If I'm not off hiding somewhere with a good book, chances are I'm chasing a toddler or a Jack Russell (or sleeping, because every mom can use a nap!). I found Prince Charming and married him, and now we enjoy the idiosyncrasies of life in an old farmhouse. Oh yeah, and we root for the Buckeyes. Every time.
Catholic Carnival 153: Dedicated to Mom
It’s appropriate that the first Catholic Carnival that I’m hosting after my “maternity leave” is one that falls on a day that is special to me for so many reasons. There are two reasons that vie for the top spot on my “Reasons to Love New Years Day” list: it’s a major feast of Mary, on which we celebrate her motherhood and salute that she is, in fact, the Mother of God, and it’s the day I became a mother myself, as my oldest daughter was born New Years Day three short (and long!) years ago.
So I can’t help but get a little sentimental here, with all of you here with me. Won’t you get cozy? We have plenty of snuggly blankets and even a snuggly baby you can hold if you want. Our celebration this week is in honor of our Mother and all the other mothers we love. That’s a little different from the pop-the-cork, stagger-on-home mentality around us, but that’s OK. Mom understands.
If you find, after enjoying our time together, 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 offer my CC host consultation services (ha ha ha) for anyone who wants them).
Now, on with the Carnival!
Turning the World Upside-Down
The first thing motherhood did for me was turn the world upside-down. I have never been a Baby Person, and really, the whole idea of having babies hadn’t really sunk in until there I was, holding one! I mean, I knew I would have them after marrying my husband (how could I not want to see him as Daddy?), but I just wasn’t…prepared.
Mary said “Yes!” at the Annunciation, and I can’t help but ask myself how upside-down her world was after things became evident. Mary didn’t take a breath or think twice when Gabriel threw down the deal. She said “Yes!”
These posts turn things around and examine them in a different light. This is an assortment that makes me say “hmm” and “hmm” some more.
Risk and Friendship at Studeo – There’s a risk in making friends, and while it’s often a risk worth taking, sometimes it leads to hurt and regret. Our model for these risks, we are reminded in this lovely post, is God, who took some pretty major risks for us. Go, read. You’ll come away with a “Yes!” on your lips!
A Mothers Rule and Fly Lady at Aussie Coffee Shop – Therese read FlyLady’s book and it helped her realize that God gives us what we need when we need it. Reading her post, I realized that there are two books not on my wish list that must-must-MUST get put there immediately! :)
New Year’s Resolutions (Four Days on Four Causes) at Ho Kai Paulos – Now here’s a take on New Year’s resolutions that has me considering that perhaps I should rethink mine. Joe shares Aristotle’s four causes and then he explains how to use them specifically (not as the too-generalized tool they may at first sound like). This may sound like a bunch of philosophical hooey, but it’s really intriguing and worth trying. After all, as he states in his post, “I think the resolution you keep is the one you have really given thought to, not just made on the spur of the moment.”
Being in Great Company
I love that, as a mother, I am now in the “secret society” of women I’ve admired all my life. I love being in the same line-up as Mary, the woman God chose to be his own mother. (I need great role models!) But I also find that this company makes me a better person; it stretches me to reach higher and aim truer. Being a mother has made me more than I could have been before, and that’s something I wasn’t expecting. (Though, I will add, I expected almost nothing of what I’ve gotten as a mother, so perhaps that phrase doesn’t have the meaning/impact it should!)
These posts are great company to be in. They’re well-written and they challenge the reader. Enjoy them; they’re the blogging that makes Mom proud!
Who best supports the common good? at la nouvelle theologie – The submission will entice you better than I could: “For me this election cycle and its many debates and questions concerning how our country should move forward is not something distant or abstract. I am currently preparing to deploy to war. The leader we choose to be our President literally decides the fate of so many fellow Americans, both the born and unborn. We cannot ignore this reality, these facts.”
New Year’s Resolutions at Daughter of the King – Jen shares her New Year’s resolutions and thoughts on simplicity and St. John of Egypt. My kudos to her for combining three topics well that I would have not thought would mix so well (like cream and sugar and coffee, in fact, thus making me hungry).
Feast of St. Thomas Becket, Bishop and Martyr at Catholic Fire – This bio of St. Thomas Becket includes the details of his amazing conversion experience to become a martyr. You’ll find favorite quotes and a prayer, an e-tour of Canterbury Cathedral, a hymn with words and music, and a homily he gave on Christmas morning. Come on, what are you waiting for? Get on over there and see this treasure trove Jean’s put together for us!
Praying with Meaning
I have never prayed so much. I have never prayed so well. I have never prayed the way I have since being a mother. There are things I would have never thought to pray for before, and things I would have never needed to pray for before, and oh-so-many reasons to be thankful and inspired and sitting at God’s feet just blabbing away. I have my children (and my husband, and God himself!) to thank for all those reasons to pray.
These posts are inspiring and prayerful. They’re the kind that don’t need cream or sugar, but that might need some time to sink in. They’re the kind of posts I often find myself printing out for my husband to read or that I often share with friends.
A Prayer to Our Blessed Mother at Deep Furrows– This prayer for Mary’s intercession is simply put and beautifully stated, worth printing off and perhaps, if you’re so inclined, memorizing.
Western New York – Have a Little Faith at Western New York Real Estate & Mortgage Investing – If you haven’t heard about the tradition of burying a St. Joseph statue to try and help you sell your house, here are the steps to do it. I would note, though, that there’s no guarantee that this will sell your house. The reason for doing this is to show your faith and to remind you to pray about it. (Really, I have to say all that because I spent years trying to reconcile myself with these “wacky” Catholic traditions…and because, as a mother, I’m a bit of a catechist…)
Authentic Catholic Womanhood at Silent Canticle (Heidi’s Hotline) – This reflection on just what “authentic Catholic womanhood” is is honest and reflective and chock-full of things I need to plaster all over my walls in permanent marker. Thanks for the prayerful reminder, Heidi!
Having Better Reasons to Smile
I smiled before I was a mother, yes, but now the reasons are stacked to the sky and lined with silver. We know Mary as Mother, not as “the girl from Nazareth” or “the lady with the great hair.” She probably had great hair (why do I think that?), but the reasons she had to smile were way better than a string of good hair days. She likely had a few friends who were worth their salt and a great relationship with God, but the reasons she had for smiling and being delighted with life had to multiply exponentially once she became a mother.
These posts will make you smile (I hope). Maybe they’ll make you scurry off to share them with someone else or even laugh out loud. Perhaps you’ll sip your coffee and feel warm inside. Whatever they inspire in you, I’m sure it will lead to a smile. How could it not?
Holy Family, Holy Trinity at Adoro te Devote – Here’s a personal account of one young woman’s memories of the Holy Family in her life, interwoven with the connections of the Holy Family and the Holy Trinity. If that sounds too “heavy” for you, let me just assure you it’s NOT. This is a delightful post and one worth bookmarking, printing, and sharing with your best good friend.
Thoughts for the New Year at Streams of Mercy – In a post that rivals just about anyone in its brevity, Heidi shares a resolution that had me nodding and nodding and, well, nodding. So to find out just what it is that makes me say “me TOO!” so loudly my husband’s eyes strayed from the bowl games that have claimed him most of the weekend, go on over there and read her less-than-300-word summary of a resolution I should make every single day.
Seeing the Husband Transformed
It’s hard to narrow down the best parts of motherhood into a single topic, but if I had to, this would be it. I married Prince Charming, yes, but he truly became a Prince when he held our first daughter for the first time (and the second daughter for the first time, and I expect it for any future children we might have). He was transformed from a hunk of burning love to a hunk of burning love who is a daddy. As the new life he helped create was nestled in his arms, his whole outlook seemed to shift, even as he looked up at me with tears in his eyes. I saw the man I love transformed into a father. Can’t you just imagine Mary gazing at Joseph, as he held that new Infant in his arms? Can’t you just imagine Joseph, who had already been taking care of Mary and her unborn Child, transformed into an even better man(is that possible)? Can’t you just imagine how much more they must have loved each other when they had that new Baby in their arms?
These posts are transforming and thought-provoking. While they could have been listed almost anywhere else in this Carnival, they’re here because, well, they made me feel warm inside. (And that’s the punch you can pull when you host!)
How do you wrap a dose of humility? at A Third Way – Melissa didn’t get a seat at the packed Christmas Eve Mass, but she leaves with something better. I’m pretty sure Mom is smiling at the conclusion Melissa draws from her experience at the crowded Mass.
When the Monsters Win: Wifely Insurrections at Mommy Monsters Inc. – Heidi says “for those who have been wondering where the title of this blog comes from, this post kind of says it all.” Sarah says, “a post worth printing off and gleaning wisdom from in mass quantities.”
Playing with Gravity at Confessions of a Hot Carmel Sundae – Gravity might be something you take for granted, but you’ll have a better appreciation for just what a miracle it is and how it can point us back to God, our Father, who loves us.
Thanks for stopping in for the Carnival this week. Be sure to check in next week, and if you find yourself inspired to host a week, check out all the details and contact Jay, our fearless leader!
May Mary, Mother of God, lead you to her Son as the year begins!
Updated: Links are fixed. Thanks for the gentle and charitable tip-off and may God help me on my new Mac! :)
Updated AGAIN: Links are fixed correctly this time. I think. I hope. I pray!
|