My Life on the Pages of Facebook

We are constantly constrained by appearances. As teens in middle and high school, we experience the angst that comes from wanting to be like everyone else. We see the lives of others as seamlessly perfect while we magnify every little pimple and imaginary flaw of our own. In college we often wonder how we could have received that scholarship or extra credits when everyone around us seems so much more deserving. I don’t know about you, but I have spent a great deal of my life feeling like a big fat fraud – so undeserving of any honor or accolade. The defensive mechanism that evolves, then, becomes about only sharing the good aspects of our lives.  Never let them see you sweat. Never admit to failings. Don’t let anyone know that you struggle to be the wife/mother/housekeeper whose image you have created – more for your own benefit defense than for impressing others. To what end do we do this? Is it really productive? Is it real? Of course not! But why do we persist, then? Is it an attempt to hide the perceived inadequacies of our true selves? Or is it more about how we wish we were – what we strive to accomplish in our lives?

This is the type of thought that comes to mind on a regular basis in my love/hate relationship with Facebook, blogging or any other electronic medium. On the one hand, these means of communing with others are a god-send. How else would we be able to reach such a vast audience to share our convictions about being pro-life or Catholic or aspiring mothers/wives/saints? The merits are real and the medium lends itself to reaching many like-minded women and sharing our struggles in our quest to sainthood. But what of the illusion of perfection that can be seen on walls and pages and posts? Do we do anyone a service by not showing the shadowy underbelly – the sordid side of attempts and failures? Our electronic era is a double-edged sword then – both a help and a hindrance. If we truly look with seeing eyes we will consider the losses as well as the wins…the failures as well as the triumphs.

Sometimes I take a look at what I have chosen to share and realize that I.Wish.I.Had.That.Life! Oh wait! That is my life – it’s just not the complete picture. Along with every pristine photo op there is an unseen struggle. Every time the photos show a perfect, pastoral scene there is blood, sweat and tears involved in getting to just that perfect moment. Numerous attempts are made to get it right and the ‘undo’ button just isn’t functioning in real life. Don’t get me wrong. I’m grateful for those perfect scenes – as difficult as they are to come by. I’ve earned them with a multitude of failures, redo’s, and backtracks. They are real but they don’t present the entire picture. If I zoom out there will be evidence of failed attempts, wrong turns, and heartbreak. But I need to own it all – the complete photo – not just the edited, sanitized version. Life is messy. Life has ups and downs. Sometimes the best ups come after more than your quota of downs. Own it! Just as Christ died on the cross for our unsavory acts, so too, should we die to self to find the goodly portion of life.

This post is an answer to Jennifer Fulwiler's 7 Posts in 7 Days: An epic blogging challenge - day 3

Pro-life Corner: SUNDAY, March 11, 2012

BULLETIN INSERT:

Pope Benedict XVI on Life

“In the light of my recent Encyclical Letter on Christian love, I would like to underline the importance of the service of love for the support and promotion of human life. In this regard, even before active initiatives, it is fundamental to foster a correct attitude towards the other: the culture of life is in fact based on attention to others without any forms of exclusion or discrimination. Every human life, as such, deserves and demands always to be defended and promoted.” – Address on February 5, 2006

GENERAL INTERCESSIONS:

As you know, the US Bishops have asked us to include in the General intercessions at every Mass a petition for the building of the Culture of Life. Their words in the Pastoral Plan for Pro-life Activities read, "Parishes should include in the petitions at every Mass a prayer that ours will become a nation that respects and protects all human life, born and unborn, reflecting a true culture of life." (US Bishops, 2001, "A Campaign in Support of Life"). 

~Fr. Frank Pavone, Priests for Life

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Celebrant: 

We are called to be a holy people. Turning to the one true God, we offer our prayers in faith and trust.

Deacon/Lector:
That the Church may continue to courageously proclaim the Gospel message in response to the needs of the world, we pray to the Lord…

That the pope, bishops, and all Church leaders may continue to remind us of the needs of the poor and of the ways in which we can serve, we pray to the Lord…

For all those who are preparing for baptism on Easter night, we pray to the Lord…

That in obedience to the command "Thou shall not kill," all nations will abolish the practice of abortion, infanticide, and euthanasia, we pray to the Lord...

That our parish family may be a faith-filled community where all are welcome and strive to imitate Christ in word and action, we pray to the Lord…

That those who have died may rest in the peace of the Messiah, we pray to the Lord…

Celebrant:
Heavenly Father,
we ask your blessings on this community as we journey through Lent.
Give us grace and strength to follow you more closely.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

HOMILY SUGGESTIONS: 
Ex 20:1-17 or 20:1-3, 7-8, 12-17
1 Cor 1:22-25
Jn 2:13-25

The reading from Exodus of the giving of the commandments puts into context the absolute prohibition of killing human beings. Before he says, “Thou shalt not kill,” God says “I, the Lord, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.”

In other words, his commands are given in the context of his relationship with us. He rescues us, he frees us, he makes a covenant with us, he shares his life with us. From these realities flow the commandments. He is not simply imposing something on us from the outside; rather, he is showing us what the new way of life entails. We obey the commandments because we’re God’s children. We respect life not just because “God said so,” but because God is life. We are to be truthful because God is truth. We are to be just because God is justice, and if we share in his life, we will act like him.

This is the positive context in which our people can understand the absolute command to respect, promote, and defend life. It is not a burdensome command; rather, as today’s psalm tells us, it “refreshes the soul,” because it shows the soul the way to happiness and fulfillment.

Our Lord’s promise to raise up the temple of his body (today’s Gospel passage) completes this whole context, because it is only through his resurrection that the life of God can be given to us. That risen life, of course, is what the catechumens are preparing all during Lent to receive. Moreover, each of us is preparing, through Lenten penance, to renew the promises of our baptism at Easter – the promises to follow the new way of life which the commandments reflect.

Pro-Life Liturgical Resources: Third Sunday of Lent, Cycle B - March 11, 2012

~Priests for Life

Every Sunday, I post these pro-life materials, generously offered for distribution by Priests for Life. These posts coincide with the Church calendar and 'contain three elements: a one-paragraph bulletin insert, General Intercessions, and suggestions for drawing pro-life themes out of the Sunday reading for the homily'. This is my Sunday effort to help us all think with a pro-life heart.

As is the practice over at Catholic Sistas, a blog to which I contribute, Sunday posts will be scheduled ahead of time in order to leave that day for Church and family.

PS. Learn about Lady Ribbon’s Entry Into Our Lives… a ribbon that truly speaks to Catholic women with regard to breast cancer with a focus on pro-life awareness.

Addictions and REHAB PROMISES - Lenten Update

I've been blessed. Drugs, cigarettes and alcohol are not addictions to which I have a propensity. My prayers and empathy go to those who do struggle with these vices. However, I have not gotten away unscathed. My addictions are of this world as well - specifically creature comforts and electronic gizmos of every type. As I made my Lenten REHAB PROMISES, I was struck by how easily I am drawn in...to comfort foods, Facebook, Pinterest, blogging, and any other thing that strikes my fancy. Like a true addict, I experience peaks and valleys.

In looking at my addictions, I see that I am not that much different from my addict brethren. We all aspire to change, find inspiration and resolve, and make promises to ourselves and others: and yet we fall. If you read my initial post, you saw that I was inspired and champing at the bit to begin my newly minted resolutions. As I experienced the first week, however, things settled in and it became a bit more tedious to adhere to all of my promises. I have faced temptations in many ways, one of which I will speak of in this post.

Whenever you try to limit something that cannot be altogether avoided, you are running an uphill race. Like the dieter who still has to eat in order to nourish her body, an electronic media addict faces her temptation daily, while pursuing worthwhile uses of same. As one of the fortunate few who are able to remain home, my self-appointed vocation is as a pro-life advocate. This is something I have done since I was in high school and Roe vs. Wade first became law. I have personal reasons - as detailed in When 'Pro-life Except Really Happens - and am also driven by the teachings of my Church. In this capacity, many most days will find me perusing news articles, blogs and posts by pro-life groups. I then take what I have found and redistribute it to those with whom I am in contact.

Having majored in Art, with an emphasis on advertising, it is quite natural for me to network and broadcast information about the things about which I am passionate. It's amazing how many really great contacts this housewife in rural Kentucky can make, simply by sitting in front of a monitor! In my pro-life rebel days, I could conjure up a pro-life protest of 60+ people within a couple of hours with just a few well-placed phone calls. At one such event, we were protesting the use of a Catholic Parish Center for a pro-choice political candidate's fundraiser...the priest for that parish actually joined us! So this type of sharing, if you will, is just like breathing to me. The trouble with this, however, is that like with many good things, electronic communication carries its share of temptations. I have good intentions but - you know what they say about good intentions paving the road...

So here I am, in the midst of Lent and working on my resolutions and W H A M ! - there's a project that I just can't say 'no' to. You see it has it all:

• Pro-life angle - check 
• Church angle - check 
• My Catholic Sistas  - check 
• All of my valuable, like-minded contacts -check. 

So just like that ::snap:: I'm immersed to the point of obsession. My poor husband - who knows the drill - just looks at me longingly as I make phone calls, snap photos of unsuspecting visitors, and obsess in general. Of course the outcome was great, my friends really stepped up, and I did my small part in helping a fellow Sista with her awesome 'I have a say'...here comes the Catholic Church video.

Now you might ask, 'so what's wrong with what you have described? Your effort went to a worthy cause, right?'

Well, it's not just that I spent the better part of three days collaborating and gathering photos - I also took the time to chat, post, and literally stalk Facebook and my email account. Every ding, every chirp, every notification sound was like the tantalizing smell of a juicy steak on Good Friday! And I totally caved for those days. Friday (a day of Facebook fasting) was an all out computer day...even Saturday and Sunday found me perched in my chair far more than necessary. And so, here I am, like any repentant addict - making excuses and plotting the success of 'one more chance'. So I take in a deep breath, straighten my shoulders, and make a mental resolution to start anew.

Dear Jesus, accept my flawed efforts, allow good to come from my keyboard, and help me to temper my flawed human passions.

AMEN!

President Obama, LET US BE CATHOLICS!

As this newly minted Lent marches toward its first Sunday, I am refreshed from these few days of following my Rehab PROMISES. Although it has been more of a struggle than I would have thought, my Friday was faithful in adherence to these self imposed rules. I did begin to appreciate the quiet that comes from leaving all things electronic behind - or at least only using them for moral obligations.

One thing that I will not let rest, however, is my pursuit of justice for the unborn. In that vein, one of my friends sent an email to me that contained a link to the following video. You would have to live under a rock not to be familiar with what the Obama Administration, guided by Kathleen Sebelius, a pseudo catholic, is trying to do to religious liberty under the guise of 'healthcare'. His unholy tyranny is truly a frightening thing to behold and solidifies our belief that the devil is certainly at play on this earth.

Our reassurance comes from finding that there are true warriors for the Gospel out there in our churches, who will stand ready to fight! One such Champion of our Mother Church is Father Sammie Maletta, who delivered a Homily at St. John the Evangelist Parish in St. John, Indiana. As the description on YouTube states, "(t)his Homily addressed how President Obama is threatening our Religious Freedom and declaring war with the Catholic Church."

I, for one, feel totally invigorated when I hear such a homily from one of our priests. It makes me proud and also brings an urgency to share and encourage more of this type of strong conviction! Give a listen and see if you don't feel the same...and then pass it on. Perhaps even to a priest, who might find this to be just the nudge to declare his passion as well!

God bless Fr. Maletta for standing strong!

‎"In the United States, religious liberty does not depend on the benevolence of who is regulating us. It is our 'first freedom' and respect for it must be broad and inclusive-not narrow and exclusive. Catholics and other people of faith and good will are not second class citizens. And it is not for the government to decide which of our ministries is 'religious enough' to warrant religious freedom protection."                                ~Cardinal Timothy Dolan

President Obama, LET US BE CATHOLICS!

On February 5, 2012 Father Sammie Maletta delivered a Homily at St. John the Evangelist Parish in St. John, Indiana.  Please take a few moments to listen. No one sums it up quite like Father Maletta.
Go to http://bit.ly/zPdgpw to fight the HHS Mandate.

RELATED LINKS:

• USCCB - Conscience Protection: Fight the HHS Mandate
• Obama Faces More Lawsuits Over Pro-Abortion HHS Mandate
• Obama HHS Paves the Way to Taxpayer Funding of Abortions
• Sebelius: Didn’t Talk to Bishops About Obama Mandate
• Dem. congressman lectures bishop, rabbi, Christian leaders on HHS mandate
• HHS mandate means ‘ongoing, comprehensive government surveillance’: two new colleges sue

Settling In

Yesterday I outlined my Rehab PROMISES  for my Lenten Journey and how I'm attacking Lent with enthusiasm this year. Today finds me trying to get acclimated as I pull back from the electronics that have actually become an addiction for me. Yes, you might observe, I am posting this blog entry on a computer but that isn't the type of use I am focused on. Blogging will continue and may even become more fruitful, once I get over withdrawal from my true sources of addiction.

Much like dieting is so very difficult because one must still eat for nourishment - my addictions are a necessary part of my life as well. With food you can't simply go 'cold turkey' like you would from, say, cigarettes; drugs; or liquor. In the same way, I am tied to Facebook and Pinterest because I have committed to living the Holy Father's challenge of using electronic media for proclaiming the Gospel.

Facebook - not only have I made many great, Catholic friends during the past years but I have also committed to sharing what I learn from them. These friends of mine are a valuable source for many great articles and posts - I'd never have time to find them on my own. In return, I moderate two pro-life Facebook fan pages and distribute the information I find. I also help out on a couple other pages.

• Right to Life of Owensboro, my first fan page creation, now boasts 1,431 fans - not bad for a group in a town of 56,000 or so people! This is a non-denominational group and I also serve on their board of directors. 
• Gospel of Life Committee - Diocese of Owensboro is my new baby. I am proud to be a member of this Committee that serves our entire diocese. With only 181 fans, to date, I'm working hard to grow this little haven of unabashedly Catholic/Pro-life content. You don't have to be a Kentuckian (or Catholic) to join (hint, hint); we welcome anyone who appreciates what the Church is doing for the cause of life.
• Catholic Bloggers Network - 'In acknowledgment of the Vatican's strong interest to embrace social media for evangelization, this Catholic Bloggers Network was created to enhance communication of Catholic social media users. Here Catholic bloggers can connect and share efforts to bring the Catholic faith into the social media discourse. By creating this webpage directory of Catholic bloggers and connecting the online portals they use, our Catholic community grows larger. Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam!' ~ Catholic Bloggers Network
  
  REMINDER: "Cutting out prayer time with God because you want to blog about Catholicism is like saving time on a long roadtrip by not stopping for gas: it may seem smart in the moment, but it won't end well." ~ words of wisdom from the creators of Catholic Bloggers Network

Pinterest - now don't laugh. This is actually a very good medium for the distribution of information. I am a contributing 'pinner' for several Catholic groups and you'd be surprised at how many blog posts receive increased traffic due to a 'pin'. I also work in a faith formation type of pursuit for ideas ranging from homeschooling to Church Seasons.

As you might imagine, though, since I do work within these addictive circles for my daily evangelization efforts, it's very tempting to stray - until my strained eyes tear up and I get that Zombie look of addiction. So my goal is to do virtuous posting and pinning while leaving the other 'stuff' behind for a time...it will always be there after Easter!

Yesterday evening was much more difficult than I would have imagined. This shows me that it was high time to address these addictions. My trusty iPhone makes it way too easy to constantly check things out - Facebook, text messages, email, Pinterest, television schedule, Netflix...these are my sins, laid bare for me to face, head on. With my small meal quickly consumed, I focused on some of my 'positive' activities for the day and called it an early night...and fell asleep feeling good about my choices.

Wishing you all a glorious, grace-filled Lent!

My Lenten Journey - REHAB PROMISES!

Well, Lent is officially upon us and I can't remember a time when I was more excited about the prospect. I don't know if it's all of the wonderful Catholic friends I've made during the past year or if I'm just getting a bit further along on my 'journey'. Maybe it's a bit of both. In any case, I have been compiling a list of sorts for my Lenten Journey and this post will make it official. I'm blessed to have married exactly the right man and as we were discussing Lent today, he told me that our plans for Lent are very similar. He's working out of town for the next week, so we will begin this journey apart from each other; that's why I promised him a post to read Ash Wednesday morning.

So here is a listing of the ideas that I have developed over the past few days. I've left off the obvious ones that we do every year, so this is a newly hatched list - a.k.a. REHAB PROMISES:

Rosary - there's an app for that! Rosary Audio says the prayers with you. Perfect for travel!
Electronics - I will use them smarter, by limiting myself to only worthy pursuits!
Health - not a diet, but a better attitude to strive for a healthy sense of physical well-being.
Activity - do something instead of being passive...get up out of that (computer) chair!
Blog about meatless dishes and other Lenten activities, prayers, and meditations.

Projects - sewing and crafting will become a more routine part of my life. No idle hands!
Relearn the art of writing cards and letters to those I love.
Organization - making an effort to minimize 'stuff' and then sharing it with those in need.
Make magnets for the refrigerator and then choose at least 3 of these activities per day.
iBreviary - Mass readings have never been easier to read. Make this a daily, shared experience!
Simplify my day with more quiet time - give myself a chance to hear the whispers of God.
Early to bed, early to rise promises to be a difficult, yet doable, objective for this night owl.
Start submitting Pro-life Corner posts for parish bulletins again.

Just for the fun of it, I ran the first letters of my list through one of those word descramblers. The result? You guessed it - REHAB PROMISES. I couldn't think of a better way to describe how I'm going to attack this list. Like a true addict of things of this world, I will try to stay 'clean' throughout these 40 Days and begin my 'new normal'! Stay tuned as I elaborate on my progress from time to time.

Happy Lent and let us all pray for one another!

Also check out my posts for children - My Lenten Journey for Kids and EGG-straordinary Lenten Rosary Project for Your Family