Okay--It's March and my mind should be on the solemn season of Lent, right?  Fasting and giving up stuff is a sad and gloomy event--NOT!  I think of the wonderful thing that Jesus did for us on Good Friday and that He rose on Easter, and I have to smile at  thinking of the joy of having everlasting life.

I often think of my favorite saint, Philip Neri, and the times of gloom in which he was living.  It was just before the Reformation, when the Church was at a low point and times were very hard.  Philip Neri knew the joy of the Holy Spirit and shared it with all, in his sense of humor.  He was known for his love of singing and dance, but mainly for the jokes he pulled, mostly on himself.  I love the story of the time he was invited to a party and he shaved off one side of his beard.  Also, the time he had a parade to his new church with people carrying wooden spoons and bowls, and he lead the line while kicking a soccer ball.  It is also rumored that he had a pet monkey that carried a gun  (not loaded, I'm sure). St. Philip Neri is considered one of the great scholars of the Catholic Church for his writings  and sermons.  His message of Christ's love iwas behind every bit of humor. Neri was a fool for Christ.

Nick Alexander is another who is not afraid to be a fool for Christ.  The message in his songs is clear even when mixed with the parody of modern top 40 songs.  Called a  Catholic "Weird Al" Nick's CD A Time To Laugh is a CD for everyone.  It exposes the truths of our faith in a humorous way.  When I first heard it I was drinking milk...it didn't take long for it to come out my nose! (Consider that a warning of how funny this is!) April Fool's Day is on Sunday this year-- why not be listening to one of God' fools--one with a message?

Talk about people who have given up things for Lent, mothers do that everyday!  Mothers give up so much for us all, and you may never see it until the time comes around and it's your life that you're giving up. Marie Bellet's new CD Ordinary Time  takes that time and looks at it under a magnifying glass. The ordinary life of a mother with small children is raised up in adoration.  Marie is known for her songs telling about life from a mother's viewpoint. She reveals how precious every moment is with your kids. The title track, "Ordinary Time" tells this quite well, as a woman looks at all the things in life she wishes for now, but with the kids, it isn't possible.  It tells how one day she will look forward to the time when she had to clean crayons off the wall--when her kids are gone.  "Plenty Of Time" has the same theme but with the man of the house missing the little things in life thinking he has plenty of time.  I was taken by the song "Saturday Afternoon." It's about a woman who knows something is missing in her life, and finds herself on her knees hearing a voice say, "You are empty...I can fill your soul." 

We are also pleased to be offering Marie Bellet's first CD What I Wanted To Say.  Marie has called this CD a collection of her "housewife songs."  Many of the songs on this CD were heard on EWTN's "Life on the Rock" program, including "Here I Am" and "Thy Will Be Done."  Marie's smooth voice and storytelling lyrics combine familiar detail and a gentle sense of humor to sing of the everyday life of a mother and wife striving for holiness in the modern world.  Through her light acoustic style, she offers hope and encouragement to those willing to sacrifice for marriage and family. 

You want a good song for the Lenten season?  Try "Nims 'Messiah'". Vince Nims puts his own spin on "Handel's The Messiah" on this track of his album My Hope, with modern words and music.  Nims beautifully puts the death of Jesus in a rock/blues setting that will stir your soul.  "What If Jesus Comes Back Like That?" is his look at the need to see Christ in others at all times no matter what the circumstance. Vince says,"In a world that constantly 'tells us' and 'sells us' something, I serve the Lord through message and music hoping that people are captivated, if even for a brief moment, by God's plan and grace."  Vince is know as the Banana Man at the many youth retreats because of the last song on the CD called, "I Like Bananas," a fun song about the 'sweeeeet' love of God. "I asked God in and received His power...like Arnold Schwazenegger!" The song ends with the famous "Three Stooges" theme...and you're supposed to be serious in Catholic music? That's something to give up for Lent!

You know, I read my Bible and wonder about the kind of laugh Jesus has to have.