Catholic.Mom's Book Raffle!

Kudo's to Lisa Hendey (avid reader and book-reviewer-extraordinaire) for recommending some fun reading for the likes of us! And offering free copies of the book in a raffle!

Lisa is currently promoting The Book of Jane and writes:

Chick lit based on the Old Testament character Job? Who comes up with an idea like this? The answer is writing partners and cool chicks Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt. The Book of Jane is the duo’s third outing into the world of “Good Girl Lit”, a squeaky clean take on the popular women’s genre.

The thing is, it works. I’ve been known to pick up a chick lit book from time to time, guiltily turning a blind eye to the “adult themes” that run so rampant in these tomes. But I’d much rather just read good, clean, fun fiction. This is where Dayton and Vanderbilt come in. The Book of Jane is a great book about a young woman named Jane Williams who seems to have the world by the tail. She has the perfect career, the perfect Manhattan apartment, and the perfect boyfriend. She’s also a faith-filled person who wears her values on her sleeve. But the thing is, Jane’s faith has never truly been tested. Sure, it’s easy to profess a profound belief when everything is going according to her perfectly scheduled agenda for life. But will the same hold true when the wheels start to fall off the cart?

FOR THE REST OF THE REVIEW AND THE RAFFLE, GO here NOW!

I think I can, I think I can...

I read to my children every day for fourteen years until the youngest finally took to reading chapter books on his own. It's a family habit that I miss now that I'm a mom to older children. But during these past few weeks, I keep remembering the little chant from The Little Engine that Could: I think I can... I think I can...

I think this way, because now I'm reading theology text books by the dozens as I write 7 papers for the 6 graduate credits I am taking this summer, and hoping to complete by mid-August so I can start another 6! (Yes, this is my relaxing summer! Yikes!)

So, each day I take to the task, little by little, I'm climbing the mountain and waiting to round the bend. I'm not there yet. I know I'm carrying a load, trying to bring it to its destination skillfully and carefully (read: home/family/school balance).

Honestly, that's where all my concentration and writing hours have gone.

For a few weeks, I actually thought about shutting down the blog. But then, I thought, you should know WHY my posts have become infrequent.

I'm still here, but in between the multiple family obligations of summer, you'll find me elsewhere... deep in thought, or deep in a book, or at the keyboard trying to sound intelligent on paper for my professors. It's at once exhilarating and humbling.

Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, pray for us!
St. Thomas Aquinas, patron of scholars, pray for us!
Pope John Paul II, pray for us!

Copyright 2007 Patricia W. Gohn

Loving the Bride, vol. 33

Something old....


God's Loving Design


Married love particularly reveals its true nature and nobility when we realize that it takes its origin from God, who "is love," the Father "from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named."

Marriage, then, is far from being the effect of chance or the result of the blind evolution of natural forces. It is in reality the wise and provident institution of God the Creator, whose purpose was to effect in man His loving design. As a consequence, husband and wife, through that mutual gift of themselves, which is specific and exclusive to them alone, develop that union of two persons in which they perfect one another, cooperating with God in the generation and rearing of new lives.


The marriage of those who have been baptized is, in addition, invested with the dignity of a sacramental sign of grace, for it represents the union of Christ and His Church.


-----Paul VI, Humanae Vitae, 1968.



Something new....



This [is] the great question...


What did Jesus actually bring, if not world peace, universal prosperity, and a better world? What has he brought?


The answer is very simple: God. He has brought God.


...who formally unveiled his countenance gradually, first to Abraham, then to Moses... the God who revealed his face only in Israel... [now] he has brought him to the nations of the earth.


He has brought God, and now we know his face, now we can call upon him. Now we know the path that we human beings have to take in this world. Jesus has brought God and with God the truth about our origin and destiny: faith, hope, and love. It is only because of our hardness of heart that we think this is too little.


-----Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth, 2007




Something borrowed....


Bob and I are coming up on 25 years married this October. We have practiced chastity and promote it whenever necessary. Patrice over at Spiritual Woman has got a great post advocating NFP (natural family planning) and I wanted to add my endorsement--especially after nearly 25 years of trying to live the Catholic call in love and marriage.



Something blue....


While this is not a Marian prayer per se, since we're lifting up marriage here today, I thought I'd include this prayer, especially for all the women reading this. Some of you may recognize and remember this if you were married at a Nuptial Mass in the Catholic Church. It is the Nuptial Blessing the Bride receives (-- and yes, it is truly Marian in that it is a call to holiness as a spouse as Mary was):


O God, by Your mighty power You made all things out of nothing. First, You set the beginnings of the universe in order. Then, You made man in Your image, and appointed woman to be his inseparable helpmate. Thus You made woman's body from the flesh of man, thereby teaching that what You have been pleased to institute from one principle might never lawfully be put asunder.


O God, You have sanctified marriage by a mystery so excellent that in the marriage union You foreshadowed the union of Christ and the Church.


O God, You join woman to man, and You endow that fellowship with a blessing which was not taken away in punishment for original sin nor by the sentence of the flood. Look, in Your mercy, upon this Your handmaid, about to be joined in wedlock, who entreats You to protect and strengthen her. Let the yoke of marriage to her be one of love and peace. Faithful and chaste, let her marry in Christ.


Let her ever follow the model of holy women: let her be dear to her husband like Rachel; wise like Rebecca; long-lived and faithful like Sara. Let the author of sin work none of his evil deeds within her; let her ever keep the Faith and the commandments.


Let her be true to one wedlock and shun all sinful embraces; let her strengthen weakness by stern discipline. Let her be grave in demeanor, honorable for her modesty, learned in heavenly doctrine, fruitful in children. Let her life be good and innocent. Let her come finally to the rest of the blessed in the kingdom of heaven.


May they both see their children's children to the third and fourth generation, thus attaining the old age which they desire. Through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end.

Amen.

My Brew

You Are a Plain Ole Cup of Joe

But don't think plain - instead think, uncomplicated. You're a low maintenance kind of girl... who can hang with the guys. Down to earth, easy going, and fun! Yup, that's you: the friend everyone invites.And your dependable too. Both for a laugh and a sympathetic ear.

Well, at least that something in my life that's uncomplicated!
Hat tip to Margaret in Minnesota for the giggle.

What Kind of Coffee Girl Are You?

What is she up to?

So how do you write about what you've been up to when you've been up to your neck in the wonderful waves of activity?

I've been away from the blog because I've been away from home and away from the computer. Spent some time on vacation in the UK last month. Then spent a week recovering from that. I've also had my nose in about 8 books that I've had to read for my coursework this summer in biblical exegesis and biblical spirituality, not mention spending 4-6 hours a day in study. I'm also the designated driver for the one remaining child in our home who does not have a driver's license. And he has a nice social calendar for a 14 year old. And just this past week my hubby and I took our two teens plus 5 other teens out to the Youth Conference at Franciscan University of Steubenville.

Now I'm preparing for the joyful onslaught of 40 relatives descending on our home (most from out of town) to celebrate my son's graduation.

See? It's all good, but busy. It's the summer and I crave a few days at the beach (which I hope will happen NEXT week.) But, it's all good. We are blessed with the time to do these nice things.

I hope to dust off the keyboard again very soon. Check out some of the other Catholic moms on my sidebar!




Copyright 2007 Patricia W. Gohn

Loving the Bride, vol. 31

Something old....

In the earthly liturgy we take part in a foretaste of that heavenly liturgy which is celebrated in the holy city of Jerusalem toward which we journey as pilgrims, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God, a minister of the holies and of the true tabernacle; we sing a hymn to the Lord's glory with all the warriors of the heavenly army; venerating the memory of the saints, we hope for some part and fellowship with them; we eagerly await the Saviour, Our Lord Jesus Christ, until He, our life, shall appear and we too will appear with Him in glory.

The sacred liturgy does not exhaust the entire activity of the Church. Before men can come to the liturgy they must be called to faith and to conversion: "How then are they to call upon him in whom they have not yet believed? But how are they to believe him whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear if no one preaches? And how are men to preach unless they be sent?" (Rom. 10:14-15).

Therefore the Church announces the good tidings of salvation to those who do not believe, so that all men may know the true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent, and may be converted from their ways, doing penance. To believers also the Church must ever preach faith and penance, she must prepare them for the sacraments, teach them to observe all that Christ has commanded, and invite them to all the works of charity, piety, and the apostolate. For all these works make it clear that Christ's faithful, though not of this world, are to be the light of the world and to glorify the Father before men.

-----CONSTITUTION ON THE SACRED LITURGY (SACROSANCTUM CONCILIUM) DECEMBER 4, 1963


Something new....

Latest powerful article from Archbishop Chaput of Denver: here.
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Also, a new Catholic University is up and coming.

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Moto Proprio due out tomorrow from BXVI. Stay tuned!


Something Borrowed....

For all you still looking for summertime reading, here's a few Catholic suggestions...

This one from a priest's suggested "lifetime" reading list.

And another source, borrowed from Catholic Mom Moments (thanks Lisa!), this link for more Catholic literature.

Something blue....

We are in the midst of celebrating the 90th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima (Portugal). Get up to date here.

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Oh, and just for yucks, this, too, is something "blue"...

Copyright 2007 Patricia W. Gohn

Blogger is problematic

I've been trying to post for a few days, but Blogger, the web host of this blog, will only let me post in an html format and it's not pretty. I've tried to get technical support (and so have others with the same problem this past week) but we are all still crying out to Blogger for help. A week and still no fix.

I'm in the process of reseaching typepad and blog hosts for a possible switch, and hopefully, an upgrade to this blog.

Right now, Blogger is feeling a little too remote... and big... and troublesome...

Any technically-savy folks out there who can make a recommendation?