Review – Danny Gospel by David Athey

October 29, 2010 by Ellen Gable Hrkach

Danny Gospel is one of those novels that I know will stay with me long after I’ve finished reading it. This book is an absolutely delightful tale of a young man who’s “kinda different” but his “heart is pure.”

Set in Iowa, the novel begins with Danny waking up to a woman, dressed in white, who kisses him. For the rest of the book, while he searches for this mysterious girl, we learn about Danny’s tragic life, told in his own peculiar and unique way. Danny’s own words are “I’m always in mourning, even when I’m happy.” This should have been a depressing read. On the contrary. It is an incredibly uplifting story filled with humor and innocence, joy and hope. At one point, Danny is provoked into a fight and seriously harms someone and, although he wants to stay, his friend gives him money and a car to leave town. During his travels, Danny drives down to Florida. Eventually, though, he realizes he must return home to Iowa.

To read the rest of my review at Catholic Fiction.net:

http://www.catholicfiction.net/2010/10/28/danny-gospel-by-david-athey/

In Name Only Now Available in Japan and England

October 27, 2010 by Ellen Gable Hrkach

My second novel, In Name Only, is now available on Japan’s Amazon website:

<a href="http://www.amazon.co.jp/Name-Only-Ellen-Gable/dp/097367363X“>http://www.amazon.co.jp/Name-Only-Ellen-Gable/dp/097367363X

And on England’s Amazon website:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Name-Only-Ellen-Gable/dp/097367363X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1288197825&sr=8-2

NFP: Cheapest Method

October 26, 2010 by Ellen Gable Hrkach

In this economy, saving money has become a priority for most couples. It might seem like a simple concept, but Natural Family Planning is actually the cheapest method a couple can use for birth regulation. Depending on the course, fees vary from free to $150. If you add an extra $20 or so for thermometer replacement (for couples using the sympto-thermal method), it still brings the total to no more than $170 over the course of 30 years.

Compare that to the cost of chemical methods (like the Pill, contraceptive patch) or expensive surgeries. Even devices such as condoms and diaphragms are expensive when you consider that a couple will be using them frequently over 30 years or so. Compare that also to the fact that most methods of contraception pose some risks to the users and those costs should also be factored in. NFP is safe and healthy, with no side effects.

While cost was not the reason we initially used NFP, it certainly has become a bonus for us.

Couples can now learn NFP online anywhere in North America. For more information, leave a comment or email me at ellengablehrkach@gmail.com.

Note: Cartoon images are owned by Full Quiver Publishing and may not be used without permission.

Family Foundations Magazine

October 22, 2010 by Ellen Gable Hrkach

My son, Tim, was featured on the cover of the September/October issue of Family Foundations magazine. When he first saw the magazine, he said, “Look at that. I’m famous!”

The magazine contained an article I wrote about “Letting Go.” Here is an excerpt:

Last summer, Tim (then 17) landed a “dream” job at the local parachuting club. A few weeks after he had started, Tim called from the club and calmly explained that his boss had shared with him that one of the perks of his job was free skydiving. So he asked if he could go skydiving, that afternoon – in about two hours, to be precise. I immediately dismissed the request, saying, “Tim, forget it. You’re not jumping out of a plane at 10,000 feet.” I had spent the last 17 years of Tim’s life trying to protect him from danger, so why would I stop now?

“But, Mom,” he said, “I’ll have a parachute on and there’ll be an experienced jumper with me.” I hesitated, wanting to shout at him, “Are you crazy? Why would you want to jump out of an airplane?” But I didn’t. Instead, I said, “Couldn’t you just wait until another time?”

“Mom, today there are perfect conditions; it’s clear and there aren’t many tandem jumpers. They said I could do it today. Please.”

The instructor who made the tandem jump with Tim assured me that there were all kinds of backups and safety precautions: extra parachutes, an experienced jumper making the trip down with him, etc. But I was not happy about it. I prayed from the moment he stepped onto the airplane and continued praying. It was the longest 20 minutes of my life. My hands were shaking and I don’t think I actually breathed until he stepped onto the ground.

When he was close to landing, we could hear him screaming. In that first half-second, my motherly instincts kicked in and I panicked. “Is he okay?” I frantically asked my husband, standing nearby. Then I heard loud hearty laughter from Tim, still in the air above us.

He finally landed and the bright and happy expression on his face said it all. He kept saying thank you to the tandem instructor. But what surprised me was when he said, “Thanks, Mom, for letting me do that.”

I nodded, now relieved and happy that he was safe.

He tapped me on the shoulder. “Can I do it again next week?”

Rosary Quotes

October 20, 2010 by Ellen Gable Hrkach

October is the month of the Holy Rosary, so I would like to share some of my favorite quotes about the rosary:

“Never will anyone who says his Rosary every day be led astray. This is a statement that I would gladly sign with my blood.” Saint Louis de Montfort

“You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.” Our Lady to Blessed Alan de la Roche

“Give me an army saying the Rosary and I will conquer the world.” Pope Blessed Pius IX

“When the Holy Rosary is said well, it gives Jesus and Mary more glory and is more meritorious than any other prayer.” Saint Louis de Montfort

“One day, through the Rosary and the Scapular, Our Lady will save the world.” Saint Dominic

“If you say the Rosary faithfully unto death, I do assure you that, in spite of the gravity of your sins, ‘you will receive a never-fading crown of glory’ (1 St. Peter 5:4).” Saint Louis de Montfort

“You must know that when you ‘hail’ Mary, she immediately greets you! Don’t think that she is one of those rude women of whom there are so many—on the contrary, she is utterly courteous and pleasant. If you greet her, she will answer you right away and converse with you!” Saint Bernardine of Siena

“Recite your Rosary with faith, with humility, with confidence, and with perseverance.” Saint Louis de Montfort

“The Rosary is the most beautiful and the most rich in graces of all prayers; it is the prayer that touches most the Heart of the Mother of God…and if you wish peace to reign in your homes, recite the family Rosary.”
Pope Saint Pius X

“Even if you are on the brink of damnation, even if you have one foot in hell, even if you have sold your soul to the devil as sorcerers do who practice black magic, and even if you are a heretic as obstinate as a devil, sooner or later you will be converted and will amend your life and will save your soul, if—and mark well what I say—if you say the Holy Rosary devoutly every day until death for the purpose of knowing the truth and obtaining contrition and pardon for your sins.” Saint Louis de Montfort

“The Most Holy Virgin in these last times in which we live has given a new efficacy to the recitation of the Rosary to such an extent that there is no problem, no matter how difficult it is, whether temporal or above all spiritual, in the personal life of each one of us, of our families…that cannot be solved by the Rosary. There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary.” Sister Lucia of Fatima

“How beautiful is the family that recites the Rosary every evening.” Pope John Paul II

“The Rosary is a magnificent and universal prayer for the needs of the Church, the nations and the entire world.”
by Pope John XXIII

“The holy Rosary is a powerful weapon. Use it with confidence and you’ll be amazed at the results.”
by St. Josemaria Escriva

“When lovers are together, they spend hours and hours repeating the same thing: I love you! What is missing in the people who think the Rosary monotonous, is Love.” Sr. Lucia of Fatima

Family Size, Who Should Decide?

October 16, 2010 by Ellen Gable Hrkach

My new column at Catholic Mom.com: Family Size: Who Should Decide:

Sometime ago, I was admiring the newborn son of a young couple at our parish. An older woman from the parish approached the group of us and heard me say, “What a beautiful baby you have!” To which the older woman replied, “Ellie, don’t you get any ideas.” Generally speaking, I don’t take offense to comments like that, but it was the third time that month that people had taken it upon themselves to tell me that I shouldn’t get any ideas of having another baby.

My somewhat belligerent personality wanted to respond: “At my age, if I get pregnant, it won’t be my idea, it’ll be God’s…” Instead, I kept quiet and laughed off the comment.

In our modern secular society, many people seem to think that they have some sort of role in a couple’s intimate decision-making process of deciding whether to plan a pregnancy or avoid one. You’ve heard of the pesky grandmother nagging her kids to give her a grandchild or another grandmother telling her son and his wife that they have enough children and that they should “just stop.” Or the well-meaning relatives who don’t think you can “afford” another child.

To read the rest:

http://new.catholicmom.com/2010/10/16/family-size-who-should-decide-by-ellen-gable-hrkach/

The Path to Happiness

October 16, 2010 by Ellen Gable Hrkach

Inspiring and beautiful words of John Paul II, spoken at World Youth Day, Rome, 2000:

“It is Jesus that you seek when you dream of happiness; He is waiting for you when nothing else you find satisfies you; He is the beauty to which you are so attracted; it is He who provoked you with that thirst for fullness that will not let you settle for compromise; it is He who urges you to shed the masks of a false life: it is He who reads in your hearts your most genuine choices, the choices that others try to stifle.

It is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives, the will to follow an ideal, the refusal to allow yourselves to be ground down by mediocrity, the courage to commit yourselves humbly and patiently to improving yourselves and society, making the world more human and more fraternal.”

Like Arrows In The Hand Of A Warrior

October 14, 2010 by Ellen Gable Hrkach

“Children too are a gift from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb a reward
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children born of one’s youth.
Blessed are they whose quivers are full. They will never be shamed
contending with foes at the gate.” Psalm 127 3:5

So how many arrows make a full quiver?

The answer is that it depends on the quiver…and the size of the arrows.

Our publishing company’s name is Full Quiver Publishing. Often, people assume that we are part of the “Quiverfull” Movement. At Wikipedia, Quiverfull is described as: “a movement among conservative evangelical Christian couples… it promotes procreation, and sees children as a blessing from God eschewing all forms of birth control, including natural family planning and sterilization. Adherents are known as “quiver full”, “full quiver”, “quiverfull-minded”, or simply “QF” Christians. Some refer to the Quiverfull position as Providentialism…”

An internet search of the words “Full Quiver” shows our website on the first page, along with a majority of websites and blogs devoted to the Quiverfull Movement.

I have great admiration for couples who follow this ideology, especially in this day and age when the majority of married couples are using artificial contraception or becoming sterilized.

However, we are not part of the Quiverfull Movement. Instead, we proudly use and teach Natural Family Planning to plan, space and limit births. When we are teaching NFP, we always encourage generosity and always stress there should be serious need to avoid pregnancy. We agree with the Church’s teachings on the Theology of the Body and are well-versed in the two encyclicals Humanae Vitae and Familiaris Consortio. Our publishing company publishes fiction and non-fiction which promotes the Church’s teachings on sex and marriage.

So why the name?

Years ago, I listened to a talk by Kimberly Hahn, in which she quoted the Scripture passage above and talked about the great gift of children and why generosity was so important. She later stated this concept in her book, Life-Giving Love: Embracing God’s Beautiful Design for Marriage: “We are in a spiritual battle, and our children are our arrows: How many arrows do you want in your quiver when you go into battle?”

This talk made a deep impression on me. So when we were forming our publishing company, after discussing many different names, this is the one that we felt God calling us to use: “Full Quiver Publishing.” It never dawned on us that we would be confused with the Quiverfull folks and that, occasionally, we would receive an email or a call from someone in the Quiverfull movement.

Back to the number: most quivers hold about 12 arrows. We have lost seven babies through miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy and are raising five sons. We have indeed been blessed with a full quiver.

New DVD About St. Gianna

October 13, 2010 by Ellen Gable Hrkach

Catholic Action for Faith and Family
PO BOX 910308
San Diego, California 92191
United States
Contact: Thomas McKenna
Phone: 858-461-0777
Email: tmckenna@catholicaction.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New DVD Tells Story of Modern Day Hero of Divine Love

“St. Gianna Beretta Molla: A Modern Day Hero of Divine Love” is a new DVD about a saint who lived in our own time. The DVD is a visual delight, featuring photos and home movies of St. Gianna, who lived from 1922 to 1962. One gets to see her getting married and playing with her children and living out her career as a doctor. Viewers see her laughing and smiling and loving life. This is a real woman. She is someone like us.

Here we get to know a woman like so many of us who struggled to balance work and family. She was highly intelligent, excelling in her studies. She also loved music and art and being in the mountains. She loved her family above all else, but saw her career as a physician as a calling from God. Not only did she run her own practice, she was an active volunteer and sought to bring medical care to those who needed it, especially mothers and children. She would tell other doctors that “when you have finished your earthly profession, if you have done this well, you will enjoy divine life ‘because I was sick and you healed me.’”

St. Gianna was raised in a Christ-centered family and sought to raise her children the same way. Her life was one of service and was deeply rooted in prayer. She attended daily Mass as often as possible and prayed her rosary daily. She was always ready to encourage others in their relationship with God. She was a woman who viewed life as a gift from God and trusted in the power of prayer. Totally pro-life, her ultimate sacrifice was to give birth to her last child, even though she was advised against it and knew it might result in her own death. After giving birth, she bravely bore her final suffering with grace and prayer. She died on April 28, 1962 at the age of 39. Beatified in 1994 and canonized in 2004, Pope John Paul II held St. Gianna up as a role model for mothers, physicians, and the pro-life cause.

“St. Gianna Beretta Molla: A Modern Day Hero of Divine Love” was produced by Catholic Action for Faith and Family which includes the St. Gianna Physician’s Guild. The mission of the Guild is to unite and encourage Catholic physicians and health care professionals, to promote and defend Catholic principles in a public way by word and example, and to inspire sanctification in their lives.

To order the video, please visit http://www.stgiannaphysicians.org/ or Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Gianna-Beretta-Molla-Modern-Divine/dp/098163141X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1286848315&sr=8-2

Infamy by Tom Milton

October 12, 2010 by Ellen Gable Hrkach

My latest book review at CatholicFiction.net is a novel called Infamy by Tom Milton.

Infamy is the story of a Latino American, Fenly Aquino, who works for Homeland Security. He is assigned to travel to Spain to work with Raquel Lopez, a former cop, to assist the Spanish anti-terrorist team in stopping a terrorist attack about to happen on U.S. soil. Both Fenly and Raquel have lost loved ones to terrorism: Fenly lost his fiancee, Camila, in 9/11 and Raquel lost her brother in the attack on Madrid commuter trains. They discover the current plot involves laundered money, drug dealers, prostitutes, Americans living in Spain and possible involvement of other U.S. security personnel. Eventually, it becomes obvious to the terrorists that Fenly, Raquel and the entire Spanish anti-terrorist team know too much about the plot and, by the end of the book, their lives are in danger.