Linda woke up Monday morning feeling a bit out of sorts. She felt anxious, like something bad was about to happen.  To tell the truth, she’d been feeling out of it for a few weeks. “Well, I’m not getting any younger,” she told herself.  “Work has been stressful, and I haven’t been getting much exercise lately.”

She yawned again, struggling to wake up. “Why am I so tired?” she thought. The fatigue was really troubling. “Maybe it’s because I’ve been sleeping so poorly,” she told herself. “And I did have some indigestion last night.  Maybe I ate something that didn’t agree with me.”

She grabbed a cup of coffee on her way out the door. “Too bad I don’t have time for breakfast – again. I guess I’ll run through the drive-through for a quick bite. And I’m running late again! Always running late – always running!  It’s no wonder my blood pressure was high the last time I went to the doctor. 

Maybe I should schedule another appointment. She did say I should come back for a follow-up. Why bother?  She’ll probably just ask me how the diet is going, and I’ll have to confess I haven’t even tried to lose this weight. I’ll go in a few weeks – if I get a chance.”

Does Linda’s story sound familiar?   Consider this ending.

Linda stared at the ceiling, thanking God that she had made it in time.  She wasn’t planning on this visit, that’s for sure. She had rushed through her day, as she frequently did, trying to get everything in, and now this.

For once she was glad she had a habit of rushing.  When she started having chest pains after work, she picked up the phone. It was a good thing she called 911 instead of “waiting it out.” Maybe that’s what got her to the emergency room in time.  Just in time to find out that she was having a heart attack.

Women like Linda, women like YOU, are having heart attacks every day.

Heart disease is the number one killer of American women.

Read that line again.  The number one killer. 

Consider the facts about heart disease in women.

• Heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases claim the lives of more than 450,000 American women each year.
• Heart attacks kill six times as many women as breast cancer. 
• Each year, 435,000 women in the United States have heart attacks, and almost half of them die.
• 42 percent of women who have heart attacks die within one year, compared to 24 percent of men.
• 31, 837 women die each year of congestive heart failure, representing 62.6 percent of all heart failure deaths.
• Three million women die from stroke each year. Stroke accounts for more deaths among women than men.
• Over the last 25 years, the death rate for heart disease in men has declined steadily (by more than 17 percent), while the death rate for women has declined by only 2.5 percent
• Recent studies continue to confirm that women who have heart attacks receive fewer of the recommended treatments, compared to men.
• More than 90 percent of primary care physicians don’t know that heart disease kills more women each year than men.

The statistics are frightening, but the good news is that women are not powerless. While some factors are out of our control (heredity, our ethnic background, aging, etc.) we can make lifestyle choices that lower our risk of suffering from heart disease.

And while many of us are rushing around like the fictitious Linda in the anecdote above, we need to take the time to learn about heart disease risks, our personal health picture (the statistics we really should be concerned about!) and the unusual symptoms that some women experience when having a heart attack.

Linda might sound like any of us on a Monday morning, but an educated observer might guess she was actually exhibiting heart attack symptoms. Unlike men, women don’t always experience the classic “movie heart attack” involving serious crushing chest pain. Rather, their symptoms often include only shortness of breath, weakness, unusual fatigue, a cold sweat, dizziness, or a feeling of doom.

 According to one study by the by the National Institutes of Health , some women (like our Linda) reported symptoms that actually began weeks before the actual heart attack including unusual fatigue (70 percent), sleep disturbances ( 48 percent), shortness of breath (42 percent), indigestion (39 percent) and anxiety (35 percent).

Once she finds out she’s at risk for heart disease, what’s a woman to do?  Plenty.  Lifestyle changes can dramatically reduce your odds of dying from heart disease.  (In fact, experts say women are more likely than men to benefit from these changes.)

Some suggestions:

Exercise regularly.  30 minutes of brisk walking a day is a good start.

Eat well.  Limit saturated and trans fats while adding monounsaturated fats to your diet. Eat fish at least twice a week.  Avoid processed and “fast” foods. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and watch your sodium intake.

Manage stress.  It may sound easier said than done, but stress can do real damage to your health and well-being. Meditate every day. (Studies have shown praying the rosary lowers blood pressure!) Make sleep a priority, and ask for and accept help from others.

Control high blood pressure.   It’s not called “The Silent Killer” for nothing. Have your blood pressure checked by a doctor at least once a year – you can have hypertension with no symptoms warning you of its presence. If prescribed medication, take it. Invest in a monitor to check your pressure at home.

Lower your risks.  Don’t smoke or drink too much alcohol. (Consume two drinks or less per day –preferably of red wine.) Follow the wisdom of the Catholic Church and do not use birth control pills.  (Combining oral contraceptives with smoking increases a woman’s risk of heart disease dramatically.)

Build healthy relationships.  Take the time to nurture your relationships with God and neighbor.  Studies show that church-going people live longer and have better health. Volunteerism has also been shown to improve health – and individuals reporting several close friendships have less illness.  

Don’t make excuses.  Women tend to delay getting medical care for heart attacks more so than men.  Know the facts.  Don’t argue that you don’t have time to see a doctor, or that family responsibilities prevent you from properly caring for yourself. 

Take responsibility for your well-being, and your heart. Those who love and depend on you will thank you for it! 

Doctors say the most important stats are the ones that make up your individual wellness profile. The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease recommends that women aim for the following:

• A total cholesterol reading of less than 200 mg/dl
• LDL (“bad” cholesterol) reading of less than 100 mg/dl
• HDL (“good” cholesterol) reading of 50 mg/dl or higher
• A triglyceride reading of less than 150 mg/dl
• A blood pressure reading of 120/80 mmHg or lower
• A fasting glucose level below 100 mg/dl
• A body mass index of 25 or less
• A waist circumference of 35 inches or less

 Cathy Adamkiewicz is the author of Broken and Blessed: A Life Story, which documents the life and death of her infant daughter Celeste

Dr. Fitzgibbons has been a regular guest of The Abundant Life and we are thrilled to have him back this week on our new daily television program, Women of Grace.  

Married couples face many challenges together with raising children, managing a home and finances, and just day to day living.  In some cases, couples face additional challenges when one or both spouses have major emotional and character conflicts which limit their ability to give and receive love, resulting in marital unhappiness.  Dr. Fitzgibbons addresses some of these issues on each of this weeks program and gives practical advice on what may be done to resolve them.  You can watch each day on EWTN at 11:00 a.m. and the encore at 11:30 p.m.

You can also check out his website on the Insitute for Marital Healing where you will find much valuable information.  They are offering a free webinar for those who may be or know someone struggling with pornography:

The Healing of Pornography Conflicts Webinar

Join us for a Webinar on June 26 – space is limited.

Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/242775347

This marital educational webinar will focus on the damaging impact of pornography upon Catholic marriages and families, the origins of this conflict and its healing.

The recommended readings are:

• www.socialcostsofpornography.org
• www.maritalhealing.com/conflicts/selfgiving.php
• www.maritalhealing.com/conflicts/addictedspouse.php

 Title: The Healing of Pornography Conflicts

Date:   Saturday, June 26, 2010

Time:   10:30 AM – 12:30 PM EDT

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements

PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP, 2003 Server or 2000

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4.11 (Tiger®) or newer

We received the following letter from a friend in response to this week’s program called the “Socialist Worldview and You” with Samuel Gregg.  She gave us persmission to post it anonymously.  The letter is very eye opening because it comes from the perspective of someone who fled a communist country to live in a “free” country.  She see’s “the shadows” of communism growing in our country and hopes that if she shares her story, perhaps it will inspire us to do what we can to strengthen our faith in God and to pray even more fervantly against it.  

“I recently read your note about communism and I thought I should share this with you…

I’ll try to make it brief, which is almost impossible, but I think I have to share a little bit of what I lived, so we can all pray harder that this doesn’t come to America, land that I love so much (Having being born and lived in a communist country myself when I was a child). May Our Good Lord spare us from the horror of communism, although I already recognize its shadows in here. (I wouldn’t want myself or my family to go through it a 2nd time)…

The most important thing that I advice is that we need to learn to be strong in our faith.  My father was denied superior education because he said he believed in God; some of his friends were not that strong.

"Finally, my Immaculate Heart will triumph."

When I was a little girl in grammar school, I and some others were ridiculed in front of the class for going to Church on Sundays, and even questioned like thieves or criminals and threatened by the school principal. My brother and I never participated in Communist school activities (which they had on Sundays, on purpose, and were mandatory), my parents didn’t take us, they didn’t fear communists at all and always made clear to my teachers that we were NOT to attend because we would go to Church on Sundays. It takes a lot of courage to do that.

Now, they are trying to get a bit more open towards religious expression in Churches only because people are beginning to rebel after more than 50 years of repression and government has a tactic: let the steam of the valve come out a little to avoid explosion. (to avoid massive rebellion).

I just hope that if those times come to me again, I can be as strong as my parents taught me, to put Christ first, no matter what the consequences.

My mother witnessed, at the beginning of the revolution, how they shot to death someone for shouting: “Long live Christ the King”. We don’t know yet, what it means to live in religious persecution, you either are with them or against them with consequences that can cause you prison and death.

Those people who rely solely on Catholic schools to impart religious education on their children and do nothing at home, will not survive in their faith in a communist society; their children will simply be swept away by the culture because there are no religious or Catholic or any denomination schools in communism. All is Public education and homeschool is not allowed, only under certain conditions of illnesses.

About food, intake per month, per family is controlled by the government; you can only purchase what you are allowed in a given month through a control card.
Now, they are letting the common people buy some things at stores that are only designated for tourism, but they can only buy them if relatives send them money from foreign countries, the average Cuban salary of a professional (EX: doctor) is not even enough to eat. That’s how the people in that Communist Island has survived for so long and are not dead of famine on the streets.

I don’t think that they’ll try to make it that obvious in here or any other part of the world. They’ll try to make people want it. This is what they call socialism of the 20th century. They’re trying to blend everybody together to the point of making it almost punishable to practice your own faith, just to avoid hurting others. They’re trying to make it “common sense” to be atheist. It’s the same concept, but with different ways of approaching it, but the bottom line is the same: Communist philosophy is Atheism; they teach children in school that God doesn’t exist. They taught it to me, but thanks to God for the parents He gave me…

The “green” movement is nothing else but the same control by the government, same thing with a different road to approach it. You cannot buy this or that because it “hurts” the environment; instead of having the government control you and get rebellion as a result, they’ll make you beg them to control you (making people want it), see it? Same thing, but with different approach.

What I told you about my experiences is just very little, not even a 10% of all the evil that communism brings. So, I just shared this, to please ask you to request your friends, relatives, everyone you know to bend our knees even harder and pray for this, our beloved America and for us, so the Lord makes us strong to unite together against it. I’m sure you figured out that the country I’m talking about is: Cuba.

Johnnette, I share this with you through private email, because even though I have lived in this free country for more than half my life, and I am proud to be an American Citizen and this is now my land, that I defend and pray for, but I still have engraved in my soul and in my mind the memory of repression and the fear of expressing these type of things. I know there are many communists in this country that will have no problem acting with retaliation. I also have many relatives in Cuba and others that live here and go often to visit them, and I wouldn’t want them to be punished.

You can share it if you want in any way you desire, but please, don’t mention my name.  Thanks and God bless you.”

We know that Our Lady has given us her weapon of chioce, the Holy Rosary.  Let’s use it!

The ideal woman isn’t a glamour queen. She’s a faithful, loving, resourceful woman whose value is beyond measure.   

Solomon’s ideal woman is not often found today, but my mom was the epitome of the Proverbs 31 woman. Somehow she managed to fill all the qualities of the woman Solomon described.

Verses 10-12: “When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls. Her husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize. She brings him good, and not evil, all the days of her life.” 

She was always taking care of us kids. My dad never had any fears. He knew the home front was taken care of. Dinner was ready as soon as he walked in the door and we ate together as a family.

Verses 13: “She obtains wool and flax and makes cloth with skillful hands.” 

Author's mother, Jeri Doner

Mom was an avid seamstress and raising three girls put her talents to good use. I remember one hot summer night I was preparing to take a bath. I brought down my winter pajamas to wear.

“Don’t you have anything else?  It’s too hot for those!”   She said.

I didn’t have anything else, because like all kids my age, I was growing faster than mom’s production of new clothing. I didn’t think any more if it and went to take a bath. When I came out, mom said, “You’re too fast. I didn’t finish.”  She held up a nearly finished green gingham nightie, perfect for sleeping on hot summer nights, that she sewed for me while I was in the tub!

Verses 14-16: “Like merchant ships, she secures her provisions from afar. She rises while it is still night, and distributes food to her household.  She picks out a field to purchase; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.” 

Mom provided food for our family through her resourcefulness. We had a large garden every summer that produced most of the vegetables we ate all year. During the summer mom would send all four of us kids with buckets to scour the countryside for the fruit that grew wild there. We would come home with loads of black raspberries, elderberries, pears, apples and plums, which were then canned, frozen or turned into jams or pies. Thanks to mom no matter how tight things may have gotten financially, a food shortage was never a problem.

Verses 17-19: “She is girt about with strength, and sturdy are her arms. She enjoys the success of her dealings; at night her lamp is undimmed. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her fingers ply the spindle.” 

Mom was always busy. Her lamp literally did not go out some nights and she would often be found at her sewing machine making something for one of us girls or in the kitchen baking cookies or cupcakes for class parties at school.

Verse 20: “She reaches out her hands to the poor, and extends her arms to the needy.” 

Even though we could easily have been considered poor when we were young, there was always enough for others who were in need. If we brought home a friend unexpectedly, there was always enough food to go around. I don’t know how she did it. I often wondered if she had come into possession of the widow’s jar of oil, the one that never ran out. 

Verses 21-22: “She fears not the snow for her household; all her charges are doubly clothed. She makes her own coverlets; fine linen and purple are her clothing.” 

Mom is literally described here in these two verses. Not only was she busy sewing dresses that us girls needed for school and church, she made quilts for all our beds and many of them had our favorite colors, or scraps leftover from the dresses she’d sewn for us.

Verse 23: “Her husband is prominent at the city gates as he sits with the elders of the land.” 

My father was a well-respected man at church and his place of business. A man cannot be respected very much if everyone knows that his wife is less than respectable herself.

Verse 24: “She makes garments and sells them, and stocks the merchants with belts.” 

My parents operated a business out of our home. The bulk of the work fell to my mom.  She made Civil War clothes for people who were involved in Historical societies and re-enacting. On some occasions she even supplied them with sword sashes! 

Verse 25: “She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs at the days to come.”

Mom was a picture of strength and dignity. She was a strong woman with high morals who always stood up for what was right.

Verse 26: “She opens her mouth in wisdom, and on her tongue is kindly counsel.” 

Faithful instruction is the job of every mother. I’m sure we can all remember words of wisdom spoken to us by our moms.

Verse 27: “She watches the conduct of her household, and eats not her food in idleness.” 

Idle would never be a word used to describe my mom. Even if she wanted to go out and enjoy the sunshine after being cooped up inside at her sewing machine all day, she would stockpile handwork and take it outside with her. The only thing that remotely showed any idleness was the afternoon walk she would take to stretch her legs. This was time she often spent in prayer.

Verse 28: “Her children rise up and praise her; her husband, too, extols her:” 

She has earned her due. All of her children respect her and her memory. We are all adults now and we do “arise and call her blessed.” We give her credit for who we are today. 

Verse 29: “‘Many are the women of proven worth, but you have excelled them all.’” 

There are many women who work hard and take care of their families. It’s harder nowadays with so many single moms raising their kids, but there are some women who just stand head and shoulders above the rest.

Verse 31: “Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.”  

Outward beauty is not something I think of when I think of my mother, she was much too busy doing for others to worry about herself.  Her insides, however, were beyond compare! She feared the Lord and was faithful to Him. 

Verse 31: “Give her a reward of her labors, and let her works praise her at the city gates.” 

Although I am sure she has received all the rewards God has to offer, I can’t be sure of what they are.  She is in Heaven now and the rewards she has received there are beyond my comprehension.

Mom has given me something to live up to.  If I end up being half the woman she was, I’ll be successful in life. Even though she’s gone, she has left me memories from which I am still learning and trying desperately to pass on to my daughters.

Do you know a woman who fits Solomon’s description?  Get to know her well if you don’t already. Learn from her. She has much to offer.

Ruth O’Neil is a widely published author and homeschooling mother of three.

In this next section of our reflection on the Eucharist we will look at how to cultivate a living faith and deeper desire for the Eucharist.

A living faith keeps the fire of our desire burning for Jesus. This type of faith is engendered through a consistent prayer life, a temperate lifestyle, charitable actions, and an attitude of gratitude for the blessings God bestows on us each day. Another way to practice a living faith, especially in reference to the Eucharist, is by making a proper thanksgiving after receiving our Lord. As true appreciation for God’s gracious generosity wells up within us so does a holy desire to remain united to him.

I find that the use of good spiritual books and regular spiritual direction are also keys to maintaining a living faith.  Those of you who regularly watch or listen to our programs are familiar with some of my favorites but in case you are not they are:  In Conversations with God by St. Josemaria Escriva, Divine Intimacy by Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D. and True Devotion to Mary by St. Louis De Montfort.  It is difficult to express how much my faith has grown through these beautiful resources and I happily recommend them to you.

The final characteristic of a fervent communion is ardent desire. This desire is demonstrated by a consistent longing to be united to Jesus all of the time. A conscious anticipation for Eucharist, accompanied by a frequent turning of the heart and mind to God, becomes the daily rhythm of the soul imbued with ardent desire. This holy response to the Eucharistic presence is the preeminent grace of the Sacrament. And, it is a defining feature of all the great saints throughout the ages.

No contact with Jesus is greater than receiving him in the Eucharist. However, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is another way in which we can be spiritually nourished by the Eucharistic presence. Whether the Sacred Species is exposed in the monstrance or reposed in the tabernacle, coming before our Lord is efficacious and spiritually beneficial.

Pope John Paul II, a man of deep prayer and Eucharistic adoration, has encouraged Catholics everywhere to seek the rich spiritual benefits available through Eucharistic worship.  He writes: 

“Indeed, since the Eucharistic mystery was instituted out of love, and makes Christ sacramentally present, it is worthy of thanksgiving and worship … The Church and the world have a great need of Eucharistic worship. Jesus waits for us in this Sacrament of love. Let us be generous with our time in going to meet him in adoration and contemplation full of faith, and open to making amends for the serious offenses and crimes of the world. May our adoration never cease” (Apostolic Letter on the Mystery and Worship of the Holy Eucharist, # 3).

Time spent before the Eucharistic presence should be a time of prayer. As with any prayer time, we must first recollect ourselves, aware of what we intend to do (pray) and of whose Presence we are in. Next, we engage in the prayer itself. We may find it helpful to structure our adoration time by dividing it into four equal parts, spending several minutes each on adoration, contrition, thanksgiving, and supplication (petition). These four parts form the acronym ACTS, and have constituted a suggested structure of prayer for centuries.

However, as we grow more comfortable in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, our time in prayer should give over to contemplation.  A time of simply gazing into the face of the One whom we love. Sitting quietly before the Radiant Splendor of Jesus Christ, allowing the rays of His love to penetrate into all areas of our heart, can do much to nourish and strengthen our life of faith. Jesus desires that each of us becomes a temple in which He dwells. As we gaze on the Lord’s glory with unveiled faces, we are transformed into the very image of our Lord (see 2 Cor 3:18). Then, filled with his life, we can carry his blessings to the world.

Another way to place ourselves consistently in the Lord’s Eucharistic presence is through the frequent offering of spiritual communions.  This can be done by your own personalized version or by one of the many beautiful prayers composed by one of the Saints or the Church for this purpose.  One of my favorites is the Anima Christi:

Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water from Christ’s side, wash me
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
O good Jesus, hear me
Within Thy wounds hide me
Suffer me not to be separated from Thee
From the malicious enemy defend me
In the hour of my death call me
And bid me come unto Thee
That I may praise Thee with Thy saints
and with Thy angels
Forever and ever
Amen

Let us come to each encounter of the Eucharistic presence of our Lord with hearts opened wide, ready to receive every spiritual blessing in the heavens (Eph. 1: 3). And, vivified by him who brings us spiritual life, may we be beacons of light leading others to know Christ who is King of all.  

Faith in Action:

• Find a good Catholic spiritual resource which will help you to develop a living faith.  Look for the Nahil Obstat and Impramatur to ensure that they are authentically Catholic.
• Spend an hour with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament this week.
• Make a commitment to offer Spiritual Communions on a regular basis.