This blog's mission is simple--to encourage moms who are married to non-Catholics and raising their children in the Faith. If you know a mom who needs a little encouragement in continuing her efforts, I would be delighted if you would share Kathleen's Catholic with her. Thank you!

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Go! Go Forth!

 This Mass has ended. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Thanks be to God!


The word "Mass" means to be sent forth, says Fr. Larry Richards in The Mass Explained.

Why do we go to Mass? To get something out of it? How many times do we Catholics hear the moan, "I just don't get anything out of going to Mass."

If you utter these moans, too, then you are walking on the right path but in the wrong direction.

We should go to Mass not to get something but to give ourselves to Christ, just as Christ is giving Himself to us. Notice how Father presents this in the present tense. Christ is giving Himself, body, blood, soul, and divinity--as it was the the beginning, is now, and ever shall be world without end.

Jesus gives to us. We give to Jesus. When the gifts are brought to the altar, we should be bringing ourselves to the altar to make our offering. Bring everything--all our joys and sorrows--and bring our willingness to allow God's will to rule our lives. And we have an "altar call," the Holy Communion, during which we physically receive Christ so He can nurture and guide us in living out His Father's will. We lose ourselves, give ourselves.

But... this is not the end.

We say, "Go to Jesus."

True!

But then Jesus says, "Go! Go forth!"


Learn how you can receive a free copy of Fr. Richards' CD, The Mass Explained. Click here.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

The Gift



Holiness is not the privilege of a few; 
it is a gift offered to all. 
--John Paul II

If you receive a gift and you never use it--it sits in a box in your closet--then, through your choice the gift is rendered useless.

At our baptism, we receive the Holy  Spirit and all its gifts--knowledge, counsel, wisdom, understanding, reverence, strength, and piety. Then, at our Confirmation, we are sealed with the Gifts of the Holy Spirit (for ever and ever, Amen!). Even if you have kept these gifts in the closet sealed in a box for  years and years, you can take them out. They are yours. Enjoy them! Read scripture, pray, and spend time studying your Faith: this is a good way to start. The world need not know of your intentions; they will see it in you soon enough.

Bishop Edward Cullen, of the Diocese of Allentown, once said: "Whoever or whatever owns your mind owns you."

God bless.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Shepherd Me Oh God



I awoke this morning with this psalm in my mind. It played over and over and wouldn't stop. Even while I was talking, I could hear it in the background--for hours. Obviously, I was meant to share this with you!

God bless.

Monday, May 24, 2010

The Empty Cross is Not Enough



In my opinion: Here is why we must always view the Cross with the suffering Corpus Christi. It is through His suffering that Christ conquers the power of the world, with the same peace during which Creation took place. It is not the cross that saves us. Rather, it is Christ who saves us. The suffering Christ.

This is why an empty cross is not enough. We must look upon His suffering daily and certainly during each and every Mass.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Even the Angels Have Not Been Blessed with This Grace



A few days ago, my sister-in-law sent me an email to remind me of the importance of motherhood. It's so moving that I wanted to share it with you. It comes from a bishop known to her brother, who is a priest who celebrates Mass in the extraordinary form. A mother may not build cathedrals, but she is certainly building the most important temples on earth--the tiny perfection of her baby's body. As Bishop Galeone shares with us: Even the angels have not been blessed with this grace.

I hope you enjoy this...

The Gift of Mothers
By Bishop Victor Galeone

As we approach another Mother’s Day, I want to invite you to come back with me to Mother’s Day 1970.

I had just sat down to have a light supper with my widowed mother before returning to the rectory.  My mother was grieving because in less than a month she would be losing her “bambino.”  You see, my archbishop had given me permission to serve as a missionary in Peru for five years, and I would be leaving within a month. 

The fact that I was 35 years old and a priest for ten years was trumped by my imminent departure for the Peruvian Andes, where I might meet with an untimely end--or so my mother imagined.

While having our soup, mother continued her complaining to the point that I blurted out an unkind remark. She started to cry. 

“Mom, I’m sorry. I don’t know what possessed me.  Please forgive me.”

“Oh, I’m not crying about that.”

“Well, why are you crying?” I asked.

She continued: “I’m going to tell you something that I’ve told no one except your father.  It was during the Depression years.  The social worker came by to see how things were going.  I told her that everything was fine except that I had missed two of my periods in a row."

The social worker responded, “ Oh that’s very bad news, Signora Rita! I’ll come back on Thursday afternoon and take you to see this doctor, and he will make your period come."

“I told her that I could never do that…that I would rather die first."

“What! You won’t cooperate! Where’s your husband?" the social worker demanded to know.

"He’s out looking for work."

"Over two years without a steady job, and you won’t cooperate!  Three young mouths to feed already and you won’t cooperate!  When your husband returns, talk this over with him.  If you don’t cooperate, we just might take those two cards away from you.  I’ll see you on Thursday!”

Two comments: Being the fourth child in the lineup, I was that “period.” And the two cards referred to by the social worker were the one that entitled the family to receive a large bag of dried beans every two weeks, and the other was for an occasional delivery of coal during the winter. 

My mother continued:  “Two hours later, your father came home all frostbitten.  As I helped him off with his coat, I told him that the social worker had stopped by.

“What did she want?"

"I told her that I was expecting. She became very upset.  She said that she’d be back on Thursday to take me to this doctor, who would make my period come.  If I refuse to go, they might take our benefit cards away."

“Your father stood there for the longest while without saying a word.  Finally, he spoke: ‘Very well, let them! Let them have their cards back!  The Lord will provide.’ ”

At that point, my mother got to her feet and knelt down beside me.  “Mom,” I insisted, “would you please stop this!”

“No, Let me finish! ...O Jesus, forgive me!  I didn’t want him then because of all our problems.  And now I’m afraid of losing him?  Forgive me, Jesus, please forgive me!  You take him for your poor people in Peru.  Thank you, Jesus! Thank you!”

On two occasions of my life, I stayed awake all night long. One was a case of food poisoning in Peru.  The other was Mother’s Day 1970.  I tried to fall asleep, but to no avail.  For the first time in my life–on learning how close I had come to not seeing the light of day–I fully realized what a precious gift life is.

Throughout the night, scenes from my boyhood intermingled with images of the heroine I had for a mother: “Hey, Victor, your Mom sure talks funny.  I could hardly understand her.”  Gee, I wonder why my Mom can’t talk nice English like all the other mothers can.  “No, I could never do that!  I would rather die first!”  And she only went as far as the third grade in a backward school in Southern Italy.  “Is that your grandmother?”  No, that’s my Mom.  Her hair turned snow white when she was 30.  She had me when she was 35.  “At two months, all the major organs are formed and functioning.  All that is required for birth is time and nourishment.” – “No, I could never do that!  I would rather die first.”

I would like to close with the inspiring words that Cardinal József Mindzenty penned many years ago about motherhood:

“A Christian mother cannot claim the honor of having built Notre Dame Cathedral.  She need not.  She has built something more magnificent than any cathedral – a dwelling for an immortal soul, the tiny perfection of her baby’s body.  The angels have not been blessed with such a grace…God joins forces with mothers in performing this act of creation.  What on God’s good earth is more glorious than this – to be a mother?”

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Prayer of a Jumbled Mind


Dear Christ,

My  mind is jumbled today with so many thoughts, ideas, worries, and desires. As I sit here before You at the tabernacle, I wish I could pray to You with lovely, flowing words...but nothing comes. Only my jumbles. Even the Psalms sound bland to me. Forgive me, Lord.

My prayer to you today is this:
Let me be in Your presence. Fill me with Your peace. And whisper to me Your will and implant it in my heart. You are my King. Tell me, my King, what You want of me. As I gaze upon You, so You gaze upon me. This fills me, O Lord!

Amen.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Visit A Few Good Friends Today

Any day is a good day to visit a good friend. Here are a couple of blogs I love to visit regularly, and a few of the bloggers themselves have been very helpful to me as I'm navigating the learning curve of blogging. Good character is kindness to a stranger!

Bookmark these blogs or add them to your Favorites!

*Read about the anniversary of the apparition of Mary in Fatima, and the Blessed Mother's message, at A Solitary Bird.

*Read the Pope's address in Portugal (the site of Fatima) at A Book of Everything.

*Visit with Kelly, a scientist who is presently discerning becoming a religious. Follow her on her journey at From A Sinner.

*Celebrate the Liturgical Year with cooking! Visit Catholic Cuisine for great ideas and recipes. This is perfect if you have young children and are looking for a way to reinforce the progression of the liturgical calendar. Of course, hubbies would like these recipes, too!

*If you have school age children, you'll love Lacy's Catholic Icing for craft and fun food ideas. Right now she's helping with a Mary trading card extravaganza. Get in on the action! And check out the beautiful Mary cards Lacy made herself.

(Mary trading card from www.catholicicing.blogspot.com.)

*If you're a homeschooler, you'll enjoy visiting The Totus Tuus Family Blog, a lighthearted blog by a family who's in love with the Latin Mass. There's always something interesting and fun, and mom is a master blogger.

I hope you enjoy visiting some of my blogging friends. Be sure to leave them a comment and tell them Kathleen's Catholic sent you!

God bless.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Share This With Your Teen!

Give your life to God while there's still time!

I'd like to share with you a video you will want to show your teen. It's a rap, but if you're 14 or 44, you're gonna love it, too. It's about the modern world--all the stuff we and our kids are "fed"--and how its promises are empty. There is only one true promise, and it is in Christ. The video is fun and not preachy...but very effective!

As Catholics, let's pray that the same fervor you see on this video brings all our brothers and sisters to the Blessed Sacrament, so all will have Christ with us both spiritually and physically and we will be united as One. What a bountiful gift our Lord gave us through His Body and Blood! May we also share in this fervor as we receive Him in Holy Communion. Remember to say, "Thank you, Lord Jesus," as you consume the consecrated host.

Thanks to Brian at A Book of Everything. Click here to watch the video now.

God bless.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Blogger's Sunshine Award



Thanks so much to Esther at A Catholic Mom in Hawaii for thinking of Kathleen's Catholic!

Visit these other terrific blogs. I'm passing the Sunshine Award onto them because of their devotion to the One True Faith!









Catholic Mom dot com

A Book of Everything


A Solitary Bird

From A Sinner 

Do you know of other blogs that should receive the Sunshine Award? Here are the rules:
1. Put the logo on your blog and/or within your post.
2. Pass the award on to twelve bloggers.
3. Link to the nominees within your post.
4. Let them know they received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and the link to the person from whom you received this award.








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