Jeff Young

Jeff Young reviews my “cookbook”; Kate Wicker interviews me

April 17, 2012 By Sarah Reinhard Leave a Comment

It’s a day where I’m hanging with the kewl kids. Guess I should host a book tour more often, eh?

Jeff Young’s review of Catholic Family Fun had me smiling and, truth be told, blushing.

I have often wished for a “cookbook” for kids. No, not the kind that shows kids how to cook… Rather, the kind that shows me how to have fun with my family in ways that bind us closer together with each other and with the Lord.

Kids grow up way too quickly. As my kids move from one phase to another, I frequently find myself wishing for a cookbook for family fun. Thanks to Sarah Reinhard, I now have one!

Kate Wicker was kind enough to interview me over at her place. My favorite activity should be no surprise for anyone who’s followed me on Twitter or seen me post pictures on Facebook.

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: Catholic Family Fun, Catholic Family Fun book tour, interview, Jeff Young, Kate Wicker

Looking Closer at the Hail Mary: THEE

March 27, 2012 By Sarah Reinhard 1 Comment

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

A reflection on the word “THEE”

By Jeff Young

“It ain’t about me.”

I’ve been saying that for years. Doesn’t mean I’ve always lived it. But I have said it.

We live in a me-focused society. We are trained all our lives, without being consciously aware of it, to be the center of our own universe.

Even good people are infected with ME-itis. Even people striving to be holy.

Years ago, I was in the seminary. Twice. I spent two years in formation with the Missionaries of Charity Fathers, Mother Teresa’s priests in Tijuana, Mexico. Then, later (after a stint of bar tending, believe it or not) I spent two more years in the seminary studying for the Diocese of Baton Rouge.

I loved God… as best I could. I wanted to be holy. But, looking back, I can tell you that my “vocation” was all about me.

I endured a long, confusing and painful process before I came to know–in my bones, so to speak–that it is not about me.

“The Lord is with Thee.”

My last year in the seminary I fell head-over-heels in love with the most beautiful woman in the world.

Again. Yes, again.

She had been my best friend for a few years before I began studying for the Diocese of Baton Rouge. But we had drifted apart. An event took place my last year in the seminary that brought us back together again. Her younger brother died. Suddenly.

It’s always tragic when a young person dies. Anthony was only 21. It was his death that sparked lots of questions about faith and God in the heart of his sister. Since I had been her best friend… and since I was in the seminary (which means that I should know something about God, right?), she turned to me.

I did not expect to fall in love with her again. Falling in love was not part of my plan. You see, after years of drifting… years of trying to figure out who I was… I was finally there. I had purpose. I had direction. God was calling me to be a priest. Falling in love did not fit into that picture.

Yet, there I was. Helplessly in love. Feeling things I had never felt before. It made no sense to me. And as I tried to make sense of it all, as I tried to unravel what was happening to my heart, I suffered greatly. All this happened at the heart-level. Deep stuff. Identity.

All of a sudden, I found myself asking that question again: “Who am I?”

It’s really difficult to put that experience into words. Over the years I have distilled the experience into a few “expressions,” a few ways to explain that time in my life.

I’ve explained to people how, in retrospect, I seemed to be the one orchestrating my “vocation” to the priesthood. And that orchestration was exhausting. I was always on my toes, making sure I was playing the part right. I was always anxious. Thinking back now, I see that I desired the priesthood for me. It would validate my holiness. It would prove that God really did love me. It would prove that I was important.

Honestly, when I imagined what it would be like to be a priest, I imagined myself saying Mass or leading a Eucharistic procession or benediction. Sometimes I imagined myself hearing confessions. But the day-to-day stuff that a priest does in the parish? I couldn’t see myself doing that. Imagine the people that I would serve as I priest? That never entered into my mind!

“Who are YOU?”

It wasn’t until this young lady entered my life again that I started to think about somebody other than myself. God used her to show me that it ain’t about me. My healing from ME-itis began with her.

All of a sudden, I was not in control. I was not orchestrating my “vocation,” and I was not orchestrating this newfound relationship either. God was.

As my final year in the college seminary came to a close, I did not know what the future would hold. All I knew was that I had to take time off in order to see what this relationship was all about.

I graduated and got a job. A year and half later I married my best friend, Char. I did not know what love was until she entered my life. Through Char I discovered that the most important question is not “who am I?” but “who are you?”

The family has been called the “school of love.” It is in the family that we learn to love. It was before the altar in the beautiful gothic church of St. Patrick’s in New Orleans in November 1998 that I began work on the only degree worth obtaining: love.

Focus on THEE to be FREE

Love always focuses on the “other.” Whether that “other” is God, or spouse, or children, or friends and family, or even strangers… When others are the focus, we are free. Free from ME-itis. And free to love.

The angel assured Mary at the Annunciation (the feast that we celebrated yesterday!) that the Lord was with her. “The Lord is with Thee.” Mary was not focused on herself. She was focused on the Lord, and so she was free to say yes.

The world has not been the same ever since.

Mother Mary, help all of us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. Help us all (single, married, widowed, young, old) to say yes to the Lord like you did, so that one day we will graduate with honors from the school of love in this life and wake up rejoicing in the freedom of LOVE in the next. Amen.

–

Jeff Young is the man behind the phenomenon known as the Catholic Foodie. He’s also a fabulous designer, copywriter, and consultant. Over the years, Jeff and his family have fed me, literally, and they’ve also ministered to me as friends. They are truly a blessing in my life, and it’s a pleasure to host him here!

image credit: MorgueFile

Filed Under: Faith, guest post, Inspired by the Virgin Mary, Looking Closer at the Hail Mary Tagged With: Catholic, Faith, guest post, Hail Mary, Jeff Young, prayer, Virgin Mary

My Highest Recommendation for Jeff Young

December 21, 2011 By Sarah Reinhard 3 Comments

See this face? This is the face of a trustworthy man who has become like a brother to me.

[He is not, in fact, my brother, except through baptism. ]

You might know Jeff Young better as the Catholic Foodie. He and I have worked together for some time in that space (Mary in the Kitchen anyone?).

Well, he does far more than just cook. In fact, cooking might be more of the back burner of who Jeff is.

Recently, I asked him if he would help me with a project that (a) I was kind of lazy to attempt and (b) I thought would be pretty easy.

As it turns out, it was not an easy project. In fact, I might have broken my site if I had attempted it alone. (I don’t think I’m exaggerating here.)

(In the interest of full disclosure, this was the SECOND TIME I had asked Jeff to help me with something that meets both of those qualifications. I can’t believe he continues to act nice to me and even remain in contact with me. I owe him. BIG TIME. Times two.)

I write this as an all-out endorsement for Jeff and his work. I highly recommend him!

He’s professional and timely. Not too long ago, he helped me make some major changes to my email with very little stress and hassle on my end. Then he took on this other project, that involved nearly a full weekend, some prayer, and a bunch of technical mumbo-jumbo PHP and DNS and errors and server stuff.

Jeff’s the kind of guy who will have you smiling when the work is done, not only because of how well it was completed, but also because southern hospitality is just part of how Jeff does business.

Learn more about Jeff Young and his work at his site. He writes, he designs, he does media work. Oh, and he cooks. (But I don’t know how you get that without having him come to your actual house. If you figure that out, though, I am interested. VeryVERY interested.)

Thanks, Jeff, for saving the day. Again.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: Jeff Young, links, new media, recommendation

Guest Post: Make Me a May Crown, by Jeff Young

May 25, 2010 By Sarah Reinhard 3 Comments

I’m honored to share this reflection on Mary by Jeff Young, who you may know from Catholic Foodie fame. It’s a joy to read his thoughts on Mary and a pleasure to be able to share them with you. Be sure to check out the Catholic Foodie and Jeff’s consulting business, Mac & Media.

–

Mary is really my mother. Really.

At 16 I had a powerful experience of God that showed me without a doubt that He was real and that all this Catholic stuff was real. That experience changed my life, and Mary was right there in the middle of it all.

I prayed the rosary daily. I was aware of Mary with me when I prayed. I talked to her during the day. But, oddly enough, I found it very difficult to relate to her.

I had put Mary on a pedestal. To me she was superhuman.

Mary wasn’t alone; I kept all my favorite saints on a pedestal. When I was in the seminary, at a time of intense discernment, when I was plagued with doubt and confusion about my vocation, I looked to the saints for encouragement and some sense of certainty. But I was terribly disappointed.

Why?

Because I wasn’t anything like them. I struggled with God, with faith, with discernment, with my vocation. In all the stories I read, the saints they were virtually perfect, superhuman. They did not suffer as I suffered. I simply could not relate to them.

I can see now that I was looking at the saints through the wrong pair of glasses. I was blinded by my suffering.

So what changed for me?

I have my wife Char to thank. She’s the one that showed me the real Mary. She doesn’t know that she did this for me. I’ve never told her. (Boy, will she be surprised when she reads this!)

Marriage is such a blessing. My biggest blessing, actually, because it shows me clearly my own humanity. Marriage has curbed my natural tendency toward perfectionism. I now know that God meets me right where I am, in all my human messiness.

Char showed me this. She bore my children. She delivered them, nursed them, held them, cared for them. And she did it all with strength and tenderness. And love.

Char’s example showed me that Mary is human. Mary bore Jesus. She gave birth. She nursed him, held him, cared for him. And she, too, did it with strength and tenderness. She did it with love… even (or especially) in the midst of suffering.

Mary is not on a pedestal. She is right here with me. In my suffering. In my weakness. In what seems to be constant failure. She wipes my cuts and tends my bruises. She helps me stand up after a fall. She hugs me and reminds me that God loves me just as I am, and that she loves me too. Like God, she wants me to grow up big and strong.

Knowing this makes all the difference in the world.

Thank you, Honey, for being a wonderful image and example of Mary to me. I am forever indebted to you. May Mary make my life a “May Crown” for you.

Filed Under: Guest Posts by Jeff Young, Inspired by the Virgin Mary Tagged With: Faith, guest post, Jeff Young, marriage, Motherhood, rosary, Virgin Mary

Guest Post: Fiat! Let It Be Done To Me!

March 25, 2010 By Sarah Reinhard 3 Comments

We have Jeff Young, the Catholic Foodie, to thank for this reflection on Mary, Joseph, and the power of our Yes and No in honor of the Solemnity of the Annunciation of Our Lord. Thanks, Jeff!

–

“Behold, I am the Handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word” (Lk. 1:38).

Fiat. Yes. Mary’s yes that resulted in the conception of the Messiah. “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most Hight will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God” (Lk. 1:35).

Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, the great event that ultimately led to our salvation. This solemnity is positioned exactly nine months before the celebration of Christ’s birth, for obvious reasons. It is traditionally believed that as Mary uttered her fiat – at that very moment – she became the Mother of God. We can imagine all of Heaven and earth waiting in anxious expectation for Mary’s answer to God’s invitation. And she said yes.

Yes is such a positive word. We don’t tend to think of it as a negative. But do you know that every yes contains a no? If we say yes to something, then we necessarily say no to everything else. In saying yes to God’s invitation, Mary said no to every other plan or possibility for her life.

This fact really hit home for me as I prepared to get married. As our wedding day approached, I began to realize that saying yes to Char meant saying no to every other woman in the world. And I said that yes with such joy!

On this Solemnity of the Annunciation, I can’t help but think of St. Joseph. He said yes too. Instead of exposing Mary to the Law, he took the words of the angel who appeared to him to heart. He took Mary as his wife. He said yes and he became the father of Jesus.

I think it’s appropriate to celebrate today’s solemnity so soon after celebrating the Solemnity of Joseph, Husband of Mary, which was just last Friday, March 19. For me this proximity reinforces the fact that the Holy Family was a real family. They understand intimately all the joys and sorrows that my family experiences. That’s encouraging.

On this great Marian solemnity, God is inviting me to renew my total consecration to Mary, the Mother of God. I first made my consecration to Mary when I was 17. It was July 16, 1987, the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. That was a long time ago. I think it’s time to renew it! Tomorrow I start the preparation according to the method of St. Louis de Montfort. And I am not alone. My wife Char is joining me as I join Sarah Reinhard and many readers of just another day of Catholic pondering. I am excited to say yes to this invitation!

Is God inviting you to something? Will you give your fiat? He wants only good for us. We can certainly trust in that (see Romans 8:28). “Do not be afraid… for you have found favor with God” (Lk. 1:30).

At His invitations in our lives, let us say yes, “…let it be done to me according to your word” (Lk. 1:38).

Filed Under: Guest Posts by Jeff Young, Inspired by the Virgin Mary Tagged With: Annunciation, guest post, Jeff Young, Virgin Mary

Guest Post: Saint Joseph, a Just Man

March 19, 2010 By Sarah Reinhard 3 Comments

We have Jeff Young, of Catholic Foodie fame, to thank for this lovely reflection on St. Joseph, in honor of his feast day today. Thanks, Jeff!

–

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
and abides in the shade of the Almighty
says to the Lord: ‘My refuge,
my stronghold, my God in whom I trust!’” (Psalm 91)

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of Mary.

Husband of Mary. Have you ever thought about that? I mean really thought about that?

There are two “familiar” titles of St. Joseph: Husband of Mary and Foster-Father of Jesus. They are “familiar” because they are commonly known. But they are also “familiar” because they have to do with family.

St. Joseph was a family man. He was a real husband. He was a real father. And the Holy Family was a real family.

We call St. Joseph the Foster-Father of Jesus in order to emphasize the fact that Jesus was conceived miraculously. God alone is His Father. But, according to the Law, Joseph was Jesus’ father. Even though Joseph was not the biological father, he claimed Jesus as his own. All the world, at that time, knew Joseph as the father of Jesus.

Why is this important?

In the daily life of the Holy Family, Joseph was a dad to Jesus. He did all the things that dads do. He talked with Jesus, he cared for Jesus, provided for him and Mary. He taught Jesus a trade. Carpentry. They practiced their religion together… faithfully.

As the scriptures say, Joseph was a just man.

The fact that Joseph was a just man leads us to another of the great titles of Joseph that we find in the Litany of St. Joseph: Terror of Demons. Wow! Joseph is the Terror of Demons!

How is it that a man who has dreams of angels, who speaks not one word in the gospels, and who seems so meek and lowly… how can he be the Terror of Demons?

Because he was a just man. Scripture says that “The just man overcomes every misfortune which oppresses him” (Proverbs 24:5). It also says that “The just man appraises the house of the wicked: there is one who brings down the wicked to ruin” (Proverbs 21:12).

Joseph was… No, Joseph IS a just man.

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the just man runs to it and is safe” (Proverbs 18:10). It is the Lord Himself who overcomes the enemy. The Lord works through the just. It is the Lord who scatters His enemies. In Joseph we see Psalm 91 in action. We started out this reflection with a quote from Psalm 91. Here’s where it resumes:

“It is he who will free you from the snare
of the fowler who seeks to destroy you;
he will conceal you with his pinions
and under his wings you will find refuge….”

We would do well to reflect upon Psalm 91 today as we celebrate the Solemnity of Joseph, Husband of Mary. He is the one who protected the Holy Family. He saved Mary from the consequences of the Law. He saved Mary from shame by taking her as his wife. He led his family to safety in Egypt. He brought them back to Nazareth. He provided food and shelter for them. He fathered the Son of God.

In 1847, Pope Pius IX proclaimed Joseph the Patron and Protector of the Universal Church.

Today, I proclaim St. Joseph as the Patron and Protector of my Domestic Church, my family.

St. Joseph, Husband of Mary, Foster-Father of Jesus, Terror of Demons, pray for us!

Filed Under: Guest Posts by Jeff Young Tagged With: guest post, Jeff Young, Saint Joseph, Saints

(Not So) Quickly on a Friday

February 20, 2010 By Sarah Reinhard 1 Comment

1: The weather outside is…

…delightful. We were outside for most of the afternoon yesterday, between the park and the multiple trips around the block.

Oh, I’m not in Ohio, home of crazy piles of snow. Did I mention that?

I don’t want to rub it in, but I’m lovin’ life in the south (the south that has not gotten snow). And the nieces are wonderful too, full of style advice and witticism and unexpected help. We’ll cry when it’s time to go home (and not just because we’re flying through DC).

2: Meeting the Man Behind the Fame

It turns out that the Catholic Foodie clan are as nice as they seem in their show. Not only do they offer to come over and visit when I’m in town at my sister-in-law’s house, they cook dinner. And WHAT a dinner…chicken and andouille gumbo with a salad full of garlic and other things that were yummy and unfamiliar.

The real kicker, though, was being asked by Junie B., my nine-year-old niece, if the Catholic Foodie kids could come back over today. He said his kids were asking the same thing today. (Mrs. Catholic Foodie, the lovely Char, seems to have been quiet about coming back to see the rowdy Reinhards. That’s too bad, because I think she’s the secret behind the show, kids. Talk about a gem! My sister-in-law and I agreed that next time I’m in the area, we’re going to see about getting together with her them.)

In a moment forbidden from photography (or posting online, at the very least), I heard a rumor that there were adults playing Rock Band with the kids. One of them was wearing a hat. No names though. We are all about protecting pride on this blog.

3: Tragedy and Prayer

I heard about the tragedy with Gerard Faucheux on both Catholic Music Express and Catholic Moments this week, and my heart broke.

And then it broke again.

Age 42, this Catholic musician was also his father’s caregiver, and was on the way to take his dad to the doctor, with his mom, when they were broad-sided and killed. He leaves a wife and four children. I found his obituary here.

The Faucheux family will be in our prayers in a very, very special way. I hope you will join me in praying for them.

4: Podsquatting Near You

You know by now (or maybe you don’t) that I send in a Mary Moment each week to Catholic Moments (this week’s seemed to be tailor-made for the death of Gerard Faucheux, and was actually referring to my brother-in-law’s widow).

Well, this Saturday (as in hours from now, since I was reveling in nieces today instead of blogging), I’ll be podsquatting* on Catholic Weekend. I suspect there will be a food fight, but there’s no telling with that crowd.

You’ll be able to listen live at SQPN Connect…I think. (Nothing like waiting until late in the day to post. Ah, well.)

*Podsquatting is a term coined by the hilarious Maria Johnson (who would much rather write scripts than “squat” on someone’s show…though you wouldn’t know by hearing her all over the SQPN dial!). It refers to appearing on other people’s podcasts regularly, without any intention of having your own. I think I’m going to have t-shirts made.

5: The Mack-a-tilly Hilarity

Now that I can capture my tweets from my phone, I’m catching more of my five-year-old’s mispronunciations. My favorite this week: mack-a-tilly. I didn’t see this one coming.

Junie B., the ever-adventurous nine-year-old niece, asked me, as I was heading into the bathroom to help said five-year-old, if that child on the toilet knew what laxatives were.

“Um, no.”

The first thing out of five-year-old Elizabeth’s mouth when I made my way in was, “Mommy, what are mack-a-tilly?”

After she picked me up off the floor, I told her. Too bad my phone was in the other room for that one!

(Now, a day or two later, I’m wondering how this came up in conversation between the two of them. Do I really want to know?)

6: More Mispronunciations

Speaking of mispronunciation, Elizabeth is cracking me up this week. We’re visiting family, so maybe she’s been saying these words wrong all along and I’ve only just paid attention. Among my favorites: photographer, interesting, ridiculous.

We’ll be expanding our vocabliary to include more, for sure. Why wouldn’t we?

7: Weekend Plans

I have big weekend plans that involve living the role of adoring aunt, dorky sister-in-law, and too-cool-for-school mom. Now, if I only remember to take pictures… What are you doing this weekend?

Have you seen the rest of this week’s Quick Takes? Be sure to visit to Conversion Diary to check them out.