Letter to the Editor

Lately, my husband and I have been praying and stewing a lot about the recent Health and Human Services mandate, which will require all businesses to offer insurance that would freely cover unethical things like contraception, sterilization, and even abortion in the form of the morning after pill and oral contraceptives that can cause abortions if conception takes place. Obviously, we are strongly opposed to this mandate, but we are struggling with what to do about it. The government seems so big, and we seem so small. Another Goliath versus David scenario, perhaps? So finally, I felt moved by the Holy Spirit to at least make my Catholic voice heard through letters to my local politicians and through an editorial, which got published last week. The name of our local newspaper is called the Independent Record, and what sparked the editorial was a question that that IR posted the previous week, asking the community what they thought about the Blunt Amendment, which would have overturned the HHS mandate. Below is my editorial, followed by some unexpected feedback I received from a person I admire very much indeed...


Last week’s "Independent Record" Question of the Week asked the community to share their views on how they felt about the Blunt Amendment being rejected in the Senate. The Blunt Amendment was put forth by Roy Blunt, a pro-life Republican senator from Missouri, and it would have overridden the Obama Administration's HHS contraception coverage mandate and allowed any employer to refuse to cover any kind of health care service by citing "moral reasons." The Amendment was rejected by a 51 to 48 vote in the Senate.

As a Catholic Christian, I was saddened that the Blunt Amendment was rejected. I strongly believe it is completely unethical and unconstitutional for a government to mandate that businesses and individuals violate their consciences. The HHS mandate would provide insurance coverage for not only birth control, but also the morning after pill and sterilization---none of those items are considered necessary "health care" in my mind. Also, many forms of birth control are abortifacients that take the lives of unborn babies. How appalling that our government would force businesses and insurance companies to provide something so evil for free! As Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said on the Senate floor before the Blunt Amendment vote. "This is just the beginning. If the government is allowed to tell people to buy health care, it won't stop there. I wonder what's next? This isn't about one particular religion -- it's about the right of any American to live out their faith without the government picking and choosing which doctrines they're allowed to follow."

Even though the Blunt Amendment failed, I continue to have hope in our nation’s leaders to correct the wrongs that the current administration has inflicted upon our country. I have even greater hope and trust in God’s patience and mercy. Therefore, I believe with much prayer and the voices of constitutionally-minded Christians who speak out, the HHS mandate will eventually be overturned. I am so proud of all the religious and political leaders who are boldly speaking up to protect our religious and constitutional freedoms. As Alexander Hamilton, one of our nation’s Founding Fathers, once said, “Those who stand for nothing will fall for anything.”



Not very often does a person receive much feedback from an editorial. You wonder to yourself whether or not anyone even read it, let alone was moved by it. You wonder if it was worth your time, energy, prayers, editing and re-editing. But something inside you tells you to write it anyway out of obedience—obedience to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. So I wrote it. This time, however, I actually received some special feedback. I received a personal letter from my bishop. A letter of thanks. I was shocked, encouraged, and filled with profound thankfulness at having such a loving shepherd to lead the flock of this diocese. Here were his exact words:

Dear Maria,

I wish to thank you for the courageous letter you wrote to the Independent Record, published this morning, March 22nd, on the opening page. Your remarks were thoughtful, timely, and a strong public testimony to the mind and mission of the Catholic Church. I am both grateful and proud to know that you are a member of our Cathedral Parish. May the blessing of this Holy season be yours in abundance.

With warm personal regards, I am sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend George Leo Thomas
Bishop of Helena

I encourage all of you readers to find your voice about this issue too. Please write to your local newspaper and ask your politicians to stand up for religious freedom and the Constitutional rights. You may not receive a personal thank you note from your bishop, but I have a feeling God will send a grace-filled thank you hug to your heart.

A Few Gems

Today I stumbled across a few quotes that I felt were gems worth sharing:

This one I thought was perfect for us mothers who find it hard to set aside large chunks of time for prayer because it seems like our little ones are constantly in need of us... So instead we have to find ways to make our work a prayer:

"Whomever labors as he prays lifts his heart to God with his hands."
~St. Benedict

This one just made me smile because I feel like I'm constantly trying to trade my cross in for a smaller, lighter weight one:

"Do not pray for lighter burdens; pray for a stronger back."
~St. Teresa of Avila

And this one by JPII was such a beautiful description of what makes the rosary such a powerful and personal prayer:

"The rosary is my favorite prayer. A marvelous prayer! Marvelous in its simplicity and its depth... Against the background of the words "Hail Mary" the principal events of the life of Jesus Christ pass before the eyes of the soul... At the same time our heart can embrace in the decades of the rosary all the events that make up the lives of individuals, families, nations, the Church, and all mankind, our personal concerns and those of our neighbor, especially those who are closest to us, who are dearest to us. Thus, the simple prayer of the rosary marks the rhythm of human life."
~Blessed Pope John Paul II (1978)

And lastly, in honor of holy St. Patrick, here is a small exerpt of his powerful (and lengthy) prayer that Catholics call St. Patrick's Breastplate:

"I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness
Of the Creator of Creation.
I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me:
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me.
God's host to save me."
~St. Patrick

May we carry the promises captured in these gems in our minds this week to give us encouragement and strength to carry our crosses and bring Christ to those we meet!

Thankful Thursday: Lenten Edition

This year I gave up spending time on the computer for Lent, except for a brief glance at my email before bed and some therapeutic blogging on Sundays, and it has proved to be the perfect sacrifice for me. I didn't realize how much time I spend surfing the net, checking and rechecking my email, and just plain wasting time. I am trying to use all that extra time tidying my house, as well as my soul. Lent is the perfect time for deep-cleaning those areas in my house that I tend to avoid like the plague. It is also the perfect time to do some soul searching for areas within that need to be scrubbed, reorganized or thrown-out altogether. God has gently been revealing those areas to me, giving me a whole new litany of thanks...

• learning I need to focus less on me, more on Him, and seek ways to be "little" like St. Therese


• Natey's wild, red, spiky hair after naptime


• the tangible graces in the Sacrament of Reconciliation; the gift of a holy priest giving Spirit-filled advice and God-given absolution


• the smell of white chili cooking in my kitchen


• the feel of needle and thread through fabric--the final stitches on a Mary quilt (finally made for our own wall this time)


• our one-year-old's terrifying T-rex sound that melts my heart


• the boys and I giving Mary a bouquet of roses each morning as we drive to school


• a blanket of snow, and warm blankets covering me in my bed


• the smell of Mop and Glow and knowing my floors are clean (if only for an instant)


• the Burger King play area (the place for the boys to get exercise in the winter)


• Paul training the boys to do dishes every night after dinner


• making a home-cooked meal everyone likes (french toast casserole...mmm!)


• morning stillness as I spend time with Paul and then with Jesus for prayertime


• our Christmas gift to each other finally arrived---a custom framed portrait of Jesus to grace our dining room, a reminder that He is with us always


• phone calls with friends (you know who you are!): my supply-line for joy each week


• Jenny's baby BOY growing beautifully, stretching her womb, her faith, her heart


• sleeping in a few extra minutes and listening to the sound of little people chattering with their daddy


• Michael reminding us to pray on the way to school


• pizza night with friends


• remembering the lost art of letter-writing and hoping it brings joy to the receiver (my grandma)


• nighttime prayer-picnic as a family


• Nathanael fully transitioned into one nap, giving mommy quiet time to pray and get things done in the afternoon


• Paul looking so fine in his leather flight-jacket


• fields of last year's golden wheat embraced by smokey blue, snow-capped mountains


• Bob Ward's end of the season ski sale: my first pair of new skis and boots!!!


• night skiing with my boys


• sun shining through stained glass


• Natey dancing circles in my kitchen


• setting up the tent in our living room for the boys' first sleep-over with a friend


• the simple joy of bowling


• praying the Stations of the Cross as a family


• little boys sticking to the their Lenten sacrifices (out-disciplining their mommy!)


• Paul and I consecrating ourselves to Jesus through Mary this Lent, using St. Louis de Montford's beautiful guide: "Total Consecration"

May your walk through the desert this Lent be filled with unexpected graces and deep cleaning too!