By Eileen Love
This time of year we are treated to lots of retrospectives highlighting the year’s big events. We remember who made news, which awards were given, what the bestsellers were and which movies drew the biggest crowds. Isn’t it mind-boggling to reflect on all that can happen in a 12 month period? But all events are not equal. Some things - though paraded in front of us constantly - are frivolous and time-wasting. Is it part of being well-informed to be able to recite the details of the latest Hollywood breakup? Seems a lot of “investigative reporting” is of this type.
On the other hand, there have been many discussions this year on things that will have a lasting impact. These issues require our attention. We can’t afford to be ill-informed on decisions that will affect our lives, our freedoms and future generations. Some of the issues being debated these days threaten to undermine the Judeo-Christian ethos that is part of the fabric of America.
As we say in our ENDOW studies, “Whenever people gather to discuss the problems that ail humanity, the voice of the Church should be heard. “ That is why I am grateful for the recently released Manhattan Declaration. This letter is a formal statement by members of Orthodox, Catholic and Evangelical churches to speak out in defense of the sanctity of life, the institution of marriage and religious liberty. The hope is that people who agree with these important words will sign off on this document to signal our agreement and lend our voices and names to the declaration.
Denver’s own Archbishop Chaput was not one of those who personally had a hand in drafting the document (the Catholic voice was provided by Professor Robert P. George of Princeton) but he was pleased to sign off on it. In a recent interview with Catholic News Agency, Chaput said, “Now and always, we need to trust in God; and then we also need to act. Right here, right now, in this country, the work of organizing and struggling in the public square for what we believe belongs to us. That means all of us, and each of us.” Access his article at the Catholic News Agency's website here.
In this midst of this time of preparation for Christmas festivity, do yourself a favor and carve out a few minutes to read the Manhattan Declaration at www.manhattandeclaration.org. Amidst all the media coverage of all that’s gone on this year, it would be a shame to overlook this. It really is a bright spot.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
ENDOW Saffers go on Retreat
By Eileen Love
This past weekend was one for the memory books! Seven of us went up to the mountains west of Vail for the first Annual ENDOW Staff Retreat. It was perfectly timed to coincide with the start of Advent. In an alpine setting, against a backdrop of gently falling snow, we were treated to a couple of days of recollection and spiritual quiet.
Father Jon Budke, LC, of Centennial, Colorado, was kind enough to drive two hours up the mountain to be the retreat director – he celebrated Mass, heard confessions and gave talks about the lay apostolate in the mission of the Church. During the talks, Father reflected with the ENDOW staff that prayer is essential to any Christian effort and he spoke about the attitudes of prayer: faith, trust, perseverance and determination. In another talk, Father spoke about the dynamics of evangelization and that it is key to meet people where they are. “You are offering them Christ,” he said, and that led to a discussion of how to share our faith with those who are tepid in their religious practice or un-churched altogether. It was a reminder of what ENDOW’s mission is: to educate women so as to help them know God better so they may love Him more.
Later on, we had our own impromptu “Theology on Tap” session – actually, it was between Sunday dinner and dessert - when we all peppered Father Jon with theological questions. These were often prefaced with “You know, this question came up in my ENDOW group…” and, “What do you think about…”
Not only did we come away with clarity on certain issues, we came away with a deeper appreciation for one another. Said Brigid Sweeney, Marketing Director, “Each person endeared herself to me.” Denise DeBartolomeis, ENDOW’s newest staff member, commented how interesting she found the mix of personalities “I’m still learning who’s who. Everyone’s so different and yet they all mesh together really well.”
ENDOW has grown immensely over the last six years, and a lot of attention has been paid to the business end of accomplishing our goals. But just as important is the on-going spiritual formation of each woman on the ENDOW team. As Father Jon made clear during the retreat, prayer and participation in the sacramental life are essential to the success of every Christian apostolate. On top of that, the weekend was fun. Terry Polakovic, ENDOW’s Executive Director said, “The retreat was fabulous! We work hard, so it was wonderful to slow down and just spend time together.”
All the ENDOW Staff would echo Terry’s sentiments. Yes, it was wonderful. We already have next year’s retreat penciled in on the calendar. Please pray for us that we may continue to serve The Lord and all of you, our sisters in Christ.
This past weekend was one for the memory books! Seven of us went up to the mountains west of Vail for the first Annual ENDOW Staff Retreat. It was perfectly timed to coincide with the start of Advent. In an alpine setting, against a backdrop of gently falling snow, we were treated to a couple of days of recollection and spiritual quiet.
Father Jon Budke, LC, of Centennial, Colorado, was kind enough to drive two hours up the mountain to be the retreat director – he celebrated Mass, heard confessions and gave talks about the lay apostolate in the mission of the Church. During the talks, Father reflected with the ENDOW staff that prayer is essential to any Christian effort and he spoke about the attitudes of prayer: faith, trust, perseverance and determination. In another talk, Father spoke about the dynamics of evangelization and that it is key to meet people where they are. “You are offering them Christ,” he said, and that led to a discussion of how to share our faith with those who are tepid in their religious practice or un-churched altogether. It was a reminder of what ENDOW’s mission is: to educate women so as to help them know God better so they may love Him more.
Later on, we had our own impromptu “Theology on Tap” session – actually, it was between Sunday dinner and dessert - when we all peppered Father Jon with theological questions. These were often prefaced with “You know, this question came up in my ENDOW group…” and, “What do you think about…”
Not only did we come away with clarity on certain issues, we came away with a deeper appreciation for one another. Said Brigid Sweeney, Marketing Director, “Each person endeared herself to me.” Denise DeBartolomeis, ENDOW’s newest staff member, commented how interesting she found the mix of personalities “I’m still learning who’s who. Everyone’s so different and yet they all mesh together really well.”
ENDOW has grown immensely over the last six years, and a lot of attention has been paid to the business end of accomplishing our goals. But just as important is the on-going spiritual formation of each woman on the ENDOW team. As Father Jon made clear during the retreat, prayer and participation in the sacramental life are essential to the success of every Christian apostolate. On top of that, the weekend was fun. Terry Polakovic, ENDOW’s Executive Director said, “The retreat was fabulous! We work hard, so it was wonderful to slow down and just spend time together.”
All the ENDOW Staff would echo Terry’s sentiments. Yes, it was wonderful. We already have next year’s retreat penciled in on the calendar. Please pray for us that we may continue to serve The Lord and all of you, our sisters in Christ.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Catholic experts clarify the teachings of JPII following Playboy model's comments
Denver, Colo., Dec 3, 2009 / 05:51 pm (CNA).- Joanna Krupa, the Polish model on the cover of this month's Playboy magazine has released a statement countering critics of her recent advertisement for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in which she professes herself to be a practicing Catholic who is “working to stop senseless suffering of animals, the most defenseless of God's creation.”
Krupa's comments came in response to statements made by Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, in reaction to Krupa's most recent ad campaign with PETA: “Be an angel for animals. Always Adopt. Never Buy.”
One of the ads features Krupa wearing angel wings and a digital halo while holding a large, elaborate cross which barely covers her nude figure. The other shows a topless Krupa, again with angel wings and a halo, holding a dog while a rosary dangles from her hand.
Donohue blasted PETA for a lack of reverence and an ignorance of ethics. "The fact is that cats and dogs are a lot safer in pet stores than they are in the hands of PETA employees," Donohue said in a statement. "Moreover, pet stores don't rip off Christian iconography and engage in cheap irreligious claims." "It also has a long and disgraceful record of exploiting Christian and Jewish themes to hawk its ugly services. Those who support this organization sorely need a reality check,” he continued.
“It's understandable that the Catholic League is wary of another sex scandal, but the sex we're talking about pertains to dogs and cats,” Krupa's statement reads. “In my heart I know that Jesus would never condone the suffering that results when dogs and cats are allowed to breed,” she added.
The model who appeared, unclad, in PETA's 2007 “I'd rather go naked than wear fur” campaign said, “As a practicing Catholic, I am shocked that the Catholic League is speaking out against my PETA ads, which I am very proud of.”
“I'm doing what the Catholic Church should be doing, working to stop senseless suffering of animals, the most defenseless of God's creation. I am a voice for innocent animals who are being neglected and dumped by the millions at shelters,” she asserted.
Terry Polakovic, Executive Director of ENDOW (Educating on the Nature and Dignity of Women) told CNA that if Krupa is “a serious Catholic, she might want to devote some time to catechesis.” Polakovic referred Krupa to John Paul II's, “'Theology of the Body,' wherein he explains how the human body speaks a language of its own.”
This article first appeared at Catholic News Agency. Click here to read the rest of Terry's interview.
Krupa's comments came in response to statements made by Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, in reaction to Krupa's most recent ad campaign with PETA: “Be an angel for animals. Always Adopt. Never Buy.”
One of the ads features Krupa wearing angel wings and a digital halo while holding a large, elaborate cross which barely covers her nude figure. The other shows a topless Krupa, again with angel wings and a halo, holding a dog while a rosary dangles from her hand.
Donohue blasted PETA for a lack of reverence and an ignorance of ethics. "The fact is that cats and dogs are a lot safer in pet stores than they are in the hands of PETA employees," Donohue said in a statement. "Moreover, pet stores don't rip off Christian iconography and engage in cheap irreligious claims." "It also has a long and disgraceful record of exploiting Christian and Jewish themes to hawk its ugly services. Those who support this organization sorely need a reality check,” he continued.
“It's understandable that the Catholic League is wary of another sex scandal, but the sex we're talking about pertains to dogs and cats,” Krupa's statement reads. “In my heart I know that Jesus would never condone the suffering that results when dogs and cats are allowed to breed,” she added.
The model who appeared, unclad, in PETA's 2007 “I'd rather go naked than wear fur” campaign said, “As a practicing Catholic, I am shocked that the Catholic League is speaking out against my PETA ads, which I am very proud of.”
“I'm doing what the Catholic Church should be doing, working to stop senseless suffering of animals, the most defenseless of God's creation. I am a voice for innocent animals who are being neglected and dumped by the millions at shelters,” she asserted.
Terry Polakovic, Executive Director of ENDOW (Educating on the Nature and Dignity of Women) told CNA that if Krupa is “a serious Catholic, she might want to devote some time to catechesis.” Polakovic referred Krupa to John Paul II's, “'Theology of the Body,' wherein he explains how the human body speaks a language of its own.”
This article first appeared at Catholic News Agency. Click here to read the rest of Terry's interview.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Our Advent Pilgrimage with Mary
By Terry Polakovic (click her to read more by Terry)
Once again, the season of Advent is upon us, and for this reason, we turn our gaze to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The greatest mystery of Christianity entered the world by way of a woman ~ this woman. For Catholic women like ourselves, Mary is the model of how we should live out our Advent. She teaches us anew how to trust, to love, and to wait in silent anticipation for the coming of Christ. Our late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, had a great devotion to Our Lady which he shared in his 1987 encyclical, Redemptoris Mater (Mother of the Redeemer). He who has been called the most “Marian” pope in history entrusted both his pontificate and his entire life to her.
As we begin our 2009 Advent pilgrimage with Mary, let us remember that the greatest gift ever offered to the world is Jesus Christ. If we want to bring joy to others this Christmas, we have to bring them Christ. Certainly, we can buy them toys, clothes and gadgets, but if we aren’t giving them Christ, they are receiving nothing of lasting value.
As we bring this year to a close, I want to thank each and every one of you who have supported the efforts of ENDOW over this past year. You have made this program of study possible. As you know, our efforts are aimed at helping women know God better so they may love Him more. Our belief is that such love will express itself in service and will result in happier, more harmonious relationships with spouses, families, professional colleagues, and in parish life. We believe that changing the culture starts with one woman at a time.
Visit www.endowonline.com to get involved this Christmas Season with ENDOW!
Friday, November 20, 2009
On Upholding Traditional Marriage
By Eileen Love
I got a call last night from a friend in another state. She was upset to learn that her bishop had donated a sizeable amount to help the state of Maine defeat “gay marriage.” “Why is he giving money to some effort across the country? We have needs right here!” “True,” I said, “but what happens in Maine impacts all of society. The collective effort to save marriage, look after the welfare of children, and acknowledge the family as the bedrock unit of society is worth supporting!” As we were talking, I wondered why she wasn’t equally upset by the State of Maine’s audacious action to redefine the institution of marriage. Many people were, among them Diocese of Portland Bishop Richard Malone who realizes full well what this portends for the culture. He and others inside the Church and beyond realize that it damages society and imperils the welfare of children when we choose to distort the sacred institution that is natural to human beings and was ordained by God.
To fill you in:
On November 3rd, voters in Maine repealed a law that permitted homosexuals to wed. A measure went on the ballot a few months after a law permitting gay marriage was passed by the state legislature and signed by Maine governor John Baldacci. In the wake of this, a concerted effort was mounted by a coalition of religious and secular groups who opposed the effort to undermine traditional marriage. Bishop Malone was in the forefront and invited the participation of his brother bishops. My friend’s bishop was one of many who offered spiritual and financial support.
After the victory in Maine, Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, speaking for the USCCB, issued a statement which said in part:
And:
This is the part of the debate that does not always get heard. I suspect that Catholics get their news the way most people do – from TV and various media outlets which reflect the popular thinking of a select, vocal few. But whenever human beings are discussing what it means to be human, the voice of the Church should be heard. When it is, as in an ENDOW group, I have noticed that women are greatly surprised and even delighted to learn of the vast treasure of truth contained in Church teaching. An amazed look, accompanied by the statements: “Why didn’t I ever hear this? How come I don’t know this?” is typical.
The people in Maine have spoken. In their state at least, traditional marriage is safe for the moment. But the debate will continue. Catholics who want to have a say should be equipped with cogent arguments backed by solid teaching. I recommend reading the pastoral letter just released this month by the USCCB, called “Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan.” It provides a much-needed catechesis on a topic that touches us all very deeply. Be prepared to be surprised and delighted.
Click to the link
I got a call last night from a friend in another state. She was upset to learn that her bishop had donated a sizeable amount to help the state of Maine defeat “gay marriage.” “Why is he giving money to some effort across the country? We have needs right here!” “True,” I said, “but what happens in Maine impacts all of society. The collective effort to save marriage, look after the welfare of children, and acknowledge the family as the bedrock unit of society is worth supporting!” As we were talking, I wondered why she wasn’t equally upset by the State of Maine’s audacious action to redefine the institution of marriage. Many people were, among them Diocese of Portland Bishop Richard Malone who realizes full well what this portends for the culture. He and others inside the Church and beyond realize that it damages society and imperils the welfare of children when we choose to distort the sacred institution that is natural to human beings and was ordained by God.
To fill you in:
On November 3rd, voters in Maine repealed a law that permitted homosexuals to wed. A measure went on the ballot a few months after a law permitting gay marriage was passed by the state legislature and signed by Maine governor John Baldacci. In the wake of this, a concerted effort was mounted by a coalition of religious and secular groups who opposed the effort to undermine traditional marriage. Bishop Malone was in the forefront and invited the participation of his brother bishops. My friend’s bishop was one of many who offered spiritual and financial support.
After the victory in Maine, Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, speaking for the USCCB, issued a statement which said in part:
“The Church stands for the basic rights of all people, including homosexual persons…Protecting marriage between a man and a woman has nothing to do with denying basic rights to anyone, though it is often framed in such terms…Especially in our society where we see so many marriages fail, we should work to strengthen marriage rather than redefine it.”
And:
“Marriage must be protected and promoted today for what it is and what it is
meant to be: the lifelong, exclusive union between husband and wife. There are many ways to uphold the basic human rights of all people, but sacrificing marriage can never be one of them."
This is the part of the debate that does not always get heard. I suspect that Catholics get their news the way most people do – from TV and various media outlets which reflect the popular thinking of a select, vocal few. But whenever human beings are discussing what it means to be human, the voice of the Church should be heard. When it is, as in an ENDOW group, I have noticed that women are greatly surprised and even delighted to learn of the vast treasure of truth contained in Church teaching. An amazed look, accompanied by the statements: “Why didn’t I ever hear this? How come I don’t know this?” is typical.
The people in Maine have spoken. In their state at least, traditional marriage is safe for the moment. But the debate will continue. Catholics who want to have a say should be equipped with cogent arguments backed by solid teaching. I recommend reading the pastoral letter just released this month by the USCCB, called “Marriage: Love and Life in the Divine Plan.” It provides a much-needed catechesis on a topic that touches us all very deeply. Be prepared to be surprised and delighted.
Click to the link
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Virtue--Eileen Love
By Eileen Love
I saw a TV show one day recently – a talk show – and some “experts” were coaching a clueless mother on how best to help her ninth grade daughter. You see, the daughter and her boyfriend were very close and getting closer and both sets of parents were watching the friendship progress. The boy’s mother – a guest on the show - was approving of the two of them taking their relationship “to the next level,” as long as they practiced “safe sex.” The girl’s mother – also a guest - was by turns, angry and incredulous that all her talks with her daughter had come to nothing. The girl was defiant and obstinate – what did her mother know about love anyway? The boyfriend had an air of entitlement about him – this is what I want, who has the right to tell me otherwise?
Enter the expert. She counsels the two kids to have some very frank talks. They nod their agreement. Yes, they think everything should be discussed thoroughly. Facing the girl, the expert inquires, “How long do you see yourselves together as a couple?” The girl demurs, looking at her boyfriend for some guidance. He answers firmly, “This is a long term relationship...” The girl smiles adoringly. He continues his thought…“…at least six months.”
You could almost hear the girl’s heart shatter.
At the Q and A session, lots of folks weighed in, but the woman who made the audience cheer was the one who got up and said, “What about some competent adults telling them NO?! Educating kids is about more than risk management, for heaven’s sake. What about teaching your children virtue?”
Ah, yes, virtue. According to ENDOW’s soon-to-be-released book, Aquinas for Beginners Part II – The Virtues, “virtue” is the English translation of the Latin word virtus, which can be translated as “excellence,” or “state of thriving.” For Aristotle and for Aquinas, for a human being to have virtue means to be excellent, to excel as a human being. To have virtue is to be more fully human than one would be without virtue.
Seems to me the biggest favor a loving mother could do for her child is to help that child be her most fully human self. That means offering her a standard of excellence to aspire to that is higher, better, and truer than what is frequently served up by our confused culture.
The TV show ended on a hopeful note, as the girl said she was persuaded to rethink her decision. Apparently, the boyfriend’s “six months” remark cinched it. She thought love was forever.
I saw a TV show one day recently – a talk show – and some “experts” were coaching a clueless mother on how best to help her ninth grade daughter. You see, the daughter and her boyfriend were very close and getting closer and both sets of parents were watching the friendship progress. The boy’s mother – a guest on the show - was approving of the two of them taking their relationship “to the next level,” as long as they practiced “safe sex.” The girl’s mother – also a guest - was by turns, angry and incredulous that all her talks with her daughter had come to nothing. The girl was defiant and obstinate – what did her mother know about love anyway? The boyfriend had an air of entitlement about him – this is what I want, who has the right to tell me otherwise?
Enter the expert. She counsels the two kids to have some very frank talks. They nod their agreement. Yes, they think everything should be discussed thoroughly. Facing the girl, the expert inquires, “How long do you see yourselves together as a couple?” The girl demurs, looking at her boyfriend for some guidance. He answers firmly, “This is a long term relationship...” The girl smiles adoringly. He continues his thought…“…at least six months.”
You could almost hear the girl’s heart shatter.
At the Q and A session, lots of folks weighed in, but the woman who made the audience cheer was the one who got up and said, “What about some competent adults telling them NO?! Educating kids is about more than risk management, for heaven’s sake. What about teaching your children virtue?”
Ah, yes, virtue. According to ENDOW’s soon-to-be-released book, Aquinas for Beginners Part II – The Virtues, “virtue” is the English translation of the Latin word virtus, which can be translated as “excellence,” or “state of thriving.” For Aristotle and for Aquinas, for a human being to have virtue means to be excellent, to excel as a human being. To have virtue is to be more fully human than one would be without virtue.
Seems to me the biggest favor a loving mother could do for her child is to help that child be her most fully human self. That means offering her a standard of excellence to aspire to that is higher, better, and truer than what is frequently served up by our confused culture.
The TV show ended on a hopeful note, as the girl said she was persuaded to rethink her decision. Apparently, the boyfriend’s “six months” remark cinched it. She thought love was forever.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Bishop Conley weighs in on the Healthcare Debate
A Healthcare Problem Washington May have Missed--First Published at Firstthings.com
By Bishop James Conley
With more than 620 Catholic hospitals serving the public around the United States, hundreds of Catholic medical clinics and shelters, and even a few Catholic-affiliated medical schools, Catholics have a keen interest in healthcare reform. That interest isn’t new. It’s rooted in experience, including the experience of trying to help people with little or no health insurance at all. For decades, the U.S. bishops have pushed for an overhaul of our nation’s healthcare industry and the way it delivers its services. Why? Because the Church sees access to basic health care as a right and a social responsibility, not a privilege.
But Catholic support for the general principle of reform does not bind anyone to endorse a specific piece of legislation. God gave us brains for a reason, to think; and we need to use them, because the practical and moral problems we face on the way to good healthcare reform are as formidable as the goal is admirable. This is why the U.S. bishops’ conference has tried so diligently for the past three months to work with Congress and the White House in seeking sound compromise legislation. As of November 5, all those efforts have failed.
The bishops have a few simple but important priorities.
First, everyone should have access to basic health care, including immigrants. The Church would hope to see that access broadened as widely as possible. But at a minimum, it should include those immigrants who live and work in the United States legally. Second, reform should respect the dignity of every person, from conception to natural death. This means that the elderly and persons with disabilities must be treated with special care and sensitivity. It also means that abortion and abortion funding should be excluded from any reform plan, no matter how adroitly the abortion funding is masked. Whatever one thinks about its legality, abortion has nothing to do with advancing human “health,” and a large number of Americans regard it as a gravely wrong act of violence, not only against unborn children but also against women.
Read the rest of the article at First Things here>>
By Bishop James Conley
With more than 620 Catholic hospitals serving the public around the United States, hundreds of Catholic medical clinics and shelters, and even a few Catholic-affiliated medical schools, Catholics have a keen interest in healthcare reform. That interest isn’t new. It’s rooted in experience, including the experience of trying to help people with little or no health insurance at all. For decades, the U.S. bishops have pushed for an overhaul of our nation’s healthcare industry and the way it delivers its services. Why? Because the Church sees access to basic health care as a right and a social responsibility, not a privilege.
But Catholic support for the general principle of reform does not bind anyone to endorse a specific piece of legislation. God gave us brains for a reason, to think; and we need to use them, because the practical and moral problems we face on the way to good healthcare reform are as formidable as the goal is admirable. This is why the U.S. bishops’ conference has tried so diligently for the past three months to work with Congress and the White House in seeking sound compromise legislation. As of November 5, all those efforts have failed.
The bishops have a few simple but important priorities.
First, everyone should have access to basic health care, including immigrants. The Church would hope to see that access broadened as widely as possible. But at a minimum, it should include those immigrants who live and work in the United States legally. Second, reform should respect the dignity of every person, from conception to natural death. This means that the elderly and persons with disabilities must be treated with special care and sensitivity. It also means that abortion and abortion funding should be excluded from any reform plan, no matter how adroitly the abortion funding is masked. Whatever one thinks about its legality, abortion has nothing to do with advancing human “health,” and a large number of Americans regard it as a gravely wrong act of violence, not only against unborn children but also against women.
Read the rest of the article at First Things here>>
Friday, October 23, 2009
Some thoughts as we wrap up Respect Life Month
By Eileen Love
This time of year, Respect Life Committees are hard at work making their message known.
No issue is more crucial than protecting innocent life. While all life is sacred and deserving of protection - surely, we are called to remember the elderly, the terminally ill, those incarcerated and in need of someone to minister to them - the life of the innocent unborn – the tiny voiceless creatures whose very lives depend on us are in most urgent need of protection. The basic right to life is the bedrock fundamental truth on which all the other truths will stand.
In our area, one Catholic parish places hundreds of tiny pink and blue flags (such as landscapers might use) on the hillside adjacent to the church. It is an arresting sight, reminding people of the ongoing horror of abortion and affirming that Christ’s healing love and reconciliation await all those affected by this sorrow.
In Denver we will host our Respect Life Conference on Saturday, October 24 at Christ the King Parish. If you can squeeze it into your schedule, do so! The theme is The Family: Hope for the Future- In addition to Mass being celebrated by Archbishop Chaput and Bishop Conley, we will have Keynote speaker Helen Alvare, pro-life feminist and good friend of ENDOW to give a global perspective on the family.
And how’s this for a God-moment? Praying the rosary in front of the local Planned Parenthood building, two women nodded to each other, both thinking the other looked familiar, but unable to place her. After an hour of prayer, and occasional snippets of conversation as they watched patrons come and go from that sad imposing structure in a fenced off area in a broken-down neighborhood, one of the women suddenly had a light bulb go on. “Wait a minute! Don’t you work at St. Luke’s Hospital?!” “Yes”, answered the other woman. “I’m a labor and delivery nurse. My name is Delaine.” The women stared at each other and slowly, a moment of joy crept up on them.
Said the first woman, “You delivered my baby seven years ago!”
This time of year, Respect Life Committees are hard at work making their message known.
No issue is more crucial than protecting innocent life. While all life is sacred and deserving of protection - surely, we are called to remember the elderly, the terminally ill, those incarcerated and in need of someone to minister to them - the life of the innocent unborn – the tiny voiceless creatures whose very lives depend on us are in most urgent need of protection. The basic right to life is the bedrock fundamental truth on which all the other truths will stand.
In our area, one Catholic parish places hundreds of tiny pink and blue flags (such as landscapers might use) on the hillside adjacent to the church. It is an arresting sight, reminding people of the ongoing horror of abortion and affirming that Christ’s healing love and reconciliation await all those affected by this sorrow.
In Denver we will host our Respect Life Conference on Saturday, October 24 at Christ the King Parish. If you can squeeze it into your schedule, do so! The theme is The Family: Hope for the Future- In addition to Mass being celebrated by Archbishop Chaput and Bishop Conley, we will have Keynote speaker Helen Alvare, pro-life feminist and good friend of ENDOW to give a global perspective on the family.
And how’s this for a God-moment? Praying the rosary in front of the local Planned Parenthood building, two women nodded to each other, both thinking the other looked familiar, but unable to place her. After an hour of prayer, and occasional snippets of conversation as they watched patrons come and go from that sad imposing structure in a fenced off area in a broken-down neighborhood, one of the women suddenly had a light bulb go on. “Wait a minute! Don’t you work at St. Luke’s Hospital?!” “Yes”, answered the other woman. “I’m a labor and delivery nurse. My name is Delaine.” The women stared at each other and slowly, a moment of joy crept up on them.
Said the first woman, “You delivered my baby seven years ago!”
Friday, October 2, 2009
Mary's Other Month
,Mary's Other Month By Gigi Zapiain
OK I’m biased, but I think my Mom is the cutest senior citizen around. She loves a good romantic comedy at the movies, is a great traveler that enjoys exploring new places, never misses her aerobics class with women 40+ years younger than herself, could plant a dry stick in the ground and nurture it into a blooming plant, and revels in an end-of-season shoe sale as much as I do.
She and my Dad were married for 51 years before he returned to the Lord in 2005. After the funeral, I realized that as long as she had been alive, Mom had never been alone. She grew up in her boisterous family, went to college with her sisters, worked for an airline while living at home when she met the handsome grad student finishing up at Fordham University and tied the knot. With me and my brothers long since grown and out of the house – I realized she no longer had anyone to come home to with Dad gone.
Mom was and still is in good health, but there was no way I was going to leave her – alone. I won’t bore you with the details, but I decided to leave New England and head to Texas to where Mom had lived much of her life to seek my fortune there.
It was in October that I headed south that year – this gorgeous month when the weather is bracing and the trees wear their blazing finery – and remembered that it is that “other” month that is dedicated to Mary, Mother of God. It’s not often that I can claim to know what Jesus was thinking – but I have to say I know exactly how he felt when he did not want His Mother to be alone. I don’t believe for a minute that Jesus thought that Mary couldn’t look after herself – rather the Lord entrusted her to the Beloved Disciple because a Mom is always a Mom – and in her human nature, Mary would do best in an environment where she could continue her loving, nurturing ways; now in a special way with the Apostles, especially the one that Jesus loved.
After getting over a bit of southwest culture shock, the Lord was merciful and I was able to land a good job, and brought Mom to live with me. It would not be true if I told you things are perfect having Mom for a house-mate. If she had her way I would wear sailor-collared dresses to work every day – but it would also be untrue to say it is not good. It is very good, and I believe the Lord has blessed our decision to be together. I know Dad would have approved – and I know that Jesus does.
OK I’m biased, but I think my Mom is the cutest senior citizen around. She loves a good romantic comedy at the movies, is a great traveler that enjoys exploring new places, never misses her aerobics class with women 40+ years younger than herself, could plant a dry stick in the ground and nurture it into a blooming plant, and revels in an end-of-season shoe sale as much as I do.
She and my Dad were married for 51 years before he returned to the Lord in 2005. After the funeral, I realized that as long as she had been alive, Mom had never been alone. She grew up in her boisterous family, went to college with her sisters, worked for an airline while living at home when she met the handsome grad student finishing up at Fordham University and tied the knot. With me and my brothers long since grown and out of the house – I realized she no longer had anyone to come home to with Dad gone.
Mom was and still is in good health, but there was no way I was going to leave her – alone. I won’t bore you with the details, but I decided to leave New England and head to Texas to where Mom had lived much of her life to seek my fortune there.
It was in October that I headed south that year – this gorgeous month when the weather is bracing and the trees wear their blazing finery – and remembered that it is that “other” month that is dedicated to Mary, Mother of God. It’s not often that I can claim to know what Jesus was thinking – but I have to say I know exactly how he felt when he did not want His Mother to be alone. I don’t believe for a minute that Jesus thought that Mary couldn’t look after herself – rather the Lord entrusted her to the Beloved Disciple because a Mom is always a Mom – and in her human nature, Mary would do best in an environment where she could continue her loving, nurturing ways; now in a special way with the Apostles, especially the one that Jesus loved.
After getting over a bit of southwest culture shock, the Lord was merciful and I was able to land a good job, and brought Mom to live with me. It would not be true if I told you things are perfect having Mom for a house-mate. If she had her way I would wear sailor-collared dresses to work every day – but it would also be untrue to say it is not good. It is very good, and I believe the Lord has blessed our decision to be together. I know Dad would have approved – and I know that Jesus does.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Crossing the Finish Line
By Jamie Gruber
The gun fired and the eight runners took off toward the finish line. Mid way down the track, one man fell. He got up, but fell down again. This happened a couple more times before in frustration, the man began to sob loudly. Two of the other runners heard the cries and turned to look at the man stumbling down the track. Without hesitation both runners turned away from the finish line and ran to help him. Picking him up off the ground, the three runners ran holding raised hands across the finish line. The cheering crowd erupted with joy for the next ten minutes.
This story of the Special Olympics is a beautiful picture of humanity. Sadly, for every one story like this, we could think of hundreds that have defiled humanity. Terry Polakovic, co-founder of ENDOW, in a speech at the Eucharist Congress earlier this month defined for us why the bad stories outweigh the good. Quoting Sister Maximilia Um, FSGM, she said, “The angst of modern man lies precisely in his inability to decode and understand the secret of his own nature.” We have it all twisted—we are running away from the opportunities that will teach us how to decode and understand our nature, and instead we are sprinting toward a “gold medal” that has no merit in Heaven.
Last night, I was in the kitchen with my roommate doing the dishes. She asked the routine questions about my day. I answered in my usual way: super busy. She prodded a little deeper and I realized my day really wasn’t that busy or crazy, but by saying I was busy I felt that I had made progress in the pursuit of my own “gold medals.”
The story of Mary and Martha from Luke’s Gospel shares a similar message:
Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.
-Luke 10:38-42
Can you imagine Jesus coming into your house to spend time with you and you are running around, cleaning and cooking and INGORING Him!? Absurd, right? That is what we do every day when we choose to follow paths to our own gold medals. Jesus has fallen and He is crying out in every person we pass. We have ignored Him and continue to do so as we choose worldly pursuits.
The story of the Special Olympics is a perfect picture of what I hope to see when I enter into God’s Kingdom. As I run across the finish line, I want to be holding hands in triumph with all those who have helped me and I them gain Heaven. And when we get there we will hear the sweet words “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
The gun fired and the eight runners took off toward the finish line. Mid way down the track, one man fell. He got up, but fell down again. This happened a couple more times before in frustration, the man began to sob loudly. Two of the other runners heard the cries and turned to look at the man stumbling down the track. Without hesitation both runners turned away from the finish line and ran to help him. Picking him up off the ground, the three runners ran holding raised hands across the finish line. The cheering crowd erupted with joy for the next ten minutes.
This story of the Special Olympics is a beautiful picture of humanity. Sadly, for every one story like this, we could think of hundreds that have defiled humanity. Terry Polakovic, co-founder of ENDOW, in a speech at the Eucharist Congress earlier this month defined for us why the bad stories outweigh the good. Quoting Sister Maximilia Um, FSGM, she said, “The angst of modern man lies precisely in his inability to decode and understand the secret of his own nature.” We have it all twisted—we are running away from the opportunities that will teach us how to decode and understand our nature, and instead we are sprinting toward a “gold medal” that has no merit in Heaven.
Last night, I was in the kitchen with my roommate doing the dishes. She asked the routine questions about my day. I answered in my usual way: super busy. She prodded a little deeper and I realized my day really wasn’t that busy or crazy, but by saying I was busy I felt that I had made progress in the pursuit of my own “gold medals.”
The story of Mary and Martha from Luke’s Gospel shares a similar message:
Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.
-Luke 10:38-42
Can you imagine Jesus coming into your house to spend time with you and you are running around, cleaning and cooking and INGORING Him!? Absurd, right? That is what we do every day when we choose to follow paths to our own gold medals. Jesus has fallen and He is crying out in every person we pass. We have ignored Him and continue to do so as we choose worldly pursuits.
The story of the Special Olympics is a perfect picture of what I hope to see when I enter into God’s Kingdom. As I run across the finish line, I want to be holding hands in triumph with all those who have helped me and I them gain Heaven. And when we get there we will hear the sweet words “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Thursday, September 17, 2009
The Lives of the Saints
POSTED BY GIGI ZAPIAIN--
Just a couple of weeks ago, our group finished the ENDOW course, Edith Stein: Seeker of Truth. We always take more time to complete any of the studies than what is usually expected, but nobody minds. Our bunch likes to do a lot of processing.
Lives of the saints are something I’ve read and enjoyed since childhood (remember The Picture Book of Saints by Fr. Lawrence Lovasik?) and in college my then-boyfriend introduced me to author Louis de Wohl, who wrote, among other things, a series of historical novels in the 1940’s and 50’s on saints and various figures pivotal in the history of the Church. One of my favorites was The Quiet Light, about the life of St. Thomas Aquinas, who disappointed and defied his illustrious and prosperous family of noble title. Their ambition was for young Thomas to be appointed a cardinal or at least a bishop – and were horrified by his taking a vow of poverty and joining a rag-tag mendicant order, the Dominicans. The plot hatched to tempt the young monk and shame him into leaving is as timeless as Thomas’ response is unique. His simplicity left his confessors in tears; while his writings, the fruit of his intense life of study, prayer, and contemplation, stunned the known world. After that novel, I had a new appreciation for my medieval philosophy class.
I really hadn’t connected saints with philosophy much since then until delving into the Edith Stein study. I found myself thinking about some of the things I had learned and remembered that it was Aquinas who said that “philosophy is the handmaiden of theology.” This was certainly true for Edith, whose earnest and scholarly study of philosophy could never quite answer her questions about reality, the nature of existence, and the ultimate meaning of life. It was only sometime later, through the example of Christian friends and colleagues, that Edith was able to drop what she called “the barriers of rationalistic prejudice” and became open to observing and experiencing without preconceived notions. Later, reading the autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila, Edith became convinced of the truth of Christianity.
Philosophy deals with what can be known by human reason and can take us only so far, but if it is grounded in integrity and reality it can prepare the mind for the leap between empirical or natural truth (always with the help of grace) – to revealed or supernatural truth – that which we could only know through God’s Revelation. And because both natural and revealed truth come from the same Source, they can never be in opposition to one another.
In our own day, Pope John Paul II observed that that too often, modern thought claims that human reason and supernatural faith are at odds. In his encyclical Fides et Ratio (Faith and Reason), the pope writes that faith and reason are not only compatible, but essential together. Faith without reason, he argues, leads to superstition. Reason without faith leads to relativism.
Hmm. Maybe that encyclical could be the topic of a future ENDOW study. In the meantime, I think I need to reread St. Teresa’s autobiography. I’m no philosopher, but given what it did for Edith Stein, I might have missed something the first time around.
Just a couple of weeks ago, our group finished the ENDOW course, Edith Stein: Seeker of Truth. We always take more time to complete any of the studies than what is usually expected, but nobody minds. Our bunch likes to do a lot of processing.
Lives of the saints are something I’ve read and enjoyed since childhood (remember The Picture Book of Saints by Fr. Lawrence Lovasik?) and in college my then-boyfriend introduced me to author Louis de Wohl, who wrote, among other things, a series of historical novels in the 1940’s and 50’s on saints and various figures pivotal in the history of the Church. One of my favorites was The Quiet Light, about the life of St. Thomas Aquinas, who disappointed and defied his illustrious and prosperous family of noble title. Their ambition was for young Thomas to be appointed a cardinal or at least a bishop – and were horrified by his taking a vow of poverty and joining a rag-tag mendicant order, the Dominicans. The plot hatched to tempt the young monk and shame him into leaving is as timeless as Thomas’ response is unique. His simplicity left his confessors in tears; while his writings, the fruit of his intense life of study, prayer, and contemplation, stunned the known world. After that novel, I had a new appreciation for my medieval philosophy class.
I really hadn’t connected saints with philosophy much since then until delving into the Edith Stein study. I found myself thinking about some of the things I had learned and remembered that it was Aquinas who said that “philosophy is the handmaiden of theology.” This was certainly true for Edith, whose earnest and scholarly study of philosophy could never quite answer her questions about reality, the nature of existence, and the ultimate meaning of life. It was only sometime later, through the example of Christian friends and colleagues, that Edith was able to drop what she called “the barriers of rationalistic prejudice” and became open to observing and experiencing without preconceived notions. Later, reading the autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila, Edith became convinced of the truth of Christianity.
Philosophy deals with what can be known by human reason and can take us only so far, but if it is grounded in integrity and reality it can prepare the mind for the leap between empirical or natural truth (always with the help of grace) – to revealed or supernatural truth – that which we could only know through God’s Revelation. And because both natural and revealed truth come from the same Source, they can never be in opposition to one another.
In our own day, Pope John Paul II observed that that too often, modern thought claims that human reason and supernatural faith are at odds. In his encyclical Fides et Ratio (Faith and Reason), the pope writes that faith and reason are not only compatible, but essential together. Faith without reason, he argues, leads to superstition. Reason without faith leads to relativism.
Hmm. Maybe that encyclical could be the topic of a future ENDOW study. In the meantime, I think I need to reread St. Teresa’s autobiography. I’m no philosopher, but given what it did for Edith Stein, I might have missed something the first time around.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Birthdays!
By Mercy Gutierrez
Liturgically, we just celebrated the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary (September 8th) and this feast day left me with many thoughts. As you might know, Catholics don’t usually celebrate saints’ birthdays in the Church. Pope Benedict remarked that “the Church always argued that it was premature to celebrate a birthday because the rest of the life of the person born on that day was subject to such ambiguity.” Obviously, the Blessed Mother is exempt from this norm because of her Immaculate Conception and grace-filled purity throughout life. However, Catholics typically celebrate the end of a saint’s life, usually marked by their date of death, knowing that is when the saint encountered the full splendor of Christ and entered into eternal life with Him. So, with our eyes fixed on eternity, it makes sense to celebrate the beginning of eternity rather than the beginning of our earthly life.
As women, God has entrusted us in a special way to celebrate life. The question remains, “how can we celebrate life while still reminding our children (biological or spiritual children) about our journey toward everlasting life?” This summer, I was impressed that my daughter received a special call from her Godfather on the date of her baptism, June 23rd. Every year, he has made a point to celebrate her “birth in Christ” more so than her natural birthday eight weeks earlier. Likewise, I hear of families who celebrate the feast days of all saints who carry their children’s namesake. Similarly, other families celebrate feasts of each child’s patron saint selected during their sacraments of First Communion or Confirmation. A friend of mine, upon entering religious life, was given a new name by her Superior and a new “birthday,” namely the feast of the saint given. No matter the tradition, the point remains the same. We must always orient our lives and that of our families toward heaven. Persevering in holiness is no easy task! So, any reminder of our heavenly destination and those who have successfully gone before us is a welcomed birthday gift in my mind!
Liturgically, we just celebrated the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary (September 8th) and this feast day left me with many thoughts. As you might know, Catholics don’t usually celebrate saints’ birthdays in the Church. Pope Benedict remarked that “the Church always argued that it was premature to celebrate a birthday because the rest of the life of the person born on that day was subject to such ambiguity.” Obviously, the Blessed Mother is exempt from this norm because of her Immaculate Conception and grace-filled purity throughout life. However, Catholics typically celebrate the end of a saint’s life, usually marked by their date of death, knowing that is when the saint encountered the full splendor of Christ and entered into eternal life with Him. So, with our eyes fixed on eternity, it makes sense to celebrate the beginning of eternity rather than the beginning of our earthly life.
As women, God has entrusted us in a special way to celebrate life. The question remains, “how can we celebrate life while still reminding our children (biological or spiritual children) about our journey toward everlasting life?” This summer, I was impressed that my daughter received a special call from her Godfather on the date of her baptism, June 23rd. Every year, he has made a point to celebrate her “birth in Christ” more so than her natural birthday eight weeks earlier. Likewise, I hear of families who celebrate the feast days of all saints who carry their children’s namesake. Similarly, other families celebrate feasts of each child’s patron saint selected during their sacraments of First Communion or Confirmation. A friend of mine, upon entering religious life, was given a new name by her Superior and a new “birthday,” namely the feast of the saint given. No matter the tradition, the point remains the same. We must always orient our lives and that of our families toward heaven. Persevering in holiness is no easy task! So, any reminder of our heavenly destination and those who have successfully gone before us is a welcomed birthday gift in my mind!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
List Vs Habits—Seeking Faith-filled Spouses
By Jamie Gruber
In high school my girlfriends and I read a book on book on Christian dating: how to date, who to date, when to date. We desired dating to be purposeful and God centered. The dating culture of our peers was driven by hormones and status, and easily ended. If we were to have purposeful and God-centered relationships, we would need to create a way to sustain meaning in the midst of chaos. Our solution to avoid falling into “another high school fling,” was to create a checklist against which each boy would be measured. Now, we did this with the best intentions: to stay pure and seek Christ. However, it shouldn’t surprise you that we didn’t have many dates. Let’s face it, no 17 year old guy had a chance.
The four short years of high school came and went and off to college we all went with the hope that a man would finally match our list… but yet another disappointment. To our innocent surprise, college did not produce perfect checklist quality men. Yet we still believed in the power of the list, so we clung to our list sure that it would soon yield a live person.
Leaving college I said to a friend: “Well, in high school and college males were still boys, but NOW in the working world, I will find a decent list-worthy man—after all, they do pay their own bills and work 9-5…” It has been a year since I left college and still, no list-approved dates.
This past weekend, I was part of a conference for young adults titled, “It Takes a Family to Raise a Village.” One of the professors gave a lecture on the dos and don’ts of marriage. In one sentence he changed my outlook on lists. He said don’t create a checklist of expectations for your future spouse—this is a recipe for disappointment. Instead, create a list of habits YOU want to bring to your future marriage. When husbands and wives are equipped with virtuous habits their relationship is able to flourish and grow toward Christ.
Immediately, my list was shattered. I was using the list to ignore my responsibilities in preparing for my vocation. Rather, I was idolizing my future husband’s perfection and his virtue. This weekend, I was reminded that marriage is a Sacrament, a window to Heaven. Ultimately, marriage is a vehicle to our sanctification. One day, my virtuous contribution will be just as vital as my husband’s to our salvation.
My new list has my name at the top and it is a list of habits I want to contribute to my marriage. There is a weight that has been lifted. It is not for me to match a man to my list. Instead it is my duty to form virtuous habits now. Habit formation is the greatest active marriage preparation we can do as single people. We love our future spouse the most when we create habits of virtue in ourselves that will lift our marriage to heaven.
Jeremiah 29:11 reminds me that God has a perfect plan for my future. Building up virtue allows that plan to carry on as God sees fit and one day, through His Grace, I will meet my future husband and be fully equipped for marriage: “For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare, not for woe! Plans to give you a future full of hope.”
In high school my girlfriends and I read a book on book on Christian dating: how to date, who to date, when to date. We desired dating to be purposeful and God centered. The dating culture of our peers was driven by hormones and status, and easily ended. If we were to have purposeful and God-centered relationships, we would need to create a way to sustain meaning in the midst of chaos. Our solution to avoid falling into “another high school fling,” was to create a checklist against which each boy would be measured. Now, we did this with the best intentions: to stay pure and seek Christ. However, it shouldn’t surprise you that we didn’t have many dates. Let’s face it, no 17 year old guy had a chance.
The four short years of high school came and went and off to college we all went with the hope that a man would finally match our list… but yet another disappointment. To our innocent surprise, college did not produce perfect checklist quality men. Yet we still believed in the power of the list, so we clung to our list sure that it would soon yield a live person.
Leaving college I said to a friend: “Well, in high school and college males were still boys, but NOW in the working world, I will find a decent list-worthy man—after all, they do pay their own bills and work 9-5…” It has been a year since I left college and still, no list-approved dates.
This past weekend, I was part of a conference for young adults titled, “It Takes a Family to Raise a Village.” One of the professors gave a lecture on the dos and don’ts of marriage. In one sentence he changed my outlook on lists. He said don’t create a checklist of expectations for your future spouse—this is a recipe for disappointment. Instead, create a list of habits YOU want to bring to your future marriage. When husbands and wives are equipped with virtuous habits their relationship is able to flourish and grow toward Christ.
Immediately, my list was shattered. I was using the list to ignore my responsibilities in preparing for my vocation. Rather, I was idolizing my future husband’s perfection and his virtue. This weekend, I was reminded that marriage is a Sacrament, a window to Heaven. Ultimately, marriage is a vehicle to our sanctification. One day, my virtuous contribution will be just as vital as my husband’s to our salvation.
My new list has my name at the top and it is a list of habits I want to contribute to my marriage. There is a weight that has been lifted. It is not for me to match a man to my list. Instead it is my duty to form virtuous habits now. Habit formation is the greatest active marriage preparation we can do as single people. We love our future spouse the most when we create habits of virtue in ourselves that will lift our marriage to heaven.
Jeremiah 29:11 reminds me that God has a perfect plan for my future. Building up virtue allows that plan to carry on as God sees fit and one day, through His Grace, I will meet my future husband and be fully equipped for marriage: “For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare, not for woe! Plans to give you a future full of hope.”
Thursday, August 20, 2009
I Like August
By Terry Polakovic
The other day I heard a radio commercial poking fun at the month of August as the only month without a designated holiday. The gist of the commercial was that there is nothing worse than the month of August. I must say, I respectfully disagree.
As a person who loves to learn, I have always found that there was something exhilarating about August. Summer winds down and everyone seems ready to get back into a regular routine and whether they will admit it or not, most people just do better when they have a routine. When my children were young I used the month of August to get them ready for school, motivate them and gear them up for all the new adventures waiting just around the corner. We carefully planned our trip to Target to purchase school supplies, and, once we were there, it would take us a couple of hours to choose the ideal backpacks and pens that would last for a year and notebooks that no one else would have. It wasn’t just a shopping trip; it was an art.
Education has the power to transform us and make us better versions of ourselves. This is just one of the reasons I love being a Catholic. As Catholics, we are heirs to the richest intellectual tradition in all of history. Unfortunately, very few of us even realize it. Fewer still make an effort to seek it out. But I think John Paul II got it right when he said, “Time dedicated to education is time truly well spent, because it determines a person’s future, and therefore the future of the family and of the whole society.” So, do yourself a favor and while everyone is getting ready for “back-to-school” get yourself ready too. Join an ENDOW group, read a book about the saints, read Frank Sheed’s Theology and Sanity, read George Weigel’s Witness to Hope about the life of Pope John Paul II. Education is a lifelong journey.
There are a few other things I like about August. I like the cooler mornings, I like fresh Colorado produce, I like buying a couple of new sweaters, I like planning our September Conference and thinking about all of the new women I might meet this year because of ENDOW. August? Bring it on!
The other day I heard a radio commercial poking fun at the month of August as the only month without a designated holiday. The gist of the commercial was that there is nothing worse than the month of August. I must say, I respectfully disagree.
As a person who loves to learn, I have always found that there was something exhilarating about August. Summer winds down and everyone seems ready to get back into a regular routine and whether they will admit it or not, most people just do better when they have a routine. When my children were young I used the month of August to get them ready for school, motivate them and gear them up for all the new adventures waiting just around the corner. We carefully planned our trip to Target to purchase school supplies, and, once we were there, it would take us a couple of hours to choose the ideal backpacks and pens that would last for a year and notebooks that no one else would have. It wasn’t just a shopping trip; it was an art.
Education has the power to transform us and make us better versions of ourselves. This is just one of the reasons I love being a Catholic. As Catholics, we are heirs to the richest intellectual tradition in all of history. Unfortunately, very few of us even realize it. Fewer still make an effort to seek it out. But I think John Paul II got it right when he said, “Time dedicated to education is time truly well spent, because it determines a person’s future, and therefore the future of the family and of the whole society.” So, do yourself a favor and while everyone is getting ready for “back-to-school” get yourself ready too. Join an ENDOW group, read a book about the saints, read Frank Sheed’s Theology and Sanity, read George Weigel’s Witness to Hope about the life of Pope John Paul II. Education is a lifelong journey.
There are a few other things I like about August. I like the cooler mornings, I like fresh Colorado produce, I like buying a couple of new sweaters, I like planning our September Conference and thinking about all of the new women I might meet this year because of ENDOW. August? Bring it on!
Friday, August 14, 2009
There’s No Such Thing as a Coincidence
By Gigi Zapiain
There I was, minding my own business, finally getting some work done when yet another email lands in my inbox. At first I resisted the temptation to look at it, but upon seeing it was from ENDOW, of course it had to be opened immediately. It was an invitation to contribute to this blog – so here I am. But if there is ever an issue with anything I might set down here – you know to send your grievance to The Management – and perhaps I can get more work done again. But if I’m lucky, that won’t happen.
I became involved with ENDOW studies about 18 months ago pretty much out of pure skepticism. I had read Letter to Women, Mulieris Dignitatem, Redemptoris Mater, and studied St. Thomas’ Summa Theologica in graduate school back in Washington, D.C. World-class philosophers and theologians like Pope John Paul II and Thomas Aquinas aren’t particularly easy to read – not anything you would take to the beach – so can this little outfit out of Denver really claim to make their writings accessible to the average woman? Especially since they use the real stuff, not summaries or paraphrases. So I joined a new ENDOW group. Not as a facilitator, mind you. I just wanted to be “one of the gals.”
My first surprise came from the documents themselves. I had read Letter to Women as an academic requirement. I could tell you what it was about and the major points the Holy Father was making – but I had no idea part of the strategy had been to influence the U.N. World Conference on Women taking place the same year the Letter was published. “Pretty crafty,” I thought – but that’s JPII for you – thinking globally and acting both on the world stage and as an individual, writing to every woman in the world. Interesting insight, but not a stunner. Then the study guide points out that the whole Letter is written in the form of an extended Examination of Conscience – whoa – I had never picked up on that and my professor had never mentioned it. During an intensive Ignatian retreat I once did, a daily personal examination of conscience was included for us to confront ourselves, face up to our sins and shortcomings, and resolve to do better. Was this what the Holy Father was doing? I had to know…and so did everyone else in our group.
Then there were the women. There were eight of us all together, a random collection of housewives, single working women, and retirees who were willing to come out one evening a week. Our only discernable common traits were love of the faith and a curiosity about what it might be like to talk with perfect strangers about the writings of Pope John Paul II. As would surprise no one, we did not remain strangers for long – and I was hooked. As someone once said to me, “In the Providence of God, there are no coincidences, only our recognition of His hand at work.”
There I was, minding my own business, finally getting some work done when yet another email lands in my inbox. At first I resisted the temptation to look at it, but upon seeing it was from ENDOW, of course it had to be opened immediately. It was an invitation to contribute to this blog – so here I am. But if there is ever an issue with anything I might set down here – you know to send your grievance to The Management – and perhaps I can get more work done again. But if I’m lucky, that won’t happen.
I became involved with ENDOW studies about 18 months ago pretty much out of pure skepticism. I had read Letter to Women, Mulieris Dignitatem, Redemptoris Mater, and studied St. Thomas’ Summa Theologica in graduate school back in Washington, D.C. World-class philosophers and theologians like Pope John Paul II and Thomas Aquinas aren’t particularly easy to read – not anything you would take to the beach – so can this little outfit out of Denver really claim to make their writings accessible to the average woman? Especially since they use the real stuff, not summaries or paraphrases. So I joined a new ENDOW group. Not as a facilitator, mind you. I just wanted to be “one of the gals.”
My first surprise came from the documents themselves. I had read Letter to Women as an academic requirement. I could tell you what it was about and the major points the Holy Father was making – but I had no idea part of the strategy had been to influence the U.N. World Conference on Women taking place the same year the Letter was published. “Pretty crafty,” I thought – but that’s JPII for you – thinking globally and acting both on the world stage and as an individual, writing to every woman in the world. Interesting insight, but not a stunner. Then the study guide points out that the whole Letter is written in the form of an extended Examination of Conscience – whoa – I had never picked up on that and my professor had never mentioned it. During an intensive Ignatian retreat I once did, a daily personal examination of conscience was included for us to confront ourselves, face up to our sins and shortcomings, and resolve to do better. Was this what the Holy Father was doing? I had to know…and so did everyone else in our group.
Then there were the women. There were eight of us all together, a random collection of housewives, single working women, and retirees who were willing to come out one evening a week. Our only discernable common traits were love of the faith and a curiosity about what it might be like to talk with perfect strangers about the writings of Pope John Paul II. As would surprise no one, we did not remain strangers for long – and I was hooked. As someone once said to me, “In the Providence of God, there are no coincidences, only our recognition of His hand at work.”
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
August Acceptance
By Mercy Gutierrez
Last month, I delivered a series of talks for women attending an all-day summer retreat. Although I was given four hours to teach, I was the one who walked away really learning a valuable truth. Let me explain:
The title for the retreat was Transformed by the Spirit: Living in His Truth with Conviction and my lectures addressed the journey of a Christian life. We started the day examining our lives, especially the areas where we are in most need of repentance and reconciliation. After recognizing the need for Christ to transform our hearts, strengthen our minds and cleanse our souls, we discussed the importance of learning the faith, living in Truth and growing in love for the Lord. Then, during the closing lecture, we discussed the importance of persevering in holiness in times of joy and suffering.
During the joy-filled moments in our life, it is easy to rejoice in God’s faithfulness and mercy (as long as we remember to give HIM the glory). However, during times of suffering, it is not as easy. Suffering is complicated. It is intellectually difficult to understand and emotionally draining to discuss. So in preparation for the talk, I asked the Holy Spirit to send me a word that would lend comfort during those times of suffering in our lives. He sent me two words in prayer: availability and obedience. When God calls us to persevere in love and service to Him and the Church, we need only be available to His wants and obedient to His needs. Just as Samuel said in the Old Testament, “Here I am Lord (available), I come to do your will (obedient),” we need to respond with an open and willing heart. In doing so, we allow God to truly penetrate the daily circumstances of our lives, especially in times of sorrow and suffering.
As I wrapped up the session, I decided to open up the floor for personal remarks. At that, an older woman in the front humbly raised her hand. She thanked me for the day’s presentations and asked if she could add a “word” regarding the last session. She said, “we surely need availability and we must be obedient, but in my 60 years of living, I understand that we also need acceptance.” Acceptance. How true. And no one knew this better than the women in the room.
You see, throughout the day, many of the women approached me to tell me about what God was doing in their lives: one woman had just lost her husband and was left to raise their three teenage sons; another had lost her daughter to a brain aneurysm just days before her wedding was to take place; another had two sons with severe disabilities; another was devastated that her thirty-year marriage was falling to pieces; another was lamenting that her grown children had left the Church. These women knew suffering. They were living it out everyday. Just as the women on my retreat knew suffering, so do many of the women in our ENDOW groups.
It is difficult to accept certain crosses that we are given, but we must make it an act of faith, trusting in God’s plan for our lives. Although we may not be able to answer the “whys” of such sufferings, we patiently wait to discover “how” God will use them for the good. We must find consolation in the trusting words of the prophet Isaiah: “As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts, says the Lord” (55:9).
Last month, I delivered a series of talks for women attending an all-day summer retreat. Although I was given four hours to teach, I was the one who walked away really learning a valuable truth. Let me explain:
The title for the retreat was Transformed by the Spirit: Living in His Truth with Conviction and my lectures addressed the journey of a Christian life. We started the day examining our lives, especially the areas where we are in most need of repentance and reconciliation. After recognizing the need for Christ to transform our hearts, strengthen our minds and cleanse our souls, we discussed the importance of learning the faith, living in Truth and growing in love for the Lord. Then, during the closing lecture, we discussed the importance of persevering in holiness in times of joy and suffering.
During the joy-filled moments in our life, it is easy to rejoice in God’s faithfulness and mercy (as long as we remember to give HIM the glory). However, during times of suffering, it is not as easy. Suffering is complicated. It is intellectually difficult to understand and emotionally draining to discuss. So in preparation for the talk, I asked the Holy Spirit to send me a word that would lend comfort during those times of suffering in our lives. He sent me two words in prayer: availability and obedience. When God calls us to persevere in love and service to Him and the Church, we need only be available to His wants and obedient to His needs. Just as Samuel said in the Old Testament, “Here I am Lord (available), I come to do your will (obedient),” we need to respond with an open and willing heart. In doing so, we allow God to truly penetrate the daily circumstances of our lives, especially in times of sorrow and suffering.
As I wrapped up the session, I decided to open up the floor for personal remarks. At that, an older woman in the front humbly raised her hand. She thanked me for the day’s presentations and asked if she could add a “word” regarding the last session. She said, “we surely need availability and we must be obedient, but in my 60 years of living, I understand that we also need acceptance.” Acceptance. How true. And no one knew this better than the women in the room.
You see, throughout the day, many of the women approached me to tell me about what God was doing in their lives: one woman had just lost her husband and was left to raise their three teenage sons; another had lost her daughter to a brain aneurysm just days before her wedding was to take place; another had two sons with severe disabilities; another was devastated that her thirty-year marriage was falling to pieces; another was lamenting that her grown children had left the Church. These women knew suffering. They were living it out everyday. Just as the women on my retreat knew suffering, so do many of the women in our ENDOW groups.
It is difficult to accept certain crosses that we are given, but we must make it an act of faith, trusting in God’s plan for our lives. Although we may not be able to answer the “whys” of such sufferings, we patiently wait to discover “how” God will use them for the good. We must find consolation in the trusting words of the prophet Isaiah: “As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts, says the Lord” (55:9).
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Sisterhood
(I am honored to be a part of this blog, discussing the joy of being a Catholic woman. I hope to add to the great conversation by bringing my perspective as a young single Catholic woman. I look forward to growing in Faith with you.)
Sisterhood
By Jamie Gruber
“How to Get Him to Dump Her.” This was one of the recent headlines of a tabloid I noticed while standing in the supermarket line. I was not shocked that the world was promoting boyfriends over sisterhood. But as I talked with my girlfriends in the local Catholic young adult community, I realized we were not exempt from this mentality. We too have chosen to concern ourselves more with the potential of a romantic relationship, than friendship with each other.
By Jamie Gruber
“How to Get Him to Dump Her.” This was one of the recent headlines of a tabloid I noticed while standing in the supermarket line. I was not shocked that the world was promoting boyfriends over sisterhood. But as I talked with my girlfriends in the local Catholic young adult community, I realized we were not exempt from this mentality. We too have chosen to concern ourselves more with the potential of a romantic relationship, than friendship with each other.
One friend put it this way, “When I walk into a party filled with our Catholic friends, I feel a heightened tension between all the ladies. We each have tagged certain men ‘mine’. And so, we are in competition with each other, instead of in communion.” It seems it is easier for women to love men, because we receive the instant gratification of affection we so desire. Our desire to love men is good and from God, but when it trumps our call to sisterhood, then we should re-evaluate the way we look at our relationships. Our effort to love our sisters now will only add to the Graces of our future marriages.
ENDOW study groups have brought new meaning to the idea of sisterhood for young women. It allows for GIRL ONLY time and it enables us to relearn the virtues of loving and building each other up. A wise friend once told me that friendship with other women is essential to our feminine spirituality. When we spend this time together as sisters, we grow in prayer and learn to see how God loves us.
While meditating on the Joyful Mystery of The Visitation, I realized the model that Mother Mary has set for women. Mary’s visit to Elizabeth shows us our vocation as women to support and love each other first! Women are a beautiful half of the Body of Christ, and by being good sisters to one another, we are honoring our brothers in Christ.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Jimmie and Linda
By Eileen Love
It was the kind of phone call you know is coming, yet it still takes you by surprise. Jimmie was dead. The voice on the line belonged to one of the women in my ENDOW group, and she was calling all of us to share the news that Linda’s husband finally ended his battle with cancer.
I first met Linda at an ENDOW gathering a couple of years ago. It was an informational meeting. There were one hundred women in the room that day and all were captivated by the description of John Paul II’s teaching on the genius of women. Some of us banded together and that day was the beginning of our own little ENDOW group.
With the love of our faith as the common bond, we all quickly became friends. We learned about each other’s families, dissected our struggles and discussed successes. Always throughout, we prayed for one another.
Linda, the extrovert, and Jimmie, the quiet one, were married for forty years and were entirely devoted to each other. When Linda shared with us how sick her husband was, I was struck by the language she used. When she spoke of the doctoring and the hospital visits, she always used the plural, as in…“We’ve never had cancer before…” and “We told the doctor we didn’t feel good…” In our group, Linda often prefaced her comments with self deprecating disclaimers like, “I don’t know much but …” and then a priceless gem would drop from her lips. She had the faith in her heart and loved stretching intellectually. And she had the theology of Christian marriage down pat. She knew, better than anyone that the task of Christian spouses is to help each other along in the path of holiness.
This she did all during Jimmie’s long illness. When our group did our latest study on Salvifici Doloris (The Christian Meaning of Human Suffering) Linda could not always be with us because of the demands of caretaking her husband, but when she could steal away, she would come to our meeting, one of us would fetch her coffee, and we would read John Paul II’s message on the redemptive power of suffering. We all took in the words and pondered their meaning, but it was Linda, with her quiet courage and untiring love, who made the message come alive.
At the funeral Linda looked beautiful. She was dressed in a pretty green top and wore a faint smile much of the day. Serene during the Mass and stoic during the ceremony at Fort Logan, we, her friends, knew she was taking comfort in the knowledge that her beloved Jimmie was now beginning his eternal life. If you have a quiet moment this week, please say a prayer for the repose of this good man’s soul. It would mean everything to Linda.
It was the kind of phone call you know is coming, yet it still takes you by surprise. Jimmie was dead. The voice on the line belonged to one of the women in my ENDOW group, and she was calling all of us to share the news that Linda’s husband finally ended his battle with cancer.
I first met Linda at an ENDOW gathering a couple of years ago. It was an informational meeting. There were one hundred women in the room that day and all were captivated by the description of John Paul II’s teaching on the genius of women. Some of us banded together and that day was the beginning of our own little ENDOW group.
With the love of our faith as the common bond, we all quickly became friends. We learned about each other’s families, dissected our struggles and discussed successes. Always throughout, we prayed for one another.
Linda, the extrovert, and Jimmie, the quiet one, were married for forty years and were entirely devoted to each other. When Linda shared with us how sick her husband was, I was struck by the language she used. When she spoke of the doctoring and the hospital visits, she always used the plural, as in…“We’ve never had cancer before…” and “We told the doctor we didn’t feel good…” In our group, Linda often prefaced her comments with self deprecating disclaimers like, “I don’t know much but …” and then a priceless gem would drop from her lips. She had the faith in her heart and loved stretching intellectually. And she had the theology of Christian marriage down pat. She knew, better than anyone that the task of Christian spouses is to help each other along in the path of holiness.
This she did all during Jimmie’s long illness. When our group did our latest study on Salvifici Doloris (The Christian Meaning of Human Suffering) Linda could not always be with us because of the demands of caretaking her husband, but when she could steal away, she would come to our meeting, one of us would fetch her coffee, and we would read John Paul II’s message on the redemptive power of suffering. We all took in the words and pondered their meaning, but it was Linda, with her quiet courage and untiring love, who made the message come alive.At the funeral Linda looked beautiful. She was dressed in a pretty green top and wore a faint smile much of the day. Serene during the Mass and stoic during the ceremony at Fort Logan, we, her friends, knew she was taking comfort in the knowledge that her beloved Jimmie was now beginning his eternal life. If you have a quiet moment this week, please say a prayer for the repose of this good man’s soul. It would mean everything to Linda.
Monday, July 20, 2009
A Little Help from My Friends
By Terry Polakovic
I am lucky because I live in a house that has a great front porch. I have spent hours on that porch sharing stories with family and friends. It was the inspiration for this blog. However, I quickly realized that it wasn’t much fun sitting out there by myself. I needed a little help from my friends.
So, over the next several days and weeks, you will start to meet them, and I am sure you will come to love them just as I have. Many of these men and women helped to found the ENDOW program, and all of them have made it what it is today ~ a fast growing, educational program for women based on the teachings of the Catholic Church. I can honestly say that it has been a grand adventure for all of us and it is our greatest hope that a few people have benefitted along the way.
Now a little bit about friendship…taken from ENDOW’s Discover Your Dignity: A Woman's Journey through Life, Part II study guide:
“…True friendship is one of mutual love and goodwill. Communication is an essential component. True friends want to share the most important things in their lives; they want to do the same kinds of things and do them together. They want their lives to coincide in a very real way. As Aristotle put it, they must “eat salt together.” This kind of friendship means helping each other grow in virtue and communicating to each other that we are lovable. It means taking the time to really know one another for who we are and looking beyond each other’s shortcomings to what we can ultimately become. Essentially, true friends help us to see ourselves as we truly are and they give us an insight into how God loves us…”
Perhaps more than ever, today we need to sit on the front porch with our friends. Both the porch and our friends remind us that we are human. We need to be reminded. Never before in history has our humanity been so severely tested. In a world that has lost its affinity for closeness, we need to remember that we were made for relationship. Frances Weaver, the author of The Girls With the Grandmother Faces and a friend of mine from years gone by once wrote, “The fabric of American life began to disintegrate with the disappearance of the front porch…When we moved to the patio in the backyard, then to the TV in the house, we lost important human contacts.” She was right. Let’s do our best to recapture them.
So, over the next several days and weeks, you will start to meet them, and I am sure you will come to love them just as I have. Many of these men and women helped to found the ENDOW program, and all of them have made it what it is today ~ a fast growing, educational program for women based on the teachings of the Catholic Church. I can honestly say that it has been a grand adventure for all of us and it is our greatest hope that a few people have benefitted along the way.
Now a little bit about friendship…taken from ENDOW’s Discover Your Dignity: A Woman's Journey through Life, Part II study guide:“…True friendship is one of mutual love and goodwill. Communication is an essential component. True friends want to share the most important things in their lives; they want to do the same kinds of things and do them together. They want their lives to coincide in a very real way. As Aristotle put it, they must “eat salt together.” This kind of friendship means helping each other grow in virtue and communicating to each other that we are lovable. It means taking the time to really know one another for who we are and looking beyond each other’s shortcomings to what we can ultimately become. Essentially, true friends help us to see ourselves as we truly are and they give us an insight into how God loves us…”
Perhaps more than ever, today we need to sit on the front porch with our friends. Both the porch and our friends remind us that we are human. We need to be reminded. Never before in history has our humanity been so severely tested. In a world that has lost its affinity for closeness, we need to remember that we were made for relationship. Frances Weaver, the author of The Girls With the Grandmother Faces and a friend of mine from years gone by once wrote, “The fabric of American life began to disintegrate with the disappearance of the front porch…When we moved to the patio in the backyard, then to the TV in the house, we lost important human contacts.” She was right. Let’s do our best to recapture them.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Born to Lead
By Terry Polakovic
When my children were small I had this quotation framed and then hung in the hall: “There are two lasting things we give our children. One is roots and the other is wings.” Maybe I should have hung it in a less public place. My children have taken that “wing” part very seriously.
Today my son is leaving for Officer’s Candidate School with the Marines. Even though this part of the training will be combined with his last two years of college, he will be a different person when he returns at the end of August. I have no doubt he will have grown quite a bit. From personal experience, I know a thing or two about growing. First of all, it can be challenging (painful) and secondly, it is worth it.
However, as his mother, I am stuck on the painful part. No mother would willingly send her child into a challenging situation without a little bit of her heart packed in the suitcase. Maybe that is why I had to retell my favorite story about him to the group that had gathered last Sunday night to wish him well. I just couldn’t stop myself from sharing the fact that for the first five years of life, he rarely (never) took the McDonald’s “Happy Meal” bucket off of his head. No kidding. This child walked around with a bucket on his head for years.
I confided to my friend that I had shared this story. She consoled me by telling me that most families are unwilling to let their relatives evolve. Possibly; but I think in sharing that story, I am confirming in my own mind what I have always known. This child is different; he is not a follower. He was born to lead.
One day I will see him in an Officer’s uniform. Will that new picture replace the picture of the child with a bucket on his head? I can hardly image relinquishing it because I have hung on to it so tightly for all of these years. My hope is that I will be able to see them side-by-side.
Please pray for him and for all of the brave men and women who serve our country.
Today my son is leaving for Officer’s Candidate School with the Marines. Even though this part of the training will be combined with his last two years of college, he will be a different person when he returns at the end of August. I have no doubt he will have grown quite a bit. From personal experience, I know a thing or two about growing. First of all, it can be challenging (painful) and secondly, it is worth it.
However, as his mother, I am stuck on the painful part. No mother would willingly send her child into a challenging situation without a little bit of her heart packed in the suitcase. Maybe that is why I had to retell my favorite story about him to the group that had gathered last Sunday night to wish him well. I just couldn’t stop myself from sharing the fact that for the first five years of life, he rarely (never) took the McDonald’s “Happy Meal” bucket off of his head. No kidding. This child walked around with a bucket on his head for years.
I confided to my friend that I had shared this story. She consoled me by telling me that most families are unwilling to let their relatives evolve. Possibly; but I think in sharing that story, I am confirming in my own mind what I have always known. This child is different; he is not a follower. He was born to lead.
One day I will see him in an Officer’s uniform. Will that new picture replace the picture of the child with a bucket on his head? I can hardly image relinquishing it because I have hung on to it so tightly for all of these years. My hope is that I will be able to see them side-by-side.
Please pray for him and for all of the brave men and women who serve our country.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
It was the Holy Spirit
By Terry Polakovic
So, what inspired you to start ENDOW? I get this question fairly frequently, both from people who are actually interested and from those who are not. The truth is, it was the Holy Spirit. Even though it is certainly an option, it just isn’t easy to say “no” to the Holy Spirit.
Eight years ago, I knew there were a few things in my life that could use some tweaking, but I didn’t necessarily think I needed an entire overhaul. The Holy Spirit thought differently. Out of nowhere, He started introducing all of these new people into my life. I was a bit uncomfortable at first because they spoke a completely different language. Their conversations revolved around Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, the “New Feminism”, and a woman’s conference that had been held in Beijing. At the time I remember thinking how appropriate that was, since all of these concepts seemed like Chinese to me.
However, I was drawn into these conversations in a way that I had never been drawn to anything before. As an avid reader, I could recognize a good book when I saw one. Unexpectedly, however, my literary tastes started changing. Even the most riveting novel didn’t compare to the writings of Pope John Paul II. There was so much to read and I just couldn’t read fast enough. I started looking at every single thing differently.
By God’s grace, the same thing was happening to a couple of the women whom I had only recently met. That is the goodness of God; He sends you exactly what you need. I needed people who were being transformed in the same way I was. It would have been too frightening for me to go through it alone.
The three of us didn’t know very much, but we knew that what we were experiencing was real. We wanted to share it with other women, and we were just naïve enough to think we could. There is a saying, “God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.” That is wha
t He did for us. Again, thanks be to God. He sent all of the right people – an excellent Archbishop, the Religious Sisters of Mercy and literally thousands of women who were as hungry as we were. He sent us great authors, a great staff, and lots of good counsel. There is something beautiful about being a little bit clueless. You have to depend on other people. I am not saying it has all been easy, but every bit of it has been worth it.
As I said earlier, each one of us has the option of saying “no” to the Holy Spirit, but I wouldn’t recommend it. My life today is so much better than I could have ever imagined. I will be forever grateful that He thought me worthy of this gift called ENDOW.
So, what inspired you to start ENDOW? I get this question fairly frequently, both from people who are actually interested and from those who are not. The truth is, it was the Holy Spirit. Even though it is certainly an option, it just isn’t easy to say “no” to the Holy Spirit.
Eight years ago, I knew there were a few things in my life that could use some tweaking, but I didn’t necessarily think I needed an entire overhaul. The Holy Spirit thought differently. Out of nowhere, He started introducing all of these new people into my life. I was a bit uncomfortable at first because they spoke a completely different language. Their conversations revolved around Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, the “New Feminism”, and a woman’s conference that had been held in Beijing. At the time I remember thinking how appropriate that was, since all of these concepts seemed like Chinese to me.
However, I was drawn into these conversations in a way that I had never been drawn to anything before. As an avid reader, I could recognize a good book when I saw one. Unexpectedly, however, my literary tastes started changing. Even the most riveting novel didn’t compare to the writings of Pope John Paul II. There was so much to read and I just couldn’t read fast enough. I started looking at every single thing differently.
By God’s grace, the same thing was happening to a couple of the women whom I had only recently met. That is the goodness of God; He sends you exactly what you need. I needed people who were being transformed in the same way I was. It would have been too frightening for me to go through it alone.
The three of us didn’t know very much, but we knew that what we were experiencing was real. We wanted to share it with other women, and we were just naïve enough to think we could. There is a saying, “God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.” That is wha
t He did for us. Again, thanks be to God. He sent all of the right people – an excellent Archbishop, the Religious Sisters of Mercy and literally thousands of women who were as hungry as we were. He sent us great authors, a great staff, and lots of good counsel. There is something beautiful about being a little bit clueless. You have to depend on other people. I am not saying it has all been easy, but every bit of it has been worth it.As I said earlier, each one of us has the option of saying “no” to the Holy Spirit, but I wouldn’t recommend it. My life today is so much better than I could have ever imagined. I will be forever grateful that He thought me worthy of this gift called ENDOW.
Monday, June 29, 2009
It must have been her simplicity...
By Terry Polakovic
Just as I sat down to write this I heard the familiar sound of an ice-cream truck.
I was actually going to write about something else, but now I am going to write about the ice-cream man. Actually, not really about the ice-cream man, but more about what he represents. Summer, swimming, hide and seek, kick-ball, bike riding, fresh cut grass, shady trees, the 4th of July…SECURITY.
As I was growing up, none of the kids on my block had a home life that compared to
“Leave it to Beaver.” But idiosyncrasies really weren’t that big of a deal back then. For example, the lady down the street cleaned her entire house every day. Her five kids weren’t allowed to play until they had completed the exact same chore which they had performed the day before. My mother, on the other hand, got up and went to 6:30 Mass. Then she came home and fixed us all a big breakfast of bacon and eggs (everyday!). After that she booted all five of us out the door, locked it and didn’t unlock it until right before dinner. It wasn’t anything personal, mind you; she just wanted her peace and quiet. In truth, we didn’t really mind this routine. We had a park at one end of the block and a pool at the other. Plus, she kept the refrigerator in the garage stocked with food, and we always had enough money for the ice cream man. So, life was good…
So good that 50 years later, the sound of an ice-cream truck brings me right back to my mother’s schedule. She wasn’t that complicated, she didn’t wear fancy clothes, she didn’t necessarily fix fancy meals. In fact, one summer she shared a side of beef with the same lady who cleaned her entire house every day. That summer, we had steak, baked potatoes and salad every night for dinner. It sounds great today, but we had it every night.
It must have been her simplicity that made me feel secure. It reminds me of that quote from St. Edith Stein, “The nation…doesn’t simply need what we have. It needs what we are.”
Friday, June 26, 2009
Reason for Hope
Several years ago, I delivered a speech at a Pro-Life Conference in Dallas. I wish I could say that it was the most memorable presentation of the day, but it wasn’t. In my opinion, a Boston attorney named Frances Hogan claimed that honor. I have never forgotten her story. Ms. Hogan spoke about graduating from Boston College Law School in the early 1970’s, at the height of the cultural revolution, the effects of which are still evident today. Eager to include women, various organizations such as the American Bar Association, the American Medical Association, Teacher Associations, etc., snatched up these young female attorneys and signed them up as board members.
As Catholic professional women coming of age during this turbulent time, Hogan and the others quickly realized that the organizations with which they had associated were adopting pro-choice positions. In protest, they resigned, which she claimed was the biggest mistake of her life. In her words, “we left the table.” As a result, they lost their voice. The rest is history.
All of this reminds me of my daughter. Newly graduated from Providence College in Rhode Island with a degree in Theology, she and four of her college roommates just spent the last couple of weeks driving up and down the West Coast. Since Denver was their beginning and ending point, I made sure that we had time for Mexican food, margaritas, and some lively conversation before they ventured off. What a gift!
As I listened to them, I thought of Frances Hogan and her graduating class of 1972. As the saying goes, “you’ve come a long way, baby…” These 2009 graduates are different. Full of life and confidence and smart as a whip, these young Catholic women are armed with all of John Paul II’s teachings on the dignity of women. They aren’t going to leave anyone’s table. We have every reason in the world to be hopeful.
As Catholic professional women coming of age during this turbulent time, Hogan and the others quickly realized that the organizations with which they had associated were adopting pro-choice positions. In protest, they resigned, which she claimed was the biggest mistake of her life. In her words, “we left the table.” As a result, they lost their voice. The rest is history.
All of this reminds me of my daughter. Newly graduated from Providence College in Rhode Island with a degree in Theology, she and four of her college roommates just spent the last couple of weeks driving up and down the West Coast. Since Denver was their beginning and ending point, I made sure that we had time for Mexican food, margaritas, and some lively conversation before they ventured off. What a gift!
As I listened to them, I thought of Frances Hogan and her graduating class of 1972. As the saying goes, “you’ve come a long way, baby…” These 2009 graduates are different. Full of life and confidence and smart as a whip, these young Catholic women are armed with all of John Paul II’s teachings on the dignity of women. They aren’t going to leave anyone’s table. We have every reason in the world to be hopeful.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
My new blog!
By Terry Polakovic
Dear Friends,
It is with great excitement and a bit of healthy trepidation that I begin this blog. Excitement because in some small way I think it will help you to come to know the ENDOW (Educating on the Nature and Dignity of Women) program and all of us a little better. We are very proud of this work, so naturally, we are eager to share it with anyone who might be interested. Trepidation comes from the fact that in preparing to start this blog, I have been reading and watching what other people, particularly Catholics, write on their blogs. Since I rarely read the local newspaper, and almost never watch TV, I have found most of the information on the various blogs to be very enlightening. That being said, the lack of civility and charity shown by some is disturbing. I am afraid that the internet has somehow given us the permission and protection to openly criticize one another, something we wouldn’t necessarily do if we were speaking face to face. This is not going to be that type of blog…
The ENDOW program began just over six years ago. At that time, we decided that ENDOW would be an educational program aimed at “the woman in the pew.” Since we considered ourselves to fit this description, this seemed to us to be an appropriate audience. Six years later, I can tell you that there is no one type of woman who fits this depiction. We are all so different. Our stories, our lives and our dreams are not the same. I know so much more now than I did then, so I am excited to share with you what I have learned.
Stay tuned….
Dear Friends,
It is with great excitement and a bit of healthy trepidation that I begin this blog. Excitement because in some small way I think it will help you to come to know the ENDOW (Educating on the Nature and Dignity of Women) program and all of us a little better. We are very proud of this work, so naturally, we are eager to share it with anyone who might be interested. Trepidation comes from the fact that in preparing to start this blog, I have been reading and watching what other people, particularly Catholics, write on their blogs. Since I rarely read the local newspaper, and almost never watch TV, I have found most of the information on the various blogs to be very enlightening. That being said, the lack of civility and charity shown by some is disturbing. I am afraid that the internet has somehow given us the permission and protection to openly criticize one another, something we wouldn’t necessarily do if we were speaking face to face. This is not going to be that type of blog…
The ENDOW program began just over six years ago. At that time, we decided that ENDOW would be an educational program aimed at “the woman in the pew.” Since we considered ourselves to fit this description, this seemed to us to be an appropriate audience. Six years later, I can tell you that there is no one type of woman who fits this depiction. We are all so different. Our stories, our lives and our dreams are not the same. I know so much more now than I did then, so I am excited to share with you what I have learned.
Stay tuned….
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