It seems to me that it would be more appropriate to place this sometimes forgotten feast during Lent, closer to Her Son’s Passion and Death. It is much easier to see her sorrow walking with Him to Calvary, at the foot of the cross, and then the amazing image of the Pieta as created by Michelangelo.

I can picture her sorrowful in those places, but in the midst of September when the weather is finally getting cooler here in the Middle Atlantic States is more difficult. I could be flippant and say that the struggles of a new school year bring on some sorrow but that would demean the feast. No, this feast is to honor a woman who, with her “Yes” to a new baby was also saying a “Yes” to pain no other mother would imagine and endure.

While it is hard for me to understand, it is true that Mary knew what her fiat would bring. And if she didn’t at Gabriel’s announcement, it was made clear in the temple with Simeon’s prophetic words.

For many years I found it hard to imagine Mary as anything but sorrowful. Perhaps it was due to her image as often being depicted in cold marble or one-dimensional holy cards and pictures. In my mind, all of those images, while beautiful, placed an image of a woman who had endured much sorrow with perhaps little joy.

And I wanted some joy. So, when I was coming fully into my own as a Catholic in my adulthood, Mary remained a mystery to me. I had no problem with Jesus and even God the Father but I couldn’t really find a place in my faith for Mary. This flaw was not out of belligerence or defiance on my part but simply ignorance. And then I became a mother myself.

Upon becoming a mother, it was easier to me to picture her smiling and laughing as I did with my own little ones. Surely, she would be unable to resist Jesus’ own first laughs without some of her own. The smiles that must have come as He learned to walk, snuggled on her lap for a nap and attempted to hold a hammer with Joseph. Mary was a mother of joy.

But it was also in my being a mother that I began to truly understand her sorrows. My husband and I have endured the pain and sorrow of four miscarriages – one of which occurred during a Lenten season. The loss of child, even one yet born, brings about a very sharp sorrow; not unlike the arrows of which Simeon spoke perhaps? We clung to Mary during those times and found myself needing a mother who could truly understand.

I have noticed there exists a weird warp of time that occurs when you find out you are pregnant. Parents strangely capable of going from a blue line on a pregnancy stick to a college graduation cap in 0.9 seconds. With the first realization that you are pregnant, you begin to wonder about everything from the gender of the new baby, to their name, to their eventual career and possibly children of their own. We are fast to the future when we find out a baby is on the way!

Mary might have been that way as well. What did she wonder about as she waited those nine months? But also, did knowing Her Son’s future ever keep her from enjoying His present? During and after our miscarriages my husband and I found ourselves struggling in sorrow over a life so quickly celebrated and then so quickly grieved. While Mary was given 33 years with Jesus, I don’t know if that gave her any great sense of comfort.

Through each of those babies lost I learned very clearly that sorrow is a natural part of life. Even with the other children I had around me, I am sad for the ones not here. For me, sorrow came wrapped in baby blankets never used. For others it may come from a cancer diagnosis or the news of a drunk driver. Sadness is an inevitable part of life and Mary knows this better than any of us.

This specific feast day for Mary is the time to remember this. It is a time to both give her honor and gain the comfort we need in our own lives. Over time, I have come to realize that the Church is wise in placing this feast day exactly where it is. Having this feast in the middle of ordinary time allows us to spend time reflecting not only on her sorrows but on our own without the distraction of anything else. This is not to say her sorrows are ordinary as in mundane or commonplace as they are far from pedestrian. Her entire life is extraordinary. But her grief is normal, another synonym for ordinary. We all have sorrow and, like Mary, live with some of our sorrows everyday; Ordinary Time or not.

These sorrows of ours are not insignificant to her and she welcomes a chance to grieve with us and give us comfort. We can give comfort back to her by meditating on the many sorrows she endured on our behalf. Taking our sorrows – past mistakes, miscarriages, loss and death – to her on her feast day and asking her to help us with ours is an opportunity to allow God’s grace and healing enter our lives. Mary said ‘Yes’ for all of us knowing full well what it would cost her and this feast day is a chance to say ‘Thank You’ to her.

He continues: “It will be the task of your Congregation, in agreement with the diocesan Ordinaries and with the superiors of religious institutes to promote and to coordinate the various spiritual and pastoral initiatives that seem useful for making the importance of the priest’s role and mission in the Church and in contemporary society ever more clearly perceived.”

In love for priests — past, present and future — individual people and organized groups are taking up the challenge with great enthusiasm. There are campaigns to spiritually adopt priests through daily prayer and sacrifice. There are holy hours scheduled for an increase in vocations and more. But, honestly, I have seen a lack of enthusiasm with some friends and acquaintances for this year which I greeted with such joy.

I will readily admit that I love priests. Having a brother who is a diocesean priest, now serving as a military chaplain in the Army, and a son off to the seminary in the fall, my joy may be understood but I also remember it as a part of me from my youth.

Its early roots came from my mother, who is one of those Catholic moms who would invite the parish priest over for dinner regularly. My dad was active in the parish, making sure that the rectory was in working order and that the priest did not have to climb ladders to replace light bulbs in the Church. Both of them saw that priests needed some taking care of and they were there to do what they could.

Now, however, I am not sure that all current priests get such care. We might want to blame the recent scandals, but I think all of us realize that it was a very select few priests guilty of crimes. The majority of priests were and are good men of God doing their best to serve. But, in an increasingly secular society, it can be hard to relate to men willing to forsake all others for God.

This is not to say that all priests are perfect, but neither are we. Some priests are excellent homilists, others good in the confessional while others struggle even making eye contact

Regardless of your current pastor or memories of priests past, the personal qualities of a priest should fade into insignificance compared with the realization that, by the sacrament of Holy Orders, these men have become Christ here on earth for us.

This point came home to me recently when I went to daily Mass at the retirement home for the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales. As I sat participating in the Mass, I was overtaken by the profound thought of all that these 20 or so men have done. When the time for consecration came and they all raised their hands and joined their voices in the words of Christ from the Last Supper, I could not stop the tears from flowing. Despite their flaws, despite their age and infirmities, these men were still Christ for me.

On the drive home I began doing some mental math. If each of these men — let us say there were 20 — have been priests for 40 years (at the least) how many sacraments had they been a part of? The numbers staggered me. Consider this: If one priest serving the Church for 40 years performs one marriage a month they would have brought together 480 couples. And, if those same couples brought back even just two babies for baptisms there would be 960 of those. If this same priest occupies the confessional 1 hour a week they would have been offering real forgiveness for 2,080 hours.

The numbers really get amazing when you think of offering Mass. My own pastor shares Mass duties in our parish with both an associate pastor and one or two of the retired Oblates so his commitment to public Mass is on average 6 times a week. So, when he reaches his 40th anniversary he will have brought Christ 12,480 times! How many children received Christ for the first time from these men and how many were brought home to God?

We must all, despite our personal feelings and struggles, admit the gift of the priesthood is astonishing. And, none of these numbers include what they do in those committee meetings, personal counseling, visits to the homebound, comfort and Sacraments in hospitals and prisons – the list goes on and on.

So, without any words of complaint about the old priest you knew who yelled at you in the confessional or the priest who insisted on shaking hands with his sweaty palms, let us find a way to truly celebrate this awesome gift that the priesthood is to the Church as a whole and to us as individuals.

In spite of those who faltered in their faith, we must admit that our own admission to heaven will be the result of some very good priests who lived and died with their vows intact, bringing Christ to us despite the loneliness and lack of understanding. They stood at the altar every weekend; they have faced our wrath on a bad day and our tears on even worse days. They strive to be Christ to us; cannot we try to be Christ to them?

One small way you might want to celebrate this year as a family would be to download the free activity sheet for “The Year of the Priest” from Ecce Homo Press . It was developed for families to find concrete ways to both support priests, encourage vocations and develop a deeper appreciation for the Sacrament of Holy Orders in their homes.

The Year of Priest may not seem as accessible as the Year of St. Paul, but it will have a direct affect on the priests you pray and sacrifice for and on you and your family. For if this year is, in part, celebrating priests yet to come, how better to introduce the priesthood to some young boy in your life than by actively participating in it.

Many cultures have a story, often called “Stone Soup”, whereby a traveler without any food of his own enters a town seemingly without as well.  He claims that he has the power to feed them all with only a stone which he draws from his pocket.  The villagers gather around to laugh as he tosses the stone in a pot of water and begins heating it.  Throughout the day as the stone simmers at the bottom, the villagers are coaxed to open their cupboards to bring forth whatever they have as ‘a bit of carrot would make it taste that much better.’  As the familiar story unfolds, by the end of the day a full pot of stew, with meat and vegetables is ready all because everyone was willing to share.

Now there are those who would claim that Jesus’ Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes is nothing more than a Stone Soup story wherein everyone just pulled out what they had, so all could have enough.  But, we know better, Jesus did what it says in the Bible — he multiplied just the five loaves and two fish.  It was, and is, a miracle just as his Body and Blood.  A miracle of a feast to sustain us.  There might not be a lot on the menu, so to speak, but more than enough.

Over the past few Sundays we have been taking in the Bread of Life Discourses from St. John’s gospel wherein Christ reminds us, again and again, of how His very life will save ours.  Not only through his sacrifice on the cross but throughout all of time at the altar.  However, an inability to accept this promise of a feast has plagued Jesus’ promise since the very beginning.  Throughout the readings from John we hear about those around Jesus who grumble at his words unable to comprehend them, but also unwilling, it seems to either ask Christ how it can be true or give it some quiet thought on their own.

This attitude of grumbling continues to this day amongst Jesus’ followers — us.  We can grumble and complain about what we hear in the Gospel, from the pulpit, from our bishops and our Pope.   Often, neither asking for needed clarification nor assenting to what we know to be true.

And complaining guests never help the atmosphere of a feast, do they?  Neither do ungrateful ones: ones who dismiss what is being offered and demand more.  If you think what Jesus is offering is not enough to sustain you, then take strength from the other offerings left by Christ for our mission.  He gave us the Church itself to shelter us.  We have saints and teachers who give us words to help us grow in wisdom and understanding.  We also have each other.  Traveling alone can be very hard so we are called to be brothers and sisters who can offer a prayer when someone is empty spiritually or a loaf of bread (often literally) if another is hungry.

However, the Eucharist remains the center of the feast if we allow it.  Saint stories abound of those for whom the Eucharist was more than enough for their every meal.  While few of us will be called to live only on the Eucharist we must admit we don’t live on it enough.  We don’t fully appreciate all that having Christ be a part of us, can do for us.  For that brief moment after receiving Him, He is truly one with us.  For the rest of the week, we are asked to recall that moment and relive it.  Pondering the reality of this Catholic teaching can do much to keep us full throughout the day.  Making use of a Spiritual Communion on a daily basis if Mass is not possible, brings back the reality of Jesus within us.   And life with Jesus is so much easier than life without!

But, on those days when the Eucharist just isn’t enough, don’t worry.  If you need more for your own stone soup just open up the Pantry of our Church and pull out some Church Fathers, pick a saint’s biography or a current apologist to mull over and chew on.  Add a helping of some good Catholic TV shows or evangelizing YouTube videos.  And toss in the spice of a Catholic blog finishing it off with a side of some good Catholic music.  You can fill you plate with centuries of spiritual delights from men and women of God for both your pleasure and edification, for your strength and support.  No one need go hungry in the Catholic Church — literally, figuratively or spiritually!  Take what you need — there’s always more, more than enough for all.

There have been many times in my life when I have felt that living the Catholic life is much like taking the “one less traveled by.”  While our numbers indicate we are one of the most populous religions in the world we all know that saying you are Catholic and being Catholic are two very different things.  The two paths of Frost perhaps.

This past election was filled with Catholics for whom the well-trod path was the course to take.  While there were many people telling them that the route, though easy, would not have a good ending, they took it anyway.  Perhaps they didn’t want to look down the lane to see where it would lead.  As a result, we are all on the same path now for the next four years.  We will just have to see how it turns out.  Perhaps we will have some pleasant surprises as can happen during a long walk.  We can only hope.

Throughout my life, I have seen myself before two paths.  At times, I had the grace to chose the better one; other times, I didn’t.  When I got married, I took the well-trod path of contraception.  Sadly, I didn’t even know there was another path available, despite being married in a Catholic Church.  My husband and I traveled that miserable road for several long years before being shown the other path by a good priest.  He told us clearly and loudly the Church’s teaching and the gift of natural family planning.  With his support we joined the families on this road that included an openness to life.  Needless to say, with eleven children now at our sides, it truly has made a difference.  But, honestly, living this life of faithfulness has been like getting off of I-95 here on the East Coast and using only the state roads.  There are still a good number of travelers to be seen but there is a visible difference in the amount of traffic.

Once on that path, another fork soon appeared when it came to our children’s education.  Our choices were traditional education routes or home schooling.  At this time, the imagery of Frost’s poem is quite ironic.  With little exposure to homeschooling, the very first family I met fit the image of a hiker perfectly.  They were, for a lack of a better word, hippies.  They wore hiking boots all the time it seemed or no shoes.  They were early organic-only, grow-your-own and raise-your-own kind of people.  I could picture them next to Frost and choosing the toughest path to blaze with their children at their sides.  Honestly, their lifestyle was a little off-putting.

We might not have begun homeschooling except that one of the couples we met as a result of NFP was also homeschooling.  This family would then introduce to me additional passionately Catholic families — some homeschooling, some not.  These beautiful families introduced us to good priests, and so on and so on.  We were soon be challenged to take paths much more daring than the hikers-hippies ever presented: the adventure of a committed Catholic family serving Christ first and foremost.

With homeschooling it was as if we went from the state roads down to local thoroughfares.  The traffic on our path of life was reduced even more.  Happily, local roads have their pluses.  I have discovered that homeschooling has offered a variety of stops much like the main streets of small towns I live near.  Diving deep into homeschooling has been a bit like discovering an antique shop where you can spend hours.  Add to that a large family and your pace is decidedly downtempo when you regularly have toddlers to slow you down and show you a leaf.

Today, the once radical life of the homeschool hikers I first met seems so ordinary.  Their organic foods are found at the corner mini-mart and the economy is making everyone think about a garden this spring.  Even  homeschooling is making the cover of major news magazines and with everyone thinking ‘green’, they aren’t the outsiders they once were.  They have gone from the wilderness streams to the mainstream.  However, the life we lead continues to be unconventional.

Before long the local roads we had been traveling brought us to the narrow gate.  It was time for us to decide to let Christ be our guide in all things.  We had only one real choice — it was for Jesus.  “Enter by the narrow gate, the gate that leads to damnation is wide and the road is clear and many choose to travel it; but how narrow is the gate that leads to life, how rough the road and how few there are that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

Gratefully, we have found some of those few.  Some of them homeschool, some of them don’t.  Some of them have large families, some smaller, but we all have one thing in common.  We have chosen the rough road and we refuse to turn back.  As a result, we witnessed some beautiful sights and been challenged in amazing ways.

Admittedly, it isn’t always easy.  We can be lonely as we travel.  It can seem that there aren’t many families who begin their days in prayer, or monthly confession or shouts of “God is good” when you find your lost keys.

I feel this sense of loneliness is complicated by the fact that we can clearly see the other path from where we walk.  We have to use the wide path or are exposed to it on a regular basis.  Sometimes it is unavoidable such as when we go shopping or take a road trip.  We can also actively limit our exposure by the choices we make for ourselves and our family.  Either way, though I may have to use the wide path from time to time, I never have to embrace it.

I know I am not the only mother who walks the longest path in the mall to avoid at all costs going past Victoria’s Secret so my children — sons and daughters — won’t see it.  I choose carefully what television we watch and movies we see.  Media are rarely a good source of role models.  Sadly, many people don’t seem to realize that while the well-trod path seems unavoidable, it doesn’t mean you should be accepting all it offers.

Walking on the path Christ has given you cannot take you from the world, but you need not be in the world.  The first letter of John speaks a good deal on this life we are called to live where John encourages us to be detached from the world (1 Jn. 2:12).

Hence the reason we learn this poem.  Lent is the time to take a look at the journey you’ve been taking with Christ.  Is there a new path, a less traveled one He has been showing you but you have been avoiding?  There is always a deeper path for Jesus.  A trail that will take you into a desert, along a beach, into a garden at night, and at the foot of the cross in an earthquake.  Finally, when our path reaches its end, if we have been faithful companions with Him, we will be in a garden in the early hours of the morning and witness a miracle.

All the difference in the world, and in heaven as well.

Seriously, each parent raised his or her child differently. Each family is unique in size and make-up. Several families are large in anyone’s eyes — 10 or more such as mine. Others are large in society’s eye — four or more and others have smaller families. Some families were committed to Daily Mass, a family rosary, novenas, the scapular, or other familiar Catholic devotions. Some families did all of them, some practiced a few and, surprisingly, a few religious tell me their families did none of those devotionals. Some families might be described as rigid in these commitments while others might be seen as more lax. Again, each family was unique.

How then?? In a sentence: They were called. Plain and simple, they were called by God to come and love Him completely and totally, forsaking all others for Him. In addition, just as in Matthew 20 when the landowner went to find workers for the vineyard they also found themselves called at a variety of hours. For some the call came for at a young age — the first hour, so to speak, as “the landowner went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.” Others were called at the last hour. However, they all heard Him call — at Adoration, during a family Rosary or walking on a beach after a long night.

So, with a lack of uniformity in family experience one might assume that it doesn’t matter how you raise your children to help foster a religious vocation. You may even say, if God is going to call them regardless of what you do, why bother?? Well, there are several very important reasons why you should.

First, He asks us to. Scripture is full of advice and admonitions on how to be holy. The simplest, and yet so complex, is the call to be like Christ. Read 1 Peter 2 as an outline of the life of a Christian in a hostile world.

Second, the Church asks us to. The Church makes quite clear the expected responsibilities of its members, including Mass attendance, frequent reception of the sacraments and more. Check out the Catechism if you have questions here.

Third, Our Mother asks us to. “Do whatever He tells you” (John 2:5).

Fourth is that it easier to recognize His voice if you’ve been tuning in to God’s voice all along. This fine-tuning comes through prayer, Mass and the sacraments on a regular basis. Teaching yourself and your kids to keep their hearts and minds tuned to Christ makes it easier to hear Him call for both the little stuff, “be reconciled with your brother” (Mt. 5:24), and the big stuff, “Come after me and I will make you fishers of men” (Mt. 4:19). Keep your souls tuned to Christ and hearing the call is much easier.

Fifth, seek the support and example of families worth modeling. In our home, on a daily basis, my husband and I offer our children up to Mary and Joseph to raise. After all, they did pretty good with their boy Jesus. All kidding aside, we rest and rely on their intercession for our family. We get as unsure and afraid as everyone else when it comes to raising good kids in a seemingly increasingly bad world. Their protection and prayers give us strength, comfort and guidance. We ask the Holy Family every evening to help make us a holy family. But we also seek out like-minded families for friendship, barbeques and play dates. We aren’t living behind stone walls hiding from the world but helping our kids, with the help of others, to learn to navigate it safely and surely.

Lastly, offer your children to God. Simply put, God prefers what is generously offered. Children who are raised in a family that openly welcomes and supports a religious vocation do much better in their formation. Don’t worry about those grandchildren you may not have (not that you were guaranteed them anyway) or what the neighbors may say in the rebound from the scandals. When your child talks about having a vocation, don’t dismiss it, ignore it or tell them they’re too young, not smart enough, or not holy enough. I have spoken to many priests who have said that “good” parents have stopped their children’s vocations because they refused to see in them what God saw in them.

My children are not perfect, far from it. Matt and I liken ourselves to Mr. and Mrs. Idiot living on Stupid Island. We have fits of temper, selfishness and laziness. Nevertheless, God looks beyond us as sinful parents. He is a perfect Father who can work as a potter with any clay He’s been given. But He has to be given it. Let Him work His miracle on you and your child and you might discover your little hothead becomes the next Damian of Molokai or your clotheshorse the next Clare of Assisi.

And on a final note, if you hope for a religious vocation and one is not given it never means that you did something wrong. Raising good and holy children who will transform the world from behind a desk or at home with a baby is just as necessary for God’s plan of salvation. Just continue to pray for wisdom to help your child pursue with an open heart whatever God wills for them. After all, if your child becomes a parent, you get the grandchildren you always wanted… and one of them may enter religious life.

I know exactly how you feel as I am one of you.  My oldest daughter wears a simple gold band as an outward symbol of her promises to poverty, chastity and obedience.  She is a bride of Christ.  Her vocation is a source of great joy for our family but it does cause for some awkward moments, the first of which may come from our own hearts and souls.

We find ourselves wondering because, while our child has been given the blessing of a vocation, we aren’t sure where that leaves us.  Not that we are asking for anything specifically but understanding is always welcomed.  The particular vocation known as “parent of a religious” is rarely discussed, so in a spirit of solidarity, I offer you my thoughts on our mission.

Who are we as parents of religious?  I have some familiarity with this role as do my parents.  My youngest brother is a priest, now serving as an Army military chaplain.  I remember the joy in my hometown when he came to celebrate his first Mass there over  8 years ago.  An older parishioner took my mother aside, giving her a hug, she said, “You must be so happy.  You are guaranteed a place in heaven for this!”  My mother thanked her for her sentiments.  Later alone with me, she laughed at the opinion offered, “Great, now I can begin that life of crime I always wanted!”  Little did I know, back then, that I would join my mother in this challenging role.

While I am still learning how it all works, I already know parents of religious are guaranteed nothing — not even a seat in heaven.  We will share the same feelings and concerns most parents feel but in a different way.  We miss our children deeply and worry about them.  This worry is especially true of parents whose children are missionaries abroad.  And while their needs are taken care of by their orders or dioceses, we have concern for their wellbeing and support them financially with as much as our incomes allow.  Our lives can seem almost easier with the care they receive from their dioceses or orders but that is not always the case.

In truth, ours can be a difficult lot.  This is not to discourage anyone from encouraging their children to listen for God’s call.  My daughter does not know about what concerns me.  I say it only in an acceptance of the fact that our child’s choice is atypical, making us as their parents also uncommon.  Our children have chosen Christ first and foremost for their lives and their loves.  We could not be more proud, could we?  However, we know that this choice comes at a cost rarely understood.  We often find ourselves at a loss.  We may stumble when trying to tell others what our children are doing.  A teacher, a plumber, an at-home mom, even a tattoo artist, is easily understood but a monk, a nun, consecrated?  These often require an explanation that extends longer than the line at the deli will allow.

The current secular atmosphere can make our children’s vocation suspect and our acceptance even more so.  Even those who sit in the pews with us can question their decision in light of the scandals a few years ago.  Their questions can range from the humorous, “Is there much a future in religious life?”  “Eternal”, we want to reply.

“There certainly can’t be much money in that work,” rude folks may comment.  And even the perplexing, “Don’t you think she should get a degree first so she has a back-up plan if it doesn’t work out?”

Doesn’t work out?

We do our best as parents to answer all the questions.  However, quite honestly, after a while, it can become distressing.  Some of the questions and concerns we can receive are so negative.  My husband and I joke darkly to each other that we might have had a better reception if we had announced her decision to join a traveling band of jugglers rather than a recognized order in the Church.  In the end, all these questions come down to this: Why would anyone choose religious life?

Why, indeed.  Perhaps we have these questions ourselves.  How did this call come to our family?  While people may tell us we are holy for having a child with a vocation we know otherwise, don’t we?  Their call from Christ came even with our failings as parents.  Their “yes” to God came despite our many “no’s”.

Some of us may have rejoiced with the news, having prayed throughout our marriages for a religious vocation.  Truthfully, though, for others it may have come as a shock or even a disappointment.  For these parents, perhaps there is some shame in recognizing those feelings but perhaps not.  These parents often find it hard to support their children in their call.

For those who are not parents of a vocation it may be hard to even understand this, but it happens; I know it does.  My daughter tells me of her sadness in having companions who never get phone calls or letters from home.  The perseverance these vocation “orphans” display despite the silence from home gives her additional strength for her own call.

In some families, such as my own, our children’s vocations were less of a surprise.  While it may have come along without any real prompting on your part, you are pleased.  In some instances, your child has always had a love for Christ and the Church that set him or her apart, like Samuel, hearing the Lord call his name when he was young.  Their vocations seem more like an obvious choice.  It is much like the parents of the gearhead who aren’t surprised when their child announces a decision to be a mechanic.  Finally, he will be getting paid for all that he did for free, every chance he could.  Finally, what he loves is also what he does.

So, here we are, parents watching them leave for seminary or college or the mission field.  We packed them up, depending on their order, with many things or nothing.  Depending on where they are located and their mission, we might hear from them every week or only a few times a year.  There might be access to the Internet for e-mails or we may have to rely on erratic snail mails.  They may be sent far from home or preach to us from a pulpit in our own dioceses.

Whatever your child’s call, they didn’t write about it in the parents’ books or magazines.  There isn’t an article titled, “Now That You’ve Become the Parent of a Religious” to be found.  As a result, much of what you learn comes as you go along.  You come to know and accept the rules and norms of your child’s order.  But honestly, some of these are easier to accept than others.

As much as I complained about shopping when my daughter was younger, I miss the fact that I don’t buy her clothes anymore.  Her clothes are given to her and while I contribute to the costs of these through our donations, I don’t have the small pleasure of seeing a sweater that I know she would look great in and sending it to her “just because”.  It is a silly thing I know, but one I take to prayer regularly.

Money as a whole is so different now.  I am like so many other parents of a young adult, as I get letters requesting money, but mine come as those formal donation letters many receive.  However, unlike so many other parents who might wonder where all their money goes, I know the money I send is never going to be spent unwisely on a weekend bash but on such necessities as milk and heating bills.

I worry about her daily, not with concern about what decisions are being made but more in regard with loneliness and acceptance.  My daughter faces the rejection that Christ did during His life here on earth.  I know people close the door in her face both figuratively and literally.  I know they are really refusing Christ as they dismiss her, but I can’t stand the thought of anyone not liking her.  She’s a great person.  She’s beautiful, smart and funny.  How could anyone not love her as I do?  But they don’t, just as they don’t love God.  I feel a closeness to Mary that I never had before, from the moment my daughter spoke her vows.  She knows, more so than I, how painful it is watching your child be rejected.

But these are minor struggles and our lives are a blessing.  As parents of religious, we all have peace knowing our children have found their vocations at a time when so many young people are still wandering.  We miss them, but knowing where they are — a rectory, mission field or chapel — gives us a peace many parents lack.  We also have a closeness that texting cannot replace.  We join hands and hearts through the Tabernacle.  Whenever my family communicates with my daughter, we close with the reminder that we’ll “see each other at the altar”.  Every Mass reminds me of her and as I receive Christ I can imagine her doing the same though far away.  We both say goodnight to the Blessed Mother and ask her to watch over us as we sleep.

So, there should be no complaints should there?  However, if I could beg for a little latitude, I would like to grouse a bit without sounding ungrateful.  A friend of mine told me of a recent visit to Italy to spend some time with her son who is a priest.  As they walked about the city, her son in his collar, they were often greeted quite warmly.  She blushed with pride as she told of the small items placed in her hand by shopkeepers and the kind words of thanksgiving given her.  “The mother of the priest deserves great blessings!”, she was told repeatedly.

I do not often hear such words except from other families with religious.  I get awkward smiles and “Oh, that must be nice!” before the subject is quickly changed.  Or I will be subjected to the barrage of prying questions that reveal a dislike or distrust of the Church.  I will openly admit that I wish my daughter’s vocation generated the same respect and pride that other professions do, such as doctor.  The vocation of a religious should be seen to have equal value if not more.  While a doctor may save the body, a religious is

trying to save a soul.  The body will eventually die; the soul, with good care and formation, will live forever.  However, I know this adulation doesn’t often come and probably shouldn’t, as all praise and glory remain God’s and God’s alone.  He called and my child answered; I am but a very small part of the picture.  But, honestly and humanly, a more frequent favorable reception would be welcome.

Therefore, in companionship of a fraternity created by our children’s calls to serve Christ — Congratulations (again)! — you are not alone in your role.  We may not have a weekly support group but we are in very special company, are we not?   We have role models in the recently beatified Louie and Zelie Martin, parents of the Little Flower, St. Therese of the Child Jesus and her religious siblings as well as the Blessed Mother herself.  May they watch over all of us and grant us the graces and comfort we need on the tough days.  I also offer the prayer below, written together with my husband and with my daughter’s approval.  May it give you comfort just as it does us:

PRAYER FOR OUR CHILDREN WITH RELIGIOUS VOCATIONS

Lord, I thank you for my child’s vocation.  Never cease watching over him/her.  Grant him/her all the graces necessary to fulfill his/her sacrificial call; especially strength, dedication, and fidelity.  Though we are not together, allow my prayers to give him/her comfort and strength.

May he/she never regret his/her gift of self, despite the cost.  Keep us united through the Eucharist and the love of our mother, Mary.

Grant us the courage to continue to be open to his/her call and to help spread our generosity to others.  Allow us eternity together with you where we will rejoice forever for the gift his/her vocation is to the Church and to our family.  Amen.

Did you buy any books of a spiritual nature this year? For example, books with God as the central character or with a theological theme or premise? Did you buy any Christian books? Did you buy any Catholic books? Is there a Christian bookstore in your town? A Catholic one? Are all Christian books equal? Does it matter to you, in your purchases of such books, if the author of the book is Catholic or not?

Second survey, please. These questions will require a response based on a scale of 1-10. If you agree completely then think 10. If you disagree completely think 1. If you are undecided think 5. Thank you.

Do you think the type of books a Catholic reads is important? Do you think it is legitimate for Catholics to read any book at all? Concerning Christian books, written about faith issues or topics but not by a Catholic author, should Catholics read those? Should they be concerned about the content if the book is written by a Christian and/or sold in a Christian store? Do you think the Catholic Church should bring back the “List of Forbidden Books”?

Why the questions? The Shack by William P. Young, a Christian book, is #1 on the NY Times Fiction Paperback Bestsellers list. As a result there are a good number of copies out there. We can safely assume, therefore, that a portion of these books were sold to Catholics. Unquestionably, even more Catholics have read it through their libraries, as a loaner from friends or in their neighborhood book clubs. Count this Catholic as one of those.

I heard it talked about on morning TV and picked it up from my library when I saw a copy available. The story introduces you to Mackenzie “Mack” Allen Phillips, who endures an awful tragedy that shakes his faith in God. He and his family are forever altered by this event, which reaches a critical point when he is invited by God to revisit the shack where the tragedy occurred. I don’t want to be a complete plot spoiler but there he meets God who appears as a large black woman whom Mack calls “Papa” and the Holy Spirit as an Asian woman referred to as Sarayu. And Jesus? Well, Jesus is, respectfully, allowed to remain a carpenter of Middle Eastern descent.

After spending a few days at the Shack, I was left with some of the questions I posed at the beginning along with some quirky images and theories about God. Mr. Young wrote a book with the intention of getting you to reevaluate everything you think you know about God, the Trinity, your relationship with Him, Church — everything. While this may sound fascinating, throughout my reading the book I was shaking my head in both confusion and amazement. In his attempt to stretch every preconceived notion, Mr. Young often takes the point so far that I could only chuckle in amusement. Is he serious? Yes, he is. And sure enough, at the end you may find yourself reevaluating everything you thought you knew.

Not that I seriously did, as my faith is stronger than the Shack, but I couldn’t help but wonder about others who make the trip to the Shack, others who may not be well-formed in any faith, much less the Catholic faith, and are then left with some interesting viewpoints, but with much confusion.

By way of example, one of the comments made by Papa includes a discussion where Mack says, “Are you saying I don’t have to follow the rules?” Papa replies, “Yes. In Jesus you are not under any law. All things are lawful.” While a conversation with Jesus includes this stunner, “Seriously, my life was not meant to be an example to copy.” Huh?

Conversations with the Holy Spirit figure are at times confusing with an overabundant use of the word “relationship.” There is also a character referred to as “Sophia,” who acts in the manner of a judge. I don’t know where she fits into the Trinity but she is a pivotal part of the plot. Her appearance emphasizes the point that three of the four spiritual characters are women, which seems to be an overt and unnecessarily critical attitude towards the traditional male references for God.

In the end, what I read was a book that appears to be Christian, but is decidedly not Catholic and works very hard to let us know that we have done everything wrong when it comes to knowing and understanding God.

Now, the fans of the book might say that all of my problems come from my Catholic upbringing and I am not being open enough. My parochial school background permanently stunted my spiritual growth. Some may even say that Mr. Young is stating what is actually Catholic thought in a new manner. I don’t know; he has written it in such an obtuse manner I couldn’t tell. Which brings me back to the survey. Does it matter?

Then there would be those who might say “Hurray! A Christian book is #1,” as if it doesn’t matter what the content or message is, as long as it mentions Jesus. In addition, many people who have not given God any regard are finding Him at The Shack. Others who have fallen from the faith due to their own faith crises are returning. It is to those people the book is directed. In an interview with Mr. Young I read, he mentions such people directly. He hopes people who have no contact with God or relationship with Him will begin one as a result of spending time in the Shack.

However, who are they meeting there? Is it a faithful depiction (even if fictional) of God or a completely fictional one? What about Catholics or other denominations for whom the God of The Shack doesn’t seem to resemble their God at all — gender and race issues aside? Does it matter?

For me, it should. I should have not read the book because I know myself well enough to realize that I have, as a good priest told me once in confession, a pretty strong hard drive. His comment had nothing to do with my computer skills, which are amateur at best, but rather my personality which seems to cling to words and images for a very long time.

By way of explanation, I have a checkered past when it comes to being a faithful Catholic. I am embarrassed to admit that I had a few years when my behavior was obviously sinful and only by God’s grace was I spared from completely ruining my life. Mercifully, I was able to find my way back to God and the Church but there are images and memories that still linger. Satan likes to trot these out once in awhile in a miserable attempt to ridicule me and tempt me to doubt or despair over God’s love, mercy and forgiveness. During this rather painful confession, the wonderful priest warned me about this aspect of my nature and recommended I memorize Philippians 4:8 — “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things” and put it into daily practice.

As a result, knowing that my hard drive tends to keep hold of things longer than necessary or healthy, I have learned to be careful what I watch and read, especially popular literature, magazines, movies and TV. Many would say all of us should avoid such things but that is not for me to say. I just know I should.

I also know I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer when it comes to matters of theology and Church teaching. As such, I have found that I need to pay particular attention to books about Who God is, His nature in dealing with us, His plan for us and other theological instruction, if they are not Catholic. I am not perceptive enough to know if a book written by someone who is not Catholic will give me an interpretation or opinion in agreement with Catholic teaching. As such, I read those books only if recommended by someone I trust; someone who knows about these things better than I. Many folks would say this is how all Catholics ought to act. Again, I don’t know.

So, what about those of us who already know and love God? Will spending time at the Shack help us grow in that love and knowledge of God? Was it true and honorable? For me, not so much. Though I will admit shedding the idea of God (the Father — am I allowed to even think that any more?) as a black woman was pretty easy to do, a number of questionable views about our relationship (I am really beginning to hate that word) remain. I plan on rereading something by Fulton Sheen or maybe even The Story of a Soul by Saint Thérèse to bring me back to reality. With those as a help, I’m sure I will leave any lingering doubts in the Shack. What I really regret is wasting my precious reading time, despite it being only a few nights, with this book. I don’t get much free time in my busy life and I feel my time with Mack was poorly spent.

This then brings me back to my real question about books such as The Shack or those by Christian phenoms Joel Osteen or Rick Warren. These books are being bought and read by any number of Catholics. Why? It isn’t as if we don’t have an abundance of good Catholic books and authors. We have proven winners from centuries past such as St. Francis de Sales as well as recent treasures from St. Theresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) and our current pope, Benedict XVI. We even have lay writers, such as CE’s own Mark Shea, who can provide us with good food for thought.

Is it the packaging, the hype, the extra resources such as planners, tote bags, calendars, and greeting cards that come with the more popular titles that make them so appealing? Or, is it that they are just easier? Easier to acquire? Easier to read? I will admit it would be wonderful to think that I don’t need to try to imitate Jesus as he tells us at the Shack but I can’t help forget the rallying cry from 1 Peter 1:16. Remember, Scripture says, “Be holy, for I am holy,” quoting Leviticus 19:2. Granted, good Catholic reading materials might not be heavily promoted and you may not find the imagery as detailed as in Mr. Young’s book but you won’t be left wondering if what you are reading agrees with what our Church teaches.

This thought about the ease of reading material that may be harmful to our faith brings me to St. Paul who scolds the followers in Corinth that he could not speak to them as spiritual men but needed to feed them on milk as they were still infants in Christ. In the end, that is how I feel about The Shack. It may very well be milk to some people’s lives, offering them relief and solace in a difficult world. As Catholics, however, we’ve been fed on the very Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Shouldn’t that grace make us manly enough (yes, even us women) to be able to bypass The Shack and visit some place more challenging? While we may not want to venture to The Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila, we should be willing to check out Catholic books before risking our hard drives with questionable input.

My critics will now say that I am calling for a return to the “List of Forbidden Books” which I am not. I readily admit there are many people who can handle reading just about anything without any lingering effects. But, in solidarity with others like myself, I want to remind them that the discretion and prudence we exercise in making our choices needs to extend to materials that come from Christian sources (and some seemingly ‘Catholic’ ones) perhaps even more than from secular sources.

If the authors of these books cannot agree with us on the big stuff such as the Eucharist and Jesus’ own mother’s importance should we trust them with our time and our souls about the small stuff?

Is there really any small stuff when it comes to the nature of God and our relationship with Him?

It was an enlightening experience taking a look at what local elementary, middle and high schools required. Now, admittedly, we homeschoolers can be a prideful lot, can’t we? After all, what can schools teach us about education? Did we not take our children from these same, said schools? Didn’t we do the necessary homework, so to speak, to realize homeschooling was best for our family? Why would we ever want to take advice from a system we have already rejected?

Maybe we don’t, but it is fascinating to take a peek into what they are doing as I do the same. I will be actively schooling 6 children this year from 9^th grade down to kindergarten; as a result I will have one in high school, one in middle school and four in elementary. Taking a look at these lists revealed both what we have in common and what we don’t. And while I may not want to use the same materials or duplicate their lessons plans there a few things that I (and other homeschoolers) ought to have in common before we begin our own school year.

Paper and pencils are on every list for every grade. I agree wholeheartedly here. Each child should have pencils to call their own and paper that is fresh and clean. New paper calls out for words, ideas and stories. A sharp pencil makes writing easier and there don’t seem to be many children who don’t love making marks on a paper. They may not be legible but they are there.

Notebooks or binders? Composition books or wire-bound? In my hometown, it depends on the teacher and the grade level. In my home, I have children of every stripe. Some prefer to use binders while one of my daughters loves the black and white marbles composition books and another prefers single subject notebooks. I let them choose, variety being the spice of life and homeschool.

The lists also include the to-be-expected crayons, colored pencils and markers. Elementary students need the crayons (12 pack only) and perhaps colored pencils depending on the students’ grade. Not a single middle-schooler needs crayons, just the colored pencils while the high schoolers are recommended both. No crayons in high school? Not allowed or not expected? What about art class (that is if the school still offers art class)?

Other expected, run-of-the-mill basics were seen on almost every list — the scissor-and-ruler variety. Higher grades needed high-level calculators in addition to compasses and grid paper. The list also included, depending on the grade, such things as index cards or glue and/or glue sticks. Some grades specify the color of pens and how many (five blue, one black and one in red — for correcting the many mistakes they will make I assume).

The rest of the lists was just as interesting. Some were very explicit as to, for example, the type of folder, how many and in what color. There was exacting detail in some grades in what was required. The lists of almost all of the grades asked for a specific number of tissue boxes (even down to brand and type), bottles of hand disinfectant, and paper towels. Some, oddly enough, required both pint and quart sized zip-close bags. Knowing that school budgets are really tight every where, even in my kitchen table school, I understand most of those requests except the baggies.

I also found the things that are not allowed very revealing. No “Trapper Keepers” or any type of zipper binders. No mechanical pencils or pencil boxes. Pencil bags, yes, pencil boxes, no. No offensive slogans and no alcoholic advertising. Again, the beer ads I can understand but what is the problem with Trapper Keepers? Are they are hazard to young people or it is the concern about what might be hidden behind the zipper?

My high schooler was eager to see that a lap-top is recommended for her grade and higher. The fact that this list came from the local office supply store selling the recommended lap-tops did not sway her from asking for one. I told her that she will get one — after I get one!

So, as a result of perusing the lists I was once again confirmed in my call to homeschool. Getting ready for school in my house will be less hectic knowing I don’t need to go out and buy two dozen tissue boxes. I am not against tissues in my house, but we’ve found that toilet paper works just as well in a pinch and hand disinfectant is also not needed as we are within walking distance of two bathrooms (no hall passes required).

However, while I am restocking on many of the same items listed, such as the paper and pencils already mentioned, I can’t help but wonder about my binder-loving 6^th grader (and others like him) in a class that allows only three-subject wire-bound notebooks and file folders (two pocket, no prongs allowed). Is it possible that limits and restrictions on what kids use to learn might not affect how well they learn?

As I am not a complete snob, there are a few school ideas that I do plan on duplicating in my homeschool — almost exactly. First off, teacher planning days. These are essential to every good homeschool and I will readily admit that I enjoy taking off a Friday or Monday from actually teaching my kids to review my lesson plans (so to speak, as I don’t actually do formal lesson plans for each child). These are regularly scheduled days to make sure I am actually doing what I said I wanted to do. Ensuring I am staying on track helps guarantee my children will stay on track as well. And every kid enjoys an unexpected day off school. Hey, you might even want to plan one with another mom and make it a play day so you can have an hour or two at your desk alone.

Secondly, field trips are another essential. It is vital to everyone’s state of mind, attitude and stress level to take a trip out of the school (house) and see the world. Make a monthly trip to the park, a local museum or potato chip factory. Get out of the house once in a while, watch your kids learn from someone else, see them in action in public and be proud. Again, doing this with another family makes it more enjoyable but if you are alone in your town don’t let that stop you from calling the local police department and see if your kids can come in.

Conferences are the third requirement. The conferences between the principal (my husband) and myself are an important key to our happy homeschool. Be sure to make regular plans to date during the school year. Keeping the relationship you have with your spouse healthy and vibrant is crucial. You can talk about how the school and kids are doing, but I also think that talking about anything but the school and the kids is even more important!

And don’t forget the parent/teacher conferences. Seriously. Take time during the year to have a chat with your kids about how well they are doing, how proud you are of their work and where they need to improve. Get the principal involved in this conference as well. Hearing how proud both of you are will make your children beam (handing out gold stars is optional).

But also be brave enough to take a look at yourself with a parent’s eye. How would you measure up if you were not the parent but only your child’s teacher? What bad habits or even sin patterns do you display as a homeschooling parent that you would never accept from a teacher? Not easily admitted are they?

None to worry though because Jesus provides us as parents/teachers and children/ students with the truly, absolutely necessary supplies we need to make it through the school year. Be sure to add Confession and Mass to your “before the school year starts” list. Do an examination of conscience based on the school year and what sins you know always cause havoc around the table or desks. Make a plan to go to Mass (perhaps even Daily Mass) as a family and offer yourselves and your family up to a new school year. Commit yourselves to the protection of a few saints — St. Paul, in this his holy year or St. Thomas Aquinas and every homeschooler’s favorite mother/teacher St. Elizabeth Ann Seton — to watch over you and your children. With their help and protection, you will do just fine, even if all of your kids don’t have the required allotment of clear, plastic report covers and you have no reason to use highlighters.

Recently, two songs that have gained a rotation spot on my local country music radio station have given me pause.  They both speak of God but from two very different points of view.

The first is by Brooks and Dunn.  They are a well-known country duo with a number of hits, awards and great success.  They are familiar to many as they are the long and short of duos as well as light and dark.  Kix Brooks is the shorter of two with dark hair and a signature dark mustache.  Ronnie Dunn is tall with what might be described as dirty blonde hair.  Now, honestly their looks have little to do with their music but they are a handsome duo that has known success since they first paired in 1990.  However, while their latest release may be a commercial success, it is a theological mess.  I am concerned as I consider that many fans of country music may begin to interpret God and His action in their lives from the lyrics of their newest song, “God Must Be Busy”.  While the song deals with lost love it also speaks of the need for peace in the world, a missing child and gang violence linked together with a chorus of:

And I know in the big picture
I’m just a speck of sand
and God’s got better things to do
than look out for one man.
I know he’s heard my prayers
cause he hears everything,
he just ain’t answered back
or he’d bring you back to me.
God must be busy.”

Sadly, that defines so many people’s view of God.  Prayers go unanswered, needs are not met in a visible, tangible way, and people come to the conclusion that God must be too busy to take care of them.

On the other end of the spectrum we have the latest from George Strait.  Another fine looking man, he has been working at singing since 1981 and has had a Top 10 hit every year since then.  His recent single might be seen as the antithesis of Brooks and Dunn’s single as it states, “I Saw God Today”.  This song speaks of God’s presence in a flower in a crack, the love of an elderly couple and the face of a newborn baby.  It’s chorus is a much more uplifting one:

I’ve been to church, I’ve read the book
I know he’s here but I don’t look
Near as often as I should (Yeah I know I should)
His fingerprints are everywhere
I just slowed down to stop and stare
Opened my eyes and man I swear
I saw God today.

I can sing along to George Strait’s song much more easily than the Brooks and Dunn hit as it more clearly reflects God in my life.  I don’t always take the time to look for Him but God (and His fingerprints) are everywhere.

In reality, Brooks and Dunn’s song may seem to make it easier to deal with some of the pain and confusion of today’s very complex world.  God must be busy or He would surely come and fix everything we say under our breath as way of consoling ourselves during troubling times.  But we need to know that is not how ‘it works’ or God works, so to speak.

God is never too busy for us.  Our faith teaches us, through the Catechism, that “God is master of the world and its history.  But the ways of his providence are often unknown to us.  Only at the end, when our partial knowledge ceases, when we see God ‘face to face’, will we fully know the ways by which – even through the dramas of evil and sin – God has guided his creation to that definitive Sabbath rest for which he created heaven and earth”  (CCC #314).

Jesus reassures us of our value in Matthew 6:26-27, “Look to the birds in the sky….  Are you not more important than they?  Which of you by worrying  can add a moment to his life-span?”

So, while you may find yourself humming along to Brooks and Dunn as you drive or clean house, please never make the mistake of thinking or feeling that God doesn’t have time for you and all of your problems, considerable as they may be.  In fact, His regard for you is just a country song away — “You Ain’t Too Small for My Big Heart”.

According to an article on shoes by US Today (which also mentions Imelda Marcos), women keep 14 pairs of shoes in rotation, while owning approximately 24 pairs.  Reading this made me feel better as I own fewer than that.  Quite honestly, I would probably have more but my budget prevents it.  Rather than spending the average $277 a year on shoes for myself, I am spending our shoe budget (which is way less than that) for the other dozen people who are under my care — eleven children and one husband.  So, while I might wish I could spend that much, God has prevented me from going overboard with shoes for myself by providing me a large family.  As a result, I do get to shoe shop on a regular basis just not always for myself. 

In our basement, I keep three to four dozen shoes in a variety of sizes and styles awaiting new owners.  I try to recycle shoes within the family as much as possible but every season I will inevitably have a child whose foot is the wrong size for the style needed.  I need a size 11 sneaker but only have size 11 dress shoes.  My current size 2, for example, has a wider foot than the previous size 2 so, in anticipation of Easter and spring, we were off taking advantage of shoe sales.  (Yes, I could buy used and I know many families who do, but I don't.  As I said, I'm a bit weird about shoes.)  We were able to find some beautiful white shoes that pleased both the wearer (my daughter), the purchaser (me) and the CFO of the family (Dad).

As we were driving home, with Holy Week upon us, I found myself wondering about shoes, in general, and their history and found myself pondering aloud — "What kind of shoes did Mary wear?"

Somehow, I doubt it would be the Jimmy Choo shoes favored by many a celebrity or actress.  I see her in a sensible sanda,l perhaps from Clark's or Bass.  A solid bottom, sturdy top — practical but still attractive.  Shoes for the Blessed Mother were merely to be worn not shown.  Now, the Pharisees were a different story all together.  They wanted everything about them to be seen, so I imagine their shoes were as over-the-top as their phylacteries.  Sadly, for them there was no Zappos.com, but I imagine if there was they would check out the spectacularly interesting styles by Mark Nason which come in around $500.  These western style half-boots are meant to be seen!

Judas Iscariot may have also wanted to spend some of the money he was lifting from the money bag for some new footwear but he would have to be discreet.  He would probably stick with an off the rack Steve Madden or Kenneth Cole.  Nice, but not so nice as it would draw attention to his feet.  He would not have liked that attention, as his pilfering ways may have been exposed.

John the Baptist is an easy pick as he would have to have something water-proof.  A nice water sandal by Teva perhaps or Columbia, a well-known outdoor supplier.  He needed something to provide slip-proof traction in the water and good protection for his toes out in the desert too, so I imagine he didn't go for a flip-flop but a strap-on.

Simon the Zealot might have wanted to make a political statement with his feet and could check out the vegetarian shoes!  Yes, vegetarian shoes.  Surely, that does not mean that the shoes don't eat meat but rather they are not made of any animal products.  Eager to be Roman-free, Simon might have wanted to leather-free.

Did Joseph have to wear steel-toe sandals to conform to safe labor practices as a carpenter?  Did Peter wear water-proof sandals like John or, as I imagine, did he just jump in the water each time and shout right out loud every time he cut his foot on a rock or stubbed his toe?  He was just too impetuous to take the time to wear something to protect himself.  But it is said that the late, great Pope John Paul II appreciated both the comfort and protection shoes offered and had several pair of Doc Marten's; white, of course.

My children have their own spiritual ideas about shoes.  A recent discussion about guardian angels included what kind of shoes they might wear.  One daughter's angel wears sneakers — pink sneakers with sparkles but sneakers nonetheless — while another daughter is sure her angel wears high heels.  It will be interesting to see if these ideas impact on how they grow and what shoes will be their favorites as adults.

My favorites are clogs — easy on, easy off.  My husband treats me to a pricier style — Dansko.  They are well-liked by medical people and restaurant workers as they are lighter than they appear, sturdy and seemingly last forever.  I am fortunate that they have an outlet near my house so I get them for much less than retail.  I am partial to them but I would never pay full price!

For no matter how much I like shoes, I am also practical.  Shoes are necessary to protect my feet from the elements, the cold and stray pieces of Lego on my floor.  Crocs know this as well.  Crocs, a relatively new shoe on the market, are all the rage in our area.  These brightly colored slip-on clog/sandal/shoe phenomenon are man-made, relatively affordable and comfy.  Everyone seems to have a pair.  In our family, we make do with less expensive knock-offs.  My tie-dyed blue clogs, bought from a discount shoe place, were a life-saver during the last months of my most recent pregnancy — my feet both felt and looked cool.

And so cool are Crocs that they have undertaken a massive project to help shoe the 1.2 billion people who have to survive without.  Just think about that.  There are over a billion people who try to survive collecting food, getting to and from work or school (if available) without any protection for their only source of transportation.  Not a problem, you think, as many of these folks live in temperate or even hot climates where shoes are not needed for warmth.  But feet need shelter as much as the body.  The number of deaths each year from injury or illness runs into the tens of thousands.  From tetanus to infections from a small cut — men, women and so many children die each day from a lack of footwear.

Crocs have developed the SolesUnited program where old Crocs are recycled into new Crocs and given for free to those in need.  It is a good thing that many of us send our used shoes to any number of charities for distribution but, as you can imagine, I really like the idea of new shoes.  A quick video on Crocs website shows the joy in the faces of people receiving brightly colored new shoes — perhaps their very first pair.  I'm thinking of buying new Crocs for the family this summer as small work of philanthropy.  We will happily wear them out and then we will happily mail them back.  Who knows, we just might save a life with a pair of shoes.

But as I draw my mind back to Easter and those new shoes just purchased, I was struck by a sudden paradox.  There I was trying to make sure everyone in our family has shoes for the feast when I remembered that every life on the earth, past, present and future was saved.  Saved by a lack of shoes.

While some people spend hundreds of dollars on a single pair of shoes, others have stolen shoes off another's feet and Dorothy's shoes are a fixture in the Smithsonian, the greatest human act ever took place when a man with no shoes on was crucified.  My thing for shoes appropriately dims when I ponder that.  Some would say that shoes make the man but Jesus' death on the cross proves that to be an empty cliché.  Man was saved when God willingly took off His shoes and climbed on a cross.