Fr. Leo on Obama's Promises

Father Leo speaks the truth with humor.

Press Release

Lenten Promise Leads to Award-Winning Devotional, Why God Matters

Layton, UT; Pueblo, CO— In 1996, Karina Fabian, mother of toddlers, made a Lenten vow that launched her career as a writer. Years later, it led her to share that joy of writing with her father, as they collaborated on an award-winning devotional, Why God Matters: How to Recognize Him in Daily Life. This year, she hopes to share the joy of Lent through her book and the Why God Matters website.
Deacon Steve Lumbert and his daughter Karina Fabian share their stories of how God led them from casual belief to deep devotion, and offer tips and exercises to help you see God's hand--and take it. Why God Matters: How to Recognize Him in Daily Life is published by Tribute Books and won the Christian Small Publisher Award for best book on Christian Living. It has over 40 reviews from readers of many Christian faiths who recommend it not only as a book to read, but to go through slowly, doing the exercises to strengthen their relationship with God and to be more aware of His presence in her life.
This year, Fabian and Tribute Books are opening the Why God Matters website to faith stories by others, especially Lenten faith stories. “I believe that Lent, and Lenten vows, can change lives,” Fabian said. “I’d like to share that hope with others, and the best way is through sharing our stories.” How about sharing your story? Go here.
Fabian credits her 1996 vow with giving her life its direction. She had always enjoyed writing, but it wasn’t until the Lent after leaving a career in the Air Force that she took it up professionally. “I was home with the kids, and getting a little stir crazy as Lent was approaching. I try to not only give up something for Lent, but to take up something to better serve God as well. So that year, I decided to give up reading fiction and take up writing.”
By Easter, Fabian had a job with the Wyoming diocese newspaper, and freelanced for several parenting and local magazines. She also wrote some slice-of-life stories, but seldom sent them out, and eventually moved more into writing fiction. However, in 2009, when Tribute books was seeking someone to write a short devotional of personal stories, tips and quotes, she felt God calling.
“I was a little intimidated by the project though. I felt something of this magnitude needed someone with a theological grounding, too. Then I realized, my father is a deacon—and he is full of terrific stories.”
Deacon Steve Lumbert, who came to faith while Fabian was in college, had never written a book, but was excited to collaborate with his daughter. Working on this book brought a new level to their relationship.
“God continues to bless me through that Lenten vow,” Fabian said. “Not only will I cherish having worked with my father, but the book itself has touched so many lives. People have written to us that it’s helped them understand their faith better , brought them closer to God, or touched them when they really needed it. I hope this Lent, through the website, we can do this some more.”
Fabian is also willing to speak to book clubs and parishes through telephone or Skype.

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Photos, interviews, and more information available on request or by visiting www.whygodmatters.com or www.fabianspace.com

Burying the Alleluia

Did your parish bury the Alleluia? I don't know if mine did; I was at a new parish. They didn't. I don't think I've ever seen it. I'd like to. I love ceremony and drama. As I understand the tradition, there was drama and ceremony in abundance.

There was a solemn procession from the church to the parish cemetery transporting a coffin with the word "Alleluia" on it. Some mourners sincerely grieved, some wept openly, along the way to the cemetery, where "Alleluia" was buried until Easter.

Can't you just picture it. We mourners bawling our eyes out, waiting for the traffic light to turn green, so we can process across the street. Those Baptists counting out their Jack Chick tracts coming out of Grace Baptist Church will wonder who died. We'll bury the box next to the grave stone that has a hand print--you know the one that kids put their hand in, and if it fits, it means you're going to DIE. Yeah. Oh yeah.

Sigh. I'd love it.

But the drama has just begun; just wait for the Resurrection.

What's Lent?

What's it all about? Lent is a special time of prayer, penance, sacrifice and good works in preparation of the celebration of Easter. It is touted as lasting 40 days. Don't believe that number anymore than you can believe that it rained 40 days for Noah. 40 is just a number telling you that it was a long time, not years, not half years, but more than one month. It's to give you a feel of the time. Nit pickers will object, but they just have to suck it up, offer it up.

OK nit pickers, I'll have pity on you. Don't count the Sundays in Lent. Is that 40 days? Well, how about don't count the Sundays and stop at Holy Thursday. Bingo!

Now see! I've been side-tracked. The devil's in the details!

Lent is a time of preparation for Easter by thinking more of God and thinking of Jesus' sacrifice by sacrificing more and praying more, ourselves.

What am I sacrificing? Every year I do without cream and sugar in my coffee. Do you know how hard that is? The first year I did it, I held my nose and swallowed black coffee like it was yukky medicine. Now I've got to the point where I can drink it anyway, but I prefer "extra-extra."

To that sacrifice I'm adding not wearing jewelry. My wedding ring doesn't count.

What am I doing extra? In my quiet meditation and examination of conscience, I'm going to pick one person that I've encountered that day, and pray for him/her. Maybe somebody who looked like they needed prayers: worried, sad, angry, upset; there's lot to pray for.

Propriety Depends on the Circumstances

This is a picture of my daughter. Doesn't she has a lot of natural curly hair? I was watching her correct her daughter's table manners. Her admonition that she didn't want her to embarrass herself when she was out in public, gave me a flash back.

I was in high school visiting a girl friend, for the weekend. It was breakfast and we were getting ready to go out. I placed my hair elastics, scrungies, and barrettes on the table, and proceed to brush and comb my hair.

My girl friend's mother said, "Faith, we do not brush our hair at the kitchen table."

I was mortified.

I didn't know. I was even more mortified that I didn't know. Geesh. Common sense would have told me that my hair would go in everyone's food.

How come I didn't know this was because the kitchen table is where my mother fixed my hair, when I was growing up. We all sat at the table for haircuts. I sat at the table while my mother braided my hair.

Our house was a two-family house. Our flat had the entrance door coming into the kitchen. Off the kitchen were two long narrow rooms. One was a pantry and one was the bathroom. A family only having one bathroom was common then. Since everyone needed to use the bathroom to get ready, the pantry was used too. The pantry consisted of a sink and cupboards. Food was kept in the pantry. Because a sink was in the pantry, my father shaved there. We girls washed our hair in that sink.

Sigh...this is why hair grooming around food wasn't considered taboo, to me.

My daughter is correct. You do embarrass yourself when you don't know the rules of propriety.

Major Step

Father Gordon MacRae has been in a New Hampshire prison for more than 20 years, and I believe he was falsely accused. He could have been out much sooner, if he had said he was guilty. But he's not.

His accuser was a young man that Father Gordon hardly knew. After the church paid out money, the accuser's brother said the same thing had happened to him. He received money, also. This family of brothers are the only ones who have ever accused Father Gordon.

No one else has come forward. At the time, the newspapers all but crucified Father Gordon. One newspaper even said that Father Gordon admitted his guilt. That's a lie; Father Gordon has always maintained his innocence. His bishop wouldn't help him.

What has come forward are people who say that this family bragged about concocting a story to get money from the church. And the National Center for Reason and Justice has just announced a new appeal. Of course, they need money and prayers.

Read about it on this site.

Laughing

A Jesuit, a Dominican, and a Franciscan are viewing a painting of Adam and Eve frolicking in the Garden of Eden. The Jesuit said, "This is Jesuit spirituality. They are so calm and happy." The Dominican said. "Not true. They are in ecstasy over the contemplation of God's gifts." "Bah!", said the Franciscan. "I don't think so. They have no clothes, no shelter, they have only an apple to eat, and they believe they're in paradise. This is clearly Franciscan influence."