Christmas '07

We're having so many good times with family and friends this Christmas. Hope you all are having a blessed Christmas season too! (The rest of the photos are here.)

My brothers and sister and I at our Grandma's house on Christmas day

Morgan, Angela, Karina, Matthew and Andrea singing "Jingle Bells"

Angela and "Dr. Morgan" (how she referred to herself all day) working on Diane

Zack is happy...

to be a Browns fan!!

Ana and Zack dancin' in the kitchen

Christy is always a big hit with the kids!

Chrissy, me, Paula, Lisa and Erika at Aunt Dottie's house

It's good to be two... especially on Christmas!

Beth and Stephany came to visit from Cleveland... thanks for coming to Y-town! It was so great to see you!!

Love has come

I pray for all of you this Christmas the gifts I most long for myself...

~the wisdom to seek Him

~the experience of God speaking in a dream

~the faith to journey back another way

~the wonder of an angelic encounter

~the heart full of love for Jesus that consumed His mother

~and silence, that we might ponder it all in the depths of that most sacred of all places, the human heart...

"... the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." -John 1:5

Merry Christmas!

twins?

It was great to get to spend time with both of my brothers last night doing a little Christmas shopping and watching the movie we all know by heart, Christmas Vacation. Christy gets home tomorrow... yay!!

more advent reflections

I read these two little advent reflections today, and wanted to share. You are all in my prayers as we wait in joyful hope!

The Advent Virus ~

Be on the alert for symptoms of inner Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. The hearts of a great many have already been exposed to this virus and it is possible that people everywhere could come down with it in epidemic proportions. This could pose a serious threat to what has, up to now, been a fairly stable condition of conflict in the world.

Some signs and symptoms of The Advent Virus:

• A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than on fears based on past experiences.
• An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.
• A loss of interest in judging other people.
• A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others.
• A loss of interest in conflict.
• A loss of the ability to worry. (This is a very serious symptom.)
• Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation.
• Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature.
• Frequent attacks of smiling.
• An increasing tendency to let things happen rather than make them happen.
• An increased susceptibility to the love extended by others as well as the uncontrollable urge to extend it.

Please send this warning out to all your friends. This virus can and has affected many systems. Some systems have been completely cleaned out because of it.

Message of the Christmas Tree: Life Is "Ever Green"

Pope John Paul II in his Angelus message on 12/19/04: The traditional "Christmas tree" is a very ancient custom which exalts the value of life, as in winter the evergreen becomes a sign of undying life. In general, the tree is decorated and Christmas gifts are placed under it. The symbol is also eloquent from a typically Christian point of view: It reminds us of the "tree of life" (see Genesis 2:9), representation of Christ, God’s supreme gift to humanity.

The message of the Christmas tree, therefore, is that life is "ever green" if one gives: not so much material things, but of oneself: in friendship and sincere affection, and fraternal help and forgiveness, in shared time and reciprocal listening.

'dreaming' of Christmas

This came today from my friend Kristen & I had to share~

... I've been trying to read from my "Advent Reflections" book daily this year and I have done such a poor job in doing so, but this morning when I got up I decided to forgo grading papers in order to create a few moments of reflection during this very busy time of the year. As I read today's reflection it was written so beautifully - such real words and with such meaning, that I just had to share it with the women closest to me, especially in terms of faith....

Matthew 1:18-21

The Birth of Jesus Christ
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people form their sins."

We must thank God that Joseph does not act out of the nightmare going on at the surface of his life, but out of the dream that inhabits the core of his being. Dreams reveal another way. Joseph, in his zero hour, when his hopes of marriage, his faith, and his relationship with the girl he loves have crumbled to dust, teaches us how to make the other way a reality in our own lives. He trusts the dream, and he acts upon it. In our world, we will be faced with "nightmares" for sure, but we need to notice the scattered evidence of the deeper dream - the God-with-us, the best that is at the core of our being and is always there, like a silent angel, for those who have eyes to see. Which will we trust? Which will we act upon? The nightmare, or the dream?

Lord, below the world's nightmares lies your indestructible dream. We catch glimpses of it in moments of compassion, heroism, resilience, and all expressions of authentic human loving. Give us grace to trust the dream, especially when it seems to be buried in the ash and debris of our lives. Amen.

Only 11 more days of waiting...

my treasures

"A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; he who finds one finds a treasure."
- Sirach 6:14

On Tuesday night Alli (one of my dearest friends from South Bend) was nearby Pittsburgh for work, and we were able to get together for dinner. It was so wonderful to see you Alli!! I hope you'll be able to come back soon with Beth and Amy too. I miss you all & love you lots!!



Then last night a group of us got together to celebrate and say goodbye to Maria, who is moving to San Francisco after Christmas. In this picture are five truly beautiful & inspiring people -- Alfredo, Maria, Ani, Jodie and Megan. I am so blessed to know all of you, and thank God for the gift of your friendship!



At dinner last night, I shared Danielle's family tradition of picking a saint for the new year. Actually, as Danielle always told me, "the saint picks you." So here is a picture of Alfredo's saint picking him, and all of our saints and our intentions for the year are below~


Maria~

Saint Agatha, 3rd century virgin and martyr (celebrated February 5th)
‘My Lord Jesus Christ, You see my heart and You know my desires. You alone must have me, because I am all Yours.... You have protected me from the cradle. You have taken me from the love of the world and given me patience to suffer. Now receive my soul.’
Pray for women who will be called to suffer for Jesus

Ani~

Saint Francis of Assisi (celebrated on 4 October)
“Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.”
Pray for hearts to find joy!

Jodie~

Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin (St. Therese's parents)
St. Therese and Louis Martin could do no more than gaze at each other. With difficulty he pointed his index finger upward and was heard to whisper, "Until Heaven!" (Blessed Louis Martin on his deathbed to the Little Flower) Our Mother said to me, 'Don't be afraid; wait and see, your soul will expand.' (Blessed Zelie Martin to Leonie who was nearly impossible to handle)
Pray that Holiness may be born in families

Alfredo~

Blessed Leonie Martin, Lisieux (June 16th) (St. Therese's sister)
"Your little Leonie may be changed, not only in name, but in everything which might be displeasing to Him whom alone she wishes to love." "It is inappropriate for me to moan over my faults as I have done until now. That is pride. As our Holy Founder said, it is no wonder that weakness is weak; I must humble myself, not vex myself.
Pray for children who are not understood

Megan~

Blessed Luigi and Maria Quatrocchi (April 28)
Maria was advised to abort her unborn child to save her own life. The couple graciously relied on their trust in divine providence and were blessed with a healthy baby girl “Enrichetta”. They also raised their family to be just as virtuous; three of their four children joined religious orders.
Pray for strong, virtuous, holy families.

Me~

Saint Angela Merici, mystic, religious founder (January 27th)
"Mothers of children, even if they have a thousand, carry each and every one fixed in their hearts, and because of the strength of their love they do not forget any of them. In fact, it seems that the more children they have the more their love and care for each one is increased."
Pray for mothers.

I've done this every year since knowing Danielle, so this was my 6th year of having a saint for the year ahead. Here are the others I've had, beginning since 2003.

St Augustine of Hippo, bishop, Doctor of the Church (August 28th)
"You have forgiven me my past sins and drawn a veil over them, and in this way You have given me happiness in yourself, changing my life by faith and Your sacrament. When others read of those past sins of mine their hearts are stirred so that they no longer lie listless. Instead their hearts are roused by the love of Your mercy and the joy of Your grace."
Pray for the conversion of sinners

Saint Jean-Marie-Baptiste Vianney, Cure of Ars (celebrated on August 4th)
"My children, we cannot comprehend the power of a soul over the Good Lord: it can obtain whatever it wants."
Pray for priests.

Saint Padre Pio (celebrated September 23rd)
“The ardent desire to be in eternal peace is good and holy. But it is necessary to moderate it by a complete resignation to the Divine Will. It is better to do the Divine Will on earth than to enjoy heaven.”
Pray for the gift of obedience to God’s Will.

Saint Teresa of Avila (celebrated October 15th)
"Since the spiritual world is based entirely on humility, the closer one gets to God, the more this virtue should grow."
Pray for consecrated souls, they are the soul of the Church.

Saint Anthony of Egypt, 4th century desert monk (January 17th)
"Let Christ be as the breath you breathe; in Him put your trust. Be earnest always to be in union first with the Lord and then with the saints; that after death they also may receive you as known friends."
Pray for the purification of the world from evil.

Please let me know if you would like Danielle's saint list to share with your family and friends as well. It is such a beautiful way to begin the new year... with a special saint companion and friend for the year ahead. God bless you all!

"celebrate what's right with the world"

"I saw an angel in the stone & carved to set it free." - Michelangelo

If you can set aside 22 minutes, please watch this video by Dewitt Jones, a veteran photographer from National Geographic. It's a magical film about life, possibilities, and the transforming power of celebrating what's right with the world. "When we believe it, we'll see it."

Ryan, I especially think you are going to love this!

Enjoy!!

pope benedict's prayer intentions for life

Pope Benedict XVI Calls Faithful to Pray for Legislators and Medical Researchers to Respect Human Life

Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for November is: "That those dedicated to medical research and all those engaged in legislative activity may always have deep respect for human life, from its beginning to its natural conclusion."

"Respect for human life and the dignity of the human person is at the core of Catholic belief. Jesus teaches that two greatest commandments are to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and strength, and to love ones neighbor as oneself. Under the teachings of Genesis, human beings are made in the Image and Likeness of God, and therefore have an intrinsic value that cannot be denied. Under New Testament teachings, each person is part of the Body of Christ, with an intrinsic value and worth that cannot be denied. Moreover, multiple Old Testament passages declare to God "Before you knitted me in my mother's womb, you knew me," such that each individual human life is a Creative Act by God, and such that even before conception a human being exists as a person knowable to God."

a great weekend

My sister was in town this weekend (yay!) for her good friend Amanda's wedding. It was so much fun to see you Christy!! You're a dancing queen, and I hope you have a great day going back to work tomorrow. Love you!