Growing in “God’s style”....Pope Benedict XVI directs us......

How do we women of ENDOW see ourselves? Do we live according to the “style of pagans” or to the “style of God?” In speaking to a group of his former students about this past Sunday’s gospel, Pope Benedict teaches the about the divine style. As reported in an article in Zenit The Pope says “ ‘The style of God is different....He invites us to his table, we who are lame, blind and deaf; he invites us who have nothing to give him.’" (read full article)

The Pope explains how we experience the divine style....”above all in the Eucharist, during which we are called to allow ourselves to be touched by gratitude to God, who invites us to his table even though we are full of faults.”

Might this be a nudge to encourage adding daily mass (or an additional mass or two a week) into our weekly worship of God? Arise and GO.....to experience divine style...at mass when we ask for forgiveness.... “a forgiveness that changes us, that makes us more similar to God, in his image and likeness." Come Holy Spirit!

Happy Birthday to Bl. Mother Teresa...let us LOVE....

"We can do no great things, only small things with great love."

Bl. Teresa of Calcutta

She would have turned 100 years old on Aug. 26

“‘By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus.’ Small of stature, rocklike in faith, Mother Teresa of Calcutta was entrusted with the mission of proclaiming God’s thirsting love for humanity, especially for the poorest of the poor. ‘God still loves the world and He sends you and me to be His love and His compassion to the poor.’ She was a soul filled with the light of Christ, on fire with love for Him and burning with one desire: ‘to quench His thirst for love and for souls.’ (read more from the Vatican website here)

So, let’s get personal. How do we LOVE? How do we DO as Blessed Mother Teresa encourages “small things with great love?” Some excellent advice on living humbly and living true love can be found in an article written by Alice Von Hildebrand called “On True Love” found on Catholicity.com. Here are some words from the article : “A great sign of true love is the loving patience that one has toward the weaknesses of the beloved. It can be his idiosyncrasies, his temperament, his mannerisms (we all have them); it can be his physical frailties, his psychological oddities, his intellectual inability to follow a straight line of reasoning; his disorder, or his fanaticism for order. If a monk is constantly given occasions to ‘die to his own will’ (as St. Benedict says), the same is true of marriages. John Henry Cardinal Newman writes that even in the deepest human relationships, when love is authentic, life in common will give one plenty of opportunities to prove one's love by sacrificing one's preferences.........Mannerisms, idiosyncrasies, moods; physical, psychological, and intellectual weaknesses are either interpreted as positively as possible or are borne with patience. Benedict writes about monks striving for holiness who nevertheless almost inevitably cause irritation for those living close to them...” To read full article, click here.

Let us pray today for the intercession of Blessed Mother Teresa that with each thought, word and deed we may become more loving toward God, ourselves and our neighbors.

Happy Birthday Blessed Mother Teresa! Pray for us!

We are called to build a civilization of love.......The Pope asks for Our Blessed Mother’s intercession......

In the past two weeks the Church as celebrated two feasts of our Blessed Mother. The Assumption and the Queenship of Mary. Who better do we have as an example of perfect obedience to God’s will than our Mother Mary? Pope Benedict had this to say as reported in a recent article from the Catholic News Agency: “The ‘sovereignty of Mary’ is ‘completely relative to that of Christ,’ who was exalted by the Father above every creature, the Pope explained. ‘(B)y the design of grace, the Immaculate Mother was fully associated with the mystery of the Son … (She) shared with the Son not only the human aspects of this mystery, but, through the work of the Holy Spirit in her, also the profound intention, the divine will, in a way that all her existence, poor and humble, was elevated, transformed, glorified, passing through the 'narrow gate' that is Jesus himself.’ ‘Yes,’ said the Pope, ‘Mary was the first to pass through the open 'way' of Christ to enter into the Kingdom of God, a way accessible to all men.....’” ..read more.

Our Blessed Mother intercedes for us and helps us, God’s beloved children, pass through the narrow gate, the “open ‘way’ of Christ.” Find out about a terrific way to become more familiar with the role for Our Blessed Mother in God’s plan for his Kingdom by participating in ENDOW's study titled “Redemptoris Mater (Mary, Mother of the Redeemer)" click here for more information. This encyclical was written by Pope John Paul II in 1987. In this study, we come to see how Our Blessed Mother is surely a model for all of us today. Presently, Our Blessed Mother is active in loving us right into heaven. In this encyclical, Pope John Paul II says “‘She cooperated, as the Second Vatican Council teaches, with a maternal love. Here we perceive the real value of the words spoken by Jesus to his Mother at the hour of the Cross: ‘Woman, behold your son’ and to the disciple: ‘Behold your mother’ (Jn. 19:26-27). They are words which determine Mary's place in the life of Christ's disciples and they express-as I have already said-the new motherhood of the Mother of the Redeemer: a spiritual motherhood, born from the heart of the Paschal Mystery of the Redeemer of the world. It is a motherhood in the order of grace, for it implores the gift of the Spirit, who raises up the new children of God, redeems through the sacrifice of Christ that Spirit whom Mary too, together with the Church, received on the day of Pentecost.”

Let us pray today for Our Mother to intercede that we each come to know exactly how to help build a civilization of love and to do our parts in transforming society. On this day, the feast day of the faithful Apostle and martyr St. Bartholomew, let us also ask his intercession in bringing all of God's children into unity of mind and heart in building a culture of love.

“Ella”....a deception...attacking conception.....

The name of God in Hebrew is “El,” coming from a root word meaning “might, strength, power.” The FDA has recently approved a new drug by the name of “Ella.” The claim for its use is to “prevent pregnancy for up to five days after unprotected sex.” I can’t help but wonder why the name Ella was chosen. Is "preventing pregnancy" the only possible effect? Does this drug suggest and make it possible for a mother, the very carrier of God’s gift of life, to choose to “be god” and to decide to end the life of her child who might be living within her? Might this be yet another enabling of the age old deception of “you will be like god” (Gen 3:5) in choosing against the will of God? Does this contribute to the culture of death? Such a soft, lovely, feminine name......Ella.....one which reflects a feminine version of the Hebrew “El.” Some descriptions of the name “Ella” say “other.” Perhaps this name will prove prophetic.....one acting as an “other god” in deciding whether a new life should be allowed. There is much to pay attention to about what is being presented under the delicate and inviting name “Ella.”

There is a lot of information buzzing about concerning this newly approved drug. An article on Fox News quotes Jeanne Monahan saying “‘The FDA opted against including the critical fact that ella can cause an abortion on a baby already implanted in its mother's womb in the drug labeling information,’ Jeanne Monahan, director of the Center for Human Dignity at the Family Research Council, said in a statement.” (to read full article, click here)

Another article by Matthew Perrone (AP) has this to say “....the drug has drawn criticism from anti-abortion groups who say it is closer to an abortion pill than an emergency contraception pill.

Groups including the Family Research Council argue the drug is chemically similar to the abortion drug mifeprestone, which can be taken to end a pregnancy up to 50 days into the gestation period. That drug has been associated with severe infections and bleeding after abortion. However, FDA reviewers reported no life-threatening medical side effects with ella.

The most common side effects with the drug included headache, nausea and abdominal pain, according to an FDA release.” (to read full article, click here.)

It is time to “keep our eyes peeled,” as my Dad used to say, for horrid deceptions which attack God’s gift of life....and attack it “in sheep’s clothing.” Let us all pray in thanksgiving for the very gift of life and work to defend it! Come Holy Spirit! Open the eyes of our hearts.

From Summer Into School: Four Ways to Ease The Transition

We hope you enjoy this article by Ginny Kubitz Moyer

It’s that time of year again. Teachers are decorating their classrooms, brand-new lunchboxes wait to be filled, and kids who have savored the delights of vacation are looking downright glum. If you’re a hardcore summer fan, you too may find it tough to get excited about the return of school. It’s not easy to exchange the relative leisure of vacation for the tyranny of the alarm clock, the inflexibility of pickup times, and the challenge of shepherding your family through another academic year while (hopefully) keeping your own life in balance.

Luckily, the start of school does not have to mean the end of sanity. Here are a few ways to ease the transition, making Back-to-School a positive, fun, and even spiritually enriching time for you and your family.

1. Make a New School Year’s Resolution. When I was a kid, I adored buying school supplies. The folders were clean, the pencils smelled like cedar, and the crayons hadn’t yet been blunted by use. If you’ll bear with my English teacher riff here, those supplies are symbolic of the beginning of the school year, when everything is fresh and new. If your kids are old enough, talk about what they hope to accomplish during the year. Do they want to participate more in class? Limit the number of after-school activities to create more time for the one they really love? You can even pen some personal goals for yourself, like reducing school-year stress by exercising three times a week (this one always works for me). Don’t attach guilt to the resolutions, but do check in and reevaluate them as the year goes on. It’s a great way to get kids reflecting on their own priorities.

2. Focus not on what you’re losing, but on what you’re gaining. Yes, it’s tough to bid goodbye to swimming pools and charcoal barbecues. But every season has its own charms. On my short list of autumn fun: taking the boys to the pumpkin patch, letting myself eat candy corn again, smelling wood smoke in the air. Even if school itself doesn’t generate any smiles, get your kids talking about fun experiences they had last fall. Pull out some photos if you need to refresh their memories (or your own).

3. Pack a letter along with the juice box and string cheese. At times throughout my childhood (and early adolescence), my mom would tuck a handwritten note into my lunchbox. “I love you! Enjoy the Cheese Puffs! Love, Mom.” When I was very young, these little letters helped me deal with the homesickness I often felt at school. When I was older, they were a subtle, non-intrusive reminder that my mom wanted to stay connected to me. Though I couldn’t have articulated this at the time, I loved the fact that I was holding something handwritten, something that Mom herself also touched. That’s instinctively comforting for kids, who sometimes need a little shot of motherly encouragement in the middle of a long school day.

4. Get mindful and remember that nothing stays forever. “This too shall pass,” my grandmother always used to say. While that is a comforting mantra when you’re so stressed out you can’t see straight, it also captures the bittersweet reality of parenting. Someday you will miss the four-year-old who, though exhausting, dances with excitement upon showing you the letters he traced at preschool, or the exasperating teen who makes an unguarded comment revealing how much she still values your approval. I always try to remember that wishing away the negatives of a certain phase of parenthood inevitably means wishing away its joys, too. So if the school year is ratcheting up your stress level, try this little assignment: pause, breathe deeply, and think, “This won’t last forever.” Savor what’s good about the present moment. In the classroom of life, it’s one of the most important lessons we’ll ever learn.

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Ginny Kubitz Moyer is the author of Mary and Me: Catholic Women Reflect on the Mother of God, which received a 2009 Catholic Press Award. She’s also an English teacher, weekend gardener, sporadic exerciser, and proud mother of two young boys. Visit Ginny's blog (click here) for thoughts on Mary, faith, parenting, and the occasional ode to Jane Austen.

Encouragers need encouragement too.....

We women are most certainly created to bring forth life. We open ourselves to bearing life, we open to carry love and to be encouragers of others. It is such a gift to find a new source which helps us stay informed and connected....and to be encouraged in our vocation of love. Growing in faith and knowledge helps us become more effective vessels of love and life. At ENDOW, women gather in small groups to learn and to encourage each other to run along on God’s intended path toward holiness. What JOY there is being together in this active pursuit! To find our more about ENDOW and all the upcoming classes near you, please click here.

In addition to getting together in person, in ENDOW studies or other faith and education building opportunities, it is a great help to be attentive to good sources which keep us up to date on many of the current issues we face as Catholic women in today’s culture. Catholic News Agency has launched a new site called “Catholic Womanhood, Wisdom, Purpose, Fulfillment,” a new source where Catholic women can access to read about such issues and be encouraged and informed in our active lives of faith. Let us all pray for grace as we pursue the universal call to holiness within the Church and our society. To check out this new chock-full-of excellent information site and be encouraged as Catholic women, click here. ENJOY!

In search for Truth, St. Benedicta of the Cross found that truth had a name: Jesus Christ......

Yesterday, we celebrated the feast day of a beautiful saint who searched for the truth and “at the end of a long journey, she came to the surprising realization: only those who commit them selves to the love of Christ become truly free.”

During his homily for the canonization of Edith Stein (St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross) on October 8, 1998, John Paul II had this to say about St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross:

“St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross was able to understand that the love of Christ and human freedom are intertwined, because love and truth have an intrinsic relationship. The quest for truth and its expression in love did not seem at odds to her; on the contrary she realized that they call for one another.”

He said....."The love of Christ was the fire that inflamed the life of St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. Long before she realized it, she was caught by this fire. At the beginning she devoted herself to freedom. For a long time Edith Stein was a seeker. Her mind never tired of searching and her heart always yearned for hope. She traveled the arduous path of philosophy with passionate enthusiasm. Eventually she was rewarded: she seized the truth. Or better: she was seized by it. Then she discovered that truth had a name: Jesus Christ. From that moment on, the incarnate Word was her One and All. Looking back as a Carmelite on this period of her life, she wrote to a Benedictine nun: 'Whoever seeks the truth is seeking God, whether consciously or unconsciously.'" ........To read John Paul II’s entire homily on Edith Stein, please click here.

At the end of a long journey, St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross came to the surprising realization: only those who commit themselves to the love of Christ become truly free.

Interested in learning more about this amazing saint and her blessed search for truth? ENDOW has a wonderful study on saint titled: Edith Stein: Seeker of Truth. To learn more and to find a class or information on facilitating an ENDOW class please click here.

Make room for the Divine guest.......make a habit of hospitality!

Today our Catholic Church celebrates the dedication of St. Mary Major in Rome. This basilica is the oldest church in the West dedicated to the honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the holy Mother of God. Our Blessed Mother uttered the perfect “Yes” to God in offering all of herself in becoming the Mother of God. Tomorrow we remember Transfiguration of the Lord. We recall the very glory of God revealed in Christ Jesus upon Mount Tabor (photo at left: The Church of the Transfiguration). How can we open our hearts to welcome God, the Divine Guest? How shall we imitate Our Blessed Mother and Our Lord Jesus? This week, Pope Benedict XVI taught a group of altar servers about the Eucharist, Jesus’ greatest gift to us. As reported by the CNA (Catholic News Agency), our Holy Father says this about the Eucharist: "It is a precious good," he said, "a treasure whose value cannot be measured, it is the Bread of life, it is Jesus who makes himself food, support and strength for our daily path and open road to eternal life; it is the greatest gift that Jesus left us." (read more).

Each day this summer, among the moments of preparing for visiting guests in our homes, let us pay special attention to actively prepare for and invite Jesus to dwell within our hearts. We can do this by receiving Him in the Eucharist, having prepared our hearts through prayer and the sacrament of reconciliation. In addition, we can develop the habit of setting our minds on Jesus, moment by moment, inviting Jesus to come and stay with us through spiritual communion. May we all form this habit of hospitality of constantly inviting the Divine Guest into our hearts. Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful!

Precious gift of HUMAN LIFE...our duty to protect, to cherish and to treasure......

Have you ever slowed down to consider how much you value life? I will never forget an observation which made me aware of how different cultures and families within them value life. Years ago our son went on a soccer trip to Costa Rica and he came home with a very interesting observation. He was so moved by the behavior of the family who hosted him. He told us how they respected the life of each bug in their home. When they saw a bug in their home, they captured it gently and took it outside to live. He contrasted their behavior to our more callous behavior of killing spiders and bugs in our home. We had lost sensitivity for the lives of bugs. We justified killing them as they were merely “pests.” That observation has stuck with me and has raised my sensitivity to every life, especially for each human life. What must we do to promote an increased awareness of the preciousness of human life in our homes and in our culture?

As babies are being aborted, many hearts are being deeply harmed and becoming more callous towards the dignity of life. The very real effects of this on women are sometimes called “post-abortion syndrome.” A recent article in CNA (Catholic News Agency) tells that the Vatican is preparing a new document on the effects of abortion on women. This growing problem “was made manifest in all of its gravity when 20 years ago, after the devastating earthquake in Armenia (1989), a team of doctors from the Sacred Heart Catholic University traveled to the region to provide medical assistance and discovered that many women had undergone as many as 20 abortions or more. For them, having an abortion had become something like having a cup of coffee. Thus they talked about the dramatic phenomenon of completely erasing any moral sensitivity to the issue of abortion.” read full article.

Please take this moment to pray for increased sensitivity and awareness of the value and dignity of each and every human life. What can women of ENDOW do to help turn the tide from abortions becoming “like having a cup of coffee?” How can our culture be transformed into a culture of life? As Catholics, we are well instructed through the teachings of the Church on how to live lives which promote a culture of life. As we patiently wait for and look forward to new documents on these issues of love and life we can choose to look deep into the timeless teachings we already have on the dignity of life. One such encyclical, titled Humanae Vitae (On Transmitting Human Life), was written in 1968 by Pope Pius VI. The ENDOW study by this same name delves deep into this important instruction on the transmission of human life. To find out where ENDOW’s Humanae Vitae studies are being offered, click here.