A Calm in the Storm

A year ago today, a dear friend, and sister in Christ, Cyndi Babecka, lost her battle to cancer. My heartbreak was selfish compared to the grace and acceptance of God's will accepted by Cyndi, her gentle husband Bob, and 6 beautiful children. Cyndi was deeply rooted in faith, and appeared to have an exceptional relationship with our Lord, strengthened by a true devotion to our Lady, His mother Mary.

How can anyone truly know of another person's faith, devotions, or personal relationship with the Lord? The obvious answer is, you really can't. However, how we live our lives is the silent evangelization of our beliefs, whether rooted in the Gospels, or not. This is not to say that we go around judging how Christ-like people are by their every action, but Cyndi's presence to me just felt like a calm in the storm. Cyndi was surrounded by 6 children, something that would bring out the roaring lion in me, and she spoke in a calm, thoughtful, and pleasant tone - reminding me truly of the grace and wisdom of our gentle Mother, Mary.

We all are surrounded by storm, some more than others, at different times in our life. And yet, with faith we can find the calm. While at times, there is no other option than to reach out our hands and say, "Lord, save me", as Peter did when he realized he could not walk on water alone. Cyndi has taught me, to the best of our abilities to have faith, but most of all to "live" that faith, and above all - reach out our hands, our hearts, our very lives to Him that says, "Come to me..." and "do not be afraid..."

While Cyndi is praying for us now, in the eternal embrace, may she always remind me that there is never a storm so great that we cannot find the calm.

Etsy Rosary Guild Team: The Rosary and its Meditative Gift to our Souls

Etsy Rosary Guild Team: The Rosary and its Meditative Gift to our Souls: "In today’s world of Heroes and Heroines, I would like to offer the idea that St. Teresa of Avila, Doctor of the Church and contemplative Car..."

Sometimes a song says it all...

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mariedenazareth.com%2F2459.0.html&h=f0934

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mariedenazareth.com%2F2459.0.html&h=f0934

Of "Holy" Men

We have been very blessed in Atlanta to have many seminarians, about 50! Men willing to give their lives to the service of the ministerial priesthood. At St. Vincent de Paul in Dallas, we were especially blessed over the past couple of years to have two transitional deacons, spend their year with our parish. Living in our "rural but growing" community in GA, growing in formation for the priesthood with our Pastor, Fr. Adrian Pleus.

We also have had other seminarians involved with our Parish through their formation, one assisting through a summer break, and another a part of our Parish with his family, who attended and served many masses through his years of formation. In fact, 3 have now celebrated their first mass with our humble "but growing" community. Growing up in the catholic church, I do not remember a time that parishes were involved in Praying for Vocations. This is something I learned about here in Atlanta. I received a postcard sized card with a picture of a seminarian and his address on it from a seminarian's mother a few years ago. I accepted it and wrote to the seminarian, admittedly probably once. But, I started praying a prayer for priests.

I have been so fortunate to have been on pilgrimage to Italy, Portugal-Spain-France, and the Holy Land. Again, at every stop, whichever seminarians we were praying for at the time, plus all seminarians especially those in Atlanta received intentions at Masses in Assisi, Rome, in Jerusalem at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Fatima, Lourdes, and Lisieux. I pray in thanksgiving that these men are discerning the priesthood, and also for their courage, and strength, but especially that they will become Holy priests by God's grace. This is their prayer as well, as one seminarian shared with me. As we are people they are ministering to, we need to be praying for them! Not judging, not challenging, no expectations...just giving the same mercy, compassion, and love that they are giving us. And, that starts with prayer. Lots of it.

The fruit of all these years in prayer for our Priests and Vocations brought about a very interesting year for me. During this Year of the Priest, I had a new understanding of how difficult this calling truly is. Yes, they are human. Yes, they have tough days like you and me. But, at the same time, they are called to be holy right?

"Much will be required of the person with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more."

After learning of a difficult situation, I prayed, and cried, and was overwhelmed with compassion for one of the priests my family had prayed for long ago. The magnifying glass held by the people, needs to magnify the Lord - not the individual mistakes we all make. Through my prayer, and study of Hebrews 7 and Psalm 110, I put together a special rosary, the "You Are A Priest Forever Rosary". With different materials for each of the decades reflecting on the beauty, and the difficulty of the vocation. I have made and given them so far as gifts to 3 of the Holy men God has brought to my path, and I have decided now to offer these as a special order - with the ability to engrave initials and date of ordination or anniversary - and somehow offer the net profits to the Seminarians of the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

They will be available at http://www.faithfulservantarts.etsy.com/.

And with immense thanksgiving to the Lord for Fr. Adrian, Fr. Ignacio, Fr. Omar, Fr. Mario, Fr. Tom, Fr. Brian, Fr. Juan, and Fr. G, and all the seminarians in the Archdiocese I pray:

O Jesus, I pray for your faithful and fervent priests; for your unfaithful and tepid priests; for your priests laboring at home or abroad in distant mission fields; for your tempted priests; for your lonely and desolate priests; for your young priests; for your dying priests.

But above all I recommend to you the priests dearest to me; the priest who baptized me; the priests who absolved me; the priests at whose Masses I assisted in Holy Communion; the priests who taught and instructed me; all the priests whom I am indebted in any other way. O Jesus, keep them all close to your heart, and bless them abundantly in time and in eternity. Amen.

Our "Life-giving" Gifts

July has certainly been a month for prayer. I had started out the month with concerns of a possible "lump" or "mass" seen in my check up. Rather than re-filming right away though, a look at history was a more conservative way to go so we needed to wait for films to be sent, etc.

I had decided not to have any concern, as there is some benign history in my family tree - and it was likely along the same lines. I really wanted to focus on not getting worried. Still every now and then there were fleeting thoughts of "what ifs"... and "how would"... with every effort to remind myself that not knowing anything yet was no cause to despair. My focus quickly turned to those who are suffering, and to those that did suffer so much, and we lost not so long ago. During this time of not knowing if there was or wasn't an issue, I put together the above Pink Ribbon Rosary in honor and memory of my dear friend Cyndi.

Also, during this last week, a much more difficult experience happened to another dear friend of mine. After suffering an illness after a surgery, it was explained to her that she likely had cancer, but it required further testing to confirm. Prayers were fervent for this woman, intercessory prayers requested from all over. The news after testing was even more grim. The family was devastated - preparing themselves for the "what ifs" that just became their reality. Working through an initial mourning at an impending loss that would take away a wife, a mother, a grandmother... then, a bit later the same day, another call. The final pathology this time shared a different story - "it's not cancer after all..." he said. Yes, I'm told it was a roller coaster of emotion.

That same evening, in looking at the San Damiano Cross icon, our priest was pointing out a few of the icon images - "and here's Lazarus with the burial cloths wrapped still on his head". And, just then we spoke of how this family had suffered a loss, and gained a life back in the same day. In their eyes, truly a miracle.

How often have we suffered a death, only to have the gift of life given back to us in the Lord's immeasurable mercy, and we don't even see it? This "good news" that was shared with this family, and within our parish truly has given us a fresh look at appreciating those around us, and finding life after death. When I see a newly baptized member of our church, it is such a heartwarming moment of "new life". The same when seeing a married couple that can renew their life of love, after years of challenges, and the priest through the mercy of God absolving us of the deadness of sin, through the healing or "life-giving" sacrament of Reconciliation. The story of Lazarus really gives us the opportunity to see how precious our lives are, and how much we are loved.

So today, at the end of July, I received my little "life" moment. After viewing more films, the radiologist assured us that there was nothing there, I was fine. While I do not want to make something out of nothing, I am so thankful for this gift I received. Looking at life a little differently, not for worries sake; for the opportunity to look around and appreciate even more the grace that I am given each day I live my life, and every blessing I receive.

Faithful Servant Arts...What's in a name?

One retreat morning years ago, at my place setting, (randomly chosen)(?) was a tile that had the words "Faithful Servant". I have kept the tile in front of my mirror for years.

It is very strange, the twists and turns life takes when I participate in it. Yes, I admit, I fully participate in my life, the best that I can. A strange comment, sure, but as I look back on what has led me to where I am today, I am certain it cannot be me. I would have never in my life expected to be a blogging, etsy-arts-crafting, cd slinging, twittering catholic. Yet, here I am. And, yes "Jesus, I do trust in you."

Putting out a CD has never been on my "bucket list", but, once I read about Mother Antonia and her sister's and the lives of Mercy that they emulate - I really wanted to do something to help earn some money to send to them. The Divine Mercy message has such meaning in my life, that putting together Mercy is... became a way for me to help spread the message, and help a cause that helps others realize that mercy.

Also, I have certainly been interested in art as a hobby, first with drawing, as a release I guess. Starting in my 40's, I really just wanted something to do on my own. I found that the most meaningful pieces to me were those that were an expression of faith. In hindsight, this is not so surprising since I had really stopped "performing" any music years ago - yet am so richly engrossed in the beauty of music in the liturgy. Able to let go of my insecurities, and participate in the love of music in my life at mass. There is no place I would rather sing than with the angels during Holy Mass.

So, completing the cd, and having photography, and arts, filling my soul (and my shelves for that matter), I realized my true interests lie in whatever I can humbly do that will glorify God. This is where "Faithful Servant Arts" comes from. First, I strive to be a faith-filled, and thankful child of the Lord; a true servant (in-training, I am nowhere near the servant that Mary was, or many other saints ), and perhaps through my expression of love for the Lord - some might see Arts.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/faithfulservantarts