Teenagers might find this movie a bit slow, but maybe not. It is a very thoughtful movie, beautifully done, but it takes some patience to watch it. Movie deals with a boy trying to come to grips with the death of his father in the 9/11 tragedy. The boy is extremely intelligent but very sensitive. The movie will probably make you cry at times, and the solution to the boys’ problem turns out a bit differently than what you would hope, but very well done movie.

First class actors and first class idea but not first class script. Still, it is a very positive and fun movie with good values. Movie centers on the members church choir who are going to compete in a big competition. A young romance is treated in a realistic but positive way: the teenagers are in love but a bit naive.  Parents and grown-ups don’t always understand the young romance, etc. The romance eventually works out after some mistakes and missteps. What helps is everybody trying to be honest. I thought that part was nicely done. There is also a positive and thoughtful treatment of a boy who suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome. Some of the dialogues in the movie are not very well done, but I applaud the writers and creators for the good that is clearly present in the movie. Some of the song sequences are fun while others are stupid (my opinion, anyway).

Just a short note. I was watching the Winter X Games last night and saw an awesome win by Kelly Clark on the half-pipe. She did tricks no other girl snowboarder could do and seemed to simply just be having fun rather than competing in one of the most prestigious athletic events of the year. Apparently Kelly has been winning internationally for a while, but I was curious when I noticed the name “Jesus” on her snowboard after she won. I checked some internet info and found out that I was seeing correctly. Kelly is quite open about her faith and love for Christ. Thanks for being so open about this, Kelly, and thanks for an incredible performance.

.….….….….….…

I had always admired San Diego Chargers quarterback as a top-class player and fierce competitor, but I didn’t know until today that he was Catholic and how much his Catholic faith and values mean to him. Way cool!!!

(Story here from The National Catholic Register:

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/catholic-quarterback-philip-rivers-passes-on-the-faith/)

Catholic Quarterback Philip Rivers Passes On the Faith

San Diego Chargers’ star talks faith, family and football: ‘Once I’ve received the Eucharist, then I’m prepared to go out and play.’

by TRENT BEATTIE 01/20/2012 Comment

– Wikipedia

Coming off a disappointing 2011 NFL campaign, San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers is wasting no time to prepare for next season.

The Chargers won four of their first five games last season, but finished with an 8-8 record. The team missed the playoffs, and Tim Tebow’s Denver Broncos went instead.

Less dedicated players would take time off, but not Rivers. Dedication is something his father Steve, a high-school coach, passed along to him, and it has been a driving force in his football career.

At North Carolina State University, Rivers broke every school passing record, finishing his collegiate career with 13,484 passing yards, the second-highest total ever for a Division 1-A quarterback up to that point.

His production in the NFL has also been impressive. His 95.2 passer-rating currently ranks fifth all-time among quarterbacks with at least 1,500 yards passing.

Perhaps even more impressive than Rivers’ football accomplishments, however, is his dedication to passing on his Catholic faith. The 30-year-old Decatur, Ala., native cherishes opportunities to hand on to his own children the faith that his parents gave to him.

Rivers discussed this and many other things in early January.
What do you think of this past season, and what are you doing now during the playoffs?

 

This past season was certainly a disappointment. We didn’t make the playoffs, and I didn’t have my best season, personally. However, I’m thankful for the adversity we experienced because if we take it in the right way, it can help us next season.

We had a fairly strong close to the season, so I remember the saying that “You never lose; you just run out of time.” We ran out of time this season, but there’s next season, which I’m preparing for already. I watch the teams in the playoffs to see what we can do better the next time we play them.

I really am thankful for this season’s adversity, not just from a football perspective, but from an overall life perspective as well. It’s made me not just a better player, but a better husband and father.
How do you find time for your commitment to the faith when most of your games are played on the Lord’s Day?

 

It’s funny, because it’s always been a dream of mine to play in the NFL, but I was concerned about the games being played on Sundays. I love to play football but wanted to be able to attend Mass as well. Now, I do that by going to a vigil Mass or an early Sunday morning one. Once I’ve received the Eucharist, then I’m prepared to go out and play.

Something that might seem odd on the surface is this: If I put football above my faith and family, I think I’d be worse off as a player, not better. It’s a matter of putting things in the right order, which helps you to do each of those things as they ought to be done. Avoiding idolatry helps you to have the right perspective on life, which in turn helps you to live more effectively. Faith comes first, then family, then football.
What do you think of Tim Tebow’s statements about faith?

 

I know Tim a little bit because we have the same agent. I’ve enjoyed speaking with him from time to time and know that he has strong beliefs. I’ve been public about my beliefs, as well, but not in as vocal or persistent a manner. Everyone has a different way of expressing themselves, and Tim has his own way, too.

As a quarterback I very much appreciate what a great competitor he is and how he wills his team to win. I always look forward to competing against competitors like him.
What does football mean to you, not just as a way to make a living, but as a game you’ve been playing your whole life and one in which your father has influenced you?

 

Football is one of the most popular sports in the country, and there are many reasons for this. You can take so much from football and apply it to life in general. Just some of those things are goal-setting, preparation, teamwork, perseverance and discipline.

Discipline is one of the biggest things that stands out for me in relation to my father. He would always tell me that if you’re going to do something, do it all the way. Nothing should be done halfheartedly. That was true not only with football, but with something as simple as cleaning your room or cutting the grass. I would wonder why making a bed was important at all when you were going to use it again later that day. The discipline to do those simple things can help you so much with greater things. Luke 16:10 comes to mind, in that regard.

My father was my coach in high school, and I still talk with him very frequently about football today. I’ll call him after practice, and we’ll talk about how things went. In fact, Dad still has other players of his who call him up and talk with him as well. That’s something very special to me — how he has helped to guide me and others in being a man.
What has your father passed along to you regarding the Catholic faith specifically?

 

My father converted from being Southern Baptist when I was very young. He was determined that we get to Mass every Sunday, which served as the foundation for everything else. You simply do not miss Mass. Period. When the father of the family says we go, then we go.

When I went away to school at North Carolina State, I was on my own for the first time and really out of my element, but when I went to Mass that first Sunday, everything fell back into place. Even though I was physically a good distance from my family, I knew I was home in the truest sense.

That’s one of the gifts of the Church I appreciate most: the oneness or universality of it all. It’s the same essential Mass regardless of which city or state or country you’re in at the time. I’ve been to some beautiful churches in Denver, St. Louis and Chicago, but what’s even more beautiful than the churches is Jesus (being) always present in the Eucharist.

This is true in any Catholic church you go to.
Because you grew up in the South, you must have encountered opposition to Catholicism.

 

There were only about 15 of us in my confirmation class, not just for our parish, but for the entire county in Alabama that I lived in. That tells you how small the Catholic population was. However, I wouldn’t call it opposition that I encountered, but more of a questioning as to why we did certain things. That can be a good thing, in the sense that you learn so much about the faith because of the questions. That’s something my mother helped me with in even more detail than my father. She was especially instrumental in revealing the truth of the Church to my wife, Tiffany, during her conversion.

Most of my buddies from school I didn’t see at Mass on Sunday because they weren’t Catholic. We got along fine outside of church, but the religious camaraderie wasn’t there.

I’ve known my wife since we were in junior high school, but she wasn’t Catholic at that time. However, like my father, she converted, and that has strengthened both of us.

Our bond in the faith is the foundation of our marriage. San Diego has a very solid Catholic community, which has been great for my wife and kids to make friends and be supported in the faith.

This is very encouraging, especially when it comes to living out teachings of the Church that are not as popular as others. The most noticeable of these is being open to life, or what is commonly known as natural family planning (NFP). When you see others making the same commitment to the faith as you are, it can only strengthen you.

Because of the commitment that’s required, a lot of people are particularly afraid of the baby stages of raising children. It’s easy to talk yourself into thinking you just can’t handle all the work that it takes. What I tell people, though, is that the children do grow up; they aren’t going to be in need of constant supervision and assistance forever.

Plus, when the time comes to look back on your child-raising years, you may actually want more children. There can be a fear of having too many going in, but a regret of not enough when looking back. There are people who would desperately want to have more but can’t.

My mom comes from a family of nine children, and she would have loved more than anything to have had a large family of her own. However, that was not God’s plan, and I ended up being the only child for the first 11 years of my life. Then we were fortunate to welcome my brother Stephen into the world, and later my sister Anna.

With the birth of our second son in October, we have six kids now. It’s funny because sometimes when I’m out with just three of them, people ask if they’re all mine, as if three is an enormous family.
What do you enjoy most about fatherhood?

 

Every day there’s something new to witness. It’s fun to watch them grow. Tiffany and I comment to each other on which one is more like mom or more like dad when they do certain things. Each one is different, but I really enjoy watching them play together and love each other. That’s very special to see as a dad.

When you have a family of your own, you realize just how much you owe to your own parents, and you find that you do things just like they did. You may not have appreciated those things at the time, but it’s funny to see them come back. One little example of this is when I was younger; we would finish a meal, and 15 minutes later I’d ask my dad for a snack. He’d tell me, “We just ate. You’re not hungry; you’re just bored. Now go play.” Today, my own kids do the same thing to me, and I give them the same response my dad gave me.

I love my kids so much and not only enjoy them now, but sometimes I think of what it will be like when they’re grown up. When they have families of their own and come back home for Thanksgiving or Christmas, it will be so much fun to see them and all the grandkids.
Strengthening families is a major reason you started your foundation, Rivers of Hope, correct?

 

Yes, it is. On our way home from a trip to Disneyland a few years ago, Tiffany and I were talking about doing something pro-life, and a great way to do that is by helping foster kids find “forever families.” We’re so blessed ourselves to have a strong family, but we knew that so many people don’t have that same blessing.

In coming up with a name, we all decided on Rivers of Hope, because “hope” is my mom’s favorite word, and it really expresses the purpose of the foundation. Our primary purpose is to help find permanent homes for foster children, which is a hope unfulfilled for too many.

I’ve talked with many foster children, and it is very common for them to bounce from home to home. Two little sisters in particular stand out in my mind. They explained that whenever a social worker would come to the home they were in at the time, one sister would yell to the other, “Pack your bags!” To these kids, seeing a social worker meant moving again. We wanted to help them see the day when that cycle would stop and they’d find a permanent home.

There are hundreds of kids here in San Diego County ready to be adopted, so we want to raise awareness of that. We’re not reinventing the wheel, just trying to help the process go more smoothly with the organizations that already exist.

We do other things as well. If someone doesn’t have the money to buy a pair of cleats or a musical instrument, or whatever it might be, then we pay for those things. We also do referrals to crisis-pregnancy centers for mothers who need that support. Protecting the most vulnerable is essential to being pro-life.

 
Another part of being pro-life that you’ve spoken about is purity. Why is this an important topic to you?

 

One of the people we’ve gotten to know here in San Diego is Jason Evert of Catholic Answers. He presents the truth about sexuality, a topic which is so misrepresented in the media. Young people don’t realize what a gift it is within the context of marriage, so it’s great to be able to use the platform I have to spread the truth. People are able to put a face to a cause.

 
Speaking of purity, what do you say about some of the commercials played during football games?

 

It’s a shame, because it used to be fun to watch commercials during the Super Bowl, for instance. Now, it’s kind of hit or miss, and you have to be thankful for the pause button on the DVR. You know what you’re going to see in advance, so you prevent your kids especially from seeing those things. You want to protect their innocence, and that’s a preventative way of doing it. But in today’s world, praying for our kids is essential for their protection and continued growth in the faith.

I can’t put into words how much I enjoy praying with my kids. Most of them are a bit too young to have the attention span for a Rosary, so our favorite devotion is the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, which is shorter. We pray that every day of Lent, and we actually sing it most of the time. If the end of the day is coming, and we haven’t prayed the chaplet, one of the kids will enthusiastically insist that we do so.

 
Do you have a patron saint?

 

St. Sebastian is the patron of athletes, so I wear a medal of him, along with a miraculous medal and a crucifix. There are many stories I could tell about his patronage, but here’s just one. In a 2008 playoff game I tore my ACL [anterior cruciate ligament]. The week following that game was a very spiritual one for me. My mom asked me on the phone, “Do you know that St. Sebastian’s feast day [Jan. 20] is the day of the next playoff game?” Amazingly, maybe even miraculously, I was able to play that game.

I also admire St. Francis Xavier, a missionary priest who had quite an adventurous life. Reading stories like his helps to get the right perspective on things. What I have to suffer doesn’t really compare with what he and other saints went through for the Lord. Even more to the point, when you think of what Jesus suffered in his passion for us all, it can only help you love him all the more.

 

Register correspondent Trent Beattie writes from Seattle.

Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/catholic-quarterback-philip-rivers-passes-on-the-faith/#ixzz1k1hb5VxF

This month’s release of the movie Contraband has put actor Mark Wahlberg once again in the Hollywood spotlight. Mark recently did an interview on CNN about his faith walk that has gotten a lot of attention. Let’s look briefly at the dramatic life journey that Mark explains in that interview and see if we can draw any lessons for our own lives. You can also see part of that interview in this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKAyExg_kJ0

Mark was born into a very large working class family in a rough neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. There are nine children in his family. Both his mom and his dad had to work two jobs to make ends meet, and that left the children with a lot of time to do as they wanted. Mark and his brothers found ways to entertain themselves, but as they grew the fun began to turn into trouble.

Mark didn’t see much future in school work. No one in his family had gone to college, and he struggled academically. Once he had learned the basics of reading, writing, and simple math, he saw no point in continuing, so he dropped out of school when he was 14 years old to work full time. But not all his jobs were legal. He soon began to sell drugs on the side to make more money.

Mark also lived with a chip on his shoulder. He figured the way to make it in life was to be meaner and tougher than the other people. He often got into fights and even looked for ways to hurt people.

His family was nominally Catholic, but at this point in his life his faith did not mean much to him. He was just focused on making his own way in life.

Things came to a head when Mark finally got caught for some of his dangerous choices. He seriously hurt several people in a robbery and was put into jail at age 17. This experience was a life changer for Mark.

For many young people who get into crime their first jail experience is just a training camp for more crime. But for Mark, that jail experience was a true wake-up call, a call he did not let slip by. He began a slow but constant process of putting his life on a better footing than just anger and selfishness. He was determined he was going to change into something better.

Once he got out of jail he also sought some help. He went to talk to a Catholic priest he admired to ask for help in becoming a better person. This priest. Father Flavin, has patiently accompanied Mark throughout his life as an advisor and confidant. Although Mark did not change everything right away, he did begin to improve a lot. He broke from much of the drug and crime scene and began to make prayer and listening to God an essential part of his life.

Coming from the gritty street scene of Boston gave him a surprise opportunity. He was invited to join his brother and some other young men in a new music group, aptly called The New Kids on the Block. The group was a huge national and international success and gave Mark a taste of life without crime and violence.

Always restless and looking for new opportunities, Mark began a solo career as a singer. He then went into acting. His first roles were not very good ones, but he gained attention as an actor who was not afraid to play parts that were not very popular. Opportunities starting coming along that allowed him to play parts that fit best with his own personal experience: parts where he could show the grittiness of life while at the same time showing courage and a desire to overcome obstacles.

His success has blossomed over the last years, but he does not forget where he came from and how different things could be if he had continued making the wrong choices.

Mark continues to pray every day. He spends about 15-20 minutes in church each morning before he goes to work. He says that turning to God is essential for him to keep the right focus each day.

Turning to God helps him stop and be thankful for all the good things in his life rather than just being hungry for more self-satisfaction. It helps him remember that the most important thing about his life is already solved: he is loved and he is awaited.

Then it helps him focus on trying to be a person who does good.

His first priority in doing good is to be a good husband and father.

Mark says he is a very lucky guy. He has found a beautiful wife who loves him like crazy, in spite of his many defects. He has four beautiful children he loves to spend time with. He tries to remind himself in prayer that these people are his top priorities and his greatest treasure.

Mark admits that he has made a lot of mistakes in his life. He tries hard to be an agent of good today.

Part of that effort is a foundation which helps urban youth stay motivated to continue their education. Mark believes deeply in helping young people set noble goals in life. And part of that is helping them see education as a essential part of reaching their goals. He dedicates much of his money and time to this foundation.

Another way that Mark tries to do good is by trying to give a better example in the roles he chooses to play as an actor. This wasn’t always the case with him, but as he has deepened in his values he has insisted on this more and more. Of course his success as an actor gives him more leverage, but Mark often has to be crafty to avoid doing scenes that send the wrong message, especially in the area of sexuality.

This is not easy in Hollywood today, but Mark is one of the few actors who is able to convince directors to shoot a scene in a way that is  much less explicit or provocative than originally planned. And he often turns down many roles that would have him compromise his principles in this area.

Mark does not know what the future holds for him, but he is confident he has already found his treasure: his faith, his family, and his values. We pray that he will continue to hold on tight to these treasures as he tries his best to share them with others.

It’s been a pretty cool year for Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos. All the NFL experts have continued saying that Tebow cannot play successfully as a quarterback in the NFL. Yet Tebow and the Broncos actually made it  to the playoffs and have just pulled off an unlikely victory against the mighty Pittsburg Steelers, last year’s AFC champs. Maybe this might be a good moment to reflect very briefly on some values that Tebow and his team are living this year.

Very few people would have predicted this kind of success for Tebow and the Broncos a year ago, except maybe those who have followed Tim Tebow’s career closely. Tim Tebow brings an energy to the game that helps his teammates give the best of themselves and also have a lot of fun while they are doing it. Most of us remember this about Tebow’s career in college football, but the NFL experts seem to think this is totally useless. Well, maybe they need to think just a little bit more. Leadership is not just about skill set. Tebow brings some intangibles that are hard to nail down, but it is obvious that energy is one and enthusiasm are part of the Tebow mystery.

It is very unlikely that Tebow and the Broncos can pull off another “miracle” this week against the New England Patriots, but it’s sure been a fun ride, and maybe Tebow and the Broncos can surprise us again.

On a funny note, not only has Tebow brought enthusiasm to his football team, he has also sold a lot of underwear.

Yes, that’s right. Tebow is a spokesperson for Jockey underwear. The company recently reported that the line of underwear Tebow endorses has broken all company records for new sales this year. A funny quirk for a guy who had to have his teammates be his body guards in college to keep the girls away from him. Certainly no one can deny Tim brings a manliness to clothing sales that many guys identify with.

Anyway, a couple of yers ago when Tebow was scouted by NFL teams he was told that his throwing mechanics were terrible. So he worked like crazy over the last two years to relearn the way he throws the football. Have the results shown? Maybe not much yet, but his desire to train and train has inspired his teammates. His teammates have seen him put in the extra hours. No one trains harder and competes harder that Tim Tebow. That earns respect from professional athletes.

Another value that Tim seems to have brought to the Broncos this year is comeraderie. You don’t have to watch Tim very long to realize that he is the nicest guy you would ever want to meet. He works hard at affirming everyone around him and sharing his enthusiasm for the game of football. Enthusiasm and comeraderie are two very important “intangibles” in winning teams.

Tebow’s directness about his love for God has brought a lot of controversy this year. Many professional athletes and commentators have criticized him for his displays of faith. It is too “over the top” for most people, and seems to communicate that Tebow thinks God will help him win football games.

Tebow has denied that God helps him win football games. He says God doesn’t care who wins. But showing thankfulness to God for being able to play, win or lose, is very important to Tebow, and he doesn’t care what others think. He says it’s about a relationship. He says that if you are in love with a beautiful girl you are proud to show that you love her. He thinks that it can be the same way with God.

Well, you have to give Tim credit. Without meaning to, he created a new fad this year: Tebowing. Yes, almost everybody “Tebows” now, even if just for fun.

Still, it is a breath of fresh air. In a world where we are constantly told to keep our faith private, someone is not afraid to show his faith in public and laugh along with everyone else at the funny criticisms he gets.

Of course, showing your faith like that in public puts a lot of extra pressure on you. No one would like to have people constantly watching your life for the slightest mistake or inconsistency in your faith. We have to admire Tim Tebow’s courage on that level too. He seems to handle the pressure of being under a microscope very well. We pray that he can continue to give a good example. It is something that is really needed in the world today.

(For more information on where Tebow got his values, check out the story we did on him   a few years ago. Tell us if you think he is living up to those values and whether you think he has a future in the NFL.)

A good feel-good movie with a star-studded cast. Talks about forgiveness and second chances in a positive way, although all these types of movies tend to be a bit cliche’. Still, it makes for an entertaining experience with a positive message.

Not very impressed with this movie, although in its time I’m sure the book series, “The Adventures of Tintin” was very good literature for boys and probably girls too. Its just that this type of literature seems a bit out of place today as a movie, or maybe it was just the way it was made. The mix of plausible with impossible in the story line and doesn’t seem to work. And the half-cartoon, half real-life animation only seems to create more confusion in my mind. Kind of corny, whereas a movie like Pirates of the Caribbean is corny but extremely entertaining exactly because the movie writers and actors know that its stupid and totally unrealistic, and so they poke fun at themselves continuously. Tintin doesn’t quite pull that off.

Sadness and pain is not something we look forward to. But life brings plenty of it. So much so that when we are suffering we often ask where God is in all of it. This is a story of someone who is searching for an answer to that question in a beautiful way. The story appeared in the Associated Press December 27. We are reposting it here.

PERRYSBURG, Ohio (AP) - Told that his unborn son had only half a heart and little chance to survive, the lead singer of the Christian rock band Sanctus Real began pouring his fears and doubts into music.

The songs were meant to comfort his family while they searched for answers and sought to understand God’s role during the months before and after the baby’s birth that were filled with surgeries and life-threatening complications.

It didn’t take long for him to realize that his words needed to be shared so that others struggling with life would know they’re not alone.

MORE: Bowen’s Heart

What came out of the heartache was “Every Falling Tear,” a solo album that’s meant to touch and console during the hardest of times.

“People want to know that their pain has a purpose,” said Matt Hammitt, one of the founding members of Sanctus Real, a band with two Grammy-nominated albums since 2008. “That’s the biggest part of sharing our story,” he said. “That there is a purpose.”

Hammitt and his wife, Sarah, knew something was wrong minutes after finding out during an ultrasound in April 2010 that their third child would be a boy, following two girls. They saw the sorrow on their doctor’s face even before she spoke.

Doctors later confirmed the baby had a rare congenital heart defect called hypoplastic left heart syndrome, which causes the left side of the heart to be severely underdeveloped. For five months, the couple contemplated all of the possible procedures and treatments while weighing the odds of what could go wrong.

Their baby would face multiple surgeries and an uncertain future at best.

They also didn’t know how to deal with a flood of emotions - the anger, the doubt, the feeling of being alone. Hammitt, 32, decided he needed to tell God how he was feeling, so he started writing songs about their journey.

“I began writing about all that I was learning about struggle and faith,” he said.

Each song tells of a moment or a series of events leading to the baby’s birth - there’s a father’s fear of holding back his love for a son he may never know and a mother’s hope of finding peace in the midst of despair.

“I wanted to write songs that would speak him someday about how much his father loved him no matter how long or short his life would be,” Hammitt said, his voice trailing off.

The album released in September was his first solo work. On tour during the fall with the band, he included the song “All of Me” in their sets. It starts: “Afraid to love, something that could break. Could I move on if you were torn away?”

Hammitt was a high school sophomore when he and guitarist Chris Rohman and drummer Mark Graalman started the band 15 years ago. They’ve stayed together, playing in coffee shops, churches and now arenas.

Sanctus Real will be one of nearly a dozen Christian artists taking part in the Winter Jam tour that starts in January, with stops in 47 cities.

The song from “Every Falling Tear” that means the most to Hammitt is “Trust,” a worship song that reminds people not to lose faith “even in the darkness, even in the questions, even when the hardest times of life are at hand.”

The lyrics were born out of a time when Hammitt was feeling isolated and alone.

“Sometimes we need to be reminded of the truth,” he said. “And for me, the truth is that I trust God.”

Bowen Matthew Hammitt was born on Sept. 9, 2010. His first open heart surgery came four days later and the next night he went into cardiac arrest. A team of doctors and nurses spent an hour performing CPR until they were able to revive him and get him on life support.

Complications and a stroke kept him in the hospital in Ann Arbor, Mich., for just over two months.

While there, the couple played demos of the songs Hammitt had written “so Bowen could hear his dad’s voice,” his wife said. Night-shift nurses often turned up the music when most families would leave for the evening.

“They felt it was good for all the babies to be soothed,” Sarah said. “We’d come back in the morning and it’d be really loud.”

Hammitt recorded the songs for the album soon after the family brought Bowen home to suburban Toledo. His only unease was that they might be critiqued like any other work.

“Originally I just wanted them recorded for us at the hospital,” he said. “I realized they’re meant to comfort other people too.”

So far, the response has been what he hoped for. They’ve even received notes from parents who’ve played the songs at their children’s funerals.

Now, the Hammitts want to take their work a step further by starting the Whole Hearts Foundation, a source of financial, emotional and spiritual help for families with children suffering from congenital heart defects. They see the foundation becoming their life’s work.

“It’s amazing to see even beyond the album what’s come out of this,” Hammitt said. “We had a vision in the hospital, how can we help other families, let them know they’re not alone.”

Bowen, who turned 1 in September, faces one more surgery.

(Author of Associated Press article above: JOHN SEEWER

Source: www.Foxtoledo.com)

North America will have a new saint soon. A second miracle due to the intercession of Blessed Kateri Tekawitha has been officially approved by the Vatican. Kateri was an American Indian girl who died at the age of 24. Here are the basics of the miracle that was just approved. At the end, we offer a brief biography of Kateri.

The miracle.

5 year old Jake Finkbonner was playing basketball in 2006 when he split his lip. A deadly flesh-eating bacteria invaded his body through the cut. The bacteria is known as Strep A, and about 10%-15% of those who get it die. In Jake’s case the infection invaded his cheeks, eyelids, scalp and chest while doctors worked feverishly to stop its spread. The doctors surgically removed his damaged flesh daily and prepared Jake’s family several times for what they thought would be his death.

A priest named Father Tim Sauer was close with the family, and it occurred to him to ask the family to pray to God through the intercession of Blessed Kateri Tekawitha.

Jake’s family are part of a Native American tribe called the Lummi who live in Washington State. The family is Catholic. Since Kateri was a Native American, Fr. Tim thought that her intercession might be especially appropriate.

In fact, Blessed Kateri had been a victim of an infection herself when she was a small girl. It had left her face disfigured. It had also killed her parents.

A woman brought the family a small coin with the image of Kateri and a prayer card.

“I pinned that relic to his pillow and I read that prayer to him every single day,” his mother said.

Jake made a recovery that the medical doctors cannot explain.

The Vatican scrupulously investigates miracle claims for proof that recovery was not the result of medical or surgical attention. It examined the testimony of the doctors who took care of Jake and consulted other doctors as well. All the conclusions were that there was no explanation of Jake’s recovery. On December 19th, the Vatican concluded that Jake’s cure was a true miracle through the intercession of Kateri Tekawitha.

It takes proof of two miracles for the Catholic Church to officially declare that someone is a saint. This is Kateri’s second certified miracle.

When the Church declares that someone is a saint, that does not mean that the official saints are the only ones in heaven. The Church just wants to be very careful about who it holds up as an example.

In fact, the Church is so careful that, besides verifying the holiness of a person’s life, it asks God to confirm the situation. That’s what the miracles are about. The Church sees the miracles as God’s way of confirming that the person is really with him in heaven.

Jake Finkbonner is now a sixth grader at Assumption Catholic School in Bellingham, Washington. He continues to play basketball.

And he will go to the Vatican to attend the ceremony of canonization (The ceremony of canonization is the moment when the Pope makes the official declaration that someone is a saint. It is usually done during a solemn Mass.) Jake will meet the Pope in that ceremony.  He is very excited about that and about what Kateri Tekawitha has done for him.

“I pray to Kateri now myself,” Jake said. “Other people have asked about my story and told me their stories, and I pray to her for other people to be healed.

Below we are republishing the story of Kateri’s life that we published as part of the lesson on Breaking Dawn. Her life was very sad, but very beautiful. It reminds us that God sees not just the outside, but especially the inside of our hearts.

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Kateri was born in what is today the town of Auriesville, in upstate New York.  Her father was a Mohawk chief, and her mother (who had been taken prisoner after an inter-tribal battle) was an Algonquin Christian.  When she was just five years old, Kateri’s parents and baby brother died in smallpox epidemic that decimated the tribe.  She caught the disease, but survived, though it left her face scarred and her eyesight severely weakened.  Her mother’s dying wish was that Kateri might some day be baptized.

Her uncle had adopted Kateri when he took over as chief and relocated the tribe across the Mohawk River.  She was a hardworking girl, very productive.  With the other women of the tribe she spent her days in the fields, or in the longhouse keeping the household in order, making baskets, doing beadwork and embroidery, and cooking.  Her industry was exceeded only by her kindness and gentleness.  Her Uncle was dissatisfied in only one thing: the girl had no desire to marry.  He and the other relatives were determined to overcome this reluctance.
But God had other plans.  When she was a teenager some French missionaries visited the village.  The Chief extended them a proper but cold welcome.  As she served the men of God, Kateri became fascinated by them. When she saw them at their prayers (notably their rosary) she was reminded of her mother, and her mother’s dying wish.  Eventually they set up a little chapel in the village and traveled through regularly.  She was drawn to the faith, longed to visit the chapel and receive baptism… but her uncle forbade her; she wasn’t even permitted to speak to the missionaries.

One day when she was 19 Father Jacques de Lamberville stopped by her longhouse while the Chief was out.  She immediately fell on her knees and asked to become a Christian. The priest was deeply impressed with her sincerity and piety.  Somehow, he obtained permission from her guardian, and on Easter Sunday, 1676 the Mohawk maiden was baptized and given the name Kateri (Catherine).

Her devotion grew quickly, but her new-found faith caused other members of the tribe anger and she suffered verbal and physical abuse from them.  The members of the tribe  used to fling mud and sticks at her as she went to and from the chapel.  They mocked her: “There goes the Christian…”  On Sundays they would give her no food, since she refused to work on the Lord’s Day.  Once a drunken warrior burst into the longhouse where she was working quietly with a club, threatening to beat her to death unless she denounced Christ.  She answered, “You may take my life, but not my faith,” and bowed her head waiting for the fatal blow.  But it never came.  Her indomitable courage unnerved the assailant.

Eventually the abuse became unbearable (they tried to force her to marry, tricking and deceiving her) and she decided to flee to the nearest Catholic settlement, more than 200 miles away through the wilderness.  Two missionaries accompanied her and guided her to her new home, where she would receive her first Holy Communion, be inspired to make a vow of virginity, serve the community through work, prayer, and penance, and spend her last months tormented by horrible sickness as her life ebbed away.  Through it all her constant companion was the rosary.

She passed away with the following words on her lips: “Jesus, Mary, I love you!”  She was only 24 years old.

Only a few minutes after her death, while the priest was still kneeling beside her in prayer, her scarred features were suddenly and quietly transformed into the radiant face of a beautiful young Indian woman.  It was the first miracle wrought by God for his especially beloved Mohawk daughter, and it wouldn’t be the last.