Thank God Advent Isn't Over Yet!

Rachel at Testosterhome has written a beautiful reflection of Advent, relating it to her pregnancy. I wanted to comment on it because it brought into sharp focus my own failings as I struggle to keep my voice down and show my children how much I love them amidst the distractions and temptations that entice me.

So many times I make plans for how I am going to show God that I love Him, if only He would....(name your favor). " If You can send us enough money to be (more than) comfortable, I will build a beautiful church and a retreat center where your faithful can gather and worship You the way Your Church asks us to." "If only You would send a buyer for our house and find us a new house closer to my husband's work, I would go to Mass daily." My "if onlys" are numerous. But God in His infinite wisdom and mercy has seen fit not to grant me these and other prayers.

He knows best. I am at this moment a wife and mother. I have my little built-in congregation of six children, and they look to me for their daily wants and needs. Too often I push them away because I "don't have time" to listen to Margaret read her first sentence to me, to watch Andrew do a daring somersault, or help Annie get a paper towel down so she can wipe up the spill I asked her to wipe. I am too busy washing dishes (because I did not do them last night when the kids were in bed), doing loads of laundry (because I haven't done any for the last 5 days and it is an emergency NOW), or stuffing things into closets as a Realtor walks up the drive (because I have too much STUFF and no place to put it). What was I doing when I should have been doing these things daily? Was I sitting with my children reading to them or teaching them how to make cookies or how to water the African Violets without wetting the leaves? Was I cultivating the virtues in myself or in them, the dear children whose lives and souls are in my hands?

I am ashamed to admit that the answer is NO (at least not consistently). I am not ready for our Lord to come. I am not even ready for the buyer of this house, whoever that may be, to come. I am not ready for any of the gifts that I so fervently ask my Lord to give me. I am not even ready for the wonderful gifts He has already given me. I am like an ungrateful child who demands a new toy, only to neglect it and demand another, newer one.

Dear Lord, forgive me, Your ungrateful child. I know that You are always ready to take me back into Your loving arms and cover me with the graces I need to follow where You lead me. You give me everything I need and more. Help me to see Your gifts for what they are, and to be grateful for them. Help me to be aware that You are coming, and that You're already here in the little ones I am to bring to You. Give me the grace to see the path clearly and the courage to take it, one diaper at a time.

Christmas Meme

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate? I like both at this time of year - but hot cocoa is more of a "winter" treat, and eggnog is only available from Thanksgiving through Christmas, so I usually serve that as a special treat during this time. One year some friends surprised me with coffee with eggnog instead of cream for my birthday (which is this month). YUM.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Saint Nicholas comes on Dec. 6th (the night before, actually). On Christmas day, the stockings are from St. Nick, the presents are from whichever extended family we're with. If we're with my folks, there is usually a gift from Baby Jesus in there too. All gifts are wrapped.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? I use purple and pink lights around the interior of the tree (which we plug in during Advent - and the kids put Advent ornaments that they make out of paper), and St. Nicholas or Baby Jesus put white or colored lights on the exterior (which we turn on during the Christmas season).

4. Do you hang mistletoe? No. We do a lot of kissing without it.

5. When do you put your decorations up? We put up our Nativity scene for Advent, and get a tree early so we can use it as our Advent tree too.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? That's a tough one. I love turkey and all the trimmings, but I also love the traditional Christmas tamales my In-Laws make in October and save in the freezer until Dec. 25. If I could only choose one dish, I might go with mashed potatoes with lots of butter and good gravy. Or leftover turkey sandwiches with cranberry-orange sauce. Or refried beans. Or...

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child: Visiting my cousins in Mexico City and Santa Claus REALLY coming to Nona's house and giving me a Raggedy Ann doll bigger than myself! I was amazed that Santa knew Spanish! Actually, I don't know if it amazed me more that he knew Spanish or that he didn't seem to know English.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I don't remember. I think I just eased into the knowledge that St. Nicholas has many helpers and I eventually became one of his helpers for my younger siblings.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? When we stay home for Christmas Day, we open one gift after Midnight Mass (usually something useful for our trip tp see family, like new pajamas). When we visit my family, we open everything in the morning. When we visit my husband's family, we open presents after the reading of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" on Christmas Eve (Santa actually can be heard on the roof and seen running by the window) and then go to Mass in the morning. Presents from immediate family are exchanged on Epiphany.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? First, the kids help put on the purple & pink Advent lights. When they are in bed, St. Nicholas and Baby Jesus put white or colored lights on over those, but we only turn on the Advent lights until after Midnight Mass. During Advent, the kids make paper ornaments to put on the tree. When we leave for Midnight Mass, the angels must come and change all the paper ornaments for the colorful family ornaments we have collected through the years. Each of my 6 children receives a new ornament each year, and these are added also. So when we get back from Mass, the colored lights and ornaments are a beautiful surprise.

11. Snow! Love it or dread it? Love it, as long as we don't have to go anywhere.

12. Can you ice skate? Not really. I haven't tried since my body became a mother's body. Not sure how it would go.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? An engagement ring from my sweet husband!

14. What's the most important thing about the holidays for you? To prepare my heart for Christ's coming, as well as making great memories for my family that are rich with eternal truths.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? home made pumpkin pie with real whipped cream, rum balls that my Mom makes, and my Mother-In-Law's bizcochitos.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Watching the wonder in the children's eyes as they listen to "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" and hear Santa on the roof, and visiting with family.

17. What tops your tree? We have a beautiful glass tree-topper brought from Russia by my brother-in-Law.

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving? Giving. I love thinking of what the person might like. I usually follow their wish list if I have one, but if I see the perfect gift or can make something they'd like, I do that instead, especially if money is tight.

19. What is your favorite Christmas song? Lo, How a Rose; What Child is This?; Hark the Herald Angels Sing; I really love most of them...

20. Candy canes: One per child on St. Nicholas Day. We sometimes use the tiny ones to decorate gifts for others.

21. Favorite Christmas movie? A Charlie Brown Christmas, It's a Wonderful Life

22. What do you leave for Santa? Cookies and milk or eggnog if we have it.

Preparing the Way of the Lord (Advent Thoughts, part II)

Since God put us here on earth to know, to love and to serve Him, what can I do to get to know Him better? Here are some books that could be helpful as I ponder His loving face:

The Dawn of the Messiah

Perhaps the story of Christ's birth has become almost too familiar. We've heard the story so many times that it fails to shock us: the appearances of the angel, a virgin giving birth, a child placed in a manger, the arrival of shepherds and magi.

Today's reader, unfamiliar with the ancient Jewish world, misses the significance of many details in the Gospel accounts of the birth of the Messiah. This book bridges the gap, explaining the original context of every line and detail in the biblical stories. Sri not only helps readers understand an earlier and pivotal time and place, he also brings them to a deeper understanding of the great mystery of God's entry into the world as one of us.

The Essential Advent and Christmas Handbook

This reader-friendly companion provides everything Catholics need for a richer experience of the Advent and Christmas seasons. Whether readers wish to follow a traditional, contemporary, or family program of devotion and prayer for Advent and Christmas, this all-in-one resource will be a treasured guidebook.

The Essential Advent and Christmas Handbook covers a wide range of topics including:
Morning and evening prayer services
A short history of Advent
The preparatory nature of Advent
Traditional hymns and symbols of Christmas
Traditional Christmas practices
A Christmas novena
Daily Christmas meditations
Family meal prayers for the holiday season


The Magnificat Advent Companion 2006

Advent is the sacred season of anticipation and expectation in which we prepare for the coming of our blessed Savior. To live Advent is to live in an awareness of a Presence that changes our lives. The Magnificat Advent Companion is a rich spiritual guide that will accompany you daily through the 4 weeks of this holy season. It provides original daily reflections based on the Scriptures of the Mass for each day of Advent written by some of the finest Catholic writers in the world. In addition, it offers superb essays, devotions, prayers, and other liturgical and spiritual aids to guide and enrich the reader's experience of Advent. This invaluable booklet will bring you ever closer to the Infant King.


Advent and Christmas With the Saints

The Advent and Christmas season is a time of anticipation and preparation, celebration and joy. Beginning with the first day of Advent and continuing through the twelve days of Christmas, Advent and Christmas With the Saints guides readers to an experience of closeness with God. Words of devotion and excitement fill each page, from the pens of such luminaries as Francis of Assisi, Therese of Lisieux, and many, many others.

This book is arranged for use on every day of the Advent and Christmas seasons. Each day's reflection begins with a scriptural quotation, continues with a thought from the writings of that day's featured saint, and concludes with a prayer for the day. The daily passages of Advent and Christmas With the Saints offer profound and spiritually enriching food for the journey, drawing us closer to the joy of welcoming the Savior into our lives and cultivating a renewed appreciation of the Advent and Christmas seasons.

Approaching Christmas

In the rush before Christmas, it is easy to forget that the very preparations themselves—decorations, music, gifts and meals—are a wonderful opportunity to prepare for the Lord. This book will help the readers to discover, through lyrical prose and masterpiece art, the spiritual scope of the season’s festivities, and restore the wonder of Christmas to their hearts.



Advent, Christmas and Epiphany in the Domestic Church

This is an illustrated book full of wonderful activities for children and families to help them better understand and celebrate the Advent, Christmas and Epiphany seasons. This large size, spiral-bound volume is the perfect book to help families learn together and share the joys of this happy time of the liturgical year.

Filled with a variety of family activities, saints' celebrations and crafts, this book has something for everyone in the family. Family activities include making an Advent wreath, a Jesse Tree with all its symbols, cloth Nativity figures, words for singing 21 Advent and Christmas songs, recipes for special cakes and breads and more. Also included are stories of special saints for the season with activities and prayers. Finally, it offers numerous craft activities including cross stitching Christmas patterns, making gift boxes, table-top and Christmas tree angels, table runners, and many coloring pages.

A Letter From Jesus

I received this in an email from a friend, and thought it was worth thinking about. Please feel free to comment.

Dear Children,

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking

my name out of the season. Maybe you've forgotten that I wasn't actually

born during this time of the year and that it was some of your predecessors

who decided to celebrate my birthday on what was actually a time of pagan

festival. Although, I do appreciate being remembered anytime.

How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily

understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own.

I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate my birth, just

GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER. Now, having said that, let me go on.

If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene

depicting my birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen, and

put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all my followers

did that, there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square

because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday

tree, instead of a Christmas tree. Your Christmas tree should be on your

wall all year long, it's called a Crucifix. It was I who made all trees.

You can, and may remember me any time you see any tree. Decorate a grape

vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching explaining who

I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgot

that one, look up John 15: 1 - 8.

If you want to give me a present in remembrance of my birth, here is my wish

list. Choose something from it.

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way my birthday is

being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home.

They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell me

all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally.

They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing George complaining about the wording on the cards his

staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be

praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up with, "It will be

nice hearing from you again."

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they

don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of my birth, and why I

came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that

I love them.

5. Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own

life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't

know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile -- it

could make the difference. Also, you might consider supporting the local

Hot-Line: they talk with people like that every day.

7. Instead of nit-picking about what the retailer in your town calls the

holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile

and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry

Christmas," that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping

there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day, they'd

close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families.

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary, a priest,

a brother, or sister, one who takes my love and good news to those who have

never heard my name. You may already know someone like that.

9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town

who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any

presents to give or receive. If you don't know them (and I suspect you

don't), buy some food and a few gifts and give them to Catholic Charities,

the Marines, the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in me

and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty

to me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you

wouldn't do in my presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one

of mine.

I LOVE YOU.

Love, Jesus

P.S Don't forget: I am God and can take care of myself. Just love me and

do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the

list above and get to work -- time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is

now in your court; And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom

you love and remember.

So much for a weekly blog! (and Advent thoughts)

Well, here we are, finishing up week 12 of our homeshooling effort. Two more weeks and we're free for the rest of Advent and Christmas. As the Christian Year ends with the Feast of Christ the King tomorrow (I started writing this on Saturday -oops) and we begin the new Year with Advent, I rededicate myself to posting at least once a week (unless I'm out of town ;)).

As we approach Advent, I once again ponder the miracle of the birth of the Savior. Twenty centuries later, we still celebrate His First Coming. There are parties and decorations, gifts for each other and lighted trees. All this I love and look forward to, but what gift do I have for my Savior on His birthday? I have bought or made all the gifts for family and friends, and even wrapped them on a good year, but am I prepared for His Second Coming? What if He actually came to one of the parties we give in His honor? Would He be pleased with what He sees? Would I actually welcome Him or would I rather He didn't come?

Well, He is coming, so what can I do to prepare? What can I do to help those in my care to prepare? Prayer is a good place to start. I don't have to buy any special equipment or do anything except turn to God in humility. Remember ACTS:

Adoration - I love You, Lord.
Contrition - I am sorry for the wrong I have done and the good I have left undone.
Thanksgiving - I thank You for everything You have given me.
Supplication - Please give me what I need to get to heaven, as well as what I need to do Your will here on earth.

I will blog more on this subject later this week.

Pray for Priests

This morning at Mass, Father gave an impassioned plea for our prayers for priests. He talked about praying for vocations and how sad it is that the parish will only be able to have a communion service during the week because all the priests will be on retreat. He talked about how incredible the sacrifice of the Mass is and that that's the priests number one responsibility.

I can only add that the sacrament of Holy Orders isn't just for men! The men who answer God's call to the priesthood are there for all of us. Without them, we can't live our lives as Catholics! Without them, there is no Mass, no Eucharist, no "source and summit" of our Faith! Without them, Jesus isn't present in the tabernacle! We need them, so we must do our part and AT THE VERY LEAST pray for their perseverance and faithfulness.

I am going to put a Pray For Our Priests Car Magnet on my vehicle. I hope that when you see one of these, you will stop and say a Hail Mary for our Blessed Mother's dear sons. Better yet, put one on your car, too!

Week 2 Begins

We began our second week of homeschooling today. We're not burned out yet! YAY!!

Seriously, we are enjoying our adventure very much. My 1st grader, Margaret, is picking up reading really well, and just loves math. Lucy, my 2nd grader, is looking forward to her First Confession and First Communion in the spring.

Andrew, 4, likes going off by himself and building things with Lego, and Anne, 3, likes to color. Susan, 2, also likes to color, but likes to eat crayons more. Peter, 6 months, likes to nurse and be held more than anything, which makes it imperative that I get our school supplies out before school begins every day!

What I am working on this week is using my time wisely so that the house stays in good order and the dishes and laundry don't get out of control in the midst of our studies. I need to figure out the best time to do these things, and then do them at those times instead of wasting time doing things I could do later (like surf the 'net, for example).

I actually already know when the best times for these things are. I just need to do them at those times before I get sidetracked by something else. In order for that to happen, I need to start a load of laundry as soon as I come out of my room, dressed and ready for the day, before the kids get up. Then I need to head to the kitchen and put away the clean dishes from the dishwasher, and start making breakfast.

In order for that to happen, the night before I will have had to put the dishes into the dish washer, treated any stains on the laundry and put the load I will wash in the hamper next to the washing machine, planned the next day's school activities, and decided what clothes I am going to wear.

This will be easy once i get into the habit. Right now, I don't do these things in order, so it is hard to remember what needs doing, especially when a certain 2-year-old is standing next to me as I try to type, whining about wanting a snack over and over again.

So - right now I will get the kids a snack (it is snack time, after all), and then I will see about getting the clean dishes put away so I can put today's breakfast and lunch dishes into the dish washer. We have already finished with school for today, so the kids can watch Black Beauty which we borrowed from the library yesterday! Tonight i will treat the stains on the clothes that are waiting next to the wash basin, and tomorrow morning I will rise up early with a prayer in my heart and start the day more wisely.

Older than Adam

Lucy (7) after reading to the little ones about the Creation out of the children's Bible: "Okay. Who can tell me who the very first people were?....Annie?"

Annie (3), looking up from her doll house: "Grandma?"

Silly Book Meme

1. Grab the book closest to you...NO cheating!
2. Open to page 123
3. Scroll down to 5th sentence.
4. Post text of next 3 sentences on blog-and name of book and author
Tag 3 people (that will be the hardest part!)

The Faith Explained by Leo J. Trese

"Before going any further, perhaps we should recall what the word 'virtue' means. In religion virtue is defined as a 'habit or permanent disposition which inclines a person to do good and to avoid evil.' For example, if you have the habit of always telling the truth, then you have the virtue of veracity or truthfulness."

Tag! You're it. Mary Poppins Not, Danielle, Amy, Sr. Lorraine, and YOU!

What's Your Name?

I just ran over to Barb's via Lori's. They are wondering about how we come up with our blog names. Are the names puns? Do they convey something about us or something we admire?

My blog's name comes from the Kyrie we pray during Mass. (Kyrie Eleison, Christe Eleison, Kyrie Eleison: Lord Have Mercy, Christ Have Mercy, Lord Have Mercy), and the fact that I love kittens. Kitty Eleison has become my nom de plume (or nom de Internet at least - heehee). It is a prayer as well as a silliness, but I hope it is not seen as disrespectful to God, because it isn't meant to be!

Go to Barb's and leave a link to your blog!

Help Needed: Spiritual Adoption

I am asking you for help, and I would like you to pass this along to everyone you can think of who would be willing to pray for our priests.

How any times do we see our priests leading their congregations astray? How many times do we complain to each other about it? Does complaining about it help the priest in any way (I mean talking about his problems to others - not asking him directly what is going on or offering help). How many times do we actually pray for our poor priests? When we DO pray, do we ask God to change the priest or make him go away so that life would be easier for us? Or do we humbly throw ourselves at His feet asking for forgiveness for the times we have felt superior to these servants that God has chosen for us? We cannot live without the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and the Mass cannot exist without our priests.

I am spiritually adopting a priest of my acquaintance, and intend to pray and sacrifce for him for the rest of my life. I will not go into specific details, but I will say that he desperately needs prayers. I am asking that you join me in sacrificing and praying for this man of God for as long as you feel called to do so. I also encourage you to adopt your own pastor or priest friends, because, you know, they can always use our prayers!

Tithing

Whenever we run into financial difficulties, we are faced with the temptation to cut back or keep our tithe. After all, we are helping a family in need, right?

But this seems to leave God's Providence out of the picture. If we say we trust in God, but keep back part of what is His to begin with, are we not lying (and stealing)?

I am renewing my dedication to giving my tithe faithfully every month. Please pray for me!

Letter to the Pope

No, I am not going to post an open letter to the Holy Father here. But I was wondering what YOU would write to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI if you had the opportunity. What would you tell him of your prayers, works, joys & sufferings? Would you ask him for anything? What concerns for your famiy, parish, job, diocese or country would you express to him?

My BOY Overheard at the Breakfast Table

4-year-old Andrew: "Mommy, am I the hungriest person here?" (as he eats yet another pancake after everyone else has left the table.)

To 4-month-old Peter: "Someday you’ll be as hungry as me!"

To me: "Mommy, did I eat sure a lot?"

And as soon as he has swallowed his last bite of breakfast, before he has even put his fork down: "Mommy, can I have a snack?"

Rules of Etiquette

Today my 7-year-old daughter Lucy handed me a list of rules she made up for her sister's upcoming birthday. I thought that many of these rules would benefit society at large, so I will start educating the masses by posting the list here (I have corrected spelling so that the masses may be educated more easily):

Margaret's Birthday Rules
1) Don't stick out your tongue
2) Only one dessert per person, including adults
3) Don't spit! No mean faces
4) Don't say the cake is ugly
5) Don't make personal remarks
6) You shall not touch the Queen's stuff against her will
7) Don't hit the Queen
8) Bow before the Queen!
9) Don't bow sideways backwards
10) Don't kick the Queen out of her throne
11) Don't flick the Queen
12) Don't spank he Queen
13) Don't take any of the Queen's stuff home
14) Don't ask to watch TV!

Punishment:
Be arrested
Time out
Sit in the car
Can't watch the Queen open presents

Homeschooling Carnival 27 is up!

Go here for this week's Carnival of Homeschooling!

What's your Home School's name?

Do you have a name for your home school? I have been homeschooling for 2 years now, but haven't pinned down "the" name for what we're trying to do here. I love St. Therese, and much of what we do is modeled after her "Little Way," but I don't know if my boys would like a name reflecting this as much as my girls might. What are the names of YOUR home schools and why? OR, if you have chosen to remain nameless, why?

Overheard in the Bathtub

Andrew (4) is in the tub, making bubbles with a squeeze toy: "Mommy, look! I can easily kill the bad guys. I am thundering them. Watch me throw a bomb at them."

Me: " "

None of my 4 girls would imagine that bubbles coming from a bath toy were a weapon of mass destruction (well, maybe my almost-2-year-old would destroy the bathroom by splashing it).

Where I'm From

I found this and thought it would be interesting to try it. And interesting exercise in remembering your childhood & adolescence. Where are YOU from?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am from Dorothy Hammil haircuts, from Otter Pops and Star Wars.

I am from the big brick house my father built, from the musty old house of our poverty, and the windy house of our love. From the white house with the picket fence and the lemon tree, the 619 house, and the Wong's house.

I am from the California Poppy, the pink desert primrose, and the dust; from the Texas Bluebonnet, the pecan tree, and the humidity; from the Colorado Columbine, the lilac and the snow. I am from the Rose.

I am from Midnight Mass and unplanned Sundays, from Grandma and Grandpa, from Abuelito and Abuelita, from Borobia & Bodenhammer.

I am from giving till it hurts and praying till it stops hurting.

From "te lo haran tus hijos" and "you can't chew gum and walk at the same time."

I am from Christ Crucified. From Feasts and Fasts, sin and sorrow for sin, loneliness and love.

I'm from Spain, Portugal, Germany, England & Scotland; from spaghetti & Ragu and Enchiladas Suizas.

From the hiding of priests and clandestine marriages in Abuelita's basement, the stone bridge Thomas Skelton Hutchinson built in Scotland, and Tommy's ability to pick up any musical instrument and play it well.

I am from lost heirlooms, memories of long dinners and conversations at my grandmother's table, from the clown blanket Aunt Toni made for me, and the graduation dress my Mother made for my sister, the blue linen Confirmation dress she made for me, and the smocked dresses she made for my daughters.

I am a child of God and hope someday to return Home.

COOKIE!

You Are a Chocolate Chip Cookie

Traditional and conservative, most people find you comforting. You're friendly and easy to get to know. This makes you very popular - without even trying!

What Kind of Cookie Are You?

These seem to be great qualities for a mother to have. But you know, it struck me that these "blog things" with quizes that give you fun results are all soothers. I can't imagine one saying "You are a rotten apple and everyone hates you." It is nice to think I am a "chocoate chip cookie" but I can't just be content knowing most people find me comforting. What if my husband or children don't? Then my comforting nature means nothing, since my husband and children are my vocation, not "most people." My cookie status teaches me nothing about how to be what I ought to be. It does not challenge me to be a better cookie or even see any faults I might have (the chocolate chip cookie, in my opinion, is the best just as it is, and does not need any improving). I know it is just a game, but this is blog is supposed to be my spiritual exercise, so bear with me.

Anyway, I am craving a cookie right now so I have to go find something to distract me before I give in!

Corpus Christi

Today I have been perusing other blogs, looking at pictures of Pope Benedict XVI's Corpus Christi procession in Rome. Then I saw pictures of like processions in different countries. I hope the US will have some this weekend, but I am sad to think that we might not. Jesus Christ our Lord gave His very LIFE for us, and are we too embarrassed to walk among our neighbors showing the world that we love Him? Or don't we believe that He is here with us in the Holy Eucharist? What a gift God has given us! We can receive our Lord every day if we want to, and yet we ignore Him all week, and can't even acknowlege in public that He is God. If your parish, diocese or archdiocese is having a procession in honor of our Lord, please post about it here! If there are pictures, please post a link. I would love to see them.

I thought I was a Hobbit

To which race of Middle Earth do you belong?

Numenorean
Take this quiz!




Quizilla |
Join

| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

Kids' Novena to St. Joseph

This morning the kids and I decided to write a novena prayer to St. Joseph to sell our house. You see, yesterday a family came to see it and they really liked it! They only need to get their mom's ok and they'll make an offer in a few days, so we are pretty excited.

Anyway, this is what we came up with as Margaret (5) came up with the rhymes, Andrew (4) drew and colored St. Joseph, and Lucy (7) wrote out the prayer (I left in her capitalization).

Dear Saint Joseph to thee we pray,
We start our Novena in the month of May.
Please help us Sell our house Soon
So that we can Move today at Noon.
Today in school we shall say this Novena
today and every Day help me be Good as Gold.
I love you Saint Joseph and all the Saints and Angels. Amen.
And Anne says to tell you we have a new baby.

Since it is already 11 AM, I don't expect St. Joseph to make me pack the whole house by noon, but I have no doubts he will hear the children's prayer and smile.

Selling a House and Finding a Home

St. Joseph, pray for us.

We put our house on the market towards the end of September, 2005. We thought we would sell it within a month and be in our new house by Thanksgiving. I packed up anything I didn't think we'd need until after Christmas to put in the garage, including summer clothes and books I usually use for Lent and Easter. A few people came to see it, but almost always right after a snowstorm, when there was mud on the floor from several pairs of little boots.

Well, the snowstorms are just about over for the winter, and our house is still on the market. I had to go a couple of times to dig through boxes to find that certain cookbook or an extra blanket (thank goodness I labeled most of the boxes before Ian took them out to the garage), but for the most part I haven't missed anything I packed away.

Our house still has too much "stuff" in it, but we have been slowly giving away, throwing away, and finding peace in less. When the realtor's office calls and says that someone wants to come see the house in an hour, we can say yes (the only exception was when I was in labor a couple of months ago), and have the house looking good and the kids in the van to go see their grandmother or Daddy within the time allotted.

I am not sure what I meant to say in this post, except that in spite of being ready to move to a new house since last October, I am at peace with being here a while longer. I hope we can begin the new school year in our new place in September, but I hoped we'd spend last Christmas there, too. I went through a small anxiety attack when I was about to give birth to my youngest son, but Ian assured me that I would not have to lift a finger if we had to move at that time, and since his birth, I have learned to take one day at a time, and fill it with as much prayer and happiness as I can. I really can't live as if this were no longer our home. I must let the kids play and not be afraid that they'll make a mess. This IS our home until we sell it, and we will surely have at least a month to pack things up before we move.

In the meantime, I am trying to finish up the school year with the kids, and give away or toss as much as possible. If something we have is not worth moving to a new place, out it goes. And since I have not missed most of what's in the garage, I am seriously considering just dropping off the boxes at a local charity! That's a lot of storage space that could be used for something we want to keep, or even for keeping it empty. I am sure that a lot of what we have could be more useful to someone else. I am striving to live simply and teach our kids to live simply as well.

If someone comes to see the house today and wants to buy it - GREAT! But if not, I can live with that too. Our novena doesn't end until Thursday. I can hang on patiently until then ;)

Kids at Mass vs. Kids in CLOW

Here is a beautiful homily by Fr. Martin Fox about handing the Faith on to our children.

I often think about how many small children I actually see at Mass on Sunday, besides my own. We used to attend a Mass where CLOW (Children's Liturgy of the Word) was provided. All the kids would troop out to peppy piano music, and go to one of the community rooms down the hall. Later they would all come back and sit with their families. I didn't really know where they were going or what they were doing, but one day they all came back after their activities wearing crowns made of paper colored with crayons. The significance? It was the Feast of Christ the King. I could possibly understand making a crown to put on a statue of the Sacred Heart the kids might have at home, but why were the kids wearing the crowns themselves? I can only guess that they made the crowns while listening to someone tell them about Jesus being our King. As to why the crowns were made for the kids' heads? Maybe they learned that because of our Baptism we are part of the Royal Priesthood of Christ, and therefore deserve to be crowned like Him? Maybe since we make up the Body of Christ, we should wear His crown? Maybe it was just a fun activity for the kids to do while their teachers read to them? In any case, did the kids learn anything true about our Savior? Did they learn anything about the Mass (the "source and summit" of our Faith)? I wonder.

A priest once said, when asked why his parish did not offer much in the way of a "Sunday School" program: Parishes that have extensive Sunday school are parishes where the parents are not doing their job.

Now, I am not saying that CCD and other religious education programs do not have a place in parish life. I do wonder about the efficacy of sending our young ones out of Mass to do a fun activity (perhaps related to the day's readings) instead of teaching them about Mass (and how to behave there) ourselves. Where better to learn about the different parts of Mass than sitting in the pews? They can make paper crowns at home, can't they? Should Mass time be the time for that sort of activity? When they are too old to go to CLOW, will they be prepared participate in Mass? Will they know what the Mass is all about? Will they want to go anymore?

Multiple Personalities

My daughter Annie, who just turned three, is hardly ever herself. Every day, indeed, sometimes every hour, she corrects me if I call her Annie or Anne or even Sweetie. "No, Mommy, I am is _______."

Sometimes she is "Sleeping Beauty," sometimes she is "Beauty and the Beast." Yesterday she threw me a curve when she came up to me and solemnly announced, "Mommy, I am is Father Gene." Father Gene is a holy priest who assists our pastor. He often says the 11:30 AM Mass we attend on Sundays, and he baptized our newest baby Peter a couple of weeks ago.

One day as I was changing her diaper, I asked Anne who she was today. I asked her if she was Sleeping Beauty or Princess Aurora, or a fairy, or Snow White. To each she said, "No." I finally asked her "Well, who are you?" My usually-feisty, "don't hug me too tightly I need to run around" little girl said "I your Baby. Just your Baby." I cried and held her as long as I could before she ran off to be Robin Hood.

Got Kids?

My oldest child just turned 7. No twins, although I do get asked that a lot! I rarely go out with all 6 of them alone, but when insanity strikes I have been known to enter Walmart or go to a park without another adult.

I try to have a Mother's Sabbath once a month (read the wonderful book A Mother's Rule of Life by Holly Pierlot). That means that I go out without children (except for whoever is nursing at the time), go to confession and/or see my spiritual director, do the grocery shopping for the week, go out to lunch, and then do whatever I need to do to "recharge" my batteries. My husband does not like to window shop, but I really do, so I walk around one or two of my favorite shops. I was given a bunch of gift cards for Christmas, and I haven't redeemed them all, so I sometimes buy something with one of them. When the weather is nice I might take a book of a spiritual nature to a park or other nice outdoor place where I can sit and read. Meanwhile, my husband keeps the kids at home.

When I do have to go out with all the children (usually WITH my husband), I have a secret weapon: Put on lipstick and smile. I recently got my hair cut and intend to keep it looking nice so as to be a better witness! If I look better, I feel better and I stand up straighter and somehow this gives me greater confidence. If anyone asks about our family size, I smile and say my kids are a blessing from God, and we would not have it any other way. Usually they don't say anything derogatory after that. Sometimes someone will say "I don't have the patience for so many kids" and I say, "Neither do I, but God is teaching me."

Holy Saturday Musings

What is Holy Saturday all about? What significance should it have in my life?

On the first Holy Saturday, the followers of Jesus were scared. They didn't understand what had happened the day before, nor did they know what would happen the day after. 2000 + years later, we know that Christ rose from the dead on the first Easter Sunday. We know that Lent is a time to examine our lives and try again to get back on the road to the Cross and beyond with Christ.

But what about Holy Saturday; this day between our Lord's Passion and His Resurrection?

I am a procrastinator. Perhaps Holy Saturday is a Grace day so I can catch up on all the things I should have done during Lent. Can I put all of Lent in one day? Maybe not, but Holy Saturday seems to be a "last chance" to get into the spirit of Christ's life, Passion & death before His glorious Resurection.

That reminds me of the parable of the vineyard workers. The owner of the vineyard goes out throughout the day to find workers. The workers who come late get the same reward for their work as the ones who have been working all day. Seems unfair to the early workers, but God's mercy extends to all of us, if we will just get to work at some point before the end. Holy Saturday may just be the last hour before sunset for some of us!

So what work does God have for me to do? Well, I find myself a wife and mother. My husband is a holy man who works hard to ensure that I can stay home with our 6 children. My children need their diapers to be changed, they need to be fed, clothed, taught their letters and their Faith. Our home needs straightening, and clothes and dishes need washing.

As I said, I am a procrastinator. It is almost 5 PM on Holy Saturday, and I have not yet helped the kids make the Easter gifts for their aunts and uncles which I said we'd make today. I haven't put a load of laundry in the washer. I haven't put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher. I haven't said my daily prayers. Instead, I started this blog. I was putting off the work that God has laid out for me, but it has served as a reminder of what I need to be doing every day. Hopefully from now on I will blog AFTER I do my daily work! May God have mercy on me, a sinner.

Now, to work! I still have an hour before my husband gets home. I can at least put the clean laundry from last week away.