To Know Him

For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 1 John 3:1

So the recent HHS decision has been weighing heavily on my mind. I keep trying to wrap my brain around why contraceptives are such an essential part of our society and even more why abortion would ever be necessary. I understand the argument as to why some think it is okay and some don't, but was really struggling to understand why it is even an issue. Why would anyone ever want to contracept and further more, why would anyone ever want to get rid of a child. See, to me there is nothing more beautiful in this world than the smile of a child. The most brilliant rose fails in comparison to watching one child's eyes and face light up with laughter and joy over often the smallest things. Now, don't get me wrong, I have children and I know it isn't always a bed of roses to care for someone that can often take so much self giving and can often be so needy and have demands that don't make sense anymore to an adult mind. I wasn't thinking "what a beautiful gift this child is" as I was trying to figure out how to remove a shirt that had some sort of animal poop on it without smearing it across the child's face. I have long known that I don't have the same view of children as large portions of mainstream society, but what I just recently figured out is that this directly ties into the pro-contraceptive/pro-choice issues.

Again, "For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him." 1 John 3:1
The world doesn't understand children because it doesn't know the beauty of the marital act that God created and therefore created the children. Our world knows the pleasure portion, but it all to often fails to fully understand the depth of what the act is really saying. Without this understanding, a pregnancy becomes a fertilized egg and no longer the most amazing souvenir you could ever receive from the most amazing experience of a lifetime. The marital act was designed by God to be a glimpse, a mere taste of what the Gates of Heaven hold. If this is true, then it would be a harsh oversimplification to think that Heaven is mere bodily pleasure and not a complete soul altering cosmic unity with the Saints of old as well as those still living today.

If we believe that the marital act is what God created it to be, we shouldn't be fighting why contraceptives are so wrong, we should be proclaiming and shouting from the mountain tops what the act can really be. Yet, those who believe this are often too embarrassed to speak up (after all it isn't really anything you can put into words anyway). If we can proclaim the fullness of God's promise and teach the others the beauty, the rest would fall into place. Who would want an incomplete joy if they understood the fullness of the promise of the joy that could be had.

We therefore, need to treat the issue with nothing but charity as it isn't that those we disagree with are just wrong, but they are like the poor that need to be ministered to. They deserve to know the fullness of truth, but will never understand it unless first the love of the world also consumes them. Proclaim the Gospel at all times and if necessary use words, is also true here. You can't teach people the fullness of love without first loving them fully.

Smelly Animals

The other day I was thinking about farms and barns and animals and Christmas. Most of my life I have heard of Christ being such a sign of humility b/c he was willing to be born amongst the smelly barn animals. So much emphasis on how horrible that place of birth would be. Then it struck me that it might also be a sign of the type of kingship he was seated on. He is not only king of man, but King of Creation. He created it and it is good. The animals are an essential part of the creation that he made. He did not want to profess only his humanly kingship that he could boss people around and be lord over them but rather wanted to profess with his birth that he is King of ALL CREATION!!! He was the Prince of Peace and rightly his birth exemplified that name from the prophecies. St. Francis's mother found the same thing when she went to have him. He would not be born in the fancy upscale house that she lived in (think of what a sterile hospital would have done to stall her labor) but rather she had to humble herself so that he could be born in a stable amongst the animals that we all now know he loved so dearly, understood so indepth and preached to of the glory of God. So this Christmas season, I am going to work not only on growing in humility but also to grow in a deeper understanding of the many facets of the creation that God planned thoroughly and so perfectly.

Enjoy your advent and Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord.

Good Friday

So yesterday Fr. Burns had a wonderful homily on the institution of the Eucharist and priesthood and did a beautiful feet washing.

Today I woke up and realized that just as Holy Thursday is a reminder for all priest of their servitude, Good Friday is a reminder to me of my role at the foot of the cross and the special role that my husband has.

The first verse that came to my mind was "Who though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. (Phil 2:7-8)

This is what Christ endured out of humility for us and in return he tells all husbands and wives to "Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the church, he himself the savior of the body. As the church is subordinate to Christ, so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her , cleansing her by the bath of water with the word.

I rejoice in this day that serves as a reminder of my role to sit at the foot of the cross in willful obedience just as Mary did so many years ago watching her only Son be sacrificed and crucified for the sake of His Church. I pray that all woman may have the grace to sit in obedience and admiration of their spouse and then all married men will have the strength to endure the wood of the cross.

Shower of Roses

Everyday God has something new to teach me and yet my trust still fails. Now as he slowly reveals His plans, I await my shower of roses on the Feast of St. Therese.

CPSIA again....

Tweek it to suit your needs and send it on to your Senator: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm You can do it via email, so what is your excuse??? :)

Dear Senator Lugar,
I have been a small business retailer of specialty baby items for 6 years, however all of that is about to change because of the CPSIA standard. This standard was a reaction to toxic levels of lead being slipped into items manufactured in certain Asian countries, as a result some of my best manufacturers will be unable to afford the component testing prices required of all toys (included wooden toys with water based paint) that are well above and beyond those requirements necessary for sale in all of Europe. These are respectable companies that have never had lead recalls but they are the ones being penalized for a mistake that was not theirs as they have always put the safety of children above their bottom line. I fear that in the next year our children will not be able to have wooden blocks from respectable companies like Selecta Spielzeug and many handmade in American brands but will be completely able to buy another plastic pre-mold from China b/c the testing is cheaper there and their bulk sales are higher. Rep. Weiner from Virgina wrote a fantastic letter expressing his concerns to the CPSA and I encourage you to research this issue and do the same. You can find more information at: http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/

Sincerely,
Kathleen Field
Mother of 3 young boys
Owner of Little Ants Inc in Evansville, IN