Lest we forget:

This history books will tell you that the first Thanksgiving was celebrated by the pilgrims in 1621. Not true.

An interesting bit of trivia is that the first American Thanksgiving was actually celebrated on September 8, 1565 in St. Augustine, Florida. The Native Americans and Spanish settlers held a feast and the Holy Mass was offered.

A second similar "Thanksgiving" celebration occurred on American soil on April 30, 1598 in Texas when Don Juan de Oñate declared a day of Thanksgiving to be commemorated by the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

The Catholic origins of Thanksgiving don't stop there. Squanto, the beloved hero of Thanksgiving, was the Native American man who mediated between the Puritan Pilgrims and the Native Americans. Squanto had been enslaved by the English but he was freed by Spanish Franciscans. Squanto thus received baptism and became a Catholic. So it was a baptized Catholic Native American who orchestrated what became known as Thanksgiving.

Continue with the rest for the whole story.

And don't forget that Eucharist is Greek for "Thanksgiving."

Happy Thanksgiving!

I loved this story about the small-town kid who wanted to stick around and do what he could to keep his small town hometown from continuing its downward spiral. The same spirit behind that choice is what keeps Suzanne and me here in Granite City. It's our home, and it's our community of friends and family.

Get out of Dodge? Head off to college? No.
Put down $10,000 to re-open the town grocer? Yep, he did.

The Feast of Christ the King is my "personal favorite" Mass of the entire Church year.

I love the focus on Christ as King at the end of time (note that it's also the end of the Church year... next week we start a New Year with the first week of Advent, preparing for Christ's coming at Christmas.)

This weekend's readings this year (Year A in the three-year cycle of A, B, C) are my favorite of the three.

So this weekend is an extra special treat for me!

The readings for this year in Year A are all about Christ the good shepherd who is also the King. It's a fantastic contrast, and a reminder of the depth and breadth of who God is - who Christ is.

The Lord is indeed my shepherd - he provides for me; he picks me up and shows me the way when I'm weak or lost.  He's also my King and judge.

I went to a public high school, so I'll say right off the bat that all of the things that REALLY mattered were learned at home with my family and in our parish community.

That said, though, and meaning no disrespect to the many wonderful teachers who taught me many fascinating things in a wide array of subjects in high school, I think the Three Things I Learned in High School that Mattered aren't things that were ever in a curriculum write-up or on my class schedule.

1) Don't Be Afraid. Man Up.

When I was a freshman, I went into high school (a high school of about 3,000, mind you) from a Catholic grade school of about 300. That was quite a leap.

Adding to that, our grade school teachers had done a great job of freaking us out to no end about high school and what it would mainly consist of: being stuffed into our lockers, followed by being marched to the bathroom for swirlies, followed by being forced to buy elevator passes, followed by being locked back into our lockers.

I dreaded the Illinois state requirement of Physical Education (PE) every semester except for when you have health and driver's ed.

So in my first semester of PE, when we had to split off into our sections of the class (mine was volleyball) and then divide into teams, I was intimidated beyond belief that there were only two freshmen in our section.

I was certain that I would never be picked for a team; that I'd be the "last to fall", but one of the two senior co-captains picked me first.

I immediately strutted to their side of the court, amazed. I muttered something under my breath like "are you sure?"

Not only will I never forget that they picked me first, and made a statement to all their upperclass friends about their "faith" in me. But I'll also never forget what they said: "Don't worry. You'll do fine."

Truer words were never said, and the encouragement lasted me all four years of high school and beyond.

Suddenly, I wasn't one little guy in this sea of thousands. I was really a person with dignity, and I had been reminded of it and encouraged to grasp it in the most direct, unexpected way.

2) You Don't Have to Memorize That.
Just Know Where to Look it Up.

Two sciences teachers imparted this one. And how true.

Periodic table? The speed of light? What's a "mole"? What's the atomic weight of chocolate?

No need to remember it. There's always Google.

3) Impromptu Speaking

I competed in two events on the speech team: Radio speaking and Impromptu speaking. For life and career, you can't beat Impromptu.

Here's how it works: You walk into a room with judges. You draw a note card, on which is written a quote or topic. You then have eight (8) total minutes to prepare AND speak on the subject on the card. You can prepare (jot down an outline, or notes) for one minute and then speak for seven. Or you can prepare for seven and speak for one. But you can guess which approach helps you in judging.

To succeed in Impromptu, you had to get good at thinking on your feet and talking out of your Nikes.

Here are some of the subjects & quotes I actually had, which I still remember to this day:

• "To everything there is a season."
• Friends & comrades
• "The grass is always greener."
• Healthy living
• Your favorite sport

I don't know of an activity in high school that forced me to be better at what I do day-in-and-day-out in my line of work than Impromptu. Competing in it sharpened the saw even faster.

Thanks to all of the fantastic teachers that God blessed me with! I pray for half as good for my boys as they grow up. Thanks in particular to the History and civics teachers - the teachers in the one subject that I entered high school hating and left high school with the most interest in and respect for... and perhaps the "formal subject" that ends up making the biggest difference in my life.

So I'm curious... what 3 things did YOU learn in high school that are invaluable... formal-education or otherwise?

After music group, in our small group tonight, we read through the readings for this coming Sunday (The Solemnity of Our Lord, Jesus Christ the King) and had some good discussion around the Gospel in particular. It (Mt 25:31-46) is a doozie!:

Jesus said to his disciples:
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
'Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.'
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?'
And the king will say to them in reply,
'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Then he will say to those on his left,
'Depart from me, you accursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.'
Then they will answer and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs?'
He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.'
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life."

Our discussion centered around the Christian commission to give to the marginalized and less fortunate - to be Christ's presence to the Christ in them.

We talked a lot about the questions and the feelings that well up when a panhandler asks for money... Is this person really in need? Is this for a dinner, or for the next dose of the drug of the day? Is this for the bus pass, or for the next swig of booze?

We talked about the guilt when you walk by someone in need with the doubt in your mind, without helping them... sometimes without acknowledging them.

We talked about the frustration when you give to someone in need, only to have them show a lack of appreciation - to throw your gift back at you if it's "not enough" or "not what I wanted."

Here's what struck me the most in the discussion:
It's not up to us to have to make the judgement about whether our giving was for a worthy request or not. God - Christ - the King - knows our heart. And He knows their heart. And the judgement of the motives and the giving and the withholding will be done by Him - not by us - at the end.

I make that judgement a lot - I have to, as I travel, and am in other, big, cities a lot. I'll walk past one person acting as though I don't have any cash. I'll give some to another who "seems" more in need, or more "legitimate", or whatever. Is that right? Not really. I shouldn't be making that judgement. I should be giving out of the great abundance God has blessed me with. I should be leaving it to the Good Shepherd who knows both the giver's heart and the receiver's heart.

The feast of Christ the King has been my favorite Sunday of the Church year since I returned to the faith a few years ago. I love the imagery of "the end", right before we being a new year with the anticipation of Advent - preparing for Christ's coming at Christmas. I love the imagery of the "end times", the reminders of particular and general judgement, the reminder of Christ's Kingship and dominion over all.  What I love the most, though, is the reminder that Christ is really BOTH the powerful temporal King that we expect in this life AND the quiet, gentle, loving shepherd that we need both now and in the next life.

I'm taking part in the BlogToFit.com effort which launches today, our first weigh-in.

I've been slightly better this week (for instance, when we went out with Suzanne's side of the family on Saturday night for her parents' anniversary, I kicked off my meal with 30 chips and salsa instead of my usual three baskets of chips and salsa.)

So today, I begin.

For diet, I'm going to be coming as close to Suzanne's Weight Watchers lifestyle change (as it pertains to food) as I can possibly muster. I've seen it be tremendously successful for her, and it's good for you.  So that'll be what I try.

For exercise, I'm going to start with basic home workouts and quality time on the treadmill again.

I'm going to weigh in on Tuesday nights... I'll post my weigh-in (with the others) most Wednesday mornings.  This week, I'm posting now, since I'll be at the airport and traveling tomorrow.

Let's see how I do this coming week... for now, my first weigh-in (today) has me at:  173.8 pounds.

Read all that's out there and make up your own mind, but a pretty convincing case is finally being made far beyond the few "in the know" that have always avoided giving to the CCHD:

By Catholic Citizens of Illinois

When the Catholic Bishops of the United States established the Campaign for Human Development in 1970, they mandated the Campaign to fund "such projects as voter registration, community organizations, community-run schools, minority-owned cooperatives and credit unions, capital for industrial development and job training programs, and setting up rural cooperatives." It was subsequently renamed the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, with prohibitions on funding of projects that were not in conformity with Catholic moral teaching.

The CCHD was sold to Catholic parishioners with a slogan of "a hand up instead of a hand out," but instead, CCHD has heavily invested in the political organizing techniques of Saul Alinky, a Marxist organizer from Chicago who founded the nationwide Industrial Areas Foundation, which in the Chicago area is known as United Power. United Power has been financed by various mainline Protestant churches and has made great inroads into the Catholic Church in Chicago, recruiting parish ministers and receiving funding from various parishes through dues and contributions. For all practical purposes, United Power is an extension of the far left wing of the Democrat Party...

Get the rest of the story here.

'Twas a little sad tonight, walking out of the Granite City Starbucks for what will most likely be the final time. They close on Wednesday night for good.

The Granite Starbucks opened a couple of years ago on the weekend of my birthday. I thought it was nice - albeit eerie - that after months of build-out, they opened on my birthday weekend.  Granted, I prefer to go to Sacred Grounds in Edwardsville, but if I can't spare the time (or the gas) for the drive - it's about 20 minutes each way - then Starbucks here in town was always the best option.

Suzanne and I have each had our fair share of going up there to get work done, and I have some nice photos of some memories of times we went there as a family, or when I took Thomas there for some father-son time.

It's been good, but apparently their revenues cut in half once Collinsville's and Edwardsville's Starbucks opened.

Sure, I'm a little nostalgic, but I'll quickly be happy to settle back into my Sacred-only routine.

Those who have heard me speak locally on the Sacraments and sacramental signs - either at a Koinonia or at a confirmation prep night - have heard the story of how I was led away from the Church and from Christianity for a period of my life.

It basically follows the typical cradle-Catholic-leaves-then-reverts formula.

When I was a young man, I worked for 10 summers of my life at our council's boy scout camp. One spring, while working with several fellow staffers at a spring weekend campout, I saw a close friend and fellow staffer sitting, motionless, on a bench in front of the main lodge, focused on a tree across the main parade field and the creek just beyond it. He didn't move for the longest time, and I eventually approached him and asked what he was doing.

He expressed that he was watching the tree's energy. A rather strong conversation ensued, and he pointed me to a book: The Celestine Prophecy. I read the book, and it led me down a long trail of "New Age" spirituality and away from the Church for many years.

That tree became emblematic of my search for the "Spirit" in the world around me.

During that time, I even became downright virulent with Christian friends trying to defend their faith. In some ways, I was a modern day, pre-conversion Saint Paul.

It was about this time of year a few years back that another friend invited me back to church at 10 PM Mass at SLU on a cold winter night. That's when, for the first time in my adult life, I truly believed and saw Christ's presence in the assembly... in the priest... in the Holy Eucharist.

It's part of why this time of year is now one of my favorite... for the natural beauty of fall, but also for the beauty of the liturgies - the readings and prayers - of this end time of the liturgical year, talking of faith and Sainthood and the end times... and reaching its apex next weekend with my favorite feast day, the end of the liturgical year, on the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King.

In honor of the journey and the grace, I share the timeless words of St. Augustine, from his Confessions, on his return to faith:

Urged to reflect upon myself, I entered under your guidance the innermost places of my being; but only because you had become my helper was I able to do so. I entered, then, and with the vision of my spirit, such as it was, I saw the incommutable light far above my spiritual ken and transcending my mind: not this common light which every carnal eye can see, nor any light of the same order; but greater, as though this common light were shining much more powerfully, far more brightly, and so extensively as to fill the universe. The light I saw was not the common light at all, but something different, utterly different, from all those things. Nor was it higher than my mind in the sense that oil floats on water or the sky is above the earth; it was exalted because this very light made me, and I was below it because by it I was made. Anyone who knows truth knows this light.

O eternal Truth, true Love, and beloved Eternity, you are my God, and for you I sigh day and night. As I first began to know you, you lifted me up and showed me that, while that which I might see exists indeed, I was not yet capable of seeing it. Your rays beamed intensely on me, beating back my feeble gaze, and I trembled with love and dread. I knew myself to be far away from you in a region of unlikeness, and I seemed to hear your voice from on high: "I am the food of the mature: grow, then, and you shall eat me. You will not change me into yourself like bodily food; but you will be changed into me".

Accordingly I looked for a way to gain the strength I needed to enjoy you, but I did not find it until I embraced the mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who is also God, supreme over all things and blessed for ever. He called out, proclaiming I am the Way and Truth and the Life, nor had I known him as the food which, though I was not yet strong enough to eat it, he had mingled with our flesh, for the Word became flesh so that your Wisdom, through whom you created all things, might become for us the milk adapted to our infancy.
 
Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you!  You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you.  In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created.  You were with me, but I was not with you.  Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you they would not have been at all.  You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness.  You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness.  You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you.  I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more.  You touched me, and I burned for your peace.

Not to take too much time away from the weekend with the family, but just wanted to stop in and say "Happy Anniversary" to Mark & Mary, my father- and mother-in-law. God bless you, and happy 35th Anniversary!

This Sunday's readings are remarkable and full of powerful imagery for married couples.

The first reading (Prv 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31) talks of the value of a "worthy wife", being "far beyond pearls", "an unfailing prize", bringing "good, and not evil, all the days of her life."

It goes on to say:
"Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting;
the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Give her a reward for her labors,
and let her works praise her at the city gates."

The second reading (1 Thes 5:1-6) reminds us that "the day of the Lord will come like a thief at night" and extends this imagery of a good, loving, dutiful spouse and extends it to use as a church.

"For all of you are children of the light
and children of the day.
We are not of the night or of darkness.
Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do,
but let us stay alert and sober."

So what are we to do until this day of the lord comes? What makes us "an unfailing prize" as in the wife in the book of Proverbs?

Our answer lies in the Gospel (Mt 25:14-30), when our Lord makes it clear that he desires a Return On Investment (ROI) on the talents which the Spirit has entrusted to us. Not a negative gain... not break-even.  A return.

Interestingly, this leads right back to the quote that I chose to put onto a plaque that I gave each member of our parish council at our annual dinner last month.

It's by Erma Bombeck, and reads:

"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me'"

Well said!

What talents do we have from God to use in our own marriages? With our children? In our households?  But beyond that, what talents are we using to build up the kingdom?  Which ones are we not using as fully as we could?

When I was a kid, we had cool little envelopes that we could put spare change in and put into the collection basket at church when it was passed. They handed them out to us at school (it was a parochial school, of course) and we used them at Mass. They weren't big - at most you could fit two quarters and possibly a dime. And there was barely enough lick-and-seal on the back to hold it shut, so Scotch tape became half the weight of the overall, ready-to-deposit package. But it was a good lesson in giving and stewardship, and it provided the good feeling and grace of being able to contribute when everyone else did during the collection at Mass.

Nowadays, things aren't all that different.  Suzanne and I get a packet of envelopes in the mail every two months. They have our household number pre-printed (to aid in tax deduction accounting) and there's an envelope for every week, plus for special Masses and feast days. You still couldn't fit much more than two quarters and possibly a dime into them, but they're now conveniently just wide enough to fit a check into on a good day.

We make every effort to give generously out of the abundance with which we've been blessed, and our parish makes every effort. In fact, on the offertory envelope (using just one check), we can designate amounts for (1) the general parish operating fund, (2) the "Protecting Parish Pride" (building renovation / improvement) fund, (3) the school operating fund, and (4) a write-in space to contribute to any other ministry or project at the parish. Some weeks, we can't give as much. Some weeks, we're able to contribute a bit more. But such is the life of giving, I suppose.

This year at Holy Family, we've implemented a new program to bring back childrens' stewardship AND to encourage Mass attendance by our parish school families (which had been dwindling in recent years.)

As recently as last year, the average percentage of eligible (Catholic) school children who were at Sunday Mass each week was as low as 40%.

As a parish pastoral council, along with the school board, we advised encouraged Father to confront this problem in a very straightforward way that also contributed to the idea of encouraging childrens' stewardship.

A new requirement was put in place at the beginning of this school year that all Catholic school children were expected to be at Mass every weekend. If the child and family could not attend Mass for one reason or another, a written explanation from the parents was to be sent to Father. If the family was away or traveling, a priest-signed bulletin from the parish that was visited would suffice.

Here's the kicker: Catholic parishioner school families that did not fulfill this requirement this year would be assessed the higher, non-parishioner tuition starting next school year.

Father composed a beautiful letter that was also signed - in concurrence - by the principal and by the parish pastoral council chairman.  (The full text of the letter is after the jump, and a PDF of it is here.)  It was mailed to all school families over the summer, given to them at school business day at the start of the school year, and printed in the parish bulletin for the parish at large to read.

There was some grumbling up front, for the first couple of weeks. But it quickly subsided. And we started to see more and more and more new, young, faces at Mass.  Young families that we had never (or very seldom) seen before.

And now, a few months in, they continue to join us every Sunday. And the less-than-enthusiastic faces are turning into happy faces, glad to be part of the community and to worship and participate in the Mass.

The kids have envelopes on which they write their name. They can or can't put an offering (there's no requirement thereof) depending on circumstances. And they bring their envelope up to a special "Childrens Envelopes" basket in front of the altar before Mass begins.

At the very end of Mass, Father gives them an added bonus (which also helps ensure they stay to the very end)... he draws one envelope from the basket and calls the child forward to receive a small gift (usually a candy bar.) Only once has the family already left when the child's name was called, and that becomes quite a different story.

The kids are also able to write something on the envelope that expresses some act of mercy they've performed through the week, something they're thankful for, or some talent with which they've been blessed that they can offer to others. Here's a sampling from the last few months of those notes on the kids' envelopes:

• I pray for all the poor, that they may have a warm bed to sleep in every night.
• The talent God gave me is handstands.
• I said the Divine Mercy Prayer for my Grandpa sick in the hospital.
• I pray for all the sick and homeless animals in the world, and for all of them who are endangered.
• I tried to include a classmate at recess when he was by himself.
• God loves us and takes care of us always.
• I would like to thank you for the wonderful world I live in, The wonderful family I have. Also to all the brave soldiers who protect us.
• I thank you for dying on the cross for us, and lastly, I want to thank you for making me!

In addition, the total amount the children give is printed on its own line in the next week's bulletin, so they can see the fruits of their efforts in supporting the parish.

But more notably, in just a few short months, bringing back the childrens' envelopes tied in with an effort to get our school kids and their families back to Sunday Mass, has been an overwhelming success.  The percentage of eligible (Catholic) school students who are at Sunday Mass has risen from around 40% last year to over 90% this year.

Not to mention the best part of it - the increased participation in our community of all of the families that we had been missing for so very long.

Praise be to God!

(Don't forget - the letter that started the whole thing is after the jump.)

"Whoa. Don't go in there. It smells in there."

1) Read all about it in this PDF.

2) Read our latest Bishops' statement here.

3) Sign the petition and learn how to fight it here.

And for good measure: PRAY. Might a suggest a novena.

Thank you to Rich Leonardi for the three-step process and links.

[Photo: Baby at 8 weeks from Priests For Life]

A couple of months ago, Danielle Bean asked over at Faith & Family Live!: "What three things would you tell someone who is about to get married?"

I've spent a few months with that link on my bookmark bar, intending to give it some thought and put those thoughts into words, and here goes... at long last:

What three things would I tell someone who is about to get married?

1) Listen Diligently

This is tough... especially for us men. Suzanne likes to joke that when she starts to talk sometimes, I must actually hear the "wha wha wha wha" of Miss Othmar (the teacher) on Peanuts.

But the times when our marriage are at its best are when I stop down whenever I hear her talking and really focus on what she's saying - and vice-versa.

It's worth the time and attention of listening diligently.

2) Think Before You Speak

Sometimes the evil one tempts us pretty darn diligently to say something that'll hurt the other. The first time Suzanne and I were having a really good going-at-it, we were parked in the Target parking lot. One thing was said, then another, and the next thing I knew, she was crying. That killed me.  It hurt so bad that something I had slipped up and said had made her cry.

I learned really quickly that I love her enough to think twice and to make sure I really mean what I'm about to say, and that it's not a cheap shot or an unfair characterization of whatever we're discussing.

Now I do my best to Think Before I Speak and be sure it's honest, fair, constructive, and said in love.

3) Never Leave Dirty Dishes in the Sink

For some couples, it's whether you squeeze the toothpaste from the middle or from the end.  For Suzanne, it's all about cleanliness.

Monday of the week after our wedding (when we returned from our honeymoon and had wrapped up moving Suzanne into my apartment over the weekend), I woke up to a sparkling clean, bright, shiny bathroom in my apartment. I momentarily thought I had woken up in the wrong apartment.  I hadn't seen a bathroom that clean since I had moved out of my parents' house.

Come to realize, Suzanne couldn't live with my bachelor lifestyle. That weekend, when she got her first view of the bathroom upstairs in my apartment, she had promptly waved her magic cleaning wand.  From that moment, I knew things would be different.

I've learned that one of the things that disappoints her most is when I leave dirty dishes in the sink. The sink might as well not be existent.  If it's dirty, it deserves to be washed immediately or put into the dishwasher.  I'm not perfect with it, but I'm getting there, since I know it's so important to her.


If you enjoyed this, know that Patrick Archbold over at Creative Minority Report had a take on this as well. Check it out too.

I was curious to check out what Father Pfleger (yeah, the Obama one) had to say this last weekend after the election.  So I Googled my way over to the website of St. Sabina, which apparently isn't a Catholic church but is rather one of those "Faith Communities."  Then, once I found the "Recorded Sermons" page (which took a while, since I was looking for homilies, trusting that a Catholic church would follow Canon Law)...

Canon 767 - (1) Among the forms of preaching, the homily, which is part of the liturgy itself and is reserved to a priest or deacon, is preeminent; in the homily the mysteries of faith and the norms of Christian life are to be explained from the sacred text during the course of the liturgical year. (2) A homily must be given at all Masses on Sundays and holy days of obligation which are celebrated with a congregation, and it cannot be omitted except for a grave cause...

After checking it out, I'd have to say it was fascinating preaching. I'm not sure I'd go back to worship there after it, but it's their community's cup of tea, not mine, obviously.  But it was great preaching.

Unfortunately, unless I missed something, it didn't seem to have anything to do with "[explaining the norms of Christian life] from the sacred text."  And last Sunday (the feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica) had such beautiful readings and imagery on which to homilize!

I might also add that the "sermon" was very near 50 minutes.  I would love to hear a homily that long sometimes - particularly if it really challenged us on living our faith in the context of the readings of the day.  But I know a lot of people who would leave when the Mass itself hit 50 minutes (yeah, the Mass... and this is just the homily!)

If the boys were behaving, I would've stuck around for the whole thing, out of respect and because I was really there for the Eucharist (which would, of course, follow).

Would you stick around?  Would you have left?

Ignatius Insight just posted what I believe is a brilliant reflection on the Church's teaching on marriage, from the point of view of the motivations for and "ends" of marriage.

By Monsignor Cormac Burke, the essay titled Marital and Family Commitment: A Personalist View, first appeared in 1994 in Homilitic and Pastoral Review and speaks of:

The past several decades [having] seen an ongoing debate within the Church about the ends of marriage. A traditional understanding presented these ends in a clear hierarchy or order of importance: a "primary" end (procreation) and two "secondary" ends (mutual help and the remedy for concupiscence). Early on in the century a feeling began to emerge that this understanding was too exclusively centered on the procreative function of the marital relationship, while it neglected "personalist" aspects or values also characterizing this relationship, and of which modern times have become more aware: love between man and woman as the main motive for marrying, the promise of personal happiness or fulfillment that marriage seems to offer, the human values felt to underlie physical sexuality.

The essay performs a remarkable service - building upon much of what Pope John Paul II taught from his own perspective combining Personalism and Catholic morality with strong writings on marriage.  The essay conceptually reunites these ends of marriage as flowing mutually out of one another rather than being opposed to one another or even separate from one another.

Go ahead an give it a read - it's not as intimidating a read as it appears at first glance, and its point is quite beautiful and applicable to the current discussion of perspectives on marriage, its meaning and purpose.

Marital and Family Commitment: A Personalist View at Ignatius Insight

I knew I liked Bishop Robert J. Hermann when Suzanne and I were present for a Mass and Confirmation at which he presided at SLU a few years ago.  Yesterday, he made St. Louis proud with this bold statement of truth at the USCCB Fall General Assembly yesterday afternoon:

"We have lost 50 times as many children in the last 35 years as we have lost soldiers in all the wars since the Revolution... I think any bishop here would consider it a privilege to die tomorrow to bring about an end to abortion... If we are willing to die tomorrow, then we should be willing to, until the end of our lives, to take all kinds of criticism for opposing this horrible infanticide."
     - Bishop Robert J. Hermann of the Archdiocese of St. Louis

That's just the tip of the iceberg. The fruit of the Bishops' discussion was this statement this morning from Cardinal Francis George (of Chicago; the current president of the bishops' conference) on behalf of the bishops, on the hope of the Obama administration and possible obstacles to desired unity.

Thank God for our good and Holy bishops, unafraid of proclaiming the Truth.

Suzanne made these the other night for some meetings we had this week, and so many friends have asked for the recipe as a result... so here goes:

One of our favorites, Michael's grandma Mennerick discovered this recipe in the St. Louis Post Dispatch a few years ago. Friends and family have been requesting it for parties ever since. Michael always makes them with love, although the complexity of the recipe (especially once the batter starts to warm back to room temperature and becomes unimaginably messy in one's hands) makes it one of the most frustrating to make and always makes the kitchen very messy.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter (we use Imperial or Parkay margarine)
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 - 8 ounce package cream cheese
• 1 box Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Butter Recipe Golden cake mix
• Powdered sugar for dipping/rolling drops of dough
• Powdered sugar for sifting on top of cookies after you take them off of cookie sheets
• Nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

• Beat softened butter, vanilla, egg, and cream cheese until light and fluffy.
• Mix in DRY cake mix.
• Chill for 30-40 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350.
• Lightly coat cookie sheets with cooking spray.
• Drop dough by teaspoonfuls in bowl of powdered sugar, lightly roll into balls.
• Bake for 12 minutes or until light golden brown underneath.
• Makes about 4 dozen. If you make the balls slightly smaller the batch will make about 65 cookies.
• When cool, sift powdered sugar on top of cookies. (Use different powdered sugar than hat you rolled the dough balls in.)

"A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ that a man should have to seek Him first to find her."  -Maya Angelou

Beautiful quote. And I relate 100%, as that's exactly how God led me to Suzanne.

This looks like fun. "UP", the upcoming film from Pixar, that is. I think I'd like to take Thomas. Of course, I hope he does better than he did at his first movie (Bee Movie), when he stood up 45 minutes into the film and started announcing to the full theatre that he was "done."



Discovered over at Thoughts of a Regular Guy.

Of course my Twitter and Facebook updates today included a special thanks to the Veterans among us (on today, Veterans Day), but before the day ended, I wanted to post a more substantial - and personal - thanks here.  Nothing too beefy -- there's plenty that's been written elsewhere on the topic today.

But I did want to thank, in particular, the Veterans in my immediate family:
- Grandpa Halbrook & Grandpa Mennerick
- Mark (my father-in-law)
- My uncle Kerry
- John (my brother-in-law)

To you, and to all your brother Veterans (and those who didn't make it home, who we also honor on Memorial Day), thank you on behalf of me, Suzanne, and the boys.

In another sad chapter in the ongoing war the evil one wages against faith, hope, and love, comes this story from Michigan last weekend, where worshipers were attacked and harassed in their own church.

"On Sunday morning, amidst worshiping congregants and following unifying prayers that our President-elect be granted wisdom as he prepares to lead our nation through difficult global, social and economic challenges, the Michigan left declared open war on peaceful church goers.

"They did it with banners, chants, blasphemy, by storming the pulpit, by vandalizing the church facility, by potentially defiling the building with lewd, public, sex acts and by intentionally forcing physical confrontations with worshipers.

"This didn't take place in some dystopian, post modern work of fiction and it didn't take place in San Francisco or Berkley.  This was the scene at a Bible believing church in Lansing, Michigan."

Of course, this is to be expected, I suppose, in the wake of the attacks on the Mormon church in California that commenced and ramped up last week.

Is it really logical to ask for tolerance via intolerance?

Read the rest of the story at RightMichigan.com.

Three of the below were real ways that Thomas (our three-year-old) woke us up the last few mornings.  One is a fib.  Guess the fib.

All occurred at approximately 6 AM, by the way...

1) A series of rock star guitar strums, followed by a shouted/sung rendition of the "Gloria" that is frequently used in our Masses at Holy Family Church.

2) Sitting in the bed, forcing my head the opposite direction, prying my eyes open, saying "Daddy, look over here. Look what happened."  Only to be followed, after I opened my eyes, by the revelation of what happened:  "It got bright outside."

3) Interpretive dance using dirty laundry from the hamper.

4) Standing erect, hands fully extended to his sides, shirt off, and saying, "Daddy, wake up, this is how I act like Jesus."

Nope... I can't make this stuff up. These are the joys of fatherhood.  Three of them, anyways... guess which one is the fib (or at least didn't happen in the last few days.)

I'm relieved now to be wrapped up with my year as parish pastoral council chairman... last night we elected a new chairman for our council, Bret Ware.

It was a fantastic year, and I had a great time and greatly enjoyed leading such a fantastic group of people and working hand-in-hand with them on so many awesome ventures:

- Creation and execution of the 20th Anniversary "Family Reunion" picnic in the park.
- Creation and support of the new "parents & students expected at Mass" policy.
- Getting the Why Catholic? program running in our parish and cluster.
- Getting the parish website up and running.
- Helping support Father & his staff in keeping everything else going "as usual."

Now I'm looking forward to my last year of my 3-year term on the council, and figuring out what initiative I'd like to help contribute my time and energy to accomplishing.  I have a few ideas myself that I may throw out on the table, but would love to hear from anyone that has one.

Today is the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome - the only day in the Church calendar when, rather than honoring a person or event in the journey of faith, we celebrate a place, the official seat (Cathedra) of the Bishop of Rome (a.k.a.: the Pope), which stands as a symbol of the Universal ("Catholic") Church and of the gathered people the world over who constitute the reality of "church" and bring it to life in this temporal world.

The readings are all beautiful - especially the imagery of the water flowing forth from the temple for all.  But the second reading, from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians (Chapter 3, verses 9c-11 and 16-17), is my particular favorite:

Brothers and sisters:
You are God's building.
According to the grace of God given to me,
like a wise master builder I laid a foundation,
and another is building upon it.
But each one must be careful how he builds upon it,
for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there,
namely, Jesus Christ.

Do you not know that you are the temple of God,
and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
If anyone destroys God's temple,
God will destroy that person;
for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.

So in the spirit of that reading, I share this beautiful performance by Alison Krauss of "A Living Prayer", which I ran across at Creative Minority Report.

Perfect. Just as I decide to get back on the wagon with my diet, The Pasta House opens its location at Lambert St. Louis International Airport. Pair that with the fact that I'm currently traveling for work more than I have in my entire career, and it seems like a recipe for disaster. I suppose it could be worse - they could be opening one in my neighborhood.

But seriously. Chicken marsala & Pasta House salad. I'm in trouble.

I was looking into the traffic on the blog last night, and discovered a very interesting trend: other than the title of this blog ("bread alive"), there are a few more phrases that are most searched for when someone comes to this site from a search engine, like Google. "Bread alive" is the top phrase.  The next five in the "Top 5" are:

2) a husband's priorities
3) husbands and god
4) priorities of good husband
5) what is a good husband

I certainly don't want to restrict this blog to those topics, but those are also certainly at the core of what this is about. In addition, I don't want to try to steal away traffic from a good number of other blogs that I love and frequent that are also focused on these topics, so I'll note them below and link to them, in case you're interested.

However, I thought it would be good to try to wrap these specific topics (in general) into a post.

So let's think, for a moment, about a husband's priorities, husbands and God, priorities of a good husband, and what makes a good husband.

Here's my take on it, as a husband to a beautiful and loving wife of just over 4 years and father of two wonderful sons...

I think that the phrase #3 above (husbands and God) is the key.

To me, keeping my relationship with God at the top of my list, staying focused on the reward of eternal life and the challenging call of Christian discipleship, and trying to live as God has set forth in the natural order are the cornerstone of being a good husband. Without the anchor of Christ as an example and friend, it'd be hard to visualize the kind of self-sacrificing love that I need to have for my wife in order to be "a good husband."  I could try, but I'm come short of the ultimate "measure" of success at being a good husband.

So being a husband with God is at the core of the rest in my book, and is the #1 priority of a good husband.

After that - and this is the hard part - is to prioritize my wife (first) and my kids (next) in my life. Out of my love for God flows the love for my wife, with whom I promised my love and devotion for our entire lives in front of God, family, friends, and community. Our covenant is one that we see the example of in God, and that we both have an equal share in working to keep a reality in our lives.

So to me, being a "good husband" is keeping these priorities in life:
1) God
2) Wife
3) Kids and family

Beyond that, everything else falls into its logical place. But those three always have to be the top three, in that order.

It'd almost be silly to try to quantify the rest of the "actions" that make a good husband, since they are actions that fall out of trying to live out the priorities listed above.

That's my take, at least, on what makes a good husband and what my priorities are.

It's certainly not easy. It's tempting to give in to other callings and even addictions - the desire to work harder for more material goods and sacrifice time with my wife and kids; the desire to spend a bit more time online at night accomplishing something else for myself; the desire to be selfish and self-focused in my actions.

But the goal post is there... and yard by yard, inch by inch, I try to at least get a first down each day and occasionally reach that goal.

That said, here are some bloggers that at this point are much better at consistently maintaining this topic than I am:

1) A Good Husband
2) Catholic Dads
3) The Dads Center
4) The Man Page
5) IAmHusband.com
6) WifeAdvice.com (for good humor)

In the midst of the withdrawal from election talk and all of the other emotion of the last 24 hours, I didn't want to let the election season wrap up on my blog without one last word...

Most of you know that I serve as an election judge. It's quite a pleasure and well worth sacrificing the personal day from work. I love being able to see all my neighbors a couple of times a year (the socially active ones, anyhow) and catch up on grass cutting, new fences, suspicious activity in the alley, and whatnot.

Yesterday, while judging the election, though, there was a moment that brought at least a tear or two to my eyes.

A man - obviously an immigrant from China - came in to vote. He mentioned that it was his first time voting since becoming a citizen here. So we walked him through the steps and helped him to his voting booth.

When he took his ballot, in its privacy sleeve, to the tabulating machine, he was momentarily surprised that he was able to do so in secrecy. He made mention that he was used to having to present his ballot to the judges and face them as his votes on various people or issues were counted.

He had probably lived his whole life - until this point, here in America - in a situation where the indirect pressure of having your vote seen and read in your presence, facing the election judges, did who-knows-what for how he chose to vote.

It was remarkable to witness something that we take so casually, so for granted, be pointed out to be so special.

It made me proud, as always, to be a citizen of this amazing country and to be a part of the process of holding our elections.  God bless America!

Tonight at Holy Family was the annual Memorial Mass, or Mass of Remembrance, to which we invite the families of all of the parishioners who have passed away in the last year.  This year, 43 parishioners passed away - 10 or so fewer than in each of the last few years, but still a pretty large number. All 43 families were invited to the Mass, and a majority were present.  Our ensemble provides and leads the music, and it's one of the most beautiful and rewarding liturgies at which we're able to participate each year.

Please join us in praying for the Holy Family parishioners who passed on to eternal life this year...

(In order of death)
+ William Schooley
+ Dorothy Balsie
+ Irene Nelson
+ Martin Marciszewski
+ Mary Pieszchalski
+ Mary Buchek
+ Ann Konopka
+ Joyce Martin
+ Walter Kafka
+ Angela Hogan
+ Dorothy Coy
+ Alex Todoroff
+ Steve Ortiz
+ Richard Bronnbauer
+ James Kelahan
+ Marguerite Vrenick
+ Edward Wania
+ Dorothy Schardan
+ Viola Lindner
+ Raymond Becerra
+ Andrew Basarich
+ Anthony "Tony" Boyer
+ Kathryn J. Timar
+ Kathryn Sawicki
+ Elizabeth Aleen Purtle
+ Lawrence Richard "Dick" Roderick
+ Louis Reznack
+ Carol Holten
+ Rose Schmitt
+ Paula Margason
+ Dolores M. Fortner
+ Arthur Rossi
+ Eileen M. Reeves
+ Rosalie J. Aramowicz
+ Mary Rita Ahlers
+ Marilyn Goetting
+ Dawn Smith
+ Rebecca Mendoza
+ Ruth Lange
+ Ethel La Donna Narup
+ Veronica Linhart
+ Helen Lytle
+ Bernice "Bea" Lanahan

Man, I'm glad it's all over. It was just such a long election cycle. But now Suzanne and I can't sleep. We're just scared for the America that we love, and that we feel our ancestors came here for. Heck yeah, I'm proud that we've elected a black president. But I already thought we were past that stuff anyway. Heck yeah, I'm proud it's another Illinois guy.

I just wish it would've been any other one. But alas, I am just one vote, and this country is about all of the votes, and now here we stand, facing our destiny as one.

Patrick over at Creative Minority Report always pretty much says it like it is, and puts into words what I so frequently can't muster the time to do. And he does it again with "Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done." Honest to God, I couldn't put it any better. Profound sadness. Hope, sure, but overarching sadness.

Tomorrow, we all awake as Americans again, just as we all go to sleep tonight as Americans. And God is still my God, no matter how much I have to suffer for Him. Denying self... picking up cross... following...

Finally. After nearly 2 years of nonstop listening, we get to speak.

I'll be out and offline tomorrow for a second day off of work... doing a vital civic duty for the second time as an election judge. If you vote in Granite City at the Hagnauer Township Hall, I'll see you there. If not, please say "thanks" to the election judges at your polling place.

I know how I will cast my vote (they encourage election judges to early vote, but I refuse to, as I vehemently disagree and can't see how early voting is Constitutional.)

However you will vote, I encourage you to be certain to stop by your polling place and make your voice heard.

After you vote, if you care to head to your neighborhood Starbucks and say "I voted", they'll give you a free tall brewed coffee. Like Starbucks or not, you can't beat free.

God... help our country make the right choice. Let your Will be done, whether it be good or bad for us. Perhaps we can be spared some hardship for the wrongs we've done... perhaps we need to sink ourselves further to see and know your truth. But please be with us.

Another prayer, for before you vote, after the jump...

(Thomas): Why do you have that wine?

(Me): Because mommy loves me very, very much.

: No, she not love you very much.

: Oh yes she does. She's my wife, and I love her very much and she loves me very much.

: No, she's MY wife.

: No.  [Showing the ring.]  She gave me a ring to show that she's my wife. Did she give you a ring?

: She gave me a PAINT SPRAYER to say that she's my wife. She loves me.

(Filed under "kids say the darndest things.")

This morning, we had the joy of a beautiful happening at Holy Family.

We had the Rite of Acceptance and Welcoming for the Catechumens (those who have never been Baptized but are seeking to come into the Church through Baptism, Confirmation, and First Holy Communion at the Easter Vigil) and the Candidates for full acceptance into the Church (those who have been Baptized but are not Catholic or haven't received any of the other Sacraments of initiation.)

This year, we were blessed to welcome six adults as catechumens, and eight as candidates.

The Rite of Acceptance this morning was especially touching for me, as one of the candidates came into our RCIA program via the Why Catholic? program that Suzanne and I have been so involved in leading. She is in college at SLU, and was baptized as a child, but never received any other Sacraments. In addition, one of my childhood best friends' cousins is a candidate, as is one of our grade school teachers.

We pray for them as the continue along on this journey toward a stronger relationship with Christ and His Church, and we ask that you pray for them as well.

As an aside from the topic of this blog, family & close friends here know that my full-time employment is as a Consultant for Omniture, focused on supporting clients of our Discover OnPremise solution.  It's good to see them move up yet again this year in Software Magazine's "Software 500" list, nicely summarized in this article on CNNMoney.

Happy All Saints Day!

A very appropriate little quote popped up a couple of days ago over at Catholic Dads:, from Dr. Peter Kreef's "How to Win the Culture War":

"...what's at stake in this war: not just whether America will become a banana republic, or whether we'll forget Shakespeare, or even whether some nuclear terrorist will incinerate half of humanity, but rather whether our children, and our children's children will see God forever. That's what's at stake in Hollywood v. America."

True, no? But true not just in Hollywood v. America. It's true of the evil one altogether, and his desire to see us fall into desires of the flesh rather than ways of the Spirit.

But that's our role as parents, too... God entrusts the souls of these little ones to our care for these years, to form and guide in the ways of His Spirit, while we're busy guarding our own as well.