This will be a great time to meet new and old friends! We will watch a short, 12 minute video featuring Sherry Antonetti and will discuss the small gifts that we bring to our families amidst the "busy"ness of everyday life.
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by Becky T., Mom's Morning Coordinator There is so much to learn about Divine Mercy, St. Faustina and the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy. I am drawn to it all. However, not until spending the Lenten season reflecting, researching and praying (and I barely grazed the surface) about Divine Mercy did I really begin to understand how practicing its many components could make an impact in my life and in the lives of so many others. In fact, I had a Divine Mercy app on my phone that I downloaded several years ago and had never used...until now. HERE IS THE PRESENTATION that was used. The presentation also includes links to the videos that were played. A NEW PERSPECTIVE: By putting into practice a few of the suggestions from the book, Divine Mercy for Moms, and their awesome website; we can come to believe more strongly that God has a beautiful plan for each of us through his merciful love. Acts in word, deed and prayer are certain to place extra joy in your life … even though sometimes it’s hard or may even cause some suffering. Something as simple as preparing a meal for your family may not thought of as an act of mercy, but, when made with a happy and prayerful heart, it certainly is! These mundane tasks like cooking, laundry and wiping runny noses – especially for our constantly hungry, messy and “germy” families– are not often viewed as merciful acts, but, as a chore list. Are you on autopilot? Running like a robot can be very efficient and it “gets the job done”, but, it can also numb our hearts a bit. Intentionally living our lives for Jesus (and even going beyond or homes to serve the greater community) is so grace-filled! So, consider leaving the morning dishes to help a friend in need or take your kids to a playground and leave your phone in the car to soak in every moment with them. Take that pile of clothes to a women's shelter or stop in the adoration chapel (even with your kids ... for a few minutes.) Being aware that every act we do has the potential to fill the world with more love, is a beautiful consolation. THANK YOU EMILY, MICHELE & FR. GAITLEY: Thank you Emily Jaminet and Michele Faehnle for writing the book, Divine Mercy for Moms. And, for Fr. Gaitley for inspiring and encouraging them. Did I mention today that these two women went to college together at the same time as Fr. Gailtey who has written so many beautiful books on Divine Mercy? They didn’t know each other well (just through acquaintances), but, met up at a 10 year class reunion where this ministry began to materialize after a short conversation. NO SUCH THING AS COINCIDENCES – A STORY: Emily and Michelle speak briefly that “there are no such things as coincidences” … especially when it comes to Divine Mercy. I too found this to be personally true! I had been secretly wishing for a copy of the Diary of St. Faustina to share with our group. Two days before our gathering I visited “The Little Lending Library” located on my church campus hoping to find a few books for kids to read to my 3 year old. When I opened the door of the little wood house, there was the book of the DIARY! I had prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet almost daily that past week and was also praying the Divine Mercy Novena in anticipation of Divine Mercy Sunday. I received a mini-miracle! Coincidence? I think not. Enjoy the resources below from our gathering and prayerfully consider (if you haven't already) ways to live out Divine Mercy in your life! DIVINE MERCY FOR MOMS WEBSITE & VIDEOS: You can learn so much about how to more fully live out your vocation as a mom by purchasing the book Divine Mercy for Moms or simply going to their website. ALL of the videos that were presented today are HERE. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE LAST ONE on developing a relationship with the Blessed Mother. OTHER RESOURCES FROM THE MARCH GATHERING ON DIVINE MERCY:
by Becky Thomson Anxiety is a daily thing for most of us moms. The worries and fears we have for our families and our children can be very normal. We have this natural instinct to protect our babies so anxiety can actually be a GOOD thing in small doses, BUT, there are times that anxiety that can numb a mom. It may be temporary or it may be a long-term situation but it’s a very real feeling that can cause sleepless nights, aches and pains and feelings of hopelessness. Our February 2016 session on anxiety was heartwarming and consoling. I sat next to four women in the discussion portion of the gathering and ALL four of us had dealt with anxiety to the point where either medical treatment was sought or would have been helpful. And these were just the four moms at MY table! For those who think you may be alone in suffering from anxiety, you are NOT ALONE. I could see the emotions on faces throughout the room and will make a fair assumption that hardly any of us are left untouched by anxiety. So many in the room experienced major symptoms of anxiety including panic attacks that can leave us feeling not only incapable, but, a perception of being “not normal” because it appears everyone else has it all together. There was also discussion of not being able to share these times when we go through them because of our sheer will as moms to want to handle everything on our own and to be the rock for our families. Two moms shared their testimonies about anxiety in the company of about twenty-five women. One presenter has had life-long experiences with anxiety and the other had a brief season of anxiety. We are so thankful they opened their hearts to us. Here is some advice our presenters gave after their talks: - Realize that if you struggle with anxiety on a daily level that is affecting your ability to sleep, eat well or maintain your emotions; seek medical attention and not be ashamed or scared to do so. - Surround yourself with great women by joining a bible study, a women’s/moms group. Make friends with them. - Read Scripture often and be reminded of Christ’s presence in your life. - Clean your house at least once a week. Take that “day” to make your home a priority. Or find your own way to create “peace” in your home to lessen that feeling of anxiety around you. - Find joy in the little things of your life and give thanks to God for all he has given you. - Understand that anxiety and depression are real and that it’s not your mind playing tricks on you. - Find someone who will listen. Even if the problem seems small in your mind; find someone to share your anxieties with. Understand that it’s okay to go beyond yourself for help. - Consider imaginative prayer. One mom gave an example where she delved into scripture and saw imagery of Christ holding her hand and Mary with her arms wrapped around her and her head leaning on her shoulder. There is a great description of imaginative prayer in this article: http://priestlyformation.org/resources/fr.-mark-toups/nativity.html - Christ is the greatest healer and he will provide you with the resources if you talk with him and seek consolation and his mercy. (SPEAKING OF MERCY, IN MARCH OUR TALK WILL BE ABOUT "DIVINE MERCY FOR MOMS".) - One of our presenters also had some "Self-Talk" strategies for overcoming ANXIETY. (See the photo insert at left.) - There are also lots of web sites out there to help! Seek words like: anxiety in women, depression in women, catholic/mom/anxiety ... many great resources. We hope you enjoyed the topic of anxiety in moms. It is powerful to share our own testimonies in this area and to know that through Christian Moms, we have a great group of women who are on the ready to listen and share. ARE YOU AN ANXIOUS MOM? It's difficult to find a mom who hasn't felt anxiety in some way. For some it creeps in when we least expect it and for many it is a daily (sometimes crippling) struggle. Our guest presenters are two of our very own moms, Maria O'Malley and Anna Wahl. Maria is the mom of eight children from age 3 to college (6 adopted and 2 biological) and Anna is the mother of four children first grade and younger (including a set of twins). The pair will speak about their own struggles and triumphs with anxiety. We will then have discussion at our tables around the topic.
This month's MOM'S MORNING will be held on Thursday, February 25th at 9:45 (doors open at 9:15) at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Stillwater, MN. Wrap up at 11:00 and feel free to socialize afterwards. We'll have the coffee on and FREE CHILDCARE is available. (If you are a first-timer, we'd love to know if you are coming. Contact Becky at [email protected].) At this month's gathering we will be having some extra social time and that means opportunities to build friendships. (See the details about our FUN MOM'S SOCIAL for January on the previous post!)
Making friends may come easy to some of us ... for others it may be less so. Also, as moms with families (as well as homes, extended family, jobs...) to take care of; building a friendship may simply not be on the priority list. Sometimes it's just plain difficult to make time for friends! I know that's been the case for me ... I'm a social butterfly ... and I flutter from one person to the next at events; but, often making that personal "friendship" connection takes a little extra effort. How about you? How are you a friend? Who are your friends? Do you have a friend who is a mom to share in your joys and struggles? Do you have a friend in your spouse, your children, in Christ? Here are a few articles that can give you peace if you want to ponder the thought about Christian friendship. Enjoy and perhaps we can use some of these thoughts as springboards for discussion at our gathering. THE IMPORTANCE OF FRIENDSHIP BY SARAH REINHART. WOMEN NEED GIRLFRIENDS CATHOLIC SISTER FRIENDSHIPS Peace to your day, Becky Thomson Confraternity of Christian Mothers Coordinator Our December Mom's Morning event will feature two amazing guests (Fr. Michael Izen and Sr. Mary Juliana, O.P.) who will help us with those questions our kids love to ask and we don't always know how to answer. We're calling it "Mom Apologetics"... and any question is a good question. Advent is also one of those times when kids seem to REALLY pile them on ... "Is Santa Clause real?" comes to mind. Fr. Izen and Sr. Mary Juliana have humbly implied that they aren't necessarily "the theology experts", however, something tells me that a priest of ten plus years and a sister (a school principal no less) are within the ballpark on this one. We'll have fun with it and we might even impart some of our own "mom-wisdom" in answering those tough questions. Whether it's your child that comes up with the difficult questions or perhaps you have one that you'd simply like to ask Sister or Father one of your own that would help you in the holy-parenting department, feel free to bring them to our gathering on Thursday, December 17 OR help our speakers by asking a question in the COMMENTS section below to help them know what to expect and answer the day of our event. DETAILS ABOUT DECEMBER MOM'S MORNING Thursday, December 17, 2015 St. Mary's Catholic Church in Stillwater 9:15-9:45 Social and Childcare Opens 9:45 - Opening Prayer and Program 11:00 - Closing Prayer A blessed Advent to you all! Becky Thomson Mom's Morning Out Coordinator by Becky Thomson, Mom's Morning Coordinator
Today was our Mom's Morning gathering for November. The topic was Holiness In Motherhood. We started with a discussion of Luke 14:25-33 when Jesus tells his disciples to renounce all of their possessions. How can we do this as mothers? How can we give up everything to follow Christ? Many of us do possess much in the way of personal things (clothes, toys, electronic devices) and if we are even able to go a bit deeper --- our greatest possessions are really our families. How could we ever leave them? In essence, how can we truly be HOLY as mothers in the midst of our families and those around us? Well, fortunately, there are some great resources out there and this can be your "One Stop Shopping" when it comes to discerning how to live in holiness as a mother. WHAT DOES HE REALLY MEAN BY GIVING UP OUR POSSESSIONS? By telling us to give up all of our possessions, Christ is actually telling us to renounce all of those things which cause us to sin --- to let go of the PRIDE in one's possessions and remove those things that could tempt us to do wrong. Now, does that mean Christ wants us to remove the child who causes us to get upset? Of course not! It simply means that we need to constantly work on ourselves to help us overcome our struggles and focus on the LOVE that He wants us to emulate. We have to be willing to let go of what God has given us. In some cases, it may mean thinking the unthinkable ... the loss of a job or home or even illness or death of a child. Fr. Robert Barron has a great reflection about Luke's gospel passage HERE. WHAT IS HOLINESS: All Christians are called to the fullness of Christian life and the perfection of charity. Here is a great article on what it means to live what St. John Paul II had in mind. THE UNIVERSAL CALL TO HOLINESS. Cardinal Timothy Dolan says that holiness is having a faithful, personal, loving relationship with Jesus. To know Jesus, to love Jesus, to trust Jesus, to obey Jesus, to share his life in the deepest fiber of our being...and then to serve Him. Our spiritual program is to GROW IN HOLINESS. WHAT DOES HOLINESS MEAN FOR MOTHERS? Holiness can and probably should look differently for everyone. Every mom has a unique or personal situation. We all have varying numbers of children at various ages, some of us have jobs, some of us have traveling spouses, some struggle with anxiety, some have children with special needs, some have family close by and some don't.. and the list goes on. Our circumstances cannot become our excuse, but, merely serve as a framework to help us realize how we can attain holiness with the circumstances that we've been given. A suggestion to living a holy life is to be intentional about living out your faith and even make a plan how you are going to make that happen for you and your family. Write these things down, have a conversation with God about it. Have a family meeting and discuss your charisms as a family. Determine what you are called to be. Are you a family/mom that is contemplative and prayerful? Are you a family/mom that is hospitable? Are you a family/mom that evangelizes? Are you a family/mom that serves others? Does your family have a special love for the poor? Think about these things and then make an action plan. WE CAME UP WITH A GREAT LIST OF WHAT HOLINESS IS FOR MOMS: A mom is ... humble, patient, selfless, joyful, prayerful, discerning, frugal/resourceful, a teacher and makes sacrifices. Even though she may struggle, she is able to let things go, knows her children are God's children, is open to God's grace and puts Christ at the center. She knows that her children are her path to holiness and she is intent on becoming who God intends her to be - not who the world wants her to be. She is intent at living an intentional Christian life. WHO CAN WE LOOK TO FOR GUIDANCE - THE SAINTS! We listed a number of saints for moms that can help us in our quest for holiness. We also kept in mind that the saints were far from perfect at times... they struggled too! Their human qualities help us relate to them and use them as examples in our own lives. Perhaps you may consider taking on one of these saints we discussed as a patroness for your own life. It's great to know that St. Gianna had a career as a physician and St. Monica prayed for years for her son Augustine's conversion and that St. Zelie Martin struggled with a child with a strong temperament. It's good to know that many saints were given wealth and possessions, but, how they used what they were given is what made them notable. Here is a list of FIVE SAINTS FOR MOMS. Let's not forget that there are many "living saints" we can look to as well ... perhaps you know a fellow mom, sister, your own mother or an aunt or female relative that can be a great example! A GUIDE TO HOLINESS: There is also a terrific commentary by Cardinal Timothy Dolan titled CARDINAL DOLAN'S 10 STEP GUIDE TO HOLINESS. These steps are great if you are looking for tangible ways to grow in holiness which include Mass, Prayer, Liturgy of the Hours, Spiritual Reading, Spiritual Direction, Penance, Growth in Virtue, Devotion, Formation and Commitment. Perhaps start with just one or two if they are not a regular part of your day, and build your way up into making them a part of your life. And, he has written a book on it too! The Book, the Apostolate of Holy Motherhood is a book I myself have been drawn to, mostly because it focuses on living a very contemplative life as a mother. It is a diary of private revelations from the Blessed Mother and the Christ Child to a young mother in the 1980s. It has been given the Imprimatur of the Catholic Church, but, one is not obliged to believe its authenticity. (I hope I'm saying that right.) The link above provides a mom's perspective of the book, which may help you discern whether it is a book that's for you. Living this contemplative lifestyle as a mother is something I find very difficult to do living such an external life with children in activities and being involved in their school as well as church along with a spouse that travels most of the time. It is a difficult read for some, mostly because it requires a submissiveness to an exceptional prayer life and a tremendous disconnect from worldly things ... hmmm ... sounds a little like Luke's gospel mentioned in the first paragraph above. There is so much we can renounce in order to lead a truly holy life! And yet, that is what draws me to it ... there is a simplicity that I long for (and maybe you do too) amidst the "busy-ness" of life. It is a book that has reminded me to slow down and spend time in prayer, even in the midst of my day ... during the times when it is most difficult. Another book, Holiness For Housewives, was also mentioned as a great guide. (And something tells me that it's not only for those who are always at home!) IMPORTANT QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF As you muddle through some of these ways to help you in holiness (do check out the links!), here are some questions to help you discern what you need to develop holiness not only in yourself, but, in your own family as well. Perhaps take some prayerful time to think about these. Write down your answers and reflect back on them. WHAT ARE THE GREATEST DESIRES OF YOUR HEART FOR YOUR FAMILY? WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT MY PERSONAL SITUATION AS A MOTHER? WHAT CHARISM IS GOD CALLING ME TO AS A MOM RIGHT NOW IN MY LIFE? HOW CAN I KEEP MY MIND and HEART FIXED ON CHRIST? WHAT CAN I DO TODAY FOR MY CHILDREN AND/OR HUSBAND TO SHOW THEM MY LOVE? HOW CAN MY DAY(S) BE CHANGED IN ORDER FOR ME TO GROW IN HOLINESS? Peace & Joy to You! Becky |
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June 2018
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