Wearing a Rosary Around Your Neck

There is a little debate about wearing rosaries. In our culture, it isn't usually done.  And then some misguided youth wear rosaries as a sign that they belong to a certain gang.  I'm not talking about the gang symbols.  I'm talking about wearing the rosary around your neck as religious jewelry. 

Something happened to a friend of mine, that made me realize that maybe wearing rosaries as necklaces may not be such a bad idea, after all.

Joe carries his rosary in his pocket.  The other day he was hit by a car and went sailing in the air until he landed on the sidewalk, smacking his head on the curbstone.  He was out cold.  But in looking through his belongings to see who he was, a rosary was found.  They called a priest.

The priest was there for him when Joe came around.  Joe was administered the sacrament of the sick for his abrasions and concussion.  Thank be to God.

What do you have or wear to tell people your Catholic?  By the way, Joe also carries a pocket cross in his pocket.  But all Christians recognize the cross; it was the rosary that told people he was Catholic.

As a woman, I don't always have pockets to carry a rosary in.  I do wear a medal but who's going to take a magnifying glass out to examine the wording on my medal.  All Christians can wear crosses; only Catholics wear crosses with a corpus. But who knows that?  Besides Catholics can wear both types of crosses.

It's the rosary.  The rosary screams Catholic.  I will have to wear a rosary as a necklace.  I'm taking my prettiest rosary to the jeweler, to add a jump link and clasp.  Then my jewelry will scream Catholic.

Misplacement of Course Books

When students enroll for a course, they're given a list of books to get for that course.  I propose that it's a misplacement of the texts.  How does the instructor know where the students are? 

I'm thinking of my RCIA class.  How can catechist assign a text without knowing who's entering the class?  One book applicable to both the Satanists and the Catholic who just needs to be confirmed doesn't make sense.  I think copied pages from different books are more useful.  In fact, I think after Easter, IOW after everyone has gone through the sacraments of initiation, then handing out a book list would be valuable. 

Would this also be true for any course?  How does an instructor know what level of expertise his students are--even introductory courses?  I would wait and see how "introductory" my students are.  Once everyone is on the same page (so to speak) then we all use the same book.

Anyway, I'm not ordering books for RCIA, except the catechism.                                                             And even that, will be a graduation present, not a course book.

           An Old Pair of Shoes

Did you ever come to the parting point
With an old pair of shoes, that are outworn--   

Beyond fixing?  How you hate to part
With them, they fit so well,
As though they were made on your feet.
You can wiggle your toes in them,
For there is plenty of room.
Your feet have molded them with wear
To the right shape.
That little bump bulging on the side
Its the place that nestled your pet corn.
The thought of new shoes gives you the shivers
That corn--Oh! What new shoes will do to it!
And what that corn will do to me!!
"Ah Heck! These old shoes are good enough
                                    for another week."
by Henry Boulanger
in Cliff Dwellers and
other Poems

After Mass

Our Lady of the Mountains, North Conway, NH

If you go to Mass at St. Mary's in Holliston, MA, you might be puzzled by everyone kneeling down during the recessional.  I didn't think they were kneeling down because the priest was walking by, but why?  Then one day, the priest didn't recess down the aisle, he left by a door to the side of the altar.  He was gone and still, the people knelt.  I finally asked someone why.  "We pray a Hail Mary in thanksgiving for the Mass."

I thought that was unique.  But while in Our Lady of the Mountains in North Conway, NH, the priest after Mass explained to all us tourists that it was their custom to pray a Memorare, after Mass.

Hail Mary!

St. Mary's Holliston, MA

Losing and Finding Faith

When my father came back from WWII, his family had grown.  His son was married with a baby of his own.  My sister was 20 years old and engaged.  He wanted a baby.  My mother was so happy that he made it home from the war, that she agreed.  It was a new beginning for them.  If I were a boy, my name would have been Jay, but I’m not a Jay.  My name is Faith, but the name has nothing whatsoever to do with religion.  My father said he chose the name so I would have great faith in myself.

The name, in the beginning, did the opposite.  In the 1950’s, the name, Faith was unusual.  Today, unusual names are in vogue, but that wasn’t the case when I was a child.  In fact, the name made me shy.  Yes, it was the name itself.  First off, the first word out of anyone’s mouth, upon hearing may name, was “What?”  In fact, there’s a good possibility that it was also the second and third words out of their mouths.

Then either you had to spell F-a-i-t-h, for them, or explain it further with, “i.e., faith, hope, and charity.”  Of course, that wasn’t the end of the discussion.  Exclamations of what a pretty name were offered. If it were so pretty then why don’t you name your next daughter, Faith?  End of discussion!

Selling Girl Scout cookies or raffles for school fundraisers was a torturous experience:

Ring…..Ring…  or Knock….Knock…. 
Who is it?
Faith
Who?
Faith
Who?
…opens door.  What did you say?  Who?
My name is Faith.
Who?
Faith
Who?
Faith
Who, oh never mind, what do you want?
I’m selling …
No, I’m not interested Fay.  Thanks, goodbye.

And so it went until I made a mistake on my college application.  When filling out the application I accidentally put my last name, middle name and then the first name.  The school enrolled me as Donna Faith.

I kept my mouth shut. And  I started signing my papers “F. Donna.”  Hey, if F. Scott Fitzgerald could do it, so could I.  At first, I reveled in my anonymous name.  I didn’t stick out.  I didn’t have to go around spelling my name, or listen to banal jokes, e.i., “Do you have two sisters named Hope and Charity?”

However, once in a while someone asked me what the “F.” stood for.  When I told them Faith, I had to listen to what a pretty name Faith was, why didn’t I use it?  In fact, after a year or so, I regretted not using “Faith.”

Why couldn’t I have a regular boring name that I didn’t have to explain or spell?

But life went on as Donna—college, marriage, and work until I started working as a real estate broker in Boston.  The day my business cards arrived, my manager saw my inscribed name and asked what the "F." in “F. Donna Flaherty,” was for.  When I told him, “Faith,” he looked at me incredulously.

You are selling real estate in Boston.  You know the name of the game is name recognition.  You know most of your clients are Boston Irish.  You realize you want them to remember your name to come back to you to sell and buy.

And you chose Donna over Faith?  Are you stupid?

From that moment on I’ve been going by my first name.

Correctional Officers Need Love Too

Here's a must-read for all of us involved in prison ministry.  It's an article by Eve Tushnet in America magazine, entitled, "You have heard it said; Visit the imprisoned.  But what about their guards."

Never, not once, have I ever thought of them.  I've prayed for them to be just, but that's about it.  This article has viewpoints from prison guards

and their families. I never realized the stresses they are under.  It is not unusual for correctional officers to be lonely and isolated because they become suspicious of everyone.  Their suicide rate is high.

Maine bishop had 'no alternative' but to leave state ecumenical group

ON: 6/1/2018,  BY CNA STAFF , IN: NATION

Maine bishop had 'no alternative' but to leave state ecumenical group: Portland, Maine, May 31, 2018 CNA/EWTN News.- After the Maine Council of Churches changed its decision-making process earlier this year, the Bishop of Portland was forced to withdraw from the group.  He withdrew because the group could vote for something contrary to Catholic teachings.  This seems reasonable to me, what surprises me is the question of why don't the other members see this change of process a problem for themselves, also?