— 1 —

Book Review:  Please check out this week’s post.  I shared my final thoughts, Part 3, on the book Would You Date You?  

Take aways:  God’s timing trumps all of our self-knowledge and self-improvement plans, be not afraid and holiness is our calling!

May you be blessed!

— 2 —

Twitter:  I was home during last Friday’s March For Life re-tweetin’ away on Twitter.  I don’t normally tweet too much but I felt compelled to in response to all the good stuff going on at #marchforlife.  I re-tweeted so much that I got the message saying that I had used up all my tweets for the day and to try again tomorrow! It was cool to watch #marchforlife trend to the top.  Thank you to all the Marchers!

— 3 —

New Evangelist Monthly:  Tomorrow, February 2^nd is the first Saturday of the month so it is time for the New Evangelist Monthly round up.  Check out this “informal, dynamic, crowd-sourced “meta-magazine” showcasing the best posts faithful Catholic bloggers publish each month. Here you will find many different, but faithfully Catholic viewpoints, insights and perspectives.” 

— 4 —

Pope Benedict XVI:  Speaking of the new evangelists and faithful Catholic bloggers, I heard that our Holy Father referred to the last 40 years as being not just ‘failed’ catechesis but a “catastrophic collapse in catechetics.”  Wow.  We, the baptized Catholics, have been officially called on the carpet.  Let us:  

“‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” Mark 16:15

— 5 —

The Veil, His Flesh:  I am so amazed when I see “the veil” mentioned in scripture.  In the Letter to the Hebrews 10:19-22, it says:  

“Therefore, brothers, since through the blood of Jesus we have confidence of entrance into the sanctuary by the new and living way he opened for us through the veil, that is, his flesh, and since we have “a great priest over the house of God,” let us approach with a sincere heart and in absolute trust, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water.”

— 6 —

A Man’s Point of View:  I found a quote by Fletcher Doyle on the L.I.F.T.  (Living in Faith Together) blog.  L.I.F.T is a Young Adult Ministry serving those 18-39 year old Catholics in all stages of life; married or single, with or without children.  Fletcher Doyle is the author of Natural Family Planning Blessed Our Marriage, (Servant Books).  He and his wife are converts who embraced NFP two years after their conversion.  Here is what he had to say about marital chastity: 

“…I found that the chastity required to get through the periods of abstinence caused profound changes in me.  I stopped daydreaming of swimsuit models, wealth and fame.  I became grateful for all God had given me, most of all for my wife.  My appreciation for her and all that she gives me grew, improving an already good 20 year marriage….”

— 7 —

Be The Wire:  Blessed Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997), founder of the Missionary Sisters of Charity said:  

“Each one of us is merely a small instrument. When you look at the inner workings of electrical things, often you see small and big wires, new and old, cheap and expensive lined up. Until the current passes through them there will be no light. That wire is you and me. The current is God. We have the power to let the current pass through us, use us, produce the light of the world. Or we can refuse to be used and allow darkness to spread.”

God love and bless you!

If you have enjoyed my blog, please “like” my Facebook Page, The Veil and sign up to receive my blog posts automatically by clicking the rectangular “Follow” button. Thank you and God Bless!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

— 1 —

Book Review:  Please check out this week’s post.  I continue my thoughts on the book Would You Date You?  Does God arrange marriage?  Does God have a specific person for you? 

God designed us to be “fully human and flourishing.”  Yes, it matters to Him!  May you be blessed!

— 2 —

March For Life:  I went to the March for Life in 1995 and 1998.  Therefore, I have not been a wimp my whole life.  But, I feel like a wimp tonight as I write this.  I live about an hour from D.C. where the March is taking place tomorrow. It is verrrrry cold here and it snowed last night.  It is supposed to snow again tomorrow. But that does not stop you brave and amazing Marchers. I know many of you who plan to March.  Thank you for your loving, caring, Christ-like hearts.  Crown jewels in heaven await all of you.

— 3 —

Vigil for Life:  Gregg and I sat and watched the procession at the Vigil for Life from the Basilica.  The procession took like 30 minutes!  Did you see all those wonderful, holy Seminarians? And the Bishops and Cardinals? Oh, and the Brides of Christ singing sweetly! How about all those young people attending the Mass? And the parents who brought their babies?  Wow.  So inspiring!  Thank you, Lord for all of them and for EWTN!

— 4 —

Melchizedek:  Speaking of wonderful, holy Seminarians, Bishops and Cardinals, I have always love the Priest Melchizedek from the Old Testament.  Whenever his name is mentioned during Mass I always get a big smile on my face.  Well, I was tickled to see that one of the readings from this week actually mentioned both Melchizedek and the Veil:

“…we who have taken refuge might be strongly encouraged to hold fast to the hope that lies before us. This we have as an anchor of the soul, sure and firm, which reaches into the interior behind the veil, where Jesus has entered on our behalf as forerunner, becoming high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek”   Hebrews 6:19-20

— 5 —

Cardinal John Henry Newman:  Just when I started feeling like a wimp for not attending the March For Life, these words were presented to me by my Guardian Angel:

“God has created me to do Him some definite service; He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission—I never may know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. Somehow I am necessary for His purposes, as necessary in my place as an Archangel in his—if, indeed, I fail, He can raise another, as He could make the stones children of Abraham. Yet I have a part in this great work; I am a link in a chain, a bond of connexion between persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do good, I shall do His work; I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it, if I do but keep His commandments and serve Him in my calling.”                 Cardinal John Henry Newman

Hopefully my calling here as an advocate for Chastity provides a link in the chain and a bond of ‘connexion’ with all of us who are Pro-life. 

— 6 —

A Poem About Mary and Jesus: Found Here.  The Virgin Mary, the first pro-life Marcher.

Jesus and Mary

Body of Christ, from Mary’s body; Blood of Christ, from Mary’s blood.

Jesus the bread, Mary the yeast; Mary the kitchen, Jesus the feast.

Mary the Mother by whom we are fed; Mary the oven, Jesus the bread.

Mary the soil, Jesus the vine; Mary the wine maker, Jesus the wine.

Jesus the Tree of Life, Mary the sod; Mary our God-bearer, Jesus our God.

Mary the silkworm, Jesus the silk; Mary the nurse, Jesus the milk.

Mary the stem, Jesus the flower; Mary the stairway, Jesus the tower.

Mary and Jesus, our castle entire; Mary the fireplace, Jesus the fire.

Mary God’s ink, Jesus God’s name; Mary the burning bush, Jesus the flame.

Mary the paper, Jesus the Word; Mary the nest, Jesus the bird.

Mary the artery, Jesus the blood; Mary the floodgate, Jesus the flood.

Mary and Jesus, our riches untold; Mary the gold mine, Jesus the gold.

— 7 —

Google Search:  My bloggy friend, Amanda from Worthy of Agape, shared the google search words of those that land on her blog.  So I thought I would check out what searches led to my blog:

• why did he stop chasing me
• how do i stop chasing my husband
• stop chasing your married lover he will miss you then
• accepting my permanent singleness
• the veil: blessed repeated rejection
• guy inconsistent contact
• when to stop sleeping with him
• i will not pursue you god will send him to me
• chastity the hidden treasure

Sigh. God love you all.

If you have enjoyed my blog, please “like” my Facebook Page, The Veil and sign up to receive my blog posts automatically by clicking the rectangular “Follow” button. Thank you and God Bless!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

— 1 —

This Week’s Mythbuster: Myth #4:  Men/Women Are Defective

I pray my post blesses you in your walk with the Lord and convinces you to wait for the one God has for you!

— 2 —

Ignitum Today:  If you haven’t yet check out this site, please do so.  It has these awesome, young Catholic writers who love and are faithful to The Catholic Church. This post by Arleen Spenceley titled “The Goal of Chastity” is great.  The combox included this comment and I cannot help but agree:

“…Sad to say, it is women that have ruined men. I know that sounds terrible but maybe men just aren’t as strong as women, who knows, but men have always been the same. One hundred years ago, men would sleep with the ‘easy’ girls but if they wanted an attractive woman with good qualities, they had to wait until marriage for ‘sex’. Today, a man doesn’t have to be manly, virtuous, gentlemanly, lovers of God, and kind to women. No, since most women will satisfy our most selfish and base desires, why wait for the real jewels? The fact is that today if a man won’t love God and a woman enough to live chastely until marriage, he probably will not show true love to his wife. If you don’t believe me, look at the divorce rate, rate of domestic violence, adultery, etc. We don’t even have to commit to a woman anymore, just shack up and everything is good until we get bored.”

— 3 —

Facebook Blunders:  I could easily include several Facebook blunders each week but here are two from this week:

1.  A teenager’s photo of the gifts her boyfriend gave her.  Including the ‘naughty seduction’ body lotion.  TMI
2.  A girl posted a photo of her boyfriend and herself….in bed.  TMI

I believe that deep down these girls are experiencing doubt about their worth.  So, they post these photos as a way of showing the world that they are worthy of a man and attention.  But really, all it reveals is that they are having sex outside marriage, being used and that they don’t have the good sense to not share this with the world with details on Facebook. Keep it classy girls.  Remember your dignity.

— 4 —

Pro-life Must Read:  Brianna from the blog Just Showing Up is a young wife and Mother who somehow produces these profound articles while juggling, oh let’s see…7 children, 4 adopted, 2 with Down Syndrome.  And she home schools her children.  Her writing is impeccable and solidly Catholic. Finally, she is a….Convert!! Please check her out and follow her. You won’t be disappointed!

 As we approach the March For Life next Friday, this post hits home.  Here is a quote from it:

“….But so long as women seek salvation and freedom via Planned Parenthood escorts, vacuum aspirators and forceps, they fall prey to the culture’s narrative which says that pregnancy renders women as little more than host to a parasite.

See, it is the culture that fails to acknowledge a woman as anything more than a body with a uterus.

It is the culture that fails to acknowledge that a woman is a person….”

— 5 —

 St Ignatius of Antioch:  Love him.  Even his name is cool.  Here is a quote from him:

“Take heed, then, to have but one Eucharist. For there is one flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one cup to [show forth] the unity of His blood; one altar; as there is one bishop, along with the presbytery and deacons, my fellow-servants: that so, whatsoever you do, you may do it according to [the will of] God.”

 — 6 —

Symeon the New Theologian:   (c.949-1022), Greek monk, saint of the Orthodox churches 

I am not sure why he is named the “New” Theologian but how about this quote from the sermon, The light that leads me by the hand: 

“…We know well the love you have granted us: love without limit, inexpressible, that nothing can contain. It is light – light inaccessible, light that acts in all things… Indeed, what is there that this light does not do? What is there that it is not? It is delight and joy, sweetness and peace, mercies without number, abyss of compassion. When I possess it I do not notice it; only when it goes away do I see it. I hasten to grasp it and it all flies away. I do not know what to do and spend my strength. I learn to ask and seek for it with tears, in great humility, and not to think that what exceeds nature, what comes from God’s compassion and infinite mercy, is either possible or the result of my own power or human effort… 

This light leads us by the hand, strengthens and teaches us, revealing itself and then fleeing away when we need it. It is not when we want it to (for that belongs to the perfect) but when we are at our wits end and completely worn out that it comes to our help. It appears from afar and lets me feel it within my heart. I am suffocated with sobbing so greatly do I want to grasp it, but all is night and my poor hands are empty. I forget everything; I sit down and weep, despairing of seeing it again like this. When I have wept heartily and consented to stop, then, having mysteriously come, it holds my face and I dissolve in tears, not knowing who it is who is there illumining my spirit with sweetest light….”

I don’t want to embarrass myself here but this description of God being so subtle and mysterious matches my experience with Him.  I wish I could say I have a grasp on God.  But, I don’t.  I find Him very, very elusive which is both frustrating and reassuring.  So, I simply try to submit my will, my intellect and myself to Him. 

— 7 —

Fever:  To complete my Saint ‘hat trick’, I will present something by a Saint who is very near and dear to my heart:  Saint Jerome (347-420), priest, translator of the Bible, Doctor of the Church 

Homilies on Saint Mark’s gospel, no.2C :  He is Present by Faith 

“..If only Jesus could come and cure our fever with a word! For each of us has their fever. When I fall into a fury, I have a fever; however many my vices, so many are my fevers. Let us ask the apostles to beg Jesus to come to us, to touch our hand. If he does so, the fever will at once vanish for Jesus is an excellent physician. He is the true, the great doctor, supreme among all doctors… He knows how to uncover the secrets of every illness: he does not touch our ear, our face… but our hand, that is to say our evil deeds… “

If you have enjoyed my blog, please “like” my Facebook Page, The Veil and sign up to receive my blog posts automatically by clicking the rectangular “Follow” button. Thank you and God Bless!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

— 1 —

Book Review:  Please check out this week’s post.  I shared my thoughts on the book Would You Date You?  May you be blessed!

— 2 —

Jennifer Fulwiler:  Our prayers continue for you, Dear Jennifer. 

In addition to offering up prayers, I, as a member of the Church Militant, made several sacrificial efforts this week and offered them up to God for Jennifer and her baby.  First, there is this one household task that I won’t mention.  I really don’t like to do this task and I have been avoiding it.  But, I did it and offered it up for Jennifer’s healing.  I pray that Grace resulted.  Also, I made my man, Gregg, the Man Pleasing Chicken recipe that Jennifer recommended back in December.  Yes, I know that doesn’t sound like a big deal.  But since I don’t really cook, it was sort of like me sacrificing. 

Will you please do me a favor?  Do the thing you have been avoiding and extend yourself in love this week.  And offer it all up for Jennifer and that sweet baby boy.  Thank you!

— 3 —

Hallie Lord:  Wasn’t last week’s Quick Takes process smooth as silk?  Many thanks to Hallie Lord for her hospitality and for keeping our community of Catholic bloggers together.

— 4 —

New Evangelist Monthly:  Speaking of Catholic Bloggers, have you heard about the new “meta-magazine” hosted by George over at Convert Journal?  Here is a little description:

“This is an informal, dynamic, crowd-sourced “meta-magazine” showcasing the best posts faithful Catholic bloggers publish each month. Here you will find many different, but faithfully Catholic viewpoints, insights and perspectives. New issues are formed the first Saturday of every month.”

Oh, and The Veil of Chastity was invited to participate which totally made my day.  Please check out all the great “faithfully Catholic” Blogs!

— 5 —

So Many Ways To Evangelize:  Can we evangelize with hobbies?  How about model airplanes?  Gregg organized an indoor model rubber band powered plane event in our Church’s café-gym-atorium last Saturday morning.  About six Dads and their kids attended and had a blast.  They plan on meeting regularly and I am sure their “Eagle Squadron” flying team will grow!

Fellowship.  A great ingredient for evangelization!

— 6 —

Tooting My Parish’s Horn:  I guess I am really tooting God’s horn concerning the number of religious vocations coming from my little home parish.  Are you ready?  We have 3 young men in Seminary and 1 more getting ready to enter Seminary.  We have 2 middle school boys already considering the Priesthood.  We have 1 girl who has received her 2^nd vows toward becoming a Sister, a Bride of Christ.  In addition to my parish, our County has approximately 3 other young men in Seminary.

The Seminarians have been home for Christmas break and have been serving at Mass.  Can I just tell you how moving it is to see our holy Pastor, our holy Deacon and 3 holy young Seminarians on the altar of our Lord?  I have had to choke back the tears.  God is so good.  The Holy Spirit is Alive!  Our cup truly overflows.

— 7 —

Good Girls Everywhere:  Go check out these girls and join them on their Facebook page! 

“We are a network of trendy young adult Catholic women who welcome all women of faith. We seek to renew society through living out our dignity as daughters of God. We aim to create a place where like-minded women can find fellowship, friends, and networking opportunities while encouraging each other to live up to their God-given potential.”

Watch the video below and listen to their awesome jingle: “You’re not alone, you’re not alone, you’re not alone…”

If you have enjoyed my blog, please “like” my Facebook Page, The Veil and sign up to receive my blog posts automatically by clicking the rectangular “Follow” button. Thank you and God Bless!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

NOTE:  Please join me in praying for our 7QTs host, Jennifer Fulwiler, and her son.  She is in the hospital due to a complication of her pregnancy.  We love you, Jennifer!  Thank you Hallie Lord for hosting this week’s 7QTs.

 — 1 —

This Week’s Mythbuster: Myth #3  There Is Something Wrong With Me

I pray my post blesses you in your walk with the Lord and convinces you that there is nothing wrong with you!

— 2 —

Meg Hunter-Kilmer:  Our Church hosted an all-night event for our youth last Friday night filled with fun, Eucharistic Adoration, Mass, basketball, movies and spiritual talks.  Meg Hunter-Kilmer was our guest speaker and she was awesome! 

After Mass on Sunday, my Pastor literally pulled me aside to hug and thank me for bringing Meg to our church.  He and our Youth Minister said that her talk on Eucharistic Adoration was the best they have ever heard!!

So, here is my unabashed plug!!!  Go to Meg’s blog and find out how you can get her to come to your church, school, University, wherever.  What she has to say is relevant for all ages but I think her gift of talking to the youth and young adults is straight from The Holy Spirit. 

— 3 —

  Meg H-K Details:  Last week I promised to share with you about my time with Meg.  In addition to being beautiful and smart (Notre Dame Grad, hello!) , she is totally in love with Jesus.  And, her love for Him is contagious!  Her audience at our church ranged from 6^th grade youth to college age young adults.  That is a pretty wide target.  But, she was able to capture their interest.  I thought the Q&A session was going to go on for hours! 

Sure, some of the younger girls in the audience giggled and pretended to act like what they were hearing was unimportant.  But, I felt certain that Meg’s words, her message and the way she delivered her message was unlike anything they have ever heard.  Her message was more than just “God loves you!”  Meg encouraged them to be honest with God in prayer and that He can take it if they were not all perfectly pious. I felt sure that everyone there was inspired and persuaded to seek a deeper relationship and dependency on our Lord.  Mission mega accomplished!

Meg’s first talk was on The New Evangelization and she shared with the audience ways to evangelize.  It was neat how she showed them that it was a ‘given’ that we, as Catholics, are to evangelize.  It is part of our mission.  She shared how one football player decided to go to Eucharistic Adoration every Friday night at 10:00pm.  If he was at a party, he would get ready to leave and casually share where he was going with others. Then, he would invite them.  And, these friends went.  He brought others to Jesus.  We can to.

I missed Meg’s second talk because I am unable to stay up past midnight.  But, it was on Eucharistic Adoration and I have already shared with you what my Pastor said.  Amazing!  Oh, and our Youth Minister has already planned for Meg to come back….on a regular basis!

— 4 —

More M H-K Details:  Meg went out to dinner with my family and me before the event.  She is so easy to be around and get to know.  I guess if you are going to live on the terms she has committed to (pretty much out of her car) you have to be able to handle any situation.  For example, my almost 8 year-old went a little ‘ketchup crazy’ and squirted some into his eye.  Our girl Meg jumped right into E.M.T role while I, his Mother, fumble the emergency ball.  He was fine but she definitely is ready for anything. She also graciously played more games of Tick-Tack-Toe with him then she needed to. She spent some time with us the next morning at our house (to take a nap following the all-night event.)  We now have a friend for life.  Thank you, Meg!

— 5 —

Finally The Bride:  I read this book by Cheryl McKay.  It was really good.  She was single until she was 39 years old and her book chronicles her struggles.  I will be doing a book review in the future.  Thank you to the follower who recommended this book!

— 6 —

Come and See Catholic Bible Study:  I watched Doug Keck’s show Bookmark featuring Laurie Manhardt.  She talked of the Catholic Bible Study series called “Come and See.”  I have been looking for an Old Testament Catholic study and can’t wait to dive into these!  They have series for both the Old and New Testament.  I ordered the Isaiah, Moses, David and Wisdom studies from Amazon.  They were about $14 each. Bargain! 

— 7 —

St. Ignatius of Antioch, Martyr of the Catholic Church

St. Ignatius of Antioch:  In his Epistle to the Romans, 7, in the Year 110 A.D. wrote this about our Sacred Eucharist:

“I desire the Bread of God, the heavenly Bread, the Bread of Life, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who became afterwards of the seed of David and Abraham; I wish the drink of God, namely His blood, which is incorruptible love and eternal life.”

If you have enjoyed my blog, please “like” my Facebook Page, The Veil and sign up to receive my blog posts automatically by clicking the rectangular “Follow” button. Thank you and God Bless!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

 — 1 —

My 1^st Book Review:  In this week’s blog post, I shared with you a book review of Katie Hartfiel’s book, Woman In Love: Redefine The Journey Toward Your Husband To Be.  Go here to read my review of this wonderful book!   

— 2 —

Brokenhearted:  I was blessed to spend time with my friend, Carolyn, this past weekend and it reminded me of the wise advice she once gave me after she read my book.  As a favor to me, she read it and provided valuable feedback. 

One concern I had about the book is that some of my advice would appear to be ‘snarky.’ One hazard of providing advice about Chastity is coming off as a kind of ‘know it all.’ In order to prevent this from happening, Carolyn’s advice to me was to approach each chapter “as if I am talking to a brokenhearted girl over coffee.”

My hope is that this blog is providing both wisdom and hope and that I am bringing you the truth about Chastity in a way that heals.  Please know that when I write, I try to picture you, a brokenhearted girl, sitting across from me.  I also picture myself as that brokenhearted girl and try to share with you the insights that would have helped me during my single years.

May the Lord use me to encourage you.  Most of all, may the Lord by glorified!

— 3 —

Scrooge:  Gregg and I have a tradition of watching this classic every Christmas with a bottle of wine. We are convinced that the 1970 version of the movie with Albert Finney is the only one worth watching.  We watched it last Friday night. Watching it prepared my soul for the Sacrament of Confession which I received the next day. It helped me recognize the many links in my chain!

“…I am alive! I’ve got a chance to change and I will not be the man I was.  I will begin again, I will build my life.  I will live to know that I fulfilled my life.  I will begin today and throw away the past.  And, the future I build will be something that will last…”  

Ebenezer Scrooge

May we all be inspired to change, to begin again and build our future on something that will last!

— 4 —

Crowded Mass:  We spent Christmas with my family and everyone reported on how crowded Mass was at their church.  Some might see the crowds as a great inconvenience but I think the crowds are beautiful.  Sure, sure, there are folks who only come to Mass on Christmas.  But, won’t it be sad if there is ever a day that they choose instead to stay away?   

— 5 —

The Hobbit:  Saw it.  Hated it.  Way too violent. Nothing spiritual other than in the very small role for my favorite character, Sméagol/Gollum and his Precious. He is the only one I enjoy in this movie or in the trilogy…which may tell you something.

Anyway, about half way through the 3 hour movie, I got up to use the rest room.  I could have very easily started to weep once I was away from all the violence, gore, blatant disrespect for property, frightful scenes, creepy people, dirty fingernails and unbrushed teeth.  Zero stars from me.  Everyone else in my party loved it. Sigh.

— 6 —

Previews:  When we went to see The Hobbit, there was a full 30 minutes of previews before the actual movie started.  Violent, violent, violent previews!  It is as if the ‘creative’ world can only tap into one thing ~ destruction. You see, in our house, everything we watch is recorded on DVR. NFL football is the only thing that comes close to being violent and we fast forward through all the commercials.  So, I am not used to it….especially 30 minutes of hard-core, in your face violence. I had to either close my eyes or look away.

— 7 —

Meg Hunter-Kilmer:  Our Church is hosting an all-night event for our youth tonight filled with fun, Eucharistic Adoration, Mass, basketball, games, movies and spiritual talks by Meg Hunter-Kilmer.  I am so excited to welcome Meg to our church!  She will talk to our youth about several topics including ‘The New Evangelization.’  She will be visiting my family and me before and after the event and we are very excited to meet her!  I will report out on her visit next week!

If you have enjoyed my blog, please “like” my Facebook Page, The Veil and sign up to receive my blog posts automatically by clicking the rectangular “Follow” button. Thank you and God Bless!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

 — 1 —

This Week’s Mythbuster: Myth #2 Part 2:  God has forgotten about me, A Perspective on Suffering

Though woefully inadequate on the topic of suffering, I pray my post blesses you in your walk with the Lord.

— 2 —

Looking For Answers: Yes, Part 2 is about suffering. For the most part, I wrote the post prior to the killings in Connecticut. I read a lot of blogs this week about suffering and found that no one, including me, has the market cornered on the topic. Everyone, those with faith and those without, is looking for answers and no explanation seems to completely satisfy us.

But, these words from our dear Holy Father astutely sums up what we are all trying to understand:

Perspective on Mental Health:  Following the killings in Connecticut, my husband and I went through many philosophical discussions about the root of murder and evil.  We discussed the idea that it is only those who are away from the Lord who can commit such atrocities.  But, then I read these two articles by Monsignor Pope and my mind was opened to the suffering of the mentally ill and their families:

The First Article  was written the day before the killings in Connecticut:  Nobody Knows The Trouble I’ve Seen, Nobody But Jesus. A Meditation On A Grief Observed 

The Second Article was written after the killings: A Brother’s Reflection On The Mental Illness Of His Sister In The Wake Of A Great Tragedy 

Monsignor Pope’s sister suffered from mental illness and had signs of mental illness even as a toddler.  Their dear parents tried their best to manage it.  It took quite a toll on them.  For some reason unknown to man, this mental anguish persists for some even in the face of emotional, spiritual, mental and physical support.

Monsignor Pope is coming to our Church in March for our County Youth Day.  I will be sure to thank him for his insight and sharing.

— 4 —

Where Were We When?:  We were at Mass on Friday morning when the killings happened in Connecticut.  Our child’s school has a 9:00am Children’s Mass on Fridays and we try to attend when we have the day off.  It was the feast day of St. John of the Cross who is famous for his book, Dark Night of The Soul. 

For some reason, the Children’s Mass does not always follow the USCCB Daily Readings, but anyway, this part of the Gospel that morning caught my attention:

“He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” 

Matthew 5:45

My pride tries to convince me that this is not a fair deal.  But then I am reminded that I am both the righteous and the unrighteous.

— 5 —

Mother Teresa:  Dr. Pia de Solenni wrote an insightful article called, “What does Sandy Hook have to do with abortion?”

We could all argue about the connection between abortion and senseless killing in general.  What struck me about the article was the profound quote from Mother Teresa:

 “…back in 1994 when she spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast. She stood before President Clinton and the First Lady, both outspoken supporters of abortion and she said:

But I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself. And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another?…

By abortion, the mother does not learn to love, but kills even her own child to solve her problems. And, by abortion, that father is told that he does not have to take any responsibility at all for the child he has brought into the world. The father is likely to put other women into the same trouble. So abortion just leads to more abortion. Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want. This is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion. [Full text here.]

— 6 —

Blessed Pope John Paul II
Lifting Up and Begging in Prayer

The Old Baltimore Catechism gives us a beautiful definition of Prayer:

“Prayer is the lifting up of our minds and hearts to God, to adore Him, to thank Him for His benefits, to ask His forgiveness, and to beg of Him all the graces we need whether for soul or body.”

Lifting up and begging.  God requires our effort.

 — 7 —

Angels Singing:  When it comes to gift giving at Christmas, I am not very original or overly generous.  I give a lot of gift cards and Bath and Body Works soap because I am Mrs. Practical.  My husband, however, is extremely generous with everyone and likes especially to give the gift of music. 

With 3 shopping days left, may I highly recommend and persuade you to buy everyone on your Christmas list The Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles CD called Advent at Ephesus?

Go here to hear samples of their angelic voices.

It will lift their hearts to God and give them peace, the peace that surpasses all understanding, in this Holy Season.

God Bless You and Merry Christmas from The Veil of Chastity!

If you have enjoyed my blog, please “like” my Facebook Page, The Veil and sign up to receive my blog posts automatically by clicking the rectangular “Follow” button. Thank you and God Bless!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!  Thank you for hosting, Jennifer!

 — 1 —

Myth #2 Busted:  This week’s post is the second of 7 explaining the Myths That Singles Must Resist.  

This week’s Mythbuster: God has forgotten about me

I decided to break it up into two posts since it is a tough topic.  I pray it blesses you in your walk with the Lord!

— 2 —

Mountains and Valleys:   Haven’t the readings this week of Advent been beautiful!  They have focused on our need to make straight the highway for the Lord. 

“A voice cries out: In the desert prepare the way of the LORD! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!  Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low; The rugged land shall be made a plain, the rough country, a broad valley.”

Isaiah 40:3-4

What are the mountains in our lives that need to be brought down to clear the way for the Lord?  What are the valleys that need to be filled in to make the highway smooth for Him?

— 3 —

Confession:  It clears the obstacles and smooths the potholes in our lives.  Have you set aside a date to receive this most important Sacrament of healing during Advent?  What a gift to our Lord your preparing the way will be.  And, what a gift His healing will be for you!

I will be examining both the mountains and the valleys in my life.  What are my sins of commission (the obstacles) that I need to stop doing in order to clear the obstacles?  What are my sins of omission (the potholes) that I need to start doing in order to fill in the potholes?

— 4 —

A Staircase Rosary:  I am not a good ‘faster’ of food.  Due to my tendency for low blood sugar, fasting makes me somewhat unable to function.  Oh, and it makes me really cranky.  But, I have not been able to find a medical excuse for fasting from exercise. 

A little over a year ago I started hula-hooping at home. I also started an exercise program at work.  I started climbing the stairs 4 times a day. The bonus is that I have been saying my prayers during the stair climbing first thing in the morning. 

I work on the third floor and there are a little over  60 steps in each staircase.  Doing 60 stairs 4 times a day 4 times a week ended up being almost 1000 steps per week or 4000 steps per month. 

Recently, I decided to up my stair climbing commitment to 10 times a day…..or a decade.  Sort of like an exercise Rosary.  This new commitment will allow me to climb almost 10,000 steps a month.  And it only takes about 10 minutes a day!

At first, my muscles protested from all the use and I was winded by the time I reach the top of the staircase.  It is interesting to me that, like a virtue and a good habit, the more I do it, the easier it becomes.  My muscles and lungs are getting conditioned.

If you are trying to overcome a bad habit or vice, it will obviously be challenging at first.  You might get winded from the climb.  If you are trying to instill a good habit or virtue, keep in mind that your new muscles will protest.  But, with persistence and God’s grace, it will get smoother.

— 5 —

Every Step I Take:  Speaking of stairs, my Mom told me that the Sisters taught her in school that each time you climb a step to offer it up for the souls in purgatory.  They taught her to say, “Every step I take is for the poor suffering souls in purgatory.”  To this day, she recites this for every step. 

There are times that I do not want to do my Staircase Rosary and there are times I look at the elevator and tell myself that would be the easier way. But, as a member of the Church Militant, I remind myself that overcoming this temptation can be a powerful tool for those that are suffering. When I get tempted to cop-out, I say to myself, “I will offer this up for my sister or my friend from work” who are both going through Cancer treatment. I have faith that it makes a difference.

What other ways can we strengthen the Church Militant? 

— 6 —

Burst Into Flame And You Did Not Burn:   Saint Amadeus of Lausanne (1108-1159), Cistercian monk and Bishop wrote this about our Blessed Mother, Mary: 

   “The Holy Spirit will come upon you.” He will arise within you, Mary. In some saints he has come; in others he will come; but in you he will arise… He will arise by means of the fertility, the abundance, the fullness of his outpouring in your being. Even when he has filled you, he will yet be upon you; he will sweep over your waters to create in you a work greater and more admirable than when, hovering over the waters at the beginning, he brought created substance into being in all its various forms (Gn 1,2). “And the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” Christ, the power and wisdom of God, will overshadow you. Then he will take human nature from you while keeping the fullness of God, which you are unable to bear, even as he assumes our flesh. He will take you beneath his shadow because the humanity to be taken by the Word is to be a screen for the inaccessible light of God. This light, filtered by its screen, will penetrate your most chaste womb…

     We therefore pray you, Sovereign Lady, most worthy Mother of God, do not despise today those who ask with fear, who seek with devotion, who knock with love. We pray you, tell us what feelings moved you, what love seized you… when this was accomplished in you, when the Word took flesh from you? In what state was your soul, your heart, your spirit, your senses, your mind? You burst into flame like the bush that was shown to Moses long ago and you did not burn, (Ex 3,2). You dissolved away in God but were not consumed. Burning, you melted beneath the fire from on high yet regained strength from that fire divine to burn again and dissolve once more in him… You became more virgin still – and more than virgin because both virgin and mother. Therefore we greet you, full of grace: the Lord is with you. You are blessed among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”

Isn’t that a beautiful Advent meditation!?!?! 

— 7 —

Divine Utterances:  There are so many powerful reasons to be Catholic!  How about these gorgeous words from one of our many brilliant a Doctors of the Church:

“You nourished me with spiritual milk, the milk of your divine utterances. You sustained me with the solid food of the Body of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Your most holy, Only-begotten Son. You gave me to drink of the divine chalice of his life-giving Blood, which he shed for salvation of the whole world.”

Saint John Damascene (c.675-749), monk, theologian, Doctor of the Church

If you have enjoyed my blog, please “like” my Facebook Page, The Veil and sign up to receive my blog posts automatically by clicking the rectangular “Follow” button. Thank you and God Bless!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!  Thank you for hosting, Jennifer!

 — 1 —

The theme of this week’s QTs will be:  God chases all of us.

This week’s blog post features guest blogger, Amanda from Worthy of Agape.  Please go check out her beautiful and inspiring ‘God chases all of us’ story.  Thank you, Amanda!

— 2 —

Barbara Curtis:  My Mom, who is completely electronic media-free, sometimes knows more about what is going on in the world than I do simply because she reads newspapers.  Over Thanksgiving, she told me about a 64-year old woman who died suddenly on Oct 30^th. The woman was a ‘local’ from my hometown area and she was a writer in our Diocesan paper. Little did I know the impact this woman, Barbara Curtis, would have on me.

Barbara Curtis was the mother of 12 children. When I heard that I thought, “Oh, she was a life-long counter-cultural Catholic with a large family.”  But, when I looked deeper, I found out that God had completely transformed her life and that she only converted to the Catholic Faith 5 years ago.  The rest of the QTs will reveal what an amazing woman Barbara was and how God truly does chase all of us.

None of us live a life of perfect obedience to God. We all fail Him. But, these stories of sin, redemption and transformation glorify God in a way that is, for me, sometimes more moving than a life of obedience.  I look at these stories and the crucifix makes sense to me.  It becomes…. captivating.  It becomes…desirable.

— 3 —

12 Children: Barbara and her husband, Tripp, have 12 children. Child #8 was born with Down’s Syndrome. So, they decided to adopt 3 more children with Down’s Syndrome.

Blink. blink.

This act of courage and love left me speechless.

— 4 —

Child #9:  Barbara and Tripp’s 9^th child, Maddy Curtis, was a contestant on American Idol.  Take a listen to her here.  The clip shows a 16-year old Maddy talking about her Down’s Syndrome siblings just before her audition on American Idol.

She said, “The four boys bring out the best in every person they meet. They see the world in colors and we need to see the world that way.”

For her audition, she sang an amazing and soulful version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.”

Notice what the judges say about Maddy.  They notice that she is different from other 16- year old contestants in that she is “not annoying.”  I think what they mean is that she is unspoiled and humble.  These priceless characteristics in a child are often a result of being in a large family…. especially a family that embraces the imperfect among us.

After being eliminated from American Idol, Maddy decided to raise money for Haiti Relief.  She performed a one-woman show which sold out two full houses at Franklin Park Performing Arts Center in Purcellville, VA January 31, 2010. All for charity.

She has the voice of an angel and she uses it for good. This is another priceless characteristic.  To know our gifts and talents are from God and they are to be applied for good….for His glory.

— 5 —

Pro-life:  When I hear of large families, I assume they are and always have been pro-life.  But, this is the part that brought me to tears. Barbara has not always been pro-life.  As a matter of fact, when you read this, you see that she was a strong advocate in the pro-abortion movement in her mid-20’s. In that same article she reveals her own tragic involvement in abortion.

I know of several girls who have had abortions and most of the time, their lives spiral downward. The impact of their abortion lingers long after they participate in the death of their children.

But, Barbara’s life spiraled upward to the glory of God. God’s grace and her cooperation with Him completely transformed her life.  Her life and heart were transformed to the point where she became a significant witness to the world.  She showed us that all life is precious, including those shunned by the world.

— 6 —

Lord?:  Barbara died of a massive stroke. The funeral Mass included her children singing a four-part a cappella version of ‘Abide with Me.’   One of the Down’s Syndrome children let out a wail of distress during the Mass. The beauty of these children is that their emotions are real.  They honestly express what we are afraid to feel and express.

I did not know Barbara Curtis and my heart wailed “Why her Lord?”  She has all those babies (I call all children babies…even the grown ones) who need her.  She is such a witness to the Faith and the pro-life cause. How can You take her life?

But, God is the Author of life and of death. He creates life and allows us the privilege of co-creating with Him. And He calls us home according to His will and perfect plan.

— 7 —

Saints Among Us:  Barbara became a Christian about 25 years ago and she entered the fullness of the faith when she converted to the Catholic Faith in 2007. God chased her and she cooperated with Him. Her life was completely transformed.

But, the first half of her life was tragic and left many emotional scars. She was a survivor of her parent’s divorce, she battled alcoholism, suffered neglect and spent much of her young life in foster homes after her Father abandoned the family. She was a former radical leftist, feminist and abortion activist. But, God chased her and transformed her.

Barbara homeschooled her children and had a long-running blog called Mommylife.net.  She was a writer for the Arlington Catholic Herald.  She wrote nine books and more than 1,200 articles during her professional career. She was a certified Montessori teacher with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy.

Barbara was strongly pro-life not only in word, but in deed.

It is people like Barbara who motivate me to do more, to be more and to love more. She convicted me as a Mother in this article with her simple recipe for success: All you have to do is sit down to a family dinner.  Because she had ‘walked the walk’ and had raised 12 children, I put a lot of merit in her advice. I was immediately motivated to enact this ‘sit down to a family dinner’ change in our home and we have already experienced blessings from her ‘simple recipe for success.’

Reading about her life enlarged my heart and called me to open my heart to life, love, redemption, transformation and grace the way she did. These are the Saints among us. Thank you, Barbara.

God bless the Curtis family and may the soul of Barbara, who has faithfully departed us, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

If you have enjoyed my blog, please “like” my Facebook Page, The Veil and sign up to receive my blog posts automatically by clicking the rectangular “Follow” button. Thank you and God Bless!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

 — 1 —

Myth #1 Busted:  This week’s post is the first of 7 explaining the Myths That Singles Must Resist.  I pray it blesses you in your walk with the Lord!

— 2 —

Next Week’s Guest Post:  Guest blogger Amanda from worthyofAgape.com will share her gorgeous ‘God chases all of us’ story.  Have your tissues ready!

— 3 —

Health:  I have been sick since the day before Thanksgiving and finally went to the doctors on Monday.   Thank you, God for the blessing of antibiotics and Inhaler medication.

Antibiotics: My grandmother died at a young age of pneumonia because antibiotics were not readily available at the time.  So, I have a deep respect and appreciation for the availability of this medication.  I also feel passionate about (that is code for when someone has “issues”) the inevitable Superbug that we are creating with the over use of the medicine and hand soaps/sanitizers. 

— 4 —

Solemnity of Christ The King:  Because I was sick, I did not attend Mass Sunday, The Solemnity of Christ The King.  My husband, of course, went to Mass and when he came home his wool dress coat smelled divine from the beautiful incense at Mass.  Ahhhhh………

— 5 —

Dr. Alice von Hildebrand
She looks very sweet but she is a firecracker! Love her!

Alice von Hildebrand:  Being ill this week has given me the opportunity to research one of my favorite people, Alice von Hildebrand. Since I was home alone, I watched this entire one-hour video without interruption!   Here are some highlights, some of which come during the Q&A at the end:

• As a result of the Fall of Man, the relationship between our body and our soul is in constant tension.  Our struggle is to find harmony and the only way to do this is through Christ.
• Because Man revolted against God, the body started to revolt against the soul.  Now, the body no longer obeys the dictates of the soul.
• Marriages are going to pieces and collapsing because unless there is harmony between our body and our soul, it is almost impossible for us to properly relate to the opposite sex.
• Addiction is when you find that you are deprived of your freedom.
• “The main goal of education is to train a child to achieve victory over pleasure” Plato
• The most important virtue is Reverence which is a response to what is noble.  The response is a feeling of trembling awe.  Learn reverence and simultaneously you will be a happier human being because it is beautiful.
• The dignity of the mystery of the female body.
• If you want to change the world, change yourself.
• Protest abortion with a spirit of sorrow.

— 6 —

Sweet Marcus Grodi

Leah Darrow and The Journey Home: After watching this episode of The Journey Home, I am now a huge fan of Leah Darrow.  I had heard of her but never knew her story.  Wow!  Very, very powerful and beautiful conversion from the lies of the world to the Truth of Chastity. 

Oh, and is Marcus Grodi the sweetest Man ever or what?  When Leah shows her beautiful tears of remorse, he went to a special commercial break in order to get her some tissues. 

— 7 —

Wisdom:  Dorothy Cummings blogs over at Seraphic Singles and she wrote the book, “The Closet’s All Mine.”  She had a very wise blog post explaining why it is never wise for the female to say “I Love You” first.  Here are some highlights: 

“…it is more important than ever for men to travel uninterrupted through the great adventure called Winning the Girl…” 

“…I think it very important for a boy, especially one who generally acts like he owns the universe, to have to take the big huge risk of laying his heart before a woman, not being quite sure if she will pick it up, or just give it back, or even stomp on it. This kind of action makes a boy into a man, no matter what happens….”

 “…And it is awful for a man to be 100% sure a woman thinks she loves him when he isn’t sure if he loves her. His natural reaction is very likely to be running away and pondering things in his cave, like Grendel. There he thinks thinks like “How badly do I want to get married?” and “Do I really want to get married?” and “Do I perhaps have a vocation to the priesthood instead?” and “Does love feel like this?” and “Why am I sweating like a pig?”  How tragic if all he needed was just some time….”

 “…Above all, don’t tell a guy you love him just to make him say “I love you.” Tempting, very tempting, but a bad idea in the long run….”

My Summary:  If a guy does not tell you he loves you, then assuming he doesn’t is a safe and wise assumption.  If he does, then what would prevent him from telling you?  Oh, yes, it is risky.  Is he waiting for you to say it first?  Trouble, trouble!

The Veil:  The One that God intends for you to marry will love you, will tell you that he loves you and he will be willing to take the risk of saying it first.

If you have enjoyed my blog, please “like” my Facebook Page, The Veil and sign up to receive my blog posts automatically by clicking the rectangular “Follow” button.  Thank you and God Bless!

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!