Be educated in order to educate....the responsibility of family......

Have you ever spoken with an adult who said “Oh, I learned all about my faith in grade school and high school.”....YIKES! Can you imagine if the level of education in other areas of our lives was left at that level? If we assumed that we “learned it all” from the perspective of that young age? Would that be adequate to live life to the fullest? Absolutely not. We have an immense personal responsibility to learn our faith anew, in a deeper and deeper way, on a regular basis as we grow in age and maturity. I have always loved pondering the way Jesus, the divine Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, had to grow in wisdom in his human nature. Luke 2:52 tells us “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man.”

How do we take personal responsibility for our growth in wisdom and stature, and increase in favor with God and man?

First and foremost, we grow through receiving grace and blessing in the Living Body of Christ, the Eucharist. As we encounter Jesus, our Living God in His Word and in Sacrament we grow in holiness and wisdom. In reflection of the very Trinity, as we so fully receive, we must pour forth all we receive back to God and to our neighbor. In a recent article from the Vatican Information Service titled “The Family Has Special Responsibility For Education,” Pope Benedict XVI is quoted as saying “St. Francis' evangelical life and his vocation to follow the path of the crucified Christ arose from his participation in Mass and his devoted reception of Holy Communion.......the sacred nature of the Eucharist means that it must be celebrated and adored with an awareness of the greatness, importance and effectiveness it has for Christian life...... Yet it also requires purity, coherence and sanctity of life from each one of us, that we may become living witnesses of Christ's unique sacrifice of love".

How can we be most cooperative in being the instruments in our Lord’s hands? How can we best become the living witnesses of Christ’s unique sacrifice of love? The “how” is to obey Our Father, to receive his Son in the Eucharist and to be open to learn more so that can more love our Beloved and draw others to the love we have for Him. ENDOW offers many classes which help women come to know the beauty and graces of this very holy calling, the calling for each and every soul. Here is a very nice summary of the studies offered by ENDOW.....say your YES to God’s invitation to grow in wisdom and stature, be drawn......come, be educated in a dynamic and blessed way through ENDOW studies.

Let us pray for grace for all souls to have this desire and to take responsibility to receive the Eucharist with “an awareness of the greatness, importance and effectiveness it has for Christian life” and to be educated so that we may live responsibly in providing what is most needed for our selves, our families and for building the Culture of Life.

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful!

Midsummer Already? Embrace every moment.....

Ginny Moyer, author of the award-winning book, Mary and Me: Catholic Women Reflect on the Mother of God, has written a fun, practical, and poignant column on mommyhood and faith. Ginny has offered to share her insights with we women of ENDOW. Here’s to enjoying these precious and playful days of summer! We hope you enjoy Ginny’s insights, inspirations and suggestions.

Moms in Midsummer:

Four Tips for Enjoying the Season

By Ginny Kubitz Moyer

Summer has been in full swing for a few weeks now, and if you’re like me, you’re savoring it. If you’re like me, though, you also get a shock every time you glance at a calendar and realize it’s July. Time is passing, a truth that is only magnified when you spy overly zealous retailers stacking school supplies on shelves. At moments like this, you just might start to wonder whether you’re making the most of your summer, emotionally and spiritually.

Fear not. Here in the mid-summer mark, I’m happy to offer a few ways that we moms can embrace the season, using it to strengthen our family ties and recharge our spiritual batteries.

1. Learn from your kids and how they play. Remember when you were a child, and those warm summer evenings seemed endless? Tap into that spirit by heading outside with your own kids. Draw with chalk, build a fort, blow bubbles, play soccer. Most of all, watch them as they play. They’ve got it down, that unselfconscious sense of the here and now, not worrying about tomorrow. When I see my son gleefully pedaling his trike down the warm sidewalk, I really understand Jesus’ words about how we need to become like little children to enter the kingdom of heaven. If we can emulate our kids’ innate ability to glory in the moment, we’re finding a little bit of heaven on earth. A warm summer day or evening is the perfect time to start.

2. Jump into a project that feels too daunting the rest of the year. I’m not talking a necessary evil, like cleaning the garage, but something that feeds your soul. A few years ago, I spent a summer writing my book Mary and Me. I’d park myself in front of the computer every morning and tap away at the keyboard until the midday sun broiled me from the skylight above. It was wonderful to have a summer in which to let the project build momentum, to live fully in the author skin for a while. Maybe your project involves starting a blog, learning how to cross-stitch, finding the perfect enchilada recipe, or reading the collected works of Jane Austen. Whatever it is, there’s plenty of summer left. Dive in.

3. Give your kids some one-on-one time. Growing up, my sister and I each went to summer camp. The weeks never overlapped, so whichever child stayed at home got to spend a day with Mom, totally dedicated to activities of our choice. My special day usually involved a trip to the doll store, some time at the library, perhaps an ice cream cone. The one-on-one time with my mom was precious, and it was exciting to be the one to plan our activities. Even though my boys are younger, I’m making it a priority to spend the occasional day or afternoon with each of them, individually. It’s a great way to build those relationships, and to create some pretty sweet summer memories in the process.

4. Do an al fresco nighttime prayer. There’s something magical about an evening when you can sit outside without needing a sweater. During the summer, I often slip out to the backyard and spend a few quiet moments in the dark. Though I love my house, it’s also a place where dishes and laundry cry out for attention, where I think of all that remains undone. In the yard, though, I’m in a more peaceful space. It’s a great place to let the hum and buzz of the day recede. Try sitting out on the porch or taking a slow walk around the block. Review the day, and all its joys and challenges. Recognize the sweetness of the season. Invite God into the life you are living, right here, right now. There’s no more beautiful way to end a summer’s day.

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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. To visit Ginny's blog for thoughts on Mary, faith, parenting, and the occasional ode to Jane Austen, click here.

Good Parents make good families..and sometimes even Saints!

July 10 was the feast of one of the Church's beatified married couples, Blesseds Louis Martin and Marie-Zélie Guerin Martin, the parents of St. Thérèse. We at ENDOW encourage all parents to pray to these two holy Blesseds who raised their child, St. Therese, to become a great Saint and Doctor of the Church with her “Little Way.” They are on their way to sainthood as well. Blessed be God! We parents know the great demand to raise our children in the faith and the call to encourage them to live as God intends, constantly attentive to the will of God and following His leading. When parents seek to know and obey God in their homes, there is a JOY of new life which pours forth from their family in the form of faith filled and loving children.

The article “Building a Family-Friendly Society” featured on ZENIT illustrates the central importance of good families in society....."Families founded on marriage offer society essential goods through the generation of new citizens and the increase of social virtues," he said. "Thus, they have a right to a just cultural, juridical and economic recognition.".....(See full article:click here). Blesseds Louis and Marie-Zelie Guerin Martin and St. Therese, please intercede for all families to be strengthened in love and be true witnesses to the importance of the family for society.