by Laura Passard Yurko Sunday's Gospel (Luke 16:1-13) touches on the subject of money: how we can get caught up in our temporal needs and wants at the sacrifice of our spiritual needs and wants. This is clearly stated by Jesus at the end of the passage, "You cannot serve both God and mammon." But, what exactly is mammon? It's not quite "money." During Thursday's meeting, we were given a supplemental handout taken from Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio's essay "God and Mammon?" which has provided me with a lot of clarity and insight and is the basis for my reflection this week. Note: Below is the excerpt from our meeting. Any emphasis is mine. To read the essay in its entirety, click on the link above. We all know mammon has something to do with money. But the word he uses here is not the common word for money. Mammon means unjust gain, greed, or money made as an end in itself, an ultimate value, a controlling force. Some people use money to provide for their family. Others sell out their family, their country, their integrity...for money. This is where money becomes mammon, a relentless god that demands that all bow before it and offer sacrifice. I think "mammon" can refer to any type of fortune - whether it's a fortune we have or long to have. We are all provided for in one way or another. Yet, when we approach these gifts with fear and anxiety - a fear of loss or insecurity about the future (or in my case a tendency to panic and obsess) - we tend to close ourselves off, protecting these riches from others. In so doing we are serving only ourselves. We need to rid ourselves of that anxiety and move forward with the confidence that we will be taken care of. That, what we have been given must flow through us and be shared with others. Whether it's financial riches, intelligence, compassion, or physical strength (to name only a few) we need to be vessels of God's grace and love - constantly being filled, shared, and never completely empty. I must trust. I must have faith. I must remain open to accept all that God will provide for me as He does for all of His creation. I must allow all that I receive to flow through me and share these gifts with all I encounter. Click on the image to read a meditation shared with us by one of our New Moms. It hits on some of the same points discussed during our meeting and those reflected above.
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by Laura Passard Yurko The first year of my daughter's life was one of the darker periods of mine. While I was overjoyed at the sight and touch of my little angel, I struggled everyday. I struggled with being a stay at home mom (something I'd never planned to be), nursing, changing family dynamics and, though not formally diagnosed, what I believe was a mild form of post partum depression. It wasn't until after her first birthday that my depression lifted and in its absence I could see the darkness that had covered my life for so long.
During those first 12 months, every aspect of my life was overwhelming and I was perpetually afraid that my daughter would die - either due to my inability to care for her or by some tragedy. The fear and shame affected every aspect of my life and I tried desperately not to let anyone know. Unfortunately, hiding it from everyone isolated me, which made it all worse. Re-emerging into life that second year I became much more active and engaged as I embraced my role as Mommy and set out to plan out my daughter’s entire life (ha!). At the end of the year, I found OLQA’s Moms Group. Initially, I went to hear OLQA School Principal, Ms. Ryan, speak. What I couldn’t have imagined finding there was the nourishment of the Small Faith Group. I have found that the most powerful aspect of our Small Faith Group is when, through reflecting on the Gospel, I hear my story echoed in the voices of the women around me. The struggles I've faced and lessons I've learned are not limited to my personal experiences with them. The details are different, specific to each of us, but the larger lessons are the same. It’s through this sharing that I realize that I am not alone – not now and not ever. This Thursday’s meeting was the first of our Fall Session. We were delighted to welcome back so many familiar faces and thrilled to welcome so many new moms to our group. As we sat in our group and got to know each other I was struck by the diversity in our paths…the unique journeys that brought us all to this same place. And, now, here we were, supporting each other, sharing with each other, and learning from each other despite being strangers not 24 hours ago. The bonds of motherhood and our relationship with God had led us to this place where we found each other and felt at home. This week's Gospel revolves around a theme of lost and found. Three stories illustrate this point: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the Prodigal Son. The details of the stories are different, but the lesson remains: each of us matters. We matter to someone, to the world, and, especially, to God. Whether or not you were lost before you found us, I'm so glad you did. by Laura Passard Yurko I have been struggling for inspiration to write. Maybe I'm over-thinking (wouldn't be the first time). But tonight while chopping some lovely zucchini it hit me: Write about Dinner! While oftentimes our evening meal is from the freezer section at Trader Joe's or our favorite Mexican restaurant, when I plan and cook I feel amazing. And when they clean their plates and reach for seconds I give myself a little A+ for the day and go to bed feeling accomplished...successful... ...even if the dishes don't get done until morning. So, here are some of my favorite recipes using Late Summer Vegetables and a few tips on getting your family to eat them: Late Summer Produce: Tomatoes, Corn & ZucchiniSummer Stir Fry w/shrimp This was tonight's dinner, pictured above. I diced the zucchini and served this with some creamy polenta instead of sprinkling with cheese. Baked Eggs in Tomatoes Note: I can't bear to toss the tops so I cut them up and make fresh tomato sauce the next day. (put the pot of water on to boil for the pasta, saute tomatoes with olive oil and garlic until the pasta is cooked. toss with fresh basil and cooked linguine. let sit so the pasta can soak up the juices. SO GOOD!) Tomato, Corn & Avocado Salad This salad is amazing! Serve with a rotisserie chicken and a loaf of french bread and you've got a light dinner without heating up the kitchen Linguine with Summer Vegetables and Goat Cheese This looks delicious, but to be fair, I haven't made this one...yet. Zucchini, Banana & Flaxseed Muffins Sometimes veggies are for breakfast. I like to make double batches of muffins and freeze them in ziplocs. Then, 30 seconds in the microwave and a healthy breakfast is ready. TipsIf you add fat and salt to just about anything it will taste good.
Get your children involved. I've heard this advice a million times and struggle with how best to do this. But, just the other night we had some green beans and C helped with the snapping. Once they were on her plate I didn't need to do any cajoling - each time I looked over to mention them there were fewer and fewer until they were all gone. by Laura Passard Yurko "If the only prayer you ever say in your life is "thank you," that would suffice." - Meister Eckhart Honestly, I'm not a big pray-er. I want to be, but I'm just not. My prayers are often rushed - a quick, one sentence request for safety or clarity. But recently a shift occurred in my life.
I started attending the OLQA Moms Group in February and immediately found myself feeling fulfilled. I had found what I had been looking for even though I couldn't have named it before I came to the group. I just felt complete. And so, every thursday when we shared our intentions during our opening prayer I said a silent prayer of thanks for the women of the group and all those who came before us who created this nurturing space. However, away from Moms Group I found myself in a habit of always coming up short. Nothing was good enough, least of all me: Ugh, that pile of laundry is still there and getting bigger; C ate cheese and crackers for dinner - I'm a terrible mother; I'm a SAHM but that doesn't mean I can't be accomplished or interesting so I'll work on this one thing but C just wants to be held. Why is my kid so clingy? It must be because I'm a terrible mother (yeah, that one pops up a lot). I came to wonder: Why am I finding so many reasons to complain when I know my life is filled with reasons to rejoice? And, What can I do about it? Remember in the 90's when Oprah was all big on Gratitude Journals? I had one. I tried so hard to come up with 5 things to be grateful for each day and always came up short. Then I felt bad for failing at Gratitude Journaling. Well, this time around I decided I would just be grateful for one thing each day. One. I can do that, right? For me it started with Moms Group. I was so grateful for the opportunity to be with these other mothers who shared my parenting struggles and triumphs and who were also interesting and accomplished in their own right. Women who were supportive, not competitive, who wanted me to succeed at being the best mom, Catholic mom, that I could be. I mean, talk about something to appreciate! But, you know what? Some days I'm grateful for the dishwasher. And so I say so. I say a little prayer of thanksgiving for the dishwasher which took care of the pots and pans and bowls and knives I used to prepare healthy meals for my family. Oh, and hey, there's another thing - I know how to prepare healthy meals for my family and had the resources to do so. Oh, and by the way, thank you for those resources. Also, thank you for this home we live in, for the job my husband has, that he does his job well and supports me and C...that I get to be here to hold C when she needs me....that I recognize the importance of paying attention or an extra cuddle...I'm a good mom after all...that there are cheese and crackers available to feed her when making a full meal isn't a priority...that my child doesn't go to bed hungry...that she has a bed to sleep in...that she's here with us at all. In no time, what begins as a droplet of appreciation for an appliance turns into an entire ocean of gratitude in my heart just waiting to be noticed. That ocean fills me with such peace that I find that my days are spent being more open. I'm open to the opportunities in my life, to the people in my life and to God's presence in my life. I can be more present for those times when I'm called to act or console or share. That isn't to say that my feelings don't get hurt or that I'm never in a bad mood - because that happens, it's a part of life. It's just that now, because that ocean of gratitude rests steadily in my heart, I'm able to process those more difficult moments as isolated incidents instead of adding them to an existing deficit. I encourage you to try it - try to see your life as a series of pluses instead of minuses. Say "thank you" for just one thing each day and see if you can't tap in to your own ocean of gratitude. |
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