Marriage

 Marriage , the holy sacrament as we practicing Catholics understand it is forever.

We have to always work at it. We have to practice our faith and pray incessantly. We know from what we have learned from mother church and from what is written in our hearts that marriage is forever, indissoluble and that divorce was never an option. And once you approach that from every angle, it makes every mountain scalable for me by God's grace and protection and by our constant perfecting of our imperfections in ourselves and in our marriage.

Praise God!

There is no substitute for Hard Work in Marriage and no fairytale from beginning to end.

Love is not a feeling, it is a Decision. Pope Benedict XVI wrote regarding Levi, the tax collector:

"Sanctity does not consist in never having made mistakes or sin. Sanctity grows in the capacity for conversion and penance of willingness to start again and above all, in the capacity for reconciliation in forgiveness, to accept that mercy to be reconciled to God. We are not perfect. In our weakness, God strengthens us, heals us, and brings us to Salvation."

Lui e' il nostro Salvatore!

God's call is our cure if we can be HUMBLE in our weakness. Christ is our divine physician who will heal and open us if we repent and open ourselves to God's gaze as a child of God. God allows trials and tribulations in our life that test us and cause us to grow as we suffer in the process. God is always there in that arduous growth guiding us in His holiness. A good doctor as Jesus wants us to be healthy and encourages us through all our failures, trials, disappointments and sins. He strengthens us by the gift of the Holy Spirit because of His infinite Caritas/ Compassion.  He suffers  with us ("con") who are imperfect and who through our own volition, desire to be "perfect' as Jesus' Father is perfect. It is never hopeless because Jesus is always there to guide and strengthen us if we trust in Him who loves us. Such a beautiful message of SPERANZA for me, a wretched sinner but a repentful one.

"Grace perfects nature."

Thomas Aquinas

"We are not created for an easy life, but for great things and goodness."

Pope Benedict XVI

Faith and Reason must work harmoniously together. Faith is from God and Reason is from God. The culture of death architects have separated Faith and Reason. They make Reason come from man who becomes divinized as a god.

"All things work together onto good for those who love God."

St. Paul

Love is seeing the worst in someone and still loving them. We need people that will love us at our worst so that they will still love us because that is how God loves us, at our worst and always. When we are at our worst, God dies on the cross for us and in marriage, we are called to love our spouse at their best but more at their worst. We are called to go to the cross for our spouse in marriage. Christ in the center of marriage is very important because our mission is to bring our spouse to heaven. As God forgives us, we need to forgive our spouse. If I am so loved by God even in my sin, so I can do that to my spouse and forgive him or her and Forever love him or her.

Sweet heart of Mary show me the right path.

"Everything good comes by way of the cross."

Johnnette Benkovic 

Women of Grace EWTN

Spiritual Malaise

 

 I notice spiritual malaise in this very materialistic, godless society of our developed world. My students seem to be blase' about romance, marriage, about family or about having children, especially women. Young people, in particular, seem to have so much more materialism than in the past and yet, they lack more and more animation in living life. They often express the phrase, " I'm bored!" after immediately receiving a  toy novelty of some kind after which I say, "Use your imagination and make it exciting."  I tell my grandchildren that with only a handful of toys, I was able to fully enjoy my childhood. I fondly recall playing "store" as I called it, using my creativity and imagination in reconstructing a little cubicle area in the basement as a store. I used real objects such and food and shopping bags which made my imaginative play come to life. I was hardly ever bored. Today, parents seem to have to keep their children always distracted with sports, screens or other pastimes. Toys or video games need to be more and more complex or glitzy for children as they inevitably become yet, more bored and more unanimated. Families that just have one child, plan "play dates" for their children with children from bigger families to assist in removing "boredom" from setting into the humdrum day to day living of their "only child". What I experience now with my students in the U.S (after 54 years of teaching them) or when I travel to Europe as well, in countries like France or Italy, is that adults take the place of  siblings for their single child which in the end, makes the child even more pampered and coddled. My observation of large families like the one I grew up in, is that we were happy overall, with very little in the sense of material things. We smiled a lot and we enjoyed family life. I also notice from my personal experiences with humanity in all walks of life and from diverse socioeconomic status in the world, that the happiest people seem to be poor people. If you look at children who smile the most, it is always the impoverished ones that do. Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,"  It means that spiritual humility, a recognition of one's spiritual need and dependence on God, is what truly matters, not material wealth. To be happy does not require great wealth and materialism, it just requires us to live a simple life that has meaning and purpose with faith, hope and love in our hearts, mind and soul. 

In Deuteronomy, 30:19 Moses states, "I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, that you and your children might live."  "Life" is not just biological existence but a spiritual life of relationship with God, achieved by loving, obeying, and holding fast to Him. The call to choose life and not be distracted by worldly things.  The Catholic Church views this passage as a call to live a life of obedience to Christ, which is the path to true and abundant spiritual life. We need hope in Christ to live life both physically and spiritually when life is dark and difficult. The body dies but so does the soul without it. Without a spiritual life of relationship with God, as with many people, especially young people today in modern society, their emptiness and depression is covered over with distractions, materialism and toys. What we need is relationship with God, with our families and with our fellowman in order to heal our spiritual malaise. The glitz, noise, busyness, sports, distractions, toys, hi-tech gadgets, etc all need to be tempered! I think I would want the word, "Moderation" on my tombstone as my message to humanity! No, all kidding aside, my message to humanity is that we need hope, hope in Christ to hold onto for all the spiritual malaise that exists in the world today.

The Journey of the Christian Pilgrims Dante and Pinocchio

 

The end of our journey in life is God. Both Dante in his medieval masterpiece, the Divine Comedy, and Lorenzini’s, Adventures of Pinocchio represent the journey of the Christian soul, of the pilgrim on earth who discovers that true happiness, true freedom, lie in desiring what God desires. True freedom is true happiness and true happiness is true freedom. Dante Alighieri in his final words to Beatrice as she is departing says:

“Tu mi hai portato da servo alla liberta’.”

“You brought me from slave to freedom.”

Pinocchio had to learn that in order to be truly happy and free, he had to learn how to truly love. He learned to go from self-centeredness to other-centeredness as he learned from his terrestrial father and his supernatural mother who both taught him how to love unconditionally and sacrificially.

The conscience, the inner sanctuary where the soul encounters God is a very biblical idea that takes center stage in Dante and Lorenzini’s works. Pinocchio’s conscience is a slow formation and awareness of what he ought to do. Conscience through the character of the Grillo Parlante (the talking cricket) was and is for us the living voice that speaks very concretely from our experiences of judgment of life. The movement of conscience is like a strong pull on our heart. It is a certainty of what must be done no matter the cost. It is not an oracle that whatever comes from it is necessarily right. Pinocchio went off the straight and narrow path many times in order to form his conscience correctly. It was essential that Pinocchio’s transformation from puppet (inanimate) to a human being ( animate) come from seeking knowledge for the right purpose. His experiences taught him wisdom that lead to truth and true happiness.

What is love without learning and what is learning without love? The natural law and the ten Commandments tell Dante and Pinocchio how to act reasonably in each area of life. These commandments give Pinocchio guardrails that prevent him ultimately to go off the road, off the right path. Pinocchio slowly learns how to love, how to reason and how to participate in God’s providence by using his free will in making good decisions. In this way, he flourishes, he is happy, and he is truly human made in the image and likeness of God. Pinocchio needs the virtue of prudence in serving his conscience on the right path. Prudence must be guided by the fundamental principle of the common good not just our own good. We can go astray as Pinocchio illustrates so lucidly by not using prudence. The direction of Pinocchio’s life and our life can be altered at any moment. So, we must take heed when making decisions that should impel us to ask:

 What kind of person do I want to be?

The place where the decision is made for Pinocchio and for us in answering this most important question is called the well-formed conscience where we listen and heed the voice of God.

Pinocchio learned how to love sacrificially by saving his father and in saving his father, he saved himself!

These were my final thoughts in class after the viewing of Matteo Garrone's Italian film of Pinocchio and connecting it to Dante's Divine Comedy.

I Nonni

"The righteous still bring forth fruit in old age, they are ever full of sap and green, to show that the Lord is upright."

Psalm 92:12-15

I was watching a program on EWTN entitled "Grandparents" and I immediately related to all the messages 
that were coming from grandchildren who were speaking about their grandparents on this program. Their messages were full of hope.  I think that as an Italian Nonna I have truly experienced great Hope in Life as a grandparent. I have ten precious grandchildren, each of whom is so beautifully unique and precious and each one an immense blessing to me! I think that this role of Nonna comes to me very naturally because my own carissima Mamma was such a loving and caring  mother and grandmother. 

I feel so happy when I am with my grandchildren. Though I am tired at the end of the day, I feel reinvigorated to live life to the fullest for them. I hope and pray that our grandchildren will carry on our heritage and our Catholic faith.

The old way is still the good way.

"Thus says the Lord, stand by the roads and look for the ancient paths where the good way is and walk in it and you will find rest for your souls."

Jeremiah

The basic truths that our parents taught us as children can be safely taught to our children and their children but best of all, these ancient truths are always a source of comfort in our own lives from beginning to end. G.K. Chesterton said, "Happy is the man who still loves something that he loved in the nursery, He has not been broken in two by time. He is not two men but One and has not just saved his soul but his Life."

My Favorite Quotes

DON'T JUST LIVE

LIVE WITH PASSION!

Father Cedric Pisegna

MORE CONSISTENT DISCLIPLINE LEADS TO LESS CONSTANT DISCIPLINE.

Dr. Ray Guarendi

BY SEEKING AND BLUNDERING, WE LEARN.

Goethe

ALL LIFE IS A LEARNING TO DIE.

Dale Alhquist

ED ECCO SUL TRONCO SI ROMPONO GEMME,

UN VERDE PIU' NUOVO DELL'ERBA

E TUTTO MI SA DI MIRACOLO.

Quasimodo

HOPE MEANS HOPING WHEN THINGS ARE HOPELESS.

G.K. Chesterton

DEATH AND LOVE ARE THE WINGS THAT BRING THE GOOD MAN TO HEAVEN.

Michelangelo

THE VIRTUES ARE TO THE SOUL WHAT THE MUSCLES ARE TO THE BODY

Scott Hahn

OUR CITIZENSHIP IS IN HEAVEN.

St. Paul

PRAY, HOPE AND DON'T WORRY.

Saint Padre Pio

IT IS BETTER TO SUFFER EVIL THAN TO DO EVIL.

Socrates

WE WILL REAP ONLY,WHAT WE SOW.

St. Paul

ORDER IS THE BADGE OR GUARANTOR OF FREEDOM.

C.S. Lewis

FATIGUE MAKES COWARDS OF US ALL.

Vince Lombardi

St. John Chapter 6

 The Eucharist is the sacrament of Charity ( Caritas), the sacrament of divine love,

                                His own Heart...IL GENTIL CUOR.

We cannot come to Faith, Hope, and Love on our own.

The Eucharist is a pure gift from God, a gift that He freely gives us if we only ask.

The Eucharist is the source and summit of our Catholic Faith.

Jesus is the Bread of Life that feeds us. Jesus says,

" I am the Bread of Life.

Whoever comes to me will never be hungry,

and whoever believes in me will never go thirsty."

The Eucharist is the center of the Christian life and the summit or the highest expression 

of the Christian life for Christ's Church. This doctrine of the Catholic Church is so important 

that every other teaching of the Catholic Church depends upon it. It is the central teaching of the Holy Christian Life.

If our faith in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity is weak, everything else will suffer and be weak. It is like a domino effect! If this Pillar of our Catholic Faith falls, then everything else will fall and be out of place. We need to put our complete trust and obedience in Jesus Christ. Through grace in us, God will give us a share of His own knowledge and trust in the Father and His own Divine Love.

As a cradle Catholic I always have known that Jesus is fully present to me in the Eucharist. We cradle Catholics are so, so so blessed! The incredible reality that I am literally receiving divinity at the table of the Lord, that I am in the process of being made Divine-becoming a partaker of the divine nature of God. 2 Peter 1-4

I am literally incorporated into God's divine life. The Sacraments give me a trajectory, a path into God's divine life! This realization was for some reason always in me, dormant but real and as I matured in knowledge, understanding, and wisdom, I truly became on fire to receive my Lord and my God in the Eucharistic banquet at Mass. What a treasure we have as cradle Catholics! We are truly, truly truly blessed! I am so grateful to God for always innately believing the Real presence of Jesus, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the blessed Eucharist.

GRAZIE DI CUORE CARO GESU' PER AVERMI CONDIVISO 

LA TUA FEDE CORRETTA

LA TUA SPERANZA CERTA

E LA TUA CARITA' PERFETTA.

LA TUA FEDEFE 

DORINA

The Cross of Christ

 The Cross of Christ

                is    

The Tree of Life.

The Cross transforms us.

Through Prayer and Suffering

the Cross can become

the Crown of Christ.

Sister Angelica made me truly understand

 this most beautiful lesson of 

        Catholicism.

No one lives for oneself and

No one dies for oneself.

We live and die for the Lord.

Romans 14:7-12 in the Bible says, "For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's".