Spiritual Woman

St. Gianna Beretta Molla: A Modern Day Hero of Divine Love
by Thomas J. McKenna
San Diego: Catholic Action for Faith and Family, 2008

At the canonization of St. Gianna Beretta Molla, Pope John Paul II stated “The extreme sacrifice she sealed with her life testifies that only those who have the courage to give of themselves totally to God and to others are able to find fulfillment.” St. Gianna, who lived from 1922 to 1962, was a woman of our own time. A physician, she was a working mother who lived a life of service to her family and her community. In the booklet “St. Gianna Beretta Molla: A Modern Day Hero of Divine Love,” Thomas J. McKenna provides a brief biography that will help introduce readers to the life of this modern day saint.

Raised in a devout Catholic family, she was devoted to Christ and the Church from her earliest days. As a teenager, she was deeply affected by attendance at a retreat based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Soon after, she became active in the Catholic Action movement, “a lay spiritual movement that helps its members follow Christ by emphasizing prayer, service, and sacrifice.” She chose to study medicine because she felt it was the best way she could help people in both body and spirit. She would ultimately choose to specialize in pediatrics. She always felt that her role as a doctor was a calling from God.

She was an active woman with many interests, among them painting, music, and mountain trips. In 1955, she married Pietro Molla and devoted herself to Christian marriage and motherhood. She gave birth to three children in quick succession, and then suffered two miscarriages. In September 1961, she was expecting her fourth child when doctors found a large fibroid in her uterus. She was given three choices: remove the tumor, the unborn child, and her uterus (the only sure way to save her life); remove the tumor and the unborn child; or only remove the tumor. Even though she knew it was the riskiest course of action, she chose the last option and instructed her husband that if he was forced to choose between herself and the child, to choose the child. April 21, 1962, Gianna Emanuela was delivered via Cesarean Section. After suffering for a week, St. Gianna died on April 28, 1962 at the age of thirty-nine.

This booklet also contains excerpts from St. Gianna’s own writings which allow readers to get real insight into her thoughts and observations, as well as a collection of prayers to ask for St. Gianna’s intercession.

Brief, easy to read, and full of information, “St. Gianna Beretta Molla: A Modern Day Hero of Divine Love” is a wonderful introduction to the life and spirituality of this saint.

To purchase, please visit: St. Gianna Booklet

Everyday Wisdom (Spiritual Refreshment for Women)
by Joan C. Webb
Barbour Publishing, 2010

“Everyday Wisdom” is one of those delightful little devotional books that fits easily into a purse or briefcase. Featuring quotes from Proverbs and short reflections on those quotes, it provides quick bursts of wisdom. Well-organized by topic, it is easy to find exactly the words of guidance that you need at that moment. Beautifully designed, simply looking at the pages can help relax you and put you in a prayerful spirit. Joan C. Webb has truly compiled a treasure in this little book.

Here are a couple of excerpts:

Conversation

Watch your words and hold your tongue: you’ll save yourself a lot of grief. Proverbs 21:23 Msg

Some of you tend to say almost anything that pops into your mind. This leads to laughter and rollicking conversation. You’re the life of the party. Your quieter friends may envy your boldness. Yet sometimes you utter a comment and inadvertently hurt someone and cause yourself grief. God doesn’t want to change your effervescent personality. He’s the one who made you – and your more reserved friend. He only wants to temper your thoughts and words to grace others.

Patience
Patient persistence pierces through indifference; gentle speech breaks down rigid defenses. Proverbs 25:15 Msg

Microwave dinners, e-mails and Twitter posts on your cell phone, 24/7 news channels, instant messaging. We’re not used to waiting for much. But when it comes to relationships, we really need patience. You can’t change someone else. You can only adjust your own attitudes and behavior. But positive change takes time, whether it is you or the other person who decides to change. Be encouraged, though. Patience and persistence will pay off in the long run.

Today (July 26th) is the feast of St. Anne and St. Joachim, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Grandparents of Jesus. St. Anne is one of my patron saints as I took her name as my confirmation name. I pray to her daily for help in parenting and in teaching my children. When I was a little girl, there was a picture in my bedroom of her teaching Mary. It wasn’t a traditional holy picture. There were no halos. It was a simple picture of a mother teaching her daughter sitting outside their home. Somehow, though, that image has always stayed with me.

Prayer to St. Anne

Glorious and holy St. Anne, whom the Heavens admire, whom the Saints honor, and the earth revers. The just, the penitent, and the sinner consider you as their powerful advocate before God, for by your intercession the just hope for an increase of grace, the penitent for their justification, the sinners for the remission of sins. Be then, kind and generous to me. Pray for me in Heaven. Use in my favor the great influence you have before God, particularly for (here make your request). Obtain my request and grant that I may live always close to God.

Follow with an Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be.

St. Martha, whose feast day falls on July 29th, has something of a poor reputation. The first thing people tend to think about when they hear her name is her being chastised by the Lord. Her sister Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet, hanging on his every word while Martha was busy doing housework and serving their guests. She asks Jesus, “Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving all by myself? Please tell her to help me. But the Lord answered, ‘Martha, Martha,’ he said, ‘you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part, and it is not to be taken from her.” (Luke 11:40-42) Indeed, there are whole books on how to be more like Mary and less like Martha. Yet, St. Martha is also held in high esteem by the Church. It is important to know all of her story and to appreciate her for who she was.

The Gospel of John shows a different side of her. Mary and Martha’s brother Lazarus has died. Mary remains in the house, one can only presume she is paralyzed with grief. Martha, on the other hand, runs out to meet the Lord and holds him accountable for his delay. “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died, but even now I know that God will grant whatever you ask of him.” (John 11:21-22) She is a take charge, practical-minded woman, but she also has complete faith in Jesus and His Father in heaven. Jesus then tells her that her brother will rise again, and Martha responds, “I know he will rise again at the resurrection on the last day.” It is a statement of faith, but Jesus asks more of her. He asks her to affirm that he is, in fact the Son of God. “̔I am the resurrection. Anyone who believes in me, even though that person dies, will live, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ she said, ‘I believe that you are the Christ, the Sod of God, the one who was to come into this world.’” Her faith is rewarded and Lazarus is raised from the dead.

The last time we see Martha in the Gospels, she is once again serving. It is shortly before Jesus dies. “Six days before the Passover, Jesus went to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom he had raised from the dead. They gave a dinner for him there; Martha waited on them and Lazarus was among those at table.” This time, her sister brings in a pound of costly ointment and anoints Jesus’ feet, wiping them with her hair. This time, Martha offers no complaint. She allows Mary to serve and love Jesus in her way while she serves and loves in her own way.

Saint Martha is the patron of housewives, servants, waiters and cooks. She is a role model for all of us who serve others (which should really be all of us.) Even with the limited information we are given about her in the Gospels, she grows as a person. She moves from a martyr-type attitude, to a position of complete faith, to a willingness to love and serve without complaint. She invites each of us to do the same. We should look up to St. Martha for her example of trust and service. While we should certainly strive to imitate her sister Mary as well, Martha stands on her own two feet as a spiritual role model. The beauty of having so many saints is that there is someone for each of us to look up to and identify with.

Win It All: The Way to Heaven for Catholic Teens
by Justin Fatica
Notre Dame: Ave Maria Press, 2010

Catholic Evangelist Justin Fatica has made it his life’s mission to reach out to teens with an extremely counter-cultural message, that what matters in this life isn’t money or fame or popularity, but rather living in order to get to heaven. He puts the focus where it belongs, on loving God and others and aiming for eternal life. What does it mean to “Win it All?” Fatica states “to win it all means to discover what God intends for our lives.” He then goes on to set forth eight steps to living the life God wants you to live. Those eight steps are: recognize your importance, discover your mission in life, make your mess your message, keep your passion, remain fearless, commit to loving, never give up, and live every day as if it were your last. Fatica also includes a helpful appendix, “More Helps to Win it All” which features prayers and instructions on how to go to confession.

“Win it All” is definitely geared for teenagers, yet Fatica’s message is an important one for people of all ages. As he states, “everyone needs to hear how important, unique and special they are. You need to hear it too: God has made you as a one and only you.” We each have a God-given purpose in this world. Fatica also speaks of God’s great love. “You all see people with tattoos. You may have one yourself. Well, you have been ‘tattoed’ with the life of God. It is a permanent mark that will never go away. . . There is nothing you can do or not do that would keep God from loving you.” Our job is then to share that love with others.

Fatica offers practical advice. He pulls no punches. He knows that life is hard and that there are challenges and temptations at every turn. Yet, he encourages all of us to keep our eyes on the final destination. We need to make that our priority and live life accordingly.

Say the rosary? I can barely squeeze in a “Hail Mary.” Read scripture? I’d like to, but I never get to sit down. Go to daily Mass? It would be nice, but you have got to be kidding. People give many reasons for not praying more. Close to the top of the list is the complaint that “I simply don’t have time.” There are so many other important things vying for our attention. There are children and spouses and parents who need us to help them. There are household chores to complete and work to be done. The to-do list is long and the hours are short. The first thing women do when the demands of the world become too much is cut out time for themselves. Unfortunately, this often includes time for God. We know we should spend more time in prayer, but it is often the first thing to go.

There is a line from the poem that says “I had so much to do, I had to take time to pray.” I have definitely found this to be true in my own life. Days in which I don’t make that time first thing in the morning to connect with God do not go well. I have long known that my relationships with others suffer when I don’t put my relationship with God first. I am much more easily aggravated and lack the patience I should have.

Recently, I have come to the understanding that my ability to be productive depends on my taking that time to pray as well. I honestly do wish that I could attend Mass every day. I look back at the times in my life when I was able to do that and I truly treasure them. Attending Mass and receiving the Eucharist always give me strength and peace. As it is, I try to attend Mass on Saturday mornings. Sometimes, I’m busy with a long list of chores around the house and I have a mental debate with myself over whether I should go or not. I have found, without fail, that those are the days I need to attend Mass most. Once I have turned over that one hour out of my day (including travel time) over to God, I find that he allows me to make the most out of the time I have left. I usually accomplish all I need to and more. On the rare occasions that my to-do list doesn’t get done, I am left with a feeling of acceptance that I accomplished what I needed to. The other things can wait.

The past week, my children were at day camp at a local church. I love my children dearly and I treasure my time with them, but one of the realities of being a homeschooling mom is that time for oneself is severely limited. This week, I was given the gift of twenty-five hours of alone time, and was determined to make the most of them. I had a number of projects I wanted to complete. I also had the opportunity to attend Mass at the church after I dropped them off each morning. It was a little bit of a sacrifice to give up that precious time, but it was a sacrifice well-rewarded. Not only did I get the spiritual benefit of attending Mass, but the time I had left was hugely productive. I got so much done. I know God was helping my projects along.

This is the paradox of prayer. The more time we spend with God, the more he allows us to make use of the time left in our day. It works every time. I invite you to give it a try.

What would you do if you knew that you were dying soon? In recent times, there have been several songs and movies dedicated to that question. Would you create a bucket list and set out to do all those things you always wanted to do but never had the time. Would you give your money away? Reconcile with someone you had hurt or forgive someone who had hurt you? Tell someone you love them? Spend more time with your spouse and your children? The point of that question is to encourage us to take our limited time here seriously and focus on what really matters. It is a good reality check to determine if we are choosing to use our time well and embracing life fully. Yet, those songs and movies don’t fully grasp the issue at hand.

Our life here on earth is a great gift from God, but it comes with great responsibility. We have a duty to use it well, not only because to fritter it away is an insult to the gift-giver, but more importantly because it has eternal ramifications. This isn’t all there is. It is certainly good to go out and experience life and visit new places and appreciate the beauty of this world that God created. We are also called to use our gifts and talents to help make the world a better place. But, the true purpose of this life is to lead us to life with God in heaven.

How do we get there? Generations of Catholics can recite the answer to the question: “Why did God make you?” The answer is “God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him for ever in heaven.” That is it – our purpose in a simple nutshell. Of course, the actual living out of that statement is much more difficult. It is readily apparent that none of us can “earn” heaven. It is a gift freely given by God. Christ’s death and resurrection opened the doors of heaven that had been closed due to sin. We do not merit heaven in any way. However, we can certainly lose that gift.

The scholar in this week’s gospel (Luke 10:25-37) has his eyes on the prize. He asks Jesus, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus turns the question back on him “What is written in the law.” The scholar recites the highest commandment, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” He then questions Jesus further, asking “Who is my neighbor?” and Jesus shares the parable of The Good Samaritan. Our neighbor is everyone we come in contact with.

So, then, this is the litmus test with which we should judge our lives. If today was our last day, if we knew we were going to meet our God and have to answer for our lives, how would we fare? What are our priorities? How did we spend our time? What are the areas of our lives we need to work on? None of us is perfect, but we can keep working on our areas of weakness. We can strive for that ideal of perfect love for God and neighbor. Perhaps we can truly live as if we were dying and have the amount of time we do have left (whether that be one day or a hundred years) be better for it.

This prayer was written by Charles de Foucald.

Father,
I abandon myself into your hands: do with me what you will.
Whatever you may do I thank you:
I am ready for all, I accept all.
Let only your will be done in me, and in all your creatures -
I wish no more than this, O Lord.
Into your hands I commend my soul;
I offer it to you with all the love of my heart,
for I love you, Lord, and so need to give myself
to surrender myself into your hands
without reserve,
and with boundless confidence,
for you are my Father.

Walking Together: Discovering the Catholic Tradition of Spiritual Friendship
by Mary DeTurris Poust
Notre Dame: Ave Maria Press, 2010

Our world does not seem to allow for deep friendships today. Family and friends are often separated by physical distance. Our lives are so busy that even keeping up with people via electronic means can be a challenge. One is lucky to have one or two close friends. A spiritual friend is an even rarer gift. In “Walking Toegther: Discovering the Catholic Tradition of Spiritual Friendship,” Mary DeTurris Poust emphasizes the value of such friendships while acknowledging the difficulty in forming them.

What makes a spiritual friend different from a “regular” friend? They are “two people bound together by a love of God.” They walk side by side, with God always in between. “Spiritual friends magnify our virtuous qualities. More casual friends might bring out the worst in us through competitiveness, idle gossip, jealousy. Spiritual friends, however, bring out the best – in inspiring us to live in humility, honesty, charity. Spiritual friends inspire us to move beyond pettiness to a place where our hearts and minds are focused on doing what is right.” The goal that both parties are reaching for is life with God in heaven.

Poust profiles some famous spiritual friendships, holding them up as a model for our own lives. The bonds between St. Frances de Sales and St. Jane de Chantal, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkein, and St. Francis and St. Clare are all discussed. Poust, who seems to have been extraordinarily blessed in this area, also shares her own experiences of spiritual friendship.

Poust offers some practical advice on how to find and nurture spiritual friends. She also examines spiritual direction, which can sometimes develop into a spiritual friendship. Some time is devoted to spiritual friendships between men and women, both within marriage and outside of it. She acknowledges that there can be challenges in celibate opposite-sex friendships and cautions that the temptations toward infatuation and romantic interest must be overcome in order for a healthy, loving friendship to develop and flourish. If one or both of the parties are married, great care must be taken to make sure that the friendship does not threaten the marriage in any way. Despite these concerns, Poust does feel that male-female spiritual friendships can be a great blessing and she has benefited from them in her own life.

Spiritual friendship is a rare and good gift. It is to be greatly treasured. Hopefully, “Walking Together” will encourage many to pursue them in their own lives.

My family and I were shopping at our local mall today when the fire alarm suddenly went off. While not ear-piercing, it was very loud, and there were strobe lights going off everywhere. Truly, there was no way to miss it. We were done our shopping and heading out of the mall when this occurred. During the five minutes it took us to exit the building, there was no public address announcement to indicate it was a false alarm. While we could not see any smoke or fire, there very well could have been in some other part of the building. As I looked around, I noticed that no one else was moving to the exits. People continued shopping. A few people, especially children, covered their ears in response to the shrill noise, but that was it. Everyone else simply ignored the alarm. Truly, I was flabbergasted by the lack of concern.

As a society, we have become used to false alarms. Car alarms, house alarms – they all get ignored. The media tries to get us worked up about things on a daily basis. There is always a threat du jour, some new thing or food that is bad for us. Most of these are proved false in time. We have learned not to be bothered.

What about in our spiritual life? Do we pay any attention to the alarms that we hear there? Or does our jaded attitude carry over into our relationship with God? As I reflected on this, I thought of John the Baptist crying out in the desert, “Prepare the way of the Lord.” If we encountered him today on the street (there aren’t many deserts in my part of the world), we would most likely move to the other side of the road in an attempt to avoid him. Do we take seriously the need to repent?

We’ve heard Scripture passages so many times, we barely listen during Mass. Can you recall what the Gospel was about this past Sunday? What the priest said in his homily? Do we take the message of the Word of God seriously in our lives? Do we hear God asking us to change our lives?

What about when that little voice inside our head tells us what we are doing is wrong? Do we pay attention to our conscience, or do we ignore it? Do we try to rationalize our behavior? Do we think that because everyone else is doing something that it is okay? Do we want to take the easy road rather than the right road? Do we ignore the alarms inside ourselves, shut them out until our conscience is deadened and the warnings go away?

Despite all the false alarms in our lives, there are alarms that we should take seriously. Contrary to the opinion of my fellow mall shoppers, I still believe that it is better to leave a building when the fire alarm goes off. You can always go back inside when it stops. It is even more important to pay attention to the alarms in our spiritual lives. They rarely come with piercing noises and strobe lights. Instead, they come in whispers, the nagging feeling that something isn’t right in our lives. They come in the Word of God and in answers to prayers. Ignore them at the risk of your eternal lives.