Catholic Carnival 139: Celebration of Life
In the Church calendar, October celebrates the Rosary and Respect Life, and this month on my calendar, our family will celebrate a new little member, so it seemed only appropriate to make this carnival a salute to new life.
If you find, after enjoying the celebration here, that you’re inspired to learn more about the Catholic Carnival, you’ll find all the information here. There’s a submission form that’s easy to use, and let me just put a plug in for hosting (don’t say you can’t do it until you try it, and I hereby offer my CC host consultation services (ha ha ha) for anyone who wants them).
Now, let’s have a CARNIVAL!
Ten Tiny Fingers, Ten Tiny Toes
There’s something addictive about those little hands and feet, and something reassuring about feeling the grip of those fingers around one of mine and the weight of a little foot against my body. My husband accused me of being obsessed with baby feet, and I’ll admit…he’s right.
These posts made me think and they made me smile and they made me…well, they made me think of tiny fingers and tiny toes. You’ll see why.
“The Holiest Holy Hour” at cause of our joy: As a mother, and one who struggles with a certain Toddler-tron of Much Orneriness, this post by Leticia struck a chord that reminded me, once again, that Jesus called the children to him. “God is such a loving Father, to teach me that it's not important to look holy at Holy Hour. It's important to be holy at Holy Hour, offering up these humiliations in the spirit if the Little Flower, as gifts for my precious Jesus hidden in the Blessed Sacrament. Especially when you are on your last thread of patience, hair askew, scapular flying, forehead beaded with perspiration, and in desperate need of that confession you are in line for.”
“Mom’s at Home. Kids Are in School.” at SFO Mom: Just what does Barb do all day, now that all of her kids are off to school? Well, it’s NOT at all about bonbons and soaps, thank you very much! Her thoughts on homemaking are succinct and beautiful, and they confirm a suspicion I’ve had that the warm thoughts about little fingers and little toes don’t get discarded when the fingers and toes get bigger.
“Email Parables” at CatholicInside: We’ve all received those stories on email that are so inspirational that you just have to share them. But are they true? After reading them 58 times, you might be tempted to roll your eyes and hit delete. Tiffany brings up a great point…does it matter if they’re true, if they contain a lesson or a greater truth? Hmm, got me thinking!
“Tarnished Ciborium” at The Protomonk: A story of the restoration of a tarnished ciborium turns into the metaphor for Christian living and a reflection on the tarnish we all need to scrub away.
“Strength for the Journey” at Kate Wicker: I was nodding after the first couple of words, and when I read this, I knew that if Kate didn’t live in
There’s something about a sleeping baby face, isn’t there? There’s a beauty to it, a peacefulness, a glimpse into heaven. Before I had children, I didn’t notice this so much, because I wasn’t a baby person. So that scrunched-up sleeping face was a discovery that I found irresistible and delightful, like shiny wrapping paper or bubble wrap.
These posts share the beauty of the sleeping infant, and like that little bundle, there’s more to them that might first meet the eye.
“Me, Myself, and I” at Tinabell: In a look at how disordered our cultural (American) interpretation and acceptance of sex is, Tina considers how the sexual appetite is viewed, and compares that with the general obsession with healthy eating and suppressing other appetites. It’s the kind of post that makes me rub my hands together and run for the bookshelf (Theology of the Body, here I come!).
“Petsmart: Dispensing Dog Food and Fertility Advice” at A Third Way: Family planning advice was an added “bonus” to Melissa’s dog food purchase, leading her to reflect on just what it is that makes people offer fertility counseling, unprovoked, at the drop of a hat.
“Signs of Love” at HMS Blog: Love is an awesome responsibility, and in this reflection on last Sunday’s readings, and especially the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, Kevin reminds us that we have to be open to God’s love and we have to love one another in more ways than just the touchy-feely kind. Love brings awareness of need and a desire to do something for our fellow man. After reading this post, see if you don’t mull a little on what God’s calling you to do.
“That which Divides Protestants from Catholics” at la nouvelle theologie: With a title like that, you’ll be either disappointed or delighted by the succinct post you find. You’re sure to take some food for thought away from it.
Up-in-the-Middle-of-the-Night Prayer Opportunities
Sleeping like a baby has its downfalls for the adults in the house too, doesn’t it? Someone has to get up to tend the little one, and it’s not just going to be the dog. So if you have to get up and take care of the little heaven-sent bundle, why not make it a chance to spend some time connecting with the heavenly host?
These posts take on prayer and devotions in varying forms, and they’re the kind of reading that I need as I hover on the edge of having some “extra” time in the middle of the night...
“Psalm 139 (Slightly Reworded)” at You, a Prayerful Conversation: Prayer as a love song…now, isn’t that a warm and fuzzy thought? iHermit brings us a presentation of Psalm 139 that’s worth posting around the house (after you’ve altered it so that it includes YOUR name, of course) to remind you just what it means to say “God loves me.” (And can I just say, as an about-to-have-a-kid-any-minute pregnant woman, that this brought tears to my eyes?)
“Personal Spiritual Growth – For Adults” at Living Catholicism: Jay starts off with “Our lives are busy and complicated. And they never seem to slow down. Which makes it difficult for anyone to work on their spiritual growth.” Finding yourself nodding? (Or, like me, falling off the couch from the maniacal laughing coming out of your mouth?) Go and see the tips he’s put together, which are full of wisdom and seem, even to me, achievable.
“Prayer of a Mother” at A Catholic Mom in Hawaii: This prayer of consecration of a child to Jesus is just what the doctor ordered. Safe to say it’s going on my prayer list!
“For Souls in Purgatory…Who Never Expected to Be There” at Mommy Monsters, Inc.: What about those non-Catholics who die and end up, surprised, in Purgatory, having never believed in it? Heidi proposes a special prayer for them as she reflects on the death of a Protestant author friend.
"Prayer Tips for Busy Moms" at Embracing Motherhood: Never one to leave a fellow mom hanging, Donna poses the questions: "So, how does a busy Mom find the time to pray when she is inundated with the care of the family? Even Moms who know that they absolutely need to pray for the survival of the family cannot seem to find that essential time. What can she do?" and then, bless her heart, proceeds to give some answers that someone like me (who has been, um, not so good at the prayer part of life lately) can put right into action!
I didn’t envision how excited my two-year-old would be for the birth of this second baby. I had no preparation for the filled-to-capacity-stadium-like quality of her enthusiasm, for how she would hug and kiss my tummy every single day, for her barrage of questions trying to understand just when October is and when she’ll finally get to meet her little sister.
These posts are full of the excitement of the Big Sister in my house. They will make you revisit the great aspects of what it means to be Catholic, and maybe you’ll have some jumping-up-and-down time as you read them. If so, you’re in good company.
“Something Needs to Be Done About Classroom Discipline” at The Scratching Post: This short excerpt from St. Augustine’s Confessions will give you a perspective of just what it means to have discipline problems in the classroom. As KT said, “Kids these days!”
“The Truth of John Paul II’s Death” at We Belong to the Lord: Apparently, the skinny in the mainstream media is that JP2 was euthanized. What made me jump up and down was the clear logic and concise ordering of this post, effectively debunking the whole question for the silly-nilly it is. There’s also some good catechesis in this post about just what the Church teaches about end-of-life issues (i.e. do you always have to have a feeding tube?).
“Obscene? Indecent? Scandalous? Nope!” at Play the Dad? No, Be the Dad!: Let’s talk about breastfeeding, shall we? And while we’re at it, let’s talk about that line, ever so gray, between decency and obscenity. (But if we’re doing it with tea in hand and lots of chocolate on the table between us, I’m pretty sure we won’t start shouting.)
“Breastfeeding in Public, Part 1” at Water into Wine: I’m going to be nursing again soon, and these tips on nursing discreetly are well stated. Dawn also contends that discreet nursing is a learned practice, and that we all need to be patient with the accidentally indiscreet learners who are out there.
“Now Sit Back, Shut Off Your Brain, and Relax” at Adam’s Ale: OK, so I’m not so much a fan of televisions. (I don’t think they’re the devil, I’m just not such a fan.) Apparently, Fr. V isn’t so fond of them either. This week, he shares a reflection that made me laugh while I jumped up and down. I’ll whet your curiosity with a little quote, and encourage you – however much you love, hate, or don’t care about TV – to zip on over to read the rest. “It is one thing to purposefully watch T.V., it is another to Zen-out becoming one with the couch and screen. We were put here to do more than watch bad television re-runs.”
“Cathedrals of California” at Professor Bainbridge’s Journal: Check it out – a photoblog of cathedrals in
“Showers of Roses: Miracles in My Life through the Intercession of St. Therese, Virgin and Doctor of the Church” at Catholic Fire: Jean covers the feast of St. Therese beautifully in this personal account of her friendship with a doctor of the Church. And then, because she knows how to top a great story with sprinkles (if you lived in my house, you would recognize the importance of sprinkles as a food group), she includes some of her favorite quotes.
“New Favorites: Saints Books” at Ana Braga-Henebry’s Journal: I love lists. And I especially love lists of books. Here’s the best of both worlds for all of us to enjoy, with one of my other favorites thrown in: the saints
These posts examine the changing world around us through the lens of our faith. Just like that little child, the world is changing…and these submissions are riding the wave of what’s new and what’s hot.
“In the World, Not of It” at Mum2Best7: So often as we examine our pro-life beliefs or our other deeply held morals, we push “opponents” away from us with our venom. We fail to use logic to explain, and in this thoughtful examination inspired by a book and an article and personal experience, Mary considers the real way we can impact the world around us.
“It’s Time for Our Youth to Get Busy Writing!” at cause of our joy: Do you know someone in the teen age group who has a talent for writing? Leticia shares quite a few different opportunities with essay contests, and she closes with a fabulous quote: “Fr. Joseph Fessio, SJ, once told a large crowd of families, that, "homeschooling will bring about the salvation of the Catholic Church in
“Great Summorum Pontificum News in Rhode Island” at Christus Vincit – the Blog: According to the front page of the Pawtucket Times, BMP’s former boss will be celebrating the 1962
““He’s the Truth…” Why Evangelical Theology Fails” at Streams of Mercy: Here’s apologetics at its finest, my friends. Knowing that evangelical theology is flawed and subjective doesn’t always help in explaining just what’s wrong with it (at least for me). Thankfully, there are articulate individuals like Heidi who can explain the position of the Church in light of the facts of a Pentecostal bishop’s downfall and remind people like me, who trip over their tongues, just what the facts are.
“Tough Questions: Papal Infallibility” at Ho Kai Paulos: Just what is papal infallibility all about? Padre himself, great apologist of my local parish, couldn’t have said it better than Joe does in this post, which addresses a question and common misconception about papal infallibility.
“Our Feast of the Arch Angels” at My Domestic Church: I love that when I totally miss a feast day, there’s someone out there who totally gets it, celebrates it, and then blogs it for all of us to enjoy. There’s not much reading in this post, but the pictures and the feasting are worth the visit!
“Angel Roundup” at CatholicLand!: SWP takes on the ambitious task of providing links to everything angel in the Catholic blogosphere from this past week. I think he pretty much nailed it (and kept me busy clicking for…oh, I don’t know how long!).
“Thirsty” at Bryan Murdaugh: Get the background on
|