Sunday With the Saints

Blessed John Du Lau and the September Martyrs


Blessed John was the archbishop of Arles, France. He and his companions are celebrated today because they died heroic martyrs' deaths during the French Revolution. The new constitution of 1790 was against the Church. The people were being forced to sign their agreement with an oath. If they did not, they were punished. By 1792, the punishment was more than a prison term. Now it meant death. Many brave bishops, priests, religious and lay people would not sign the oath supporting the French constitution. They knew they would be betraying God and his Church. Pope Pius VI told them that they were right. It was a sad time for the people of France. On September 2, 1792, a crowd of several hundred people rioted and broke into a former monastery. It was now a prison for priests and religious. The mob approached several priests and told them to sign the oath. Each priest definitely refused. Each was slain on the spot. Among the martyrs was Blessed Alexander Lenfant, a Jesuit. Just a few minutes before he died, he had been hearing the confession of a fellow priest. Both were killed moments later. The rioters then went to the Carmelite church which was also being used as a prison. Blessed John, archbishop of Aries, and other bishops and priests were being held there. All refused to take the oath and all were murdered. On September 3, the same mob went to the Lazarist seminary. It was also a temporary prison, with ninety priests and religious. Only four escaped death. By the time the terrible Revolution had ended, 1,500 Catholics had been killed. Several were bishops, priests and religious. The martyrs we celebrate today number 191. They were proclaimed "blessed" in 1926 by Pope Pius XI. We can ask today's martyrs to help us understand that the precious gift of our Catholic faith has to be cherished. We never want to take our religion for granted.

Sundays With the Saints

St. Elizabeth Bichier

Feast Day: August 26

       Elizabeth was born in 1773. As a little girl, her favorite game was building castles in the sand. Many years later, this holy French woman had to take charge of building convents for the order of nuns she founded. "I guess building was meant to be my business," she joked, "since I started it so young!" In fact, by 1830, eight years before her death, Elizabeth had already opened over sixty convents. During the time of the French Revolution, Elizabeth's family lost everything they owned. This was because the republicans were taking property from the nobility. But this intelligent young woman of nineteen studied law so she could fight her family's case in court. When she won and saved her family from ruin, the village shoemaker exclaimed- "All you have to do now is marry a good republican!" Elizabeth, however, had no intention of marrying anyone--republican or noble. On the back of a picture of Our Lady, she had written: "I dedicate and consecrate myself to Jesus and Mary forever." With the help of St. Andrew Fournet, Elizabeth started a new religious order called the Daughters of the Cross. We celebrate St. Andrew Fournet's feast on May 13. This new order taught children and cared for the sick. Elizabeth would face any danger to help people. Once she found a tramp lying sick in a barn. She brought him to the convent hospital and did all she could for him until he died. The next morning the police chief came to tell her she could be arrested for sheltering a man believed to be a criminal. Elizabeth was unafraid. "I only did what you yourself would have done, sir," she said. "I found this poor sick man, and took care of him until he died. I am ready to tell the judge just what happened." Of course, the saint's honesty and charity won her great respect. People admired her straight, clear answers. The order's co-founder, St. Andrew Fournet, died in 1834. St. Elizabeth wrote to the sisters, "This is our greatest and most sad loss." St. Elizabeth died on August 26, 1838. She was proclaimed a saint by Pope Pius XII in 1947. St. Elizabeth Bichier was courageous and energetic. We can pray to her if we realize that we are not as generous in our Christian vocation as we should be. She will help us be generous followers of Jesus.


(Courtesy of: http://www.wjpbr.com/saintalp.html)

Another Summer Day

First:	Jeremiah 30:1-2,12-15,18-22
Resp:	Psalm 102:16-21,29,22-23
Gospel:	Matthew 14:22-36

Today was definitely a hot, hazy summer day where you just want to stay inside under the air conditioning!  It's pretty funky out there, folks. BUT... on that note... I *am* glad that we at least get the green grass and trees and colorful flowers this summer!  I try to remind myself that there is still beauty out there even though it's too dang hot to enjoy it most days, LOL!

I've been thinking a lot about the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe where my friend Pam and I went back in February. Such a place of beauty!  And the choir was just incredible. I sure wish we had a choir like that in our own parish!  Don't get me wrong - I love our parish. ♥  The people are warm, friendly and it feels like "home". Plus, Fr. Tony is awesome! But I definitely want to go back to the cathedral and visit sometime. It was such a huge part of my journey to God that it feels like a part of me now.

There is a lot going on lately and sometimes it's tough to calm my mind and stop thinking about it all. School is about to begin for D, I will soon need to go back out into the workforce and find employment, my sister will need to find another babysitter ... it's a lot to deal with!  But I know that everything is happening the way it is for a reason, and that if I trust in God, He'll handle all the details. He's never let me down before even when things seemed utterly hopeless. I also know that there are a good many friends of mine who are in need of prayer lately, so for all of us, I pray...

OUR FATHER

Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be
Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will be done,
on earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our
daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we
forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us
not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

HAIL MARY

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is
the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners,
now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

GLORY BE

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Hooray for Chick-Fil-A!

Today's Readings:
First: Jeremiah 15:10,16-21
Resp: Psalm 59:2-4,10-11,17-18
Gospel: Matthew 13:44-46

Not a whole lot going on today. My beautiful daughter, my mama and I went and grabbed some groceries this morning and then it was off for a day of babysitting my nieces and nephews. The baby was a little crabby but it's to be expected because the poor little monkey is teething. :( My older niece and I watched a cupcake show and it renewed my passion for starting my own cupcake business. Darn that show! ;) Now all I want to do is sit around and bake cupcakes all day!

 Dylann and I cleaned out her closet yesterday and I believe we have (so far) about six trash bags full of clothes to donate to the women's shelter. I know we have a full bag of books as well, and we still haven't taken the books off of her closet shelf yet -- yikes! Soooo many books (hey, she used to be an avid reader)! It will sure be nice to have the closet totally cleaned out so we can start organizing before school starts (twenty-six days, yahooo!!!).

 I'm really excited to hear that Chick-Fil-A had such a great turnout for their Appreciation Day! I keep reading status updates about long waits and there were even some stores who ran out of food! YAY! That is great! So thankful for the president of the company standing up for his beliefs!

Walking Babies :)

Seems a hot topic lately is Chick-Fil-A and its support of traditional marriage. I say GOOD FOR THEM!!! In a society that is constantly trying to force-feed perversions and things that are obviously WRONG down our throats, it is so nice to see people who will still stand up for what is right!! My niece Jojo has been walking EVERYWHERE today! So exciting to see those little legs go! She only had one minor fall earlier and I'm sure it scared her more than hurt her. We spent the day having an absolute blast. We did a lot of walking, played with the toys, learned some new words, watched some cartoons, read a book and tried some new food. Such a sweet little girl! Seems like once she hit a year old, she really took off! Dear daughter came to my sister's house to babysit with me today. I always enjoy having her there because we get to spend more time together, talking and laughing. I always hate when I have to work late and she's home all day by herself. I feel like time goes by so fast as it is, I don't like deliberately missing time with her. :( This gal is tired and ready for bed. At least I get the day off tomorrow so YAY!! :D

Ten Ways To Live Your Faith

I just read this wonderful article this morning, courtesy of CatholicMothersOnline.com and wanted to share it! Remember, most of this doesn't have to apply JUST to Catholics, either! ;) Have a great day, I love you! **************************************************************************** 1. Receive the Sacraments. As Catholics, we are so blessed to be able to have guaranteed ways to receive grace. That is the gift of the sacraments. Attend Mass and go to confession. These acts not only bring grace, but tend to lighten any burdens you may be carrying.
2. Limit your TV time. Don’t watch TV that portrays the marriage relationship–or any relationship–in a negative light. When you stop to really think about it, most sitcoms, dramas, and reality TV show sin as normal and even preferable to living a holy life. Ask yourself: Does watching this TV show bring glory to God? If it doesn’t, consider giving it up.
3. Pray for someone who has wronged you. And forgive them. It doesn’t really matter if they are sorry for what they did to you or if they even know they hurt you. God shows mercy to us every single minute of our lives, and it is our duty to pray for and forgive others.
4. Don’t gossip, and stand up for someone. When the conversation with your friends starts veering toward bashing others, sharing juicy details of someone else’s troubles, or anything of the sort, either stop the conversation by standing up for the person or just walk away. I know I have friends in my life who tend to gossip and not listen even when I try to defend someone, so sometimes the best option is to just walk away from the conversation.
5. Donate used clothes, toys, kitchen items, canned food, whatever to charity, and do so with a heart for Christ. We live in a world of constant surplus. I know I have a constant need to de-clutter, and “things” can take over if I don’t keep them in check. Our local Ladies of Charity and Salvation Army are always looking for donated items. Check to see if your church has a food pantry or a recommendation on where to donate. If you don’t have extra stuff to donate, maybe you can serve God by giving of your time and volunteering at church or at a charity.
6. Read the Bible. This one may seem kind of obvious, but many Catholics are not as familiar with the bible as most Protestants I know. A good place to start is Proverbs. There are 31, so you can read one each day for a whole month.
7. Stop complaining and start thanking God for your blessings. If you are reading this (on a computer or smartphone, with an internet connection), chances are you are in the top 10% of the world’s wealthiest people. Many people in the world today don’t know where they are getting their next meal, don’t have a bed to sleep in or an extra set of clothes. You are blessed physically and spiritually. Be sure to recognize those blessings and thank God for them.
8. Hold your tongue. A big part of being patient is just shutting up. I get along with my husband and am kinder to my children when I take time to really think before I speak instead of just spouting out whatever comes to mind.
9. Organize your house and your mind so that your family receives the best you. I know when my house is a mess and I have a million things on my to-do list, I get stressed and tend to take it out on my family. They don’t deserve that. If I keep the house clean and organized, keep close track of the calendar, and don’t wait till the last minute to get things done, the entire household seems more peaceful.
10. Pray without ceasing. This one’s from the bible. Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians, “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” As you may have heard before, prayer four general parts:

Adoration – Praising God Contrition – Confessing your sins Thanksgiving – Thanking God for blessings Supplication – Asking for things
Adoration is the first because it’s the most important. God is our creator, our savior, our healer, our everything and He deserves to be praised all the time. So don’t just pray, adore Him.

Happiness Week Day 1

It is another wonderful day outside! Sunny, cool breeze and the scent of freshly mowed grass is drifting through the windows. If it didn't aggravate my allergies so much, it would be perfect! ;)

This week is going to be "Happiness Week". What little things in your life make you happy each day?

I have a whole list of them. It doesn't take much to make me happy sometimes. For example:

* smelling the wild roses growing near my front porch
* watching the sun rise and set each day
* seeing the clouds roll by on a rainy day
* my daughter when she rolls out of bed, hair defying gravity, staggering around trying to get completely woke up
* a clean house
* freshly laundered towels
* a soft pillow to lie on while reading a book
* a good book!
* listening to the birds chirping
* watching the trees dancing in the wind
* brightly-colored butterflies flitting by and tiptoeing over the spring flowers
* my rosary beads
* blessing myself with holy water
* my kitty Shebo curled up beside me, purring away as he drifts off to sleep
* laughing a LOT
* a sink full of suds and bubbles
* my sweet baby niece giggling
* an afternoon nap
* sweet tea
* a walk through the neighborhood after dinner
* honeysuckle vines behind the apartment
* walking on soft green grass
* petal-pink nail polish
* jasmine-scented perfume
* snapping photographs with my digital camera
* my family
* music
* watching cartoons (hey, I never said I was going to grow up!)


The list could go on and on! There is so much to be happy about and be thankful for. It doesn't have to be costly ~~ in fact, as the saying goes, the best things in life are free!

I challenge all of you to write down TEN THINGS that make you happy each day. Think about it. It can be something as simple as a cup of coffee in the morning. Can't wait to read your posts! =oD (And if you DO take me up on this challenge, drop me a line and let me know!)

God Is Good, All the Time

Most compassionate Jesus, You are the Light of the whole world. Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who do not believe in God and of those who as yet do not know You. Let the rays of Your grace enlighten them that they, too, together with us, may extol Your wonderful mercy; and do not let them escape from the abode which is Your Most Compassionate Heart.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls of those who do not believe in You, and of those who as yet do not know You, but who are enclosed in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Draw them to the light of the Gospel. These souls do not know what great happiness it is to love You. Grant that they, too, may extol the generosity of Your mercy for endless ages. Amen.

I saw this gorgeous prayer on my Facebook newsfeed earlier and loved it so much, I decided to share it. (Because I loves ya just that much. *wink*) We should all try and pray this for the conversion of all souls!

Today is a gorgeous day, albeit a bit warm already. The kidlet is still snoozing peacefully in her room, the cat is snoozing peacefully in *my* room, the clothes are drying peacefully in the dryer and Judge Alex is peacefully making his ruling on my television. You wish you were here, right? ;) In all seriousness, it's a good day so far and with God's grace it will continue to be good!

I've been looking online at chapel veils and there are so many pretty ones out there! Some people have such talent for making beautiful things!

Ah, I believe my Miss Teen Angst has awakened and is ready for breakfast (lunch? It's lunch TIME but she considers it breakfast anyway, haha!) so I'll wrap this up. I hope everyone has a wonderful day ahead!

In the World, Not Of It

It's been a while since I last posted -- busy, busy, busy! Now I finally have a chance to sit down and really write something out. ;)

I woke up to rain, which surprised me because I didn't know we were supposed to get any. I guess I should watch the weather forecast before bed! At any rate, we really need all the rain we can get because we're still under water restrictions (I believe we're at a Stage 3 out of 4 -- 4 being the most severe). So I'll keep praying for more rain and maybe this summer we'll avoid the nasty drought we got last summer!

Lots of talk lately about contraception and President Obama. I read yesterday where Bishop William Lori and several others from different Christian faiths were standing together, willing to go to jail instead of adhering to our President's mandate on birth control coverage. So pleased to read this! We should all be willing to do whatever it takes to do what is right, even when what is right means going against the rest of society, even when doing what is right is the hardest thing to do.

No one EVER said following Christ would ever be easy. Many have died for following Christ. I'm sure many will continue to die for following Christ, and if it came down to it, we should all be willing to do that. Look what he did for US! Unfortunately, it has become way too easy for people to throw aside the Church's (referring to the Catholic Church) teachings and go their own way. We live in a society where we want everything to be easy. We don't want to stand out and be different. We'd rather go against what God wants us to do than go against what society wants us to do, or our family wants us to do, or our spouse wants us to do. Why do we do this? Because it's easier that way!

In the end, what society expects of us isn't going to matter one bit. What God expects of us and whether we did as He instructed is what's going to matter. At that point, we'll have no excuses and no one to blame but ourselves. My prayer is that we will all learn to keep God at the forefront of our thoughts and hold His teachings in our hearts always, that we may believe that His Will is the most perfect thing in the whole world for all of us, and that we never forget to pray for strength when the pressures of the world chips away at our weaknesses.

No One On This Earth Is Perfect

Today, Texas Rangers' player Josh Hamilton made a televised apology and explained about his sobriety relapse on Monday. What a shame that after he did that, I saw so many nasty and rude comments online about him. How awful it would be if all of OUR weak moments were televised and after we'd apologized, people still saw fit to judge our actions? I have weak moments all the time. I try to do good, try to live the way God wants me to, but I fail miserably. All the time. And I'm sure that Josh Hamilton's intention wasn't to mess up, but he did, just as we all have done. Pray for him and his family that this doesn't happen again and that he will have the strength to fight these demons.

My sister got the keys to her apartment today, yay!!! We checked out the apartment and it's really nice. I'm totally envious of her oven, by the way. It's total digital. Freakin' awesome! And this for a girl who ONLY cooks in the microwave, haha. But it was really nice, my sister loved it and I think she's going to be so super happy now. The kids loved it as well, so double-yay!!

We're supposed to be under a severe thunderstorm warning until 2:30 in the morning. We've gotten a little rain, which prompted me to close my windows. I just raised them again because it is MUGGY, but I may be tempting fate here. With my luck, it'll come a downpour in the middle of the night and I'll snooze right through it while my bedroom is flooding. ;) Because that's how I roll, you know...

I leave you all with a prayer before heading to bed. Goodnight, sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite!

Angel of God
My guardian dear
To whom God's love
Commits me here.
Ever this day
Be at my side
To light, to guard, to rule, to guide.
Amen.

Simplicity

FOR TODAY

Outside my window... it's dark and dreary, humid and warm. Pretty sure winter has skipped us and we've hit spring already! (Why do I think this? Well, besides the temperatures, I was sitting outside yesterday watching yellow BUTTERFLIES fluttering about all over the GREEN grass...which, I must admit, was nice considering we haven't had green grass since early spring last year!)

I am thinking... About how happy I am that my sister received her tax refund today! YAY!! Now she can start furnishing her new apartment!

I am thankful... for God and his many blessings on me and my family

In the kitchen... my sister is sitting at the kitchen table with the baby. One's putting on makeup, the other one's gurgling and drooling. I'll let you guess which is which! ;o)

I am wearing... my pink pajama pants and pink & blue pajama top

I am creating... a strong sense of spiritual development ;)

I am going... to be doing the laundry shortly. What fun, oh, what fun!

I am wondering... if my daughter's father will file his taxes and we'll get what he owes in back child support

I am reading... The Honk And Holler Opening Soon by Billie Letts (so cute!)

I am hoping... That the weekend is better than the week has been

I am looking forward to... having a peaceful weekend

I am learning... that it's more important to be happy than it is to be perfect

Around the house... we have lots of children's toys!! Soon they will be all moved over to the new place -- yahoo!

I am pondering... why we're having no winter this year =o(

A favorite quote for today... "If Plan A fails, remember that you still have 25 letters left!"

One of my favorite things... Curling up in bed at night with a good book and a breeze blowing in the window

A few plans for the rest of the week: Well, this is Friday, so my plans include being lazy and relaxing!

ACTS

Last night in class we discussed the common format for prayer known as ACTS -- adoration, contrition, thanksgiving and supplication. Or rather, this SHOULD be the format. ;o) So often, even for myself, we forget to do the first three and focus solely on asking God for something. I'm not saying that God doesn't answer us when we ask, but we should all try a little harder to adore Him, express sorrow for our sins and THANK God for all that He has already given us before we present our needs to Him. I am very guilty of this and it's something I intend to seriously work on!

We also discussed how prayer can take many forms -- mental, verbal, devotions, novenas, the Holy Rosary, singing, the Mass and so many more. The more you incorporate prayer into your daily life, the stronger your spiritual development will be! The stronger your relationship with God, the happier and more content you will be in your life. Remember that God doesn't expect us to be perfect because that is impossible. He wants to take us as we are -- ugly, flawed, sinful and imperfect, so that He can do great things with us and our lives because He loves us so very much. Remember, the most beautiful pieces of artwork sure didn't start out that way!

On a totally different topic, we get six more weeks of winter! I think it's great because I'm still waiting for winter to hit Texas, haha! =o) I'm holding on to hope that we'll eventually get ONE day of snow at least. Apparently, the people in Pennsylvania weren't too happy about the verdict this morning. I guess they're actually getting winter there, LOL!

Fear Has No Business Here!

I was reading today's Scriptures and meditating on how Jesus said to the synagogue official, "Do not be afraid; just have faith." Do not be afraid -- just have faith!! How many of us can truly say that we do this every day? I sure can't! For example, when my loved ones go driving out in the torrential rains, I'm afraid that they'll be knocked off the road by someone less prepared to drive on wet roadways. When my daughter runs a high fever and every part of her body is aching, I am afraid that it may be something more than just a virus. I believe that we all fear something sometimes, but Jesus tells us to not be afraid and to TRUST, really trust, because all things are possible with God. ALL things, not just SOME things. Mark 9:23 tells us, "Jesus said to him, “‘If you can!’ Everything is possible to one who has faith.” This is reeeeeeally important because faith and trust go hand-in-hand. Never underestimate the power of God. Never convince yourself that your obstacles are bigger than God's love for you. And most of all, never allow anyone ELSE to convince you that there is anything God is incapable of doing or providing if He feels you need it. I know from firsthand experience that the times I have been totally desperate and have prayed about my needs, God not only provided for me, but He blessed me far more than I could have ever hoped for or asked for! God is loving and generous, so when Jesus says to not be afraid and just have faith, believe it! ;o)

From "A Simple Woman's Daybook" -

Outside my window... It's grey and breezy but not cold. It's pretty peaceful outside at the moment, nothing but cars off in the distance and birds chirping. =o)

I am thinking... about what to make for dinner. I'm thinking homemade pasta will be on the list!

I am thankful... for a beautiful daughter who has shown me how to love unconditionally.

In the kitchen... I have a sinkful of dishes from breakfast that I need to wash as well as sweep up and wipe down the counters. What have I been doing all morning? Calming a teething baby!

I am wearing... a red t-shirt and blue jeans. Comfy is the key for the day!

I am creating... a literary masterpiece with this blog. Just kidding!! ;o)

I am going... to try and squeeze a nap in at some point later. I didn't sleep well. I had a really creepy dream about demons and the souls of the dead being trapped in children's toys. I don't even know WHERE that came from!

I am wondering...if I will ever get child support or if I'll have to, once again, file on my ex in order to get it out of him.

I am reading... "A Woman's Place" by Lynn Austin. SOOO good!

I am hoping... that my sister and her children will love their new apartment!

I am looking forward to... having some peace and quiet around here

I am learning... Italian!

Around the house...we have too many toys and books. Looks like it's time to clear some out and donate them!

I am pondering...whether or not I should go on Pinterest. I usually get sucked in for way too long on that site!

A favorite quote for today... "At any given moment, you have the power to say: This is NOT how the story is going to end"

One of my favorite things... is curling up on my bed with the kitty and catching some Z's!

A few plans for the rest of the week: Organizing my bedroom closets, gathering up some essentials for my sister's new apartment and going to RCIA class tomorrow! ;o)

Yeah, It's Been A While!

It's a gorgeous Monday morning, definitely feels more like spring than winter. I wonder if we'll actually get any snow this year, or even REAL winter-type weather? Living in Texas, you just never know what you're going to get. One year we got nothing but rain, rain, rain. Another year we had lots of freezing weather, snow and ice. This year it feels like winter has jumped right into spring and somehow missed us! We still have a little while left of winter so maybe there's still hope. ;o)

Soon my sister and her little ones (well, I say little ones, but they range in age from 6 months to 12 years!) will be starting a new journey in an apartment of their own with her as the head of the household. I remember when my daughter and I moved out of my parent's home after my husband and I separated, and how overwhelmed and homesick I was during that first month (or two) of being in the new apartment. Even though my sister A was right next door, I felt this intense loneliness. I finally realized it was my own doing, that I was CHOOSING to feel lonely, that I was CHOOSING to look to the past instead of embracing the future. I hope that my sister will realize what a blessing it is that she's going to have her own space and not have to live under someone else's thumb, especially someone who was supposed to be there to support her, love her and help her raise their children. She can do this, I know she can!

It is hard to believe that in just a little over two months, I will be coming to the end of the RCIA classes. This has been SUCH an incredible faith journey so far! I began praying the rosary in 2006 after talking about it with one of my favorite Roman Catholic friends, Kate, and upon realizing that ANYONE could pray the rosary, Catholic or not, I began praying every single morning. Sometimes I'd pray it two or three times in one day. The beauty of the prayers were so uplifting, I even learned it in Latin! ;o) I truly believe that it was through the intercession of our Blessed Mother that I was led to the Church. My experiences in our RCIA classes have been such eye-openers to parts of the Catholic faith that I had no idea about, and I thought I'd done a lot of research!

I think one of the most intriguing parts about the Catholic faith is that, as Catholics, we don't change to be what society deems "politically correct". We don't bend and sway in the wind the way other church denominations do. Everything about Catholicism has a reason behind it and centuries of proof to back it all up. There is no guesswork involved. This is the only thing that has felt like definite, unwavering, absolute Truth.

On top of that, I have the best classmates to go on this journey with! Not to mention my wonderful Catholic friends who always keep me in the loop on everything going on in the Catholic world. It is a wonderful world to be a part of...