Reading Catholic

Reading Catholic and catholic

Seasons

Meet a Reader: Mary Edgerley

by

Sharing the “Meet a Reader” feature that appears on the book page of the print edition of this week’sThe Catholic Post.

Mary Edgerley

How you know me: If you attend 11:00 am Mass at Sacred Heart Parish in Granville on a Sunday morning, you will hear me playing the piano for the church choir. My husband Phil and I farm near Granville, and we are the parents of two daughters, Emily and Rachel, as well as two sons (Philip and Kenneth, already in Heaven). I volunteer as accompanist for the Putnam County School District music department, in addition to serving as accompanist at Sacred Heart Parish.

Why I love reading:  A few weeks ago, I came upon a quote that beautifully explains why reading is so vital to each of us:

“Books change lives, because what we read today, walks and talks with us tomorrow. One of the most powerful influences on thought is the material we choose to read.” (—Matthew Kelly, Rediscover Catholicism.)

The reasons for my love of reading are many; I read to pray, to learn, to grow, to laugh, to cry, to understand, to remember.

What I’m reading now:  I normally have several books in my reading stack at any given moment. Currently I have bookmarks in:

Henri Nouwen’s Life of the Beloved.

 

in Amy Welborn’s Here. Now.


in Thirsting for Prayer by Jacques Philippe.


in Rediscover Catholicism, by Matthew Kelly


and in Steve Martini’s Trader of Secrets.

My favorite book:  Choosing a single book as my favorite would be impossible for me. I have enjoyed and benefited from so many books and authors through the years. The book that began my serious interest in reading as a young girl was surely one from the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
The book that has impacted me very much in the last few months is The 7 Secrets of Confession by Vinny Flynn.

There’s Nothing Like a Convert {my June column, The Catholic Post}

by

Following is my book page that appears in this week’s print edition of The Catholic Post.

Are you a spiritual trust-fund baby? Bear with me—it really is a “thing.”

If you’ve heard the expression, “there’s nothing like a convert,” you’ll begin to know what I mean. There really is something special in converts and how they look at the faith with fresh eyes and fresh faith. It really is different being a convert, and we longtime Catholics can learn a lot from that energy and passion. That’s why shows like Marcus Grodi’s EWTN’s The Journey Home  can be so compelling to watch.

It’s like Richard Cole writes in Catholic by Choice, his expressive memoir about converting to Catholicism, that cradle Catholics are like “spiritual trust-fund babies unbelievably rich with a two-thousand-year-old religious culture stacked on another three thousand years of Hebraic culture.”

And, like a stereotype of trust-fund babies, longtime Catholics can be tempted to take for granted our great wealth. Why is that?

Reading one of three recent new memoirs about the conversion process might help us look at our Catholic faith with a fresh perspective.

It wouldn’t be fair to compare these very different memoirs, so here’s a short review of each story:

Catholic by Choice: Why I Embraced the Faith, Joined the Church, and Embarked on the Adventure of a Lifetime by Richard Cole, a writer and poet.

Cole offers a wandering, luminous and complex story. The memoir is especially rich since he was older (49 at the time of his conversion) and so his conversion, and how it intersects with his life and the life of his family, is fascinating, gritty and real. Because he’s a poet, there are a lot of memorable and “quotable” quotes.


Girl at the End of the World: My Escape from Fundamentalism In Search of Faith with a Future” by Elizabeth Esther. Esther’s book is a harrowing story of growing up in a fundamentalist cult, and gradually, as a young adult, escaping it.

Even though you know these are all conversion stories, I feel like I should write “spoiler alert!”— when I tell you she that she became, however improbably, Catholic. That’s because it is jaw-dropping how Jesus (and His Mother) drew her to the Church. It’s also amazing to read about what being Catholic means to her and her recovery from her abusive childhood.

Something Other than God: How I Passionately Sought Happiness and Accidentally Found It by Jen Fulwiler.

Fulwiler’s memoir tells the story of how she grew up an atheist and lived a happy materialistic existence until she gradually reasoned her way into the Catholic Church, through the writing of her popular blog, Conversion Diary, and various life circumstances.

Fulwiler is a great story-teller—many local Catholic women will remember her talk at the second Behold Conference in 2011. Her funny and clever voice, as she shares the events that drew her to Catholicism, shines through in this narrative.

As I’ve said, it’s not fair to compare the memoirs, as each person’s conversion is unique as a fingerprint. But several common themes, in addition to how well they are written, emerge:

*There are innumerable ways to be Catholic—and thank God for that. How beautiful that our Catholic —universal—faith has so many ways to be a faithful Catholic. Just as the wide variety of saints, different kinds of holiness, there are many paths to and within the Church. Three cheers for holy diversity.

*Jesus really does pursue each one of us intently, mysteriously, and with whatever people, places, and circumstances are at hand. Each of these three memoirs describes the way a diverse cast of characters and situations led them to being Catholic: blog readers, random priests in confession, quiet spiritual directors, fallen-away Catholics, Mary, severe health issues, breakdowns, and so much more. How can those lead one to communion with him and with his Church? Jesus finds a way, and it’s plain astonishing to behold in these memoirs.

*We are all, convert or cradle Catholics, “spiritual trust-fund babies.” As a result, we need to recognize that fact and always fight against complacency. There is so much richness and depth in our faith, we need to spend it and share it with each other and others, instead of leaving it in a vault.

One particular strength of Cole’s Catholic by Choice is that it was published 10 years after Cole first wrote it, allowing him to look back and share how his conversion has played out in his life. Reading his update on how his life looks as a no-longer new convert makes me wonder and wish that both Esther and Fulwiler would update their memoirs 10 or so years down the road, sharing their experiences and what is different, and the same, about being Catholic.

Truly Random Thoughts, Volume 4: Alice, Anne, Money & Science

by

This week shows how truly “random” are the things that catch my eye/ear online.  No common thread,  just lots of interesting things to ponder.

Memory Eternal: The Life and Quiet  Ministry of “Ann B.” –Terry Mattingly, Get Religion.  I love “Get Religion”–I don’t recall it as a Patheos blog.  Perhaps that is new?   Lovely story about the religious life of Ann Davis, better known as The Brady Bunch’s “Alice,” who died this week.

Raising a Moral Child-The New York Times.  “People often believe that character causes action, but when it comes to producing moral children, we need to remember that action also shapes character. ”

A New Way to Declutter--Anne at I Need Some Inspiration.  So super glad this real-life friend she has a blog now, finally.  Anne, you just need to put an e-mail button so I can subscribe that way.  Not that I don’t have so many e-mails, but for some reason, it is a way I catch up (at least occasionally) on my favorite blogs.  I felt “inspired” by this post to tackle our own basement, which looks suspiciously like the one in the photo, except not as spacious.

 Is College Worth It? Clearly, New Data Say –– The New York Times

“We have too few college graduates…we have too few prepared for college.”

“Those who question the value of college tend to be those with the luxury of knowing their own children will be able to attend it.”  Hmm.

“Young and Debt-Free!” — Jill and Jeremy Tracey, WCIC-FM.  I found this mini-interview–about a young couple who paid off $42,000 in student loan debt in two years– inspiring and challenging in a good way.  The couple used the Dave Ramsey principles to pay off their debt on super low incomes, and it just shows it can be done . I read Smart Money Smart Kids: Raising the Next Generation to Win with Money, the newest Dave Ramsey book (from the library, natch).  I find his approach interesting–for me, it’s not the “be all and end all” on financial health, but he does have good things to say about living within your means, especially for people who have gotten into serious debt.  The book itself was a little padded, and could have worked better as a much shorter read.  I am making a note to write a post along these lines–there really “ought” to be a Catholic book for young people about financial literacy and  stewardship, and there isn’t.

“Spiritual and Secular Mix in Case for Sainthood” –New York Times.  “Saints are intercessors in heaven, but they’re also models to emulate. They live lives of heroic virtue. So the idea is to have as many models as possible.” I reviewed the book The Miracle of Father Kapaun last year– it was a very compelling read.

“Why You Hate Work” The New York Times. Such interesting info graphics here. One great quote: “THE simplest way for companies to take on this challenge is to begin with a basic question: ‘What would make our employees feel more energized, better taken care of, more focused and more inspired?’ It costs nothing, for example, to mandate that meetings run no longer than 90 minutes, or to set boundaries around when people are expected to answer email and how quickly they’re expected to respond. ”

“Why Science and the Humanities are Better Together” –NPR Science Friday. I listened to this podcast on a run recently, and I found it fascinating and informative.  Walter Isaacson is interviewed here about giving the prestigious Jefferson Lecture, and how he recalls going to see Walker Percy give the lecture more than 20 years ago.  Since my husband is a big fan of Walker Percy, and met him on several occasions, Isaacson’s admiration and homage to Percy in his own lecture was compelling to me.  I hope to listen to the entire lecture soon.

What have you been reading or listening to this week?

Much More than a Virtual Holy Land Pilgrimage

by

Here is my column that appears on the book page of this week’s print edition of The Catholic Post. 

Most everyone who knows me is aware that high on my “life list” is a whole-family Holy Land pilgrimage, once all my children are teenagers (should my husband and I survive parenting teenagers. But I digress.).

I’ve heard from those who have been on a Holy Land pilgrimage that it can be life-changing and spiritually transformative.  I’m a little scared but also truly excited by the prospect. Since my own pilgrimage is still several years away, I seek out books, shows, and other resources about people who share their Holy Land experiences, so I can virtually-if a little enviously-follow along for now.

No surprise, then, that I would gravitate towards James Martin, S.J.’s newest book, Jesus: A Pilgrimage. But this is a remarkable book by any measure, and for just about every reader.

Fr. Martin, the cultural editor of America magazine and a gifted spiritual writer, tells the story of Jesus through selected Gospel stories, woven through his own faith life and his travel to the Holy Land.

But throughout and within, this book is energetically about the person of Jesus, what makes Him so attractive and compelling to Martin, and to those who follow Him.

Jesus: A Pilgrimage is kind of like an extreme version of Ignatian contemplation, or prayer using the imagination. Fr. Martin picks out key moments in the Gospels and tells those stories through his own Holy Land travels and musings. It is a simple concept, but by no means a simple book-it’s rich in stories, wisdom, and inspiration.

As Fr. Martin shares, when he was asked by a friend what he could say “new” about Jesus:

“ ‘I’ll write about the Jesus whom I’ve met in my life. This is a Jesus who hasn’t been written about before.’ It may be similar to hearing a friend tell you something expected about a mutual friend. ‘I never knew that about him,’ you might say wonderingly. Seeing a friend through another pair of eyes can help you appreciate a person more. You may end up understanding your friend in an entirely new way.”

Read this book to get a fresh and timeless perspective on Jesus, and be inspired to look at Him—and your faith— in a new way.

If you’re also intrigued by visiting the Holy Land as I am, you might be interested in the “The Faithful Traveler” DVD series by the young husband/wife team of David and Diana von Glahn . The series has aired on EWTN, and with the charming Diana as a host, virtual travel through the Holy Land is enjoyable and edifying.  I’ve written  about this series before.

Some notes, post-column:

**I actually read and wrote about Jesus: A Pilgrimage before I realized that my column would appear in print just as Pope Francis was about to be in the Holy Land.  I’ll be following along, and I do think this book would make an excellent companion to it.

**I also wrote about several other “recent reads” in my print column, but I will share those as separate posts because they are unrelated to the “Holy Land” theme of this post.

What’s Your Favorite Mom-ism?

by

 

6a00d83491218553ef00e54f2d0d148834-800wi

Wasn’t she gorgeous?

In honor of Mother’s Day this weekend and my own mother, who was–rather intentionally– the Mrs. Malaprop of Mom-isms, what is your favorite mom-ism?

My favorite mom-ism from my own mother is

“We’ll jump off that bridge when we get to it.”  

So much so that my children have all asked me at various tender ages, “Mom, why are we going to jump off a bridge?” My child, I was wondering the same thing…

Do you have a favorite mom-ism, either from your mom, or one you say to your kids? I definitely want my kids to remember this one, and use it with their kids.

[Note on the  cropping of the photo.  When I had the idea to honor my mom and also have fun with mom-isms, I thought of some of these early photos of my mother, who died in 2008, and who was lovely in every way throughout her life.  The photos we have of her from the 1950s and 60s are just so wonderful.  This was the first one I could easily find, but the four siblings also in the photo (the two youngest, me included, weren’t born yet) look a little on the extra goofy little-kid side, complete with one sister unhappily trying to crawl out of some beach stroller-type contraption.  It’s hilarious, but since I’m the most “online” person in my family, I wanted to err on the side of caution.]

Dear Moms, Will You Go To a Movie With Me? #MomsNightOut

by

If you’re having deja vu: yes, this is an expanded version of my prior post, now that I can reveal more details about the movie.

True confession: I’m not the greatest at self-care.

Like many moms, I tend to take care of everyone else around me before me. The needs/wants/crises of kids, dogs, husband and house can seem so vital, and it’s easy to let those take over the majority of our days.

As I’ve gotten older, and my kids have gotten older, I have gotten better at self-care, but mostly in a solo way. I run, and I make the time to read a lot of books, and I make sure to get my daily quota of chocolate (especially now that Lent is over).

But I’m not very good at self-care of the “getting together with friends” variety.

As I get older, I realize how important that kind of self-care is: being intentional about fostering friendships that nourish us.

Last month, I got the chance to see a screening of Moms Night Out, a movie coming out this Friday. (!!!)

image1

I get invitations to a fair amount of movie screenings, usually family friendly ones, often by faith-based filmmakers. I wrote about October Baby here , and I loved that one (coincidentally— or not—Moms Night Out is made by the same filmmakers: the Erwin Brothers.) But I haven’t written about very many others.

Sometimes the movie, even if it’s pretty good, doesn’t seem like a good fit for a review here, or I run out of time. Sometimes it wasn’t a good fit for me—I tend not to like violence in films, or too slow-moving films. Sometimes the movie is good but not great, or it’s not very good at all.

Moms Night Out is a good, good movie. It’s a super-fun, going out with your friends, laugh-out-loud movie.

It’s not just a fun “faith-based movie,” or a fun “clean movie.” It’s a fun movie, period.

If I haven’t convinced you already, I loved Moms Night Out so much that I’m not only going to see it again when it comes out on this Friday, May 9 (Mother’s Day weekend, natch), but I’m organizing a group of moms to go see it.

This movie made me laugh, smile a lot, and even tear up a few times.

Loves:

*Sean Astin as one of the dads. Because I’m such a LOTR geek.

*Trace Adkins. I don’t know much about country music, so I didn’t realize that Trace Adkins is a country star. I would not have known he wasn’t a “real actor” at all. He’s does well and carries several pivotal scenes admirably.

*Patricia Heaton is super enjoyable as the “older mom.” I realize that I’m now “that older mom” and so it’s great to have an attractive, funny actress playing that role for us.

*the term ”stress paralyzed.”  Yes.  Often.

*a cameo by musician Manwell Reyes of Group 1 Crew as a tattoo parlor concierge. In a family friendly movie. That’s all I’m going to say there.

image3

*nothing contrary to our Catholic faith. Sometimes faith-based films can have something a little “off” in theology, but there’s none of this here. It’s just good fun, and the message of moms practicing self-care, being supportive of one another, and mostly moms knowing that we are all doing the best we can, and that God loves us unconditionally.

*I don’t know the rules for spoilers in movie reviews — I’m not sure how much I’m allowed to give away. So, being as non-specific as possible, let me say that I loved Donny Osmond as a child, and I still do? In another rare moment of self-care, not too many years ago I went to a Donny Osmond concert with my best friend from kindergarten (we LOVED Donny back then) and another similarly aged-friend, and it was SO.MUCH.FUN. This relates to an extremely funny line in the movie, but I felt the need to share this here.

Did I mention? The film comes out on May 9, the beginning of Mother’s Day Weekend.

Mother’s Day day (and weekend) at our house usually involves Mass, a family hike (or, as my kids like to say, a forced march, but it’s my day), chocolate, and lots of down time at home. I don’t often want to go out to eat, in general, as the restaurants are crowded, so we’ll make something delicious at home.

Added to that mix, this Mother’s Day weekend will kick off with a showing of Moms Night Out, and I hope a big group of friends will be going with me.

My friend Lisa Schmidt of The Practicing Catholic also reviewed Moms Night Out. I wish she were close enough to come along with us! Read her review here.

Some questions for you:

Are you good at self-care or not? What kind are you best at?

What do you plan for Mother’s Day for yourself and your family?

Will you go to Moms Night Out with me?

Here is the trailer, in case you’re not convinced: