Honest Scrap

I am truly humbled to have won another blogging award. This time Raouly's Girl and Gracey nominated me for the "Honest Scrap" award. The rules are as follows:

1. Choose a minimum of 7 blogs that you find brilliant in content or design.

2. Show the 7 winners names and links on your blog, and leave a comment informing them that they were prized with "Honest Scrap."

3. List at least 10 honest things about yourself.

When I began my blog, I revealed 7 things about myself that somewhat fit into this category. You can find that list here. I will now add 3 more to this list to make it 10.

1. I enjoy red wine probably a bit too much. It is my only vice and that is the reason I have made the "sacrifice" of giving it up for Lent.

2. I have 2 patron saints: St. Veronica, my chosen confirmation name, as legend has it, is the woman who wipes the face of Jesus, with her veil, while He was on His way to Calvary. I chose her because of her great courage and compassion. It is my hope that I can incorporate these traits into my own life in how I deal with others, especially in my line of work. My 2nd Patron Saint was selected for me by Marianne, at her blog. Marianne's charism lead her to choose St. Martha for me. Oh, how I am so like Martha...always busy, busy, busy with the tedium of everyday tasks. Her worrisome nature and distraction keeps her from focusing on the truly important: listening to and being with Jesus. Fortunately, Martha learns her lesson. While grieving the death of her brother, Lazarus, she hears that Jesus is near. She immediately leaves her guests, leaves her mourning, and goes to greet Him. She demonstrates faith and courage when she states, clearly, without a doubt that she believes in Jesus' power, in the resurrection and that Jesus is truly the Son of God. Jesus then goes on to raise Lazarus from the dead. The beauty of Martha is in the simple passage that states "Martha served". She isn't in the spotlight. She doesn't grab attention to herself. She simply serves Jesus. Beautiful. That is how it should be. Then why do we find it so hard to do so? I hope and pray to achieve this level of faith and servitude in my spiritual journey.

3. I am truly happy. It's funny. I was at work this past weekend and one of the ICU nurses asked: "Are you always this happy?". I had to consider this. After a few moments of pondering I had to honestly reply, "Yes, I am." It wasn't always this way, but that is fodder for another post. Suffice it to say, marrying a dear, dear man, having children and converting to Catholicism showed me, as what Martha learned above, what is truly important in life. By living outside of "self" I found true happiness.

As often as you can during the day, recall your mind to the presence of God. Consider what God is doing, what you are doing. You will always find God’s eyes fixed on you in unchangeable love.

Saint Francis de Sales

I thank you both, Raouly and Gracey, for this opportunity to share with others, the importance of faith in my life.

Now to my nominations. I recently nominated several blogs for the Blogging With a Purpose Award. For the Honest Scrap award I do not have 7 to nominate but, instead, only two:

Katie from Katie's Corner

I nominated her for her honest and touching portrayal of living life with Crohn's Disease. Great blog, Katie!

Eric and Angela from Red-Brown Hound

For the honest humor and wit portrayed on their blog, especially regarding their most recent adoption. Please don't let it be so long between posts!

St. Valentine - A Brief Lesson

St. Valentine lived during the reign of the Roman emperor, Claudius II, also known as Claudius the Cruel. Claudius was especially fond of persecuting Christians. It was these Christian martyrs whom Valentine, in his ministry, cared for and assisted in their time of suffering and sorrow.
Claudius II, as one would guess, had his empire involved in many unpopular wars and bloody campaigns. He, naturally, had great difficulty recruiting men to fill the ranks of the Roman military. Claudius thought that this was due to the men not wanting to leave their loved ones. So what does he do? He outlaws marriage! St. Valentine, in spite this ruling, performed marriages in secret. He is believed to have been the first priest to perform a marriage between a pagan man and a Christian woman. Unfortunately, Valentine was discovered and jailed. To be freed, all Valentine had to do was to renounce his Christian faith. Valentine refused and, for that, was sentenced to execution by clubbing and stoning.

While in jail awaiting for his sentence to be carried out, St. Valentine corresponded with his parishioners by sending letters and notes of love. Legend has it that he fell in love with one of his frequent visitors: Julia, the blind daughter of Asterius, his jailer. God enabled Valentine to miraculously restore Julia’s site and converted her heart, and that of her father, to the Christian faith.

As with any good love story, there is bound to be a tragic end. Tradition holds that as Valentine was being led to his execution he wrote one last farewell note of love, to his beloved Julia. His closing words are immortalized to this day: “From your Valentine”. The execution sentence was carried out. Strangely, Valentine survived the clubbing and stoning only to be eventually beheaded on February 14, 269 or 270 AD!

The pagan origin of St. Valentine’s Day is somewhat sordid in nature. In ancient Rome, on February 15, the people celebrated the Festival of Lupercalia, dedicated to the Roman god Lupercus. On this day, young men would draw the name of a young woman in a lottery. He would then keep this woman as his sexual companion for the year. After Christianity took hold in the region, Pope Gelasius I was able to change tradition by taking this lottery and having both men and women draw the names of saints whom they would then emulate for the year (much to the disappointment of some Roman men, I am sure!) The patron of this feast became Valentine and the date of his martyrdom became the date for this celebration. For Roman men, unable to let go of the past, this day continued to be an occasion to seek the affections of women. It became a tradition to give out handwritten messages of admiration that included Valentine’s name.