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SIMPLE CATHOLIC LIVING

St. Fiacre, patron of us "simple folk"

Simplifying Our Lives Kick the (TV) Habit Our Society is Crumbling. What can be done? A Few Tips for the Budget Retentive! Lights Out! Were You Prepared? Simplicity is an Attitude! It Was a Very Good Year! Simply Speaking Our Favorite Quotes

Simple Catholic living is about making our lives less hectic, less cluttered, simplifying our lifestyle and in so doing, grow closer to God. There are many different approaches to simplifying our lives and reasons for wanting to. Here are some awesome articles. Many of the authors are our friends. Just click one of the articles to the left!

Simplifying Our Lives! by Amanda Mills
Simple living for our family is all about time. Two years ago our time was not our own. It was taken up running back and forth to soccer and then hockey, shopping for groceries nearly every Saturday. Evening appointments, Knights of Columbus, volunteering for RCIA, Gabriel project, babysitting, Little Flowers, etc.

We had little time for visiting family, no time for family trips of any kind. Our schedule was full months in advance. We ate out often, on the run, with no time for family dinners, or daily Mass. My husband commuted 1 1/2 hours each way to his work.

We couldn't believe how busy we were, and with only one child in activities, we weren't half as busy as others we knew. At the same time we had a new baby boy, and dreamt of more children, but couldn't begin to imagine when they were old enough for activities and what our lives would be like! We wanted to simplify but didn't know where to start. At first we were under the impression that taking our daughter out of activities would somehow deprive her. The way we ate a weekly trip to the store was necessary...

A friend at our parish gave us ( out of the blue - the hand of God was in it, I'm sure) a copy of the Complete Tightwad Gazette. I read it nearly from cover to cover.

The first thing we changed was our eating habits, which directly affected how often we went shopping. Every weekend became once a month. That was more time.

We decided to take a break with hockey for one season, to see how it changed our schedule. Our daughter kept Little Flowers, and my husband continued Knights. I kept babysitting and helping with the Gabriel project. One activity gone was freedom! We sat down and ate together on Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons after Mass became time to visit family.

Our weeknights were still nuts. My husband decided he needed to let RCIA go. We made an effort to stop shopping in the evening. After I became pregnant with our third child, I stopped babysitting during the day. I had more time to devote to home schooling and running our household. After a long job search and a novena to St. Joseph, Jason found work only a half hour away, making more money- enough to make up for my not babysitting!

We recently dropped our television service (no reception out here) and have - you guessed it - even more time. We were finally eating EVERY dinner together. On week nights my husband comes home, we eat dinner together, tend to the yard a bit and then join the kids in either games outside when the weather is nice or board games and reading aloud. We attend Mass on Thursday nights together, have time for Stations and soup suppers during Lent, attend all the parish get togethers, and Adoration.

Evening prayers are such a part of our lives that our three year old cries if we try to put him to bed beforehand.

What about activities for our daughter? The boys when they are older? Are they deprived? Deprived of team sports and group activities perhaps- but it is worse deprivation to deny a kid time with their family and our Lord.

We've come to the realization that playing ball in the backyard IS an activity. Hiking with your family IS an activity. Going to Mass on Thursday is far better (obviously - it's a Sacrament after all) than watching children slam each other to the pavement, while the parents brag about Biff's latest accomplishments.

We're still trying to find ways to simplify...because by doing so we are winning back time. Time to spend as a family, growing closer to each other and to God.
We thank Amanda for this wonderful article. This is how we feel, too! Amen, Amanda, Amen!

Kick the (TV) Habit by James Hahn
After almost thirty years I finally broke an addiction that would often leave me paralyzed and helpless. On any given day I could be immobilized by this addiction for hours on end. I would just sit and stare into nothingness in an euphoric state oblivious to the world.

I suffered from one of the most debilitating addictions in the United States today. I was and still am, once an addict always an addict, addicted to television. Almost every household in America, except mine now, has at least one television set if not two or three.

This box which I like to call "Satan's tabernacle" usually has the most prominent place in our homes. We place it in the center of our family area and gather everyone around it to sit, stare, and stop thinking.

With this box in place we invite the entire world, good and bad, into our homes to entertain us. From the comfort of our living room we watch a world slowly sinking into moral decay and pretend we aren't on the ship.

We say that all those things happening on television happen to other people as our families stop communicating, our children start experimenting, and our neighbors seem more suspicious. The entire world seems like a sex crazed, materialistic, God-less place because these items and ideas are profitable.

In reality television creates unthinking zombies ready to absorb the life coming through the pixels instead of embracing the life given by the Creator. How else can you explain "professional" wrestling?

My family watched an average, a high average of three hours of television per week. Yes this included one sporting event. This is about half the daily average of most Americans according to recent polls.

The major factor for my addiction being broken was my fifteen-month old son. He is a typical toddler with enough energy to power three states. He is exactly what Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family describes as, "all throttle and no rudder". If he isn't climbing up the walls he is tearing books off the shelves or scattering toys to strategic toe jamming locations. He is on the move non-stop from morning till evening.

On one particular evening I was tired and thought it might be fun to sit down and watch a movie with him. I chose one of my favorites, Toy Story. I plopped the video in and lay down on the floor as my son sped by at mach 3. When the screen finally grabbed his attention he stopped in his tracks and his hands fell to his sides.

Centered in front of the screen he just stared. Most parents would have kicked themselves for not thinking of putting the video in sooner to baby-sit so they could get some things done. I on the other hand literally wept.

After about three minutes I suggested that we turn the movie off as I fought back the tears. In an instant I had turned my energetic son into an unthinking, uncreative zombie. The little boy who pretended to cook with a wooden spoon and a plastic bowl had been hypnotized by the tiny pixels of light. I realized instantly it had the same effect on me.

Many people may argue and say it was a rash decision because there are good programs on television. I could not agree more. There are good programs on television but we must ask ourselves why we call them good. We say some programs are good because they standout in such contrast against the backgroundof trash that is so prevalent on television.

The Discovery Channel's documentary on how we evolved from single cell organisms is good programming compared to watching those still in the evolutionary process on Jerry Springer. The Hitler Channel, er I mean the History Channel is far more educational than MTV's The Ozbournes.

The point is that these programs stand out because of the contrast. We can not see stars unless it is dark but when it is dark we can't see the world around us. In the same way these few stars on television stand out because of the darkness. But we have to ask ourselves what are we missing in the world around us by staring at a few stars in the dark? Our family, our faith, our purpose in life?

Maybe you aren't ready to throw the television in the trash yet. Try weaning yourself and your family slowly. Fill that time usually spent in front of the television or worse the "game system" with something more worth while and meaningful and do things together as a family. Try being creative so you can help your family learn, grow and develop. Our family goes for walks, we play in the yard, ride bikes, wrestle, read together, play games and cook.

If you feel like really rebelling against the world consider reading the Bible or praying the Rosary together.

Ultimately, communication is the major factor of any relationship whether it be with God, your spouse, or your children. If you aren't communicating with your family the world will through the television and you probably won't like what is being communicated.

I spend an inordinate amount of time at work. The precious little time I have at home I want to spend getting to know my wife and sons better and furthering our walk with Christ. So, as for me and my house we will serve the Lord not Adelphia, Time Warner, CNN, MTV or NBC.
Thank you,Jim! Real Life Rosary Inc., Copyright 2003, Printed with permission in Full of Grace newsletter and archived.

Our Society is Crumbling. What can be done? by John Hoerig
Our society is crumbling. Our culture is the Culture of Death and its decay is accelerating. This is not news to us, we’ve all been putting out an “SOS” for quite some time, but how do we avoid going down with the ship? In our rapidly sinking society, we desperately long for an escape hatch to “Save Our Souls.”

How we got to this sorry state is a question with many answers. There is one thing however which I believe underlies the disintegration inherent in our modern way of life that has been universally overlooked - almost.

What we have lost

Throughout history, until recent times, 90% of the world’s population lived on small farms in small communities where the family was the central unit of society. As the Industrial Revolution got into full swing, and particularly into the twentieth century, people began flooding into the cities. The men then had to spend their long days toiling, not on the farm or in the workshop at home, but in a factory or office, isolated from their families. Soon children too left the home and were herded into the artificial environment of the school. Is it any wonder then that women would eventually leave the home as well?

Now we call our neighborhoods “bedroom communities” - places families spend the night after they have been separated from each other in their daily work and activity. We have become alienated both from our neighbors and from the members of our own families. Yet we wish it were otherwise.

We admire the Amish and envy their faith-centered, communal lifestyle. Nostalgically we look back to a time when folks knew by name the postman, the grocer, and the butcher, not to mention their neighbors and fellow parishioners; when life had fewer demands and simpler rewards.

Two false solutions

In our frustration with the state of our society, we are tempted to chuck it all in and head to the hills or back woods to build our ivory towers. We are weary of fighting the good fight. We want a place where we don’t have to stand up for our Faith, where everyone just believes like we do. We wish to surround ourselves with a close knit community with whom we can gather, proudly pat each other on the back, and just let the world go to Hell, quite literally, hand-basket or not.

On the other hand we know we cannot neglect our Christian responsibility to be a light in this dark world. As our Lord points out, a lamp must be placed on a stand; a light hidden away serves Him no good purpose. We may not limit our concerns to ourselves and our own families. Self-centered individualism may be very American (though I would argue it is not) but it is certainly not Catholic.

Seeing that running away is not the answer, there are those who go to the other extreme and just stay put and do nothing. “Tight-knit communities are relics of the past,” goes their argument, “they just won’t work any more.” Thisattitude will take us nowhere on its own, but it does reveal an important truth. Yes, building community in our day is a monumental task, but rather than letting the obstacles paralyze us, we must identify them and then do whatever is necessary to overcome them.

Facing the problem

The most basic problem facing any potential community is the extreme complexity our modern culture has ingrained in us, the depth and subtlety of which we are largely unaware. Pardon me for quoting myself here, but in my article, Toward Successful Catholic Communities, in the April 2003 issue of Full of Grace, I said something which, by the grace of God, I believe explains the nature of the difficulty:

"A couple of hundred years ago you had people with so much more in common with each other than we do today. The folks in some little German village didn't have to decide if they wanted Chinese or Italian or Cajun food, they just ate food. They didn't call it German food, it was just food. Everyone raised basically the same foods using the same techniques, preserving and preparing their foods in much the same way as everyone else. That's just how it was done. The same with music. They didn't have all kinds of styles, they just had music; or at least the varieties were limited to a song to dance to, a dirge to mourn to, and a hymn to worship with. People didn't have neighborhoods where every house on the block was a different style, they all were pretty much the same. And not because of zoning ordinances or because they were put up by the same contractor. They built houses the same because that was how they built houses. It applies to clothing styles, hair styles, art, education and raising of children, farming techniques, holidays, spiritual devotions, literature, entertainment, everything."

"Everyone was on the same wave length. That made it very easy to get along and help each other. People didn't have to try to agree on so many things because virtually everything they believed in or knew about or did they held in common."

These examples are tiny snowflakes, not sufficient in themselves to cause big problems. But when people’s images of their ideal community start to clash with the deeply held dreams of others, minor differences of opinion can snowball into major disagreements. Yet we must not be intimidated into giving up, thinking there is no way out of the rat race.

A change of attitude

Okay, so now that we see that running away from the world is not the solution, and that sitting on the side lines is no better, what exactly are we to do? The answer is not to run FROM something but to run TO something. For community to work, its members must not be fleeing from the world, but to the community. If our motivation to build a community is limited to self-centered, idyllic dreams then we will fail. Community life will not be idyllic. It will entail compromise and sacrifice. It must be seen as an opportunity to give rather than to get. But where are we to find the right motivation?

The vision

I propose a lofty ideal. Actually it has been proposed long before I, and by voices far more profound and articulate. And ultimately, I believe, it is rooted in an aspect of the will of God that has been all but forgotten in modern times.

Recently Dale Ahlquist, of the American Chesterton Society (www.chesterton.org), was on EWTN Live. The answer to a question about Chesterton’s ideas concerning Distributism and the Agrarian Movement lays it all out for us:

"The Agrarian Movement, (another term for it is the "back to the land movement"), says that people should be as self sufficient as possible and live off the land to the greatest extent possible rather than depending on outside sources of support. So, if you are self sufficient you have as much freedom as possible; you are not dependent on the whims of the economy, on what government is doing. You are in control of your own world if you are living off the land and are self sufficient.’

That fits right in with Chesterton's idea of Distributism where people should, to the greatest extent possible, own their own means of production, own their own business, not work for someone else, try to avoid being a wage slave. Now, the Agrarian Movement works only if there is a community (emphasis added) so that not everybody is doing everything. There can be some specialization, but the community should be helping each other out. It is the classic medieval village. Sure, there is a blacksmith and a baker and a candlestick maker, and all that. The idea is that the community supports itself and they don't need any outside support. It's all centered on family.'

"You know, we talk about the mother going out of the home to work and how that has been devastating on the family, but the father going outside of the home to work and going way off far away and being gone almost the whole day and coming back, he's not much of a presence in the house either. He becomes a stranger too.’

"In the Agrarian Movement and the Distributist ideal, the family is all working together, the family is always together, and that's how you care for souls."

“Community-sufficiency”

This puts a whole new light on the idea of self sufficiency. It is not limited to ones own person or family. That is self-centeredness. Here self sufficiency is tied to the community and therefore it becomes unselfish. I would call it “community-sufficiency.”

This is not to be confused with isolationism. Isolationism says to exclude outsiders. Distributism says simply to support your own community and to be content with that. In the first case the attitude is negative and adversarial, in the second case the attitude is one of love and cooperation. That love and cooperation must begin in the family, and then extend out into the community. That is the way peace works. God actually designed us to be members, not only of families, but also of small communities. And the proof of that is in an unlikely place.

No mistake

While it sounds clever that God foiled the designs of men by confusing their language, the story of the Tower of Babel presents us with a difficulty. Look at all the problems we have today because we cannot communicate in a common tongue! God may have fixed the situation at Babel but His solution there has caused tremendous difficulties right down to this very day. Didn’t God foresee all this? Well of course God foresaw it, and more importantly, He intended it.

Most people see the sin of Babel in the building of the tower, but I believe the tower is only an outward manifestation of their real sin. As you recall, this whole incident occurs within a few generations after the Great Flood. The race of man is once again growing. God has commanded them to “be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth.” They have their own ideas however. Instead of disbursing (or “distributing,” you might say) and filling the earth, as God commanded, they prefer to consolidate themselves in a few cities, of which Babel is the chief. This is the opposite of what God told them to do, and it is also where modern society is at today.

Babel’s return

The worldwide trend throughout the twentieth century, has been toward consolidating in urban areas. We have built our own towers of Babel. We have Big Government, and Big Business, (although we may name them Socialism and Capitalism, or other names as well.) Whether we look to the government to solve our problems or to the mega corporations with the latest technologies, they are the towers of human pride in the world today.

By sundering the language of man at Babel, God thwarted mankind’s collaborative immorality, but through modern technologies, we have sought to reverse the effects, and hence the benefits, of our Father’s providential chastisement.

Sticking together

Despite all this, there are still examples of small communities in our society today. Immigrant groups are successful because they stick together, support each other and patronize each others’ businesses. In fact, if there is something they cannot get from within their own community, they are content to do without. Their people matter more to them than their things.

Immigrant communities generally form in the midst of large cities and are proof that community can exist in urban centers. So we should not be afraid to begin living this ideal no matter where we happen to be. If you aren’t interested in who your neighbors are now, or if you prefer to shop at the Wal-Market for price, selection, convenience, or whatever, don’t think you will suddenly convert when you find your idyllic community. Most of us don’t give a second thought to supporting Mom and Pop businesses, so it’s no surprise that Mom and Pop are fading fast.

Archbishop Raymond Burke of St. Louis, in a fantastic article for Catholic Answer’s Be magazine, July-August 2001, explains this very point:

“But you have to eat and clothe yourself. In our absolute dependency on the individuals who produce them, you could pray and hope that they will be very high-minded and concerned about the common good. But that is not normally the way it works. The bottom line concern of big business is the bottom line…’

“The whole point about the family farm is that you have people from the local community who have children themselves, who feel a close bond to their neighbors, and so are deeply concerned to produce a product that's really good for their own children, and for their neighbors. They take pride in doing that.”

The Archbishop is speaking specifically of small farmers rather than small business in general, but as our U.S. bishops point out in their recent document, “For I Was Hungry and You Gave Me Food”, food production is of unique importance:

“Agriculture is different because it touches all our lives, wherever we live or whatever we do. It is about how we feed our own families, and the whole human family. It is about how we treat those who put food on our table and those who do not have enough food. It is about what is happening to food and farming, rural communities and villages, in the face of increasing concentration, new technology, and growing globalization in agriculture. For believers, and especially for Catholics, who turn to the Scripture and church teaching for guidance, these questions and choices in the world of agriculture have fundamental ethical and human dimensions.”

Rural or urban?

If food production is the single most important aspect of commerce, as our bishops explain, and if community is necessary to the degree I have tried to demonstrate, then the most logical place to begin to rebuild communities would be in rural areas.

As stated earlier, immigrant groups are good examples of successful communities in large urban areas, but it seems that immigrants change over the course of a couple of generations. They become assimilated in the larger culture. After a while they are no longer identifiable as a community and a new ethnic group moves in to take their place. American history is a revolving cycle of new immigrant communities. So while it is possible, and as an interim even necessary, to establish the important ties of community both among people themselves and also between people and the fruit of the land, in the midst of our cities, it is certainly very difficult to maintain in that environment.

As we saw with Babel and her sister cities, the cities of man are not conducive to virtue. In the country, people still wave to each other in passing, even to total strangers, but you can’t wave to everyone you see on a crowded city street. When your community is small, loving your neighbor is a manageable task, but “Love thy neighbor as thyself” is overwhelming when thy neighbor outnumbers thyself by the tens of thousands.

“Seek first the kingdom of God”

Of course, above loving thy neighbor, the first and greatest commandment is to love God. Above all the other considerations mentioned so far, the single most important ingredient for a strong community is a deeply shared faith. That will be difficult today when even we Catholics go “church shopping” like our Protestant brethren, searching for a parish that suits our particular preferences. But fleeing our neighborhood parish will work no better than running from the world.

Our ancestors did not have the luxury of jumping in their car and driving all over the county or state to find a church they happened to like. Their parish was their parish - there was no other choice. And, as is always the case when there is a lack of alternatives, they did what they had to do to make it work.

Just as the mother is the heart of the home and family, so Holy Mother Church needs to be the focus of any successful community. Humble submission to Her, through the Pope and Bishop, will be the only viable bond we will have.

So what’s the point?

So what have I been trying to say in all this? The point is not that community would merely be “a nice thing.” Likewise, community is neither a nostalgic fantasy, nor an escape from our everyday trials. What it is, in fact, is a way of life designed and commanded by God, the loss of which is the number one cause for the problems of our culture today. Until we, who have been given the grace to recognize these truths, start living as examples to the world around us, our culture will continue its decline. And ultimately it is we who will have to answer for that more than anyone.

Don’t get me wrong, this is not to say we must sell the house and move off to the country this minute, but we should be working toward that goal. And already there are those who are blazing the trail for us.

Today, more and more women are opting to stay at home with their young children rather than abandoning them to daycare. Likewise, the growing tide of homeschooling has brought millions of children back to the home and family. And, as radical as it may seem, there are a new breed of families making the great sacrifices necessary to bring dad home full-time as well. So there is hope. The pieces are coming together and community is the final element needed.

Start now!

If you were looking for a beginner’s guide to starting a community where you just follow along, step by step and end up with “and they lived happily ever after,” I’m sorry to have disappointed you.

This much I can start you out with. The first steps shouldn’t be restricted to material concerns. The principles most vital to a community are contentment and mutual support. Cut back on your consumption now, it will do your soul and your pocket book a lot of good, while at the same time preparing you for the sacrifices of community life. Forsake the big chain stores in favor of the small neighborhood shops, irregardless of inconvenience, higher prices and poorer selection. Pass by the chain restaurants and take a chance on a local establishment, even if it turns out to be a greasy spoon. Get to know, by name, your neighbors, your fellow parishioners, and the proprietors of the businesses you support. Before you even consider switching parishes, make sure you have done everything you can to improve the parish community you are in now. When you get to the point where you feel you just have to leave, find a way to stick it out anyway.

Remember in all this, at some point we have to take a hard look at our own hearts and see where WE need to change. We must learn to be content. WE have lost that.

So start living these principles now. Don’t wait until it’s easy - it never will be. Do all this now because it is right. Do this now because it is how God has designed us. And most importantly, do all this because,quoting Mr. Ahlquist one last time, “that’s how you care for souls.”

Thank you, Brother John! This article is copyright 2004 by John Hoerig

A Few Tips for the Budget Retentive! by Bonnie Stichart
**If the lenses of your specs are scratched and you can't afford new, polish with spray-on furniture polish (like Pledge). The polish temporarily fills up the scratches.

** If you need trivets to use on your wood stove and don't want to pay an arm and a leg for the fancy ones at the stove store, go to your local appliance repair/junk store. The grates that are used over the burners of gas stoves look fine and are sturdy. Even new, they don't cost much; second hand they are only a few bucks.

** Have you seen the ads for the special metal bar that removes garlic and onion odors from your hands? It's only stainless steel. Rub a stainless steel spoon and a little soap in your hands and it will remove garlic, onion, and even gas odors.

** Another ad is for a special metal defrosting tray. It's only cast aluminum. Cast iron works the same way. I'm sure most of you have cast iron pans. If you don't, they're a good buy.

** When making bread in standard loaves, shortening or lard is necessary to keep the bread from sticking. But if you make free-form loaves, round or baguette shaped, sprinkle some cornmeal on the baking sheet and you can skip the shortening.

** For great mashed potatoes - add a chopped clove of garlic to the potatoes. When the potatoes are done, drain the cooking water into a measuring cup. Save about a cup of the water, more or less (depending on how many potatoes you cooked). Add about a half cup of dry milk powder to the potato water. Stir and mash into the potatoes. Save any extra potato water for your bread.

** Even if you live in the city, you can grow your own sprouts. They will be cleaner, fresher and cheaper. Buy a good quality sprouting seed (Bob's Red Mill is very reliable). Rinse a canning jar with boiling water, and then add warm water. Put in 2 tablespoons of seeds (for a quart jar), cover with un-dyed nylon net or plastic screening and a canning jar ring, and leave overnight, In the morning, drain the
liquid (save for your houseplants-great fertilizer!), rinse well with cool water, and set at an angle to drain. Rinse several times a day. Keep out of direct sunlight. After about 4 or 5 days you'll have a jar full of sprouts. Keep refrigerated. Store the leftover seeds in an airtight jar in the refrigerator and they will last for a long time.

Our friend, Bonnie Stichart is a Food Safety Advisor volunteer with the Washington State University Cooperative Extension, Stevens County, Washington. This article is from her weekly food column, "Artichokes to Zucchinis", which appears in the local newspaper. Thank you, Bonnie!

Lights Out! Were You Prepared? by David Oelker
At 4:15 p.m., August 14, 2003 the lights of New York City went dark. In case you were living under a rock at this time, I should tell you that most of the eastern electric grid completely shut down. Was this a terrorist strike? Was this some sort of delayed Y2K event? As of this writing the jury is still out on these questions.

What the "experts" seem to agree on is that this was nothing more than an overload that resulted in a series of circuit trips.

Now, I am no electrical engineer. I don't claim to understand the intricate workings of the electric power system of North America. But, it seems a bit strange to me that a simple overload would shut down the entireeastern sea board, a large part of Canada, as far west as Cleveland, Ohio and Detroit, Michigan, and even isolated areas in West Virginia and Tennessee.

As I understand it the electric grid system works like this: The United States is divided into three electric grids; the eastern grid, the western grid, and Texas has a grid of its own. Most of Canada is connected to the eastern grid and Mexico is connected to the western grid.

Power stations all over North America generate the actual electricity and it is then fed into these power grids. The grid system is specifically designed to prevent what happened from happening.

The way it is supposed to work (for those of you who still may not have had this pounded into your head by the news media) is that if an overload occurs at any one given point in the grid, this point is instantly and automatically isolated to prevent the exact domino effect that we all witnessed in this case.

The company that I currently work for has seen in its wisdom to put a television set in the break room. So along with all of the trashy commercials selling sex aids, adjustable beds and glamorous pharmaceuticals, comes a huge share of trashy news via CNN, Fox, CNBC, etc.

I suppose that since we do not have a television in our home I may be easily impressed by visual stimulation. However, the sight of an ocean of bodies flowing down the interstates of New York is a scene that I will not soon forget.

Another scene repeatedly shown was of thousands of people waiting to get on three ferries at the Manhattan pier. Watching this scene I was reminded of a paper that we read in grade school describing lemmings marching into the sea in mass suicide.

One reporter from Cleveland spoke of how the city was about to run out of water. This was seven hours after the beginning of the crisis - seven hours! I am amazed that a city the size of Cleveland, Ohio has only a seven hour supply of water.

So what went wrong? Simply a case of random chance? I don't think so. I will leave you to work out your own answer to this question. What went wrong is not my purpose in writing this editorial. How it all happened does not really matter to me.

Terrorists, Y2K, dooms day, black helicopters; none of that really concerns me - too much. No, I think that the real question for us is: What are we going to do about it?

I'm not talking about the power companies or the US or Canadian governments. I mean what are we - you and I - going to do about it?

If you are reading this publication I assume that, like me, you have more than just a casual interest in self-sufficiency. Many of us are Y2K veterans. Were we really ready for this event? I remember many of the writers who poo-pooed the whole Y2K issue saying that we should prepare as if it were a winter storm, a hurricane, or a black out.

Well, here was the black out. Were we prepared? Were you prepared? How much water did we have in reserve? Were our wells or cisterns all set up and operable, or in the case of urban or suburban dwellers, did we have bottles of water in standby?

How much gasoline was in the shed for when the pumps in town would not work? How about fuel for lighting? How much lamp oil or how many batteries did we have ready to go?

I admit that I was one of the people that went hog wild in Y2K preparations. But I also have to admit that if I had been living in New York state instead of Friendship, Indiana this past week, I would not have been ready.

How could this be? How could I, the Y2K expert of the family, have been caught with my pantry down when the power went off. The answer is a simple little thing called complacency. It is all too easy to let our guard down. Things just keep chugging along the way a well-oiled machine always does (and make no mistake about it, that is what this society of our is - a machine), and we are quite surprised when the thing locks up.

Well, the machine locked up at exactly 4:15 p.m. this past Thursday, and I dare say that few of us were in the least bit prepared.

I think that our Lord has once again given us a warning. We must be prepared to provide for ourselves and our families in the event that something like this happens again. We have seen here that it does not have to be a complete breakdown of utilities to cause a major problem.

What we witnessed here was a breakdown of just a small part of one of the interconnected utility systems in our society. And look at the mess it created

As I write this editorial there are people who still do not have electrical power restored after nearly four days. What if this had been all of the power grids? The US counter-terrorist community tells us that our utility system is one of our most vulnerable points.

Right now there is a computer virus (or worm, as it is called) that is threatening to shut down Microsoft in a short time. If some computer hacker could do that it makes one wonder what a well-trained terrorist could do to our vulnerable utility systems, or has it already happened?

Let us take this wake-up call seriously. God has given us all a brain to think and act sensibly. I do not think that a Y2K-like panic is anywhere near in order. However, I would hope that we would all have the good sense to wake up out of ourcomfortable little slumbers long enough to take some steps in protecting ourselves and our families.

Pax Vobis. David Oelker and his family are simple living Catholics residing in Indiana. (ed. note: We pray that all families would prepare for the times ahead. We truly feel that we have only started to see the beginning of things to come. Preparing physically and above all SPIRITUALLY is prudent and wise. Remember the Virgins and the Oil?)

Simplicity is an Attitude! by John Hoerig
What does simplicity mean to you?

Some say simplicity is about having things: chickens and goats, gardens, pastures and crops. But raising your own food is not to make life simpler, it's to provide for your family. Actually it would be much simpler to just go to the mega-supermarket and get what you need all under one roof. While it's definitely good to grow your own fruits and vegetables and to produce your own meat and milk, that is prudence, not simplicity.

Others equate simplicity with not having things: no electricity or air-conditioning, no TV or video games, no modern conveniences. But if simplicity were all that, then Egyptian Pharaohs, Roman Emperors, even Louis XIV all lived simple lives. Obviously that can't be, so what is simplicity really about?

Actually it is very simple. Simplicity is not about what you have or don't have; simplicity is an attitude.

We need to make simplicity underlie how we view everything. In a materialistic society, it means rejecting the constant drive to increase our possessions and persistently struggling to remove that influence from our lives. We may feel disgust with those who make shopping a pastime, but how many of us longingly stroll the aisles of the local home and garden center? Do we oooh and ahhh through the pages of Lehman's catalog like it was The Sharper Image?

Do we find ourselves wishing we had that new such and such that would make our life so much better? Our culture is more deeply ingrained in us than we realize.

How do we combat this? On the practical side, this involves three steps. The same three steps you use when you are driving in the wrong direction. You slow down, come to a stop and turn yourself around. Then you will be headed in the right direction.

1. Slow Down. Begin the habit of catching yourself every time you start desiring something you don't already have. When you have developed the attitude of simplicity, you see everything in its full light. You don't even think of buying something without considering all the ramifications of that purchase. How much will I actually use it? No really, how much will I actually use it? Is there anyway I can do without it? Is there anything I already have that would serve the same purpose? What will it take to use, store and maintain this thing?

2. Stop. Once you eliminate the consumeristic attitude you will begin to feel freer. You will open yourself to God's grace and providence. The greatest miracles, like changing water to wine and the multiplication of the loaves and fishes only happen when there is a need. If we are too busy meeting our own needs in our own way we miss a lot of gifts God wants to send us.

3. Turn Around. Pare down what you already have. Decrease your needs. Don't get obsessed with this step; remember simplicity is not about what you have or don't have; simplicity is an attitude. Most worldly people aren't fixated on acquiring more possessions, it's simply their underlying attitude. You need a mindset the opposite of theirs.

The easiest targets for elimination are specialty items. Would life be so terrible if you didn't have that bundt pan? Do you need a cookie cutter when a water glass will work as well? You may have a nice collection of cookie cutters, but would the holidays be a disaster if you only had round cookies? Don't get me wrong, I'm not attacking cookie cutters. Maybe fancy cookies play an important part of your family's Christmas preparations. Then by all means, keep them. That is why I emphasize that simplicity is not about stuff, it is an attitude. Just be open to the possibilities that the materialistic person wouldn't even consider.

The vast choice of food available to us is a huge temptation against simplicity. How many kinds of pasta do we need? Would it ruin the meal to have macaroni with the tomato or alfredo sauce instead of spaghetti or linguini or fettuccini? What about that jar of spice that you only need for that one recipe that you hardly ever make? How many kinds of cookies or crackers or cereal do we really need?

Tools are another great area for simplifying. There's a lot we can really do without. But we also need balance in our attitude. Yes, an adjustable crescent wrench can replace an entire set of wrenches, but will it perform satisfactorily? Notice I said satisfactorily, I didn't say best. The attitude of simplicity isn't about having the best, it's about having what is necessary.

How many of us are materialistic in our spiritual lives? We seem to think because something is "religious" it's okay, but how many rosaries does one person need? How many different statues? I've heard of people wearing twenty or thirty religious medals! When I used to be tempted in this direction I would ask myself, "How many medals did St. Francis wear?"

In the beginning of Mother Teresa's mission, she wanted to live exactly like the poor, but a nurse counseled her to at least eat better. What use would she be if she starved like everyone else? Mother Teresa saw wisdom in that. Mother Teresa had the attitude of simplicity.

Understanding cultures other than our own hedonistic culture also brings us a whole new perspective on simplicity, not to mention a greater understanding of the universality of the Church and Her teachings on social justice.

I love the shots in National Geographic showing families in far off lands, people whose worldly belongings add up to a couple of pots, a few bowls and spoons, some mats or rugs that serve as bedding and seating and flooring, and very often no more clothes than those on their backs. And they are happy.

This attitude of simplicity isn't to be confused with simple-mindedness. Deal Hudson, editor of Crisis Magazine and host of EWTN's The Church and Culture Today, tells of a college professor, Fr. Wm. F. Lynch, SJ who helped reestablish a Christian engagement with culture.

When an illness kept Lynch from attending classes, Hudson decided to visit his mentor and "found him in his room, this small man, of immense learning and aesthetic sensibility, lying in his bed with only a single book on his bed stand, with nothing on the wall but a crucifix.. Just a man, a book and his Lord."

Hudson admits to being shocked by the simplicity of the scene. He had expected a tastefully decorated apartment filled with books and art surrounding this man who spoke so eloquently about beauty, literature and culture. But in the clarity that simplicity brings, we see splendors the world can never see.

As Catholics, we frequently hear, "Offer it up," in our sacrificial view of suffering. When we think of the Saints, we automatically associate their simplicity with suffering and sacrifice. But that is not how the Saints viewed it. To them simplicity was something beautiful, not something to offer up. It was the very thing that freed them to a greater intimacy with God.

Few of us are able to "go, sell everything we have and give to the poor." We are called to be more attached to this world than our hearts might otherwise prefer. But when we learn to embrace simplicity, wherever we are and what ever circumstances we find ourselves in, we can share the same joy and peace of God's holy ones. After all, simplicity is an attitude.

This article is copyright 2004 by our friend John Hoerig.

IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR! by Bonnie Stichart
1953 - Dwight Eisenhower became our 34th president; the Korean war ended; Time magazine declared Konrad Adenauer, Chancellor of the West German Republic, to be the Man of the Year.

Clare Booth Luce became the Ambassador to Italy, the first woman to hold the post. Queen Elizabeth II was crowned (I have a commemorative teacup); Edmund Hilary climbed Mt. Everest, and Joseph Stalin (Time's 1942 Man of the Year) died.

Neva Langley of Georgia was Miss America, and Sir Winston Churchill won the Nobel Prize in Literature. It was also the Chinese Year of the Snake. The most meaningful event to me that year? I was born!

That year a gallon of milk was only 94 cents and a gallon of gas, 22 cents. A loaf of bread was 16 cents, and a new car would set you back $1,850.00. Of course, the average income was only $4,011.00! That's not as bad as it sounds; money went further back then.

When people went to the movies in 1953 they saw "From Here to Eternity" (Oscar for Best Movie), "Stalag 17" (William Holden received Best Actor), and "Roman Holiday" (Audrey Hepburn was awarded Best Actress). The popular songs of that year were "I Believe" by Frankie Laine, "That Doggie in the Window" by Patti Page, "Pretend" by Nat King Cole, and "Rags to Riches" by Tony Bennett.

Naturally, I wasn't interested in sports back then, but other people were. The Yankees won the World Series for the fifth time in a row; Detroit defeated Cleveland by one point to become the National Football League champions. Rocky Marciano KO'd Joe Walcott in the first round; "Dark Star" won the Kentucky Derby.

I wasn't reading, either, though others did. "The Power of Positive Thinking" by Norman Vincent Peale was a best seller, as was something by Sammuel Shellabager called "Lord Vanity." Ever hear of it? Me neither

My favorite novelist, Nevil Shute, published "In the Wet" that year. The three authors who I think of as the "ABC" of science fiction each had a new book out in 1953: "Caves of Steel" by Isaac Asimov, "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury, and "Against the Fall of Night" by Arthur Clarke.

A couple of books that eventually became classics were Herman Wouk's "The Caine Mutiny" and Ernest Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea".

My mother found 1953 to be interesting in a personal way. She was teaching at a two-room school on Dixie Mountain (Oregon), with her un-identical twin sister.

At that time pregnant ladies - even married pregnant ladies - did not teach small children. Mom didn't tell anyone, and she hid the growing evidence with loose clothes. The cat was out of the bag when a child told her mother, "Mrs. Teeter is wearing the prettiest coats!"

After I was born my parents moved to the five acres where they would live for the next 45 years. No house, no electricity, no well - just a small travel trailer.

My dad would bring a barrel of water home from work when needed. Water was heated in a teakettle on a little wood stove. I can't imagine taking care of a baby under those circumstances. In spite of being handicapped by a baby, they got the well drilled, electricity in and a small house built, that later became the garage. Eventually, my two sisters were born, and a larger house was built.

In the fifty (!) years since I was born, I've seen many changes, though not as drastic as the changes my grandparents saw, since they went from horses to jet planes. When I started school in 1959, Sputnik was big news. I was in my teens when men walked on the moon for the first time. Back then, computers took up whole buildings; I am now typing this article on a home computer that fits easily on my desk.

Another thing that has changed is the kind of food we eat. I have a cook booklet from The Wichita Eagle that was printed in 1953. When was the last time you had Tongue Salad? Or Stuffed Heart? How about Cherry Meat Muffins made with Spam? The dessert recipes aren't bad, though.

I'm very fond of the Thin Mints the Girl Scouts sell, but I only get them once a year. Finding a recipe for Chocolate Peppermint Tea Cookies from 1953 seemed like a serendipitous birthday present. They aren't as rich as Thin Mints, nor are they crisp, but they do have plenty of peppermint punch.

Chocolate Peppermint Tea Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon peppermint extract
2 squares semi-sweet or unsweetened chocolate
½ cup milk
Walnut halves (optional

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, cream shortening and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, peppermint and chocolate that has been melted and cooled. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk. Drop mixture by teaspoonfuls on cookie sheet. Place walnut half on each. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Note: they will look underdone. Makes 3 - 4 dozen cookies.

Bonnie Stichart is a Food Safety Advisor volunteer with the Washington State University Cooperative Extension, Stevens County, Washington. This article is from her weekly food column, "Artichokes to Zucchinis", which appears in her local newspaper. As always, thank you Bonnie!

Simply Speaking by David Oelker
And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger." Luke 2:12.

We know the facts of what took place in Bethlehem, on that lonely night over 2000 years ago. From the time we were children we have heard the story of the birth of Jesus. The events of Advent and Christmas are well etched in the mind of the Christian.

For Catholics, the Christmas story is even more familiar. We meditate on it each time we pray the Joyful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary; The Annunciation of the Angel Gabriel, The Visitation of Our Blessed Lady to St. Elizabeth, The Nativity of Our Lord, The Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple, and The Finding of the Child Jesus amidst the Doctors in the Temple

The Gospel account of the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ is one filled with contradiction. Here we have an archangel of God appearing to a poor Jewish girl, telling her that she is to be the Mother of the Savior of the world - the King of the Universe. "And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God. Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and shalt bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father: and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever. And of his kingdom there shall be no end." Luke 1:30 - 33.

The Angel is telling Mary that she will bear the Messiah - her, a simple Jewish peasant girl

Mary then rushes off to visit her cousin Elizabeth. In Her Magnificat Mary proclaims: "Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid: for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. And his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him. He hath shewed might in his arm: he hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He hath put down the mighty from their seat and hath exalted the humble. He hath filled the hungry with good things: and the rich he hath sent empty away." Luke 1: 49 - 53

In the second chapter of Luke we find Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem to register with the Roman government. As we know, Mary went into labor while on this trip. The events of this night are well known, even to the secular world.

Finding no place to stay, Joseph is forced to make a place for his wife in a stable. One would expect the King of the Universe to make his entry to the sounds of trumpets, the sweet smell of incense, and the cheers of all of his subjects. Our King heard only the sounds of cattle chewing their cud. The sweet incense was replaced by pungent manure and stale air. The only subjects were His devoted Mother and foster father, Mary and Joseph.

We first see the Holy Family in a stable. Simple people in simple surroundings.

Some shepherds were watching a flock of sheep on a hill overlooking Bethlehem that night. We read that the sky was filled with angels. The angelic choir sang: "Glory to God in the highest: and on earth peace to men of good will." Luke 2:14. The shepherds must have been filled with awe. One of the angels said to the men: "And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger." Luke 2:12.

Try to imagine yourself in this group of shepherds. Here we have what the Douay Rheims version calls "a multitude of the heavenly army" praising God. Then one of the angels tells you that the way you will know you have found the promised Messiah is that he will be swaddled in rags and lying in a ...manger?!? Something doesn't seem right to me here. The Son of the Almighty God is to be wrapped up in rags and plopped down on some cow's leftover supper.

So what is the purpose of all of this contradiction? Why did God choose to lead us through this confusing chain of events? I think that God was trying to teach us a very big lesson through a very small principle. Simplicity.

Recently I posted a question to the Full of Grace internet discussion group (Ed-the internet discussion group is now called "Simple Living Catholic" and can be reached through Yahoo). I asked people what simple living meant to them. What did they do, or hope to do in the future to meet their goals of simplicity. The overall response was not related to physical accomplishments.

Oh, there were a few folks that listed building the chicken house or having a family cow. Some people discussed owning a piece of land. But the main theme was one of spiritual simplicity.

One member summed it up pretty well. She spoke of their desire to have some land where their children could play outside. She mentioned gardening and raising animals, but added: "Living simply for us means making sure all those things have a place, but not the dominant place. We need to prioritize our lives. Living for Christ is first, and living and orienting everything we do for His glory and towards His will is what is ultimately simple. This isn't the easiest way for sure, but the simplest."

Another post read: "Whether one lives in the city or country the person can live a simple life if he chooses to. But what does that mean? For our family it means being together, reading, talking, having time for each other and our neighbors. Not spending money on items that isn't needed or being wasteful with the blessings our Lord has given us. Making an apple pie versus purchasing one. Lighten up the home so it's welcoming to visitors and your family. Making our home a safe haven. Stopping what ever it is I'm doing to listen to my child tell me a story. Teaching my girls to be women of God and not women of this world. Being a good wife and mother. Follow the Lord always , for only he can bring you joy. And for our son, we teach the same: follow Christ first and foremost."

We can find much wisdom in these two versions of simplicity. Simple living is not about things. Jesus' birth in a stable wasn't intended to show us that we should all have home births in the barn. I seriously doubt that the Alpha and Omega chose to come into this world lying next to a pile of manure in order to show us that livestock is a means to a spiritual end. The simple birth of Jesus has a much more profound message for us.

In each chapter of the story of the birth of our Lord we find a repeating of the same simple lesson. The Gospel does tell of the physical aspects of the birth of Jesus. We read about the donkey that Mary rode on. We see Mary and Joseph attempting to find a place to stay. We read of shepherds and of course, the stable. But have we all learned the simple lesson? Do we still attempt to find simplicity in material things?

Yes, we need to think about our physical welfare. There is a place for attention to shelter, food and clothing. But do we get so caught up in the shepherds and the stable that we miss the King lying in our midst?

I have spent a good part of my adult life, and a huge sum of money, trying to build peace on my earth. I have practiced most of the common homestead principles. I have been more successful in some simple living endeavors than in others. But the one thing that I have found in each and every physical goal that I have attained is this: the peace of God which passes all understanding does not come at the end of a pitch fork.

The peace that we humans long for, the satisfaction that our very being cries out for can be found in only one place. If we truly want to experience that deep down contentment that we yearn for we must come to the stable, yes. But we will not find it gazing at the cows or mucking out the stall. In order to experience simplicity we must get down on our knees and look Him the face.

I used to say that simplicity is very complicated. Satan wants us to believe this. If we follow the lead of the father of lies we will get so bogged down in trying to manufacture a false peace that we will miss the sure thing.

The birth of Jesus teaches us something much different. During this Advent and Christmas let's take a hard look at just what we are trying to accomplish. We must ask ourselves: "Am I seeking first the Kingdom of God?" Are we truly prepared for the coming of our King? How will we welcome Him? Will Jesus be more concerned with our well ordered homestead or our well ordered heart?

David Oelker and his family are simple living Catholics residing in Indiana. Thank you David, for always being an inspiration to us!

SOME OF OUR FAVORITE QUOTES!

"Soon silence will have passed into legend. Man has turned away from silence. Every day he invents machines and gadgets that multiply noise and distract man from essential life, from reflection, from spiritual immersion. Motor-car, airplane, radio, atom bomb are the latest victories of progress. Man today has nothing essential to do, but wants to do this nothing with speed and super human noise. He wants to be distracted, and fails to suspect that the robot who now holds the reins is driving him to the meaningless. In the midst of all the horn blowing, howling, screeching, thundering, crashing, whistling, gnashing and chirping, he feels confident. H is anxiety is calmed. His inhuman emptiness grows like a monstrous gray plant." -- Hans Arp, "Arp--On My Way, Poetry and Essays 1912 - 1947"

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." Leonardo da Vinci

"Our society is so abnormal that the normal man never dreams of having the normal occupation of looking after his own property. When he chooses a trade, he chooses one of the ten thousand trades that involve looking after other people's property." - G.K. Chesterton, Commonwealth10-12-32

"God gave man the earth for his cultivation as the most beautiful and honorable occupation in the natural order" Pope Pius XII

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