Focusing on the Little Things

A Lenten Reflection from the MI Young Adults blog.

A Lenten Message from His Holiness

For his lenten message this year, Pope Benedict XVI has decided to focus on fasting. Click here to read his beautiful reflection and teaching.

"In our own day, fasting seems to have lost something of its spiritual meaning, and has taken on, in a culture characterized by the search for material well-being, a therapeutic value for the care of one’s body. Fasting certainly bring benefits to physical well-being, but for believers, it is, in the first place, a “therapy” to heal all that prevents them from conformity to the will of God. "

"The faithful practice of fasting contributes, moreover, to conferring unity to the whole person, body and soul, helping to avoid sin and grow in intimacy with the Lord... Denying material food, which nourishes our body, nurtures an interior disposition to listen to Christ and be fed by His saving word. Through fasting and praying, we allow Him to come and satisfy the deepest hunger that we experience in the depths of our being: the hunger and thirst for God. "

Hey, You've got Something Smudged on your Forehead...

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the liturgical season of Lent. During this season of fasting and abstinence, we prepare for the ressurection of Jesus on Easter. So what is up with the ashes?


The ashes symbolize two important things. First, it reminds us that we were physically created from nothing, or from the ground.

“…the LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being.” - Genesis 2:7

Similarly, the ashes also remind us of our mortality; that someday our bodies will die and will also return to dirt-- but our souls will live eternally.

“By the sweat of your face shall you get bread to eat, until you return to the ground, from which you were taken; for you are dirt, and to dirt you shall
return.” - Genesis 3:19

Wearing ashes is a beautiful tradition of humility, and unity among our brothers and sisters in Christ. The practice of using ashes within repentence originates all the way back to Biblical times. On Ash Wednesday, the ashes become a visible and outward sign of our sinfulness and our desire for repentence. So-- Let's get to mass today and wear those ashes!


“Thou art dust, and to dust thou shall return.”

Lenten Reading

Ash Wednesday is next week, February 25! In trying to prepare my lenten sacrifices for this year, I realized that I am in major need of new spiritual reading books. Does anybody have any recommendations?? Please share!!

Where's your Daddy?

The media coverage of the recent birth of the California octuplets has brought several thoughts to my mind. Over the past weeks, reporters have dished out many intriguing facts about the family--an unemployed single mother, already has 6 children, and underwent in vitro fertilization.

I am glad that as a result of this event, the moral implications of in vitro are being discussed-- specifically the availability of the treatment. Although it is beautiful that this mother decided against "fetal reduction" (and carried all 8 babies), there is more than one issue involved. The Catholic Church teaches us that in vitro fertilization is a gravely immoral act, due to the fact that is separates the marriage act and the conception of a human life. During in vitro, the man has to masturbate in order to give his sperm, and the woman is given hormones to stimulate her ovaries. From there, the embryo is conceived, life is originated in a petri dish, and later implanted into a woman's uterus. In some cases, embryos will even live in the petri dish for several days, in order for the doctors to "weed out" the weaker persons. Because the Church clearly teaches that life begins at conception, this becomes a very serious subject.

More significantly, however, I have noticed that despite the constant attacks towards the octuplet's mother, I have heard very little reaction to the fact that these 14 children have been brought into the world to be raised without a father. In a way, this woman's decision to bear children is the flip side of the pro-choice mentality: It's my body and I can do what I want with it. In her case, she felt that she deserved a "right" to motherhood. But the question still prevails... What about daddy?

Fatherhood IS a part of creation established in the order of nature, and it should never be separated from it. God Himself, in His greatness, even reveals himself as a Father to us. I do not think that we can even wrap our minds around the dignity that this brings to all earthly fathers! I have never heard of any research that does not support a child's need for both a mother AND a father. In his encyclical titled Familiaris Consortio, John Paul the Great tells us that "when they become parents, spouses receive from God the gift of a new responsibility. Their parental love is called to become to children the visible sign of the very love of God 'from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named' (Ephesians 3:14-15). Unfortunately, our culture already tends to greatly undervalue fatherhood. Most examples of dads in the media are flat-out idiots (just turn on the Simpsons, Family Guy, and almost any sitcom).

I could go on, but my true purpose for this post is to simply announce that the issue that disturbs me the MOST about the octuplet's situation (other than the fact that in vitro is morally wrong), is the fact that there is no father is present. Let's pray for this family, that the octuplets and their siblings come to find strong men in their lives to lead them. Let's pray for all the men who embrace their vocation to fatherhood that they continue to be examples of our Heavenly Father in heaven. Let's also pray for the sanctity of marriage and life.

Red Envelope

Got this from a friend and think it has the potential to be very powerful...

Dear Friends and Intercessors:

This afternoon I was praying about a number of things, and my mind
began to wander. I was deeply distressed at the symbolic actions
that President Obama took as he began his presidency. Namely, that
he signed executive orders releasing funds to pay for abortions,
permission to fund human stem cell research, and federal funding for
contraception. I have been involved in the pro-life movement for
nearly 20 years, and it pained my heart to see a man and a political
party committed to the shedding of innocent blood. This man, and
this party lead our country, but they do not represent me or the 54%
of Americans who believe that abortion is wrong and should no longer
be legal.

As I was praying, I believe that God gave me an interesting idea.
Out in the garage I have a box of red envelopes. Like the powerful
image of the red LIFE tape, an empty red envelope will send a message
to Barack Obama that there is moral outrage in this country over this
issue. It will be quiet, but clear.

Here is what I would like you to do:

Get a red envelope. (You can buy them at Kinkos, or at party supply
stores.) On the front, address it to:

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington , D.C. 20500

On the back, write the following message.

This envelope represents one child who died in abortion.
It is empty because that life was unable to offer anything to the
world. Responsibility begins with conception.

Put it in the mail, and send it. Then forward this email to every
one of your friends who you think would send one too. I wish we
could send 50 million red envelopes, one for every child who died
before having a a chance to live. Maybe it will change the heart of
the president.

Be your baby's Personal Chef

I started making E a bunch of her baby food so I wanted to share the "recipes." First of all, your going to need ice cube trays, aluminum foil, freezer baggies, something to mash with (fork, masher, etc.), blender/food processor,water and a steamer (it can be an insert or a separate machine).

FREEZING FOOD
Put the food into ice cube trays and cover with foil. Freeze, then remove cubes, and toss them into a baggie. *Important: Make sure you label the baggie with the type of food and a discard by date (2 months from when you made it)*

DEFROSTING FOOD
Put a cube into a microwave safe bowl and heat at 50%. Times vary with each food and microwave so start with 15 seconds and go from there. Make sure the food is lukewarm so you won't burn the baby's tongue.

AVOCADO
A excellent choice for a baby's first food. It's got a mild taste and tons of nutrients. Get a bunch of ripe avocado, peel and pit em, then mash them. I like to put them in a mixing bowl and use the potato masher and then add water until it's a baby food-like consistency (it should fall off the spoon pretty easily). Follow freezing instructions.

MANGO
Peel with a veggie peeler and cut off the fleshie part from the giant seed. Throw it in the blender or food processor and add wanter to get the right consistency. Follow freezing instructions.

CARROTS
I cheat and buy organic baby carrots since they're already peeled. Throw them in the steamer till they're soft. Puree them and add water if needed. Follow freezing instructions.

As you can see these instructions get pretty repetitive. You can use canned fruits/veggies just rinse them off and always buy the no sodium and non sweetened versions. Organic is good too. Oh yeah, if you heat up the food and it comes out too watery, I just add a little rice cereal to thicken it. And you can feed babies unsweetened applesauce instead of buying baby food jars.