Some of you have my email address and if you have been sending me stuff the last week or so - well, I am not receiving it. Just letting you know I am still alive and well.
Also, I can't seem to comment on certain blogs (especially Adrienne's) and I have no idea why. I am not ignoring you!
.
Thought of the Day
Tuesday, 30 June 2009
Monday, 29 June 2009
Another Award!
ImageChef.com Poetry Blender
Kalona over at Knocking Everywhere has a blog I really enjoy reading. It always brings a smile to my face to see photos of her grandkids and hear sweet stories about them!
Pass it on...
An Award!
"Those who receive this award are of the sweetest nature. They are kind, friendly, funny, loving, eager to share their love for Jesus with others, and brave in their efforts to reflect Him to this darkened world. They are the kind of folks you're blessed to know, even if it's only in the blogo-sphere."
Larry D and Terry Nelson will NOT be receiving this award because they never award me nuthin' !
♥
Sunday, 28 June 2009
How bad is this song/hymn?
BEYOND THE VEIL
Here in Your presence where the saints
and angels dwell, In joyful exaltation
of Your name, Emmanuel.
Here in Your presence
I love to sing Your praise,
To join the choirs of heaven
to magnify Your name.
Jesus, may my prayer rise
Like incense before You
May my song be like the evening sacrifice.
Jesus, may my heart be like the Holy of Holies,
an ark where Your sacred presence dwells,
beyond the veil.
Here in Your presence
I can hear the angels sing in endless adoration
Of Your grace and majesty.
Here in Your presence,
I am filled with deepest awe;
To worship in Your presence,
Is the greatest gift of all.
Jesus, may my prayer rise
Like incense before You,
May my song be like the evening sacrifice.
Jesus, may my heart be like the Holy of Holies,
an ark where Your sacred presence dwells,
beyond the veil.
Holy, holy, holy Lord, Holy, holy, holy Lord,
Holy, holy, holy Lord, Holy, holy, holy.
Here in Your presence where the saints
and angels dwell, In joyful exaltation
of Your name, Emmanuel.
Here in Your presence
I love to sing Your praise,
To join the choirs of heaven
to magnify Your name.
Jesus, may my prayer rise
Like incense before You
May my song be like the evening sacrifice.
Jesus, may my heart be like the Holy of Holies,
an ark where Your sacred presence dwells,
beyond the veil.
Here in Your presence
I can hear the angels sing in endless adoration
Of Your grace and majesty.
Here in Your presence,
I am filled with deepest awe;
To worship in Your presence,
Is the greatest gift of all.
Jesus, may my prayer rise
Like incense before You,
May my song be like the evening sacrifice.
Jesus, may my heart be like the Holy of Holies,
an ark where Your sacred presence dwells,
beyond the veil.
Holy, holy, holy Lord, Holy, holy, holy Lord,
Holy, holy, holy Lord, Holy, holy, holy.
R.I.P.
My priest's mother just died. Please keep Doris and her 8 children in your prayers. Thank you.
We beseech Thee, O Lord,
in Thy mercy,
to have pity on the soul of Thy handmaid;
do Thou, Who hast freed her
from the perils of this mortal life,
restore to her the portion of everlasting salvation.
Through Christ our Lord,
Amen.
in Thy mercy,
to have pity on the soul of Thy handmaid;
do Thou, Who hast freed her
from the perils of this mortal life,
restore to her the portion of everlasting salvation.
Through Christ our Lord,
Amen.
+++
Esoterica
Here's the scenario: our parish has about 700 families registered. Maybe 600 individuals actually make it to Mass each weekend. Of those 600 people approximately 35 are signed up for specific hours to engage in Eucharistic Adoration.
At one time adoration took place in the little chapel belonging to the good sisters who taught at the parochial school. The sisters have long since left (this earth, actually.) The chapel continued to be used until it was deemed the convent could not be renovated up to code without great cost to the parish. The convent was demolished and adoration moved into the church.
Now about 8 adoration guardians are requesting the parish council consider adding an adoration chapel into the plans for renovating the church proper. The majority of the guardians are over 60 years of age. Who will use this chapel in 20 years? We can't seem to attract a younger crowd to this devotion.
And if great numbers were attracted to Adoration should we not use the church which can seat 300? Or an esoteric little chapel that might seat 20? In close quarters. Where some little old Portuguese lady in the pew behind you is "whispering" the Rosary in your left ear. Or you go to have a good cry with Our Lord and your neighbours hear you sniffling.
Our parish does not warrant a chapel - it is neither a cathedral, nor a place of pilgrimage with many visitors coming through to see historical or artistic treasures. (My goodness - the church was built in 1972 and it's UGLY as sin!) Furthermore the GIRM puts the sanctuary as the first option.
Any ideas on how we can squash this movement?
At one time adoration took place in the little chapel belonging to the good sisters who taught at the parochial school. The sisters have long since left (this earth, actually.) The chapel continued to be used until it was deemed the convent could not be renovated up to code without great cost to the parish. The convent was demolished and adoration moved into the church.
Now about 8 adoration guardians are requesting the parish council consider adding an adoration chapel into the plans for renovating the church proper. The majority of the guardians are over 60 years of age. Who will use this chapel in 20 years? We can't seem to attract a younger crowd to this devotion.
And if great numbers were attracted to Adoration should we not use the church which can seat 300? Or an esoteric little chapel that might seat 20? In close quarters. Where some little old Portuguese lady in the pew behind you is "whispering" the Rosary in your left ear. Or you go to have a good cry with Our Lord and your neighbours hear you sniffling.
Our parish does not warrant a chapel - it is neither a cathedral, nor a place of pilgrimage with many visitors coming through to see historical or artistic treasures. (My goodness - the church was built in 1972 and it's UGLY as sin!) Furthermore the GIRM puts the sanctuary as the first option.
Any ideas on how we can squash this movement?
.
I do not tremble...
"I do not tremble when I see my weakness,
for the treasures of a mother belong also to her child,
and I am your child, O dear Mother Mary."
St. Therese of Lisieux
for the treasures of a mother belong also to her child,
and I am your child, O dear Mother Mary."
St. Therese of Lisieux
H/T to Micki for the quote!
Friday, 26 June 2009
Antonio, I love you!
The most beautiful 12 seconds of music EVER written and performed is at the 1:13 - 1:25 mark.
♥♥♥
Thursday, 25 June 2009
FF and MJ
I wasn't a big fan of either Farrah or Michael but I am praying for the repose of their souls.
Wednesday, 24 June 2009
Twitter-pate the Twits in Iran!!!
(from Mark Shea:)
If you use Twitter, set your location to Tehran & your time zone to GMT +3.30. Iranian security forces are hunting for bloggers using location/timezone searches. The more people at this location, the more of a logjam it creates for forces trying to shut down Iranians' access to the internet. Cut & paste & pass it on.
H/T to Fr. Erik
If you use Twitter, set your location to Tehran & your time zone to GMT +3.30. Iranian security forces are hunting for bloggers using location/timezone searches. The more people at this location, the more of a logjam it creates for forces trying to shut down Iranians' access to the internet. Cut & paste & pass it on.
H/T to Fr. Erik
Tuesday, 23 June 2009
Neda Salehi Agha Soltan - R.I.P.
Iranian authorities have ordered the family of this woman,
Neda Salehi Agha Soltan, 26, to stop mourning her publicly.
They were also told they could not hold a memorial service for
her at a mosque. Denied a public funeral,Neda was laid to rest
on Sunday. Mourners were under official orders
not to sing her praises too loudly.
Digi has suggested that all bloggers give public recognition of Neda's death.
I am praying for Neda's family and for the repose of her soul.
+++
Sunday, 21 June 2009
What would you ask your priest...
...if you were writing an article about him and his thoughts, ideas and hopes for Year of the Priest?
Here are some I have come up with:
How old were you when you felt the call?
What is the easiest way to discourage vocations? Encourage vocations?
How did you feel the first time you put on the collar?
Who inspired you to become a priest?
Who inspires you as a priest? Include your spiritual heroes, living or dead.
Where did you study for the priesthood?
What do you want people to know/understand about the priesthood?
What was your family's reaction when you announced you were going to be a priest?
Please share some memories of your First Mass, your family's reactions to that day, etc.
Any highlights of your priesthood you'd like to share?
What are your hopes for Year of the Priest and what can/will it accomplish?
Here are some I have come up with:
How old were you when you felt the call?
What is the easiest way to discourage vocations? Encourage vocations?
How did you feel the first time you put on the collar?
Who inspired you to become a priest?
Who inspires you as a priest? Include your spiritual heroes, living or dead.
Where did you study for the priesthood?
What do you want people to know/understand about the priesthood?
What was your family's reaction when you announced you were going to be a priest?
Please share some memories of your First Mass, your family's reactions to that day, etc.
Any highlights of your priesthood you'd like to share?
What are your hopes for Year of the Priest and what can/will it accomplish?
Add your own questions - I will use
them when I interview my priest!
them when I interview my priest!
♦♦♦
Bittersweet memories of a wounded father and daughter.
Dad and his beloved mother.
He didn't have the greatest
relationship with his dad
and this probaby affected how he parented
me and my brother.
Dad was about 2 here, 1941.
My dad - wedding photo, 1963.
He was 23 when he married my mom who was 21.
I look back now and think - my goodness - they were just babies!
I was born 11 months later.
He was 23 when he married my mom who was 21.
I look back now and think - my goodness - they were just babies!
I was born 11 months later.
Dad, circa 1972.
He was about 33.
He was often away for two or three months at
a time on business. He was a workoholic.
Possibly an alcoholic.
His mindset was very old school.
We were pretty scared of my dad and the neighbour
kids loved to tell me they didn't like him.
Even though I understood why they didn't like him
it hurt like hell to hear it.
May 1995
My dad was so proud of his grandsons!
Tim was 12 and Luke was 10.
Dad died 3 months later.
He was 55.
Cause of death? Check out the ubiquitous
cigarette in the left portion of the photo.
My dad was so proud of his grandsons!
Tim was 12 and Luke was 10.
Dad died 3 months later.
He was 55.
Cause of death? Check out the ubiquitous
cigarette in the left portion of the photo.
Luke and Dad are twins - Dad LOVED
to be the center of attention and the life of the party,
oozed charm and charisma - and Luke is exactly the same.
They also drive the rest of us nuts!
to be the center of attention and the life of the party,
oozed charm and charisma - and Luke is exactly the same.
They also drive the rest of us nuts!
When my dad died suddenly of a heart attack we were semi-estranged. It took quite a few years before I could find some peace regarding his death. I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that we were both hurting. We had inflicted a lot upon each other because both of us expected so much from the other but in our weakness and hurt came up terribly short.
We were also very much alike - impulsive, reactive, impatient, self-righteous and man - do we have LOUD voices! He loved food, talking and travelling and so do I. When we do something we do it BIG.
In the parenting department we didn't do so well. Oh, my brother and I turned out OK and so did my kids but our appetite for life often put us at odds with the self-sacrifice that good parenting demands.
My father had no use for the Church and I often wonder if I would be as enthusiastic about my faith if he were alive. It would have been a huge bone of contention between us. I wonder if it would have hindered my conversion to be worried about what he would have thought and said about it.
I feel quite sure my mother at least made it to Purgatory but my dad...I don't know. The Divine Mercy devotion gives me hope though. St. Faustina wrote in her Diary (1507) "All Grace flows from mercy and the last hour abounds with mercy for us. Let no one doubt concerning the goodness of God; even if a person's sins were as dark as night, God's mercy is stronger than our misery. One thing alone is necessary: that the sinner set ajar the door of his heart, be it ever so little, to let in a ray of God's merciful grace, and then God will do the rest." I hope that as my dad lay dying on the kitchen floor that he opened his heart just that little bit to let Jesus in.
Yesterday as I was mucking out my computer room I found my July 2009 EWTN newsletter and the header contained a Mother Angelica quote (God bless her practical soul!) She wrote, "Allow people to love you as they must love you, not as you want them to love you. Even God does not love us as we wish Him to. Learning to love is learning to accept love as it comes. "
Soothing words for a wounded heart.
Happy Father's Day, Daddy. I miss your bear hugs SO much. (And I know I was your favorite because you told me so.)
We were also very much alike - impulsive, reactive, impatient, self-righteous and man - do we have LOUD voices! He loved food, talking and travelling and so do I. When we do something we do it BIG.
In the parenting department we didn't do so well. Oh, my brother and I turned out OK and so did my kids but our appetite for life often put us at odds with the self-sacrifice that good parenting demands.
My father had no use for the Church and I often wonder if I would be as enthusiastic about my faith if he were alive. It would have been a huge bone of contention between us. I wonder if it would have hindered my conversion to be worried about what he would have thought and said about it.
I feel quite sure my mother at least made it to Purgatory but my dad...I don't know. The Divine Mercy devotion gives me hope though. St. Faustina wrote in her Diary (1507) "All Grace flows from mercy and the last hour abounds with mercy for us. Let no one doubt concerning the goodness of God; even if a person's sins were as dark as night, God's mercy is stronger than our misery. One thing alone is necessary: that the sinner set ajar the door of his heart, be it ever so little, to let in a ray of God's merciful grace, and then God will do the rest." I hope that as my dad lay dying on the kitchen floor that he opened his heart just that little bit to let Jesus in.
Yesterday as I was mucking out my computer room I found my July 2009 EWTN newsletter and the header contained a Mother Angelica quote (God bless her practical soul!) She wrote, "Allow people to love you as they must love you, not as you want them to love you. Even God does not love us as we wish Him to. Learning to love is learning to accept love as it comes. "
Soothing words for a wounded heart.
Happy Father's Day, Daddy. I miss your bear hugs SO much. (And I know I was your favorite because you told me so.)
♥♥♥
Saturday, 20 June 2009
Immaculate Heart of Mary
We consecrate to thee our very being and our whole life; all that we have, all that we love, all that we are. To thee we give our bodies, our hearts and our souls; to thee we give our homes, our families, our country.
We desire that all that is in us and around us may belong to thee, and may share in the benefits of thy motherly benediction. And that this act of consecration may be truly efficacious and lasting, we renew this day at thy feet the promises of our Baptism and our first Holy Communion.
We pledge ourselves to profess courageously and at all times the truths of our holy Faith, and to live as befits Catholics who are duly submissive to all the directions of the Pope and the Bishops in communion with him.
We pledge ourselves to keep the commandments of God and His Church, in particular to keep holy the Lord's Day.
We likewise pledge ourselves to make the consoling practices of the Christian religion, and above all, Holy Communion, an integral part of our lives, in so far as we shall be able so to do.
Finally, we promise thee, O glorious Mother of God and loving Mother of men, to devote ourselves whole-heartedly to the service of thy blessed cult, in order to hasten and assure, through the sovereignty of thine Immaculate Heart, the coming of the kingdom of the Sacred Heart of thine adorable Son, in our own hearts and in those of all men, in our country and in all the world, as in heaven. so on earth. Amen.
Friday, 19 June 2009
Prayers for Kain, please.
Mel over at Slightly Crunchy Catholic is going to have a difficult day coming up. Please pray for her and all involved.
Thank you.
Thank you.
♥♥♥
A Mother's Consecration of Her Child to the Sacred Heart
O most Sacred and Adorable Heart of Jesus, I consecrate to you my children Luke and Timothy.
I consecrate to you his soul with all its powers, his body with all its senses, his heart with all its affections, now and for all the days of his life.
O Jesus of the loving heart, grant that this little child of mine may never tarnish by mortal sin the white robe of baptismal innocence, preserve him always in your love.
Dear Jesus, give him happiness, health and prosperity if it is for his good and your glory. Protect him at the hour of his death, and let him be with you in the joys of paradise forever.
Amen
Thursday, 18 June 2009
HoDge POdGe
As I write this it's 10 minutes to 9 in the evening. I didn't have to make supper tonight because Hubby went golfing. I thought I might actually tidy up my computer/library/storage room but as I was just telling Cathy in an email (yet another distraction!) I got sidetracked while I was mucking out old back issues of BC Catholic.
I was looking for a 3 part article on the sex trade during the Olympics. I still can't find Part One. Then I spied a box full of old cards, wedding invitations, and a letter from a long dead aunt who was my grandmother's baby sister. She had written to me about how my great grandparents met. Then I rearranged some books and tried to decide if I should discard my collection of Kennedy books (yes, those Kennedys from Massachusetts.)
I gave up and logged onto the computer and read this delightful blog entry from Adoro! Then I needed a drink of water. And a slice of lemon loaf. And I should check my bank balance to see if my paycheck has been deposited and if a check I wrote nearly a month ago has finally been cashed!
These are days of my life...
I was looking for a 3 part article on the sex trade during the Olympics. I still can't find Part One. Then I spied a box full of old cards, wedding invitations, and a letter from a long dead aunt who was my grandmother's baby sister. She had written to me about how my great grandparents met. Then I rearranged some books and tried to decide if I should discard my collection of Kennedy books (yes, those Kennedys from Massachusetts.)
I gave up and logged onto the computer and read this delightful blog entry from Adoro! Then I needed a drink of water. And a slice of lemon loaf. And I should check my bank balance to see if my paycheck has been deposited and if a check I wrote nearly a month ago has finally been cashed!
These are days of my life...
...
Wednesday, 17 June 2009
Leave the ghetto and siege mentality behind!
It was, for him, he said, a “great joy” being part of a Church “that has left behind the ghetto and the siege mentality,” in order to “proclaim to the world the liberating power of Christ’s Gospel.”
Read more here!
Thanks to Larry D for originally posting this on his blog.
Read more here!
Thanks to Larry D for originally posting this on his blog.
...
Sunday, 14 June 2009
Our Corpus Christi Celebration PHOTOS!
Stained glass window in foyer.
The message is most appropriate
for what is about to commence.
The message is most appropriate
for what is about to commence.
Altar servers and K of C honor guard
precede the Blessed Sacrament.
About 150 people came out today.
Whole families came out.
Young and old joined in.
The youth group chose to participate
instead of having their weekly meeting.
Even those who have trouble walking
stayed the course.
How blessed we are to have a
priest that promotes this devotion!
priest that promotes this devotion!
Potluck dinner.
There was meat loaf, fried chicken, lasagana,
all sorts of salad and buns...
...and dessert too!
We began the celebration with prayers and singing in the church (no photos - too distracting) and then we processed outside for our walk. Afterwards we returned for Benediction and more Eucharisitic hymns. Potluck dinner was served in the parish hall afterwards.
The event was a total success - but then, is it any surprise when you consider Who the Guest of Honor is?!
The event was a total success - but then, is it any surprise when you consider Who the Guest of Honor is?!
♥♥♥
Friday, 12 June 2009
Eucharistic Procession in Amsterdam!
This is the church my maternal grandparents were married at in 1938.
On June 16, 2007 the Procession with the Blessed Sacrament took place in Amsterdam for the fourth time. In 2004 this old tradition of processions was taken up again. The occasion then was the 150th anniversary of the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk (Church of Our Lady) in Amsterdam.
Processions have always been held in Amsterdam, since a Eucharistic miracle occurred in 1345. But in 1573, with the 'alteration' of the city government to the protestant faith, processions and other public manifestations of faith were suppressed.
The Eucharistic Year called by Pope John Paul II, the celebration of Corpus Christi, a change of the Constitution, and our church's anniversary were the perfect occasion to restart such sound tradition.
Vindication!
AHA!
Vindication!
Remember this tree?
Yes, it's a sumac but it's no ordinary sumac - it's a Cutleaf Staghorn Sumac
Thanks to Guy at Queen Elizabeth Park for his help identifying this tree!
Vindication!
Remember this tree?
Yes, it's a sumac but it's no ordinary sumac - it's a Cutleaf Staghorn Sumac
Thanks to Guy at Queen Elizabeth Park for his help identifying this tree!
☺☺☺
Prayer request
Tomorrow I give my Divine Mercy talk at the Catholic Women's League lunch.
Pray for me!
Pray for me!
♥♥♥
Thursday, 11 June 2009
One Solitary Child by Fr. Pavone
Fr. Pavone (who I was lucky enough to meet in New York this past March!) has written an excellent blog entry called "One Solitary Child."
Here is an excerpt:
Here is an excerpt:
"I recently had a conversation with a woman named Laura, who volunteers in the mail room at Priests for Life. She told me an interesting story about her son, Salvatore, who was born in 1973, the year Roe. Vs. Wade legalized abortion.
After she had given birth and was in the hospital recovering from her caesarian section, she was struck by the fact that even though the maternity ward seemed to be full of women, there were no other newborn babies around except hers. In fact, her infant son was all alone in a room full of empty incubators. It was a strange and almost eerie site.
One morning, Laura was awakened by screaming and moaning coming from...."(continued here.)♥♥♥
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
Tuesday, 9 June 2009
Coming to my Parish ....
...on Corpus Christi.....evening prayer, benediction and A EUCHARISTIC PROCESSION! Potluck dinner to follow.
I am SO there!
I am SO taking photos and video!!!!
I am sure we have not celebrated with a Eucharistic procession since the 1950s??
I am SO there!
I am SO taking photos and video!!!!
I am sure we have not celebrated with a Eucharistic procession since the 1950s??
♥♥♥
Sunday, 7 June 2009
The Evil IUD
I was talking on the phone with my friend Mary yesterday. Somehow our conversation veered into different methods of birth control (not something we usually talk about as she is 62 and I am almost 45.) Anyways....
So she brought up the IUD (intrauterine device) and I told her I thought that was one of the worst contraceptives ever invented. I told her that a woman could literally become pregnant once a month and the baby would fail to implant and this would be like having 12 abortions a year. Mary said "but you wouldn't know you conceived."
What?!
Well, NOW you know!
I wonder if she used the IUD in her fertile years? She just might have a couple of little saints in heaven waiting for her...
I don't think she meant the comment to come out so callously but it illustrated an important point - that women are NOT educating themselves enough about things that affect them on such a profound level.
As always, Mary and I have these conversations and I end up doing research into the topic of our disagreement. I was on the fence about abortion after rape or incest until we had a debate about that. Now both of us agree that abortion after rape only causes more problems besides the death of an Innocent baby.
In the course of my research, if the information is to be believed, "the presence of the IUD in the uterus prompts the release of leukocytes and prostaglandins that are hostile to both sperm and eggs; the presence of the copper in the device increases this spermicidal effect. The current medical consensus is that spermicidal and ovicidal mechanisms are the only way in which IUDs work. Still a few physicians have suggested that they may have a secondary effect of interfering with the development of pre-implanted embryos."
I would NOT want to take that risk. Then there are issues of heavier bleeding, expulsion of the device and in rare occasions perforation of the uterus.
Oh and my aunt got pregnant while using this device. She had a miscarriage because of the device. My uncle was devastated.
If you know someone who is using an IUD - PLEASE give them the facts - all of them!
So she brought up the IUD (intrauterine device) and I told her I thought that was one of the worst contraceptives ever invented. I told her that a woman could literally become pregnant once a month and the baby would fail to implant and this would be like having 12 abortions a year. Mary said "but you wouldn't know you conceived."
What?!
Well, NOW you know!
I wonder if she used the IUD in her fertile years? She just might have a couple of little saints in heaven waiting for her...
I don't think she meant the comment to come out so callously but it illustrated an important point - that women are NOT educating themselves enough about things that affect them on such a profound level.
As always, Mary and I have these conversations and I end up doing research into the topic of our disagreement. I was on the fence about abortion after rape or incest until we had a debate about that. Now both of us agree that abortion after rape only causes more problems besides the death of an Innocent baby.
In the course of my research, if the information is to be believed, "the presence of the IUD in the uterus prompts the release of leukocytes and prostaglandins that are hostile to both sperm and eggs; the presence of the copper in the device increases this spermicidal effect. The current medical consensus is that spermicidal and ovicidal mechanisms are the only way in which IUDs work. Still a few physicians have suggested that they may have a secondary effect of interfering with the development of pre-implanted embryos."
I would NOT want to take that risk. Then there are issues of heavier bleeding, expulsion of the device and in rare occasions perforation of the uterus.
Oh and my aunt got pregnant while using this device. She had a miscarriage because of the device. My uncle was devastated.
If you know someone who is using an IUD - PLEASE give them the facts - all of them!
◘○8
Saturday, 6 June 2009
What sort of tree/shrub IS this?!
click to enlarge
OK, this is driving me crazy. What sort of tree or shrub is this? This was taken in the south of England but I've seen these trees in Vancouver, BC too. First I thought it was sumac but the leaves are different on sumac.
Can ANYBODY help me???
Can ANYBODY help me???
♣♣♣
Friday, 5 June 2009
Step Two - stalled?
Leila emailed me tonight asking what my plans were for the weekend. No mention of the ten paragraph email addressing "progress" in the Church. That's OK...it'll come.
Keep praying. Jesus, I trust in You.
Keep praying. Jesus, I trust in You.
♥♥♥
Thursday, 4 June 2009
Update on Leila
I've been emailing back and forth with Leila every evening. She received the little old catechism book today. I had also sent her an article I had written for our local paper about our mission in Peru (she is very into that) as well as a Divine Mercy prayer card.
The Peru article must have really twigged something in her soul. She asked how I liked working for the church and then came this...."do you think the church will ever progress with modern times?"
Aaaah! When you look for opportunities to evangelize God will ALWAYS send someone your way! I wrote a few paragraphs back to Leila. I am sure there will be more in the days to come. In the meantime I thanked God for sending me to Catholic Online all those years ago where I learned orthodoxy and how to write charitably and how to back up my claims. Another thing I learned was not to throw the book at people.
When a 6 year old learns to read do you give them the encylopedia and say, "here, read this." No. You start out by reading to them when they are small, by teaching them the letters of the alphabet and then introducing phonics. Then as their comprehension and general knowledge grows you give them more challenging material.
When my 46 year old friend, mired in Lebanese superstition and North American relativism, asks me if the Church will ever progress do I tell her she's going to hell because she is living in mortal sin? No. I start small, tell her my story, how I came to knowledge gradually, how I am nourished by the Sacraments and prayer. I do not dumb down the Faith but I feed it to her in little morsels and let her get used to the taste - because right now she's finding it a bit sour. Been there, done that.
However, patience is a bitter plant that bears sweet fruit. Maybe today was Step Two of her conversion. And this is new for me too - not acting like a steam roller, not acting like a know-it-all, not expecting her to be on the exact same page as I am when I've had 6 solid years of formation and Catholic fellowship.
Please pray for her. For Leila to "come home" it's going to be a bumpy ride.
The Peru article must have really twigged something in her soul. She asked how I liked working for the church and then came this...."do you think the church will ever progress with modern times?"
Aaaah! When you look for opportunities to evangelize God will ALWAYS send someone your way! I wrote a few paragraphs back to Leila. I am sure there will be more in the days to come. In the meantime I thanked God for sending me to Catholic Online all those years ago where I learned orthodoxy and how to write charitably and how to back up my claims. Another thing I learned was not to throw the book at people.
When a 6 year old learns to read do you give them the encylopedia and say, "here, read this." No. You start out by reading to them when they are small, by teaching them the letters of the alphabet and then introducing phonics. Then as their comprehension and general knowledge grows you give them more challenging material.
When my 46 year old friend, mired in Lebanese superstition and North American relativism, asks me if the Church will ever progress do I tell her she's going to hell because she is living in mortal sin? No. I start small, tell her my story, how I came to knowledge gradually, how I am nourished by the Sacraments and prayer. I do not dumb down the Faith but I feed it to her in little morsels and let her get used to the taste - because right now she's finding it a bit sour. Been there, done that.
However, patience is a bitter plant that bears sweet fruit. Maybe today was Step Two of her conversion. And this is new for me too - not acting like a steam roller, not acting like a know-it-all, not expecting her to be on the exact same page as I am when I've had 6 solid years of formation and Catholic fellowship.
Please pray for her. For Leila to "come home" it's going to be a bumpy ride.
♦♦♦
Wednesday, 3 June 2009
Tuesday, 2 June 2009
When is it OK to leave the Mass?
I am debating with my Catholic coworker - when is it OK to leave after Mass? We both agree the priest must exit the church proper before we leave.However my coworker says we have to stay until the recessional song is over. I say we can leave during the recessional.
Your thoughts?
Monday, 1 June 2009
Clueless
Oh look - it's me!
GRRRR! Kids! It's my eldest son's birthday today so I phoned him up. We started talking about the summer and I asked if he and his girlfriend were still coming up. He said they would talk about it soon. I then asked if she knew she would have her own room. Dead silence. Then sputtering. Then incredulity.
I said, "Nikki and Luke have never shared a room when they stay - why do you think it would be any different for you?"
He didn't answer that. Loooooooooong silent pause. He won't engage in ANY kind of dialogue about this. On the other hand Luke and I have had yelling matches about it. I've been called a hypocrite and compared to my ex-MIL (NOT a compliment, trust me!) but at least he hears my side of the story. TJ just shuts down.
Finally I wrapped up this painful conversation. Get a clue, kid. Sheesh!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)