"food" for thought...

Surfing around I found a really neat article that (in my opinion) helps explain WHY Catholics abstain from meat on Fridays and fast during other days of the year:

Facing up to instant gratification

Abstinence also involves facing up to instant gratification. Our society is built on instant gratification and there are few things more toxic to spiritual fitness. It is a fascinating and educational experience to want something — something you could easily obtain — and refrain from satisfying the urge. In this way, abstinence can help teach you how driven you are by your urges, and how thoughtlessly you obey them.

You can find the entire article here.

Baptism

As a former Lutheran and a practicing Catholic, one thing that has always been close to my heart is baptism. My Hubby's family grew up in a church that doesn't baptize infants. This is sooo heartbreaking to me. Why wait to be baptized? Jesus himself said - Bring even the little children to me!

Today's Gospel, though, sums it up well. Should the unthinkable happen and your baby/child should die, wouldn't you want them to be "born through water" so they can "see the kingdom of God?"

These are Jesus' words, not mine....this is why I believe what I believe about baptism.


God Bless you this day!!

Good Friday

Good Friday to me is always the hardest part of Easter - the alter is bare - the crucifix is down - Jesus has been removed from the tabernacle and is in an alternate location - no genuflecting - no "real" mass. It's depressing. Yes, I know it's supposed to be. But it's hard, it's lonely - going into a Catholic Church is always "different" - because Jesus is there and you can FEEL his presence - but on Good Friday, that feeling is gone.

Yesterday we got a LOT done around the house - 3 loads of laundry hung out, Hubby worked half the day, 3 loads of laundry back in before it rained :)!! - make-ahead potatoes made for Easter dinner tomorrow,  a HUGE batch of cinnamon rolls made (with the help of a certain 7-year-old who said to me that she loves to cook and bake!) and just some general cleaning and picking up.


Father called at about 5-ish and said that there was Stations at 7 p.m. and that he would like Son and oldest Daughter to come and read. Of course! I went with, and it was a very nice. There is something super special about following the path of Christ - not just reading about it, but taking the 20 minutes to pray and meditate on each Station. I know that this is truly a "Catholic thing" but it should be something that ALL religions do!! It is definitely one thing to read about it, but it is a whole different thing to DO the Stations....amazing!!

Palm Sunday Service

I hope you all had a blessed Palm Sunday - we sure did!

Father had a lovely procession planned, and due to the weather being nice, we were able to do it. The two older children were servers - I think that they enjoy the closeness of observing everything - it certainly excites me!

Father started by blessing the palms, reading from the gospel and then started the procession - out the back (through the sacristy) and then out around the church and in through the front door. It really made me reflect on how Jesus was welcomed into town - the same people that welcomed him would one week later be yelling "Crucify him!" (that part always always leaves such a sadness in my heart - would I have been one of those people - so welcoming, but then turn on My Lord? I would hope not, but mob mentality is proven - scary!)

But, back to the gladness of Palm Sunday - the procession was grand and we had a photographer there taking pictures, so I will see if I can get ahold of some to post - it was a sight to behold! Again, blessings on our Priest, for bringing back the ways of the church and for sharing such wonderful traditions with the congregation -- bring us back to the church and to the holiness that resides there!

Holy Thursday

Easter is around the corner and I am VERY excited to be celebrating it in a new and fantastic (ok, more like traditional) way this year.

Father Jerome is very much a traditionalist, but not in a bad way. Our previous priest had been doing things pretty much his own way for so many years, that I feel that it will be nice to get back to the basics - back to how "The Church" says it's supposed to be.

Palm Sunday should be fun, yes, FUN with him this year! Both of our older children are serving and they are having an extra practice tomorrow just to prepare for it!

Father called yesterday and requested that Son be one of the 12 men (ok, 10 men and 2 youth) that portray the disciples - he is going to portray Jesus and do the washing of the feet after Mass on Thursday. He is then doing adoration from right after Mass until midnight - all are asked to take their turn and "sit" for an hour with Jesus - AWESOME!!

Oh, and before I forget: we are continually being blessed - this time it's through blogs! There have been several free giveaways that I have entered - and this month I have won THREE!!

The first: I won a HouseParty again! Last month it was a Pull-Ups one, this month it is a Stouffers Sub Party - the value is HUGE - it includes:

• VIP Coupons for the host to provide 15 subs at the party (the cost: around $4 EACH!)
  
• 15 Valuable coupons for guests
• 15 Branded grocery tote bags for your guests
• 1 Branded pot holder for host
• 1 Branded tear pad for host
• Plates and napkins for the party

The second: entered a blog giveaway and won two Sara Lee products (up to a five dollar value EACH!)

The third: another blog giveaway: this time, a pre-loaded credit card for $125!!!

The Lord is great!

Stations of the Cross

Today after Mass we did stations of the cross - if you don't know what this is - look here.

Both of the older children participated in the readings. They learn so much by participation. In all honesty, this was the first time I was able to participate myself. What an experience! Father had come over yesterday - twice - we lost electricity in the morning, so he was unable to print his homily, so he came over to do that before 4 o'clock Mass - then we invited him over after Mass to come and get some meat.

We bought a new freezer (and shingles for the "upper roof" on the house and flooring for the entry way - love Menards and their "no interest, no payments!") - anyway, we invited Father over to take his pick of some meat - he doesn't care for hamburger, but likes something to "chew on" (his words) so he loves the stew meat! He ended up playing Wii with Son for awhile - he really wants to learn how and when he went home to India, everyone was telling him to get one! He was impressed that he could just buy a counsel and "borrow" our games! :)

Anyway - he had said that he did stations after Mass and that everyone stayed - but that he just started right after the closing prayer, so maybe they felt obligated to! :) Well, I think that everyone stayed for stations today too! It is good, good for the soul, good for the members, good for the church!

Tonight is confession - yay. It's that time again and always makes a person feel better. Before I became Catholic, I never understood confession - of course, my comeback was that I could confess my sins directly to God in privacy. I now laugh at that! Really, how many times do people do that? I think the process of reflecting on your sins before hand, going into the confessional to confess them, being forgiven in the name of Lord and then doing a penance is much more cleansing and "real" than "in private" - and what a huge wonderful gift in preparation for Easter!!

Mass

The solidarity of my faith amazes me.

The world can be spinning out of control (or my life, or whatever) and no matter which Catholic church I walk into, it's the same. It doesn't change. No funky, new age stuff. No messing with the liturgy or bringing in new ideas. It's the same. Uniform. Classic. It's been that way since Christ established the church and will be that way until he comes home for it.

Amazing. Mass was amazing tonight. The feeling was amazing. The realization that so many people have sat and listened to the same mass for so many years - astonishing.

What do I love about my church? The pure history - tracing it right back to Christ - not to a man who founded it because he didn't like some other religion....amazing.

God is good!
Praise God!

Fasting

Gospel, Mt 9:14-15

¹⁴ Then John's disciples came to him and said, 'Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not?'

¹⁵ Jesus replied, 'Surely the bridegroom's attendants cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is still with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.


This is today's gospel. I love it. It tells as Catholics why we fast. I also happen to like what my 7 year old daughter said to my mother yesterday while they were discussing what they were giving up (giving up = fasting) for lent (who is protestant and told her in HER religion they don't give up something for lent). She said this: "We give something up for lent because Jesus gave up his LIFE for us." Yep, proud moments in this mommy's world. See, the kiddos GET IT...and are spreading the word. So I turned to my mom and said, "and it doesn't matter WHAT religion you are, you can still give something up, right?!"

So with renewed (thanks 7 year old daughter) fervor, I fast from meat today....if Jesus gave up his life for us, I can give up meat on Friday's during lent....what a small sacrifice compared to what HE gave!

On other news....wait, there is no other new! LOL.....life is moving on as normal, the kids are growing and attending school, Hubby is working more than not - yep, nothing significant to report! :)