Revolution of Love

Revolution of Love

Do small things with great love.

1/7/04 – Women of the Third Millennium

I came across a website called Women of the Third Millennium The site states:

“Women of the Third Millennium (WTTM) is a lay organization that promotes the dignity, vocation, and mission of women and men through retreats, talks, articles, and books. WTTM was co-founded in 1996 by Katrina Zeno and Zoe Romanowsky in response to Pope John Paul II’s call to develop a new feminism. Since that time, WTTM has expanded its vision to reach out to both single and married people.
WTTM draws primarily on the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and Pope John Paul II’s ‘theology of the body.’

We seek to awaken in each person the meaning and purpose of life – to live in the image and likeness of God through a sincere gift of self. We take the Trinity as our model of fruitful, self-donating love. We embrace the Eucharist as the Real Presence of Christ, Mary as the spouse of the Spirit, and chastity as the foundation of virtuous living. It is our hope that WTTM will inspire others to live their unique vocation and become artisans of a culture of life and a civilization of love. ”


9/11/03 – We will never forget…

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When I was younger I used to always wonder why people would ask “Where were you when Kennedy died?” I didn’t get what the big deal was. Now when someone asks me “Where were you on 9/11?” I understand perfectly what they were talking about. On 9/11 I was no where near NY. I was living in Pacific Grove, CA with Brian. I was almost 8 months pregnant with Bella. I woke up to kiss Brian goodbye for work and he told me I had better check the news because he saw online that there was news of a terrorist attack.
When I turned on the TV, I first thought a single terrorist flew his own plane into the Twin Towers. Then a realized a regular commercial flight with innocent people on board were made into human bombs. And not just one flight – many of them. I kept thinking that the Twin Tower workers probably never saw it coming but the people on the plane were aware and watching it unfold. I was dumbstruck until all I could do was sob. (Even now its hard to hold back the tears when I think about it.) I don’t think I ever got off the couch that day as I watched and cried. Brian came home and eventually made me turn off the TV so I’d stop thinking about it.
I remember at one point someone told me that it was a shame that I was bringing a baby into a world such as this. For a moment I thought she was right but as I came to my senses I thought – no! This child of mine is a sign of hope! It is a breathe of joy and peace in the midst of evil and darkness.
Two weeks later Bella was born a month premature. (I always wondered if my stress at that time had something to do with it.) Weighing only 3lb, 12 oz she was tiny but had a feisty, fighting spirit and came out fine. My beautiful little Isabella Rose Marie. She was my proof that no matter how troubling things may look or how small and insignificant we may feel, with God, you can find a purpose, a means, and always hope.


6/6/03 – Modesty: How Do We Find A Balance?

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I was browsing Two Sleepy Mommies blog and Pansy had an interesting commentary on Zoe Romanov’s blog about Modesty in dress. The topic of swimwear was discussed and how some kids aren’t allowed to swim at all because of lack of modest swimwear. I was thinking about this last week when I had to buy a bathing suit for Bella. I was disgusted. I went to the Kids r Us store and was offended by some of them that seemed more suitable for a Vegas showgirl. However I did find one that was decent looking that even came with a little bathing skirt to attach to it.


However, I think Pansy’s little girl was older and didn’t fit into her old modest suit. She was looking for non”Laura Ingalls” suits and posted a link for Wholesome Wear Suits and she said she like the convenience of them (kids jumping in and out of the pool/lake/ocean) as well as the modesty of them.


Personally, I don’t think I would buy them but I found some decent suits (in my opinion) for girls at Land’s End. They have a basic suit for girls (size 4-16) with a tiny built in skirt/ ruffle that is not too low cut or there’s a two piece that looks more like a tank top and shorts or you can forgo the bathing suit all together and get a hip looking surfboard suit (although maybe that’s more normal here in California)


All this talk reminded me of growing up at both ends of the spectrum. When I was younger my parents were not practicing Catholics so modesty was not much of an issue. After their conversion there was a period of “only skirts” type of thinking. (Something I hated because I despised dresses and loved shorts, band tee’s & Converse 24/7). Finally we found a happy medium of modesty without being too “extreme”.


I think a lot also has to do with attitude. I know a number of home schooling families and one in particular dressed their girls in prairie skirts/dresses but the girls were really flirtatious and boy crazy. They tried to act “hot” regardless of what they were wearing. On the other hand, I see my younger sister who was homeschooled and who’s a sweet wholesome girl in college (public JC). She and her friends dress in today’s fashions but they always look modest and wholesome without standing out like a sore thumb. Even beyond their clothes you can see their wholesomeness in their demeanor and attitude. They demand respect because they respect themselves.


It reminds me a lot of the interview I did with chastity speaker Crystalina Padilla a couple months ago. She talked about woman respecting themselves before expecting a man to. Hey, on a side note, did you know that she married Jason Evert of Catholic Answers on Saturday!! What an awesome couple! But I digress. Anyway, those are just some thoughts I had about the topic.


A Catholic Dictionary

My sister Elena in Washington DC sent me this email. I had a good laugh! Hope you do to!

A Catholic Dictionary

AMEN: The only part of a prayer that everyone knows.

BULLETIN: Your receipt for attending Mass.

CHOIR: A group of people whose singing allows the rest of the congregation to lip-sync.

HOLY WATER: A liquid whose chemical formula is H2OLY.

HYMN: A song of praise, usually sung in a key three octaves higher than that of the congregation’s range.

RECESSIONAL HYMN: The last song at Mass, often sung a little more quietly, since most of the people have already left.

INCENSE: Holy Smoke!

JESUITS: An order of priests known for their ability to found colleges with good basketball teams.

JONAH: The original “Jaws” story.

JUSTICE: When kids have kids of their own.

KYRIE ELIEISON: The only Greek words that most Catholics can recognize besides gyros and baklava.

MAGI: The most famous trio to attend a baby shower.

MANGER: (1). Where Mary gave birth to Jesus because Joseph wasn’t covered by an HMO. (2). The Bible’s way of showing us that holiday travel has always been rough.

PEW: A medieval torture device still found in Catholic Churches.

PROCESSION: The ceremonial formation at the beginning of Mass consistingof altar servers, the celebrant, and late parishioners looking for seats.

RECESSIONAL: The ceremonial procession at the conclusion of Mass – led by parishioners trying to beat the crowd to the parking lot.

RELICS: People who have been oing to Mass for so long, they actually know when to sit, kneel, and stand.

TEN COMMANDMENTS: The most important Top Ten list not given by David Letterman.

USHERS: The only people in the parish who don’t know the seating capacity of a pew.

Hahaha!

Take care & keep praying,

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St. Louis de Montfort, Pray for Us!


Hello All. It’s been a busy morning so I haven’t been able to post until now. Today’s saint is St. Louis de Montford. Whenever I hear his name I think of my old parish priest and spiritual director Fr. Louis Marx. I met Fr. Marx in my early 20’s after my conversion and he was immensely instrumental in my deepening faith and spirituality.

I vividly remember on one New Year’s Eve service, I took his advice and made a general confession of all my sins (and there were plenty from when I was far from God.) I was so ashamed I could barely get the words out in the confessional but he was kind, understanding and gave me the hope I needed to live my life anew. His deep faith and incredible reverence during the Mass spoke volumes without saying a word. I recall his counsel when I considered a religious vocation and just as he thought, it was not my vocation. Later he gave private classes to Brian and me as we prepared for our marriage.

It has been a few years since I’ve talked to Fr. Marx, having moved after I was married, yet he is still so close to my heart. I owe him so much. He has been a true spiritual father to me and I love him like a spiritual daughter. It make me wonder if he knows how much he’s touched my life. I think this afternoon I will write him and tell him just that. Let’s all say a prayer of thanksgiving for the wonderful priests in our lives that have made our lives richer and faith more alive! That’s it for now.

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