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 162: The Quiet Carnival
What, I have wondered, could I use as an appropriate Lenten theme* for this week's Catholic Carnival?
I had started reading the posts early this morning (running a bit late...again!) and paused to finish getting ready for work before I heard a whisper (could the Holy Spirit possibly care about the Catholic Carnival?!?). It was in the whisper that I found the inspiration of a Quiet Carnival.
Quiet can mean so many things. It can mean peaceful or it can mean lack of noise. It can refer to a state I'd like to see my three-year-old achieve while the baby sleeps, or it can refer to a state I should strive to achieve myself within the confines of my own head. It is a verb ("I quieted myself during my hour of Adoration"), an adjective ("The quiet barn inspired me to stillness"), an adverb ("Talk quietly"), and even a noun ("The early morning quiet is worth treasuring as I nurse the baby"). It's a word that signifies, to me, much of what I feel myself reaching toward, standing on tiptoe to touch, stretching beyond myself to attain.
And quiet is, for me, what Lent this year is about. Just this morning, in a meeting with my spiritual director, I was challenged to consider the difference between being and doing.
Quiet is what a carnival is, so often, not. Carnivals are loud rides, streaming lights, sticky candy, and screaming participants. "Quiet" and "carnival" do not seem to go together.
Unless, of course, you're at this week's Catholic Carnival.
In this collection of posts, you're going to find quiet, one way or another. You'll find it in a rather ironic way, through the words of a Catholic blogger. Those words, though, aren't so much a part of shattering your quiet as they are a part of pointing you to the quiet. Isn't it funny how God works?
Before we get started, a few quiet administrative notes:
- 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 (such as it is) to anyone who's interested. 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.
- Submitting is 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.
Without further ado, let's hush ourselves for some quiet reading...
A DAY TO LIVE - Reflections on life, standing at the brink of death
A DISCIPLE WITH FLOWERS - Turn things around, and think of bringing flowers to Jesus as he lays in the tomb...
A LOCAL MIRACLE FOR JPII? - A recount of a miracle that might just be attributable to the late (great) John Paul II
AFFIRM THE CONCERN TO DISCERN - A look at vocations and discernment by one who's thankful for where he finds himself called
ARCHBISHOP NAUMANN'S HOMILY FOR MSGR. LUIGI GIUSSANI - The papacy, a pallium, and the life of a monsignor, all in this post
CATHOLIC SAINTS PRAYER BOOK - It's a new book and a giveaway!
COOKING IN CRISIS - A new take on "comfort food" and the importance of making it...for others
DAY 24: NICK ALEXANDER AND TOP CATHOLIC SONGS - Continuing the 40 days of blog posts about great Catholic media
DIET TIPS FOR PREVENTING HIGH CHOLESTEROL LEVELS - Just what it seems
FARMING - A modern parable
(Host note: I think this link was sent in slightly wrong, and I tweaked it slightly to what's above. My apologies if it was not supposed to be that way.)
HOT OFF THE PRESS - The scoop about The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Catholic Catechism
INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR, MARY DeTURRIS POUST - Find out what's behind the new book that's hot off the press
IT'S ALL IN THE MARKETING - Some of the best thoughts I've read lately about marriage
IT'S NOT LIFE OR DEATH - Thoughts on homeschooling and on the discernment process toward reaching a decision
LAETARE SUNDAY - What's that? Go, find out! (Hint: we just had it last week...)
LENT BEGAN IN AN INTERESTING WAY THIS YEAR... - From a car accident to a visit to Rome, "interesting" seems a bit of a quiet way to put it!
LIVING IN THE LIGHT - Insight into last weekend's Mass readings
MEAT ON FRIDAYS DURING LENT - Is it a sin to eat meat on Fridays during Lent?
MORALITY AND HEALTH CARE IN THE U.S. - An opinion about health care options
NEVER AGAIN, WE HOPE - A word on hope, tapping into the words of the pope and some historical perspective
PAYING OFF YOUR MORTGAGE - Tips and considerations
PLEASE DON'T DISTURB THE SAINT...OR ELSE! - How does the fasting give us graces, and how might we throw them all away?
PRESIDENT BUSH AND AFRICA - A look at what President Bush is doing right in Africa
PRESS RELEASE FOR TOMORROW'S ALBUM RELEASE - A new album by Bryan Murdaugh - YAY! (See below for a sample of the music - he submitted two posts and, you know me, how could I not share them both?)
PRUNING MAKES GROWTH FOR NEW LIFE - In pruning a poinsettia, Rich finds a metaphor for the spiritual life
THE HEALING POWER OF THE EUCHARIST - An insightful and inspirational post inspired by a parish speaker that highlights Eucharistic Adoration beautifully
RUNNING ON EMPTY - On the fourth day after finding out about a miscarriage comes a poignant reflection
STRANGERS, WE ARE CALLED - An acoustic version of a song that's going to be on Bryan Murdaugh's new album (to be released in days)
WHAT MAKES A BOOK A GOOD BOOK? - A good question, answered well
WHY IS BIRTH A CATHOLIC ISSUE? - How might a traumatic birth process impact a Catholic woman in being opposed to new life?
*Note: Bloggers submit whatever they decide, independently of any theme chosen by a host. If it seems to work out as though it were planned, that is proof of the Holy Spirit's interest in the Catholic Carnival, as far as I'm concerned!
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