Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Among Women Podcast # 118 features Teresa Tomeo

Among Women 118 challenges us to take time this Advent to go deeper with Christ and the Church. This week, we'll draw inspiration from two women whose lives were transformed by doing just that. The program presents a profile of Dorothy Day, whose 20th century conversion and convictions regarding service to the homeless, poor, and disenfranchised inspired countless Americans through the Catholic Worker Movement. Her cause for canonization is underway.

We also visit with media expert and radio/TV host, Teresa Tomeo, as she unpacks themes from her latest book, Extreme Makeover: Women Transformed by Christ, not Conformed to the Culture. (View trailer below.)

Together we talk about a woman's relationship with the media, plus evaluate media's potentially toxic effects on a woman's wellbeing. Don't miss taking a media "reality check"in light of your relationship with Christ on Among Women today!

Subscribe to Among Women via iTunes.

The trailer for Teresa Tomeo's Extreme Makeover...


image credit

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Video and Audio Resources the First Sunday of Advent

Fr. Robert Barron on Advent Spirituality


Fr. Robert Barron on the new Roman Missal -- I've posted this before, but perhaps you've yet to see it.


Among Women 116- The advent of Advent with Sarah Reinhard, discussing her new booklet, Welcome Baby Jesus.

Among Women 114- Prepping for the New Roman Missal with Jaymie Stuart Wolfe, with a lively discussion of translations changes and our life with Christ. Also featured, a booklet called The Mass Explained for Kids.






Saturday, November 26, 2011

Among Women ReadHER 11.26.11 Mass Translation, Mass Confusion, Mass Participation...


Among Women ReadHer
11.26.11

When Thanksgiving is Filled with Turkeys
By Fr. James Martin SJ at Patheos.com
A bit late for the actual holiday, but soooo much of this is applicable to the forthcoming Christmas celebrations!


Sharing With Others
By Rachel Balducci at Testosterhome
A little bit on the joy of girls, and a little bit of loving on the strangers we meet.


31 Elaborate Marriage Proposals
Posted at MentalFloss
Hey, I'm just happy that people STILL want to get married, despite the high stats on cohabitation, and people who eschew marriage! (Altho', theologically and biologically speaking, I believe we are made for marriage, and the ultimate marriage feast of the Lamb, but I digress...) Don't know how many Catholics are represented here, but surely a few clever romantics!


Saying Good-Bye to the Old English Translation of the Mass
By Patrice Fagnant MacArthur at Spiritual Woman
It's ok to say you will miss the old translation. It's healthy, even, to say that this will be hard for you, for us. 


Pope Benedict XVI on Children and Prayer
By Lisa Hendey, at Faith and Family Live
So simple, so true, so easy to share. (So often folks think of B16 as this giant theological intellectual... and *ahem* he is... but he is also a great, humble, Papa who speaks to the moment, even with children.)


Jesus' Eager Desire: Our Participation at Sunday Mass
By Cardinal Sean O'Malley of the Archdiocese of Boston (as found in The Pilot)
Excellent catechesis for everyone everywhere (not just us folks in MA) on our relationship with Jesus in the Eucharist, and our relationships with the people in the pews next to us in our parishes. Long letter, but worth it. Share it with your loved ones.


Did you see the pilot episode for the sitcom Mass Confusion? If not, you can catch it on demand at Catholic TV.






Friday, November 25, 2011

The F.U.N. Quotient ... a visual for those of you who appreciate Bach!

A little bit of fun for those of refined musical tastes... a great musical piece by Bach with a little video extra!

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving from Our House to Yours... "Now Thank We All Our God" - JS Bach




Now thank we all our God, 
 with heart and hands and voices, 
 who wondrous things has done, 
 in whom this world rejoices; 
 who from our mothers' arms 
 has blessed us on our way 
 with countless gifts of love, 
 and still is ours today.

O may this bounteous God 
 through all our life be near us, 
 with ever joyful hearts 
 and blessed peace to cheer us; 
 and keep us still in grace, 
 and guide us when perplexed; 
 and free us from all ills, 
 in this world and the next.

All praise and thanks to God 
 the Father now be given; 
 the Son, and him who reigns 
 with them in highest heaven; 
 the one eternal God, 
 whom earth and heaven adore; 
 for thus it was, is now, 
 and shall be evermore.

Text: Martin Rinkart; Trans. by Catherine Winkworth 

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Among Women Podcast # 117 The Gifts We Are to Each Other

Among Women 117 celebrates Thanksgiving with a reminder on how we are all connected by baptism to the Body of Christ by sharing a story of bread and wine from St. Francis de Sales... you may look at the bread you serve and the wine you drink a little differently after that.

Then the first segment describes one of the saints from the liturgical calendar this week, on Nov 25, St. Catherine of Alexandria. She was a 4th century martyr who died followed standing up to the Emperor for his persecution of Christians.

Guests this week are co-authors Patti Armstrong and Theresa Thomas who introduce their book Stories for the HomeSchool Heart. 

Monday, November 21, 2011

Come read my latest column at the newly-redesigned Amazing Catechists website.

No matter who we are... we are all called to know the love of Jesus Christ. That's the whole reason to be a Christian in the first place. If you teach about the Faith, that's the only reason to be a catechist. In fact, being a witness to your own faith is an important prerequisite to sharing it with other. You can't give what you don't have. You don't have to know it all to be a catechist, the first prerequisite is to love God, and the second is to love your neighbor... for the catechist, that's the people you teach. 

Everybody has a built-in restlessness that never rests until they rest in Jesus, says Augustine. And the Catholic Church echoes that claim. Even celebrities and the rich and famous need Jesus... and so does the rest of general population. We need to reach out to anyone within our reach with the gospel message of salvation, healing, peace, and love. Thus, my latest installment over at Amazing Catechists: I'm a Catechist, not Kim Kardashian


This makes me think... like, sainthood might actually be accessible.


Through baptism we become part of a family much larger than our biological family.  It is a family of people "set apart" by God to be light in the darkness.  These set-apart people are called saints.  Although we tend to think about saints as holy and pious, and picture them with halos above their heads and ecstatic gazes, true saints are much more accessible.  They are men and women like us, who live ordinary lives and struggle with ordinary problems.  What makes them saints is their clear and unwavering focus on God and God's people.  Some of their lives may look quite different, but most of their lives are remarkably similar to our own.

The saints are our brothers and sisters, calling us to become like them.


            ---Henri Nouwen, Bread for the Journey. (More about Henri here.)

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Among Women ReadHER 11.19.11


Among Women ReadHer
11.19.11

Lesson One in Prayer
By Dr. Peter Kreeft at The Integrated Life
This is the first installment in a larger series. Definitely worth a read, and there is a recorded talk (podcast) with Kreeft also at this link.

Making Room
By Simcha Fisher at her blog at the National Catholic Register
Writer lesson one: write what you know. This is a home run. For parents, for families, for advent.

By William O'Leary of Catechists in the Third Millennium
The calm before the Christmas "storm" that is... three ways to make your Advent more meaningful... and consider clicking through to the article mentioned at the end of #3. (It is an archived piece by Mary Beth Bonacci and well worth the trouble.) Need more Advent prep help?  Check out this week's AW 116 with Sarah Reinhard with ideas for lowering the stress levels.

Teen Girls Twice as Likely as Boys to Tweet
By eMarketer
Not surprised. Other stats listed too. (One of my son's once complained about a former girlfriend who chronically texted him with suffocating frequency.) 


The Catechism Demystified
By Julie Davis at Happy Catholic
Simple, direct, with illustrations. Go see. Julie is a wise and wonderful Catholic blogger and podcaster; hear a delight and fun conversation about her Happy Catholic book on AW 99, or find her conversion story and blog story on AW 49.

The King's Speech
Posted by Rocco Palmo at Whispers in the Loggia
A transcription of Archbishop Timothy Dolan's opening speech at the Plenary meeting of the US Catholic Conference of Bishops. (+Dolan is the president.) For me the speech captures the heart and mission of the new evangelization.


Mississippi Didn't Need Personhood Amendment to Ban Abortion
By Steven Ertelt on LifeSite News
I still think we need discussions about personhood as part of the overall discussion regarding the dignity of the human person. However, having personal discussions about this issue, and the necessity for specificity of language regarding the law are two different things. I think the legal counsel on this --from a Catholic standpoint -- was that this was not the legal battle that would help end abortion in Mississippi, and therefore it did not garner the support from the major Catholic voices in the public square, most specifically the US Catholic Bishops, among others. Honestly, I should have done my homework better on that score; I think I was a bit too quick in my own support of it, as I saw supporting it as a way of standing with other Christians (non-Catholics that I know) in trying to promote a culture of life. In retrospect, I need to take the wider long term view. 


Christ the King and the 'Net Positive
By Elizabeth Scalia at her Tuesday column on First Things
You never know who is listening, watching or reading.


How to Restore a Culture in One Easy Step
By Joe Carter at First Things
Yes, another selection from First Things, but worth it! You know I always try to promote bible reading and bible study... Carter makes a case for it as we've witnessed the shift away from a once-Judeo-Christian ethic that figured prominently in recent centuries and has been abandoned in our secular age.


Buying Locally Catholic
By Sarah Reinhard at SnoringScholar.com
Good advice. Try this as you prepare for the Christmas holidays. And hey -- if you're preparing for Advent, not to be redundant, but take a listen to Sarah Reinhard's appearance on the latest episode of Among Women! 

Wasted for Love
By Sr. Lisa Marie at Virtuous Pla.net
A look at discerning God's will in life and in our vocations.

Bishops Add 2 New Memorials to our Liturgical Calendar
By Deacon Greg Kandra at The Deacon's Bench
And the two are 1) Oct. 22 for Blessed John Paul II and 2) Jan. 23 Blessed Marianne Cope (who we recently profiled on AW 115.)


And again, thanks to The Deacon, who posted this totally amazing TED talk (about 10 minutes) complete with video on new technologies that see inside the body -- a short film from conception to birth -- splendidly done.

And speaking of videos, Matt Warner at National Catholic Register posted 10 short previews of all the films in the landmark Catholicism series produced by Fr. Robert Barron. 






Friday, November 18, 2011

The F.U.N. Quotient... (Mom edition, part 2)


Advice from Moms of Yesterday:
Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing. -Phyllis Diller 
Never lend your car to anyone to whom you have given birth. -Erma Bombeck 
From "Leave It to Beaver"...
    June Cleaver: "Wally, where are you going?"
    Wally Cleaver: "I'm going over to slug Eddie."  
     June Cleaver: "That's no way to talk, this is Sunday." 
    Wally Cleaver: "You're right, I'll wait 'til tomorrow and slug him in the cafeteria." 
I subscribe to Barbara Johnson's calorie-burning definitions of laughter:

Thursday, November 17, 2011

A Princess Gives It All Away -- Inspiration for real life from St. Elizabeth of Hungary

I first encountered the story of St. Elizabeth of Hungary when my husband and I were first married. We belonged to St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish. She was always depicted with a basket of bread in her hands and she wore a crown. In real life, I think she might have hesitated wearing the crown-like adornments, but I can't say for sure. But her lifestyle was one lived in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi, and her day-to-day activities were filled with loving service to her neighbors, despite having the privileged life as a daughter of King Andrew of Hungary, and being wed a prominent German Duke. The woman had it all -- a devoted, wealthy husband, three children, a castle life...and she simply gave it all away...

Read the story of St Elizabeth of Hungary at A Word in Season. 



Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Among Women Podcast #116 - The advent of Advent

Among Women 116 is the "advent of Advent" show where we gently want to remind you about the upcoming season of Advent... but try NOT send you into panic mode. Of course, Advent is a wonderful time of preparation for the Christmas holiday, but its arrival so close after the Thanksgiving weekend, and such, well... sometimes the holidays just get a little cramped and busy, we don't feel very festive.

Today we welcome blogger and author Sarah Reinhard to discuss her new book, Welcome Baby Jesus. And we welcome Sarah's suggestions for making this season one of recollection and receptivity of the baby Jesus.

And I'll also be talking about St Bonifacia Rodriguez Castro of Spain... one of the newest canonized women, and a little bit about walking with Jesus through unmet expectations and disappointments. Listen in to Among Women! 

If you like what we do here on Among Women, kindly consider leaving favorable review and rating on iTunes.

Monday, November 14, 2011

New Website Unveiled today by the USCCB: Marriage - Unique for a Reason


Check out two videos.

In related news, the Bishops of the US are meeting in their fall plenary session. 
Rocco Palmo at Whispers in the Loggia is covering it.

This makes me think... about dealing with fear...

If you abide in the love of Christ, rooted in the faith, you will encounter, even amid setbacks and suffering, the source of true happiness and joy.  Faith does not run counter to your highest ideals; on the contrary, it elevates and perfects those ideals.  Dear young people, do not be satisfied with anything less than Truth and Love, do not be content with anything less than Christ.

Nowadays, although the dominant culture of relativism all around us has given up on the search for truth, even if it is the highest aspiration of the human spirit, we need to speak with courage and humility of the universal significance of Christ as the Saviour of humanity and the source of hope for our lives.   He who took upon himself our afflictions, is well acquainted with the mystery of human suffering and manifests his loving presence in those who suffer...  


... Dear friends, may no adversity paralyze you.  Be afraid neither of the world, nor of the future, nor of your weakness.  The Lord has allowed you to live in this moment of history so that, by your faith, his name will continue to resound throughout the world. 



--Benedict XVI, Homily at Prayer Vigil, World Youth Day, Madrid,  2011, August 20, 2011.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Among Women ReadHER 11. 12. 11... war on women, grateful tweets, internet's influence & more


Among Women ReadHer
11.12.11

What I Am Never Going to Tell You
By Elizabeth Foss at her blog, In the Heart of my Home.
This is such an important post by a very wise mother, Elizabeth Foss: even "great" parenting does not guarantee that our children will live lives that reflect our faith and values. (My two cents: Loving children despite their free will is the toughest job parents face... Witness the forgiving father in the parable of the Prodigal Son. Some may one day return to a Christian walk, and some may not.)

The Real War on Women
By Kathryn Jean Lopez
No nonsense, straight talk. Lopez never preaches. Just states it very plainly.


The Personhood Initiative: Mississippi Voters Fail A Reality Check
By Phil Lawler on CatholicCulture.org
We need more discussion on the subject of personhood as a path to promoting the culture of life.


All That We Behold is Full of Blessing -- Wm. Wordsworth
By Maria Johnson
I've been a #gratefultweeter, following the lead of folks like Maria and @MattSwaim... I recommend #gratefultweeting... it can be a form of evangelism, offering a smile rather than a frown to twitter news feeds. There's another take on this, here.


Parents: Beware the Dangers of Peer Orientation
By Jennifer Fulwiler
This subject really resonates with me. As a former youth minister (in the years before my children came) it became very clear to me that parents needed to be the molders and shapers of conscience and perspective, and it their absence, other voices would fill the vacuum. (I write a little bit on the shaping of conscience in a child, this week at Catholic Mom.)


Virtually Pleasuring Ourselves Out of Existence
By Betty Duffy at Patheos
Very astute and challenging about the power of the internet's addictive pull. 


Fr Robert Barron discusses the new translation of the Roman Missal... (under 15 minutes.)






Friday, November 11, 2011

The F.U.N. Quotient... Mom edition (part 1)

From Moms Today:
Request Back-up! -- Ellen Gable Hrkach - (cartoon)
Why We Don't Have A TV Show -- Sherry Antonetti 
Sick Days for Mom? Take the Quiz -- Karen Rinehart

Thank you Vets!

 yeah, I've posted this song before, but this is a different slide show. It IS a great anthem by Michael W. Smith.

Today is 11-11-11. Cool.


I also like Dr. Pat McNamara's story about "Fr. Francis P. Duffy and the Fighting 69th."



Thursday, November 10, 2011

Cheating Death and Growing in Gratitude -- a heck of a thanksgiving post

Grateful that I've been over at Patheos for well over a year now!


Here's the opening to my latest column at A Word in Season:

In a nanosecond I saw my life pass before my eyes as an on-coming out-of-control Camaro crossed into my lane. I did all I could to avoid the impact, while thinking…  
 “Oh, God, this is how I’m gonna die.” 
But then I didn’t. The pulverizing sound of the crash was less frightening that the thought of what we would look like afterward. The little economy car was totaled. Despite a severe whiplash and bruises, I managed to get out from behind the crooked dash, unbuckle the children in the back seat -- crying and shaken but okay -- and walk away.
That day, and for weeks after, I grew in gratitude for the preciousness of life amidst harrowing flashbacks and “what if’s?”
Here's the rest.



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Wednesday, November 9, 2011

On Launching Ships and Sons... (yup, we sent our "baby" to college)


I'm over at CatholicMom.com today, waxing nostalgic. Well, actually the column is more about my hopes for my youngest son being on his own in college than my transition to the part-time semesters-only "empty nest."

Here's a taste of it:
Look at the ships also; though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs (James 3:4 RSV-CE).” 
I have kissed my son and waved goodbye. The day finally came for him, the youngest of the brood, to pull up anchor and sail off for college. As I’ve come to assess the condition of my mother’s heart, I find a contented peace, like a sunset after a long working day. My years of sailing a thousand smaller voyages with this young man now bring me here, standing on the shore of blessing. 
The giant ship -- that is, an adult child’s college career or work life -- and the sails that are made to harness the winds of successful living, are, in the end, steered by the smallest rudder… for the conscience is hidden deep. It invisibly navigates every journey, guiding the course. 
Such are the paradoxes of the Catholic faith. We can easily recall how the smallest Host of bread contains the greatest mystery and the holiest power. To consume it – to let it transform us – is to yield the tiller to Another’s gentle hand and influence. It never fails to reveal True North to the sailor.  
Read the whole thing. And check out the great line up over at CatholicMom! There's always something good cookin' over there!

Image credit 

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Among Women Podcast #115 -- Virtuous Women

Among Women 115 features the voices of two bloggers.

First, there is Kathy Schiffer whose writing supplements our "Blessed Are They" segment. Her post, from her blog Seasons of Grace, features a look at the life of Blessed Marianne Cope, a saintly woman who served Christ in the United States both in New York and Hawaii.

Second, there's Julie Robison, a blogger at The Corner with a View and a writer for Virtuous Pla.net, a website reaching out to the JP2 and BXVI generations. 

And frankly, I just love women who strive to make the internet a more virtuous place by offering their witness to the world in and through their lives, and the stories they tell. It's another podcast for women by women, here on Among Women


Monday, November 7, 2011

This makes me think... about Jesus


A FACE TO CONTEMPLATE

"We wish to see Jesus" (Jn 12:21). This request, addressed to the Apostle Philip by some Greeks who had made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Passover, echoes spiritually in our ears too... Like those pilgrims of two thousand years ago, the men and women of our own day — often perhaps unconsciously — ask believers not only to "speak" of Christ, but in a certain sense to "show" him to them. And is it not the Church's task to reflect the light of Christ in every historical period, to make his face shine also before the generations of the new millennium?

Our witness, however, would be hopelessly inadequate if we ourselves had not first contemplated his face.
...

The contemplation of Christ's face cannot fail to be inspired by all that we are told about him in Sacred Scripture, which from beginning to end is permeated by his mystery, prefigured in a veiled way in the Old Testament.
...

As on Good Friday and Holy Saturday, the Church pauses in contemplation of this bleeding face, which conceals the life of God and offers salvation to the world. But her contemplation of Christ's face cannot stop at the image of the Crucified One. He is the Risen One! Were this not so, our preaching would be in vain and our faith empty (cf. 1 Cor 15:14). The Resurrection was the Father's response to Christ's obedience, as we learn from the Letter to the Hebrews: "In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard for his godly fear. Son though he was, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him" (5:7-9).

It is the Risen Christ to whom the Church now looks. And she does so in the footsteps of Peter, who wept for his denial and started out again by confessing, with understandable trepidation, his love of Christ: "You know that I love you" (Jn 21:15-17). She does so in the company of Paul, who encountered the Lord on the road to Damascus and was overwhelmed: "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Phil 1:21).

Two thousand years after these events, the Church relives them as if they had happened today. Gazing on the face of Christ, the Bride contemplates her treasure and her joy. "Dulcis Iesus memoria, dans vera cordis gaudia": how sweet is the memory of Jesus, the source of the heart's true joy! Heartened by this experience, the Church today sets out once more on her journey, in order to proclaim Christ to the world at the dawn of the Third Millennium: he "is the same yesterday and today and for ever" (Heb 13:8).

---John Paul II, Novo Millennio Ineunte

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Among Women ReadHER 11.5.11


Among Women ReadHer
11.5.11

Breaking Bad Liturgical Habits
By George Weigel at First Things
Here's a run down of a few things we all should know or learn.

Sacraments 101
By Sr Susan at CatholicTechTalk
A shout out to the good work Busted Halo is doing. I couldn't agree more.


A Culture of Faux Choices Meets Divine Mercy; Why there is hope... after abortion
By Kathryn Lopez, at National Catholic Register
Powerful, in-depth interview on post-abortion healing and hope. Given special attention to the experience of  "social abortion."

What is the Difference Between a Nun and a Sister?
By Sr Julie and Sr. Maxine, from the resources page over at A Nun's Life
Just in case you ever wondered.


The Illusion of a Perfect Life
By Elizabeth Scalia, The Anchoress
I've had similar conversations with women over the years....


Get Me to the Church On Time
By Sherry Antonetti at the Catholic Standard
A mother of 10 offers advice on how to get the family to Sunday Mass on time.


The World's 7 Billionth Baby is a Gift, Not a Problem
By Brandon Vogt at The Thin Veil
Besides agreeing with this sentiment, I appreciated some of the links embedded in this post.


Women Need to Watch Something Other Than the Mass Media
By Teresa Tomeo at NRO
Besides watching with discretion, we need to be about the business of relationships!


Sexy in Context is Holy
By Lisa Mladinich at the Catholic portal at Patheos
A very coherent synthesis of some of the many themes found in Theology of the Body as it pertains to marriage and sexual norms.


Virgin Mary Nightlight
By Bonnie Engstrom at Virtuous Planet
From the magnificence of a holy moment in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome... to the bathroom at WalMart...


Tweet of the Week:


Barb, sfo
I'd buy one. RT : Why don't they make minivans with soundproof chauffeur's windows?


And if you like happy endings (in real life), this 3 minute video is sure to fit the bill.






Friday, November 4, 2011

The F.U.N. Quotient - tweet edition


The names and identities of the twitter-ers have been deleted, to protect the innocent, and the guilty.


Take a look at trending topics and you'll realize why they have to write "do not eat" on dry silica packets.

If you're in Los Angeles and lost your wallet near the Starbucks on Melrose I found your wallet but not the $58 inside it.


Billion dollar idea: Make a prescription drug that gets rid of the side effects of all of the other prescription drugs.


I don't trust a taxi cab that has more than two air fresheners.


Speaking from experience, No More Tears shampoo does not work as advertised if you drop the bottle on a baby's face.


Roman numerals. What are they good IV?

If you know how many calories are in your donut, you're not eating it right.


We get about 25 screaming 5 yr old little girls together to scream nonstop at terrorists, BOOM, we win the War on Terror!

"I wish I could answer phone calls with my Walkman." -Steve Jobs in the 80's


"I just launched a new fragrance!" - fun way to announce a fart

I remember when social networking was something that happened in person. How awkward.


I don't care what the expiration date says, I have to smell it.




Thursday, November 3, 2011

Ready or Not Here Comes the New Translation of the Roman Missal. Lotsa Tips Here!!


Well, the clock is ticking toward the First Sunday of Advent on November 27. On that Sunday, the English-speaking churches of North America and elsewhere will begin using the updated or "new" third edition of the Roman Missal for its daily and Sunday Masses. We've not had such a large change in language since 1973 -- and that's before a lot of today's Catholics were born. So there's a period of transition ahead of all of us. And many folks are still not aware of the coming changes, so please help to spread the word.

This third edition of the New Roman Missal is not a change to the Rite of the Mass, but it has several changes to the wording of the prayers we are accustomed to within the liturgy. Therefore, things are going to feel and sound a little strange for a while until we all adjust.

Here at Among Women we talked about the New Missal with Jaymie Stuart Wolfe in the context of bringing familiarity with the changes to our families, most especially to our children.  Listen to Among Women 114 for discussion about the new missal.

I've also been doing a series at Patheos on the changes coming to the people's responses in the New Missal. You'll find the latest installment, "It's Not a New Mass, It's a New Translation", focusing on the Sanctus ("Holy, Holy, Holy") and the Mystery of Faith here. But here's an excerpt...

New Translation:

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
There seems to only be the slight change in the opening line of the Sanctus, where the word “hosts” replaces the phrase “power and might.” 
This prayer comes at an important transition within the Mass, preparing our hearts to join with the priestly offering of the Eucharistic prayer. This hymn uses the thrice holy Hebrew superlative, praising the infinite and almighty God in heaven. The New Missal’s switch to using the word “hosts” more accurately reflects the Scriptural origins of this prayer. 
This hymn to God is taken directly from a heavenly vision from the prophet Isaiah. (See Is 6:3). What’s more, the vision vividly describes not just some angels present at the heaven liturgy; the word “host” refers to an army of angels lifting praises to God. 
“Host,” you may recall, also references the many angels who lit up the sky with their praises on the first Christmas night when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. The shepherds were greeted by a multitude of “the heavenly host (Lk 2:13.)” 
This simple change in wording conveys powerful imagery and the truth of what is dynamically present to us in the liturgy. 
The Sanctus is the prayer of angels and we are privileged to join in their song. Heaven and earth are -- indeed -- full of God’s glory. And at this point in the Mass, we are but moments away from when heaven reaches down and touches earth in the form of the Eucharist, the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ.
Go read the rest here.

Here are the other articles in the Patheos series:
The Translation: A Renewed Understanding of Love 
Missal Changes, Part One: Defined By Prayer (On the Opening and Penitential Rites) 
Mass Changes, Part Two: The Gloria and the Cree
It's Not a New Mass, It's a New Translation (Part Three: The Sanctus and the Mystery of Faith) 
Other helpful resources:
Resources available for free: 
USCCB: Welcoming the Roman Missal 
Changes in the People’s Parts 
Catholic TV’s series: “Preparing for the New Roman Missal” – video recordings of a symposium for priests. 
Liturgy Essentials from Pauline Books and Media  - I especially like Sr. Anne's 7 min video on her insights on the New Missal.
Life Teen's Video Series Introducing the New Missal 
OSV’s Roman Mission revision readiness plan – helpful suggestions on how to  prepare for the new translation. 
Podcast: iPadre - Fr. Jay Finelli interviews Fr. James P. Moroney, an expert who is traveling the country introducing the New Roman Missal.  
Resources available for purchase: 
Books on the Missal  -- even for kids! -- from Pauline Books and Media
A New Translation for a New Roman Missal – DVD set featuring talks by Fr. James Moroney of Vox Clara. 
The Mass Explained -- book by Fr James Moroney 
The Church’s Common TreasureA booklet produced by the USCCB containing 11 essays exploring the history and purpose of the new translation.
images 

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

The Chaplet for Holy Souls


The Chaplet for Holy Souls

This devotion of the Chaplet for the Holy Souls is prayed on the most popular 59 beads Marian Rosary which is one of the Catholic Church Sacramentals.


Make the "Sign of the Cross" on the Cross. Then say the Apostles Creed.On the 5 beads between the Cross and the medal, say,

Our Father...
Hail Mary...
Glory Be...

For each decade, proceed as follows:

On the large bead prior to 10 small beads, say:

"O Holy Souls
draw the fire of God's love into my soul,
to revealL Jesus Crucified in me here on earth,
rather than hereafter in Purgatory."


On each of the small beads, say:

"Crucified Lord Jesus,
have mercy on the souls in Purgatory."


When you have completed all 5 decades, say 3 times the Glory Be...


Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Got saints? Here are some great podcasts on the saints.

Happy All Saints Day!

We love the saints around here. If you're looking for some of our previous shows on saints, check out these:
AW 113 with Lisa Hendey, talking about her new book A Book of Saints for Catholic Mom
AW 51 with Ronda Chervin, discussing her Treasury of Women Saints. 
AW 17 with Gina Loehr, conversing about Real Women, Real Saints. 
 Of course, Among Women has an entire master index/archive listed by the saints we have covered.

And don't forget the Saint Cast with Paul Cammarata - an archive of over 140 podcasts!

The new Roman Missal (click & learn about the coming changes):

Watch Catholic TV here! Find Women's programs: "WINGs" and "Woman at the Heart of the Church"

A Lovely Reminder for Every Day

Coffee drinkers! Support AW by drinking Mystic Monk Coffee!

Ship a Cake, and Share a Blessing