Catholic Carnival 158: Giving Up, Giving In, and Giving Back
Welcome to Catholic Carnival 158! Here we sit, on the eve of Lent 2008, and I can’t help but smile back at God. He has such a way of, well, making things come into focus for me, and if you don’t mind, before we jump into this week’s collection of posts, I’m going to share just a little bit from “behind the curtain” of this week’s Carnival prep.
The thing is, there really hasn’t been any Carnival prep.
The way this whole hosting thing works for me is that I email our Fearless Leader and line up a bunch of dates when I’d like to host. About a week before my date, I start chewing on a theme or a topic. Sometimes I’m inspired by the world around me, and other times I look to the Church calendar.
This time, however, life has been happening at such a rate that there has been none of that. This time, I’m not going to be able to comment and share all my thoughts on every single post, with the painstaking care I’d like to put in. This time, I’m going to have to keep it simple.
The thing is, it’s the day before Lent...and “simple” seems like quite a smack in MY face.
Things don’t have to be complicated to be good. Carnivals don’t have to be fancy to be well-hosted. So, for those of you who think I work magic when I host, this is the Carnival I want you to remember me by. It’s not going to be the fanciest or the prettiest or even the most linked. And that little lesson in humility is perfect for the day before Lent.
One more thing before we get rolling: Hosting is as easy as giving up meat on Fridays during Lent. (See how I don’t say it’s easy without a price? But it’s not impossible, and yes, YOU can do it! I offer my help to anyone whose interested, such as that is.) It gets you some new visitors, and - my favorite part - you get to meet some new bloggers through the submissions. If you're interested, that Fearless Leader of ours is the guy to visit.
As for submitting, that’s easy too. I’ve talked about it before, and boiled it down to three easy steps (email varies by host), or you can use the nifty online form.
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at this week’s Carnival-ites. This is a "simple" week at the Carnival, so I've included only a sentence or less about each post.
Adam's Ale brings us "Pessimistically Optimistic" - From the desk of a cautious optimist comes a listing of signs of hope in the modern Church
Aggie Catholics (aka Mary's Aggies) brings us "Lent 2008" - One-stop shop for all your Lent questions
AmericanPapist brings us "AmP Tip: How to get tickets to see Pope Benedict XVI in April" - Information on how to get tickets for Pope Benedict XVI's public Masses when he visits the U.S. this April
Apostolate of the Laity brings us "Natural Law and the CIA" - A look at how a relative understanding of the natural law conflicts with Catholic discernment of ethical issues
Building the Ark brings us "Lenten Activities for Families" - Something for everyone, whatever your age and however big or small your family (or classroom)
Cahiers Péguy: the drama of Christian humanism brings us "Moving beyond the parochial vision" - A look at the role of the bishop as a sign of Catholicity and unity
Catholic Fire brings us "Lenten Ideas 2008" - Lenten suggestions for adults in the areas of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving
Catholic Inside brings us "The Spirit of Martyrdom" - A look at Father David Knight's book, His Way, and a concrete example of martyrdom
CatholicLand! brings us "Swords will pierce" - The bridge between Christmas and Lent
Deo Omnis Gloria brings us "A Question for Muslims" - Are you sure you want 40 virgins in heaven? These nuns might not meet expectations!
Domestic Vocation brings us "Small Sacrifices for Lent (or "Don't Make Lent into a Fat Tuesday of Devotions")" - A reminder that "easy does it" can be more effective for our spiritual welfare this Lent than a dozen new devotions done poorly
HMS Blog brings us "Humility" - A reflection on the Mass readings from Sunday, February 1
Just Another Day of Catholic Pondering brings us "In Thanksgiving for a Broken Arm" - Tying in the miracle of God's grace in everyday life
Kate Wicker brings us "Bath Time" - The love God has for each of us, found amid the bath bubbles and cooing of mother and child
Mommy Monsters brings us "Fighting to Win: A Lenten Pledge" - A painful parent-teacher conference transforms a family's direction for Lent
My Domestic Church brings us "My Annual Pre-Cana Talk for Next Saturday!" - A look at marriage and a presentation of it to those about to enter its sacramental bounds
OLIN e-Book e-Publishing brings us "House Blessing Time" - A resource center for house blessings, including some history, prayers, and ideas
Organ-ic Chemist brings us "Gratitude Campaign" - Link to a video that reminds us of the gratitude we should show our military personnel (with instructions as to how)
Our Lady's Little Scribe brings us "Love One Another" - An examination of the Christian call to live the beatitudes
Postscripts from the Catholic Spitfire Grill brings us "Why the Immaculate Conception?" - An answer (nicely done) to the question of why the Immaculate Conception is important
Rosetta Stone brings us "Chivalry, Humility, and Charity" - An examination of how chivalry is really a practice in humility and charity, as well as a discussion of how accepting help is a step in defeating pride
Streams of Mercy brings us "Books and Movies to Shape the Womanly Soul" - A collection of soul-satisfying offerings
We Belong to the Lord brings us "The Ministry of the Congregation" - Debunking the myth that the congregation has to do more than just show up (and if that doesn't get you to click through, I don't know what short phrase will!)
Words, Words brings us "Baptism Reflections" - Beautiful thoughts on baptism from a convert who just scheduled her infant's baptism
You (a prayerful conversation) brings us "Certainty" - A reflection on seven central beliefs
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