Behind the Cover: Discovering the Creation of Rejoice and Be Glad! Part II
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We are back for the second half of a wonderful interview with local Colorado author Rachel Schluenderfritz and illustrator Ted Schluenderfritz discussing their wonderful book Rejoice and Be Glad! Living the Beatitudes. It has been such an amazing experience! In this half we will be digging deeper into the Beatitudes. Why they matter and how to make them a part of our family’s life. Scroll all the way to the end for a very special giveaway of a copy of Rejoice and Be Glad! (The giveaway will be running until October 9th, 2025).
The Beatitudes can seem a heavy topic at times. How can families implement living the Beatitudes more fully in their lives?
We have to be careful that the Beatitudes, and really anything else in our faith, do not just become a list or a dead letter. Recently, I was reading a book, and the author said that the Scriptures are waiting to link to our lives in order to become powerful. So if we just think of the Beatitudes as something to memorize and not as transformative, they will not change our lives. I hope that my book might be a good conversation starter so that families can explore the beauty of living in the way that Jesus lived. And always, we have to start with poverty of spirit and return to it over and over again because it unlocks everything.
Which Beatitude is your favorite and do you relate to the most? Which one do you find most challenging?
Rachel: I think I would have to say that my favorite Beatitude is the first: “Blessed are the poor in spirit”. It’s not an accident that Jesus started with this one. But it is also one that people often misunderstand. It has to do with both the body and the soul. We are body and soul and we can’t get away from that. So it’s not enough just to say, “Yes, I am detached from all of my things” while continuing to stock them up in my barns. We have a physical reality and without some real physical poverty, we are probably kidding ourselves. On the other hand, we could give away all of our things and still be very attached to our opinions, our plans, etc. So the two things really have to work together. We really can’t be clinging to anything that’s superfluous. And something is superfluous if it doesn’t in some way, direct our life towards Jesus.
As to the one I find the most challenging, that’s a difficult question. I think it might be “Blessed are the meek”.
Ted: “Blessed are those who mourn” is the Beatitude that I feel most resonates with me. There is so much suffering in the world. There are so many causes for mourning that the hope that the curtain will be drawn away in the end and all mourning turned to joy is a great comfort.
I think the Beatitude “Blessed are those who are persecuted” is challenging because I am afraid to suffer.
How have you implemented living the Beatitudes in your own family?
In our family, we try to focus on the first Beatitude. We try to get by with less and actually we’re so used to it that it doesn’t seem like deprivation. Although I do admit that having one vehicle for six adults is sometimes difficult. And living together in somewhat of a community now, we have a lot of opportunities to practice all of the Beatitudes except maybe the eighth.
Is there any right or wrong way to live the Beatitudes? Why are they important?
The Beatitudes are obviously important since they begin the Sermon on the Mount. They are like a guidebook to lead us to happiness, blessedness, and eternal life. Therefore, it is important to read them carefully and to follow their guidance. In a certain sense, the only wrong way to live them would be to not try to live them. But I think there are some ways that are better than others. It’s a good idea to try to enter into the mind and heart of Christ and understand what he is calling us to do. And that takes a lifetime.
I love the practical tips that you give on how to live each Beatitude better. What advice do you have for children to cling to the Beatitudes and make them a “rule of life”?
All of us, whether we are children in the physical sense or not, are still children in the way that we take things into our hearts. One of the interesting things about this book is that it is really not for any specific age. One of my grandsons has loved this book since he was one. And recently a retreat center asked if they could use the reflections for their adult retreatants. We all learn through stories. So I would encourage anyone to start with the stories here and then look for other examples that fit with the particular Beatitude, whether from saints’ lives or other people’s lives, even people that they know. Young children love making collections of stories and illustrating them. This would be a good way to really take the Beatitudes into their hearts and their minds.
What is your favorite family prayer?
Our favorite family prayer is the Mass. Everything else stems from this. We have been blessed to be able to attend daily Mass as a family since 1997.
Tell us a little about your website www.5sparrows.com? What can families expect to find there?
Our website began in July 2021. We were trying to think of a way that we could evangelize families. Now we think of it almost like a library where anyone can come and find things to read and enjoy. The material is for a variety of age levels from the younger children to adults. There are stories, reflections, saints, puzzles and lots of science because our sons like science. Everything is available for free. Although we appreciate it if people are able to support the project financially, that helps us to keep it going.
Do you have any new projects in the works? Together or individually?
Rachel: I have written a few other stories and there is the possibility that they will be published or posted on our website. But it takes less time to write a story than it does for it to be illustrated.
Ted: I’ve just finished illustrating Maura McKeegan’s next book in the Old and New Series. I also finished a fun project with Liguori. It’s a cookbook for kids and I contributed a small illustration of each of the 66 saints featured in the book cooking a recipe. I’m also working on a book my oldest son Malcolm wrote.
Thank you so much Ted and Rachel for taking the time to chat with me about your wonderful book. This has been so very wonderful and rewarding. I hope that many families will be blessed by your work! May God bless the two of you and your family abundantly for your beautiful work.
Love,
Mattie
Do not forget to enter our giveaway for a chance to win a copy of Rejoice and Be Glad! Open until October 9th, 2025!
Other books illustrated by Ted Schluenderfritz:
- The Narrow Gate by Rachel Schluenderfritz
- Portrait of the Son by Josephine Nobisso
- In this Catholic Church by Maura McKeegan
- The Father Brown Reader I by Nancy Carpentier Brown
- The Father Brown Reader II by Nancy Carpentier Brown
- The Holy Spirit and the Greatest Adventure by Gracie Jagla
- The Attic Saint by Tim Drake
- The Old and New series by Maura McKeegan:
Stay in touch with Ted and Rachel through their website: www.5sparrows.com and Ted’s Instagram account:
@schluenderfritz
