My Twinterview with Melanie Rigney, author of Sisterhood of Saints

Before going on about author and friend, Melanie Rigney, I must admit that I got this "Twinterview" idea from author and friend, Sarah Reinhard, which involves answering questions in 140 characters or fewer. Brilliant! 

Now about Melanie, whom I've known for a decade? More than a decade? We originally met at a conference for writers interested in self-publishing that had absolutely nothing to do with faith, spirituality or religion. Still, that didn't stop us from taking a gloriously deep dive into those topics while sitting in a hotel lobby and continuing long after that conference was over. 

A gifted writer and rocking-amazing editor, Melanie regularly puts me in the awe zone with her written reflections and devotions. I admire (read: covet) her ability to "break open the Word" in a few hundred words. Her newest book, Sisterhood of Saints: Daily Guidance and Inspiration is the latest fine example of Melanie's ability to inform and inspire. 

And you know all those book about saints you probably have on a bookshelf? This is one you'll want to keep on your nightstand!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sisterhood of Saints: Daily Guidance and Inspiration
by Melanie Rigney
Franciscan Media
Hardcover: 369 pages
$12.44

Lots of book about saints out there, what should readers add yours to their library? 

It relates the women’s struggles, joys and faith to our lives today in bite-size (ten minutes a day) chunks.

Which saint was the most difficult to write about and why? 

Mary; I didn’t know how to approach her vis-à-vis today. Finally, I pictured her at Calvary—knowing it would help Jesus to see her, no matter how hard it was for her.

Which saint did you end up liking more than you anticipated and why? 

Maria Goretti. I’d never before been in touch with the profundity of her forgiveness of her killer.

While writing this book, what challenged you most as a writer and why? 

Deciding who NOT to write about! Several whom I had to leave out had stories similar to other, better known saints. I still feel bad.

While writing this book, What challenged you most as a Roman Catholic and why? 

The fearless way they pursued their vocations, regardless of the consequence. Nothing got between them and God. Can we do the same?

With which saint would you most love to share a spa day? 

Gwladys of Wales. She and her husband knew King Arthur and lived rowdy lives before their conversions. I’d love to hear her stories. 

What was the best part of writing this book and why? 

Gaining a whole bunch of new friends to help on my spiritual journey—and sharing them with other women.

Bonus: What's the topic of your next nonfiction book? 

I’d love to do a Brotherhood of Saints book if the women do well.

Follow Melanie on Facebook (Melanie Rigney, Author), Twitter and Pinterest!

Praying for a Good Hair Day

I'll get to the hair thing in a bit but here's the context: I'm heading into New York City for what should be a very fabulous meeting with some of the coolest people I've yet to meet IRL (In Real Life).

Actually, I've already met Tim Schenck, who blogs as Clergy Family Confidential and who created Lent Madness.* Years ago we met at a book signing and it was an immediate meeting of the twisted minds. I'm sure the magic will continue, especially because I believe he's the one who has hashtagged this meet-up of social media aficionadae #snarkocalypse2013.

What does this have to do with my hair? Plenty. Think it through: New York, summer, humid.

This is why in addition to finger-combing lots of product through my hair, I'm praying for a good hair day. According to those who catalog these things, my options for intercession are St. Martin de Porres and St. Mary Magdalene.

And who is receiving my prayers for a Good Hair Day? I think the obvious choice is...obvious.

*Two years ago as a "celebrity blogger" I helped win the Golden Halo for St. Mary Magdalene. I'm still inordinately proud of that.

July 22: Feast of Mary Magdalene

A Gal and Her Risen Lord, Thanks Be to God . . .

Note: Yes, I post this image and caption every year, but this year I invite you to visit my Pinterest board devoted to images of St. Mary Magdalene.

#Lent Madness Begins This Year on February 23

Yes, I'm participating in this Lent...Madness!

I was an observer and voter the first time the Rev. Tim Schenck (blogging at Clergy Family Confidential) crafted this clever crazy alternative to March Madness (aka, the annual NCAA basketball tournament).

Last year, I was invited to be one of four "Celebrity Bloggers" writing compelling blather for the Final Four round. I wrote about Clare of Assisi and was bummed when she was beat by C.S. Lewis. In fact, I'm still somewhat steamed about that. C.S. Lewis?!? Saint?!? Oh right, I support ecumenical dialogue.

This year, Tim has teamed up with the Rev. Scott Gunn, Executive Director of Forward Movement and Lent Madness is getting very snazzy. It now has its own website and I'm one of eight bloggers. Tim and Scott will post a video conversation each Monday after the competition begins on Thursday, February 23.

How does this work? If you understand how brackets work, bless you. I don't, even after staring at this one for a while. What I do know is that every day you'll have an opportunity to read up on a saint and vote for your favorite.

During the first round, you'll get to read simple biographies of the saints. During round two, you'll be treated to Quotes and Quirks of the Saintly Sixteen. The Elate Eight round features Saintly Kitsch. God only knows who will make the Final Four and what adroit bloggery will win votes.

I'll be blogging on behalf of St. Catherine of Siena, St. Margaret of Scotland, St. Mary Magdalene, and John Cassian (considered a saint by the Eastern church but never canonized by the Western church).

You can get to the Lent Madness website by click on the widget in the sidebar of my blog or by subscribing directly by clicking here. Lent Madness is also on Facebook. It's a great way to learn more about saints and watch otherwise faithful and cordial colleagues succumb to electioneering faster than you can cross yourself after receiving Communion.

Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul

These images of St. Paul always cheer me up. 


I'm wondering if this makes me a good Jew and a bad Christian . . .


Or a good Christian and a bad Jew. . .


Bad Christian and bad Jew? 

October 15: Feast of St. Teresa of Avila

"To reach something good 

it is very useful to have gone astray, 

and thus acquire experience."

For this and other wisdom,

I thank God for St. Teresa of Avila

kick-butt Doctor of the Church

Image: St. Teresa of Avila by Francois Gerard

Off to the Mayo Clinic!

I'm leaving on Sunday, October 16 for the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MinneSOta. No, not for a physical exam as per my Bridal Registry request.

I'll be there for a week attending the Social Media Summit, followed by meetings for members of the Social Media Health Network. (I serve on the External Advisory Board for the Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media.)  Those meetings run through Thursday noon.

Mayo Clinic's very first Social Media Residency Program begins at 12:30 on Thursday and concludes Friday afternoon. Based on the medical residency model, this Social Media Residency is an intense 15-hour mix of didactic, small group and hands-on teaching for which participants will receive CME credits. I'm one of the instructors and Chief Residents responsible for rounding with a group of social media residents. I've also spent the past month or so helping to create and finalize the curriculum and textbook.

God willing, my plane will actually land at BWI on midnight, Friday, October 21. I will then have approximately 13 days to recuperate before swinging into wedding mode.

Did I know about this timeline in advance? Yes, I did.  Did I think through any possible body/mind/spirit consequences of this timeline? No, I did not. Has anyone characterized this or me as "crazy" or "insane"? Yes, several people have already done so.

Meet my new patron saint:

St. Christina the Astonishing

Blessing of the (Stuffed) Animals

The Blessing of the Animals is a charming custom many churches observe to celebrate St. Francis of Assisi's feast day on October 4.  Charming and potentially messy, especially if someone brings a horse. And no one should ever lay hands on a turtle without being gloved.

Deny a blessing to this fine bear?

Indeed it was the poop-n-pee factor that prompted one of Fr. Martha Stewart's infamous "not on my watch" soliloquies.*

But what if it's outside? What if parishioners plan it and clean up after it? "Not on my watch."

I thought my solution was the best: Why don't we have a Blessing of the Stuffed Animals? My fine suggestion earned me one of Fr. Martha Stewart's infamous "looks."

Years later, that parish ended up having a Blessing of the Animals. Outside. Organized by parishioners. By then, Mr. Oatmeal and I had left to receive our berakot elsewhere.


*Others in this category: CYO, Bingo, Boy Scouts of America meetings

July 22: Feast of St. Mary Magdalene

A Gal and Her Risen Lord, Thanks Be to God...

April 4: St. Isidore of Seville

c.560-636

Selected by the Pontifical Council for Social Communications as Patron Saint of computers, computer users, computer programmers, and the Internet, presumably because he created the 22-volume Etymologiae.

I think it's because he's usually depicted as reading a users manual. Only a saint would bother doing that.

Quote du Jour (Faith Department)

This brilliant kicker showed up on the New York Times' Sunday Opinion page (March 20, 2011) in a piece titled, "The Passion of Dorothy Day." 

At this point and with the publication Dorothy Day's letters, All the Way to Heaven, does anyone still not know she was a saint for our times? Amen, I say, amen to this observation by Lawrence Downes:

Sainthood and the single woman. Sanctity without incredulity. Sexual love without regret. That's the totally ordinary, amazing thing about Dorothy Day.

─ Lawrence Downes

February 10: Memorial of St. Scholastica

c. 480-543

For the inspiration
this super smart woman still delivers,
I thank God for
St. Scholastica

October 15: Feast of St. Teresa of Avila

"The feeling remains that God
is on the journey, too."

For this wisdom and the red petticoat incident,
I thank God for St. Teresa of Avila,
kick-butt Doctor of the Church

Image: St. Teresa of Avila, Marilyn Moyes

Through My Most Grievous Fault

I'm taking stock of my thoughts, words and deeds today and not just because it's erev Yom Kippur. The fact I've had to lower the asking price of my home yet again has prompted me to take stock of the situation.

Truth to tell, my simmering disappointment in St. Joseph is starting to roil to a boiling resentment. And since reciting the entire Serenity Prayer doesn't seem to be working, I'm hauling out another tool ─ looking at my part in the matter.

After making a "fearless and searching moral inventory," I confess:

• deciding to bury St. Joseph in my yard was, but only in part, motivated by the prospect of getting a coolio photo shoot out of the event;

• although I was fairly reverential at the time, I did not offer a novena ─ unless 9 minutes of chanting, "St. Joe, do your thing" counts; and that
  

• referring to the entire ritual as GCS* was probably not a smart move.

And so:

I am sorry for these sins with all my heart. In choosing to be goofy and snarky, I'm pretty sure I may have sinned against You Whom I should love and respect above all things. Mea maxima culpa. Create in me a clean heart and renew in me an upright spirit. Amen.

There, that should make things right. The lack of a buyer couldn't possibly be due to the atrocious economy, could it?


* Leaving it to you, dear reader, to figure out what that acronym means.

Fuzzy Cross -- trademarked, no less!

Yeah, I know, I should probably be ashamed of myself or filled with the kind of self-loathing that should be confessed, but I like this "plush, collectable [sic] cross available in a number of patterns and colors." I especially like that it comes in pink.

Through the ongoing miracle that is Twitter, I discovered Fuzzy Cross (TM)* when an elder in the Presbyterian church posted it earlier today as an example of something...wrong.

But then, after making a case (in 140 characters) for so-bad-it's-good kitsch, she came over to the fuzzy side ─ but only for crosses. My dear sister in Christ (and Twitter) thinks fuzzy dice are "overdone."

Me? I'm easily captivated by this stuff and stopped everything to tour the website.

I could not agree more that fuzzy crosses would be "great for accessorizing your vehicle." So much safer than rosary beads which, if not well hung from the rear view mirror, practically guarantee a St. Lucy experience for reckless drivers.





*TM = trademark not Transcendental Meditation (in this instance)

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (August 15)

Feast of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)

1891-1942
Gassed to death at Auschwitz

My beloved saint
for reasons that should be obvious,
for reasons that are not, and
for reasons still emerging.

For example, I think of Edith Stein whenever one of my sisters and brothers in Christ ask if I'm "still a Jew." And yes, I do indeed get asked this...a lot.

St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, pray for us that we might embrace everything we share as God's creation and reject everything that separates us from one another.

Wise Words for the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene

Loved reading these wise words from Elizabeth Cunningham about celebrating incarnation on this feast day of St. Mary Magdalene. Hope they resonate with you as well:

"I would like to declare July 22nd a feast day to celebrate our incarnation on this earth, something all of us alive and who have ever lived share with all life and life to come. We are made of the same substance; we are subject to the same joys and sufferings of the flesh. From a laboring woman’s body we were born; and the mystery of death awaits us."






Read her entire post here.

Image: Mary Magdalene after Bacciacca from Baroquenheart Gallery

Feast of St. Mary Magdalene

A Gal and Her Risen Lord, Thanks Be to God . . .

Featuring this image for the 3rd year in a row!
Recommending this brilliant, lusty trilogy about Mary Magdalene
by Elizabeth Cunningham: The Maeve Chronicles

Praying for Back-Up

Because St. Joseph
seems to have been a bit preoccupied
with Father's Day...