The Courage of Jill Costello

This article comes from Sports Illustrated.

After a promising junior season as a coxswain at Cal, she learned she was in the late stages of cancer. The next year was her best.
By Chris Ballard

Next spring the NCAA women's crew season will begin again. On lakes and rivers across the country, fleets of skinny boats will skitter over the water like giant insects, their wooden legs moving in unison. Happen upon a race, and your eyes will be drawn to the powerful women in the bow of each boat, the ones with backs like oak doors who tear great gashes in the water, pushing and pulling and exhaling clouds of carbon dioxide until their chests are aflame and their temples thump. For a moment, though, it's worth shifting your gaze to the stern, to the wispy figure of the coxswain. She'll be the only woman facing forward, the only one without an oar. Indeed, she'll barely even move, instead just sitting there ... talking. If you are unfamiliar with the sport, you might wonder about this small woman's purpose, wonder if she can even be considered an athlete. After all, how can you be an athlete when all you do is talk? What difference can a woman like that make, anyway?

You'd be amazed.

It started as a dull ache in Jill Costello's abdomen, the kind you get after a night of suspect Chinese food. Only it didn't go away. It was June 2009, and the Cal crew had just returned from the NCAA championships in Cherry Hill, N.J. The Bears had finished second, behind Stanford, continuing a remarkable run of six top four finishes in seven years.

Jill came back to Berkeley elated. She had coxed the third boat at nationals, which meant she had a good shot at being in the top varsity boat as a senior. As for the nagging pain in her bloated stomach, she assumed it was stress-related—the product of late nights cramming for finals and early mornings practicing on the water. So when her good friend and teammate Adrienne Keller headed to the trainer to receive treatment for a balky back a few days after nationals, Jill decided to tag along; maybe she could pick up some pills before heading out for the summer.

When the two women walked into the training room, the tall, broad-shouldered Keller dwarfed Jill, who was small and thin, with porcelain cheeks, a cascade of brown hair and an ever-present grin. Looking at the pair, you'd never have guessed they were teammates.

Understand, Jill never set out to be a coxswain. Nobody does. Growing up in San Francisco, she'd competed in the same sports as her friends: soccer, field hockey, cross-country. She had enough talent as a dancer to perform with the San Francisco Ballet as a nine-year-old, but she quit when told she'd need to devote herself to it full time. She loved being part of a team too much for that.

There was only one problem. While her two older brothers kept growing, each eventually surpassing six feet, Jill stayed small. And no matter how hard she tried, it was tough to be a soccer goalie when she was the shortest kid on the field. By the time she was a senior at St. Ignatius College Prep, Jill had topped out at 5'4" and 110 pounds and was focusing her college aspirations on crew, the only sport in which her size was an asset.

The fit was more than physical. The coxswain's role is twofold. She's expected to steer the boat, factoring in the wind, tides and at times the uneven stroking of her crew. (All coxes fear the moment when a rower "catches a crab"—that is, snags an oar in the water on the return stroke, jolts the boat and even, in extreme cases, ejects herself.) The coxswain also acts as a surrogate coach, relaying information, determining strategy and providing motivation.

This Jill could do. She'd always liked being in charge. One of her first phrases as a toddler was, Me do. Not long after, she began bossing around her older brothers. The way Jill saw it, life was too short to wait for things to come to you. While most of her teammates at Cal had a tough enough time juggling crew and school, Jill worked with Habitat for Humanity, was in a sorority and was vice president of the Panhellenic council, which governs campuswide Greek life. At times her mother, Mary, found Jill's intensity exhausting. Even when shopping for clothes, Jill wouldn't buy a pair of pants unless they were perfect.

Such traits might have been grating in someone else, but pretty much everyone liked Jill. How could you not? If you looked sad, she'd puff out her cheeks, pull out her tiny ears and make monkey faces until you laughed. If you were the new kid, she was the first to come up and start a conversation. When her roommate and best friend at Cal, K.C. Oakley, left school for a semester to go to Colorado, Jill texted her every day to say good morning and good night. It was Jill who nicknamed Cal crew head coach Dave O'Neill the Coif for his gravity-defying puff of blond hair and did a perfect imitation of the "jiggle-jaw" face he made when exasperated. (From anyone else O'Neill might have chafed at the jokes, but his bond with Jill was so strong that he asked her to be the godmother of his son, Dash.)

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Feliz Navidad!

A Christmas wish from your favorite youth ministers...

http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/QOjNn5YRChpEypNI

Mary Did You Know

It's almost Christmas! Almost time for Jesus to arrive! This video is a great reminder of our Lord's life and passion, how He came to be with us and one of us, and how much He loves us. It also reminds us of the special role Mary played walking beside her Son from the Annunciation to the Resurrection. Pray for us, Holy Mother, and lead us to your Son!

Modern Nativity Story

If you've ever wanted to know more about the nativity story, here you go. True stuff, start to finish.

Life is too short and friends are too few

One day , the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.

On their return from their trip , the father asked his son , "How was the trip?"

"It was great , Dad."

"Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked.

"Oh yeah," said the son.

"So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father.

The son answered:

"I saw that we have one dog and they had four.
We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end.
We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night.
Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.
We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.
We have servants who serve us , but they serve others.
We buy our food , but they grow theirs.
We have walls around our property to protect us , they have friends to protect them."

The boy's father was speechless. Then his son added , "Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are."

Isn't perspective a wonderful thing? Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don't have. Appreciate every single thing you have , especially your friends!

Advent Reflection: The Nativity (Third Joyful Mystery of the Rosary)

Allow me set a scene for you…

A nice young couple turned away from the inn, forced to stay in a dry but pleasant stable in Bethlehem. Mary ready to give birth to the Lord Jesus Christ, an immaculately conceived little babe pops from the womb with umbilical cord pre-clipped and skin already soft and smooth (none of that splotchy stuff or red gooey substance covering his precious body). Animals doting and peacefully watching this birth transpire, batting their eyelashes. Joseph beaming from the side with arms crossed and a content look on his bearded face. Jesus peacefully sleeping in preparation for his future exploits as King.

It’s our nativity, and it is wonderful, beautiful, magnificent.

Now, let’s have a reality check. This isn’t to diminish the miracle of the birth of Jesus or make fun of the nativity scene, but to properly set the context for how humbly our Lord entered the world in human form.

First, the mother: Mary, an unwed virgin girl, who would be in high school if she lived today, is visited by an angel and told she will become pregnant by God. Unwed teen pregnancy at the time meant you become an outcast very quickly, if you weren’t stoned to death first. Imagine telling your family this joyous news.

Joseph, her fiancée, was going to break up with her. Doesn’t seem like he bought the “God got me pregnant” story until he was visited by an angel who told him it was true, so they stay together. HUGE SCANDAL!!

The manger holding Jesus. To clarify: A manger is not meant for newborn babies. It’s a trough out of which the animals eat. Imagine some hungry cows chomping cud just minutes before Jesus was placed in that same space.

The average stable in the time of Jesus was made of stone, not wood. It would have been icy cold with the winter freeze. Think about this: Jesus may have even been born in a cave that was used as a stable as was common practice in His time.

It is likely that Mary and Joseph didn’t ask the hotel in Bethlehem for a place to stay, but rather sought refuge at a personal residence of a townsperson. The guest room at the home was probably occupied, and since it seemed Mary would be giving birth, the manger at least offered a level of privacy the other rooms could not, so they took it.

Stables were unpleasant places to be. Animal feed stinks horribly, and it was all over for the cows, sheep, goats, or other farm creatures to graze. And if the food stinks, you know it will smell even worse coming out the other end. Animal dung everywhere – covering the hay and the walls, caked into the dirt floors and overwhelming the senses. The animals were not washed and likely stunk with months’ worth of dirt, bugs, poop, and other substances clinging to their bodies. Plus, it’s not as if these animals knew what was happening. They kept on mooing and moving around despite the birth of Jesus in their midst.

Who came to visit Jesus? Shepherds. If you remember David from the Old Testament, he was a sheep herder before he became King. People didn’t even consider him among his brothers vying for royalty because of his occupation. We’re talking socially isolated individuals, out in the wilderness for weeks at a time doing hard, sweaty work with no showers, those same nasty animals to care for and sometimes carry on their shoulders. You can bet the shepherds had their own distinctive stench, dirt-covered palms, and raggedy clothing.

I’d imagine the all-mighty creator of all things would have this crazy awesome entrance, like a pro wrestler times a million. Fireworks would start shooting out of nowhere; millions and millions of angels would come out of the sky and play some sweet entrance music. Trees would uproot themselves and start dancing around, rocks would start screaming, and the super continent Pangaea would magically reform. A massive video would start flashing pictures of everything God had done. He would wait for the video to play a little bit and then step out into the sky flexing his muscles and throwing high fives to his fans. But instead of that, we have an entrance into a scandalous family, in a room full of crap, surrounded by the lowest people around.

Author Fredrick Beakner once wrote: “The child Jesus is born in the night among the sweaty breath and steaming dung of beasts, and nothing is ever the same again. Those who believe in God can never, in a way, be sure of him again. Once they see him in a stable, they can never be sure where he will appear, or to what lengths he will go, or to what ludicrous depths of self-humiliation he will descend in his wild pursuit of mankind.”

God’s first moments on earth were in the most dirty and disgusting place, in the middle of a scandalous family, surrounded by the lowest kind of people around. There’s no level he won’t sink to in order get to us. No matter where you are in life, God is there to have a relationship with you.

I don’t know who you are, but I know why you’re here. It’s because there is a God who is wildly pursuing you, exactly as you are now. Even if you’re searching for something – truth, direction, answers, friends, anything really – God is searching for you even more.

Advent Reflection: The Visitation (Second Joyful Mystery of the Rosary)

After Mary spoke to the Angel Gabriel and immaculately conceived Jesus, where did she go?

To visit her sister Elizabeth, who was pregnant with Jesus’ famous cousin once-removed: John the Baptist.

Once Mary got to Elizabeth, what happened? John the Baptist leapt in Elizabeth’s womb and she proclaimed, “Blessed are you among women and blest is the fruit of your womb!"

Then Mary said to Elizabeth, “My being proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit finds glory in God my savior. For He has looked upon His servant in her lowliness; all ages to come shall call me blessed.”

Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months and then returned home. Something about this interaction seems so human: Sisters, both pregnant, reveling in their upcoming motherhood, probably plenty of giggling and sharing stories, catching up and cooking together, playing games and talking about their husbands.

But there’s something powerfully holy in this gathering: Four saints, two of whom are perfect, unblemished, sinless human beings. The Blessed Virgin Mary, her sister St. Elizabeth, and the children they bore: Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man, and John the Baptist, herald of the Christ to come and Baptizer of Jesus in the River Jordan. What a gathering of Holiness!

Pope John Paul II famously once said, “As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.” This seems more pronounced in the holiday season when our families form such a significant part of what makes this time so magical and unique.

In this special time, do you meet with the special people in your life? With your family? What makes it a special time for you? Do you have any traditions you repeat every Advent and Christmas season?

What about the people without family? Is there someone you know who feels lonely this time of year? Is there someone you could get to know who’s feeling lonely? What could you do to offer that person some sense of family?

The true story of Rudolph

A man named Bob May, depressed and brokenhearted, stared out his drafty apartment window into the chilling December night. His 4-year-old daughter Barbara sat on his lap quietly sobbing.

Bob's wife, Evelyn, was dying of cancer.

Little Barbara couldn't understand why her mommy could never come home. Barbara looked up into her dad's eyes and asked, "Why isn't Mommy just like everybody else's Mommy?" Bob's jaw tightened and his eyes welled with tears.

Her question brought waves of grief, but also of anger. It had been the story of Bob's life. Life always had to be different for Bob.

Small when he was a kid, Bob was often bullied by other boys. He was too little at the time to compete in sports. He was often called names he'd rather not remember. From childhood, Bob was different and never seemed to fit in. Bob did complete college, married his loving wife and was grateful to get his job as a copywriter at Montgomery Ward during the Great Depression. Then he was blessed with his little girl. But it was all short-lived. Evelyn's bout with cancer stripped them of all their savings and now Bob and his daughter were forced to live in a two-room apartment in the Chicago slums. Evelyn died just days before Christmas in 1938.

Bob struggled to give hope to his child, for whom he couldn't even afford to buy a Christmas gift. But if he couldn't buy a gift, he was determined to make one - a storybook! Bob had created a character in his own mind and told the animal's story to little Barbara to give her comfort and hope. Again and again Bob told the story, embellishing it more with each telling.

Who was the character? What was the story all about? The story Bob May created was his own autobiography in fable form. The character he created was a misfit outcast like he was. The name of the character? A little reindeer named Rudolph, with a big shiny nose.

Bob finished the book just in time to give it to his little girl on Christmas Day. But the story doesn't end there.

The general manager of Montgomery Ward caught wind of the little storybook and offered Bob May a nominal fee to purchase the rights to print the book. Wards went on to print "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and distribute it to children visiting Santa Claus in their stores. By 1946 Wards had printed and distributed more than six million copies of Rudolph. That same year, a major publisher wanted to purchase the rights from Wards to print an updated version of the book.

In an unprecedented gesture of kindness, the CEO of Wards returned all rights back to Bob May. The book became a best seller. Many toy and marketing deals followed and Bob May, now remarried with a growing family, became wealthy from the story he created to comfort his grieving daughter. But the story doesn't end there either.

Bob's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, made a song adaptation to Rudolph. Though the song was turned down by such popular vocalists as Bing Crosby and Dinah Shore, it was recorded by the singing cowboy, Gene Autry. "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was released in 1949 and became a phenomenal success, selling more records than any other Christmas song, with the exception of "White Christmas."

The gift of love that Bob May created for his daughter so long ago kept on returning back to bless him again and again. And Bob May learned the lesson, just like his dear friend Rudolph, that being different isn't so bad. In fact, being different can be a blessing.

(...And now you know the rest of the story!)

Life Teen Christmas Caroling

Photos from our adventure at Emeritus Assisted Living Center last night. Santa Clause was there!

Congratulations to our ugly sweater contest winners:

First Place ($25 Top Pot Donuts gift card)

Greg Dellino & Stephanie Sowers
Second Place ($5 Starbucks gift card)

Joseph Majewski

Susie King

Prayer for Ministers of the Word (Lectors)

Lord, invest me with your power

as I prepare to proclaim the marvel of Your message.

I have prepared my reading.

I have tried to take within me

the meaning of what I am about to proclaim.

Help me to proclaim not just with my lips,

but with my whole heart and soul.

Lord, make me a hollow reed

so that your voice will be heard by all who hear me.

Free me of excessive concern over my performance.

Convert my feeling of nervousness

and turn all my apprehension into an energy

for proclaiming your Word with power and authority.

May your Spirit live in me and

fill the holy Word that I proclaim.

From the lectors of Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish in Singapore

Archbishop Sartain: Welcome to a diverse diocese

by JOEL CONNELLY
SEATTLEPI.COM STAFF

Since named as Bishop of Little Rock on Dec. 2, 1999, J. Peter Sartain has journeyed from the Ozarks to the Diocese of Joliet outside Chicago, and last September was called to become the new Archbishop of Seattle.

"More than one person has commented on my inability to hold down a job," Sartain quipped to a Tuesday night vespers service at St. James Cathedral, on the eve of his formal installation Wednesday afternoon.

He received a rich taste of the ethnic diversity, lay involvement and ecumenism that are hallmarks of a vibrant, 25,000-square mile diocese that has been known to cause headaches in Rome.

With drums sounding in the background, the new archbishop was welcomed by a Lutheran bishop, the director of the Church Council of Greater Seattle, and Mormon representatives as well as Catholics from the Korean, Polish, Samoan, Vietnamese, African American, Chinese, Filipino, Hispanic and Laotian communities.

Hearing-impaired Catholics greeted Sartain, as well as Native Americans from the Tulalip and Lummi tribes, the Archdiocesan Women's Commission, and a venerable peace activist nun.

A former dean at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral, the Rt. Rev. Fred Northup, once observed that Seattle is a place where everybody has to get consulted about everything. The Catholic Church doesn't follow that model of operation, but involvement is intense in Western Washington.

"The Archdiocese of Washington, er, the Archdiocese of Seattle, knows how to make one feel welcome," Sartain said after the multiple greetings. He talked about the "wonderful cultural diversity" just witnessed and "working together in the vineyards of the world."

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Donor gives a gigantic boost to food drive, stays anonymous

By Julie Muhlstein
Everett Herald Writer

EVERETT — It’s a food drive, not a holiday movie plot. The man who made a huge, anonymous donation to Cascade High School’s annual effort is no imaginary angel.

He’s real.

Ask Linda Anderson, a physics teacher who met the generous mystery man Monday after thousands of pounds of food were hauled into her Cascade High classroom.

“The kids were unloading a big truck, and I went down and introduced myself,” Anderson said. “I don’t know anything about him. But he basically taught my kids the best lesson they’re going to get all year.”

Since Thursday, the man who first met Cascade students collecting food outside a Safeway store in the Silver Firs area has donated more than 20,000 items to the school’s annual holiday food drive, Anderson said.

“It’s crazy. I didn’t even believe it at first,” said Brent Collins, a 17-year-old Cascade senior.

The teens said the man told them he is here on business from New Orleans. They would not give a reporter his name, saying the man sought to keep his identity private.

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Arrested

The youth minister was being tailgated by a stressed-out woman on a busy boulevard. Suddenly, the light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.

The tailgating woman hit the roof, and the horn, screaming in frustration as she missed her chance to get through the intersection with him. As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer.

The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up. He took her to the police station where she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a cell.

After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects.

He said, "I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping the guy off in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the 'What Would Jesus Do" bumper sticker, the 'Follow Me to Sunday School' bumper sticker and the chrome-plated fish emblem on the trunk. Naturally, I assumed you had stolen the car."

--Author Unknown

Ugly sweater competition & caroling this Sunday

We’ll be celebrating the season in our worst styles. It’s time for the first-ever ugly sweater Christmas party at Life Teen. Did you get yours yet? Don’t miss out on the competition on Sunday. Susie has been trash talking all week thinking she has the worst sweater of them all. Are you going to let her win? $25 gift card to Top Pot for the winner, $5 Starbucks gift cards to the second and third place finishers. It’s a night for caroling at Emeritus Assisted Living Center, so you’ll need a permission slip signed by a parent or guardian. Santa Claus will make an appearance too! Before we go, we’ll meet in the Fellowship Hall to have dinner. All high schoolers are invited.

What do you want for Christmas?

A poem sent to Dear Abby from a couple who have too much stuff

So many of you asked us (since Yuletide's drawing near)
"What do you want for Christmas? What can we give you this year?
If we say, "We want nothing!" you buy something anyway,
So here's a list of what we'd like; believe now what we say:

Pajamas for a little child, food to feed the poor.
Blankets for a shelter, and we ask a little bit more--
Perform good deeds and let us know, or volunteer your time.
These last are worth a fortune, and they needn't cost a dime.

We have to many things now, vases, candles, tapes and clocks.
We have our fill of garments, ties, underwear and socks.
Candy is too fattening, crossword books we've more than 20.
We don't need trays or plates or cups, and knickknacks we have plenty.

We've no walls to hang more pictures; we have books we've not yet read;
So please take what you'd spend on us and help the poor instead!
Just send a Christmas card to us and tell us what you've done;
We'll open them on Christmas Eve, and read them one by one.

It won't cost as much for postage as a package sent would do,
You'll need no wrapping paper, ribbons, ink or glue.
And we'll thank God you listened to what we had to say,
So we could be the instruments to help someone this way.

-- Author Unknown

How to Pray the Rosary

One “yes” changed the course of human history. Mary became the mother of God, Jesus came to be with us, and our lives were forever changed. Who was this beautiful woman and why do we
honor her? Discover how our holy mother helps us to know her Son at Life Teen this Sunday. All high schoolers are invited after the 5 p.m. Mass. To prepare for the night or to follow up after it, check out these amazing prayer guides from Life Teen. They are great if you're just starting to pray the rosary, need a refresher, or like to have something visual in front of you as you pray. Let's storm the gates of heaven!

How to Pray the Rosary

How to Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet

Confirmation Questions of the Week

When people ask you what religion you are should we say Christian or Catholic? What’s the best way to say that?
If someone asks if you are Catholic or Christian, tell them you are both. Christianity includes the Catholic Church. In fact, all of Christianity originally came from the Catholic Church. In the first hundred years after Jesus died and rose, the Catholic Church was the only Church. Then the Eastern Orthodox Church split in the 1100s. The Protestant Reformation occurred in the 1500s and 1600s, and ever since, Christianity is no longer a “big C” Church but a vast number of denominations who believe mostly the same stuff but have some fundamental differences.

Christians have a lot in common, whether Lutheran, non-denominational, Pentecostal, Methodist, or Catholic. We believe in a God who is Trinitarian, three in one and one in three. We believe that Jesus saved us from our sins. We believe that the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit to be the living Word of God. We share many beliefs. But what makes us distinct as Catholics? Many things. We honor (not worship!) holy people who are now in heaven as saints. We honor the mother of Jesus, the Virgin Mary, for her “yes” to God and her perfect example of how to follow her Son. We have seven sacraments that bind us to God throughout our lives – most churches have none or only a couple. We have 2000 years of Tradition to guide us. We have church services that use all the senses – seeing the candles, smelling the incense, hearing the Word proclaimed, tasting communion. But more than anything else, it’s the Eucharist that makes us unique. We believe that the bread and wine truly change to become the body and blood of Christ. At the Last Supper, Jesus commanded us to DO THIS in remembrance of him. And so we do. We eat His Body and drink His Blood to proclaim His death and resurrection until He comes again. We’re pretty distinct from our Protestant brothers and sisters that way.

'

So when someone asks whether you are Catholic or Christian, tell them you’re a Catholic Christian, and say it proudly. Use it to lead into a conversation about what you believe and why. Live your faith boldly with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Why do we believe we can re-sacrifice Christ every Sunday? What did he say for us to know he wants this?
When we celebrate the Eucharist, it’s not re-sacrificing Christ. Rather, we are transported to the Last Supper. We become time travelers of sorts. God exists outside the realm of time, so God can see the Last Supper at the same time he sees us celebrate our Mass. So instead of re-sacrificing Christ, we are uniting ourselves in His one sacrifice for all, the Passion of Christ on the Cross. We remember the immense love Jesus showed us, we enter into the mystery of Christ’s saving love, we are placed at the side of the cross and the seat of the communion table. This might seem a little crazy, but you will discover that we Catholics are indeed a little crazy sometimes. Jesus was crazy too, but He was God. And so we listen to what He said and follow Him.

'

In chapter six of the Gospel of John, Jesus affirms everything we believe about his true presence in the Eucharist. “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst….I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world…. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.”

'

No mistaking that. Jesus wants us to eat his flesh and drink his blood. Thank God he made his flesh and blood to be simple bread and wine so we don’t have to be cannibals. It sounds funny, but it’s truly a gift to have these simple elements become Christ Himself.