Christmas reflections

After a relaxing and joy-filled visit with family, I am returning to comment on two events that recently made news in our diocesan paper. The first is an article featuring Jeff Skorik, the police chief of Marinette, WI whose faith helped him in dealing with the trauma of a school hostage situation and ultimate self-inflicted death of the young man responsible for it. What struck me about this article was the candor with which the policeman spoke about his faith. He and his wife had been signed up for weekly adoration, and when she offered to take his adoration time just days after the incident, he did not take her up on it, saying, “it was appropriate that I go to adoration.” The article went on to recount his renewal of faith. “When confronted with seemingly insurmountable challenges, someone who has faith in their life will come to that point very quickly.”

In a seemingly unrelated story, our former parish, St. Charles Borromeo in Chippewa Falls, was recently visited by a tragedy of a different sort. Someone stole the collection money from all of the Christmas and Sunday Masses. A significant portion of the collection had been designated for Casa Hogar, the orphanage very close to all of our hearts in the Diocese of La Crosse. When I heard of this event earlier today, my first reaction was that nobody would stand for this. Even if the culprits are never caught, the people of our diocese will not let this affect the orphans of Casa Hogar. I am confident that the money will not only be replaced, but surpassed by the generosity of faith-filled people.

In actuality, these two stories are deeply connected. Each reveals the providence of God’s great love through the folly and scandal of the cross. Benedict XVI has called it God’s “crazy love.” When humans fall short, God goes out of His way not only to restore us but to elevate us. He gives us the opportunity not only to be as we were but to be better than we were. God's answer to Adam and Eve’s sin...Jesus. God's response to those who crucified His Son...the offering of eternal salvation. To humans, God's responses to human folly seem ridiculous, but in the realization of this completely ridiculous love, disordered human actions provide us with the opportunity for true transformation. We are in need of ridiculous mercy. How wonderful is our God to condescend Himself to us so completely that we might be made worthy of everlasting life! When a bad thing happens to us or those we love, we should know that transforming grace is in super-abundant supply at that very moment in time, inviting us to be holier, more filled with the infectious love of Christ.

Blessed Christmas season to all of my readers! We celebrate the gift of Jesus Christ and His transforming, merciful love.

Upcoming event

Providence Academy is celebrating...

A Festival of Lessons and Carols

Thursday, December 16, 2010

6:30 pm

St. James the Less Catholic Church

1032 Caledonia St.

La Crosse, WI

An elegant evening of Scriptural readings, poetry and traditional hymns performed by the students of Providence Academy and accompanied by various instruments, including a string quartet.


A beautiful occasion designed to stir our hearts with joyful anticipation for the celebration of our Savior’s birth.

Providence Academy is a private, independent, classical academy in the Catholic tradition. Students range in age from pre-kindergarten through high school. For more information, please contact the office at (608) 784-6167.

Cardinal Burke visits a little school

I thought I would return with a bang today. For all of you fans of the good Cardinal, I thought I would share with you a special visit we had with a distinguished guest today.

My children attend Providence Academy, a small school in La Crosse, WI with approximately 115 students. Students range in age from pre-K all the way up through high school. Their curriculum is firmly grounded in the classical model, requiring both Latin and Greek languages throughout the grades, building upon the traditions of history, philosophy, science and the arts in observing the truth about God's creation, and serving to support the gift of the Catholic faith.

Cardinal Burke has been a long-time supporter of the mission of our tiny school, and today he made an extraordinary effort to visit us in the midst of his busy schedule. He spoke about the importance of preserving this method of education that originated in the Catholic Church, and congratulated the efforts of those who continue to support this endeavor through much prayer and sacrifice.

My feeling after a day like this is profound gratitude. We are so blessed to have our children enlightened to the truths of reality which are ordered through the love of God. We are so blessed to know such a holy and humble servant of Christ, and we are completely, unfathomably blessed to be called to everlasting life through the sacrifice of our Lord. I am in complete awe of what mighty works God is accomplishing in us and through us each day. It makes me think about Mary in her beautiful words that are so appropriate for this season of Advent. "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for He has looked with favor on His lowly servant." I thank God for the gift of Himself, that He gratuitously condescends to meet us where we are and transforms us so that we might glorify His name!

Beautiful tribute to life

Perhaps you have seen this before, but my sister just recently shared this clip with me. I thought it was just about the most beautiful tribute to life I could ever imagine in our present day. Life is always a gift, and the couple who is featured in this video realizes this. They experience the fullness of this little child's life in time compressed, recognizing that every moment of life is a precious gift from God.

Praise God for another day in which we are called to love Him and each other! Praise God for our tiny saints in Heaven who pray for us each day!

Vote for life on this All Souls' Day

On this feast of All Souls Day, we ought to remember the population in purgatory who are being purified to enter into the Beatific Vision. We also ought to remind ourselves about the beauty of sacrificial love. The souls who are intensely suffering in purgatory need our prayers and our sacrifices. God is glorified when we love so much that our desire is to take upon ourselves the sufferings of others in order to lessen their burdens. Empathy is this great love and it is magnified through sacrifice, Christ’s and ours in union with His. We ought to live not for ourselves, but for the glory of God and for love of His creation.

It is a very important thing to contemplate as we head out to the polls today. We have a duty not only to vote protect the many innocent lives that are being thrown away by the devastating legalized practice of abortion, but also to offer sacrifice and prayer to ease the horrific suffering of everyone involved in the abortion industry. Many souls are at stake in this battle between life and death. Voting to protect life is just the minimum. Vote for life today, and continue to pray and sacrifice. Many souls are being lost at the expense of this unjust license to kill.

Cardinal-designate Burke reminds Catholics of the duty to vote for life

In case there are any straggling questions about which way Catholics are obligated to vote in the upcoming election, our beloved Cardinal-designate Burke is communicating the message clearly, without equivocation. His concern is the soul of the voter and the protection of the unborn, two concerns that are not bound by the intimidation of 501(c)(3) statutes.



This is truly clarity of Church teaching by a good shepherd.

Institute for Pastoral Theology open class weekend

I am getting ready to attend another weekend of classes through Ave Maria University's Institute for Pastoral Theology. All of them are excellent lectures packed with solid theology and philosophy...challenging, but not so heady as to remain aloof to the students' comprehension. In case any one wants a taste of what I get to experience once a month, I am happy to provide you with the information about an upcoming "open class" weekend. I am linking to the flyer for the Janesville, WI class to be held the weekend before Thanksgiving, Nov. 19-21.

Free lecture. Excellent speakers. Come and check it out!

Archbishop Burke named one of the new Cardinals

Congratulations, our beloved Archbishop, soon-to-be Cardinal Burke! Our hearts are rejoicing because of the marvelous work He has accomplished in you. We have benefitted by Christ’s light shining through your holy examples of joy, humility, courage, faith and love. You are a great hope for us and the future of the Church. Certainly, as you often request, we are keeping you in our prayers. Deo gratias!


I would love to write more on this happy occasion, but since I am getting ready for another weekend of classes, please visit my friend Badger Catholic for more insight and some great quotes. Click here for the full statement by Cardinal-designate Burke.

Spending time with my little guy

The greatest blessings are those unexpected gifts which come straight from Heaven. The time spent with my youngest son these past three and a half years that has impressed this truth upon my heart. His existence began with a fortuitous miscalculation, opening the door for God to bless us with a most needed addition to our family. We didn’t know we needed him until he was here, but we trusted in the excitement of our children despite our own concerns (money, space, time – the usual).

It wasn’t until a test revealed a concern about my pregnancy that we realized our material concerns were mere cobwebs in comparison to a possible threat to the life of our unborn child. The rest of the pregnancy consisted of monthly blood tests, multiple sonograms, and then a miraculous solution which the doctors could not explain. Our little Sebastian was born just before the spring of 2007, perfectly normal and healthy.

He now accompanies me in my daily errands, asking me questions, exploring the world, and keeping me stocked with an abundant supply of hugs and kisses. The older children are in school, so we have our special time together each day. Since I am not distracted by other things or people at this time in my life, I find myself imagining through this special relationship with my son, what joy Mary experiences in her Son.

My little guy has awakened in me a deeper love for Christ in the midst of our daily routine. I’m his girl, you see...his breakfast date, his lunch date, his dance partner, his carpool ride. He is always with me at this special time in his life, just as Jesus accompanied Mary during His first thirty years on earth. When people underrate the special relationship between Mary and her Son, I have to wonder if they have ever fully appreciated or accepted the love between mother and child. It is truly a gift from God.

Pray the Rosary, soothe the soul

On this feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, I wanted to share some bits and pieces about praying it that I have collected throughout the years. One overarching theme stands out in my mind, however, that this devotion is something that each and every one of us can comprehend, incorporate into our lives, and spiritually benefit from.

The first misconception about the Rosary is that it is “vain repetition”. Usually, this criticism comes from people who claim scripture alone is the only authority (left up to the interpretation of each individual, of course). The term “vain” is key here. Repetition itself is not a bad thing. In fact, beauty is most often observed in the perfection of patterns. Humans were designed to enjoy repetition. Think about favorite songs, traditional family holidays, the daily routine that gives us a sense of peace. “Vain repetition” is a very different thing, however. It is an action that is not directed towards anything in particular. Its repetition does not have a purpose. Its words are empty. It does not invite contemplation. The Rosary, on the other hand, is directed towards the contemplation of the life of Christ, each repetition beseeching Mary to pray for us as we come to know and love her Son more deeply. Therefore, the Rosary could not be considered “vain” in its repetition.

Once we have overcome the squeamishness about repetition, the question of practicality often arises. Often people will say, “I would love to pray the Rosary if only I had the time.” Time is often not the real issue. It is desire. But, for the sake of argument, if time really is an obstacle, there are a variety of ways to overcome this. I have found that praying the Rosary in the car is most effective for a variety of reasons: 1) It keeps the kids from starting silly disagreements with one another 2) They are all strapped in, prevented from moving around and 3) Happy moms pray better. Another helpful idea is to break up the Rosary. Say one decade a night before bed. The family gets the benefit of the Rosary while taking into account the attention span of its tiniest members.

One of the greatest things about the Rosary is its universality. The Rosary has continued to thrive as a devotion in cultures throughout the world. My husband grew up saying it in Vietnamese. I learned to pray it in English. Our whole family has learned to pray it in Latin. Its beauty is unmistakable in any language. To the devoted Catholic who prays the Rosary with regularity, the comfort and the peace bestowed upon the soul by the prayer of our Blessed Mother is truly priceless.