Share Your Story Today!

Taking time to tell our stories is important...even life's smallest moments can be packed with learning opportunities or just something to make us smile and laugh. Please consider sharing your stories of family, faith and love.  Thank you to all who have shared in the past.  Your stories continue to inspire and amaze us ...each one is precious!  To share your story e-mail Lisa at Catholicmom1@excite.com today.

Take a look below for some great ones which have been shared.

Tuesdays with Laura
Click here to read the full story by Roxane Salonen

Barb's Sunday
Click here to read the full story

Placing Empty Arms in God's Hands
A Spiritual Response to Miscarriage
click here to read the full story by Roxane Salonen

Maria's Passing
This week I attended the Rosary of a remarkable woman from our parish, Maria, who recently passed away after having been diagnosed with cancer.  Maria was a bright light for many, a person of incredible knowledge and faith.  For the past several years she taught Bible Study classes at our parish and ignited in many of us a love of the sacred scriptures.  For those of us who had the pleasure of knowing her, she was a role model for living your life as a Christian.  Her faith defined her and was the cement for a rock solid marriage.  Maria was a class act...always dressed immaculately and so full of life and knowledge.  
As I sat and listened to the many people who spoke about the way in which she had touched and changed their lives and brought them closer to God, I asked myself "Am I doing this for the people in my life?"  When people meet me, do they feel the love of Jesus?  Does my faith shine and do I give the glory to God for the many blessings in my life?
I am a better person for having had Maria in my life, but something tells me she would want me to do more, to be better...I will start today.
Lisa

Learning to be a Mommy
As my ninth Mother's Day approaches this year, I am filled with the sense of how much I still need to learn about the art of Mothering.  Lately it feels as though the longer I work at this "job" of being Mommy, the more complex it becomes, with new issues and complexities arriving at the turn of every corner.  Luckily, I have the world's best resource...my own Mommy!  

In 1991 before the birth of my first child, I read every book and magazine I could get my hands on and thought by the time that he arrived I had pretty well done my research and would have this whole thing under control.  The World's Best Mom (Anne, hereafter referred to as WBM), kept her mouth closed and her eyes and heart open.  The few suggestions offered by the WMB, such as "Why don't you try giving him Cheerios?" when my son was about 4 months old were met with comments from me such as "THE BOOK says not to feed him those until FIVE months!". (Of course when I desperately implemented her suggestion - she turned out to be right...he loved them, did not choke, and was entertained for hours!)   I was convinced that her parenting skills were outdated and that my books offered the most modern and scientifically appropriate parenting techniques.  Despite the fact that she had successfully raised five kids, things had changed, right?  The WBM never overstepped her boundaries and was there to pick me up when I feel on my face at various times during that first year of mothering.

Well, times do change and I have slowly come to realize that in 99.9% of all cases, the WBM is right in the advice she offers.  Anne has the wisdom to gently offer suggestions without forcing them down my throat or second guessing me.  On most afternoons, you can find me talking on the phone long distance to Chicago discussing important parenting issues like fights on the playground or what to take for Kindergarten snack.  She is such a wonderful mother and her advice to me is so cherished that I have teased her about leasing her out to my friends ...I'm pretty sure that would be a successful enterprise (1-900-call-WBM)!

One of my favorite lessons from the WBM is to pray - for and with my children - every day.  Anne - my mommy -  is loving, funny, insightful, cute, spiritual, playful, smart and special...in short, the World's Best Mom.  And lucky me, I know she prays for me every day!  Happy Mother's Day Mom - I love you!  Lisa

Second Holy Communion
I have the wonderful privilege of serving as an Extraordinary Minister in my parish, which means that I assist with the distribution of Communion.  I was reminded last weekend of a phenomenon that happens each year and which always moves me to tears of joy:  Second Holy Communion.  It happens each year around this time...a few weeks after Easter and the week after our parish school's beautiful First Holy Communion ceremony.  I serve at the 9:30 mass, which is the Family mass.  As the first little one approaches, I remember it...Second Holy Communion week!  The signs are there:  a little boy approaches, not quite sure which hand goes on top and with a very cute smile of excitement; a mom follows, nervous and teary eyed, beaming with joy and pride.   I always get a lump in my throat and rejoice over my participation in the process.  To this child I give the gift of the Eucharist and welcome him to a new role in our parish family - a guest at the Table of Plenty.  My smile matches his and try to keep my voice from breaking as I present him the Body of Christ and he responds with a huge "AMEN!".  The entire phenomenon takes only a minute, but it leaves me rejuvenated and filled with hope for the future of our Church.  I can't wait until next year's Second Holy Communion!

Struggles Can Be Blessings
I have been a Catholic convert for 15 years now.  I have only been practicing my faith for 7 years, and my husband has been practicing for about 6 years.  We have four wonderful children, and I stay home with them.  I find myself losing my patience with them at times, especially my oldest son who is strong willed.  God has blessed us in our struggles, however, and through many different sources--the order we belong to and the school he goes to, we don't feel discouraged with him anymore.  Our experience with him has taught us to rely on God and his grace for our answers in parenting.  Our oldest son is actually maturing nicely and turns to God for his answers as well.
Shared by Kathy

A V.I.P. at Mass
I've been meaning to share this story for a while, but perhaps I've procrastinated because it casts me in such a "human" light (i.e. weak!).  However, the memory so clearly remains with me that I feel as though it needs to be documented and shared because is taught me a huge lesson about my faith and myself.

The night was Christmas Eve and a glow hung over our beautiful church as families assembled to share the 5:30 children's liturgy together.  This was a big night for my family, as my son Eric had been selected to portray Joseph in the living Nativity scene to take place at the Homily.  We had arrived 45 minutes early, dressed in our finest with Joseph and a shepherd in tow (little Adam got in on the act too!).  We were escorted to our front row seats in the first pew - special reserved seating because Joseph can't miss his cue!

I had a feeling of serenity and ultimate happiness as the family choir sang my favorites and my boys smiled up at Daddy and I.  The church was soon filled to capacity, and then to overflowing, but we remained snug and cozy up there in that front pew.  It was going to be the perfect Mass...my children would behave, my prayers would be clear and true, my family would remember the experience on Christmas Eves in the future!  

And then... a touch on my shoulder.  Well, actually, more of a shove!  We in the front pew, which was by this point filled to overflowing also, had "earned" our seats...who had the right to show up as Father was walking up the main aisle to begin Mass?!  And how dare they think they could just saunter into the front pew?

The occupants of the front pew "scooched" together even more (several taking small children onto their laps) to accommodate the newcomer, but we were anything but welcoming!  How dare he show up at the last minute and take the best seat in the house!  Who did he think he was? Since he was seated right next to me, I spent the first few minutes noticing the smell...he hadn't even taken a shower before Mass!  I then took the time to actually look at him and realized that he was special...perhaps mentally retarded or with some other fairly severe disability.  My attitude softened somewhat, but I still felt hot and crowded and was no pretty picture!  As Mass began, I realized how zealous he was - he responded loudly to each prayer, sang his heart out, and frequently nodded and said "Yeah Father!".  

I think it was somewhere around the Eucharistic Prayer that I realized that he had been sent...He was so filled with the spirit and love for the Mass experience that it was infectious!  I found myself responding loudly too and singing in my best voice (at least it sounded that way to me!).  Somehow, God had sent this V.I.P. to sit next to me in the front pew to help me get things in perspective - more important than our nicest clothes and my kids participation was a true rejoicing in the glory of the Mass and Eucharist and we celebrated the birth of our Savior.  He left before the final song was over and I've never seen him since, but the memory of that beautiful Christmas Eve mass sticks with me and reminds me to be joyful about my faith and to welcome and appreciate whomever I find myself seated near in mass.  We are all a part of the family of God and we all come to the Table as one!

I still keep a watchful eye out for the V.I.P. when I go to church...next time I see him I'm going to "scooch" him over and sit next to him!



Singing is Praying Twice
My 5 year old son, Michael, has always been interested in music.  He can look at just about any musical instrument and tell me its name.  He even talks about becoming a conductor and actually turns around to direct the congregation at mass during each hymn.  At first I was worried that fellow parishioners would think he was not behaving properly but instead everyone smiles and comments on how good it is to see him so involved.  Currently, Michael is attending religious education class during the 9:30 mass (except the first Sunday of each month due to the children's mass).  On occasion he asks me longingly, "did they sing 'Thy Word' today?" (his favorite song which is used to send the children forth on all other Sundays for Children's Liturgy of the Word).  Recently my 2 year old son, Brian, was sitting with my husband during mass (I was singing in the choir) and began to sing "Thy Word".  He knows most of the words (although some are made up) and he sings it while playing, eating dinner, taking a bath or getting dressed.  It's so sweet.  Submitted by MaryKay

I Love My Husband – Why?

I love my husband
Why?
Because he’s such a wonderful husband. And he’s the world’s best daddy.
Why?
Because he’s so loving, patient, funny and playful.
Why?
Because we’ve been driving to church for twenty minutes and we’re running late and the boys are playing that stupid game where they ask “why?” after everything you say and it’s driving me nuts but my husband just keeps answering them and his answers are getting crazier and crazier every time they say “why?” and it’s been going on for twenty minutes and he never seems to tire of it…
Why?
Because for him, the sound of their laughter is the world’s best song and the smiles on their faces grow more beaming and they’re giggling until they’re rolling so hard they think they’ll cry…
Why?
Because they have the world’s funniest daddy and he loves them so very much that he’ll play anything with them, even if it’s that stupid “why?” game that gets to mommy every time and she always quits after the third or fourth “why?”, but he’ll keep playing as long as they want to…
Why?
Because he honestly loves these moments with his little boys and because he has a heart of gold and because they think he’s even funnier than David Letterman and because he knows that some day they won’t want to play the “why?” game any more and because he’s the world’s best daddy…
Why?
I don’t know, that’s just the way God made him.
Mommy, that’s the way you always end the game!

I am a lifelong Catholic, my husband, Scot, a Lutheran.  We decided to raise our children in the Catholic faith and some years after our marriage a miracle occurred when he agreed to go on a Marriage Encounter weekend.  Of course if goes without saying that is was an unforgettable weekend.  I always ran into the couples we met on the weekend and would tell Scot of their greetings and well wishes after the kids and I returned from mass.
On the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, a local church had a blessing of the animals and we took our dogs.  The next week, my husband said, "that's it, even the dogs are Catholic" and he signed up for RCIA.  I was so happy at the Easter Vigil to celebrate the eucharist with my husband, now a Knight and eucharistic minister.
My "Catholic" dog just passed away and the RCIA coordinator told me that "she went right to doggie heaven since she helped bring your husband to the faith" - shared by Laura

While leaving our parish one day my 2 year old looked at the angels that flank our doors of the church and she said "Look Mommy, Angel of God." It was so cute and it made me smile and showed me I have taught her something. Just last night while putting her to sleep she said she loves her friends, I asked her which friends, and she said "Jesus and God." This is all from my little imp. She is always making everyone laugh and doing things she shouldn't be doing. Gotta Love her!  - submitted by Tammie

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