Family Pics

No, not from Christmas. From November but I've finally gotten around to posting them b/c I want to send some friends and family here to see them in my Christmas/New Year's notes I'm still determined to write. I've got at least 7 more days to celebrate the Octave of Christmas in the Church calendar, right?

Anyway, you can see we had a lot of fun getting these shots. The photographer has a real gift for actually enjoying the kiddos.

Celebrating the 10th Anniv. of RC SA on the Feast of OL of Guadalupe

Sat., Dec. 12, 2009 marks the 10th Anniversary of the physical home and sacred space of the SA RC Sections, Our Lady of the Hills Family Mission Center. Don't miss Mass with Fr. Thomas Salazar, LC at 9:30am on the 12th at OLH! Did I already mention it's also the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe? :)

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November Retreat Notes on the Holy Name

Fr. Thomas Salazar, LC gave us not just our meditation but also the talk at last month's retreat. His meditation was on "Evangelizing" and included basic elements of a missionary spirituality that should be the subject of a separate post later. His shorter talk related to the Lord's Prayer was taken from the phrase "Hallowed be thy name," the name of God, the holy name of Jesus. What follows are my notes:

1. A name gives intimacy. "Jesus" is the name we have for the Father incarnate on earth. His name inspires love and hatred. Not just atheists disrespect God's name. We also do so when we're not living as we should, as well as by not respecting his name in the usual ways.

Do I give honor to God's name? How?

2. We should have hope, confident trust in the name of Jesus. "Call out his name...[he'll] come running." Jesus' name is a prayer in itself.

3. Fr. read an extended quote from one of C.S. Lewis' Narnia chronicles: The Horse and His Boy. He challenged us, like the boy in the book, to learn to recognize Jesus' presence and to listen to all he wants to tells us about himself, myself, his name.

December's Monthly Retreat is less than a week away: Tues., Dec. 8 at 9:30am at OLH Family Center. That's also the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. St. Bernadette, pray for us!

Meditation on Zacchaeus

This was our meditation for our Team Holy Hour in November. The text was the Gospel for that day, Luke 19: 1-10. Maybe you can use it for your personal daily meditation or your team can use it this month. Hope it serves as an aid to your prayer!


Text: Again, text was Luke 19:1-10.

Acts of faith, hope & love: Father, we believe in You and in your love. We hope in You and trust confidently in your promises. We love You and thank You for your great love that calls us to yourself, to your presence in the Eucharist, and to your Word that instructs our hearts.

Petition: Our petition is for that deeper conversion of heart that we need to be united w/ You always.

Fruit: We ask for the fruit that, by your grace, we have hearts like Zacchaeus- open to seeing You, quick to give to You, detached from all that crowds You out of our hearts and lives.

1) Zacchaeus.
The Gospel tell us he was the chief tax collector. So, not only was he a Jew working for the Romans, collecting from his own people & probably skimming off the top as was common, but he was even the head of the tax collectors w/ even more authority to lord over people and even more responsibility. How he must have needed to know You, your peace, your strength, Lord! At the same time, we see how unconditionally you love us all, Lord! From the greatest of sinners to the holiest of saints, to all those lukewarm in between. How much you love each of us.

Why does Luke tell us Zacchaeus was "short in stature?" Luke the physician naturally notices the physical details but he also notes it so that we can understand why Zacchaeus had climbed the tree.

2) The sycamore tree.
In the beginning, Zacchaeus only climbed up out of curiosity: he was "seeking to see who Jesus was." So, he climbed the tree for a better view. Even if he was not motivated by the slightest bit of faith, Zacchaeus was intellectually honest. He knew there was a reason to be curious about this man Jesus. And he didn't care what others thought about him, whether he made a spectacle of himself responding to that nudge of his intellect or conscience to figure out just a little more about You, Lord. Here Zacchaeus is an example for me to follow.

3) The Lord.
Then, You looked up at him, Jesus, and called him to yourself & gave him your very self all at the same time. That changed everything for him, Lord- one look, one call from You! How you speak with authority to our hearts b/c You are the Author of Love! I remember those moments in my life when you've done the same to me...as a young girl, when your call first penetrated my heart...all the love you've showered on me throughout my life- even in the midst of hard times, you've always been there w/ me, reminding me I'm never alone...and now as a married woman, You love me through my husband everyday in all the ways he provides for me and for our family, in all the ways he cares for me. Help me, Lord, to see your glances of love throughout my life now during this meditation and later throughout my day, when I'm tempted to feel alone or discouraged, when I'm tempted to feel overwhelmed.

4) Myself.
Above all, Lord, help me to respond to your calls like Zacchaeus did to the one call that changed his life! Help me to give back to You w/out counting the cost, to journey forward with You w/out looking back. Like You tell us: the one who looks back, who takes her hand off the plow, isn't worthy of the mission b/c the mission requires all our heart, mind, and soul. To plant lasting seeds for You- deeply, in straight rows, in well-prepared & well cared for soil- is an awesome call. It is the call of an apostle, the call of all your baptized daughters and sons.

I believe in that call and want to answer it for You, with You, Lord. Show me how I can give you my whole heart and my whole self, like Zacchaeus, Lord. Show me.

Lives of Aborted Babies Honored in Funeral Mass

This post is basically an e-mail from the dynamic Sylvia.

Our EWC case of life a few weeks ago focused on Dr. Monica Miller, Director of the Citizens for a Pro-Life Society. She and members of her organization found the remains of aborted babies in the dumpsters of Michigan clinics run by abortionist Alberto Hodari. Dr. Miller arranged for a funeral mass to be held by the Bishop of Detroit for these babies to give them the dignity they deserve as children of God, created in His image and likeness.

Here is a link to the website of Citizens for a Pro-Life Society.

Let's keep her organization in our prayers as we decide how best to support her efforts to afford our tiniest brothers and sisters in Christ the rights and dignity they deserve.

September Retreat Notes on God the Father

Our regularly visiting spiritual guide from Houston, Mary Beth, was with us for September's Retreat and gave the lay formation talk on God the Father's love. What follows are my notes from her talk:

We all can have many misconceptions about who God really is. Fr. Jonathan Morris' book The Promise lists several of these misconceptions: God the Vending Machine ( I put in to get what I want); God the Clock-Maker (He designed everything to just go on its own); The God of the Buffet (I pick and choose His attributes); God the Cop (He is critical and just waiting for me to screw up); God as Life Insurance (Some virtue & religion is good but let's keep a prespective on the good things of the world). None of these is accurate or reflects who God has revealed Himself to be. A more realistic view of God motivates us to love and to live in love. So, let's look at Him in the Gospels, in the person of Jesus Christ.

God is strong (eg. Christ calming the storm). God is protective (eg. giving Mary to John and John to Mary at the Cross). God is someone who provides (eg. Just look at all of Creation!). God is someone who educates and forms (eg. Christ's life w/ the Apostles). Christ is one w/ God the Father (eg. Jesus was always in prayer with his Father and Christ couldn't wait to die on the Cross b/c that was the fulfillment of the Father's will, that was all the love he could give in the Father's name). God is a healer (eg. all of Christ's helaing). God is a forgiving Father (eg. the merciful father of the Prodigal Son). God is never indifferent (eg. "If you who are wicked know how to give good gifts to your children when they ask, how much more...). God is someone who respects my freedom (eg. He challenges "Choose life." The choice is mine.) God is a daddy who meets me where I am (eg. Christ meeting the Samaritan woman at the well).

What do I do with this knowledge? First the woman, then the saint. My only security is in God my Father's infinite love. Try to be dependent, like a child. Remember, He allows suffering because it creates some pressure, it sets a deadline for me to get the growth done. Otherwise, we all would always put it off. Cling to Him in my prayer commitments, especially a "well done meditation (Fr. Thomas' challenge later). And meet Him in the Sacraments.

2009-2010 Monthly Retreats to be on the "Our Father"

Our RC Monthly Retreats began in September. This year's theme is Prayer, especially all Christ taught us to pray in the "Our Father." Each month we will look at a line from the Lord's Prayer and what it teaches us about prayer, God, and holiness. These will be the specific themes each month: September- God the Father; (October-Triduum); November- Our Goal is to Bring All Things Under Christ; December- The Joys of Fulfilling God's Will; January- God Always Provides; February- Forgiveness; March- Help Us, Lord, to Always Have a Clean Heart; and April- God Will Make Us Victorious if We Trust in Him.

I am excited to dig deeper into the "Our Father" and prayer. I've grown so much each year from our Monthly Retreats and the topics we focused on so intently each year: the Beatitudes as an Imitation of Christ (or Christ's virtues) last year and the Core Convictions of a Catholic and member of RC in 2007-2008. (Anyone wanting a refresher can find the 8 Core Convictions listed in the sidebar.)

Book Review: Unless You Become Like This Child, von B

My systematic theo professor in college is a student & devotee herself of renown German theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar, even, if I remember correctly, studying under him &/or his colleagues, including then-Cardinal Ratzinger. We read a lot of Theo-Drama in her classes and heard even more from it. Since then, I have wanted to read more of his work and recently have been working on a slim little volume called Unless You Become Like This Child. For a few years now, my spiritual program has focused on growing in trust of God, as a child trusts his parents.

I am especially enjoying and learning from von B's fifth chapter in Unless...: "Living as God's Children." There he begins by noting that "nothing...has ever more emptied the wondrous mystery of child of its value" as the modern positivist preoccupation with making ourselves [what we decide humanity ought to be in our opinion]. He continues by noting that the traits of the adult Christian living as a child of God are "most evident in Christ himself:" 1) delightful amazement, esp. at the gifts of freedom, the other, Creation; 2) thanksgiving, in implicit recognition that I owe my life to another; 3) embracing the mystery of the Church and my place in it; and 4) living fully in the present moment, like a child with time to play and SLEEP. I'll close with a particularly-relevant-for-myself quote re. that last point-

"Pressured man on the run is always postponing his encounter with God to a 'free moment' or a 'time of prayer' that must constantly be rescheduled, a time that he must laboriously wrest from his overburdened workday. A child knows that God can find him at every moment because every moment opens up for him and shows him the very ground of time: as if it reposed on eternity itself."

Case of life: "The Blind Girl"

Finally, back to the Case, especially b/c I'll probably miss EWC today w/ a sick kiddo. It'll be good for me to continue reflecting on this one. RC cases discussed during EWC are always true stories.

Our first case of the year was a case of a young woman born blind. She suffered and struggled because of her blindness, unhappy that she could not do many things other, more typical people could do. She had a faithful boyfriend who stood by her through her heartaches and could see her goodness, despite her own negativity. He helped her persevere and see the positive side of things. The young woman always told her boyfriend, "If I could just see, I'd marry you."

It finally happened that the young woman was told it was her turn for a transplant, that she could have eyes (corneas) recently donated. She had the surgery and as the bandages were finally removed, her boyfriend was there with her for her first glimpse of the world. It was then she realized that he was blind. "Well," he said, "will you marry me now?" Painfully for him, her answer was no, she just couldn't do it, she couldn't handle the suffering related to being blind, even now. They went their separate ways.

Later, the young man wrote his former girlfriend a letter. He told her he loved her and always had only wanted her to be happy. He asked her to promise to take care of herself and her eyes, for before they were her eyes, they were first his...

When I first heard this story, I choked/gasped out loud. The betrayal and the love side by side struck me deeply. And the way the young man was another Christ, loving entirely for the other, not faltering even when rejected, is a powerful testimony of his own relationship w/ Christ. All she had to do was enjoy the gift and stop angsting over figuring everything out. All God wants us to do is enjoy his gifts, especially those of the people in our lives, especially our spouses. May we, may I, enjoy my husband this day and be more willing to sacrifice for him in those ways he needs from me, without counting the small cost.

Back to life. Back to EWC!

Over the summer when my RC team doesn't meet for our regular "Encounter with Christ (EWC)," I can think that I don't miss it that much or that I'm fine without it; but, every fall, once I re-connect with my team and we have Encounter, I realize anew what a gift it is to me and how good it is for me, as if it was made for my soul! Actually, it was. That's part of what a charism is for those called to live it. Gift. Mystery. Inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Personally-crafted-for-you-by-the-Holy-Spirit spirituality. And like all his gifts, Christ doesn't ever thrust a particular spirituality or aspect of a spirituality, including Encounter, upon us. He lets us choose to enjoy the gift. (The ladies of my team are themselves gifts, too, but today I'm thinking about Encounter.)


I love going to Encounter because it helps me to live a certain "ortho-praxy," however imperfectly. Many Catholic-Christians, myself included, are often quite concerned with ortho-doxy (literally "right reason"). Are we remaining true to Christ and the Tradition of his Church [by doing this or that liturgical pratice]? Does this [insert philosophy, socio-political solution, refrain from a song] participate in the Truth of life as it is created by God? Lately, I've found myself reflecting more and more on the life-long challenge of ortho-praxy ("right practice"). Am I truly living the never-changing but always new challenges of the Gospels? Am I living them as Christ has called me individually to do so? Do others know I'm a Christian by my love? Or will I be vomited from the mouth of God for my lukewarmness?


EWC is a combination Gospel study, prayer group, and practical study group. Each week, we reflect on the coming Sunday's Gospel. We hold each other accountable to our personal commitments to a life of prayer and virtue. One representative offers a spontanteous prayer on behalf of all, lifting up the reflections, inspirations, and needs of the team. Then we spend time discussing a real life example of an act of inspired virtue (called a "case of life"): seeing its causes & consequences, comparing parallels in life & the Gospels, and, finally, commiting to a resolution that follows the case's example.


More later on this week's very moving case. I'm still busy thinking about it...In the meantime, Lord, thank you for Encounter.