Lost without my dog tags

It was fall 2005 and I had, a couple of months earlier, become reignited in my love of the Catholic Church. I had also discovered the true power of the Rosary and Our Lady. So when I heard Fr. Corapi note on EWTN that "If the Rosary is your weapon, the Brown Scapular is your dog tags," I paid attention.

I watched his whole show on the Brown Scapular and was itching to get one around my neck. I Googled "Brown Scapular" and then I had an "Ah ha!" moment. I recognize those - I had seen them lumped in with prayer cards and badges at my grandfather's house years ago.

I did some reading and research (Garment of Grace was a fast, comprehensive read) on the Brown Scapular and discerned I wanted to be enrolled in the confraternity. I bought my scapular from the Sisters of Carmel and arranged to get enrolled at a local parish - fittingly, Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

I've worn my dog tags since October 2005 and I am amazed at the comfort I have with it on 24-7. It's always there, reminding me of Our Blessed Mother and my desire to be like her, and reminding me of the fact she's always looking out for me ("Wear the Scapular devoutly and perseveringly. It is My garment. To be clothed in it means you are continually thinking of Me, and I in turn, am always thinking of you and helping you to secure eternal life."). Aside from my wedding ring, it's the only thing I wear constantly.

Amazingly, I never lost the Scapular. Every once in a while I'd forget to put it back on after a shower, but it'd be right on the bathroom counter where I left it or stuck in the last shirt I had on. Until Monday, that is.

I was driving and for some reason reached around my neck to do a Scapular check, only to find it missing. "Well," I thought to myself, "must be on the bathroom counter." When I got home, I checked the bathroom counter. No Scapular.

"Well," I thought to myself, "must be mixed up with the last shirt I had on." The only problem? In a fit of unprecedented organization, I had just washed all my dirty clothes. Shirts included. And I couldn't remember which shirt I had on last.

The thought of losing that Scapular bummed me out. I loved it. We have a great history together. It's with me all the time. I know I shouldn't be attached to an object, that it's not "magic" or a talisman, and my faith is not bound to earthly things. But, still, I'm really fond of that particular Scapular. Especially since the Sisters do such a fantastic job of making them really sturdy. The thought of never finding it or finding it mangled in the wash was sad.

But since what was done was done, I had to move on.

I went downstairs and emptied out the drier, tossing the clothes in the basket. And what flew out? The Scapular - still intact and cleaner than it had been in a long, long time. It was pretty amazing. As I tossed a handful of clothes in the hamper, the Scapular flew apart from them and landed on my arm, somewhat proclaiming, "I'm back!"

What a cool experience.

Catholic Carnival 121 is up

Mosey on over to Just Another Day of Catholic Pondering, the home of this week's Catholic Carnival, for some good reading!

iRosary - Audio Rosary Roundup Part 3

Pray the Rosary With Father Peyton

Cost: $8.95 (Holy Cross Family Ministries)

Misc: Father Peyton prays the Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious mysteries with a group. Father William Melody, CSC, Father Peyton's cousin, prays the new Luminous Mysteries.

Pros: Inexpensive. Fr. Peyton's brogue is charming.

Cons: Very, very fast. If you need to pray your Rosary quickly, this is for you. However, many people may find it rushed. It is pretty bare bones - no music played or Scripture read. If you want a no-frills recording, this is it.

Audio Rosary Roundup Part 1: The Rosary Army Rosary

Audio Rosary Roundup Part 2: The Rosary is a Place and The Rosary is a Luminous Place

iRosary - Audio Rosary Roundup Part 2

Today I'll move on to Part 2 of the Audio Rosary Roundup, highlighting my favorite audio Rosary.

The Rosary is a Place (Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious)
The Rosary is a Luminous Place (Luminous only)

Artist: Fr. Benedict Groeschel & Simonetta

Cost: Free-will donation to the St. Philomena Foundation. I believe I donated $10 for each and it was more than a bargain. EWTN sells them for $16 each.

Misc.: Catholic singer Simonetta sings before the Mysteries and small interludes between each. Fr. Groeschel shares a reflection before each Mystery accompanied by strings and acoustic guitar. Fr. Groeschel leads the prayers and Simonetta responds.

Pros: Beautifully produced, the combination of Simonetta's music and Fr. Groeschel's reflections is tremendous. My favorite audio Rosary by far.

Cons: Fr. Groeschel's voice is so relaxing, you may fall asleep.

Here's the link to Part 1 of the Audio Roundup, The Rosary Army Rosary Recordings.

Part 3: Pray the Rosary With Father Peyton

What Mothers Learn from Mother Teresa

Check out this fantastic column from today's Catholic Exchange, written by Theresa A. Thomas:

What Blessed Mother Teresa Can Teach a Suburban Housewife

Here's a small excerpt:

"Mother Teresa teaches us there is holiness in doing small things with great love. With a smile on her face she quietly and tenderly cleaned the maggot-filled sores of a dying man, ignoring the stench and fighting the human urge to turn away. She did this again and again and again each day — small things with great love. When I tie my child's shoe patiently or wipe his nose gently, I am doing a small thing with great love. When I serve my husband who has had a difficult day his favorite meal with a smile (even though my own day has been filled with uncooperative children and minor emergencies), I am doing a small thing with great love. When I lead my sick child to the bathroom to throw up for the third time during the night and I clean him and the floor with calm resignation, I am doing a small thing with great love. Life is full of these opportunities. Mother teaches that is the path to holiness."

It gets even better. Read it today and pass it along to other moms.

iRosary - Audio Roundup, Part 1

When I pray the Rosary, I usually enjoy praying a long with a recording.

I find the "pray-along" method makes it easier for me to concentrate on the meditation as I'm less likely to get distracted.

I have several recordings, so I thought I'd share the pros and cons of each if you're in the market.

Rosary Army Audio Rosary

Artist: Greg and Jennifer Willits

Cost: Free Head to iTunes, subscribe to the Rosary Army Podcast and scroll back to the October 2005 episodes. Or, visit RosaryArmy.com. All four files are available for download in MP3 format in the right tool bar.

Misc.: Greg and Jennifer pray the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries in four separate MP3 or iTunes files. While there's no music, Greg shares a small Scripture passage before each Mystery. Greg leads the Mysteries and Jennifer responds. My favorite "no-frills" audio Rosary.

Pros: Free! A small, clean, intimate recording that sounds like you're praying with friends in your living room.

Cons: No music (if you prefer music with your Rosary).

I have several more recordings to review. I'll put them up in separate posts in coming days!

Edit to add: Others parts in this series:

Part 2: The Rosary is a Place and The Rosary is a Luminous Place

Part 3: Pray the Rosary with Father Peyton

Part 4: The Complete Still Waters Rosary

Part 5: Praying the Rosary with St. Therese of Lisieux

Favorite new statues

I can't remember which Catholic site I was visiting, but a banner ad for BuyARosary.com caught my attention. Given I'm drawn like a moth to a flame when I see "Rosary" I popped over to see what they offered...aside from, you know, the obvious.

I was delighted to see the site sells these really beautiful carvings of the Holy Family. I had some extra mad money so I purchased the statue of the Blessed Mother (9" tall) and the statue of the Holy Family (6" tall).

Both are carved from olive tree wood from Bethlehem and are really quite stunning. The pictures above don't do them justice. If you're looking for a non-traditional yet faithful gift (for yourself or another lucky soul), I highly recommend these beautiful pieces of art.

The customer service at BuyARosary was exceptional, too. My order shipped out the same day and I received the statues within two days.

Prayers for Moms

I've already gone on about my St. Gerard prayer booklet, but there is one prayer in there I would like to highlight.

I often find myself struggling with trusting in the Lord, and the second day prayer of the St. Gerard novena addresses that in a lovely way. The prayer also speaks to the rushed daily life of moms, actually all women now that I think about it. I try to pray this daily - independent from the Novena - because it's so applicable to me:

"St. Gerard, so often I do not leave room for God in my life. I forget that I can find the Lord even in small things, and that He is with me in all the events of my day. Help me to leave aside the useless worries and anxieties that disturb my inner peace. Pray for me that I may learn to focus on the things that really matter. Teach me how to trust in God and cooperate with Him in carrying out His loving plan for my life and the lives of those whom I love."

My parish bulletin today also had a lovely prayer On Being a Working Mom. Now, all moms are working moms in my opinion, but this addresses those who also work outside the home:

"Dear God, I never realized what ‘having it all’ meant. Thank you for my job that helps provide for my family. I know that I am blessed and others have so much less. I pray for the energy to be a good mother and to hold down a job as well. I pray for my family to stay healthy and safe. I pray for the patience and understanding to juggle the needs of family and work and to know where my true priorities lie."

The Lord is hungry...and so am I

I've already blogged about my favorite Rosary verse, John 2:5.

But in reading Luke in preparation for Mass tonight, I forgot about another that makes me smile, Luke 24:41. Jesus is resurrected. Victorious He returns to His Apostles, shows them His wounds to prove it's really him and asks:

"Have you anything here to eat?"

I smile knowing I am modeled after my Lord.

And in a more serious, off-topic note, I was flipping through the book Pope John Paul II: His Essential Wisdom, published by Barnes & Noble of all places. I received the book for Mother's Day and I've been skimming it reading his quotes.

Today the book opened to the chapter on Suffering & Death and I read the first quote:

"I remember that in the beginning the sick intimidated me. I needed a lot of courage to stand before a sick person and enter, so to speak, into his physical and spiritual pain, not to betray discomfort, an to show at least a little loving compassion. Only later did I begin to grasp the profound meaning of the mystery of human suffering. In the weakness of the sick, I saw emerging even more clearly a new strength - the strength of mercy."

First, what humility to admit he was at first intimidated by the sick and needed courage. And what grace to persevere through that. I seem to automatically assume clergy are "good" at being around the sick and suffering as it's an important part of their vocation. I never stopped to think it may be hard for them and they may need extra grace not to "betray discomfort", as the Holy Father noted.

And how amazing is it that this man, who was at first intimidated by suffering and the sick, would go on to become a model of suffering in his last years. He then persevered through the grace of God not to hide or downplay his illness but to display it for the world to see and unite it with that of Christ. Also, that John Paul II would note how mercy emerges from suffering, how incredible given his devotion to Divine Mercy.

Catholic Carnival 119 is up

Hosted by Book Reviews and More.

I especially liked Red Neck Woman's My Prayer Book and eBeth's thoughts about the loaded question Are You Saved?.

Rosary inspiration 101

May is Mary's month. And if you're like me, when you think "Mary," "Rosary" isn't far behind.

I try to pray a Rosary every day and for the most part, I do. Sometimes I run out of time or I get too tired and just crash, but when I make the time, I get it in. And I'm trying to make the time every day as best I can because it is such a powerful prayer to Jesus, through Mary.

But for many, trying to pray a Rosary in every day seems daunting if not impossible. And there are days I fall into this category, believe me. If you need a little something to re-energize your excitement about and love and devotion to the Rosary, have I got a book for you: 101 Inspirational Stories of the Rosary by Sr. Patricia Proctor, O.S.C.

When I rediscovered the Rosary a couple of years ago, I found out about this book via the Rosary Army. This book was like rocket fuel. After reading just a few of the 101 real-life witnesses to the Rosary's power, I couldn't wait to pray the Rosary every day.

Every time I feel that my Rosary appreciation is slipping I pull out this book and reread a few of the stories of the Rosary's power. People saved from disaster or accidents. Faithful healed from disease. Even tales of beads that mysteriously change color or smell like roses.

No matter the result, it's our Holy Mother interceding for us time and time again as our most powerful advocate, letting us know she'll lovingly take all our petitions, worries and woes to her Son anytime we ask. All we have to do is ask.

If you want to get re-energized about the Rosary - or want to inspire someone - pick up this book. It's just fantastic.

Our Lady of the Stop & Shop

A couple of weeks ago I was grocery shopping with my family. As we went into the store, I saw an outdoor display of spring flowers and garden ornaments, including several Our Lady of Grace garden statues.

I've wanted an Our Lady of Grace statue for our side flower bed for about a year now, so I checked it out, but for some reason I didn't pull the trigger.

Today I had to stop by the store on the way home from work. While driving to the store I remembered that OLOG statue and wondered if they still had any. I regretted not buying it since that trip a couple of weeks ago, so I made a mental note: "If they have one, I'm buying it."

As I walked to the front of the store, the garden display was nearly gone/sold out, but sure enough there was one OLOG statue left! I checked it out. It was ding- and dent-free so I picked up Our Lady and placed her in the shopping cart.

I gotta admit, the Blessed Mother looked kinda funny riding along in the cart. I really wish I had my camera with me, it was pretty amusing. As I walked the store and picked up what I needed, I got a few "Huh?" stares as people checked out my cart, which consisted seedless watermelon, chicken, many jars of baby food and one large Marian statue.

It wasn't my everyday cart, but it was meant to be. Even better, I checked the receipt and the usually $25 Mary was on sale for $18. Talk about meant to be!

I didn't get a chance to take a picture of the statue, hopefully I will soon.

My well-worn friend

There's something about an old prayer booklet. The well-worn, or well-worn-out, friend whose the binding is loose (if not missing) and there's no need to dog-ear a page as it opens to exactly the right spot after weeks, months or years of training.

Every once in a while I'll see someone before Mass or at Adoration diligently making their way through their favorite booklet, which more often than not is also jammed with novena pamphlets, holy cards and whathaveyou, and held together by a thick rubber band. I love it.

Yesterday I picked up one of my favorite "veterans", a small booklet of novenas and prayers to St. Gerard.

I prayed this book every day while pregnant with my first child and I've been praying it again now that I'm pregnant with our second. The binding (two staples that were not built for this type of use) is shot.

Months too late I finally put it in a plastic cover, only to pick it up yesterday and watch the bound pages spill out while the cover stayed tucked in the plastic. I slipped the first few and last few pages back into the plastic cover and it's back in place, but I have to be gentle. I could get a new one, but I don't want to. I love the history with this book.

I remember finding out I was pregnant and immediately feeling the need to get to the local Catholic bookstore and get a prayer book. I was a lukewarm Catholic at the time, but I felt a pull to ask for intercession on this amazing journey. I Googled "patron saint of expectant parents" and up popped St. Gerard.

The next day at lunch break I stopped by the bookstore and found a Pauline media prayer book to him. I started praying a novena - something I had never done before. I was impressed I finished the whole thing. Nine whole days. A big deal at the time! The booklet also had a small set of Morning and Evening prayers, so I added those in, too. The St. Gerard booklet was like dipping my toe into the waters of a real, faithful practicing Catholic. Two months later I would be led to the Rosary, and back to Our Lady and, finally, back to her Son.

That St. Gerard booklet was a wonderful start back on my faith journey. The thought of replacing it with a new one saddens me. This booklet has so many good memories, like the times I carefully tucked it in my carry-on luggage during trips to California and Las Vegas, or on local retreats. Even the pages that sport bite marks from my cat (she was jealous of the bedtime attention I paid to St. Gerard) make me smile.

And how, after going into labor, I scrambled to pack and refused to forget the booklet or my Rosary. I remember waking up at 5 a.m., just hours before my C-section and praying the booklet and getting a final Rosary in, too, just for good measure as my husband tried to sleep four feet away on a couch that allegedly doubled as a bed. I was excited and nervous, and having that booklet with me helped me prayerfully pass the time until we met our daughter.

So instead of replacing the booklet, I need to gently care for it like the personal treasure it is. Hopefully, one day, I'll be able to pass it down to my daughter and St. Gerard can be her companion on her exciting journey, too.

How do you handle a toddler in church?

Very carefully?

Our daughter is 16 months old and in full "I want to moooooooove" mode.

This makes Mass a tough hour for us. Rarely is it three of us in the pew, one of us is almost always with our daughter in the Children's Room so as not to disturb the other parishoners. We attend a "Children's Mass" but we still feel like she shouldn't be whooping it up in the pew.

Any advice on how to handle this? I love attending Mass as a family, but with two of us usually in another room, it's hardly like we're worshiping together. On the other hand, I don't want each of us to attend seperate Masses so the other can stay home with our daughter. I feel it's important she go with us every week, get familiar with Church and - eventually - behave in an age-appropriate manner.

What should we do? Just continue to tough it out until she grows up a bit? We've tried books, snacks, you name it - she just wants to roam around.

Any advice or thoughts are greatly appreciated!

A simple, powerful Holy Hour

After two long weeks, I finally got my Holy Hour in yesterday after Mass.

Like I posted earlier, for me Adoration traditionally is a jam-packed hour of prayer and petition. I only get to go 1-2 times a month, so I feel like I need to make it as "productive" as possible, praying my daily Rosary, a Divine Mercy Chaplet and reading reflections from an Adoration prayer booklet.

But then I read Jen's post about going to Adoration and just "being", listening to what Jesus had to say to me. The idea really hit home with me - what could be more "productive" then just quietly listening to what the Lord had to say to me? That's not to imply that Rosaries or prayers aren't wonderful - not at all - but I realized I didn't always have to have this long to-do/pray list when I walked in the Chapel.

So yesterday after Mass I went to the Adoration Chapel, dropped off a few Rosaries at the back table, and simply sat down. I tried to best clear my mind and simply pray, "Jesus, I'm here for you. I'm here to listen."

My mind wandered a bit during the hour, but not as much as I thought. I just sat quietly, eyes closed and relaxed, basking in the presence of our Lord. I imagined the red and white beams emanating from the Host like we see in the Divine Mercy image, blanketing me and the five or so others who were in the Chapel. That was the message I came away with yesterday. He didn't tell me anything or say anything specific, but my mind kept returning to the Divine Mercy rays. Perhaps mercy was my message yesterday - that not only would God me merciful to me, but that I also needed to be more merciful to others.

The hour went my surprisingly fast and I left Chapel incredibly relaxed. It was a lovely way to spend a Sunday morning.

Joyful Rosary meditations for Mom

James Hahn over at Real Life Rosary Weblog offers a free PDF download of Joyful Mysteries Rosary meditations he's written for his wife and mom.

They're simply, thoughtful and lovely, a great gift to sneak into mom's Mother's Day card.

Adoration, vocations and why God isn't a spiritual ATM

My parish saw its latest deacon celebrate his first Mass last weekend.

In the bulletin, it noted that he was the fourth member of our parish to become a deacon in the past 10 years. Our parish also has Perpetual Adoration. The link was not lost on me.

I've seen the connection between vocations and Adoration cited in people's vocation stories many times, but every time it blows me away. Just last week I made the link between the deacon and our Perpetual Adoration, and two days later I was reading Deepa's vocation story, where she noted:

"In my sophomore year of high school, I started attending “Pizza and Prayer” – Wednesday night Eucharistic Adoration and pizza – weekly with my youth group. I soon started staying in the chapel after the pizza arrived just to spend more time with Christ."

And now Deepa is just over a month away from entering the wonderful Dominican Sisters of Summit, N.J.

Adoration is such a gift to us, no wonder if moves so many when they sit and listen to God. Be it an urging to be a religious or marry or serve in so many different ways, time in Adoration pays off - for us and for God.

It's funny, the time I spend in Adoration (and it's not as much as I would like, believe me, maybe 1-2 hrs a month due to family commitments) I usually think of in terms of "What I Need To Get From God."

"I need to pray for this person. I need to pray for this petition. I need to say this Rosary for X, Y, Z"

It's almost like I'm treating Him as some Spiritual ATM.

I've realized I need to go to Adoration and discover what I can do for Him. Not necessarily vice-versa.

I'm hoping to get a Holy Hour in after Mass on Sunday. Fingers crossed.

The joy of giving

I really enjoy reading vocation blogs - folks who are discerning or in the active process of heading into seminary or postulancy, or those - such as the Dominican Sisters of Summit, N.J. - who are living their vocation and giving us an inside peek.

I truly appreciate these bloggers sharing their journeys with us, whether they end up in religious life or another vocation chosen for them by God. Reading about their joy and excitement keeps me excited and joyful about living my vocation as a Catholic wife and mother.

The latest such blog I found was that of Deepa, who will soon be joining my favorite order, the Dominican Sisters of Summit, N.J. In one post, Deepa listed what she's required to bring to the Monastery and some readers anonymously mailed her what she needed as a way to help. How cool. The list contained very ordinary and everyday items, from lip balm and hand towels to a pin cushion and dental floss.

People were so generous Deepa has everything she needs 45 days before she enters the Monastery. She also posted a list of a "postulant companion" who still needs a few remaining items before she starts her journey.

I immediately thought I'd like to help, so I volunteered to purchase a few things. They weren't expensive or extravagant, but it felt so darn good to help out. Yesterday my daughter and I went shopping for this woman and it was a lot of fun knowing we were helping out in a small, but concrete, way.

I'm posting this not to pat myself on the back but to share how much fun it was to go shopping for this person I've never met, a woman who perhaps will spend her life praying for all of us. What an amazing career, what an important vocation. I feel really privileged to be able to help in a small way.

This all makes me realize that one of the amazing byproducts of my "reversion" to Catholicism is the joy of giving.

Before returning to the land of the Trying To Be Faithful, my charitable efforts were pretty few and far between. I was more concerned with Me: My Wants, My Needs, My Money.

Thankfully, the Blessed Mother set me straight and now I get so much more than I give when I give, be it a few cans of tuna for the food pantry, Rosaries to anyone who needs one, $10 to a donation request in the mail, you name it. My family's on a budget, so we don't have a lot to give, but we do our best.

And I truly feel I get so much more out of whatever we give than the recipient.

Catholic Carnival 117 is up

As usual, some very good posts in this week's round-up.

Check it out!

Thanks to 50 Days After for hosting.

The gift that gives back

I got hooked on all-twine-knotted Rosary making nearly two years ago. I stumbled across (or more accurately the Holy Spirit lead me to) Rosary Army, where I learned to pray the Rosary (not just say it) and make all-twine-knotted Rosaries.

In the process, the Rosary-making lit a fire for my faith, something I had been hoping for for years. There's much more to the whole experience than what I just wrote. It's another fabled Post For Another Day. (And I swear I'm keeping track of these and I will write them.) Edit to add, 1/29/08: Here's that Post For Another Day.

Anyway, there's a lot I love about making Rosaries. I enjoy donating them to Rosary Army, not knowing where they'll end up but hoping they will make a difference in someone's life. I like leaving them anonymously in the back of my parish's Adoration Chapel. I love giving them to friends who have friends or relatives that would like one, and I get jazzed making a special one for a special person.

I just made Divine Mercy-themed Rosaries (above) for two doctors who recently treated my daughter during a hospital stay. We had a great discussion about Divine Mercy and why it's so linked to health care professionals. I love making special rosaries for people: picking out the right medal, finding the perfect crucifix and choosing the best twine color. I get as much making it and giving it away as I hope people get receiving it.

Another aspect I enjoy is the fact that it's an inexpensive, portable hobby that produces quick results. Each Rosary costs about 75 cents in materials and - for me - about 40 minutes of knotting from start to finish. The Rosary pictured costs a little more, say $3 because I bought a "fancy" Crucifix retail instead of using the ones I buy in bulk. But, still, that's pretty darn cheap, and it's a unique, thoughtful gift for the right people.

Intrigued? It is May. Why not try something fun for you and something lovely for the Blessed Mother?

Here are some places to poke around and get more information. But, I must warn you, this hobby is addicting! :-)

How to Make An All-Twine Knotted Rosary
Where To Get Supplies
About Rosary Army
How To Get A Free All-Twine-Knotted Rosary