My Heart of the Matter

A Lenten Reflection

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Photo courtesy of EWTN

A Lenten Season Reflection: From Filet-O-Fish to Faith and Renovations

Welcome back to the blog! This week, I’m diving into a mix of personal stories, food adventures, and the spiritual journey of Lent. We’ll talk about the humble origins of the Filet-O-Fish sandwich, some recent fast-food escapades (both wins and disappointments), a little about the quirks of Southern California road trips, and a heartfelt update on my Lenten experience and home renovation challenges in Santa Barbara. So, pour yourself a cup of coffee and join me for a stroll through memory lane, a few culinary detours, and reflections on faith.

The Filet-O-Fish: More Than Just a Sandwich

Did you know the Filet-O-Fish sandwich dates back to 1962? I was ten when it came onto the scene, thanks to Lou Groen, a McDonald’s franchise owner in Cincinnati, Ohio. Here’s the story: His neighborhood was overwhelmingly Catholic—about 87%—so during Lent, when many abstain from meat, his Fridays were rough. Profits during that season dipped to around $75 a day. Being Catholic himself, Lou saw the problem firsthand and pitched a fish sandwich to Ray Kroc, McDonald’s CEO. Kroc wasn’t convinced at first and instead pushed another idea—the Hula Burger, a grilled pineapple and cheese sandwich. They decided on a contest: whichever sandwich sold better would make it to the menu. The Filet-O-Fish won, and the rest is fast-food history, with the sandwich officially joining the permanent menu in 1965.

The Filet-O-Fish has been my go-to over the years, especially during Lent. But, let me tell you, my recent experiences haven’t exactly been legendary. One afternoon, I suggested we grab a Filet-O-Fish for lunch. Sounds simple, right? Not when you have to wrestle with the McDonald’s app first. We ended up spending $21 for two sandwiches, which is a bit rich for fast food, only to find the sandwich disappointingly dry and light on tartar sauce—the true star of the show. We tried again last Friday, armed with the app and a clear plan, paying $2.99 each. This time, the sandwich was still missing that saucy sparkle I remember, lingering as a dry reminder that nostalgia doesn’t always match reality.

Fast Food Redemption on the Road

On a brighter note, our frequent trips to Santa Barbara have introduced us to some new favorites — Mesa Cafe for breakfast, where the generous portions keep us fueled for hours, is a standout. But our day trips aren’t without their quirks, especially when you’re juggling charging your electric car with road trip hunger and bathroom breaks.

Our experience with LA gas stations taught us a tough lesson: don’t count on public restrooms there. Instead, we opt for stops at Agoura Hills/Calabasas off-ramps—easy on, easy off, with friendly amenities. Since we don’t usually buy gas, we make sure to grab something small because, well, you gotta honor the hospitality somehow. I told Mike, “I’m done paying $20 just to use the restroom,” so we stopped at McDonald’s instead, ordering two cheeseburgers to go. And guess what? Those burgers turned out to be pure joy—ketchup oozing out, juicy patties, the kind of food experience that can make a fast-food stop feel like a small victory. Though I had this joyous food experience, I’m done with Filet-O-Fish sandwiches, even for $2.99 on Fridays. It’s not worth another disappointment.

Lent 2026: Fish on the Menu

Speaking of Lent, plenty of fast-food chains recognize the season with fish-forward menus. Del Taco offers crispy, beer-battered and shrimp tacos, Chick-fil-A jumps in with their own fish sandwiches, and Arby’s recently rolled out a Cajun Fish sandwich alongside their usual fish options. It’s nice to see these choices expanding, making it easier for folks sticking to Lenten traditions to find something tasty on the go.

Closer to home, we regularly support St. Norbert’s parish fish fry on Fridays during Lent. It’s only $12, delicious, and serves a wonderful cause—raising funds for eighth graders heading to Washington, D.C. After dinner, the Stations of the Cross service at 7 p.m. is a peaceful, reflective way to end the day. Lent, in all its forms—from fast food specials to community fellowship—feels like a season during which the sacred and the everyday intersect.

My Lent Journey: Wrestling with Grace

Honestly, Lent hasn’t been all smooth sailing for me. Discipline and love have been a challenge, and when I stumble, my instinct is to be hard on myself, like punching the air with oversized gloves. But Lent is also a time for reflection—towards myself, and toward God’s patient guidance. I want to draw from the well of His mercy, let Him speak to my soul, and recognize when I’m off course.

More than being convicted of my shortcomings, I crave the peace of a clear conscience and a straightened path. Lent is a pilgrimage, and I want to feel ever more deeply the holy presence that walks beside me.

Update from Santa Barbara: Renovation Realities and New Dreams

We didn’t plan, really, to invest in a renovation project in our twilight years, but here we are. Our Santa Barbara home has been under construction since last August, but it’s been a slow and costly journey. Permits in this coastal city come with unique rules designed to protect the environment and architecture. Our windows, initially installed, didn’t pass inspection due to new codes requiring stronger protection against Pacific moisture, meaning they had to be redone.

Santa Barbara Kitchen remodel
Santa Barbara Kitchen remodel

After a recent rainstorm, we discovered the roof needed replacement. Adding to this, plumbing and electrical systems required updating, none of which were in the original budget. Despite the delays and surprises, I have developed a new-found love for Santa Barbara. Though the atmosphere and wardrobe is relax and lay back, I like to dress up.  But If all goes well, Mike and I plan to make it our home, God willing.

A Prayer for the Journey

I leave you with my prayer for this journey:

Dear Lord, thank You for loving us unconditionally. It doesn’t matter where we are in our walk or how imperfect we feel—You take us as we are and say, “Come to me, and I will give you rest.” Thank You for meeting me when I stray and redirecting me to Your path. Forgive my transgressions and let me enter Your holy chambers with a pure and contrite heart. Amen.

How’s your Lent shaping up? Whether smooth or stormy, remember you’re not walking this road alone. I look forward to sharing more stories, reflections, and maybe even some recipes next week. Until then, may your days be blessed and your sandwiches delightfully saucy. Maybe not so much the recipes – after all I’m still the Reluctant Chef!

 

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My Heart of the Matter

Thirst No More

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Jesus with the Samaritan woman

Happy International Women’s Day!

The Samaritan Woman

In John 4:5–42, Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at a well in the heat of the day. This was no ordinary encounter. Jews did not speak to Samaritans — and yet Jesus not only spoke to her, He asked her for a drink.

He already knew everything about her — the broken relationships, the searching, the sin. And still, He did not condemn her. He invited her.

He offered her living water — not the kind drawn from a well, but the kind that satisfies the deepest thirst of the human heart. She listened. She believed. And then she ran back to her village to tell everyone she met.

This woman — with all of her past — became one of the first evangelists. An entire town came to believe because of her witness.

On this International Women’s Day, that is worth sitting with. Jesus has always seen women — not as the world sees them, not defined by their past — but as souls worthy of the living water that leads to eternal life.

7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Give me some water to drink.” 8 His disciples had gone into the town to purchase food. 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew. How can you ask me, a Samaritan woman, for some water to drink?” (Jews do not share anything in common with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus replied,

“If you recognized the gift of God
and who it is that is asking you for something to drink,
you would have asked him
and he would have given you living water.”

11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you do not have a bucket, and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob who gave us this well and drank from it himself along with his sons and his cattle?” 13 Jesus said to her,

“Everyone who drinks this water
will be thirsty again.
14 But whoever drinks the water that I will give him
will never be thirsty.
The water that I will give him
will become a spring of water within him
welling up to eternal life.”

15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I may not be thirsty and have to come here to draw water.”

Women

God gave us specific roles in life. Whether I wanted to accept it or not, my role as a young woman was being a wife and mother. The world was different 54 years ago — and like so many women of my generation, I wanted to be heard.

Searching for Direction

I have never dabbled in neo-paganism — otherwise known as witchcraft — or at least that is what I believed to be true at the time. But when I was attending college in the 1970s, we were bombarded with social issues on every side: the war in Vietnam, and the women’s movement, which was gaining momentum on college campuses. I found myself questioning my sense of womanhood.

The Women’s Movement

Getting caught up in the frenzy, one day I reached my breaking point — and I decided to leave. It was Susan B. Anthony Day. Believe me when I say that this was the bravest thing I had ever done as a young adult. Driving from Santa Barbara to Colton was terrifying. I rarely drove on freeways, and yet there I was — alone, with my baby boy, pushing through fear mile by mile. I know without a doubt that God had assigned His angels — His special agents — to get me and my baby boy safely to my mother’s home that day.

Me and my baby boy Mikos

Thank the good Lord that I married young. Though I was caught up in this movement for a hot minute, it was not conducive to my lifestyle. When I was 21, our son Mikos was born — and yet, even then, that rebellious spirit was still running through my blood.

The Connection

How do I make the connection between witchcraft and the current women’s movement? Well, it is not hard to see. Women who are involved in witchcraft are turning to crystals, calling on Mother Nature as their goddess, and embracing New Age beliefs — and in doing so, they are opening every door possible to welcome dark, evil spirits into their lives.

The Devil does not need much. He waits for the opportunity, and then — like the snake in Genesis — he slithers in. Do these women realize they are opening these doors? Some do it with full intention. Others innocently fall into the trap set by Satan. Either way, remember this: Satan loves it when we are in the dark.

Why do these women feel such a need for empowerment? Many are broken and angry. They blame men and what they call patriarchal rules. They turn away from Christianity because they struggle with the masculinity and the nature of God — and some go so far as to believe that God is a woman.

Thank the good Lord that I married very young. Though I was involved in this movement for a hot minute, it was not conducive to my lifestyle. You see, when I was  21 our son Mikos was born. But the rebellious spirit was still running through my blood.

The Connection
How do I make a connection with witchcraft and this current women’s movement? Well it’s not hard to see that women who are involved in witchcraft are turning to the use of crystals, calling on Mother Nature like their goddess. And New Age beliefs are all opening every door possible to welcome dark, evil spirits to enter into their lives. The Devil doesn’t need much, he waits for the opportunity and then, like the snake in Genesis, he slithers into their lives. Do these women realize that they are opening these doors? Some do it with intention, while others innocently fall into the trap set by Satan. Remember Satan loves it when we are in the dark.
Why do these women feel the need for empowerment? These women are broken, angry and blame men and their patriarchal rules. They turn away from Christianity because they have a problem with the masculinity and gender of God.  And some go so far as to believe that God is a woman!

You Don’t Need A Man

The demasculating of men is very apparent in this movement, and it is slowly taking a toll on young men. This ideology is riddled with confusion — and sometimes young men simply do not know how to react. My advice to them is to seek out a well-grounded young woman who is serving God. And my advice to young women is this: if you want to be treated like a queen, treat a man like a king.

Stepping Into The Masculine Role

God created men to be the head of the household. When that is disrupted, it throws off the entire order — the role of a man, the stability of a family, the peace of a home.

I know this firsthand. My husband Mike wants nothing more than to take care of me and our family. Nothing pleases him more than fulfilling his role as husband and father. I need his protection, and I welcome everything he does for us.

4 He must manage his own household well and ensure that his children are submissive and respectful in every way. 5 For if someone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of the Church of God?

Falling Into The Trap

Satan is the father of lies — John 8:44 — and he deceives even the most elect — Matthew 24:24. We need to become the example God called us to be. Falling into the trap of deception will only lead to emptiness. We, as women, must step up and become completely whole. With Christ, there is no partiality between men and women. Once we come on board, the gifts set aside for us will be poured out — so abundantly that we will have more than enough to share with others.

The Gifts

I prayed for years about having a platform to share the Gospel — and the Lord gave me this blog. It came through a long, vivid dream in which He instructed me about the name: My Catholic Roots Are Showing. When I woke up, I said, “No, Lord! That title will offend Protestants. It’s too long!” The following night, I had the very same dream. That was all the confirmation I needed. This blog has now been in existence for almost ten years.

My Prayer

Lord, may we all drink from the living waters You provide for us. Blessed Mary, thank you for being the greatest role model for all women. Bestow on all women the gentle spirit of Your Blessed Mother. Amen.

 

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My Heart of the Matter

The Testimony

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Me and Yosellin

When God Surprises You: Reflections from a Parish Catechist

Called to Serve

No amount of preparation can fully ready a catechist for what God has in store at a retreat. That truth has been learned firsthand over five years of volunteering at the parish — and every single year confirms it. Each year brings its own unexpected graces, challenges, and moments that no lesson plan could have anticipated

A Welcome Surprise: An Unexpected Aide

Last year brought a particularly joyful development: the gift of an assistant. When it was discovered that Yosellin would serve as aide for the class, the news was met with genuine delight. She was not a stranger — she had been one of the students in a previous Confirmation preparation class, which made her presence all the more meaningful.

The 2024 Class: Diversity as Providence

Yosellin’s quiet, introverted nature had made her stand out from the very beginning, back when she was a student herself. Placed in a room full of unfamiliar faces, she nevertheless found her way — gradually, gracefully — into a circle of friends. That class left a lasting impression, and not only because of Yosellin.

It was, quite simply, the most diverse group ever encountered in this ministry. Half of the students came from private Catholic schools, many of them already friends from their years together at St. Norbert School. They arrived comfortable, confident, and at ease with one another. The other half came from five different local public high schools — a mixture of backgrounds, experiences, and comfort levels that made the dynamic both rich and challenging.

The Catholic school students settled in quickly. For the others, it took a little more time to warm up — to let their guards down, to trust the space, and to begin to feel that they, too, belonged.

An Unexpected Courage: Preparing to Speak

When Yosellin approached with a request to share her testimony at the retreat, the news came as a genuine surprise. Her quiet, introverted nature had always been one of her most defining qualities — the last thing anyone would have expected was a desire to stand before the group and speak. Yet when she explained what she wanted to share, it became immediately clear that this story needed to be heard. It mattered.

At the following meeting, however, doubt crept in. Yosellin found herself uncertain about standing up in front of everyone. The courage that had surfaced one week seemed to waver the next.

Moved by the Holy Spirit

Then the retreat arrived — and with it, something remarkable.

The Holy Spirit had other plans. Yosellin followed the main speaker, and what unfolded was nothing short of astonishing. She spoke with an eloquence and poise that no one could have anticipated — natural, clear, and deeply moving. Her words touched the girls in the room in a way that only truth spoken from lived experience can. She was not performing. She was witnessing.

What Yosellin shared was this: she had suffered from depression — a depression that had led her to thoughts of suicide.

Depression: A Cross Carried in Silence

Yosellin’s struggle had begun early. Her relationship with both of her parents had been strained, leaving her with a persistent and painful sense of being unseen. Her father worked long hours, and by the time he returned home, exhaustion had consumed whatever emotional energy remained. Her mother’s relationship with her had been marked by instability from the start.

By the eighth grade, Yosellin had reached a breaking point. Alone in a way that felt total, and without confidence that her parents could help, she began experiencing suicidal thoughts.

Mental health struggles like these often remain associated with embarrassment or shame — a stigma that contradicts the compassion of Jesus and is contrary to the foundation of Catholic Social Teaching. No diagnosis, no darkness, no suffering — none of it can alter or diminish the God-given dignity of a person. Every suffering soul remains a beloved child of God, a God of healing and hope.

Depression is far more than prolonged sadness. It is a complex illness that can profoundly impair a person’s mental and physical functioning — affecting not just moods, but also the ability to think clearly, to concentrate, and to focus. Those afflicted often suffer in silence, unrecognized by those around them.

Yosellin had been one of those silent sufferers. And now, through grace, she was silent no longer.

Adoration

This year’s retreat was about transformation — and what unfolded this weekend was nothing short of a miracle. God moved mightily in the souls of these young people, and many were genuinely, visibly transformed.

Though my group was scattered throughout the hall, the effort to find them — to pray with them, to encourage them toward the confessional — was worth every moment. With four priests hearing confessions, more than half of the students brought their sins before God and walked away renewed.

My Prayer

Dear Lord, thank You for Your holy presence at this retreat. Pour out Your continued grace upon every young man and woman who participated. Thank You for using each of us who volunteered as instruments to guide them into Your loving arms. May the seeds planted this weekend take deep root and bear fruit that lasts. Amen.

 

 

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