St. Pope Pius V: Rosary Warrior

Pope St. Pius V basically saved Christendom in Europe--not to mention Europe, period. That's right.

Well, OK. He didn't. The rosary did. But you'll understand more in a second. 

Pope St. Pius V is the only Dominican saint who was also a pope. (In the photo above, you can see his habit peeking out from under the surplice.) Born Antonio Ghislieri on January 17, 1504, he entered the Dominican order at the age of fourteen and took the name Michael (or Michele, in French and Italian) as his name in religion. 

(Side note: This is why you call Dominican priests/friars "Fr./Br. First name." They chose that name as their name in religion, and they're proud of it! So you can call them Fr. Michael, Fr. Thomas, Fr. Paul.) 

Michele was ordained in 1528 and was sent to the Italian town of Pavia, where he served as a priest for sixteen years. While there, he wrote many pieces against the Protestant Reformation. As prior of several Dominican priories, he insisted on discipline, overcoming the lax standards that had been the rule in these priories. He was elected pope on January 8, 1556, right before his fifty-fourth birthday. 

He was very important in ensuring the formality of the Mass, and asserted the importance of ceremonials in the life of the church. He also promulgated the 1570 version of the Roman Missal, which we know today as the "Latin Mass", "The Tridentine Mass", or "The Extraordinary form". (Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI allowed this form of the Mass to be more widely celebrated following a molto proprio (meaning "on his own inititative"--it's a type of Apostolic Letter) promulgated in May, 2007.) 

He also declared Thomas Aquinas the fifth Doctor of the Church, and supported Mary, Queen of Scots, against Elizabeth I in England. (He's the pope who excommunicated Elizabeth.) He is also credited with the formation of the pope's signature white garments, since the Dominican habit is white. 

Like Rose of Lima, Pius V had to deal with a hostile navy--this time, the Turkish navy, in order to prevent Italy from being added to the Ottoman empire, and its Christians being forced to convert to Islam, or become slaves. Pius V had asked the Holy League countries to fight against this invasion. The Pope also asked all of Christendom to pray the Rosary for the success of the fleet.  On October 7, 1571, the pope and the Rosary Confraternity of Rome met to pray the rosary for the success of the Holy League ships against the invaders. Don Juan of Austria led the Holy League ships against the Turkish fleet, and routed the enemy near Lepanto, off the Greek coast. 

The Battle of Lepanto, by an unknown artist. 

Pius V attributed the victory to Mary's intercession. In the Church year, October 7 is the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. It was originally the feast of Our Lady of Victory, but Pope John XXIII changed it to the current title. 

A stained glass window of Our Lady of Victory. 

Pius V died on May 1, 1572, of cancer. He was canonized on May 22, 1712, by Pope Clement XI. His feast day is April 30 (right after St. Catherine of Siena!). 

St. Rose of Lima: Saint of Peru

St. Rose is an excellent saint for our times. 

Recently, I was reading a magazine article that talked about scar removal and the various ways to do it. I laughed a bit and then sighed, because I've got a third-degree burn on my right arm. Well, I did. But it's one huge scar, and no amount of dermatological intervention is going to make it go away. I live with it, and I don't mind it--but I know to some people, it would be a huge problem. 

I'm not saying we shouldn't try to be beautiful. I wear make-up, y'all. I'm saying that St. Rose teaches us that physical perfection isn't all we should be focusing on--in fact, she saw it as a hindrance to what her real calling was. 

St. Rose was born on April 20, 1586, the seventh of eleven children born to Gaspar and Maria Flores. Her parents had little money, but some social prestige. Her baptismal name was Isabel, but she was nicknamed Rose after an incident in her childhood--a servant claimed to have seen her face transform into a rose. When she was confirmed in 1597, she formally took Rose as her name. 

As a young girl, she read about St. Catherine of Siena, and began to emulate her, especially with intense fasting. She was a beautiful girl, and was often praised and admired for her beauty. In what may be a bit of extreme measures, she cut off her hair and smeared peppers on her face.(The hair, OK. The peppers? I'm not going to try that anytime soon.) This, you can imagine, did not please her parents, who wanted her married. Her mother, especially, loved and praised her daughter's beauty. 

Rose spent many hours before the Blessed Sacrament, and received communion frequently. She undertook severe, secret penances, and abstained entirely from meat. Finally, in frustration, her father gave her a private room in the family house for her use, and her parents gave up trying to marry her off. 

She helped the sick and hungry of Lima, bringing them to her room and caring for them, and selling her exquisite needlework and embroidery to help support the poor and her family. She was especially devoted to the indigenous Peruvians, and prayed intensely for their conversion. 

During this time, Dutch pirates invaded Lima's harbor and defeated the Peruvian fleet. They intended not only to loot the city, but to desecrate Lima's churches. The women, children, and religious of Lima took refuge in the churches, and in the church of Santo Domingo, Rose stirred all of them to prayer. The pirates burst into the church, but saw St. Rose ablaze in light, holding the monstrance which contained the Blessed Sacrament. They fled and returned to their ships, leaving the churches in tact. 

Rose had wanted to become a Dominican nun, but her father forbade it, so she became a member of the third order instead. She took a vow of perpetual virginity when she was twenty, and only allowed herself to sleep two hours a night, so she'd have more time for prayer.

Rose was eventually diagnosed with arthritis and asthma. Her only human support was St. Martin des Porres, himself a Dominican, who offered her spiritual counsel. 

She died at the age of 31, after being joined to Christ in a mystical marriage, like her great role model, St. Catherine of Siena. She was canonized on April 12, 1671, by Pope Clement X, and was the first Catholic in the Americas to be declared a saint. 

Her feast day is August 22, and she is the patron of embroiderers, gardeners, florists, India, Latin America, the resolution of family quarrels, Peru, the Philippines, against vanity, and the city of Lima. She's often seen wearing or holding wreaths of roses--her mother liked to place these on her daughter's head to accentuate her beauty, but Rose saw them as her own "crown of thorns" 

{Pretty, Funny, Happy, Real} 3

{Pretty}

My Penguin Drop Caps collection. Normally I alphabetize my books by author within genre, but these are designed to be displayed together. I just love the spot of color they add to the shelf and my living room. 

{Happy}

Homemade Pizza for St. Dominic's Day. I really don't eat pizza anymore, but I felt the urge to do it last week, and this is pretty healthy, all things considered. No grease, for starters! And deliciously summery. 

{Real}

The weekly planning, which I do on Saturday. Since I teach CCD on Sundays (we start in two weeks, yikes!), I don't like to do weekly planning then, because I'm beat. So Saturday is my day for weekly planning, grocery list making, and meal deciding. 

(No funny this week--I got nothing!) 

Yarn Along No. 32

So, I haven't actually started knitting anything. But behold the pretty yarn!

This is going to be another washcloth, but in stockinette stitch. Eventually all of this will pay off in being able to knit really awesome things. But I'm not there yet. 

As for what I'm reading: Still Middlemarch, and Persuasion for the last installment of the Great Jane Re-Read, which will go up next week. 

St. Thomas Aquinas: The Angelic Doctor

If you've read the writing of Aquinas, angelic may not be the first thing that comes to mind. Frustrating? Yes. Deep? Yes. Angelic? Um....maybe not. But we'll get to why he's called that. 

As you also may have guessed, St. Thomas joins St. Catherine of Siena as one of the Dominicans who have been named Doctors of the Church. You shouldn't be surprised by that. Anyone who wrote as much as Thomas wrote and inspires an entire study of theology (called "Thomism", or "Thomists", for those who subscribe to his views) should definitely be ranked s one of the Church's greatest teachers. 

But in his time, St. Thomas was kind of an odd duck. Called "the dumb ox" by his brethren, because he barely spoke, Thomas was born on January 28, 1255, in Italy. Hi parents, Lundolf and Theodora, wanted Thomas to follow his uncle into the abbacy of a local Benedictine monastery. But Thomas had other ideas. 

At the age of 19, he resolved to join the newish Dominican order. His parents, displeased with this idea, tried to dissuade him, finally locking him up in his room for a year in order to prevent him being given the habit. He used this year to tutor his sisters and communicate with members of the order. Finally, his brothers smuggled a prostitute into his room, hoping she would tempt him; Thomas drove her out of the room with a flaming poker (something I always thought was a bit hard on the poor woman). That night, two angels appeared to him as he slept and gave him the grace to always remain celibate. 

Finally, in 1244, his mother relented and arranged for Thomas to "escape" his room via the window one night. Thomas escaped, and finally joined the order. The order sent him to the University of Paris, where he was a student of another great Dominican, St. Albert the Great. While there, he picked up the "dumb ox" nickname from his fellow students. Since he didn't talk much, his fellows thought he was stupid. Upon hearing this, St. Albert said,

"You call him the dumb ox, but in his teaching he will one day produce such a bellowing that it will be heard throughout the world." 

Thomas taught in Cologne as an apprentice professor, teaching students about the books of the Old Testament, and writing commentaries on the books of  Isaiah, Lamentations, and Jeremiah. He received his master's degree from the University of Paris and continued to write various theological works, including Summa Contra Gentiles, one of his most famous works. 

In February 1265, Thomas was summoned to Rome to serve as the papal theologian (a post first held by St. Dominic, and held by Dominicans ever since) for the newly-elected pope, Clement IV. Thomas also taught the students natural and theological science at Santa Sabina. He traveled between Paris and Rome many times over the years, filling various posts and teaching. 

In 1272, Thomas retired from teaching at the University of Paris and returned to Naples, where he lived the rest of his life. Here, he worked more on his greatest work, the Summa Theologica, and gave lectures. One night during prayer, he had a vision of Christ. "You have written well of me, Thomas," Christ said. "What reward would you have for your labor?" Thomas answered, "nothing but you, Lord." After this, Thomas had a vision of some sort, but he never told anyone what it was--only that after the vision, everything he had written suddenly seemed "like straw" to him, and he abandoned the Summa, never finishing it. He died on March 7, 1274, while giving commentary on the Song of Songs. Thomas was canonized 50 years after his death by Pope John XXII. 

The Summa, while unfinished, is one of the greatest theological works of all time, and one of the classics of western literature. It was intended as a guide for theology students (that's right, beginners!), and was a compendium of all the teachings of the Catholic Church. It includes topics such as the existence of God, creation, man, man's purpose, Christ, and the sacraments. It's broken into three major parts: 

1. The first part: Prima Pars: God's existence and nature; the creation of the world; angels; the nature of man
2. The second part: Secunda Pars: broken into two subparts:
   1. Prima Secunda: general principles of morality and a theory of law
   2. Secunda Secundae: morality in particular, especially virtues and vices
3. The third part: Tertia Pars: the work and person of Christ; the sacraments; the end of the world (unfinished)

His feast day is January 28, and he is the patron of academics, apologists, protection against storms, book sellers, Catholic schools, chastity, learning, pencil makers, philosophers, publishers, students, and theologians. He's called the angelic doctor because of his angelic purity, his writings on the angels, his angelic wisdom, and angelic piety. 

Daybook No. 100

(yes, I need to change the photo. I'll do that soon. :-P)

Outside my window::

Sunny, cloudy, and breezy. By "cloudy", I Mean we've got a few clouds floating around. So I guess that means partly sunny? I have no idea. 

Wearing::

My blue and white stripped breton top (short-sleeved) and my Boden skirt with the seaside print. I get more compliments on this skirt than anything else I own, so basically I have to keep it safe forever and ever. :) I'm also wearing my Charleston goldbug bee earrings. 

In the CD player::

Sterling Road, by Cassie and Maggie. 

Praying::

Today's the 11th, so I'm off to do Holy Hour as soon as I finish this. I'm part of the Summit Dominican's adoring rosary, so that means on the 11th of every month, I have a Holy Hour. (I chose the 11th because that's the date of my transplant) Last month, my holy hour was in Charleston. :) I'm taking a lot of intentions with me. 

Today is also the feast day of St. Clare, follower of St. Francis and foundress of the Poor Clares--Mother Angelica's order. 

Reading::

Middlemarch, Persuasion, The Seduction of the Crimson Rose

Creativity::

Working on my Sketchbook Skool classes--I have to draw a piece of toast later today. :) I'm also working on a colored pencil drawing that I did in pen a few weeks ago. I'm adding the color now and trying some new techniques. We'll see what comes of it. 

Also, I'm starting a new knitting project, but more on that tomorrow. Sorry guys, it's not anything exciting....yes. That purl stitch! :) 

Around the House::

It's the master bath's week for deep cleaning so I"m working up there. It always amazes me how many dishes I manage to go through as one person. Really! 

Writing::

This week I'm doing a series on Dominican saints, and tomorrow St. Thomas Aquinas is up. So far I've done St. Dominic and St. Catherine of Siena. It came to my attention over the weekend that not too many people are familiar with the Dominican saints, so I'm going to try to rectify that. 

I've also got two September Real Housekeeping pieces being edited. We haven't come up with our October topic yet, so I'm waiting to see what it is before I start brainstorming ideas. 

I'm also playing around with a new idea for a novel that will be my 2015 NaNo piece. In the brainstorming stage now. 

Fitness:

Yoga yesterday, gym today--after Holy Hour. I'm sad that this summer has mostly been too cool to go swimming. 

Organ Donation and Catholicism

Just a quick blurb here, guys: 

Some people have it in their minds that the Catholic Church does not support organ donation. It does. 

Just to clarify: the church supports organ donation. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI was/is an organ donor (I'm not sure if he still is, but age doesn't matter for organ donors--as long as the organs are good, they're good!). 

The people who think this seem to be from a super-traditional sect of the church, and they think that only living organ ovations are OK. That's not what the church says, and that's not how most organ donations occur. You can't give someone part of a heart. My organ donor had to give me both lungs--and obviously, she had to be dead for that to happen! (This isn't true for all lung transplant, by the way--some are possible with living donors. They're called living lobar transplants, but that's another kettle of fish.) 

As long as the donor has expressed the desire to donate organs (as in, be a registered organ donor, people!), or the family OKs it, organ donation is perfectly kosher. You cannot kill people for their organs, and that's not what happens in the United States or European countries. Some countries, yes, this happens, and that's not ethical. But that doesn't happen here. Doctors take care of you and give you the best care, whether or not you're an organ donor.

All major religions support organ donation as a selfless and charitable act of love for another person. 

So if you ever hear someone say the church doesn't support organ donation, whoever is saying that is incorrect. 

St. Catherine of Siena: Doctor of the Church

St. Catherine is one of the three Dominican doctors of the church (we'll get to the others later), and one of only four women Doctors of the Church (along with St. Therese of Lisiuex, St. Teresa of Avila, and St. Hildegard of Bingen). 

She was the 24th (YES, twenty-fourth!) child (out of an eventual 25) born to her parents, Lapa and Giacomo di Benicasa. Giacomo was a cloth dyer. Catherine was born n Marc 25, 1347 in Siena, Italy, and was one of a pair of twins. Her sister, Giovanna, died soon after their birth. As a child, Catherine (or in Italian, Caterina) was so happy that her nickname was "Euphrosyne", which means joy in Greek. 

Catherine had her first vision when she was five or six. On her way home with her brother, she saw Christ in glory, attended by the apostles Peter, John, and Paul. At age 7, she vowed her entire life to God. This vow was tested at the age of 16, when her sister died, and her parents tried to force her to marry her sister's husband. Catherine undertook a severe fasting regime as part of her prayer against being married against her will, and her prayers were answered. From these experiences, she later said that people should "build a cell inside your mind, from which you can never flee." Catherine maintained a constant state of prayer and awareness of God, even when she was outwardly attending to other things. 

Catherine chose to live an active and prayerful life, not becoming a mother or a wife, but also not becoming a nun. After a period of severe illness, Catherine's mother took her to the local "Mantellate", or third order Dominicans, and asked them to take her daughter. Catherine received the Dominican habit from the local friars, despite the strenuous objections of the Mantellate, for up until that time the women had all been widows. Catherine lived at home in almost total silence and solitude. She often gave away her family's food and clothing to the poor.

statue of St. Catherine of Siena at the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia's motherhouse, Nashville, TN

At about age twenty-one, Catherine experienced a "mystical marriage" with Jesus, where she received a ring that only she could see. After this, she gradually retreated from her life of solitude and entered the work and life of her family, and began helping the ill and poor of Siena, working in hospitals and in the homes of the sick. Other people were drawn to Catherine's joy and piety, and began to help her in her works. 

If this was all St. Catherine did, she would still be a commendable example of the Dominican charism and saintly behavior. But she did even more. Only taught to read by the Mantellate, Catherine could not write, but yet she felt drawn into the wider world of politics. She traveled through northern and central Italy advocating reform of the clergy and advising people on the spiritual life. She fought to have the papacy returned to Rome from Avignon, and kept up correspondence with Pope Gregory XI, through which she asked him to reform the clergy and the administration of the Papal States. She eventually convinced him to return to Rome and take up residence there. Her involvement with the papacy is why she is often seen holding a boat in art--the boat is the Barque of St. Peter. 

In 1377, she learned to write, and wrote her Dialogue of Divine Providence, still relying on her secretaries for writing some of her correspondence. The Dialogue is her major work, and was written between October of 1377 and November of 1378. It is a dialogue between the soul and God Himself, and much of it was written while Catherine was in deep ecstasy. Her letters are considered great works of Tuscan literature, and some 300 of them survive. 

She died in Rome on April 29, 1380 at the age of thirty-three. 

Throughout her life, she practiced rigorous abstinence from food. She was a daily communicant and also received the stigmata. Catherine's mother, Lupa, helped Catherine's confessor, Bl. Raymond of Capua, O.P., write her daughter's biography. She was canonized in 1491 and named a Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI in 1970. 

Her feast day is April 29th, and she's the patron of illness, Italy, Europe, miscarriage, the sick, nurses, sickness, and the saint to invoke against fire. 

Possibly her most famous quote is: If you are what you should be, you will set the world on fire (from her letters).

Tiepolo's St. Catherine of Siena

St. Dominic: Preacher of Grace

As Maria says in The Sound of Music, "Let's start at the very beginning." If we're going to talk about Dominican saints--and we are, oh boy!--we need to start with the founder of the order, and that's St. Dominic. 

St. Dominic was born in Caleruega, Spain, in 1170, to Bl. Jane of Aza and Felix Guzman. Before his birth, his mother had a dream of a dog emerging with a torch in his mouth, which seemed to set the earth of fire. The dog in the dream is seen as a play on words: "dog" in Latin is "canis" and Lord is "Domini"--thus, "dominican"="hound of the Lord."  At his baptism, his godmother saw a star on his forehead, hence the reason the saint is often depicted with a star about his head in sacred art, and why he is the patron of astronomers. 

St. Dominic receiving the rosary from Our Lady. Notice the dog with a torch in its mouth at his feet. 

St. Dominic received his schooling in Palencia, where he spent six years studying the liberal arts, and four years studying theology. In 1191, when a famine was raging throughout the country, St. Dominic sold his precious textbooks, clothes, and furniture to help feed the hungry. "Would you have me study off these dead skins, when men are dying of hunger?" he asked his astonished friends. 

In 1194, around the age of twenty-five, he joined the canons regular of in the Diocese of Osma. Canons regular were men who followed the Rule of St. Augustine and lived in community. Unlike monks, the canons were engaged in public works and ministry around the diocese. 

Ten years later, when Dominic was around thirty-five, he joined the Bishop of Osma on a diplomatic mission for the King of Castile. The mission itself failed, but it brought St. Dominic to the event that would lead to the foundation of his new order. 

In the South of France, Dominic and the bishop entered the Albi region of the country, where a heretical sect, the Albigensians, had taken root. (Albigensians were also called Catharists, in some places). Briefly, the Cathars believes that there was both a "good" and a "bad" God. All visible matter, including the human body, was created by the "bad" God, and thus was full of sin. Thus, even the body of Christ, the Incarnation of Jesus, was sinful in their beliefs. The "Good" God was the New Testament God, and the 'bad" God was the God of the Old Testament. Of course, this is directly opposed to the idea of one God that the Catholic Church teaches. 

St. Dominic, upon meeting an innkeeper who held these beliefs, stayed up all night discussing the errors and the True Faith with him. At dawn, the innkeeper realized his error and returned to the church. St. Dominic's zeal for the salvation of souls. But as St. Dominic traveled throughout Southern France alone (the bishop having returned to Osma), he saw the devastating effects of the heresy, and knew that he had to combat it. But how? 

The first people to join the order were women, who wanted to return to a strong practice of their faith. St. Dominic established a monastery for these woman at the church of St. Mary of  Prouilhe. These women became the first nuns of the order. 

On the night of July 22, 1206, St. Dominic saw a a globe of fire descend from the sky and and rested above the church. He saw this sign (called "Seignadou--"Sign of God") as a confirmation of his work. He would form an order of itinerant preachers who would go all over the world, combating heresy and bringing the truth of the gospel to the people. His friars would live in community, but not in monasteries, and they would devote much time to study, because in order to preach the truth, one must first know the truth. They would preach in the language of the people, so that everyone, from prince to peasant, could understand them 

It took several years, but in 1214 St. Dominic established the first religious community of his new order in Toulouse. It would be governed by the Rule of St. Augustine, the same rule he'd followed as a Canon Regular, and which gave a lot of flexibility to its members. The Order was founded for two purposes: Preaching and the Salvation of Souls. This is why members of the order have O.P. after their names--it stands for Ordo Praedicatorum, "Order of Preachers." 

The Dominican seal, with the motto "To praise, to bless, to preach" around the shield. 

The order was formally approved by Pope Honorius III on on December 22, 1216. 

St. Dominic founded convents and friaries (the priests are called friars) throughout Europe, mostly in University towns, such as Paris and Bologna. The pope invited St. Dominic and his friars to take up residence at the Church of Santa Sabina in Rome, which is still the headquarters of the order and the home of the Master General today. 

St. Dominic abstained from meat, and undertook long periods of fasting and silence. He "never allowed himself the luxury of a bed", and often stayed up all night, or late into the night, praying for sinners. He died at the age of 51, on August 6, 1221. His feast day is August 8 and he is the patron of astronomers, astronomy, and the Dominican Republic. 

Besides the Dominican order, St. Dominic gave the church another treasure: the rosary. The rosary was given to St. Dominic at Prouilhe in 1214. Bl. Alain de la Rouche, a Dominican priest, spread devotion of the rosary in the 15th century. The habit of Dominican friars, nuns, and sisters includes a rosary worn on the left side of the body, where knights use to wear their swords, since St. Dominic said that the power of the rosary was more powerful than any other weapon. Pope Pius XI said that, "The Rosary of Mary is the principle and foundation on which the very Order of Saint Dominic rests for making perfect the life of its members and obtaining the salvation of others." 

he habit of the Dominicans is representative of white for purity, and black for penance. There are three "orders" in the Dominican order: the friars are the first order; the nuns, who live in monasteries, are the second, and the sisters and laity are the third. 

Writing Updates

It's been awhile since I've done one of these, so here we go: 

• The book proposal has been sent to an editor with Ave Maria Press. I'm preparing the final touches to my manuscript so I can send it to Ignatius Press, pending a response from AMP. Ignatius Press is one of of favorite publishers, so getting them to accept the book would be like winning the lottery...and I've never been lucky. But nothing happens if you don't try, right? They want the entire manuscript, so I have to add an epilogue to it and give it a quick polish in the formatting department. 
• My July piece for Real Housekeeping was Books To Read To Babies and Kids. My August piece, which is forthcoming, is about Pantry Stocking, and my September pieces are written from the points of view of Amy March and Almanzo Wilder. I'll post August once it's up!
• Today I'm starting a series on Dominican saints. Powwowing with a few Twitter peeps led me to see that many people are not aware of the awesomeness that is Dominican saints, so I'm going to fix that. Yesterday was St. Dominic's feast day, so I'll probably start with him, and then go through the Greatest Hits list, including some saints that weren't Dominicans (born too early!) but are nonetheless patrons of the order. 
• I also do editing projects! Currently I'm helping the good people at St. Mary's Parish here in Columbus with an anniversary book they're putting together. If you would like some editing help, just use the contact form on the site here. 

St. Dominic

St. Dominic performing penance; the Metropolitan Museum of Art 

Today is the feast day of my "spiritual father", St. Dominic. As a Third Order/Lay Dominican, I am always happy to celebrate his feast day, and glad that God has given me a vocation to this great order. 

Here's Pope Benedict XVI on St. Dominic and his friars. Here, the Pope talks about St. Dominic and prayer.  

Dear friends, St Dominic reminds us that prayer, personal contact with God is at the root of the witness to faith which every Christian must bear at home, at work, in social commitments and even in moments of relaxation; only this real relationship with God gives us the strength to live through every event with intensity, especially the moments of greatest anguish. This Saint also reminds us of the importance of physical positions in our prayer. Kneeling, standing before the Lord, fixing our gaze on the Crucifix, silent recollection — these are not of secondary importance but help us to put our whole selves inwardly in touch with God. I would like to recall once again the need, for our spiritual life, to find time everyday for quiet prayer; we must make this time for ourselves, especially during the holidays, to have a little time to talk with God. It will also be a way to help those who are close to us enter into the radiant light of God’s presence which brings the peace and love we all need. Thank you.

There are three branches of the order: the friars, the nuns, and the sisters/laity. The order is celebrating its 800th anniversary next year! 

We have a winner!!

The winner of the 2015 Powersheets set is.....

Rebekah Peterson!!!!

Yay! Rebecca, if you could shoot me an email with your address, I will send them off to you! 

Thanks to everyone who entered! We'll be doing this again with a 2016 set. :) 

{Pretty, Funny, Happy, Real} 2

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

{Pretty}

So, if you've ever been to Columbus, you've probably heard of German Village. If you haven't, now you have! Essentially, it's an area directly south of downtown that was home to many of the city's German settlers in the 19th century. Thanks to preservation efforts, many of the original buildings and infrastructure have been preserved (like that brick sidewalk--but be careful!), making it an adorable part of town, but also one that is a great combination of restaurants, shops, and residences. 

Recently, the weather has been perfect--maybe 80 for a high--so I've gone to the coffee shop on German Village's "main drag" and done my writing and reading there (much of today's Emma post was written with this view in front of me!). It's lovely really any time of year (except winter. Winter on cobblestones? Not good.), but when the weather is perfect, it's sort of magical. 

{Funny}

So while I was writing, a young woman (probably college age) came by with this adorable dog. She wanted to pop into the shop to get a coffee. "Do you mind if I tie my dog up here?"

"Nope!"

So I had a little friend for a few minutes while her owner got her coffee. People passing by loved her and thought she was mine, which, as we know, she is not--but she was super cute. 

{Happy}

Last weekend was the annual Irish Festival held in the suburb of Dublin. I don't go every year, but this year the weather was too perfect to miss it. So I drove up and treated myself to some Irish music, dance, and general culture (and yummy food). The second photo from the right is of the amazing group Cassie and Maggie MacDonald--if you like Celtic music, check them out. 

And the giant bug? That's Stinger, the Blue Jackets' (our NHL team) mascot. He was distributing St. Patrick's Day themed Blue Jackets t-shirts and getting us excited about the upcoming season. 

My planning list for a dinner party I threw on Monday, complete with mail and notes on the back of envelopes. Eventually, this table was cleared off, dusted, and polished....but not when this photo was taken! 

The Great Jane Re-Read: Emma

Previous entries:Sense and Sensibility; Pride and Prejudice; Mansfield Park; Northanger Abbey 

We're heading in the home stretch of Jane novels. Emma is her penultimate novel, if you're looking at them in the order she wrote them. Persuasion and Northanger Abbey were published posthumously, but she actually wrote Northanger Abbey first. 

I've written about Emma before, and quite honesty, I don't have a favorite movie version, because I've only seen one. I know there are a lot of them, but since Emma is my least-favorite novel, I haven't seen as many of the movie versions as I have of the others (Like S&S and Mansfield Park). 

So what's my beef with Emma? 

Emma herself. Jane wrote, when describing the book, "I have created a heroine that no one but myself will much like," and I think she's right. While critics generally decry Fanny Price, in my experience, Emma Woodhouse is the heroine that drives most people mad. She's an incredible meddler who might mean well, but it also overbearing and snobby, as seen in her description of Ben Martin to Harriet. (At least she starts that way.) 

Part of this is probably because Emma didn't have a mom for most of her life, and thus lacked her influence. Her father, while a good man, isn't much concerned with Emma's upbringing beyond the basics (and making sure she doesn't die from some crazy illness), and her sister lives in London, so Emma becomes the Queen of Highbury early on, and isn't corrected as perhaps she should have been.  {When I say "Queen of Highbury", that's pretty accurate; she runs the house for her father, and she's the woman of highest social standing in the village/town. She's the Queen Bee of the Social Hive.}

Emma is also the richest of Jane's heroines, so she doesn't need to worry about money when she marries. She can marry whom she likes, but she also seems disinclined to marry for most of the novel. "She always declares she will never marry, which, of course, means just nothing at all," Mr. Knightley says early in the novel. Emma declares to Harriet,

"And not only am I not going to be married, at present, but have very little intention of ever marrying at all...I have none of the usual inducements of women to marry. Were I to fall in love, indeed, it would be a different thing! but I have never been in love; it is not my way or my nature; and I do not think I ever shall. And, without love, I am sure I would be a fool to change such a situation as mine...I believe few married women are half as much mistress of their husbands house, as I am of Hartfield; and never, never could I expect to be so truly beloved and important; so always first and always right in any man's eyes as I am in my father's." 

Emma is often portrayed as a matchmaker, but that's not really what Emma does. She's a bit of a Henry Higgins. She doesn't just try to set Harriet up with Mr. Elton, for example, but she persuades Harriet to give up her attachment to Robert Martin, whom Emma deems "unsuitable" for Harriet. " I could not have visited Mrs. Robert Martin, of Abbey-Mill Farm," Emma exclaims. She sort of wants to form people in a certain manner, or "in her image", as I guess we could say. 

Emma's age may play some part, but remember that Elizabeth Bennet is also Emma's age, and even though she had a very silly mother, is still more practical and sensible than Emma is, when it comes to social interaction. Elizabeth, for example, would never act like Emma did at Box Hill. (Nor would Elinor, Catherine, or Fanny, for that matter. Marianne--possibly.) It shows an incredible amount of impropriety, almost like Emma were drunk. 

Emma doesn't think before she does things, and that's probably her biggest flaw. She doesn't anticipate Harriet becoming so attached to Mr. Elton, and she's unhappy that her scheme affected her friend so.By her interference, she makes Harriet's life more complicated, not less. 

Mrs. Elton drives me mad, but at least with her appearance we have the beginning of Emma's reformation, even if Emma herself doesn't realize that. She sees Mrs. Elton's ridiculous pretensions and condescension to the people of Highbury, and is irritated by it. It's sort of like families--you can tease them, but woe betide anyone else who does! In seeing Mr. Elton's choice, she realizes how deeply deceived she was in Mr. Elton's character. 

Mr. Knightley is a great character, isn't he? I love how he argues with Emma; he's the only one that seems to get away with it, or to hold his own with her. Everyone else never pushes "dear Emma" (as Mrs. Weston calls her). He is 16 years older than she is, which makes him probably the oldest of Jane's heroes, and it does hive him some material advantages over Emma in understanding and knowledge of the world. "I have still the advantage of you by sixteen years' experience, and by not being a pretty young woman and a spoiled child," he tells her. 

He's not perfect. He has a temper and he holds grudges longer than Emma does; he likes to hold on to being mad, while she tries to smooth it over. But they do complement each other very well, which is important in Jane's novels. She always notes that an ill-matched couple does not get on together (think Sir and Lady Middleton, or, even more vividly illustrated, that of the Bennets). And even if the Eltons get on together, they clearly bring out the worst in each other. Emma and Mr. Knightley (it's easy to forget his first name is George!) will go well together because they mesh. 

Emma becomes better throughout the novel. She has the most drastic evolution, I think, of any of Jane's heroines. Elizabeth changes her mind about Darcy, but in materials, she is well-set. Elinor and Marianne become more balances in their temperaments, and Fanny Price is proven correct in her behavior. But Emma really grows up, especially after the Affair at Box Hill, and it's because George has a good yelling at her. Emma knows, I think, that she has behaved badly, but I don't think it's until Mr. Knightley really tells her off that she perceives just how deeply her carelessness has  been felt. 

What do you think of Emma, both the character and the novel? Do you find Emma "insupportable" in the beginning? 

 

Yarn Along No. 31

Ta da! They're finished! The washcloths are off the needles and that project is done!

But now I need a new one? 

So, again, there are probably two projects on the horizon. One is another scarf for the VA project we're doing in Lay Dominicans. Another is conquering the purl stitch, which means.....

more washcloths. 

I'm sorry, folks. But really they are the easiest way to learn this. I don't want to start a scarf and then have to rip out tons of rows. One day, I promise, my YA entries will be epically awesome, with wonderful projects. I'm hoping by the end of the year to start a basketweave scarf with a wonderful yarn I have in my stash. But first, I gotta get the purl stitch down. 

So, a washcloth it is. I'll have the colors and such ip next week, I hope. Or maybe I'll make one super fast and we can move on from there with speed. :) 

As for books: Middlemarch and Emma. Emma I will be finishing quickly, because it's tomorrow's Jane Re-Read Entry Also Sky Burial, which is a nonfiction book about a Chinese woman who goes to Tibet in search of her husband, who is reported dead by the Chinese army--but she doesn't believe it. Thus far it's been an interesting look into Tibetan culture and an engrossing read. 

(And have you entered my giveaway yet? It runs until Friday!) 

Summer Dinner Party

I throw a dinner party a few times a year, and at least once during the summer. This year's event was last night. (And no, it wasn't as involved as Babette's! Still, that's a great movie to watch before you feed people!) 

When I say "dinner party", it's not like a Downton dinner party. (Does anyone have those, anymore, other than the queen?) It's much more casual. For one thing, my house is small, and my dining table is even smaller. I have four chairs, so that's how many people I can have for a dinner party. A party, sans dinner, can be more people, but not that many. (I only have so many spots where people can sit that aren't the floor.)

This one was a bit impromptu, but here's the menu: 

Fried Onion Dip with Kettle Chips

Green salad with French Vinaigrette 

Lemon chicken with cherry herb tomatoes

strawberries, cookies, and vanilla ice cream

One of the things I've learned over the years is not to make everything for a party. You'll see the dessert is all store-bought things that I can make fancy. 

I also plan out how things are going to go. The onion dip needed time in the fridge, and was also the most labor intensive, so I made that first. The chicken needed not only to cook, but to rest for 15 minutes once it was out of the oven. The salad could be made two hours ahead and left to sit at room temp until serving time. The tomatoes can also be served at room temperature, and will be made closer to dinner time. Nothing needs to cook in the same space (i.e., the oven) at the same time.  (And yes, I deleted things from the plan as needed!) 

I don't mind finishing things up when people are here. That's what the onion dip is for. They can eat and talk and chat while I'm doing the last-minute things, but I like to keep it to one or two at the most last minute things. So, the tomatoes being rolled around in a skillet? That's fine. Doing the onion dip with people around? No. It involves clarified butter, chopping, frying onions--no. I don't want to do that when other people are around. I'll burn something or myself. Better to make that before!

I also cook things I know taste good and can be made in my kitchen. (That's important. This probably isn't the time to test a new Julia Child recipe that will require every mixing bowl you have.) The only "new" thing on this menu is the vinaigrette, and you really can't go wrong there, especially when it's an Ina Garten recipe. 

As for drinks--I've noticed this can be a point of contention at dinner parties. I usually offer coffee and hot tea (loose and bagged, because I am a Queen of Tea), my homemade iced tea, and a soda. Sometimes we have wine, and I usually have some sort of diet soda around. 

I ask people if they have any food allergies/severe dislikes before I go shopping for the food. I don't want to kill anyone (obviously), and if people have a special diet, I can accommodate it (usually). For example, I'm not supposed to eat a diet high in carbohydrates, so if you have a dinner for me that's all pizza and pasta, I will eat it (because I love it), but it's not the best thing for me to eat. Ideally, I want people to enjoy the meal I'm making for them, and not eat it only because they're too polite to not! And, I'm Italian. Feeding people feeds my hospitable soul! I want them to be happy! 

The herb roasted tomatoes and salad

Last planning tip: When you do as much prep as you can before the party, be sure to run the dishwasher too. It always helps to start with everything clean when the guests arrive, at least as much as possible, and an empty (as much as possible) dishwasher. 

If you don't usually throw dinner parties, I invite you to do it before summer's over, because this is really the easiest time of year to do it. You can grill! Toss some burgers and brats or whatever on the grill and let it go. Grab some tomatoes from the market (or even better, the farmers' market!) and serve them with mozzarella slices. Make some sangria and serve ice cream sundaes for dessert. 

onion dip on my set table. 

How do you like to entertain? Game nights, dinner parties, bowling parties? Do you have any good party hosting tips? 

(Also: have you entered the giveaway yet?) 

Let's Make Things Happen: GIVEAWAY!

Guys! I am so excited to share my first giveaway with you, and for a product that I love so much. 

I wrote about this a few months ago, and I don't think it's a stretch to say that without Lara's amazing product, I'd never have gotten the memoir even close to where it is now. 

Power sheets are Lara Casey's fantastic goal setting sheets. They are undated and can be used ANY TIME at a six month stretch so you can work on what matters in your life. Anyone can use them--students, stay-at-home moms, teachers, entrepreneurs. Whoever you are, these are amazing goal setting tools. 

Goal setting used to overwhelm me. I had no idea where to begin, and I always felt like I was falling behind and not making progress on the big things in life. I always had vague ideas about things I wanted to do. But I read about the Power Sheets and I've used them now for almost two years. They are excellent for making things happen. 

I know--you're probably thinking, are these things magical? Surely you jest!

Guys, I'm not. The way Lara has these set up, you work through what really matters to you. Then you set goals from that place. You're basically distilling down your life to its essence. And your goals don't have to be huge! Some of mine are "clean the house" sorts of goals! I've used them to help deepen my prayer life, my writing, my blogging, and even friendships. You can use them for anything, and I guarantee they will help you reach your goals. 

So, to celebrate the new site and the book proposals being sent it, Giveaway time!!! 

The giveaway will run for a week. The rafflecopter below has all the details and ways you can enter. Also, be sure to check out Lara's amazing shop. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Seven Quick Takes No. 82

I. 

I am super excited to share my first giveaway with you! You can read all about it here. Enter often. (Well, as often as you can....)

II. 

The weather is going to be perfect this weekend and I don't know what to do with it. Do I go to the Irish Festival in Dublin (OH, not Ireland. :-P)? The Violet festival? Do I just hang out at the pool? So many options, so little time. And the State Fair started this week, so there's always that. Seeing a butter cow is a fun thing, let me tell you. 

III. 

I am almost done with the washcloth, which means you might--might!-- have something new to read about in the Yarn Along this week. I know that excites you so much! I'm still reading Middlemarch, though, and I have to read Emma this weekend since it's the next in the Jane Austen Re-Read. That post will be up on Thursday. 

IV. 

I have bought my first Christmas present--a book for my grandma. Given that my mom started shopping in May, I am behind. She is the Queen of Christmas. 

V. 

I know you've seen the Planned Parenthood videos on the news and on the web. I can't say anything that hasn't already been said. But I dearly hope that those who are so misguided as to think that these aren't babies that are being killed, by the millions, every year in America, that they will finally see what is really happening in these places. It's not healthcare. It's death on demand. 

Every single life matters, from the moment it's conceived, to the moment of natural death. But we have to start protecting it when its most fragile. 

VI. 

I'm going to a Dominican Rite Mass on Sunday in honor of the feast of St. Dominic, which is August 8. I went for the first time last year and was a bit discombobulated. Let's hope I do better this year--I'll report back. 

VII. 

I'm making progress in my art classes. The assignment this week? To draw part of a piece of toast. Not kidding. So I'm working on that today. 

Happy Feast Day, St. Martha!

Happy Feast Day to St. Martha, who, as we know, kicks dragon butt. :) 

Yarn Along No. 30

If it's Wednesday, it's knitting day! 

As you can see, I'm making progress here, but there's still a bit to go. I figure I'm about halfway done, because I like my knit washcloths to be on the bigger side. But I've been watching DVRd Outlander episodes (for like, the fifth time) while I knit, so that helps me get daily knitting time. It's also a great show to knit to, because so many of the characters have great knitted accessories! 

I'm reading Middlemarch right now. I tried to start reading this in college and never really got into it, but now is the time. It's gonna get read, guys, it really is! I'm only about 120 pages in, and as you can see, it's a big novel. But I'm not in any particularly hurry to get it done.  And isn't this edition gorgeous? I love the Penguin drop caps series.