of you.

Please take a moment (especially if you appreciate Mr. Mendte's common sense) to drop him an e-mail at [email protected] to let him know.  I certainly did. 

And remember - this is NOT just about gay rights, this is not about a chicken place, and this is not about our righteous indignation regarding either side of the issue.

This is about our freedoms and how politicians, pundits and yes, even some journalists, are going out of their way to cloud the fact that our liberty is being threatened.  Not only is it being threatened, but it's being bullied, battered and spit upon - all in the name of "tolerance."

Again... the hypocrisy... it hurts.

Op-Ed piece by Ross Douthat that was run in the NY Times.  This one is highlighted by Fr. Z over at WDTPRS.

This on the heels of the NY Times running THIS story that aims to shame other journalists into doing their jobs and not allowing the government (Republican and Democrat alike) to color the news.

Methinks the NYT just garnered a tip of my hat.

Well done, NYT.  Well done.

Let's say my mother is driving a car.  We're about to take a curve too harshly.  Considering there's a canyon to the left of us, if she continues speeding, we're likely to tumble into the abyss.

Do I refrain from telling her to slow down because I'm afraid I might hurt her feelings for criticizing her driving?

No.  I like my life.

Instead, I'd say, "Hey Mom, you need to apply the brakes because if you don't, we're likely to take a tumble neither one of us will enjoy."

Would I be judging my mother to be a bad driver?  No.

Would I be judging her behavior to be bad?  Yes.

Might she feel as though I'd judged her to be a bad driver?  Yes, it's a possibility.

If she feels as though I've passed a negative judgement on her, does that mean I have?  No.

Even knowing that she might have her feelings hurt as a result of my criticism, should I refrain from suggesting she slow down?  NO.

As I've said in previous entries, I simply do not have the personality to sit on the sidelines while someone is acting in a way that is either harmful to self or others.  I can't.  I automatically put a familiar face on these folks and my decision is made - political correctness be damned. 

That is exactly what we are asked to do as Catholics.  The quote "Judge not, lest ye be judged" is often given as a means to stifle this responsibility.  However, if we read juuust a little bit further, we'll come to understand that this misrepresented quote (found on everything from billboards to memes to T-shirts) means something much different than the sound byte it's utilized as.

Here is the quote in its entirety (from the New American Bible, so the wording is slightly changed):

Jesus said to His disciples: “Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’ while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.”  Matt 7:1-5

In other words, use your God-given intellect to discern judgement.  It isn't necessarily meaning we should condemn, but it's certainly charging us with the responsibility of properly judging all things with equality.

In fact, there are quotes all over the Bible specifically commanding this of us.

In the gospels, Luke echoes Matthew in Chapter 6 with "Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven... For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you."

John (7:24) relays Jesus saying "Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteously."

In Proverbs (3:21), "Preserve sound judgement and discernment."

In the Letter of St. Paul to the Phillipians (1:9-11), "And this is my prayer: that your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God."

And my favorite (also from Luke 6) stating, "A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thorn bushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks."

I'm successfully irritated.  My charity level is low to non-existent right now, so I apologize in advance.

There has been yet another striking blow to religious freedoms today... this time in Denmark. All over the world, governments are attempting to put religious freedom to death, and no one is any the wiser.  Why?  Because it's all being done under the guise of social justice.

Danish parliament has just passed a law making it MANDATORY for all churches in Denmark to provide homosexual marriage ceremonies.

Take a second and let that process (if you're not too busy hurling).

A government is attempting to FORCE entire religious communities to utilize their sacred houses of worship for a ceremony that goes directly against their religious beliefs as a people.

I'm beyond disgusted. 

Once again the issue of religious freedoms is ignored because folks are too busy crying foul over the issue of homosexuality.

I don't care if two men want to get hitched through civil unions.  Be my guest.  I draw the line, however, when those two men attempt making a mockery of our Sacrament by committing such a sacrilege in front of the Blessed Sacrament in a Catholic Church. 

As I said on Facebook, welcome to the reason I refuse to vote in favor of anyone trying to push this through our court system.

As I said in a previous entry, Australia is quickly following suit. The US won't be far behind.

I'm all for homosexuals getting hitched in churches that condone it. I am NOT okay with a government stepping in to force ANYONE to accept a union that cannot be recognized by aforementioned religion.

Catholic priests cannot "consecrate" a union that is considered abhorrent and inherently sinful. No matter how much a government wants to kick, scream and cry, a faithful Catholic priest cannot (and will not) call a blessing down upon that which is mortally sinful.

Even if one tried to, do you think God would say, "Ya know what?  Alright... since you asked so nicely, I'll be sure to go against that which I've stated - repeatedly - and reward you for your impressively arrogant disobedience."

Again, Lord, mercy.