![Put It To Work 7]()
by Catherine | Nov 25, 2014 | Faith
Happy Monday! It’s time for Put It To Work, our weekly opportunity to swap prayer intentions. The goal of Put It To Work is to actively unite our intentions to the cross for one another, putting the prayer intentions “to work”–especially in times of suffering (no matter how small).
Thank you for your prayers last week. Hosting my side for an early Thanksgiving on Saturday went great! Philip and I didn’t have a single fight in preparation for the festivities! The inevitable snafus arose, but we were able to take them in stride. I’ll post about Thanksgiving later.
Please put these intentions to work this week:
- That our family works to find new, concrete ways to live out Sunday’s Gospel this year (serving the least of our brothers)
- For Grandma Josephine. May she adjust well to her new home, receive loving care, and find peace as her Alzheimer’s advances.
- For the people of Ferguson, Missouri as they live through whatever verdict may come. For their safety and healing.
- For my patience as I learn how to coach Jane and Walt through the preschool years
- That Philip and I will continue to work everyday to further strengthen our marriage
What about you? What prayer intentions can I start “putting to work” for you this week? I’ll add them to my prayer journal and bring them with me to my prayer time throughout the week.
Thank you for praying for us! You’re in my prayers this week, too!
by Catherine | Nov 20, 2014 | Faith, Family
I know it’s not even Thanksgiving yet, but I’m a planner, and I’m writing this column for myself. I’m going to print it off, stick it to my refrigerator, and remind myself of these words when Advent is upon us. As our family grows, the Advent and Christmas seasons get a little more chaotic with each year. I thought I’d come up with some survival tips for those trying to keep the time holy…
![Put It To Work 6]()
by Catherine | Nov 17, 2014 | Faith
 |
| Put It To Work |
Happy Monday morning! It’s time for Put It To Work, our weekly opportunity to swap prayer intentions. The goal of Put It To Work is to actively unite our intentions to the cross for one another, putting the prayer intentions “to work”–especially in times of suffering (no matter how small).
Thank you for continuing to share your prayer intentions with me. My weeks have been transformed by the power of your prayers. Being able to lift up your intentions throughout the ordinariness of my days sanctifies and blesses my work. Thank you for the honor of entrusting some of the most private and painful intentions to me. I continue to pray for all of them.
Please put these intentions to work this week:
- Strength, peace, and comfort for those who struggle with depression, anger, and loneliness during the holiday season.
- For a softening of heart and a warm homecoming for those loved ones who have left the Faith
- Safe travels for my family members as they journey here on Saturday for our first Thanksgiving celebration in our new home
- As we prepare to host my (large!) family this week, for Philip and I to prioritize and remember what really matters when snafus arise
- For my patience as I learn how to coach Jane and Walt through the preschool years
- That Philip and I will continue to work everyday to further strengthen our marriage
I know you’ve been seeing those last 2 intentions on here week after week. I’ll probably keep asking for prayers for my patience and for continued strengthening of our marriage for a long, long time because, well, who doesn’t need more patience, and who doesn’t want an even stronger marriage?
What about you? What prayer intentions can I start “putting to work” for you this week? I’ll add them to my prayer journal and bring them with me to my prayer time throughout the week.
Thank you for praying for us! You’re in my prayers this week, too!
![7QT: 10 minute challenge edition]()
by Catherine | Nov 14, 2014 | Uncategorized
- 7 Quick Takes Friday
This week, I’m going to try and write my post in ten minutes. Timer begins NOW!
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Head over to Brandon Vogt’s blog to enter his “Behold Your Mother” Book Giveaway! I already did, and I’m hoping I win one of the books. If not, I’ll just have to buy myself a copy anyway! Can’t wait to feast my eyes on this compilation of everything there is to know about the Blessed Mother. As a cradle Catholic, I suppose I’ve taken a lot of the misconceptions and objections about her for granted.
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I love Jen Fulwiler, I love the Gaffigan family, and those two worlds splendidly collided in a Catholic girl’s fantasy world! Jen Fulwiler just had Jeannie Gaffigan on her new Sirius radio show AND Sirius made a podcast of the show available! YAY! I haven’t heard it yet, but I have a date to listen to it tonight while I fold laundry. You know you’re jealous!
-3-
Are you going to the Edel Gathering this year? I’m going with one of my dearest friends, and I CANNOT WAIT! Is it July yet? Hallie just announced the speakers, and I’m LOVING them already! They are Rachel Balducci and Kelly Mantoan. I just started following their blogs and reading about them. Edel ’15 is already shaping up to be living up to the hype! Tickets go on sale next Wednesday. Hope I’ll see ya there!
-4-
Remember my friends Amanda and Jonathan? Their precious baby, Josephine Rose Teixeira is here!!! BABY TEX IS HERE! I can’t wait to squeeze that little cutie pie! Thank you so much for all of your prayers, especially this week. God will not be outdone in generosity, people! Isn’t it the best when we can see His faithfulness in the lives of the people we love?! Search for the hashtag #babytex for their latest updates on Amanda and Jonathan’s journey with Josie.
-5-
I’m turning 30 on the 26th. Am I the only one whose reaction to turning 30 is, “Meh”? The number just isn’t fazing me. (Yes, it’s “fazing” and not “phasing.” Read why here.) Perhaps I should feel old when I think about my big gift wishes. I don’t want jewelry, a big party, roses, or a fancy dinner. The only thing I want for my birthday (and Christmas and Valentine’s Day) is someone to help clean the house so that I can focus more on doing the mom thing. If someone could deep clean the bathrooms and kitchen for me on a semi-regular basis, that would be heavenly! If that makes me old and lame, that’s okay. I’m okay with being old and lame if it means I can spend more time enjoying our family.
-6-
We had this Slow Cooker Stout and Chicken Stew for dinner the other night. DELICIOUS! It involves chicken thighs, bacon, and a stout. Need I say more? I recommend adding a little more salt and some spices (garlic & thyme) to give it a little more pizazz. We loved it!
-7-
Philip is deer hunting with the other guys in my family this weekend. Please pray for their safety and that they each bag a deer ASAP so that us ladies can get our husbands back! Should I be concerned that Philip felt the need to pack all of these gloves and suturing supplies???
Okay, I wrote it in 20 minutes, but I had several interruptions. Maybe next time.
If you want to read more 7QT posts from real bloggers, head over to Kelly Mantoan’s blog to join in the fun! Have a great weekend!
![Thirsting Thursday: “I’m Sorry”]()
by Catherine | Nov 13, 2014 | Faith, Marriage
I know, I’m crazy, but I have another harebrained idea for a new regular series on the blog. I’m calling it “Thirsting Thursday.” No, no, I’m not talking about the “Thirsty Thursday” from your college days. J.C. gave me the idea when he said, “I thirst” (John 19:28).
I don’t know about you, but by Thursday, I’m usually thirsting. With the weekend nearly in sight and the exhaustion of the week building up, I. Am. Thirsty. I’m thirsting for inspiration, for encouragement, for a break.
- Amen, brother!
On those Thursdays when I’m needing a little pick-me-up, I thought it would be fun to revisit my previous blog posts. I’ve been writing for three years, so I’ve accumulated all kinds of posts with fun dialogues from you readers. On Thirsting Thursdays, let’s go back to those treasured posts, pull out the nuggets, ask some new questions, add new insights, share how we’re STILL struggling, and encourage each other to keep going!
Today, let’s go back to my post called, “I’m Sorry.” I published it in August 2012. It’s all about how a Catholic Answers Live episode taught Philip and I how to readily forgive one another when we’re fighting.
Philip says, “It’s helpful if both people are willing to say they’re sorry because usually both people contributed to the problem. Even if you don’t feel like you’re wrong, saying you’re sorry doesn’t mean that you’re wrong, but that the way you approached making your point might have been the issue rather than what you were saying. Saying ‘I’m sorry’ doesn’t mean ‘I was wrong.'”
He had this to add: “Show the other person that you understand where they are coming from and show them that you understand their reaction. Keeping the focus on their feelings and not just on the problem helps you both to move on.
When you get to a standstill, focus on understanding where the other person is coming from rather than trying to make them understand your point of view. That helps us to move on faster and spend more time together.”
After you (re)read the post, I’d love to discuss:
- Do you and your spouse have a strategy for moving through conflict faster?
- Have you noticed any patterns to your fights?
- Are you guilty of keeping “I’m sorry score”?
- When was the last time you said the words, “I forgive you”?
- When was the last time you heard the words, “I forgive you”?
Cheers to you this Thirsting Thursday!
![Thirsting Thursday: "I'm Sorry"]()
by Catherine | Nov 13, 2014 | Faith, Marriage
I know, I’m crazy, but I have another harebrained idea for a new regular series on the blog. I’m calling it “Thirsting Thursday.” No, no, I’m not talking about the “Thirsty Thursday” from your college days. J.C. gave me the idea when he said, “I thirst” (John 19:28).
I don’t know about you, but by Thursday, I’m usually thirsting. With the weekend nearly in sight and the exhaustion of the week building up, I. Am. Thirsty. I’m thirsting for inspiration, for encouragement, for a break.
- Amen, brother!
On those Thursdays when I’m needing a little pick-me-up, I thought it would be fun to revisit my previous blog posts. I’ve been writing for three years, so I’ve accumulated all kinds of posts with fun dialogues from you readers. On Thirsting Thursdays, let’s go back to those treasured posts, pull out the nuggets, ask some new questions, add new insights, share how we’re STILL struggling, and encourage each other to keep going!
Today, let’s go back to my post called, “I’m Sorry.” I published it in August 2012. It’s all about how a Catholic Answers Live episode taught Philip and I how to readily forgive one another when we’re fighting.
Philip says, “It’s helpful if both people are willing to say they’re sorry because usually both people contributed to the problem. Even if you don’t feel like you’re wrong, saying you’re sorry doesn’t mean that you’re wrong, but that the way you approached making your point might have been the issue rather than what you were saying. Saying ‘I’m sorry’ doesn’t mean ‘I was wrong.'”
He had this to add: “Show the other person that you understand where they are coming from and show them that you understand their reaction. Keeping the focus on their feelings and not just on the problem helps you both to move on.
When you get to a standstill, focus on understanding where the other person is coming from rather than trying to make them understand your point of view. That helps us to move on faster and spend more time together.”
After you (re)read the post, I’d love to discuss:
- Do you and your spouse have a strategy for moving through conflict faster?
- Have you noticed any patterns to your fights?
- Are you guilty of keeping “I’m sorry score”?
- When was the last time you said the words, “I forgive you”?
- When was the last time you heard the words, “I forgive you”?
Cheers to you this Thirsting Thursday!
![Put It To Work 5]()
by Catherine | Nov 10, 2014 | Faith
Hey! Look! This is #5 in the “Put It To Work” series! This just *might* stick as a regular feature!
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| Put It To Work |
It’s another Monday morning, so it’s time for Put It To Work, our weekly opportunity to swap prayer intentions. The goal of Put It To Work is to actively unite our intentions to the cross for one another, putting the prayer intentions “to work”–especially in times of suffering (no matter how small). Thank you for sharing your prayer intentions with me last week. I continue to bring your intentions with me to my prayer time.
My intentions this week:
- Remember my friends Amanda and Jonathan Teixeira? Today is their baby’s birthday!!! Please pray for them, their baby, and their courageous birth mother. Check out their blog for information on how to follow along today. Look for the hashtag #BabyTex. They have an 11:30 a.m. (Pacific Time) scheduled c-section. Please lift them all up in prayer at that time!
- For the repose of the souls of my Grandpa Gene and Philip’s Grandma Pat. They both had November birthdays, and we’re missing them this month.
- For the safety of all of the guys in the family as they prepare for their big hunting trip this weekend. Safety first, boys!
- For my patience as I learn how to coach Jane and Walt through the preschool years
- That Philip and I will continue to work everyday to further strengthen our marriage
What about you? What prayer intentions can I start “putting to work” for you this week? I’ll add them to my prayer journal and bring them with me to my prayer time throughout the week.
Thank you for praying for us! You’re in my prayers this week, too!
![Meeting Trent Horn]()
by Catherine | Nov 9, 2014 | Faith
Trent Horn, one of my favorite Catholic apologists and speakers, came to St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Lincoln yesterday. I got to attend his talk with my sister and brother-in-law. What a fun way to spend a Saturday morning! (A Christian apologist, from the Greek word meaning “to give an account,” is a person answering Paul’s call in 1 Peter 3:15 to always be ready to give a defense of the faith.)
- Trent Horn, photo from Catholic Answers Live
Trent is a regular guest on Catholic Answers Live. As I’ve mentioned several times before on the blog, Catholic Answers Live is a dynamo call-in radio show. It airs for two hours Monday-Friday. The show has a range of topics related to Catholicism. When Trent Horn is the guest, the hosts kiddingly say they “discriminate against the Catholic guests” and ask only non-Catholics to call-in. The show topics include:
(Click on any of the above links to listen to podcasts of the archived Catholic Answers shows with Trent Horn.)
I love it when Trent Horn is on Catholic Answers because of his unique ability to defend the Faith. When many Christians get riled up by the vitriol spewed at them from those that call themselves pro-choice, atheists, or anti-theists, Trent remains calm. By using the Socratic Method (asking a whole lotta good questions), Trent gently and lovingly exposes the weak or false beliefs of the caller. While many callers do not hang up convinced of the Catholic worldview, many thank Trent and Catholic Answers Live for offering a venue to discuss these matters in ways that are rarely achieved elsewhere. In fact, many of the callers say that they are leaving the call with more questions and that they look forward to talking again.
Yesterday at St. Michael’s, Trent shared a talk that he called a “Beginner’s guide to defending your faith.” Before the talk began, he greeted the guests and signed his materials in the vestibule. A few of our GodTeens call themselves atheists, so I thought it would be wise to get Trent’s DVD and book Answering Atheism. I noticed he had a DVD called “Why Believe in Jesus?” too, so I asked him which would be better for our GodTeens group. He said that he believed in getting the materials to as many people as possible, so he said that he would give me one for free if I bought the other. So, I got them all! He graciously signed the DVDs and book for me.
I love how he signed the book’s title page:
I wonder if Trent regularly listens to Fr. John Riccardo too, because Fr. Riccardo regularly says that Sirach 2 is going to be to focus of the eulogy at his funeral Mass. It was endearing to meet Trent in person and get to talk with him for a few minutes. I even got to ask him what he, his wife, and Pope Francis were giggling about in his Facebook cover photo. Ha!
Trent’s talk gave all of us helpful insights into how to defend the faith rationally. When we get stumped, he recommended these 4 steps:
- Pray, pray, pray!
- Ask the person, “What do you think?” about the topic you’re discussing.
- After they’ve answered, ask, “Why do you think that?”
- If you’re still stumped, say, “Let me think about it, and I will get back to you.”
- How adorable is the guy in the suspenders in front of me???
I appreciated the practical tips on how to defend the faith. I felt like I had gained a handy dandy toolbox for handling the tough questions that get hurled my way, especially with our GodTeens.
Trent took some time to answer questions at the end. I raised my hand and said, “Let’s say you are leading a small youth group, and a few of the young people struggle with anger toward God and doubt in His existence because of their childhoods. What would you say is the most convincing argument for a young person that God loves them and that they should have a relationship with Christ?”
I loved, loved, loved Trent’s answer. I have to paraphrase because I can’t remember every word he said, but the gist was this:
- First, give the rational defense of God’s creation of the world. God’s creation of the world and our existence demonstrates His love.
- Second, reflect on Christ’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection. God is omnipotent, so He didn’t have to send His Only Son to die for us, but He did. Aquinas reflects on God’s choosing to send Christ and have Him die on the cross. God’s choice to send Christ on our behalf is a visible, tangible way for us to remember that He loves us enough to do that (pointing to the crucifix).
We all want to know that we are loved, that we are precious, and that we matter. When we look at the crucifix, how can we not be convinced of His Love for us? Great answer, Trent!
Thank you for coming to Lincoln and for sharing your wisdom with all of us, Trent! You, your ministry, and the Catholic Answers apostolate are in our prayers!
by Catherine | Nov 7, 2014 | Family
This week, it’s all about Mr. Harry! Just shy of 15 months, Harry is a full-fledged MONKEY! The little guy has serious climbing skills. He’s our most coordinated kiddo yet, and he’s having fun trying to keep up with Jane & Walt.
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His current favorite spot is on top of this kiddie table in Jane’s room. (The table used to be Philip’s when he was a little boy. Cool, huh?! Thanks for saving it all of these years, Janet!)
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Philip had the ladder out to change some lightbulbs the other day. When Philip left the room to get more bulbs, Harry took it upon himself to try the ladder out. Fortunately, I was there to peel the little daredevil away before he fell off!
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Our parish had their Holiday Fair last Sunday. We got a fantastic basket from the silent auction full of children’s books, superhero capes, and a dinosaur tail. Harry wears his dinosaur tail EVERYWHERE! Here’s dinosaur Harry, cookin’ up something in the kitchen.
-4-
Second only to Jane, Harry is Monty’s biggest fan! While I was making our bed, Harry decided he’d keep Monty company. I love how he put his left arm around Monty for the pic. Monty’s still not so sure about all of the attention, but he’s a good sport about tolerating it! He’ll simply lick Harry until he stops when he’s had enough attention.
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Jane and Walt are enjoying their evening swim lessons. (Hallelujah!) Two nights a week, Harry and I get to watch them below from the observation deck. Harry loves the one-on-one time with me, and he has a fun spot to play around. Here he is, lounging against the window, watching the big kids swim.
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While Walt was at preschool yesterday, I took Jane and Harry to SAM’s & Walmart for our weekly grocery run. I decided Harry was finally ready to sit next to Jane in the BIG cart. Oh my goodness, he LOVED it! He giggled the whole time and shamelessly flirted with all of the ladies we passed by.
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Now that he’s tall enough to see over the windowsill, this is Harry’s favorite spot. He loves to watch the action outside from this window. Early this morning, he ran to the window as soon as he was done with his breakfast to watch the neighbors’ cars leave for school and work.
Head over to Conversion Diary to read more 7QT posts! Hope you have a great weekend!
![Put It To Work 4]()
by Catherine | Nov 3, 2014 | Faith
It’s another Monday morning, so it’s time for Put It To Work, our weekly opportunity to swap prayer intentions. The goal of Put It To Work is to actively unite our intentions to the cross for one another, putting the prayer intentions “to work”–especially in times of suffering (no matter how small). Thank you for sharing your prayer intentions with me last week. I continue to bring your intentions with me to my prayer time.
My intentions this week:
- For continued healing as we commemorate the second anniversary of our baby Thérèse’s death
- For my patience as I learn how to coach Jane and Walt through the preschool years
- That Philip and I will continue to work everyday to further strengthen our marriage
- For the soul of Brittany Maynard, the 29-year-old with brain cancer who took her life yesterday
What about you? What prayer intentions can I start “putting to work” for you this week? It’s my turn to have a Holy Hour tonight. Do you have any intentions I can bring with me before the Lord on your behalf? I’ll add them to my prayer journal and bring them with me to my prayer time throughout the week.
Thank you for praying for us! You’re in my prayers this week, too!
![Halloween Photo Recap]()
by Catherine | Nov 1, 2014 | Family
What a great, great first Halloween in Lincoln we had!
Before heading out for trick-or-treating, we took a few pictures in front of the fireplace:
- Sully, Mikey, and Lambie
- That little Mikey was moving so quickly that he was blurry in most of our pictures from the evening!
- Everyone happily got into character for the pictures. Walt loved roaring like a monster, Harry happily imitated Walt, and Jane sweetly curtsied whenever we popped out the camera.
After the pictures in front of the fireplace, we put out a bowl of candy on the front stoop and headed out…
- One of our favorite neighbor girls and babysitters, Carly, had made the kids adorable treat bags! She even made a bundle of dog biscuits for Monty! Love that girl. 🙂
- We were able to snag a quick pic with some of our favorite neighbor boys, too. It’s so much fun to be surrounded by so many great, young families!
- I had to snap a picture of the way the cuties looked on their way up to the door, so I ran ahead to get this shot. I love how Jane escorted little Harry up the steps! Walter (aka “Wal-turtle”) slowly made his way to the door in his own time!
- Waiting for more of our neighbor friends to come to the door. Trick-or-treating is a different experience when you and the kids know everyone coming to the door by name. It was so fun going house to house, hearing the kids say, “Okay, now, let’s go to __________’s house!”
At one point while we were trick-or-treating up the block, Walt started pointing at our house and complaining, “They’re taking our candy!” We thought he was just being greedy, so we reassured him, “No, honey, they’re supposed to take the candy!” Maybe we should have been paying closer attention, because this is what we found on our return home:
- NADA. No candy. No bowl. NO NOTHING! Kids, I wouldn’t have cared if you had taken all of the candy, but THE BOWL?! Granted, it was only a $2 plastic WalMart bowl, but STILL!
We weren’t going to let that dampen our spirits! We headed inside so that the kids could warm up and transition to sleepy time. We put on a movie and told the kids they could each pick out one treat from their bags.
- Walt thoroughly enjoyed his Milky Way
- Another group shot after the candy set in
- We were pushin’ it, but we thought we’d try to get another shot of Sully & Mikey. Mikey wasn’t feelin’ it.
- Kinda better?
- I’ll settle for the cute wrestling on the ground instead!
We had a few stragglers that came by while we were putting the kids to bed. I told them to be on the lookout for a green candy bowl, and they were sincerely outraged on our behalf that someone would steal our candy bowl. Their cute little indignation softened the blow from the neighborhood thugs! After I gave them their candy, one of the Elsas (who else?) peeked over my shoulder and said in her 7-year-old voice, “You have a beautiful house! Happy Halloween!” Elsa got extra candy.
Even though he was on call, Philip didn’t have to go in to the hospital. We turned out the lights, watched one of our favorite new shows (PBS The Paradise), and called it a night.
I hope you had an equally fabulous Halloween!
![Preschool Halloween Parties]()
by Catherine | Oct 30, 2014 | Family
Jane and Walt’s preschool classes had their Halloween parties this week. The cuteness was killin’ me! All of those little preschoolers running into school in their costumes…it was too much!
This year, Jane is Lambie from the show Doc McStuffins this year. I love her cute little costume! So soft and cuddly!
Lambie is 4!
Walking in to preschool
Sweet big sister Jane opened up her treat bag the second we got home from preschool, and she started divvying out the goods to her little brothers. “Here, Walt, this one’s for you! Oh, Harry, you better not have that one. You’ll probably choke! Here, you can have the bag to tear up! You like to tear things up, don’t you?” She’s such a sweetie to those brothers!
Walt (aka “Sully” from Monsters Inc.) had his preschool Halloween party this morning. He was PUMPED! “I’m gonna roar at everyone!”
Snacktime at the Halloween party
Decorating treat bags. The sweet moms in charge of the Halloween party let Jane decorate some paper with stickers, too. So fun!
Watching the fun with Jane & Harry while Walt’s buddies played games
Jane stayed busy with the stickers
So proud of her creations! Harry wanted to escape and play with the big kids soooooo badly!
Thumbs up, Sully!
Closing out the party with story time
Now that the school parties are over, we’re anxiously awaiting Halloween so that we can go trick-or-treating! The kids CAN’T WAIT to visit all of our neighbors’ houses!
![Creighton’s Cacophony for Social Justice]()
by Catherine | Oct 28, 2014 | Faith
Creighton University, a Catholic institution, has decided to begin extending benefits to same-sex spouses of university employees. The proponents of this move are painting it as a civil rights victory, a matter of social justice, and a win for progress.
Kate Howard of the Omaha World Herald interviewed and quoted professors from Creighton’s theology department for her column on Creighton’s decision. I think these lines illustrate Creighton’s view on the matter:
Gail Risch, an adjunct faculty member who teaches the theology of Christian marriage at Creighton, said offering benefits is not a conflict with church teachings because it’s not a theological issue.
“Providing benefits is clearly a matter of respecting the dignity of the person, and the dignity of a person is not based on one’s sexual orientation,” Risch said.
Of course the same-sex attracted have dignity! Everyone has dignity! The Catholic Church has no interest in assigning or removing dignity because it has no power to do so. Instead, the Catholic Church is saying that those in same-sex relationships are not married. It follows then that those who are not married in the eyes of the Church should not receive marriage benefits from Catholic institutions.
Today, so-called “same-sex marriage” is illegal in Nebraska, and Creighton aims to extend marriage benefits to university employees’ spouses who have attempted marriage in states where “same-sex marriage” is legal. Even if “same-sex marriage” became legalized everywhere, this would not change Catholic Teaching on marriage. In the future event the government would try to force Catholic institutions to provide marriage benefits to same-sex couples, Catholic institutions would have a moral obligation to disobey the government. Providing marriage benefits to same-sex couples amounts to what we call “material cooperation with evil.” In other words, the Church would be providing money to something that the Church finds morally wrong. It is a great scandal to the Catholic Church that Creighton’s president, Rev. Timothy Lannon, S.J., has decided to disobey Archbishop George J. Lucas’ wishes that Creighton uphold the Church’s definition of marriage by extension of the University’s marriage benefits policy.
- Rev. Timothy Lannon, S.J. President of Creighton University
We should be wary when we see a Catholic institution go rogue in the name of “social justice.” Catholic Teaching and social justice are not at odds with one another. As Archbishop Lucas points out, a Catholic institution of higher education should be a pioneer in uniting the two together. Instead, Creighton is choosing to pit social justice against the Catholic Church, demonizing the Church’s teaching on marriage and the faithful who uphold it. Below is Archbishop George J. Lucas’ response to Rev. Timothy Lannon’s decision:
“I am disappointed in Father Lannon’s announcement that Creighton University will extend healthcare benefits to same-sex spouses of employees who have attempted marriage in states where this practice is legal. I disagree with the decision. Despite Father Lannon’s claim that this is not a statement of approval of same-sex marriages, this is precisely the message that the University is giving. I am dismayed that the recommendation of the University Benefits Committee is thought to supersede divine law regarding marriage. There is no tension between Catholic teaching and social justice. Both are grounded in the same truths about the nature of the human person, the complementarity of man and woman and the meaning of human life and love. When we experience tension in ensuring respect and just treatment for all persons, including those with same-sex attraction, we have a right to expect a Catholic university to help us see a just path forward, rooted in faith and founded on the rich Catholic intellectual tradition. Creighton has failed to fulfill this expectation in this expansion of benefits.” (Emphasis mine.)
Thank you, Archbishop Lucas, for upholding Church Teaching and for serving as a steadfast shepherd.
![Creighton's Cacophony for Social Justice]()
by Catherine | Oct 28, 2014 | Faith
Creighton University, a Catholic institution, has decided to begin extending benefits to same-sex spouses of university employees. The proponents of this move are painting it as a civil rights victory, a matter of social justice, and a win for progress.
Kate Howard of the Omaha World Herald interviewed and quoted professors from Creighton’s theology department for her column on Creighton’s decision. I think these lines illustrate Creighton’s view on the matter:
Gail Risch, an adjunct faculty member who teaches the theology of Christian marriage at Creighton, said offering benefits is not a conflict with church teachings because it’s not a theological issue.
“Providing benefits is clearly a matter of respecting the dignity of the person, and the dignity of a person is not based on one’s sexual orientation,” Risch said.
Of course the same-sex attracted have dignity! Everyone has dignity! The Catholic Church has no interest in assigning or removing dignity because it has no power to do so. Instead, the Catholic Church is saying that those in same-sex relationships are not married. It follows then that those who are not married in the eyes of the Church should not receive marriage benefits from Catholic institutions.
Today, so-called “same-sex marriage” is illegal in Nebraska, and Creighton aims to extend marriage benefits to university employees’ spouses who have attempted marriage in states where “same-sex marriage” is legal. Even if “same-sex marriage” became legalized everywhere, this would not change Catholic Teaching on marriage. In the future event the government would try to force Catholic institutions to provide marriage benefits to same-sex couples, Catholic institutions would have a moral obligation to disobey the government. Providing marriage benefits to same-sex couples amounts to what we call “material cooperation with evil.” In other words, the Church would be providing money to something that the Church finds morally wrong. It is a great scandal to the Catholic Church that Creighton’s president, Rev. Timothy Lannon, S.J., has decided to disobey Archbishop George J. Lucas’ wishes that Creighton uphold the Church’s definition of marriage by extension of the University’s marriage benefits policy.
- Rev. Timothy Lannon, S.J. President of Creighton University
We should be wary when we see a Catholic institution go rogue in the name of “social justice.” Catholic Teaching and social justice are not at odds with one another. As Archbishop Lucas points out, a Catholic institution of higher education should be a pioneer in uniting the two together. Instead, Creighton is choosing to pit social justice against the Catholic Church, demonizing the Church’s teaching on marriage and the faithful who uphold it. Below is Archbishop George J. Lucas’ response to Rev. Timothy Lannon’s decision:
“I am disappointed in Father Lannon’s announcement that Creighton University will extend healthcare benefits to same-sex spouses of employees who have attempted marriage in states where this practice is legal. I disagree with the decision. Despite Father Lannon’s claim that this is not a statement of approval of same-sex marriages, this is precisely the message that the University is giving. I am dismayed that the recommendation of the University Benefits Committee is thought to supersede divine law regarding marriage. There is no tension between Catholic teaching and social justice. Both are grounded in the same truths about the nature of the human person, the complementarity of man and woman and the meaning of human life and love. When we experience tension in ensuring respect and just treatment for all persons, including those with same-sex attraction, we have a right to expect a Catholic university to help us see a just path forward, rooted in faith and founded on the rich Catholic intellectual tradition. Creighton has failed to fulfill this expectation in this expansion of benefits.” (Emphasis mine.)
Thank you, Archbishop Lucas, for upholding Church Teaching and for serving as a steadfast shepherd.
by Catherine | Oct 27, 2014 | Faith
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| Put It To Work |
It’s another Monday morning, so it’s time for Put It To Work, our weekly opportunity to swap prayer intentions. As I wrote last week, the goal is to actively unite our intentions to the cross for one another, putting the prayer intentions “to work”–especially in times of suffering (no matter how small).
My intentions this week:
- That Brittany Maynard will change her decision to end her life on November 1
- That our GodTeens will come to know and love Jesus
- That Jane and Walt’s second go around with swimming lessons goes well
- That I will keep working on patience with kids & words of affirmation toward Philip
What about you? What prayer intentions can I start “putting to work” for you this week? I’ll add them to my prayer journal and bring them with me to my prayer time throughout the week.
Thank you for praying for us! You’re in my prayers this week, too!
