REVIEW: Mother Angelica: Her Grand Silence

I recently finished reading an amazing book.  For those of you who missed this post's title, this book was called Mother Angelica: Her Grand Silence.  It's a powerful and moving biography of an amazing woman.  Mother Angelica has been one of the most outspoken and influential women in the Church in the last century, and while I'm not a part of the committee that may one day determine her sainthood, I can say without fear of contradiction that this is one individual who certainly lived a saintly life.  I believe one day, we will see a Saint Angelica.  One day, all of her sacrificing, prayers, and suffering will culminate with one more saint in our midst.

The book covers most of the end of Mother's life.  Author Raymond Arroyo actually wrote another biography of Mother, which details the earlier portion of her life.  I have not had the chance to read it, but it will be on my to-read list for sure.  However, while all of Mother's life was a beautiful tribute to the God she discovered as a teen, for me, it was the end of her life which touched such a chord.

I have been trying to write about this for a while, but I just can't get the words to come out.  My grandmother has been sick for a long time, and is slowly passing away.  There have been times when I honestly believed that she was going to die, but each time, God brings her back to us.  I've been struggling with things, because I watch her suffering, and while I know there is a divine plan, I find it difficult to understand why a woman who is so sweet and loving, and so faithful to God would be made to suffer like this.  This book made me understand.

I understand now that pain and suffering is meant as a means of cleansing.  Suffering allows us to have a deeper relationship with God.  It forces us to be humble, it crushes our pride, and it makes us rely more deeply on Him.  It also acts as a spiritual cleansing for others.  Suffering allows us to sacrifice for the good of the souls of others.  When we are made to suffer, it is God reaching out to us and showing us His mercy.

I recommend all of you read this book, no matter your creed, situation, or current thoughts on religion.  Just read it and allow Mother to reach out to you as she has reached out to so many people, and how she has reached out to your little sister here; as she has reached out to me.

I'll leave you with this video.  This is from World Youth Day 1993, where the Stations of the Cross featured a pantomime with a female actor playing the role of Jesus.  Why am I sharing this?  Because this is the first time I had really seen Mother Angelica get angry; a righteous anger.  And every time I watch this video, I feel a fire stirred up inside of me, and I want to be just like her.  I hope that you feel the same.

God bless you all,


❤ Little Sister

Blessed Martin Martínez Pascual

I read this article on UCatholic, and have not been able to stop thinking about this man.  I've kept the tab open, and I keep coming back to his face, the look in his eyes.  And I feel this strong connection to him.  I'm not sure if I'm developing a crush on a martyred priest, or if it's the strength of his faith that's so fascinating, but I've decided I'm going to start learning a bit more about him, and pray for his intersession in my life.  After all, he's currently beatified, so he's on the road to sainthood.  And as a Catholic, I believe that those who have gone before us will continue to pray for us here on earth.  So, why not?  Perhaps God is trying to reach out to me though this man.  Perhaps there is something special that I need to learn from him.

I Learned that in an Anime #2: Dragon Ball Z is Pro-Life

Just as a fair warning, this post is going to contain some spoilers about the Dragon Ball Z film Battle of Gods (2013) and the Dragon Ball Z anime.  If you haven't seen the film and plan on it, I suggest watching it first and coming back to read this post later.  If you don't care about spoilers, please read on ahead.  I'll try to give a bit of background for non-DBZ fans so you can also follow along.

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So, to summarize, this film was considered something a reboot of the Dragon Ball franchise.  It takes place sometime after the events of "Z," but before GT.  A bit of background on the series: Goku is a Saiyan, a member of a destructive race of aliens who travel from planet to planet wiping out the native inhabitants.  However, he crash-landed on earth as a child, hitting his head and losing his memory, so instead, he grows up to become a hero for justice and a protector against the many threats to the earth.  By the time "Z" has ended, Goku has defeated some of the most powerful beings in the universe, including Frieza, Cell, and Majin Buu.  

Final-Form Frieza, Super Buu, and Perfect Cell

The movie starts in a time of peace, where there are no threats left to fight, and Goku's friend Bulma is celebrating her birthday. Meanwhile, in another part of the universe, Beerus, the god of destruction has awakened from his long slumber to fulfill a prophecy and find the fabled "Super Saiyan God". When he does not find what he is looking for on Earth, he decides to destroy it if Goku can't stop him.

So, here is the spoiler time...

Beerus vs "Super Saiyan God" Goku

Goku can't stop Beerus.  He's just not strong enough.  But, there is a prophesy that if five Saiyans with pure hearts join hands and channel their power into another, he or she can become a Super Saiyan God.  So, Goku gathers together his other Saiyan family and friends (Vegeta, Trunks, Gohan, and Goten), but the ritual doesn't work.  They misunderstood: there has to be five Saiyans to power up a sixth one, as opposed to a total of five.  But, here's the thing...Gohan's human wife Videl is pregnant with his Saiyan baby, so she joins the circle as well, and the power of the child's pure heart is enough to complete the ritual and give Goku the power he needs to transform.

Pregnant Videl and unborn Pan give their power to help Goku

So, what does that mean?  Well, the only way that Goku could have reached the level of godhood was to have the power of five pure-hearted Saiyans to help him.  And if Videl's unborn child (soon to be known as Pan) was able to complete the ring as the sixth Saiyan then that means a few very important things.  One, baby Pan has a pure heart, and two, she is a person.  A clump of cells could not have had the power or the purity of heart to assist as she does.  And look closely at the picture of Videl featured here.  That's a pretty flat stomach.  In fact, her husband doesn't even know that she's pregnant yet!  She surprises everyone by announcing her pregnancy at the moment  when Pan's pure heart is needed to complete the circle.  My point?  According to science, that baby is nothing more than a tiny cluster of cells...and yet, it is enough of a person to make a big impact.

Too many people tell us today that motherhood is a form of bondage, and that the unborn children in our wombs are not people yet (so as to justify ripping them from the womb in pieces or burning them to death with a saline solution).  How far from the truth this is!  Pregnancy is a beautiful thing.  As I talked about in my last post, I am considering veiling at mass and adoration.  In some of the links provided there, people talk about how you veil something that is sacred.  And a woman veils herself because her body is sacred.  God touches women in a way he does not touch men--he gives us the ability to produce life and carry it until it is ready to be born.  What a beautiful gift!

Tarble

The thing is, this was not just a convenient point that was needed in the film.  For example, the prophecy could have required a total of five pure-hearted Saiyans, since there would be more than enough of them at the party. They could have even used other Saiyan characters from the series, such as Vegeta's brother Tarble, even though he wasn't there at the time.  Beerus made it abundantly clear that he's going to wait.  This is not a matter of "We have sixty seconds and need a fast solution!"  Sure, there was a time limit, but it was not an instantaneous death sentence.  So, why not get him?  Or the ritual could even have required six pure hearts, regardless of race. But, that's not how it happened.  Instead, the message here is that it had to be six Saiyans, and Videl and Gohan's daughter Pan was the necessary extra piece to complete the circle.  And this means that this was a conscious choice on the part of the writers.  They wanted to show Pan's personhood.

Say what you would like, but this is pretty clear to me.  Just as God has decreed that each and every one of us is a person with our own soul and will and purpose, so too is it shown in this anime.  Goku is a protector.  Life in all of its forms is important to him.  That's why he needs the assistance of all lives to power up some of his most powerful attacks such as the spirit bomb or his Super Saiyan God form.  Many movies and shows attempt to tear apart the humanity of the unborn just as abortionists try to tear the babies from the womb.  But, at least one can count on the Dragon Ball franchise to get the message right.

I'll leave you with this closing thought:

God bless,

♥ Little Sister

Veiling

For a few months now, I have been considering the possibility of veiling during mass, adoration, and prayer.  Now, when I say "veiling" what I mean is wearing a mantilla or chapel veil as a sign of respect and humility during my prayers.  Now, I'm sure there will be some confused readers out there.  No, this is not like the Muslim hijab or burka, but rather more revealing.  Think of a scarf draped over the top of the head, or better yet, here's a picture:

Image Credit: ChurchPop

I brought this idea of veiling up to my family, and while they weren't against it, they certainly didn't understand.  And that's okay.  After all, this is an older tradition, and I'd say 90% of women no longer feel the need for the veil.  I had been thinking about it after a Facebook post from a Catholic friend who found himself fascinated by a woman who veiled at the campus masses he attended.  A few months later, I saw a young woman, a few years older than me, veiling when I visited a different parish for weekend mass.  Like my friend, I was absolutely fascinated, and thought it was a beautiful gesture.  Think of it this way: a woman should consider herself a bride of Christ.  When women get married, we veil our heads.  Why would we not veil our heads in the presence of our Lord, then, too?

To take a small aside, my grandmother is dying.  Or, at the very least, she does not have a lot of time left.  For nearly ten years, she's been suffering from Parkinson's, and in the last few months, her health has taken a turn for the worse.  It has been very hard watching my beautiful, strong, and amazing grandmother going down this path.  She no longer uses facial expressions, and rarely talks.  Sometimes, she'll nod.  She's very aware, though.  You can tell.  She's still a highly intelligent woman, and every time I see her, I am blown away by her strength.

So, why am I talking about this?  Well, yesterday, my mom and I were cleaning out her room, since she's being moved from her current assisted living facility to a new one that will provide a higher level of care.  And as we were going through her belongings, packing everything into boxes and bags, my mom said she had something for me, and reaching into one of the drawers, pulled out a beautiful black veil.

I started crying as I held it.  It still smelled like Grandma's perfume.

Despite not understanding my desire to veil, my mom had held onto this simple piece of lace that she had found weeks ago with the intention of giving it to me.  She said it's what my grandma would want.  Now, every time I veil, I will have that little piece of her with me.

If you would like to learn more about the veil, and why Catholic women all over the world are bringing back this beautiful tradition, you can read about it here and here.  And here are a couple of videos you might find helpful as well, courtesy of ChurchPop.

Do you veil?  Or do you know someone who does?  What do you think of this practice? Let's start the conversation in the comments below.  I would love to hear what you have to say.

God bless,

♥ Little Sister

Advice for Lonely Singles

So, this advice is as much for me as it is for you.  I have been single for three years now, after having gotten out of a strange "pseudo" relationship with my best friend that lasted three years in college.  And I have been very on the fence about getting out into the dating game again.  It's not that I don't want to find a boyfriend (and eventually a husband), but I keep finding reasons why someone just isn't right, and then I back away, so that if that person was considering asking me out or making a move, he can sense the shift in my own feelings towards him, and he never follows through.

Why do I do this?  Well, I believe it's for a couple of reasons.  And you might be feeling this, too.  First, I went through a lot of "puppy love" crushes in my time, and fell for a lot of guys who just weren't right for me.  Two in particular stand out.  One was verbally abusive, and the other was a cynical atheist.  As much as I tried, I found it difficult, and each time it didn't work out, I ended up a bit hardened by the experience.  Now, looking at the men in my life, I've determined that unless he's "perfect," I want nothing to do with him.  And that's not necessarily right...is it?

Father Mike is one of my favorite YouTube personalities, and I'm sure you've seen him on this blog before.  So, before we continue, I ask that you take a few minutes to watch this video and then keep reading. 

Okay.  So, if you're like me, your first reaction was a bit of indignity.  What do you mean I don't have a soulmate?!  Yeah, I thought that too.  But, it makes sense.   I always thought it was a bit sad to consider that if we do have soulmates, then what happens when someone marries the wrong person?  For example, let's say I'm supposed to marry a guy named Bob.  But, then instead of marrying me, Bob marries Kay for whatever reason.  And then, I end up marrying someone else.  But, now, Bob, Kay, me, and my spouse are with the wrong people.  Doesn't that mess everything up?  Well, perhaps, if Fr. Mike is right, this is not the case.

I like that he addresses the issue of perfection here.  There is a guy I'm curious about.  I've met him through work.  He's very nice, kind, and Catholic.  But, I'm just not sure that he's "the one".  And I'm holding back on him.  Well, there are two issues here, as I'm sure many of you could point out.  One is that going on a date or two does not equal marriage.  This is true.  My issue is that I like to look ahead.  So, if I don't think this is going to work out now, then why waste his time and mine and go out?  That's what happened with my best friend.  We knew it wasn't going to work, but we wasted three years on each other.

And the other issue, which I half-addressed above is that there isn't necessarily "the one".  Our Father gave us free will.  But, by choosing one person for us, a single option that must be followed...that's not really free will, is it?

This is a lot to think about, I know.  And I'm not necessarily saying this is the correct answer.  But, it was some good food for thought.  And it has made me think a bit more.  Perhaps, instead of waiting for perfection, which can only be found in Jesus Christ, I should be a bit more open to options.  And perhaps, if you're struggling with being alone, this might be something to consider as well.  Think about it.

Until next time, brothers and sisters.  God bless,

Little Sister

A Couple of Inspirational Thoughts for the Start of Your Week

The Eucharist