Among Women ReadHER 7.28.12 Aurora, marriage, motherhood, and gutsy bishops

Among Women ReadHER 7.28.12

Some stories outside the headlines on the violent shootings in Aurora:

Learning Who We Lost: The Aurora Victims
Posted at Hot Air
Say a prayer.


Denver's Bishop Conley's Remarks and Invocation at the Prayer Vigil for the Victims in Aurora
Posted as a PDF from the Archdiocese of Denver
Worth reading and praying.


A Miracle Inside the Aurora Story
By Brad Strait at Celtic Straits
Lotsa folks praying for this woman's recovery, and thanking God, perhaps, for the "gift" of her curious medical malady.


The Dark Knight Before the Dawn
By Joseph Susanka at Patheos
Joseph is an insightful film buff and Catholic writer. His column this week reflects on the film The Dark Knight, and the shootings in Aurora. He says: "Heroism and the confrontation of evil—a confrontation most often achieved through suffering—is the only way to truly grapple with the problem. To paraphrase Alfred, we must learn to get back up; to rise again, and press ever forward towards the light."

Other interesting stuff: 

Women say "I Do" to Husband's names
By Carolyn Moynihan at Mercator.net
I always watch what Moynihan is writing about. This is interesting. It was more optimistic that I would have thought.

Before You Get Here
By Lauren Warner at Sipping Lemonade
A mom writers a touching note to her daughter in the womb.

The 'Busy' Trap
By Tim Krieder at the New York Times' Opinionator
A bit long, but worth the read. Insightful, challenging. H/T to Sarah Vabulas.


The Joys of a Wonderfully Imperfect Life
By Meg Meeker, MD from her blog
Very very good advice.


The War on (Little) Women and Other Insanities
By George Weigel at The Catholic Difference
Sex selection abortions, the Supreme Court, and more, in the US.


Chicken-Gate - An Exercise in Media-Induced Hysteria and Fascism...
By Katrina Fernandez at The Crescat
Simply the shortest and most succinct blog post I could find on this story that, I think, originated here in Boston area with it's mayor getting his knickers in a twist about Chick Fil-A's president expressing his personal philosophy. Which leads me to ask: Is Chick Fil-A not serving customers based on their sexual orientation, or firing their employees with same-sex attraction? That would be news. But its not. Instead we have a Christian business owner and his company being smeared because of comments he made to a church organization, a right he has in freedom of speech. Lord have mercy on business leaders everywhere. I'm suddenly in the mood for sweet tea.


And now this sad news about the death of the PR spokesperson at Chick-Fil-A.


Building a Culture of Religious Freedom
Address by Archbishop of Philadelphia, +Charles Chaput, OFM, Cap (as found in the National Catholic Register)
Read this one. Share it. Talk to your children about this. The new evangelization will fail if we fail to be distinctly Catholic and Christian in our thinking, discourse, and finally, love and example.

Among Women ReadHER...7.14.12

Among Women ReadHER 7.14.12

Attachment Theory
By Elizabeth Foss in the Catholic Herald
Protect your marriage. Read this very wise advice.


The Gospel and Social Media
By Sr. Mary Ann Walsh on the USCCB Blog
Take notes. 


Is Being Strict the Same as Being Effective?
By Mary Beth Hicks at Family Events
Some parenting wisdom.


Want to Be Motivated?
By Matthew Warner at Fallible Blogma
Cool video, under  2mins.  


A Plea for Really Committing to Adult Faith Formation
By R. Thomas Richard, PhD at Homiletic and Pastoral Review
This is why I went back to school in my 40s. This is sooo needed in the church today.


Father's Don't Abort Your Daughters
By Timothy Dalrymple at Philosophical Fragments
Painful truth: More and more we need to stand up for life... especially a woman's life, a daughter's life. 

Among Women ReadHER 6.9.12 On forgiveness, helping hands, and making lunch...

The Church Pushes Back
By Mark Rienzi at National Review Online
An essay by a constitutional lawyer speaking in clear language what is going on with the upcoming courts cases regarding the HHS mandate. Very compelling read, and worth sharing with others.


Our Feather-Strewn Sins Can Teach Us Mercy
By Elizabeth Scalia at Our Sunday Visitor
Must-reading for your week. Wisdom from lived experience, the sacrament of reconciliation and a dear saint.


Wife Confidential: Why I make His Lunch
By Theresa Thomas at The Integrated Life
Hey! I love "love in a lunchbag" from home. Read Theresa's motives for making her hubby's lunch each morning. And if you'd like to hear Theresa, she guested on AW last fall on episode 117.


When Your Heart Hangs By A Thread
By Timothy Dalrymple at Philosophical Fragments
The beauty of life in full view in the pediatric ward.


Celestial Magazine
A new magazine for Catholic Women looking for Subscribers


The Gift
From DivorcedCatholic.org's newsletter of encouragement, this post (very short) is worth the read. If you or someone you know is facing divorce, you may wish to listen to Lisa Duffy, co-founder of DivorcedCatholic.org talk about divorce and hope on Among Women 97.


My Dream for My Daughter
By Denise Hunnell, MD at Human Life International
A good piece that upholds the value of womanhood and a reminder that fertility is not a disease to be treated... we can hope to have our daughters grow up without thinking their dreams rely on their fertility being suppressed or obliterated.


ProtectOurGirls.com
Are you opposed to sex-selection abortions? They are happening in the USA and only a few states have bans. Information at this website operated by LiveAction, complete with a video that reveals what's is being said on the inside.


Africa E-Book Project
Catholic author Brandon Vogt and others have a great project here. Consider giving your support to support seminarians in Cameroon.


Inspiration sportsmanship by a woman at a Track Meet in Ohio. State Champ helps a competitor after a fall. Two thumb up!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Among Women Podcast 133 features The Bright Maidens, Part 2.

Among Women 133 welcomes back the beautiful trio of twenty-somethings, the Bright Maidens. Otherwise known as bloggers Trista Leigh, Julie Robison, and Elizabeth Hillgrove.  This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation talking about what's on the minds of these fabulous women. This week we'll be talking about virginity, chastity, theology of the body, and what attracts modern women to the pro-life cause. Catch up on Part 1 here. or on iTunes.

This episode also profiles one of the youngest blesseds I know, Jacinta Marto, the youngest visionary from the Marian apparitions of Fatima, beatified in 2000 by Pope John Paul II.

The take away here is that even young people are called to live saintly lives, and all of us are called to share the good news of Jesus Christ . I think you'll enjoy the young women profiled on today's episode.

Feel free to subscribe to Among Women, or leave a rating or review for the podcast on our iTunes page.

Don't forget to "like" our Among Women Facebook page.

Also, I've put out a call for feedback for an upcoming Special Edition of AW (where we feature the voices and comments of AW listeners.) The topic is joy. I'm looking for feedback on either one or both of these questions: What brings you joy? Where do you find joy?

Send you answers via the facebook page, or via email at pat.gohn@comcast.net, or, most favorable would be your own voice recorded on our voicemail feedback line at 206-203-2024, or by emailing me an mp3 file.

30 years ago today...

Can it be that l-o-n-g ago?

He proposed.

I said yes.

At the time he asked, there was no ring. We were both broke college seniors set to graduate. The ring came a bit later. It was a happy memory, picking it out together.

We got married 6 months later.

Still got the ring...

But more importantly, we've still got each other.

St Peter's Square, Rome, 2011

Did I tell you this cool guy is taking me to France in a few months? Back to Paris for a third time and then off to Lourdes to give thanks to Momma Mary for 30 years, and oh, so much more. 

(Um, yes he is a frequent flyer and our travel is one of the only benefits of our being apart.) 

(And yes he really is a foot taller than me.) 

(Today in the world's news there is sadness, for the footnotes for this date in history contain anniversaries to many sad events. But to us, it remains the day we got engaged. And we remember that in the end, there are three things that last... faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.)

Among Women Podcast #127 Captive Hearts Now Free

Among Women 127 tells remarkable stories of the faith of women imprisoned for the faith in our "Blessed are They" segment, as it relates the passion and death of Sts. Perpetua and Felicity, two martyrs who were jailed for their beliefs in Christ and executed in the arena. Their lives are forever memorialized in Eucharistic Prayer I, otherwise known as the Roman Canon.

In our "Among Women" segment, I bring an interview that is months in the making. "Tracy" from the sunny beach, is a longtime AW listener who came forward to share her story of faith and family triumph as she emerged from 8 years of separation from her husband who was imprisoned for a felony. Through her testimony "Tracy" talks about clinging to God's Word in the middle of the night, the sanctity of marriage vows, the power of loving friendships in the Body of Christ, and the reconciling graces of forgiveness.

"Tracy" reminds us that for every person who has ever served time, in many ways, their families serve the time too. Hear how she picked up the pieces and moved on one day at a time. 

Recovery Stories on Among Women

We've all had our fair share of heartache, pain, illness, broken dreams, and abuse... and yet, somehow we know we've got to find a way to recover... to find healing, hope, and a way to carry on.

Let this be an invitation to hear stories of faith and inspiration from women who tell their recovery stories in their own words. There's something here for every woman.

On Among Women 21, Lisa Hendey, founder of CatholicMom.com and I discuss recovery from breast cancer.

On Among Women 22, Susie Weiss shares how a broken marriage can recover using techniques from Retrovaille.

On Among Women 29, Kathleen Fitzpatrick talks honestly about her recovery from a one-night stand that changed her life. The resulting pregnancy was hard to handle at first, but with the help of her family, she decided to raise her son as a single mother.

On Among Women 47, "Margaret" describes her recovery from repeated episodes of sexual abuse.

On Among Women 57, Sr Kathryn Hermes discusses surviving depression and her book on that subject.

On Among Women 60, Dr Ronda Chervin offer steps to recovery from anger and its effects as we discuss her book Taming the Lion Within.

On Among Women 69, Anastasia Northrup shares her recovery from verbal abuse.

On Among Women 75, Dr Theresa Burke, a leading psychologist in the field of treating women suffering from the hurts of abortion, and the founder of Rachel's Vineyard Ministries, gives advice and a path toward healing. In a follow-up discussion, Dr Burke talks about healing from sexual abuse on AW 79.

On Among Women 87, Dorothy Consiglio talks about her recovery from an a car accident that killed two of her best friends, and severely injured her.

On Among Women 89, Ellen Gable Hrkach shares about her recovery from miscarriage.

On Among Women 97, Lisa Duffy of DivorcedCatholics.org deals candidly with divorce and its aftermath.

On Among Women 103, Rosario Rodriguez describes her amazing recovery from a gun shot wound to the chest, and her even greater recovery in terms of forgiveness toward her assailant.

UPDATE ON 4.2.2012: On Among Women 129 & 130 Author Karen Edmisten unpacks advice and counsel from her new book After Miscarriage, A Catholic woman's companion to healing and hope.

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.

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

Marriage: Unique for a Reason Homepage.

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.

Check out Archbishop Timothy Dolan's opening remarks.

Happy Anniversary to us!

This is my husband, Bob, and his current obsession hobby car that is always a work-in-progress. Today's our anniversary... my how-fast-the-years-have-flown-by. Judging by his love of antiques of a certain vintage, then this marriage -- another work-in-progress -- is bound to endure!

All I can say is it's been a heavenly ride.

Top down, music up, wondering where we're going next?!

Catholic Bishops standing up for Christian Beliefs regarding Marriage, Physician-Assisted Suicide

Just in case you have missed a few news items this week, let me recap them.

Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, President of the US Catholic Conference of Bishops, wrote a letter to President Barack H. Obama regarding the Administration's seemingly poor regard for the sanctity of Marriage. Read the Archbishop's blog here. That post will eventually lead you to a .pdf of the entire letter here.

Elsewhere, here in Massachusetts, there is an initiative petition ballot drive underway to allow physician-assisted suicide to become legal in the Commonwealth. Cardinal Sean O'Malley recently spoke on this matter, and you can read his homily remarks in the context of a news article from The Pilot, the Catholic newspaper of the Archdiocese of Boston, here.

The Exquisite and Excruciating Life of Married Love -- a peek inside our marriage

When you stand at the altar and you make your vows, exchanging consent and exchanging rings, you do so with faith, hope, and love... for there is no crystal ball that allows you to see into the future. When I look back on my life thus far, my husband's constant love has been one of the more tangible evidences of God's love for me. And I truly believe that God had a plan for our marriage that far exceeded my own expectations. And I've learned that it's depth comes from the graces of the Sacrament of Matrimony.

It's a hard and beautiful call, this one, to love someone until death. But we are not without resources that come from the Master of Divine Love. That's why Catholics are taught that "it takes three" to make a marriage work: You, your spouse, and Jesus Christ.

This week's column at Patheos was spurred on my heartfelt sadness at certain legislative battles coming to Massachusetts (and you can be sure, to a state near you) and my rejection of some ideas suggested by a news item that seemingly gives married couples an out, an easier path to end their marriage when the going gets tough...especially when it comes to breaking the vow "...in sickness and in health."

I am a breast cancer survivor. A cancer was found early, increasing my chances of overcoming it. In 15 years of survivorship, I've known quite a few cancer survivors, and a number of marriages that fell apart in the trauma. Sometimes marriages, undergoing the stress of illness, have very high divorce rates.

I can only speak for me and Bob: If heaven is our goal, then, we pray and we stay. Love is elastic. It stretches, it grows. And it's worth everything we can give to it in the end. We're not saints. But we know some. And we know Jesus. And He has never left us.

So here's the opening of this week's offering from A Word in Season...

Like many survivors of breast cancer, I have some serious battle scars. My un-bandaged body after breast cancer certainly made for some interesting pillow talk between my husband and myself.
 Going into the crisis long ago, we barely considered what it would mean for our love when all you are trying to do is fight something that has the potential to kill you or your spouse. But when I was done with all the treatment… the question lingered unspoken in the air…What would our marriage look like -- or, stranger still --what would it feel like?
 I knew he loved me before all the surgeries. Fourteen happy years and three children assured me of that. But before that, we had never really, really been tested by heartache and loss like a cancer diagnosis brings.
 In the aftermath, I could not begin to fathom what our intimate moments might be like now that I had been surgically taken apart and permanently altered.
 He just smiled and kissed the boo-boos. And he never stopped.
 The miraculous healing power of lips to scars transformed the broken hearts and the marriage that cancer had tried to lay to waste, better than life-saving surgery could do.
 He later told me that it was graces of inviting Christ into our marriage on our wedding day -- the power of the vow permeating every aspect of our lives -- as well as the blessing of chastity that had come back to bless us in those first post-cancer episodes. We had stood at that altar and vowed to love one another -- sight unseen in terms of what would yet to be consummated -- pledging to accept the all of the other. 

Read the rest here.

Among Women ReadHER 9.17.11 ... babies, beauty, burnout, single life, romance -- not necessarily in that order!

Among Women ReadHer

9.17.11

Is It OK to Be Single?
--Beth Knobbe, at Catholic Chicago Blog
The ever-pressing question. I like how Beth handles this. You may recall Beth as a guest on AW 68.

Fighting Burnout
--Arwen Mosher over at Faith and Family Live
After having twins, Arwen shares about dealing with stressors. Lotsa comments on this one too.


13 Things I've Learned in 17 Years of Marriage
--Karen Edmisten at Faith and Family Live
Thoughtful, practical, and always hopeful, Karen is one wise woman. Karen has been on AW twice before, hear her life story from atheism to faith to Marian devotion on AW 20 , and more about Mary on AW 82.


Good Girls Beware
--Elizabeth Foss at the Arlington Catholic
Sound daughter-raising tips!


Pulchritude in Women
--Kevin Lowry at The Grateful Convert

NOTE: pul·chri·tude 

[puhl-kri-tood, -tyood], noun. Defined: physical beauty; comeliness.
God Needs You
--Julie Robinson, at Virtuous Planet
I thought this little post about prayer was a good companion piece to this week's AW 109 - Metanoia. Looking forward to Julie being a future guest on AW!

Lovely Lady
--Lisa Schmidt of Practicing Catholic
A wonderful (and short!) re-posting from Radiant Magazine -- remember we profiled that magazine on AW 73?


The Triumph of the Cross - 2011
--Sr. Catherine, the Digital Nun
Even though the feast is passed (9/14) I thought this missive was simple yet deep.


Mary Sees Us
--Simcha Fisher in the National Catholic Register
Simcha, nice one!


I Was Going to Ridicule This

--Maria Johnson, from Another Cup of Coffee, and the Catholic Weekend podcast.

A good take on being an encourager of others. Plus Maria follows it up with this short 16-minute film... that packs its own good-for-you punch...

Among Women ReadHer... 6.18.11

Among Women ReadHer

6.18.11

The True Meaning of Marriage -- Archbishop of New York, Timothy Dolan
As the Governor and New York State legislature move toward same-sex marriage, NY's Archbishop has timely, important instruction and counsel.


He's Just Not That Into You -- Lauren at Sipping Lemonade
A lot of this is common sense, but sometimes it's good to have someone spell it out.

Hallie Lord's blog is host to several engagement stories.

Some real life follow up to Lauren's article above. 

Walking with a Friend -- Susan Terbay at CatholicMom.com
I so relate to this, cuz I have lived it: What it means to a cancer patient to have others make it easy for them. (Read this in tandem with the next piece from Maria Johnson.)


God Wears a Guaybera and Probably Smokes Cuban Cigars -- Maria Johnson at Another Cup of Coffee
Read this if only to learn this: To ask my friends for prayer, then, is to let them love me. 


This Dad Has Always Been Funnier -- Mary Beth Hicks at Family Events
Hicks writes about her husband this Father's Day.


Sharing His Mind with Me -- Danielle Bean at Fathers for Good
Bean serves up rich memories and the solid example of her Dad for Father's Day

Among Women ReadHer... A new weekly feature here at Among Women

In honor of our two years together and our forthcoming 100th episode, I thought the blog should grow a bit.

Many of you know that I write and read an awful lot. Almost to a fault. That comes from the kind of work that I do. But many of you have busy weeks, and have little time to comb the Catholic news and blogosphere leisurely. I've long had a "reader" in the sidebar for sharing stuff I find interesting on the web, as well as a blogroll. I'll still keep them, but I want to tailor a weekly listing of articles and/or "finds" on the web that are specifically geared for the women who listen to the podcast and read the blog. They may relate to topics we've covered on Among Women, or they may relate to the spiritual life, or women's issues in general.

Anyway, I'm gonna give it a go. I don't expect it to be a large post with many links like New Advent or The Pulp.it or any of those big gun content aggregators. It'll just be some stuff that benefits us girls.

If you find any articles, etc, of benefit, I'd ask that you send them along either in the combox, or send them to my email: amongwomenpodcast@me.com.

So here we go...

Among Women ReadHer

5.21.11

Christ in the Workplace - Rebecca Teti
Don't miss the discussion in the comments underneath the blog post -- very good insights from women in the workplace. This post is a response to this study recently done by the USCCB: Women's Spirituality in the Workplace


The Three Temptations of Facebook - Jennifer Fulwiler

What Does the Marriage Want? - Deacon Greg Kandra

California Bill Respects the Authority of Parents - Mary Beth Hicks

Jerry Lewis Retires from Telethon - The Anchoress
Pay attention to the links at the bottom from my pal Maria Johnson's blog.


A Post-Abortive Mothers Agony - Dr. Gerard Nadal, PhD


To Bikini or Not to Bikini - THAT is the question! - Elizabeth Esther
Yes, I'm in the comments, giving my "No BS" rule for clothing buying.



image credit

The Greatest Gift God has given me in this life...

that has, time and again, demonstrably shown me without a doubt that God loves me, has been my husband Bob.

Today we celebrate 28 years of Marriage. 

Amen to that!

Here he is, with "Old Ironsides", the USS Constitution in Boston.

And here we are in Rome, after renewing our wedding vows
for our Silver Anniversary in 2007!

(Frequent flier miles strike again!)

Of course, there have been other gifts
that have come along the way as well...
just to name a few...

One Incredible Son, now launched... 

and living and working in NYC!

One Amazing Daughter still in college...

And One Awesome Son...

Now finishing high school...

And One Wife's Master's Degree...

And one crazy blue-eyed pooch...

Just gratuitously thrown in for cuteness sake...

And a million and one memories!
I love you Bob!

The Fun Quotient: Anniversary Edition

This weekend, Bob and I celebrate 28 years of wedded bliss... good thing we have a sense of humor.  Or rather, he has the sense of humor ...

Marriage, An Intimate Partnership

I'm talking living and loving the sacrament of Matrimony over at Today's Catholic Woman on Catholic Exchange.  Here's a snippet:

Young (and old) lovers would do well to carefully examine the wise and ancient counsel from a great saint and Doctor of the Church, St. John Chrysostom (4^th century) regarding such a holy union.

CCC 2365:

St. John Chrysostom suggests that young husbands should say to their wives: I have taken you in my arms, and I love you, and I prefer you to my life itself. For the present life is nothing, and my most ardent dream is to spend it with you in such a way that we may be assured of not being separated in the life reserved for us. . . . I place your love above all things, and nothing would be more bitter or painful to me than to be of a different mind than you.

What a sublime example of the heroic love to which Christians are to aspire. This is way beyond Hallmark sentimentality, and all the externals that go into wedding planning. This is about planning a life. This little quote reflects some of the inner essence of what a sacramental marriage is at its core.

Read the whole piece here.

Among Women Podcast #46

Among Women #46 looks at the life of the soul according to St. Teresa of Avila in Interior Castle. And guest, Eileen Wood, a certified instructor of the Billings Ovulation Method of natural family planning describes the beauty of love and fertility in the life of married couples.

In honor of Valentine's Day

This video asks the question: What have you done for your marriage today?

Get support for your marriage at For Your Marriage.

For singles ministries, try Road to Cana, and Catholic Match.com, and the Theology of the Body website that promotes the National Singles Conference, coming up Feb. 19-21 in San Antonio, TX.

And finally, here's a hilarious-but-true video about the differences between the brains of men and women, from Christian pastor and marriage expert, Mark Gungor.