Bacon, Potato, and Cheddar Skillet

My friend Danni posted this tantalizing video on her Facebook timeline the other night. Since it was evident that bacon was involved, I took the time to watch it - and then show it to my husband - and then text it to my friends/family - and then share it on my wall. You get the idea.

Last night, my husband and I decided to give it a try and OH MAN was it worth it!

Some of you have been chomping on the bit, waiting for the details - because I posted a tempting photo last night (ahem, Emily and Lisa) - and so, with no further adieu, here is the blog you've anticipated with mouth watering impatience.

Bacon Skillet

Ingredients:

• Potatoes - thinly sliced. We used Yukon Gold, because that's what we had in the pantry.
• Bacon - we used a pound or more. You'll need enough to completely cover your skillet.
• Onion - this was something we added to the recipe, so take it or leave it, according to your taste preferences. Ours we cut into 'petal' sized pieces.
• Cheddar cheese - we buy the blocks and grate our own, you can use shredded if you prefer.
• Lawry's Seasoned salt - don't use too much, the bacon and cheese are already salty
• Pepper to taste
• Garlic powder - a light dusting on one of the layers will do. This was something we added to the original recipe as well. We love garlic!

Bacon Skillet Essentials:

• Skillet of your choice - this depends on how many people you want to serve.
• Olive oil
• Parchment paper
• Scissors
• Cookie sheet

Building your Bacon Skillet:

Grab your favorite skillet in the size you'd like to make. We went with a 10" cast iron skillet while the original video showed the chef using a 12" stainless.

Pour a small amount of olive oil into the bottom of the skillet and spread. This will hold your parchment paper in place.

Take a piece of parchment paper, slightly larger than your skillet, and fold in half. Then fold it in half again, in the other direction. You'll now have a square. Continue to fold from the center point, until you have a small cone shape. Lay down in skillet (pointed end at the center), pressing into the edge, and cut off excess. When you open it up, you should have a circle of parchment paper. Lay in skillet and press along perimeter, until it makes a molded interior surface. This will help tremendously when it's time to remove and serve.

Now bring on the bacon!

Starting from the center, build a carpet of bacon on the inside of your skillet. Be sure to alternate lengths so that not too much of the bacon overlaps in the middle - we don't want a clump of bacon in the middle. Continue around the skillet until every surface is covered and you have bacon hanging far over the edges - you'll see why in a minute.

Spuds are next!

Beginning at the outer edge, lay potato slices in a tart-like pattern - one layer. Sprinkle lightly with Lawry's, pepper, and garlic powder.

Next, add some of your onion petals (optional).

Then sprinkle with a generous cover of shredded cheddar cheese.

Continue to add layers until the skillet is mounded up - decreasing the circumference of the layers, to build a pyramid of sorts. Remember that potatoes will shrink when they cook.

When you've reached the desired height of goodness, fold the bacon over your potatoes until all you can see is bacon. Yum!

Top with something heavy, like a our Lodge bacon press. Place skillet on a large cookie sheet - there will be spillage as the bacon cooks. Now the whole scrumptious thing goes into a pre-heated 350 degree oven. Bake for 2 1/2 hours.

TIP: I removed our skillet/cookie sheet after an hour or so, and poured out the drippings. Between the bacon grease and the liquid from the potatoes, there was probably about a cup or so.

A glorious aroma of Bacon Skillet goodness will be wafting through your house by now - tempting you to speed up the process. Believe me, you'll want to bacon to thoroughly cook for this to turn out just right!

After 2 1/2 hours have passed, remove from oven, take off the press (you might need to nudge the bacon a bit with a spatula, to keep it from sticking), and pour off the excess liquid. Then simply remove your meal, using the edges of the parchment paper, and place on a large serving plate. I was sure happy with how easy the parchment paper made this.

Then I simply lifted, first one side and then the other, to remove the parchment paper.

Let rest for 10 minutes and then slice and serve. I used a meat cleaver, which served to both cut and serve (cake style). 

Servings: Following this recipe using a 10" skillet should net about 8 servings - I'll not comment on nutrition facts, but hey, it's bacon!

Let me know what you think, if you try this. Share your photos at Designs by Birgit!

Share on the blog hop at...

That Despicable New Minion Movie

As is our habit for July birthdays, my adult daughter and I go to a movie to celebrate. This is a decades long tradition for us and often the only movie we see at a theater all year. Now that she has children, they inevitably tag along for a fun family outing. We make a day of it – noon Mass at the Cathedral, lunch at a favorite restaurant, and then a movie. Our tastes are simple and tame, so it isn’t a problem for the kids to join us – usually that is.

Although our birthdays fall on July 1 and 2, we waited for the Minion movie to come out today – July 10. Who wouldn’t enjoy the harmless fun of yucking it up with those cute little pill-shaped protagonists, right? Why I even have priest friends who sport a biretta-wearing minion as their Facebook profile photo. They’re everywhere – spokes models for several brands from yogurt to cereal. With their penchant for bananas, unique language, and silly antics minions are the epitome of harmless fun – or so I thought.

Yes, I do realize that the first movie, Despicable Me, found the minions seeking a villain to follow as well but, in the end, Felonious Gru found redemption and became a good guy after all.

Spoiler alert: In the latest Minions we wait throughout the entire movie for a redemptive quality that never comes. There is a heartbreaking lack of morality in the entire film. You'd hope those little yellow capsule fellows would at least contain a conscience. But, in their quest to follow one villain after another, our little yellow chuckle-heads never find anyone respectable to whom they want to attach themselves – not even the Queen of England.

Equally distressing for our young companions, are the risqué scenes mingled in with the dark humor. We see a minion drop his pants to reveal a thong and a trio of hypnotized guards who strip to their boxers to gyrate, twerking-style.

I’ve forgiven or chosen to ignore the gratuitous bathroom humor, injected in many movies for kids these days – ostensibly to keep the boys and teens interested – but I draw the line at a character who says, ‘It’s just feels so good to be bad’ and then never changes her tone.

Sadly, the only thing I found enjoyable was the excellent Beatles soundtrack and the minions’ version of a walk across Abbey Road. My $7.50 matinee fee was badly spent money indeed.

Shared on 

Cancer: Heartfelt Gratitude Among Tears

Has it really been 21 years (May 4) since our dear, faithful mother died of BRAC1 breast cancer at age 58? It seems so long ago, yet so recent too. When someone has such an impact on the lives of those around her, the hole left by her loss is enormous and forever present.

The world goes on, however, and so did we. The years passed and our children grew into adults. Then their marriages were celebrated and soon gifted with children - 9 of them so far (with 5 little saints in Heaven). We've been immeasurably blessed!

Yet cancer struck again! First I was diagnosed at age 48 - the same demon BRAC1. Though there were trials, times of fear, a temporary sense of hopelessness, and a resurgence of trust in Almighty God - I've survived for almost 10 years now.

Six years ago, against the normally accepted odds, our daughter was also diagnosed - at age 28! That she was also 20 weeks pregnant was an unfathomable horror. When local doctors told her that she had only two choices - 1. Wait to give birth and then undergo treatment or 2. Terminate the pregnancy (abort) and undergo treatment - she balked at either choice. Instead, our scientifically trained daughter began her own research.

What she found was both amazingly encouraging and appallingly horrible.

The encouraging aspect was finding that doctors had been treating cancers in pregnant women for over 20 years - with great success and zero harm to their babies.

The appalling part was that so few doctors across the country seem to share this information or even appear to know about it. How many woman have killed their unborn children through abortion in order to survive? How many other women have forgone treatment for themselves because they sincerely thought it was their only option for saving their child?

As our daughter, and her daughter, celebrate their 6 year cancer-versary today, I'd like to share this information with the public. Consider it my public service announcement for the day. If this information reaches even one woman who is tragically faced with what she thinks is a choice between her own life or the life of her baby, these few words will have been blessed! In your charity, you might even consider sharing this information with others. The Holy Spirit has lead our daughter to share her story publicly and it has touched those who needed it.

In the mean time, I praise and thank Almighty God, the Great Physician, for allowing us the priviledge of these past 6 years. The vast numbers of people across the country and even the world, who prayed for both mother and child, cannot be ignored. If ever we have seen the power of prayer, it was during those months of cancer treatment. We even witnessed a miracle at one point.

Erika and Rachel, you are truly loved and are our miracle in this world. That you are such faithful souls and give so selflessly to others is a blessing to all who know you and even to some of those who don't!

+   +   +

Links to past posts about Erika and her Miracle Journey (please consider sharing):

Bald Pregnant and Living

Evangelizing for Life - Chemo While Pregnant

Erika's Miracle Journey - Erika's blog

Erika's Miracle Journey Continues - Facebook fan page

Cancer While Pregnant - Facebook fan page

Cancer is no excuse for abortion.

Then and now! Praise the Lord!

May Our Doubt Turn into Faith

“My Lord, and my God!”

Saint Thomas famously said those words when he was finally able to see the Risen Jesus for himself. As we celebrate this great martyr’s feast day, let us remember the words Jesus spoke right after Thomas’ exclamation of faith, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." John 20:24-29

It always amazes me when the daily Mass readings at a particular time are so relevant to current times. Earlier this week we read about Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:15-29) and today we are encouraged to live on faith. Hopefully, we are among those who believe – even though we have not seen. With the societal trending toward ungodly lifestyles, this becomes even more important to remember.

How does that translate into a useful message for our everyday life?

Sure, we attend Mass and believe in the Divine Presence (John 6:53-55). But how does that belief manifest itself into the world in which we live? Are we people of faith when it comes to standing up for what is right – even when it isn’t popular? If we are to be faithful followers of Christ, the answer should be a resounding yes!

How we deal with the trials and tribulations of our society illustrates our faithfulness. It isn’t enough to only pray, or only evangelize, or only witness. A faithful servant will do it all.

Faith in Action

I saw this faith in action today as I attended Mass at our local Cathedral. A friend of a friend had sent out a call to others – come join us at noon Mass today so that we can pray for our country. Mindful of the travesty of the Supreme Court decision (an invented legal right to homosexual ‘marriage’) she wanted to gather for prayer, in solidarity. The result was amazing!

The usually lightly attended daily Mass was filled with families, mothers with children, and older faithful. The vibrant echo of our united prayers resonated with faith – exclaiming our conviction of the sanctity of natural, sacramental marriage. Today we joined together to pray, evangelize, and witness to the family as God created it. It was a blessing to be with so many others whose faith took action.

Keep the Faith No Matter What

As the attacks on our religious freedom continue, it will become more and more difficult to swim against the tide. Yet having seen the many faithful who gathered today, I feel ready to put on the Armor of God and be faithful – no matter the cost.

As wonderfully encouraging as it was to be among such a large gathering, it is necessary to remember that we must stand for what is right, even if we wind up standing along. Of course, we won’t be alone at all, because God will be ever at the side of His faithful ones!

Go out to all the world and tell the Good News! Mark 16:15

And God almighty bless thee, and make thee to increase,
and multiply thee: that thou mayst be a multitude of people. 

Birthday Cakes and Faith

For her birthday today, I decided to bake my daughter's favorite - Chess Cake. It's an old recipe, from a great-aunt who died 30 years ago - in her late 90's. As with the German recipes left by my mother, God rest her soul, this one is simple. So simple, in fact, that it consists of ingredients and baking time. There are no instructions. Do I cream the butter or melt it? Are the eggs slightly beaten or do they go into the batter one at a time, as is?

As I was working through the nuances of baking, and not wanting disappointing results, I searched the internet for similar recipes. There, I would find the missing details.

I'm not flustered by those great cooks who came before me. They were alive in a time when the details were so well known that one didn't need to write them down. Much like the bread recipe I bake, the actions were automatic, because this was something they did on a regular basis. And, after all, I had the means to easily find instructions. All I had to do was look.

This brought me to the currents events through which we are now struggling. Sure, most people have a basic understanding of right and wrong. Yet, they don't know the details. The how and why simply escapes them. There's so much indignation about contrived 'fairness' and 'equality' because their morality has been formed without any instructions.

Once we fail to build up our faith by continued research and learning, we become slaves of the passing tides of society. The one, most glaring indication I am seeing is that most individuals now want to rule their conscience with feelings rather than truth.

Truth is concrete; it doesn't sway with the times or with emotions. Truth just is. That's a difficult concept for many to grasp these days. It's also the reason our Catholic faith is so important. God didn't give His Word to the masses for interpretation. When Jesus called Peter the rock on which He would build His Church, He intended Peter to represent Him - not himself, Peter. Jesus instructed those who passed His litmus test as disciples to go out and inform the nations. What He didn't say was, go and interpret my Word as you will.

The hierarchy of the Church is vital for gaining the understanding behind the concept - the instructions that go with the ingredients, if you will. Yes, we have the laity, who are tasked with living and proclaiming the Gospel. But we also have priests at the parish level, bishops, cardinals, and a pope.

All of these steps up toward Jesus provide an unbroken line of knowledge that originates with Jesus. If an individual or a cleric fails in proclaiming the word correctly, we can still go to the top - Jesus. He handed down the ingredients and instructions. The Deposit of Faith held by the Church, from its very beginning, cannot be denied. Since it stems from Jesus - God - it's infallible. Those tasked with sharing it may display their feet of clay at times - yet the Stone that the builders rejected, the Corner Stone Jesus, is always there to secure His Church.

Princess LaLa, Mini LaLa, Cuckoo Lala, and Piper Lala

Happy birthday, Kicker!

May you always take the trouble to acquire both the ingredients and the instructions!

Love, Mom

Keep Calm and Catholic On!

The feed on Facebook has lit up with Skittles colors and Papal flags. Sides have been drawn and we are left with the rubble. In answering someone on my Designs By Birgit fan page, I formulated my thoughts in a few simple sentences. That is what I want to share with you today:

Marriage isn't some sort of club that we want to keep people out of - it's a covenant, designed by God and spoken of in Genesis and in the New Testament. 

Marriage is a facet of natural law. It speaks to the physical nature of men and women - different, yet complimentary - and the family that they build through the physical action of their love (children). 

This true description of the sacrament of marriage can't be changed. Others may have relationships, but if they deviate from one man and one woman (for life) it's simply impossible for that relationship to be true marriage.

As we battle mightily to bring God's Truth to the hearts and souls of our loved ones and our country, let's always be mindful of love. Love, the Great Commandment. We, Catholic Christians, aren't called to be hateful, vengeful, or even caustic. We are called to speak the Truth as given to us by the Word, Our Lord Jesus Christ - and to speak it in love. 

We're also not here to convince - the grace to make the righteous, moral decisions comes from God. What we are called to do is to share Truth - even if it finds us carrying one small fragment of His Cross. He was hated yet He lived only love - blameless and compassionate, He died for the sins of the many. Surely we can do our small part to walk in His footsteps. We can never fill them, but in following them, He will lead us Home!

Stay strong and Catholic on!

Like this meme? Follow this link to share it on Facebook.

Flags, Rainbows, and Natural Marriage

That whole Southern Cross flag thing just became really insignificant...

I posted that on my wall just this morning, after hearing about the most atrocious Supreme Court ruling since Roe vs. Wade. All week, people have been up in arms about the left's revisionist history concerning the Southern Cross battle flag and its supposed racial sentiments. As a proud transplant to the Southern portion of the United States (from Germany), I shake my head at how the powers that be feel inclined to trample our rights, our history, and our very lives.

Yet now there are more important things about which to worry. The Supreme Court of the United States of America has just immorally ruled that natural marriage is not protected. Every Tom, Dick or Harry can now fashion their own parameters.

What they haven't and can't do is to supplant Natural Law. Even if one denies the Word of God, marriage is (and will always remain to be) the union between one man and one woman - with the natural effect of bringing more souls into the world. 

Instead of relying on my own words, however, I'll share some wisdom from those who speak it better than I ever could. 

I'll also share some memes that I've created. Please consider following the links and sharing them as well. I'd also like to invite all of my married friends to use a wedding photo as their profile pic on Facebook and/or other social media. 

The 2% (or less) of the population practicing sodomy (let's call it what it is) needs to see that the majority is sticking with God and His Natural Law concerning the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony!

Wisdom from the past via the Venerable Fulton Sheen 1953

Moral Principles do not depend on a majority vote. Wrong is wrong, even if everybody is wrong. Right is right, even if nobody is right.

+++

Canon lawyer, Edward Peters: Two thoughts re the Supreme Court decision on ‘same-sex marriage'

3. Catholics who promote “same-sex marriage” act contrary to Canon 209 § 1 and should not approach for holy Communion per Canon 916. Depending on the facts of the case, they also risk having holy Communion withheld from them under Canon 915, being rebuked under Canon 1339 § 2, and/or being sanctioned under Canon 1369 for gravely injuring good morals.

+++

USCCB Statement on Marriage Ruling

Comparing it to the Roe vs. Wade decision:

“Neither decision is rooted in the truth, and as a result, both will eventually fail. Today the Court is wrong again. It is profoundly immoral and unjust for the government to declare that two people of the same sex can constitute a marriage.”  ~Archbishop Kurtz

+++

I'm sharing with you my statement regarding today's Supreme Court Ruling on Same Sex Marriage:

The Supreme Court's 5-4 decision on marriage is not a surprise. The surprise will come as ordinary people begin to experience, firsthand and painfully, the impact of today's action on everything they thought they knew about marriage, family life, our laws and our social institutions. The mistakes of the court change nothing about the nature of men and women, and the truth of God's Word. The task now for believers is to form our own families even more deeply in the love of God, and to rebuild a healthy marriage culture, one marriage at a time, from the debris of today's decision.+Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.

Archbishop of Philadelphia

+++

Justice Antonin Scalia Dissent

Today's decree says that my Ruler, and the Ruler of 320 million Americans coast-to-coast, is a majority of the nine lawyers on the Supreme Court. The opinion in these cases is the furthest extension in fact — and the furthest extension one can even imagine — of the Court's claimed power to create "liberties" that the Constitution and its Amendments neglect to mention. This practice of constitutional revision by an unelected committee of nine, always accompanied (as it is today) by extravagant praise of liberty, robs the People of the most important liberty they asserted in the Declaration of Independence and won in the Revolution of 1776: the freedom to govern themselves.  

"A system of government that makes the People subordinate to a committee of nine unelected lawyers does not deserve to be called a democracy."

"[T]o allow the policy question of same-sex marriage to be considered and resolved by a select, patrician, highly unrepresentative panel of nine is to violate a principle even more fundamental than no taxation without representation: no social transformation without representation."

"The stuff contained in today’s opinion has to diminish this Court's reputation for clear thinking and sober analysis."

"With each decision of ours that takes from the People a question properly left to them — with each decision that is unabashedly based not on law, but on the 'reasoned judgment' of a bare majority of this Court — we move one step closer to being reminded of our impotence."

+++

"Today’s decision casts that truth aside. In its haste to reach a desired result, the majority misapplies a clause focused on 'due process' to afford substantive rights, disregards the most plausible understanding of the 'liberty' protected by that clause, and distorts the principles on which this Nation was founded. Its decision will have inestimable consequences for our Constitution and our society,"  Justice Clarence Thomas 

+++

Majority opinion of Justice Anthony Kennedy, let's pray this is honored!

“Finally, it must be emphasized that religions, and those who adhere to religious doctrines, may continue to advocate with utmost, sincere conviction that, by divine precepts, same-sex marriage should not be condoned. The First Amendment ensures that religious organizations and persons are given proper protection as they seek to teach the principles that are so fulfilling and so central to their lives and faiths, and to their own deep aspirations to continue the family structure they have long revered. The same is true of those who oppose same-sex marriage for other reasons. In turn, those who believe allowing same-sex marriage is proper or indeed essential, whether as a matter of religious conviction or secular belief, may engage those who disagree with their view in an open and searching debate.”

+++

“Sad moment in the history of our nation. But we move on. No same sex marriages will be celebrated within the Catholic Church. Our faith teaches that marriage is a sacramental union between a man and a woman. That is our faith and our truth!!! We shall not attack the principle of same sex marriage but uphold our faith and our truths! It does not matter to the Church as marriage is a sacrament that can’t be defined by any court!” ~Bishop Richard F. Stika

+++

The Catholic Gentleman

The United States just legalized gay "marriage." Fear is in the air. I will simply share these thoughts:

The final war between Satan and the Lord God is over the family. Why? Because the family is icon of the Most Holy Trinity. The communion of love between the three Divine Persons is the original family. This Divine communion is fruitful, that is, it brings forth life. It cannot help but do so. Life bursts forth from the love of the Holy Trinity.
The family is the earthly image and icon of Trinitarian love. The communion of love between husband and wife is designed to be fruitful, to bring forth life. In a very real sense, married love creates. This is why marriage carries the dignity of a sacrament---because it is a holy image of the Trinity.

Only God can truly create. Satan cannot. And Satan hates this fact. He is sterile in every sense of the word. He hates the Trinity because he envies its life giving and creative power, and he hates the family because it mirrors the Trinity.
And what better way to mock and warp the life-giving love of the Holy Trinity than to attempt to redefine marriage as something that cannot bring forth life? To redefine it as something inverted and sterile, like Satan himself? This is what homosexual "marriage" really is: Satan's mockery of the family, and thus of the Trinity.

The good news is, Our Lord, through the Immaculate Virgin, will crush Satan's head. Just when his victory seems sure, he will meet with a sudden defeat. Count on it.
Finally, stay strong. Be at peace. Be courageous. Never, ever lose heart.

+++

Now let's get this out there and take action. 

Please ask your US Congressmen to support this bill:

H. R. 2802

To prevent discriminatory treatment of any person on the basis of views held with respect to marriage.

+++

I promised to share pro- natural marriage memes, so here they are. Please follow the links to get them.

Link to the above here.

Link to the above here.

Link to the above here.

Link to the above here.

Please check back for additional links and memes.

Dads Matter

In this upside down world we've created an environment where men are no longer held up as admirable for their unique masculine characteristics. In fact, some would have us believe men in general are an optional facet of life. There's surrogacy, IVF, and single moms on Facebook bragging about how they should be honored on Father's Day.

In their displacement, men are changing with these New Age perceptions. Once they were considered the stronghold of society - especially through their unconditional, to the death, devotion of care for their families. Now, they're too often seen as a nuisance. After all, who needs them? They're the adult version of boys with cooties. Sure their seed may be necessary for a while longer - if a woman or homosexual couple wants a child. But even there science has come up with a cure. We're seeing the evolvement of creating babies in ways that could only have been science fiction a few years ago.

God didn't create man and woman for this horrific brave new worldview. He made them - male and female, He made them. In His own Image they were created - with characteristics that are different yet beautifully complimentary.

This weekend we celebrate Father's Day. Let's make this a time for remembering our God-given roles as humans. Women are strong, yes, but in the nurturing self-giving way designed by God. They aren't second class citizens - in fact they have quite the foothold on respect these days. They can't, however, replace the stronger sex. After all, should we really be looking at life as a competition? Weren't we put together as marriage partners in order to help one another to Heaven?

Men are physically and mentally strong in their own unique way. Their bodies are fit for combat - both in physique and in mental prowess. They protect, instruct, and guide. But most of all they LOVE. As the spiritual heads of their households their strong hand portrays a powerful witness - gentle, yet rugged. They are, after all patterned after God Our Father! Like Saint Michael the Archangel, they protect us from the evils - both physical and spiritual - in this world. Never diminish their masculine qualities in an ill-conceived attempt at 'equality'.

Together, male and female, they provide the perfect combination - each bringing their own strengths and their own weaknesses. Yet together, they form a formidable stronghold for the wellbeing of the children to which God has entrusted them! Children are their earthly treasure and deserve to see a godly witness in their parents. This day let's give thanks for the masculine half of that whole.

Happy Father's Day!

PS Let's not forget our priests - the spiritual fathers who bring us the Eucharist!

Keep Calm About the Laudate Si Encyclical

Even before the release (or the leaked release) of Pope Francis' eco-encyclical, people from all corners were speculating, voicing fears, and even condemning the pontiff's motivations. I surely won't lie and say I didn't share some of those misgivings - especially for those of us who look at the global cooling, global warming, climate change issue as an unadulterated hoax - perpetuated by ecological hypocrites.

I also have to admit guilt in allowing myself to be riled up by the misreporting concerning this pope. I guess I wasn't as cyber-connected when there were tales being wagged around about the other two popes during my adulthood - Benedict XVI and Saint John Paul II. There were a couple of times I got my dander up when they were misquoted, but I 'got' them. Pope Francis and his way of thinking are, admittedly, a bit foreign to me. 

The youth-loving attitude of Saint JPII was at the heart of the time in my life when our children attended World Youth Day in Colorado. As a German myself, Papa Benny spoke to my heart and to my soul. His logical, professorial way of leading/teaching his flock appealed to me on a personal level. He was my spiritual Opa.

Pope Francis is different. He's far from reserved - a German trait to which I ordinarily relate - and displays a tendency to dismiss ceremony, which speaks to my intellect as well as my pedantic side. So I'm often challenged to understand just what he is saying/doing.

I do want to reiterate that, while we owe allegiance and respect to the words Pope Francis has shared with his flock, we are under no obligation to take it as infallible. As in many other circumstances, we are to make a sincere effort to digest the words but are free to pattern our behavior in relation to them with our own, informed conscience.

In the mean time, as the world digests the words of our Holy Father, let's keep calm and rely on grace, guidance from the Holy Spirit, and an (continuing) informed conscience.

Sources about the Laudate Si Encyclical

Laudate Si (Blessed Are You), the much anticipated encyclical by Pope Francis was released this morning. It's said that the name takes inspiration from the Canticle of the Sun by Saint Francis. 

Rather than ramble on about my own take (I honestly have only read parts of it), I share with you 11 Things You Probably Won’t Hear about Pope Francis’ Encyclical, from The Stream.

1. Creation has a Creator, and is more than just “nature-plus-evolution”:

(75) A spirituality which forgets God as all-powerful and Creator is not acceptable [...]

(77) “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made” (Ps 33:6). [...]

2. Human ecology means recognizing and valuing the difference between masculinity and femininity:

(155) Human ecology also implies another profound reality: the relationship between human life and the moral law, which is inscribed in our nature and is necessary for the creation of a more dignified environment. [...]

3.  Jesus sanctifies human work:

(98) Jesus worked with his hands, in daily contact with the matter created by God, to which he gave form by his craftsmanship. [...]

4. Look up from your phones and encounter each other:

(47) When media and the digital world become omnipresent, their influence can stop people from learning how to live wisely, to think deeply and to love generously. [...]

5. Save the baby humans:

(120) Since everything is interrelated, concern for the protection of nature is also incompatible with the justification of abortion. [...]

(136) [I]t is troubling that, when some ecological movements defend the integrity of the environment, rightly demanding that certain limits be imposed on scientific research, they sometimes fail to apply those same principles to human life. [...]

(91) A sense of deep communion with the rest of nature cannot be real if our hearts lack tenderness, compassion and concern for our fellow human beings. [...]

6. Helping the poor requires more than just handouts:

(128) We were created with a vocation to work. The goal should not be that technological progress increasingly replace human work, for this would be detrimental to humanity. [...]

7. Overpopulation is not the problem:

(50) Instead of resolving the problems of the poor and thinking of how the world can be different, some can only propose a reduction in the birth rate. [...]

8. True ecology requires true anthropology and respect for human dignity:

(118) There can be no renewal of our relationship with nature without a renewal of humanity itself. [...]

(65) The Bible teaches that every man and woman is created out of love and made in God’s image and likeness (cf. Gen 1:26). [...]

9. Real change requires a change in culture, not just politics:

(123) We should not think that political efforts or the force of law will be sufficient to prevent actions which affect the environment because, when the culture itself is corrupt and objective truth and universally valid principles are no longer upheld, then laws can only be seen as arbitrary impositions or obstacles to be avoided.

(211) The existence of laws and regulations is insufficient in the long run to curb bad conduct, even when effective means of enforcement are present. [...]

10. The Church does not presume to settle scientific questions, and we need an honest and open debate:

(60) Finally, we need to acknowledge that different approaches and lines of thought have emerged regarding this situation and its possible solutions. [...]

(188) There are certain environmental issues where it is not easy to achieve a broad consensus. [...]

11. Stop with the cynicism, secularism and immorality:

(229) We must regain the conviction that we need one another, that we have a shared responsibility for others and the world, and that being good and decent are worth it. [...]

A link to the official text of the Laudate Si Encyclical can be found HERE

To watch a video about the intitial impression of Laudate Si, go to Papal Encyclical: A First Look

More insight can also be found at Good news about the new encyclical Laudato si’ – #PopeForPlanet and Pope Francis: Climate Change and Abortion Are ‘Interrelated’

Keep Calm and Rely on Sound Doctrine

The times, they are a-changin'.

It can arguably be said that we are in a moral crisis mode unequalled in history. Certainly, there have been depraved and godless societies before us - even to the extent of the sexual perversion and idolatry of riches (and power) rampant today. But what we haven't seen in times past is the "higher proportion of collaborators with the new reigning ideology" to be found "among the ranks of the clergy". This according to Bishop Anthanasius Schneider of Astana, Kazakhstan.

He and two collaborators have authored a new book, Preferential Option for the Family — 100 Questions and Answers Relating to the Synod. In it, the understandable confusion surrounding the upcoming Synod on the Family is addressed.

In our frenzied, cyber-fed world we are inundated with a constant barrage of debauchery. Men seeking to become women, unfettered abortion, unnatural attempts of 'marriage' by same sex attracted people, and more. Our children are being force-fed sexual propaganda as early as kindergarten - through school and scouting – even as parental rights teeter on the brink of extinction. Fueling this dire situation is a false sense of tolerance and an abhorrence of righteous judgment.

Popular memes tell us that we should act according to the simple path of giving in to feelings. Our hearts can become softened with a false sense of love when we fail to adhere to the hard and fast truths taught by Holy Mother Church, consistently and unchanged, for over two thousand years.

As Catholic Christians we are taught to be tolerant (and loving) of everyone – regardless of our differences. What is being foisted on us, however, is a demanded acceptance and even celebration of evil acts. That crosses the line of right judgment – the ability to judge an action as morally disordered according to Natural Law. Although only God can judge the condition of another’s soul, scripture tells us that we are to shine the light of Truth onto the darkness of sinful acts. Admonishing the sinner is, after all, a Corporal Work of Mercy.

Society as a whole, and an unfortunate majority of Catholics, are acquiescing to many of these disordered, theologically unsound worldviews. Even as Jesus begs us to pick up our cross (unpopular as it is) and follow Him, many walk away. It’s simply easier to take the well-worn path of societal acceptance under the premise of ‘live and let live’. The danger in this way of thinking, however, is that right and wrong can’t (and shouldn't) be based on feelings. Truth is Truth – as difficult as it may be to employ.

All of this would seem unbearably alarming, were we not to avail ourselves of our beautiful faith! Instead of panicking we can stay calm and rely on sound doctrine -  as we stand for Truth. In this way we will be armed with the Armor of God. There are bountiful opportunities to strengthen us on our journey toward Eternal Life and to help others along the way.

As Archbishop Salvatore J Cordileone of the Archdioces of San Francisco recently noted, the proper way to respond to attempts at same-sex 'marriage' (and other moral ills) must be done with “truth and compassion”.

To shore up our resolve and act with moral certainty we need the help of the Magisterium. We have Holy Scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, writings of the Church Fathers, and Sacred Tradition to guide us in this unwavering path.

Of course we also have the strengthening power of the sacraments to see us through. Frequent confession and the nurturing Eucharist are the mainstay to remaining firm when facing adversity. 

I can do all these things in Him Who strengtheneth me. ~ Philippians 4:13

Abundant and fervent prayer, on the part of the faithful, is also essential. Both the laity and their shepherds are in desperate need for guidance, strength, and grace. All this, and more, is at our disposal if only we open ourselves up to the divine guidance through the Church founded by Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior.

"Catholics should say many and flaming prayers so that bishops may be protected against the temptation to adapt to the world and so that they may be strengthened in their apostolic courage to confess their Faith." Bishop Schneider

MORE INFORMATION

Copies of the ‘Preferential Option for the Family’ booklet can be obtained by emailing supplicafiliale@gmail.com

Bloom Where You Grow

There are a couple of flower boxes on our back porch railing. Anyone who has cats knows what that means - anything growing there has to be pretty persistent or it will be crushed under the furry bellies of our lounging feline friends. In fact, for the past couple of summers we haven't even bothered to plant anything in them.

That's where a delicate salmon-colored poppy comes into the story. Even though the parent plants are far below - on the ground - somehow a tiny seed made it to the soil in one of the flower boxes. Not only did it make it, it germinated, set down roots, and has been beautifully blooming for a few days now.

What can we learn from this persistent, lovely little plant?

We aren't always where we thought we'd be in our lives. Maybe we don't even want to be where we are at all. It's easy to focus on an idealistic image of  if only. In this imaginary, perfect world we would be saints, may be successful (in a worldly way), or admired by all. Every effort would reap the anticipated reward and failure would only come if we didn't try hard enough - or didn't have enough faith.

Yet scripture tells us that we will be tested. That our trials - and how we handle them - will shine a light for others to see. We can become the salt for them and the leaven for their spiritual bread.

Matthew 5:13-16
13"You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men. 14"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. 15Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

.

It isn't always ours to choose where life leads us but it is our choice when it comes to how we react. When life hands us an unexpected detour from our search for perfection, we should choose to react with grace. As a sweet little lady used to tell me,

"We need to bloom where we grow". 

Wherever God has planted us, that is our place to shine, To shine with His love and compassion and faithful service. Then we will be headed down the road of success - and toward sainthood!

Scarlett or Saint?

A recent essay entitled, Strap on Your Bib, It’s Time for Humble Pie, contemplates our need for humility and childlike trust in God. When we 'let go and let God', we're admitting that it's not ours to resolve the tempestuous aspects of our lives. Like Peter, walking across the sea to Jesus, we aren't in control. But, in his weakness of faith, Peter knew to call out to Jesus for help. Our own fallen human nature often brings us to a spasm of fear so paralyzing that we shy away from the very One in Whom our safety lies.

We aren't particularly unusual in this frail human reaction. Therefore, scripture continually admonishes us to offer our trials and fears to Jesus. The same Jesus Who gave His very life for us. 

The Lord is my firmament, my refuge, and my deliverer. My God is my helper, and in him will I put my trust. My protector and the horn of my salvation, and my support.  Psalm 18:2

Finding the wherewithal to do this, however, is not an easy task. Our mortal, life-preserving instincts all too often send us in the opposite direction – fleeing away from His assistance. 

When we are finally spent - having fled away from the things we fear and breathless - the exhaustion we feel blunts our emotions. It’s then that we're able to resist the eerie pull of terror.

But is this faith? Or is it an attitude of "I'll think about it tomorrow"? The answer lies in our will. Do we thrust those abysmal fears away, into the deep and dark recesses of our minds – hidden from all but our subconscious mind? Or to we bring them to the glaring light of day and then offer them to God?

The answer to that question will show whether we are successfully working toward being a saint – or imitating Scarlett O’Hara, from the 1936 novel Gone With the Wind.

“I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow.” Scarlett

If we deny ourselves the opportunity to faithfully present our fears to God the Father, we are doing nothing more than repressing our trials for another day. On the other hand, if we face them head on, we are putting our faith and childlike trust into the all-powerful Hand of God.

“I can do all these things in him who strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13

Strap on Your Bib for Some Humble Pie

Never say never. That’s what they have always said. And how true it is – both in this world and regarding Eternal Life!

If you’re beyond a certain age and have children, you may already have experienced the phenomenon of becoming your parents. As a child, you resented their constraints and swore never to replicate that which had you straining at an imaginary leash. Your children, however, see a much different you. You, their parent, are full of odd sayings and rules and boundaries. Because you’ve grown, both in experience and knowledge, you are now able to see the wisdom of restraint.

Now might be a great time to thank your parents!

As parents, you might also have been on the receiving end of your share of humble pie. Maybe your first foray into tending to God’s little souls found you with pliable, obedient children. Your self-worth (and pride) moved up a notch or two – because you knew how to parent. If only those other parents out there would use such proven methods, you thought. The arrival of a subsequent child or two might have had you singing a rather more humble song. You see, not all children get the memo. Great, tried and true, parenting skills aside, they march to a much different drummer.

Grab your fork – humble pie time!

Our adult life doesn’t go unscathed by the copious supply of humble pie either. Have you ever said, “well, I’d never… (Fill in the blank)”, only to find yourself at the crossroads of rock and hard place? Unforeseen circumstances sure have a way of keeping us humble. What we once viewed as incomprehensible, may now be our best available course of action.

Humble pie!

So it goes with our spiritual life as well. Peter had a taste of humble pie when he asked Our Lord to lead him out onto the water, toward Him. All of his bravado quickly faded as he perceived the reality of what he had requested. In saying he would never deny Jesus, the huge helping of humble pie served by his three-fold denial must have been chastening, to say the least. Yet, even though we’ve read and heard about his betrayal multiple times, we all too often fall into doing the unthinkable ourselves.

It’s time for humility, closely associated with the Cardinal Virtue of Temperance.

When life hands us an unexpected trial, we are cast into doubt and fear. All semblance of hope fades and we become afraid. All this even though, He who clothes the lilies and feeds the sparrows, has promised us His Shelter from any storm.

When will we learn? That depends on us and our free will. How hard are we willing to work toward complete trust? Will we be able to ‘let go, and let God’ when it comes to our most difficult trials? The answer lies in our motivation. Even then, our human nature can lead us into falling back into desperation at any time. The feeling that we’re flying without a net is contrary to our mortal sense of self preservation. Spiritual strength, a determined will, and spiritual exercises are a great way to begin to overcome our human frailty and doubt.

As my own life leads my family into unchartered waters, I’ve taken the counsel of a good priest. A heightened prayer life, along with inspirational reading was his healing guidance. As he put it, “sometimes we need to read for inspiration, rather than information”. He knows me well! It’s time to supplement my studious side with some spiritual reading. At the request of Father I will be readingConsoling the Heart of Jesus, by Father Gaitley. My goal? To find the spiritual strength and child-like trust to offer myself completely to Him Who created me. In humbling myself to God, I choose to consent to Him as He steers me toward the true path. I pray I won’t falter.

Be humbled in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you. (James 4:10)

What are some of the ways you’ve been served a heaping helping of humble pie? What can you share to help others on their path toward successfully giving themselves to God?

Reaching For Our Wants

Sometimes we strain and reach for something that we want so badly only to get it and realize it wasn't in our best interest after all. This is a conclusion we draw more easily, later in life, after our bubble has been burst a few times.

Try as we might, we aren't always the best judge of what it is that we need. Only when we begin to listen to the whisper of the Holy Spirit are we able to discern what is in our best interest.

Today, let us reach wholeheartedly for the Will of God instead of our own human wants. Only the Creator of us all knows what it is we truly need. The answer lies in the thirst of our immortal souls for Eternal Life with Him Who created us!

Happy weekend, friends!

There are many thoughts in the heart of a man: but the will of the Lord shall stand firm. 

~Proverbs 19:21

Amen I say to you, unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 

~Matthew 18:3

Not Your Parents' Scouts

This isn't your parent's scouting!

As if it's not bad enough that the Girl Scouts of America are in cahoots with abortion giant Planned Parenthood, enter the push within the Boy Scouts of America for openly homosexual leaders. As it is, they already accept openly gay scouts into the fold.

But now we have more, deeply troubling developments in the world of scouting.

The Girl Scouts have decided to embrace cross-dressing children into their club. So if your little girl doesn't want to share her troop with a boy in girl's clothing, too bad!

The Boy Scouts, on the other hand, have decided to show their feminine side. Not to appear overly male, their leadership has decided that water guns can be forbidden! That's right, it's too violent to point a colorful plastic toy, containing water, at a fellow scout. Not to be forgotten are the equally enlightened parameters for water balloons - they must not be larger than a ping pong ball.

What are we to make of this trend to turn the world of scouting upside down? It looks a lot like an outright assault on Christianity and the family. The normal gender characteristics of yesterday are being shamefully turned topsy turvy.

Boys in girls' clothing are sharing your little girl's scouting troop, while the boys' troops are being feminized. This blurring of gender lines isn't exclusively being carried out by deviant adults, lurking in the shadows. Today's radicalization is being thrust into the once innocent world of our children by formerly wholesome clubs.

Meanwhile, children are also being force-fed an overly sexualized and homesexual agenda. All the while, girls are selling cookies that benefit close associates of abortion giant, Planned Parenthood. Additionally, more and more homosexual characters are appearing in entertainment on a regular basis - even though same sex attracted individuals make up less than 2% of the general population.

Tragically, this sexual trend feeds right into the business model of Planned Parenthood, where children are groomed for promiscuity at younger and younger ages. You may be surprised to find that the sex ed programs in most school systems are created by Planned Parenthood. And they're teaching children about all types of sexuality - as early as kindergarten.

This means that by the time our young, sexually active girls become pregnant, they are offered the morbid 'solution' of abortion. Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood is raking in the big bucks. The plan is simple: teach sex, provide inferior condoms, and they will create 'customers' for their abortion mills where the butcherous doctors kill innocent babies and maim their mothers.

Boys fare no better because valor and chivalry are no longer encouraged. Instead, they are conditioned to seek nothing more than animalistic gratification. This affects the relationships formed between the genders and doesn't bode well for a grace-filled outlook on the sacrament of matrimony. Men no longer emulate the masculine characteristic of protector and provider.

On their part, girls often fail to fully develop their uniquely female characteristics of nurturer and the loving mothers of children. In the lack of gender-specific role models, they grow up with a muddled image of self.

Also affected is the sanctity of  Holy Matrimony, which becomes nothing more than a temporary rite of passage all too often. Of those marriages that do survive, far too many become mechanical and sterile. This leaves children out in the cold, with no one after whom to model themselves.

It's time for us to take back the responsibility of parenting. Too many outside forces are having a detrimental impact on our children and families. God gifted us with children so that we could teach them to know, love, and serve Him. He gave us the faithful partnership between husband and wife as the sacrament of matrimony. In this way, He intended the nuclear family to be a shelter from the stormy world of secular life.

Tough decisions must be made. What good is membership in an organization, if their leadership betrays our faith? When parents relinquish the upbringing of their children to the world, their children will become of the world. This endangers their eternal souls. That's not the intent and purpose of the godly institution of family.

With a renewed commitment to prayer, the sacraments, and the God-given role of parents, we can ensure a faith filled future for ourselves and our families. Isn't that worth our very best effort?