Last year I wanted to start a non-profit. The expense and the fact that our project did not generate enough interest to solicit large corporations was a challenge. So we had to take another route.

The Ciriza/Driscoll Project

The Ciriza/Driscoll project was established to introduce our grandchildren to becoming better servants and to understand the needs of others. My Catholic roots go deep into the arteries of the Church’s genesis. Catholic charities were in existence long before any other groups. Catholics have always served the poor, taken care of the widows and orphans,  ministered to the prisoners. Our cause, though small in comparison to what our Church does, is the root of my faith and why I say yes to these projects.

First Pray

When I prayed about this project I had no idea how or when God would provide. As with many of my other endeavors, the Lord is ever present by putting the same idea in the hearts of those called to come alongside this project.  When I stated, “We’re preparing 50 backpacks,” the Holy Spirit opened the doors. I had a clear idea of who was going to help. I also knew how much the Lord had put on their hearts to give.

The Donors

Thank you, Sonja and Russ, for your kind donation; it was well received. When I asked our son Mikos for a donation I told him, “God has already given me an amount.” His reply was, “Well, He hasn’t given me one yet.” Mikos and Jenny came through with the exact amount that the Lord showed me. It was the same for my friend Jane; she, too, gave the amount that the Lord had revealed to me. Both Mikos and Jane gave double of what they donated last year. With this money I quickly ordered the backpacks.

Marianela

Marianela is one of my dearest friends; she has been part of my Bible study group for over 18 years. She never hesitates when it comes to helping me out with other ministries. I had casually mentioned to her about the backpacks and she said that she would be happy to help. I had been praying for her because she was making funeral arrangements because her father had just died.

I had no idea that the school supplies were hit with inflation, and the cost was almost double the price I paid last year. There were a few items that remained the same but, for the most part, the cost was through the roof. I did my best to compare prices with Walmart, Staples, Target, and Amazon. The big ticket items I ordered  from Amazon. For certain items, Walmart was slightly higher than Staples, and Target may have had good prices but their stock was low. Maddie and I made a trip to Walmart to purchase the bulk items. I was charging everything on my credit card. When I started to worry, the Lord reassured me that all would be taken care of. When I obsessed about it, I’d ask God, “How?” I was always encouraged to trust in Him. When the project belongs to the Lord, He will take care of it. So when I received the call from Marianela, I was not surprised with her obedience to the Lord;  she graciously asked me to give her the bill. The following week, despite her grief, she dropped off a check. She was an angel sent from heaven.

Two Days’ Work

By this time the supplies had taken over our entry way and dining room, so Mike wanted the project finished to clear up space. Finally all four of our grandkids were available. After a few hours we were finished! I decided to give ten backpacks to five different schools. Last year I gave the entire project to a Title One school, but this year, after praying, I decided to give to the schools that allow Release Time Christian Education, which includes some Title One (low-income families) schools. I worked with this organization for 12 years because they bring Bible Studies to public schools. Not all schools allow this program, so we delivered to the schools where I taught Bible study. Fletcher, California, and Palmyra Elementary schools all received 10 backpacks. After Mike loaded the car we discovered that out of the 48 purchased backpacks we were shorted two. We had the supplies for 50, so I had to purchase an additional six  backpacks. Jordan Elementary and a small group of First Holy Communion students from St. Norbert received the remaining 20 backpacks.

Maddie was the project manager while Will and Luke worked as a team to stuff all the supplies. Jacob managed quality control and filled the last ten backpacks on his own. The bonding was beautiful and these four will always remember these dog days of summer when they helped others in need.

On the drive to one of the schools Lucas shared the deal breaker for his future wife. “She can’t be a Satanist or vape or smoke.” I breathed a sign of relief, and then we all laughed. With all three boys in the back seat, the complaining never stopped! Will couldn’t breathe, Lucas was invading Jacob’s space and Maddie was cutting through streets following the navigation, while trying to find a suitable sound track to her liking. We drove the Tesla because the trunk is much bigger than the Prius. We have names for our cars, so Jonah stayed behind while Josiah took on the workload.

On the outside pocket of the backpacks, the students will find a message which reads: “May you have a blessed and productive school year! You are loved, signed, The Ciriza/Driscoll Project.”

My Prayer

Lord, our grandchildren are a gift from You. May we always be available to teach them to love. I pray for the future of Maddie, Will, Lucas and Jacob. Please protect them and keep them safe. When they stray, bring them back into Your sheepfold. Lord, I pray for their protection from all the unnecessary indoctrination that is attempting to ruin our children. Amen.

The Ciriza/Driscoll Project

Included in each backpack:

1– 1 1/2 inch Binder

1– Pack of college-ruled paper

3– Spiral Notebooks

1 – Set of 8 Dividers

1– Pencil pouch

3– Bic pens

6–Ticonderoga Pencils

2– Glue sticks

1–Pencil sharpener

2– Erasers

2–Sharpy Highlighter

1–Pack of 24 Crayola Crayons

1– 12” Ruler

1– Package of Colored Pencils

Did you know that Moses was called to serve God from birth? The king of Egypt was upset because too many Hebrew women were having babies at a faster rate than the Egyptians. The king ordered the midwives to kill all Hebrew baby boys. (Exodus 1:15-22) Moses was spared because God had big plans for him. Although Moses was Hebrew, he was raised as a prince in the Egyptian palace. God was training him for the work that was set aside for him. Moses was to change the trajectory the of lives Israelites.

When I taught Bible study to students the lesson was made simple: Moses was a prince for 40 years, a shepherd for 40 years and lastly he was a prophet for 40 years.  A lot of training was required during the 120 years.

Moses The Prince

Moses was not born into the Egyptian dynasty but was adopted by an Egyptian princess; that made him a prince. He became accustom to the comforts of palace life. God’s hand was on this  young man’s heart and, as he got older, he could not hold back his anger about the treatment of his kinsmen, the Hebrew slaves. The Egyptians were grooming him to be a great prince but Moses could no longer live the lie. He knew in his heart that he was Hebrew; so when he killed an Egyptian for striking a Hebrew, the king sought to kill him (Exodus 2:11-15). This experience taught Moses to live with and understand his enemies.

Moses had more training to go through., God could not use an immature prince to do His work; he was not yet ready for his calling.

Moses The Shepherd 

A shepherd spends many hours alone tending to his sheep. These long hours of isolation were meant to clear Moses’ mind. Tending to sheep was training him to deal with stubborn people. Years had passed, the Egyptian king had died, but the Hebrews were still suffering from the brutal bondage of the Egyptians. God heard their murmuring.

While Moses was tending to the sheep on Mt. Sinai (Mt.Horeb), the Lord appeared to him in a burning bush. When God called out to him, Moses’ reply was “Here I am.” (Exodus 3:1-6) This was Moses’ calling; God had set him apart to save his people. Moses received his call and commission at the same time.

Moses the Prophet

Moses did not believe he was ready for such an exalted  office. He questioned his calling and doubted that he was the right person for this commission. My favorite part of this story is when God answered  Moses when he asked, “What is his name? what do I tell them” God answered, “I AM has sent me to you.” There were many other instances where Moses questioned his calling, but God always knows what He’s doing. Moses was 80 years old when he was called to be a prophet.

We Are All called

We all have a special purpose in life, a reason for living and, most importantly, a calling from God. My mother made sure that I was prepared with God as a child. She did her best to make sure we received our Sacraments of Baptism, First Holy Communion and Confirmation. For this I will be forever grateful. I knew early on that I had a calling but, like Moses, I had to go through some-life learning stages before God could use me. I was radical, extreme leftist and never held my tongue with my unfiltered thoughts. All along God was waiting for me to hear His voice, but due to the loud voices of animosity I could not hear a word He said. It took a while for me to come out of that confused state of mind, but when I did there was no turning back. I was sold out to God! I had no idea that God was training me to understand the mindset of a radical individual. I truly get it; I had a passion, but it was being used in an unloving manner.

My Calling

I serve God, my family, church and  friends. This summer has been a great joy of service for our grandchildren. Summer has kept us busy with trips to museums, hiking, rides to the beach, basketball games, airport drop off and pick ups. We also watch our granddogs. Do I complain? Yes, of course I do; so did Moses. But it is through these acts of service that I grow closer to our grandchildren. They know my heart, and all of my funny stories will lead to a spiritual lesson about Jesus. I’m also called to lead.

Though both of my parents were born in the United States and spoke English, our mother made sure we spoke Spanish at home. I continued with this in my college days and have always had that advantage of a second language. We owned a tortilla factory, and most of our work force were Spanish-speaking, and all meetings were conducted in Spanish by yours truly. When our Bible study group ministered in Tijuana I was used as an interpreter.

This Blog is a loving effort to reach out to those who are in the valley of decision, sitting on the fence, or looking for guidance. In the six years of My Catholic Roots, I have not made a penny. God never told me that I would make money; He told me to write. He would give me the ideas, and the seeds of His love would be planted. My answer was “Here I am.”

Mike’s Calling

My husband Mike is one of the greatest servants of all. Mike’s father owned a tortilla factory (different from ours); La Tolteca was located on Mt. Vernon Street in San Bernardino. As a young boy of ten, Mike collected cardboard boxes from the back of liquor stores for his dad. Depending on the size of the box, Mike would receive anywhere from three to five cents. These boxes were recycled with packages of tortillas to be delivered to markets and restaurants. He learned early on the value of hard work and has instilled this into our children. Mike has the gift of accounting and this too has helped him in all of his life’s endeavors.

Ask

If you have not heard the voice of God, it’s not because He’s not there. Usually we have so many distractions to keep us from hearing His voice. Ask God to show you what your calling is. We waste so much time trying to fit in or please others that we lose sight of why God put us on earth in the first place. If you seek to be loved, look to the Father Who will bestow on you the greatest of all love. It’s never too late to serve. Remember Moses was 80 years old when he received his calling and commission.

My Prayer

Lord, Facebook has brought so many happy faces but, in reality, it’s Facebook happy. I pray that Your people would experience the joy of serving You and experience  what joy and fulfillment is really about. Amen.

In 2015  I planned a pilgrimage for our Catholic Bible Study group. We wanted to visit places in Europe where the relics of  Bible saints were. This adventure took us to the most unique, beautiful places throughout Spain and France.

It was mid-October, so the weather this time of year granted us many graces; it was nearly perfect. The village of Vézelay, France made a huge impression because of its isolated beauty and it held the relics of St. Mary Magdalene. As the bus rolled into the picturesque village surrounded by mountains and valleys, I could not help but think that this place stood still, unscathed by anything that had to do with progress. The air felt lighter, and the blooms of early fall filled the air. Had I known the beauty of this village ahead of time, I would have arranged for us to stay in the village, stroll through the ancient stores, and eat at least two meals there. But that was not to be; however I did purchase a nice bottle of wine grown in the Vézelay region.  Our mission was to visit the Basilica of Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume to pray at the relics of St. Mary Magdalene.

Mary Magdalene

Who was this mysterious saint? We know for a fact that she was a disciple of Christ. She was with the Blessed Mother Mary at the foot of the Cross. She never abandoned Jesus on His way to Calvary. Whether she was, or was not, the sister of Martha and Lazarus is still debatable. In the Gospel of (Luke 10:38-42), Martha complains to Jesus about Mary Magdalene not helping her serve the guests. The profound answer that Jesus gave would teach all feminists a lesson on how He treated women. In the times of Jesus, women were second class citizens; they were not even included in the census. Jesus elevated the role of  women when He responded to Martha by explaining that, “Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

Some Bible scholars may disagree that Mary Magdalene was the same woman from whom Jesus expelled seven demons. It’s difficult to contest, but I did find an interesting article on the EWTN website to clear up the matter:

The Relics of Saint Marie-Magdalene at La Sainte Baume

Diocese of Frejus-Toulon, Southern France

The region of Provence was evangelized in the first century by Christians from the East.
Tradition has called them the “Friends of Bethany” or as we know them to be Lazarus, Martha and Mary Magdalene who, it is told, came to the south of France in the following way:

In the year following the execution of St James in Jerusalem, the persecutions were amplified. Lazarus and Martha were thrown into prison and Mary Magdalene, having wanted to visit them, was made prisoner as well along with other members Christian community of Bethany: St Maximin, St Marcelle, St Susan and St. Sidonius. 

This is another excerpt from the same article:

December 9, 1279. Charles Salerno, nephew of St. Louis and who became Count of Provence and King of Sicily under the name of Charles II, rediscovered the tomb and the relics of St. Mary Magdalene. They were then also recognized by an assembled Clergy of the Dioceses of Provence. At the opening of the sarcophagus all present testify to a ”wonderful and very sweet smell” and are reminded of the perfume which St Mary Magdalene poured on the head and feet of the Lord before his death.

December 18, 1279. Discovery in the marble sarcophagus of a writing on papyrus dated 710 attesting that the bones were those of St. Mary Magdalene in the presence of the Archbishops of Aix and Arles, and many other prelates. The jaw and lower leg bones are missing.

History can, at times, be confusing; but it seems that many scholars agree this Mary was the sister of Martha and Lazarus and was, indeed, Mary Magdalene.

Are You Martha or Mary?

The gifts that are bestowed on us by the Holy Spirit will determine that question. Martha clearly was a servant, this was her gift; however, she failed to recognize that her sister had another calling. As Mary Magdalene sat at the feet of Jesus, she was under the anointing of the greatest teacher on earth. How could anyone choose anything different? With this teaching came great faith that followed her journey to France. In many ways I am a Mary Magdalene because I choose to learn more and more about the teachings of Christ. I love the history of Mary Magdalene and how she was the first to experience the Resurrection of Christ.