St. Louis de Montfort's Way of Total Consecration

Today starts the first day of St. Louis de Monfort's Way of Total Consecration to Mary.  This is an amazing opportunity to know Christ in a beautiful and intimiate way.  I found a great website that explains how to do it.  Go here.  And if you have any questions please feel free to email me.

Mother furious after in-school clinic sets up teens abortion

Okay so this is unbelievable. I seriously cannot believe this is legit.  But it happened and I have a feeling it is going to happen again....

Mother furious after in-school clinic sets up teen's abortion:
SEATTLE -- The mother of a Ballard High School student is fuming after the health center on campus helped facilitate her daughter's abortion during school hours.


The mother, whom KOMO News has chosen to identify only as "Jill," says the clinic kept the information "confidential."

When she signed a consent form, Jill figured it meant her 15 year old could go to the Ballard Teen Health Center located inside the high school for an earache, a sports physical, even birth control, but not for help terminating a pregnancy.

"She took a pregnancy test at school at the teen health center," she said. "Nowhere in this paperwork does it mention abortion or facilitating abortion."

Jill says her daughter, a pro-life advocate, was given a pass, put in a taxi and sent off to have an abortion during school hours all without her family knowing.


"We had no idea this was being facilitated on campus," said Jill. "They just told her that if she concealed it from her family, that it would be free of charge and no financial responsibility."


The Seattle School District says it doesn't run the health clinics at high schools. Swedish Medical Center runs the clinic at Ballard High and protects the students' privacy.


T.J. Cosgrove of the King County Health Department, which administers the school-based programs for the health department, says it's always best if parents are involved in their children's health care, but don't always have a say.


"At any age in the state of Washington, an individual can consent to a termination of pregnancy," he said.


But Jill says she not only didn't have a say in her daughter's abortion, but also didn't know about it.

"Makes me feel like my rights were completely stripped away."


See article here: Komonews

More healthcare info

Here is an email from a trusted politically correct friend:



Well, basically America is a MESS... an executive order from the most pro-abortion President ever means NOTHING... and I'm happy to live in a Commonwealth that is suing the Federal Gov't (rock on, Virginia Republicans) . 59% of Americans are opposed to nationalized healthcare.. . and yet, it passed. Uhm hello Congress... you buffoons work for us. The largest bill ever and NO bo-partisan support. (Even Social Security and medicare had bi-partisan support!) Costing Americans $1 trillion... hold on to your wallets, folks. Never forget that this country once went to WAR over a small tax on TEA. Tea!

And, the nail in the coffin... the largest expansion of abortion since Roe v. Wade. Yikes.

....but God is BIGGER.

Did we need healthcare reform? YES. Did we need total gov't takeover? NO.

On Saturday,I protested this hoopla with about 40,000 other people on Capitol Hill. I think that says something about America. (Does that make us crazy members of the Tea Party Movement now? Perhaps.) Anyway, the only major news camera I saw there was FoxNews. Not surprising, but the liberal bias of the corrupt media still gets to me. Ugh. So. Annoying.

For updates... check our old faithful Drudge ... couple other sites I've been reading:

http://redstate. com/

http://hotair. com/

http://www.humaneve nts.com/

http://blog. aulaction. org/

http://www.suzyb. org/

Here's the roll call: http://www.foxnews. com/politics/ 2010/03/22/ house-roll- health-care- overhaul/

Repubs are trying to repeal: http://thehill. com/blogs/ blog-briefing- room/news/ 88323-house- and-senate- republicans- quick-to- release-repeal- bills

As for what exactly is in the bill... well.... I (like many members of Congress) haven't had time to actually read the darn thing.

Healthcare Bill Questions

I wish I knew all the details of what is happening with our healthcare.  I know we need to pray.  I also know that there are over 11 states that plan on suing over this bill.

Here is a quick read from a Catholic standpoint:

Obama’s executive order on abortion funding is inadequate fix, pro-life groups say-  from Catholic News Agency.com

A-mazing book

I am reading the most amazing book.  It is called 'Consoling the Heart of Jesus' by Father Michael E. Gaitley.  It is a Do-It-Yourself Retreat inspired by the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.

I am only part of the way through it but I couldn't wait to share with you about it. 

This is the first book I have read in a long time that is truly challenging me to know and love Christ more.  Father Gaitley's style of writing is humerous, to the point and easy to read. It is not a 'heavy' read in terms of theology.  It is a call to sanctity.  It is a reminder of why we are Catholic and what we believe.

I can remember being in college and thinking about sanctity and wondering what was the next step to obtain it.....  Then I left college and I began to think about how amazing the saints are and how unamazing I was. By the end all I could do was look to the saints to know that I would never even get close!

Father reminds the reader that we are all called to be SAINTS even amidst our sinfulness.  It is a passionate and burning desire to be IN LOVE with our Creator.  It is a call to love Jesus until our heart aches.  I am always amazed when I read something so simple, something I have been taught since 1st grade yet somewhere along the way I forgot.  I forgot what it was like to be passionately in love with Christ.  And Fr. Gaitley's book is the beginning steps to remembering what that love is like.

I HIGHLY recommend this read that can be done in one weekend or over many weeks.  I think Father had us moms in mind when he wrote it.... knowing that in the middle of a chapter we will have to start dinner, or change a diaper or simply fall asleep so to prepare for the next day. 

I will update as I continue on reading.....

Soul Searching

I think I mentioned the lovely Jehovah's Witnesses that I have been talking to over the past few weeks....  It has been a wild ride for sure.  Here are they things I have figured out:

1.  JW's really know their Bible.

2.  They are very passionate about their faith.

3.  I am being so challenged to get into Scripture and really look at what it means.

4.  I never realized how much of my Catholic faith I did not know until I met these ladies.

5.  I can't believe how much I thought I did know about Catholicism.

6.  I am burning with the desire to know more and more about Catholicism!

7.  We are all called to evangelization.... and we need to be educated and prepared before we begin.

8.  Catholicism is not for the weak at heart!  There are so many things that must be researched and looked in to!

9.  I am in love with Catholicism.

If anyone has had any experience with JW's and would be willing to email me I would SO appreciate it!  Thanks :)

Finally a giveaway!

Modern Catholic Moms!  I have a treat for you :)

It's that time again.... Modern Catholic Mom is giving away a set of HOLY BABY DVD's.


Holy Baby DVD's are an incredible opportunity for your children to hear Catholic music and prayers through a DVD. There are everyday prayers, prayers in different languages, adorable graphics and pictures of Catholic items.

My three year old loves her Holy Baby DVD. She sings the Holy Baby song ALL THE TIME! Seriously, it is hilarious. I think she relates to the prayers that she hears in Mass and then in these DVD's. This is a great set of DVD's based on the same principles as Baby Einstein yet centered around the Catholic faith.

Volume 1

Seven Prayers in Seven Languages introduces your child to the:

Sign of the Cross

Apostle's Creed

Our Father

Hail Mary

Glory Be

Oh My Jesus

Hail Holy Queen

All the prayers are said in seven different languages including English, French, Spanish, Latin, Vietnamese, German and Portuguese. It is also full of vivid religious imagery and songs including Jesus Loves The Little Children, The Seven Joys of Mary, A Child's Morning Hymn and the Holy Baby theme song.

Volume 2

Jesus Loves Me , He Is The Bread Of Life is full of upbeat faith filled songs, prayers of the mass and scripture passages.

For more entries do any or all of the following: ( be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry and include your email if it is not in your profile)

* Blog about this giveaway with a link back

* Subscribe to our emails

* Twitter about this giveaway with a link back ( leave your twitter name)

* Make a purchase from The Rosary Project website

*Email a friend about this giveaway with a link back ( be sure to CC moderncatholicmom ( at ) gmail ( dot) com )

Giveaway ends 3/27/10 at midnight, open to US residents.

Catholic Home Schooling

To homeschool or not to homeschool.  That is the question.

But with great resources like the ones listed below, hopefully you will have the information to make that decision.

Check out http://www.educatingforheaven.com/ if you are located in Central Ohio.

Seton Home study http://www.setonhome.org/

Seton Educational Media http://www.setonbooks.com/

Mother of Divine Grace School http://www.motherofdivinegrace.org/

Emmanuel Books http://www.emmanuelbooks.com/

Catholic Heritage Curricula  http://www.chcweb.com/

Ecce Homo http://www.eccehomopress.com/

Homeschooling through highschool www.hslda.org/highschool

Children of Mary, Retreat House

Have you heard of 'Children of Mary'?

Consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, this religious community has devotion to Blessed Mother Teresa, Saint Theresa and Venerable John Paul II.

Children of Mary are located in Newark, Ohio and offer a retreat house for the public.  Individual or groups, day or weekends, the public can access their grounds to have a day of retreat.... I think I might just take them up on this offer!

Visit http://www.childrenofmary.com/ for more information.

Catholic Youth Summer Camp

Catholic Youth Summer Camp is a high adventure camp for students entering grades 6-12.  Activities at CYSC range from paint ball, jet skis and tubing to archery and bonfires.  Along with high adventure activities, CYSC helps to form a high adventure faith, celebrating daily Mass, daily prayer and small groups. 

Visit www.cysc.com for more information!

EWTN Evangelization Opportunity

Did you know that EWTN offers an opportunity to Proclaim the Good News?

Recently at the Columbus Catholic Women's Conference (which was fabulous btw) I saw a booth that was being taken care of by a dad and his daughter.  Basically EWTN offers the EWTN Media Missionaries. 

The requirement is 10 minutes a month.

The Media Missionary will volunteer their time to assist with placing the EWTN program guide in their parish or offering a their pastor a seasonal bulletin announcement with an accompanying poster during Advent, Lent and other special occasions.

If you are looking for a volunteer ministry that won't take up a lot of time go to www.ewtn.com for the opportunity.

Why do Catholics have a devotion to saints?

Imagine you know one of the advisors for the President.  (ok, imagine the president is pro-life).  This advisor has studied the president, tried to live a life similar to the president, loves the president and truly wants to please the president. The advisor has even thrown himself in front of a bullet to protect the president. The advisor loves the president so much that he has committed his life to being an example of how the president lives his life.

Imagine that advisor is someone you could totally relate and look up to.  He is just an ordinary man like you or I but for some reason has gone beyond the call of duty to make great choices in life.

That is how Catholics look at saints.  They are people, like us, that have lived a life pleasing to God.  They have done amazing and brave things to truly live Catholic lives.  They have exceeded our worldly expectations and serve as an example to us of how to act so that we too can be pleasing to God.  They have kept themselves pure and devoted to the Lord. 

Catholics do not worship saints or hold them higher than God.  Catholics don't worship or pray to the statues.  We do pray that the saint who we know is in Heaven will pray on our behalf.  It's like knowing that God is super happy with that saint and will listen closely when the saint brings our intentions to Him.

Saints are only windows to God.  We look through them to see the beauty of the Father.  We know that by following their example we have seen a way to seek sanctity.  Saints pattern their lives off of Jesus Christ never to exceed the Son of God but ONLY to glorify Him. 

Some of my favorite saints:

St. Terese the Little Flower
St. Gerard
St. Clare
St. Francis
St. Philomena

Evangelization in the home

Sometimes I get this urge to proclaim the love of Christ to the world.  You know what I mean?   I read Scripture and I read how we are called to evangelize and I wonder in what capacity that means?  God has been so faithful with His teachings throughout my life and I am convinced that the knowledge He has shared is meant to be shared. 

So, I was talking to my mom and sharing with her my frustrations of determining to what extent we are supposed to be evangelizing and she said that the most important evangelizing I can do is to my daughter.  She firmly believes that upon entering the gates of Heaven we will be asked what we did to bring Christ to our children.  In one breath this is a simple statement. Of course we need to evangelize to our children.  On the other hand it takes that breath away!  I am responsible for being the first Christ that my daughter encounters.  My actions, my words and my teachings must all consistently reflect the love of Christ.  What  a HUGE endeavor!  What a HUGE gift!  What a HUGE responsibility!

I think it such a testament to the gift of a child.  I am someone who has a very difficult time getting pregnant and then maintaining the pregnancies.  I am beginning to really see the miracle of life in that God is truly in charge of our fertility.  This can be difficult for me because I wanted many children!  And God has blessed me with one on earth and one in Heaven.  How much more am I being called to raise the one I have been given to truly serve the Lord and bring Christ to all she meets. 

I pray that I am always a witness to Christ's love in the world but I pray even more so that my little one knows and loves the Lord so that she may be a witness to all.  Whew!

Jump rope and Mary

This morning as I was opening my eyes I saw my three year old starting at me.  A welcomed sight indeed I asked, 'Liv, what are you doing?'

She very innocently shared, 'Mom, I am crushing the snake like Mary does'.  

And there she was stepping on her jump rope.  Crushing the snake.  Just like our statue.

How cool is that?

Pope to canonize new saints!

American Catholic.com shares here about 8 new saints that will be cannonized later this year. 

VATICAN CITY (CNS)—Pope Benedict XVI will create six new saints Oct. 17, including Blessed Mary MacKillop, who will be Australia's first saint, and the Canadian Blessed Andre Bessette, who will be the first saint of the Holy Cross Brothers.