Lighting the Candle of Love

As I write this, I am sitting at my mother-in-law’s home, waiting for our Christmas festivities to begin.  God blessed me with two beautiful Roses – my mom and Brian’s mom.  I always called them both the Christmas Rose because they both celebrate the season with such joy!  As I light the candle of love this week, I will be filled with thanksgiving that God chose these two beautiful ladies to mentor me and show me how a Catholic Christian woman should live her life ~ with the unconditional love of God.

It is not always easy to find joy in life, is it?  It is a choice that must be made.  I could choose to sit here in sadness that this is the tenth Christmas that the McCue’s will celebrate without our beloved Charlie and the first Christmas that the Makosky’s will celebrate without our beloved Rose.  On the other hand, I could choose to sit here filled with joy and celebrate the many blessings that God has bestowed upon me and my family.  I choose joy as I relish in the love so freely given me!

As the celebration of our Lord’s birth fast approaches, it may not be easy to remember the reason that we bake and shop and prepare enormous feasts.  We are a people who love to celebrate!  My prayer for you as you rush about your day to accomplish all of these tasks is to remember the reason for the season – JESUS!  All of this celebrating culminates for me on Christmas Eve as we celebrate the moment that love touched down upon the earth once again!  Oh how I love to walk into the dimly lit church and watch it fill with families reunited to celebrate.  It always warms my heart to see people who I have not seen in a while ~ young adults home from college ~ young adults with their children coming home for Christmas!  I now am able to understand the joy in my Mom’s heart when we would all come to celebrate Mass together, for my heart swells when all of my children are home and we come to the table of the Lord to celebrate the most important meal we ever share together.  The love of family brings such joy.

One of my favorite Christmas memories is when Brian and I used to come back and celebrate our midnight Mass.  My parents would come and watch our children so that we could have this precious time together.  On the way home, we would be able to see all of the luminaries that different neighborhoods and churches display.  We would get home around 1:30am and just soak in the quiet of our busy house and my sainted parents would then drive home.  Once they moved to Campbell, this became more difficult and our tradition stopped, but oh how I love to think about those special times.

If you feel overwhelmed in the coming days, take a moment to close your eyes and think of your most favorite Christmas memory.  Allow that joy to fill your heart and strengthen you to carry on as you create what will become the memories of Christmas 2015.  I hope to share with you, with the permission of my siblings, my memories of Christmas 2014 . . .but that is for another day.

Remember to light your world with joy this week as we prepare to celebrate incarnate love!

                                                                 

Shalom,

Tina

Lighting the Candles of Mercy and Hope

Mercy – so freely offered to us through Christ our Lord.  As my faith has blossomed over the course of my life, I have found that it is easier and easier to offer mercy to others.  This has brought an incredible amount of peace to me.  For me, the key is to remember to look at another through the eyes of faith for when I am able to do that; no matter what harm I feel someone has done toward me, I am reminded that they carry the light of Christ within them and that we share the same human weakness.  When I see others through the eyes of faith, mercy comes easily and peace follows because then I am

able to do as Paul of Tarsus beckons “keep no record of wrong.”  Praying for mercy every day this past week gave me the strength to get through a very trying experience and I am ever grateful to my Lord for standing with me and for the Spirit which gave me the words to speak and the power to stomp down my human anger.

I really want to talk about hope with you.  I had a very tough time during Mass the Second Sunday of Advent.  Maranatha – oh how I long for Christ to come again so that I can see the face of my mother. 

I am writing this on Saturday, December 12 – Our Lady of Guadalupe.  It was one year ago today that I sat in a very small examining room with my mother and watched the screen as the Doctor examined her.  They were testing for muscle movement.  At the time I kept wondering why I wasn’t seeing any lines moving and the Doctor’s tone of voice became more and more gentle.  Then he got to her back and very quickly said, ok, I think that we have enough.  I thought – gosh – what the heck was this screen supposed to show – I saw very little movement.  I did not know at the time that they sent in the head of the ALS Clinic to examine my Momma.  Then it was time for the consultation.  My sweet

family all crowded into that small room and you could feel the hope each one carried with them but I knew we would not be hearing good news.  Hope left me at when I started to process what the absence of those lines on the monitor meant.  Hope left me when our own Doctor asked me to step out of the room for a private consultation.  Hope left me – me who always says “hope rises eternal” – when she said to me “it is bad – it is very bad – be sure to enjoy your Christmas.”  How was I supposed to tell my Father those words – how was I supposed to call the rest of my siblings and my mom’s siblings to tell them that our Momma’s time on this earth was coming to an end.  I will never forget the look on my mother’s face when she recognized that pain in my eyes.  My sweet Momma – apologizing to me for that pain.  Oh how darkness enveloped me that day.

God sent all his power to me on that ride home and I as slept ~ for the next day hope did rise eternal and strength was given as we celebrated her last birthday and her last Christmas – we celebrated her life!  Oh what an awesome God.  As I feel the weight of those memories every day the word of God give me hope:

Jerusalem, take off your robe of mourning and misery; put on the splendor of glory from God forever: wrapped in the cloak of justice from God, bear on your head the mitre
that displays the glory of the eternal name. For God will show all the earth your splendor: you will be named by God forever the peace of justice, the glory of God’s worship.                                                                                           Baruch 5:1-2

I live in hope every day waiting to see her again.  Maranatha – come now Lord Jesus.

                                                                 

Shalom,

Tina

Light the Candle of Faith

Pope Francis has declared the upcoming year as A Year of Mercy.  We will begin to celebrate this jubilee year on December 8, the feast day of the Immaculate Conception. 

Throughout the coming year, we are asked to celebrate the mercy that God has freely bestowed upon us.  We can get off to a good start during this season of Advent ~ the season in which we should prepare our hearts for the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  For me, Jesus is the ultimate sign of God’s mercy.  He came to earth to reveal God’s mercy.

The traditional themes for the weeks of advent are hope, peace, joy and love.  This year, we are asked to focus on the virtues of faith, mercy, hope and love.  So, let us light the candle of faith this first week of advent.  Faith is certainly a hard concept to describe to someone, isn’t it?  Faith to me is more of a feeling of complete belief in something or someone.  I want to share with you how my faith in God and in our Church has grown throughout my life.

For me, faith seems to be part of my DNA – perhaps that is the same for many people.  My faith in God has never wavered, even through the most difficult times of my life.  In fact, during my darkest times, my faith in God seemed to just grow stronger.  I have often wondered how I came upon such a strong faith.  I want to share with you the three strong pillars which have helped me in my faith formation:

Family:  those chosen by God specifically for me; most notably my Mother, Grandmother and Godmother.  Oh what strong pillars of faith these women represent in my life!  Filled with faith and love enough to move mountains!  Their faith in God and Christ was so full that it spilled over to everyone they touched.  My prayer to God is to always fill my cup so that I may be a witness of faith to others.

Faith Community:  those in our Parish, our Catholic School and in the wider church.  God has placed so many wonderful people on my journey of faith who have inspired me and have shared their faith with me.  I find that faith can be a very contagious virtue!

Life Experience:  those times in my life that I know with certainty that God’s hand had touched me.  These moments are plentiful.  During NCYC I had one such “God moment.”  It happened during Adoration, in the silence of 24,000 members of the young church worshipping our Jesus Christ. 

            I am kneeling in adoration on cold cement floor.  The Bishop begins the chant “Jesus”, “Jesus”, “Jesus.”  The room grows quiet as I gaze upon the altar on which sits the golden monstrance which contains the body of our Lord.  I begin to feel a chill – it starts circling round me, then stops behind me and oh so very slowly embraces me.  My heart races and my breathing becomes fast as I try to maintain control and allow my senses to surrender to this incredible feeling.  Close your eyes and try to picture this moment . . .I pray that God comes to you and touches you in this           way! KNOW that it is God.

I have come to understand that faith is a seed planted in the core of who I am and by the witness of family, friends and life experience, the seed grows into a mighty tree built to withstand the roughest of storms.  I pray that you nurture the seed that God has planted within you for you never know how you may be that witness of faith to others!

                                                                 

Shalom,

Tina

Serving our Young Church

I love working with the young people of our parish and teens from other parishes and Kennedy.  It is incredibly life giving to watch young people develop the gifts that God gave to them.

It was such a privilege on Saturday to work alongside our teens to serve dinner for our seniors.  Throughout the four hour work window, over fifty teens in grades 7-12 gave up their Saturday afternoon to be of service to others.  Whether they cut dessert, served the meal or washed dishes, they carried out their duty with such joy.  It was amazing to watch them interact with our guests ~ which was the hope that we had in mind when we planned the dinner way back in July.  I am so proud of their good work and their joyous spirit. 

Thursday morning, I will be leaving with two of our teens to head to the National Catholic Youth Conference.  I am so looking forward to seeing 25,000 teenagers come together to give worship and praise to our God.  I know that the air will be a-buzz with their enthusiasm and energy.  I so look forward to being revitalized by their spirit.  Throughout the four days, I will be posting messages on Facebook, so be sure to stay tuned in as I try to put into words all that we experience while in Indy.

 

I ask that you keep us in your prayers, and assure you that you will remain in our prayers.  The theme for NCYC is Here, I Am Lord.  I can’t wait to see how our young church answers this call from God when he beckons, whom shall I send.  For now, I personally answer, “Here I am Lord, send me.”

Shalom,

Tina

All Saints and All Souls

I want to take a break talking about the Papal Visit to chat with you about the feasts of All Saints and All Soul’s.  These are two days set apart by the Church to honor those who have gone before us.

When I think about All Saint’s Day, I can’t help but reflect on all of the people who are every day Saints in my life, especially after listening to Father’s homily today.  My life has been so richly blessed with people who are faithful to God and spread the Gospel message by the way they live and care for others.

St. Francis of Assisi is quoted as saying “Teach the Gospel at all times, if necessary, use words.”  Some of the Saints in my life are gifted with “word” and some are gifted in “deed” and God also put along my journey friends who are gifted in both word and deed.  Through all of these Saints, I have learned to know, love and serve God.  Through their example I have come to learn that the best way to see God here on earth is to see him in others.  I feel like this is the very reason that the church decided to begin to canonize holy men and women, so that we could have shining examples to look toward in our quest to fulfill the purpose for which we were made; to know, love and serve God.  In our human weakness, we often fall short of this goal, however, when we look to the lives of the Saints, we learn that despite their human weakness, they gave all of their heart and soul to following the will of God. Perhaps this is the call to sainthood, to live every day remembering that we should love God before all else.

I love when we hear the names of the parishioners who have passed from this earthly existence spoken during Mass.  I cherish this ritual, and as each candle is lit, I picture their face and remember them.  When I was young, I would get confused about the day of All Soul’s.  I used to think that it was a day we prayed for all people.  If Sister Thomas Marie were reading this, I am sure that she would shake her finger at me again and say, now Christine, you know we have learned about this already!  The feast is actually called “The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed.”  I suppose if I remembered that instead of the more commonly used name “All Soul’s Day” it would have been easier for me to remember that this was a day set apart to pray for our dead.  As I prepare my heart to attend a prayer service this evening to hear the name of my mother spoken, I got to thinking about all those souls who have no one to pray for them.  I thought of the homeless and children who die of hunger.  I thought of the disappeared and the prisoners of war.  Who will read their names this day to commemorate their life?  Who will speak for those souls who were never given the opportunity to be named?  Thinking of these souls make the prayer for the dead even more important to me.  “May their souls and all the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God, rest in peace” takes on a deeper meaning for me when I think of “all the souls.”

I pray that each one of us remembers that every decision we make; every act of anger and every little act of kindness effects the life of another.  This afternoon we watched the movie “The Five People You Meet in Heaven.”  At the end of the movie, the narrator reminds us that “Each affects the other, and the other affects the next, and the world is full of stories, but the stories are all one.” (Mitch Albom, The Five People You Meet in Heaven)  May we share what makes our stories one ~ the love that God has for us!  May we strive to be saints!

Shalom,

Tina

The Pilgrimage

I was so excited to start to share with you my experience of seeing Pope Francis that I failed to begin at the beginning . . . the pilgrimage.

I left off last week where I really should have begun . . . the reason that I was called to join this pilgrimage.  I heard word that the World Meeting of Families was being held in Philadelphia.  This is what first caught my attention and I wondered if it would be possible for my family to participate in this incredible event.  Then I heard that Pope Francis would be coming to the Festival of Families!  Oh my goodness, my excitement grew to a whole new level.  It was shortly after the announcement was made that I received an email from Dave Schmidt at the Office of Pro-Life, Marriage and Family Life at the Diocese of Youngstown saying a pilgrimage had been planned to attend the Festival of Families and the Papal Mass.  I was hooked!

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, pilgrimage is a noun defined as “a journey to a holy place” or “a journey to an unusual place.” Hmmmm, I do believe that venturing off on a bus to a camp ground with 50 others with the intent of joining millions definitely counts for “an unusual place.”  In search of a way to grasp the true meaning of a pilgrimage, I found this to be quite helpful to me from

www.Spiritual Travels.com.

“The ancient practice of pilgrimage—a journey taken for spiritual enrichment—is being rediscovered by Christians around the world.  In the past, such trips often took many months and entailed great physical risk.  Today’s pilgrimages may be taken by airplane or car, but the goal is the same as that of seekers trudging down deserted path centuries ago:  like them, we set out on the road to hear the voice of God more clearly, hoping that as we journey our hearts may be opened and our souls healed.”

It is the last line that explains my reasoning for wanting to join this pilgrimage “to hear the voice of God more clearly.”  My pilgrimage began the moment that I decided I needed to travel to a not-so-unusual place to see and hear a very holy person.  Prayer was an integral part of our pilgrimage to Philly.  While on the bus we prayed the Rosary, the Divine Chaplet, Morning and Evening Prayer.   Ann and I were privileged to lead the Morning Prayer on the way to and from Philadelphia on Sunday.  It was such an honor.  Marianne made a beautiful song sheet and everyone on the bus just wanted to keep singing on the way to Philly.  It was a glorious sound and I certainly could “hear the voice of God more clearly” when I closed my eyes and listened to the sound of singing and praying among us! 

The pilgrimage was not simply to see the Pope even though that is what I tend to focus on when I talk with people.  The pilgrimage included pockets of grace such as sharing the experience with a beautiful family with ten children; witnessing the excitement and tears of a young student from Kennedy who sings in the choir with me as she described the moment that “she saw him,” hearing that the man who organized the entire event stayed back to help someone in need thereby being the very hands of Christ; gazing at the eclipse of the moon with others after celebrating the Papal Mass; all of these moments of grace along the journey did indeed open my heart and allowed me to see the face of Christ in others. 

I often say that everywhere we step is holy ground because we are each made for holiness.  We are all pilgrims along this journey toward heaven and I am so very glad to be “trudging down” the path along with you!

Shalom,

Tina

Quiet Anticipation

Over the next several weeks I will be sharing with you my experience of the Papal Pilgrimage celebrated in Philadelphia.  Truly, words cannot express the joy and peace which I feel after participating in such a pilgrimage.  I thought I would start off talking with you about one of the things that surprised me . . .the quiet anticipation!

Photo Courtesy of Pam Harriman

When we arrived in Philly, I was awestruck by the number of buses in the parking lot!  The moment we disembarked from our bus, you could literally feel the buzz in the air.  Groups were gathering and walking and waiting in lines and yet the atmosphere was very jovial.  Now everyone’s experience will be different, but from my perspective, it was very peaceful which is hard to image when you contemplate the fact that probably 2 million people were gathered to catch a glimpse of Pope Francis.

So, we arrived Saturday for the Festival of Families.  We did not really know exactly where to go or what to expect going through security.  We were greeted with smiling volunteers; bottles of water; pictures of Pope Francis given out by American Bible Company, along with numerous street vendors selling a wide variety of Pope Apparel.  Even the street vendors were kind (at least Saturday . . .but that is for another blog!)  I was immediately struck by the quiet  . . . the absence of the sound of traffic was amazing.

Going through security was quite an adventure.  Why do we have to carry so much stuff!!!  Oh my goodness, everything had to be opened and inspected, but we got through pretty quickly.  At this point I was once again surprised by the quiet, jovial nature of the crowd.  I guess I was expecting the sound of a football stadium perhaps because of the number of people; but no, everyone talked very pleasantly, sharing stories of what brought them to Philly.

Then we approached a spot along the fence with thousands of others just hoping to get a glimpse of him passing by.  Here too, the air was full of anticipation and people were again sharing stories of what brought them to Philly and groups of people were singing songs.  The closer it came to the time when he was to begin the parade, the quieter people became.  Our eyes were pealed on the jumbotron across the block to see if the parade had begun. 

People were leaning over and standing on their tiptoes (me for sure) and looking left and the crowd grew even more quiet.  And then, it began!  In the jumbotron you could see that the parade did indeed begin and there was a loud roar as the crowd cheered . . . then it once again became quiet.  You knew that he was approaching because the roar of the crowd came toward you like a wave upon the shore.  Arms flew in the air, iphones and cameras and ipads were rapidly clicking away while the crowd cheered.  In a moment it was over . . . I personally, being on the short side that I am, only was able to see the sweep of the back of his cape as I caught a glimpse in between others as their arms lowered. 

Oh then, the joy . . . people were crying and hugging . . . total strangers.  The woman standing in front of me turned around and said “I saw him, I saw him!” and she shared with me the picture that she snapped.

Then the crowd quietly made their way to settle in front of a jumbotron to watch the Festival of Families.  Snacks were had and stories were shared, then we decided it was time to start our journey back to the bus.  In the subway, people were overjoyed and shared if they caught a glimpse of our dear Pope Francis.  On the bus ride back to camp I contemplated all of this and thought of the reasons that brought me on this pilgrimage.  I feel that Pope Francis so embodies the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ and being in his presence somehow makes me feel the wonder of what it will be like when I am actually in the presence of our Lord.  Jesus commissioned the twelve to go out and spread the Gospel Message, and here I was, 267 (I think) leaders later, able to catch a glimpse of the man that God has chosen to lead his Church.  Oh what a wonder.  I can’t wait to share more with you next week.  Until then,

Shalom,

Tina

Humble Servant

I am writing this on the eve of our Papal Pilgrimage.  I could not be more proud to travel with fellow parishioners as we represent every member of Saint William Parish when we leave for Philadelphia Saturday Morning.  Know that we hold each of you in our prayer.  Cathy, one of my fellow pilgrims

had the idea to take something with us which would represent the parish so that when (NOT IF) the Pope passes by us that his blessing would be extended to every parishioner. We will each carry this sign with us as we represent the good people of Saint William.

I feel that Pope Francis embodies the Gospel message with the way he lives his life.  I know that I will feel the peace of Christ with his presence.  The more I think about being in the presence of Pope Francis, the more I wonder what it must have been like living in the time when Jesus walked the earth thousands of years ago.  I feel like I will be the hemorrhaging woman who reaches out just to touch his cloak.  I wonder what the excitement would have been like as people left their homes to head to the Mount to hear what this holy man, son of Joseph and Mary, had to say.  I wonder if they left their homes empty handed or carried with them provisions for a day or two.

I told myself to pack light, but as I look at my belongings I know I should be leaving a few things behind.  I don’t need to feed everyone, just bring what I need for me.  I find that this concept is not very easy!  I want to be able to have enough to share.  As I was shopping, I could not help but think of the feeding of the thousands.  I am convinced that the Gospel reflects not only the miracle Jesus performed, but also the very heart of human nature ~ to share and take care of our fellow man.  When each of us on our pilgrimage share what we bring along for the next few days, I can’t wait to see how many baskets are left over!

Know that as I step onto the parade route that I have you in mind.  Know that when I raise my voice in song at the Papal Mass that I hold you in my prayers.  May God bring you whatever you need and may you feel his awesome presence in your life.

Shalom,

Tina

Loving the Liturgy

Gosh, I am having a tough time keeping up with my blog right now.  Father Balash talked about offering forgiveness to others even when they frustrate you.  Well, I frustrate myself so much and find it very difficult to tell myself it is ok and to forgive myself for my many human weaknesses. 

For those of you who know me, you probably know by now how much I LOVE THE LITURGY!  I love the sites, the sounds, the smells that accompany a Catholic Liturgy.  I have been blessed this week to celebrate beautiful liturgy with my Parish family, my Catholic School family an

d today with nearly 1,000 Catholic School students at St. Columba with Bishop Murry.

Have you ever closed your eyes during liturgy and just listened to the sound of everyone singing, or everyone praying the Lord’s Prayer?  I especially love the sound of silence after communion.  To me there is something quite profound about the sound of silence for it is then that I hear God whisper to me.

It was amazing to me today to hear the sound of the faithful singing the Eucharistic Acclamations.  Their voices rose up through the rafters and I truly felt that we were singing with the choirs of Angels as we acclaimed, Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.  I felt as if it were a wave splashing up over into the choir loft.  It was truly amazing.

We are called to full, active participation in the liturgy, and when we answer this call, oh what a difference it makes.  When we fully participate, body, mind and soul, our joy spills over to our neighbor and they in turn spread their joy to others.  I pray that you can be this fountain of joy for others.

On Sunday we heard that

                                    “Indeed someone might say, “You have faith and I have works.” 
                                                Demonstrate your faith to me without works,

                                                and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.”

                                                                                                                                                                James 2:18

I pray that the Words of God inspire you to a full and active participation not only in words, but in deeds as well so that when you go forth you glorify the Gospel with your life.

Shalom,

Tina

Catholic Family

Hello again!  I am glad to be back after a very busy week of activities at both the Parish and Kennedy.

I was so proud to see so many parishioners and friends from the Warren area parishes attend the Michael James Mette Concert on August 30.  I was blessed to spend much of the day with this beautiful Catholic family.  I am a person who notices details and I want to share with you some of the things that I noticed about this family that to me exemplifies what it means to be a Catholic family.

Celebrating the Holy Mass:  Flanked by their parents, the six Mette children honored the Sabbath by being full, active participants of the liturgy.  Along with their parents, they prayed, sang, listened, responded and honored God with their reverent posture.  It was beautiful to see every single one of them (well, with the exception of the baby) fully participate in liturgy.  It made me hunger to see this in every Catholic family.  Imagine how much more joyful our worship time together would be if EVERY person had the courage to be active, full participants in the liturgy!

Christian Parenting:  Michael and Michelle have a very patient and loving parenting manner.  I wish I possessed those skills when my Josh and Katie were little.  I feel like I became a better parent as more children came along and looking back I realize that the difference was not that I somehow got smarter . . .no . . . the difference was that I started going back to religious education!  I can say without a doubt that attending adult faith formation sessions brought me to a closer relationship with Christ which made me a happier person which in turn made me a better parent!  I can see this in Michael and Michelle!  They have such love and respect for each child and in turn their children have great respect for them.  They work as a family unit.  Over the years, this is something for which I long.  Brian and I have lived a life of divide and conquer; each of us doing our own thing and splitting up to make sure the children all got to where they needed to be.  Even in celebrating Liturgy . . . we very rarely have the joy of sitting together.  Parents with children still at home . . .the best piece of advice that I can offer you is to work as a family.  A family that plays together and prays together, stays together!  Please pray for my family!

Celebrating Meals:  The Mette children were so joyous no matter what the meal.  I was so worried that I did not prepare a hot meal for lunch (planned picnic food but alas, it rained) but when the children saw the lunch buffet, they were so appreciative.  No one was permitted to eat until all were in their seat so they could pray as a family.  They each ate everything on their plate and they cleaned up after themselves.  They asked permission before taking sweets!  THEY HAD CONVERSATION during meal!  It was so beautiful to witness.  My friends, no matter how difficult, reclaim your family meal time around your dining room table.  Put electronics aside, shut off the tv and talk with each other.  Help each other do the dishes afterward, pray together!

The Concert:  I have not been to a rock concert in years and I have never had the privilege of attending a Christian concert.  I forgot how loud it would be.  The lights and video to me was amazing and as a guitarist, I was all about watching Michael play his different guitars!  The music and video was so inspirational.  I loved the video about creation . . . it was very thought provoking for me.  Oh, and when the children came to join Michael “on stage” . . . they are each so talented and joyous.  Then Michael and Michelle stood next to each other as Michelle gave a moving witness of their struggles to hold on to each other in difficult times.  For those struggling with marriage, may God be with you.  May you feel the strength of the spirit through your difficult times.

Be a strong Catholic family and produce strong Catholic youth so that they may grow to become a strong Catholic family and the circle of life honoring God and neighbor may continue to thrive.

Shalom,

Tina

Only Love Remains

“For better or worse, in sickness and in health until death do you part” were the words in to which my parents said “I Do” to each other August 23, 1958.  These were the common vows 57 years ago.  They have been replaced with “I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.”  This “newer” version is the vow Brian and I pledged to each other in 1985 and I believe they more closely reflect the covenant of the Sacrament of Marriage.  For while death parted my parents on December 26, 2014; my father’s love for my mother has not diminished in the least and he continues to honor her daily.  The love and honor he carries in his heart for his Rosie will last all the days of his life.

This is another rough day for my family and we are blessed enough by God to be celebrating this day together in the home of my sister who lives in New York.  While we gather to celebrate the 16^th birthday of my niece, we will honor and remember the day our parents left their homes and became one. 

Our parents took their marriage vows very seriously.  In good times and in bad, they held on to each other and I believe they remained in love because they kept God the Father, Son and Spirit as the third person in their marriage.  They took seriously the sacramental bond of man and woman united in love by God and their love grew with the grace of God.  I will be forever grateful for their example of Christian love and sacramental marriage. 

The sacramental love my parents had for each other is the love that has been keeping my Dad going these past eight months.  It is the love that gave him the strength to care for his Rosie as she lay dying and it is the love that gave my Mom the strength to surrender to her John and allow him to care for her very basic human needs.  I can remember saying to my Dad that I was so sorry he had to watch the love of his life struggle and he said “well, we said for better or worse; I guess this is the worse.”  Oh what love is this!  Love that is patient and kind, love that bears no record of wrong, love that remains!  He carries that love with him every day as he learns to live life with Mom in heaven and he waits until he will be united with her again. 

Love does not brood.  Dad is courageously moving forward even though it is difficult to be separated by this earthly plane.  He knows without a doubt that there will be a day in which he will be reunited with his Rosie and on that day the church bells will once again ring out, just as they tolled to mark the sacramental union of my parents, just as they tolled to mark Mom’s entry into the Promised Land.  Oh what love is this, love that is strong enough to wait for God to bring forth the light. 

So for all of you love birds out there who, like my Daddy, must spend your wedding anniversary here on earth while the love of your life waits for you in heaven, take courage in this steadfast love.  Be strengthened by the certain hope that you will be reunited with your love when Jesus calls you home.  May you feel the presence of that love on your special day.

Enjoy this song by Michael James Mette who will be coming to St. William on August 30 for a “Sharing Faith Through Music” Concert.

When We Leave Earth:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDRwPwoRxQI&list=PLi_umedfYxvXP6OEVlAglx9bUZk5Ckvbz&index=9

Shalom,

Tina

Community

St. William celebrated a wonderful family meal today at our annual Parish Picnic.  As usual, Father Balash had the perfect homily . . . reminding us of the open invitation Jesus offers us every day to come to his table and share in the sacred meal of the Eucharist. 

I personally was very emotional today at Mass, for when my Anna walked into the worship space, it shot right to my heart that this was our last Mass together before she goes off to college.  My Anna, who many of you blessed as she was carried around the church on her baptism day, will be leaving Tuesday for Loyola Chicago.  It dawned on me that I will not have the chance until next summer to listen to her as she proclaims the Word of the Lord.  Oh, it hit me hard.  I love to hear her tell Christ’s story.  Then Father had to go and talk about Eucharist and I thought . . . oh no . . .after the family Mass at Loyola I will not be able to share the Eucharistic meal with her until she comes home for Thanksgiving!  Oh boy . . .I was in trouble.  If you were at Mass today, now you know why I started on the wrong chord for the Communion song . . . I was a mess inside.

The picnic has always been such a fun event for our family.  I remember when the children were little and they would get soaked by fire truck.  Back then the children got to sit up in the truck and the truck would drive them around in the parking lot.  It was always the highlight of the day!  I am so grateful that this simple tradition remains as part of our day.  Seeing these young children soaking wet brought back so many wonderful memories for me.

So, thank you my Saint William family for helping me get through a tough Sunday.  As I sit here sharing my thoughts with you, my Anna is finishing up her packing.  I am enjoying being in her presence, my heart is over being sad and I look forward to traveling to Chicago and spending three days helping her get settled in, going to orientation, and then the highlight of the festivities, celebrating the Sacred Liturgy with her in the beautiful Loyola chapel. 

My prayer for Anna and all of our graduates of the Class of 2015 as they spread their wings to college,

 "… Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed,

 for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."                                Joshua 1:9

Stay safe and go forth to proclaim the gospel with your life!

Shalom,

Tina

Regeneration

After a busy weekend, I finally made it to the Lake!  The harsh winter, stormy spring and summer has taken its toll on the shores of Lake Erie.  It is astounding how much the beach has eroded.  The day I arrived, the wind was fierce on the bay side; so much so that the waves were slapping over the back dock and we could feel the spray all the way over on the house deck.  In contrast, the lake was as still as glass.  So much of the beach has been washed away that even the roots of trees, once unseen under layers of sand, are jutting out precariously throughout what remains of the beach.  Some of the roots are sticking up out of the sand with jagged edges; a danger to any barefoot beach-goer.  A ledge has now been formed making the drastic change in the beach ever more apparent.

As I sat viewing how battered the beach looked, I could not help thinking that this is how life is at times, and it is certainly a reflection of the life I have lived this past year.  Storms in life come and go and the constant force of trial and sadness can slowly peel away the person you once were.

I am writing this on my second morning here . . . the first morning that I was able to be at the beach by myself.  The winds have changed; the bay had calmed and the lake is once again moving.  As I sat facing the rising sun I kept asking myself, who is the woman that I have become this year.  Even now as I type I am facing my reflection in the sliding glass door . . . ten pounds heavier than last year at this time when I left the lake to meet my family at the Cleveland Clinic for Mom’s appointment with the head of the spinal surgical unit . . .  reflecting on how I have been changed by the storm called ALS.  This storm battered my mother; eroded away her ability to use her body until her lungs could no longer expel the carbon dioxide, thereby leaving toxins behind, much like the dangerous roots sticking out of the sand, just waiting to do more damage to the innocent person walking along the beach.

With these heavy thoughts weighing down my heart, I sat there praying for regeneration and lightheartedly thought of Dr. Who.  For those who may not know; Dr. Who is a television series about a time-traveler.  Every once in a while, Dr. Who regenerates – light bursts forth from him and he takes on a new image (well, a new actor usually.)  Being the Christian that I am, I always think when this happens that perhaps that is what we may look like when God calls us back home and we shed this earthly vessel so that our soul can return to God.

So, I made my way out of the chair to stand and meditate before God.  I focused on the word I chose while on retreat at Villa Maria, faced the rising sun and listened to God speak to me through the sound of the water, the feel of the wind and the singing of the birds.  Warmed not only by the rising sun, I felt embraced by the ever present SON.  My peace of mind is restored and I am once again as calm as the lake on the day I arrived, humbled in the sight of the Lord.

“Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord.  Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up; higher and higher and he will lift you up.” James 4:10

I pray that you find rest in God through life’s storms; though battered and torn, regeneration can be found in arms of the Holy One!

Shalom,

Tina

Seashore

My husband’s family takes a yearly vacation on the shores of Lake Erie.  The week is spent fishing, playing games, and playing on the seashore.  Family members come and go throughout the week, but there are normally a few days when most of the McCue clan gathers for what I fondly call wonderful, organized chaos.

I find great peace by the water.  The sound of the waves meeting the shore; the smell in the air; the way the sand feels under my feet; the incredible view of the sun rising over the water . . .these physical, tangible earthly experiences remind me of the awesome power of our God.  I love doing yoga on the beach as the sun rises and having my morning coffee with a good book in hand while the sound of the water and birds play a symphony to sooth my weary soul.  And then the house starts to awaken and the air is filled for the rest of the day with laughter and constant chatter until dusk when we tend to walk the beach again as the sun sets over the bay then play games or work on a puzzle as the house quiets back down and I am lulled to sleep by the sound of the water meeting the shore.

Last summer a dear friend of mine loaned me the book “Jesus” by Fr. James Martin, S.J., the same Fr. Martin who wrote “This Our Exile” which I spoke about in my blog last week.  Fr. Martin shares with the reader his spiritual journey as he embarked on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.  I have secretly (well, now it’s not a secret) always wanted to travel to the Holy Land, so the more I read “Jesus” that longing pierced my heart in such a way that I actually could not finish reading the book!  No surprise, but it was the moment he started to talk about walking along the Sea of Galilee that got me.  I remember closing the book and crying . . . the longing to walk that same shore was too intense for me.  I took out a notebook and jotted down the people with whom I would want to share this pilgrimage.  One of those people was my mom!

We have been hearing quite a bit these past few weeks of Jesus getting into the boat to seek rest from the crowd.  Hearing these stories has been making me think that perhaps it is time for me to pick up where I left off and continue my pilgrimage to the Holy Land through the eyes of Fr. Martin.  I have been thinking quite a bit lately of salvation and what it means to have eternal life.  My mother’s journey to heaven has shed new light for me on St. Paul’s call to the Ephesians to “put away the old self of your former way of life” and “ be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth.”  She has made the journey to the Holy Land, the new and eternal Jerusalem without me.  The peace on my mother’s face as she left this earth to join God will be forever engrained in my mind, for she literally put away her old self and put on the new self as she left this world.

So, as I pack for the lake, I am going to bring “Jesus” with me so that I can be reminded as I walk the shores of Lake Erie that Jesus can just as easily be found in the footprints left in the sands of Northeast Ohio.  I don’t need to travel to the Holy Land, I just need to remember his promise and believe!

“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

Shalom,

Tina

Book Club Update

Jambo!  (a common Swahili greeting)

I love to read.  It is a hobby that brings me true relaxation.  I can escape from the world around me and be transported into another world, sometimes one filled with danger and suspense as I love to read suspense novels.

Since I have returned to the workforce, I found that I was doing less and less leisurely reading.  This prompted me to start the Summer Book Club, now in its third year.  In searching for books for summer reading, I rely upon advice from our Diocesan librarian, Carla Hlavac.  She is a wealth of knowledge and seriously brought me probably 15 books to consider!  She is amazing.  One of the books pulled at my heart strings because it documents a priest’s time (while studying to become a Jesuit priest) serving God’s people in East Africa.  Having sent a daughter half way across the world to help build a school and run water lines in the Maasai Mara, I had to read this book!

Recently a few St. William mamas (Swahili for mature woman) and I shared our thoughts on the book, “This Our Exile” by James Martin, S.J.  He tells many of his adventures while serving refugees in East Africa.  One thing that really hit home to each of us is what a privileged life we lead here in the United States of America.  It is true that we have our share of poverty, civil unrest, unemployment, homelessness; however, we also have access to shelters and soup kitchens and government assistance.  It is eye-opening, at least to me, that most people in the world do not have access to even the basic human need of clean drinking water.  

 

Another aspect of the book that we all enjoyed was being able to witness the transformation that happened to Fr. Martin.  He went into Nairobi, Kenya because he was ordered to do so as a two year learning experience.  Like many men and women who embark on mission work, he was filled with exuberance at the thought of how he would be able to make positive change in the world.  And, like many men and women, he came back a changed man.  In the words of Fr. Martin, “The refugees, as I said before, changed me.  They changed the way I look at poverty.  The refugees changed the way I look at humanity.  The refugees changed the way I looked at God, too.  The refugees broke my heart, too.  But they broke my heart in another way: they broke it open, helping me to receive God’s love in a new way from people I would have never expected to know so well.”

When I reflect upon these words of Fr. Martin, I think of how we are each given the opportunity every day to be changed by the ways God is revealing himself to us.  We also have the opportunity to be the catalyst of change for others.  My Anna traveled to Nairobi, Kenya with John F. Kennedy Catholic School and their relationship with the Me to We Foundation/Free the Children.  Their motto is “Be the Change.”  I pray that someone breaks your heart open to receive God’s love and that you in turn can be that change for others.

Our next book club session will be held Tuesday, August 11 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm.  We will be discussing the book, Our Lady of the Lost and Found.  A Novel of Mary, Faith, and Friendship by Diane Schoemperlen.  I encourage you to consider reading this novel and “meet me on the lawn”  so that together we can see how our Mother Mary may be waiting to break our hearts open for God just in time to celebrate the Assumption!

Kwaheri kwa sassa, (goodbye for now)

Tina

This our Exile. A Spiritual Journey with the Refugees of East Africa.  James Martin, S.J. ©1999, 2011 by The Society of Jesus of New England.  Published by Orbis Books, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0302.

Meditation

In today’s Gospel, Mark recounts for us how the disciples came back to Jesus to share their experiences of healing and casting out demons in his name.  The first thing that Jesus says to them is “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” Mark 6:31

Jesus knew the importance of stepping away from a task in order to rest.  It is through rest that we are able to rise refreshed to continue the work of the day; the work that God has planned for us.

The opportunities for rest and relaxation are far and wide, however, I think that what Jesus wants for his disciples, the original twelve and all of us in the current era, is to find true spiritual rest.  Spiritual rest involves quieting our minds and setting the world aside for a time in order to hear God speak.  Long ago I learned the art of meditating; however, I have allowed the busy-ness of life to keep me from this spiritual gift.  Yoga has also been an outlet of spiritual rest for me which I have recently re-introduced to my life thanks to the Women’s Guild and the ladies who participated in Praying with the Body.

Every year, the Diocese of Youngstown Office of Religious Education offers those in parish ministry a retreat opportunity.  This year the retreat was held at Villa Maria Spiritual Center in Villa Maria, PA.  I feel so refreshed after spending a few days at the Villa.  First of all, the grounds are beautiful.  Nature itself affords us so many opportunities for retreat when we slow down enough to notice.  This was also very apparent at the Jesuit Spiritual Center.  Benches, Adirondack chairs, placed perfectly under trees, tucked away in quiet spaces beckoning you to come and sit and listen to God speak through nature.  Each facility also offered the labyrinth; a journey of walking with God.  Oh, what joy when you can push everything out of your mind and simply walk with God.

One session which I attended at the Villa was guided meditation.  Now, I may have shared this already, but the memory is so very clear I can’t help but talk with you about the experience.   I had really been struggling with the death of my mom.  I felt so far away from her being that she is in heaven and here I am still on the earth.  As Sister was preparing us for meditation, she asked us to find a word upon which we could focus.  As we took a breath, we were focus on the word.    After just three breaths, I was filled with such a bright light and piercing of my heart that I started to weep and nearly left the room.  The feeling was too intense for my human body to hold.  I stayed . . . breathed again . . . and let my spiritual being accept what God was showing me.  I exclaimed, “ah, there you are God!  There is my Mom, right there in my innermost being, the center of my heart.”  So, when I am weighed down by the tasks of the day, I take a breath; focus on my word; and find my God.

I pray that you can make time for retreat and encourage your children to do the same.  We will once again participate in the Kairos retreat for High School students held at Villa Maria in February and pray at the labyrinth in May.  I will be working this year to form adult retreat opportunities.

Until then, find a word; as you inhale focus on the word; as you exhale focus on the word.  Close your mind from everything but your breath and that word.  I pray that you will find God.

Shalom,

Tina

Mission Reflection

I am filled with hope for a bright future after spending two days serving God’s people in Cincinnati.  I could not be more proud of our teens, Tessa, Haley and Bridget who, along with 23 other teens from the Diocese of Youngstown, fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, sheltered the homeless, clothed the naked and helped with disaster relief services.

In addition to mission work, each of the four days of the retreat began and ended with praise and worship.  It was beautiful to pray with these teens; to hear them praise God in both prayer and song.  A main focus as we began our retreat Monday was to help us become one despite coming from seven parishes.  We experienced a few team building games right at the start to help us get to know one another.  When we shared our first meal and had our first “free” time, I noticed that we tended to stay with our own community.  I admit that I was a little worried about 23 teenagers having the freedom to do as they please while we chaperones had our first meeting.  Not one teen wondered beyond the boundaries set by the Jesuit team; quite the contrary; within a short time, nearly all the teens were engaged in a game of volleyball.  What a sight it was for me to walk outside and see such bonding within a few short hours.  From this moment on, teens sat and prayed and worked alongside each other as if they had grown up together.

In reflecting upon this bonding, I wondered if this is what is was like in the early Christian communities.  As the disciples were sent “two by two” into the world to proclaim to good news, heal and drive out demons in the name of Jesus Christ, I suspect that those they ministered to kept to themselves at first.  Just like our teens, once they came to know Jesus and were willing to answer the call to love one another, they would have been compelled to join together.  For it is the love of Jesus Christ that binds us and this love serves as a catalyst to do great things.

I experienced many touching moments.  One of the places in which I was blessed to serve was Mary Rose Mission.  Their motto is “to love as God loves.”  Every volunteer we worked with not only provided food for the hungry, they made sure that every guest who crossed the threshold knew that they were loved because God loves.  I was especially touched when a little girl came running in and into the arms of team leader Cindy.  Her laughter was contagious.  The guests did not walk into a soup kitchen; they walked into a loving home environment where the love of God and friends welcomed them in to share a warm meal.  I can’t stop smiling with the thought of it and also cannot wait to extend this same warmth at St. Vincent DePaul.

We concluded the four days with the celebration of Eucharist.  I share with you the video of one of my favorite songs that we prayed throughout our experience: https://youtu.be/3gpU15nVe4Q  (This video is hosted by the St. William YouTube Channel.)

Humble thyself before the Lord.  Walk in his ways.  “Love as God loves.”

Shalom,

Tina

Strength from the Lord

I may have shared with you this story before, so please bear with me as I once again reflect upon the moment that I first recognized God calling me to service as an adult.

I believe the year was 1991.  I was a mother of a 2 year old and a 10 month old at the time.   Sister Yvonne stood at the ambo and announced that she was being transferred.  Sister had been nudging me for a few years to become involved in religious education but I kept saying no way, I was

working fifty to sixty hours a week and was a new mother.  When she made the announcement that she was leaving I felt it was more than Sr. Yvonne nudging me, I finally realized that it was God who was calling me.   I remember the moment like it was yesterday.  We were singing “Here I Am Lord”; I was staring at the face of Christ in our mosaic, and just like Ezekiel

"As the LORD spoke to me, the spirit entered into me and set me on my feet.”   Ezekiel 2:2

From that moment on, I was no longer satisfied working in the secular world ~ I felt I had to work for the Church.  It has taken me a long 20 years to actually officially “work” for the church but during those twenty years my life has been so full of learning, volunteering at both our parish and our Catholic school, and best of all, teaching religious education.  I LOVE TEACHING!  My heart is on fire to share my love of Jesus with others.  I have been blessed with mentors like Sr. Mary Cora, Margaret McCarthy, Carol Potts, Fran Ray, Theresa White and Mary Pytlik to name a few.

The road has not been easy and what I have come to appreciate is that it is not supposed to be easy.  I have found that the biggest obstacle has been my own worry of whether I am smart enough or clever enough or liked by others.  I have beaten myself up countless times because I never finished college.  I have come to understand that this is all rubbish!  We listen today to the words of St. Paul as he talks with the people of Corinth and I am reminded that all I need is my total reliance on my savior, Jesus Christ, for he assures me,

    

     “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.”  2 Corinthians 12:9a

So, I continue to forge ahead, to accept my many human weaknesses, but I am strengthened by the sure knowledge that “when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10b because in my weakness, I automatically turn to God, the source of my strength.

Be weak my friends.  Be weak enough to surrender pride and ambition and find true strength in the grace of God!

Shalom,

Tina

Mission

http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/what-is-ignatian-spirituality

As I write this blog, I am anxiously awaiting my very first “mission” trip with teens from our parish.  We leave first thing Monday morning and have two days of serving the people of God in Cincinnati.  I already feel like this is not enough and I have not even packed my bag!  I have been drawn to this type of work since I was little, but here I sit; 51 years old and finally have the courage to venture beyond my backyard to serve God’s people. When I was reaching out to teens to join this mission experience, I thought of looking up the definition of the word mission.  Here is what Google has to say: mis·sionnoun1.  an important assignment carried out for political, religious, or commercial purposes, typically involving travel. "a trade mission to Mexico" synonyms:  assignment, commission, expedition, journey, trip, undertaking, operation

2.  the vocation or calling of a religious organization, especially a Christian one, to go out into the world and spread its faith.  "the Christian mission"

synonyms:  vocation, calling, goal, aim, quest, purpose

I shared with teens that “we will embark on an important assignmentof helping those in need  . . . spreading faith not by word but by our action!”

In looking back on these words, I realize that to me, mission is more of a verb rather than a noun.  It is the action of being the hands and feet of Christ and carrying out his call to be a servant to others.  Our scripture study group has been talking about service to others as we have studied the Gospel according to Mark.  Mark continually shows us that Jesus lived out his love of the Father by serving others even to death.  Jesus calls us to honor the Father in both our words and deeds. 

Please keep our group in your prayers this week as we join 35 others and travel to Cincinnati.  Know that we will pray for the good people of Saint William and together let us remember that we are called to be a light to each other and to the world.

Shalom,

Tina