Catholics are often inaccurately portrayed as the religion of guilt. The uninformed cynics fail to understand that Catholics are not overly focused on guilt; quite the opposite. We are focused on rooting out the cause of our guilt and freeing ourselves from it.

Guilt is simply the human condition that occurs to alert our consciences that behavior is out of line with morality. The idea that the solution is discarding morals to rid one of guilt comes from the evil one. Instead, God’s way is to confess our sins and resolve to do better.

A Gift to Remedy

Jesus gave us a gift to go with our resolutions. On the day of his resurrection, he appeared to his apostles who were locked away in the upper room. “…He breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained” (John 21:22).

Just prior to giving His apostles the power to forgive sins, Jesus told them, “As the Father sent me, so am I sending you.” Only God can forgive sins, but here, He was giving God’s power to be used by them.

Jesus bestowed this power on the apostles on Easter Sunday by breathing on them. The only other time the Bible mentions God breathing on anyone was in Genesis 2:7 when He breathed life into the first human beings. Likewise, Confession breathes new life into our souls.

Resolutions for the Soul

With the sacrament of Confession as the cornerstone for living a life of resolution, we don’t need to wait for January 1 to make self-improvements. The number one New Year’s resolution people make is going on a diet. This is a fine resolution—but since we live for eternity, we would be remiss not to make resolutions to improve our everlasting soul.

Such resolutions are easy enough to come by. One need only look at the areas where we are prone to feel guilty and resolve to lean on God more to overcome those weaknesses. Or look at the Ten Commandments and see where we are falling short. Resolutions can be simple and yet challenging, such as not gossiping or complaining. That is something that can be tackled day by day or even hour by hour. As with all our sins, falling is to be expected but so is getting back up and fighting the good fight.

A friend and I once commiserated that we were embarrassed to so often confess the same sins. My friend told me she shared this feeling with a priest during confession. “Well, at least you aren’t committing any new ones,” he joked, putting things in perspective. Catholic teaching does not rub salt into a guilty wound. We are told that God understands but that we must keep confessing and resolving to do better.

Doing better does not happen overnight, but usually in baby steps (with some steps backwards) as we ultimately move forward. Every day is a new day, so the New Year is just a bigger picture of our daily move towards heaven. Happy New Year and may God bless you with strength for your resolutions.

“Dolphin Tale” takes the real-life rescue and wraps it in a fictional story. It portrays the people who rallied around Winter to do what had never been done—create a prosthetic tail—and get her to use it. They form a touching union of a dedicated marine biologist, a talented prosthetics doctor, and a young boy who refuses to give up on the dolphin he helped save. Together, they create a miracle that extends beyond the dolphin into the human world.

Winter plays herself in the starring role. Her co-stars include Harry Connick Jr. as Dr. Clay Haskett, the veterinarian who runs the financially failing Clearwater Marine Hospital; Ashley Judd as single mom to Sawyer (played by Nathan Gamble), who cuts Winter from the trap; Cozi Zuehlsdorff as Hazel, Clay’s precocious daughter who draws Sawyer out of his shyness; Kris Kristofferson as Clay’s father; and Morgan Freeman as Dr. Cameron McCarthy, the veterans’ hospital doctor who lets Sawyer convince him to create a tail for Winter.

Filming was done at Winter’s home at CMA. According to aquarium CEO David Yates, producers worked together with the aquarium staff to insure that the experience was fun for Winter and not taxing. The aquarium benefited with a new pool and other modifications for the movie that were integrated into the existing facility.

Since Winter is not a trained dolphin, movie director Charles Martin Smith explained, “That is the real Winter you see. Playing with toys, jumping on the mattress–those are things she really does.” Winter’s star quality penetrates the big screen into hearts. All the actors had to get to know Winter on her own terms and develop a relationship that would make the movie convincing.

An animal rescue makes for a good story, but “Dolphin Tale” brings the bond between dolphins and humans into a deeper story of loss, courage, and determination; viewers experience Winter’s ordeal through the Sawyer’s eyes, a perspective that works to bring a number of other plots together. (Sawyer’s father abandoned him, and then his beloved older cousin left for the military.) Nathan convincingly plays the part of an insecure child of a divorced mom, struggling with his peers and school but finding a connection with a wounded dolphin.

Winter’s resilience encourages Sawyer and the other people around her to heal from their own wounds. The human characters are embroiled in another of battles—for instance, Sawyer’s emerging love of learning vs. the traditional school system, Kyle’s desire to swim in the Olympics vs. his injury, and abandonment through divorce and death vs. the neediness of children.

Harry Connick’s performance as a veterinarian was helped along by his own research and awe at how the odds were stacked against Winter. “The veterinarians I spoke with said they would have euthanized a dolphin as injured as Winter was,” he said. “One said, there’s 600,000 dolphins out there, it would not seem worthwhile to put so much money and time into saving one.”

Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman slips easily into the role of Dr. McCarthy, a man dedicated to helping injured veterans return to normal lives. His humor and kindness is melded in strength when he encounters those like Kyle, who think the end of one dream means the end of everything. “Luckily, there are a million other things you can do,” he tells Kyle.

A highlight for me was the scene where Hazel, Dr. Clay’s daughter, folds her hands, looks up to the sky, and talks to her mother, who died when she was very young. As Catholics, we understand that death does not separate us and that Hazel is asking for her mother’s prayers. As a homeschooling mother, I also enjoyed that Hazel is homeschooled and she helps awaken a love of learning in Sawyer.

It would seem that since so much of the movie is revealed in the previews, there would be no surprises left. Yet, the surprise is just how captivating the story is as it plays out. That being the case, I can reveal the ending and not be a spoiler: images of Winter’s real-life rescue. And one cannot help but tear up seeing pictures of handicapped children with delighted smiles coming to visit the little dolphin that needs an artificial limb, just like they do.

“Dolphin Tale” is being released on DVD and Blu-ray on Tuesday, December 20. The film is rated PG for mild thematic elements and can be seen in 3-D or traditional format.

After all, if Jesus is the reason for the season, how on earth has the birth of our Savior born among animals been morphed into the biggest buying season of the year? Many forget that the Son of God came to us wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger for a reason. God did not forget to make reservations at the inn. No, it was part of the plan. From start to finish, Jesus taught us to live in the world and not be of the world.  Gift giving came as a reflection of the gift of God’s only begotten son. So, we in turn show our love for others and give.

I’m not perfect at this, but I do try to bring Jesus into the gifts wherever possible. At the very least, I try to make them practical and not something that is wasteful or frivolous. Through the years, I have developed some favorite ways to give. I will share them with you and I encourage you to also share your favorites in the comment section below.

Mass Enrollments

The Mass is our most powerful prayer, so how about giving that as a gift? Most parishes offer this usually for a small stipend. There are a large number of religious orders that offer a Christmas novena of Masses or enrollment in a year of Masses. Just do a search for Catholic Mass enrollments. One of my favorites is the Passionists, which offer cards and also perpetual enrollment folders. Whenever I volunteer as a religious education teacher during the year, I enroll every student for Christmas.

Give to Charity

How many families still draw names or have gift exchanges after everyone is married with families of their own? Often figuring out what to get everyone is a challenge. In my husband’s family, we were still exchanging gifts until a few years ago. Now, instead, we all send donations to the God’s Child Project in Guatemala. One of my sons has been the social service director there for three years and I visited the program last summer. Seeing people living in plastic and wood houses on the edge of garbage dumps, and my experience holding malnourished babies and handing out vegetables to young mothers, further impressed upon me the value of giving to the poor. Here was the clue for us: When it’s hard to figure out what to get someone, it’s because they don’t need anything. Give where it is needed.

Enroll in the Miraculous Medal

This is a gift you can’t afford NOT to give. It is the second gift I give to my religious education students. Earlier in the year, I tell them the story of the Miraculous Medal and teach them the prayer: “Oh Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.” They learn of all the graces that will pour down on them as golden rays from heaven and the blessings of wearing the medal.

Membership is 25 cents a year. Seriously. Anyone living or deceased, including non-Catholics, may be enrolled. A member shares in three novenas of Masses and 30 additional Masses every month–a total of 57 Masses monthly. Members also share in other Masses offered for them and in the daily prayers and Masses of the Vincentian community in the western United States. If you enroll twelve or more people, you are considered a promoter and share in a papal blessing.

Books

Books can reach deep into minds and hearts. Consider giving a child a religious catalog (don’t forget to establish a price limit), and then let him or her pick out a gift or book. If you want a spouse or child to read a book you think would inspire them but they are reluctant, consider asking them to read it for your Christmas present.

The third present I give my religious education students is something for their parents: my book Catholic Truths for Our Children. It’s a guide to inspire and help parents to know and pass on the faith. Like all my books, I pray for those who receive them every day at Mass. I believe teaching religious education is the mission field, where families often know and practice so very little. Consider giving something spiritual to the parents that might draw them deeper into the faith.

An Hour of Adoration

What is of greater eternal value: a new scarf and mittens, or an hour of prayer at church before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament? Answer: the one that is free. Give a card explaining you spent an hour in prayer for them. The nice thing about this gift is that you benefit too, by spending an hour with Jesus.

Inspirational Music and Videos

Music can lift the soul and play in the heart long after the CD player has been turned off. Of course, one must choose carefully and discern if the recipient will actually use it. The same with videos. But if a CD or DVD has inspired you, consider spreading it around through gifts.

With the suggestions above, there are plenty of ways to give spiritual gifts to people who are uninterested in religion. I don’t always tell people I enrolled them for Masses or with the Miraculous Medal, or even that I prayed for them in adoration if I think they might find it irritating. Still, I know that the benefits will still be there.

It’s likely that we will buy gifts in addition to giving those that are spiritually connected. I don’t like to spend money wastefully so I will look for something that fills a need and will be appreciated. Here are a few suggestions.

Photo Album

Give a certificate for a family portrait or put together a photo album for family members. One year, I told a friend I was taking her kids bowling for a homeschool gym class day. Before we went, I had made an appointment at a department store for a family portrait. What a fun surprise it was to hand her a portrait of her family as a Christmas present.

Crafts

If you are talented in the craft department, the list is endless. If you are a crafstman, i.e. furniture maker, seamstress, quilter, etc., consider giving a little extra with your presents. God has given us all many talents. Consider praying daily for everyone who receives the fruits your own gifts from God.

Delicious Treats

Make a dinner and offer to deliver it after the New Year to give someone a nice break. Wrap up a box of baked goods. Give gift certificates to a favorite restaurant.

Other

Gift cards for gas, groceries, haircuts or other necessary expense.

Offer to babysit.

Fancy teas and coffees.

Gourmet foods.

Gift certificate to full-service car washes.

Giving to others can be rewarding. It feels good to make someone happy and receive his or her appreciation. So, consider one more gift–one that you might never receive thanks for in this world. Think of ways to give a pure gift in which there’s nothing in it for you–it’s all for the love of God.  For instance, take one of the gifts given to you–one you actually like– and donate it. There are lots of charities to choose from. Or throughout Advent, make little sacrifices, offer up extra prayers for others, or be a Secret Santa to someone–and keep it secret!

The material trappings of Christmas can be fun; after all, God made the material world too. We just don’t want all the stuff to get in the way of the best part of Christmas: the gift of Jesus and the message of love he gave us by being born in a manger.

This story, like all the stories in the Amazing Grace book series, is the kind of gentle evangelization that draws even nonreligious people in. It is God’s grace at work in our lives in a way that draws us closer to him and rises above denominational lines. One thing I learned when we were compiling stories for this series is that everyone has these “God moments.” Thus I stumbled into stories standing in line, seated next to people on planes, and having random conversations with strangers. Oh, I know the Holy Spirit was at work too, but really, our lives are rich in faith stories. By sharing them, we can light the world on fire.

Christmas Lullaby

By Ann Catherine

“Ready or not, here I come,” my brother, Sparky, laughed as he played hide and seek with me and our Aunt Flo. Opening the closet door to discover Flo, he shouted, “I found you. I found you!”

We all collapsed in giggling heap on the floor. Finally Flo got up. We looked at her and realized it was time for the fun to be over.

“Do we have to go back to Mrs. Muran’s house?” Sparky tearfully asked. “Why can’t we just stay here?”

It was 1946 and our Daddy was away in the army fighting someone called Hitler. Our mother was sick, we were told, and unable to take care of us. At four years old, all I knew was that I wanted my mommy and daddy.  We had been placed in an unloving foster home but were allowed to visit Grandma, Grandpa, and our teenage Aunt Flo on most weekends.

As Flo helped us on with our coats, I cried quietly and Sparky reached out and patted my shoulder. Grammy came in and pulled us close. “We’ll all be together soon. You’ll see.”

Flo put her arms around us and sang softly: “Tura, lura lura, tura lura li, tura lura lura hush now don’t you cry…”  Our grandfather joined in singing the Irish lullaby with his sweet tenor voice.  Then he helped us put on our new mittens. “Be brave now,” he said.  “We’ll see you again at Christmas.”

I began sobbing. Flo took us by the hand to begin the long walk to the bus that would take us back to Mrs. Muran’s house, the foster home.

Mr. and Mrs. Muran were mean and short-tempered with us and the other foster kids placed there. Mrs. Muran hit us with a strap when she got mad, and Mr. Muran used his cane.  I once overheard Flo tell Grammy: “Mother, it is just like a prison. Even animals are treated better than that.”

“Yes, I know,” Grandmas had said in a hushed voice. “We are doing everything we can, Florence, but the law says their mother can place them anywhere she pleases. That doesn’t mean we are going to give up trying to have them live with us, though.”

We loved to visit our grandparents, but most of all we loved being with Flo. She would help us get ready for bed, read stories and nursery rhymes, and teach us about Jesus. One night Flo told us that Jesus loved us, and that He gave us each an angel to watch over us. I called my angel a “Garden Angel.”

“Garden Angels don’t come to Mrs. Muran’s house,” I told her one night.

“Oh yes they do. Your angel goes everywhere you go,” Flo told us.

“But not to Mrs. Muran’s house,” Sparky piped up, “cause she doesn’t like angels. She said so. Some people said you were an angel and then she got mad. She said, ‘We don’t need no angels like her around here.’”

“Mrs. Muran says Santa doesn’t come to her house either,” I told Flo, “but that’s okay cause baby Jesus still comes on Christmas.”

As we walked to the bus stop, Flo talked about our Christmas plans. We would go to Mass at St. John’s Church and see the pretty red flowers and candles around the altar and hear the choir sing “Away In A Manger” and “Silent Night.”  Then she would help us get ready for bed in our new pajamas, tell us the story of the first Christmas, and sing Christmas carols and also our favorite Irish lullaby. Christmas morning we would see the Christmas tree all decorated and maybe Santa would even leave presents for us.

When Christmas Eve day came all the other kids at Mrs. Muran’s left one by one. It was snowing hard and we stared out the window waiting for Flo. Then we saw her go around to the back door. We were so excited, but Mrs. Muran chased us up the stairs and told us to go to the attic. That’s where we slept. We went only part of the way up and stopped to listen.

Flo knocked on the back door. She knocked and knocked, louder and louder. Finally Mrs. Muran jerked the door open. “What do ya want?” she yelled. “Oh, it’s you.”

“I came to pick up the kids,” Flo said.

“Those brats ain’t goin’ nowhere. Mostly not with the likes of you. All’s ya do is spoil ‘em rotten,” Mrs. Muran raged.

“What do you mean? It’s Christmas and their mother said we could take them,” Flo said in a strained voice.

“Well she ain’t told me nothin’ bout them goin’ with ya, so get out of here.”

“Flo, Flo!” We ran to the door behind Mrs. Muran. “Take us home with you, please.”

Flo tried again. “Mrs. Muran, it is Christmas Eve and I figure you and your husband could use some time without children around, so…”

“Well ya figure wrong,” she interrupted. “Now get outa here or I’ll call the cops, ya hear!”

“Well you can at least give them this one present,” said Flo, her voice increasing in volume. Mrs. Muran tore open the wrapping paper from the package Flo handed her.

“Pajamas! What they need these things for?” she screamed loudly. “They’ll not be needin’ those around here. Their underwear is good enough, just like all the others. We don’t do no spoilin’, ya hear? We don’t have no Christmas either.”

We were crying but didn’t want to make Flo feel bad. “It’s okay Flo, cause Baby Jesus will bring His angel,” I called to her. “You’ll see.”

“I love you,” Flo called, then yelled at Mrs. Muran, “You mean witch. How could you do this? It’s Christmas.” Flo was crying. I never saw her cry like that before.

Mrs. Muran threw the pajamas at Flo and slammed the door shut.

“Don’t worry,” Flo called to us.  “I’ll come back to get you.”

Mrs. Muran yelled at us, “Get up the stairs and inta bed, the two of ya, and fast.”  The attic was cold and dark that night. It was lonely without the other kids. We lay down, shivering, on the big old bed. It didn’t have any sheets or covers.  Mrs. Muran opened the door and threw in an old blanket. “Put this on and get to sleep, ya hear me.”

“Yes ma’am,” we said.  We were glad to have the blanket. It helped some, and Sparky pulled me closer to help me get warm.

“Jesus will come with His angel. You’ll see,” I said.

“Shh, go to sleep,” he whispered.

I went to sleep for awhile, but soon awakened. It was dark and cold in the room, but light was shining in the window. I got out of bed and went over to the window and looked below. I could hear someone singing. It was soft, but I could hear her.

“What are you doing?” Sparky whispered.

“Shh, can’t you hear her?” I answered.

Sparky listened with his ear up to the window. “Hear who?”

“The angel!  She’s singing the Christmas lullaby for us. Jesus did it. He brought His angel! I told ya he would!”

Once again Sparky listened, and slowly a sweet voice rose singing: “Tura lura, lura, tura lura li, tura lura lura, hush now don’t you cry. Tura lura lura, tura lura li, tura lura lura, that’s a Christmas Lullaby.”

We knew Flo’s voice. Suddenly a second voice softly sang, “Away In A Manger” as Flo sang the Christmas lullaby. We peeked out and saw Aunt Flo smiling up at us, but no one else was there! The light from the moon was shining on the snow and a bright star was in the sky. Flo waved at us.

We felt warm even though the room was cold. We knew the tiny Baby of Bethlehem was with us, sharing His love. We fell asleep listening to the singing with the old blanket wrapped around us lying there by the window.

The next morning, Flo came to take us with her.  To our surprise Mrs. Muran offered no protest. She had even packed up all our clothes. “Get them outa here fast, now, ya hear me? And don’t be coming around here again, none of ya. I’ll not be having you with your magic and ghosts and such. Now get!”

“Yes Mrs. Muran,” Flo said and grabbed our bag. Flo winked at us, and held a finger up to her lips so we wouldn’t talk. Then she took our hands and we all ran down the driveway, to the walk and up the corner to catch the bus.

We didn’t know what Mrs. Muran had seen, but we knew what we had seen and it wasn’t a ghost.

“Baby Jesus came last night, Flo. He brought two angels,” I told her.

“No He didn’t,” Sparky said emphatically. “That was Flo singing, silly.’

“Who were the two angels?” Flo wanted to know.

“Well, one was my Garden Angel,” I said. “She sang ‘Away in A Manger.’”

Flo’s eyes got big. “So that’s what she meant. Who was the other angel?”

“Jesus didn’t need another Garden Angel ‘cause he had you. And you sang the Christmas lullaby.”

We did all the things Flo told us we would do on Christmas, but the best gift was our new home with our grandparents. Our grandparents raised us and to this day, fifty years later, Flo is more than our aunt: she is an angel to us.

I rarely watch TV, so just getting me on the couch in front of that thing gets the kids excited. The wholesome entertainment and moral values of this film series are what gets me excited—that, and the fact that moviemakers are finally figuring out that if they make it family-friendly, we will come.

A survey conducted by the Association of National Advertisers’ (ANA) Alliance for Family Entertainment found that 94 percent of those surveyed said it’s extremely or very important that their families spend time together, and entertainment is a primary way their families get together. A full 71 percent of parents would go out of their way to find these types of programs.

It’s a Hit

With that in mind, in April of 2010 Walmart and Proctor and Gamble launched Family Movie Night on NBC and Fox, featuring wholesome movies with teachable moments. The series was welcomed into 16 million homes across America during the first year and there are plans to extend the project into 2012. The next Family Movie Night film, “The Game of Your Life,” airs on NBC Friday, December 2, 8/7 p.m. Central.

The plot is an instant kid-pleaser. High school gamer Zach Taylor earns a scholarship to an elite video game design school headed by a billionaire gaming icon. It is an opportunity to study alongside the country’s most creative minds to pursue a career as a video game designer. But competition is stiff, so Zach must first pass the infamous freshman project that eliminates half of the class. The group project—to create a social interactive game—creates tension while, at the same time, Zach is pulled into a mysterious and suspicious side job. The choice between loyalty to his school friends and helping his dad, who is in financial trouble, creates a moral dilemma. Zach has to make a decision that will affect his future and those he cares about.

Young Actor Finds Fitting Role

Nathan Kress plays the part of Phillip, one of Zach’s project friends. In an interview with Kress, he explained how this role in a Family Movie Night project fits perfectly with his standard for acting. Best known as Freddie Benson in Nickelodeon’s TV show “iCarly,” he said that his Christian faith guides everything that he does.

“My faith is the most important thing for me,” said Kress. “It sets the standard for what I will and won’t do.” For instance, he explained that he will not play characters with bad morals, unless it’s for the purpose of showing that bad behavior leads to bad results. In a guest appearance on the CBS television program “CSI,” he played such a role. His character ended up dead as a result of his criminal activity. “I’ll play a bad guy as long as the behavior is not glorified, like I did in ‘CSI,’” he explains.

Taking his Christianity to work with him means that sometimes, people notice. “My faith has a lot with how I carry myself and how I treat people,” Kress said. “I’ve had people comment that I act different and they ask me why; it gives me an opportunity to explain.”

Kress attended regular school between the ages of six and eleven, when the acting bug bit him. He had some acting experience when he was very young, but a role in a school play convinced him this was a passion he wanted to pursue. So he began homeschooling in order to be available for cast calls. When he landed his part on “iCarly,” it gave him regular work on a wholesome series. “I went from that to Family Movie Night knowing I could count on the same values,” he says. “This is something that is safe for kids to watch.”

Lorrie Gramer, president of the National Association of Catholic Family Life Ministers, hopes there will continue to be more family friendly movies. She spent some time with the director of the Family Fun Night project and was on the set for the filming of “The Game of Your Life.” “We learned first-hand why these movies are being made and the message we all need to give to Hollywood that these are the kind of movies we want,” Gramer says. “I hope everyone who reads this article not only watches ‘Game of Your Life’ with their own family, but encourages their neighbors, friends, and relatives to do the same.

“We need to commend Walmart and Proctor & Gamble for what they are really doing on our behalf,” she explains, “producing movies that are not only appropriate for family viewing, but ones with a message we as parents can use to talk with our children about values we want them to develop.”

“The Game of Your Life,” airs on NBC Friday, December 2, 8/7 p.m. Central.

The story begins with an unusual request; Albom (played by Bradley Whitfor) is asked to deliver the eulogy—when the time comes—for an 82-year-old rabbi from his hometown, Rabbi Albert Lewis, played by Academy Award-winner Martin Landau. Albom is not religious and feels unworthy for the task. In order to get to know this man better, he begins making occasional trips back to his childhood home to spend time with Lewis. The rabbi challenges Albom to seek more in life than the earthly and to reach out to others.

While opening his eyes to the world around him, Albom writes a newspaper article about an inner city Detroit pastor–Henry Covington, played by Oscar nominee Laurence Fishburne. Covington is a former drug dealer and convict who overcame his past along with his wife Annette, portrayed by Tony Award-winner Anika Noni Rose, to preach and help the poor at I Am My Brother’s Keeper Church. Mitch Albom is awed and somewhat confused at times as he watches the lost and forsaken come to praise God inside a decaying church. As Albom observes Covington from a distance and listens to the testimony of those he has helped, he comes to believe that Covington truly is his brother’s keeper.

Through his visits to these two very different worlds, Albom becomes a part of something deep and lasting. The story takes place over eight years as Albom gradually gets to know these two men; he weaves them together into a life tapestry of love for God and neighbor. He is not just a mere observer, but becomes an active participant, finding common ground while creating a charitable momentum to fix the holes in people’s lives.

As Albom sums up at the end, “It’s not about having the answers in life; it’s about the search for answers—the choosing to believe in something bigger than yourself that makes the journey of faith so challenging and so worthwhile.”

The Bright Side of the Motor City

I am from Detroit, but I am one of the ones who has left. I did not flee the city but met my husband in the Peace Corps and traveled a route that did not lead back home. I occasionally get back to the area, so I understand Albom’s defense of this city.

“I am often asked, ‘Why Detroit? Why do you live in Detroit?’” he said in an interview. Albom acknowledged that the rest of the country often looks down on Detroit. The only influence such negative opinions have had on him, however, is to go the opposite way. “I’m not going to leave,” he stated. “I can get defensive because I am proud of this city. I came here in the beginning of my career and I am going to stay.”

Detroit is rich in opportunities to expand hearts through helping others. “If you live here, you can’t walk around the city and not see the need; you have to,” Albom said. “There’s too much of a need. if you have anything at all you need to share it.”

Albom’s life has traversed the globe, from studying jazz piano in Boston and playing in a nightclub on an island in Crete, to attending several schools in the East and working and studying journalism in New York; so Detroit is not a default ending for him. Instead, it has been a launch pad for living the faith he learned from Rabbi Lewis and Pastor Covington. Albom confessed to living a life where he was less focused on the needs of others. He attributes the experiences he chronicled in his book Tuesdays with Morrie, and those in Have a Little Faith, with moving him into the bigger universe.

“No doubt, the rabbi encouraged it. My wife and I were not blessed to have kids but he told me, ‘What you don’t do for kids you can do for other people.’” During the era of his visits with the rabbi, Albom met Pastor Covington because of his work with the homeless shelter. “Henry opened his church up a few days a week to the homeless so they would have place to sleep,” he said. “People were sleeping on the floor under a leaking ceiling.”

During the making of the movie, the story’s message hit home. Much of the filming was done at the actual church in Detroit, although half the building was off-limits t the project so it could continue providing shelter to the homeless. “One day, a catering truck arrived to feed the actors and film crew,” Albom explained. “The filming was going on during the homeless night while right outside the church was the catering truck full of food. The actors and extras realized this and started carrying the food down to the homeless shelter.”

Covington died on December 21 of last year, not quite a year before this movie would come out. He had a heart attack in his hotel room the day after appearing on the “Today” show with Albom to talk about the story. Albom stated that keeping the church operational was one of Covington’s dreams.  Thanks to publicity one of Ablom’s charities, “Hole in the Wall Ministries,”the church continues to inspire and take care of people physically and spiritually. Help has come in many ways, including $25,000 from “Dr. Phil,” who taped one of his shows at the church.

“A fundraising premier of the movie just raised $30,000 to replace 110 windows,” Albom said. “It’s still functioning.  The movie really shows the church in all its glory and decay.

“The book has attracted visitors and hopefully the movie will also draw people in to visit the church and help at the homeless shelter,” he said.

As Albom stated at the end his story, “I am in love with hope.”

To learn more about Albom’s charitable causes, visit: http://mitchalbom.com/service

The Hallmark Hall of Fame film, “Mitch Albom’s Have a Little Faith,” premiers Sunday, November 27 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on ABC.

As a second-grader at St. Albert the Great, I asked myself that very question. I listened to Sister Annette, a beautiful, freckled-face nun from Ireland, tell us of the courage and love of Catholic martyrs who went into the lion’s den rather than deny their faith in Jesus Christ. Sister Annette did not directly ask if we would do the same, but the question hung in the air.

I recall hesitating, realizing how hard it would be to walk into a den of lions. “Yes, I would do it!” I finally decided. Forty-some years later, that particular situation still has not come up. However, plenty of other situations have. In daily life, both socially and at work, we all have moments of temptation and opportunities for Catholic courage. The lion’s den would be the ultimate test—yet many who think they would die for their faith often don’t live for it. Perhaps nowhere are we more tempted to disregard our faith than in the workplace. People often feel that there is no place for religion in a secular work environment.

In his new book, The Catholic Briefcase: Tools for Integrating Faith and Work (Liguouri Publications), Randy Hain challenges Catholics to strive for holiness in the workplace. He uses Scripture, Catholic teaching, and real-life situations in order to show just how it can be done. Through his experiences as the managing partner of Bell Oaks Executive Search, Hain knows that sprinkling people with holy water and preaching the Gospel from a desk is not going to cut it in the office. But neither does he suggest we keep mum about our beliefs. Instead, he encourages Christians to integrate faith and work.

A convert to the Catholic Church in 2005, Hain is passionate about his beliefs. He co-founded the popular Integrated Catholic Life e-magazine in 2010 with Deacon Mike Bickerstaff and is also a co-founder of the Annual Atlanta Business Conference. As a devoted family man, business leader, and advocate for the faith, he encourages others not to separate religion from any part of our lives. It is his contention that the workplace can often be the place where we have the greatest opportunity to demonstrate our faith.

“Most of us spend the majority of our waking adult lives at work,” he writes. “The workplace today is a challenging environment in which to be open about our Christian beliefs. Political sensitivity, rigid company policies, and simple fear have led many of us to compartmentalize our faith in unhealthy and unnatural ways.”

Hain begins in the first chapter by calling us all to surrender. He admits that sometimes he struggles with placing every aspect of his life in God’s hands but throughout the day he prays, “I surrender, Lord, please lead me.”

The workplace is full of temptations to be prideful and the feeling that we must be in control. Hain challenges his readers by asking:

Do your pride and ego always get in the way of work relationships? What about personal ones?

Do you ever ask, “How will my friends, peers and work colleagues judge me?

He suggests possible reasons for our pride could be fear of giving up control, fear that the cost of surrender will be too great, or fear of losing personal freedom.

The workplace is not always kind to people with Christian principles and Hain acknowledges that. He suggests Catholic businesspeople find ways to network with other Catholics. (He shoots down all the typical excuses–no time, don’t know how, I don’t see the value, I’m networking in other ways, I’m not good at it–and provides specific ways to find Catholic support.)

Hain covers every aspect of the individual’s personal make-up and explores how situations at work can lend themselves to spiritual growth. Real-life examples from business leaders help demonstrate how to make an integrated faith a reality. Among the topics are love in the workplace, stewardship, finding time to think, prayer, leadership, and decision making. At the end of every chapter are discussion questions to challenge individuals or provide points of discussion for study groups.

There are a plethora of books coaching people how to get ahead at work. Hain’s book recognizes the importance of doing well at work, but he helps people to prioritize their vocation of serving God as the driving force behind that work. For in the end, he reminds us, we are made for heaven and the path to our heavenly home leads through the workplace. This book is unique and much needed in the world today.

The Catholic Briefcase will be released November 23 and is available online through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Liguori Publications, and your local Catholic bookstore.

Why will some die for the Mass while others don’t think it’s worth their time? The difference is in understanding what it offers us. At World Youth Day in 2005, Pope Benedict XVI tried to convey this understanding. “Dear young people,” he addressed the crowd, “the happiness you are seeking, the happiness you have a right to enjoy, has a name and a face: It is Jesus of Nazareth, hidden in the Eucharist.”

It would seem that is a promise too good to be true, and yet, it is the beauty and power of Jesus Christ, coming to us in the Eucharist that is at the core of Catholic worship. It is the reason people have died for their faith.

Surpassing All Others
The Mass is also known as the liturgy, a Greek word that means “a public work” or “a work on behalf of the people.” It is the highest form of prayer. The Vatican II document Sacrosanctume Concilium explained, “Every liturgical celebration because it is an action of Christ, the priest, and of His body which is the Church, is a sacred action surpassing all others; no other action of the Church can equal it’s efficacy by the same title and to the same degree.”

Yet, it’s hard to fall in love with someone or something that you don’t even know. And how much do most of us really know about the Mass? Two books that offer understanding of this great gift are Do I Have to Go? 101 Questions about the Mass, the Eucharist and Your Spiritual Life by Matthew Pinto and Chris Stefanick and A Biblical Walk Through the Mass by Edward Sri.

Do I Have to Go? is especially suited to young people who like to question authority. Using the Q & A format, answers are given to challenges and curiosities. For instance, the question is posed, “Why do I have to worship God?” After all, isn’t He big enough to be above all that?

Readers learn that Scripture states: “In Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17: 26-28). The authors point out: “When we fail to worship God, we start putting all sorts of other things in His place, making them our ‘gods.’” They offer three main reasons for going to Mass: worshiping God brings us holiness and happiness; it is a just thing for us to do because we owe it to our creator and redeemer; and for love for God.

In Do I Have to Go? the authors explain that on this side of eternity, the Mass is the richest encounter we can have with God. “Because it fuels us to live out our purpose (i.e., knowing, loving, and serving God), the Mass gives us the grace we need to live life to the full (see Jn 10:10)–not just an average human life, but a life full of grace, which is a share in the inner life of God himself.”

Understanding Deepens Our Experience

In A Biblical Walk Through the Mass, Sri reveals the Scripture and traditions from which Mass developed. He begins at the beginning–the sign of the cross. This is something every Catholic has done thousands of times, and yet, how much do we know about it? When we make the sign of the cross, “…we enter a sacred tradition that goes back to the early centuries of Christianity, when this ritual was understood to be a source of divine power and protection,” Sri states. “In making the sign, we invoke God’s presence and invite him to bless us assist us and guard us from all harm.” That’s powerful and brings new meaning to something that has become rote to many.

So goes Sri’s book. Through explanations of what we are doing during Mass, it magnifies the meaning and increases the love. For instance, when the priest begins with, “The Lord be with you,” we learn, “The liturgical greeting also expresses the profound reality of God’s life dwelling within our souls by virtue of our baptism. With these words, the priest is praying that the divine life that we received may continue to grow within us.”

Sri breaks down each part of the Mass and explains its meaning. That  makes it possible to us to overcome our tendencies to simply “go through the motions” of the Mass, so that we actually enter into its riches and actively participate in it. He also includes the new translation of the Mass with an explanation of why it is being changed to better reflect the original words used during the time of Christ and the apostles.

As Catholics, we believe that God sent his only son, Jesus Christ, to redeem the world through his sacrifice. The Mass is more than just a memorial; it is a representation of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, making it “present for us here and now” (CCC 1366).

The Catechism describes the Mass as the “source and summit of Christian life” (CCC 1324); Jesus told us, “Do this in remembrance of me” (Lk 22:14-20). So we do. From its very beginning, the Church has been faithful to this command of Jesus by celebrating the Mass. He gave us this gift so that every generation until the end of time could have a direct encounter with him in the Eucharist. But to experience it, you have to be there. It’s not that you have to go, but rather you get to go.

I’ve written stories such as one where a child with Down Syndrome reversed his mother’s depression and renewed his parent’s marriage. I’ve seen siblings grow big hearts and see beyond peer pressure, and I learned of a young man who allowed his severely handicapped younger brother help him choose a wife.

After seeing the hand of God in these and other families, it’s clear that the term “disability” is relative, depending on which life we are talking about–this one or the next. Since we have not all been so blessed with a special child, I am glad Leticia Velasquez has written A Special Mother is Born to share these holy moments and special souls with the rest of us.

The Face of God

Years ago, I read an article written by a nun who worked with the developmentally disabled. She said that if there were such a thing as reincarnation, she would want to come back as mentally disabled. Her reason was that they had one foot in heaven and saw the face of God. That’s a concept that comes through clearly in A Special Mother is Born, in which parents share how they have been called to the vocation of parenting a child with special needs.

For Lisa Barker, there were times their baby “Boo” seemed to talk with angels. Boo had a rare illness, Batten Disease, that did not allow for the brain cells to output waste, thereby killing off cells. There was no cure or treatment. The baby went from running and babbling to becoming wheelchair bound within a year, barely able to crawl.

“Before Boo could no longer communicate she used to talk to the angels,” her mother wrote. “That’s what I called it. She would suddenly fix her eyes on the ceiling and her face would totally light up and she’d start cooing and ‘talking’ to things, beings we couldn’t see. This euphoria would last for up to half an hour sometimes….Boo has made us aware that there’s more to life than what mere mortal eyes can see.”

When Eileen Haupt was pregnant with her second baby at the age of 39, considering whether or not to undergo amniocentesis, her husband told her, “Trust Jesus.” At the time, Haupt did not have complete trust—but she does now. She credits Sadie’s birth with being the seed that enlivened her spirit, eventually bringing her back to her Catholic faith, and her husband also joining the Church. It also led Haupt to co-found Keep Infants with Down Syndrome (KIDS) with author Velasquez.

“If only a mother expecting a special needs child could know whom her child really is. If only she could feel the joy and the love that she will feel for her baby if she welcomes her into the world. If only she knew how many hearts would be changed by her special baby’s presence,” Haupt says. “If only she knew, she would never abort.”

Something Extra

Barbara Curtis describes her special son this way: “My son on Jonathan has a little extra. A little extra enthusiasm, a little extra innocence, a little extra charm. Oh, and did I mention an extra chromosome? The one on the twenty-first pair that inspires so much fear in parents-to-be.”

And Jonathan does not keep his little extra to himself. “His preschool teacher named him Ambassador of Goodwill. His public school kindergarten teacher, after 30-plus years of teaching, said she’d never seen children as loving and caring as Jonny’s classmates. The secret, she said, was Jonny.”

Through Jonny, Curtis has become so much wiser. “He’s been a gift I never would have thought to ask for, bringing lessons I never knew I needed to learn. The greatest surprise is this: Our life together has been less about my helping him reach his potential than about him helping me reach mine.” Those words are powerful, but knowing Barbara is the mother of 12 children makes them profound. (Her website is: www.barbaracurtis.com.)

Mary Kellet, the mother of eleven children including Peter—who has Trisomy 18—wrote of her special son: “I call him and other children with special needs, ‘Teachers of our Souls.’ He has taught us to love life in a deeper way and to trust in God’s wisdom and providence. He has taught us that there are many ways to contribute to society, and that he contributes in the most important way possible: by helping us become better, more compassionate, caring people.”

No one says it’s always easy, but Melissa Wiley, a mother of six who endured one child’s leukemia and then the birth of a son with multiple health difficulties, explained it this way: “I hadn’t begun to grasp the meaning of that whole ‘Count it all joy’ business in the book of James until I met these children. Now I get it, or at least I get a glimpse of it. There is immeasurable joy not just in the overcoming of trials, but even—I know it sounds implausible, but it’s true—in each trial itself.

Each story in A Special Mother is Born reflects the gift from God that every soul is—a fact that is often overlooked in our society, where nine out of 10 Down Syndrome babies are aborted. In 2007, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists announced that they hope to see this increase to 100 percent by increasing prenatal screening for all women in the first trimester, regardless of age.

If, instead of fearing babies with disabilities, expectant parents visited with other parents of special needs children, maybe they would see that special children come with special blessings. While mental and physical abilities below par are seen as a handicap, the world often forgets to weight the power of a loving heart and innocent soul. In such an equation, which of us is really handicapped?

To order, visit Leticia Velasquez’s blog. 

During this season, the small–under 800 students– Catholic women’s school in Philadelphia did not even have a gymnasium (it had burned down the year before). Against all odds, the Mighty Macs won the country’s first National Women’s Basketball Championship—and went on to hold the title for three straight years.

During a press conference in Philadelphia before the world premiere of the film, I learned that the magic on screen is a reflection of a unique real-life script. The young women were there for an education but also loved basketball. There were no sports scholarships for women in those days; the girls just showed up to try out for the team.

Recently married after two years of teaching, coach Cathy Rush was simply keeping busy before starting a family while her husband traveled as an NBA referee. She accepted the job for $450 a year. “I was only 23 and some of the girls I was coaching were 21,” Cathy laughed, “But they always treated me with respect.”

Rush, a Baptist, had never known any religious sisters. “The first time I ever met one was during my job interview,” she admitted. The Sisters of the Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary staff the school. “I really loved them,” she said. “When we played, the nuns would walk into a game and people would think, ‘We’re in trouble now!’”

Rush watched how the male players played basketball and brought those techniques to her team. “I didn’t feel like we were making a statement,” she said. “It was an issue of believing in what you are doing.” According to her, everyone had a job and the team worked together. “I think it helped that the girls all came from big families,” Rush added. “They accepted that sometimes it was their turn and sometimes it was someone else’s.”

In spite of shaking up the world of basketball, after those three years, Cathy never coached again. She and her husband did run summer basketball camps, however. “This allowed me to stay at home with my two boys and attend all their school events and games,” she explained. Many years after coaching, Rush was nominated for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame but was not selected. Her son Ed. Jr., who in 1973 often slept in his portable crib during Mom’s practice sessions, sent her an email: “You may not be a Hall of Fame basketball coach, but you’re a Hall of Fame mom.”

“That was good enough for me,” Rush said.

She was later inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2008.

Virtuous Friends

Theresa Shank, Mighty Macs’ three-time All-American, was featured in a 1973 issue of Sports Illustrated. After graduating with a degree in biology and chemistry in 1974, she was hired as head coach at Rutgers and became one of the winningest coaches in Division I. Shank was also chosen to coach the 1992 U.S Olympic team. She explained the team spirit at Immaculata: “We knew we checked our egos at the door.”

The oldest of five children, Shank sometimes worked as many as three jobs during the summer. Her house was 22 miles from the school and she had to be resourceful to get there. “I thumbed to school at least three times a week,” she said. Other times, she hopped a school bus from her home parish and then hopped a second and convinced the driver to let her off at Immaculata. After working so hard to get to school, she would tell herself there was no way she was going to lose that game.

Shank described the team’s bond. “We had virtuous friendships,” she said. “They were based on the cardinal virtues; that was what our team was about.” The virtuous friendships extended to the actor who played her in the movie, Katie Hayek. “We had an immediate connection,” Shank said.

“I was nervous to meet her,” Hayek admitted. “She had such a profound story and Theresa was the leader of that team.”

Shank did not even know if Hayek was Catholic (she is) but felt inspired to give her the wooden rosary she had kept for almost 40 years. After winning the first championship, Shank was disappointed the team had not been awarded rings. Sister Mary Lourdes caught wind of this and handed Shank a rosary. “Theresa, you know those rosaries will serve you better than any ring,” the sister told her. Shank often used it to pray before games during her 33 years of coaching.

Nightmare and Dream

Unknown to Shank, when she gave away the rosary, Hayek was experiencing her worst nightmare at the same time she was realizing her biggest dream. She had just graduated in theater from University of Miami, where she played Division I basketball. Hayek landed the role in “The Mighty Macs,” and then learned she had cancer–Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Scared that director Tim Chambers would drop her from the cast, she nevertheless told him about her situation. The Catholic writer/director from a family of 12 kids surprised her.

“He was great about it,” Hayek explained. Instead of cutting her from the film, Chambers worked around her chemo schedule. “I was so relieved. This role combined two things I most wanted to do in my life, acting and basketball.” Chambers scheduled the grueling basketball scenes early in the shooting—before the chemotherapy sessions got tougher—so Hayek would have more energy.

The movie took Hayek’s mind off her cancer and she felt the power of God through many divine moments. For instance, her mother prayed a novena to St. Therese of Lisieux, who is associated with roses, but did not share that fact with anyone. A bouquet of a dozen red roses arrived with a card that said, “Love, St. Theresa.” The family never found out who sent them. Another time, while at the hospital, there was a cake to celebrate the last day of someone’s chemo. When Hayek saw the cake, there was one piece left with the word “Shank” written on it in frosting—the surname of the character she played. (Hayek’s cancer is in remission and if it remains so by next year, she will be considered cancer-free.)

Like the film about them, the Mighty Macs had not just a heart, but a soul that captured the city of Philadelphia. They were the first women’s sports team newspapers reported on, and they became legend.

“This is a Philadelphia story,” Chambers explained. “It’s also about women’s empowerment—without an agenda. The message is that anything is possible.”

Eager for more? Click here for a full review of “The Mighty Macs.” Be sure to share your comments about how the film inspired you!