We are a Roman Catholic family of 11. We attend Mass in the Traditional Roman Rite, as was practiced before 1962. About us:
Papasully is just about the handsome-est guy in the whole wide world and shaves his head bald and loves to wear a kilt.
Mamasully was actually decent looking and smart once upon a time. Then I had children. I am not sure where it all went, but I hope the return journey doesn’t take too long!
Diligence is 12 and is quite the artist. When a job needs to get done, Diligence will do it! Unfortunately she is also beginning to grow up, and growing pains are painful for everyone. Oh, and did I mention real pretty?
Charity is 11 and is the one to turn to in times of sadness. She always has a thoughtful thing to say or do and prayer to say for you. Also, she is a WAY drama queen, so if your eardrums start bleeding from a scream of “SSSSPPPPPPPIIIIIIIIIDDDDEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRR” from half way across the country, it is probably our girl. Oh, and did I mention real pretty?
Engineer is our Lego-lovin’ 9 year old boy. Math? Easy. Reading… sure, if it is a Bionicle book or a Spiderman comic. Oliver Twist? Not so much. Oh, and did I mention sooo handsome?
Eccentric is our 8 year old daughter. Bless her buttons, she is a peace loving middle child, and if any one of our children is going to end up calling herself moonchild and living in a commune it will be this one. Oh, and did I mention real pretty?
Stringbean is 6, another girl. Sweet as pie and always finds someone to take care of her. Always. Our only picky eater though. Oh, and did I mention real pretty?
Motormouth. A boy! Hooray for us!! Engineer prayed sooo hard for this little guy. 4 years old, cute as the devil, cuddly as can be, and convinced that he should tell you all about it. Whatever it is. Oh, and did I mention sooo handsome?
Princess is our 2 year old girl. Another one who likes to be taken care of. But instead of being so sweet you will WANT to make her happy (like Baby), Princess DEMANDS her due. Oh, and did I mention real pretty?
Then comes Turtle. We call her Turtle because she sucks on her bottom lip all the time and looks like, well, a turtle. She is 13 months and the smilingest baby you ever did see. Oh, and did I mention real pretty?
And last comes Peanut, due in April of 2009. Lots of prayers for a boy are being said here, but even more excitement over a newborn. When leaving the midwife’s office after an ultrasound to date the pregnancy, Motormouth says in tears, “But Mommy WHEN do we get to bring the baby home?!”. Well, it takes just too long son, too long.
April 23, 2008 at 4:30 pm
I’m loving your blog. Have fun with it.
God bless,
Eloise
May 2, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Nice blog Mamasully! It is good for the younger crowd to know that it is in God’s plan to have children. Much better than the idea that if we want children there is something wrong with us. Or if the military wanted us to have children they would issue them. Keep up the good writing.
May 4, 2008 at 1:34 pm
Michael G Casey email michaelgcasey@hotmail.com
Email michaelgcasey@hotmail.com
Web http://groups.msn.com/michaelgcaseywritingsite
TRUE EVENTS IN 1996
Padre Pio and Me ©
By
Michael Casey
It’s a contradiction in terms immediately , how can I copyright a Saint . A brand new saint at that . I first heard of him through some Religious reading I did . I feel embarrassed to admit it , but I am a practising Catholic , its not fashionable to have any Faith but its mine so I admit it . Immediately the prejudice begins , but if I WERE A Jew or a Muslim , it would be the same . I do feel that my catholic tastes have given me a broader outlook on life , as has my eclectic tastes and rubbing shoulders with a wide variety of people .
But I want to talk about Padre Pio . I had a crisis and was reading about him at the time , so I said my prayers to him and the way forward was revealed . Though Padre Pio always says go Higher , he is just a stepping stone on the way to a better place . What is so hard to understand about Padre Pio is how he suffered . He had the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune . Condemned by his own superiors , made to be quiet for a decade and so forth . Science Fiction teaches or rather amuses us about Time Travel , but with Padre Pio it really happened , he wanted to share in Christ’s agony so he thought , what if he too could have and suffer the wounds on that day of Crucifiction . So it came to pass that he suffered for 50years . He had the indignity of medical examinations and of being thought just to be a mental patient , but his work and life proved his holiness .
So it’s nearly 1990 and I hear about him and read a few books , its hard to understand the value of suffering in this age of quick fix pain killers and the lets have a fix , whatever the fix might be , sex, drugs and rock and roll or whatever . Its like suddenly studying again after years of lying fallow , the learning curve is enormous . So too is it with Padre Pio , the idea behind his life is enormous , but so too is the capacity for love and help .
My favourite story is how Padre Pio explains that The Wedding Feast at Cena happened because Jesus could not refuse his mother . Very Italian , or Irish or Spanish and so on , but could any of us refuse our mothers?
So I thought more about what Padre Pio said , and his motto of Pray Hope Don’t Worry became my own . Carpe Diem is another good motto but perhaps this can be used by any Hedonist , or other kind of selfish person .Padre Pio reminds us to pray and that pray is not wasted , its perfume that is never wasted is a phrase I like . My mother always used to say that if you couldn’t sleep you should say the Rosary , and she was right . Though in todays world an hour on the Internet or with MTV might do the trick .
So why the devotion to Padre Pio , I’ll cut to the chase.
My mother died suddenly but peacefully in her sleep , my brother tried CPR , but she was gone . Imagine the angusih amongst her 6 children and her husband of nearly 50 years . All except me , my mother had said no tears when she go ,so I never cried , I was the odd one out .I know how prayerful she was , so I had no need of tears .
Eight bare weeks later my brother , the same brother heard our dad fall out of bed , so he ran to his bedroom . My brother was facing the exact same situation , he tried CPR , the ambulance was called , an injection was given straight to the heart . On weekends there is a doctor in the ambulance , so Luck , if that’s the word was with us . The next day 4 of my brothers and sisters came around to tell me the news . When my sister had come around 8 weeks previously I knew somebody was dead but I assumed it was my dad , he’s die first we all thought . So now 8 weeks later it was his turn to die .
At the hospital dad was given 1 week to live , I cried like a baby , worse than a baby , but I loved him , so I told he he should go to our mother and not hang on if he didn’t want to . The next day I was in my sister’s house crying , we picked hymns for his funeral .Yet my father survived , 19 patients on a heart ward , 18 died my dad survived . Padre Pio was beseiged by my prayers , I put Padre Pio’s photo under his pillow . Dad lost his mind , he was in Dudley Rd for 3months , 12 weeks , more than half of them all tubed up . His life hanging in the balance . At the same time somewhere in Florida another man was at deaths door , he was a totally stranger to me , I didn’t even know his name , I’d never met him , he was give 24hours to live , a Chinese man from Shanghai was at deaths door . The Chinaman survived .My dad’s memory was totally wiped , he did not know who I was, I’m your son was greeted with , am I married . I was the favourite son , he did not even know me . But still we prayed , it’s a feeling in your guts , just like when you are nearly killed as you cross the road , its in your guts and in your heart , Jesus save my dad , Jesus save my dad , Padre Pio help !!! This goes around your head like a merry go around or a kaleidascope . Finally dad awoke . He said that he can remember hearing the doctor say to wheel him down to the end of the ward , because he’d be dead soon . At that moment my dad awoke, and the doctor dropped his cup of tea in shock . No not an instanteous miracle , but as Dr Singh had said if he were 30years younger he’d have a heart transplant because dad’s heart was rubbish .
Now , when I told my brother that dad was reading a newspaper he was shocked . His memory had come back . He knew who we all were .Every day for three months I walked the corridor at Dudley Rd , the longest hospital corridor in Europe , 1 kilometre long . Finally he left the hospital , my sister had found a good home for him to live in , he was far too weak to live in the family house .
For 3 years dad survived , like a Godfather with all his children making constant visits . Finally I met my future wife . It was her uncle who had miraclously survived at the same time as my father . It was her uncle who encouraged us in our love . From Shanghai to Birmingham .These great men , her uncle and my father never met , but I know Padre Pio must have helped both of them . Further prayer was needed to bring me and my wife permanenetly together . A Chinese miracle happened . Now we are wed , we have a 2year old and please God a healthy second baby in the Autumn . The improbability of our meeting , plus the fact that both men HAD to live for us to be married and have a family , this may be a coincidence to some but I know a miracle when I see one. A miracle is something that makes you feel humble , it makes you know that God has whispered your name . When I look at my wife , I feel humble . Seeing our daughter laugh and play also makes me humble as will our new baby.
Then you can look back and know that prayer is like perfume that can never be wasted , your life has led you to where you are now , yes at times sad and terrible , but be humble in the sight of God means something , not just for me , but for all Believers .
I once stood by the fridge and said to Padre Pio , I give up , you take over , all I want is to be married , and perhaps have a family , and do something useful with my life . That was just before my eyes were opened to my wife . I used to say that I got 2 out of my 3 wishes . Perhaps my current occupation is my 3rd wish , or a more outstanding miracle is waiting in the wings , but as Padre Pio said ,always ask for the big Grace .Perhaps
we have to be humble enough to deserve it , because I believe it to be a fact that , truly great people are humble because they know just how little they really know.
May 4, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Food For Thought
Think AS You Watch TV
By Michael Casey © ——————————————————————————–
As we sit in our armchairs watching the news , do we care what is going on over there , in some place hot , too hot to think about , or too cold to bear , ice and snow everywhere . Are we just waiting for the sports report , are we waiting to see was the battle hard or a walkover , did our favourite player score a home run , or 10 touchdowns , were the crowd , the audience behind him , did we win 100dollars from the bet we had on the side . In the interviews after the war was won , were we just watching to see the design on the teams shirt , is that a new logo , is that the same logo spruced up . Or is it a new logo entirely , does it make any difference in how the team played , or just another million dollars in the owners pocket , paid by us the audience , the fans , just so we can all look so identical . The reporters are screaming loudly , half excited and half in fear , they want to watch , they want to cover their eyes , but they are there so they must report . Are they in some arid desert , or in some cold cold place , pain and fear and hope etched on their face , are they in some war zone , or at the stadium , if all we heard were just their words , could we tell the difference , do we care , so long as we can switch it all off with our remote control .