We exchange gifts because the Magi presented gifts to the Christ child.

The Gifts

The Wisemen, the Three Kings, presented  gifts of Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh.

– The gold represents Christ deity; a gift fit for a king.

– Frankincense represents Christ’s ministry, because it was used for religious worship.

– Myrrh represents Christ’s death and burial.

The Season Of Giving

We are in the Christmas season. Whether providing gifts for our loved ones or not, we all need to be in the spirit of giving. Give yourselves through volunteering, and, if you don’t have time for that, donate funds to a Christian organization that will assist families during the holidays. You can also contribute by sharing the gifts God has given you.

Trevor

I would like to share a story about my friend Trevor, a young man who is part of St. Norbert Parish. I met him several years ago at the church parking lot.   His commitment  to attending daily Mass intrigued me. One day I approached him and asked, “Are you studying to become a priest?”  With a broad smile, he answered, “No.” I discerned that he was a quiet, kindhearted man.

Sacristan

I noticed that Trevor was serving as a sacristan during daily Mass. A sacristan is a person who is in charge of the sacristy and its contents. I thought to myself, “What a great position for Trevor because he is familiar with the holy matters of God.”

The Flyer

I had shared with Trevor that I was a blogger. Ultimately, I want the  community of our parish to read the blog because many stories are about our church.   As I was leaving, Trevor handed me a flyer about a project he created “Catholic Stories for Children.”  Trevor received the idea for these stories from the Holy Spirit.

Mary

In Trevor’s words, “Mary always leads us to Christ.” He found an animator and an illustrator and produced his first series dedicated to the”Hail Mary.”

I watched the video on Youtube, and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. For this reason, I believe that Trevor’s stories are not only going to teach children but also going to lead others to the simple understanding of our Catholic faith,

Franciscan University

Trevor is currently working on his Master of Theology degree as an online student. Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, conducts an annual event called GRACE (Gallery of Research, Artistry and Community Engagement).

Trevor was reluctant to enter the competition because he felt that it was not for him. He was only taking one online class, but submitted the project after someone persuaded him. Much to his surprise, he ended up winning the Dr. James Coyle Media Award.
The Abbey

Trevor is a contemplative, who prays for direction for his projects. He was spending quiet time with the Lord at St. Michael’s Abbey.  The Abbey is located in Silverado Canyon, California, tucked away in the hills surrounded by God’s landscape of natural beauty. As Trevor was leaving the Abbey, a man approached him and asked if he was okay. After a short conversation, they  decided to meet for coffee.

Providence  of God

The coffee session included the man and his sister, who happened to run The International Hollywood Film Festival!  Even though the organization was no longer accepting submissions, the lady encouraged him to enter his film. But in order to be considered for the festival, all the paperwork had to be filled out that night.  Again, Trevor felt that maybe this was not for him; after all this was Hollywood and his film was about the Hail Mary prayer.  That night, after much prayer, he filled out the forms and sent them via email.

After Trevor submitted his film, he received an email stating that it was accepted. A few months passed before he received another update. His film became a nominee. Then another email informed him that his film would be screened at the iconic Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles!

Before the showing, they would select five films to show a trailer and to talk about the project. Trevor was not comfortable doing this; he was afraid that the Hollywood audience would not receive this film. He thought that it would be difficult to present to an audience that does not respect the Catholic Church. He received another email stating that there was only one spot left.

Mary Again

That evening, Trevor received a call from the man that he met at St. Michael’s Abbey. He encouraged Trevor to submit the film. He told him to go to Mary and to pray about it. Once again Trevor put it in the hands of God.

Hollywood

Trevor was terrified to present this talk to a very large crowd, mostly because he was unaccustomed to being on any stage, let alone one from Hollywood.  He made the one-minute trailer for his three-minute film, prepared a short talk about his project, and submitted it. The Hail Mary story was greatly received. He met fallen away Catholics who were reminded of their Catholic upbringing.

The animated film was shown in the iconic theater and received six awards from the film festival!

Behind the Scenes

The cost for the first animated film was $10,000; it involved three animators, an illustrator and a sound designer. The new series could cost from $20,000 to $30,000 each. They included a screen writer, illustrator, animation studio, music composer, voice actors/singers and a 3-D designer. The animation studio is located in Mexico City, the music composers are  in Ohio and the 3-D illustrator is in Italy, making it an international virtual project.

Trevor was blessed to receive a generous grant from a foundation who wishes to remain anonymous. You can also donate to this holy project by:

https://catholicstoriesforchildren.com

Disney

On the contrary, Disney’s last “woke” movie, Wish cost over $200 million to produce. I do not believe anyone at Disney is praying about their productions because  both the feminist Marvel and Wish flopped in the box office. Besides, Disney is still trying to recoup the $300 million lost from Marvel.

My Prayer

Dear Lord, Thank You for all the favor You have bestowed on Trevor. Lord, even in our state of doubt, remind us of our gifts. May Trevor’s “Catholic Stories for Children” spread throughout the world. Amen.

It’s  been seven years since I first published the first story on my Blog. This idea came to me during  Advent. I never gave up on this dream until it came to fruition. This was given to me by the Holy Spirit; it came about through much prayer. I felt a strong calling to describe my life experiences by sharing them in a Blog.

The Blog

I wanted to start a Blog but had no idea how to begin this venture, I prayed about it for a very long time. In December of 2015,  I received a dream from the Lord who instructed me to name the Blog “My Catholic Roots Are Showing.” I was also given a vision of what the logo should look like. This was a vivid dream so after journaling, I kept telling God, “But I don’t really want to use the word Catholic because I minister to Protestants as well.”  I reminded the Lord that many of my relatives were non-Catholic, including my son and his family. God knows everything, so after I stopped questioning and complaining about His directions, everything fell into place.

Lauren

Lauren, a family friend, was in between jobs when she decided to join our weekly Bible study group. I mentioned my dream and she graciously volunteered to help me.  She was an answer to my prayers.  Thanks to Lauren’s hard work and  perseverance, within three days my new Blog was up and running.

The vision the Lord gave me  for the logo was my face with the extensions of my hair being roots . When Lauren designed the logo, she added my face as the “O” in Catholic.

The Vision

The only thing that’s certain is that if God gives you a vision He will see you through it. This Blog is to bring light to non-Catholics the root of our beliefs and to gently guide wayward Catholics back home. I will not  pound anyone over the head with Catholic doctrine to help him better understand the Catholic point of view; rather I will witness through my faith what God is doing in my life. I do not waver in my beliefs; my Catholic faith has brought serving God to its fullest. It took a big trial for me to reach this pinnacle.

The Exit

My history with her majesty, the Catholic Church, started when my eldest brother died of cancer in 1983. There was conflict with a priest at our local parish. He questioned  me about my brother’s funeral arrangements and wanted to know if we attended Mass regularly. All of my siblings were in a state of spiritual limbo and none of us were remotely attending Mass. Aside from Christmas and Easter, I never went to any Catholic services.

I pleaded with the priest that my brother was too sick to attend services, but I knew that it had been many years.  In frustration and anger over the manner in which one priest handled my brother’s death, I left the Catholic Church. Disappointment quickly turned into a hardened heart toward my former church.  Emotionally charged and spiritually void, led me to a 15-year hiatus of bouncing from one Protestant church to another.

The Valley Vineyard

I was led to the Valley Vineyard. There our young family settled in and I found a new love for the Word of God. This ministry was my favorite; we became good friends with the pastor and his wife, but sadly, due to Mike’s job, we had to move to Orange County. So for 15 years I went from Anaheim Vineyard, to Calvary Church, to Calvary Chapel, and many other churches in between. All of these were wonderful growing experiences, but one church in particular continued to  feed into my anger against Catholics. When I heard these negative words from the pulpit about my former church, it intensified my contempt for Catholics even greater.

The Journey

My husband and children were all cradle Catholics; however, my new religion became theirs. This new-found faith brought me to a group that was led by a lady named Michelle. I was so impressed by Michelle’s knowledge and wisdom of the Word of God. Her preaching was powerful and incited my spirit to desire more of God. I wanted so badly to introduce her to my Catholic friends with the intention of converting them. I talked to other Anaheim Vineyard members, and was taken aback when I was informed that Michelle was Catholic! My thoughts were, “How can this be? How can a Catholic have the fire of God like this?” Michelle’s ecumenical giftings allowed her to work alongside popular pastors and many other renowned movers and shakers in the Protestant faith.

From Michelle’s teaching came my introduction to her mother Joanne, also Catholic. I became a member of Christ In You in 1994, attending two weekly services. I fully committed myself to serve in this ministry. In addition I started attending daily Mass. These were the stepping stones that led me back to Catholicism.

Coming Home

I remember the Sunday when I returned to Catholic Mass because it was an unusual experience. I walked in with my husband to the sound of solemn music. The praise and worship was structured.  “What was I doing here?  Is this really from You Lord?”  I was accustomed to lifting my hands in worship and swaying back and forth to the sounds of loud praise music. It took time for me to readjust to the quiet beauty of the Mass, but it all came back to me gradually. The reverence of the people and genuflecting before the Eucharist, the kneeling, the standing –  these physical movements honored and respected the holiness of God.

The Manna

These rituals are unchanging and enriching, but it was not until I received  the Eucharist that the spirit of completeness came over me. It took several services before I realized that truly I was where God had called me. The Eucharist is spiritual food that I cannot live without.  Attending daily Mass is what sustains my walk; nothing can replace the real manna, the true Body of Christ.

Susanna and Helen

During this entire journey my dear friend Susanna was praying for me to return to the Catholic Church. Her gentle, stern approach, was steadfast because she was well catechized and knew how to defend her faith. My best friend Helen, also Catholic, listened to all my preachings  but never wavered from her beliefs either. Flanked by these two strong Catholic women, my ambiguous mind was now at rest.

My Prayer

Dear Lord, I pray that You would continue to give me insight as to the direction for my Blog. May Your Holy Spirit continue to grace me with wisdom on subject matter to touch the hearts of those who are searching, hurting or lost in the journey to You. May this first week of Advent lead them onto the right path.

I pray that my Blog will enlighten, make you laugh and most of all to seek His Face. Amen.

Thanksgiving is the countdown to Christmas.

My daughter Sonja makes all the desserts for Thanksgiving.  After a long day at work, Sonja was excited to start her baking and for the first time her son Jacob helped.  Then it happened, Jacob  accidentally dropped egg shells in the pumpkin pie mix.

You should always have adult company when preparing  meals for a big gathering; never do it alone. After a short phone call and by the tone of Sonja’s voice, I knew I needed to pay a visit.

I got there in time to cool down the emotional temperature. Both of the boys were in their rooms, and on this busy night Russ was at Jujitsu. By the time I arrived, Sonja  had already made a turtle cheese cake, mini pecan pies and was straining the egg shells from the pumpkin pie mixture.

They had not had dinner, so I texted Russ the biggest fast-food debacle. After the messed-up food order, all was back to normal.

Be A Servant

Mike has always graciously prepared all of our Thanksgiving meals. But we are older now so this undertaking of hosting and preparing dinner has made us realize that, as much as we are unwilling to admit it, we are slowing down. Working alongside Mike in the kitchen has changed; for the first time, he welcomed my assistance in the production of the feast. In the past he would not have wanted any help whatsoever.

We were both up at 5:30 a.m. to get the bird ready. My job consisted of chopping celery, mushrooms, and onions along with cleaning up afterwards. My favorite part of Thanksgiving morning is that Mike traditionally makes breakfast. As the eggs were sizzling, we heard the front door open. I had a feeling it was our son Mikos. He was just in time for breakfast, but the real reason he came was to help.

Mikos had to transport the turkey from the refrigerator in the garage to the kitchen. He also had to cut up corn tortillas for the stuffing and helpe Mike with other tasks.  It was so nice having him around to help. I believe in the near future Mike will reluctantly pass the baton to our son.

Take A Long Walk

Mikos brought Rosie, their golden retriever, so after we had finished our tasks, we walked for four miles. We wanted to visit Mikos’ old middle school to see the tree and read the plaque that was dedicated to his middle school friends who lost their lives weeks apart. Like all public schools, because of all the school shootings,  the gates were locked.

Long walks clear your head, and it’s always a bonding experience. On this day I walked over six miles.

Enjoy The Feast

Jenny, our daughter-in-law, prepared three side dishes and as usual, the dinner was beyond great.  We had great conversation, then it was time for dessert and Bingo.

Bingo 

For the past five years we have played Bingo. I buy all the gifts at a deep discount and warn all winners that each gift is worse than the next. Since I am the caller,  sometimes I transpose the numbers, like calling out “O 17” instead of “O 71.” Because of this, Jacob (Cubby) is assigned a sit next to me to double check the numbers.

Forming A Clean-up Committee

I had already cleaned the stove, so I thought I was way ahead of the game.  Jacob,  like Mike, is a great servant. He started by picking up all the plates, including the chargers.  Our granddaughter Maddie was a great help by washing the silverware. Will dried all the chargers and stacked them up for storage.

The best advice I can offer to a guest is to help with the clean-up. I, like Mike, am a loner when cleaning the kitchen. But this time I welcomed help. Mike was still entertaining his sister and brother-in-law while I was putting away the food and washing all the dishes. I was the modern-day Martha doing all the work  (Luke 10:38-42). It was fine the first hour, but then I felt anger creeping in.

I was about ready to hang up my dish towel, when I noticed on the kitchen table the turkey. The turkey was still sitting in the same greasy pan!  “Oh, hell no!” I said to myself. I yelled for Mike to come and help. In a loud voice I said, “I can’t do this. You need to take care of the turkey!” We still had guests so Mike was kind in his reply “Ok, what do you want me to do?” The dialogue went back and forth, and I was getting a little more agitated each time. Needless to say, I took this anger to bed.

Anger can take an ugly turn, so the following morning I went to Mass and to Confession. I poured out my heart about who and why I felt such anger. I felt guilty because my speech seemed rude, but being absolved of my anger set me free.

The Christmas Card Picture

I informed our family that we were going to take our Christmas card photograph on Thanksgiving Day. None of them wanted to participate. So I suggested they come to our house on Saturday for the photograph. I asked my sweet neighbor, Victoria, to stop by at 2:30 for the photo shoot. After 35 shots, we finally agreed on one picture.

My Prayer

Dear Lord, I thank You for allowing us another year of good health. Lord, bless Mike for all the hard work he has done this week: putting up the outdoor decorations, cooking the meal, and the love he puts into all that he does. Lord, bless Russ for helping us by getting all the boxes down, setting up the trees, moving furniture and hanging lights. Please bless Mikos, who was so gracious in helping by preparing the meal.  Bless Jenny for the love she put into all the delicious side dishes that made them taste better. And bless Sonja for her thoughtfulness and loving care in preparing all the beautiful desserts. Amen.