Ms. Newell's Seton Space » Uncategorized

Humbly, patiently

newell — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:26:49 +0000

‘It is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives, the will to follow an ideal, the refusal to allow yourselves to be ground down by mediocrity, the courage to commit yourselves humbly and patiently to improving yourselves and society, making the world more human and more fraternal.’

Pope John Paul II

Present / next world

newell — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 01:08:23 +0000

If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.

C.S. Lewis

Thoughts on mornings

newell — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:56:16 +0000

A few years ago, when my daughter was at home and I had a different job, mornings were sometimes quite stressful. Getting Anne up, dressed, and fed was the first challenge of the day. (She was never hungry that early, and couldn’t decide on what to wear.) Often, someone was calling in sick at school, so I was scrambling to figure out how we would cover a class that day. The dog needed attention. We prepared our lunches, and at the same time I would think ahead to dinner, and perhaps jot a few items on a shopping list for after school. Sometimes my daughter needed something special for school that day. She was very disciplined about doing big projects ahead of time, but sometimes we were searching for an item or finishing up the homework as it was time to leave. We lived in the country; snow and ice often complicated the morning commute, and sometimes we had to shovel our way out, or wait for the plow or sand truck to go by. When she was in junior high, I had to deliver her to the bus garage by 6:40, so all of this morning ’stuff’ started very early. By the time I had arrived at work, I was in full zippy mode – already racing to the next thing, stressed, and fragmented. It seemed like once I woke, I just hit the ground running and didn’t look back. Ready, set, go…
These days, my mornings are quiet. I get up, have a cup of coffee, see to the dog (same old Homer), then exercise. I take my time in dressing and preparing, and think about the day’s tasks while I listen to the news. I pack my lunch, get dinner food organized, read my email and several newspapers. I can walk to work. By the time I get to my classroom, I have stopped at the Chapel for a quick prayer, and am ready for anything. It is such a joy to begin the day in that way. I feel sane, capable, and strong. (I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.)
Last week, I had a few work-related phone calls and adjustments to make early one morning. As the phone rang, I felt my heart beat faster, and my body unconsciously slipped into that old ‘morning crisis’ mode. The situation was easy to handle, but it brought back those old morning feelings all over again.
I wish I had made an effort to slow those old mornings down, to handle work only after I had arrived on the job. I wish I could ‘take back’ every single time I griped “Hurry up!” to my daughter. I wish I had appeared calm, and enjoyed breakfast with her instead of running around like a crazy woman. Now I know better, and enjoy the blessings of more peaceful mornings. Thank you God, for the blessing of this wisdom.

Something more

newell — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:51:13 +0000

Over the past few weeks, I’ve noticed a repeated theme, an idea that has echoed through many of my thoughts. The motif? “Filling the void.” I’ve heard it everywhere. While preparing for the football Mass: in Luke’s Gospel (the story about the empty house) and Saint Augustine, talking about the ‘God-shaped void.’
Then, back to C.S. Lewis, who assures me that dissatisfaction is the natural byproduct of a human life. (Of course we feel dissatisfied with the experiences of this world, because we’re made for the next…) How nice that the empty spaces we sense in our lives are supposed to be that way! I thought it was just me…
A favorite Irish folksong, “Red is the Rose,” describes the cool, clear water that flows from the void, or natural spring in the rocks. (Here, the void is a good place to be.)
Lots of pop culture crosses my brain every day. I’ve been studying the psychology of hoarding. Today, some hoarders appeared on the Oprah show, telling how they collected way too much stuff to fill some kind of a void in their lives. Huh. An alcoholic used the very same words a few minutes later.
I rely frequently on the principles of 12 step programs for substance abusers and enablers. So, those of us who drink/drug/eat/anything too much are simply feeling the void, an emptiness. We don’t like it and do what we can to numb or cover that feeling. Is every obsession just a patch over an empty hole? I’m beginning to think so.
Lots of my friends are struggling with empty nest issues at this point of their lives. I, too, walk around weepy on the weekends simply because I miss my daughter! For eighteen years she was the center of my life, 24/7. What do we do when the loved ones are gone? It’s an emptiness you can feel, and it’s so strong you can hear your heart break.
Some of the mechanisms we use to cope with The Void are respected and rewarded by our culture and world, so it’s really hard to recognize them for what they are, just band-aids. The world tells us that to be good moms, we are supposed to be 100% super involved and devoted to every need of our children. We jump right in, work as hard as we can, and before we know it we’re too busy and tired to notice The Void. The world tells us we need to work hard and get ahead in our career. Perform. Make yourself the most valuable employee. Again, too tired to feel The Void. How about exercise? It’s easy to get caught up in the positive results and spend way too much time at the gym every day. That’s good, right? I’m healthy, I’ve lost a few pounds, toned up…. Could it be another way to cover up The Void? All those things and projects we’re ‘obsessed’ with: what is underneath them?
Truth is, our lives are build on that void. On an empty space. And I think that’s the idea. Nothing here is ever going to fill it. Augustine says only God can fill it. I don’t feel too secure about living with nothing but emptiness below me, but it certainly directs my attention to the right place: God. (Catch me, God! Don’t let me fall!) I am forced to address my relationship with him, warts and all. It’s useless to waste precious time and energy on all those obsessions, possessions, and busy-ness — which we can’t control anyways. The Irish tenors tell me that clean, life-giving water flows from the void. A conversion of the baptized? Maybe a big do-over like Noah’s flood…
Perhaps I should rest in God, and just be with him for awhile, and see if Augustine is right.

Archangels

newell — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:59:31 +0000

The liturgy for today celebrates the feast of the three archangels who have been venerated throughout the history of the Church, Michael (from the Hebrew Who is like God?) is the archangel who defends the friends of God against Satan and all his evil angels. Gabriel, (the Power of God), is chosen by the Creator to announce to Mary the mystery of the Incarnation. Raphael, (the Medicine of God), is the archangel who takes care of Tobias on his journey.

In Conversation With God : Feast Days July – December

St. Michael’s Prayer is one of my favorites; I always feel safe when I’ve said it. I do believe that evil exists in a very real way in our world, and this is one reason why the Archangels are such a gift to us.

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray. And do thou, O prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl around the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Her hands

newell — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 15:28:00 +0000

Okay, I admit it, I ~~zoned out~~ was thinking about alternative topics during the Bishop’s Fund video. I sit on the Gospel side, and yesterday my view of the statue of the Blessed Mother was blocked, as I was behind a big column. All I could see was her left hand. But it spoke to me…
Mary’s hands are open to us, reaching out in love to all the faithful who gaze on her for comfort, or guidance, or for any reason. I was reminded of the powerful scenes in The Passion of the Christ, when images of Jesus’ torture were juxtaposed with His Mother’s memories of reaching out for her precious young child as He fell.
I thought of the countless tasks my own mother’s hands performed for so many years. Today, her hands are wrinkled and worn, and mine are more like hers every day. I am missing my child, off at college, and wish my hands could help her in some real way today. Never though I’d wish for a blouse to mend or a meal to prepare, but right now I do.
Mothers’ hands make love visible. Mary’s hands do, too. Take a look.

Labor Day

newell — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:47:48 +0000

Today we honor the worker. Each of us produces in some way for society, and has corresponding rights and responsibilties. The dignity of the worker is often forgotten…

6. Economic Justice

The economy must serve people, not the other way around. All workers have a right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, and to safe working conditions. They also have a fundamental right to organize and join unions. People have a right to economic initiative and private property, but these rights have limits. No one is allowed to amass excessive wealth when others lack the basic necessities of life.

Catholic teaching opposes collectivist and statist economic approaches. But it also rejects the notion that a free market automatically produces justice. Distributive justice, for example, cannot be achieved by relying entirely on free market forces. Competition and free markets are useful elements of economic systems. However, markets must be kept within limits, because there are many needs and goods that cannot be satisfied by the market system. It is the task of the state and of all society to intervene and ensure that these needs are met.

from Major Themes of Catholic Social Teaching
http://www.osjspm.org/major_themes.aspx

Pretty please…

newell — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:00:26 +0000

I would love, for my classroom:
Tissues
Hand sanitizer
Disinfecting wipes

Let’s stop H1N1 before it gets to Seton! All donations gratefully accepted…

Films

newell — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 23:58:35 +0000

Last week I had a chance to see lots of films, old and new. Best:
District 9. I really liked its style: documentary, tongue-in-cheek. Some really funny little ‘throwaway’ lines. But it was at heart a story about apartheid, sameness/difference, and human love. Even though they were aliens…Lots of action and violence, but unique and fresh.
Also saw Julie & Julia. Loved the Julia Child part, hated the obnoxious Julie blogger part. Maybe an object lesson in how not to be self-absorbed and mean to your husband. The relationship between Julia and Paul was exactly what I think a marriage is supposed to be – a blessing.
Let’s see – also, Sunshine Cleaners, very good, bittersweet kind of quiet story. And Shall We Dance: better than I thought it would be, helped me to talk/understand about men and what they are really thinking.
Hope you got to see something good. Tell me when you get to school!

newell — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 15:55:41 +0000

“Anything you do not give freely and abundantly becomes lost to you. You open your safe and find ashes.”
- Annie Dillard.