Domestic Bliss Report

Motherhood is hard work. If we don't stick together, we'll all fall apart.

Friday, May 04, 2007

On Catholic blogs

I've noticed a growing number of specifically Catholic blogs and blogrolls--the Catholic Dads, Moms, Doctors, homeschoolers, et cetera. I think networking like that is great, frankly. I've even thought about joining but I don't know if I really qualify.
See, while I'm Catholic, I don't blog about it much. I don't get involved in which cardinal said what, or where the next bishop is going or from, or the liturgy wars (I'm with Mark Shea on that one--"just give me my lines and blocking."). I'm not waiting with bated breath for the Motu Propio document; I don't know where in the world the pope is currently; and while I think they're ridiculous, I don't really lose much sleep about Barney or guitar masses. I just... don't.

Part of it is I don't know where it starts or stops. Being Catholic permeates just about everything I do.
It affects what I cook; we abstain on Fridays, even the kids. It's not that difficult to make fried-egg sandwiches, or peanut butter and jelly, or mac & cheese, or ABC vegetable soup, or fish sticks and fruit for lunch. So I don't think about it. It flickers in my head when I'm making up the grocery list and is gone.
It affects how and what I teach my kids (see the Kolbe link on the sidebar). It was a big factor in choosing whether or not and then how to homeschool; now it's just part of the agenda.
It affects how I dress, which has become more skirts in the past year and a half. A lot more skirts. The girls have started picking up on it, so even though I'm not doing it deliberately for them, they're doing it to themselves. For me, it's coming to the really-easy "What's clean?"
It affects my relationship with my husband. Do I need to explain?
It affects the books I read. Again, see the Kolbe link; if I don't get a jump now on that middle school literature program, I'll really be behind the 8-ball in a few years. That and I feel the need to educate myself in the Faith. There's two thousand years of history and thought there, you know? Reading for me is a zero-sum game. If I only have an hour, can read the latest bestseller, a classic for the kids' school, or something to teach me about the Faith. Which loses just about every single time?

Dale describes it as being in the air I breathe, and he's sort of right. I think having parents from the Silent Generation instead of Boomers has something to do with it; I have some of the "It's just the way we do things" attitude. That might be more of the cradle Catholic; I'm not sure.

So that's where I stand on that. I wouldn't mind one of those B-Team Catholic chiclets; can someone tell me how one qualifies? That I think I've got wrapped up.

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5 Comments:

At 12:17 PM, Blogger Milehimama @ Mama Says said...

I don't think you have to litugical police to be on the blogroll. I'm on a couple - and I rarely post on something specifically Catholic unless it is also prolife, or the occasional meme.

When I first started my blog, I thought about avoiding the issue altogether - keeping my readers, should there be any, guessing about my religion. But, like you, it's so much a part of who I am that it was impossible to do that.

 
At 1:23 PM, Blogger A Mollenhauer said...

Good man not to get involved in liturgy wars... They only create division. So much talk about the "Motu Propio". Why don't we wait & read it when it comes out? So much talk about nothing... Empty words....

 
At 7:34 PM, Blogger HISchild said...

Where can I get more info on Mark Shea?

Ellen

 
At 5:54 AM, Blogger Heather said...

HisChild--
I'd start with the source, Mark himself.
His blog is "Catholic and Enjoying It" (www.markshea.blogspot.com) on my sidebar. There's also markshea.com, where you can find out more stuff. He also writes for Catholic Exchange, which is in my sidebar under Homeschooling Resources.

If you'd like to peruse his books, I could bring a few to Park Day tomorrow. They're short but like a really good homemade stew--lots of "meat and veggies"!

If I can throw in a personal note, he's just as funny in person as at his blog.

 
At 8:40 AM, Blogger DP said...

Probably a better way to get acquainted with Mark is the essay website:

http://www.mark-shea.com

The blog can be very, very rough-and-tumble, and the above site is more measured introduction.

 

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