It's October, which means it's time to drink cider, display gourds, stock up on candy and press leaves between sheets of waxed paper.It's also time around these parts to pray the rosary, and to celebrate Respect Life month.
In honor of the first, I invite you to participate in this month's Mary Moments Carnival. Visit Sarah to get all the particulars. Let everyone know how the rosary has blessed your life by contributing something by Oct. 10.
In honor of the latter, I'm offering a gift to readers of this blog: free shipping on autographed copies of my book, Broken and Blessed: A Life Story.
Many of you know Celeste's story. My youngest daughter (my seventh child) was born in March of 2005 with a serious heart defect, one so severe that she needed a heart transplant. Unfortunately, my little girl never came home from the hospital, dying in our arms at the age of four months.
Broken and Blessed is her story, and mine, and more than anything, it's a prolife story. Celeste reminded me that all lives are precious. Her life was brief, but it was powerful! She "got the job done" in such a short time, touching so many lives with her ministry of presense.
She reminded us that each tiny baby (preborn or born, "perfect" or not), is an unrepeatable miracle. She reminded us that each life must be protected until natural death. Through her we learned firsthand the beauty of our Church's teachings on the value, sanctity and profundity of the great gift of life.
One of the best lessons I learned from Celeste was that my life, too, is valuable. I have been given gifts that I must share. Life is truly a wonderful adventure, and meeting Celeste reminded me of that!
Here's what some readers had to say:
"By sharing her journey of faith through the heartbreaking loss of her daughter, Cathy reveals the heart of God: he brings joy in the midst of sorrow, peace in the center of trial, and love in the depth of loss. She shares the richness of the purpose of each life, which is part of the legacy her daughter leaves us all. Highly recommended." Kimberly Hahn, author of Chosen and Cherished: Biblical Wisdom for Your Marriage
"Because your story is at once intimately personal, yet universal, I believe that your audience is a broad one - Catholic, Protestant, Jew, Muslim, even non-religious. It has much to teach about not just suffering and death, but the meaning of life." Dr. Mark Latkovic, Professor of Moral Theology, Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit
"Honestly, I'm speechless. This book doesn't have a specific market, because everybody is in the market. Everybody needs to read this book. I want my prayer group to read it. I want my husband to read it. I want my friends to read it. I want my daughter to read it. This is the first time I've actually seen a way to get through to her so that she will view her 'ordeal' as a blessing." Patti Monroe-Mohrenweiser, artist and parent of a heart surgery survivor
"Words fail me and I find I am not able to adequately express the impact your experience and your beautiful words had and continue to have on me. Suffice it to say - this is a powerful and beautiful message and I am
to think of the many, many people who will be able to share in this experience and this astounding journey by reading your book." Joanne Dupuis, RN, coordinator of the Cardiac Transplant program of Children's Hospital of MichiganMany, many lives have been blessed by Celeste. Will yours be next?
To order Broken and Blessed (at 12.99 with FREE SHIPPING) simply send me an email at brokenandblessed@gmail.com and mention my blog.
1 comment:
This story moved me deeply since my brother died aged 12, as you say of Celeste 'a child born to suffer, to die' Yet also someone who brought great value to our lives and the world. To miss out on the gift of his life would have left us impoverished indeed. God Bless!
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