Parallels Between Nun and Homemaker

I started writing this way back on February 10 after I saw the Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist featured on Oprah (which can still probably be seen on You Tube) and decided to pick it up again this week:

I saw the Dominican Nuns from Ann Arbor on Oprah yesterday.   They inspired me as a lay person who is a stay at home wife and mother.  Many of them talked about leaving the world because of feelings of emptiness and how at the end of their lives none of the things they owned would matter.  As stay-at-home wives and mothers who are aiming to follow the teachings of the church we leave the world in a certain sense as well.  We practice poverty, obedience, and chastity in our own state of life.

Poverty
We practice poverty by leaving behind an added income and a profession away from our homes and families which would perhaps give us more recognition and importance in the eyes of the culture.  We are giving these things up because we believe this is the way we can best serve God and bring our families to God despite lack of money for our children's college eduction, a better house, better clothes, paying off debt sooner and whatever else, understanding, like the sisters, that in the end bringing our families and ourselves to heaven is the only thing that matters.

Obedience
As Catholic women who have come to believe that what our church teaches is the truth, we have been graced enough to come to understand that children are a blessing and we tend to have more of them than every body else (or at least desire to) which stretches that one income even farther.  Our children, in turn, give us the opportunity to  practice obedience by requiring that we give up the ability to do what we want whenever we want to which allows God to make us more like him--to give of ourselves for love. 

Chastity
Like the nuns, who are celebate, we too are practicing chastity in a way that the world does not understand.  Within the context of marriage, the sexual act is a gift, and although meant to be pleasureable, requires total self-giving and sacrifice.  If we are in a position to avoid conception we do this through periodic abstinance, which brings with it the cross of loving sacrifice.  If something artificial is used to prevent conception a barrier is placed between the couple.  Husband and wife are called to give their whole selves to each other--even their fertility-- so that their love can literally bring forth new life.   How different this is from our culture's views of sexuality where it seems like the freedom to have sex any time without the unwanted result of children is what is valued most.

Of course, it goes without saying that "leaving the world" does not only apply to nuns and housewives but to any Christian who is making it a priority to follow Jesus in this life.  There are many different ways to practice poverty, obedience and chastity for the sake of love in every day life.  We can learn much from holy religious orders who perhaps provide us with a more tangible and literal example of being "set aside for Christ." 

Charlie and Dizzy

The children's book Charlie Parker Played Bebop by Chris Raschka is one of our favorites.  It's basically a poem that in many instances imitates jazz rhythms with words.  It allows for creativity with how you choose to read it and interpret the rhythm of the words.  That's what makes it so much fun.
Here is a clip of "Bird" and Dizzy Gillespie.  I always forget how much I love jazz until I come across something like this:

Family Prayer by Mother Theresa in Honor of her 100th Birthday

Heavenly Father, You have given us a model of life in the Holy Family of Nazareth.

Help us, O Loving Father to make our family another Nazareth where love, peace and joy reign. May it be deeply contemplative, intensely Eucharistic and vibrant with joy. Help us to stay together in joy and sorrow through family prayer. Teach us to see Jesus in the members of our family especially in their distressing disguise.

May the Eucharistic heart of Jesus make our hearts meek and humble like His and help us to carry out our family duties in a holy way. May we love one another as God loves each one of us more and more each day, and forgive each other's faults as you forgive our sins.

Help us, O loving Father, to take whatever You give, and to give whatever You take with a big smile.

Immaculate heart of Mary, Cause of our Joy, pray for us.

St. Joseph, pray for us.

Holy Guardian Angels, be always with us, guide and protect us.

Amen.

A little bit from the garden

This is a picture of just about all the beets from our garden.  I am going to bake them and slice them for supper.  We are really just beginner gardeners and have a small garden.  We got a little bit of some things (like beets) and some very small potatoes and onions and what seemed for a while like a lot of tomatoes.  My husband made salsa with those.  The tomato production seems to be slowing down a bit.  We were going to try our hand at canning but we will see how much more we get.  With the earlier tomatoes I made this delicious tomato salad.

Decalogue for Daily Living

I came across the following which is attributed to Blessed Pope John XXIII as I was organizing the documents on my computer.  I'm not sure where I found it but I copied it and hung it near my desk for future reference as I think it is something that will be helpful to refer to frequently.

1. Only for today, I will seek to live the livelong day positively without wishing to solve the problems of my life all at once.

2. Only for today, I will take the greatest care of my appearance: I will dress modestly; I will not raise my voice; I will be courteous in my behavior; I will not criticize anyone; I will not claim to improve or to discipline anyone except myself.

3. Only for today, I will be happy in the certainty that I was created to be happy, not only in the other world but also in this one.

4. Only for today, I will adapt to circumstances, without requiring all circumstances to be adapted to my own wishes.

5. Only for today, I will devote ten minutes of my time to some good reading, remembering that just as food is necessary to the life of the body, so good reading is necessary to the life of the soul.

6. Only for today, I will do one good deed and not tell anyone about it.

7. Only for today, I will do at least one thing I do not like doing; and if my feelings are hurt, I will make sure no one notices.

8. Only for today, I will make a plan for myself: I may not follow it to the letter, but I will make it. And I will be on guard against two evils: hastiness and indecision.

9. Only for today, I will firmly believe, despite appearances, that the good Providence of God cares for me as no one else who exists in this world.

10. Only for today, I will have no fears. In particular, I will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful and to believe in goodness. Indeed, for twelve hours I can certainly do what might cause me consternation were I to believe I had to do it all my life.

Bl. Pope John XXIII

Thoughts on Mother Theresa and Marriage

I read somewhere that when Mother Theresa was a child and her father came home, her mother would always drop whatever she was doing and immediately go to greet her husband with a smile. 

I've also heard that Mother Theresa told her sisters to not let it be said that a married woman loved her spouse more than they loved Jesus their spouse.

These two things seem to be related to one of the things that Mother Theresa is fond of talking about:  smiling at God--even when you don't feel like it.

There are a few things that come to my mind:

1) Isn't it amazing how much we can learn from a celebate nun about how to love our husbands?

2) That how much we love our husbands is directly related to how much we love God; and how much we love God is related to how much we love our husbands.

3) How much of an influence M. Theresa's parents love for each other must have had on teaching her about how to love God and others.

4) It is important for me to love my husband in such a way that my children understand what it is to love and be loved.  This means smiling at my husband--even when I don't feel like it.  This is how to set an example of holiness.

Mother Theresa, pray that those of us living the vocation of marriage learn how to love truly and deeply.

Monday Morning Musings

Right Now It has been a while since I have read blogs or written on my blog so I thought Monday Musings would be a good place to start.  It is 4:00 in the afternoon and raining.  It seems like the overcast days far outnumber the sunny days.  This is frustrating as I got a new clothesline this summer and it seems like I hardly ever get a chance to use it. 

This past weekend Saturday I organized my "office" shelves and got a lot of other things done.  Sunday morning hubby and I sat outside in the backyard (there was some sunshine in between the rain) and watched the two little ones play.  It was nice.  In the afternoon we went to latin mass where there was quite a good crowd for the first time in a long time.  Was it due to the time change from 3:00 to 1:30?  I know I prefer the new time. 
For Sunday Supper Hubby made a most delicious meal of Indian Food.  Really good!

Some Plans for the Week  Hopefully finish the online application for refinancing our house. If it goes through we would be paying the same montly payment but it would be a 15 year loan instead of a 30 year.  Clean the mold off the basement walls.  We finally got a dehumidifier and it works great.  It doesn't smell musty anymore!  Maybe play some music.

If I can find some time to myself I want to spend some time reading blogs and maybe writing a post too.  I would also like to work on my just barely started beginning knitting project--a dishcloth.  It's mostly for practicing purl and knit stitch.  I'm expecting it to be very imperfect.

Special prayer intentions Always or my dad who who lives in a nursing home about an hour away and who we try to visit every month or two.  And also for many in my family who have left the church.

Something that makes me smile

Big brother with little sister

For more Monday Musings see Nadja at Patch O' Dirt Farm.