The weekly “little of this, little of that” feature here at Like Mother, Like Daughter!
The winner of the beautiful Infinifeed scarf from Designs by Pebblehut is Theresa B! (An email is on its way to you!)
Letty is generously offering free shipping on all orders over $30 until the end of July! So head on over there to make your fashion/nursing scarf/headband purchases!
I hope your garden is going well! Ours is, though it's very dry. But wow, sunny beautiful days!
Our links this week:
- First — big news: thanks to Deirdre, we have updated and upgraded our information page about the St. Gregory Pockets — what they are and where to find them. Now you can know all you need to know and also share this one page with others. Please read and tell us what you think — and share with your friends! Is your area/town on our list? Could you start a Pocket where you are?
- Dr. Ralph Stanley: “It used to be said that when you heard a Ralph Stanley tune, you either wanted to get drunk or go to church and get saved.”
- Rest in Peace.
Pope Francis has said some confusing things about marriage this week. It's important that we know what we're talking about. Yes, marriage is in a sorry state, as unto a crisis. No question about that. We need clear teaching now more than ever!
- Benedict Nguyen, canon law professor, writes on principles we must keep in mind. If anything, in this excellent piece he understates the devastating effect of confusion on children.
- Ed Peters, a highly respected canon lawyer, writes in First Things with some trenchant remarks about the nature of marriage — it's not a lofty, unreachable ideal; it's actually the very institution that virtually everyone participates in and needs. If anything, in this excellent piece he understates the essentially public — not private — nature of marriage. Think of it this way: Society is built marriage by marriage.
- Marriage preparation begins in the family. There is no substitute for family life in teaching the virtues necessary for… family life! Good marriage preparation before the wedding can be found here: Catholic Marriage Prep. (We've told you about them before.)
- And from a young priest: “Fight for your love, instead of doubting it!” Is Your Marriage Valid?
In other links:
- Does your family build thing-a-ma-jigs, like Cristina's family does? Wish we had!
- “Today, I lost my Nobel prize.” A bit about a new film on the life of Jerome LeJeune, Catholic doctor who discovered the genetic reason for Down Syndrome and fought against what he knew would be the result of his discovery: the elimination of “the unfit.”
From the archives:
- If it's hotting up where you are, you can assemble the ingredients for our family favorite, Salade Nicoise, as you make other suppers, and then when it's really unbearable, voila! dinner is made. This post has, in that random way of mine, my recipe for olive oil-raisin-honey-rosemary bread, so choose a cool morning to make a few loaves of that as well!
Today is the feast of St. William of Monte Virgine, Abbot.
Denise says
Well, I am glad I read Bits and Pieces today! Now I have a great birthday book to give to my artist son who loves a good mystery. “My Life as a Spy”. What an interesting fellow, indeed. Insects!
Thanks also for all the articles on marriage. We were all very depressed (and a bit angry if truth be told) after the Pope’s remarks. Finding hope and clear thinking right now is so very important.
Donna L. says
I love the “Bits and Pieces” – although it can take me a few days to sneak time to read all of the articles. I keep pondering the thoughts you had, Auntie Leila, when I heard you speak in Seattle about marriage and the woman’s vocation. I never really thought about *how* important family is to the good of our world. As you spoke of Christ and his love for us, and how he CHOSE to be part of a family, that really made an impact on me, and showed me how I need to do the very best that I can for my family—it’s my duty, really!
Thank you for sharing and blessing us with your family and thoughts~God bless you all!
Leila says
Donna, I was so happy to meet you — at last! — there. I can’t believe that you drove so far… Thank you for listening to my talks and for understanding my points! The most important thing is for us to be devoted to our families!
Alicia Rogers says
My husband and I were married at a beautiful California mission by one of my favorite professors, a Jesuit priest. We met with him monthly for a year before the wedding. Then had a marriage retreat with some other priests from the parish, and an NFP class at our local Catholic hospital. I look back and realize how lucky we were to have that. We had such great conversations and such loving sage advice. We’ve been happily married for 15 years with five (one in heaven) children. We’ve had deaths, and moves, and starting two businesses, but we are a pair. We always will be.
Alexandra says
I am trying to decide what to do. My church only offers Pre-Cana twice a year, which we aren’t going to be able to do before the wedding. We can go to the diocese’s Pre-Cana, but I have no idea if it will be any good – or we can try the online course you recommend, as it is apparently approved by our diocese. I feel like I would get more from an in-person course, but I would prefer to have something theologically sound. I’m not feeling too confident about the diocese Pre-Cana after being mentored by a parish couple on our FOCCUS (one piece of advice was to get a maid, rather than fight over housework). Decisions, decisions.
This shouldn’t be so difficult!