Family- The World's Greatest Necessity.

This past weekend, as previously noted, I spent my time in Virginia and while I was there I met with a Catholic homeschooling family whom I'd known from years past. This family was the paradigm of an authentic Catholic family. The father was a true father; he was the head of his household and his children respected and obeyed him. He led the schedule of events and knew how to tell a good story. The wife was the sweet epitome of a married Martha. She graciously welcomed me into her home, carefully prepared a delicious breakfast and had all the children wait to be served so I could have the first choice of helpings. I felt so honored to be among her presence and I might also mention she refuses to wear pants. Their jolly eight children (yes, I said eight) were so pleasant. They played games with me, they hugged me as if I were one of their own, why, they even wanted me to spend the night and tell them a bedtime stories which I actually ended up doing. What a joy it was for me to be with this family! How few and far between it is to find such an ordered home in this tragically divorced world. But how can a family like this exist when all we see or hear about is family adultery, fighting, abuse, hatred, etc. If your asking yourself what it was about this family that made them so good I can tell you in one easy word- Faith. This family stands strong by the fact that the parents' one and only desire both for themselves and for their children is to do the will of God and thus to get to Heaven. This family upholds the Faith and Traditions laid down by Christ in His Holy Catholic Church so despised by our self-aggrandized, enlightened world. Yet this "enlightened" world which claims it has the answer to everything can't give an answer as to how to correct the rise of divorce, depression, drugs abuse or crime. But I can tell you that it all stems from the fact that they (those hidden powers that control the media) have corrupted the minds of people by having them believe that a family is whatever you want it to be, that there is no moral law, that hedonism is the only true religion and last but not least that anything your child does is acceptable. So don't you dare think about touching your screaming child because don't you know that's abuse and they'll never forget the pain they experienced in your hitting them for behaving like an animal just because they couldn't have another piece of cake after they have just eaten one. Because let's not forget that they will never be happy so long as you tell them what to do. After thousands of years mankind finally learned that it's "child knows best" because after all, they know everything don't they? It drives me to insanity the way people think a family should be run. There is so much reform to be done it's frightening.
Anyhow, seeing this family last weekend reminded me of the great dignity and honor found in a family which is ordered according to God's will. The reason why this family was so beautiful was because they reflected what Christ desires of all holy families- true loving obedience to God, first, from the parents and second, from the children through the parents. Children should see the example of holy Christian living from their parents because if they don't see it there they'll never practice it save by a miracle of grace. Children are so close to being what their parents are which is why it is imperative that they (the parents) be good in order that their children be good. I abhor this double standard parents take with their children. Children are not stupid, they watch and they imitate. They know what you believe by the way you behave not by what you speak.
This refreshing image of holy living was what made my visit so memorable. The children saw good from evil, truth from error, white from black, female from male (no this is not saying men are evil), but again, they could see this only because the parents were doing what all families are ordained to do; training their children in the faith and forming them into moral and God-fearing people.
Working together the father and mother created a little "church" in their home where Christ could grow and be known to their children. It is no wonder to me that there was such joy in this home. How can there be anything but when Christ is so present among them? From this reality of the presence of Christ, the children will learn to live good and holy lives and eventually spread Christ's love to wherever in life they go. And in the end, this is what every family should want to procure- a society (or family) which seeks to know, love, serve and obey God. How blessed our world would be if only people desired to achieve this.
A few last notes. This past Sunday was the feast of the Holy Family. To those who are not Catholic, the Holy Family consists of St. Joseph, the Blessed Mother and the child Jesus. The Holy Family was the family God gave not only to His Son, but to everyone who is in need of a family. Thus, the Holy Family is not limited to the three person's of Jesus, Mary and St. Joseph; we are all called to become members of this family through the spiritual union of our hearts and minds with theirs. We all can become a son or daughter to them if we seek to. They welcome us with open arms. It is important to remember that a family is not limited by blood. There are spiritual families more real by the fact that God unites them, God brings them together. What did Christ say... "He who does the will of My Father is mother brother, sister to me." Do these words not involve family relationships? Of course they do, so we must believe that this family too can be ours if we strive to do the will of God.
Lastly, because the family I visited last week was an exception (though it shouldn't be), I understand that it is not easy for everyone to relate to it. Tragically most people have never seen anything of the sort, yet nevertheless, it is something we should all want to aspire towards if we feel called to the marriage vocation. We must not feel we have no hope to achieve this goal because the Holy Family will help us if we ask them to. They know the times in which we live; they are not indifferent to our needs and our tears. They will help us transform ourselves into the people, the family and thus the nation and world God wishes we become if we let them. In vain will we hope for a better world unless we seek the graces from Heaven through the intercession of the Holy Family. Let them work with us and for us in cleaning up the mess we've made in corrupting the family for indeed they will, in fact they want to. Lets invite them back into our world to flush the misery and sin we've bathed our souls in. Come Holy Family! Restore to us the "domestic church" so now in want. Bring back the family, now rightly called the world's greatest necessity.
(Thank you Stein's for the inspiration you have been to me.)

New Year's Reflections in Virginia

Good evening y'all. I write you this post from my old home town of Fairfax,Virginia and my goodness, how the memories are flooding into my mind. And as they do I hear my favorite radio station (Classical 103.5) playing one of my favorite pieces by Beethoven, his 7th symphony. I can't believe it! You know, it is the little stuff that touches my heart so dearly. It's so moving to hear the flutes play daintily with the brass trumpets and violins. It's most haunting!! Don't call me crazy but I think God speaks to me through music. Music reaches something in my soul like nothing else does except maybe one thing which I will go unnamed. Oh, how I hear Him tonight. My heart is melting with emotion and I wish I had someone here to share this with. But since I have no one, I thought I'd invite the cyber world to enjoy it with me. So thanks to those of you who are here reading my insignificant thoughts. I know this means nothing to you but it means so much to me knowing that I am semi-sharing what is happening inside of me with you. You may be asking yourself "Is this life so lonely for some that they must resort to an electrical journal for comfort?" Yes, but that's okay. I'd rather that than go crazy by having this feeling built up in me and cause me such frustration that I have to scream. I like to scream- not too loud, just high pitched. It's so much fun. Try it especially if you like to sing. It's a great way to open up your vocal cords. I'm serious by the way. I do this before I sing for anything. It's a professional singer's secret. Moving on though, I have had a most unusual day. For one thing, I spent my afternoon having lunch with my old boyfriend from high school and afterwards traveling down roads I have not navigated in almost six years. My favorite road, Route 66 (well, not really but it's an easy road to drive on and I know it like the back of my hand) was one I found myself on today. I love driving on it as the sun sets behind the majestic mountains called the Blue Ridge. They are so regal, so blue(my favorite color). They are what I call Our Lady's mountains. Once did I drive through them. It was a drive I'll never forget. I love to drive alone around here. When I was in high school I would drive down roads and just drive without stopping not knowing where I was or to where I was going. Those were moments of great contemplation. Now I drive to nowhere and to nowhere fast being that I live in the worst part of NJ, yet this, I'm hoping, is to soon to change. I miss and love the country. It has everything a melancholic girl like myself could want. There is so much to think about, so much to see, so much move the heart and inspire one to dream. I pray God puts me somewhere out in the hills or mountains. They make it so easy to pray.
Before I wrap up this rather informal post I do wish to say a few last things. Yes, I miss VA, I miss the mountains,I miss people I no longer see, however I cannot allow myself to get too attached to any person, place or thing which I meet with upon my brief stay on this planet- none of us can. This world is passing and is one which we must be in yet not of. Nothing should divert our hearts or minds away from getting to that one place we should so long to go to, Heaven. I spoke to a priest in confession today about my life and he gave me some excellent advice. He said if you want to get to Heaven quickly, do well whatever it is God wants of you, and suffer it with love and in a short while He will take you home. He warned me that it is to those people who begrudgingly do whatever it is He asks of them who stay longer. So tonight as I conclude a truly memorable 2005, I have decided upon my new year's resolution... it is to do everything God wishes I do and suffer anything that hurts my heart or breaks my will so that He will soon take me to Himself and allow me to love Him forever in eternity. I pray this happens to me and I pray it happen soon. No I'm not in despair, I simply long for eternity. So Lord, make me ready and make me ready as quickly as possible for I want so much to be with you and to be in a place where I will never have to say goodbye again. (Wouldn't that be nice?)
A blessed new year to y'all. Please say a prayer for me that I get home safe. God keep you safe and close to His Heart Sacred Heart. Buone Anne!

Hope on the Homefront

The above mentioned blog had this interesting news to tell.

"Friday, December 30, 2005
Benedict prepares the Holy Revolution
The Italian newsweekly Panorama has a very interesting prognosis of the major events of 2006 in the Roman Curia in its last edition (with the same title as the one chosen for this post).

The main points of the article:

FIRST, after eight months, Pope Benedict has filled only two positions with his men: CDF Prefect, vacated for obvious reasons; and the Secretary for Divine Worship, who was picked because he was needed to "continue the dialogue with the traditionalist Catholics" (Panorama's words).

SECOND, and this has been well known for a few months, the Holy Father has chosen Angelo Comastri (currently Vicar of the Pope for the Vatican City) as his head-planner for a major restructuring of the Curia.

THIRD, Comastri would replace Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos as Prefect of Clergy.

FOURTH, freed from his duties at Clergy, Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos (who is past his age limit) would remain solely in charge of Ecclesia Dei issues (that is, relations with all traditional Catholics).

FIFTH, Abp. Piero Marini would be called to replace Abp. Comastri in his current positions, freeing the office of pontifical liturgies.

SIXTH, Marini would be replaced by his second, Francesco Camaldo, who is allegedly a favorite of the Pope.

SEVENTH, Cardinal Sepe would be trasferred from Propaganda (Evangelization) to Cardinal Szoka's current position as President of the Governatorate of the Holy See.

EIGHTH, Cardinal Dias (Bombay, India) would replace Cardinal Sepe as prefect of Propaganda.

In other changes, the Prefect of Apostolic Signatura would be transferred to Naples (as archbishop).

The article ends by reminding the readers that NOBODY is currently in a position that may influence the Pope's decision. Every one of the decisions will be solely his (differently, I might add, from what happened throughout the Wojtyla pontificate, as is public knowledge)."

Let's keep praying this Pope keeps things going in the right direction.
Viva la Papa!

Faith and...

Last week my brother, mother and I went to the Italian market in Philadelphia with the sole intention of finding Limonce Panettone. We walked for hours in our hunt to discover where this hidden treasure was buried. And alas, good St. Anthony led us to it as it was found at his very own Italian cafe at the end of the ally. FYI, the market is found between Christian and 9th should anyone be interested in going. This place was so Italian I felt that I was really in Italy. Being that I returned from the ancient city of Roma just last month, I knew what it was to be at an authentic Italian market and let me tell you, it wasn't too far from home. The culture of this area was something I've never felt before in this country. It made me feel like I belonged there. It was like being home in a way. My "people" were there. When I think about it, this sense, this feeling is what I believe most people of my generation regretfully have never felt. We all want to know our heritage, our ancestors, where we came from, and yet we in America are not encouraged to keep our European traditions alive. We've lost so much of who and what we came from. We are all American. But what in the heck does that mean? No one can really answer that and I think it's because we have a basis on nothing substantially solid. We have nothing to unite us aside from a false "liberty" that gives us warm fuzzies yet never manifests when it comes to havingn to pay exorbitant property taxes and health insurance bills. But I digress...
Oh, how I wish we returned to the old ways of our ethnic cultures. I miss my Italian heritage. I miss hearing the accordion, seeing women work at preparing for home-made pasta while wearing those precious knee-length dresses with their tattered hair pinned up into a bun. On a side note, these were real women I can assure you. They knew what it was to work and to work hard. To all those feminists who say that women we like dolls in a "doll house" take a look at the lives of these women, take a good look at what these valiant women endured on a daily basis-it will put you to shame. Oh those women make me crazy. They do nothing but complain about things they know nothing about. But I digress again. I miss the vegetable gardens with the five foot high tomato vines and the summer canning parties full of sweat, tears and cut thumbs. But how can I get it back? Why did we lose these happy memories?
In my days of meandering about this orb of existence, I see people my age and younger walking around with nothing to give themselves to, nothing to define themselves as. They want to belong, but to what? They want to support something, but what? And with this question comes an answer that will not surprise anyone with common sense. I think that if we had ever kept our cultural roots, that the rise in child violence, drug abuse and suicide would not be so high. Why do children resort to these habits and behaviors? Because they are starving for something which they are not getting and which they do not know. They want to be part of a family, of a community. They want both a spiritual and a physical family to love and to fight for. Faith in the end is what they seek though they would die before they ever admitted this. But observe that those cultures that had a great sense of cultural identity usually had a strong faith. This importance of having a culture worked hand in hand with a person's religious beliefs. Most every western culture had traditions revolving around their faith. The faith was what made many of their traditions; it was what made culture come to life in a sense. Perhaps this desire for a world of faith is the answer to retrieving this world of culture. I believe that as truth and beauty come part and parcel, so too do faith and culture. So may we find our faith and through it our heritage and may be bring back the beauty of our ancient people's so that their faith in God and their love of culture be not in vain.

Should anyone be interested in finding an excellent Italian bakery check out Isgros. We stumbled upon this bakery in our journey through the city and how happy I am we did. They make some of the country's best cannolis and pinniolis. I highly recommend you try them. Buon Appetito. Ciao

Hope of Christ, Espouse Me

For all of those who suffer or who know the pain of feeling your heart ache in agony or who feel there is no hope in this wretched world, listen to the words I have posted below. Know that I commiserate with you should you be feeling such things, for I too know what it is to have a heart that is broken and I know what it is to want to despair. Yet, we must believe that there is a God who is aiding us in these hours of grief, otherwise, all that Christ suffered and died for was in vain. And this cannot be so. Our lesson then is this- to keep your eyes on our goal; we mustn't lose the sight of Him whom we must strive to imitate and to love. He knows us; He knows our hearts and He sees our tears. But every good Father must discipline those whom He loves. And every good doctor must hurt his patient in order to heal him. God is our Father, God is our Divine doctor. He does all with love. Believe this, just keep going and hope...he who perseveres shall gain eternal life.

"The Everlasting God has in His wisdom foreseen from eternity the cross He now presents to you as a gift from His inmost Heart. This cross He now sends you He has considered with His all-knowing eyes, understood with His divine mind, tested with His wise justice, warmed with loving arms and weighed with His own Hands, to see that it be not one inch too large and not one once too heavy for you. He has blessed it with His Holy Name, anointed it with His grace, perfumed it with His consolation, taken one last glance at you and your courage, and then sent it to you from heaven, a special greeting from God to you, an alms of the all-merciful love of God."
St. Francis de Sales

Prepare Ye the Way for Our Lady

This here is an image long forgot by many people's of our day. It is an image of the Blessed Mother as she prepares to give birth to the Son of God. How sweet she looks all swollen with Child. Yes, she carried the Christ Child in her womb, not a nine month old fetus. While we have these last few days to prepare for Christmas, let's do so by giving ourselves over to Him whom the Heavens could not contain; to Him who humbled Himself, assuming the form of weak and sinful man. As He found Himself well pleased to come to us only through the most Immaculate Virgin Mary, may we then go to Him through her, and ask her to permit us to hold her slumbering Infant Jesus in our own hearts as we receive Him in Holy Communion. We must shut the door of the world in our hearts if we are to open it to this Sacred Babe. "Lully Lullay thou little tiny child. Bye bye lully lullay." Sing a song to Him in your heart and comfort Him as He suffers from those who hate and mock His holy Love. What better gift to give Him than our very selves this Christmas. Throw off the shackles of secularism and ascend to the divine creche at the throne of Mary's pure and tender heart. Dear Lady of the Expectation, pray for us and bring us ever closer to this Son whom we, through you, greatly await.
Grazie mille Maria por mia bene esame!

Vigilate et Orate

It's funny when you think about the similarities between the spiritual and the physical realities. They really parallel each other. For example, as the germs in the air are always present to us, so too are the snares of the devil. Yet by God's divine providence and great mercy we have our inner immune systems to help fight off the onset of physical sickness along with the help of the sacraments and the intercession of the Saints in Heaven to protect us from falling into the pits of sin. However, because of the fall of our first parents, man will never be free from the attack of either of these enemies. Germs for example never stop "germ"inating. They keep regenerating into new forms. They are perpetually generating new unknown means of infiltrating into our bodies much like the devils forever seek to infiltrate our souls. Regardless of our precautionary efforts, these enemies will forever seek to creep into us; in one sense it's how they keep themselves alive. They are always ready and watching. But are we?
While we're on the topic of disease and its attack on the body, I thought I might mention this bird flu everyone is talking about. My geography professor recently stated that he heard scientists say it's not a matter of if but when the flu will become a universal air born pandemic. Is this not a what a wake up call to mankind? Now before we join the rest of society in readying ourselves for assisted suicide, we must try and see this through the eyes of the soul. First, remember that all things happen for a reason. God does not permit or will anything unless it is for some good. Second, every man must one day die. There shall come a day of judgment for each and every one of us, where we will face God and give an accounting for our life. We may find death in bed, at the hand of an illness, by bloodshed, fire, water, shark, poison, etc. etc. There are a hundred ways we might find death and the bird flu is just one of many. But death, though terrifying, should not be as frightening as we make it out to be. The Saints longed for death. St. Francis called death "Sister Death." That was how familiar he wanted to be with it. It was a friend to him because he believed that death was the portal through which he would meet the One Whom he desired to see. This being the Holy Trinity. The reason why so many people are afraid of this flu is because they are afraid to die and they are afraid to die because they do not know God. So many people live morally sinful lifestyles which they tell themselves is acceptable but which I believe they know to be bad. Subconsciously they know they are wrong because for one thing, they are not happy people, and when confronted with the thought of death, their consciences are so pricked that they have to fight to hide themselves by either running to a pill or bottle or paying some psychiatrist to tell them everything will be fine. But none of these band-aids are ever going to give these people what they seek. Only Christ can offer them that gift of peace which He alone owns. And how stupid we are to not go to Him for it. He is so generous with His gifts and yet we refuse Him when He extends them to us. But why are we so obtuse? Because we don't want to suffer the loss of who we think we are and become a new man, a happier man, a holier man. We are happy in our misery though we really aren't.
Our God is an awesome God. He is so creative (that's a major understatement). Because He is so creative and because He knows His creatures so well, being that He made them, He best knows what would motivate them into returning to Him. Only God could set up a situation where all of mankind was at such a risk of death. Now I cannot say whether this flu is God's absolute or permissive will, it doesn't really matter, but what I can say is that God knows what is best for us. Regardless, God wants to use it to bring us back to our senses and to bring us back to Him. Because God loves us, He will allow something that man cannot cure to threaten the whole of humanity. But this is for good reason. If man is scared enough by the thought of death then perhaps he will return his prayers, begin going to mass, make a good sacramental confession and amend his life so that he will always be ready for death whenever and however it might meet him.
In a way I hope this flu does spread so it slaps people hard enough in the face to humble them before God before they lose their souls forever in hell. Though this might sound hateful, I can assure you it is not. Real love (or charity; no I'm not a modernist) wants what's best for the a person's soul more than his body. But note, this doesn't deny a man's wanting the health and happiness of another man's body. It only means it isn't the priority of the two parts. Take for example when you say "I you love." You do not mean you love only their body, you love both their body and their soul. The two are essential in making that person who they are. So because there are two elements involved in the existence of man, body and soul, we must want what is best for both but more importantly the soul over the body since the body will die but the soul will go on to eternity where the body will become the food for worms until the Last Judgment. If a person has to get sick in order to learn that he needs to change his life and make reparation for his sins, then may everyone get sick. Do you see my point? The body is the temple God gave us to assist us in getting to Heaven and the soul is the ruler of this body. It is therefore in the soul that our very person exists. Thus the soul's health takes precedence over the body's since it is in the soul that the body is lead. If you saw a very holy sick person sitting next to a very evil healthy people, who would you say was healthier? I would say the former because the importance lies within not without.
It's time to wake up humanity. It's time to destroy the false idols of self which we've carved into our beings. It's time to smash the lies of false religion and moral relativism which are infecting our world far worse than the bird flu. Let us begin by returning to the practice of Catholicism which means the practicing of the sacraments. We are in a battle both spiritual and germinal (not a real word). Let us not put our heads in the sand by ignoring these truths that threaten us, but instead, may we me ready for them by being holy and by doing our moral and religious duties. And if one day one of these enemies should find us, may God come to our assistance for He surely will to those who have sought His Love. Remember.... Watch ye and pray, for you know not when the lord of the house cometh (Mark 13:33-35)