Red, White, and Blue in the Face!

No matter how many children she may have each mother who faithfully loves and cares for her children the best she is able is a candidate for canonization in my book. Included in this category of mothers are those who are mothers twice –  they raise their own children and then, for whatever reason, end up raising their grandchildren too. All around the planet we can find mothers and grandmothers, hard at work caring for homes and families and so many of them are doing it alone. Some, I’m sure, are operating solely on the grace of God, wondering how bills will be paid or food will be obtained. All around us, mostly “invisible” to us there are women who sacrifice their lives willingly for their families, who do anything for their families to ensure their well-being and to see that they grow up knowing a proper sense of “values”. For the most part these mothers have “a tough row to hoe” (as my great-grandmother would have said). The “civilized” world is pressing hard on the family these days — the cost of living is largely beyond the means of one income and those who need assistance in one form or another find the red tape and bureaucracy almost more than a human can bear. The devil is doing his best to tear the family apart and in the USA it seems as though he’s getting more than his fair share of cooperation.

One such mother, Kristin Luscia, is blogging about this at “11 On My Own” and the story she tells is nothing short of incredible. I could never begin to put up with what she’s put up with or persevere and she is persevering and against odds I cannot fathom. It would seem, reading her blog posts, that there is nothing going her way, nothing working in her favor, yet she continues to hang on — the photo in this post shows why. What a beautiful group of children.

I first got wind of this mother and her dilemma when she applied to have her blog listed on the Saint Blog’s Parish Directory, which I maintain. Normally I make a quick check of a new blog to ensure that it is what the applicant purports it to be — Catholic. I rarely have the time to spend much time on any one blog but I recall being mesmerized by the posts this woman wrote detailing the trials and tribulations of her and her children’s lives. I listed her blog and soon the memory was very faint. Then on the Tuesday, May 11th edition of Catholic Exchange I saw a book review entitled “11 On My Own” –  the recall was instantaneous –  this was a book written by the mother of 11 who blogged at the site by the same name! She had written a book! I immediately contacted her and asked if it would be okay to use the photo from her site in a blog post. She kindly said yes and here I am finally getting to it a few days later. In only 3 days time though her ex (she refers to him as “tbj”) has managed to threaten her publisher with a lawsuit and caused them to pull her book from sales. Incredible. Wherever this man is getting his money from it is clear that he’s willing to use his money to cause this mother as much trouble and heartache as he possibly can and is unwilling to use any of it in support of his family. This guy epitomizes the term “Deadbeat Dad”.

Kristin and many, many mothers like her need our prayers and support.

and may God bless each and every Mother who, by whatever means they have and with God’s grace, stick by their children and care for them as best they are able.

Here, in Central New York, this Mother’s Day morning it’s snowing. This is the 2^nd time in the 20 years I’ve lived here that I’ve seen snow on Mother’s Day!

In the United States it is a National Day of Prayer. I recently posted this prayer and felt it was appropriate to re-post.

Blessed be God, blessed be His Holy Name!

Almighty God, Father of all nations and peoples these are days of shame for us and for our nation. Hear our pleas and prayers for the United States of America. Our nation grand and glorious sustained through generations past by the lifeblood of those whose faith in You never flagged is sorely tried now by its faithlesness. We who profess belief in God as Creator and Guardian of all that is good have not turned our backs but certainly have turned our faces while Your Holy Name has been mocked, spat upon, and dragged through the mire of the public square. How we have allowed ourselves such shameless, faithless cowardice we cannot rightly expalin, nevertheless we turn to you O God and beg your mercy on us and on our people. There is nowhere we can turn but to You and no one who can truly bring good from our sin but You. In times past men have raised their hands and hearts to heaven seeking Your aid, Your strength, and Your guidance and hearing them you responded in the Fullness of Your Love. We pray in thanksgiving for all the sustenance You have given to make this nation great among all nations in times past and we thank You for keeping it in Your Loving Hands. If we but remain faithful to You, to Your Word, to Your commandments we will remain in Your care but it is painfully true that only You can give us the fortitude and right judgement even for the smallest acts of faith and Christian love. In thanksgiving we bow low to You, sovereign Lord, and beg Your help for us, for our nation, for the world who look to us in many ways as we look to You. Help us, strengthen the faith of those who have even the slightest of faiths; with Your Love soften the hardened hearts of those who demean Your Name; with Your Love open the eyes of those who do not see Your gift in the unborn child; with Your Love help us to heal the wounds that we ourselves have rendered, bring us together in Your Name and for Your purpose. Help America and all who truly believe that it is only in Your Holy and Blessed Name that true freedom and justice will prevail. Give us Your strength and courage, Your wisdom and fortitude, Your counsel and mercy and help us stand for You that we may not, for the sake of our own false pride, fall from You.

Our prayers rise to you O God with the souls of those little ones we have abandoned to die at the hands of the merciless who deceive the frightened, the desperate, the unloved, the injured and who convince them that death will bring them life. Change every heart, send Your Holy Spirit to convert the faithful to greater faith and the faithless to begin a faith.

Lord God hear us as we beg Your Love, Your Justice, Your Mercy upon us and our nation. Hear us as we pray in the Name of God the Son, the Name above all Names, the Name of Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior to all mankind.