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Greetings! Welcome!

Thank you for joining us!

This week, I’m trying out a brand new tool! I’m very excited.

Just below, I have posted a Reader’s Poll!

I ask that after you read the articles in this week’s issue of Life’s Joyful Mystery, please tell me which one you like best!

I know it will be very difficult to pick only one! Ha!

Thanks for playing along!

Sincerely Yours In Christ,

Jim Berigan

Double Dog Dare of the Week: Invite a Priest Over for Dinner

Break out your fine china!

This week, I am daring you to do something very bold. I Double Dog Dare you to invite a priest over to your house for dinner.

Now, this is easy for me to say, since my own (biological) father was a priest (he left the priesthood before I was born…), and I ate dinner with him almost every night for 18 years, but maybe that doesn’t count.

Also, I worked at a Catholic summer camp for several years, and we were always eating with priests.

But, neither one of these examples is exactly the same thing as inviting a man of the cloth over to your real, grown-up house to eat an actual meal at your dinner table. Think “Leave it to Beaver” style.

But, why should you do this? Wouldn’t it be awkward? What if we run out of things to talk about? What if he thinks my house is messy? What if my dog jumps up on him?

Well, don’t worry about any of those things! Priests are regular people, just like you and me! The good that can come from inviting a priest over for dinner FAR outweighs any potential awkwardness that may or may not arise!

Here are 7 very good reasons to invite a priest over for dinner:

1. Deep Conversations – Priests often have profound insights on faith, life, and morality. If you enjoy meaningful discussions, a priest can offer a unique perspective.

2. Pastoral Support – If you or your family are going through a tough time, having a priest over can provide spiritual encouragement, guidance, or even just a listening ear.

3. Building Community – Priests are often busy and may not get many personal invitations. A home-cooked meal and good company can help strengthen bonds between clergy and parishioners.

4. Blessings & Prayers – A priest’s presence can be an opportunity for a house blessing or simply to share a special prayer with your family.

5. Sharing Hospitality – Many priests live alone or in rectories where meals might be more functional than enjoyable. Inviting one over allows them to relax and enjoy good food and fellowship.

6. Learning More About the Church – If you have questions about Catholic teachings, traditions, or theology, a casual dinner can be a great setting to ask.

7. Setting an Example – If you have children, inviting a priest over can help them see clergy as approachable and relatable, possibly inspiring future vocations

Well, there you have it! You have NO EXCUSES now! Pick up the phone and call the rectory! What are you waiting for? Among many other wonderful things, most priests LOVE food!

Catholic Vocab Word of the Week: Zucchetto

A WHOPPING Scrabble Score of 25 for this Beauty!

The word “zucchetto” comes from the Italian for “little gourd” or “pumpkin.” It refers to the close-fitting, ecclesiastical skull cap worn by the Pope (white), Cardinals (red), and bishops (purple).

What it looks like

• The zucchetto is made of silk or polyester and is sewn together from eight triangular panels

• It often has a small stem on top

• The color of the zucchetto depends on the wearer's rank

Who wears it 

• Bishops, cardinals, archbishops, and the pope wear zucchettos during mass

• Senior clergy in Anglicanism may also wear zucchettos

When it's worn 

• Bishops and cardinals wear zucchettos during mass, except during the Canon

• Other ecclesiastics may wear zucchettos during mass with special permission

Why it's worn 

• The zucchetto may have been originally worn to cover the shaved heads of clergy in cold churches

• It can also be worn under a mitre, biretta, or papal tiara to protect them

Other names 

• The zucchetto is also known as the pileolus, berettino, calotte, subbiretum, and submitrale

Why Do Catholics Do THAT?!

Why Do Catholic Clergy Wear Black?

Catholic clergy wear black to symbolize poverty, mourning, and a commitment to serving God . The color black also helps identify priests in a crowd.

Symbolism

• Poverty

  Black is a symbol of poverty and simplicity, which reminds priests to imitate those virtues.

• Mourning

  Black is a color of mourning and death, which symbolizes dying to oneself to serve the Lord.

• Penance

  Black is a sign of penance, which reminds priests to do penance for their own sins and the sins of the world.

• Service

  Black is a symbol of the solemn nature of clergy work, with a focus on service to God and others.

Practicality

• Black is easy and cheap to dye.

• In tropical climates, priests may wear white to decrease heat from the sun.

• Black clothing helps people identify priests so they can seek out God.

In the Spotlight: Catholic Online Influencers

Fr. David Michael Moses

Ever since I started writing this newsletter, the number of Catholic-related recommended videos on my YouTube feed has exploded! It’s been amazing! There are so many fascinating, funny, thought-provoking, and holy Catholics online who creatively share their faith experiences to encourage others. Watching these videos has strengthened my own faith by helping me consider issues in new and challenging ways.

One such online influencer who has made a massive impression on me is Fr. David Michael Moses. He is a young (31 years old at the time of this writing) Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, Texas. He posts SEVERAL videos on YouTube and Instagram each week. Many of them are hilarious. Some, in fact, are downright goofy. But, he sneaks enough serious content in there to make complex theological concepts accessible and relatable.

He understands the medium of social media (like a fish understands water!) and how to use it effectively for Kingdom building. It’s truly something to behold!

One interesting fact about Fr. David is that he started college when he was 14 years old and graduated with a bachelor’s degree when he was 18! That’s why, he says, he became a priest so young.

He is also an accomplished musician and songwriter. He has organized several "Concerts for Life," which have collectively raised over $640,000 to support women facing crisis pregnancies in the Houston area.

In one of his videos, he responded to a question about whether people have to go to church when they’re on vacation. His answer boiled down to, “In the end, this isn’t about legalism, it’s about love (of the Lord).” His call to set higher expectations for ourselves and for our commitment to God struck a chord with me.

He also explains lots of little details about what it’s like to be a priest. For instance, in one short video, he shared the three things he always keeps on his person, wherever he goes: 1. Holy Oil for Anointing of the Sick, 2. A stole to hear impromptu Confessions, and 3. his cell phone in case he is needed for spiritual emergencies. It’s a great insight a lay person doesn’t always get the chance to know.

I highly recommend spending some time with Fr. David online. You will laugh and learn your way to a deeper relationship with the Lord.

A Little "Saintly" Trivia: Female Edition

Can you match the Saints with their “patronage”?

Last week, I presented 10 male saints and asked you to guess which patronage each saint had. This week, I’m back with the ladies!

Now, I have to point out something VERY IMPORTANT. When I was doing the research on the male saints, each man had only one patronage mentioned. However, the women saints are holding down 5, 6, or more responsibilities! How is that fair?

Therefore, for clarity’s sake, I have only included ONE patronage per saint in the list. However, down below in the blacked-out answers, I included all the other patronages I could find for each woman. Credit where credit is due!

I guess the old saying is correct: If you want something done right, you have to ask a woman to do it!

Enjoy!

List of Patronages

• Patron saint of breast cancer

• Patron saint of Catholic schools

• Patron saint of chastity

• Patron saint of the environment

• Patron saint of headaches and migraines

• Patron saint of impossible causes

• Patron saint of Ireland

• Patron saint of missionaries

• Patron saint of mothers and grandmothers

• Patron saint of music

List of Saints

• St. Anne is the __________

• St. Agatha is the __________

• St. Brigid of Ireland is the __________

• St. Cecilia is the __________

• St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is the __________

• St. Gemma Galgani is the __________

• St. Kateri Tekakwitha is the __________

• St. Maria Goretti is the __________

• St. Rita is the __________

• St. Therese of Lisieux is the __________

ANSWERS: (HIGHLIGHT TO REVEAL THE INVISIBLE TEXT)

St. Cecilia is the patron saint of music, musicians, composers, poets, and instrument makers.

St. Rita of Cascia is the patron saint of impossible causes, those who are heartbroken, the sick, and widowed.

St. Kateri Tekakwitha is the patron saint of Indigenous Peoples, ecology, the environment, and care for creation.

St. Brigid of Ireland is the patron saint of Ireland, poets, healers, dairy workers, creativity, and womanhood.

St. Therese of Lisieux is the patron saint of missionaries, florists, priests, pilots, and the sick. She is also the patron saint of Alaska.

St. Maria Goretti is the patron saint of chastity, rape victims, youth, forgiveness, and poverty.

St. Agatha is the patron saint of breast cancer, rape victims, fire prevention, nurses, and bellfounders.

St. Gemma Galgani is the patron saint of students, pharmacists, paratroopers and parachutists, back pain and spinal illnesses, headaches and migraines, temptations, death of parents, purity of heart

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is the patron saint of Catholic schools, widows, orphans, educators, seafarers, and people who face persecution for their faith.

St. Anne is the patron saint of mothers, grandmothers, women in labor, the infertile, and married couples.

Suggested Links You Might Enjoy:

Fruits from the Fields video podcast on YouTube, which is also produced by Our Lady of the Fields Camp & Retreat Center and features great Catholic content.

Song of Mary - a new music ministry that some folks at OLF have recently started. Song of Mary has just published a Christmas “Album” called “A Savior is Born”. Please listen to it HERE!

If you like what you see at either one of these sites, I encourage you to please subscribe to their YouTube channels, so you can see all of the new videos!

To learn more about the mission and the needs of Our Lady of the Fields Camp & Retreat Center, please click the link below.

www.GiveSendGo.com/OurLadyoftheFieldsCamp

See you next week!

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