Is your prayer life lost in housework?

my book trailer for my upcomg book, "Embracing Motherhood"

Are you embracing your motherhood?

How are you "embracing your motherhood" today?

Embracing your Motherhood

Happy Easter!

How was your Easter celebration? I hope it was grace-filled and brimming with JOY as well.

I am updating you on the progress of my book "Embracing Motherhood." It's all finished and off to the publisher. After going through the proper channels and process it will be all set to be released by January of 2012. I pray that it is a book that will inspire the hearts of Moms all over the world, offering encouragement and advice to get through the many challenges in a holy vocation. Feel free to pass the word about my new upcoming book. I'll be thinking of a contest to do in the near future to offer you the opportunity to win autographed copies of the book. So, stay tuned.

God bless!

Donna-Marie

Busy, busy, busy!

Taking a moment here to say that I have been totally inundated as of late with writing my new book, "The Heart of Catholicism" for Penguin publishers. I'm sorry that I haven't been able to blog and hope you will understand that I have to make my deadline which is fast approaching!

In the mean time, I thought I'd run a little contest. :) You only have a short amount of time to enter. The acceptance for submissions will be closed on Tuesday, Feb. 24th at 5:00 PM so that I may pick the winner before Ash Wednesday which is the following day. The winner will receive an autographed copy of one of my newest books: The Domestic Church: Room by Room: A Study Guide for Mothers" or Grace Cafe: Serving up Recipes for Faithful Mothering AND a copy of my book, Catholic Prayer Book for Mothers! You get to choose which of the new titles you would like and I will throw in my Catholic Prayer Book for Mothers so that you will have something that will hopefully give you cause to pause and ponder about your marvelous vocation of Motherhood during Lent. :)


You can send your entries to me at: DMCOBoyle(at)aol)com. Please put "book give-away contest" in the subject line. Oh yeah! You need to know what to do...In a paragraph or less, tell me in the email why you want one of these books for Lent. The winner's reason will be published on my blog. I will pick the one that I feel inspired to pick based on your reasons.


I should also mention that it's okay if you're not a mother yet or if you are not even married yet. :) You can still enter. Hopefully these books will help pave the way! :) And you may enter for someone else that you feel is deserving of these books. Just tell me the reason why.

Okay now, what are you waiting for? You don't have much time until next Tuesday the 24th when the contest closes!

God bless and hugs!

Donna-Marie

Two new reviews on my "The Heart of Motherhood: Finding Holiness in the Catholic Home" book

I just found these reviews of my The Heart of Motherhood: Finding Holiness in the Catholic Home" book over at Amazon.Com:

"This is exactly the book I was looking for. I am a stay at home Catholic mom who at times needs a few words of encouragement. It is hard to pray when the 3 year old is up at 5am, the 1 year old just went back to sleep, the 11 and 14 year old need to get up and be ready to go at 7:30 and I am trying to find time for a conversation with God. It is helpful to hear that everything we offer up for our children is a prayer. While I was reading this book I thought of friends and sisters who have and have not given up comfort and wealth to raise souls for God. The Chapter on the Cross made me think of my own Mother who lost my adult sister a few years ago. This book is highly recomended for moms and dads who suspect that there is more to life than what our culture is trying to sell us. God is love and the fullness of his love is in loving our children." (This was by "Rist" from Maine)

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Life Changing!
By Kim Cooper "Kim Venneman Cooper" (Colleyville, Texas)


"I am a mother of soon to be 3 children ages 3 and under and have read THE HEART OF MOTHERHOOD and it has truly changed my life! The author's outlook on the vocation of motherhood could only have come from the Holy Spirit....Donna Marie Cooper Oboyle's writings are awe inspiring. I encourage all mothers to read this book. It is easy reading and one you can't put down. The writings of this book are ones you remember in the middle of the night when you are up with sick children and want to break down and cry or the days you don't know how you are going to make it through the day....the voice of this book sticks with you and truly helps you become a better mother and helps you to live a holy life at home. IT is a reminder of the true vocation of motherhood that has been lost in today's society."

(By the way, this person with the same name, "Cooper" is of no relation to me)

***

Thank you very much, Rist and Kim! :)

An article about my new book and my Vatican trip

You can check out an article in a local newspaper about my Vatican trip by clicking here.

Blessed Mother Mary and Motherhood

How can the Virgin Mother of God, the first disciple, a member of the Holy Family, and the Mother of the Church also be my mother? How does the Blessed Mother's life affect mine? How can a simple mother like me aspire to imitate such an amazing mother?

When we think about Mary, we may recall instances in her life that we have learned which illustrate her gentleness, humility, holiness, and her selflessness. Images from our Catholic tradition and what we have learned from Scripture may come to mind. We are reminded of Mary as a little faithful Jewish girl praying with her people in Palestine for the coming of the Messiah, fulfilling God's promises. Mary also prayed for the restoration of Jerusalem as the gathering place of the chosen people. Mary was familiar with Isaiah's words that a virgin would conceive and bear a child called Immanuel — "God with us." Throughout her faithful prayers, however, Mary never imagined that she would be that virgin.

A Faithful and Generous Heart

We certainly recall the momentous occasion when the Angel Gabriel visited Mary when she was a teenager, announcing to her that she would become Jesus' mother (Luke 1:26-39). Because of her humility, Mary found it difficult to believe that it was she, a simple girl, who was chosen by God. When Mary took that blessing to her heart she responded with her courageous "yes" to God. Her determination and generous heart sent her shortly afterwards on a three day journey, on foot, pregnant and by herself, to help her cousin Elizabeth who was much older and also expecting a child. Joseph stayed behind with his work. Scripture tells us that Mary "went in haste to a Judean town in the hill country" (Luke 1:39). We can be sure that Mary prayed and reflected all throughout her journey, while the blessedness of Jesus dwelled within her. After Elizabeth's baby leaped in her womb upon Mary's arrival, the two women embraced. Elizabeth praised Mary for her great faith, and Mary responded with the words of the Magnificat, glorifying God's holiness, justice and mercy (Luke 1:46-55). She humbly expressed that all generations will call her blessed because of the great things the Lord had done in her (Luke 1:48-49).

Perhaps as we think about Mary, we may envision Joseph leading his beloved Mary on a donkey searching for a place for Mary to give birth to Jesus. In their simplicity of traveling mode, Mary was jostled around on the donkey's back, praying to be able to fulfill her mission and bring forth her Son, the Redeemer of the world. We know that the innkeeper turned the holy parents away. Joseph and Mary proceeded in haste to the stable in Bethlehem where soon afterwards Jesus' infant cries were comforted at His mother's breast as Joseph looked on, praising God. Jesus, who is our King and Savior was paradoxically born into poverty, resting in a wooden manger of hay, hardly what is expected for a King's birth. Angels sent simple shepherds to Mary and Joseph to see their holy baby. Mary "treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart" (Luke 2:19)

Through the hidden years, we can imagine Mary teaching Jesus on her knee in the warmth of their humble home. As Jesus grew, Mary surely encouraged her Son to help Joseph in his trade as a carpenter. Mary's faith deepened in the cenacle of prayer that she fostered in the heart of her home, caring for her Son within their Holy Family. She must have shared with him about the Angel's words to her, about His birth in Bethlehem, and Simeon's prophesy.

Read my entire article at Catholic Exchange today.

Should a Mom feel guilty for staying home and caring for her children?

"It is a disservice not only to children but also to women and society itself when a woman is made to feel guilty for wanting to remain in the home and nurture and care for her children. It is also necessary to counter the misconception that the role of motherhood is oppressive to women and that a commitment to her family, particularly to her children, prevents a woman from reaching personal fulfillment and from having an influence in society. No response to women's issues can ignore a woman's role in the family or take lightly the fact that every new life is entrusted to the protection and care of the woman carrying it in her womb."--Pope John Paul II

In my book, The Heart of Motherhood I said, "Staying at home and caring for your children when it is possible is not a luxury it is a decision."