JOY, a reminder (4/25/20)

"Our Call to Joy"
Poem of the Day - 4/25/20
Audio Version of Today's Poem

I was reminded in a homily today
About our call
As Christians
To spread the Good News
With JOY
Such a powerful reminder
Especially in our current climate
As we strive to put Jesus first
Through prayer
And virtual Mass,
And then comes others
By reaching out to our neighbors
And staying in touch with family
And,
Finally,
Yourself -
Still important,
For we cannot serve from empty vessels,
But not more important
Than the other two
Joy -
Hard to sometimes define
But never possible to be mistaken
When you come across
A joy-filled and joyful witness

Catholic Mass on the Road

In years past, I sadly have been on road trips where I haven't fulfilled my Sunday obligation. This time, though, I was determined to make it to Mass both Sundays. Aside from the actual obligation part, I enjoy spending time in other Catholic churches around the country.

The Grand Canyon (our third and final National Park - you can read about Zion & Bryce, if you missed those posts), though, looked like it could be a bit of a challenge. Still, the church website (which I had researched ahead of time) was helpful in determining location and times. (I'm glad my friend suggested we try for the Saturday evening option, which is what we ended up doing.)

El Cristo Rey Chapel was small and simple...and we got there pretty early. Even after waiting in the car for about 20 minutes we were still the first ones in the door. The pastor, Fr. Rafael, was there to greet us, inquire about our names and from where we came, ask me to read the First Reading and Psalm, and invite us to sign the guestbook. (He then used the guestbook at the beginning of Mass to introduce the 20 or so of us who were in attendance. And for those who were late, well, they had to introduce themselves. Lesson learned.) The chapel itself was small, fitting probably up to 30 people at any given time, yet furnished with an altar, tabernacle, pews, and statues/icons on the wall. It was a beautiful space.

That Mass truly turned out to be a blessing - I was filled with a sense of peace and joy in being with the other tourists who had taken time out of their travels to find the church and worship. It gave me so much hope! (Plus, the Gospel was about the Good Samaritan, and I would have hated to miss that one.)

If you ever find yourself in the Grand Canyon on the weekend, do yourself a favor and go visit El Cristo Rey Chapel and Fr. Rafael. You won't be disappointed.

side view of the church

a good reminder on the bulletin board inside

a view from our pew looking at the altar and tabernacle

a small Mary shrine

stained glass windows in the back

I owe so much to the Salesians...

The Salesian sisters are some of the most amazing women I have ever met. Through their summer camps, work in schools, prayers, and more they have touched so many lives.

 A few weeks ago I was flipping through their monthly magazine publication and came across a page asking people to “adopt a sister,” and, though it wasn’t asking for a lot, I knew I wanted to help and give back in a small way. Today, I received news (a letter, certificate, bio, and Blessed Mother picture) that I had adopted Sr. Liz - what a blessing and honor to support and pray for her (and to have her pray for me too).

I found a use for this frame I've had forever!

If you feel so inclined to donate too ;)

God bless the Salesian sisters and their ministry - they truly are the hands and feet of God. Mary, Help of Christians, pray for us!

One Mass

In the beautifully written and illustrated children's book, The Weight of a Mass, the faith of the subjects in the kingdom has grown cold. The king and his bride are to be wed in the evening at a Mass in the cathedral; yet, the people do not plan to attend. 

In the kingdom's bakery, preparations are being made for the royal feast, including the prized wedding cake. A beggar woman enters the shop, and says,

If you give me crust of bread, I will offer the Mass tonight for you.

The baker is indignant; though, his son insists he listen to the woman. Instead, the baker taunts her by writing "one Mass" on a torn off piece of tissue paper. He places it on the balance and flicks in a dried out crust of bread. Miraculously, the bread does not cause the balance to be weighed down. So, the baker adds more items - fresh donuts, cakes, and breads - yet there is no change. The people are incredulous. Finally, the baker puts the wedding cake on the scale. 

Nothing.

As the bells toll to call the people to the wedding Mass, those in the shop process into the streets. The baker, his son, and the beggar woman follow. In the end, the baker apologizes to the woman for not having faith. She, too, apologizes, for she only wished for a crust of bread in exchange for one Mass. They realize that they did not know the weight of the Mass...

Read the book - it's beautifully told and illustrated!

I read this book to my 7th graders, and then they did some reflection using post-its to answer questions around the room based on the book and its symbolism. I have included some of their responses below; though, you may have to click on the photos in order to actually read the writing, as it is very small. My apologies. Many of them really seemed to get the story, and I hope they keep this story at the forefront of their minds as we begin our next unit on the Catholic Mass.

Q: What is the role of the beggar woman in the story?

Q: Why is the story set in a bakery?

Q: What is the last item weighed against the Mass? What does it represent?

Q: Who experiences a conversion of heart in this story?

Q: How much does a Mass weigh?

I feel like adults would very much benefit from this story too, as it is easy in today's society to forget the weight of the Mass.

P.S. - I got a BONUS this weekend by getting to head to Notre Dame for the day to meet the new ACE Chicago teachers (and to spend time with some of the current ones). Even though it was a short visit, I tried to make the most of it (rotten weather and all):

Grotto visit

Golden Dome selfie

Touchdown Jesus!

post-dinner smiles with the crew

It's hard to believe that the next time I will be on campus is going to be this summer for the final wrap-up, presentation, and graduation. Love thee, ND!

On the verge of Holy Week (and this weekend's whole lotta fun)

Palm Sunday just has a special feel to it. I can't quite figure out how to explain it. It's the start of our, as Catholics, week of high holy days. The narrative of Jesus' passion and death comes alive at Mass. We hold our palms high in procession and later shout together, "Crucify him!" All of our faults and sins lay open to Jesus, as we commit to striving even harder to fulfill our promises during this final week of Lent.

And there is a renewed sense of hope. We know that Good Friday has to come first, that Jesus had to die to save us from our sins. But we know that Easter Sunday follows, and we, as Christians, believe in the Resurrection both of Jesus and, one day, of ourselves.

Have a blessed Holy Week and a Happy Easter!

Unrelated, but, in my humble opinion, worth including...

1. On Friday night I joined with over a thousand other people from across the Chicago area to hear Fr. James Martin, SJ, speak at Holy Name Cathedral about the Seven Last Words of Christ. He always provides thoughtful insight into Jesus and the Scriptures - just read one of his many books if you don't believe me - and he sprinkles in both poignancy and humor.

2. My sister and I went for a 16 mile run on Saturday as part of our marathon training. Though beautiful (as evidenced by the pictures below), it was WINDY! Needless to say, the fresh air did us good but the wind just about killed me.

3. Talk about a throwback - one of my good friends just turned thirty, and his wife organized a birthday party involving laser tag and pizza. Most of us hadn't played laser tag since middle or high school, so we were not quite sure what we had gotten into. It ended up being a LOT of fun - even more than we had hoped. Surprisingly I won the first game. And we all got a good laugh when the man announcing the winners got to me and said, "Gorn bows?" in a state of certain uncertainty. (Somehow "Go Ramblers" had been translated to, I believe, "Go rainbows," and then shortened to "Go Rnbows" which then turned into "Gornbows"...Who knows? But I now have a new nickname.)

The Joy of Sharing the Catholic Faith

I can honestly think of nothing better than engaging in meaningful opportunities to share about the Catholic faith with others.

Maybe I have found my calling as a religion teacher...

Just this week I found out from my principal that the relics of St. Padre Pio would be up at St. Ita's church, so I headed up there after volleyball practice. On the way, I tried to let some friends know about it too (some of whom already did). The Mass itself, while extremely crowded and incredibly hot (no air conditioning), was such a beautiful experience. I only wish I had known and been able to invite others sooner! When I got home, I found my roommates working on some things and enjoying some wine. I joined them, sharing about where I had been. I (unintentionally) threw out some Catholic vocab (e.g. relics), and in doing so I had a natural way to go into more detail about the richness of our faith surrounding the Saints. I loved it!

Then, at aftercare today, one of my seventh graders started asking me about the Saints, as we've been reading about them in the Ablaze book recently --> "Why are so many named Teresa?" This led to how many religious nuns and sisters would take names of the Saints that they wanted to emulate; in a sense, they died to their old selves and began a new way of life. (There are other explanations and reasons too...) This, in turn, led us (somehow!) to religious persecution and other (various) faith topics. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it made the hour we spent outside before gathering our belongings and returning to the classroom until pick-up go much more quickly than usual.

One more Catholic thing that made me extremely happy today was that we started 7 Riddles to Nowhere in 6th grade. Excited to see FXW (one of their sports team rivals) on the cover of the book (as it takes place in Chicago), they finally settled down to listen to the first chapter about Kameron Boyd, his selective mutism, and the possibility of his Catholic grade school closing in the near future. In a few weeks we'll get to take a field trip to the cathedral, and the students will be able to see firsthand some of the clues and descriptions from the book.

This weekend should be pretty amazing - I'm heading to the ND game with my sister tomorrow, and then on Sunday my goddaughter's sister is getting baptized, so I will attend that Mass to be with the family (and hopefully get in some visiting time). In terms of grad school, I just submitted my executive summary (due Sunday) as well as my action plan for another class (also due Sunday), so I think I'm in a good place. So, it seems the best thing I can do to prepare for the weekend is to hit the hay and get some rest...

Let's go Irish!

The (Quiet) Beauty of Daily Mass

As I look ahead to grad school, one of the things I am actually most looking forward to (aside from seeing all of my classmates) is the opportunity for daily Mass. Heck, twice a week it's scheduled into the mid-morning for us as part of our course-load, which is pretty amazing if you ask me.

Here in Chicago there are a LOT of opportunities for daily Mass - one only needs to seek out an appropriate time and location. And so, I did. As I entered into the church (a mere 1-2 minutes early), I felt an overwhelming sense of peace and calm. It was silent and cool. It was perfect.

One of the feasts we celebrated today was that of Thomas More (love that saint!), and the Gospel was the one where Jesus taught his disciples to pray using the "Our Father." I've been trying to pray a lot more recently (though, admittedly, I am trying to pray through the intercession of Mary), so today's Mass was right up my alley. And then, after Mass, I was ready to go on my merry way (after speaking with the priest briefly). I finally tried a new coffee spot right near church, and I nearly finished that second book I am working on for grad school. (Spoiler: It actually got more interesting!)

Later it will be time for a haircut and then who knows... I still have some grad work to do before next week, but I think I'll tackle that tomorrow before a friend's birthday get-together in the evening. After all, in building up mental stamina to prepare for this summer's workload I can only handle so much a day...

Celebrating Catholic Education - Why Am I Here?

Happy mid-Catholic Schools Week 2017! We've had some awesome first few days, and we're looking forward to what we still have left - service day, academic day, and teacher appreciation day. This morning, I will be attending Mass with my students...but Fr. Larry (our pastor) added something to my plate - he wanted me to tell my story about why I teach in Catholic schools.

Here's what I'll be sharing with my school community:

Good morning. In the spirit of celebrating Catholic Schools Week, Fr. Larry asked me to share with you all about why I’m here - why I’m teaching in Catholic schools. The simple and first answer might actually surprise you and sound like something you might say: my mom made me do it. Okay, so she didn’t make me, but when the time came to graduate from college, she more than gently nudged me toward the University of Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) program - a 2 year Masters of teaching program. I applied, got accepted, and moved out to Phoenix, Arizona to teach 4th grade at a Catholic elementary school for three years. I loved it. Every (well, probably not every) minute of it. I’ve been teaching in Catholic schools ever since, so, the rest, as they say, is history…

Now, here we are in 2017, and it’s been almost 6 years that I’ve been in Chicago teaching at our school...so why am I here? Why am I still teaching in Catholic schools when there are plenty of other needs, job opportunities, and more out there? I think that might be more of what Fr. Larry had in mind when he asked me to share with you. So, what makes me stay in Catholic education?

There is essentially one overarching reason, and that breaks down into 3 supporting ones. So, big reason: I am Catholic first. It’s how I identify myself and it’s what matters most. I put it before saying I’m a teacher, identical twin, woman, daughter, student, Chicagoan, Michigan State and Notre Dame fan… Catholic comes first. And here’s why:

I want to touch on three (did you catch the Catholic symbolism - 3 in 1?) reasons why being Catholic is so important to me, which I hope will, in turn, illustrate why I am a Catholic school teacher.

One: My parents brought my sister and me to Mass every Sunday and sent us to amazing Catholic schools from kindergarten to 12th grade. Without a doubt, it was a firm faith foundation. We NEVER missed Mass. That’s not to say I always wanted to go - in fact, I faked sick one time, and I still regret doing so to this day - but going to Mass truly became a family event. And it was special. And it was sacred. And, what I learned about in the Gospels didn’t stop at the church doors for me - my parents LIVED it, and they encouraged me and my sister to live it too. From singing in choir to volunteering for teaching kindergarten religious education to spending time with parishioners at the spaghetti dinner, my parents gave of their time, talent, and treasure consistently. When my sister and I got to high school and started going to daily 7am Mass, my dad would drive us to school, stay for Mass, and THEN go to work. (When you get to be in 8th grade, you’ll get to hear more stories about my dad, I promise.) I could go on and on about my parents, but a) I would more than likely tear up and b) ain’t nobody got time for that. So, supporting reason 1: I was brought up Catholic by my parents and learned the faith through my experiences with them both in and out of church.

Two: This one to me is so beautiful and simple: I believe in the goal of the Catholic life - to get to heaven and to take as many people with you as possible. In working with all of you amazing young people - that’s the challenge and the joy rolled into one. The challenge is that I know you sometimes tune me out, but the joy is that when you do listen, you just might hear God through discussions or activities we do in class or on retreats, and a small seed may be planted. So, 2: I believe in the goal of the Catholic life - to live in such a way that you get to heaven and bring as many people with you as possible.

If you’re keeping track, there’s one more to go: 3) I love the Catholic Mass and the Sacraments, and I get to participate in them regularly as part of my job. Many people can’t say that. It’s amazing! When our principal calls teachers into her office at the end of the year and asks us what we want to request to teach the following year, there is one class I will never give up - and that’s 8th grade. It’s mainly because of the Sacrament of Confirmation. And I look at you today, 8th grade, and I am so excited for these next few days. And I get to share this special time with each of you and your families...and, again, it’s part of my job. What a blessing! You may not realize it today, tomorrow, or even next year, but this time in your faith is incredibly important. You are making a big step, and we are all so proud. And, for all of us, to gather with our school community of Hill Street once a week for Mass, when I get to be a Eucharistic minister and smile into each of your faces as we share in the Body and Blood of Christ - I wouldn’t trade that for the world. It reminds me that we are all united, we are one, and we are a family. So 3) I love the Mass and the Sacraments.

These are the three things that make me feel strongly in identifying as Catholic first: my upbringing in the Catholic faith, the goal of the Catholic life, and the celebration of Mass and the Sacraments. When I prioritize my life in such a way that faith comes first, the question inevitably changes and becomes instead, How could I NOT work in Catholic education? Catholic education, like our faith, is a gift, and it’s a gift that is best shared lovingly with others.

All about that faith

I know that from time to time I complain about student behavior, but when it boils down to it, how cool is it that I get to spend time learning and teaching about the Catholic faith for MY JOB?!?!? (I think the Language Arts piece tends to stress me out a little, but that's okay.)

I am so grateful to learn and dig deeper every single day. From watching classic films (e.g. "The Song of Bernadette" or "The Robe") to having students get excited about sharing videos for prayer to having to do a little research to prepare about Church history - I love it.

And for some kids, I know it's making a difference now. For others, maybe they'll look back on some of the things we did and it might make a difference then. Who knows? We gotta keep "fighting the good fight," people.

Sorry for my brevity. Have a good night, y'all.

You never know...

"I have something to show you," the grandmother of one of our Confirmandi told me as I tried to hand her the Confirmation certificate to hold. She dug into her clutch, and she pulled out the decade Rosary she had made with her granddaughter at parent/grandparent day two years ago during Catholic Schools Week in my classroom. She told me that she carries it everywhere.

And, for some reason, that really touched me.

You never know what something means to someone else. Many of the decade Rosaries are now lost or gathering dust, but this woman still holds on to hers in a special way. (And this was the first time I had seen her since that day.)

Confirmation was already a special, wonderful night, but that moment made it just a little more special.

Here are some of the posters the kiddos made on retreat a few weeks ago - we hung these in the church on Friday night as part of the Confirmation celebration. 34 young men and women were sealed with the Holy Spirit - Amen!

Pray for our Priests

For the first time in quite some time, I had the 8th graders' attention.

Now, I could chalk that up to the fact that, due to the rotating schedule, I had them before lunch (which does not happen the rest of the week), OR I could chalk it up to the fact that this video about the priesthood got their attention.

After watching the video multiple times myself, I'd like to go with the latter.

The 8th grade is in the midst of a unit on vocations, so yesterday we took a deeper look at one of the four vocations: priesthood. We did some other videos and activities too, but this video was, by far, the one that held their attention the most. After the video (about 12 minutes in length) finished, I asked them to give their initial reactions and to share what they noticed about the seminarians & priests in the video.

One comment stood out (and I wasn't sure anyone would necessarily pick up on it, even though it was pretty obvious): They all look happy. Darn right they do - they're full of the love of God, and through their vocation they are sharing that love with others. They are amazing and such a true blessing to the Catholic faithful.

We ended class with a prayer for priests. I invite you to pray it too:

A Lesson in Humility

This past week's Catholicism lesson focused on prayer, so we had a lot to discuss at our table groups. (There never seems to be enough time to get to all the good stuff!) 

Many good thoughts were shared, but I took away something even more important for my own relationship with God: What's hindering your prayer life? Lack of humility.

When I think of my life, I don't go out of my way to seek the praise of others, but if I do something (especially a BIG something) and some people fail to recognize it or be grateful for it, then I get upset and worry that it didn't make a difference. And, while I've worked on it, I often find myself worried about what I'll say to someone else in conversation rather than listen and respond based on what the other person said. In addition, as I mentioned in my small group on Monday, I pray for others, but I don't pray for others enough. So much tends to creep in about me, me, me...and then my thoughts have wandered without my awareness...

In today's Gospel, we hear about the Annunciation of Jesus' birth to Mary, and we hear Mary's yes. She was humbled before God and did not seek any means of glory on her own. She said yes to God, and, at that moment, she turned all eyes toward God with her words, "let it be done to me according to your word."

It's like all the wake-up calls about humility are hitting at once. (I think it was either Fr. Barron's podcast homily this week or Fr. Mike's podcast homily that focused on humility too.) And it's quite revolutionary - I didn't realize how much I had shifted the focus to myself and my feelings/reactions. My main goal needs to be God - letting God's goodness and light shine through me so that I may lead others to God...

Church History Excitement

After watching a video about Sts. Peter & Paul...

Student A: Miss Foyle, I thought Church history was going to be boring, but this stuff is actually really cool!
Me: Yes, it certainly is.

Later in class:

Student B: Miss Foyle, you seem pretty excited about all this stuff.
Me: Yes, I guess I do.

It's amazing the difference a year makes. Having traveled on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land this summer and having just finished a Bible study on Acts of the Apostles, my familiarity with early Church history (and my confidence in teaching it) has gone up quite a bit since last Fall when I first taught the subject matter.

And it's made a difference.

It's gotta be the Holy Spirit...

Long Weekend = "Cake-Taker"

Long weekends are something to look forward to in and of themselves. However, when you add in a family visit, marathon-watching, and a Baptism, that particular long weekend takes the cake.

For me, that "particular long weekend" is this one. (Yes, thanks to Columbus Day, school is not in session.) 

On the one hand, I've been able to accomplish quite a bit in terms of preparing for some upcoming lessons and things at school. 

On the other hand, I had the opportunity for some quality visiting time with both my family and the families of my friends whose baby was baptized on Sunday. (It was such a beautiful ceremony, and I am blessed to call the little lady my goddaughter!)

On the other hand...there is no other hand!

But seriously, today is already shaping up to be a good one - I went for a short jog this morning before settling down to blog, practice my Spanish (hooray for Duolingo), and eat breakfast (have you tried the new Trader Joe's pumpkin O's???), and I will soon meet up with my sister for coffee. I hope to make progress on Killing Jesus (our YAC book club pick this month) and additional lesson/project planning before heading to Bible Study tonight.

A four day week ahead...bring it on!

Modern (Catholic) Family

At Friday evening's Mass of the Assumption, I was pleasantly surprised to see a number of parents with their small children in the congregation.

A few of my classmates and friends from the ACE teaching program have settled down and started raising families - and they are trying hard to have the children baptized and to bring their children to Mass each week.

It's people like these that give me hope for our Church and hope for the modern Catholic family. Parents (who, at times, may seem like a small amount of them) are taking on the responsibility of being the primary educators of their children's faith, and they are making family the center (with God at the core) of all they do.

Let us lift our Catholic families (especially newer parents) up in prayer that God strengthen their zeal and love for the faith in order to pass on a desire in their children for developing personal relationships with God. Amen.